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COMPO SIT ION WRITING.

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PRACTICAL GUIDE,
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CONTAINING

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W.W. DAVIS.

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CHICAGO:
GEO. & C. "W". SHERWOOD.

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1864.

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... PREFACE.

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THE object of· this little treatise 'is to supply a w~nt· IO:rig felt .
". i1 by the ''authot in his own experienGe ': s·~me plan by ,whi~h the
exerci~e of c,omposftion ~ight : be. presented to beginners in ' a
f, · ~: mo~e .intetesting,and varied, manner. , :What t4e pupil needs at
.~ 1Jthe outset is not First Lessons of Rhetoric, Personification ~d
1 . ! Hyperbole reduced_ to ·the juvenile comprehensibn, but: su'ch .
~~ patterns and 'hints 'as w'm 'iead' hi~ )o "acquire "th~ facility' of
.: ~riting withm.it knowing it. · The~e . ,nursery com pends of for~ mal rules gathered fro_m larger works, may, like infantile Logics,
,· be ingenio'.ls in design, but are scarcelJ 'practical in effe~t.
.
; 1 The methods here ' p!:esented are 'the .·result qf eight years' >
· preparation for classes, and have .all sustained the trial of sue- .
cessful test in the Rchool~roorri..
· ; t· ¥uch c~re has been used. in the selection of subjects peri taining to each section ; not one. is intended to be · above the
f. capacity of pupils in the district school. .
' ·'
~": The specime~s of letters," 'journ3!ls, ~:p.d 'other literary ·e.fforts
)vhich ~re · gi~en; ar~ 1not de.signed. as_, models of those depart1
t· me~ts of ~terature~ but. simply as forms best adapted to express
, the end in view. '
··
:,•; As will ; 8e seen, the plan set forth' i~ the following pages' 'is
. not intended ·to supersede the use of the text-book when the
;.~tudent. is'' prepare~ for it, or to obvi~te the necessity of the
,teac!1er's ;:i.cquai!1fance. with the principles of Rhetoric; · it
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:merely .-aims to lighten and diversify the drill of composition in..-........ 'its earlier stages; and as such, is hopefull)r commended to the
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.(~vor of the fraternity.
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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1864,

By GEO. & C. W. SHERWOOD,

In eJefq~rlf'~ }>ffi~{ ~( t~~ Dj_§ti;icti,So\1~~ ~f t~e U8it~£1 '. E?tl{t~s~Jor the
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Northern District of lllinois.

W.W. D. ,

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DxxoN, May, 1864•

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CONTENTS.

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I. ·
II.
SECTION III.
SECTION 'IV.
SECTION v.
SECTION VI.
SECTION VII.
SECTION VIII.
SECTION IX.

Introduction,
First Lesson,
A Conversation,
Correction on Slates,
Catalogue of Uses,
A Story,
Using the Blackboard, .
Composition on Blackboard,
Time .to Prepare,
SECTION x.
Co~e~tirig, .
Preserving Compositions, - ·.
SEcTION 'xI.
SECTION ,X II.
Punctuation,
SECTION XIII.
Teacher writes on the Blackboard,
Teacher writes again,
SECTION ,XIV.
Various Hints, . SECTION xv.
SECTION XVI.
Correcting Manuscrlpts,
. SECTION XVII.
Subjects, ·
SECTION XVIIL
· Subjects, .
When to Read, .
SECTION XIX
SECTION xx ..
Subjects from Geography and History,
·
·written Debates ""- ·
SECTION XXI.
SECTION XXII.
Sodal Letter and Subjects,
SECTION XXIII.
Geographical 'Letter and Subjects,
Diary,
SECTION XXIV.
SECTION xxv.
Book Notice,
SECTION. XXVI.
Questions, .•
News Items,
SECTION XXVII.
•.
SECTION XXVIII. ·Local Items,
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Journal,
SECTION XXIX.
SECTION xxx.
SECTION x
SECTION x.. XII.
SECTION XXXIII.
SECTION XXXIV.
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COMPOSITIO.N.. WRITING.

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THE exercise of Composition may begin as soon as the child
can talk ; for composition is simply the expression of ideas in
-1anguage, spoken as well as writte'n.· . Hence, the child at home
.is unconsciously taking its firsflessons fa, the art as its innocent
prattle· gladdens the heart :of the mother from morn till night.
·As ·our purpose, however, .regards the child at school, we begin . ;
·w ith it there.
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SECTION, II. :.

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FIRST LESSON. ''. !!!'. :··

·rn Your little class are learning · the alphabet, either by the old

way of ·1etter by l~tter, or by the ' word method. " They can
spell dog, cat, and like poetic terms 'that' occur in the primer or
on the cards. You ·encourage •. them to · tell what ·they know
,:,.. . ~bout these things by various questions; as, Have
you -a
cat?
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L ?-What color ? What does she do ? Do you like cats ? As fast
.. ·as each question is answered, print or . write it on the board
before them. Here is the result: I h.a ve- a cat. My cat is
gray. She- catches; mice. She eats meat. I like cats. Require this to be copied on the board, or on their slates. If they,.__.,. . /
can. not print or write, let them begin to lea~ at once. · They
will soon be able to write these answers at their sea.ts, from
recollection, without your putting them first on the board; sometimes adding new facts of their own.
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SECTION III.
A CONVERSATION,

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LESSON ON . A PENNY.

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, . What is this? A penny. What is it made of? Copper.
W1iat color is it? A reddish brown. . Tell me its shape.
Uound Qr circular. 1 Have \you seen . any thing else circ~lar?
A ring. Is a penny like a ring? Why not? A ring .has the
middle part cut away; a penny is solid. Tell me what sound
you hear 1v;hen I striko the penny~ 'A i·inging sound. You all
know the use of a penny. ,. ,Did .you.eyer think why people are
fiO rea~y,, ~o .. g,i,Y~. ~ht-ir . gop~~ 1 for. . money? ., Because . they ~an
spend the money again . . · Yes, ,but what makes a penny of any
va,lue ? · .Because it i~ made of copper. You are quite :r:igh,t;
~opper is . very• valuable, and also very useful ; it serves to
cover the bottoms of ships, ; ~o . make kettles and saucepans, and
many othet thir;igs . . .,IL;is ~ade into wire, and also, when
mixed with zinc, forms b:rass'. .)\foch is to be done before the
copper to make. a penny:. is to b.e had. · First, men have to
search out the veins of ore . in the rocks, and then dig mines
down to them, rend the hard rock with gunpowder, break it .
with bammiyrs, pick out the bits of ore, which has then to be
melted and made pure .. . Wh~n much money has to be .paid,
we do not u,s e copper, but .silver or gold. There was .a clever,
painter who lived in It'aly a long time ago. Ile q>ent much,
time in painting a picture, and when he wcn:t to r eceive the
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; n:oney for it, he was paid in·_ copper ,c~i~. The ':eight, over a
1' long, hot road, so inju.i;ed p,is.,I~e~lth ~ .t o ,cause his _death.
'l"i . · Dmdng these conversat10ns,
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erfect
ms~~L on ~
. . attent10n.
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. . , , . . .When
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as. . much ,of what
h~s
.•• you
ave fi ms
. that
,, . .you·w1sh
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remember
to
be
written
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slates.
been .sa1 as iey ca
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Wii~ 1~ the class' come up to spell, let th~ .s lates be brought a1o~g,;
~~d.ia'fter',the, ,spclling process· is "over, ,have some,· or .all, read
· i f " ' ,, . h '· h ·
. "tt , ., Askfiorthespellin()'ofwordsmwhose
1 what t ey
ave wn ~n.
.. o . . . . , .. . , .
'', ~l'. tl~ogr~ ;hy · you . ~r~ susp.i~i?~s. _
of ' ~i~~~rn~'::
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i b '.Art~~ a conversation . on 'c.louds, th~ foll9w~ng . abst~act .w~s!

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COMPOSITION ! WRITING~·

COMPOSITION WRITING,

The pupil thus passes into the First and Second Readers, the
mind is e.x,pandi~g~ and, thes~ f~miliar c01~versatio,ns mny be
1
ma<le longer ·an<l more comprehensive. · If the chapter in the
Reader presents no topic that will furnish entertainment, give
an easy object-lesson ; or, . if you distrust your ability in this
. respect, select a suitable subject and engage the class in a pleasant c;hat about it. The following from Barnard's Journal will
~llustrat.y tQ.e ,method: --,'
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. ~·~po~te~ by o~e of .t~~e clas.s : ,
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.· ,. and·
' ~"' Clolids are made oi vap9r, which rises from the ocean
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days
, wet gr oun d..'. Tli ey send .us. I i·ain. and'; Sn.ow ... ~ on clear
.
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.> th~y ~~ea : gr:a~ distarlc<f~o~ :~he' :eart~; ' ~hei~ col?r is white,'
··· b,l,ue
.. ,.,t or'' b.l ack·, at sunset
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. they·.-are
---·red. ·Sometimes. the
. . clouds·
l~ol~: like :1~1 oun tains .·0 r sno~. -; ''Ill'.·~.p.C-daytime, when 1t is stormy,'.
'f<1f< ' 1 ' I dS CQVer thJ ':sun' fro~ OUr ~glrtt and at ni,g ht/ ,the mOOil
tli e c.ou
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f ~~a ' 'dtai~~: ' i The ' Clouds. often. touch the -earth:
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at1t1ie' rlght; and the 'date' at th.~_?eft; ~~.ow/°,.g . what yo\ ~ean .~~~
, · the board, thus:
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HANNAH MORE.
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BARLEYWOOD, May '6; 1864.

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P'~The ensuing list, ~:;·;~~;~:· ,;;9~' ~~~ard, con~ains .~ood. s~b-

"'-

jects ,for familiar coriVersations... . If 1 your kn~wledge , mregard.
.; to:, the topic proposed .is ;not as full as desirable, m.a ke some
:,' p.reparation before commg to .the ,class. - , ,
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Coal. .
'" _,. · India-Rubber. ·
Water.
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Rice; :
:-"'. ,· Spong~. .
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Paper.
Tea. ,
;, ' Glass.
Sugar.
Coffee.
Salt.
Iron.
Money.
Gold..
· Wood.
Elephant.
Watch~
r·i· · Egg.
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Bread•
. Honey . .
Rose.

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SECTION IV.

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CORRECTION ON SLATES.

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By this time, frequeut practice will have given the bovs and

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girls
a readiness iu writing .manually
and mentally ,
tl1e1r
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s~mp1e way. Do not burdeq. ~ith directions as yet. Teach
fl
li~tle more than the common use of periods and capitals. These
will soon be ,understood by Y,Our explanations on the blackboard
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and. correction of their writing on the slates. An easy and
rapid way of pointing out mistakes is as follmvs: as tlicv all
iii!!
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have their slates before them in class, pass around with a 8Jatcl!t!!
pencil in yo9r hand, and taking each slate in succession, cross
out, amend, or give a hint, M may be necessary; in this wny a
class of fifty can be canvassed in little time. For the sn kc of
, 111
;ariety and animation, the teacher may occasionally omit passjl!IJ
mg around, and call the attention of the pupils to the lJoard,
;;;;; ·
_ where such faults as are found to be prevalent may be ItumorJ:r: 1 ~ ously analyzed. In<lee<l, in conducting all the elementary ::;t:iges
11;
of composition, encourage a joyous flow of spirits ; cheerful
;;;; i associations will thu s teqd to make the operation one of plea.s:.:i! r ....:==... ure and profit in school and in lifo
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SECTION V.
A CATALOGUE OF USES.

