She.—Yes; we are all children, in a sense. Tell us a story, and we will listen, provided the story-teller knows how to tell it.
He.—Do you know what I have been thinking of while you were telling me this incident?
She.—That we had gotten a long way from our original subject?
He.—No; I was thinking of how much you had said in comparatively few words, and that in telling this incident, you had certainly conformed to Golden Rule Number I.: Avoid unnecessary details.
She.—And you have conformed to both the rules that we have learned.
He.—Thank you. Let me see, Golden Rule Number I. is: "Avoid unnecessary details." Rule Number II.: "Not to ask question number two until question number one has been answered, nor be too curious nor too disinterested;" that is, "do not ask too few nor too many questions; just enough."
She.—And our new rule, Golden Rule Number III.: Do not interrupt another while he is speaking.
He.—How frequently this rule is broken! Many persons, who ordinarily are well bred, have the very bad habit of interrupting others. But I deserve no credit for observing Golden Rule Number III., for you are never tiresome; you never tell a long story.
She.—No; I don't do that. I knew a gentleman once who used to say with a groan, to his niece, who was rather verbose, "O Alma! You tell such a long story. Make it short;" and so I always try to make my story short.