,,talks ,,on ,,talking by ,,grenville ,,kleiser ,formerly ,instructor in ,public ,speaking at ,yale ,divinity ,school1 ,yale ,university2 author of ,how to ,speak in ,public1 ,how to ,develop ,power and ,personality in ,speaking1 ,how to ,develop ,self-,confidence in ,speech and ,manner1 ,how to ,argue and ,win1 ,how to ,read and ,declaim1 ,complete ,guide to ,public ,speaking12 etc4 ,copyright1 #aiaf1 by ,funk4 ,wagnalls ,company 7,printed in the ,united ,states of ,america7 ,published1 ,september1 #aiaf ,copyright under the articles of the ,copyright ,convention of the ,pan-,american ,republics and the ,united ,states1 ,august #aa1 #aiaj ,,contents ,,page ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,talking #a ,,types ,,of ,,talkers #aa ,,talkers ,,and ,,talking #ah ,,phrases ,,for ,,talkers #be ,,the ,,speaking ,,voice #cd ,,how ,,to ,,tell ,a ,,story #dd ,,talking ,,in ,,salesmanship #ef ,,men ,,and ,,mannerisms #fc ,,how ,,to ,,speak ,,in ,,public #gj ,,practical ,,hints ,,for ,,speakers #hd ,,the ,,dramatic ,,element ,,in ,,speaking #hg ,,conversation ,,and ,,public ,,speaking #id ,a ,,talk ,,to ,,preachers #ajj ,,care ,,of ,,the ,,speaker',s ,,throat #ajh ,,don',,ts ,,for ,,public ,,speakers #aaf ,,do',s ,,for ,,public ,,speakers #aah ,,points ,,for ,,speakers #abj ,,the ,,bible ,,on ,,speech #abb ,,thoughts ,,on ,,talking #abc ,,preface ,good conversation implies naturalness1 spontaneity1 and sincerity of utterance4 ,it is not advisable1 therefore1 to lay down arbitrary rules to govern talking1 but it is believed that the suggestions offered here will contribute to the general elevation and improvement of daily speech4 ,considering the large number of persons who are obliged to talk in social1 business1 and public life1 the subject of correct speech should receive more serious consideration than is usually given to it4 ,it is earnestly hoped that this volume will be of practical value to those who are desirous of developing and improving their conversational powers4 ,appreciative thanks are expressed to the ,editors of the ,homiletic ,review for permission to reprint some of the extracts4 ,,grenville ,,kleiser4 ,,new ,,york ,,city1 ,,may1 #aiaf4 ,boys flying kites haul in their white-wing'd birds3 ,you can't do that way when you're flying words4 ,careful with fire1 is good advice we know2 ,careful with words1 is ten times doubly so4 ,thoughts unexpress'd may sometimes fall back dead1 ,but ,god ,himself can't kill them once they're said6 --,will ,carleton4 ,the first duty of a man is to speak2 that is his chief business in this world2 and talk1 which is the harmonious speech of two or more1 is by far the most accessible of pleasures4 ,it costs nothing2 it is all profit2 it completes our education2 it founds and fosters our friendships2 and it is by talk alone that we learn our period and ourselves4 --,robert ,louis ,stevenson4 ,vociferated logic kills me quite2 ,a noisy man is always in the right-- ,i twirl my thumbs1 fall back into my chair1 ,fix on the wainscot a distressful stare2 ,and when ,i hope his blunders all are out1 ,reply discreetly1 ,to be sure--no doubt6 --,anon4 ,,talks ,,on ,,talking ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,talking ,the charm of conversation chiefly depends upon the adaptability of the participants4 ,it is a great accomplishment to be able to enter gently and agreeably into the moods of others1 and to give way to them with grace and readiness4 ,the spirit of conversation is oftentimes more important than the ideas expressed4 ,what we are rather than what we say has the most permanent influence upon those around us4 ,hence it is that where a group of persons are met together in conversation1 it is the inner life of each which silently though none the less surely imparts tone and character to the occasion4 ,it requires vigorous self-discipline so to cultivate the feelings of kindness and sympathy that they are always in readiness for use4 ,these qualities are essential to agreeable and profitable intercourse1 though comparatively few people possess them4 ,burke considered manners of more importance than laws4 ,sidney ,smith described manners as the shadows of virtues4 ,dean ,swift defined manners as the art of putting at ease the people with whom we converse4 ,chesterfield said manners should adorn knowledge in order to smooth its way through the world4 ,emerson spoke of manners as composed of petty sacrifices4 ,we all recognize that a winning manner is made up of seemingly insignificant courtesies1 and of constant little attentions4 ,a person of charming manner is usually free from resentments1 inquisitiveness1 and moods4 ,personality plays a large part in interesting conversation4 ,precisely the same phraseology expressed by two different persons may make two wholly different impressions1 and all because of the difference in the personalities of the speakers4 ,the daily mental life of a man indelibly impresses itself upon his face1 where it can be unmistakably read by others4 ,what a person is1 innately and habitually1 unconsciously discloses itself in voice1 manner1 and bearing4 ,the world ultimately appraises a man at his true value4 ,the best type of talker is slow to express positive opinions1 is sparing in criticism1 and studiously avoids a tone or word of finality4 ,it has been well said that ,a talker who monopolizes the conversation is by common consent insufferable1 and a man who regulates his choice of topics by reference to what interests not his hearers but himself has yet to learn the alphabet of the art4 ,conversation is like lawn-tennis1 and requires alacrity in return at least as much as vigor in service4 ,a happy phrase1 an unexpected collocation of words1 a habitual precision in the choice of terms1 are rare and shining ornaments of conversation1 but they do not for an instant supply the place of lively and interesting matter1 and an excessive care for them is apt to tell unfavorably on the substance of discourse4 ,when ,lord ,beaconsfield was talking his way into social fame1 someone said of him1 ,i might as well attempt to gather up the foam of the sea as to convey an idea of the extraordinary language in which he clothed his description4 ,there were at least five words in every sentence that must have been very much astonished at the use they were put to1 and yet no others apparently could so well have expressed his idea4 ,he talked like a racehorse approaching the winning-post--every muscle in action1 and the utmost energy of expression flung out into every burst4 ,we are told that ,matthew ,arnold combined all the characteristics of good conversation--politeness1 vivacity1 sympathy1 interestedness1 geniality1 a happy choice of words1 and a never-failing humor4 ,when he was once asked what was his favorite topic for conversation1 he instantly answered1 ,that in which my companion is most interested4 ,courtesy1 it will be noted1 is the fundamental basis of good conversation4 ,we must show habitual consideration and kindliness towards others if we would attract them to us4 ,bluntness of manner is no longer excused on the ground that the speaker is sincere and outspoken4 ,we expect and demand that our companion in conversation should observe the recognized courtesies of speech4 ,there was a time when men and women indulged freely in satire1 irony1 and repartee4 ,they spoke their thoughts plainly and unequivocally4 ,there were no restraints imposed upon them by society1 hence it now appears to us that many things were said which might better have been left unsaid4 ,self-restraint is nowadays one of the cardinal virtues of good conversation4 ,the spirit of conversation is greatly changed4 ,we are enjoined to keep the voice low1 think before we speak1 repress unseasonable allusions1 shun whatever may cause a jar or jolt in the minds of others1 be seldom prominent in conversation1 and avoid all clashing of opinion and collision of feeling4 ,macaulay was fond of talking1 but made the mistake of always choosing a subject to suit himself and monopolizing the conversation4 ,he lectured rather than talked4 ,his marvelous memory was perhaps his greatest enemy1 for though it enabled him to pour forth great masses of facts1 people listened to him helplessly rather than admiringly4 ,carlyle was a great talker1 and talked much in protest of talking4 ,no man broke silence oftener than he to tell the world how great a curse is talking4 ,but he told it eloquently and therein was he justified4 ,there was in him too much vehement sternness1 of hard ,scotch granite1 to make him a pleasant talker in the popular sense4 ,he was the evangelist of golden silence1 and though he did not apparently practice it himself1 his genius will never diminish4 ,gladstone was unable to indulge in small talk4 ,his mind was so constantly occupied with great subjects that he spoke even to one person as if addressing a meeting4 ,it is said that in conversation with ,queen ,victoria he would invariably choose weighty subjects1 and though she tried to make a digression1 he would seize the first opportunity to resume his original theme1 always reinforced in volume and onrush by the delay4 ,lord ,morley is attractive though austere in conversation4 ,he never dogmatizes nor obtrudes his own opinions4 ,he is a master of phrase-making4 ,but although he talks well he never talks much4 ,the story is told that at a recent dinner in ,london ten leading public men were met together1 when one suggested that each gentleman present should write down on paper the name of the man he would specially choose to be his companion on a walking tour4 ,when the ten papers were subsequently read aloud1 each bore the name of ,lord ,morley4 ,lord ,rosebery is considered one of the most accomplished talkers of the day4 ,deferential1 natural1 sympathetic1 observant1 well-informed1 he easily and unconsciously commands the attention of any group of men4 ,his voice is said to recommend what he utters1 and a singularly refined accent gives distinction to anything he says4 ,he is a supreme example of two great qualifications for effective talking3 having something worth while to say1 and knowing how to say it4 ,among distinguished ,canadians1 ,sir ,thomas ,white is one of the most interesting speakers4 ,his versatile mind1 and broad and varied experience1 enable him to converse with almost equal facility upon politics1 medicine1 finance1 law1 science1 art1 literature1 or business4 ,dates1 details1 facts1 figures1 and illustrations are at his ready command4 ,his manner is natural1 courteous1 and genial1 but in argumentation the whole man is so thoroughly aroused to earnestness and intensity as almost to overwhelm an opponent4 ,his greatest quality in speaking is his manifest sincerity1 and it is this particularly which has ingratiated him in the hearts of his countrymen4 ,the ,honorable ,joseph ,h4 ,choate must certainly be reckoned among the best conversationalists of our time4 ,his manner1 both in conversation and in public speaking1 is singularly gracious and winning4 ,he is unsurpassed as a story-teller4 ,his fine taste1 combined with long experience as a public man1 makes him an ideal after-dinner speaker4 ,some eminent men try to mask their greatness when engaged in conversation4 ,they do not wear their feelings nor their greatness on their sleeves4 ,some have an utter distaste for anything like personal display4 ,it is said of the late ,henry ,james that a stranger might talk to him for an entire evening without discovering his identity4 ,there is an interesting account of an evening's conversation between ,emerson and ,thoreau4 ,when ,thoreau returned home he wrote in his ,journal3 ,talked1 or tried to talk1 with ,r4,w4,e4 ,lost my time1 nay1 almost my identity4 ,he1 assuming a false opposition where there was no difference of opinion1 talked to the wind4 ,emerson's version of the conversation was this3 ,it seemed as if ,thoreau's first instinct on hearing a proposition was to controvert it4 ,that habit is chilling to the social affections2 it mars conversation4 ,conversation offers daily opportunity for intellectual exercise of high order4 ,the reading of great books is desirable and indispensable to education1 but real culture comes through the additional training one receives in conversation4 ,the contact of mind with mind tends to stimulate and develop thoughts which otherwise would probably remain dormant4 ,the culture of conversation is to be recommended not only for its own sake1 but also as one of the best means of training in the art of public speaking4 ,since the best form of platform address today is simply conversation enlarged and elevated1 it may almost be assumed that to excel in one is to be proficient in the other4 ,good conversation requires1 among other things1 mental alertness1 accuracy of statement1 adequate vocabulary1 facility of expression1 and an agreeable voice1 and these qualities are most essential for effective public speaking4 ,everyone1 therefore1 who aspires to speaking before an audience of hundreds or thousands1 will find his best opportunity for preliminary training in everyday speech4 ,,types ,,of ,,talkers ,there is no greater affliction in modern life than the tiresome talker4 ,he talks incessantly4 ,presumably he talks in his sleep4 ,talking is his constant exercise and recreation4 ,he thrives on it4 ,he lives for talking's sake4 ,he would languish if he were deprived of it for a single day4 ,his continuous practice in talking enables him easily to outdistance all ordinary competitors4 ,there is nothing which so completely unnerves him as long periods of silence4 ,he has the talking habit in its most virulent form4 ,the trifling talker is equally objectionable4 ,he talks much1 but says little4 ,he skims over the surface of things1 and is timid of anything deep or philosophical4 ,he does not tarry at one subject4 ,he talks of the weather1 clothes1 plays1 and sports4 ,he puts little meaning into what he says1 because there is little meaning in what he thinks4 ,he cannot look at anything seriously4 ,nothing is of great significance to him4 ,he is in the class of featherweights4 ,the tedious talker is one without terminal facilities4 ,he talks right on with no idea of objective or destination4 ,he rises to go1 but he does not go4 ,he knows he ought to go1 but he simply cannot4 ,he has something more to say4 ,he keeps you standing half an hour4 ,he talks a while longer4 ,he assures you he really must go4 ,you tell him not to hurry4 ,he takes you at your word and sits down again4 ,he talks some more4 ,he rises again4 ,he does not know even now how to conclude4 ,he has no mental compass4 ,he is a rudderless talker4 ,probably the most obnoxious type is the tattling talker4 ,he always has something startlingly personal to impart4 ,it is a sacred secret for your ear4 ,he is a wholesale dealer in gossip4 ,he fairly smacks his lips as he relates the latest scandal4 ,he is an expert embellisher4 ,he adroitly supplies missing details4 ,he has nothing of interest in his own life1 since he lives wholly in the lives of others4 ,he is a frightful bore1 but you cannot offend him4 ,he is adamant4 ,there is the tautological talker1 or the human self-repeater4 ,he goes over the ground again and again lest you have missed something4 ,he is very fond of himself4 ,he tells the same story not twice1 but a dozen times4 ,you may have heard this before1 says he1 but it is so good that it will bear repetition4 ,he tries to disguise his poverty of thought in a masquerade of ornate language4 ,if he must repeat his words1 he adds a little emphasis1 a flourishing gesture1 or a spirit of nonchalance4 ,again1 there is the tenacious talker1 who refuses to release you though you concede his arguments4 ,when all others tacitly drop a subject1 he eagerly picks it up4 ,he is reluctant to leave it4 ,he would put you in possession of his special knowledge4 ,you may successfully refute him1 but he holds firmly to his own ideas4 ,he is positive he is right4 ,he will prove it1 too1 if you will only listen4 ,he knows that he knows4 ,you cannot convince him to the contrary1 no indeed4 ,he will talk you so blind that at last you are unable to see any viewpoint clearly4 ,a recognized type is the tactless talker4 ,he says the wrong thing in the right way1 and the right thing in the wrong way4 ,he is impulsive and unguarded4 ,he reaches hasty conclusions4 ,he confuses his tactlessness with cleverness4 ,he is awkward and blundering4 ,his indifference to the rights and feelings of others is his greatest enemy4 ,he is a stranger to discretion4 ,he speaks first1 and thinks afterwards4 ,he may have regrets1 but not resolutions4 ,he is often tolerated1 but seldom esteemed4 ,the temperamental talker is one of the greatest of nerve-destroyers4 ,he deals in superlatives4 ,he views everything emotionally4 ,he talks feelingly of trifles1 and ecstatically of friends4 ,he gushes4 ,he flatters4 ,to him everything is wonderful1 prodigious1 superb1 gorgeous1 heavenly1 amazing1 indescribable1 overwhelming4 ,extravagance and exaggeration permeate his most commonplace observations4 ,he is an incurable enthusiast4 ,the tantalizing talker is one who likes to contradict you4 ,he divides his attention between what you are saying and what he can summon to oppose you4 ,he dissents from your most ordinary observations4 ,his favorite phrases are1 ,i don't think so1 ,there is where you are wrong1 ,i beg to differ1 and ,not only that4 ,tell him it will be a fine day1 and he will declare that the signs indicate foul weather4 ,say that the day is unpromising1 and he will assure you it does not look that way to him4 ,he cavils at trifles4 ,he disputes even when there is no antagonist4 ,to listen to the tortuous talker is a supreme test of patience4 ,he slowly winds his way in and out of a subject4 ,he traverses by-paths1 allowing nothing to escape his unwearied eye4 ,he goes a long way about1 but never tires of his circuitous journey4 ,ploddingly and perseveringly he zigzags from one point to another4 ,he alters his course as often as the crooked way of his subject changes4 ,he twists1 turns1 and diverges without the slightest inconvenience to himself4 ,he likes nothing better than to trace out details4 ,his talking disease is discursiveness4 ,the tranquil talker never hurries4 ,he has all the time there is4 ,if you are very busy he will wait4 ,he is uniformly moderate and polite4 ,he is a rare combination of oil1 milk1 and rose-water4 ,he would not harm a syllable of the ,english language4 ,his talking has a soporific effect4 ,it acts as a lullaby4 ,his speech is low and gentle4 ,he never speaks an ill-considered word4 ,he chooses his words with measured caution4 ,he is what is known as a smooth talker4 ,the torpedo talker is of the rapid fire explosive variety4 ,he bursts into a conversation4 ,he scatters labials1 dentals1 and gutturals in all directions4 ,he is a war-time talker1--boom1 burst1 bang1 roar1 crash1 thud6 ,he fills the air with vocal bullets and syllabic shrapnel4 ,he is trumpet-tongued1 ear-splitting1 deafening4 ,he fires promiscuously at all his hearers4 ,he rends the skies asunder4 ,he is nothing if not vociferous1 stentorian1 lusty4 ,he demolishes every idea in his way4 ,he is a ,napoleon of words4 ,the tangled talker never gets anything quite straight4 ,he inevitably spoils the best story4 ,he always begins at the wrong end4 ,despite your protests of face and manner he talks on4 ,he talks inopportunely4 ,he becomes inextricably confused4 ,he is weak in statistics4 ,he has no memory for names or places4 ,he lacks not fluency but accuracy4 ,he is a twisted talker4 ,the triumphant talker lays claim to the star part in any conversation4 ,he likes nothing better than to drive home his point and then look about exultingly4 ,he says gleefully1 ,i told you so4 ,that he can ever be wrong is inconceivable to him4 ,he knows the facts since he can readily manufacture them himself4 ,he is self-satisfied1 for in his own opinion he has never lost an argument4 ,he is a brave and bold talker4 ,these1 then1 are some types of talking which we should not emulate4 ,study the list carefully--the tiresome talker1 the trifling talker1 the tedious talker1 the tattling talker1 the tautological talker1 the tenacious talker1 the tactless talker1 the temperamental talker1 the tantalizing talker1 the tangled talker1 the triumphant talker--and guard yourself diligently against the faults which they represent4 ,talking should always be a pleasure to the speaker and listener1 never a bore4 ,,talkers ,,and ,,talking ,conversation is not a verbal nor vocal contest1 but a mutual meeting of minds4 ,it is not a monologue1 but a reciprocal exchange of ideas4 ,there are cardinal rules which everyone should observe in conversation4 ,the first of these is to be prepared always to give courteous and considerate attention to the ideas of others4 ,there is no better way to cultivate your own conversational powers than to train yourself first to be an interesting and sympathetic listener4 ,it is in bad taste to interrupt a speaker4 ,this is a common fault which should be resolutely guarded against4 ,moreover1 your own opportunity to speak will shortly come if you have patience1 when you may reasonably expect to receive the same uninterrupted attention which you have given to others4 ,never allow yourself to monopolize a conversation4 ,this is a form of selfishness practiced by many persons apparently unaware of being ill-mannered4 ,it is inexcusably bad taste to tell unduly long stories or lengthy personal experiences4 ,if you cannot abridge a story to reasonable dimensions1 it would be better to omit it entirely4 ,the habitual long-story teller may easily become a bore4 ,avoid the habit of eagerly matching the other person's story or experience with one of your own4 ,there is nothing more disconcerting to a speaker than to observe the listener impatiently waiting to plunge headlong into the conversation with some marvellous tale4 ,be particularly careful not to outdo another speaker in relating your own experiences4 ,if1 for instance1 he has just told how he caught fifty fish upon a recent trip1 do not succumb to the temptation to tell of the time you caught fifty-one4 ,be careful not to give unsolicited advice4 ,it has been well said that advice which costs nothing is worth what it costs4 ,if people desire your counsel they will probably ask for it1 in which case they will be more likely to appreciate what you have to tell them4 ,do not voluntarily recommend doctors1 dentists1 osteopaths1 pills1 coffee substitutes1 health foods1 health resorts1 or panaceas for the ills of mankind4 ,if you can be of service to others in these particular respects1 it will be when you are specifically asked for such information4 ,it is most imprudent to carry an argument to extremes4 ,if you observe an unwillingness in the other person to be convinced by what you say1 you had better turn to another subject4 ,conversation should never resolve itself into controversial debate4 ,it is well to avoid discursiveness1 over-use of parentheses1 and positiveness of statement4 ,keep your desires and feelings from over-coloring your views4 ,a flexible attitude of mind is more likely to win an opponent to your way of thinking4 ,take special pains to enter into the minds and feelings of others4 ,be interested in what they want to talk about4 ,let your interest be deep and sincere4 ,adopt the right tone1 temper1 and reticence in your conversation4 ,you should accustom yourself to look at things from the other person's standpoint4 ,it is surprising how this habit enlarges the vision and gives a charitableness to speech which might otherwise be absent4 ,it is well to remember that no person can possibly have a monopoly of knowledge upon any subject4 ,good conversation demands restraint1 adaptability1 and reasonable brevity4 ,there is an appalling waste of words on all sides1 hence you should constantly guard yourself against this fault4 ,when there is nothing worth-while to say1 the best substitute is silence4 ,practice self-discipline in talking4 ,correct any fault in yourself the instant you recognize it4 ,if1 for example1 you realize that you are talking at too great length1 stop it at once4 ,should you feel that you are not giving interested attention to the speaker1 check your mind-wandering immediately and concentrate upon what is being said4 ,do not be always setting other people right4 ,this is a thankless as well as useless task4 ,they probably do not want your assistance1 or they would ask for it4 ,besides most people are sensitive about their shortcomings1 and prefer to get help and counsel in private4 ,there is no more important suggestion than to rule your moods4 ,ofttimes the feelings run away with the judgment4 ,what you think and say today may be due to your present mood1 rather than to matured judgment4 ,let your common sense predominate at all times4 ,it is not well to give too strong expression to your likes and dislikes4 ,these1 like all your feelings1 should be governed with a firm hand4 ,opinions advanced with too much emphasis may easily fail to impress other minds4 ,remember always that your greatest ally is truth4 ,therefore frankly and faithfully examine your important opinions before giving them expression4 ,resist the desire to be prominent in conversation1 or to say clever and surprising things4 ,this is sometimes difficult to do1 but it is the only safe course to follow4 ,if you have something brilliant or worth-while to say1 it will be best said spontaneously and with due modesty4 ,but if there is no suitable opportunity to say it1 put it back in your mind where it may improve with age4 ,egotism is taboo in polite society4 ,the suggestion that nothing should be allowed to pass the lips that charity would check is invaluable advice4 ,it is unfortunately all too common to give hasty and harsh expression to personal opinions and criticisms4 ,reticence is one of the most essential conditions of long friendship4 ,judgment and tact are necessary to good conversation4 ,it is not well to ask many questions1 and then only those of a general character4 ,curiosity should be curbed4 ,quite properly people resent inquisitiveness4 ,the best way to cultivate the rare grace of judgment is to be mindful of your own faults and to correct them with all speed and thoroughness4 ,the word talk is often used in a derogatory sense1 and we hear such expressions as all talk1 empty talk1 and idle talk4 ,but as everyone talks1 we should all do our utmost to set a high example to others of the correct use of speech4 ,it is always better to talk too little than too much4 ,never talk for mere talking's sake4 ,avoid being artificial or pedantic4 ,don't antagonize1 dogmatize1 moralize1 attitudinize1 nor criticise4 ,talk in poise1--quietly1 deliberately1 sincerely1 and you will never lack an attentive audience4 ,,phrases ,,for ,,talkers ,it is said of ,macaulay that he never allowed a sentence to pass muster until it was as good as he could make it4 ,he would write and rewrite1 and even construct a paragraph or a whole chapter1 in order to secure a more lucid and satisfactory arrangement4 ,he wrote just so much each day1 usually an average of six pages1 and this manuscript was so erased and corrected that it was finally compressed into two pages of print4 ,the masters of ,english prose have been great workers4 ,stevenson and others like him gave hours and days to the study of words1 phrases1 and sentences4 ,through unwearied application to the art of rhetorical composition they ultimately won fame as writers4 ,the ambitious student of speech culture1 whether for use in conversation or in public1 will do well to emulate the example of such great writers4 ,one of the best ways to build a large vocabulary is to note useful and striking phrases in one's general reading4 ,it is advisable to jot down such phrases in a note-book1 and to read them aloud from time to time4 ,such phrases may be classified according to their particular application1--to business1 politics1 music1 education1 literature1 or the drama4 ,it is not recommended that such phrases should be consciously dragged into conversation1 but the practice of carefully observing felicitous phrases1 and of noting them in writing1 cultivates the taste for better words and a sense of discrimination in their use4 ,many phrases noted and studied in this way will unconsciously find their way into one's expression4 ,the list of phrases which follows is offered as merely suggestive4 ,in reading the phrases aloud it is well to think clearly what each one means1 and to fit it into a sentence of one's own making4 ,this simple exercise1 practiced for a few weeks1 will produce surprising results by way of increased facility and flexibility of ,english style4 ,it is obviously desirable ,i can well imagine ,broadly speaking ,an admirable idea ,in a literal sense ,by sheer force of genius ,you can imagine his chagrin ,i hazard a guess ,it challenges belief ,he has an inscrutable face ,very fertile in resource ,i am loath to believe ,it is essentially undignified ,example is so contagious ,i am not in her confidence ,taken in the aggregate ,it is a reproof to shallowness ,there is a misconception here ,i strongly suspect it so ,he was covered with confusion ,it was a just rebuke ,a pleasing instance of this ,it lends dignity to life ,she has a desultory liking for music ,it seems incredible ,a kind of detached ideal ,it blunts the finer sensibilities ,beyond question or cavil ,a well-founded suspicion ,it has elicited great praise ,they are landmarks in memory ,superhuman vigor and activity ,a venerable and interesting figure ,it is curious and interesting ,gives the impression of aloofness ,perfectly void of offence ,regard with misgiving ,a stroke of professional luck ,an unscrupulous adventurer ,he spoke with extreme reticence ,robust common sense ,deficient in amiability ,done with characteristic thoroughness ,a vein of philanthropic zeal ,definite1 tangible1 and practical ,too much effusive declamation ,a man of keen ambition ,it gives infinite zest ,singular qualifications for public life ,they are bitterly hostile ,the despair of the official wire-puller ,blind and unreasoning opponent ,ignoble strife for power ,surrounded by a cohort of admiring friends ,in an imperative voice ,marked by copiousness and vivacity ,touched with sombre dignity ,a ridiculous misconception ,habitual austerity of demeanor ,ostentation and lavish expenditure ,a person of exquisite tact ,intolerant of bumptiousness ,the obvious danger of dallying ,this was grossly overstated ,a mass of calumny and exaggeration ,inimical to religion ,fraught with peril ,i venture to ask ,attributed to mental decrepitude ,a strange phenomena ,it argues a blind faith ,insatiable whirl of excitement ,a substratum of truth ,under some conceivable circumstances ,bubbling over with infectious joy ,frigid dignity and arrogant reserve ,a profound contempt ,the fine art of hospitality ,grim morsels of philosophy ,a tinge of sorrowness and jealousy ,due to ignorance and barbarism ,grave and monstrous scandal ,a splendid instance of self-devotion ,amusingly exemplified in this case ,recognized and powerful element ,a symbol of restraint ,an utterly fallacious idea ,in rapid and striking succession ,we learn from stern experience ,pictures of an inspired imagination ,an astonishing outbreak ,soothing words of sympathy ,a rather bold assertion ,the most enthusiastic adherents ,mere tepid conviction ,eminently qualified for the task ,almost supernatural charm ,in glowing and exaggerated phrases ,somewhat rich and austere ,an inexhaustible theme ,grave and undeniable faults ,perfectly chosen language ,all the characteristics of a mob ,given to grandiloquent phrase ,peculiar vein of sarcasm ,froze like ice and cut like steel ,a generous tribute to an eminent rival ,cold and stately composure ,fiery and passionate enthusiasm ,extraordinary violence of nature ,a brilliant and delightful play ,rare and striking combination ,preeminently qualified for the part ,moderate and cautious conservatism ,daring perversions of justice ,devoid of rhetorical device ,as a great thinker has observed ,almost morbid sensitiveness ,discreetly stifled yawn ,he was dumb with wonder ,scarcely less familiar ,delightfully characteristic ,it was a profound conviction ,greatly conceived and expressed ,blinded by its brightness ,i have cudgelled my memory ,exposed to imminent peril ,screening a breach of etiquette ,by a natural transition ,splendid anticipations of success ,a very laudable attempt ,lapsed into complete oblivion ,with most distinguished success ,like embarking on a shoreless sea ,a really pretty imitation ,unless ,i greatly err ,undaunted by repeated failure ,became a term of reproach ,an epoch-making achievement ,in the guise of verbal nonsense ,received with cordial sympathy ,with the most obvious sincerity ,held forth with fluency and zest ,gracious solicitude ,punctiliously civil and polite ,an air of sphinx-like mystery ,consumed by zeal ,awaited with lively interest ,sledge-hammer blows against humbug ,this recalls a happy retort ,preeminently a case in point ,exquisite precision and finish ,incomparably better informed ,a keen eye for incongruities ,polite to the point of deference ,to the last degree improbable ,people with rampant prejudices ,a model of chivalrous propriety ,by way of digression ,a splendid acquisition ,singularly attractive fashion ,a kind of unconscious conspiracy ,amid engrossing demands ,,the ,,speaking ,,voice ,there is a widespread need for a more thorough cultivation of the speaking voice4 ,it is astonishing how few persons give specific attention to this important subject4 ,on all sides we are subjected to voices that are disagreeable and strident4 ,it is the exception to hear a voice that is musical and well-modulated4 ,most people make too much physical effort in speaking4 ,they tighten the muscles of the throat and mouth1 instead of liberating these muscles and allowing the voice to flow naturally and harmoniously4 ,the remedy for this common fault of vocal tension is to relax all the muscles used in speech4 ,this is easily accomplished by means of a little daily practice4 ,the first thing to keep in mind is that we should speak through the throat and not from it4 ,a musical quality of voice depends chiefly upon directing the tone towards the hard palate1 or the bony arch above the upper teeth4 ,from this part of the mouth the voice acquires much of its resonance4 ,an excellent exercise for throat relaxation is yawning4 ,it is not necessary to wait until a real yawn presents itself1 but frequent practice in imitating a yawn may be indulged in with good results4 ,immediately after practicing the yawn1 it is advisable to test the voice1 either in speaking or in reading1 to observe improvement in freedom of tone4 ,it is not desirable to use the voice where there is loud noise by way of opposition4 ,many a good voice has been ruined due to the habit of continuous talking on the street or elsewhere amid clatter and hubbub4 ,under such circumstances it is better to rest the voice1 since in any contest of the kind the voice will almost surely be vanquished4 ,what we need in our daily conversation is less emphasis1 and more quietness and non-resistance4 ,we need less eagerness and more vivacity and variety4 ,we need a settled equanimity of mind that does not deprive us of our animation1 but saves us from the petty irritations of everyday life4 ,we need1 in short1 more poise and self-control in our way of speaking4 ,it is well to remember that few things we say are of such importance as to require emphasis4 ,the thought should be its own recommendation4 ,but if emphasis be necessary1 let it be by the intellectual means of pausing or inflection1 rather than with the shoulders or the clenched fist4 ,a very disagreeable and common fault is nasality1 or talking through the nose4 ,many persons are guilty of this who least suspect it4 ,this habit is so easily and unconsciously acquired that everyone should be on strict guard against it4 ,almost equally disagreeable is the fault of throatiness1 caused by holding the muscles of the throat instead of relaxing them4 ,the best tones of the speaking voice are the middle and low keys4 ,these should be used exclusively in daily conversation4 ,the use of high pitch is due to habit or temperament1 but may be overcome through judicious practice4 ,the objection to a high-keyed voice is not only that it is disagreeable to the listener1 but puts the speaker out of tune with his audience4 ,a good speaking voice should possess the qualities of purity1 resonance1 flexibility1 roundness1 brilliancy1 and adequate power4 ,these qualities can be rapidly developed by daily reading aloud for ten minutes1 giving special attention to one quality at a time4 ,a few weeks1 assiduous practice will produce most gratifying results4 ,the voice grows through use1 and it grows precisely in the way it is habitually used4 ,distinct articulation and correct pronunciation are indications of cultivated speech4 ,pedantry should be avoided1 but every aspirant to correct speech should be a student of the dictionary4 ,a writer has given this good counsel3 ,resolve that you will never use an incorrect1 an inelegant1 or a vulgar phrase or word1 in any society whatever4 ,if you are gifted with wit1 you will soon find that it is easy to give it far better point and force in pure ,english than through any other medium1 and that brilliant thoughts make the deepest impressions when well worded4 ,however great it may be1 the labor is never lost which earns for you the reputation of one who habitually uses the language of a gentleman1 or of a lady4 ,it is difficult for those who have not frequent opportunities for conversation with well-educated people1 to avoid using expressions which are not current in society1 although they may be of common occurrence in books4 ,as they are often learned from novels1 it will be well for the reader to remember that even in the best of such works dialogues are seldom sustained in a tone which would not appear affected in ordinary life4 ,this fault in conversation is the most difficult of all to amend1 and it is unfortunately the one to which those who strive to express themselves correctly are peculiarly liable4 ,its effect is bad1 for though it is not like slang1 vulgar in itself1 it betrays an effort to conceal vulgarity4 ,it may generally be remedied by avoiding any word or phrase which you may suspect yourself of using for the purpose of creating an effect4 ,whenever you imagine that the employment of any mere word or sentence will convey the impression that you are well informed1 substitute for it some simple expression4 ,if you are not positively certain as to the pronunciation of a word1 never use it4 ,if the temptation be great1 resist it2 for1 rely upon it1 if there be in your mind the slightest doubt on the subject1 you will certainly make a mistake4 ,never use a foreign word when its meaning can be given in ,english1 and remember that it is both rude and silly to say anything to any person who possibly may not understand it4 ,but never attempt1 under any circumstances whatever1 to utter a foreign word1 unless you have learned to pronounce correctly the language to which it belongs4 ,there is need for the admonition to open the mouth well4 ,many people speak with half-closed teeth1 the result being that the quality of voice and correctness of pronunciation are greatly impaired4 ,consonants and