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Show The Etiquette of Cards and Cans-S CUSTOM regulates the matter of cards and callH. Social visiting visit-ing has an established code, and the rules should be understood which regulate visiting cards and their use. These bits of pasteboard are required re-quired to do duty on many occasions. occa-sions. For centuries they have boon the accredited representatives of their owners. They are the moans of discharging soolal obligations, and the endless interchange of cards between be-tween friends and acquaintances may be truly said to keep society united. Without those useful little bits of pasteboard social debts could not ho paid. Cards are very often reminders to acquaintances of our very existence as well as a step toward renewing friendships or enlarging en-larging a circle of friends. Cards are often expressions of kindliness, sympathy, condolence or congratulation. In fact, there are few things more important than the etiquette of cards and calls. Card-leaving is necoasary after having received invitations to a wedding breakfast, b. dinner, luncheon, lunch-eon, card party or theatre party. The reason Is that invitations of this sort are personal. They are not Invitations In-vitations of a general nature to general gen-eral affairs, but are an especial mark of courtesy or compliment. Church weddings, teas or large re-coptlons re-coptlons may be classified as general gen-eral affairs. A church, for Instance, is supposed to bo ample enough to hold a very largo number of persons per-sons and general acquaintances bidden bid-den to a wedding. They may( be present or not, as they ploaso. The proper acknowledgment of tho Invitation Is to send cards on or after the day of the event to those in whose name the invitation wa3 issued and to the newly-married pair. If In doubt as to what may he the new address of the bride, cards are sent to the home of her parents. These obvious points are explained herein because they are frequently a problem to the inexperienced. inex-perienced. The same rule appllos to sending cards in acknowlodgmont of marriage announcements. On tho occasion of a tea a hostess sends cards to her general list of friends. Thus she notifies them that she will be at home on n certain afternoon. aft-ernoon. They are not obliged to go. If they go, they loave cards so that the hostoss may be reminded of their presence and may give them credit for coming. If they cannot go, cards are sent on the day of the tea, and duty has been fulfilled. It is not expected that a call should be made afterward. If a lady has a day for being at home, her friends should try to call at that time. A card 1b a reminder of one's call and address, and It la left whether the hostoss is at home or not. It may bo laid down on the hall table, when entering or leaving a house or may be laid down unobtrusively on any convenient table. Women attend to the duties of card-leavJng, men being considered exempt from making calls when they have wives or mothers to leave their cards, but of course a young man must call on his hostess after a dinner invitation. It Is to be regretted re-gretted that Bomo young men are not sufficiently punctilious In making mak-ing prompt acknowledgment of courtesies and hospitalities. Tho general rule to remember Is that a married woman loaves her husband's cards with her own when making a formal call, whether it be the first call of the season or a call as an indebtedness after an Invitation. Invita-tion. Sho leaves one of her cards for each lady In a family and ono each of her hU3band's cards for each lady and one for the man of the household. If she haB a son sho may leavo two of his cards. If tho lady on whom sho Is calling is at home sho places the cards of her husband and son on tho hall table and sends her own card by the servant. In future calls during the year It Is not required that she should leavo her husband's cards, unless, as has been stated. In ac knowiedgment of Invitations. Her .son assumes his own obligations In future. Tho eld custom has been revived of having a card "Mr. and Mrs." This simplifies matters generally, as a woman leaves one of these cards and one of her husband's cards when making a call. During the first year or two of a girl's entrance in society her name Is beneath the mother's nnmo on a card: Mrs. Henry Mason. Miss Mason. If there are two or more grown daughters, the cuBtom Is to have "The Misses Mason" under the mother's name. If a younger daughter is making her entrance to society her name may bo beneath the others, "Miss Winifred Mason.'" i Young girls have their cards separately sepa-rately after a year or two in socioty and are expected to assume their obligations about' making calls, al-" al-" though a daughter should accompany accom-pany her mother In making first calls or ceremonious calls. A girl who has been in society for a few years may relieve her mother of a certain amount of formal card-leaving. Tho rule Is that first call3 should be returned within a week, although some persons claim that within a fortnight is allowable. When you have accepted an Invitation from a new acquaintance a call must be mado within a week after the entertainment. enter-tainment. The hours for calling arc between 3 and 6' o'clock In the afternoon. A formal call does not exceed fifteen or twenty minutes. Cards of compliment or courtesy save time and express a kindly remembrance. re-membrance. For instance, a card is sent with flowers, hooks, bonbons, fruit, or any of the small gifts offered of-fered among friends. In acknowledging acknowl-edging these attentions it Is not proper to send a card in return. A note should be written. Nothing may ever be written on a visiting card but an informal message mes-sage or invitation. It i3 not proper to write an acceptance or a regret on a card. Cards of condolence or sympathy aro sent to friends In hareavement, with tho words "With deep syinpa thy" written across the top. Of course, one, should, If possible, call and leave cards without asking to see auy one, but If this cannot be done cards are sent by post. -r a Copyright, 1913, by. th Star Company. Groat Britain nights TleBerved. |