PART II.

COMPOSITION.

CHAPTER I.

PRELIMINARY SUGGESTIONS.

Difficulties. - Part I. of this book has for its almost exclusive aim the correction of errors in the pupil's written work, and the improvement of his style. It has been assumed, for the purpose of criticism, that the matter has already been produced. Nothing has been said with a view to helping the pupil put his thoughts into writing. Therefore, though the foregoing pages have been carefully studied, though all the rules have been committed to memory, and even though skill has been acquired in applying them in criticism, unless the pupil possesses a natural gift for composition, the knowledge thus far acquired will be useful only in criticising the work of others. As school pupils find difficulties in composition, and have many false ideas with reference to it, some instruction is necessary to overcome the difficulties and correct these ideas. Accordingly Part II. furnishes suggestions which it is hoped may prove useful in starting work of composition.

Naturalness. At the outset it will be well to correct an erroneous but common impression among young

people, to the effect that they must have for writing a set of ideas and words quite different from those used in conversation. If the pupil starts off on this principle, he will find that the hitherto unused part of his brain refuses to work when suddenly called upon to furnish material.

If one feels that he must write in a different way from that in which he talks, or upon thoughts which he never has except when taking up a pen, learning to write in his own tongue will be as difficult as learning to speak in a new language; nor will he ever be happy in any composition work, until he learns that he should never approach it as if it were an extraordinary occupation which called for the exercise of a new set of faculties.

On the contrary, the student should confine himself in all that he writes to simplicity and naturalness of expression, by recording with his pen what he would say if conversing upon the subject on which he is writing. This, however, is not the mood in which most pupils begin to write; and on account of the effort to produce a masterpiece of thought and expression, the flow of words so easy and unstudied in conversation congeals at the nib of the pen, and refuses to be transmitted to the page.

Doubtless many young people have often experienced this sudden chill and paralysis of the powers of expression. But would this paralysis set in, if the writer felt that in tracing his words in ink, he were doing nothing more than talking with his pen? This is exactly what is done in writing a letter; for if the person to whom the letter is addressed were present, the message of the letter would have been delivered

verbally; and for this reason letter writing is one of the best means for improvement in composition.

Carefulness. It will probably be necessary to caution most pupils against mistaking naturalness for carelessness. If one is naturally careless, his composition should be unnatural to the extent of carefulness in expression and penmanship.

By insisting on carefulness of expression, we mean that all that has been learned in studying the chapters on "Correction of Errors and Clearness" should be put into practice in every exercise. No mistake in grammar should be allowed to pass uncorrected, and every sentence obscure in meaning or capable of double signification should be made clear. Try to make sentences correct and clear as you write them down; but if you fail to make them so at first, do not hesitate to alter them. Make the alteration as neatly as you can; but if the correction spoils the looks of the page, copy it.

Spelling. Correct spelling will come naturally to some; to others, it will not. If one belongs to the latter class, he must work hard to make up for the deficiency, and cultivate a pride that will never allow a misspelled word to be found in his writing, no matter how much labor is necessary to avoid it. The ability to spell with accuracy can be acquired by all, through constant use of the dictionary. A poor speller should always have a dictionary at his side when writing; and if he will refer to it for every word concerning the spelling of which he is not certain, a few years will place him on the same footing as his more gifted brother.

Neatness. Besides the cautions for accuracy of expression and spelling, it will be well to add a few instructions as to neatness. Neatness in penmanship

SCH. ENG. - II

also seems to be a natural gift. will need no directions here.

Some possess it, and Others will find that

neatness is the most difficult to acquire of all virtues. For these a few suggestions will be beneficial.

Ink is a difficult material to handle, and will cause much damage in the hands of the unskillful. It is best therefore to have a solid inkstand that cannot be easily upset; it should have a wide mouth, so that the penholder will not rub against the edge, and thus smear the fingers. For this reason never use a bottle for an inkstand. It may seem an insignificant matter to mention here, but it will save untold trouble if you always dip the pen but a little way into the ink, or with a motion of the wrist throw back the surplus into the inkstand. Nine tenths of the blots come from an over-full pen. The rest can be avoided by never attempting to write without plenty of good fresh blotting paper, by having ample room for one's writing paper and arm, and by keeping the desk free from loose scraps that may be pushed over the paper.

CHAPTER II.

LETTER WRITING.

The Best Practice in Composition. The practice of letter writing, as has already been said, is of great help toward securing the much-needed naturalness; and it is true that in the world at large most improvement in the power of writing has come through this means. The freedom and unreserve which belong to this kind of composition, and the fact that what is written will be read by another, with interest and not with a criticising spirit, give to it a peculiar scope, and are well adapted to bring out the otherwise unused powers of the writer.

Letters in Literature. - English literature abounds with instances in which familiar letters from friend to friend, or between kindred, meant only for a single reader or for a household circle, have been rescued from such obscurity and set in the full light which shines on the classic page. The letters of Horace Walpole, of which he says at least of those to Sir Horace Mann - that they were written very carelessly by a young man and never intended for the public, are among the most instructive and entertaining of the many instructive and entertaining books which exhibit to us the life of England during the last century.

The private correspondence of Dr. Arnold and the inimitable letters of Dickens are familiar illustrations of the power and permanence of the most unstudied