Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-06-10
HOW TO GATHER IMPORTATION.

10 the Editor IF the Eagle.
A few suggestions TO the younger
readers of your paper. who have had
the advantage Of an elementary educa-
ton only, and who may wish TO i'm
prove a portion of their leisure mo-
ments in treasruiug up useful knowl-
edge, may not be out OF place. Each
one should provide himself with a
Webstcr's unabridged dictionary
less comprehensive one is of little ser
vice Then, when engaged in reading
keep your dictionary near you and do
not fail to consult it as often as you
find word whose meaning or pronun-
citation YOU do not know. BY very little
study the key to the sounds of the let
ters can be mastered, and then any
one that can read can determine the
proper pronunciation of any word.
Make it point to carefully notice
how public speakers and others pro-
nounce words: and when you hear
words pronounced different from what
YOU were in the habit of pronouncing
them, note them down and refer TO
Your dictionary, and ascertain the
proper pronunciation, The dictionary
must decide i'm all cases. In short
time you will be surprised at the pro-
gress you have made; you will have
taken one step at least towards inn
proving. Besides, it will beget 4 hab
it of close observation, without which
but little can be accomplished. Anoth-
cr necessary thing 10 have at hand is an
atlas or geography containing good
maps. Whenever you read of plac
you can not exactly locate, look it up
on your maps, and ascertain its lati-
tude and longitude and relative situa-
ton. and i'm this manner fix one thing
ut time in the mind.
wish to call attention to another
important matter, viz: acquiring n
knowledge of the English language in
its purity. Because grammar was n
dry study to you while you were at
tending school, do not falsely conclude
that the study of language is worse
than useless and pride yourself in not
knowing anything about it. A mere
smattering of grammar will enable you
to study language with great advan-
tagc. Keep your mind refreshed on
that part of grammar pertaining
to false syntax. You observe that the
expression, and him did SO and so, is
not correct. Then when you have oc.
casion to use similar expression be
sure to make use of the proper one.
Discipline yourself in the use of the
correct expression for weeks, or until
the improper expression is entirely
cradicated from your mind. The
only way to successfully avoid the use
of bad language is TO learn TO love
what is proper and despise what is
wrong. When you have corrected
yourself i'm the use OF one bad express
sion. select another and drill yourself
in avoiding ii till YOU achieve n
complete victory. When you
catch yourself using bad expressions
chidc yourself severely. Make your
self familiar with the writings of re-
putable authors and notice how they
express themselves. Because you can
not perceive what you accomplish
during the first week or month. never
despair a We perceive the shadow
TO have moved along the dial, but did
not see it moving; We observe that the
grass has grown, though it was inn
possible to see il grow. So the adj
vance we make in knowledge. consist
ing Of minute aud gradual steps, are
preceivable only after intervals of
time" A. s. AUSTIN.
Eagle Township, June 5, 1884.