Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-25

this is like saying that earth, air and
water is all there Is TO the world, az il il
was simpls as beeswRx. But it is some
thing TO know when you want 20 begin to
improve talk, and that is finding out just
what you want TO say. The other day a
! very bright woman asked me how she
should write an advertisement for q mer-
chant. asked her for an idea of what
abs wanted to say, and the first sentence
shs uttered was the announcement COM
plete. 1t was simple, concise, perfect.
Happily the forms of polite speech are
laid down for us-the "good morning.
for those we meet with whom we are not
Intimate. the chow do you do'' for
friends and nsighbors.
The Greeks used to say to each other
when they met in their beautiful garden
world. "Rejoice,'' just as we say,
"How are you?'' From the same sort
Of feeling we say, 'I am glad to see
you' to those we favor. But after these
stereotype greetings what to say causes
many young mind some bad quarters
OF an hour. 'fI like So-and-so, but
don { know what to say to her, girls
/ and boys will own in touching conf
dences. Well, then, find out. 1t is
very pretty to hear a shy young lad or
nice girl inquire quite earnestly, "Can I
do anything for you, Mrs. Jonesi" but
IL is well to ask the question OF yourself
first, "what can ! do to interest this
person?' The old conversational bylaw
used to be to interest people by talking
about themselves, but a very listle OF
this, repeated only with discreet and DEL
icate touch, Is enough.
People don't always feel themselves
in !, 70
talk about themselves. They are rather
complimented by talking about their
tastes rather than their affairs or per-
sonal interests. You see the safe topics
can only be indicated by teaching your
self pretty decidedly what not to say.
Avoid questions if you can. It sounds
better to say, al hope you are not tired
with your long walks or 'you must
DO tired with it," than to ask. care
you tired?" or, "Have you come far?''
Take everything creditable for granted
of your companion. Don't ask per-
force, "Do you like music?' in q crude
way, but, 'You are musical - with the
very faintest questioning infection, or,
lyon play tennis, l suppose?" And If
your unhappy respondent does not I'M
deTstand either of these things, do not
make him any more unhappy by pause
or comment, but turn to something
pleaSanter for him.
Listen to your elders in society, re-
member their phrases and the turn they
give TO conversations. Never have the
leas: scruple about borrowing q happy
expression or using the same form Of
words. In this imitation is the siucerest
kind of flattery, and it is better to have
neat secondhand conversation than poor
originality, The sayings passed from
one bright person to another add the
flavor tc chat, as dried bay leaves to
soup. One can bear to hear n turn like
"a tue day overhead, but not many 60
ing that way more than once in a
life. On an absurdity like the old ques-
tion, ''are you feeling gayer than q
bluebird, or bluer than Jay
bird?" is enough to dispense q cloud
OF low spirits sometimes. Chester
field wrote that we must not talk pro-
verbs, but that can only bar the incss-
SAINT quotation in which some people in
dulged in his time, or the use of vul-
Rarisms like Every one TO his taste, as
the old woman said when she kissed the
cow You must observe and study
how TO use humor, compliment and
slang. Compliment with q smile or you |
make 1t too serious, but don't pay IL |
laughingly or it seems burlesque. A |
dash OF well-chosen slang goes well, for |
slang is, rs Col. Higginson says, ''lan- |
guage in the making, " but If you listen |
awhile you will find why reference to |
Sairy Camp and Mrs. Harris amuses |
more than the "McGinty, " of whom we |
have had rather more than enough.
Learn all the forms of courteous and |
complimentary speech, but use them
with distinction. You should know
when to shy that you will be pleased TO
accept o courtesy or attention, when
you VIII be "happy' to do the same,
and when you will be glad, in the open
of frank intimacy. Learn
the shades of civility, they give value to
and meaning to cordially
when il comes. Use the salt and spice
Of conversation freely, but be choice OF
your sugar, and, above all, don't be
oily! There are people so unotuously
polite that one near them feels like being
careful for fear he gets grease on his
clothes. One has TO take all their
smooth words with much salt. Sincere
need no fiavoring added.
TtTr NVyr, |