The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-04-10
ETIQUETTE OF TELEPHONE.
Novel Situations That DiscOncert
Conservative People in Conn
municatinE by Wire.

The telephone has been accepted
without hesitation by the younger
generation, but it has suggested un-
easy questions to older persons who
have not been accustomedtoi it all their
lives. Nowadays the apartment hotel
has the telephone in the bedroom,
and the same is true of many private
houses. Thus it comes about that
young men and women, or older ones
for that matter, talk to one another
under very informal circumstances.
Only the older generation seems to be
shocked thereat, says the New York
Sun.
One question asked is this: Should
a young woman who has just stepped
out of bed talk to young man who
has called her up from his rooms?
Such questions feaze the more con-
servative persons who have not from
youth been accustomed to the informal
swiftness of the telephone.
Sometimes they are shocked by the
familiar use of the telephone and there
are families in which the telephone is
relegated to the lower part of the
house. There only servant or some
person fully clothed can answer it.
There are men and women who re-
fuse to accept dinner invitations over
the telephone, although that method
of asking people has become popular.
Maybe they foresee the rebellion
against the telephone that comes from
the conservatives.
"It's appalling" said an elderly aunt
who was spending week in town, ''to
see how they use the telephones now
adays. Only last night when there was
dinner party on, Mary, who was
dressing, answered the telephone,
which is in her room. And it was one
of the men calling her up to say that
he had been detained downtown and
was dressing then as quickly as pos
sible, but didn't want dinner to be kept
waiting for him.
There the two of them stood talk
ing to one another just as if they were
entirely dressed and had stopped for 4
little chat on the street! | tell you
this generation is little too much for
me-"
Nobody would insist that persons
who talk to one another over the tele-
phone should look just as they do in
private life. That would be carrying
prudishness to degree almost incom-
patible with the conditions of life as
they exist in New York. But there is
a compromise.
MANY xuha would
sage over the telephone under informal
conditions would ask for a servant
and not the mistress of the house her
self. That can be easily enough ar
ranged. Usually it is more convenient
unless the telephone happens to be in
the lady's room.
A story is told of one man in New
York who called up the home of
friend under just such circumstances
from his own room, and was astonished
to recognize the voice of the lady of
the house. He knew from the time of
the day that she must be in about the
same state of undress that he was.
So he put his excuses in the third per-
son.
"Mr. Smith," he said, Every much re-
grets that owing to detention at busi-
ness to-day he will be somewhat late
at Mrs. Jones' dinner"
That seemed to rob the interview of
it's too great informality and satisfied
his scruples.
1t was out of respect for them that
the lady answered in French that she
was Nine. Jones' maid, and would give
her the gentleman's message. This
was followed by giggle, which showed
that the lady had played her part in
the comedy entirely out of respect to
his feelings.
But there are persons who are pom
dering over the long distance intima-
cies that the telephone seems to pro-
duce.