The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-07-10
"A LESSON IN TACT
DON'T BECOME PERSON ALWAYS
SAYING THE WRONG THING.
Schoolgirls Should Study to Be Tact
full Without Being Insincere-bru-
tai Sincerity Sometimes Unpardon-
able - How One Girl OFFENDED
Three Friends-The Truth-Telilng
Tale-Bearer Disagreeable Person
nv MARGARET d. sANGsTER.

Louise, VINO is a girl neighbor, came
into my living-room the other day
looking very forlorn. She hung her-
self into chair, the corners OF her
mouth dropped and | saw that tears
! were not very far from her honest
brown eyes. Louise has those Dig
brown eyes that show a soul so true
and loyal that it has in it not he
faintest possibility for deceit. | have
seen dogs with eyes that have exactly
that expression.
What is the matter?" | said.
Have you found out that your doll
is stuffed with sawdust, or has your
dearest friend picked up her play
things and gone home? You appear to
have met with some provoking Gisap-
pointment. Did you not get on the
! promotion list after all your work?
Come, DEAR pour out your trouble. Tell
me what has happened. Perhaps |
can help you. I've been in hard places
myself"
Louise managed to smile a little as
she answered. THE trouble isn't one
that you can cure. 1t is just that
am such an idiot of a girl, always say
ing the wrong thing and making mis-
takes and setting people against me
l have done it three times to-day;
have three times said the wrong thing
and | am completely discouraged.
In the first place l met Mena Car
son on her way to school this morning
She was in very good spirits and told
me that she was sure she would have
perfect recitation in geometry as
she had worked out every proposition
correctly last evening. | had nothing
better to answer than: That will be a
change for you. know that your
Cousin Tom is visiting your house, and
| suppose he helped you
Now, that was the worst and most
insulting remark l could have made.
for Mena is very dull in mathematics.
and, as everybody knows, her people
at home are not particularly well-edu-
Gated. | called attention in a breath
to her own stupidity and to the fact
that she couldn't have made her prep
aration unless Tom Winthrop had
been there to help her She left me
abruptly, and she hasn't sponen to me
since. Anyway, I was sincere"
Yes, Louise" l assured her. you
were sincere, but you were not tact
full. fear that you did hurt your
friends feelings quite needIessly. GO
on, dear. Let me hear the rest"
AT recess" said Louise, Marjorie
Dean asked me if l liked the fashion
of her new frock. Without stopping
to think, told her frankly that the
fashion was pretty enough for some
people. 1t would suit tall, slender
girl like Nancy Kent, but it made Mar
jorie look too dumpy and short. 1t
was the truth, but Marjorie flushed I'D
and said: You do say such horrid
things, Louise. One never knows what
you will tell her when she asks you
a civil question Then she walked off,
and know she does not like her frock
so well as she did before.
LAS if this were not sufficient
Louise proceeded, 81 Numbered again.
Miss Tilson, our teacher, asked me
whether l would have to go out of my
way to post a letter for her, when l
went home to luncheon The post Of
flee is three blocks from our house
in an opposite direction from the
school, so / could not oblige my teach
er without taking some extra steps.
hesitated moment before answered:
I shall have to go a little out of the
way, but shall not mind that; can
hurry, and | will be happy to post
your letter. Never mind, said Miss
Tilson, here comes Rose Elliot.
think she can oblige me without any
inconvenience
You should have seen Rose. She
just beamed. She seized upon that
letter and bore it off in triumph, and
Miss Tilson looked after her as much
as to say: There goes a young girl
who takes delight in doing favors for
people,"
Louise sighed and was silent.
THE error you make, Louise" /
said, after pause, " is a common one
with young people. They lack sense
of proportion. You are naturally can
did and open, and you have formed an
excellent habit of always telling fhe
truth. l like your sincerity. l e1 en-
like your bluntness, and yet | must
tell you very plainly that sincerit-
without tact is often cruel and brutal
and sometimes objectionable. Tact
means touch.
THE tactful girl is very quick to I'M
derstand a situation. She knows how
people feel without having their SEN
timents explained. She never goes ont
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 |
a commission without act
ually saying that it will put her to
some inconvenience. This morning
you had only to say to Mena, when