, 1873-09-07
TACT.
The Part 1t Plays Between Man
and Wife.

The Bores and Blunders OF So
: ciety.
cortain woman Of tho world spoke wisely whom
Hho snid "1f could bo born again, aud con-
sultod at my birth as to what oile gift would
tako, would pnss by Wit, Doanty, Culture. and
soclnl Advantages, and choose Tact" Obaorva-
tion mud experience had both taught hcr that 1t
was tho only certain
KEY TO WORLDLY sUucEEa.
Sho know well how nlubh more advantageous 1t
WAS to convince a masculine acquaintance that
sho recognized hiB conversational brillinncy
thnn to force him to concolo hor talcut for With
cism. 4 man doos not fall III love with a woman
80 much for what no finds in her, ns for what
sho finds, or Affects to find, in him. uo
considers such Il woman charming. It
talses sone years Of social experience to learn
tho o1act meaning Of that phrase, 10. charming
porson !" but charming poraon ia simply one
wllo makes us admire ourseEvoB.
It Is worth whilo to Htudy the mnneuVrcs by
which tho woman OF Tact strives to convince her
lady aoquatntanc 4, that she has not married q
mere business-maohine constructed simply for
tho purpose Of accumulating money; or tho arts
by which man Of Tact endcavors to inasill into
tho minds Of his masculine associates, tho idcn
that his vito Is not tho stupid dowdy
she appears to bo. How unhinohlngly thoy
dobar themselves from tho sweet tri-
umphH Of tutoring original bon-mots, and
bring forward I'LL thoir intellectual soin-
tillations as quotations from tho tablo-talk Of
their Bpouaesi With what charming air Of
TO fha tn,
his hoBtoss Tho regrets Of his too-domostio
wife, aud, while his oyos rost in delightful ad-
miration On exquisite toilottes, and his ears
drink in graceful compliments paid in uwootly-
moaulatcd tones, memory portinaoiouslY recalls
tho picture Of disoriered room, and woman
who, with soilod wrapper, shabby slippers, and
unkempt hair, loungad In her rocking-chair
roading novel, and turned eullenly away from
Ills parting carcas. Even while he is repeating
to his fnir companion tho witty speooh his vito
made last evening, ho is carrying On bittor
aef-commuung. "Good HeayenB!" ho rag os
internally, "What ia it the woman wantB2 DueB
she think will neglect a characterization from
HRS Upper Tondom to stay at home with her in
that toHbcd-up room, to crunch oLoc0late-cara-
melB aud read Rod ia a Roso IB She T." But 1t
is an idle query. His "too-donesto wifo, As
he apologetlcally terms her, dooH not know hor-
self what she wants. slo III simply too indolout
to make careful toilet aud 20 into society, aud
too selfish to w1nh her husband to 70 without
her.
Il is a popular fallaoy that ono who trics to
mako everything pleasant for everybody must
pleasant temper who boeve that to be agroea-
bio requires discrimination. "Whon you cutter
my pteaeuce," said q lovely character, !" study
how eau
MAKE HUMANITY beautiful.
to you." In that short sonlence was compressed
MI possible instruction for tic cultlvatlon Of
Tact. 1t taught the art Of interesting people in
oach other botoro they vera introduced, by pre-
it bts Il Fl polsona history; Of trying to synpa,
thize With your companipi,'s plans a,1d pursuits
Instead Of insisting upon his nynpathlzing with
you, Somebody has wittily defined bore as
4 one who insiBtB upon talking to you upon his
affairs, when yuu wish to talk to him about
| yourH.' People Of Tact mover come across auy
bores. Thoy lind something interesting in every
| specimen of humanity. "Huw could y0u endm o
| to room for Xix mouths with that per-
| feet nonentity Ut bliss Smith 2" askel
| O frioud OF oue OF tho most talontel women Ut
to-lay. ]" "Imiood, nm very much indebted to
her." returned this graduate in the art Of mak-
ing humanity beautiful. .'sho taught INC how
ton-Aoles,"
Tact IL tho only roliablo cen,ont for frioutl-
ships, eugsgemeuts, an4 marriages. It etablea
| Lau1a to understand, how, alter four lours'
fasting Victor loves llor mono tho less, but din-
when Victor yields himself up to that 1plica-
bio fascination men tnd in tho society Of thor
own sox. It enables her to resign herself sl-
leptly to Votors pc; sissout ignoring of his Slip
por-case. and Ills DISCRIMINATE forgetting that
| boots wore not primarily designed as or1!a.
monts for sitting-1ooms. Il lays tile
blosaed seal of silence on hor lips when Viotor'a
domestic reforms prove doad failure. It Ii the
happy faoulty which teacheB her, when Victor
calculates, II told you sol might have known
You wouldn't put those buttons on; :" or, "Oi
course thore arc no socks in my drawer. mover
expect to find auything whero it ought to be-
mover yet disappointed you. I always do juas ae
YOU expoct me TO ?-don't z"
If Tact is ombnrraasingly quick at discerning
perBonal facts it il also to bostinBtructor iu tue
eANcr1rY or OTHERS BEoRErs.
It 1earnB tAo.n without revelation, and II
guards them without promise. 1t Ii
only tho human donkey that, because III
Inns accidentally discovered that young
1 4 -.fkJ-