The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-02-15
USE THE DICTIONARY
AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY.


The liberal use of he Dictionary
by any person is a most valuable prac
tice. A vocabulary of extended range
can thus be acquired, as well as The
knowledge of correct spelling. The
Pathfinder. in an editorial on his sub
ject says:
One book which, like the Bible, we
neglect to make frequent use of, to
our ultimate disadvantage, is the die
tionary. Our language has many
have a working knowledge of all of
hem. but all of us should make an eff
fort constantly to increase our stock
of words-not that we may e to
others as learned, not that we may
make donkeys of ourselves by spread
ing forth a voluminonus vocabulary
on all occasions, but that we under
stand what we read and nay make
ourselves perfectly clear to Others
when we speak or write. When the
average person strikes a word in his
reading with which he is unfamiliar,
he a go ahead and get The general
sense, but unless he knows the shad-
ilgs of that particular group of let
tiers. it is impossible for him to get
at the full meaning of the writer.
in sitting down to read we should al
ways have at hand a dictionary thru
whose means and h application of
memory can make those jewels III
own. We can store them away in the
treasure house of our mind and some
day when in want can draw them forth
and spend them to advantage. Hap
PLY. however, like the money of the
peasants purse in the fairy tale. they
are not spent forever, and as often as
we use them. we find we have them
on hand to use again. We do not pay
enough attention to the acquisition of
words; all of us need them, no matter
what our vocation, for at times we
must express ourselves aid when we
do so we want to be as clear as posi-
BILE; especially is this the case with
the lawyer who must have words at
his command for explaining and for
repartee.. In this latter how otter an
apt wor will urn the scale in his
favor. 1t is so also, with the minister
who should be f~orciful and clear, and
with teachers. Looking back to a time
when once we sat on the pedagog,s
delphic pedestal and welded the fer
rule over a room full of bright faced
youngsters, we recall that new words
in the class reading were always mar
ked Inc were frequently required to
be used in some theme in the future.
Before long we found that these words
were coming back of their own accord
and we knew TIA they stuck in the
students mind and were his. Let us
ones life comes the time when a word
i wanted; the use of the dictionary
will greatly reduce the number of
these INES No carefully the CONVEX
sation of those persons whose speech
is pleasant to hear and you will find
that their knowledge of words renders
it possible to speak in virile and grace
full sentences, not chopped up into
short harsh statements as must neces
sarily be the case with the person of
poor vocabulary. OF course, the use
of words like playing with razors
may become a dangerous thing, for
merely to absorb a word and make use
of it without knowing it's meaning ex-
actly will probably make the express
sion obscure and, will give ~displeasing
pomposity to what is said. In order
to be exact it is said that Robert Louis
Stephenson would spend an hour look
ing for a word. A reading of almost
any of his books, especially those of
travel will illustrate the degree of
clear expression thai he attained.
Let the dictionary be consulted more
III ones reading and within a few
months can perceive a decided reac-
ton for good taking place in his or
her ordinary conversation.