The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-01
SOUTHERN VIEW OF MANNERS.
SOCIAL oUsTOMs IN NEW YORK
AND IN THE SOUTH.
Differences Tnss STRIKE . visitsr-premss-
cueus l~ntrenucrens and 7hcir Evils
Abuses of letter. of -Imtreducusn-
Les Fermaiity IN the ssuth Than Here

" W StFthN - ~
cueus I~ntreducten. and Thcir Evils
of letter. of Introduction
Leo Formally IN the south Ihsn Hero
Even our manners have changed aid
q Southern woman. 'and thinss that wore
good form only a few years ago are now
considered to he In bad taste. Yet In tho
South we nave a way OF believing that the
only guido TO etiqustts In GOOD blood and
q kind beart. But that ruls would never
work In the North, for there are 20 many
kinds of people mixed up tuscther In q big
ctv that one las TO Introduce all sorts
Of Other qualities. such N rserve and q
tuoe OF distance In mAnnor. tosether with
q distinct habit Of waiting to hnd out morn
about people before cultivatinR thnar 90
quaintAncc.
1T h this fsct that has mads tn custom
Of casual introduoions an obeokSte one
among persons who know What N corrcct.
IL IN q little difficult 20 socustom ones self
10 tbs idea, but that Il h q change for tins
better cannot he doubted The hAbit
Of promiscuous tntroductions In restaurants.
cars. elevators and shops had grown To 10
an evil. IL In provincial NOWADAYS TO
INTRODUCES people without u request being
made or permission asked whsn women
ao In the group. or course. among men
thess matters ars quite different but even
at the club there In less Of tbs old fashion
Of making people acquainted just brcauss
thsy happen TO be on the soene with some
common acquaintance
1T used 10 be 40 that n You met Mrs
Jones al the tailor's shop and che intro
duc-d you " tho tailor befor. YOU ordered
a gown. shs came In for a commission
on the bill. In this way, and In oth"r
quite a. unpleasant, the matter OF intro
auctions TO every Mrs. Tom. Dick and
Harry was a nuisance. and sometlnes
something worse, especially N Mrs. Tom,
Dick or Harry happened 10 be one OF the
social pushsrs who aro over 80 much worse
than climbers. .
1T must all oome from the hurry and
hustle aud business life In the North. for
down South as a rule We stick Ia the old
fashions In those matters. II " not pos
sible, | will admit, In big cosmopolitan
cities 10 be a. trustful Of human nature.
The letter OF introduction. o~verybody
knows, has grown 90 be the way In which
people get rid OF visitors who come with
subscription lists or are looking FOR some
thing IN q business or a social way. Folks
have now got all sorts OF clever plans 10
elude letters Of Introduction and AZ the
sAme time convey no ofencc 20 the bearer
or the sender. But sensible people have
grown TO know that these letters mean
very little generally and treat them accord
inYiy. u,,,x.,
things and Il must TO admitted. show more
cordial good will toward each other than
women who may not lie acquainted. In
the smoking room Of . Pullman car men
will get acquainted In al hour. while women
will cross the Continent eying each other
with dull dis,rust. And when women
come with letters oi introduction, as a
general thing. you will find they are trying
TO push some business scheme under a
social guise.
Il know OF one case wher Q woman
acquaintance was launched into \ circle
OF charming homes and was entertsined
constantly during q winter. after WHOM
IL became known tina. abe was entirely un-
desirable In a social sathering Of any sort.
The woman who had provided hsr with
the letter whoh had proved the entering
wedge was Questioned by the Indignant
tool who had brought the undesiraois
al thought che was . defghtful
WOMAN explained the woman who had
given her the letter. \ was % sympa.
thetic and lovely. Even tho first day 4
met her | fancied her
-'Where did you first meet hsrf' asked
tho indignant ono sternly.
let me see. ] met her the winter BE-
fore last at -at-my chiropodist's He
introduced US
Another Instance. of the way In which
this happily abandoned custom was abused
came 10 hight when a charming young
woman from the West called upon an in
iuential woman with a letter of introduce
ton written by a man whom tho recipient
knew only casually Still tho girl was
pleasantly ingenious and the woman. soms-
what amused at tho situation. asked i'm
pressively how Mr.. Blank, the writer of
the letter was.
-Oh. you know. | don't know Mr.. Blank
personally said the girl; but ! know a
maj ~ho knows him and when was coming
20 New York he said to me. BLANK knows
a lot Of nice psople In New York. III get
him TO write you a letter 10 some Of thsm :
And | am so glad he did for other wise l
shouldn't have met YOU
Letters OF Introduction are an admirable
courtesy TO all concerned whom they intro
duoo desirable acquaintance. A young
woman going abroad or going TO live In a
strange city IL made happy by the con
Seriousness that she can look forward 10
meping "A congcnial and desirable ~acQuain-
tance NJ her Journeys end Such a letter
Of Introduction could never become un-
popular, for who h there who does not
like to meet really pleasant and well-bred
peoplel Hut women as a rulo should bring
letters from other ana Older women TO
women. 1t " IA much surer way To the
good grace OF the recipient than a letter
from n man and very justly so.
A woman elocutionist came to New York
a few seasons ago and called on several
women with letters 81 Introduction from
a New YORK club man, She was DESTROYS
Of giving a recital al a fashionable hotel
At least that was her real object, although
she sat In drawing rooms and posed and
talked 81 art and her high ideals until one
impres-ionistic woman carried away ~
the speaker said enthusiastically.
You should meet Mrs. So-snd- Sol
She has Just the same broad-minded way
of looking at things. She u a noble woman
She " indeed, answered the elocution-
list, dropping her up-stAee manner for n
moment She was III when | called but
she sent down her maid with q check for
ten tickets whens she read Mr.. -'s letter'
At all events, tho young woman sold
several hundred dollars worth OF tickets
for her recital and through moro letters
she secured n lot Of advertising and even
credit at her boarding hou-e. The recitA
never took plac~. for the fair elocutionist
fell III and left town with her boz oric~
reCeip,s which had all been collected In
advance.
1T ~ hardly nrr~ssary 20 say that N abe
had given tho recital not more than a dozen
Of her patrons would have lc-n there.
for abe was quiz. unknown and suggested
tir~orpe ranting In her conversation. tut
People obl.c- a. har fa~cd vfctimixing t
Tins way. and they bounced on this club
man for an c~Nplanatlun.
He vas very grave. and then he rv-