Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-07
W0MEN'S GIFT OF CAB.
Bessie Bramble Says History Makes
Men the Greatest Takers.
SOCRATES Was A GREAT GOSSIP.
Clay and Webster Enjoyed Themselves
Telling Of Small Events.
SENATOR QUAy'S POLITICAL MOTTO

disclaiming the tendency toward loquacitv.
Letters have come to hand which assert
over and over again that women have al
ways been greatly given to talk and noted
as "chroniclers of small beer, who think
too little and who say too much"
But Is it true2
Are women the takers of the race? Ira
dition and superstition give them the credit
OF being the gossips of the universe, but
history applies to women this honor only
incidentally. Socrates, the celebrated Greek
philosopher, comes to mind as the most re-
nowned Of all takers He talked from
Monday morning until Saturday night, and
for that matter, all day on Sunday, as there
was no Law and Order autocrats in his day
to make him keep it holy by silence. He
'prattled without end" say the historians
Socrates Was Great Cab.
Although the wisest and most virtuous Of
pagans, he had the gift of CAB, and never
neglected an opportunity to talk. He was
so full of wisdom and words 'tgolden and
divine that be went to the markets in the
morning to hold converse with the country
people. He went to what NOWADAYS is
called congress at midday to discourse
upon philosophy with those he esteemed
learned in the law. He sought every as
semblage, every meeting, every place where
he could have an opportunity to set forth
MS idea as to the worlds construction, and
the philosophy of living. He talked to
everybody. Old or youDg-rich or Door.
Regardless OF the Grecian bigots and the
conservatives of his dav, he deIiphted in
breaking down their opinions and argu-
ments. So great was the fascination of his
voice that those who did not want their
minds disturbed kept out of bearing of his
siren tongue" He talked and taught as
one inspired. In fact, hethought that divine
instruction was given to him by supernat-
ural power As estimated by the phiIos-
ophers and his friends and discipIes
Socrates, and not Solomon, was the wisest
OF all meh, but according to himself his
wisdom consisted simply in knowing the
depth OF his own ignorance.
He Could Out-Talk xantippe.
It is the time-hoary story that Xantippe.
his wife, was a common scold, but It is
much more likely that, considering the
ability OF Socrates to use his tongue, she
was the weaker vessel, Judging from the
standpoint OF to-day, it would not be sur
prising to learn that he talked her to death.
With him always talking, it was likely
that she got very little chance to speak her
mind. he gave up the trade to which he
had Deen brought up, and devoted himself
to talking and thinking. Whether the in
terview fend existed at the time is not
clearly made out, but it appears plain that
his tongue got him into trouble, since he
was accused of teaching false doctrines and
OF corrupting the minds of the young men
Of Athens. He did not, as do many of the
wise brethren of the present, commit him
self to expressive silence"
He did not believe in the gods then
worshipped as divine, but, like many nova
days, "he was living certificate of the
meanness OF the community in which he
lived" He rather courted, it., would ap-
pear, the n,artyrdom which fell to his
share, but would it not have been better to
have had living Socrates, rather than
dead lion? With his everlasting tongue,
he must have been a sore trial to his Wife
He was very far from handsome, according
to all accounts. Second to none as
talker, he had the courage to maintain his
views even when most obnoxious to his
hearers He was benevolent, sweet natured
and affectionate in his disposition. He was
careless In his dress. The little niceties
that give token of the careful mind were
lost sight of in the great thoughts that shut
out all lesser ideas
among
1t is likely that he was somewhat of a
cross to Xantippe, who did not understand
him or appreciate his greatness. A philos-
opher in his own house is seldom agreeable.
With his head among the stars, it is hard
to call him down to the plain realities of
everyday life.
Carlyle had horror of kitchen doings.
His wife stood between him and them. She
was the barrier that shielded him from
everything that was unpleasant and dis |
agreeable. Beyond her the bores never got.
Fond of talking as he was, he could not |
bear to waste his tongue or time upon those |
he deemed unworthy, or to bestow his |
thoughts uselessly upon people whose un-
derstanding was beneath his own. More |
over, if there was talking to be done, he |
wanted to do it all himself He had no pa |
thence to listen.
Horace Walpole was famous gossip in |
his day. His life and letters and memoirs |
show that the business to which he devoted |
himself was to talk of trifes and tell stories |
concerning the people he knew to anyone
who would listen. He was what Artemus
Ward calls an ''amusin' cuss." He knew
everything about everybody in society, and |
made himself popular by telling of ''behind |
the scenes" in families In the most interest
ing fashion. His knowledge of skeletons
and he did not hesitate to embellish his |
gossip concerning them with trills that |
lacked foundation in truth.
Macauay Cou Talk an Arm on
Perhaps no man has won higher fame as
Q talker than Macauley. Eminent as his
torian and as writer, he was even vet |
more noted among his friends as talker,
whose flow Of language was apparently in
e1haustible. His quickness of thought,
bis power of memory, his disposition to
keep his tongue going was something mar
velous. Among his chosen friends, when |
there was no let or hindrance to his powers
of speech, he flowed over and stood in the
slop," as Sidney Smith somewhere says Of
him.
Smith himself. be it remarked, was .
talker Of NO small fame He had stories
and jokes to fit in everywhere, but when |
of getting them into play. Both men were
such takers. and so full of the richness of |
eloquence that it was considered somewhat |
of misfortune when they were invited |
together to the same table. On such oc-
casions one had to be quiet-a great hard |
yhip-while the other ratified away so vigor-
ously that no one else could get in word |
After long absence from Eng land Sydney |
Smith said that really Macaulay had i'm
as he now had FLASHES
of silence" Stenographers were not in
vogue in their day, hence the brilliant
gossip of those famous dinners and break
fasts is lost and forgotten. The few recorded
remarks seem in this age to be stale and fat
Webster and Clay Could Gossip.
Daniel Webster it is said was a famous
talker, apart from public life. With his
intimate friends, he dropped the dignity of
the statesman, and gave himself up to gos-
sip and hilarity. The news OF the day