Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-11-29
letters OF Introduction,

Among the innumerable bores which
affl;ct the noade on Z on s ienp,tie, one
OF the most wearisome is the letter Of
mail levied ON good nature, which only
persons Of exceptional resolution, or
equally fortunate rudeness, can ever
successfully resist; social letter OF
credit based upon bank account Of
mutual kindlinc S, which may have been
long since overdrawn, or which. per
haps, never existed save in the immagi-
nation of the writer. Americans are
SAID to be especially given to this de-
plorable and exasperating weakness, and
the steamers which are daily bearing the
flower of our fashion to European shores
are no doubt loaded with these importu-
nate missives. A man, indeed, can
scarcely take flying trip TO neighbor-
ing town without deeming it necessary
to fortify himself with half a dozen or
more of these passports or, even if his
good sense rejects the notion, he is sure
to have them thrust upon him by officious
friends. And in the latter case it is vain
for him to attempt to suppress the hate
ful documents. He Is in the situation of
the man who holds the wolf by the ears,
neither daring to keep him nor to let him
60 The donors will be sure to make
inquiry as to their presentation, aud woe
to the recipient if he has failed to do So
Even those to whom letters Of introduce
ton are the greatest of bores would be
the first to feel sighted by their non
delivery so he is forced into the embar-
RAISING position of thrusting himself
upon the good will Of stranger who
cares nothing about him and who, under
his awkward smile Of affected welcome,
is secretly wishing him at Jericho. OF
all the painful shams that make up the
tragical comedy Of social life, this is one
of the most irksome and humiliating.
1t would be difficult to decide which
is the greatest sufferer by the letter OF
introduction-the writer, the recipient,
f. or the person to whom it is addressed.
The first is put in the absurd position Of
having to praise man to his face, for,
as the letter is delivered unsealed, It's
perfunctory eulogies are Of course tanta
mount to that; worse still, if, having t.
praise him, the qualities which both 0.
them know he does not possess, are
dilated upon. And the recipient, by
presenting the letter, virtually adopts
and indOrses its sentiments and thu:
appears to his new acquaintance in thu
position Of man vocifarously blowing
his own trumpet and calling attention t.
his good parts with the simple candor o
the noble red man who thumps hi
breast at the council fire and says
"Wah me big brave!' The man wht
has q stranger thus forced student.
upon his hospitality has perhaps tn
most substantial grievance. For, unles
he be endowed with unusual firmness o
character which will permit him to SHAKE
hands cordially with his unbidden visito
and then politely show him the door, h
feels it incumbent to put himself out il
some way to do him honor. He mus
get up a dinner or a breakfast for him
or if she be of the more troublesom
sex, a ball he must neglect his bushes
to constitute himself guide for he
sightseeing; he must in one way 0
another make himself thoroughly I'LL
comfortable for the sake CT this undo
sired and perhaps undesirable guest
Under the most favorable circumstance
he cannot stide certain sense of bein
put upon; our friends friends, we a
know, are seldom ours, and i'll nine case
out of ten he will not have even til
ordinary reward of gratitude, for on til
one side as on the other the attention
thus paid are felt to lack spontaneit
and are, in reality, forced levy.-W
Hour,