The Osceola times., 1883-06-30

Notice that the past tense of lie is the
same as the present tense of lay, for that
is where great many are puzzled. Now
the first verb Of each pair always take,
an object; the second never takes one
thus you always lay or set something, but
you never lie or sit anything. If you
hear a person say 81 shall lay down,
just inquire, LAY what down." FOR tn,
verb lay always takes an object. If one
of your friends bids you to "set down,
you may ask, "set what DOWN." for the
verb set always takes an object. Re.
member those facts, and that lie or sit
never take obiects-are intransitive-
and the whole difficulty in the -four
words is mastered
But though our lesson is ended, we
will say a few words by way of illustra-
ton.
First let us acknowledge that the gen
eral principle no rule without exception.
holds good here likewise. and there are
few exceptions. Thus, the sun sets
without setting; but as that is almost the
only case, aside from the grand rule,
with which you will commonly meet. We
will say nothing whatever about the 9TH
ers, for if you should make errors in ev-
ery instance, they would be far less i'm
portant than those which you will avoid
by attention to our rule.
A story is told Of a certain lawyer who
was addressing a jury and said:
The future of my client, gentlemen
lays with you"
The judge, interrupting, said.
Lies, Mr. Coleman; hens lay"
The advocate accepted the correction
and finished his plea Soon. however.
the day ended, and the Judge announced:
Court will set next Tuesday, ct nine
o'clock.
Coleman sprang to his feet
"Sit, your honor; hens set"
That was witty, and very fair for a
joke, but it was partly incorrect. Hens
do not set, as one may readily see by ap-
plying our rule. Set what? You NAV
set a hen, but after she is set she sits,
and is commonly very "set" about sit
ting, too. But, on the other Land. she
lays. Lays what? An egg. Does she
lie? Not commonly; her usual method
is to roost, though she may be about the
laying. G., cackle over an empty nest.
1t is amusing, often, 10 hear the at
tempts to speak correctly. made by peo
pie who know the ground among these
four words to be treacherous. We once
called on gentleman, and the young la
dy who answered the bell explained that
he was Just lien (linel down. That was
a ridiculous sentence, and vet it showed
that she knew better than TO say Gle
has Just laid down." She knew that lie
was the verb to be employed. but she
had not committed the principal parts,
which is the very first thing to be done.
What should she have said?
At the Philadelphia centennial, in '76.
we saw the following placard fastened to
an easy chair in the Portuguese DEPART
ment: Please do not seat in this chair"
MaIy of the visitors vino laughed at the
broken English would have done worse.
They would have said, "Do not set in
this chair" What would you say?
As an additional aid one way add
mea.ally, the word now TO the present
tense, and yesterday to the past ter.se:
and, of course, remember that the past
ldiAiNipit ~ dlNdis uStu VIII nave or
has, thus:
lay the book on the table (now.)
| laid the knife on the desk (vester-
day.
| have laid the cloth for dinner.
| lie down now
The dog lay on the floor YESTERDAY. j
The book has lain on the table a long
time.
| laid il there yesterday.
The glazier sets the glass (now.)
He set two lanes yesterday
He has set FIVE panes in all.
He sits now while setting it.
1 sat yesterday in my chair.
| have sat here an hour.
Lie down Carlo, and lay your head on
my lap as ] sit upon the grassy bank
where have so often sat before, and
watch the setting sun, which, like an art
ist whose genius has lain dormant dur
ing the meridian of life, now stretches
her cloud-canvas on the easel of the sky,
sets forth his colors, which lay hidden
heretofore, and lays them on in blend
ing tints with rich profusion.
Jay Cooke is once more q millionaire.