Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1856-01-05
STYLE UPON Stills.


We are often reminded, in these days OF
improvement, Of the saying of the cclebra-
ted French diplomat, that language is
given us as 4 means of conceaIine our
thoughts. Certain that, it is in many in
stances, the meaning is obscured in the
dress in which it comes forth. The doctor
who replied to the lady that asked him if
artichokes are good for children, that they
are the least tlatulent of esculents, might as
well have answered her question in Chi
nese' She was no wiser than she was be-
to'e. The effort in many writers and speak
ers, in these days, seems to be to depart as
far as possible from plain Saxon English,
and from the simplicity and clearness OF
common sense, and to express their tho'ts
in such terms Of refinement, and in sucl,
periods Of high sounding words, that men
lose sight of the idea in the Tourist, nt
words thrown around it. An old writer
complains of certain preachers, who if they
happen to find an unlucky or hard word
during the week, thought themselves want
ing in duty to their flock, if they did not
give it to them in their next sermon. The
itching after originality-this disposition
to ignore all that is plain and simple is in
cress'ng among us. A simple proverb, or
plthy saying of former days, cannot he
quoted in its original form. 1t is not fit
for the columns Of newspaper, until it has
the dress ofthis modern improvement given
to it. We will give our readers few
specimens, in illustration of this refined
process, that they may see how easy it is to
fly with such wings, or to move above Tie
earth, when we are upon such stiIts. We
take our first example from long edito-
rial article in one Of the religious papers of
last week. Abiding to another paper; the
writer, says:
"lt should remember that ancient and
profitable maxim, which pronounces the
amusement of projecting small masses of
mineral concrete, not safe for those whose
llabtations are Of glass" What refine
ment is this. compared with the vulgar
adage Of throwing stonesw What Il
pity the translalors Of the Bible did not
have the benefit of this iinprovemept.-
They might in that case, have shielded
Shimei from the vulgarity of throwing
stones at David, asd made him responsible
only for projecting small masses Of miner
al concrete" at the King Of Israel. We
hope the boys in the street, iftl,ey continue
the bad practice Of throwing stones at eacl,
other, viii at least free themselves from the
vulgarity Of those words, and call their
sport simply projecting small masses Of
minera! concrete" at each other. And we
trust also, for the sake Of the rising genera
ton, that in the next edition of "Wehsters'
Spelling Book" the old man who found a
rude boy upon one Of his trees stealing ap-
pies, will he allowed the benefit of this i'm
provement, and when words and grass do
not avail, be permitted to tiy what virtue
there is in "sma.l masses of mineral con-
CRETE"
, This kind of improvement is sometimes
seen in the pulpit. A celebrated doctor Of
divinity, in neighboring city, not long
since quoted the first verse Of the 42d
Psalm after this matter, As the thirsty
animal longeth for the cool aud ripling
riE," &c. This is palmer indeed, and has
less refinement about it, than the "amuse-
ment Of projecting small! masses Of mineral
concrete but it bartakes of the same pro-
cess. We once heard sermon on the fall
of Peter, in which the preacher, near the
close Of the discourse, rose thus into the
sublime: = No sooner did the sl,riil clarion
of the prophesied chanticlecr reach the ear
of Peter, than he went out and wept until
his strength was wasted to more than wo-
mans weakness, and his face was blanched
to more than woman's whiteness."
We know Of nothing that surpasses these
refinements, except that found in Demands
Bible, which, in Job, clothes the neck of
the war horse with ga waving mane," and
makes him "skip like locust" IN Y.
Observer.
@ A venerable doctor, who is as witty
as he is benevolent, in carrying his philan-
thr0nic schemes. has contributed LARGELY