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?"