The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-03-15
SOCIAL ETIQUETTE.
\ Society Womans Protest Against Late
Hours for Entertaining.

4 Society Womans Protest Against Late
Hours for Entertaining.
Mrs. Admiral Dahlgreen enters q vigorous
protest against the wholesale adoption of
English fashions and especially the adoption
of late hours for entertaining. She does not
consider it any reason for Us, who enjoy 50
much glorious sunlight, to shut it out from
our drawing rooms IN the daytime, or, worse
yet, to choose the most somber hours of the
night for our choicest entertainments, be
cause those unfortunateS who live in murky,
foggy, rainy atmosphere may find it more
agreeable TO do SO.
A score of years ago, according to Mrs
Dahlgren, G o'clock was accepted as suitable
dinner hour by our best people, when our
leading men, having used the day in active
effort and to some useful purpose, were
fairly ready to discuss and enjoy good din
ner By 9 o'clock, at that time, the most
elegant assemblies commenced, and our
polite society was prepared to exchange the
more formal dignity of the prandial feast for
the increasing hilarity of the evening.
Among reasons for early hours is that by
the time men and women have reached mid
die life, and have On account of their expert
ence become peculiarly fitted to direct so
CltIl, IuGl lIIlu ~ AhSOlLO IL uOG
dangerous to expose themselves to the strain
of such late hours. As result, society
places itself, perforce, in the hands of lot
of young people who will doubtless in course
of time become very capable society leaders,
but who make no end of mistakes from lack
of experience.
Thus our social standards become insensibly
lowered.
In view of this and other considerations
Mrs. Dahlgren urges that the matrons who
are society leaders should return to the OBJ
servance of those hours that were considered
the best before we were led away by this pre-
vailing Anglomania. She says that from
the expressions of sentiment heard on this
subject from various ladies, whose opinions
have deServedly great weight, it is to be
hoped that already the tide begins to turn,
and that there is rehux in the right direc-
ton
Another fact is also noted in this connec-
ton. The hours that the aristocracy of
England observe are 50 peculiar to them
selves that they are not adopted on the con-
tinent, where a nicer taste in the refinements
of social life has hitherto been supposed to
exist. 1t was never for moment admitted
until of late years that the English had any
special adaptation, natural or acquired, for
the elegances of life. The Anglo-Saxon
genius that certainly leads the world and
molds its progress in various directions was
never regarded as peculiarly fitted to regu-
late social etiquette or form model manners.
On the contrary, the English lack the pliancy
and fine tact of the French. 1t may be said
they have no tact, and are therefore essen
TALLY unfit to discriminate as to the very del
icate discernment required.
But we Americans have the advantage
over both the French and English, for we in
herit Saxon strength AID Latin versatility.
What we seem most to need is the good COM
mon sense to appreciate the advantages we
possess and to make proper use of them.