The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-11-28
why fAgY ARE DULL TAKERS.
The Average Young Man Must Read ~
lEc Does Not Wish 10 be Bore.

The Boston journal says that there
are three causes which go FAR TO explain
the non-entertaining character OF the
average young man to the average
young person of the opposite sex. The
first Is that he Is too much engrossed In
himself aud the things which interest
him. The finest point of courtesy Ia
conversation Is To seek those subjects
which will interest the people with
whom we talk. The young man who
goes into the socletyof cultivated Young
women aud has nothing better 10 offer
as his contribution TO the conversation
than base ball talk or "reminiscences of
college scrapes, will make himself en-
tertaining. II at all, only by making
himself ridiculous, and that. Il Is safe
to say, Is not what he il after. So OF
the various other subjects. either of
business or OF pleasure. which are
chiefly the concern Of men. They
ought not To be forced into CONVERSE
tion with women. II the latter want
10 know about them, very well, but the
Information should be given rs bright
ly and interestingly rs possible. and
without any appearance OF a conde-
scending enlightenment. The true gem
tleman who enters the society OF women
with the Difference which he should
feel. will study them sufficiently to
know what things are likely 10 interest
them and what are not.
Another difficulty is that the average
young mau Is likely TO make mistake
as TO the things which will interest
young women, even when he makes a
sincere attempt TO adapt his conyersa-
tion TO them. Old notions die hard.
fIhaFfs as-a atfll
men who cannot understand that the
young women whom they know. some
OF them at least. have minds which are
capable OF something more than small
talk, Of fashion plates or society Cos
sip. Nevertheless this Is true. Nothing
IL more CALLING TO young women of
cultivation aud intelligence than TO be
persistently talked down To- by the men
of their acquaintance. Let the average
young man realize that the 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 n little
intellect into IL.
A third difficulty Is that the average
young man Is seriously In danger of
being left behind. intellectually. by the
average young woman. We do not
expect that this alarming statement
will be accepted without dispute But
we commend To the solemn considera-
tion Of young men the question whether
n Young man. who in college gave 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 n mind at least as bright as his,
has had equal educational advantages.
and has both time and disposition TO
improve herself We maintain that no
young man can afford to deprive him
self of the broadening and elevating
influence of good books. The newspa-
per has It's place. but IL is not the place
of Shakespeare or Milton. of Addison or
Ruskin, or any other of the great mas
ters Of English. Business has its ex-
acting demands. but they eau best be
met by man who relieves the tension
upon his mind by an occasional excur-
sion In standard and current literature.
If the young man of the period is 10
converse TO the ediiication aud enter
tainment of young women ne must I'LL
bis mind with something besides base
ball. or stocks, or politics. These may
enter into conversation. but they must
not be lis staple. To restore the proper
conversational relations of the sexes,
the average young man must improve
his habits of thought aud speech in
| mora tvarc thai, ana