Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-27
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRACEWELL.

Young Conrad had just come home
! from school thrilled with the wonders
of Holland in picture and story.
| Small sister Constance interrupting
; his narrative, Conrad found 1t necessary
| to give the following admonition to all
I, and sundry:
Now, listen here, I'm telling some
thing interesting and I want to hear
| 1t, too"
Not all of us can be so honest, but no
doubt most of us have at times 1eIt
the need for some such directness.
The person who will never let you
finish what you are saying Is very
well known specimen of the human
family.
Let it be said at the very start that
he or she is a very human member of
the human family. 1t is only natural to
want to interrupt the other fellow be-
fore he finishes. Perhaps this is due
to the knowledge that, if left to him
SELF he will never stop speaking!
Every one likes the sound of his own
voice. Witness the radio announcers,
who formerly were all toastmasters at
banuuets. They not only give us the
name Of the piece Of music about to be
played and the name of the composer,
but they insist on telling us that we
will like 1t. too.
Some announcers have reached the
stage where they seem to think that
the music is put on the air simply to
fill in between their announcements.
In this respect they greatly resemble
all ready speakers, who must interrupt
every one else In order to be happy.
One approaches such a person with
inward fear and trembling, being quite
sure from past experience that no mat
ter how interesting ones own tale Is,
the other viii cut in before 1t Is I'M
ished.
Thus scarcely half of the story Is
got out before the other finds 1t neces-
sarv to make some comment, and, once
this is done, fine starting place mas
been secured for an independent be-
ginning. g..
Then away he goes, sure that you
will never catch up with him, for he Is
a past master at this sort of thing and
does not relinquish his lead easily. -.
Unless one have plenty of steam and
can roar loudly in given directlon,
he will find that the other pays not tne
slightest attention to him, but raises
his voice and increases his speed. Thus
one is easily outdistanced.
Mrs. Sam Jones never for an instant
intends that any person shall get in
a word edgewise when she is superin-
tending the conversation.
She goes right ahead instructing the
world, free of all cost. and throws in
the opportunity for viewing the thrill
ing Mrs. Jones herself. This latter she
regards in no mean light. Those who
are permitted to bow at her gracious
knee are in an exalted position; she
intends that they shall realize right
we'll the privilege.
Hence little If anything another may
say amounts to anything in her eyes.
Mostly she overlooks it without appear
ing to notice anv interruption at all,
but sometimes she is forced to ac-
knowledge in grudging way the truth
OF rejoinder.
Sometimes it is simply impossible to
pretend not to hear. so Mrs. Jones
merely repeats the gist of the inter-
ruption in a doubling voice, which is
sufficient. as far as she is concerned,
to make 1t extremely dubious, indeed.
X n
II will be seen that the person who
interrupts and the one who is inter-
rupted often change places. according
to the time, the place-and we were
about to say "the girl"