Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-08
SUB ROSA
BY MIMI.
BY MIMI.
Twelve Years Old.

Talking to a 12-year-old child ISM
the most stimulating mental exercise
| in the world, unless one happens tC
be interested in the education and In
| struction of children.
| Listen to a little girl Of that age
| She comments on everything she sees
everything people do, everything she
notices and feels, but because she's
only a kid she doesn't figure out rea
sons and motives and purposes.
She Is entirely interested in what Is
| before her eyes. and she hasn't yet the
I mental power to go any farther than
/ that.
| From u on she should be gathering
| knowledge and wisdom, so that in a
| few years she should begin to realize
| why people act as they do. and by the
time she reaches her eos she ought to
have some real understanding Of life
and human beings.
Well, think it over. How many
girls Of 20 or up have more to offer
than the 12-year-old child?
Talk to any nice young thing and
youll hear her pratbing along as in
consequentially and as unintelligently
as If she'd never passed the 12-year-
old mark.
And then I get thousands Of letters
asking me why it's so hard to be a
good conversationalist. It's hard be-
cause few of you women really want
to think.
You meet your friends and you be-
gin a deep discussion. which runs as
follows:
Yes. my dear. she sent me the most
fantastic present. It's sort of red and
blue color. l don't know what it's
for But it's really pretty. | guess
it's a vase. 1t wobbles terribly.
don't know where I'm going to put it.
Where did you get that dress? It's
awfully cute. / like those brown
a lot for things nowadays. don't you?
never have money enough"
And on and on. with never an
original or an interesting thought in
the whole tireSome monologue.
Now. honestly, isn't that the way
you ramble on? Yes, and then you
wonder why you can't think of a
thing to say when you meet some
nice, charming people at dance.
You can't entertain a new man with
brief hon1ily on the CHASTITY present
some friend sent you, nor on the high
cost of living.
You can't entertain him at all un-
less you've got enough amusing dope
OH pcOllt anu tItlt anu ltleit
habits to be able to fit into any con-
versation, no matter how steep the
grade.
It isn't necessary to read up on
topics of the day when you're buzzing
forth for a good time to meet some
new men.
1t won't DO you the slightest good
to have all the facts in the encyclo-
pedia at your disposal if you haven't
the humor that comes from wisdom.
The better you understand human
beings, the more interesting you be-
come to every one.
And the average girl isn't trying
these days to find out much about her
fellow-men. She likes talking about
their clothes and their motor cars,
and the food they serve. and the &C.
casional scandals they get mixed up
in.
But her fluffy little brain never
tries to dope out why's and where
fore's and hows She's content with
what's before her. She never tries to
go any farther.
She might just as well be Il years
old. still babbling about toys and
games and schoolbooks.
If life doesn't teach you some
knowledge and understanding of other
people, it leaves you a dull and color
less personality.
Are you still IL years old. or have
you grown up yet?