Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-03-09
6he GRAMMAR
OF LOVE
-. By S. MARIA TALBOT
Copyright, 1903. by t. c. Mcclure


with outraged grammatical scorn.
The deucel It's that old language
business again, is 1t. Pris? / can't
break off old habits, not even the eter-
nal one of loving you, wife"
Somewhat Modified by the tender
tone of his words, Priscilla put on her
trim riding habit and was adjusting
her hat before the glass when Dan
called up from the lower hall:
"oh, Priscilla! Were 1t you who took
my gloves from the hatrack?'
Z Priscilla's reply, 1T was not" was
of so severe and stately a character
that Dan down below shivered with ST
lent glee, while up above the mirror
reflected to his wife countenance
over the judicial sternness of which a
smile fiickered like summer lightning.
They were soon canteiing down the
beautiful hedge lined country lanes,
Dams dog, Rev. bounding along be
hind.
"Will we go by Jacksons lane. Prls,
or across the glen pasture?'
"WilI we go?" echoed the girl. Dan,
your grammar will kin me yet
whats up now, PriscillaF' inquired
Dan biandly
1T Is up to you. Dan, to use your
rshalls' and wills properly"
Great Scottr' groaned her husband
"She uses slang"
Ignoring the interruption, his wife
persisted:
"You should say Shall we go down
lJackson's laner"
II see, Priscilla. You shall go down
lJackson's lane whether you will or
mot"
Dan, you are simply absurd half
laughed. half pouted his mentor, who
was bride just from Boston and
dotted on Language" such language as
lshuddered at the trenehing of final let
tiers upon the initial ones of the word
following and to whom Italian "a" was
fetish and the undefiled use of the fu.
lures a cult
Dau's childish associations had been
more with negro servants than with
grammarians, all owing to the death
of his mother and the indolent ire
Fsponsibility of his father. He was UNI
able to change the habits of speech of
IA lifetime and even thought lightly Of
the "scrupulosity" of expression OF the
few Yankees he had known.
He fell In love with Priscilla head
over heels-boots and ALL" as he ex-
pressed 1t, when she came on a visit
to an aunt of his living near his own
n, That ha had hnan
able to win the girls heart showed
that love laughs at grammars as we'll
as at locksmiths.
She thought so trivial n matter as
his verbal inaccuracies could be easily
mended, and he believed that what to
him was her puritanical prlmness of
language would soon give way before
the breezy ease ard untrammeled free
dom of manner and speech of his be
loved south, disdainful of cramping
rules and technical formalities. In
short, he was an educated man in
whom carelessness of expression was
ingrained, yet whose vital and vigor-
GUS ideas were wont to put to rout
his wife's valiant onslaughts in the
line of rule and model.
His wife would attack him with
IRuskin, to which he would listen with
an Impotence only kept within bounds
by his love for her.
Listen, Dan, to what he says: "A
well educated gentleman may not
know many languages-may have read
very few books. But whatever Ian
guage he know be knows precisely;
whatever word he pronounces he pro
nounces rightly; above all, he is learn
ed in the peerage of words; knows the
words of true descent and ancient
blood at glance from the words of
modern canaille; remembers all their
ancestry, their intermarriages, distant
relationship and offices they held in
any time and in any country. Now,
isn't that fine, DAM pleaded Pris'
ella.
And while this man of words was
Tracing up their peerage his bosom
friend was stealing away the heart of
his wife. and the foundations of his
home were crumbling beneath his feet.
/ don't know the ancestry of many
words, but there is one that is Of my
own descent. 1t is the word honor
You will always hear me speak that
plainly with the true Carroll accent in
our home. for myself, for you and for
the children who may be ours, please
God"
"oh, Dan!'' whispered his wife soft
ly. And they discussed grammar no
more that day.
Nevertheless when they were canter.
ing along together Priscilla's ears were
keen to mark what was said amiss by
her husband, emboldened by his ever
chivalrous patience with her grammat-
ical excursions.
81 feel like l am the happiest man
alive today, Priscilla"
incorrect use of like" broke In his
wife, knowing better, but disregarding
fhe finer instinct.
But, Pris, don't feel 'as fits
tIfknt that I foal noun fbot