The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-02-11
CARING ron GUESTS.
How They Are Made Decidedly rneom-
Portable ly1nctlsSs Bosissses.

Portable ~ 1netiess Bosiesse..
May 1 name icw Ol tie plans ro-
sorted % by we .-mcaning. but mis-
taken people. % make their homes 80
decidedly unattractiye 10 any one. that
the time required for social pleasures
takes almost nothing from their life
time. One Of these ways is the habit
Of constantly calling attention TO (by
excusing) all the short comings and
drawbacks to the hospitality being dis
pensed The hostess who habltually
does this. il Troublesome person 10
visit, whether she fears that tho
smallness of her r. Oms must cranp
YOU" or dcplOres the shabbiness of
the furniture" or is worried "lcst the
noise Of her children will make you
long TO be ut home again. or excuses
the manner i'm which meals are served.
II may be that most Of these things
would pass unnoticed, or trouble you
very little. il only tho mis-
tress Of the house would
not plaintiyely proclaim them, tax
ing the powers Of the polite guest TO Tho
very utmost 10 protest that they wcro
not noticeable, or TO coin some littlo
fiction ~ TO the disorder being excusa-
bio. and growing tired and worried
over tho effort TO cover up the poor
management Of the hostess. and her
impolitenes3 also. for it is impolite To
tax guest in this double way; she has
her own share rs well ~ that Of tho
hostess 10 bear, and il is little wonder
IL in future she keeps away from sucii
tax. Perhaps we enter house where
draperies Of cobwcbs seem To be tho
order Of tho day. What do we care IL
such il tho state Of their wallsP Very
fow Of us care at all. il only our homes
are neat IL such is the taste Of tho
dwclIcrs there you are willing it shall
bo gratlicd. But 10 be told 10 only
look Mt them" and 10 be asked "if thii
Is not digraccful condition of things''
or told, IL am sure you will tell how
carccssly we live. now. won't youP IS
rather embarrassing.
So. intending 10 make yourself
agreeable. you observe that "cobwcbs
are rather pretty and quito graceful.
and you rather like them" and such
like nanitics as this; "Ih"y do collect
30 fast this weather." knowing these
must bo the collection of months, and
then you collapse, for the effort Is So
we're. and the hostess keeps on saying:
"Pcrfcctly dreadful! lon are not
used 10 such thing1, and | shan't sleep
tonight for thinking Of the condition
in which you found my rooms"
II You arc fond Of careless house
keeping. it is entirely your own affair.
but to impress il on your guests is m
experiment you will not find success
ful, for they will not stand it often.
Tho cxcu,ing hostess is particularly
annoying at meals, and often oblig' !
her guests to eat oi unsayory or il,-
cooked dishes, in the effort to save tho
feelings of ono who deserves little OR
no) consideration.
Unless you eat cXtrayagantly she IS
sure the meal is "bldly prepared v
mot to your tastc." "ovcrlouc, y
NHu'Ibol'' dlN AIl' Ju't MI 'N =
you will starvc." Eo 70 make pcol 10
at your tablo eat more than they W Ii
to; particularly don't urge on tn, M
any thing that il one atom quostiona'
bic. by debating its mrrjt, and so scnd'
ing n chal'o1"c 10 II polite rcrson IA
accept moro Of il (lS n proof OF its su'
perior qualty) than is agreeable on
profitable. Even il an entire meal
should prove u fai iuro il is better o
order it quietly away than to load tho
stomach Of your victim with uncatablo
food. The temporary discomfort II
b ing n little unsalslicd is soon cured.
while eating undigcstibe food carries
its reminder in physical suffering for
several days.
There is another very common form
OF victimizing your guests talking
about things or people they don
know. never have known. and under
no circumstances will ever be likely tn
como in contact with. 1t leaves tho
visitor so entirely outside of any chance
TO interest himself i'm the conversation
leaves him SO entirely alone, that if he
is not intimate enough To take book
or nap. SO rs 10 wait for change in
the topic of talk which he con under
stand and join in. his position is often
embarrassing. always tircSomc, and
not one to accept willingly many times.
Ia