Mrs. Lismore. You are quite breathless, Charles; where have you been running so violently? Charles. From the poultry yard, mamma, where I have been diverting myself with the bravado of the old gander. I did not observe him till he came toward me very fiercely, when, to induce him to pursue me, I ran from him. He followed, till, supposing he had beaten me, he returned to the geese, who appeared to receive him with acclamations of joy, cackling very loud, and seeming actually to laugh, and to enjoy the triumph of their gallant chief. Emma. I wish I had been with you, Charles; I have often admired the gambols of these beautiful birds, and wondered how they came by the appellation of silly, which is generally bestowed on them. I remember Martha, our nursery maid, used often to call me a silly goose. How came they to deserve that term, mamma? they appear to me to have as much intelligence as any of the feathered tribe. Mrs. Lismore. I have often thought with you, Emma, and supposed that term, like many others, misapplied, for want of examining into the justice of so degrading an epithet. 23. Improbability. Up to this point we have been concerned with relating events that could exist, though we knew that they did not. We may, however, imagine a series of events that are manifestly impossible. There is a pleasure in inventing improbable stories, and if we know from the beginning that they are to be so, we enjoy listening to them. Such tales are more satisfactory to young persons than to older ones, as is shown by our declining interest in fairy stories as we grow older. By limiting the improbability to a part of the story, it is possible to give an air of reality to the whole. Though the conditions described in a story about a trip to the moon might be wholly impossible, yet the reader for the time being might feel that the events were actually happening if the characters in the story were acting as real men would act under similar circumstances. In stories such as those of Thompson-Seton, where the animals are personified, the impossibilities are forgotten, because the actions and situations are so real. In fairy stories and similar tales neither characters nor actions are in any way limited by probability. Theme X. Write a short story suggested by one of the subjects below. Make either the characters or their surroundings seem real. 1. A week in Mars. 2. Exploring the lake bottom. 3. The fight between the dog and the cat. (a) As told by the dog. (b) As told by the cat. 4. How the fox fooled the hound. 5. Diary of a donkey. 6. A biography of Jack Frost. (Correct with reference to meaning and clearness and two other points to be assigned by the teacher.) 24. How to Increase One's Vocabulary. In your daily work do what you can to add words to your reading vocabulary, and especially to increase your writing vocabulary. In the conversation of others and in reading you will meet with many new words, and you should attempt to make them your own. To do this, four things. 1. Spelling. Definite attention should be given to each new word until its form both as written and as printed is indelibly stamped upon the mind. In your general reading and in each of the subjects that you will study in the high school you will meet unfamiliar words. It is only by mastering the spelling of each new word when you first meet it that you can insure yourself against future chagrin from bad spelling. A part of the time in each high school subject may well be devoted to the mastering of the words peculiar to that subject. 2. Pronunciation. The complete acquisition of a word includes its pronunciation. In reading aloud and in speaking, we have need to know it, and faulty pronunciation is considered an indication of lack of culture. 3. Meaning. This includes more than the ability to give the definition as found in the dictionary. It is possible to recite such definitions glibly without in reality knowing the meaning of the word defined. It is necessary to connect the word definitely and permanently in our mind with the idea for which it is the symbol and to be able to distinguish the idea clearly from others closely related to it. 4. Use. This is by far the most important of the four. If the word is to come into our speaking and writing vocabulary, we must use it. It is important that the spelling, pronunciation, and meaning be determined when you first meet the word, and it is equally important that the word be used soon and often. Theme XI. Write a short story suggested by one of the following subjects. It may be wholly improbable, if you choose. 1. The wicked fairy. 2. Mary's luck. 3. The man in the moon. 4. The golden apple. 5. A wonderful fountain pen. 6. The goobergoo and the kantan. (Correct with reference to meaning and clearness and two other points to be assigned by the teacher.) SUMMARY 1. The clear expression of the ideas connected with our daily experiences is of greater importance to most of us than is the production of literature. 2. Ideas furnished by imagination may be advantageously used for composition purposes, because – a. They are your own. b. They offer free choice of language. They are less desirable than those gained from experience, because – a. They are apt to lack clearness and permanency. b. They are less likely to be worth recording. c. It is more difficult to give them that unity and directness of statement that will keep the interest of the reader. 3. An imaginative series of events may seem probable or improbable. He who most closely observes real life and states his imaginary events so that they seem real will succeed best in imaginative writing. 4. Euphony is a desirable quality in a composition. 5. Variety aids euphony. It is gained by a. Avoiding the repetition of the same words and b. Beginning our sentences in various ways. 6. Conversation is usually composed of short sentences. 7. Pictures may suggest ideas suitable for use in compositions. 8. Our reading, writing, and speaking vocabularies differ. Each should be increased. With each new word attention should be given to - a. Spelling. b. Pronunciation. c. Meaning. d. Use. III. EXPRESSION OF IDEAS ACQUIRED THROUGH LANGUAGE 25. Language as a Medium through Which Ideas are Acquired. We have been considering language as a means of expression, an instrument by which we can convey to others the ideas which come to us from experience and imagination. We shall now consider it from a different point of view. Language is not only a means of expressing ideas, but it is in itself a medium through which ideas are acquired. It has a double use; the writer must put thought into language, the reader must get it out. A large share of your schooling has been devoted to this latter process, and ideas so acquired may be used for purposes of composition. Since it is absolutely necessary to have ideas before you can express them, it will be worth while to consider for a time how to get them from language. 26. Image Making. Read the following selection from Hawthorne and form a clear mental image of each scene: At first, my fancy saw only the stern hills, lonely lakes, and venerable woods. Not a tree, since their seeds were first scattered over the infant soil, had felt the ax, but had grown up and flourished through its long generation, had fallen beneath the weight of years, been buried in green moss, and nourished the roots of others as gigantic. Hark! A light paddle dips into the lake, a birch canoe glides around the point, and an Indian chief has passed, painted and feather-crested, armed with a bow of hickory, a stone tomahawk, and flint-headed arrows. But the ripple had hardly vanished from the water, when a white flag caught the breeze, over a castle in the wilderness, with |