The Young Woman Traveling Alone

In America, a young woman can go across every one of our thousands upon thousands of railed miles without the slightest risk of a disagreeable occurrence if she is herself dignified and reserved. She should be particularly careful if she is young and pretty not to allow strange men to " scrape an acquaintance" with her. If a stranger happens to offer to open a window for her, or get her a chair on the observation platform, it does not give him the right to more than a civil " thank you" from her. If, in spite of etiquette, she should on a long journey drift into conversation with an obviously well-behaved youth, she should remember that talking with him at all is contrary to the proprieties, and that she must be doubly careful to keep him at a formal distance. There is little harm in talking of utterly impersonal subjects—but she should avoid giving him information that is personal.

Every guardian should also warn a young girl that if, when she alights at her destination, her friends fail to meet her, she should on no account accept a stranger's offer, whether man or woman, to drive her to her destination. The safest thing to do is to walk. If it is too far, and there is no " official" taxicab agent belonging to the railroad company, she should go to the ticket seller or some one wearing the railroad uniform and ask him to select a vehicle for her. She should never—above all in a strange city where she does not even know her direction—take a taxi on the street.

Registering In A Hotel

A gentleman writes in the hotel register:

" John Smith, New York."

Under no circumstances " Mr." or " Hon." if he is alone. But if his wife is with him, the prefix to their joint names is correct:

" Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, New York."

He never enters his street and house number. Neither " John Smith and Wife" nor " John Smith and Family" are good form. If he does not like the " Mr." before his name he can sign his own without, on one line, and then write " Mrs. Smith" on the one below. The whole family should be registered:

Or, if the children are young, he writes:

Mr. & Mrs. John T. Smith, New York, 3 children and nurse.

A lady never signs her name without " Miss" or " Mrs." in a hotel register:

" Miss Abigail Titherington" is correct, or " Mrs. John Smith, " never " Sarah Smith."