Etiquette of Good Society (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. BIRTH. 'Old Customs"?Private Baptism?Public Baptism?Godparents?Christening Presents?The Christening?Confirmation?Age Required?Preparation?Dress Necessary ?The Ceremony. "It might have been seven o'clock in the evening when Mr. Kenwigs sent out for a pair of the cheapest white kid gloves? those at one shilling and twopence per pair?and, selecting the strongest, walked down-stairs with an air of pomp and much excitement, and proceeded to muffle the knob of the street-door knocker therein."?" A icholas Nickleby." The ceremony performed by Mr. Kenwigs would greatly excite the curiosity of passers-by nowadays, and any proud father who ventured to imitate him would be regarded as an exceedingly eccentric gentleman, if nothing more; but at one time it was considered quite the " correct thing " to clothe the knocker in white kid on the birth of a child, and the little Kenwigs was by no means the only infant whose advent was announced in this manner. Of course the original purpose was to deaden the noise made by impatient postmen and other callers. Thus it answered two purposes. At Haarlem and some other Dutch towns the arrival of a little Hollander is proclaimed by means of a smallplacard which is adorned with red silk and lace; this is affixed to the door of the house, and when the friends and neighbours, being thus apprised, call to pay their respects to the mother and inspect the new-comer, they are regaled with mulled wine and cinnamon cakes. Formerly in this country the friends who, directly the news reached them, called to offer their congratulations were entertained on these occasions with caudle, which is a kind of spiced gruel flavoured with rum. The cups out of which this refreshment was partaken were made for and used only on these special occasions. ...