dog-star, gas-meter. Dog and star are distinct words, which when thus joined form a compound word. The hyphen is also used in writing or printing, to connect the syllable of a word ending a line with the next syllable of the same word beginning the following line. In both writing and printing it is easy so to arrange the words of a line as to make the use of the hyphen seldom necessary. When several words are connected to form an adjective the hyphen is used, as, "The never-to-be-forgotten cruelty of Nero." Here "neverto-be-forgotten" is an adjective qualifying the noun "cruelty." But such a combination is very objectionable, and can always be easily avoided.

The mark of quotation consists of two pairs of commas placed thus, ("........."), one pair at the beginning and the other pair at the end of a quotation introduced into our own writing from another man's spoken or written words. A quotation may be given within a quotation, in which case two commas placed thus, (.........'), should mark the subsidiary quotation; as, he said "Let us not despise the trifles which may bring brilliant opportunities. Remember There is a tide in the affairs of men which taken at the flood leads on to fortune,' and he is wise who watches for it." Here are quoted the words of a speaker who himself quoted the words of a poetical author. The quotation mark must not be used when the sense only, and not the exact words of a speaker or author, is given: as, "The opinion has been expressed that Cleanliness is not far removed from Godliness." "Cleanliness is next to Godliness," is the exact quotation.

OTHER SIGNS AND MARKS.

The sign () which is hardly ever used now, stands for paragraph. The sign (§) is used sometimes instead of the word section. The asterisk (*), dagger, (†), the double dagger(), and some others, are perfectly arbitrary signs, used to draw attention to a note, marked with a corresponding sign at the bottom of a page. Notes, as a

general rule, should be very sparingly used. Like parenthetical sentences, they generally contain matter which could have been embodied in one lucid whole. They obtrude upon the attention of the reader, divert his eye, and tax his patience.

When foreign words are used, which should be seldom, they should be underlined once, that being equivalent to italics in printing.

Instead of and, the sign & is frequently used, but the usage is to be condemned. To this sign is sometimes added the letter c, thus, &c. The is an abbreviation of cetera, a Latin word meaning "the others," "the like," or "so on; " therefore &c. means "and the others," "and the like," or, "and so on."

The CARET, thus, (^), is used to mark the place in a line where an omitted word or sentence is to be inserted. It has been called the blunder mark, and such it is undoubtedly. If due care and consideration be given to the formation of the sentence, and it be written with attention, occasion to use the caret will seldom arise.

A CAPITAL LETTER should be used to begin the first word of every paragraph, and of every sentence which follows a period; also at the beginning of all proper names, and of all adjectives derived from the names of countries or nations. The pronoun I is always written and printed as a capital; and a capital may be used at the beginning of any word which it is desirable specially to mark for the purpose of elucidating or emphasising the author's meaning.

BLUNDERS AND BLEMISHES.

A AND AN.-A is used before nouns beginning with a consonant or with a vowel that makes a consonant sound. It stands before Y when that letter is a consonant, as "a youth," a yew-tree"; before long U, either preceded or not preceded by a silent h, as "a university," "a union,' ," "a European," "a humour," "a humorist;" before ew, as "a ewe,' "a ewer," and before one, as "such a one."'

An is used before a vowel, as "an episode," "an incident," "an understanding;" before silent h, as "an honour," "an heir," "an hostler," "an hour," " an honest man ;" and before aspirated h, beginning words having the accent on the second syllable, as "an hotel," "an hydraulic engineer," "an historian." We say "a hero," but "an heroic action;" "a history," but "an historical account."

as

ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS.-Adjectives and Adverbs must not be confounded. Adjectives qualify nouns; Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. An adjective is frequently joined with a verb to complete a statement regarding the subject: "Flour feels SMOOTH; She appeared timid." It would be wrong to say, "Flour feels smoothly.' "He was exceeding good," should be "He was EXCEEDINGLY good." That dog looks wonderful sagacious," should be That dog looks WONDERFULLY sagacious." "She near lost her life," should be "She NEARLY lost her life." "We are like to be reprimanded," should be "We are LIKELY," and so on. "I went to Paris previous to his coming," should be PREVIOUSLY. "Agreeable to my promise I now send," should be AGREEABLY. "Conformable to your instructions," should be CONFORMABLY.

When a verb is intransitive, that is, when its action does not pass on to an object, an adjective is used, as "The schoolmaster looked severe;" but when the same verb is transitive, that is, when the action passes on to an object, an adverb is used, as "The schoolmaster looked severely at him."

