Year: 1877

Home Journal


Ladies of social equality are in
troduced to each other, and 80 also
are gentlemen. The latter, how
ever, are always presented to ladies.
The distinction IN the form is an
agreeable and proper homage to
womankind, which true gentle.
man is glad to pay to her.


The forms Of introductions and
presentations must necessarily diff
fer in country where an equality
Of citizenship is established by CON
stitutional law. The endeavor to
fix social formalities by judicial
power becomes a comical absurdity
when attempted in New York,
therefore intellectual development,
refined culture, and gentleness OF
breeding combine to arrange our
forms Of presentation and intro
duction in such flexible ways as
shall satisfy all grades of society.


1t is probable that from the for
eign habit of announcing guests
from the thresholds Iof salons by a
loud'voiced servant is acquired our
habit of mentioning the name of
the less important or the younger
person first. To make this distinc-
ton appear less emphatic, when
the difference between the parties
introduced is a debatable one, it
has become the formal custom
among many to say" MRS. A, this
is Mrs. H. Mrs. Fl, Mrs. A." A
balance Of respect is thus struck, or
very neatly SO, by this arrange
ment.


If a gentleman is presented to a
lady by gentleman, of course per-
mission is first secured from a lady
in private, and afterward the pre-
sentation is made complimentary
by its formula: "Mr. Mortimer B.
desires to be presented to Mrs. or
Miss Fairfax"


Or if the lady or gentleman maxi
ing the presentation desires the un-
known parties to become acquainted
for his or her own personal reasons,
he or she says: "This is Mr.. b.,
Mrs. Fairfax. 1t gives me pleasure
to present him to you" The mar
ried lady replies according to her
inclination, of course regulating
the expression of her sentiments by
courtesy and good breeding. If
she be glad to know Mr.. Mortimer,
she says so with frankness and cor
dalty and she briefly thanks the
presenting party as soon as she has
accepted the new acquaintance, and
then the presenter retires.


The young lady can only express
a polite recognition of the gentle
man presented, by bowing, smiling
and mentioning the name of the
new acquaintance as a response.
The expressed qualification is all
made by the gentleman, and he will
never fail to say some compliment
ary thing to her in regard to the
ceremony. Two ladies may extend
hands to each other, and so also
may two gentlemen, although
hand-shaking is not as common as
formerly. The introduced parties
may be as friendly as they please
to each other, although excessive
cordiality is not considered part
of high breeding at the first meet
ing OF people in general society, be-
cause the estimate in which strangers
hold each other usually rests upon
q flimsy or a fastidious basis.
Hearty good fellowship demands
something more than an inventory
of the features of those whom we
meet.


If the differences in age between
two ladies or two gentlemen be un.
mistakably perceptible, the younger
is introduced to the elder. If a
publicly admitted superiority exists
age, unless very advanced, is uncon-
sidered in this formality. The un-
known to fame is presented to the
famous.


The single lady is introduced to
the married lady, and the single
gentleman to the married, other
things being equal.