The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1849-05-12
ORIGINAL.
Shots,-No. 13.
BY NoNDsCRIPT.
Conversation.

One Of the most difficult as well as one Of the
most necessary accomplishments in the world, is
the art Of conversation, To shine without daz.
! zling-to instruct without otIending-to lead
without appearing pedantic or egolstical-to dis
cuss subject without appearing to engross the
time Of the company, is most difficult matter
| All men are in some sort vain. Each prdes him
| self upon being able to do some things as well as
another; and in a mixed company Of the young
| and old of both sexes, man will make more
friends by conver'ng ndiferenty we'll, than by
nyextraordlnarydspIayo conversational powers,
Every man wishes to be, and appear, superior
and where superior merit forces applause, Envy
with-holds friendship.
On account of the peculiar constructions of the
human mind therefore or its penrSiOn, it is al
most impossible to please in this particular, The
magisterial air of DR.. Johnson took away from
conversation, that easy and lively tone and man.
ner, it should possess and gave it rather The APP
pearance of a sett of short lectures on different
subjects The talent of Franklin, gave to him
the power ot shining in conversation, but his
kindness and aftability rendered him pleasing and
entertaining and modest, even while delivering
the most sententous maxims.
To converse we'll, is an almost iudubitable
mark of gentleman; for it requires talent, rea.
ding, ease, kindness and afIabilty. Beside this,
in order to converse we'll a man should know
l,,,la all. H., Ill.
people know middlng we'll how to talk, but the
fewest number know how to be still. The one is
an art as well as the other, 1t is said that still
water runs deep, and that wise man takes but
litte-that an empty barrel makes the most noise
and that he who takes much must necessarily Of
ten talk to no purpose.
most humbly beg leave to dissent, at least
partially, from this very generally received o.
pinlon. There are more persons silent in Com
pany from the want of something to say, than be.
cause they think it waste of time and breath, to
display their knowledge. Ifa man has nothing
in his head it will be taken for granted that
nothing will come out. And all observers Of hu-
man nature will, and must acknowledge, that
the inmate propensity of man to excel, will
prompt him to defend an opinion or a measure
that has been controverted or deceived.
In conversation as in poesy "nothlng so diff.
cult as a beginning, uuess perhaps the end
| The beginning of a conversation is the PonS as
imorum Of our boy beauX and girl coquetts, in
this go ahead age. They will often sit and stare
themselves and the carpet out of countenance
and be as silent as if they were veritably in a
Quaker Meeting. AS whg protective Tariff
| will bring every thing up right, no matter how
much out of order, so the never failing subject OF
the weather, aids and comforts the terror srick-
en- beau, and sets him once again upon his legs.
| What scape.g goat is this weather-amost inva.
riably, accompanied by two or three "hems and
haws," it is the introduction to tender love
scene or an actual proposal. 1t connects itself
as preface to almost every conversabe subject
As general thing, the first remark that is
made upon encounterlng an old friend in the street
is, "this is fine day /" or some other observation
to the same purport. | have often wondered
what would be done, in case :here was not some
thing for every one thus to pitch upon, for want
of something better. What kind Of enjoyment
is there for man Of cultivated intellect in thee.
ternal round of nonsenscal and inspid conyersa-
ton, which characterizes our evening soirees and
assemblies? Sometimes when you get Lady a.
lone you con get up Alright sensible "tak'-but
if she thinks You susceptible, ten chances to one
she will bore you to death with some of Tom
Moore's sentmertaljty.
Not but that am mysclfremarkably fond Of quo.
tngTomMooreupon occasion, but oneshouldknow
when such a bent can properly be given to con-
versation. However care nothing about private
converse, but intend applying the above obserya-
tions only topublIc demonstration. There it is,
where mans capital must be made, and opin-
IONS formed concerning his character and qualif-
cations. There, then, let him display his learn
ing, his breeding and his modesly.