Chapter II: Part 2

228. "We are going to take a _holiday_:" this word was originally spelled and pronounced _holyday_, being compounded of the two words _holy_ (meaning "_set apart_") and _day_. Custom, however, has changed the orthography from _y_ to _i_, and made the first syllable rhyme with _Poll_.

229. "It was referred to the _Committee_ on Ways and Means:" emphasize the second, not the first syllable.

230. "He is now settled in _Worcester_:" pronounce as if written _Wooster_. _Gloucester_ and _Leicester_ are pronounced _Gloster_ and _Lester_. The termination _cester_ or _chester_, occurring in the names of many English towns, is derived and corrupted from the Latin _Castra_, camps; and every town so named is supposed to have been the site of a camp of soldiers, during the possession of Britain by the Romans.

231. "_Relatives_ and _Relations_:" both these words designate kinsfolk, and are in most instances used indiscriminately. _Relatives_, however, is by some deemed the more proper and elegant.

232. "What a long _lirry_ he has to say!" This word should be pronounced and spelt _lurry_; its more general meaning is a "heap," a "throng," a "crowd," but is often applied to a long dull speech.

233. "_Diamonds_ are charcoals:" pronounce _diamonds_ in three syllables.

234. "Honor to the _patriot_ and the sage:" divide the syllables like _pa-tri-ot_, not _pat-ri-ot_. Irish rowdyism has been called "_Pat-riot-ism_."

235. "Do you _believe_ that he will _receive_ my letter?" observe that in the former word the diphthong is _ie_, and in the latter _ei_. A convenient rule for the spelling of such words is the following: _c_ takes _ei_ after it; all other consonants are followed by _ie_:--as, dec_ei_ve, repr_ie_ve.

236. "He is now confirmed in _idiotcy_:" say, _idiocy_; the _t_ in _idiot_ is dropped in forming the word.

237. "He raised the _national_ standard:" pronounce the first two syllables like the word _nation_, never as if written _nash-ion-al_.

238. _Principal_ and _Principle_: be careful to observe the distinction between these words. _Principal_ signifies _chief_; _principle_, _motive_.

239. "He favors the _Anti-Slavery_ reform:" pronounce _Anti_ with a distinct sounding of the _i_; else the word becomes _ante_, which means not "against," but "before,"--as "ante-deluvian," signifying "before the Deluge."

240. _Cincinnati_ is often misspelled _Cincinnatti_. The name is derived from _Cincinnatus_, a celebrated Roman.

241. "Her dress was made of _moire antique_:" _moire antique_ is an article of _watered silk_, very well known to the "shopping" sisterhood, but very frequently called "_Murray Antique_."

242. "It was mentioned in a _Californian newspaper_:" say, _California_ newspaper. No one says _Philadelphian_, or _Chicagonian_ journal.

243. "The lecture was _characterized_ as a brilliant performance:" accent the first, and not the second syllable.

244. "This is one of the traditions of St. _Helena_:" accent _le_, and not _Hel_.

245. "The boy was found by a _washwoman_:" say, _washerwoman_.

246. "St. John's is about two days nearer England than Halifax." [From an account, in a New-York newspaper, of the Submarine Telegraph Expedition, September, 1855.] Does it mean that St. John's is nearer to England than Halifax is, or nearer to England than to Halifax?

247. "He wears a blue-spotted _neck-handkerchief_:" say, _neckerchief_, or, still better, _neck-cloth_, or _cravat_. The original word is _kerchief_, and not _handkerchief_, which is a _kerchief_ for the _hand_.

248. "The city was _illumined_ in honor of the victory:" better say, _illuminated_. Distinguish between the pronunciation of _illumined_ and _ill-omened_.

249. "She has brought the _cloze pins_ in a bag:" say, _clothes' pins_.

250. "He met with _luck_:" say either "_bad luck_," or "_good luck_;" _luck_ primarily refers to simple "chance," although its derivatives, _lucky_ and _luckily_, imply only _good fortune_.

251. "The _in-va-lid_ signed a deed, that was _in-val-id_:" pronounce the former "_invalid_" with the accent on the _first_ syllable; the _latter_, with the accent on the _second_.

252. "The _duke_ discharged his _duty_." Be careful to give the slender, clear sound of _u_. Avoid saying _dook_ and _dooty_, or _doo_ for _dew_ or _due_. Say _flute_, not _floot_; _suit_, not _soot_; _mute_, not _moot_. As well might you say _bute_ for _boot_, or _shute_ for shoot.

253. "_Genealogy_, _geography_, and _geometry_ are words of Greek derivation:" beware of saying _geneology_, _jography_, and _jometry_, a very common practice.

254. "He made out the _inventory_:" place the accent in _inventory_ on the syllable _in_, and NEVER on _ven_.

255. "He deserves _chastisement_:" say, _chas-tiz-ment_, with the accent on _chas_, and NEVER on _tise_.

256. "He threw the _rind_ away:" never call _rind_, _rine_.

257. "His _knowledge_ is very great:" always pronounce _knowledge_ so as to rhyme with _college_, and NEVER say _know-ledge_.

258. "They contributed to his _maintenance_:" pronounce _maintenance_ with the accent on _main_, and never say _maintainance_.

259. "She wears a silk _gown_:" never say _gownd_.

260. "Maine is a _maritime_ State:" pronounce the last syllable of _maritime_ so as to rhyme with _rim_.

261. "They _desisted_ from their _design_:" pronounce the _former s_ in _desisted_ with a soft sound, and _always_ pronounce _design_ as if written _de-zine_.

262. "They committed a _heinous_ crime:" pronounce _heinous_ as if spelled _hay-nus_; NEVER call the word _hee-nus_ or _hain-yus_.

263. "He _hovered_ about the enemy:" pronounce _hovered_ so as to rhyme with _covered_.

264. "He is a powerful _ally_:" _never_ place the accent on _al_ in _ally_, as many do.

265. "_We have never been called, almost, to the consideration_ of the Apocalypse, without finding fresh reasons for our opinion." [Such are the words of a very eminent reviewer.] He should have said, "We have _scarcely ever_ been called," or, "we have _almost never_."

266. "He is very _bigoted_:" never spell the last word with _double t_, a very common mistake.

267. "The _Weekly Tribune_ has a large circulation:" pronounce Tribune as if divided _Trib-une_, and not _Try-bune_.

268. "He said _as how_ you _was_ to do it:" say, he said _that you were to do it_.

