iitfi !i"ri}i!u !i'ti I ! i i i t ii'niaiirflitwii'.itgi] QforncU IttinerHttg iCibtarg THE GIFT OF Pu-is li skers, ««rhen this volume was taken. To noew this ^ook ccqiy the call No. and give to the hbrarian. Vd. .'"Jtrnt . HOME USE RULES ^ All Books subject to Recall All borrowers must -l'AW-0"'Q-494-9-H • ter io' tlie library to borrow Wf\rl ^ 17 T.J-T** B books for home use. books ixx home use. AU books must be i«- tumed at end o£ colleB* year for inspecUoa and repairs. Limited books must be re- turned within the four wedc limit and not renewed. Students must return all books before leaving town. Officers should arrange for the return of books wantad during their absence frcoa town. Volumes of periodicals and of pamphlets are held in the library as mu^ as possible. For special par- poses they are given out for' a limited time. Borrowers should not un their library privil^es lar the benefit of other penoBs. Books of special valne and gift books, when the giver wi^es it, arc not allowed to circulate. Readers are asked ton- port all cases of marked or mutilated. Do not deface books by marks and writiBc* arVIMOs'""""" """"""^ '■"^■^ Working composition / ,. 3 1924 031 672 565 oiin,anx Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924031672565 WORKING COMPOSITION BY JOHN B. OPDYCKE He that hath a trade hath an estate, and he that hath a calling hath an office of profit and honor. — Benjamin Franklin. D. C. HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO Copyright, 1917, By D. C. Heath & Co. IJ7 TO BOYS AND GIRLS EVERYWHERE WHOSE AMBITION IT IS TO MAKE THE WORLD .BETTER FOR THEIR WORKING IN IT THIS BOOK IS HOPEFULLY DEDICATED PREFACE Education is the first serious adventure of youth. In so far as it adjusts itself, to and enriches human life and work and experience, it may lead to illimitable conquest. In so far as it fails to do this, it becomes a vain quest. In the beginning, work created production and industry. But they were without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of enterprise. And the spirit of work said, "Let there be hght!" And lo! there was light — the light of instruction about work, the light of the letter, of the direction, of the adver- tisement, of the sale — and it was good. And then, in the third order of creation, came the cataloging and the record-keeping of the marvels of this genetic output — the division of the work of the day from the work of the night, of the work of the land from the work of the sea, and all the parts thereof. And work saw everything that it had inspired, and behold, it was very good. The National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Edu- cation reports that at least 2,000,000 boys and girls between the ages of fourteen and sixteen are working for wages in this country. They are unskilled at that age and unfit for responsi- bihty. Each year 1,000,000 young people are required simply to maintain the ranks of our working population. There are in the United States 25,000,000 persons, eighteen years of age and over, engaged in farming, mining, manufacturing and me- chanical pursuits, trade and transportation. Of the 14,250,000 engaged in manufacturing and mechanical pursuits, not one per cent has had or, at the present time, has any chance to secure adequate industrial training; for in the whole United States vi PREFACE there are fewer trade schools than in the httle kingdom of Bava- ria, and the United States is one of the few large nations that do not provide by legislation for the continued education of children who become wage earners at fourteen years of age. While- these facts are of interest to all teachers, they have or should have special -significance for teachers of EngHsh. It is in the Enghsh classroom that the greatest opportunity exists for dovetaihng education with life. To base oral and written composition exclusively upon the literary classic is simply to miseducate, to misfit the pupil for easy adjustment to those in- terests in the world to which he will be called immediately upon leaving school. But to have pupils speak and write upon sub- jects related to their present and their future life is to prepare them for life work. They must leave school with living and working apperceptions and with the dialectic of commerce and industry already created and usable. Adjustment to the world after leaving school will accordingly be facilitated; and the dis- continuance of school will not mean a change from one sort of work to another, but merely a transition in work of the same kind. More than this, oral and written composition that centers in life and work and human experience makes expression pur- posive: it induces pupUs to express themselves, not for the mere sake of expression, but because they really have something to say, because they have convictions, young as they may be, about the subjects they are asked to discuss. All pupils are naturally interested in some things and uninterested in others. They have strong feelings, as a rule, about this or that human activity. They have a store of imagination and wonder and curiosity that needs to be kept alive. Composition subjects that are intimate to their experience will perpetuate these pre- cious natural qualities. Composition subjects that are taken from remote, artificial, unusual sources — that are foreign to adolescent experience — will deaden them. An explanatory word as to the present volume' — its aim. PREFACE vii its method, its content, its place as a text — may be helpful. Its aim is to connect composition work with life and work and human experience. It attempts at the same time to link Htera- ture with labor, to humanize the one and to ennoble the other, to establish the natural dependent relations between the two, to unite the cultural with the practical. The subject of work is, of course, too far-reaching, too far-touching, to be sum- marily dealt with in any single volume, but if the author has succeeded in indicating new or hitherto neglected connections between the English classroom and the larger classroom of the world, he will in large measure have accomplished his purpose. The exercises or problems have been made practically inde- pendent of the textual matter itself. They are intended to provoke and stimulate thought, not necessarily to follow and summarize it. Exposition, the t3^e of composition that workers are most largely called upon to use, is treated more prominently in this text than are the other types. There should be less noisy jargon in English classrooms about narration, description, argu- ment, exposition, as types of expression, — less instruction about how to say and more, much more, about what to say. Throughout the book there is insistence, both in the text and in the problems, that there can be no profitable separation of oral from written English, at least so far as elementary and high schools are concerned. Differentiation of the two and speciali- zation in either one should be left for the higher or special school. Work calls for ready and versatile expression in both oral and written form and for quick transitions from the one to the other. To stress either form separately in training the adolescent is simply to disestabhsh their natural unity and to hinder facil- ity in using both in fluent alternation. Even such serious short- comings as nasality or throatiness in the human voice are of minor importance in comparison with the need of intelligence and fluency when the problem is the reading of official corre- spondence to an employer. It is not only difficult, it is likewise hazardous, to say exactly viii PREFACE where any textbook belongs in a school course. A good text should be used exactly where the teaching point demands its content. The present book does not by any means belong exclusively to commercial and vocational schools, or to schools having commercial and vocational courses. Pupils in even the strictest college preparatory schools should be taught about work, should be able to use the language of work, should regard their training, as far as fundamentals are concerned, as in no- wise different from that of their brothers and sisters who are not going to college. Much of the material here presented has been used, in t3^ewritten form, in the first and second years of high school; some of it has been used in the last year of elementary school; practically aU of it has been found val- uable in the three years of the junior high school. From the last elementary school year, therefore, to the third high school year, the contents of the book have been used with success, and it is this gamut in the school curriculum that was kept in view in the preparation of the manuscript. Acknowledgments. — The author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to Miss Mabel F. Brooks for many helpful sugges- tions and for painstaking revision of proofs; to Miss Genevieve Dougine, Miss Caroline Soils, and Miss Emily Howes for the plans on pages 8, 19, and 32 respectively; to Mr. Charles R. Toothacker, Curator of the Philadelphia Commercial Museum, for valuable assistance vyith the illustrations; to Dr. F. H. Vize telly of Funk and Wagnalls Company for valuable assist- ance with the chapter on " Speech About Work "; to Miss Clare Bunce of the May Manton Pattern Company for valuable assistance with those sections of the book that have to do with patterns; to Mr. James E. West, Chief Scout Executive, for permission to quote the Boy Scout Law; to Mr. Edgar A. Guest for permission to quote his poem, "The Whiners"; to Mr. Edward H. Schulze for permission to quote one of his advertis- ing letters in full; to the editors of the following publications for permission to quote: The American Magazine, Popular PREFACE ix Mechanics, Good Housekeeping, Home Needlework Magazine, Obiter Dicta, New York Times, The Fra, Something to Do, The Electrical Experimenter, The Illustrated Milliner, The Outlook, The Woman's World, Advertising and Selling, and the Detroit Free Press; and to the following business and publishing firms for the privilege of quoting from their various house forms: Home Savings Bank of Boston, Liberty Storage and Warehouse Company of New York, Doubleday Page Company, Curtis Publishing Company, American Book Company, Funk and Wagnalls Company, Chalmers Motor Company, Jackson Auto- mobile Company, The Roycrofters, May Manton Pattern Company, United Fruit Company, American Express Company, Sears-Roebuck Company, Stein-Bloch Company, John David Clothing House of New York, and R. R. Donnelly and Sons Company of the Lakeside Press, Chicago. CONTENTS CHAPTER I WORK What Work is — Work and Play — Problems — The Kinds of Work — Your Work — Preparation for Your Work — Problems — The Sources of Work — Production — Manufacture and Industry — Distribution and Marketing — The Varied Inter- est of Your Work — Problems — Labor Organization — Work and Character — Problems . . i CHAPTER II SPEECH ABOUT WORK Speech and Work— .What Speech is — The Written versus the Spoken Word — Importance of Accurate Speech — The Use of the Dictionary — Problems — The Peirsonality of Words — A Few Different Families of Words — Your Word Company — Problems — Overused Words and Phrases — Misused Words and Phrases — Abused Words and Phrases — Con- fused Words and Phrases — Problems — Breathing — Natural- ness — Gesture — Sound Formation — Pausing and Phrasing — Voice Range — Sincerity in Speaking — Problems — The Forms of Speech — Arrangement of Material — Conversation — Story Telling — Drawing a Word Picture — Telling How and Why — Debating — Parliamentary Order — Announce- ments — Introductions — Business Talks — Presentations — Acceptances — Dinner Speeches — Decisions — Dictation — Criticism — Telephoning — Problems 41 CHAPTER III LETTERS ABOUT WORK The Importance of the Business Letter — The Kinds of Business . Letters — The Parts of a Letter — The Letter Picture — The Envelope — Problems — Folding a Letter — Some Special xii CONTENTS Letters — Illustrative Letters — Notes and Bulletins — Tele- grams — Cables — Problems — The Beginnings of Mail Ad- vertising — Announcements — Advertising and Sales Letters — Dunning Letters — Circulars — Catalogues — House Or- gans — Problems . ... 123 CHAPTER IV DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK The Two Routes to Learning — The Relation of Experience and Authority — The Case of Sir Roger — Directive Explanation — The Qualities of Explanation — The Plan in Explanation 7— The Use of Diagrams — The " Other Person " in Explana- tion — The Statement of Rules — Explanation and Description — The Guide-Book Direction — Problems — The English of Special Directions — A Fundamental Rule — Recipes — Menus — Patterns — Problems — Experiments — Manual and Mechanical Operations — Other Kinds of Explanation — In Conclusion — Problems . . 198 APPENDIX Capitalization and Punctuation — problems — Studies in Words — Letters that are Different — A Few Common Abbreviations — Reading Lists — Proof Marks . .288 Index 333 LIST OF PLATES PAGE An Office for Records and Correspondence Facing i Iron and Steel Plant ... . " 41 Anthracite Coal Breaker . . . " 123 Harvesting Wheat " 198 Picking Cotton " 288 u 4-) ^ i l«' o nt at heati cialM ^%4j 1 ^ 2i S O, oi. § I-^^ o — Si r» H (U > o [fl < die. St Thiss kdelphia f ■I i the mid eel mill, of the Phi !■ I-! c t;! e 1 dow: thei missio aces :s to yper ■< S o -^ § « P4 1— I e blast last fu] Reprodu Characterized by or springing from kindness; marked by sympathetic feeling; prompted by kindness; sympa- thetic; humane; tender. ■ ■Kind hearts are more than coronets, and simple faith than Norman blond. Tbnntson Latlu Clara Vere da Vera at. 7. 3> Manifesting kindness; genial or agreeable; favorable; kindly; as, a kind season; a kind, refreshing sleep. 4* Gentle or tractable; as, a horse kind in harness. - 5t- Characteristic of or peculiar to a genus or species; char- acteristic; native; also, having the feelings befitting a common nature: the origin of the present common 'meanings.' [< AS. gecynde, < ge- (generahzing) + -cund, born,,< cennan, bring forth.l Synj: see accommodat- ing; AMICABLE, CHAIHTABLB; FRIENDLY; HUMANE; PLEAS- ANT; PROPITIOUS. The expression kind of in the sense of somewhat Is incorrect, and much more its corruption kinder. ~- klnd'shearfed, a. Having a kind and sympathetic nature.— k.sheartedness, n.— k. ^spoken, a. 1. Spoken kindly: as. a ktnd'Spoken appeal. 2. IColloq.] Given to kindly speech; as, a kind^spoken man.— k.stempered, a. Of a mild or gentle temper; as, kind'tempered weather.— k.*wlttedt, a. kind, n. 1. The nature or constitution of a person or thing, whether generic or specific; essential or distin- guishing quality; sort: often with of; as, circumstances of this kind are rare; what kind of man is he? 3* A number of persons or things of the same character; a logical class; a genus or species; sort; as, i^en of our kind. 3. A modification or variety of a given sort of thing; a species, especially as somewhat indefinitely con- ceived or described; as, a kind of house; a kind of ani- mal. In this use kind does not require the indefinite article before the following noun. Not "What kind of a man Is he? " but " What kind of man." Nob " It Is a kind of an animal*" but "A l:fn(2o/ animal." I. Hence, rarely, a spe- cific mode of operation; specific manner or method; way; as, we must work in one kind or other. 5. Eccl. One of the elements of the eucharist; as. communion under both kinds. 6. In Mill's system of logic, a class, either real, as a class of animals, or unreal, as a class of black substances. 7t- Nature in general, or natural disposi- tion. Sf. Parentage; descent, [< AS. gecynd, < ge' (generalizing) + "^und, born, < cennan^ bring forth.] SjoiJ see KIN. — Id a kind, after a fashion; in some sort.- In k. 1. With something of the same sort; as, to repay a blow in kind, %, Specif., in produce Instead of money: as, to pay taxes in kind,— k. of [ColloQ.]. somewhat: In some mode, measure, or degree: used adverbially with adjectives, and even some- times with verbs ; as, he is kind of cross this morning ; be kind of awoTB at me: dialectlcally corrupted into kinder.— out of k.< alteredi or degenerated from the original. Reproduced by permission from Funk and Wagnalls' New Standard Dictionary, copyright, 1913. 50 WORKING COMPOSITION 2. Tell your classmates how to do some sort of work. Follow this general Une of speaking: a. What the work is h. How to set about it c. How to proceed d. The finished task e. Its purpose and use 3. Speak to your classmates on some of the following topics: My methods of study Our neighbor across the haU Making a hat Making a dress My first cake Setting the table How to make a bed Running the sewing machine Getting dinner How to remove stains How to tie a bow My obligations to my parents My obhgations to my schoolmates My obhgations to my commtmity Whom do I see in my mirror? Things I can do with my hands How to cover a book Lxmch room manners Being nurse when mother is ill Why I like moving pictures WTiy I like to read My favorite outdoor sport The music I like best A place where I should like to Uve Making the best of a bad business A woman or man I admire \Vhen I was ashamed of myself Grandmother's story The land of my fathers SPEECH ABOUT WORK 51 Taking regular exercise What is sensible eating? A practical wardrobe for a school girl My work dress My school suit My little jobs at home Waiting on the table Sweeping my room Mother's work basket Silks that wear Ventilating our apartment My report card and my future The work I am fitted for My brother and I, a contrast and a comparison Why I like certain people What my father does The time I sacrificed Good manners at work and play My manner at work and play- Improving my posture Improving my pronunciation Improving my enunciation Improving my voice The boy who failed My mother's daily round The shops near home School organization and labor unions The boy who left school Judging people by their looks Team work at home The delicatessen store The corner grocery How I waste time A day well spent The old country Primitive textUe machinerjr Cranberry culture Coast guards 52 2 WORKING COMPOSITION Petroleum — what it is and how it is used How cotton is grown How sugar is grown How coffee is grown How wheat is grown Where my mother was bom The oldest thing at home ■ Making homemade lace The kind of books a boy should read Pictures in my room Gifts tangible and intangible A favorite picture What I expect in friendship, giving and getting A picture that tells a story Good movies and bad ones Good books and bad ones The geography of the fruit stand Coming late to school Learning to dance Learning to swim Going home from school Fire drill The dififerent kinds of workers I know How I earned some money Sewing on a button Going shopping with mother An attractive store window The store I Kke best The business of being a guest Looking for a job What I read in the daily paper What I know about baseball The time I failed Appearing on the program Shopping for Christmas A book I've read twice The five-and-ten-cent store When mother went away SPEECH ABOUT WORK 53 4. Discuss the following problems with your classmates: You are dressing to go to a party. You find that your prettiest hair ribbon has been taken by your sister. You are disap- pointed and angry, of course, but — what are you doing to do about it? One of your neighbor's children has thrown a ball through your window. You saw him do it. Your mother is annoyed; the youngster is sorry; you are in sympathy with both of them, so — what are you going to do about it? Your mother is away visiting. You have been left in charge of the house. Your father is brought home in an ambulance, having been hurt in the factory. What are you going to do in this emergency? You go over to Mary's house to attend her birthday party. The dressmaker was to have dehvered your new dress there. It is not delivered, however, so — what are you going to do about it? You start on a trip with a party of friends. After having trav- eled for some time, you become separated from the rest of the party. You have no money — what are you going to do about it? Your big brother, of whoni you are very proud, is graduating from "Commerce" to-night. Your father and mother are both iU and cannot go, and you have no friends that are going. You should stay at home and take care of your parents; yet you wish to go to that commencement. What are you going to do about it? Your mother has visitors for dinner. There is not dessert enough to go around. You are hungry and are very fond of this particular dessert, but — what are y6u going to do in the present case and how are you going to do it? Your father is a member of a labor union and obUged to go on strike. This works a hardship at home. Your mother has to do many extra things, and you — what are you going to do to help? What do you think of the situation? A fire destroys the factory in which your father works and he is temporarily thrown out of work. It happens at the very 54 WORKING COMPOSITION time that you are about to graduate from high school. Every member of the family is obliged to make sacrifices. What are you going to sacrifice? Your paper in the examination was suspiciously like Mary's. You sat beside her and your teacher asks you whether you depended upon Mary for the answers to the questions. You did not, of course, and are angry and hurt. Just what are you going to do about it? You have 75 cents to buy a work dress. What can you get with that amount that is attractive and serviceable? You have been selected by your section as its representative in the Service League. The afternoon of the meeting you decide that a moving picture will be more entertaining than the meeting; still your attendance is expected. What are you going to do about it? Yoiu: father has given you $5 for a birthday gift. It is to pay for a party dress that you have wanted. For that amount what can you buy that will be pretty and durable? You are in your second year of high school when you are offered a position as clerk in a store at $5- a week. Your parents feel that they can allow you to finish school if you so desire, but are leaving the question for you to decide, so — what are you going to do about it? 5. Define the following terms just as briefly and as accu- rately as you can. Then arrange them alphabetically and write definitions of them for a dictionary: recess athletics hohday work school success fatigue truancy baseball detention football exception 6. Speak to your classmates briefly on the sentiment ex- pressed in two or three of the following quotations. Look up the authors of the quotations you select and speak to your classmates about them also: SPEECH ABOUT WORK 55 A dearth of words a woman need not fear, But 'tis a task indeed to learn to hear: In that the skill of conversation lies That shows or makes you both polite and wise. — Young. He gives the bastinado with his tongue; Our ears are cudgelled; not a word of his, But buffets better than a fist of France: Zounds! I was never so bethumped with words, Since I first called my brother's father, dad. — Shakespeare. It may be glorious to write Thoughts that shall glad the two or three High souls like those far stars that come in sight Once in a century; — But better far it is to speak One simple word, which now and then Shall waken their free nature in the weak And friendless sons of men. — James Russell Lowell. Half the sorrows of women would be averted if they could repress the speech they know to be useless, — nay, the speech they have resolved not to utter. — George Eliot. When you speak to any, especially of quality, look them full in the face; other gestures betraying want of breeding, confidence, or honesty; dejected eyes confessing, to most judgments, guilt or folly. — F. Oshorn. Error is always talkative. — Goldsmith. Brisk talkers are usually slow thinkers. — Swift. What a spendthrift he is of his tongue. — Shakespeare. Speech is a faculty given to man to conceal his thoughts. — Talleyrand. Even wit is a burden when it talks too long. — Dry den. His speech was a fine sample, on the whole, Of rhetoric, which the learned call "rigmarole." — Byron. Abstruse and mystic thoughts you must express With painful care, but seeming easiness; Foir truth shines brightest through the plainest dress. — Wentworth Dillon. 56 WORKING COMPOSITION Your fair discourse hath been as sugar, Making the hard way sweet and delectable. — Shakespeare. Boys flying kites haul in their white winged birds; You can't do that way when you're flying words. "Careful with fire," is good advice we know; " Careful with words," is ten times doubly so. Thoughts unexpressed may sometimes fall back dead; But God Himself can't kill them when they're said. — Will Carleton. They only babble who practice not reflection. — Sheridan. A person who talks with equal vivacity on every subject excites no interest in any. — Hazlitt. But far more numerous was the herd of such. Who think too Kttle, and who talk too much. — Dryden. The less men think, the more they talk. — Montesquieu. Whether one talks well depends very much upon whom he has to talk to. — Bovee. A wise man reflects before he speaks; a fool speaks, and then reflects on what he has uttered. — French Proverb. Speech is the index of the mind. — Seneca. Speech is silver, Silence is golden. — German Proverb. In laboring to be concise, I become obscure. — Horace. Speak but little and well, if you would be esteemed as a man of merit. — Trench. The flowering moments of the mind drop half their petals in our speech. — O. W. Holmes. Just at the age 'twixt boy and youth. When thought is speech, and speech is truth. — Scott. Speech that leads not to action, still more that hinders it, is a nuisance on the earth. — Carlyle. Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. — Emerson. It is never so diflacult to speak as when we are ashamed of our silence. — La Rochefoucauld. SPEECH ABOUT WORK 57 Conversation is the image of the mind; as the man, so his speech. — Syrus. What cracker is this same that deafs our ears With this abundance of superfluous breath? — Shakespeare. Talking is like playing on the harp; there is as much in laying the hands on the strings to stop their vibrations as in twanging them to bring out their music. — 0. W. Holmes. She sits tormenting every guest, Nor gives her tongue one moment's rest, In phrases battered, stale, and trite Which modern ladies call polite. — Swift. I think the first wisdom is to restrain the tongue. — Cato. Learn to hold thy tongue. Five words cost Zacharias forty weeks' silence. — Thomas Fuller. I prefer the wisdom of the uneducated to the folly of the loqua- cious. — Cicero. Lovers are apt to hear through their eyes, but the safest way is to see through your ears. Who was it that said, " Speak, that I may see you? " — Sterne. Speak gently! 'tis a little thing Dropped in the heart's deep well; The good, the joy, that it may bring Eternity shall tell. — G. W. Langford. He who does not make his words rather serve to conceal than - discover the sense of his heart deserves to have it pulled out like a traitor's and shown publicly to the rabble. — Butler. For brevity is very good. Where we are or are not understood. — Butler. And endless are the modes of speech, and far Extends from side to side the field of words. — Homer. Such as thy words are, such will thy affections be esteemed; and such will thy deeds as thy affections, and such thy life as thy deeds. — Socrates. 58 WORKING COMPOSITION I would be loath to cast away my speech; for, besides that it is excellently well penned, I have taken great pains to con it.— Shakespeare. The speech of the tongue is best known to men; God best under- stands the language of the heart. — Warwick. Choice word and measured phrase, above the reach Of ordinary men. — Wordsworth. God has given us speech in order that we may say pleasant things to our friends. — Heinrich Heine. Speech is as a pump, by which we raise and pour out the water from the great lake of Thought, — whither it flows back again. — John Sterling. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. — Bible. Speech was made to open man to man, and not to hide him; to promote commerce, and not betray it. — David Lloyd. Speak not at all, in any wise, till you have somewhat to speak; care not for the reward of your speaking, but simply and with un- divided mind for the truth of your speaking. — Carlyle. Discretion of speech is more than eloquence; and to speak agree- ably to him with whom we deal is more than to speak in good words or in good order. — Bacon. Depend upon it, sir, it is when you come close to a man in con- versation that you discover what his real abilities are; to make a speech in a public assembly is a knack. — Dr. Johnson. Sheridan, in his acute, sarcastic way, once said of a speech, that "it contained a great deal both of what was new and what was true; but that unfortunately what was new was not true, and what was true was not new." — Hazlitt. Speech is the golden harvest that foUoweth the flowering of thought. — Tupper. Let no one be willing to speak ill of the absent. — Propertius. As a vessel is known by the sound, whether it be cracked or not ; so men are proved, by their speeches, whether they be wise or foolish. — Demosthenes. SPEECH ABOUT WORK 59 We rarely repent of speaking little, but often of speaking too much. — Bruyhre. Think ail you speak; but speak not all you think: Thoughts are your own; your words are so no more. Where Wisdom steers, wind cannot make you sink: Lips never err, when she does keep the door. — Delaune. His talk was like a stream which runs With rapid change from rock to roses; It slipped from politics to puns; It passed from Mahomet to Moses; Beginning with the laws that keep The planets in their radiant courses. And ending with some precept deep For dressing eels or shoeing horses. — Praed. The Personality of Words. — Words are live, pulsating creatures of communication, not the mere dead symbols of speech. They are not only seen and heard, but they are also felt. If we can realize this fully we shall prob- ably come to have a safe and proper regard for the choice and use of words in our own speaking. Look at the word habii. Listen to it pronounced. Then feel it, and you will have a little shock, an inner-searching of yourself, and perhaps a questioning. You have heard that habits, good and bad, are easily acquired and hard to lose. Well, so is the word itself: it is easily pro- nounced, and, as a word, it is hard to lose. Drop the h, and abit remains. Drop the a, the bit remains. Drop the b, and it is still there. The word is therefore just as clinging as the thing it stands for. The sound of a word often emphasizes its meaning. "Immediately," for instance, is a long word of five sylla- bles; it means "quick," "at once," something extremely short. But it is high-sounding and impressive, and when 6o WORKING COMPOSITION used at the end of an expression as a climax is more effec- tive than any smaller substitute could be. When Edmund Burke used the expression "high crimes and misde- meanors," he purposely placed last the high-sounding word, "misdemeanors." It is vastly more impressive than the word "crimes," though it is not nearly so important in meaning. In public speaking, therefore, climax in thought may sometimes be sacrificed to cHmax in sound. The arrangement of words according to their " sound-climax" is an allowable device for effect, though this rule, like other good ones, if used to excess will defeat its own end. The mere sound of some words is disagreeable while the sound of others is pleasant. Hiss, for instance, is not a pleasant word. It makes one think of a serpent, perhaps, and creates a repulsive mental image. It is therefore ugly in both sound and sense. But mother, home, gentle, love are pleasant to hear and to feel. They are soft and liquid in sound and they suggest to the mind only the best and dearest associations. Of course, all words are not so sig- nificant as these. Is, come, blotter, wall, for instance, are words that are colorless in both sound and meaning. Their sound is neither pleasant nor unpleasant; their meaning is almost entirely without associations of any kind. They simply denote, while the words in the former group connote as well as denote. This indicates, therefore, two large classes of words, connotative and denotative, the one rich in association and significant in sound; the other serving merely to state meaning or to indicate cormection. There are two other groups of words that are important to him who would select his vocabulary wisely in speaking. These are specific and generic words. A specific word is a word that specifies some special kind or part of a SPEECH ABOUT WORK 6i larger thing. A generic word is one that is general in its meaning; it indicates a class and is capable of subdivision into its specific equivalents. The word house, for instance, is one of the specific equivalents for the generic word build- ing. But' the word house may itself become generic in its relation to such words as cottage, mansion, bungalow, etc. These two classifications of words have very definite value to the speaker. To be specific in speech means to be exact and clear, to appeal to the mind. To be connota- tive in speech means to be poetic and imaginative, to appeal- to the feelings. As man has become more and more civilized, more and more educated, he has been able to use in his speech words that are more and more specific and connotative. The following quotation from Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities indicates briefly how valuable a lawyer may make the words of a witness by converting them from merely generic denotative words into specific connotative ones: Mr. Lorry, look once more upon the prisoner. Have you seen him, to your certain knowledge, before? " "I have." "When?" "I was returning from France a few days afterwards, and, at Calais, the prisoner came on board the packet-ship in which I re- turned, and made the voyage with me." "At what hour did he come on board?" "At a little after midnight." "In the dead of the night. Was he the only passenger who came on board at that untimely hour? " But this is not all. Have you ever thought how dreadful the word bang sounds to a child? Often a child will cry on hearing the word pronounced sharply. Note the sounds in the first lines of the following quotations from Tenny- 62 WORKING COMPOSITION son's The Passing of Arthur. Read them aloud and hear the clash and the clang of Sir Bedivere's armor as he stamps over the rocks, bearing the great king. Then note the sudden change, the quiet and peace of the hquid soimds in the last line. Observe also the long, breathless sentence in which Sir Bedivere's struggle is pictured. The reader himself is breathless when he has finished it and is glad when he reaches "lo! the level lake" — His own thought drove him hke a goad. Dry clash'd his harness in the icy caves And barren chasms, and all to left and right The bare black cliS clang'd round him, as he based His feet on juts of slippery crag that rang Sharp-smitten with the dint of armed heels — And on a sudden, lo! the level lake, And the long glories of the winter moon. Again, have you ever stopped to consider how many of the arresting words of our language start with the letter H? Halt! Hold! Hail! Hello! Hence! Hist! Home! Horrors! Hurrah! Hallelujah! Hark! Hands up! Ha, Ha! Here! Hey! Ho! There are stiU others, and they arrest attention because the breath is called into play in the pronunciation of the letter H. The word exhaust, for instance, is pronoimced with the explosive h and the word thus sounds like what it means. In the plays of Shake- speare it will be found that the vowels o, e, and i are used in abundance in those passages where weeping or laughter is required. These are the sounds we laugh or weep with. It is frequently impossible to distinguish laughter from weeping, if the person doing the one or the other is unseen, for the very reason that in both the same vowels are sounded. SPEECH ABOUT WORK 63 The combination into groups of two or more words that sound alike or that begin with the same letter may facili- tate speech and make it more forceful than it would other- wise be. "Misty moonshine," "character and cars," "cash from cackles," and other so-called catch phrases have a place in speaking, but a proper place. The clever phrase or epithet (see page 75) used to excess will de- feat its own end. It may and should be used only for purposes of flavor. Thus, words have a personality all their own. Culti- vate their intimate acquaintance, not only from the pages of the dictionary, but in their usage by the best speakers and writers. Get at their hidden significance and come to know and respect them as friends. Your speech will then sparkle with life and you will become a pleasure to those to whom you speak. A Few Different Families of Words. — Some words, like some people, are decided stay-at-homes. They cling so persistently to a certain province or locality that one needs only to hear them to know their source. They are called provincialisms or localisms. The word "stoop" is local to New York; "quite some" lives in the Middle States; "think" is known as "calculate" in New England and as "reckon" in the South; coffee is "served" or "poured out" in New York, but in Boston it is "turned out"; "elevator" in America travels under the disguise of "Hft" in England. But such expressions as these are not only local or provincial. They are also confined usually to conversational rather than to written use. They are, in other words, on speaking rather than on written terms with language. Thus used, in ordinary familiar conver- sation, they are known as colloquialisms. Colloquialisms 64 WORKING COMPOSITION are broader and more general in use than provincialisms. Most provincialisms are likewise colloquialisms, but collo- quialisms are not always provincialisms. "Just a minute," "I don't care," "They don't want to" are common in conversation aU over the country. "Right smart" and "you-all" are, on the contrary, local and colloquial in one section of the country only — the South. Other words refuse to be localized. They are foreign words that have traveled to our country and may or may not take out naturalization papers. Whether or not they decide to remain here with us depends altogether upon their being able to find an English word that wiU do them justice, that will express their meaning fully. The dic- tionary wiU tell you whether they are fuU-fledged citizens. "Chauffeur" and "garage" have adopted this country, or we have adopted them. But gemUtlich, laissez-faire, ipso facto, raison d'etre, are still foreign, though they move about among us with ease and naturalness. If their native country is France, they are called Gallicisms; if England, Anglicisms; if Germany, Teutonisms. If they come to us from the Greek, they are called Hellenisms; if from the Latin, Latinisms. Idiom is language that has acquired habit. It is language on intimate terms. Certain words and phrases become so accustomed to occurring in certain fixed and definite arrangement that they are not easily understood unless that arrangement is followed. Thus, in EngHsh, we use "Ladies and Gentlemen" as a form of public address. It might not be improper, but it would sound very awkward to say "Gentlemen and Ladies." In "Men and Women" on the other hand, we recognize customary form. "Women and Men" is awkward. In other words, these expressions, SPEECH ABOUT WORK 65 through ages of use, have acquired the habit of occurring in certain forms and have therefore become idioms. The idiom is sometimes near-slang. It does not always regard the rules of grammar and it may not always make the best sense. If we analyze our idiomatic expression "How do you do?" we find that it does not say exactly what it means. Yet it is so habitual that no one stops to analyze it. The expression "1 don't think so" js idiomatic but not quite grammatical. "Not" as modifier of "do think" gives an absurd meaning to the sentence. But it is one of our language habits and is accepted for what it means rather than for what it actually says. If you would know the habits of a people intimately you must live with that people for a time and observe it closely. So a language must be closely studied if you would acquire its habits of expression easily. A new language has no idioms. Only as language grows old does it fall into these "ruts of expression" called idioms. It bears the stamp of a people's character perhaps through many years. The idiom is for these reasons most diffi- cult of attainment in the study of a language. Often one must forget all the rules of grammar, acquired with much difficulty, and take the foreign language in "snap doses," in idiomatic gulps. For our "How do you do?" the French say "How do you carry yourself?"; the Ger- mans, "How do you find yourself?"; and so on. Do not avoid idiomatic language. Good habits should be cultivated. Idiom goes by express in many cases where its more correct equivalent would travel by slow freight. It connotes much to a group of people and makes them feel cosy and at home with you in your speaking and thinking. On the other hand, do not allow yourself to be 66 WORKING COMPOSITION a slave to habit in language any more than in other things. Some words have grown so old as to be no longer useful, except when one wishes to make his English bear the stamp and spirit of an earUer time. Such age-worn . words are called archaisms. "Quoth," "loveth," "spake," "brake," are examples. A word that is improperly used belongs to the family of improprieties. The use of "set" for "sit," of "lay" for "lie," of "effect" for "affect," is an impropriety. The word list on page 73 will be found helpful in avoiding this particular family of words. When words are improperly related in expression, or related not according to the rules of English grammar, a solecism results. "He told John and I leave to the room" for "He told John and me to leave the room" is an illus- tration of the incorrect syntax called solecism. Other words, again, are not accepted as belonging to any good family. They are unauthorized and therefore not recognized by the best Enghsh society. They are called barbarisms. Sometimes they are mere inventions, such as "bike" for "bicycle"; sometimes they result from bad pronunciation, such as "figger" for figure"; some- times they are formed by taking liberties with a good word or phrase, such as "burglarize" for "to commit burglary." Barhatisms and improprieties and solecisms are the boon comf>anions of slang; in fact, they often are slang. Slang is the wild-oats of language. It is bom and bred of the vigorous, vivacious, staccato time in which we live. If you despise it you are prudish. If you use it to excess you are offensive. If you sometimes think it clever and interesting, you are only human. Most slang lives but SPEECH ABOUT WORK 67 for a season and^is soon forgotten. Some of it receives the stamp of approval and comes to move about in the best circles of word families. 'English literature abundantly reveals the fact that there never has been an age without its problem of slang. Slang is often more forceful and suggestive and more insinuating of ideas than purer Eng- lish; but never make use of it unless you have a better equivalent in reserve, unless you can at once translate it into the best English. To be dependent upon slang for the expression of thought is to be illiterate; to use it for the sake of fun or cleverness or clarity is permissible on occasion. Your Word Company. — Be a purist in your association with words. Associate with only the very best families. Shun barbarisms, improprieties, solecisms, and slang as you would shun undesirable companions. Understand the com- mon provincialisms and archaisms and foreign words, for you will be unable to enjoy much literature unless you do. But do not make use of such expressions in your own speaking, unless you have to do so for purposes of clarifying or enriching your thought. 68 WORKING COMPOSITION PROBLEMS I. Read the following passage aloud and explain how the sovinds of the words are appropriate to the sense: Hear the sledges with the bells — Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night! While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens seem to twinkle With a crystalline dehght; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the tintinnabidation that so musically wells From the bells, bells, bells, bells. Bells, bells, bells — From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells. — From Foe's The Bells. 2. State specific words for each of the following generic ones: garment work waist cleaning country vocation textfle baking dress avocation material bum science bread needlework trim art food sewing design millinery dessert knitting model experiment entree spread illness operation menu house state 3. State a generic equivalent for each of the following: saucy hue crisp sloppy dapper shade summer detrop chic rich parboil scallop drooping smart bake sUp stitch tmt limp crude wadding tone skimpy uncouth applique SPEECH ABOUT WORK 69 4. Compose a list of connotative words that have to do with your school or home life. 5. Pronounce the following words as accurately as possible, without exaggerating: jingle bang glum swound tinkle clang flip twitter twinkle whoo ugh screech buzz new murmur tintinnabulation hum chirp ouch exhaustion 6. In some poem or story select significant words or word groups and explain just why you consider them significant. Use chalk at the board while you speak, if you can thus make your explanation clearer or more interesting. 7. The following twelve words are usually regarded as strong words. Look them up in the dictionary. Pronounce and define them accurately and use them in sentences which prove their strength: fortitude competence indisputably magnanimity authority veracity benevolence constituency organization aflfabUity proficiency mobilization 8. Criticize the vocabulary of the following verse, what is lost or gained by the use of slang: The Whiners I don't mind the man with a red blooded kick At a real or a fancied wrong; I can stand for the chap with a grouch, if he's quick To drop it when joy comes along; I have praise for the fellow who says what he thinks, Though his thoughts may not fit in with mine; But spare me from having to mix with the ginks Who go through this world with a whine. TeU 7° WORKING COMPOSITION I am willing to listen to sinner or saint Who is willing to fight for his rights, And there's something sometimes in an honest complaint That the soul of me really deUghts. For kickers are uselul and grouches are wise, For their purpose is frequently fine; But spare me from having to mix with the guys Who go through this world with a whine. — Edgar A. Guest in The Detroit Free Press. 9. Select from the word list on page 312 twelve words that have personality. Present your analysis of each word orally before the class. 10. Give a short speech on one of the following subjects, selecting words that enforce the idea conveyed by each subject: Dirty Hands At the Zoo The Home Rim Street Noises Skidding on Skates In the Hay Field Birds, Bugs, and Both Falling Asleep Getting Up Unwillingly The Dog Fight 'The 11. Make a little speech to your classmates about Personality of Words." 12. Give the meaning of each of the foUowing words and tell to which of the word families it belongs: fond caucus cinch electioneer furore tete-a-tete nee tramway silly Kultur posted (informed) guess eftsoons argify gerrymander smuggle stodgy smug you-aH milieu hiU-bmy moonshiner bit rotter 13. Enumerate the provincialisms common to your own community and express each one in pure EngKsh. 14. Make a list of all the slang words and expressions you hear used ia your neighborhood. Tell, if possible, the origin SPEECH ABOUT WORK 71 of each. State the meaning of each and give its equivalent in good English. 15. Select from some poem, from some play of Shakespeare, or from the Bible, twelve archaic words. Give their modern form and meaning. 16. Speak to your classmates on the subject of slang. It may be well to use this plan: 1 . Where slang comes from 2. Its good purpose 3. Its evils 4. Slang and I 5- Slang and you 6. Some advice 17. The words in the first hst below are agreeable to con- template; those in the second list are not agreeable. a. Give a little talk about two or three of the words in each list. b. State specific equivalents for each word. c. TeU an anecdote or a story about "josiah Chip" or "Fred Siguth," the acrostic names in the two lists. d. Compose some significant word lists of your own, — a school list, a work list, a home list, etc. Justice Fear Obedience iJowdyism 5elf -confidence Excess /nitiative Delinquency ATabition Selfishness J?onesty /dleness Co-operation Gossip ffealth t/niairness /magination Temptation Purity ^ate 72 WORKING COMPOSITION Overused Words and- Phrases. — It should be the aim of every good speaker to keep his language fresh and vigorous. He should discard the old without regret and adopt the new without prejudice. Current all about us are expressions that are overused. We have heard them so frequently that they have ceased to have very much meaning for us. They are the signposts of language only. A few of them are here enumerated: Took in the situation at a glance Regarding the matter As a matter of fact I esteem it a favor To my mind I cannot do justice to It gives me pleasure to introduce to you Far be it from me In a nutshell To my first point Proceeded on our way Deem it advisable As I was saying Pleased to meet you That reminds me It behooves me One more word and I have done It falls to my lot I cannot find words to Be that as it may Notwithstanding the fact I point with pride to It becomes my painful duty In the last analysis I shall detain you only a moment longer As I look into your faces I cannot see my way clear On the one hand and on the other SPEECH ABOUT WORK 73 On the contrary However that may be In conclusion, therefore On the whole Likewise In fact Of course To begin with Absolutely Listen Finally It must not be understood that these expressions and others like them are wrong. They are not. There are many occasions in speech when they link or weld facts to- gether most valuably. They promote and maintain coher- ence among ideas. But the tendency is to overuse them, and error on this side of the case may be prevented with a little care. Misused Words and Phrases. — Words that fall into groups, whether as a result of similarity in pronunciation or spelling or meaning, constantly cause difficulty for the student who would speak with accuracy and precision. The dictionary is the only safe guide in doubtful cases. The list below comprises some, but by no means all, of the most troublesome of such word groups. The defini- tions are condensed from the latest issue of the Standard Dictionary. Ability means the power to accomplish something. Capacity means the power to hold or receive something. Accept means to take something when offered. Except means to leave something out. Afect means to move or to influence. Efect means to cause, to produce, to achieve. 74 WORKING COMPOSITION Agree among ourselves or themselves, any number of people. Agree to terms or to a decision or proposition. Agree with a speaker; or a food or a medicine agrees with one. Among should be used in referring to more than two. Between should be used when referring to only two. Amount means the total of either number or quantity. -Number refers to things that are counted. Quantity refers to things that are measured. Antonym is a word directly opposed to another in meaning; as de- face, adorn; affable, austere; unit, whole. Homonym is a word sounding like another but having different meaning; as lead, led; read, reed; break, brake. Synonym is a word having the same or almost the same mean- ing as some other; as alike, similar; changeable, fluctuating; infer, imply. [There is reaUy no such thing as a perfect synonym in the nice discrimination of words.] Beside means by the side of. Besides means in addition. Bring means to carry from some place to the place where you are. Fetch means to go after and bring. Take means to carry from the place where you are to another place. Compare means to point out both differences and similarities be- tween two things. Contrast means to point out differences only between two things. Complement means the act of completing. Compliment means praise. Confer upon means to grant an honor to some one. Confer with means to talk with another on a certain subject. Correspond to is used of things,. — This corresponds to that. Correspond with is used of persons. — He corresponds with her. SPEECH ABOUT WORK 75 Custom is collective; it means the repetition of an act by a 'group of persons in the same circumstances for the same reason. Habit is individual; it means the tendency toward the repetition of an act until it becomes almost unconscious. Depreciate means to lower the value of. Deprecate means to express opposition or antagonism. Differ from is used of things. Differ with is used of persons. [Never use than after any form of the word differ."^ Employ is a verb and means to furnish work. It is inaccurate to use it as a noun. Employment is a noun and means the state of service. Enclose ( The prefixes in and en are variant. Either may be Inclose \ used, though en is the more common. (See page 314.) Epigram is a pithy or antithetical saying that sticks in the mem- ory, — Work wins, idleness sins. Epitaph is an inscription in prose or verse on a tomb in mem- ory of the dead. Epithet is a phrase or word, used to describe some quahty, good or bad. (See page 63.) Except as a preposition must have an object. Unless is a conjunction and must stand between two clauses. Without is a preposition and must have an object. [Do not use except or without for unless."} Extempore (in reference to speaking) means a speech that is not read or recited, but that may have been briefly prepared in thought, the language being left to the suggestion of the moment. Impromptu (in reference to speaking) means a speech that springs from the instant, both the thought and the language of which are unprepared. Few refers to number. Less refers to quantity. 