University of Texas Bulletin ' NO. 2443: November 15, 1924 LATIN LEAFLET Issued by the Department of Classical Languages in the interest of Latin teaching in the high schools of Texas Roberta F. Lavender, Edi.tor W. J. Battle and Clara M. Parker, Associate Editors Number 13: November, 1924 WACO NUMBER Annie M. Forsgard, Editor PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY FOUR TIMES A MONTH, AND ENTERED AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER AT THE POSTOFFICE AT AUSTIN. TEXAS. UNDER THE ACT OF AUGUST 2~. 1912 GREETING ton has offered to the fourth-year winner in that district a scholarship At the meeting of the Texas .in the University of Texas, $75.00 a Classical Association in November, month for nine months. In the Fort 1923, it was voted that THE LATIN Worth district, the big prize is a LEAFLET should be prepared from scholarship offered by Southern Meth­time to time by the classical teachers odist University. of different Texas cities. \ · To defray publicity expenses, each LEAFLET No. 12 was edited by the school that enters is asked to send teachers of Fort Worth. The present I Sl.00 to the State tournament chair­number has been prepared by the man. The registration list is nearing teachers of Waco. -A.M.F. 1100. An effort is being made to se­cure railroad rates. To get consid-LATIN TOURNAMENTS I eration from railway companies, an estimate of attendance must be sent When? Friday, .April 3, 1925. to the February meeting of railway Where? Fort Worth, Waco, Rous-officials. Will you not see to it that 1 ton, San Antonio. your school is registered before the Contestants? Whosoever will. month of January closes? I Details for the tournaments were SPRING CLASSICAL :vrEETINGS worked out by a representative com­When? Saturday, April 4, 1925. 1 mittee of Latin teacher . Valuable Where? At each tournament center. Iassistance was received from Dr. W. J. Battle and Miss Roberta The Texas Classical Association is Lavender of the State University. sponsor for .the Latin tournaments. I 1. Each school is allowed two rep­!n the future what athl.etics means resentatives for each year's work. m the high schools, classical teachers Two mid-term beginners also 2 expect t he tournaments to mean for · t. Imay be sent for a vocabulary contest. Lam. Worth while prizes are awaiting the 3. Pri~es will be a:warded to the winners. Mr. R. S. Sterling of Rous-four pupils who submit the best es­ LATIN LEAFLET I says. Write for subjects and regu-1to other subjects, and also the position lations immediately. Three copies of essays must reach Miss Miller not later than March 1, 1925. Send registration dollars and all requests for further information and essays to Mrss LOURANIA MILER, State Chairman For Latin Tournaments, 2543 Gladstone, Dallas, Texas. THE CLASSICAL INVESTIGA­TION, PART I. A REVIEW The recent publication of the first part of the results of The Classical Investigation* marks an important point in the history of secondary edu­cation in the United States. The volume will be of interest to all con­nected with our educational system as well as to the teachers of Latin, with whose work it deals specifically. of Greek in the curriculum and that 1 of Latin in the junior high schools; (3) by publishing and distributing a full report of the results. The work begun in February, 1921, organized with a central committee of fifteen, aided by eight regional com­mittees representing New England, the Middle Atlantic States, South, Central West, Southwest, Northwest, Rockies, and Pacific Coast. These committees worked with members of the education departments of various universities and availed themselves of the statistics compiled by the United States Commission of Education in regard to the number of pupils en­rolled in the Latin and modern lan­guage courses, as well as those of the New York State Department of Edu­cation and of the College Entrance Board. The final report will consist of six parts : 1. General Report (already pub- The investigation is the most complete lished). of its kind ever attempted for any I 2. Documentary evidence for the subject in the secondary school cur­riculum. It covered a period of three years and enlisted the help of au­thorities in the fields of the classics and of education as well as that of several thousand teachers and pupils in the high schools of the country. In May, 1920, the General Educa­tion Board expressed its willingness to finance an investigation of the position now held by Latin in the secondary school curriculum. The re­sponsibility for carrying on the project was assumed by the American Classical League, composed of friends of the classics all over the country. The plan for conducting the investiga­ report. 