The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1855-08-28
Conversation.

Among large proportion ofyoung women.
and especially among those who are not re
markable for the strength Of their understand:
ings. and who have not been accustomed to
estimate the worth Of objects according to the
standard Of reason and religion, conversation
loaded with flatteres, as silly as they are gross
too often finds welcome hearers. Hence also
discourse is confined, in circles of this descrip.
tion, to scenes, topics, and incidents, which
embrace little more than the amusements ofthe
preceding or ensuing afternoon; the looks and
the dress of the present company, or Of their
acquaintance; petty anecdotes OF the neighbour
hood, and local scandal Is it not wonderful,
then that the wish prevalent in most men, and
especially in young men, to render themselves
acceptable in social intercourse to the female
sex, should betray them into mode Of behavior
which they perceive to be so generally welcomed
Is il wonderful that he who discovers trihing
to be the way to please, should become a tri.
fler2 that he who, by the casual introduction
Of a subject which seemed to call upon the
reason 10 exert itself has brought an ominous
yawn over the countenance of his fair auditor,
should guard against repetition of the Of:
! fencel
But it is not only to women o! moderate
capacity that hours of triaing and t1ippan. coll
versation are found acceptable. To those OF
superior talents they are not unfrequeutly
known to give degree of entertainment,
greater than, on slight consideration, we might
have expected. The matter, however, may be
easily explained. Some women, who are en-
dowed with strong mental powers, are little
inclined TO the trouble of fexertng them. They
love to indulge supine vanity Of thought;
listen to nonsense without dissatisfaction be.
cause to listen to it requires no effort; neither
search, nor prompt others to search, deeper
than then the surface Of the passing topic OF
discourse; and were it not for IN occasional
remark that indicates discernment, or look
ofinteligence hich CLEANS through the listless.
ness Of sloth, would scarcely be suspected oi
Judgment and penetration. While these per-
sons rarely seem, in the common intercourse
of life to turn their abilities to the advantage
either of themselves or of their friends; others,
gifted with eqinl talents, are tempted to msap-
ply them by the consciousness Of possessing
them. Vain Of their powers and Of their dexteri.
ty in the use Of them, they cannot resist the
impulse which they feel to lead pert coxcombisl
young man whenever he falls in their way, to
expose himself.
The prattle which they desPise, they encour.
age because it amuses them by rendering the
speaker ridiculous. They lead him on, unsus'
picious of their design, and secretly pluming
himself on his happy talents in rendering him
self agreeable, and delighted the most when he
is more the object of derision from one step
of folly to another. By degrees they contract
m habitual relish from the style of conversa.
,ion which enables them At once to display
their own wit, and to crafty their passion for
mirth, and their taste for the ludicrous They
become inwardly impatient when it flags, and
more impatient when it meets with Interrupt
ton. And if man Of grave aspect and more
wakeful reflection, presumes to step within the
circle, they assai the unwelcome intruder with
volIey of brilliant railery and sparkling repair
tee, which bears down knowledge and learning
before it, and convulses the delighted auditors
with peas Of laughter, while he labors in his
heavy accoutremcnls, after his light armed an
tagonist, md receives ut every turn = shower
of arrows, which ho can neither parry nor with
stand.
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