The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1866-07-25

FROM the Roga1 Tsb.s.
The Art Of Hospitality.


Our country boasts Of her VIDE spread
--stan OF education. and vel she may. We
are al proud Of il, aud other nations re-
snecr and honor Is for Il. But n that
branch OF education which IL IS impossible
"a acouire Il schools and colleges. by ne
ce=sirating separation from home, causes 20
T ~ neclected-in social refinement Il :
needless % deny Americans are 100 Tar be-
hind the rest Of the civilized world. Il Is
remarkable, for example. how great an e.
/ feet the manner u which . guest . vel
coined has upon the pleasure o. his visit;
II is quite as true that the manner II which
/ his host takes farewell. OF him - IL -ermi-
nation has much 70 10 with the pleasure OF
its recoIlectiOns Homer. long ago as be
/ lived. and Deggar as be was. 1nely express
e. what was doe % the guest tom the host,
when he SAID
True frls- -slps .aEs - ~ tals rl-e oppressed
Welcome ths coming sps-i TIE par. Is guest
Welcome the coming guest: welcome him
with . few. simple, pleasant, easy words
without Ostentatious cordially, without
gushing declarations o. friendship, with
out paralyzlng bis arm by an interminabie
shaking or hands; without hurry Or flour
ish, or undue anxiety 70 have Ais trunk
carried up 10 his room, Or saldTlchlng
between every sentence al anxious appeal
to make himself entirely at hOme-an ap-
peal which usually operates TO make one
feel as much away from home Is possible.
There are few prospects more dismal 10 a
man who arrives BY the stage ~ the cOun-
try house Of bis bosom friend. than the
spectacle Of his bosom friends door over
flowing with the bosom TREND wife. maid
en- sisters, decrepir aunts, and children Of
all sizes-all waiting with palp.tating hearts
70 receive the bosom friends bosom friend
-treading upon one anOther's toes, and
squeezing. and struggling 70 have 4 sight
at him anu 10 lead OF the attack upon MS
nerves To have % ruL ! gauntlet OF
welcomes from this atectOua-e but mis-
guided family i quite enough % unstring
him .Or the whole fortnight. See, il his Ill
lemma what the poor guest has 10 under
90. First, 10 the flowing over upon him Of
his bosom friend; then 10 the lowing over
Of the partner Of the bosom friends bosom
then 10 the screaming into the deaf ears OF
the antediluyian members Of the household
then 10 kissing the smearel faces of the
younger, and bOisterOus greeting OF the
older children When ~ last the victim
has reached his room, be IS totally UNIT 10
play the agreeable. aud /. be be aUght OF .
cynic, he has feeling OF disgust and SEN
satiOn anything but homelike Thr0ug bout
his visit he ls 30 anxiOusly watched over
lest be should not " feel at home, that
be hal far better be al once injured IN one
Of our receptacles for cOnvicts. whera he
can At least be surely without breach Of Ell
quette. This constant taking il for granted
n.. Or ? no ha- ., tIr~f hot
one is not comfortable, and that they must
hurry about and take all responsibility
and all self-helpf1lness) from the guest,
thus depriying him OF the credit OF COM
mon sense, is something worthy Of indigna-
ton: all the more 80 because pOliteneSs
forbids the least sign Of Impotence Il is
lll-bred il is not decent Il Is insulting 10
the guest. and he would serve the author
Of such treatment right # lie cut him there
after without ceremony. And yet, how
many OF our well-meaning, and in most
things well-b7ed, people fall into the error
that unless they are constantly on the alert,
unless they establish j kind of espionage
over their guest and watch his every move
ment lest he should brush his own coat OF
take a seat for himself they will be wanting
ia the COurtesies OF hospitality
Perhaps the most trying ordeal Of al IS
the parting scene. In the first place, the
guest has to undergo 4 searching cross ex-
animation "a to why he IS going and where
hs is going; then come repeated appeals to
stay Just two days more and the mag
nations OF the host are exhausted TO present
attractions that Will induce q change OF
plan; this is followed when the effort to
persuade the guest to alter his decision has
failed by expressions Of the ecstacy with
which his visit has filled their breasts, and
the equally harrassing grief with which they
regard his departure As he goes 10 the
door he is.follOwed 10y his weii-meaning per-
secutOrs, who, as he departs, crowd over
! the threshold, without regard 10 each 9TH
ers feet or dresses; and the poor man
walking away, feels morbid consciousness
OF being watched out OF sight by his bosom
| friends afectionate family
The art of hospitality consists in putting
/ the guest at his ease and this does not
mean telling him 10 be At his ease. Il con
sists in making him forget that he IS j
guest, and not in constantly pushing the
fact before his eyes. And II also consists
/ in leaving him the exercise n his senses
and responsibility, at least so fAr. that, find
/ ing what be needs at his hand he NAV help
/ himself
!