New-York tribune., 1891-05-10
PEW QUIET REMARKS.

The idea was put forward recently that much
higher grade of reading matter is to be found
in the newspapers than in the magazines ms
notion. we fancy, has been generally accepted, as
IL came from very high authority, namely,
gentleman who Is himself an able newspaper
writer. We have so for looked In vain TOT an
Endorsement Of this view Of the situation Dy any
magazine writer of note, but after ALL this slgni-
6os nothing, as, unable TO produce literature oi
the highest order themselves, 1t is not strange
that they should not recognize it when produced
by others. We may then, we suppose. proceed
with the understanding that outside Of the maga-
zine writer's everybody comedies that it is in tho
newspapers that we find current American litera-
ture in its highest state Of development This fact
being duly established it pity that there
should be any bemish whatever on the brilliant
writing of the gentlemen who make the news
papers But sometimes, we fear there is oc-
casonally such blemish on these writings, as
we find by close perusal OF our many able con-
temponres Among these we may mention one.
q small one TO be sure, but-noblesse oblige;-
and that is the constant use Of the adjective
quiet" and adverb quietly on every possible
occasion.
Quiet is, of course. word in excellent sulnuln9
in the language, but it would seem that If it is
become completely worn out, and we shall be
Obliged to import French word to take its place.
something which has frequently happened to more
robust words in the past Thus we read alike Of
quiet wedding and quiet funeral, q quiet
necktie and quiet reception, quiet spring
bonnet and quiet meeting of bank directors. We
are waiting to hear of a quiet lynching and of q
trotting- horse of o. quiet color We are told not
long ago of a man who happened to be much in
the public eye at the time that he met his friends
ouietly-that is, he did not spring at them with
wild whoop and slap them on the back /;
that lie walked along the street quietly
no brass band or steam piano close behind, we
suppose that at a reception he deported himself
in quiet manner--he did not shoot out the lights
and propose three cheers for Jesse James, that the
pattern of his trousers was quiet-we gather that
no uproar or riot was produced by the wearing OF
these particular trousers on the street; that he
drove quietly in the Park-the idea being, evil
dently, that his progress was not accompanied by
loud explosions earthquakes electrical discharges
or other natural phenomenon; nor did the gentle
man mount the roof of his carriage or bestride one
of the horses and call for the life's blood of a
Park policeman We may add that his wife's
dresses were quiet and that on one occasion her
hair was arranged quietly, what few diamonds she
wore being, happily, also quiet.
We are of course far from saying that the word
Quiet may never be used except TO indicate freedom
from physical uproar and disturbance, but its use
in other ways may lie overdone. Turning to the
able Mr. Worcester, we find that he shrewdly de-
rivcs quiet from the Latin quictus and considers it
in general way as nearly synonymous with still,
calm. tranquil peaceful, smooth, and so forth. He
would scarcely recognize a quiet pair of low shoes.
When we consult the ingenious Mr.. Webster, we
find he has also shadowed the word, as 1t were,
back to the Latin quietus, p p. Of quiescere. and
thot his idea of its meaning is much tic same as
that induced in by his scholarly rival, with the
exception that he goes little further and recog-
nizcs that there may be such thing as quiet
colors. a quiet movement, and so forth, something
which we just took pleasure in admitting, though
we were panied 10 say that there might be too
much of it. In short. it occurs to us that q
dinner for instance, which is arranged quietly and
for which the covers" are laid quietly, and where
the decorations and walters are quiet, the ladies'
dresses quiet the conversation quiet, and at which
all eat and drink quietly, and the gentlemen make
a very few quiet speeches, and the whole thing
| breaks up at a quiet hour,-t seems to us, we re-
peat that it is little short Of crime to drag any
thing so quiet as this out into the rude light oi
day where things are not quiet.