The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-09-15

of authors. / would ask "G. M. r."
when Mr.. Butler took his departure
for the "fowery meadows of Asphodel"
that his shade should be mentioned in
connection with that of Noah Webster.
He says he learned to spell in the Ele-
mentary spelling book, and expresses
great love and reverence for its great
author, and then proposes to reward
him for his time>hOnOrcd services by
kicking him out of the schools. He
saws that WcbSter's works have tended
to adorn AMI purify the English Ian
guage, and aught to be priced by every
"English speaking son of Adam" and
turns right round and cites some of his
early indIscretions, which have never
appeared in any Of his standard works,
and triumphantly compares them with
the hideOus buffoonery of Josh Billings.
| would suggest for the careful cOnsid
Grafton Of &c. NJ. r. the old adage-
Consistency, thou art jewel" His
encomiums on Webster are very Justly
bestowed, and would be creditable to
his heart and his pen, had it not been
for that fatal comparison. When
Bancroft ranks among historians,
Bryant among poets, Cooper among
novelists and Washington Irving
among writers of miscellany, Noah
Webster takes his place among Amer
lean philologists.
The dictionary of Worcester, the
only author brought forward in cOmpe-
tition with him, has peen republishcd
in London, and pronounced by English
critics to be completion from ma
terials furnished by Noah Webster. |
am aware that Webster had some ex-
IRENE views with reward to 4 shorter
method of spelling, which after a few
years of trial he abandoned, and
thought those views, prompted by toe
great an ardor and ambition for educa.
tional reform we're recanted, yet, they
gave rise to photographed advantages
so permanent as to be universally ac.
knowledged in his own country and
generally admitted in Great Britain,
one of the most important ofwhich was
the exclusion of the letter 10 from 4 con-
siderable class of words, such as labor,
tabor, neighbor, ardor, armor, favor
flavor, savior, &c. The great advan,
tage possessed by the Elementary spell
ling book over Buffers consists in it,
being adapted not only to the capacity
of children but to adult students; il
teaches all the principles ofpronounci-
alton, and only lacks the definitions to
be fully equal, as far as it goes, to any
dictionary. 1t is superior to all other
spelling books in its character of in
struction, inthe remarkable uniformity
of the accentuatiOn and syllabication Of
its spelling lessons, and the simplicity
and easy graduation Of its reading les.
sons, the absence definitions by which
it is characterized is another important
advantage it possesses. The practice
of those teachers who use defining spell
ling books, and compelchildren to com
nit to memory the definitions of long
columns of words, cannot be sufficient
, ly deprecated. The memory is like
the stomach, and when a great mass Of
useless and indigestible matter i,
thrown upon it it will necessarily reject
it.
lam surprised TO find &c. NJ. r.
opposed to the mark used in the Ele
mentary spelling book. The use of the
mark is, no doubt, one of the principal
merits of that book; and though they
are not claimed tobe Of any Use to be
ginners, they are of no disadvantage tC
them, and can cause the eyes of tho
child no more confusion than the con
tinual occurrence in Buffers speller o
brackets with their included letters and
words as helps to pronunciation
The advantages of the Elementary
spelling book are not for children
alone, but also for more advanced stu
dents, and even for teachers them
selves. There are hundred ofteachers
who blunder continually in pronounc
ing the lessons of that book to theil
spelling classes, either because, like
&C. NJ. r." they are opposed to the
use of marks. or because they are toe
ignorant or indifferent to profit by theil
application. &c. NJ. r." claims more
for Buffers Speller than the author
himself does, who says the object Of
the book is ''to make good spoilers.
"G. VI. r." asserts that children
should not be kept two or three years