vowels should be given proper significance4 ,muffled speech is almost as objectionable as stammering4 ,it enhances the pleasure and quality of conversation to speak in deliberate style4 ,rapidity of utterance often leads a speaker into such faults as indistinctness1 monotony1 and incorrect breathing4 ,deliberate speaking confers many advantages1 not the least of which is increased pleasure to the listener4 ,many voices are too thin in quality4 ,they fail to carry conviction even when the thought is of superior character4 ,the remedy here is to give special attention to the development of deep tones4 ,one of the best exercises for this purpose is to practice for a few minutes daily upon the vowel sound ,o1 endeavoring to make it full1 deep1 and melodious4 ,for all-round vocal development this practice should be done with varied force and inflection1 and on high as well as low keys of the voice4 ,the best remedy for a weak voice is to practice daily upon explosives1 expelling the principal vowel sounds1 on various keys1 using the abdominal muscles throughout4 ,another good exercise is to read aloud while walking upstairs or uphill4 ,as these exercises are somewhat extreme1 the student is recommended to practice them prudently4 ,correct breathing is fundamental to correct and agreeable speaking4 ,the breathing apparatus should be brought under control by daily practice upon exercises prescribed in any standard book on elocution4 ,pure tone of voice depends upon the ability to convert into tone every particle of breath used4 ,aspirated voice1 in which some of the breath is allowed to escape unvocalized1 is injurious to the throat1 and unpleasant to the listening ear4 ,the speaker1 whether in conversation or in public1 should try always to speak with an adequate supply of breath4 ,deliberate utterance will give the necessary opportunity to replenish the lungs1 so that the speaker will not suffer from unnecessary fatigue4 ,needless to say1 the habit should be formed of breathing through the nose when in repose4 ,there is a voice of unusual roundness and fulness known as the orotund1 which is indispensable to the public speaker4 ,it is simple1 pure tone1 rounded out into greater fulness4 ,it is produced mainly by an increased resonance of the chest and mouth cavities1 and a more vigorous action of the abdominal muscles4 ,it has the character of fulness1 but it is not necessarily a loud tone4 ,it is in no sense artificial1 but simply an enlargement of the natural conversational voice4 ,the use of the orotund voice varies according to the intensity of the thought and feeling being expressed4 ,it is used in language of great dignity1 power1 grandeur1 and sublimity4 ,it is appropriate in certain forms of public prayer and ,bible reading4 ,it enables the public speaker to vary from his conversational style4 ,it gives vastly increased scope and power1 by enabling the speaker to bring into play all the resources of vocal force and intensity4 ,where resonance of voice is lacking1 it can be rapidly developed by means of humming the letter m1 with lips closed1 and endeavoring to make the face vibrate4 ,the tone should be kept well forward throughout the exercise1 pressing firmly against the lips and hard palate4 ,later the exercise may begin with the humming m1 and be developed1 while the lips are opened gradually1 into the tone of ah1 still aiming to maintain the original resonance4 ,the speaking voice is capable of most wonderful development4 ,there is a duty devolving upon everyone to cultivate beauty of vocal utterance and diction4 ,crudities of speech so commonly in evidence are mainly due to carelessness and neglect4 ,it is a hopeful sign1 however1 that greater attention is now being given to this important subject than heretofore4 ,surely there is nothing more important than the development of the principal instrument by which men communicate with one another4 ,as ,story says3 ,o1 how our organ can speak with its many and wonderful voices6-- ,play on the soft lute of love1 blow the loud trumpet of war1 ,sing with the high sesquialter1 or1 drawing its full diapason1 ,shake all the air with the grand storm of its pedals and stops4 ,,how ,,to ,,tell ,a ,,story ,someone has wittily said that only those in their anecdotage should tell stories4 ,de ,quincey wanted all story-tellers to be submerged in a horse-pond1 or treated in the same manner as mad dogs4 ,but story-telling has its legitimate and appropriate use1 and if certain rules are observed may give added charm to conversation and public speaking4 ,it requires a fine discrimination to know when to tell a story1 and when not to tell one though it is urging itself to be expressed4 ,few men have the rare gift of choosing the right story for the particular occasion4 ,many men have no difficulty in telling stories that are insufferably long1 pointless1 and uninteresting4 ,we have all been victims of a certain type of public speaker who begins by saying1 ,now ,i don't want to bore you with a long story1 but this is so good1 etc41 or ,an incident occurred at the ,american ,consulate in ,shanghai1 which reminds me of an awfully good story1 etc4 ,when a speaker prefaces his remarks with some such sentences as these1 we know we are in for an uncomfortable time4 ,as far as possible a story should be new1 clever1 short1 simple1 inoffensive1 and appropriate4 ,as such stories are scarce1 it is advisable to set them down1 when found1 in a special note-book for convenient reference4 ,it is said that ,chauncey ,m4 ,depew1 one of the most gifted of after-dinner speakers1 was for many years in the habit of keeping a set of scrap-books in which were preserved stories and other interesting data clipped from newspapers and magazines4 ,these were so classified that he could on short notice refresh his mind with ample material upon almost any general subject4 ,anyone who essays to tell a story should have it clearly in mind4 ,it is fatal for a speaker to hesitate midway in a story1 apologize for not knowing it better1 avow that it was much more humorous when told to him1 and in other ways to announce his shortcomings4 ,if he cannot tell a story fluently and interestingly1 he should first practice it on his own family--provided they will tolerate it4 ,some stories should be committed to memory1 especially where the point of humor depends upon exact phraseology4 ,in such case1 it requires some training and experience to disguise the memorized effort4 ,a story like the following1 for obvious reasons1 should be thoroughly memorized3 ,the longest sermon on record occupied three hours and a half4 ,but the shortest sermon was that of a preacher who spoke for one minute on the text3 ,man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward4 ,he said3 ,i shall divide my discourse into three heads3 7#a7 ,man's ingress into the world2 7#b7 ,his progress through the world2 7#c7 ,his egress out of the world4 ,firstly1 ,his ingress into the world is naked and bare4 ,secondly1 ,his progress through the world is trouble and care4 ,thirdly1 ,his egress out of the world is nobody knows where4 ,to conclude3 ,if we live well here1 we shall live well there4 ,i can tell you no more if ,i preach a whole year4 ,the collection will now be taken up4 ,dialect stories are usually rather difficult1 and should not as a general thing be attempted by beginners4 ,as a matter of fact1 few persons know how to speak such dialects as ,irish1 ,scotch1 ,german1 ,cockney1 and negro without undue exaggeration4 ,for most occasions it is well to keep to simple stories couched in plain ,english4 ,a story should be told in simple1 conversational style4 ,concentration upon the story1 and a sincere desire to give pleasure to the hearers1 will keep the speaker free from self-consciousness4 ,needless to say he should not be the first to laugh at his own story4 ,sometimes in telling a humorous anecdote to an audience a speaker secures the greatest effect by maintaining an expression of extreme gravity4 ,no matter how successful one may be in telling stories1 he should avoid telling too many4 ,a man who is accounted brilliant and entertaining may become an insufferable bore by continuing to tell stories when the hearers have become satiated4 ,of all speakers1 the story-teller should keep his eyes on his entire audience and be alert to detect the slightest signs of weariness4 ,it is superfluous to say that a story should never be told which in any way might give offence4 ,the speaker may raise a laugh1 but lose a friend4 ,hence it is that stories about stammerers1 red-headed people1 mothers-in-law1 and the like1 should always be chosen with discrimination4 ,generally the most effective story is one in which the point of humor is not disclosed until the very last words1 as in the following3 ,an old colored man was brought up before a country judge4 ,jethro1 said the judge1 you are accused of stealing ,general ,johnson's chickens4 ,have you any witnesses8 ,no1 sah1 old ,jethro answered1 haughtily2 ,i hab not1 sah4 ,i never steal chickens befo' witnesses4 ,this is a similar example1 told by ,prime ,minister ,asquith3 ,an ,english professor wrote on the blackboard in his laboratory1 ,professor ,blank informs his students that he has this day been appointed honorary physician to his ,majesty1 ,king ,george4 ,during the morning he had some occasion to leave the room1 and found on his return that some student wag had added the words1 ,god save the ,king6 ,henry ,w4 ,grady was a facile story-teller4 ,one of his best stories was as follows3 ,there was an old preacher once who told some boys of the ,bible lesson he was going to read in the morning4 ,the boys1 finding the place1 glued together the connecting pages4 ,the next morning he read on the bottom of one page3 ',when ,noah was one hundred and twenty years old he took unto himself a wife1 who was'--then turning the page--'one hundred and forty cubits long1 forty cubits wide1 built of gopherwood1 and covered with pitch inside and out4' ,he was naturally puzzled at this4 ,he read it again1 verified it1 and then said3 ',my friends1 this is the first time ,i ever met this in the ,bible1 but ,i accept it as an evidence of the assertion that we are fearfully and wonderfully made4' ,personalities based upon sarcasm or invective are always attended with danger1 but good-humored bantering may be used upon occasion with most happy results4 ,as an instance of this1 there is a story of an annual dinner at which ,mr4 ,choate was set down for the toast1 ,the ,navy1 and ,mr4 ,depew was to respond to ,the ,army4 ,mr4 ,depew began by saying1 ,it's well to have a specialist3 that's why ,choate is here to speak about the ,navy4 ,we met at the wharf once and ,i did not see him again till we reached ,liverpool4 ,when ,i asked how he felt he said he thought he would have enjoyed the trip over if he had had any ocean air4 ,yes1 you want to hear ,choate on the ,navy4 ,when it was ,mr4 ,choate's turn to speak1 he said3 ,i've heard ,depew hailed as the greatest after-dinner speaker4 ,if after-dinner speaking1 as ,i have heard it described and as ,i believe it to be1 is the art of saying nothing at all1 then ,mr4 ,depew is the most marvelous speaker in the universe4 ,the medical profession can be assailed with impunity1 since they have long since grown accustomed to it4 ,there is a story of a young laborer who1 on his way to his day's work1 called at the registrar's office to register his father's death4 ,when the official asked the date of the event1 the son replied1 ,he ain't dead yet1 but he'll be dead before night1 so ,i thought it would save me another journey if you would put it down now4 ,oh1 that won't do at all1 said the registrar2 perhaps your father will live till tomorrow4 ,well1 ,i don't think so1 sir2 the doctor says as he won't1 and he knows what he has given him4 ,while stories should be used sparingly1 there is probably nothing more effective before a popular audience than the telling of a story in which the joke is on the speaker himself4 ,thus3 ,the last time ,i made a speech1 ,i went next day to the editor of our local newspaper1 and said1 ,i thought your paper was friendly to me8 ,the editor said1 ,so it is4 ,what's the matter8 ,well1 ,i said1 ,i made a speech last night1 and you didn't print a single line of it this morning4 ,well1 said the editor1 what further proof do you want8 ,many of the best and most effective stories are serious in character4 ,one that has been used successfully is this3 ,some gentlemen from the ,west were excited and troubled about the commissions or omissions of the administration4 ,president ,lincoln heard them patiently1 and then replied3 ,gentlemen1 suppose all the property you were worth was in gold1 and you had put it in the hands of ,blondin to carry across the ,niagara ,river on a rope2 would you shake the cable1 or keep shouting out to him--',blondin1 stand up a little straighter--,blondin1 stoop a little more--go a little faster--lean a little more to the north--lean a little more to the south8' ,no1 you would hold your breath as well as your tongue1 and keep your hands off until he was safe over4 ,the ,government is carrying an immense weight4 ,untold treasures are in our hands4 ,we are doing the very best we can4 ,don't badger us4 ,keep silence1 and we'll get you safe across4 ,punning is of course out of fashion4 ,the best pun in the ,english language is ,tom ,hood's3 ,he went and told the sexton1 ,and the sexton tolled the bell4 ,dr4 ,johnson said that the pun was the lowest order of wit4 ,newspapers formerly indulged in it freely4 ,one editor would say3 ,we don't care a straw what ,shakespeare said--a rose by any other name would not smell as wheat4 ,then another paper would answer3 ,such puns are barley tolerable1 they amaize us1 they arouse our righteous corn1 and they turn the public taste a-rye4 ,but punning1 when it is unusually clever and spontaneous1 may be thoroughly enjoyable1 as in the following3 ,chief ,justice ,story attended a public dinner in ,boston at which ,edward ,everett was present4 ,desiring to pay a delicate compliment to the latter1 the learned judge proposed as a volunteer toast3 ,fame follows merit where ,everett goes4 ,the brilliant scholar arose and responded3 ,to whatever heights judicial learning may attain in this country1 it will never get above one ,story4 ,story-telling may attain the character of a disease1 in one who has a retentive memory and a voluble vocabulary4 ,the form of humor known as repartee1 however1 is one that requires rare discrimination4 ,it should be used sparingly1 and not at all if it is likely to give offence4 ,beau ,brummell was guilty in this respect1 when he was once asked by a lady if he would take a cup of tea4 ,thank you1 said he1 ,i never take anything but physic4 ,i beg your pardon1 said the hostess1 you also take liberties4 ,there is a story that ,henry ,luttrell had sat long in the ,irish ,parliament1 but no one knew his precise age4 ,lady ,holland1 without regard to considerations of courtesy1 one day said to him point-blank1 ,now1 we are all dying to know how old you are4 ,just tell me4 ,luttrell answered very gravely1 ,it is an odd question1 but as you1 ,lady ,holland1 ask it1 ,i don't mind telling you4 ,if ,i live till next year1 ,i shall be--devilish old6 ,the art of story-telling is not taught specifically1 hence there are comparatively few people who can tell a story without violating some of the rules which experience recommends4 ,but the right use of story-telling should be encouraged as an ornament of conversation1 and a valuable auxiliary to effective public address4 ,many people might excel as story-tellers if they would devote a little time to suggestions such as are offered here4 ,it is not a difficult art1 but like every other subject requires study and application4 ,the best counsel for public speakers in the matter of story-telling may be summed up as follows3 ,know your story thoroughly2 test your story by telling it to some one in advance2 adapt your story to the special circumstances2 be concise1 omitting non-essentials2 have ready more stories than you intend to use1 because if you should speak at the end of the list you may find that your best story has been told by a previous speaker2 and1 finally1 always stop when you have made a hit4 ,,talking ,,in ,,salesmanship ,the salesman depends for his success primarily upon his talking ability4 ,obviously1 what he offers for sale must have intrinsic merit1 and he should possess a thorough knowledge of his wares4 ,but in order to secure the best results from his efforts1 he must know how to talk well4 ,all the general requirements for good conversation apply equally to the needs of the salesman4 ,he should have a pleasant speaking voice and an agreeable manner1 a vocabulary of useful and appropriate words1 and the ability to put things clearly and convincingly4 ,it should be a golden rule of the salesman never to argue with the customer4 ,he may explain and reason1 and use all the persuasive phraseology at his command1 but he must not permit himself for a single instant to engage in controversy4 ,to argue is fatal to successful salesmanship4 ,there is nothing that can be substituted for a winning personality in the salesman4 ,what constitutes such a personality8 ,chiefly a good voice1 affability of manner1 straightforward speech1 manly bearing1 the desire to serve and please1 proper attire1 and cleanliness of person4 ,these qualifications come within the reach of anyone who aspires to success in salesmanship4 ,every salesman has unexpected problems to solve4 ,a sensitive or touchy customer may become unreasonably angry or offended4 ,what is the salesman to do8 ,he should here be particularly on his guard not to show the slightest resentment4 ,though he may be wholly guiltless1 he cannot afford to contradict the customer1 nor to challenge him to a vocal duel4 ,if he talks at all1 he should talk quietly and reasonably1 and always with the object of bringing the customer around to a favorable point of view4 ,the successful salesman must have tact and discrimination4 ,he must know when and how to check in himself the word or phrase which is trying to force its way out into expression1 but which would in the end prove inadvisable4 ,he must train himself to choose quickly the right and best course under difficult circumstances4 ,the salesman should give his undivided attention to the customer4 ,if the salesman is speaking1 he should speak clearly1 directly1 concisely1 and understandingly2 if he is listening1 he should listen interestedly and thoroughly1 with all his powers alive and receptive4 ,the salesman should know when to speak and when to be silent4 ,some customers wish to be told much1 others prefer to think for themselves4 ,he is a wise salesman who knows when to be mute4 ,loquacity has often killed what otherwise might have been a good sale4 ,there is a certain tone of voice which the salesman should aim to acquire4 ,it is neither high nor low in pitch4 ,it is agreeable to the listening ear1 and is almost sufficient in itself to win the favorable attention of the prospective buyer4 ,every salesman should cultivate a musical and well-modulated voice as one of the chief assets in salesmanship4 ,the salesman should cultivate dignity of speech and manner4 ,people generally dislike familiarity1 joking1 and horse-play4 ,it is well to assume that the customer is serious-minded1 that he means business and nothing else4 ,needless to say1 the telling of long stories1 or personal experiences1 has no legitimate place in the business of salesmanship4 ,there is a proper time and place for short story-telling4 ,like everything else it is all right in its appropriate setting4 ,lincoln used it to advantage1 but once said3 ,i believe ,i have the popular reputation