The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1905-02-24
Talk md Conversation

l received the other day q printed
slip containing what was called d
special offer" TO sell me, for the mod
est price OF one dollar, a book which
would reveal the secret OF how tO con-
verse with 1ueucy aud fascination
AS the author remarks In his adver-
easement Ito be able to converse gives
one the only key with which to un :
lock the gate which leads to every
avenue OF social success. The famil-
lar errors Of blunJnesS, oyer familiar
lty and rude questioning are ear
marks Of the unsuccessful ones"
l did not buy this book; for person.
ally, | do not want TO learn how to
converse. | would much rather
talk. The age or conversation has
gone by, with many other old, forgot
ten, far off things. When L think OF
conversation it reminds me OF Macau-
ley, COleridge, and sundry other very
eminent bores who used To hold forth
for hours at time in what were
really monologues or essays or haran-
CUES, but which had none or the
pleasant, friendly giYe-and-take
which is the characteristic OF good
|
Our owr time is one in which talk
has supplanJed conversation. BOOK
language is getting 10 be less aud less
appreciated, and our modern lltera-
lure is written very largely as we
talk. The formal style Of Addison
aud the righteousness Of johnson
would be equally impossible today
We have discarded them just as we
have discarded knee breeches and
wigs and rutfies. Nor is this to be re-
GREETED, for IL does not mean differ
euce IN merit, but only difference 10
method. The swift. pungent vivid
uess Of Kipling is just as good In It's
way as the solemn sJatellness OF Gio
Don, and 1T Is far better adapted to
win readers, who do not like 10 find to
great gulf between what they read
ard what they say aud near. TAR
has, in fact, invaoed literature, and
The result Is most cOmmendable, max.
ing for viyacity, ease and sp0ntanlety.
For the best of all good talk is very
good indeed.
This is perhaps most often found
when men are by themselves, and not
W hen they have women as their fel
low takers. Aod there are good rta
sons for this. This talk Of men not
only is freer, but takes wider range
and touches upon topics II which the
majority of women have no expert
ence and which they In consequence
eel little interest. And hence many |
Things may be taken for granted |
Which it is not necessary to stop and |
explain as one goes along, Moreover, |
wnen men are lalking to men alone.
they have none Of the conscious |
ness of SEX Men seldom talk to wom
en- precisely as they talk to one an
other, no matter how entertaining |
Chey may be. They are always, even |
though unconsciUusly, picking and |
choosing the things which they i'm
dgine women wish to hear. And they |
40 not frankly utter the other things
which they themselves would best
prefer to say. This causes certain
feeling OF restraint, and II IL inimtcal
TO a high degree of excellence IN talk.
Finally, the subjects usually become
personal or else they are wholly friv
Ulous, and in either case, the outgiv'
ing is only froth and nonsense.
Women are less entertaining talk
ers than men, though this is not be-
cause they are less clever. IL Is rather
que to the habit which they acquire
~ young girls of substituting chatf
and banter and flippancy for anything
more serious. This is all very well up
W a certain point, but IL gets monot'
uuOus and boresOme after one has
grown beyond ones teens. Ii women
are really gifted with good minds, |
they can cultivate truly marvellous
command of Tepartee. II they are
commonplace, then they resort TO |
sort OF slangy pertucss OF the shop |
girl. order, which makes them far |
from agreeable companions. In all |
this, however, they are usually en-
cuuraged by the men they meet, VINO |
come down to the selfsame level, 10 |
the belief that women are capable OF |
n9thing better than this cackllng, |
swapping, stacco kind of talk. The |
women, 90 their side, think that this
is lust what men prefer: and this is
why we hear so much Of 1t wherever |
we happen to go. This is pity. |
Women would really be cOmplimented |
oy being taken with more seriousness.
while men would find the BILE |
talk Of a sensible girl extremely |
charming; for such a one would be
quick to take his points and would |
nave sympathetic and instructive
understanding Of what he says, which
would give the two much genuine
pleasure in their talk. The most in
1eresting talk is that which is nat
ural, simple and siucere-not the talk
II y redant, yet not the talk OF
chattering maybe. To be always
trying To produce effects is fatal to
good talk, and belongs TO converse
tiOD."
The essence OF good talk lies 10
sense Of mental contentment which
enables those who talk to learn az
49, mh..hnr hnu are CON o email IL