Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-11-11
The Art OF Conversation.

"To excel in conversation" says q
sensible writer, one must not be striv-
ing to say good things; to say one good
thing one must sey many bad and more
Indifferent ones. 1t is much tU be re-
GREETED, since conversation is the charm
of society, that there are so few good
takers in the world, when there are so
many orators. Most men can harangue;
every little village can boast of score
Of Fourth of July orators, each of whom,
with the field to himself, can hold forth
by the hour together, sensible and elo.
quent, at least acceptably, while the
same men in the drawing-room would be
completely silent, or monopolize the
floor in delivering dissertation.
The art of keeping up the interest of
social discussions by short, brilliant sal
lies, lively repartees, apt illustrations
and graceful illusions is exceedingly
rare; it is attained only by long prac.
tice. The southern nations OF Europe,
particularly the French, are adopts in
eminently social art; but they are trained
to it from early infancy. The moment
a French boy can speak, his expressions
of language are carefully watched and
corrected He is made to select judi
ciously between nearly synonymous epi.
thets, and as he grows up this habit
becomes second nature to him, beget-
ting confidence, huency and elegance of
speech. Nor does the Frenchman, the
Italian, the Spaniard or the Greek speak
with his lips alone; his eyes, his limbs,
his features, are all animation, and the
.ction-action, action demanded by
the master of oratory as its Alpha and
Omega is readily and constantly en-
ployed.
1t might be thought that the huency Of
the languages of southern Europe alone
accounted for this facility, had there not
been brilliant examples of converse
tional excellence in England, in spite of
the acknowledged hsrshness of the Sax
on tongue. Sheridan owed much of the
renowned-much personal fascination to
his brilliant conversation. But with him
it was not carried to the extent of Sec
ond nature he suffered under the diff
Guilty expressed at the commencement of
this article. He was constantly laboring
to excel. His reputation as wit com
pelled him to make these efforts; and he
thus prepared his brilliant sayings be-
forehand, and until an opportunity oc-
Cured to introduce, or rather to work
them in, he sat silent and anxious.
1t is related OF Sheridan that an ac-
quaintance Of his, knowing his habit,
pilfered one of his conversation cards,
on which the heads Of his anecdotes and
witticisms we're written down previous to
being delivered at brilliant party.
Having mastered this programme the
malicious wag went to the party little
before Sheridan, and related all his good
things, SO that when the wit himself ar
rived he was mortified and astounded at
the eoldness and indifference with which
all his sallies we're received and at be-
ing told that all his bran new stories
were affairs of at least an hour oldl
Theodore Hook was far happier than
Sheridan in society; a running fire of
puns, witticism and humor sustained the
spirit Of his talk and rendered him ire.
sistable. But he possessed the rare gift
of improvisation.
"The soul OF conversation" says Haz
litt lis sympathy" Authors should
converse chiefly with authors, and their
talk should be chiefly of books. No man
can get above his pursuit in life; it is
getting above himself, which is impossi-
BILE. In generel it shines only by rehec
ton. You must take your cue from your
company-must rise as they rise, and
sink as they fall. You must see that
your good things, knowing illusions, are
not aung away like the pearls in the
adage.