269. Never say, "_I acquiesce with you_," but, "_I acquiesce in your proposal_, _in your opinion_," &c.

270. "He is a distinguished _antiquarian_:" say, _antiquary_. _Antiquarian_ is an adjective; _antiquary_, a noun.

271. An injudicious disposition of a clause in a sentence frequently creates great merriment in the reading. In Goldsmith's "History of England," a book remarkable for its carelessness of style, we find the following extraordinary sentence, in one of the chapters of the reign of Queen Elizabeth: "This" [a communication to Mary Queen of Scots] "they effected by conveying their letters to her by means of a brewer that _supplied the family with ale through a chink in the wall of her apartment_." A queer brewer that--to supply ale through a chink in the wall! How easy the alteration to make the passage clear! "This they effected by conveying their letters to her _through a chink in the wall of her apartment, by means of a brewer that supplied the family with ale_."

272. "Lavater wrote on _Physiognomy_:" in the last word sound the _g_ distinctly, as _g_ is always pronounced before _n_, when it is not in the same syllable; as, _indignity_, &c.

273. "She is a very amiable _girl_:" pronounce _girl_ as if written _gurl_; _gal_ is a vulgarism; _gehl_ or _gul_ is an affectation of which many polite persons are guilty.

274. "He built a large _granary_:" _do not_ pronounce _granary_ so as to rhyme with _tannery_. Call the word _grainary_. Both pronunciations, however, are given by scholars.

275. Beware of using _Oh!_ and _O_ indiscriminately: _Oh!_ is used to express the emotion of _pain_, _sorrow_, or _surprise_; as, "_Oh!_ the exceeding grace of God." _O_ is used to express _wishing_, _exclamation_, or a direct _address_ to a person; as,

"O mother, will the God above
Forgive my faults like thee?"

276. Be careful to sound distinctly the _r_ in such words as _farther_, _martyr_, _charter_, _murder_, &c. Never say, _fah-ther_, _mah-tyr_, _chah-ter_ and _muh-der_. On the other hand, avoid _trilling_ the _r_, as _mur-er-der_, _r'r'robber_. It is altogether too tragical for common life.

277. "The Duke of Wellington was an _Irishman_, but knew nothing of the _Irish_ language:" beware of saying _Ierishman_ for _Irishman_, or _Ierish_ for _Irish_; a very common mistake, which the "Know-Nothings" are quick to detect.

278. "He did it _unbeknown_ to us:" say, _unknown_, &c.

279. "He lives in _affluence_, as he is in _affluent_ circumstances:" beware of placing the accent in _affluence_ and _affluent_ on the syllable _flu_ instead of on _af_, a very common error.

280. "If I say, 'They retreated _back_,' I use a word that is _superfluous_, as _back_ is implied in the syllable _re_ in _retreated_:" never place the accent on _flu_ in _superfluous_, but always on _per_.

281. "In reading Paley's 'Evidences of Christianity,' I unexpectedly _lit on_ the passage I wanted:" say, _met with_ the passage, &c.

282. A gentleman having selected a book from the library shelves of the Mechanics' Institute, went to the librarian to have the volume registered under his name, and said, "_I have taken the life of Julius Caesar_." "I shall then," responded the librarian, "charge the work to Mr. Brutus!" Be careful how you "take the lives" of distinguished men.

283. "He has a _bayonet_ to his gun:" never say _baggonet_. This error is a peculiarity of the Wiltshire dialect, in England. In an old Wiltshire song the following stanza occurs:

"A hornet zet in a holler tree,
A proper spiteful twoad was he;
And merrily zung while he did zet,--
His sting as sharp as a _baggonet_."

284. "Aunt Deborah is down with the _rheumatiz_:" say, _rheumatism_; this is one among the _isms_, though a very unpopular one.

285. "It is _obligatory_ upon every honest man to go to the polls to-day:" accent _lig_, and not _ga_.

286. "On the _contrary_:" accent _con_, not _tra_. The old song takes up with a bad pronunciation, for the sake of a good rhyme:

"Mistress Mary,
Quite _contrary_,
How does your garden grow?"

287. "That is altogether _above my bend_:" say, _out of my power_.

288. "He has _absquatulated_, and taken the specie with him:" _absconded_ is a more classical word.

289. "It's _eenamost_ time we had started:" say, _almost_.

290. "_I haven't ary one_:" say, _I have neither_, or, _I haven't either_.

291. "That man is in a _bad box_:" say, _bad predicament_, or bad _situation_.

292. It may be doubted whether to say of a man "that _he barked up the wrong tree_," is a complimentary or elegant metaphor.

293. "I will retain two-thirds, and give you the _balance_:" say, _remainder_.

294. "I _calculate_ to go by steam:" say, "I _expect_."

295. Avoid using the phrase "_I cave in_," for "_I give up_." It savors of slang.

296. Do not say, "_chicken fixings_," for "_trifles_," or "_extras_," connected with dress.

297. "He is a _cute_ man:" this is an inelegant abbreviation of _acute_, and employed to mean _smart_. It may, however, be properly applied to Yankees!

298. "He _dickered_ with him an hour:" say, "he _bargained_." This is a word somewhat peculiar to New-York.

299. "_Do don't_" is a vulgar usage of the Southern States, especially Georgia, for "_do not_."

300. "He is _done gone_:" say, _ruined_.

301. "We had a _dreadful_ fine time:" say, _very_, or _exceedingly_.

302. "It rains, and I want an umbrella _the worst kind_:" say, "_I am greatly in want_," &c. An umbrella _of the worst kind_ would not be likely to answer the best of purposes on a rainy day!

303. "The whole concern _fizzled out_:" say, _proved a failure_.

304. "As soon as I mentioned it to him, he _flared up_:" say, he _became excited_, or _grew violent_.

305. "The choir sang _Old Hundred_:" pronounce _Hundred_ as written, and not _Hunderd_.

306. "The message was sent by his _aid-de-camp_:" pronounce as if written _ade-de-kawng_, avoiding, however, as much as possible a twang on the last syllable.

307. "My _beard_ is long:" don't say _baird_.

308. "The blacksmith blows the _bellows_:" pronounce as written, and not _bellus_.

309. "Let me help you to some _catsup_:" avoid saying _ketchup_.

310. "It is new _China ware_:" do not say, _chaney ware_; this latter article exists only in the traditions of old women.

311. "The _combatants_ parted in good humor:" accent the first syllable--never the second.

