The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1897-06-08
ntellNE or ooNneRsAIInh.
There Are rev Heaiy Good raissrs
S,,,aaax.

There Are Few REALLY Good caIssrs
Nowadays
The complaint is becoming general
aud growing into a veritable wall that
the art OF onversatioa Is rapidly sink
iaLo "innocuous desuetude says the
Msmphis Scimitar Two causes are as
signed for thi decay One is tl~. near
y al the people In these days are SUI
fering from a peculiar disease that
takes the form Of an exaggerated idea
OF their own Importance. the effect OF
which is to do away almost entirely
with the listener SO important fac
tor In the art of conversation that ey-
erybOdy is so eager to talk either OF
himself, his affairs or what interests
him exclusively that dialogue has been
almost annihilated by monologue. IL
ia declared that the modern 10 a OF fad
the development OF the indivi"ual' is
largely responsible for the disease and
its effects, this fad being carried &c
such an extent that every individual
thinks he has right 10 talk and no
body wants to listen. Such z menace
does the present situation appear to
hold for the art OF conversation that
able editorials are being written by
leading newspapers on the subject in
the hope Of doing something 10 revive
the listener. who, it is feared, is liable
to become extinct lin this age OF chat
terers." Another contributory cause
for this decline In the art of conyersa-
tion is said to be he fact that the ten
dency Of the age is to grapple with alb
struse questions. to affect a mental
depth to despise the ordinary interests
and occupations, in short, foolish in
fiation of ideas has caused what may be
termed small talk" TO be almost ban
ished. An editorial upon this subject
which appears in a contemporary Of
recent date not inaptly styles small
talk the small change of social in
tercourse" and declares it to be useful
and appropriate on certain occasions
and that the really interesting talker
is the one who knows when to be earn
est and when to adopt a lighter vein.
Writing OF English society, George
Smalley says "Lecturing is not con
versation. 1t was once tolerated in
England II is tolerated no longer Nor
does habit Of mouologue recommend
any body to the good will of the COM
pany. Concession, lightness of touch.
a quick adaptability. quick perception
Of the prevailing note and degree ot
conformity to it--these are among the
qualities which are valued and which
give tone to conversation. .
Conversation consists largely OF illu-
sions. There is a kind Of So
| cial shorthand which expresses whole
sentences by a few lines and dots-a
| fragmentary phrase and perhaps a
gesture, a look al. intonation." No
less an authority than La Bruyere de-
clares that the secret OF conversation is
not so much in a display of esprit" as
in Swing others a fair opportunity to
shine. The trouble seems to be that
everybody wants to shine but nobody
wants to give others the opportunity TO
do SO. and the editorial previously re-
ferred to makes the following interest
ng and suggestive statement in refer
ence to the situation "rhJught-trans-
| ference would be a still further inn
! provement upon this social short
hand and perhaps we shall come to
that at last when the human race de-
spairs Of finding anyone willing to as
sumo the modest role of listener"