her, mother, and relatives of the
bridegroom-elect should call on the father and mother of the bride-elect
at an early date, to make the acquaintance of the bride and her family,
and they should write to the bride-elect expressing their approval of
the engagement.

The calls should be returned and the letters answered with the least
possible delay.

The engagement should be announced to relatives and intimate friends by
the mother of the engaged young lady, and if the announcement is to
appear in the papers it should be sent by her.

The bride should ask the sisters and cousins of the bridegroom to act as
bridesmaids in conjunction with her own sisters and cousins.

When an engagement is broken off, all letters and presents should be
returned on both sides.

All wedding presents received by the bride-elect should be likewise
returned to the donors.

The mother of the bride should announce to all whom it may concern, the
fact that the engagement is at an end.

CHAPTER XLIV

SILVER WEDDINGS

The German custom of celebrating Silver Weddings has become thoroughly
recognised in this country. It is an interesting custom to celebrate the
first twenty-five years of married life under the poetic title of a
Silver Wedding, but those who can do so must be for many reasons the
few, rather than the many; Royal personages, and distinguished and
prominent ones for instance, and again, those in humbler walks of life
"far from the madding crowd," are also inclined to do so; but the
"crowd" that divides them, formed of different classes and different
sets in society, will hardly avail itself of the opportunity of
celebrating this period of married life. Husbands as a rule dislike the
fuss and parade and prominency it entails, and wives are disinclined to
announce to their friends and acquaintances that they have been married
five and twenty years, and are consequently not so young as they were.

* * * * *

=The entertainments given to celebrate a Silver Wedding= are: An
afternoon reception and a dinner-party. A dinner-party followed by an
evening-party. A dinner-party followed by a dance. Or a dinner-party
only, of some twenty or thirty covers.

The invitations are issued on "at home" cards some three weeks
beforehand, the cards being printed in silver, and the words "Mr. and
Mrs. White at home, To celebrate their Silver Wedding" printed on them,
with day and date, etc. The dinner ca