TO THE TEACHERS OF YOUTH. THE high encomiums you have hitherto bestowed upon our educational efforts, have encouraged us to put forth a little Grammar for little children, in a form which may induce them to love the task for the task's sake. The attempt is novel-for who ever thought of making Grammar entertaining and attractive? If there be one book taken up with more reluctance, and tossed aside with more delight, than another, it is the Grammar. If one branch of study more than another causes pretty lips to pout, and youthful hearts to sigh, and bright eyes to shed briny tears, it is surely that of Grammar. The teacher may be respected, and a sense of duty may urge; still it is Grammar, and still it is a dull and irksome TASK. And as to Grammar and pastime!- Grammar and pleasure! - Grammar and amusement! - what child, whether master or miss, ever thought of a union so preposterous? And yet we flatter ourselves that our Grammar will prove attractive, even to a child. When our first sheet was struck off, we submitted it to a female critic, seven years of age, who, after perusing it, gave it the appellation of "beautiful!" with other superlatives equally flattering and encouraging. Whether a careful examination of the entire work will induce adult critics to pronounce a similar eulogium, remains to be seen. Profound grammarians, however, will please to bear in mind, that we have written for children; and that our object has been to furnish a few essential rules, in the most intelligible, and, at the same time, the most attractive form. At least the pupil will have nothing to unlearn; and by the time our young masters and misses have gone through this book with care, we shall probably have prepared for them a Grammar, in which Syntax, Composition, and other more difficult branches, will be fully explained to them. We again invite your candid criticism, promising to receive your remarks in good temper, and to profit by them to the utmost of our ability. number of thoughts, forms the subdiscourse. of a discourse larger than a sentence gh sometimes one complete sentence a paragraph. Language spoken or the rules of grammar can, in general, even by those who have no correct mar themselves, and who are compelled al of trouble in expressing their own guage may, indeed, be likened to a well-drilled soldiers. of words put together without due e, meaning, or quality, may be com |