The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-01-19
HER COMPLEX ACCENT.
A Chicago Girl Whose Way of Speak
 ing English Must be a Puzzle


 A Chicago Girl Whose Way of Speak
 ing English Must be a Puzzle.
 People who are under the impression that accent betrays not only the nation ality but provincialism as we'll will per- haps be somewhat disillusionized by reading the following incident.
 The experience is that of a Chicago woman who made trip to New York short While ago. Up to the time of her visit to the astern 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, sub stantial 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 a many-sided affair that was truly perplexing.
 She attended a reception one evening where literary and artistic people pre- dominated. The first person she talked with was a man with a bushy red beard and gold eyeglasses.
 T am so glad, madam" he said, in the course of the conversation, ''to know that you are from my town. That Boston accent is bound to betray the speaker wherever it hay be heard" The Chicago woman flashed him one keen glance; then, seeing that he was | in earnest, she said: q fear you have made mistake. am from Chicago" | Soon after she began talking to al elderly woman.
 You are from Georgia, of course said the older woman. T can alway: tell Georgian anywhere. There is no body on earth who pronounces as ant us like a person born and bred in thai state''
 And again was the Chicago woman l forced to proclaim the city of her nativ ity.
 Later young man commented on hel accent.
 l From Nova Scotia of course" ht said pleasantly T hail from there my self, and it's pleasure to see some ont who speaks as they do at home. Th minute you pronounced my name knew you were from my part of tn country. Nobody else could say it witl | just that accent.
 Again she gasped out something about Chicago"
 A half hour later another man claim ed her for kindred spirit.
 i've been lonesome and out of plac tonight he said. Nobody here iron my section of the globe. You're tn first person I've met all evening tha halls from west of the Rocky Noun tains. The minute heard you speak said, Here's a woman from the ia west We never lose our accent, seems, wherever we may go."
 Just before the reception ended tn suave young man who stood at her sid leaned forward and said:
 "Tn drive over and see you some day if you don't mind.''
 You'll do what?"
 | Drive over and see you. I'll wage we don't live more than ten miles apart My home is in Robinson, w. Va, an you cannot live far away. An accen such as yours and mine is never hear outside our immediate vicinity" They were on their way home at last
 You'll be apt to have a caller to morrow" said her cousin. That youn doctor from Montreal is anxious t know you better. He feels, confiden that you belong to his city. He say he was attracted by your accent fror the very first. He's homesick and woul like to talk to some one from his nativ town. I didn't tell him any difference | You-
 But the young woman gasped "Chi cago" and fainted.-Chicago Daily Tri