The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-04-26

IL 26, 1906.
topics that we are, for the moment,
primarily concerned.
1t is apparently characteristic OF the
average person to fall into self-created
ruts, and it is surprising the number of
intelligent people who 60 plodding on,
year after year. utterly Indifferent
to the accepted standards in matters
ofspeech. tits conservative statement
to say that fully ninety-ive per cent of
our adult population go to heir graves
without having made any consistent
effort to master the fundamentals
of their native tongue.
This is severe arraignment, but it
cannot be successfully controverted-
nor is it confined to any class, for high
school graduates, as we'll as measur-
able number of university and college
graduates-with imposing and high
sounding degrees-are notoriously
derelict i'm these matters. Even the
members of the Pierian CiIcIe-of
which / consider it privilege to be
one-are not exempt from this indict-
ment.
A case in point is that of young
lady-a high school graduate, and an
aspirant to teachers certi6cate-who,
when undergoing examination as to
her qualifications in physiology, was
asked to tell what she knew concern
ing the alimentary canal. She an
sWered-in substance-that it was an
il ter-oceanic canal now in process of
construction and designed to connect
the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific.
And then, as if to cinch the matter,
she added that it had been commenced
by the French under Napolean and
would be completed BY Theodore
n RU0stve1t
In matters Of pronunciation we are,
as rule, deplorably careless, and to
pronounce correctly one half the wcrds
in our working vocabulary is an ac-
complishment few of us possess
This is especially true of words such
as abound in the following rather
curious piece of composition which
according to that excellent magazine
Correct English-was placed upon the
, blackboard at certain teachers insti
f,f Of iofi
/, to any teacher present who could reaC
it and pronounce every word correctly
ga sacrilegious con of Belial, wht
I has suffered from bronchitis, havin(
exhausted his finances, in order to maxi
:, -gooG deficit in connection with {
S butterine factory, resolved to ally him
I self to a comely, lenlent, and docil
q young lady of the Malay, or Caucasian
: race who was acting as chaperon to
! clique of geisha girls at the vaudevill
q show. He accordingly entered hi
/ automobile, purchased calliope, an
Q a coral necklace of chameleon hue
J; and securing suite of rooms at
g nearby hotel he engaged the hea
Il waiter as his coadjutor. He then dis
Q patched letter of the most unexceI
q tional calligraphy extant inviting tn
's young lady TO matinee. She revolte
t, at the idea, refused to consider hersel
8, sacrifcable to his desires, and sent
polite note of refusal, on receivin
Is which he procured carbine and
% bowie knife from museum, said ths
e, he would not now forge fetters hym
q neal with the queen, and went to a
II isolated spot in the forest, severed b
g, jugular vein with the bowie knife an
le discharged the contents of the carbir
D. into his abdomen The debris was r
D. moved by the coroner in hastily CO.
r. structed apparatus"
70 If you will read over this test, ar
Is. then consult your dictionary, dar
lie say you will share my own tedious
er acquired understanding as to why Il
81, prize was not carried off. Among Il
I'd several scores of teacher-contestan'
OF twelve was the lowest number of nj
;ic takes in pronunciation made, and tn
were made on such words as: Sac
nj legious, Belial, bronchitis, financ'
ch butterine, deficit, lenient, doci
n clique, ally, Malay, comel
"a chaperon, geishs, calliope, suite, Goa
:er jutor, calligraphy, matinee, vaudeviI
re- carbine. hymeneal, museum, forest, il
,lv latod inOular ahdnman. and annarat,