The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-01-21
DO YOU BELIEVE IN
THE DICTIONARY?
THE STUDENTS FRIEND IN THE CON-
STRUCTlON OF The ENGLISH LANGUAGE
The Design Of an Intelligent Thought Must
be Portrayed With Proper Words and to
do This One Must Learn From the Die
tionary Words and Pronunciation.
By r. c.. II.

The Horation philosophy, to gath
er rose-buds while we may, is &C
counted Epicurean and self-indul-
gent. But although Longfellow was
not a Horation. it is the substance
of his exhortation in the Psalm of
Life" to act in the living present.
The same wisdom turks in the words
Look not mournfully to the past.
1t comes not back again. Wisely
improve the present. 1t Is thine"
There are many ways in which
this wise philosophy can be applied,
because there are many kinds of
rose-b buds. If we should put the
Horation wisdom in phrase. and
say: Lose no opportunity, it would
not be an invitation to mad dance
merely, to wine cup, and the rose
wreath fading at the sunset. The
soldiers opportunity is in battle and
death. And opportunity often comes
by helping someone else. But oppor-
tunity certainly has its softer and
alluring aspect when you are help
ing yourself" Especially is this so
of one who seeks to broaden his in
tellectual qualities and understand
ing along the lines of grammar pro-
perly spoken and spelled. There
fore the opportunity of the English
student lies bound not only between
the covers of Grammar book but
in the Dictionary.
| realize that this is board sub
ject and perhaps | will not cover it
to the complete satisfaction of Beau
Esprita. 1t would be well for me if
could but l am going to consume
what capacity and material / have
at hand to endeavor to make myself
clear upon the fact that the Diction-
ary is a study undivorced from
Grammar
This is an excellent subject Dor
dering upon the great modern move
ment of education called What
Books Have Influence Me- The
pushing of this inquiry has not yet
gone so far as the investigation into
the sort of diet that is best for every
body. based upon the experience of
conscientious individuals who tell
the world what agrees with them.
Science has done much for our
diving, and we have even made pro-
gress in the direction of knowing
what sort of food is most likely to
produce not only conscience de-
void of offence, but brilliant in.
tellectual effort. We never can
estimate, for instance. the service to
the world of those who taught us to
eat oatmeal with cream) or to con-
sumo fish as a brain-food, or to
resort to milk. And yet we still
have a good deal to learn as to
What Diet Has Influenced Me-"
1t we could all eat the same things
at the same time, we should not
destroy the present inequality of
brains.
When we are curious to know
what the great prize-fghters eat.
it is not with the expectation that If
we eat the same things we shall be
able to knock out of time all the other
bruisers not born in a certain local
ity, but of this | am certain that any
book that has Influenced the mind
Of another will, if we partake of the
same diet upon our growing minds.
The Dictionary is commonly
known and often alluded to as The
Key to The English Language" be-
cause the design is to make of it a
tool by which any thoughtful and
intelligent student can secure a
mastery of meaning and pronouncia-
tion in writing and speaking the
English language. And by ones
own style of expression is his gram
matical and attainments judged.
Now by style' l mean in the use
of words as means of conveying
accurately, and with a sort of in
evitability in their choice, the ex-
act thot of the speaker. This style
could never be mastered from the
solitary study of the dictionary,
while it is necessary yet to know
how to use one in the simple modi-
fication of the intent of another is
the secret of grammar. The die
tionary is coincident study of
grammar.
The attainment of the aforemen-
toned style" is quite as rare in the
art of speaking as it is in any other
art: said orthography is the base of