Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-07-29


Timely at This Particular !unc.
il!:~.
~uur y,ar~ az Mr.. Jackson hc-
l"u@,d t. 4 cia>~ which had ior its OBJ
Ic,t the c.rrcc: pronunciation of the
nckic AMI Elusive English language.
Ever since that time >he has been
more OF lc-> Il trial To- her family
and ir.-"I-. Not only is She Painfully
AMI aggrr->.rcly correct i'll her own
prou.uc.Lt.u1, saving such words a.
"li,t-yurc' and figure" with q
mAdd, Mn. celebration, hat she does
nrt >c~uI,.c t. correct her husband.
and even to look a>kanrr at her friends
when their careless tongues twist a
word out OF all semhlance to what it
should be according to the rules laid
down 10y the great authorities.
One sunday about the beginning of
the hi>pano-Amcrican war when Mr..
and Mrs. Jackson were walking home
from church the former said:
That sermon was fine one; it was
one OF the best that | have ever heard. y
His wife was silent.
Didn't you consider it exception.
ally good?" persisted Mr.. Jackson,
who likes to have people agree with
him.
1t would have been fine" returned
Mrs. Jackson with a sigh, 1" if he had
not made those mistakes in his pro-
nunciation. He said nacher' instead
OF nate-yure,' 'ne-potism' instead of
'nep-otism' and accented the second
instead of the third syllable of coad-
jutor.'"
" was listening to his sermon and
not to the pronunciation of words"
said Mr.. Jackson, somewhat testify.
"The professor always told us to say
'pronunshiation,'" remarked his wife
coldly. al have told you that more
than once, Lemuel."
"a minister like ours" went on Mr..
jackson, "whose memory is mine of
rich resources"
Pardon me-" interrupted his wife,
"why do you always accent the first
syllable in that word resources? If l
were in your place / should not use it
any more until could say it correct
ly."
He corrected his error resignedly,
but there was an odd twinkle in mis-
eyes that afternoon as he carefully
read over certain advertisements in
the Sunday papers. Having answered
one OF these advertisements, he re-
ceived call two days later from a
Spaniard with wiry figure and hum
cry expression, whose card bore the
imposing name of Don Ramon AL
cacbofa y Olvidado.
"You will find that my accent is
perfect" said Senior Olvidado, in re-
ply to question from Mr.. Jackson.
81 speak my language not as they do
in Galicia, not as they do in Catalonia,
but as it is spoken in Madrid; for am
Castilian," and he drew himself up
proudly.
"What is the difference?" inquired
Mr.. Jackson.
II will give you an example, Senior.
For How do you do we say, Como
esta usted.'" The d in the last word
seemed to melt on the end of his
tongue. "In Granada they say
Como otty uty.' 1t is like the Ian
guage OF babies. The Castilian pro-
nounces ce and ci and with a-ah
How doyou call that word in English?'
and he snapped his fingers and looked
perplexed.
with u gasp?" suggested Mr.
jackson.
"No, Senior, no. All, l have it!
With lisp; so. 1t is only Mexicans
and ignorant Spaniards who say it
otherwise"
"Well, I want you to give me all
the latest kinks" said Mr.. Jackson.
"There is nothing late in my
language; it never changes"
"Go ahead then and let us get to
business" returned the would-be pnpil
briskly. II want you to come every
day for two weeks and teach me all
there is to know about the pronuncia-
ton. can learn a good bit about it
in that time, chi"
"Most certainly, Senor."
"You see. I want to learn how to
pronounce the names of all those peo-
pie, towns and boats we read about
every day in the papers. In short, l
want to take bird's-eye view, as il
were, of your language. You adver.
tised to teach without books, so now
60 ahead"
And so they began. The Spaniard
touched his eyes and said clos ohos,'
his nose, and said La nareeth," writ.
ing the words ojos" and "nariz" on
apiece of paper to show the pronun
citation, and as the lesson went on the
pupil found himself growing more and
mere interested.
At the end of two weeks Mr.. Jack.
son came home one afternoon in ar
unusually good humor, and, throwing
the evening paper into his wife's lap
asked her to read to him.