3. The Classics in England, France, and Germany. 1 4. English word count and Latin word list. 5. Latin word list, based on fre­quency of occurrence in authors. 6. A derivative lexicon of Latin and Greek in English, based on the New Oxford Dictionary. The second chapter gives the sta­stistics on the extent of Latin teach­ing in our schools. For the academic year 1923-24 in the entire country, 940,000 pupils were studying Latin, or 27.5 per cent of all those in the high schools. Of all schools in the tion was adopted in January, 1921. 1 country, 94 per cent offer courses in The survey was, accordingly, under-, Latin, a greater proportion than those taken in the following way: (1) by collecting all available facts in regard to the teaching of Latin as it is now conducted, by analyzing these facts, and on a basis of this analysis arriv­ing at a plan for a constructive pro­gram and the teaching of the classics'; (2) by investigating administrative policies in regard to Latin, the train­ing of teachers, the number of pupils studying Latin, the relation of Latin *The classical investigation, conducted by the Advisory Committee of the American Classical League. Pt. I, 1924, general report. Summary of results with recommendations for offering all other foreign languages taken together. In general, a three years' course in French comes next to Latin in number of pupils. These figures are not, however, true for Texas, as here out of 320 public and 41 private schools which offer Latin, 24 per cent of all pupils are enrolled in the course, as against 29 per cent who study Spanish, the figures for public schools being: 17,682 Latin pupils, 21,088 in Spanish, and 1,675 in French classes.t Of those engaged in teaching Latin, 25 per cent have studied Latin in high the organization of the course in secondary school only 25 per cent are not college Latin and for the improvement of methods of 1---' teachin!-!. Princeton University Press. t Appendix Table II, figures for 1921-22. graduates, and only about 25 per cent have studied Greek, about half in high school only. Only one state requires a course in the teaching of Latin as a prerequisite to the holding of a cer­tificate in that subject. Though the decrease in those studying Latin in the third and fourth years of high school is far greater than the decrease in actual numbers of pupils for those years, the study of Latin seems to be on the increase in the colleges. Out of 590 colleges reporting, 223 offer courses in beginning Latin, and 228 offer teachers' courses.:j: At least thirty-nine state superintendents of Iof Latin reading required has been education have expressed themselves as friendly to the study of Latin. The figures for the number of pupils affected by the study of Latin lead to a consideration of the ~bjectives which the study should attam (chap. III) . The course in Latin offered generally covers four years, yet 69 per cent of the pupils do not continue th~ study beyond the secon.d year. Thirty-o!1e per cent enroll m thi:d-year Latm'. but only 14 per cent m fourth-yea1 work, and only about 5 per cent study Latin for at least one year in college. Therefore a great part of the results of Latin teaching should be obtained by the end of the second year. Theim­mediate objectives, namely, ability to comprehend a passage of Latin and 1 d f f d t ' know e ge o orms an S_Yn ax, may cease after the comple~ion of .the s~hool course.. The ~ltimate ·obJ.ec­tives, those which coi:i~mu~ to fu_ncti?n throughout the .pupil s hfe, a.ie di?­cussed .as (1) mstrumental, i.e . . aid given m. mastery of words derived fEroml . Lhatin, atnd gt~eater k(n2o)wlde.dg~ l~f ng i~ cons rue wns; . iscip i­na;ry,. i.e. transfer of habits of orde~ly thii:ikmg, etc.; (3) cul~ur3:1 and his­toric3:1, 3: greater reahzation of t.he ~~ntr~but10n of Ron;e t? Western civ­1hzation. These obJect~ves have ~een in greater degree. At present, of the teachers who agree in regard to the objectives, a small proportion declare themselves successful in securing them in their teaching; while educa­tional tests given to pupils show the teachers were more sanguine as to the mends the following changes: The general opinion is that the amount of Latin text required to be covered in the conventional four-year course does not leave time for the de­velopment of many desirable objec­tives. In New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Chicago, the amount ~ reduced considerably in the recent syl­labi. The committee therefore recom­mends the following changes: 1. The introduction at an early stage of a large amount of r~ading of easy "made Latin," conformmg as far as possible to the characteristics of the classical authors. 