Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-29
THE LIBRARY TABLE
By the Bookloper


extensively in books. Some of the early
books on Washington etiquette are
/ amusing reading for leisure day in
| the Summer season. There are "A
| Description of the Etiquette at Wash
ington City" 1920, by E. Cooley. M
D.; Etiquette at Washington: Together
With the Customs Adopted by Polite
Society in the Other Cities of the
United States" 1880, by a citizen of
| Washington; "Bohns Manual of Ell
quette in Washington and the Other
Cities of the Union" 1880, by Casimir
Bohn and Etiquette of Washington"
| 1866, by L. P. Tasistro. In the first
| tiny. worn and yellowed volume, we
read: The fashionable hours for max
| ing morning visits, which go under the
name of morning calls, are from IL
o'clock in the morning until nearly
| o'clock in the afternoon" "A Citizen
| of Washington" says in his book: 1T
would be regarded breach of etiquette
| for an eX-President to return to the
seat of government, unless called again
to the presidential chair" Bohn'S
manual warns: 1T is extremely dis
courteous for gentlemen to form groups
| for conversation apart from the ladies,
leaving them to pass the evening, or a
| portion of it, in uncomfortable silence
and embarrassment" Women were evil
IDENTIFY more reticent in 1860 than to-
| day. Among Bohns directions for din
ner etiquette are the following: THE
| lady of the house will take the head of
the table, with gentleman on either
hand, who will assist her to carve"
THE first course consists of soup. which
should not be brought on too hot. A
| small quantity is sufficient for each
plate, and no person should ask to be
helped again, for the reason that while
he is eating it the rest of the company
are kept waiting" l.. F. Tasstro, late
of the State Department" thinks rather
elementary cautions necessary, such as:
1t is to be expected that gentlemen
will studiously avoid doing here what
they would be ostracised for if they at
tempted to do elsewhere. That they
VIII neither chew tobacco in a lady's
drawing room nor eat fish with their
knives. nor swallow the warm water
contained in the finger glasses"
To later period belong Etiquette of
Social Life in Washington" 088D. by
Mrs. Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren. and a
Handbook of Official and Social Ell
quette and Public Ceremonials at Wash
lngton" 1880, by De B. Randolph Keim.
Mrs. Dahlgren was the daughter of a
Member of Congress and the wife of
ADMIRAL Dahlgren and spent most of her
lie IN washington. She begins her
| book: If order is Heavens first law,
we should not regard as beneath careful
attention the proper recognition of rules
which may tend to avoid confusion in
social life. Because we are a republic
we are not necessarily to be deprived of
those amenities which render life agree
able and assist to cultivate good feeling"
Much attention is given to precedence
arguments Of Il
puted questions, and the opinions of her
father. S. F. Vinton, are often
| quoted by Mrs. Dahlgren. The hand
DOCK OF Kelm is more comprehensive
book and is well organized under vari-
Gus headings anticipating the fashion
OF very modern books on etiquette. Such
subjects are discussed as Shaking Hands,
The Glove, The Hat, The Bow, Length
| OF Calls, How to Eat Caudle Parties.
what the Bridegroom Furnishes. Saddle
Etiquette, Gossip, Chewing. Smoking,
! Personal Attractions. French Phrases,
and How to Enter Society.
y X x
Probably the most voluminous of the
recent books on etiquette is Etiquette;
the Blue Book of Social Usage" by EN-
lily Post. 1t gives chapter to Etiquette
IN washington and in State Capitals"
is ASK the State Department" but
there is list of 38 positions given in
the order of precedence, which the au-
tnor says is approximately correct An
elaborate table of information on How
TO Address Important PerSonages' is
appended to the chapter. and para
graphs are devoted'to Official Dinners
and Forms. Details OF White House Ell
quette' Ofhclal Visits and Days at
Home. and What to Do and What to
Say When Paying Visits in Washington
THE Woman of the Eighteenth Gem
fury: Her Life From Birth to Death
Her Love and Her Philosophy in the
Worlds of Salon, Shop and Street" by
Edmond and Jules de Goncourt, has
recently been translated by jacques LIE
Clercq and Ralph Roeder. The French
woman is, of course, the subject of this
study and 1t appears that only the
woman of the upper classes was much
esteemed in that artificial age. The
girl child OF the aristocracy was a So
clety woman almost from her cradle.
Her early babyhood was passed with a
peasant nurse, then governeSS took
charge of her, and her education was
completed" at a fashionable convent.
While only child she was initiated into
the use of hoops, flounceS, artificial
curlS, patches and rouge From the con-
vent II she had a good dowry and
modlcum OF looks, she went straight to
matrimOny: if she were lacking in these
essentials, she was likely to have a vo-
cation and 10 remain in the convent
Once in the world of fashion, the life of
the woman was marked out for her by
custom. Domesticity was not fashiona-
ble MOI, desired by most husbands. who
were gallantS and wished to be free
from family demands. OF course. there
were exceptions. The Goncourt broth
ers outline the typical day of So
ciety woman: A prolonged toilet. at
which masculine admirers were usually
present, offering advice about garments
and continuous f1attery: a ride in the
Bots; few moments devoted to the
latest pamphlet of poetry. philosophy
or scandal; shopping at length; a stroll |
in the TuilerieS Gardens: soirees: visits
to picture galleries; country expeditions;
in the evening the opera. masked balls, |
often at court, and endless love in
trigueS Love making was the supreme
amusement of both men and women
and liaisons were essential if a woman |
wished to be fashionable. The women |
OF the bourgeoisie led more restricted !
but more useful life. Work and duty !
were her WatchWordS; she was the bust |
ness associate. often partner, of her hus-
band, the instructor of her daughters in !
household arts and religion, the maker !
OF the home. RecreationS were taken |
en- famllle, whether in the form of a .
visit to the theater or country picnic. |
Families were large. domestic life was
on very comfortable scale when there |
was money. as was often the case, and |
daughters were trainsd to look forward |
to similar life of THAR own when mar !
rled. The woman e.. the lower classes !
led an existence from which all ease
and refinementS were absent. Heavy |
work with beggarly pay when employed |
domestic drudgery. many children. pau
perism and. drunkenness made of her |
life a Sordid affair It is not surprising |