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WORDS

WORKS BY ALFRED AYRES

THE ORTHOEPIST

A Pronouncing Manual, containing over
Four Thousand Words, including the Names
of Foreign Authors, Artists, etc. Revised
Edition. i8mo. Cloth, $1.25.

THE VERBALIST

Brief Discussions of the Right and the
Wrong Use of Words. Revised Edition.
$1.25.

THE MENTOR

A Book for the Guidance of such Men and
Boys as would appear to Advantage in the
Society of Persons of the Better Sort. i8mo.
Cloth, $1.00.

ACTING AND ACTORS

Elocution and Elocutionists. i8mo. Cloth,
$1.25.

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Leveled specially at some half-dozen errors
made by well-nigh every one that uses the
English language. l8mo. Cloth, $1.00.

Grammar -without a Master
THE ENGLISH GRAMMAR

OF WILLIAM COBBETT. Carefully Revised
and Annotated. i8mo. Cloth, $1.00.

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

UUu^

ALFRED AYRES

AUTHOR OF

THE ORTHOEPIST, THE VERBALIST, ACTING AND ACTORS,
THE MENTOR, THE ESSENTIALS OF ELOCUTION, ETC.

As there is never but one best way, so there is never but one best word

NEW YORK

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
1908

Every writer should aim to preserve the
individuality of the words he uses; he should
not allow any word to trench on the domain
of any other word. This he should do in the
interest of clearness; in this way only can he
avoid ambiguity. The so-called " new mean-
ings" are the product either of a restricted
vocabulary or of a lack of painstaking.

Familiarity with the examples here gath-
ered should do something, it would seem,
toward mending the ways of the careless.

PREFACE

THIS book is levelled, specially, at some
half dozen errors that are made by wellnigh
every one that uses the English language.

Who, for example, does not misuse the
auxiliary verbs, and the words anticipate,
anxious, financial, and hurry, and who does
not over-use the words former and latter?
Then who does not use a certain ponderous
locution in which a noun is made to do
duty as a verb? And then tliere are not
a few that persist in using that repulsive
construction in which there are two nomi-
natives and only one verb?

Something about these words and
phrases, and some little besides, is what

herein will be found.

A. A.

NEW YORK, January, igoi.

CONTENTS

PAGE

THE AUXILIARIES . 9

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION 30

THE NEW YORK SUN'S SPECIAL ABHORRENCE . 58

FORMER AND LATTER 66

THE ANTECEDENT CONSTRUCTION .... 77

ANTICIPATE 94

ERRORS IN TENSE 107

ANXIOUS 123

FINANCIAL 133

HURRY 139

THE POSSESSIVE 144

CAPABLE — SUSCEPTIBLE 152

PROPOSITION — PROPOSAL 157

PREVIOUS TO 163

GENERALLY 169

APPRECIATE 174

DICTION .178

NONE 181

INDIVIDUAL 185

IN RESPECT OF 189

FEELS BADLY 192

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

PAGE

OF THE NAME OF IQ5

COMMENCE .... Iqg

A OR AN, WHICH ? 200

MISCELLANEOUS .... ,202

WHY USE THAT TO INTRODUCE RESTRICTIVE

CLAUSES ? ,227

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

THE AUXILIARIES

THE misuse of the auxiliary verbs is
vvellnigh universal.

,/The errors are made in using will for
shall and would for should.

The auxiliaries are most misused in in-
direct discourse; there, they are more fre-
quently used incorrectly than correctly.
Properly, thus: " He said he should be glad
to see you." " They think they shall be
here to-morrow." " He thinks he shall
soon be well." " They are confident they
shall get it." We see will more frequently
in sentences like these than shall.

In The Verbalist, page 252, the auxil-
iaries are treated with tolerable fulness.

The book was just then published and was
very badly printed. When I got through I

IO SOME ILL-USED WORDS

thought I would [should] never see again. —
Charles A. Dana.

Before leaving City Hall the chief marshal
said he would [should] write the Mayor a letter
explaining the whole matter.

Governor Roosevelt said that he would
[should] be very glad to have the honor of shak-
ing hands with the members of the congrega-
tion.

If that were all that he meant he would not
be supporting it, and I would [should] not be
taking the trouble to oppose it. If everything
in the world be increased 10 per cent in value,
why we would [should] pay 10 per cent in ad-
dition for what we would [should] buy and we
would [should] get 10 per cent more for what
we would [should] sell, and we would [should]
be exactly in the same place we occupied [were
in] before. — Bourkc Cockran as reported in the
New York Sun.

Chairman Hanna of the National Republican
Committee said he would [should] have nothing
to add to the statement issued last night.

When I come back to New York City, after
my trip through the State, I will [shall] be able

THE AUXILIARIES \\

to judge better what the New York vote will be.
The Democratic leaders of this State have as-
sured me that I will [shall] carry New York by
a comfortable majority.

The morning after this dinner Minister Tay-
lor sent to the Spanish Foreign Office a peremp-
tory notification that unless the communication to
the Ambassadors was instantly withdrawn he
would [should] demand his passports and return
to Washington. — New York Sun.

If he were [should be] elected we woiild
[should] have a President with all a President's
influence in the Senate and in the House, deter-
mined by every means in his power to throw the
exchanges of the country into chaos.

Archbishop Cranmer, the first primate of the
English Church, said in his Catechism : " If we
should have heathen parents and die without bap-
tism, we would [should] be damned everlast-
ingly."

" Let me see," said Mrs. Dobley, reflectively ;
" I have promised to give up sugar, sweets and
pastries of all sorts, cream, jellies — really every-
thing I like best. It's dreadful, isn't it? We will
[shall] not be so happy, but we will [shall] grow
thin."

12 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

We will [shall] sweep the country from one
end to the other and the Republicans will not be
able to carry eight States in the Union. — John P.
Altgeld.

She would not say to-night whether she would
[should] or would [should] not comply with the
provisions of the will. The Sister Superior
thought Miss Jewell would enter the sisterhood
regardless of family opposition.

" I don't see, just at present, that I will [shall]
need to resort to force to keep me [myself] in
office." If this be not the language of revolt, we
would [should] like to know what it is.

I believe it should be allowed to carry out any
reasonable tariff policy without obstruction. If it
brings prosperity we will [shall] all be content.
If it does not we will [shall] all know that some
other remedy is required, and by the process of
elimination [we] will [shall] come down to the
only radical cure. Let tariff legislation be en-
acted immediately and we will [shall] have a
chance to test the sentiments of the country on
the silver question alone, unembarrassed by tariff.
— New York Evening Sun.

With this accomplished the Chicago scientist
believes that he will [shall] have a fairly accurate
idea of how many years it took the whole lime-
stone stratum to accumulate.

I assert that aggregated capital is the neces-
sary and natural handmaid of advancing com-
merce; that we would [should] never have
reached the colossal developed condition in which
we find ourselves if the instrumentalities of ag-
gregated wealth had not aided it.

Mr. Bryan is just as resolute and uncom-
promising an advocate of free silver to-day as
[he was] in the days immediately following his
defeat in 1896, when he said that if everybody
else abandoned the cause he would [should] be
found fighting for it with his last breath.

Neither a promise nor determination,
simply future action.

Chairman Jones serves notice on the support-
ers of President McKinley that " we have won
the fight, and, by Heaven, we will not be de-
frauded out of our victory by the chicanery of
election judges."

Determination, hence correct.

President Eliot's mind made up. He says he
won't support McKinley, but doesn't know how
he will [shall] vote.

He added that, although he believed that he
would [should] carry his own State by 20,000, he
had been informed that his plurality in Nebraska
would be 50,000.

I4 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Some three summers ago Charles Dudley
Warner was sitting on the balcony of a club over-
looking Madison Square taking his afternoon
coffee ; there had been some, talk of the club
[club's] moving uptown. Mr. Warner said, in
his quiet way : " Ten years from now they will be
sorry they moved uptown. I will, [shall] be sorry,
too. Hold on, no I won't, for I will [shall] be
dead. Yes, but I will [shall] be sorry any way."

When the two men were arrested, Frederick
B. House, their attorney, said that he would
[should] have no difficulty in getting bail for
them.

Second, what prosperity we have came in
spite of the Republican party. If the Republican
party had had its way we would [should] have
had no prosperity.

He said to-day that he would [should] remain
in Lincoln and devote his time to magazine and
special writing and to lecturing. He said he had
not the least idea of retiring from politics, and
that whether as a leader or [as] a private he
proposed to continue his labors on [in?] behalf
of Democracy.

An engineer working for the market may find
means to make a fortune. Of course, in the vast
majority of cases he does not, but he always hopes
he will [shall].

THE AUXILIARIES \^

I have a lot of very important business to
attend to that requires all my time at present
and for several weeks to come, and I should be
obliged to neglect it if I should go to Chicago.
Besides, my presence at the Convention would
really do no good. The free-silver people seem
to have about everything their own way, and, as
I should stand by the resolutions of our State
Convention and vote for a sound-money platform
and sound-money candidates, I should stand with
the minority in a hopeless and embarrassing posi-
tion.

It would seem from this paragraph, that
the Baltimore correspondent of the New
York Sun knows how to use his auxiliaries.
He's one in a thousand.

We will [shall] have the finger of scorn
pointed at us by all other nations, and justly, too,
for we will [shall] be dishonest and dishonorable.

Mr. House was asked if he would [should]
begin habeas corpus proceedings to-day for his
clients and he replied :

" I don't think I will [shall]. Probably our
only work to-day will be to get the prisoners out
on bail."

Young Vickery was placed hors du [de] com-
bat. Mrs. Vickery declared that she would never
2

j6 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

be driven by a rooster — so sallied forth to meet
her adversary.

Determination, hence correct.

We have broken up his alibi, we will [shall]
connect him with the bloody finger marks on the
door, and we will [shall] tell one other thing that
will absolutely convince a jury of his guilt.

According to report President Marroquin has
decided not to accept the Atalanta. Senor Isaza
said he would [should] not act in this regard
until he had received full instructions from Presi-
dent Marroquin.

We would [should] simply take our present
North Atlantic fleet and drive them from Cuban
waters. We would [should] still require the
other squadrons in foreign ports. — New York
Evening Sun.

I will [shall] remain with my family in the
city a couple of days, then I will [shall] go on to
Washington.

Israel Ludlow, a lawyer, who represents the
negroes who [that] have filed claims, said this
morning that he would [should] file four addi-
tional claims against the city to-day.

THE AUXILIARIES \-j

" No, my lord," was the reply of the aged
prisoner; "this is getting a trifle monotonous.
I would [should] like to know how a fellow can
manage to please you judges. When I was only
seventeen I got three years, .and the judge said
I ought to be ashamed of myself stealing at my
age. When I was forty I got five years, and the
judge said it was a shame that a man in his very
best years should steal. And now, when I am
seventy years of age, here you come and tell me
the same old story. Now, I would [should] like
to know what year of a man's life is the right
one, according to your notion ? "

There were several men in different parts of
the audience who suggested that they would
[should] like to hear about free silver, but there
was no opportunity to ask the speaker questions.

If we assert sovereignty over the Filipinos we
will [shall] have to defend that sovereignty by
force, and the Filipinos will be our enemies.

" A paper," said the Senator, growing per-
sonal, " said that I was interested in steel trusts.
I would [should] like to know where the informa-
tion was obtained. I want to know what steel
trust I am in."

What am I going to do? Why, try and [to]
cure the rheumatism, of course. Oh, you mean in

jg SOME ILL-USED WORDS

a professional way ! Why, I'm under contract to
Mr. Daniel Frohman. I will [shall] be a perma-
nent member of his stock company at Daly's
Theatre and will [shall] open there on November
26th in The Man of Forty. I will [shall] go to
Baltimore next week to begin rehearsals with the
company.

I won't say that I wouldn't like to have mar-
ried him [should not have liked to marry him]
because I would [should], but you see there was
no way out of the Gray marriage.

Lieutenant-Governor Woodruff finally de-
clines a renomination. He tells Mr. Platt that
he can not accept, but would, [should] like to be
chairman of the State committee. Mr. Platt says
that he [Woodruff] will not be chairman of the
committee, and that Horace White will probably
be nominated for Lieutenant Governor.

Send your reader hunting antecedents
only when you can not well avoid it.

My husband was determined that I should ac-
cept his offer, and I — well, I was crazy to go, but
I weighed what I would [should] gain against
what I would [should] lose. — A. E. B. in the
Dramatic Mirror.

I thought you said a short time ago that you
would [should] not recover the use of your voice
until a certain person had been elected.

THE AUXILIARIES ig

Presumably, this was not a case of de-
termination.

Without any desire to bring politics into the
church, he said that he would [should] like to
have Governor Roosevelt make an address to the
people.

We will [shall] have headquarters in the
future at 246 West Fifty-third Street, where we
will [shall] meet every Thursday evening.

Mrs. Leslie said that although she had given
up part of her stock without consideration and
was a minority holder, she did not intend to be
frozen out altogether, and that she would [should]
call on Mr. Colver for an explanation.

