Newark post., 1911-12-13

existence Of our two literary socie-
ties has depended chiefly upon
them.
We are very apt to depreciate
these studies Of which we know
nothing. DR.. Adam Clarke. the
great commentator. was a master
of many languages, yet he regarded
music. which Homer called di-
vine, as Of no Importance whatever.
1t is said he could not tell one tune
from another. Herbert Spencer
worked so long and assiduously in
his chosen field of science that he
lest all appreciation for anything
beyond. In his later life he eX-
pressed regret that he had lost all
taste for finer culture. If you
hear a person talk disparagingly of
anything. consider first whether he
knows anything about it or not.
If an organ is not developed it
becomes atrophied. If you carry
your arm in IA sling and never use
it the muscles will become habby
and weak. There are many today
who have so neglected the study of
languages that their linguistic fac
ulties have become atrophied. 1t is
the crying complaint of the day
that students graduate from our
American colleges who cannot use
correctly their mother tongue. Is
it mere coincidence that when stu
dents began to enter college without
Latin and Greek a general COM
plant began to be made in all our
colleges of their ignorance OF Eng
lish ! No one can claim a mastery
Of the English language who does
not know the elements Of which it
is composed. and - per cent. Of
the words Of our language are of
Latin and Greek origin. These fig
ures | get from William Il. Harris.
who was So long the commissioner
of education at Washington Mr.
Harris was for many years profess
Sor Of economics in a western col
lege before his appointment at
Washington. but he was always a
strong advocate of the thorough
study of Latin in the public SCHOOLS.
| would not want teacher FOf
French. Spanish. or Italian who did
not know Latin. because almost
every word in those languages is
derived from Latin. | would not
want teacher of English who did
not know Latin and Greek because
about threc-fourthS Of our English
words are derived from those lam
guageS. \ teacher should know
something beyond the end Of his
nose. | once heard the Hon. John
II. Paynter. Associate Justice OF
the Supreme Court Of Delaware.
say that he would rather have Il
college graduate teach his son the
alphabet than one who knew moth
ing but the a alphabet.
The history of our language is
the history Of each individual word
Of which it is composed. Trench
says: Many IA single word is a
concentrated poem in which are
stores Of poetical thought and
imagery. The older the word the
profounder and more beautiful
the meaning it will be found to en-
close; for words of late growth
speak to the head. not the heart
1t is the use of words when new
and fresh from the lips of their in
ventors. before their vivid and pie
turesuue meanings have faded ont
or been obscured by their many
secondary significatlons. that gives
such pictorial beauty. pith. an'
racness to the early writers.
Emerson calls language " fossi
poetry 1t is not only fossi
poetry, but it is also fossil philoso
ply. fossil ethics. and fossil his
tory. AS in the pre-Adamite rocl
are bound up and preserved tn
vegetable and animal forms Of age
long gone by, so in words are locked
up truths once known but now fol
gotten,-the thoughts and feelings
the habits. customs. opinions. vlr
tues, and vices of men long sine
in their graves. Compared wit
these memorials Of the past, thes
records of ancient and modern il
, tellectual dynasties. how poor ar
/ all other monuments OF huma
power. perseverance, skill, G
: genius! Language gives us t!
history not only of individual
but Of nations not only Of nation
but of mankind. AS it is the mi
| ror, so it is the product Of reason
q and as it embodes thought, so it
, the child of thought. Coleridg
t says. "There are eases where MOI
Il