Chapter I: Front Matter (1)

[Transcriber's Notes]

This is one of the first books I remember reading as a child. Some of the items are thoughtfully written, like how to write checks. Many others are just rumors or careless opinions. Some are "racy" ads. Many articles are lead-ins to the advertisements. Whatever their truth, they are interesting reading, calculated to draw the attention of drug store customers of 1910.

The text of the advertisements have been reproduced along with the accompanying graphics. Correct grammar and punctuation has been sacrificed to preserving the original format of the ads.

"Mother's Remedies, Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada" (Gutenberg EText 17439) is a book for a similar audience, but without advertisements.

Here are the definitions of some unfamiliar (to me) words.

aperients
Laxative.

averment
Assert formally as a fact.

biliousness
Peevish; irritable; cranky; extremely unpleasant or distasteful.

bill of attainder
Legislative determination imposing punishment without trial.

bodkin
Small, sharply pointed instrument to make holes in fabric or leather.

carnelian
Pale to deep red or reddish-brown.

catarrhal
Inflammation of a mucous membrane, especially of the respiratory
tract, accompanied by excessive secretions.

cholera morbus
Acute gastroenteritis occurring in summer and autumn; symptoms are
severe cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting.

conspectus
General or comprehensive view; survey; digest; summary.

copperas
Ferrous sulfate.

cumulation
Accumulation, heap, mass.

diathesis
Constitutional predisposition.

disseised
Dispossess unlawfully or unjustly; oust.

emercement (amercement)
Fine not fixed by law; inflicting an arbitrary penalty.

emoluments
Payment for an office or employment; compensation.

Erebus
Greek Mythology; the dark region of the underworld through which the
dead must pass before they reach Hades.

erraticism
Deviating from the usual conduct or opinion; eccentric; queer.

histologist
One who does anatomical studies of the microscopic structure of animal
and plant tissues.

impecuniosity
Having little or no money; penniless; poor.

indurated
Hardened; obstinate; unfeeling.

inheres
Inherent or innate.

intendent
Title of various government officials or administrators.

Irondequoit
Town of western New York on Lake Ontario and Irondequoit Bay, near
Rochester.

lees
Sediment settling during fermentation, especially wine; dregs.

luxation
Displacement or misalignment of a joint or organ.

Marque (letter of)
Commission granted by a state to a private citizen to capture and
confiscate the merchant ships of another nation.

meerschaum
Fine, compact, usually white clay-like mineral of hydrous magnesium
silicate, H4Mg2Si3O10, used for tobacco pipes, building stone and
ornamental carvings. Also called sepiolite.

Orfila
Mathieu Orfila (1787-1853). Chemist, founder of toxicology.

pearlash
Potassium carbonate.

prosody
Study of the metrical structure of verse.

Prussian blue
Dark blue crystalline hydrated compound, Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3.xH2O; ferric
ferrocyanide.

putrescible
Liable to decay or spoil or become putrid.

quassia
Shrub or small tree of tropical America, Quassia amara. Prepared form
of the heartwood, used as an insecticide and in medicine as a tonic to
dispel intestinal worms

quoits
Game; player throws rings of rope or flattened metal at an upright
peg, attempting to encircle it or come as close to it as possible.

rotten stone
Porous, lightweight, siliceous sedimentary rock; shells of diatoms or
radiolarians or of finely weathered chert, used as an abrasive and a
polish.

saltpetre
Potassium nitrate, KNO3.

sciatica
Pain extending from the hip down the back of the thigh and surrounding
area.

spatulate
Shaped like a spatula; rounded like a spoon.

sustension
Sustaining.

Tete d'armee
Head of Army.

theine
Caffeine.

towardliness
Apt to learn; promising; docile; tractable; propitious; seasonable.

[End Transcriber's Notes]

Every Purchase Save You Money AT THE CENTRAL

Save money on your Drug Store Merchandise by buying at the Central. We carry everything in Drugs Toilet Article, Rubber Goods, Sundries, Candies, Cigars, etc.

You will be surprised at our low prices and quick service and pleased with our complete stocks.

We carry a complete line of Burke's Home Remedies. Burke's Home Remedies are sold under the Money Back Guarantee.

3 STORES IN DETROIT

CENTRAL DRUG CO.

Main Store 219 Woodward Ave.

Branch Stores 89 Woodward Ave. 153 Grand River Ave. Detroit, MICH

The Handy Cyclopedia Of Things Worth Knowing

A Manual of Ready Reference

Covering Especially Such Information Of Everyday Use as is often Hardest to Find When Most Needed

"Inquire Within About Everything"

For alphabetical index see page 277

CHICAGO ALBERT J. DUBOIS 1911 Copyright. 1911, by Joseph Trienens

TO OUR PATRONS

This little book is presented to you to evidence our appreciation of your patronage. We trust you will examine its contents closely, for you will find within its covers many things that will prove entertaining, instructive and useful.

It is new and up-to-date and has been expressly compiled for our patrons. Only matter of real interest and value has been included in its pages.

It is a general experience that answers to those questions which arise most often in every-day life are hardest to find. Information on practical subjects is usually just beyond your reach when it is most desired. You will use this little book every day when you "want to know."

It is equally valuable to all classes, men as well as women; to workers generally as well as people of leisure. It is the book for the busy housekeeper as well as the woman of fashion.

