The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-13
How 70 Ta Il WELL.
An Interesting Chat with Boys and Girls


ON the Art of Conversation.
IF one might choose between being
very handsome, with tolerable man
ners, and being plain, with a fine, wei
modulated voice and better manner.
than ordinary, he would wisely prefer
the latter. We do not feel the charm
OF well taught speech, because it is SC
seldom heard. But once felt it has q
spell which fingers in the mind forever.
The beauty of the face strikes the eye,
the tone of the voice stirs the heart.
A fine voice, which does not mean o
loud one by any means, is always dis
tinct one, which can be unerringly
heard without effort of the speaker.
An indistinct utterance is always q
sign OF mental or physical deficiency,
which ought to be promptly mastered.
And ii takes very hard work often tc
get the better of this sloyenly pronun-
citation. Learn to speak. 1t is easier
when you come down in the morning
TO grunt in answer to good morning
than to say the two words, but you
must not allow yourself this piggish,
boorish habit of grunting in place OF
speech Neither, John Alexander must
you let your sleepy, dreamy, unsocia1
temper control you SO that you speak
in dull, thick tone at the back of the
throat, which is of all others the most
trying voice to understand.
Slow speech is an intolerable a1Tront
to others and waste of time. Invent TO
church Yesterday and sat outs sermon,
which wasted thirty-iive minutes of the
possible forty years / have yet TO live,
listening to such novel and profound
remarks as these; Animals are en-
dowed with life, Human beings have
reason" spoken in ponderous way, as
il the speakers wits We're wool gather
ing each sentence. You may believe l
would not have wasted so much of my
precious life waiting on such slug
gish mud flowing if the sexton had not
seated me too far up the aisle to get
out without making procession OF
myself before the congregation. You
must learn 10 talk TO the point and
with celerity-that is, not chattering,
but with smooth, ready flow of language
without jerks or confusion.
To speak sweetly, make the toilet of
your mouth and nose with care three
times a day. There should be three
minutes after each meal given to per-
sonal care, rinsing the mouth, clearing
the throat and using the handkerchief,
which should then make its appearance
as seldom as possible \ habit of deep
breathing also clears the voice and gives
it fullness and softnesS at command.
What TO say, and how TO say it, is all
there is to the art ofconverSation. True,
this is like saying that earth, air and
water are all there is to the world, as if
it were simple as beeswax. But it is
something 10 know when you want to
begin TO improve talk, and that is by
finding out just what you want to say.
The other day very bright woman
asked me how she should write an adj
vertisement for q merchant. / asked
her for an idea of what she wanted TO
say, and the first sentence she uttered
was the announcement complete. 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 init
mate, the chow DO you do for friends
and neighbors
People don't always feel themselves
the central interest in creation or wish
to talk about themselves. They are
rather complimented by talking about
their tastes rather than their affairs or
personal interests, You see the safe
topics can only be indicated by teach
ing yourself pretty decidedly what not
to say. Avoid questions if you can.
1t sounds better to say, Il hope you are
not tired with your long walks, or You
must be tired with it. than TO ask
Are you tired" or Have you come
far" Take everything creditable for
granted of your companion. Don't ask
perforce, DO you ike music@ in a
crude way, but You are musical"
with the very faintest questioning in
Fiction, or You play tennis, sup
posew And if your unhappy respond
emit does not understand either of these
things, do not make him any more I'M
happy by pause or comment, but turn
to something pleasanter for him.
Learn all the forms Of courteous and
complimentary speech, but use them
with distinction. You should know
when to say that you viii be pleased to
accept a courtesy or attention, when
you viii be happy" to do the same,
and when you will be glad, in the open
heartedness of frank intimacy. Learn
the shades of civility; they give value
to intercourse and meaning to cordial
itv when it'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
unctuously 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 courtesies need no favoring
added.-New York World.
Nature Is Resting.
Not an island has been heaved up or
sunk from sight in the Pacific ocean for
the last thirty-four years, and BIOLOGISTS
.l... - 4..., l. ,.oSti,act for n miohtY