The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-05-08
The Scribe's Report.
FOR BOTH MEMBERS AND NoN-MEMBERs Oh
THE HILL COUNTRY CLUB.

THE HILL COUNTRY CLUB.
One of the suggestions of cd" that
came in response to the recent in
vitation of the Scribe we have not yet
had room to notice. Referring to the
study of words which we had been
having, the writer says, " 1t seems to
me more beneficial to young people to
learn the right use of words" No
hint is given as to how they can be
better helped in that direction by means
of this Boys and Girls department.
On this point we would like more light.
All word study helps to the intelligent,
and, therefore, to the fright" use of
words. But the Scribe has no means
of knowing that the boys and girls who
read these columns do not use words as
correctly as they can without special
study of the subject; or, if they do not,
are at fault. 1t might do more harm
than good for the Scribe to point out
errors at random. Here is an illustra-
ton: Once upon time, in country
high school, new textbook on rhet-
orc was introduced, and in chapter
on the choice of words pupils were
warned against using slang words and
phrases, and examples were given of
such as should be avoided. Among
them was name for rubber overshoes
which none of the class had ever heard
before, and it took like wild-fre and
spread throughout the school, and even
to the village outside. Yet there
wasn't single member of that class
who was accustomed 10 the use of
slang words, but this was &C so funny" ~!
1t was irresistible. So you see the
Scribe learned lesson, and doesn't
want to suggest errors that you might
never have thought of. 1t will be all
right, however, and in keeping with
our plan, for any one to ask questions
about the use of words concerning
which he or she is in doubt, and we shall
be glad to answer all such questions ac-
cording to the best light we can obtain.
Yet there is one word the incorrect
or superfiuous use of which is so uni.
versal that we think it will be quite
safe to speak of it, for every one must
have heard it so used, and that is the
verb to "get" Here are a few SEN
fences from a paragraph which some
one has devised for the purpose of
caricaturing the too common use of this
word.
81 got on horseback within ten min
utes after got your letter. When l
got to Canterbury | got a chaise for
town; but / got wet through before |
got to Canterbury and have got such
a cold as | shall not be able to get rid
of in a hurry. When l got
up in the morning got my breakfast,
and then l got myself dressed, that l
might get out in time to get an answer
to my memorial. AS soon as got it l
got into the chaise and got back to
Canterbury, and about tea-time | got
home"
We suggest that the boys and girls
try whether they can revise these SEN
fences so as to dispense with the verb
get" and got" altogether. If sue
cessful, send the result to the Scribe
and it will be acknowledged. Webster
permits the use of this word in
all the senses in which it appears il
these sentences. But it is in bad taste
to use it whenever better expression
can be found, and there is one use oil
it that should never be allowed, ant
that is using it in the sense of "must; )
as " have got to do 80 and so" TO
" / must do so and so;" or, still worse
"I've got to get there - for " mus
be there" A home game is some
times played in which questions arr
asked that would lead naturally to tn,
use of "got, or any other prohibited
word, in the answer, and the one VIII,
can not answer instantly without usinl
the forbidden word has forfeit to pay.
1t was not expected that the mem
bers of the club would all agree in thei
answers to the first question of Apr
10. Here is one response;
Dear Scribe Il can not really decid
in the answer to the first question, so
will write the names of four author
who lived about that time.
l. Who was the first prose writer O
this period?
Roger Ascham, born 1915, died 1868
Sir Philip Sydney, born 1864, die,
1886; Sir Walter Raleigh, born 1862
died 1913; Francis Bacon, born 1861
died 1926.
2. Who was its first noted poet?
Edmund Spenser, born 1858, die
1898.
3. What was the most important worl
of this poet?
q NEa Eaar;a