Page:Book of Etiquette, Volume 1, by Lilian Eichler.djvu/198

 such abbreviations of her name as Polly, Sally, Dolly, etc.

The wife who is the senior matron of the senior branch of a family may drop both her husband's first and middle names from her cards, and have them read simply: "Mrs. Robinson." Her eldest unmarried daughter is entitled to use a card reading: "Miss Robinson." When the name is a very ordinary one like Brown or Smith, it is always wiser to use the Christian names to avoid confusion.

A spinster, or as the modern woman likes to call herself, the "bachelor girl," may not use cards engraved merely Miss Gray, unless she is the oldest daughter of a family. She has her cards engraved in either of the three following forms: "Miss Mary Hammond Gray" or "Miss Mary H. Gray" or just "Miss Mary Gray." The first initial should never be used, except when the young lady is known by her middle name, unless professional purposes demand it.

A widow is privileged to retain her husband's Christian name on her card if she wishes, unless her eldest son is married and bears the full name of his deceased father. In this case, of course, there would be confusion, and it is much wiser for her to have her cards engraved with her own Christian and middle names, in this manner: "Mrs. Lucille May Hopkins." If there is no reason for