Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-03-30
some Kinds or Guests.

Some guests are fearful infections, and
make you count the hours until the time
of yoI.r release arrives. Take for one
example those stiff and snyielding dead
weights who will not take their place
among Won. do what you Will in the way
of friendly welcome and family recep-
ton. not TO speak Of their absolute ina
bility 10 make themselves at home OF
their own free will, as some good easy
creatures do even In the teeth Of difficult
ties. There they sit in the drawing
room, dressed In their company clothes,
doing their company work, wearing
their company manners, waiting TO &c
attended 20 and amused, and feeling
themselves neglected or even insulted n
they have not some one told OH 70 The
service every hour Of the day. They
think that going out on visit Is by no
means the same thing as being at home,
and they make you understand what they
expect Of YOU DO you live In remote
country village where your grandcst DIN
uer paTfics consist Of the vicar, the doc
tor and their respective wiyesg Your for
NAL guest brings her finest gowns and
4martest caps, and astOnishcs the simple
folk Of tie neighborhood by toilet that
had done good service al miiljoDaire's
state banquet. You and your local col
leagues arc quito satisfied with the plain
but pleasant dinner which gives every
one enough to eat without finery or pretcnse
at elegance: but your formal guest thinks
there should have been entries such as on
Iva cl,ef or cord0n bLeu can prepare, and
she lets YOU understand that 8 la Russo
is the only style which she can conscien-
tiously commend. She knows nothing of
the homely friendliness which is the order
of your simpler mode OF life, and holds
that. al least during her visit, that order
should be suspended in favor OF more
elaborate procedure Paying visits IL
not an everyday matter IN her life, and
she does not wish ii TO be shorn OF any Of
It's pomp, any Of its Formally.
Her antipodes Is the very homely, very
free and frank kind Of guest who rcpn-
dates the thinnest web Ut convenitonality,
and comes into your house as II born IN
your family puppies, and accustomed u
your ways from the beginning. Never
mind me" Is her motto, and she acts on
II ~ the ultimate. She offers 10 accom-.
paDy you to your kitchen when you go 10
give your morning orders; and she peeps
into the pantry and the larder with akeen
appreciation Of the comestblcs that are
in store. But she probably puts In her
word Of kindly advice while you and cook
are consulting, and with her - never mind
me" sort Of manner, advises you 10 cut
out such and such dish from your man
a. supcflIuOus for the occasion, those
which are left being" quite good enough
and "no one wants more" She is Away
thinking, indeed, how best 10 save youi
pocket. and acts throughout her visits Al
If you were on the verge Of bankruptcy
which Joint extra or u pudding beyond
the ordinary tariff would prccipitatc and
confirm. In her anxiety 10 be friendly
and not burdensomc, she O1tends yOui
pride and wounds your self.loye, as well
as your sense Of hospitality but she means
well, and you have b swallow your NOR.
tiieation In your gratitude; or you strike
balance between the formal guest foi
whom nothing was too good, and very
little good enough and this friendly bit 81
familiarity and slipshod, who Is so anx.
ious mol TO be a burden on your finances
nor restraint on your movements, thai
she assumes you 10 be pauper, and does
not credit You with the ordinary polite
ness taught by hospitality and selt,re
straint
Then there Is the independent guest
who arranges her own life as II she were
not on a visit n all makes engagements
invites her friends, accepts invitations
and all the rest Of IT, without word Of
consultation with you, her hosts; treating
your house as If ii were an inn where she
owed no consideration 10 anyone. il
never seems 10 occur 10 her that she has
COME 10 visit you, and toray you rs mucl.
attention rs she receives. She has CONE
to make use of you, and 10 enjoy herself
in her own way, independently Of yours
Your house Is simply her gratnitous ho
tel, and she uses II AS a hotel without con
science or conjunction.
On the other hand, your helpless and
dependent guest cannot stir q step without
some one at her elbow. But, al all events
II helpless, she IL at home In your house,
and does not treat you like an hotel
keeper; which saves your pride, II II
takes up your time, and, though IL may
weary, yet does not offend you.Homt
JoafHdt