The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-12-27
FOR TIE Republican.
The Model Talker.


Dr.. Johnson c0nversed IN sentences a. Z
abo-el and involved as those with which DC :
wrote. Ills per.ods we're finished Win as {
much care; member balancing member II
utmost exactness; word pempously follow I
ing word. plumed with grandioquenee'
and keeping step with the precision Of I
militia. To descend 10 pleasantly. 10 have T
gay, anciful thoughts trip from bis tongue
with ease and naturalness . III oeseemed +
him as il would an elephant 70 have biz ieei
bound about with tinkiing bells, and 20
dance to the sound Of spr.ghtly love ditties.
His nature was built on Z gigantic scale.
His ponderous. unwieidiy body bad IN Il no
element OF comeAness. Every sinew Of bis
frame. every lineament Of his face bore the /
mark Of kingship. No poetic passion ever
played on his countenance, but over that /
rough cut mouth, that huge nose, those I
bloodshot eyes, thar massive forehead, /
there hung q grandeur Of seriousness, an /
irresistible force that made every one /
trenlble and give way before it. HIS voice
was not tuned 70 softness, bu. 10 q rough
thunder-tone Il gave IL utterance TO his
earnest soul. Behind that rough exterior
beat as kindly heart as could be found III
all England, to whose warm sympathy the
most degraded and destitute could conf
IDENTIFY appeal; but let one attempt to cross
his path in conversation, and he would
pounce upon him Ike q mad tiger, cover
ing him with epithets and abuse. He al
most always crowded out the voices OF
others, filing the whole evenings with bis
own views Of men and things. Morality
found IN him an able, honest, aud valiant
champion. lie was egotistic, blunt, dog
matte and disrespectiul in his conversation;
but lis thoughts had in them such power
and originality; be expressed himself with
such candor, such seriousness Of purpose
such religious enthusiasm; be showed HIM
self go under the control Of his exuberant
thought; and his sentences, though POM
pous. were so fitted to him. that the most
giNed hung upon his utterances TIL mid
night wiki interest undated. olteutimes
held GREATNESS by the oyershadowing pres
ence of his genius.
COleridge the eminent metaphysician
and poet, has been made by the world
Judgement Dr. Johnson's peer in converse
ton. While one or two points Of resem-
blance can be traced between them, they
are in all other respects in marked contrast.
Ono dealt with the actual and practical, the
other was lost ia ideal dreamings, or IN
delighting himself with the tine-spun cob
webs Of metaphysics One attempted TO
overcome his antagonist 10y dOgmatic fierce
ness, the other won the judgment by IRE
sistible persuasion. OF which he had com
plelv mastery. Johnson husv body would
toss with passion, his eyes CLEAN hercely,
his brow knit, his voice thunder, his fist
beat the table before him with the force Of a
, sledge-hammer as into the teeth of his an
, tagonist he would hurl You lie, SIR
Coleridge's spiritual gray eyes would kindle,
melt sadden, or become tear-doOded as
changed the spirit Of the hour His
thoughts would have in them an idea
beauty a seriousness OF tone, q touching
patbos, clothed in most selicately chosen
words, and uttered by voice as metodious
as music. DR.. Johnson aimed straight al
the point in argument. No one mistook
bis meaning or once lost sight OF the DRIFT
Of his thought Colerldge would 20 pur-
sue the headings Of his fancy that even the
fiery eye of Carlyle could not follow him.
There is one other style Of conversational
power to which I wish 10 direct attention.
He that has it says but little in words, but
there is that about him that inspires i'm
plicit confidence that Quickens and ami
mates by its sympathetic inna-lOo, Ella,
causes 10 be unlocked the hidden treasures
Of the heart The smile, the tear. tie
blush, the timely word, will soon bauisl
your GOODNESS and reserve, sweep away a
your purposes OF cOncealment, free yOu
from painful self-consciousness, make YOU
long for cOmpanionship in your secrets,
u suggest a thousand things you had forgot
ten years ago; Will, in a word, multiply
and beautify your ideas, set YOU all aglow
with newly awakened or greatly intensified
emotion, and give YOU a ready wording for
Your thoughts at which you will be both
surprised and encouraged such an one is
not properly styled q highly apprecia tive
listener, but rather, paradoXical as it may
appear, gifted conversationalist. In his
case the cOuntenance instead OF the tongue
is made the avenue OF thought. History
has kept no record OF such geniuses, but
not one Of Us has an experience SO meagre
that We have not met them, aud been
charmed and delighted by them.
In thc0o throo instances cited VIC have
three elements of a good conversationalist,
the power to overawe by mental massive
ness; to persuade by sublime pathos; 10
animate by the silent magic O, sympathy
But in none such as these do We ind q
model talker They are mouopoiists in the
circles where they move Nothing but
transcendent eudowments in their separate
provinces would secure them the least toll
Grafton. To acquire the habit Of continual
conversation, or continual silence would be
very hazardous to those Of common parts.
Either they would grow tiresome, would