The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-14

duced the world to scientific methods
OF study, which later passed over to
the enemy. It is this fact, too. that
has had so much to do.with the DOWN
fall Of the classics IN the curricula of
our modern schools and colleges,
/ It altered the entire method Of
studying Language. Language should
not be studied as q science TIL the
studentsis In the latest period OF Its
study. Language ts q atural inhert-s
tance Of US all. even the stupid and
dull Tho most ignorant, the verlestS
dullard. even those OF weak mentality.
can acquire language II 1t be taken
to them IN the right way. The weaks
lings who daily hear a language. even A
II they cannot read or write. will
ultimately acquire some knowledge
sof It, whether 1t be native or foreign.
All tha it is necessary for the acquist-
ton OF language is to hear It spoken
daily. The most important part In
the requirement Of language Is the
yoca bulary, and in the case Of an in
Elected language the forms. When
these are actually possessed. are car
ried about in the brain, so that they
can be used whenever occasion de-
mands. the rest OF language Is easy.
The correct syntax. the finer dtscrim-t
the rhetorical combinations, etc.. come
afterwards and belong to the scientific
study Of language. We all know that
there are thousands of people among
us who can speak English, can even
read 1t with Intelligence and enjoy-S
ment. who cannot decline noun or
conjugate q verb. Our most cul ltured
people, save those who follow the pro-
fession Of teaching, remember little
or nothing Of the technicalities Of
English grammar afterG they have been
out OF school ten or Al cen years. It
is notorious fact that people do not
learn to speak their native tongue
correctly from books, but from home
life, from hearing 1t spoken daily.
without any technical y knowledge Of
English grammar, t hey can und derstand
anything that is written, can converse
on any topic and can en- Joy any work
This was the condition Of the study
of the classics before the period Of
intense classlcism came into vogue
At this time Greek and Latin were
spoken 1guages-Gre by theS
scholars Of the world. Latin by every
body.
The first instruction was by word;
of mouth, not by the formal and Ster-
rible grammar bristling with all sorts
of unknown and peculiar shapes and
forms. which ften brigh tened the
most eager and Intelligent. It is true
at this period many mistakes were
made many express4o Ions mot sane
toned by the writing &of Cicero or Of
Demosthenes and the ora tors, we're in
use. mis- takes in forms were mad e, 4 the
beloved ubjunctiYe or optative4 4,wereS
etimes otSused w here strict cla,s-s
sic1sm might demand them; but what
were these minor errors compared to
i the wide reading and keen enjoyment
such men got from the classics We
of to-day can correct manyaof their
errors. can point out the correct
Ciceronlan or Demosthenean expires q
sion. can stigmatize this or that
phrase as Flat te" or ''unclasstc," but
can we read and write these beautiful
Language with tAe ease and INTEL
8ligence that our betters Of former
days could 8 q
The advent Of olassicisn, did away ,sl,,$
with all this, Every word, every
be made to tai lly with what Cicero in
Latin or Demosrhenes In Greek might.
have written under similar 8cl lrouIn-
stances. The fl Languages were no
longer stud led. but all time and at
stentton were now given 81 to f4 special
authors and to 4 searching out the
hidden ways Of their dlction. a moss.
shelpful and stimulating & OK erclse, bu 4
not such food as hould be fed to the
Youn 81, i a s aim ost as Scrimin nal as to
feed a young ba by on turkey stuff ed 1
with oysters and on plum pudd IN
S B People Revolt.
Even In til 8 ss church, classioism
l-togssa tta txgant hapa ana a. tAA lhAN ll'!l