Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-03-07
Hints and Helps.
BY MISS NJ. F. BURLINGTON.


Many talk too much, some too little,
few talk we'll. TO talk we'll think
Talk what you know, but try to know
something valuable Do not gable,
talking for hours without saying any
thing, telling the minutest details of
your personal affairs, and what Mr.. and
Mrs Somebody, whom your nearer new
er saw, wore. said, and did.
Do not monopolize the conversation,
or speak atlectedly, or lisp, or mince
your words. Talk naturally, freely,
sensibly, and modestly about anything
you think will interest your hearers,
except your private affairs and those of
your neighbors.
Make no display of your knowledge,
but give all needful information in an
unassuming manner. Never be asham
ed or afraid to confess your ignorance
about matters you do not clearly I'M
derstand. You lose information by not
asking for explanation.
Be a good listener. Talk to the one
you are talking with look him in the
eye and listen; do not be paying at
tention to something across the room.
Give him your whole attention, mani
fest interest and sympathy, and do not
interrupt.
There are times to keep silent. Do
not be like Fred Norton, possessed with
the idea that good manners require You
TO keep conversation going all the time
under all circumstances. When we
went to Split Rock, one June moonlit
night, and were too strongly impressed
with the beauty of the hills and river
to want to talk. Fred thought it his
duty not to let conversation lag, and so
he told how much grander the Sierra
Nevadas were, and his theory about
the moon, and what he thought about
the rocks, until our enjoyment was
spoiled.
Read and think, and you will have
method Tor talking, but improve and
refine yourself, and strive to use good
language, avoiding slang, grammatical
errors, extrayagant expressions, and
bad pronunciation Never speak light
ly of what is sacred be courteous, be
discreet, tell the truth, talk your best,
and do not talk too much.
When You write a letter to friend,
write as you would talk were he with
you
When you write composition,
choose q subject you know something
about. Do not write upon The Pow
er OF Imagination, y or - Broken Idols, y
or anything of the kind. You know
nothing of such subjects, except that
they sound fine. Write about the trip
you took last summer, or your picnic,
on your dog, or anything else that you
understand thoroughly. Do not think
such subjects too childish. Some OF
our best literature is upon common
place affairs. Henry Ward Beecher
recently wrote q charming paragraph
upon an old rocking chair.
Use the language in which you think
and talk. Do not search for long words
or pile in the adiectives. In writing
and talking, know what you want to
say, and say it in the shortest, clearest
way possible. Short words and SEN
fences are better than long ones Gen
esal Grants declaration, " III fight ii
ont on this line if it takes all summer, =
was far better than any pompous high
soUDdlng war speech 1t is short, de-
cl>sYe, and clear not a word too many,
anu every word monosyllable save
o4e
1oU need not think to write com
position at recess, between Rotations.
or IN half an hour Anything fit to
te19 requires time and thought.
moose your subject and think about
L. Keep thinking when golAg to and