The Art of Conversation.

Northern Advocate, 25 June 1910, Page 5

The Art of Conversation.

The Rev W. J. Elliott lectured .before the Whangarei Young Men's Institute last Wednesday evening _n the above subject. The chair was occupied by the President (Mr E. C. Purdie), and there was a good .attendance. The speaker referred to the art of conversation as one of the most important of the arts, and also one of the most difficult to .acquire. A study of great talkers, / such as Samuel Johnson, Collridge, Macauley, Browning, and Stevenson made one think that good conversationalists were born, and not made Fennimore Cooper was inclined to the belief that opinions were formed and characters governed less by books than by the conversation of he fireside. The chief qualities for .a good talker were a well-stored mind, sympathy, tact, simplicity of -expression, and a fair knowledge of the world, ?rt, music, books, and travel. Good conversation centred more on things than persons, and knowledge was judiciously displayed. The speaker referred at length to .the prime quality of drawing a person out and leading him to express his best thoughts freely. self and scandal were things to be almost rigidly excluded, and the bore in conversation was strongly condemned. Several extracts from fiction were read by members of the institute as illustrations, and were very apt. All good talk was an exchange, and disagreeable things should only come in as a side-issue. The practice of extreme punning was dealt with, and its proper place clearly set forth. In conclusion, the speaker emphasised the uses of conversation in everyday life and urged its cultivation. A vote of thanks to the lecturer, moved by the President, and seconded by Mr Ross, was unanimously carried, after eulogistic references to the lecture had been made by several members,,