Introductions. HINTS ON ETIQUETTE. Forma introductions are usually made by a mutual friend, who should always remember the rule that the inferior (so to speak) must be presented to the superior; thus, a single woman should be introduced to a married one, a commoner to a person of rank, and so on. It is a common error, and not an unnatural one, to wish to put the name of the more important person first, but the above rule should always be adhered to. It is incorrect for a lady to rise from her seat when a gentleman is introduced to her, unless he is her host or is very old and distinguished. Letters of Introduction should always be given unsealed to the person who is to use them. They may either be enclosed in another letter and sent by post or forwarded by a servant with visiting cards. An immediate response should be made when a letter of introduction is presented. A call should be made within three days and an invitation to dinner sent if possible. Calls and Calling. In the provinces, when a new-comer comes to live in any district, the older residents make the first call. They also call when anyone of importance arrives on a visit to one of their friends. In either case the calls should be returned within a week. In London no one calls on new-comers unless they have brought letters of introduction, and new-comers can only make acquaintances through the medium of mutual friends. First Calls.-A first call should be returned within a week, whether the acquaintance is desired or not. Under the latter circumstances the second call need not be acknowledged. If there should be some very decided reason for declining the acquaintance, the first call might be acknowledged by simply leaving cards, without asking if the lady of the house were at home; but this would be an extreme course only to be adopted in case of necessity. Calls after Entertainments.-These should be paid within a week. It is sufficient to leave cards after a reception, but it is necessary to ask if the lady of the house is at home after a dinner party, and it is desirable to do so after a ball. At weddings and afternoon parties people sometimes leave cards on their way out, to save the trouble of calling later on. The same fashion obtains at garden parties, but in any case there is no occasion to call after a garden party. It makes the exception to the rule. Calls of Condolence are paid after a death has occurred in a family; there is no actual necessity to wear mourning, but good taste would induce one to go quietly dressed. Calls are made on a convalescent as soon as "return thanks" cards have been received. Card Leaving. A card is never sent up in advance of a visitor, unless the call is of a purely business nature. Cards should be left on a first visit and also at the commencement of the season, or after a change of address. A lady leaves two of her husband's cards and one of her own on a married couple; one of each on a widow; but only her own on a young unmarried girl. It is not correct for a gentleman to leave his card on an unmarried lady. Cards should be left on the hall table on the way out, but some people prefer to pop them down before going into the drawing room, for fear of forgetting later on. P. p. c. cards should be left from a week to ten days before departure. Of late years it has be come allowable to send p. p. c. cards by post, an innovation which is much to be commended, but the usual course is to drive round and leave them personally. Turning down the corner of a card has two meanings, first, that the caller has left it in person (for no one but the owner would have the right to bend a visiting card), and secondly, that the whole of the family is included in the call; supposing that the lady of the house had grownup daughters, for example, the visitor could either leave two cards (one for the mother and one for the daughters) or else one with the corner turned down. Cards may be sent by post more frequently than they used to be now that they have the "At Home" day printed on them. They may be thus sent when they contain an invitation, or to "return thanks" after illness or. bereavement. P. p. c. cards and "change of address" cards are also often sent by post. Cards cannot be sent by post after an entertainment, a call must be paid in person. Cards "to enquire" after an invalid must either be left in person or sent by a servant, but never sent by post. The Etiquette of Visiting.-When a lady has an "At Home day it is not considered correct to call on any other day. Afternoon calls in the world of fashion get shorter and shorter. From three to six o'clock are the usual hours for calling, and the stay should not, as a rule, exceed half-an-hour. When music is given on "At Home" days, the visitors stop much longer than would otherwise be the case. Tea is given in a separate room in this case, with servants standing behind the buffet to pour out. On an ordinary At Home" day, the tea is served in the drawing room, and the hostess pours it out herself. " Dinner Parties.