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Parent Issue
Day
17
Month
October
Year
1873
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Mr. Webster says slang is lo w, vulgar, unmeaning language. Ve can go nowhere, not eveu luto polite society, without hearing it. We expect no better thing iïoui low vile persons, but whea we hear it from the lips of pure-minded, virtuous people, it sounds strangely. We are stsrtled, and ask ourselves if we heard aright, or did our ears deceive us. And when we hear women, ladies, use slang words and phrases, we are deeply pained, and wonder what foul spirit iuspired theiu. There is nothing more beautiful, nu adocnmeut of person, no grace of marnier, more charming than chaste wrds in speech. If there is a beautiful face and elegant attire, the whole is spoiled by the foulness of the lips. Like a marble fountain its whiteness is staiiied by the impure strbam that flows from its mouth. It is said of a certain fairy, that whenevor she opened her lips, pearis droppod out. But who would ever uiistake such expressions as these : ' That's too thin !" " You can't come it !" for pearis 'i Is not our character typed by our words 'i The examples we havo given are not the worst, but when we hear them or others, like a muddy pool, does not the slime on the surfWe show that there is foulness at, the bottomr' Our most potent influence is exurted by our words. A great writer has said : ' Words fitly spoken are like apples of gold in pietures of silver. That is, cboice, proper words are gems of gold in silver sittings. The speech may not always be according to grammatical construction, but it iiiay be pure. It may not be in high sounding words ; but it may be honest simple .Saxon. Human voices, like musical instruinents, mav vary in their tones; but. they may all gie forth melody. Nothing grates more harshly on tho ear, or mars the pleasure of cuiiversation, like low, common expressions. The people of this land- it may be true of the people of other lands - are sadly given to slang. A fqfra of speech is invented by some one ; it becomes current on the street ; creeps iuto our houses; the children oatch it, and it falls from the lipa of those upon whom we had looked as being pure and stainlussas thenew fallen snow. People lack originality, thatforce of charter that laakes them independent ; they are imitators, and unfortunately imítate that wliich is beneath them, and not that which is above thum.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus