Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-04-24
Make Yourself at Home.

There is no invitation SO common, and
none so seldom accepted, as this free
and-easy tender of ones home to
guest. From the way in which many
people conduct themselves in their own
homes-what with their peevishness,
tardiness, slovenliness, surliness, and all
the other dreadful neSses-we shouldn't
care to have the invitation taken very
literally by them in any home in which
we have part or lot; but is it not practi-
cable, and would it not be pleasant all
around, to have agreeable people feel
more Sat home'' than they often do in
their friends homes?
All visitors feel that in some places
there is an atmosphere that is congenial
and pleasant, and conducive to freedom
and enjoyment, while in others though
the welcome be just as warm and the
friends no less kind and dear-they are
never unconscious that they are visitors.
The house is in an abnormal condition
of spick-and-span orderliness, to start
with; and one feels that in no home are
the papers and books always picked up,
the work put out of sight, and everything
kept with its best foot forward. In most
sensible, not to say cultivated, families,
the essential vulgarity of loading down
the tables with an unusual and necessary
variety of food, because friend chances
to be present, is no longer seen; but in
too many the entire matter of the family
eating is made to turn upon the guests
appetite or readiness. How entirely &c at
home'' one feels c. this is writ ironical,''
as A. Ward used to say) to come down
to breakfast quarter of an hour late and
find pater faa,ailias reading the adver-
L.. Il
with one eye wandering to the clock;
frown upon her politely unpuckered
from waiting! The guest shouldn't be
late, of course, but he often takes that
liberty when at home, and would feel
much better to find the family at the
| table than waiting for him. The con-
sciousness of throwing everything out of
gear in the family machinery makes one
realize very uncomfortably, that he is
not 90 at home.''
Then the children are often kept on
"dress parade,' during the presence OF
transient guests. 1t causes pain to a
child-loving and sensitive man to know
that the children are debarred of thei1
natural and blessed freedom by his pres
ence. His own little ones at home climt
to his back or knee, tease for stories,
play games, and have a good time after
supper; and while the average parent
doesn't take so much interest in Other
peoples children, no one, not so utterly
selfish that his comfort does not deserve
to be considered, likes to see children
robbed of any of their little rights and
customs by stupid conventionality, re-
quiring them to be dressed up and keel
still.
1t may further be truly said of hospi
tality, that as rule, 90 entertaining ,
does not entertain. Public men are no
the only people who like plenty of let
ting alone. The friend into whose home
our coming means only an extra plate
and chair at the table, and room at th'
fireside; whose easy chair is ours TO
reading, resting Or chatting; whose hom'
circle is enlarged, not broken up, by ou
entrance; whose greeting shows that h
is conscious of receiving as well as i'm
parting pleasure; who preserves his owl
individuality and recognizes ours; owe
whose roof-tree waves the flag of free
, dom-isn't this the place where we al
, love to go?-Golde'a Raele.