Gilded Age Social Etiquette

After a lady is married her acquaintances should soon call upon her.

Calls Which Courtesy Demands Should Be Made Promptly

“First calls should always be promptly returned; that is, within seven days,” says a New York woman of society and fashion, in a useful little treatise on manners. “If a first call is immediately followed by an invitation to some entertainment, the call should be returned at once and not delayed until after the entertainment. After the entertainment a second call should be made.

“The recipient of any special hospitality, such as a dinner, luncheon, breakfast, dance, etc..., should call thereafter as soon as possible. After having been invited to visit in a country house, a call should be made upon those extending the invitation immediately after their return to the town residence. After a lady is married her acquaintances should soon call upon her.” – Riverside Enterprise, 28 February 1891

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