When two singular subjects are connected by _neither_, _nor_ use a

singular verb; as, "_Neither_ John _nor_ James _was there_," not _were_

there.

NONE

Custom Has sanctioned the use of this word both with a singular and

plural; as--"None _is_ so blind as he who will not see" and "None _are_

so blind as they who will not see." However, as it is a contraction of

_no one_ it is better to use the singular verb.

RISE-RAISE

These verbs are very often confounded. _Rise_ is to move or pass upward

in any manner; as to "rise from bed;" to increase in value, to improve in

position or rank, as "stocks rise;" "politicians rise;" "they have risen

to honor."

_Raise_ is to lift up, to exalt, to enhance, as "I raise the table;"

"He raised his servant;" "The baker raised the price of _bread_."

LAY-LIE

The transitive verb _lay_, and _lay_, the past tense of the neuter verb

_lie_, are often confounded, though quite different in meaning. The

neuter verb _to lie_, meaning to lie down or rest, cannot take the

objective after it except with a preposition. We can say "He _lies_ on

the ground," but we cannot say "He _lies_ the ground," since the verb is

neuter and intransitive and, as such, cannot have a direct object. With

_lay_ it is different. _Lay_ is a transitive verb, therefore it takes a

direct object after it; as "I _lay_ a wager," "I _laid_ the carpet," etc.

Of a carpet or any inanimate subject we should say, "It lies on the

floor," "A knife _lies_ on the table," not _lays_. But of a person we

say--"He _lays_ the knife on the table," not "He _lies_----." _Lay_ being

the past tense of the neuter to lie (down) we should say, "He _lay_ on

the bed," and _lain_ being its past participle we must also say "He has

_lain_ on the bed."

We can say "I lay myself down." "He laid himself down" and such

expressions.

It is imperative to remember in using these verbs that to _lay_ means _to

do_ something, and to lie means _to be in a state of rest_.

SAYS I--I SAID

_"Says I"_ is a vulgarism; don't use it. "I said" is correct form.

IN--INTO

Be careful to distinguish the meaning of these two little prepositions

and don't interchange them. Don't say "He went _in_ the room" nor "My

brother is _into_ the navy." _In_ denotes the place where a person or

thing, whether at rest or in motion, is present; and _into_ denotes

_entrance_. "He went _into_ the room;" "My brother is _in_ the navy" are

correct.

EAT--ATE

Don't confound the two. _Eat_ is present, _ate_ is past. "I _eat_ the

bread" means that I am continuing the eating; "I _ate_ the bread" means

that the act of eating is past. _Eaten_ is the perfect participle, but

often _eat_ is used instead, and as it has the same pronunciation (et) of

_ate_, care should be taken to distinguish the past tense, I _ate_ from

the perfect _I have eaten_ (_eat_).

SEQUENCE OF PERSON

Remember that the _first_ person takes precedence of the _second_ and the

_second_ takes precedence of the _third_. When Cardinal Wolsey said _Ego

et Rex_ (I and the King), he showed he was a good grammarian, but a bad

courtier.

AM COME--HAVE COME

"_I am come_" points to my being here, while "I have come" intimates that

I have just arrived. When the subject is not a person, the verb _to be_

should be used in preference to the verb _to have_; as, "The box is come"

instead of "The box has come."

PAST TENSE--PAST PARTICIPLE

The interchange of these two parts of the irregular or so-called _strong_

verbs is, perhaps, the breach oftenest committed by careless speakers and

writers. To avoid mistakes it is requisite to know the principal parts of

these verbs, and this knowledge is very easy of acquirement, as there are

not more than a couple of hundred of such verbs, and of this number but a

small part is in daily use. Here are some of the most common blunders: "I

seen" for "I saw;" "I done it" for "I did it;" "I drunk" for "I drank;"

"I begun" for "I began;" "I rung" for "I rang;" "I run" for "I ran;" "I

sung" for "I sang;" "I have chose" for "I have chosen;" "I have drove"

for "I have driven;" "I have wore" for "I have worn;" "I have trod" for

"I have trodden;" "I have shook" for "I have shaken;" "I have fell" for

"I have fallen;" "I have drank" for "I have drunk;" "I have began" for "I

have begun;" "I have rang" for "I have rung;" "I have rose" for "I have

risen;" "I have spoke" for "I have spoken;" "I have broke" for "I have

broken." "It has froze" for "It has frozen." "It has blowed" for "It has

blown." "It has flowed" (of a bird) for "It has flown."

N. B.--The past tense and past participle of _To Hang_ is _hanged_ or

_hung_. When you are talking about a man meeting death on the gallows,

say "He was hanged"; when you are talking about the carcass of an animal

say, "It was hung," as "The beef was hung dry." Also say your coat "_was_

hung on a hook."

PREPOSITIONS AND THE OBJECTIVE CASE

Don't forget that prepositions always take the objective case. Don't say

"Between you and _I_"; say "Between you and _me_"

_Two_ prepositions should not govern _one objective_ unless there is an

immediate connection between them. "He was refused admission to and

forcibly ejected from the school" should be "He was refused admission to

the school and forcibly ejected from it."

SUMMON--SUMMONS

Don't say "I shall summons him," but "I shall summon him." _Summon_ is a

verb, _summons_, a noun.

It is correct to say "I shall get a _summons_ for him," not a _summon_.

UNDENIABLE--UNEXCEPTIONABLE

"My brother has an undeniable character" is wrong if I wish to convey the

idea that he has a good character. The expression should be in that case

"My brother has an unexceptionable character." An _undeniable_ character

is a character that cannot be denied, whether bad or good. An

unexceptionable character is one to which no one can take exception.

THE PRONOUNS

Very many mistakes occur in the use of the pronouns. "Let you and I go"

should be "Let you and _me_ go." "Let them and we go" should be "Let them

and us go." The verb let is transitive and therefore takes the objective

case.

"Give me _them_ flowers" should be "Give me _those_ flowers"; "I mean

_them_ three" should be "I mean those three." Them is the objective case

of the personal pronoun and cannot be used adjectively like the

demonstrative adjective pronoun. "I am as strong as _him_" should be "I

am as strong as _he_"; "I am younger than _her_" should be "I am younger

than _she_;" "He can write better than _me_" should be "He can write

better than I," for in these examples the objective cases _him_, _her_

and _me_ are used wrongfully for the nominatives. After each of the

misapplied pronouns a verb is understood of which each pronoun is the

subject. Thus, "I am as strong as he (is)." "I am younger than she (is)."

"He can write better than I (can)."

Don't say "_It is me_;" say "_It is I_" The verb _To Be_ of which is is a

part takes the same case after it that it has before it. This holds good

in all situations as well as with pronouns.

The verb _To Be_ also requires the pronouns joined to it to be in the

same case as a pronoun asking a question; The nominative _I_ requires the

nominative _who_ and the objectives _me_, _him_, _her_, _its_, _you_,

_them_, require the objective _whom_.

"_Whom_ do you think I am?" should be "_Who_ do you think I am?" and

"_Who_ do they suppose me to be?" should be "_Whom_ do they suppose me to

be?" The objective form of the Relative should be always used, in

connection with a preposition. "Who do you take me for?" should be

"_Whom_ do, etc." "Who did you give the apple to?" should be "Whom did

you give the apple to," but as pointed out elsewhere the preposition

should never end a sentence, therefore, it is better to say, "To whom did

you give the apple?"

After transitive verbs always use the objective cases of the pronouns.

For "_He_ and _they_ we have seen," say "_Him_ and _them_ we have seen."

THAT FOR SO

"The hurt it was that painful it made him cry," say "so painful."

THESE--THOSE

Don't say, _These kind; those sort_. _Kind_ and _sort_ are each singular

and require the singular pronouns _this_ and _that_. In connection with

these demonstrative adjective pronouns remember that _this_ and _these_

refer to what is near at hand, _that_ and _those_ to what is more

distant; as, _this book_ (near me), _that book_ (over there), _these_

boys (near), _those_ boys (at a distance).

THIS MUCH--THUS MUCH

"_This_ much is certain" should be "_Thus_ much or _so_ much is certain."

FLEE--FLY

These are two separate verbs and must not be interchanged. The principal

parts of _flee_ are _flee_, _fled_, _fled_; those of _fly_ are _fly_,

_flew_, _flown_. _To flee_ is generally used in the meaning of getting

out of danger. _To fly_ means to soar as a bird. To say of a man "He _has

flown_ from the place" is wrong; it should be "He _has fled_ from the

place." We can say with propriety that "A bird has _flown_ from the

place."

THROUGH--THROUGHOUT

Don't say "He is well known through the land," but "He is well known

throughout the land."

VOCATION AND AVOCATION

Don't mistake these two words so nearly alike. Vocation is the employment,

business or profession one follows for a living; avocation is some

pursuit or occupation which diverts the person from such employment,

business or profession. Thus

"His vocation was the law, his avocation, farming."

WAS--WERE

In the subjunctive mood the plural form _were_ should be used with a

singular subject; as, "If I _were_," not _was_. Remember the plural form

of the personal pronoun _you_ always takes _were_, though it may denote

but one. Thus, "_You were_," never "_you was_." "_If I was him_" is a

very common expression. Note the two mistakes in it,--that of the verb

implying a condition, and that of the objective case of the pronoun. It

should read _If I were he_. This is another illustration of the rule

regarding the verb _To Be_, taking the same case after it as before it;

_were_ is part of the verb _To Be_, therefore as the nominative (I) goes

before it, the nominative (he) should come after it.

A OR AN

_A_ becomes an before a vowel or before _h_ mute for the sake of euphony

or agreeable sound to the ear. _An apple_, _an orange_, _an heir_, _an

honor_, etc.

CHAPTER IX

STYLE

Diction--Purity--Propriety--Precision.

It is the object of every writer to put his thoughts into as effective

form as possible so as to make a good impression on the reader. A person

may have noble thoughts and ideas but be unable to express them in such a

way as to appeal to others, consequently he cannot exert the full force

of his intellectuality nor leave the imprint of his character upon his

time, whereas many a man but indifferently gifted may wield such a facile

pen as to attract attention and win for himself an envious place among

his contemporaries.

