Find-Discover.

Columbus discovered America and found Indians inhabiting it. Could any one discover America now? Write a sentence showing the difference between these words.

Lease - Hire.

Mr. Jones leased a farm for two years and hired a farmer to work it.

Write a list of things that are hired, and another of things that are leased. What is the distinction between the words?

For additional studies of this kind consult any book of synonyms.

EXERCISE II. WRITE SEVERAL WORDS RELATED IN MEANING TO THE FOLLOWING.

Roget's Thesaurus gives large lists of words of similar meaning.

As I look up the stairway, my glance rests upon the old clock, whose white face seems to look down with a solemn stare, as if it felt itself impelled to keep an eye upon me. It is of the "ancient timepiece " order, made of mahogany almost black with age. It is fully eight feet high, and in form is a pillar with base and capital and tall shaft.

It is rather a plain specimen of its kind, the base and capital resembling square boxes. The shaft, straight and slender, has a glass door, through which I catch the glimmer of the pendulum as it swings to and fro in stately march. The door is hung on huge brass hinges, and is further ornamented with a brass scroll-work keyhole. The capital, surmounted by a simply carved gable-pointed roof, bears the face. The figures on the face are black, and the hands, which I suspect to be of modern make, are of bluish steel.

In the four corners, cut off by the line which encircles the numbers, are painted stiff, quaint, old-fashioned

roses in pink and blue, with marvellously green leaves all quite undimmed by age.

From what is "ancient timepiece' quoted? Why is the phrase "straight and slender" separated from the context by commas? Why is the phrase beginning with "surmounted" also so separated? Explain the commas after "stiff" and "quaint."

NOTE. - Observe that the main features are first given, so as to call up to the mind a more or less correct image of the clock as a whole; then the details are given, as to form, dimensions, and ornamentation.

Avoid the excessive use of "there is" and "there are." Use different kinds of connectives, conjunctions, relatives, and conjunctive adverbs, so that your sentences will not all sound alike. Do not begin several consecutive sentences in the same way. Description is apt to be monotonous. Use every means in your power to avoid that fault.

LESSON X.- GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS.

EXERCISE I. MODEL FOR REPRODUCTION.

This should be reproduced from memory, each writer using as many of the adjectives as possible.

Old Baltus Van Tassel was a perfect specimen of a thriving, contented, liberal-hearted farmer. His homestead was situated on the banks of the Hudson, in one of those green-sheltered fertile nooks in which the Dutch farmers are so fond of nestling. A great elm tree spread its broad branches over it, at the foot of

which bubbled up a spring of the softest and sweetest water in a little well, formed of a barrel, and then stole sparkling away through the grass to a neighboring brook that bubbled along among alders and dwarf willows.

Hard by the farm-house was a vast barn that might have served for a church, every window and crevice of which seemed bursting forth with the treasures of the farm; swallows skimmed twittering about the eaves, and rows of pigeons, some with one eye turned up as if watching the weather, some with their heads under their wings or buried in their bosoms, and others swelling and cooing, were enjoying the sunshine on the roof.

A stately squadron of snowy geese were riding in an adjoining pond convoying whole flocks of ducks; regiments of turkeys were gobbling through the farm-yards, and guinea-fowls fretting about it, with their peevish discontented cry. Before the barn-door strutted the gallant cock, a warrior and a gentleman, clapping his fine wings and crowing in the pride and gladness of his heart; sometimes tearing up the earth with his feet and then generously calling his ever-hungry family of wives and children to enjoy the rich morsels which he had discovered. Washington Irving.

EXERCISE II. QUICK WORK IN GENERAL DESCRIP TION.

Members of the class may recall some familiar place, no matter where situated. Each pupil should bring a picture of it before the mind, and then write his own description, making it minute as possible.

The guiding principle in descriptive writing is to imagine we see before us the object or scene to be described.