The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-28
POINTS OF ETIQUETTE
 FOR ORDINARY USE.

Let us say Mrs. J. Widgin receives an invitation to an evening reception The invitation is in the third person, setting forth that Mrs. Sparkins requests the pleasure of your company on such an evening. Mrs. Widgin, let us say, cnn- not go. The correct thing. of course, Is for her to write and say, Mrs. J. Wid- gin regrets greatly that she will be un- able to accept Mrs. Sparkins' kind invi- tation for" the evening named. Now. that's enough. and the proper form, But nevertheless Mrs, Widgin spells it all by signing her name to 1t, Mrs. J. wi1gin' D She has been stupid enough not to heed that simplest of all epistolary mandates. Never sign your name to a note writ ten in the third person."
 The letters "R. s. V. P,' which are French for Answer if you please" are not now generally printed on invitations But all invitations to entertainments where there will be refreshments must be answered This Is because the hostess will thus know how many she needs to provide for in this twentieth century. when every affair Is so elaborate and costs so much. Particularly must one answer promptly invitations to dinner, either accepting or declining. If you cannot go the prompt declination will give your hostess time to find another friend to take your place and thus avoid the ugly tooth out" at her table
 To the hospitable dinner-giver nothing Is more annoying than to find at the last moment that an invited guest has neith- CT arrived nor sent an excuse. This is an unpardonable breach of courtesy. I have known a bachelor host to be put out greatly because even on the morning of a dinner he was to give in the even ing a guest found herself too i'll to come The bachelor host scurried around during the forenoon to find another to fill that dreadful vacant hole at the table.
 It Is absolutely past understanding too, the number of alleged we'll bred persons who have offensive little ways while eat ing. Yesterday I was at a dinner party. sat roxt a fair. pretty, delicate looking woman who discoursSd high thought on musical art, likewise the limner's art, and about every third bite she took that pret- ty, refined looking woman licked her fn- gers like dog licking his paws. Fact. It made me 80 uncomfortable l could not enjoy the dinner at all. Even the low caste Hindoo turns his back on CEsher peo- pie when he eats that he may not offend their aesthetic sense. But this woman who thought she was a lady boldly sat there and in the face of us all initiated the table manners of a dog or cat.
 In general 1t Is we'll to answer all invI- tations, either accepting or decl ming. It shows thoughtfulness and consideration for the person giving the invitation. The small COurtesies of life sum up and make thoroughly polite and amiable chara :- ter.
 Here is a point in which women are great sinners Many of them will send a letter asking for information of in- terest only to themselves and entirely for their own benefit and neglect to in- close a stamped envelope for reply. Many a time the person from whom the infor- nation is sought must spend considerab ble time getting 1t and ROW and then spend even small sums of money In the pursuit but the thankless, thoughtless woman who desires the favor puts not even Sd much as a post stamp in her letter for reply.
 A lady who Is an author tells me she has had women write her inclosing manu- scripts which they wished her in the first place to read and criticise, next, to get a publisher for; if not that. then to return the precious documents, and So far from inclosing stamps for return postage. the recipient of the fat mis- sive had even to pay postage due on it because the sender had not put enough stamps on 1t in the first place. Ohs the cheek of some women!
 In another case one woman sent to another document which the receiver must testify to the truth of before a notary. yet not only did this woman fall to send money to pay the notary. but even stamps to return the document Always inclose a stamp.
 There are women who, let us hope from lack of knowledge of business etiquette, cause their acQuaintances serious loss of both time and money in the endeavor to do them favors. Katherine Blades.