In everyday life one sees illustrations of men of excellent mentality

being cast aside and ones of mediocre or in some cases, little, if any,

ability chosen to fill important places. The former are unable to impress

their personality; they have great thoughts, great ideas, but these

thoughts and ideas are locked up in their brains and are like prisoners

behind the bars struggling to get free. The key of language which would

open the door is wanting, hence they have to remain locked up.

Many a man has to pass through the world unheard of and of little benefit

to it or himself, simply because he cannot bring out what is in him and

make it subservient to his will. It is the duty of every one to develop his

best, not only for the benefit of himself but for the good of his fellow

men. It is not at all necessary to have great learning or acquirements, the

laborer is as useful in his own place as the philosopher in his; nor is it

necessary to have many talents. One talent rightly used is much better than

ten wrongly used. Often a man can do more with one than his contemporary

can do with ten, often a man can make one dollar go farther than twenty in

the hands of his neighbor, often the poor man lives more comfortably than

the millionaire. All depends upon the individual himself. If he make right

use of what the Creator has given him and live according to the laws of God

and nature he is fulfilling his allotted place in the universal scheme of

creation, in other words, when he does his best, he is living up to the

standard of a useful manhood.

Now in order to do his best a man of ordinary intelligence and education

should be able to express himself correctly both in speaking and writing,

that is, he should be able to convey his thoughts in an intelligent

manner which the simplest can understand. The manner in which a speaker

or writer conveys his thoughts is known as his Style. In other words

_Style_ may be defined as the peculiar manner in which a man expresses

his conceptions through the medium of language. It depends upon the

choice of words and their arrangement to convey a meaning. Scarcely any

two writers have exactly the same style, that is to say, express their

ideas after the same peculiar form, just as no two mortals are fashioned

by nature in the same mould, so that one is an exact counterpart of the

other.

Just as men differ in the accent and tones of their voices, so do they

differ in the construction of their language.

Two reporters sent out on the same mission, say to report a fire, will

verbally differ in their accounts though materially both descriptions

will be the same as far as the leading facts are concerned. One will

express himself in a style _different_ from the other.

If you are asked to describe the dancing of a red-haired lady at the last

charity ball you can either say--"The ruby Circe, with the Titian locks

glowing like the oriflamme which surrounds the golden god of day as he

sinks to rest amid the crimson glory of the burnished West, gave a divine

exhibition of the Terpsichorean art which thrilled the souls of the

multitude" or, you can simply say--"The red-haired lady danced very well

and pleased the audience."

The former is a specimen of the ultra florid or bombastic style which may

be said to depend upon the pomposity of verbosity for its effect, the

latter is a specimen of simple _natural_ Style. Needless to say it is to

be preferred. The other should be avoided. It stamps the writer as a

person of shallowness, ignorance and inexperience. It has been eliminated

from the newspapers. Even the most flatulent of yellow sheets no longer

tolerate it in their columns. Affectation and pedantry in style are now

universally condemned.

It is the duty of every speaker and writer to labor after a pleasing

style. It gains him an entrance where he would otherwise be debarred.

Often the interest of a subject depends as much on the way it is

presented as on the subject itself. One writer will make it attractive,

another repulsive. For instance take a passage in history. Treated by one

historian it is like a desiccated mummy, dry, dull, disgusting, while

under the spell of another it is, as it were, galvanized into a virile

living thing which not only pleases but captivates the reader.

DICTION

The first requisite of style is _choice_ of _words_, and this comes under

the head of _Diction_, the property of style which has reference to the

words and phrases used in speaking and writing. The secret of literary

skill from any standpoint consists in putting the right word in the right

place. In order to do this it is imperative to know the meaning of the

words we use, their exact literal meaning. Many synonymous words are

seemingly interchangeable and appear as if the same meaning were applicable

to three or four of them at the same time, but when all such words are

reduced to a final analysis it is clearly seen that there is a marked

difference in their meaning. For instance _grief_ and _sorrow_ seem to be

identical, but they are not. _Grief_ is active, _sorrow_ is more or less

passive; _grief_ is caused by troubles and misfortunes which come to us

from the outside, while _sorrow_ is often the consequence of our own

acts. _Grief_ is frequently loud and violent, _sorrow_ is always quiet

and retiring. _Grief_ shouts, _Sorrow_ remains calm.

If you are not sure of the exact meaning of a word look it up immediately

in the dictionary. Sometimes some of our great scholars are puzzled over

simple words in regard to meaning, spelling or pronunciation. Whenever

you meet a strange word note it down until you discover its meaning and

use. Read the best books you can get, books written by men and women who

are acknowledged masters of language, and study how they use their words,

where they place them in the sentences, and the meanings they convey to

the readers.

Mix in good society. Listen attentively to good talkers and try to

imitate their manner of expression. If a word is used you do not

understand, don't be ashamed to ask its meaning.

True, a small vocabulary will carry you through, but it is an advantage

to have a large one. When you live alone a little pot serves just as well

as a large one to cook your victuals and it is handy and convenient, but

when your friends or neighbors come to dine with you, you will need a

much larger pot and it is better to have it in store, so that you will

not be put to shame for your scantiness of furnishings.

Get as many words as you possibly can--if you don't need them now, pack

them away in the garrets of your brain so that you can call upon them if

you require them.

Keep a note book, jot down the words you don't understand or clearly

understand and consult the dictionary when you get time.

PURITY

_Purity_ of style consists in using words which are reputable, national

and present, which means that the words are in current use by the best

authorities, that they are used throughout the nation and not confined to

one particular part, and that they are words in constant use at the

present time.

There are two guiding principles in the choice of words,--_good use_

and _good taste_. _Good use_ tells us whether a word is right or wrong;

_good taste_, whether it is adapted to our purpose or not.

A word that is obsolete or too new to have gained a place in the

language, or that is a provincialism, should not be used.

Here are the Ten Commandments of English style:

(1) Do not use foreign words.

(2) Do not use a long word when a short one will serve your purpose.

_Fire_ is much better than _conflagration_.

(3) Do not use technical words, or those understood only by specialists

in their respective lines, except when you are writing especially for

such people.

(4) Do not use slang.

(5) Do not use provincialisms, as "I guess" for "I think"; "I reckon" for

"I know," etc.

(6) Do not in writing prose, use poetical or antiquated words: as "lore,

e'er, morn, yea, nay, verily, peradventure."

(7) Do not use trite and hackneyed words and expressions; as, "on the

job," "up and in"; "down and out."

(8) Do not use newspaper words which have not established a place in the

language as "to bugle"; "to suicide," etc.

(9) Do not use ungrammatical words and forms; as, "I ain't;" "he don't."

(10) Do not use ambiguous words or phrases; as--"He showed me all about

the house."

Trite words, similes and metaphors which have become hackneyed and worn

out should be allowed to rest in the oblivion of past usage. Such

expressions and phrases as "Sweet sixteen" "the Almighty dollar," "Uncle

Sam," "On the fence," "The Glorious Fourth," "Young America," "The lords

of creation," "The rising generation," "The weaker sex," "The weaker

vessel," "Sweetness long drawn out" and "chief cook and bottle washer,"

should be put on the shelf as they are utterly worn out from too much

usage.

Some of the old similes which have outlived their usefulness and should

be pensioned off, are "Sweet as sugar," "Bold as a lion," "Strong as an

ox," "Quick as a flash," "Cold as ice," "Stiff as a poker," "White as

snow," "Busy as a bee," "Pale as a ghost," "Rich as Croesus," "Cross as a

bear" and a great many more far too numerous to mention.

Be as original as possible in the use of expression. Don't follow in the

old rut but try and strike out for yourself. This does not mean that you

should try to set the style, or do anything outlandish or out of the way,

or be an innovator on the prevailing custom. In order to be original

there is no necessity for you to introduce something novel or establish a

precedent. The probability is you are not fit to do either, by education

or talent. While following the style of those who are acknowledged

leaders you can be original in your language. Try and clothe an idea

different from what it has been clothed and better. If you are speaking

or writing of dancing don't talk or write about "tripping the light

fantastic toe." It is over two hundred years since Milton expressed it

that way in "_L'Allegro_." You're not a Milton and besides over a million

have stolen it from Milton until it is now no longer worth stealing.

Don't resurrect obsolete words such as _whilom_, _yclept_, _wis_, etc.,

and be careful in regard to obsolescent words, that is, words that are at

the present time gradually passing from use such as _quoth, trow,

betwixt, amongst, froward_, etc.

And beware of new words. Be original in the construction and arrangement

of your language, but don't try to originate words. Leave that to the

Masters of language, and don't be the first to try such words, wait until

the chemists of speech have tested them and passed upon their merits.

Quintilian said--"Prefer the oldest of the new and the newest of the

old." Pope put this in rhyme and it still holds good:

In words, as fashions, the same rule will hold, Alike fantastic, if too

new or old: Be not the first by whom the new are tried, Nor yet the last

to lay the old aside.

PROPRIETY

_Propriety_ of style consists in using words in their proper sense and as

in the case of purity, good usage is the principal test. Many words have

acquired in actual use a meaning very different from what they once

possessed. "Prevent" formerly meant to go before, and that meaning is

implied in its Latin derivation. Now it means to put a stop to, to

hinder. To attain propriety of style it is necessary to avoid confounding

words derived from the same root; as _respectfully_ and _respectively_;

it is necessary to use words in their accepted sense or the sense which

everyday use sanctions.

SIMPLICITY

_Simplicity_ of style has reference to the choice of simple words and

their unaffected presentation. Simple words should always be used in

preference to compound, and complicated ones when they express the same

or almost the same meaning. The Anglo-Saxon element in our language

comprises the simple words which express the relations of everyday life,

strong, terse, vigorous, the language of the fireside, street, market and

farm. It is this style which characterizes the Bible and many of the

great English classics such as the "Pilgrim's Progress," "Robinson

Crusoe," and "Gulliver's Travels."

CLEARNESS

_Clearness_ of style should be one of the leading considerations with the

beginner in composition. He must avoid all obscurity and ambiguous

phrases. If he write a sentence or phrase and see that a meaning might be

inferred from it otherwise than intended, he should re-write it in such a

way that there can be no possible doubt. Words, phrases or clauses that

are closely related should be placed as near to each other as possible

that their mutual relation may clearly appear, and no word should be

omitted that is necessary to the complete expression of thought.

