, and not to interrupt, and that the instrument is
subordinate to the singer.

When a lady is playing, it is desirable that some one should turn the
leaves for her. Some gentleman will be generally at hand to do this,
but unless he be able to read music, his services may as well be
dispensed with.

X.--LETTERS AND NOTES.

Few accomplishments are more important than letter writing--in fact,
it is absolutely indispensable to every man or woman who desires to
fill a respectable position it society. But good letter-writers are
rare. Too little attention is paid to the subject in our systems of
education; and the lack of the ability to write a decent letter, or
even a note of invitation, acceptance, or regret, is often the cause
of great mortification, to say nothing of the delays, misunderstandings,
and losses resulting in business affairs from bungling and incorrectly
written letters.

The impossibility of doing justice to the subject in the very limited
space that we could devote to it in this work, compels us to refer the
reader to our little manual of Composition and Letter-Writing,
entitled "How to Write," in which the whole subject is thoroughly
explained and illustrated.

XI.--MISCELLANEOUS HINTS.

1. _Which goes First?_

In ascending or descending stairs with a lady, it is proper to offer
your arm, provided the stair-case is sufficiently wide to permit two
to go up or down abreast.

But if it is not, which should go first? Authorities disagree. Usage
is not settled. It is a general rule of etiquette to give ladies the
precedence everywhere. Is there a sufficient reason for making this an
exception? One says that if you follow a lady in going down stairs,
you are liable to tread on her dress, and that if she precedes you in
going up, she might display a large foot or a thick ankle which were
better concealed. He thinks the gentleman should go first. Another
calls this a maxim of prudery and the legacy of a maiden aunt. Colonel
Lunettes, our oft-quoted friend of the old _regime_, speaks very
positively on this point. "Nothing is more absurd," he says, "than the
habit of preceding ladies in ascending stairs, adopted by some men--as
if by following just behind them, as one should if the arm be
disengaged, there can be any impropriety. Soiled frills and unmended
hose must have originated this vulgarity." Let the ladies decide.

2. _An American Habit._

There is a habit peculiar to the United States,