Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-11-30
OUR MOTHER TONGUE.

The English language has its faults
| and anomalies which are in great part at
tributable to its complex origin from the
Anglo Saxon and Latin tongues. Yet it
has great advantage is not being infect.
ed. and in the fact that the gender of its
nouns is not based on termination, but
on the relations of sex; all non-sexual
names being neuter, while the names of
males are always masculine, and those of
| females feminine. 1t is also more concise
than the languages of continental Eu-
rope A recent traveller abroad found
that the directions for sounding an elec-
trio bell in foreign hotel, printed in
French, English and German required
10 words in Frence and German where sew
en- were enough in English. The letters
in these words were thirty-one in English,
thirty-seven in French, and fifty-two in
German A note in the same languages
appended to the bill of fare contained ten
French words with forty-fve letters and
eleven German with sixty-three letters,
and seven English with thirty -one letters.
A warning against smoking exhibited
similar brevity in English. What could
be said in our language in four words and
seven words and twenty-five letters, and
in German in six y ords and twenty-seven
| letters. Short cuts in the expression OF
ones ideas are popular in all langu
ages, and it is decided advantage for
English that it is superior in this respect
to its rivals at the start. Moreover, it is
now the dialect of nearly one hundred
millions people, while neither French nor
nor German, can claim over fifty millions
of speakers. Mr. Walter, of The London
Times, comedies that our nation will have
two hundred million of population by the
year 1000, and this estimate is in accord
ance with those of other statistici-
ans. English certainly has good pros
pect of reaching the pre-eminence which
Greek and Latin formerly occupied.
How TO SHAKE HANDs.-There are
only two or three people now living who
can successfully shake hands. There is
good deal of fhand-shaking done through
the country, especially in this season of
the year, but only very small per cent.
of the shakers and shakees know how to
do it so as to get the entire amount of ex-
hilaration out of it. Some grab the hand
of an adversary in quick, nervous man
ner that scares the victim nearly to death,
while others slide the cold and clam
my paw at you so that you feel the same
as when you drop cold raw oyster with
vinegar on it down your back. If you
are shaking hands with a lady, incline
the head forward with soft and grace
full yet half-timid movement, like a boy
climbing barbed-wire fence with fifty
pound watermelon. Look gently in her
eyes with kind of pleading smile, beam
on her features bright and wnsome
beam, say something that you have heard
some one else say on similar occasions,
and in the meantime shake her hand in
a subdued yet vigorous way, not as
though you were trying to make mash
by pulverizing her fingers, nor yet in too
conservative a manner, allowing her
hand to fall with sickening thud when
you let go. Care should be taken also
not to hang on to the hand more than
half an hour in public, as bystanders
might make remarks. This is now con-
sidered quite outre and mandamus.-
Npe's Boomerang.
Go to 1T Eberle's fol Mrs Freemanl
New National Dyes. For brightness aod
durability of color, are unequaled. Gin
or from 2 to pounds. Directions to
English and German. Price 15 cents.
47y1
Joseph Durrenlurger, Broadway, Buffa-
10, was induced by his brother to try
Thomas Eclectric Oil for a sprained an
kle; and with half dozen applications
he was enabled to walk round again all
right. Sold by HI. I. Eberle.
KIDNEY COMPLAINT CURED.-B. Turn
er, Rochester, N. Y. writes: 81 have
been for over year subject to serious dis
order of the kidneys, and often unable to
attend to business; procured your Bur-
deck Blood Bitters and was relieved be
| fore half bottle was used. I intend O
continue, as feel confident that they will
entirely cure me-" Price $1.0O, trial
size 10 cents. Sold by H. 7. Eberle.