UNITY

_Unity_ is that property of style which keeps all parts of a sentence in

connection with the principal thought and logically subordinate to it. A

sentence may be constructed as to suggest the idea of oneness to the

mind, or it may be so loosely put together as to produce a confused and

indefinite impression. Ideas that have but little connection should be

expressed in separate sentences, and not crowded into one.

Keep long parentheses out of the middle of your sentences and when you

have apparently brought your sentences to a close don't try to continue

the thought or idea by adding supplementary clauses.

STRENGTH

_Strength_ is that property of style which gives animation, energy and

vivacity to language and sustains the interest of the reader. It is as

necessary to language as good food is to the body. Without it the words

are weak and feeble and create little or no impression on the mind. In

order to have strength the language must be concise, that is, much

expressed in little compass, you must hit the nail fairly on the head and

drive it in straight. Go critically over what you write and strike out

every word, phrase and clause the omission of which impairs neither the

clearness nor force of the sentence and so avoid redundancy, tautology

and circumlocution. Give the most important words the most prominent

places, which, as has been pointed out elsewhere, are the beginning and

end of the sentence.

HARMONY

_Harmony_ is that property of style which gives a smoothness to the

sentence, so that when the words are sounded their connection becomes

pleasing to the ear. It adapts sound to sense. Most people construct

their sentences without giving thought to the way they will sound and as

a consequence we have many jarring and discordant combinations such as

"Thou strengthenedst thy position and actedst arbitrarily and

derogatorily to my interests."

Harsh, disagreeable verbs are liable to occur with the Quaker form _Thou_

of the personal pronoun. This form is now nearly obsolete, the plural

_you_ being almost universally used. To obtain harmony in the sentence

long words that are hard to pronounce and combinations of letters of one

kind should be avoided.

EXPRESSIVE OF WRITER

Style is expressive of the writer, as to who he is and what he is. As a

matter of structure in composition it is the indication of what a man can

do; as a matter of quality it is an indication of what he is.

KINDS OF STYLE

Style has been classified in different ways, but it admits of so many

designations that it is very hard to enumerate a table. In fact there are

as many styles as there are writers, for no two authors write _exactly_

after the same form. However, we may classify the styles of the various

authors in broad divisions as (1) dry, (2) plain, (3) neat, (4) elegant,

(5) florid, (6) bombastic.

The _dry_ style excludes all ornament and makes no effort to appeal to

any sense of beauty. Its object is simply to express the thoughts in a

correct manner. This style is exemplified by Berkeley.

The _plain_ style does not seek ornamentation either, but aims to make

clear and concise statements without any elaboration or embellishment.

Locke and Whately illustrate the plain style.

The _neat_ style only aspires after ornament sparingly. Its object is to

have correct figures, pure diction and clear and harmonious sentences.

Goldsmith and Gray are the acknowledged leaders in this kind of style.

The _elegant_ style uses every ornament that can beautify and avoids

every excess which would degrade. Macaulay and Addison have been

enthroned as the kings of this style. To them all writers bend the knee

in homage.

The _florid_ style goes to excess in superfluous and superficial

ornamentation and strains after a highly colored imagery. The poems of

Ossian typify this style.

The _bombastic_ is characterized by such an excess of words, figures and

ornaments as to be ridiculous and disgusting. It is like a circus clown

dressed up in gold tinsel Dickens gives a fine example of it in Sergeant

Buzfuz' speech in the "Pickwick Papers." Among other varieties of style

may be mentioned the colloquial, the laconic, the concise, the diffuse,

the abrupt the flowing, the quaint, the epigrammatic, the flowery, the

feeble, the nervous, the vehement, and the affected. The manner of these

is sufficiently indicated by the adjective used to describe them.

In fact style is as various as character and expresses the individuality

of the writer, or in other words, as the French writer Buffon very aptly

remarks, "the style is the man himself."

CHAPTER X

SUGGESTIONS

How to Write--What to Write--Correct Speaking and Speakers

Rules of grammar and rhetoric are good in their own place; their laws

must be observed in order to express thoughts and ideas in the right way

so that they shall convey a determinate sense and meaning in a pleasing

and acceptable manner. Hard and fast rules, however, can never make a

writer or author. That is the business of old Mother Nature and nothing

can take her place. If nature has not endowed a man with faculties to put

his ideas into proper composition he cannot do so. He may have no ideas

worthy the recording. If a person has not a thought to express, it cannot

be expressed. Something cannot be manufactured out of nothing. The author

must have thoughts and ideas before he can express them on paper. These

come to him by nature and environment and are developed and strengthened

by study. There is an old Latin quotation in regard to the poet which

says "Poeta nascitur non fit" the translation of which is--the poet is

born, not made. To a great degree the same applies to the author. Some

men are great scholars as far as book learning is concerned, yet they

cannot express themselves in passable composition. Their knowledge is

like gold locked up in a chest where it is of no value to themselves or

the rest of the world.

The best way to learn to write is to sit down and write, just as the best

way how to learn to ride a bicycle is to mount the wheel and pedal away.

Write first about common things, subjects that are familiar to you. Try

for instance an essay on a cat. Say something original about her. Don't

say "she is very playful when young but becomes grave as she grows old."

That has been said more than fifty thousand times before. Tell what you

have seen the family cat doing, how she caught a mouse in the garret and

what she did after catching it. Familiar themes are always the best for

the beginner. Don't attempt to describe a scene in Australia if you have

never been there and know nothing of the country. Never hunt for

subjects, there are thousands around you. Describe what you saw yesterday--

a fire, a runaway horse, a dog-fight on the street and be original in

your description. Imitate the best writers in their _style_, but not in

their exact words. Get out of the beaten path, make a pathway of your

own.

Know what you write about, write about what you know; this is a golden

rule to which you must adhere. To know you must study. The world is an

open book in which all who run may read. Nature is one great volume the

pages of which are open to the peasant as well as to the peer. Study

Nature's moods and tenses, for they are vastly more important than those

of the grammar. Book learning is most desirable, but, after all, it is

only theory and not practice. The grandest allegory in the English, in

fact, in any language, was written by an ignorant, so-called ignorant,

tinker named John Bunyan. Shakespeare was not a scholar in the sense we

regard the term to-day, yet no man ever lived or probably ever will live

that equalled or will equal him in the expression of thought. He simply

read the book of nature and interpreted it from the standpoint of his own

magnificent genius.

Don't imagine that a college education is necessary to success as a

writer. Far from it. Some of our college men are dead-heads, drones,

parasites on the body social, not alone useless to the world but to

themselves. A person may be so ornamental that he is valueless from any

other standpoint. As a general rule ornamental things serve but little

purpose. A man may know so much of everything that he knows little of

anything. This may sound paradoxical, but, nevertheless, experience

proves its truth.

If you are poor that is not a detriment but an advantage. Poverty is an

incentive to endeavor, not a drawback. Better to be born with a good,

working brain in your head than with a gold spoon in your mouth. If the

world had been depending on the so-called pets of fortune it would have

deteriorated long ago.

From the pits of poverty, from the arenas of suffering, from the hovels

of neglect, from the backwood cabins of obscurity, from the lanes and

by-ways of oppression, from the dingy garrets and basements of unending

toil and drudgery have come men and women who have made history, made the

world brighter, better, higher, holier for their existence in it, made of

it a place good to live in and worthy to die in,--men and women who have

hallowed it by their footsteps and sanctified it with their presence and

in many cases consecrated it with their blood. Poverty is a blessing, not

an evil, a benison from the Father's hand if accepted in the right spirit.

Instead of retarding, it has elevated literature in all ages. Homer was a

blind beggarman singing his snatches of song for the dole of charity;

grand old Socrates, oracle of wisdom, many a day went without his dinner

because he had not the wherewithal to get it, while teaching the youth of

Athens. The divine Dante was nothing better than a beggar, houseless,

homeless, friendless, wandering through Italy while he composed his

immortal cantos. Milton, who in his blindness "looked where angels fear

to tread," was steeped in poverty while writing his sublime conception,

"Paradise Lost." Shakespeare was glad to hold and water the horses of

patrons outside the White Horse Theatre for a few pennies in order to buy

bread. Burns burst forth in never-dying song while guiding the ploughshare.

Poor Heinrich Heine, neglected and in poverty, from his "mattress grave"

of suffering in Paris added literary laurels to the wreath of his German

Fatherland. In America Elihu Burritt, while attending the anvil, made

himself a master of a score of languages and became the literary lion of

his age and country.

In other fields of endeavor poverty has been the spur to action. Napoleon

was born in obscurity, the son of a hand-to-mouth scrivener in the backward

island of Corsica. Abraham Lincoln, the boast and pride of America, the

man who made this land too hot for the feet of slaves, came from a log

cabin in the Ohio backwoods. So did James A. Garfield. Ulysses Grant came

from a tanyard to become the world's greatest general. Thomas A. Edison

commenced as a newsboy on a railway train.

The examples of these men are incentives to action. Poverty thrust them

forward instead of keeping them back. Therefore, if you are poor make

your circumstances a means to an end. Have ambition, keep a goal in sight

and bend every energy to reach that goal. A story is told of Thomas

Carlyle the day he attained the highest honor the literary world could

confer upon him when he was elected Lord Rector of Edinburgh University.

After his installation speech, in going through the halls, he met a

student seemingly deep in study. In his own peculiar, abrupt, crusty way

the Sage of Chelsea interrogated the young man: "For what profession are

you studying?" "I don't know," returned the youth. "You don't know,"

thundered Carlyle, "young man, you are a fool." Then he went on to

qualify his vehement remark, "My boy when I was your age, I was stooped

in grinding, gripping poverty in the little village of Ecclefechan, in

the wilds of [Transcriber's note: Part of word illegible]-frieshire,

where in all the place only the minister and myself could read the Bible,

yet poor and obscure as I was, in my mind's eye I saw a chair awaiting

for me in the Temple of Fame and day and night and night and day I

studied until I sat in that chair to-day as Lord Rector of Edinburgh

University."

Another Scotchman, Robert Buchanan, the famous novelist, set out for

London from Glasgow with but half-a-crown in his pocket. "Here goes,"

said he, "for a grave in Westminster Abbey." He was not much of a

scholar, but his ambition carried him on and he became one of the great

literary lions of the world's metropolis.

