The record-union., 1897-09-03
To jog the Talk Along.

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The leading Spirit raped the dress
ing table with her hairbrush and imme-
diately the silence was profound.
AT our last meeting. as YOU know,
girls" she began, I'VE discussed Things
TO Say, and prepared some little goads
for future poky conversations They had
the form of questions. Here's a report
of how they succeeded, made up of what
could CLEAN from various members.
In the first place, I've discovered that
one statement made here last session
was all nonsense. Sweetest-EverW Was
declared that if the night were fine and
a man and woman We're sitting on one
of the benches that line the lake front,
in Jackson Park, and a silence fell upon
them, the conversation would take
sentimental turn, in spite of all you
could do to prevent it.
We'll. I was there last night, with
Rob, and the silence came in full force.
Rob- I said, quietly, I want to ask
you a few questions He sat erect in
minute. At time like that it has
a wonderful effect on man TO say SOL
emnly that you want to ask him ques-
tions. But I assured him that these
were abstract queries and he relaxed a
little
Which would you prefer, if you
must choose 1 asked him then, to be
always alone or never alone?'
AT first he said 1t was an impossible
question; then he wanted to know
whether dogs were allowed in the al
ways alone state. told him no-but
that he could have books, in fact, every
thing except animate companionship
and in the face of that he said he'd a
million times rather be never alone
Then we argued, for I'm on the other
side of that. I'd be insane in two weeks
if I were never alone.
Next 1 gave him: What do you con-
slider the greatest temporal blessing?'
Look here, he said. what are you
driving at?'
:" These I answered, are character
tests. Please give them serious
thought So he did. BY and by he said,
Congenial companionship,' which I
thought a very fair response.
What sort of a compliment would
you most value?' 1 asked him then. TO
be called a noble man. he gave me back,
promptly. Wasn't that a gentleman
of the -old-school answer? I never liked
Rob so well in my life, and we talked
until it was later than time to go home
before I had chance to use, Do you
know what has been the greatest disap-
pointment of your life?'-and the rest
of the set. Sentimentality wasn't any
where in sight all the evening.
That's my experience. Our Business
Woman tells me that she tried the ques-
tions at her boarding house table, where
the people generally attend strictly to
eating and never converse. She says
exactly half the tableful wanted to be
always alone and the other half to be
never alone, and both factions Were sure
there was only one side to the question.
It quite stirred them up. For the great
est temporal blessing some of them
said Friendship some Health: one
said 'Unselfish love- and the last man
exclaimed Equanimity' That one was
quoted. though Then she tells about
the old doctor who sits at the end of
the table They had all supposed he
enjoyed being bear, but when that
question about the compliment came to
him, he said, with considerable feeling:
1t would be worth every other compli-
ment in the world to me to be told that
I was never harsh in nv manner to-
of my life that 1 am A sort of an
electric shock went round the table.
Somehow all the boarders felt related
and they haven't gotten over it yet.
THE Shy Member says she put the
questions at a girls luncheon and found
herself in a vortex of conversation for
the first time in her life. That's all
except Sweetest Ever Was. I don't
know that it's any use giving her state
ment The fact is. her questions ran
aground on a frivolous man who took
her out to dinner He declared he would
rather be always alone with her; that
the most valued compliment to him
would be her love and that the greatest
temporal blessing'-what ridiculous an
swer did he make to that, anyway,
dear?"
Sweetest Ever Was only blushed and
went on polishing her finger nails, while
the rest of the company groaned at her
! in concert. But it was a groan with a
smile underneath. No one ever groans
in earnest at Sweetest Ever Was.-Chi-
cage News.