The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-12-03
DISCOURSE ON TACT
A Philadelphia Matron Who
Possesses Savoir Faire
Defines 1t.
FACTOR OF SWEETNESS AND LIGHT
A Woman Whose Name Is Legion
Holiday souyenirs-The
New Muff.

What is 1t that you do to make so
many different kinds of people care for
you and seek your society SO eagerly?'
was asked recently of one of Philadel-
phia's most popular and successful So
cial danes, by a reporter for the Phila-
delphia Press.
II don't do anything special that / am
conscious Of" she responded, with a
around me. and SO / try to make every
one happy with whom l come in contact
that's ALL"
But that was not all, although the
charming Phil~adelphian was perhaps un-
conscious that she possessed one of the
most powerful aids to personal success
in iife-tact.
It is hard to define this quality, though
one might call it the deft way Of hand
ling people. It is born with some men
and women, like the delicate fingers OF
an artists hand, and those who have it
use it instinctively.
Its possession is confined to no one
class or set of people. One may have
a large acquaintance with the world and
its conventions and be perfected in the
practice of social duties, great and small,
yet be lacking in this fine sixth
sense, so invaluable to its possessors
n all who come in contact with them.
When Margaret Fuller was at the height
of her intellectual supremacy in Boston, a
little tea was given in her honor. Ev-
erything went swimmingly until the cake
was passed the second time. The gift
ed ~authoress took the second piece, and
then, after a short pause passed 1t PACK
in the plate, saying III put 1t back.
a dor faer to m the o fHe % N saaug al a w 20
mans c~leverness can compensate for
clumsiness of hat kind, and the hostess
of the occasion must haye been more
give the modification of spirit she must
ave felt.
Tact seems to imply the possession Of
delicate sensibilities. 1t is these thst give
the tactful woman a subtle intuition OF
another's mental processes n moods
act mode Of dealing with these. Once
there lived at the capital, a statesman
who needed very much the assistance
Ve a fgr5oIf MeT matter. on TEhe statesman
delightful dinners, and in the course of
d dme 'h IN spite mss' Of his shyness and general
one Of these charming functions. given
IN his nOnOf. Inc taDle was SpI6du
china used being her special pride and
delight. Just as our Western friend
began to expand and warm up to the oc-
casion, by a clumsy movement he
knocked one of the delicate plates from
the table, shivering It into many, atoms.
"Oh, don't mind that said the hostess,
with a smile, these things are really
too uncomfortably fragile for use; see
how easily they break and taking
another plate in her hand, she shattered
it against the table with a quick little
blow, Such apparent %unconcern was q
mighty relief to our Senator, we must
think, and doubtless his valuable friend
ship was retained by Miladis tactful
and unselffsh move.
Tactful people are not usually sincere?
h does not necessarily follow. Any
faculty nay be abused, and when tact
is used for merely selfish purposes it is
but the misapplication of a beautiful
gift. Goodness of heart and the desire to
make others happy are the elements
out of which the most gracious tact
fitness springs: and, a woman who like
our Philadelphia matron referred to
above, possesses these qualities, can
hardly fail to attract to herself both
old and young, and to make herself a
factor of sweetness and light" in this
busy world.