312. "We poled the raft up the _creek_:" pronounce as if written _krik_.

313. "Then spake the _warrior_ bold:" pronounce in two syllables, as _war-yur_, not _war-ri-or_.

314. In using the word _venison_, sound the _i_: _venzun_ is a common, though not elegant pronunciation.

315. _Tapestry_ is divided _tap-es-try_ and not _ta-pes-try_.

316. "He is only a _subaltern_:" accent the first syllable of _subaltern_.

317. "The barge is at the _quay_:" pronounce _quay_, _kay_.

318. "The path over the meadow was _queachy_:" this word, meaning _soft_ or _boggy_, is now obsolete, and cannot be used with propriety.

319. "He talks _pulpitically_:" this word, which some who copy Chesterfield persist in using, has never by any good authority been admitted into the language.

320. To _peff_, meaning to _cough faintly_ (like a sheep), is hardly a useable word.

321. Be careful to distinguish between _pencil_, an instrument for writing, and _pensile_, meaning _hanging down_.

322. _To yank_ is a vulgarism, meaning _to twitch powerfully_.

323. Avoid the slang phrase, "_I used to could_." Say, "_I could formerly_."

324. "She _takes on_ about it greatly:" say, _grieves_.

325. "He _staved off_ the case two days longer:" say, he _put off_, or _delayed_.

326. "He made a great _splurge_:" say, he made a _blustering effort_.

327. "I _reckon_ it is going to rain:" say, I _think_, or _expect_. _Reckon_ applies to _calculation_.

328. "The basket is _pretty large_:" avoid, if possible, the use of the word _pretty_ out of its legitimate signification; the language abounds with substitutes more elegant.

329. "She weighs a _plaguy sight_:" say, _a great deal_.

330. "He _made tracks_ at sundown:" say, _he left_, or _escaped_.

331. "He was compelled to _fork over the cash_:" say, _to pay over_.

332. "_To flunk out_" is a vulgar expression for _to retire through fear_; the most that can be tolerated is, _to sneak out_.

333. "When last observed, he was _going at full chisel_:" say, _at the top of his speed_.

334. "That bill is a _counterfeit_:" the last syllable is pronounced as if written _fit_, and not _feet_.

335. "I am very much _obliged_ to you:" do not say _obleeged_.

336. The following sentence affords an example of three words of similar pronunciation, but different signification: "It is not easy to _pare_ a _pear_ with a _pair_ of scissors."

337. "The _robber_ entered the dwelling, and secretly carried off the silver:" say, _thief_; a _robber_ attacks violently, and commits his depredations by main force; a _thief_ is one who uses secrecy and deception.

338. "Go and _fetch_ me my riding-whip:" say, _bring_. _Fetch_ means to _go and bring_; _go and fetch_ is repetition.

339. _To leave_ and _to quit_ are often used as synonymous terms, though improperly; _to leave_ implies a design of returning soon--_to quit_, an absence of a long time, or forever; as, in Shakespeare:--

"----the very rats
Instinctively had _quit_ it."--_Tempest_, i. 2.

"I shall _leave_ my house for a month before next Autumn; but I shall not be obliged to _quit_ it until after Christmas."

340. _Mute_ and _dumb_. A _dumb_ man has not the power to speak; a _mute_ man either does not choose, or is not allowed to speak. It is, therefore, more proper to say of a person who can neither hear nor speak, that he is "deaf and _dumb_," than that he is a "deaf _mute_."

341. _Strong_ and _robust_. These words are frequently misused: a _strong_ man is able to bear a heavy burden, but not necessarily for a long time; a _robust_ man bears _continual_ fatigue with ease; a _strong_ man may be active and nimble; while an excess of muscular development, together with a clumsiness of action, exclude these qualities from the _robust_ man:--

"_Strong_ as a tower in hope, I cry Amen!"

SHAKESPEARE, _Richard II._ i. 3.

"For one who, though of drooping mien, had yet
From nature's kindliness received a frame
_Robust_ as ever rural labor bred."

WORDSWORTH, _Excursion_, VI.

342. "Isaac Newton _invented_ the law of gravitation:" say, _discovered_. "Galileo _discovered_ the telescope:" say, _invented_.

343. To _hear_ and to _listen_ have each distinct degrees of meaning. To _hear_ implies no effort or particular attention. To _listen_ implies some eagerness to hear. An old proverb says, "They that _listen_ seldom _hear_ any good of themselves."

344. _Ought_ and _should_ both express obligation, but the latter is not so binding as the former. "Children _ought to_ love their parents, and _should_ be neat in their appearance."

345. _Alone_ and _only_ are often misapplied. "He _only_ could do it," means that no other but himself could do it; "he _alone_ could do it," should mean that he, without the assistance of others, could do it.

346. "Please the pigs."--(_Old Proverb._) This is a corruption from "Please the _pyx_." The _pyx_ is the receptacle which contains the consecrated wafer on Romish altars; and the exclamation is equal to "Please God." This corruption is as curious a one as that of "tawdry" from "'t Audrey," or "at St. Audrey's Fair," famous for the sale of frippery--showy, cheap, and worthless.

347. "The _partridge_ is a delightful bird:" do not say _patridge_. Also, do not say _pasley_ for _parsley_.

348. "After this, let him hide his _diminished head_:" this common phrase is a poetical quotation from Milton, and is therefore proper to be used even when it does not _literally_ express the idea:--

"At whose sight all the stars
Hide their _diminished heads_."

349. "That bourne from whence no traveler returns." How often are precisely these words spoken? They are improperly quoted from Shakespeare, in Hamlet, and correctly read as follows:--

"That undiscovered country, from whose bourne
No traveler returns."

350. "Bring me my _waistcoat_:" pronounce as if written _waste-coat_, and not _weskut_. It should rhyme, as it did in an old ballad, with "_laced coat_."

351. "Your _bonnet_ to its right use."--(_Shakespeare:_) never say _bunnet_.

352. "It is not cold enough to wear my _gloves_:" pronounce as if written _gluvs_, and to rhyme with _loves_. In "Fair Rosamond" the following illustrative stanza occurs:--

"He said he had his _gloves_ from France:
The Queen said, 'That can't be:
If you go there for _glove-making_,
It is without the _g_.'"

353. "_Egad!_ what great good luck!" This word is now inelegantly used, except in certain species of poetry, where it is introduced with much effect, as in the following distich:--

"All tragedies, _egad!_ to me sound oddly;
I can no more be serious, than you godly."