2. Selections from classical au­thors which give an insight into the government, religion, history, ideals, and influence of the Romans. . . . 3. Collate~al readmg m Enghsh on the same topics. 4. The thorough mastery of .at least 500 words a year, the choice bas~d 0~ fre9uency 0~ occurrence, and denvat1ves m English and the Ro-Imance languages. 5. Limiting the amount of formal syntax to be learned, as multiple choice tests show that pupils do not master many principles, although they are able to understand Latin reading matter. 6. Limiting in the same way the number of forms required to be thor­oughly mastered. Moreover, it is recommended that the reading of classical Latin be post­poned until the beginning of the second half of the second year, that the reading of the third and fourth fo~mulated on the basis of questi~n-years be selected from various au­ naires se~t to 1,150 teachers of Latin, of ed~cati~nal tests of pupils, and .of quest10nnaires answered by pupils and by college graduates. The greater part . of the report (chap. IV) deals. with the contei:it of t!1e four-year high school course m Latm._ The fac.ts are drawn from the material to which. reference ha~ been made, and sweepmg changes m the thors and limited only to at least thirty-five pages of Teubner text for the fourth term, and sixty and one hundred pages for the third and fourth years, respectively. The ob­jection that this course will not com­ply with the present requirements of the College Entrance Examination Board is met bv the fact that only a small proportion of the pupils enter con~ent of the course are. re~ommend-college, and that a change in the ed m order tha.t the objections pro-high school curriculum throughout mulgated as desirable may be secured the country would necessitate changes tAppendix Table XIII. in the college requirements. The section of the report (chap. V) devoted to methods stresses the fact that while the ultimate objectives are to be kept in view by the teacher, the progressive development of the pupil's power to read Latin is in­dispensable. The first requirement to secure this is a thorough familiarity with Latin on the part of the teacher. Conclusions as to method are based . on the statistics already cited, and upon the examination of examination questions and answers. Teachers agree on the advisability of accept­ing only translations in Idiomatic English, the value of increasing the the Latin order and taking in the meaning of the word groups. Trans­lation at sight should form a part of every lesson, to instill in the pupils the correct method of attacking a Latin paragraph. Most teachers agree that a higher standard of English is obtained from pupils of the third and fourth years. The committee has prepared for rat­ing translations, a scale similar to those used in the rating of English compositions. It is urged also that the collateral reading on Roman in­stitutions be made an integral part of each term's work. New constructions pupil's knowledge of vocabulary by i should be taught largely from ex­means of his apperception of w?rds Iamples in the text, and new vocabu­already familiar, and of the various Ilary on the basis of familiar Latin cultural objectives admitted for L3;tin. words, or o~ English derivatives, as Yet the greater part of the examma-far as possible. A detailed sugges­tion questions are devoted to transla-1tion of the exact forms and principles tion and formal syntax and forms. This is due, in part, to the fact that the large amount of reading of Latin required in the present course leaves little time for class discussion of the other objectives. An examination of answer papers of pupils taking the New York state examinations sho\~S of syntax suitable for each term's work has been formulated. Although the committee upholds the teaching of Latin for the purpose of understanding Latin, and approves of the development of knowledge of forms and syntax by reference to reading material, it does not approve a relatively high per cent for work m j of the "Direct Method,'' inasmuch as English derivatives, largely, it is con-this must preclude all opportunity for eluded, because the state syllabus training in English, and requires an stresses derivation as an integral part amount of time unavailable in our of the curriculum. It is advised, school systems. Moreover, in the therefore, that pupils b~ broug?