The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-07

". D. HoweIls has been writing about
the uses Of the dictionary. and in writing
about what he calls the un-1eXiconed Eng
lish home, he says; TT IS said that in
England the lexicon is almost unknown
in private houses. usage fixing the pro-
nunciation and instinct the spelling Of
words while with us our English discov-
erers Cthey are constantly discovering us)
note that there is always an unabridged
dictionary at hand 10 save US from
wrong doing In such matters. IN like
manner we put our faith In grammarians,
and say. 1T is L and 1T is he" while
the English boldly say, 1T is me" and
1T is him." having no grammar by them
10 rebuke them in their solecism. They
contend that it is no solecism. but that
custom rightly governs in this, as it does
in their calling Mr.. St. John, Simon, but
calling the evangelist St. John, as We
call both Similarly beng conteuted in
the station to which God is pleased to cali
them, if il is q comfortable and honor
able station. they are born, as 1t were,
with a polite knowledge Of what is re-
qUired in any social exigency, They have
an innate sense of reciprocal state and
can no more fail in demanding or accord
ing the just measure OF taffy appropriate
in addresses and superscriptions and pre-
cedences than IN syntax or orthoepy;
while we poor republicans, living I'm
vast UNMARRIED world of Mr. and Mrs,
with a chief magistrate who has not even
so much as ESQ TO his name, must pore,
and often pore in vain. upon the diff
cult pages Of Whitaker or Burke for the
information which shall keep us from in
sulting alien dignitaries in speaking or
writing TO them, or going in or out Of
doors with them. The only place IN our
untutOred commonwealth where this in
struction can be practically obtained is in
the National Capital There ambassadors
and ministers, charges, and attaches from
all foreign countries abound, 20 say moth
ing Of a President and Vice President of
our own. with Cabinet officers, Senators,
Congressman, justices, generals. and ad-
ulirals, each TO be considered IN fixed
forms which one may not err in without
lasting shame
Arthur Morrison's THE Chronicles OF
Martin Hewitt" in a new and special
edition. viii be the fourth spring novel
10 be published by L. c. Page & Co.
Mrs. Elizabeth Bisland, the author of
''The Life and Letters of Lafcadio
Hearn," has been made an honorary
member of the Japan Club, of London
Her biography OF Mr.. Hearn has been
welcomed in England by both reviewers
and the public. the publishers there hav-
ing had to recorder it FIVE times from
America.
We had recently arrived I'm Berlin. and
had begun Housekeeping in a furnished
apartment. One morning at breakfast a
vast card arrived-an invitation To be
precise. it was command from the En-
peror of Germany to come TO dinner Dur
ing several months I had encountered So
cially, on the Continent. men bearing
lofty titles: and ali this while Jean was
becoming more and more impressed, and
awed. and subdued. By these imposing
events, for she had not been abroad be
fore, and they were now to her-wonders
out of dreamland turned into realities
The imperial card was passed from hand
to hand around the table, and examined
with interest; when It reached Jean she
exhibited excitement and emotion, but for
time was quite speechless: then she
said.
why, papa. If It keeps going on Ike