New Year's Calls

Marietta Register, January 1, 1880

Caller's Code Carefully Revised by the Latest Authority

1
Gentlemen may commence calling as early as nine o'clock but the ladies of Marietta and Harmar have signified that twelve o'clock is as early as they will be fully prepared to receive. If any choose to call at an earlier hour, say before breakfast, the lady of the house is expected to say, "O cheese it!" and slam the door in their faces.

2
Ladies should be in the parlor by 10 o'clock according to old-fashioned usage, but 12 o'clock is time enough, especially if they have been in a stew earlier in the day.

3
Nine o'clock in the evening is the latest hour for calls. Every well-ordered gentleman ought to have enough of it before then.

4
Call first on the clergy or their families and probably it will be some time before the parson will preach again from the text "whosoever will, may come."

5
Refreshments consist of coffee and good substantial food, partaken of at the usual hours, which, with us, is whenever we can get it. Wines and liquors are prohibited, but it is considered genteel to go down cellar and suck cider from the bung-hole of a barrel with the hostess.

6
Ladies expect calls from friends, and if gentlemen introduce strangers the latter must produce certificates of character from where they have called before.

7
First calls, especially neglected ones, should be made New Year's Day. If friendly relations have been disturbed this is the time to resume them. If the above rule is carried out in Marietta this year, won't some of our citizens have lots of callers though?

8
If prevented by ill health or any other cause from making the call, send a card or go as soon afterwards as possible, otherwise they might think you were waiting to get your boots tapped or something of that sort.

9
Cards may be written or engraved with the date or New Year's compliments on them. An autograph card is considered the most complimentary according to some authorities. Perhaps it is, but we will swear that the one who made that assertion never saw our autograph. The Register Office has used it for a map of the Ohio River for nearly two years.

10
Always leave your card when you call, otherwise confusion might result, and the hostess, not knowing who had called, find it useless to count her spoons.