The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-13
KNOX ON TALK AND TAKERS.


(Copvfqht, 1891, bv the United Press.l
New York. Dec. 12.-Conversation is an
art, but it is not an art that is cultivated to
any extent In this country. It adds to our
pleasure; it takes some of the roughness OF
the friction OF intercourse; and, think, II
should be taught In our schools.
Some have talent for conversing; nature
gave it to them. They did not need to be
taught Such people are scarce. aud more's
the pity.
There are people who talk and people who
converse, and there Is great difference be-
tween them. The Egotist seldom Soaverses,
neither does the selfish man, but both OF
hem talk.
The talker occupies himself In thinking
what he is about to say, while he only inn
perfectly hears what you are saying and
gives just enough heed to your remarks to
catch the general drift. He does not know
that you notice this, but You always do
notice it. He does not ask questions, but he
makes assertions and gives opinions.
l know some who, il they would make as
much effort to hide their ignorance as they
do 10 exhibit their eruditioD, would rank as
great conversationalists and intelligent
human beings.
The worst specimen OF the talker Is the
one who starts to speak before you have
| finished your sentence. He either antici-
pates what you are about to say or doesn't
really care what you are trying to express.
| he is so pleased with what he is going to
say that he cannot wait, but must express
it before you have finished.
The best OF these, while he inclines a
listening ear, shows by his eye that his mind
is wandering from what you say. and that
he Is impatient to have his innings.
There is another very offensive talker
who has the pernicious habit Of saying huh2
or ehl at the end Of every remark he makes
He says it iuterrogatively, but be does not
really mean 1t as a question that you should
answer.
Still another is a very tiresome one-the
man who pauses at the end of sentence,
causing yon to think that he has finished,
but who, when you start in to reply,
blandly and without appearing to hear you,
goes on talking. He is worse than the man
who anticipates you by supplying the
words or phrases that be thinks you are
about to use. q You say for instance:
THE streets Of New York are"
Eyes, sir" he interrupts, you are right;
they are the worst on this continent"
81 was about to say that the New York
streets are at present crowded with
Crowded. Well, l should say go; and if
we don't have some kind of rapid transit
soon, don't know what we'll do"
II meant TO say that the New York
am told, arc"
Both together.-He-"Not spending a
cent, that's SO, sir" You-"Buying lots Of
holiday goods"
Women excel In conversation; mean
that the average woman converses with
more art than does the average man. She
may not express many ideas, and much of
what she says may be nero small talk, but
she takes more pains to seem interested in
what VIM SOW md ran UarU raarIv Aahta1
you by asking questions and soliciting your
opinion. OF course, this does not refer to
women when they converse with their huss
bands.
Lavater said HE who sedu7usly attends.
pointedly asks, calmly answers, and ceases
when he has no more to say, possesses some
of the best requisites of-man."
You know all these different takers that
l have spoken OF, don't YOU'D To which
class do you think you belong Yourself?
In everything, from game of cards to O
war between two nations, tho defeated
party invariblY explains how different the
result would have been IL certain things
had happened or had been done, that did
not happen or that was not done. 1--WE
would have won the game II we had had
just one more trump card 1--WE would
have been the victors IL the left flank had
advanced five minutes sooner, etc."
It is always the fault of somebody else,
or fate, or Providence; it is never our own
fault. When a man succeeds in business he
Is self made, and he gives himself credit for
everything successfully that he has done.
| When he fails, he con always show-to
his own setisfaction-that it was the fault
| OF accident, circumstances, or somefh hing or
other, from the weathtr TO his creator.
| The man whose horse was beaten blames
the heavy track. The defeated yachtsmen
says 1t was the high seas and shifting winds
How much more sympathy the defeated
one would get if he would Acknowledge de-
feat and not try to explain. II you don't
get on the top of the ladder, don't apollo
| gize for only few rungs above the grJ und
think 1t was Disraeli who said Apologies
only account for what they do not alter"
1t may safely be said that 5000, 900 words
have been used this season by foot ball
teams IN explaining just why they should.
could, but didn't win.
once heard the owner of a racehorse
reply to the question. "Why didn't your
horse winp "Well, YOU see,n be replied
e kind Of think he didn't run, and couldn't
run. as fast as the other horse"
That was a wise and sensible man, but it
would be difficult, on long summer day.
TO find enough such men to All hall.
| j. ARMoY KNOX.