The Portland daily press., 1886-11-12
SCHOOLS OF SLANG.
Expressions Attributed to Children of
the swell Bred City Of Portland,
Me-
T, W. Higglnson in Harper's Bazaar.


How shall we teach our children to speak
good English? If their parents speak it
which is not certain--they can oversee their
children when with them in the country or
by the seashore. The slang they will then
pick up will be only sea slang, the inaccura-
cies they will gather will be only rusticities,
and these will fall off from them when re-
| moved from the scene where such things pre-
vail. But winter will take the children in
measure from their parents and put them UNI
der the influence of the school, of the pub
lie library, of society; and no matter how
careful the parents may be, the slang making
influence will set in. tits curious fact that
no mere school system has yet succeeded in
making children speak good English; proba-
bly, because this must be done chiefly through
the ear, and so many teachers err themselves
or do not exert enough of positive influence
to overcome the slovenly habits the children
bring from home. Mr.. Howells declares that
many Harvard graduates say II don't know
as, and though / suppose the standard
there to be as high as anywhere there is no
DOUBT that this Is true. 1t is melancholy
fact, but have myself heard a Harvard pro-
lessor say, I'VE was in his classroom; and
probably the best institution in the land is
teachers of public or private schools can be
guaranteed against saying, in moments of
familiarity, II done ii" or using 81 come"
as a past tense? How many can steer their
way with habltual accuracy between "set''
and "sat?" Yet these are not scholastic re-
hnements, but matters of good breeding.
Amy person erring in these simple matters is
ike one who eats with his knife or tits his
chair IN company; he classes himself at once
among those who have to be apolOgzed for,
who have to be accepted after some expana-
ton: And even where the teacher is unex-
ceptlonable the intimate society of school or
college not merely coins slang and keeps it
In motion, but communicates ineegancies of
speech from one to another, like measles or
the wh00ping cough
American books for children, at least since
MISS Aicotts day, are realistic; the boys
and girls talk as they talk in real life; and
the temptation is, for the sake of fun, even
to oyerstate the colloquialism. The other
day. when certain little girl of threw
bombshell into quiet household by ejaculat-
ing, Dear me suzp' it lead to an immediate
investigation, there being nobody within ten
miles to be identified as the origin of that
very unpleasant expletive. The source of
this verbal dynamite was soon found to be a
very amusing set of children's books that had
peen given her on her birthday, and had
been read aloud for her improvement.
In this little series, of which the scene is
laidsin the well-bred city of Portland, Me-,
fourr. different children say repeatedly, "Dear
SUI. and Dear me suz! and how can an
innocent little reader help borrowing a
phrase so novel? In this case the parents of
the child are represented as being people of
some education; and is this really a bit of
realism? Or, if so, is it necessary to carry re-
alism so far?
Granting that il is well enough, as realism,
for the. little New England children to
guess, and for the small Western cousin, a
BOY, to say, The doctors they have East
amt no account" why should not the pa
rents and uncles and aunts be little more
presentable as to vocabulary? The fayorite
aunt, who is. uniformly described as very
charming and as marrying lawyer who Is
also colonel-the books being written dur
ing, the war period-says what think now?''
and What say to flying horse?" instead
of What do you thfnk?" and What do
you say?" The uncle, a lawyer and pro-
spective general. says, dear knows there is
need enough of more ambition in our
schools" 1t seems clear that there is a mid
ole ground. 1t Is very desirable that books
for young people should paint society and
life as they are, yet it is worth while to err
little on the side of good breeding and good
manners, and to keep up, instead o. letting
down, the standard Of daily speech.