STUDIES

IN

ENGLISH COMPOSITION.

CHAPTER I.

NARRATIVE COMPOSITION.

LESSON I.-RECORDS OF OBSERVATION.

EXERCISE I. MODEL FOR STUDY.

Pupils should read this selection carefully, two or three times. October 16. Spent the whole afternoon in a ramble to the sea-shore. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny afternoon, one of the pleasantest days of the whole year. People were at work, harvesting, without their coats. Cocks with their flocks of hens were in the grass-fields, hunting grasshoppers, chasing them eagerly with outspread wings, appearing to take much interest in the sport apart from the profit. Other hens were pecking at the ears of Indian corn. Grasshoppers, flies, and flying insects of all sorts are more abundant in these warm autumnal days than I have seen them at any other time. Yellow butterflies flutter about in the sunshine, singly,

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by pairs or more, and are wafted on the gentle gales, the crickets begin to sing early in the afternoon, and sometimes a locust may be heard. In some warm spots there was a pleasant buzz of many insects.

This is taken from Hawthorne's American Note-Books. Observe the various insects mentioned. Observe the punctuation of the series of adjectives limiting afternoon. What is the sport, and what the profit, referred to? The common yellow butterfly of autumn belongs to the Colias family. How do crickets and locusts make their song? To what class of words does buzz belong? What other name has Indian corn? What other word might have been used instead of gales?

Pupils should read this selection carefully, two or three times. There having been a heavy rain yesterday, a nest of chimney swallows was washed down the chimney into the fireplace of one of the front rooms. My attention was called to them by most obstreperous twitterings, and looking behind the fireboard, I discovered three young birds clinging with their feet against the jambs, looking at me open-mouthed and all clamoring together so as quite to fill the room with the short, eager, frightened sounds. The old birds, by certain signs upon the floor of the room, appeared to have fallen victims to the appetite of the cat.

The maid provided a basket with cotton wool, into which the poor little babies were put, and I tried to feed them with soaked bread, of which, however, they did not eat with much relish. I hung the basket out of the window in the sunshine, and upon looking in, an hour after, found that two of the birds had escaped. The other was much injured, and I was not sorry when

it died. They were so well grown that they might, I suppose, have been able to shift for themselves.

This also is from Hawthorne's American Note-Books. Observe the punctuation of the series—short, eager, frightened. What is the shape of a swallow's tail? What were the signs which showed the fate of the old birds? Is soaked bread good for young birds? Observe in what an easy, simple, yet delightful way, Hawthorne relates the most common, every-day occurrences. The charm lies in the simplicity yet fulness of the narrative. Such a style is within the reach of any one who tries to acquire it.

LIST OF SUBJECTS FOR RECORDS OF OBSERVATION.

The Doings of a Flock of Sparrows.

Note their manner of alighting like a flurry of brown snowflakes. Their quick movements — air of important businessgathering into groups of two or three — sudden flight — quick chirps — frequent quarrels.

The Building of the Nest.

The season

-the time of day - the place - kind of birds situation of nest. Materials used—where found-how utilized. Different calls of the birds to one another-length of time in building.

Ten Minutes at the Window.

You will be astonished to find how many things will take place in even five minutes. You will have all the material you need, if you note every person, animal, and vehicle that passes. Do not merely mention them, but tell something you observe about each. Avoid monotony of statement by using variety of verbs; as, strolled, walked, lounged, strayed, ran, darted, lingered, dashed, trotted, scampered.

A Game of Tag.

Watch this or some other children's game, and tell all the incidents of it. The way the different players behave disposition as exhibited in play - kind of game-how played - how begun — how ended.

Street Musicians.

Almost any large city will give material for this subject, and in great variety. The organ-grinder, man or woman, or both, sometimes accompanied by children, sometimes by a monkey. Bands of players instruments — harp, castanet, tambourine, violin, accordion.

NOTE. The subjects given above are only suggestions of the kinds of incidents that might come within the observation of the pupils. In these exercises one should try to keep the spirit of Hawthorne's style, the plain, simple, interesting way of telling little things. Whatever merits a narrative may have, one it should never lack, it should be interesting.

LESSON II.— GENERAL NARRATION.

EXERCISE I. MODEL FOR STUDY.

Pupils should read carefully, then reproduce from memory, keeping as much as possible the easy, simple, interesting style.

One of the chief pleasures in Deephaven was our housekeeping. Going to market was apt to use up a whole morning. We depended somewhat upon supplies from Boston, but sometimes we used to chase a butcher who took a drive in his old canvas-topped cart when he felt like it, and as for fish, there were always enough to be caught, even if we could not buy any.

One morning Maggie told us that there was nothing in the house for dinner, and taking an early start, we went at once down to the store to ask if the butcher had been seen; but finding that he had gone out deepsea fishing for two days, we strolled down to the shore to see if we could find some mackerel, but as there was not a fisherman in sight, we concluded that we had better provide for ourselves. So taking our lines, and getting

some clams for bait, we went over to the hull of an old schooner which was going to pieces alongside one of the ruined wharves. We looked down the ruined hatchway into the hold, and could see the flounders and sculpins swimming about lazily.

"There is that same big flounder that we saw yesterday," said I; "I know him because one of his fins is half gone. I don't believe he can get out, for the hole in the side of the schooner isn't very wide, and it is higher up than flounders ever swim. Perhaps he came in when he was young, and was too lazy to go out until he was so large he couldn't. Flounders always look so lazy, and as if they thought a great deal of themselves." "I hope they will think enough of themselves to keep away from my hook this morning," said Kate, philosophically, "and the sculpin too. I am going to fish for cunners, and keep my line short." And she perched herself on the quarter, baited her hook carefully, and threw it over with a clam-shell to attract attention. I went to the rail at the side, and we were presently much encouraged by pulling up two small cunners, and felt that our prospects for dinner were excellent. But our usual good luck seemed to desert us. The cunners would either eat our bait or keep away altogether. Kate at last said we must starve unless we could catch the big flounder, and asked me to drop my hook down the hatchway; but it seemed almost too bad to destroy his innocent happiness. Just then we heard the noise of oars, and to our delight saw Captain Sands in his dory just beyond the next wharf. "Any luck?" said he; 66 s'pose you don't care anything about going out this morning."

Selection from Deephaven. Sarah Orne Jewett.