The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-03-31
"HINTS FOR THE STUDY OF ENG
LISH."


cent number of the Christian Union,
which is worthy the attention of all.
Surely there is great need of improve
ment in this direction. AS we move about
in society how few do we find who speak
in elegant, exact, discrimina ting English.
1t is delight to listen to those who are
masters of their mother tongue, and we
feel it would be well if in all our schools
more attention was given to the study of
English, and also il parents would them
selves be more particular in their choice
of language, and would by example as
well as precept SO instruct their children.
The writer referred to urges that child
rem and young people should not only
read good poetry and good literature but
should in addition memorize good Eng
lish. We quote some paragraphs from
the article:
1t is not enough for children to read
these things; they must learn them.
Hire children to learn 'by heart" They
will thank you for it. Little folks often
earn pocket money by picking up pins,
wedding the garden, shoveling the snow,
and the like. It is good to give them q
little mental exercise in the same way. 1
remember well when the nursery funds
were replenished in this way. A dollar
for repeating perfectly "The Deserted
Villsge;;" dollar for the "Ancient Mar
iner;;" seventy-five cents for Gray's "Ele-
gy," and fifty cents for Burned Mar
miou's swarthy cheek like fire." This
money was we'll invested, and has
brought in compound interest of pleas
ure and gratitude.
Cultivate the habit of quotation.
In his "Life and Letters of Lord Mac
sulay" Trevelyan gives charming pic
ture of the family circle in Great Ormond
street. When the writer's father, Sir
George Trevelyan, first joined it he
says he could not imagine who were the
queer people to or about whom the fami-
ly were talking. At length he discovered
that they were the characters in novels,
chiefly those of Jane Austen, with whom
Macaulsy and his sisters were 80 familiar
that they talked pages Of her books.
Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett, Jane and
Bingley, were constantly introduced in
their own very words; and who doubts
that to this memorizing and quoting of
Jane Austen, Macaulay owes something
at least of his rich store and treasure of
words? Ruskin, in his new autobiogra-
ply, ascIibes much OF his knowledge Of
English to the patient storing away in
his mind and the daily repetition Of chap
ter after chapter of the Bible in the King
James version; and we all remember how
Pope spent his boyish days studying over
Spenser until he had him by heart. "By
necessity, by proclivity, and by delight
we all quote" says Emerson; and if we
borrow the words of the quotation as
well as the idea we may be as much rich
or in diction as in thought.
Let any boy learn the description OF
the Venus OF Milo in Olive Newcomers
letter to Pendennis, and he will never see
even plaster cast of "the divine enslav-
er" that there will not spring to bis lips
the noble words of Thackeray's noble
mind.
A class of school girls once learned YER
batim Addison's charming Spectator"
paper on the exercise of the fan. Then
they knew Addison's style, and needed to
study no critical volumes about Addi
sons style. The delicate humor, the
subtle sarcasm, the restraint, the polish,
and the power of the eighteenth century
essayist became genuine possession of
their minds.
Again, would suggest, make child
rem, even little children, narrste. Bar
gain with them, "Tll tell you story if
you will tell me one afterward." knew
this to be tried with a class of little
children, and the result was surprising.
Stumbling, suffering, and embarrass-
ment very soon gave way to ease and
confidence in the telling Of some simple
little tale or anecdote, and gradually
there developed the beginning OF that
command of language afterward so ill.,
dispensable.
Play word games. Verbarium, word
stealing, the rhyming game, Gaping
verses-these make words the subject of
thought, and thought of them gives
mastery of them.
In this connection, for last and home
ly hint, consider where you keep your
dictionary. II it is on too high shelf,
or too low a shelf, or under pile of
other books, it will not be easy to look
into it.
Put Webster or Worcester or stout
old Sam johnson on table by himself,
and teach children the habit OF looking
to him for counsel. Then language "ft
and fair and simple and sufficient" will
come to them as a natural and rightful
possession.
LORD TIMOTHY DEXTER.