The custom of social “calls” between young men and young women is
one of the prettiest of etiquette’s older conventions, and one
around which clusters a romantic group of delightful traditions.
In this day and generation, what with horseless carriages,
electric telephones and telegraphs, and dirigible gas bags, a
great many of the older forms have been allowed to die out,
greatly, I believe, to our discredit. “Speed, not manners,” seems
to be the motto of this century. I hope that there still exist a
few young men who care enough about “good form” to study
carefully to perfect themselves in the art of “calling.” Come,
Tom, Dick and Harry—drop your bicycles for an afternoon and fill
your minds with something besides steam engines and pneumatic
tires!
The first call at the home of any young lady of fashion is an
extremely important social function, and too great care can not
be taken that you prepare yourself thoroughly in advance. It
would be well to leave your work an hour or two earlier in the
afternoon, so that you can go home and practice such necessary
things as entering or leaving a room correctly. Most young men
are extremely careless in this particular, and unless you
rehearse yourself thoroughly in the proper procedure you are apt
to find later on to your dismay that you have made your exit
through a window onto the fire-escape instead of through the
proper door.