Az I speek, so I rite, az neerly az possibl. I hope that wunce popular
soshial and intellectual recreashon meeting the "Spelling Bee,"
(_sic_) will soon be revived, with a difference. It may be expected to
cum up agen under the name of a Fonetik Spelling B, and the auspices
of the American Spelling Reform Associashun. A competishun in spelling
English wurds acording to thare sound may divert superfishl hearers;
but no dout menny of those who hav cum to scoff wil remane to spel.
The adopshun of fonetik spelling must tend to elevate the Masses in
respect of orthografy to a level with the Classes, az it will enable
the former to spel az they speek correctly, when they do speek so.
But, for that matter the fonetik orthografy, wunce adopted, wil
naturally be followd by an adaptashun of all the prezent rules of
Grammer to popular uzage. Perhaps the aspirate wil be expeld from the
Alfabet, and there wil be an end to the supersilius aristocrat's
derizhun of the Peeple for dropping their h's.
However, an Act of Parliament mite be necessary to effect the rekwisit
reforms of the QUEEN'S Inglish if possibl.
If the Republic of Letters cood be persuaded to employ those of the
Alfabet fonetically, a popular system of spelling wood soon prevale.
At leest all ordinary parts of speech mite by common consent be ritten
as pronounsd. But a certin difficulty wood perhaps be prezented by
proper names. I am afrade my friends who spel their own MARJORIBANKS,
PONSONBY, GROSVENOR, POINGDESTRE, DECRESPIGNY, DALRYMPLE, and others
whom I could mention, wood almost as soon be hanged as pen fonetik
signatures. As for myself, however, I hav no such objecshun. I happen
to inherit a name of which the tradishonal orthografy is COLQUHOUN. It
is far too much of a mouthful to be pronounced az so spelt, and I, for
my part, deferring all pride of pedigree to a great intellectual
movement, do not hesitate to sine it, regardless of the double meaning
it may convey to an American reeder,