Writings in the College Quarterly (Iowa Agricultural College)

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54 THE COLLEGE QUARTERLY.
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
BY MRS. WELCH.
SL.ANG.
Slang is one of the habits formed almost uncon­sciously,
and a refined looking girl will sometimes
shock her friends by the cool utterance of a bit of vul­garity
whose coarseness she does not appreciate.
Surely, our noble language, rich in synonyms and full
of vigor, has resources equal to every requirement of
speech. It has strength and fire enough for the passion­ate
utterance of the strongest emotions. It has melody
and sweetness sufficient to express the softest and ten­derest
feelings. Burning indignation, hot wrath, in­tense
devotion, sublimP feeling, dearest friendship,
truest piety, can each, in turn, kindle the emotions or
soften the heart in appropriate diction. It is not,
therefore, because of the poverty of our language that
slang has come into such extensive use. It is rather,
in the first place, because of ignorance of its marvelous
wealth, and, in the second place, because "evil com­munications
corrupt good manners." A profusion of
slang from a seemingly refined and otherwise pleasing
young person, has somewhat the effect of ugly and
decayed teeth in a beautiful mouth. While shut, we
admire its symmetry. When open, its beauty is
destroyed and a painful sense of incongruity spoils the
whole face.
Slang is inevitably coarsening. If habitually in­dulged
in, it blunts the sensitiveness both to essential
vulgarity and to delicate propriety of speech. While
not as wicked, it is certainly as useless as profanity.
It is only a milder sort of billingsgate, which, from
being tolerated in good society, has, with the innate
vigor which all bad things seem to possess, forced
itself iuto prominence. It is like the shoddy, would-be
aristocrat whose wealth gives him a place among
decent people, but who constantly offends every sense
of propriety and outrages every delicate sensibility.
There is no accomplishment more to be desired than
the power to talk easily, gracefuily, vigorously, and
with propriety. With a mind properly cultivated,
good taste, and a comprehensive knowledge of one's
mother tongue, the open sesame to the most delightful
social discourse is discovered. Pleasure to others and
improvement to one's self is the sure result. This
accomplishment is almost certainly placed beyond reach
by the habit of slang. The very power to enjoy it in
others is dulled and the hope of attaining it is destroyed
by the fact that the first step towards purity of speech
is the entire abandonment of slang. It destroys one's
taste for retined conversation as too free use of strong
drink spoils water for the drunkard. If any group of
young people, talking after the common fashion of to­day,
could, with unvitiated taste, hear the same con­versation
from others, they would surely forever after
desist from the use of slang.
MUSIC IN .A GIRL'S EDUCATION.
To the symmetrical completion of a young girl's education, music
is a necessary adjunct. To be thoroughly educated she need not be
a gre:~t musician, but she shoulc\ have some knowledge of Ute art.
A musical education does not consist merely i-n the ability to play
the scales and I\ ve-finger exercises, or to rattle off a few pleasant
melodies, or even to understand the rudiments of thorough bass
or harmony. There is a vast realm of musical literatnre with
which every young girl should be familiar. Think of the lives of
Beethoven and Handel, and the beautiful lessons tang ht by Mozart's
devotion to his art. To know something of these masters is surely
as essential to a rounded culture as to be familiar with Shalrnpere
or Milton, or to be acquainted with the immortRl concepts of Mich­ael
Angelo.
It is granted that the best music cannot be fully appreciated ex­cept
by t.hose who are themselves musicians. To understand and
enjoy classic music one must have 'l trained ear and cultivatecl
taste, and these are to be obtainecl only through personal study.
Even if one is unable to play herself the works of the great masters,
every hour spent in practice and study, aids in appreciating the
performances of others more giftecl. Aside from these means of
refinement that are missecl by her whose mnsical taste has be(•n
neglectecl, there is the loss of many hours of pure enjoyment
to herself and friencls. How many homes are macle bright ancl
cheerful by the musical skill of one who can play only the simplest
airs. How often father is rested, mother's cares forgotten, ancl the
boys kept at home and away from mischief by an evening of music
Contrast, too, the difliculty of entertaming a room-full of company
without an instmment, and the ease wit.h which every body is kepl
in good humor and macle happy when a piano ancl a performer are
at hancl, ancl the expense of the one and the skill of the other seem
well worth while.
In return for the drndgery of the tirst year's practice there comes
the pleasure that is always derived from playing correctly even the
simplest piece. The feelings brought into play when we give our­selves
up to the spirit of the music, and attempt faithfully to repro­duce
the thought of the composer, arc among the highest and pur­est
of our nature. No mother need fear that her daughter will
receive i1nything but good from the hours spent at the piano. The
patience ancl perseverence which will necessarily be cultivated by
earnest practice, will aicl to success in other studies, ancl the beau­tiful
thoughts that will invariably till the mind of a lover of music
when trying to ph1y that which has ll son! in it, cannot fail to help
her to see new loveliness in nature and her surroundings.
There is that in a simple ballad well sung, or a familiar air right­ly
executed, which awakens thoughts ancl emotions that arc chaste
and elevating. Even the most sinful and degrndccl of mortals feel
this power. I shall never forget a scene once witnessed in the pen­itentiary
at Fort Madison. A party of us were visiting the place
and had spent several hours looking about the work-slJ01is ancl
prison rooms. '.Ve were all heart-sick at the sight of so many faces
stamped with the mark of wicked passions, and, more than all, the
terrible despair almost always seen in the expression of ll human
being who is cagecl like a wild beast. As the last sight we were
ushered into the dining room to see the prisoners all together at
dinner. ·when they had linishecl the meal, the "\Varden requestecl
one of the ladies to sing something for them. The briglit, sunshiny
beauty of her face hacl been shaclowecl all day by a tencler, womanly
sympathy, ancl now her voice tremblecl a little on the first strains
of" Om l'ather, who ru't in Heaven." It rose clear and pure, how­ever,
a£ the petition, "l<'orgive us om trespasses," ancl when the
last "Amen " clied away, there was not a dry eye in the room.
Ifardened criminals, wh11se minds hacl contained for years but the
vilest am\ wickedest thoughts, were silently crying ; and one
handsome-faced lJoy was sobbing bitterly, with ·his face hiclclen in
his hands. The words of the song had, no cloubt, often been listened
to .~collingly, but the influence of the music ancl the beautiful, hircl­likc
voice of the sweet singer, lll'ought them home to their sin­hardencd
hearts with power indescribable.
I am sme from personal experience tlu1t an hour a clay of prac­tice
is a help rather than a hindrance to study, and lam equally
sure tlrnt there is no time in a girl's life when she is so certain to
t:ikc an interest in her music as when her mincl is kept bright, and
all her powers on the alert, by the intellectual exercise furnished
by constant study.
W.M.D.
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