News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-02-10
Making Conversation a
Fine Art
BY ORlSoN SWEET MARDEN.

copyright, Mcclure Newspaper syndicate
Talk, talk. 1t does not matter
much what you say, but chatter away
lightly and gayly. Nothing embar-
rasses and bores the average man so
much as a girl who has to be enter
tanned"
Thus a noted society leader, who
had been very successful in the
launching of debutantes, was recently
advising one of her proteges.
/ know of no other one accomplish
ment which will do so much to adj
vance a girl socially as to become a
superb conversationalist. 1t is indi-
cative of intelligence, education, good
breeding and culture. 1t will make a.
girl popular in spite of plain features.
There is no other one quality which
will give girl such power over 9TH
ers, which will make her so popular,
as to be able to fascinate people with
her conversation. The good CONVEX
sationalist is always the center of at
traction in any company.
A girl who can talk we'll, who has
the art of putting things in an at
tractive way, who can interest 9TH
ers Immediately by her gift of speech,
has very great advantage over one
who may know more than she but
who cannot express herself with ease
or graciousness.
There is no other one thing which
o h1nc fn i,,o
preston, especially upon those who
do not know us thoroughly, as the
ability to converse we'll. To be a good
conyersatiOnalist, able to interest
people, to rivet their attention, to
draw them to you naturally by the
very superiority of your conversations
al ability, is to be the possessor of
very great accomplishment, one which
is superior to all others. 1t not only
helps you to make a good impression
upon strangers; it also helps you to
make and keep friends. 1t opens
doors and softens hearts. 1t makes
you interesting in all sorts of COM
paGy. 1t helps you to get on in the
world. 1t helps you into the best So
ciety, even though you may be poor.
The way to learn to talk is to talk.
The temptation for young people who
are unaccustomed to society, and who
feel difident, is to say nothing them
selves and listen to what others say;
but good takers are always sought
after Everybody wants to invite
Miss So-and-So to dinners or recep-
tons because she is such a good talk
er. She entertains. She may have
many defects, but people enjoy her
society because she can talk we'll.
Conversation, if used as an edu-
Gator, is a tremendous power devel-
oper; but talking without thinking,
without an effort to express oneself
with clearness, conciseness or eff
cheney, mere chattering or gossip, the
average society small talk, will never
get hold of the best thing in a girl.
1t lies too deep for such superficial
effort.
Nothing else will develop a girls
brain and character more than the
constant effort to talk well, intelli-
gently, interestingly, upon all sorts Of
topics. There is a splendid discipline
in the constant effort to express ones
thoughts clearly, and in an interest
ing manner. We sometimes meet peo-
pie who are such superb conversers
that no one would ever dream that
they have not had the advantages of
the higher schools. Many a college
graduate has been silenced and put
to shame by people who have never
even been to a high school, but who
have cultivated the art of self-ex-
preston.
Now and then we meet a real ar
list in conversation, and it is such a
treat and delight that we wonder
why the majority of us should be such
bunglers in our expression, why we
should make such botch of the me-
dunn of communication between hui
man beings, when it is capable of be-
ing made the art of arts.
No matter how expert you may be
in any other art or accomplishn emit
you cannot use your expertness al
ways and everywhere as you can the |
power to converse well.