The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-05-22

In fashionable circles in the large cities, at
present, more attention is being paid to the
art of conversation than has been for some
years. This is happy move. There Ia
something appalling in the thought of being
obliged to sit for a whole evening and
'smake talk" out Of your own head For
that reason, dancing and games have been
invented to fill the horrible void occasioned
by the stupidity and mental emptiness Of
people.
Ladies are ambitious to become brilliant
and entertaining in conversation. How the
sparkling talker lights up a whole room with
her radiance, and draws a host of people
about her wherever she appears. Not she
who talks Of dress servants and contempti
BILE or spiteful personal matters. The bril-.
liant talker is she whose mind is stored with
knowledge Of mankind, Of books and things
and whose soul is gentle and sweet tempered.
Numerous ladies have formed converse
tion clubs. Some are newspaper classes
These read the dispatches and current news
every day and discuss them at their meet
ings. There are literary clubs where the
members study and talk books. Then again
there are debating classes, where women get
upon their feet and tell, extempore, the rea.
sons why they take this or that side Of a
question. These are perhaps the best of all
Parlor speaking, forcible, eloquent and nat.
ural is pleasing beyond most kinds of talk.
Then, again, there are parlor clubs, where
men and women talk the mind cure, the
faith cure, spiritualism, mesmerism, occult
ism and all the new-fangled witchcraft Of
the hour. But all will tend to the same end
to lift fashionable society out of empty
trivialities, and cause women to know some
thing, to think something, and to be able to
tell II without awkwardness or scare
There are some physical points that it ID
well to remember In training ones self to
talk Learn to form words and sounds with
the tip OF the tongue, the front teeth and
the lips. Uo not make the sounds away back
m your mourn-n your throat Inat is the
great American fault. By that means the
tones are gobblsd and obstructed, particu-
larly the nasal sounds. 1t Is this that makes
the 'noseyn American voice that foreigners
observe and comment ON so unpleasantly.
Worst Of all, they are right about it. Our
throaty, obscure national voice is the reverse
of the clear-struck, ringing tones OF which
The vocal organs are capable. An Eng
lishman says that he has never yet
seen an average American who could say
'Ln They all speak 1t '.aiy," back
in the throat and through the nose. A
little observation will convince anybody that
this Is true Attention Is not given in the
United States generally to the culture OF q
pure, sweet speaking voice. Yetsuch voice
any woman can develop for herself. The
main thing is to observe the simple rule
above mentioned-to make the sounds at the
front of the mouth, and not back in the
throat Then learn to pronounce correctly.
Yoa can do this by observing the pronuncia-
tion OF cultivated people. Enlarge your
vocabulary by reading, by talking OF the
best things you know. and by knowing the
best that goes on In the world of books, men
and things. Consult your dictionary for
every word You don't know the meaning Of,
A natural desire to please and make thosa
happy around you win do the rest With all
these you win in time become a brilliant
taiker
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