We shall feel amply repaid for the painstaking labor, care and expense which we have bestowed upon this little volume if its constant utility to you more firmly cements your good will to our establishment.

Just a few words about the advertisements. They are from concerns of established reputation whose products we freely recommend with full confidence that they are the best of their respective kinds. The index to the advertising section is on pages 5 and 6.

Sincerely yours, THE CENTRAL DRUG CO.

INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS For index of general contents see page Abilena Mineral Water Albany Chemical Co Aleta Hair Tonic Alexander's Asthma Remedy Allen's Cough Balsam Ankle Supports Arch Cushions Astyptodyne Athlophoros Australian Eucalyptus Globulus Oil Bath Cabinets Blair's Pills Blood Berry Gum Page facing inside back cover "Bloom of Youth," Laird's Blue Ribbon Gum Blush of Roses Bonheim's Shaving Cream Borax, Pacific Coast Borden's Malted Milk Brown's Asthma Remedy Brown's Liquid Dressing Brown's Wonder Face Cream Brown's Wonder Salve Bryans' Asthma Remedy Buffalo Lithia Springs Water Buffers, Nail Burnishine Byrud's Corn Cure Byrud's Instant Relief Cabler's (W. P.) Root Juice Calder's Dentine Carmichael's Gray Hair Restorer Carmichael's Hair Tonic Celery-Vesce Chavett Diphtheria Preventive Chavett Solace Chocolates and Bon Bons Coe's Cough Balsam Consumers Company Corsets Coupons Crane's Lotion Crown Headache Powders Daisy Fly Killer "Dead Stuck" for Bugs Delatone Dennos Food Digesto Dissolvene Rubber Garments Downs' Obesity Reducer Drosis Duponts Hair Restorative Dyspepsia Remedy, Graham's Elastic Stockings El Perfecto Veda Rose Rouge Empress Hair Color Restorer Empress Shampoo Soap Euca-Scentol Femaform Cones Golden Remedy for Epilepsy Golden Rule Hair Restorative Goodwin's Corn Salve Goodwin's Foot Powder Gowans Pneumonia Preparation Graves' (Dr.) Tooth Powder Gray's Ointment Great Western Champagne Grube's Corn Remover Guild's Asthma Cure Harvard Athletic Supports Heel Cushions Hegeman's Camphor Ice Hill's Chloride of Gold Tablets Hoag's (Dr.) Cell Tissue Tonic Hollister's Rocky Mountain Tea Hot Water Bottles Hydrox Chemical Company Hygeia Nursing Bottles I-De-Lite Irondequoit Port Wine Jetum Jucket's (Dr.) Salve Karith Kellogg's Asthma Remedy Knickerbocker Spraybrushes Kondon's Catarrhal Jelly Kumyss, Arend-Adamick Lemke's (Dr.) Golden Electric Liniment Lemke's (Dr.) Laxative Herb Tea Lemke's (Dr.) St. Johannis Drops Leslie Safety Razors Louisenbad Reduction Salt Lune de Miel Perfume "Lustr-ite" Toilet Specialties Luxtone Toilet Preparations Mando, Depilatory Manicure Goods Mares Cough Balsam Martel's (Dr.) Female Pills Marvel Syringes Mayr's Stomach Remedy "Meehan's" Razor Stropper Mey's Poultice Mixer Medicine Company Mt. Clemens Bitter Water Musterole Nardine New Bachelor Cigars Noblesse Toilet Preparations Obesity Gaveck Tablets Obesity Reducer, Downs' Olive Oil Orange Blossom Orangeine Ordway (Dr. D. P.) Plasters Oriental Cream Orthopedic Apparatus Palmer's Perfumes Paracamph Peckham's Croup Remedy Perry Davis Painkiller Physiological Tonicum Pinus Medicine Co. Piso's Remedy Planten's Capsules Plexo Toilet Cream Poland Water Pozzoni's Complexion Powder "Queen Bess" Perfume Rat-Nox Razor Stropper, "Meehan's" Razors Rex Bitters Riker's Tooth Powder Roachine Rossman's Pile Cure Saliodin Salted Peanuts Salubrin Samurai Perfumes Sandholm's Skin Lotion Sanford's Inks "Sanitas," Disinfectant Scheffler's Hair Colorine Seguin et Cie Sharp & Smith Shoes for the Lame Shoulder Braces Simplex Vaporizers Skidoo Soap Soaps, Stiefel's Medicinal Solo Rye Sorority Girl Toilet Requisites Sponges Stiefel's Medicinal Soaps St. Jacob's Oil Strong's Arnica Jelly Strong's Arnica Tooth Soap Sweet Babee Nursing Bottle Tailoring for Men Tanglefoot Fly Paper Toilet Paper Tooth Brushes Typewriters Tyrrell's Hygienic Institute Villacabras Mineral Water Virgin Oil of Pine Whittemore's Polishes Wright's Catarrhal Balm Wright's Rheumatic Remedy Young's Victoria Cream

SOCIAL FORMS

Manners and Customs of Good Society

ETIQUETTE OF COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE.

It is a growing custom in America not to announce an engagement until the date of the marriage is approximately settled. Long engagements are irksome to both man and woman, and a man is generally not supposed to ask a girl to marry him until he is able to provide a home for her. This, however, does not prevent long friendships between young couples or a sentimental understanding growing up between them, and it is during this period that they learn to know each other and find out if they are suited for a life's partnership.

