Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1879-11-14
The Etiquette Of Conversation.
Do not manifest impotence.

DO not manifest lmpatience.
Do not engage in argument,
Do not find fault, though you may gently
criticise.
Do not talk Of your private, personal and
family matters.
Do not appear to notice inaccuracies OF
speech in Others
Do not allow yourself to loose temper OF
speak excitedly
Do not allude TO unfortunate peculiarities
of any one present
Do not always commence conversation
by allusion to the weather
Do not when narrating an incident con-
tinually say, 'you see" "you know" &c.
Do not intride professional or other topics
that the company general cannot take an
interest in.
Do not talk very loud A firm clear dis
tinct, yet mild, gentle and musical voice has
great power
Do not be absent-minded, requiring the
speaker to repeat what has been said that
you may understand
Do not speak disrepecttully of personal
appearance when any one present may have
the same defects
Do not try to force yourself into the con
fidence of Others If they give their colt
dence never betay it.
Do not use profanity, vulgar TERMS slang
phrases, words of double meaning, or Ian
guage that will bring the blash to any one.
Do not intersperse your language with for
eign words and high sounding terms. 1t
shows affectation, and will draw redcule
upon you.
Do not carry conversation with another
in company about matters which the gener-
al company knows nothing Of. 1t is almost
as impolitc as to whisper
Do not allow yourself to speak i'll of the
absent one If it can be avoided; the day may
come when some friend will be needed to de-
fend you in your absence
Do not speak with contempt and ridcule
of locality where you may be visiting
Find something totruthtully praise and com
mend and thus make yourself agreeable
Do not make a pretense Of gentility, nor
parade the fact that you are defendant of
any notable family. You must pass for just
what you are, and must stand on your own
merit.
| DO not contradict. In making correc-
ton say, 81 beg your pardon, bu. had an
impression that 1t was so and So" BE care
ful in contmdicting as you may be wrong
yourself
Do not be unduly familiar; you will mer-
it contempt If you are. Neither should you
be dogmatic in your assertions, arrogating to
yourself much consequence in your opin-
! lon.
DO not betoo lavish in your praise of va.
rious members Of your own family when
speaking to strangers; the persons TO whom
you are speaking may know some fault that
you don't.
Do not feel II incumbent upon yourself to
carry your point in conversation. Should
the person with whom you ARE conyersing
feel the same, yonr talk will lead into violent
argument.
Do not allow yourself 10 use personal
abuse when speaking to another, as in SO do
ing you may make the person lifelong
enemy. A few kind courteous words might
have made him lifelong friend.
Do not discuss politics or religion in gem
eral company. You probably would not
convert your opponent, and he will not con
vert you. To discuss those topics is TO
arouse feeling without any good result.
Do not make parade Of being acquitted
with distinguished or wealthy people, Of
having been 10 college, or Of having visited
foreign lands. All this is no evidence Of
any real genuine worth on your part.
DO not yield TO bashfulness. Do not so-
late yourself, sitting back in corner, wait
ing for some one 10 come and talk with you.
Though you may not say 1t very well, keep
on. You will gain courage and improve
II is as much your duty TO entertain others
as theirs 10 amuse you
Do not attempt to pry into the private af-
fairs of others by asking what their profits
are, what things cost whether Melissa ever
had g beau, and why Antarctic never got
marriedg All such questions are extremely
impertinent, and are likely to meet with
rcbuke.
Do not take il upon yourself to admonish
comparative strangers on religious topics,
the persons to whom you speak may have
decided convictions Of their own IN opposi-
ton to yours, and your oyezeal may seem
to them an imperinence.
Do not aspire 10 be a great story-teller; an
inveterate teller Of long stories becomes very
tiresome. TO tell one or two witty, short,
new stories, appropriate 10 the occasion, is
about all that one person should inhict on
the company.
DO not indulge in satire; no doubt you
are witty, and you could say a most cut.
ting thing that would bring the laugh Of the
company down on your opponent, but you
must not allow II unless 10 rebukc some inn
pertinent fellow who can be suppressed in
no other way.
DO Hot spcnu Joui hiic III blhihB 6'hH-
dial; you sink your own moral nature by 50
doing, and you are, perhaps, doing great in
justice to those about whom you talk. You
probably do not understand all the circum-
stances. Were they understood, You would
doubtless be much more lcnicnt
DO not tiatter, In doing so yon embarass
those upon whom you bestow praise, as
they may not wish to offend you by repcl-
ling II, and yet they realized that If they
accept il they merit your contempt You
may, however, commend their work when
ever IL can truthfully be done; but do not
bestow praise where il Is not deserved.
This IL what Robert Ingersoll says Of wo-
men; II bell you, women, are more prudent
than men. tell you, "a a rule, women are
more faithful than men-ten times "a faith
fnI a. men. never saw q man pursue his
wife into the very ditch and dust Of dega-
dation and take her in his arms. ! never
saw man stand AT the shore where she has