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So~eti~es in the r eafling lesrnn will occur names cf things
so fertile m uses that almost every pupil iu an or<liuary class
can state some fact about them. These composition co1;versations, as they may be called, may be introduced in the midst of
the reading, whenever a suggestive word arises; but it is probably bet tcr to finis!~ the lesson proper, and then all the re maining time of the recitation will be at your disposal , for a rncial
discussion.

The word ?·ivers occurs. "Well, what are rivers good for?"
Eyes sparkle and hands rise along the entire class. You begin
at one end, and let each "say his say." No. 1. "Rivers are

case,

of

:~i~"s:-)i. ~od hn:s made the ;:9rl~ to gr3:~ify , . o_ur ~y_es as well :as _to min'f~~~

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ister to the comfort of .our bodies.
· In the meantime the teacher has been putting each tise on the
board as fast as named, so that in conclusion the utilitarian catalogue of the strea~ s_tands c~mplete before them:

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uSES OF RIVERS.

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· 3. '"Steamboats tO sail

driuk." g, "Sprinkle !!tl~eets.'\ ; 10. -!! Float logs." 11. ·" Ice
to make ice cream." i2:
to ·~W:im in."
Childi~h ingenuity ,will ta~---iise.lr"to the utmost to swell !he
lisl;fl)iif ~ill
'~mit some ' importnnt 'friitli' 'vhidi 'tlie foach:ei:'s 'profounder ;mind will supply. In the presc.nt
i1ot Otle
ofthe little naturalists noticed the river as
elerrtent beauty
iri the landscape; hence it becomes necessary to explain ho\v

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2: ·"To skate on:"

611:"·:-:.;t · ''To · wusli 1vith." · 5.-:·"l\fon to ; s'vim hi." - 6.'."To'.
·==··-~-. ,~~- · turn mill-wheels." 7. "To water the land/' 8. ·" Co•vs 't0
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~r goo(l 'f~r fish." ' No.

1. Cati;h fish.

2. Skate on. ·
3. Steamboats to sail on,
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4 . Wash with.

5. Swim in.
6. Turn wheels.

7. ·water land.
8. Cows to drink. , .
9. Sprinkle streets.
10. Float logs.
11. Ice to make ice cream.
12.
Ducks
to swim in.
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13 . . l\Iake the country look_pretty._.

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You may now read these ·off slowly in order, and then rub· ~­
out, asking the Class to bring a-s many of these items ·on their
slates as they can i:emember, 'a nd also to put them togethe"r . i"n·
better sentences. bo not allow a scholai· to answei· more than
one use, as much of the enthusiasm is destroyed if s0me genius

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COMPOSITION . W'RlTrNG.

monopolizes the replies; the rest, thus anticipated, will sh0w: no.
anxiety in waiting their turn, and, become mere spectators, uot
actors in the_game.
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SECTION YI.
A STORY,

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· We speak of the reading recitation as the time for .these preliminary "rehearsals," because our. _composition exercises have_
thus far been drawnJro,m that lesson, and because if this opportunity be taken, tpe class need not be a1?sembled for the express
p!Jrpose.
,
To-day indulge thy good-natured disciples with a story,-not
from the Arabian ,Nights, nor improvised from y~ur own imagination,-but, some of those pleasing incidents of history, which
charm old and, .young. . Here is ~specimen of what we mean:
When a king of Goths was ~uried in Italy, his followers
turned ·the course of a ri'ver, where it was most rapid; and having dug a very dee_p grave in this riv.er's bed, there intened
their revered prince, with many ·dch suits - oL armor, and much
gold and precious stonc:o. · They then turned the riYer Lack i11to
its usual course, and killed on the spot all that had a~sisted at
this work, that the place of his interment might never be d i:0co\·ercd.
l\Iany pleasing episodes of similar int erest can Le gleaned
from history and the poets:
Damon and Pythias"
Coriolanus.
\Volfo's D eath S cene.
Leonidas at Thermopylm.
\-Vi1liam Tell.
Byron's 1\Iazcppa.
Chillori and its Inmates.
Sir Philip Sydney.
]franklin's first appearance in
Philadelphia. '

S crgt. Jasper at Fort Moultrie.
J .. alaycttc"
First Cru;::atlc.
Napoleon at :Moscow.
l\Iajor And re.
Androcleii and Lion"
Loss -of Royal George.
Venice and Bridge of Sighs.
l\'Ian of the Iron Ivlask.

COMPOSITION - WRITING.

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~~\;i~ri4.~If-your story-telling vein is not as happy as that of an It~l~a:
~1 i, troubadour, look over your books for some volume contamm,,,

,. 'sketches in character and description adapted to the class, and
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' read to them. ·
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''.;:~;iThese narratives, whether told or read, are to be r~porte~ by
. , i \ :; the pupils on the slate, after suitable time. for prepar~t10n.
.The
,~~:·'.'. . substance simply, not the exact words, IS all that lS. reqmred.
'. , ; B~ ' careful to select such stories as are short and pomted. A
·, · ;·· I ong accoun t , wi'th dates and personarres
and events, even though
o
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" ,. entertaining during its recital, will leave such a co~fused ~m. pressiov on the mind of the pupil, as to embarrass . m making

·~. , out his report.

:k·.

SECTlON

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USING THE BLACKBOARD. : "' ' . .

/ Your class, let us now imagi~ei are beginning Primary Grammar. Every week they have had frequent practice i~ one or
other of the previous forms , until they have become qmte ready
it~ the preparation of slate reports. If penmanship has a<lvanc~d
uniformly with other Lr:111ches, a legible hand nrny now be wntten, although this is not essential. They are ready at this stngc
to deYelop a subjeet into a composition without so much preparatory suggestion.
.
It may happen lwwever, that yon arc called to a new situation; for tcaehcrs, like the \Yan<lering Jew, rarely have "a local
lmbitalion." Herc :rou f1m1 large Loys arnl girls, who have sel<1om or ncYcr "Titten a line" As their minds are so11H.:wliat
mature, a slight practice on SO!llC of the foregoing frn·ms ·will
soon q ualify them, also, to imfnld some easy topi c proposc<1.
B ut whichever kind of pupils it may 11c, sh ow tlz c1n tlie co1111ws·il'iun ·in its various processes of formatton on the board. I,ct
them see how it is done, and they will readily discover that there
is no mystery or difficulty in the matter.
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· ·- - -1'bl3· ~a'· C"I'a1,.,,...,n tbiq method
·, .....,, J v • ~~· · · " . S ome superfi ma tt11HKer::1, po""
as making cornposi~ion-writing 'a process of. imitation. · So it is,

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COMPOSITION - WRITING.

and •so it cniust be. · The ·thought may be original, the form inust
be borrowed. The history of literature is, to a great extent a
history of imitation. Virgil copies after Homer, and l\filt~n
exhibits the beauties of both in his Paradise Lost. Boccace's
;:e<.:ameron was the -model for many of Chaucer's Canterbury
I ales. \Vall er owned that he deri ve<l the harmony of h is
numbers from the Godfrey of Bulloigne. Pope attained bis
melody of verse by the study of Dryden and the classics. The
sty le of many writers is often insensibly moulded by that of
some favorite author. Aristotle's logic of language is quofcd
as authority after two thousand years. Hence, although we
may think for ourselves, the forms of presenting our thoug11ts
must be iu accordance with those established by the experience
of genius. Is it not better to give- the pupil models at each
successive step, so that he may speedily gain an in." ight into
correct methods, rather than to let him hit upon them himself
after numberless mistake.'! and ·discouragements?
.Much of the .prejudice of teacher and pupil against composition in some schools arises from the dry, formal manner in
which it is conducted. Their other' lessons are pursued in te~t­
books where every new principle is clearly illustrated by example and explanation. \Vliereas, in es;;ay writing, all these aids
are expected to be supplied by intuition.
eachtir fie~e;:a~e"'w o egin their first lessons_in this ·de ar-tment by rec u-iring a~e1~111p<'Bi U · -of:~cena1nlerrgt · ~- a c:e~ur-nr day. Tou rllfuI
nerves vi-b rate-in s~pense; and what 'udlcious mana ~ent-at
-me o-u s ar mig
task of terror.
SECTION VIII.
COMPOSITION ON llLACKBOARD,

You stand by the board, chalk in hand. This is the small
Grammar class, for as Grammar . an<l Rhetoric are closely r elated, this subject is now brought up at this recitation. "Cl;ss,
we will not have our regular lesson to-day, but will write a

13

COJIIPOS ITION' WRITING.

coinpositicin together on the blackboard.
~ : ..

