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

Jloyed IL: "Kn0wledge of men
md manners, freedom Of habitudes
md conversation with The best
affords opportunities of
improvement lor social man."
Cab is more indigenous to Eng
and than to tins country, and is
utterly unknown in France; for,
while yivacily is begetier of
English CAB, vivacily in French
man is tlnctured with dislike OF
prnlixiiy.
What | mean by the word CAB
can be best understood by read
ing sslAs utAik OtRMrx. Erripsr aud
the major in Dickens Christmas
stories about her lodgings and
legacy. Dickens, IN his punetua-
ton of The CAB, recognized that it
not only ignored colons aud semi.
colons, but utterly vanquished
periods. Crab is purely ego'istical,
and deals with persona! or neigh.
borhood gossip. Cab is utterly
informallonless. l fancy he was a
gabber whom Shakespeare de-
scribed as zone whom The music
OF his own vain tongue doth ravish
like enchanting harmony" Chaff
and such as is banded in Lon
don among poriers, cabbies, coal.
beavers, 'Arrys and Arrieltes-is
an offspring of CAB. Cab savors
largely of autobiography. 1t is
influenced by weather. 1t crap.
pies with family inquiries and do
mes,ic narratives. There is prob
ably only the mystic number of
Mr.. McAllister to be set against
the words in Cabs diclionary-say
four hundred. The stock phases
of CAB could be readily codifed-
like as in telegraphy. Cab in this
country travels ~ railway cars. in
horse cars and omnibuSes. Cab
frequenls bar-rooms, and Dickens
once defined il in old Willel's
tap.room. Cab is the JOY of rural
p,liliclans. One could well para.
phrase he saying, "My son, be-
hold with how little wisdom The
world is governed" into with what
little knowledge the world keeps
on Cabling. Cab is utterly un.
conscious OF The scliptural warning
that at The bar of The last judg-
ment every idle word is TO be con.
sldered.
| should best describe chat a,
CAB after The latter has been at 4
high school. | should leave con
verSalion 10 university hOnOrs
Cab is more or less pugiIislic; but
chat is chivalrlc, peaceful, courle
Gus anu more or less a creature oil
sympathetic feeling. Little boy.
and girls iuslinc;ively chat while
their parents may be Cabling over
their pipes and ale. Not far from
this idea stands the chat of the
chit, out of which comes a com
pound word for elders. While
most g,bbers in talking are mere
ly thinking aloud, as in the word,
of an old song, al says to myself
says l." chat takes notice rather
of what he lchalleree is talking
Cab often hinges on the French
saying, "Apropos des bottes,' but
chat generally has for a pivot ol
talk "apropos de celia" Cab is
tedious, like Dogberry ; chat has
some esprit, like AutolycuS. Gah
is nickel in he commerce of talk.
Chat ranges between the light
dime and the bright new half
dollar, leaving as lle coin of con
versaiion any piece between a
gold dollar and double engle.
For true specimens Of chat give
me a quilting party, Or the group
Of school fellows who assemble
around a prospective bride to dis,
cuss trouseau,frosted cake and the
ideal honeymoon.
The zero of CAB is "twaddle'
the zero of chat is "praitle." But
the summer heat of talk is conver
saiion. IL can move on the dead
level of a prairie, or it can attain
The altitude of a mount Ararat
where doyes perch and olives grow
and cevulean skies tower. The
dignity of conversation can i'm
press even a listening Chinese
although his ordinary estimation
is expressed in his stereotype
word, "talkee." II is in effect &
game OF intellectual battledore,
with atoplc for shuttlecock. The
players must have a knowledge
possess adaplabiliiy and have
learned tact. They must also have
taught themselves The knack ol
being good listeners. Where
would DR.. Sam johnson have bio
graphically landed If Boswell had
not excelled iD conversalion-as Q
listener! The praises o. such au
one have been so. well sung in Q
book published forty years age
eniiiled Brides and Spurs for the
Management Of The Tongue" thai
on this sab.head l can we'll be for
given the following quotation:
"Tls fluent talker is oitener me-
with in society than the accom-
plished listener; for this reason
perhaps, that the latter must fore
90 his own qualification for that o
others. He is usually a greaIc'
favorlte, and dispenses more pleas
ure TO those around him than th'
talker. Aud it is a mistake Il
suppose tha. "A good listener bear
no part in conversation. He is il
truth tho Oniv mo thni can shin,