The Detroit times., 1916-06-22
Small Talk.
8Y Or. FRANK CRANE
Copyright. 1876. by Frank Craue)

Il have read your articles with inter-
IeSt, young man writes. land would
Ike YOU to advise me on the following:
/ am twenty-four years old. and find
1t very difficult to talk and mix with
young people of my own age or younger
than |, | don't seem to be able to make
general conversation or small talk, as
it is called.
/ have had a good education but
have never made intimate friends with
young folks
MY brothers and sisters being older
than myself, got used to going around
with them, and so find it much easier to
get along with older than with younger
people
Il have met very nice young girl
and take her to different affairs, but find
it hard to entertain her
Can YOU tell me how to improve N.Y.
SELF"
This young man is probably spokes-
man for large number who realize the
inconvenience Of not being able to make
small talk"
Let 1t be said first of all that small
talk is not to be sneezed at. It is the
useful small change of social intercourse.
To he without it is like shopping for
trrkcts with only twenty-dolar bin in
the pocket.
y few hints, therefore, may be useful
to great many readers.
Rule l. To talk Well at all YOU have
to he Interested CD in your subject and
CD in the person to whom you are talk
ing. The secret Of good conversational
ability hes in your humanities. in your
heart. You cannot talk we'll with any
one unless You like him, or can act as if
YOU ike him.
The smaIicst talk in all the world. car
ried on with the greatest known enthu-
siasm and most marked success, is the
tweet-twcct Of two lovers When he asks
her Whose little precious dovey-wovvy
IS oo?' she thinks it is most marvellous
and ingenious speech, and replies, Use
oors's. dess nobody clsc's but dess
oors'." Il may not make a hit with the
overhearing old bachelor but who cares2
Certainly not Aucassn and Nicolette.
And the reason is that the two are
profoundly interested in each other The
trouble with my correspondent and the
young lady he takes to different affairs
is that he is not enough in love with
her. If he were, he could talk as small
AS any sucking dove"
Rule ,. Small talk is mostly made up
Of conventional phrases. It's special
language, like French. Learn it, Accu-
muIate a lot Of the sayings you hear in
gentle circles and learn to juggle them.
It's a trick, and not hard Don't be
afraid Of bromides.
Rule 3. Morbidity, introspection, sem
sitiveneSs, and seIf-consciousness, all
meaning much the same are fatal to ex-
pert conversational skin. Quit thinking
Of yourself. Cultivate the Don't care"
spirit. one way to do this is by con-
slant practice. Another way is to get
drunk, which is naughty and not to be
recommended; still, it works-some-
times
Rule 4. Don't take yourself, or any,
thing else, too seriously. Touch every
subject lightly, impersonally. The
French, who are the best small takers
in the world, are masters here.
Rule ). Avoid the conversational kill
ers, which are % telling stories, C2)
arguing, and 60 trying to convince. a
story usually stuns conversation.
Another rule for those trying to make
small talk has also been tried often with
signal success. II is Rule 6. Don't.
MEXICO AND PRESIDENT WILSON
II should be understood that the real Mexico
e outside Of far removed from the zone Of dis
turbauce The United States is affected by riots
l., tho mining regions Of Colorado quite az much