Apples is the subJect,

and I 'put it here at the top, Those who have any thing to say

- may raise their hands." Forearms at once assume the perpendicular. You call upon them at lliscretion. Emmet. "Apples
are very useful." Teacher. ''Yes, but that is not the best thing
to mention first; besides, beginners are apt to luwe that word
so mnch, that people get ti~·ed of it." Lorenzo. "Apples arc
- ?"
L~. "N
. f ru1"t"
ni<.:c." T. "Nice what.? J\ I ae Ii me
.
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.
T. "Then we have our first sentence, which I will write under
the subject. Yfho next?" Anna. "\Ve cook with apples, and-"
-~=T. " \Vait, Anna, we arc not quite ready for yours. \Vhcre do
~~~.-~§.fh'ey grow?" Charles. "Apples grow on trees.". T. "Yes~ b~t
- = =··· as we h ave apples in the other sentence, we w ill not put it m
;:::·~~;: this, ' but say, They grow on trees. 'Well, l\lilton? " JJJilton.
1_...__-_!~·-'~Tliere are Be11-Flower apples, Romanite · apples; Pippin ap~-- ~''. ples · -and-"-" (here the boy enumerates all our native and foreign
~
~arieties .)
T. "Very well; before you state the different ones
•you might say, 'There are several kinds, as,'-and ·then bring
. them in. It does not sound well to repeat apples after each
-- ~· ~ne. so we will leave that out. Now, Michael, do apples all
I.: , '
.
~
.
.
. ' l". get·ripe at the same time ? " 1l:Iichael. "No ; some get ~·1 pe _m
-ioi\"--_.-; - the summer, and some late in the fall am1 are not soft till wm-- ~t'~r; people pick them off the trees, an d put them in the cellar."
' T. "Now, Anna, we will hea'r you." Anna. "We cook with
·ti.apples, an<l eat them rn.w, ::i.nd make pies, apple-dumpling;;, and
--:~ · ther things." 1'. "You may first say, 'They have many uses;'
~d afterwards mention them, ·as pies, apple-dumplings. sauce,
,.pickles, jelly, 'eating between meals, baking, and drying for
winter." Orrilla. "Some ·men· have large orchards, and send
hhndreds of bushels to market." . T. "Now ·let us sec how :our

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··ir: Apples are a · nice fruit. They grow on trees. There are
several kinds, as Bell-Flower, Romanite, Pippin, Genitan, &c.

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COMPOSITION WRITING.

COMPOSITION WRITING.

Some get ripe in the summer, and some late in the fall and are
not soft till winter. People pick them off the trees, aml put
them in the cellar. They have many uses : pies, applc-rbrnplings, sauce, pickles, jelly, eating Letween meals, Laking, aml
drying for winter. Some men have large orchards, and scud
hundreds of bushels to market.

SECTION X

14

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niANDEYILLE.

SnmLING, l\farch 9, 18G4.
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"You all have some idea now of pulling together a composition lii,~" -this. ' Yon will find no troul>le, I think, in making 011c
yourselves; especially since the subject I am about to giyc 11·ill
be of the same kinJ as we have had io-da y. You :ire to 11Tite
about some variety of fruit; and lest several should get the
same kind, I will tell each what to take: J,orenzo, peaches;
Charles, plums; l\liltou, waterrnelous ; l\lieliacl, gr;1pes; .Au11a,
straw berries ; Orrilla, pears." If they seem anxirn1::' lo cl1oose
any fruit they prefer, let them do so, as the Jidriuulion of tl1e
various sorts among them was merely for the sake of variety.
''This is J\lonJay, and on next J\Iomlay 1 wi,'11 your cornpo~i­
tions to be ready. Hemember to place the subj ec t in the center
of the top line, the town, month and year on left siclc Lelow,
and your name on right. Use foolscap, a:3 that i.~ chc:.ip nnJ_
convenient as any, arnl fofr1 tlius iri the manner of a bi!J . Aftn
it is folded, write the subject and your name across one end."

15

CORRECTING

_ When these first efforts are timidly presented on the ensuing
:: l\1onclay, you will proLably look th em over with a view to some
' correction. Do not imagine, however, that you are revising for
-.. -;,; publication tlie literary remains of some dcpartcJ fricncl , Sim~ ;_, · ply rnll attention to bad spelling anJ such obvious errors as are
easily understood. If this be done in no censorious spirit, but
in a familiar manner, it will be kindly reeeived and remembered
in. future attempts. l\lake your criticisms more searching as
the pupil advances.
SECTION XI.
PRESERVING COMPOS ITIONS ,

. With the first composition written, begin to impress the propriety of preserving every one, good or bad. Beginners will
often expre3s contempt for their first efforts, hec~rnsc poorly
done" Explain to them the benefits of such preservation: the
satisfaction of tracin g their gradual improvement as shown in a
lon 0« s11cccssion of' triab; and the pleasure of reviewing in afLer
life the manuscripts of youthful days. For the purpose of preservation, it is not uecdfol that th ey be transcribed into a book,
-_as this is laborious; they may be kept in packages, as mercliants
'-~, do tLcir 1Jills. It is convenient to have those of caeh year in a
--::·· separate l:Jackage.

--

SECTIQN XII.
SECTION IX.
TIME TO PREPARE.

It is best to give b eginners, and indeed scholars of experience, a week for the task; in this way. besides chance intervals
from their studies, Friday night and Saturday will be at their
disposal for entire devotion to the performance.

_,1,:'
l"'_

.!·.-· ·

PUNCTUATION. :

{1J . Punctuation may now begin to receive more attention. As
. ~ittle space is devoted to this feature in Grammars and Readers,
, and as much practice, at any rate, is the quickest way of acquiring skill, have your cfass -employ the Reader for this pur• pose. Let a verse be written every day on the slate, before
~oming to the class, an.d carefully studied with a view' to the
proper location of capitals and the various point.r:; ; after the
I

1'6

,C,O MPOSITION WRITING.

C'OMPOSITION . WRITING:

17

rule to ·take the seat whenever no further amendments are suggested at a glance, James has tile fioor. James s~iys, ~eace,
soul, maid, and whole are wrong. I rally tu their defense.
James admits there are such won.ls, but denies their propriety
in the present connection, to which conclusion I finally agree.
' Josey has been almost boiling over for his turn. Wacksends
isn't right ; neither is bensh, apern, cafskin, and shepskin; there
should be a period a{ter dirt; then shouldn't begin with a capital.
And so on to the end of the chapter. This revision is contitmed until the critical acumen of the class discovers no further
objections. It then, of course, remains for the teacher to direct
their attention to any inaccuracies which have escaped them, as
well as to caution against those they are likely to commit.
"Well, on next Monday yon will all hand in u composition
about some trade; any trade you please."
Rightlr managed, few recitations can excel this in enthusi~1,.:,111.
While the teacher is writing the performance on the board, in.:_quisitive mouths and eyes follow every .word, hardly aule to
I rest rain the anxiety to tear'it in pieces; and when the opportunity is at last given, what a boisterous delight they take in exposing every defect!
.

lesson has been read, h~ve ~ them ·go to the board, write and
punctuate the same verse, from your dictation. The pupils then
change places, and as the teacher reads the verse, naming the
poillts in oi·der, the, corrections are made. .
SECTION XIII.
·TEACHER iVR1TEs · oN THE :BoA.n:D;

It is another Monday, ana the small G1;ammar class have
come to recite. "I will not hear the lesson to-day, but instead
will write a cdinposition mys~lf bn the board; after I am through,
you can hiive th~ privilege 'of 'correcting the mistakes." The
proposition strikes them as exceedingly no\'el, but their astonished eyes soon read the following :
SHU~IAKER~

the shmnaket is a usefol traid if their were no shumakcrs
people wood have 'to do without butes and shus · when you go
to get a but niaid the shumaker takes string and niezures your
foot; Then the shumaker cuts them out in the !ether and sos
the peaces together and then harners on the soul. shumakcrs
use a low bensh to sit on and an all to make the wholes and a
lether apern to put on to keep off the· <lirt, Thay so with
wacksends. ihay use cafskih shepskin and other kinds of lethcr
two numerous to mention, This is all I will say at presant

a

SECTION XIV.
TEACHER WRITES AGAIN.

It will be at once observed that I assume, for tlie time being,
the character of an utter ignoramus; transferrin g myself as far
as possible into the supposed fue'ri'tal status of a primitive gen ius
in Orthography, Punctuation, tii'id Rhetoric. "Now, scholar!",
those who notice errors ·may raise · their hands; and I will give
you libei'ty of going oile by or1e and co'ri·ect.ing l11em." It is
needless to say that impatient hands rise with eager rapidity.
Nancy has the first chance. She observes that the -subject
should begin \vith a capital T; traid is spelled wrong; so is
butes, shus, letlter, and tlwy; there should be a period at the end
after presant. But 1Nancy begins to hesitate; and, as it is a

.

Another plan. "Scholars, to-day I will write a composition
on Canal Boats. Before I begin, I will make a. list of the different things to be said about them. Here I will put them on
one side of the boanl in order one under tho other. For in,.,.. stance, we have1. \Vhat made of.
. 2. Shape.
3. How made to go.
· 4. Specu.

5. Uses.
6. Danger.

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18

CO:IIPOSITION WRITING.

CO:lll'OSITION "WHITING."

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,n y thus forming a skeleton, as it is called, of the differeut
itleas, yuu w.ill kuow exa <.;tly what to l:ipeak about, · aml avoid
getting the same thing twice.'' You may then execute the following on

, · "\V ell, for the next time our suuject shall be some way of
traveling. Let us see,- how mauy tlifferent kinds can we get?"
Juvenile brains are soon busy;· and as · dive!'s- methods of locomotion a re mentionctl, yon trm1sfer 'them to .tl1e u ;mrll. ·. Herc
they· are: · Horseback, stage, cars, omnibus, balloon , steamboat,
ship, C'arriage, walkin g. ' The pupils ·select ~vhiche''C I' th ey pr~­
fer. "Now be sure to first make a.' skeleton of your ideas, and
then write carefully and neatly.'' • · 1 ~ -·I 1'
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CANAL BOATS.

Canal-lJoaLi:l are. made or wooJ .a~1J ,iron. They are 8iiapcd
much like a steamboat, except th!lt they have no wheels and
pipes. Horses or mules pull them alo11g~ lJy m ean,;; of a rope
fastened to the bow of the vessel. They sail in what are· called
canals; which are long ditches filied with water. . Their greatest
speed is about as fast · as a horse can trot. Before railroads
were made, people traveled on .canals;!but now they are chiefly
used for carrying freight. , Many people still like to go on them,
because there is no danger of their bur~ting the boiler or running off the track._

..

' · It m~t)' b e seen from the abon, ihat it is con...-enic11t for il1 c
teacher .in writing his model on the· board to take for 'his theme
one I of a kind, SO ' that the' cla SS ! may t~]rn' its~ relatives, ·which
they· can easily subject to a similar treatment; n' 'To speak botariically, if one member of a genus be taken by the teacher, the
l'. emaining species will serve for the ·pupils. ··
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' SECTION XV :

_.,.
DIXON,

J:\fay 7, 186,1.

HINTS •

.

.

The teacher shou.l d not perform' tl;is specimen effort without
stopping several times, but should p~use , at such points as may
aftord favorable texts to hinge short lectures on. For instai1ce :
after inditing the first sentence above, you stand in t_h at thoughtfol, hesitating attitude so common to careful preparation. The
pupils stare. Is it possible that the master's nonplussed? But
ncre 's a fine chance to point a mora.1: "I know well enough
what to say, but I was just· thinking of the best language in
which to say it. , I wish you_. would be . particular not to write
the first words that : come into .your , minds, but study out the
best. Many of the greatest writers tha t ever lived, composed
very slowly; so I don't wish you' to get out of heart if you
must 'stop and think when you are writing.''