of being a story-teller1 but ,i do not deserve the name in its general sense2 for it is not the story itself1 but its purpose1 or effect1 that interests me4 ,i often avoid a long and useless discussion by others1 or a laborious explanation on my part1 by a short story that illustrates my point of view4 ,the salesman should resolve not to lose his poise and agreeableness under any circumstances4 ,irritability never attracts business4 ,to say the right thing in the right place is desirable1 but it is quite as important1 though more difficult1 to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the moment of temptation4 ,it is not the legitimate business of the salesman to force upon a customer what is really not wanted1 but many times the customer does not know what he wants nor what he might be able to use4 ,hence the competent salesman should know how to influence the customer towards a favorable decision1 using all honorable and approved means to bring about such a result4 ,the customer's unfavorable answer is not to be accepted always as final4 ,he may not clearly understand the merits or uses of the article offered4 ,he may need the explanations and suggestions of the salesman in order to reach a right conclusion4 ,here it is that the salesman may fulfill one of his most important duties4 ,there is a wide difference between self-reliance and obtrusiveness4 ,every man should have a full degree of self-confidence4 ,it is needed in every walk in life4 ,but the salesman1 more than most men1 must have an exceptional degree of faith in himself and in what he has to sell4 ,this self-confidence1 however1 is a very different thing from boldness or obtrusiveness4 ,courtesy and considerateness are cardinal qualities of the well-equipped salesman1 but boastfulness1 glibness1 egotism1 loudness1 and self-assertion1 are as distasteful as they are undesirable4 ,the eloquence and persuasiveness of silence is nowhere better exemplified than in the art of salesmanship4 ,one man says much1 and sells little2 another says little1 and sells much4 ,the reason for the superior success of one over the other is mainly due to the fact that he knows best how to present the merits of what he offers for sale1 knows how to say it concisely and effectively1 knows how to ingratiate himself1 largely through his personality1 into the good graces of the prospective buyer1 and knows when to stop talking4 ,modern salesmanship is based primarily upon common sense4 ,a man with brains1 though possibly lacking in other desirable qualifications1 may easily outdistance the more experienced salesman4 ,it is a valuable thing in any man to be able to think accurately1 reason deeply1 and size up a situation promptly4 ,the salesman should at all times be on his best talking behavior4 ,it is not advisable for him to have two standards of speech1 and to use an inferior one excepting for special occasions4 ,he should cultivate as a regular daily habit discrimination in the use of voice1 enunciation1 expression1 and language4 ,this should be the constant aim not only of the salesman1 but of every man ambitious to achieve success and distinction in the world4 ,,men ,,and ,,mannerisms ,there is a story of a politician who had acquired a mannerism of fingering a button on his coat while talking to an audience4 ,on one occasion some friends surreptitiously cut the particular button off1 and the result was that the speaker when he stood up to address the audience lost the thread of his discourse4 ,gladstone had a mannerism of striking the palm of his left hand with the clenched fist of his other hand1 so that often the emphatic word was lost in the noise of percussion4 ,a common habit of the distinguished statesman was to reach out his right hand at full arm's length1 and then to bend it back at the elbow and lightly scratch the top of his head with his thumb-nail4 ,balfour1 while speaking1 used to take hold of the lapels of his coat by both hands as if he were in mortal fear of running away before he had finished4 ,goshen1 at the beginning of a speech1 would sound his chest and sides with his hands1 and apparently finding that his ribs were in good order1 would proceed to wash his hands with invisible soap4 ,the strange thing about mannerisms is that the speakers are usually unconscious of them1 and would be the first to condemn them in others4 ,the remedy for such defects lies in thorough and severe self-examination and self-criticism4 ,however eminent a speaker may be with objectionable mannerisms1 he would be still greater without them4 ,every public speaker has certain characteristics of voice and manner that distinguish him from other men4 ,in so far as this individuality gives increased power and effectiveness to the speaking style1 it is desirable and should be encouraged4 ,when1 however1 it is carried to excess1 or in any sense offends good taste1 it is merely mannerism1 and should be discouraged4 ,there is an objectionable mannerism of the voice1 known as pulpit tone1 that has come to be associated with some preachers4 ,it takes various forms1 such as an unduly elevated key1 a drawling monotone1 a sudden transition from one extreme of pitch to another1 or a tone of condescension4 ,it is also heard in a plaintive minor inflection1 imparting a quality of extreme sadness to a speaker's style4 ,these are all departures from the natural1 earnest1 sincere1 and direct delivery that belongs to the high office of preaching4 ,still another undesirable mannerism of the voice is that of giving a rising inflection at the close of successive sentences that are obviously complete4 ,here the speaker's thought is left suspended in the air1 the hearer feels a sense of disappointment or doubt1 and possibly the entire meaning is perverted4 ,thoughts delivered in such a manner1 unless they distinctly require a rising inflection1 lack the emphasis and force of persuasive speaking4 ,artificiality1 affectation1 pomposity1 mouthing1 undue vehemence1 monotony1 intoning1 and everything that detracts from the simplicity and genuine fervor of the speech should be avoided4 ,too much emphasis may drive a thought beyond the mark1 and a conscious determination to make a great speech may keep the speaker in a state of anxiety throughout its entire delivery4 ,a clear and correct enunciation is essential1 but it should not be pedantic1 nor should it attract attention to itself4 ,what you are prevents me from hearing what you say1 might also be applied to the manner of the speaker4 ,exaggerated opening of the mouth1 audible smacking of the lips1 holding tenaciously to final consonants1 prolonged hissing of sibilants1 are all to be condemned4 ,hesitation1 stumbling over difficult combinations1 obscuring final syllables1 coalescing the last sound of one word with the first sound of the following word1 are inexcusable in a trained speaker4 ,when the same modulation of the voice is repeated too often1 it becomes a mannerism1 a kind of monotony of variety4 ,it reminds one of a street-piano set to but one tune1 and is quite as distressing to a sensitive ear4 ,this is not the style that is expected from a public man4 ,what should the speaker do with his hands8 ,do nothing with them unless they are specifically needed for the more complete expression of a thought4 ,let them drop at the sides in their natural relaxed position1 ready for instant use4 ,to press the fist in the hollow of the back in order to support the speaker1 to clutch the lapels of the coat1 to slap the hands audibly together1 to place the hands on the hips in the attitude of vulgar ease1 to put the hands into the pockets1 to wring the hands as if washing them with invisible soap1 or to violently pound the pulpit--these belong to the list of undesirable mannerisms4 ,at the beginning of a speech it may give the appearance of ease to place the hands behind the back1 but this position lacks force and action and should not be long sustained4 ,to cross the arms upon the desk is to put them out of commission for the time being4 ,leaning or lounging of any kind1 bending at the knee1 or other evidence of weakness or weariness1 may belong to the repose of the easy chair1 but are hardly appropriate in a wide-awake speaker seeking to convince men4 ,rocking the body to and fro1 rising on the toes to emphasize1 crouching1 stamping the foot1 springing from side to side1 over-acting and impersonation1 and violence and extravagance of every description may well be omitted in public speaking4 ,beware of extremes4 ,avoid a statue-like attitude on the one hand and a constant restlessness on the other4 ,dignity is desirable1 but one should not forget the words of the ,reverend ,sam ,jones1 ,there is nothing more dignified than a corpse6 ,gestures that are too frequent and alike soon lose their significance4 ,if they are attempted at all they should be varied and complete1 suggesting freedom and spontaneity4 ,when only half made they are likely to call attention to the discrepancy1 and to this extent will obscure rather than help the thought4 ,the continuous use of gesture is displeasing to the eye1 and gives the impression of lack of poise4 ,the young speaker particularly should be warned not to imitate the speaking style of others4 ,what is perfectly natural to one may appear ridiculous in another4 ,cardinal ,newman spoke with extreme deliberateness1 enunciating every syllable with care and precision2 ,phillips ,brooks sent forth an avalanche of words at the rate of two hundred a minute2 but it would be dangerous for the average speaker to emulate either of these examples4 ,there is a peculiarity in a certain type of speaking1 which1 while not strictly a mannerism1 is detrimental to the highest effect4 ,it manifests itself in physical weakness4 ,the speaker is uniformly tired1 and his speaking has a half-hearted tone4 ,the lifelessness in voice and manner communicates itself to the audience1 and prevents all possibility of deep and enduring impression4 ,joseph ,parker said that when ,sunday came he felt like a racehorse1 and could hardly wait for the time to come for him to go into the pulpit4 ,he longed to speak4 ,the well-equipped speaker is one who has a superior culture of voice and body4 ,all the instruments of expression must be made his obedient servants1 but as master of them he should see to it that they perform their work naturally and spontaneously4 ,he should be able while speaking to abandon himself wholly to his subject1 confident that as a result of conscientious training his delivery may be left largely to take care of itself4 ,,how ,,to ,,speak ,,in ,,public ,there are two essential qualifications for making an effective public speech4 ,first1 having something worth-while to say4 ,second1 knowing how to say it4 ,the first qualification implies a judicious choice of subject and the most thorough preparation4 ,it means that the speaker has carefully gathered together the best available material1 and has so familiarized himself with his subject that he knows more about it than anyone else in his audience4 ,it is in this requirement of thorough preparation that many public speakers are deficient4 ,they do not realize the need for this painstaking preliminary work1 and hence they frequently stand before an audience with little information of value to impart to their hearers4 ,their poverty of thought can not be long disguised in flamboyant rhetoric and sesquipedalian words1 and hence they fail to carry conviction to serious-minded men4 ,i would remind you that having something worth-while to say involves more than thorough preparation of the particular subject which the speaker is to present to an audience4 ,the speaker should have a well-furnished mind4 ,you have had the experience of listening to a public speaker who commanded your closest attention not only because of what he said1 but also because of what he was4 ,he inspired confidence in you because of his personality and reserve power4 ,it is often what a man has within himself1 rather than what he actually expresses1 that carries greatest conviction to your mind4 ,as you listen to such a man speak1 you feel that he is worthy of your confidence because he draws upon broad experience and knowledge4 ,he speaks out of the fulness of a well-furnished mind4 ,it is important1 therefore1 that there should be mental culture in a broad way1--sound judgment1 a sense of proportion and perspective1 a fund of useful ideas1 facts1 arguments1 and illustrations1 and a large stock of common sense4 ,every man who essays to speak in public should cultivate a judicial mind1 or the habit of weighing and estimating facts and arguments4 ,such a mind is supposedly free from prejudice and seeks the truth at any cost4 ,such a mind does not want this or that to be necessarily true1 but wants to recognize as true only that which is true4 ,in these days of multiplied publications and books of all kinds1 when printed matter of every description is soliciting our time and attention1 it is particularly desirable that we should cultivate a discriminating taste in our choice of books4 ,the highest purpose of reading is for the acquisition of useful knowledge and personal culture1 and we should keep these two aims constantly before us4 ,it is noteworthy that men who have achieved enduring greatness in the world have always had a good book at their ready command4 ,if you are ever in doubt about the choice of books1 you would do well to enlist the services of a literary friend1 or ask the advice of a local librarian4 ,but in any case1 be on your guard against books and other publications of commonplace type1 which can contribute nothing to the enrichment of your mind and life4 ,it is desirable that you should own the books you read4 ,the sense of personal possession will give an interest and pleasure to your reading which it would not otherwise have1 and moreover you can freely mark such books with your pencil for subsequent reference4 ,it is also well to have a note-book conveniently ready in which to jot down useful ideas as they occur to you4 ,here we come to the use of the pen4 ,all the great orators of the world have been prolific writers in the sense of writing out their thoughts4 ,it is the only certain way to clarify your thought1 to test it in advance of verbal expression and to examine it critically4 ,the public speaker should write much in order to form a clear and flowing ,english style4 ,it is surprising how many of our thoughts which appear to us clear and satisfactory1 assume a peculiar vagueness when we attempt to set them down definitely in writing4 ,the use of the pen tends to give clearness and conciseness to the speaker's style4 ,it makes him careful and accurate4 ,it aids1 too1 in fixing the ideas of his speech in his mind1 so that at the moment of addressing an audience they will respond most readily to his needs4 ,a well-furnished mind is like a well-furnished house4 ,in furnishing a house we do not fill it up with miscellaneous furniture1 bric-a-brac and antiques1 gathered promiscuously1 but we plan everything with a view to harmony1 beauty1 and utility4 ,we furnish a particular room in a tone that will be restful and pleasing to the occupant4 ,we choose every piece of furniture1 rug1 picture1 and drapery with a distinct purpose in view of what the total effect will be4 ,so with a well-furnished mind4 ,we must choose the kind of material we intend to keep there4 ,it should be chosen with a view to its beauty1 power1 and usefulness4 ,we want no rubbish there4 ,we want the best material available4 ,hence the vital importance of going to the right sources for the furniture of our mind1 to the great books of the world1 to living authorities1 to nature1 to music1 to art1 to the best wherever it may be found4 ,the second essential of an effective public speech is knowing how to say it4 ,this implies a thorough training in the technique of speech4 ,there should be a well-cultivated voice1 of adequate volume1 brilliancy1 and carrying quality4 ,there should be ample training in articulation1 pronunciation1 expression1 and gesture4 ,these so-called mechanics should be developed until they become an unconscious part of the speaker's style4 ,your best opportunity for practice is in your everyday conversation4 ,there you are constantly making speeches on a small scale4 ,public speaking of the best modern type is simply elevated conversation4 ,i do not mean elevated in pitch1 but in the sense of being launched upon a higher level of thought and with greater intensity than is usually called for by ordinary conversation4 ,in conversation you have your best opportunity for developing your public speaking style4 ,indeed1 you are there1 despite yourself1 forming habits which will disclose themselves in your public speaking4 ,as you speak in your daily conversation you will largely speak when you stand before an audience4 ,you will therefore see the importance of care in your daily speech4 ,there should be a fastidious choice of words1 care in pronunciation and articulation1 and the mouth well opened so that the words may come out wholly through the mouth and not partly through the nose4 ,culture of conversation is to be recommended for its own sake1 since everyone must speak in private if not in public4 ,one of the best plans for self-culture in speaking is to read aloud for a few minutes every day from a book of well-selected speeches4 ,there are numerous compilations of the kind admirably suited to this purpose4 ,the important thing here is to read in speaking style1 not in what is termed reading style as usually taught in schools4 ,when you practise in this way it would be well to imagine an audience before you and to render the speech as if emanating from your own mind4 ,the student of public speaking will wisely guard himself against acquiring an artificial style or other mannerism4 ,another good plan is to make short mental speeches while walking4 ,when possible it is well to choose a country road for this purpose1 or a park1 or some other place where one's mind is not likely to be often diverted by passers-by4 ,lord ,dufferin1 the eminent ,british orator1 was accustomed to prepare most of his speeches while riding on horseback4 ,the habit of forming mental speeches is a great aid to actual speech-making1 as it tends to give the mind a power and an adaptability which it would not otherwise have4 ,the painter1 the musician1 the sculptor1 the architect1 and other craftsmen search out models for study and inspiration4 ,the public speaker should do likewise1 and history shows that the great orators of the world have followed this practise4 ,you can not do better than take as your model the greatest short speech in all history1 the ,gettysburg ,address4 ,an authority on ,english style has critically examined this speech and acknowledges that he cannot suggest a single change in it which would add to its power and perfection4 ,you recall the circumstances under which it was written4 ,on the morning of ,november #ah1 #ahfc1 ,abraham ,lincoln was travelling from ,washington to take part next day in the consecration of the national cemetery at ,gettysburg4 ,he wrote his speech on a scrap of wrapping-paper1 carefully fitting word to word1 changing and correcting it in minutest detail as best he could until it was finished4 ,the next day after the speech had been delivered1 ,edward ,everett1 the trained and polished orator1 said that he would have been content to have made in his oration of two hours the impression which ,lincoln had made in that many minutes4 ,it will repay you to study this speech closely and to wrest from it its innermost secrets of power and effectiveness4 ,the greatest underlying quality of this speech is its rare simplicity--simplicity of thought1 simplicity of language1 simplicity of purpose1 and