over in your mind, beforehand, the topics of conversation
which you intend to bring up, and to arrange the manner in
which you will introduce them. You may also refresh your
general ideas upon the subjects, and run through the details
of the few very brief and sprightly anecdotes which you are
going to repeat; and also have in readiness one or two
brilliant phrases or striking words which you will use upon
occasion. Further than this it is dangerous to make much
preparation. If you commit to memory long speeches with the
design of delivering them, your conversation will become
formal, and you will be negligent of the observations of your
company. It will tend also to impair that habit of readiness
and quickness which it is necessary to cultivate in order to
be agreeable.

You must be very careful that you do not repeat the same
anecdotes or let off the same good things twice to the same
person. Richard Sharpe, the "conversationist" as he was
called in London, kept a regular book of entry, in which he
recorded where and before whom he had uttered severally his
choice sayings. The celebrated Bubb Doddington prepared a
manuscript book of original _faceti',_ which he was
accustomed to read over when he expected any distinguished
company, trusting to an excellent memory to preserve him from
iteration.

If you accompany your wife to a ball, be very careful not to
dance with her.

The lady who gives a ball dances but little, and always