What will Cleveland say when Mrs. Dominis
remarks [says] to him : " But for your encour-
agement I would [should] have accepted the
revolution as an accomplished fact, and would
[should] be now in the enjoyment of [enjoying]
a substantial pension " ? — New York Sun.

Better re-use say than to use remark as
it is here used.

The fact of the matter is, that instead of us
[our] owing either of them, they have quite a
little of our money, which we would [should] be
very happy to get back. — New York Sun.

20 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Where would [should] we be without a navy?
If we had no navy we might presently find the
Powers of Europe considering us as they are at
present considering the Empire of China.

Will [shall] you hold any important confer-
ences ?

I will [shall] have several consultations with
leading Republicans. Will [shall] likely meet
Senators Sherman, Quay, Proctor, and others.
Can not say who the others will probably be. —
New York Sun.

So far as this committee is concerned, we
feel something like the Methodist minister who
shouted downstairs to the burglar to go ahead
and see if he could find anything, and if so [he
could] he would [should] be glad to divvy with
him.

Mr. Croker's gaze sank to the floor as he said :
" I am disappointed. I never [have] had a greater
disappointment. I felt sure that we ivotdd
[should] win — that Bryan would win. But it
can't be helped. You can never tell."

Flossie is six years old. " Mamma," she asked
one day, " if I get married will [shall] I have a
husband like papa?"

" Yes," replied the mother, with an amused
smile.

THE AUXILIARIES 2l

" And if I don't get married, will [shall] I
have to be an old maid like Aunt Kate? "

" Yes, Flossie."

" Mamma," she said, after a short pause, " it's
a tough world for us women, ain't it ? "

I believe that we are now in a better posi-
tion to wage a successful contest against imperial-
ism than we would [should] have been had the
treaty been rejected.

Mr. Van Wyckle says in case of a strike he
will [shall] abandon his collieries.

I have been for long years a Democrat, but
at the last presidential election [I] voted for
McKinley. I will [shall] vote for him [McKin-
ley] again. Mr. Bryan is the incarnation of eco-
nomic heresies.

The diction is strengthened by re-using
McKinley.

A Democrat who [that] had learned the
lesson of experience in the last three years and
a half asked a friend of his how he was going
to vote this year. He said : " I'm going to vote
for Bryan, of course." The Democrat asked
" Why? " Then the friend said: " They told me
four years ago that if I would vote for Bryan
we would [should] have four years of good times ;
and haven't we had it?"

22 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

He had adopted the idea that he would
[should] like to work outdoors. — Charles A.
Dana.

Judge John A. Grow, who has heretofore been
a Democrat, informed National Republican Com-
mitteeman Frederick S. Gibbs yesterday in a letter
that he could no longer act with that party, but
would [should] vote the straight Republican
ticket this fall.

If we follow down the official chronologies to
499 A. D. we will [shall] find an account of one
Hwui Shan, who in that year returned to China.

Colonel Gardiner and General Burnett told
Magistrate Flammer that they would [should]
like to have his examination postponed until an
agreement had been reached about the jurisdic-
tion.

I will [shall] have it so arranged that it can
be flooded with water, making a stagecraft vessel
look mighty realistic. If necessary I will [shall]
be able to run a locomotive on that stage.

It was said that he had expressed the opinion
that he could not take a senatorship during the
coming four years because he would [should]
" be a very busy man."

THE AUXILIARIES 23

There will be no change in the theatre's plans
for the season. Miss Irwin will stay there as
long as it is profitable to do so [stay]. Then
Amelia Bingham will come in with her proposed
dramatic stock company. Miss Irwin said last
night, in reference to the future policy of the
house : " I will [shall] form a stock company of
well-known actors and will [shall] play all or the
greater part of each year at my theatre. I will
[shall] open next September for a preliminary
season of revivals. I will [shall] get as many
of the original casts as possible. I will [shall]
then produce one or two new plays."

The story of the defendant is different.
Speaking of the action of the other, he said : " If
he had touched me on the shoulder and asked me
to move, I would [should] have done so [moved].

" Will [shall] you be able to convince the
public," it was asked, " that this crusade of Tam-
many's is not a mere bluff, set on foot to offset
the Bishop Potter crusade?"

The chief says he will [shall] be able to show
that a four-seat carriage was hired from Stow-
croft, and that he drove the men to the Goffle
Road.

We concluded that if we could organize our-
selves on his system, we would [should] be sure

24 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

of making [to make] a greater impression on in-
telligent people. — Charles A. Dana.

" Gentlemen," said Colonel Bryan, smilingly
[smiling], " if I were superstitious I would
[should] look upon the breaking of this looking-
glass as an ill omen."

Miss Bacon herself laughingly remarked that
she thought it likely that she would [should]
marry an American.

I shall bring a suit for damages against the
city and in all probability -will [shall] file a com-
plaint with the police commissioners.

This speaker — or reporter — evidently
thinks shall and zvill are interchangeable.

Keenly aware, as we are, of the serious re-
sponsibilities which [that] a political party owes
to the State, we will [shall] strive to shape our
action in accordance with the requirements of
public interest.

" Unfortunately while money talks all that
talks is not money."

" Why do you say ' unfortunately ' ? " she
asked.

" Because if that were so," he answered, " I
would [should] be married to a fabulous fortune."

THE AUXILIARIES

Personally I would [should] like at least once
a week to get out from under the incubus of
ordinary obligation and to yield myself up intel-
lectually and emotionally to the domination of
dramatic power. — The Rev. Dr. Parkhurst.

He said he would [should] prefer State banks
founded on a specie basis to national banks, no
matter how good the system, founded on the
credit of the Government.

He intimated, however, that he had been to
Police Headquarters about the case, and would
[should] probably go there again.

You know that with the slightest prospect of
a foreign war we would [should] suspend gold
payments and go either to a silver or [to] a paper
basis at once.

I would [should] like to see them try it. I
would [should] like to see the Police Board sub-
poena me to give testimony against accused
policemen. I would [should] simply refuse to
honor the summons. — Bishop Potter as reported
by the New York Herald.

After he had plead [pleaded] guilty he thought
mercy would be shown him — went into the court-
room full of confidence that he would [should]
be leniently dealt with. — New York Evening Sun.

26 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

A large corporation is organized by charter to
conduct business and not politics, and we will
[shall] try to see to it that they attend to their
own business and allow their employees to do the
same [attend to theirs].

I would [should] like to have Bryan distin-
guish between the trusts. Whenever trusts
amenable to law have encountered the law they
have suffered. Trusts contrary to the law can not
stand.

We will [shall] export no goods and we will
[shall] import from foreign lands all the goods
we use ; thus will ruin, want and misery be
with us.

They deny that there is any possibility that
they will [shall] receive such treatment if once
they receive the consent of the Sultan to settle in
Palestine.

All the contest now, apparently, is to show not
that the Filipinos will be injured by annexation
to our country, but that we ourselves will [shall]
thereby lose our liberties. Even if we intended to
hold the Philippines in subjection would it follow
that we would [should] be slaves?

Will [shall] I do any speaking here? Well,
I may make a few remarks at noonday meetings,
but I have no speaking engagements.

THE AUXILIARIES

But at the bottom of it all was confidence, pro-
duced by the assurance that we would [should]
be spared the degradation of a debased currency
and that the gold standard would be maintained.

He said he would [should] rather have, at the
beginning of a campaign, the wife than the hus-
band on his side. — New York Sun.

He said that if I did so, I would [should] be
doing him an everlasting favor, for he hoped to
secure a place with the company when it was
formed.

The chief shifted the responsibility by saying
that if the State Superintendent of Elections had
any evidence he would [should] be glad to re-
ceive it and to act upon it.

We will [shall] continue on to control our
schools and teach our children the history of that
period as it was, not as these partisans who still
hate us have it.

A few minutes after this conversation the
young woman came out, entered a brougham that
was standing in front of the house and drove
away. She left word with her servant that she
would [should] not be back until evening.

28 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

He refused to take an active part in the cam-
paign, but he announced that he would [should]
vote for Bryan. — New York Sun.

E. L. Mordecai, a broker, of 52 Broadway,
said that he had $9,750 that he would [should]
like to bet on the election.

I think I will [shall] make it as near [nearly]
like the Drury Lane Theatre in London as pos-
sible, but of course everything will be upon a
much larger scale.

I am glad I came to-night, although I felt,
after hearing two such speakers as Mr. Dalzell
and Mr. Barrett, that I would [should] be out
of place.

I expected to give her, and would [should] be
compelled to do so [give her] by the terms of our
contract, the forty performances during the sea-
son.— New York Sun.

If getting up public subscription will [shall]
be glad to give $1,000. — Lipton.

I would [should] not be surprised if McKinley
carried Kentucky by 30,000 majority.

Queen Victoria fears she will [shall] not out-
live 1896. — Headline New York Sun.

THE AUXILIARIES

If a man wearing a shirt waist entered the
dining car and ladies objected to his garb, we
•would [should] ask him to put on his coat. If
he refused to do so [to put it on] we would
[should] request him to wait for his dinner until
the ladies left the car.

We have grown so accustomed to the ubiqui-
tous speculators that we would [should] not be
surprised to find them grouped around the gate
of heaven waiting for their prey.

If these examples do nothing else, they
will go a long way toward making it appear
that will and would have good reason to
complain of being unconscionably ill-used,
since they show that will and would are
continually made to do duty not only for
themselves but also for their kinsmen shall
and should.

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION

THIS is a construction that is wellnigh
universally employed, and yet, in strictness,
it is commonly, perhaps invariably, ungram-
matical. Wordy it certainly always is.

By Noun Construction I would desig-
nate that construction that expresses action,
doing, without employing a verb in any
form soever; as, for example, " It tends to
the elimination of the weak and the preserva-
tion of the strong." — New York Sun, March
3, 1895.

This sentence is weak, the result of hav-
ing fifty per cent more syllables than are
necessary, and, to my thinking, it is un-
grammatical. Its grammar is mended by
changing the nouns elimination and preser-
vation to the verbal nouns eliminating and
preserving, and both grammar and rhetoric
are mended by employing infinitives, which
would give us, " It tends to eliminate the
weak and to preserve the strong " — thirteen
syllables against twenty-one.
30

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION 3!

Economics is the science that treats of the
development [developing] of material resources,
or of the production [producing], preservation
[preserving], and distribution [distributing] of
wealth and of the means and methods of living
well. — Standard Dictionary.

The science of the developing and the
producing; the history of the development
and the production. It is always desirable
to express the thought absolutely.

At the present stage of the canvass no occupa-
tion is less profitable than the construction [con-
structing] of tables of the electoral vote showing
the probable results in November. — N. Y. Sun.

The act of constructing a table, which
is what is here meant, is one thing; the con-
struction, the make-up, of a table, after it
has been constructed, is quite another thing.
The same word should not be used to ex-
press the thought in both cases. In strict-
ness, we must employ a verb in some form
properly to express a doing. The using of
nouns where verbs are required — or, I
should say, perhaps, the making of nouns
do verbal service — is wellnigh universal. Is
it, or can it ever become, good grammar?
I think not.
3

3 2 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

The special order for the opening day of the
session is for the erection [erecting] of a bridge
across the Detroit River at Detroit. Among
other special orders are the house bills to prevent
the extermination of the fur-bearing seals of
Alaska and to reduce [to lessen the number of]
cases in which the death penalty may be inflicted.
— New York Sun.

In the first sentence, the writer uses a
noun in precisely the same manner that he
uses verbs in in the second. " To reduce
the cases" seems to me too elliptical. Lessen
the number is more idiomatic than reduce
the number.

The scheme for the retirement of [to retire]
the greenbacks, therefore, can not furnish an issue
for the Democratic party. — New York Sun.

Why use six syllables when three will
suffice? Then, with three syllables the sen-
tence is grammatical, which with six it is
not.

During the past year rapid progress has been
made toward the completion of [completing] the
scheme adopted for the erection [erecting] and
armament [arming] of fortifications along our sea-
coast, while equal progress has been made in pro-
viding the material for submarine defence in con-
nection with these works. — President Cleveland.

The Republican party claimed protection and
the Democratic party silver to be the paramount
issue. The people have declared in favor of pro-
tection and have given the Republican party a
contract for the restoration of [to restore] pros-
perity.

The dukes were to receive compensation for
the resignation of [resigning] their claims.

Most of the provinces were pays detection,
i. e., they were divided into districts in which the
assessment [assessing] and collection [collecting]
of taxes were vested in royal officials.

The arrangements for diffusing education and
the establishment of newspapers. — New York
Sun.

Why two forms of expression in the
same sentence? Why not establishing
newspapers?

In the consideration of [considering] Hamlet's
case, nothing should be. — Richard Grant White.

Education that is not centred on the refine-
ment [refining] and ennoblement [ennobling] of
the mind ... is worse than the shadow. —
Daivson.

34 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Chief Byrnes puts at the disposal of Mayor
Strong his services for the reformation [reform-
ing] and reorganization [reorganizing] of the
police force. — New York Sun.

Better: in reforming and reorganizing.

