The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-05-10
The Dictionary as an Instructor.

We notice as matter well worth
mentioning, that at the recent great
publishers trade sale In New York, the
books That were NEST I'm demand and
brought the best prices were Webster's
Dictionaries, from the famous Qunrto
to the neat and handy pocket edition.
This fact Is good indication Of the al
most universal popularity Of these
books, and of the growing public de-
mand for them. 1t indicates, also, q
fact of far greater Importance, and that
In the interest 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 50
much neglected as the common branch
cs of spelling and defining. 1t Is often
astonishing and grevious to see how
grossly ignorant are children and youth
and even men and women, of the Or
biography, pronunciation and mean
ing of ordinary words and phrases.
They cannot express their thoughts fer
the want of words, and often they ex-
press thoughts very different from what
they intend, because they do not un-
derstand the words they employ. And
very frequently, from the same cause,
they take no idea, or wrong ideas, from
what they read or hear. 7"
The remedy for these evils Is the pro-
per training In the study of words, by
the use OF the Dictionary, and this
training should begin as soon as the
child can distinguish between one word
and another, and continue indefinitely.
Tue apparatus for this study should, of
course, lie the most complete and thor
ough to be had, and this Is abundantly
supplied i'm Webstcr's Dictionaries,
which are justly recognized, wherever
our language Is spoken, us the standard
authority in English. Parents and
teachers can in no other way 80 effect
ually or SO cl,eaply promote the educa-
tional interests Of their children, when
of suitable age, as by putting I'm their
hands any one of Wcbster's School
Dictionaries, for daily use In connec-
ton with the study OF their lessons,
and by placing OH the family center
table, or the teachers desk as the au-
thoritative guide and standard, copy
Of the Unabridged.
The unabridged contains 5000 illus
tratiOns, over ia, 900 words i'm it's vO-
cabularies, and 10, 600 words and mean
ings not In any other Dictionary; the
abridged editions comprise '"rhe Pri-
mary" which has the largest sale, and
has some capital rules for spelling.
'"rhe Common Schoop is similar, but
larger, with tables Of synonyms, &c.
"rl,c High school," still fuller, with
many useful tables; '"Ihe Academic"
and "COunting- housc' for advanced
schools and for general home and bus
incss use. The latter has some spec
tally valuable commercial and fnan-
cial tables. The little "Pocket" edi-
ton, with its bright gilt edges and mo-
rocco binding, Is truly an Invaluable
pocket companion. 1t contains more
than $4,000 words and phrases, prev
erl,s, etc. ordinarily met with in the
Greek, Latin and Modern languages.
Whether 1t IL convenient or not to have
copies Of any of the other books OF the
series, we certainly recommend that
all should possess copy Of the Pocket,
which, when not otherwise obtainahle,
may be had 10y mail, by enclosing 81
to the publishers, Mcssrs. IvisOn, BIake-
man, Taylor II Co, 13S and no GRIND
Street, New York.