ADVERB, PLACE OF THE.-There is much carelessness displayed with regard to the placing of the adverb in a sentence. It should commonly come before adjectives and after verbs, but it may stand between the auxiliary and the verb, as "He was respectfully received by all."

The emphasis in pronouncing only, wholly, rarely, fully, and other words of a like kind is generally sufficient to show the speaker's meaning, and they are therefore thrown into a sentence without deliberation. "I only gave sixpence," should be "I GAVE ONLY Sixpence." "They put their hands to the fire, and only found out their mistake when they had burned their fingers," should be "and found out their mistake ONLY when they had burned their fingers." In writing, which appeals to the eye, we ought to follow the rule, and put the adverb in its proper place.

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Very common also is the misplacement of members of couples, such as not only, but also. We not only find remains of towns in all parts of the country, but also of villas." This position of not only leads us to expect some verb to correspond with find. But the writer does not mean to contrast finding with doing anything else; what he intends is to contrast "remains of towns" and "remains of villas." He ought therefore to have placed the words not only and but also so as to point the contrast with precision; and, if he had done this, it would have led him to improve the order in other respects. Read: "In all parts of the country we find not only remains of towns but also remains of villas;" or, if you wish to avoid repetition of "remains," "we find remains not only of towns but also of villas."

ALONE, ONLY.-Alone is sometimes improperly used for only. Alone strictly means by one's self. "I love him alone," or "I love him only," is "I love him by himself, I love him and nobody else." But it is improper to say "It was alone by the help of James that the design could be carried out." This should be, "It was only by the help of James," or, with very nearly the same sense, "It was by help of James alone."

Alone, when it is to be taken with a verb, should always follow it, as "She was sitting alone on the terrace." This means She was sitting on the terrace, and there was nobody with her." In "She alone was sitting on the terrace," the word alone has special reference to "she," implying that She, and no one else, was sitting on the terrace." She only was sitting on the terrace," should be avoided as ambiguous.

AM COME, HAVE COME.-The distinction is this: "I am come" rather points to my being here; "I have come to my having come. He was no sooner gone than I came," and They were no sooner left than I came," should be " HAD no sooner." Where the subject is not a person "be" is generally felt to bo more appropriate: The box is come," rather than has come."

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ANTI, ANTE.-Anti is a Greek word, meaning against, opposed to; Ante is a Latin word, meaning before, or previous

to.

Thus "Anti-papal," against or opposing popery; "Ante-room," a room before, or leading into, the principal apartment.

ARE REQUESTED, IT IS REQUESTED.-"Accounts are requested to be settled weekly," should be IT IS REQUESTED that accounts be settled weekly." We request not things but persons. Similar expressions are very common, but ought to be scrupulously avoided.

AS, THAT, THAN.-"There is no beauty so permanent as cannot admit of decay," should be, "There is no beauty so permanent THAT (OF THAT IT) cannot admit of decay."

"The man as we just met" ought to be "The man that we just met."

"This road is much shorter as that" ought to be "shorter than that."

BETWEEN, AMONG.-Between (from by twain) has reference to two objects. Among, to more than two. "I went between the (two) posts." "The prize money was divided equally among the crew.'

"There was an extremely short interval between each flash." Say "between every two flashes," or simply "between flashes.”

BUT WHAT, BUT THAT.-" He will never believe but what I have deceived him," should be "He will never believe but THAT."

COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE.-Better not say, "John is the eldest (or the youngest) of two children; say, "the ELDER (or the YOUNGER)." Say "my brother is STOUTER than I" (am understood), not "is the stoutest." "Of two evils choose the LESS," not "least." Remember that these, and like phrases, imply comparison; therefore the comparative degree should be used.

Some writers show a tendency to break away from a strict observance of the comparative form. Thackeray says, "this court had been the most magnificent of the two." But ordinary writers should not imitate is licence.

When one individual or set is compared with another individual or set, the comparative must be used, as, 'Sarah is prettier than her sisters." Here “Sarah” and “sisters" are opposed to each other; they belong to different sets or classes.

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When a person, or thing, of one class, or kind, is compared with all others of the same class, or kind, either the superlative degree can be used, or the comparative with the word other attached; as "Kemble was the greatest of all tragedians; or, "Kemble was greater than all other tragedians." Kemble was greater than all tragedians" would be incorrect, for Kemble was himself a tragedian, and could not be greater than himself. "This newspaper has the greatest circulation of any in the kingdom," should be the greatest circulation of all newspapers," or "a greater circulation than any other."

Such adjectives as extreme, correct, chief, complete, honest, universal, perfect supreme, true, full, empty, consummate,