The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1898-03-17
ETIQUETTE OF CONVERSATION.
There Are Few Listeners Nowadays
and All the Women Talk Loud.

/ and All the W omen Talk Loud.
The art of conversation has been
rightly called q lost art IL these latter
days. No longer do we trouble 10
round our phases elegantly. 10 talk in a
low and weII-modulated voice. Ii Is the
fashion now 10 talk as fast as possible,
SO that nobody else may have chance
OF being heard. And the loudest talk
er in a modern assemblaCe becomes the
person Of most importance.
Such has the nineteenth-century
hurry and seltiShnsss made of what
| should be the most attractive thing on
earth-the human voice, with its mani
| fold expressions, and the thought which
it should convey from mind to mind.
! When we gable like geese, we can
| hardly speak words Of much value, and
| when words are uttered in n loud key.
| there can rarely be much music found
! IN them.
The pity of it is that people in what
is styled society are the greatest trans
gressors in this matter. 1t is now quite
a sign of mediocrity not 10 monopolize
the conversation and TO outtalk every
body else. There must be few listen
crs left, we suppose. but as n rule it is
Il
or gathering that most of the voices
are sounding altogether, and with the
strident note that fashion has recent
ly selected so that a middle class
stranger joining the throng would won
der if she had suddenly stumbled upon
a modern tower of Babel. OF course, |
If she were fashionable herself she |
would hasten to add her tones 10 the |
rest
It really Is noticeable that the voice |
of the modern man is becoming low. |
almost inaudible, while that of the
woman grows louder and more assert
i've. This may demonstrate the evolu-
ton of women toward the higher plane
which they claim as their right, but
we much fear that it IS but a sign of
the growing selfishness that is poster
ing the heart of all classes. Selfish
ness will naturally consider its own
more interesting and
worthy of a hearing than anybody
else's; sclfishness will therefore ignore
the remarks of others, will interrupt
the speech of others, will impose its
own views and opinions upon the so
ciety with which it happens to be I'm
contact.
In the good old etiquette books of a |
epoch we read that each word
should be given its proper value and ,
Number of letters; that il is not correct |
o boast Of personal or social advan-
ages, that acquaintance should not
De bored by personal conversation; that {
t is ill-bred to interrupt a speaker or
the conversation; that II is :
vearisOme TO thrash out a subject TO !.
| threadbarc fHeness; that II is bad
aste to talk of unsavory subjects. or :
narrow the feelings by dissertations >
Ipon dangerous illnesses
But everyone WI recognize that these =,
re not the rules of to-day among -
arge ma iority of modern society. They "
re obsolete, tiresome and crumping =
ules that no civilized people could =
eign To follow. Fortunately, however, =.
here are still very many highly bred "
iomen who have been strong enough to ~
ithstand the insidious influence of ."
he closing century and hold fast TO +,
ne best traditions of well-mannered | ~
onversation; who will politely stare ;.
unpleasant topics out of countenance; =.
no will not allow smart" things
gainst religion to be said unquestioned
Ihelr nearing; who give honor to o.
lose syllables to which honor is due;
no do not think it necessary TO inter -,
I'D their remarks with slang and smat- a.
rings CT foreign languages, and who =.
D not think and insist that their opin- u"
n upon any subject is the only one
at is infallible. -
These women, it is pleasant TO be ~
eve, viii lhave power in time to turn -.
odern conversation back into more
tractive channels; their personal ex- -
nple, their instruction to their chill
'en, will insure the revival of ell that "e
best in human intercourse, and so =
amp out from the coming generation -
I'd society those rank weeds which N
wv are like to choke the intelligence
the most highly educated people in 'e
e world.-Mabel Rich, IN Chicago
mesHerald. 50