3. Criticise the following letter in point of Elegance:

DEAR SIRS: Once again as Father Time hobbles up to the finishing post at the end of another short year, and turns the sand glass in his weary and wrinkled hand, and gives the scythe a twist over to the other shoulder, we turn reflectively to the days that he has mown off the field of eternity since last we addressed you, and our musings and ponderings are of a very pleasant nature. The old gentleman has dealt kindly by us; he has permitted us to carry on the work we had hewn out in the sphere which we specially considered as worthy of better consideration; he has allowed the sun of prosperity to cast its warming beams over our heads, and our hands and hearts have been strengthened anew by the praises and encouraging words he has caused our friends to utter for the work we are striving to do.

Still, notwithstanding all this, we are not yet satisfied. You have never given

a trial.

Surely the Cana

dian trade is worth something to you.

Will you give us

something this year? We are not particular as to the size of the space. We want you represented in our columns.

4. Examine, under the direction of the instructor, several current newspapers, in order to determine how far the quality of Elegance enters into such writing, and where and how each paper as a rule succeeds or fails in attaining it. Compare the methods of the majority of these papers, if possible, with those of the Temps, the Figaro, the Neue Freie Presse, and other standard foreign journals.

5. Compare, both in regard to subject-matter and form, an ordinary novel of the kind offered for sale in railway trains with a typical novel of some reputable contemporary English or American author, - Mr. James, Mr. Howells, or Mr. Meredith. How and where is one preferable to the other in point of force or elegance? If possible, compare both with a good contemporary French novel. The same process can be profitably extended at the option of the instructor to cover other forms of composition.

6. With the following definition of Elegance as a basis, examine a number of the passages from reputable authors quoted in this book, with a view to determining which possess the quality in question in the highest degree:

"We have seen already that every word we use must in greater or less degree possess two distinct traits, - denotation and connotation. It denotes the idea which good use agrees that it shall stand for; it connotes the very various and subtile thoughts and emotions which cluster about that idea in the human mind, whose store of thoughts is so vastly greater than its store of words with which to symbolize thought. And the traits that words possess, compositions must possess too; sentences, paragraphs, chapters, books, put together the words which compose them, and all the traits of these words. In all the elements of style, denotation and connotation may alike be recognized. The secret of clearness, we saw, lies in denotation; the secret of force in connotation. But we have already seen that when all is done, the expression of thought and feeling in written words

can never be complete. Do what we may, with denotation in mind and connotation too, our style can at best be only something

'That gives us back the shadow of the mind.'

No expression can be so perfect that a better cannot be imagined. In this truth, I believe, lies the final secret of the quality I call elegance. The more exquisitely style is adapted to the thought it symbolizes, the better we can make our words and compositions denote and connote in other human minds the meaning they denote and connote in ours, the greater charm style will have, merely as a work of art. In a single phrase, the secret of elegance lies in adaptation."-Wendell: "English Composition," p. 281.

DIRECTIONS FOR WRITING THEMES.

Please observe the following rules. Failure to observe them may in any case be considered sufficient cause for refusing to accept a theme.

1. Use paper eight by ten inches in size.

2. Always use black ink.

3. On the left side of each page leave a margin of at least one inch.

4. Fold the paper once lengthwise. Write at the top of the outside page your name, class, the section or course to which you belong, and the date on which the theme is due. Example:

J. Q. ANDERSON, '94 (or Special),

Section 4,

October 6, 1890.

5. Themes should be returned to the instructor, corrected or rewritten, as the instructor may require. Irregularity in handing in or in returning themes will seriously affect a student's mark.

6. Remember the part a paragraph plays in written composition. A paragraph is rarely composed of merely one or two sentences; usually it is made up of a larger number of sentences, which constitute together the expression of one of the main parts of the author's thought. To make the structure of what you write evident, indent your paragraphs, and make it a practice not to leave blank spaces at the ends of your lines (except when a paragraph ends in the middle of a line). See pp. 153, 154.

ABBREVIATIONS AND SIGNS USED IN

CORRECTING THEMES.

MS. Bad manuscript.

Sp.

Bad spelling.

p.-Fault in punctuation.

cap. Fault in the use of a capital letter.

1, 2, 3, etc.. - Words, clauses, or sentences to be rearranged in conformity with the numbering.

[

]-Passages within brackets to be omitted.

Against a clause, sentence, or paragraph incurable by correction, and requiring to be re-cast.

X- Some fault too obvious to require particularizing.

O., A., or T.- Obscure, ambiguous, or tautological.