Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-31
4 Lost Art.
Detroit Free Press.

There was time, and that not very far
distant, when men and women aspirea to
be brilliant takers. They not only aspired,
but they succeeded in attaining the 90
iect of their desires. There was no draw
ing-room, there was not a gathering,
without its galaxy of celebrities who
could fascinate the whole company with
their tongue. Beauty of person was
nowhere in those days, in comparison
with cultivated conversation. If it
were, Doctor Samuel Johnson would never
have held his own in the drawing-rooms
of the period. Where are the Lady Wort
ley Montagus of this country The soil
of this age is not conducive to the growth
of such social plants. Many of our best
men and women are of higher average
intellectually than in the days when
Lady MOntagu was in great favor as a
talker. We may declare that because of
this higher average of cultivation there
are less brilliant takers to be found in
modern society. We may maintain that
the higher the grade of general culture
the less chance there is for the individual.
But these reasons are not satisfactory
If we had many brilliant takers it would
hold good, but the fact is, undeniable
| that the conversation of society of to-day
is very "fat, stale and Improbable"
This is the most singular because un-
doubtedly the taste for reading is grow
| ing with each year, and the standard of
discrimination in the matter of literature
| is constantly improving. But there is
also no doubt that twenty-fv years ago
the American drawing rooms could boast
of more brilliant conversers than those
of to-day can boast.
What is the reason for thisf Are
people too busy to talkf Do they read
too muchf Reading maketh a full man."
said Lord Bacon, and the man who is full
of ideas ought to find an entertaining
means of expressing them. 1t does not
always follow, however, that an ample
reader is a fine talker. AS an English
writer has remarked: Conversation
means commerce of the eye and lid, as
we'll as an interchange of ideas. Talk is
the fence of the wit. It is the struggle of
the intellectually is the parry and
nimble brain shiftings, the quick move
ment of the fences, the return upon
memory, the strategic advance upon
argument" Reading is solitary virtue
1t teaches one to appreciate the advan-
tages of solitude; and while it equips one
with heavy batteries, it does not fit one
IOT bu0 dcJlV0 WOEk lIkub
soldier. Another reason for this decay
Is found in the fact that the de
mands of business and professional life
absorb mems energies, so that when
they appear in society they have no de-
sire to use those energies further unless
some opportunity arises to follow in the
line of their direct work. The same rule
applies to busy women. Generally the
burden of the conversation in society
nowadays is carried on by persons whose
brains are not particularly stored with
ideas. This is great pity, for spirited
talker will charm a whole drawing-room
of people. The more bright takers
there are in the company, the greater will
be the enjoyment. There is nothing SO
pleasant as to listen to one whose fuency
of language, coupled with originality of
thought and ingenuity of expression
and large culture, marks him as the artis-
tic talker. If the art of conversation
were more generally cultivated the social
gatherings of to-day would be much more
delightful.