Insist as far as possible on the insignificance of the points of
difference as compared with the resemblances to opinions generally
accepted.
Gladstone as a Financier
I said to my tobacconist that Gladstone was not a financier because
he bought a lot of china at high prices and it fetched very little
when it was sold at Christie's.
"Did he give high prices?" said the tobacconist.
"Enormous prices," said I emphatically.
Now, to tell the truth, I did not know whether Mr. Gladstone had ever
bought the china at all, much less what he gave for it, if he did; he
may have had it all left him for aught I knew. But I was going to
appeal to my tobacconist by arguments that he could understand, and I
could see he was much impressed.
Argument
Argument is generally waste of time and trouble. It is better to
present one's opinion and leave it to stick or no as it may happen.
If sound, it will probably in the end stick, and the sticking is the
main thing.
Humour
What a frightful thing it would be if true humour were more common
or, rather, more easy to see, for it is more common than those are
who can see it. It would block the way of everything. Perhaps this
is what people rather feel. It would be like Music in the Ode for
St. Cecilia's Day, it would "untune the sky."
I do not know quite what is meant by untuning the sky and, if I did,
I cannot think that there is anything to be particularly gained by
having the sky untuned; still, if it has got to be untuned at all, I
am sure music is the only thing that can untune it.
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