~ .to 1 hands of unskilled teacher~, it has a realization of the various ab1hties Ibeen foun.d to produce a glibness of derived by the study of Latin, and response on the part of pupils with­that definite time be devoted to deriva-out thorough mastery. Occasional tion history, and relation to Romance Iuse of the direct method is, however, languages, and that the cooi:ieration recommen~ed as of val~e for ill.ustra­of the teachers of other subJects be tion or drill, and particularly m the secured. junior high school. In order to increase the time for The general conclusions summed up this side of Latin study, the amount in the last chapter point to the fact of time devoted to formal syntax must . that the deficiencies in the teaching be decreased. This should be a means 1 of Latin are due largely to the present to clearer understanding of the text, course, and the insufficient training of not an end in itself. Moreover, since teachers. In spite of this, the com­the understanding of Latin is the de-1 1 parative records of Latin and non­sired end, it may be secured otherwise ILatin pupils taking the examinations than by translation, as, for example, Iof the College Entrance Examination the use of question and answer, or the summing up of the content of entire paragraphs. Translation itself into idiomatic English is not to be con­fused with comprehension of the Latin. Moreover, the rendering of Lat:n in ungrammatical English is wasteful. A literal translation in the case of difficult passages where analysis is necessary, should be given a special name, as "a metaphrase," or "construe." The comprehension of Latin is attained by reading aloud in Board for a period of ten years (1914­1923) , as well as similar records of the New New York State Education Department (discussed in chap. VII), show that Latin pupils are superior in general standing. Some of this superiority may be attributed to the work of four years in Latin, as well as to initial superiority in the intel­lect of the pupils. The teaching of Greek, though lim­ited, seems to furnish similar results. It is urged that teachers of Latin be­come familiar with Greek in order to ' from many sides. Xot that one understand the relation of Latin to teaches all he knows in secondarv Greek literature. This would also work, or e\·en in college work, but i't provide greater opportunity for Greek is hard to know too much about the in the high schools. Likewise, the subject to be taught. The writer has need for teachers' training courses is nothing against courses in education; stressed. in fact, he did graduate work for two The volume contains a brief sum-years without credit in this field, just mary of the position of classical to come in contact with it. teaching in England, Frai:ice, and I do not know the remedv. It ma\· Germany, which will be more fully i be that the permanent certificate la\\· treated in vol. III of the publica-, is the cause of this growing tendencv tions The English Education Act of and ought to be changed. At a~\'. 1921, extending the plan of secondary 1 rate, prospective Latin teacher's education, makes Latin a part of the \ should plan to know Latin first and curriculum of all schools offering two , methods in teaching next. The best foreign languages, and provides ex-' methods without accurate knowledge tensively for Greek. The French Act Icannot secure the best results in teach­of 1923 reorganizes th~ course. of the ing; accurate and extensive knowl­secondary scho~ls, mak11:g Latin con;-edge, coupled with the best methods pulsory. The situation m Germany is of teaching will produce the ideal still unsettled, because of the move-! teacher. ' ment to make the German language · J. ·w. Dow:s-ER, and literature the center of. the edu-,' Professo1' o.f Latin, Baylor Cnil'ersity. cational plan, to the exclus10n of all ot~~:· booi~ contains two appendice8, 1 THE LA.TIX TEACHER the first statistical. giving the figuTes \ for the stud'· of Latin; the second, Only the --­Latin teacher who feels quotations on methods in Latin teach-his responsibility can know and fullv ing from various authoritative pub-j understand his many trials. Ever~­lications. · teacher should be well prepared for A detailed study of the chapters on ' his work, but the preparation for content and method will well repay teaching some subjects seems simpler any teacher of Latin, because of the ; than for others. suggestions offered, many of which \ Though in mathematics the names may be applied in teaching, even 1 of many of the terms are derived from under the present course. Teachers ; Latin, that subject can be taught and will find many of their own opinions !understood without Latin or even an as to helpful method substantiated, I English education. '.