.In a similar manner, if you find yourself._about to employ a
word already used too often, turn to the class, m ention the
dilemma, caution again st a like improprie ty, and appeal to their
knowledge of synonyms for a substitute in the present cas e~

19

.·

., .'Here it m_ay be mentioned · that in presentin g · every new
~et~od to the class, the blackboard should be the great medium.
It" has two advantages: your meaning ' is- ~ore rapidly and a ccu. r~tely conveyed; and_a lifeand vividness are infused into the
exercise; not to be reached by dull explanation.
~''Again: composition, like. other branches, can · b.e taught mo1:e
satisfactorily by classes: Even wl~erc~ the inst~·uction is oral,
youi:iger pupils elem.and a .d rill unsuiled to the -~ldcr. \Yith
!hose pupils stu<lying Grammar, for instance, let each Grammar
<?lai:ls form a 8eparate tli vision in composition. 01~ this plan, the
s~bject of composition . may be brought up at the Grammar
recitation, and your instructions more nicely adapted to the different rrradcs.
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SECTION XVI.

,,"

'·

CORRE CTING MANUSCRIPTS.

Teachers often do not see the composition previous to its
being r ead by the pupil; but taking it as soon as r ead, proceed

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20

CO::lf POSITION W R ITING.

to make whatever corrections are suggested at the moment.
This plan is inj\1dicious for both teacher n-nd pupil: the fo rm•:"r
may make alterations, in haste, which cooler judgment \\'ill not
sanction; while the latter grows indignant at black outrages on
his fair manuscript. Other teachers, again, receive the composition from the pupil after it has been read, correct at home,
an<l then r eturn privatel!J to the pupil, 1vith all emendations
carefully indicated. This is go9d as far as it goes, but gives
the pupil the benefit merely of his own errors, aIHl not L11ose of
his brethren.
It is better to have the efforts handed in a day or t.wo before
they are to be read,. so. t.ha.~ at your leisure yo~ may weigh all
the dou.b tfu;l papsages, .and haye no lftl;>or l.e f~ . for the time of
reading but the statement of your .criticisms on ~a.ch effort in
the presence. of the class. Defore you do this, however, call on
the class for any errors noticed. They may observe inaccuracies not detected by yourself; while an habitual appeal to their
opinions will encourage attention and i1Ilprove thei,r taste. The
patients themselves, whose perfor~ances . are under <;lissection,
are often ingenuous enough to acknowledge mistakes committed
during the writing.
When the errors are numerous, it is sometimes beneficial to
have the effort re-written. When they are. few and unimportant, especially in the case of attentive students, this requisition
is unnecessary. In correcting compositions that are to , be
amended by the pupil, it · is better for the teacher to indicate
the faults rather than to point them out directly. Northend
gives a good method: "Let it be understood that (1) placGd
opposite a line, denotes an error in spelling; (2), an error in
use of capital, or neglect of same; (3), the omission of a word,
or a repetition; ( 4), false syntax; ( 5 ), a wrong word." Thus
the pupil sees at a glance the number and kind of mistakes
committd, but js at th~ same time subjected to the process of
discovering where they arc.
Sometimes, among older pupils of nice discrimination, two

COMPOSITION WIUTING .

21

- ~ · may be appointed from the class, to criticise the pro<luctions of
i the others. Let them have the pieces a day before they arc to
! be r eaJ, iu order to make the examination carefully. By this
meiho<l, afler the rea<liug of each composition by the pupil to
"'
!! wliom iL belongs, the student-critics nmke t1eir comments, a nd
• then givo to the teacher for final revision.

"•

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SECTION XVII.
SUU~fECTS•

By some such simple methods as those already presented, as
well as various others that may be provided by the ingenious
teacher, your class are beginning to have some confidence in
their ability to compose,-able to ·discuss a suitable subject
without much previous analysis or suggestion by the teacher.
What kind of subjects shall be given them?
SECTION XVIII.
SUBJECTS.

The selection of subjects is an important feature in this exercise. Shall the p upil choose for himse lf~ or shall the teacher
choose for him? There are four objections to tl1e choice of
topics by the pupil; First, plagiarism becomes easy; scholars
of lazy habits and obtuse consciences soon discover that books
at home contain pieces decidedly superior in literary meri t to
any they can produce, and also that said pieces, with suitaLle
alterations to befit their capacity, may be transferred to foolscap,
and look in their own handwriting like domestic manufacture.
Second, a distaste is often thus acquired, that is never forgotten.
They sit down by the table and prepare to writei as a dozen
different things pass in review, and each is summarily. dismissed before it is properly pondered, despair soon stares them
in face, Third, the eanie subject may be used indefinitely ; let
~oomc enterprising girl r eaJ a . performance that creates a fu1:or
and seems easy of imitation, and probably the next compositionday may witness several duplicates or approximations,-if,

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· 22

, ~ OOMPOSITION ' 'WRITING.

COMPOSITION WRITING.

indeed, the theme in some shapa be 'not engrafte<l on the programme for the term. Founh, familiar texts become too familiar. Certain topics and certain sentences have become household words to every teacher. Is the boy discussing the Pig ?
· ''Useful animal," is the opening burst of eloquence. Arc the
girl's meditations on Spring ? ' 'Delightful ·season of the year,"
is sure to be the first exclamation of fancy.
Now, these evils may be avoided on the one hand, and many
advantages secured on the other, by the selection of sul>j ects by
the teacher. ·what is the end of composition-writing? Chiefly,
the awakening of thought and the improvement of style. How
· is this consummation to be reached by common-place remarks
about the domestic animals, t11e seasons, aml all those old songs
the sc.;hool-l>oy world knows by heart? Are elementary pupils
allowed to 1ake optiOnal branches? · Has not educational experience rather prescribed a particular succession of studies? Is
not the teacher, in most cases, a better judge of the pupil's capacity, than the pupil him self?
Our r emarks bear, of course, entirely on learners; more advanced students, of taste and research, may properly be left to
the exercise of their judgment.
In what manner shall the teacher assign the themes?
Adapt the subject to the mental power · of the pupil. Suppose, however, in a humorous rnoo<l, you <listribuLe the following
list to your class: Lydia., you may take Freedom; Jarvis, Virtue; George, Truth ; Nancy, Hope. 'Voe-begone faces will at
once picture forth the anguish of. terror-stricken hearts. Let
their themes he drawn from what they 11ave seen and hcar<l,from any source concerning which they are informed. ,·
Select su ch subjects, occasionally, as are connectetl with their
studies. Th Pre are two advantages in thiR suggestion: they
will feel not entirely at sea,-that they are in possession of authorities in the shape of text-books which can be com;ultcl1;
and it has the effect of obliging them to reproduce their 10ssons
in their minds, and impress them on their memories. ·

! 23

Let the topic be in sympathy with the . disposition .of the
pupil. You come before the class, for .instance, with four subjects : Berries i Garden ; Moving Vt/ est·; · Countries nnder l\Iahometan Religiou. You distribute them ,silently, reasoning in
a manner like this: Berries will suit l'lfartlm, as she is full of
vigorous life inclining to all sorts .o_£. pleasure; Garden will
please Emma, for its domestic associations a re in liarmony with
her retiring dispo.sition ; lVIoving ·west ,will ·affortl Anna an
opportunity to indulge her vein of.I.tender sentiment; , while the
_ fol10metan idea will employ the historical knowledge of Alice.
Teachers who assign subjects should have.a sufficient asrnrt- ent always on their memorandum. The 'sources arc various
~ hence miscellaneous themes may; · be drawn. · First, most
.w orks on Rhetoric have col_umns of.them, but the majority of
~hese are too hard for the common scl1001. In the second place,
~ot being able to find what he wants in b; oks, the teacher must
· - think on t a catalogue for himself. . ; Let some general thought
-- - be taken, and resolved into· individuals; as, some man, or some
- journey, will contairrin the very idea, hundreds of biographies,
- '....,._or hundreds of trips. Again, the season or the locality may
- suggest. Themes .·dra1vn· from · surrounding nature or passing
--= ~vents will often elicit a cordial response ,from the pen of. the
practical scholar. Such are the prairies of the west· and the
mountains of the east; the changes of the year; the holidays;
these war-times with their stirring novelties.

=

MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS.

1. Uses of snow.
2. Uses of rain.
3. Uses of water.
4; Berries.
5. Our garden.
6. Om· yard~
7. Moving west.
8. Visiting cast.

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COMPOSITION WRITING.

9.

COMPOSITION . WRITING.

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our old home.

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11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
36.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.

Kinds of flowers.
I
Our house-plants.
Fcm~·th of July.
Thahksgiving Day.
Kinds of diseases.
Kinds of trades.
Pleasures of traveling.
Pleasures of home.
Christmas.
Kinds of tools.
Kitchen and furniture.
Parlor and furniture.
Our ·sitting-room.
Evils of war;
Kinds of rocks, and uses. :
House cleaning and miseries.
Necessary ·to good breakfast.
N ec~ssary to good dinner.
Different materials used for clothing.
Miseries of winter. ·,
Miseries of summer.
Animals useful to ·man•.
Animals hurtful to man. ·
Pleasures and dangers of the sea.
Our town.1c.·'
Visit.to friends.
Evils of slavery.
Uses of gunpowder.
Ancient arms.
J\foqern arms.
Leading Union generals.
Leading Confederate generals.
A Sanitary Fair.

SECTION XIX. ··

1·

10. A way at school.

WHEN TO READ /

:

1

In the schools of boyhood !,l'1.n, all the pupils V(hO wrote com..

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positions .read them. on the same day,-7generally 'on Wed~esda!
or Friday afternoon. W!iat a delightfully m_onotonous ~1me it
was! The first few essays were received with atten t10n, of
course as furnishing fresh diversion for childish novelty; but
as one' after another of a long list of writers· appeared on the
rostrum to rehearse with the most.mechanical articulation efforts
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.. .
. . .
that possessed neither the humor of Hoo~ nor the imag1~~t10n
of Byron the · effect was irresistibly ted10us: each ad<l1t10nal
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piece seemed to form a new term in an arithmetical progress10n
of disgust. What a picture the school-room presented of tortured impatience! 'As a · consequence, performances really
meritorious fell on ears too weary to appreciate ; and restless
faces on all sides warned the modest authors to finish the reading of such dull nonsense. Indeed. if the A-B-C department
is also under your gentle care, yoh will soon discover that the
youngsters infinitely ·prefer the excitement of a paper-ball warfare to the entertainments of literature.
In common intermediate schools, '~hether composition-writing
be conducted in classes or · as a general exercise for all, it will
be found more satisfactory to distriqute the reading of the pieces
. over the time that intervenes between one period of assigning
subjects and the next. · For instance, if there are ten pupils in
the class, and you have them write every week, let two read
every day whenever it may· suit,-say at the close of the afternoon's recitations. In this way the exercises of each day are
' diversified with original efforts; very little ·time is withdrawn
