The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1908-11-05
THERE is MUCH TALK.
sometimes People Talk Just to "KiI
Time."
ak IS NOT ALWAYS VERY CHEAP.
kind Words.)


talk. II we want to get something
that we have not, and sometimes Il
we want to rid ourselves of some
thing that we have, we talk. If We
want to persuade people to think as
we do, or dissuade them from the
views they hold, we talk. And
sometimes, just to kill time" we
talk. And lot Of stuff that is pass.
ed off on US by the dignifed name Of
conversation is the poorest sort OF
poor talk"
Usually folks talk with their ton
CUES, but sometimes we see people.
deaf and dumb ones, and sometimes
school boys and school girls, talk
with their hands. And | have heard
of folks who could talk with their
eyes. At any rate in one way or an
other, we all talk.
You have doubtless heard some
body say that talk is cheap" That
depends on circumstances. In a
sense it is, but in another it may
prove to be a very expensive pas
time. 1t is easy for a boy to lean
against tree and talk about what
he can do, while his hands are buried
away down deep in his pockets.
His breath doesn't cost him anything,
not even enough exertion for him to
be sensible Of it, Rnd his tongue. jaws
and vocal cords work automatical-
ly.
It is different matter, though, if
somebody or some event forces him
to try TO prove his assertions. !
heard it said of a politician once
that he would probably be elected if
he wouldn't talk too much. After
all, talk may not be the cheapest
thing in the world. 1t is done on
the credit system sometimes, and it
is long time before the bill comes
in, but man is likely to pay for his
free use of words sooner or later. |
make my living by talk; in fact, we
might almost say that it is my life;
and occasionally in the heat Of pas
sionate discourse l say something
that costs lot of time and words to
try to explain. And then it may nev-
er be entirely set right.
Talk is something that is hard to
control. If a thought is expressed
in written words there Is something
to which to refer to prove the state
ment; but when it is spoken it may
be repeated, re-repeated and repeat
ed again, and slightly changed with
each repetition until the author Of it
will not recognize 1t when it gets
back to him. Did you ever read
those interesting verses about Mrs.
B. telling Mrs. C. that Mrs. A. put
too much of something in her tea?
Then Mrs. C. told Mrs. D., and Mrs.
D. told Mrs. E., and on until it was
actually said that Mrs. A. put whis-
key in her tea. Some good friend to
Mrs. A. began to trace the report
back from Mrs. M. through Mrs. L.,
Mrs. K, and so on till Mrs.
B. was reached; and she declared
that she had only said that Mrs. A.
was growing very stout because she
put too much sugar in her tea! Poor
Mrs. A. almost lost her reputation
because of talk"
don't think that l need to point
out the moral to this story.
When l was d little fellow l used
to hear story that amused me very
much; and since l am older and have
seen something very similar, the
point in it has become more and
more striking. 1t seems that ayoung
man was calling on his best girl.
Topics for conversation were at
premium. In fact, it seemed that
+hev had come to the point where
,othing could be thought OF about
which to talk. After long and en-
oarrassing silence Sam ventured the
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