The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-09-10
Hospitality.

Hospitality.
There y . great dsal Of mourning In
certain quarters over the decay OF what
Is called .sold- fashioned hospitality" It
must be remembered that things in gem
sral have changed very materially dur
ing the last one or two generations. In
former days people lived in . much more
isolated way than they do now, the ia.
ciGties for getting from place to place
were restricted, the daily newspaper
was not brought to the door Of every
ones house, and the arrival Of q stran-
ger in the village was anoticeable event.
In those times the visit OF friend from
q distance was hailed with delight,
bringing, as he was supposed to do, q
ne ~ fund of information to be talked
over, new ideas to be discussed, the
freshest gossip from abroad, and posi-
bly, the latest fashion from the metropo-
Lis. He could not come by a train in
the morning and depart by another in
the evening; when he came he came to
stay, for journey then was some.
what formidable affair, and nobody
wanted him to leave in hurry.
There was more leisure time to be
given to visitors than there is now; men
and women were not so much in a hur-
~; business was conducted with more
deliberation; there were fewer letters to
write and fewer books to read, and few
or amusements to fill up the vacant hour.
The entertainment Of guests was not as
expensive IS it is in these days, persons
in moderate circumstances were not ex-
pected to make any special change in
their mode.of living because they had
company, and everything went on after
the usual fashion. And so the villagers,
when they felt as if they would like
change, would pack up bundle of clean
clothes, harness old Dobbin in the wagg-
ON, and drive off to make visit, which
might last for days or weeks, according
to circumstances. In mid-winter, the
country cousins would take the public
stage-sleigh and 60 down to see their
city relations embroidered to this by
the certain prospect Of having their city
friends return the visit, with interest,
when midsummer should come. The
parish minister never thought Of going
to the tavern, but deposited himself and
his well-worn valise, and possibly some
two or three Of the younger scions of the
family, in the domicile of his brother
parson, with as little consciousness of
Intrusion as if he expected to pay full
board for the whole concern, as long as
+; it might be convenient for them to re-
main.
l do not mean to say that this broad,
hospitality was never abused; guests
would sometimes take undue advantage
of the kindness Of their entertainers
and drop down at the wrong time and
wear ont their welcome, and, it might
be, make themselves offensive by their
exactions and criticism and excessive
freedom. Persons of an economical turn
Observation-Disclosures their company upon
acquaintances, who could not afford to
furnish provender for their beasts nor
food for their ravenous children; and if
these intrusive visitors happened to be
particularly dull and stupid, as well as
greedy aud grasping, itrequired great
amount of Christian virtue to "use hos
pitality without grudging." Iwell re-
member how, in my boyhood, we al
ways shuddered when we saw certain
familiar old vehicles stop at the door
aud deposit their weary load of dusty
and hungry visitors-we knew that
"they came to stay" and what this
meant we also knew by frequent and sad
experience. When you are tolerably
certain that your unlimited guests are
simply making convenience of your
establishment, land come there, INSTEAD of
going to hotel, merely to save expense,
and then do nothing to make themselves
Agreeable, it is not easy to treat them
with civility. To have visitor of this
sort planted down before your eyes,
morning, noon and night hearing ev-
erything that is said, and seeing every
thing that is going on-perhaps inter.
rupting you every few minutes with
some Insignificant remark, when you
are trying to read your evening paper
commenting upon the furniture and
suggesting this or that Eastlake i'm
Provement, . Harlequin here and bit
Of red to break up the monotony OF col
or there complaining Of the general
want Of tone'' In your fayorite picture;
then, after = little pause, and just when
You are absorbed In some interesting
article, breaking in with the inquiry,
g whether II il your general custom to
allow your dog to enter the parlorp"-
or, still worse, proposing to read to the
family circle = speech delivered by ESQ.
Langtalk ct the last town-meeting ct
Boreville,on .sthe expediency OF opening
new road 70 Centreblast, . and which,
che can assure you, put an effectual
ssscppce upon any further movement in
that direction"-O, how you wish that
- ehectua estoppsl might arrest the
mOvsment Of his Weafy tongue, and that
something might happen TO call him
back speedily to Boreville.
We are not to infer, because Of the
change Of custom that We have noticed,
that true hospitality has ceased to exist.
Good people ore ~ glad to see their
friends - they ever were; and there ID
scarcely : house, In the city or country,
that has not one extra room for visitors,
There are . few obvious rules, which,
~ try vwn nniveeaallv nhanrvai vonld