The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-20

| ,t,a cou.,terfeiters, the spectators. the
/ wormy ananc.c..s for they make us sus-
| pee, even the money Of the 1,calml Down
! WITH the coun,erfeters Of tho pen and OF
| speech, Cor they do what has DESTROYED
confidence until no ono believes any
| ihlng OF, any ono any more and until
! the value OF what they say or write re-
| senblcs those hhnkno; les OF Stint Farce.
| IL can be seen how very urgent i is
that each one should watch over him
self. guard his tongue, chastise his pen
and aspire toward simplicity. No more
changed meanings, FEVER eircumio &c
tons. no; so many reticontes and ter
giversatlohs, They serve but To erbroi
us. BE men; have Que word. One hour
oil sincerity does more Tor the welfare of
the world than years OF profigncy.4
a word now of a national breadth. ana
which Is addressed to those who have the
supcrstition Of speech md the de:nonstrn-
lions OF style Certainly we must not
blame those persons who enjoy. an Gle
CANT word or 4 delicate literature. |
am Of the opinion that we can never say
what we have TO say too we'll. But ] I
does not follow that the best said and
best written things are rrerared. W ords
should serve the fact, and not substitute.
and not cause one TO lose sight of 1t III
ornnmentntion. The greatest things are
those which gain most in being told with
simplicity because they show themselves
lust as they ara. You do not throw over
them even the transparent veil or fine
words nor that shadow so fatal to truth
which IS called the vanity OF the author
or orator Nothing Is stronger nothing
more persuasive than simplicity. There
are sacred emotions, cruel pains. great
devotions, passionate enthusiast ms mat
one look. one gesture or one cry would
show palmer than the most beautifully
turned phrases. The most precious pos
session in the heart Of humanity shows
Itself the most simply. TO persuade one
must he true, and certain truths are best
understood IL they come from simple
lips, inifrn ones even. as IL they fell from
mouths weary with talking, or proclaimed
with the full force of tho lungs. These
rules are good for every ono in the daily
life. No one can imagine what profit
lie can gain for his moral lie by the
constant observation of this principle. to.
be true. sober simple in expression OF,
his sentiments and his convictions. in
private as in public, never to exceed the
measure. to faithfully translate that
which Is In Us, and above all to remem-
Der. That is the principal thing.
For the danger of fine words is that
they live Il clean life. They are tho dis
tinguishea servitors who have guarded
their titles and do not fulfil their func-5
tons as royal courts offer us examples.
3sTou have spoken we'll: you have written
well. is we'll and suftlces.
How many men there have been who
were contented to speak. and who he
lieved that that relieved them of. the
obligation Of action. And those who have
listened to them contentcd themselves in
having listened to them. It thus happens
that life may consist, after all. but In
q few well-turred discourses, n few fine
books and some good plays. A IS to prac-
ticing what they so authoritativel% dis
play they rarely think of It. And IL we
pass from the domain of men Of talent
to the lower regions which those of me-
diocre gifts exploits there in that OBJ
scure peli-me!l, We will see in action all
those who think we are on the earth
to talk and to hear talking. the i'm
mense and despairing crowd OF takers
OF all the brawlers, who prattlc or pero-
rate, and after that find that they have
not talked enough. They forget that
those who make the least noise do the
most work. A machine which expends
Its steam in whistling has no more to
turn It's wheels. Therefore. cultivate ST.
!ence. An that you retrench on the nose
you will gain in force.
Pig @
These reflections lead US to a neigh
boring subject, very worthy also 70 oc-
cupy our attention. wish 10 speak of
of language. When ono studies the peo-
pie of one country, one notices among
them differences OF temperament OF which
the language hears traces. Here the
population IS rather phleg7natic and calm
it employs dininutlves, and heightened
words. Elsewhere the temperan1ents are
well balanced; VIC hear the word exactly
adapted TO the thing But farther-ef-
feet or the sun, the air. the wine, perhaps
a v-p IN 4 ia vel s- 4 q
have their heads close to their bonnets''
and expression runs to extremes; super 1
natives enamel the language. and to say
the most simple things they use the
strongest terms.
II tho manner OF language varies ac-
cordips to climates. It differs also ac-
cord!ng 10 the different epochs Com
pare the language written and spoken in
these times with that OF certain other
periods in our history. Under the ancient
regime they spoke differently from the
time Of the revolution. and we haro not |
the same language used by men of 1920, !
Of 1878, or the Second Empire. In gem
eral the language has a simpler form
now: we have no more wigs; We do not |
SIT down to order lace cuffs: but one sign |
diRercntiates US from almost al our an
cestors, our NERVOUSNESS the source OF
our eEaggerations.
Under these excited nervous systems, n |
little slckly-and God knows that to be
nervous is no longer privilege belong
ing TO the aristocracy-words do not pro-
duce the same effect AK on tho normal !
man, And, in inverse ratio, to the ncr-
vous man, the term simple does not SUI |
fee WHOM he seeks TO explain what he
feels In ordinary lie, in public life. |
IN literature and IN the tncater the |
calm and sober Language has given place
10 an excessive violence. The means |
which noveiists and comedians have eri- |
ployed TO galyanize public mind ana force
Its attention, finds Itself nj the rudimen- !
tary stats In our most Ordinary conver-
sations, IN Inc cpstolary style, and. above |
all In the polem.c, Our manners Of Ian !
Glage are 10 those Of tho calm and I'M |
nosng man what our writing liz compared !
with that Of our fathers They blame it |
70 steel penn. II that were only true.
The geese will save us then. But the |
evil lies deeper and Is in ourselves we |
have the writings Of pertDrbed aud dis |
ordered oles, while the pens Of our fore
fathers traced over paper IN surer and |
irore reposefpl manner. Here We nre fac
Ing one OF the results Of thar modern |
ne which IL 50 complex and which con
am IN