Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-30
BY TUDOR jerks

theater had for the moment baniShed the
spelling lesson from the boys mind.
Susan, however, remembered to have
heard her brother going over the lesson in a
slngsong tone, and was proudly ready with
a suggestion.
u think l know one of them" said She
u tried to remember it because it sounded
so queer. 1t was 'inter-ne-' something
What was it, Tom?'
But Tom was too experienced a school
boy to take any unnecessary risks: he didn't
mean to pronounce the word, for fear of
errors. The spelling he had learned by rote,
and now gave the letters slowly: "I-n-t-e-r-
n-e-c-i-n-e," said he. "What kind of thing
is that to put up to spelling class? Does
anybody ever use it"
aDid you never think, inquired his
father, as he allowed the smoke to DRIFT up
ward from his poised cigar, "of making use
of some of our dictionaries2 We have sew
eral of the best and latest in the library, you
know; and wonderful monuments of learn
ing they are, Thomas. l remember reading
of one wise parent who declared that he
never would answer question simply to
save lazy boy the trouble of consulting the
dictionary. But l am not going to be SO
strict with YOU
3But did you ever hear of it," Tom in
sisted.
Hear of it," his father repeated, with a
smile. at is a word that is quite familiar
to me; one that is used constantly, Thomas,
by accurate writer's. l will gladly define it
for you. 'Internecine, my dear boy, is used
as an adjective, applied oftenest to terms
signifying strife or contest, as internecine
war"
"And what does it mean?" said Tom,
who was visibly impressed by his fathers
profound learning.
at means" his father went on confidently,
"a war or conflict between people of the
same nationality, as when Greeks fought
Creeks or Romans, Romans"
Il thought that was a civil war" Tom
suggested.
3Well," the oracle went on, at is much
the same thing, much the same; yet inter-
necine strife means something a little diff
ferent, believe"
AL right said Tom. that's near
enough. Thank you, Father. You GER
tainly do know lot"
Remember, Tom,' his father said, @that |
a little learning is dangerous thing Let
us consult the dictionary to confirm our
knowledge; though you will find my defini |
ton gives generally correct idea of the
meaning"
so, dinner being over, they went up to the
- library, and, selecting one of the large
dictionaries, put it on the table. The father |
found the word while Tom and Susan, one |
looking over each shoulder, followed the in
dex finger as it slowly went pointing down
the column.
"Ah, here we have it," the oracle an
nounced. "Internecine, from the Latin,
internecinus, slaughter HIM! we'll skip
the etymology. Here is the definition"
The father leaned over to read the fine |
print; but Toms younger eyes had taken
in the definition at glance, and, looking at
his father in some surprise, said:
"Why-that isn't what you said at all!
The dictionary just says it means destruc-
tive, involving mutual slaughter"
@Why, Father" Susan exclaimed. isn't
that funny?"
The oracle was silent, while his ideas
played tag in his brain. Then, still without
speaking he consulted another dictionary,
and a third; but the quest was hopeless. |
All agreed that the meaning was simply |
destructive" and that the word had no
special application to civil strife. He gave
up the struggle
well, Children" said he, Il seem to have
had slightly wrong idea"
Something wrong with the dictionaries?'
Tom asked little mischievously.
Il may" answered his father, little
stiff1y, shave been thinking of internal, or
international, orr hardly think all the |