The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-12-26
IMPORTANCE OF THE COMMA.
Rev. Forbes Phillips Cites Disastrous
Results of MispIacinu Il.

Results Of MispIacing II.
Centurr Magazine: Early in the
worlds history philosophers urged
upon their generation the necessity fo1
considering small things. The comma
is about the smallest thing in practical
life, but 1t is far away from being the
least important. In a domestic diff
Guilty. where a husband and wife quar-
relied and sought separation, a legal
gentleman was kind enough to try and
patch up a peace. He recommended
overtures from the husband and sug-
gested that he should write to his
spouse the simple and touching mes
sage: May heaven cherish and keep
You, from your affectionate husband
John" This John duly dispatched on
q picture postcard, but he omitted the
comma, and the message an: May
heaven cherish and keep you from
your affectionate husband John"
The misplacing of a comma involved
two big commercial houses in a law
suit. A memorandum was sent: Can
let you have the hundred pieces at
sixteen n nine, thousand moro at
same rate" When the message arriv-
ed it read: Can let you have the
hundred pieces at sixteen, and nine
thousand more at same rate" A
careless clerk had transposed a com
ma, unconscious of the part it was
! destined to play.
Cherries are fond Of quoting the prov
erb. For n point Raynhard lost his
priory.' The story goes that in pre-
reformation days a good and holy
prior, Clement, ruled over his religious
| houSo with ncoot WjcHNr1 onI 1;hnro1
itY. Over the entrance to the priory
he caused to be written up:
B open evermore, o thou my door,
To none be shut, to honest or to poor
This free invitation was generously
interpreted by the mendicants, and
people came from far and wide tC
honor 1t.
When the good Clement died, a very
different man was appointed as his
successor. a priest of the name OF
Raynhard. who was as niggardly as
his predecessor had been lavish. The
sign over the entrance Of the priory
did not interpret his sentiments or his
outlook on life. His meanness could
not tolerate it, nor would it permit
him to go to the expense of a fresh
motto. He simply changed the mean
ing by altering the position of q com
ma, which made the couplet read!
BE open evermore, o thou my door,
To none, be shut to honest or to poor
At a diner in New York a we'll
known man gave a toast. Woman
without her, nan is a brute" A pa
per reported Mr.. A as saying, WON
an without her man is a brute"
Most people have heard Of the mes
sage, Don't come too late" which by
the insertion of a comma, became
Don't come, too late" Then there
was the barber who advertised on his
sign board:
What, do you think
I'll shave you for nothing
And give o a drink"
Of course there was a rush Of Gus
toners at once, but the BARRIERS rem
dering was:
What; Do you think
I'll shave you for nothing
And give you a drink"
Care has to be exercised in noticing
the comma when reading. There is
the case of the curate Who had to give
out the notice: "A sailor going to sea
his wife desires the prayers Of the con.
gregation." But when the nervout
curate gave out the notice, the con,
gregation was startled by being in.
formed that "A sailor going to see hi.
wife, desires the prayers Of the O
gregation."