SUITABLE TABLE-TALK.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 4846, Issue 4846, 21 February 1887, Page 3

SUITABLE TABLE-TALK.

People in general do not seem to realiso that the discussion of unsuitable subjects at table is a positive injury to health. The question naturally arises—What are. unsuitable subjects ? "We should say all those which arouse intense emotions of surprise, fear, disgust, anger, or even joy. Deep subjects, also, that tax the mental powers, should not be chosen. Only light conver- ■ satioiis upon agreeable, topics should be introduced. To the student of hygiene our reason for the foregoing statements is obvious, and he will bear us out in the ] assertion that the philosophy of eating | properly is not the least important of the philosophies. . ..i Unfortunately the universal custom is to reserve all news of a startling nature for tho table, the most fruitful themes being the casualties of the day, destructive cyclones, dynamite explosions, railroad dis-' asters, conflagrations, shipwrecks, revolting murders, suicides, and divorce cases. Papa comes home to dinner brimful of the day's doings, gathered from the four points of tho compass, and he feels amply repaid for its recital as ho gazes with satisfaction, upon tho flushed or pallor-stricken faces of his excited little audience. His manly breast swells with pride if a knife drops from some trembling hand. He likes nothing better than the chorus of " Ohs!" and " Ahs !" and "Did you evers?" that are called forth by his pyrotechnic display of journalistic horrors. It seems ncqdlesß to add that everything of an unpleasant and offensive nature should be avoided at mealtime, and that we should in all cases, consult the most delicate and fastidious taste ; yet we have known vastly intelligent and otherwiso charming persons who thought nothing of relating at table their adventures with snakes, toads, rats,mice, spiders, and tho like. We have known others—gentle females—who; fresh from the dentist's chair, would naively expatiate upon the operation of teeth, describing the entire process in painfully graphic Anglo-Saxon, innocent of all technicalities, with a most surprising unconsciousness of tho /disgust produced upon their hearers. Other annoyances, much experienced, are whispering, conversation in an undertone, not intended for the general ear, .the reading of newspapers and letters, and allusions to matters *not understood by all present. Only t hat kind of conversation is entirely suitable in which all may join with, interest; hence we should avoid the discussion of religion, politics, matrimony, in short, all themes where differences of opinion might in any way arise.—Morgan Havehill in the Current. • ;