Henry M. Stanley was a poorhouse waif whose real name was John Rowlands.

He was brought up in a Welsh workhouse, but he had ambition, so he rose

to be a great explorer, a great writer, became a member of Parliament and

was knighted by the British Sovereign.

Have ambition to succeed and you will succeed. Cut the word "failure" out

of your lexicon. Don't acknowledge it. Remember

"In life's earnest battle they only prevail

Who daily march onward and never say fail."

Let every obstacle you encounter be but a stepping stone in the path of

onward progress to the goal of success.

If untoward circumstances surround you, resolve to overcome them. Bunyan

wrote the "Pilgrim's Progress" in Bedford jail on scraps of wrapping

paper while he was half starved on a diet of bread and water. That

unfortunate American genius, Edgar Allan Poe, wrote "The Raven," the most

wonderful conception as well as the most highly artistic poem in all

English literature, in a little cottage in the Fordham section of New

York while he was in the direst straits of want. Throughout all his short

and wonderfully brilliant career, poor Poe never had a dollar he could

call his own. Such, however, was both his fault and his misfortune and he

is a bad exemplar.

Don't think that the knowledge of a library of books is essential to

success as a writer. Often a multiplicity of books is confusing. Master a

few good books and master them well and you will have all that is

necessary. A great authority has said: "Beware of the man of one book,"

which means that a man of one book is a master of the craft. It is

claimed that a thorough knowledge of the Bible alone will make any person

a master of literature. Certain it is that the Bible and Shakespeare

constitute an epitome of the essentials of knowledge. Shakespeare

gathered the fruitage of all who went before him, he has sown the seeds

for all who shall ever come after him. He was the great intellectual

ocean whose waves touch the continents of all thought.

Books are cheap now-a-days, the greatest works, thanks to the printing

press, are within the reach of all, and the more you read, the better,

provided they are worth reading. Sometimes a man takes poison into his

system unconscious of the fact that it is poison, as in the case of

certain foods, and it is very hard to throw off its effects. Therefore,

be careful in your choice of reading matter. If you cannot afford a full

library, and as has been said, such is not necessary, select a few of the

great works of the master minds, assimilate and digest them, so that they

will be of advantage to your literary system. Elsewhere in this volume is

given a list of some of the world's masterpieces from which you can make

a selection.

Your brain is a storehouse, don't put useless furniture into it to crowd

it to the exclusion of what is useful. Lay up only the valuable and

serviceable kind which you can call into requisition at any moment.

As it is necessary to study the best authors in order to be a writer, so

it is necessary to study the best speakers in order to talk with

correctness and in good style. To talk rightly you must imitate the

masters of oral speech. Listen to the best conversationalists and how

they express themselves. Go to hear the leading lectures, speeches and

sermons. No need to imitate the gestures of elocution, it is nature, not

art, that makes the elocutionist and the orator. It is not _how_ a

speaker expresses himself but the language which he uses and the manner

of its use which should interest you. Have you heard the present day

masters of speech? There have been past time masters but their tongues

are stilled in the dust of the grave, and you can only read their

eloquence now. You can, however, listen to the charm of the living. To

many of us voices still speak from the grave, voices to which we have

listened when fired with the divine essence of speech. Perhaps you have

hung with rapture on the words of Beecher and Talmage. Both thrilled the

souls of men and won countless thousands over to a living gospel. Both

were masters of words, they scattered the flowers of rhetoric on the

shrine of eloquence and hurled veritable bouquets at their audiences

which were eagerly seized by the latter and treasured in the storehouse

of memory. Both were scholars and philosophers, yet they were far surpassed

by Spurgeon, a plain man of the people with little or no claim to

education in the modern sense of the word. Spurgeon by his speech

attracted thousands to his Tabernacle. The Protestant and Catholic, Turk,

Jew and Mohammedan rushed to hear him and listened, entranced, to his

language. Such another was Dwight L. Moody, the greatest Evangelist the

world has ever known. Moody was not a man of learning; he commenced life

as a shoe salesman in Chicago, yet no man ever lived who drew such

audiences and so fascinated them with the spell of his speech. "Oh, that

was personal magnetism," you will say, but it was nothing of the kind. It

was the burning words that fell from the lips of these men, and the way,

the manner, the force with which they used those words that counted and

attracted the crowds to listen unto them. Personal magnetism or personal

appearance entered not as factors into their success. Indeed as far as

physique were concerned, some of them were handicapped. Spurgeon was a

short, podgy, fat little man, Moody was like a country farmer, Talmage in

his big cloak was one of the most slovenly of men and only Beecher was

passable in the way of refinement and gentlemanly bearing. Physical

appearance, as so many think, is not the sesame to the interest of an

audience. Daniel O'Connell, the Irish tribune, was a homely, ugly,

awkward, ungainly man, yet his words attracted millions to his side and

gained for him the hostile ear of the British Parliament, he was a master

of verbiage and knew just what to say to captivate his audiences.

It is words and their placing that count on almost all occasions. No

matter how refined in other respects the person may be, if he use words

wrongly and express himself in language not in accordance with a proper

construction, he will repel you, whereas the man who places his words

correctly and employs language in harmony with the laws of good speech,

let him be ever so humble, will attract and have an influence over you.

The good speaker, the correct speaker, is always able to command

attention and doors are thrown open to him which remain closed to others

not equipped with a like facility of expression. The man who can talk

well and to the point need never fear to go idle. He is required in

nearly every walk of life and field of human endeavor, the world wants

him at every turn. Employers are constantly on the lookout for good

talkers, those who are able to attract the public and convince others by

the force of their language. A man may be able, educated, refined, of

unblemished character, nevertheless if he lack the power to express

himself, put forth his views in good and appropriate speech he has to

take a back seat, while some one with much less ability gets the

opportunity to come to the front because he can clothe his ideas in ready

words and talk effectively.

You may again say that nature, not art, makes a man a fluent speaker; to

a great degree this is true, but it is _art_ that makes him a _correct_

speaker, and correctness leads to fluency. It is possible for everyone to

become a correct speaker if he will but persevere and take a little pains

and care.

At the risk of repetition good advice may be here emphasized: Listen to

the best speakers and note carefully the words which impress you most.

Keep a notebook and jot down words, phrases, sentences that are in any

way striking or out of the ordinary run. If you do not understand the

exact meaning of a word you have heard, look it up in the dictionary.

There are many words, called synonyms, which have almost a like

signification, nevertheless, when examined they express different shades

of meaning and in some cases, instead of being close related, are widely

divergent. Beware of such words, find their exact meaning and learn to

use them in their right places.

Be open to criticism, don't resent it but rather invite it and look upon

those as friends who point out your defects in order that you may remedy

them.

CHAPTER XI

SLANG

Origin--American Slang--Foreign Slang

Slang is more or less common in nearly all ranks of society and in every

walk of life at the present day. Slang words and expressions have crept

into our everyday language, and so insiduously, that they have not been

detected by the great majority of speakers, and so have become part and

parcel of their vocabulary on an equal footing with the legitimate words

of speech. They are called upon to do similar service as the ordinary

words used in everyday conversation--to express thoughts and desires and

convey meaning from one to another. In fact, in some cases, slang has

become so useful that it has far outstripped classic speech and made for

itself such a position in the vernacular that it would be very hard in

some cases to get along without it. Slang words have usurped the place of

regular words of language in very many instances and reign supreme in

their own strength and influence.

Cant and slang are often confused in the popular mind, yet they are not

synonymous, though very closely allied, and proceeding from a common

Gypsy origin. Cant is the language of a certain class--the peculiar

phraseology or dialect of a certain craft, trade or profession, and is

not readily understood save by the initiated of such craft, trade or

profession. It may be correct, according to the rules of grammar, but it

is not universal; it is confined to certain parts and localities and is

only intelligible to those for whom it is intended. In short, it is an

esoteric language which only the initiated can understand. The jargon, or

patter, of thieves is cant and it is only understood by thieves who have

been let into its significance; the initiated language of professional

gamblers is cant, and is only intelligible to gamblers.

On the other hand, slang, as it is nowadays, belongs to no particular class

but is scattered all over and gets _entre_ into every kind of society and

is understood by all where it passes current in everyday expression. Of

course, the nature of the slang, to a great extent, depends upon the

locality, as it chiefly is concerned with colloquialisms or words and

phrases common to a particular section. For instance, the slang of London

is slightly different from that of New York, and some words in the one city

may be unintelligible in the other, though well understood in that in which

they are current. Nevertheless, slang may be said to be universally

understood. "To kick the bucket," "to cross the Jordan," "to hop the twig"

are just as expressive of the departing from life in the backwoods of

America or the wilds of Australia as they are in London or Dublin.

Slang simply consists of words and phrases which pass current but are not

refined, nor elegant enough, to be admitted into polite speech or

literature whenever they are recognized as such. But, as has been said, a

great many use slang without their knowing it as slang and incorporate it

into their everyday speech and conversation.

Some authors purposely use slang to give emphasis and spice in familiar and

humorous writing, but they should not be imitated by the tyro. A master,

such as Dickens, is forgivable, but in the novice it is unpardonable.

There are several kinds of slang attached to different professions and

classes of society. For instance, there is college slang, political

slang, sporting slang, etc. It is the nature of slang to circulate freely

among all classes, yet there are several kinds of this current form of

language corresponding to the several classes of society. The two great

divisions of slang are the vulgar of the uneducated and coarse-minded,

and the high-toned slang of the so-called upper classes--the educated and

the wealthy. The hoyden of the gutter does not use the same slang as my

lady in her boudoir, but both use it, and so expressive is it that the

one might readily understand the other if brought in contact. Therefore,

there are what may be styled an ignorant slang and an educated slang--the

one common to the purlieus and the alleys, the other to the parlor and

the drawing-room.

In all cases the object of slang is to express an idea in a more vigorous,

piquant and terse manner than standard usage ordinarily admits. A school

girl, when she wants to praise a baby, exclaims: "Oh, isn't he awfully

cute!" To say that he is very nice would be too weak a way to express her

admiration. When a handsome girl appears on the street an enthusiastic

masculine admirer, to express his appreciation of her beauty, tells you:

"She is a peach, a bird, a cuckoo," any of which accentuates his

estimation of the young lady and is much more emphatic than saying: "She

is a beautiful girl," "a handsome maiden," or "lovely young woman."

