1869 printing of the 1869 copyrighted text. The author is credited as a faculty member of the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, NY. Striving for simplicity and practical instruction, this text approaches teaching composition through steps of preparation rather than asking students to immediately write compositions. The chapters cover oral composition, formation of sentences, incorrect composition, punctuation, preparing composition, copying compositions, poetry and prose, elements of correct composition, style, figures of speech, criticism, and newspapers and magazines. Lessons use models and exercises. The Schultz Archive's copy is roughly the complete text.