Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-15
GLANDS DOWN."
Hand.Shakin ing Is mo Longer
Fashionable.

"HANDS DOWN."
Hand-Shaki ing ts mo Longer
Fashionable.
$50 fashions come and fashions
CO." Rarely is it that one knows how,
or when, until the change is here and
established. But occasionally we are
called upon to witness the slow death
of some old friend, and even to help
the poor thing in its determined
effort to keep a hold on popular favor.
This is the case in the matter OF hand
shaking, which seems to be giving
its last gasp. 1t has been so
long mark of Americanism
that one and all regret to
learn that the East has declared
against it, and the West is expected to
follow suit. That same West has a
very wide reputation for independ-
ence, and it would not be at all sur
prising if it quite refused to give up
the pleasant, frank, cordial, old-time
grasp of the hand in good fellowship.
As an interchange of civility, it
might as we'll 60, but as greeting
between friend and friend, fashion,
with her capricious degrees, might as
we'll decide that the mother may no
longer kiss her child in meeting.
Another dictum of this spoiled au
thority is that introductions shall
cease. AS all the world is not ac-
quainted, and as these unknowns are
continually jogging elbows, what
means shall be taken to break the ice
if introductions are tabooed? Shall
any person have the right to rush up
to any other and be known at once :?
1t were we'll, then, that children
should be taught the cold stare of the
modern society leader, for if the bar
of introduction is removed some
other should straightway be erected.
WHY CAN'T SUCH THINGS BE TALKED OF
And written about in good common
sense way? If, instead Of declaring
Misunderstanding and introducing have
long passed out of fashion in the
upper classes" authorities (for there
are people who make such things a
study would only say something as
sensible as this: "Hand-shaking has
grown too common among us. The
grasp of friendship should not be
given to the stranger and the mere &C.
quaintance; therefore the majority
have decided to reserve this
mark Of friendliness, and a
pleasant, courteous bow should
greet and satisfy casual acquaintance, i,
and in the meeting of men and wo-
men, this form of meeting should
suffice in the majority of cases. The
man who takes q woman by the hand
should rank in her estimation next to
the one who kisses her cheek, and as
this is apt to be a pretty near friend,
usually inside the family line, that
other should be inside friendships
paling."
Anybody can appreciate the feeling
in such sentiments, but most bo lies
know how to sneer at fashions in
hand-shaking. What would resi-.
dent of Chicago think of not being
introduced to the other guests at a
dinner party? Yet the person who is
supposed to be best posted on such
matters in America states that such
introductions are no longer made,
adding that the entertainer would do
we'll to take care that gentleman
who is to take a lady in to dinner
should be presented to her.
Now, to the world the words dinner
party convey the idea of few in
number, say not more than twenty,
perhaps, occasionally, thirty. It
would not be much of an effort for
the hostess to make the few who are
strangers
KNOWN By NAME TO THE OTHERS.
1t is never wise to take half of an
idea. 1t is from the English this
idea of introductions being unneces-
sary comes-the roof-tree being the
guarantee. That is we'll enough in its
way, but in order to make it a pleas
ing social change another English
custom must invariably accompany
it-that OF the name of each guest be-
ing announced by a servant as he
enters. Then the need OF an intro
duction is obviated. Without it, at
the ordinary dinner an introduce
ton is needed to make the guest
feel at ease and no guest ever en-
joyed an evening when i'll at ease.
The authority quoted above would
have been all right had it been ex-
planned that it was for such a dinner
party as the great Gradley-S partan
affair, or shall we say of so large a
dinner as John Drake's annual event,
that such rules are made, but as these
are exceptional they should not come
under the head of the rule at all, but
under the exception-and the enter
taiuer at smaller dinners is more SIRE
of a success if all her guests be known
to each other.
have before made this statement,
as am likely to again. Graciousness
is always pleasing, and it is better to
err on that side than to permit one
soul to leave ones house wounded.
When we cease to be new country
undoubtedly we shall have one code
of laws to govern all social matters.
Until then, good horse sense is as
sure guide-post as reliance upon the
advice of one who knows nothing
about the surroundings.-[Chicago
Herald.