The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-02-08

language when fellcr's got no tcach
cr?h said John.
"You could teach your elf, or could
instruct you; but, John, why have you
SO recently found yourself defective in
the art of speech, and why this sudden
notion 20 improvc?'
John rubbed the perspiration from
his brow and said Cause / want TO
be "a | Kin talk 10 anybody, it makes
no difference who it Is IA man, or
gal Them Bushvil!e fcllers Kin talk
their grammar and git away with
:. iather suspect that there is some
young lady with whom you wish to
converse. said alter, smiling.
John brushed his horid face with the
sleeve of his shirt, and. aft momen-
tary pause, said: MAY be it's so, and
may be it aint."
admit the truth of il, John" said
Walter. 'Is there not some young lady
in Bu-hvillc for whose sake you want
TO pO ish up your language"
John turned his face 10 the wall and
said, in an awkward way; "W,I,
then. what # there was, an what If she
lived in Bushyille an her name was
Susie Back, coull YOU help fcller
any?n
Il might" said Waiter, with a
ST .lc.
Then you've got the hull secret O.
my case
You want to cultivate your lam
guagc then. so that in convcrsing with
Miss Back you may cope with those
young men at Bushyille.
"1hat's list it. said John, turning
his face toward Walter. "Ie sec them
Bushvil'e e chaps just take the shine out
o. a fcller that's been raised among
horses. oxen and mules.
"All ri ght. john" Walter answered.
"Now, in the first place, let me crit
icisc YEA som1 in your ronuneiation.
Hold on there, said John, what
do mean by them BIZ words?'
"Clitlcise llcanS TO judge, to exam
inc and po mt out your faults"
"Ycs, in course" SAID John, who
hardy understood Walter yet.
"Iou are in the habit of callinG,.!e
girl gal
"Ain that right"'
"No, Yen should never use H."
Il won then.
You seem deficient in grammar,
you frequently use the objective them
in the nominatlye case
Yes" said John, floundering in a
sea of uncertainty as to the meaning Of
his tutor.
"Iou do not seem 10 know that tho
verb must agree with the noun ia num-
Der and person, and frequently use
plural noun as subject and singular
verb
Hold on. hold on" said John,
reaching out his hand despairingly.
I'm afraid ye're given me too big a
dose 10 take all TO onc't"
why I've not given you any thing
yet"
Then I'll better give it up. cant
learn i that in a lifetime. / kin stand
sensa Ia K, but when it comes to nouns
by plurh and singular. | cave in.
Pinhcy Kin learn AL about them things,
but never will; | hatB 'em. The
teacher forged me six times one day,
cos | didn't know what a noun was,
and I've hated the thing ever since.
Darn a noun, | want nothing to do
9TH 'cm."
Walter smiled and said: But John
don't YOU loye Susie Black9'
II do, by Jupiter, do!'
"Will you not put yourself to some
inconvenience for ler sake?'
Il will. Nou bet | viii.
"Do you not wish TO speak as cor
rcct,y = tho, young fellows at Bush
vile. the c.crNs, the bankers and
school tcacu,r,?'
"Ia's.'
Then why hot try7"
II will.
Walter now saw at once that John 8
teacher h,.i made a mistake in giving
him abttrac. rules, so he commenced
to give him object lessons. He showed
him the difference between false and
correct sentences, commencing with
the most simp'c; Il are and IL am,
were explained 10 John, and they
are" .how--- hir.. practically that the
verb must agree with the noun In
number. ThCn step by step, ht
taught him without a book until in .
few weeks there was vast improve
mcnt in Johns pronunciation and
speech. lie declared he would socr
n