The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-03-26

| the above. Sl0uiu we nOJ expect
faultless English and pure diction from
the pen of so mercless critic? Per-
haps his criticism of the lady's English
was Intended, to use his own language,
'as bouffe affair, which none but
those who do not know joke when
they hear 1t, are expected to take In
earnest, and which, to critically criti-
else, would be landing the critic In q
ridiculous predicament.
But the burning enthusiasm with
which be assailed the English of Miss
Couzens to "crillcally criticise," would
excuse us from believing him not to
have been 10 earnest. His bold dash at
criticising her diction, cut-Couzens
Phoebe, and truly lands him as a critic,
In ridiculous predicament." He
says, "for the same length Of time,
certainly never before was the English
language SO horribly treated"
Since the writing of his criticism, he
can never again truthtully make the
above charge, for no less than ten pal
pable errors in diction and the use of
English appear in the first half column
Of his article, and his violation Of the
rules of purity, propriety, precision,
clearness, unity and strength, are too
numerous to mention.
When he says the Course "has con-
cluded," does he not horribly treat the
English language? Would not sis"
instead of "has" been better? Do we
not "close" instead of conclude" a
course? Crabb says, 1--WE conclude a
discourse or story; we close an enter
tainment or reign"
He asks, "Is there any impropriety
in "casting back glance and criticis-
ing it in "partial and not
unfriendly manner" But grant
that the critical critic" meant
impartial" still he should not be
excused from "horribly treating the
English language" by combining in
the same grammatical connection, the
adjective form with the adverbial,
to-wit: SIN partial and not 'un-
kindly manner" A McCauley would
have written Impartial and kind
manner"
We have been taught that "engase-
ments" are "made," but "by no arti-
fetal laundering" this great 81 am that
| am, /" "casts back a glance" and tells
US, "nore promising engagements none
could have chosen
"From no conscious, intelligent inten-
ton to blunder," he tells us, the
"course is fulfilled" Any high school
boy knows that contracts and agree.
ments are "fulflled' aud that courses
are FINISHED"
AS an exa uple of precision, clearness
. d mastery use Of the pronoun sit"
We quote The following sentence from
This unique review: .
"Flrst, there is no use in saying there
was much excellence, as 1t was too per-
ceptible to need it,"
Surely nothing but free, "untram-
melled, spontaneous natural Ignorance"
c ,uld have given birth to such sem
tence.
TO DIR. Tourgee he ascribes the
praise Of "meeting the taste of our
people," That is palatable to say the
least. We "meet" wants; we suit or
fatisfy "tastes."
III glowing language we are told that
the "musical novelties rendered, excited
beforehand the greatest expectations"
Barnum would strike such a sentence
as that from show bill. Again he
says: "If it he said no attempt
at refutation will be made" We usu-
ally "deny" Saying" and "refute"
an argument"
"Too ignorant to know he was in the
neIghborhood of a mistake" he gave
her "tbeme worth arguing for"
Who but this "oritical critic" ever
heard of "argulng for theme" We
"argue" for cause.
Will "Brute of a Man" inform us
how the "entity Of the wife is eflaced I"
We can understand how her entity may
be destroyed and how her likeness or
image may be effaced, but how is he to
efface her entity9 E ~ -.
In the language Of this critical critic,
| ask; what excuse is there for pub
lie critic In a land OF dictionaries, to
make such blunders?" Lt.F.ls t
True she used words In totally
wrong sense. The word formulate Is
an example Of this, but should that
have given our jealous critic license to
do likewise while attempting to critlcise
herr "She applied 1t Cformulate) to the
American flag" Surely 1t must have
been bis love for the flag, ard not foe
diction tha: inspired him to rescue the
flag from being "formulated;" for he
Immediately formulated creeds, treat
ises, and problems" The constitu-