The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-06-11
The Mystery Of Pmnes~siion.

Tho art Of punctuation Is really ono Of the
simplest of the accidents Of literature; yet to
most people Il seems an impenetrable mystery.
Many writers Of high reputation mako the Wild
est work in attempting to punctuate their own
manuscript. Indeed, most Of the punctuation
in books is that Of the proof reader, not that Of
the author. This, however, Is not wonderful |;
for IL the secrets Of the proof-rcadcr's den were
revealed the reading public would be astonished
TO know that that useful but invisible function
ary oi,en supplies for writer's Of reputation not
only nil the punctuation but also great deal
Of the spelling and correct English. II Is pop
ularly supposed that all printers are accom-
plish0d pnnctuators; but in truth they arc not.
The best Of them win punctuate ordinary mar
rative tolcnbly well; but II anything moro
elaborate Is left to their mercics, they are apt to
make strange work Of 1t. A good proof.rcader
can Of course punctuate when no understands
the sense but frequently the meaning Is equiv
ocai until the proper points are supplied. and
he can only guess ut the authors intention.
Every one who writes for other eyes than his
own, though nothing but occasional letters.
should punctuate systematically. Tho great OBJ
stacle to this Is the assumption that there Is
something very mysterious and abstruse In the
prorcr distribution Of those troublesome little
dots and scratches. The best general rule for
punctuation Is this head your article or letter
aloud, making your infections conform rs accu-
rately rs possible to the sense you wish to con-
vey; and wherever you make a pause, mark Q
corresponding ono In the manuscript. Do not
mark one where you do not make one In read
ing. Nearly all manuscript, and great deal
Of printed matter. is punctuated too much. III
you can use periods and commas correctly
which, easy as II seems, Is rarely donc-you
will get along very we'll with any simple CON-
position. Semicolons and dashes belong rather
to the clegancics Of punctuation. Three-fourths
Of all the semicolons that ought to be used arc
required before clauses beginning with "for'
or "but," assigning q reason for, or noting
an exception to, the statement that immediate
ly precedes. Dashes, which many writer's scat
ter abo Il in such reckless profusion, should be
used very sparingly. They generally denote
that the sense which Is interrupted by some
necessary intervening explanation is resumed
farther along. When several enumerated par
ticulars, taken together, are in opposition with
single word or clause that preccdes or follows,
they should be separated from II with dash. |
These two cases cover almost entirely the proper
use of that punctuation mark, with whose
wholesale abuse manuscripts are 10 generally
dis6gurcd. When you are In doubt as to the
necessity Of point. by oil means omit II. Other
things being equal, that is best English which
requires least punctuation.
Many curious anecdotes Of punctuation, or
the want Of II, are current among proof-rcaders
and printers. An old compositor tells this ono
eve remember number Of years ago, when
We were at work In book Office near Boston, the
copy was received for scientific work. The
copy was manuscript, with every letter we'll
formed, every capital letter in its proper place,
every word distinct, and punctuated. It was
plain rs reprint, and called by coupositors the
lest manuscript copy they had seen. This cory
was given out to the compositos few pages at
q time, who set II up and punctuatel II as they
had been in the habit Of doing, each rs he
thought the sense required. The proof-rcadcr
read the proofs, marked few changes In the
rs he did In most Of the proofs,
and the matter wns corrected. Another proof
was taken and corrected; and when thirty or
forty pages were ready they were sent 10 the
author for his inspection. In few days the
proofs came back with the punctuation marked
freely. It was corrected, OF course; and the
compositors got orders to follow copy in pune
tuation.' They did 50, and another lot was for
VARIED to the author, punctuated exactly ac-
coriing to copy. In due time these proofs came
back, and with the punctuation marked more
than before. IL that were possible. This irri-
tatcd the proof-readcr somewhat, and he sent
the scientific author not very polite note, ny-
ing III cant punctuate II to suit you, and
you can't punctuate Il to suit yourself, what
are you going to dor In reply, the author
said no wasn't aware he had been correcting
the Office punctuation, but II the prOoEreadsr
would sec to the punctuation he would be much
obliged. as Il was something he knew nothing
about. Ancr that there was no more trouble
about punctuation ON that work.
The memoirs of ''Lord Timothy Dexter were
printed with all the punctuation marks that
should have been used throughout the book pre-
sCutei In . lump on the last page, the rsader be-
Ing told TO sprinkle them In TO suit himself
The competitors for priss css.y In certain
college once employed oaiigr1Phist to copy
their themes, that they might be presented In
uniform druss, and no one possess any sdvan-
tage from It's superior penmanship. He omitted
the punctuation entirely, giving A n reason /