Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-22
%h

tude, and I think she must have seen my really awful distress, for she talked breeZily for a few minutes until recov- cred myself, and then I was again over whelmed by the fact that I had never been spoken to by a princess before, and did not know how in the world I should address her. I ventured, however, on q simple Madame" and my princess re- mained by my side during my brief stay.
 Years afterward, when we were famil- far and affactionate friends, she said to me, "I saw how miserable you were, and thought you were going to burst into tears, and I knew your American GUS toms, and that you were new to our con tinental ways, so I resolved to put an end to your agony.
 It really was acute suffering, and though the custom is now in vogue in this country, I do rot think it a gracious thing to ask people to your house and place them in the position I occupied that never-to- be-forgotten day in Rome.
 When Entertaining.
 The very first obligation of a hostess is to make her guests at ease, and though the woman of the world, the social leader and the dowager may have the sang froid and the savoir faire required to ad- dress a stranger as one would an old ac- quaintance, there will always be younger and less confident women who will be embarrassed and hurt cruelty by a repe l there is no other word so expressive, on the day I mention in far off Italy.
 Where a hostess, as is frequently the case, is assisted by friends or by num- Der of young girls, it is easy to arrange the introductions of each guest to two or three others, so that no one may be left unoccupied.
 Of course, the old fashioned and labor ed method of introducing each arrival to every occupant of the room is out of the question. When callers arrive simultane- ously 1t is correct to introduce them at once, unless there is some social reason to the contrary.
 Occasionally a hostess finds herself en- tertaining two women who have had diff ferences and no longer speak The situa- tion Is awkward. but women of breeding will surmount it by raising the flag of truce which a meeting on neutral ground necesstates, and will converse amiably to each other while the visit lasts. con- fning the conversation to small talk.
 At a large entertainment persons who desire to avoid each other may readily do so without attracting notice or. rem derng any one uncomfortable Ladies who meet each other for the first time at a garden party, fete, at-home or tea should not consider themselves acquaint- ed. If the older lady or the more i'm portant woman socially chooses to do so she may signify her inclination to con- tinue the acquaintance. It is not breach of etiquette however, for her to refrain from even a bow. Z Introductions on the streets re in very bad taste-they are only permitted when the situa tion becomes awkward, and even then there is some one distinctly to blame for the necessity. Street ntroductions of men to women do not bind the lady to the slightest recognition afterward, un- less she chooses to accord it.
 Some Primitive Customs.
 The double form of presentat ton or in- troduction has forever gone out of fash ion, I trust. It was always clumsy and unnecessary. I recollect at country inn where we occasionally spent a week or more each season, the interchangeable language of our host, who would with a genial smile and approving wave of the hand, precede each new afTival at the first meal of the unfortunate and one by one take us through the ceremony of the double introduction, thus: Miss Jack son, I make you acquainted with MT. Johnson; MT. Johnson, I make you ac- uuainted with Miss Jackson" this same form repeated all around large country hotel dinner tab ble, while the new boarder remained standing and unable to distin- guish any one, was something of an or deal. and we were always relieved by the invariable finale: Now, you're ac- ] quainted and hope you'll all be pleas