When a "young man goes a-courting" it generally means that he has some particular girl in mind whom he has singled out as the object of his devotion. A man a-courting is generally on his best behavior, and many a happily married wife looks back on her courting days as the most delightful of her life. At that time the woman is the object of a devotion to which she has as yet conceded nothing. She is still at liberty to weigh and choose, to compare her lover to other men, while the knowledge that she is the ultimate girl that some man is trying to win gives her a pretty sense of self-importance and a feeling that she has come into the heritage of womanhood.

Whether it is one of the fictions about courtship or not, it is generally assumed that a young woman is longer in making up her mind than is the young man. When a man finds the right girl he is pretty apt to know it, and it is his business then to start out and persuade her to his point of view. "Neither willing nor reluctant" is the attitude of the young girl.

Gifts and Attention.

Just what attention a man is privileged to show a young woman to whom he is not engaged, and yet to whom he wishes to express his devotion, is a point a little difficult to define.

If she is a bookish girl she will be pleased with gifts of books or the suggestion that they may read the same books so they may talk them over together. She will probably feel complimented if a man discusses with her his business affairs and the problems that are interesting men in their life work. When a man begins to call often and regularly on a girl it is best to have some topic of conversation aside from personalities.

When a man is led to spend more money than he can afford in entertaining a girl it is a bad preparation for matrimony. Courtship is a time when a man desires to bring gifts, and it is quite right and fitting that he should do so within reasonable limits. A girl of refined feelings does not like to accept valuable presents from a man at this period of their acquaintance. Flowers, books, music, if the girl plays or sings, and boxes of candy are always permissible offerings which neither engage the man who offers them nor the girl who receives them. This is the time when a man invites a girl to the theater, to concerts and lectures, and may offer to escort her to church. The pleasure of her society is supposed to be a full return for the trouble and expense incurred in showing these small attentions.

The Claims of Companionship.

A man cannot justly complain if a girl accepts similar favors from other men, for until he has proposed and been accepted he has no claim on her undivided companionship. An attitude of proprietorship on his part, particularly if it is exercised in public, is as bad manners as it is unwise, and a high-spirited girl, although she may find her feelings becoming engaged, is prone to resent it. It should be remembered that a man is free to cease his attentions, and until he has finally surrendered his liberty he should not expect her to devote all her time to him.

At this period it is a wise man who makes a friend of a girl's mother, and if he does this he will generally be repaid in a twofold manner. No matter how willful a girl may be, her mother's opinion of her friends always has weight with her.

Moreover, what the mother is the girl will in all probability become, and a man has no better opportunity of learning a girl's mental and moral qualities than by knowing the woman who bore and reared her.

Engagement and Wedding Rings.

The form and material of "the mystic ring of marriage" change but little, and innovations on the plain gold band are rarely successful. The very broad, flat band is now out of date and replaced by a much narrower ring, sufficiently thick, however, to stand the usage of a lifetime. It is generally engraved on the concealed side with the initials of the giver and the date of the marriage. The gold in the ring should be as pure as possible, and the color, which depends on the alloy used, should be unobtrusive, the pale gold being better liked now than the red gold. Many women never remove their wedding ring after it has been put on and believe it is bad luck to do so.

There is but one choice for an engagement ring, a solitaire diamond, and clusters or colored stones are not considered in this connection. As after the wedding the engagement ring is used as a guard to the wedding ring, it should be as handsome as possible, and a small, pure stone is a far better choice than a more showy one that may be a little off in color or possess a flaw.

Correct Form in Jewelry.

On the wedding day the groom often makes the bride a wedding present of some piece of jewelry, and if this is to be worn during the ceremony it should consist of white stones in a thin gold or platinum setting, such as a pendant, bracelet or pin of pearls and diamonds. If a colored stone is preferred--and a turquoise, for instance, adds the touch of blue which is supposed to bring a bride good luck--it should be concealed inside the dress during the services.

As a memento of the event a groom often presents his ushers with a scarf pin or watch or cigarette case ornamented with the initials of the bride and groom, and the bride generally makes a similar present to her bridesmaids of some dainty piece of jewelry. Whether this takes the form of a pin, bracelet or one of the novelties that up-to-date jewelers are always showing, it should be the best of its kind. Imitation stones or "silver gilt" have no place as wedding gifts.

Wedding Customs.

There is no time in a woman's life when ceremonies seem so important as when a wedding in the family is imminent. Whether the wedding is to be a simple home ceremony or an elaborate church affair followed by a reception, the formalities which etiquette prescribes for these functions should be carefully studied and followed. Only by doing so can there be the proper dignity, and above all the absence of confusion that should mark the most important episode in the life of a man or woman.

Wedding customs have undergone some changes of late years, mostly in the direction of simplicity. Meaningless display and ostentation should be avoided, and, if a girl is marrying into a family much better endowed in worldly goods than her own, she should have no false pride in insisting on simple festivities and in preventing her family from incurring expense that they cannot afford. The entire expenses of a wedding, with the exception of the clergyman's fee and the carriage which takes the bride and groom away for their honeymoon, are met by the bride's family, and there is no worse impropriety than in allowing the groom to meet or share any of these obligations. Rather than allow this a girl would show more self-respect in choosing to do away with the social side of the function and be content with the marriage ceremony read by her clergyman under his own roof.

Invitations and Announcements.

In the case of a private wedding announcement cards should be mailed the following day to all relatives and acquaintances of both the contracting parties.

