_Cha.s.sez_.--Move to the right and left.

_Cha.s.sez croisez_.--Gentlemen change places with partners, and back again.

_Demie Chaine Anglaise_.--The four opposite persons half right and left.

_Demie Promenade_.--All eight half promenade.

_Dos-a-dos_.--The two opposite persons pa.s.s round each other.

_Demie Moulinet_.--The ladies all advance to the centre, giving hands, and return to places.

_La Grande Chaine_.--All eight cha.s.sez quite round, giving alternately right and left hands to partners, beginning with the right.

_Le Grand Rond_.--All join hands and advance and retire twice.

_Pas d'Allemande_.--The gentlemen turn the partners under their arms.

_Traversez_.--The two opposite persons change places.

_Vis-a-vis_.--The opposite partner.

[THE HUMAN BODY HAS 240 BONES.]

160. Scandal--Live it down.

Should envious tongues some malice frame, To soil and tarnish your good name, Live it down!

Grow not disheartened; 'tis the lot Of all men, whether good or not: Live it down!

*Him not in answer, but be calm; For silence yields a rapid balm: Live it down!

Go not among your friends and say, Evil hath fallen on my way: Live it down!

Far better thus yourself alone To suffer, than with friends bemoan The trouble that is all your own: Live it down!

What though men _evil_ call your _good!_ So CHRIST Himself, misunderstood, Was nailed unto a cross of wood!

And now shall you for lesser pain, Your inmost soul for ever stain, By rendering evil back again?

Live it down!

161. Errors in Speaking.

There are several kinds of errors in speaking. The most objectionable of them are those in which words are employed that are unsuitable to convey the meaning intended. Thus, a person wishing to express his intention of going to a given place, says, "I _propose_ going," when, in fact, he _purposes_ going. The following affords an amusing ill.u.s.tration of this cla.s.s of error:--A venerable matron was speaking of her son, who, she said, was quite stage-struck. "In fact," remarked the old lady, "he is going to a _premature_ performance this evening!"

Considering that most _amateur_ performances are _premature_, it cannot be said that this word was altogether misapplied; though, evidently, the maternal intention was to convey quite another meaning.

162. Other Errors

arise from the subst.i.tution of sounds similar to the words which should be employed; that is, spurious words instead of genuine ones.

Thus, some people say "renumerative," when they mean "remunerative." A nurse, recommending her mistress to have a _perambulator_ for her child, advised her to purchase a _preamputator_!

163. Other Errors (2)

are occasioned by imperfect knowledge of the English grammar: thus, many people say, "Between you and I," instead of "Between you and _me_." And there are numerous other departures from the rules of grammar, which will be pointed out hereafter.

164. By the Misuse of the Adjective:

"What _beautiful_ b.u.t.ter!" "What a _nice_ landscape!" They should say, "What a _beautiful_ landscape!" "What _nice_ b.u.t.ter!" Again, errors are frequently occasioned by the following causes:

165. By the Misp.r.o.nunciation of Words.

Many persons say _pro_noun_ciation_ instead of _p.r.o.nunciation_; others say pro-nun'-she-a-shun, instead of pro-nun-ce-a-shun.

166. By the Misdivision of Words and syllables.

This defect makes the words _an amba.s.sador_ sound like _a nam-ba.s.sador_, or _an adder_ like _a nadder_.

167. By Imperfect Enunciation,

as when a person says _hebben_ for _heaven_, _ebber_ for _ever_, _jocholate_ for _chocolate_, &c.

168. By the Use of Provincialisms,

or words retained from various dialects, of which we give the following examples:

169. Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Suffolk, &c.

Foyne, twoyne, for _fine_, _twine_; ineet for _night_; a-mon for _man_; poo for _pull_.

170. c.u.mberland, Scotland, &c.

Cuil, bluid, for _cool_, _blood_; spwort, seworn, whoam, for _sport_, _scorn_, _home_; a-theere for _there_; e-reed, seeven, for _red_, _seven_; bleedin' for _bleeding_; hawf for _half_; saumon for _salmon_.

171. Devonshire, Cornwall, &c.

F-vind for _find_; fet for _fetch_; wid for _with_; zee for _see_; tudder for _the other_; drash, droo, for _thrash_, and _through_; gewse for _goose_, &c.