354. "The frigate is now in the Yellow Sea, or _thereabouts_:" say, _thereabout_. This term is a transposed combination of _about there_; there is no such word as _thereabouts_. The same may be said of _hereabouts_, and _whereabouts_.

355. "Whether he will or _no_:" say, _not_. The reason of this correction is clearly seen by supplying what is needed to complete the sense: Whether he will or _will not_.

356. "He looked at it first _lengthways_, then _sideways_:" say, _lengthwise_ and _sidewise_. Also, say _otherwise_ instead of _otherways_. A nobleman said to his fool, "I am _wise_, and you are _otherwise_." "Yes," replied his jester, "you are _wise_, and I am _another wise_."

357. If you are a landlord, beware of incorrectly using such an expression as in the following: A landed proprietor went to a tenant with a view of increasing his rent, and said to him, "Neighbor, I am going to _raise your rent_." "Thank you, sir," was the reply, "for I am utterly unable to _raise it myself_."

358. "Will you _accept_ of this slight testimonial?" Omit _of_, which is superfluous, and weakens the sentence.

359. "He convinced his opponent by _dint_ of good reasoning:" _dint_, meaning _force_ or strength, is an obsolete word, and should not now be employed.

360. "The Danube _empties_ into the Black Sea:" say, _flows_; to _empty_ means _to make vacant_; no river can properly be called _empty_, until it is entirely dried up.

361. Such words as _bamboozle_, _topsyturvy_, _helterskelter_, _hurlyburly_, and _pellmell_ are generally to be avoided. They answer, however, for familiar conversation.

362. Never say _seraphims_, for the plural of _seraph_, but _seraphim_; the same rule holds with _cherubims_. _Cherubs_ and _seraphs_ are proper plurals, suiting a familiar style of speaking or writing, while _cherubim_ and _seraphim_ are to be used only in more dignified and solemn discourse.

363. "_There's_ the books you wanted:" say, _there are_: avoid all abbreviations when they lead to a grammatical error, as in the present instance.

364. "This prisoner has, of all the gang, committed _fewer_ misdemeanors:" say, _fewest_. We may say _fewer than_ all, but we must say _fewest of_ all.

365. "I esteem you more than _the others_:" this sentence is equivocal. Does it mean, "I esteem you more than _I esteem the others_," or, "I esteem you more than _the others esteem you_?"

366. "The most eminent scholars will, on some points, differ _among one another_:" say, _among themselves_.

367. "He, from that moment, doubled his _kindness and caresses of me_:" say, "kindness _for_ and caresses of me;" by omitting _caresses_ we have, "He doubled his _kindness of_ me," which is not good English.

368. _To differ from_ and _to differ with_: to _differ from_ a man means to have an opinion different from his; to _differ with_ a person signifies a _quarrel_ or _rupture_.

369. "He barely escaped having _one or two broken heads_:" a man has but _one_ head, let it be broken or whole. Say, "He _once or twice barely escaped_ having a broken head."

370. "Whenever _I fall into that man's conversation_ I am entertained and profited:" say, _fall into conversation with that man_.

371. "The lecturer _spoke to several points_:" say, "spoke _on_ several points." He spoke _to_ his audience.

372. "I shall regard your _strictures_ only so far as _concerns_ my own errors:" say, _concern_; the phrase when filled out should read, "only so far as _they concern_ my own errors."

373. "I found him better than I expected _to have found him_:" say, _to find him_.

374. "I perceived that he was totally blind _with half an eye_:" say, "I perceived, with half an eye, that he was totally blind." Otherwise, to a man _totally blind_ you allot _half an eye_!

375. The word _only_ is often wrongly placed in the sentence, and made to express an idea which is not designed to be conveyed. "Not _only_ Chinese are superstitious," implies that others besides the Chinese are superstitious. "Chinese are not _only_ superstitious," implies that in addition to being superstitious, they have some other characteristics. "Chinese not _only_ are superstitious," leaves room for something still further to be implied of the Chinese than superstition, and which is not necessarily the predicate of _are_; as, "Chinese not only are superstitious, but they persecute those who do not put faith in Confucius."

376. _Not the least_ and _nothing less than_, sometimes literally convey just the opposite of what is intended. "He has _not the least_ excuse for going," may mean that he has _a great excuse_, or _none at all_. "He seeks _nothing less than_ worldly honor," may signify that nothing inferior to worldly honor will satisfy his desire; or, on the other hand, it may mean that nothing is less sought by him than worldly honor. Such expressions, therefore, are to be used with caution, else they will mislead.

377. Care should be taken in the use of epithets. For instance, in the sentence, "_A wise and good man_ should be respected," the words _wise_ and _good_ may properly be applied to the same man; but if the sentence should be altered to read, "An _old and young man_," it is obvious that both epithets could not relate to the same person.

378. Never say _turkle soup_, for _turtle soup_.

379. The word _long_ should not now be employed to signify _many_. An example of this early usage is found in the Fifth Commandment, "that thy days may be _long_ upon the land." The following lines furnish an instance of the verb _to lengthen_, meaning to _make many_:--

"The best of all ways
To _lengthen_ our days,
Is to take a few hours from the night, my lad."

380. "They returned _back again_ to the _same_ city _from_ whence they came _forth_:" omit the italicized words, which are redundant and inelegant.

381. "Have you any leisure _upon your hands_?" omit _upon your hands_,--not so much because anything after "leisure" is superfluous, in such a sentence, as because the idea of _having leisure upon your hands_ is absurd.

382. "Seven lads were present, and he gave them _all_ a book:" say, _gave them each_ a book. _All_ refers to a number of persons or things taken _collectively_, as _one body_; _each_ refers to _every individual_, separately considered.

383. "Lend me your _umberell_:" say, _umbrella_. The former pronunciation, however, is allowed by _poetic license_, as in the following, adapted from Thomas Moore:--

"Oh, ever thus from childhood's hour,
Has chilling fate upon me fell!
There always comes a soakin' shower
When I hain't got an _umbrell_."

384. We lately met a grammarian, who had just made a tour through the mines, conjugating, or, rather, cogitating thus: "Positive, _mine_; comparative _miner_; superlative, _minus_!"

385. "Put not thy secret into the mouth of the _Bosphorus_, for it will betray it to the ears of the Black Sea."--(_Oriental Proverb._) Pronounce _Bosphorus_ as if written _Bosforus_, and not _Bos-porous_.

