The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-25
A VOLUBLE VOWEL.
1t Was Only n Dream, But it Taught
n Lesson.
A. ]. Backus in st. Nicholas.

n Lesson.
A. J. Backus in st. Nicholas.
Ungrateful people! Oh, dear! Oh,
dear!" piped a small voice. TT is too
bad! I am not going to stand it much
longer. I'll just leave the English al
phabet, l will, and go over to France,
where they do try to pronounce me,
even if it is queerly."
Helen, who was just starting for
school, looked about her. Who was
talking? There was certainly no one
in the room. Hello" she cried, try
ing not to feel scared.
Where are you, and whats
your name?" stammered Helen.
Il am the fifth vowel, and the way
1 am treated is perfectly shameful.
could excuse the baby calling me
co. " went on Master u, with rising
passion; "but when men of letter are
careless, it is too much! Letters, in
deed" spitefully. ''They are hardly
men of consonants. 1 should trans
port them to Siberia, or at least to
Russia, and then they'd miss the VOW
els. But it's just because we are a
small family and useful that we are
so imposed upon. Sister e is really the
only one of us they treat at all de-
Gently, she always works so much for
them. And sister o they respect lit
tie, though when I'm with her they
turn and twist us al sorts of ways
especially if G and H join us
But what do they do to you?" ask
ed Helen, much interested in this long
speech.
slight me! I'm only safe in books, or
when they call the roll, that is to say
the alphabet. Please spell duty
s'D-u, doc t-r, ty, dooty," said Hell
en-, glibly.
spell tutor
''T-u, too, tor, tor, tootor."
Yes, you are just as bad as the
rest. Never give a fellow half a
chanceH'
what do you mean, anyhow? Can't
you explain?" asked Helen.
U paused a moment, and then said
firmly: "Of course. 1 can. Take the
word mute You've heard of that, 1
hope. Oh. you have! Well, do you
call it moot?'
"Of course not said Helen, with
a laugh. :,
duty 'dooty;' or, when my double first
cousin w is in a word with E, you GER
tainly shouldn't say 'noos' for news
which ought to rhyme with pews. Do
you understand"
why, yes!" said Helen, admirlng-
ly. 1T really doesn't seem fair, when
you put it that way, does it? I must
try and thing of U more" smiling.
It only ask justice" said U, plain
lively; land as for thought" holding
his head up proudly, the highest
classes in England and America al
ways respect me, and linguists and
elocutionists honor me-" with emphasis.
''Tell me something about your fam
ily-do'!" urged Helen.
"Ah! I'm glad to see you are in
terested in u.s." said U, graciously.
well. let me see! Wen begin with
house. In the first place, our pedigree
is a long one-'w'ay back to the old
Romans, you know"
ITO be sure-the Latin text" cried
Helen, anxious to show she knew some
thing.
U nodded. "a, and o are the strong
est of us. They often stand alone. But
sister E is in everything nearly-quitae
intrusive, l think. However, as l said,
she is quite overworked, and can't help
herself, poor vowel But, to go on,
brother 1 is an egotist, always strutting
by himself when he gets a chance,
and swelling into capital. r and my
self never have a chance to be big, ex-
cept when we lead sentence or begin
a proper name. Then, there's sister o,
the most emotional creature when she's
alone, always surprised or shocked or
sorry or glad. And now for myself"
complacently. I'm very dependent,
you must know. G guards me a good
deal, and Q rarely quits me-he! he!
See?"
Helen looked rather dubious for a
moment, and then frightened. "Of
counsel"
81 hate some of the consonants,
though" U chartered on, with a pet
fish air. IN is always making me un-
happy or uncomfortable; and with r
rough old thing!-I get rude, rush
about and run into some trouble or
other always. It's fun sometimes to
be with F; but people are often very
disagreeable when 1 walk out between
d and N-hal ha! 1 have to laugh.
You know I'm the last vowel in the
alphabet, for w is only my double
first cousin, and Y is kind of foster
brother of I. But it's awfully dull
down there with V w X Y q; they
hardly ever go with me-"
Helen nodded thoughtfully.
"And now" continued the letter,
brightly, before I leave" but as
Helen listened eagerly, the scene be-
gan to change. She found herself in a
schoolroom, with her head on a desk,
listening to a chorus from the reading
class, led by the teacher. Not dooty,
but duty; not tootor. but tutor; not
noos, but news: not stoopid, but stu
pid."
You'll catch it. going off nodding
like thatl" said a familiar voice in her
ear which sounded very like that of
Mabel Lawton. her deekmate.
but where is W" cried Helen, eag-
erly.
where is youl" mimicked Mabel,
smiling. "Oh, my eye, what grammar
Why. here I am. of course" with a
convincing pinch.
This rouser was effectual. but Helen
never forgot her two minutes dream.