76 WORKING COMPOSITION Good is an adjective and must be used to modify nouns. Well is the adverb corresponding to good and must be used to modify verbs. Well may sometimes be an adjective also, — Mother looks well. Healthful means to be the cause of health, — a healthful climate. Healthy means to be in or to have good health. Wholesome means to be healthful, though it is usually used in reference to food. Learn means to acquire knowledge. Teach means to impart knowledge. Leave means to depart from. Let means to permit. Liable means unfavorable probability, — Hable for damages. Likely means probabihty of any kind, favorable or unfavorable. Like is never a conjunction and must therefore never be used for as. It may be a preposition, an adjective, a verb, or a noun. As is usually a conjunction, — He plays like me, — He plays as I do. Loan is a noun meaning the thing that is lent. Lend is a verb meaning to grant temporary use of. Majority means more than half of a given number of votes. Plurality means the excess of the highest number of votes cast for any one candidate over the next highest number. Many refers to number, — many apples. Miich refers to quantity, — much candy. Most is an adjective meaning the largest number or quantity, — Most men work. Almost is an adverb meaning nearly — We ar^ almost there now. Mutual means that which is freely interchangeable between two persons. Common means that which belongs equally to two or more. [Strictly speaking it is wrong to say "a mutual friend." "A common friend" is more accurate. But there is sufficient literary authority for the former to make it aUowable.J SPEECH ABOUT WORK 77 Observance means keeping or celebrating, — as certain days or fes- tivals. Observation means seeing or looking at. Produce refers to raw materials collectively, — as farm produce. Product refers to the result of some individual kind of work, or operation, as of physical labor or machine output. Production means the art or process of producing. It is used also in an abstract sense to refer to a work of art, as music or literature, etc. Propose means to offer, to state a plan or scheme to others for con- sideration. Purpose means a decisive act of the will or a determination in our own minds. What we propose is open to others; what we purpose is not. So — as are used as correlatives when there is a negative in the clause, — He does not play so well as he should. As — as are used as correlatives when there is no negative in the clause, — He plays as well as his teacher. [There is sufficient violation of this distinction in literature to make it no longer a hard and fast rule.] Speciality means special or distinctive quality of character. Specialty- means speciality, but it is likewise used to indicate a special or distinctive article. It is better, therefore, confined to this latter use. Something is a noun, — Something to that effect was said. Somewhat is usually an adverb and should be so used, — He is somewhat unhappy. When denotes definite time, past or present, and means at the very time that. While denotes passing of time — during the time that. Work is the generic term for any continuous application of energy toward an end. It may be hard or easy. Drudgery is plodding, irksome, and often menial work. Labor is hard and wearying work. Toil is straining and exhausting work. 78 WORKING COMPOSITION Abused Words and Phrases. — Slovenly pronuncia- tion, ungrammatical relationships among words, and failure to economize language are the principal sources of abused words and phrases in speech. Constant watch- fulness and a strong desire to improve one's speech are the remedy. There is nothing quite so contagious as improper speech. What the ear is accustomed to hearing, the tongue accustoms itself to speaking. It is very difl&cult to live above our "speech surroimdings." Kindly and helpful correction of one another's errors in speech is sure to improve it. There are listed below cases of abused words and phrases that are more or less common in all parts of the United States — errors that are made in the three directions above enumerated. Select your own particular speech troubles from the list and master them. a after aggravating ain't a little ways an are at atheletic attackted awfully awn azid ' Illustrative occur. Error in DO NOT USE^ for have (could-a). I could have gone. for now. I am just now going. for provoking. His failure is provoking. for am not or is not or are not. / am not going. He is not going. They are not going, for a little way. I went a little way with him. for and for is. Every {each, any) one is ready; or Either he or she is going, for ending a sentence. Where are you? for athletic for attacked for very for on for acid sentences are given only where error in construction is likely to pronunciation will be obvious. SPEECH ABOUT WORK 79 badly /o>- ill. I feel ill. bad for badly. He behaves badly. being that for since or owing to the fact. Since it is w I shall not go. beseeched for besieged bet for beat between for among. (See page 74.) bring for fetch or take. (See page 74.) broke for broken. / have broken the vase. buzness for business calculate for intend. / don't intend to go. can for may cham-pe'-on for champion come for came. He came yesterday. de for the den for then det for death dey for they different than for different from. (See page 75.) dis for this done for did. He did it. don't for doesn't. He doesn't care; they don't care. don't che for don't you dooty for duty double negative for single negative. / have no more. drownded for drowned dunno for don't know effect for affect. The climate affected his health. et for ate except for accept. (See page 73.) fer or fur for for few for the expression of quantity. (See page 75.) fing-er for finger fit for fight fowt for fought funny for odd gimme for give me git for get So WORKING COMPOSITION good for well. He looks well. guess for imagine or think. (Guess, for ikink or fancy., is a Yankeeism) gwan for go on had Tvith ought. You ought to go. hadn't ought for shouldn't haven't got for haven't. / haven't any. healthy for healthful. This climate is healthful. her for she. It is she. hem for hers him for he. I am he. hisn for his hisself for himself histry for history (and other slurred pronunciations) hoird for heard hoirted") , , ^ hurted \ f"' ^"^^ I after between. He passed between you and me. illusion for allusion. He made an allusion to Homer. in for ing (the mutilated ending) in after start. He started to run. jist for just kin for can laid for imperfect tense of Ke (lay) learn for teach. (See page 76.) leave for let. Let me go. less for number. / hane fewer books than you. let for leave. Leave me. (See page 76.) like for as. He does as he pleases. (See page 76.) like as a conjunction. (See page 76.) like as if for as if. It looks as if it would rain. lookit for look at or look out love for like 'm for him, them mad for vexed or angry me Jor my me for I. It is I. He passed higher than I. most . for almost. (See page 76.) SPEECH ABOUT WORK mudder mutual naow noo nother -nuss objective case of of of did onto party plural nvimber propose proven quantity quite raised real reckon saw say or Usten (or both) seeing that seen set soar some something statue te-aye'-ter that for mother (f adder, brudder: father, brother) for common. (See page 76.) for now for new for another for -ness for possessive. Mother objects to our going. after off. Keep off the grass. for have. He ought to haw gone. for have done. He ought not to have done it. for unto for person in reference to every, each, any, either, etc. // any- one wants help, let him come here. for purpose or intend. / purpose to do right. I pro- pose to see you. (See page 77.) for proved. It has been proved. for number. I have a number of apples and a quantity of sugar. (See page 74.) as an adjective in such sentences as He is a good speaker. for rose. He rose from his chair. for very. It is very good. for think. (See page 63.) for seen. / have seen him. as a preface to some remark for since or owing to the fact that. Since you are ill, I will not go. for saw. I' saw him yesterday, for past tense of sit (sat) for saw (the "r" trouble) for somewhat. (See page 77.) as an adverb. (See page 77.) for statute or stature for theatre as an adverb instead of so. The apple is so large I cannot eat it. 82 WORKING COMPOSITION these and those to modify sort or kind. This kind is what I want. this here \ , ^.^ ^^ ^j^^^^ j,^^ ^^^ ^^ prettio' than that one. that there) ■' them for those. Please give me those books. throwed for threw. He threw the ball. tief for thief ting for thing took for taken. Ee had his picture taken. tree for three trew for through or threw -unce for -ence up after divide. They divided the apple among them. ur or er for or went for gone. He has gone. wid for with wot for what wot-che for what you wunt for won't wunto for want to wunst for once wuz for was youm for yours youse for you Confused Words and Phrases. — The soimd of bad granunar is more disagreeable than the sight of it. It is therefore important that our speech be grammatically correct. This means that in speaking, as well as in writing, words and phrases must be placed as closely as possible to the words and phrases they modify. Words, phrases, and clauses out of their natural order cause confusion and obscure our ideas. Such correlatives as either — or, neither — nor, not only — hut also, both — and must be accu- rately placed. Pronouns must refer to definite nouns, must be placed as near as possible to them, and must agree SPEECH ABOUT WORK 83 in person, number, and gender with them. Verbs and subjects must be kept in agreement. Participles, especially when used at the opening of sentences, must have definite words to modify. The hanging participial construction, — "Arriving at the top of the hill, the meadow could be seen in its verdant beauty," — is one of the most confusing constructions in our language. In the example, "arriving" has no word to modify. The sentence should read, "Arriv- ing at the top of the hill, I could see the meadow in its verdant beauty." (i) If you would avoid confusion in word and phrase relationships, be sure to have one complete thought, and one complete thought only, in each sentence; hence, neither too much nor too little. This will give your expression unity. There is too much in this sentence — John is a good fellow and I graduated from college with him, but he doesn't seem to succeed. This is a better reading — I graduated from college with John. Though he is a good fellow, he doesn't seem to succeed. These two sentences — I knew the robber was entering the house. I did not call out. should be combined as follows: — I knew the robber was entering the house, but I did not call out. The two clauses in this sentence lack relationship with one another: — John goes to school regularly and Mary makes good cake. Each idea should he expressed in a single, independent sentence. (2) If you would avoid confusion in word and phrase relationships be careful about modifiers, connectives, and reference. This will give your expression coherence. 84 WORKING COMPOSITION Modifying trouble — I have only three apples (not, I only have three apples) Connective trouble — I studied hard but I failed {not, I studied hard and I failed) Reference trouble — John told Jim to go to the store {not, John told Jim he must go to the store) Trusting you will agree, I am Sincerely yours, {not. Trusting you will agree, Sincerely yours.) (3) If you would avoid confusion in word and phrase relationships, be careful to keep subordinate ideas in sub- ordinate phrases and clauses and to place important ideas in important places in your speech. This wiU give your expression emphasis. The emphatic parts of a sentence or of a longer piece of composition are the beginning and the end. Repetition, variety, and arrangement of ideas are devices for the secur- ing of emphasis. Emphasis by repetition — If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Emphasis by variety — I hate, loathe, despise, and abomi- nate the man. Emphasis by arrangement — Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish {not, survive or perish, sink or swim, Uve or die). In addition, the six following speech troubles should be carefully studied and your own shortcomings as a speaker checked up by them: 1. Avoid the "endless-chain'' sentence — the connection of all your ideas by " and-a." 2. Avoid the use of "well-a," "why-a," "now-a," "say" or "say-a," "Usten," within or at the beginning of sentences. SPEECH ABOUT WORK 85 3. Avoid the constant use of "then'' after the subjects of sen- tences, — John went; not, John then went. 4. Avoid the constant use of the double subject, — not, John, he went. 5. Avoid the use of plural verbs with singular subjects, and vice versa. 6. Avoid the use of long complex and compound sentences unless you summarize them cleady at the end. PROBLEMS 1. Compose sentences illustrating the correct use of the words defined on pages 73-77. 2. Select certain words from the list on page 313 that lend themselves to slovenly pronunciation. Pronounce them cor- rectly and explain how and why the mispronunciation is likely to occur. 3. State the idea contained in each of the following sentences as briefly and as tersely as you can. Be careful, however, not to impair the central idea: a. He observed that there was disorder and that some were pound- ing on the tables and that there was much confusion. 6. I studied extremely hard and this caused my teachers to com- mend me and to prophesy that I would probably pass. c. They gave Tom the prize which so hurt Arthur that he not only would not speak to him but actually went out of his way to avoid him. d. In my study of history it is noticeable that the church has always been friendly to the state in spite of the fact that the state has not always been friendly to the church. e. On the whole, I should say that public speaking is a lost art, the printing press having taken its place. /. The pupils requested permission to go to the fair, owing to the fact that it occurs but once a year, but the principal and teachers could not see their way clear to approve. g. Taken all in all I think we have too many holidays, though of course one needs considerable rest interspersed with one's mental work. 86 WORKING COMPOSITION h. He is a wonderful artist and all the people love him and the papers praise him after his appearance. i. His hat blew ofiF and the car stopped for him to go and get it, but just as he stepped on the car to proceed on his way it blew off again. j. When it came to a vote on the question for debate, all the boys stubbornly voted against the girls and all the girls against the boys, so that no fair decision could be reached. 4. Make a speech before the class reviewing the contents of this chapter. 5. Make a speech before the class, telling your classmates of errors in their speech and giving them directions as to how to correct them. 6. In a speech before the class compare writing with speak- ing, particularly from the point of view of common errors. 7. The following announcements were printed in aU good faith in the advertising columns of various EngUsh newspapers, and, as a whole, they won a prize offered by a London period- ical for the best collection of such specimens of unconscious humor. What makes them fuimy? Re-state each one cor- rectly: Annual sale now on. Don't go elsewhere to be cheated — come in here. A lady wants to sell her piano, as she is going away, in a strong iron frame. Wanted — Experienced nurse for bottled baby. Furnished apartments suitable for gentlemen with folding doors. Two sisters want washing. Wanted — A room by two gentlemen about thirty feet long and I twenty feet broad. Lost — A collie dog by a man on Saturday answering to Jim with a brass collar round his neck and a muzzle. Wanted, by a respectable girl, her passage to New York; willing to take care of children and a good sailor. Respectable widow wants washing on Tuesdays. SPEECH ABOUT WORK 87 For Sale — A pianoforte, the property of a musician with carved legs. Mr. Brown, furrier, begs to announce that he will make up gowns, capes, etc., for ladies out of their own skins. A boy who can open oysters with reference. Bulldog for sale; will eat anything; very fond of children. Wanted — An organist and a boy to blow the same. Wanted — A boy to be partly outside and partly behind the counter. 8. Look up the following words. Pronounce and define them correctly; then use them in sentences of your own com- position: data unified familiar nomenclature irreconcilable alfalfa ultimatum patriotism sedentary seriatim similar meteorological 9. Make a speech before your class avoiding as many over- used words and phrases as you possibly can. Then call upon some classmate to repeat the content of your speech, in different but equally good language. 10. Consider yourself a physician. Treat each of the fol- lowing sentences as a patient. Diagnose for trouble in Unity, Coherence, and Emphasis. Then work the cure: 1. I like him very much and he plays beautifully. 2. Escaping the snake by a hair's breadth, it ran into the barn. 3. The man suddenly entered staggering to the astonishment of aU. 4. John's father did much work before he was up. S- I emphatically denounce the man who had dishonored his flag. 6. He voted twice but his voting being observed by detectives, he was arrested and both votes were ignored. 7. Your food should be eaten slowly instead of your eating it this way. 8. The boy not only went to school but also to the factory. 88 WORKING COMPOSITION g. Neither had he any peace at home nor did he feel happy in his work. 10. I took good care of the kitten and it died. 11. Going into the store, the sign appeared to me to be crooked. 12. I only Vrant a glass of water and I am very thirsty. 13. The building having been burned they had to secure quarter's elsewhere. 14. Getting home from school quite late, my mother scolded me. 15. He saw a large automobile this morning going to school. 16. I only love her. 17. Weep and you weep alone; laugh and the world laughs with you. 18. Two birds in a bush are not worth a bird in the hand. 19. I'U go with you if you don't hurry up. 20. He was a man to be proud of and whose death will make him seriously missed. II. Explain the difference between observe and see public and free furniture and table woman and sister successful and prosperous chair and bench freely and fluently lazy and indifferent careful and finicky patient and duU flag and pennant book and pamphlet Breathing. — The vocal cords are themselves mute and dimib. It is the play of breath upon them that makes them vocal. Naturally, if the breath is improperly inhaled and exhaled, defective voice will result. If we would keep our voices in the best condition we should take deep, long breaths of nothing but purest air. Short, fluttering breathing makes the voice thin, weak, husky, and nasal; fuU deep breathing makes it round and full and resonant. Moreover, voice exhaustion is caused almost entirely by improper breathing. On the other hand, there is prac- SPEECH ABOUT WORK 89 tically no limit to the use of the voice if one breathes correctly. There is in our bodies, just below the lung cavities, a divisional muscle called the diaphragm. This muscle acts as a bellows or regulator of our breathing, if we permit it so to act. When we inhale a long, deep breath, the dia- phragm presses downward and outward; when we exhale, it moves in the opposite direction. With proper breath- ing, therefore, this muscle forces the impure air out of our lungs and fills them with fresh, pure air. But if we breathe in short, quick puffs, in the upper part of the lungs only, there is no such expulsion of bad air and refreshment with new. Diaphragmatic breathing must therefore be insisted upon if we would have good voice. When it is said that a person's voice is bad, the critic usually means that his breathing is bad. We in America are much ridiculed abroad for our thin, nasal voices. " The Yankee is known by the voice he emits, Which sounds like the tin that the street-crier hits.'' That is what they say of our voices — and justifiably. But we can live down this reputation if, when we speak, we always r. Breathe correctly. 2. Stand and sit erectly. 3. Open the mouth widely. 4. Keep the throat easy and open, not tightened or tense. 5. Speak slowly and distinctly. Naturalness. — Speakers sometimes suffer from nervous- ness. There is no hard and fast rule by which ease in speaking may be acquired. If there were, the mere state- ment of the rule would be of little value. There are. go WORKING COMPOSITION however, three very distinct helps for overcoming nerv- ousness : 1. Do not shrink from speaking opportunities. Welcome every chance you get to speak and make use of it. 2. Breathe correctly, as suggested above, and you will gain self-control, poise, and power to ignore any nervousness you may feel. 3. Feel an interest in any subject that you may be called upon to discuss. Lose yourseh in your subject, forget everything else. As soon as speech becomes conscious of itself, it be- comes ineffective. Conscious effort to make it one thing or another will result in failure. Every speaker must first be himself. He must be naturally and frankly be- fore people just what he is when he is not before them. Remember, no "quick change" is required when you are called upon to make a speech. You are asked, not some- body else. Gesture. — By gesture is meant the use of the various parts of the body, usually the hands, as an aid to what we have to say. A nod of the head, a twist of the body, step- ping in one direction or another (a lecture was recently given on "The Use of the Feet in Speaking") are all forms of gesture. But the hand is the one part of the body usually called into assistance in gesturing. It is said that the more imeducated a person is, — the nearer to the animal, — the more dependent he is upon gesture as an aid in making himself understood. Fundamentally, this is true. But it is also true that natural gesture not only aids but also enforces speech to a much greater degree than mere voice can. Indeed, some gesture is far more expressive than some speech. The shrug of the shoulder, SPEECH ABOUT WORK 91 common in the south of Europe, has never yet been fully translated into speech; a turn of the head, a movement of the eye, a pucker of the lip may each convey a volume of meaning that mere words are powferless to express. So do not ignore gesture, especially if you feel like using it. It may do. much toward making clear what otherwise would not be understood. There used to be many rules for the use of the hands. The chances are that, if you honestly feel like using your hands to enforce your thought, you will do so gracefully; that, if you use them without feeling that you should, you will gesture awkwardly. When you talk to your fellows in conversation you invariably use gestures to some extent. They "come" naturally, because you are so interested in your subject that you cannot hold them back. The same attitude should exist in your presence before an audience. Do not forget that actions speak louder than words. Do not forget, either, that as natural action or gesture will enforce your words, so unnatural action or gesture will detract from them. Sound Formation. — If you will practice pronouncing a few soimds very slowly before the mirror, you will be sur- prised to see what an important part the tongue, the teeth, and the lips play in the formation of sound. It will be seen that all three must be used together in proper subordination. If you try to make certain sounds by using one of these organs and allowing the other two to remain inactive, you will get a very unsatisfactory result. So perfect have some people become in sound formation by the use of the tongue, the teeth, and the lips, that they can understand a speaker by looking at him — they see his speech. In China a few years ago the author of this 92 WORKING COMPOSITION book met a Chinese scholar who was so skilled in visible speech that, though he knew no English whatever, he could understand the language when spoken correctly. He had mastered the physical formation of sound. The careful formation of the sounds of speech enables a speaker to make himself heard distinctly at a great dis- tance. It also obliges him to speak at the proper rate. Nature has attended to this matter in the creation of her various sounds. If they are slighted in their formation, they will not carry. If you have ever spoken through a megaphone, at a ball game perhaps, you have been forc- ibly made aware of the fact that absolute distinctness is dependent upon speaking slowly and forming your speech sounds accurately. Pausing and Phrasing. — '■ We think in groups or phrases, not in one straightaway, monotonous drive. There are long, inactive pauses in our thinking processes. If there were not, we should die of- thought exhaustion. Therefore, we should speak in phrases and we should not be afraid of an occasional pause. Thus shall we give our hearers an opportunity to "pack away" what we say to them; we shall relieve our speech of monotony; we shall be given proper place and time for breathing; we shall be able to subordinate our ideas properly one to another. By a skilful phrasing of speech, the dependent clause of a com- plex sentence can always be discerned by an audience. More than this, every simple mark of punctuation can be made distinctly audible by carefully phrasing sentences according to the thoughts they express and by systemati- cally pausing between their various parts. The pause is of great value in securing accent or emphasis upon certain points of speech. After a rhetorical question, SPEECH ABOUT WORK 93 for instance, it serves as a silence of gold. Mark Antony's "I pause for a reply" indicates that he well knew the value of the pause as a speech device. After a challenge, a question, or a witty epigram, a pause is essential in order that the echo of the thought may entirely die out before a new one is introduced, and in order that the importance of the phrase may impress itself upon the hearers. Voice Range. — The sin of sins on the part of a speaker is failure to make himself heard. Fear, indifference, and affectation are the three principal causes of inaudible speaking, — the fear caused by nervousness, the indif- ference caused by inconsideration for others, the affec- tation caused by false modesty. Breathing, pausing, phrasing, naturalness, correct formation of sounds will all aid in making the voice heard. In addition there are these aids: — Pitch means the tone of voice. To speak constantly in one tone makes speech monotonous. Everyone's speaking voice has a range of several tones, perhaps a whole octave. The best tones for being heard should be dis- covered and used, just as a singer discovers first whether he is tenor or bass, and then cultivates his voice. A tenor may be "worked up"; a bass, "worked down." Thus the voice range is increased. But the key in which a singer prefers to sing is that one in which he can secure the best effects. The speaking voice cannot, of course, have the wide range of the singing voice. But it has some degree of range and by making studied use of it a speaker may culti- vate variety of tone and the power of making himself heard. Placement of the voice means adapting it to audi- ences of varying sizes and placing it in any part of the auditorium desired. The human voice may be played 94 WORKING COMPOSITION around an auditorium very much as the music of a pipe organ — now at the front, now at the rear, now at either side, yet clear and distinct everywhere in the auditorium. Learn to gage distances when you are speaking. Move your head slightly from side to side so that you may spread your voice in a semicircle, which is the shape of most auditoriums. Also move your head slightly up and down, so that people in the galleries may hear. Adjust your voice to the size of the audience to which you are speaking. Do not use a parlor voice in a large haU, or an open air voice indoors. The voice has many different sizes. It must be adjusted to the physical conditions of speaking as well as to the content of the speech. A whisper, correctly uttered, may be of such distinctness and placement as to be perfectly audible to an audience of five thousand people. A voice may be so loud that the words them- selves cannot be understood in the first row. Mere loud- ness is usually a hindrance to intelligible speaking. It deafens, but it does not deliver distinct sounds. Rate means the speed of speaking. If you speak too rapidly, you sunply pile sound upon sound with the result that nothing but confusion is left in the ears of your hearers. There is practically no need whatever for rapid speaking. A common mistake is made in believing that the utterance typical of certain emotions should be rapid. But the emo- tions are not rapid; they are intense, dynamic, vigorous, earnest, — "dead-in-earnest," — and have only the seem- ing of rapidity. The effect of rapid speaking may easily be produced by intensifying the voice, by making it explo- sive, by speaking with earnestness and vigor, by giving it staccato Ughtness and precision. But rapid speaking itself is in most cases a punishment to the listener. Of course SPEECH ABOUT WORK 95 all phrases must not be spoken at the same rate, but the voice, in this matter as in others, must reflect the flow of thought. The philosopher talks more slowly, naturally, than the foreman who is directing workmen. The one is a passive or reflective speaker; the other is an active speaker. Each speaks as he does as the result of the think- ing process within his mind. Inflection means the modulation of the voice. By modulating the voice, — by coloring its tone, — a speaker may indicate to his hearers that he is asking a question, or giving a command, or exclaiming, or approaching the end of a paragraph, and so forth. The rising inflection commonly indicates the question. The falling inflection denotes declarative statement or completion of thought. The sustained or continued inflection of the voice indicates suspense and incompletion. If these various inflections are confused by the speaker, the result will be confusion on the part of the audience. The ordinary conversational speech of certain foreigners is so differently inflected from our own that, unless we pay careful attention to what they are saying, we are obliged to ask for repetition. Inflect your voice as your thought prompts you to do. When your thinking is suspended and inconclusive, sustain the voice. When it is definite and determinate, lower the voice. When it is puzzled or interrogative, raise the voice. Inflect your voice also in order that you may convey to your audience the proper subordination of ideas. Make the itaUcs in your thought clear by means of your speech. Make the parenthetical items of your thinking processes stand off and apart by inflection. In other words, make clear the quaUties of your thought by the proper inflections of your voice. 96 WORKING COMPOSITION Stress is vocal accent or emphasis. What accent is to pronimciation or what emphasis is to word groups, stress is to speech. It is important to indicate to an audience just what portions of the thought you are expressing are impor- tant. This is done by tapping certain words harder than others with the voice. All words should not be pronounced with the same force any more than all the syllables in a word should receive the same accent or all the words in a sentence the same emphasis. The salient points in our thoughts are connected by minor ideas. In exactly the same way certain words in our language are only connec- tives, not containers. The containers must be stressed in speech. The connectives need not be. Perhaps you may have heard some one speak who stressed all words, or nearly all words, equally. If so, you will recall that you were unable to discern which of his thoughts he considered important and which relatively unimportant. He was not only monotonous, he was misleading, as a result of the improper stressing of his speech. Sincerity in Speaking. — Mean what you say; say what you mean. Make your voice reflect your interest in the subject on which you are speaking and the feelings you have upon it. Be forceful, direct, and earnest. Be proud of your voice and of your power to use it. On the other hand do not permit enthusiasm to run away with you, to consume you. To be continuously forceful and earnest weakens effects and makes people sus- pect your sincerity. Radiate power in reserve. Give the impression that you are speaking with restraint, that you have much more force and power in reserve than you care to set free. Always aim to give the impression that you can do even better, — as of course you can! SPEECH ABOUT WORK 97 PROBLEMS 1. Sit erect and breathe in unison while some one counts. 2. Read the following passage in high pitch and then in low. Explaui the difference between the two readings: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteous- ness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the vaUey of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. 3. Read the following passage as rapidly as you can; then read it very slowly, and then as you think it ought to be read. Explain the effect of the different readings upon the passage: Shy. To bait fish withal. If it wiU feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Chris- tian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humUity? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge 98 WORKING COMPOSITION The villainy you teach me, I will execute; and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. — Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Act iii, scene i. 4. Read the following passage with proper pause and phras- ing. Have a classmate place punctuation marks and italicized words in order on the board as he "hears" them from your reading. It doesn't much matter about your name And nobody cares for your gold It's of very small moment the blood you claim Or the college degrees you hold It's a trivial detail whence you came Or the places that you've decUned It's of little importance about your fame Or the people with whom you've dined And it's merely an item the creed you cite And your clothes are of small account It's not so momentous the ills you fight In quality or amount But there is one thing the world has a right To ask and to know about you Not what have you done with ardent might But what are you going to do 5. Whisper the following words but make them heard by every one in the room : while, large, whimper, interesting, conse- quently, Mesopotamia. 6. Pronounce the following distinctly: (a) fa, da, pa, to ah. (b) a, e, i, o, u (with their various inflections; see dictionary). (c) do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do. 7. Criticise some speaker from the points of view of brevity, inflection, pitch, rate, phrasing, posture, gesture. 8. Pronounce the following accurately: SPEECH ABOUT WORK 99 Bob Mary's shawl bomb Billy Young chirp indefatigable blurb several hurt Niagara 9. Practice pronunciation of the vowel sounds in their variations, in both quick and slow tune. 10. Read the following with correct pitch, accent, and in- flection: An Austrian Army awfully arrayed. What is so rare as a day in June? And would you now cull out a holiday? Go teU your slaves how choleric you are. A Daniel come to judgment. Hold off! Unhand me! Grey beard loon! RoU on, thou deep and dark blue ocean, RoU! 11. Read the conversation from some novel and indicate throughout just where the breathing places are and just what the pauses and phrasing, rate and pitch, should be. 12. Read the following, aiming to make the sound count for all it is intended to convey: "To whit! towhee!" The canary, said he; "To whit! towhoo!" The owlet said too. Then the chitter and chatter And the pitter and patter Throughout all the dell, Stirred up such a clatter, That the deer could not tell What all was the matter! 13. The following answers were written to a series of ques- tions asked of pupils of your own age: icx. WORKING COMPOSITION a. Why were such bad mistakes made in them, do you suppose? Are they the result of inaccurate pro- nunciation on the part of the one who asked the questions, or of defective hearing on the part of the pupils? b. State the question which each one is intended to answer. c. State the answers correctly. 1. There were no Christians among the early Gauls; they were mostly lawyers. 2. Geometry teaches us how to bisect angels. 3. A blizzard is the inside of a hen. 4. A vacuum is a large, empty space where the Pope Uves. 5. A circle is a round, straight line with a hole in the middle. 6. Sixty gallons make one hedgehog. 7. Georgia was foimded by people who had been executed. 8. A mountain range is a large cook stove. 9. Achilles was dipped in the river Styx to make him normal. 10. Pompeii was destroyed by an eruption of saliva from the Vatican. 11. Typhoid fever is prevented by fascination. The Forms of Speech. — There are two general types of speaking, prepared and unprepared. Prepared speaking is speaking from memory words that have formerly been written and memorized for an occasion. Unprepared speaking is speaking on the spur of the moment, or with only a few minutes at command for formulating a talk in the mind or jotting down a few notes. It is sometimes called extempore or impromptu speaking (see page 75). It is with unprepared speaking that we have to do very largely in all our speaking about work. It is therefore imprepared speaking that is treated principally in this book. Conversation, story telling, explanation, description, de- bate, announcements, introductions, presentations, accept- SPEECH ABOUT WORK loi ances, business talks, dictation, are some of the forms of unprepared speaking with which we should be familiar if we would meet many of the speech situations and .emergencies that are sure to arise in connection with our work. Arrangement of Material. — B'efore thought is expressed it should be ordered or arranged into form that will make it easily intelligible. This may not be possible in im- promptu speaking; it is possible only to a degree in extem- pore speaking. But if the habit of arranging thought is cultivated in those cases in which we know shortly before- hand that we are to be called upon, we shall be able to meet almost any speaking emergency with ease and satis- faction, for we shall have formed a valuable habit. It is well to decide just what order of treatment we are going to follow. The points can be arranged in the mind on very short notice and the language will consequently come more easily. Some definite plan must be followed, even though it may not be the best one — the one we would use were we writing the speech for memorizing and future delivery. The principle of arrangement applies with equal force to the smaller units of expression. The arrangement of words in a sentence and of sentences in a paragraph is important if we would secure variety in Our speech. Words of equal lengtli and of similar sound should not be placed closely together, unless deliberately so placed for figurative purposes. Long sentences should be inter- spersed with short ones; compound sentences with com- plex and simple ones; loose sentences with balanced and periodic ones. Sentence beginnings should be varied. The use of "he" or "their" or "the" at the opening of 102 WORKING COMPOSITION several sentences in succession is tiresome. Start your sentences sometimes with phrases, sometimes with depend- ent clauses, sometimes with conjunctions and prepositions, always being careful of their construction, and you will add the spice of variety to your speaking. Conversation is a gift,' just as certain a gift as music or painting. Frequently it is referred to as an art. It is one of the radiations from a distinguished personality. Johnson, Coleridge, Emerson, Lady Wortley Montagu, Mme. de Stael, were great personalities. They were like- wise great conversational artists. Conversation carmot in any sense be prepared. It must be spontaneous and unconscious of studied effort. Its sparkle and readiness and engaging qualities are the reflection of a mind that is sparkling and radiant and engaging. Strangely enough, one of the most important elements in conversation is silence. If you do not know how to be silent you may never know how to converse. And silence implies politeness, — giving others an opportunity to speak and being respectful and attentive to what they have to say. Over-eagerness to speak, which leads to a break- ing into the conversation of another, is very impolite. If you have anything worth saying, it will lose nothing what- ever by waiting. In America and in European countries much is heard about "keeping up the conversation" at social functions. This is a sad reflection and it begs the whole question. If there is nothing to converse about, keeping up the con- versation results in mere chatter. In Japan they are not afraid of "conversational silences." Long lapses in the conversation are considered but natural and they cause no embarrassment whatever. This is the natural attitude. SPEECH ABOUT WORK 103 Our thoughts do not flow in a constant stream, but some- times rapidly and sometimes slowly or not at all. Our conversation, then, should follow our thought naturally and unconsciously. He is a coward who is afraid of his own silence in the presence of others. To be enjoyable, conversation must be pointed, terse, and opportune. The commas and semicolons and dashes and other marks of punctuation must be heard in and through it (see page 289). It must follow cues almost as closely as do the actor's lines. Only by doing this does it show proper regard for the contributions others are making to the general subject of conversation. Cultivate conversation with your classmates on a wide variety of subjects. Keep in mind the few points here mentioned. While you may not be a gifted conversation- aUst, you may nevertheless be a respected one, and that is an achievement highly worth while. The conversazione is the name given to a social exer- cise in some European schools and to a social function in European countries. The object of the one is cultivation of conversational power; of the other, enjoyment of that power. It might be well to establish conversational clubs in our schools, in which informal conversation about school affairs might be pohtely indulged. Story Telling. — It has been pointed out that the em- phatic points in a statement or sentence are the begin- ning and the end. Emphasis should fall at exactly the same place in the larger units of expression. Start your story with some striking statement or with one that is sure to excite interest and suspense. Then develop the points, one by one, chronologically, and keep the big event, the climax, for the last or nearly the last. The fol- I04 WORKING COMPOSITION lowing plan observes this rule. Turn the points around and see how ineffective the story becomes. 1. John falls into the river 2. The fellows jump in to save him 3. They are poor swimmers and John is losing breath 4. Rover, barking on the shore, thinks they are pla)dng a game 5. Suddenly instinct seems to tell him John is drowning 6. Rover saves the drowning boy Drawing a Word Picture. — If you are caUed upon to describe a scene or a picture to some one, begin by stating the most general point of view, and then treat of the points in your picture in increasing remoteness. This, being the natural method of the process of eye-seeing, is best adapted to making the mind see. It is in this way that you see a picture: first, a great mass of color, perhaps, or a great number of figures; then, a detailed grouping and individualizing of the various elements of the picture; and then, a complete and satisfying impression of the whole. It may be necessary to state your posi- tion or point of view, — the place from which you saw a certain thing. If you move about, your movements should be indicated at certain points in your speech. The Factory General view: (from the hill) Like a huge drygoods box with holes in it Special view: (coming closer) 1. A huge oblong building of concrete 2. Ten stories high 3. Hundreds of windows (a) Seemingly much more window space than wall space 4. Roof garden, recreation field, music stand Impressions: A cool, light, delightful place in which to work SPEECH ABOUT WORK 105 Telling How and Why. — To tell how something works, how a machine is operated, how to make something, how to go somewhere, etc., — this is the most useful as it is the most common form of extempore speaking. It is the one kind, too, by which you can be most definitely tested. The results of your explaining power are measurable. If, after you direct a man somewhere, he does not reach the place, you are probably to blame. The order of natural procedure should be carefully followed in all explanation. "Begin with beginnings and end with endings" is the good old rule. Plans for different kinds of explanations are to be found on page 204 and following. They are as important for spoken as for written expression. Debating. — Informal, conversational debate has a twofold value. It will test your conversational politeness; it will test your ability to array the points of an argument in proper and effective order and to state them with telling power. One of the best ways of beginning a debate is by means of conversation. If sufl&cient interest attaches to the conversational discussion of>a question, you are justi- fied in framing it formally into a subject for class debate. Let us suppose that we have conversed with one another on "The Pensioning of Employees," and that interest justifies us in putting the subject into the form of a question for debate, thus. Resolved: That industrial employers should establish and main- tain a pension plan for their employees. There must be two sides to this, as to every question. Those who are in favor of the question as stated argue the afl&rmative; those who are against it, argue the negative. The plan for debate is called a Irief. The principal points of this, as of any brief, are indicated below in skeleton or io6 WORKING COMPOSITION "dummy" form. The details, bearing upon this particular question, should be furnished by pupils. I. Statement of question II. Introduction 1. Origin of question 2. Importance of question 3. Definition of terms in the question that may be confusing 4. "Weeding the question," — stripping it of aR irrelevant matter that may be suggested by its terms but that does not properly belong to it 5. My position on the question, — aflBrmative or negative 6. Statement of issues, — of the points I shall make for or against the question in. Discussion 1. Start T\ith an emphatic argument 2. 1 Follow the argument with as many points as are neces- 3. sary to cover the question entirely 4. Take up the points in logical, regular order 5) 6. State here arguments from authority and experience, — arguments for or against the question that are taken from actual authority and experience of others or. yourself IV. Conclusion State here exactly the points you have proved, and draw your conclusion of proof Having shown that 1. This is true 2. This is true 3. This is true, etc. I therefore conclude that industrial employees should (or should not) The use of the complex sentence is one of the most important weapons in making your argument coimt. A statement must always be foUowed up with a reason, — SPEECH ABOUT WORK 107 I believe that he will fail, for a. he is lazy b. he has not studied c. he has been ill Here, the independent clause, linked to three dependent ones by the subordinate conjunction "for," is followed up in proper argumentative style. Such a form secures coherence in your talk and enables hearers to follow you more easily than they otherwise could. Refutation of an opponent's argument should be col- lected all along the course of the argument. It should be presented politely and point by point just before the close of the debate. To reenforce and impress your own conclusions you are permitted to repeat the conclusion or simiming up of your original speech in the debate. It is a good plan to organize the contents of your refutation briefly as follows: 1. Explaining points in your argument that have been misunderstood or misinterpreted by your opponents. 2. Supplying any important material that has been omitted by either side. 3. Calling attention to the particular weaknesses in the ar^ments of your opponents. 4. Re-enforcing the salient points in your own formal summary of your side of the debate. Parliamentary Order. — Meetings must be conducted with precision and orderliness if the most is to be accom- plished by organization. Anyone with enthusiasm for a subject or a line of action may call a meeting and act as temporary chairman. After stating the purpose for which organization is desired, officers should be elected and committees appointed. The officers are president, io8 WORKING COMPOSITION vice-president, secretary, treasurer. The committees are appointed by the president for whatever lines of investiga- tion are considered necessary. One of the first com- mittees named should be deputized to draw up a constitution, if the organization is to be permanent. The first-named, in the appointment of a committee, usually serves as chairman. The order of business at a jneeting should be about as follows: 1 . Call to order 2. Reading of reports a. Secretary b. Treasurer 3. Committee reports 4. Unfinished business 5. New business 6. Special exercises (if any) a. Readings 6. Music c. Speeches d. Debate etc. 7. Adjournment This, of course, presents the order of meetings in but the briefest outline. It will be found sufficient guidance, however, for class meetings and for the average meeting of employees. For fuller detail in matters pertaining to parUamentary procediu-e, Roberts' Rides of Order should be studied. A motion should be simple and contain but one principal idea. "I move that the report be accepted," is good. "I move that the report be accepted, that it be printed,sand that it be circulated by the society to all members and friends," is not good; it contains too much and is therefore SPEECH ABOUT WORK 109 confusing. One motion had better be made for its accept- ance; another for its printing and circulation. A motion should be seconded at once by some one who approves it. No discussion must be permitted between a motion and its second. Then the president should say: "It has been moved and seconded that, etc. Is there any discussion?" At this point, discussion may be freely indulged, the president holding the speakers to the question, allowing no interruption by others, and limiting all speeches to a certain time, if he sees fit. When the discussion is done, he asks, "Are you ready for the question?" Then the vote is taken, announced by the president, and recorded by the secretary. Announcements. — Prepare announcements briefly in your mind, or by jotting down points on a slip of paper. Be accurate; omit nothing of importance; emphasize the essentials. If you are announcing a meeting, state 1. Occasion 2. Purpose 3. Place 4. Date 5. Hour 6. Terms of admission Perhaps it may be necessary to add to these points direc- tions for reaching the meeting place, notable people to be present, what speeches are to be made, how the money is to be used. So much depends upon the individual announcement that it is impossible to state here an outline form that will cover all announcements. It frequently happens, however, that an announcement that includes all the essential points is obscured by too great insistence upon full attendance no WORKING COMPOSITION or by too elaborate an appeal to the enthusiasm of the hearer. Get your announcement definitely made first. Make your appeal afterward. Good The second game of the season will be played with Boys' High School at Granger Field next Satiu-day afternoon at 3 o'clock sharp. The admission price is only ten cents. Don't forget: Boys' High School, at Granger Field, next Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock. Keep that date open; everybody be there. Bad Come out and support the team, fellows. It needs your sup- pwrt, particularly early in the season. Now, next Saturday afternoon we play Boys' High School and we have a good chance to win if you come out and support the team. Come out to the game and cheer. It's only ten cents, fellows, and all of you can "afford that. Now be at the game and cheer the boys on to victory. Introductions. — In introducing one person to another be sure to pronoimce the names distinctly. This simple form is the best: "Mrs. Ferguson, this is Mr. Evans." Always name the woman first, when introducing a man and a woman. Sometimes a phrase of identification may prove helpful in making an introduction. It may serve as a point of departure in conversation: "Mrs. Ferguson, this is Mr. Evans. Mr. Evans is singing at the Metro- pohtan Opera House this season." "Permit me to introduce," "I take great pleasure in presenting to you," "I have the honor to present," and other such elaborate introductions are rapidly going out of use. On being introduced to anyone it is quite proper and sufficient to say simply, "How do you do?" It is hack- SPEECH ABOUT WORK iii neyed and affected to say "Delighted" or "Happy to make your acqtiaintance." Superintendent William H. Maxwell of New York, introducing President Roosevelt to the National Educa- tional Association in convention some years ago at Asbury Park, said simply, "Ladies and Gentlemen of the National Educational Association, the President of the United States." He received wide favorable comment for his tactful and appropriate restraint in making this intro- duction. Never embarrass a speaker or an audience by a too elaborate introduction, particularly if the speaker is weU known. It may be well in your introductory speech to 1. Speak of the occasion of the meeting 2. Tell of the work your guest has done 3. Express pleasure in having him with you and it is quite necessary to 1. State his subject clearly 2. State his name clearly This done, just add, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. So-and- So." Then remain standing until the speaker says, "Mr. Chairman," bow in reply, and take your seat. Your knowledge of or relation with the speaker you are introducing may justify you in a brief reminiscence or in the indulgence of a bit of humor.v But you must be restrained even in this. Remember, the audience is not expecting a speech from you. When the speaker has finished, you may thank him and briefly express the pleasure you have had in listening to him. You should stand as soon as he has finished, before he has resumed his seat. It may add to the general politeness of the occasion if you shake his hand. 112 WORKING COMPOSITION Business Talks. — Look your man straight in the eyes and speak clearly, directly, and definitely to him. By no means waste time with irrelevant conversation. See at once the interest that radiates from his office furnishings and surroundings. Ingratiate yourself by speaking of something that is certain to be of interest to him. Refram from making flat, final, irrefutable statements, such as, "This is the finest piece of silk made." Such expressions justify the suspicion they suggest. Show what you have to show, by all means, but do not flaunt it. Talk about what you have to show, but do not boast about it. Ask questions as well as answer them intelligently. Remember that sellers may learn as much from buyers as buyers from sellers. Forget that you want something. Merge your interest in the subject with that of the man you are talk- ing to, and a definite and satisfactory result will follow. If you are a salesman, a careful description of your commodity, an explanation of its working, perhaps a story of a single instance of its accompKshment, will all help in placing it clearly before an individual or a group of individuals. Models and diagrams should be used in connection with the talk. At the close of your exposition, show a readiness to answer questions with brevity and accuracy. Be patient with objectors and fault-finders. Under no conditions must you allow yourself to become nettled or confused. Whatever the business talk you are required to make, — from the personal interview with your employer regarding a promotion, to the speech before the employees at noon hour, urging them to buy a book, — make it pleasantly and congenially. Adjust yourself readily to the tempera- ment of another person, to the environment of a group. SPEECH ABOUT WORK 113 To summarize by points, your business talk should follow these main lines; it should 1. State exactly who and what you are 2. Tell what you want or what you have to sell 3. Set forth special quaUties 4. Have models or charts or samples of the things you can do or are interested in 5. Tell exactly what has been accomplished 6. Answer questions 7. Explain the terms or make the proposition Presentations. — Call to the front the person to whom the presentation is to be made. Tell 1. His many good qualities 2. How much his services have been appreciated 3. Your' reason for giving him a gift 4. What the gift is S- "in behalf of my classmates, please accept this , which carries with it every good wish we can possibly have for you." Acceptances. — Like presentations they should be brief and to the point. Do not say you are "overcome" or "overwhelmed" or the "victim of an unexpected surprise." Simply 1. Thank the donors 2. Assure them of your appreciation 3. TeU them what place the gift will always have in your heart Dinner Speeches. — Dinner speeches are commonly called toasts. They differ from other types of occasional speaking only in that they are usually more lively, more sparkling, more good-humored. Good, apt jokes are of great value on dining occasions. But the joke is a much- abused agent of humor. To have genuine value it must be apt and spontaneous. "That reminds me," as an intro- 114 WORKING COMPOSITION duction to a joke, is not only hackneyed and overused; it is very frequently a falsehood. It often means that the person using it has prepared himself in this type of hmnor. Now, the joke is the one type of humor that will not stand preparation. It belongs to the store of man's accumulated wisdom, subject to call on immediate notice. Clever sparkle of wit and repartee are far better agencies for enlivening a dinner or other social function than the joke. They require native ability, however, and cannot be assumed without considerable danger. The chairman of ceremonies at a dinner is called toast- masier. He should be one who has ready wit and social tact. In calling upon speakers he should introduce them humorously but of course unoffendingly. If he is a well- selected toastmaster, he will know intuitively where fun ends and ridicule begins. He should be fuUy acquainted with the occasion of the dinner and should know or know of the principal guests and speakers. If the dinner is given to an individual, the toastmaster should call upon that person for a speech last. If the dinner is very formal the toastmaster usually makes speech assigmnents before- hand and speakers come prepared. Decisions. — Probably no form of extempore speaking is so generally abused as that of rendering decisions on contests, debates, and so forth. The judge who is called upon to announce the decision uses his opportunity too freely, as a riile, for the purpose of airing his own views on a variety of subjects. He often makes of it a little game to see how long he can tease his audience without creating impatience by delaying the decision. This of course is in bad taste. Aimounce your decisions briefly and with certainty. The following may be used: SPEECH ABOUT WORK 115 1. The pleasure of listening to the debate 2. A few criticisms 3. Congratulations to all speakers 4. Explanation of prize to be awarded 5. Decision Dictation. — Thoughts occur to us in groups. They are so expressed in words. They should be similarly dictated to others, to be taken down by them. Groups of phrases or clauses stick together, not only in our own minds but in the minds of others. Therefore, in order to convey our thoughts to another, we must group them in a natural manner, or they will not be readily grasped. Even in dictating word by word for stenog- raphers, the occasional natural pauses are essential in order that the copyists may get not only words but ideas as well. Clear enunciation of sounds and correct pronunciation are likewise necessary if accurate results are to be achieved in dictation. Slurred pronunciation, misplaced accent, or inaccurate sound-value ia dictation may lead to serious error. To slight a syllable in such words as history, theory, really, etc., may confuse a stenographer so that she will be unable to make a satisfactory transcrip- tion of her notes. Moreover, if the ear become accus- tomed through dictation to hear words mispronounced, the eye will in turn begin to see those words wrongly, and habits in incorrect spelling will be formed that will be very hard to overcome. To dictate d-duU for a-duU, ff^al for o-ral, foirst for first, horspital for hospital, is to spread contagion in mispronunciation and in consequent misspelling that will be difficult to arrest. In conclusion, then, dictate in thought-units; syllabilize ii6 WORKING COMPOSITION words distinctly; accent syllables properly; give letters, particularly the vowels, their accurate sound values. Criticism. — Criticism is of two sorts, favorable and unfavorable. Too often the word itself is allowed to connote adverse criticism. It will be helpful to all alike in this matter of speech making, if they will criticise one another kindly and helpfully. The following plan is suggested for this work in the classroom : 1. Posture 2. Gesture 3. Voice 4. Subject matter — how treated 5. Pronunciation of words 6. Formation of sentences 7. Arrangement of material 8. Emphasis of salient points g. Omissions and irrelevances 10. General merits as a speaker Telephoning. — "This is Mr. So-and-So" should be your first words over the telephone, when you are called. This permits the person calling you to proceed directly to business. Do not interrupt him while he is stating that business. It is a good plan to have pencil and pad at hand so that you can note points, in the case of a long conversation, and answer them in order afterward. Inter- ruption of conversation is never so intolerable or so impolite as over the telephone. Indicate by voice inflection when you are through speaking. Always speak slowly, in natural voice, and sound your words accurately, if you would be easily understood. Close your telephone con- versation with a polite "good-bye," never curtly or hur- riedly. Follow carefully the rules set down in the preface of the Telephone Book when you are using the telephone. SPEECH ABOUT WORK 117 PROBLEMS I. Some, if not all, of the terms below should be of interest to working people. Select two or three and prepare a speech to be delivered before your class, showing just how your selec- tions bear upon the worker and his life: advertising hospitals race agencies hours reading associate immigration recreation benefits improvements rent i capital investment rest child welfare legislation safety devices church hbraries saloons citizenship hcensing schools clothing light selling commerce lodges service competition lunch sewage conversation machinery shelter commission manufacturing sickness community markets skilled labor courts milk smoke crime music society drink naturalization strikes education newspapers tax employees noise teachers employers parties tenements English peace tobacco enviromnent pensions traffic farming pictures trade fire prevention playgrounds trees foreign policy police unions free trade polls vote good roads postal laws wages happiness prices war health prisons water hoUdays production weather reports homes protection women workers ii8 WORKING COMPOSITION 2. Members of a class may have a very helpful and inter- esting recitation talking to one another on the subjects hsted below, one acting in one capacity and one in another: Renting a house Paying a bill Collecting a bill Giving an order Requesting an increase in salary Requesting a promotion in position Apologizing to some one Selling some article Soliciting an advertisement Borrowing something Displaying goods Asking some one to address your school Arranging a game between two teams Explaining how an accident happened Bujdng tickets for the circus Asking a tenant to vacate Telephoning to some railroad for information Requesting permission for a class to go somewhere Joining the boy scouts Joining the camp-fire girls 3. Report to your classmates on current topics. Indicate under what heading in the newspaper your topics come. In case you report on more than one, select your topics from different departments of the paper, such as. Foreign Literary Scientific Local Editorial Athletic Business Social Pohtics Art Educational Industrial 4. Explain in a brief speech: How to play baseball, or some other game How to lay out a baseball or football field or tennis court SPEECH ABOUT WORK 119 How to swim How to prepare a lesson How to make a speech How to run an automobile How to dust a room How to set a table How to make a call How to clean windows How to drive a horse How to exercise How to trim a hat How to read 5. Describe to your classmates something that you have seen and appreciated: A performance at the circus A table set with eatables An athletic field A sunset A pretty dress or hat A football A good diimer A baseball A dog An automobile A speaker A park A classmate A parade A teacher A field of grain A room ' A cake A flag A picture 6. Tell your classmates a story — preferably one that you have read from some recent paper or magazine. 