When a politician defeats his rival he will tell you "it was a cinch," he

had a "walk-over," to impress you how easy it was to gain the victory.

Some slang expressions are of the nature of metaphors and are highly

figurative. Such are "to pass in your checks," "to hold up," "to pull the

wool over your eyes," "to talk through your hat," "to fire out," "to go

back on," "to make yourself solid with," "to have a jag on," "to be

loaded," "to freeze on to," "to bark up the wrong tree," "don't monkey

with the buzz-saw," and "in the soup." Most slang had a bad origin. The

greater part originated in the cant of thieves' Latin, but it broke away

from this cant of malefactors in time and gradually evolved itself from

its unsavory past until it developed into a current form of expressive

speech. Some slang, however, can trace its origin back to very

respectable sources.

"Stolen fruits are sweet" may be traced to the Bible in sentiment.

Proverbs, ix:17 has it: "Stolen waters are sweet." "What are you giving

me," supposed to be a thorough Americanism, is based upon Genesis,

xxxviii:16. The common slang, "a bad man," in referring to Western

desperadoes, in almost the identical sense now used, is found in

Spenser's _Faerie Queen_, Massinger's play _"A New Way to Pay Old

Debts,_" and in Shakespeare's _"King Henry VIII_." The expression "to

blow on," meaning to inform, is in Shakespeare's _"As You Like it_."

"It's all Greek to me" is traceable to the play of _"Julius Caesar_."

"All cry and no wool" is in Butler's _"Hudibras_." "Pious frauds,"

meaning hypocrites, is from the same source. "Too thin," referring to an

excuse, is from Smollett's "_Peregrine Pickle_." Shakespeare also used

it.

America has had a large share in contributing to modern slang. "The

heathen Chinee," and "Ways that are dark, and tricks that are vain," are

from Bret Harte's _Truthful James_. "Not for Joe," arose during the Civil

War when one soldier refused to give a drink to another. "Not if I know

myself" had its origin in Chicago. "What's the matter with----? He's all

right," had its beginning in Chicago also and first was "What's the

matter with Hannah." referring to a lazy domestic servant. "There's

millions in it," and "By a large majority" come from Mark Twain's _Gilded

Age_. "Pull down your vest," "jim-jams," "got 'em bad," "that's what's

the matter," "go hire a hall," "take in your sign," "dry up," "hump

yourself," "it's the man around the corner," "putting up a job," "put a

head on him," "no back talk," "bottom dollar," "went off on his ear,"

"chalk it down," "staving him off," "making it warm," "dropping him

gently," "dead gone," "busted," "counter jumper," "put up or shut up,"

"bang up," "smart Aleck," "too much jaw," "chin-music," "top heavy,"

"barefooted on the top of the head," "a little too fresh," "champion

liar," "chief cook and bottle washer," "bag and baggage," "as fine as

silk," "name your poison," "died with his boots on," "old hoss," "hunkey

dorey," "hold your horses," "galoot" and many others in use at present

are all Americanisms in slang.

California especially has been most fecund in this class of figurative

language. To this State we owe "go off and die," "don't you forget it,"

"rough deal," "square deal," "flush times," "pool your issues," "go bury

yourself," "go drown yourself," "give your tongue a vacation," "a bad

egg," "go climb a tree," "plug hats," "Dolly Vardens," "well fixed,"

"down to bed rock," "hard pan," "pay dirt," "petered out," "it won't

wash," "slug of whiskey," "it pans out well," and "I should smile."

"Small potatoes, and few in the hill," "soft snap," "all fired," "gol

durn it," "an up-hill job," "slick," "short cut," "guess not," "correct

thing" are Bostonisms. The terms "innocent," "acknowledge the corn,"

"bark up the wrong tree," "great snakes," "I reckon," "playing 'possum,"

"dead shot," had their origin in the Southern States. "Doggone it," "that

beats the Dutch," "you bet," "you bet your boots," sprang from New York.

"Step down and out" originated in the Beecher trial, just as

"brain-storm" originated in the Thaw trial.

Among the slang phrases that have come directly to us from England may be

mentioned "throw up the sponge," "draw it mild," "give us a rest," "dead

beat," "on the shelf," "up the spout," "stunning," "gift of the gab,"

etc.

The newspapers are responsible for a large part of the slang. Reporters,

staff writers, and even editors, put words and phrases into the mouths of

individuals which they never utter. New York is supposed to be the

headquarters of slang, particularly that portion of it known as the

Bowery. All transgressions and corruptions of language are supposed to

originate in that unclassic section, while the truth is that the laws of

polite English are as much violated on Fifth Avenue. Of course, the

foreign element mincing their "pidgin" English have given the Bowery an

unenviable reputation, but there are just as good speakers of the

vernacular on the Bowery as elsewhere in the greater city. Yet every

inexperienced newspaper reporter thinks that it is incumbent on him to

hold the Bowery up to ridicule and laughter, so he sits down, and out of

his circumscribed brain, mutilates the English tongue (he can rarely coin

a word), and blames the mutilation on the Bowery.

'Tis the same with newspapers and authors, too, detracting the Irish

race. Men and women who have never seen the green hills of Ireland, paint

Irish characters as boors and blunderers and make them say ludicrous

things and use such language as is never heard within the four walls of

Ireland. 'Tis very well known that Ireland is the most learned country on

the face of the earth--is, and has been. The schoolmaster has been abroad

there for hundreds, almost thousands, of years, and nowhere else in the

world to-day is the king's English spoken so purely as in the cities and

towns of the little Western Isle.

Current events, happenings of everyday life, often give rise to slang

words, and these, after a time, come into such general use that they take

their places in everyday speech like ordinary words and, as has been

said, their users forget that they once were slang. For instance, the

days of the Land League in Ireland originated the word _boycott_, which

was the name of a very unpopular landlord, Captain Boycott. The people

refused to work for him, and his crops rotted on the ground. From this

time any one who came into disfavor and whom his neighbors refused to

assist in any way was said to be boycotted. Therefore to boycott means to

punish by abandoning or depriving a person of the assistance of others.

At first it was a notoriously slang word, but now it is standard in the

English dictionaries.

Politics add to our slang words and phrases. From this source we get

"dark horse," "the gray mare is the better horse," "barrel of money,"

"buncombe," "gerrymander," "scalawag," "henchman," "logrolling," "pulling

the wires," "taking the stump," "machine," "slate," etc.

The money market furnishes us with "corner," "bull," "bear," "lamb,"

"slump," and several others.

The custom of the times and the requirements of current expression require

the best of us to use slang words and phrases on occasions. Often we do

not know they are slang, just as a child often uses profane words without

consciousness of their being so. We should avoid the use of slang as much

as possible, even when it serves to convey our ideas in a forceful

manner. And when it has not gained a firm foothold in current speech it

should be used not at all. Remember that most all slang is of vulgar

origin and bears upon its face the bend sinister of vulgarity. Of the

slang that is of good birth, pass it by if you can, for it is like a

broken-down gentleman, of little good to any one. Imitate the great

masters as much as you will in classical literature, but when it comes to

their slang, draw the line. Dean Swift, the great Irish satirist, coined

the word "phiz" for face. Don't imitate him. If you are speaking or

writing of the beauty of a lady's face don't call it her "phiz." The

Dean, as an intellectual giant, had a license to do so--you haven't.

Shakespeare used the word "flush" to indicate plenty of money. Well, just

remember there was only one Shakespeare, and he was the only one that had

a right to use that word in that sense. You'll never be a Shakespeare,

there will never be such another--Nature exhausted herself in producing

him. Bulwer used the word "stretch" for hang, as to stretch his neck.

Don't follow his example in such use of the word. Above all, avoid the

low, coarse, vulgar slang, which is made to pass for wit among the

riff-raff of the street. If you are speaking or writing of a person

having died last night don't say or write: "He hopped the twig," or "he

kicked the bucket." If you are compelled to listen to a person discoursing

on a subject of which he knows little or nothing, don't say "He is

talking through his hat." If you are telling of having shaken hands with

Mr. Roosevelt don't say "He tipped me his flipper." If you are speaking

of a wealthy man don't say "He has plenty of spondulix," or "the long

green." All such slang is low, coarse and vulgar and is to be frowned

upon on any and every occasion.

If you use slang use the refined kind and use it like a gentleman, that

it will not hurt or give offense to any one. Cardinal Newman defined a

gentleman as he who never inflicts pain. Be a gentleman in your slang--

never inflict pain.

CHAPTER XII

WRITING FOR NEWSPAPERS

Qualification--Appropriate Subjects--Directions

The newspaper nowadays goes into every home in the land; what was

formerly regarded as a luxury is now looked upon as a necessity. No

matter how poor the individual, he is not too poor to afford a penny to

learn, not alone what is taking place around him in his own immediate

vicinity, but also what is happening in every quarter of the globe. The

laborer on the street can be as well posted on the news of the day as the

banker in his office. Through the newspaper he can feel the pulse of the

country and find whether its vitality is increasing or diminishing; he

can read the signs of the times and scan the political horizon for what

concerns his own interests. The doings of foreign countries are spread

before him and he can see at a glance the occurrences in the remotest

corners of earth. If a fire occurred in London last night he can read

about it at his breakfast table in New York this morning, and probably

get a better account than the Londoners themselves. If a duel takes place

in Paris he can read all about it even before the contestants have left

the field.

There are upwards of 3,000 daily newspapers in the United States, more

than 2,000 of which are published in towns containing less than 100,000

inhabitants. In fact, many places of less than 10,000 population can

boast the publishing of a daily newspaper. There are more than 15,000

weeklies published. Some of the so-called country papers wield quite an

influence in their localities, and even outside, and are money-making

agencies for their owners and those connected with them, both by way of

circulation and advertisements.

It is surprising the number of people in this country who make a living

in the newspaper field. Apart from the regular toilers there are thousands

of men and women who make newspaper work a side issue, who add tidy sums

of "pin money" to their incomes by occasional contributions to the daily,

weekly and monthly press. Most of these people are only persons of

ordinary, everyday ability, having just enough education to express

themselves intelligently in writing.