386. Be careful to use the hyphen (-) correctly: it joins compound words, and words broken by the ending of a line. The use of the hyphen will appear more clearly from the following example: "_many colored_ wings" means _many_ wings which are _colored_; but "_many-colored_ wings" means "wings of _many colors_."

387. "I am _afraid_ it will rain:" say, _I fear_. _Afraid_ expresses terror; _fear_ may mean only _anxiety_.

388. Never say _o-fences_ for _offences_; _pison_ for _poison_; _co-lection_ for _collection_; _voiolent_ for _violent_; _kivver_ for _cover_; _afeard_ for _afraid_; _debbuty_ for _deputy_. The last three examples are very common.

389. "It is a mere _cipher_:" never spell _cipher_ with a _y_.

390. "I was _necessitated_ to do it:" a poor expression, and often made worse by _necessiated_ being used: say, I was _obliged_, or _compelled_, to do it.

391. "Gibbon wrote the _Rise_ and Fall of the Roman Empire:" pronounce _Rise_, the noun, so as to rhyme with _price_; _Rise_, the verb, rhymes with _prize_.

392. "He joined his _regiment_ last week:" never say, _ridgiment_ for _regiment_.

393. "He bought a _gimlet_:" never spell the last word _gimblet_, as many do.

394. "He is a supporter of the _Government_:" beware of omitting the _n_ in the second syllable of _Government_--a very common practice.

395. "Received this day _of_ Mr. Brown ten dollars:" say, "Received this day _from_," &c.

396. "Of whatever you _get_, endeavor to save something; and with all your _getting, get_ wisdom:" carefully avoid saying _git_ for _get_, and _gitting_ for _getting_.

397. "So intent was he on the song he was _singing_, while he stood by the fire, that he did not perceive that his clothes were _singeing_." Verbs ending with a _single e_, omit the _e_ when the termination _ing_ is added, as, _give_, _giving_; in _singeing_, however, the _e_ must be retained, to prevent its being confounded with _singing_. The _e_ must also be retained in _dyeing_, to distinguish it from _dying_.

398. The following sentences may be studied: "The _dyer dyes_ daily, yet he _dies_ not." "The _miner minds_ the _minor mines_." "It is not _meet_ to _mete_ out such _meat_." "He performed a great _feat_ with his _feet_ at the _fete_." (_Fete_ is pronounced _fate_.)

399. "_Lower_ the sails, as the sky begins to _lower_:" pronounce _low_ in the _former_ so as to rhyme with _mow_, and _low_ in the _latter_ so as to rhyme with _cow_.

400. "There was a great _row_ on Monday, in Tryon _Row_:" pronounce the former _row_ so as to rhyme with _cow_--the latter _row_, so as to rhyme with _mo_.

401. "His _surname_ is Clifford:" never spell the _sur_ in "surname" _sir_, which shows an ignorance of its true derivation, which is from the Latin.

402. "The buildings are so old that they pay _almost no rent_ now:" _scarcely any rent_, is better.

403. "His _mamma_ sent him to a preparatory school:" _mamma_ is often written with one _m_ only, which is not, as may at first be supposed, in imitation of the French _maman_, but in sheer ignorance.

404. Active verbs often take a neuter sense; as, "_The house is building_:" here, _is building_ is used in a neuter signification, because it has no object after it. By this rule are explained such sentences as, "_Application is wanting_;" "_The Grammar is printing_," &c.

405. "He _attackted_ me without the slightest provocation:" say, _attacked_.

406. "I called on him every day in the week _successfully_:" very common, but incorrect; say, _successively_.

407. "I fear I shall _discommode_ you:" it is better to say, _incommode_.

408. "I can do it _equally as well as_ he:" leave out _equally_, which is superfluous.

409. "We could not forbear _from_ doing it:" leave out _from_, which is unnecessary; or say, _refrain from_.

410. "He was totally dependent _of_ his father:" say, dependent _on_ his father.

411. "They accused him _for_ neglecting his duty:" say, _of_ neglecting, &c.

412. "They have a great resemblance _with_ each other:" say, _to_ each other.

413. "I entirely dissent _with_ him:" say, _from_ him.

414. "He was made much _on_ at the Springs:" say, made much _of_, &c.

415. "He is a man _on_ whom you can confide:" say, _in_ whom, &c.

416. "He was obliged to _fly_ the country:" say, _flee_ the country. A very common mistake.

417. "The snuffers _wants_ mending:" say, _want_ mending. No one would say, "My _pantaloons is_ ripped."

418. "His conduct admits _of_ no apology:" omit _of_, which is quite unnecessary.

419. "A _gent_ has been here inquiring for you:" a detestable, but very common expression; say, a _gentleman_ has been, &c. Oliver Wendell Holmes hits off this liberty with language, in the following happy couplet:--

"The things called _pants_, in certain documents,
Were never made for _gentlemen_, but _gents_."

420. "That was _all along of_ you:" say, "That was _all your fault_."

421. "You have no _call_ to be angry with me:" say, no _occasion_, &c.

422. "Too free an _indulgence_ in luxuries _enervate_ and _injure_ the system:" say, _enervates_ and _injures_, &c. The plural, _luxuries_, standing directly before the verb, (which should be _enervates_, in the singular,) deceives the ear. Errors of this kind are very common, though a moment's thought would correct them. The verb must agree with its subject in person and in number; if the _noun_ is in the singular, the _verb_ that belongs to it must also be in the singular.

423. "A father divided a portion of his property _among_ his two children, and the remainder he distributed _between_ the poor:" say, _between_ his two children, and _among_ the poor. _Between_ is applicable to two only, _among_ to three or more.

424. "_Every_ child should obey _their_ parents:" say, _his_ parents. The pronoun must agree with the noun in number, &c.

425. "He is a person _who_ I respect greatly:" say, _whom_. "Be careful _who_ you trust:" _whom_ you trust.

426. "Let me consider _of_ this matter." "The culprit dreaded to enter _in_ the prison." "The laborers were not allowed to want _for_ anything." Leave out the _italicized_ words--the sense being complete without them.

427. _Cupola_ is often pronounced _cupalo_; _foliage_, _foilage_; _future_, _futur_; _nature_, _natur_: all of which errors should be carefully avoided.

428. "'Ow 'appens it that _H_englishmen so _h_often misplace their _h_aitches?" It is a cockneyism; and if you have fallen into the habit, it will require perhaps more perseverance than you imagine, to correct it.