7. Tell of some event in which you have figured, — a pic- nic, a game, a trip, or some other personal experience. 8. Discuss the following questions with your classmates, first conversationally, and then in formal detail: Resolved — That the real purpose of work is largely misunder- stood. Resolved — That war is unnecessary. Resolved — That all workers should be profit-sharers in the work that they do. Resolved — That unionism should be prohibited by law. I20 WORKING COMPOSITION Resolved — That women workers cheapen labor. Resolved — That money is the justifiable end of all work. Resolved — That all schoolrooms should be workshops. Resolved — That schooling is better preparation for work than apprenticeship. Resolved — That all industrial concerns should house the families of their employees. g. Make a business speech before your class on one of the following topics: Managing a team ' Manufacturing some article Managing a school paper Managing a farm Advertising a game How mother runs the house Running a restaurant Tea-room management Athletic goods Profits at the soda fountain Banking Our cake and candy sale 10. Make an announcement for A game Increased subscriptions to the school paper A club meeting Support of the team at a final game A rally Christmas gifts to the poor Cheer practice Change of recitation hours A lost article The opening of a new school activity 11. Make speeches of presentation, acceptance, and intro- duction, using members of your class as sponsors in each case. It may be a good plan to organize yoiu- class into a public meet- ing in order to get practice in such speaking. 12. Organize your class into a club. Arrange a program and celebrate an entertainment recitation. The president should, however, provide some surprise numbers, so that there may be some unprepared speaking. 13. Introduce to your class the following speakers: An author A minister A traveler An employer A woman ofiice holder An old schoolmate A former teacher A former actress A business woman A Red Cross nurse SPEECH ABOUT WORK 121 14. Make speeches of presentation and acceptance for the following: A prize for athletic work A police medal An award at a fair A flag A hero medal 15. Propose a toast to one of your classmates on his winning a race or on his making an exceptional showing in a football game. 16. Solve the following speech problems: You are an employer who does not believe in profit-sharing. But your employees have invited a great profit-sharing expert to talk to them at their noon hour. They have invited you to introduce the speaker. Do so. You are president of a club. The president of another club that has recently defeated yours in debate has been invited to speak to your organization. Introduce him fittingly. The race which you won from Tompkins was almost a tie. It was contested, but you were awarded the prize. Make a fitting speech of acceptance. You need a new school building. The trustees of your school do not agree that the building is a necessity at present. Make a convincing speech to them on the subject. You are chairman of the board of judges at an interscholastic debate. Make a fitting speech in which you render the de- cision arrived at by the judges. You graduated from school two years ago. Returning to visit your old school, you are called upon by the principal to give a brief speech. Reproduce his introduction of you. Make your speech. You are a woman advocate of equal suffrage. You have been granted permission to, speak in a church the minister of which is opposed to equal suffrage. He introduces you. Reproduce his speech. Give the opening remarks of your own speech. 122 WORKING COMPOSITION You are an employee of a large industrial concern. As member of a regiment, you have been called for service. Make a speech to your fellow employees at noon hour, urging them to join the colors. As an employee of the firm indicated in the above problem, you do not believe in war. You are out-and-out for peace. Make a speech to your fellow employees urging them not to volun- teer for military service. One hundred of the men with whom you work have been called to the front. Your employer has issued notice that he will neither pay them in absence nor hold their places for them on their return. Make a speech denouncing this policy. One of your teachers is about to leave you for another position. Make a eulogistic farewell speech, appropriate for the occasion of his going. You are toastmaster at a banquet to one of your fellows who has just received the distinction of head boy of the school. In- troduce four or five speakers, and then introduce the head boy himself, as cleverly as you can. 17. Make a speech to your class on "The Forms and Values of Public Speaking." 18. Give an oral account of some clever public speaking that you have heard. 19. Explain the difference between prepared and unpre- pared speaking; between impromptu and extempore speaking. 20. Point out the definite values to workers of ability in occasional speaking. 21. Study one of the pictures reproduced in this book. Then, with the book closed, tell your classmates accurately and ac- cording to some plan what you have seen in it. ^ is brc and aker. to < .Ill- < uild ties the !* •"H-g '^ U 6 " B ;ca 5 CHAPTER III LETTERS ABOUT WORK The Importance of the Business Letter. — Next to oral speech the letter is and always has been, in one form or another, the most important and most valuable means of communication among men. The eastern potentate who commimicated ofl&cial commands to his people by means of inscriptions on stone or papyrus made crude and uncon- scious but certain use of the business letter. The romantic lover who carved his love message on the bark of trees for the fair one of his affections to read, made crude and unconscious but certain use of the social letter, in spirit if not in form. The modern newspaper developed from the early news letter, an official document posted in pubHc squares for the enlightenment of those interested in the miUtary and commercial activities of their state. The modern novel developed from the early social letter, arranged in sequence and thereby telling a love story. Most of the business of the world today is negotiated in part, if not entirely, by means of the business letter. An incalculable part of the social intercourse of the world is carried on by means of the social letter, — Cupid himself, it is suspected, not being aloof to the use of the letter for the conduct of his traffic among hearts! It is with the business letter that we are to be chiefly concerned in this book, for this is the sort of letter that 124 WORKING COMPOSITION grows out of the world's work. The social letter is the letter of leisure; the business letter is the letter of work. The word letter is being used in the broadest possible sense, however. We mean by it, here, every kind of business communication between man and man, from the merest cable or telegraphic message of only a few words to the longest practicable circular statement. The letter is an expression of thought between two people who are absent from one another. It is a written conversation or a written business arrangement, a negotia- tion or transaction on paper instead of by person, be- cause of conditions imposed by time and distance. It is a human docimient that facihtates business. It takes trips for men who are too busy to take them. It conducts business at a great distance in shorter time, very often, than men themselves could personally conduct it. It strips business negotiation of all social fringe and deals explicitly and definitely with the business itself. It attends no social dinners or theatrical parties, as business men do. It demands concentration on the matter in hand, — nothing more. It therefore requires direct, definite, and concise language in its composition. It forbids fine writing as it ignores the social function. The business man of today is trained to think and to express himself in terms of the letter. The total imprint and import of his business is to be foimd in his letter files. His office is a sort of letter storehouse so arranged that by pressing a button he can call up letters that will furnish him with the exact data of transactions of years past and of policies adopted for years to come. His letters possess personality and radiate that personality to whatever place they go. Where his letters go, he himself goes in thought LETTERS ABOUT WORK 125 and spirit. His letters are at once the geography, the his- tory, the prophecy, the financial record of his business. And the letters that come to him from all parts of the world are equally significant in their meaning to him and to others. They are living, pulsating things that vivify the streets below him, the roll and stir of commerce all around him. As he looks from his window and beholds the ocean carrier plying out to sea, he is reminded that the traffic of many letters and messages was necessary to its departure. As he hears the rapid express thundering by, he is reminded that transactions involving millions of dollars are dependent upon the letters in the mail cars that are being hurried to their destination. Letters, he muses, are the silent mes- sengers that guide the ebb and flood of business and industry, the electricity that sets and maintains the com- mercial currents of the world in motion. The Kinds of Business Letters. — For convenience of study, business letters m^y be classified roughly as follows: A 1. Application Letters, written in answer to advertising or in making appKcation for position, privilege, or consideration of any kind. 2. Order and Receipt Letters, written in placing orders for purchases and in acknowledgment for payment received. Cable or tele- graphic messages frequently precede such letters. 3. Semi-Business Letters, written in inquiry, in recommendation, in investigation, in comment on public questions for newspapers. Petitions and resolutions may be included under this heading. B 1. Announcement Letters, written to announce openings, removals, temporary closing, changes in firm, new policies, etc. 2. Advertising Letters, written to instigate business, following an announcement, perhaps, and usuallv accompanied by inserts, folders, circulars, or catalogues. 126 WORKING COMPOSITION 3. Sales and Follow-up Letters, written to effect sales following an announcement or advertising letter, and appearing, as a rule, in a series, each succeeding one reenforcing the last and attempting persuasion upon some new point. 4. Dunning Letters, written in request for payment that has been delayed beyond generous credit extension; the most difficult of business letters, requiring, as they do, positiveness with courtesy, reproof with grace, eagerness with patience. Under A are grouped those letters that most men and women are called upon to write, regardless of their daily purstiits; under B, the more specifically business letters, such as constitute the ordinary correspondence cycle of a business house. The letters of group A may, however, be dovetailed with those of group B. To illustrate: A business house may announce its opening. A person may make application for a position with the house. His letter may enclose a recommendation. The house may now send out advertising and sales letters. These ia turn may bring in orders and necessitate the sending out of receipts. Some customers may delay pa3rment and thus reqxiire the house to send them dunning letters. This situ- ation would, therefore, caU into use all the letters above enumerated to complete the business cycle or sequence. Advertising letters and sales and follow-up letters are one and the same in purpose, but they vary in content. To say where advertising ends and selling begins, whatever the method of the two operations, is impossible. The distinction between the advertising and the sales letter must not be forced too rigidly. They differ only in degree of selling quality, not in kind. Generally speaking, the advertising letter instigates business; the selling letter follows up the advertising letter persistently, periodi- cally, and persuasively. LETTERS ABOUT WORK 127 Tike Parts of a Letter. — With some slight variations, according to the demands of time and circumstance, the parts of a letter are as follows, in order of position on the letter paper: The heading The address The salutation The body The closing The signature The reference data Each of these must be examined carefully with reference td form, punctuation, and content. The heading belongs in the upper right or middle part of the letter and consists of the place and date of writing. You must form the habit of dating everything you write. To omit the date from a business letter often results most seriously for all parties concerned. When written in long hand the heading should occupy two or three lines, ac- cording to the length of names that are used. In type- written form it usually occupies but a single line. The left-hand margin should be diagonal or vertical. The latter is more convenient for the typist and is probably more easily read. The punctuation should be exact in every particular, — periods after all abbreviations, and commas where an understood word is to be accoxmted for. The present tendency is to omit punctuation from headings and addresses. It must be remembered, however, that the period is usually a part of an abbreviation and consequently should rarely be omitted. One danger in the omission of punctuation is that the omission is not made consistently, — it is likely to be omitted in some places 128 WORKING COMPOSITION and retained in others. This of course makes a letter appear illiterate. Another danger is that, unless the different units in a heading or an address are separated by punctuation, they may lead to a confused reading. The usage of the best business houses is to include correct punctuation throughout. As a rule, names of places should precede dates. The following headings are good: 100 Dearborn St., Chicago, III., June JO, igiy. 100 Dearborn St., Chicago, III., June jo, igij. 100 Dearborn St., Chicago, III., June JO, igi'j. loo Dearborn St., Chicago, III., June JO, igi'j. 100 Dearborn St. Chicago III. June JO igiy 100 Dearborn St. Chicago 6-J0-'i7 The use of figures to indicate months is not the best form in letters, but is good in brief notes, memoranda, and telegrams. It is not absolutely necessary to affix the LETTERS ABOUT WORK 129 name of the state or county after the names of some of the greatest cities, — Chicago, New York City, Denver, San ■ Francisco, — though it is better to do so. The placing of the date between two place names is both incorrect and inconsistent, — 100 Dearborn St., June 30, 191 7, Chicago, 111. When letterheads are printed the writer' usually has to fill in only the date on the dotted line left for it. It is becoming more and more customary, however, to omit printed date lines from letterheads (see page 131). Letterheads are really advertisements and as such they should be set up as attractively as possible. Graceful lines, clear type, artistic arrangement, should all be so com- bined as to give a quick and lasting impression of the firm name, its business, and its location. The circular and the catalogue are frequently developed from the letterhead, as we shall see later. (See letterheads on page 131.) The address, together with the name of the one to whom the letter is to be sent, belongs in the upper left of the letter and should be started a line or two below the last line of the heading. The same rules of punctuation apply to the address, both within the letter and on the envelope, as to the heading. The following combinations are good: 100 Dearborn St., Chicago, III., June JO, igij. Mr. James W. Blank, 41 Market St., Philadelphia, Pa. I30 WORKING COMPOSITION 100 Dearborn St. Chicago June JO igiy James W. Blank Esq. 41 Broadway New York City [This, though correct, is unusual.] Mr. should be used before a man's name or Esq. after it. Both should never be used at the same time. The use of City after New York is not improper though perhaps it is unnecessary. Letters sent out by many of the best houses make use of New York City. In social correspondence it is customary to place the address in the lower left-hand corner, after the signature, rather than at the beginning of the letter. In business correspondence, however, the address should appear in the upper left-hand part, just under the heading, as above indicated, in order to facilitate filing. A business letter consisting of two or more pages should carry a running abbreviated address in the extreme upper left-hand corner of each page. The date is sometimes carried along with the running title, as is also a brief indication of content. In case the sheets become separated, it is thus easier to assemble them. A running title for the letter suggested above might be as follows, — /. W. B. — N. Y. — 6-30-iy — re bk. order. "Re bk. order" means "regarding book order" and serves as a key to the content of the letter. In a letter of application, written in answer to an adver- tisement that contains a keyed address, it is advisable LETTERS ABOUT WORK 131 Office of Salaa MannfCT Chalmers ^-^ MOTOR COMPANY Makers a f Motor Cars CHALMOTOR Detroit,Michigan,IJ.S.A f^eptying to yours of THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT THs LADIBS'HOMB JOCSNAL THU UiniRDAT EVENING FOST THE COUNTRT GBNTLEMAH VKAJUITEBSCUI.MAIUCBR Dor:Bi,EXis-CY'PA.GE & Company Pttbmshehs THE WOHI-DS WOHK , COUXTIEV-IJFECfAAIERIGA THE lUTUHE IXBItARr ® 7 THEGARDEX MACAZIXB GARDEN CITY:XEW YORK MOTOR VAN SERVICE LIBHOUSE 43'45&«1 WE5T6«' OFFICE 'EST e^^S' New^bpk Typical Letterheads 132 WORKING COMPOSITION to clip the advertisement and paste it in the place usually occupied by the address, thus — 100 Dearborn St., Chicago, III., June JO, igiy. BOY wanted for Maiden Lane wholesale jewelry house; one with knowledge of this line preferred; good chance for advancement; $5 week to start; state age; address in own handwriting. L 277 Times Downtown. My dear Sir: or the key in the advertisement may be used, — L 2^^ Times, Downtown. My dear Sir: The salutation in business correspondence should follow one of these forms, — Sir: Madam: Sirs: Mesdames: Gentlemen: — Ladies: — Dear Sir: ■ — Dear Madam: — Dear Sirs: — Dear Mesdames: My dear Sir: — My dear Madam: — My dear Sirs: My dear Mesdames (or Ladies) : My dear Mr. Blank, — My dear Mrs. Blank, — Dear Mr. Blank — Dear Mrs. Blank — Gentlemen is preferable to My dear Sirs or Dear Sirs or Sirs; Ladies is preferable to Mesdames. When dear is the middle word in the salutation the best usage does not capitalize it. LETTERS ABOUT WORK 133 In case there is doubt as to the sex of the person addressed (or Madam) should be used after the salutation, thus, My dear Sir {or Madam): The salutation should start on the margin of the letter paper, and not be set in from it. In case the address is written with a vertical margin, it is well to leave a space of a line or two between it and the salutation, thus, John W. Blank, Esq., 41 Broadway, New York City. Dear Sir: The last salutation given above is the least formal and presupposes previous business or social acquaintance with Mr. or Mrs. Blank. The colon or the colon and dash should be used after such formal salutations as are required in most business letters. The dash or the comma and dash may be used when the business relation between the writer and the addressee is informal or when correspondence is frequent. The comma after the salutation in a business letter is not the best usage, and the use of the semicolon indicates illiteracy. In letters of general recommendation To Whom It May Concern: or To whom it may concern: takes the place of the salutation, and of course the address is omitted. In letters of special or individual recommenda- tion, however, the rules for the address and the salutation given above should be followed, 134 WORKING COMPOSITION Letters to editors of newspapers omit the salutation as a rule, owing to the requirements of space. Such letters carry a combination address and salutation as follows, — To the Editor of the New York Times: Some papers, however, admit the Sir: following this on the hne below. New York business men a few years ago appointed a committee to consider among other things the omission of the salutation and the complimentary closing in aU business correspondence. It was said that the total time occupied by a typist in inserting these "vestiges of courtesy" which everybody takes for granted and nobody stops to read amounted to an enormous waste. The committee reported, however, that modern business need not feel the rush and press of haste to the exclusion of courtesy, and most business houses remained wUling to stand the waste thus entailed. A few, however, adopted the plan of omitting these parts, but they assimied the greater trouble and expense of printing such notice as the following on their stationery: We haw never heard a good reason for the use of "Dear Madam," " Dear Sir," " Yours iery truly," and other similar phrases in business correspondence. For the sake of accuracy, brevity, and economy we have discontinued their use. Moreover, these exceptional houses find it almost impos- sible to make the usage uniform among different depart- ments. One head of department foUows the rule of the house; another forgets and foUows the rule of courtesy; stiU another, in unconscious compromise, omits the salu- tation and includes the complimentary closing, or vice versa. LETTERS ABOUT WORK 135 The body of a business letter should be treated in form very much as any other piece of composition is treated, that is, it should have a margin and should be paragraphed. It is good to paragraph more frequently, however, than in the ordinary composition that you write. Some houses make a paragraph of every sentence in their letters, no matter how brief they may be. In this way they make the different points stand out more clearly and more attrac- tively to the eye. Other houses, on the contrary, place all the contents of a short business letter in a single paragraph. The body of a business letter should begin immedi- ately after the salutation, on the same line or on the line below. It should open directly and briskly with the busi- ness in hand and it should conclude pointedly but not abruptly. AppHcation, order, and receipt letters, like recommendations, resolutions, and petitions, follow a more or less stereotyped form, but even these may be made bright and spontaneous and different if a writer has personality that is transferable. All such letters must be made absolutely accurate. Terms referring to money must not only be spelled out, but must also be given directly afterward in figures in parentheses, in order to insure accuracy. Modern business letters of the better type no longer contain such cut-and-dried and hackneyed and perfunctory statements as these, — In reply to yours of the i6th I would say Yours of the i6th at hand and contents noted, etc. at the beginning, or as these at the end, — Trusting that we may be favored with your further orders Hoping to have the pleasure of supplying you, etc. 136 WORKING COMPOSITION The development of efficient filing systems has made such statements as these unnecessary and the science of selling has shown them to be the equivalents of " What can I do for you today? " "Anything else, Madam?" in bad salesmanship, and the remnants of "I take my pen in hand to drop you a letter," etc., of the old-fashioned social letter. The personal pronouns / and we are used sparingly, but they must be used to some extent, of course, in almost every letter. It is not wrong to open a letter with I or we, though it may not always be best to do so. Let- ters of appUcation, however, by the very nature of the advertisement they answer, often demand the I or we opening. These pronouns should be placed in the objec- tive case as much as possible when used, and the you by courtesy should figure much more largely than the first personal pronoun in either number. The business letter begins and ends, — it does not intro- duce and conclude. It begins where the letter it is reply- ing to ends. It ends where the letter in reply to it begins. Filing numbers or letters indicate to the writer what each letter in a series of correspondence is about, or tell him just where the copies of his letters in the series may be found. Examine the letters on page 155 in connection with the foregoing, particularly numbers i and 2. The closing in business letters should consist of just one part, the complimentary closing. It should be written on the line below the last line of the body of the letter, should be followed by a comma, and when it consists of more than one word, only the first word in it should be capitalized. The following are in good use as compli- mentary closings to business letters, — LETTERS ABOUT WORK 137 Yours truly, Truly yours, Yours sincerely, Sincerely yours, Yours respectfully. Respectfully yours, Very truly yours. Yours very truly, Very sincerely yours. The last named is not commonly used in business cor- respondence, nor are "Cordially yours" and "Faithfully yours." There is a wide range of variety, however, in the use of the closing among business houses. It is a form merely; the meaning is not to be analyzed in business letters. "Very truly yours" is probably the most com- mon. The participial closing is not used in good business letters. It is a waste of time; it is hackneyed; it is cheap. Hoping to receive a prompt order, I am Very truly yours, Trusting that goods will be received in satisfactory condi- tion, we are Sincerely yours, and similar participial constructions at the end of a> letter are never read; they amount to form merely, and the tendency is to strip the letter of unnecessary form. The participial closing, however, when used, and also the "oblige" closing, which is more commonly and more prop- erly used, should be punctuated with care. Such closings always end with a verb, the complement of which in gram- matical construction is the "yours," expressed or under- stood, that follows. The verb, therefore, should not be 138 WORKING COMPOSITION followed by a comma. The participial closings above are properly punctuated, as are the following "oblige" closings: Please send by messenger, and oblige Yours truly, Please charge to my account, and oblige Very truly yours, Placing "I am," "we are," or "and oblige" on a line separate from the rest of the letter is not the best practice, though it is done by some houses in their correspondence. There are some good business firms that use Cordially yours, Faithfully yours, and the other more intimate complimentary closings of social correspondence. The corresponding salutation. My dear Mr. Blank: is preferably used in all such cases, and both are correct, and even desirable, provided the houses concerned in the correspondence have been on terms of cordial business dealings for a number of years. Some houses also adopt such cordial and high-sounding closings as, With very best regards, we have the pleasure to remain. Sir, Yours faithfully. Assuring you always of our very best services, we beg to remain, Sir, Yours very cordially, But these are not the rule, nor should they be. The European business letter is a good deal more cordial and intimate in tone than is the American, and such closings as those just quoted are not uncommon in the business LETTERS ABOUT WORK 139 correspondence of Europeans. With us, however, the case is different. The best letter is the one, as stated at the outset, that carries as httle "fringe" as possible. The last sentence of the body of your letter should conclude your business. Nothing should be placed between this and your complimentary closing. In letters of recom- mendation and to editors, even this is usually omitted. The signature should follow immediately after the com- plimentary closing and should consist of the full name of the writer. It may be followed by a period, or, in case a modifying word in apposition follows, by a comma. It is inadvisable to use initials, even for firm names. If the letter is typewritten, the writer or dictator should write his name with his own hand. In case this is impossible, his secretary njay sign for him or tj^ewrite his name, with her initials preceded by per or by written beneath it. She may write his name in full, and place just one of her own initials below it, or she may sign her own name, with the word Secretary directly beneath it. Again, she may use a facsimile stamp for the signature of her employer, signing her initial underneath. Some houses have a stamp which explains in a note that letters were signed in the absence of the official who wrote them, thus, — ■ Personally dictated, but signed in writer's absence to expedite delivery. In aflSxing her signature to a letter, a woman should always indicate in parentheses before or under her nanie whether she is Miss or Mrs., thus signifying the form in which letters should be addressed to her. If her husband's name is to be used, that should be indicated likewise; thus, — 140 WORKING COMPOSITION (Miss) Mary Smith (Mrs.) Anna Turner Helen Worthington (Mrs. James R.) In case the letter is sent out by a company, the company name should be typewritten and should be followed by the name or the initials of the official responsible for its being written. There is such wide variation of custom in this style of signature that we can best acquaint ourselves with allowable forms by examining the following: Yours very sincerely, Sincerely yours, BL/21. WRW/JCS. Yours very truly. Liberty Storage and Warehouse Company. -''^ V ' J Manage LETTERS ABOUT WORK 141 Very truly yours, JOHN A. COLEAMORE & CO. DFS/FP CP Very sincerely yours, The Royorofters. Per ^^ Faithfully yours Henry Hart and Company Yours very truly, JACKSON AUTOMOBILE COMPANY AWM-B Advertising Manager. Very truly yours. EDUCATIONAL COMMITTEE. CRD:EE ^^ SECRETARY. Yours very truly, EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT. 142 WORKING COMPOSITION Yours truly. By reference data is meant the placing in the lower left- hand corner or elsewhere in a letter certain keys in expla- nation. It may be the initials of the dictator and his stenographer; in this case the dictator's initials should be placed first. It may be the initials of the dictator and a file nimiber. All initials should be given, when the initial method is used, in order to avoid confusion in tracing, in case error should arise. If John H. James dictated to his stenographer, Mary R. Smith, the. reference data should appear as follows, — jhj/mrs This is better than JHJ/S unless Mary R. Smith is the only stenographer the firm employs. Numbers are sometimes used in place of initials. Other data placed in business letters may be used to facihtate letter file reference or to hasten replies, or both. Letters or figures, or letters and figures combined, may be used for this. They should be given at the top of the letter, in the extreme upper left-hand corner, or just above the address, for the secretary who opens her employer's mail may think it desirable to place past correspondence before him along with the new mail referring to it. She can then see the file reference or key at a glance and notify the filing clerk accordingly. Some houses, however, have the custom of placing this reference at the end of their LETTERS ABOUT WORK 143 letters. The reference signs vary according to the method of filing used or to the special letter system employed. Common ones are, # 266a File No. 1882 Please mention abi8 when replying to this letter The last type of reference should not be ignored by the person who answers a letter bearing it. Some business letter writers disregard it, attaching to it probably about the same importance that they give to "Please mention this magazine" when they answer an advertisement. But by so doing they may delay the series of correspondence and also re.tard the work of the filing clerk in the office. Another kind of reference is the Enc. or the word Enclosure written out and placed in parentheses. This is used to verify the enclosure of money or check or other material. It may be useful in guarding against loss from any cause and for purpose of checking up letter accounts. It is advisable always in making valuable enclosures to attach them by fastener to the letter paper. Enclosed stamps should be placed in a small envelope of waxed paper, or they may be attached to the letter by the stamp border. Loose enclosures may easily be lost, for they often flutter out of the envelope unexpectedly. In case the additional matter to be sent is too bulky to be enclosed and requires separate cover, note is made of it by some appropriate sign, thus, [Catalogue] [Folders mailed] The Letter Picture. — First impressions are lasting, particularly first letter impressions. If you apply for a 144 WORKING COMPOSITION position personally, you are naturally anxious to make a good appearance. If you make application by letter, you must be equally careful about the appearance of that letter, for it represents you for the time being. Your per- sonality radiates from it to the one who has the power to confer or withhold the privilege for which you ask. In the same way, a business house should see to it that all its letters present a pleasing and dignified appearance. There are houses that have become notable for the character of their correspondence. There are other houses that have become more or less notorious for the loose, irregular, haphazard letters they send out. It is this "letter qual- ity" that reflects itself in every business transaction and policy of a house. A house that advertises with dignity and deals with dignity and precision very likely sends out fine looking letters. You can do much to make your own personal letters look well. Even though you may be a poor writer, you can make poor writing look neat by keep- ing lines and margins straight, by spacing equally between lines, by placing the letter parts harmoniously, and by proportioning your whole letter gracefully on the paper. There should be as few different marginal lines as possible, for vertical lines confuse the picture. There must be, of course, a generous left-hand margin; a paragraph margin, decided by the length of the salutation, on which all para- graphs should begin; a margin perhaps on which the heading and the complimentary closing start. If diagonal margins are used, they should represent the same angle in all cases. In order to test and appreciate fuUy the effect of a' good letter picture, you should place many open letters on a table and then invite a friend to come and read any one. That letter which he reads first will probably LETTERS ABOUT WORK 145 be the one having the best appearance, presenting the most pleasant and convincing picture. The letters reproduced in this chapter should be studied from the point of view of the letter picture they present, as well as from other standpoints. There is, of course, no rigidly standardized letter form. It is not desirable that there should be, for the letter needs to be fluid in both style and form in order that it may serve as a valuable and a versatile vehicle of expression. Our standard must be fixed by the letters sent out by the best business houses. This will allow variation without causing inferiority in our own letters. The Envelope. — The address on the envelope should be the same as that preceding the salutation in the letter, and the same rules as to form apply to the outside as to the inside address. Either the vertical or the diagonal margin may be used and punctuation may or may not be omitted. In case punctuation is omitted, place names should be clearly separated, otherwise a derk's hasty read- ing may cause confusion, — not Mr. James J. Smith j8 Oliver St. Rosedale Pa. but Mr. James J. Smith j8 Oliver St. Rosedale Pa. The present tendency is to make the margin of all envelope addresses vertical. The use of Esq. after the name instead of Mr. before it seems to be gaining in favor. In address- 146 WORKING COMPOSITION ing a company in which family names appear in addition, Messrs. may be used, though its use is more common when Company or Co. does not appear; in other cases The is commonly used: thus, — Messrs. Brown and Billings, Archer, Curtis and Co., but The Triangle Waist Co. The envelope, too, should picture forth precision and dig- nity. Stamps should be placed with care in the upper right- hand corner. Additional directions for delivery or other information should be written neatly in the lower left-hand corner. The "in care of" (c/o) direction is sometimes placed directly underneath the name in the envelope address, and it is just as well to place it here in cases where the address is not longer than three or four lines with the c/o included. The envelope should not be too small for the letter. Nothing is more annojdng to the recipient of a letter than to have to wrestle with it in order to separate it from its envelope. It superinduces, as a rule, an angry or ruffled reception for the contents of the letter. Many attempts have been made to establish a new and more sensible order in envelope addressing, but custom has been too strong to be overcome. The name in an address is really the least important item in it, yet custom insists that it be placed first. The place of destination, the most important item in the address, — certainly from the mail derk's standpoint, — comes last according to the iron rule of custom. Some few business houses defy this custom by placing the name last; others write the place in much larger type than the rest of the address. or LETTERS ABOUT WORK 147 New York Ithaca 410 Ellis Avenue James W. Black Esq. James W. Black, Esq., 410 Ellis Avenue, ITHACA, New York. In such an arrangement as either of these, the most important item is emphasized. The first is the better, for it indicates the place name in order of dehvery process and makes the mail clerk's work considerably easier. PROBLEMS I. Write the following letter parts correctly, — 125 W 76 St., Ny. June -5-17 Dear Sir; Mr. James Blank Esq 24 Broadway N Y Hoping to hear from you favorably and oblige Yours Sincerely Very Truly Yours Helen Armour 2. Arrange, capitalize, and punctuate the following letters correctly: (o) new york oct 11 1916 124 east 60 street Oliver james esq 481 broadway new york dear sir we send you a clipping that may 148 WORKING COMPOSITION interest you and beg to suggest that you become a subscriber to our bureau we read every publication of importance published including the weeklies and monthlies and can supply you with clippings on any given subject trusting that we may receive your order we are very truly yours samuel franck inc 1 e patten sec lep/ar (b) IS patten avenue asheville north caroHna nov 15 191 6 mr thomas lemaire 18 merrimon avenue Cleveland ohio my dear sir when you come to asheviUe on dec i please call at the office for adjustment of salary very truly yours charles lanen per eas cl/eas. (c) evans blaine attorney at law 36 state street Chicago ill april 3 1 91 7 marine hotel co barbedos w i dear sirs now that european summer travel is interrupted by the war i should like some information about barbadoes as a summer resort is it oppressively hot are there many mosquitoes is there good bath- ing please state rates and give me whatever other information you may have at hand regarding the place i have been to hono- lulu in summer and found it deUghtful but i am entirely un- acquainted with the west indies i regret to say very truly yours evans blaine eb/er (d) marine hotel american plan barbadoes west indies winter rates $2.50 to $4.00 summer $1.50 to S3.00 daily george s pome- roy proprietor and owner j h barclay manager april 21 191 7 evans blaine 36 state street Chicago dear sir we acknowledge receipt of your favor of 3rd inst and beg to state that you can be quite comfortable here during the months of July and august we have good fresh water baths in the hotel both shower and tub and also good sea bathing at a distance of about 150 yds from the hotel it is not oppressively hot we have a few mosquitoes of the non-malarial type our lowest rate for room with bath for one is $2100 per week we also have good rooms with running water not in baths at $1750 per week also some with neither running water nor baths at $1500 per week aU inclusive should you desire to come here we are quite certain that you will be pleased our porters board all steamers and relieve guests of all trouble regarding luggage yours faithfully pomeroy hotel co j h barclay manager jhb/cs enclosure LETTERS ABOUT WORK 149 3. The following quotations refer directly to social letters, but they may be applied in some part to business letters. Make this application and explain it fully: If this letter move him not, his legs cannot. I'll give 't him. — Shakespeare. The letter is too long by half a mile. — Shakespeare. A strange volume of real Hfe in the daily packet of the post- man. — Jerrold. • A piece of simple goodness — a letter gushing from the heart; a beautiful unstudied vindication of the worth and untiring sweetness of human nature — a fecord of the invulnerability of man, armed with high purpose, sanctified by truth. — Jerrold. Jove and my stars be praised! Here is yet a postscript. — Shakespeare. The welcome news is in the letter found; The carrier's not commissioned to expound; It speaks itself, and what it does contain, In all things needful to be known, is plain. — Dryden. Every day brings a ship. Every ship brings a word; WeU for those who have no fear, Looking seaward well assured That the word the vessel brings Is the word they wish to hear. — Emerson. Ease should characterize a letter. — Crahb. When dark man write a letter he become hke white man. — Cetywayo. Letters which are warmly sealed are often coldly opened. — Richter. Women are especially first-rate letter writers, and we men are only bunglers. — Schleiermacher. Letters, such as are written from wise men, are of all the words of men, in my judgment, the best. — Bacon. Let your letter be written as accurately as you are able, — I mean with regard to language, grammar, and stops; for as to the matter of it the less trouble you give yourself, the better. ISO WORKING COMPOSITION Letters should be easy and natural, and coming to the person to whom we send them just what we should say to the persons if we were with them. — Chesterfield. Letters are the documents to which historians now resort for the materials of history; they are also among the most pleasant and instructive modes of communion in society. — Mansfield. The printing of private letters is the worst sort of betraying conversation, as it evidently has the most extensive ill conse- quences. — Pope. Folding a Letter. ^ The convenience of the recipient should be kept in view in folding a letter. Too often the convenience of the writer only is considered. He "clutches" it into three or four folds and off it goes, — to be opened upside down, perhaps, or end first. Paper of the ordinary commercial size when folded for the large commercial envelope should first be folded up from the bottom at sHghtly less than one-third space, and then folded down from the top at slightly more than one-third space. This makes two horizontal creases and permits the top fold to extend over just far enough to expose the first line (or more) of the letterhead. This same method should be followed in folding all paper of octavo size, whether in two horizontal creases or in one. Commercial paper for insertion in the smaller envelope should be folded up from the bottom horizontally slightly less than one-half space, then in two vertical creases, the top or right fold being slightly wider than the other two in order that it may extend over slightly or "reach out" for the thimab to open it as does the page of a book. The illus- tration on the following page makes this clearer than any exposition can. Some Special Letters. — Letters of recommendation are special if written directly to some one individual or com- _n — CL — nr-— /: pj r- — ^-■ r> ajta.;- u--^/. aa /^— .