Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1885 — MANNERS FOR MEN. [ARTICLE]

MANNERS FOR MEN.

A I‘arlttlan Chat us to the Little Civilities Due to Miss and Madam. A very witty and intelligent Parisienne, of high social rank, has recently declared as follows: “Gentlemen should always bow first to ladies, nurses, and priests. A true gentleman will salute the host, religious funerals, the flag of a parting regiment Nuns and priests should be saluted everywhere, hut in the case of a lady the place wpere she is met with decides whether she is to bo saluted or not Whenever a gentleman meets a lady of his acquaintance in a public place he should uncover completely in saluting her; if he speaks to her he should remain uncovered until she requests him to replace his hat. If ihe lady is riding in a carriage he should always salute her, if she is on foot he should wait until she has manifested by a glance of recognition that she desires Iris salutation. At the races, in the B»ie, in the public promenades,gentlemen should salute 4 without waiting for recognition, but they should not return the salute every time they meet the lady in the same place during the same day. When a man meets a woman in a stairway, no» matter to what class of society she may belong, he should pause, remove his hat, and wait until she has passed. Louis XIY. saluted all women, without making any distinction, and uncovered himself on the stairways of his palace, even when the woman who passed him was one of the maid-servants. “A deplorable custom has been recently introduced into the theaters; it is that of gentlemen keeping their hats on while they are talking to a lady at the door of her box. At the theater a man should never be the first to salute a lady, but wait until, by her recognition, shq has authorized it. If she speaks to him he should not, no matter how much she insists, replace his hat on his head until he leaypii her. It is not obligatory to call in at the boxes of all the ladies you may know. For a man who gpes out a great deal this would be impossible; besides, you should not enter a ladies’ box at the theatqruntil you have satisfied your J self that it is not already overcrowded with visitors; it is also the correct thing to enter a box only when you are acquainted with all the ladies in it. "A man should salute ladies as they are coming out of church, but never inside it, unless he is encouraged by a glance of recognition, for a woman should never be disturbed in her religious meditations. If a gentleman meets a lady on the arm of another with whom lie is not acquainted he should not salute unless her manner encourages him to do so, and then he should confine hi* salute to a profound bow and pass on without stopping. If the lady speaks the gentleman on whose arm she is leaning should make a slight movement as though to hold himself to one side, and it is the place of the lady to introduce the two men; although she need not do so unless she wishes. If two gentlemen are together and one bows to a lady the other should never bow; to do so is to show a lack of tact and an impertinent desire to be presented. A well-bred man makes no distinction among women when saluting them, no matter to what class of society she may beloiqg. When he is with a lady he should not bow to any but those whom that lady know#’ excepting, of course, members of his

own fa’mily. “ Well-bred men never enter a salon Sifter G o’clock p. m. with their hat in their hand, although it is the correct thing to do so earlier in the afternoon. In a salon ladies should be bowed to as profoundly as possible, no matter how intimate you may be with them —the politeness is not intended for them, but for the mistress of the house. You should always wait for a lady to offer you her hand before taking it: if she is elderly you may carry it respectfully to yom lips. It is generally the fashion when a lady salutes a princess with the ‘grand salut de cour’ for the latter to raise her up and kiss her on the forehead. A lady should be bowed to from the day she takes her first communion ; before that you treat her according to your degree of intimacy with her family. Between men the only rule in these matters is that the younger should always be the first to bow, and that the elder should return the salute in the same way that it is given. “You can enter your club with your hat on your head, and you should not remove it on entering a restaurant or case; you can also keep it on in a theater until you reach your seat, provided the piece has not commenced, in order that you may be able to remove it when you pass in front of a lady. ” Pai'is Letter in New Orleans Picayune.