The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-08-30
A PAUCITY OF WORDS

MI OF long ago two girls sat just
I'M ahead of me in street car; they
were just as pretty and attrac-
tive as could be, full of life and very
ur-to- date.
One of them carried a letter, which she
had evidently just opened as she was
leaving home before boarding the car
Its a note from Dorothy" said the
blonde girl, as soon as they had set
tied themselves.
do see what she has to say" the
brunette girl said, impatiently.
It's postmarked Cape May" said the
blonde girl looking at the envelope.
Wonder what Dorothys doing there?
thought she'd gone to Bar Harbor."
Best way to find out is to read the
letter" suggested the other girl.
The blonde girl laughed good-humor-
eddy, took the tip and then she said:
"lsnt it wonderful? Dorothy's aunt has
invited her to Cape May for month.
and that's why she's there oh, I'm
frantic to know if Dick Abbott is there.
too"
Il should, worry" said the other, fol-
lowing itsdp quickly with, Now, what
do you know about that?" as seriously
as if the weight of the world depended
upon just that.
Great" said the blonde girl as she
perused the letter We've been on the
go all the time" she read, land it's sim
ply wonderful Marvelousl"
Yes" she continued Dick Abbott is
there and they are having a dandy
timei'
This in brief is the outline of the con-
! xr1.,- ttxN,. 49,, IT.
[ got off the car / couldn't help ponder
ing upon the trend of it.
The few words that 1 recalled were
"Wonderfulr' "Marvelous!' What do
you think of that?' II should worry!'
Great Dreadful ''Frantic!"
"Frightfull" And L could remember moth
ing else.
This set me to thinking, the first
thought being that the blonde and the
brunette girls were both wonderful
to be able to make so much conversation
out of absolutely nothing and with so
few words.
OF course ! began specializing about the
conversation, and if it were not en-
tirely typical of the conversation of the
younger generation; and if all the young
people of today use as few words as these
two girls used, and if SO how they ever
increase their vocabulary as they grow
older.
I suppose the teachers of English won
der just as ! wondered how in the world
| they can ever teach the present day
boys and girls how to appreciate the
beautiful language which belongs to us!
Because evidently these same boys and
girls are unconscious advocates of what
| is called the Pooh pooh' theory of the
origin of language, that "all talk started
with involuntary exclamauonsv
But before we put all the blame on the
| younger generation, my friends, it is
| just as well to inspect our own express
sions "disinfect own phraseology,"
| if | may use the term-and see if we
ourselves indulge in any saner form of
language, any more refined expressions
| than 1 heard from the blonde and the
| brunette girls who sat near me on the
| car?
| 1t is very easy to fall into the vernac-
| ular of the popuace-" slang" loose
| lingo"-and limit our several vocabular-
les to such words as 'beastly'' in speak
! ing of the weather.; perfectly lovely"
| in abiding TO the sort of time we've had
at a dinner party or dance; vastly pref
| ty;' ''monstrous fine;" perfectly ador-
able" just too sweet for words Gre
quently in referring to new book and
| the rest.
| | confess to it myself; I know you
WILL teo.
! Our grandparents were not free from
! this sort of thing either For in books
we read their expressions-"s lang-y' if
| you please-just as ours are and so l
suppose it behooves us not to be critical.
but at any rate, when you hear such a
! conversation coming from some one else,
you can't help wondering and comment
ing.
1t was Emerson, I believe, who said
| that when you find a young person who
is willing to accept the wisdom of older
people. and to abide by it, then you
may watch that young person for great
| things"
| So, it behooves US to set an example, so
to speak, and watch our words" as
we'll as our STEP so that the younger
| generation will have criterion to go by.
There are, to be sure, popular words,
just as there is popular" music-words