117. Exercises on the figures in the preceding lesson..

280

126. Improving the style of old authors—and abridging modern

138. Additional rules for letter-writing.-Specimens..

315

154. Reasoning from analogy, comparison, and contrast.

352

ELEMENTS

OF

ENGLISH COMPOSITION.

LESSON I.

COPY page after page from books, observing the capital letters, the points used, the marks of quotation, and the spelling of the words, so as to make an accurate copy.

Copy passages of poetry, as well as of prose, until the task can be performed easily and with accuracy.

EXAMPLES.

He who cannot bear a joke, should not give one.
What is done cannot be undone.

In most quarrels there is a fault on both sides. A quarrel may be compared to a spark, which cannot be produced without a flint, as well as a steel; either of them may hammer on wood forever, and no fire will follow.

Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in part; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Nathan said unto David, "Thou art the man.

Cherish thy Mother; brief perchance the time
May be, that she will claim the care she gave:
Past are her hopes of youth, her harvest prime
Of joy on earth; her friends are in the grave:

But for her children, she could lay her head
Gladly to rest among her precious dead.

mother mine! God grant I ne'er forget,
Whatever be my grief, or what my joy,
The unmeasured, unextinguishable debt
I owe thy love; but make my sweet employ,
Ever, through my remaining days, to be
To thee as faithful as thou wert to me.

BETHUNE.

LESSON II.

Write, from dictation, the previous selections, or others made by the Teacher, until accuracy and readiness shall be acquired. A few additional examples, for this purpose, are subjoined.

EXAMPLES.

FIVE MINUTES.-A number of years ago, it was a custom of the Orthodox churches in Boston (at the request of the chaplain of the State Prison), to furnish about a dozen teachers, who would voluntarily go to the Prison on Sabbath forenoon to instruct classes of the convicts in a Sabbath-school in the chapel.

Hon. Samuel Hubbard was one of those who went. Near the close of the time devoted to instruction, the chaplain said:

"We have five minutes to spare. Mr. Hubbard, will you please to make a few remarks?"

He arose in a calm, dignified manner, and looking at the prisoners said:

"I am told that we have five minutes to spare. Much may be done in five minutes. In five minutes Judas betrayed his Master, and went to his own place. In five minutes the thief on the cross repented, and went with the Saviour to Paradise. No doubt many of those before me did that act in five minutes, which brought them to this place. In five minutes you may repent, and go to Paradise; or will you imitate Judas, and go to the place where he is? My five minutes have expired."-Recorder.

The following is a calculation of the number of books, verses, words, letters, etc., contained in the Old and New Testaments. It is worth reading and preserving:

OLD TESTAMENT.-Number of books, 39; chapters, 929; verses, 33,214; words, 592,439; letters, 2,728,100.

The middle book is Proverbs.

The middle chapter is Job xxix.

The middle verse would be 2 Chronicles xx. 17, if there were a verse less; and verse 18, if there were a verse more.

The word and occurs 35,543 times.

The word JEHOVAH occurs 6,855 times.

The shortest verse is 1 Chronicles i. 25.

The 21st verse of the 7th chapter of Ezra contains all the letters of the alphabet.

The 19th of 2 Kings and the 37th chapter of Isaiah are alike. NEW TESTAMENT.-Number of books, 27; chapters, 260; verses, 7,050; words, 181,258; letters, 828,580.

The middle book is 2 Thessalonians.

The middle chapter is Romans xiii., if there were a chapter less; and xiv., if there were a chapter more.

The middle and least verse is John xi. 35.

OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT.-Number of books, 66; chapters, 1189; verses, 40,264; words, 773,697; letters, 3,556,680.

The middle chapter, and least in the Bible, is the 117th Psalm. The middle verse is Psalm cxviii. 8.

EXERCISE.

The pupil may here with advantage study, and should write from dictation, those columns and sentences from the Spelling-Book which contain words that being similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling and in meaning, are likely to be confounded: also those sentences which contain words which it is difficult to write orthographically. See Parker and Watson's Speller, and Northend's "Dictation Exercises." Exercises of this kind should be continued, at least occasionally, until the power shall be acquired of writing from dictation with perfect accuracy.