The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-03-06
IN ITALICS.

nat girl always Talks In lIallcS,
said lady to her friend, as gay girl Of
fifteen, laughing and talking volubly,
fitted past the elder woman.
Il fancy they all do SO, was the reply
Of the other. is it only because ! am
growing older. and am more subdued
than l used to be. that think nothing,
in young girl, equals or even APP
proaches reposc in charm? lam SO tired
of hearing girls use superlatives. when
positives are in order: Of listening to
conversations which are peppered with
dashes, and spiced with intersections;
in fact. see so much to criticise in the
girl of the period. that I'm half afraid
of doing her injustice. For she is
SWEET
Sweet cried the first speaker. "In-
deed she is, with the sweetness Of rose
half blown, the sweetness Of youth, and
freshness and real enjoyment, and buoy
ant hope. But she and host of her Sis
tiers are like Eva Leighton. who flashed
past us . moment ago; they talk in
italics"
have always thought it best. ii one
has cause of complaint. to go at once to
the person most nearly concerned, and
have candid comparison of views. l
am too fond Of girls to join in whole
sale condemnation Of them, let them do
what they may: but would really like
to ask them If they do not think they
might be more careful, not so much OF
what they say, as Of how they say 1t.
For instance, the other evening, heard
from the lips of beautiful girl, repeat
eddy. the exclamation: ''By Jove"
! knew that she had a brother at col
lego, and | inferred that by Jove!'
was one of his college catch-words, but
1t was in the worst possible taste, as the
excrescence of speech, in the boys sis
ter. am not justifying him in it's use,
for think it is more elegant for every
one. as well as safe, and according to
Scripture. to garnish conversation with
No explosives, and to be limited to plain
affirmation and denial: Yea, yea, nay,
nay. but an objectionable phrase GER
tainly sounds worse in girls talk, than
in boys. lawfully. fearfully, stun
ningly." and tho like have an italic ef-
feet, and . girl would do well to avoid
them.
Il perfectly hate Mrs. g. / detest
her. She's meaner than an Indian
sunaw-' said Gertie Manning Of lady
who had offended her by some harmless
popularity. Translated out of girl
superlative into plain yernacular. this
meant only that Gertie did not espe-
cially like Mrs. q, and preferred to be
In some other lady's Sunday-school
class, and that. for some reason or other,
she thought Mrs. 9 disobliging, ''mean"
in girl-rarlance. standing for variety
Of disagreeable qualities.
Girls are very apt to be sweeping in
their assertions, simply because youth
is intolerant. and apt to be crude in its
judgments, and less gentle and patient
than maturity. For this reason, il
were girl again, would cultivate the
habit of reserving my spoken opinion.
l would wait little, and defer, ever SO
much more than used to do, to the
opinions of my elders and betters. The
habit OF italics, in speaking, is partly Z
habit springing from temperament, not
always matter of disposition or OF
thought. The impulsive, impetuous,
swiftly-moving nature brings to every
act of life a greater force than the slug
gish. phlegmatic opposite does. But
nothing is SO delightful as enthusiasm
held in leash: the hasting, hurrying,
sanguine temperament restrained by
gentleness: AIN in no way can this most
desirable charm be gained, except BY
daily thought, daily self-discipline
daily vigilance. There is no danger
that your speech will be colorless, deal
girl, or that your spontaneity will b.
lost, if you study to he tranquil. ever
dignified. Try the plan for the mex
few weeks Of never talking in italics
Margaret E. Songster, in Interior.
II A STORY OF LONG AGO.
why Patty Jane Didn't Go to tho Party
Hut Had to Return Homo Alone.
There was to be a ''tea-party" at Uncle
Johns house. Mamma and Papa War
rem were invited, and Lew and Beck.
thought it very hard that they should b.
left at home with grandma to spend thu
long evening.
Il most know my eyes won't sta,
open till supper time without mamma t
tell me stories, complained little Becky
dolefnlly, with her chubby hands wrap
ped close in her pinafore, while sh
trudged from window to window +
catch the very last glimpse Of the sleigl
before it dashed out of sight over tn
hills.
; Lew, I'm sorry to say, kicked tn
chairs right hard with his copper toes
and scowled blackly.
.'Oh, yes, they will, dearie!" erie
grandma, cheerfully, winding in tn
!. numerous balls of bright yarn whic
! had been wandering about the floor, an
doubling together the long wool ''con
forter'' she was knitting for grandpa
. "Yes, of course they will! And they'l
be bright as buttons, too, for I'll tel
you story myself"
. "A story of when you's little girl?
, queried Becky, her sleepy eyes openin
, suddenly.
'.Oh, but that's an astonishing Ion
, time ago." said grandma.