The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-03-05

use he makes of such opportunities he has.
Opportunities of some kind lay within the reach
OF all men, and it is the men who grasp these and
work them them out that the world calls success
full 1t takes courage to succeed in life; not the
courage of the brute, but moral courage. He is
the Drawer who stands frmest in the face of dan
ger, and not he who fights with the greatest fury
in the heat of battle.
Have a life purpose be loyal to that purpose,
and your life must be counted success.
Good English.
There is no short cut. l fear, to good En-
glish. People who should read only few
of the best written books. and talk with
only a few people who are all careful in
their language. would probably speak and
write in good English. But this is no mans
experience. We all have to read great
deal of bad English, and we have to talk
with great many people who speak bad
English. Whether we wish it or not, we
shall be affected by the English which we
see and hear. 1t follows that we must be
on the look out, that our own language,
spoken or written. does not become care
less. wOrdy, or weak. -perhaps pOmpOus or
pretentiOus. or that it does not take in
phrases which are local, provincial. or
slang.
1t is interesting to observe what foreign
ers read easily. and SO like to read of our
language. This use of it is, indeed, good
test They dislike Dickens. They call
him ''hard, "-meaning hard to understand.
They like Goldsmith.-their children read
The Vicar of Wakefeld' more than we
do. They like Franklin's English. think
the centennial of Franklin's death was OBJ
served by more persons in Germany than in
America. The simplicity of De Foe, the
writer of Robinson Crusoe. has great deal
to do with the popularity of that novel.
And. in general, it will be found that books
of any wide spread popularity are in simple
English. Many translation fails to COM
mand the attention which the original re-
ceived. because the English, though intelli-
gible, is not simple. A foreigner would say
it was not easy"
say all this by way of giving the hint to
people who want to write good English
that they will do we'll to try Franklin's
plan. Read carefully page of good En-
glsh, say bit OF Franklin's own work.
so that you can remember what he says.
| Do not commit the words to memory. A
day afterWard write it out as we'll as you
can, applying such rules as you have conf
dence in. Compare your English with his.
See why his is better. it you can. There
are many good guides, if you will use them.
l know none better or more entertaining
than Hills Rhetoric. which is published by
Harper.
A person who talks good English, will
generally write good English, though not
always,-and the converse is true.-that a
person who writes good English will gener-
ally talk good English. But this is not al
ways so. For, as has been said, you can
study about your writing; and you can cor
rect it before you use the revised copy. But
good talk cannot be studied. A man must
not be thinking about his adjectives and ad
verbs. But L find that what call bad talk
is more apt to fail from moral defects, than
from mistakes or ignorance in rhetoric or
grammar. If person thinks of himself
more highly than he ought to think, he will
certainly be bad talker. If he is enviOus
or jealous, or selfish. he will be bad
talker. Many people do not listen to what
is said of them. They are toe eager to
fore, has no close connection with the con-
versation, and, in this regard. they are bad
takers. But you see that this is moral
failure. If they had not been cOnceited,
had they been willing or glad to listen. they
would have talked better. In the same pro-
portion as they do not listen we'll, do they
fail to notice the difference between bad
talk and good. To certain extent they
put themselves in the position of deaf peo-
pie. because they do not hear, do not speak
well, or perhaps at ALL
Let no one be discouraged. Abraham
Lincoln, who used such good English.
seems to have learned it from dozen books
such as any one may have at hand. Hard
ing's life of himself is book of excellent
English, yet he says in it that he could not
read till he was MAINLAND never knew
any language but his own. William B.
Greene wrote admirable English. 'HOw
do you write English so well?" asked a
near friend. II do not know" said he.
''unless it be that cannot write Latin,''-
Edward E. Hale, in c. L. S. G. Member
ship Book.