Evening star., 1938-02-24
The Correct
Marking Of
Silver
Married Initials
Conventional
Nowadays.
By EMILY POST.

nEAR MRS. POST-Some time ago
read somewhere that the world
had modernized to such an extent that
it is now perfectly proper to have
silverware or linens marked with the
initial of the husband-to-be, once
the engagement had been announced
Irasmuch as I was brought up under
the old school, which believed that
the brides initial should be put on
such items even though the wedding
date was but week away, am quite
sure that I must have read of this
revision in practices in your column.
Otherwise I don't think I should have
been so impressed, Did you write it,
and if SO, will you repeat what you
have said; if not, will you express an
opinion?
Answer-For long time it has been
considered equally correct to have
the brides household linen and silver
both marked with her married initials
Cher own, not her husbands. the
reason for this being that the Brown
family would otherwise have to go
through their lives with linen and
silver marked with an "A" instead Of
a "B." But it is not proper to have
either of these items marked with
the husbands name. That is, Mary
Smith who marries John Brown has
her silver marked either m S." or.
IN. S. B." as she prefers, and not
-. B." AS matter of fact, there
was question in this column not
very long ago that came from bride
who particularly wanted the linen to
be used in her husbands personal
bathroom and also to be put on the
bed of her husband marked with his
own initials My answer to this was
that there is no rule against it but it
is certainly not the conventional thing
to do. Certainly if q man has his
own bathroom, for instance, decorated
in dark blue and white, there would be
no objection to having the towels in it
marked with his initials, also in dark
blue, whereas, all the bathrooms in
the rest of the house, including his
wife's own, would be marked with her
initials. Sometimes the linen in the
nursery is marked for the baby, and
have seen napkins and bibs that
were marked with the initials or
names. OF various children. The only
new and really upsetting change sug-
gested to me lately was that from
bride who wanted to mark her silver
and linen with her own maiden name
because she was afraid, in case of
divorce later, that her husbands
initials would not be proper for a
second husband. Naturally my answer
to this was. IF that's the way you
ieel about the marriage you're enter
ing into you'd better not enter into i'll"
therefore, don't think we need con-
slider that question in today's dis
cussion.
DEAR MRS. POST: Will you tell
me what You consider real beauty
and what artificial beauty. Would it
be asking too much of you to write
your FRANK opinion on this subject?
Our class Is studying the subject, and
we are all very much interested.
Answer-Since 1t is said that beauty
Is in the eyes c; the beholder, that
would mean that the opinion of mil
lions OF peo7.e would have to be
considered in order to determine what
beauty is. 1t would also require mil
lions OF words to determine the differ
ence between real beauty and that
which has the Sembiance Of real. Nor
mally speaking. that which is real is
certainly very much more valuable and
desirable and admirable than that
which Is imitation. I would be rather
interested to know what the class with
which you are studying Is really At
tempting 70 ind ~ q 10 prove.