stion of Presents.

A line must be carefully drawn between the gifts of an unconfessed
lover and of a _fiance_. The former may send flowers, bon-bons, and
pretty trifles of that sort, or he could give her a dog or a Persian
kitten; but he must not offer her articles of jewellery or any item of
her toilette. He might give her the undressed skin of an animal that
he had shot, but he could not order a set of furs to be sent to her
from a shop. It must be remembered that ostensibly they are as yet
only friends, and though every gift will have its inward meaning, it
should not have any outward significance.

In offering a present the unconfessed lover will do well to enclose a
little note [footnote in original: For those who wish to study the art
of letter-writing there is a most excellent guide to all sorts of
correspondence, entitled, "How Shall I Word It?" published at one
shilling by C. Arthur Pearson (Limited).] couched in some such terms
as these:

"Dear Miss Grayson,--You said the other day that you could not grow
lilies of the valley in your garden, so I am venturing to send you the
accompanying basket, which I hope you will be kind enough to
accept.--Believe me, sincerely yours, Duncan Talbot."

Exchange of Hospitality.

Where both families are acquainted, and in a similar social position,
the interchange of hospitality will probably be somewhat increased in
virtue of the growing intimacy between the possible lovers. Until
there is an acknowledged engagement it would not be etiquette for his
family to single her out from the rest of her own people by inviting
her alone. A parent, {27} brother, or sister ought to be included. It
would also be diplomatic on the part of her friends not to extend too
gushing a welcome to him, while they take his belongings as a matter
of course. Because the one family can give dinner parties it does not
follow that the other should not afford just as much enjoyment by a
simpler form of hospitality. The possible lover does not come to
criticise the cuisine of the household in which the object of his
desires is to be seen.

The Man Who Lives at Home.

It will often happen that a man makes acquaintances who become friends
quite independently of his own family. But if he is seriously
contemplating matrimony he will be anxious to introduce his chosen one
to his womenkind. Supposing that his people were the older residents
in the place, he would pave the way by saying that