The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-17

when SO many estimable ladies use the expression with such deal of com fort, but it is a fact, nevertheless. "Oh, dear me !" is just ''Oh, dio mfo! or, ''Oh, my God p in English. This isn't such a dreadful thing to say in French-in fact, in that language it is about equivalent to "Wcl!w but Eng fish speaking ladies do not willingly take the name of the Supreme Being in vain as 8 rule. Generally in the continental languages to swear by the sacrament is much more profane than to use the name of the Deity.
 By Jimminy 1" is, of course, "By Gemini !" that particular constellation in the zodiac called the twins, an it. lustration of which may be seen on the first page of "Ringbone's Family Bitters Almanac" for the current year. Two babies in each others arms are represented in a cut of sort of dime museum aggregation of curiosities, the central figure of which is a man apparently in the primary stage of dissection. These twins are embalmed in the joke which went the rounds of the papers in the fall of '69 and the spring of 70. It seems that a man whose name could not be learned, and which, for some reason, has never been divulged since, was foolinQ around the hind legs of mule-anything about a mule was considered extremely com- ical, not to say mirth- provoking, in those days-when something hap pened. The joke didn't say that, but it tersely recorded that "Gemini Krit- ger" was his last request. Probably Kritzer was his last name. But let that pass.
 By golly" and "by gracious, "by gravy" and ''by dad" are old-time phrases, not yet fallen into innocuouA desuetude. "Dad burn it" had great run for while about the time those old gray shawls for men were all the go, but with them it has almost faded out of the recollection of the men of to day. Once in while the old gray shawl, with the black headed fasten- ing pin, is seen on the streets, and once in a while dad burn it" is heard, but not oftener than once in awhile never twice in awhile. Never, never.
 A great future was predicted for "geewhilikens," but it was little too strong for every day use. Not that it was ever proIane or indelicate. It came of decent people, did "gee- whil- kens," and never behaved itself un- seemlv, but somehow it was too sono- rous and ponderous for anything of less import than double murder or a fail from ten-story building. The desideratum for popular substitute swear is something that can be used for all occasions, like the ladies' "Isn't it perfectly elegant?" or "Don't you think it's exqisite?" Something that a man needn't be afraid to use when he has his working clothes on, is what the people want.
 It should be about the build of a two-em dash, only not so sinister not so sulphurous-something for Sunday use, as well as for week days "Darn" comes nearest to the proper word, but "darn" is frequently con- fused with the other word, which means to mend socks. To be sure that is a meaning which is fast becoming archaic and obsolete, and has already entirely dropped out of the vocabu- lary of young men who live in board ing houses, but the new word must have no such entangling alliances.
 Until that word shall have arrived, the mass of mankind must, perforce, go on using the two-em dash, which, for the benefit of the lady readers of the Mai1, is sounded good deal like the first syllable of damson plums or the last syllable of Amsterdam. It is commonly vocalized with varying degrees of explosiveness, according. as the user has had his hat sat upon or his corn trodden upon.