256 THE HOME, FARM AND BUSINESS CYCLOPAEDIA. 



any the more valuable for that addition ; and you ought not to conclude 

 beforehand that your gift will be accepted. 



Never undervalue the gift which you are yourself offering ; you. have 

 no business to offer it if it is valueless. Neither say that you do not want 

 it yourself, or that you should throw it away if it were not accepted, etc., 

 etc. Such apologies would be insults if true, and mean nothing if false. 



No compliment that bears insincerity on the face of it, is a compliment 

 at all. 



Presents made by a married lady to a gentleman can only be offered in 

 the joint names of her husband and herself. 



Married ladies may occasionally accept presents from gentlemen who 

 visit frequently at their houses, and who desire to show their sense of the 

 hospitality which they receive there. 



Acknowledge the receipt of a present without delay. 



Give a foreigner his name in full, as Monsieur de Vigny never as Mon- 

 sieur only. In speaking of him, give him his title, if he has one. 



Converse with a foreigner in his own language. If not competent to do 

 so, apologize, and beg permission to speak English. 



To get in and out of a carriage gracefully is a simple but important 

 accomplishment. If there is but one step, and you are going to take the 

 seat facing the horses, put your left foot on the step, and enter the carri- 

 age with your right, in such a manner as to drop at once into your seat. 

 If you are about to sit with your back to the horses, reverse the process. 

 As you step into the carriage, be careful to keep your back towards the 

 seat you are about to occupy, so as to avoid the awkwardness of turning 

 when you are once in. 



