Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-25
TREATMENT OF GUESTS.
HINTS WHICH SHOULD HAVE A
REAL VALUE TO HOSTESSES.

Preparing a Room for Guests-The Little
Omissions which Mar Everything.
Windows and MISUNDERSTANDING to
DOors-The Morning Bath.
As intend that these observations shall be
of a decidedly practical nature, | shall state
plainly my ideas respecting the arrangement
Of n guest chamber in an ordinary middle
class house. Ignoring then. the existence Of
a family bath room, the visitors apartment
should he provided with a bath, a large
sponge. ami plentiful supply of towels. The
first of these should L. kept turned up iE
some spare corner 10y day and laid down at
night bv the Chambermaid, with a square Of
oilCloth or felt underneath. to save the carpet
frUra being wetted, for some persons are very
uutidy bathers and make n terrible Spashing
when they indulge i'll "A tub The sponge
should lie kept in a little basket, made to
hook on to the lower rail of the towel stand
which is i'll every way preferable 20 keeping il,
in a bag Care should be taken that the look
ing glass does not when touched make low
salaam-the upper end coming down upon
the nose of the visitor, while tho lower
portion departs out Of sight This is very fire.
Quentlv the case i'll hotels and lodging houses,
and, indeed, in too many private dwellings
also; and 1t can be 50 easily reCtified by the
bestowal Of a little care upon the screws, that
it is quite wonderful how persons can con-
tentedly go on from month to month prop
ping up the disabled toilet mirrOr-Or Ieav-
ing others to do it-with a hairbruSh, or
pocket handkerchief, or half a newspaper
folded into pad.
LEAVE THE WARDROBE EMPTY.
Be sure, also, il you are expecting visitor,
to leave the wardrobe in the guest chamber
perfectly empty and all the shelves neatly
swept and papered Be certain to attend par.
tiCularly to this matter, more especially if the
expected visitor be lady, for it is pitable to
contemplate the inconvenience which neglect
Of it NAV entail See that every article Of
clothing is removed from drawers and ward
robe and do not, from negligence, leave halt
a dozen dresses hanging up in the latter, or
an array OF laCes and fineries folded away in
the former. Nothing can possibly be more
conducive 10 the discomfort of a lady guest
than-juSt when she has bOlted her door and
diveSted herself of her outer garments, To
dress for some dinner or dance-tO have ths
hostess knock and bounce in with: Il beg
your pardon. | know YOU won't mind ME;
but / find the dress | want to wear is in your
WARDROBE or, MY opera rlantel is slowed
away in one Of your drawers
have occasionally staid at houses and very
frequently at hotels, where there was no such
thing in my room rs a wardrobe at all, i'll any
shape or fOrm-nOt even shelved press or q
clothes rack on the wall This is dire misery,
and is an unpardOnable omission on the part
Of those in authority over the management OF
affairs. 1t Is not by any means a matter oil
necessity that costly glass paneled ward
robe should lie provided. Many households
cannot afford such but a neatly painted one
is not an extravaganza, and in the event Of q
narrow staircase or doorway preventing in
gress to such piece Of furniture, there is an
excellent plan for improviSing a war,lrobe
which | have seen tried with great success
1 Nail up substantial clothes rack i'll recess
. of the room; suspend brass rod across il, on
which are curtains hung on rings, aud cover
/ in the top with strong calico, leaving neat
/ valance of the curtain stuff, borlered with
/ fringe, TO hang over the edge. Any place, in
short. which will allow of coats and dresses
/ being hung up to prevent the creasing which
they suffer by folding, and 10 preserve then
from dust, cannot fail To I've acceptable to d
! visitor when he or she comes to unpack.
FIX THE WINDOW BLINDS
Always make sure that the window blind
are in perfect working order They are al
/ times too stiff, or too loose or so much out O
! gear that If drawn down At night they remain
/ immovable in the morning, am the guest i
/ obliged to dress in Semi-darkneSS See, also
/ that the windows themselves are properly iT
order. Every window ought to be made &c
open both at top and bottom, as this admit:
| Of the immediate and thorough ventilation
! of the room If, however. through defective
carpsntering in the first instance, the Windows
are hermetically sealed at the tOp-aS it is too
/ frequently the case in old houses-make Ger
tain at all events that the lower sash open.
and shuts with ease, and that when closed il
, does not admit a draught Above all things
see that means are provided to prevent the
shaking Of windows in windy weather. Few
things ares 50 aggravating to the temper, and al
the same time weaTying to the constitution, al
being kept awake at night by the ceaSeles:
and monOtonous 'bang, bang of loOst
!. window sash, which, after all, can be very
easely remedied without adopting the old
fashioned method of thrusting a toothbrush
handle or rack comb between the Sashes to act
as a sort Of wedge.
You should make sure also that the bolt and
lock of the door are in proper order. Many
persons cannot sleep easily unless their doOI
is fastened: and it is pleasanter for the hostess
/ to expend n few pence upon the mending Of q
lock or bolt than to hear her guest at dead Of
night dragging u heavy box, or table, or chest
/ Of drawers, or some other unwieldy thing
across the floor of the chamber TO harricade
the door against imaginary disturbances.
Ascertain, likewise, that there ~ nigh;
lights ar matches left in the room, as alsL
writing materials, pins, hairpins if the eI,
| pected guest be a lady, perfume and a few
amusing magazines or other specimens OF
light literature Us well as the book of books
! for some persons waken early and enjoy a
brief spell of reading before getting up.
During the stay of your guest, if a lady, dc
not suffer her TO pay anything towards the
expenses of cabs, trains or laundry, neither tc
defray the cost Of her own concert or theatrs
tickets. While in your house she is or ought
to be, member Of your family, and it is not
worth while for the sake OF trifiing addi.
! tional outlay 10 do oanything which bears upon
it the smallest stamp Of meanness. II, how,
ever, the guest be a gentleman there may,
under certain circumstances, be some little
relaxation Of the rule; but where lady is
concerned it cannot be too stringently ad,
hered to.-Chambers' Journal
! Millions of Gulls.
We are to witness one more Of the northern
curiosities before arriving at the North cape.
| There is certain high cliff called -Svaerholt.
klubben," where thousands, almost millions,
of gulls cOngregate The face Of the rock is
covered with small crevices and projections,
where the birds perch in rows, looking like
so many white pearls against the dark stone.
| A shot from the steamer creates some excite
ment among them and over a third suddenly
take wing and fly, screaming and scolding:
| above the vessel There are so many in the
air at once that they form a sort of white
cloud, and one has feeling that on all sides
great flakes of snow are falling and being
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