The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-01-02
Long Calls.

1t is not always wise to make q rule
that no one is to be admitted during the
evening; on the contrary, guest may
be heartily welcomed, if it is known at
the outset that he has come in for short
time; that he is cheerful, and friendly,
and amusing, and, in short, worth lis.
tening to and entertaining. But the i'll
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
come despairingly to the rescue of the
faltering conversation, is deplorable
thing. We are responsible for the state of
our consciences, and if we have allowed
them to become so dull that they do not
give us the unmistakable warning to 20
away, then we must not fret if we are
warded off, dreaded, and called bores. |
was delighted to hear some one say, not
long ago, that she did not think she had
any right to spend two hours at time
with any friend, without special invita-
ton, since it could not fail to be an inter-
ruption; and it gave joy to my heart that
one person so respected the rights of 9TH
ers. Picture some one, who has assured
himself that he is not likely to find amuse-
ment 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 dining out, the third
enjoying its invited guests, while at
the fourth he is met at sight with the in
formation that the ladies are engaged.
Perhaps at the fifth he gains an entrance.
One person rises hurriodly from the sofa
another puts down her book with sigh /;
another comes reluctantly from desk,
where some notes and letters must be
written at some time during that evening,
and the stricken group resigns itself to
the demands of friendship and society.
The master of the house returns presently
to his avocation, with a brave excuse. 1t
may be eight o'clock when the guest
comes it may be nine, and he NAV be
kind-hearted and unobjectionable; he
may even be profitable and entertaining
but he stays until after ten; everybody
thinks that he never means to 60, and in
wardly regrets his presence. 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 an
evening visit, but it is great deal better
to come away too soon than to stay too
late. In busy, overworked and over.
hurried city life, nothing is so precious as
quiet evening to ones self, or even a
part of one. We all wish-or ought to
wish-to make life pleasant for ourselves
and other people, and are ready to be gen.
erous even with our time but no one
likes to be plundered and defrauded. 1t
is the underlying principle of our neigh
boris action and conduct towards us
which makes us thankful or resentful
when he comes to visit us.-January
atlantic.