The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-09
THE ROANOKE TIMES TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1890.
MEN AS TAKERS.
Thcy Do Not Read Enough to Mako Thor
Conversation Interesting,


Conversation Interesting.
The Boston Journal says that there
are three causes which go far to explain
tho Notwithstanding character OF the
average young man to the average young
person of tho opposite sex. The first is
that no is too much engrossed in HIM
self and the things which interest him.
The finest point Of courtesy in CONVEX
sation is to seek those subjects which
will interest the people with whom we
talk. The young man who goes into
society OF cultivated young women and
has nothing better to offer, as his con-
trlbutlon to tho conversation, than base
ball talk or "reminiscences of college
scrapes Will make himself entertaining,
IL at all, only by making himself ridicu-
lous, and that, 1T is safo to say, is not
what no is after. So with tho various
other subjects, either of business or of
pleasure, which are chiefly tho concern
OF men. They ought not to be forced
into conversation with women. IL tho
latter want to know about them. very
we'll, but the information should be
given as brightly and interesting rs
possible, and without any appearance Of
condescending enlightonment The
truo entleman who enters tho society
of women with tho deferenco which he
should feel, will study them sufficiently
to know what things are likely to inter
est thom and what are not.
Another difficulty is that the average
young man is likely to make q mistake
as to the things which will interest
young women, even when no makes q
sincere attempt to adapt his convcrsa-
ton TO them. Old notions die hard
There are still Il great many young men
who can not understand that the Young
women whom they know, some of them
at least, have minds which are capable
OF something moro than small talk, of
fashion-plates or society gossip. Never
thecss, this is true. Nothing is moro
CALLING to young women of cultivation
and intelligence than to be persistently
talked down to by the men of their ac-
quaintanco. Let tho average young man
realize that tho average young woman
with whom he talks knows probably at
least as much as he does, and he will
make his conversation better worth
while by putting little intellect into
it.
third difficulty is that tho average
young man is in serious danger of being
left behind intellectually, by tho aver
ago young woman. we do not expect
that this alarming statement will DO ac-
ceptod without dispute. But we com
mend to the solemn consideration of
young men tho question whether
q. young man, who in college gives
his chief thought to athletics and
after he leaves college is engrossed
in business, is likely to keep up with
his sister, or some other fellows sister,
who started with mind at least as
bright as his, has had equal educational
advantages, and has both time and dis
position to improve herself. We main
tain that no young man can afford to
deprive himself of the broadening and
clevating influence OF good books. The
newspaper has it's place, but il is not
tho place of Shakespeare or Milton. of
Addison or Rusllin or any other of the
great masters of English. Business has
its cXacting demands, but they can best
bo mot by a man who relieves the ten
sion upon his mind by occasional eXcur-
sions in standard and current literature
If the young man of tho period is to
converse to tho edification and enter
tainmcnt Of young women no must fiji
his mind with something besides base
ball, or stocks, or politics. Those may
enter into conversation, but they must
not ho it's staple. To restore the proper
conversational relations OF the sexes,
tho average young man must improve
his habits OF thought and speech IL
moro ways than one.