The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-11

itself and quar- deeply. That il, he is
advised to read an unabridged diction-
ary.
An illustrious example stands before
him In the person OF Robert Browning,
who prepared himself to be a poet by
reading and digesting the whole OF
Johnson's Dictionary It is a pretty
question whether or not Samuel johnson
wa In any way responsible for Brown
ings unique and. one might almost say,
bizarre command OF language. And one
wonders II subsistence on the Standard
or the Century Dictionary would have
evolved a different INC more translucent
Browning. We wot not We Just won.
der. At any rate, the digesting Of the
more modern dictionary would have me-
cessttated a greater expenditure Of time
and energy.
Browning himself found a precedent
in Chatham. who. according to Lecky,
told a friend that he had read over
Bailey's English Dictionary twice. from
beginning to end"
Sew persons especially amonG those
who are seeking to increase their vocab-
uiary chiefly for cultural purposes, will
care TO take the dictionary. even though
the medium OF Webster or Worcester, so
seriously and alpha-to-omega-ly as
Browning and Chatham did. Few per-
sons also would care to follow the
example OF Rufus Choate, the great ad-
vocate. by increasing his stock OF words
by translating the ancient classics into
English. In fact. few would desire to
translate even French or German clas-
sics.
Benjamin Franklin had a similar
method. only instead OF tra~nslating from
4 foreign language he paraphrased some
~ the nafpra i'm an odd vpl,1na ~ thn
spectator that he happened upon.
Then | compared my Spectator with
The original" he wrote in his Auto
biography discovered some Of my
faults and corrected them. But I found
wanted a stock of words, or a readi-
ness In recollecting and using them,
which I thought I should have acquired
before that time II I had gone on maxi
ing verses since the continual occasion
for words OF the same import. but of
dinerent length. to suit the measure. or
Of different sound for the rhyme. would
have laid me under a constant necessity
OF searching Tor variety. and also have
ended to fix that variety in nv mind
and make me master of IL. Therefore. I
took some of the tales and turned them
INTO verse: and. after a time. when I
had pretty well forgotten the prose.
turned them back again. I also some-
F ''A'h hN 'olit'llbllS o Minus
INTO confusion. and after some weeks
endeavored TO reduce them into the best
order before ] began to form the full
sentences n complete the paper. This
was TO teach me method in the arrange
ment OF thoughts. BY comparing my
work afterward with the original ]
discovered many faults and amended
mem but ! sometimes had the pleas
ure OF fancying that. I'm certain par-
fruIarS of small in,nnrt h.l 49,
lucky enough to improve the method or
the language, and this encouraged me
70 think ! might possibly In time come
10 he a tolerable English writer. of which
was extremely ambitious"
Robert Louis Stevenson had his own
method OF acquiring what he was pleased
10 term the lower and less intellectual
clements of the art [of writingl the
choice OF the essential note and the
light word A through my boyhood
and YOUTH" he writes In Memories and
Portraits 81 was known and pointed
out for the pattern of an idler. and vet
l was always busy on my own private
eld' which was TO learn TO write. kept
"i~ays " books in my pocket. one to
reah' one to write In. As | walked, my
mind was busy fitting what I saw with
appropriate words: when l sat by the
'oadside ! would either read, or n pencil
ana r penny version book would be in
ny hand, TO note down the features OF
ne scene or commemorate some halting
>'anzas. Thus I lived with words. And
what ! thus wrote was for no Interior
use 1t was written consciously for prac-
ice. II was not SO much that l wished
ID De an author Though ! wished that
Voo) as that | vowed I would learn ia
write nat was a proficiency that
,empted me, and | practised to acquire
IL as men learn to whittle. in a wager
with myself"
a man who has made a reputation
hoth as a writer and a teacher SAYS
maj better than all other means of in
'reasing the vocabulary is writing. AL
ways the way to learn to write con
Nnues Arlo Bates. lis TO write. The way
o Increase ones power of expression il
0 strive to express. The habit of seek.
ing constantly for the right word re-
Sults IN ability to find the right word. II
"-'s not only directly. widening ones do.
ndh IN the realm of language. hut it rem
ues a hundredfold more effective the
'Se OF reading and Of talk. It puts the
'.hd into an attentive mood so thai
"heh a new term is met with IL Is re.
memhered. The perception on the aler,
'r words BECOMES susceptible to them,
~ mat they are appreciated and re.
"''' tulllNttt the ndDlt OF putting
'h!hgs into words and the words will
One unc~onsciously: practise phrasing
.housht and the means of phrasing II
VIZ not long be wanting"
FEOi. Bates points out that another
IMPORTANT means of increasing ones
o'mIltnd of language is conversation
ana the value OF conversation in this
'espe't as In every other is in direct
40 TO its character. To talk liz not
enough 1t is necessary that the talker
eNett himself to do his best. Chatter
) of no value as intellectual training
rs IN" exercise OF the mind which tells
subject OF conversation may be as
.sht as possible, but IL is important
-'"' whatever is said is said well,
"heher II be a compliment to a mis-
,r~ eyebrow. "A discussion of the
I''p'H' philosophy of life or the latest
~ mot Of the clubs. Every variety OF
''l Emerson says truly. Science, re-
'suh, politics, letters. art. prudence, war
u io'", LAS It's vent and exchange In
.o"N'rsttion,' and it follows that con-
,'H"'.on properly conducted helps TO
'r power Of expression In all OF these
,'1d.ug III" dictionary and pr0fting
.1uc."I'ly BY such mental exercise
m'e'S Prof Bates's approval. "In
srN'fdl there is far too little stress laid
.p''. Pho use OF the dictionary. There
auH 30 m every preparatory school a
|sU'1r exercise in the use OF the die
"n'IF, and In 1t all students should
,'inlIcd 10 join. The teacher should