shining through it all1 the simplicity of the great emancipator himself4 ,this simplicity is one of the great distinguishing qualities of effective public speaking4 ,it is characteristic of all true art4 ,it is subtle and difficult to define1 but ,fenelon gives a definition that will aid us when he says1 ,simplicity is an uprightness of soul that has no reference to self4 ,it is another word for unselfishness4 ,in these days of self-exploitation and self-aggrandizement1 how refreshing it is to meet a man of true simplicity4 ,we are won by his unaffected manner1 his gentleness of argument1 his ingratiating tones of voice1 his freedom from prejudice and passion4 ,such a man wins us almost wholly by the power of his simplicity4 ,this supreme quality is noticeable in men who are said to have come to themselves4 ,they have tasted and tested life1 they have learned proportion and perspective1 they have appraised things at their real value1 and now they carry themselves in poise and power and confidence4 ,they have found themselves in a high and true sense1 and they have come to be known as men of simplicity4 ,simplicity is not to be confounded with weakness or ignorance4 ,it comes through long education4 ,it does not mean the trite1 or the commonplace1 or the obvious4 ,it is a strong and sturdy quality1 is this simplicity of which ,i am speaking1 and nothing else will atone for lack of it in the public speaker4 ,longfellow calls it the supreme excellence1 since it is the quality which above all others brings serenity to the soul and makes life really worth living4 ,every man should earnestly seek to cultivate this great quality as essential to noble character4 ,this speech is conspicuous for another indispensable quality for effective public speaking1--the quality of sincerity4 ,it grows largely out of simplicity and is the product of integrity of mind and heart4 ,men recognize it quickly1 though they cannot easily tell whence it comes4 ,we find it highly developed in great leaders in business and professional life4 ,there has never been a really great public speaker who was not preeminently a sincere man4 ,beecher said1 ,let no man who is a sneak try to be an orator4 ,such a man can not be4 ,he will shortly be found out4 ,the world's ultimate estimate of a man is not far wrong4 ,a politician of much promise was addressing a distinguished audience in ,washington4 ,the ,opera ,house was crowded to the doors to hear him and apparently he was making a good impression upon all his hearers4 ,but suddenly1 at the very climax of his speech1 while upwards of two thousand eyes were rivetted upon him1 he was seen to wink at a personal friend of his sitting in a nearby box1 and at that instant his future political prospects were shattered as a vase struck by lightning4 ,in that single instant of insincerity he was appraised by that discriminating audience and his doom was sealed4 ,still another great quality in the ,gettysburg speech is its directness4 ,the speaker had a clearly-defined purpose in view4 ,he knew what he wanted to say1 and he proceeded to say it--no more1 and no less4 ,there was no straying away into by-paths1 no padding of words to make up for shortage of ideas1 no superfluous and big-sounding phrases1 no empty rhetoric or glittering generalities4 ,how many speakers there are who aim at nothing and hit it4 ,how many speakers there are who are on their way but do not know whither4 ,if this directness of quality were applied to talking in business1 in committee meetings1 in telephone conversations1 in public speaking1 it would save annually in this country millions of words and incalculable time and energy4 ,you will note that this speech has the rare quality of conciseness4 ,we have an illustration here of how much a man can say in about #bfe words and in the short space of two minutes1 if he knows precisely what he wants to say4 ,it is well to bear in mind that although this speech was scribbled off with seeming ease1 ,lincoln owed his ability to do it to a long and painstaking study of words and ,english style4 ,he was a profound student of the dictionary4 ,he steeped himself in words4 ,he scrutinized words1 he studied words1 he made himself a master of words4 ,this is a valuable habit for every man to form1--to study words regularly and earnestly1 and to add consciously to his working vocabulary a few words daily--so in the course of a year such a man will acquire a large and varied stock of words which will do his instant bidding4 ,the conclusion is a vital part of a speech4 ,it is a place of peril to many a public speaker4 ,countless speeches have been ruined by a bad conclusion4 ,the most important thing here is that having decided beforehand upon the particular ideas or message with which you intend to conclude your speech1 not to let any influence lead you away from this preconceived purpose4 ,some speakers are about to conclude effectively but are unwilling to omit anything which they have planned to give in their speech1 and so continue in an endeavor to recall every item4 ,at last such a speech has a loose and straggling ending4 ,the words of the conclusion need not be memorized1 but the ideas should be definitely outlined in the mind and fixed in the memory1 not as words1 but as ideas4 ,the knowledge that you can turn at will to these definite ideas1 and so bring your speech to a close1 will confer upon you a degree of self-confidence which will be of immense service to you4 ,you should ever bear in mind this golden rule for the conclusion of your speech3 ,when you have finished what you have of importance to say1 do not be tempted to wander off into by-paths1 or to tell an additional story1 or to say and one word more1 but having finished your speech1 stop on the instant and sit down4 ,,practical ,,hints ,,for ,,speakers ,cultivate as the most desirable thoughts those which are definite1 clear1 deep1 logical1 profound1 strong1 precise1 impressive1 original1 significant1 explicit1 luminous1 positive1 suggestive1 comprehensive1 and practical4 ,resolutely avoid all thoughts which are uncertain1 recondite1 obscure1 immature1 unimportant1 shallow1 weak1 visionary1 absurd1 vague1 extravagant1 indefinite1 or impractical4 ,in your choice and use of words give preference to those which are definite1 simple1 real1 significant1 forcible1 expressive1 adequate1 musical1 varied1 and copious4 ,avoid those which are foreign1 slangy1 obsolete1 unusual1 extravagant1 technical1 long1 colloquial1 or commonplace4 ,the most desirable qualities in the use of ,english are the simple1 plain1 exact1 lucid1 concise1 trenchant1 vigorous1 impressive1 lively1 figurative1 polished1 graceful1 fluent1 rhythmical1 copious1 elevated1 flexible1 smooth1 dignified1 terse1 epigrammatic1 felicitous1 euphonious1 elegant1 and lofty4 ,undesirable qualities are the diffuse1 verbose1 redundant1 inflated1 prolix1 ambiguous1 feeble1 monotonous1 loose1 slip-shod1 dry1 flowery1 pedantic1 pompous1 rhetorical1 grandiloquent1 artificial1 formal1 ornate1 halting1 ponderous1 ungrammatical1 vague1 and obscure4 ,the qualities you should develop in your speaking voice are the pure1 deep1 round1 flexible1 resonant1 musical1 clear1 sympathetic1 smooth1 sonorous1 powerful1 silvery1 melodious1 full1 strong1 natural1 mellow1 magnetic1 expressive1 carrying1 and responsive4 ,endeavor to keep your voice free from such undesirable qualities as the harsh1 breathy1 sharp1 rough1 rigid1 throaty1 guttural1 thin1 shrill1 nasal1 unmusical1 discordant1 muffled1 explosive1 strained1 inaudible1 hollow1 strident1 sepulchral1 and tremulous4 ,your articulation should be clear1 distinct1 and correct4 ,avoid carelessness1 lifelessness1 mumbling1 weakness1 and exaggeration4 ,your pronunciation should be clear-cut and accurate4 ,avoid mouthing1 lisping1 hesitation1 stammering1 pedantry1 omission of syllables1 and suppression of final consonants4 ,your delivery in public speaking should be simple1 sincere1 natural1 varied1 magnetic1 earnest1 forceful1 attractive1 energetic1 animated1 sympathetic1 authoritative1 dignified1 direct1 impressive1 vivid1 convincing1 persuasive1 zealous1 enthusiastic1 and inspiring4 ,avoid that which is timid1 familiar1 violent1 cold1 indifferent1 unreal1 artificial1 dull1 sing-song1 hesitating1 feeble1 unconvincing1 apathetic1 monotonous1 pompous1 formal1 arbitrary1 flippant1 ostentatious1 drawling1 or languid4 ,your gesture should be graceful1 appropriate1 free1 forceful1 and natural4 ,avoid all gesture which is unmeaning1 angular1 abrupt1 constrained1 stilted1 or amateurish4 ,your facial expression should be varied1 appropriate1 pleasing1 and impassioned4 ,avoid the unpleasant1 immobile1 and unvaried4 ,let your standing position be manly1 erect1 easy1 forceful1 and impressive4 ,avoid that which is weak1 shifting1 stiff1 inactive1 and ungainly4 ,,the ,,dramatic ,,element ,,in ,,speaking ,there is a well-defined prejudice against the importation of anything theatrical into the pulpit4 ,the art of the actor is fundamentally different from the work of the preacher4 ,at best the actor but represents1 imitates1 pretends1 acts4 ,the actor seems2 the preacher is4 ,it is to be feared1 however1 that this prejudice has narrowed many preachers down to a pulpit style almost devoid of warmth and action4 ,in their endeavor to avoid the dramatic and sensational1 they have refined and subdued many of their most natural and effective means of expression4 ,the function of preaching is not only to impart1 but to persuade2 and persuasion demands something more than an easy conversational style1 an intellectual statement of facts1 or the reading of a written message4 ,the speaker must show in face1 in eye1 in arm1 in the whole animated man1 that he1 himself1 is moved1 before he can hope successfully to persuade and inspire others4 ,the modified movements of ordinary conversation do not fulfil all the requirements of the preacher4 ,these are necessary and adequate for the groundwork of the sermon1 but for the supreme heights of passionate appeal1 when the soul of the preacher would1 as it were1 leap from its body in the endeavor to reach men1 there must be intensified life and action--dramatic action4 ,it is difficult to conceive of a greater tribute to a public advocate than that paid to ,wendell ,phillips by ,george ,william ,curtis3 ,the divine energy of his conviction utterly possest him1 and his ',pure and eloquent blood ,spoke in his cheek1 and so distinctly wrought1 ,that one might almost say his body thought4' ,poise is power1 and reserve and repression are parts of the dignified office of the preacher1 but carried too far may degenerate into weak and unproductive effort4 ,perfection of ,english style1 rhetorical floridness1 and profundity of thought will never wholly make up for lack of appropriate action in the work of persuading men4 ,the power of action alone is vividly illustrated in the touch of the finger to the lips to invoke silence1 or the pointing to the door to command one to leave the room4 ,the preacher might often find it profitable to stand before a mirror and deliver his sermon exclusively in pantomime to test its power and efficacy4 ,the body must be disciplined and cultivated as assiduously as the other instruments of the speaker4 ,there is eloquence of attitude and action no less than eloquence of voice and feeling4 ,a preacher drawing himself up to his full height1 with a significant gesture of the head1 or with flashing eye pointing the finger of warning at his hearers1 may rouse them from indifference when all other means fail4 ,sixty years ago the ,reverend ,william ,russell emphasized the importance of visible expression4 ,he said of the preacher3 ,his outward manner1 in attitude and action1 will be as various as his voice3 he will evince the inspiration of appropriate feeling in the very posture of his frame2 in uttering the language of adoration1 the slow-moving1 uplifted hand will bespeak the awe and solemnity which pervade his soul2 in addressing his fellow men in the spirit of an ambassador of ,christ1 the gentle yet earnest spirit of persuasive action will be evinced in the pleading hand and aspect2 he will know1 also1 how to pass to the stern and authoritative mien of the reproved of sin2 he will1 on due occasions1 indicate1 in his kindling look1 the rousing gesture1 the mood of him who is empowered and commanded to summon forth all the energies of the human soul2 his subdued and chastened address will carry the sympathy of his spirit into the bosom of the mourner2 his moistening eye and his gentle action will manifest his tenderness for the suffering3 his whole soul will1 in a word1 become legible in his features1 in his attitude1 in the expressive eloquence of his hand2 his whole style will be felt to be that of heart communing with heart4 ,dramatic action gives picturesqueness to the spoken word4 ,it makes things vivid to slow imaginations1 and by contrast invests the speaker's message with new meaning and vitality4 ,it discloses1 too1 the speaker's sympathy and identification with his subject4 ,his thought and feeling1 communicating themselves to voice and face1 to hand and arm1 to posture and walk1 satisfy and impress the hearer by a sense of adequacy and completeness4 ,henry ,ward ,beecher1 a conspicuous example of the dramatic style in preaching1 was drilled for three years1 while at college1 in voice-culture1 gesture1 and action4 ,his daily practise in the woods1 during which he exploded all the vowels from the bottom to the top of his voice1 gave him not only a wonderfully responsive and flexible instrument1 but a freedom of bodily movement that made him one of the most vigorous and virile of ,american preachers4 ,he was in the highest sense a persuasive pulpit orator4 ,a sensible preacher will avoid the grotesque and the extremes of mere animal vivacity4 ,incessant gesture and action1 undue emphasizing with hand and head1 and all suggestion of self-sufficiency in attitude or manner should be guarded against4 ,all the various instruments of expression should be made ready and responsive for immediate use1 but are to be employed with that taste and tact that characterize the well-balanced man4 ,too much action and long-continued emotional effort lose force1 and unless the law of action and reaction is applied to the preaching of the sermon the attention of the congregation may snap and the desired effect be utterly destroyed4 ,the face as the mirror of the emotions is an important part of expression4 ,the lips will betray determination1 grief1 sympathy1 affection1 or other feeling on the part of the speaker4 ,the eyes1 the most direct medium of psychic power1 will flash in indignation1 glisten in joy1 or grow dim in sorrow4 ,the brow will be elevated in surprise1 or lowered in determination and perplexity4 ,the effectiveness of the whisper in preaching should not be overlooked4 ,if discreetly used it may serve to impress the hearer with the profundity and seriousness of the preacher's message1 or to arrest and bring back to the point of contact the wandering minds of a congregation4 ,to acquire emotional power and dramatic action the preacher should study the great dramatists4 ,he should read them aloud with appropriate voice and movement4 ,he should study children1 and men1 and nature4 ,he should1 perhaps1 see the best actors1 not to copy them1 but in order that they may stimulate his taste and imagination4 ,,conversation ,,and ,,public ,,speaking ,the ideal style of public speaking is1 with very little modification1 the ideal of good conversation4 ,the practical age in which we live demands a colloquial rather than an oratorical style of public speaking4 ,a man who has something to say in conversation usually has little difficulty in saying it4 ,if he presents the facts he will speak convincingly2 if he is deeply in earnest he will speak persuasively2 and if he be an educated man his speech will have the unmistakable marks of culture and refinement4 ,in the conversation of well-bred children we find the most interesting and helpful illustrations of unaffected speech4 ,the exquisite modulation of the voice1 the unstudied correctness of emphasis1 and the sincerity and depth of feeling might well serve as a model for older speakers4 ,this study of conversation1 both our own and that of others1 offers daily opportunity for improvement in accuracy and fluency of speech1 of fitting words to the mouth as well as to the thought1 and of forming habits that will unconsciously disclose themselves in the larger work of public speaking4 ,care in conversation will guard the public speaker from inflated and unnatural tones1 and restrain him from transgressing the laws of nature even in those parts of his speech demanding lofty and intensified treatment4 ,some easily remembered suggestions regarding conversation are these3 #a4 ,pronounce your words distinctly and accurately1 like newly made coins from the mint1 but without pedantry4 #b4 ,upon no occasion allow yourself to indulge in careless or incorrect speech4 #c4 ,open the mouth well in conversation4 ,much indistinct speech is due to speaking through half-closed teeth4 #d4 ,closely observe your conversation and that of others1 to detect faults and to improve your speaking-style4 #e4 ,vary your voice to suit the variety of your thought4 ,a well-modulated voice demands appropriate changes of pitch1 force1 perspective1 and feeling4 #f4 ,avoid loud talking4 #g4 ,take care of the consonants and the vowels will take care of themselves4 #h4 ,cultivate the music of the conversational tones4 #i4 ,favor the low pitches of your voice4 #aj4 ,remember that the purpose of conscious practise and observation in the matter of conversation is to lead ultimately to unconscious performance4 ,the value of correct conversation as a means to effective public speaking is realized by few men4 ,beecher said3 ,how much squandering there is of the voice6 meaning that this golden opportunity for improvement was generally disregarded4 ,it is not too much to say1 however1 that if the sweet and gentle expression of the mother1 the strong and affectionate tones of the father1 and the spontaneous musical notes of the children1 as heard in daily conversation1 could be united in the voice of the minister and brought to the preaching of his sermon1 there would be little doubt of its magical and enduring effect upon the hearts of men4 ,the wooing tone of the lover is what the preacher needs in his pulpit style rather than the voice of declamation and denunciation4 ,the study of conversation serves to guide the public speaker not only in the free and natural use of his voice1 enunciation1 and expression1 but also in his use of language4 ,he will here learn to choose the simple word instead of the complex1 the short sentence instead of the involved1 the concrete illustration instead of the abstract4 ,he will acquire ease1 spontaneity1 simplicity1 and directness1 and when he rises to speak to men he will employ tones and words best known and understood by them4 ,a preacher may spend too much time in study and solitude4 ,if he does he will soon realize a distinct loss through lack of social intercourse with his fellow men4 ,the faculties most needed in pulpit preaching are those very powers that are so largely exercised in ordinary conversation4 ,the ability to think quickly1 to marshal facts and arguments1 to introduce a vivid story or illustration1 to parry and thrust as is sometimes needed to hold one's own ground1 and the general mental activity aroused in conversation1 all tend to produce an interesting1 vivacious1 and forceful style in public speaking4 ,we should not underestimate the value of meditation and silence to the public speaker4 ,these are necessary for original and profound thinking1 for the cultivation of the imagination1 