The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-01-15
TACTLESS PEOPLE.
ny Rev. James l.. Elderdicc in G..
r.. World


elimination that leads them to avoid
what would offend or disturb. Just
because there are so many things
! 10 annoy and irritaie we appreciate
the efforts Of those who by their
wisdom, patience, and sympathy
straighten out the tangles, smooth
the rufiled spirit, and pour cooling
oil on the heated machinery.
The tactless are the witless, who
never know they are laundering
until they see the cloud Of resent
mcnt, whereas the tactful may adj
minister needed rcbuke so adj
roilly that IL wins a friend instead
Of making an enemy. Archbishop
TAFT would often say to his secre-
tary, when answering some pratt
ling correspondent, Tell him he is
an idiot, but say So kindly" This
is just what tact is capable Of do
ing.
The tactful man says neither too
much nor too little. Al a business
meeting the chairman announced:
Brother skinner submits his res
lgnation as member Of the so
ciety. What action shall be taken
upon lt?"
II move, sir responded one Of the
parliamentarians present, that the
raaiuuaIin a., nccnpfoJ anI ihaf .,
vote Of thanks be rendered Brother
skinner"
In reply to the question Of the
very laxative boarder. why do
they say as smart as a steel trap?
| cannot see anything So intellcctu-
al about a steel trap" Mr. Pepper
answered in his sweetest voice, "A
steel trap is called smart because
II knows exactly the right time to
shut up"
In which respect the steel trap
was wiser than the married man
who didn't know enough Ia leave
his last sentence unuttered. He had
been married several years, and his
wife said to him one night: You
do not speak as afrcctionately 10 me
a. you used to. Hal. fear you have
ceased to love me-"
Ceased to love you. There you
go again. Ceased To love you. Why.
i love you more than life itself.
Now shut up, and let me read the
paper
There are blum and blunt-spoken
folk whose tactlessness is simply
rudeness. sometimes almost brutal
III its frankness. Ian Maclaren
tells of parishoner of Or. Norman
Macleod, who, when her husband
was sick, sent for the minister of
the next parish. Answering the call.
this good man did not recognize the
worthy pair as Of his parish; so he
asked, TO what church do you be-
long?'
DIR. Macleod's."
Then why did you not call him
! W s'hi ii'IS'
"Hoot. mon," answered the mis-
trcss, "di' We think we wad be ris-
kin our N0urman wi the typhus
| fever?"
by the bedside of a sensitive wO-
man attacked with pneumonia a
most MISUNDERSTANDING woman said
in clear tones: There is no hope.
see the death-mark on her face"
This is not quite so bad as the
remark made by Scotch wife TO
her dying husband, who turned his
face from the wall to say: Lass.
that ham savors fine. We may gil
me a bite"
Tut. tut, mon," was the reply.
ham is ma for the deem. Get thee
on Wi thy struggles. The ham is
for the buryin'."
A widow called To see a man who
was slowly passing from this world,
and said tn him, You'll see Tom
Tom was her husband land
want you to tell him I'm doing the
best ] can. Inn trying to raise the
children right"
Her dying neighbor, being a tact
full man, gave her the prompt as
surance that il he reached heaven,
and ever saw Tom, and didn't for
get 1t, he would certainly tell him.
Sometimes well-meaning efforts To
be tactful may become amusing be-
cause so very obvious.
III is very good of you TO give
me your seat" said the lady.
mot at all, num-" replied Pat.
ITS a dooty we all owe TO the sex.
Some folks only do so when a wo-
man is young and pretty: but
say the sex, and not the individual"
DR.. James b. Angel, president of
Michigan University, was invited TO
dinner at the Chinese Legation in
Washington. The doctor sat at the
right hand of the minister. The
floor of the dining room was waxed
and slippery, and there were no