The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-06-04
SHOULD CULTIVATED.
The Art of Conversation and How
the Accomplishment May BE Ac-
quired.
(Mattic w. Gray.)

11lBn III INC LAM VI "N|Oti'P i''
ments comes the "gilt of Speech The
terms, accomplishment and gilt, may
a. first seem antlthetCal, but IN the
Art Of Conversation they seem one
and the same.
As a git, Speech is born OF Nature
1T comes with the bright intellect,
with the native spri- htliness, the acute
perception of things that are good and
beautiful, and it forms the foundation
for the accomplishment.
Like other latent powers, conversa-
ton has to be developed, as 1t were,
and then the art can be cultivated
until it gives more pleasure than any
of the arts and can become the most
powerful of instruments for good or
evil. The cultivation OF it should be
gin in childhOod-may, and should,
begin at the mothers knee. When
the mother begins with the "Sweet
Story of Old" the child listens and It's
mind grasps, its heart throbs IN sym
pathy with the tale of love and tender
ness. Now let the mother ask the
child to repeat to her the story. 1t
learns thus its first words, 1t frames It's
first sentences here. This is the first
step in the beautiful Art Expression.
Give to that child, day by day, some
sweet story, some gem from the clas-
sizes even, and each time talk with It,
ask it questions, guide TO correct re
plies, and, day by day, simple but pure
and choice words are added TO lis vo-
cabulary; lesson is learned n express
ing ideas and another step IS taken III
the Art of Conversation.
Not long since, asked little boy
of ten years to tell me the story OF
"Thumbelina" which he had just been
reading in the school room. He told
it SO beautifully, that | felt it rich
treat to listen to him. The vertl,able
words of our beloved Hans Andersen
fell from his lips as ripple after ripple
of sweet murmurlng waters; the chlid's
voice was sOftened as if imbued with
the music of the words, and the poetry
of child love felt that he was being
taught to talk.
We do hot realize how early the les
sons are learned by those who are to
make our teachers, speakers, our ora
tors.
The work which begins around the
Greside should go on, with faithful
teaching, in the school-rooI An idea
unexpressed is but half of an idea;
lesson learned and unreCited is but
half lesson. Recitation of what is
learned is what IS needed TO fix the
ideas firmly in the mind. If we can
tell thing clearly and correctly, we
NAV be sure we know it. We know
full we'll that many have natural imped
iments in the way Of making fine or
even agreeable takers. There is nat
ural diftidenCe and extreme modesty
TO overcome, there is lack of wit and
humor. Perhaps there is no native
sprightliness to begin with, but more
the need for developing and cultiva-
ting speech and tiuenCy in speech, both
in the home circle and in the school
room. | believe the Art of Converse
ton should be taught in our schools
and colleges as much as music and
painting, What music could be sweeter
than the tones of refined and sweetly
modulated voice, with its clear ring
ing enunciation, and what painting
more beautiful than the word painting
of a silvery, gifted tongue?
Bacon says: "Reading maketh
full man; writing an exact man; con-
ference a ready man. We need no
better direction. Subjects should be
chosen-it may be from the topics of
the day; selections from the poets,
from history or from science. These
should Is studied, then, written upon,
and then teacher and pupil should
converse upon these subjects. Every
thing that develops wit, humor or fun
should Be encouraged, for conversation
to be enjoyable should be enthusiastic
and well savored with pleasantries and
bon mots. We can but fancy that
Addison with his "silver tongue
would not have needed the "sparkling
cup to overcome his excessive mod
esty could he have been trained from
his boyhood to converse. And we
can but think that if this charming
Art of Conversation could be properly
cultivated that there might soon be CO
teries and clubs as delightful and as
famed as those when Johnson, Rey-
nolds, Garrick, Goldsmith, Beauclerc
and Langton sat around the social
table of the Mermaid Inn and passed
hours, either in brilliant discourse or in
weighty argument.
Oh that the mantle of Oliver Wen
dell Holmes could fallupon our young,
that they, too, could command fluent
tongues, sweet tongues, speaking
knowledge, brilliant witltCisms and ge
NAL humor.