^-ftfr. How TO Fold Letters A shows paper of ordinary commercial size folded ready for insertion in the large commercial envelope. B shows the first and second steps in folding for the small envelope. The ver- tical creases are indicated by shading. C shows B tightly folded ready for in- sertion in the small envelope. Note the edge for the thumb at the left. 152 WORKING COMPOSITION pany in behalf of another; they are general if addressed as is the example on page 157. The letter of recommenda- tion should always contain the full name of the one recom- mended and should tell truthfully what the writer knows about his character, his ability, his training, and his experi- ence or service. Understatement and overstatement should be equally guarded against. They have not always been, and as a consequence letters of recommendation have fallen into disrepute in some quarters. A man's recom- mendation of another should be as good as his personal check to another, — it is indeed a check, not for money, but for character, and should bear rating at its face valu3. Petitions and resolutions follow a more or less stereo- typed form, their content depending altogether upon the nature of the occasion that calls them forth. A petition is a collective request or demand for a right, favor, or privilege. It is usually written in briefer form than the resolution. The petition is generally made in the open- ing clause. The briefer, the more pointed, and the more courteous it is the better. There is the customary heading: an address and salutation in general terms, such as, — To Mr. John C. Carter, Manager of Union Dye Works, Kansas City, Mo. Dear Sir: and a large space left for signatures at the end. The first name signed is usually that of the instigator of the move- ment, though this is not necessarily always the case. A Round Robin is a circular arrangement of signatures, used so that there can be no first name and conse- quently no one person against whom authority may take LETTERS ABOUT WORK 153 measures, in case the petition makes an unacceptable request. Resolutions are the expression of collective feeling, favorable or unfavorable, on some special event or action, such as death, marriage, anniversary, or they are the ex- pression of attitude regarding some person or movement at a time of particular agitation. A number of para- graphed dependent clauses beginning with Whereas, set- ting forth the conditions of the resolution, come first; then follows the last paragraph, an independent clause stating the resolutions and beginning "Be it resolved, therefore, that," etc. But these types are more or less unusual. It is the letter of application that in all probability we shall be called upon to write most frequently, or at any rate it is the letter upon which we shall always strive to bring our best form and expression to bear — the one that we shall "work hardest at." The I may have to be used, and self-reference is not wrong so long as it is truthful and modest. It should not figure in every sentence, however, and it will be better if it be reduced to the objective form throughout. But the one to whom application for position is made wants to know about the person applying, and it is the one sort of letter, therefore, from which / cannot be entirely eliminated or even subordinated. A com- plete statement in a letter of application made in answer to an advertisement must of course be adjusted to the advertisement itself. It may call only for certain informa- tion, and in this case some of the following items may be omitted, — 1 . State your age, appearance, nationality 2, State your character and inclinations 154 WORKING COMPOSITION 3. State your general education and apprenticeship 4. State your actual experience, with salary received 5. Enclose recommendations, or names of people who may be consulted as to your a. Character b. Efficiency c. Social standing AND, have your letter perfect in form, punctuation, and picture. Enclose a stamp; fold the letter with precision; write just as neatly as you can; believe that you are going to get the "job." Illustrative Letters. — It is as impossible to illustrate the various types of letters perfectly as it is to define them exactly. The conditions under which a letter is written make it special and unique, — make all letters like and unlike, the same but different. The following exam- ples are reproduced from actual correspondence. Each is good for its own particular purpose; none is good for any other purpose. All of them are valuable as suggestions for letters like them; none of them is valuable as a per- manent form to be copied or used again, for no two letter situations are quite the same. Examine and study the illustrative letters with the foregoing explanation in mind. Number i is an order letter, with parts bracketed. Number 2 is a receipt letter in reply to it. Number 3 is an appUcation letter. Number 4 is a reply to it. Number s is a letter to a newspaper. Number 6 is a general recommendation. Number 7 is a petition. Number 8 is a form for resolutions. LETTERS ABOUT WORK iSS Messrs. Jones and Barker, 120 Holyoke Avenue, San Francisco, Cal. (1) 85 State St., Boston, Mass. , June 20, 1916. Heading Address Gentlemen: Enclosed is my check for forty (40)' dollars, for which please forward at once eight sets of Carlyle's "French Revolution," as per catalogue number 2665a. Very truly yours, TT/MCS CEnclosure] SdtutaUon Body Complimentary dosing Signature Data (2) 120 Holyoke Avenue, San Francisco, Cal., June 25, 1916. #26510 Thomas Turner, Esq., 85 State Street, Boston, Mass. Dear Sir: Eight sets of Carlyle's "French Revolution" (as per catalogue number 2665a) were forwarded to your address by American Express today. Receipted bill is en- closed herewith. Truly yours, Jones and Barker, V. CVA/SA Enc. Manager. •Or forty dollars ($40.) iS6 WORKING COMPOSITION (3)1 120 Lenox Avenue, New York City, June 18, 1916. ADVERTISING MAN to talk to young busi- ness men fifty minutes one evening each week in exchange for exceptional office ac- commodations; 40th St., near Broadway; state education, experience. W 74 Times. Dear Sir: I am a university graduate, an author of magazine articles on advertising and selling, and a writer of suc- cessful advertising copy. A brief statement of my edu- cation and experience is enclosed. An interview may be arranged at your convenience by telephoning 5700 Greeley. Respectfully yours, Enc. (4) 112 West 40th St., New York City, June 20, 1916. Mr. Everett Jameson, 120 Lenox Avenue, New York City. Dear Sir: You answered our advertisement for advertising man to give fifty minute evening talks to young men, in ex- change for office accommodations. Please see Mr. Burchell, Room 2403, 110 West For- tieth Street, tomorrow, June 21, between ten and twelve a.m. or between two-thirty and five— thirty p.m. If these hours are not satisfactory, appointment may be arranged for by 'phone. Very truly yours, 1 Also see pp. 317-321, RiMfyyuyyui c!i.ci(ieA^ LETTERS ABOUT WORK .157 (5) To the Editor of The New York Times: Supplementing my recent letter concerning the desirability of regularity in the pagination of correspond- ence, allow me to quote a passage from Professor Edwin C. Woolley's "Handbook of Composition," page 137, which I have just discovered: When four-page sheets are used all four pages may be writ- ten on. The letter should be so written that a person reading the first page has at his left the fold and at his right the coin- ciding edges opposite the fold. If the substance of the letter occupies less than two pages of the sheet the first and third pages may be written on and the second be left blank. If the substance of the letter occupies more than two pages it is best, both on the ground of good usage and on that of the reader's convenience, that the pages be written on in their natural order, namely, i, 2, 3, 4; hot in the order i, 3, 2, 4 or i, 4, 2, 3. On the same grounds it is best that the lines of writing on all the pages be at right angles to the fold, not parallel with the fold. A. L. W. (Albert L. Williams, 24 Putnam Ave. , New York, Sept. 20, 1916. Brooklyn, N.Y. ) (6) 40 West 18th St. New York City, August 3, 1916. To Whom It May Concern: The bearer, Mr. Irving Cox, has been in my employ- ment for the past two years, as general office assistant. Owing to the fact that I am discontinuing business after October 1, he is obliged to seek another position. It gives me great pleasure to recommend him as a young man of excellent character and unusual ability. I can say, without reserve of any kind, that the house that acquires his services will be making a distinct addition to the ef- ficiency and personnel of its force. I shall be glad to make the recommendation of the young man individual and personal whenever and to whomever I may be called upon to do so. ^ ^, iS8 . WORKING COMPOSITION (7) To the Principal of the Exville High School, Exville, Washington. Sir: In view of the fact that Miss Amy Winterburn, a member of the senior class, is to sing tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock, at the unveiling of the Turner monument; and. In view of the fact that Miss Winterburn has been one of the leaders in the school and has thus endeared herself to all of us and shown herself worthy of our ap- preciation in whatever she does. We, the undersigned members of the senior class, do hereby petition you for the privilege to attend the un- veiling at the time above indicated, and thus be excused from our last recitation of the day. Respectfully yours, Exville High School, 'Ma,^J fCs,VV, ^&&%Eta.Vl/, Exville, Washington, Oct. 25, 1916. (other signatures follow here) (8) WHEREAS, we have learned with deep sorrow of the death on June 12, 1916, of our classmate, James E. Evarts; and, WHEREAS, he was not only our classmate but our warm personal friend as well; and, WHEREAS, he was a loyal and enthusiastic supporter of all school activities and a leader in scholarship, BE IT RESOLVED, that we his classmates of the Ex- ville High School extend to his family our deep sympathy and our unspeakable sense of sorrow at his loss, and. Be it further RESOLVED, that, as a mark of respect for our late friend and associate, we attend the funeral services in a body. Class President. Exville High School, '^^^ /fa'ut^cf, Exville, Washington, Class Secretary. June 14, 1916 . LETTERS ABOUT WORK 159 Notes and Bulletins. — Like letterheads, notes and bulletins are advertisements in infancy or in the making. They may be the body of a brief business letter, all other letter matter being unnecessary. They should, however, always be dated, preferably in the lower left-hand corner. The essentials of the thought should be stated by means of nouns and verbs, other parts of speech being used sparingly. Each phrase or sentence should be paragraphed. The most important words should be made to stand out, for the eye in case of bulletins, for the ear in case of notes to be read. BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE FOR THE GAME This is a poor bulletin announcement. It features the word Buy, always a more or less forbidding word, and it minimizes the value of Game by placing it at the end of the announcement. People must always be attracted first and be led to buy afterward. Moreover, the proportion- ing and spacing are bad. Here is given a line by itself, but it is much less important than either Game or Buy. Revised according to these criticisms, the bulletin should be made to read something like this, — The GAME Tickets HERE Buy Them NOW 6 /18 /16 C.V.R. i6o WORKING COMPOSITION The arrangement and the proportion are much better, stressed parts are prominently placed, the date and the initials of the "bulletineer" are indicated. Color, of course, helps placards to attract. This general bulletin may be followed or it may be preceded by a general note posted in all the classrooms. The following form is bad, for the same reason that the first bulletin was bad. It does not emphasize essentials; it is badly arranged; it is too complaining; it is not definite and rousing enough. The form following it is an improvement: Poor form: Students, support your team. It cannot win unless you do. Come out Everybody. Tickets, isc; or two for 25c. Be on hand Thursday to cheer your team on to success. Good form: STUDENTS ! Thursday's great GAME needs YOU. Come and cheer and HELP us WIN. Tickets, isc; two for 2sc. 6/18/16 T.C.M. Notes sent from one busy man's desk to another's, or posters placed on the btilletin board of a factory for hands to read, should follow these general directions. The composer will, as a result of training, unconsciously frame them in the right way, expressing himself in all such cases forcibly and accurately. Economy, accuracy, and force are the three principles involved in all such work. LETTERS ABOUT WORK i6i Telegrams. — Telegrams are highly abbreviated letters. They are, as a rule, followed or preceded by letters or per- sonal interviews. They always imply " something in addition." Much must be said in little space, for the rules that obtain make this necessary. In this country addresses and limited signatures may be telegraphed without cost; in European countries they must be paid for. The gen- eral rule of payment is twenty-five cents for ten words. At night, after working hours, when wires are not so busy, a night letter consisting of fifty words may be sent at the regular day rate for ten words. But in either case it is desirable always to say as much as possible in as few words as possible, and the problem is sometimes a very difficult one, for this requires precision of expression. Nouns and verbs principally should be used in telegraphic communica- tion; pronouns and adverbs have to be used frequently; adjectives and prepositions occasionally, but far more rarely. Punctuation is not telegraphed. The fate of your punctuation rests with the intelligence of the operator at the place where your message is received. When writing telegrams, however, the punctuation should be clearly indicated. Telegraph forms carry on their reverse full instructions as to the rates and classes of service. Any- one who is obliged to use the telegraph frequently should familiarize himself with the rules. • The message' below tells in five nouns, four verbs, and one adverb, what might easily be expanded into a letter of two or more pages: Fire. Business completely destroyed. Hold shipments. Forward money. Letter follows. 1 62 WORKING COMPOSITION Expanded into a night letter of fifty words, more details of the catastrophe may be given and a freer use of the parts of speech may be made; thus, — ■ Fire yesterday completely destroyed entire business section. Hold shipments. Cancel future orders pending instructions. Store our expense goods on hand or sell elsewhere. Notify all western offices. Cable European dealers delay imports. Negotiate thirty thousand loan. Provision temporary conduct business made immediately suffering relieved. Forward relief funds. Watch reports closely. It must be remembered that telegrams usually require spontaneous composition. As a rule, one cannot study them out over night. It is therefore most important to acquire the habit of telegraphic expression, so that the briefest, most succinct statement of a large problem may be made without hesitation on the spur of the telegraphic moment. Cables. — Cable messages are sent in code, i.e., in highly abbreviated form, in order to save expense. Codes are likewise used in the transmission of telegraphic messages. Though large numbers of personal telegrams are not coded, business telegrams are. Cable messages, however, both business and personal, are usually sent in code. Cable rates are naturally higher than telegraph rates; the person, therefore, who cables in complete language, incurs great unnecessary expense. Firms have code words which indicate firm name and address. Sometimes a firm trade- mark is used for both code and advertising purposes. The code address and trade-mark may be made up from the initials of a firm or it may be an abbreviated form, thus, — LETTERS ABOUT WORK 163 Hotalpin, Hotel McAlpin Eastarfwes, East and West News Bureau or some other combination bearing upon the firm name. It may be a purely fanciful name, constructed for purposes of convenience only. In devising code systems, however, a firm should aim at securing code forms that are not easily copied, that may be kept perfectly secret, and that are so simple in spelling and signification as not to lend themselves to misunderstanding in transmitting. The following illustrate: Gotmituns (God with us) cable address of Emil Eiseman Co., ostrich feather mfr. Paywoman — cancel aU payments Remsa — please remit upon receipt of sale Ingotable — have all stocks increased on margins Kinged ward — am in dark as to what you are driving at Murder (red rum) — send ten barrels of red rum. Codes are furnished by cable, express, and tourist com- panies. To insure secrecy, however, it is better for each firm to devise its own code. All governments maintain their own secret code systems. PROBLEMS To get the most out of letter writing in the classroom, it may b& a good plan to appoint secretaries and employers in turn, amoijg the pupils, so that correspondence may be dic- tated and given official tone. Inter-class, inter-club, and inter- school correspondence should be encouraged for the purpose of giving reality to the work. In the construction of a long letter pupils should plan the body of it, just as the compositions were planned in Chapter I. Thus, a letter of complaint to an employer, might be outlined briefly as follows: 1 64 WORKING COMPOSITION I. Statement of complaint 1. Rooms too dark 2. Ventilation poor II. Consequences I. Eyes and health of employees affected III. Recommendations I. Larger windows and doors IV. Request 1. Write letters of application in reply to different kinds of want advertisements in your paper. 2. Write letters of inquiry about certain other advertising that you find in your paper. 3. Write the replies from the advertisements that you might receive in answer to your letters in i and 2. 4. Write to Messrs. Blank and Black, 84 Livingston Street, Philadelphia, ordering a book or books. Make enclosure. 5. Write Blank and Black's reply to your letter, acknowl- edging enclosure, and so forth. 6. Write letters to the editor of your school paper on the following subjects: School on Saturday Traffic near School Buildings Too Much Athletics Necessary Repairs A New Building School from Ten to Five Classmates under Sixteen Who Leave School Punishments Factory vs. School Lunches Knowing our Community 7. Write a letter of recommendation for your favorite teacher; for a teacher whom you do not know so well; for a school friend; for a popular schoolmate; for your brother; for your pet horse; for your dog, etc. LETTERS ABOUT WORK 165 8. Reduce each of the following groups of ideas to a telegram of not more than ten words: Your Mother has been taken very ill in Chicago and must be hurried home to New Orleans at once. Physicians should meet train with ambulance, unless you, who are accompany- ing her, telegraph otherwise in the meantime. Telegraph to your father. Your sister, on leaving a shop to take the train home, discovered that she had left her bag, containing a large sum of money, on the counter. She is sure she left it at either one of two counters. She telegraphs to the shop. On your way home from a distant city your train was derailed and several people were killed. Your brother, who was travel- ing with you, was seriously hurt. Your trip is delayed and you cannot be home for a party that had been arranged. Telegraph the facts to your mother. At the last moment the management of a school team which your school is to play changes place and conditions of game. It is impossible, for various reasons, for your team to comply with the new terms. Write all the telegrams necessary to the negotiations. Your labor organization has notified 'a neighboring organiza- tion that you are going on strike, commencing at a certain hour on a certain date. Later, your employer "comes to terms" by giving you shorter hours and a higher wage, and you decide not to strike. Telegraph the neighboring or- ganization of your change of mind. 9. Expand the following telegrams into night letters. Then expand them into letters to be mailed after or before the tele- gram itself is sent: lU. Can't go. Take first train west. Hospital. Letter follows. Called Minneapolis business. Cancel saiHng. Letter follows. Postpone game Saturday. Epidemic. Wire or write. Change date. See letter. Bill correctly. Letter misstates cause defeat. Do nothing till team comes. Unfair. 1 66 WORKING COMPOSITION 10. Reproduce the following suggested series of letters: 1. Order gloves by mail Receive gloves Exchange gloves Receive gloves Thank shop 2. Schedule a game with another school Change date Postpone because of illness of four members of your team Arrange new date Telegraph another postponement 3. Answer a want advertisement Receive reply Answer Receive telegram Telegraph in reply 4. Write letter to editor of paper Reproduce answer by another contributor Answer the letter Write personal letter to contributor, care newspaper Receive his reply 5. Bulletin a game Write a letter to procure services of a band Write the railway for special rates Write hotel for accommodations Write letter to editor of paper about the affair 11. Write bulletins for the announcement of various school activities. 12. Write notes or letters to be circulated among individual pupils for the reenforcement of the bulletin. 13. Devise cable codes that would be appropriate for use in case your class or your school were called upon to communi- cate with a school in a foreign country. 14. Write appropriate letters in answer to the following LETTERS ABOUT WORK 167 advertisements. Develop the whole series of correspondence that might follow your answer in each case: Would like to connect with established con- ; cem needing good inside man; good execu- tive; modern system; highest references; will invest $5,000. B 332 Times Downtown. Wanted. — To correspond with party who thor- oughly understands porcelain enamelling on steel; to such a party we can make an at- tractive proposition. X 221 Times An nex. Gentlemen will invest $25,000 in well-paying business; sole agency for products preferred; state full particulars, or will be ignored. Principals only. N 105 Times . Attractive opportunity purchase moving pic- ture theatre; small investment possible through sacrifice; particulars upon request. Room 1008 — 1,480 B'way. Partner with capital, established import and export business; can show excellent record; large orders; no risks. X 235 Times Annex. Associate wanted to finance protected staple household article; profits enormous. Integ- rity, 362 Times Downtown. Will invest few hundred in established busi- ness as partner. Send particulars; no agent. S 100 Times. 15. Construct a poster for a factory bulletin board an- nouncing a speech to be given to the hands at noon hour on a certain day, — the speech to be made on a subject vital to the workman. 16. Construct a poster containing certain general rules and regulations that you think ought to be observed by the hands in a factory. 17. As president of your class, write a letter to your princi- pal asking for certain privileges for the 'class. 18. As corresponding secretary of the Central Labor Union, write a letter to a branch of your organization announcing an excursion to be made on a certain day. 19. Construct all the correspondence necessary to arranging the excursion referred to in number i8, — letters to the steam- 1 68 WORKING COMPOSITION ship line, to the park authorities, to the orchestra, to the restau- rant, etc. 20. Assume that an accident happened to mar the pleasure of your excursion. Write a letter to the editor of some news- paper, placing the blame and demanding reparation. 21. In your capacity as corresponding secretary of the Central Labor Union, write a letter of polite inquiry to your employer, asking him what he means to do about the follow- ing demands made by the Union some time ago: — A shorter day or a higher wage A three weeks' vacation per year for every employee The installation of Grinnell Fire Prevention fixtures in every loft of the building 22. Reproduce the reply that your employer dictates to his secretary. 23. Condense this reply to its few salient points for circula- tion among the men and for posting on the bulletin board. 24. Write to the school authorities in your district urging them to permit the school sessions to be held out-of-doors in agreeable weather. Agitate the question in the papers and on your school bulletin boards. 25. Draw up a petition as a last resort in making the re- quest indicated in the above question. 26. Draw up a petition, to be presented to the school trus- tees, asking for the purchase of an athletic field for your school. 27. Draw up resolutions to be presented to the family of a fellow employee who has recently died. 28. Draw up resolutions to be presented with a gift by the employees of a factory to their employer on his sixtieth birthday. The Beginnings of Mail Advertising. — The letterhead originated in the interest of convenience. It was the door- LETTERS ABOUT WORK 169 plate transferred to stationery. It is this today with dentists, doctors, lawyers, and other professional people. It states name, address, and hours. As such it is a con- venience to the one who receives the letter and to the postal authorities in case it is lost. It is likewise a dig- nified advertisement for the one who makes use of it. It did not take the commercial man- long to see that his letter- head could be made a very real form of advertising. He defied custom, sacrificed some dignity, and to his name and address at the top of his letters he added the names of the products he made and marketed. His letterheads soon became decorative as well as informing. Color and illustrations were used, imtil now, sometimes, his letter- head occupies half the space of a sheet and runs down the margin sides. Soon the commercial man found that he wanted to say so much in his letterheads that he did not have room for it. He therefore discontinued the attempt to state so much on a letterhead and devised special inserts, circulars, and catalogues, to be sent along with his letters, either under the same cover or separately. A letterhead should be dignified, compact, and well- arranged. It is a mistake to attempt to say too much, for it cheapens the appearance of the letter and duplicates circular matter. Practically every firm today has on hand for circiflation printed matter which renders an explana- tory letterhead unnecessary. The following allows the fullest possible statement that can be necessary to any house for use on its stationery: 1. Name and address of firm, with telephone, telegraph, and cable address 2. Indication of business, with perhaps a trade phrase or slogan or mark, or medals or date of establishment lyo WORKING COMPOSITION 3. Officers' names. In the case of large committees it over- burdens the stationery to print all names; names ofofficers only should be printed 4. Branch offices 5. Date Une 6. In case illustration is used, it should be placed so that it win catch the eye, and should have caption beneath it The letterheads on page 131 should be examined in this connection. Announcements. — Business correspondence parts com- pany from social correspondence with the annoimcement. In form and sometimes in content it is very similar to the formal invitation to a social event. In purpose it is an advertisement. It appeals for continued or renewed patronage; it announces special opportunity to regular customers; it reminds of some opportunity of season and locahty, or of some special policy. It is frequently engraved on card or paper of the best quaUty and sent out to indi- vidual names. It is also usually printed in the papers with slight modification, perhaps as a dignified advertisement. Examples are easily found in papers and magazines and in stationers' displays. Advertising and Sales Letters. — The advertising letter or circular, or circular-letter, instigates. The sales letter follows up and sells. The former creates curiosity and inter- est. The latter convinces and persuades. The two are oiie, and whatever distinctions between them are insisted upon for purposes of study must not be permitted to in- terfere with the unity of content in a series of such letters when we come to write them. Advertising letters are not so personal as sales letters. They stress the commodity whereas sales letters stress the LETTERS ABOUT WORK 171 customer, the you. Advertising letters describe and ex- plain commodities; sales letters teach their value and use to you. The advertising letter may therefore ignore the rules of letter form, or take greater hberties with it, than the sales letter. It may ignore heading and salutation and complimentary closing, and thus become a mere circular, printed and impersonally circulated. It may contain certain letter parts only, such as date. It may address a group of people rather than one, and thus become a circular letter. It will in this case use the same style and content for wide-range circulation among thou- sands of people. It may follow an armouncement, reen- fordng and expanding it, and thus become part of a long series of advertising and sales literature. It may, and usually does, open a mail campaign for the sale of some commodity, suggesting the follow-up matter that is to come. Both advertising and sales or follow-up letters should be paragraphed at frequent intervals, so that there will be no long, solid passages to tax the eye. The letter picture should be particularly attractive. Both the letter itself and the envelope in which it is sent should avoid advertis- ing "loudness." People must not be led to feel by the appearance of their letters that they are receiving unim- portant mail matter. The use of the envelope as a glaring advertising mediimi can hardly be justified in any sense. Not only may it retard handling in the postofl&ce and thus delay delivery, but it is very likely to surfeit the receiver with the advertising tone before he opens the letter — if he ever does. The one big and important rule in all advertising and sales letters is to arrest the attention of the reader at the 172 WORKING COMPOSITION very outset. The emphatic point in all such letters is the first word or the first sentence. These failing to grip, the whole letter will probably be thrown aside. "Make the man read on," must be the guiding principle. How? By saying something directly to or about him at the start, for all men are interested in themselves. The sales letter must figure you or it to the exclusion of / or me, throughout its content. It should subordinate the firm name almost entirely. It must avoid the tone of command or presumption or over-assurance. Sales letters fail most frequently just here. Not "You must have one of our improved sweepers" but "You will be greatly interested, we think, in our improved sweeper" is the tactful opening for a sales letter. The sales letter that can open with the impersonal pronoun "it" and build up a good story about the commodity, will go a long way toward pleasing and interesting. Care must be taken in the story letter, however, to have the story appropriate and neither too long nor too remote from the commodity at the outset. The reader must have an inkling of what "you're driving at" in the beginning of your letter. His attention must be caught by the way you manage the reins and his interest must be held by the way you drive ahead. He likes to be led in a half-deceptive manner, though if you fool him absolutely he will be annoyed and throw your letter away. The sales or follow-up series should build up its story or its argimient in order of sellihg value. Each letter should suggest a new and yet undeveloped point.to be made in a LETTERS ABOUT WORK 173 succeeding letter, and the succeeding letter must make it. The series must become more and more detailed and special. As in all good selling, prices and special inducements such as time payment, trial and instalment, should be left until late in the sales argument. This does not mean, however, that every possible device may not be used for the creation of inquiry and investigation. Postcards may be enclosed for the use of those who "want to know." The enclosed, addressed envelope or postcard is to the sales letter what the coupon is to the advertisement. The "continued-in- our-next" device may be used but of course must not be overworked. A good story, well told, may be an excellent device to stimulate and hold interest. The sales letter series, each letter of which constitutes a unified and com- plete statement, will create and maintain steady sales as a rule, while the "continued letter" will often cause peopleto postpone buying until they have received the whole series. The writer of sales literature of any sort must be keen and alert all the time. He must be able to see and teU, in a selling manner, the thousand and one little incidents that are always occurring in connection with his commod- ity and his house. He must grasp this salesman's success, that salesman's failure, and wrest a good selling story from the combination. He must dovetail his sales stories and arguments with the advertising that has gone before, as cleverly as he adapts them to the sales to come after- ward. He must, in short, be a literary salesman and a selling literary man. The first two examples given on the following pages are separate sales letters, one from the wholesaler and one from the retailer. The next four constitute a follow-up series. 174 WORKING COMPOSITION Stein-Bloch smart Clothes Rochester, N. Y. March 11, 1914. Dear Sir:- Just why you believe in some people and discredit others - just why you have confidence in certain merchandise while of some you are skeptical is just why you will pass many stores to reach the one at which you like to trade. Thousands upon thousands of men and young men run the gauntlet of clothing stores to reach the Stein-Blooh dealers, for they know that Stein-Bloch Smart Clothes may be bought confidently. Our label guarantees all wool fabrics — smart style — and tailoring of the high- est degree of needle efficiency. In New York, John David, Broadway & 32nd St., will be glad to demonstrate our Spring styles and to explain to you the features which have made our garments renowned the world over. The enclosed "Pencilart" panels illustrate five of our new models. Yours very truly. The Stein-Bloch Co. LETTERS ABOUT WORK 17s Broad-wtty & 32d St. PHN DiWID SniNBlOCH SMART ClOIBIS MINS rURNlSBlUliS January 2nd, 1915. Thomas Archer, Esq., 20 Dey St. , New York. Dear Sir:- Yes, this is the sale you've been waiting for. Dozens of customers have telephoned us ask- ing when it starts. It is not a mere occurrence, like the common run of "bargain sales" . but an established twice— a— year occasion. This regular Half-Yearly Reduction Sale of STEIN-BLOCH Suits and Overcoats will be held on Wednesday, January 6th. These garments will be available to you at private sale on Monday, Janu- ary 4th and Tuesday, January 5th S25 Stein-Bloch Suits & 0' Coats $18.75 S35, S32, S30 Stein-Blooh Suits 8e O'Coats. . .$24.75 $40, $38, $35 Stein-Blooh Suits & 0' Coats. . .$28.75 Of the smart style and fine tailoring of Stein-Bloch Clothes it is breath-waste to speak to New Yorkers who know them. 176 WORKING COMPOSITION (1) THORNTON BROTHERS CLOTHIERS TO MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN Messrs. Thornton Brothers beg leave to announce that they have opened their new building at Main and Spruce Streets where they will be happy to welcome old and new customers. Telephone, Main 3344 October 18, 1917. (2) THORNTON BROTHERS CLOTHIERS TO MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN Main and Spruce Streets, Atlanta, Georgia. Telephone, 3344 Main October 21, 1917. To Former Customer, Everywhere. Dear Sir (or Madam): You will be particularly interested, we think, in our new place of business. You will be more than interested, we know, in some of the new offerings we are able to make, — you will recognize opportunity and buy. There are new values, new styles, new goods, new life, - a contagion of newness that will be profitably ir- resistible for you. This special celebration sale is open to our old customers, among whom none is more highly esteemed by us than yourself, for one week from date, after which it will be publicly announced in the papers. Come, see, and rejoice with us, whether you buy or not. Yours very truly, THORNTON BROTHERS. LETTERS ABOUT WORK 177 (3) THORNTON BROTHERS CLOTHIERS TO MEN. WOMEN AND CHILDREN Main and Spruce Streets, Atlanta, Georgia. Telephone, 3344 Main October 28, 1917. To Former Customer, Everywhere, Dear Sir (or Madam): Your special opportunity has been extended for one more week, owing to the fact that you and certain other of our old customers have been unable to visit us. ■ We are unwilling to open this special sale to the general public until every one of our former patrons has at least seen these exceptional values we are offering. You are aware of course that a removal of any sort necessitates readjustment and reassortment of stock, with corresponding upheavals in qualities and down— mark- ings in prices. You are the one to benefit. Here are all kinds and sorts of garments for men, for women, for children, — from hat to boot, from great coat to smoking jacket or kimono, — in all kinds and sorts of materials, — from the silk of old Japan to the tweed of bonny Scotland. But here is only one kind and sort of price and value,- the lowest of the one and the highest of the other. Come as you should, while the buying 'r good. Very truly yours, THORNTON BROTHERS. P.S. If you will telephone us at what hour it will be con- venient for you to call, we shall be glad to assign a special salesman to you and facilitate in every way possible your examination of our especially attrac- tive offerings. 178 WORKING COMPOSITION (4) THORNTON BROTHERS CLOTHIERS TO MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN Main and Spruce Streets, Atlanta, Georgia. Telephone, 33+4 Main November 10, 1917. To Everybody, Everywhere. Dear Sir (or Madam); Most doors are loose on their hinges because of the sixty horse power thumps of opportunity. Your door is no exception, for our opportunity for you has knocked there hard and often. This is the time that opportunity bangs it in and drags you forth in its magnanimity, willy-nilly. Special sales may come and go, but special value opportunities are in perpetual motion in our new shop. For the Madam, — toques with plaited ostrich feather bands; smart morning and afternoon frocks in or- gandie and heavy linen; shoes in a variety of styles, with silk uppers in any choice of shade. For the Man, — lounge suits in soft gray tweeds; conventional cutaways in the latest patterns; a complete new line of fall and winter outer coats of the dash-on cuts and super— wear materials. For the Child, — suits of all styles and qual- ities, — for school and special wear, — smart and stylish and serviceable. And for All, — prices that are right. Alteration of all garments purchased will be made by custom tailor experts, as required. Satisfaction is the only policy we know. Very truly yours, THORNTON BROTHERS. LETTERS ABOUT WORK 179 Dunning Letters. — When their formal bills and ordi- nary requests for settlement of accounts are delayed to a point of serious inconvenience, business houses usually send out dunning letters before resorting to the more rigid collecting methods. Debt should rarely be permitted to cause bad feeling between a house and its customers. How- ever slow of payment a customer may be, he may be sure eventually and his custom meantime is accumulating and is worth more to a house than his ill will could be. Of course the prompt payment of bills is the only good and wise business policy. The discontinuance of credit privilege when that privilege is abused, is a safeguard that every house must at times exercise. But complaint, abruptness, and legal procedure are to be used only as a last resort. Least of all will they do in ordinary cases where debt is the bone of contention. Mr. Jones is in debt, let us say, to Messrs. Ryan and Davis. He has ignored bills and short but polite requests for settlement. He continues his custom at the com- pany's house. His financial Record and standing have been looked up by the credit department and the one is approved, the other reliable. To place the matter in a collector's hands would doubtless offend Mr. Jones, who is a prominent citizen, and might perhaps bring much unprofitable publicity to all persons concerned. So Messrs. Ryan and Davis, dead in earnest but very patient, will work on Mr. Jones' case a Httle longer. The expert letter writer in the credit department will write him a tactful dunning letter, — a letter that will be courteous, that will assume that the delayed payment is caused by circum- stances over which the debtor has no control, or that the indebtedness is not at all one of intention but rather i8o WORKING COMPOSITION due to oversight or adverse conditions. It will be polite, but between the lines there will be an unmistakable decisiveness of tone. It wiU read perhaps about as follows: RYAN AND DAVIS 811 Thayer Street CHICAGO August 1, 1916. John Jones, Esq., 41 State Street, Boston, Uass. Dear Mr, Jones: Statements of your account with us have been sent you on two former occasions, — June 1 and July 1, 1916. Since we have not heard from you, we take it that they could not have reached you, owing probably to your absence from the city or to some irregularities in postal transit. May we therefore make another effort to call your attention to the enclosed bill, which we are taking the liberty of sending in duplicate to your home address also? Owing to the fact that we are required to meet certain outstanding obligations on October 1, in connection with a partial reorganization of our business, we shall con- sider your prompt attention \o this matter a continuance of that highly esteemed courtesy which has made your relation with our house distinctive in the past. A stamped addressed envelope is enclosed for your convenience, but this must in no way be permitted to inter- fere with your calling upon us personally, if you chance to be in Chicago. You may feel assured always of a most cor- dial welcome at the house of Yours very truly, /x-ua/n- a/yuL ^OA^vt,. CVR/AAC Enclosure #3 If it does not succeed, still another may be sent, reading somewhat after this fashion: LETTERS ABOUT WORK i8i RYAN AND DAVIS 811 Thayer Street CHICAGO Sept. 1, 1916. John Jones, Esq., 41 State Street, Boston, Mass. Dear Mr. Jones: We are sorry to appear insistent. We have no custom that is more highly valued than your own has been. And we are quite aware that the times have been a bit dull, money tight, and the markets disturbed. We have ourselves suffered not a little from recent general con- ditions in the trade, and we have no doubt but that you too have experienced much inconvenience. But, as we informed you under date of Aug. 1, 1916, we are obliged to make certain changes in our business on October 1, owing to a partial reorgani- zation of the company. In view of this, it is necessary that all our old, outstanding accounts be closed up and our new books "started clean." May we ask you, therefore, to remit at once, by check or money order, the amount of your in- debtedness to us, indicated in the enclosed bill? You will see from the itemized entries that the account has been running now for almost a year, owing to our tar- diness in calling your attention to it, perhaps. Please do not understand from our letters, that our faith in your financial ability and intention is in any way impaired. On the contrary it is stronger than ever. We attribute your delay in payment entirely to oversight or to the present business depression, or, what is more likely, to the fact that you anticipate being in Chicago this fall, when you intend to call and give us the pleasure of personal payment. If you prefer, we shall be glad to have a representative from our Boston office call upon you for settlement. ^ Very truly yours, CVR/AAC Enclosure #4 i82 WORKING COMPOSITION This letter failing, along with the patience of Messrs. Ryan and Davis, a final one such as this may be sent to Mr. Jones: RYAN AND DAVIS 811 Thayer Street CHICAGO Sept. 15, 1916. John Jones, Esq., 41 State Street, Boston. Mass. Dear Sir: Unless we receive your check for the amount of the enclosed bill on or before October 1, 1916, we regret to say that we shall be forced to draw upon you at sight. We trust that you will not require us to resort to a procedure at once so embarrassing to yourself and so distasteful to us. Very truly yours, RYAN AND DAVIS, per ^a/Ki/&C CZvyyuit^ba-yta, Manager Credit Dept. DA/ COM Enclosure #5 ■ Circulars. — The advertising and sales letter may almost imperceptibly develop into the circular insert, the folder, the booklet, the prospectus. A few pictures, a little illuminated lettering in the letter itself, an extension of matter through several pages, — and the larger and more pretentious sales circular form is developed. The word circular is used in this book, as it is in the commercial world, in a generic sense to mean printed sales matter of almost any kind. An insert is usually a brief pointed statement or picture that announces some one particular and temporary feature, or it may be some kind of return LETTERS ABOUT WORK 183 post-card or envelope or detachable coupon form for the convenience of replies. A folder, as the name indicates, is a circular that is folded in an ordinary or an unusual fashion; the railway timetable is a good example of the folder. A prospectus, technically considered, is a cir- cular which lays before one a plan, a map, a picture, or some other graphic explanation of a salable article. A booklet, as the name indicates, is a small book of varied advertising content. But these definitions are not to be regarded too precisely. Special printed matter for adver- tising and selling purposes is so varied in form and size — ■ from round to square, from a single small page to many large ones — that it bafHes nomenclature and defies defini- tion. It is convenient and sufficiently accurate, therefore, to call all such matter, with the exception of catalogues and house organs, circulars. Artistic pictures, accurate maps and plans, striking and attractive arrangement are the essentials of the effective advertising and sales circular. The more attractive it can be made, the longer it will be kept, and the more lasting and intensive will be its value. The commodity to be used should not be flaunted at the expense of all other things in the good circular. Dignified tone and attractive setting should be worked out first and the commodity should be presented in this atmosphere. Fancy or unique folds, un- usual placing of illustration, decorative borders, tinted papers, tables of contents and indices, cover designs in color, extra data and information for the convenience of readers, — all have great value in insinuating through the circular a favorable impression of the commodity. Its principal purpose is to attract, to induce, to provoke inquiry. It must give general information about the commodity and 1 84 WORKING COMPOSITION just so much special information as will create desire "For further information." This is a nice problem, — how to say and to picture forth just the appetizing amount. To attempt to "say it all" defeats the end and purpose of the circular. Both curiosity and interest must be stimulated but neither must be completely satisfied. The aim of the circular must be to get the house into personal commxmica- tion with the customer. This can best be done by leaviug open or unsaid something that may be followed up, or about which inquiry must be made in order to give the customer a complete understanding of the content. For the same reason price Usts are not included, at least fully, in the most effective circulars, just as the best display men do not place price tags on articles in shop windows. Misrepresentation, ugliness, and incorrect EngUsh are the three great hindrances to good circularizing. There is some of all these, however, in circulars of almost every kind. Misrepresentation defeats the main purpose of a circular, for people who are lured into correspondence or into a shop as the result of deceptive circularizing are properly angry at the house responsible for it. Ugliness or indiscretion or disharmony in color or illustration shocks or disgusts without gaining attention that leads to sales. Incorrect EngHsh blurs the exposition, the very thing that is important to persuade a person to buy. Railway circu- lars sometimes misrepresent direction and distance in their maps by taking liberties with geography. "Never trust a railroad map " is an expression that has been born of this misrepresentation. Catalogues and carelessly constructed guide-books frequently use such climisy or awkward Eng- lish in exposition that readers are not only not enlightened but are positively confused as a result of their reading. LETTERS ABOUT WORK 185 Catalogues. — Catalogues are circulars made special, definite, and individual. They are to circulars what sales or follow-up letters are to advertising letters and an- nouncements. The sales circular often carries "Write for catalogue," or "Write for price list," or "For further information, address — " at its conclusion. The catalogue, then, is the next step in the sales process. In make-up it should have all the selling quaUties of the good circular. Modern photographic processes have made it possible to illustrate every salable commodity under the sun in about every phase of its salabihty. This has not only contributed much to the attractive appearance of circulars and cata- logues, but it has also greatly increased the persuasiveness of both of them. The write-up or the Enghsh of the sales catalogue no longer holds first place in its selling effi- ciency, though of course it is still important. The English and the illustration work together in sales catalogues, but the better placing and the larger proportions are given to the illustration. Every picture, with the explanation or caption underneath it, should be a selling argument. The use of clear, legible type and the arrangement of printed matter on the pages of a catalogue, as on those of a circular, should place the emphasis where the eye will most easily grasp it (see page 187). Headlines should be short, terse, and stated principally by nouns, verbs, and adjec- tives. The combined headlines on a catalogue page should make a continuous and consistent sales argument. The parts of the catalogue must be related, the pages deal- ing with similar commodities being consecutive. This not only helps a reader in his consideration of the various com- modities for sale; it likewise makes it possible for the house issuing the catalogue to detach the parts easily and issue 1 86 WORKING COMPOSITION them separately. Thus, a large mail order house may issue special or departmental catalogues for each of its departments, and may also combine these sections and issue them as a large general catalogue. In addition, it may issue special season and special sale circulars, as calendar and condition demand. In all kinds of cata- logues, however, certain general matter must be included, such as terms of sales, conditions of selling, method of ordering, house policies, price Hsts, indices, and other general advertising matter. The catalogue illustration must not be merely a good picture, — it must be a good selling picture. There is a difference. The picture of a beautiful young lady may arrest attention and create interest at once. But if the picture is used as a catalogue illustration for selling shoes, it is not a good selling picture. The whole illustrative space should be used for the weU-shod feet alone. The picture of the commodity itself is usually the best possible selling argument. Lines, arrows, and other expository drawings are also of great value in catalogue illustra- tion. Size, proportion, and arrangement must be carefully gauged. The illustration of a commodity may be placed at the top or on the side of the catalogue block assigned to it. It is an excellent device in all kinds of circularizing and cataloging to dovetail illustrations with reading matter irregularly, at unjexpected and unconventional places, for this forces one upon the other and both upon the eye. The illustration must be sufficiently appealing to demand a reading of the matter below or beside it. The catalogue write-up should be long or short, accord- ing to the expository and descriptive value of the illustra- tion that it accompanies. The use of the adjective is LETTERS ABOUT WORK 187 most important, for accurate description depends upon this, especially in cases where there is no illustration or where the illustration, however perfect, is still incomplete. The buyer who returns goods because they are "not as catalogued" usually has a case against the one who wrote the descriptive English in the catalogue, or a case against an adjective. The following catalogue write-ups should be studied carefully in this connection. The form is particularly important: "Crest" Shoes for Well Dressed Men and Boys No. 1SJD408I The PBir, S4.35 Gunmcbil Calfslcin — Dull Calf Top — Goodycnr Wtlt— Dressy— Medium Hi-Toc-^Mcdium Heel— Heavy Sole — Scarsmadc Sun, a to It, Wmht. Q to EE. No. 15D40S3 Tfae Pair. S4.15 Patent Coltikin — Dull Coif Top — Gooilycor WHt — Medlura Hi-Too Last — Medium Hc-ol — Scarsmadu. Suet, fi lo 11. Wldllu, a to EE. No. 15D408S The Fair, S4. 15 Gunmeliil Cairskin — Dull Calf Top— Stylish Rcfcdc Toe — Low Hl-cI— G-oodycnr Welt— Scnre- mndo. Satt, 5 lo 11. Widiht, C to EE. No. 15D4082 The Pnir.'SS.OO Cunmclal Cairskin with Patent CaltHccH'oxing—DarkGniy Cloth Top — Goodyear Welt — Raised Too — Medium Hcd— Sea remade. £uw. S to 11. WUMiM. C lo EE. Boys' Caps in Desirable Styles COLORS ESPECIALLY SELECTED TO HARMONIZE WITH OUK BOYS' SUITS. Average shipping weight, 8 ounces. No. 40D4860 20c GOLF CAPS in a great variety of gray or brown mixed patterns. Six-quarter top. Inside fur Imed pull down band. SIZES— 6i, 6i 6f 6i, and 7. State sUe and color wantod. No. 40D4862 35c DARK NAVY BLUE GOLF CAP WITH INSmE FTIR LINED BAND. Eight- quarter top. Twill lining. SIZES— 6i, 6|, 6}, 6i, and 7, State size. No. 40D4854 35c BOYS' CAPS in a great variety of gray or brown mixed patterns. Golf style with fancy top. Inside fur lined pull down band. SIZES — 6J, 6{, 6f , 6J, and 7. State size and color wanted. 1 88 WORKING COMPOSITION Cheaply constructed catalogues, catalogues that are made up on poor paper and printed with poor ink, or in which undignified, unattractive, and inaccurate illustra- tions are used, are not effective selling agents. Houses that frequently make offers of special sales by means of their mail order departments weaken the appeal and purpose of such offers. To induce perpetually is not con- ducive to permanence. Buying and selling by mail are convenient, wasteless, and efl&cient just in proportion as the mail order salesman, the catalogue, is honest, dignified, and appealing. House Organs. — The good organ is to some extent a combination of circular and catalogue with an added magazine quality. It is for the employer, the employee, and the customer. It must have an interest, therefore, for each of the parties in the business trio, — the maker, the seller, and the buyer. It should be issued regularly, whereas the circular and the catalogue depend upon season and locality and condition and policy for their issue. It should "talk up" the honest dealer, "talk down" the dishonest one. It should help by every possible means of write-up and illustration those who handle the goods of the house. It should initiate new standards and new policies for dealers in different centers. It should encour- age and instruct the employees by keeping them in- formed of the doings of the house. A good house organ will prevent a workman from getting into a rut just as surely as it will teach him to have increased respect for that part of the work he contributes to the total output of the company by which he is employed. In addition to being a magazine and a circular, and in some small way a catalogue as well, the house organ should LETTERS ABOUT WORK 189 be a human interest publication. It should show how the work of one house touches and is touched by that of other houses engaged in similar and dissimilar lines of activity. This it will do by illustrated stories from and about the different departments, by tables and diagrams indicating growth and development in certain phases of its own and other business, by pictures of leading men, by the exposi- tion of the strong forces at work in the company for its maintenance and improvement, and so forth. In make-up and format it should be attractive. In content it must be so compelling as to find a place in the library of every workman. Obiter Dicta, house organ of the Curtis Publishing Company, is one of the best house organs in the country. It should be procured and studied. The following is the table of contents in one issue: New England Developments Advertising Agents' Service Lay-outs and Such A Census for Salesmen Advertising and Luxuries Earlier Closing Dates — Why? Dynamic Display Trademarks and the Law Engraving Definitions The Halftone The Line Plate The Electrotype Communications, Reports, and Quotations Ten Illustrations PROBLEMS A The following plan should be studied and used for yourself and for others. It may be of value in case your graduating class desires to resolve itself into an employment agency to I go WORKING COMPOSITION secure positions for the members. A letter should be prepared along these lines for each member: How TO Get a Position by Means' of Letters I. Study of myself 1. My attitude toward others, — do I get on with them or am I mean, selfish, autocratic, independent, flippant? 2. The attitude of others toward me, — are ithey cold, friendly, helpful, appreciative, critical, admiring, fault- finding? 3. My estimate of myself and of others and their estimate of me. 4. My tastes, my habits, my hobbies, my education. 5. The influence of home, of school, of social hfe upon me. 6. A summary of my strong and my weak points. II. Study of different positions 1. Examination of local organs and directories; conversation with various workers; knowledge of the community. 2. Positions versus mere jobs. 3. Future offered by various kinds of work. 4. Positions I could hold, positions I should like, positions for which I am fitted. 5. My qualities in relation to certain positions. 6. Considerations of rewards, — money, happiness, fame, reputation, service, growth (mental and moral), in- fluence, health. III. Study of society around me 1. Brotherhood of man. 2. Cheating cheats only the cheater. 3. Nothing to be had without work. 4. The value of personal appearance, and character. 5. Quahties of most successful workers are self-control, sympathy, health, humor, honesty, endurance, patience, brains, initiative, judgment, — • these ten. IV. Procedure for position based upon this study 1. Insert advertisements in daily, general, and special pub- lications. 2. Answer advertisements in such publications. LETTERS ABOUT WORK 191 3. Write a letter or circular advertising myself, — a good "self story." 4. Make copies of this letter and send to friends, acquaint- ances, old employees, and employers for whom I should like to work. 5. FoUow up these letters with others and with personal calls. 6. Make use of good references throughout the process. B In writing a short-story sales letter it is often a good idea to begin your letter with the climax of the story and then work back to the beginning or cause. This will grip the at- tention at once, even though it sacrifices the conventional order of story telling. Suppose you are going to tell a story for the selling of Plunket Non-Skid Tires. Your story is to show that a serious accident could have been avoided if Plunket Non-Skid Tires had been used instead of others. You may have pictures or diagrams for marginal illustration in order to make your story realistic. [Letterhead of Plunket Non-Skid Tire Company.] Aug. 30, 1 91 7. Dear Sir: Whizz! Sizz!! Bang!!! An automobile ditched; a mother and her two children seriously injured! And why? Well, partly because of a slippery road and an uncontrollable car. But also because of the absence of Plunket Non-Skid Tires. Read the story: (Here tell how the happy family, thinking rain impossible, started out on a clear morning with old and smoothly worn tires on their car. They were caught in a sudden thunder storm, however, and their car glided and slipped until the accident occurred.) And now, — what's the lesson? 