GLOVES.
MEN. At the opera or theatre, if in full dress, gloves may be dispensed with, but they are worn with street dress. With formal evening dress, white kid gloves should be worn.
For afternoon dress, gloves should be of undressed kid, gray, tan, or brown. When calling, the glove of the right hand should be removed upon entering the drawing-room.
Gloves should not be worn at high teas.
MEN—AFTERNOON DRESS. Undressed kid gloves of a dark color are worn.
MEN-BALLS. Men should always wear gloves at all balls, in summer or winter, in town or city.
MEN-CALLING ON WOMEN. Gloves need not be removed at a formal or brief call.
MEN-DANCES. Gloves should be worn at formal dances, and should be put on before entering the room.
MEN-HIGH TEA. Men do not wear gloves.
MEN-MOURNING. Black or dark-colored gloves should be worn.
MEN—SHAKING HANDS. At weddings, operas, or dances, and on all very formal occasions, men wear gloves. In shaking hands with women on these occasions gloves should not be removed.
If a hostess wears gloves at any formal affair, a man wears his when he shakes hands with her.
A man with hands gloved should never shake hands with a woman without an apology for so doing, unless she likewise wears gloves. A sudden meeting, etc., may make a hand-shaking in gloves unavoidable. Unless the other party is also gloved, a man should say: "Please excuse my glove."
WOMEN. Gloves should always be worn on the street.
At dinners, or formal teas, women should remove their gloves at the table and place them in their laps.
At dinners and formal teas, when the women have retired to the drawing-room, they may resume their gloves or not, or follow the example of the hostess.
At informal teas or "At Homes" the hostess need not wear gloves.
BREAKFAST. Gloves should be removed at table.
DINNER. Women may remove their gloves at table, and it is not necessary to replace them. They should be laid in the lap. The hostess generally determines by her own actions whether the women should resume gloves or not.
MOURNING. Gloves may be of black kid, suede, or black silk. In the evening, black suede or glace, or white suede should be worn. White gloves with black stitching should not be worn in the evening.
BRIDE. See BRIDE—GLOVES.
GROOM. See GROOM—GLOVES.
USHERS. See USHERS—GLOVES.
GODFATHER. A man asked to be one of the sponsors at a christening ceremony should reply by a written note or by calling in person.
He should call immediately on the parents and send flowers to the mother, and express himself as pleased at the compliment.
He should send a present to the child, usually a piece of jewelry or some silver, and, if a wealthy relative, may deposit a sum of money to the child's credit, and present him with the bank-book.
He should also send with his present one of his calling cards, on which is written some appropriate sentiment.
It is his privilege, when the wine is about to be drunk after the ceremony, to first propose the health of the child and then the health of the mother.
The duties of the godfather at the ceremony consist of assenting to the vows.
GODMOTHER. A woman asked to be a sponsor at a christening should immediately accept or decline the invitation either by a written note or a call.
She should also call on the parents and send flowers to the mother, and express pleasure at the compliment paid to her.
It is always customary for the godmother to give the child a gift, such as a christening robe, a cradle, or some piece of silver. If the latter is sent, it should have the child's name on it. With the gift should be sent the sponsor's calling card, with some appropriate sentiment on it. It is customary to send the gift to the child itself.
GOLDEN WEDDINGS. Fifty years after the wedding-day comes the Golden Wedding. The invitations may bear the words: NO PRESENTS RECEIVED, and congratulations may be extended in accepting or declining the invitation. An entertainment is usually provided for.
The gifts are, appropriately, articles of gold, and this is a fitting occasion for giving fifty gold pieces of either, five, ten, or twenty dollar denomination. The invitations are appropriately engraved in gold, and the decorations golden in color.
GOVERNOR OF A STATE—HOW ADDRESSED. An official letter begins: Sir, and ends: I have the honor, sir, to remain your obedient servant.
A social letter begins: Dear Governor
Wilson, and ends: Believe me, most sincerely
yours.
The address on the envelope is: Governor
John J. Wilson.
GRAPES AND PLUMS should be eaten one by one, and the pits allowed to fall noiselessly into the half-closed hand and then transferred to the plate.
