Nebraska advertiser., 1882-03-02

cepted to prevent attendance; in such
a case n regret stating the facts, as well
as disappointment at not being able TO
be present. should be sent at once. But
should anything occur at the last mo-
ment to prevent attendance II Is eti-
quette to send regret the day after
the party. All well-bred persons are
charitable, and pass over any contre-
temps with kindly consideration, but IL
is simply putting aside charity to disre-
gard these social amenities. What a
comfortable feeling to live in society
where all its members alike compre-
hend and perform their duties. Thus
misunderstandings are prevented and
alterations almost unheard of. Blank
acceptances and regrets are neither ele-
giant nor respectful, and should not be
used by well-bred people. The most
fashionable notes, like their senders,
are characterized by elegant taste and
simplicity. "The language is concise
but courteous, the writing plain but
flourishes, whether of tongue or pen,
are out of place. There, as elsewhere,
the most refined taste expresses itself in
richness of material, beauty of form,
harmony of parts, and perfect adapta-
ton TO circumstances, rather than in
excessive ornament and ostentatious
display. Indeed, It will always be
found in literature, in art, in character,
and everywhere that the severest sim
plicity is consistent with the truest re-
fnement and the highest elegance.
Formal notes do not admit of sigma
ture, except in one instance, and this is
rarely used, Westlake says, probably
owing to the skill required in writing
It," In America, notes written in the
third person are usually dated at the
bottom; in England they are dated AT
the top, which is much to be preferred,
and we regret that it is not universal in
America, rs the note has a neater ap.
pearance. The usual mode adopted by
the most cultured people for all invita-
tions, acceptances and regrets admit OF
slight variety. All such notes are ad-
dressed as other ceremonial notes. 1t
is not required that they be inclosed in
extra envelopes. Such notes are now
sent by mail unless more expeditions
delivery is desired. Great care must
be taken not to change from the third
person TO the first or second. This is a
mistake frequently made. A regret de-
declining an invitation TO concert OF
evening entertainment should read:
"Miss Jones declines Mr.. Crowns in.
vitation with thanks. She is already
engaged for tomorrow evening.
Tuesday morning, November A."
II should be remembered that letters
written in the third person bear no sig
nature. Let the address be plainly
written and in full. Poiteness requires
that some title should be added to the
name. Hence Miss, Mrs, Mr., or Esq,
is used. Strangers may be addressed,
when writing the salutations, as Miss OF
Madame. When Miss is employed in
the introduction, it must be followed by
the lady's name, as Miss Mary Gen
ings.
The superscription on all notes should
be plainly and legbly written; each part
should stand alone, forming u line by it.
self. When the name of the State is
short one, or it is abbreviated, it is not
correct for il to occupy line by itself
the proper form for instance: Newark,
Ohio, or Long Branch, N. j. A mar
ried lady must not sign herself with the
Mrs" before her name or a single
lady with Miss" In writing to
strangers who do not know how to adj
dress you, married lady will sign her
self Mrs. James Scott, an unmarried
lady Miss Ida Jones, placing the Mrs.
and Miss in brackets. Widows sign
their baptismal names.
Westlake, the very highest authority
on this subject, says: A." In writing to a
lady who is stranger or mere nc
quaintance, persons often feel delicacy
Unnecessarily so, il seems to us) about
saying Dear Miss Blank or Dear
Madam Dear does not mean any
more in Dear Miss than it does in
Dear Sir Surely no lady would hesi.
tate to use the latter form of address in
writing to a gentleman of her acquaint-
ance; and no gentleman would be fool
ish enough to suppose she intended to
make love to him by so doing. Cor.