The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-25

contained a great deal of interesting
information on this subject, but
modern dictionary is capable of salts
flying the most assiduOus inquirer.
Here there is no opportunity for
more than II few desultory instances
Of the curious intelligence that ety.
mology supplies. And this word des-
ultory. ! remember, was one of those
about which Trench wrote. 1t means.
properly. leaping. as rider in cir
Gus does. from the horseback of one
running horse to that of another. A
performer of this kind was called a
desultor, and from this has grown
the word employed to describe any
jumping from one thing to another.
The word seems more interesting
when we know its history and have
the little scene in the circus brought
to mind when We use it.
Another of the words which Trench
selected to write about was "tribula-
ton" II you do not happen to be a
Latin scholar turn to your dictionary
and you will find that the woord it is
derived from Ctribulum') means a
thrashing instrument 1t was the
used to separate the corn from the
husks. Through some Latin writer
Of the Christian church tribulation
came to signify sorrow. grief and ad-
versity. which had the effect OF sepa-
rating in men whatever was light,
trivial and poor from the solid and
true.
Trivial, by the way, is word with
an interesting story.
Mark" says Trench, three or
four persons standing idly at the point
where one street bisects at right an
giles another and discussing there the
worthless gossip, the idle nothings of
the day; there you have the living
explanation of trivial 'trivialities,
such as no explanation which did not
/ thus root itself in the etymology
would ever give you or enable you to
| give to others. For you have here the
tresviae.' the 'trivium'; and trivial
| ties properly mean such talk as is
holden by those idle loiterers that
gather at these meetings of three
| roads,"
Did you ever notice." said the phil
! osopher, dreamily. to the Man About
| Town, as he made his daily rounds
this morning, that although informa-
ton given us may teach us to dislike
some one we once liked and trusted,
the greater and deeper, sincerer and
! more lasting dislike is for the person
who equipped us with the knowledge
that eventually led to the loss of the
friendship. It's fact" and the Man
believes it.
Il have often kept on my list of
trusted friends person who had so
successfully and so harmlessly fooled
me that l liked him in an impassive
sort of way. At times l would see
faint glimmers of what appeared like
a saffron streak. but would brush
aside the evidence as unworthy a
friend, and go on believing in him and
liking him. Every time forgave him
for some little thing or voluntarily
overlooked some symptom of fault, l
! liked him better.
Then would come along some wise
person with grudge against my toll
Grated friend. He would look aston
i ished that l kept such a man on my
list of intimates. He would point out
| gravely one after another the glazing
faults whose glimmerings l had seen
and ignored. He would cite instance
after instance of the mans unworthi-
ness, until, despite my desire to be
| loyal, would be compelled to admit
that the person under discussion
should be politely and unobtrusively
sent to Coventry" The man remem-
bered.
! Nobody ever went so half-heartedly