The St. Louis Republic., 1900-09-02
QUESTIONS OF ETIQUETTE.

II q young lady meets Q gentleman of her 40
quaintance a street when she 10 trav-
cling. and he offers to pay her fare and buy hsr
ticket for her. should she allow him to do soT
INQUIRER.
II is generally considered bad taste to al
low any man who is not your relative to
pay for your travelling expenses; certainly
II you are going any distance you woud not
like to be under such an obligation to him.
and there Is only one occasion when It
might be permissible. viz: II you were his
guest and were perhaps going to spend
Sunday with his family and he had met
you at the station with your ticket already
purchased. This might easily occur. and
you would not be under an excessive obli-
CATION In this case As far as the paying
OF your street car fare Is concerned. 1t IL
ouch a small matter that no one thinks
very much about IT. and II is not pleasant
II a gentleman insists on doing 1t tc make
any objection. II is better taste. however.
on the mans part not to offer to pay II
unless you are going somewhere with him.
when. Of course. he should. and generally
does. pay 1t. It Is always much moro
agreeable to be independent in such mat
tiers, and many women insist upon II even
in the above cases.
What Is the correct method Of shaking hands
and should you shake hands when you are In
troduced to young man at . party?
LENA r.
There are various fads and fashions which
people adopt in shaking hands from time to
time. and among very young people this IL
perhaps more noticeable. as, for instance.
the fashion which was in vogue some years
ago OF holding the hand very high up and
lifting It like q pump handle In the air while
shaking it. Another stupid fashion consisted
In grasping the hand very low down and
bending the body while 80 doing. All these
things are more or less extreme fads. and
there Is nothing more agreeable than cor
dial warm handclasp. and, strange to say. II
is not often met with. People are too apt In
this country, where handshaking does not
prevail in formal assemblies. to forget how
to shake hands. and when obliged to do so
they extend a feeble. limp palm into your
hand, which you are glad to drop almost as
soon as 1t touches yours; whereas. a really
warm pressure Of the palm Is indicative Of
feeling Of friendship. to which you as
instantly respond. and think what q cordial.
nice person you must be meeting.
Hostesses are always expected to shake
hands when receiving their guests. 1t Is not
customary In New York. and. indeed. In the
North and East. where manners are more
formal and less cordial. to shake hands
when meeting a person. especially q man.
for the first time at dance or ball The
English custom sometimes prevails here.
however. When meeting any one in a pri-
vate house. as at dinner. etc, 1t II quite
correct, II you 80 choose, to shake hands,
but generally an introduction requires only
convenient for those who meet a great many
strangers, and especially for women, az they
are not required. unless they choose. to con- |
tinue an acquaintance SO made. and the |
mere formal Introduction does not necessi- |
tate any recognition from the woman when |
they meet again.
10 II proper to sign yourself. ''Yours till |
DEATH "Anectionatsly yours or "Dsvotedly
yourA" In q letter to . young lady friendf
CONSTANT READER
The signatures which you mention are |
rather extreme ones to employ II you are /
not engaged to the lady. or perhaps very |
Did friend. circumstances alter cases. Ii q |
very good saying, and We cannot very we, /
advise you unless We know more Of the sit /
uation. There is certainly no harm In the |
above signatures. and yours affectionately"
might be used to friend II you choose. but /
L Is rather extreme unless you are related. |
and yours cordially or VERY sincerely"
answers all purposes. "Yours devotedly'' Is
rather an oid-fashioned way Of signing one
self. and Is sometimes employed by older
men in a rather stilted style of writing.
Yours till death Is almost tragic and has
4 flavor Of the stage and novels. On the
whole. we should advise a more simple style
and think you can convey your meaning in
.yo1,rs faIfhfnlI,y,, II ynn wish To use IL