Evening weddings are no longer the custom, and the fashionable hour is now high noon, although in many cases three o'clock in the afternoon is the hour chosen. Whether the wedding is to be followed by a reception or not, the invitations to it should be sent out not less than two weeks before the event, and these should be promptly accepted or declined by those receiving them. The acceptance of a wedding invitation by no means implies that the recipient is obliged to give a present. These are only expected of relatives and near friends of the bride and groom, and in all cases the presents should be addressed and sent to the bride, who should acknowledge them by a prettily worded note of thanks as soon as the gifts are received or, at the latest, a few days after the marriage ceremony.

Silver and Linen.

The usual rule followed in the engraving of silver or the marking of linen is to use the initials of the bride's maiden name. The question of duplicate gifts is as annoying to the sender as it is to the young couple who are ultimately to enjoy the gifts. Theoretically, it is bad form to exchange a gift after it has been received, but, in truth, this is often done when a great deal of silver is given by close friends or members of the family it is a comparatively easy matter to find out what has already been sent and to learn the bride's wishes in this matter.

Prenuptial Functions.

After the wedding invitations are out it is not customary for a girl to attend any social functions or to be much seen in public. This gives her the necessary time to devote to the finishing of her trousseau and for making any necessary arrangements for the new life she is to take up after the honeymoon is over. Family dinners are quite proper at this time, and it is expected of her to give a lunch to her bridesmaids. The wedding presents may be shown at this occasion, but any more public and general display of them is now rarely indulged in and is, in fact, not considered in good taste.

The groom, as a prenuptial celebration, is supposed to give a supper to his intimate bachelor friends and the men who are to act as ushers at the marriage ceremony. The ushers are generally recruited from the friends of the groom rather than those of the bride, but if she has a grown brother he is always asked to act in this capacity. Ushers, like bridesmaids, are chosen among the unmarried friends of the young couple, although a matron of honor is often included in the bridal party.

The Bride's Trousseau.

The bride's trousseau should be finished well before the fortnight preceding the wedding. Fashions change so quickly now that it is rarely advisable for a bride to provide gowns for more than a season ahead. If the check her father furnishes her for her trousseau is a generous one it is a wise provision to put a part of it aside for later use, and in so doing she has the equivalent of a wardrobe that will last her for a year or more.

Custom has decreed that the bride's wedding dress shall be of pure white, and, as the marriage ceremony is a religious one, whether it takes place in a church or in a private house, that it shall be made high in the neck and with long sleeves. Orange blossoms, the natural flowers, form the trimming to the corsage and a coronet to fasten the veil. A bride's ornaments include only one gift of white jewelry, pearls or diamonds, from her future husband, and the bouquet he presents her.

So many awkward moments have been occasioned in wedding ceremonies by removing the glove that brides are dispensing with wearing gloves at this time. The bride's appearance is by no means affected by this custom, and the slipping of the ring on the third finger of the left hand is made simpler and thereby more graceful. The engagement ring, which up to the time of the wedding ceremony has been worn on this finger, afterwards serves as a guard for the wedding ring.

The Bridesmaids.

Millinery is a most important question in discussing a wedding, and we cannot dismiss the question with the gown worn by the bride. A most serious consideration is what the bridesmaids are to wear, and this is generally only settled after long and serious consultation with the bride.

It is generally agreed that all of these gowns shall be made by the same dressmaker so that they may conform to the colors and styles decided on, the gown of the maid or matron of honor differing slightly from the general scheme. At a church wedding bridesmaids wear hats and carry baskets or bouquets of flowers, but, if bouquets are carried, they should be quite unlike the one borne by the bride. It is customary for the bride to give her bridesmaids some souvenir of the occasion, and it is expected that the groom provide the gloves and ties for the ushers.

Duties of the "Best Man."

The duties of the "best man" are arduous, and it is indeed wise, as it is general, for a man to ask his best and most devoted friend to serve in this capacity. The best man is supposed to relieve the groom of all the details of the ceremony and to take on his shoulders all the worry incident to its success as a social function. It is he who purchases the gloves and ties for the other ushers and sees that they are coached in their duties; he procures the marriage license, if that is necessary, and has the ring ready for the groom at the critical moment. After the ceremony he is supposed to hand the clergyman his fee, and at the same time be in readiness to conduct the line of bridesmaids and ushers to their carriages. He must be at the bride's home, in case there is a wedding reception, before the principal actors in the ceremony are there. It is he who sends the notices of the event to the newspapers, and, if there is a formal breakfast with speech-making, it is the best man who proposes the health of the newly-married pair and replies to the toast in behalf of the bridesmaids. He is the one member of the wedding party who sees the happy couple off at the station and bids them the last farewell as they depart on their honeymoon. This is perhaps the time and moment when his good sense and social tact is the most needed, The foolish custom of decorating bridal baggage with white ribbon, and of throwing a superabundance of old shoes and a rain of rice after the departing pair, may be mitigated by a little care on his part.

MOURNING CUSTOMS.

There has been of late years a healthy revolt against the excessive use of crepe or the wearing of mourning for an undue period. Mourning is first of all a protection, for in these busy days and in a large city a death affecting our acquaintances is not always known to us. If we meet a friend wearing black we are instantly apprised that she has suffered the loss of a near member of her family. It is easy to say under such circumstances, "I am very sorry to see you in black," or "I am afraid I have not heard of your loss."

