Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-10-03
(For The eoa-)
We

We
"Words are thsja sofourshoughss.
the landmarks Of Il interests; and the
wheels Of cur husn World are turned
By them"
rrH NoRrox.
The wealth Of M IN enwFspped in
a word Is greater Il has been told or
written. Some cus. o. touching his
tory Is enshrined II household terms,
the ordinary daily essi0ns. Beau
tiful carrier-d0ves u onghs often are
they, again gnileA lfeasubes shousa
of the past. VIZ aIe wotsls bul
words" and yet words ere replete with
significance, with poetry aud often
times with humor, magical in their in
fiuence, making mans emotional nature
subserviens TO their spell.
There are mirth evoking words; words
that bid armies arise, cities be made
desolate; words that people the soul
with good resolutions, that call into ex-
istence noble aspirations; words that
pierce the heart, that ostracise Joy and
happiness; words that thrill; words that
bld cares ''to fold their tents like the
Arabs
And as silently steal away"
Words that like some skilIful musician
touch a long silent chord, evoking .
melody sweet and rare, making tears
filI eyes long unused to weep, dimming
eyes that never quailed at danger, sub
DUNG the angry one and melting the OBJ
durate heart. Words that pour the Le-
thean waters over broken trust, false
vows, unkindness, injustice. Words
that resurrect, as it were, the dead heart,
that convert darkness into daylight. II
has been beautifully said of words:
"They are the sanctuary of the intui-
tons. They paint humanity, its thoughts,
longings, aspirations, struggles, failures
paints them on a canvas of breath in
the colors of life."
They are many times also Minos and
Rhadamanthus, condemning in unmis-
taxable language the mean, dishonora-
bic, and eloquent in praise of the good
and noble. The field Of language is
rich with specimens for analysis. One
is amused, startled and pleased with the
discoveries made. How many of us
for instance, when we use the word Sc
riOus, remember that it is simply the
being unable to laugh-sine risus. Rel
ash from relecAer, q something so de-
| lightful or delicious rather as to tempt
one 90 Iiek kia-kips Regard locking
at-respect looking back. Inculcate
(inculco) to tread over. Grotesque takes
its origin from queer figures found in
grottos in ancient Rome. Who would
recognize farthingnie in the German
verfHgaLe. We find the formidable bri.
gand was originally one who lived on q
brig or summit.
What queer vieissitudes has the word
idiot undergone. Originally il meant Z
private person. One who had no profes.
sional knowledge of any subject what
ever was its secondary Specification ant
according to PIato-idiot meant prose
scrifer. Aglin, it might be twisted into
meaning an ignorant man. II was re.
served for our modern lmaginations Il
give il the application il now has.
See how the word knave has degen'
Grated Originally it was the German
for an innocent boy or youth, and now
what is its imports
Cleaning iE the wild wood Of word:
is pleasant and instructive occupation
Sometimes we come across one thai
stirs our inmost nature, that recalls al
most forgotten pleasures and then agair
that thrill with aeutest pain.
With gentle yet irresistible power
they cast back the tidal waves of time
merging the past into the present. See
what the word farewell does. Again
il bids US stand beside our dead, to looI
down upon the eyes that viii gaze low
ingly at US no more. those lips that viii
bless US, will whisper sweet words Il
US neUer more, necer 1sorei
Farewell IL Is the knell of hope
Originally il meant may you fare tceII
Now il is the cry of the bereaved.
How sweet the signlication of th,
homely yet dear old word goodbye
God be With you.
It too is magical in its power.
There are hurried good-byes that fal
from lips that scarcely heed what theN
say. There IS the goodbye that comes
from friend to friend. That makes th'
eye humid as thought conjures up wha
may happen ere The hands clasp again
There is the goodbye that falls like /,
blessing from the lips Of parents, ten
der sister. A goodbye that thrills ou
| emotional nature with contending feel