The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-05-10
The Dictionary As An Instructor.

we notice as matter well worm men- I
tioning, that at the recent great publishers
trade sale in New York, the books that
were most in demand and brought the best
prices were Webster's Dictionaries, from
the famous Quarto to the neat and handy
pocket edition. This fact is good indica-
tion of the almost universal popularity of
these books, and of the growing public de-
mand for them. 1t indicates also fact of
far greater importance, and that is the in
terest the people are taking in the study of
their own language. This is encouraging,
as there is no branch of education that is
now and has been SO much neglected as the
common branches of spelling and defining.
It is often astonishing and grievous to see
how grossly ignorant are children and |
youth, and even men and women, of the |
orthography, pronunciation and meaning |
of ordinary words and phrases. They can
not express their thoughts for the want of
words, and often they express thoughts
very different from what they intend, be-
cause they do not understand the words
they employ. And very frequently, from
/, the same cause, they take no idea, or wrong
ideas, from what they read or hear.
, The remedy for these evils is the proper
training in the study Of words, by the use
of the Dictionary, and this training should
e begin as soon as the child can distinguish
between one word and another, and con-
/ tinue indefinitely. The apparatus for this
IS study should of course, be the most COM
= plete and thorough to be had, and this is
e. abundantly supplied in Webster's Diction-
& aries, which are justly recognized, where,
Of ever our language is spoken, as the stand
ut ard authority in English. Parents and
n teachers can in no other way so effectually
al or SO cheaply promote the educational in
K terests of their children, when of suitable
We age, as by putting in their hands any one
en- of Webster's School Dictionaries, for dali,
ks use in connection with the study of thei
en- lessons, and by placing on the family cente
nd table, or the teachers desk as the authori
er tatlve guide and standard, a copy of -th
ry Unabridged.
SO The unabridged contains 5000 illussrs
p- tions, over ia 900 words in its vocabulal
ig- les, and 10000 words and meanings not i
nd any other Dictionary; the abridged edition
It's, comprise The Primary" which has tt
Ia largest sale, and which has some capit
is- rules for spelling "The Common School,
Use is similar, but larger, with tables
ri synonyms, &c. "The High School," sti
The fuller, with many ureful tables; "Tl
der Academic" and Counting house" for a
,es, vanced schools and for general home al
old business use. The latter has some specia
not ly valuable commercial and financial I
tlso bles. The little POCKET" edition, with
ress bright gilt edges and morocco binding,
ses- truly an invaluable pocket companion.
7. contains more than $4,000 words, rules
spelling, many bbreviations, words a
phrases, proverbs, ETC., ordinarily met vi
in the Greek, Latin and Modern languag
Inal Whether it is convenient or not to ha
MY copies of any of the other books of {
'lng series, we certainly recommend that
ness should possess copy of the Pocl
which, when not otherwise obtaina
In may be had by mail, by inclosing 81 90
apt the publishers, MEssRs. IvIsoN, BLAI
aper MAN, TAYLOR & Co., 1873 and 140 Grs
Street, New York.