192 WORKING COMPOSITION Just this: No matter how clear the day; no matter how safe the way, no automobile owner who trusts his loved ones in his car can afford to be without the Plunket Tire Equipment. Avoid the whizz, the sizz, the bang, and all the rest of it, by providing your car at once with the great "Life Saving Tires." Very truly yours, 1. The Turner Piano Company has just moved its ware- rooms into a new building some distance from the old one. Write an announcement to be sent out to credit customers. 2. The Turner Piano Company knows that your old Turner Piano was recently destroyed by fire. It wants to sell you a new Webster piano, one of its latest instruments. Repro- duce the letter you receive from the Turner Company. 3. Reproduce two or three sales or follow-up letters that you receive from the Turner Company. 4. A final letter from the Turner Company explains easy terms of payment for the Webster piano. Reproduce the letter. 5. You have suddenly been called away for some months and have been unable to pay the instalments on the piano regularly. On your return home you find two "requests for payment" from the Turner Company. Reproduce them. 6. With the above problems in mind, construct a similar cycle or series of correspondence from A department store An automobile company A harvesting company A lecture bureau The management of a school paper A dealer in athletic goods A boarding school An insurance company A book company A dressmaking or milhnery esUbfehment LETTERS ABOUT WORK 193 7. Write a letter to be sent out by your class to the busi- ness houses of the community, in which you make an appeal for summer employment. 8. Reproduce some favorable and unfavorable replies to the letter written under number 7. 9. Write a letter to be sent out by your graduating class to the business houses of the community; asking for per- manent employment for individual members. 10. Construct a circular to bfe inserted in this letter, setting forth some good advertising for your school, for individual members of your class, for the community at large. 11. Construct a brief house organ to be inserted in this letter relating to your graduating class. Make it as interesting and informing to every member of the class as it must be to every member of your school community. 12. Write brief catalogue descriptions of certain members of your class, accompanied with pictures and catalogue num- bers. Pictures of students at work in classrooms and of work actually turned out by them will probably help your catalogue as a marketing agent. 13. Have your class construct a catalogue of your school. The undertaking, of course, must be thoroughly depart- mentalized, the different kinds of work prepared separately and fitted together by those appointed to make-up. 14. If as owner of a small shop you were to issue a monthly prospectus, what would cause you to make changes in the issue from month to month? How would you vary proportions and illustrations from month to month? 15. The Blank Odd-and-End Shop is going out of business. Issue a circular announcing the fact and follow this with a catalogue making special sales inducements. 16. Write a letter to the Sears, Roebuck Company, Chicago, 111., ordering something from their mail order catalogue. Re- 194 WORKING COMPOSITION produce the reply. You find the article not as catalogued. Return it and write to them. Continue this series of corres- pondence until satisfaction is reached. 17. Send a sample of Clean well Soap to Mrs. I. B. Prim, housekeeper for a large hotel. Accompany it with an appro- priate advertising letter or circular. FoUow up until you re- ceive a curt reply of refusal from Mrs. Prim. Reproduce her reply and your own to it. 18. Criticize the following sales letter openings, and con- vert them into better ones: "You need me" "Your business is a failure, unless" "I am the man you are looking for" "Don't buy till you see me" "Take a word of advice from one who knows" 19. Suppose all advertising matter had been sent put for a commodity such as a brand of soap or of canned goods. Plan and write four or five foUow-up letters, each one containing a new sales argument arid featuring the brand from a new angle. 20. Write a circular letter advertising yourself for a posi- tion in one of a certain group of occupations, — pubhshing, newspaper, educational; brokerage, real estate, investment; farming, trucking, cattle raising; etc. Then write two follow- up letters to be sent out at certain intervals. 21. Prepare a httle insert, containing your picture, to be put into your first letter in number 21. 22. The following letter is reproduced here by permission of Mr. Edward H. Schulze, who composed it, and of Adver- tising and Selling, in which it appeared. (a) Reproduce the post card mentioned. (6) Follow up the letter with others. (c) Reproduce the letters received in reply. LETTERS ABOUT WORK 195 Dear Sir: It was a local between Philadelphia and Trenton. I sat in the smoker, which was half baggage-car. At Frank ford, an automobile tire was thrown on — a yard orr two of its plain Kraft wrapper flapping in the breeze. Just one of many similar ones I had seen while on a month's trip. I said to the baggage-man: "Does this happen often?" "Nearly every day," he replied. "We carry tires with wrappers loose, torn — and rubber Plain Kraft paper — even of a 50-pound basis — won't stand the strain of shipping. But 36- pound Kraft — reinforced with yarn and water- proof — vnU do the trick to perfection. So I wondered: "Does it pay a manufacturer to spend millions in building reputation, and then — to save a cent or two per tire — send his product broadcast over the land — imperfectly protected against light, dirt and exposure?" Test the stength of sample enclosed. Wrap it tightly around your wrist. Note what a firm, strong, neat job it makes. And six ounces will wrap a tire. Tell us, please, the size of rolls you use — diameter, width and core. And let us send — with- out any obligation or expense — enough for thorough trial. Give Angler's Tirewrap the opportunity to prome its worth to you — as it has already done to Good- rich, Michelin, McGraw, and others. The post card is for your convenience. Very truly yours, Angibb Mills, A. B. Hall, Sales Manager. 23. Imagine that one of your classmates has been lost. Write a descriptive poster of him and offer a reward to any one who will notify you of his whereabouts. Will it be necessary to change your poster in any way if you place his picture on it? 196 WORKING COMPOSITION 24. Construct two railroad folders, one for each of two rival railroads. One runs from Chicago to San Francisco in a more roundabout way than the other, but the folder does not mention this fact, of course. 25. Rewrite the following excerpts from sales circulars, improving the English and making it more direct: a. For two seasons sixes have been in service, and it is the unanimous verdict of the thousands of users who have driven these cars that nothing but a six will supply the requisite amount of power, smoothly and evenly delivered, that "is required to meet the imiversal motoring need. b. Pick out one of the glorious radiant Lachnite Gems — set in solid gold and get it on ten days free trial. Wear it to the ball — to the opera — on the street — to work — everywhere — for 10 fuU days — then decide whether you wish to buy or not. If you are not fascinated by its radiance — if you consider its splendor one trifle less than that of a mined diamond — send it back at our expense. You don't pay us a penny for the trial. If you decide to keep it, pay the rock bottom price (i-30th as much as a diamond costs) as you can afford. Terms as low as 3J c a day (see a month), without interest. No red tape. Your credit isi good with the great House of Bachman. Send coupon for new jewelry book. c. A Compact Trunk, small enough to be put imder a berth if necessary. Is particularly convenient for short trips because of the ease with which it may be transported by motor. „ , . , „ , *„ Rawhide Boimd, $80 Leather Bound, $65 d. Affords an exceedingly simple and convenient mode of packing hats, shoes, Unens, and so forth. May be used either separately or in conjunction with a Wardrobe Trunk devoted entirely to outer garments. Leather Bound, $65 LETTERS ABOUT WORK 197 26. Write a good story sales letter for each of the follow- ing commodities. Draw upon your imagination and talk to people who have had experience in using the commodities: A lawn-mower A faithful horse A sweeper A piece of real estate A fountain pen A piano A plough A pair of shoes A truck A certain 'kind of cap or hat 27. Draw up a table of contents for what would be an appro- priate house organ for your school or your club. 28. Outline a plan for the management of large corre- spondence. Imagine yourself an employer with an oflSce force to handle an average mail of two hundred letters per day. Show how you woiild departmentalize your office. 29. Write a dunning letter to a customer who has changed his address frequently. If you suspect his motive in his fre- quent change of residence, you must not openly evince your suspicion. 30. Imagine yourself a collector of unpaid bills. Write a series of letters for your business, to be circulated among the large concerns in your community. Be sure to state your equipment and facihties for the work. References, inserts, and circulars will not be amiss. 31. Draw up a chart to summarize the contents of this chapter. The following is a suggestion to improve upon: Business Communications Kinds Purpose Description Letters Circulars Catalogues House Organs CHAPTER IV DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK The Two Routes to Learning. — Knowledge is gained by experience and by authority. To learn by doing is to learn by means of experience. To learn by observing others or by following directions given by others, is to learn by authority. For attaining to a complete knowledge about anything, both experience and authority must be reUed upon. It is sometimes said that experience is the best teacher. But it is often a very expensive and a very extravagant teacher. If a man were to learn to run a steam engine by experience only, without rule or instruc- tion or authority of any kind, he would not only waste a great deal of time, but he would probably meet with serious accident and injure others as well as himself. Reliance upon experience only as a teacher has led to dire results and is doing so every day, as can easily be dis- covered by looking through a single newspaper. Again, it is sometimes said that authority is the only safe guide in a course of action. But this maxim also must be modified. Authority is a safe guide only when if expresses itself clearly and unmistakably. If instructions are vague in any sense whatever, they will not only blur under- standing, but they will also hinder the attainment of any proper working knowledge. Following improper rules or directions leads to failure. Tr}dng to follow involved direc- tions confuses, delays, misleads. Experience and author- ity both must be followed for efficient attainment. The DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 199 recipe is the authority; baking the cake, the experience. The guide-book direction is the authority; following it out is the experience. The Relation of Experience and Authority. — Experi- ence is authority in process. Authority is approved experience. Experience is the child of authority. Author- ity is born of experience. This seems like a contradiction, perhaps, but a little meditation wUl prove that it is not. There were, of course, no rules, no directions, for primitive man to follow. He had to experiment, to experience, and then to establish his own rules. He gained all of his knowl- edge, or nearly all of it, through trying things out for himself. He inherited very little. He selected from his experiences those that had served him best, and passed them on. Thus he became an authority for future genera- tions. But these generations experimented with new forces and with new phases of old forces, and thus estab- lished a new set of rules, a new authority based upon the new set of experiences. Now, experiment is only the examination of a set of experiences for the purpose of ascertaining which is the best one to be formulated into authority. Once it has made this selection and established this authority, it may set to work to develop a new author- ity from the old, by means of further experiment. Thus, authority and experience evolve one from the other in the eternal cycle of human progress. Experiment is the parent of both. To illustrate: The potato was first regarded as a worthless weed. Somebody experimented with it, "experienced" it as an edible, and established the fact that the potato is a food. Further experiment proved it ca- pable of various uses as a food; hence, recipes for potato dishes were formulated and they now constitute authority. 200 WORKING COMPOSITION The Case of Sir Roger. — How inadequately both experience and authority may serve one, when they are incomplete or vague, was proved by the country gentleman, Sir Roger de Coverley, on that occasion when he de- sired to find a certain lane. He inquired of supposed authority but was refused explanation because his ques- tion did not please or was not tactfully put. Not to be discouraged, he decided that he would discover by experi- ence the lane he was looking for. To this end he walked a httle way into every lane he saw, and then asked what lane he was in. By this troublesome device he tried to find his lane. Had he known how to ask his question, authority would have saved him all the time wasted by experience. If in his case experience was the best teacher, it nevertheless charged a high rate of tuition. Directive Explanation. — Clear, direct answers to the questions who (or what), where, when, why, and how are explanations. The first three words may be answered by a nod of the head, a motion of the hand, or by a single word, phrase, or sentence. How and why demand, as a rule, longer, more complete answers. These are the important questions in explanation, and to answer them clearly and concisely requires much exercise and training. Yet they are so common that a day rarely goes by without our calling for an explanation by means of them, or that some one does not call upon us to explain something in answer to them. Our principal concern, then, is with these two types of questions: "How do you do or make that?" "How do you go there?" DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 201 2; "Why do you do or make that ? " "Why do you go there?" It is in answer to such questions as these that recipes, patterns, experiments, directions, manual and mechanical operations are stated. They indicate three general kinds of explanation: (i) the explanation of a process or a, method, (2) the explanation of a position, a location, or a direction, and (3) the explana- tion of a cause. They are the question groups of manner and reason. While only how and why are represented in them, they nevertheless include also the who, the when and the where above referred to, for rarely can we fully answer how and why without answering the other three also, directly or indirectly. None of them can be answered except by means of experience or authority. The Qualities of Explanation. — Explanation must be clear. There must be no flowery, no excessive language in making an explanation. It must be stripped of all phras- ing except what is necessary for making itself understood. A too wordy explanation is to the mind what the direct sunlight is to the eyes, — it blurs and blinds. The follow- ing bit of verse is an excellent code of advice for the one who is called upon to write an explanation: For Would-Be Contributors If you've got a thought that's happy — Boil it down. Make it short and crisp and snappy — Boil it down. When your brain its coin has minted, Down the page your pen has sprinted, If you want your effort printed Boil it down. 202 WORKING COMPOSITION Take out every surplus letter — Boil it down. Fewer syllables the better — Boil it down. Make your meaning plain; express it So we'U know, not merely guess it ; Then, my friend, ere you address it Boil it down. Boil out all the extra trimmings — • Boil it down. Skim it well, then boU the skimmings - Boil it down. When you're sure 'twould be a sin to Cut another sentence in two. Send it on, and we'll begin to BoU it down. ,, _, . „ — Gumption. — By permission of Electrical Experimenter O^uly, igis) Only by thus measuring and minimizing your expression can you enable another to foUow your directions satisfac- torily. There must be, however, no sacrifice of com- pleteness in the effort at clearness and condensation. The results of incomplete recipes, patterns, or other directions have been both tragic and humorous. The omission of a single step in any form of explanation may be fatal. More- over, the various steps must be stated coherently, each following the other in the order in which the operation is to be performed. These four qualities — clearness, con- densation, completeness, coherence — are the four essentials of all good explanation. Just in so far as they are con- tained in directions of any sort will the work of the world be facilitated. The omission of any one of them will lead to misunderstanding and consequently to mistake, to waste, to general inefficiency. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 203 The Plan in Explanation. — The one infallible rule for securing these qualities in an explanation is to plan it carefully before attempting to make, it in detail. A little thought will make evident that it is vastly better to build an explanation upon something that is already known by the one to whom the explanation is made. Proceed from the known to the unknown, from authority to experience, and from this experience to new authority. This repre- sents the natural process of mental operations. We think first of the old and attach the new to it, — car, steam car, trolley car, electric car, etc. In like manner, new recipes and new patterns are based upon old or known ones. In directing a person to a place we start with his known location; in telling some one how a steamship is propelled, we build up our explanation upon the principle of rowing. Moreover, this method in explanation is the chronological or order-of-time method. It is also the order-of-difficulty method. It leads from the simple and general into the complex and particular. It proceeds from those simple things we learned first to those complex ones we learned later and are to learn through the special direc- tion in question. Even in explanation that calls for a classification or an enmneration, this order may be followed. If, for instance, we were to explain the different kinds of houses with which we are familiar, we could very profit- ably begin with the smallest, which would probably be the earHest and most primitive t3^e of house, and proceed to the largest, which would probably be the latest and most complex type. Whatever our subject, whether it be one calling for an answer to the question why or how or where, or one demanding a systematic enumeration of classes or kinds, this rule of order must be observed, — from 204 WORKING COMPOSITION the known to the unknown, from the early to the late, from the simple to the complex, from the general to the particular. Only by. planning in strict adherence to this rule shall we be clear, coherent, complete, and concise in our explanation. The general headings in an explanation of a process or a method are: I. Preparation, or assemblage of materials or ingredients. II. Operation, or combination or process or manufacture. III. Deduction, or completion or result or effect or product. With but few variations these three headings may always be used as a guide to securing our four essential qualities in explanation. Observe the following: Making a Dollar Bill I. Materials 1. Silk 2. Paper 3. Dyes and ink n. Processes 1. The silk (a) Made in Japan (6) Sold in hank to papermakers (government rnill at Dalton, Mass.) (c) Dyed red and blue by expert dyer (d) Cut into one-quarter inch pieces to be woven into paper 2. The paper (a) Best linen rags of European flax (6) Strength and smoothness essential (c) Cut into small pieces and placed in vat (d) Soaked in purest water from special artesian well (e) White, foamy pulp formed (J) Dried and cut into sheets 13^ inches wide, 33 DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 205 inches long, and sent to Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Washington, D. C. 3. The engraving and printing (a) The purest German dyes and inks used (6) Three colors, — green, black, blue (c) Serial numbers, photo engravings, treasury seal, name, etc. (d) Size of finished bill — 3.04 inches by 7.28 inches (1000 weigh exactly three pounds) III. A Few Deductions 1. 189,467,976 bUls were printed in 1914 2. Average life of bill, spent once a day, is six months 3. After it is scrubbed, starched, and ironed at the ex- pense of the government, it may live four months longer 4. When no longer usable, it is again reduced to pulp and re-processed The general headings in an explanation of location or direction are: I. Route, or how to go from here to there. II. Placing, or locating by means of cardinal signs. III. Recognition marks, or certain special features. Expanded into a definite direction or location plan, this general form might read as follows: To THE AtrolTOEIUM FROM OUR ShOP I. Route 1. Walk down Main Street three blocks. 2. Turn to left and walk through Orange Street two blocks. 3. Turn to right and walk one block through Keap Street. II. Location 1. Northeast corner of Keap and Washington streets. 2. Extends one-half block on each street. 3. Entrance on Keap Street opposite Walton stables. 2o6 WORKING COMPOSITION III. Special marks of recognition 1. High open towen 2. Ivy-covered walls. 3. Canopied entrance. 4. Bulletin boards. It will be observed that this plan answers the specific questions in the following order: How does one go to the auditorium from our shop? Where is the auditorium located? How shall one recognize it? The plan may be broken or partitioned according to the exact information desired. In giving a direction call- ing for a more complicated explanation, details of fares, vehicles, .management of baggage, and other special matter will have to be included. The general plan may remain the same. In giving directions as to the route between two distant places, however, point number one only is really necessary, treatment of location and special marks of recognition being unnecessary; thus: From Pittsburgh to Budapest I. By train to New York 1. Fare, $10 2. Time, 10 hours 3. Train, Pennsylvania day express n. By boat to Havre, France 1. First class fare, $125 2. Time, 6 days 3. French Line steamship. La France m. By train to Paris 1. First class fare included in II, i 2. Time, 2 hours 3. Rapide Boat Express DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 207 rV. By train from Paris to Budapest 1. First class fare, 193.70 francs ($37.80) 2. Time, 28 hours 3. Orient Express, Internationale Wagon-Lits service In giving an explanation as to why you want to go to a certain place, a statement of every possible reason may be made, followed by the conclusion or "Therefore." This is called the syllogistic form of explanation or reasoning. It is used commonly as a basis for argument. The three headings, 1. Statement of reason 2. Explanation or justification of reason 3. Results or effects may likewise be used, with some variation, as required by special subjects. To illustrate: Why I Read Stevenson 1. He interests me. 2. He informs me. 3. He amuses me. 4. He improves me. 5. Therefore, I read more of his books than of any other writer's. or Why I Read Stevenson I. Reasons His books interest, inform, amuse, and improve me II. Explanation 1. His stories always interest (Specific names and points of interest) 2. They contain a fund of information (Specific points given) 3. The characters and episodes are amusing (Specific illustrations) 2o8 WORKING COMPOSITION 4. I find myself with better ideals and greater knowledge after reading them III. Results I have read all of his works and compared them with others or, conversely, Why I Like Manual Training 1. I like to work with tools. 2. I like to make things. 3. I like to have some concrete showing for my efforts. 4. I like my work to result in usefulness. or, again, Why I Go in Swimming I. Reason It refreshes at the same time that it exercises. II. Explanation 1. It should be indulged in temperately. (o) Overdone, it exhausts. (b) Properly done, it stimulates. 2. A haK hour is the proper length of time to remain in the water. 3. It is a clean, refreshing, recreating exercise. III. Results It increases vitality and thus benefits the health. Why I Go to the Museum I. Reason I find there concrete illustration of work and of literature by means of pictures and sculpture. n. Explanation I. Work (a) Old Egyptian and Roman sculpture. (6) Medieval European occupations. (c) Various utensils. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 209 2. Literature (a) Pictures and statues of great authors. (6) Pictures and statues of great characters in litera- ture, (c) Great stories depicted by brush and chisel. III. Results It increases my knowledge and appreciation of art and industry of former times and helps me to establish valuable relations between the past and the present. To illustrate still further: Why John Kept his Position I. His theory John's belief was that keeping a position means ultimate promotion. II. His practice 1. He was patient under stress. 2. He was courteous under provocation. 3. He was always on or ahead of time. 4. He never ran when closing down whistles or bells sounded. 5. He always did his best work. 6. He dreamed, but not during working hours. 7. He thought about his work, but never worried. 8. Hence, he could not fail to keep his position. III. The results 1. Recognition was late but certain. 2. Promotion eventually came in leaps and bounds. The Use of Diagrams. — Wherever possible, and it is possible in almost every case, diagrams or illustrative drawings should be used for the further elucidation of explanatory writing. In patterns, recipes, designs, manual and mechanical experiments, and in giving directions, diagrammatic plans are, as a rule, so much a part of the written explanation that a separation of the one from the 2IO WORKING COMPOSITION other makes each incomplete. The processes of illustra- tion have become so nearly perfect that it is almost as easy today to explain by pictures as by writing. A map, a drawing, a graphic illustration of any kind doubles the explanatory appeal. The appeal to the eye, always a strong one, is added to the appeal to thought and reason. In giving directions or location, a line showing a street or two will go a great way toward clarifying a doubtful point. In writing a recipe, a picture of the prepared dish may assist the whole process. The handling of instruments and materials in delicate experiments cannot always be safely left to words only; an explanatory illustration is a guarantee against accident or failure. Patterns and de- signs depend almost exclusively upon the picture and the diagram for their interpretation. It is well, therefore, to cultivate the habit of making accurate if rough designs in illustration of anything you may have to explain. The "Other Person" in Explanation. — All explanation must be made with the "other person" distinctly in mind. First of all, his question must be answered, not evaded. The following perfect evasion in answering a question, taken from a newspaper, should by no means be used as an example of good answering if you would retain the respect of your questioners: " Galumphing." Question. — Will you kindly tell me the meaning of the word "Galmnphing" in one of your editorials? I have looked in all the dictionaries available and cannot even find the word. Answer. — • "Galumphing" was invented by Lewis Carroll and used in his celebrated poem "The Jabberwock" in Alice Through the Looking Glass. Another word coined by him in the same poem, "chortle," is also in common use. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 211 ■ In the second place, it is the questioner with his question that indicates to you the scale and the pitch of your explanation. You must adapt your language to his. An employer does not talk to his apprentice in the same terms that he uses in talking to one of his experi- enced hands. He adjusts his language to the "other per- son" in each case. A cooking expert observes the same rules of adaptation in talking to a class of experienced housewives and to a class of inexperienced girls. The engineer will pitch his explanation into technical terms and make it brief in scale and scope if he is talking to a body of tried and expert engineers. But let him give the same talk before a class of beginners, and he will pitch his language much more simply and will elaborate the scale of his explanation beyond a peradventure of misunderstanding. The other person should do his share, however. His questions should be tersely and pointedly formed, in order that they, may inspire clear, coherent, and complete ex- planations in reply. They must contain . certain key or central words which stand out and indicate to the one ques- tioned exactly where he is to concentrate in answering. The good questions are those that (1) Are brief and direct and courteous, (2) Call for one answer only. The poor questions are those that (i) Are long and involved, (2) Call for more than one answer. The leading question is the question that is so framed as to lead to the answer desired by the one asking it. It is a good question in request for explanation, provided it 212 WORKING COMPOSITION brings out in proper sequence just those afl&rmatives and negatives that are needed for the information. If it is permitted to cause haphazard answers, and thus to pro- duce scattered and inconclusive explanation, or to convey the information it is seeking, it is detrimental to any clear understanding of the issue involved and is a waste of time. The following are examples of the bad -leading questions: "Columbus arrived in America in 1492, did he not?" "And he landed — where?" "And he found — what?" etc. Such questions are sometimes called coaxing qtiestions, for reasons that are obvious. The didactic question is the question that is stated in imperative form, and is commonly used in requests for explanations. It is good because it calls for a fluent, uninterrupted answer. The note of demand or order is usually softened by the insertion of such a term as "please" or "kindly" or, in the case of newspaper questioning, "through your valuable columns," as, "Please tell me, through your valuable query colxuim, when and where George Eliot was born. " It is frequently used in asking information from newspapers and periodicals. In answer- ing such questions, the publications to which they are sent find that rigid economy of space is necessary. They there- fore do not always publish the full question with the answer, but only the essential or key words, or their own two or three word sununary of the question; thus, to the question, "What is the route and the fare from Philadelphia to Carlisle by trolley?" the following is the form of reply: Trolley To Carlisle: Route is by way of 69th St., West Chester, Coatesville, Lancaster, Ephrata, Lebanon, Hum- melstown, Harrisburg to Carlisle. Time, 10 hours; fare. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 213 And to the question: "Is everyone ever used with a plural verb?" the following is the reply: Question of Grammar: Everyone should never be used with a plural verb. It is always singular. The hypothetical question is the long, involved question that contains a relation of facts assumed as proved and requiring some degree of consideration in answering an additional question. While sometimes valuable in legal proceedings, it is not a good form of question for pur- poses of drawing out clear and concise explanations. Though it may ask only one question, the answer to that question hinges upon so many enumerated issues that it will probably be either incomplete or confused. If any summary or statement of conclusion, conditions, supposi- tions, or hypotheses is necessary, it had better be made in an independent sentence and the question to follow placed separately. In law hypothetical questions of enormous length and complexity are sometimes put to expert wit- nesses. The following is a brief hypothetical question, but it accurately illustrates the character of such questioning: Having now learned the route to be taken, the fares in- volved, the arrangements to be made for the conveyance of baggage, and having furthermore discovered with much satisfaction that hotel accommodations wiU be reserved for us and that the rate for such accommodations is by no means likely to be excessive, may I ask you to tell me something of the climate of the country? The compound or double or alternative question is the question that really asks two things: as, "Are you going or are you not?" It is usually confusing and frequently calls forth a misleading reply. 214 WORKING COMPOSITION The broken question is the question that contains thrown-in expressions here and there which retard its ready imderstanding by the one to whom it is put. It is always a poor question. Even the phrase of courtesy should be omitted if it is likely to interfere with the clear, immediate understanding of the question. The following direct question: "Please hand me the paper?" might be indirectly and thus badly stated by an excessively polite person, "Will you please be kind enough to hand me the paper, if it is not too much trouble? " to which the equally excessively polite, "Thank you very, very much indeed." would be the companion-piece reply. Terms of courtesy, however, are not the only "question breakers." Such phrases as "on the other hand," "however," "however that may be," "whatever the case may be," are equal offenders in the broken question. The question series, in which each question imfolds from or is developed out of the one immediately preceding, constitutes an excellent plan for clear and coherent explana- tion in the answers. Such a series is called a questionnaire. The development of questioning in a questionnaire should be from the general to the particular, from the simple to the complex. The first questions should therefore be briefer than the later ones. Leading questions should be used wherever possible. Where they are not possible, questions should be so fully stated as to involve the shortest possible answers on the part of the one questioned. The questionnaire should conserve the energy and the time of DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 2IS the person to whom it is sent. This it can do by couching its questions in particularly definite and unmistakable form. The following is a good questionnaire for a high school employment service: Date Class (month and year) ■Telephone number Name Home address Former Positions Employed by Address From To Salary Kind of Work Reason for Leaving Present Position Full name of concern with which you are connected Location Telephone number Nature of firm's business Scope of Your Work (check opposite name) Stenography Clerical Statistical work Typewriting Filing Telephone Bookkeeping Billing • Other work Initial date of employment in this position? Present salary? Have you had any salary increase? How much? When did you receive this increase? What are the prospects for fuirther advancement? Maximum salary attainable? What are the possibihties for greater responsibility or more interest- ing work? Are there any positions available for other high school graduates? If so, what are they? Are you satisfied with your present position? Explain fully. Remarks 2i6 WORKING COMPOSITION Question and answer should dovetail exactly. Each should suggest the other. That answer from which its question cannot be deduced is a poor one. That question from which the form of answer desired carmot be deduced is badly put. But this is only a general rule. It carmot apply to the questionnaire where a part of the problem is to save the time and the patience of the one called upon to answer, and where, therefore, the leading question is not only justifiable but also required in large measure. The questionnaire that can be answered briefly and economi- cally and at the same time accurately is rarely regarded as a nuisance. The Statement of Rules. — In the statement of rules, the procedure should be from the general to the particular. This is the order of mental processes, and is, therefore, the. order of mental receptiveness. When a new hand at the shop receives a set of rules, he does not care to read a long, involved, difficult rule at the very beginning. It will stagger him. He must be led into the rules of the shop as he is to be led into its work, from the simplest operation to the most complicated. Therefore, the first rules that this new workman is to read should be similar in form to these: 1. Hours — 8:30 to 6 2. Luncheon — 12:00 to 1 In addition, rules should be stated vmiformly, i.e., all rules should be expressed in the same general grammatical form, unless there is some extraordinary reason for not doing so. The noun or phrase statement of rules, indicated above, is not so commonly used as the fuller, imperative form. Two styles are illustrated below, the first one being merely a notice : DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 217 Some Electkic Lighting .Rules The following simple rules should be observed in considering lighting installations: Don't work in a flickering Ught. Don't expose the eyes to unshaded lights in the direct range of vision. Don't judge illumination by the brightness of the lamps. Avoid extensive contrasts. Use the right type of globe, shade, or reflector. Make sure that the illumination is sufficient. Keep lamps, globes, and reflectors clean. Make sure that lamps are in the right position. — By permission of Electrical Experimenter Quly, 1915). The Following Information Will be Useful to Toueists Who are not Accustomed to European Travel On the majority of European raibroads hand-baggage only is carried free. AU other baggage will be charged for. The traveler will, therefore, often find it cheaper to forward trunks and heavy baggage by American Express Co. Where accompanied, baggage is transported free as in France, or on direct through tickets from London to certain points; the weight is limited to 56 or 66 lbs. On ordinary tickets each adult passenger is allowed 30 kilos (66 lbs.) in France, Spain, and Portugal. Half this allowance is made for children pa3dng half-fare. In Austria, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Italy, and Switzerland hand-baggage only is carried free; this must not exceed the limit of space available beneath the passenger's seat or on the rack overhead. The registration of baggage at railway stations in Europe requires more time than in the United States, and it is customary in Europe for travelers to occupy seats in railway cars well in advance of the time for departure of trains. Where passengers have baggage to register, or there are several persons who desire seats in the same compartment, it will be well to foUow the European practice and arrive at railway station in ample time before departure of train. 2i8 WORKING COMPOSITION The respective railv^ay companies will not be responsible for loss or detention of, or injury to, baggage of passengers holding through tickets, except while the passenger is traveUng over their own Unes, and then only when the passenger complies with the By-Laws and Regulations of the respective companies, and in no case for luggage of greater value than £io ($50). Passengers are particularly warned not to pack jewelry with their ordinary luggage for registration, as the railway companies decline to be responsible for such articles. Explanation may sometimes be stated most tersely and explicitly in the form of nimibered rules. Where a series of processes are involved, the various steps are thus more clearly marked and more easily followed. Examine the following in this cormection: Rules tor Washing Dishes 1. Materials: Two dishpans, plenty of hot water and dishcloths. 2. Make the water soapy with a soap shaker. 3. Fill the kettle every time you empty it. 4. Wash the cleanest first, in this order: glasses, silver, tea-cups, saucers, china, pots and pans. 5. Scour the kitchen knives and forks. 6. Wipe off wooden handles with wet cloth, but don't put them into water. 7. Put the rinsed dishes in one tray and have another for the dried ones. Don't economize with towels, and don't "economize" in washing, especially when cleaning the tinware. Regard this last as an enemy to be attacked with vigor and enthusiasm. Dry it afterward near the stove. 8. While doing this, sing. After doing it whistle, shout or let oS fireworks. And remember that mother has to do it every day. Rules for Waiting on Table 1. Serve in the following order: To guests, to mother and father, then to the children in order of age or of seats at table. 2. Pass everything to each person at his left, except coffee or other drinks that ajre set On the table at his right. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 219 3. When waiting on table never talk to those who are seated, except to answer questions. Do everything noiselessly. 4. After serving each course watch to see if each individual has everything — knives and. forks, spoons, spices, etc. — that goes with the course. 5. Watch to see when anyone needs another helping, and antici- pate the want. 6. Be quick to assist mother and the other ladies in being seated and in rising. 7. The good waiter is the one who makes each person present so comfortable that he never knows he has a waiter. — By permission of Something To Do (August, 1915). The Boy Scout Law 1. A Scout is Trustworthy. A Scout's honor is to be trusted. If he were to violate his honor by teUing a lie, or by cheating, or by not doing exactly a given task, when trusted on his honor, he may be directed to hand over his Scout badge. 2. A Scout is Loyal. He is loyal to all to whom loyalty is due: his Scout leader, his home and parents and country. J. A Scout is Helpful. He must be prepared at any time to save life, help injured per- sons, and share the home duties. He must do at least one good turn to somebody every day. 4. A Scout is Friendly. He is a friend to all and a brother to every other Scout. 5. A Scout is Courteous. He is polite to all, especially to women, children, old people, and the weak and helpless. He must not take pay for being helpful or courteous. 6. A Scout is Kind. He is a friend to animals. He will not kill or hurt any living creature needlessly, but will strive to save and protect all harm- less life. 2 20 WORKING COMPOSITION 7. A Scout is Obedient. He obeys his' parents, Scout master, patrol leader, and all other duly constituted authorities., 8. A Scout is Cheerful. He smiles whenever he can. His obedience to orders is prompt and cheery. He never shirks or grumbles at hardships. 9. A Scout is Thrifty. He does not wantonly destroy property. He works faithfully, wastes nothing, and makes the best use of his opportunities. He saves his money so that he may pay his own way, be generous to those in need, and helpful to worthy objects. He may work for pay but must not receive tips for courtesies or good turns. 10. A Scout is Brave. He has the courage to face danger in spite of fe3,r and has to stand up for the right against the coaxings of friends or the jeers or threats of enemies, and defeat does not down him. 11. A Scout is Clean. He keeps clean in body and thought, stands for clean speech, clean sport, clean habits, and travels with a clean crowd. 12. A Scout is Reverent. He is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties and respects the conviction of others in matters of custom and religion. Explanation and Description. — Explanation appeals to the understanding. Description appeals to the five senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling. As all of our knowledge and understanding of things is obtained through our senses, it is obvious that description may be of great service in explanation. The drawings and diagrams above referred to are descriptive appeals. The word picture is only the line drawing converted into shapes and signs called words. Tell your mother what a certain dress looks like and she will probably be able to tell you how to make it. Tell your father what a certain tool or instrument looks like and he will probably be able to tell you how to use it. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 221 Description may thus be simply the other end of explana- tion, — the part of explanation that can be seen. The sales catalogue describes wares for sale; the fashion plates picture by line and figure, by color and word„ the new gowns of the season; the cookbook contains photographs, explanations, and descriptions, of the most appetizing dishes. Description must, therefore, be used in connection with explanation very often, in order to give a more complete understanding of an operation or a direction. When we say, "The bridge is arched because the arch is the strongest t)T3e of structure," we have both described and explained. When we say, "Port holes are round because round open- ings are more easily made watertight than square ones," we have both described and explained. When we say, "This book is heavy because a large amount of clay is used in making the paper," we have both described and explained. When in working out the plan on page 204 the various processes in manufacture are treated, descrip- tion can be used for elucidating many of the points. The one to whom you are explaining must be made to see a hank of rich, glossy Japanese silk; to see a vat of white, foamy pxilp; to see the completed crisp and crackling dollar bUl. And you can best aid his vision in this way by the use of accurately fitting words, principally adjectives and verbs. ' Do not say stiff when you mean crisp; aggravate when you mean irritate; red when you mean maroon; round when you mean oval; angry when you mean provoked; sour when you mean 'pungent. The generous use of the dictionary will help you to adjust adjectives and other parts of speech accurately to the ideas you wish to express. But description must never be permitted to blur or retard the directness of an explanation. It should not be 22 2 WORKING COMPOSITION inserted awkwardly, at great length, or at unnatural points. In describing models such as costumes, hats, and so forth, you should place the description before or after the expla- nation or pattern. The same rule should be followed in giving abstract direction. Whatever description accom- panies the direction should be subordinated by means of an introductory adjective or adverb, as in the foregoing examples. The description that accompanies explanation must, therefore, be an aid to the explanation, not an addi- tional enrichment on its own account. The following illustrates the improper combination of explanation and description in what is intended to be a mere direction: Turn to the right at Elwell Place where you will be struck by the stately mansion that was once Washington's headquarters. Walking up Elwell Place four blocks, you wiU come to one of the most beautiful bits of statuary in the city, — Washington at Valley Forge. Now turning into Winton Street you wiU see the beautiful old city haU directly ahead. The Guide-book Direction. — The tourist, however, takes his directions leisurely. He is keenly interested not only in getting to a place, but also in seeing all the points of interest on the way to a place. For him, therefore, the combination of description with explanation is essential, and the above example will be most satisfying. The famous Baedeker guide-books have won their authoritative place through the clear and lucid proportioning of descrip- tion and explanation in giving the location of places and directions for reaching them. The minutest points covering fares and distances are so subtly interwoven with descrip- tive phrasing that tourists are able to reach and recognize and understand places without asking a single question. The following extracts illustrate this type of composition: DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK "223 Branch-line to Sidmouth, 10 M., in § hr. (fares is. si., ud., 8id.). — 3 M. Ottery St. Mary (King's Arms, R. 3s., D. 25. 6d.; London, R. 35., well spoken of), birthplace of S. T. Coleridge (i 772-1834), has a fine church (a reduced copy of Exeter Cathedral, with the only other pair of transeptal towers in England; see p. 107). Ottery is the 'Clavering' and Exeter the 'Chatteris' of Thackeray's 'Pendennis.' — From (s M.) Tipton St. John's a branch runs via East Budleigh, near which is Hayes Barton, the mansion in which Sir Walter Raleigh (1SS2- 1618) was born, to (6 M.) Budleigh Salterton (RoUe Arms), a charming little watering-place (omnibus to Exmouth, see p. 109). — 10 M. Sidmouth (Knowle; Bedford; York) is a favourite watering-place, with a fine old Gothic church and an esplanade. The Cathedral (daily service at 10 and 4, with good music), a stately edifice, incorporating every style of English architecture from the Norman to the Perpendicular, was founded by Bp. Walkelin in 1079, close to the site of a Saxon church of the loth cent, which had replaced one of the 7th. The choir and transepts were finished in 1093, the conversion of the nave from Norman to Perpendicular was begun by Bishop Edington before 1366, and the whole was completed in i486. The builder (or trans- former) of by far the greater part of the nave was Bishop William of Wykeham, the renowned architect, ecclesiastic, and states- man, who occupied the see from 1366 to 1404. The church is the longest in England (and in Europe, except St. Peter's at Rome), measuring 560 ft. in all; the breadth across tlie tran- septs is 208 ft. The transepts are flanked with aisles, and still retain the form of a pillared basilica with arcades. The first employment of Pointed architecture is seen in the addition to the choir on the E. The W. Fagade was begun in 1350 by Bishop Edington, finished in the isth cent., and restored in i860; the statue of William of Wykeham' is modern. The general effect of the exterior is somewhat heavy and unimposing, and the stunted proportions of the only tower detract considerably from its dignity. The Dec. and Perp. work at the E. end is, however, very fine. The cathedral is dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul and the Holy Trinity; the choir is also popularly supposed to 224 WORKING COMPOSITION be dedicated to St. Swithin (day, July isth), whose traditionary connection with the weather is ascribed to the unhistoric legend that the removal of his body to the shrine prepared for it was delayed for 40 days by rain. — From Baedeker's Great Britain (1910 edition). PROBLEMS I. The following questions and answers are taken from publications. Study and discuss them. Then answer the questions that foUow: W. D. C, Chicago, lU. — Aside from the thought expressed, is it grammatically correct to say "The female of the species is more deadly than the male" ? The question in my mind is whether or not the adjective "deadly" can be compared. The New Standard Dictionary gives as one of the mean- ings of "deadly," "capable of causing or certain to cause death; destructive; fatal." In this sense, the word can be compared. W. R. O., Haines, Alaska. — Will you kindly advise me if the following sentences are correct? (i) "Will you try the experi- ment"? Would not "make the experiment" be correct? (2) "Refer back to the previous chapter." (3) "He had a retentive memory." (i) "Make the experiment" is correct. (2) "Back" is * redundant in this sentence. (3) "Retentive memory" is correct. W. J. S. S., Fouke, Ark. — How is "go" used in the sentence, "I wUl go" ? Is it an infinitive used as the object of will or is it the main verb with will as an auxiliary? Is "will" ever a transi- tive verb? If so, when? In the sentence, " I will go," " will " is an auxiUary. "Will " is a transitive verb in the sense of "to cause as a deed of wiU" or "to resolve upon"; also, "to devise by a last wiU." R. B., El Paso, Texas. — Rindly answer the following: (i) Do you say "You look more like him than you do like her," or DIRECTIONS. ABOUT WORK 225 "You look more like he (does) than you do like she (does)"? (2) Is "look like" as used above, an idiom taking the place of "resemble"? (3) Is the plural of "major-general," "major- generals" or "majors-general"? (i) and (2) "Like him" and "like her" should be used, as the preposition "to" is understood; hence, the objective case. (3) The plural is "major-generals." — From The Literary Digest, by permission of Fmik and Wagnalls Co. A. B. C. — Can you tell me the author of the verses entitled "A Woman's Question " ? I was told it was by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, but cannot find it credited to her. It begins: Do you know you have asked for the costliest thing Ever made by the hand above? A woman's heart and a woman's life, And a woman's wonderful love? The author of the poem is Lena Lathrop. It is printed in "My Recitations," by Cora Urquhart Potter, and pub- lished by J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia. Reader. — Is the term "bluestocking" applied to a literary pedant, or to a member of the aristocracy to denote blue blood? The term "bluestocking" was originally applied to the wearers of blue or gray home-made worsted stockings, as opposed to those who wore the silk of court or ceremonial dress. It was so applied to the Sixth Parliament of 1653. About 1750 it came to be used in connection with those London assemblies where learned or literary conversation took the place of cards and gossip, characterized by studied plainness of dress on the part of some of the guests. At first it was used for both sexes, later only for ladies. At first it meant only a member of the Bluestocking Club, but later a woman of learning, oi: a literary woman. Originally a term of contempt, implying neglect on the part of such women of their duty and departure from their proper sphere, it is now hardly used except historically or humorously. 