Higher Lessons in English Part 90

_Wednesday morning, Nov. 9th_.

THE CONCLUSION.

+Parts+.--The Conclusion consists of the +Complimentary Close+ and the +Signature+. The forms of the Complimentary Close are many, and are determined by the relations of the writer to the one addressed. In letters of friends.h.i.+p you may use, _Your sincere, friend; Yours affectionately; Your loving son_ or _daughter_, etc. In business letters you may use, _Yours; Yours truly; Truly yours; Yours respectfully; Very respectfully yours_, etc. In official letters you should be more deferential. Use, _I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant; Very respectfully, your most obedient servant_; etc., etc.

The Signature consists of your Christian name and your surname. In addressing a stranger write your Christian name in full. A lady addressing a stranger should prefix to her signature her t.i.tle, _Mrs._ or _Miss_ (placing it within marks of parenthesis), unless in the letter she has indicated which of these t.i.tles her correspondent is to use in reply.

+How Written+.--The Conclusion should begin near the middle of the first line below the Body of the Letter, and, if occupying two or more lines, should slope to the right like the Heading and the Address. Begin each line of it with a capital letter, and punctuate as in other writing, following the whole with a period. The Signature should be very plain.

+Direction+.--_Write two formal notes--one inviting a friend to a social party, and one declining the invitation._

+Direction+.--_Write the Conclusion of a letter of friends.h.i.+p, of a letter of business, and of an official letter, carefully observing all that has been said above._

+Direction+.--_Write a letter of two or three lines to your father or your mother, and another to your minister, talcing care to give properly the Heading in its two parts, the Introduction in its two parts, and the Conclusion in its two parts. Let the Address in the letter to your father or your mother stand at the bottom._

LESSON 168.

LETTER-WRITING--CONTINUED.

THE SUPERSCRIPTION.

+Parts+.--The Superscription is what is written on the outside of the envelope. It is the same as the Address, consisting of the Name, the t.i.tle, and the full Directions of the one addressed.

+How Written+.--The Superscription should begin just below the middle of the envelope and near the left edge--the envelope lying with its closed side toward you--and should occupy three or four lines. These lines should slope to the right as in the Heading and the Address, the s.p.a.ces between the lines should be the same, and the last line should end near the lower right-hand corner. On the first line the Name and the t.i.tle should stand.

If the one addressed is in a city, the door-number and name of the street should be on the second line, the name of the city on the third, and the name of the state on the fourth. If he is in the country, the name of the post-office should be on the second line, the name of the county on the third, the name of the state on the fourth. The number of the post office box may take the place of the door-number and the name of the street, or, to avoid crowding, the number of the box or the name of the county may stand at the lower left-hand corner. The t.i.tles following the name should be separated from it and from each other by the comma, and every line should end with a comma except the last, which should be followed by a period. [Footnote: Some omit punctuation after the parts of the Superscription. ] The lines should be straight, and every part of the Superscription should be legible. Place the stamp at the upper right-hand corner.

+Direction+.--_Write six Superscriptions to real or imaginary friends or acquaintances in different cities, carefully observing all that has been said above._

+Direction+.--_Write two snort letters--one to a friend at the Astor House, New York, and one to a stranger in the country._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Envelope with stamp in upper-right corner. Addressed to

Master H. Buckman, Andover, Ma.s.s.]

[Cursive Text:

Ithaca, N. Y, June 15, '96.

My dear Friend,

You tell me that you begin the study of English Literature next term. Let me a.s.sume the relation of an older brother, and tender you a word of counsel.

Study literature, primarily, for the thoughts it contains. Attend to these thoughts until you understand them and see their connection one with another. Accept only such as seem to you just and true, and accept these at their proper value.

Notice carefully the words each author uses, see how he arranges them, whether he puts his thought clearly, what imagery he employs, what allusions he makes, what acquaintance with men, with books, and with nature he shows, and in what spirit he writes.

Your study of the author should put you in possession of his thought and his style, and should introduce you to the man himself.

Pardon me these words of unsought advice, and believe me.

Your true friend, John Schuyler.

Master H. Buckman, Andover, Ma.s.s.]

A SUMMARY OF THE RULES OF SYNTAX.

We here append a Summary of the so-called Rules of Syntax, with references to the Lessons which treat of Construction.

I. A noun or p.r.o.noun used as subject or as attribute complement of a predicate verb, or used independently, is in the nominative case.

II. The attribute complement of a participle or an infinitive is in the same case (Nom. or Obj.) as the word to which it relates.

III. A noun or p.r.o.noun used as possessive modifier is in the possessive case.

IV. A noun or p.r.o.noun used as object complement, as objective complement, as the princ.i.p.al word in a prepositional phrase, or used adverbially [Footnote: See Lesson 35.] is in the objective case.

V. A noun or p.r.o.noun used as explanatory modifier is in the same case as the word explained.

+For Cautions, Principles, and Examples respecting the cases of nouns and p.r.o.nouns, see Lessons 119, 122, 123, 123. For Cautions and Examples to guide in the use of the different p.r.o.nouns, see Lessons 86, 87.+

VI. A p.r.o.noun agrees with its antecedent in person, number, and gender.

+For Cautions, Principles, and Examples, see Lessons 118,142.+

VII. A verb agrees with its subject in person and number.

+For Cautions, Examples, and Exceptions, see Lesson 142.+

VIII. A participle a.s.sumes the action or being, and is used like an adjective or a noun.

+For Uses of the Participle, see Lessons 37, 38, 39.+

IX. An infinitive is generally introduced by _to_, and with it forms a phrase used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.

+For Uses of the Infinitive, see Lessons 40, 41, 42.+

X. Adjectives modify nouns or p.r.o.nouns.

+For Cautions and Examples respecting the use of adjectives and of comparative and superlative forms, see Lessons 90, 91, 128.+

XI. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or adverbs.

+For Cautions and Examples, see Lesson 93.+

XII. A preposition introduces a phrase modifier, and shows the relation, in sense, of its princ.i.p.al word to the word modified.