The Art of Writing & Speaking the English Language by Sherwin Cody (ereader for comics .TXT) 📕

26. You would have smiled to see me sit down to dinner with my family. There was my parrot, which I had taught to speak. My dog was grown very old and crazy; but he sat at my right hand. Then there were my two cats, one on one side of the table and one on the other. Besides these, I had a tame kid or two always about the house, and several sea-fowls whose wings I had clipped. These were my subjects. In their society I felt myself a king. I was lord of all the land about, as far as my eye could reach. I had a broad and wealthy domain. Here I reigned sole master for twenty-five years. Only once did I try to leave my island in a boat; and then I came near being carried out into the ocean forever by an ocean current I had not noticed before.

27. When I had been on the island twenty-three years I was greatly frightened to see a footprint in the sand. For two years after I saw no human being; but then a large company of savages appeared in canoes. When they had landed they built a fire and danced about it. Presently they seemed about to make a feast on two captives they had brought with them. By chance, however, one of them escaped. Two of the band followed him; but he was a swifter runner than they. Now, I thought, is my chance to get a servant. So I ran down the hill, and with the butt of my musket knocked down one of the two pursuers. When I saw the other about to draw his bow. I was obliged to shoot him. The man I had saved seemed at first as frightened at me as were his pursuers. But I beckoned him to come to me and gave him all the signs of encouragement I could think of.

28. He was a handsome fellow, with straight, strong limbs. He had a very good countenance, not a fierce and surly appearance. His hair was long and black, not curled like wool; his forehead was very high and large; and the color of his skin was not quite black, but tawny. His face was round and plump; his nose small, not flat like that of negroes; and he had fine teeth, well set, and as white as ivory.

29. Never man had a more faithful, loving, sincere servant than Friday was to me (for so I called him from the day on which I had saved his life). I was greatly delighted with him and made it my business to teach him everything that was proper to make him useful, handy, and helpful. He was the aptest scholar that ever was, and so merry, and so pleased when he could but understand me, that it was very pleasant to me to talk to him. Now my life began to be so easy, that I said to myself, that could I but feel safe from more savages, I cared not if I were never to remove from the place where I lived.

(Friday was more like a son than a servant to Crusoe. Here was one being who could under-stand human speech, who could learn the difference between right and wrong, who could be neighbor, friend, and companion. Crusoe had often read from his Bible; but now he might teach this heathen also to read from it the truth of life. Friday proved a good boy, and never got into mischief.)

Questions and Notes. What is the singular of canoes? What is the meaning of butt? How do you spell the word pronounced like this which means a hogshead? In what two ways is bow pronounced? What is the difference in meaning? What other word pronounced like bow when it means the front end of a boat? Encouragement has an e after the g; do you know two words ending in ment preceəded by the soft g sound which omit the silent e? Make a list of all the words you know which, like fierce, have ie with the sound of a long. How do you pronounce forehead? Mention two peculiarities in the spelling of color. Compare it with collar. What is the singular of negroes? What other words take es in the plural? What is the plural of tobacco? Compare speak, with its ea for the sound of e long, and speech, with its double e. What two peculiarities in neighbor? What sound has ie in friend? In the last paragraph above, how do you pronounce the first word read? How the second? What other word pronounced like read with ea like short a? Compare to lead, led, and the metal lead. How do you pronounce mischief? Use the following words in sentences: foul, reign, sole, strait, currant. What is peculiar in these words: parrot? taught? always? reach? only? leave? island? carried? ocean? notice? built? dance? brought? get? runner? butt? knock?

Derivation of words.

It is always difficult to do two things at the same time, and for that reason no reference has been made in the preceding exercises to the rules for prefixes and suffixes, and in general to the derivation of words. This should be taken up as a separate study, until the meaning of every prefix and suffix is clear in the mind in connection with each word. This study, however, may very well be postponed till the study of grammar has been taken up.

Authorized by Different Dictionaries.

There are not many words which are differently spelled by the various standard dictionaries. The following is a list of the more common ones.

