ort of cockneyism of misappropriated letters. He used the flat "a"
in words where Carthaginians used the soft, as in his own name and his
university's. He saved up the "r" that he dropped from its rightful
place and put it on where it did not belong, as in "idear." He had
provoked roars of laughter one evening when a practical joker requested
him to read a list of the books of the Bible, and he had mentioned
"Numbas, Joshuar, Ezrar, Nehemiar, Estha, Provubbs, Isaiar, Jeremiar."

Eventually he was eclipsed by another young man sent to a post in the
C., T. & R. Railroad by an ambitious parent--Jefferson Digney, of Yale.
Digney, born and raised in Virginia and removed to Georgia, had taken
his accent to New Haven and taken it away with him unsullied. His
Southern speech had given Carthage acute joy for a while.

Arthur Litton had commented once on the contrast between Orson and
Jefferson. "Neither of you can pronounce the name of his State," said
Arthur. "He calls it 'Jawja' and you call it 'Jahjar.'"

"What should it be?"

"Jorrjuh."

"Really!"

"You can't pronounce your own name."

"Oh, cahn't I?"

"No, you cahn't I. You call it 'Cavveh.' He calls it 'Cyahvah.'"

"What ought it to be?"

"Carrvurr--as it's spelt."

Yet another new-comer to the town was an Englishman, Anthony Hopper, a
younger son of a stock-holder abroad. He was not at all the Englishman
of the stage, and the Carthaginians were astonished to find that he did
not drop his "h's" or misapply them. And he never once said "fawncy,"
but flat "fancy." He did not call himself "Hanthony 'Opper," as they
expected. But he did take a "caold bahth in the mawning."

With a New Englander, an old Englander, and an Atlantan in the town,
Carthage took an astonishing interest in pronunciation that winter. When
conversation flagged anybody could raise a laugh by referring to their
outlandish pronunciations. Quoting their remarks took the place of such
parlor games as trying to say "She sells sea shells," or "The sea
ceaseth and it sufficeth us."

The foreigners entered into the spirit of it and retorted with
burlesques of Carthagese. They were received with excellent
sportsmanship. One might have been led to believe that the Carthaginians
took the matter of pronunciation lightly, since they could laugh
tolerantly at foreigners. This, however, was because the foreigners had
missed advantages of Carthaginian standards.

Emma Terriberry's crime was not in her