New-York tribune., 1903-08-30
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AN ETHICAL CONVERSATION.

.yvbat shall we talk about?" said one Of the
Ioungers the summer boarding house piazza
why talk at all?" said the head lounger in the
hammock.
why not work instead?" suggested the woman
with the perpetual embroidery frame
COR read?" put in the with an inveterate
habit of carrying book which she never opened
There's no use in saying. Why talk at all? said
the first speaker. impatently. You might as well
say. Don't breathe We always do talk. and we
always will talk, and do any two or three people
who happen TO be together, unless they're stupid
beyond the average. Even then they make some
remark. If it's only about the weather. Men laugh
at women's tongues but they talk themselves
when they're smoking together, and like it, too
But surely the truest friends are those who can
be silent together without embarrassment said
the embroidery woman, who was given 10 long
pauses in speech on occasions Of difficulty in stitch
or design.
Eyes. for about five minutes I've always OBJ
served that those who have long periods of silence
are either hopelessly uncongenial or temporarily
unable TO find the point of contact Ana Whhe
they're silent they're usually miserable"
Il can readily understand that you are usually
miserable while silent" said the girl with the book,
looking abstractedly across the lawn.
Il am unless otherwise occupied" retorted the
advocate of speech. "and so you The civilized
human being has been taught to talk from baby
hood and if he or she can't find a worthy subject
she-and he too-falls back upon an unworthy one
gossip for example 1t to steer clear OF gossip
that asked the question. What shall we talk
about? For have out Of topics, and unless
we make a conscious effort to find good one we
shall bump aimlessly into bad one. The current
of conversation is full of snags"
Hear! heart" exclaimed the lounger in the ham
mock Go on and entertain us further. A good
monologue is at least novelty and you are get
ting all the benefit of exercise
I'm glad of appreciation; I wasn't sure of get
ting that But l only wanted to give your active
minds a start. Let each one suggest a topic BE
spry, but don't fall over % eaGh other, ON. b,o,,,+
forward the required topic, until one young woman
who had hitherto been induging in the much dis-
cussed privilege OF silence SAID quletIy: .,,,
II have been thinking of subject or ooth ethIcal
and theological significance Shall advance II!
The girl with the book laid down ner Vo1ile anu
solemnly began to fan the speakers head while
some one exclaimed, For PHYS sake spare u.s.!
serenely "I was thinking of the virtues and vices
and how they overlap each other so that you can I
The group began to look interested.
For example, continued the student or ethics
"a good talker may degenerate into gossip. A
gossip may have become so through a natural habit
of close observation or kindly interest In the
Joys and sorrows of others. Good and bad are so
intermixed that one often seems to consist only OF
the other carried to excess. ,
yes indeed" put in the woman who had asked
for topics Can anything be more disagreeable
than virtue in too large doses? Take industry; II
degenerates into stupid mechanlcai haoit' "hlch
almost become vice
The woman with the embroidery gave her an in
stinctve glance Of inquiry, but another strucK IN
Just think what a terrible creature very or
derly person can become!
Yes. and those lovely, eaSygOlng people are SO
often slOvenly and careless
1T almost seems as II goodness ltseII were d
That's what was thinking" said the one who
had started the subject "A positive vice Is hardly
'"There come the men from the train!" exclaimed
one of the group, suddenly $50, -, -,
do let's continue in our next, sald the glrl
with the book as every one rose. There's nothing
I dote on like ethics and theology.