and for the accumulation of thought4 ,but conversation offers an immediate outlet for this stored-up knowledge1 testing it as a finished product in expression1 and projecting it into life and reality by all the resources of voice and feeling4 ,this exercise is as necessary to the mind as physical exercise is to the body4 ,indeed1 a full mind demands this relief in expression1 lest the strain become too great4 ,the daily newspaper and the magazines should not be allowed to usurp the place of conversation4 ,if the art of talking is rapidly dying out1 as some assert1 we should do our share to revive it4 ,we may not again have the wit and repartee1 the brilliant intellectual combats of those other days1 but we can at least each have a cultivated speaking-voice1 an interesting manner of expressing our ideas in conversation1 and a refined pronunciation of our mother tongue4 ,a ,,talk ,,to ,,preachers ,the aim of one who would interpret literature to others1 by means of the speaking voice1 should be first to assimilate its spirit4 ,there can be no worthy or adequate rendering of a great poem or prose selection without a keen appreciation of its inner meaning and content4 ,this is the principal safeguard against mechanical and meaningless declamation4 ,the extent of this appreciation and grasp of the inherent spirit of thought will largely determine the degree of life1 reality1 and impressiveness imparted to the spoken word4 ,the intimate relationship between the voice and the spirit of the speaker suggests that one is necessary to the fullest development of the other4 ,the voice can interpret only what has been awakened and realized within1 hence nothing discloses a speaker's grasp of a subject so accurately and readily as his attempt to give it expression in his own language4 ,it is this spiritual power1 developed principally through the intuitions and emotions1 that gives psychic force to speaking1 and which more than logic1 rhetoric1 or learning itself enables the speaker to influence and persuade men4 ,the minister as an interpreter of the highest spiritual truth should bring to his work a thoroughly trained emotional nature and a cultivated speaking voice4 ,it is not sufficient that he state the truth with clearness and force2 he must proclaim it with such passionate enthusiasm as powerfully to move his hearers4 ,to express adequately the infinite shades of spiritual truth1 he must have the ability to play upon his voice as upon a great cathedral organ1 from the soft lute of love to the loud trumpet of war4 ,to assume that the study of the art of speaking will necessarily produce consciousness of its principles while in the act of speaking in public1 is as unwarranted as to say that a knowledge of the rules of grammar1 rhetoric1 or logic lead to artificiality and self-consciousness in the teacher1 writer1 and thinker4 ,there is a mechanical expertness preceding all art1 as ,goethe says1 and this applies to the orator no less than to the musician1 the artist1 the actor1 and the litterateur4 ,let the minister stand up for even five minutes each day1 with chest and abdomen well expanded1 and pronounce aloud the long vowel sounds of the ,english language1 in various shades of force and feeling1 and shortly he will observe his voice developing in flexibility1 resonance1 and power4 ,for it should be remembered that the voice grows through use4 ,let the minister cultivate1 too1 the habit of breathing exclusively through his nose while in repose1 fully and deeply from the abdomen1 and he will find himself gaining in health and mental resourcefulness4 ,for the larger development of the spiritual and emotional powers of the speaker1 a wide and varied knowledge of men and life is necessary4 ,the feelings are trained through close contact with human suffering1 and in the work of solving vital social problems4 ,the speaker will do well to explore first his own heart and endeavor to read its secret meanings1 preliminary to interpreting the hearts of other men4 ,personal suffering will do more to open the well-springs of the heart than the reading of many books4 ,care must be had1 however1 that this cultivating of the feelings be conducted along rational lines1 lest it run not to faith but to fanaticism4 ,there is a wide difference between emotion designed for display or for momentary effect1 and that which arises from strong inner conviction and sympathetic interest in others4 ,spurious1 unnatural feeling will invariably fail to convince serious-minded men4 ,emotion wrought up with no ulterior object1 says ,dr4 ,kennard1 is both an abuse and an injury to the moral nature4 ,when the attention is thoroughly awakened and steadily held1 the hearer is like a well-tuned harp1 each cord a distinct emotion1 and the skilful speaker may evoke a response from one or more at his will4 ,this lays him under a great and serious responsibility4 ,let him keep steadily at such a time to his divine purpose1 to produce a healthful action1 a life in harmony with ,god and a symphony of service4 ,the emotional and spiritual powers of the speaker will be developed by reading aloud each day a vigorous and passionate extract from the ,bible1 or ,shakespeare1 or from some great sermon by such men as ,bushnell1 ,newman1 ,beecher1 ,maclaren1 ,brooks1 or ,spurgeon4 ,the entire gamut of human feeling can be highly cultivated by thus reading aloud from the great masterpieces of literature4 ,the speaker will know that he can make his own words glow and vibrate1 after he has first tested and trained himself in some such manner as this4 ,furthermore1 by thus fitting words to his mouth1 and assimilating the feelings of others1 he will immeasurably gain in facility and vocal responsiveness when he attempts to utter his own thoughts4 ,music is a powerful element in awakening emotion in the speaker and bringing to consciousness the mysterious inner voices of the soul4 ,the minister should not only hear good music as often as possible1 but he should train his ear to recognize the rhythm and melody in speech4 ,for the fullest development of this spiritual power in the public speaker there should be frequent periods of stillness and silence4 ,one must listen much in order to accumulate much4 ,thought and feeling require time in which to grow4 ,in this way the myriad sounds that arise from humanity and from nature can be caught up in the soul of the speaker and subsequently voiced by him to others4 ,the habit of meditating much1 of brooding over thought1 whether it be our own or that of others1 will tend to disclose new and deeper meanings1 and consequently deeper shades and depths of feeling4 ,the speaker will diligently search for unwritten meanings in words2 he will study1 whenever possible1 masterpieces of painting and sculpture2 he will closely observe the natural feeling of well-bred children1 as shown in their conversation2 and in many other ways that will suggest themselves1 he will daily develop his emotional and spiritual powers of expression4 ,the science of preaching is important1 but so1 too1 is the art of preaching4 ,a powerful pulpit is one of the needs of the times4 ,a congregation readily recognizes a preacher of strong convictions1 broad sympathies1 and consecrated personality4 ,an affectionate nature in a minister1 manifesting itself in voice1 face1 and manner1 will attract and influence men1 while a harsh1 rigid1 vehement manner will as easily repel them4 ,it is to be feared that many sermons are written with too much regard for literary deportment on paper1 and too little thought of their value as pulsating messages to men4 ,the preacher should train himself to take tight hold of his thought1 to grip it with mental firmness and fervor1 that he may afterward convey it to others with definiteness and vigor4 ,thoughts vaguely conceived and held tremblingly in the mind will manifest a like character when uttered4 ,into the writing of the sermon put vitality and intensity1 and these qualities will find their natural place in delivery4 ,thrill of the pen should precede thrill of the voice4 ,the habit of ,dickens of acting out the characters he was depicting on paper could be copied to advantage by the preacher1 and frequently during the writing of his sermon he might stand and utter his thoughts aloud to test their power and effectiveness upon an imaginary congregation4 ,there should be the most thorough cultivation of the inner sources of the preacher1 whereby the spiritual and emotional forces are so aroused and brought under control as to respond promptly and accurately to all the speaker's requirements4 ,there should be assiduous training of the speaking voice as the instrument of expression and the natural outlet for thought and feeling4 ,in the combined cultivation of these two essentials of expression--spirit and voice--the minister will find the true secret of effective pulpit preaching4 ,,care ,,of ,,the ,,speaker',s ,,throat ,the throat as a vital part of the public speaker's work in speaking is worthy of the greatest care and consideration4 ,it is surprising that so little attention is given to vocal hygiene1 when it is remembered that a serious weakness or affection of the throat may disqualify a speaker for important work4 ,the delicate and intricate machinery of the vocal apparatus renders it peculiarly susceptible to misuse or exposure4 ,the common defects of nasality1 throatiness1 and harshness1 are due to wrong and careless use of the speaking-instrument4 ,in the training of the public speaker the first step is to bring the breathing apparatus under proper control4 ,that is to say1 the speaker must accustom himself1 through careful practise1 to use the abdominal method of breathing1 and to keep his throat free from the strain to which it is commonly subjected4 ,this form of breathing is not difficult to acquire1 since it simply means that during inhalation the abdomen is expanded1 and during exhalation it is contracted4 ,it should be no longer necessary to warn the speaker to breathe exclusively through the nose when not actually using the voice4 ,while speaking he must so completely control the breath that not a particle of it can escape without giving up its equivalent in sound4 ,clergyman's sore throat is the result of improper use or overstraining of the voice4 ,sometimes the earnestness of the preacher causes him to clutch each word with the vocal muscles1 instead of using the throat as an open channel through which the voice may flow with ease and freedom4 ,many speakers1 in an endeavor to be heard at a great distance1 employ too loud a tone1 forgetting that the essential thing is a clear and distinct articulation4 ,to speak continuously in high pitch1 or through half-closed teeth1 almost invariably causes distress of throat4 ,most throat troubles may be set down to a lack of proper elocutionary training4 ,to keep the voice and throat in order there should be regular daily practise1 if only for ten minutes4 ,the example might profitably be followed of certain actors who make a practise of humming occasionally during the day while engaged in other duties1 as a means of keeping the voice musical and resonant4 ,when the throat becomes husky or weak it is a timely warning from nature that it needs rest and relaxation4 ,to continue to engage in public speaking under these circumstances is often attended with great danger1 resulting sometimes in total loss of voice4 ,it is economy in the end to discontinue the use of the voice when there is a serious cold or the throat is otherwise affected4 ,nervousness1 anxiety1 or unusual mental exertion may cause a vocal breakdown4 ,for this condition rest is recommended1 together with gentle massaging of the throat with cold water mixed with a little vinegar or eau de ,cologne4 ,a public speaker should not engage in protracted conversation immediately after a speech4 ,the sudden transition from an auditorium to the outer air should remind the speaker to keep his mouth securely closed4 ,the general physical condition of the speaker has much to do with the vigor and clearness of his voice4 ,a daily plunge into cold water1 or at least a sponging of the entire surface of the body1 besides being a tonic luxury1 greatly invigorates the throat and abdominal muscles4 ,after the tub a vigorous rubbing with towel and hands should produce a glow4 ,to the frequent question whether smoking is injurious to the throat1 it is safe to say that the weight of authority and experience favors abstinence4 ,any one who has spoken for half an hour or more in a smoke-clouded room1 knows the distressing effect it has had upon the sensitive lining of the throat4 ,it must be obvious1 therefore1 that the constant inhaling of smoke must even more directly irritate the mucous membrane4 ,the diet of the public speaker should be reasonably moderate1 and the extremes of hot and cold avoided4 ,the use of ice-water is to be discouraged4 ,many drugs and lozenges are positively injurious to the throat4 ,for habitual dryness of throat a glycerine or honey tablet will usually obviate the trouble4 ,dr4 ,morell ,mackenzie1 the eminent ,english throat specialist1 condemns the use of alcohol as pernicious1 and affirms that even in a comparatively mild form it keeps the delicate tissues in a state of congestion which makes them particularly liable to inflammation from cold or other causes4 ,it must not be assumed that the throat is to be pampered4 ,a reasonable amount of exposure will harden it and to this extent is desirable4 ,to muffle the throat with a scarf1 unless demanded by special conditions1 may make it unduly sensitive and increase the danger of taking cold when the head is turned from side to side4 ,a leading physician confirms the opinion that the best gargle for daily use is that of warm water and salt4 ,this should be used every night and morning to cleanse and invigorate the throat4 ,where there is a tendency to catarrh a solution made of peroxide of hydrogen1 witch-hazel1 and water1 in equal parts1 will prove efficacious4 ,nothing should be snuffed up the nose except under the direction of a physician1 lest it cause deafness4 ,many speakers and singers have a favorite nostrum for improving the voice4 ,the long and amusing list includes hot milk1 tea1 coffee1 champagne1 raw eggs1 lemonade1 apples1 raisins1--and sardines6 ,a good rule is to eat sparingly if the meal is taken just before speaking4 ,it need hardly be said that serious vocal defects1 such as enlarged tonsils1 elongated uvula1 and abnormal growths in the throat and nose are subjects for the specialist4 ,whenever possible a speaker should test beforehand the acoustic properties of the auditorium in which he is to speak for the first time4 ,a helpful plan is to have a friend seat himself at the back of the hall or church1 and give his opinion of the quality and projecting power of the speaker's voice4 ,it is difficult to judge one's own voice because it is conveyed to him not only from the outside but also through the ,eustachian tube and modified by the vibratory parts of the throat and head4 ,a speaker never hears his own voice as it is heard by another4 ,nothing1 perhaps1 is so taxing to the throat as long-continued speaking in one quality of tone4 ,there are two distinct registers which should be judiciously alternated by the speaker4 ,these are the chest register1 in which the vocal cords vibrate their whole length1 and the quality of tone derives most of its character from the chest cavity2 and the head register1 in which the vocal cords vibrate only in part1 and the quality of tone is reenforced by the resonators of the face1 mouth1 and head4 ,the first of these registers is sometimes called the orotund voice from its quality of roundness1 and is employed principally in language of reverence1 sublimity1 and grandeur4 ,the head tone is the voice of ordinary conversation and should form the basis of the public-speaking style4 ,no one who has to speak in public should be discouraged because of limited vocal resources4 ,many of the foremost orators began with marked disadvantages in this respect1 but made these shortcomings an incentive to higher effort4 ,one well-known speaker makes up for lack of vocal power by extreme distinctness of enunciation1 while another offsets an unpleasantly heavy quality of voice by skilful modulation4 ,a few easily remembered suggestions are3 #a4 ,rest the voice for an hour or two before speaking in public4 #b4 ,gargle the throat night and morning with salt and water4 #c4 ,never force the voice4 #d4 ,avoid all occasions that strain the voice1 such as prolonged conversation1 speaking against noise1 or in cold and damp air4 #e4 ,practise deep breathing until it becomes an unconscious habit4 #f4 ,favor an outdoor life4 #g4 ,hum or sing a little every day4 #h4 ,discontinue public speaking when there is a severe cold or other affection of the throat4 #i4 ,rest the voice and body immediately after speaking in public4 ,,don',,ts ,,for ,,public ,,speakers ,don't rant4 ,don't prate4 ,don't fidget4 ,don't flatter4 ,don't declaim4 ,don't be glib4 ,don't hesitate4 ,don't be nasal4 ,don't apologize4 ,don't dogmatize4 ,don't be slangy4 ,don't antagonize4 ,don't be awkward4 ,don't be violent4 ,don't be personal4 ,don't be funny4 ,don't attitudinize4 ,don't be monotonous4 ,don't speak rapidly4 ,don't sway your body4 ,don't be long-winded4 ,don't hem and haw4 ,don't praise yourself4 ,don't overgesticulate4 ,don't pace the platform4 ,don't clear your throat4 ,don't point with pride4 ,don't tell a long story4 ,don't rise on your toes4 ,don't distort your words4 ,don't stand like a statue4 ,don't address the ceiling4 ,don't speak in a high key4 ,don't emphasize everything4 ,don't drink while speaking4 ,don't fatigue your audience4 ,don't exceed your time limit4 ,don't talk for talking's sake4 ,don't wander from your subject4 ,don't fumble with your clothes4 ,don't speak through closed teeth4 ,don't put your hands on your hips4 ,don't fail to stop when you have ended4 ,,do',s ,,for ,,public ,,speakers ,be prepared4 ,begin slowly4 ,be modest4 ,speak distinctly4 ,address all your hearers4 ,be uniformly courteous4 ,prune your sentences4 ,cultivate mental alertness4 ,conceal your method4 ,be scrupulously clear4 ,feel sure of yourself4 ,look your audience in the eyes4 ,be direct4 ,favor your deep tones4 ,speak deliberately4 ,get to your facts4 ,be earnest4 ,observe your pauses4 ,suit the action to the word4 ,be yourself at your best4 ,speak fluently4 ,use your abdominal muscles4 ,make yourself interesting4 ,be conversational4 ,conciliate your opponent4 ,rouse yourself4 ,be logical4 ,have your wits about you4 ,be considerate4 ,open your mouth4 ,speak authoritatively4 ,cultivate sincerity4 ,cultivate brevity4 ,cultivate tact4 ,end swiftly4 ,,points ,,for ,,speakers ,as far as possible avoid the following hackneyed phrases3 ,i rise with diffidence ,unaccustomed as ,i am to public speaking ,by a happy stroke of fate ,it becomes my painful duty ,in the last analysis ,i am encouraged to go on ,i point with pride ,on the other hand 7with gesture7 ,i hold ,the vox populi ,be that as it may ,i shall not detain you ,as the hour is growing late ,believe me ,we view with alarm ,as ,i was about to tell you ,the happiest day of my life ,it falls to my lot ,i can say no more ,in the fluff and bloom ,i can only hint ,i can say nothing ,i cannot find words ,the fact is ,to my mind ,i cannot sufficiently do justice ,i fear ,all ,i can say is ,i shall not inflict a speech on you ,far be it from me ,rise phoenix-like from his ashes ,but alas6 ,what more can ,i say8 ,at this late period of the evening ,it is hardly necessary to say ,i cannot allow the opportunity to pass ,for1 mark you ,i have already taken up too much time ,i might talk to you for hours ,looking back upon my childhood ,we can