Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-05-06
A LITTLE TALK.
Jack Has Desperate Struggle with the
English Language.

Jack Has a Desperate Struggle with the
English Language.
''What did you say?" asked Mr..
Trusty. turning to look at his nephew,
as Jack stood in the doorway.
81 said didn't know, uncle" an
swered the boy.
''Oh, no, Jack; what you said was:
'Id'n know and this is the way that
you often say things. You must re-
member that it is the French words
that 90 skating along in one grand
sweep. We English-speaking nations
walk off our words one step at 4 time. "
''You mean we ought to, uncle?"
Eyes, that is exactly what mean"
laughed the other. seriously, Jack,
don't slur and mispronounce your
words. The other day 1 heard Nat
Williams asking you something, and
you answered him: 4 don't cab out
it Now, what you meant by cabling
out you know best yourself. -"
81 meant | didn't cure about it, what
ever it was" cried the boy.
'.Is it possiblc?" exclaimed Mr..
Trusty; .'then why didn't you say sop
Il did, or something that meant that.
But | wanted to ask you something
very particular this morning. May 90
out camping with some of the fellows
this week?'
''When do you want to go?"
'.Sat' day."
Il don't know any such day"
Jack opened his eyes Il moment:
then he answered, demurely: Its the
last day of the week, you know. And
then he corrected his slovenly way of
saving the word. land bimeby some
more fellows are coming" he added.
when did You Say?'
''By and by-uncle, you're hard on
met
'.Do You remember. Jack, the day
that we went to inquire for my old
chum, how somebody came to the
door. and we looked at her first and
doubted whether she was a lady or 4
servant. she looked so very common.
although she was almost too simply
dressed fer the latter? Then she spoke.
and we knew at once she was lady,
not from what she said. because she
only answered our questions. but from
the way in which she said il; her voice
was trained. and she pronounced her
words so well. Do YOU remember, as
we went down the steps, | asked you
what you thought of her. and you said
that she was very polite? | could see
that you felt the charm, although you
could not quite tell what it was.'
but its ditieront,n returned Jack.
I'm boy. YOU know. and l don't
want the fellars- fellows-to call me
an old duffer or muif.n
..Oh. that it! So. You are obliged
to say cab out and Sat day and
.bimeby.' and things like these?'
Jack colored, and then he laughed.
Il don't believe they'd notice any
way" he said. do talk much like
that?"
"A good deal. And when you come
to making after-dinner speeches, you
will wish that you hadn't this habit to
break up
'After-dinner speeches." echoed
Jack.
''It was only last week." pursued
Mr. Trusty. THAT l saw boy throw
down a newspaper with the assertion
that some day he was going into public
life
THAT was about election time" cor
rected the boy. But. uncle. l don't
cab-care about-that now. l wait to
know about the camping out.
That's week off. and this IS
now"
ooh, no, not'z much "a week of. >
Jack, what is 'zmuch 'za'?"
Il Ia hoy
with sigh of despair.
.sAh, yes; now l understand. You
are in a hurry to have the week 60 by,
and SO you hurried your words as if you
would hurry the Sun9'
..That's so,' said Jack. laughing:
"you know always talk nicely when
I'm not in hurry"
But then you usually are in
hurry"
..Well, uncle, it's such busy world.
One thing tumbles on top of another
so, and that the reason, depend upon
TT
land then, you see," returned Mr..
Trusty, smiling, .'you always get on
so much faster in this way-just asy You
have done to-day in finding out about
the camping. Do you remember the old
proverb: The longest way round is
the shortest way home?' You thought
the day that you tried the short cut
through the bog that you would never
forget it. Now, can't you see that this
kind of talk is the short cut through
the bog? 1t is sort of thing that it is
-nuch easier to leap into than to fioun-
der out of. Suppose you keep clear of
H. Jack; how does that strike your"