-There are two forms of dinner invitations, the friendly note and the printed "At Home" card. The name of both host and hostess should be mentioned in either case. The friendly note should be answered in the first person, the "At Home" card in the third. On entering the dining room the host leads the way with the lady of highest rank, and the hostess brings up the rear with the gentleman of highest rank. The hostess sits at the head of the table, with the gentleman who has escorted her on her left hand, which is the place of honour, because a gentleman naturally offers his right arm to take a lady into dinner, and they are able to take their places at table without changing sides. The lady first in rank sits at the right hand of the host, the lady second in rank at his left. At the conclusion of dinner the hostess makes a sign to the most distinguished lady guest, and rises from the table; the lady in question leads the way to the door, the other ladies following her, the hostess walking last. Weddings. - Invitations to a wedding are usually printed in silver, either as an "At Home" card or on small sheets of note-paper, and should be sent out two or three weeks before the event. Everyone who accepts an invitation to a wedding is expected to send a present to bride or bridegroom. The donor's card should be affixed to the gift, with some message of good wishes inscribed at the top. If a wedding guest is acquainted with both parties the present should be sent to the house of the bride; if only acquainted with the bridegroom the present can be sent to him. On the wedding day the various articles should be arranged in one of the reception rooms, with the card of the giver' on each. At the Church.-The bridegroom arrives early at the church, accompanied by his best man, and proceeds to the east end of the church, where he should wait the arrival of the bride; the bridesmaids wait for the bride near the entrance door. It is the fashion to have gentlemen ushers to show guests to their places, and these generally wear a white flower as a buttonhole. The bride's relations and friends sit on the right hand of the church, the bridegroom's on the left. The bride drives to the church with her father and walks up the aisle with him, taking his right arm. The bridesmaids follow. The bride stands at the left hand of the bridegroom with her father at her left hand, ready to 'give her away." The best man stands near the bridegroom, slightly to the rear, the chief bridesmaid stands behind the bride, ready to hold her gloves and bouquet. At the conclusion of the service the bridal party adjourn to the vestry to sign the register, the newly-married couple leading the way, the bride taking the bridegroom's left arm. After leaving the vestry, the bridal pair pass down the church followed by the bridesmaids, then the bride's mother, escorted by, her son or some other near relative, and the rest of the guests follow without regard to precedence. The bride's mother should be the first to leave the church after the bridal pair and bridesmaids, so that she may reach the house in time to receive her guests. On arrival there she stands near the door of the reception room and receives the guests as they enter, the host standing near her. The bride and bridegroom stand a little further back and the guests make their way to them, as soon as they have spoken to the host and hostess, and offer their congratulations. When breakfast or tea is announced the bridal pair lead the into the other room, followed by the bride's way father with the bridegroom's mother, and the bridegroom's father with the mother of the bride; the bridesmaids and ushers and the rest of the company follow as they please. Wedding Teas.-The wedding tea has almost entirely superseded the wedding breakfast, and it possesses a great advantage over its predecessor, inasmuch as one is able to ask a much larger number of guests. The refreshments are placed on long tables, the servants pouring out the tea and coffee. The refreshments should consist chiefly of sandwiches of every description, aspic jellies, cold entrées, sweets, rolled bread and butter, fancy confectionery, ices and fruit, champagne, and tea and coffee. The wedding cake is placed on the centre of the table and there should be plenty of white flowers around it. Towards the conclusion of the meal the bride cuts the cake; she is supposed to cut the first slice, but need only make the first incision; the butler then takes the cake to a side table and cuts up some slices into pieces about two inches square, handing them round on a plate to the guests. The best man pays all the fees at the church, and sees to the newspaper advertisements. At Home Days.-The hours for an "at home" day are from 3 to 6.30 or 4 to 7. People come and go as they like. On special occasions the invitations are sent out on "at home" cards, with the date and hours in one corner, and if there is to be any especial attraction, such as music or palmistry, this is generally mentioned on the card. Refreshments are then served in another room, servants standing behind the buffet to pour out the tea or coffee. Tea is the correct thing to offer afternoon callers, wine being given only at large parties, when there is a separate refreshment room. The lady of the house generally pours out the tea, or she may entrust this to one of her daughters. Garden Parties.,- Invitations to a gardenparty are sent out on large "at home" cards; in the country the words "and party are generally added after the name of the guest, but this is not done in London. The host and hostess generally receive the guests on the lawn; light refreshments -tea, coffee, champagne or claret-cup, strawberries, ices, sandwiches, &c.