Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-04-02
O6e GRAMMAR
OF LOVE
....By S. MARIA TALBOT


ball last night. Priscilla"
"Oh. Dam
Hanged IL you wasn't. pet"
Priscilla put her hands over her ears
and repeated the words Won wasn't"
with outraged grammatical scorn.
THE deuce. Its that old language
business again. is IL. Pris: can't
break Off old habits. not even the eter-
nal one of loving You. wife,
Somewhat Modified 10y the tender
tone of his words. Priscilla put on her
trim riding habit and was adjusting
her hat before the glass wher Dan
called up from the lower hall:
"Oh. Priscilla. Were IL you who took
my gloves from the hatrack:'
Priscilla's reply. 1t was not" was
Of "a severe and stately 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
smile iiickered like summer lightning.
They were soon cantering down the
beautiful hedge lined country lanes.
Dams dog. Rev. bounding along be-
hind.
"will we GO by Jackson's lane. Pris.
or across the glen pasture:"
"will we go:' echoed the girl. Dan.
your grammar will kill me yet"
whats up now. Priscilla r inquired
Dan blandly.
eft is up TO you. Dan. To use your
'shails' and wills properly"
Great Scott groaned her husband.
''She uses slang"
Ignoring the interruption. his wife
persisted:
You should say Shall we go down
Jackson's laneT"
Il see. Priscilla. You shall go down
.Iackson's lane whether You will or
not"
"Dan. you are simply absurd" half
laughed. half pouted his mentor. who
was n bride just from Boston and
dotted on Language" such language as
tiers upon the initial ones Of the word
following and to whom Italian IA was
fetish and the undefiled use of the fu-
lures a cult.
Dams childish associations had been
more with negro servants than with
grammarians. all owing TO the death
Of his mother and the indolent ire
sponsilility OF his father. He was I'M
able 10 change the habits Of speech Of
a 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 hcels-boots and ALL" as he OK
pressed 1t. when she came on visit
to an aunt of his living near his own
ancestral home. That he had been
able TO win the girls heart showed
that love laughs Mt grammars as well
as Mt locksmiths.
She thought so trivial matter as
his verbal inaccuracies could he easily
mended. and he believed that what to
him was her puritanical primness Of
language would soon give way before
the breezy ease and untrammel..d free
dom Of manner and speech of his be-
loved south. dis,iainful 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 10 put 10 rout
his wife's valiant Onslaughts in the
line of rule and model.
His wife would attack him with
Ruskin. ia 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 have read
very few books. But whatever Ian
guage he know he knows precisely:
whatever word he pronounces he pro-
nounces rightly: above all. he IL 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 intermarriagcs. distant
relationship and offices they held in
any time and in any country Now.
isn't that fine, DANG" pleaded Pris-
ella
And while this man OF words was
trncing 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
1 don't know the ancestry Of many
words. but there is one that In OF my
own descent. II 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. Dam" whispered his wife soft
ly. And they discussed grammar no
more that day.
NevertheL IS when they were canter-
ing along to :ether Priscilla's ears were
keen TO ma k what was said amiss by
her husband. emboldened by his ever
chivalrous patience with her grammat-
ical excursions.
"I feel like am the happiest man
alive today. PRISCILLA"
'Tncorreci use Of like" broke in his