New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-17

throurhout life What man KNOWS pest Is thhD
in when lr feels The deepest INTEREST," 'na'' name
~ which acts as q stimulus upon his mind anu
FIXES his attention No man ever succcus ~ ao-
inc what does not interest him. but the deepcr bis
interest the Greater his success lhis principle
o,nes IN cducntion in early life with precisely the
same force and dtness. but il is only to-day that
the trnth is BEGINNING N he recognized, ana De
cause OF the failure TO recognize ~ we nave soie
~, mill po,v wasting and worse thar wasting the
-. ,,ooi,,s rears Of life There are no quicker
;,i,or irtoIlioences 10 be found than those which
eu American schools and colleges. why is IT.
tlen that such complaints as Professor mn makes
Gro called for? Why is it that American Joys SO
oftan enter life lamentably illequlpped IN Their
mother tongue? The answer, We suDlni'' shou,u
no ohvious II is because the methods OF 'each-
ing English generally employed 40 noU ih'crese .ie
students or attract them do noO ooucn Ok SViinu-
late their minds, and consequently array 'nSln
AGAINST study which should be, ana asSureoiy can
be- made most attractive
Tn dealing with the abuse OF Enghsn IN news
papers. novels and the pulpit PROFESSOR MN
structures are generally supported Dy apposle
examples and his arguments are s.roney put
Vet once moro we are compelled TO express tho
opinion that his view is too narrow anu that ne
misses the full significance OF the facts In
49, O.. ,looo n mist be borne in mind that a
is necessarily growing language.
This truth has important lmphcauohS' Ohe
IL that In dealing with such a language the
dialcnltv Of fixing the standard OF proprlety must
~ 800 and constant. For the prohibited slang
- ..os.ordo,, is the accepted language Of to-day,
- 90 ,no,ro,v the dictionaries will admit the
words wbose present coinage we protest against
Nor can IL be said that the standard oil style is
much more stable There is IN TACT, no style winch
has not Mt some time been followed and at some
otber time been condemned II at this hour an
ambitions author were 70 attempt TO employ what
;s varuelv termed classical English" his work
,ro,1d hovond n doubt remain unread. II
literary sspirant should confidently give his days
ord NIGHTS 70 the study OF Addison, as recon-
,ocndad IN what was once the very highest
or.boritv what would be his reward? Can any
one imagine the success Of a novel composed
ppon the model of Fielding or Smollett, in this
vcor NJ orocep Is IL credible that the Congress
man who modelled himself upon Chatham, Burke
or Sheridan would to-day achieve oratorcal
fame?
We shall not for a moment contend that the
English used in novels and newspapers and
sermons at present is as good as 1t might be
What we assert is that on tho whole 1t is as
good rs the existing state OF things makes posi-
BILE For IL must be remembered that novels
and newspapers are written 70 the end that they
NAV be read by the largest attainable number
of persons, and sermons are composed with the
object Of winning the attention and convincing
the Judgment of their hearers. II follows that
the primary law Of their being is adaptation TO
their environment Tho steady pnrsuiteof the
highest ethical and literary aims Is Incompatible,
moreover with that cult Of gain which under
lies oil, or nearly all, human activities. IL is
not less true that even IL this cult OF gain be
subordinated 10 the maintenance OF lofty stand
ard the result is 10 restrict the circulation. ana
consequently the influence OF the book or journal
concerned The middle path, therefore, Is that
which must commend itself 20 the wise author
and publisher; the path which offers the broad
est field Of usefulness with the smallest sncriilce
Of high aspirations. Even here, nevertheless,
there are conditions and limitations The stand
ard is fixed, not by the will OF the writer and
publisher, but by the average OF popular infeli-
cence Thus we find ourselves returning 20 the
point from which We set out but with fresh
confirmation Of the proposition that after all, the
prevailing level OF English depends, not upon the
press and the makers Of literature, so much as
upon the character and efficacy OF the methods
OF instruction employed in our schools and col
leges.
Il is in those institutions that reform must
begin. and thence IL viii spread gradually through
the nation. II may be freely admitted that az
present the American people exhibit good deal OF
irreverence in dealing with their mother tongue,
and that the revolutionary and independents spirit
they owe partly TO inheritance and partly 10 the
u. lad 90 srf-
crude and iIl-judged experiments with H. That
the reckless seeking after new combinations and
taking expressions and words and phrases which
symbolize current popular ideas and the frequently
obscure and thin tests which tickle the masses,
too often tempts writer's 20 commit sins against
taste is equally certain. Yet II may be said that
these venial offences are at bottom little more than
concessions TO a peculiarly American tendency
the tendency namely, 20 cnliven the sordid neces-
sites Of business life with certain cynical humor
which is half pure fun and as often as not half
bitter protest against some abuse or wrong beyond
remedy for the time being. This national humor
may remain when better methods Of teaching En-
glish are adopted, but there is no reason why IL
should not he elevated and refined, and this would
naturally follow change for the better In the edu-
cational methods. The chief point 10 be noted in
all this discussion is the futility of all remedial
efforts which do not begin at the beginning. A
nation which in childhood was not properly taught
the language it speaks can never afterward attain
the normal level OF its literary development. 1t
may and will advance its own educa-
ton. but It at the best win be handi-
capped by its own wasted--or mistaught
youth, and IL can never gain that profound sym
pathy with, love Of and feeling for its literature
which spring from early acquaintance with and
attachment TO the agencies of intellectual expes-
sion. Professor HIPS little book is fun Of clear
thinking upon the topics he discusses, and 1t Is in
teresting and suggestive. Had he carried out his
views TO their logical conclusions it would have
been still more useful.
OHNETrS NEW NOVEL,