Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-02-20
EDUCATIONAL.

remarked by one OF our citizens
while contemplating fine pile Of
maple. Ridiculous as this asso-
citation of ideas may appear, it is
not worse than many that we very
frequently hear. How common is
the word nice, for example, placed
in the front rank of words used in
common conversation. People talk
of nice paintings, nice ladies, nice
dogs, nice anything from a dried
apple pie to an October sunset.
"Splendid" is made to do duty
also in like manner on all sorts
of occasions. "That's q splendid
SQUASH" "she is a splendid dancer"
"a splendid cow" The original
idea Of splendor, brilliancy or mag
niiicence, seems to be wholly lost.
lawful" is another much abused
word. "He is awful good" and
similar expressions not quite so
bad, perhaps, too often introduce
themselves into common conversa-
ton. Adverbs instead of adiec-
tives, however, seem to constitute
some of the most insinuating er-
Fors. These are found oftenest
with "look," "seem," and "feel."
"She looks nicely to-day" means, if
it means anything, that she can see
with extreme clearness, that her
sense of sight is very acute, and
refers in no way to her appearance.
"She is nicely" does ii mean enough
to make it worth considering, and
vet it is no uncommon amalgama-
ton. She looks elegantly or sweet
ly is quite as meaningless, as it re-
fers only to the manner of using
the eyes. These differ in kind
from slang, which it is hoped is
rarely used by any but those whose
love for that will of English un-
| defilcd is yet in its earliest devel-
opmental stages.
"Ye hain't seen uothin' of no
butter firlin that don't belong to
nobody have !c," illustrates anoth-
er exceedingly common error.--
Double negatives may lie heard a
hundred times in day, and a hun
dred times corrected, and the next
day will furnish a new brood. 1--WE
didn't have none Of that" 81 havn't
whispered to nobody" illustrates
those most frcqueutly used. "There
isn't nothing in my hand," means
of course the opposite of "therc is
nothing" 1t means there is some
thing in my hand, and TO Of all the
rest, the doublenegative always de-
noting an affirmative.
"Will l do this example p twill
read now 2" illustrate the COM
mon use of "will" for "shall. >
This plainly means, "am | willing
to do this example or read" ques-
tons which nobody but the ques-
toner can answer. Plain, simple
questions beginning with Twill l."
are commonly absurd, since no an
swer can be given by any other
person. These are a few of the
errors commonly used by scholars
in their every day conversation.
They are easily corrected. Teach
ers may correct them, but that is
not enough. The teacher has com
paratively little conversation with
the pupil. Parents have hun
dred times as much real conversa-
tion with them. They can easily
correct these errors. A fresh
knowledge of grammar is 10y no
means necessary for these. \ lit
tie watchfulness seasoned with a
little judgment is enough. These
are hard to break up if neglected
till pupils are old enough to study
syntax. 1t is easier to plant Cam
ada thistles than to destroy them.
"What is the meaning of that
horrid picture at the beginning of
nearly all the almanics!" asked an
inquisitive student. "Oh," said