Statistics is the science that deals with the
collection [collecting], classification [classifying],
and tabulation [tabulating] of facts. — Standard
Dictionary.

Mr. Iselin is giving unremitting personal care
and labor to the supervision [supervising] and
development [developing] of the Defender. — New
York Sun.

It is merely a matter of police regulation; it
will also be serviceable in the imposition and col-
lection [imposing and collecting] of taxes. — New
York Sun.

The policy of the Administration has resulted
in the establishment of [establishing] a precedent.
— New York Sun.

The determination [determining] of distances
with a telemeter. — Standard Dictionary.

The preparation [preparing] of tobacco for
use is called curing. It has for its purpose

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION

the drying and preservation [preserving] of the
leaf as well as the development [developing] of
the peculiar aroma.

The Legislature may provide by-laws for the
supervision [supervising], registration [register-
ing], control [controlling], and identification
[identifying] of all persons.

The slowness in the collection [collecting] and
circulation [circulating] of news. [Better: in
collecting and circulating news.]

It is not by the consolidation or the concentra-
tion of powers, but by their distribution, that
good government is effected. [It is not by con-
solidating or concentrating powers, but by dis-
tributing them, that ]

The indication of an infinitive by to without
the actual expression of the verb to which it be-
longs is a colloquialism. Rewritten : The indicat-
ing of an infinitive with to without the verb it
belongs to is a colloquialism.

The imposition [imposing] of a duty on wool
will help the wool business by giving it incidental
protection. — New York Sun.

For above all the grievances of the miners
has been pushed a greater question, the question

36 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

of whether might or right shall rule in the settle-
ment [settling] of labor disputes, and on this
question the operators have put themselves un-
qualifiedly in the wrong.

If this be so, it is plain that the time is by no
means yet ripe for the evacuation of [to evacuate]
Pekin.

The Washington Star calls for the dethrone-
ment [dethroning] of the Empress Dowager.

For our own part we wish Mr. Allen would re-
dedicate his rare talents to the production [pro-
ducing] of books in his earlier manner.

No doubt Mr. Allen knows; but if there is
anything to make him imagine that the propaga-
tion [propagating] of his dry and dreary agnosti-
cism will make men either better or happier, he
keeps that secret very closely to himself.

And Mr. McKinley declares that this would
be the immediate effect of the election [electing]
of Bryan.

That is, the effect of doing something.

Taking the city and county of New York as
an example, it is found that over [more than]

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION

$20,000,000 was spent during 1899 'n tne repres-
sion [repressing] and correction [correcting] of
crime, out of a total expenditure of about $90,-
000,000. This means a crime taxation of $6 per
capita. An analysis of San Francisco's budget
shows an average of $5 per capita. In smaller
cities, the average is about $3.50 per capita. With
these averages as a basis, Mr. Smith calculates
that $i per [an or the] inhabitant in the " open
country " is a conservative estimate.

The Latin preposition per is a good deal
used in such phrases as per day, per man,
per pound, per ton, and so on. In all such
cases it is better to use plain English, and
say a day, a man, a pound, etc. Per is cor-
rect before Latin nouns only; as per annum,
per diem, per cent. In short: Never mix
languages, if you can well avoid it. — The
Verbalist, page 205.

No department offered less encouragement to
the spirit of monopoly than the production [pro-
ducing], refinement [refining], and distribution
[distributing] of this natural oil.

It is possible, however, that, if Germany and
Great Britain persist in retaining possession of
the Chinese capital pending negotiations for the
restoration [restoring] of order and the settle*-

38 SOME ILL- USED WORDS

ment [settling] of questions in dispute, Russia
and France may deem it advisable to keep a part
of their forces also in Pekin.

The dissolution [dissolving] of Parliament
was therefore an absolute necessity. The Gov-
ernment hopes that the people will send men
willing to assist in the development of [develop-
ing] the country. The Government, by dissolving
a Parliament which [that] did no positive work,
carries out a constitutional principle.

From the days of the Revival of Learning
authors appear to have exercised a large amount
of ingenuity in the selection of [selecting] titles
for their works.

In 1311 Pope Clement had ordered the estab
lishment of professorships for the study of the
Sacred Word ; and Pius VI, in 1778, congratu-
lated the Archbishop of Florence on his success
in placing the Scriptures in the hands of the
people.

Here is the very acme of awkwardness.
Ordered professorships to be established;
or, elliptically, established.

These results tended to a restoration of [to
restore] confidence, but it was not until the defeat

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION

of Bryan and [the] success of the party of sound
money in 1896 that confidence was fully restored.

Every patriotic American, and every Demo-
crat in particular, should favor expansion.

Jefferson was an expansionist, otherwise he
would not have favored the acquisition [acquir-
ing] of Louisiana with its foreign population
which in Jefferson's time was quite as remote as
the Philippines.

The acquiring of Louisiana was a mag-
nificent acquisition.

THe Liberal press of Great Britain have been
quickest in the recognition of [to recognize] this
fact and strongest in deploring it.

The malaria problem is not yet entirely solved,
but these experiments certainly afford very strong
confirmation of the theory that makes mosquitoes
chiefly responsible for the conveyance [convey-
ing] of the poison to man.

The mosquito is the conveyance that does
the conveying?

In the application of [applying] that definition
to religious matters it at once becomes evident
that there must be a large exercise of reason be-
fore there can be any such thing as an act of
faith.

40 SOME ILL-USED WOKDS

People in the West can scarcely imagine how
much attention is paid in Persia and elsewhere
in the Orient to1 the production [producing] of a
finely finished manuscript.

Richard H. Adams, chairman of the Com-
mittee on Buildings, Board of Education, adver-
tised to-day for bids for the erection [erecting]
of a building for the High School of Commerce.

By the treaty of Shimonoseki, May, 1895,
China renounced her claim of suzerainty, and
Japan began to institute reforms, such as the divi-
sion [dividing] of the country into districts, the
raising of revenue by taxation, the establishment
[establishing] of Government departments, and
the regular payment [paying] of officials.

If raising, why not paying?

The collection [collecting] of rubber, how-
ever, presents many features of interest, and de-
serves more extended treatment.

It was argued that enough laxity or careless
irregularity in the conduct of [conducting] the
office had been shown to justify the removal of
the prosecuting officer of this county, and, fur-
ther, that whether such were [was] the case or
not, it would be excellent politics to assume the
guilt of the defendant.

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION 41

We do not need the subjunctive here;
and if we did, were would not serve. Were
can never, properly, be employed as a past
or as a future subjunctive.

Secretary Hay to-day transmitted to the Ger-
man Government the answer of the United States
to the recent communications of Germany, in
which modifications are made of the proposals for
the punishment [punishing] of the Boxer leaders
by the Powers as a condition precedent of peace
negotiations. This first proposal of Germany did
not meet with the approval of the United States.

Better: Proposals to punish the Boxer
leaders. Note the circumstance that the
writer says proposal, and not proposition.
Proposition is a much misused word.

Special attention given to the management
[managing] of real estate and the collection [col-
lecting] and remittance [remitting] of rents.

What was left of the Democratic organization,
however, assembled at Chicago in August, 1864,
for the nomination of [to nominate] a candidate
for President, and it adopted a platform denounc-
ing the war as a " failure."

To the great shame of the city of New York,
it is now represented in Congress by a delegation

42 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

elected in 1898, no one of the sixteen members of
which could be induced to declare himself in
favor of the preservation of [preserving] the gold
standard.

He leaves to Congress the decision [deciding]
of the question of the future government of the
islands.

The trades unions had given notice that in
the celebration of [celebrating] Labor Day there
was to be no politics. If the speeches of Mr.
Bryan and Governor Roosevelt are read it will
be found that the latter [Governor Roosevelt]
scrupulously respected the wishes of his hosts,
while Mr. Bryan violated the understanding. The
Governor's address was a manly, thoughtful, dis-
interested treatment of the condition of labor.
Mr. Bryan's address was an [a] harangue for

They like him personally, but they are afraid
to trust him in the management of [to manage]
their governmental affairs. It is like the relations
of a good many business men with those they
meet socially. The men they enjoy playing bil-
liards with at the club may not be the ones [men]
they would want to put in charge of their busi-
ness affairs. ^___

That was bound to be a condition, but a seri-
ous problem will confront the Allies when it be-
comes necessary to agree upon a plan for the
collection of [collecting] the money.

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION

These documents constitute the first definite
step which [that] has been taken toward the solu-
tion [solving] of the Chinese problem since the
rescue of the legations.

They exist for the accomplishment [accom-
plishing] of public objects. They should have for
their ideals the maintenance [maintaining] of
good government, the application [applying] of
right principles to public affairs, the ascertain-
ment [ascertaining] of the will of the people
touching public policies, and the embodiment [em-
bodying] of that will in prompt and effective
legislation. The Republican party is the giant in-
strument for the attainment [attaining] of these
ideals.

The success of the law for the taxation [tax-
ing] of franchises recently enacted in New York
State, a measure which [that] has resulted in
putting upon the assessment books nearly $200,-
000,000 worth of property which [that] had there-
tofore escaped taxation, is an illustration of

The effort for the adoption by the Powers of
[by the Powers to adopt] a programme for har-
monious action in China has resulted in expres-
sions from all the Powers to the effect that only
by unity can the Allies successfully negotiate for
peace.

SO ME ILL-USED WORDS

It must be understood that the delegates do not
know the details of the plan for the liberation of
[to liberate, or for liberating] their race.

An officer of prominence said that the rules of
common sense would prevail in the settlement
[settling] of the future of China and he was evi-
dently hopeful of a favorable outcome.

Later he assisted in the bombardment [bom-
barding, i. e., to bombard] of Fort Anderson.

So far, then, from the reviled " trusts " offer-
ing injury to labor, they [the trusts] are destined
to offer to it [labor] an opportunity for combina-
tion in production [to combine in producing]
which will settle the " labor question " by making
labor itself the capital.

Trusts should be in the possessive case.

These two advisory bodies have recommended
the building of battle ships and armored cruisers.
It is understood that Mr. Long is opposed to the
construction [constructing] of any armorclads,
and in this he is supported by several naval offi-
cers, members of the boards.

If building is correct — which it certainly
is — then construction must be incorrect; if
the one is good grammar, the other is bad
grammar.

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION

The inventor discards tall poles in the opera-
tion of [operating] his system and uses cylinders
of moderate height.

The hackney taught the value of type in the
heavy harness horse, and through breeding on and
more often [oftener] by " hackneyizing " the
made trotter, the effect of the introduction of [in-
troducing] the breed has been clearly apparent.

Should it be proved that the girl came to her
death through acts leading up to and in the com-
mission [committing] of a felony, the law classi-
fies the crime as murder in the first degree.

For two weeks fifty or more persons, some
connected with the Police Department, and others
privately employed, all of them experienced in
detective work, have directed all their energies to
the solution [solving] of the problem.

Wherever Nietzsche's teachings reach, wher-
ever men become acquainted with his great and
peculiar personality, it will attract strongly, as
well as repel, but everywhere it will contribute to
the development [developing] and formation
[forming] of each individuality.

It will help to develop and form each in-
dividuality.

46 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Since the death of Brahms, a struggle has
been going on between [among] his relatives and
several musical societies with regard to the dis-
position [disposing] of his possessions.

Counsel for Miss Wendel said he would
[should] fight the confirmation [confirming] of
the report of the commissioners based on the ver-
dict of the sheriff's jury, and if he lost he would
[should] appeal.

He should fight against the report's
being confirmed.

Protestants were even obliged to complain
that Catholic countries were in advance of them
in the printing and circulation [circulating] of
the Scriptures.

The details relating to the organisation [or-
ganizing] of the Relief Committee were perfected
by the selection of [selecting] the following as
officers.

I have deposited $50,000 in marketable rail-
road bonds, to be used as a fund for defraying
expenses incident to the investigation [investigat-
ing] and prosecution [prosecuting] of frauds of
the election to be held next Tuesday and in Feb-
ruary.

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION

Whatever, then, the Republican party has al-
ready done for the establishment [to establish]
and preservation of [and preserve] the gold
standard and whatever further law it might pass
at the coming second session of, Congress for its
protection [to protect it] against Bryan could be
repealed by his Congress at once, if it was
[should be ?] so disposed.

In case of another Power [Power's] making
use of the complications in China in order to ob-
tain, under any form whatever, such territorial
advantages, the two contracting parties reserve to
themselves the right to come to a preliminary
understanding regarding the eventual step to be
taken for the protection of [to protect] their own
interests in China.

It was not a question of the imposition [im-
posing] upon the people of South America of any
system of government devised in Europe, but
simply the determination [determining] of the
frontier of a British possession.

The commission is to begin at once organisa-
tion of [to organize] native municipalities on the
model of General Otis and to build from these to
provincial governments.

Telegraphic advices from Minister Conger re-
ceived at the State Department to-day show that
4

48 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

the diplomatic body at Pekin is making progress
in its determination of [determining] the pro-
gramme to be submitted to the Chinese peace
plenipotentiaries as a basis for the settlement
[settling] of the existing troubles.

