The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-24

to know the meaning Of words and
their lassifcatiOn-Or to De able to
use the correct form Of the precise
word in the proper place implies 4
knowledge Of Etymolo@y. And 20
express ones ideas in correct lam
guare one must know the rules Of
Syntax. All this provided one
speaks according to rule.
The arrangement of tie parts Of
English grammar has always been.
so far as we have seen, in this "rGer.
Orthography, EtyInology. SyntaH.
and Prosody. Oar arrangement
would be this, Orthodoxy, Orthogra-
ply. Orthoepy, EtymoIogy, and Syn
tax. The term Orthodoxy we Shall
leave underlined for the present.
One may apply the rules Of Syn
tax either because, IN early life. he
acquired the habit Of correct speech
without knowing the principles Of
grammar; or he may speak and write
correctly because, in later life, having
previously learned the principles Of
grammar, lie applies them intc!li-
gently to the formation Of sentences.
For want Of more appropriate terms,
we shall call the former the mtchaN-
ical, the latter the philosophical,
method of learning TO speak and
write correct English.
That the philosophical method is q
failure for beginners almost every
practical teacher has learned. Rich.
ard Grant White tells US that this
method is failure because the En-
glish language is q grammarless
tongue. He claims to use correct
English without ever having learned
the rules Of grammar; ergo, the study
of grammar is unnecessary. But Mr..
White overlooks the important fact
that he learned to speak correctly
when a child, his surroundings being
such that he heard few, if any, Of the
errors that fall in the way Of most
children. He learned to speak cor
rectly by the mechanical method.
John Stuart Mill gives his expert
encc that, when 4 boy, he memOTizcd
the rules Of English grammar bat did
not understand them; yet, in after
life, when he became an author. lie
found these same rules Of great ser
vice to him in the formation Of his
style. He would, therefore. have
very young pupils to memorize rules,
and store them away in the chambers
of memory until convenient season.
Mr.. Mill certainl y forgets that few
children have the opportunities that
he had in his tender years, and that
our work as teachers, is Tot to charge
the pupils mind with those princi-
pies that viii! enable him, in tie dis
tant future, to acquire q good style
Of composition; but we are to use
those methods and employ those
means that will enable us to teach
him who speaks and writes incorrect
ly to abandon these vicious habits
and acquire noac the onl y safe habit,
the correct use Of his mother tongue.
DR.. Benjamin rankin, in his au-
photography, narratcs his experiences
III acquiring an easy style Of comp0-
sition. lie would find Q chapter in
some book. the style Of which greatly
pleased him, and selecting page.
would read it over and over again
until lie had fixed it, as well rs he
could, IN his memory. Then. laying
the book aside. lie would endeavor
TO express these same ideas in his
own words, using the copy as his
model. He found repeated efforts
necessary to insure any degree Of
But he despaired not,
and tells us frankly that. if his style
possesses any merit, it came about
in the way We have briefly de-
5cribed. Quite recently we were told
by very reliable gentleman that he
knew of an editor Of q newspaper
published in an upper county Of this
State, who, having very limited ed
lcation had often experienced great
embarrassment in writing his edito-
-ials, because Of his lack Of knowl-
edge concerning the principles Of
English grammar. He has overcome
his trouble to q large extent. and
writes very good English. His meth,
ID is to write his article and then
,ead it aloud to see if it SounlS cor
'ectly. His ear is his guide. This
S assuredly in keeping with the me-
mode.
ITO be c0ntinued.l
Last Friday was campus day at
College. The boys plant
I'd quite a number Of trees. Each