The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1897-09-16
HER COMPLEX ACCENT.
Chicago Girl Whose Way of Speaking
English Must BE a Puzzle.


English Must BE a Puzzle.
People who are under the impress
sion that accent betrays not only
the nationality but provincialism as
we'll will perhaps be somewhat dis
illusioned by reading the follow
ing incident.
The experience is that of a Chi
cago woman who made a trip to
New York a short while ago. Up
to the time of her visit to the east
ern metropolis she supposed that
she spoke fairly good English. She
read none but the best authors, and
as her friends were all numbered
among cultured people there really
seemed no reason why she should
not couch her sentiments in pure,
substantial Anglo-Saxon. Neither
did she affect an accent. At least she
was not aware that she did. After
arriving in New York, however,
she learned that she not only had
an accent, but that it was many
sided affair that was truly perplex-
ing.
She attended areception one even
ing where literary and artistic peo-
pie predominated. The first person
she talked with was a man with a
bushy red beard and gold eyeglasses.
II am SO glad, madam" he said
in the course of the conversation,
Ito know that you are from my
town. That Boston accent is bound
to betray the speaker wherever it
may be heard.
The Chicago woman flashed him
one keen glance; then, seeing that
he was in earnest, she said:
II fear you have made mistake,
/ am from Chicago"
Soon after she began talking to
an elderly woman.
You are from Georgia, of
course" said the older woman. Il
can always tell Georgian any
where. There is nobody OH earth
who pronounces as and us like a
person born and bred in that state. :"
And again was the Chicago woman
forced to proclaim the city of her
nativity.
Later young man commented on
her accent. From Nova Scotia, of
course, he said pleasantly. Il hail
from there myself, and it's pleas
ure to see some one who speaks as
they do at home. The minute you
pronounced my name | knew you
were from my part of the country.
Nobody else could say it with just
that accent" Again she gasped out
something about Chicago.
A half hour later another man
claimed her for a kindred spirit.
I've been lonesome and out of
place tonight" he said. Nobody
here from my section of the globe.
You're the first person I've met all
evening that halls from west of the
Rocky mountains. The minute |
heard you speak l said, Here's
woman from the far west. We
never lose our accent, it seems,
wherever we may CO."
Just before the reception ended
the suave young man who stood at
her side leaned forward and said:
"I'll drive over and see you some
day if you don't mind"
You'll do what2'
Drive over and see you. I'll
wager we don't live more than ten
miles apart. My home is in Robin
son, w. Va, and you cannot live
far away. An accent such as yours
and mine is never heard outside our
immediate vicinity" =.
They were on their way homie at
last.
You'll be apt to have caller to-
morrow" said her cousin. THAT
young doctor from Montreal is anx-
ious to know you better. He feels
confident that you belong to his
city. He says he was attracted by
your accent from the very first.
He's homesick and would like to
talk to some one from his native
town. didn't tell him any differ
ent. YOU.
But the young woman gasped
Chicago" and tainted Chicago
Tribune.
Teeth and Chewing Gum.
A noted New England dentist is