Donald Ogden Stewart - Perfect Behavior (A Guide for Ladies and Gentlemen in All Social Crises)

Regretfully not all the images from the original edition could be retrieved.

DW

Chapter
I. THE ETIQUETTE OF COURTSHIP
A Few Words about LoveCurious Incident in a Yellow TaxicabA
Silly GirlCorrect Introductions and how to Make ThemA
Well Known Congressman's Ludicrous Mistake in a Turkish
BathCards and FlowersFlowers and their Message in
Courtship"A Clean Tooth Never Decays"Receiving an
Invitation to CallThe Etiquette of Telephoning-A Telephone
Girl's Horrible EndMaking the First CallConversation and
Some of its UsesA Proper CallThe Proposal Proper-The Proposal
ImproperWhat Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Said to the
ex-Clergyman's Niece.
II. THE ETIQUETTE OF ENGAGEMENTS AND WEDDINGS
The Historic AspectAnnouncing the EngagementA Breton Fisher
Girl's Experience with a Traveling SalesmanThe Bride-to-BeThe
Engagement LuncheonSelecting the Bridal PartyInvitations and
Wedding PresentsA Good Joke on the Groom"Madam, those are
my trousers"Duties of the Best ManA Demented Taxidermist's
Strange GiftThe Bride's TeaThe Maid of HonorWhat Aunt
Edna Saw on the Club Porch-The Bachelor Dinner and After-Some
Practical Uses for Bi-Carbonate of SodaThe RehearsalThe
Bridal DinnerA Church Wedding.
III. THE ETIQUETTE OF TRAVEL
Hints for the Correct PedestrianismDescription of a Walk around
Philadelphia with a Pueblo Indian in 1837Travelling by Rail
Good Form on a Street CarIn the SubwayFun with an Old
Gentleman's WhiskersA Honeymoon in a SubwayTravelling under
Steam-A Correct Night in a Pullman-What Burton Holmes Found in
His Lower Berth.
IV. AT THE CONCERT AND THE OPERA
Listening to a Symphony OrchestraCurious Effect of Debussy's
"Apres-midi d'un Faune" and four gin fizzes on Uncle
Frederick"No, fool like an old fool"Correct Behavior at a
Piano RecitalChoosing One's Nearest ExitIn a Box at the
OperaWhat a Kansas City Society Leader Did with Her Old
Victrola Records.
V. ETIQUETTE FOR DRY AGENTS
Some Broader Aspects of ProhibitionInteresting Effect of Whisky
on GoldfishThe College Graduate as Dry AgentAunt Emily's
Amusing Experiences with a Quart of Gin Planning a Dry Raid on a
Masquerade Ball A Word About Correct CostumesA California
Motion Picture Actress's Bad TasteGood Form for Dry Agents
During a Raid-What the New York Clubman Said About Mr. Volstead.
VI. A CHAPTER FOR SCHOOLGIRLS
Selecting a Proper SchoolAccount of an Interesting Trip Down
the Eric Canal with Miss SpenceCorrect Equipment for the
SchoolgirlEn Routeln New YorkA journey Around the
CityDescription of the Visit of Ed. Pinaud to the Aquarium in
1858The First Days in the New School"After Lights" in a
DormitoryAn "Old Schoolgirl's" ConfessionsBecoming
AcclimatizedA Visitor from Princeton-Strange Pets.
VII. THE ETIQUETTE OF GAMES AND SPORTS
Golf as a PastimeWhat Henry Ward Beecher Said When He Broke His
NiblicAn Afternoon at the Old Farm with the Dice"Shoot you
for your ear trumpet, grandfather!"Correct Behavior on a
PicnicA Swedish Nobleman's Curious Method of Eating Potato
ChipsBoxing in American SocietyA Good Joke on an Amateur
Boxer"He didn't know it was Jack Dempsey!"Bridge
WhistFormal and Informal DrinkingA jolly Hallowe'en
PartyInvitationsReceiving the GuestsHow to
MystifyGames.
VIII. CORRESPONDENCE AND INVITATIONS
Correspondence for Young LadiesCollege Boys How to Order a Full
Dress Suit by MailLetters to ParentsA Prominent Retired
Bank President's Advice to CorrespondentsLetters from
ParentsPeculiarities of the Divorce Laws of New YorkLetters
to Prospective Fathers-in-LawA Correct Form of Letter to a
Society Matron Asking Her How About that Grocery Bill for
Eighty-Two Dollars and Sixty-Seven CentsLove
LettersCorrespondence of Public Officials-Letters to
StrangersLetters to Newspapers, Magazines, etc.Invitations,
Acceptances and Regrets.
IX. THE ETIQUETTE OF DINNERS AND BALLS
Formal Dinners in America-Table Manners for ChildrenRemoving
Stains from Gray SilkA Child's Garden of EtiquetteEtiquette
in the SchoolConversation at DinnerWhat a New Jersey Lady Did
with Her Olive SeedsStewart's Lightning Calculator of Dinner
Table Conversation"It Seems that Pat and Mike"Balls and
Dances-Artificial RespirationMixed DancingHints for Stags.
A Word of Warning and Encouragement

A FEW WORDS ABOUT LOVE

Courtship is one of the oldest of social customs, even antedating in some countries such long-established usages as marriage, or the wearing of white neckties with full evening dress. The beginnings of the etiquette of courtship were apparently connected in some way with the custom of "love" between the sexes, and many of the old amatory forms still survive in the modern courtship. It is generally agreed among students of the history of etiquette that when "love" first began to become popular among the better class of younger people they took to it with such avidity that it was necessary to devise some sort of rules for the conduct of formal or informal love-making. These rules, together with various amendments, now constitute the etiquette of courtship.

Suppose, for example, that you are a young gentleman named Richard Roe desirous of entering upon a formal courtship with some refined young girl of fashion. You are also, being a college graduate, engaged in the bond business. One morning there comes into your financial institution a young lady, named Dorothy Doe, who at once attracts your attention by her genteel manners, as exemplified by the fact that she calls the president of your company "father." So many young people seem to think it "smart" to refer to their parents as "dad" or "my old man"; you are certain, as soon as you hear her say "Hello, father" to your employer, that she is undoubtedly a worthy object of courtship.

CORRECT INTRODUCTIONS; HOW TO MAKE THEM

Your first step should be, of course, the securing of an introduction. Introductions still play an important part in social intercourse, and many errors are often perpetrated by those ignorant of savoir faire (correct form). When introducing a young lady to a stranger for example, it is not au fait (correct form) to simply say, "Mr. Roe, I want you to shake hands with my friend Dorothy." Under the rules of the beau monde (correct form) this would probably be done as follows: "Dorothy (or Miss Doe), shake hands with Mr. Roe." Always give the name of the lady first, unless you are introducing some one to the President of the United States, the Archbishop of Canterbury, a member of the nobility above a baron, or a customer. The person who is being "introduced" then extends his (or her) right ungloved hand and says, "Shake." You "shake," saying at the same time, "It's warm (cool) for November (May)," to which the other replies, "I'll say it is."