Evening star., 1933-03-13

better avoid 1t; and the well read, aware
that he could quote II he would, Is not
afraid that readers will think he can
not"
At this point let us stop the quotation
long enough to interject that 1t has be-
come increasingly the fashion during
the past quarter Of q century for writer's
to abstain from quotation marks, In
whatever quotations they may use, pref
erably using only . few salient words
from some opposite sentence, thus pay
ing the reader the compliment Of be-
lieving that be Is quite as familiar with
the author quoted as he, the writer, is
himself.
TO continue with Nour quotation on
quotations:
Quotation for associations sake has
more chance of success, or less GER
tainty Of failure; but 1t needs a homo
geneous audience; II jests prosperity
lies in the ear of him that hears it. so
too does a quotations.; to- each reader
those quotations are agreeable that
neither strike him as hackneyed nor
rebuke his ignorance by their complete
novelty, but rouse dormant memories;
quotation then, should be adaptable to
the probable readers degree Of cultiva-
ton; which presents very pretty prob
lem to those who have q mixed audi
ence to face: the less mixed the audi
ence, the safer 1t is to quote for asso-
citation.
LASTLY. the sayings, wise or witty or
beautiful with which it may occur to us
tn adorn our own inferior matter. not
for business, not for beneflt OF clergy,
not for charm of association. but as
carvings on q cathedral facade. or pic
tures on the wall, or shells IN a bower
birds room, have we the skill to choose
and place them? Are we architects, or
brio c-a-brac dealers. or what?"
~ 4
prof Fowler's prose style often
strikes the reader as concise 10 iauiC,
and rather too biting for comfort, but
II will be found on close perusal that II
is adequate to the subject, and excep-
tionally complete. ..o
The admonition at the end Is the
one needed by most persons, since the
temptation Is often strong 10 acorn
taking or writing with admirable quo
tations, good in themselves, perhaps
but acting in their new settings as gems
and nothing more.
If one is setting out to display gems,
as upon q string, this Is well enough
but when something else Is In the vino,
the collection of mental DIAMONDS tenos
to take the mind Of the reader or
listener of the real business and put
it upon something else, lie, the gems.
Wherefore, it will be found, In most
cases. that quotations may be omitted
or at least cut down to their essentials
II will be discovered that the most ap-
propriate gems of thought" as they
are sometimes listed. can be reduced 10
their simplest elements without DONG
violence to them: this permits the user
to give them without distractng the
thought of the reader or hearer, at the
same time he pays them the delicate
compliment of feeling that they are
quite as well acquainted with them as
he is. o..
come across a quoted passage in un-
quoted form, and to feel that one rec
ognizes 1t, and shares with the writer
tie comradeship of something great.
ONLY the totally uninformed would
think for an instant that such a user
had suppressed quotation marks with
an intent to deceive. 1t was. indeed. to
call attention to his quotation that he
established this small bond Of common
knowledge between him and the reader.
A good quotation comes into being
because 1t is the flower Of continued
expression. the real result Of body OF
writing, of which it is often the climax.
If not in point Of time, then in Thought.
It is always better in its proper context
than when disassociated from it. This
should be kept in mind of any quota
ton. II it Is good by itself, 1t Is better
where it belongs.