The Washington critic., 1888-01-14
ETIQUETTE OF CARDS.
PaStebOardS That Are the Proper
Thing in Social Circles,
CALLERS IN WASHINGTON,
Use OF the Term mi" Diplomats
and Senators Turning of
Card Corners.

Calling cards are among the most
expensive Of society necessities Tens
Of thousands of dollars are spent here
each year on posteboard, and ladies
think nothing Of ordering cards by
the box. 4 Washington society belle
spends from 500 to 500 for her outfit
Of this kind for the season, and a
family often needs several kinds of
cards for each member.
Only the backwoods Congressman
and their wives now have their names
printed upon cdrtes de pisitc, and the
engraved plate is used by all Of any
pretcnsions. There is an etiquette in
cards, and their style has as much to
do with fixing the standing of the
caller as has dress or social accom-
plishmcnt.
The gentlemen Of to-day are quiteas
particular as the ladies in regard to
this matter. They have their names
engraved on their cards in fine let
tiers, and it is now the custom for
"Mr." to be put before the mans
name.
At Washington the title is given
with the name, and the residence
finds its place on the corner of the
card. The regulation visiting card for
gentlemen now is about one-third the
size of n lady's. 1t is not much
longer than the width of this news
paper column, and il is about half as
10 q -
card is one of this kind. 1t is plain
1901 X street, at the left-hand corner.
"NIr. Justice Bradley" is another, and
Il third style is that of Horace Hill
yer, one of the fancy young men of
the British Legation. He puts his
title in French, which, though the
language of courts, seems ailectation
in representative Of Victoria.
Some of our great men think this
| style of Mr." an affectation, and they
use simply their names. Among these
! Court, who has a heavily engraved
card, bearing simply the name Charles
X. Harlan. Senator Sabin is another,
and his card is quite pretty one. 1t
is regularly engraved, and he has
which is Dwight.
LELAND STANFORD,
rich as he is, is satisfied with Il card
without "Mr., " and the plain mourn
INCLINED pasteboard which he uses in
his calling is more simple than that
of many penniless adventurer His
card is much more simple than that
Of Rear-Admiral Taylor. Naval Off
GERS, as rule, are up to the latest in
pasteboards. They are class of men
who do not think Of dining except in
full dress, and society seems to be
their business, rather than fighting.
1t is so now, when there is no war to
bother us, and in these "piping times
of peace" the naval official tips the
toe fantastic with as much vigor as he
wields the saber in the times of bloody
war.
THE LEGATIONS,
as rule, have fancy cards. A card
before me is that of Mr.. Montufar, u
representative from South America
and il is three times as big as that OF
the Minister of Portugal, which lies
beside it. Both are in French, and
they are finely engraved. The card
of Nine. Kuki, the wife of the Japan
ese Minister, is prettily printed, and
is simple and modest, like its owner,
one of the most attractive women of
Washington. The Vicomtesse de ST
bourg has a card as big as the joker OF
euchre deck, and it is bordered with
black; and that of Dominguez, of the
Argentine Legation looks little be-
side it. ! have also the card of the
captain of the Japanese navy, who
visited Washington not long ago. He
does not put Mr." before his name,
and he appears to be like all the Ja-
panese-a gentleman.
THE USE OF CARDS
among ladies is much more general
and fixed than among gentlemen, and
the fashionable women here would as
soon think of using an old dress as an
old card. She would receive much
less attention in the old dress than she
would with the old card, and it is from
the bushels of cards that the call
ing lists of Washington society are
made up. No ladies of prominence
use anything but engraved cards, and
the simpler the card, as a rule, the
more elegant the lady. Few written
cards are used, and autograph cards
are, as n rule, used only between
4 friends. The etiquette Of high So
ciety grows more stately year after
year, and it may be that in the future
we shall have the ''thee" and "thou"
as the German families have now
We will use the "you" only in speak
ing to chance acquaintances, and we
will reserve the familiar "thee" for
our dearest friends.
THE LApY's NAME
is always put in the centre of the
card, and at Washington it is usual
for her to have her residence engraved
in much smaller letters on the lower
right hand corner. The day on which
she receives is put on the lower left
hand corner, and il is a necessity in
Washington for society woman to
have her "day." Wednesday is the
Cabinet day, when all the Cabinet
ladies receive callers. Monday the
ladies of the Supreme Court are eX-
pected to be at home, On Tuesday
YOU find the Representatives wives
receiving calls, and on Thursday you
may call on the ladies of the Senate.
Friday is the day for calling on ladies
out Of official life, and Saturday is set
aside for the reception Mrs. Cleve-
land. AS TO Sunday night there is no
rule, but the custom is that most
people receive calls, and there is as
much courting as church going.
AS to ladies' cards, one of the pret-
test / have seen is that of Mrs.