from. the regular · programme of study ; the i;eading~ being of
short duration', will i·eceive .a carcfa~hearing; and both teacher
and scholar will feel disposed to make more searching criticisms
' · than when hurried and fatigued by a great variety.
Most academies and high_schools devote one or two half-days
· during th~ month to what are called rhetorical exercises. These
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COl\IPOSITION WRITING.

occasional jubilees are anticipated with mqch pleasure by the
boys and girls, as a temporary relief from the demands of laborious study. Rightly conducted, there is no tedium because no
monotony. At these times, when declamation, essay, scledio11
and original speech succeed iu plearnnt alternation, and wlil·n
the various productions are characterized by thought a]l(l Iinisl 1,
the af tcrnoon, far from being dull and mechanical, proves 0~1e
of fine literary <liseipline aud high social enjoyment.
SECTION XX.
~UilJECTS

1''1Wl\1

GEOGl~Al'UY

AND HISTORY.

The exercise of composition should be considered as bencfi~ cial for the awakening of thought as for the elaboration of style.
Hence, in the case of older scholars, the subjects assigned to
them should satisfy the two interrogatories: Do they understand
it? wm it extend their knowledge ?
The boys and girls are numerous that can frame pretty senteoces gleaned from newspaper pa1:agraphs or borrowed from
the poets, about Spring, Summer, or other sentimental texts.
'With such themes, they soon ·dash off a page of glittering romance, which makes not the slightest draft on the intellectual
powers of either writer or reader. Give these same ready
writers, The dijference in character between people of warm and
of ternperate climates, and their genial inspiration ceases at
once. vVhy? Simply because thinking is irksome; they discover that rhapsodizing will not answer here, and to careful
r eflection they arc indisposed. As the youthful mind, therefore, has a natural tendency to fanciful expression, there is no
need of seeking its cultivation in that particular; rather give
such topics as, besides proper discipline in language, will arouse
to independe~t research. 1. • 11
·,·r
In assigning themes from Geography and ·History, le t this
principle be borne in mind. If the subj ect lw draw n from
Geography, let it not be any particular country or top ic: of the
same name in the book; for, if the pupil is writing on "Ohio,''

27

COMPOSITION WRITING.

or "Philadelphia," unless sufficiently read to consult foreign
source:::, 11 is procluction 'Yill be a mere imitation of the textbook, with sentence.-; entirely copied, or lmt slightly trnll::·pose<l.
Propose some general hea<l un<lcr whid1 various particulars
must be arrange<l hy patieut comparison. Your class lwse just
gone over ihc U nile<l SLaLes, their 11eads confusedly full of the
spccial <lescriptious of soil, climate, people, appen<le<l to each.
To give them an opportunity of sorting this medley, suujects
like these may lie found advantageous: "The Iron States, PeopL~ and l\Iauufacturcs ;" "The States l.ior<lering on 1.hc Lakes,
and leading pursuits." The pupils .will thus be . obliged to look
over their books, and classify facts in this particular.
In History the same method may be pursued. If the teacher
suggest "The Pilgrims" as the theme, there is the temptation
of necessity from absence of other authority, to quote largely
from the manual studied, closely following the author's thought
and style. If your class arc in history of the United States, a
little labor on your part can prepare questions covering the
· . , ground over which they have gone, and calling for a systematic
arrangement of the know ledge acquired. Thus, "Some account
of the States first settled by the French," or " The different
Explorers sent from Spain to America," will serve to review
and impress these facts. on the mind .. .
The thoughtful teacher will readily perceive that this plan
of generalization may be applied to Philosophy, Chemistry,
Rhetoric, and other of the sciences.
Subjoined arc lists of subjects, many of which, according to
, th e method proposed, cfomancl some examination of the respective sciences to which they reff:'.r. They are so framed t.hat the
pupil can not find the material ready-made to his hands in the
i book before him, but must of necessity, search and compare ;
'i and in this proces§ ii.es the drill at which we aim.

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SUBJECTS FROM GEOGRAPHY.

ti

1. Mahometan Religion, condition of countries unde~ it.

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2. Different kinds of governments, and what nati~ns under
each.
3. The English, habits, appearance of country, &c.
4. The Irish,
"
·
"
"
5. The Germans, "
"
"
6. The French, "
"
"
7. Prod9cts we use from abroad.
8. Products we use from 'home.
9. Food of-different nations. ·
10. Pursuits ?f -different nations,
11. Pleasures of cold lands.
12. Pleasures of warm lands.
13. Nile and its curiosities.
14. II udson, tow11s and scenery.
15. :Mississippi, towns and scenery.
16. Wild 'a nimals of United States.
17.
"
"
India.
18.
"
"
South America.
19. Deserts and their.dangers.
20. Greatest ~uriosities of the world.
21. Largest cities of the world, and finest public buildings.
22. Largest rivers, aml people on banks. ·
23. Celebrated Islands;as -Elba, St. Helena Juan Fernan'
dez, &c.
24. Alps, scenery, dangers, &c.
25. Coal, countries, uses, &c.
26. Nations living chiefly on agriculture.
" -1
"
"
27.
comm~rce.
28.
" ·
"
"
manufactures.
29. Wheat, countries, uses; &c.
30. Cotton,
"
"
31. Sugar,
"
"
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COMPOSITION WRITING.

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32.
33.
34.
35;
36.
3 7.
38.

29

Corn, countries, uses, &c.
Metals, kinds, countries, uses, &c.
Different Religions, and countries under them.
Route fro'm St. Petersburg to Quebec.
Route from Canton to New Orleans.
Route frorn New York to Alexandria.
Route from Boston to Calcutt~.
SUBJECTS FROM UNITED STATES HISTORY.

1. States settled by English, success and object.
2. States settled by Spaniards, success and object.
3. First voyagers to America, object, &c.
4. Causes and results of early Colonial wai-s.
5. Indians, primitive and present homes and condition, &c.
6. Causes of Revolution.
7. Number and causes of wars between England and the
United States.
8. Growth of our country since the Revolution.
9. Our Pacific coast, how acquired, causes of growth, &c.
·
10. Mexican ·war.
'
11. Greatest American Generals.
12. Gre~test American Statesmen.
13. Greatest American Inventors.
14. Appearance of America when Columb~s came.
15. Foun<l.i ng and history of our large cities.
· 16. Different ways in which the United States gained its
territory.

L

SECTION XXI.
WRITTI~N

DEBATES.
- --

vVritten debates arouse quite an enthusiasm. Give a quei'I. tion involving an affirmative and negative, appointing two of
the best writers to choose sides. On the day set apart for the
reading, that the affair may have its due effect, let afllrmative
and negati vc alternate in the usual order. It ·is amusing to sec

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CO.:IH'OSlTlO.N

the varying shades of triumph or mortification on the co;mtenances of either party as each successive reader seems to drnnoe
o
the balance _of: argument. The giant combat of Hayne and
vVebster transfixed the Senate; and thus, in a trifling ,my, do
these innocent paper contests arouse the mind of the school.
QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN DEBATE.

1. vVinter night more enjoyment tha~1 summer day?

.2. Life in city more desirable than in country?
3. Has a Republic more advantages than Monarchy?
4. Is East pleasanter as residence than vVest?
5. 1\fore pleasure on Fourth of July than on Christmas?
6. Has corn as many uses as ·wheat?
7. Potato as useful as apple?
8. Fruits of temperate as desirable as those of torrid zone?
~- Should girls have the same studies as Loys througlwut?
10. vVould more holidays be a benefit to our people?
11. J)oes our nation esteem generals more highly than states·
men?
12.- Should the ~ommon traveling circus be allowed?
13. Are_the wonders of nature as great in "\Vestern as Eastern Continent ?
.

"Class, to-day I shall read you a letter which I have recently
written:
DrxoN, Sept. 5, 1863.
FRIEND

p ARKER :

I have just been strolling along the L::mks of the river,
and find your letter awaiting me on my return.
Since our last meeting, I have had a delightful visit to the
home of my boyhood. It gave me great pleasure to grasp by
the hand the friends and ncighhors of other days. As I gazed
up and down the long, narrow street, strange feelings filled my

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CO:'IIl'OSlTlON WHITING.

WlUTIXG.

heart. Here were spent the earliest years of my life, and here
'vere formed those genial friendships that survive whe n other
friendships grow dim. One Sabbath I sat in the ol<l clrnreh.
All is quiet and heavenly here as of yore, though the worl<l
without has rocked to its very foun<lations. The graveyanl
looks as gray and mossy and solemn as ever.
I am now reading Cowper for the second time. Of all the
poets, he is one of tlfe-most amiable. How beautiful his gentle
nature appears as he plays with his pet hares or gazes on the
picture of a sainted mothm· !
It has been raining for two days, but thi~ evening the western
sky is clear aml reel, giving promise of a Lrighter morrow. Let
me hear from you soon.
Your affectionate friend,

W ILIIEL:~I.
Call their attention to the board, and explain the ordinary
requisites of a letter by writing portions on the board l~efore
them. As som.e of the class may_have,.J~ry cr11dc:i icl_eIJcs in =
regard·
tl1 e o perat-len;.-i-t-'-wil-1-be-'--n ecessarx- for=-y ou- to-be-'-explicit even to mi1mie1i.ess.-- A<lvise about ever_:y little point:
' 'Put the place and dat~ at the righ Ccii"i tlie· first'ITnei-1IiC nam2
of the person a<ldresse<l, on the secon<l liue at the left; begin
the first sentence on the third lii~e . "\Vhen Legi11ning a new
topic, commence a short distance from the margin; this will
give your writing a plainer appearance. Put 'Your affectionate friend' on the line below that on which you close the letter,
to the right; and your name Lelow this,'' If yon illustrate
these directions by lines and worcls on the board, they will easj]y
understand. "I ·ha~e written what may be called a social lcttc;._
Alt11ough in leLters of this kind, 1ierso11s arc allowed to write a:o
thon,crh they were talking, ·without partic1i1ar method-still, for
our pnrpose, to ~:crve you as a sort of g11ide, you may observe
the following onler of topics: 1. What yot1 have just bee n doing'. •
2. \Yhat is goiHg on in the neighborhood. 3. How you are

to

32

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CO~IPOSITION

spending your time. 4. The state of the weather, or any 11ttle
private or public items of interest to your friend. A::ok any
questions you are desirous to know. If you omit anytliing in
the body of the letter, add it below, placing P. S. before."
In the same manner, the teacher will be particular in instructions for fol<liug and endorsing. To explain these operations, a
sheet of paper and envelope are, of course, necessary. Show
them the style of endorsing, by passing a real envelope, properly directed, around the class, 'or · by · suitable representation
with chalk on the board.
"For the next time, then, we will have letters. Imagine
you are writing to some distant friend. Remember the topics
and directions, put in an envelope, and endorse as though to be
sent off. You will, doubtless, make some mistakes, but the
exercise will be continued until you become familiar with the
forms."
At another time you may show them by means of examples,
how jhe address at the ·beginning and the subsoription at its
close are formal or affectionate according to the relationship of
your correspondent. See that they punctuate the letter and
envelope correctly. The number. and minuteness of your directions must depend on the age and experience of your pupils;
S'E'BV°EC T
I

1. To a friend, describing your home, situation, &c.
2.
aspect of your surrounding country
"
" "
m summer.
3.
aspect of your surrounding country
"
