daughters and her mother living in the house, and a Mrs.
Stranger staying with her whom the visitor was invited to a luncheon to
meet, a card on each would need a packet of six. Instead, the visitor
should leave three--one for Mrs. Town, one for all the other ladies of the
house, and one for Mrs. Stranger. In asking to be received, her query at
the door should be "Are any of the ladies at home?" Or in merely leaving
her cards she should say "For all of the ladies."

=WHEN THE CALLER LEAVES=

The butler or maid must stand with the front door open until a visitor
re-enters her motor, or if she is walking, until she has reached the
sidewalk. It is bad manners ever to close the door in a visitor's face.

When a chauffeur leaves cards, the door may be closed as soon as he turns
away.

=WHEN THE LADY OF THE HOUSE IS AT HOME=

When the door is opened by a waitress or a parlor-maid and the mistress of
the house is in the drawing-room, the maid says "This way, please," and
leads the way. She goes as quickly as possible to present the card tray.
The guest, especially if a stranger, lags in order to give the hostess
time to read the name on the card.

The maid meanwhile moves aside, to make room for the approaching visitor,
who goes forward to shake hands with the hostess. If a butler is at the
door, he reads the card himself, picking it up from the tray, and opening
the door of the drawing-room announces: "Mrs. Soandso," after which he
puts the card on the hall table.

The duration of a formal visit should be in the neighborhood of twenty
minutes. But if other visitors are announced, the first one--on a very
formal occasion--may cut her visit shorter. Or if conversation becomes
especially interesting, the visit may be prolonged five minutes or so. On
no account must a visitor stay an hour!

A hostess always rises when a visitor enters, unless the visitor is a
very young woman or man and she herself elderly, or unless she is seated
behind the tea-table so that rising is difficult. She should, however,
always rise and go forward to meet a lady much older than herself; but she
never rises from her tea-table to greet a man, unless he is quite old.

If the lady of the house is "at home" but up-stairs, the servant at the
door leads the visitor into the reception room, saying "Will you take a
seat, please?" and then carries the card to the mistress of the house.

On an exceptional occasion, such as paying a visit of condol