Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-08-05
WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE.

The following curious article was pub
lished some years ago in the Journal of
Commerce. Every word is of one sylla-
bic. and nearly every word is Of Saxon
origin.
There are numerous passages Of Scrip
tnre in which the same traits are notice
abl;
"The law Ct God is in his heart; none
of his steps shall Slide
Be not thou far from me, o Lord: O
my Strength, haste thee TO help me.
Length of days and long life and
peace shall they add to thee"
THOUGHTS ON AND IN SHORT WORDS.
Tie speech of our sires far back in
the days of yore, like that of the first
man, who may well be thought to have
been taught by God, was made up for
the most part of those short words which
are said with one pulse of the breath,
and one stroke of the tongue. The
stream of time through a long track Of
years, and from lands not our own, has
brought down TO US vast drift of new
and strange terms, with which we may
think our speech has come to be rich
but it is clear that much Of its strength
has in this way been lost. Thus are we
shown 10 be base sons, who, both from
our limbs and our tongues, have lost the
Drawn of our sires. They in truth were
poor in purse, but rich in speech. Their
words, like gems, were as great in wealth
as they were small in bulk; while the
mass of ours are as poor as they are
large and long. We must add to this,
not less the loss Of force, but the waste
Of breath and time whe we would speak
our thoughts; and that of types and ink
when we print them. Huge tones would
shrink 10 one-third their bulk, and time
and paines would be-spent less in vain,
both of those whc write and print, and
to those who read, if there we're a due
care to clip the size and length of the
words, and use no more than the thought
can claim. In our age The price of time
is as great as that of books is small, and
the first charge We would give 10 those
who would have us read what they
write, is-''In all ways and by all means,
be brief; for life is short and at is long"
Nor let US think that the good old
stock of words, so short and strong, is
lost. They lie blent, with the trash of
the heap, and in bright points shine out
here and there from the mass, like stars
when fog dims the air, or the face Of
the sky is dark with clouds. 1t will be
well worth our while to mine out these
gems, and string them on the claims o.
our thoughts, which will then shine with
new life; and though the tongue may
lose in sound, it may be the more fit to
speak all that the deep soul can feel
The heart feels but throb by throb; and
it is thus that the tongue should beat
while it gives vent to its joys and its
pains.
The arts Of life and the lore of the
head have need, it is true, for terms both
old and long. The heart must be kept
cool while we search for truth; and truth
shines best in what some call ga dry
light" But what we have said holds in
full force when we look to all that large
class of thoughts which come from the
heart, and which we wish to go down in
the souls OF those to whom We speak
Here we need the thoughts that breathe
and the words that burn-those that
wing their speed like bolt, and pierce
like the barb of the shaft. Such are the |
terms in which it is fit to hail the long |
lost friend, when We once more grasp
his hand, and hang on his neck, and |
ell him-'I have seen thy face as
hough had seen the face of God."-
Thus should we ''sIng praise to the Lord
with a harp; with the harp and the
Toice of a psalm; and pay our vows IN
he house of the lord Hear him who
,ries out OF the depths: and say. what
Ire the strains of his sad plant? "Woe
o the day in which l was born. Let
hat day be dark with the clouds of
leath. Let 20 voice of Joy break on
hat night and let its stars be dark; let it
ook for light, but have non2; nor let it
ee the dawn of the day. Ny gray hairs
hall 90 down in grief to the grave of
ly son, and there our heads shall be at
est. o, my son! my son! would to God
had died for thee, my son. my son!''
EMALE COURAGE, AND THE RE
suit.