The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1867-08-08
THE QUEENS ENGLISH.


edge of English Grammar, albeit that
knowledge was acquired at the cottage fire
side, when we made Murray and Kirk
ham our uade mccain, and afterwards when
we became a pedagogue, (perhaps a ped
ant too, and taught the science of Ian
guage, we felt no little pride in our ability
TO teach the Juveniles in this important
branch of education. Indeed, grammar
at length became a passion with US, and
we were wont to assail every composition
we met, and if it did not reach our stand
ard of grammatical accuracy, it was con-
demned. In short, we were monoman-
lac on the subject of grammar
We have recovered from this disease,
and are now more desirous of being under
stood than we are Of falling back upon
the stilted style of school boy. And
what little editorial We are able to furnish
she readers of the Freeman is the labor
of some ten or twelve hours per week only.
haste, while surrounded with other busi-
ness, and we never revise our articles, and
DO not even read the proof Hence it
would be strange, indeed, if inaccuracies in
language did not frequently occur in our
columns Printers, who are practical
men, expect this, and readers who are
practical men overlook it.
We were, therefore, somewhat aston
lshed the other day, while lying on a bed
OF sickness, too weak to read, or even
to think of the ''weightier matters of the
law" We asked for some light reading,
aud of course the AAeghanian was brought
Here, the first thing that met our eye,
Notwithstanding the promise of fortnight
previous to leaV, the Freen.GI Gin It's own
slough" was couple of columns devoted
to US. We read them-Dr. Bum had
prescribed something weak, and they just
suited US,
The first article under the head Of
"Muddled," cuts up our English dreadful
y-declares that our English is Gas cor
rect when read backwards as in its usual
order" and then goes off into nearly half a
column of thin, diluted trash, in conse-
quence ofits discovery. We at once came
10 the conclusion that there was forget
somewhere-i. e., either our friend Todd
forgot 10 urite the article, or forgot him
self when he did t011te IT, 1t is not like
him. He is modest gentleman. He
knows, as practical printer, that errors
Will happen, and that it is Improbable to
discuss them; and he is not d lawyer,
and knows that it would be indecent to
refer to brother editor outside of his edi-
torlal character, as his private business
would be-''none of his business"
But yielding to narcotics which had
been freely administered, the AUegAania,,
ieil IRON our hand: and the tall, graceful
form of its editor faded from our mental
vision. We assumed that state peculiar
to physical debility, in which Somnus Sc
cures but half a triumph-in other words.
We were ''half sleeping, half waking"
e were, or thought we were, in an Office
a young lawyer was there seated, reading
from "frst lessons in English composition -
Ills form was slight, his countenance sal
low-he was lantern jawed and wall-eyed
---he had slightly bewildered appearance,
winch induced the fancy to US that he
mad the grammar mama with which we
had been once afflicted. He seemed in
The crysalis state between schoolmaster
and a lawyer
Ihe freeman came in and the young
man seized it, opened it, and commenced
ParS"g Its contents, frequently referring to
his first lessons in English composition" |
his parsing revealed nasal, Lachrymose,
Psdl7'-S'ng'ng tone of voice, similar to that
OF negro preacher. He had not gone
Tar when his look became wilder, his man
nsr more phrensied, and he jumped from
ms seat with a wild laugh-that destroyed
tne vision by arousing US from our stupor.
we resumed the Alleghanian, and draw
1nS on our vision, we felt able to excuse
this writer of 'Muddled.' A schoolmaster.
rsdolent with the odor of the school room.
could not make US angry about language.
Ou that subject the moment he oat.
.read,l -. his sslirst Lessons IN ENGLISH