Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-07-22
LANGUAGE OF PRECISION
English One OF the Finest in the World
for Expression.

The English language is one of the
finest in the world as 1t is spoken by
children and written by the best poets
This sort OF English is plain English"
because ii was spoken a thousand years
ago by people who used to speak their
minds They had never heard that
language was Invented to conceal
thought
When we feel SO strongly that We must
speak square out we drop into this
sort Of English without knowing why or
how. II We know modern English"
well enough 10 handle the Latin and
Greek words in it, we drop into Latin
and Greek English naturally if we are
dlsputing or "sparring FOR points" or
as children say. showing of" The
language Of science in English made up
largely from Latin and Greek. We must
have several thousand Latin and Greek
words for use in science Tor they tell
exactly in the shortest way what is
meant.
These words are necessary. II we
meet one Of them suddenly and do not
know what it means, we must not shy
at it, Meet II squarely. Repeat IL two
or three times and you will have it by
ear with knowledge of it that you may
keep stored up for half a lifetime until
suddenly 1t shows its use when needed
most This way Of holding words is
called learning from the context"
" bluS NlloSt meaning Is known snow,
If noticed closely, the meaning Of others
used with them.
Hundreds Of scientific words may be
kept in mind in this way, when learned
by ear. without knowing their meanings
AT first, from Greek and Latin They are
often used, almost rightly. by the score,
when some people wish to show OF"
freshman in medical college, with
good ear, may pick up enough OF them
in three months to out-talk a medical
dictionary. He uses most Of them
nearly right before he finds their exact
meaning, and when he does find their
exact meaning, they educate him
We do not know the last of anything
yet We do not know all principles yet
The few We do know are worth all the
rest of our learning. They will explain
the rest at last. The person who IS writ
ing this is writing about a great many
things that he does not understand. and
he is trying to make that as clear and
plain as the things he does understand
lie does understand the whole language
of science well enough to know when it
is being used to explain ami when to
conceal thought in disputing or spar
ring. He Will write plain English when
he can. He will use Greek and Latin
English only when he must
Any scientific word he is obliged to
use will differ from a plain English word
as a gold eagle does from a silver
Hliile' mat Is, II VIII nave the value of
many plain English words in It. It Will
be worth keeping for life. Whether
understood at first or not, it can be re-
membered by any one who tries 1t will
not be over anybody's head Nearly
everything in life and on earth is still
a mystery at least to those who try
hardest to learn. What the writer of
this does not yet know Is as vast as it
Is mysterious. He will try to show 9TH
ers now to use the few simple princi-
pies he does know as they have been
proved to reach into and explain many
mysteries. Principles are the simple
truths at the bottom Of everything.
they explain everything. Science calls
them aNiOms.
A boy of ten years who grasps
single one of these simple principles
may go on and explain things before he
dies that no one has yet explained. Do
not be afraid of things that seem to be
over your head If others say they
are above your head, do not believe II.
Your head may be the best on earth
You will show what it is by using it as
II 1t We're the best. No one else has the
right to say II is not Use IL for all II
Is worth and use the language of science
not TO show off, but for all Il is worth.
IN storing up principles. Principles eX-
pam everything when We learn them.
Ihe man who learns and uses princi-
pies best Is the most powerful man on
earth' Everything real is above the
mead of an unprincipled man, because
everything true is too high for him.
But nothing is too high for a man of
principle or for boy Of 10 years old to
pegin to learn If he begins trying 10
learn and use principles.