The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-09-26


not say, out Of some selfish motive, O
some motive Of personal policy, go to!
will become good talker." He must en-
Joy society, aud have genuine desire t
serve and please. We have all seen the
talker who talks for his own purposes, OF
talks to please himself. He Is the we'll
known character the talking bore. The
talker who gets himself up for show, who
plans his conversations for an evening,
and Grams for them, becomes intolerable.
He lectures; he does not converse; for
there is no power Of talker so delightful
as that Of exciting others to talk, and list.
ening to what his own inspiring and sug.
gestive utterances have called forth.
Genuine social sympathy and hearty
desire to please others are necessary to
produce such a talker as this, and no other
Is tolerable. Social sympathy is natural
gift, and there Is combination OF other
gifts which constitute what may be
called esprit that are very essential to o
good talker. This combination includes
individuality, tact and wit the talents
aptitudes; and peculiar characteristic
charms which enable man to use the m q.
teriaIs OF conversation In an engaging
way, entirely his own; for every good
talker has his way Of saying good things,
as well as Of managing conversation based
on his esprit.
Yet 1t Is true that there are no good
takers who depend upon their natural
gifts and such material as they get in the
usual lnterchanges Of society. For the
materials OF conversation We must draw
upon knowledge. No man can q be thoro.
ghly good talker who does not know a
great deal. Social sympathy and 'tthe
gift Of gab' go but q short way toward
producing good conversation though
We hear a great deal Of this kind Of
talk among. the young. Sound and
exact knowledge Is the very basis
Of good conversation. To know great
many things well is to have in hand
the best and most reliable materials OF
good conversation. There Is nothing like
abundance and exactness OF knowledge
with which to furnish talker. Next TO
this, perhaps, is familiarity with polite
literature. The faculty OF quoting from
the best authors is very desirable one
Facts are valuable, and thoughts perhaps
are quite as valuable, especially as thew
are more stimulating to the conversation
Of group. The talker who deals alone In
facts is quite likely to have the talk all to
himself, while the man who is familiar
with thoughts and ideas, as he has found
them embodied in literature, becomes a
stimulator OF thought and conversation in
those, around him. Familiarity with
knowledge and with the products OF liter
airy art cannot be too much insisted on as
the furniture Of good conversation.
Beyond this, the good talker must be
familiar with the current thought and
events OF his time. There should be no
moyementin politics, religion and society
that the good talker is not familiar with,
Indeed, the man who undertakes to talk
at al! must know what is uppermost in.
mems minds and be able to add To- the
general fund ofSthought and knowledge,
and respond to the popular inquiry and
the popular disposition for discussion.
The man who undertakes to be good
talker should never be caught mapping
concerning any current topic OF immedi.
ate public interest.
How to carry and convey superiority OF
knowledge and culture without appearing
to be pedantic, how to talk out OF abund.
ant stores OF information and familiarity
with opinion without seeming to preach,
as Coleridge was accused OF doing, belongs,
with the ability 10 talk well, 10 "the art Of
conversation" 1t has seemed to US that
i young people could only SEQ how shall.
low and silly very much Of their talk is,
and must necessarily be, so long as they
lack the materials Of conversation, they
would take more pains with their study,
would devote themselves more 10 the best
books, and that, at least, they would &c.
lquire and maintain more familiarity with
important current events. To know some
thing is the best cure for neighborh6od
gossip, for talk about dress, and for ten
thousand frivolities and sillinesses Of soci.
ETY.. Besides, a'good talker needs an audi.
ence TO understand and respond to him,
and where is he to find one II there is moi
abundant culture around him?