The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-06
IDEAS for dMoanen.

~nen tHeS2itUe tots are ence nome ifo't
school for their vacation the careful
mother viii often be shocked at the sur
prising number of Objectionable words
and expressions that they have acquired
during their first fascinating terms of
school life. Words end expressions that
seem all the more choice and desirable
to the youngsters because they are for
hidden at home.
And there is stih another class Of
mothers who need a word OF caution. the
cnes who are not careful enough OF the
horne vocabulary. who scarcely notice
the rude expressions which their children
pick up at school ana on the street. be-
cause expressions chat are even more OBJ
5ecfionable are IN common use in the
home. and almost overlooked by the busy
mothers who ind 50 little time for this
parf Of the chiid's training. and IN their
hurried. anxious overworked state they
often indulge themselves fin harsh words.
Some people may say give US the vo-
cabuiary Of a home and We All tell you
IT'S moral status and its degree Of refine
ment.
often you are in Z home but q few
hours when from 4 chance sentence or
word an interesting family history IS
opened to you. This here" that
there" "his'n.s "her'n." etc. At once re-
veal a faulty education. or the mingling
with uneducated people. A slangy word
or expression betrays the lack of mental
culture: a vile one. the lack Of heart
culture.
TIL dialect of the nniearned and lift
crate is. Of course. to be condemned and
avoided. but much more the expressions
and stories used by low characters.
The tshome vocabulary like the home
living room needs daily attention to keep
1t in proper shape. Our sentences need
r-earranging. while some words should be
swept up and burned as is other re-
fuse. But in how many homes, think
you. does the anxious. loving mother,
straining at the gnats OF neatness. econ
omy. etc.. Swallow this eamel?"
Possibly some think this matter of Ian
guage. as regards its purity, and allegi-
ance to grammatical rules, is of little Im-
pert. Such parents believe that Mary
and John viii take on" all this when
they go to boarding school. or college. or
"eome out" in society. But let me unde-
ceive you.
Habits Of expression, like physical hab-
It's. are often difficult, and sometimes al
~ 4A44Do-c4t1C I - Z 4 titC
testimony of more than one eminent
scholar. who. in spite of his scholarship
culture. must ever be handicapped by this
early home vocabulary"
Watch the expressions of your neighbor
(Which is easier, you know. than watch
ing YOURSELF.
Hear the low. rude, vulgar words tina
are constantly used before the family
of growing children by the careless
father, and too often ever by the hurried,
o~ver-anxious mother. Shut up your
mouth, Tom," III go for your meat
shop" and many others that smack
strongly Of @Billingsgate.. Such express
sions as these are by no means uncom-
mon even in fairly intelligent and re-
spectacle families.
Then there are those from one to sew
eral shades less offensive that seem
to be taetily believed as quite ndis-
%pensable to family government: as .Il
box your ears, I'll give you something
TO remember, or cry for etc, all of
which the tired or careless mother uses
freely and thoughtlessly.
The remedy in such eases is worse
than-the d-sease The child might far
better go u~nrebuked for his offense than
receive this kind OF reproof, for in nine
cases out Of ten more harm than good
is done. The child's evil nature is
aroused, and if he is the right sort Of
child he feels insulted by such Ian
guage-
Ought parents to expect their children
TO use more proper and respectful lam
guage than they themselves do? Ought
not sassy i~ll-tempered parents ex-
pect Sassy ill-tempered children?
But some mother buried in household
cares, with no time to seek instruction
about participates and "infnitfyes't
turns this advice as Of no particular
value to her. But it should be remem-
bered that many people who do not know
a single rule of grammar have taught
themselves to Speak correctly by simply
copying after others.
Why not do the same? Watch and
compare the expressions Of the learned
and the ignorant; study the use Of words
in the best papers and books that fall
into your hands, watch your own words
and expressions, correcting them when
wrong.
Much good may also be accomplished,
and no little fun had in the home from
this experience. The young folks win
test their own remarks and expressions,
and those of their parents, by the rules
which they have been learning in their
grammar and rhetoric. A fine might be
imposed on the member guilty of the
most blunders and a reward given to the
one discovering the greatest number of
errors. If you have never tried some
such method of correcting your grammar
and your language you win be surprised
at the excellent results.
A mother who conscientiously makes
it a rule to watch her expressions and
to correct at once when mistakes are
made viii soon find that she will
seldom have occasion to make correc-
tons, and the influence upon her children
will soon be marked. It may seem a
little thing until she once begins to
follow this rule and It will then be a
daily surprise to her, for a time, to dis
cover into what careless lines the home
vocabulary has been allowed 10 run.
And above all. impose a heavy fine for
slang. It is bad enough to hear the young
freshman home from college with his
newly-acquired vocabulary of ..American-
Sms, but to hear a sweet 16-year-old
girl let fall constantly such expressions
as That cuts no ices and II don't think. .
"Ycu are of your trolley and Nit. IS
enough TO make any nearer who Is only