Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-28
WHEN TO CALL AND WHAT 10 SAY
What P. P. C.. and Other Stray
Letters Convey in French.
OFFICIAL MOURNIN NC

| OF precedence is one SO much discussed.
Many persons will not accept invitations
| to meet some one, especially at dinner or
hhoh where a justice cabinet officer, am
bassador or minister should have the seat
| OF honor. Married women should never be
asked to meet young people. 1t is needless
| TO add that the President should never be
| asked Ito meet" any one, neither should
the Vice President, unless it bs Ito meet
the President" The cabinet should never
be invited to meet any one other than the
| President, the Vice President, Supreme
| Court, or an ambassador.
Few people, in accepting Invitations to
meet distinguished guests, such as the
| President Vice President, or an ambassa-
dor. do SO correctly; the form which has
| been more or less adopted and approved is:
Mr.. and Mrs Smith
have the honor to accept
| the invitation of
| The Chief Justice and Mrs. Fuller
to meet
The Vice President and Mrs. Hobart
| at dinner on Saturday,
| January the First,
at eight O'Clock.
Many comments are made on our want of
| SAVIOR faire in the matter of calls, and it
might be we'll to adopt some of the rules
| from the English. who are most punctilious
| regarding this matter.
| Should Mrs. Smith meet a bachelor and
he be foreigner or one of our own states
| men, and she wishes to know him, II is
polite that Mr. Smith should call, but If
| Mrs. Smith be widow, then she should
| ask the man to call on her. Under no cir
| cumstances should a woman leave or send
| her card al an embassy legation, or Off
| cial or private house where there is no
| lady. This is not permissible under any
| circumstances whatever. and 1t is to be
| much deplored and regretted that this
| Should ever be laid toourdoor But, I'M
| fortunately, there are many who are so
| anxious to know everybody and be invited
| everywhere that 1t Is said that many wo-
men who are supposed to know better have
| been guilty of this offense very proba bly
| through ignorance.
| Ambassadors are much handicapped upon
| their arrival here by our officials not call
| ing on them first. Much stricter instruc-
government than those to a minister. The
| only first call an ambassador makes is
| on the President. The other officials cali
| on him. Diplomats call on ladies of the
| cabinet because of the dignity of the Of
fice-therefore, the call must be recog
nized. Should the diplomat be bachelor,
the card of the bnet officer should be
| sent within the week, but II he be married
| the wife of the cabinet officer necessarily
| returns the call of the wife in person.
The CeremOniOus Greeting.
| The question of addressing persons in
| official life has long since been settled by
| the State Department. The President is
1 always addressed in speaking as Mr..
| President and the envelope reads simply,
| THE President of the United States" The
| same rule is followed for the Vice Presi-
| cent. A justice of the Supreme Court is
| addressed as Mr.. Justice" and an invita-
| ton to him is written Mr.. Justice Blank"
| cabinet officer is addressed as Mr.. Sec
| retary," and an invitation to one is writ
| ten liz full, l. e., The Secretary of State"
| A senator is addressed as such, but has
| simply Mr.. Richard Roe on his visiting
| card, and neither uses his title in issuing
| or accepting invitations, though an invi-
| tation addressed to him is written Senator
| Richard Roe"
| A member of Congress is not addressed
| by the title of Representatives" and his
visiting card, in addition to his name: al
| ways has the name of the state from
dressed "Exceliency,' and an invitation
! should read, His Excellency, the British
| Ambassador" In the case of his being
| married the title extends to the wife ana
| an invitation reads, Their Excellencies."
| foreign minister is addressed as Mr.
| Smith or by his title if he has one, Baron
Smith, but an invitation to him reads Ihe
| minister of Denmark" Secretaries and at
| taches of legations are addressed as MT
Blank" ard their invitations are written
| MIR. Blanks company at dinner the en-
| vslope Of which is addre ssed John Blank.
esq" For envelope address to man
| the English custom of "Jchr Smith, ESQ.,"
| has been virtually adopted in America, and
| Mr. John Smith is obsolete An invita-
| Brown request the pleasure of Mr.. Smiths
| company at dinner" If for no other rea-
| son it is well to adopt the esquire to make
sure that Mrs. John Smith will not open
| the letter.
In answering invitations from the secr>-
| tary of State and Mrs. Blank the acknowl-
| edgment is made to both, the envelope of
| which is simply addressed to Mrs. Blank.
| VOIumes I'm Ictters.
There are certain abreviations which ara
| in current use, and are as follows:
P. p. c'pour presenter'O Is written in pen
| ell In the lower left-hand corner of the Wis
| iting card, and is used by newly arrived
diplomat at the capital to which he is
1 credited in calling on members Of the dip
lomatic corps.
P. C. c'pour condoler') is written in pen
Gil in the lower left-hand corner of the Wis
| iting card and is used in making a visit of
| sympathy or coincidence.
p. r. c'pour remercier'O is written in pen
| ell in the lower left-hand corner of the Wis
] ting card. and Is used In returning visit
OF coincidence or sympathy pour remer-
| cier) to thank the person for the courtesy
E. p. cen personne'O is written in pencil
| in the lower left-hand corner of the visiting
| card, and is used when calling on ambassa-
doris, foreign ministers, b!liet officers and
/ other persons OF distinction, to show that
the call is made "in person.
P. p. c. c.pour prendre conge') is writ
| ten either In pencil or ink in the lower left
| hand corner of the visiting card, and may
| be left by hand or sent by mail, and is
| used by persons leaving town for pro-
| tracted stay, and no acknowle 1gmen, OF it
1 Is made
r. $. V. p. crepondez sill vous plait') is
| added to the lower left-hand corner of in
vitatfons to large entertain ents, such as
| dance or musicale, to which an answer
| is desired, but il is gross error to put
| 4. S. V. p. on dinner or lunch Invitations,
as every one who is we'll bred knows that
J such invitations should be answered at
once, and within twenty-four hours at the
| very latest. 1t seems strange that r. s. "
| p. should ever be necessary, as every in
| vitation extended is a compliment, there
fors an acknowledgment Of 1t should be
/ made. Irrespective of what 1t may be-
These six abreviations are used more or
/ less the world over, and are always written
| In small letters. nevsr In capitals.
When or does not go to a tea, 1t is the
correct thing to inclose cards In an envelope
| addressed to the hostess and leave them on
the afternoon of the tea.
Returning calls by sending cards by mail
L Ia fortunately error of which few