Some of the social observances pertaining to visiting away from one's
own home, and accepting the hospitalities of friends, are here given,
and are applicable to ladies and gentlemen alike.


GENERAL INVITATIONS.

No one should accept a general invitation for a prolonged visit. "Do
come and spend some time with me" may be said with all earnestness and
cordiality, but to give the invitation real meaning the date should be
definitely fixed and the length of time stated.

A person who pays a visit upon a general invitation need not be
surprised if he finds himself as unwelcome as he is unexpected. His
friends may be absent from home, or their house may be already full, or
they may not have made arrangements for visitors. From these and other
causes they may be greatly inconvenienced by an unexpected arrival.

It would be well if people would abstain altogether from this custom of
giving general invitations, which really mean nothing, and be scrupulous
to invite their desired guests at a stated time and for a given period.


LIMIT OF A PROLONGED VISIT.

If no exact length of time is specified, it is well for visitors to
limit a visit to three days or a week, according to the degree of
intimacy they may have with the family, or the distance they have come
to pay the visit, announcing this limitation soon after arrival, so that
the host and the hostess may invite a prolongation of the stay if they