Basis on which to settle existing troubles.
In matters grammatical, the thought deter-
mines.

A survey of the past [last] twenty or twenty-
five years reveals nothing more striking than the
progress labor has made. This is seen in the
numerous [many] laws that have been passed
for the protection of [to protect] employees'
rights and the betterment of [better] their con-
dition.

For the first time in our history the world has
seen, during Mr. McKinley's administration, the
army and navy promptly and effectively used for
the protection [to protect] and relief of [relieve]
American citizens suffering from violation of
treaty rights in a foreign country.

The Kansas City Convention was adverse to
reaffirmation of [reaffirming] the Chicago plat-
form, and a majority of its delegates honestly
hoped to purge the party of the vicious heresies
which [that] had lost it the respect and confi-
dence of the country.

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION

Another magazine, in high standing among the
Catholics, the Ave Maria, said : " In Father
O'Conor's version the work of editing has con-
sisted in the omission [omitting] of certain genu-
ine passages and the insertion [inserting] of other
brief ones [passages] which [that] are commonly
supposed to be innocent interpolations."

As the telegrams from Shanghai which [that]
we printed on Sunday have been confirmed by
subsequent despatches to London newspapers, we
are justified in assuming that the first step has
been taken toward the solution [solving] of the
Chinese problem.

Put them all through ; but let the legislation
for the absolutely necessary re-enforcement [re-
enforcing] of the army have the right of way
over them all.

The dates for the beginning and termination
[terminating] of relations were precisely fixed.

The right of a man to make a fool of himself
is probably inalienable. Equally so [inalienable]
is the right of any two men to agree that under
[in?] certain circumstances one shall do some-
thing for the amusement of [to amuse] the other.

On all sides complaints loud and deep are
heard as to the scarcity of servants, and various

5Q SOME ILL-USED WORDS

[many] remedies, more or less practical, have
been suggested for the alleviation of [to alleviate]
the housewife's trouble.

The deposition [deposing] of the Empress
Dowager is, indeed, believed by many papers to
be a necessary precaution for the future.

The plan calls for the construction [construct-
ing] of three battle ships, three armored cruisers,
and twelve gunboats ; the exact number of the
latter class of vessels [gunboats], however, has
not been fixed.

It is very likely, however, as was indicated in
a Washington despatch to the Sun yesterday, that
the Government will not agree to the proposition
[proposal] to prohibit the importation [import-
ing] of firearms and ammunition into China.

He reminded the board that out of sixty-eight
ordinances for the betterment [bettering] of the
water supply in the city, it had only passed
[passed only] fifteen.

I have been so busily engaged in the construc-
tion of [constructing] my steel plant during these
prosperous times that I have given hardly a
thought to politics.

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION ^\

I certainly think that the drawing up and the
passage [passing] of this bill will be the first and
primary business of the State Legislature when
it assembles.

Yesterday was the first day for the collection
[collecting] of taxes, and between $10,000,000
and $12,000,000 was taken in at the Tax Re-
ceiver's office.

He has had a stormy career, but in the main
[he] has been successful, as far as the attainment
[attaining] of political honors at the hands of his
party is concerned.

Does the Constitution authorize any one to
commit the United States to the maintenance
[maintaining] and support [supporting] of the
ambitions or [the] pretensions of any foreign
ruler or usurper?

His conduct in the enforcement [enforcing]
and collection of [collecting] forfeited bail bonds
was claimed to have been improper.

Engineers started this morning making a sur-
vey and running lines preparatory to the resump-
tion [resuming] of work.

But the Chinese have special grievances: the
opening of ports and the imposition [imposing]

52 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

of obnoxious treaties on them by force, the con-
struction [constructing] of railways and tele-
graphs, and the working of mines in such a way
as to disturb the graves of ancestors.

If " opening of ports " and " working of
mines," why not " imposing of treaties "
and " constructing of railways " ?

The judiciary department of this Government,
aided by the Minister of Commerce, is reported
to be working on a general law governing the
formation [forming] and conduct [conducting] of
trusts.

The embroidery [embroidering] of robes is
also done by men, and is in very great demand.

Another decree is to be issued in regard to the
selection [selecting] of judges of first instance
and judges of the Audencia.

If the selecting was judiciously done, it
resulted in their having a good selection.

It would hardly be surprising to find that there
was [is] an enterprising young lawyer behind
that Cleveland club for the encouragement [en-
couraging] of divorce.

It is not a question here of past but of
present time, hence is.

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION

But all the same the question of the preven-
tion [preventing] of seasickness is always inter-
esting.

The title of the organization is " The National
Society for the Relief of [to Relieve] Dependent
Widows and Orphans of the Officers and Enlisted
Men of the Regular Army of the United States."

A considerable period of time was required
for the manufacture [to manufacture] and erec-
tion of [erect] this monster machine.

In the argument [arguing] of legal questions
before the courts his briefs were prepared by his
assistants, and no man knew better how to use
them.

Better, because simpler: In arguing legal
questions.

Protest Government against evacuation [evac-
uating] Pekin and recognition [recognizing] Li
Hung Chang. Both disastrous to missions.

The eight hundred students at the college pro-
pose to experience all the excitement of a presi-
dential campaign, even if their votes do not con-
tribute directly to the election [electing] of any
candidates.

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

The committee would not listen to the de-
mands of the men in regard to the employment
[employing] and discharge [discharging] of the
workmen.

Prince Ching will leave the arrangement [ar-
ranging] of the preliminaries largely to Li Hung
Chang.

That is, Prince Ching will leave to Li
Hung Chang the doing of something — the
arranging.

The steamer Boscowitz, the last to arrive
from the north, brings details of one of the
strangest mysteries connected with the explora-
tion [exploring] and development [developing] of
Alaska.

The authority of the United States is to be
exerted for the securing of the persons and prop-
erty of the people of the islands and for the con-
firmation [confirming] of all their private rights
and relations.

The discharge of Colonel Harrison is the re-
sult of the abolishment of [abolishing] the De-
partment of Porto Rico, of which he was In-
spector General.

The dredgers are fully aware of this and never
feel any fear of bodily harm while being chased.
Another thing which [that] hampers the adminis-

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION

tration [administering] of the law is the fact that
t-he sympathies of the justices and judges are gen-
erally [commonly] with the oystermen in the
country districts.

The real crusade against the promotion [pro-
moting] and protection [protecting] of vice in
this city has begun.

Offers its services for the safe keeping and
judicious management [managing] of trust funds.

It is admitted by the present biographer that
the cardinal was a cold man, unwavering in his
animosities and merciless in the infliction of [in-
flicting] punishment.

This clause provides that the residue and re-
mainder of the estate, which is a large one, be
used for the erection [to erect] and maintenance
of [maintain] a suitable building by the city of
Woburn, to be used and occupied as a library.

\Yhich is large, instead of Which is a
large one.

After careful consideration of [carefully con-
sidering] the subject of Boston [Boston's] being
represented in the Cup defence, it developed be-
yond question that the sentiment of our best
yachtsmen was [is] that the city should be, if it
were [is] possible. It likewise developed that

56 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

there were [are] many obstacles in the way of
successful realization of [realizing] this desire.
Modern Cup defending has grown to be expen-
sive, so expensive as to almost [almost to] exclude
small communities like ours from taking part.

It is not necessary to follow every word
that expresses a condition with the subjunc-
tive, many as there are that seem to think
it is. Here, the subjunctive says: " If it were
possible, which it is not," which is wide of
the thought.

Desirous as we are to secure the harmonious
working of the administrative [administration]
machinery and to preserve the equity and justice
of its action, we propose to use scrupulous vigi-
lance in the appointment of [appointing] officials ;
to avoid useless formalities in the transaction of
[transacting] official business, to clearly define
and rigidly exact [clearly to define and rigidly to
exact] the performance of the duties and respon-
sibilities attaching to the various official posi-
tions, to maintain strict discipline among public
functionaries and to secure such despatch and
precision in the conduct of [conducting] business
as are required by the country.

There could not be such a thing as ad-
ministrative machinery. We do not per-
form duties or responsibilities, we discharge
them.

THE NOUN CONSTRUCTION

The holding of public position should be an
incident and not the aim of the citizen; it should
be not an end, but the means for the accomplish-
ment of a purpose. — William Jennings Bryan, as
reported in the New York Sun.

Here we have a sentence that few per-
sons would pause to find fault with, yet if
we look at it closely, we find it very vul-
nerable. We mend it, in part, by changing
for the accomplishment of to to accomplish,
and we mend it wholly (?) by rewriting it
thus: "The holding of public office should
be an incident, not an aim; it should be not
an end, but the means to attain an end."

The words of the citizen are worse than
useless, and the using of purpose instead of
re-using end is weakening, hence a dictional
error. Accomplish an end might be allowed
to pass unchallenged, though it is question-
able idiom. We accomplish a purpose, at-
tain an end, and compass an object.

Much that we read, especially in the
daily papers, would suffer as much from
close scrutiny as does this sentence.

THE NEW YORK SUN'S SPECIAL
ABHORRENCE

SAYS the New York Sun : " Constant at-
tention is the price of good English. There
is one error that constantly appears in spite
of all castigation. It is a sort of phrase-
ology that is exceedingly vicious. The in-
fernal ingenuity of the reporters contrives
to frame a sentence in which there are two
nominatives and only one verb."

This locution that is The Sun's special
abhorrence might be called the he-was-
given-an-ovation locution.

Has this double-headed barbarian come
to stay? It looks that way, though more
offensive no locution easily could be.
Whether infernal, as The Sun intimates,
or not, it's a pity The Infernal does not
take it.

This story was given a place of honor in the
Brooklyn Eagle, and was extensively copied in
different papers throughout the country. In each
58

THE NEW YORK SUN'S ABHORRENCE

[every] case the proper credit was given to the
authors. — New York Dramatic Mirror.

Something like this is, probably, what
The Mirror intended to say: The Brooklyn
Eagle gave the story a place of honor, and
it was extensively copied.

The sailor is given the fight in the eighth
round. — Head line of a New York paper.

This probably means: The fight is given
to the sailor in the eighth round.

Religious intolerance ceased and Christian
missionaries zvere given freedom of action, and
the Jews were allowed to build a second syna-
gogue.— The Literary Digest.

If this is all that is done, if American manu-
facturers are placed simply on equal conditions
with foreign manufacturers instead of being given
an advantage over them [an advantage being
given them] at the expense of the consumers,
there would be, we imagine, small disposition to
keep the question in the realm of party politics.
— New York Voice.

An old Irish laborer walked into the luxurious
studio of an artist, a few days ago, and asked for
money to obtain a meal. He was given a trifle
and departed. — Tid-Bits.

6o SOME ILL-USED WORDS

The history of his struggles is celebrated. As-
suredly the victory will remain with him. At the
last debate he was refused a cruiser squadron. —
New York Sun.

In the first place, you are given a home, luxu-
riously and more or less beautifully and expen-
sively furnished, where real estate is highest.
You are given every comfort and convenience. —
Home Journal.

She borrowed money and went into a business
which she carried to a splendidly successful com-
pletion, and when her second daughter became an
invalid she was given every luxury and tender
care that money and affection could supply, while
a comfortable home was established for the so-
called " Man."

Most of the Cubans who were identified with
the revolutionary movement against Spain are bit-
terly opposed to annexation by the United States,
and if they are not given independence they will
make trouble for those who undertake to thwart
their aspirations.

One evening, just as the farmer hacj finished
his chores, a fine-looking man in clerical garb
drove up to the house in a buggy. He requested
shelter for the night, and was given the best room
in the house.

THE NEW YORK SUN'S ABHORRENCE 6 1

When he had finished he thanked the court
and, still tapping his cane on the floor, keeping
time with his step, left the room. The result
was that on that day / was given a judgment for
$22,000.

When an Evening Telegram reporter saw
young Kiely in the prison he complained bitterly
that he was being given a "dirty deal."

Did Kiely say to the reporter, " I am
being given a dirty deal? "

In a short three years under Republican pro-
tection they have been given more general em-
ployment and at higher wages than ever before.

Jerry, soon after his return from the war, was
given a minor position in the bank, and being a
clever, well-educated fellow he rapidly advanced
until he was made paying teller.

One of the men gave him some meat and
cheese and the alligator ate it out of his hands.
As soon as he was given the food he returned to
the water.

It isn't because there are not able, respectable,
patriotic, and brilliant Americans in Mr. Bryan's
parties that they should be refused power now,
but because they have no business policy upon
which they can agree as a unit.

62 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

The medal is a fitting token of the nation's
appreciation of such a deed. The hero will soon
lead to the altar a beautiful bride, and among all
the wedding presents that will be received this
golden tribute to the husband's valor should be
given a place of honor.

Forrest was given a negro "song and dance
act " to do when he was very young, and after
he had studied it up he asked where was the " old
negro lady " that was to act as his assistant in the
piece.

But the laboring man is even more interested
in the proposition [proposal] to establish a labor
bureau with a Cabinet officer at its head. Such a
bureau would keep the Executive in constant
touch with the wage-earners of the country, and
open the way to redress their present and future
grievances. // labor is given a place in the Presi-
dent's official household, the man selected will
necessarily be a worthy and trusted representa-
tive of the people.

