The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1956-07-06

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The day letter from od-fashoned gentle
public testimonial of sort
He wrote "Of the prasefu things said of would be im
modest speak" there doubt that the gentle
truly odfashoned would be cleared away by that
sentence from his letter
inmodest its old and true meaning and
has to impure We still speak of modes virtue
moderation How then does happen that
the opposite the opposite meaning? Why does not
the word modest what meant and what it means
in the old geneman letter that unseemy bold Dragging
unbecoming, unsuitable?"
It is usage which brings changes and in the
words And unpanned thing happens.
maintains standing And sometimes is de-
grading is in the present Instance for nodesy
which ought to mean an imoderde activity
to mean something foul and uncean
Think of how usage has changed the dsinterested
which unbiased unpreudced and which is now
often used with the approval dctonares)
lninerested This is change that taken place
Matthew Arnold wrote
his classical definition of the critical effort as "A
the thing itself really is Surely the
Matthew envsoned his critic nnnteTeed
the work he was endeayong to evalua dsnerested en-
fair effort unbiased unpreudiced eff
fort That's what still would (Which is some-
times born of ignorance and aznes in writer's and readers
Consider what usage the word ench which
fine honorable and used in praise Of
the Blessed Mother day. what has done
the solicit Unless you this word with object
had better the word at ALL And notice what usage is
now doing thrill which rapidly going and
must soon disappear from geneel speech
But we were speaking modey and its opposite
irnnodeSty interesting notice that modesty has held
pretty well to its first meaning but 'a'nodesty has hit the S
ModeSy form of the Latin odeSa and this word de-
rive ods which suggests due Now in human
conduct due seemlness, fitness suitability mod
odeSty ought the lack of these qualities
But usage has given it another and a haser meaning
word modestd in the meaning Of temper
it to respectful obedience 10 dntnoT-
ny Cicero used the word to mean 9ooa proc"co y"asm
gave meaning of nidneSs All these meanings fit
with minimum of adjustment into the root-meanlng OF ods
due measure BY the simplest rules OF logic 'sooesW should
therefore lack of empeateness failure in respectfully
obedent conduct want of sound practical judgment an alb
sence of mdness (not the kind they cigar
eeS) That's what odesy ought to mean but alas doesn't
not
The word odey has held its meaning but the virtue Of
modey has failed hold its place Modest seldom spoken
of to-day, seldom considered. Says the poet:
"EIs soul filled with worth and honesty,
And with another hing-quite out of datecaied modes
Modesy was virtue recognized by the ancient pagans al
though notably pracsed them Theogns of Megara
who wrote verses IN the hn century pefore the ra
said succincy Modesy has died out Ard no Wonoer
modesty long be sustained by the natural powers
of Only the refinement that comes of Christian spiritual
development produce with consancy this Towering OF hu
conduct Modesy finds its best expression in the lives OF
truly religious peoples the saints; it notable
Queen of Saints When pagansm (anent mod
ern) exerts influence modesty dies
And after ALL maybe not strange that usage has
nodey the equivalent of mpury For when the essen
purity lacks the protection of controlled and mod
attitudes and activities suffers and ultimately fails
Modcsty described without justice the elder
sister and the safeguard of purity The mmodest Tin the
of the word) be perfectly but the
chances will long Unless walks
crcumpecy considering the tme because the days evil
he will surely to delement And walking crcumspecty
almost definition of modesty In the Scptra phrase Walk
ing" conducting ones life."
Well no matter what the effect usage inodesty may
all and to practise
the virtue of modesy Moderaene and seemness in dress in
manner walking talking seeking dverson in attitudes and
opnons-such elemental requirement in tho
who processes be- matter at what dis
tance, follower of Christ
mIMNMNNN