\Iuch over half and ways to correct unsuccessful our English words are derived from methods of presentation offered. Copies the Latin, and yet English can be of the book will be sent on request to. taught without a Latin education. Latin teach~rs ~vho write .to the j The _Latin teac~er not on!~· must Princeton University Press, Prmceton, Iknow his own subJect (mcludmg an­ N. J. ERKESTIKE F. LEOX. cient history and mythology and an-j tiquities and, if possible, Greek as KNO\\'LEDGE VERSUS '.\IETHOD Iwell), but he ought also to know ---, English grammar and literature and One of the great dangers to the ' something of the modern Latin, called profession of teachin gis that many I French or Spanish or Italian, and, in prospective teachers are specializing addition, he must have the power to in education in college rather than in adapt his knowledge to his use. the subjects they are planning to Adaptability on the part of the teach. This, in the opinion of the teacher means that he should be \\·ide writer, is a calamity. :Many seem to awake, seeing and reading e\·erything have the idea that they must major that can be used to add interest to his in education in order to secure the , subject. permanent certificate. They are not i The teacher of this "dead language" thinking of knowing from every angle cannot even sleep on current events. something to teach; that seems to be I He should direct the attention of his a minor consideration with many. pupils to ne\\' im·entions bearing Latin Teachers of Latin should know names or new names formed from Latin, not merely the Latin to be Latin words. Almost all the new in­taught in the high schools, but Latin · ventions have Latin or Greek name~ many of them the names of their i' a "bucking pony" on examinations divinities. These things sometimes and tests. surprisingly interest a very stolidt• 6. Do not correct writteri work in class. class, unless you take up the papers Sometimes the pupil considers the and see that the corrections are made language under consideration dead, by the students. The best and most and he himself dies to all interest in honorable students \Viii not see all the his subject. Then the teacher be-errors. It pays to return corrected comes "all things to all men"-the papers and discuss the errors. · train to bear the pu~ils on, the engine 1· J . W. DOWNER. that draws the tram, the fuel that moves the engine, the stoker that J pushes in the fuel, the engineer that SUGGGESTIONS FOR LATIN guides and is responsible fo rail. I CLUBS Small wonder that by vacation time he needs a rest! Two books which seem to me most The live teacher cannot fail to pre-' usable for Latin club work are Miss sent to his pupils the practical side of IPaxson's H andb~ok jo1·. Latin Clubs his subject. Some might fail to ap-C~'Ieath) and Miss Sabin's Relation preciate the culture certainly ob-. of Latin to Practical Life (published tained by the study of Latin, the in-' by the author). The University of creased English vocabulary, the more I I?w'.1 puts out an excellent leafllet skillful use of the English language, . b1bhography: . and yet be aroused by practical appli-. Orgamzat10n. A Latm name for cation of the subject. The embryo the .club, as Amici Romani, Societas writer, lawyer, doctor, artisan, adver-Latmorum, and Latin titles for of­tisement writer, or advertiser could ficers, as consul, scriba, aedilis, pro­not be blind to his need of this most mote interest. There should also be used of all languages. It is the work a Latin motto, a club song in Latin; of the teacher to open blind eyes and perhaps, evolved later, a classical unstop deaf ears, that the pupil see-j flower and color. The sunflower and ing and hearing may understand what . purple have been favorites. is passing before him. · Calendar. A monthly calendar in. , Roman style with club activities, as HINTS TO TEACHERS. ; well as dates, set forth in Latin may ' be posted effectively. A decorative 1. Be individual. Get ideas from sketch of the god or hero of the month, all sources, but make them yours be-as Mars, Julius,. will help. Special fore using them. . programs for holidays are popular. 2. Teach your subject, not about 1 Roll. Call. . Roll call n:iay ?e made your subject. Many students, and : most mterestmg, and will give each teachers as well know much about · member a chance to perform. An­Latin but do ~ot know how the swers may be names of mythological Roma'ns express their thoughts. . characters, Latin words used in Sidelights are valuable, but they mathematics, Latin place-names in should not crowd out the essentials. 