It is a mistake to imagine, as so many do, that an extended education is

necessary for newspaper work. Not at all! On the contrary, in some cases,

a high-class education is a hindrance, not a help in this direction. The

general newspaper does not want learned disquisitions nor philosophical

theses; as its name implies, it wants news, current news, interesting

news, something to appeal to its readers, to arouse them and rivet their

attention. In this respect very often a boy can write a better article

than a college professor. The professor would be apt to use words beyond

the capacity of most of the readers, while the boy, not knowing such

words, would probably simply tell what he saw, how great the damage was,

who were killed or injured, etc., and use language which all would

understand.

Of course, there are some brilliant scholars, deeply-read men and women

in the newspaper realm, but, on the whole, those who have made the

greatest names commenced ignorant enough and most of them graduated by

way of the country paper. Some of the leading writers of England and

America at the present time started their literary careers by contributing

to the rural press. They perfected and polished themselves as they went

along until they were able to make names for themselves in universal

literature.

If you want to contribute to newspapers or enter the newspaper field as a

means of livelihood, don't let lack of a college or university education

stand in your way. As has been said elsewhere in this book, some of the

greatest masters of English literature were men who had but little

advantage in the way of book learning. Shakespeare, Bunyan, Burns, and

scores of others, who have left their names indelibly inscribed on the

tablets of fame, had little to boast of in the way of book education, but

they had what is popularly known as "horse" sense and a good working

knowledge of the world; in other words, they understood human nature, and

were natural themselves. Shakespeare understood mankind because he was

himself a man; hence he has portrayed the feelings, the emotions, the

passions with a master's touch, delineating the king in his palace as true

to nature as he has done the peasant in his hut. The monitor within his own

breast gave him warning as to what was right and what was wrong, just as

the daemon ever by the side of old Socrates whispered in his ear the course

to pursue under any and all circumstances. Burns guiding the plough

conceived thoughts and clothed them in a language which has never, nor

probably never will be, surpassed by all the learning which art can confer.

These men were natural, and it was the perfection of this naturality that

wreathed their brows with the never-fading laurels of undying fame.

If you would essay to write for the newspaper you must be natural and

express yourself in your accustomed way without putting on airs or

frills; you must not ape ornaments and indulge in bombast or rhodomontade

which stamp a writer as not only superficial but silly. There is no room

for such in the everyday newspaper. It wants facts stated in plain,

unvarnished, unadorned language. True, you should read the best authors

and, as far as possible, imitate their style, but don't try to literally

copy them. Be yourself on every occasion--no one else.

Not like Homer would I write,

Not like Dante if I might,

Not like Shakespeare at his best,

Not like Goethe or the rest,

Like myself, however small,

Like myself, or not at all.

Put yourself in place of the reader and write what will interest yourself

and in such a way that your language will appeal to your own ideas of the

fitness of things. You belong to the _great_ commonplace majority,

therefore don't forget that in writing for the newspapers you are writing

for that majority and not for the learned and aesthetic minority.

Remember you are writing for the man on the street and in the street car,

you want to interest him, to compel him to read what you have to say. He

does not want a display of learning; he wants news about something which

concerns himself, and you must tell it to him in a plain, simple manner

just as you would do if you were face to face with him.

What can you write about? Why about anything that will constitute current

news, some leading event of the day, anything that will appeal to the

readers of the paper to which you wish to submit it. No matter in what

locality you may live, however backward it may be, you can always find

something of genuine human interest to others. If there is no news

happening, write of something that appeals to yourself. We are all

constituted alike, and the chances are that what will interest you will

interest others. Descriptions of adventure are generally acceptable. Tell

of a fox hunt, or a badger hunt, or a bear chase.

If there is any important manufacturing plant in your neighborhood

describe it and, if possible, get photographs, for photography plays a

very important part in the news items of to-day. If a "great" man lives

near you, one whose name is on the tip of every tongue, go and get an

interview with him, obtain his views on the public questions of the day,

describe his home life and his surroundings and how he spends his time.

Try and strike something germane to the moment, something that stands out

prominently in the limelight of the passing show. If a noted personage,

some famous man or woman, is visiting the country, it is a good time to

write up the place from which he or she comes and the record he or she has

made there. For instance, it was opportune to write of Sulu and the little

Pacific archipelago during the Sultan's trip through the country. If an

attempt is made to blow up an American battleship, say, in the harbor of

Appia, in Samoa, it affords a chance to write about Samoa and Robert Louis

Stephenson. When Manuel was hurled from the throne of Portugal it was a

ripe time to write of Portugal and Portuguese affairs. If any great

occurrence is taking place in a foreign country such as the crowning of a

king or the dethronement of a monarch, it is a good time to write up the

history of the country and describe the events leading up to the main

issue. When a particularly savage outbreak occurs amongst wild tribes in

the dependencies, such as a rising of the Manobos in the Philippines, it is

opportune to write of such tribes and their surroundings, and the causes

leading up to the revolt.

Be constantly on the lookout for something that will suit the passing

hour, read the daily papers and probably in some obscure corner you may

find something that will serve you as a foundation for a good article--

something, at least, that will give you a clue.

Be circumspect in your selection of a paper to which to submit your copy.

Know the tone and general import of the paper, its social leanings and

political affiliations, also its religious sentiments, and, in fact, all

the particulars you can regarding it. It would be injudicious for you to

send an article on a prize fight to a religious paper or, _vice versa_,

an account of a church meeting to the editor of a sporting sheet.

If you get your copy back don't be disappointed nor yet disheartened.

Perseverance counts more in the newspaper field than anywhere else, and

only perseverance wins in the long run. You must become resilient; if you

are pressed down, spring up again. No matter how many rebuffs you may

receive, be not discouraged but call fresh energy to your assistance and

make another stand. If the right stuff is in you it is sure to be

discovered; your light will not remain long hidden under a bushel in the

newspaper domain. If you can deliver the goods editors will soon be

begging you instead of your begging them. Those men are constantly on the

lookout for persons who can make good.

Once you get into print the battle is won, for it will be an incentive to

you to persevere and improve yourself at every turn. Go over everything

you write, cut and slash and prune until you get it into as perfect form

as possible. Eliminate every superfluous word and be careful to strike

out all ambiguous expressions and references.

If you are writing for a weekly paper remember it differs from a daily

one. Weeklies want what will not alone interest the man on the street,

but the woman at the fireside; they want out-of-the-way facts, curious

scraps of lore, personal notes of famous or eccentric people, reminiscences

of exciting experiences, interesting gleanings in life's numberless

by-ways, in short, anything that will entertain, amuse, instruct the home

circle. There is always something occurring in your immediate surroundings,

some curious event or thrilling episode that will furnish you with data

for an article. You must know the nature of the weekly to which you

submit your copy the same as you must know the daily. For instance, the

_Christian Herald_, while avowedly a religious weekly, treats such secular

matter as makes the paper appeal to all. On its religious side it is

_non-sectarian_, covering the broad field of Christianity throughout the

world; on its secular side it deals with human events in such an impartial

way that every one, no matter to what class they may belong or to what

creed they may subscribe, can take a living, personal interest.

The monthlies offer another attractive field for the literary aspirant.

Here, again, don't think you must be an university professor to write for a

monthly magazine. Many, indeed most, of the foremost magazine contributors

are men and women who have never passed through a college except by going

in at the front door and emerging from the back one. However, for the most

part, they are individuals of wide experience who know the practical side

of life as distinguished from the theoretical.

The ordinary monthly magazine treats of the leading questions and issues

which are engaging the attention of the world for the moment, great

inventions, great discoveries, whatever is engrossing the popular mind

for the time being, such as flying machines, battleships, sky-scrapers,

the opening of mines, the development of new lands, the political issues,

views of party leaders, character sketches of distinguished personages,

etc. However, before trying your skill for a monthly magazine it would be

well for you to have a good apprenticeship in writing for the daily

press.

Above all things, remember that perseverance is the key that opens the

door of success. Persevere! If you are turned down don't get

disheartened; on the contrary, let the rebuff act as a stimulant to

further effort. Many of the most successful writers of our time have been

turned down again and again. For days and months, and even years, some of

them have hawked their wares from one literary door to another until they

found a purchaser. You may be a great writer in embryo, but you will

never develop into a fetus, not to speak of full maturity, unless you

bring out what is in you. Give yourself a chance to grow and seize upon

everything that will enlarge the scope of your horizon. Keep your eyes

wide open and there is not a moment of the day in which you will not see

something to interest you and in which you may be able to interest

others. Learn, too, how to read Nature's book. There's a lesson in

everything--in the stones, the grass, the trees, the babbling brooks and

the singing birds. Interpret the lesson for yourself, then teach it to

others. Always be in earnest in your writing; go about it in a determined

kind of way, don't be faint-hearted or backward, be brave, be brave, and

evermore be brave.

On the wide, tented field in the battle of life,

With an army of millions before you;

Like a hero of old gird your soul for the strife

And let not the foeman tramp o'er you;

Act, act like a soldier and proudly rush on

The most valiant in Bravery's van,

With keen, flashing sword cut your way to the front

And show to the world you're a _Man_.

If you are of the masculine gender be a man in all things in the highest

and best acceptation of the word. That is the noblest title you can

boast, higher far than that of earl or duke, emperor or king. In the same

way womanhood is the grandest crown the feminine head can wear. When the

world frowns on you and everything seems to go wrong, possess your soul

in patience and hope for the dawn of a brighter day. It will come. The

sun is always shining behind the darkest clouds. When you get your

manuscripts back again and again, don't despair, nor think the editor

cruel and unkind. He, too, has troubles of his own. Keep up your spirits

until you have made the final test and put your talents to a last analysis,

then if you find you cannot get into print be sure that newspaper writing

or literary work is not your _forte_, and turn to something else. If

nothing better presents itself, try shoemaking or digging ditches.

Remember honest labor, no matter how humble, is ever dignified. If you

are a woman throw aside the pen, sit down and darn your brother's, your

father's, or your husband's socks, or put on a calico apron, take soap

and water and scrub the floor. No matter who you are do something useful.

That old sophistry about the world owing you a living has been exploded

long ago. The world does not owe you a living, but you owe it servitude,

and if you do not pay the debt you are not serving the purpose of an

all-wise Providence and filling the place for which you were created. It

is for you to serve the world, to make it better, brighter, higher, holier,

grander, nobler, richer, for your having lived in it. This you can do in

no matter what position fortune has cast you, whether it be that of

street laborer or president. Fight the good fight and gain the victory.

