THE NORTHMAN
6
Learning the American Language
THE USE OF SLANG.
By H. A. Bruce.
o LANG has its apoligists. It is defended
for its “crisp expressiveness.” It is'
applauded as “exactly conveying one’s
meaning.” The adjectives “picturesque”
and “witty” have been applied to it.
Well, some slang is undeniably pictur
esque in a crude, coarse way. But only
the young and the mentally immature can
possibly regard slang as witty.
As for its expressiveness, a moderate
familiarity with the use of words will
enable any one to construct phrases fully
as expressive as any in slang and free
from slang’s dangers.
For addiction to slang is indeed a dan
gerous habit. And it is likely to injure its
devotees in more ways than one. Let me
specify briefly some of the harm it may
do.
In fact the first place, it is almost sure
to have an ossifying effect on the mental
processes. Study the mentality of any
one who persistently and expressively
makes use of slang and you will not be
long in discovering that he has great dif
ficulty in really thinking things out.
He is quick to jump to conclusions,
which may or may not be correct. But
to reason to a well grounded judgment is
irksome, perhaps impossible, to him.
Temperament may have something to
do with this. More significant, however,
is the influence of the slang with which
he is enamored.
This because slang is seldom original
with its user. Picking it up from others,
it becomes for him a cheap, always avail
able substitute for independent, well or
dered thinking. Naturally, the more he
uses it in parrotlike repetition the less
vigorously he uses his mind, and conse
quently the less effectively he is able to
use it when occasion demands real
thought.
Slang, likewise, has an unfortunate ef
fect on morale.
There is no such thing as a “refined”
slang. All slang is essentially vulgar and
in bad taste. Of necessity, therefore, it
tends to dull the sensibilities.
It perhaps does not always harden its
user, make him less kindly. But too often,
I fear, it does just this.
Certainly people who delight in the
kind of slang continually heard on the
street will not be aided thereby to a keener
appreciation of the beautiful and the good
in the world and in their fellow men. In
ferior talking is manifestly apt to engen
der inferior reeling.
Devotees of slang are further liable to
suffer by being excluded from intimate
association with truly cultivated people.
They may denounce the latter as “snobs,”
but, after all, they have brought the ex
clusion on themselves by their insistent
use of language which polite society
rightly will not tolerate.
And, what in their opinion may be much
more to the point, their passion for slang
may mean money out of their pockets.
Many an employer has denied promotion
to a man largely, perhaps wholly, be
cause that man spoke so slangily as to
make social contacts for business pur
poses a distinct risk in his case.
Wherefore, hearken not to apologists
for slang. Whatever advantages slang
may confer, they are vastly outweighed
________________________ May 20, 1920
belts and stiffen their backs—just as you
did but a little while ago—and find again
their lost backbone.”
by its disadvantages. And if you are a
slang victim, set about curing yourself.
THE ULTIMATE AMERICAN
WHEN THE TIME COMES.
We maintain, and with good reason,
that we are making a steady advance along
the higher levels of human progress. Our
standards of justice are higher, the public
conscience is growing more sensitive, the
provision for general education is being
constantly increased and strengthened,
and it is regarded as a reproach to wealth
not to be associated with philanthrophy.
With such evident tendencies and aspi
rations,such increasingly exciting, require
ments in the code of social, business and
public life, why is it necessary to worry
in thedegareffl etaoni etaoitaoetaoitaotaoin
over the strain of blood that courses in
the citizenship behind it? It is as plain
as possible that we are not a degenerate
nation. Were it otherwise there would be
cause for alarm and even consternation.
Our chance for salvation would be small
indeed. It is a comforting reflection that
the nations which have degenerated have
generally done so from a homogenious and
primal stock. We should felicitate our
selves that we are in no danger of such
fate under like conditions.
There are today many types of Ameri
can. At some future time there will be
evolved a new type and a more distinc
tively national one than we have ever
known. It will be an interesting compos
ite, a blend of many strains. We are
rapidly gathering the material for it. It
will be a product of environment, oportu-
nity and the survival of the fittest. Per
haps the ‘good old stock” will continue to
leaven it, but to do so it must, like the new
elements that will enter into it, develop
upward and not downward. If we will
divest ourselves of our prejudices, we shall
find our pessimism largely following them.
