The herald., 1896-09-20
f}QQKS AAe H49sE!|'THE!M
~ E0A. WVb1u MAKE v ~TlcSH
EDITED BY ENocn KNIGHT

Soh oiiVS VI Pdp0I-pOund bOoho hhSA
toned in previous letters continues.
There is quite demand for good titles
but no new books of prominence have
been issued to fill the need"
To this may be added a paragraph
from a Chicago publishers notice.:
mo one in the trade expects to do
more than hold his own during "Presi-
Dental year." as the temporary check
given to business at large by the cleo
ton campaign effects the book trade
considerably, and in common with the
rest of the business world they are glad
when it is over
''Of the books at present selling read
lily, A Singular Life, by Elizabeth Stuart
Phelps; The Damnation of Theron Ware
by Harold Frederic, and The Seats u
the Mighty, by Gilbert Parker, are IN
the lead. To these may be added of this
months publications, Mrs. Gerald. by
Maria L. Pool, The Riddle Ring, by JUS
tin Mccarthy, and Under Sealed Orders,
by Grant Allen"
In Los Angeles the best selling books
in August were A Drummer in Already,
Madelon, The Seats of the Mighty, The
Domination of Theron Ware, Amos Judd
and A Singular Life.
JOURNALISM AND GRAMMAR.
Some exasperating discussion has
been going on lately as to such phrase
as this: None but he could have writ
ten," etc. The Bookman, which ought
to have known better, seriously under
took to defend this, whereupon CORE
spondent of the Dial replies in this wise:
"The editor of The Bookman, in an
swer to the criticism that none but he
could have written" should be none but
him." ETC., says that but here would be
explained, mot as proposition, but as
an adverb, equivalent to 'only'-a COM
mon enough usage" AS there Is no
such equivalence and no such usage, the
conclusion Is irresistible that the editor
though a college professor of Latin, not
only cannot tell the parts of speech in
English, but does not even know the
principle of their classification. There
is an adverbial use of but in such cases
as 'If had but KNOWN" and there is a
vulgar colloquialism, not of but for only
but of only for but, as in II never sleep
only at night" but neither of these cas-
es is analogous to the phrase in
question, to which the editors explana-
ton does not apply"
But, in such a case, can only be q
proposition, used as except; and can
only take the objective case after It.
This is elementary and ought never be
deemed even open to discussion. Surely
it is a little odd that editors do not know
the parts of speech.
In this connection, following the sub
ject from the larger publications to the
smaller ones, one feels like asking why
1t is that so many known mistakes are
still kept UP in reporting and editing
Like they formerly did" and Like he
was" ETC., one sees all the time in oul
local papers. 1t is definitely know to be
a wrong use of like. and it should be as
instead. Why, why is this absurd wrong
INDUCED I'M?
And why do our newspapers insist
upon saying he ''won out" for he won
What does win out" mean, that could
not better be expressed by the simple
verb? In a word, why will people per-
sist in defiling the language?
THE ART OF CONVERSATION.
recent writer asks If conversati ton
is becoming a lost art with us? He
declares that neither at home nor at
school are correct habits of speech in
culcated. In no country of the world
is this matter held to be of SO little
Importance. There is no attempt even
at clearness of enunciation, but all is
siovenly.
This is serious charge. but 1t is not
TO be passed over with a sneer or a
doubt. In a thoughtful article in the
Dial this matter is treated at length,
and from which we take the following
extracts:
las has often been observed, Europe
ans pay more attention to their speech
than we do because in all leading Eu-
ropean countries correct and refined ut
terance is an indispensable requisite
for attaining good social position. Irish
and Scotch barristers, seeking to make
their mark at the British bar, take in =
credible pains to get rid of their native
accent Lord Campbell succeeded so
far In this endeavor that he said his
Scotch origin was finally discovered
only through two or three words which
were always more than he could mas
ter. One of them was solicitor. which
he always made soleecitor In France,
Germany and Italy. as we'll as in Eng
land. among the educated classes, the
child's speech Is watched as closely as
are his manners and morals. To the
upper classes of society Is assigned the
care of their native tongue, and neglect
in this matter is punished by loss of
social consideration. A little expert
ance abroad will make an American
painfully conscious of his national de-
feet.
I'm general company the conversa-
tioinal style should be light and con-
stantly passing from theme to theme.
If. as DR.. Johnson has said, solid con-
versation be INDUCED in, people differ
some or the company, who are not capa-
Bile of such conversation are left out,
and feel themselves uneasy" For this
reason Sir Robert Walpole has said he
always talked gossip and scandal at
his table. because in that none were
too shallow-bra to join. Whatever
be the theme Of conversation, whether
weighty or light, much depends, for its
ready flow and entire success on how
much Is taken for granted and how
much is left unsaid. Conversationalists
should beware of insisting on nothing
but absolute truths rigidly stated in the
form OF propositions. Conversation, like
the other fine arts, aims at the ideal.
and must be allowed to state it's truths
with establishment, with modification.
or even with exaggeration. One man
who persists in being literal can spoil
the talk of whole company of wits:
like the production of q we'll trained
orchestra, its fluent harmonies may be
spoiled by the intrusion of a single
harsh note"
Perhaps hint from Bacon may not
be out of place here, in closing, albeit ii
is more whimsical than serious:
In all kinds of speech" he saws.
either pleasant, grave severe or ordin-
airy, it Is convenient to speak leisureIy.
and rather drawlingly, than hastily; be-
cause hasty speech confounds the mem
ory and oftentimes. besides the I'M
seemliness, drives the man either to
stammering, nOn-plus, or harpfng on
that which should follow; whereas a
slow speech confirmeth the memory.
addeth conceit of wisdom to the hear
ers, besides seemliness of speech and
countenance."
A