Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-06-15

| the critical lady who did not like the
house, so she said. because 1t was too
high"-the critic Is criticixing In words
only, not through conviction, and espe-
cially not through knowledge.
Conversation, the oft abused, now
gets another slap in the face.
In the last analysis. the thing gets
tongue, not permitting the first thought
to leap into sound.
Ones first thoughts on strange sub
jects normally do not amount to much.
Every one knows that, but every one
does not speak in that faith.
1t is a blessing, nothing less, which
nature has showered upon us, this abil-
ity to refrain from speaking out ones
inner thoughts.
There is no compulsion in the mat
! ter
No one can tell what . person ia
thinking 50 long as he keeps his mouth
shut
Here is one province where expedi-
ency and decency ought to rule.
To say exactly what one thinks ut
the time. is scarcely ever expedient,
and is not always the decent thing
to do.
One cannot do it in print; the libel
laws take care Of that.
But In speech many foolish and ut
terly unnecessary things are said of :
hand by people who ought to know
better and who, sure enough, do know
better
Knowing a thing and doing it. of
course. are two entirely different mat
tiers. as mankind has been finding out
all these centuries.
1t does seem q great deal Of shame
however, when nature has endowed us
with such q splendid brake on thought
the tongue. which must be put into
action before the thought goes on dis
play. usually. that We are not able to
use this retarding quality more. but
must slide along the easiest road. saving
right out the thoughts which pop into
our heads. whether they be silly
thoughts. or idle thoughts. or mean
thoughts.
One may be inclined to think, there
fore, that the man or woman who is
always making caustic criticisms about
people and facts Is thinking from the
point OF the tongue, not from the brain.
The very positive manner. in ordinary
conversation, Is somewhat wearying on
the nerves Of listeners, and no doubt
tends to give away" the person who
knows little but wants TO make that
little appear much.
The real authority, In any line, al
most never adopts the so-called tone
OF command" the rather loud. rapid,
and extremely positive accents COM
monty associated with talk to an in
ferior
into play in average conversation, on
M WI, inl,
human beings ordinarily talk, II Is q
dead giveaway as it is sometimes called
There is no need for 1t. Why does
this person use It?
The ranking architect, II he had criti-
cisms to make Of house, would prob
ably preface 1t with some good point
in its favor which he had managed to
discover, along with the faults
This instantly would show that he
had taken a real look at the place, had
used his brain, and his eyes. too be-
cause he had not spoken out as the re-
suit of one instant and fieeting glance
Instead Of being suspicious OF him.
the observer would be prejudiced in his
favor from the very beginning The
man used his head as we'll as his eyes
The fair conclusion is that instant
fault-fnding criticism. whether OF a
house, book, or a man. Is the criti-
cism Of ignorance. in most cases
1t should be dismissed as such and
usually is, when the other party to the
conversation permits the irritation
which the remark caused to wear off,
Like water of a ducks bach" -
that is the way most converse ton
should go. Into one ear and out the
other" = most instant rejoinders, such
as We have discussed deserve no better
! fate. Even one ear is too good for EN-.