"Nothing is less important than which fork you use. Etiquette is the science of living. It embraces everything. It is ethics. It is honor." - Emily Post

For Christmas, I received not one, but six copies of Emily Post's Etiquette.  The six editions range from 1940 to 1965, and surprisingly didn't change all that much during those years. Here are a few highlights from the 1940 edition:

Manners for Motorists: Drink and Driving

"It is unnecessary to emphasize the menace of the drunken driver; certainly there is nothing to be said in his defense, nor can anyone want him to escape the full penalty of the law."

New Aspect of Hospitality: An Obligation to the Servants

"The kitchen should be returned to its rightful tenant, the cook, in just as good order as it was turned over to the family when she went out.  The same is true of the pantry and even the dining room."

The Day of the Wedding: The Wedding Dress

"It is always proper for a bride to wear a white dress and veil, no matter in what season of the year the wedding is held.  It may be of any white material, satin, brocade, velvet. chiffon, or entirely of lace.  It may be embroidered with pearls, crystals or silver; or it may be as plain as a slip-cover.  It may be anything in fact that the bride fancies, and may be made in whatever fashion or period she chooses."

I'll be featuring random passages occasionally on the blog - if there are any topics of interest to you, please post a comment!