The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-03-01
TIE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Sylvia and Slang.
GERALD ST. ETTIENNE.
lg1pytt Bht, 1913, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)

eOpyfisht, 1919, by the Mcclure
Newspaper syndicate.)
"a Y1YIA was a girl Of high ideals
and new thought" Her mind
always struggling with beau.
slsul hpughts and philosophy, though
must be confessed right here that al.
tno1gh sylyta's tastes lay that way
hermtnd was not equal to It. She lust
understood such things partly-not
tla Viva was stupid, she was really
one o the cleverest and most conscien.
IONS stenographers in the employ OF
llis Co., and was fair to look upon;
bit t1at Is all that could be said OF
Ter ofthand.
was very different type of
lrl New thought" was farthest
ppa her mind most Of the time, and
as or beautiful thoughts and the art
Using in perfect harmony with
eiythifg and everybody, we'll, she
llis { didn't think Of life in that way.
9et III the enjoyment out Of every
nody and everything and give every.
body and everything all the enjoyment
q ypufself as far as It Is within your
poWef, was the code that Madge lived
m TO itneonsciously.
She was the life Of the office and
popular with everybody but Sylvia.
Sylvia could not make Madge out at
all AZ times she seemed good.heart.
Cd, and, on unexpected occasions, came
out with real philosophy that astound.
ed the other girl, but whatever good
Impression that made on Sylvia was
quickly banlshed by Madge's use of
slang.
That was the bugbear of poor syi.
z Was life. She would just sit back and
gasp md hold her head when Madge
let loose some Of her new versions Of
the English language. II should Wor.
~, Have a heart" "I'll say that it
IS" and such horrible expressions were
mild TO some Of the crimes against
Webster that foated so easily from
Madge's pretty laughing lips.
The others said Madge was original,
but Sylvia could see no other interpre.
tatiou Of such a manner Of speech but
commonness and utter lack OF proprie.
II would not have been so bad, Syl-
via thought, If Madge had confined
her slang to use among her associates,
but when she persisted in using it
even in the presence of the manager
and the president Of the firm, that
about capped the climax as far as Syl.
via was concerned. What did 1t mat
tier II Madge could express herself
better than any other girl in the of.
sfice Just by resorting to slang? Even
when Madge was the means OF secur.
ing an extra twenty-dollar bonus for
the star Sylvia could find no excuse
for her. The incident is worth relat.
ing:
For two years every stenographer
In tie employ Of Ellis & Co. worked
nights to finish some special work OF
Course q promised bonus was looked
forward anywhere from thirty to
a hundred dollars was figured on by
each girl. Picture their disappoint.
ment when the bonus turned out to be
q paltry ten dollars each. Every girl
(Sylvia included), excepting Madge,
got together and mumbled to them.
selves about the unfairness of the
thing.
4, Not so Madge. The minute she dis.
covered the extra ten dollars in her
pay envelope she'was back to the cash.
fer and said, in tone loud enough for
the manager and president to hear:
well, some people are so mean they
would sing through their nose to save
the wear and tear on their false teeth.
Now, Mr.. Ventilator," the cashiers
name was Vanslater, but Madge had
persisted in nicknaming him from the
Iirsts do you think this lair bonus?"
s0r," she added, perhaps the firm Is
giving US our bonus in installments."
Madge was never impudent. Slang
rom her lips to the ears of anybody
nut Sylvia sounded perfectly all righ;.
She was gifted with personality that
Gould almost have put across profan.
p
Before Mr.. vanslater could volun.
Ger an answer to her surprising ques.
10 nthe manager had come from his
nice.
''You are quite right, Miss Wilson"
e apotogized. "Theer was a mistake
his week. An additional twenty dol.
MS wi1lsbe included in the envelopes
ext pay day"
show .eucyliptis of you!" 1t was a
enseless expression, but isn't all
ang senseless, and then the way
ladge said It, 1t expressed a whole
Sylvia lust gasped while the others
nged TO applaud. Every one of them
iew that such an outburst from any
le % them would have won instant
sniissals but with the exception OF
'lyia they realized that Madge's per.
nalitys counted more with the firm,
d somehow her slang seemed to
axe Hp part OF that personality.
Poor Sylvia! It was bad enough. to
we 20 work with girl that used
ing IN about every fifth sentence
ithout having a man who used slang
ove witbher. Dick Levery's slang
not originate was just ordinary
h.dlng.b lished slang that did more
initiate the object Of his affections
"a m the boxes Of candy and con.
sinns OF devotion could ever do to
lily her.
81 first Sylvia believed she cared
Dick but finally when she found
her admonitions against the use Of
anon and, TO her, vulgar expires.
ns were in vain, she refused to have
- A. j. III.