The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-07-04
GOOD TASTE
TODAY
BY EMILY POST
What should the Maid Say When
The Telephone Rings:

49, fAA'AAI
In addition 10 the fact that the
following question is amusingly
put, my reason for printing it. is
that it is one of those perennial
queries which appear every 50
often in my mail. Today's letter
tells me: We've had an argu-
ment in our house about how our
maid should answer the telephone.
That is, should she say This is Mr.
Browns house? The maid thinks
she should say Mrs. Browns
house but my brother thinks this
makes my father sound hem
pecked."
Sometime ago when another
reader asked me what she should
do about having her maid say
Mrs. Browns house" since her
husband objected to paying the
bills and having the impression
given that he was just living there,
answered that this was one of
the reasons why correct social
usage prefers Hello" In other
words, merely quoted the rules:
House answer. Hello" office
answer, "B. Brown & Company. i"
And that if one must announce the
house, the proper description is
Mrs. Browns house" But since
that answer. I have thought of
several good reasons why Mrs.
Browns house" is the logical thing
for the maid to say: First of all.
people who call your father per-
sonally, as well as on business, call
him at his office, and it may be
taken for granted that calls to the
house are either social messages or
/ in some way concerned with the
running of the house-in short,
they are messages for your mother.
The house telephone therefore,
may be considered as belonging to
her special department. But no
matter whether your maid answers
Mr.. (or Mrs. Browns house"
I'm glad you did not say resi-
dence"O I still think this time
saving form of speech unnecessary
for private house.
Another letter has told me of
her maid who saying Hello" TO
some Of her friends, is answered
Hello, darling followed by a
long. intimate account which can't
always be stopped until they run
out of breath. Ny answer to this
was that: "All rules should be
adapted to ones personal require
ments."
Dressing for Wedding in
The Garden
Dear Mrs. Post: What dress
would you suggest for young wo-
man who is going as an ordinary
guest TO wedding in the garden
at half past six in the evening?
Answer: If you have a summer
evening dress that is enough like a
day dress to look well with a hat
this would be perfect; because at
half past six (which in many
places is half past five, sun time
1t is still very early to go without
a hat-especially outdoors. If you
do wear a hat then you should
wear gloves; otherwise they would
be optional,
Typewriting Greeting Cards
Dear Mrs. Post: Is it permissible
to typewrite ones name on 6
greeting card l thought perhaps
because it is proper to have one:
name printed on greeting cards
that it would be all right to hav.
it typewriter. Do you agree?
Answer: No, not unless tbs
typewriting matches the printing
on the card-which isn't likely.
A Young Stepmother With Idea,
Dear Mrs. Post: I call my young
stepmother Helen She has al
ways disliked being referred to a,
"stepmother" because she think,
it suggests horrid person.
disagree with her, but l suppose
it is unreasonable to refuse t.
consider her feelings, so won'i
you please tell me what l should
call her when / have TO introduc.
her? How can | describe who she
is If I can't say stepmother?
Answer: You call her Mrs
Jones" and If certain people dc
not seem TO understand your re.
lationship, you can then add my
/, fathers wife"