-are served. Gentlemen should wear frock-coats and tall hats (unless tennis is to be played). Morning tweed suits are now often adopted. It is proper to shake hands with the hostess on leaving. There is no occasion to pay a call after a garden-party. Musical Parties. Invitations to musical parties are sent out on large "at home cards, with "Music" printed or written in the lower corner. If any special professional artist is engaged his name is sometimes printed on the card. Ten o'clock is the hour usually named for arrival. The hostess stands near the door or at the head of the staircase to receive her guests. Printed programmes are sometimes given at musical parties, with address and date at the top and the names of the pieces and of the performers below. It is in the worst taste to talk while music is being performed. It is the duty of the hostess with the aid of the host or other person to ensure silence for the artists, as well as to ask anyone to play or sing; no one else should take this office on themselves in another person's house. It is allowable to express a wish to hear a certain performer, but it is proper to ask the hostess to give the invitation. Full evening dress is worn at musical parties. The Juvenile Parties. Invitations to juvenile parties are generally sent out on "at home" cards, with some fanciful design printed at the top. The invitations are often sent out in the Christian names of the children. "Mary and Jackie" invite "Aunt Mary," or "The Little Blanks" invite "Harry and Johnnie." hours for a juvenile party are generally from 4 to 8 or 5 to 9, and it is correct for the invited guests to arrive pretty punctually. The children should be in full dress or fancy dress as the case may be, but parents or elder sisters who may bring them simply wear smart walking dress and do not take off their bonnets or hats. The juvenile hosts or hostesses should stand at the drawing room door and shake hands with their guests as they enter; the lady of the house should be found close by and should also offer greetings. The children should have a "sit-down tea (ordinary afternoon tea being served for their elders in another apartment, the refreshments being placed on a buffet and the servants waiting to serve as at an ordinary afternoon party. After tea the children adjourn for games and dancing, and the evening concludes with a conjurer or Punch and Judy or some entertainment of the kind. Light refreshments, such as sandwiches, sweets, and lemonade, are usually served afterwards. Tennis Parties.-Tennis parties are very popular during the summer months, and many peopi For Fashionable Mourning: Ladies should remember that COURTAULD'S CRAPE and therefore is not damaged by a shower. is Waterproof, Won the only "Grand Prix" at Paris Exhibition, 1900, The High-Class Washing Material Marked SEE THE ON THE SELVEDGE. Viyella' (REGD.) DOES NOT SHRINK. For Day and Night Shirts, Pyjamas, Tennis, Cricket and Boating Suits, &c. In White, natural and fancy patterns. In Light, medium and heavy weights. AVOID IMITATIONS. REFUSE SUBSTITUTES. THE QUEEN says: "Viyella has borne the test of years. You can wear it for night-gowns all the year round." To be obtained from the leading Drapers, or name of nearest sent on application to "Viyella” (B.A.), 55a, Friday Street, London, E.C. "VIYELLA" HOSIERY UNDERWEAR CAN NOW BE OBTAINED. advise their friends that they devote a certain afternoon to tennis every week The invitations are given verbally or on an "at home" card or by a visiting card with "Tennis, Saturday,' written in one corner. The visitors arrive in their tennis dresses and are shown into the garden, where sets are quickly arranged by the host and hostess. The host should take care that all the guests get a chance of playing if possible, and that one set of players does not monopolise the ground. Tea is brought into the garden, and cooling drinks are offered to the men later on. Progressive Whist.-Invitations are sent out on "at home cards with "Progressive Whist written in one corner. The hours are usually from 8 to 12. An equal number of ladies and gentlemen should be asked. When the guests arrive they are offered tea and coffee, and the host or hostess introduces each gentleman to the lady who is to be his first partner. The partnerships should be decided purely by chance, either by means of rosettes, button- holes of different colours, or some other device, which are offered to the guests on arrival. Two of each colour should be provided, and the gentleman who has a button-hole of a given colour looks out for a lady with a similar decoration. The couples then proceed to the card room, where a number of numbered whist tables are set out. A game of whist is commenced at each table, and the partners who have won during the first hand move on to the next table, and so on throughout the game. When all the games have been played the scores are added up, and a prize given to the couple with the highest score. There is also a "booby" prize for the lowest. Light refreshments are then served, every gentleman escorting the lady who was his last partner. THE ETIQUETTE OF MOURNING AND FUNERALS. The following are the periods of mourning generally observed, but all of them may be slightly shortened if desired. Widowers.-A widower should wear mourning for two years. Widows. A widow wears mourning for two years; crape for a year and nine months; plain black for the remaining period. The entire dress is made of crape for the first year, after that the dress is trimmed with bands of crape. Very few now wear the widow's bonnet for longer than a year. Widows' caps are out of fashion except for old people, and very few wear the white lawn collars and cuffs which used once to be de rigueur. If adopted for the first month they are generally cast aside afterwards. Parents.-Their children should wear mourning for a year, and crape should be worn for half the time; after that plain black for four months and half-mourning for two. Sons and Daughters.-The same as for parents- viz., crape for six months, black for four months, and half-mourning for two. Mourning for Infants.-The mourning worn is never extreme, though the loss is perhaps heavier than any. Black is worn for three months, but some people prefer to retain it for double that time. Crape is not worn for infants or young children. Brother or Sister.-Crape for three months, plain black for two, half-mourning for one. Grandparents.