Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-02-07
VIA rHEY ARE Dun rALkERs.


$500 ~H@N
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 and the things which interest
him. The finest point Of courtesy in
conversation is to seek those subjects
which will interest the people with
whom we talk. The young man who
goes into the society of cultivated young
women and has nothing better to offer
as his contribution TO the conversation
than base ball talk or "reminiscences of
college scrapes, win make himself en-
tertaining. If at all. only by making
himself ridiculous, and that, it is safe
to say. is not what he is 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
ton with women. If the latter want
to know about them. very well. but the
information should be given as bright
/ " and Interestingly as possible, and
without any appearance of 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 to interest
them and what are not.
Another difficulty is that the average
young man is likely to make mistake
as to the things which will interest
young women, even when he makes
sincere attempt TO adapt his converse
ton to them. Old notions die hard.
There are still a great many young
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
is more CALLING to young women of
cultivation and 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 rs he
does, and he will make his conversation
better worth while by putting little
intellect into it.
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-
ton of young men the question whether
a 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 mind at least as bright as his,
has had equal educational advantages.
! and has both time and disposition tc
improve herself We maintain that nc
young man can afford to deprive him
self Of the broadening and elevatins
influence of good books. The newspa
per has its place. but it is not the plac,
: Of Shakespeare or Milton, of Addison OF
Ruskin, or any other Of the great mas
tiers of English. Business has its ex
! acting demands. but they can best be
: met 6y man who relieves the tension
: upon his mind by an occasional exeur
!. sion in standard and current literature
: If the young man of the period is Il
I. converse to the editication aud enter
! tainment of young women he must Ill
: his mind with something besides bas
; ball. or stocks. or politics. These ma,
enter into conversation. but they mus
: not be its staple. To restore the prope
: conversational relations of the sexes
the average Young man must improv
h his habits of thought and speech il
:, more WAYS than one.