The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-27
ON SECOND THOUGHT
By JAY q. HOUSE.
tFrom Philadelpnia Public LedgsR.)


graph about the New Brunswick muir
der mystery. We had one in mind.
And then it occurred to- us that, very
properly we think, such discussion is
of columning. And SO we may offer
only an abstract observation
Invariably somebody calls up the in
jured wife and tells her all about ii,
but the injured husband is the last
person to hear it.
1t occurs to us, quite incidentally
of course, that the college professor
who broke his engagement thru fear
that his bride-to-be would poke fun
at Greencastle, Ind, Travelled a con-
siderable distance for the purpose OF
relieving himself of very light load.
We find, after nearly eleven years of
it. that Adelaide's aversion to Grigsby
City is the least important of matri-
mony's minor troubles.
- You don't think much of that para
graph? Well, there's the scenario.
See If you can do better.
More of the Same.
Sir-Why can't you take up the
classic speech of New England?
Pennsylvania Dutch amt so much
The "orts'' man still traverses Yankee
back yards. The lady who regulates
my morals, memory and common
"Besslehem' Moravian seminary used
to say, "Oh, my hairs, they are so
stribbley," and the strapping damseI
who waited on table would announce
to late corners. THE oatmeal is ALL"
Compare this slovenliness with the
shtarp austerities of New England's
Shakespearean speech. c. c. B.
Sir-The interest with which I have
read the specimens of Pennsylvania
Dutch printed in the column leads me
to report a sentence which I heard
a farmer near Lititz use in referring
to his gasoline engine. 'Som etimes,"
he said, ':she makes somesings fierce
and sometimes she makes mornings at
all" H G. B. Z
Sir = Speaking of Pennsylvania
Bethlehem: A mother chided her
child who was trying. to talk with
it's mouth full. Chew your mouth
empty" she said, before you say
w. R. J.
Sir-Have you heard this one on the
Pennsylvania Dutch? 1t as young
school teacher giving a spelling lesson:
Teacher: Spell pig
Scholars: Pig, pig"
Teacher: mo, I mean a pig vat
dicks"
Scholars: "P-i-c-k, pig
Teacher: Il gif you right"
Sir-Two old countrymen met at
the country store in Lititz. One ac-
eosted the other: well. well, well,
how are ye?" The other replied:
''Well, well, I'm better be I was
"A. u.
Our own acquaintance with Penn
sylvania Dutch is extremely casual,
but, offhand, we should say that while
it is quainter, it is no more a viola
ton of the terms and forms Of correct
haf sc "a axy a
of any average community. We, the
people, mouth a terrible jargon. We
talked the other night with a Pennsyl-
vania Dutchman concerning the YER
nacular of his people. He said it
largely was the result of literal
translation of the native German
tongue into English.
Speech takes form from the rules
laid down for it. 1t gets its color from
association and environment. Ade-
laide was reared where the waves of
Pennsylvania dialect lap the famous
Western Reserve. When we first
knew her, fifteen or sixteen years ago,
she had the nuance of speech, COM
mon to the Pennsylvania Dutch,
which consists in stressing, with a
rising infection, the next to the last
word of any sentence which properly
may be followed by an interrogation
point 1t was not native to her; she
mad acquired 1t by aSSOclauOn. When
she ceased to hear it she reverted to
her natural expression of the COM
mon language.
We do not feel qualified to discuss
the question as to why men go to col
lege, but Wen go as far as to say that
those who are discussing it have hit
upon one of the most uninteresting
subjects in the world of thought.
We know why men should have an
education. That was pointed out to
us often enough, goodness knows.
They told US if we'd go ahead and get
an education we could teach school.
But we were deaf to good advice. We
didn't get an education and, much to
our regret then and subsequently, new
err were permitted to teach others.
Ex-Justice C1arke's plan to revive
the League of Nations is getting bigger
headlines and more newspaper space,
but Senator Capper's drive to collect
the eleven billion dollars in which
foreign governments are indebted to
this country is much more important.
We hate to see the senator thus
ignored in the news. If he will, from
time to time, advise the column as
to his progress with the collection, !
we'll see to it that he gets the pub |
licity that is rightfully his.
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