San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-12-22
The Art Of Conversation.

were utterly Ignorant OF the art Of con-
VersatiOn, and, when they talked. mere
ly INDUCED in a monOlOgue-that IL To
say, they mOnopOiiZed all the talk and
simply delivered lecture. Thomas
BabIngtOn Macauley b lOnged TO this
class of cOnversatiOnallsts, and only
wanted listeners TO what he poured
forth with wOndrOus cOpiousness. Adj
olson who, In consequence OF HE con-
sIitdTional bashfulness, shrank from
general con versatlOn and recOiled from
crowds. maintained there could be nc
such thing rs conversation except be-
tween two persons; but. In this npin-
ion, he was widely mistaken. He com
United the mistake Of laying down a
general maxim, founded upon his own
bashfulnrss, and his dread Of opening
his mouth before a prOmlsCuOus crowd,
and Jumped TO the conclusion that there
could be no conversation except be-
tween two iDIerlOCutOrs who were
friends, Just because his own bashfulntss
sealed his lips and Tied his tongue when
ever crowd was present. This WAS a
very erroneous KIND Of generalization,
since it was basing general maxim
upon an individual instance. All men
ar not afflicted with the degree of bash
fulness under which Addison SO paln-
fully labOred, consequently they are
able to converse either in small or
large assembly, VITA rude or polite peO-
pie, with the learned or the unlearned.
DR.. Samuel johnson WAS probably the
best type of cORversatiOnalist TO be-
found IN the annals of literature He
WAS ready TO talk to anybody, to a
strange or friend-tO fellow pas
-enger a stage coach, whom he had
hAttt ar a 4
VI IS, with whom he happened TO he ac-
cider tally IhrONn into contact; to a
lraru' philosopher, or TO twenty. He
WAS. by nature. CUmbative, and / Clined
20 maintain his opinion against all com
-Ts. and bashfulness and tImidity had no
part In his CUmpOslIiOn-ne bad SUI
icirnt sturdlneSs TO think for himself
aud manlintss enough TO MAINTAIN any
,pinIOn entertained 10y him, no matter
now unpopular II might happen 10 be,
Il the time; his thoughts flowed freely
and were clothed in fUrcible and Ierse
lnnguage-he was by turns. humorous.
witty, sarcastic, "a neiic aud eloquent.
out MS love Of victory often rrLdr r. d
nim dugmHtiU, dUminrering and eupnIs-
zeal In conversation Oliver Goldsmith,
VINO knew him in ImaIeIy, when iii :
rating his conversational power, sal {
Johnson reminded him OF fOOI-pad,
who, II his pistol happened 10 snap
~Uuld knock fellow Oh The head win
Ire butt end of The pistol"
America has produced but a small
lumber of eminent Cunversati naust,.
NhICh no doubt was owing To our hHOIIs
81 isolation ana the wait OF lit, rHrS
capital, such rs Parls, Berlin, Vienna
ma Loud don, to which literary men flock
=. TO centre of gravity WashI on Is
IN. national ana pol ricsl capital Of the
uniun, but 1t is not much IrequenIed b,
literary men and women. New York
nd Boston do not compare with Paris or
London rs literary capitals, because com
pArativell few Of the literary men in the
union reside 10 those cities, aud because
such MS happen 10 reside In them are
scarcely erOgniZed socially by the pluto
Gratis and shOudy arisIOCrats. snOUs are
necessarily forced to affect greal er
degree of eXClusiVeness than persons
that have belonged To polite society for
whole generations and whose social rank
IL fixed and established. In Boston and
New York plutocraTs, men who have
grown rich suddenly. are at the head of
society, and these plutOcrats, nine times
out OF ten, are persons OF small eduCa-
ton, little reading and culture and
totally devoid of polish Of manners and
admiration for genius; hence, they recOIl
rom extending social GOurtesies 10 mere
literary men, whose only wealth consists
in their brains. The art OF conversation
can only be acquired by practice and
cultivation, and the best possible school
for it Is in society, in parlors or drawing
rooms, filed with men and women of
intelligence and refinement. The salons
D. In nj al Of
good breeding quite q comprehensive
and significant phrsZe, but also of the
art OF conversation, from the fact. that
conversation is the chief attraction and
that scholars, authors and travellers are
cordially welcomed. By this means,
conversational talent is cultivated as
well as encouraged 7E.
Conversation is not mOnologue, but
an interchange Of ideas on the part of as
many men and women as choose to par
ticipate in the friendly discussion of any
topic that may happen to be started. Ii
may be a question Of literature, history,
science. art, religion, politics, poetry,
biography, sociology, or some common
place topic, or household affair, which is
di4cussed, but no matter What may be
he topic Its discussion by half dozen
persons, from separate sIandpOints, has
upon 1t, the same effect as looking at
things through Kaleidoscope has.
This is one OF the main advantages of
conversatiOn-the presen alton OF Il sub
ject in all possible aspects-the correc-
ton OF the prejudices Of education the
exposure OF sophisIry in arguufnt-the
-illng of facts and arguments, by the
conflict OF mind with mind. AS Lord
Bacon truly observed, conversation
makes ready man"
The man or woman, who converses
easily and Interestingly. is always well
come In ANY intelligent company, for,
his conversation is at once instructive
and entertaining and has the effect of
loOsening the tongues OF all who hear
him. Dudes. who have to be braInless
in order TO become du es, and men that
have been Jamaicag lngerizrd. are not
expected to enjoy or participate in intel
ligrht conversation any more than
crows ar ex. eGTed TO enjoy the rayish.
ing melody of the nightengale.
The conversation ought never to be
pitched too Oh 10 admit of its being
participated in by the company, nor
ought any one person in the company
TO nOnOpoliZe the talk and compel 9th
rs To remain silent. We must induce
others to join in the conversation. and,
II necessary. turn il upon some topic
with winch they are familiar, and APP
peal to them for an opinion. Addison
said wise man would learn something
from the conversation of n peasant or
fool, and unquestionably, he was in the
right.
We are deficient In the art of conver-
sstiOn simply b. cau.e We enjoy such
mesgre opportunities for its cultivation.
We no have salons, like those of Paris,
where both sexes assemble for CONVEX
sa ion; we have no breakfasts, like those
\ "a. h,.If a..