- Crape for three months, plain black for two, half-mourning for one. The period used once to be nine months, but now it is seldom extended beyond six. Uncle or Aunt.-Three months. Plain black for two months, half-mourning the rest of the time. Nephew or Niece.-Plain black for two months, half-mourning for one month. Uncle or Aunt by Marriage.-Six weeks, plain black. Great Uncle or Great Aunt.-Black for one month. Black for a. month or six First Cousin. weeks as preferred. Second Cousin.-Three weeks; plain black is sufficient. A Stepmother. The correct period for mourning is six months. Relations by Marriage.-A woman should wear mourning for her husband's relations for exactly the same time as though they were her own, and vice versâ. Good feeling and etiquette are here entirely at one. Mourning rings are quite out of fashion, and the same may be said of memorial cards. There is no occasion to wear black when paying a visit of condolence, though it does not look in good taste to go brightly clad. WIDTH OF BORDERS ON NOTE PAPERS. Broad. Italian. Narrow. Middle. Funerals.-Invitations to a funeral should be printed in plain style on white cards, with border of moderate width, the old-fashioned pictorial, lugubrious cards with deep border being quite out of date. The cards are usually sent out by the undertaker, who also, on the day of the funeral, will attend to all details of arrangement. The hearse should be simple in every way, drawn by two, or at most four, horses, without feathers or other ostentatious trappings. Brown or bay horses should be used for the mourning carriages. The order in which the mourners are to be conveyed to the place of interment should be The arranged beforehand. One of the first carriages HOW TO READ GAS AND ELECTRIC METERS. Every householder will find it advantageous to examine the figures of his Gas or Electric Light Meter at frequent intervals. This is quite an easy matter, and a very few words will suffice to make it clear. The dials of a Gas meter are generally arranged thus: 800 C. TEN THOUSANDS. B. THOUSANDS. A. HUNDREDS. Dials of Gas Meter. The figures on Dial A represent hundreds up to 1,000; on Dial B, thousands up to 10,000; on Dial C, tens of thousands up to 100,000 cubic feet of gas consumed. The hand on Dial A, therefore, represents a consumption of 100 cubic feet; B, 1,000 cubic feet; C, 30,000 cubic feet; total Consumption 31,100 cubic feet. The figures as they stand in the diagram would be recorded thus 311 and two ciphers being added for the hundreds, the result is 31,100. When the next record is taken let us suppose that the reading is 52,700; from this is to be deducted the amount of the previous record (as above), and the difference-21,600-is the number of cubic feet of gas consumed in the interim. From the accompanying illustration it will be seen that the dials of an electric meter are similar to those of a gas meter, and are read with equal facility. The reading of the accompanying figure is 9,248. The 10 000 dial is not taken down, because the representing 10,000 is not quite reached; and it will be noticed that all the dials are read in a similar way, that is, the figure that the index has just passed is the one to be read, and not the figure which the index is approaching. 1000 100 10 Should the amount registered appear to be considerably in excess of the amount consumed, there is a leakage somewhere in the pipes or else the meter is out of order. A search for the escape should at once be made, though not with a light, as is too often done, with the frequent consequence of disastrous explosions. The sense of smell should be called into requisition as a-detective agent. When the exact spot is discovered, the gas must be turned off and the pipe repaired. At the top of the meter just over the indicating dials there is usually a smaller dial showing single feet. all the burners in the house are turned If 10000 K= 4 off and the pointer in this dial watched, any escape of gas will 66 Electric meters register either in 66 amperehours," "lamp-hours,' or watts." In the case of ampere-hour or lamp-hour meters the reading represents the total number of am pere-hours or lamphours which have been consumed, and some account would have to be taken of the pressure of the supply to convert this reading into Board of Trade units. A Watt-meter measures directly in Board of Trade units, and has the advantage of giving the consumer the benefit of any falling off there may be in the supply pressure, which is not the case in the other two forms of meters. Electric Meter Register. cause a forward movement of the pointer. And it should not be forgotten that an escape of one foot per hour equals 8,760 feet in a year. But should the meter seem to be the culprit, the only thing to do is to send it to the nearest testing place of the County Council, where it will be examined for the small charge of one shilling. The householder has to pay the cost of conveying it to and from the Office of the County Council. On receiving their official notice that the meter registers so much per cent. over and above the actual consumption, the paper on which this intimation is made must be forwarded to the Gas Company, and they will make a proportionate reduction, but If the accompanying figure were the dial of a Watt-meter it would be read as 924 8 Board of Trade units. In some of the older forms of Watt-meters this reading would have to be multiplied by the constant K=4 (see figure) to get the correct total amount of electric power consumed. The constant was introduced to obviate the necessity for running the meter at high speeds, but in the latest type of Watt-meter this multiplication is effected in the gearing, and the reading off the dial is correct in itself. |