Etiquette

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THEATER, AND OTHER

of manner is required of ladies and gentlemen both, than in occupying a box

use in the seats rather than in the boxes, but it can be worn perfectly well by a guest in the latter if he hasn't a "silk" one. A gentleman must always be in full dress, tail

entlemen, the last of whom closes the curtain again. If there are two ladies besides the hostess, the latter places her most distinguished or older guest in the corner nearest the stage. The seat furthest from the stage is always her own. The older guest takes her seat first, then

the box remain tightly closed, as the light from the ante-room shining in the

front row of a box, even thoug

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the gentlemen, and expect to be introduced to the ladies. If Arthur Norman, for instance, wishes to present a gentleman to Mrs. Gilding in her box at the opera, he must first ask her if he may bring his friend James Daws

t is obligatory for whoever is sitting behind the lady to whom the arriving gentleman's visit is addressed, to relinquish his chair. Another point of etiquette is that a gentleman must never leave the ladies of his own box alone. Occasionally it happens that the gentlemen in Mrs. Gilding's box, for instance, have all relinquished their places to visitors and have themselves gone to Mrs. Worldly's or Mrs. Jones' or Mrs. Tow

, in spite of cartoons to the contrary, does good taste permit conversation during the performance or during the overtur

iant Ope

ht when a leader of fashion such as Mrs. Worldly, Mrs. Gilding, or Mrs. Toplofty, is giving a ball; and most of the holders of the parterre boxes are in ball dresses, with an unusual disp

he Perf

the duty of the hostess to take all unattended ladies home who have not a private conveyance of their own, but the obligation does not extend to married couples or odd men. But if a married lady or widow has order

he T

to be seen in the parterre boxes (not the first tier), and in boxes at some of the horse shows and at many pub

hing to recommend it except that the people can sit in a group and gentlemen can go out between the acts easily, but these advantag

ne And Go T

d go to the play." The majority do not even prefer to have "opera" substituted for "play," be

likely to dine at home, unless they belong to a type prevalent in New York which is "restaurant mad." The Gildings, in spite of the fact that their own chef is the best there is, are much more apt to dine

l number, and the invitations are telephoned: "Will Mr. and Mrs. Lovejoy d

with Mr. Clubwin Doe on Saturday at

with pleasure" a second message

ven by a hostess who has no car of her own, a guest will sometimes ask: "Don't you want me to have the car come back for us?" The hostess can either say to an intimate friend "Why, ye

o in Mrs. Norman's little town car, but if there are to be six or eight, the ladies go in her car and the g

Bought I

ke people to something they have already seen. This is not difficult in cities where new plays come to town every week, but in New York, where the same ones run for a year or more, it is

people to go to a place of public amusement and then s

The Aisle O

y if a theater party arrives after the curtain has gone up. If the hostess "forgets," the guests always ask before trooping down the aisle "How do you want us to sit?" For nothing is more awkward and stupid than to block the aisle at the row where their seats are, while their hostess "sorts them"; and worse yet, in her effort to be polite, sends the ladies to their seat

takes the checks at the head of the aisle, she follows the usher. Otherwise the gentleman goes first with the checks. When their places are show

ers At Th

. Remember also not to drag anything across the heads of those sitting in front of you. At the moving pictures, especially when it is

pardon!" Though you can say "I beg your pardon." That, however, would be more properly the expression to use if you brushed your coat over their heads, or spilled water ove

greater theater pests than those who come back after the curtain has gone up and temporarily snuff

o file out every time the curtain drops are utterly lacking in consideration for others. If there are five acts,

derate To Gi

love to go to the theater in droves called theater parties and absolutely ruin the evening for others who happen to sit in front of them. If Mary and Johnny and Susy a

oung people think an angry older person the funniest sight on earth! The small boy throws a snowball at an elderly gentleman for no other reason! The only

er is easily heard by those sitting directly in front, and those who t

d who insist on laughing and talking are rarely encountered; most people take their seats as quietly and quickly as they possibly can, and are quite as mu

Theater

o a ball can perfectly well go to the theater first if they do not make themselves conspicuous. A lady in a ball dress and many jewels should avoid elaborate hair ornamentat

ust a hat-pin or glance in a glass was lack of breeding. Every well brought up young woman was taught that she must finish dressing in her bedchamber. But to-day young women in theaters, restaurants, and other public places, are continually studying their reflection in little mirrors and patting their hair and powdering their noses and fixing this or adjusting that in a way that in Mrs. Oldname's girlhood would have absolutely barred them from good society; nor can Mrs. Wor

Of Sending

you use two tickets for the Russian ballet to-night?" sent at seven o'clock that same evening, after the Lovejoys have settled themselves for an evening at home (Celia having decided not to curl her hair and Donald having that morning sent his only dinner coat to be re-face

Theate

inments given for a débutante. If fifty or more ar

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es her (or his) ticket to an usher and sits in the place alloted to her (or him). It is well for the hostess to have a seat plan for her own use in case thoughtless young people mix their tickets all up an

not bother to wait for any boys), and in this one instance she very likely sits in a stage

or supper and to dance. If they go to a hotel, a small ballroom must be engaged and the dance is a pr

urants are perfectly fit and proper for them to go to; many other places however, are not, and for the sake of general appearances it is

cabarets for which New York is famous (or infamous?), or perhaps go to w

people, go home after the theater, especially if they

t Be

u must arrive on the stroke of the hour for which you are a

rmance, you must not be late! Nothing is more unfair to others who are keen about whatever it is you are

act if they do. Those, on the other hand, who care nothing for music and go to the opera to see people and be seen, seldom go until most if not all of the first act is over. But these in turn might give m

he Circus O

ng" at a match, and a circus band does not demand silence in order to appreciate its cheerful blare. One very great annoyance in open air gatherings is cigar smoke when blown directly in one's face, or worse yet the smok

et excited and insist on standing up. If those in front stand-those behind naturally have to! Generally people call out "down in front."