New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-03

| from any mind but his own. Tell your best
story let fly the bonmot which You have been
polishing for months, give hint OF your seci ct
trouble or hope, he has enough good-breedlng
to be silent until you have finished but his eye
drops into vacancy, his only answer is a
patronizng smile. When we want state
dinner to pass of well, we count on him just rs
we do on the flowers or old wine, or other such
unwonted efforts; but for real human inter
course we 20 to our stupid honest neighbors.
The fine talker in city Iuns but brief
career. He is short-lved rs the race-horse or
the man who swings by one leg on " trapoze or
hoists cannon-balls, or in any OF or way wins
applaus by forcibc spurts of display. In n
year OF two the Jokes begin to look thin ana the
capital stories give signs of having been Turned
ard patched much too often. The talker then
usually throws them INTO lecture oI two, and
il apt to earn not state dinners hut daily bread
and beef with them while he delights provincial
lycenms Outside of the large cities yOur fine
talker is seldom a wit. The bucollc mind dis
trusts the funny man. The people OF small
towns elect as their Oracle the ready but
wcighty speaker, the man OF general research
into encyclopedias and magazines, who can
give you an opinion of hand On bcet-suSar, or
Russian politics, or pIcdcStination, or the
chances as to the Presidency IN 1854, with
flucncy and authority lie keeps his wits on
tap, so to speak, ready for all corners. To be
sure, even in the slow eddies and currents Ot
thought in provincial life, the opinions of this
leader of intelligence and conversation some
times appear stale and secondhand, and his
audience wonder vi ether they have elected
their ruler wis y. But they generals wonder
in lrncc and hc talks oil ms way triumphantly.
The FINALE of tins Species is marked by the
same characteristics She Is usually more efiu-
siyc, however. She takes her auditors more
into her confidence. gushing sympathy and
personal interest are her capital instead of the
good stories and tie quick humor Of which
most women are destitute Having claimed
ycu as hcl friend, she proceeds To show YOU
what IN acquisition You have made. She IS
ready to exhaust and settle forever all questions
urpcrmost in the community; whether It BE the
Indian problem, embroidered tidits oI universal
salvation.
The salient point to bc noted in tie men OF
women who are popularity known - fine takers
in this country, il that their material j. really,
u, "A rulr, stale and secondhand. They have
verbal experiences in handling thoughts; they
give them ont Is literally Is the pipughman
throws down the chopped fodder tC hi, !rrd.
Eat the Thoughts are chopped tiue aud dried;
they bear the same rclation 10 the simple utter
auccs of genuine thinker that the dr. cut
~tuhhlc does TO the green. live growing corn III
the iclI. The men and women noted ~ con-
vcr.,rs il. ENGLISH society OF the last century
were th,s" gifted with dramatic rcVGS or
flashing vii. hey v,re the racouicui' OF wits
whu>c s.oilrs aud irpart'r- have CONF down 10
IL. In now We Americans want fact, and
opinions from the mon wlo," tux would itisfy
rs and wcRrc not particular is :" whether the
iici, are the truit of zeal knowledge Ur tn
chance -cfapiugS Of Icyirw.rcadlns. We have
not yet grown MP t. the old French idea OF a
great c1u>,Hr-thc man or woman who saws
littlr and listens much. VINO never makes a dis
play hut all of whoSr knowledge. magnetism
and tact are used to bring out h!- companion
and place him al his best