Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-01-10
LONG CALLS.
How People Make B0res Of Themselves.


1t is not always wise to make rule
that no one is to be admitted during the
evening; on the contrary, guest NAV
be heartily welcomed, If it is known ut
the outset that he has come ia for a
short time; that he is cheerful. and
friendly. and amusing, and. in short,
worth listening to and 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 the
family in turn comes despairingly to
the rescue of the faltering conversation,
is deplorable thing. We are respon.
sible for the state of our conscience, and
if we have allowed them to become so
dull that they do not give us the unmis-
taxable warning to go away, then he
must not fret if we are warded off.
dreaded and called bores. / was OBLIGED
to hear some one say, not LONG ago.
that she did not think she had any right
to spend two hours at a time with any
friend, without special invitation.
since it could not fail to be IN inter
ruption; 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 agree
able place in which TO spend the even
ing. He hunts from door to door; find
ing that one family has honestly paid
money and gone to play, another is
dining out, the third enjoying its invit-
ed guests, while at the fourth he is
met ut sight with the information that
the ladies' are engaged. Perhaps al
the fifth he gains an entrance. One
person rises hurriedly from the sofa;
another puts down her book with a sigh;
another comes reluctantly from a desk,
where some notes and letters must be
written at some time during that even
ing, and the stricken group resigns it.
self to the demands of friendship and
society. The master OF the house re-
turns presently to his avocation. with
brave excuse. 1t may be o'clock
when the guest comes; it may be 8, and
he may be kind hearted and unobiec-
tionable; he may even be profitable and
entertaining; but he stays until after 10:
everybody thinks that he never means
TO go, and lnwardly regrets his pre-
sence. For half an hour he could have
felt sure of welcome; in that time he
certainly could have said and done all
that was worth doing, and have been
asked to stay longer, or to come again
soon, when he took leave There is no
greater compliment and tribute to ones
integrity than to be fairly entreated to
sit down for ten Minutes longer. OF
course we treat each other civilly in the
evening visit, but it is great deal bet
ter to come away too soon than to STAY
too late. In Il busy, overworked and
overturned city life, nothing is so prec-
ious as quiet evening to ones self, or
even part of one. We all wish-or
ought to wish-to make life pleasant for
ourselves and other people, and are
ready to be generous even with our
time; but no one likes to be plundered
and dcfrauded 1t is the underlying
principle of our neighbours action and
conduct toward us which makes us
thankful or resentful when he comes to
visit us. -1tlanttc Monthly for january.