The form preferred by each dictionary is indicated by letters in parantheses as follows: C., Century; S., Standard; I., Webster's International; W., Worcester; E., English usage as represented by the Imperial. When the new Oxford differs from the Imperial, it is indicated by O. Stormonth's English dictionary in many instances prefers Webster's spellings to those of the Imperial.

accoutre (C., W., E.)
  accouter (S., I.)
aluminium (C., I., W., E.)
  aluminum (S.)
analyze (C., S., I., W.)
  analyse (E.)
anesthetic (C., S.)
  anæsthetic (I., W., E.)
appal (C., S., E.)
  appall (I., W.)
asbestos (C., S., W., E.)
  asbetus (I.)
ascendancy (C., W.)
  ascendancy (S., I., E.)
ax (C., S., I.)
  axe (W., E.)
ay [forever] (C., S., O.)
  aye ¨ (I., W., E.)
aye [yes] (C., S., I., O.)
  ay ¨ (W., E.)
bandana (C., E.)
  bandanna (S.,{ }I.,{ }W.,{ }O.)
biased (C., S., I., O.)
  biassed (W., E.)‎
boulder (C., S., W., E.)
  bowlder (I.)
Brahman (C., S., I., E.)
  Brahmin (W., O.)
braize (C., S.)
  braise (I., W., E.)
calif (C., S., E.)
  caliph (I., W., O.)
callisthenics (C., S., E.)
  calisthenics (I., W.)
cancelation (C., S.)
  cancellation (I., W., E.)
clue (C., S., E.)
  clew (I., W.)
coolie (C., S., E.)
  cooly (I., W.)
courtezan (C., I., E.)
  courtesan (I., W., O.)
cozy (C., S., I.)
  cosey (W., E.)
  cosy (O.)
crozier (C., I., E.)
  crosier (I., W., O.)
defense (C., S., I.)
  defence (W., E.)

despatch (C., S., W., E.) dispatch (I., O.) diarrhea (C., S., I.) diarrhœoa (W., E.) dicky (C., W., O.) dickey (S., I., E.) disk (C., S., I., W., O.) disc (E.) distil (C., S., W., E.) distill (I.) dullness (C., I., O.) dulness (S., W., E.) employee (C., S., E.) employé {[male]}(I., W., O.) encumbrance (C., S., W., I.) incumbrance (I.) enforce——see reinforce engulf (C., S., W., E.) ingulf (I.) enrolment (C., S., W., E.) enrollment (I.) enthrall (C., S., E.) inthrall (I., W.) equivoke (C., S., W.) equivoque (I., E.) escalloped (C., S., O.) escaloped (I., W., E.) esthetic (C., S.) æsthetic (I., W., E.) feces (C., S.) fæces (I., W., E.) fetish (C., S., O.) fetich (I., W., E.) fetus (C., S., I., E.) fœtus (W., O.) flunky (C., S., I., W.) flunkey (E.) fulfil (C., S., W., E.) fulfill (I.) fullness (C., I., O.) fulness (S., W., E.)‎ gage [measure] (C., S.) gauge ¨ (I., W., E{.)} gaiety (C., S., E.) gayety (I., W.) gazel (C., S.) gazelle (I., W., E.) guild (I., W., E.) gild (C., S.) gipsy (C., S., O.) gypsy (I., W., E.) gram (C., S., I.) gramme (W., E.) gruesome (C., S., O.) grewsome (I., W., E.) harken (C., S.) hearken (I., W., E.) hindrance (C., S., I., O.) hinderance (W., E.) Hindu (C., S., E.) Hindoo (I., W.) Hindustani (C., S., E.) Hindoostanee (I.) homeopathic (C., S., I.) homœopathic (W., E.) impale (C., I., E.) empale (S., W.) incase (C., S., I., E.) encase (W., O.) inclose (C., I., E.) enclose (S., W., O.) instil (C., S., W., E.) instill (I.) jewelry (C., S., I., E.) jewellery (W., O.) kumiss (C., S., E.) koumiss (I., W., O.) maugre (C., S., W., E.) mauger (I.) meager (C., S., I.) meagre (W., E.)

