The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-01-30
Don't Stay Late.


O'Clock at night from a neighbours
house.
II couldn't see the clock from where
I sat-" said Kate, II didn't know how
late it was, and we were playing
games. Charley could see the clock
and he knew, but didn't"
ut wasn't my place to start" said
Charley, "it was yours. I was ready
to come away any minute you gave
the word.u
"Well," said Kate resignedly, II
shall have to sit up long enough to
finish my algebra examples, anyhow,
and then get up early to learn nv his-
tory" . -
1t was after midnight when she
sought her bed, and Charley was kept
up even later over his Latin lesson.
At the neighbours house the next
morning the question was asked, ibid
you enjoy your call last evening,
Alice?"
"Why, yes, mother, only they stay
ed so late I was really sleepy the last of
it, and I saw you yawning behind
your fan, cousin MayW I.
"Oh," said May, laughing, "I didn't
mind much, though they did keep me
up all hour or so later than I like.
They are bright young people, and
very good at all those familiar games.
They suffered from the usual trouble
of not knowing when to go, I've been
through it myself. 1t makes my
cheeks tingle now to remember how,
when was a schoolgirl, I went to
carry some flowers to our new minis
ter's wife, and stayed two long hours
because I didn't know how to break
off the call. When she asked me to
come out to tea with them, I was en-
abled to say, No, thank you, mamma
will be expecting me, and 80 got
away"
"Well, now," said Alice's brother of
twenty, II sympathize with Kate and
Charley. We played Authors the last.
part of the evening, and that never
takes much less than an hour for one
game, as we play it. It was almost
ten when we finished the first game,
and then Alice said, Now, let's have
anothern' So what could they do?"
II said it to be polite and hospita-
ble," urged Alice. "If I had not, it
would have seemed like limiting that
it was time for them to 60, and, besides,
I wasn't sleepy then"
"You would have said it again at q
quarter of eleven, dear, with the same
kind motives, if hadn't come to the
rescue" said May, smiling.
"Did you? Oh! I. remember now?
Was that why you said you were tired
of Authors and wished we would
play something else for a change?
You set us to playing characters and
when it was Kate's turn to 60 out of
the room, she looked at the clock, and
exclaimed that she didn't know it was
so late, and they must go straight
home."
"It does really require tact sometimes
to get away gracefully" remarked
cousin May. II remember when my
sister and I began to receive social
calls, our most bashful callers were the
ones who stayed latest; sometimes, I
think, because they were not skilful in
taking leave. One of our friends, a,
lovely girl, used to be much embar-
rassed when her callers remained late,
for her father, a nervous, irritable
man, always gave her sound seold-
ing afterwards, ii her callers had not
gone by eleven o'clock. And once he
said this dreadful thing when a young
man, who was calling for the first
time, stayed late-he came into the
parlor at eleven, wound the clock,
turned off all the gas except one burn
er, and said, bluntly, This is our hour
for closing the housep Poor Nellie!
she never got over that, and we girls
were all so sorry for her."
"But what would you do," asked
Harry, with. a rather conscious look,
"if you were making a call, and a girl
hid your hat when you were going to
take leave?"
"That," said May, Indignantly, ''is
downright rudeness. I would not
blame you if you did not enter the
house again for year. A girl is ILL
bred sometimes from sheer heedless-
ness. When she is year older she
may know better. But you need not
be afraid, Harry, of losing the good
opinion of any of your friends, by
leaving at q reasonable hour. You
will at least not be thought a bore.
And if caller enters after you do,
never out-stay him. That's little
point of etiquette worth remember
ing.
Zone thing more Pm going to tell
you, Harry, if you'll excuse your cous-
in who has seen five years more in the
world than you have. Besides not
staying too late, don't begin your call
too early. The other evening when
you and Alice were going to see some