The Gift Of Humor

The joy of joys is the person of light but unmalicious humor. If you know any one who is gay, beguiling and amusing, you will, if you are wise, do everything you can to make him prefer your house and your table to any other; for where he is, the successful party is also. What he says is of no matter, it is the twist he gives to it, the intonation, the personality he puts into his quip or retort or observation that delights his hearers, and in his case the ordinary rules do not apply.

Eugene Field could tell a group of people that it had rained to-day and would probably rain to-morrow, and make everyone burst into laughter—or tears if he chose—according to the way it was said. But the ordinary rest of us must, if we would be thought sympathetic, intelligent or agreeable, " go fishing."

Going Fishing For Topics

The charming talker is neither more nor less than a fisherman. (Fisherwoman rather, since in America women make more effort to be agreeable than men do.) Sitting next to a stranger she wonders which " fly" she had better choose to interest him. She offers one topic; not much of a nibble. So she tries another or perhaps a third before he " rises" to the bait.

The Door Slammers

There are people whose idea of conversation is contradiction and flat statement. Finding yourself next to one of these, you venture:

" Have you seen any good plays lately? "

" No, hate the theater."

" Which team are you for in the series? "

" Neither. Only an idiot could be interested in baseball."

" Country must have a good many idiots! " mockingly.

" Obviously it has." Full stop. In desperation you veer to the personal.

" I've never seen Mrs. Bobo Gilding as beautiful as she is to-night."

" Nothing beautiful about her. As for the name 'Bobo, ' it's asinine."

" Oh, it's just one of those children's names that stick sometimes for life."

" Perfect rot. Ought to be called by his name, " etc.

Another, not very different in type though different in method, is the self-appointed instructor whose proper place is on the lecture platform, not at a dinner table.

" The earliest coins struck in the Peloponnesus were stamped on one side only; their alloy——" etc.

Another is the expounder of the obvious: " Have you ever noticed, " says he, deeply thinking, " how people's tastes differ? "

Then there is the vulgarian of fulsome compliment: " Why are you so beautiful? It is not fair to the others——" and so on.