If the maid does not know whether or not the ladies are at home, and says she will see, the caller gives her own card and goes into the drawing-room to wait further word from the maid. Should the ladies be out, she leaves two of her husband's cards on the card tray in the hall before leaving. If the ladies are at home, she does not deposit her husband's cards in the tray until her departure.
Very often a lady will call on a very good friend, more for a friendly little talk and for companionship than for social duty. In this case, she is privileged to send up only one card; and leave it behind, whether that lady is out or in, without any other cards.
SIMPLE CARD-LEAVING
Frequently, cards are left when there is no intention on the part of the owner to make a call. To return calls made upon one, by persistent card-leaving, is to indicate that one wishes to draw a friendship to a close. It is accomplished merely by leaving a card, on no particular at-home day but simply by chance, and by making no inquiries of the servant. One says to a servant, "Please forward these cards to Miss Adams" or, "These cards are for Mr. and Mrs. Blakelock."
There are several exceptions—several occasions when cards may be left without a formal call and still indicate no desire to terminate an acquaintanceship. It is only persistent card-leaving that is indicative of this latter. A lady in mourning, for instance, is privileged to leave her cards only in return for invitations she may have received. It is proper for people in mourning to leave cards for all those persons who called after the burial to leave cards of condolence; these return cards are usually black-bordered, and they are left about one month after the funeral.
Another custom that remains unchanged through the constant evolution of social culture, is that of leaving cards for the bride's mother when invitations to the church ceremony only are received, and when the bride's mother is a stranger to the person invited. Upon receiving the announcement of a wedding, the proper thing to do is to leave cards for the bride's mother, even though she is a total stranger.
Cards must be left by each guest for the lady who has entertained a club, charity or literary organization, at her home. They serve the same purpose as cards that are left after an entertainment or hospitality on the part of the hostess.
The custom of card-leaving without a call is also observed when a friend or acquaintance goes to a home that has been visited by death.
SHOULD A STRANGER LEAVE CARDS?
The question has often been asked, whether or not a man or woman being entertained by friends, is obligated to leave cards when they accompany those friends on calls. There are certain varying conditions that govern the answer to this question.