Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-05
Shut the Door.

The season of the year when the closing
of doors becomes matter of considerable
importance has arrived, and inscriptions
calling attention to to this duty stares one
in the face at the entrance to business
houses in ali portions of the city. A great
deal of human nature is exhibited in the
wording of these inscriptions. The man
who wishes to stand fair with his fellows;
whose actions are more or less influenced
by considerations of 'policy;" who keeps a
sharp eye out for the almighty dollar, but
never drops for a momentum pnblic at
least-his smooth oily manner, warning
his visitors with neatly written placard
setting forth request of "PleaSe close the
door," each letter of which inscription is in
exactly the right place, carrying with it an
impression of reconciliation and cold
blOOdedneSs.
The fault-finding. querulous, snarling
takes exquisite satisfaction in stiffiy-
written legend which informs the visitor
that everybody shuts the door but you. =
The proprietor of this placard never forgetS
that it guards the entrance TO his place OF
business, and he rIIbs his hands together
with feeling Of real pleasure when. he no.
tices the quick flush which sutfuses the SEN
sitive cheek of the person opening the
door, especially if said person happens to
be an insurance or sewing-machine agent,
Or a newspaper reporter, for the visitor can
not resist the conviction that a personal
charge is made, and that he, individually,
has entirely exhausted the patience Of the
proprietor of the establishment by previous
exhibitions of carelesSness.
There is another class Of men who evil
IDENTIFY have the utmost confidence in the
native good sense and reasOnableness of
their fellows, and who credit the frequent
sins of omission and Shortcomings gene
rally to want Of memory, for they seek to
secure the prompt shutting Of doors by
printed or written requests of 'DOn't forget
to close the door" .....
A fourth class are the energetic, driving
men who are always in a whirl and rush
the men who build railroads, establish lines
of telegraph, dig canals, operate steamship
lines, and build up cities. The men who
go through life at a high-pressure rate, and
die either Of apopleXy or softening of the
brain. This class require no long placard
to make known their wishes, as they are
conveyed by means Of the curt and en-
phatic order-'Shut the door'-posted SC
conspicuously that the person entering can
not fail to see it.
Whenever and wherever the reader OF
this scholarly essay sees the inscription last
given, he may set it down for fact that
the proprietOrs of the establishment are
| frank and open-heaIted come right to the
point, know the value Of an article before
purchasing it, and pay for what they get.
THE MEN WHO DO NOT CLOSE DOORS.
There is great similarity noticeable il
| that army of ne'er-do-wells who invariably
leave the door open upon entering room
I As a general thing they chew tobacco anC
drink whisky. When they travel on {
steamboat they call you ''Cap" in the most
familiar manner imaginable the first time
they see you, and request the loan of you
tooth brush. They wear struggling, de
| 3pondant-looking beard, and always leave
the water standing in the basin
| after washing. When they attend
theatrical performance the ush
er finds it necessary to request them t.
take their hats of, aud to make their free
and-eaSy comments upon the performers, The
ballet girls especially, in lower tone o
voice. They never frail to go out at the
| close of each act, and return vigorously
chewing bologna sausage or Limbergel
cheese.
These chaps make it point to attend
all public gatherings, and encourage pub
lie speakers in their open-air efforts; by
such inspiring remarks as, ''Give EN- fits,
''Bully for you,' ''HOOp 'em up" "Hit hin
agin," etc They love to talk politics, anC
| take exquisite satisfaction in aiming delib
erately at the polished boots of some nicely
cOstumed blood, when they have occasion
to spit, if they are so fortunate as to have
one within dozen feet of them, and it is
a noticeable fact that they seldom miss theil
mark
These are the men who always have lef
doors open in cold weather, and who viii
continue to leave doors open as long a
houses are furnished with these convenien
appendages. Fortunately, none of thi
class live in NaShville-Oh, no!
PASTE.