The Portland daily press., 1888-02-18

tediousness of over-nicety even as regards
grammar, comes with double grace from
man Of his elegant learning. And If ped
antry Is unloyely in a speaker, how twice
unblest it is when applied to the interlocutor.
No more instant chill and check can be
given to narrative or an argument than the
question, Do you pronounce that word with
the long or short? or, What authority
have you for placing the accent on the pc
multi? The matter of speech has been ig-
nored for sake of an unimportant point OF
its manner. The argument fails, the anec-
dote stops short; the words of Job are ended
until the next time.
1t is agreeable to learn that Professor Ma
haffy, appreciatiye and capable of wit and
humor, does not believe them essential to
the art of conversation, but rather to be
used as brilliant adjunctS, and hence spar
ingly. Indeed, in order to elicit a laugh, one
often sacrifices somewhat of grace and OF
genuine effect, in setting the subject in the
false light and unnatural pose of the rldicn-
lous. There is, however, time for jesting !;
and the Professor considers that such an oc-
casion is given by the proyerbially awkward
time while the company awaits the word
that Madame is served. Yet he warns one
not to call too early upon the professed
wit of the party, even after the feast is be-
gun. And he is right, even the waiter at a
restaurant hardly brings the check before
the dessert; and it is too much to require of
guest that he pay in advance his dinner, or
exhaust his sbonmots before he tastes his
bonbons. 1t is necessary, however, to I'LL up
In some way ''the bad quarter-hour' before
the summons to table; and it may be sug-
gested for the benefit of young Curtius, on
his social promotion, that if he will leap
boldly into that yawning gulf, on whatever
hobby may be his, he will have the. honor to
save the situation and earn the lasting graf
itude of his hostess. Professor Mahaffy be-
lieyes that the best early training in the art
of conversation is the habit Of talking at
table where young and old meet together
and traces the tradition that children should
be seen and not heard at table TO the customs
of medieval monks, who So reflections were
silent save for the voice Of the brother who
read aloud the Lives of the Saints. 1t is
well, il in changing all this, we do not SUBJ
stitute the recital of the life, death and
miracles" Of the sinners, our contemporaries
and acquaintance. Between the two-one
would choose to hear the story of Saint
Ursula with the details of the biography OF
her eleven thousand virgins, rather than the
endless tales Of ill-natured and trivial gos-
sip. Not that interest in the doings and
welfare of others is to be dispraised; since 1t
is-achen it is-the result and expression of
the social instinct and of sympathy. And
now and then it will go hard with even the
best of us but he shall say his say as to the
folles and faults of his neighbor-this, how
ever, only as spice to kindier and worthier
discourse of them.
In concluding his brilliant manual,l Profess
sor Mahaffy returns to the keynote OF his
theory, that conversation being ordained for
the pleasure and refreshment of society,
should be natural, easy, tactful and unselfsh,
and free from pedantry and from conceit
indeed, one fancies that he has been assist
ed in his Art of Conversation, not only by
the Warehouses of Londonderry and Lady
Audrey Buller-to whom he makes his com
pliments of acknowledgement-but also by
the theological Virtues and the classic
| Graces. New York: G. p. Putnam's Sons
Portland Loring Short g. Harmony