The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1924-05-09
LAMBERTVTLLE
SCHOOL NOTES
From April "Steel and Blue"
THE VALUE OF KNOWING
GOOD ENGLISH


There are times when we feel we
cannot endure, any longer, the con.
finements of school life, and es.
pecially the nightmares of arithme.
tic and grammer. We want to break
out of school like troop of wild
Indians, never to be cultivated, but
to be as free as the river and
Huckleberry Finn. Likely as not we
are so tied down by school that
we can do none of these things, and
so, how can we escape?
There are many who display a
liking for books, and should be
encouraged in reading good books.
Students, who are so little acquain-
ted with the great works of liter
allure, are decidedly at a loss to
understand wisdom and knowledge.
When they go out into the big
world of business, they are sur
prised and discouraged at the many
hard knots which they, alone, must
unite. Then, too, many of our popu-
lar fiction, and, again, one unac-
quainted with the worlds best lit
erature is enshrouded with mys-
terry. Instead of enjoying an other
wise simple feeling of darkness.
Consequently, comes the everlasting
question, What is he (or she) talk
ing about ?"
Think of all the great adventurers,
scientists and wondermakers of the
world, and ask yourself, GLOW did
they gain their positions ?" If, per-
chance, you read over their his
tories, do you find one person who
has not attended school, and stud
led especially their grammar? If
they had not done so, not one of
them could ever have become the
PROFESSIONALISM they desired to be.
Consider, also, free speech. You
may ask, what is free speech?"
Roger Baldwin says, "Free speech
is the right to say, without inter-
ference, things that are new and
popular"
If you can only say the things
with which everyone agrees, then
you haven't free speech. If men, who
voice new ideals, are sent to Jail
for the uttering of words, plainly
speech is not free. Do you not
think it may include debates? How
on this earth, are we to gain
possession of free speech, if we
do not study our grammar?
Think, for a moment, of the
hundreds of children, under the
age of sixteen, who quit school for
various reasons. 1t was either their
own stubborness of that of their
parents, or probably the lack of
money that caused them to do this.
And what is the result? They carry
a route of morning or evening
papers to earn pocket money and
help along the family at home.
But they soon tire of this mon
otony and their minds wander
back to the old school days, when
English was taught to the tune of
the hickory-stick. AS soon as they
grow older, they realize the value
of knowing good English by read
mig the newspapers and magazines
they sell Then too, if they cannot
read at all they see the wrong
step they have taken, and very soon
wish they had studied their English
as much as they could afford
The value of knowing good Eng
lish appeals strongly to our patriot
ism. Are we true Americans if we
cannot speak or understand our own
language, correctly?
You, who are DESTROYS of be-
coming civil engin, eers, teachers. col
lege students, nurses, and steno-
graphers, will sooner or later agree
that good English is the basis of
all work and without it,
one would feel very much like a
poor forsaken pup without any tail
to wag.
If it were not for grammar and
technical English, there would be
nothing interesting to read. The
newspapers would not flourish, and
business would fail entirely.
Let us make the best of our
situation. We are ten times bet
ter off than most people, who
would rejoice at the chance to have
the long-lost liberty of going back
to school. Bear in mind the fact
that, when we take our first step
in getting a position, it depends
much on our grammar and vocabu-
larry, as well as power of reason
ing, whether or not we are eligible
for our lifelong work.
MARIE HOUSED