" "
in winter.
4. "
"
" . your .daily employments.
5. "
" a festival you attended.
"
' 6. '"
" sleighride, fun, incidents, &c.
,,"
7.
picnic, games, refreshments, &
"
"
,,
• 8.
"
" town you live in, buildings, &c.
9.
"
"
" .a visit from <listant friends, their
route, &c.

33

CO}ll'OS!TlON WJUTl.:\G,

WRITING.

10. To a friend, clescribing wishes an<l pfans for future life.
"
"
a tea an<l company you were at.
11.
"
12.
"
"
"
your family circle at night.
13.
"
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a day in the country.
14.
"
"
"
a day in the city.
15.
"
"
"
your school, pupils, and. studies.
SECTION XXIII.
GEGGR-.A.PHICA:L~J:;ET-TER.

"To-day I shall read you another kind. of letter."
FRENCH'S HOTEL, NEW YORK,

Aug. 17, 18G3.
DEAR -CHARLIE :

I arrived here on Friday evening, and crossed to Brooklyn on Saturday after breakfast,-looked at Beecher's church,
and sauntered through Greenwood Cemetery. Two leading
features distinguish this city of the dead from Laurel Hill and
l\.It. Auburn: the number of its beautiful ponds, and the cathedral-grandeur of the vaults. In the afternoon at Central Park,
a mammoth expanse of tree, rock, and hill; and in the evening
at Barnum's JYiuseum, where the great showman has, as usual,
all sorts of curiosities, dead and alive.
On Sunday attended -service at Trinity Church, and on Monday climbed up the steeple. Three hundred steps make one
blow. vVith the pure heavens above, what a varied and magnificent prospect below! The North and East rivers, crowded
with ship, schooner, and boat,_;._Broadway for miles a moving
mass and constant roar,-Brooklyn and the towns of Jersey,in the distance, Forts Hamilton and Lafayettc,-in the centre,
the harbor sparkling in the sunlight as a thousand keels plough
its diamond surface. In the old graveyard at Trinity l_ie the
remains of vVilliam Bradford, the early printer to the colonies.
This afternoon at five, I take the Empire State up the Sound
for Fall River, and thence, the cars for Boston.
Yours affectionately,

"WmTE.

31

COi\lI'OSITHJN WRITING.

"Tliis we may call a Geographical letter, because the topics
of which the description is given belong to that science. You
think of the celebrated things in S?me city, imagiue yourself
there, and then write to a friend, describing what you have
seen. Do not be satisfied with the few, meager items given
about a place in your Geography, but try to get information
from books or papers at home ; this will extend your own
know ledge, and make a more entertaining account for the school
to hear. For the next time, prepare letters from some town in
this country or Europe. Use the same forms as in the social
letter."
On another occasion, let a trip be taken to any prominent
point, noticing the route, towns passed through, inciuents, &c.
If any of the class have made a journey, invite a real account
from their pens. An intelligent young la<ly, in the author's
school, on her return from a trip to Boston, contributed-a series
of graphic letters to our "Paper," conlai11ing notices of Niagara
Falls, Bunker Hill, the seaside, and the mountain scenery of
New Hampshire.
1

SUBJECTS FOR GEOGRAPHICAL LETTERS.

1. Visit to your old home east, describing route, &c•.

2. Voyage to Paris, and curiosities in that city.
3. Trip to California, overland route.
4. Trip to California by sea.
5. Trip to Rome by Gibraltar ; sights at Rome.
6. Trip to Athens, through Germany.
7. Trip to New York or Philadelphia by rail.
8. St. Paul to New Orleans.
9. Chicago to Boston.
10. Baltimore to White Mountains.
11. Niagara Falls to Mammoth Cave.
12. Saratoga to Newport.
13. Cincinnati to Cape May.
14. Milwaukee to Quebec, via Lakes and St. Lawrence.

COMPOSITION WRITING.

35

. SECTION XXIV.
DIARY.

Pupils naturally get tired of composing after the rnme method.
Indeed, this is doubtless one cause of prejuuice against the exercise. To say the student likes change, is to assert a fact common _to humanity, old or young. Every plan, therefore, that has
the merit of both discipline and variet!, should be eagerly employed Ly the teacher.
"To-<lay, I will reau.1 to you a page f rom my d'iary."
Saturday, Jan. 23. Warm south wind, and snow melting.
Wrote a letter home. Going to Smith's for tea. Thackeray
is dead. The great men are going; within a month l1ave departed Foster the composer, Ingham the pp.inter, Thackeray,
and Archbi:;hop Hughes.
Monday. Jan. 25. Need little fire. At · Teachers' meeting
Reading Osto~night. Holstein question agitating E~·rope.
sian.
. Saturday. Jan. 30. Thunder storm last night. 34th TII.
Regiment lately back on a visit. Call for two hundred thousand more men. Spring campaign promises to be a vigorous
one.
:Monday, Feb. 1. At church . and sabbath school yesterday.
Reading "Imitation of Christ" in the afternoon. Sermon in
evening from Acts xvi.-'' Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved."
"Some of you have perhaps seen or heard forms like this.
You observe that the day of the week and month is given first,
and then short statements of what the writer is doing, what is
going on in the great world around, and, if you please, of the
weather. J\iany of these records may seem trifling at the time,
and yet, long years afterward, will give much satisfaction, as
showi~g your feelings or employments at that particular age.
For the next week you may bring a diary, keeping a brief ac-

36

COMPOSITION WRITING.

I

count of _Your duties each <lay, the state of the weather, auu
the mos~ important events given in the _n ewspapers."
Ccr!am seasons of the year are especially favorable to the
easy execution of this form. Just before dismissinrr r . tl
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lnstmas . ohdays or the long summer vacation, ask yom: class
to - ~ake a s1~1ple ~ntry of the business and enjoyments of happy
<lay:;, ~n<l b1~111g with them on their return to school. The dullest mmds will have a page at least, and all the reports will be
natural and entertaining.

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SECTION XXV.

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llOOK NOTICE.

"I shall call your attention now to an account of a book
which I have lately been looking over."
WALTER IN JERUSALEM. By Daniel C. Eddy, D. D. New
York : Sheldon & Co.
This is one of a series of volumes called "Walter's Tour in
the East." They are prepared on· much the same plan as the
1:-ollo.,,Books, which have been a source of such exquisite de~1ght to thousands of boys and girls. In the present narrative
a party of friends,. young and old, are represented as makind
~he to~r of Palestme. vValter is an intelligen t lad accompanymg his father . They vi sit all the interesting spots in and
around Jerusalem,-the Holy Sepulchre, l\Iount of Olives
Bethany, Calvary, Jordan·, and the Dead Sea. The dialorrue:
. b
b
occurrmg etween m embers of the group are made the medium
of conveying valuable informati on to the youthful r eader in
regard to the antiqu ities and traditions of sacred scenes. So
many of the persons and places' of the Old 11nd New T estament
are mentioned in the story, as to make this little volume an
excellent ai<l in rnbbath school instruction.
vVhat delight.fol satisfaction must pervade the heart, to stand
at last ami<l the hills and plains of Lbat happy land so consecrated from ch ildhood's earliest years as the home of our

co:11POSITION WRITING.

37

Savior I Indeed, to a mind of generous culture, the contemplation of scenes where great' men have lived or great dee<ls
hnve taken place, must ever inspire the noblest enjoyment.
To walk through London, the London of Addiwn, Gold~rnith,
Shakspeare, and the storied names of our literature,-to meditate at Marathon or 'Vaterloo,-to float down the Rhine with
jts medieval rnemories,-to sit by Virgil's tornb,-to stand in
St. Peter's-to climb the Pyramids,-to wander by the J or<lan !
' Vhen such thoughts come thronging over the soul, we become
restive under the restraints that bind at home, and long to seek
at once the fairy spots of our enchantment.
"I have here at the beginning.of this article placed the name
of the book, its author, and the publishers. An account is then
given of the plan and contents of the work, followed by such
refl ections as are naturally suggested by the suuj ect. You all
freq11ently ren.d books of some kind: they may be histories,
biographies, sabbath school books, travels, or any miscellaneous
works. It will not require much labor for you to give a fow
outlines of the subject, and then make a few remarks of your
own., You may, therefore, as our next exercise, take the last
book you have read, and treat it in the manner described."
SECTION XXVI.
QUESTION8.

Here is another form, possessing the merit of both variety
and profit: secure a li ;=it of question s such as are submitted to
candidates for admission into the high schools of our cities,
select the historical and scientific queries, or such as can Lie
answered in sentences, read to the class, who take them dm»·a
on their slates, and then at home write out full and carefol
replies on paper,-the questions themselves being omitt-::d.
This you will find a pleasant way of occasionally r eviewing
pupils in certain branches, as well as a relief for th<~ m from the
lalJOr of' original prc- para!ion m the less arduous employment
of siCting and copying.

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CO.l\IPOSITION WlUTlNG.

SPEC HIEN,

1. Name ten of the largest cities in United States. and describe their location.
2. Give an account of settlement of Pennsylvania.
3. -what are the climate and fruits of China.
4. Give some facts about iron, where found, &c.
5. \Vhat kind of people live in British America?
G. Give a short notice of first Continental Congress.
7. Point out difference between adverb and adverbial phrase,
and give example ' of each.
The answers to the above questions will occupy a page of
foolscap, which in most cases, for beginners, is suflicicnt. Let
no exercise be prolonged to fatigue. Suggest to the class to
give each question a separate paragraph, by beginning a short
distance from the margin.

COMPOSITION WRITING•

39

harbor. Great preparations are making for the Central Fair
at Philadelphia, in Jtirie. The Christian Commission has now
one hundred and thirty-nine men on the late fields of battle,
amongst the wounded. Recruiting for the hundred day3' service is rapidly going on.
'·

FOREIGN NEWS.

The steamship Africa, with European dates to the 1st inst.,
arrived at Halifax on Thursday. The Danes had evacuated
Frederica, and withdrawn to the island of Firmen. The Conference had not yet re-assembled, but was to meet on the 3J.
Austria was s.enlling a powerful naval fleet to the Baltic. The
insurrection at Tunis continues threatening. The Pope urges
Maximilian to rec;pect the rights of the people and of the
Church. J\Ieyerbeer, the great composer, died at Paris. In
the House of Commons, inquiry was made as to the truth of
the statement that the U . S. troops in Minnesota had been permitted to pursue Sioux Indians into British territory.

SECTION · XX VII.
NEWS.

"I have taken a late paper, and selecting t11e principal items
·of news f'rom home and abroad, have placed all together in one
article."

"This you will find an easy and instructive operation. Take
your daily or weekly paper, and extract · the most important
events happening in our country, and write under the head of
Home News; and under the title of Foreign News, affairs of
interest across the sea. You
learn from this method, the
art of gleaning, in a short time, the leading topics of a newspaper, by glancing over the columns. Undisciplined minds
often spend hours in gathering materials from a Daily, for
which minutes would suffice. For our next, you may prepare
these N ews Items."
This exercise will also answer as a. healthful r elief from th e
labor of original composition. It is not a m ere task of copying, hut employs their jullgmcnt in condensing the various paragraphs, and in choosing the most entertaining. The form exhibited above, appears in many leading papers. In 1l1 c Pbiladelphia North American it is styled "Summary of the Daily
Intelligence."

'"ill

HOME NEWS.

The Army of the Potomac had another severe battle on
Thursday. Hancock made the attack at daylight, forcing the
