THE LADIES' GUIDETO TRUEPOLITENESS AND PERFECT MANNERS;

OR,

MISS LESLIE'S BEHAVIOUR BOOK.

A GUIDE AND MANUAL FOR LADIES,

AS REGARDS THEIR

CONVERSATION; MANNERS; DRESS; INTRODUCTIONS; ENTRE TO SOCIETY;SHOPPING; CONDUCT IN THE STREET; AT PLACES OF AMUSEMENT; INTRAVELING; AT THE TABLE, EITHER AT HOME, IN COMPANY, ORAT HOTELS; DEPORTMENT IN GENTLEMEN'S SOCIETY; LIPS;COMPLEXION; TEETH; HANDS; THE HAIR; ETC., ETC.

WITH FULL INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVICE IN

LETTER WRITING; RECEIVING PRESENTS; INCORRECT WORDS; BORROWING;OBLIGATIONS TO GENTLEMEN; OFFENCES; CHILDREN; DECORUM INCHURCH; AT EVENING PARTIES; AND SUGGESTIONS IN BADPRACTICES AND HABITS EASILY CONTRACTED, WHICH NOYOUNG LADY SHOULD BE GUILTY OF, ETC., ETC.

BY MISS LESLIE.

AUTHOR OF "MISS LESLIE'S CELEBRATED NEW COOKERY BOOK,""MISS LESLIE'S NEW RECEIPTS FOR COOKING," ETC.

Philadelphia:
T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS,
306 CHESTNUT STREET.

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PREFACE.

It is said that soon after the publication of Nicholas Nickleby, notfewer than six Yorkshire schoolmasters (or rather six principals ofYorkshire institutes) took journeys to London, with the express purposeof prosecuting Dickens for libels—"each one and severally" consideringhimself shown up to the world as Mr. Squeers of Dotheboys Hall.

Now, if Dickens had drawn as graphic a picture of Dothegirls Hall, wefirmly believe that none of the lady principals of similar instituteswould have committed themselves by evincing so little tact, and adoptingsuch impolitic proceedings. They would wisely have held back from allappropriation of the obnoxious character, and passed it over unnoticed;as if it could not possibly have the slightest reference to them.[6]

Therefore we wish that those of our fair readers whom certain hints inthe following pages may awaken to the consciousness of a few habitualmisbehavements, (of which they were not previously aware,) should pause,and reflect, before they allow themselves to "take umbrage too much."Let them keep in mind that the purpose of the writer is to amend, andnot to offend; to improve her young countrywomen, and not to annoy them.It is with this view only that she has been induced to "set down in anote-book" such lapses from les bienséances as she has remarked duringa long course of observation, and on a very diversified field.

She trusts that her readers will peruse this book in as friendly aspirit as it was written.

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CONTENTS.