The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-05-03
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
FALLEN WORDS.
Now Certain Terms Have Suffered Through
Bad Usage.

is even more surely. lost for all good
and dignified uses. Witness the word
saloon, twin to the French salon, and
coming straight to us from the Ger
man ''saal" hall. Born and reared
in village of about five thousand in
habitants l know not what grog-
shop was called thirty years ago. l
remember certain places never entered
by the better sort, known as canal
groceries,, and certain forbidden quar-
tiers said to be infested, my old-fash-
Toned liquor-hating father said, with
Hell Holes" But if they set above
their doors the word saloon" do not
know.
But fancy the amazement of Mar
quise de Rambouillet, and her charm
ing train of ladies, and later of Nine.
de Stael, Mime. Roland, and the spright-
ly women of the French restoration,
could they know that salon has
come to mean, not an elegant
apartment set apart for the
exhibition of pictures, or the meeting
of intelligent and cultured men and
women, but groggery, more or less
extensively appointed, but still-a
groggery. Fancy, too, an American
poet of this year of 1894 saying of his
hero as did Wordsworth: He had de-
scended from the proud saloon!" The
finest cabin of a steamer Is still called
Saloon" but l know of no other APP
pearance of the word in respecta BILE
society in our land, and that no re-
spectacle woman is expected to enter
what currently passes by that name, |
know by personal experience. Not
long ago while shopping in my own
city of Chicago, suffering intensely from
nervous headache, l asked police
man to tell me where to find the near
est drug store, for 1 was in a locality
seemingly bereft of these ministers of
comfort. He indicated a corner, and l
set out giving heed to my steps be-
cause of orange peel, mud and
general slipperiness, besetting and
upsetting. Arrived, as l sup
posed, | mounted several steps
and entered a door without
looking at the windows, much less the
sign. l have a confused recollection of
a babel of voices, then sudden ST.
lence, stretch of polished mahogany,
and cleaning glass, and men standing
about looking toward me. But | re-
member wildly the young man in a
white linen jacket nearest me and the
entrance. He held napkin in his
hand, and with parted lips, and wide
open eyes he advanced upon me very
l.
which he must circumspectly "shoo''
out of the place. He shook the napkin,
and essayed to speak. Of course l re-
lieved him instantly.
Last summer, en- route eastward, we
stopped over night at Detroit, and in
the morning | rose with the WEAKNESS
of several weeks of overwork throb-
bling in my temples. Eight hours of
railway travel were before us, and
knowing something must be done to
quiet the pain, | told Timotheus /
would meet him at breakfast, and
slipped out while he was doing his last
prinking. | was gone, perhaps, ten min
utes, and on my return joined him with
out word, sure that if / did not vol
unteer to tell where had been | would
be asked. He waited perhaps three
seconds. Then came the expected
question. l replied quietly, that l had
gone bit down the street for drink,
and that l believed l was going to feel
better.
"a drink" he echoed in astonish-
ment. ''If you feel so bad you needed
r1Ht of 4 1rst
have it brought up to your room, in
stead of going to the drug store?"
No one knows better than you |
don't drink brandy or sonnet hing" !
replied.
But you said you went fora drink, u
he protested.
81 did. What l bought was an eff
fervesing beverage charged with gas,
and made out of aqua pura and bromo
seltzer."
A few weeks ago while driving with
an old school acquaintance I was again
in the clutch of my arch enemy, and as
we neared drug store begged him
to stop. He offered to do my errand,
when | explained that l had best dc
IL myself lOT, Hulu 1, L want a
drink"
Don't stop here for it," he said
nervously, and giving me an odd, APP
prehensive glance, 81 am sure we have
a little whisky at home, and if we
haven't, I'll go and get you some.'
Again l had to explain, though this
man knew me very well, that my
drink was a very innocent compound
guiltless of any sort of spirits. Alas,
once upon time all my little world
would understand my entreaty for "a
drink to mean a wish for water. Two
dear old people who always under.
stand me, understand that phrase when
l use it now. But so identified has i,
become with something the antipodes
of my favorite tipple, old friends, and
even Timotheus can be misled when
reverting, for fun, to my childhood
phrase, l, who count myself a temper
ance woman, say, II want a drink
To such depths have words fallen" in
evil company.-Elizabeth Cummings, il
Union Signal.