They were given a great send-off as they left
the grounds.

Will Mr. Bryan denounce his party associates
in Congress who voted on June 1st last that the
National Government should not be given the
power to control trusts ?

THE NEW YORK SUN'S ABHORRENCE 63

" No sooner was this done," continued the
story-teller, " than a great uproar of protests
arose from the group in the corner. They in-
sisted that they had been given no chance to bid,
but the auctioneer stood firm."

He was given the control of the third military
district.

He was given a life interest in the estate.

/ was given one of the copies.

Examples in the first person are com-
paratively rare.

The nations should be given warning. — Gov-
ernor Budd.

With us ministers, we are constantly given
occasion [an opportunity ?] to study character

Among the questions discussed at a ses-
sion of the University of the State of New
York this was one:

Should the A. M. degree be abandoned, or
given a distinct pedagogic significance ?

" What should be done," asked the New
York Sun, " when the chiefs of a university
5

64 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

show such dreadful ignorance of the Eng-
lish language? "

For every scratch 7 have been given he has
two scars.

He was convicted, and was given a sentence
of twenty years.

He had been refused her hand.

While in prison, he was given a position in
the Warden's office, and was granted many privi-
leges. On account of his good behavior, he was
given credit, and in 1888 had but three years more
to serve.

Going on to New York, the committee were
[was] given a great and enthusiastic meeting at
Cooper Union.

He caused astonishment by offering to pay the
other $4,000 at once provided he was granted five
per cent discount.

" I am not ruled off," he said. " The de-
spatches merely say that 7 will [shall] be refused
a license."

It is enough to say concerning my youth that
I was raised [reared] on a farm and was ac-

THE NEW YORK SUN'S ABHORRENCE 65

counted a pretty weedy crop. The cockleburrs
and crab-grass seemed to spring up all the more
prolific after / had been given a good thrashing.

After a good thrashing had been given
I. Turning it around a bit doesn't mend it.
Offensive as this locution is, it, now and
then, gets into some well-written books.

FORMER AND LATTER

THESE two words, the pronouns, and all
other words that send the reader back to an
antecedent, should be used as sparingly as
possible.

Nine times in ten, at the least, when the
former or the latter is used, it would be better
to 'repeat the noun.

Mr. Aldrich, Mr. Morill, and Mr. Gear were
formerly merchants, but the former [Mr. Aldrich]
is now the manager of the street-car interests in
Rhode Island.— W. E. Curtis.

The words former and latter are properly
used only when it is a question of two.
Commonly, it is better not to use them at
all. The reader always has to go back to
see which is which.

For illustration, n is classed lingual, when in
truth it is lingual-nasal, with a deal more of the
latter [nasal] than [of] the former [lingual]. —
Professor R. E. Mayne.
66

FORMER AND LATTER §j

Letters passed back and forth between Mc-
Comb and Ames, in one of which the latter
[Ames], a plain, outspoken man, declared that he
had placed the stock with influential gentlemen. —
New York Sun.

All communications between Wagner and Bii-
low naturally ceased, and the latter [Biilow]
began his period of Wandcrleben.

These tablets consisted partly of contracts and
other legal documents, partly of public and pri-
vate letters. The latter [letters] have just been
carefully arranged, and for the first time their full
importance is evident.

Mr. W. D. Howells, who for many years was
a close friend of James Russell Lowell, includes
in his reminiscences of the New England poet
and critic in Scribner's Magazine (September)
some interesting statements as to the tatter's
[Lowell's] attitude toward religion.

In these cartoons all foreigners are repre-
sented as goats and all Christians as pigs. The
predominance of the latter [pigs] in most of the
cartoons throws some light on the question as to
how far a hatred of the missionaries, rather than
of foreigners in general, is responsible for the
present outbreak.

68 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Victor Emmanuel II and his son Humbert I
were both men of strong and ineradicable attach-
ment to the church, and the usurpation of the
Pope's temporal domain by the former [Victor
Emmanuel] and the continuance in possession by
the latter [Humbert] were, it has been proved by
repeated incidents, the source of continual heart-
burnings to them.

The present generation is distinctly an eater
of sweets, not of fats; but while the former
[sweets] supply the heat that would be obtained
from the fats, they do not supply certain lubricant
qualities which [that] are so important for the
proper performance of the intestinal functions.

One Esquimau for the management of [to
manage] the dogs, of which there were 120. The
latter [dogs] were fed on a " pemmican," made of
horse meat and flour.

If William III and his consort, Queen Mary,
daughter of James II, had had a son, the latter
[son] would have become not only King of Eng-
land, but Stadtholder of the Netherlands.

The woman was soon in tears, which gave
way later to anger. She scolded her father-in-law
and her youthful husband and defied the former
[father-in-law] to take the latter [husband] away
from her.

FORMER AND LATTER 69

Mr. Henley says that had Rossetti and Byron
been contemporaries, some of the former s [Ros-
setti's] verses would have had the proud distinc-
tion of making the author of Don Juan blush.

On November 25th, the seals were taken from
du Vaire and given to Mangot. At the same time
the secretaryship of state held by the latter [Man-
got] was given to Richelieu.

Richelieu hoped by depriving Gaston of his
refuge to induce him to a reconciliation, but the
latter [Gaston] was persuaded by his chief ad-
viser to withdraw to Brussels.

British and Russians clash. Railway interests
of the former [British] believed to be in danger.

The portents of war between England and
France are looming large upon the horizon, and
the former Power [England] has just determined
upon a step which [that] shows that she is ready
to make the best of her opportunities on this
quarter of the globe.

Albeit there are numerous [many] thrifty
souls that find a bank in hens and eggs and coax
the former [hens] by many ingenious and suc-
cessful devices to produce the latter [eggs] in
quantities to suit.

70 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Soon after his return to the United States
Jones became involved in a controversy with
Arthur Lee, and he did not hesitate to charge
the latter [Lee] with having betrayed our most
secret policy to our arch enemy, Great Britain.

Lord Salisbury then made a veiled thrust at
the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Wolseley, because
of the recent speech in which the latter [Wolse-
ley] placed most of the responsibility for the
shortcomings of the army on the War Office.

There is no need to assume that there is any
disagreement between him and the Emperor. The
latter [Emperor], as the world knows, has been
for years his own Chancellor, and there is no
evidence that Prince Hohenlohe ever challenged
or wished to challenge his Majesty's authority.

There is no love lost between the Coreans and
the Japanese. On the side of the latter [Jap-
anese] the feeling is one of contempt, and the
hatred of the Coreans is justified by the treatment
they have received from Japanese adventurers
and speculators. In case of a clash between Rus-
sia and Japan the Coreans would probably side
with the former [Russia].

The Cherries, as they are known throughout
Ohio, are the daughters of a farmer who died
some time ago, leaving them a farm covered with
clay, on top of which rested a nice thick mort-

FORMER AND LATTER ji

gage. In order to lift the latter [mortgage] so
that they might till the former [farm] the girls
started out as a " troupe " to give entertainments
in the Iowa towns.

The easier we make it for the reader to
get our thought the better is our diction.

Their present population does not fall short
of 30,000,000, more than two thirds of which are
in Java. If the administrative methods followed
so successfully in the last-named island [Java]
were to be applied to all the Dutch East Indies,
these would easily sustain 100,000,000 of inhab-
itants.

The Marquis de Noailles, the French Ambas-
sador to Germany, called on Imperial Chancellor
von Biilow to-day. The latter [Von Biilow] as-
sured the representative of France [Marquis] that
the Anglo-German agreement in regard to China
was [is] merely in regard to commerce.

Three days later a rumor got abroad that
D'Esterre was going to horsewhip O'Connell, and
the former [D'Esterre] actually appeared in the
Four Courts with a whip in his hand, but failed
to find the latter [O'Connell].

Subsequently she sang for a period of seven
months at Geneva, was heard also in Nice, Mar-
seilles, Cairo, Monte Carlo, and Bordeaux, and
was invited by Sonsogne to sing in Milan and

72 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Genoa. In the last-named city [Genoa] she ap-
peared as the heroine of Massenet's Le Cid.

In the controversy between Max Miiller and
the late Professor Whitney of Yale University it
is generally admitted that the former [Miiller]
was worsted.

His story is that Captain Herlihy called him
a liar and that he then went to see Inspector
Cross. When he got to the latter 's [Inspector's]
office, he says, he found Captain Herlihy already
there.

.Mr. Walton next proceeded to Li Hung
Chang's private residence, where he found one
of the latter s [Li's] private secretaries, Mr.
Pethick, an American, who had arranged the in-
terview.

If one citizen may properly withhold his vote,
logically all may, while to decline rating [to vote]
because practically assured that others will vote,
is to give to the latter [others] an undue share of
political power and to forfeit the right to com-
plain of any abuse of it [power].

The country lying between Daiquiri and Si-
boney. and between the latter place [Siboney] and
Santiago, was marvellously adapted for a stub-
born defence.

FORMER AXD LATTER

Both leader and subleader resisted arrest, the
former [leader] fighting his way clear to the
station-house.

Mr. Perkins is convinced, that, had Father
Joseph survived Richelieu, the former [Joseph]
would have succeeded the latter [Richelieu] in
his position at the head of affairs in France.

The accident occurred while the train was
running from Tuxedo to Paterson. It left the
former place [Tuxedo] at 3.48 o'clock and was
due at Paterson at 4.21.

The Magdeburg correspondent of the Gazette
telegraphs an interview with a Japanese diplomat,
in which the letter [diplomat] says that Japan
has not assumed Russia's attitude toward China.

The quarrel between the Mayor and [the]
Bishop this morning puts the latter [Bishop] in
the background. The clergymen, however, are
likely to form an organization. Many of them
have announced that they will [shall] preach on
the subject to-morrow.

The two young women convicted of carrying
on this particular swindle were sisters, Catherine
and Marian M. The former [Catherine] is
twenty-two and the latter [Marian] twenty.

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Eugene Field and the farmer. Having killed
the latter 's [farmer's] duck, the poet presented his
vi£w of the matter.

The Brooklyn policeman who [that] clubbed
his own roundsman when the latter [roundsman]
remonstrated with him for being in a saloon while
on post, is a nice sort of individual [person] to
look after the safety of the public.

There is a distinction to be drawn between
the rights of a master in his home and his rights
in his public store. In the latter case [store]
there is an implied invitation to the general public
to -come in, and a person entering such an estab-
lishment has greater privileges, and, consequently,
the master less rights.

Learning that his visitor had [had] an audi-
ence with Prince Ching at Pekin, he pertinently
asked whether Jung-lu had been [was] present,
adding that the latter [Jung-lu] was Prime Min-
ister and Generalissimo of the Chinese Army.

A harpy eagle could carry off a small baby
and the golden eagle can carry off a small fawn
or a kid or a wild turkey, and does it when op-
portunity offers. The latter [golden eagle] some-
times weighs twelve pounds and has an expanse
of wing of seven feet and a half.

FORMER AND LATTER

A student may be admitted without any knowl-
edge of either Greek or Latin, but he must offer
French or German as a substitute for the latter
language [Latin].

Here is the syllogism : The cases of China and
the Philippines are identical. In the former
[China] the President has pursued the only policy
-L'/nV/i [that] is right. In the latter [Philippines]
he has pursued a different policy, and it therefore
must be wrong.

A conductor who [that] is not afraid to per-
form [do] his duty will remove the obstructing
baggage if the owner refuses to do so [remove it].
But, should the conductor lack the will or the
nerve to protect the traveller in his rights, the
latter [traveller] will have the sympathy of his
fellow-travellers if he removes the obstructor's be-
longings.

Watts — The more I think of that fellow [fel-
low's] murdering another over fifteen cents, the
more awful it seems. Fancy a human life lost
for fifteen cents !

Potts — I see nothing in it. In the first place,
the affair occurred in Kentucky, and in the second
place, the money was part of a jackpot. There
are things in that State [Kentucky] more sacred
than life.

76 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

On the whole, then, Mr. Bryan, in spite of
inferior intellectuality, would wear better as a
leader than Mr. Towne. When the latter
[Towne] was rejected at Kansas City, it was a
protest against nominating a Republican on a
Democratic ticket.

It must be a government of intelligence as well
as one of honesty. An ignorant, incompetent
honest man in an important office is likely to do
more permanent harm than a rascal who [that]
is intelligent and progressive. The latter [rascal]
may steal some money, but the former [honest
ignoramus] may mar or destroy a park or boule-
vard or construct an eyesore of brick and stone
where there should be an artistic public edifice.

The one should come out or a government
should be repeated.

The professional politician is usually disposed
to decry and ridicule the professional reformer,
and the latter [reformer] can rarely see any good
in the politician.

Who will deny that former and latter are
much overworked? True, we couldn't get
along well without them, but nine times in
ten where now we use them they are not
needed.

THE ANTECEDENT CON-
STRUCTION

NEVER choose any antecedent construc-
tion, if you can well avoid it. The fewer
the antecedents, the more forcible the dic-
tion.

