sees what it has to do with politeness. These
counsels are, however, introduced under the
head of " Politeness in the Master of the
House." Here, too, are some directions as to
the giving of soirées, in the course of which we
are told that, in order to keep all the ladies in
good humour, " it is necessary that the host
should hazard a certain number of invitations
to young gentlemen as yet little known in
society: because to them the lady of the house
may, without any indiscretion, confide the care
of those young ladies (tapisseries) who would
otherwise be in danger of wanting partners
altogether." The author, however, takes care to
insinuate that no such onerous duties should
fall to the share of such distinguished citizens
as himself.

"In the case of a guest of some importance in
the social scale, should the master or mistress of
the house recommend him to dance with Mrs.
or Miss Such-a-one (members of the class
Tapisserie), it would almost amount to an
impertinence."

' Having put this sentiment on record, our
Professor goes on to caution the glowing young
cavalier as to his behaviour in the ball-room.
His tone of worldly wisdom is almost serpent-
like. " You may abstain," he says, "altogether
from talking to your partner, but if you cannot
abstain, you will do well to use the utmost
discretion as to what you say, and when the dance
is over, reconduct your partner to her place,
offer her your thanks, but by no means remain
engaged in conversation with her; and above
all things abstain from seating yourself by her
side." The young lady is to be similarly careful,
and if her cavalier speaks to her, " she may
indeed answer civilly, but not in any manner that
might lead to the commencement of a conversation."
And a very nice notion of a lively party
these directions give one!

"Politeness in the streets" is largely dwelt
on. Here are one or two of his directions:

"Avoid touching the passers-by with your
elbows, and in order not to do so you
should even walk, if necessary, sideways, like
a crab.

"In case of a heavy shower, a gentleman may,
without indiscretion, offer a share of his umbrella
to an unknown lady who is without one. But
while they walk so together, he must forbear
from questioning her. In no case, however,
ought a lady to make a similar offer to a gentleman.

"If you meet a friend, who chances to be
your superior, or a lady, you will keep your hat
in your hand, after saluting, till you have been
told to put it on again.

"It is mauvais ton, when you are in a
carriage, to cause the horses to be stopped that you
may talk with a foot passenger. In the case of
such a meeting, a mutual salutation is all that
should be permitted. If there is room, however,
you should request the person who is on foot to
come and sit beside you while you talk. You
should then cause the carriage to be driven at a
foot pace in the direction in which the pedestrian
was going. But it is more polite to conduct
him to his destination altogether.

"In riding on horseback, you are to remember
that if you are in company with a superior,
you are to let him mount first, and if there is
no one else to do it, you should hold his
stirrup.

"If you are with a man of very high rank,
the head of your horse ought not to pass the
crupper of his; while, if you are a military
man, and you are riding with your general, you
ought to keep altogether behind him till he
calls you to his side.

"If you are not the actual subordinate of
him with whom you are riding, but still of an
inferior rank, it suffices that his horse should
have the advance of yours by a head only."

The precision of these rules, especially the
last, cannot fail to be very gratifying as well as
extremely useful to the reader. We will dismiss
the subject of street politeness with the following
additional quotations:

"Abstain from assuming a majestic attitude
or an important air in walking the streets, or
when appearing on the public promenade, for
fear you should be taken for a fool. Avoid also
a bounding walk.

"It is only madmen who gesticulate, talk to
themselves, or declaim in the public streets.

"It is understood that the men, when in
company with ladies, are to pay for everything,
and everywhere: the chairs in the gardens, the
small gluttonies of children, the bouquets, the
oranges, the carriage when a storm comes on,
&c.; and our ladies accept all that!!!"

There is a bitterness about this last paragraph
with the notes of admiration (which are the
author's) that is scarcely characterised by the
amount of gallantry which one would look for
in the compiler of a work on "Ton." The
author is evidently fresh from a promenade in
company with some specially rapacious members
of the softer sex. It is difficult to imagine a
more trying position for a stingy Frenchman
than that of escort to a party of ladies. Think
of the ices, the lemonades, the cakes!

With this we must for the present take our
leave of our noble Professor, but next week the
reader shall have some more hints on etiquette
from the same source, and the voice which has
taught him what he is to do when a fit of
the hiccups comes on at dinner-time, shall
further instruct him how to behave on other
occasions of difficulty and embarrassment.

A FIELD-DAY.

I WAS walking on the little lawn that girdles
my pleasant little stone cottage in Downshire,
making a mental inventory of the pleasures of a
June morning in the country. The grass was
tinselled with the dew that lay on it in a
trembling bloom of greyish silver; the roses
were hung with pearls of the first water; the
blackbirds were dissecting my strawberries
with their golden bills (drat them!); the green
mountains of elms were in a soft tremble of