For a father or mother full mourning, that is, black unrelieved by any touch of white, is worn for a year, and at the end of that period half mourning, consisting first of white with black, and then violet and gray, is worn for the second year. For a brother or sister or grandparent black is worn for six months, and then half mourning for the six months preceding the wearing of ordinary colors. What is called complimentary mourning, put on at the death of a relative by marriage, consists of the wearing of black for a period of from six weeks to a year, depending on the closeness of the personal relationship. For instance, in the case of the death of a mother-in-law residing in a distant city, it would only be necessary for a woman to wear black for a few weeks following the funeral. If, on the other hand, she resides in the same place and is a great deal in the company of her husband's family, it would show more tact and affection on her part to refrain from wearing colors for a longer period.

Crepe is no longer obligatory in even first mourning. Many widows only wear the crepe-bordered veil hanging from the conventional bonnet for the funeral services and for a few weeks afterward, when it is replaced by an ordinary hat and veil of plain black net bordered with thin black silk. Widows wear neck and cuff bands of unstarched white book muslin, this being the only sort of white permitted during the first period of mourning. Young widows, especially those who must lead an active life, often lighten their mourning during the second year and discard it at the end of the second year. Of course the conventional period of mourning for a widow is three years, but, if there should be any indication that a second marriage is contemplated, black should gradually be put aside.

However, the discarding of mourning is no indication that a woman is about to change her name, and the wearing of black is so much a matter of personal feeling that a woman should not be criticised for curtailing the conventional period.

In this country it is not the custom for young children to wear mourning, and with men the wearing of a black band about the hat or on the left arm is all that is deemed necessary.

A woman wearing full mourning refrains from attending the theater or any large functions. She may properly be seen at concerts, club meetings or lectures, and she may receive and visit her friends informally.

ETIQUETTE OF THE VISITING CARD.

The prevailing shape for a woman's card is nearly square (about 2-1/2 by 3 inches), while the correct form for a man's card is slightly smaller. The color should be pure white with a dull finish, while the engraving, plain script or more elaborate text, is a matter of choice and fashion varying from time to time. It is safe to trust the opinion of a first-class stationer in this matter, for styles fluctuate, and he should be constantly informed of what polite usage demands.

A woman's card should always bear the prefix "Miss" or "Mrs." There is no exception to this rule save in the case of women who have regularly graduated in medicine or theology and who are allowed therefore the use of "Dr." or "Rev." before the name. "Miss" or "Mrs." should not be used in addition to either of these titles.

The card of a married woman is engraved with her husband's full name, such as Mrs. William Eaton Brown, but she has no right to any titles he may bear. If he is a judge or colonel she is still Mrs. James Eaton Brown and not Mrs. Judge or Mrs. Colonel Brown.

A widow may with propriety retain the same visiting card that she used during the lifetime of her husband, especially if she has no grown son who bears his father's name. In that case she generally has her cards engraved with a part of her full maiden name before her husband's name, such as Mrs. Mary Baker Brown. In this country a divorced woman, if she has children, does not discard her husband's family name, neither does she retain his given name. For social purposes she becomes Mrs. Mary Baker Brown or, if she wishes, Mrs. Baker Brown.

The address is engraved in the lower right corner of the visiting-card, and, if a woman has any particular day for receiving her friends, that fact is announced in the lower left corner. As a rule even informal notes should not be written on a visiting-card, although when a card accompanies a gift it is quite proper to write "Best wishes" or "Greetings" on it. This is even done when a card does not accompany a gift, but it should be borne in mind that a card message should not take the place of a note of thanks or be used when a more formal letter is necessary.

A man's visiting-card should bear his full name with the prefix "Mr." unless he has a military title above the grade of lieutenant or is a doctor or clergyman. In these cases the proper title should be used in place of "Mr." Courtesy titles, although they may be common usage in conversation and a man may be known by them, are best abandoned on the visiting-card.

During the first year of marriage cards are engraved thus:

Mr. and Mrs. William Eaton Brown

and this card may be used in sending presents, returning wedding civilities or making calls, even when the bride is not accompanied by her husband. After the first year these cards are discarded, and husband and wife have separate visiting-cards.

In some communities it is not the custom for a young girl to make formal calls without her mother. To meet this requirement the girl's name with the prefix "Miss" is engraved on her mother's card, below her mother's name.

It is no longer considered necessary to leave a number of cards at the same house when calling in person or sending cards. If there are several women members of the family one card suffices. If a woman wishes to leave her husband's card she should leave two, one for the mistress and one for the man of the house. A woman never leaves a card for a man unless she has called on him on a matter of business and wishes him to be reminded of the fact.

At a tea or large afternoon reception a card should be left in the hall as a guest departs, so as to enable the hostess to preserve a record of those who have called on her. If she is not able to attend she should send her visiting-card so that it may arrive on the day of the function. After a dinner or any formal function she should make a personal call or leave her card in person.

When making an ordinary call it is not necessary to send one's visiting-card to the hostess by the servant who opens the door. Pronouncing the name distinctly is sufficient, but, if it is a first call, and there is danger that the hostess may not be familiar with the caller's address, it is best to leave a card on the hall table when leaving, no matter if the hostess herself conducts her visitor to the door.

When one is invited but unable to attend a church wedding it is necessary to send, on the day of the ceremony, cards to those who issue the invitations. An invitation to a wedding reception or breakfast demands a more formal acceptance sent immediately on receipt of the invitation and couched in the same manner in which the invitation reads.

