Part 16

On the envelope, the forms are respectively Mr. Justice ..................., Senator ......................., Hon. .............. (for the congressman).

The social letter to a cabinet officer addresses him by name, My dear ................., and has on the envelope Hon. preceding the name and his official designation following it.

A governor is usually addressed My dear Governor ........................ And the envelope should have the title preceding the name.

In all cases except that of the President, the conclusion of a social letter is a simple form such as, I remain, Yours very sincerely.

A mayor is addressed either as Sir, or Your Honor, in formal communications, and as My dear Mayor ................. in social correspondence. The envelope properly gives him a full designation, His Honor the Mayor of ..................... The name follows, written on a lower line.

The form of address is the same for both official and social letters in the case of a Roman Catholic archbishop: Most Reverend and Dear Sir. The conclusion should run: I have the honor to remain Your obedient servant—Your, etc., being written on a lower line. The envelope carries The Most Reverend ......................., Archbishop of ...................

All letters to a cardinal begin Your Eminence. The conclusion is the same as to an archbishop. The envelope reads His Eminence Cardinal .........................

For a Roman Catholic bishop all letters begin Right Reverend and Dear Sir. The conclusion is that used for the preceding prelates. On the envelope: The Right Reverend .................., Bishop of ............

A Protestant bishop, also, is addressed Right Reverend and Dear Sir officially, but a social letter begins My dear Bishop ..................... The conclusion may take the form given for Roman Catholic dignitaries, but for social letters it is sufficient to write, I remain Yours sincerely. The envelope reads: The Right Reverend ................, Bishop of .............................

Both priests and Protestant clergymen are officially addressed: Reverend and Dear Sir. But, in a social letter, the beginning is Dear Father .................., in the case of a priest; while the Protestant minister is addressed as Dear Mr. ........................, or Dear Doctor ...................., if he has such a title. The conclusion for either need be no more than: I remain, Yours very sincerely. The envelope bears, The Reverend .......................

The possession of degrees may be indicated by writing the proper initials after the name. Where the clergyman has the degree of Doctor, this is sometimes used as an abbreviation preceding the name—The Reverend Dr. ..........................

LUNCHEONS

THE ETIQUETTE for a luncheon is essentially the same as that for a breakfast, which has already been described. But the luncheon at present enjoys a popularity that is distinctive in one respect: it serves conveniently very often as a function wholly for the entertainment of feminine guests.

The usual hour for a luncheon is from one to two o’clock. The invitations, unless the affair is to be quite informal, should be sent out ten days before the date set. As in the case of a breakfast, the invitation may be sent on a visiting-card, writing below the name:

Luncheon at one o’clock April the fourth

For an especially formal affair, the invitation should be engraved on square white cards of large size, similar to those employed for dinner-invitations.

_Mrs. George Vinton Thorne

requests the pleasure of

........................................

company at luncheon

on ..............................

at .......................... o’clock

Eleven Green Street_

A note written in the first person may convey the invitation, if the hostess prefers this manner.

The acceptance or refusal of an invitation may be in the third person, following the examples given in the chapter on dinners, or it may be written as a note in the first person. In either case, the method used in the invitation itself must govern the style of the reply.

At the more formal luncheon, the menu may be elaborate, with oysters, bouillon, fish, and other courses following to any desired extent, but care must be taken always that the general character of the viands served must not be oversubstantial. The meal should be of a distinctively lighter sort as compared with dinner.

The women guests usually wear their most effective frocks. Wraps are left in the cloak-room provided, or, if this is lacking, in the hall. The hats are not removed, but the veil is either pushed up out of the way, or removed, according to the wearer’s pleasure. The gloves are taken off after arrival at table, and left in the lap, covered by the napkin.

A guest should remain for at least half an hour after the completion of the meal, and from this minimum of time up to an hour or perhaps a little longer, according to the particular circumstances.