226 WORKING COMPOSITION a. What objections are there to keeping schools open on Satur- days? h. A argues that LongfeOow was born in Baltimore and wrote "The Raven." B says Poe was born in Boston and wrote the "Psalm of Life." Will you please settle the argument through your valuable columns? c. To decide a wager, wUl you please tell me, with reasons, who was the greater man, Lincoln or Grant? d. Why were slates replaced by paper in the schools? e. What is the quickest and easiest route of travel from Bangor, Maine, to Oxford, England? /. Will you kindly explaiii through your valuable columns what the difference is between angry and macR g. Please explain to a habitual reader the correct pronuncia- tion of address, envelop, and essay, when used as nouns and as verbs? h. Will you please tell me how to take an ink stain out of a piece of white silk? i. Can you give me a good reason for not publishing the letter I sent to you on Monday of last week? j. Please explain why hough is not pronounced buff, since tough is pronounced tuff'i 2. Compose a questionnaire of at least ten questions for each of the following: Eligibility for membership in a club Application for work in a factory Eligibility for entering a school Application for position as clerk in a store Opinion of a certain book Opinion of a certain candidate for class president Opinion of certain newspapers in selection of one for class use Eligibility for membership in labor organization Application for insurance Application for position as teacher 3. Write the questions for which the following are answers: DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 227 a. If an Englishman, after becoming a naturalized dtizen of the United States, should return to England and remain there two years, he would forfeit his American citizenship. Minor chil- dren become citizens on the naturalization of their fathers, pro- vided they come to this country before reaching 21 years of age. b. A female citizen of the United States who marries an alien becomes herself an alien, whether she intends that as a conse- quence of her marriage or not. c. There is no reason why a man of your age and with your typographical experience should not be able to find employment with a firm of advertisers. If you have the ideas, the fact that you went only as far as the grammar grades should not prove an insuperable handicap. Advertise in the "Situations Wanted" columns of The Bulletin, or apply in person to some of the various advertising agencies in the city. d. As the railroads are gradually "reducing the number of their women telegraphers, the opportunities for woinen in this field of employment are becoming more and more limited. An efficient stenographer, however, or a young woman who has fitted herself for secretarial duties, is always reasonably certain of employment. e. Chickens can be kept in the city, unless they become a nuisance by reason of neglect. If a person can prove that his chicken house is in a sanitary condition, the Board of Health will not compel him to give up keeping chickens. /. (i) Take car at 69th St. direct to Gap; in returning you may vary the route by taking car from Easton to Doylestown and thence through Willow Grove to Philadelphia. Fare by way of 69th St., I1.80; return by way of Doylestown, $1.40. (2) Announcements of a wedding may be sent out immediately after the ceremony. g. This is a good month for camping, though the nights are apt to be cool. There are good sites for a camp along the Ran- cocas near Brown's Mills; apply to the owners of the ground in the vicinity for permission to pitch your tents. h. Don't: this contraction is used properly only when it takes the place of "do not"; "don't think" is perfectly correct if you follow this rule. 2 28 WORKING COMPOSITION i. The sentence, "I heard of John coming," is incorrect. The correct sentence is, "I heard of John's coming." When the gerund (verbal noun) is preceded by a noim or pronoim, that noun or pronoun must be put into the possessive case. 4. The following is reprinted here by courtesy of The Illustrated Milliner. Write it up as a set of rules: Make Correspondence Plain If you really wish to see business handled with less friction and fewer mistakes, then make your letters very plain. Write on a separate sheet of paper matters that touch on difierent subjects. For instance: Never write an order into a letter in which you have taken up matters of credit, and be very sure that you sign the firm name to yoiu: letter. Be quite sure, too, that you date every letter and order and that you give your town address even though you have been a customer of the wholesaler for years. A great many retailers allow their trimmers to send orders for merchan- dise and the trimmer signs her own name; this causes great annoyance and considerable delay. 5. Draw up a set of at least five rules for each of the fol- lowing: Classmates Children in my neighborhood Shop clerks Factory hands Care of a building Care of a park Care of health in winter Care of health in siumner Keeping a house clean Dressing neatly and tastefully 6. Write a sentence about each of the following in which you combine description with explanation: DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 229 A stove A dress A table A dish A house A box A desk A tree A saw A picture 7. Draw up plans on the following subjects: Why I go to school Why I like algebra (or some other subject) Why we went to the fair Why John failed . Why Bill was drowned How bread is made How to prepare a lesson How to read a book How to ask a question How to answer a question Why questionnaires are necessary How to prepare a questionnaire Why description is useful in explanation How description is useful in explanation How experience differs from authority 8. Give specific directions for going from your school build- ing to a remote place in the community. Accompany your explanation with a diagram. 9. Show what misleading results your above directions would have if you had omitted a single step or otherwise given an incorrect direction. 10. Find in your newspaper accounts of accidents which were caused by not following directions carefully or by follow- ing inaccurate directions. 11. Explain a case within your own experience in which trouble ensued as a result of not blending experience with authority in giving directions. 23° WORKING COMPOSITION 12. State by means of outline the route that should be taken for a direct journey from Montreal to New Orleans. Indicate kinds of travel at every step of the route, fares, baggage rules, etc. 13. Show by means of chart or diagram two routes that might be taken in going from Boston to Tampa. Write brief explanations beneath your drawings. 14. Write a brief explanation of each diagram below: // ' ' 'OB* r ^ 509 Namtt PROGRAM Ct.ass Room Adtirf.ss Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 1 1 1 I II 1 1 1 III IV 1 V 1 VI 1 1 VII 1 1 1 1 1 1 DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 231 15. Write the explanations called for by the following: How to sharpen a pencil How to sweep a room How to scrub a floor How to thread a needle How to plant a flower How to drive an auto How to swim How to row How to drive a nail How to wash windows How to do an errand How to set a table 16. Write the explanations called for by the following: Where our school is located Where London is located Why New York is a great city Why the Panama Canal is valuable to commerce Why pupils study Enghsh How to go from Chicago to Petrograd How to go from Panama to Cairo Why exercise is necessary The best time to study The best time to plant flowers Why people catch cold Why you like a certain person 17. Explain the furnishing and arrangement of some room. Combine description with exposition, and use diagrams or marginal drawings. 18. You saw a collision between a trolley and an auto- mobile. With a view to placing the responsibility explain how the collision occurred. Make a diagram of the scene of the accident. 19. Imagine yourself one of the following, and explain to an apprentice just what your duties are: 232 WORKING COMPOSITION A housekeeper - A reporter A farmer A shoemaker A clerk A doctor A salesman A lawyer A driver A carpenter A milliner A mason A dressmaker A clerg3mian A teacher A chauffeur 20. Imagine yourself one of the workers named in ques- tion ig. Write an explanation of a single day's duties to be read by an adult worker in the same field, who is to take your place for a time. Make clear exactly what is to be done, how it is to be done, and where utensils for working are to be found. 21. Make a chart of your school day's work. Accompany it with brief but explicit explanations, so that your parents can understand it fully. 22. Compose a series of questions of different kinds, to be used in examining your classmates on .the contents of this chapter. 23. Write the following questions in better form: Tell why the tides are higher at some times than others, what causes them, and what their effect is. Who willed that somebody might become a bride through the choosing of something, and who was the lucky one? When did you return and how did you come, and why? Supposing Evart to be guilty; supposing his family to be de- pendent upon him; supposing the offense he committed to be less serious than reported, and supposing his record to be excellent up to date, — should the court, do you think, im- prison him for a long term of years? Could you, do you think, if the machine were in good order, go at full speed all the way to the top of the hill, provided the road was good? DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 233 24. Rewrite the following descriptions and directions more clearly and coherently: Chicago and Northwestern Station. Take Madison Street car going west, ask conductor for a transfer ticket and to let you off at Kedzie Avenue. Then take Kedzie Avenue car going south and ask conductor to let you off at Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s plant. Business District. Take any street car hne running west, ask the conductor for transfer ticket and to let you off at Kedzie Avenue. Then take Kedzie Avenue car and ask the conduc- tor to let you off at Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s plant. Or take Metropolitan Elevated Railroad (train marked "Garfield Park") at any station in the business district and ask the conductor to let you off at Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s plant. Panama Canal Excursion A different interest now attaches to the Panama Canal from that which captured the wonder and admiration of the visitor while the " big ditch ' ' was in course of construction. The Panama Canal is now a work complete. Ships of the sea daily pass from ocean to ocean. The interest in the canal for the spectator now is the interest of one who watches the successful operation of the world's greatest engineering feat. Water covers many of the places that thrilled the visitor during the years that the canal was in the making. The, locks are no longer huge skeletons of steel and concrete, but integral parts of a complex whole. Deep valleys made by man through the hills no longer exhibit their scarred sides; instead, from slope to slope the waters of the canal ripple. The completion of the canal, therefore, makes a change in the itinerary of those who view it, reveaUng the beauties of the canal and as much of the engineering wonders as remain above water. To become thoroughly acquainted with the canal one should travel by automobile from Colon to Gatun and by train from Gatun to Panama City. After leaving Colon the first point of interest is Gatun Locks and Dam. Here 'is the first hft over the hills to the Pacific. The crest of the dam is 115 feet above sea-level, 30 feet above the level of Gatun Lake itself. 234 WORKING COMPOSITION TMs artificial body of water has an area of 164 square miles. It extends through the Culebra Cut to the southern end of Pedro Miguel Locks, 32 miles. The fiercest fight against the forces of nature has been waged in Culebra Cut. The titanic difiiculties that had to be overcome reveal themselves to the most casual observer notwithstanding the depths are covered with water. Beyond the Pedro Miguel Locks are the Miraflores Locks, which bring the ship that passes between the continents again to sea-level. Close at hand hes Panama City, rich in stories of the past. Carriages or automobiles are always avail- able for trips to Old Panama, the ancient city sacked by Henry Morgan, to Ancon HiU and through Panama City. Railroad fare, Colon to Panama, $3.00. Excursions Morro Castle, reached either by automobile, carriage, or launch. If time is so limited that both the battlefield and Morro cannot be inspected, give up the trip to Morro. The fortifications are similar to all others built during Spanish rule in the West Indies and opportunities enough are given elsewhere to inspect them. The only special interest attaching to this fortress is because of its bombardment by American warships in 1898. Lieutenant Hobson and his men were incarcerated here after their rescue. Point of Boniato. An elevation of 1250 feet reached by the splendid military road. It is thetaost inspiring point from which to see that panorama of the city, Santiago Bay and the sea beyond. On a clear day one can faintly make out the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Cobre. Seat of the most famous and popular shrine in Cuba. The annual celebration of the Festival of the Virgin of Cobre brings as many as 15,000 pilgrims in one day. The church is fiUed with costly gifts and votive offerings. Cobre is a copper- mining settlement. Some of the guns with which the Americans bombarded Morro Castle were made of metal from these mines. A Trip to Korea and MANCHtJRiA If a tourist has still more leisure it will be interesting to visit Korea or Manchuria. From Shimonoseki to Fusan, the DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 235 most important port, situated on the S. E. Coast of Korean Peninsula, is 122 m. and travelers may be conveyed thither by means of commodious and luxurious steamers of the Imperial Railway Department making alternate trips every day and con- necting closely with the through trains on either side between Tokyo and Seoul. The passage takes ten hours (fares: ist with foreign food £12.00; 2nd, 7.00). Travelers will cross the famous Tsushima Straits on the Japan Sea, where the great naval battle of modern times was fought with the utmost determination ih May, 1905. Nagasaki and Environs Nagasaki, 164 miles from Moji, was for 250 years the only place in Japan where intercourse with foreigners was allowed, and it is in consequence an important place commercially. Its landlocked harbor is considered one of the most beautiful in the world, and is frequented by ships of all nations. The city itself, though most picturesquely situated on the hills facing the har- bor, does not offer much of special interest to the sight-seer, but there are many excursions by jinrikisha through very attractive country. That to Mogi on the Gulf of Obama five miles distant is recommended for those whose time is limited. An interesting excursion can be made to Unzen, the general name given to three villages which are noted for their hot sulphur springs and bracing climate, and have become a sanatorium for residents of Japan and China. The best route is by steamer from Nagasaki to Obama (45 hours), thence seven miles by jinrikisha. The ma- jority of the mail steamers make Nagasaki a port of call, which enables passengers to embark there, or if coming from China, land and commence their inland tour, thereby reversing the route outUne.d in the foregoing pages. 25. Write guide-book directions 'for guiding a visitor about your school or about some section of your town. Combine points of artistic, historical, and commercial interest with lucid directions. Explain and describe, instruct and enter- tain at the same time. 236 WORKING COMPOSITION The English of Special Directions.^— The following character- istics of the English of recipes, patterns, experiments, and other directive explanations should be noted here and kept in mind in working out the problems to be solved later: Figures are used instead of the corresponding words. Prepositions are omitted in phrases of measurement, — 2 cup- fuls buttermilk. The imperative form of sentence is used throughout. Phrases may stand alone in place of complete sentences, especially in garment description. Different operations must be separated by periods, not by semi- colons as is too often the case. The greatest confusion exists, especially in patterns and recipes, in the use of the period and the semicolon. Material should not be set solid, as is now frequently done be- cause of space requirements, but each operation indicated should be paragraphed. A Fundamental Rule. — Whether or not a person may- be able to do two things at once, he should never be told to do two things at once. Confusion and error may result from trying to follow directions that indicate two or more operations in the same phrase or sentence. "Mix two cups of flour with one of sugar," involves three things: Two cups of flour One cup of sugar Mixing them together In giving directions, therefore, for any sort of operation, be sure to indicate one thing at a time and to precede direc- tions about the actual operation with directions about the assembling of materials or ingredients: ^ Much of the material that follows may be divided into two parts, one to be assigned to girls and one to boys. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 237 I. Prepare — one material at a time 3. Perform — one operation at a time 3. Perfect — one result at a time This is the rule that should be observed in all explanation of processes, methods, and directions of any sort. The explanation of how a cake is made, how a dress is cut, or how an experiment is performed, should be so written or spoken as to be understood by the novice or apprentice. If he understands our explanation, the more experienced person will also understand it and may take whatever lib- erties in applying it that his superior qualifications warrant. Recipes. — The tabular form of recipe is better than the one that is set solidly or run together. Requirements of space, however, make the latter form the more common in our cook books and periodicals. A, below, stands out much more clearly and is much easier to grasp than B, the sam& recipe set solidly. It follows our fundamental rule — Prepare, Perform, Perfect: Kentucky Spoon Bread 2 cupfuls corameal ij cupfuls buttermilk 2 teaspoonfuls salt i teaspoonful soda 2 eggs I J tablespoonfuls butter Scald the cornmeal with enough hot water to make it the con- sistency of mush. Add salt and butter, and set it aside to cool; then beat in the eggs whipped light; dissolve the soda in the butter- milk, beat into the mixture, and bake in a rather deep buttered pan in a quick oven for thirty-five or forty minutes. B Kentucky Spoon Bread Scald two cupfuls cornmeal with enough hot water to make it the consistency of mush. Add two teaspoonfuls salt and one and a 238 WORKING COMPOSITION half tablespoonfuls butter, and set aside to cool; then beat in two eggs, whipped light; dissolve one teaspoonful soda in one and a half cupfuls buttermilk, beat into the mixture and bake in a rather deep buttered pan in a quick oven for thirty-five or forty minutes. But A itself is not quite perfect as a model explanation for making Kentucky Spoon Bread. Perhaps it is easily enough understood as it stands in either A 01 B. It would be much easier of comprehension, however, as weU as of composition, if the two following points were observed: 1. The tabvdated list of ingredients should be named in order of use indicated in the recipe. 2. Each new operation should be paragraphed, or at least stated in a new and complete sentence. Thus revised A would read as follows: Kentucky Spoon Bread 2 cupfuls commeal 2 eggs 2 teaspoonfuls salt i teaspoonful soda li tablespoonfuls butter i^ cupfuls buttennilk Scald the commeal with enough hot water to make it the consis- tency of mush. Add salt and butter, and set it aside to cool. Beat in the eggs whipped light. Dissolve the soda in the buttermilk and beat into the mixture. Bake in a rather deep buttered pan in a quick oven for thirty-five or forty minutes. Now the recipe is stated in the order of the processes re- quired. To make it more definite still, the paragraphs may be numbered, as in a set of rides. This is particularly recom- mended in long recipes. If the whole is preceded or fol- lowed by a picture of the bread when done, it may of course round out the directions. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 239 Menus. — The construction of a menu calls for a wide and interesting knowledge of produce, marketing, and values. Prices of dishes, whether attached or not, have to be considered in relation to cost. Seasons entail changes not only in price but in content as well. The general arrangement of dishes on a menu card is so largely a matter of taste and of individual or company policy, that no rules can here be formulated for it. Certain kinds of dishes are always grouped together, as a mere matter of convenience. But bordering and spacing are without rules, except those of taste. The cuisine of a large metropolitan hotel is so elaborate as to be almost an en- cyclopedia of dishes, and the presentation of this appetizing "treatise" is often made on richly engraved and illiuni- nated cards or folders that are Httle masterpieces of printing and artistic construction. The menus reproduced should be thoughtfully considered. It is obviously im- possible to reproduce many different varieties here. There are two general types of menu — the table d'hdte and the a la carte. The latter is the more common in this country, the former in foreign countries. The contents of both are arranged in divisions called courses, though the a la carte sometimes observes alphabetical arrangement according to kinds of foods. The table d'hSte offers a cer- tain number of courses at one flat price, varying all the way from fifty cents to five dollars or more, according to the elaborateness of the menu. The a la carte offers a certain number of courses at so much per dish, or per course. Breakfast, luncheon, and dinner menus differ according to the character of the meal. Punctuation and capitalization are arbitrary matters in menu cards. 240 WORKING COMPOSITION A CHALFONTE ATLANTIC CITY N.J. BREAKFAST STRAWBERRIES GRAPE FRUIT APPLES ORANGES BANANAS GRAPES BAKED APPLES STEWED RHUBARB STEWED PRUNES CLAM BROTH SHREDDED WHOLE WHEAT BISCUIT PETTIJOHN'S TOASTED CORN FLAKES WHEAT CEREAL HOMINY WHEATENA PUFFED RICE GRAPE NUTS OAT MEAL COFFEE CHOCOLATE COCOA MALTED MILK POSTUM CEREAL TEA— ENGLISH BREAKFAST, YOUNG HYSON, OOLONG FRIED PERCH BROILED SHAD SALT MACKEREL BROILED OR BOILED BROILED SMOKED SALMON CODFISH CAKES BROILED SIRLOIN STEAK LAMB CHOPS PORK CHOPS BROILED HAM BROILED CALF'S LIVER BROILED CHICKEN BROILED OR FRIED BACON DEERFOOT SAUSAGE COUNTRY SAUSAGE SCRAPPLE VEAL CUTLETS HAMBURG STEAK CLAM FRITTERS FRIED CORN MEAL MUSH STEWED KIDNEYS FRIZZLED BEEF IN CREAM STEWED CLAMS EGGS — BOILED FRIED POACHED SCRAMBLED SHIRRED OMELETTES— PLAIN, HAM, JELLY, PARSLEY, TOMATO, SPANISH POTATOES— SARATOGA STEWED FRENCH FRIED PLAIN FRIED LYONNAISE HASHED AND BROWNED BAKED WHOLE WHEAT BREAD GRAHAM BREAD GLUTEN BREAD PULLED BREAD ZWIEBACK HOT ROLLS CHALFONTE FLANNEL ROLLS CORN MUFFINS GRAHAM MUFFINS DRY, BUTTERED AND MILK TOAST FLANNEL CAKES BUCKWHEAT CAKES HONEY MAPLE SYRUP ORANGE MARMALADE PRESERVED PEACHES Sunday, March 28, 1915 DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 241 B ©Q@G MENU ' Served from 6:30 to 8:00 p. m. CANAPE MADAME or LITTLE NECK CLAMS Assorted Relishes and Salami CONSOMME, PRINTANIER FRESH SAVANNAH SHAD AND ROE or TENDERLOIN OF BEEF, BAKED TOMATO CHARTREUSE PUNCH ROAST SPRING LAMB, 1915 New Potatoes Asparagus in Cream HEARTS OF LETTUCE NESSELRODE PUDDING Assorted Cakes SIERRA AND ROQUEFORT CHEESE Toasted Crackers COFFEE Sunday, April 11, 1915 $1.50 Per Plate Patterns. — Directions for making a garment, a hat, or a piece of fancy work of any kind are usually preceded by a picture of a completed model with a brief descrip- tion of it. Fashion plates in costume design come to be more and more richly illustrated, as facilities for better photographic reproduction are perfected. The picture, 242 WORKING COMPOSITION which always idealizes to some extent, appeals to the eye; it makes clear certain points that are too technical and intricate for explicit general understanding through the medium of words; it teaches by means of dotted lines and other graphic directions just how to proceed in the cut- ting or sewing or crocheting as the case may be. So much has been done with this sort of illustration in modern domestic art that the trained cutter or sewer has only to glance at the written direction or pattern, if she uses it at aU, the diagram being stifficient guide for her. How- ever, the clear, succinct description and explanation are necessary. Description of costimie models requires an exact knowledge of materials and of their combination. That part of pattern explanation that has to do with pro- cesses, though usually set solid in magazines, should, like recipes, be paragraphed operation by operation. A and A below are garment descriptions followed by corresponding patterns B and B : A LADIES' DRESS. No. 7289 — This entire costume is quite plain, with a handsome wide collar and cuifs. The skirt has three gores' and closes in front. For trimming there is a patch pocket. Across the top of this and about the top of the skirt are bias bands corresponding to the waist trimmings. It measures 2f yards at hem in the medium size. This patt«m is cut in sizes 34 to 46 inches bust measure. Medium size requires 4I yards of 36-inch material, with | yard of 36-inch con- trasting goods to trim. B Woman's World Pattern PERFECT FITTING SEAM ALLOWING TEN CENTS LADIES' DRESS, Closing at Front, with Three-Gored Skirt and Sleeves In Long or Short Length. 11 Pieces. (See cutting chart below.) Cut in sizes 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44 and 46 inches bust measure. 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 inches waist measure. Before cutting, carefully compare all pieces of pattern with chart. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 243 For 34 or 36 ins. bust For 38 or 40 ins. bust For 42 or 44 ins. bust For 46 ins. bust Each with 36-in. silk MAKING. All of one material 36 ins. YARDS OF MATERIAL REQUIRED As on Figure 36 ins. 44 ins. 4i 3i 4i 4l DIRECTIONS FOR CUTTING AND > Match Notches in closing seams. o Large Triple Perforations — No seam, lay on lengthwise 00 fold. °°° Three Small Perforations — Lay straight of goods, o Single Large or o Small Perforations — For tucks, plaits, etc. 00 Large Doable Perforations — Gatherings and Shirrings. 1 inch has been allowed on all edges for seams and finish. For short sleeve, cut sleeve (S) off along crossline of large perforations. If necessary to change length, change at lower edges. FRONT AND BACK (F and B): — Close seams. Gather along double perforations. In dosing, lap right front over left so that large perforations come together. COLLAR (C) : — Sew to neck edge as notched. SLEEVE (S) : — Close seam, easing f uhiess at elbow between notches. If short length, join ends of cuff (K) and sew to sleeve, placing corresponding small perforations to- gether. Sew in sleeve as notched. SKIRT (L, O, R): — Turn front edges of front gorea (L) under li inches, lap on to front panel (R) the width of tumed-under edges and stitch j inch from fold edges, leaving left side loose 12 inches from top for placket. Close side seams. Join skirt to waist, sewing along upper row of gathering and placing front edges of gores at center-front perforations in waist — leaving front edges of skirt in front of double small perforations loose from waist for closing. Fasten loose edges to waist with snappers. BELT (E) : — Sew to skirt, matching the large perforations in front gores. POCKET (P and D) ; — Gather upper edge of pocket (P) between double per- forations and join to strap (D) . Sew pocket to skirt, matching large perforations. Cutting and Construction chart below shows the pattern laid in the most economical way on 36-inch material. Every piece of the pattern itself is named and also marked witii the corresponding initial punched in each piece. If a piece is too wide to cut from material without piecing, the piecing and part to which it belongs are marked on chart with same initial. 7269 — By permission of The Woman's World 244 WORKING COMPOSITION LADIES' DRESS. No. 7302 — At the neck is a wide, square collar, the sleeves are plain and may be made long, with a buttoned closing frilled along the edge or short with a cuff finish. The skirt may be plaited or gathered at the top and may be made plain at the lower edge or with tucks and cording. Pattern for this dress is cut in sizes 34 to 44 inches bust measure. Medium size requires with tucks in skirt, 7 yards of material 36 inches in width; if yards of 23-inch silk for girdle and j yard of 18-inch lace for vest. Price, 10 cents. B Woman's World Pattern PERFECT FITTING SEAM ALLOWING TEN CENTS LADIES' DKESS, with Sleeves in Long or Short Length and with Plaited or Gathered Skirt to be Made with or without Tucks or Carding at Lower Edges. 10 Pieces. (See cutting chart below.) Cut in sizes 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44 inches bust measure. 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32 inches waist measure. Width of lower edge for size 36 is 2I yards. Before cutting, carefully compare all pieces of pattern with chart. YARDS OF MATERIAL REQUIRED As on Figure 23 in. 18 in. with Tuclts in Skirt sUk for girdle and lace for As in Back View without Tucks For 34 or 36 bust For 38 or 40 bust For 42 or 44 bust 23 ins. 36 ins. lU 7 12} 7i 12} 7i 45 ins 5i 7 to trim I I I vest 23 ins. 36 ins. 45 ins. 11 6i 5 Hi 6i si Hi 6i 6i DIRECTIONS FOR CUTTING AND MAKING > Match Notches in closing seams. o Large Triple Perforations — No seam, lay on length- "° wise fold. °°° Three Small Perforations — Lay straight of goods, o Single Large or o Small Perforations — For tucks, plaits, etc. 00 Large Double Perforations — Gatherings and Shirrings. 1 inch has been allowed on all edges for seams and finish. For short sleeve, cut sleeve (S) off along large perforations. If skirt sections (H and L) are made without tucks or cording, cut lower edges off s inches. If necessary to change length, change at lower edges. WAIST: — Crease trimming fold (T) lengthwise through center so that notches match and lap on to side edges of vest (A), matching notches. Turn front edges of fronts (F) under i inch; lap on to vest and trimming fold the width of tumed-under edges with notches together and ''^°^ stitch J inch from fold edges. Left side is left loose for closing. Close seams. Gather along double perforations. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 245 COLLAR (C) : — Sew to neck edge as notched. SLEEVE (S) : — Close seam, easing fulness between notches. If long, take up dart in lower part, sewing small perforations together. If short length, lap pointed end of cuff (K) over other end so that large perforations meet and sew to sleeve, placing corresponding small perforations together. Sew in sleeve. SKIRT (H and L) : — ^ In lower part of each section, make 9 downward- turning tucks, creasing through small perforations and stitching i inch from each crease. If skirt is preferred corded, insert a cord through each tuck. Sew a ij-inch wide ruffle of the material to lower edge of upper skirt- section, and sew one on to lower section so that lower edges are even. Sew lower skirt-section imderneath to upper-section, along sewing of first tuck from upper edge. Close back seam. In each half of skirt at upper edge, make 10 backward-turning plaits, bringing large perforations nearest seam to seam and remaining large perforations to small perforations. Or, omit plaits and gather entire upper edge. Slash skirt on left side along small double perforations and finish edges for placket. Sew belt (E) underneath top and sew skirt to waist along upper row of gathering, placing corresponding centers together. Cutting and Construction chart below shows the pattern laid in the most economical way on 46-inch material. Every piece of the pattern itself is named and also marked Willi the corresponding initial punched in each piece. " Cut silk sRirt sections 'Cuff Thfmmmff /old Belt- cut of 730Z Lower sAirt section It skirt section. W *a eaSTF Z Thicknesses 4-5-in material 45'in Wide inaterialoa a fold Chart shows size 36 laid on material. — By permission of The Woman's World Study the following descriptions and explanations. Note the use of adjectives and the graded steps of de- velopment: Catalogue Description of a Hat Long, slender, uncurled quills in two tones were the dominant feature on an Odette model worthy of description. The shape was a small, grey, pressed felt with a low dome crown and narrow drooping brim. The quills were laid flat against the sides of the crown, the ends as they met producing a slight pointed appearance in the trimming, front and back. 246 WORKING COMPOSITION The feathers were shaded, having dull green, yellow, and wine- colored tones, and flat apphqued buds in yellow and violet along the stems seemed to hold them to the hat. Catalogue Description or a Hat A Lewis model in beet-colored velvet attracted much attention. It was trimmed with two large ostrich plumes, in beet color and dull blue. These were laced directly in back and allowed to sweep over the crown. At the base of the crown was narrow grosgrain ribbon. Two notable features were the bowler shape and the lavish use of trimming on a small hat. Instructions for Working Violet Doily Materials — Corticelli Filo Silk, i skein each 506, 725, 727, 728, 729, 781, 782, 783. Corticelli Persian Floss, 4 skeins. Border — Work scallops in buttonhole stitch with Corticelli Persian Floss, 615. Work scroll inside of scallop solid, using Persian Floss, 61 S- Flowers — Work solid with Corticelli Filo SUk in shades of violet, making some flowers light and others darker. Work some of the petals light on the edge and darker towards the center, and vice versa, taking care to have stitches slant toward center. Make a few solid stitches of yellow in the center of the open flower. Work the buds solid in 728, 729, and the calyx soUd with green, 782. Leaves — Work the edge and points with Corticelli Filo Silk 781, and shade darker to the center with 782. Use 783 for veins and stems. (To be used in connection with stamped or lined material.) How To Make a Braided Bow Preparation — The ribbon should be wide (number 60) and of very soft finish. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 247 Three shades should be used. (Pastel tints are the most effective, the shades used being delicate green, pale pink, and ecru.) Six pieces, each f of a yard long, are required for the bow. Process — Slash the ends in fancy points. Take three pieces of ribbon (one of each color) and plait them together, leaving the ends free. Note. — The plaited portion should be iS in. long. In holding the ribbons for plaiting, do not allow the ends to be evenly held in the hand but see that they are of unequal length. After making two braids of this kind, form both in loops and fasten in at the bottom by winding with thread or wire. Place a knot of ribbon at this point. Product — When completed there are two braided loops end twelve slashed ends, an artistic design to be classed among the extreme novelties and one that cannot fail to create a most favorable impression, not only for its decided originality, but also for its merit and beauty. To Make Bow No. 2 three Material — The bow requires yards of number 100 ribbon. Operation i — (a) Fold the ribbon in the middle with the face inside. Place the center of the fold upon a strip of ribbon wire, and sew the ribbon to this wire by machine. (6) — By permission of The Illustrated Milliner (c) Open the ribbon so that the face side is out and the ribbon wire is concealed in the center of the loop. (rf) Make the loop of ribbon nine inches long, that is, use eighteen inches of ribbon folded back so that the loop will be nine inches long, and gather at the bottom and wrap securely with a heavy thread. 248 WORKING COMPOSITION Operation 2 — (a) Measure from the bottom two inches and make another nine inch loop. Operation 3 — {a) Again measure two inches and make another nine inch loop. Operation 4 — (o) The balance of the ribbon, which has been wired, is wound around the base of the third loop, is then carried to the second loop and wound around the base of it, then on to the first loop in like manner. (6) After this the ribbon is twisted and placed just back of the three loops and wound round and round in a widening circle imtU the base bow is properly formed. Each time the ribbon is wound around it is poked through the knot which formed the base of the last loop, (c) The two different ropes of the ribbon must then be tacked to the side loops. Conclusion — This bow is probably best adapted to the t rimmin g of large or small hats on the right side of the crown. As many loops may be made as desired, according to the proportion of the brim upon which it is to be placed. To Make Bow No. 3 Cut a strip of ribbon one yard in length, fold in the middle, and draw the two ends to overlap one another at the center of the bow. Cut the next strip thirty-two inches long, fold and loop together in same manner as first piece of ribbon. Cut the third strip twenty-eight inches long, the fourth strip twenty-four inches long, and the fifth strip twenty inches long. Fold each one the same as number one. Lay them together, each strip of ribbon slightly overlapping the other. Bow No. 3 — By permission of The lUuslraled Milliner DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 249 6. Sew them together with three rows of stitching. — By permission of The Illustrated MilUner How TO Make a Crepe Bonnet Materials — A buckram shape, tissue paper, wadding, and crepe. The Pattern — Place a square of tissue paper over the crown and fold the superfluous paper about the edge of the bonnet into plaits. Cut away the extra paper and trim the pattern to foUow the out- line of the bonnet edge. Note. — This will give you a pattern having gores — small triangular pieces — cut around the edge. The Wadding — Place the pattern on a small piece of black sheet wadding and cut the wadding out by it, allowing one-fourth of an inch extra about the edge. Place the wadding, thus cut, over the buckram shape, in the same position as that in which the pattern lay. Smooth and gently stretch the wadding where necessary to make it conform perfectly to the shape. The Crepe — After the shape has been covered with wadding in this way, the material to be used is to be stretched over this and sewed to place. Turn one corner of the fabric down and cut it away to form a bias edge. Pin the middle of this bias edge to the bonnet frame at the middle of the front. Note. — In forming the bias edge on a piece of crepe fold the material back so that the bias edge will cut across the rib at a right angle. Having pinned the fabric to the wadding covered frame, stretch and smooth it to the shape at the front, pinning it down to place around the edge. Note. — It may be necessary to lay a few plaits about the shape near the edge, but the covering should be fitted on by stretching the fabric if possible. After the covering is placed thus, trim it off even with the edge of the shape, sew the material down about the edge (overcast- ing it about the edge of the frame), and remove the pins. Note. — Stitches should be short and placed at intervals of a quarter of an inch all about the edge, to hold the covering smoothly to place. 2SO WORKING COMPOSITION Finishing — The edge must now have a neat finish. Cut a bias strip of crepe two and a haK inches wide and make a plain fold. Stretch the fold about the edge of the bonnet and slip stitch it to place. Use a fine needle and silk thread, and do not draw the stitches tight enough to show in the fold. Note. — The bonnet shape is now covered and bound. It may be lined and draped with a veil without further preparation or decoration, but it is usual to finish the edge with several folds or cords or some other arrange- ment of the crepe. — By permission of The Illustrated Milliner Collar and Jabot of Tatting and Net By Mrs. F. H. Moon Design No. 158-45 Abbreviation or Terms. — Stitch (st); stitches (sts); chain (ch); ring (r) ; double stitches ^^^ (ds); picot (p). Net Collar with Roses, 'i^J Ho. 158-45 ffi^ Maieriai,. — Mer- cerized crochet cotton No. s (hard twist), 18 cents a ball; and suffi- cient net to cover the pattern. Cut a paper pattern of any desired size and shape, baste the net on it, and sew the tatting on with very fine thread. Edge. — Ring 9 p, i d s between; ch 14 d s. Repeat until sufficient for the edge. Make outer row 9 p 2 d s between, join base of ring. At the comers add two scallops; inner ch 18 d s, outer ch 14 p, with 2 d s between. Roses. — Center 10 p i d s between. Make five petals. First outer row — 5 d s, 16 p, i d s between, S d s; join p of r, skipping one, and join ist p to last p of petal before. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 251 Second roai — 3 d s, 9 p i d s between, 3 d s, join p left on center r, and join petals as in last row. Third row — 5 p i d s between, join top of base of first row of petals. Join to the edge and sew to the net. Edging at Neck. — Ring 5 d s, p, 5 d s; ch s P 2 d s between, join p of r. The motif is very pretty as a jabot or medallion appli- qued on a yoke or waist. — By permission of Borne Needlework Magazine These few examples illustrate the form and general content of the directions common to domestic art. They should be used as models for further writing of the same kind, strict attention being given to paragraphing. PROBLEMS 1. Write a description of a cake or some other dish, as it appears immediately on being taken from the stove. 2. Write a description of each of the following: An apron A coUar A hat A skirt A doily A waist A dress A coat A pillow A coiffure 3. Write recipes for dishes that you can make. 4. Write patterns for costumes or other articles that you can make. 5. Write the following recipes in the form indicated on page 238: Cabbage in Gelatdj , To one small head of young cabbage (shredded) add one finely chopped, medium-sized onion, a little finely chopped parsley, one teaspoonful and a 252 WORKING COMPOSITION half of salt, one-quarter teaspoonful of black pepper, one-half teaspoonful of dry mustard mixed in a little vinegar. Scald all together with two tea- cupf uls of boiling water and three tablespoonfuls of vinegar that have been heated together. Set over the fire imtil scalding hot, then add one table- spoonful of gelatin that has been dissolved in boiling water. Put in small molds or teacups. Let these stand in a cool place xmtil set, then keep in the ice-box until ready to serve. Turn out on a cabbage leaf, and on top of each mold put a dessertspoonful of mayonnaise. Lima Bean Soup if quarts dried Lima beans i cup flour I cup chopped onion 5 quarts milk 6 sprigs parsley Salt and paprika to taste 6 stalks celery 4 or more teaspoonfuls I cup chopped carrot Worcestershire sauce 7 quarts cold water i teaspoonful pepper I I cups butter Soak beans over night, drain. Add water, onion, celery, parsley and carrot and cook slowly three or four hours; press through a sieve. Melt the butter; in it cook the flour, then add part of the milk, cold; stir con- stantly until the sauce is smooth, thick and boiUng, then add the rest of the milk hot from a double boiler. Add the seasonings and when ready to serve, combine the two mixtures. Split peas may be substituted for Lima beans. JRiCE Bavarian Ceeam with Almonds ij cups cooked rice i cup hot milk (grains distinct) J cup sugar 4 package gelatine i^ cups cream (J an ounce) i teaspoonful vanilla i cup cold milk J cup blanched almonds The rice should be blanched (set to cook in cold water, heated quickly to the boiling point, drained and rinsed in cold water) then cook tender in plenty of milk (about one cup and a half of milk to one- third cup of rice). Soften the gelatine in the cold imlk, dissolve in the hot milk, and add to the rice with the sugar and almonds, chopped or sliced. Stir over ice and water until the mixture begins to thicken, then fold in the vanilla and cream beaten very light. Continue to fold the two mixtures together until it wiU "hold its shape," then dispose in a mold. Spinach Salad Drain the Uquid from either fresh or canned spinach and to one cup of the spinach chopped very. fine add one hard-boiled egg that has been DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 253 ground in the food-chopper, one-half teaspoonful of butter, one-half tea- spoonful of salt, a little cayenne pepper, one-half teaspoonful of celery- seed, two tablespoonfuls of vinegar and one cupful of the liquid from the spinach. Mix all well together and let come to the boiling-point. Then add one tablespoonful of gelatin and pour into one large mold or several small ones to set. Garnish this with hard-boiled eggs and serve with a French dressing. Tomato Glace Take one pint of canned tomatoes or cook sufficient fresh ones to make a pint, one small onion chopped very fine, one teaspoonful of butter; season well with salt and pepper, one chilli pepper chopped very fine or one-half teaspoonful of the ground chilli powder, one teaspoonful of Worcestershire sauce, one tablespoonful of vinegar or more if desired. Let this cook thoroughly for about fifteen minutes, then add one heaping tablespoonful of gelatin which has been dissolved in boiling water. Let this harden and put it into the ice-box, where it can be kept for three or four days without spoiling. Serve in slices surrounded with sliced onions, cucumbers and green peppers. Pour over aU a dressing made of a little vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Whole tomatoes scalded so as to remove the skin and cut in half can be prepared the same way. Watch them carefully while cooking so as not to break them. Chicken Glace To one cupful of left-over chicken, either white or dark meat, add two cupfuls of chicken broth, the white part of one bunch of finely chopped celery, one pimiento, one tablespoonfid of mayonnaise dressing, salt and pepper to taste. Bring this to a boiling-point and add one tablespoonful of gelatin that has been dissolved in boiling water. This makes a most de- licious salad served on the crisp part of lettuce leaves or on chicory with a mayonnaise dressing. — By permission of Good Housekeeping 6. Write an explanation of the cost and the work involved in constructing a menu. 7. Construct a table d'hdte menu for any meal, based upon the product of your garden, or upon the commodities you see in the shops. 8. Construct an elaborate d la carte menu for any meal, arranged fantastically and offering many courses. 9. Construct table d'hdte menus for breakfast, luncheon, and 254 WORKING COMPOSITION dinner on a summer day; on a winter day. Account for varia- tions in prices and contents. 10. Paragraph the body or explanation of process in the following pattern: Lay edge of each piece marked by triple crosses on lengthwise fold. Lay the straight edge of front and line of large perforations in sleeve length- wise. For two materials, join on either line of double perforations or on both lines as Uked. All seams are allowed. Cut on outer edges of pattern and baste on perforations nearest edges. Gather fronts at shoulder edges, between double crosses, and join to back. Close underarm seams. Under- face fronts to depth of four inches. Join collar to neck edge, center backs and notches meeting. Apply casing between lines of single perforations at waist line, and insert ribbon or tape to regulate size, or gather on lines of perforations, draw up and stay with belt the size of waist. Finish belt and arrange over gathers. Fold under portions of sleeves on lines of perforations above slashes, and lap folded edges to large perforations. Fold upper portions on perforations, and lap to large perforations, and to perforations in imder portions below slashes. Close seams. Finish lower edges and trim with buttons or in any manner preferred. Place sleeves in arms'-eyes, seams at notches, single perforations at shoulder seams. Lap right front of dress over left, large perforations meeting. Close to neck edge or roll over on perforations. — By pennission of May Manton Pattern Co. 11. Write an explanation of the fluctuation in prices in a menu; of fluctuation in prices of hats, or costumes. 12. Draw up a set of rules for cleaning a dress or a hat, or for keeping kitchen utensils clean. 13. Rewrite the following domestic operations in rule form: To Launder Colored Embroideries (Silk) To wash, soak for fifteen or twenty minutes in cold water, wash in a nearly cold suds made from Castile soap, swishing about in the water, and kneading gently. Rinse in fresh cold water, place between cloths, and put through wringer with the rollers rather tight. Never let the goods stand in the water while washing, and have the rinsing water ready before wringing from the wash water, lest the colors run while standing. Colored embroid- eries should be washed quickly, and one piece at a time. To iron, lay wrong side up, over two or three thicknesses of flaimel, and DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 255 iron the embroidered parts until thoroughly dry. Then turn on the right side, and with a small iron go over the plain parts. To Launder Raised EMBRoroERY If white, this may be washed according to the directions for washing the goods which it decorates. If colored, follow the directions for colored mate- rial, or for silk or wool, if the work is done in either of these materials. Raised embroidery should be ironed on a specially padded board, and with a well-pointed iron that can be pushed into the interstices. The fine wrinkles that are apt to form between the lines of the design should be smoothed out with the point of the iron. Complete the work by ironing on the right side, as directed for Silk Embroideries. To Launder Embroidered Doilies, etc. Square doilies, centerpieces, etc. should be ironed in the direction of the warp threads — to keep them straight — first on the wrong side and all over, then on the right side to give smoothness. For round or oval pieces, the ironing should be begun at the center, pressing outwards along the warp threads, to avoid puflSness in the middle. Table scarfs or other long, narrow pieces should be ironed lengthwise first, to keep the edges straight, then smoothed on the unembroidered parts on the right side in the direc- tion of the warp. Note. — Embroidered articles should be ironed before they are quite dry, or wrung out of hot water to give them an all-over, even dampness. Embroidery must be ironed until perfectly dry, otherwise the dampness will be absorbed by the adjacent parts, and they will crinkle. To Launder Drawn-Work This is more difficult for the inexperienced ironer than any other kind of decorative work, since it is exceedingly apt to shrink. After dampening, it must be patiently stretched and pulled into shape on the ironing table, and modeled with the iron into its original form. Corners require great care to get them square and true, and redampening of faulty places must be repeated as often as necessary, until every part of the article lies straight and even. To Begin Sewing Open the slide covering front of the shuttle-race by pulling towards you; place the shuttle in its carrier, with point towards you, leaving about three inches of the thread projecting, and close the slide. Then draw about three inches of the upper thread through the eye of the needle. Hold the thread slack in the left hand, while the needle is moved down and up again, when 256 WORKING COMPOSITION by gently drawing the needle thread, it draws up the shuttle thread through the hole in the throat-plate; the two threads should then be laid from you to the right hand. Then place' the fabrics beneath the needle, lower the presser-foot upon it, and operate the treadle. After a few stitches are formed stop and examine them. If you find loops projecting, or a straight thread upon the lower surface, tighten the tension of needie thread as before in- structed. If the thread lies straight upon the upper surface, loosen the tension of needle thread as instructed. When the tension is perfect, the stitch wiU lock in the center of the goods, and appear alike on both sides. To Remove the Work Raise the needle to the highest point; then lift the presser-foot and draw down about four inches of slack thread (p"ulling it just after it leaves the tension); then draw the goods directly from you, and cut both threads dose to the cloth. Be careful not to bend or spring the needle. To Alter the Length of the Stitch At the right hand of the machine there is a thumb screw for adjusting the length of the stitch. To lengthen the stitch, loosen the thumb screw and move it to the right; to shorten the stitch move it to the left. After the proper length of stitch is obtained be sure to tighten the thumb screw. The length of the stitch should always be proportioned to the size of the thread used: the coarser the thread, the longer the stitfh; sewing a short stitch with coarse thread will cause an irregular seam. Rdtfling and Gatheeing The ruffler is attached to the machine in place of the presser-foot; place the loop at the end of large lever or arm over the needle screw; the needle should pass through the center of the needle-hole. Place the goods to be gathered between the springs; if a band is required, place the band below the springs. To gather one of three pieces, place two between the springs, holding the upper one back gently so as to keep it even with the pieces next the feed. To make a fine gather, shorten the stitch, and move the adjusting lever on the slide toward the left. To make plaits, make a long stitch, and move the adjusting lever toward the right. If very full gathers are required, use same as for plaits with a short stitch. For shirring, remove the lower blade by unscrewing the thiunb-nut, and DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 257 put in the shirring slide. The screw in the arm is to adjust the gathering blade, and provide for wear. Oil the attachments before using, in the slots, in the slide and the hinge of the arm. To Make Hem-Stitch Fold blotting paper, which can readily be done, until you get a thickness corresponding to the opening desired in the hem-stitching; put one of the pieces of goods under the paper and the other above it; put all under the foot and sew through all. After sewing, remove the paper carefully, and open the hem-stitching, one edge of each, or either piece may be cut and passed through the hemmer, or a row of stitching can be passed alongside the hem-stitch and the double edge finished as you choose. To Embroider with Chenille Wind the chenille on the bobbin, drop the bobbin into the shuttle as usual, loosen the tension-screw of the shuttle so as to remove all tension, and place it in the shuttle-carrier as ordinarily. For your upper thread, use silk, the same color as your chenille, sewing with a tight upper tension, so that it will draw the under thread or chenille tin it can just be seen through the cloth. Have the pattern you wish to embroider stamped upon the wrong side of the cloth, which will be uppermost in embroidering, and follow the lines of the patterns and fill in solidly with shades or colors as you may desire. It is always best to wind separate bobbins with various colors of chenille that you intend to use. When the work is properly done, the chenille embroidery will stand out beautifully, having all the appearance of stuffed work. An Electric Lure eor Fish Every good fisherman knows that a light will attract fish. A simple light can be made by taking a pint fruit jar, cutting a f-in. hole in the top of the cover, inserting a piece of gas pipe in the hole and soldering it to the cover. Insulated wires are nm through the pipe, and a small electric globe is attached to the ends in the jar. The other ends of the wires are attached to a pocket battery. The jar is placed imder water and the light turned on, which attracts the fish. The Proper Way to Place Ice in a Refrigerator As heat always travels to the top of an inclosure, it does so also within the walls of a refrigerator; hence, if a piece of ice is not large enough to fill 258 WORKING COMPOSITION the ice space, lay it in such a position that the largest portion is at the bottom of the cavity. This will save considerable ice where a small quantity is used at a time. How TO Make Soldejlless Connections Perhaps some readers find trouble in making a good wire connection when solder is unavailable. I think they will find the following very efficient, especially with aluminum wire. First, scrape about eight inches of the wire to be connected. Be sure all corrosion, dirt, or grease is scraped off thoroughly. Then twist the wires together very tightly. A piece of tinfoil about an inch wide is lapped over the connection twist. The tinfoil should be lapped as tightly as possible without tearing, then pressed together with the fingers. ' After this lap one or two layers of tape over the tinfoil, so no corrosion or rain can get to the tinfoil. The tape is pulled very tight, so as to insure a good connection ■ between the tinfoil and the wire. It is well to paint it with asphaltiun. It should be understood that this little scheme should only be used when solder is not handy. — Reproduced by pennission of Popular Mechanics 14. Describe and explain the menu of an afternoon tea, the gowns and hats worn at the tea, the particularly pretty table service that was used. 15. Classify the following into an attractive a la carte break- fast menu. Make it so neat and clear that the commercial traveler will like the hotel that issues it, because the arrange- ment saves him just two minutes for his morning nap: Breakfast Oatmeal, grapefruit, coffee, fried eggs, cocoa, salt mackerel, mufims, sliced oranges, instant postirai, baked apple, scrambled eggs, hominy, rolls, poached eggs on toast, corned beef hash, tea, bacon or ham with eggs, cream of wheat, rhubarb, deerfoot farm sausage with cakes, imported kippered herrings, toast. 