The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-07-24
Etiquette Run Mad.


dressed little girl who fell the other
day on muddy street-crossing, and a
gentleman fastened to her assistance.
After cleaning off her clothes he asked
her if he shouldn't escort her home.
mo, thir," answered the little dam
sci; "f you please, we amt been in
troduced." The little girl doubtless
reflected the sentiments that she had
heard expressed at home. We think
many people are too punctilious in
their notions about the improperly of
recognizing one to whom they have
not been introduced. Persons will live
a long time as neighbors. look at each
others faces when they meet. and yet
never exchange a salutation, because
they have not been introduced! And
so they will 90 to the same church, at
tend the social religious meetings, and
look expectantly at each other, but
never exchange word of recognition,
because by chance they have not been
introduced! Says Mrs. A.: II met
Mrs. B. to-day, and she looked as
though she would like to have spoken
to me, and should have been glad if
she had; but I didn't want to speak
first, because have never been intro
duced to her." A short time ago we
witnessed the introduction of two
ladies at a social gathering. The
greeting between them was very cor
dial. Says Mrs. F.: 81 have been
dying to speak to you for a long time,
but didn't dare to because we hadn't
been introduced" Said Mrs. NJ,
"That's Just the way l have felt, and
have wondered if we ever should get
introduced" Now if both these ladies
desired an acquaintance, and their
manners toward each other fully
showed it, why should they have al
lowed months of what would have
proved pleasant acquaintance and
friendship to pass away, simply be-
cause no third person happened to give
them an introduction to each other?
And so between lady and gentleman,
where their social position is equal,
there may be the same amount OF over
punctiliousness. We would by no
means have that social etiquette re-
pealed which establishes the rule that
an introduction shall take place before
an acquaintance is formed; but ones
own good sense and judgment should
tell them where an exception to the
rule may be safely made. Even in
case of an introduction, it is not in ac-
cordance with etiquette unless both
parties have been consulted and signi-
fed their pleasure. Then if two, by
each others manner, are satisfied that
an acquaintance would be mutually de-
sirable, why should they wait week
after week for the opportunity to oc-
cur for a third party to introduce
themP Why should they not intro
duce themselves?
TO have been altogether consistent,
the little girl in the incident related at
the beginning of this article should
have Indignantly resented the act of
kindness committed by the gentleman
in picking her up from the mud and
brushing the dirt from her dress.
More consistent was the Frenchman
who related to another how he saw q
man drown in the Seine. Said the dis
ciple of Chesterfield: 81 saw the poor
man fall into the river, and struggle
close to the bank for two or three
minutes, and then he sank and was
drowned" "But couldn't you have
helped him out if you had tried
much?'' asked the other, with some
surprise. "Oh, yes" replied the
fastidious Frenchman; 81 could have
pulled him out without any danger to
myself; but then, you must know, l
had never been introduced to the
gentleman" We fear there are top
many in the community who are al
most as ultra in their notions on this
matter as was that Frenchman.-Hart-
ford (Cosss.) Journal.