The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-04-18

ever we have read that proceeucu hV.'
pen was elegantly phrased and iogica,'y
stated. In the book before us he makes tue
explorers tell their own stories.
"Bv juiicious selection these narratives
are made TO cover nearly all the ground Oh
our country's history. They have won
deriul freshness, and will charm all reaaefs'
old or young"
For sale by j. 7. ELLrsoN.
The Vote that Made the President. By
DAVID DUDLEY FIELD. Ne" 1orA ~
APPLETON Il Co. 1877.
The reader can guess what sort OF " ''''''
romnblet this is. For sale as above.
Phaoloqy BY JOHN PEnE, Al; A. . New
VnrE. y. APPLETON a. Co. 1877.
rEdited by JOHN RICHARD GREES.]
4 hook that we commend to everybody
who feels an interest in the subject OF which
ittfeats. For sale as above.
Classical Geography. BY II. F. TozER, NJ
A. New York: d. APPLETON q 90.
1877. Edited by JOHN RICHARD GREEN
Another valuable little book. For sale rs
above.
T,co Lilies. A Novel. BY JULIA MANA
NAuGH. New York D: APPLETON " CO.
1877.
For sale Us above.
Nom isma or, Illegal Tender" BY HENRI
CrpxUsCY1. author Of Bl-Mctalllc MO-
new New York: D. APPLETON d co.
1877.
Mr.. CERNUsCuI is q famous advocate OIL
the use OF both gold and silver as money
both to be legal tcndcr-silvcr up to Ger
tain amount. His evidence before the
United States Monetary Commission is con-
tanned in this volume. Also, some OF his
letters or essays.
For sale by j. T. ELLYsoN.
| The Educational journal of Virginia fol-
April contains Il number OF interesting artl'
clcs. The first article is q pretentious one
The writer OF it seems to regard that hum.
bug RICHARD GRANT WHITE as good author
ity. Here is specimen OF Mr.. WYsoRs
fthe author'sl notions: o
| .sIf the grammarians had looked to the
source from which the word gender is de.
rived. they would never have given such
definition OF it as the one quoted. The
word comes from the Latin genus through
the French genre. and means nothing more
than class" ..
On preceding page, hc had said:
at would seem that our makers OF text.
books on grammar, like some teachers,
think that the best way to learn English Is
to study Latin" &c. '-
| First, he censures the makers OF gram
mars for modelling them after Latin gram
mars, and then he censures them for no,
having looked to the Latin language tt
learn the meaning OF q technical word uset
in English grammars. We have not room
to discuss such questions; but we cannot
| refrain from saying that man who sup
poses that the present meaning OF wore
can be tleduced from its etymology is unfi
to teach English grammar. The word "gen
der" is purely technical. Any other wore
would have answered as we'll if it hat
been used to express the idea eX
pressed by "sgender." For instance
"snabliks IA Jabberwock world would
have served the purpose quite as we'll a
"geuder'' or genus" if it had been uset
to express the idea which "gender" ex
presses. We could cite thousand words
which have lost their chronological meaning
entirely. Suppose we try one or two,
eft the writer had looked to the source
from which the word topic is derived, h
would never have supposed it to mear
ssubject.' The word comes from the Greel
topos, place." |.''-
Or, take the word handkerchief, which
means etymologically "hand-coyer-head.'
Such a word could not be. The German
word schlecht once meant "straight.'
"Now it means bad only" The Englisl
"but" is "be-out." The word conuinc
once meant to ouerpouer." ga naddc
has turned into an adder, aaapron into al
apron, an eft into a meet" -Peite.
Briefly, whilst it is well 10 study etymol
ogy, he who supposes that an English wore
must necessarily mean what the word O
words meant from which it was derived
has not yet qualified himself to teach tn
English language even to those despiset
newspaper-reporters for whom our autho
expresses so much contempt because the.
use the word L" inaugurate" too frequently