Sure. "I'm going sure." Say, "I'm surely going.'

Since, Ago. Since refers to recent time; ago to past time in general; as, "I brought you word an hour since." "The Spanish Armada was destroyed off the coast of England long ago."

Stay, Stop. We go to a hotel and stay, not stop, there. Stop refers merely to the cessation of motion; stay means to sojourn, to continue in one place.

Set, Sit. In strict usage, sit is always intransitive when referring to posture; set, transitive; the expressions "a setting hen," for "a sitting hen," and "the coat sets well," or ill, as the case may be, for "the coat fits," are colloquialisms common to the United States, where it is by many thought pedantic to use sit in these senses. Garments sit, hens sit, and the wind sits, not sets, in a certain quarter; e.g., "And look how well my garments sit upon me, much feater [more neatly] than before."-Shakespeare. "Now sits the wind fair, and we will aboard."-Ibid. In Matthew xxi. 4-7, we learn it was prophesied that Jesus should come "sitting upon an ass," so the disciples fetched a colt from the "village over against them," and "they set him thereon." Also see Jeremiah xvii. 11: "As the partridge sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not."

Shall, Will. Shall, in an affirmative sentence in the first person, and will, in the second and third persons, merely announce future action. "I shall go to town to-morrow." "I shall not; I shall wait for better weather." "We shall "We shall set out early, and shall try

be glad to see you." to arrive by noon."

Shall, in an affirmative sentence in the second and third persons, announces the speaker's intention to control. Thus, “You shall hear me out." "You shall go, sick or well." “He shall be my heir."

Will, in the first person, expresses a promise, announces the speaker's intention to control, proclaims a determination. Thus, "I will [I promise to] assist you." "I will [I am determined to] have my right." "We will [We promise to] come to you in the morning."-The Verbalist.

Scarcely, Hardly. Scarcely pertains to quantity; hardly to degree; as, "There is scarcely a bushel of wheat." "I shall hardly finish my job by nightfall."

Seldom or ever is incorrect; better, seldom if ever, or seldom or never.

Superfluous Words. A careful study of the following paragraph, taken from "The Verbalist," will prove helpful to pupils: "Whenever I try to write well, I always find I can do it." "I shall have finished by the latter end of this week." "Iron sinks down in water." "He combined together all the facts." "My brother called on me, and we both took a walk." "I can do it equally as well as he." "We could not forbear from doing it." "Before I go, I must first be paid.” “We were compelled to return back." "We forced them to retreat back fully a mile." "His conduct was approved of by everybody." "They conversed together for a long time." "The balloon rose up very rapidly." "Give me another one." "Come home as soon as ever you can." him in money ?" "He came in last of all." all he can carry.' "What have you got ?" I have got." "I have got the headache."

"Who finds

"He has got

"No matter; "Have you got

any brothers ?" "No; but I have got a sister." All the words in italics are superfluous.

Think, Believe. Think is often improperly used for believe. To think means to form by mental processes, to review in mind; to believe means to accept as true on testimony or authority. "I think well of your proposition." "I believe that George Washington was a great and good man ;" that is, I accept as true the history of his life.

Take on. This group of words is often misused for grieve or scold.

Take up school. This phrase is often misused for begin school. "School took up at nine o'clock." Say, school began at nine o'clock.

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They, their, them. Each of these words is often misused in such expressions as, "If any one has lost a book, they may inquire for it." Every one must get their own lesson." Say, his or her lesson. "Them examples are not difficult." Say, these or those examples.

This, that or these, those. In the sense of former and latter, this and these should refer to the latter of the two things mentioned; that, those to the former.

That of. "He chose for a profession that of the law." Why not say, "He chose law for a profession."

Try, Make. Try is often misused for make; as," Try the experiment," for "Make the experiment."

Tantalize means to tease by repeated disappointments. Aggravate should never be used for irritate, provoke, or tantalize.

Taste of. The of is superfluous. We taste or smell a thing, not taste of nor smell of.

Transpire, Happen. Transpire is frequently misused for happen. Transpire means, literally, to ooze out; as, "Transpiration is a slow flow under resistance." Happen means to come, occur, or exist by chance. "What happened at the meeting of the commissioners has not yet transpired."

Upon, on. The prevailing tendency is towards the use of the simpler on, unless the idea to be expressed is that of actual superposition; as, "The mason places one stone upon another." We call on a friend, make speeches on subjects, write on various questions, and, if we are not careful in our choice of prepositions, find that "one woe doth tread upon another's heels, so fast they follow."-Shakespeare.

Whole of. An expression that should not be used instead of whole, entire, before a plural noun. "The whole of the congregation were greatly affected" should be "the whole [better, entire] congregation," etc. Again, "The whole of the committee have left" should be "all the committee,' unless it is desired to make reference only to such of the members as are whole in body, or not wanting in the full number of limbs.

With, By. With denotes the instrument; by the agent; as, "The ditch was dug by the gardener with a spade." What, That.

What is often improperly used for that; as, "He would not believe but what I did it ;" read, but that. "I do not doubt but what I shall go to St. Louis to-morrow;" read, doubt that.

EXERCISE XXIII.

Selections for Study.

I. To a Waterfowl.

1. Whither, 'midst falling dew,

While glow the heavens with the last steps of day, Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue Thy solitary way!

2. Vainly the fowler's eye

Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong, As, darkly painted on the crimson sky,

Thy figure floats along.

3. Seek'st thou the plashy brink

Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide, Or where the rocking billows rise and sink On the chafed ocean-side?

4. There is a Power whose care

Teaches thy way along that pathless coast,—
The desert and illimitable air,-
Lone wandering, but not lost.

5. All day thy wings have fanned,

At that far height, the cold, thin atmosphere; Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land, Though the dark night is near.

6. And soon that toil shall end:

Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest And scream among thy fellows: reeds shall bend Soon o'er thy shelter'd nest.