Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1877 — ANOMOLIES OF ENGLISH SPELLING. [ARTICLE]

ANOMOLIES OF ENGLISH SPELLING.

How the Alph bdt is Tobtubed to Give Oveb Fobty Sounds. One of rhe principal difficulties in learning the English language is th * inexplicable manner in which most of the words are spelled, the 26 letters of the alphabet vying with each other to represent the forty or forty-two sounds of the language in the most bungling and disorderly manner. Be the capacity of a chiid ever so good, yet he mustj spend years in learning these “curiosities of literature.” while a foreigner can only master our noble language by a vast expense of labor, patience and time. The Protean nature of the vowel sounds is familiar to all. A few amusing examples will show that the consonants are nearly as bad; B makes a road broad, turns the eat to oear and Tom into a tomb. • C makes limb climb, hanged chang ed, a lever clever and transports a lover to clover. D turns a bear to beard, a erow to a crowd and makes anger danger. F turns lower regions to flower regions. G changes a son to a song and makes one gone. H changes eight into height. K makes now know and eyed keyed. L transforms a pear into pearl. N turns a line, linen, a crow to a crown and makes one none. P metamorphoses lumber into plumber. > Q, of itself, hath no significance. S turns even to seven, makes have shave, and word a sword, a pear a spear, makes slaughter of laughter, und curiously changes having a hoe to shaving a shoe! T makes a bough bought, turns here there, alters one to tone, changes ether to tether, and transforms the phrase ‘‘allow his own,” to ’’tallow his town!” W does well, e. g., hose are whose? are becomes ware, on won. omen wo- • men, so sow, vie vew; it makes an arm warm, and turns a hat into—what? Y turns fur to furv.a man to manv to to toy, a rub to a ruby, ours to yours, and proh pudor, a lad to a lady!—Moses Patterson. Alexander H. Stephens tips the beam at 98 pounds. A new Democratic paper is project ed at Michigan City. One gardener near Indianapolis has raised 14.000 head of cabbage this year. Mr. H. 8. Wisner, a Presbyterian minister in lowa was once a circus clown. A Philadelphia dancing master is said to be about introducing anew dance expressly for fat people. All the performers have to do is to sit and kick. The StLouis Globe-Democrat says: “If Mr. Hayes is right now, wherein was Andy Johnson wrong ten years ag i?” That is a hard conundrum for the republican party. General Grant never made out very well in his issues of veracity with living men. There is some curiosity now to see how he will fare in his controversy with two dead men.— Philadelphia Times. Grant is engaged in the congenial business of endeavoring to stigmatize a dead man. He says that Sumner was an habitual liar. A man now d«id said the same thing of Grant and proved it. That was Andy Johnson.—Chicago Times. Hugo attended Thiers’ funeral, tho for 44) years tbefe bad been a coolness between them, so- that when they met at the academy they bowed but did speak. In 1830 they happened to be discussing 1793 from different standpoints. ‘Bah, you can never have read the ‘History of the Revolution.’” said Thiers. “I never did yours,” said Hugo, and they parted. SfWfrJfc Jfigf--son to an appreciative and cultivated audience in the opera house last night under the auspices of the Young Men’s Christian assosiatkm. It is at once the most glowing and the most just tribute to the great man that has yet been uttered. To all but the most elaborate students of the life and character of Jefferson the lecture is a great surprise. Most men of intelligence are apt. to think that they have a fair understanding of the great democrat, but Mr. Voorhees lights up he character in such a way as to make it fresh and interesting beyond the anticipation of those even who would expect much of our great orator. Every part of the lecture shows careful preparation and elaborate work.