Year: 1873

tits almost impossible to mix much in society
without meeting number of unfortunate persons
who may be designated as bankrupt takers. |
Most of these people started out in social life
with high hopes and good prospects; there was
no apparent reason why they should not succeed
as conversationasts. But they failed. Now, if
they want to talk, no one wants to listen it
they do not want to talk, no one regrets their
silence. Their remarks are always below par.
An offer of them either eXcites no attention or
decided disapprobatOn.


These bankrupts may be divided into several


classes One class consists of those who do not


know how to exhaust or even fully treat


commonplace subject. If they suggest any
thing i'll a conversational way or anything is


suggested to them, they will say a little about
it and then let it drop. To continue the con-


versation, another subject must be obtained.


This is extravaganza, and no talker can afford


it long. There is hardly anything about which


a great deal that is interesting cannot be said,


but it often requires skill and address to say it.


Still, he who has not that skill is bound to


fail as a talker in society. Of course one may


have a windfall, and something extraordinary


may happen of which great deal may be said


without special effort. But nothing ever
happened, which could be satisfactorily talked


about all the time.


Another class of conversational bankrupts


are those who never tell anything unless it is


very remarkable or striking Such people are


bound ultimately to fail. We are not speaking
of persons who draw the 'long bow, or any
thing of that kind. We merely refer to those
who, not taking interest in commonplace mat
ters themselves, suppose that nobody else
5 does, and therefore conine their conversation
Y to the discussion of remarkable and uncommon
0 subjects. We knew such man. He had ;
. fine eye for the peculiar. He noticed it acutely
and talked about it we'll But he noticed, OF
at least talked of, nothing else. If thinl
2 was not very we'll worth telling he would no
g tell it, The consequence of all this was tha
# he soon obtained the reputation of liar. Th
$ common mind could not comprehend how b
e could become acquainted with so much tina
e was unusual, and so, whenever he opened hi
g mouth people instinctively looked for
b "stretcher," to say the least Had he mingle


his strange experiences and observations wit
lr a good deal of matter of an ordinary kind b
)s might have been great conversational SUI
cess.


m Another set of bankrupt takers owe the
h i'll. fate to their bad habit of offering counte
d, balancing experiences. No one can even r.
h late an incident but these folks can match
s. and, what is worse, can often tell somethn
Of better Nothing is more discouraging to
ps well-organized taker than one of these peopl
$. No matter how much pleasure we anticipate
III a0Q ought 10 r6alZC-ln telllDS SOneInlt
y novel and interesting, a man of this class W
en hardly wait until we have finished before he cen
Ze mences to relate the story of which ours has r
I'd minded him. Our statement or narration is n


only deprived of opportunity of considerable
i'd and appreciation, but is crushed and humble
he beneath the better story of this inconsdera
or person. And it is melancholy fact that tt
he stories of these people are generally better th


ours. 1t is in fact this fatal excellence whit
lie starts them on their road to ruin.


a There are other divisions of the great mul
es tude of society people who have failed
he takers, but we have not room to discuss the
Ito here. 1t is curious however, to note that the
nd are very few women among these bankrupt
of Women are generally not only economical
en- the use of the odds and ends Of conversatio
to but they make very good show of them, al
lin often astonish you by presenting you with sol
ck Of your own ideas, warmed up and served
He nicely that you scarcely recognize them Al
zen then, besides the fact that most women ha
he an extensive ''sinking fund.- on which to dr.
ed in times of temporary conversational emb
led rassmeut, they would always rather borr
ain than fail if they cant talk about a subj,
eld themselves they will make others talk, and
'as one is so successful as cOnversationalist
ner one who makes other people talk.-Scrt6ne
he for June.