True hosptality consists in freely and cheerfully giving your visitor the best you have in the way of rooms , provisions , and other means of entertainment .

Having done this , make no apologies because you have no better , your general demeanor towar your guests will do more toward making them feel at home and enjoy their visit than any amount of grandeur and luxury .

Devote as much  t ime as you can to the amusement and society of your visitors , and let them feel , from your kindness and cheerfulness , that you enjoy their presence .

Kindly , and even urgently , invite your friend to stay as long as you wish ; but when a time has been fixed apon for his/her departure , do not try to break in upon his/her plans .

Assist him/her in his/her departue , and ask him/her to visit you again if you really desire him/her to do so ; otherwise allow him/her to depart by wishing him/her a safe journey home

According to the strict rules of etiquette , one call during the year , or a card left at the door in person or in an envelope , continues the acquaintance ; although there is no apparent cause for this seeming remissness , society must ask no questions.

Wecan never what prompts a lady to give up her visiting for a season . it may be a sudden calamity , or need of economy , or domestic duties , and she should not be questioned  , for no doubt her reasons are purely personal.

There should be uniformity in visiting , No lady is pleased to recieve a card from Mrs. Allen and then meet her , making a personal visit (perhaps) to her next door neighbour .

If a lady cannot personally visit all her formal acquaintances , she should visit none ; for it is not proper to show favours , and the lady recieving the card would certainly feel the slight ,

It is rude to ignore the day a lady may designate for recieving calls , and one should try to call on a reception day .

Happy the lady , who can give up one afternoon each week to her friends .

The person who has established a residence in any town or community should call on the lady or family of subsequent arrivals first , and such calls must be returned promptly .

Always be on the safe side , and make your visit shorter rather than longer , than your host or hostess desires .

The distance has come , and the degree of friendship or relationship existimg between them , should govern the length of his/her stay .

A week , or ten days at most , should be sufficent , unless the host insists on your remaining .

It is important that your friends know how long you will stay , and one should embrace the first opportunity to announce it , as it is embarrassing to ask a visitor  , how long he or she will remai

Visitors should conform carefully to the habits of the house , not be out walking at dinner time , nor in bed at breakfast time , and never keep the family up after their hour for retiring .

A guest must not show either by word or act that these hours do not suit him/her , but submit cheerfully.

A visitor should not appear to notice any unpleasant family affairs that fall under his /her obsevation .

He/She should never comment upon them to strangers , nor to the host himself , unless his /her friend should first broach the subject .

Also , if you do not find your friend in as high a state of prosperity as you had anticipated , do not take too evident of the fact, your observations may be cruel as well as impolite.

A visitor should , as far as possible , acquiesce in all plans proposed for his/her amusement or entertainment by the host.

All invatations to either visitor or visited ought to include the other , and either should generally refuse to accept an invatation to him/her alone .

A  visitor should always endeavor to give as little trouble as possible , at the same time he/she ought not to apologize for the trouble which his/her presence naturally requires .

If you are a visitor be careful to keep your room as neat as possible , do not let garnments lie scattered about promiscuously .

A lady visitor , where few or no servants are kept , would do well to make her own bed , if there are no servants she may also do other little helpful things for her hostess .

Guests must be careful not to demand too constant attention from their entertainers , especially in the morning when the hostess has duties of her own .

But for a visitor to avoid the society of  his/her friends and seek his own amusement for a large part of the time , is uncivil and selfish

,Both guest and host , may have much pleasure in a visit , but the privilege is very often abused ; by making your friend the servant of your gratification , for weeks .

An extended visit can be agreeable , only when firm friendship exists , and your entertainment is a pleasure rather than a serving .

Many times people who wish to seem friendly , give out general invatations , "come and see us sometime" .

Never accept a general invatation ; it is an error , if not a sin , to say what you do not  mean , but you will make a greater blunder to take such people at their word ; in many cases the visitors could best decide the limit of their stay , yet to give an invatation meaning , the date and length of the visit is named

When a visitor has the option of naming the time he/she will make his/her visit , he/she ought certainly to let his/her friend know of his/her coming.

The unexpected return of a friend supposed to be dead would be a joyous moment , and our welcome sincere and ernest ; but the ordinary surprise is far less agreeable , to most persons .