medieval (C., S.)
  mediæval (I., W., E.)
mold (C., S., I.)
  mould (W., E.)
molt (C., S., I.)
  moult (W., E)
offense (C., S., I.)
  offence (W., E.)
pandoor (C., W., E.)
  pandour (S., I.)
papoose (C., S., W., E.)
  pappoose (W.)
paralyze (C., S., W., I.)
  paralyse (E.)
pasha (C., S., I., E.)
  pacha (W.)
peddler (C., I.)
  pedler (S., W.)
  pedlar (E.)
phenix (C., S., I.)
  phœnix (W., E.)
plow (C., S., I.)
  plough (W., E.)
pretense (C., S., I.)
  pretence (W., E.)
program (C., S.)
  programme (I., W., E.)
racoon (C.)
  raccoon (S., I., W., E.)
rajah (I., W., E.)
  raja (C., S.)
reconnaissance (C., S., E.)
  reconnoissance (I., W.)
referable (C., S., I.)
  referrible (W., E.)
reinforce (C., E.)
  reënforce (S., I., W.)
reverie (C., S., I., E.)
  revery (W.)
rhyme (I., W., E.)
  rime (C., S.)

rondeau (W., E.)
  rondo (C., S., I.)
shinny (C., S.)
  shinty (I., W., E.)
skean (C., S., I., E.)
  skain (W.)
skilful (C., S., W., E.)
  skillful (I.)
smolder (C., S., I.)
  smoulder (W., E.)
spoony (C., S., E.)
  spooney (I., W.)
sumac (C., S., I., E.)
  sumach (W.)
swingletree (C., S., W.)
  singletree (I.)
synonym (C., S., I., E.)
  synonyme (W.)
syrup (C., E.)
  sirup (S., I., W.)
Tartar (I., W., E.)
  Tatar (C., S.)
threnody (C., S., W., E.)
  threnode (I.)
tigerish (C., S., I.)
  tigrish (W., E.)
timbal (C., S.)
  tymbal (I., W., E)
titbit (C., S.)
  tidbit (I., W., E.)
vise [tool] (C., S., I.)
  vice ¨ (W., E.)
vizier (S., I., W., E.)
  vizir (C.)
visor (I., W., E.)
  vizor (C., S.)
whippletree (S., I., W., E.)
  whiffletree (C.)
whimsy (C., S.)
  whimsey (I., W., E.)

whisky (C., S., I., E.)
  whiskey (W.{, Irish})
wilful (C., S., W., E.)
  willful (I.)‎
woeful (C., I., E.)
  woful (S., W.)
worshiped (C., S., I.)
  worshipped (W., E.)

All dictionaries but the Century make envelop the verb, envelope the noun. The Century spells the noun envelop as well as the verb.

According to the Century, Worcester, and the English dictionaries, practise (with s) is the verb, practice (with c) is the noun. The Standard spells both practise, and Webster both practice.

Doubling l.

Worcester and the English dictionaries double a final l in all cases when a syllable is added, Webster, the Century, and the Standard only when the rule requires it. Thus: wool——woollen, Jewel——jewelled, travel——traveller.

Re for er.

The following are the words which Worcester and the English dictionaries spell re, while Webster, the Century, and the Standard prefer er: Calibre, centre, litre, lustre, manœuvre (I. maneuver), meagre, metre, mitre, nitre, ochre, ombre, piastre, sabre, sceptre, sepulchre, sombre, spectre, theatre, zaffre,{.}

English words with our.

The following are the words in which the English retain the u in endings spelled or by American dictionaries. All other words, such as author, emperor, etc., though formerly spelled with u, no longer retain it even in England:

Arbour, ardour, armour, behaviour, candour, clamour, colour, contour, demeanour, dolour, enamour, endeavour, favour, fervour, flavour, glamour, harbour, honour, humour, labour, neighbour, odour, parlour, rancour, rigour, rumour, saviour, splendour, succour, tabour, tambour, tremour, valour, vapour, vigour,.

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THE ART σƒ WRITING & SPEAKING ךђℓ ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Special S Y S T E M Edition

COMPOSITION & Rhetoric

The Old Greek Press Chicago New{ }York Boston

Revised Edition.

Copyright,1903, BY SHERWIN CODY.

Note. The thanks of the author are due to Dr. Edwin H. Lewis, of the Lewis Institute, Chicago, and to Prof. John F. Genung, Ph. D., of Amherst College, for suggestions made after reading the proof of this series.