New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-02
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TIE ART OF SNUBBLNG.
From The QMeen.

From The queen.
Everyone can be rude. iorbidding, insoent and
snubbinR; but to only the stu1iOus and gifted few
Is II given TO wound friends self-Ove with 50
slight touch and SO fine point as to be almost IIn-
perceptible at the moment, the only thing certain
In the matter being the wound which remains. 1t
takcs no artistry TO contradict fiatly, Ia snecr
opealy, to put down an lntcrlocutOr us Il fool who
may OF may not know his own folly. THIS is the
bludgeon style of wartare-thc savage's method of
Draining his foe and oil cooking his food IN tho
ashes Of the lire The art consists IN the grace with
" hich the weapon IS used the lIghtncss Of hand
with which the thrust ~ made; the smalness Of
the visible aperture and the depth OF the CORE
spending wound. The man or woman who has at
tanned p riecuon in these methods has ever IN Dos
session of the most deadly OF all those poisonous
needles, the scratch OF which Testers TO the DEATH
Whine invisible 10 all eyes but the sufferers.
You have lately learned quite new fact, whether
in the hyscal sciences historical criticism 1t
does not signify but it is new. has not vet been
published, and your authority Is uncomfortable. YOu
are IN the presence OF snubbcr when you bIinR
out your lately acquired treasure and make pres
enL OF II to all around. That all l knew that
long ago" says the suubber. who has never heard
the question discussed. That il no such wonder
ful tning to tell II. now. you had told us OF the
elemental principle of life. or who the man 10
the Iron Mask-if you could explain why tree
grows and who was Junius-you would be worth
listening to- But this-ths is not worth the time 1t
takes to tellP And as all persons save the eXcep-
tIonally kind hearted aud the exceptionally geDeT
Ous-uiuded, like the sport of snubbing rs much rs
iO1hunters like cub hunting, you arc at oLCo set
down. amid shower Of small sncets. Us uncgo re-
taller OF secondhand guods-as one who tres tc
pass OIL Old lamps for Low, who oilers stale
facts, " which every scLOOlb0y knows" as
The latest discoveries made b. the
great leaders IN the world Of mlnt-al to get
Tor yourself the kTdOs which belongs ~ the chosen
vessel oil conn unIcatlOD. Sometimes yOu
snuDbed by "A dead blank siirucn. You have SAID
something Tor winch II IS de,iiable you should be
put down. 30 you are put down, by the era hing
force Of NJ PatNc dlsuain. What you have sIid II
not worth the trouble even Of reply. still less OF
CGntradI ctiOn. We do net answer the Cat when she
news EOr thluk II always necessary to convince our
Polly that crying j. to bed. jack" nj noon ~
futIio cXnOriatiOn. You rank hO higher than the
cat the parrot and what You have Just SAID bears
Of the O,Ler. And IA you cannot talk with no one
10 listen and no one To reply the snub does IFS work,
aud You are wounded, IA It was meant you should
DC And sometimes you are snubbcd by dir ct and.un
compromising contradiction. Ii may I've very nicely
put II your enemy be wcll-DIed or 10 will be brutal
ity and rudey dun& in your face If he or sho DO III
mIuuered. Whether nicely put or rudely flung, yOu
are cOntradicied all the samc-beaten b'ck by the
surgiug waves VIII ch sweep your own strand bare,
but bnng 10 substitute for that which they take
away.
Cousin german 20 the snub of silence is that of
OstentaiUusly changing the conversation. Yon nre
assumed TO have lUurlsIed rod rag IN the lace OF
your companions, and good breeding reDuke5 you
by sudden diversion and wheeling round away
from your post 40 that your aggressive tlIg shall
not be seeu. You really are too impracticable, they
seem to say. There II no mOdus Vlvendi possible
Win you you have never learned TO run curriclc,
20 fall into step 0nd the only way TO treat you
to change front rapidly and leave You ptdHfe IN
your isolation. They must prove 10 YOU that they
not with you, though they are too KIND anu we'll
bred to say 50 openly. Hence they snub you with
courteous smile, their sole reply to what you
have sa d. and Immediately open another topic OF
conversation, miles away from that which you had
begun