The weekly Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1872-190?, 1873-04-05
TIE HOUSEHOLD.
Visiting.

are visits whose only pleasure is that they
are over. But visiting ought always to
be pleasant-pleasant to both giver and re-
ceiver.
| One of the best things connected with
keeping house is the freedom to receive
ones friends. Many newly married
couple, many a small family without chill
dren, could board with far less care and ex-
pense than housekeeping costs them, and
almost equal comfort. But the boarder is
dependent upon the will and the convent
ence of others. He cannot invite his friends
to come and spend week with him with
out consulting the capabilities, or depend
ing for welcome upon the disposition, OF
some other host than himself This puts
him in an attitude not wholly dignifed-
not that which mature person, man or wo-
man, would naturally choose to maintain.
But the householder is monarch of all he
surveys, and invites at his own sweet will.
If he meets an old friend suddenly in the
street, if he learns by chance that former
school-mate is in the neighborhood there
are no outside authorities to consult, no
whims or moods of landlady to consider.
Forth from the warm welcoming heart goes
the invitation, and the fatted calf walks to
the block at once, knowing that his hour Is
come.
Thus theoretically; yet practically it
sometimes seems as ii the hospitality OF
householders is as really hedged in as if
they were but inmates OF strangers house.
People who are hospitable at heart, thor
oughly friendly and well disposed, do yet
make such a burden of hospitality that one
wonders how they can find any pleasure in
it. This is great pity, for the exchange
of visits ought to be what it is capable OF
being, one of the great pleasures OF lie,
rest, refreshment, an incentive, not bur-
den.
But to render it so we need not follow the
rules laid down in the hooks, to divest recep-
lions of their terror by being always ready to
receive. Is it Ruskin, or Eastlake, or Launce-
lot, or another, who condemns extension-ta-
bles on the ground that your table should be
equally large at all times, to indicate that you
are always ready for your friend? Go to, East
lake and Launcelot Sincerity is the watch
word of the new dispensation. We must
have the supports of our brackets visible,
and the chair-legs as palpably firm; but II
the table is to indicate that we are always
ready for our friend, the table becomes at
once piece of household artfulness, and
not of household art, for we are not at all
times equally ready. Honesty in life must
precede honesty in furniture. We need
not direct our efforts to being always ready
to see friends, but we could do much in the
way of trying not to be disturbed by their
coming when we are not ready. If Serena
could have her own way, she would prefer
Celestias call to be in the afternoon, when
the midday meal is over, the dishes are
washed and removed and Serena is calmly
reposing in tidy dress and comparative lels-
ure But if Celestial must leave town by
the noon train, and runs in by ten o'clock
in the morning, when Serena is trimming
the lamps and there is much odor of petro-
leum in the air, and Serena's fingers are not
wholesome to Celestias gloves, shall Serena
be dismayed and apologize and mentally re-
gret that she is always caught IN the
suds ?" Not the least in the world, If she
is sensible and friendly woman. II it is
the proper time for her to be cleaning
lamps, and she is in a garb proper to
lamp cleaner, she has no call to be disturb
ed though the Queen of England in crown
and sceptre should pay her morning visit.
She should not consider herself as caught
|
the suds of her own free will and by the
fore ordination of Heaven, and ii Heaven
itself should stoop to her." it ought to lind
her nowhere else at that hour. 1t would be
very unbecoming that she should be trim
ming her lamps in a silk gown in the front
parlor. Why not be entirely frank and at
ease, and if her work be pressing, bid Celes-
tia to safe seat by the kitchen fire, or if
she can conveniently 60 off duty for while,
take her pleasant chat to the pleasant par
lor?
So far from its being Necessary to be al
ways ready for company, it is one OF the
pleasures of housekeeping to prepare for
company. Sweeping and busting are but
dull drudgery when cleanliness is the only
object ; but how pleasant it is to tidy the
rooms when a houseful of guests are COM
ing at the end of it There is an incentive
worthy of toil-that transmutes toll into
delight. But suppose you have been i'll, or
the children have had the scarlet fever, or
Norah is gone, and there is chance for a WIS.,
from friend. Must you send her away? Yes,
if You absolutely cannot undertake the slight
addition to your work which her visit ne
cessitates But remember her visit does
not necesstate that you should go through
house cleaning previous to her appearance.
Suppose the doors are fnger-marked, and
the windows not faultlessly clean, and tho
guest chamber has not been swept for
month, the doors will open, and the win
dows will let in fresh air, and you and your
friend can get immense draughts of satisfac-
ton out of the visit, though things are not as
you would gladly have them, if you will
only not fret about them, but consign them
to the insignifcance they merit. We are
afraid Of each other, forgetting that our
friends have the same kind OF experiences
that we have. The most thorough of house
keepers is sometimes forced to ''l let things
90 unless she sacrifices something Of
more importance than things" Serena is
distressed because the afternoon sun reveals
to her responsible eyes a little dust under
the sofa. But Celestia is equally distressed
because her student-lamp suddenly goes out
during Serena's evening call. Why should
not both comfort themselves with the re-
Election that nothing has happened unto
them but such as is common unto women,
and dismiss their apprehensions? l know
man who came near bleeding to death
because there was not cobweb to be found
in the house or barn to stanch the blood.
Be advised, dear house-mother, and do not
lose all the freshness and impulse to be
found in your friends visit because you have
no time to go through the house with your
broom upside down.-GAIL HAMILTON in til.
Bazaar.
Fortune is like good swordsman she
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