Perfect Behavior: A Guide for Ladies and Gentlemen in All Social Crises

Your two magical formulas— the Russian “w” and the sad story about Rachmaninoff’s daughter— may, of course, be held in reserve— but the chances are that you will be unable to use them, for during an evening at the opera there will probably be no mention of music. CHAPTER FIVE: ETIQUETTE FOR DRY AGENTS SOME BROADER ASPECTS OF PROHIBITION In spite of the great pride and joy which we Americans feel over the success of National Prohibition; in spite of the universal popularity of the act and the method of its enforcement; in spite of the fact that it is now almost impossible to obtain in any of our ex-saloons anything in the least resembling whiskey or gin,— there still remains the distressing suspicion that quite possibly, at some of the dinner parties and dances of our more socially prominent people, liquor— or its equivalent— is openly being served. Dry agents have, of course, tried on several occasions to verify this suspicion; their praiseworthy efforts have met, for the most part, with scant success. The main difficulty has been, I believe, that the average dry agent is too little versed in the customs and manners of polite society. It is lamentably true that, too often, has a carefully planned society dry raid been spoiled because the host noticed that one of his guests was wearing white socks with a black tie, or that the intruder was using his dessert spoon on the hors d’œuvres. The solution of this difficulty lies, of course, in the gradual procuring of a better class of dry agent. There are signs (though, unfortunately, in the wrong direction) that some of our younger college generation are already casting envious eyes toward the rich rewards, the social opportunities and the exciting life of the professional bootlegger.