GROOM. The groom selects his best man, usually an unmarried intimate friend, though a married man or widower is permissible. After consultation with the bride he calls upon the clergyman, the organist, the sexton, and invites the ushers.
When he is informed by his bride of the day selected for the wedding, he should ask her mother to accept the day agreed upon.
He may make what present he desires to the bride, and, if he also wishes, to the brides- maids. If any gifts are sent to the groom, they should bear his name or cipher.
He should furnish the bride's family with a list of names of persons to whom he desires to have invitations sent, designating his preference for those to be asked to the wedding breakfast or reception.
BEFORE CEREMONY. The day before the ceremony, or sooner, he gives into the safe- keeping of the best man the ring and the fee for the clergyman.
He also sends or hands the marriage license (if one is needed) to the officiating clergyman before the ceremony.
CHURCH, It is not customary for the groom to see his bride on the wedding-day till he meets her at the altar. The groom and the best man usually breakfast together on the wedding-day and arrive in ample time at the church.
Upon the arrival of the bride in the vestibule, the clergyman enters the chancel, followed by the groom and the best man. The groom then steps forward, and stands at the left of the clergyman, facing the audience. It is a good plan for both the groom and best man to leave their hats in the vestry, but if the groom has not done so, he gives his hat and gloves to the best man on the approach of the bride, and advances to meet her. He gives her his left arm, and together they stand before the clergyman.
At the proper moment he receives the ring from the best man and hands it to the bride. It is no longer in good form for him to kiss the bride after the ceremony, but after receiving the congratulations of the clergyman to give her his right arm, and together they lead the procession to the vestibule.
CLERGYMAN. While the bride selects the officiating clergyman, it is the place of the groom to call upon him in regard to the details, and to pay him the fee.
If the clergyman from any cause—as, living outside of the State—cannot legally perform the ceremony, a magistrate should be present to legalize the marriage, and should receive a fee.
DRESS-EVENING WEDDING. He wears full evening dress.
DRESS-MORNING OR AFTERNOON WEDDING. He wears afternoon dress, consisting of a double-breasted frock coat of dark material, waistcoat, single or double (preferably the latter), of same material, or more usually of some fancy material of late design. The trousers should be of light pattern, avoiding extremes. The linen should be white, and the tie white or light material, and the gloves of gray suede. These, with patent-leather shoes and a silk hat, complete the costume.
EXPENSES. He pays for the license fee, the organist's fee, and a fee to the sexton.
Nothing less than five dollars in gold, clean bills, or a check in a sealed envelope, or more, according to social position and financial income, should be the clergyman's fee. Should there be one or two additional clergymen, he pays a fee to each, the fee of the officiating clergyman being double that of the others.
He pays for the carriages of the ushers, the one for himself and the best man, and the one which takes away the married couple on their wedding trip.
He pays for the bouquet carried by the bride, and, if he wishes, for the bouquets carried by the bridesmaids. He also pays for the cuff-buttons or scarf-pins, and, if he wishes, for the gloves and neckties given to the ushers and the best man.
He pays for the wedding-ring—a plain gold one, with initials of bride and groom and date of marriage engraved thereon. He may also present some souvenirs to the bridesmaids.
He may give a farewell dinner a few evenings before the wedding to his best man, ushers, and a few intimate friends. He sits at the head of the table and the best man opposite, and on this occasion he may give the scarf-pins or cuff-buttons, also neckties and gloves, if he wishes, to the best man and ushers.
FAREWELL DINNER. See BACHELOR'S FAREWELL
DINNER.
GLOVES. At a morning or afternoon wedding,
the groom wears gray suede gloves.
At an evening wedding he wears white kid
gloves.
WEDDING BREAKFAST. The bride and groom enter first, and are seated at the principal table.
WEDDING RECEPTION. The groom and his bride stand side by side and receive the congratulations of all present. The guests serve them refreshments.
See also BEST MAN. BRIDE. USHERS. All items under WEDDINGS.
GROOM'S FAMILY. See FAMILY OF GROOM.
GROOM'S FATHER. See FATHER OF GROOM.
GROOM'S MOTHER. See MOTHER OF GROOM.