The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-10
Slang Phrases

CIlOuSuG Was TuuCly interrupted, anu
his attention distracted from his theme
by the following conversation
"Oh, Nellie Hall, where are you
the stunningest fellow"
Then sound of running feet, and
pretty soon he heard his daughter ex-
claim:
els that you, Maggie?"
Eyes, come down quick, I've got
something to tell YOU"
" I'll be there in half a iihy."
Then door opened and shut, and in
a few moments
"What do you think, as | was COM
ing over here, there was just the stun
ningest fellow right in front of me.
just as got in front of the new church
my music roll slipped, and every paper
in it fell out on the sidewalk"
"Gracious! I should have been
dumb-confounded."
"And so was, but it was so ridicu-
lous that almost died laughing"
"Well, that fellow, do you think,
stopped, turned around and helped me
to pick them up. | was all hunky
dory then. He walked as far as here
with me, I thanked him of course, ETC.,
etc. You know how tits YOURSELF"
The good Doctor scratched his head.
Could that be his Nellie, whom he
thought so ladylike7 He opened the
door softly, a little crack, thinking, no
doubt, that he had the right to play the
part of a listener to so strangely mixed
conversation, and in his own house.
Very soon it was continued, this time
his daughter commenced the conversa-
| ton:
"There! 'how's that for high p"
ooh, isn't it sweet! how much was
it?"
"Only five Aollars-cheap enough"
eyes, indeed but you said you were
going to have pink-this is blue"
"Never mind, it's all the same in
Dutch"
The doctor peeped to see what they
were talking about-and Miss Nellie
was exhibiting her new bonnet to the
admiring gaze of her friend.
cts raging hot here"
"Well, [ don't know, as I can make
it any cooler" said Nellie looking
around. "I 'spose father'd kill me if ]
opened a door" Her father had re-
quested her the day before to keep the
door closed.
Il guess it's time for me to absquatu-
late" said Maggie, rising.
"Don't tear yourself away. Are you
going to the lecture tonight"
eyes had q staving old time last
Tuesday night"
George Sanders said he should 60
home with you tonight"
"Did he9 He'd better learn to spell
able first"
"That's so. If there's anything
hate, it's these boys bothering around
| they ought to be put into a barrel and
fed through the bung-hole until they
are old enough to behave"
"I must bid you fond adieu now,
have thousands of errands to do"
"Well, goodbye"
80, the dickens I've left my parasol.'
"Here it is"
Now goodbye, be sure and come to-
night"
Then the door closed and Nellie went
off up stairs.
The doctor gently shut the door, with
| a sly twinkle in his eyes. He sat buried
| in thought some little time. Now and
then @ good humored smile broke Ovel
his face, and once he shook with silent
laughter. Then again his face length
ened and his brow grew dark, till a
| last, with a profound shake OF the head
he sat down to resume his sermon; bu
in vain, he could not concentrate hi
thoughts, not an idea would enter hi
head; so he set idly scratching his pei
on the paper, till at last, with gesture
of impatience, he pushed back his char
got up, shook himself, took his hat ant
| went out for q walk. He got as far a
the gate, when an idea seemed to strlkt
him. He came back, hung up his ha
and went in search Of his wife. For
long time they were clOseted together
Miss Nellie came down equipped TO
the lecture. After they were fairl,
| seated at the table, Mrs. Hall said:
tea NJ dear sir, VIII 20" nave som
| "In half a iiffy, Madam"
| Nellie looked up, but her father tool
no notice.
"Really, this cake is quite stunning,
went on theS doctor, as solemn as
Iiudge. Just then his napkin fell to tn
floor. "Gracious, I'm con-dumbfOun
ded," calculated the doctor, getting it
little wrong.
! Nellie gazed at her father in perfec
"My dear this sauce is stavin2
Where did you buy it?" ..-
az made it, said his wife, cody.
"Oh, well, it's all the same in Ger
man,
Nellie dropped her knife and fork.
"You must give me some money fo
the butcher tomorrow" said Mrs
You'll have to spell ability first
/ growled the doctor savagely.
Then suddenly taking out his hand
| kerchief he gave his nose tremendOu
blow. "There," said he, how is tina
II know how tits myself" meekly re
, piled his wife. This capped the eli
max. The knowledge that her fathe
must have heard the afternoon c0nveI
sation was too much for Nellie. Sh
burst into tears and left the room. TIL
sage doctor nodded wisely to his wife
: and when she had got out of hearing
I exclaimed:
. "There wife, / guess we shall hear n
more slang phrases from her"
The next day, the good doctor Gale
HIS daughter into his study, and said t
: her, MY dear girl, don't you see ho'
r very foolish all these phrases are
They mean nothing, but are exceeding
" injurious to those who use them. B
ever SO spa1ing a use, ones speech get
: so corrupted, that a person often make
use of one of these expressions at times
: which afterWaHd he would be sorry t
: remember. They sound very silly to
listener, and often the usage of theI
Lends to something worse. It is ba
enough to hear boys use them some
Z times, but a girl is expected to be to
| refined and ladylike to suliy her liu