13 gifts to woo a well-bred girl

Until a young man is accepted as an affianced husband, he should not presume to offer gifts of jewelry. In society…it is decreed that a lady may be offered no gift that implies an obligation or the necessity of restoration to its donor in case his courtship proves unsuccessful. It is not, therefore, permitted a gentleman to offer a gift of gloves, a hair-comb, a scarf, etc. But he may bestow

• a fan
• books
• magazines
• bonbons
• fruit
• a tennis-racket
• a riding-whip or crop
• a pet dog
• a picture
• a camera
• a dog-whistle
• a golf-club
• a silver or gold-mounted pen or pencil
• etc

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faithfully excerpted from a published source in the public domain—without context; devoid of gloss; lacking commentary; and stripped of title, author, and publication date.