429. Do you say _w_agabond or _v_agabond, _w_inegar or _v_inegar, _w_ery or _v_ery, _v_alking or _w_alking, _v_atchman or _w_atchman? It is a local custom, but if you have any taint of it, don't sing "_V_illikins and his Dinah."

430. Provid_ence_, confid_ence_, and similar words, are often pronounced Provid_unce_, confid_unce_, &c., substituting _unce_ for _ence_. So also, words ending in _ance_, as mainte_nance_, suste_nance_, SURVEIL_lance_, are pronounced falsely mainten_unce_, susten_unce_, &c.

431. _Coming_, _going_, _according_, &c., are often pronounced without the final _g_: speak them distinctly, and pronounce difficult words with de-lib-er-a-tion.

432. If you are a Yankee, you should (though, as a general thing, you _will not_) take special pains with your vowel sounds, that they be not formed through the nasal cavities. Don't say _heow_, _ceow_, _confeound_, for _how_, _cow_, &c.

433. If you are a Western man, you are liable to give your vowel sounds too great breadth. You should not say _bar_ for _bear_, _hum_ for _home_, _dawlar_ for _dollar_; and it is better to avoid using such expressions as _I reckon_, _I guess_, _I calculate_, too frequently.

434. "I am going _a fishing_:" be bold enough to be one among the foremost to break away from the bad habit of saying _a fishing_, _a talking_, _a courting_, &c. This custom, however, should be retained in quoting proverbs and wise sayings; these are better in proportion as they are older; for example: "_Who goes a-borrowing, goes a-sorrowing._" The quaintness would be destroyed by saying simply _borrowing_ and _sorrowing_.

435. Some people add a superfluous preposition at the end of a sentence--"More than you think _for_." This is awkward.

436. "Then think _on_ the friend who once welcomed it too," &c. &c.: say, _of_.

437. _Thou_ and _thee_ are no longer used in spelling or writing, except by some of The Friends; but proverbial citations, originally expressed in that form, lose much of their beauty and force by alteration; as, "If thou seest thy house in flames, approach and warm thyself by it." How greatly would a change of person tame the spirit of this fine proverb!

438. "By the street of '_By-and-By_,' one arrives at the house of 'Never.'" Do not say, _By'mby_.

439. Be careful to observe the _two plurals_ of the following nouns:

Singular. First Plural. Second Plural.

_Brother,_ _Brothers_ (of the same _Brethren_ (of the same
parents), society).

_Die,_ _Dies_ (for coining), _Dice_ (for gaming).

_Index,_ _Indexes_ (tables of contents), _Indices_ (signs in
algebra).

_Pea,_ _Peas_ (referring to a _Pease_ (referring to the
limited number), whole species).

_Penny,_ _Pennies_ (coins), _Pence_ (the value).

_Cow,_ _Cows_ (a herd of cattle), _Kine_ (the species).

_Sow,_ _Sows_ (a litter), _Swine_ (the species).

_Genius,_ _Geniuses_ (men of genius), _Genii_ (imaginary spirits).

440. Different shades of meaning may be expressed by slight variations in the position of the important words in a sentence. For example, "_The Paradise Lost of Milton_," is not exactly the same in import as, "_Milton's Paradise Lost_;" in the former, attention is called to the author--in the latter, to the poem.

441. In uniting the plural of _one_, _two_, _three,_ do not use the apostrophe ['] as _one's_, _two's_, _three's._ Good writers never conform to the latter mode. Wordsworth, who was remarkably particular, not only in the choice of his words but in their orthography, wrote:

"The sun has long been set,
The stars are out by _twos and threes_;
The little birds are piping yet
Among the bushes and the trees."

442. "_How's yourself_, this morning?" an exceedingly common, but very objectionable expression: say, "_How are you_;" &c.

443. "Wanted, two apprentices, who will be treated as _one_ of the family:" great practical difficulty would be found in realizing such treatment! Say, "as _members_ of the family."

444. The following lines afford an instance of the ingenious uses to which the English language may be put:

"You _sigh for_ a _cipher_, but _I sigh for you;_
Oh, _sigh for no cipher_, but oh, _sigh for me;_
Oh, let not my _sigh for_ a _cipher_ go,
But give _sigh for sigh, for I sigh_ for you so!"

The above is more briefly expressed in the following manner:

"U O a O, but I O u,
Oh, O no O, but oh, O me;
Oh, let not my O a O go,
But give O O I O u so!"

445. Sometimes _but_ is incorrectly substituted for _that_: as, "I have no doubt _but_ he will be here to-night." Sometimes for the conjunction _if_, as, "I shouldn't wonder _but_ that was the case." And sometimes _two_ conjunctions are used instead of one, as, "_If that_ I have offended him," "_After that_ he had seen the parties," &c. All this is very awkward and should be avoided.

446. "My hands are _chopped_:" say, _chapped_.

447. "This will serve as a _preventative_:" say, _preventive_.

448. "A _nishe_ young man," "What _makesh_ you laugh?" "If he _offendsh_ you, don't speak to him," "_Ash_ you please," "Not _jush_ yet," "We always _passh_ your house in going to call on _Missh Yatesh_." This is decided, unmitigated _cockneyism_, having its parallel in nothing except the broken English of the sons of Abraham, and to adopt it in conversation is certainly "not speaking like a Christian."

449. Never say, "Cut it in _half_," for this you cannot do unless you could _annihilate one_ half. You may "cut it in two," or "cut it in halves," or "cut it through," or "divide it," but no human ability will enable you _to cut it in half_.

451. _To lay and to lie._--_To lay_ is an active or transitive verb, and must always have an object, expressed or understood. _To lie_ (not meaning _to tell a falsehood_) is a neuter or intransitive, and therefore does not admit of an object. The only real difficulty arises from the fact, that the past tense of "lie," when used without an auxiliary, is the same as the present of "lay." But a little attention will obviate this. Nothing can be more erroneous than to say, "I shall go and lay down." The question which naturally arises in the mind of the discriminating hearer is, "_What_ are you going to lay down--money, carpets, plans, or what?" for, as a transitive verb is used, an object is wanted to complete the sense. The speaker means, that he himself is going to _lie down_. "My brother _lays_ ill of a fever," should be, "My brother _lies_," &c.

VERB ACTIVE. VERB NEUTER.

_To lay._ _To lie._

Present Tense. Present Tense.

