The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-10-09

GfCtI ku6Sb OMcS HuUloEOuy oubtO0 L
to his host which the majority fail to
recognize or discharge.
The common practice among visitors
is to make themselves thoroughly COM
Portable at any cost. If the hostess be
well DRILL it is all the same expected
chat she will entertain her guest in the
highest style of the art. If she have
compe' ent help or not cuts no figure in
the matter. she must provide company
meals three times a day or be censured
as a stingy thing who begrudges her
visitors what they eat.
We ~frelently call to mind the teach
ings of an eccentric schoolmaster of our
youth who had his own views of hospi-
tality as well as everything else. Fiji
teen mirutes after prayers a C morn
ing he devoted to lectures On social
questions. As we have Just sad, his
views were original, but in many cases
they were more reasonable than the
commoner teachings we were accus-
toned to at home and took a deeper
hold on us. One morning the '.profes-
sor" announced that they had had COM
pany at their house. quite an unusual
occurrence, by tie way. Naturally we
were all curiosity to learn what this
oldest OF men had to say about visi-
tors. Said he: II never knew much
of the man or cared much for him and
wondered at his visit. But it rams
piled that he was travelling to kill time,
and CHANGED to pass this way, SO
thought he'd STOP"
Well, the first morning, the professor
| said, he sat down to talk to him to see
what he could learn that would do him
good. 1T was a maxim of the old man
to let no one he met escape without
adding to his store o fuseful knowledge.
But occasionally it failed to work, and
this was one of the times. He piled
him industriously for about IN hour and
| got for his pains only yes and mo-"
drawled at him at intervals. Dissatis-
fed with the success of his efforts he
informed the gentleman that it was
time for him to get to work, and ex-
pressed the hope hat he would enter
tain himself with books, curiosities and
what not, to the best of his ability.
Then the professor HE'D him to his Ii
brary, a part of which was given up to
an extensive cabinet of shells, where he
employed every leisure moment he
could get, classifying and arranging
them with the greatest exactness. At
dinner they met again, and the hosts
endeavors to draw the guest out met
with much the same success as the
mornings venture. After dinner he
said: II have some business down town
this afternoon, and as tomorrow is the
Sabbath, would you mind preparing a
little wood against that dayp" The
visitor could not we'll say no, and when
the man of the house returned in the
evening the wood for Sundays use
was about prepared. A few
into the summer kitchen and pile it up,
the teacher, THAT man was no use to
me as a visitor, nor did his leisure do
him any good. He would not read, or
do anything else that amounted to any
thing, 50 he might as we'll save me
vantage. Besides, a guest at my house
entertainment. If he knows any.
thing of im~portance that he a tell me
l am always glad to have him there.
II not, then common justice requires
that he should make himself useful in
some other way. And | want you
scholars to remember this and know
that whether people are honest enough
to say so or not, that is just the way
they feel, and if ever any of you 60 Wis
iting. see that you make yourselves
useful in some way if you would be
really welcome to come again"
Now this, like many other quaint
things the old man said, has staid right
by us. And though we have never fell
as he did toward our company, We
have regarded it as a useful hint wheI
a guest ourself. and always tried in
some way to add to the comfort or hap
p;ness of the family, or friend with
whom we so:ourned. This, however,
ought t. be the desire of every visitor,
whether he had cvcr heard the peda.
gogne experience or not. and it will i
he appreciates his entertainment.
But that all do not do this is evident
from their behavior. So far from seek
ing TO add ANYTHING to the comfort o.
the family, they sit down a dead
weight, to be worked for and waited
upon, and more than that expect to be
kept happy by some n eise's exer
ton.
1t is often o problem to entertainer
to know just what to do with this elias.
of people. We have wondered oursel
as we have seen our neighbors thus i'm
posed upon what would be best to dc
under such circumstances, so yesterday
we got an idea. Our attention was at
tracted from a very interesting booH
we were reading by a conversation in
the side yard. Little four-year-old
Bess had been surprised out Of the mar
she was trying to got in the hammock
by the arrival of a friend, come to spent
the afternoon with her. For a Will
they were happy as two kittens; thor
two other little playmates whom Bes
admired very much put in an appear
: nee to make a visit also, and the frs
ones lose was out of jointat once. Blu
so delighted was Bess with the ney
conner and her impromptu reception
that she didn't notice what we SAY
through the vines at u window. In
stead of getting into the hammock agail
t herself, she urged the little sisters t
. get in, and she would pull the rope an,
swing them. So in they tumbled, bah,
!. fashion, and full of glee, beside Vista
8 But just one look at her face told then
t they were not wanted, and dampene,
t their spirits considerably. Needles
. Bess, however, intent on swingin
1 them altogether, thought of nothing
+. else, and pulled away vigorously. Ma
a and Mady screamed with delight, bu
: Vista whined out s.don't." 1t took
little time to stop the hammock, an
she kept up her wall till it was still
"Why, what's the matter, Vista? Don
9 you want to swing?" said Bess. 'tNo.
: "Then you sit here in my little rocl
. ing chair and hold Flake, and l.
swing May and Madge." 81 don
want to, | want to sit here"
swell come on then, May and Madgt
a we'll play CATCH" Then Vista set u
a a howl that brought Bess to her side t
comfort her. She threw her arm
around her neck and said: