The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-03-20

we should languish, disintegrate and
die. Like the air, it is susceptible of
sudden and rapid changes in tempera-
ture, being successfully hot and cold,
heavy and exhilarating, sitting and
stuffy, or at certain elevations too rare
fed for comfort. Under its propitious
smile the individual character bour
geons and blooms forth in most advan-
tageous manifestation, but let the wind
change and the skies cloud over, and
the same human sensitive plant shrivels
up into silent insignificance.
There is fanciful theory, as ancient
as Plato and as modern as DR.. Holmes,
which supposes our spirits susceptible
to certain influences mutually diffused,
after the manner of streams or currents,
by persons visibly or audibly in each
others presence, into the air around,
acting, in the case of sensitive natures,
like potent material essences. Have You
never yourself felt the influence of some
thing like this peculiar spell9 lam sure
l have, and the conclusion to be drawn
from the experience is, it seems to me,
that the real art of conversation, in so
far as it is an art to be studied and &C.
quired, consists in making an apt start
in pressing the right button, so to
speak, and so turning on the particular
current which is to congenially pervade
the circle
For instance, l recall certain lunch
con party in London, where my viva
cious friend N. and myself were not
only the sole American but also the
only untitled guests. Our hostess was a
most lovable person, her hospitality was
bounteous and in perfect taste, the COM
pany was we'll chosen and distingue-
and yet the conversation tagged woeful-
ly. You felt it was there, but somehow
ohoked up and unable to find its way
out. Politics, art, literature, esoterio
Buddhism and the weather had each
and all fallen fiat. Matters were grow
ing more and more oppressive, until at
last, in an impulse of desperation,
suddenly addressed to N, across the
table, the most trivial, flippant and to-
tally irrelevant remark that came into
my head. 1t was not, trust, quite akin
to the opening break made by the bash
full man who said to his partner as he
led her in to dinner, II don't mind be-
ing ugly, do your" Just what my re-
mark was, in fact, cannot now recall
fortunately. since it was probably ont
of those things which occasionally viii
bear being said, but never written. M
doubt, however. it was as absurd Al
that with which Charles Lamb onc'
nonplused man at table who was mo
nopolizing the hare, "Sir. is that you
own hare or wigf" Well, at any rate
N. caught up the cue, and with her ma
tive verve tossed back an equally auda
cious retort. The effect was electrical
Everybody looked up and smiled, som
burst into laughter, two or three peopl
began talking at once, and even tn
dullest person present felt that afte
that he might venture to open hi
mouth. Thenceforward all went merrill
as a marriage bell, and when it wa
we'll over our delighted hostess thanke
N. and myself with sincere effusion.
Not long afterward, having receI
ton of my own to give In London.
confided to one of my social accomplish
my intention Of trying q somewhat orie
inal experiment-namely, of havin
my guests amuse themselves and on
another "out Of their own heads" il
stead Of depending upon the earnest br
often ineffective efforts of the semiprt
fessional entertainers whose services
London are considered indispensab
and are regularly contracted for on sue
occasions. My experienced friend WI
struck aghast. Impossible, my dear
she exclaimed. Don't think Of such
thing, beg Of you. Fancy making yol
debut as hostess here with q ghastl
failure, such as your scheme would pos
lively insure. Shaken, but not col
WINGED, l arranged compromise.
would have the entertainers, but hol
them in reserve. only to be drawn upc
in case Of an unmistakable collapse
the purely social and conversational eli
train. Accordingly we paid assiduo'
attention to our guests as they arrive
, carefully grouping or pairing on Peep
who were likely to possess comm'
affinities, or, better still, who were re
B sonably certain to get into interestil
|
the time for descending to the supp
room the hum Of conversation al
laughter had become positively inspi
] ing. 1t was general, spontaneous al
unrestrained by any formal demonstr
lions on the part of our musical, dr
matte and humorous auxiliaries, VIII
having received our hint, mingled wi
the other guests, fancy free and witho
the obsession Of responsibility. So, {
together. my experiment based upon
rational estimate of conversation as
entertaining factor was a success, al
I when the company finally dispersed
the small hours of the morning I,
more serenely confident than usual tn
u none of my guests had gone away disa
pointed or bored.
Making allowance for the superfici
differences due chiefly to racial tempe
b ament which characterize respective
II English and American, Teutonic al
Latin peoples, it is safe to say that t
fundamental principles of conversati
hold good universally. II your convt
sational manner has proved effecti
anu pithribk III NcW ioihb ~ WA
fail in San Francisco or st. Petersbu
II or ON board the ocean steamer in t
q course of your trip around the worl
In all these places you will find t
same social traits upon which to pla
, and, alas, the same obstacles to G
/ counter.
Having glanced at the amenities
conversation. let us indulge in u wo
about the obstacles, by which l me
certain types of people hard to get
H with. suppose every one has his or b
own list Of pet diversions in this lin
yet there are certain widespread speci
for which l think we would all agr
o it is difficult to be thankful Conspic
GUS on the list are the takers jet co
tinu, exhausting, yet inexhaustibl
Men may come. and men may goth
f. usually go as speedily as possible-b
they talk ON forever. They are like 4
/ lsa.D...o1 L.. L.. 4.