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eye of the person addressed: whether others are to read it or not, is altogether a secondary consideration. But writers do frequently avail themselves of the epistolary form in order to publish their sentiments to the world. This gives rise to the distinction between veritable letters, those that are primarily intended to be personal, and simulated, those that assume the form of letters, with some other object in view.

§ 97. The distinction by which veritable letters are divided into letters of friendship and letters of business is obvious; so also that which separates letters on private business from those on public business. The latter are more frequently styled official letters. They are such as pass between persons occupying some public offices, either as the representatives of nationalities, or as those charged with the execution of the laws.

§ 98. Even among letters on private business, a distinction may be made between the regular letters of business men concerning the affairs of their business, and some occasional matters which any man is liable to be interested in, on his own account, or that of others.

§ 99. Simulated letters are divided into two classes; first the contributions of newspaper correspondents, sometimes called news-letters, and those in which the epistolary form is assumed as the most convenient to embody some matter of various literary character.

§ 100. All newspapers of any pretension rely upon their correspondents in distant places for supplying a very large part of the attractive matter of their columns. Such contributions generally contain an account of such recent matters of public interest as may have transpired in the locality from which the correspondent writes. Yet he is by no means confined to recent events. His communication may be a narrative of his own peregrinations, and the scenes of interest through which he passes. Or he

may bring in discussions concerning politics, economy, fine arts, history, morals, or religion. There are positively no limits to his field, except those which protect the private character of individuals.

III. THE STYLE OF LETTERS.

§ 101. Beginning with the last mentioned, the style of the newspaper correspondent must have at least one characteristic, i. e., vivacity. With so large a scope for his pen, the public will tolerate almost any thing but dullness. Truthfulness, of course, is demanded of all. His judgment must be acute, his taste delicate, his mind well stored, his perceptions quick and searching. With all these mental qualifications, his style must have point and pungency.

§ 102. All letters of business should be characterized by the utmost politeness, and by a strict adherence to the matter in hand. This should always be set forth in the clearest manner consistent with brevity. As to official letters, they have hitherto been characterized by rather an excess of courtesy. But as the young student will certainly have no occasion for such a letter until his judgment and taste are sufficiently mature to enable him to decide for himself how far he shall conform to the usage, nothing more need here be said upon the subject.

§ 103. As to letters of friendship, the very best rule is for the writer to imagine that he is allowed the privilege of a short interview with his friend, and then to insert in his letter those matters that would naturally be mentioned in such an interview. The style should be clear, simple, and conversational; sprightly or humorous, perhaps, but never flippant or silly. Whatever freedom or familiarity be used, no error in spelling, grammar, or style, no slovenliness in penmanship, should be tolerated in a letter. Egotism should be avoided, and yet one must not

forget that the principal interest that friends have in their correspondence consists in me fact that it is the only means by which they are to be informed each of the other's fortunes and feelings. Backbiting, the repeating of evil rumors about mutual acquaintances, or the revealing of what has been mentioned in confidence, are all as wicked and as mean in letters as in conversation. With these limitations, let the heart dictate the matter. Be yourself unto your friend. Pour out your soul unto him, and invite similar openness from him, and your letters will glow with interest and beauty.

If any specimens or models of letters were to be given in this Manual, this would be the place to insert them. But the compiler does not think that such things are of sufficient value to compensate for the space that they occupy. If there are persons so singularly educated, or miseducated, as to receive benefit from models of letters, they are not likely to be using this book. Moreover, the benefit which even such a person would receive from this source would be mixed with evil. They invite servile imitation, instead of that reliance on one's own judgment and good taste which it is the object of this treatise to inspire. In its very nature, a letter must reflect the mental features of the writer. Usages must be complied with to a certain extent, and in such communications as cards of invitation, etc., even formalities may be submitted to. But beyond this limited sphere, freedom and originality are desired. It would be as sensible to write out forms of conversation, like those in the French phrasebooks, as to lay down models for letters. Any person that has been taught to put his words on paper, can write a letter. A very little practice is sufficient to show him the ruts of usage, into which he will naturally drop.

In place, then, of giving models to be followed, it is recommended that the pupil be required to imagine himself in various situations in life, and write letters such as would be demanded by the supposed emergencies.

PART SECOND.

EXPRESSION-RESUMED.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES.

I. TERMS-PHRASES.

§ 104. Words, either singly or in groups, are the signs of ideas, and of the relations of ideas. Those that are the signs of ideas are called terms; those that are the signs of the relations of ideas are called connectives.

§ 105. A term may be a single word, or a group of words related: if a single word, it is called a simple term; as, man-industrious-works-faithfully.

§ 106. A term composed of a group of words, one of which is the principal, the rest being joined to it to modify its extension or application, is a complex term. Complex terms are by many grammarians called phrases. The principal word is called the basis of the complex term or phrase, and the other words are called the modifiers or adjuncts of the basis. Thus,

"A beautiful spring day,"

is a phrase, of which day is the basis, and a, beautiful, and spring are the modifiers of it.

§ 107. Modifying terms as to their function are divided into two classes; those that modify substantives, and those that modify terms other than substantives. The former are called adjective modifiers, the latter adverbial modifiers.

Thus, in the phrase, “singing sweetly," sweetly is an adverbial :nodifier, because it modifies singing, which is not a substantive. But in the phrase, "pretty birds," pretty is an adjective modifier, because it modifies the substantive, birds.

Now, we may join both phrases together, thus making the complex phrase, "pretty birds singing sweetly," of which the term birds is the basis; and it has two modifiers, which are both adjective modifiers, because birds, the basis, is a substantive. These two modifiers are the adjective word pretty, and the phrase singing sweetly. This will illustrate the manner in which complex terms and phrases are composed.

§ 108. A phrase receives its name from the part of speech which forms its basis. Thus, in the foregoing examples, singing sweetly is a participial phrase, because its basis is a participle. Pretty birds is a substantive phrase, because its basis is the substantive birds. The whole phrase, pretty birds singing sweetly, is also a substantive phrase, for the same reason. The following additional examples will illustrate all this:

Substantive phrase-A wise man.
Substantive phrase-Work to be done.
Adjective phrase-Exceedingly beautiful.
Adjective phrase-Most powerful of all.
Participial phrase-Sowing seed in the field.
Infinitive phrase-To read the book through.
Adverbial phrase-Very abundantly.

§ 109. Care must be taken to distinguish between the constitution of a phrase and its office or function. The constitution has reference to the parts of speech that compose it. It is the constitution that determines the name. But the office or function refers to the relation which it bears to the other words of the sentence. This relation may be that of a substantive, an adjective, or an adverb. Thus, in the expression, "a desire to read the book through," to read the book through is a phrase composed of an infinitive, its object, and an adverb. The infinitive is the basis; therefore it is called an infinitive phrase. But its function is that of an adjective, because it qualifies the noun desire.

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