imagine the scene ,i haven't the time nor ability ,ah1 no1 dear friends ,one more word and ,i have done ,i will now conclude ,i really must stop ,i have done4 ,,the ,,bible ,,on ,,speech ,how forcible are right words6 ,to every thing there is a season1 a time to keep silence1 and a time to speak4 ,set a watch1 ,o ,lord1 before my mouth2 keep the door of my lips4 ,let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth1 but that which is good to the use of edifying4 ,be swift to hear1 slow to speak1 slow to wrath4 ,let your speech be always with grace1 seasoned with salt1 that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man4 ,be ye holy in all manner of conversation4 ,let all bitterness1 and wrath1 and anger1 and clamor1 and evil speaking1 be put away from you4 ,know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary4 ,let the words of my mouth1 and the meditation of my heart1 be acceptable in ,thy sight1 ,o ,lord1 my strength1 and my redeemer4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,talking ,to make a good talker1 genius and learning1 even wit and eloquence1 are insufficient2 to these1 in all or in part1 must be added in some degree the talents of active life4 ,the character has as much to do with colloquial power as has the intellect2 the temperament1 feelings1 and animal spirits1 even more1 perhaps1 than the mental gifts4 ,napoleon said things which tell in history like his battles4 ,luther's ,table-,talk glows with the fire that burnt the ,pope's bull4 ,caesar1 ,cicero1 ,themistocles1 ,lord ,bacon1 ,selden1 ,talleyrand1 and1 in our own country1 ,aaron ,burr1 ,jefferson1 ,webster1 and ,choate1 were all1 more or less1 men of action4 ,sir ,walter ,scott tells us that1 at a great dinner party1 he thought the lawyers beat the ,bishops as talkers1 and the ,bishops the wits4 ,nearly all great orators have been fine talkers4 ,lord ,chatham1 who could electrify the ,house of ,lords by pronouncing the word ,sugar1 but who in private was but commonplace1 was an exception2 but the conversation of ,pitt and ,fox was brilliant and fascinating1--that of ,burke1 rambling1 but splendid1 rich and instructive1 beyond description4 ,the latter was the only man in the famous ,literary ,club who could cope with ,johnson4 ,the ,doctor confessed that in ,burke he had a foeman worthy of his steel4 ,on one occasion1 when debilitated by sickness1 he said3 ,that fellow calls forth all my powers4 ,were ,i to see ,burke now1 it would kill me4 ,at another time he said3 ,burke1 sir1 is such a man that1 if you met him for the first time in the street1 where you were stopped by a drove of oxen1 and you and he stepped aside to take shelter but for five minutes1 he'd talk to you in such a manner1 that when you parted you'd say--',this is an extraordinary man4' ,can he wind into a subject like a serpent1 as ,burke does8 asked ,goldsmith of a certain talker4 ,fox said that he had derived more political information from ,burke's conversation alone than from books1 science1 and all his worldly experience put together4 ,moore finely says of the same conversation1 that it must have been like the procession of a ,roman triumph1 exhibiting power and riches at every step1 occasionally mingling the low ,fescennine jest with the lofty music of the march1 but glittering all over with the spoils of a ransacked world4 --,mathews4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the fault of literary conversation in general is its too great tenaciousness4 ,it fastens upon a subject1 and will not let it go4 ,it resembles a battle rather than a skirmish1 and makes a toil of a pleasure4 ,perhaps it does this from necessity1 from a consciousness of wanting the more familiar graces1 the power to sport and trifle1 to touch lightly and adorn agreeably1 every view or turn of a question en passant1 as it arises4 ,those who have a reputation to lose are too ambitious of shining1 to please4 ,to excel in conversation1 said an ingenious man1 one must not be always striving to say good things3 to say one good thing1 one must say many bad1 and more indifferent ones4 ,this desire to shine without the means at hand1 often makes men silent3-- ,the fear of being silent strikes us dumb4 ,a writer who has been accustomed to take a connected view of a difficult question and to work it out gradually in all its bearings1 may be very deficient in that quickness and ease which men of the world1 who are in the habit of hearing a variety of opinions1 who pick up an observation on one subject1 and another on another1 and who care about none any further than the passing away of an idle hour1 usually acquire4 ,an author has studied a particular point--he has read1 he has inquired1 he has thought a great deal upon it3 he is not contented to take it up casually in common with others1 to throw out a hint1 to propose an objection3 he will either remain silent1 uneasy1 and dissatisfied1 or he will begin at the beginning1 and go through with it to the end4 ,he is for taking the whole responsibility upon himself4 ,he would be thought to understand the subject better than others1 or indeed would show that nobody else knows anything about it4 ,there are always three or four points on which the literary novice at his first outset in life fancies he can enlighten every company1 and bear down all opposition3 but he is cured of this quixotic and pugnacious spirit1 as he goes more into the world1 where he finds that there are other opinions and other pretensions to be adjusted besides his own4 ,when this asperity wears off1 and a certain scholastic precocity is mellowed down1 the conversation of men of letters becomes both interesting and instructive4 ,men of the world have no fixed principles1 no groundwork of thought3 mere scholars have too much an object1 a theory always in view1 to which they wrest everything1 and not unfrequently1 common sense itself4 ,by mixing with society1 they rub off their hardness of manner1 and impracticable1 offensive singularity1 while they retain a greater depth and coherence of understanding4 ,there is more to be learnt from them than from their books4 --,hazlitt4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there are some people whose good manners will not suffer them to interrupt you1 but1 what is almost as bad1 will discover abundance of impatience1 and lie upon the watch until you have done1 because they have started something in their own thoughts1 which they long to be delivered of4 ,meantime1 they are so far from regarding what passes1 that their imaginations are wholly turned upon what they have in reserve1 for fear it should slip out of their memory2 and thus they confine their invention1 which might otherwise range over a hundred things full as good1 and that might be much more naturally introduced4 ,there is a sort of rude familiarity1 which some people1 by practising among their intimates1 have introduced into their general conversation1 and would have it pass for innocent freedom or humor2 which is a dangerous experiment in our northern climate1 where all the little decorum and politeness we have are purely forced by art1 and are so ready to lapse into barbarity4 ,this1 among the ,romans1 was the raillery of slaves1 of which we have many instances in ,plautus4 ,it seems to have been introduced among us by ,cromwell1 who1 by preferring the scum of the people1 made it a court entertainment1 of which ,i have heard many particulars2 and1 considering all things were turned upside down1 it was reasonable and judicious2 although it was a piece of policy found out to ridicule a point of honor in the other extreme1 when the smallest word misplaced among gentlemen ended in a duel4 ,there are some men excellent at telling a story1 and provided with a plentiful stock of them1 which they can draw out upon occasion in all companies1 and1 considering how low conversation runs now among us1 it is not altogether a contemptible talent2 however1 it is subject to two unavoidable defects1 frequent repetition1 and being soon exhausted2 so1 that1 whoever values this gift in himself1 has need of a good memory1 and ought frequently to shift his company1 that he may not discover the weakness of his fund2 for those who are thus endued have seldom any other revenue1 but live upon the main stock4 --,swift4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the highest and best of all the moral conditions for conversation is what we call tact4 ,i say a condition1 for it is very doubtful whether it can be called a single and separate quality2 more probably it is a combination of intellectual quickness with lively sympathy4 ,but so clearly is it an intellectual quality1 that of all others it can be greatly improved1 if not actually acquired1 by long experience in society4 ,like all social excellences it is almost given as a present to some people1 while others with all possible labor never acquire it4 ,as in billiard-playing1 shooting1 cricket1 and all these other facilities which are partly mental and partly physical1 many never can pass a certain point of mediocrity2 but still even those who have the talent must practise it1 and only become really distinguished after hard work4 ,so it is in art4 ,music and painting are not to be attained by the crowd4 ,not even the just criticism of these arts is attainable without certain natural gifts2 but a great deal of practice in good galleries and at good concerts1 and years spent among artists1 will do much to make even moderately-endowed people sound judges of excellence4 ,tact1 which is the sure and quick judgment of what is suitable and agreeable in society1 is likewise one of those delicate and subtle qualities or a combination of qualities which is not very easily defined1 and therefore not teachable by fixed precepts4 ,some people attain it through sympathy2 others through natural intelligence2 others through a calm temper2 others again by observing closely the mistakes of their neighbors4 ,as its name implies1 it is a sensitive touch in social matters1 which feels small changes of temperature1 and so guesses at changes of temper2 which sees the passing cloud on the expression of one face1 or the eagerness of another that desires to bring out something personal for others to enjoy4 ,this quality of tact is of course applicable far beyond mere actual conversation4 ,in nothing is it more useful than in preparing the right conditions for a pleasant society1 in choosing the people who will be in mutual sympathy1 in thinking over pleasant subjects of talk and suggesting them1 in seeing that all disturbing conditions are kept out1 and that the members who are to converse should be all without those small inconveniences which damage society so vastly out of proportion to their intrinsic importance4 --,mahaffy4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the course of our life we have heard much of what was reputed to be the select conversation of the day1 and we have heard many of those who figured at the moment as effective talkers2 yet1 in mere sincerity1 and without a vestige of misanthropic retrospect1 we must say that never once has it happened to us to come away from any display of that nature without intense disappointment2 and it always appeared to us that this failure 7which soon ceased to be a disappointment7 was inevitable by a necessity of the case4 ,for here lay the stress of the difficulty3 almost all depends in most trials of skill upon the parity of those who are matched against each other4 ,an ignorant person supposes that to an able disputant it must be an advantage to have a feeble opponent2 whereas1 on the contrary1 it is ruin to him2 for he can not display his own powers but through something of a corresponding power in the resistance of his antagonist4 ,a brilliant fencer is lost and confounded in playing with a novice2 and the same thing takes place in playing at ball1 or battledore1 or in dancing1 where a powerless partner does not enable you to shine the more1 but reduces you to mere helplessness1 and takes the wind altogether out of your sails4 ,now1 if by some rare good luck the great talker1 the protagonist1 of the evening has been provided with a commensurate second1 it is just possible that something like a brilliant passage of arms may be the result1--though much even in that case will depend on the chances of the moment for furnishing a fortunate theme1 and even then1 amongst the superior part of the company1 a feeling of deep vulgarity and of mountebank display is inseparable from such an ostentatious duel of wit4 ,on the other hand1 supposing your great talker to be received like any other visitor1 and turned loose upon the company1 then he must do one of two things3 either he will talk upon outre subjects specially tabooed to his own private use1--in which case the great man has the air of a quack-doctor addressing a mob from a street stage2 or else he will talk like ordinary people upon popular topics1--in which case the company1 out of natural politeness1 that they may not seem to be staring at him as a lion1 will hasten to meet him in the same style1 the conversation will become general1 the great man will seem reasonable and well-bred1 but at the same time1 we grieve to say it1 the great man will have been extinguished by being drawn off from his exclusive ground4 ,the dilemma1 in short1 is this3--,if the great talker attempts the plan of showing off by firing cannon-shot when everybody else is content with musketry1 then undoubtedly he produces an impression1 but at the expense of insulating himself from the sympathies of the company1 and standing aloof as a sort of monster hired to play tricks of funambulism for the night4 ,yet1 again1 if he contents himself with a musket like other people1 then for us1 from whom he modestly hides his talents under a bushel1 in what respect is he different from the man who has no such talent8 --,de ,quincey4 99 99 99 99 99 ,some1 in their discourse1 desire rather commendation of wit1 in being able to hold all arguments1 than of judgment1 in discerning what is true2 as if it were a praise to know what might be said1 and not what should be thought4 ,some have certain commonplaces and themes wherein they are good1 and want variety2 which kind of poverty is for the most part tedious1 and1 when it is once perceived1 ridiculous4 ,the honorablest part of talk is to give the occasion2 and again to moderate and pass to somewhat else2 for then a man leads the dance4 ,it is good in discourse1 and speech of conversation1 to vary1 and intermingle speech of the present occasion with arguments1 tales with reasons1 asking of questions with telling of opinions1 and jest with earnest2 for it is a dull thing to tire1 and1 as we say now1 to jade any thing too far4 ,as for jest1 there be certain things which ought to be privileged from it1 namely1 religion1 matters of ,state1 great persons1 any man's present business of importance1 and any case that deserveth pity2 yet there be some that think their wits have been asleep1 except they dart out somewhat that is piquant1 and to the quick4 ,that is a vein which would be bridled2 ,parce1 puer1 stimulis1 et fortius utere loris4 ,and1 generally1 men ought to find the difference between saltness and bitterness4 ,certainly1 he that hath a satirical vein1 as he maketh others afraid of his wit1 so he had need be afraid of others' memory4 ,he that questioneth much shall learn much1 and content much1 but especially if he apply his questions to the skill of the persons whom he asketh2 for he shall give them occasion to please themselves in speaking1 and himself shall continually gather knowledge3 but let his questions not be troublesome1 for that is fit for a poser2 and let him be sure to leave other men their turns to speak3 nay1 if there be any that would reign and take up all the time1 let him find means to take them off1 and to bring others on1 as musicians use to do with those that dance too long galliards4 ,if you dissemble sometimes your knowledge of that you are thought to know1 you shall be thought1 another time1 to know that you know not4 ,speech of a man's self ought to be seldom1 and well chosen4 ,i knew one was wont to say in scorn1 ,he must needs be a wise man1 he speaks so much of himself2 and there is but one case wherein a man may commend himself with good grace1 and that is in commending virtue in another1 especially if it be such a virtue whereunto himself pretendeth4 ,speech of touch towards others should be sparingly used2 for discourse ought to be as a field1 without coming home to any man4 ,i knew two noblemen1 of the west part of ,england1 whereof the one was given to scoff1 but kept ever royal cheer in his house2 the other would ask of those that had been at the other's table1 ,tell truly1 was there never a flout or dry blow given8 ,to which the guest would answer1 ,such and such a thing passed4 ,the lord would say1 ,i thought he would mar a good dinner4 ,discretion of speech is more than eloquence2 and to speak agreeably to him with whom we deal1 is more than to speak in good words1 or in good order4 ,a good continued speech1 without a good speech of interlocution1 shows slowness2 and a good reply1 or second speech1 without a good settled speech1 showeth shallowness and weakness4 ,as we see in beasts1 that those that are weakest in the course1 are yet nimblest in the turn2 as it is betwixt the greyhound and the hare4 ,to use too many circumstances1 ere one come to the matter1 is wearisome2 to use none at all1 is blunt4 --,bacon4 99 99 99 99 99 ,think as little as possible about any good in yourself2 turn your eyes resolutely from any view of your acquirement1 your influence1 your plan1 your success1 your following3 above all1 speak as little as possible about yourself4 ,the inordinateness of our self-love makes speech about ourselves like the putting of the lighted torch to the dried wood which has been laid in order for the burning4 ,nothing but duty should open our lips upon this dangerous theme1 except it be in humble confession of our sinfulness before our ,god4 ,again1 be specially upon the watch against those little tricks by which the vain man seeks to bring round the conversation to himself1 and gain the praise or notice which the thirsty ears drink in so greedily2 and even if praise comes unsought1 it is well1 whilst men are uttering it1 to guard yourself by thinking of some secret cause for humbling yourself inwardly to ,god2 thinking into what these pleasant accents would be changed if all that is known to ,god1 and even to yourself1 stood suddenly revealed to man4 --,bishop ,wilberforce4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in speaking of the duty of pleasing others1 it will not be necessary to dwell on the ordinary courtesies and lesser kindnesses of our daily living1 any further than to observe that none of these things1 however trifling1 is beneath the notice of a good man1 444 but ,i mention one thing1 because ,i think that we are most of us apt to be rather deficient in it1 and that is in the trying to suit ourselves to the tastes and views of persons whose professions or inclinations1 or situation in life1 differ widely from our own4444 ,as a general rule1 no man can fall into conversation with another without being able to learn something valuable from him4 ,but in order to get at this benefit there must be something of an accommodating spirit on both sides2 each must be ready to hear candidly and to answer fairly2 each must try to please the other4 ,we all suffer from the want of acquaintance with the habits and opinions and feelings of different classes of society4 --,dr4 ,arnold4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if you would be loved as a companion1 avoid unnecessary criticism upon those with whom you live4 ,the number of people who have