16. The poets have not overlooked recipes in their musings. Convert the following into prose for kitchen use. What in- gredients are lacking in each? DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 259 Salad To make this condiment, your poet begs The poimded yellow of two hard boiled eggs; Two boiled potatoes, passed through kitchen-sieve, Smoothness and softness to the salad give; Let onion atoms lurk within the bowl, And, half-suspected, animate the whole. Of mordant mustard add a single spoon, Distrust the condiment that bites so soon; But deem it not, thou man of herbs, a fault, To add a double quantity of salt. And, lastly, o'er the flavored compound toss A magic soup-spoon of anchovy sauce. Oh, green and glorious! Oh, herbaceous treat! 'Twould tempt the dying anchorite to eat; Back to the world he'd turn his fleeting soul. And plunge his fingers in the salad bowl! Serenely fuU, the epicure would say. Fate can not harm me, I have dined to-day! — Sidney Smith Curry Three pounds of veal my darling girl prepares. And chops it nicely into little squares; Five onions next prepares the little minx (The biggest are the best her Samiwel thinks) And Epping butter, aiearly half a poimd. And stews them in a pan until they're brown'd. What's next my dexterous little girl will do? She pops the meat into the savory stew. With curry powder, tablespoonfuls three, And milk a pint (the richest that may be) ; And, when the dish has stewed for half an hour, A lemon's ready juice she'll o'er it pour: Then, bless her! then she gives the luscious pot A very gentle boil — and serves quite hot. P. S. Beef, mutton, rabbit, if you wish; Lobsters, or prawns, or any kind of fish Are fit to make a CURRY. 'Tis, when done, A dish for emperors to feed upon. 26o WORKING COMPOSITION Apple Pie Air — "All that's bright must fade." All new dishes fade — The newest oft the fleetest; Of ah the pies now made, The Apple's still the sweetest; Cut and come again, The syrup upward springing! While my life and taste remain, To thee my heart is dinging. Other dainties fade — The newest oft the fleetest; But of all the pies now made, The Apple's still the sweetest. Who absurdly buys Fruit not worth the baking? Who wastes crust on pies That do not pay for making? Better far to be An Apple Tartlet bu3ring. Than to make one at home, and see On it there's no relsring: That aE must be weigh'd, When thyself thou treatest — Still a pie home-made Is, after aU, the sweetest. Who a pie would make, First his apple slices; Then he ought to take Some doves — the best of spices: Grate some lemon rind. Butter add discreetly; Then some sugar mix • — but mind The pie's not made too sweetly. Every pie that's made With sugar, is completest; But moderation should pervade — Too sweet is not the sweetest. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 261 Who would tone impart, Must — if my word is trusted — Add to his pie or tart, A glass of port — old crusted; If a man of taste, He, complete to make it, In the very finest paste WiU inclose and bake it. Pies have each their grade; But, when this thou eatest, Of all that e'er were made, You'U say 'tis best and sweetest. Calf's Heart Air — • "Maid of Athens, ere we part." Maid of all work, as a part Of my dinner, cook a heart; Or, since such a dish is best, Give me that, and leave the rest. Take my orders, ere I go; Heart of calf, we'll cook thee so. Buy — to price you're not confined Such a heart as suits your mind: Buy some suet — and enough Of the herbs required to stufE; Buy some lemon-peel — and, oh! Heart of calf, we'U fill thee so. Buy some onions — just a taste — Buy enough, but not to waste; Buy two eggs of slender sheU. Mix, and stir the mixture well; Crumbs of bread among it throw; Heart of calf, we'U roast thee so. Maid of all work, when 'tis done. Serve it up to me alone : Rich brown gravy rovmd it roll. Marred by no intruding coal; Currant jeUy add — and lo! Heart of calf, I'U eat thee so. 262 WORKING COMPOSITION Green Pea Sotrp ^if — "The Ivy Green." Oh! a splendid Soup is the true Pea Green: I for it often call; And up it comes in a smart tureen, When I dine in my banquet hall. When a leg of mutton at home is boil'd, The Uquor I always keep, And in that liquor (before 'tis spoil'd) A peck of peas I steep. When boil'd till tender they have been, I rub through a sieve the peas so green. Though the trouble the indolent may shock, I rub with all my power; And having retum'd them to the stock, I stew them for more than an hour: Then of younger peas I take some more, The mixture to improve, Thrown in a little time before The soup from the fire I move. Then seldom a better soup is seen. Than the old familiar soup Pea Green. Since first I began my household career. How many my dishes have been! But the one that digestion never need fear. Is the simple old soup Pea Green. The giblet may tire, the gravy pall. And the turtle lose its charm; But the Green Pea triumphs over them all. And does not the slightest harm. Smoking hot in a smart tureen, A rare soup is the true Pea Green! DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 263 Irish Stew Air — "Happy Land." Irish stew, Irish stew! \Vhatever else my dinner be, Once again, once again, I'd have a dish of thee. Mutton chops, and onion slice. Let the water cover, With potatoes, fresh and nice. Boil, but not quite over; Irish stew, Irish stew! Ne'er from thee, my taste will stray. I could eat Such a treat Nearly every day. La, la, la, la! The Cheistmas Pudding Air — " Jeannette and Jeannot." If you wish to make a pudding in which every one delights, Of a dozen new-laid eggs you must take the yolks and whites; Beat them well up in a basin till they thoroughly combine. And shred and 'chop some suet particularly fine; Take a pound of well-stoned raisins, and a pound of currants dried, A pound of pounded sugar, and a pound of peel beside; Stir them aU well up together with a pound of wheaten flour. And let them stand and settle for a quarter of an hour; Then tie the pudding in a cloth, and put it in the pot, — Some people like the water cold, and some prefer it hot; But though I don't know which of these two methods I should praise, I know it ought to boil an hour for every pound it weighs. Oh! if I were Queen of France, or, still better, Pope of Rome, I'd have a Christmas pudding every day I dined at home; And as for other puddings whatever they might be. Why those who like the nasty things should eat them all for me. All from Parton's Humorous Poetry, published by Houghton MifBin Co. 264 WORKING COMPOSITION Experiments. — In writing out the directions for per- forming an experiment or in writing up the results of an experiment, it is essential that certain developmental steps be observed. The object of aU experiment is to learn, to prove, to discover something. It is necessary, therefore, that the instructions for performing it and the conclusions reached should be clearly stated. Clearness, completeness, and coherence can best be secured by fol- lowing these four steps: 1. Object or purpose of the experiment Prepare 2. Apparatus required ) Perform 3. Process or method ) 4. Conclusions Perfect Wherever tabtdation is possible it should be used. Under point 3, question and answer may be stated to indicate discoveries by the wiay, — "What occurs?" "Is the flame red or blue?" "What does the thickening of the fluid show?" This indicates the mental process in making observations and in deducing conclusions. Point 4 can easily be summarized when this method of development is followed in point 3. Observe the following: Oxygen Object. — To prepare oxygen and to ham some of its properties. Apparatus. — An ignition tube, a small portion of red oxide of mercury, a Bunsen burner, and a splinter of pine. Method. — I. Place the mercuric oxide in the ignition tube and heat it in the alcohol flame. Is there any change of color? What collects on the inside of the tube? How do you recognize this substance? 2. Plunge a charred splinter into the upper end of the tube, being sure that there is a glowing spark on the end of the splinter. 3. Repeat this experiment several times and watch what happens. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 265 4. Note what comes from the oxide in addition to the collection on the tube. What color or other properties has it? What two sub- stances came from the oxide? Conclusion. — This is oxygen, — an invisible gas that supports combustion. — From Payne's Manual of Experimental Botany. Copyright, 1912, by Frank Owen Payne. Courtesy of American Book Company, Publishers. Manual and Mechanical Operations. — These may in- clude experiments. They refer here, however, to making things and to the operation of machinery. The general rules indicated in the above special forms of composition apply here, with such modifications as are, made neces- sary by the character of the work involved. In giving instruction as to the running of a machine, for instance, we should 1. Explain the different parts. 2. Explain their use, in order of use. 3. Explain their fuU operation. 4. Explain their disuse or the way they should be left after using. But this plan varies only slightly from those others that have been stated for recipes, patterns, and experiments. One departure may be necessary. Description may often be required at the outset in explaining how to operate a machine or how to make an article. To describe just how and where parts are located, just how they appear in mo- tion and stationary, just what kind of materials may be used, and so forth, is often required to make the explana- tion more clear. At the other end of the- operation, also, description of the finished product may help to elucidate the explana- tion, to point out flaws in the operation. All the senses may be called into play in "machine" description. How 266 WORKING COMPOSITION a machine should sound or smell or look or feel when it is working properly, are all questions that may be answered in separate and individual cases. The use of technical words, "the language of the machine," must not be ignored in this connection. The following working directions should be carefuUy studied and used as models for further similar directions: How TO Dun's a Nau. 1. Preparation (a) Lay a piece of board on bench (6) Mark lines indicating places for nails to be driven (c) Have good hammer and straight sharp nails 2. Performance (a) Take nail between thumb and first finger of left hand (b) Hold upright with greater width of point across grain of board (c) Strike one or two light blows (i) Take hands away and hammer in naU 3. Perfection (a) Make head of naU flush with surface of board (6) Drive in other naUs at points indicated How TO Operate a TtnusnNG Lathe 1. The lathe is used to shape wooden articles by revolving them against a sharp tool held in rest by the hand. 2. It consists of a stand which holds the machine. (a) On the left side is a headstock with spindle and puUey; on the right is a movable taUstock and rest for the sharp tool. (6) Underneath is a tread by means of which the spindle is made to revolve, canning the wooden article with it. 3. Stand in front of lathe, with right foot on tread and weight of body on left foot. (a) Start wheel to move by hand and take up movement with tread. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 267 (6) Press wooden article against wheel, keeping the foot motion steady, (c) When article is cut as desired, draw away and stop the motion by reversing the pressure on the tread. 4. Throw off the band connecting the spindle with the tread wheel, clean the cutting instrument of all dust, and close lid over top of frame. How TO Finish a Piece of Woodwork 1. Purpose: to finish a piece of woodwork with white paint in order to make it ready for use. 2. Apparatus: nail-set, brush, cloth, sandpaper, paint, oil, putty. 3. Process: (o) Drive in nail heads with nail-set, rub surface with sand- paper, and wipe off with cloth. (b) Put on the first or prime coat of paint with brush. (c) FUl nail holes and any cracks there may be with putty and sandpaper surface Ughtly again. (d) Put on final coat of paint, running brush in direction of grain, as much as possible. 4. Conclusion: (o) A finished box or other article ready for use, when paint is dry. (6) Place paint brushes in alcohol solution for future use. Clear-Starching The name clear-starching is given to the process of starching thin, transparent materials in such a way that there wiU be no clogging of the meshes of the weave, no opacity due to the coating of the threads as the starch dries, and no loss of transparency resulting from the use of starch as a stiffening agent. Clear starch may be made as follows: 1. bilute one-half cup of thick starch with one quart of water; boU until clear, strain, and use hot. 2. Blend one teaspoonful of laundry starch with a little cold water, cook for half an hour in one quart of boihng water, strain, and use hot. 268 WORKING COMPOSITION 3. Substitute one-quarter cup of well-washed rice for the laundry starch in 2, and cook as directed. Strain, and dilute with one quart more of boihng water. Note. — Very thin, open weaves should be clapped between the hands after starching, to clear the meshes of the fabric. To Increase the Stiffness in Clear-Starching. — Add from one tea- spoonful to one tablespoonful of powdered gum arabic, dissolved in one-half cup of boiling water, to any of the recipes given. Only the purest gum arabic, which is almost colorless, should be used. One-half to one tablespoonful of borax used in the same way will somewhat increase the body of the starch, and wUl give greater permanency to its stiffening quality. How TO Operate a Sewing Machine 1. Preparation {a) Have parts properly oiled (6) Have threading perfect, from spool down, from shuttle up (c) Have tread and hand wheel connected with belt 2. Operation (a) Place garment to be sewed under the presser-foot and between upper and lower thread (6) Snap down the presser (c) Turn hand wheel on right gently toward you with hand {d) Take up and increase the motion by means of the foot tread (e) Stop tread and examine first ten stitches (/) Guide the garment gently in the direction desired (g) Stop by decreasing foot motion and placing hand guardedly on hand wheel 3. Conclusion (a) Snap up the presser (6) Draw garment out gently (c) Cut upper and lower threads that attach to it How TO Paint Wire Screen 1. Procure curved board about 10 in. long, 8 in. wide, and | in. thick. 2. Fasten a piece of round wood, 2 in. in diameter and 6 in. long, to its center on one side for a handle. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 269 3. Hold board under screen, as plasterer holds trowel, and apply paint freely. 4. Let screen stand for a time; then brush dry to remove surplus paint. Other Kinds of Explanation — Social, legal, and com- mercial forms are not only to be found in newspapers and periodicals, where they should be observed closely, but they are also common as circulars, so common indeed that we usually ignore their make-up and form even when we are most conveniently served by them. However, inex- cusable errors are frequently found in these forms. Pro- grams, minutes, reports, statements, formulas, business papers — : such as checks, drafts, bills, receipts — are as a rule left to the printer for final make-up, and sometimes even for wording. Print makes them pleasing to the eye and renders error unlikely of ready detection. We Shall examine and illustrate a few of the most difficult of these forms. The program, like the menu, defies hard and fast rules. It is so dependent upon occasion for its format, so indi- vidual and often so fantastic in its make-up, that any cut-and-dried program form would be undesirable, if it were possible. Yet the program must be clear, however unique it may be. Arrangement and type styles are the two elements that make a program either clear or vague. Confusing the names of authors with those of performers, a not unusual annoyance in reading programs, can be obviated by variation in type used and by consistent arrangement. Series of names should be separated by the comma, whether or not periods are used at the end of enumerated numbers. A program should be punctuated consistently, if at all, the preferable usage being to omit 270 WORKING COMPOSITION punctuation altogether. The occasion, the plan, the per- formers' names and subjects should be made to stand out by means of clear and striking types. Other matter should be subordinated by means of type. Minutes are notes of memoranda summarizing the pro- ceedings of a meeting or other event. They follow the chronological order and usually open like letters with a statement of the time and place. "Respectfully submitted" is almost invariably the form of complimentary closing used, followed by the signature of the writer and the name of his office. The official secretary of an organization should be especially careful to make a verbatim and seria- tim report of important motions and votes. Even the exact words of speakers may be called for at subsequent meetings and the secretary's minutes must be relied upon for them. Minutes are used for reference,, sometimes after long periods have elapsed. It is important, then, that they be accurate, orderly, and precise. The following illus- trates the form of minutes, the content of course being entirely dependent upon the occasion on which they are written: Haverhill, Mass., June 20, 1917. The last meeting of the Haverhill Social Club was called to order on Thursday evening, June 13, at 8 o'clock, by the president. After the reading and adoption of the minutes of the previous meeting, the members of the club proceeded to the consideration of imfinished and of new business as follows : (Here foUow complete data of meeting, with reproduction of program if one was rendered). Respectfully submitted, James Blank, Secretary. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 271 The preparation and reading of minutes as memoranda of class recitations cannot be too highly recommended. Recitation minutes may serve as a review, as an aid to absentees, and as a settlement of lesson assignments be- yond all dispute. Assigned to pupils in turn, the class- minutes book may thus become a means for comparative estimate in this important kind of composition. Moreover, opportunity will be given to insert in the writing of min- utes elements of humor and individual expression that will make them not only interesting and instructive, but enter- taining as well. The more informal such minutes can be made without becoming careless, inaccurate, and flippant, the better they will be. The report is a detailed account of the procedure of any body — social, industrial, commercial, educational, etc. — for certain given periods, to a higher constituted author- ity or to the public, for the purpose of judging of past achievement and for outlining future plans. It may be pre- pared by an officer for his superior; by managers of vari- ous departments for their superintendent or .president; by heads of state or federal divisions for Congress. It is a smnmarized record of the conditions, achievements, and failures of organized and cooperative experience and authority in the justification of past work, for the greater efl&ciency of future work. Reports are usually composite composition, i.e., they are made up from materials col- lected from the various quarters concerned in them. The principal of a school may call for a report from each of his teachers on a certain group of pupils. These reports he will combine into one large report for his uses. In the same way, individual and blanket reports are prepared by large establishments. Committees appointed to make 272 WORKING COMPOSITION reports usually resolve themselves into smaller groups or sub-committees and blanket their investigations into a final report. In case all the members cannot agree with the findings set down in the report of a committee, a lesser report may be prepared and submitted by the dis- senters. The former, representing the majority of the committee, is called the majority report; the latter is called the minority report. Owing to the fact that the re- port often runs to great length, it is impossible to illustrate one here in toto. The form, however, may be indicated. The heading and the conclusion are similar to those used in minutes. The body of a report should be promi- nently divided and subdivided, according to the classes of material contained. A table of contents and an index should accompany it, and a word or two of introduction from the parties who prepare it to those for whom it is intended, should open it. Examine the following: Auditor's Report July I, 1916. We have audited the books and accounts of the Home Savings Bank for the three months ending June 30, 1916. We have verified the bonds and stocks owned by the bank, and have examined the notes for the real estate and personal loans, and have verified the collateral held as security against the same. We have verified a trial balance of the depositors' ledgers taken on April 10, 1916. The cash at the various banks has been verified by statements furnished by each of the banks, and the cash on hand by actual count. We have made an examination of the investments and loans with especial reference to the amoimt of income which should have been derived from them during the period beginning April 1, 1916, and ending June 30, 1916, and have found such income to be duly accounted for. We hereby certify that the accompanjdng statement of assets DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 273 and liabilities exhibits a true and correct view of the bank's condi- tion as shown by its books at the close of business June 30, 1916. CooLEY & Marvin Co. Public Accountants. By M. L. CooLEY, _ , r., . Certified Public Accountant. 73 Tremont Street, Boston, Mass. Auditing Committee — Stephen W. Reynolds, R. Henry W. Dwight, George H. Ellis. A statement is a summarized report or a summary 01 a part of a report. A report may embody at the conclusion of each one of its parts a condensed statement of that part. These combined constitute a statement from the report. Statements are usually made in graphic form, rarely in solid writing of any great length. They usually have to do with financial matters, — the bank statement, the clear- ing house statement, the cashier's statement, etc. Tabular arrangement is the rule in making statistical statements of any kind, accompanied with explanatory notes as required. To differentiate a little further the statement from the report, it may be said that the statement deals with results only; the report, with processes and results. The report indicates means and ends; the statement, ends only. The following is a statement taken from the above abbreviated report: Quarterly Statement June 30, 1916 Liabilities Due 57,854 depositors $25,526,624.86 Guaranty fund 1,250,000.00 Discount account 62,943.90 Incomplete mortgage loans 17,500.00 Undivided earnings 524,464.17 274 WORKING COMPOSITION Invested as Follows State, city, town, and county bonds . . Railroad. bonds . Street railway bonds . Boston Terminal Co. bonds . . Bank and Trust Co. stock . . Loans on real estate Loans on personal security Loans to counties, cities, and towns . . Taxes, etc., paid on mortgaged properties Real estate by foreclosure Cash on hand and in banks . . $1,368,381.17 3,961,452.00 507,354-90 30,000.00 117,900.00 14,571,665.00 5,318,160.00 662,000.00 9,908.51 205,847.74 628,863.61 $27,38i.532-93 PROBLEMS There follow illustrations of some of the other forms above referred to. They may safely be used as models, though it must not be assumed that they are the only styles to be employed. Observe these general rules : 1. Variation in type is essential. 2. Capitals are used for emphasis. 3. Abbreviations always include the period. 4. The name of the house by which the form is issued is set up in bold face. 5. The kind of form is likewise clearly indicated. 6. The form has a place for names and dates to be filled in. 7. Figures, where used, are written clearly and unmistakably. 8. The total form is made up with a view to its being clearly, fully, accurately understood at a glance. I. Note difference between these two blank checks. Explain how each should be filled in: DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 275 No.. Doylestown, Pa.,- .191- Doylestown Trust Company Pay to the order of -Dollars. $ ASHEVILLE, N. C.,_ -191- No.. Clje Batterp i^arlfe 2Ban]fe Pat to the ORDER 0F_ .Dollars 2. Test the following deposit blanks by the ten rules above given: DOYLESTOWN TRUST CO. DEPOSITED BY DEPOSITED TO THE ACCOUNT OF DOYLESTOWN, PA., .191 The Battery Parr Bank PLEASE LIST EACH CHECK SEPARATELY CURRENCY DOLLARS CT8. GOLD SILVER CHECKS ASHEVTI.T.F, N r TQT SPECrFY BANKS ON WHICH CITY CHECKS AND POINTS ON WHICH "OUTOFTOV.N" CHECKS ARE DRAWN. Cnwvp.vf.ry DOLLARS CT8. .^Unifir anj4 CHECKS, AS follows: PLEASE LIST EACH CHECK SEPA- RATELY 276 WORKING COMPOSITION 3. The following promissory note form is worthy of study. Explain the meaning of "without defalcation," "drawer," "drawee," as applied to a note of this kind. $ Dnylpstnwn. Months Pay tn tlip nrHpr nf Penna., 19 aftpr rlatp Pmtnisp to at thp DOYT F.STOWN NATIONAL BANK Dollars without defalcation, value received. PAY THE DRAWER 100 1 Promissory notes between one individual and another are usually written entirely by hand, but the above form is followed, thus: Place, Date. Six months after date I promise to pay to James W. Blank, or order, the sum of One Hundred Dollars {$106) with interest at four per cent (4%), without defalcation, for .alue received. j^^^ ^ ^^^^^^ 4. Test yomself in filling out both parts of the following order form. What special convenience does it carry with it? Mr. 19 / hereby order this day from you, at prices as below: PER TON . Sacks lbs. each @ $ Which agree to take on or about 19 at Station Terms Purchaser's Name DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 277 Philadelphia Office 8g7 Drexel Building The American Agricultural Chemical Co. Memorandum for Buyer 19 ^""Shtof PER TON Sacks lbs. each &, $ To be taken on or about 19 at Station, subject to accident to Stock or Factory or detention by trans- portation lines Terms ' 5. The following forms are less common than those just illustrated, but they are suflSciently common in business and industrial transactions to justify a place here. Note the "non-escapable" EngUsh. Try to insert words or phrases that wiU afford loopholes of escape for one party or the other, and you will find it extremely diflScult. 3 X0aiS0, Made and executed BETWEEN R. B. Hines of the city of , state of , of the first part, and (Your city.) (Your state.) J. M. Hastings of the city of , state , of the (Your city.) (Your state.) second part; the first day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred (Present year.) 3n Conistlieratian of tibe rents and covenants hereinafter expressed, the said party of the first part has LEASED AND DEMISED, and does hereby demise and lease, to the said party of the second part the following premises, viz: The first floor and basement of building situated at 146 Elm St . , with the privileges and appurtenances for and during the term of one year from the first day of April, 19 , which term (Present year.) 278 WORKING COMPOSITION will end on the thirty-first day of March, 19 . And the said (Next year.) party' of the second part covenants that he' will pay to the party' of the first part, for the use of said premises, the annual rent of twelve hundred dollars, to be paid monthly in advance in installments of one hundred dollars each. AND PROVIDED said party ' of the second part shall fail to pay said rent, or any part thereof, when it becomes due, it is agreed that said party' of the first part may sue for the same, or re-enter said premises, or resort to any legal remedy. The party' of the first part agrees ' to pay all taxes to be assessed on said premises during the said term. The party' of the second part conve- nants that, at the expiration of said term, he' will surrender up said premises - to the party' of the first part in as good condition as now, necessary wear and damage by the elements excepted. WLitnesfi, the hands and seals of said parties, the day and year first above written. In presence of [SEAl] /. m. /ifaaZUfi; [seal] ^Voucher used with Modem Illustrative Bookkeeping, Introductory Course. Revised and Enlarged. American Boole Company Publisliers.^ BUCKS COUNTY, se. Personally appeared before me who, being duly according to law, says that he owns and uses exclusively, in hauling loads of two thousand pounds weight and over on the public roads of this Commonwealth, draught wagons with tires not less than four inches in width, and is entitled to be credited for the same upon the road tax assessed against him according to the Act of Assembly in such cases made and provided. and subscribed before me this day of A.D. 191 Broad Wheel Tire Affidavit 1 The use of the singular or the plural number depends of course upon the conditions special to each case. Such legal forms usually le£^ve blank spaces for the indication of number. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 279 IPoUiet of attorney Bnoh) all men Jj? t^t&t pVt0Znt&, That i. j. m. Hastings, of the City of State of have made, constituted and appointed, and by these presents do make, constitute and appoint of the City of , State of , my' true and lawful attorney in my name, place and stead to transact business and to sign all checks, notes, drafts, and other instruments of writing requisite to conduct my business located at 146 Elm Street, in a proper and systematic manner, giving and granting unto my said attorney full power and authority to do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fuUy to all intents and purposes as I might or could do if personally present, with full power of substitution and revo- cation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that my said attorney or his substitute shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. In MlttnesB Witiereot, l have hereunto set my hand and seal the first day of April , in the year of our Lord one thousand Executed and delivered in the presence of jl. ?Vl. /ifaaZiru^i^, [Voucher used with Modern Ittuslralive Bookkeeping, Introductory Course. Revised and Enlarged. American Booli Company Publishers.] 6. Criticize, favorably or unfavorably, the following order letter. ' See footnote, page 278. 28o WORKING COMPOSITION RICE & POND GROCERIES TEA, COFFEE AND PROVISIONS Georgetown May 16, 19 (Youi State.) Ur. H. F, Adams, (Address.) Dear Sir: — Please send via fast freight, Interstate Trans- portation Company, at your lowest cash prices, the follow- ing — 3 half chests - Japan, 3 half chests - Oolong, 2 half chests - Y. Hyson, 1 bale - Mocha, 2 mats - Java. We refer you to F. C. Tenney, 193 Union Street, your city, and to the Georgetown National Bank of this place. Respectfully, RICE &POND. /? 7. Observe carefully the difference between the two follow- ing bUl heads. Which do you prefer, and why? I. ^cyb&Q,tau>u&, cPa-.y 7^.. 7nv To AMOS S. BENNETT. ^^ ...DEALER IN... General Merchandise, Flour, Feed and Fertilizers. Standard Thone Pay Station. Bell 'Phone No. 1 M. TERMS CASH. Interegt on UUa over 30 days. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 281 IbENEtrWuMiB CAaix Apoitesfi '^tiemnuAW' g»m»M»»». Te^SBzanszwa^itK;.^ ''m. >^ ^WoLEARMMsH&JT3L CojmfHmrP'*- B/LLS PAYABLE IVeCtfLY 2U. bCerva/n^ ,.^fO4»n^^aatc^i.^i0ardi. ^-'^^ ^~ .^^ 8. Draw up blank forms for use in a bank that is to be organized in your school. g. Write two promissory notes, one to an individual and one to an organization. How will the two notes differ in form? 10. Write a tabulated order letter for dress materials or for 282 WORKING COMPOSITION athletic goods. Indicate prices for individual articles. Indi- cate total amount. 11. In your anticipated absence from school for one month you appoint a classmate to act for you in various capacities, — to pay your dues in organizations of which you are a mem- ber, to coUect dues in an organization of which you are treas- urer. Draw up a form that will empower him so to act. 12. Draw up a lease by the terms of which your school athletic field may be used by another school or by some athletic club at certain stated times. In Conclusion. — It must not be assumed that all the types of directive explanation can be treated within the limits of such a volume as this. The most that is attempted is to indicate general principles for the writing of directions of all kinds. The most common ones, those pertaining to domestic art and domestic science, have been treated above. They are standard and may serve as the basis for other such explanatory composition. Rules for the opera- tion of all kinds of machinery; for finishing and printing; for cutting, fitting, embroidery, and needlework; for the various household activities; for first aid formulas and prescriptions; for general, legal, and commercial negotia- tions; and for the use of all kinds of tools, utensils, and instruments, may and should be formulated as occasion requires, according to the principles here_ laid down. Ob- servation of this type of composition, as of all other types, is the essentially important thing. Observe how your elders do their different tasks. Read how things are done. Ask intelligent questions as to the how and the why of this and that operation. Above all, when you are called upon to make little everyday explanations to your classmates and friends, treat each such call as an opportunity for DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 283 training in the most valuable kind of expression, — direc- tive explanation. Do not allow a person to storm you with questions. Answer his first question so fully and correctly that others will be unnecessary. If he has to insert ques- tions into your explanation all along the way, you are probably a poor explainer. He may likewise be a poor questioner, but the odds are against you, for the question is as a rule simpler than its answer. PROBLEMS 1. Draw up explanations of various experiments you have performed in connection with your science or art work at school. 2. Explain how you perform certain chores or tasks that are assigned to you in your home. 3. Watch an elder person at work, — father, mother, teacher, or someone else, — and explain how he or she does it. 4. Rewrite the following explanations in tabular or rule form: Route i. — £137 10s. ($687.50) Railway, London to Liverpool or Southampton; choice of Transatlantic Steamship Lines, Liverpool or Southampton to Quebec, Montreal, St. John, N.B., Halifax, Boston, or New York; Canadian Pacific Railway direct route from Quebec, Montreal, St. John, N.B., or Halifax, or direct rail lines from New York or Boston to Montreal, thence Canadian Pacific Railway to Vancouver; Canadian Pacific Railway Company's Royal Mail Steamship Line, Vancouver to Yokohama, Kobe, Nagasaki, Shanghai, and Hong Kong; Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company's Steamship Line, Hong Kong to Singapore, Penang, Colombo, Aden, Port Said, Brindisi, and London, or Port Said, Marseilles, and London. Route i!. — f 176 ss. ($881.25) Railway, London to Liverpool or Southampton; choice of Transatlantic Steamship Lines, Liverpool or Southampton to Quebec, Montreal or New York, Boston, Halifax, or St. John, N.B.; thence by Canadian Pacific Railway to Vancouver, B.C.; thence to Yokohama, Shanghai, or Hong 284 WORKING COMPOSITION Kong by Canadian Pacific Royal Mail Steamship; China Navigation Co. or Eastern and Australian S.S. Co. to Sydney, and by Messageries Mari- times, Norddeutscher Lloyd, Orient Line, or P. & O., via Colombo and Suez Canal to London or vice versa. Route 3. — £143. ($715.00) Railway, London to Liverpool or Southampton; choice of Transatlantic Steamship Lines, Liverpool or Southampton to Quebec, Montreal, St. John, N.B., Halifax, Boston, or New York; Canadian Pacific Railway direct route from Quebec, Montreal, St. John, N.B., or Halifax, or direct rail lines from Boston or New York to Montreal, thence Canadian Pacific Rail- way to Vancouver; Canadian-Australian Royal Mail Steamship Line, Vancouver to Honolulu, H.I., Suva, Fiji, Wellington, N.Z., and Sydney, Australia; Orient Line, or P. & O., Sydney to Melbourne, Adelaide, King George's Sound, Colombo, Aden, Port Said, Gibraltar and London, or Port Said, Marseilles or Brindisi and London. A Tinfoil Adhesive for Condensers A very good way to secure tinfoil on condenser plates, and one which will not cause blistering, which is so disastrous to condensers, is as follows: Place the plates to be coated in a moderately warm oven and heat them for about 5 minutes. Then remove them and rub the surface with beeswax. Place the tinfoil over the wax and smooth down. It is advisable to place a lug of thin copper ribbon on the plate under the tinfoil before the tinfoil is put on. The comers should be painted with beeswax after the tinfoil has been placed on the glass. It is best to round the comers of the tinfoil sheet. Beeswax is far superior to shellac for this purpose. How TO Prepare Feathers Plumes and fancy feathers are provided by the manufacturers with wire stems in order that they may be posed at any angle. They are sewed directly to the shape or to a foundation of buckram or rice net which is afterward sewed to the hat. When sewed directly to the hat the wire stem must be concealed or covered in some way. It is usually covered by an ornament either made in the workroom or manufactured as an orna- ment for the purpose. Or the stems are wound with sUk or velvet ribbon. Small foundations of rice net cut any shape required, roimd, square or triangular, are boimd with shirring wire and used for this purpose. After the stems of the feathers are sewed to them, the foundation is sewed to the shape. DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 285 Making Tucks Tucks are made by basting plaits in a fabric and stitching them. They are usually placed in parallel rows and are uniform in width. They may be varied in width, however. If they are placed in groups in which they gradually increase or diminish in width, they are said to be graduated. To make tucks, therefore, it is necessary first to lay the material in a plait of uniform width, and then baste this plait into place. Finally sew the plait in the material. Remove the basting threads and press with a warm iron on the wrong side. Tucks are sewn in by hand or by machine stitching. The running stitch is used with an occasional back stitch introduced to hold the sewing firmly. To Launder Chiffons These sheer, delicate fabrics may be cleansed by sousing them in alcohol to which has been added a little pure soap solution. They should be rinsed in dear alcohol and spread flat, without wringing, on a linen or other ab- sorbent cloth until dry. Chiffon should dry without wrinkling, but, if pressing is necessary, this may be done on the wrong side with a slightly heated iron. Chiffon can also be cleansed in a suds made of rain water and castile soap, rinsed, and put through the wringer between folded towels. To Launder Fine Lingerie Delicate lingerie waists, the fine dresses of infants, and all thin, sheer fabrics should be washed by themselves in warm suds made of mild soap and rain water, or a naturally very soft water. The garments should be swished up and down and gently kneaded until cleansed. If they are so soiled as to need rubbing, they may be laid between towels and the towels rubbed with the hands, or the soiled parts may be laid over a white cloth and gently rubbed on this foundation with the fingers and in the direction of the warp threads, lest the weave be "pulled." Should boiling be neces- sary, the fine garments should be enclosed in a linen bag or clean pillow- slip, put on in cold water, and removed when this comes to a boil. The only allowable deterrent, besides a mild soap, for either washing or boiling fine things, is a Uttle borax. Rinsing should be very thoroughly done, espe- cially in the case of infants' clothing, lest a trace of alkali be left to irritate the delicate skin. Bluing is preferably omitted, or sparingly used. Fine things are apt to be injured if hung on the line, and are best dried on a sheet stretched on the ground. Lavender scented water is sometimes used for the last rmsmg of fine nightgowns, infants' wear, thin dresses, etc. 286 WORKING COMPOSITION 5. Draw up check and receipt forms for your class as an organization; for yourself as a business man; for your teacher; for your father. 6. Draw up a financial statement for a club of which you are a meraber. 7. Draw up an annual or a semi-annual report for a club of which you are a member. 8. Arrange a program to be given by your class. Names of musical and hterary authors must be given as well as those of performers. Variation in styles of type used must make clear which is which. 9. Write the minutes of your last recitation in EngUsh; of your last club meeting; of your last assembly; of your last family dinner, etc. 10. Draw up a statement, to be accompanied with a chart, of the attendance of your class during the past week or month. 11. Follow the exercise in number 10 with a report on ab- sence, — its cause, its remedy, and its effects. 12. Chart the various kinds of directive explanation of which you know. Define and characterize each briefly, and differen- tiate certain t5rpes from certain others. 13. Convert your class into an organization. Appoint offi- cers and committees. Have certain committees report on certain recitations, other committees on other recitations. Ap- point a committee to blanket these reports, i.e., combine them into one big report, ready to be submitted to the presi- dent. 14. Deduce a brief concise statement from the report worked out imder number 13, giving statistics of failure, of success, of variation in standing in the different recitations. 15. Imagine that a general school fair is to be held for which everything is prepared by the pupils themselves: DIRECTIONS ABOUT WORK 287 (a) Devise a program for the entertainment. (6) Write recipes for goodies sold. (c) Write patterns for costumes worn. {d) Explain how certain experiments or operations are performed for exhibition purpose, (e) Draw up menus for refreshments. (/) Make a report of the affair. (g) Make out a statement of the returns. APPENDIX CAPITALIZATION AND PUNCTUATION There are two distinct schools of punctuation. The one beKeves that the old hard-and-fast rules for punctua- tion' formulated about 1870 should be closely followed; this is closed punctuation. The other believes that punc- tuation should be used only when it is absolutely neces- sary for clarifying the thought in the sentence; this is open punctuation. To illustrate, one of the most common of comma rules says, "Words out of their natural order should be set off by the comma"; thus, in "Finally she was ready to go," the closed punctuation would insist upon placing a comma after "Finally." Open punctuation would not place a comma there. The tendency at present is to use the open punctuation. The best Hve and usable authority on the subject is the good newspaper or maga- zine. The punctuation rules of the printshop are the best ones for guidance in your writing. Punctuation is to be felt and heard quite as much as it is to be seen. It is better to under-punctuate than to over-punctuate. Read aloud to your classmates a passage with no punctuation, and you wUl leave them breathless and bewildered. Read them a passage that is over-punc- tuated, and you will leave them nervous and confused. Read them a passage that is properly punctuated, and you will probably interest and entertain them. The mod- ern tendency, especially in business expression, is to mini- mize punctuation. Short, terse expression, such as is required for business purposes, should not be retarded too CAPITALIZATION AND PUNCTUATION 289 much by punctuation. Short sentences, and these placed in single paragraphs, are clearer than long sentences con- taining many clauses and phrases run together. Reduce the need for punctuation to a minimum by short, clear statement. Read over your own written work aloud to yourself, and the sound of the material you have written will probably prompt you to punctuate properly. The following briefly stated rules may be used as a safe guide in cases of doubt. Rules for the Use of Capitals Capitalize — 1. The first word of every sentence or advertising phrase. 2. The first word of every line of poetry or advertising jingle. 3. Proper nouns and proper adjectives formed from them (except titanic, oriental, and a few others for which the dictionary must be used as guide), and coined words that require accenting. 4. Abbreviations of proper nouns and adjectives. Some abbreviations may be written with either capitals or small letters, — p.m., a.m., — though small letters are preferable. 5. O and /, except in those cases where used in reference to themselves, as, "That i is not dotted," "That should be a capital." 6. Such exclamatory words, as a rule, as Ugh! Ah! Ayel Grrr! 7. Titles, courteous addresses, and degrees used in connec- tion with proper names: Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, Miss Jane Addams, Joseph Choate, LL.D. 8. The first word of every direct quotation, except when the quotation is begun in the middle of a sentence or line of poetry. 9. The first word and every important word in titles of any sort and in trade phrases. 10. All words used in reference to the Deity. The rule varies in regard to pronouns referring to the Deity: personal 290 WORKING COMPOSITION pronouns are usually capitalized; relative pronouns, usually not. 11. Words that are associated with proper nouns, thus, Man- chester College, Chestnut Street, Forty Second Street, Campbell's Soups, O'Sullivan's Rubber Heels. 12. Words that are personified or apostrophized, except where the figure is extended or allegorical, and even in allegory when the name of a characteristic is used as a family name. 13. Words that require special emphasis or accent. Other devices may be used for these, however, such as italics, small capitals, etc. General Rules for Capitalization Capitalize consistently. If one word in a list of topics is capitalized, all should be. If a hyphenated word is used in a title, capitalize only the im- portant members of it: "The Major-General's Command." Trade names and phrases should be capitalized at least until they have become standardized through familiarity. The names of commodities in an advertisement are some- times capitalized in var3dng sizes of capitals according to their importance in the business advertised. The Period [.] Use the period — 1. At the close of declarative and of most imperative sentences. 2. At the close of abbreviations. Learn to regard the period as a part of an abbreviation. 3. Consecutively with three or four others to indicate an omis- sion of words, phrases, or whole passages. 4. After each word, phrase, or sentence in a hst of topics or rules. This is not a required use of the period; it may or may not be so used, but it should be either used or omitted consistently throughout: CAPITALIZATION AND PUNCTUATION 291 S- After paragraph or section topics, as in this book, usually followed by the dash. This use is also variable, some- times the dash only being used or the comma and the dash. The Interrogation Point [?] Use the interrogation point — ■ 1. At the close of a direct question, but not at the close of an indirect one: " 'Where were you ? ' he asked." "He asked me where I was.'' 2. To indicate doubt as to meaning or interpretation in a pas- sage of writing. In such cases it is usually enclosed in parenthesis. 3. To create curiosity, as an advertising device, or to stimu- late interest, as in continued stories. 4. To question matter that is vague or misunderstood in proof. The Exclamation Point [!] Use the exclamation point — 1. At the close of any expression (be it word or phrase or sen- tence) of strong feeling, such as terror, grief, surprise, etc. 2. To indicate ridicule, doubt, humor, or reproof: "This bill has been standing for three years!" "You say you have been imposed upon!" 3. As an advertising or sales device in placards or as a "shocker " in headlines. The Dash [-] Use the dash — 1. After the salutation in a letter, with or without comma or colon. (See page 133.) 2. Before examples, explanations, continuations, lists, etc., with or without comma or colon: "He bought the follow- 292 WORKING COMPOSITION ing articles — chairs, tables, desks, books, and bureaus." "Eventually — why not now?" 3. To denote sudden change or interruption of thought: "To buy — to sell — and then perchance — to pay! Publicity makes heroes of us all." 4. Before each one of a series of statements or rules or instead of numbers. 5. After each one of a series of statements or rules, instead of a period or other mark of punctuation. See headings in this section. 6. As a device for separating a running list of commodities or other things instead of "and"; as, — WeseU Coal — Wood — Ice The Comma Use the comma — 1. To separate words, phrases, or clauses in a series, where the dash is not used for this purpose. In case the last two of a series are connected by the conjunction the best usage requires the comma before the conjunction. 2. Or, conversely, to indicate omissions of words in the formal parts of a letter (see page 127), and in sentences. The omitted word is usually a conjunction or a preposition, or sometimes a verb. 3. To facilitate the reading of long numbers: 8,521,118. 4. To separate a direct quotation from other parts of a sen- tence. The colon may also be used for this purpose. 5. To mark off the nominative absolute, words of direct address, and other independent parts of a sentence. 6. To set off words, phrases, and clauses that anticipate the natural order. This is an especially important matter where the phrase or clause is long and involved. 7. To separate words, phrases, and clauses that are continuing, explanatory, or parenthetical. The dash or the comma and the dash may be used for explanatory or parenthetical matter of some length. CAPITALIZATION AND PUNCTUATION 293 8. To separate coordinate phrases and clauses in a sentence when they are extremely long or when one is contradictory to the other. But and rather are frequently preceded by the comma in such constructions. 9. To separate a dependent from an independent clause, when one or the other is extremely long, especially in the case of noun clauses. 10. To separate a long, complex subject from its predicate, where the simple subject is far removed from the simple predicate. Note. — The following passage illustrates nearly all of the above comma rules. They should be identified in it. It will be helpful, also, to write the passage out in rule form in as many paragraphs as there are sentences. The supreme prayer of my heart, kind friend, is not to be learned or *'good," but to be radiant. 1 desire to radiate health, cheerfulness, sincerity, calm courage, and good-will. I wish to be simple, honest, natural, frank, clean In mind and clean in body, — ready to say, "1 do not know," if so it be, to meet all men on an absolute equaUty, — : to face any obstacle and meet every diffi- culty unafraid and unabashed. I wish others to Uve their lives, too, up to their highest, fullest, and best. To that end I pray that I may never meddle, dictate, give advice that is not wanted, nor assist when my services are not needed. If I can help people, I'll do it by giving them a chance to help themselves; and if I can uplift or inspire, let it be by example. Inference, and suggestion, rather than by imagination and dictation. That is to say, I desire to be Radi- ant,— TO RADIATE LIFE. — By Elbert Hdbbakd; reprinted from the August, 1915, issue of The Fra magazine by permission of the publisher. The Semicolon Use the semicolon — 1. For longer and more emphatic pauses than the comma can indicate. 2. To relieve the confusion that would be caused by .the use of too many commas, — the "comma sentence." 3. To separate a series of clauses that require commas within themselves or that are not related closely enough to jus- tify the comma. If, however, there is a number of such clauses, the last two are separated by the comma only, or by the comma and dash in case the last one is explanatory of anything that goes before. 294 WORKING COMPOSITION 4. To precede such abbreviations, words, or phrases as, i.e., e.g., thus, for instance, nevertheless, say, first, second, third, etc. The comma, which should always be used after these expressions, may be used both before and after them, however. Note. — The period represents the longest, most emphatic pause in the separa- tion of ideas; the semicolon the next longest, and the comma the shortest. Their relative equation may be stated thus — , + ; = • J + f = f The following passage illustrates all the above uses of the semicolon: Advertising sells a certain thing to a certain person. And it does much more, namely, it makes a more or less permanent customer out of that person ; it promises him that he can come round and get the same thing again; it guaran- tees a degree of quality that he could not be sure of finding in some nameless brand; it spurs the man who makes the thing, and all the people who work for him, to do their level best to hold up or improve the standard; it educates whole communities, whole nations, the whole world to new needs and new pleasures, and it always works in the large just as it works for the individual. — From Obiter Dicta. The Colon Use the colon — 1. After the salutation of a letter with or without the dash. (See page 133.) 2. In place of such words as namely, following, that is, for ex- ample, to introduce a quotation, an illustration, an ex- planation, or a set of rules, especially when separated by ist, 2d, 3d, etc. The comma, the comma and the dash, or the colon and the dash, may be used in this connection. 3. To mark a division, rather than a pause, in thought, par- ticularly when the part that follows is an expansion or explanation of what has gone before; as. Advertising is business electricity: it sets in motion forceful and irresistible currents that circulate money and commodities Uke so many atoms in matter. 4. After certain abbreviations instead of the period, especially in letters and letter heads; thus, "In re:" "To Crawford Company, Dr:" CAPITALIZATION AND PUNCTUATION 295 Quotation Marks [" "] Use the quotation marks — ■ 1. To mark ofi direct quotations, in recording conversations and in quoting from the writings of another. The latter is sometimes marked off, however, by means of italics or other type devices. It is becoming more and more com- mon to indicate quotations, other than conversational, by means of capitalizing the first word only; thus, "Benjamin Franklin said. My son, deal with men who advertise." 2. To designate certain words or phrases as quoted or derived; thus, "Advertising, or 'business electricity,' he calls it, is still quite as much in its infancy as real electricity." 3. To stress certain words or phrases, especially when other devices of accent, such as italics, have been used ex- tensively, and when variety is essential. 4. To designate titles, though capitals and italics may be used for the same purpose. 5. To call attention to certain words and letters when special attention to them as words and letters is required; as, "If 'tough' is pronounced 'tuff,' why is 'bough' not pronounced 'buff'?" 6. To indicate quotation within quotation. Single and double quotation marks are used alternately in such cases, but care must be taken to have them in corresponding pairs when so used; thus, " ' " " ' " The algebraic symbols {[( )]} represent this relation. "Father said 'Robert Bonner's famous saying, "My suc- cess is owing to liberality in advertising," applies to most successful business men.' " The quoted equation stands as follows, {Father said [Robert Bonner's famous saying (My success is owing to liberality in advertising) applies to most successful business men. ]} This is used by way of illus- tration merely. It is inadvisable of course to quote within quotation, as it may interfere with perfect clearness. The type devices above mentioned should be resorted to- in comphcated cases of quotation. 