The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-12-30
LONG CALLS.
Little Good Advice to Old and
Young.
And a Few Truths That are Some
times Overlooked.

IL is not always wise to make a
rule that no one is to be admitted
lduring the evening: on the con-
ltrary, a guest may he heartily well
coined, if it is known at the outset
that he has come in for a short
time; that he is cheerful, and
friendly, and amusing, and, in short,
worth listening to AMI entertaining.
But the illy-concealed gloom that
settles down upon one tired face
after another. while the clock strikes
the succeeding half hours, and
each member of tire family
IN turn comes despairingly to the
rescue of the faltering cOnversa>
tim. is deplorable thing. We are
responsible for the state of our con-
sciences, end if we have allowed
them to become so dull that they do
not give US the unmistakable warm
ing to 60 away, then we must not
fret If we are warded of, dreaded,
and called boreS. | was delighted
to hear some one say, not long ago,
she Gid not think she had any right
to spend two hours at time with
friend, without an invitation, since
it could not fail to be an Interrupt
ton; and it gave joy to my heart
that one person so respected the
rights of others. Picture some one.
who has assured himself that he is
not likely to find amusement under
his own roof, setting forth in search
OF more agreeable place in which
to spend the evening. He hunts
from door to door: finding that one
family has honestly paid its money
and gone to play, another is din
ing out, the third enjoying its in
vited guests, while at the fourth he
is met at sight with the informa.
ton that the ladies are engaged
Perhaps at the fifth he gains an en-
trance. One person rises suddenly
from the sofa; another puts down
her book with sigh; another comes
reluctantly from a desk. where some
notes and letters must be written at
some time during the evening.
and the stricken group resigns t.
self to the demands of friendship
and society. The master of the
house returns presently to his avoca-
ton, with brave excuse. It may
be s o'clock when the
guest comes; it may be 9,
and he may he kind-hearted and
unObjeclionable; he may even be
profitable and entertaining; but he
stays until after 10; everybody
thinks that he never means to 90. |
and inwardly regrets bis presence.
For half an hour he could have felt |
sure of welcome; in that time he
certainly could have said and done
Ill that was worth doing. and have
bean asked to stay longer, or to come
again soon, when he took leave.
There is no greater compliment anG |
tribute to ones integrity than to be
fairly entreated to sit down for ten
longer. Of course we treat
each other ciVilly in an evening
visit, but it is a great deal better
20 come away too soon than to stay
TOO late. In a busy, OverWorked
and hurried city life, nothing is so
precious as quiet evening to ones
,elf, or even part of one. We all
Uish-or ought to wish-to make life
pleasant for ourselves and other
people, and are ready to be generous
,ven with our time; but no one
likes to be plundered and defrauded,
t is the underlying principle of our
action and conduct to.
Yards US which makes us thankful
II resentful when he comes to visit
IS .-J02ttary Monthly.