Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-10-31
Hollow Conversation.
BY REV. G. ID. WATSON.

If all the talk that passes in the
world for conversation during one
day was reported, it would be a
frightful pile of words; and per
haps the most ridiculous part would
be our own. We have never put
the right estimate on conversation;
and while we pretend to regard it as
the main staple of society, are per-
petually descending to mere twad-
die, without talking the thing we
intended. The Overwhelming ma
jority of those who have a degree
OF education and culture, never Civ
ing evidence of either, in ordinary
The speed with which we rush to
every duty of life, allows us but
fseanty hours for drinking from the
tcpp,of social sweets; and even these
scanty hours are whitfield away to
thin shavings. There are some few
causes that prevent good converse
tlon, and every honest soul should
either demolish or surmount them.
Our mistake is, we pay too much
attention to physical conditions.
These incessant inquiries concern
health are useless. We not only
have diseases infinite in number.
but even a worse disease of perpet-
ually talking about them; and this
malady has infected all ranks, male
and female, cultured and uncultur-
ed. You meet your friends, and
have not long to stay together, and
instead of letting loose your pent-
up thoughts and feelings in a tide
OF Intelligent and deep communion,
the whole our is wasted in detailing
to each other a.whole months hos
pital record. Every pain and in
trinity must be detailed with math-
ematical exactitude, in which YOU
take but little interest for Your
friends squadron of ailments. and
your friend as little. interest in yours.
1t is poor conversation where aching
teeth and gouty limbs hold a mutual
experience meeting. 1t is not your
physical vicissitudes your friend
wants, but the fine fruit that has
been quietly and secretly growing
In your heart and reason. A peach
tree does not report itself through
the thin and bitter bark, but speaks
the language of its nature in great
! round balls of blushing sweetness.
We should let our physical condi
tion speak for itself. The BODY has
dumb eloquence, all it own, which
Is diluted by groaning interiections;
It's only the soul that needs the ac-
commodation of words.
= Another mistake we make. is. that
our best things are too precious to
be doled out to small audiences.
Many persons have fine sentiments
and worthy trains of thought, and
deep moral experiences, which
= would make an hours conversation
noble and luminous; but as these
things are reserved for a PRAYER
meeting, or a sermon, or lecture.
they cannot be wasted on one an
other. There is a general disap-
pelntment attending the society of
great people; their private talk is
such shallow, commonplace. Many |
there are who write like angels. and
talk like poor polls. That eloquent
preacher you heard last Sabbath
and with home you covet an hours
conversation, might not give YOU
anything better than a plough-boy.
If half as good. His lofty trains of
thought are for large congregations
not for q single pair of ears. Why
should not Shakespeare talk at the |
dinner table in the magnificent
.strains of s'Hamlet?" Why should
not preachers put on nice things in
their talk as in their sermons? You
are full of emotions and imagina-
tops;,i many a creamy suggestions
springs up in your sOul-why not
spice your conversation with it? |
Inns ambition to utter our super
ior materials to throng, while we
lock, them from two or three, is a
total error. ft
Every worthy conversation makes
an indelible trace; while the same |
thing, printed or spoken from plat
form, may neverbe noticed. Christ's
private CONVERSATIONS are worth in
finltely more than if they had all
been woven into a public address
before thousands. He said his best
and deepest words when he had but
one hearer, There is no danger of
wasting our treasures by pouring
them out in promiscuous talk. A
bright and holy word can never be
lost. When your friends meet with
you, il they are sensible, they want
TO get something from you that they.
can find 10 where else. Ii Won
merely gossip about the last we'd |
ding, the cook in the kitchen can do |
that as well as you.
Another cause why there is such
a surplus of hollow speech, is the
conceited vanity we have of think
ing that the people around us are
incompetent to enter into a noble
and true conversation. At the same
time, these dull folks may be wish
ing and waiting for you to strike a
topic that will touch the marrow of
their natures. There are surprising
and exquisite stores buried away
in the humblest passenger we
meet, if, by the chisel of fit
ting sentence, we would dig for
them. Conversation is the only
outlet most of our souls will ever
have on earth; we cannot all write
poems, or sketch cartoons, or lee
ture. Our tongues are the only
pens and brushes with which we
will ever write or paint; and even
that must be to small audiences.
There are a few nice things in every
soul, that ought to have expression.
In our conversation, let us give each
other what cream of speech we have
and let the skim milk of gossip and
tattie be appropriated to Kittens; it {
will fatten them, but starve our
/ iendship.
Kerosene and powdered lime,