Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-03-29

If woman wishes to be popular, and
remain popular with her friends and
relatives, it is absolutely necessary that
she should avoid earning the reputation
of bore. People not only detest, but
also take care to avoid the woman whose
conversation and manners irritate them
in any way, and who has not the tact
talk becomes wearisOme, and limit it
accordingly.
The man who bOres is a sore trial; but
the woman who possesses such char
acteristic is y positive affection. Doubt
less there are few readers who have not
not met such woman. She will recite
for hours at a stretch the troubles-real
and imaginary-which she experiences
with her husband, children and servants.
She will expound upon her own ailments,
and bore you with recital of pains and
aches, sufficient to fill hospital ward.
She also usually complains of being a
bundle of nerves, and yet takes keen
delight in telling you the most sensa-
tional and narrowing news which she
has read, until she makes your flesh
creep. And if you plead an engagement
in order to escape her, she not only Of
feIs, but actually insists, in manner
not to be denied, on accompanying you
until she has exhausted her fountain of
talk.
The grievances which such a woman
has to tell you are ineXhaustible. No
one ever understands her, for the simple
reason that she can never understand
herself Everyone abuses her. No mat
ter how earnestly she may work for the
good of others, she is always sure that
no one appreciates her efforts. The
truth of the matter is, that she really
does nothing at all without largely ad-
vertising the fact, and nobody can ap-
preciate self-praise.
She talks of the failings of her hus-
band, children and servants, totally ig-
noring her own faults, which, however,
are very apparent to her friends. She is
not with you five minutes before she
begins telling you of the hours which
her husband spends at the club, neglect
ing her night after night. No wonder,
you remark inwardly; the poor man tries
to escape the atfiiction as much as posi-
BILE, if she bores him as much as she
boreS you.
Then there is the woman whose chill
dren treat her unfeelingly. She cannot
mention them without enumerating all
their petty faults and failings. Her chill
dren torture her, and her servants wear
her into shredS. In fact, to judge from
her tales, they seem to have been special
ly created by spiteful Providence to
worry her into an early grave.
But of the women who bore their
friends, perhaps the most to be despised-
for really she deserves nothing but con-
tempt-is the woman who fancies she is
entitled to fill some mission in the world,
and bemoanS her fate because she mar
ried poor or incapable man, who can
not help her to realize her hopes and
ambitions. Such woman makes her
own life miserable, as we'll as the lives
of every one connected with her. What
action can be more mean on the part of
a woman than that of giving vent to
thoughts which are continual reproach
to her husband, because she is not what
she thinks she ought to be? Pride
should keep woman from talking in
such manner, even although she might
have dissatisfied thoughts.
The woman who would avoid becom.
ing a bore must remember that her per.
sonal affairs and petty domestic troubles
are of no particular interest to anyone,
except, perhaps to spiteful neighbors, to
whom they form food for gossip. If
you meet or visit friend, the natural
question is GLOW are you getting on?''
or something to that effect. But there
is no necessity to enter into the most
minute details of your troubles, or to be.
moan your fate, which, after all, is but
cowardly. Friends have quite enough
trouble and worry with their own affairs,
without having to listen to long recital
of what does not concern them.
Every woman, of course, is not good
conversationalist, nor possesses the happy
, knack of being able to entertain friends
with pleasing talk. In that case it is a
good plan to talk as little as possible. A
good listener is always appreciated, nc
matter where he or she may be. You
cannot bore any one by listening, and
are bound to win the good opinion of the
talker.-EX.