In the author's classes the three stories in the volume entitled "Three
Hundred Dollars" are first studied because of their simplicity, and
these are followed by parts of "The Bonnie Brier Bush," and then by the
stories from Bret Harte. Mrs. Phelps Ward's "Loveliness" is especially
valuable for illustrating methods and devices for making a simple theme
dramatically interesting. Students are required to mark stories with the
symbols and discuss them with reference to the principles of which this
little book is an exposition, but no recitation on the book itself is
required. Perhaps one-third of the time in the class-room is spent in
discussion of the short themes written by the class, and when convenient
these are placed on the board before the class for that purpose. In the
theme work following the suggested subjects the effort is made to
confine instruction and practice to one thing at a time, but at the
conclusion of the work of the term each member of the class is required
to hand in a complete original story.