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The burgeoning middle class, with its hunger for signs of upward
mobility, gave birth to an entire genre of books on manners. Books
like POLITE SOCIETY, AT HOME AND ABROAD, by Annie Randall White,
described in detail how best to present oneself to company and society
at large, which, while important for men, was "much more essential
for women." Lest they become a "blot upon nature," women, still
unabashedly considered second-class citizens, could not participate
in such common social rituals as handshaking and were advised, "if
you feel sad or ill . . . do not go into company. You have no right
to depress others."
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