The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-11
THE ART OF CONVERSATION
ROSSITER JOHNSON LECTURES ON
TiLKERS LISTENERS.

Three Kinds OF Listeners who DONE
Know How to Listen. the Bouncern.
the Boosters. and the Forestnilers-A
Dehnition and Illustration OF Repartee.
Mr.. Rooster Johnson, one of the associate
editors-of the Standard Dictionary, delivered Q
lecture last night before the memberso OF the
American Society for the Improvement OF
Speech in their rooms in the Carnegie build
ing. The society was organized to improve
the common speech in both diction and de-
livery, and the greater part of Mr.. Johnson's
talk was devoted to the diction of familiar con-
versation.
Most Of you remember he said, 'what
Alcibiades did. for he lived only 1900 years
ago. He cut off the tail of a dog to give the
Athcn'ans something to talk about. l hope
that my lecture will serve the same purpose.
Most OF you probably remember also the re-
mark OF the rhetorician who said: "A prepo-
sition is a bad word to end a sentence with
Nell, l expect to make breaches quite as fright
full. for the teacher is r-rely guiltless of the
mistakes he would correct. Strange 1t Is that
language, the thing we use most, should be the
last to com to perfection.
Conversation has many different meanings.
Sometimes 1t means that every one in the room
is.talking at once while the.salad goes aroundy
So netiues 1t means that one old gentleman
with long white hair and n countenance of
great benevolenCe is speaking while forty per.
sons listen with rapt attention to his ideas Of
philosophy. Conversation invariably requires
a talker and a listener. and / lay 1t down as .
general proposition that not only should all
takers have something to say, but they should
know how TO say it and they should be very
careful not to oversay II.
o curse, you all know about the takers
who go on and on forever like the brook. The
trouble with some takers IS that they acquire
II pretty good style and they want to exhibit
Il business college. and who thinks he can go
into practical business without any further
capital. There are learned men and brilliant
students who cannot talk well because they
have not acquired the art If editing their con-
Listeners should know how tn listen. but
| am, sorry TO say that a great many don't. OF
the iatter thsre are three classes which are
y. T fhe B BoosfSF'
-. The Forcstaller.
The bouncer may te described AS the man
who bursts suddenly into n room in which
there are several persons. and begins to talk
without reference to what Is going on. The
booster is lie who assumes that you do not
k i is his I"s Gn Wh ta s yTT ARE the E'i pr6p 5S s& Mor @na t Tss
forestnllcr has many traits in common with
his brother. the booster. He assumes after he
has heard you say three words that he knows
all the rest of the sentence, and he proceeds
forthwith to say 1t for YOU. He is like the lit
every corner, on the assumption that 1t is the
right one, and that he has guessed accurately
the direction his master will take.
The true art OF conversation in its highest
aspec; consists. Ike, writing history, IN tell
ing tiH truth ana telIlilg II fnaGlnatlSeiy. inc
hest tulkcr is an imaginative talker. II Is he
whose conversation delights you. Concern
ing rapid conversation. ! would say that every
witty rcpartee consists in either denying .
premise You are eX ted to grant. or in grant
ing II premise YOU were exnec ed to deny"
In the discussion which followed ono OF the
members OF the society asked Mr.. johnson (
ne rule AGAINST ending sentences with a prepo;
that Il was n good rule never TO end a sem
tsnCe with n proposition.
How about the sentence. Where are YOU
going to?'" persisted his interrogation.
That sentence Is the same thing in otheR
words as the famous query Of til" southern
Congressman: Mr.. Speaker. whore are we
atf'" replied Mr.. Johnson, and the audience
laughed.
Before the meeting was over Mr.. Johnson
wrote upon the blackboard several sentences
to show the value of placing words in their
proper order.