296 WORKING COMPOSITION 7. To make an advertising slogan or name stand out: "Even- tually, —why not now?" "Mvmi," "Nobby Tread." 8. As a sort of apology for the use of slang, to indicate that a better, more literary equivalent is in reserve; as, That advertisement has the "punch" in it. The Hyphen Use the hyphen — 1. To separate the parts of compound words; as, son-in-law. The dictionary must be consulted in cases of doubt. 2. To denote the continuation of a word from one Une to another. The hyphen break must always occur between syllables. Words of one syllable caimot be broken and cannot therefore be hyphenated. 3. To separate the vowels in a word when they occur together but in separate syllables; as, co-operation. The diaeresis (■ ■) may be placed over the second vowel in all such words, and thus render the hyphen imnecessary; as, cooperation. 4. To join a nimiber of words when, as a phrase or a clause, they are used to modify another word; as, a matter-of-fact man, a never-to-be-forgotten experience. Note. — Use the hyphen as sparingly as you possibly can. Words outgrow hyphenation and the tendency among those who constitute the best authority is to hasten the disuse of this mark. Consult the dictionary for its very puzzling and irregular use. Errors of omission in its use are far less culpable than those of its overuse. This caution does not hold, however, in regard to coined advertidng words, such as, Kaiser-Barathea, iEtna-ize, Beech-nut, Coca-Cola, Sani-Flush, Kiddie-Koop. In such cases the h3T)hen has a use further than that of mere con- nection; it serves to emphasize the combination and the strikingness of the com- pound word. But the tendency here is likewise to discontinue the use of the hyphen once the advertising word becomes estabUshed in the popular mind. The Apostrophe ['] Use the apostrophe — 1. To denote possessive case; as, John's book, the boys' coats. 2. To denote the omission of letters or syllables; as, 'neath, e'er, it's, it'll, don't, etc. CAPITALIZATION AND PUNCTUATION 297 3. To denote the plural of letters, figures, and signs of many- kinds; as, s's, s's, If's. 4. To denote the omission of letters in an abbreviation instead of the period at the end; as, b'ld'g, m'f'g, etc. Pakentheses Use parentheses — I. To separate from a body of writing something that is explana- tory, but that is independent of and unnecessary to it. It is extra or complementary content. Dashes may be used as a rule instead of parentheses wherever they occur, as "The statistical advertisement (the advertisement that makes a big claim by means of figures and tables) is frequently untrustworthy." Brackets Use brackets — I. For the same general purpose as parentheses, except that the material contained in them is more remotely connected with the content than that within parentheses. Birth and death dates are properly contained in brackets. Dashes may not be used instead of brackets. Note. — Both parentheses and brackets should be used sparingly. They are thought deterrents, and consequently detract from clearness. In purely technical matter there is little or no distinction to be made between parentheses and brackets. Either is used properly for enclosing figures, file numbers, dates, etc. In the business letter and document there is no preference between the two. The parentheses are perhaps more commonly used for enclosing the statement of an amount of money by means of figures, and the brackets for addenda at the ends of such documents, but custom rather than reason makes this so. Parentheses and brackets are not really marks of punctuation at all; hence they must not be used as equivalents for punctuation. If a parenthetical phrase closes a sentence the period or other mark required to indicate the close, belongs without the parentheses; thus, Such a man was James Brown and such the time in which he lived [1810-1880]. Please call tomorrow (Saturday). 298 WORKING COMPOSITION PROBLEMS Punctuate the following quotations correctly. Arrive at your conclusions by first reading the quotations aloud to your classmates. Do not use any marks that you cannot justify by soimd as well as by sight: 1. what is an intelligent man a man who enters with ease and completeness into the spirit of things and intentions of persons and who arrives at an end by the shortest route lucidity and suppleness of thought critical dehcacy and inventive resource these are his attributes — Amiel 2. sound sound the clarion fill the fife to all the sensual world pro- claim one crowded hour of glorious Ufe is worth an age without a name — Sir Walter Scott 3. to be good is noble but to teach others how to be good is nobler and less trouble — Mark Twain 4. gather a shell from the strown beach and listen at its Ups they sigh the same desire and mystery the echo of the whole seas speech and all mankind is thus at heart not anything but what thou art and earth sea man are aU in each — RosseUi 5. we hve in deeds not years in thoughts not breaths in feelings not in figures on a dial we should count time by heart throbs he most lives who thinks most feels the noblest acts the best — P. J. Bailey 6. virtue is in a manner contagious more especially the bright virtue known as patriotism or love of country — Dickens 7. whoever wiU be free must make himself free freedom is no fairys gift to fall into a mans lap what is freedom to have the will to be responsible for ones self — Stirner 8. dost thou love life then do not squander time for that is the stuff life is made of — Benjamin Franklin 9. we sleep but the loom of hfe never stops and the pattern which was weaving when the sun went down is weaving when it comes up to-morrow — Henry Ward Beecher 10. no man is worth hght heat and floor space in business unless he is physically soimd — Katherine Blackford CAPITALIZATION AND PUNCTUATION 299 11. weep not that the world changes did it keep a stable change- less state it were cause indeed to weep — Bryant 12. the lawyer who uses his knowledge to stir up strife among the industrious and block the path of progress that he himself may thrive is unworthy of the respect of honest men — William H. Seward 13. you want to be true and you are trying to be learn these two things never to be discouraged because good things get on slowly here and never fail daily to do that good which lies next your hand do not be in a hurry but be diligent enter into that sublime patience of the lord — George Macdonald 14. when you get into a tight place and everything goes against you tiU it seems you could not hold on a minute longer never give up then for thats just the place and the time that the tideU. turn — ■ Harriet Beecher Stowe 15. man attains in the measure that he aspires his longing to be is the gauge of what he can be to fix the mind is to foreordain the achievement — James Allen 16. let us work on work through aU barrenness nor count the cost no toil is lost work prophesieth triumph on aye on — W. J. Linton 17. love your neighbor as yourself but dont take down your fence — Benjamin Franklin 18. habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man but coaxed down stairs a step at a time — Mark Twain ig. expediency is mans wisdom doing right is gods — George Meredith 20. to every man there come noble thoughts that pass across his heart like great white birds these things must be habitual with us we must learn to live in a beauty and earnestness that shall have become part of ourselves — ; Maeterlinck 21. no man or woman of the humblest sort can readily be strong gentle pure and good without the worlds being better for it without somebodys being helped and comforted by the very existence of that goodness — Phillips Brooks 22. the need is that we should learn to care for the great simple realities and live in them for love and work and little children for 300 WORKING COMPOSITION the hunger to gain wisdom and appreciate beauty for the desire to be of use to others and add our mite to the welfare of the whole — Edward Howard Griggs 23. two things fill me with awe the starry heavens above and the moral sense within — Kant 24. they are slaves who fear to speak for the fallen and the weak they are slaves who will not choose hatred scoffing and abuse rather than in silence shrink from the truth they needs must think they are slaves who dare 'not be in the right with two or three — James Russell Lowell 25. in a world without vice nothing would be known as a virtue without poverty and suffering there could be no benevolence nor sympathy wisdom is known by contrasting it with folly by shadow only we perceive that aU visible objects are not flat yet phUanthropos would aboHsh evil — Ambrose Bierce 26. half the joy of life is in little things taken on the run let us run if we must even the sands do that but let us keep our hearts young and our eyes open that nothing worth our while shall escape us and everything is worth its while if we only grasp it and its significance — Victor Cherhuliez 27. a winged word hath struck ineradicably in a million hearts and envenomed every hour throughout their hard pulsation on a winged word hath hung the destiny of nations on a winged word hath human wisdom been wiUing to cast the immortal soul and to leave it de- pendent for all its future happiness — Walter Savage Landor 28. it is the mark of great minds to say many things in a few words — La Rochefotuauld 29. truly there is a tide in the affairs of men but there is no gulf stream setting forever in one direction — Lowell 30. god always gives us strength to bear the troubles of each day but he never calculated on our piling the troubles past and those to come on top of those of today — Hubbard STUDIES IN WORDS The following five hundred words are fairly representative of the average high school pupil's vocabulary. They constitute the life-blood of daily working English. Many of them are likewise the most troublesome tools of expression, inasmuch as they have been taken from various papers on which pupils misspelled them. They are arranged here in lesson groups of twenty-five words each. They are also arranged in order of length, from monosyllabic to polysyllabic words. You will do well, perhaps, to regard each word as a parcel of verbal property against which there are three heavy mortgages: the mortgage of spelling, the mortgage of meaning, and the mortgage of pronunciation. Unless you are able to pay off these three mortgages in full, you have no right to a free use of the property. Be constantly acquiring new parcels, — properties in cooking, sewing, indus- try, selling, etc. Compose your own spelling book of assorted words of the greatest use to yourself. 1 2 3 4 much were coarse view choose throw clothes course sure none tired tear too hoarse meant does seems though there laid stopped Where's quite just won't school guess here chose height prove says its wear shoes could don't wrote stirred hear two shipped grieve know once which filled would straight they cease write it's whole tried weak lose ache close some reign twelfth crowd now half through they're blue doubt ninth their been 302 WORKING COMPOSITION heard said niece done can't friend filed break new ouch siege buy loose piece yours week hour eighth whose •cough tm o£E hers four used built seize raise 5 6 7 8 read since color doctor those lives sugar believe caught weight enough planning lead weird making weather chief wield column having laugh dear always referred strength drop woman describe led breathe writing whether threw toward volume custom yield every coming proceed join business early foreign tries many again really you've answer solemn safely breadth forty almost precede asks aren't often costume false truly easy ninety speech very instead accept sense haven't already descent rough busy tonight exceed stretch among country nineteen faults trouble all right recede freight doesn't any decent guard ready today succeed clause collar minute concede thread grammar receive foretell 9 10 11 whisper disguised occurred safety awkward leisure until sentence although STUDIES IN WORDS 303 nervous vowel divine million ofEered across pretty traveled surprise thorough journey double judgment cupfuls fourteen latter precious pursue naval pleasant really tunnel destroy apiece later divide jealous possess villain persuade prepare certain famous quiet captain conscious schedule Tuesday useftd brilliant Wednesday mortgage hoping suffered conquer misspell carriage knowledge except perhaps surely angle science approach circle village level dining mischief either angel wholesale daily scholar neither novel 12 13 14 harass rescuing recommend using eraser committee autos prophecy prisoner meanness petition tenement perspire cordially accustomed forehead prophesy comedy surround partition separate garbage probably enemy balance omitted providing author tragedy definite conscience beginning privilege disease preferring similar explained developed principle Arthur studying occasion 304 WORKING COMPOSITION failure hurrying decision despised successful familiar escape curious principal entrance suspicious audience mighty disappoint parallel scissors finally formerly regulate character fortieth delicious restaurant ninetieth fascinate violence omission elegant successor beautiful publicly disappear formally 15 16 17 athletics extremely conceited possibly criticize delegate library opinion descendant immensely financier exercise imitate arrangement excellent sincerely typewritten history syllable bookkeeper dependent governor terrified theater tomorrow courteous suddeimess acquainted condition sociable pianos expensive industry possessive adjective laughable interest quantity opposite discipline announcement permanent favorite apphcant sensible embarrass boundary resistance professor assistance preference argument catalogue prevalence handkerchief carrying quotation mischievous carelessly accuracy counterfeit capitol apologize changeable distinguish disappointment commercial generous gymnasium lovable capital competition peaceable visible convenient STUDIES IN WORDS 30s 18 19 20 stationary- correspondence noticeable excusable • usually conscientious eligible recitation accompaniment preferable naturally particularly variety practically complimentary identity differently immediately gradually accommodate accidentally preparation accumulate disagreeable ventilation generally miscellaneous respectfully especially association efficiency secretary curiosity divisible cemetery irresistible stationery military pronunciation acceptable repetition opportunity responsible benefited generosity favorable February auditorium analyzing necessary laboratory appreciate dictionary affectionately comparison acknowledgment individual dissimilar apostrophe enthusiastic superstitious punctuation satisfactory absolutely manageable indestructible dissatisfy infinitive perpendicular communicate peculiarly intolerable ridiculous desirable superintendent 3o6 WORKING COMPOSITION A FEW LITTLE LISTS OF TROUBLE Add to them from your own special spelling troubles wherever'possible. 1. Three words spelled with cee^ — exceed proceed succeed 2. Five words spelled with cede — accede recede concede secede precede 3. A few words that you misspell probably because you add syllables to them when you pronounce them — athletics library cruelty possibly desirous probably Elizabethan similar familiarly toward finally tremendous 4. A few words that you will spell correctly if you pronounce them exactly — advice formerly advise immigrant arctic perform emigrant perhaps formally prefer 5. Perhaps you are subject to E and / trouble — benEfited dEstroy definite cemetEry' stationEry divide dEscribe (lEttEr papEr) divine dEspair prEtty familiar repEtition privilege ■ STUDIES IN WORDS 307 6. A few words that you misspell probably because you do not pronounce all the letters and syllables in them — accidentally government particularly actual governor peculiarly carrying Ulustrious quiet courteous immediately stubbornness different obstinate studjdng enthusiastically interest temporary February laboratory Wednesday generally originally 7. Words ending in sion and Hon are puzzhng to some of you, chiefly because these two suffixes are pronounced alike — ■ ascension condescension confession confusion conversion convulsion derision excursion explosion persuasion accommodation attention collection denunciation inspiration intention interrogation occupation resurrection 8. It is both possible and probable that the following words trouble you because of their endings — acceptable innumerable accessible admirable insupportable admissible available intolerable convertible bankable justifiable detestible charitable laudable digestible desirable lovable discernible detestable movable eligible excitable palatable indelible excusable pardonable indestructible favorable perishable inexpressible 3o8 WORKING COMPOSITION formidable practicable infallible hospitable presumable intelligible imaginable profitable invisible incurable salable irresistible indefinable serviceable legible indispensable suitable ostensible inevitable transferable perceptible inextricable unconquerable plausible inflammable responsible terrible 9. It may be, too, that you have difficulty with words ending in al, el, and le — brutal penal apparel assemble central petal cancel bubble coral recital expel bungle fatal ritual flannel dimple feudal rival grovel drizzle interval rural jewel double jovial sandal model fickle legal scandal novel jingle mental total parcel rifle moral trivial quarrel ruffle mortal universal ravel scuffle naval vital rebel simple neutral vertical repel single pedal shovel sizzle tunnel thimble tremble trifle triple trouble 10. The or, er, ar endings are sometimes confusing — abhor adviser calendar contractor beUever dollar creator debater familiar STUDIES IN WORDS 309 demeanor defender grammar dishonor defer muscular distributor (or er) developer polar editor disaster popular elevator eager regular equator fitter scholar factor infer similar governor laborer solar harbor lecturer tabular honor poster humor plotter inventor prefer labor provider odor reciter orator refer predecessor rubber protector trotter reflector suitor survivor II. The misspelling of words ending in ty and ity is caused in nine cases out of ten by inexact pronunciation — anxiety society equity casualty specialty humanity cruelty variety impunity dynasty laxity frailty ability majority guaranty absurdity necessity loyalty audacity oddity mighty authority rapidity modesty capacity reaUty penalty community severity poverty complexity stupidity property credulity velocity royalty curiosity equality vitality 3IO WORKING COMPOSITION 12. Ay and ey are so frequently pronounced alike that mis- spelling results in such words as — defray abbey monkey delay alley tourney dismay chimney turkey display donkey pray galley relay jockey repay journey yesterday money 13. And the same thing is true of words ending in ary and ery — auxiliary brewery contrary bribery dictionary cemetery hereditary distillery monumentary finery necessary flattery obituary mockery stationary monastery subsidiary stationery summary thievery 14. For the very same reason words ending in ance and ence are frequently misspelled — abundance accordance acquaintance admittance annoyance arrogance circumstance contrivance distance elegance finance importance abhorrence adherence cadence circumference coherence competence concurrence conference confidence credence deference difference mnocence insistence insolvence magnificence obedience opulence precedence preference presence prevalence prudence reference STUDIES IN WORDS 311 maintenance diffidence reminiscence observance eminence residence perseverance excellence reticence pittance impertinence reverence predominance independence sentence reliance indolence subsistence remembrance inference violence repentance influence resistance resonance significance sustenance 15. Here are three little words ending in ince that may need attention - convince evince province 16. These three suffixes — ous, uous, ious — are interesting just because they are so troublesome. Note the pro- nunciation carefully — ous is always pronounced us; uous is pronounced 00-us or you-us; ious is always pronounced i-us, e-us, or shus; it is most frequently ambiguous arduous assiduous conspicuous contemptuous contiguous incongruous ingenuous innocuous perspicuous presumptuous promiscuous blasphemous circuitous credulous desirous dexterous disastrous fabulous famous garrulous generous gratuitous grievous ambitious anxious conscientious conscious contagious copious curious delirious disputatious dubious efficacious envious 312 WORKING COMPOSITION strenuous superfluous tempestuous tortuous tumultuous vacuous jealous ludicrous limunous marvelous miraculous mischievous momentous monotonous monstrous poisonous preposterous ravenous ridiculous rigorous scrupulous scurrilous solicitous stupendous tremulous treacherous venomous vigorous villainous (or viUanous) zealous fastidious ferocious fictitious glorious gracious illustrious infectious ingenious injurious luxurious malicious mysterious obnoxious obvious odious ostentatious pernicious precarious religious spacious superstitious suspicious tenacious vicious vivacious 17. Here is a list of ten words that you probably misspell very often — all right athletics benefited coming describe disappear disappoint dissatisfied odor separate 18. When ei and ie are pronounced ee, e as a rule follows c, and i follows all other letters, the two principal excep- tions being seize and weird.' When these two trouble- STUDIES IN WORDS 313 some vowels are pronounced a or i, e usually comes first in the combination — ceiling believe eight conceit chief freight deceit grieve neigh deceitful niece neighbor deceive piece sleigh perceive relieve sleight receipt shield weigh receive shriek siege thieve wield jdeld weight 19. Here is a list of the ten " biggest " words in the world — beauty courage habit home love service work justice liberty education 20. Here is a little list of everyday words that will shame you if you are not careful ache again always among answer any been beginning done minute don't much early often easy once enough piece every raise February read forty said tonight truly trouble Tuesday two used very wear 314 WORKING COMPOSITION believe friend says week blue grammar seems Wednesday break guess separate where built half siQce whether business having shoes which busy- hoarse some whole buy hoiu: straight women can't just sugar won't choose knew sure would coming know tear write cough laid then- writing could loose there wrote country lose though dear making through doctor many tired does meant too 21. Perhaps > the prefixes in and en trouble you page 7S) — incase inquire encage endow inclasp insure enchant endue indorse inthraU enclose engorge infold intrust encumber enjoin ingraft inure endanger entreat ingulf intrap endear entwine 22. The following words are frequently mispronounced, in most cases because of misplaced accent — address inquiry adult irrevocable aUas nomenclature Danish oral data patronage debut positively demonstrate precedence detail precedent inchoate STUDIES IN WORDS 315 diffuse pumpkin excess recess exquisite typographical finance ultimatum financier vehement illustrate 23. And last, but perhaps most important of all, here are your twelve worst pronunciations — i for e (git for get; yit for yet) ifoTu (jist ioijust; sich for swch) iiox a {siz for says; kin for cats) M for o {wuz for w&s; mun for m&n) diox t (liddle for little; dudy for duty) in for ing {^oin' for going, etc.) 00 for M or ew {dooty for duty; noo for new) r after aw {drawer for draw; sawer for saw) oiiat ur {adjoin for adjonrn; joinal for journal) omitted r {butta for butter; betta for better) m for him or them {got'm for got them; give'm for gi»e him) or do for to {haddo for had to; got-o for go< to) 3i6 WORKING COMPOSITION A FEW LETTER FORMS THAT ARE DIFFERENT (See page 156) Some very unusual departures from accepted forms in letter writ- ing are made today, especially in business correspondence. Business men as a rule approve of innovation, provided it economizes their time and does not interfere with accuracy and completeness. A girl of the author's acquaintance recently secured an excellent posi- tion through the following rather daring form of reply to a want advertisement : To save your time I omit the usual letter forms in answering your advertisement for a stenographer. Place Date Name Age Education Experience • References Salary expected Ready to begin Address of advertiser - Each item here mentioned was followed by the informatioj;^ it in- dicated, in brief, concise statement. A few other departures from accepted forms are given on the following pages. The purpose of the innovation in each case will be evident without explanation. There should be class discussion, how- ever, as to the merits of the several forms: DIFFERENT LETTER FORMS 317 (i) 24 Diamond Street, Philadelphia, Pa., October 31, 1916. My dear Sirs: Replying to your advertisement in the Press for a stenographer: I am twenty years of age, a graduate of the Palmer College of Business, and at present employed by Rev. John M. Davis of the Broad Street Presbyterian Church. It is my de- sire to engage permanently in busi- ness rather than Uterary work. You are at liberty to address Rev. John M. Davis, Broad Street Pres- byterian Church, Phila., and Dr. Charles C. Webster, Principal of the Palmer CoUege of Business, Twelfth and Chestnut Sts., Phila., as to my qualifications for the position you have to ofifer. Very truly yours, Mary Morrison. The Smith-Rogers Company, 1892 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 3i8 WORKING COMPOSITION (2) Re your ad in morning Republican for office assistant — 24 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo., Nov. 10, 1916. Dear Sirs: At present I am employed by the Turner-Taylor Co. in the capacity of typist only. My intention is to secure a place, such as your adver- tisement seems to offer, in which I can render secretarial and general office service. Qualifications: I am twenty-one years of age; I gradu- ated from high school at seventeen; since graduation I have been employed by the above-named company, and I am now receiving fifteen dollars a week. References: You may write to Mr. Thomas Durkey, manager of the invoice department of the Turner-Taylor Co., and to Prin- cipal James R. Wilcox, Central High School, St. Louis. , Very truly yours, Stella Goodyear. Messrs. Blanchard Brothers, 189 Market St., St. Louis, Mo. DIFFERENT LETTER FORMS (3) 319 1071 Amsterdam Ave., New York City, Nov. 26, 1916. H. W. McCandless & Co., 406 West 31 St., New York City. Dear Sirs: In reply to this BOY — Bright, with at least one year high school training, in office of growing manu- facturing concern. H. W. McCandless & Co., 406 West 3 1st. I call your attention to the following: I am sixteen years of age. I am a student in the High School of Commerce. I passed all my first year work with a mark of 85 %. I am now in good standing in my second year work. Please address Principal John L. Tildsley, High School of Commerce, 15s West 6s St., New York, for recommendation. Very truly yours, Howard Evans. 320 WORKING COMPOSITION (4) iSS Hoover Street, Los Angeles, California, October 12, 1916. ASSISTANT BOOKKEEPER. —Young man with bookkeeping experience, moderate salary with opportunities for advancement; state in detail age, experience, education, and salary expected. B 220 Examiner. Gentlemen: Replying to your advertisement in order of information desired, I state 1. My age — Twenty-two. 2. My experience — Two years as bookkeeper with the Maxwell Sup- ply Company, 93 Adams Street, Los Angeles, and one year with Messrs. Gikoy and Smith, 123 West Third Street, Los Angeles. I am beginning my second year of service with the last-named com- pany. 3. My education — I am a gradu- ate of the Polytechnic High School and of the Lane Business Institute. 4. My salary — At present I am getting eighteen dollars a week. I am wilUng to start at the same salary with you, provided advance- ment is the certain reward of effi- cient service. I shall be glad to have you address the managers of both the above-mentioned firms. They will recommend me to your entire satisfaction, I think. They are aware that eagerness for bigger opportunity is my only motive in desir- ing a change. Sincerely yoiu-s, John Inman. DIFFERENT LETTER FORMS 321 (5) 18 State Street, Chicago, III., Dec. 10, 1916. My dear Sirs: The accompanying sheet will tell you who and what I am. Your advertisement indi- cates, to me at least, exactly the kind of position I want. I hope you will give my application favorable consideration. Very truly yours, Jos. H. Ide. (The accompanying sheet) Your Advertisement — FILE CLERK. Young man, between i8 and 22, who is experienced in oSice detail and particularly in Uling methods; one who is active and quick and who wants areal oppor- tunity where hard work will win him rapid advance- ment with large firm in this city; permanent position, good salary to start. Reply at once, giving experience, age, telephone number, and salary at which you are willing to begin. Address R 390 Tributie. My Qualifications — 1. For the past two years I have had charge of the filing department of the Jaynes- Harriman Publishing Company. 2. I am twenty-one years of age. 3. My telephone number is 212 Wabash. 4. I am willing to start at $18 a week. I am now receiving $20 but I do not have the opportunity for advancement that your advertisement seems to oflfer. 5. I am a graduate of the Brand Filing School and of the Hyde Park High School. 6. As to my quickness, accuracy, and gen- eral ability, I refer you to the principals of the schools named under 5, and to J. R. Red- • field, manager of the firm named under i . 322 WORKING COMPOSITION A FEW COMMON ABBREVIATIONS account acct., acc't or % advertisement adv. or ad. afternoon p.m. or p.m. against (versus) ... vs. agent agt. aU right O.K. amount amt. and so forth etc. answer ans. appendix app. arrive ar. article art. assorted asstd. at @ attention att. average av. avoirdupois avoir. bags bgs. balance bal. bales bis. bank bk. barrel bbl. biUbook b.b. bill of lading b/1 bill of sale b/s biUs payable b. pay. biUs receivable. . . .b. rec. black blk. bought bot. brother bro. building bldg. or b'ld'g bushel bu. by per by way of via capital cap. carat car. or k. cartage ctge. cases cs. or c/s cashier cash. cash on delivery. . . c.o.d. cash book c.b. cents cts. charged chg. check ck. collection, collec- tor coll. commission or committee com. compare or con- sult cf . company Co. consignment con. creditor, credit. . . .cr. custom house or courthouse c.h. debtor, debit .... dr. department dept. or dep't deposit dep. discount disc, or dis. ditto do. doUars doUs. dozen doz. draft dft. each ea. electric dec. errors and omis- sions excepted . . e. & o. e. esquire esq. example ex. exchange exch. ABBREVIATIONS 323 expense exp. first class A i five hundred D. folio f. or fol. foot or feet ft. for example e. g. forenoon a.m. or a freight frt. freight, insurance, carriage f.i.c. free on board f.o.b. gallon gal. gentlemen or sirs . . Messrs. gross gro. handkerchief hdkf. height ht. hogshead hhd. horse power . ... h.p. hour hr. hundredweight. . . .cwt. imported or im- proved imp. incorporated inc. inches in. in regard to. . .in re insurance ins. interest int. inventory invt. invoice inv. invoice book i.b. journal jour. junior Jr. keg kg. last month ult. ledger folio l.f. limited ltd. manufacturer mfr. manufacturing .... mfg. manuscript ms. memorandum mem. or memo merchandise mdse. mister Mr. mistress Mrs. money order m.o. month mo. mortgage mtg. namely viz. national nat. or nat'l next mon'oh prox. number no. ounce oz. package pkg. pages pp. paid pd. pair pr. payment payt. or pay't peck pk. piece pc. per cent % pint pt. post-office P.O. postscript p.s. pound lb. premium prem. president pres. railroad R.R. railway Ry. received reed, or rec'd regarding. re sales book s.b. secretary sec. or sec'y see backward or forward vide infra or supra senior Sr. 324 WORKING COMPOSITION shipment shipt. steamer .• . . . str. stenographer sten. superfine super. superintendent. . . .supt. or sup't sundries sunds. take notice N.B. that is i. e. this month inst. ton T. treasurer treas. trial balance t. b. United States Mail U.S.M. vice president v. pres. volume vol. way bill w/b week wk. weight wt. yard yd. year yr. Arabic and Roman Numerals Arabic I Roman I 2 II Ill A .... IV C V 6 VI 7 VII 8 VIII IX 10 X II XI 12 XII 12 XIII XIV re XV i6 XVI Arabic Roman 17 XVII i8 XVIII 19 XIX 20 XX 30 XXX 40 XL 50 L 60 LX 70 - LXX 80 LXXX 90 xc 100 c 500 D goo CM 1000 M 1900 MCM PROOF MARKS 325 PROOF MARKS . Print in capitals (caps.) . Change Roman to Italic . Print in small capitals, {s. caps., sm. c.) l.c ■ . .Lower case; i.e., small letters w.f. Wrong font — change letters to proper size or font 5 Dele — take out '^ Join together i/ Insert superior marks, such as apostrophe A Insert inferior marks, such as comma I I Lower word, letter, or character I — I Elevate word, letter, or character II The direction of the angles indicates the position in which the word, letter, or character is to be placed I Bring word or words further to the right I Bring word or words further to the left Bring word or words to the beginning of the line } . . . Indent Q Reverse letter I Straighten margin O Less space between letters # More space between words y Less space between words lead More space between lines 5 lead Less space between lines X (W + Imperfect t)rpe •.ly or -\- Depress space or lead . — Straighten type in words ^or -^ or\ Straighten crooked lines % New paragraph iVo 11 Continue in same paragraph See copy New matter to be inserted Qu.,Qy., ? Query Ital Italicize Stet Restore matter crossed out Tr Transpose. v^'-^ or I .Reverse words or letters 326 WORKING COMPOSITION READING LISTS There can be no such thmg as a best list of books, or a list of best books, except in so far as the individual is concerned. No list can ever win uni- versal acceptance. Every reader has his favorites, and any list that omits any of these choice books is quite naturally looked upon by him as incom- plete and imperfect. The first list below is suggested as an excellent course of collateral reading to accompany this book. The second list is the famous one issued by Dr. Eliot, President-Emeritus of Harvard University; it is known as "The Five Foot Book Shelf" or "The Harvard Classics." The author of this volume has taken the liberty of adding an extra foot or two. The third list is the one known as "The World's Literary Bibles"; the fourth, "Typical Masterpieces of the World's Literature"; the fifth is "Thirty Books of Great Fiction" issued by- the Home Education Division of the Bureau of Education at Washington; and the sixth is a list of stories that deal partly, in many cases wholly, with business and industry and the work of the home. /. To Be Used in Connection with This Book — Allen, F. J., Business Employment. Ginn. Allen, N. B., Industrial Studies — United States. Ginn. Anderson, F. I., Farmer of Tomorrow. Macmillan. Bailey, L. H., Country Life Movement. Macmillan. Baker, R. S., Boy's Book of Inventions. Doubleday. Baker, R. S., Boy's Second Book of Inventions. Doubleday. Bloomfield, Meyer, Readings in Vocational Guidance. Ginn. Buhlig, Rose, Business English. Heath. Burkett, C. W., Agriculture for Beginners. Ginn. Burroughs, John, Sharp Eyes and other Essays. Houghton Mifflin Co. Chase and Chow, Stories of Industry, 2 vols. Educational Pub. Co. Collins, J. H., Hmnan Nature in Selling Goods. Altemus. Davis, Jesse B., Vocational and Moral Guidance. Ginn. Dunn, A. W., The Community and the Citizen. Heath. Field and Nearing, Community Civics. Macmillan. Fowler, N. C, How to Get and Keep a Job. Oakwood Co. Fowler, N. C, Starting in Life. Little. Gibson, C. R., Romance of Manufacture. Lippincott. Gowin and Wheatley, Occupations. Ginn. Hall, Bolton, A Little Land and a Living. Arcadia Press. Hall, Bolton, Three Acres and Liberty. Macmillan. Higginbotham, H. N., Making of a Merchant. Forbes. READING LISTS 327 Horton, Edith, A Book of Famous Women. Heath. Hotchkiss and Drew, Business English. American Book Co. Howden, J. R., Boy's Book of Railways. Stokes. Howden, J. R., Boy's Book of Steamships. McClure. Husband, J. B., A Year in a Coal Mine. Houghton Mifflin Co. lies, George, Inventors at Work, with Chapters on Discovery. Doubleday. Ingersoll, Ernst, Book of the Ocean. Century. Kahn and Klein, Methods in Commercial Education. Macmillan. Lane, Martha A. L., Triumphs of Science. Ginn. Luce, Robert, Writing for the Press. Press Clipping Bureau. Mabie, H. W., Essays on Work and Culture. Dodd Mead Co. Marden, O. S., Choosing a Career. Bobbs Merrill Co. Marden, O. S., He Can Who Thinks He Can. Crowell. Maxwell, Wm., Salesmanship. Houghton Mifflin Co. Moody, W. D., Men Who Sell Things. McClurg. Newbiggin, M. I., The Tillers of the Ground. Macmillan. Opdycke, J. B., Composition Planning. Appleton. Opdycke, J. B., News, Ads, and Sales. Macmillan. Parsons, Frank, Choosing a Vocation. Houghton Mifflin Co. Perkins, A. T., Vocations for the Trained Woman. Longmans. Pinchot, Gifford, Training of a Forester. Lippincott. Richardson, Anna Steese, The Girl Who Earns Her Own Living. Dodge. Rocheleau, W. F., Great American Industries, 4 vols. Flannagan. Rollins, F. W., What Can a Young Man Do? Little, Brown & Co. Rolt-Wheeler, F. W., Boy with the United States Census. Lothrop. Rolt-Wheeler, F. W., Boy with the United States Foresters. Lothrop. Rolt-Wheeler, F. W., Boy with the United States Survey. Lothrop. Weaver, E. W., Vocations for Girls. Barnes. Weaver, E. W., Vocations for Boys. . Barnes. Webster, E. H., English for Business. Newson. Wilbur, M. A., Every Day Business for Women. Houghton Mifflin Co. Williams, A., How it is Done. Nelson. Williams, A., How it Works. Nelson. //. Dr. Eliot's "Five Foot Book Shelf" — Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Journal of John Woolman. Waiiam Penn's Fruits of Solitude. Bacon's Essays and New Atlantis. Milton's Areopagitica and Tractate on Education. Sir Thomas Browne's Religio Medici, 328 WORKING COMPOSITION Plato's Apology, Phasdo, and Crito. Epictetus' Golden Sayings. Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. Emerson's Essays. Emerson's English Traits. The complete poems of Milton. Jonson's Volpone. Beamnont and Fletcher's The Maid's Tragedy. Webster's Duchess of Malfi. Middleton's The Changeling. Dryden's AH for Love. Shelley's Cenci. Browning's Blot on the 'Scutcheon. Tennyson's Becket. Goethe's Faust. Marlowe's Dr. Faustus. Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations. Letters of Cicero and Pliny. Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Bums's Tam o' Shanter. Autobiography of St. Augustine. Plutarch's Lives. Dryden's j^neid. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Thomas 3. Kempis's Imitation of Christ. Dante's Divine Comedy. Darwin's Origin of Species. Arabian Nights. An "Extra Fool or Two" — Mother Goose Rhymes. Andersen's Fairy Tales. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp. Perault's Tales. Browning's Pied Piper of Hamelin. Irving's Rip Van Winkle. The Bible. Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare. Kingsley's Westward Ho! A good anthology of English verse. Cervantes' Don Quixote. READING LISTS 329 Boutet de Monvel's Joan of Arc. Hale's Man Without a Country. Malory's Morte d' Arthur. Kipling's Jungle Book. Hughes' Tom Brown's School Days. Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. Stevenson's Treasure Island. Longfellow's Hiawatha. Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. Dickens' Oliver Twist. Swiss Family Robinson. Cooper's The Leather Stocking Tales. Grimm Brothers' Fairy Tales. III. The World's Literary Bibles The Hiad and the Odyssey. The Divine Comedy. The Merchant of Venice. Macbeth. Hamlet. Othello. Faust. IV. Typical Literary Masterpieces of the World ■ Job. Isaiah. Deuteronomy. Prometheus Bormd. The ^neid. The Nibelungenlied. Don Quixote. Select Plays of MoliSre. Paradise Lost. V. Thirty Books of Great Fiction — Eliot's Adam Bade. Eliot's Romola. Arabian Nights. Howell's A Modem Instance. Richardson's Clarissa Harlowe. 330 WORKING COMPOSITION Dickens' David Copperfield. Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. Scott's Guy Mannering. Scott's Ivanhoe. Thackeray's History of Henry Esmond. Thackeray's Vanity Fair. De Morgan's Joseph Vance. Stevenson's Kidnapped. Stevenson's Treasure Island. Blackmore's Lorna Doone. Harte's The Luck of Roaring Camp. Meredith's Ordeal of Richard Feverel. Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. Reade's The Cloister and the Hearth. Goldsmith's The Vicar of Wakefield. Cooper's Last of the Mohicans. Cooper's The Pilot. Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Hugo's Les Miserables. Dumas' The Three Musketeers. Balzac's P6re Goriot. Tolstoi's Anna Karenina. Sienkiewiez's With Fire and Sword. VI. Stories lltat Deal mth Business, Indiistry, and the Work of the Home — Samuel Hopkins Adams' The Clarion. James Lane Allen's The Reign of Law. Amelia E. Barr's Master of his Fate. Charles J. Bellamy 's Breton Mills. Walter Besant's All Sorts and Conditions of Men. Cyrus Townsend Brady's A Comer in Cofifee. Cedlia L. Brightwell's PaUissy, The Huguenot Potter. Charlotte Bronte's Shirley. Frances Hodgson Burnett's That Lass o' Lowrie's. John T. Clegg's David's Loom. Dinah Maria Mulock Craik's John Halifax, Gentleman. Maria Susanna Cummins' Lamplighter. Darley Dale's Reuben Foreman, the Village Blacksmith. READING LISTS 331 Alphonse Daudet's Fromont Junior and Risler Senior. Charles Dickens' Barnaby Rudge. Charles Dickens' Hard Times. Theodore Dreiser's The Financier. Maria Edgeworth's The Absentee. George Eliot's Adam Bede. George Eliot's Felix Holt, Radical. George Eliot's SUas Maruer. Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman 's The Portion of Labor. Elizabeth C. Gaskell's Mary Barton. Edward Everett Hale's Ups and Downs. Edward Everett Hale's Sabaris and other Homes. Frank Harris' The Bomb. George Alfred Henry's Through the Fray. Josiah Gilbert Holland's Nicholas Minturn. William Dean Howell's The Rise of SUas Lapham. Rose Mackenzie Kettle's The Mistress of LangdoU Hall, Charles Kingsley's Alton Lock. Charles Kingsley's Yeast. Henry Kingsley's Austin EUiot. Selma Lagerlof 's Liliecrona's Home. Emma LesUe's Seed She Sowed. Sidney McCaU's Red Horse Hill. Joseph McKim's Darcy and his Friends. Mary E. Mann's Susannah. Samuel Merwin and H. K. Webster's Calumet K. Kirk Munroe's Prince Dusty. Kathleen Norris' Mother. Frank Norris' Mother. Frank Norris' The Pit. Frank Norris' The Octopus. Oliver Onions' Good Boy Seldom. Eden Phillpots' Brunei's Tower. Eden Phillpots' Old Delabole. Ernest Poole's The Harbor. Charles Reade's Put Yourself in his Place. John Saunders' Abel Drake's Wife. Sir Walter Scott's The Heart of Mid-Lothian. Catherine Sedgwick's Live and Let Live. •Upton Sinclair's The Money-Chaingers. J. Stilman Smith's My Friend the Boss. 332 WORKING COMPOSITION Anthony Trollope's The Land Leaguers. Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward's Madonna of the Tubs. Mrs. Humphrey Ward's Marcella. Henry Kitchell Webster's The Banker and the Bear. George Herbert Wells' The Wheels of Chance. George Herbert Wells' The History of Mr. Polly. George Herbert Wells' Tono-Bungay. George Herbert Wells' Kipps. Edward Noyes Wetscott's David Harmn. Wilham Allen White's A Certain Rich Man. Mrs. C. N. WiUiamson's The Newspaper GirL Emile Zola's Work. Emile Zola's The Fat and the Thin. INDEX Abbreviations, 316-318 able and ible, words ending in, 307 Acceptances, 113 Address, in letters, 129 Advertising and sales letters, 125, 126, 170; illustrated, 174-178 Affidavit, form of, 278 al, el, le, words ending in, 308 American Magazine, quoted, s ance and ence, words ending in, 310 Anglicism, 64 Announcement letters, 125 Announcements, oral, 109; written, 170 Apostrophe, 296 Apple Pie, 260 Application letters, 125; 153-154; 156; 317-321 ar, or, er, words ending in, 308 Archaism, 66 Arrangement of material, loi ary and ery, words ending in, 310 Authority and experience, relation of, 199 Avocation, 15 ay and ey, words ending in, 310 Baedeker's Great Britain, quoted, 223 Barbarism, 66 Bibles, literary, 322 "Biggest" words in the world, 313 Bill heads, 280-281 Blind alley job, 12 Body, of letters, 135 Bonnet, crepe, 249 Book, how to use a, plan, 8-10 Books, lists of, (see Reading Usts) Bows, how to make, 247-249 Boy Scout Law, 219 Brackets, 297 Breathmg, 88 Bulletins and notes, 159-160 Burke, quoted, 60 Business letters, importance of, 123; kinds of, 125-126 Business talks, 1 1 2 Cabbage in gelatin, recipe, 252 Cables, 162-163 Calf's Heart, 261 Capitalization and punctuation, 288-300 Catalogues, 185 cede and c'eei, words ending in, 306 Character and work, 34 Check forms, 275 Chicken glac^, recipe, 253 Chiffons, to cleanse, 285 Christmas Pudding, 263 Circulars, 182 Clear-starching, 267 Closing, in letters, 136-138 Collar and jabot of tatting and net, 250 CoUoquiaUsm, 63 Colon, 294 Comma, 292 Condensers, tinfoil, 284 Conversation, 102 Cottage chicken, recipe, 284 Cotton, cultivation of, plan, 32 Criticism, 116 Curry, 259 Dash, 291 Debating, 105 Decisions, 114 Deposit forms, 275 Description, 104; and explanation, 220; in catalogues, 187; of hats, 246 Diacritical marks, 47-48 Diagrams, use of, 209 Dickens, quoted, 61 Dictation, 115 Dictionary, use of, 47 Directions, about work, 198; EngUsh of, 236; guide-book, 222; stated as rules, 216 Distribution and marketing, 22 Doily, how to work, 246; how to iron, 255 Drawn work, how to iron, 255 Drudgery, 3-4 Dunning letters, 126, 179-182 334 INDEX e and i, ill words, 306 ei and ie, rule, 312 el, al, le, words ending in, 308 Electric lighting, rules, 217 Electric lure for fish, 257 Eliot's Five Foot Book Shelf, 327 Embroidery, colored, to launder, 254; doiUes, 255; raised, 255; with che- nille, 257 en and in, as prefixes, 75, 314 ence and ance, words ending in, 310 Enclosure, in letters, 143 English of special directions, 236 Envelope, 145 Epithet, 63, 75 er, ar, or, words ending in, 308 ery and ary, words ending in, 310 European travel, rules, 217 Exclamation point, 2gi Excursions (see Routes and excursions) Experience and authority, relation of, 199 Experiments, 264 Explanation, and description, 220; directive, 200; other kinds of, 269; "other person" in, 210; plan in, 203 S.; quaUties of, 20 r Extempore speaking, 100 ey and ay, words ending in, 310 Hats, description of, 246 Heading, in letters, 127; 131 Hellenism, 64 Hem-stitch, to make, 257 Borne Needlework Magazine, quoted, 250 House organs, 188 Hubbard, Elbert, quoted, 293 Humorotts Poetry, Parton's, quoted, 259- 263 Hyphen, 296 i and e, in words, 306 ible and able, words ending in, 307 Ice, to place in refrigerator, 258 Idiom, 64-65 ie and ei, rule, 312 Illustrated Milliner, quoted, 228; 246- 250 Impromptu speaking, 100 Improprieties, 66 in and en, as prefixes, 75, 314 ince, words ending in, 311 Industry and Manufacture, 22 Inflection, 95 Interrogation point, 291 Introductions, no ious, uous, ous, words ending in, 311 Irish stew, 263 ity and ty, words ending in, 309 Factory work, 11 Farm work, 1 1 Fiction, thirty books of, 322 Five Foot Book Shelf, EUot's, 327 Folding a letter, 150-151 Follow-up letters, 126, 176-178 "For Would-be Contributors,'' poem, 201 Foreign words, 64 Gallicism, 64 Gathering and ruffling, 256_ Gesture, 90 Gladstone, 44 Good Housekeeping, quoted, 252-253 Green Pea Soup, 262 Guest, Edgar A., quoted, 69-70 Guide-book directions, 222 Gumption, quoted, 201 H, words beginning with, 62 Habit, 59 Job, blind-alley, 12; open, 12 John David letter, 175 Kentucky spoon bread, recipe, 237-238 Korea and Manchuria, excursion, 234 Labor organization, S3 Laboratory work, 1 1 Laundering, colored embroideries, 254; drawn work, 255; chiffon, 285; em- broidered doilies, 255; fine lingerie, 285; raised embroidery, 255 Law, Boy Scout, 219 le, al, el, words ending in, 308 Lease, form of, 277 Letter, parts of a, 127-142; address, 129; body, 135; closing, 136; head- ing, 127-131; salutation, 132; signa- ture, 139-142; story of a, plan, 18-19 Letter picture, 143-145 Letters, about work, 123; advertising, 125, 126, 170, 174-178; announce- INDEX 335 ment, 125; application, 125, 153-134. IS6, 317-321; dunning, 126, 179-182; enclosures in, 143; follow-up, 126, 176-178; how to fold, 150-1S1; Il- lustrated Milliner on, 228; illustra- tive, 154-158; importance of, 123; newspaper, 134, 157; night, 162; order, 125, 155, 280; petition, 125, 152, 158; quotations about, 149- 150; receipt, 125, 155; recommenda- tion, 133, 157; reference data , in, 142; resolution, 125, 153, 158; sales, 126, 174-178; special, 150-154; that are different, 316-321 Lima bean soup, recipe, 252 Lingerie, to wash, 285 Literary Bibles, 329 Literary Digest, quoted, 225 Literary masterpieces of the world, 329 Localism, 63 Machine, sewing, how to operate a, 268 Machine sewing, to alter stitching, 256; to begin, 255; to remove work, 256 Mail advertising, beginnings of, 168-169 "Making a dollar bill," plan, 204 Manual and mechanical operations, 265 Manufacture and industry, 22 Marketing and distribution, 23 Masterpieces, literary, 329 Material, arrangement of, loi Maxims for workers, 35 May Manton Pattern Co., quoted, 254 Mechanical and manual operations, 265 Menus, 239-241 Merchant of Venice, quoted, 97 "Millinery as a Business," plan, 20 Minutes, 270 Misdemeanors, 60 Mispronunciations, 314-315 Nagasaki, excursion, 235 Nail, how to drive a, plan, 266 Naturalness, 89 Newspaper letters, 134; 157 Night letters, 162 Notes and bulletins, 159-160 Notes, promissory, 276 Obiter Dicta, quoted, 189, 294 OfEce work, 1 1 Operations, manual and mechanical, 265 or, er, ar, words ending in, 308 Order letters, 125, 155, 180 Order, parliamentary, 107 Organi2;ation, labor, 33 "Other person" in explanation, the, 210 ous, nous, ious, words ending in, sii Outlines (see Flans) Oxygen, how to make, 264 Panama Canal, travel to, 233 Parentheses, 297 ParHamentary order, 107 Parton's Humorous Poetry, quoted, 259- 263 Passing of Arthur, quoted, 62 Patterns, 241-245 Pausing and phrasing, 92 Payne's Botany, quoted, 265 Period, 290 Petitions, 125, 152, 158 Phrases and words, abused, 78-82; confused, 82-85; misused, 73-77; overused, 72-73 Phrasing and pausing, 92 Pitch, of voice, 93 Placement, of voice, 93 Plans, acceptance, 113; announcement, 109; argument, 106; business talks, 113; character sketch, 39; class criti- cism, 116; conducting a meeting, 108; cotton, 32; decisions, 115; description, 104; explanation, 29-30; "From Pitts- burg to Budapest," 206; "How to get a position by means of letters," 190; "How to use a book," 8; intro- duction, III; letters, 153, 164; letter- beads, 169; "Making a dollar bill," 204; "Millinery as a business," 20; pre- sentation, 113; refutation, 107; sales letter, 191; "Story of a letter," 18; story telling, 104; "To the audito- rium from our shop," 205; "What I did when I lost my position," 19; "Why I go in swimming," 20; "Why I go to the museum," 208; "Why I read Stevenson," 207; "Why I like manual training," 208; "Why John kept his position," 209; "Why people work," 3; wool, 32 Play, and work, 2 Poe, quoted, 68 Popular Mechanics, quoted, 257-258 336 INDEX Position, how to get a, plan, 190 Power of attorney, 279 Presentations, 113 Production, 21 Programs, 269 Promissory notes, 276 Proof marks, 325 Provincialism, 63 Psalm xxiii, quoted, 97 Public service, 11 Punctuation and capitalization, 288-300 Queen Victoria, 44 Questionnaire, 214-215 Questions, alternative, 214; broken, 214; coaxing, 212; compoimd, 213; didactic, 212; double, 214; hypothet- ical, 213; kinds of, 211; leading, 211 Quotations, Advertising and Selling, 195; American Magazine, 5; Detroit Free Press, 49; Electrical Experimenter, 201; Fra, 293; Good Housekeeping, 252-253; Home Needlework Magazine, 250; Illustrated Milliner, 228, 246- 250; letters, 149-150; Obiter Dicta, 189, 294; Popular Mechanics, 257— 258; punctuation (exercise), 298-300; recipes, 259-263; Something to Do, 218-219; speech, 55-59; Standard Dictionary, 49; Woman* s World, 243- 245; work, 5-8; 27-28 Quotation marks, 295 Range of voice, 93 Rate, 94 Reading lists, 326-332; Fiv^Foot Book Shelf, 327; in connection with this book, 319; literary Bibles, 329; literary masterpieces of the world, 329; stories that deal with business, etc., 330; thirty books of great fic- tion, 329 Recipes, cabbage in gelatin, 252; chicken glac6, 253; cottage chicken, 284; Kentucky spoon bread, 237- 238; Lima bean soup, 252; rice Bavarian cream, 252; Spanish salad, 253; tomato glac€, 253; verse, 259- 263 Receipt letters, 125, 155 Recommendations, 133, 157 Reference data, in letters, 142, 143 Refutation, 107 Reports, 271-273 Resolutions, 125, 153, 158 Rice Bavarian cream, recipe, 252 Routes and excursions, Chicago, 233; Korea and Manchuria, 234; Morro Castle, 234; Nagasaki, 235; Pan- ama Canal, 233; Pittsburg to Buda- pest, 206; world tours, 283 Ruffling and gathering, 256 Rule, a fundamental, 236 Rules, Boy Scout Law, 219; electric lighting, 217; European travel, 217; speech, 89-90; statement of, 216; tinfoil condensers, 284; to make tucks, 284; to prepare feathers, 284; to wait on table, 218; to wash dishes, 219; work, 35 Salad, by Sidney Smith, 259 Sales letters, 126, 170, 174—178 Salutation, in letters, 132 Schulze, Edward, letter by, 195 Scout Law, 219 Sewing machine, how to operate a, 268; to alter stitching, 256; to begin, 255; to remove work, 256 Signatiu"e in letters, 139-142 Sincerity in speaking, 96 sion and tion, words ending in, 307 Sir Roger, case of, 200 Slang, 66-67 Smith, Sidney, quoted, 259 " Soft Answer that Turneth Away Wrath," 4 Solderless connections, to make, 258 Solecism, 66 Something to Do, quoted, 218-219 Sound formation, 91; in words, 59 i Sources of work, 20 Spanish salad, recipe, 253 Speaking, prepared and unprepared, 100 Special directions, English of, 236 Speech, about work, 41—122; accuracy in, 45; and work, 41; definition of, 42; forms of, 100; quotations on, 55-59; sounds in, 59, 91 Speeches, dinner, 113 Spelling, 301-315 INDEX 337 Spoken word versus written word, 43 Starching, clear, 267 Stories that deal with business, indus- try, and work of the home, 330-332 Story of a letter, plan, i8 Story telling, 103 Standard Dictionary, quoted, 49 Statements, 273-274 Stein-Bloch letter, 174 Stress, 96 Studies in words, 301-315 Studio work, 11 Tale of Two Cities, quoted, 61 Tatting, pattern for, 250 Telegrams, 161-162 Telephoning, 116 Telling how and why, 105 Tennyson, quoted, 45, 62 Teutonism, 64 The Bells, quoted, 68 The Whiners, quoted, 69-70 Thirty books of great fiction, 329-330 Tinfoil condensers, 284 lion and sion, words ending in, 307 Tomato glac^ recipe, 253 Tours of the world, 283 Turning lathe, how to operate a, 266 Two routes to learning, igS ty and ity, words ending in, 309 uous, ious, ous, words ending in, 311 Use of diagrams, 209 Victoria, Queen, 44 Vocation, 13 Voice range, 93 Waiting on table, rules for, 218 Washing dishes, rules for, 218 " What I did when I lost my position," plan, 19 Why People work, plan, 3 Wire screen, how to paint a, 268 Woman's World patterns, 242-244' Woodwork, how to finish, plan, 267 Wool, plan, 32 Word company, your, 67 Word families, 63-67 Word picture, drawing, a, 104 Word, written versus spoken, 43 Words, beginning witH H, 62; "big- gest," 313; connotative, 60; denota- tive, 60; families of, 63-67; foreign, 64; generic, 60; personality of, 59; slang, 66; sounds of, 59; specific, 60; studies in, 301— 31 S Words and phrases, abused, 78-82; confused, 82-85; misused, 73-77; overused, 72-73 Work, and character, 34; and play, 2; books about, 319-322; definition of, i; directions about, 198; kinds of, lo-ii; letters about, 123; prepara- tion for, 14; quotations on, 6-8, 27-28; sources of, 20; speech about, ■ 41; varied interest of, 23; your, 12; "Why people work," 3; work word list, 117 Workers, maidms for, 33; organization of, 33 World tours, 283 Written word versus spoken word, 43 Your work, 12