The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-24

h/V UR is silver and silence is
( gold.r sounds pond
/ ~ erously wise aud full
n lS> IN of discretion. yet sill
.1A Y YER is the current
L coin which enriches
N>7 |f~NElEST7lrthe treasury and in its
III n-7rDlM M interchange makes
~ OyIlN < Nv. sweeter music by its
- sS1~ssS<sA - -, resonant chink than
--- was ever dreamed OF
W by the weighty. unso-
cable presence Of gold. Fame. fortune nor
happiness have ever yet been reached through
the golden medium of silence. though they
may been lost through the too careless hand
ling of silvery speech. Its active voice is
even then preferable TO the uncomfortable.
mysterious and brooding passive voice.
ii is lamentably true that one of the lost
arts Of our social age Is that OF conyersation.
Never was any generation 30 rich IN themes,
any nation with so prolific vocaoulary-a
great garden OF events and thoughts IN full
and beautiful blossom and we Gull the How
ers generously If ut random, but take not tho
pains or lack the power 10 gather thein into
an artistic bouquet of conversation Win any
regard for harmony or care for the contrasts OK
cOlors.
Occasionally one meets with a fluent and
almost as purely gift from nature as are the
refreshing GASES in theimIdst OF the DESERT Tor
rarely. il ever is the art taken up as grace,
full and still more useful Accomplishment ana
made the capital OF ones attractions, as IL ulu
OF tho immortal De Stael.
Art has sent its far-reaching and illumiDg
rays into every other branch of society, and
why this the very keynote on the sounding
board of culture should he lett untouched
and dumb. save in the general service OF util-
ity is a strange toIpidity Of one Of the men,
bers OF ambition.
We all talk that is we cover the ground in
the immediate neighborhoOd OF our lie; but
it is as ierky, unsettled and spasmodic. very
like q hcrse-car trip on rough track.
where the effort IS TO land you
at some OBJ ctive point. and it matters not
how. A sudden shaking up. now brief,
smooth run. then OF the track and on
again, a stapd-stil for somebody to get oil,
a sudden stoppage for some one else to.set on,
and there you are, with no conception OF the
route. or any definite knowledge OF your ex-
act whereabouts The next time YOU under
take conversation with the old Latin mean
ing OF the word easy talk In even the most
cultivated of drawing rooms. see If II has not
proved to be the Italian term CAB" from
gabbare. Ito talk loosely and mentally you
have had IN unsteady horse-car trip.
in this practical period conversation as an
art in social life seems to carry with it some
vague idea of pedantry. iatiguing march
upon stills or a preconcerted plan of ready
made talk. Pas de tOnte. OF let us pray to be
delivered from all such. The whole charm Of
conversation lies in its spontaniety. It's M
turalness and freedom OF range. where no
effort or exertion is made and tho mind
follows no guide but inclination. BoOkish-
ness in conversation Is only exceeded in
bad taste and stupidity by shop" yet with
out the knowledge of books lOquaclOusness
has no power of attraction beyond "a tlnk-
ling cymbai and sounding brass" Reading
should only have that influence upon the
mind which the life giving stream OF water
has flowing through fertile lands, making to
spring mp new germs and inyleofating the
soil 50 that the great trees are stronger ana
the small flowers brighter and the lowly
grass Of the fields a fresher food for the
roaming herd.
The poet Cowper has better embodied some
thing of this thought in the lines
..If conversation i'm its better part
May be esteemed gift and not an art;
Yet much depends az IN the tillers toll.
ON culture and the sowing OF the SOIL.
Words learned by rote parrot may rehearse,
But talking is not always TO converse
The most distinctive gilt of conversation.
for il is rarely acquired, ID the charming
faculty which some people possess OF uncon-
sciously inserting the sparkling fund of vital
itv into the most commonplace incidents re-
lated. such magic tongues as can turn aught
10 wills into values as the touch OF
King Midas transformed twigs and pebbles
into gold This natural style Of drawing
bold striking outlines, filled IN with unex-
pected angles and unique cmaxes, IS always
entertaining because totally lacking IN
mOnotony. but 1t Is one OF these situations
dependent upon what the literary world talks
so much of now as the point OF view. Such
takers consider treatment moro than they do
the subject. and therein lies the delcacy and
rarity OF such gilt A stretch
of wintry moorand. bare, cold
rock here and there and above a
dull and leeden sky is dreary and unplctur-
esque enough IN nature; OhueE tne sAllliui
reproduction Of a true born artist 1t makes
picture famous for its wondrouS effects IN va
riations upon one tone and marvellous absence
of monotony where all was monotonous oucn
is the scope for art 10 rival nature ana
clever taker TO wax brilliant over nothing.
Perhaps the most agreeable essential IN con-
yersation is that quality which we call tact
and the French name SAVIOR faire." It's ger
minator is true kindheartedness, with the
effort as well as desire 10 make all who con-
verse with you at ease and sell-satlsneu out
its accomplishment Is only acquired with
cool as we'll as graceful judgment The re-
contour the anecdOter. should nave most
conspicuous amount OF tact III his capabilities
10 avoid that unhappy accident of inadyertent-
" stepping on other peoples toes. sydney
Smith warned rs against such unklndness as
well as i'll breeding when he wrote: DO not
describe an execution in the drawng-room OF
host whose grandfather was hanged at Iy-
burn Hill.
The great Tallyrand's monumental diplo--
macy was but the more ambitious service OF
fact ON one occasion the willy Madam Reca-
mier thought 10 entrap him and nayely
asked "Tallyrand if Madam de Stael and
myself were both 10 fall into the river which
would YOU try to rescue trstl" Replied ths
inyincible smooth tongued. why Madam
de Stael, of course, as a woman OF your uni
yersa accomplishments would DO sure TO
know how TO SWIM
We hear in the scientific world OF genera
tors for heat. steam, electricity, &c. The
same power for the impetus Of conversation
might be termed "stimuiatOrs.' for without
this accommodating and encouraging force the
machinery of thought refuses 10 do ample
work. Ii is at this point that the silence
more eloouent than words is felt in its most
no.ent existence. IL we recall those whose
society has afforded US the most pleasure.
if we are not mistaken, we Will ind them
10 have been those who seldom
opened their mouths for any other
nurnose than that they might hear
more distinctly. This leads to that time
honored argument which places egotism
above all other satisfactions. creates the un.
worthy motto, Ii you want 10 have good
time you talk. If you want your guest 10 90
entertained let him talk and INSPIRED
Shakespeares outbreak OF contempt OF one
whom the music Of his own vain tongue doth
rayish like enchanting harmony
ouite a marty of Richmonders will leave on