The Washington critic., 1888-01-28
WHAT ONE SHOULD DO.
Hint 10 the Stranger About Wash
iDgtOn Etiquette,
POINTS FOR THE AMBITIOUS,
How the Accomplished Society
Man Conducts Himself

true gentleman and lady what to do
and how to act, yet there are certain
distinct usagcs and forms peculiar to
Washington official and social life,
and strangers and newcomers some
times feel uncertain as to whether
they are violating any iron-bound
rules Of social etiquette or not. This
is frequently the case with officials
who enter for the first time the social
swim, and especially so with the visit
ors TO the city, vino feel entirely un-
acquainted with the peculiar social
requirements. The CRITIC gives be-
low somc of the established prece-
dents of social order and acknowl-
edged rules of etiquette.
ETIQUETTE OF CALLING.
Themembers of the Supreme Court
and their families receive the first call
from all officials.
The Nice-President and Senators
and families receive the first calls
from Cabinet officers and foreign min
listers and others below them.
A stranger Of distinction visiting
Washington should make the first call
upon an official of equal rank
A newly-appointed official makes
the first call upon those occupying
grades above linn and receives the
first from those below him.
Strangers arriving in Washington
snould call first and leave u card to
advise these to whom to they wish to
make their arrival known. The resi-
dent should then return the call
within two days. For the sake of con-
veniencea usage has been pretty gem
| orally adopted by the families of oli-
cials of setting apart certain days for
certain ranks to hold their receptions
and receive calls. For instance, on
Mondays the families of the Justices
| of the Supreme Court are "at home"
On Tuesdays, families of Congress
men. On Wednesdays, families of
members of the Cabinet. Thursdays,
the Vice-President and Senators, and
| Friday is general reception day for
! distinguished people in and out of
official life. OF course, this is not a
general rule.
At q morning reception gentle
man may carry his hat and gloves in
his hand into the drawing-room, but
never his overcoat. Ladies always
wear their bonnets and light wraps.
Calls made between 2 and p. IN.
are termed morning calls,'' and
should not last longer than 10 or 20
minutes.
A lady should never escort gen
tleman caller to the door. A gentle
man should not take a strange lady to
call on another without permission,
yet lady may call upon another lady
accompanied by gentleman who is q
stranger to the lady of the house.
When lady announces regular
day for receiving acquaintances, only
her most intimate friends would
ordinarily be privileged to call at any
other time.
When gentleman calls with a
lady, the lady determines when to
leave.
When starting to leave make the
ceremony brief, and don't linger.
Oliver Wendell Holmes says; Don't
You know how hard it is for some
people to get out of a room after they
have started? 1t seems as though
they had been built in your parlor,
and were waiting to be launched ~
CARD ETIQUETTE.
The card of lady should be larger
than that of a gentleman's.
Plain cards indicate taste.
Autograph cards should be used
only among intimate friends.
The titles of military or naval rank
are used with the surname only.
Professional titles should be alb
breviated, official titles never.
The wives of officials should not
use the official titles of their husbands
on their cards.
The prefix of Mr.. is optional.
The title Honorable is never used
on the cards of officials in the United
States.
A gentleman may use his military
or naval title on his card even when
out of office.
A card with the upper left-hand
corner turned is card de siSite. The
upper richt-hand corner turned rep
visit of leave-taking is indicated by
turning the lower left-hand corner,
and of coincidence by the lower right.
hand corner.
If there are visitors in the house
leave q card for each or turn down
the right end of the card. The wife
of an official returning formal calls
should leave her husbands card with
her own. This also applies in private
life.
INTRoDUcToNs.
Always present gentleman to G
lady, no matter what his social posi-
tion.
Always present stranger to resi-
dent.
To shake hands is matter of taste
but the otfer of the hand should come
from the lady or the senior in rank
and age,
Never lay hold of the arm of either
person during the Introduction.
Should person at q private gather
ing manifest desire to make
your acquaintance, the fact of his
presence would indicate he is II propei
person to meet.
DINNER PARTY ETIQUETTE.
Daniel Webster called a well-ap
pointed dinner "the climax of civ
iliaation," Talleyrand said that tn
dinner table was the best place 70
.. the transaction of public business
The first element Of well-appointec
dinner is to gather congcnial people
The invitations should be issued tel
, days in advance and must b
, answered within two days. An in
yitation having been accepted cannc
be neglected upon any excuse bu