Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-18
GRAMMAR TREE

The following is a most excellent arti-
Gle in this months Ladies' Home Journal
by Ruth Ashmore, and Is republished
A strange title? WE'LL perhaps. And
yet 1t came by reading an English trans
lation of something which Latin writer
had said; often titles are born, not made
And the good climber should know
more than this, | want every one or my
girls to climb this grammar tree, and to
learn to speak in the best manner posi-
BILE. We all make mistakes. English I'M
defled is seldom heard, and beware, as
far a s possible, of local phrases. The girl
of the south inclines to be a little stilted
and a little tiowery; sometimes she mixes
her metaphors, and then what she says
sounds most ridiculous. The girl of the;
west Is quick to speak, has a decided ten
dency toward slang, and except for her
inclination to use short words she is to.
be commended. The girl of the east is
apt in her speech to use what the news
papers call "localism" and the girl of the
north is very much like the girl of the
east.
When climbing the grammar tree one
must learn not only to speak correctly,
but 10 speak properly, and when say TO
speak properly | mean do not speak in
shrill tones, do not speak through the
nose, do not speak in drawing fashion,,
but strike the keynote that results in me-
lodious sounds. The voice OF a woman
should be low and sweet, but clear. Dolly,
who very properly signs her name. Doro-
thy, was a member Of the graduating
class in well known college. She thinks
that she understands the English Ian
guage perfectly and when / suggest to
her the possibility of her not having
reached the very top of the grammar tree
She looks at me and says with scorn: MY
teachers We're good ones and learned me
all that was necessary" Oh, Dolly, Frogs
and toads are tumbling out Of your
mouth instead of diamonds and pearls.
You were the person to learn, and your
professors were the ones to teach. That
is your very first mistake. And you are
the typical girl, and no more ignorant
than many others who were graduated
this year. Your pretty cousin from the
south asks me, What are you looking
att" or Where are you going to?" for
getting entirely little leaf on the gram
mar tree that has written upon it an OBJ
lection to -, pre- proposition appear ear
tence. Dolly laughs at her Eng
lish cousin, and yet her English cousin is
very often correct. The English girl is
right in asking for a biscuit when Dolly
demands cracker. The English girl is
also right in saying that in some large
buildings she went up in the lift when
Dolly would talk about riding in the ee-
vator. But the English cousin is wrong
when she says "dimonds," forgetting en-
tirely the "a" that belongs to the word,
and she is also speaking improperly when
she drops her 'gs" altogether and talks
about "goin' - and "havin'" and "tray-
elm"
Some Common Mistakes.
A well-known writer not long ago used
the phrase, She senSed It," meaning that
she understood it or knew it. This is un-
doubtedly a localism, but it is not pleas
ant one.
Now, Dorothy, here are some words
that you must not use. Do not say ''cal-
at,Io t..t5 ha1 Won into
calculate to go to Boston tomorrow" Do
not say lad" for advertisement" Do
not say purchase" for buy" Do not
say retire" for "go to bed" Do not say
dence" for house." and do not my Dolly,
do not be too exaggerative in your mode
of speech. nor too ecstatic about small
things. If you love" cake, what emo
ton are you going to give to your mother
or sweetheart? II you find a judding
beautiful how are you going to de-
scribe a woman whose face is perfect in
it's Greek outlines, whose color Is exquis
lite and whose appearance would delight
painter? l know you would not say I
seen," but l think it was Dolly the other
evening who, when she was asked about
some flowers, said they were given to
Mary and T. And it was Dolly, / am
sure, who announced that Mary and my
self are going down town."
Do not say thanks" for "thank you"
and do not, when you wish to encourage
aomebody in conversation, continue to
Use the interrogatve ''yes?" Do not pro-
uounce "route" as If it were spelled
"roWt" DO not say depot with any of
Is pronunciations when you mean sta
ton. You thought it very funny when
you heard an old lady say that she EN-
joyed dreadful health but you were
quite as ignorant and made a much great
er mistake when, laughing about the
phrase. you announced, Between you
and I. I think it is perfectly ridiculous.
1t is possible that the old lady did enjoy
her invaldism, but it seemed strange for
a girl who was graduated last year to
make such a grave mistake as this. Do
not say II met everybody and their
friends" when yon mean everybody and
his friends" 1t is easy to forget all these
things, but if you wish to be considered
a girl Of good breeding you must Guilt
waite good memory.
The Everyday Errors.
Yesterday you invited some one to come
and eat lunch with you, but when you
use the noun you must say luncheon.
Then too, do not call the pretty little
room in which you receive your friends
"a parlor; it is a much better word than
drawing room, although you think that
sounds so fine,' but there is really no
meaning whatever to the English word.
"Parlor'' comes from the French word
"parler"-to falkland consequently 1t IS
proper to use ii in describing a room
where there is polite conversation. When
you think little child is amusing, do not
say he is cute" for the real meaning of
the word is cunning" and cunning in
the sense of being able to detect certain
weaknesses or wickedness as a detective
might. who was 1t said those kind" for
that kind?" A great English writer?
Possibly. but it was another great English
writer who said the purest English he
had ever heard spoken was by an Amer
lean gentleman who lived in Virginia.
Drop that Understanding little word
got: you have said all that is neces-
sary when you say that you have a
book. or a flower. or a friend, without
adding got" to the have. And do not
say Il guess or II hope" when you
mean II think" or II hope" 1t was Dol
ly. who the other day. meant to say SER
tence," and pronounced 1t as IL the sec
ond ''e'' were a ''u.'' and Dolly is one OF
the many American, girls who seem I'M
able to pronounce their JUS" with the
clearness that should be given them.
Acknowledge the existence Of the SIS.
but do not hiss them, and do not make
hat In