The Washington herald., 1914-07-13
Clothes for Thought.
By ALEXANDER BLUME

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A famous philologist recently asserted that the
vocabulary of the average business man does not
exceed 900 words. The testimony of the average
business mans stenographer furnishes corrobora-
ton Close examination of volume OF letters from
the correspondence of business firms evidences most
surprising deficiency in expressive language. Tie
pages simply throng with repetitions Of stereotyped
phrases and hackneyed sentences. The object of the
correspondents would to have been the employ
ment of as few new or unfamiliar words possible.
The use of synonyms is apparently. banned, for the
same word is employed several times in sentence
Similarly, in conversations the old. ordinary words
are hurled against the tympani in monotonous sue
cession.
When one reflects upon the almost limtiess extent
of the English language, the volume of marveously
comprehensive words and phrases il contains ready
for use, which remain almost entirely neglected, it
pity that attention is not devoted to this
most important phase of modern culture. Pedantry
is surely undesirable Everyday conversation should
not be loaded with sesqupedalian rerbiage This
would be much out of place the proverbial bull
in the china shop. But the raising of the standards
of speech, and the of good, expressive language
is highly desirable With the rapid increase of col
loquiasm and slang, now so innately part of the
American speech this change becomes imperative.
The road to this goal stretches straight before
There rocky paths no obstacles to be fought
and conquered 1t is smooth, level road for the
explorer bright and safe Earnest sane applied read
ing is alone the key to The ultimate reward
lies only in the mastery of language that is
to result but in the corresponding tremendous in
teilectral advance that is bound to be effected by
constant familiarity with literary classics.
Ii means communion with the masters of Pen and
Il
have hoped to bring about. 1t means a retreat from
the turbulence of the noisy world to haven of sacred
silence The tree of knowledge is ripe with fruit
WHICH hangs heavily from the overweighted boughs
waiting for the eager wayarer to reach up and pluck
to his hearts content.
The wonderful gift of speech, which so distin-
guishes the human from the beast has been permitted
to dwindle to small circle of inarticulate banates
Recently brilliant Russian satirist, a man of re-
markably keen mind, Wrote that the speech of the
average human means nothing or less TO him
than coming reyerson to type, and overwhelming
proof Of the Darwinian contention. He claims to
observe absolutely difference between the chatter
OF group of monkeys and the speech of group of
men, that the conversation of the simians is
more passionate and expressive than that Of the
since the monkeys unskled in the arts of repression
and full of spirit give full vent their natural
tons. Perhaps the comparison is overdrawn but
there is a grain of truth in the picture presents
Come, we have long been neglectful We have
permitted the calls of friends to pass
unheeded Retiring from the strife of the busy world
we will draw the blinds of our sanctuary and secude
ourselves with the giant intelects of all time We
need them, and they ready to respond to our
call
The master geniuses of logic, ethics, politics
rhetoric poetry, psychology philosophy and natural
history extend to the priceless gifts of their lfe
work Hark, they in stately procession, march
ing braVely. proudly, yet withal modestly Intrepid
fire sword that they dared affirm the truth their
noble spirits had seen and which called for expression
All honor to them
Plato Aristotle, Homer Virgil Cicero Eusebius
Dante, Lessng, Hegel, Goethe, Romanes, Hugo
Schiller Jean Paul Schopenhauer De Quincy Carlyle
Coleridge, Dickens. Shakespeare, Milton Irving
Macauley, Scott Poe-what a wondrous roster oi
forever! But perchance we unacquainted witt
some if so, the fault is solely In concrete form
their most secret thoughts and emotions have beer
placed the printed page, in the most simple ye
erudite manner, for our enjoyment and advancement
| Constant association with pure, true and noble
men must inevitably result in a gain for us. The
thrilling call of genius and truth woke responsive
ing will inspire to attempt greater things Our
thoughts and language will rise to their level We
will speak and think as men, not animals