Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-02-04
Common Mistakes in Language.

charming inhabitants of glass houses,
| don't throw any more stones.
why Uncle Phil. You don't mean
to say that we speak incorrectly"
Uncle Phillip showed his speciacles up
10 the middle of his forehead and pro-
ceeded as follows:
''lt's all very well for you self-suili-
cieut graduates of colleges and semiua-
ries to find fault when Uncle Joshua
wants the well bucket 'h'isted, when
Debby 'renses' the clothes, Aunt Maria
'ketches cold, Coachman John doc
tors Dobbin's huff. Pete feeds the
'crecturs, the cook 'biles the cramber-
ries, Bridget asks for .iolup. Farmer
Grey 'reckons its ruther cold for plant.
in but concludes to 'resk' it
Now, Uncle Phil, YOU know we
were not talking about such mistakes.
1t WAS when Annie Hughes asked the
clerk for these kind of gloves and
| then informed us 'extem-pore, that
Nav and began TO wonder how peo-
Pile that pretended to be educated, could
be guilty OF such blunders."
That's nothing, girls, this from
Jack. graduate Of Harvard II ask
ed one of the teachers at the High
School. this morning. if he ever played
base ball. and he said he used to could
Fancy that -
Uncle Phil looked severely down up
on the group OF critics assembled in
| front Of the fire.
$50 YOU really think. young people.
that Won are exempt from the weakness
! of mi>using the English language
What will YOU say if call attention To
no les than six mistakes made by you
three. in utter unconsciousness, since
Won entered this room this morning."
Try il Uncle. try it, We haven't
been Studying rhetoric aud grammar
this last four wears for nothing Re
member YOU are to find six mistakes
made by three of III within three
hours.
"Ahem."
Uncle Phil INDUCED in something that
was almost but not quite wink. ~ he
looked at Jack.
This last four wears"
"Oh that's too mean.
at i: Then | ont call attention
to the three of us
Won mean. Uncle, that Jack should
have said these last four years. aud us
three z
II do. my dear, And have also in
mind a young lady who criticised her
friends way of asking tor gloves aud
then. when She handed me an orange.
asked me 10 cut it in half
Il should have said halves"
Yes. or in two. One can scarce
~ cut thing in one half
What else did say: 2
well whose dress was to he trim
med'lengthways' instead ot'lcugthwi-e:
W no discovered that it was very cold
last 'Fehuary:' OF whose cIas> a;
Sunday school did hear that every
one was 10 have thar and not h5> or her
reward:
stop. Uncle That i, three tor mr
and Of the six mistakes YOU have only
left one for May"
perhaps haven't made any.
Uncle Phil smiled
Where did you 20 this morning.
May
"Ah. Do YOU know that depot /,
a French word. and means simply store
house, or place Of deposit, and has
nothing whatever to do with n strur-
ture for the shelter of passengers, bull;
at points where railroad train stops
You never hear the word dcpo; used IN
any such connection in England. Our
language supplies the word station, or
'stationh house. aud only very Guilt
waited { , American who prefers for
eign language he docsut understand 10
hi> own better supplied tongue, would
ever replace it by French word that l.
entirely MISSIONER
Il wonder how many more mistakes
are current among u. Uncle Phil:"
Il won / call your attention Ia any
more to-day. Think over these. aud I'll
see how many mere find YOU guilty Of
some other time