Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1849-06-08
E.eelIent Hints on Conversation.


There are great lawBof duty and religi N,
which should govern our conversation; aud
the divine Teacher assures US that, even
for our idle words. we are accountable Il
Him who has given Us the power Of speech.
Now, | by no means believe that there is
any principle Of our religion which ffowns
upon wit or merriment, or foibids playful
speech at ft seasons and within due limits.
The very fact that the Almighty has Great
ed the muscles which produce The smile and
the laugh, is perpetual rebule TO those
who would call all laughter madness, and all
mirth folly. Amusement, in 10 time and
place. is great good and know Of no
amusement 30 refined, so worthy an intel.
lectual being. as that conversation which is
witty and still kind. playful. yet slwayserev.
erent, which recreates from toll and care,
but leaves no sting. and violates no princi.
pie df brotherly love or religious duty.
Evil speaking, SANDER. deiraction. gossip,
scandal, are Difficult; to be guarded against
in conversation; and you are doing much
towards defending yourselves against il by
sound mental culture The demon Of SLAM
der loves an empty house. A taste for SLAM
der beirays vacant mind. Furnish your
minds. then. by useful reading and study,
and by habits Of reflection and mental in.
dnsiry, that you may be able 10 lilk abou,
people-about events too long past or TOO
remote TO be interviewer with SANDER. But,
If you must talk abou, people, why not
about their good traits and deeds The
truest ingenuity Is that which brings hidden
excellences to light; for virtue is, in her
very nature. modest and retiring, while
faults lie on the surface, ind are detected
with half an eye.
You will, undoubtedly. be careful 10 have
your words always Just aud kind, il you will
only take sufficiently thorough view Of the
influence Of your habits Of conversation,
both in the formation OF your own charac.
tiers, and in determining the happiness Of
others. But how low an estimate do many
OF us make Of the power OF our tongues l.
How little account we are apt to take Of our
words Have we not all, at times, said 10
ourselves: "Ohl it is only q word l'--
when il may have been sharp as drawn
sword, have given more pain than a score
Of blows. aud done more harm than our
hands could have wrought in month p
Why is itthat the slanderer and theltale-bear-
er regard themselves as honest and worthy
people, instead Of feeling that they are ac-
cursed Of God and mani II is because
they deal in evil words only, and they con-
slider words as mere naught Why is il
that the earping tongue, which flches a lit
tie from everybody's good name, can hardly
utter itself without snser, Svpd Meksa fEs9X
shana petty piiiefer voutdf IL is because
by long, though baseless prescriptions, the
tongue has claimed for itself license de.
MED to every other member aud faculty.
But, 10 point OF fact, your words not
only express, bat help create, your charac-
tiers. Speech gives dehniteness and per-
manence to your thoughts and feelings
The unuttered thought may fade from the
memory--may be chased away by better
thoughts-may, indeed, hardly be part
of your own mind for. II suggested from
without, and met without welcome and
with dissrrroysl end resistance, i, IS no;
yours But il by speech you adopt tho'is,
the voice that utiers them is as pen that
engraves them indelibly on the soul. If you
can suppress unkind thoughts, so that, when
they rise in your breast, and mount 10
your very lips, you leave them unuttered,
there is reason to fear that they flow from
bitter fountain within.
Consider, also, how large part, speech
makes up Of the lives Of all. Il occupies
the greater part Of the waking hours Of ma
ny OF US; while express acts Of a moral
bearing, compared with our words, are rare
and few. Indeed, in many departments Of
duty. words are our only possible deeds-it
Il l.