ight of old removed his iron gauntlet, lest he crush the maiden's
hand within its grasp. The removal of the glove was practiced between
men also at a later date, when, too often, beneath the heavily
embroidered gauntlet, lurked the assassin's dagger, so that to unglove
before a hand-clasp grew to be considered an act of good faith.

The bow, the hand-clasp, and the kiss are the principal methods of
salutation employed by the most highly civilized nations of this era
of the world.

The bow is the most proper salutation among friends and acquaintances
meeting in public. It is also frequently resorted to on private
occasions.

The bow should never degenerate into a nod; this is both ungracious
and ungentlemanly. The hat should be lifted sufficiently to clear the
head, and the bow, in the reception room, should slightly incline the
body also. Ladies should incline their heads gracefully and smile upon
their friends pleasantly, but not broadly.

Removing the Hat.

A gentleman should remove his hat from his head with the hand farthest
from the person saluted. This turns the hat from instead of towards
them. If you see that the person saluted is going to stop to shake
hands, use the left in order to leave the right free.

A gentleman, in giving assistance to a lady in any difficulty (which
should be offered immediately), should do so courteously, lifting his
hat and requesting the pleasure of assisting her. This rule,
unfortunately, is much more frequently observed on the Continent of
Europe than in England or America.

Gentlemen meeting and passing ladies on hotel stairs, or in the
corridors, should lift their hats, whether acquainted or not. The same
courtesy should be observed on entering an elevator where there are
one or more ladies, or in opening a door for a lady and giving her
precedence in entering.

All these observances, slight as they are, mark the thorough gentleman
who respects all women, whether or not there has been a formal
presentation between them.

In giving up a seat to a lady in a street car, or a crowded room, a
gentleman will do so with a slight bow. Such a kindness should always
be acknowledged by the lady with a bow and a polite "Thank you."
American women are too prone to take this altogether optional courtesy
on the part of men as a matter of course, deserving no thanks at their
hands, or to look upon its omission as an infringement of their
rights. No true lady will ever fail to ackno