Milford chronicle., 1889-07-05
GOOD FORM OF TODAY.

How 1t Differs from That Of the Past in
Various Important Respects.
In a little book entitled GOOD Form, " the
etiquette Of some few years ago is amusingly
contrasted with that of today, when every
thing is more succinct and expeditions than
it used to be-
When the ladies Of John Leech's time went
to dinner parties they were shown into bed
rooms and allowed some minutes to adjust
their ringlets Now they hand their cloak to
a servant, and walk straight from their car
riage or cab TO the presence Of their hostess.
At weddings in ''the Forties" each brides
maid had a groomsman TO look after her and
sec that she had what she liked at the elabo
rate breakfasts Of the matrimonial function
of that day. Now there is only "best man"
though how he comes by the superlative adj
iective when he is sole groomsnan it is diff
cult to say
Among other changes of custom is that
concerned with the bridesmaids dresses,
which used to be given by the bride. And
our authoress might have added that it is no
longer fashionable as it then was, for the
BRIDE to cry. All weddings nowadays are
dry eyed Crying has gone OUT Il was
the very height of the fashion in The year
1921 When Sir Edward Bulwer Lyttan
married Miss Rosina Wheeler an eye witness
Of the ceremony describes both bride and
bridegroom as being Overcome with sen
sibility," pale, lettering and fearful. No
one tOtters to the altar now, 1t would not
be good form" But the bride must not, on
the other hand, romp up the aisle in the ex-
ultation Of her heart. The correct pace is,
perhaps, best described as resembling that of
q policeman on his beat. 1t is slow and
stately.
Another marked change in social" customs
is mentioned in connection with the etiquette
Of 's1nall and early'' parties. No longer does
a hostess ask her guests to sing or play. This
ordeal, so dreaded by the girl Of a couple of
decades ago is no longer to be feared. Il
hope you have brought some music, Miss
Smith, was frequently the prelude to dis
tracing performance that gave pleasure to
no one, least of all to the player. And.
strange to say, now that music is always pro-
fessonal, and generally worth listening to,
it is difficult to persuade people to remain
silent while it is going on; whereas when anna
teurs were singing it would have been con-
sideFed a shocking piece of rudeness for any
one to have talked till the lady had finished
describing how she wore wreath of roses
or the gentleman had finished dilating upon
his homeless, ragged and tanned condition.
At the dinner table it was considered the
duty Of the host and hostess to urge their
guests to eat This custom in our own day is
entirely abandoned, partly owing to the now
universal style of having all dishes handed
round. The board no longer groans as once
it did, the weight Of the viands being trans
ferred to that chapel OF ease, the sideboard,
where, in secllsion, hireling carves the
joint and skillfully dissects the bird whose
anatomy used to prove such an intricate
problem to the bothered amateur at the end
of the table Skill in carving is not now one
of the polite accomplishments wherewith it is
necessary to equip youth for his social ca
reer. Till now etiquette books have been
only Internationally amusing, but the present
writer treats her subject with a sense of hui
NOR that makes it easy reading
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