The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1849-12-06
CONVERSATION.

Association in The city OF New York We copy
from the Tribune an outline Of the second lee
ture, aud trust that our citizens may yet have an
opportunity OF attending repetiuoA OF the course
in this city.
Mr. Giles commenced with the remark that
large portion OF conversation was mere inter
change OF words without thought There were
certain topics that seemed made for ihIs purpose
1t was observed by brilliant English writer that
all accidents were evidently dlspensatlons OF
Providence for the benefit of the newspapers
As proof OF this, it mig be noticed, that they
occurred with much greater frequency during
the recess OF Parliament
We may enlarge, said Mr. G. on this saving,
and assert that certain important phenomena take
place as subjects for conversation One of the
most important Of them ID Health The final
cause OF this, one would suppose, was to serve as
an opening Tor conversation We commence
every interview with an inquiry after each 9TH
ers health. NO one expects the inquiry to be
answered. You meet one rosy as the rising sun;
but you cannot begin to talk with hiu. unless YOU
first ask about his health. You fall in with
friend In the last stage OF consumption, OH frosty
October morning, and you hope that he is very
we'll. The object is TO have something to say.
1t rheumatism, colds and dyspepsia lost TO
the world, how many would be suddenly struck
once as take away the pet complaint.
The weather Is another phenomenon made to
provide people with the subject oil talk OF what
use is the weather, unless Tor persons to tell each
other what it is. You inform your friend that 1t
is hot, lille you both bathed in river of per-
splration, or that it is cold while you stainmer
from the chattering OF your teeth
Politics and the Dollar are other topics that
answer the end. But as politics may breed
men tai he m Oh mn
nouns in the English language, the.dolar is that
which is most frequently heard. Like the theme
OF symphony III music, il is never lost in the
storms OF the orchestra The DOLLAR is a noun
substantive, a noun ubiquitous, noun omnipo
tent.
Conversation out to be mental music, in which
diversity OF thought in the unity OF humanity
makes the harmony of the soul. Amenity and
propriety are the essential conditions march
would not be music in church, nor an anthem
III a ball room. But schisns like these are often
the b~ne OF conversation
Mutual Difference is the Lille of refined com.
munlon Kindness is social debt. To violate
this claim is not courage, but insoence. 1t is 10
TALL back on the savage for model. Nor is this
confined to mere graciousness OF manner Though
courtesy is beautiful emblem in the sacrament
OF social charity. The essential requisite is an
amenity spirit This demands fire conf
dence-a mutual and genial blending OF soul with
soul. Half words worse than silence, and
either is fatal to conversation. A man TO talk
well must believe and be believed. The cloud
OF suspicion is like the valley of the shadow OF
death. The scowl OF doubt is like the sight OF
hawk to the song OF bird 10 be just is TO be
tolerant and to be tolerant is to be gentle.
sharp, captiOus, INSCRIPTIONS intellect pro-
duces atmosphere that is poisonous 10 the natural
flow OF conversation The man of such intellect
is gladiator, stepped to the eye in fight, cunning
OF fence, master OF his weapon, and merciless
In lis use. He Yields the sword of spirit, but
not OF holy one, which is sharp to pierce the
deienceess and noffending.
The love OF truth is the stimulus to all noble
conversation This is the root of all the charities
The tree which springs from it may have thou
sand branches, but they will all bear a golden
aud generous iruitage. 1t is the lolliest impulse
to inquiry-willing to communicate and more
willing to receive ptous of petty curiosi.
ty-Dut passionate for glorious Wedge. Speech
without it is but babble. Rhetoric more noisy
but less useful than the tinman's trade. When
the love OF truth fires up the passions, puts its
lightning IN the brain, then men may know that
prophetis among them. This is the spring OF
all heroism, aud clothes the martyr with fame
that cuisines the fame that kills him. Com
pared with this, the emuIations OF argument-the
Pungencies OF sarcasm-the pride OF logic the
pomp OF declamation-are as the sounds OF an
autOmation to the voice OF a man.
Conversation must have Inspiration or il is moth
ing. 1t is destroyed by dispositions that choke
attention and defamation that swaImps thought
in the muddy sea OF its own monotony. Such
talk has nothing but barrenness around it and
within it.
Some men, we are told; talk like a book. But
like what book do they talk Is it like any book
with head or heart, lie or SOUL truth or nature,
betW cen its covers!
IL this silent books were like these talking books
we must confess that the Caliph Omar did not do
so bad thing in burning the Alexandran Library
after all. Takers, like books are mere sentence
makers, synthetical machines that grind out
phrases as a barrel-organ grinds out tunes. That
which fills both and mind is articLlated lie.
Lite in conversation implies variety. 1t ex.
cludes nothing but what is vicious. ignoble and
ungenerous. This distinguishes it from pratte
and pressing. 1t takes everything not method
callv but magnetically. The heaviest matter in
and Encyclopedias passed through glowing and
plastic fancy, comes forth in shapely newness
genuine coinage Of beauty and brIliancy
Mr. Giles continued this analysis in strain Of
pungent. sarcastic eloquence, through great
variety of topics, and in the concluding portion OF
his lectures. gave an admirable, graphic descrip-
ton OF the conversational powers of DR.. johnson,
Madam de Stael, Sir James Nj ackintosh and Coler.