The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-08-14
Tact.

One may have all the virtues, anu pos
sess all the endowments which comes
from the benign accidents of wealth. and
lineage, and yet want the one thing which
will make his life happy and successful.
One of the. curious things about. such a
bereavement .is,: that the person whom
Nature has so Impoverished hardly ever,
and perhaps never, knows exactly what
it is"-as that renowned ethical philoso-
pher, Josh Billings, would pat it-"that
ails him." He is a man of business, we
will suppose, and is strictly truthful and
upright; he fulfills all his engagements
/ to the very letter; he is punctual, and
not over.exacting but he does not have
the art to please. He lacks, in short,
tact. The stranger who comes to trade
with him, if he is merchant, may like
the quality of his goods, and may not
dislike. his prices but TIE situation,
nevertheless, will become uncomfortable
in due time and before he knows the
casual customer, whom dealer with
little tack would have easily retained,
Goes across the street to fill his subsequent
order. ... -,
We all know the preacher who lacks
this lubricating quality, and who rants
about matters that iritate persons rather
than establish principles, and who very
soon comes to grief in his parish. He
has been scattering dynamite in the most
careless possible way, and wonders why
ANYBODY is hurt, and doesn't hear any
thing but the rebound from the e1plo-
sion. :.
To the politician, tact means often a
positive and Indispensable capital in
trade. It far supersedes talent when 1t
stands alone by itself. 1t is not proba'
bic that there is single human nature
as is the politicians. He must know
everybody, and know their dispositions
as we'll. And the very successful ones
manage to do this, and to enter into the
various interests which engage different
men with an ease and alacrity that reach
the very summit of art, while the absence
of art is never doubted, or the skill OF
the thing is not expected, The politician
who has tact does not let it desert him
the day after the election. :,
The want of tact in lawyer will
often lose him his case, no matter how
we'll read he is in the law pertaining to
it Before. 8 jury, the gifts of adroitly
putting thing 80 as to chime With the
feelings and prejudices of twelve differ
ent men is all important. 1t gives to the
lawyer who adds to respectable talents
this power, consummate influence.
Tact in studying the feelings and Pc
culiarities of his patients is one of the
prime requisites of a physician: He can
not successfully minister to their ailments
unless he thoroughly. understands their
inmost mental peculiarities and succeeds
in humoriug them. He will know the
English of plaeebo and the value OF bread.
pills and, in certain cases--in most
cases, in fact--be will keep tho thought
of danger in abeyance.
But after all, there is no place where
tact is not needed. It's usefulness in the
daily, general relations Of life is para
mount. It carries for its possessor
gentle, unconscious persuasion with 1t.
He will make his way without seeming
to know how he has made it. We can
remember one person after another who
is afflicted with an almost ludicrous ab.
seuce of this quality, and who is perpet-
ually in Mrs. Partington's dilemma
said she never opened her mouth with
out putting her foot in it. If some Visi-
tor arrives who has lately had a near rel.
tive hung, the object of the gallows will
be at once introduced and e1patiated
upon with peculiar JUNCTION and persis-
tepce. The wrong topic is always in
troduced by the ill-arranged individuals,
and is sure to be discussed in the most
ill-timed and mal-apropos way.-1Hc
Hour