The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-07-11

udul per lllGul dll GHtlE llNCo lOHS, anu
prevent them from appearing like we'll
bred and wei educated people"
But doesn't everybody talk slang?"
asked Fanny. Pm sure all the peo-
pie in English story-books do"
Boys and young men do, suppose"
admitted Aunt Eunice, land girls, too,
sometimes; but they don't do it without
correction, as with us; and grown peo-
pie, as a rule, talk more carefully than
we do, and are far more particular as to
what expressions they use"
what a bother it must be-" said Ted.
mo, Ted, it's Just as easy to speak
good English as bad, if once you form
the habit. Now | will propose bar
gain. The one of you who uses the
least slang for the next month shall
have Bayberry Lodge. and the others
shall live with him or her. | will keep
a little notebook, with your names,
and whenever | hear word that isn't
good English l will note it down. What
do YOU think of the plan?"
The children were doubtful as to what
they thought, but Aunt Eunice was as
good as her word. She showed them
the MOTEL book with Ted" Tom"
Fanny and ''Di" written at the top
of four different pages. And though
nothing was said on the subject, the
children were conscious every now and
then, as they sat chattering about her,
aunty produced her pencil and made an
entry in the book. They could not tell
against which name the entry was made,
and the uncertainty rendered them more
careful.
"Aunty only caught one of us to-
night, " Fanny said to Di once after they
had gone upstairs to bed.
Eyes, and that was you," replied OBJ
servant little Di; Il saw her take out
her pencil when you said 'hifalutin' that
time"
"Oh, bother! did say that? 1 didn't
mean to. -
Gradually the four got into the habit
of discussing words beforehand, to make
sure if they were not slang, and liable
to be counted against them. And they
were somewhat surprised to find how
many phrases which they were in the
habit of using came under this objection
able head.
dts perfectly mizziable," declared
Tom. Were getting so pertikilar and
pernickitly that l feel like deacon in
q pew. l haven't said boss for three
days"
mo, but you did say bully yester-
day; you sad it twice and aunty wrote
it down." retorted Fanny.
ooh, botheration twice over! This is
a vale of tears and I'm sick of it." Tom
was just eleven.
However, his pride was reused and
he much desired to be master of Bay
berry Lodge. So he struggled on, and
did his best, discovering, as all of us do
sooner or later, how much harder it is
to break off a foolish habit than to form
a good one.
At last the end of the month came.
1t was a beautiful, brilliant day in mid
July. Aunt Eunice had spent the
morning at Bayberry Lodge, mysteri-
ously busy, and the children had been
requested to play elsewhere till after
dinner
About four she appeared and called
them, and when they reached the rock
house, they found It beautilied beyond
their hopes. A little crane with tea
kettle hung above the fireplace, Chi
neSe lanterns hung from the roof, four
rustic seats had been added to the fur
nlture; and on the platform, before the
entrance, appeared two long, narrow
boxes, planted with geraniums and gay
nasturtiums which had a very orna-
mental and pleasing effect.
at 5 ten times prettier than it ever
be- 1
Aunt Eunice sat down on a rock, and
took out her notebook. The children
seated themselves on the new seats, and
waited in breathless expectation for
what she had to say.
Thomas Whittemore, began Aunt
Eunice, solemnly, "between June 16
and July 16 used slang words, or ex-
presSions not belonging to the English
language, two hundred and thirteen
times. "
"Aunty'' said Tom, in a Mortified
tone.
Francis Mary Whittemore, went
on his aunt, ''in the same time used the
same sort of expressions one hundred
and ninety-eight times
"Aunty!" exclaimed Fanny, in the
same hOrror-struck tone as Tom.
Theodore James Whittemore, in the
same time, two hundred and four
times.
You're more than l am, anyhow"
cried Fanny. That's jollyr'
Il now add one to Francis Mary
Whittemore' count" remarked Aunt
Eunice, immovably, (which makes it
one hundred and ninety nine"
Fanny looked doubtful whether to
laugh or cry, but she deemed it wise to
say nothing.
Diana Rockwell Whittemore, pur-
sued Miss Eunice, during the same
time, and under the same circumstances,
has used slang expressions one hun
dred and forty-siX times. Di, therefore,
is the mistress of Bayberry Lodge"
This decision was, on the whole,
easier to bear than any other could
have been. The older ones would have
found it hard to yield the precedence to
one another, but little Di was the gen.
eral pet. She made sweet little mis-
tress of the Lodge, and ruled her sub
jects wisely and well till the end of the
summer. Aunt Eunice gave them tea
parties and all sorts of treats in the
playhouse; and although Ted persisted
in calling what he liked daisy" and
Fanny chung to her favorite word