A newcomer in town or a young married woman may receive a card from an older woman indicating her receiving days and hours. This is a polite invitation to call, and if she is unable to make a call at the time indicated she should send a card on that day.

Cards of condolence are left as soon as possible after learning of the affliction. It is not necessary to write anything on the card; in fact, it is better not to do so, for, if the acquaintance warrants a personal message, it should take the form of a letter. On the other hand it is quite proper in felicitating a friend on a happy event, such as the announcement of an engagement in the family or the arrival of a new baby, to send a visiting-card with "Congratulations" written on it.

There are times when it seems necessary to send cards to practically all one's acquaintances, This is wise after a long absence or a change of residence, and when one is leaving town for a long period it is proper to send cards with the French expression, "Pour prendre conge."

FORMALITIES IN DRESS AND ETIQUETTE.

"Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy" was old Polonius' advice to his son, and he counseled suitability as well. It is this question of suitability that is the hall mark of correct dressing. A safe rule to follow, especially in the case of a young woman, is not to be conspicuous in attire and to conform to the standards of dress as set down by older women of recognized standing in the town in which she lives and the community in which her social or business life is spent.

A young girl needs little adorning. Her school or college dresses should be characterized by their neatness, freshness, correctness of cut and utility rather than by elaborate trimmings or costly materials. Her party gowns are simpler than those of a girl who has left school, and she wears less jewelry. At the end of school life, if her parents are able and willing to give her a coming-out party, she begins her social career under the pleasantest auspices, and this is the opportunity for her first elaborate gown.

The Debutante.

The character of this gown depends largely on the nature of the entertainment given her.

It most commonly takes the form of an afternoon tea or reception to which her mother invites all of her friends as well as the younger set. The debutante receives with her mother and wears an elaborate frock of light material and color, made high in the neck and with elbow sleeves. Long white gloves are worn, and her hair is more elaborately arranged than it was during her school-girl period. In fact, she is now a full- fledged young lady and is dressed accordingly. Such a gown may serve later as an informal evening gown, or, if it is made with a detachable yoke, it may be worn as a dancing-frock or for any evening occasion for which a full evening gown is expected.

The receiving party at an afternoon function generally includes near relatives of the debutante, and a number of her intimate girl friends are asked to assist in various ways. These receive with her and her mother in the early part of the afternoon and later assist at the tea table or mingle among the guests. The ladies assisting do not wear hats, and the young girls in the party are gowned much like the debutante, except that their gowns may be less elaborate if they choose, and they do not carry flowers.

A popular girl or one with many family connections may count on a good many floral offerings on the occasion of her coming-out party. These are scattered about the room, either left in bunches or arranged in vases. One large bunch she generally carries in her left hand, and it is a wise girl who avoids singling out anyone of her men friends by carrying his flowers. A gift from her father or brother or the flowers sent by some friend of the family is the better choice. The success a girl makes during her first year in society depends more on her general popularity than on the devotion of any one man.

Afternoon Reception.

For an afternoon reception light refreshments, consisting of tea, coffee, chocolate, perhaps a light claret cup, with cakes and delicate sandwiches, are sufficient, and these are set out on a long table in a room adjoining the reception parlors.

If a large number of guests are expected it is necessary to have a maid or two in attendance to remove cups and saucers, keep the tea urn replenished with hot water and to bring additional cakes and sandwiches if the supply on the table is in danger of running short. Two women friends are generally asked to preside at the refreshment table, one at each end to pour tea and chocolate, and, as this task is an arduous one and much of the success of the entertainment depends on its being well done, it is advisable to relieve the ladies in charge during the afternoon. This, however, like every other feature of the entertainment, should be arranged beforehand. The charm of an afternoon reception lies in its apparent informality, but every detail should be considered in advance and all contingencies provided for. The debutante, and especially her mother, should be relieved from all such responsibilities before the guests begin to come.

The mother's duties consist in welcoming her guests and presenting her daughter to them. If many people are arriving the guests are quickly passed on to some one of the ladies assisting, whose duty it is to see that they meet some of those who are already in the room and are eventually asked to the tea table. A part of the receiving party, and certainly the hostess and her daughter, should remain together in a place where they may be easily found as the guests enter the room.

No more sympathetic act of friendship can be shown a debutante than to contribute toward the success of her party. Girls who are asked to assist should remember that their first duty is not to entertain their own friends who may happen to be present, but to see that everyone is welcome and that especially those who are not acquainted with many in the room have an opportunity to become so. Anyone asked to assist at a function of this sort is in a sense a hostess, and it is quite within her province to enter into conversation with any unoccupied guest whether she has been introduced or not.

The usual hours for an afternoon tea are from four to six, but in the case of a coming-out reception the hour is often prolonged to seven so as to allow more men to be present than would be the case if the time were restricted to the early afternoon. In these busy days few men are at liberty to make afternoon calls, and it is always a compliment to a girl if her tea includes a sprinkling of black coats. Whatever hours are decided on, they should be engraved on the cards sent out two weeks before the tea. These are of the form and size of an ordinary visiting-card and include the daughter's name below that of her mother's. If she is the eldest unmarried daughter or the only girl in the family the card reads as follows:

Mrs. Geo. Baker Blank
Miss Blank

December 9, 1911
4 to 7 o'clock

The daughter's given name is only used in case she has an older unmarried sister.

