The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-03

Mrs. Gordon win aLswer inqui- =
= ries addressed TO her by readers. >
= Letters should enclose return =
> postage and should always be ad- =
. dressed thus;
ADELAIDE GORDON. y
156 Fifth avenue, New York. =
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Educate yourself in the habit of
ready, graceful speech. Socially, you
can go far and work wonders through
this powerful and delightful medium.
1t is as serious d mistake to shirk
your conversational responsibilities as
il is 10 neglect your toilet. or the bene-
fits of education. The shirkers are not
only the selfish, silent ones, who do not,
wiz not and say they cannot talk. A
Eoodly number of them possess active
enough tongues and brains, and yet
feel, and know. that they fail to eX-
press themselves happily. interestingly,
Overwhelmingly. by word of the mouth.
Their trouble is that they are usually
the victim Of a number Of bad habits.
For Instance, their most common and
conspicuous fault is that they have
given no thought TO the requirement Of
the good speaking voice.
Go Slow and Speak Low.
wish more men and women would
follow that simple precept. When they
DO a big stride is taken toward the at
tainment of charm in conversation.
The American voice-especiaIly that Of
the feminine American-has. I grieve 70
say, an ugly and almost international
reputation. It Is fat, thin and IN
musical. We may not, 40 "a nation.
learn to make our tones round, fun and
sweet, but any one who earnestly tries
can easily overcome the disa gTeea bic
habit Of speaking too loudly and too
D. rapidly.
Most voices could be advantageously
lowered a whole octave. and the enUn-
citation greatly sweetened and improved
by elaboration.
in an argument or conversation that
houses your keen interest, remember
not TO lift your voice high above that
Of your companion. This is not only
a cheap and very unfair means of en-
forcing your views. but it is downright
bad manners. It fails to give weight
90 your opinions, and il very often
wounds and annOys
y matter OF vital importance is to
realize not -culy that the low. sweet
voice is an excellent thing in man as
well as woman. bat that it is mighty
in persuasion.
ing more than an expenditure OF time.
patience and practice.
Wesley, 50 his biographies say could
reduce congregation of the toughest
country people 10 tears of sOftened de-
light by his mere pronunciation of the
word Meso3Otamia.
This goes to prove what many So
cially disappointed men and women
fail TO find out for themselves. namely.
that there is as much influence welded
by the manner as the matter of ones
conversation
7 don't dispute the value of brains.
hut mere Wit and learning are not the
only qualities TO b. exhibited in your
speech. You can create an impression.
an enduring and delightful one, by
other means, neither difficult to study
EoT employ.
The Best Impression.
This. in nine cases out Of Ten. is Gre
ated by the TeDoSefuI talker ] mean
by the individual who has no affecta-
tons or nervous habits.
The little involuntary laugh. the con-
stantly recurring catch phrase. the eX-
aggerated facial expression, and the
frequent use Of superfluous adiectives
must be one and all steTnly condemned,
and, if possible. stOUtly depressed.
II you have fallen into the way of
,
q giggle. you may not know il. but you
have sadly injured your chance Of
popularity. Laugh when the oppOT-
tunity for mirth arises and laugh
heartily, but don't laugh namely. habit
ually: there is no excuse for this habit.
Sit still when you speak or hearken
30 others. 4 rocking chair in motion
Is a nuisance; so also are wiggiing feet.
and the fingers that twiddle with a
neck chain. Restrict yourself severely
III the use Of such silly interpretations
and CALCULATIONS as Don't you know
DO YOU see2" Il say" etc.
Just as ineIegant and annoying Is
the provincial Teiteration Of "I-guess, -
Il reckon" You don't say" and The
like
I hope I shall not be misunderstood
a. advocating stolidity when I offer
very strenuous objections 10 the eXciT-
able talker who positively gesticulates
with his features as well as his hands.
and uses the most hyperbOlic language
in mentioning the simplest incident or
familiar object
Talk with animation. and plenty of
&C.. but do not fall into the common and
distressing fault of describing a dainty
DISH as perfectly grand, the old par
Tor carpet as Just CHASTITY and your
luck at bridge whist az something
fierce"
re temperate. even TO tle point OF
abstemiousness. in your use of the cur
rent slang. and give a deal of pains
taking attention 70 the pronunciation
Of your mother tongue. These may
seem very unimportant details, but
truly they are not
Only "A week ago / heard "a highly
bred woman and hostess sit in very
severe judgment upon "A young man
no had paid her daughter some at
tenti0ns
He looked so like a gentleman said
the lady. TegTetfully, but with firm
fnaIity. He bore d good name. toe,
one we'll known IN my part of the state,
but his speech hopelessly belied his
appearance. ] simply could not ask him
II my house and introduce him to my
friends.
This same young man, who would
have blushed 10 put his knife into bis
mouth or tuck his napkin under his
chin, was not aware that il is socially
as essential 20 use ones native Ian
guage correctly as it is to wear clean
linen and eat peas with a fork.
He was able. honest kind, but his
speech placed Rim at the greatest dis
advantage in polite society. He was
neither coarse nor foolish. bot a liberal
use Of slang and reckless indiffer-
ence to the rules OF grammar put him
outside the pale.
Occasionally slang Is amusing and