That the American people will express their
opinions in November, no one knows better than
Chairman Hanna, and hence the pressure that he
is bringing to bear on the coal barons to comply
with the miners' demands and put an end to the
strike. He [Mr. Hanna] is fearful, and justly
so [fearful], of its [the strike's] effect on the
American mind.

Eliza Ruhama Scidmore, who has written sev-
eral books on far Eastern countries, reminds those
who are looking for " the break-up of China "
that China has been " breaking up " and " dying "
for thousands of years, and will probably continue
to do so [break up] for thousands of years to
come.

Well, he came to Brook Farm ; and I remem-
ber that some of his natural predilections devel-

78 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

oped themselves there as they had not before been
able to do [develop]. — Charles A. Dana.

Under [in] these circumstances the patriotic
citizen has to consider this fall whether the public
interests are to be better advanced by maintain-
ing in power the present administration with all
its shortcomings or by providing a wholly un-
tried one [administration].

We will [shall] not all share alike, but some-
thing each one of us will get. Let us strive to
make the conditions of life such that as nearly
as possible each man shall receive the share to
•which he is honestly entitled [he is honestly en-
titled to] and no more ; and let us remember at
the same time that our efforts must be to build
up, rather than to strike down, and that we can
best help ourselves, not at the expense of others,
but by heartily working with them [others] for
the common good of each and all.

In this the Duke of Reichstadt dies a la
Camille, but before he docs so [dies] he receives,
so says the playbook, the " last sacraments."

This is the last Thanksgiving of the century.
That in itself is not a matter to be joyous over,
for it reminds us that we are getting along. But
it has been a very fine century for this country.

THE ANTECEDENT CONSTRUCTION

And the indications are that the next one [cen-
tury] will be more so [still finer for the country].

That is not the danger. They know that if I
am elected I will put the same kind of striped
clothes on a big thief that are put on a little
one [thief].

Is woman less or more intelligent than man ?
Less so [intelligent], decidedly, says Professor
Paolo Mantegazza.

We have no record of the part played by
Richelieu in the preceding debates, but that it
must have been a distinguished one [part] is
proved by the fact

Somewhat careless of the smaller moralkies,
still more so [careless] of his own reputation.

The days following were ones [days] of ter-
rible suspense at [in] Washington.

In discussing the South African crisis in the
Revue des Deux Mondes several months ago, a
Dutch writer, a member of the States-General of
the Netherlands, makes some remarks on im-
perialism which [that] are very striking, the
more so [striking], perhaps, because the writt-r
G

8o SOME ILL-USED WORDS

seems to have a genuine admiration for the Brit-
ish people.

It is to be observed that while the South Afri-
can republics made like requests of other Powers
the United States is the only one which [Power
that] complied.

It is noticed that the Eastern cities are now
growing about as fast as the Western ones
[cities], while the cities of the South are lagging
somewhat.

He observes, with an eye on Messrs. Carlisle,
Peabody, Dickinson, Morton, Eckels, and others,
that " those men who [that] clamor for reorgani-
zation after defeat are the very ones who [men
that] contribute to the defeat."

But while we recognize the perils of the pres-
ent and are bound to do our duty in meeting them,
the perils through which we have passed in safety
both give ground for hope that the present ones
[perils] will eventually be surmounted.

The campaign four years ago was notable for
its changes in the political alinement of State and
national leaders. The campaign this year has
not furnished as yet nearly as [so] large a num-
ber of surprises, but it has not been devoid of
them [surprises] by any manner of means.

THE ANTECEDENT CONSTRUCTION gl

I think there will be found a strange coinci-
dence in the range of their ages, which may ap-
pear to, at least [at least to], favor a more natu-
ral theory as explanation than the constant and
almost wearisome one [theory] of the epileptic
possession or influence.

The Bulgarian agitation — to a large extent a
sham one [agitation] — for the " redemption," as
it is called, of Macedonia, is a safety-valve that
relieves Prince Ferdinand from much unpleasant
criticism.

She had mistaken a desire to act for the ability
to do it [act]. — New York Sun.

The Kentucky is a sister ship of the Kearsarge
and was built at Newport News. These ships are
the only ones [ships] in any navy equipped with
superimposed turrets. On top of the turrets for
the 13-inch guns are placed smaller ones [turrets]
containing the four 8-inch guns.

This boot is much lighter and more flexible
than ordinary ones [boots].

But beside this, there are other questions you
have to consider as important, and even more so
(important], than the demand for [the] unlimited
coinage [coining] of silver.

82 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

The coming test of the silver question at the
polls must, in all human probability, be the final
one [test].

The city authorities are anxious [desirous] to
proceed with this work, but inform us that they
can not do so [proceed] until they are in a posi-
tion to make contracts for the interior work.

I hate a " coward," especially a dishonest one
[coward]. This man Sulzer at least has the
courage to tell the truth, and if I lived in his dis-
trict I would [should] vote for him.

. This is not the language of statesmanship, but
rather that [the language] of a candidate who is
not very particular what he says if it will bring
him the support of unthinking voters.

As to trusts, he declares that " if the present
law can be extended more certainly to control or
check these monopolies or trusts, it should be
done [extended] without delay."

The Know Nothing party showed that there
was dissatisfaction in the North with existing
political organizations and that a new one [or-
ganization] was needed.

The subtlety of his character was perhaps in-
dispensable in the atmosphere of deceit and plots

THE ANTECEDENT CONSTRUCTION 83

amid which he lived, but, while cunning may be
a serviceable quality, it is not an [a] heroic one
[quality].

The peace of 1783 was , a calamitous one
[peace] for England, and yet it was only with
difficulty obtained. — New York Sun.

This sentence would be further bettered
by changing the position of the words thus:
Was obtained only with difficulty. This
puts the most emphatic word at the end of
the sentence, besides keeping the parts of
the verb together.

Two nights ago, on top of all the hullabaloo
that landed him in Eldridge Street, a tramp
through his precinct and the two adjoining ones
[precincts], those in Fifth Street and Union
Market, at 2 A. M., discovered just one police-
man on post.

The political objections to Oriental labor are
scarcely less weighty than the economic ones [ob-
jections].

Blanche Walsh has a spell of polished comedy
and one [a spell] of rough melodrama in Mar-
celle. For the former [comedy] her stately beauty
is displayed in a pompadour toilet of a fine lady

84 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

of a century and a half ago in Quebec, when
French fashions prevailed in that city.

Our industrial and agricultural conditions are
more promising than they have been for many
years; probably more so [promising] than they
have ever been [before].

The American matron is just as powerful, and
a good deal more so [powerful], than the cele-
brated Mrs. Grundy.

Colonel Fellows's condition to-day is very
grave, more so [graver] than last night or yester-
day. There are serious doubts of his recovery.
— New York Evening Sun.

Headache is also very prevalent, but for this
they have a remedy, or what they allege to be
one [a remedy].

No one in official circles here has believed that
Russia would insist on withdrawing from Pekin
if the other Powers refused to do so [withdraw].

Then there would be a battle royal between
the various strong tribes to subdue the weaker
ones [tribes], then a fierce row to see who would
[should] come out on top.

THE ANTECEDENT CONSTRUCTION 85

The British Museum, in its manuscript depart-
ment, has an unrivalled collection of letters of
celebrities, and by far the most valuable one [col-
lection] in existence. In 1895 they commenced
[began] publishing a series of specimens of the
handwritings of royal, historical, literary, and
other eminent persons.

The tone of the leading Republican papers in-
duces us to believe that the policy of the White
House is to maintain American interests in op-
position to European ones [interests] in various
parts of the world more steadily than hitherto.

Even after the triumphs of the courts of law
had yielded to the greater ones [triumphs] of the
House of Commons, the title of " counsellor "
ever remained his favorite appellation with the
Irish peasantry.

Remember all the terrible things you said were
going to happen if you were not elected in 1896.
It was money in my pocket to have you beaten
then. It will be money in my pocket to have you
beaten next November, and I'm going to help do it
[beat you].

The country is still prosperous and will re-
main so [prosperous] under Republican manage-
ment.

86 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

" I know something I won't tell," sang the
widow boarder's little girl, as little girls have
done [sung] ever since language was invented.

It is a real pity, as much so [as great a pity]
as would be the destruction of the beautiful flow-
ers which [that] everywhere distil their perfumes
on the slumbrous air. — New York Sun.

And it would not if there were not plenty of
persons who had [that have] read it, as well as
many more who [that] may be expected to do so
[read it].

I wish I knew as much about anything as
Tom Macaulay does [knows] about everything —
meaning, of course, everything historical.

Can you pick out a man whose moral fibre is
any stronger, or is likely to be made so [stronger],
by the fact that McKinley was [has been] elected ?
Or one whose moral fibre would have been made
so [stronger] had Bryan been elected?

These monarchs behave very well when at-
tempts are made on their lives. Of course it is
part of their business to do so [behave well]. But
all the same, the display of professional spirit is
to be commended.

THE ANTECEDENT CONSTRUCTION g/

I agree with him, that this will be one of the
great issues in this campaign — aye, the paramount
one [issue] — upon which we may hope to receive
the support of Republicans.

Beyond doubt the present year is a critical
one [year] for our country.

The remarkable character of the wins made
by the Chicago man was the wonder of the racing
world, and they will become even more so [won-
derful] when it is known that he had not previ-
ously raced horses in this country.

Unless the police are willing to tell the truth,
or can be compelled to do so [tell the truth], we
may not be able, in many cases, to produce legal
evidence of this state of things that would satisfy
a grand jury.

Representatives of fifteen denominations pres-
ent. Theoretical topics considered yesterday.
Only practical ones [topics] are to be on the pro-
gramme from this time out.

That objection of Mr. Olney's may be passed
by. It is an old argument, but it was never a
good one [argument], even when it was new.

Some plays should never have a Metropolitan
1 first night," and such a one [play] is The Parish

88 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Priest, which Daniel Sully produced at the Four-
teenth Street Theatre last week.

This policy is not only patriotic but it is the
only safe one [policy] to pursue. Any other
policy would show weakness on the part of the
United States and invite foreign complications.

The most noteworthy feature of the coal
miners' strike is the familiar attempt of organ-
ized labor to force all men to leave work, whether
they want to do so [leave work] or not.

I have no more sympathy than he displays
with abstention from voting, a recognized method
• of expressing political opinions undoubtedly, but
to my mind a singularly ineffective one [method].

The office is one of the most attractive in the
Government, and was rendered doubly so [attrac-
tive] by the cordiality of your tender of it. —
Chauncey M. Dcpew.

In other cities of England the number of prin-
cipal centres, each with subordinate ones [cen-
tres], will number from one to six, according to
size.

My retirement dates from that year, not from
this. Few men have made more speeches for

THE ANTECEDENT CONSTRUCTION

their party than I have done [made], and no ex-
President, I am sure, has made so many.

Ptomaines may be developed from a variety
of foods, but the principal ones [foods] from
\\hich the poisoning occurs are meat, milk, shell-
fish, and fish.

When we told them that Admiral Dewey was
inclined to permit the three to go to Manila on
the collier Nanshan if they could give any good
reason for so doing [going], they informed us
that they did not wish to go to Manila until

As the number of persons using open cars in
this city is very large, and as every person travel-
ling in that way desires to occupy an end seat,
the question is a very important one. It is more
so [important] than that involving the right of
a passenger on a railroad car to place his bag-
gage in the seat beside him.

I never indulge in personalities. I have re-
frained from indulging in personalities through-
out the campaign and will [shall] continue to
do so [refrain].

In civilized countries the Jewish kitchen is,
after the vegetarian one [kitchen], the most nar-
rowly confined as far as selection goes. There,

90 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

where in all other kitchens the delicacies com-
mence [begin], the bill of fare of the Jewish
kitchen has already come to an end.

Now there is nothing at all humorous in any
of these things, as such. Nor do they become
any more so [humorous] when woven into the
texture of a song.

It seems that no one can go into court to
prosecute a just claim or resist an unjust one
[claim] without having his family skeleton pro-
duced and his private life made the subject of
public ridicule.

I had the good fortune to go through South
Dakota. There were few victories that gave me
more unalloyed satisfaction than the one [vic-
tory] in that State.

In the alleged fraudulent divorce suits which
[that] resulted in several indictments [indict-
ments'] being found by the grand jury, answers,
some of them alleged to have been " fake " ones
[answers], were interposed and the referees who
[that] heard the cases were imposed upon.

These two passages should be read in the light
of his declaration at Zanesville on September
4th : " The party stands where it did [stood] in
1896 on the money question."

THE ANTECEDENT CONSTRUCTION g\

Mention is made in the seventh century of our
era by a Chinese traveller of a city either on or
near the site of the present one [city], called
Tchatch or Jadj.

The way to stop this is not to wait until the
men have registered, but to stamp it out before
they have a chance to do so [register].

Villard first studied law. Beginning with
correspondence to German papers, and afterward,
as his English grew better, to American ones
[papers], he finally went into newspaper work.

That the sun was once much hotter is prob-
able, but [it is] equally so [probable] that at an
earlier period it was much colder.

