Before the public announcement of the engagement it is customary
for the bride-to-be to write personal letters to all other young
men to whom she happens to be engaged at the time. These notes
should be kindly, sympathetic and tactful. The same note can be
written to all, provided there is no chance of their comparing
notes. The following is suggested:
“Dear Bob—
Bob, I want you to be the very first to know that I am engaged to
Richard Roe. I want you to like him, Bob, because he is a fine
fellow and I would rather have you like him than any one I know.
I feel that he and I shall be very happy together, and I want you
to be the first to know about it. Your friendship will always
remain one of the brightest things in my life, Bob, but, of
course, I probably won’t be able to go to the Aiken dance with
you now. Please don’t tell anybody about it yet. I shall never
forget the happy times you and I had together, Bob, and will you
please return those silly letters of mine. I am sending you
yours.”
[Illustration]
Ignorance of Sporting Terms Betrays the “Cockney” _Nothing so
completely betrays the “Cockney” as a faulty knowledge of sporting
terms. The young lady at the left has just returned from the hunting
field hand-in-hand with the dashing “lead,” who happens to be an
eligible billionaire. Her hostess, the mother of the sub-deb at the
right, has greeted her by hissing, “S—o—o! I see you’ve had a good
day’s hunting!” The use of this unsportsmanlike expression—in stead of
the correct “Hope you had a good run,” or “Where did you find?”—at once
discloses the hostess’s mean origin and the young lady will almost
certainly never accept another invitation to her house._
[Illustration]
Proper Attitude Towards the Hostess’ Furniture _In this work-a-day
world, one is likely to forget that there is an etiquette of pleasure,
just as there is an etiquette of dancing or the opera. One often hears
a charming hostess refuse to invite this or that person to her home for
a game of billiards on the ground that he or she is a “bum sport” or a
“rotten loser.” The above scene illustrates one of the little, but
conspicuous, blunders that people make. The gentleman, having missed
his fifth consecutive shot, has broken his cue over his knee and is
ripping the baize off the table with the sharp end. This display is not
in the best taste._
[Illustration]
Correct Bathing Costumes for Ladies _Good form at the beach is still a
question of debate. Some authorities on the subject insist that the
Rubenesque type is preferable, while others claim that the Byzantine is
more fashionable. One thing is certain—it is absolutely incorrect for
ladies who weigh less than 75 or more than 275 pounds (avoirdupois) to
appear in costumes that would offend against modesty. It is also
considered rude to hold one’s swimming partner under water for more
then the formal quarter of an hour._