Morning journal and courier., 1891-10-24
THE FLEETING SHOW.
Some of Its Facts and Fanctes.

DON'T MENTION IT!
 The advice given by wise father to his daughters, 'Girls, get new words into your vocabularies,n ? in their case probably needed no qualifying.
 These particular girls, it is said, were never at a loss to express exactly what they intended. Their language was varied and picturesque, they used different phrases to express different feelings and sensations, and always with propriety, so that after talking to the average girl whose terms for joy or sorrow, assent or denial could be safely predicted, and whose linn ited supply of adjectives and adverbs com pelled her to describe storm at sea and an April shower, bonnet and sonnet, in much the same terms, it was pleasure and relief to listen to these cultured young people whose conversation showed what might be accomplished with little study
 Our language is rich in possibilities. From all the principal languages of the world we gather never-failing supply of words which, in justice to them, we ought to learn to apply in the best manner. 'The facility with which mortals escape hho"lCuSo ID vel SAVally ny IuC common misuse of words which comes from ignorance of their meaning. More over, to crowd a square word into a round hold is intentional abuse, and to wrest from term it's real significance in order to appear original and audacious in the use of it is sin against which one's own conscience ought to protest.
 A good example of misuse of word, either through ignorance or nal ice is the modern application of the word "swagger" used Cad nauseam" in connection with matters of dress. It is found in the fashion columns of news papers, placed there by writers who know better than to use it and allowed to re- main by editors who know better than to admit it. We hear it from the lips of peo- pie who are aware that it is absurd and ill- chosen, as we'll as from those who have caught it up ignorantly, carelessly and ap- ply it wherever it pleases them to do so.
 "A swagger hatl" "A swagger jaeketl" Let us look at the dictionary and find out just what this means. There seems to be. by the way, no adjective form, so we must use the verb or noun in place of the adjec- tive and our sentences have not even the merit of grammatical accuracy. The word is derived from the Anglo-Saxon "Swegan," :" to make noise; to rattle. The definition of the verb is, ''to boast or brag noisily; to be ostentatiously proud; to bluster; to bully" and of the noun, "boastfulness or insolence of manner" "What pleasure it is to swagger at the bari" "He gave a half swagger, half leer, as he stepped forth to receive us," are illustrative quotations. A swagger hat, then, is, literally rendered, a bluster hat a swagger gown, brag gown; swagger (swaggering) girl must be boastful, noisy, insolent.
 The pity of it is that the phrase is not | used to describe that which is clustering, may be lady-ike, quiet, refined, tasteful; what, then, can justify the abusive epi- thets Certainly it shows lack of knowl- | edge, of good taste, of deeency even-and the word, used in this connection, should be tabooed by every one having the least pretension to common sense. If there must be fashionable phrases let them be clean and well bred.
 l Get not this word into your vocabula- ries, girls or if you do, use it to express that which is loud, aggressive, offensive. | And, above all things, do not allow any one | to apply it to your own garments or man. ners, since it can appropriately describe only the manners of the slun or the bar l room.
 l WHITE UPON WHITE.
 The delightful art of china decoration | is one which is carried to high degree oi excellence by some of our American ar. tists and teachers. Miss Annie B. Wood of Boston is one of these skillful ones, hel "Royal Worcester" work being especially fine. During the presidents recent visit to Boston, Mrs. Harrison, herself an artist in china painting, met Miss Wood and ex amined her work. While discussing the art and it's methods she spoke of the diff culty of representing white flower upor white ground. Shortly after her return to Washington she received from Mis-
 Wood beautiful piece of china, upoI
 which was a graceful white lily exquisitel.
 shown upon white background, where
 upon the lady of the White House re
 turned charming note, congratulatini her upon the solution of the problem, ant
 the perfection she had attained in her art
 A CHAMPION OF TEMPERANCE.
 A distinguished visitor who has jus
 come to this country upon mission o
 importance is Lady Henry Somerset o
 Eastnor Castle, near Malvern Hills. Sh is president of the British Woman's Tem
 perance association, and vice president o the Worlds Woman's Temperance associs tion, which was organized in 1876. Thi ! latter body will assemble in Boston on th