1 Texas, Latin names for food, animals, 3. Do not entertain your students Iclothing, to fit the program. with what you know. Encourage \ Plays. Once organized, the club them to find out things to tell you. needs something to do. Nothing de­To this end, be a regular interrogation lights more than a play. Roman point. j schools, weddings, funeral and ban­ 4. In teaching, do not shoot over quet scenes may be made beautiful or the heads of your students. Find out comical. Original pantomimes of what they know and begin on that 'I mythological scenes, favorite classical basis rather than on what they ought events,, and original dramatizations to know. It is amazing how much of Three Bears, Cannibal Isles, The students can learn in a short time by IHouse That Jctck Built, are inter­adding each day a little to what they esting. For more ambitious efforts, already know. there are good plavs in Decem Fa­ 5. Meet the temptation to copy or : bu/re (Lingua Latina Series), Pax­to !11emorize or to "ride:' by giving Ison's Two Latin Plays (Ginn), assignments not found m. the text-; Schlicher's Latin Plays (Ginn), and books but of the same difficulty or ! in the files of the Classical Journal. even easier. In this way students i The enthusiasm repays the labor. will find out that a "pony" becomes ! Songs. Miss Paxson's Handbook and Smith's Latin Lessons have some money to buy pictures for the Latin good Latin songs in the back. The room or books for the library or a bit clubs enjoy making their own Latin of sculpture or a few coins or slides. songs to fit popular airs. · Films or slides from the Universitv Games. There is a very gcod ii-of Texas may be shown for an admis­ lustrated mythology game put out by sion fee, Latin plays by the club may the Cincinnati Game Company, Cin-be charged for, or a Latin paper may cinnati, Ohio. The Latin Game Com-: be published and sold for a small pany, Appleton, Wis., has some good ' profit. A live club will find a way. games of verbs and nouns. There are ELOR OSBOR:S-. many similar series. My classes will toil manfully for a "card game." Pictures. A set of sixteen picture THE BCLLETIX BOARD IX THE cards of Roman life and scenery is i LATIX ROO:\I published by G. Bell & Sons of Lon-1 don; excellent small Perry pictures of Besides the usual display of scenes classical art, and back numbers of : from modern and ancient Rome and Mentor pictures may be used well. pictures of statuary and paintings There is a wall picture-Villa Corne-based on classical subjects, the follow­liana-in gorgeous colors published ing have proved both interesting and by the Clarendon Press. To try some instructive when presented on the conversational Latin in the club is bulletin board: especially good. Stereopticon slides 1. Arma Romanorum et Gallorum. and moving picture films may be had 1 Pictures for this display can be found from the Extension Department of the in old textbooks no longer in use. A University of Texas. committee of interested pupils will 1 Construction. This work appeals to Ienjoy collecting the material and. ar­the less literary minded. I have had ranging it attractively. some charming models of Roman 2. Latin in Radio. The boys in­houses, camps, shields, and swords · terested in radio have disconred that made from cardboard or wood; and a Ipractically all the terms used owe whole Roman family represented by ' their orig-in to Latin. From their dolls, costumed with accuracy and : magazines, Radio Xews, Radio Digest, skill. Miss Sabin's book contains J' Radio Broadcast, Popular Radio, ideas for many interesting exhibits. QST, they can obtain abundant ma- Latinizing. This has been men-I terial, ne,,-words, and pictures. tioned in connection with plays and · 3. Rapid Growth of the Latin Ele­songs. Clubs like to Latinize songs n~ent in English. Ask a class, or sev­and best seller titles, familiar national era! classes, to bring picti:res of or local advertisements, jokes, conun-. inventions with Latin names and to drums, and nursery rh}:mes. The underscore the word derived from Latin resulting is sometimes strange Latin. These will be brought in in to behold, but the interest generated : such numbers that the best way to 1 is worth it. · keep up with them is to paste all on Latin Bible. A Latin Bible is a a large cardboard. source of interest. Familiar quota-· 4. }!ythology up-to-date. These I tions mav be memorized. are a little more difficult to find than Stories. Original stories in Eng-Latin-named inventions, but give it lish with classical setting; the tree time and you "·ill be surprised how flower and star stories of mythology; . often the ancient heroes and divinities the story of the boy who wished Iappear. Here are a few: Yulcan everything Latin destroyed, and got matches, Xeptune motor boat, Hygeia his wish with tragic results ; the slippers, Hebe milk, Titan granite stories of words and phrases of every-1ware, }!inerva yarn, Venus pencils, day-these can tell much that would Atlas cement, Hercules po\\·ders, etc. be yawned at in a dry "paper." 