Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-19
OFF IN HIS PRONUNCIATION
Troubles of n Man with Loads OF
Money, but n Little Shy on
Education.

II am still having no end Of trouble with
my pronunciation said the rugged man
who has accumulated a big fortune with
out having much improved his education.
That is, 1 AMT having any trouble with
1t myself, but I'm making a lot Of trouble
for other people.
'As far as I'm concerned l don't mind
much how l pronounce my words as long
as I'm understood. But 1t does make an
awful difference to my children, especially
my oldest daughter. why, father she
says. what do you suppose people will
think Of us with you pronouncing words as
you dor
You see, . since the children were old
enough to know anything we've always
had plenty Of money. and so they've had
all the what you call advantages, and they
know how to pronounce and all that. and
they can hold their end up with the best OF
them. Now. you know, the chlldren's
mother and 1 have been married for quite
some time. and l don't want to butt my
family affairs in onto your notice, but l
don't mind saying to you that ] think
mother is the greatest and noblest and
finest woman that ever lived. and you
might not think IL Of a tough old chap like
me, but / like to call her pretty names.
Her name ! might as well tell you, be-
cause I've got to tell you. to understand
what I'm going to say, is Mary; but l
like sometimes TO call her something else.
Sometimes l call her Lucy, l rather liked
Lucy; and instead Of calling her Mary I've
called her sometimes Lucy for weeks at a
time, with her smiling at me kind o. dubi-
Gus as IL 1 was making a fool Of myself,
but saying nothing. And Agnes; 1 always
sort Of liked Agnes, and once l called heI
- - a. -
name I always did like was Pauline, and
once for about -four months I didn't call
her anything but Pauline, and rye called
her by a lot Of names like that. Just as
they happened to strike my fancy.
Foolish this may seem to you, Just as
II always did 20 her, but / never saw any
harm in II; / like to give her these pretty
names just as l like to give her pretty
clothes. l like to have everything about
her pretty; ia give my hat and all I've
got to make her happy. l don't know what
ia done or where I'd got without her, and
she's all the world to me, and l love 10
give her all the pretty things ! can; but
guess ! can't give her any more pretty
names,
Last week l ran across the name o
! Beatrice. That's a pretty name, dom
you think? Beatrice? And / started RICH
away Calling the lauy beatrice out I'M
time l ran up against my Oldest daughter
"Of course l pronounced Beatrice. Bee
a~-triss; what other way could there be
1 never heard any other, but the frs
time l said IL my oldest daughter hap
pened TO be around and ~
Bee-a-triss? she said. why father
what do you mean By saying dreadful
things like tLat?"
.DreadfulY saws sNVhv. Ybats In,
matter with Beatrice? Isn't Beatrice 4
pretty nance
A" why, father SAYS my oldest daugh-
ter. you mustn't say things like that; 70.
mustn't say Bee-a-tris. it's Bay-ah-tret-
chay!'
What? ! says. 'Bay-ah-chee-tray?'
No. no. no!' say daughter. not Bay
ah-chee-try. It's Bay-ah-tree-chay!
And I tried IL again and got It Bay-ah-
chse-tree. and Bay-ah-tree-chee, and Bay
Rh-tro-key. and various other things, and
finally ] got " Bay-ah-tree-chay.
Now, that's right says daughter. las
Bay-ah-tree-ehay. Never say Bee-a-
triss."
Il said It again and got It right again
this tins, Bay-Ah-tree-ehay; and as I said
Il I happened 10 look around where mother
was, aud there she sat smiling At me.
And IL was sort Of ridiculous, wasn't #?
II certainly was. Lucy was all right
enough, and Agnes and Pauline but