It is a patriotic as well as an optimistic and
national belief that the ultimate world’s
American will be a splendid product of the
world’s civilization, worthy of all the tra
ditions and struggles upon which rests
the structure of nationality and citizenship-
Boston Transcript
From Ofeg’s Ditties by Ola Hansson.
Translated from the Swedish.
0NE SUMMER NIGHT as the full moon
rose, I wandered into the forest. In an
open glade between the alders I found the
God of Time napping in the pearly moon
shine.
“What seek you in the wood at this late
hour?” asked he; “you appear apprehen
sive, and your eyes are full of fear.”
“I seek help for humanity,” I replied;
“the races are listless, faint-hearted and
heedless. If they are unconcerned, it is
from apathy. If they are fearless it is
from fatalism. If they are strong, it is
resignation. I seek for the witchwort,
whose sap alone can give to mankind the
lust of existence; joy in the simple fact of
living; make the feet of humanity light
and their spirit bright; create great
dreams and. incite to great deeds. I seek
the backbone of humanity, which has been
lost to it.”
The God lay silent, gazing out into the
expanse of endless space that sparkled in
the mystery before him. It seemed to me
he was smiling, but suddenly I saw him
knit his brow into a frown. And from afar
there came a rumbling through the wood,
and darkness fell upon us. The rumbling
rolled nearer and the darkness grew more
dense. From the gloom came the fan
tastic shadow play of indistinct form’s;
the rumbling became growling as of many
beasts, and suddenly the growling turned
to the baying of hounds and I saw many
hundred pairs with red, gleaming eyes
rushing toward me. Instantly I stood on
guard and gripped the knife in my belt.
Then I heard some one chuckle softly be
side me; chuckle mirthfully, and heartily
but quietly. And the bay of the hounds
became hushed, the gloom lightened, the
wood about me stood silently in the moon
lit summer night, and in the open glade
amongst the alders lay the Time God
chuckling.
“When the time comes,” he said, “when
mankind comes seeking for the magic
wort, as you have done, then will I con
jure forth the great terror. THEN the
races will draw their knives from their
ABOU SVEN ANSON.
By W. F. Kirk
Abou Sven Anson, (you been yolly dog)
Ban asleep von night so sound like log,
Ven all at vonce he tenk it sure ban day.
“Ay skol vake op now,” Maester Anson say,
But, ven he vake, it ant ban day at all,
He see gude big light right close to vail,
And dar ban anyal faller vith stub pen.
“Gude morning, Maester anyel,” say Sven.
“Ay s’pose,” he tai the anyel, “yu ban har
To pay me wisit. Skol yu have sigar?
The anyel shake his head, and Abou Sven
Ask him: Vai, Maester, vy yu com har den?
Vat skol yu write in dis har book of gold?”
The anyel say, “All fallers young and old,
Who go to church, and prayer meeting tu;
But ay ant got a place in har for yu.”
“Ay ’spose,” say Abou yu got nuder book
For common lumberyacks, vich never took
Flyer at church or dis har Sunday-school,
But yust try hard to keeping Golden Rule.
Ef yu got dis book Maester, put me in!”
Den anyel look at Abou, and he grin.
“Abou,” he say, Shak hands. Yu talk qvite
free,
But, yiminy Christmas, yu look gude to me!”
It is said that much of Napoleon’s success was
due to the fact that he knew every road in
Europe, thoroughly.
* * *
The most famous battles of the World War
were unquestionably The Marne, and Verdun
These two were saved by two roads; Gallaeni sent
an army in taxicabs commandered in Paris twenty
miles to the Marne, where Joffre and Foch took
charge of - them, he road from Bar le Due
to Verdun was kept open and in perfect con
dition- so that men and supplies were rushed
twenty-five miles without interruption from the
Paris-Lyons railroad to General Petain on the
Verdun front, where more than 600,000 remained
never to return. The same road was used later
by American troops, for it also lead off to the
northwest of Verdun into the Argonne forest.
Where, there were two roads traffic moved orily
in one direction on each.
* * *
Leave later and arrive sooner is a saving in
time possible only through good roads. The sav
ing in money from the same source includes fewer
repair bills, less casings and tires, smaller quan
tity of gasoline and oil for same mileage as on
bad roads, no towing bills through soft sand and
deep mud, etc.
♦ * *
Good roads mean accessible markets all the
year round, and available markets mean quick re
turns in money. Ability to turn over money
quickly raises the value of property and cuts
down overhead expense.