St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-10-01
Hotel Life and Manners.

mere are very lew, among the lhOu-
sands of people who travel in summer,
who know how to travel. 1t is mar
velOus that the number is SO small.
Many of the discOmforts of life in sum
mer hotels are due to the fact that Il
large proportion of the guests do not
= know how to behave themselves. 1t
is not that they are Intentionally of
fensive, but simply that they are
thOnghtlessly so. Some people never
learned by any amount of experience
how to take care of themselves so as
not to annoy others. A hotel filed
with summer guests is great commu-
nifty, and can only be pleasant as its
people behave in family fashion. There
is no need of mutual acquaintance.
But every one should regard himself
or herself as in family to the extent
of doing nothing which can in any way
disturb another.
Men and women who, in visiting at
"A private house, would never dream of
loud shouting and laughing at the late
hours of the night, should not forget
that such noise is as great IA violation
of prOpriety in a hotel as in private
city or country residence. No one but
a boor wOuld stamp about the floor of
a room in the night or the early morn
ing, in the house ola friend, but thOus
ands of men shake the floors of hotels
in this way, utterly regardless of visit
Ors under and around them. Mothers
generally know enough to win admira-
ton for their children in private circles );
but few mothers know that their chill
dren are called nuiSances and them
selves regarded and spoken of as ignO-
rant and uncivilized when in hotels
they permit their rampant offspring to
play in the halls and corridors while
other persons desire to sleep. There
is no more charming picture in sum
mer travel than that of a family of
children conducted by mother who
knows how to travel with them and
how to rest with them in hotels. Such
children look with wOnderment on the
barbarian behavior of children of the
other kind. ! saw the other day, in a
parlOr car, a little boy and girl, plainly
and comfortably dressed for travel,
quiet and gentle in their ways, who
afforded n marvellous contrast to anoth
er boy and girl on the opposite side of
the carriage. There was not a passen-
ger in the car who failed to be annoy
ed by the latter pair, whose father and
mother appeared to imagine that all
were admiring them. The wide open
eyes of the civilized children now and
then attesting their establishment at
the existence of such creatures as the
two uncivilized monkeys.
In the MemphremagOg house, at
Newport, VT, the other day, we found
a rare example of modern humanity, a
person who had evidently never before
been in hotel, and was an utter
stranger to hotel life and manners and
customs. A lady of our party was
leaving her room when, from room
near by. she saw coming out Il neat,
nice old lady, dressed in antiquated
and therefore modern style. 1t was
after o'clock in the evening.
"Have they set the table yet ?" said
the old lady in a thin little voice, adj
Oh essing the younger lady.
"What do you mean Is it the sup
per table you are asking about ?"
eyes, | thought it was time they had
the table set, for am real suppery."
"Oh, yes, supper has been ready
more than an hour"
"Well, they hain't called me-"
"NO, they don't call us to supper.
| They have it ready at o'clock and
leave us to come when we please. Do
you know the way to the supper
room?"
"NO, Pm sure | don't. / never was
here before"
The more experienced ira seler kind |
ly led the old lady down stairs and
showed her the door of the large din
ing-rOOm, where she was doubtless |
cared for. She met her again half
hour later wandering in the hall.
"Will yOu come out on the piazza |
and sit awhile ?"
"COme on the what ?"
"COme out on the stOOp ~
"NO, | guess not. It's time to go to
bed. I'll go to bed but don't know
where my room is"
''What is the number of your room ?"
'"The number of my room 7 | never
heard of such a thing"
"Let me see your key. The number
is on the key"
"The key of my bedroom ?"
Eyes; didn't yOu lock yOur room
when you came DOWN.
Lock my bedroom | never locked
my bedroom in all my life"
"Well, | think | know the door you
came out from. | will show you your
ROOM"
So the old lady was led up to her
room, and as she went in said, ~ sup
pose they'll call me-"
care you going away in the morn
ing9"
Eyes I'm going at four o'clock"
"Did you tell them ?'
"Tell them? No; | should think
they'd know | was going home in the
train"
'If yOn want them to call you yon
must leave word at the Office"
"What office ? the post office p
''No, the hotel office"
"Where's the hotel office ? Do they
have an office 2"
This is verbatim report of parts of
the conversation, which abounded in
evidences that this was the first expe-
rience of hotel life which the old lady
had ever had. And she WAS a lady. I
She made no noise. She behaved as I
quietly in ii hotel as in her own house. |
And in the most remote and retired t
parts of the country there are men and :
women thorough gentlemen and ladies,
whose civilization Is vastly higher and l
purer than that of thousands who t
thrOng our great summer hotels. These I
gentlemen and ladies, when they come &
into contact with their fellows, public 4
resorts, are very sure not to make their d
presence annoying TO others by any
noise, or by claiming precedence in the s
attention of landlord or servant. Ar 7
tificial society is not always civiliza- {
toni w. c. Prime in New York Jour y
nal of Commerce. I
Here is an extract from the town f
record of Northampton, dated April 4, i
I7S5: "The question was then put e
the town would be at any OK q
,l.r, 80 for Schoolinor the SrirIs and 81 | II