The Tupelo journal., 1906-06-08
a LESSON IN TACT.

tell you very plainly that sincerity
THREE-BOWLES
without tact is often cruel and brutal.
and sometimes objectionable. Tact
means touch.
'The tactful girl is very quick to un-
derstand situation. She knows how
people feel without having their SEN
timents explained. She never goes out
Of her way to show a schoolmate as
you did Mena, that you have noticed
how frequently she Is deficient. In
no circumstances does she venture to
inform an acquaintance that her hat
or her dress is unbecoming, when the
dress and hat have been bought and
paid for. And she understands how To
undertake a commission without act
ually saying that 1t will put her to
some inconvenience. This morning
you had only to say to Mena, when
she told you about the geometry:
Dear Mena, how glad l am and you
might have stopped your comment on
Marjorie's frock at the point OF ad-
miration for the fashion. AS for Miss
Tilson you had merely to say: Why,
of course; 1t will be pleasure to post
your letter..
"One of our greatest perils is In this
direction. We exalt one virtue at the
expense of another. / had school
mate who not only never made friends,
but really made enemies through her
determination never to say the least
thing that was not altogether true.
She carried her truth-telling so far
that she constantly involved other peo-
pie in trouble by doing what has been
regarded by school people as shock
ing from the days of the Romans un-
til now. She was a sort of tale-bear-
er, not because she wanted to be so,
but because her conscience obliged her
to reveal everything she knew, wheth-
er it was her own affair or that OF an
other"
At this Louise sat up very straight.
THAT GIRL she said, was goose.
Everybody knows that telling tales Is
perfectly abominable."
Il agree with you in that, but Caro-
line unfortunately never learned that
simple thing; in consequence she was
Stunned as girl and disliked when
she grew Older.
"a very important study for girls, as
important, / think, as Latin, algebra
or German, is to learn how to be both
tactful and sincere. We must never
knowingly violate the truth, but there
are times when we may be silent and
commit no sin. A lie may be told by
one who is a hypocrite, without her
opening her lips. There are times
when deception is carried on by looks.
One must speak truth If she speaks at
all, and one must not be coward. A
sincere nature reveals itself In tones
and glances, as we'll as in speech, but
one who is tactful will learn delicacy.
She will be careful not to wound any
ones feelings. She will refrain from
putting herself forward and will be
quick to do and say agreeable things.
For instance, your friend Marjorie
has a beautiful complexion. You
might have said that color suits your
hair and eyes, without calling atten-
ton to her figure. Although Mena is
not quick at mathematics, she writes
good compositions, and I don't be-
lieve you have ever complimented her
on that talent AS for Miss Tilson,
whom you adore, you can make 1t all
right with her by being on the watch
to accommodate her next time. Does
she not let the girls sometimes make
her cup of tea at the noon hour?
And do you not sometimes carry your
luncheon with you to school? The
tactful person looks out for opportu-
mites to be helpful, without ever be-
ing obtrusive.
Cheer up, Louise, you have done
nothing very dreadful after all. Nine
tenths of the difficulty is in finding out
where our weak points lie. Once they
are discovered, it is very easy to
guard against them. l expect to see
you as tactful as your sister Gene
We've by the time you are 20"
Louise went away consoled. Gene
We've is her ideal, as elder sisters
should always be.