5. Latin on Coins. If there is no Continued Stories. Some clubs like Iway of attaching coins to the board, to devote part of each meeting to a some pupils will be glad to make a book read aloud and continued to the large drawing of each coin and to next meeting. Whitehead's The Stand-Iwrite beneath it the Latin inscription ard Bearer (American Book Co.) , with its meaning. Here mav be in Davis's A Friend of Cresar (Macmil-eluded English money, the coins of Ian), and Shaw's play, Ctesar and · "Helvetia," our own "E Pluribus Cleopatra, are good. Unum," and our use of the fasces. Money Making. The club can make The fact that most of these are so familiar seems to make the subject all the more interesting. 6. Dona Omnibus. This is very entertaining to beginners' classes just before the Christmas holidays. Have a fireplace and stocking cut from red cardboard to fit your bulletin board. Ask each pupil to find a colored pie­ture, if possible, of some article which1 would make an acceptable Christmas present, find its Latin name in the English-Latin dictionary, and print it on the picture. These are attached with thumb-tacks on the top of the stocking and all around it. M.C.B. ----o SHOULD THE ENGLlSH STUDENT STUDY LATIN? The other day I heard a lawyer say, "Everyone should study Latin. In my opinion, the person unfamiliar with Latin spends enough time looking into the dictionary for the meaning of words, to master the language. Latin reveals the meaning of so many words in English that I consider it a ne­ cessity." Overlooking the abominable manner in which most lawyers pronounce the simplest Latin words an dphrases, the scholar should admit that there is some truth in the statement quoted above. The study of Latin is helpful not only to lawyers and other pro­ fessional men, but also to the casual student of English. In fact the real student must know Latin to be ac­ quainted with one of the ancestors of modern English. The dual character of our. l.anguage is apparent to anyone familiar with strange coincidence they have the same root-words for father, mother, God, man, and many other essential words. If the reader is not familiar with the interesting story of the evo­lution of the English language, he has a subject before him as interesting as a novel. For a long time, English was far from an exact language. In glancing through works, say from the time of Chaucer to the present, one is led to believe that many of the prose writers resorted to "poetic license" in gram­mar, spelling, and mechanics. On the other hand, Latin is an exact language. It has been said that the mere knowledge of how to express our thoughts in Latin is training in exact thinking. Although making no pretentions of having followed the advice fully, I am offering a few suggestions of one Dr. Johnson, a certain dictionary­maker of London: "In the study of Latin, it is proper not ·to read the latter authours, till you are well versed in those of the purest ages; as Terence, Tully, Cresar, Sallust, Nepos, Velleius, Paterculus, Virgil, Horace, Phredrus. "The greatest and most necessary task still remains, to attain a habit of expression, without which knowl­ edge is of little use. This is necessary in Latin, and more necessary in Eng­ lish; and can only be acquired by daily imitation of the best and cor­ rectest authours." After all, we must agree with the lawyer, who said that Latin helps us to understand English. the history of English. The tongue I we sneak is the direct descendant and I E. D. JOHNSON, Head of English Department, offspr·ing of the Germanic and the Waco High School. Latin languages. Of course, the old German was changed in the Anglian and the Saxon dialects, some obscure scholars even contending that Saxon SEEN IN WACO is a corruption of Isaac-sons and thl:!t the original language was that of one Non Nobis Solum: Elevators and of the "Lost Tribes." Our Latin door of the First State Bank build­words came into the language through ing. the Church; through Norman, French, E Pluribus Unum: United States Italian, Spanish; by direct borrowing. dollar. There is no doubt · of the fact Tonsor: Fifth street barber shop. that our language is aproduct of the Aura Vincit: Franklin car. old German and the Latin. Whether De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum: these two languages had a common IBrooks Sandwich Shop. ancestor, we do not know; but by a