The ultra-Conservative Kreuz Zeitung says in
regard to American relations with Europe that
Mr. McKinley's election will perhaps not inspire
so much confidence as Mr. Bryan's would have
given [inspired].

The writer thought he should not re-use
the word inspire. This aversion to re-using
a word often weakens the diction.

In response he announced that he was [is]
heartily in favor of the election of [electing]

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Bryan. He epitomized the issues that he con-
siders the leading ones [issues] of the cam-
paign.

Having practised the acquisition [acquiring]
of territory for nearly sixty years, the question
of constitutional power to do so [to acquire terri-
tory] is no longer an open one [question] with
us. — Lincoln.

It is fair to assume that his later prophecies
are worth just as much as his earlier ones
[prophecies] and that expansion will be the
source of new prosperity and power.

That the marquis's party is numerically strong
and influential through the character of the po-
litical leaders who [that] have already joined it,
or are likely to do so [join it] in the future, seems
to be the general opinion in Japan.

It has taken them a long time to get around
to this view, which is the logical one [view]. But
we may be happy yet.

He shows plainly that Aguinaldo, after the
Spanish-American War, was never at the head of
any government, unless a paper one which [gov-
ernment that] he created himself.

THE ANTECEDENT CONSTRUCTION

If the millionaires pay their proportion of the
tax this year and every succeeding one [year],
as the town people expect the assessors will make
them do, the town debt problem will be solved
easily.

The advantages are all on the side of
employing a non-antecedent locution. Not
only does it result in greater clearness and
strength, but it commonly produces better
rounded sentences.

ANTICIPATE

THIS is a much misused word. It is not
a synonym of expect, foresee, look forzvard
to, some of our lexicographers to the con-
trary notwithstanding. We do not, prop-
erly, anticipate a good time; we, properly,
expect to have, or look forward to Jiaving a
good time. We do not anticipate successes,
failures, or storms; we expect them. If I
know your sect, I anticipate your argument,
said Emerson; whereas Emerson should
have said, If I know your sect, I foresee
your argument.

Properly used, anticipate means, to take
beforehand; to go before so as to preclude;
to get the start of, or to get ahead of; to
enjoy, possess, or suffer in expectation; to
foretaste.

The word is correctly used thus:

Seward, learning of the doings of the caucus,
anticipated the action of the committee by send-
ing in his resignation. — Lothrop.

ANTICIPA TE

If not anticipated, I shall make an attempt at
a magazine paper on The Philosophy of Point. —
Poe.

The chief portion of Professor Espy's theory
has been anticipated. — Poe.

Why should we

Anticipate our sorrows? 'Tis like those
Who die for fear of death. — Shakespeare.

But, after all, it may simply anticipate on the
English of the future. — Hall.

It is well to have it understood that our mu-
nicipal authorities had anticipated by practical
work the proclamation issued by the President.
New York Sun.

Politeness seeks the opportunity to please, and
renders asking unnecessary by anticipating the
wishes.

But ex-Senator Gorman's off-hand remarks on
the politics of the day are always vague, for he
was never inclined to anticipate events.

From all appearances, the proclamations an-
ticipate the facts by only a short time, for each
day shows more and more plainly the disintegra-

96 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

tion of the Boer forces and the increasing power
of the British in the two republics.

During our Revolutionary War, Great Britain
had to face a combination. In the course of that
contest a Franco-Spanish fleet cruised triumphant
in the British Channel, and, could the allies have
agreed, or could they have been commanded by
a man of even moderate capacity [ability], they
might have anticipated Napoleon's dream, and
ended forever the dominion of England. — New
York Sun.

Here is an excellent example of the cor-
rect use of anticipate. Capacity is shown in
quickness to perceive; ability is shown in
quickness to do. Ability does what is per-
ceived by capacity; ability supposes doing.

And so these people who pack up and get
back to town with pleasant anticipations of set-
tling down for the winter will be disappointed,
just as they were last year and the year before.

This, doubtless, would be generally reck-
oned a correct use of anticipations, yet for
my part, I should very much prefer expecta-
tions.

Tesla's plan for " insulation by freezing " was
anticipated about two years ago by Prof. R. A.

ANTICIPA TE

Fessenden, so the latter [Professor] writes to The
Electrical World.

I would not anticipate the relish of any, nor
feel the weight of any misery, before it actually
arrives. — Addison.

In the chapters allotted to New Zealand it is,
indeed, surprising to remark to what an extent
Sir Joseph Banks was able to anticipate what we
now know of the Maoris. — New York Sun.

The results of the exploration will probably
show that Nippur was as important in the fifth
millennium before Christ as it was in the third,
that it anticipated the civilization and the period
when Babylon took the lead by at least two thou-
sand years.

Our travelling restaurants have been antici-
pated many years by the Chinese purveyor of
food, who carries his table on one end of a pole,
balanced by his stove and cooking utensils on the
other.

The Secretary for the Colonies anticipated
inquiry on this last delicate question by saying
that reasonable men would not ask the Govern-
ment to fix a time for " full self-government." —
New York Sun.

SO ME ILL-USED WORDS

Secretary Gage announces that the Treasury
will anticipate the payment of interest on bonds
due January 1st.

What an admirable word anticipate is
when properly used! But when it is made
the word of all-work, as it is by the slovens,
what an offensive word it becomes!

Examples of the correct use of anticipate
are not easy to find; not so, however, with
examples of its misuse. They abound.
Here are some of the many I have gathered:

The dismemberment of China seems almost in-
evitable. It is not anticipated [expected] that
Russia will withdraw in any circumstances, but
will re-enforce her troops now occupying Man-
churia.

No one anticipated [expected] that we would
[should] attain our plurality of four years ago.
This was abnormal and was largely due [owing]
to the fact that but little concerted effort was
made by the Democrats to get out their party
vote.

An account zvhich [that] is published by the
headquarters staff of the occupation of Kerin and
Bedune, Manchuria, by the Russians, concludes
by stating that further hostilities in that country
are not anticipated [looked for, or expected].

ANTICIPA TE

They do not anticipate [look for, or expect]
any hostile demonstrations in either America or
Great Britain, but they know, too, that unlimited
immigration of oppressed Jews from Europe will
not be permitted in either of those countries.

It is anticipated [expected] that the recog-
nized government in China will be forced to
make promises which [that] the anti-foreign ele-
ment will not greet with favor.

There was no tendency, however, to congratu-
late each other [one another] on the fact that
fewer miners had gone out than the union lead-
ers expected. In fact, it was said that the strike
is no [not] less serious than has been anticipated
[it was thought it would be].

It will not be as [so] large as I had antici-
pated [expected], considering the fact that the
party organization was so active and united.
Four years ago the Democrats did not get out
much over [more than] half of their vote.

The empress has ordered a commissioner to
investigate the conduct of the southern viceroys,
who entered into compacts with the foreign con-
suls for the protection of [to protect the] mis-
sionaries. Their degradation is anticipated [It
is expected that they will be degraded].

IOQ SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Did all the southern viceroys enter into
compacts, or only a part of them? With
the comma, the sentence says that all did;
but this is evidence that has little weight.
So long as the relative pronouns are used
as they are now commonly used, ambigu-
ous sentences similar to this will frequently
be met with.

We do not anticipate [look for, or expect]
any alternative, for we are a peaceful, law-abid-
ing people. We shall be loyal subjects and we
shall keep our part of the agreement.

I can not tell you how we expect to bring
about this scheme, but I will say that I do not
anticipate [look for, or expect] any further
trouble. It is not yet entirely settled, but I am
confident that we have overcome all obstacles.

Do you anticipate that the free coinage of
silver will be an important issue in the next presi-
dential campaign? — New York Sun.

The barbarity of this use of anticipate
could not be overtopped.

These statesmen, as Mr. Foster reminds us,
could not, in their times, anticipate [foresee] the

ANTICIPATE I0i

influence of two physical factors which [that]
have since changed the whole aspect of the ques-
tion of territorial expansion, to wit : steam and
electricity.

The President has said that he does not antici-
pate [expect, or look for] any trouble with Spain
over the Cuban situation.

An exceedingly interesting gathering is antici-
pated [expected].

It was evident from the actions of the crowd
and the remarks made that a demonstration of
some kind was anticipated.

Looked for, or expected.

Trade is paralyzed and many bankruptcies are
anticipated. The French charge d'affaires tried
ineffectually to protect French interests.

Looked for, or expected.

"They were scared, and the man who had a
small sum in a bank was scared worse than the
man with a big one [sum]. They shied at the
16 to i."

" You favored it. Did you anticipate [fore-
see?] the result?"

102 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Ex-Governor Levi P. Morton, of New York,
said to-day that he could only speak reservedly
on American affairs until his arrival home. He
anticipated an early settlement of the Chinese
question.

Looked for, or expected.

It is the worst of follies to allow the antici-
pation that other people's foolishness will render
futile our own wise action to lure us into acting
foolishly ourselves.

Expectation.

The statement that General Gaselee has
stopped British re-enforcements arriving at
Hongkong from proceeding farther north is taken
as an indication that the British Government
anticipates that the diplomatists will very shortly
take the place now occupied by the military.

It is fair to presume that the writer of
this sentence does not know that we have
the word expect. Re-enforcements should be
in the possessive case.

The provisions of the treaty are so eminently
just and fair that the assent of Venezuela thereto
may confidently be anticipated [expected]. —
President Cleveland.

ANTICIPA TE I03

The Reichstag will meet on November I4th,
when stormy debates on China and violent at-
tacks on the Government's policy are antici-
pated.

Expected.

O'Connell, who had long anticipated such a
contingency, at once issued a proclamation in his
own name countermanding the meeting.

Expected.

This activity has been anticipated and re-
ported upon in letters August 25th, and cable
August 3 1 st.

Was foreseen?

No steam sizes of anthracite to be had, -even
now, it is reported. Plenty of stove sizes, but re-
tailers anticipate a rise and, besides, may want
to make some money.

Expect, or look for.

General MacArthur recalls the department's
attention to his letters of last August, in which
he anticipated a renewal of Filipino hostilities.

Predicted? To what a variety of uses
the word is put!

IO4 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Anticipating storms of an exceptionally dan-
gerous character, all shipping on Lake Michigan
has been advised to remain in port.

Fearing?

Anticipating that the properties of the Emi-
gres would be confiscated, he sold his castles and
forest before the laws against the Emigres were
promulgated.

Foreseeing, or expecting, or fearing;
certainly not anticipating.

The breaking of the concert is hardly to be
anticipated unless the United States have in view
some new combination of the Powers.

Expected, or, perhaps, feared.

The Opera House was owned by a stock com-
pany. It was newly fitted up at the opening of
the season, and a successful year was anticipated.

Expected, or looked for.

Conditions at Galveston seem to be worse, if
possible, than first anticipated.

Thought to be.

There had been more or less curiosity to see
this new work of Rostand's, and it was easy to

ANT1CIPA TE

105

anticipate that this, added to the usual demand
for first-night seats, would make a brisk sale.

Foresee.

Judgment in his case was delivered on May
3Oth. O'Connell had not been mistaken when he
anticipated that the punishment would be a severe
one.

Predicted? The a and one are worse
than useless.

No disturbance of Republican cart-tail meet-
ings here anticipated. Maurice B. Blumenthal
loads four issues on to his orators and gives them
a sample of blague. .

Expected, looked for.

Our enthusiastic correspondent seems to an-
ticipate some very good results from the verdict
of the people. He will not be disappointed.

Expect, look for.

These are some of the more important means
of avoiding the revolution which [that] the writer
anticipates.

Fears?

IO6 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Had that fleet been as powerful as was gen-
erally believed and had Dewey met with the op-
position that was anticipated [expected], he
would . . . have endeavored to carry out his
instructions.

The State Board of Charities has always been
friendly to me and I anticipate no friction from
this investigating committee.

It is not probable that Commissioner
Keller used the word anticipate. He, prob-
ably, said he did not look for any friction.

Words might be likened to. the em-
ployees of a large establishment where each
has special duties to perform and where
satisfactory service is possible only by re-
stricting each to his special field.

ERRORS IN TENSE

ERRORS in using the tenses are very
abundant. The error most frequently met
with is that of using the imperfect tense
where the perfect tense is required.

Properly, we use the imperfect tense
when the time is given: The tallest man I
saw in Paris; the tallest man I ever have
seen, i. e., anywhere, at any time. The per-
fect tense always reaches to the present;
the imperfect tense is always limited by
some specified period past and gone.

To use the imperfect tense, then, where
the perfect is required is absolutely inde-
fensible.

I never saw a more determined purpose than
that pervading our membership.— Charles A.
Dana.

Have seen.

Mr. Rice was one of the most careful eaters
I ever knew.

Have known.

107

IO8 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Perhaps it never occurred to you that the
charges at a first-class hotel are exceedingly low.
Very possibly, on the other hand, it has struck
you that they were [are] high. — Home Journal.

Has occurred.

We can equip your office with everything in
office furniture you ever saw.

Have seen.

