BE NOT TOO FORWARD

New Zealand Tablet, 13 September 1906, Page 37

BE NOT TOO FORWARD

. - When you go into society think as little- of yourselves as possible, and talk „as little of yourselves. - If a man can sing- or play ori. any*' "musical instrument or recite, and he is asked to do any of these things, let .him not refuse." Young women sometimes - say no __ in society when they mean yes ; but young men areP not"- justified "" m such an affectation. It is not good taste -to show that one is anxious to sing' or to 'play or to -recite. It you are invited out, do ' not begin . at once by talking about elocution, until somebody is forced to ask you to recite; and .do not hum snatches of songs until there is no escape for your friends from the painful duty of asking you to sing. The, restless efforts of some amateurs to get a hearing in society always brings to mind a certain theatrical episode. There was a .young "actress- who thought she "could sing, and consequently . she introduced- a vocal solo whenever she could. She ;was * cast for the "principal part, in a melodrama full of tragic situations The manager congratulated himself that here, at least there was no chance for the tuneful young lady to try her scales. But he was mistaken. The great scene was on. A flash of lightning' illumined the stage. " The actress was • holding a pathetic conversation wit-h her mother as ' the thunder rolled. The mother suddenly fell with a shriek, struck dead. And -then the devoted, daughter said, ' Aha, mcc mother is .dead ! Alas, I will now sing the song she loved so much in life ! ' And the young lady ' walked to the footlights and warbled ' Comrades. 1