first, and then the second line of the enemy's works, capturing
Johnson's division and part of Early's, together with thirty cannon. Lee abandoned his position .during the night. Reinforcements are going forward to Grant. An official dispatch from
General Butler states that he was pressing the enemy near
Fort Darlincr.
Sherman is advancing- in the southeast. Johnso
ton evacuated Dalton, and Sherman's forces now occupy the
town. During the past three months, sixty pieces of cannon
have arrived in Jersey . City for the defense of New York

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COJUPOSITION WRITING.
SECTION XXVIII.
LOCAL ITEl\IS.

"To-day I shall reacl an account of some events that relate
to our town."
REJOICING OYER TIIE "\V AR.-Our quiet community was
joyfully excited yesterday by the favorable dispatches from the
Army of the Potomac. Cannon were fired, flags flung to the
breeze, and the streets resounded with praise of Grant ancl the
new advance toward Richmond.
:

PRESBYTERIAN SocIABLE.- The Ladies' Sociable connected
with this church, will mee t on iiext vVednesday evening, at the
residence of elder Brown, in the. west end of the place. As it
will be moonlight, a large attendance is expected.

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RuNAWAY.- A horse attached to John Gilpin's beer wagon
ran down vV ater street at a furious rate on Thursday last, dashing the vehicle finally against Cowper's warehouse.· Three
beer casks were demolished, ancl as a result, there was a sudden
fall in that beverage.
METHODIST PICNIC.-Thc annual picnic of this flourishing
Sabbath School took place on Saturday, at Solitude, near the
Brandywine. There was a full repeserntation of parents and
children. After appropriate addresses by Rev. Mr. Fletcher,
pastor, and Dr. Coke of Philadelphia, the whole company sat
down to a bounteous assortment of good things. The i·emainder of the afternoon was spent in games and general social
enjoyment.
THE SEASON.- Spring is fairly here in all her promise and
beauty. The trees already afford quite a shade, and the pastures wave with their green luxuriance. Early garden vegetables are coming on, and rhubarb pies and asparagus have
cheered our table for a week. \Vhcat is thriving, and farmers
are planting their corn. The air is balmy with opening vegetation, and the heavens have put on Bryant's "blue of May."

CO:IIPOS1TION

WRITING.

41

''This is what is commotJly called ·Local Items.' You have
alJ doubtless noticed that there is a column devoted to this purpose in the weekly and daily paper5. Each event has a separate paragraph, preceJcd by an appropriate heading. For next
week I wish each of you to bring a page of local items. Begin
to-day to jot down every movement you hear of. Do not "·ait
for some dire catastrophes or wonderful exhibitions to su pply
your demand. In our staid neighborhood the journalist must
be thankful for the most ordinary transaction. A stray dog, a
passing hand~organ, a strange face in the street, are all certainly
trifling affairs, and yet will answer our purpose very well, and
· make quite a readable description."
SECTION XXIX.

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JOURNAL.

This is presented last, because demanding more reflection
than the preceding methods. A fact is stated, and a train of
thought deduced from it; or a sentiment uttered with the rcYerie to which it may lead. In the biographies of distinguished
persons arc often found criticisms on men and things; and our
vlan is similar in design.
"This afternoon I shall read a leaf from my Journal."

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W ednesday, Sept. 10. Driving home from Empire this evening, could not help admiring the bright waters of Rock river
as they sparkled in the rays of the evening' sun. How essential
a feature is water to the full beauty of a landscape ! ·when a.
Greek islander was taken to admire the charms of the vale of
Tempe, so celebrated throughout Greece, after gazing in silence
he at last excl'.limed, "The sea ! the sea! where is it ?" A
sweep of country, extensive and variegated as it may be, ·without a noble lake ·or stream to enliven it,' is like the play of
Hamlet with Hamlet left out. Let them laud our high and dry
prairies who will ; but give me the mountains with their wild
torrents and crystal cascades.

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COllll'OSlT!ON

WlUTING.

Thursday. The autumnal winds have begun to blow. . Before many Jays we must bid adieu to the warm breezes of the
south. The fields will soon be clad in dyiug yellow; and the
fol'est leaves put on their gorgeous hues of crimson, gold and
purple.
Friday. Reading "Forty Years' Familiar L etters of Dr.
Alexander." What ·a distinguished family the Alexanders
m~re ! Archibald, one of the _fathers of the Presbyterian
church in America; Addison, a Biblical and Oriental scholar
of the inost extensive research; Jas. W., for varied learning
and genial eloquence, foremost in the sacred profession to which
he belonged.
l\fonday. Passed a group of men hanging around a blacksmith shop. Does the neighborhood exist that has not some
favorite center for idl ers- some spot where loafers most do
congregate? "'What sage counsels are set forth for g uiding the
ship of state through stormy seas 1 A resort of this kind must
have been the inn in Gold~ mith's Deserted Village,i
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Where village statesmen talked with looks profound;
And news much older than their ale went round.
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"In the Diary, you recollect we simply state what is done,
without any comment; in the Journal, after naming an occurrence, we proceed to set clown the appropriate remarks that
naturally result from .it. This method requires a little more
study, but practice will speedily give you familiarity and pleasure in preparing them.'~
SECTION. XXX.
ADVERTISBJllENTS.

As the school is a preparation for life, all its discipline should
a s far as possible have a practical hearing. L et the real operations of the outer world be introduced in the r ecitations of the
pupil, anJ the Yalue of his studies, as fitting for active business
as well as for mental pleasure, will assume a new importance.

COMPOSITI ON

WRITING.

43

Composition writing may thus be made the medium of considering the various forms of advertisements whid1 many pcr::;ons
are obliged to employ. Every daily paper co!1tains paragraphs
similar to the followin g :
FOR SALE-HORSE AND BuGGY.-A black horse, five yea rs
old, and a good traveler. The buggy and harness perfectly
new. Apply at 1308 Chestnut st.
FoR SALE,-A . pleasant two-story . Cottage, finely situated
on the North Side, near City Limits, containing seven rooms,
and in good repair. Property also contains barn, cistern, garden, anJ variety of fruit-trees. Apply to I . R. Diller, l\iarinc
Bank Building, or on premises to R. F. Ruth.
Fon SALE,-A splendid F arm, co.n taining 625 acres of fin e
rolling land, mansion witl1 all modern improvements, large barn
and stables, ice-house, orchard in foll !:Jearing, together with
abundance of smaller fruits, timothy meadows, good pastures
with unfailing water, and ample proportion of plow-land. The
place is 30 miles from Chicago, 22 miles from a railroad station,
and in a desirable neighborhood. Price, $35 pct ar.re. A
superior lot of farm 'implem,e1~ls; ''anJ a choice stock of horses,
cattle, and sheep, for sale on the premises when the farm is
solJ. A map of farm and terms can be, obt;llned of A. J. Galloway, 189 Lake street.
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A s an exercise, let pupils describe in a similar manner, property of th~ir parents or neighbors. , . · ·

To RENT-A RARE CHANCE,-A first-class Dwelling Hou se
in perfect order, newly papered and painted throughout, with
all the modern conveniences. Situated in Jamaica Plains.
R ent, $500 per annum. Apply at 141 State street.
. BOARDING.-Two gentlemen .wishing a pleasant front roomi
with closet, and within five · minutes' walk of the Post Office,
can be accommodated at a reasonable rate, at 17 4 East Madison

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COMPOSITION WRITING.

COMPOSITION WRITING.

street. Two day boarders can be accommodated at $3.50 per
week. References required.

FoUND.-A large, black Newfoundland dog came to my
premises on May 14th. Is very good-natured; collar on neck,
but no name. Owner can obtain the animal by calling on
ROSA BONHEUR, Elkhorn.

44

Let the pupils describe their own homes as for rent, or speak
of the advantages of some boarding-house known to them.
LosT-$5 REWARD.-Estrayed from my farm, one light red
cow, with large white spots on her shoulders, white face, widespread horns, large white udder; 7 years old; estrayed Saturday, 7th inst. Whoever will return her to the owner, shall
receive the above reward.
i
SAMUEL PATCH, Niagara.

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LosT,-At or near the Post Office, a Portmonnaie, containing a small sum of money; also a check for a bonnet at H ew's
Bleaching Establishment; and . some papers valuable to none
but the owner. The finder will be liberally rewarded by leaving the same at Daguerre's Gallery, Main street.
Let pupils speak of some property of their own as lost,
describing it fully.
W ANTED,-A situation as Book-keeper or General Clerk in
any good mercantile business, by .an active young man, of good
education and temperate habits, who can give first-class reference. Address O. K., Box 1001.
• W ANTED.-A lady well qualified to teach, is willing to take
a school for the summer, riot too~ far from the town~ Is prepared to give instruction in the Languages or Mathematics.
Best references furnished. Address P.R. O. F., Rockford.
Let pupils speak of themselves as desiring some situation,
giving age, qualifications, &c.

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FouND,-On Tuesday evening, near the bridge, gold pin
with the initials C. S. E. in hair. The owner proving property
and paying for this advertisement, can obtain the same at Iron's
Hardware Store.

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Pupils may describe some article of schoolmate as found.

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STOLEN-'$5 REwARD,-From residence of subscriber, two
doors west First National Bank, dozen silver tea-spoons, marked
with initials. W .. G. The above ,re~ard will be paid for the
recovery of the .articles.
Let pupils describe some pro.perty,-horse, watch, furs, &c.,
-as stolen from home.
•
NEW GooDs.-A. G. Downs & Co., 150 Lake street, having
made extensive. preparation for the coming season, now offer a
most complete stock of Foreign and Domestic Dress Goods, in
choice and novel styles. Cloaks and Mantillas, low priced and
medium to fine goods, latest Paris styles. Shawls, best American makes~ and noyelties in French and Scotch. Rich Em. broideries and Laces, Gloves, Hosiery, Table Linens, &c., &c.
Bought for cash, and sol_d at the lowest prices.
A. G. DowNs & Co.
BooTs AND SHoEs.-Theo. Miller respectfully i~forms the
ladies and gentlemen of Lancaster that he has removed his
· Boot · and .Shoe Store, and can now be found at No. 4 North
· Queen street, where he is fully prepared to fill all orders with
· which he may be favored. All work is made under his imme. d'.ate supervision, and warranted to give entire satisfaction. A
large assortment of boots, fancy gaiters, &c., constantly on hand.
' Latest styles received at once from Philadelphia.
THEO. :MILLER.
The pupils may write an advertisement for some firm in the
town in which they live.

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. COMPOSITION wmTING.

CO~ll'OSITION

MARRIED,-In this city, O!l the 4th . inst., at Grace Church,
by the Rev. ·Augustus Creamcheese, Oliver Rip Van Winkle,
E sq., of Sleepy Hollow, and Miss Flora McFlimsey, of this
city.
Dr1m,-At Greeuwood, March 30, Hervey C. Young, of
iuliammatory rheumatism, in the 37th year of his age. Funeral from his late residence, this (Saturday) afternoon, at 2
o'clock.
Let the pupils, for these latter forms, take real events occurring in the neighborhood.

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SECTION XXXJ.

~:n:o;o::::·

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~any plac~