"Above all, to thine own self be true,

And 'twill follow as the night the

day, Thou canst not then be false to any man."

CHAPTER XIII

CHOICE OF WORDS

Small Words--Their Importance--The Anglo-Saxon Element

In another place in this book advice has been given to never use a long

word when a short one will serve the same purpose. This advice is to be

emphasized. Words of "learned length and thundering sound" should be

avoided on all possible occasions. They proclaim shallowness of intellect

and vanity of mind. The great purists, the masters of diction, the

exemplars of style, used short, simple words that all could understand;

words about which there could be no ambiguity as to meaning. It must be

remembered that by our words we teach others; therefore, a very great

responsibility rests upon us in regard to the use of a right language. We

must take care that we think and speak in a way so clear that there may

be no misapprehension or danger of conveying wrong impressions by vague

and misty ideas enunciated in terms which are liable to be misunderstood

by those whom we address. Words give a body or form to our ideas, without

which they are apt to be so foggy that we do not see where they are weak

or false. We must make the endeavor to employ such words as will put the

idea we have in our own mind into the mind of another. This is the

greatest art in the world--to clothe our ideas in words clear and

comprehensive to the intelligence of others. It is the art which the

teacher, the minister, the lawyer, the orator, the business man, must

master if they would command success in their various fields of endeavor.

It is very hard to convey an idea to, and impress it on, another when he

has but a faint conception of the language in which the idea is expressed;

but it is impossible to convey it at all when the words in which it is

clothed are unintelligible to the listener.

If we address an audience of ordinary men and women in the English

language, but use such words as they cannot comprehend, we might as well

speak to them in Coptic or Chinese, for they will derive no benefit from

our address, inasmuch as the ideas we wish to convey are expressed in

words which communicate no intelligent meaning to their minds.

Long words, learned words, words directly derived from other languages

are only understood by those who have had the advantages of an extended

education. All have not had such advantages. The great majority in this

grand and glorious country of ours have to hustle for a living from an

early age. Though education is free, and compulsory also, very many never

get further than the "Three R's." These are the men with whom we have to

deal most in the arena of life, the men with the horny palms and the iron

muscles, the men who build our houses, construct our railroads, drive our

street cars and trains, till our fields, harvest our crops--in a word,

the men who form the foundation of all society, the men on whom the world

depends to make its wheels go round. The language of the colleges and

universities is not for them and they can get along very well without it;

they have no need for it at all in their respective callings. The plain,

simple words of everyday life, to which the common people have been used

around their own firesides from childhood, are the words we must use in

our dealings with them.

Such words are understood by them and understood by the learned as well;

why then not use them universally and all the time? Why make a one-sided

affair of language by using words which only one class of the people, the

so-called learned class, can understand? Would it not be better to use,

on all occasions, language which the both classes can understand? If we

take the trouble to investigate we shall find that the men who exerted

the greatest sway over the masses and the multitude as orators, lawyers,

preachers and in other public capacities, were men who used very simple

language. Daniel Webster was among the greatest orators this country has

produced. He touched the hearts of senates and assemblages, of men and

women with the burning eloquence of his words. He never used a long word

when he could convey the same, or nearly the same, meaning with a short

one. When he made a speech he always told those who put it in form for

the press to strike out every long word. Study his speeches, go over all

he ever said or wrote, and you will find that his language was always

made up of short, clear, strong terms, although at times, for the sake of

sound and oratorical effect, he was compelled to use a rather long word,

but it was always against his inclination to do so, and where was the man

who could paint, with words, as Webster painted! He could picture things

in a way so clear that those who heard him felt that they had seen that

of which he spoke.

Abraham Lincoln was another who stirred the souls of men, yet he was not

an orator, not a scholar; he did not write M.A. or Ph.D. after his name,

or any other college degree, for he had none. He graduated from the

University of Hard Knocks, and he never forgot this severe _Alma Mater_

when he became President of the United States. He was just as plain, I

just as humble, as in the days when he split rails or plied a boat on the

Sangamon. He did not use big words, but he used the words of the people,

and in such a way as to make them beautiful. His Gettysburg address is an

English classic, one of the great masterpieces of the language.

From the mere fact that a word is short it does not follow that it is

always clear, but it is true that nearly all clear words are short, and

that most of the long words, especially those which we get from other

languages, are misunderstood to a great extent by the ordinary rank and

file of the people. Indeed, it is to be doubted if some of the "scholars"

using them, fully understand their import on occasions. A great many such

words admit of several interpretations. A word has to be in use a great

deal before people get thoroughly familiar with its meaning. Long words,

not alone obscure thought and make the ideas hazy, but at times they tend

to mix up things in such a way that positively harmful results follow

from their use.

For instance, crime can be so covered with the folds of long words as to

give it a different appearance. Even the hideousness of sin can be cloaked

with such words until its outlines look like a thing of beauty. When a bank

cashier makes off with a hundred thousand dollars we politely term his

crime _defalcation_ instead of plain _theft_, and instead of calling

himself a _thief_ we grandiosely allude to him as a _defaulter_. When we

see a wealthy man staggering along a fashionable thoroughfare under the

influence of alcohol, waving his arms in the air and shouting boisterously,

we smile and say, poor gentleman, he is somewhat _exhilarated_; or at worst

we say, he is slightly _inebriated_; but when we see a poor man who has

fallen from grace by putting an "enemy into his mouth to steal away his

brain" we express our indignation in the simple language of the words:

"Look at the wretch; he is dead drunk."

When we find a person in downright lying we cover the falsehood with the

finely-spun cloak of the word _prevarication_. Shakespeare says, "a rose

by any other name would smell as sweet," and by a similar sequence, a

lie, no matter by what name you may call it, is always a lie and should

be condemned; then why not simply call it a lie? Mean what you say and

say what you mean; call a spade a spade, it is the best term you can

apply to the implement.

When you try to use short words and shun long ones in a little while you

will find that you can do so with ease. A farmer was showing a horse to a

city-bred gentleman. The animal was led into a paddock in which an old

sow-pig was rooting. "What a fine quadruped!" exclaimed the city man.

"Which of the two do you mean, the pig or the horse?" queried the farmer,

"for, in my opinion, both of them are fine quadrupeds."

Of course the visitor meant the horse, so it would have been much better

had he called the animal by its simple; ordinary name--, there would have

been no room for ambiguity in his remark. He profited, however, by the

incident, and never called a horse a quadruped again.

Most of the small words, the simple words, the beautiful words which

express so much within small bounds belong to the pure Anglo-Saxon element

of our language. This element has given names to the heavenly bodies, the

sun, moon and stars; to three out of the four elements, earth, fire and

water; three out of the four seasons, spring, summer and winter. Its simple

words are applied to all the natural divisions of time, except one, as day,

night, morning, evening, twilight, noon, mid-day, midnight, sunrise and

sunset. The names of light, heat, cold, frost, rain, snow, hail, sleet,

thunder, lightning, as well as almost all those objects which form the

component parts of the beautiful, as expressed in external scenery, such as

sea and land, hill and dale, wood and stream, etc., are Anglo-Saxon. To

this same language we are indebted for those words which express the

earliest and dearest connections, and the strongest and most powerful

feelings of Nature, and which, as a consequence, are interwoven with the

fondest and most hallowed associations. Of such words are father, mother,

husband, wife, brother, sister, son, daughter, child, home, kindred,

friend, hearth, roof and fireside.

The chief emotions of which we are susceptible are expressed in the same

language--love, hope, fear, sorrow, shame, and also the outward signs by

which these emotions are indicated, as tear, smile, laugh, blush, weep,

sigh, groan. Nearly all our national proverbs are Anglo-Saxon. Almost all

the terms and phrases by which we most energetically express anger,

contempt and indignation are of the same origin.

What are known as the Smart Set and so-called polite society, are

relegating a great many of our old Anglo-Saxon words into the shade,

faithful friends who served their ancestors well. These self-appointed

arbiters of diction regard some of the Anglo-Saxon words as too coarse, too

plebeian for their aesthetic tastes and refined ears, so they are

eliminating them from their vocabulary and replacing them with mongrels of

foreign birth and hybrids of unknown origin. For the ordinary people,

however, the man in the street or in the field, the woman in the kitchen or

in the factory, they are still tried and true and, like old friends, should

be cherished and preferred to all strangers, no matter from what source the

latter may spring.

CHAPTER XIV

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Beginning--Different Sources--The Present

The English language is the tongue now current in England and her colonies

throughout the world and also throughout the greater part of the United

States of America. It sprang from the German tongue spoken by the Teutons,

who came over to Britain after the conquest of that country by the Romans.

These Teutons comprised Angles, Saxons, Jutes and several other tribes

from the northern part of Germany. They spoke different dialects, but

these became blended in the new country, and the composite tongue came to

be known as the Anglo-Saxon which has been the main basis for the language

as at present constituted and is still the prevailing element. Therefore

those who are trying to do away with some of the purely Anglo-Saxon

words, on the ground that they are not refined enough to express their

aesthetic ideas, are undermining main props which are necessary for the

support of some important parts in the edifice of the language.

The Anglo-Saxon element supplies the essential parts of speech, the

article, pronoun of all kinds, the preposition, the auxiliary verbs, the

conjunctions, and the little particles which bind words into sentences and

form the joints, sinews and ligaments of the language. It furnishes the

most indispensable words of the vocabulary. (See Chap. XIII.) Nowhere is

the beauty of Anglo-Saxon better illustrated than in the Lord's Prayer.

Fifty-four words are pure Saxon and the remaining ones could easily be

replaced by Saxon words. The gospel of St. John is another illustration of

the almost exclusive use of Anglo-Saxon words. Shakespeare, at his best, is

Anglo-Saxon. Here is a quotation from the _Merchant of Venice_, and of the

fifty-five words fifty-two are Anglo-Saxon, the remaining three French:

All that glitters is not gold--

Often have you heard that told;

Many a man his life hath sold,

But my outside to behold.

Guilded _tombs_ do worms infold.

Had you been as wise as bold,

Young in limbs, in _judgment_ old,

Your answer had not been inscrolled--

Fare you well, your _suit_ is cold.

