Deportmental ditties : and other verses . 68 No. XV.—TACT Tho endowed with all the virtues of a Daniel,With a nature free from blemishes or flaws; Tho combining the devotion of a spanielWith intelligence like Mr. Bernard Shaws; Tho the noblest disposition you inherit,And your character with piety is packd, All such qualities have very little merit,Unaccompanied by Tact. What is Tact? you may inquire (and very rightly). Tis that mixture of good taste and savoir /aireWhich impels us to conduct ourselves politely, Not to gossip, not to snigger, not to stare ;To be gay (but not facetious) at a wed
Deportmental ditties : and other verses . 68 No. XV.—TACT Tho endowed with all the virtues of a Daniel,With a nature free from blemishes or flaws; Tho combining the devotion of a spanielWith intelligence like Mr. Bernard Shaws; Tho the noblest disposition you inherit,And your character with piety is packd, All such qualities have very little merit,Unaccompanied by Tact. What is Tact? you may inquire (and very rightly). Tis that mixture of good taste and savoir /aireWhich impels us to conduct ourselves politely, Not to gossip, not to snigger, not to stare ;To be gay (but not facetious) at a wedding, At a funral, sympathetic but discreet;Tis the art, above all else, of never treadingUpon other peoples feet. It restrains us in those more domestic quarrels Which result from the reproofs we may have based On the looseness of a younger brothers morals,Or the tightness of an elder sisters waist. 69 e* Deportmental Ditties It forbids a too inquisitive inspection Of the squirrels-nest which mother calls her hair,Or the hectic but un
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