St. Tammany farmer., 1905-09-16
BIZ MARGARET E. sANGsrER.

AS1S
my great good fortune to be invited to
what was called "a Composition Read
ing" in girls school of high char
acter and wide reputation. 1t was
a pretty sight that greeted my eyes.
The girls of all ages, from 10 TO Is.
were dressed in white, and their sweet
faces and lovely manners entitled
them to be called, if ever girls de-
served the name, winsome school
girls.
The programme of the morning in
cluded essays in English composition,
written by members of every class in
the school, from the lowest to the
highest. There was great variety
both in subjects and in treatment Full
play was given to originality, and no
two compositions were alike. The
teacher who had charge of the work
told me that so far from disliking to
write, the girls loved the exercise, ind
that her classes were the most popular
in the curriculum.
I don't know how it may seem to
L B.
day. They may enjoy writing compo-
sitions or they may dread and dislike
this part of school duty. It depends
good deal on the way one begins,
whether one likes or dislikes anything.
If one is called upon to write compo-
sition on topic which does not inter-
est her, and which she knows aDso-
lutely nothing about, she cannot ex-
pect to find much fun or much inter-
est in so dry task. The important
thing is to have something to say
Composition is the art of having some-
thing to say, and saying it agreeably,
with due regard to the rules Of good
English.
If one wishes to excel in this branch
Of education, one must first Of all be
willing to take great pains. If
were teaching group Of girls, /
would say: Write your theme at the
top of your page, then stop and ask
yourself what you know about it. II
ye,u are to write the story of a journey,
go back III memory to the day you
started, and tell in an orderly fash
ion the various steps you took, BY
what train Or boat you Travelled, what
incidents arrested your attention on
the way, and how you were impressed
when you arrived at your destination.
There are people who go through the
world rs if they had no eyes. Tney
see little, because they do not look.
The one who looks around her will
find interesting incidents in the short
est walk, or drive, or trip by train
In describing a place or jaunt there
is this to be remembered, that you
wish to fix the emphasis on the strong
est points, and slide over without mem
ton little details that are simply COM
monplace. For instance, it is not
necessary to say that the conductor
came through the train and took up
the tickets. AS everybody knows,
conductors always do this. But If
you had an experience that once had,
on a leisurely train, in southern
state, when the conductor signaled the
enginee. while some of the lady pas
sengers went out of the cars and gath
cred flowers by the roadside, you
might tell about it. In other words,
tell Of the unusual, not of the ordinary.
If yo lr composition is to be his
torical, and it's central figure is one
of the country's men Of renown, as, for
instance, George Washington, Robert
e. Lee, or some other man whose deeds
have passed into history, you would
best read what you can ind about lhe
man and his period. On no account
write your composition with the book
you have read before you. AS yoa
read make notes, II you choose, SO
that you may be accurate when you
mention place or date, but put
wholly aside before you begin to write
the volume you have been consulting.
You wish to write your composition IL
your own words, not IN the words OF
an author whose volumes are IN the
library. Do not waste time IN long
introduction. Regin at the beginning,
tell where your hero was born, where
he attended school, and what hap
pened about the time that he entered
public life This is not difficult IN
the case of the Father of His Country
and every American girl should be 50
familiar with his life that she cap
write creditab1e composition or
George Washington.
Perhaps your teacher will ask you
to make an abstract Of an interesting
book which you have lately read. Here,
again, ask yourself what pleased you
n,ost in the book or the story. and