A POINT OF GRAMMAR.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2155, 1 May 1886, Page 2

A POINT OF GRAMMAR.

A foreign' correspondent of the Academy mther cruelly raises the question of the u«e of " a " or '• an " before names or adjectives leginning with a consonant or » vowel. He appears to be most exercised as to whether bo ought to say " a hiatorical" or " an] historical." " Most English waters," he siys, " use the form 'an historical ' and the grammarians allow — nay, even prescribe it " ; but as he argues, the " h " in " historical" is not silent, and we ought to say, if we do not, " a historical." So we ought, strictly speaking, and so, we fancy, do "moat Engliah writers," in spite of the correspondents statement. But no wonder he feels a little embarrassed. It is to b* feared that our grammatical habits are, not rery uniform. He says we sometimes my "«n harangue," " an harmonious verie, and co on, and the hard impeachment cannot be denied. Equally true ' ii it that we sometimes say "an unanimous resolution," "an useless waste' 1 ; strictly speaking, that, too, is quite correct. But on occasion we choose to assume that °y " is understood before the •' u " in "useless," and we therefore say "a useless." Anq it is unqueatlonable that the latter Js the more euphonious iriode. U A useless" goes more trippingly than "an useless," which requires some effort. Unquestionably, too, " an historical ' is smoother. than[" a historical," the fact being that while " a history " (with the emphasis on the first syllable) sounds all rignt, "a bistorical," (with an acceut on the second syllable) is a little laborious. Probably, in every-day parlance, the average man and woman uses " a " or " an " according to euphony, and without reference to grammar. We speak rapidly, and are apt to sacrifice the aspirate to the exigencies of speed. And, certainly, that is the pleasantest solution of the problem. If it were but a, matter of sound ! But the correspondent of the "Academy" hai stirred the waters, and he may expect to have all the grammarian* " dowa upon " him with a crowd of arguments.

A? the Bombay Police Court a Mahomedan lady, named Bilkos Begum, applied for a summons for defamation against one Nawabali, the editor of a Hindustani Magazine called the Guldastae Birk. The lady stated that she edited & monthly magazine entitled the Guldastae Noy, and that the accused had started his journal, the Guldastae Bark (The Bouquet of Lightning), which affected to b» a world of wit and humour, in opposition to her, and that in his number for February the accused had compared her to a bark which had foundered .through the unskilful handling of her crew. This allegory, the averred, damaged her reputation and affected the sale of her paper. The summons was granted. A Lady's Wish.—" Oh, how I do wish my I sleia was as clear and soft as yours !" said a lady to a friend. You can easily make it 10, ' answered the friend. " How -" inquired the first lady. "By usmir Dr. Soule's Hop Bitters, that makes pure rich blood and blooming health. It did it for me, as you ohs«nre." Re« 4 Cl'rhd ot Drinking. -"A young friend of mine was cured of an insatiable thirst for liquor, that had so prostrated his system that he was mab'c to do any business. He was entirely cured by tho use ot Am. Co's Hop Bitters. It allajed all that burning thirst, took away the appetite for liquor, made his nerves steady, and ho has remained a sober and steady man for more than two years, and has no desire to return to bis cups."— From a leading R. X, OfficUl.