THE TALKATIVE LADY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 253, 18 July 1908, Page 11

THE TALKATIVE LADY.

It is chiefly as a stranger that one gets the full benefit of hor loquacity, and she is most to bo dreaded by tho lonely passenger. On train or steamer she is a perfect nuisance, and though ii man may seek refugo from her in.a smoking car, for tho woman who meets with her there is no shelter. Starting with tho belief that there is in all the world 110 person moro interesting than herself, 110 mattors more entertaining than those that immediately concern her, she begins 011 tho smallest encouragement to unburden hor mind of all its littlo trivial thoughts, or to spin, tho most amazing stories about herself and her earlier history. " Dominica "met one such lady in a Southorn express, and for two or three hours war. taken , into her heart of hearts and invited to 'admire all that she saw therein.. She learned that tho lady had been tho ward of ono of Australia's leading men, that all his family, who take the.highest positions in Australian society, adored her. His eldest daughter, said : the Talkative Lady, "is .so proud that even her sisters have to call her Miss So-and-So, .but I," sho added complacently, " always called hor Totty." " Dominica " was given to undorstand that the sons of the house had contender] hotly for the lady's hand, that only tho laws of tho land prevented bloodshed between, them, and that for her sako one thought wistfully of a monastic shelter for his blighted life. It seemed strango that tho lady should have ignored such affection, but tho fact was that in her romantic youth sho had mado up hor mind to marry a .man with hair of gold and steel grey eyes (why she had such an affection for these metallic appearances was not stated), but none of her younger suitors came up to tho bi-metallic standard. She met him at last. "My husband," sho sighed, "has eyes like glancing steel, and tho most glorious golden curls." "Dominica" was - frightfully interested in theso details, and many more of tho same description, and if she wondered why sho had been chosen as the recipient of such tender confidences, sho came to the conclusion that her fellow-pas-Genger was tired of being a lady's maid, and wanted a littlo ■ conversational fling. There are the two distinct classes of talkative ladies; those who mako up their stories as they go along, and those who are quite content with the.dull truth. The first are ofton extremely entertaining, but the experienced traveller will pray fervently to bo preserved from tho other. . It docs not matter so much whon she comes from tho country and discoursed about hor homo and children, her flocks and herds, with an artless delight in having, some new person to tell what all her neighbours know without telling. It is a raro treat for her to talk, but tho town person who has only stodgy town things to talk about, and plenty of opportunities for wearying her. acquaintances, should .show moro regard for strangers. Tho kindly male passenger who is ready to do little things for tho comfort of those women' who seem to need it, is rather apt to find his kindness construed into an expression of sympathy, and