Ball and Evening Reception.

A more elaborate form of coming-out party consists of a ball or of an evening reception followed by dancing, and in this case the card contains the word "Dancing" below the date of the entertainment and the hours at which it is given. Few homes are large enough to provide for even a small dance, and so a party of this sort is generally given at a hotel. The guests as well as the receiving party wear evening gowns without hats, and men are expected to come in full evening clothes, which means the long-tailed coats and not the popular Tuxedo, white gloves, and, although this is not obligatory, white waistcoats.

After a girl has been introduced into society she has her individual visiting-cards, makes her own calls and is allowed to receive her own friends. Social customs differ with locality, and the chaperon is less customary in the West than in the East. In many cities girls are allowed to go to the theater and to evening parties with a man friend without a married woman being included in the party. A wise girl, however, is careful that any man she meets shall be introduced as soon as possible to some older member of her family and to introduce a young man calling for the first time to either her mother or father. Also when she accepts an invitation to an evening's entertainment she insists that her escort shall call for her at her own home and bring her directly home at the close of it. Dining or supping at a restaurant alone with a young man is sure to expose a girl to criticism.

A Woman's Lunch.

There are many pleasant forms of entertainment offered to a young girl entering society in which men are not included, and the most popular of these is a woman's lunch. This is a favorite form of entertainment for a young married woman to give in honor of some girl friend who has just come out in society or whose engagement has just been announced. One o'clock or half after is the usual hour, and the meal is served in courses and is as elaborate as the household resources may allow. The decorations of the table are important, and three courses are sufficient if they are carefully arranged. Handsome street costumes are worn for a function of this sort, and the guest of honor, if there is one, dresses as the others do. Outer wraps are left in the hall or in a room put aside for this purpose, and, as a rule, hats are retained and gloves removed when the guests sit down at table.

The custom of wearing a hat during lunch is not an arbitrary one, and it is not universal. In France, for example, where social customs are most carefully observed, it is the custom to wear handsome afternoon gowns if invited for the noon meal and to remove hats. The noon meal there is a social function, and certain formalities are observed. In London, on the contrary, no matter if a number of guests are expected, lunch is an informal occasion, and women dress for lunch as they would for an afternoon tea.

Hats are worn and women are prepared to rush off afterwards to meet other engagements. The English custom prevails now in the large cities in America, and, moreover, women seem disinclined to remove their hats after they are once dressed for the round of the day's social obligations.

It is simpler and really quite conventional to leave the wearing of hats to the individual. The hostess should ask her guest if she wishes to take her hat off or retain it, and she can at the same time intimate to her guest, if she is a stranger in the town, what the others will probably do in this connection. True hospitality on the part of the hostess is to make her guests at ease, and true politeness on the part of the visitor is to conform to the rules governing the community that she is visiting.

PROPER APPAREL FOR MEN.

American gentlemen are no longer dependent on English tailors or on English fashions as they were some years ago. The American type of physique is a distinct one, and London tailors have never been able to fit American men as well as they do their own clients. Moreover social life is so different in the United States from what it is in England that men really need different clothes.

Practically all American men are business men for the working hours of the day, and few of them have any time or inclination for anything save business clothes while daylight lasts. For dinner or for the evening what are generally called evening clothes are permissible, and in fact obligatory in large cities for anything beyond the most informal home functions.

For the evening there is the informal and formal dress suit. The former consists of the long-tailed coat worn with either a white or black waistcoat. For a dancing party or formal dinner the white waistcoat is generally preferred, and, if it is worn, it must be accompanied by a white lawn tie. A made-up bow is considered incorrect. The accompaniments to a suit of this sort are patent-leather shoes and white kid gloves if dancing is a part of the evening programme.

The informal evening suit includes the shorter dinner jacket or Tuxedo, as it was formerly called, and, strictly speaking, this is only considered proper for the club or for parties where ladies are not expected to be present. However, men who commonly dress for dinner in the home circle generally prefer the dinner jacket to the long coat, and well-dressed men are often seen wearing it at small dinner parties, at the theater or at any informal evening event. This coat is always worn with a black tie and waistcoat, and it is not a suitable apparel for a dance or any large formal evening affair.

The correct dress for a daytime wedding is a black frock coat with light trousers, light fancy waistcoat and gray gloves and gray Ascot or four-in-hand tie, and the frock coat with black waistcoat proper for church or when making afternoon calls. Many young men are adopting for afternoon wear the English morning suit, which consists of a cutaway coat with trousers and waistcoat to match and made of some other color save black.

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES.

First Anniversary Cotton Wedding Second Anniversary Paper Wedding Third Anniversary Leather Wedding Fifth Anniversary Wooden Wedding Seventh Anniversary Woolen Wedding Tenth Anniversary Tin Wedding Twelfth Anniversary Silk and Fine Linen Wedding Fifteenth Anniversary Crystal Wedding Twentieth Anniversary China Wedding Twenty-fifth Anniversary Silver Wedding Thirtieth Anniversary Pearl Wedding Fortieth Anniversary Ruby Wedding Fiftieth Anniversary Golden Wedding Seventy-fifth Anniversary Diamond Wedding

HOW TO SELECT COLORS

The Natural Laws of Tints, Tones, Shades and Hues.

