The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-23
short Visits Are the Best.

IL Is not always wise to make a rule that
no one is to be admitted during the evening;
on the contrary, a guest may be heartily well
coined if it is known ut the outset that he has
come for "A short time, that he is cheerful,
and friendly, and amusing, and, in short,
worth listening to and entertaining. From
the boresome visitor at all times, good Lord,
deliver us. But the ill-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 a deplors,ble thing
We are responsible for the state of our con-
sciences, and if we have allowed them to be-
come 50 dull that they do not give us the IN
mistakable warning to go 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 ut
time with any friend, without a special invi-
tation, 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 others. Pic
ture some one, who has assured himself that
he is not likely to find amusement under his
own roof, setting forth in search Of a moro
agreeable place in which to spend the even
ing. He hunts from door to door, finding
that one family has honestly paid its money
and gone to n play, another is dining out, tho
third enjoying its invited guests, while at the
fourth he is met at sight with the inforIna-
ton that the ladies are engaged. Perhaps at
the fifth he gains an entrance.
One person rises hurrieily from the sofa;
another comes reluctantly from n 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 vocation, with
u brave excuse. 1t may be S o'clock when
the guest comes; it may be Q, and he may be
kind hearted and unobjcctionable: he may
even he profitable and entertaining; but he
stays until after 10; everybody thinks that he
never means 10 81, and inwarcily regrets his
presence. For half an hour he could have
felt sure of wei, c,nc; in that time he certainly
could have said aud done all that was worth
doing, AMI have bcrn asked to stay longer,
OF TO conc a.s;.in coon. when he took leave.
There /; n rcs.tcr compliment and tribute
20 one lnte,..i'. than tn be fairly entreated
70 SIT down i"s ten minutes longer. OF course,
we treat -; Il other civilly in an evening
visit, ia. 1t l. u great deal better to come
away TOO s""l is.in 10 stay too late In q
busy, oN,i-''''' .vsi ans, over hurried city lfe
nothiii5 :. - .''D-i,us a quiet evening to
ones : .. - ,s-n part Of one We all
wiSh-u.' uI - Sish-to make life pleasant
for ours'l't~ .tst other people, and are ready
To be gen ~il "sc:I with our time. Int no
one lik = u I-sdered and defrauded II
Is the mi'. ., principle OF our nei.rhbor,s
action aui ..--,'-l Z toward US which makes
us thanlfs.. V.>eutful when he com,.s 10
visit Us = ..--,-c Monthly.