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Show QUAKER SPEECH NOW RARE Gentleness In Some Measure Seems to Have Decreased Through Its Abandonment. At a Friends' meoting In Philadelphia Philadel-phia several speakers expressed regret re-gret that the distinctive Quaker speech, known as tho "plain language," lan-guage," was going so rapidly out of uso. It was asserted that tho gentleness gentle-ness that distinguished It made it especially desirable and effective and that tho Influence of Friends was In a measure decroasod by Its abandon' xnent. Doubtless this vlow Is correct. The Quaker speech, now so rarely heard, was always much liked by people not members of the sect because It was associated with calmness and serenity of manner. Probably this serenity was a quality not dependent on tho languago used, but waB a matter of temperament and habit, but' It seemed an essential accompaniment of tho gcntlo "thoo and thou" and other peculiar pe-culiar forms of address. As used, this Quaker speech was not strictly gram mntlcal "thco Is," for examplo, being open to objection If anyone ever thought of It In a critical way. Nevertheless, Never-theless, "thco Is" had Its charm. Tho passing of tho Quaker costumo was also spoken of with eomo regret, yet thoso who lamented its disappearance disap-pearance wero not insistent on Its rendoptlon. Apparently thoy saw no especial connection between tho plain garb and the plain language, yet thoro undoubtedly Is ono. Tho speech Is expected from wear ers of tho distinctive costumo the straight, sevcro gowns and tho closo-flttlng closo-flttlng bonnets, and loses Its effectiveness effective-ness when It comes from the lips of a woman arrayed In fashionable attire. at-tire. Tho chango in dress was urged by tho young generation of Quakers on tho plea that the old fashions set them apart from their neighbors and were a hindrance. Perhaps they did not mean to give up the quaint speech also, but its disuse was Inevitable. It docs not belong with worldly dress. IndlanapollB Star. |