The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1878-06-28
THE ART OF LEAVING.

THE ART OF LEAVING. .-JsesI
lst. Louis Evening Post.l sEE
It fs Disrae1i, who, In "Lothair,"
puts into the mouth of Theodore the
sentiment that no one should ever say |
good bye, but In departing should fade !
away like summer cloud. We have |
often been constrained to wonder
the Earl of Beaconsfield wrote
this after an interview with friend
who understood not the art of leaving.
For in the mario west and choicest
circle of friends and acquaintance
there are usually some persons whose
visits or calls, whether of business or
Of pleasure, are marred by tho fact
that they do no seem to know how
to 60. -'
Schiller wrote to Goethe concerning
the visit of Madame dc Stael to the
Court of Weimar, t'She ought to know
when it is time to go 20 and from what
we can learn of that good lady's de-
partnre we infer, that at "stheS time Of
her going she still further bored the
great poets by her tedious farewells.
For when friend departs we are either
glad, sorry or Indifferent. If we are
glad, we desire to be brief; if we are
sorry, the quicker the painful scene is
ended the better !; if we are Indifferent,
we grudge the draft upon our time if
we are busy, as the most of us are,
with the pressing affairs of life.
The art of leaving is less understood
by women than by men. The habits
of business, the recognized fact that to
a business man time is money, the
throng and press and 'exactness of bust
ness life, all tend to make men the
best possible exemplars of the fine art
of leaving, and leaving OF once. A
business mans call is usually model
of good manners in this respect. When
he has said what he has to say, he
takes his hat, says ttgood evening""
and is out of your presence without
giving any time or chance for the too
often tedious and embarrassing 6om-
of mutual invitations to call,
which seems to be kind of necessary
social formula. gss !
In striking contrast to this neat lad
skillful method of cutting short aE n,A
terview is the too common soeS&1% {;
tice of visitors who, commencing to
leave, seem temporarily to abandon
the purpose and then follow it up by a
number of unsuccessful attempts to
accomplish their intention; as though
it were a kind of compliment to the
person visited to appear 10th to part
company. Who can not at once recall
the visitor who starts, then thinks of
something else to say; rises, and thinks
of another subject of conversations; gets
nearly to the door and receives another
revelation; reaches the door, and, most
probably, holding it open, is aroused
to degree Of mental briIliancy that
threatens his own health and that of
his host by long OBTAINING both in a
cold draft while he discourses What
a tax on the patience and poIiteness of
tho listener who vainly strives, by
instantly to every PROPOSE
tion, to end the interview and break
tho restraining bond of polite atte.n-
ton!
Occasionally, indeed, business men
and business hours are robbed of work
and complacency by the advent of the
visitor who fingers. The busy lawyer,
having been made the recipient OF the
confidence of his client, not unfre-
quently finds that, business attended
to, his ear is made prisoner by the
parting remarks, discussions and obser-
vations of his nnsOphisticatcl patron.
The editor who has in an unguartlcd
moment accepted an article from Il new
contributor may deem himself fortu-
nate, and judge the contributor to be
possessed of rare good sense, if his act
does not procure for him a lingering
interview. sClergymen are perhaps he.
most imposed ON of all classes BY visi-a
tors OF this sort; and few have the
courage or the confidence to inquire of
the caller, as was the custom of cclc-
brated archbishop, "Have you any
thing more to say to me? 90 and on re-
ceiving a negative answer to reply,
"Well, 1 have nothing more to say to
you let us be about the Lords bust
ness. Good evening""
The speaker who ends his address
suddenly, while the interest of his
audience is at full, without any slast-
ly," ''inally," Gin conclusion" or
s'one word nore," always leaves the
best impression and the caller or visi-
tor, whether on business or for pleasure,
departing leaves behind him a grateful
sense of relief and good will who I'M
derstands and practices with skill and
expedition the fine art of leaving.
Lady Barker recommends airy bed
rooms for children. She says: "The
fondest and fussiest parents do not al
ways understand that on the most care
full attention and simple rules depend
the straightncss of children's spines,
the strength of their limbs, their free
dom from coughs and colds, and, in
fact, their general health. But few