The school "Paper"
feature m
The majority of th em, however, scarcely deserve the name, as
they are merely collectious of coippositions, with a conu ndrum
at interv~~ls to vary the monotony. To give the highest interest to your "Gems" or "Caskets," make them, as far as proper,
imitations of the daily gazette-containing editorials, local items,
letters from home and abroad;· book notice:::, news su mmary, advertisements~ and the ".:arious features of a well-conducted sheet.
These miniature journals may be prepared in two ways: the
t eacher may preserve the best efforts that are r ead on ordinary
composition days, and when a sufficient number and suitable
variety have been gathered, have. the "Tribune" made up; or, .
if your class be large enough, a paper can be compiled at once,
by your assigning the different departments essential to variety_
to cli!ferent pupils: thu s, John an<l Susan may write letters from
forci()'n cities· P eter and Matilda, letters from points in United
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States; Albert and Mary may give notices of books last read;
Charles and J .e nnie may prepare a list of advertisements; Anna
may compile a news summary; George and Emily, a column ·
of local items ; J\Iartha, a foreign news summary ; David,
Nancy, and Lydia, take r egular compositions; while Laura and

WlUTlNG.

47

Delia, as editors, will arrange editorials. , Do not let these articles be thrown togPther promiscuously, but follow a certain
or<ler; say, 1, compositions; . 2, editorials; 3, home and foreign
news ; 4, letters; 5, book notices; 6, local items; 7, mlvertisements. To this list the ingenious teacher may add other characteristics, as a poet's corner, or a jester's budget. L et there
be no articles co ied from books
· · · is not the <lcsirrn of
the Casket to display a rich assortment of im Jorte<l oo<ls, but
to make a truthful ex u it of fabrics of domestic manufacture.
If you desire the "Luminary" to have its appropriate effect,
do not e1Jtrust its entire arrangement to the editors, but give
them the benefit of your suggestions ; and if so inclined, .one or
two sparkling contributions from your pen. There is usually a
great amomit of unnecessary labor by the editors' copying all
the articles in their own handwriting. : This can easily be
avoided by requesting the students to ~rite on foolscap in a
plain hand, with a space of two inches at the top, and to furni sh
the efforts a few days beforehand tb the editors, so that the re
may be abundant time to decipher all hieroglyphics. In this
way; the articles will be on· half sheets, which can readily be
bound together with a ribbon through the top space. Tbey are
thu s as conveniently read as in book form, without the foolish toil
involved . . Do not make the "Paper" a formal thing, reserv- g
ing it for such state occasions as the closing examination of the
"
term, bu: let it o:cur as ~ften as the age or ability of your pupils
can provide an mterestmg assortment for its columns.
I' Au Observer thus prepared with an eye to varied arrangement and entertaining topi cs, affords peculiar enjoyment to the
assembled patrons. In rural districts, fall and winter evenings
seem to be the favorite time for school entertainments; . ancl on
such occasions, a spicy paper, well read, ·with the accompaniment of a few declamations, or a short debate, singing by tli e
chil<lre11,. and a remark by yourself~ wiil not only be a treat for
the peoplG, but tend also to . elevate the literary taste of th e
nei ghborhood, and excite an increased inter~st in your labors.

48

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COl\IPOSITION WRITING.
INVITATION AND REPLY.

Mrs. Hamilton presents hei· compliments to Mr. and l\Irs.
Adams, and requests the pleasure of their company at tea, on
Friday evening next, at 6 o'clock.
.
Home, Tuesday.
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l\Ir. and l\Irs. Adams accept with pleasure Mrs. Hamilton'g
kind in vitation for Friday evening.
Revere House, vVednesday.
l\Ir. and Mrs. Adams regret that absence from the city will

prevent their acceptance of ·Mrs. Hamilton's polite invitation
for Friday evening.
Revere House, Wednesday.

· co111rOSITION

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PHILADELPHIA, May 17, 1864.
]\fy DEAR GREENLEAF:.
_Permit me to introduce my old friend, Thomas Erskine,
who is on a summer ramble through the east. · He is a gentleman of fine culture and extensive atta.inments.
Any attention will be thankfully received by him; and duly .
appreciated by
Yours truly,
BouvrnR KENT.
JOHN W. GREENLEAF, EsQ.,
Boston.
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NEW

Yomr, May 18, 1864.

l\IR. DAVID Cnoc1rnTT,
MY DEAR Sm:-The bearer, Mr. George Catlin, is
now making a tour in the west, in the collection of materials
for a work on Indian Antiquities. In the prosecution of,_ this
arduous enterprise, he desires the co-operation of the .Si.ien<ls
of science.

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The pupils may .write letters of introductfon for each other.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
· AcADEllHA, May 5, 1864.
. The bearer, . Miss Jane Grey, "lift~ ; att~nclJd my school at
intervals for four years, ~n~, as a pupil, has ever Leen diligent
in application and correct in deportment. To those desiring a
teacher, I can c~rdially recommend ~er as a lady _of refinement

i

ar,id intellig_e nce.

ROGER ASCHA~I.

"11

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AMSTERDAM, May 1, 1864.
This is to certify that Johann Richter has been personally
known to me for th~ · l,ast fi. Vt;.l yea~~ H..e'. is a man of good
moral character, and perfectly relial:>.l e i.n , any engagement he
m~y 1;1m~er~a~e. I .ch~erfully ..r~con;imend hj~ .to. :fW.Y -d~siring
a faithfril workman.
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CARL L1:ssrnG.
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Whatever assistance you may be aule to rc-mrfor him in furtherance of his scheme, will be highly esteemed by
. _ . Your Fn.end,: .,_ , : · . . , . _: .·
.
. '"
.
. .\·.;:: ... ::·\ . ' ' .c-G: R,. (}LIPDON.

The pupils may write invitations and replies to each other . .
LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION.

W1lITING~

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_Let the p:upils w:rite recommendations for· their schoolmates,
or _for servants in the family.
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. NOTE.

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.$500.

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NEW I':ORK, May 18; 1864.

Thirty days after date, I promis~ to p~y ;G;eorge Bancroft or
order, Fiv~ ~~dred Dollars, value received.
J. G. PALF.REY.

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·$10'()0.:
. ' ;: ' .: ';so·$TON, J:~ne i, JS6~..
Ten days after date, pay to Cli~de;s . S~mner' ~i·' . orcie';.,; One'
Thousand Dollars, value received, and charge to my account.
EDWARD EVERETT.

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CO.MPOSITION WRITING.

COMPOSITION WRITING.

SECTION XXXIIL

ORDER • .

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.
. CHICAGO, May 10, 1864.
S.
C.
Griggs
& Oo. ·will please )ay to th b .
Messrs.
.
.
e ea1er,
1
Thirty Dollai-s,. in Merchandise, on my account.

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DILLER.

RECEIPT ..

$300.

PHILADELPHIA, June 3, 1864.
Received of D. P. Brown, Three Hundred Dollars, on
account.

. J. B.

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LIPPINCOTT

& Co.

These are the. simple forms o(common business transactions.
The pupil should become so familiar with them
to write out .
a~y at the. mention of the name. Any Book-Keeping will furmsh a variety of these and other forms, if the teacher desire it.

as

SECTION

51

xxxn.

EXTEll[PORE WRITING. ,

M~ny teachers. pra~tice. · extempore : composition as a daily

exe1·c1se. ·~ subject is given, five minutes by the watch to
write upon it, and at the expiration of the time the efforts are
read. , As a relief in the midst of study, this performance is
perhaps refreshing; and as a means .o.f: cultivating readiness of
mind, may, in the hands of skillful artists, be made beneficial.
Its great liability to abuse, however, renders its encouragement
questionable. - Children are apt to get. the impression t.hat ·they
are ;vriting against t~me,-to measure t~e, excc~Ience ·of a production, not by the beauty · of its ex·ecution; ·but by its iength · ;
and rapidity in achievement. ·Whately alludes to Debating So. cieties as having a tendency to en~ou_rage crudeness of thought
and inefog~ce of language ; and ' ·a similar criticism applies to
the method under consideration.

" STYLE. _, ·

· Pupils soon le~rn _to · appreciate 'th~ beauty of ~ne writin~. ·
Long before t~ey are rea<ly for Rhetori~, <ilr the ~ice .analysis
of language, they are prepared t<> recogmz~ . the wide :hfference
betwe.en the styles of authors. . The Readmg Book 1s a goo<l
medium for this purpose. As, from day to day, the lessons
change from writer te> write_r, a few explanations by the teacher
will enable the pupil to distinguish the peculiarities _of eachthe majesty of Milton, the smoothness of ~ope, Johns?n's
measured pomp, Macaulay's picturesque narration. Occas1?nally reacl to the class half . an hour on an afternoon, makmg
selections from. authors wh?.se · mann~r of expression shows a
marked contrast. A paper from the Spectator, an essay from
Elia or an episode from the Conquest of Mexico, will, in turn,
deli~ht with the finished ease .of Addison, the' qu~t humor of
Lamb, the classic elegai;i.ce 'of Pr"'.scott.
.- .

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SECTION ·XXXIV .'
ENCOURAGJi)MENT~ i/' ,;;>

Pupils occasionally bec~me discou~~ge~._ · Ideas do not spring
up readily ; words do not pour forth fluently; sentences do not
arrange theml:\elves by magic; and they are willing to give an
enthusiastic adherence to the general: statement, ~poeta ·nascitur,
non fit. They are inclined to believe that easy composition is
a gift vouchsafed to a few favored Scotts and 1\facaulays, and
that it is absurd for common mortals to attempt the least success
in this depai-tment. To remove every such prejudice, as well
as· t9 inspire with new ardor, the laboribus perseverance of
great masters of style should often be held up before them.
Nothing so soon incites to deeds of grandeur as the influence
of noble example. "Thirty centuries look down upon you!"
exclaimed Napoleon to his army at the foot of the pyramids.
As Herodotus recited his epic annals before assembled Greece,
Thucydides wept,-but they were tears of a generous resolve.

52

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CO~IPOSITION WRITING; .

Take the storied names of earth;· and they have toiled like
Titans. Virgil kept revising the 1.Eneid till his death. Paradise Lost i~ ~aid to have been conceived by Milton in his sixtee{ith year, and yet the bard was old and blind ere his great work appeared on its immortal mission. Pope's melodious
verses cost him infinite labor. Ni~e years intervened between
the inception and completion of :Gray's Elegy, but the Elegy
is a monument that will exist with the race. Gibbon prepared
the first chapter of the "Decline and Fall" three times before
he was satisfied to .bequeath it to posterity. Addison often
stopped the press to change a preposition. Hum~'s first literary .
performance met with little favor. 'John Foster had not .the
pen of a ready writer, yet careful _industry gave to the world
"Essays on Deci9ion of Character." - Single couplets in the
"Irish Melodies" cost :Moore the reverie of a day. Burns'
sweet Jydcs we~e not the offspring of sudden fancy, but thought- .
fully conned "along the mountain _side." Prescott never hcari;I ;
· from the first ambitious article which he ·sent to the North
American Review. The early efforts of John Lothrop Motley
trifling reputation; the research of after
gained .him but
years has pl~ced tl}e "Dutch Republic" among .the classi9 volumes of the library. Remember ~ope's dec~aration: .

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True ease in writing tomes from art; not chance;

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