When writing we cannot absolutely say
“that thing,” because no one knows
what is meant unless there is a descrip
tion of it. It would scarcely do in con
gratulating a lady on the success of her
party to say that "it took the rag off the
bush,” oven if we put it in the more pol
ished (?) way and said. “It removed
the dilapidated garment from the shrub
bery.” Slang looks a great deal worse
written that it sounds said. In any
writing at all serious the introduction
of one slang word ruins the effect,
though sometimes it seems in our
thought to express our thought better
than anything we can think of. Sup
pose, instead of saying above, “you will
tind yourself at a standstill," 1 had said:
“you will tind yourself ‘up a stump’ ”
(and I confess I have used that ex
pression so much that I was strongly
tempted to use it there), what effect do
think all of my preaching could possibly
have? You see, I am not altogether
unacquainted with slang, and I may as
well own that I write from bitter ex
perience. Please, girls, before you get
to my deplorable condition, call things
by their right names; don't cripple
yourselves with slang, and be as little
slovenly in your talk as possible.
A school teacher asserts that scholars
who have access to newspapers at home
outstrip those in their studies who do
not see the papers, becoming better
readers and spellers, be.ter grammarians
and write the best compositions, besides
learning geography ana aistory quicker.
AN ACCOMPLISHED MONKEY.
A Chimpanzee that Blows Its Nose on a
Handkerchief.
