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Story
July 21, 1891
Deseret Evening News
Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah
What is this article about?
Etiquette article on note-writing, advising American women to emulate European diligence in correspondence rather than reckless use, illustrated by anecdotes of social missteps covered by hasty notes. From New York Times.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
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Full Text
About Notes and Note Writing.
From the manner to the matter of notes is a short step. In this age American women can learn several good points from their English cousins. Their Old World cousins, indeed, for both German and French women are equally with the English woman skilled in the art of note writing. In polite society notes are a valuable current coin—a courteous, tactful note often steering its writer safely over a threatening rock. On the other hand, it is easy to place too much dependence upon these paper messengers—a fault which some young women of the moment seem likely to fall into.
Said one young girl, meeting another in a friend's parlor the other day, "Mrs. T. feels quite hurt that you did not call on her niece."
"Does she!" was the careless reply. "I must write her a note smoothing it over."
Almost with the same breath the first speaker remarked further, "Mr. — was at the house last evening; he spoke about your having so prettily explained about the tennis fiasco."
"Goodness," ejaculated the other, "what an escape! I had forgotten entirely I wrote to him of that matter. It was on my mind to go home today and send him an especially fetching note. Now I dimly recall having done so."
Here, evidently, was a young woman who wrote notes recklessly, and, it is to be feared, unscrupulously, through which practice she will be very apt to come to grief some time.
To an Englishwoman of any position her correspondence is one of her most serious duties. She spends a certain portion of every day at her desk, and she would as soon think of not responding to a friend's greeting as omitting to answer promptly and carefully a friend's letter, or, indeed, any addressed to her from friend or stranger.—Her Point of View in New York Times.
From the manner to the matter of notes is a short step. In this age American women can learn several good points from their English cousins. Their Old World cousins, indeed, for both German and French women are equally with the English woman skilled in the art of note writing. In polite society notes are a valuable current coin—a courteous, tactful note often steering its writer safely over a threatening rock. On the other hand, it is easy to place too much dependence upon these paper messengers—a fault which some young women of the moment seem likely to fall into.
Said one young girl, meeting another in a friend's parlor the other day, "Mrs. T. feels quite hurt that you did not call on her niece."
"Does she!" was the careless reply. "I must write her a note smoothing it over."
Almost with the same breath the first speaker remarked further, "Mr. — was at the house last evening; he spoke about your having so prettily explained about the tennis fiasco."
"Goodness," ejaculated the other, "what an escape! I had forgotten entirely I wrote to him of that matter. It was on my mind to go home today and send him an especially fetching note. Now I dimly recall having done so."
Here, evidently, was a young woman who wrote notes recklessly, and, it is to be feared, unscrupulously, through which practice she will be very apt to come to grief some time.
To an Englishwoman of any position her correspondence is one of her most serious duties. She spends a certain portion of every day at her desk, and she would as soon think of not responding to a friend's greeting as omitting to answer promptly and carefully a friend's letter, or, indeed, any addressed to her from friend or stranger.—Her Point of View in New York Times.
What sub-type of article is it?
Etiquette Advice
Social Commentary
What themes does it cover?
Social Manners
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Note Writing
Etiquette
Correspondence
Social Norms
Women's Duties
Story Details
Story Details
Article discusses the importance of proper note-writing in polite society, contrasting American women's over-reliance on notes with the diligent correspondence practices of English, German, and French women. Includes anecdotes of young women using notes recklessly to smooth over social lapses, warning of potential grief from such habits.