The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-11-28
CONTINUED next weekly
TAKING YOUR LEAVE.
A Few Hints About bringing Ones Visit
to an End Gracefully.

At-home days are occasions when
SAVIOR faire is put to the test in the mat
ter of departure. Some have so little
judgment in regard TO this that expe-
rience never serves them in good stead.
They are nervous and vacillating when
they should be neither, they linger and
know not how to get themselves grace
fully away. and usually succeed in max
ing an abrupt exit, SAYS the Queen.
Tney know the right moment at which
to leave, but fail to put this knowledge
into practice. Others perpleX them-
selves with: II almost think it Is time
to go now" or 81 wonder whether I
ought to say good-by or wait until some
one else comes in" At-home days are,
no doubt, socia! tests, and n few rules
might well be borne in mind TO serve in
what frequently amounts to n dilemma.
For instance, a lady slightly ac-
4uainted with a hostess has Il short ten
minutes conversation with her. The
few people in the room are strangers;
then arrives an intimate friend of the
hostess and the two at once plunge into
an animated discussion and she there
fore is not in it. Tea is not going IN
it is early in the afternoon-what shall
she do-sit silent for a few minutes and
then leave, or rise at once shake hands
with the hostess and say "good-byp"
She feels rather reluctant to take this
latter course, as the call has been
shorter than she intended it TO be, but
she takes in the situation. Those in the
room know each other and she does not
anticipate that any of her own friends
will call, and, as the hostess did not in
troduce her on first arriving or intro
duce the last conner to her-viz., the in-
innate friend-it is not probable that
she will do so later on, and therefore
she decides wisely in favor of beating y
retreat at once.
The regulation conventional time for
a call on an "al-home' day is about
twenty minutes. but this can be length
ened out to half an hour or forty min
utcs, circumstances being favorable, or
shortened to the aforementioned ten
minutes. when the position is distinctly
unfavorable for y longer stay.
When to take leave at Il dinner party
is somewhat OF n problem, and requires
a little judicious decision. The fact of
having ordered the carriage at a certain
hour partially decides the question, but
not altogether So. The customary hour
varies from 1920 to 1915 p. M, and
yet to take leave the instant a carriage
is announced is not complimentary to
host or hostess, and leads to the infer
ence that a guest is pleased to 60 rather
than sorry to do so. At 1O:45, how
ever, a hurried goodnight" might be
gracefully said. as this fifteen minutes
stay satisfies the susceptibilities of even
q punctilious hostess. No one would
care to delay departure until II p. IN.
has struck, or is about to strike, unless
particularly well amused or on very in
innate terms at a house. The depart
ures after n dinner party are made ale
most simultaneously the guests literally
following each other. No precedence
is observed as regards taking leave, al
though when persons of high rank are
present those having one to boast of
leave.
"When to leave" at a ball is q very
elastic rule, which varies to suit the cir
cu,nstances of the case. To leave as
soon after supper as may be, or to stay
until a ball is actually over, are equally
correct courses to follow. To remain
until the morning dawns is n proof OF
with what spirit the entertainment has
been kept up. On the other hand, 2:30
a. m. is u general time at which to take
leave, and it is allowed that the smart
est society people seldom stay beyond
it, save those who remain simply for
the pleasure of dancing. AT balls DUR
ing the London season many do not re-
main beyond half an hour or SO. and
then pass on to another function. and to
yet a third. but these are the exceptions
to the general IL of departures at balla