The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1862-07-01

heart than hers Springfield Rpub.
hcaa.
VERBAL FoUNDLINGs.
There are some words Of doubtful
parentage, words picked up in The
street, OF dropped myseriously at
some hospiiablr door. If they receive
shelter aud kind treatment, they some.
times develop into useful members Of
society, but loo often, like other or
I phans, they are ovetworked 10 their
youth aud afterwards ignored aud neg
lcoted. In such cases what must be
our emotions when we learn. rs we
/ sometimes do, lhai the mysterious
stranger is o. ancient and eminent
parenlage, MS the rejected Perdiia was
proved princes daughter. Skedad-
die is a word nos in frequent use
among journalists and military men. a
word loudly called for by recent events,
50 loudly indeed that if il had not APP
/ pearsd, is title 10 any lingual inheri-
tance whatsoever must have been for
tifcd by default. We use il playfully
as synonym Of the pocachee OF the
Sioux Indians and the Udm0Se of the
Anglo Mexican. II denotes an un-
digiifcd aud unceremonious retreat,
utter dispersion and absolute rout. 1t
is a military maneuver like that OF the
young pairidges disturbed by the
hunter, who actually seem 10 sink in
10 the earth, rcce ding from the eye Of
the gazer 70 vanish IN parts unknown.
II is word largely but not exclusive
ly Of southern application the con-
duet OF Caseys division in the recent
battle near Richmond is a painful ex-
cepiion to The rule, and there are oth-
ero OF an earlier date which we will
not now recall. 1t defines an eyolu-
tion not laid down in Hardee's Tac-
lies, although IN general and growing
use il The section 10 which lie is allied
Let no one disparage the word. 1t
describes 4 military movement Of very
ancient origin, and which was prac.
ticcd indeed by The only one Of the
three hundred Snarlans engaged at
Thermopyla who survived the battle
and his reputation. 1t is said to have
been used by Herodoius, who wrote
more lhan four hundred years before
the christian era, and was master of
classical Greek. Other authorities
refer il 10 Northern Europe, and as
sert that Il conveys an impulation
such ~ marllke nations are prone to
casl upon The yanquished the Swedes
spelling il skaddadahl, and the Danes
Skyededeh. Both nations agree in its
signihcation, and oddly enough, enter
tain very slight regard for the vari-
Gus if not valorous subjects Of a verb
so widely known. The knight who
would JOIN their number should bear a
coward couram upon bis shield, with
two familiar lines Of Hudibras for
motto.
Another verbal founding TO which |
We would refer is the word " hurrah,'
which, though often associated with a
tiger is by no means an importation
from liiudoslan, and never rang out
upon the spicy breezes of Cey Ion, un-
less from tie lips Of foreign foe
This is word Of thrilling military /
associations, and applies to the two
hundred and ninety-nine who fell at
TAermop, le, and not to the one who
escaped. Il is said to be an exultant
exclamation borrowed from the old /
Scayottic race, and from the coast Of
Damaiia 10 Behring's Straits has long
been tie cIy of warlike assault and
the shout OF victory. II is derived 1
from tic primitive idea that the hero
who dies for his country passes at once
to heaven; hu raj, in Sclavonian,
meaning literally 10 paradise" 1t is
an appeal TO tie noblest impulses, as
the void we noticed earlier is the
meauest; the one inspires courage and
self-sacriiiee, the other opens the back
door fer the egress Of a coward and a
sneak. Both are derived from the yo-
cabnlary Of warlike nations. Morse
men triumphant over southern foes
and they point the distinction between
modes Of warfare Of the two, which
existed from antiquity as il is existing
now. On the one side it is death or
victory, on the other riot or retreat.
-------s---~-------------s~--