The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1880-08-03
A TALE OF SOCIAL SILENCE.
An Argument and an illustration
Intended to Show that Lam
.gusge Isa Mere Convsn-
fence.

Onc needs to he told ut the begin
ming that this story cvpcerns man
ami a woman-x pair of iovers--ana
lovers in France.
Otherwise one might imagine that |
intend to write about two men. One
will cay there may be unsocial silence
between = man and woman, but So
cial silence-never Yet it has hap
pened, or will have happened when ]
have told nv story
1t was man who said, "Siience Is
golden. speech is silver plated" Il
was q woman who said, Let me do
the talking and don't care what wo-
man in front Of me gets her hack up.
Fat Le gros dos.
Social silence between men--one
knows what that is. They smoke;
thew sip their wine. When they have
something to CAV they empty the glass:
the cigar goes out. They resume;
silence-silence can be re-umed--the
glasses are refiIled, they strike match.
What is it then, between man and
a woman: Two pairs Of eyes, a fan.
a round waist, strong arm-a kiss
Perhaps they also strike a match.
This ia the story | have Ia tell.
Eugene de Merveille had known
Resale Lebrun for a long time, As
time gots in this fast world, and vet
the two had exchanged hardly dozen
words. A hasty thinker might imag-
inc this latter circumstance was due TO
the fact that Rosslie's papa and mama
we're always present at the meeting Of
the young people The young people
knew better. Ii was because they
had 80 many ideas in common thai
they could not exchange any. One OF
the ideas which they had appreciated
from the first was that they loved each
other. NJ. and Nine. Lebrun abhorred
DE Merveille. He never fattered
madame. He never asked advice Of
monsieur. For the rest he was we'll
enough, but he was no match for their
Resale. He never talked, and Rosalie
needed husband who would draw
her out, because she also never talked
Monsieur and madame did not know
the difference between talking and
conversation.
One dav at dinner NJ Lchrun hap
pened Ia remark that he McrveIilc
was blockhcad. II he were not why
did he not talk But no, he only lat
and stared at the wall or the floor.
Resale smiled aloud and said to her
self, /" Then | am blockheaa for |
do not talk. Two blockheads may
produce 4 series of blockheads. Then
no harm is done. But a blockheAd
who says nothing and wise person
who SAYS too much. their union would
result in monsters. Iire E"ge"e."
subtle logic of the feminine mind !,
Rosalie did not jump at the conclusion.
She reached out and sna,ched it bald
headed De >aisait tete ct,aure).
On the same day Eugene was cast
ing up his accountable Was an ac-
countant, but that is no matter-aBd
in footing up column he came to
"naught and naught are naught. l"
Eugene paused in his occupation. at
never occurred to me before" he
thought, THAT one can add two fig
ures together without getting any re-
suit. One adds two naughts together
and one gets third naught. | must
think about this.
As Eugene stood vacanuy meditat-
ing and rubbing the feather of his
quill pen against his cheek his thoughts
instinctively turned upon Rosalies
downy cheek aud then upon Resale
herself. The ciphers were forgotten.
That evening Eugene called upon
Resale. although il was an of:night
(uas nut eat,uD. Resale was sitting
alone in the salon. Of course NJ. and
Nine. Lebrun had not expected him,
for they were not present. Ii cannot
he said whether Resale expected him
or not, for she never said anything
As Eugene entered the salon. ROsalie
simply smiled and drew the skirts Of
her robe closer to her. Eugene ac-
copied the invitation and placing a
chair near Resale seated himself.
One should by no means accept the
theory of many philosophers that an
idea cannot be comprehended without,
the use or knowledge of language.
Some hold that when one thinks one
is sensible of speech which is silent
vet audible to ones self. Nothing can
be more untrue. The faculty of speech
resides in the brain, not ihthe threat.
IL it were otherwise. how could deaf
mu:es think before acquiring the sign
language. One can appreciate i'm
pressions and ideas without mentally
them into language. That
is an after-thOught.
Thus it was with Resale and Eu-
gene as they sat side by side, speech
less vet eloquent. The scene was al
most like that described by Mr.. Gov
entry Patmuch, the English poet. in
The Angel i'm the House"
For hours the clock upon the Shelf
Had alt the talking 10 itself.
As Eugene gazed at the clock in
The salon and watched the minnie
hand slowly moving past the figures
% the dial, he thought of his pen
moving along the column of figures .
md stopping at the ciphers. Then
he train of thought carried him to the
leather Of his pen, its soft touch upon
his cheek, the softness of Rosalie's
,heek, Resale herself sitting by his
ide. and then by jump backwards
o his first meeting with the young
.irl.
Resale also stared ut the clock. /
;he saw the ornament on its upper
art, a female figure reclining against
marble block on which was scuIptur-
4 haad Then the thc,,Chf If her