is meant if his card reads--for
instance--"Mr. Lucius Fairchild." Nothing but the title of his
well-earned rank gives an adequate idea of the man.

The official cards of political officers and ambassadors, which bear
the title and office of the man--with or without his name--should be
used only on official or State occasions, and during the term of
office. When the incumbent "steps down and out," this card is also
"relegated." His friends may continue to greet him as "Governor," but
he no longer _uses_ the title himself. In strictly social life, the
personal card of the ex-Governor is like that of any other private
citizen, subject to the same rules.

Similarly, professional or business cards that bear ever so slight an
advertisement of occupations are not allowable for social purposes.

The three "learned" professions, theology, medicine, and law, are
equally "for life." But the occupation of the lawyer is distinctly
related to business matters, and not at all to social affairs. His
title, or sub-title, _Esquire_, is properly ignored on his
visiting-card, and socially he is simply "Mr. John Livingstone." On
the other hand, the callings of the clergyman and the physician
respectively, are closely allied to the social side of life, closely
identified with the man himself. Therefore "Rev.," or "Dr." may with
propriety be considered as forming an inseparable compound with the
name. The title is an important identifying mark, and its omission, by
the clergyman, at least, is not strictly dignified. "Office hours" are
not announced on a physician's social card.

It is not good form to use _merely honorary titles_ on visiting-cards.
In most cases, a man should lay aside all pretension to special office
or rank, and appear in society simply as "Mr. John Brown," to take his
chances in the social world strictly on his own merits; assured that if
he has any merit, other people will discover it without an ostentatious
reminder of it in the shape of a pompous visiting-card. Of course this
suggestion of democratic simplicity refers to the engraving of _one's
own card_; other people _address_ the man properly by his official or
honorary title, with all due respect for the worth which the world
recognizes--even though the wearer of such honors ignores his own claim
to high distinction. "Blow your own trumpet, if you would hear it
sound," is a sharply sarcastic bit of advice, since only hopeless
mediocrity could ever pro