The herald., 1897-09-05

white dust on his clothes in the proc
ess. 1t is very little different with the
modern languages that are said to be
so much more easy and practical than
the dead ones.
While the bright college youth, with
all advantages, has been learning moth
ing but some rigmarole of grammar de-
signed to make him perfect from the
start-and which generally results in
natures sole perfection, the perfect
ASA dull youth of the same age,
landed from foreign shore, has learned
to read, write and speak English we'll
enough for all practical purposes Of
everyday life, and moving rapidly to
the point where he may even do some lit
erary work. An adult foreigner has in
the same time mastered the language
10 the same extent and differs only in
the accent, fiexibility and ease of speech.
And the little brother of the college boy
has in the same time learned hundred
times as much of language quite as
strange to him, and could have done
the same in the streets of ancient Athens
or Rome, with no grammar or teacher
How did they do this while the coll
lege youth learned just enough words to
make his admiring mother open her eyes
in fond smile of pride, but in the coun-
try where that language is spoken could
not buy paper of peanuts without do
ing the whole business by gesture, and
could not take up the daily paper and
find the time table Of the railroads ex-
cept by the figures?
The foreigners, like the child, did it
by ignoring each and every principle,
rule and injunction laid down for learn
ing languages by the long line of pro-
fessors, from the monk of the middle
ages to the SNUG principal of our mod
ern high schools, who has to traed very
nearly in their steps, because the col
lege professor does. 1t is useless to tell
us that the principle Of the foreigner is
wrong and that such study breeds care
less habits that will show itself even in
the tying of shoestring at so. The for
eigner can point to the fact that he has
learned something useful while the care
full man has not Equally useless is it
to say that such methods lack the mental
discipline of the college method. The boy
appeals to the results.
For one who is thorough student, moi
afraid of drudgery, with mind mature
and well enough trained to digest and
remember it, so that the study is botl
pleasant and profitable, grammar /.
register Of the rules of language Is
q great aid. But it is quite as certain
that to one who has not these qualifl
cations it is bore so fearful as to dis
courage all but the most determined
Even for the student its value is greatly
overes timated.
'If I had been there done shoost tn,
same as he do, SO shall not let lnysel
blame" is quite as easy to understand
as 'If had been there 1 would, have don
as he did in order that I might not b.
blamed" With mere bad grammar on
can hardly be misunderstood If there i
any context on either side of it. 1t i
far more easy to be misunderstood from
the misuse Of words which you can neye
learn from grammar.
In the ancient languages one tense i
continually used for another, and 1t i
very common to find the same change
made with the moods. The mood is oftel
changed in the same paragraph, and TIL
tense even in the same sentence. Jus
as we use the present for the future II
saying, II start for Chicago tomorrow,
4. they play with aorists and pluperfects