Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 103, November 5, 1892

Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 103, November 5, 1892

LUNCH (continued).Perhaps the best piece of advice that I can give you, my young friend, is thatfor conversational purposesyou should make a careful study of the natures and temperaments of your companions. Watch their little peculiarities, both of manner and of shooting; pick up what you can about their careers in sport and in the general world, and use the knowledge so acquired with tact and discretion when you are talking to them. For instance, if one of the party is a celebrated shot, who has done some astonishing record at driven grouse, you may, after the necessary preliminaries, ask him to be good enough to tell you what was the precise number of birds he shot on that occasion. Tell him, if you like, that the question arose the other day during a discussion on the three finest game-shots of the world. If you happen to know that he shot eighteen hundred birds, you can say that most people fixed the figure at fifteen hundred. He will then say,"Ah, I know most people seem to have got that notionI don't know why. As a matter of fact, I managed to get eighteen hundred and two, and they picked up twenty-two on the following morning." Your obvious remark is, "By Jove!" (with a strong emphasis on the "by") "what magnificent shooting!" After that, the thing runs along of its own accord. With a bad shot your method is, of course, quite different. For example: ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 15677
Author: Various
Release Date: Apr 21, 2005
Format: eBook
Language: English