Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-09-16

MARS --Editoy Of tAs Star: since nv nrst and full
answer 70 senex is 20 long that you feel Obliged
shorter which Is hardly longer than the attack
Of Sensx,
seneI nrst objects to the expense Of introducing
the new books But the new books are adopted
Into new classes only; and they are sold TO the
children, for FIRST introduction at the rates Of 8
cents for the small one and 20 cents for the large
one Their total retail price will Certainly never
exceed that Of the rejected books. Hence the
tinuation Of the old ones Senex NEXT attacks and
garbles the books. But II is not sufficient that he
shows the new books are not perfect; for no hp-
man production 10 perfect. He should show that
they are not superior TO the books displaced; and
this he never can do. The series Of Billions con.
sists Of three books. The first book has 1872 pages;
the second, 225 and the third. 255; making In all
ol2 different pages Kerl has but two books, both
OF which have but 365 different pages, and at least
one-fourth more Of new and useful information.
Senex complains that the new books are too din
cult for beginners. Oh, for the sweetmeats that
please the palate, rot the constitution, and spoil
the child! oh, for q royal road to learning, and
a castle Of Incidence for teachers! Senex ought
to know that children should learn things In the
proper language at first; that every science needs
some technical terms for exactness; that labor
makes strength; and that, In all learning. some
things must be taken In, and digested afterwards.
liz child 10 TO find nothing new at school, why
send him to school, Let him rather make obser-
vations on the streets. The generality Of writers
al those Of our country; and 10 such grammars 10
Smiths 10 due most Of the blame. The author Of
the new books has sufficiently dramatized himself
into the views Of children; and he has ever aimed
at brevity and accuracy Of language, the exact
and whole truth In regard to facts and the SIM
plest and most philosophical arrangement. In
these respects, the new books unsurpassed.
But Senex does not seem to know that, even at
the beginning Of the rejected primary grammar,
I" the little bsys and girls, while their minds are
yet blanks In grammar knowledge, must learn
such sentences as this one Parsing 10 the resol-
wing of a sentence int its elements or parts of
speech, stating the accidents which belong to each
word, and pointing out Its relation to other
words |" Is there anything in Kerl's primary book
so bard for the little folks to digest, And yet
more is taught on the 6S pages of this book than
on the 1872 of the rejected one Rulions has t,c.r-
~ rules In some Of bis grammafS, and thirtv- four
in others; and SO differently are they NUM- ered
worded, and arranged, that the whole group IL q
chaotic botch. kerl has but SiztseH rules better
expressed, well arranged, and much more COM
prehensive. Manv other similar comparisons
might be made. Senex tries 10 make the public
believe that no clue IL given to the meaning Of the
few necessary technical terms which are used !;
while they are so plainly defined In the book and
right before bis eyes, that no one-whose ears are
not too long-can fail to understand them He
objects to the definition given of a common noun.
Well, Smith says. In the Characteristic manner Of
Smith, "a common noun 10 a general name -
Smith and John are general names therefore thew
are common nouns. Billions says, -" A noun 10 the
name OF any person, place, or thing " "a bad den-
ton And then. GA common noEn 10 name that
may be applied to all things Of the same sort - A
smart boy might conclude that common nouns
never denote persons or places and should he hap
and Bslg,anS he might dislike the " respectable5'
teachings Of both Smith and Bullicn's The
adopted book has the following question and an
swer: since the world furnishes thousands and
thousands OF objects for rs 10 consider or think
about, and since we never speak without having
something in mind, what Is essential to every
thought or saying? AsURE cr and PREDICATE !,
Senex quotes but part Of this paragraph yet calls
II the whole, detes either or alp Of the school
committee to study out the sense in twenty four
hours, and calls the garbled paragraph fair spec-
men Of the whole book. He so mutilates or
alters almost everything he quotes as to make
nonsense or bad grammar of II. An old man who
will so knowingly and unblushingly misrepresent
facts 10 to be pitied rather than despsed A para
graph given In the preface a specimen Of what
should be avoided he exuftingly quotes and stu
pidly mistakes for a model TO be Initiated His
only item OF any force 10 the hint that poxld, In
one OF tbs misquoted sentences, should rather be
shontd TIL. petty slip may be mistake of the
printer Of the book; for PIP 1912 and POS Senex
can see that the author fully understands these
little words, which are sometimes misapplied
even by Addison, Irving and Macaulay. Senex
IKE all such earpers aud sciolsts, charges against
the author bad style, vague thoughts and general
Ignorance; but bis own style Is " eminently sug =
gestive" Of his own ignorance and astounding
efrontery. or bis own article, though evidently
sentences are xngrGnunatieaI, and nearly ali cape
sadly for some of that same Z" modifying, patching
and amending!n He writes have ordered,
where he should write haS ordered, more des.-
raole than any' for desirable than any otssy
either or alp for any one or ALL or norn for
and not, misplsces words, omits necessary words,
et;., etc. AS to the word "guess, )" which Senex
"pokes out" 30 often by way of taunt have but
this 70 say: IL southerners slike northern books
let them make their own, or ANYTHING else except
unconstitutional Presidents. And he must have
little soul who cannot love his whole country.
As to the base insinuatiOns OF Senex against the
school committee, these gentlemen, have no
doubt, serve the public as wisely and faithfully
though perhaps not quite tciIIingIy-as Senex
would. They get not cent for introducing the
new books; and II they have erred in recommend
ing them, they have at least such men as Prof.
Holmes, of Virginia University; Prof. Child, Of
Harvard; Prof Hadley, Of Yale; Prof Chas An
thon and the Hon. Geo. p. Marsh to bear them
company. JUSTICE.
ADEsIDERATuM.-TheI India rubber goods store
recently opened by Hall Weeks, on the north
side Of Pennsylvania avenue, between Ninth and
Tenth streets, Is great desideratnm In this CITY.
Up 20 so recently, perhaps the only city Of its pop
ulation In the Union without such an establish