The National tribune., 1907-03-07
THE FAMILY.
By sENoRA SARA.

Conversation in these hurried days
is almost a thing of the past. The
graceful, gracious art is fast dying out
We have no time for the lengthy dis
courses and rounded periods of the
"teacup days of patch and hoop nor
would 4 revival he altogether desirable
or suitable, but surely in place of that
stateliness and formaiity of speech
something better could be aimed at
than the chit-chat of to-day. OF con-
versation we have scarcely any, of talk
which niasquerades as such too much,
reminding us OF DIR. Johnson's COM
ment, after an evening spent in society,
that there had been much talk, but no
conversation.
Conversation should be an inter-
change OF ideas. so like the famous re-
cipe for game pie. first catch your ideas.
and given Il congenial companion the
rest is easy. Women talk. but rarely
converse They have q fatal habit of
relating long tales, already twice told,
keeping the floor indefinitely, forgetting
that the art of conversation is to keep
The ball moving, tossing 1t lightly from
one To another. We all know the style
of the average domestic woman. 20
minute call is spent somewhat in this
fashion: The first five explaining why
she has neglected to call before, the
next 10 in a spirited discourse on the
iniquities of her cook, the delinQuen-
cieS OF her dressmaker, or some other
equally thrilling subject; the remain
ing five in the going away. with the at
tendant $50 glads." Thus her inter-
course with women. With the opposite
sex it is something fearful and Won
derful. During a half hour chat with
q man, starting with the idea that she
must amuse him. she talks on any and
every topic that suggests itself to her
mind, ranging from Shakespeare and
the musical glasses to the fashion in
sleeves and crinoline with a rapidity that
daZes her hearer, and when he finally
escapes in a state bordering on stupe-
faction she congratulates herself on the
fact that she has been entertaining!
man rarely talks for the sake of hear
ing his own voice. says the Philadelphia
Times He generally has a subject to
begin with, trifiing one it may be-the
poirts of a horse or the fit of a coat
but. at any rate, a subject on which he
has some formulated ideas, and after
expressing them he is content to re-
lapse into silence.
Fluency OF speech if by no means
conversation, and a bright woman
would be aghast at the thought that
she might become a bore thru the
abuse of the very gift on which she
prides herself-a dangerous one when
used without discretion Even wonder,
ful powers of conversation fatigue at
times: how much more, then, this flow
of language, "a thing of sound and fury
signifying nothing" Nine. de Stael, who
charmed and delighted with her talk
too often monoiogue-at length wear
led her hearers
Margaret Fuller, the American de
Stael, was the wittiest, most intellectual
woman of her day, but Carlyle's COM
ment on her was far from fiattering-
.'ta lean old maid who talked too much,
a remark calculated TO make talka-
tive woman take vows of perpetual ST.
lence.
The woman who desires to shine in
conversation should beware of too great
fiuency of speech, lest her hearers in
voluntarily say, with Hamlet, Words.
words. words Nothing. however, will
add more surely to her charm than the
ability to converse well and intelligent
ls. but that means much--not only to
talk well herself. but to bring out the
best in others, to combine the rare gift
Of listening we'll with that of talking
well, which requires infinite tact. What
more subtle compliment can a man pay
woman than 10 tell her something of
pirations which he knows can never be |
realized? Surely. it is better for both
one to put into words the thoughts that
underlie the current of his life, often
the mainsprings of his actions; she tol
listen, encouraging and sympathiZing,
powerless 10 help, but never falling to-
stimulate in him the desire for better,
higher things, the while enlarging and
broadening her OWN knowledge of life
How much better this than that she
should win a passing compliment as a
clever woman.
The desire 10 shine is natural one,
1t is true, and a bright, intelligent wo-
man. impatient with the commonplace |
woman surrounding her. rushes TO the
other extreme, and wearies as much by |
her very cleverness as does her un- |
fortunate sister by her dullness. For, |
after all, ii is not brilliancy in a wo-
man which attracts; il is that nameless |
sOmething-tact, sympathy--call it what
you will, which. combined with a keen
intelligence, forms a weapon almost i'm |
possible to resist.
So given, first, the wit and bright |
ness; second, the tact when TO use and
when to suppress t1em-joining these |
gifts in a woman, like Alexander, she |
may go forth and subjugate the world; |
her only crumpled rose leaf-that there
are no more to conquer.
Acid phosphate will remove ink |
stains from the hands when everything !
else fails.
Milk applied once week with soft
cloth freshens and preserves boots and
shoes.
Canned sardines carefully Drowned
on a double wire eridiron and served
with lemon are appetizing.
One of tho easiest ways of taking
cold is to drop asleep without an extra
wrap over the shoulders.
These are the days when extra care
should be taken TO keep the feet per-
fectly dry. A fresh pair of stockings
should be used every day.
Canned tomatoes are more delicfousI
baked than stewed About 10 minutes
before removing from the oven spread
buttered bread crumbs over the top.
When an eiderdown comfortable has
got hard and lost all of It's elasticity
hang il in the cool, balmy air for few
hours. and all the life will come back
TO il.
Calicoes, ginghams and chambrays
cannot be properly washed along with
the white clothes. They need much
quicker process, and the long delays of
an ordinary wash day would ruin them.