for I am sure we would have a jolly time. but Mother is ill and I am much needed here at home. Doctor thinks she will be about again in a few days. I suppose you are busily engaged in stuffing those birds you told me about. Have you finished the birch bark canoe yet. I have made me a pair of oars with my jig saw which will be just the thing. When you write tell me about your trip to the woods. Very truly yours, (3) Sidney. Bassanio and Lorenzo Bassanio and Lorenzo were alike only in one respect, both their loves were very sincere. Lorenzo was less practical than Bassanio, and he acted toward Jessica like she was his equal, while Bassanio seems to revere Portia like a queen. Lorenzo was talkative and jolly, while Bassanio was more reserved, like a courtier. 148. Incorrect Use of Words, etc.- There are many kinds of errors in the use of words, but the pupil must here again, by a process of self-examination, find out his mistake. Wy. placed opposite a sentence indicates that too many words have been used to express the idea; that the sentence is wordy. W. indicates some kind of error in the use of a particular word. Questions. I. Is it the use of a slang term, a provincialism, or an obsolete word? 2. Is it a word used in a sense that does not belong to it? 3. Does it imperfectly express the thought? 4. Is it too dignified a word for the thought? or not sufficiently dignified? 5 Has a word been omitted? 6. Is it the repeated use of words in pairs? ( Oft-repeated words are underscored. ) A parenthesis denotes that the words inclosed should be omitted. EXERCISE 149. Explain the errors indicated by the symbols below, and make the necessary corrections. . Wy. them, and became very much interested in Isaac's daughter. Wy. Isaac was very richly (and elaborately) dressed as was his daughter, the (young and) very beautiful Rebecca. 150. Awkward Expressions. There appear in the compositions of pupils many sentences which can at present be criticised no more definitely than by calling them awkward, clumsy, or ugly. K. is inserted opposite such sentences. EXERCISE 151. Discover the nature of the mistakes suggested in the following paragraph and then rewrite it : Wy. K. a man that is frightened half out of his wits, and he began Wy. clearing away as hastily as he could the remains of their P. feast, without responding to the knock, which had startled P. him. When the Hermit heard the knock repeated more K. loudly and the voice of Locksley with it, he hurried to undo the door. EXERCISE 152. Study carefully all the compositions given below to find out the nature of the faults; then write out each one on paper, indicating the mistakes by proper marks in the margin. 1. In this first paragraph the number of errors is indicated by the figures in the margin. Some of the less obvious mistakes are underscored. Use care in marking them. 2 2 I 2 I I A Character sketch of Richard One of the most noted of english kings was Richard Coeur-de-Lion a brave and hardy fighter. No one in England at his time ever crossed lance with him successfully so that every one shook at the name of Richard. In his I prime he took up the banner of Christendom and went to the Holy Land in order that he might secure the Holy 2 Sepulcher from the Turks. While in this place he disreI garded the Austrian banner and when he was returning 2 home he was taken prisonner by the King of Austria 2 where he remained for many years. After his imprisonI ment he went to England and disguised himself as the I Black Knight and he did not disclose his identity till he was about to take his throne. He succeeded in dethroning 2 his brother and by his forgiving character obtained the protection of Locksley. When he reached his throne he con 2 I 2 fered many favors on Ivanhoe and many others. 2. While not neglecting other things, pay particular attention to sequence of tenses, and the choice of words in the following: The Ransome of the Prior and Isaac It was decided among the outlaws that the ransom of prior Aymer should be named by Isaac of York and the ran som of Isaac by pryor Aymer. The captain called Isaac up and asked him to tell the amount which he thinks the prior ought to be held for. Isaac, knowing the prisoner's income, told the captain that the prior's ransom should be six hundred crowns. The captain as well as the band were well satisfied with the ransome. Prior Aymer told the captain that if he sold all his property, he will not be able to collect that sum of money. Isaac was willing to lend the prior six hundred crowns. Now the captain turned to the prior and asked him to name Isaac's ransom. The prior Knew of the Jew's wealth, and named his ransom as one thousand crowns. The captain, likewise, with his band were satisfied. Isaac told the captain that he was unable to pay that amount, and having thought of his daughter, Rebecca, he shouted her name. One of the outlaws, interrupting Isaac, asked him whether his daughter wore a veil, embroidered with silver, and whether she had dark hair. Isaac replied that the outlaw's description resembles his daughter, and asked where he had seen her last and by whom had she been captured. 3. Pay close attention to the elements of form in the following letter. Point out also such things as should be omitted. Messrs. Smith & Co., 128 Hopkinson Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. 1-6-05 Having seen your advertisement in the morning paper, I beg leave to apply for the position of office boy in your firm. I am sixteen years old, a graduate of Public School No. 26, and a student of High School, for two years. Accompanying this letter, you will find references, as to my ability, honesty and punctuality. I live with my parents at the above address. Circumstances necessitates my leaving school and going to work. Hoping to receive a prompt and favorable report from you, I am Yours sincerely, H. C. Howard. 4. Sequence of tenses, grammar and the misuse of two or three terms, require special attention in the following:— The Testimony of the Two Villains After the testimony of Higg the son of Snell two villains which were bribed to give evidence that would convict Rebecca were called. They were at first daunted by the beauty of Rebecca, but summoning up their courage, each gives their evidence without hesitation. Their testimony, in brief, was as follows: - that Rebecca muttered to herself in a strange language, that her songs charmed those who heard her sing, and that her ring was engraved with magic devices. One of the rascals said that by repeating certain mysterious words over a wounded man, she had caused a cross-bow bolt to extract itself from a man's body, and in a quarter of an hour, the man had been well. The other said that he saw Rebecca with the templar at Torquilstone. She turned into a dove, circled three times round the tower, and had returned, resuming her own shape. All this absurd evidence was believed by the entire assembly. 5. Look for peculiar expressions, bad spelling, lack of capitals, and improper abbreviations. Write a criticism of the last sentence of this letter and of anything else that you cannot express by symbols. Dear John 74 Somers Street, B'kl'n, N. Y. June 6, 1905. High School is much different from Grammar school, the work here being more difficult & the teachers more strict. All our instructors are men as the pupils are also boys. The course of study is all different, the subjects being latin, english, algebra, Science, and three miner subjects. These are elocution, Mechanical Drawing & music. The day is seperated into six periods of forty-five minutes each. Abell rings at the end of each period and we then go to a different room. The lunch period is but a half hour, so to even this up we are dismissed at half past two. We had mid-term examinations two weaks ago, and I did well in all, except algebra, |