And when you stick on conversation's burs,
Don't strew your pathway with those dreadful urs.

And when you stick on conversation's burs,
Don't strew your pathway with those dreadful urs.

In conversation avoid the extremes of forwardness and reserve.

In conversation avoid the extremes of forwardness and reserve.

Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free without indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood

Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free without indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood

A good memory and a tongue tied in the middle is a combination which gives immortality to conversation.

A good memory and a tongue tied in the middle is a combination which gives immortality to conversation.

A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better
than ten years' study of books.

A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better
than ten years' study of books.

Method is not less requisite in ordinary conversation than in
writing, provided a man would talk to make himself read more

Method is not less requisite in ordinary conversation than in
writing, provided a man would talk to make himself understood.

Conversation is an exercise of the mind; gossip is merely an exercise of the tongue.

Conversation is an exercise of the mind; gossip is merely an exercise of the tongue.

The difficulty with this conversation is that it's very different from most of the ones I've had of late. Which, read more

The difficulty with this conversation is that it's very different from most of the ones I've had of late. Which, as I explained, have mostly been with trees.

Not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult, to leave unsaid the wrong read more

Not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.