1864 printing of the 1864 copyrighted text. The preface states the methods of the text are the result of eight years of classroom experience and testing. The text is written as a teaching guide with advice on lessons and providing feedback to encourage composition in younger students. The text's method is to introduce composition through the presentation of various forms of writing rather than simplified rhetorical principles. These forms include letters (epistles), diary writing, news items, advertisements, and extempore writing. The Schultz Archive's copy is roughly the complete text.