The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-07
THEATRE ETIQUETTE.
Correct Department For rlen and
Women at PAGES of
Amusement.
A :woMAN's PROTEST.
Shall Men Be Allowed to Parade In
and Out of the Theatre at Their
Pleasure if Women Are Forced
to Remove Their Hats-The Rest
less Man an Intolerable Nuisance.

1.-THE one great and all-important
fact in connection with theatre ETH
quette for women to learn" said one
of the sex, whose opinions on matters
of good form are never disputed, lis
never to wear anything on or in their
heads that will obstruct a view of the
stage Now. l say in their heads adj
visedly, because l know numbers of
very nice girls, who always boast of
wearing only a bonnet or a small hair
ornament to the play. Perhaps they
are sincere in believing their heads
afford free passage of sight to eyes be-
hind them, but the woman who wears
great topknot of roses. showery
white osprey, or a dot of a bonnet,
with a tuft of plumes in it, is almost
as great an evil-doer as the owner OF
picture hat. One single osprey, by
qulvering before a pair of eyes, can
annoy beyond measure. I have often
sat behind bonnets far more obstruc-
tive than tower of black plumeS, so
that any well-bred. truly considerate
woman, who is not scanning the play
from the vantage ground of a box,
should completely uncover her head
from first TO last act.
HOW TO MAKE THE REQUEST.
Eight out of ten do follow this rule.
l am happy to say, or they will do it,
II any one in the rear having one will
say-be it a man or woman-"I beg
your pardon, madam, but may 1 ask
as a favor that you will remove your
hat?" To refuse would be the grosSest
rudeness and most fragrant act of sell
fishness. She is not apt to deny the
boon, however, and instantly she mods
her head in compliance, or begins to
pull out the long pins, the person who
made the request should very warmly
offer brief thanks. In case she does
refuse, though, or pretends that she
fails to hear, her victim must suffer
from her underbred cruelty in silence.
as a theatre is no place to open dis
cussion in. 1t is a great breach of
form for a timid man to delegate the
duty of asking woman to remove her
hat to an usher.
THE RESTLESS MAN.
But one plea I do wish to make in
behalf of every woman who goes to the
theatre, which is, if hats are to be put
down, let us by all means settle il at
once whether or no a man is to go out
between the acts. He who practices
this habit is the veriest boor, and since
women have adopted the custom of
taking off their headgear, the moving
man is more than ever an intolerable
nuisance. Women have no place to
put their hats save in their laps, and
blowing his way in and out, the
restless creature sweeps hat ornaments
with his coattails, often obliges her
stand up. her arms full, to let him
pass, and quite as often knocks over
her possession and brutally ruins a
costly piece of millinery.
The man who accompanies a woman
to the theatre-his wife, mother, sister
or friend-plainly announces that he
bears no shadow of a title to the name
gentleman by leaving her. If he leaves
his seat at all, he should not come
back to it again. Then the public
recognizes that boredom, illness or
some engagement drove him forth, and
in that event his feminine companion
goes with him. If he is sitting between
aisles, and wishes water or a pro-
gramme an usher will serve him. A
gentleman who is alone or with men
friends, and possessing an aisle seat,
is of course at liberty to come and go
as he likes. but if he occupies a seat
with strangers on either side, and de-
cides to go out for any reason, he~will
apologize for the trouble caused, make
his way out and then take in the rest
of the play standing at the back.
he must 90 IQlS because the WOMEN,
whom he most inconvenience, are per-
fectly in his power. A woman cannot
ask a man not to glide in and out of
his place, and just as often as women
fail in consideration by wearing high
hats do men offend by their constant
change of base. 1t is more offensive in
men because they have been the lead
ers of the hat crusade, and now that
plumes have come down one good turn
doc M q cf
smoke or move about, or go across the
house to talk to a friend, or rush out
to get something to eat, he had better
stop at home and not, in the eyes of
every woman and the gentlemen pres
ent, brand himself as a vulgarian.
INVITATIONS, SUPPERS, ETC.
A man who wishes to ask a woman
to enjoy a play with him can of course
expect, If he is q warm friend, not
only of hers. but is thoroughly known
to all her family, and a somewhat in
formal visitor at her house, that she
will accompany him alone to the the
alter. Usually in that event even if he
can afford a carriage, he does not
supply one. The common street con-
veyance is the correct thing, both go
ing and returning, and he should not
ask her to take supper with him after
ward. Where neither of them move in
anything like fashionable society, and
where he knows her parents are quite
willing she should be with him, he can
ask her 20 have supper afterward. If
her sister or his sister or some slightly
older woman friends, either married or
unmarried, accompanies them.
In this case he may have a carriage
if he likes, but he must select the din
ing room OF some quiet yet well fire.
quented and high-toned hotel for dis
play of his hospitality. Where he re-
spects the limits of his means he wisely
asks If she and her companion will not