The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-07-09

much warns us and these comprise in
some fashion all our various greetings,
the bow and grasp of the hand being
chief among them.
THE PROPERTIES OF THE BOW.
Frequently we have not only the bow
or the hand clasp but the kindly word as
well, at one and the same time; and 1t
becomes difficult to analyZe and separate
the component parts OF friendliness.
In attempting this it appears that the
various degrees OF intimacy expressed by
the inclination of the head vary as much
with che temperament of the particular
individual that 10 rules can be laid down.
It may be said in general, however,
that in bowling there should be some ap-
pearance of attention and pleasure
1t is hardly gratifying TO meet an &C
uuaintance who bows with scarcely
glance, or who looks perfectly forblddlng
as he mods. You will probably look the
other way yourself when next he appears.
And in like manner it is but poor
compliment when your acquaintance re-
ceives your hand with a limp and feeble
grasp; you get no impression OF welcome
from such poor and cold return from
your own friendly hand. A salutation of
any kind should have some appearance OF
warmth, or 1t might better be omitted
altogether
WHO SHALL BOW FIRST.
Without question it is the place of the
more distinguished of any two persons to
make the first advances Therefore the
lady, the older person, the distinguished
man bows first in meeting, Tor 1t is at
their pleasure, not yours, whether or not
the acquaintance is continued.
1t is easy to see without explanation
where this rule finds exceptions. The
led -oif fIo "a n
does not wait for the elderly lady whose
eyes do not serve her quickly or whose
memory of faces has grown doubtful.
And perhaps the rule is as often hon.
ored in the breach as in the observance,
for it is better to recognize a person too
soon than to wait too long, uncertain
whose duty it is.
THE BOW IS A POPULAR TRIBUTE.
1t is a pleasing custom borrowed and
adapted from English customs, when the
public makes it q habit to greet men OF
distinction without reference to acquaint-
ance, simply as a mark of honor.
This may not be possible in a crowded
city street, but in town or country it con-
fers an air Of distinction on both sides.
You take note of it as you go out with
some man of well known position as
President Harrison, and see one after
another lift the hat as a token of respect.
No man can fail to greet such honors with
gratifed recognition.
AN ENGLISH QUESTION.
Quite in an opposite direction our Eng
lish friends have lately given themselves
much concern as to the proper saluta-
tions to q servant.
No less digniffed journal than The
Spectator has been torn with conflicting
correspondence as to whether gentle
man shall take off his hat to his maids.
Such difficulties are easily solved in our
more democratic land: if a gentleman
chooses to make social distinction of
this sort, he bows politely to the women
among his servants without raising his
hat, ana he mods Familiarity to the men.
And this latter is the usual method OF
recognition for both men and women by
the ladies' of the family. Such recogni-
ton also is most courteous and gratifying
to the servants of your friends as well as
your own, and 1t is well worth the
trouble.
THE CURTsEY.
OF late the young girls in society have
taken up the foreign fashion of curt
seying.
This extremely pretty old time custom.
II properly carried out, is most attractive
but It's indiscrimlnate use is curiously
inappropriate and sometimes absurd.
A token of special respect, it should
never be offered to young women; and II
is altogether out of place from all but
young girls.
A single exception is when young
matrons wish to show very unusual
honor-and to mark the fact that it is
very unusual-to a young woman of dis
tinction, an old lady, grande dame, &
person of high position.
1t is appropriate from every one to the
=. 49, A.
seems somewhat awkward from elderly
women.
The general rule is therefore to confine
the curUsey to young women, and to very
special occasions.
In form it is, when well done, really
graceful; but 1t has its own cacnet anC
should be regularly learned, not picked
up at random. 1t is by no means the
long sweeping movement of the minuet:
nor is 1t Just the curtsey of the queen =
drawing room; and its curious lutte re-
Election becomes ridiculous when awk.
wardiy done. 1t is better to omit such
elaborate manners unless they can be
exercised with grace.
STYLES IN HAND SHAKING.
The difficulty of laying down genera
rnles in these matters is well shown or
the q estion OF shaking hands.
In Kew York an Introduction is ac.
knowledged by somewhat formal bow
in Washington it is always followed by {
hand grasp, which has AT least every ap.
pearance OF cordiality. Indeed in Wash
lngton IL is universal to shake hands Oh
meeting and on leaving, and this playl
no small part IN making the atmoSpher,
Of frlendiiness peculiar TO the drawing.
rooms OF the capital.
But in handshaking fashions hav,
arisen also, and if curtsey may b,
specially graceful. fashions in handshak.
ing have reigned which could never b,
graceful.
OF a sudden-no one knows why or how
the world left OF the always agreeable
han0clasp and began a maneuvre which
had nothing TO recommend 1t, but quite
the contrary First there appeared a sor
of pumphandle shake with the two hand
on the level of the lace; then a curiou:
sideways shake, somewhat lower down
and later still different and quite indies
9 cribaDle saving OF the air, at a still lowe
altitude. But these inane customs mus
be seen to be understood; they cannot b,
successfully etdoWn on paper.
Happily there is no law against pre
serving through all such vagaries dig.
nified and properly inconspicnous grasI
OF the hand. This is indeed the safe
plan, Tor the mode changes SO suddenl,
and inexplicably that it Is impossible t,
be sure OF being in good form at an,
given time.
sALUTATIoNs AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
Those whose happy or unhappy lot it j
TO be obliged to shake the hand of al
<1,,f~- H1a5el