Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-25
HOW TO TALK WELL.

An Interesting Chat with Boys and Girls
On the Art of Conversation.
copyrighted 1890 by the Author.I
If one might choose between being
very handsome with tolerable manners,
and being plain with fine, well-modu-
lated voice and better manners tnan or
binary, he should wisely prefer the lat
ter. We do not feel the charm Of we'll
taught speech, because it is SO seldom
heard. But once felt it has a 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 q
loud one by any means, is always dis
tinot one, which can be unerringly heard
without effort OF the speaker. An in
distinct utteranoe is always sign of
mental or physical deficiency, which
ought to be promptly mastered. And 1t
takes very hard work often to get the
better of this slovenly pronunciation.
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 your
self this piggish, boorish habit OF grunt-
ing in place of speech. Neither, John
Alexander. must you let your sleepy,
dreamy, unsooial 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 UNDER
stand.
You ought to feel ashamed when any
one not precisely deaf has to ask you to
say the same thing one, two or three
times, because you are too slothful and
Indifferent to speak as you should. 1t is
no sort of use for you to say you can e
speak any other way. A smart, ringing
box on the side of your face would soon
teach you how to speak to be under
stood. 1t would send the blood and ner-
vous force tingling to your lips and
tongue, instantly unloosing them, and
your speech about that time would be
marked by most delightful accuracy and
distinotness Better try for it without
the slap in the face. Any one slow and
thick Of speech should read aloud half an
hour at a time twice day, taking col
umn of paper and reading through adj
yertisements, news and everything, or
recite the same line over fifty times, the
object being not so much to catch the in
Election as to sceustom the lips and
tongue to the habit of speech and tram
them to quick movement.
Slow speech is an intolerable affront to
others and waste of time. 1 went to
church Yesterday and set out sermon
which wasted thirty minutes Of the pos
sible forty years 1 have yet to live,
listening to such novel and profound re-
marks as these, ''Animals are endowed
with life, - "Human beings have rea-
son {" spoken in a ponderous way, as If
the Speakers Wits were wool-gathering
each sentence. You may believe
would not have wasted so much OF my
precious life waiting on such sluggish
mud-fowing If the sexton had not seated
me too far up the aisle to get out with
out making q procession of myself before
the congregation. You must learn to
talk to the point and with celerity-that
is, not chattering, but with smooth,
steady flow of language without jerks or
confusion.
To have this command of language,
think beforehand what you must say,
what will touch the interests OF those
you meet, whether it Is word about the
weather, inquiry for their health or
their concerns. This ready change Of
speeoh needs to be counted out before
hand, as you have your car-fare ready
to avoid fumbling for it when the con-
ductor comes around. Everything in
life needs little thinking about, till you
get used to it, as the brain does its part
without conscious prompting.
A smart little proverb or amusing say
ing or pithy slang helps out human IN
tercourse in common ways, but, as my
mentor taught me, you don't want to
use slang with bishop or old saws with
a fine lady. With your elders and bet
ters study to be precise and PLAIN In
speech, and leave them to begin joking.
To speak sweetly make the toilet OF
your mouth and nose with care three
times q day. There should be three
minutes after each meal given to per-
sonal cares, rinsing the mouth, clearing
the throat and using the handkerchief,
which should then make its appearances
as seldom as possible. A habit OF deep
breathing also clears the voice and gives
it fulness and softness at command.
Only good feeling and great Kindness
of nature can give sweetness-heart
sweetness-to voice, but the smooth
vibrating tones that one listens for and
wonders at comes Of physical we'll beings
a warm, lively temper OF mind and body,
which may be cultivated by keeping ones
self very comfortable, and then getting
all the work out OF ones self be Is ca
pable Of doing.
What to say, and how to say it, Is all
thera ia in the art of conversation. Trpa.s