Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-08-07
ETI0ULTIE Rim MAD.
Some of the Absurdities of Society.


An anecdote is told of a prettily-
dressed little girl who fell the other day
on muddy street-crossing, and gen.
t.eman fastened to her assistance. At
ter cleaning off her clothes he asked her
if he shouldn't escort her home. "No.
thir." answered the little damsel: eff
vCu please, we Amt been introduced, }"
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 neigh
bors, look at each others faces when
they meet,and yet never exchange sal
utatlon, because they have not been
introduced! And so they will go to the
same church, attend the social religious
meetings, and look expectantly at each
other, but never exchange a word of rec
ognltlon, because by chance they have
not been introduced! Says Mrs. A., 81
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 didn't want to speak first.
because | have never been introduced
to her" A short time ago we witnessed
the introduction of two ladies at social
gathering. The greeting between them
was very cordial. 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. F.,
"That's just the way have felt, and
have wondered if we ever should get in
troduced." Now if both these ladies de-
sired an acquaintance, and their man.
ners toward each other fully showed it,
why should they have allowed months
of what would have proved q pleasant
acquaintance and friendship to pass
away, simply because no third person
happened to give them an introduction
to each other? And so between lady
and gentleman, where their social posi-
ton is equal, there may be the same
amount Of ver-punctiliousness. We
would by no means have that social ct
iquette repealed which establishes the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 &C
cordance with etiquette unless both par
ties have been consulted and signifed
their pleasure. Then if two, by each
others manner, are satisfied that an &C
quaintance would be mutually deslra-
bic, why should they wait week after
week for the opportunity to occur for
q third party to introduce them? Why
should they not introduce themselves.
To have been altogether consistent,
the little gnl in the incident related ar
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 an
other how he saw man down in the
Seine. Said the disciple 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.
Ooh, yes" replied the fastidious
Frenchman; II cuald have pulled him
out without any danger to myself; but
then, you must know, [ had never
been introduced to the gentleman"
We fear there are too many in the COM
munity who are almost as ultra in their
notions on this matter as was that
Frenchman-