The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-10-17
MODE AND TENSE.

Father was gouty, and often de
tanned from the Office for week.
together. Sometimes he was in
very pleasant and genial humor
and sometimes extremely touchy
sometimes in a mood to pore owe
his old musty law books, sometime
engaged with the pen, and occa
sionally, not very often, indeed
disposed for little conversation
with "us three" as we prepared
our school tasks around the library
table. Now and then he would
lend us'a helping suggestion in re
gard to some puzzling example il
arithmetic, or au explanatory re
mark on some Latin constructor
or French idiom; but he did no
hold, he said, to getting lessons fol
scholars, nor 10 the modern custom
ofhaving everything SO simplifieC
for them that no mental effort was
necessary; SO we generally had tC
solve our difficulties as best We
could, by continuous and patient
application.
One morning the poor man was
moro restless and fretful thar
usual. He had a bad night and
kept mother awake so much that
she had gone to her room to get an
hours nap while we studied onl
lessons and waited upon father
But he could hardly be patient
with us while we did it, lest oul
skirts should swing against his
.muflled feet.
"Be careful, girls, be careful, "he
criod deprecatingly, and hourishing
his hands all about him, "lt's sore
all around here"
We laughed at the idea, but un
defstood his precautionary advice
and tucked our drapery into the
very smallest possible compass
whenever we went to hand him
anything.
"Poor papa" said Rcbecca, las
she slipped behind his easy chair,
where there was no danger of hurt
ing him, and tried to soothe him by
stroking his hair, and stealthily
pressing her red lips to the shiny
bald spot on the top of his head.
This medicine seldom failed Of o
happy effect.
aThank you, dear, thank you"
he said, tonderly. Nov get your
comb and comb me to sleep for a
few minutes, if you're not too busy
with your books. That comb has
a magnetic effect upon me, you
know"
Rebecca was never too busy to
do his bidding, and by few passes
of her soft fingers and the favoritc
comb through his thin locks, now
changed to an iron gray, sho soon
lad him, if not asleep, combed into
a quiet humor.
By this time Maria Jano and l
were yawning.
"How stupid this grammar is, }"
said Maria Jane. Nothing but
mode and tense, mode and tense,
for twenty pages here. | don't see
much in mode and tense; | wish
there wasn't any"
"Modo and tense!" spoke up my
father suddenly. Don't see any
thing in mode and tense? | am
afraid you are very dull girl.
Mode and tense? Why there's ev-
orything in mode and tonsel'
Maria Jane blushed like peony,
not having the least idea that he
had noticed what he said; and when
he broke out SO abruptly, and so
earnestly, she was all ready to re-
cant everything, and to assent to
any proposition he might make !;
especially that she was a very dull
girl, and that grammar was an i'm
mcasarably interesting, and cnliv.
eniug study, particularly its de-
partment of mode and tense; and
she was preparing 10 submit TO n
critical catechism on verbs in gen.
eral, with all their belongings; while
the apprehension of divers blum
ders flashed out of her black eyes
when father began again.
"Yes, girls" he said, addressing
us collectively, to the great relief
OF poor Maria Jane, "there's q great
doal in mode and tense; much deep
philosophy, many profitable and
practical suggestions. Do you see
how that can be2'
We were obliged TO say we did
not understand.
"Well, l suppose not" said faith.
er. "But what is meant by mode
and tense?"
All OF US began at once.
"Mode is the particular form Of
the verb in which"
90 Pshawl" Interrupted he "l
, don't want any OF your grammar
book definitions. It's the general
idea am after"
We were posed and silenced; for
if there were any other idea, par
ticular or general, than the gram.
mar. book sets forth, we were guilt.
less of its acquisition.
"Manner and time, manner and
time, girls cried he, impatiently,
rthat's the meaning of mode and
tense, in plain English Why,
what in the world is all your school
ing good for if you can't tell that
yet? Don't you SEQ now that mode
and tense need not belong exelu.
clusively to verbs, o. even gram
mar itselfP that it may belong
just as properly to circumstances,
events, actions, men and things, as
to language Do you not see this2