The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-06-29
soop FORM OF 1o.pAY.
How Il Differs IRON that Of the Past in
Various Important 1espeeta

How It Differs IRON that Of the Past i
! Various Important 1sspseta
In . little book just published
entitled "Good Form" the etiquett
of some few years ago is amusingl-
contrasted with that of TO-DAY
when everything is more succinc
and expeditions than il used 10 be
When the ladies of John Leech'
time went to dinner parties the1
wero shown into bedrooms and al
lowed some minutes to adjust Their
ringlets. Now they hand Their
cloak to servant, and walk straigh,
from their carriage or cab to the
presence of their hostess. At wed.
dings in "the Forties" each brides
maid had a groomsman to look af:
ter her and see that she had what
she liked at the elaborate breakfast
of the matrimonial function of that
day. Now there is only a "best
man." though how he comes by the
superlative adjective when he is
sole groomsman it is difficult to
say. Among other changes of Gus
tom 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 we'd
dings nowadays are dry-eyed..
Crying has "gone out" 1t was the
very height of the fashion in the
year 1927. When Sir Edward Bull
wer Lytton married Miss Rosina
Wheeler an eyewitness of the GER
emony describes both bride and
bridegroom as being overcome
With sensibility." pale, tottering
and fearful. No one totters to the
altar now. It would not be "good
FORM" But the bride must not, on
the other hand, romp up the aisle
in the exultation of her heart. The
correct pace is, perhaps, best de-
scribed as resembling that of po-
liceman on his beat. It is slow and
stately.
Another marked change in social
customs is mentioned in connection
with the etiquette of "small 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 distracting performance that
gave pleasure to no one, least of all
to the player. And, strange to say,
now, that music is always profess
sional, and generally worth listen
ing to, it is difficult to persuade
people to remain silent while it is
going on; whereas, when amateurs
were singing, it would have been
considered a shocking piece of
rudeness for any one to have talked
till the lady had finished describ-
ing how she wore q wreath of roses,
Or the gentleman had finished d.
latihg upon his homeless, ragged
and tanned condition.
At the dinner table it was consid-
,red the duty of the host and host
ess 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
yroans as once it did, the weight of
he viands being transferred to that
chapel of ease, the sideboard, where,
n seclusion, a hireling carves the
oint, and skillfully dissects the
bird whose anatomy used to prove
such an intricate problem to the
amateur at the end of the |
able. Skill in carving is not now
me of the polite accomplishments
it is necessary to equip |
youth for his social career. Till
low, etiquette books have been only |
Intentionally amusing, but the
present writer treats her subject |
nth sense of humor that makes
easy reading.-London News.