The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-04-29

out interruption, imper.inence
and iediousness. BY AN an.
imaied attention and an intelii,
gent look, he can be eloquent even
beyond the power words. BY a
smile If assent lie can show his
approbaiion, his interest, his de
light. BY question he may indi-
cate his curiosity or his humility.
Bv starting a question for Others
to discuss, his Difference and com.
plai,ance-by listening to iiresoine
pressing, his pa,ience-by Offering
a doubt or confirming AN assertion,
his appreciatioE-by calling ouI
and encouraging the iimi.i, his
kindness. And yet his silence is
devoid both Of servilily and stats-
Illness he rleases without flaitery,
and though he says few things
himself, his easy yet spirited at.
tenIion inciies others to Guido
themselves. Heraclius being
asked once why he kept silence,
replied: That you may falkland
this is the compliment that every
good listener makes to those who
are di,coursing. Let anyone bring
10 mind those whose society has
Afforded him particular pleasure,
and, if We are not mistaken, he
will find them TO have been those
who seldom opened their mouths
for any other purpose than that
they might hear him more distinct
ly. People cilen complain Of the
trile and vapid talk that prevailed
in companies from which they
have just come, but we may be
certain that engaging discourse Is
rarely wanting where there are
good listeners"
The true conversati0nalisl keeps
in mind ST. Paul's injunction in an
I eplstle: LET your speech be al
ways with grace and seasoned
with salt" The manner in which
a hing is said often makes amends
tor the iorpidiIy of The context. A
grain of the salt OF wit will olien
give good SAVIOR to tediousness of
narration. And therefore 81. Paul
was very wise in his views if those
be applied TO conversation. The
grace of colloquialism is a good
thing in conversation; but what a
graceless fraud in circle is the
spinner of rhetoric who breaches
or talks like Dickens Bar with
his jury droop aud eyeglass." who
is commemorated in "Mutual
Friend.' Such a talker is far from
ever becoming a mutual friend.
The salt of conversation is often
TO be scattered on topic by hap.
py interruption in The nature of a
brief parenlhesls or OF some epi-
grammatic observation in The ma.
ture of a parliamentary shear,
hear" But in general, all takers
or observers should select and use
their own salt, but never permit
il TO become iumpy in ones own
mouth or in The ears OF auditors.
This "salter," however, must never
aim to merely send litter along
the line of his company. Occa-
Sionally The anecdote beomes a
good pinch of salt Tor the delecla'
ton of conversation. So also be.
comes the pun--notwithstanding
DR.. Johnsens objurgation. And
have noticed That even those who
affect 10 despise a pun are some
times ihe heariiest laughers at IA
good one. Even DR.. johnson
would have relaxed had he heard
Tom Hood say on an occasion
when he was taken 10 task for his
punning propensity, "Aye, aye,
now for. every Pun I shed might
be punished IN the next world"
The pun III conversation is often
like a clever stage aside-a bene
ficial and sometimes a rational di.
version. But the punsier in a
mixed company must be ready,
timely and skilliul. So must he
the anecdolist. Many listeners
give a yawn, while The talker vain
" mistakes the latter for a laugh.
Who could resist merriment when
he heard solemn visaged guest
interrupting an editor, who boast
ed that his own paper possessed
the largest circulation in the world
over all other papers, with this
punning contradiction: Pardon
me, but | fancy a paper of tobacco
possesses the most circulation
Or when a Sorosislle in descantine
upon wOman's best mission is met
from a crusty widower with a 81
know it; lis submission" Oh
when old General Sherman, when
asked 10 define a kiss, answered
"Tis salute, the report of which
comes from headquarters" Oi
when the census Is a topic, an Irish
man should remark: "My country
takes The palm in census.taking,
because its capital is yearly 'doub'
lin."
|, is in The anecdoter, the racon-
teur, the punster, The siimulalor
that the element of tack should be
most conspicuous. How often the
man of knowledge and even oI
adartabilily misses a bull's-eyc in
conversation BY not having tact
embodied IN his cartridge. "Dr
not describe an execution in the
drawing.room of a host whose
grandfather was hanged al Tybnrr
Hill," once wrote Sidney Smith
Possession Of tact in u talkei