West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1882-05-12
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as they arc truly taxable, more than the
half ri them may lie reduced to three
that am l, that you are you, and that
there arr other people dimly understood
70 be not quite the same as either Where
ever talk may range, it still runs halt the
time ON these eternal lines. The them
being ST, each plays on himself as on an
instrument ssser,o and jusiifies himself
ransacks his brain for instances ana opin-
ions, and brings them forth ncw-mnted
to his own surprise and the admiration Of
his adversary. All natural talk is a fest
Val of Os,entatiOn and by the laws OF
the game, each accepts and fans the vuni
ty OF the other. II IL for that reason that
we venture To lay ourselves so open. that
we dare To be so warmly eloquent, and that
We swell in each others eyes To- such vast
proportion. For takers, once Launched
begin 10 overflow the limits Of their ordi-
nary selves, tower up TO the height Of
their secret pretentioDs, and give them
selves out for the heroes, brave, piors.
musical and wise, that 10 their nOst shin
ing moments they aspire 90 be. So they
weave for themselves with words, and for
while inhabit palace OF delights, tenn
pie at once and theatre, where they Gil the
round of the worlds dignities, and feast
with the gods, exulting in Kudos. And
when the talk is over, each goes his way.
still Eushed 1t once with vanity aud admir-
alton, still trailing clouds of glory each
declined from the height of this ideal or
cue, not in moment, but by slow declen
sion.
Natural talk, like ploughing, should
turn up large surface Of life, rather than
Gig mines into geological strata. Masses
OF experience, anecdote, incident, cross
lights, quotation, historical instances, the
whole tiOtsam and jetsam of two minds
forced in ana in upon the matter 10 hand
from every poiB, OF the compass and from
every degree Of mental elevation and
abasement-these are the materials with
which talk is fortified, the food on which
The takers thrive. Such argument as is
proper TO the exercise should still be brief
and seizing Talk should proceed by in
stances; by the opposite, not the exposi-
tory. 1t should keep close along The lines
of humanity, near the hos Jms and bust
nesses of men, at the level where history.
fiction and experience intersect and illum-
mate each Other Into that illusory region
where the speakers reign supreme, man.
kind must be evoked not only in the au.
gust names and shadowy attributes of his.
tory, but in the life, the humor, the very
bodily figure OF their common friends. l..
is thus that they begin TO marshal armies
of evidence on either side of their conlen.
ton and as they sit aloft aud rcasa-
high, the whole pageant of mans lie
passes before them in review. | am I.
and You are You, with all my heart but
Conceive how these lean propositions
change and brighten when. instead of
words, the actual you and | sit cheek by
jowi, the spirit housed in the live body.
| and the very clothes uttering voices TO cor
roDorate the story in the face. Not less
surprising is the change when we leave off
TO speak of geEeralities-the bad. the
good, the miser, and all the eharact, re- of
Theophraslus--and call up other men, by
antccote or instance, in their very tri, k
and feature or trading on common
know Wedge, toss each other famous nsmts
still gio"inG with the hues of life. Com
munication is no longer by words, but 5v
the instancing of whole biographies, epics.
systems of philosophy and epocns of his.
tory, in bulk. That which is understood
excels that which is spoken in quantity
ard quality alike; ideas thus figured and
persCElaed, change hands, as we may ssy,
like coin; and the speakers imply without
effort the most obscure and intricate
thoughts. Strangers who have a large
common ground of reading, will. for this
reason, come the sooner to the graphic Of
genuine converse. If they know O,hello
and Napoleon, CCnsuelo and Clarissa Har-
lowe, Nautr:n and SteeBie Sleenson. they
can leave generalities and begin al once 10
speak by figures.
Conduct and art are the two subi.cts
that erise most frequently and that en-
brace the widest range of fsc,s. few
pleasures bear discussion for their own
sake; hut only those which are most so
cial or most radically human; and even
these can only be discussed emorg their
devotees. Il technicality is always vel
conc 10 The fyDprf wbotbor Ia .,lt.t..-
art Or law have heard the best kind of
talk on techuicalitits from such rare and
happy persons as both know and love
their business. No human being ey,r
spoke Of scenery for above two minutes at
a time, which makes me suspect we hear
too much Of il IN literature. The wealth.
or Is regarded as the very nadr ana scott
Of conversational topics. And vet the
weather, The drtmauc clement in scenery.
rs far from iractablc in language. ard far
more human both in import and sugges.
ton thar the stable features of the land
scape; sailors and shepherds, and the pco.
pie generally Of coast and mountain. talk
well Of it is often exciliugly present
ed IN literature, aud NJ. Clark RusseJVs
squalls snd hurricanes are lhirQs 10 be r..
membered during life. But The tendency
Of all living talk, draws il back and bacK
into the common focus Of humanity.
talk BE- q creature Of the street and ma .
kei-place, feedinl on gossip; and It's las,
resort d. still 10 a discussion on moral