taken out judges' patents for themselves is very large in any society4 ,now it would be hard for a man to live with another who was always criticising his actions1 even if it were kindly and just criticism4 ,it would be like living between the glasses of a microscope4 ,but these self-elected judges1 like their prototypes1 are very apt to have the persons they judge brought before them in the guise of culprits4 ,let not familiarity swallow up old courtesy4 ,many of us have a habit of saying to those with whom we live such things as we say about strangers behind their backs4 ,there is no place1 however1 where real politeness is of more value than where we mostly think it would be superfluous4 ,you may say more truth1 or rather speak out more plainly to your associates1 but not less courteously than to strangers4 --,helps4 99 99 99 99 99 ,much of the sorrow of life springs from the accumulation1 day by day and year by year1 of little trials--a letter written in less than courteous terms1 a wrangle at the breakfast table over some arrangement of the day1 the rudeness of an acquaintance on the way to the city1 an unfriendly act on the part of another firm1 a cruel criticism needlessly reported by some meddler1 a feline amenity at afternoon tea1 the disobedience of one of your children1 a social slight by one of your circle1 a controversy too hotly conducted4 ,the trials within this class are innumerable1 and consider1 not one of them is inevitable1 not one of them but might have been spared if we or our brother man had had a grain of kindliness4 ,our social insolences1 our irritating manners1 our censorious judgment1 our venomous letters1 our pin pricks in conversation1 are all forms of deliberate unkindness1 and are all evidences of an ill-conditioned nature4 --,john ,watson4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if this be one of our chief duties--promoting the happiness of our neighbors--most certainly there is nothing which so entirely runs counter to it1 and makes it impossible1 as an undisciplined temper4 ,for of all the things that are to be met with here on earth1 there is nothing which can give such continual1 such cutting1 such useless pain4 ,the touchy and sensitive temper1 which takes offence at a word2 the irritable temper1 which finds offence in everything whether intended or not2 the violent temper1 which breaks through all bounds of reason when once roused2 the jealous or sullen temper1 which wears a cloud on the face all day1 and never utters a word of complaint2 the discontented temper1 brooding over its own wrongs2 the severe temper1 which always looks at the worst side of whatever is done2 the wilful temper1 which overrides every scruple to gratify a whim1--what an amount of pain have these caused in the hearts of men1 if we could but sum up their results6 ,how many a soul have they stirred to evil impulses2 how many a prayer have they stifled2 how many an emotion of true affection have they turned to bitterness6 ,how hard they sometimes make all duties6 ,how painful they make all daily life6 ,how they kill the sweetest and warmest of domestic charities6 ,the misery caused by other sins is often much deeper and much keener1 more disastrous1 more terrible to the sight2 but the accumulated pain caused by ill-temper must1 ,i verily believe1 if added together1 outweigh all other pains that men have to bear from one another4 --,bishop ,temple4 99 99 99 99 99 ,wicked is the slander which gossips away a character in an afternoon1 and runs lightly over a whole series of acquaintances1 leaving a drop of poison on them all1 some suspicion1 or some ominous silence--,have you not heard8--,no one would believe it1 but--6 and then silence2 while the shake of the head1 or the shrug of the shoulders1 finishes the sentence with a mute meaning worse than words4 ,do you ever think of the irrevocable nature of speech8 ,the things you say are often said forever4 ,you may find1 years after your light word was spoken1 that it has made a whole life unhappy1 or ruined the peace of a household4 ,it was well said by ,st4 ,james1 ,if any man among you seem to be religious1 and bridleth not his tongue1 that man's religion is vain4 --,stopford ,brooke4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there are three kinds of silence4 ,silence from words is good1 because inordinate speaking tends to evil4 ,silence1 or rest from desires and passions1 is still better1 because it promotes quietness of spirit4 ,but the best of all is silence from unnecessary and wandering thoughts1 because that is essential to internal recollection1 and because it lays a foundation for a proper regulation and silence in other respects4 --,madame ,guyon4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the example of our ,lord1 as ,he humbly and calmly takes the rebuff1 and turns to go to another village1 may help us in the ordinary ways of ordinary daily life4 ,the little things that vex us in the manner or the words of those with whom we have to do2 the things which seem to us so inconsiderate1 or wilful1 or annoying1 that we think it impossible to get on with the people who are capable of them2 the mistakes which no one1 we say1 has any right to make2 the shallowness1 or conventionality1 or narrowness1 or positiveness in talk which makes us wince and tempts us towards the cruelty and wickedness of scorn2--surely in all these things1 and in many others like them1 of which conscience may be ready enough to speak to most of us1 there are really opportunities for thus following the example of our ,saviour's great humility and patience4 ,how many friendships we might win or keep1 how many chances of serving others we might find1 how many lessons we might learn1 how much of unsuspected moral beauty might be disclosed around us1 if only we were more careful to give people time1 to stay judgment1 to trust that they will see things more justly1 speak of them more wisely1 after a while4 ,we are sure to go on closing doors of sympathy1 and narrowing in the interests and opportunities of work around us1 if we let ourselves imagine that we can quickly measure the capacities and sift the characters of our fellow-men4 --,bishop ,paget4 99 99 99 99 99 ,how much squandering there is of the voice6 ,how little is there of the advantage that may come from conversational tones6 ,how seldom does a man dare to acquit himself with pathos and fervor6 ,and the men are themselves mechanical and methodical in the bad way1 who are most afraid of the artificial training that is given in the schools1 and who so often show by the fruit of their labor that the want of oratory is the want of education4 ,how remarkable is sweetness of voice in the mother1 in the father1 in the household6 ,the music of no chorded instruments brought together is1 for sweetness1 like the music of familiar affection when spoken by brother and sister1 or by father and mother4 ,conversation itself belongs to oratory4 ,how many men there are who are weighty in argument1 who have abundant resources1 and who are almost boundless in their power at other times and in other places1 but who1 when in company among their kind1 are exceedingly unapt in their methods4 ,having none of the secret instruments by which the elements of nature may be touched1 having no skill and no power in this direction1 they stand as machines before living1 sensitive men4 ,a man may be as a master before an instrument2 only the instrument is dead2 and he has the living hand2 and out of that dead instrument what wondrous harmony springs forth at his touch6 ,and if you can electrify an audience by the power of a living man on dead things1 how much more should that audience be electrified when the chords are living and the man is alive1 and he knows how to touch them with divine inspiration6 --,beecher4 99 99 99 99 99 ,every one endeavors to make himself as agreeable to society as he can2 but it often happens that those who most aim at shining in conversation1 overshoot their mark4 ,tho a man succeeds1 he should not 7as is frequently the case7 engross the whole talk to himself2 for that destroys the very essence of conversation1 which is talking together4 ,we should try to keep up conversation like a ball bandied to and fro from one to the other1 rather than seize it all to ourselves1 and drive it before us like a football4 ,we should likewise be cautious to adapt the matter of our discourse to our company1 and not talk ,greek before ladies1 or of the last new furbelow to a meeting of country justices4 ,but nothing throws a more ridiculous air over our whole conversation than certain peculiarities easily acquired1 but very difficultly conquered and discarded4 ,in order to display these absurdities in a truer light1 it is my present purpose to enumerate such of them as are most commonly to be met with2 and first to take notice of those buffons in society1 the ,attitudinarians and ,face-makers4 ,these accompany every word with a peculiar grimace or gesture2 they assent with a shrug1 and contradict with a twisting of the neck2 are angry by a wry mouth1 and pleased in a caper or minuet step4 ,they may be considered as speaking harlequins2 and their rules of eloquence are taken from the posture-master4 ,these should be condemned to converse only in dumb show with their own persons in the looking-glass1 as well as the ,smirkers and ,smilers1 who so prettily set off their faces1 together with their words1 by a je-ne-sais-quoi between a grin and a dimple4 ,with these we may likewise rank the affected tribe of mimics1 who are constantly taking off the peculiar tone of voice or gesture of their acquaintance1 tho they are such wretched imitators1 that 7like bad painters7 they are frequently forced to write the name under the picture before we can discover any likeness4 ,next to these whose elocution is absorbed in action1 and who converse chiefly with their arms and legs1 we may consider the ,profest ,speakers4 ,and first1 the ,emphatical1 who squeeze1 and press1 and ram down every syllable with excessive vehemence and energy4 ,these orators are remarkable for their distinct elocution and force of expression2 they dwell on the important particulars of and the1 and the significant conjunction and1 which they seem to hawk up1 with much difficulty1 out of their own throats1 and to cram them1 with no less pain1 into the ears of their auditors4 ,these should be suffered only to syringe 7as it were7 the ears of a deaf man1 through a hearing-trumpet2 tho ,i must confess that ,i am equally offended with the ,whisperers or ,low-speakers1 who seem to fancy all their acquaintance deaf1 and come up so close to you that they may be said to measure noses with you1 and frequently overcome you with the full exhalations of a foul breath4 ,i would have these oracular gentry obliged to speak at a distance through a speaking-trumpet1 or apply their lips to the walls of a whispering-gallery4 ,the ,wits who will not condescend to utter anything but a bon-mot1 and the ,whistlers or ,tune-hummers1 who never articulate at all1 may be joined very agreeably together in concert2 and to these tinkling cymbals ,i would also add the sounding brass1 the ,bawler1 who inquires after your health with the bellowing of a town-crier4 ,the ,tattlers1 whose pliable pipes are admirably adapted to the soft parts of conversation1 and sweetly prattling out of fashion1 make very pretty music from a beautiful face and a female tongue2 but from a rough manly voice and coarse features mere nonsense is as harsh and dissonant as a jig from a hurdy-gurdy4 ,the ,swearers ,i have spoken of in a former paper2 but the ,half-,swearers1 who split and mince1 and fritter their oaths into gad's but1 ad's fish1 and demme1 the ,gothic ,humbuggers1 and those who nickname ,god's creatures1 and call a man a cabbage1 a crab1 a queer cub1 an odd fish1 and an unaccountable skin1 should never come into company without an interpreter4 ,but ,i will not tire my reader's patience by pointing out all the pests of conversation1 nor dwell particularly on the ,sensibles1 who pronounce dogmatically on the most trivial points1 and speak in sentences2 the ,wonderers1 who are always wondering what o'clock it is1 or wondering whether it will rain or no1 or wondering when the moon changes2 the ,phraseologists1 who explain a thing by all that1 or enter into particulars1 with this and that and t'other2 and lastly1 the ,silent ,men1 who seem afraid of opening their mouths lest they should catch cold1 and literally observe the precept of the ,gospel1 by letting their conversation be only yea and nay4 ,the rational intercourse kept up by conversation is one of our principal distinctions from brutes4 ,we should1 therefore1 endeavor to turn this peculiar talent to our advantage1 and consider the organs of speech as the instruments of understanding2 we should be very careful not to use them as the weapons of vice1 or tools of folly1 and do our utmost to unlearn any trivial or ridiculous habits1 which tend to lessen the value of such an inestimable prerogative4 ,it is1 indeed1 imagined by some philosophers1 that even birds and beasts 7tho without the power of articulation7 perfectly understand one another by the sounds they utter2 and that dogs1 cats1 etc41 have each a particular language to themselves1 like different nations4 ,thus it may be supposed that the nightingales of ,italy have as fine an ear for their own native woodnotes as any signor or signora for an ,italian air2 that the boars of ,westphalia gruntle as expressively through the nose as the inhabitants in ,high ,german2 and that the frogs in the dykes of ,holland croak as intelligibly as the natives jabber their ,low ,dutch4 ,however this may be1 we may consider those whose tongues hardly seem to be under the influence of reason1 and do not keep up the proper conversation of human creatures1 as imitating the language of different animals4 ,thus1 for instance1 the affinity between ,chatterers and ,monkeys1 and ,praters and ,parrots1 is too obvious not to occur at once2 ,grunters and ,growlers may be justly compared to ,hogs2 ,snarlers are ,curs that continually show their teeth1 but never bite2 and the ,spitfire passionate are a sort of wild cats that will not bear stroking1 but will purr when they are pleased4 ,complainers are ,screech-,owls2 and ,story-,tellers1 always repeating the same dull note1 are ,cuckoos4 ,poets that prick up their ears at their own hideous braying are no better than ,asses4 ,critics in general are venomous ,serpents that delight in hissing1 and some of them who have got by heart a few technical terms without knowing their meaning are no other than ,magpies4 ,i1 myself1 who have crowed to the whole town for near three years past may perhaps put my readers in mind of a ,barnyard ,cock2 but as ,i must acquaint them that they will hear the last of me on this day fortnight1 ,i hope that they will then consider me as a ,swan1 who is supposed to sing sweetly at his dying moments4 --,cowper4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is almost a definition of a gentleman to say that he is one who never inflicts pain4 ,this description is both refined1 and1 so far as it goes1 accurate4 ,he is mainly occupied in merely removing the obstacles which hinder the free and unembarrassed action of those about him1 and he concurs with their movements rather than takes the initiative himself4 ,his benefits may be considered as parallel to what are called the comforts or conveniences in arrangements of a personal nature--like an easy chair or a good fire1 which do their best in dispelling cold and fatigue1 tho nature provides both means of rest and animal heat without them4 ,the true gentleman in like manner carefully avoids whatever may cause a jar or a jolt in the mind of those with whom he is cast--all clashing of opinion or collision of feeling1 all restraint or suspicion or gloom or resentment1 his great concern being to make every one at ease and at home4 ,he has his eyes on all his company1 he is tender toward the bashful1 gentle toward the distant1 and merciful toward the absurd4 ,he can recollect to whom he is speaking2 he guards against unseasonable allusions or topics which may irritate2 he is seldom prominent in conversation1 and never wearisome4 ,he makes light of favors when he does them1 and seems to be receiving when he is conferring4 ,he never speaks of himself except when compelled1 never defends himself by a mere retort2 he has no ears for slander or gossip1 is scrupulous in imputing motive to those who interfere with him1 and interprets everything for the best4 ,he is never mean or little in his disputes1 never takes unfair advantage1 never mistakes personalities or sharp sayings for arguments1 or insinuates evil which he dare not say out4 ,from a long-sighted prudence1 he observes the maxim of the ancient sage1 that we should ever conduct ourselves toward our enemy as if he were one day to be our friend4 ,he has too much good sense to be affronted at insults4 ,he is too well employed to remember injuries and too indolent to bear malice4 ,he is patient1 forbearing1 and resigned on philosophical principle2 he submits to pain because it is inevitable1 to bereavement1 because it is irreparable1 and to death because it is his destiny4 ,if he engages in controversy of any kind1 his disciplined intellect preserves him from the blundering discourtesy of better1 perhaps1 but less educated minds1 who1 like blunt weapons1 tear and hack instead of cutting clean1 who mistake the point in argument1 waste their strength on trifles1 misconceive their adversary1 and leave the question more involved than they find it4 ,he may be right or wrong in his opinion1 but he is too clear-headed to be unjust2 he is as simple as he is forcible1 and as brief as he is decisive4 ,nowhere shall we find greater candor1 consideration1 indulgence2 he throws himself into the minds of his opponents1 he accounts for their mistakes4 ,he knows the weakness of human reason as well as its strength1 its province1 and its limits4 ,if he can be an unbeliever1 he will be too profound and large-minded to ridicule religion or to act against it2 he is too wise to be a dogmatist or fanatic in his infidelity4 ,he respects piety and devotion2 he even supports institutions as venerable1 beautiful or useful1 to which he does not assent2 he honors the ministers of religion1 and it contents him to decline its mysteries without assailing or denouncing them4 ,he is a friend of religious toleration1 and that not only because his philosophy has taught him to look on all forms of faith with an impartial eye1 but also from the gentleness and effeminacy of feeling which is attendant on civilization4 --,cardinal ,newman4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,advertisements ,by ,,grenville ,,kleiser ,,how ,,to ,,speak ,,in ,,public--,a practical self-instructor for lawyers1 clergymen1 teachers1 business men1 and others4 ,cloth1 #edc pages4 #a4be1 net2 by mail1 #a4dj4 ,,how ,,to ,,develop ,,self-,,confidence ,,in ,,speech ,,and ,,manner--,a book of practical inspiration2 trains men to rise above mediocrity and fearthought to their great possibilities4 ,commended to ambitious men4 ,cloth1 #cbj pages4 #a4be1 net2 by mail1 #a4ce4 ,,complete ,,guide ,,to ,,public ,,speaking--,the only extensive1 comprehensive1 encyclopedic work of its kind ever issued1 with its varied and inclusive contents alphabetically arranged by topics1 and made immediately accessible by a ,complete ,index4 ,the best advice by the world's great authorities upon oratory1 preaching1 platform and pulpit delivery1 voice building and management1 argumentation1 debate1 reading1 rhetoric1 homiletics1 eloquence1 expression1 persuasion1 gesture1 breathing1 composition1 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