I lay } I lie }
Thou layest } money, Thou liest } down,
He lays } carpets, He lies } too long,
We lay } plans, We lie } on a sofa,
You lay } --any _thing_. You lie } --any _where_.
They lay } They lie }

Imperfect Tense. Imperfect Tense.

I laid } I lay }
Thou laidest } money, Thou layest } down,
He laid } carpets, He lays } too long,
We laid } plans, We lay } on a sofa,
You laid } --any _thing_. You lay } --any _where_.
They laid } They lay }

Present Participle, Laying. Present Participle, Lying.
Perfect Participle, Laid. Perfect Participle, Lain.

452. Many people have an odd way of saying, "I expect," when they mean only "I think," or "I conclude;" as, "I expect my brother went to Richmond to-day," "I expect those books were sent to Paris last year." _Expect_ can relate only to _future_ time, and must be followed by a future tense, or a verb in the infinitive mood; as, "I expect my brother _will go_ to Richmond to-day," "I expect _to find_ those books were sent to Paris last year."

453. "A _summer's_ morning," should be, A _summer_ morning.

454. The vulgar speaker uses adjectives instead of adverbs, and says, "This letter is written _shocking_;" the genteel speaker uses adverbs instead of adjectives, and says, "This writing looks _shockingly_."

455. "_Nobody else_ but him," should be, _Nobody_ but him.

456. "That _ain't_ just," should be, That _is not_ just.

457. "He was killed _by_ a cannon-ball," should be, He was killed _with_ a cannon-ball. He was killed _by_ the cannoneer.

458. "A _new pair_ of gloves," should be, A _pair of new_ gloves.

459. "_Before_ I do that, I must _first_ be paid," should be, Before I do that, I must be paid.

460. A grammatical play upon the word THAT:

"Now _that_ is a word which may often be joined,
For _that that_ may be doubled is clear to the mind;
And _that that that_ is right, is as plain to the view,
As _that that that that_ we use is rightly used too;
And _that that that that that_ line has in it, is right--
In accordance with grammar, is plain in our sight."

461. "He will go _from thence_ to-morrow." The preposition "from" is included in these adverbs, therefore it becomes tautology in sense when prefixed to them.

462. "Equally as well," is a very common expression, and a very incorrect one; the adverb of comparison, "as," has no right in the sentence. "Equally well," "Equally high," "Equally dear," should be the construction; and if a complement be necessary in the phrase, it should be preceded by the preposition "with," as, "The wall was equally high with the former one," "The goods at Smith's are equally dear with those sold at the shop next door," &c. "Equally the same" is tautology.

463. Some persons talk of "_continuing on_:" in what other direction would it be possible to _continue_?

464. "The satin measured twelve yards before I cut this piece _off of_ it." "The fruit was gathered _off of_ that tree." Omit _of_; or, omitting _off of,_ insert _from_.

465. "He left his horse, and got _on to_ a stage-coach," "He jumped _on to_ the floor," "She laid it _on to_ a dish," "I threw it _on to_ the fire." Why use two prepositions where one would be quite as explicit, and far more elegant? Nobody would think of saying, "He came to New-York, _for_ to go to the exhibition."

466. "No other resource _but_ this was allowed him:" say, "No other resource _than_ this," &c.

467. "I don't know but _what_ I shall go to White Plains to-morrow:" say, "I don't know but _that_," &c.

468. "One of those houses _were_ sold last week," "Each of the daughters _are_ to have a separate share," "Every tree in those plantations _have_ been injured by the storm," "Either of the children _are_ at liberty to claim it." Here it will be perceived that the pronouns "one," "each," "every," "either," are the true nominatives to the verbs; but the intervening noun in the plural number, in each sentence, deludes the ear; and the speaker, without reflection, renders the verb in the plural instead of the singular number.

469. "Many still die annually _from_ the plague:" say, _of_ the plague.

470. "He spoke _contemptibly_ of him," should be, He spoke _contemptuously_ of him.

471. "_Was_ you?" should be, _Were_ you?

472. "This is the more _perfect_ of the two:" say, More _complete_. _Perfect_ rarely admits comparison.

473. Avoid all slang and vulgar words and phrases, as, _Anyhow_, _Bating_, _Bran new_, _To blow up_, _Bother_, _Cut_, _Currying favor_, _Fork out_, _Half an eye_, _I am up to you_, _Kick up_, _Scrape_, _The Scratch_, _Walk into_.

474. "Go _over_ the bridge," should be, Go _across_ the bridge.

475. "_I was some distance from home_," should be, I was _at_ some distance from home.

476. "Is Mr. Smith _in_?" should be, Is Mr. Smith _within_?

477. "It is _above_ a month since," should be, It is _more_ than a month since.

478. "Vegetables were _plenty_," should be, Vegetables were _plentiful_.

479. "We both were _very disappointed_." This is an incomplete expression: say, _very much_, or _very greatly_. No one would think of saying, "We both were _very pleased_."

480. "It is I who _is_ to receive the appointment:" say, who _am_ to receive; _who_ is in the first person, and the verb of which it is the subject must be in the same.

481. Never say _biscake_, for _biscuit_.

482. "Passengers are _not requested_ to let down the chains, before the boat is fastened to the bridge." [From a printed regulation on one of the New-York and Brooklyn ferry-boats.] The reading should be, "Passengers _are requested not to let down_ the chains."

483. "How will you _swap_ jack-knives?" _swap,_ although it is a word familiarly used in connection with "jack-knives," is a term that cannot lay the least claim to elegance. Use some other of the many mercantile expressions to which trade has given rise.

484. "He's put his nose to the _grin-stone_ at an early age." [A remark usually made by old ladies, suggested by the first marriage among their grandsons.] Say, _grind-stone_. A _grin-stone_ implies a stone that "grins," whereas, especially in this instance, the "nose" fulfills that office.

485. The importance of punctuating a written sentence is often neglected. Space does not permit the giving of rules on this subject, in this book. Business correspondence is generally blemished by many omissions of this character; for example, "Messrs G Longman & Co have recd a note from the Cor Sec Nat Shipwreck Soc informing them of the loss of one of their vessels off the N E Coast of S A at 8 P M on the 20 of Jan." A clergyman, standing in his pulpit, was once handed a slip of paper, to be read in the hearing of the congregation, which was intended to convey the following notice: "A man going to sea, his wife desires the prayers of the church." But the sentence was improperly punctuated, and he read, "A man going to see his wife, desires the prayers of the church!"