The lines put into the mouth of Hamlet's father in fierce intenseness,

second only to Dante's inscription on the gate of hell, have one hundred

and eight Anglo-Saxon and but fifteen Latin words.

The second constituent element of present English is Latin which comprises

those words derived directly from the old Roman and those which came

indirectly through the French. The former were introduced by the Roman

Christians, who came to England at the close of the sixth century under

Augustine, and relate chiefly to ecclesiastical affairs, such as saint from

_sanctus_, religion from _religio_, chalice from _calix_, mass from

_missa_, etc. Some of them had origin in Greek, as priest from _presbyter_,

which in turn was a direct derivative from the Greek _presbuteros_, also

deacon from the Greek _diakonos_.

The largest class of Latin words are those which came through the

Norman-French, or Romance. The Normans had adopted, with the Christian

religion, the language, laws and arts of the Romanized Gauls and Romanized

Franks, and after a residence of more than a century in France they

successfully invaded England in 1066 under William the Conqueror and a new

era began. The French Latinisms can be distinguished by the spelling. Thus

Saviour comes from the Latin _Salvator_ through the French _Sauveur_;

judgment from the Latin _judiclum_ through the French _jugement_; people,

from the Latin _populus_, through the French _peuple_, etc.

For a long time the Saxon and Norman tongues refused to coalesce and were

like two distinct currents flowing in different directions. Norman was

spoken by the lords and barons in their feudal castles, in parliament and

in the courts of justice. Saxon by the people in their rural homes, fields

and workshops. For more than three hundred years the streams flowed apart,

but finally they blended, taking in the Celtic and Danish elements, and as

a result came the present English language with its simple system of

grammatical inflection and its rich vocabulary.

The father of English prose is generally regarded as Wycliffe, who

translated the Bible in 1380, while the paternal laurels in the secular

poetical field are twined around the brows of Chaucer.

Besides the Germanic and Romanic, which constitute the greater part of

the English language, many other tongues have furnished their quota. Of

these the Celtic is perhaps the oldest. The Britons at Caesar's invasion,

were a part of the Celtic family. The Celtic idiom is still spoken in two

dialects, the Welsh in Wales, and the Gaelic in Ireland and the Highlands

of Scotland. The Celtic words in English, are comparatively few; cart,

dock, wire, rail, rug, cradle, babe, grown, griddle, lad, lass, are some

in most common use.

The Danish element dates from the piratical invasions of the ninth and

tenth centuries. It includes anger, awe, baffle, bang, bark, bawl,

blunder, boulder, box, club, crash, dairy, dazzle, fellow, gable, gain,

ill, jam, kidnap, kill, kidney, kneel, limber, litter, log, lull, lump,

mast, mistake, nag, nasty, niggard, horse, plough, rug, rump, sale,

scald, shriek, skin, skull, sledge, sleigh, tackle, tangle, tipple,

trust, viking, window, wing, etc.

From the Hebrew we have a large number of proper names from Adam and Eve

down to John and Mary and such words as Messiah, rabbi, hallelujah,

cherub, seraph, hosanna, manna, satan, Sabbath, etc.

Many technical terms and names of branches of learning come from the Greek.

In fact, nearly all the terms of learning and art, from the alphabet to the

highest peaks of metaphysics and theology, come directly from the Greek--

philosophy, logic, anthropology, psychology, aesthetics, grammar,

rhetoric, history, philology, mathematics, arithmetic, astronomy, anatomy,

geography, stenography, physiology, architecture, and hundreds more in

similar domains; the subdivisions and ramifications of theology as

exegesis, hermeneutics, apologetics, polemics, dogmatics, ethics,

homiletics, etc., are all Greek.

The Dutch have given us some modern sea terms, as sloop, schooner, yacht

and also a number of others as boom, bush, boor, brandy, duck, reef,

skate, wagon. The Dutch of Manhattan island gave us boss, the name for

employer or overseer, also cold slaa (cut cabbage and vinegar), and a

number of geographical terms.

Many of our most pleasing euphonic words, especially in the realm of

music, have been given to us directly from the Italian. Of these are

piano, violin, orchestra, canto, allegro, piazza, gazette, umbrella,

gondola, bandit, etc.

Spanish has furnished us with alligator, alpaca, bigot, cannibal, cargo,

filibuster, freebooter, guano, hurricane, mosquito, negro, stampede,

potato, tobacco, tomato, tariff, etc.

From Arabic we have several mathematical, astronomical, medical and

chemical terms as alcohol, alcove, alembic, algebra, alkali, almanac,

assassin, azure, cipher, elixir, harem, hegira, sofa, talisman, zenith

and zero.

Bazaar, dervish, lilac, pagoda, caravan, scarlet, shawl, tartar, tiara

and peach have come to us from the Persian.

Turban, tulip, divan and firman are Turkish.

Drosky, knout, rouble, steppe, ukase are Russian.

The Indians have helped us considerably and the words they have given us

are extremely euphonic as exemplified in the names of many of our rivers

and States, as Mississippi, Missouri, Minnehaha, Susquehanna, Monongahela,

Niagara, Ohio, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Nebraska, Dakota, etc. In

addition to these proper names we have from the Indians wigwam, squaw,

hammock, tomahawk, canoe, mocassin, hominy, etc.

There are many hybrid words in English, that is, words, springing from two

or more different languages. In fact, English has drawn from all sources,

and it is daily adding to its already large family, and not alone is it

adding to itself, but it is spreading all over the world and promises to

take in the entire human family beneath its folds ere long. It is the

opinion of many that English, in a short time, will become the universal

language. It is now being taught as a branch of the higher education in the

best colleges and universities of Europe and in all commercial cities in

every land throughout the world. In Asia it follows the British sway and

the highways of commerce through the vast empire of East India with its two

hundred and fifty millions of heathen and Mohammedan inhabitants. It is

largely used in the seaports of Japan and China, and the number of natives

of these countries who are learning it is increasing every day. It is

firmly established in South Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and in many of

the islands of the Indian and South Seas. It is the language of Australia,

New Zealand, Tasmania, and Christian missionaries are introducing it into

all the islands of Polynesia. It may be said to be the living commercial

language of the North American continent, from Baffin's Bay to the Gulf of

Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and it is spoken largely in

many of the republics of South America. It is not limited by parallels of

latitude, or meridians of longitude. The two great English-speaking

countries, England and the United States, are disseminating it north,

south, east and west over the entire world.

CHAPTER XI

MASTERS AND MASTERPIECES OF LITERATURE

Great Authors--Classification--The World's Best Books.

The Bible is the world's greatest book. Apart from its character as a work

of divine revelation, it is the most perfect literature extant.

Leaving out the Bible the three greatest works are those of Homer, Dante

and Shakespeare. These are closely followed by the works of Virgil and

Milton.

INDISPENSABLE BOOKS

Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Shakespeare and Goethe.

(The best translation of _Homer_ for the ordinary reader is by Chapman.

Norton's translation of _Dante_ and Taylor's translation of Goethe's

_Faust_ are recommended.)

A GOOD LIBRARY

Besides the works mentioned everyone should endeavor to have the following:

_Plutarch's Lives_, _Meditations of Marcus Aurelius_, _Chaucer_, _Imitation

of Christ_ (Thomas a Kempis), _Holy Living and Holy Dying_ (Jeremy Taylor),

_Pilgrim's Progress, Macaulay's Essays, Bacon's Essays, Addison's Essays,

Essays of Elia_ (Charles Lamb), _Les Miserables_ (Hugo), _Heroes and Hero

Worship_ (Carlyle), _Palgrave's Golden Treasury_, _Wordsworth_, _Vicar of

Wakefield_, _Adam Bede_ (George Eliot), _Vanity Fair_ (Thackeray),

_Ivanhoe_ (Scott), _On the Heights_ (Auerbach), _Eugenie Grandet_ (Balzac),

_Scarlet Letter_ (Hawthorne), _Emerson's Essays_, _Boswell's Life of

Johnson_, _History of the English People_ (Green), _Outlines of Universal

History, Origin of Species, Montaigne's Essays, Longfellow, Tennyson,

Browning, Whittier, Ruskin, Herbert Spencer_.

A good encyclopoedia is very desirable and a reliable dictionary

indispensable.

MASTERPIECES OF AMERICAN LITERATURE

_Scarlet Letter, Parkman's Histories, Motley's Dutch Republic, Grant's

Memoirs, Franklin's Autobiography, Webster's Speeches, Lowell's Bigelow

Papers_, also his _Critical Essays_, _Thoreau's Walden_, _Leaves of Grass_

(Whitman), _Leather-stocking Tales_ (Cooper), _Autocrat of the Breakfast

Table_, _Ben Hur_ and _Uncle Tom's Cabin_.

TEN GREATEST AMERICAN POETS

Bryant, Poe, Whittier, Longfellow, Lowell, Emerson, Whitman, Lanier,

Aldrich and Stoddard.

TEN GREATEST ENGLISH POETS

Chaucer, Spenser, Shakespeare, Milton, Burns, Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley,

Tennyson, Browning.

TEN GREATEST ENGLISH ESSAYISTS

Bacon, Addison, Steele, Macaulay, Lamb, Jeffrey, De Quincey, Carlyle,

Thackeray and Matthew Arnold.

BEST PLAYS OF SHAKESPEARE

In order of merit are: _Hamlet_, _King Lear_, _Othello_, _Antony and

Cleopatra_, _Macbeth_, _Merchant of Venice_, _Henry IV_, _As You Like It_,

_Winter's Tale_, _Romeo and Juliet_, _Midsummer Night's Dream_, _Twelfth

Night_, _Tempest_.

ONLY THE GOOD

If you are not able to procure a library of the great masterpieces, get

at least a few. Read them carefully, intelligently and with a view to

enlarging your own literary horizon. Remember a good book cannot be read

too often, one of a deteriorating influence should not be read at all.

In literature, as in all things else, the good alone should prevail.

End of Project Gutenberg's How to Speak and Write Correctly, by Joseph Devlin

Poster's Note: the words "encyclopoedia", "insiduously", and "Synechdoche"

are thus in the original printing, aa are the spaces between "B. A." &c.

"Insiduously" and "Synechdoche" are valid variant spellings.