A enemy, a inkstand, a hour, an horse, an herald, an heart, an heathen,
an union, a umbrella, an useful book, many an one. This is an hard
saying. They met with an heavy loss. He would not give an hat for an
horse.
NOTE 1, TO RULE 2. The articles are often properly omitted: when used
they should be justly applied, according to their distinct character;
as, "Gold is corrupting; _The_ sea is green; _A_ lion is bold." It would
be improper to say, _The_ gold is corrupting; Sea is green; Lion is
bold.
The grass is good for horses, and the wheat for men. Grass is good for
the horses, and wheat for the men. Grass looks well. Wheat is blighted.
In the first of these sentences, we are not speaking of any particular
kind of _grass_ or _wheat_, neither do we wish to limit the meaning to
any particular crop or field of grass, or quantity of wheat; but we are
speaking of grass and wheat generally, therefore the article _the_
should be omitted. In the second sentence, we do not refer to any
definite kind, quality, or number of _horses_ or _men_; but to horses
and men generally; that is, the terms are here used to denote _whole
species_, therefore, the article should be omitted, and the sentence
should read thus, "Grass is good for horses, and wheat for men."
In the third and fourth examples, we wish to limit our meaning to the
crops of _grass_ and _wheat_ now on the ground, which, in
contradistinction to the crops heretofore raised, are considered as
_particular_ objects; therefore we should say, "_The_ grass looks
well; _The_ wheat is blighted."
NOTE 2. When a noun is used in its _general_ sense, the article should
be omitted; as, "_Poetry_ is a pleasing art;" "_Oranges_ grow in New
Orleans."