486. "The knave thereupon commenced rifling his _friend's_ (as he called him) _pocket_:" say, "The knave commenced rifling the _pocket of his friend_, as he facetiously called him." The possessive case, and the word that governs it, must not be separated by an intervening clause.

487. "I owe _thee_ a heavy debt of gratitude, and _you_ will not permit me to repay it:" say, either "I owe _you_," &c., preserving "and _you_ will" in the second clause; or, "I owe _thee_," and altering "and _you_ will" into "and _thou wilt_."

488. "Every lancer and every rifleman _were at their post_:" say, _was at his_ post.

489. "I can lift as many pounds _as he has_:" add _lifted_.

490. Do not use _to_, the sign of the infinitive mood, for the infinitive itself. "I have not written to him, and I am not likely _to_," should read, "I am not likely _to write to him_."

491. The word _agree_ is sometimes followed by the wrong preposition. We should say, agree _with_ a person--_to_ a proposition--_upon_ a thing among ourselves.

492. We should say _compare with_, in respect of quality--_compare to_, for the sake of illustration.

493. We should say copy _after_ a person--_copy from_ a thing.

494. _Between_ is properly applied only to two objects; _among_, to three or more. "A father divided a portion of his property _between_ his two sons; the rest he distributed _among_ the poor."

495. _In_ should not be used for _into_, after verbs denoting entrance. "Come _in_ my parlor," should read, "Come _into_ my parlor."

496. "We confide _in_, and have respect _for_, the good." Such a form of expression is strained and awkward. It is better to say, "We confide _in_ the good, and have respect for _them_," or, "We _trust_ and _respect_ the good."

497. "This veil of flesh parts the visible and the invisible world:" say, "parts the visible _from_ the invisible." It certainly is not meant that the veil of flesh _parts_ (or _divides_) each of these worlds.

498. "Every leaf, every twig, every blade, every drop of water, _teem_ with life:" say, _teems_.

499. "Dr. Prideaux used to relate that when he brought the manuscript of his Connection of the Old and the New Testaments to the publisher, _he told him_ it was a dry subject, and that the printing could not be safely ventured upon unless he could enliven the work with a little humor." The sense alone, and not the _sentence_, indicates to whom _he_ and _him_ respectively refer; such a form of expression is faulty, because it may lead to a violation of _perspicuity_, which is one of the most essential qualities of a good style.

500. The last direction which this little book will give, on the subject with which it has been occupied, is one that long ago was given in the greatest of books--"Let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ." If obedience to this injunction may not guard him who heeds it against the commission of such mistakes as are numbered in this catalogue, it will not fail to lead him out of the way of errors more grievous and solemn.

THE SPELLER AND DEFINER'S MANUAL.

BY WILLIAM W. SMITH, Principal of Grammar School No. 1, New-York; Author of The Speller's Manual.

This work contains about fourteen thousand of the most useful words in the English language, correctly spelled, pronounced, defined, and arranged in classes, together with rules for spelling, prefixes and suffixes, with their significations, rules for use of capitals, punctuation and other marks used in writing and printing, quotations from other languages used in English composition, abbreviations, &c., to which is added a +Vocabulary+ for reference. Words which resemble each other in pronunciation, but have different meanings, are arranged together, and occupy about one eighth of the entire work, containing nearly three hundred pages. The sentences for examples for pupils (each embracing two or more of these words) will be found very instructive and interesting. While +The Speller and Definer's Manual+ supplies all that can be desired in an ordinary dictionary or speller, it furnishes much important information that cannot be found in these, and presents a study, usually dry and uninteresting, in a natural and attractive manner. It is adapted to the capacities of children, and will essentially aid the teacher in the work of instruction by suggesting _questions_ and _ideas_ that are very often overlooked amid the anxieties of the school-room.

It will be found to be one of the most useful works for schools or +SELF-INSTRUCTION+ ever issued as a text-book, and its examination will abundantly repay any friend of education.

The Manual has been adopted by the Board of Education for use in the Public Schools of New-York City.

We invite attention to the following extracts of notices of this work from city papers:

NOTICES OF THE PRESS.

"The volume is not only valuable as a text-book for schools, but will be +USEFUL TO ADULTS+ whose knowledge of the mechanics of literature has grown rusty."--_Commercial Advertiser._

"We like the plan and execution of this new work, and recommend it to the attention of teachers."--_Life Illustrated._

"The author of this excellent little manual is the principal of one of our grammar schools, and is well known as a teacher. If his manual have any fault, it is that of _brevity_, for the principle upon which it is constructed, strikes us as perfect."--_New-York Courier._

Retail price 62-1/2 cents. Single copies, for examination, sent to any part of the country post-paid on receipt of Fifty Cents. Address

+DANIEL BURGESS & CO., Publishers+,

NO. 60 JOHN STREET, NEW-YORK.

THE GRADUAL SERIES OF READERS. BY D. B. TOWER, A. M., (Principal of Park Latin School, Boston,) AND CORNELIUS WALKER, A. M. (Principal of Wells Grammar School, Boston.)

The _first essential_ of good reading is a _distinct articulation_. This can only result from practice of the elementary sounds and their combinations. All of these simple elements and their combinations are given, with ample directions, arranged in the simplest and most compact form, in the first books of Tower's series.

The _next points_ are _Emphasis_ and the _Tones_.

These are set forth and illustrated in the last three Readers. The elements of expression requisite for the utterance of every sentiment are clearly described and explained by appropriate examples. By these examples, it is clearly shown how a passage is to be read, and thence is deduced a rule or principle that all similar passages are to be read in a similar manner.

The character of the selections is such as to claim the attention of all who are in search of good reading matter. They are exciting, instructive, and interesting, and admirably adapted to the capacity of the pupils.

The higher books of the series contain selections from authors who are considered standards in their respective departments. The dignity and objects of literature are distinctly brought to view, whether in the form of prose to persuade and instruct--in that of poetry, to please the fancy--or in that of the drama, to move the passions.

The character of the selections in these two books is such as to claim the attention of all who are in search of _reading matter_ that will _wear_.

The superiority of these books is acknowledged, wherever they have been brought to a practical test. The more intelligent any school committee, or teachers are, the more readily are these Readers appreciated, and the more eagerly are they sought for use in the school-room. So decided is the preference for them, among the educated, over every other series, that they are gradually but surely superseding them all, and going into general use in all the best schools in our country.

Price.