Some combinations of color are pleasing to the eye, and some are discordant. The reasons for this are based on natural laws and are explained in a very simple manner in a learned article by Dr. W. K. Carr which originally appeared in Shop Notes Quarterly. Impressions continue upon the retina of the eye, says Dr. Carr, about one-sixth of a second after the object has been moved. For this reason a point of light or flame whirled swiftly around appears as a continuous ring. Or take a piece or red ribbon, place it on white paper, look intently at it for thirty seconds and suddenly remove the ribbon. The portion of the paper which was covered by the ribbon will then appear green. The explanation is that the color sensation in the eye is caused by the almost unthinkably rapid whirling of electrons around their atoms, and that the retina, becoming fatigued by the vibration of the red, is therefore less sensitive to them. When the ribbon is suddenly removed, the eye sees, not the blue, yellow and red which produce the white surface of the paper, but, because of the fatigue of the eye to the red, it sees only the blue and yellow constituents of the white light. But blue and yellow produce green; hence the tendency at the eye to see the complementary of a color. This may be referred to as the "successive contrast of colors."

Colors for Blondes and for Brunettes.

Now, for a practical application of this knowledge.

The hair of the blond is a mixture of red, yellow and brown. As a rule the skin is lighter, that is, it contains not so much orange, and the tinges of red are lighter. Nature, therefore, very properly made the blond's eyes blue, since the blue is complementary to the orange of her hair.

The brunette's skin, on the other hand, has more orange in it, and hence a color favorable to one would not be becoming to the other.

What would be the effect of green upon a complexion deficient in red? It would certainly heighten the rose tints in the cheeks, but the greatest care should be exercised in the selection of the proper shade of green, because the brunette's complexion contains a great deal of orange, and the green, acting upon the red of the orange, could readily produce a brick-dust appearance. Green, therefore, is a risky color for a brunette, and so is violet, which would neutralize the yellow of the orange and heighten the red. But if the orange complexion had more yellow than red, then the association of violet would produce pallor. Yellow, of course, is her color, since its complementary violet neutralizes the yellow of the orange complexion and leaves the red.

But with the yellow-haired blond the conditions are very different. The complementary of blue is orange, which improves the hair and freshens the light flesh tints. A blond, therefore can wear blue, just as a brunette can wear yellow.

In arranging flowers the same law holds. Complementary colors should be placed side by side; blue with orange, yellow with violet, red and rose with green leaves. And anyone who successfully selects his wall paper and house furnishings is drawing unconsciously, perhaps, on an intuitive knowledge of these fundamental facts. Dark papers are bad, especially in rooms with a northern exposure, because they absorb too much light. The complementaries of red and violet are exceedingly trying to most complexions, and orange and orange-yellow are fatiguing to the eye. The most pleasing effects are to be had with yellow, light blue and light green, for the latter freshens the red in pale skins, and the blue heightens blond complexions, and goes well with gilding and with mahogany and cherry furniture.

COLOR CONTRAST AND HARMONY.

The following tables will be found useful in selecting colors for dress, decoration, or any other purpose in which the proper application of the true laws of contrast and harmony in color is desirable:

Contrasts in Color.

Yellow contrasts with-- Purple, russet, and auburn. Red contrasts with-- Green, olive, and drab. Blue contrasts with-- Orange, citrine, and buff.

Harmonies in Color.

Yellow harmonizes with-- Orange, green, citrine, russet, buff, and drab. Red harmonizes with-- Orange, purple, russet, citrine, auburn, and buff. Blue harmonizes with-- Purple, green, olive, citrine, drab, and auburn.

THE CARE OF THE TEETH.

Decay of the teeth, or caries, commences externally, appearing upon the enamel or bony structure of the teeth. Usually it is the result of chemical action produced by decomposition of food. Acids found in some fruits will cause decay if allowed to remain in contact with the teeth. Then there are the natural mouth acids, which, although not strong, are none the less effective if allowed to remain long enough around the teeth. Microscopical examinations have shown that the secretions of almost every person's month contain more or less vegetable and animal life that will withstand the application of acids and astringents and will only succumb to alkalies. A dentifrice or mouth wash should be alkaline.

Toothache.

Toothache is not always due to an exposed nerve, for in the majority of teeth extracted because they are painful the nerve is dead. Inflammation is often the cause of the trouble.

A toothache due to inflammation is a steady, aggravating pain, overspreading the affected side of the face, sometimes even the neck and shoulder. As there is no nerve to kill in a case of this kind, the tooth should be treated until cured, or removed upon the first symptom of trouble. Its extraction would be unattended by any danger and would afford welcome relief.

Tartar, a creamy, calcareous deposit, supposed to be from the saliva, will sometimes cause toothache. It accumulates around the necks of the teeth and eventually becomes hard and dark-colored. It also causes foul breath and loosens the gums from the teeth, causing them to present an unsightly appearance.

The Teeth of Children.

Children have twenty temporary teeth, which begin making their appearance about the sixth or seventh month. The time varies in different children. This is the most dangerous and troublesome period of the child's existence, and every parent will do well to consult a reputable dentist. About the second or third year the temporary teeth are fully developed. They require the same care to preserve them as is exercised toward the permanent set.

About the sixth year, or soon after, four permanent molars, or double teeth, make their appearance. Some parents mistakenly suppose these belong to the first set. It is a serious error. They are permanent teeth, and if lost will be lost forever. No teeth that come after the sixth year are ever shed. Let every parent remember this.