Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1896-01-23
CORRECT CONVERSATION.
and Ease.

Pleasant Talk Is Conducted with Fluency
and Ease.
Many a girl. intelligent, educated,
as our ideas go. is mortified by her lack
of ease in conversation. She finds other
girls, inferior in actual ability, ever
ready in the shifting round game we
call small talk, and is forced to the
conclusion that shallowness is the
passport to social favor. But she is
mistaken; she is simply in the condi-
tion of person overloaded with large
bills when there is need for little
small change. Perhaps she is self
conscious; perhaps-let me whisper it
she is selfish, like the man in
Punch who said: ''0h, Robinson is
such bore; he's always talking about
himself and his affairs when want to
talk about myself and my affairs"
There is one great reason for this
lack of conversational power; in too
many cases the art is never practiced
inside the home circle No attempt at
pleasant converse is ever made save
when visitors are present; the various
members of the family may gossip
little, or discuss purely personal
affairs. but they make no attempt at
entertaining talk In point of fact,
the art of conversation is like game of
battledore and shuttlecock. one needs
the quickaess and dexterity of con-
stant practice. In msuy busy house
holds the only general gathering of
the family is at mealtime-a time
ADORE all others when worry should be
banished. If only for the sake of phys
ical comfort Yet this is the very time
when the mother will complain of do
mestic worry. the father of business
cares, and the daughters of shabby
frocks
All this should be changed; it ought
to be a rule in all households that dis
agreeables are to banished at meal
time. If complaints must be made let
them come at a proper time, but do
not imperial your digestion by eating
while you are in an irritated and dis
conted frame CT mind. Pleasant talk,
relieved by an occasional laugh. will
be more beneficial than pounds of
pills. In the household there should
not only be an avoidance of unpleas-
ant topics, but an attempt to find
agreeable ones. Each member of the
family should coma to the table pre-
pared to say something pleasant. Any
bright little story or merry Joke, or
any bit of worlds news that will
loosen the tongues and cause ami
mated talk-how it will increase the
brightness of a working dayl There
need be no profound discussions, no
hobby-riding; it should be lively touch
and-go talk. Let the girls talk
just bit about gowns and chiffons
if they will: let the boys talk
athletics, for in this family parlia-
ment everyone should have a right to
be heard. But let the general range
be of the newspaper order-what all
the world is doing. 1t is far better
to discuss the delinquencies of powers
and potentates than of our ne;ghbors;
and she who keeps herself acquainted
with the doings OF all great-people and
places can not be provincial, however
narrow her horizon. Now, there is one
fact to note especially; the girl who
wants topics for conversation must
read the newspapers There is no
doubt that newspapers and periodicals
are most useful in giving subjects for
general conversation The informa-
tion thus CLEANED is both timely and
popular-just what one needs in so
ciety General information of popu-
lar type is the prisne requisite for easy
conversation, and when to this is
added good temper and the ability to
appreciate a joke. there should be no
complaint of inability to talk with
fuency and ease.-Ladies' Home Jour
nal