The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-02-02
AN AGREEABLE GUEST.

AN AGREEABLE GUEST.
An agreeable guest is title whicl
anyone may be proud to deserve. /
great many people, with the best inten
tions and the kindest hearts, never re
ceiye it, simply because they have neve
considered the subject, and really d,
not know how to make their stay in an
other persons home pleasure instead
OF an inconvenience. If you are one
OF these thoughtless one, YOU NAV be
sure that, although your friends arc
glad to see you happy, and may enjoy
your visit on that account, your depart.
ure will be followed with a sigh of re.
lief, as the family settle down to their
usual occupations, saying, if not think
ing, that they are glad the visit is over.
A great many different qualities and
habits go to make up the character of
one whom people are always glad to
see, and these last must be proved while
we are young, if we expect to wear them
gracefully: A young person whose
presence in the house is an inconven-
fence and a WEAKNESS at fifteen is sell
dom a welcome visitor in after-life.
The two most important characters
ties of a guest are tact and observation.
and these will lead you to notice and
do Just what will give pleasure to your
friends in their different opinions and
ways of living. Apply in its best sense
the maxim: "When YOU are in Rome.
do as the Romans do"
Unless you have some good reason
for not doing so, let your friends know
the day, and, if possible, the hour when
you expect to arrive. Surprises are
very well in their way, but there are
few households in which it is quite con-
venient to have friend drop in with
out warning for protracted visit. If
they know you are coming, they will
have the pleasure of preparing for you
and looking forward to your arrival,
and you will not feel that you are dis
turbing any previous arrangements
y Which h tbfv thB pYst Stay NTH them, as they
might not like to ask the question, and
would still find it convenient to know
whether your visit is to have duration
of three days or three weeks. Take
with you some work that you have al
ready begun, or some book that you are
reading, that you may be agreeably
employed when your hostess is engaged
with her own affairs, and not be sitting
about idle, as if waiting to be enter
tanned, when her time is necessarily
taken up with something else. Make
her feel that, for small part at least
of every day, no one needs to have any
responsibility about amusing you.
A lady who is charming as guest
and as a hostess once said to me: 81
never take nap in the afternoon when
| am at home, but | do when | am Wis
itino, because | know what Il relief it
has sometimes been to me to have COM
pany lie down for a little while after
dinner
Try, without being too familiar, to
make Yourself so much like one of the
family that no one shall feel you to be
in the way; and, at the same time, be
observant of those small courtesies and
kindnesses which all together make W
what the world agrees to call good man
ners.
Regulate your hours of rising and re
firing by the customs of the house. Dc
not keep your friends sitting up unit
later than usual, and do not be roam
inc about the house an hour or two be
fore breakfasc~~ you choose to. rise
at an early hour remain in your owl
room until near breakfast-time, unles
YOU are very sure that your presence il
the parlor will not be unwelcome
Write in large letters in prominen
place in your mind: BE punctudt." /
visitor has no excuse for keeping
whole family waiting, and it is unpar
donable negligence not to be prompt a
the table Here is a place to test goo,
manners, and any manifestation OF i'll
breeding here will be noticed and re
membered. Do not be too ready to eX
press your likes and dislikes for tn
various dishes before you. The wife c
n certain United States Senator one
visiting acquaintance at some dlstanc
from her native wilds made a lastin
impression upon the family by remark
inc at the breakfast-table that Ssh
should starve before she would ef
mush," and that she "never heard
cooking mutton before she came East.
If you are tempted to go to the oth'
extreme, and sacrifice truth to polit'
, ness, read Mrs. Opie's Tale of Potte
! Sprats," and you will not be likely
t be insincere again.
1t is well to remember that son
e things which seem of very little impo
v lance to you may make an unpleasal
I impression upon others, in consequent
J of a difference in early training. III
other day two young ladies were heal
discussing a gentleman who had gre
o many pleasant qualities. Eyes" sa
II one, "he is very handsome, but he do
l. eat pie with his knife" Take care tn
d no trihe of that kind is recalled whit
e people are speaking of you.
" Keep your own room in order, and
l. not scatter your belongings all over t
~ house. If your friends are orderly,
,e will annoy them to see your things o
II of place; and if they are not, their ov
,e disorder will be enough without addil