Morning journal and courier., 1889-09-26
FACT.
People Who Have 1t and People Who Do Notwithstanding Anecdotes.
 [Ganroa Parsons I.athrQn in Enach

[George Parsons Lathrop in Epoch.l
 There is maxim of conduct, not taught in the Sunday schools nor advocated in sys- tems of morals, which nevertheless Is in- stilled into men from infancy by their own needs and wants; by the indirect teaching of their elders, as well as by early experience in the olashing of self-interest with other inter- est; and, later in life, by stubborn oircum- stance and rough competition. That maxim Is "Look out for Number ORe."
 Now the quality or faculty known as
 'tact" is in It's essence the very opposite of the purely selfish principle involved in the interests of Number One. The rule of tact, therefore-I mean tact of the higher, genu- inc sort, as opposed to selfshness-may ftly l be expressed in this other formula: "Look out for Number Two"
 If people more generally grasped this sims
 pie rule and understood how completely fl
 expresses the true idea of tact, they would, think, moro generally enjoy the pleasure of getting on easily with their fellows. They l would have the pleasure of giving pleasure, | and of doing so at very small cost to them 1 selves; for the exercise of tact usually re- l quires only slight effort of thoughtfulness, or the moderate seli-denial of refraining 1 from some act or speech that may cause an- other person to suffer needless embarrass- 1 ment or pain.
 Richelieu and Mazarin employed their skill l in tact for crafty ends, as all diplomatists have to. since they find velvet as indispenss- and iron may be. Even Bismarck, the most | downright and domineering of statesmen, l knows-and none better than he-just when l and how to soften the touch of his mailed l hand, in order to get hold of whatever he wants for the success Of his plans; which, in 1 one sense, may be called selfish. Many a candidate fer Congress or the legislature, or
 an aldermanic board, has also been known to l display extraordinary tact in winning sup-
 porters, before election, and to suffer Q still 1 more extraordinary lapse and fall from the plane of that high virtue. after securing the desired office.
 l A good instance of tact was told mo by 8 l young actor, of brilliant ability and excellent
 standing, who. in his early stage days, played
 a minor part in the support of Edwin Booth. The great tragedian, of course. could have had no personal object to gain by respecting l the amour propre of his youthful subordi- l nate. Yet, at rehearsal, instead of correct 1 ing the young man abruptly and autoorsti- I calIy in the presence of the whole company, he waited, took him aside afterward in the wings, and carefully glancing around to see | Uudb uO ono was 1lslculuS, uo bhIus 4b
 seems to me, my boy-mind, don't know,
 but think that your lines ought to be read in this way" Then he proceeded to show
 the young man how completely wrong he had been, by giving him the proper intona-
 tion and emphasis; but so gently was 1t done l that the apprentics was neither distressed nor disheartened. but on the contrary was
 much encouraged by the master artists kind ness
 curious illustration of the opposite prin- oiple, the total absence of consideration, Is l mentioned in the famous German zoologist,
 Ernst Haeekel's account of his visit to Cey- lon. On walking trip through the coffee district of that ssIsland of Rubies," he was entertained at the houses of the English just before the dinner hour, his host in-
 formed him that he must appear at table in l black tail coat and white tie. Haeokel ex- plained to him that, as he was journeying on
 foot, with very little baggage, he had not
 brought his dress-suit. But, notwithstand- ing this, when he came down to dinner he was made to feel as awkward and uncom- fortable as possible by finding his host ar. rayed in black evening attire and the hostess
 in full dinner toilet. That planter and his wife, though hospitable, certainly had mol the least conception of true tact.
 It Is rather easier to cite cases showing q
 disregard for the feelings of others, in the
 details of daily intercourse, than the contra ry kind; for the reason that tact is unobtru- sive, and often consists more in what one
 does not do than by any act that commands
 notice. Still, by observing these negative
 examples, one constantly gets clearer ides of what should be avoided If one wishes tc
 be taotiful. We all know the hearty, good natsred fellow who, without the least inten-
 tion of being unpleasant, assures you that in
 the summer resort to which you are going | A1 Sr hol al poisonous. and, when you name the particu-
 lar hotel you have chosen to stop at, sx-
 claims, s'RealIya I've never been there my self but it seems to ne 8 dirty sort of place.
 They say the seaview is much better," etc. There Is also such thing as being 50 anx-
 ious to please one individual that, in your
 anxiety, you become guilty of some fright.
 fal lapses in respect of others whose mental
 eomfort Is quite as important, like the Wash.
 tain friends with the great excellence of sos
 ciety at the capital, said in answer to their compliments at one of her receptions, in the hearing of a number of other guests: "But you can hardly judge of Washington society
 by this gathering. Our best people are moi
 here to.dayl" The list of these faux pas Is practically endless and Punch's "Things
 One Would Rather Have Said Otherwise 1 supply inexhaustible illustration of them.
 Then, again, there are people who escheW
 tact on tho theory that it interferes with
 truthfulness. Of course it often involves
 suppression of unnecessary. or disagreeabie
 truth: but decent reserve in this respect is
 a very good thing and far removed from
 falsehood. There is nb monopoly of tact
 yet it is not common possession either Fashionable soeiety-that body of people .t who devote most of their time to social in. tercourse, and have every means of perfect. , inc it's forms, ought to furnish an idea standard of tact in daily practice; but it an fortunately does not, because its manners ar, based too largely on self-assertion, delusion of superiority, mutual rivalry and the snul defensive or offensive. The perfection Q