The Virginia enterprise., 1899-02-17

she is happily becoming more and more
rare. We will not suffer unalloyed grief
when we write Hic jacet over the last
Of her kind. Still, there is no need 81
burying the introduction itself. They
have almost done SO over in England,
but America has often found a happy
medium between her own early ways
another chance for her to show that
common sense is generally safe key
to any guide to decorum." g,,i r.
The confirmed introducer is bore,
and should be .ruthlessly discouraged;
but, until mental telepathy shall have
become a more widespread accomplish
ment than it is now, the old-fashioned
introduction ought not to be permitted
to lapse into utter disuse. To send to-
without so much as giving one a clue to
the others identity, may be good Eng
lish form, but it is not good common.
sense. A woman who aspires to be a
successful dinner-giver will find that sue
cess lies not by this path. Even at teas
and receptions an introduction need not
always be made with bated breath and
cused one Of making faux pas. FL
nally Though there may be those who
will condemn this as rank social liberal.
ism, there are circumstances when even
passing intrOductiOns are perfectly legit-
innate. The introduction has as much
need of raison d'etre as has any other
social custom. But once it has a reason
for being, it is most valuable and wei.
come. 1t is the supertluous introduc.
ti0n, whose name is even yet legion
which has numbered the ground, socially
speaking, and which ought to be rooted
Out.-Harper's Bazaar.
MarriaEeab1e Daughters.
Fathers and mothers need not be hus.
band hunters, but they should be genial
hospitable hosts to such young women
and men as they deem fit companions
for their daughters. 1t is their duty t.
enter hea rtily and cheerfully into the
lives of their girls at this stage of Their
career as we'll as any other. Many q
young woman has been deprived of social
life because of the Indifference or open
inhospitality of her parents to hel
friends.
The father who selfshly seeks his own
comfort and enjoyment, burying him.
self in book or paper when his daugh.
ter's friends are in his parlor, creating
an atmosphere of restraint and unso
ciability, is, perhaps, booming his girls
to lonely, unhappy life. The mother
who is scant of courtesy and friendli
hess 10 CneSc guests is DONG her daugh
ters a greater and more lasting wrone
than neglect of some of their personal
wants in their earlier years would have
entailed.
Nor does their duty end in willing
ness to receive and entertain in a cor
dial way the young people congenial tt
their girls; if it be that there are moi
young men and women in their neighbor
hood with whom their daughters can as
sociate, it is their bounden duty to re-
move thence to a community furnishin.
the necessary elements for an ADEQUATE
social life. Families move for much les.
important reasons; they seldom move fol
more important ones. No violence i.
done to any right feeling if parents have
the distinct aim in such a move of takint
their daughters into the society of con
genial tastes. Sensible people nova day.
know that Mrs. Thornburg is right whe1
she says, apropos of matches: 1T i
propinQuity that does it, 1t is thei
right that young women should hav,
the opportunity of forming the acquaint
ance of men between whom and them
selves there is no disparity that make.
marriage impossible, and it is unpa rdlon
able in parents to allow merely fortui
tous circumstances, or any circumstances
not unalterable, to prevent it.-Ex
change.