Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-20
Little Talks by
Be0tr FdHtdT
by BEATRICE FAIRFAX

Don't tell all YOU know" my
grandfather used to say, Keep a few
notions for a rainy day. They may
come in handy
It's always a good idea to have n
htt!e change in your pockets. Don's
parcel out all your nickcls and dimes
Just because you have bank ac-
count to draw on. Keep a little con-
versational small change. too. Don't
hand out all your information about
what YOU had for breakfast and what
the wife said at dinner and how the
children did at school. Keep a few
things to yourself"
Grandfather's theory came back to
me strongly the other day when |
happened to overhear group of girls
talking.
She stops every one who goes by
her desk and tell 'em all she knows"
said one. Never keeps thing to
herself. I'll bet the Office boy Knows
how much she pays for her shoes and
the scrub woman is wise to where she
gets her hats
kinda chatty. I call her" remark
ed another. Not too stuck up to pass
a pleasant word with folks. And not
too stingy to pass it along when she
finds a place where you can still get
blue serge dresses for S1.9S"
II like to do "A little talking my
self" remarked the third. She bores
Between over -chattiness and over
chariness there is a wide field of con-
versational possibilities. But folks are
legion WHO never, find that out.
Each of the three viewpoints ex-
pressed about the oVer-communica-
tive girl has it's points. Let's acquafnt
ourselves with them.
The girl who stops everyone who
goes by her desk in order to our out
"a conversational stream OF informa-
ton anent herself is bound to be Il
bore. A bore. you know. is the per-
son who talks about himself when
want to talk about mVSplfl"
or Little Value
she is sure to sacrifice dignity to
volubility. Things which are flung
about broadcast never seem to have
any value. And condolences given TO
all and sundry become public property
next in ,pathos to, public charges
Naturally enough. in a ceaselesS
flow, of conversation not everything
can be useless, however trivial. Those
who listen to the endless chatter may
extract bits of actual information.
But these are given more in pride
at being able,to impart them than in
generosity and because of desire to
help.
Frequent letters come to me from
girls who want to know how to "en-
tertain" the young men they desire TO
attract. And occasional ones reach
me from youths who say they have So
LITTLE tie to talk talk, about that they arc arc
Really, they needn't worry-provided
they have the gift of listening.
Shyness and silence may be dour
and glum and so may repel. But they
may also be. friendly and warm and
inviting. Nothing can be more attrac-
tive than the radiant silence which
seems to hold out warm arms begging
for condolences and revelations.
The gift of listening intelligentlv
and sympathetically is rare. So. as
long as human nature retains its nor
NAL desire for self,eXpress9n and its
who wants you to talk about your
self is going to appeal more than the
one who wants to do all the talking
himself and do it all about himself.
Boring, tiresome. selfish. even silly
is the person who pours out a con-
stant stream of chatty condolences.
But he or she may be something
The ceaseless talker may be a dan
gerous person who betrays confidence,
or a conscienceless person who be-
traYs truth.
forever without falling into danger of
telling something that isn't so. or re-
Vealing something that should never
have been said. There lies the great
menace and danger of failing to get
the habit of keeping little small
change"
Don't Talk Too Much
Whosoever gets into the unpleas-
talk" is bound to lose his sense of pro-
portion. Gle" I say generically now
though we started with 'she'-but
why not make the men share the
blame?). "He" then presently draws
on his Imagination to keep his stream
of chatter flowing. Truth and a sense
of proportion 60 4 reputation Tor
being a liar comes and in critical
moments the chatterer cannot con-
vince those whose faith he needs.
The spy system and the secret
service alike know the amount of re-
lance they can place on the human
habit of talking too much. Nations
have tottered because some rash in
dividual couldn't hold his tongue.
There really seems to be a great
deal in dear old "grandsirs~ idea:
Keep a little small change. Don't talk
necessarily. Don't tell all you know
and q lot YOU merely Guessi