The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-06-06
LEAVING CARDS.


The object Of leaving cards is TO sig
nify that call ha, been made, due civ
ility shown, and a like ciyility expected
IN return. The routine of card-Ieaying
NAV thus be briefly explained; one lady
calls upon another. and, on finding her
mot al home" leave, a card, saying
"FOr Lady Jones. ii the lady calling
IS married, she also leaves two Of her
husband, cards with her own. She
leaves two Of his cards because ono is
intended for Lady Jones and one for
Sir John Jones. If Lady Jones has
rrown-up daughters, The lady calling
turn, down a corner Of her visiting
card, 10 include them in thc call made
TO their mother: but if amarried daugh-
ter were on visit to her mother sep
aratc card would be left for her, and
also for ANY other visitor Of Lad Jones
with whom the lady calling is ac-
quainted,
If mother has grown-up daughters,
their names are printed on her card
Miss Smith. Miss Ethel smith and
whether with her or not when calling
the card is still left with their names
upon ii. Young ladies are not sup
posed to have cards of their own during
the lifetime Of their mothers. and II
while still young they lose their mothers
their names appear on the cards of the
ladies who take them out, whether it be
an aunt a married sister, or sister-in-
law, or even grandmother. If they
permanently reside with one OF these
relatives, their names would be printed
Oh the cards; If only temporary, merely
pencilcd. When Young ladies live with
their fathers, who are widowcrs. and
who chaprron them, their Joint names
are printed on a lady's visiting card.
Until "A Young lady has attained what is
termed certain age. II argues no little
Independence OF action to have card
of her own, but when she no longer re-
quires chaperonage she is entitled to a
card of her own, being clearly her own
mistress, and able TO choose her own
lcquautunces.
Ii should be understood that when 4
lady is at home To the lady calling upon
her, she must not on any account leave
her card on taking her departure, as
The fact of having seen her friend does
away with the reason for leaving a card
viz: to intimate that she has called;
but she leaves two of her husbands
cards on the hall table, prceuming that
he. her husband, is not with her. Even
j she has seen the master Of the house,
she still leaves the cards as a mark Of
1iyiity on the part of her absent hus-
band. She does not leave more than
two, whether the master OF the house is
at home or not.
People who do not understand the
meaning Of card-leaving are frantically
anxious to send visiting cards by post to
their acquaintances in lieu OF calling
upon them. Only the greatest ignor-
.G2ce OF the usages Of good society can
excuse such an idea. II distance is too
great to keep up calling acquaintance
here is no civility in sending names
and addresses on visiting-cards by post;
hey convey nothing, and they mean
nothing, unless left in person, and it is
difficult to imagine how the notion OF
sending yisiting-cards by post could en-
ter the head of any one pretending to
DC in society.
Cards of inquiry are another stumb-
Iing-block to the uninitiatcd. These
they are also anxious to send by post,
which would entirely do away with the
politeness intended; they must be left
IN person, as matter of course, and
The words ITO inquire after Mrs.
Brown" should be written on the top of
the card. When card Of inquiry is
left by a lady she does not leave her
husbands cards on that occasion, call
not being intended, but simply an in
quiry after health, TO evince sympathy
and interest. The sanae applies to cards
Of "Return thanks for kind inquiries.
These words are also written on the top
Of the cards, and the cards are left by a
member Of the family, when not by the
invalid herself. When the invalid is
the husband or son, it is still the wife or
mother who returns thanks for kind in
guirics.
As regards p. p. G. cards. the same
rule holds good; they cannot be sent
by post, they must be left in person.
The letters j. i. {. signify pour prem
DIRE congo, and are left on the eve of u
departure for any length Of time.
Visiting cards are left when lady is
not at home, when time does not admit
Of making call, when the acquaint-
ance is too slight to warrant making a
call, when it is not desired that tho ac-
quaintanceship should develop into a
calling mountaineering, when asked
by mutual friend to call on stranger,
when an invitation is sent by a stranger
through a mutual friend, when leaving
letter of introduction on n stranger,
and after entertainments.