One of the saddest sights I ever saw was the
placing of a $300 rosewood piano in a country
school in the South that was located in the midst
of the " Black Belt."

Have seen.

The panic and period of depression would set
in the morning after election. There would be
a pell-mell rush to unload stocks and bonds and
other securities the like of which was never seen
in this country.

Never has been seen.

As religion has its martyrs, politics has its
slaves, and among examples of such slavery the
Hon. Richard Olney, of Massachusetts, is the
most remarkable that we ever heard of.

Ever have heard.

ERRORS IN TENSE

ICQ

All this imperialism and militarism talk is the
worst tommyrot I ever listened to. No citizen
of the United States, with as much brains as an
ape, has the slightest fear that any President —
Democrat, Republican, Populist, Prohibitionist, or
what-not — is going to turn himself into an em-
peror, or that he could if he wanted to [would].

Ever have listened.

Roosevelt is a hero. He is one of the most
successful campaigners that the Republican party
ever had.

Ever has had.

John R. Walsh, president of the Chicago Na-
tional Bank, says that he never knew a time when
commercial paper was paid more promptly than
to-day.

Never has known.

It is the only sensible book on the subject that
I ever saw.

Ever have seen.

I wish to state that so far as the Democracy of
the city of New York is concerned, there never
was a time when it was more united and in
accord.

Never has been.

IIO SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Another common error is that of put-
ting two verbs in a past tense, when only
one should be in that time.

Those were parts which [that] might have
been supposed to have belonged to me, as I had
been here for several years before him. — New
York Sun.

To belong.

The time is sufficiently indicated by the
first verb — were.

In this case, how much wiser it would have
been to have taught the girls in this community
sewing, intelligent and economical cooking,
housekeeping, something of dairying and horti-
culture !

To teach.

It is probable, however, that as soon as time
enough has elapsed for the Czar to have heard
from this Government the matter will be made
public.

To hear.

They will prove our Nemesis for not having
been wise enough and strong enough, for not
having been right-minded enough and unselfish

ERRORS Iff TENSE \\\

enough to have prevented this war in the days
when it might have been prevented.

To prevent.

If they did they may fairly claim, I think, to
be the last amateur sportsmen to have killed a
buffalo on his native range.

To kill.

It was the intention to have captured the city
by Sunday, after which an immediate move was
to have been made upon Porto Rico.

To capture. To be made.

It might have been wiser ; it certainly would
have been more dignified, to have said nothing,
rather than to have filled the air with magnilo-
quent phrases which [that] are not to be followed
by action [acts?].

To say. To fill.

In the first place a representative of the Public
Hack Owners' Union stood up and very rapidly
recited a little speech to the effect that his or-
ganization deplored such occurrences, and that
he deeply regretted that a gentleman of such
prominence should be the first to have felt it
8

112

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

necessary to use the courage required to bring
complaint forward in this public way.

To feel.

I think it would have been better for the
G. A. R. committee to have given the name or
names of the book or books from which the ex-
tracts quoted were taken and to have named the
Southern schools that were using those specific
books.

To give. To name.

At the time of the civil war the only way to
secure peace was to fight for it, and it would have
been a crime against humanity to have stopped
fighting before peace was secured.

To Stop.

There were police enough, mounted and on
foot, to have held a small army in check.

To hold.

I would have given $500 to have landed that

fish.

To land.

Had any such feeling survived, the intention
of Mr. O'Connell in making the communication

EKKOKS IN TENSE j \ 3

which [that] he had recently made would not
have failed completely to have extinguished
them.

To extinguish.

We would [should] have much preferred, and
it would have been largely to our financial [pe-
cuniary] interests, to have done the work on the
whole of Broadway both night and day, more par-
ticularly at night.

To do.

Surely the plainer and more honorable course
would have been to have opposed its ratification.

To oppose.

" If you were running your precinct properly
there would not have been any place for him to
have gone into to gamble," said the magis-
trate.

To go.

A Richard Mansfield would have imbued the
mobs and courtiers who wandered woodenly
through the acts with enough of his own fire to
have made them seem almost human.

To make.

114 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

The pressure from every side was sufficient
to have carried a light-weight President off his
feet.

To carry.

They were to have played a scene from
L'Aiglon at a benefit for the Texas storm suffer-
ers, but it was impossible to find a suitable
theatre.

To play.

Though often used as such, were never
is a grammatical past or future subjunc-
tive; at the best it is a reportorial subjunc-
tive, except when used in the present tense.

The fish towed the light skiff as if it were
a cork, making some swift dashes far under the
boat.

Had been.

If Great Britain were defeated by the Boers
she would be driven out of South Africa alto-
gether.

Should be.

A young woman tried to drown herself in the
North River yesterday. Before jumping in she

ERRORS IN TENSE ric;

carefully gathered up her short skirt as if she
were about to walk across a muddy street.

Had been.

He looked much as if he were ill, and it was
said by his mother and sister, who were in the
courtroom, that he should be sent to a hospital,
as he was anything but a well man.

Was.

Should he decide to give up his visits, it would
be a decided check to the diplomacy that planned
them, and unless some counterstroke were made,
would weaken its influences in the future.

Should be.

The use of the word " abuses " in the Quarto
of 1864, indicates either that Shakespeare had the
Hystorie before him when he wrote, or that the
older play, if there were one

Was.

The people of London were delighted at the
repeal of the Stamp Act and it seemed as if all
the trouble were at an end.

Was.

He was treated by all those around him with
the greatest respect, as though [if] he were a

H6 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

healthy, sane man ; never a word about him was
spoken in his presence, as he might possibly have
understood.

Had been.

Just what form this open warfare will take
can not as yet be definitely stated, but all Mul-
berry Street buzzed to-day with rumors that if
the decision were adverse immediate action would
be set on foot toward effecting the chiefs removal.

Should be. There are writers that seem
to think that were, whether the time be
past, present, or future, is the only form of
the verb to be that should follow if.

For more than two decades, indeed, contract-
ors have complained that English firms were dila-
tory, and that Englishmen would [will] seldom
leave their dinners or their sport for business.

Are.

One of the latter explained that Jews -were
not unlike Christians in that respect. Some were
devout worshippers, others were more inclined to
worship Mammon.

Are.

But if this be so the operators might meet on
a friendly basis with the representatives of the

ERRORS IN TENSE

i\7

mine workers, show them they were unreasonable
in their demands, wherein they were unreason-
able, and all would be peace instead of strife.

Are.

The candidate could tell the Mayor that par-
ties were essential to policy, that there have al-
ways [always have] been and always will be par-
ties, and that any politician who [that] thinks he
could get on without them [parties] is a dreamer.

Are.

Never use a word that sends the reader
in search of an antecedent, if you can well
avoid it. Such words always weaken the
diction.

He said there were now forty-one companies
in Richmond, with a membership of 4,000, and
twenty-nine companies in Queens with a large
membership.

Are now.

I remember reading years ago that with the
ancients the practice existed of bringing out at
all public banquets a cloaked and hooded figure,
masked, with the skull and crossbones, to indi-
cate that all human triumphs were ephemeral and
that man was [is] but mortal.

Are.

Il8 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

The Kansas and Nebraska act of 1854 was
sufficient notice, if any were needed, to the North,
that the compromise measures of 1850 were not
" finalities."

Was.

Mr. Coler was quite indignant about it. Mr.
Coler said that if the Governor were quoted cor-
rectly, his remark was unfair.

Was.

The imperfect tense is often used when
the thought requires the present.

He caused a sensation by his scathing arraign-
ment of his former colleagues. He declared that
followers of Bryan were [are] not entitled to a
party name, being men of all parties who for the
last twenty-five years had [have] nursed griev-
ances. The chief issue in this campaign was [is]
silver, he said, and " imperialism " was [is] only
a scarecrow set up to obscure the real object. Ex-
pansion, he said, had [has] ever been a Demo-
cratic policy, and acquisitions of territory had
[have] been made under Democratic administra-
tions, without the consent of the governed.

The announcement of the Philippine Com-
mission that it was about to assume legislative
and appointive powers under the decree of Presi-

ERRORS IN TENSE

dent McKinley has pleased the business com-
munity.

Is.

The British will remembef that General Sher-
man informed [told?] them what war was sev-
eral years ago. — The Chicago Record.

Is.

And the fact that Mr. Belmont has repeatedly
asserted that he was responsible for the opinions
expressed in his paper is now giving that staunch
free silverite more than his peck of trouble.

Is.

When this was written, the paper was
appearing regularly, and Mr. Belmont's re-
lations to it were unchanged.

He quoted Sobolkin, the great Russian re-
former, who gave a description of Jews in Rus-
sian towns, and declared that they were worse
off than any [other] people in the whole world.

Are.

Louis V. Bell made a bet of $10,000 to $25,000
with A. C. Tower, of Tower & Sherwood, on the
general result, taking the Bryan end of it. It

12O SOME ILL-USED WORDS

was reported that the $10,000 was money of
Richard Croker [Croker's], but this was not
admitted.

Is.

This is not a statement of what took
place at some past time; it is essentially this:
Bell bet yesterday, or this afternoon, and the
story goes that the money is Croker's, but
this is not admitted.

The Republican National Committee made no
mistake when it called on Theodore Roosevelt
to show the country the kind of stuff he was
made of.

Is.

His physician, Dr. Burke, said last night that
Mr. Faversham's condition was very favorable.
Dr. Burke said that while he was not yet out of
danger there was every hope of recovery.

Is.

A table of the fastest fifty-seven railroad
trains in the world which [that] was printed in
an English newspaper recently snowed that Eng-
land was no longer in the van.

Is.

ERRORS IN TENSE I2i

Mr. Altgeld admitted sadly that Illinois was
in doubt, and then he said that the wicked Re-
publicans had [have] a campaign fund of at least
$25,000,000 with which they intended [intend] to
corrupt the free and independent voters of the
United States. Mr. Altgeld said that he was very
much shocked at this, and then, without any par-
ticular reason, he said that he was very much
dissatisfied with the manner in which Chairman
Benjamin B. Odell of the Republican State Com-
mittee was acting in this campaign.

Is. Since the present is the most forci-
ble of the tenses, it is a great mistake to
put what is really present in the past.

Dr. Charles F., of New Jersey, corroborated
last night the report printed in the newspapers
that he was to marry Miss Mary E. W., the
authoress. The doctor said that he and Miss W.
had [have] kept their engagement a secret for
the reason that she was at work writing a new
novel, and under [in?] the circumstances to an-
nounce

Is.

If you were to attempt to define a " trust,"
in all probability you would say it was a corpora-
tion designed or calculated to produce a mo-
nopoly.

Is.

122 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Confucius would be called an agnostic now.
He taught that there were four topics to be
avoided.

Are.

He proposed that the testimony of Mrs. Cox
be allowed and then stricken out later, if it were
found to be illegal.

Should be.

No one will question the importance of
using the verbs correctly. We commonly
are understood when we do not use them
correctly; so we may be, and often are,
understood when we do not say just what
we intend to say. The diction, however, is
never good, unless the thought intended is
clearly and grammatically expressed.

ANXIOUS

THIS word is continually made to do
duty for desirous, and that, too, by wellnigh
everybody, by the lettered as well as by the
unlettered. If used only when it should be
used, anxious would not be used once where
now it is used twenty times. On the other
hand, if desirous were used when it should
be used, it would be used twenty times
where now it is used hardly once. Indeed,
anxious has banished desirous — which, prop-
erly, is not even its synonym — from , the
vocabulary of many a one that is reckoned
among good speakers.

Where there is anxiety, there is always
dread, fear, mental distress, painful solici-
tude, apprehensive foreboding; whereas in
desire there is only a wish, a longing, as a
desire to be rich, to see the world, to be
famous.

Anxiety and solicitude are close syno-
nyms, anxiety being the stronger term.

123

124

SO ME ILL-USED WORDS

Not infrequently, anxiety is used when so-
licitude would be the proper term.

Here are two sentences that I used in
The Verbalist as examples of the correct
use of anxious:

Then he was trying his 'prentice hand and was
more anxious about the treatment than about the
matter. — Julian Hawthorne.

Is not anxious too strong a term?
Would not concerned or solicitous be quite
strong enough? Of veritable anxiety there
could hardly have been any.

Naturally she was anxious about the appear-
ance he made in what is called society. — Badeau.

I am now inclined to think that the
thought would be better expressed by so-
licitous. She was solicitous with regard to
the appearance he made.

The office of the Monarch Line of steamships
had many callers yesterday. They had friends or
relatives on board the Lydian Monarch and were
anxious in regard to their fate.

Here, no other word would serve.

ANXIOUS

125

The story of a man who [that] grew gray in
the space of one night's anxiety is very famous.
— Spectator.

I am very sincerely solicitous for the preserva-
tion [preserving] or curing of Mr. Langton's
sight. — Johnson.

Of the many examples I have gathered
of the misuse of anxious, here are a few :

We are anxious to make this point clear so as
to avoid any disappointment.

Surely desirous is as strong a term as is
here required. Of anxiety there can be
none.

Not that the benefits granted to Germany are
important, as German wines chiefly are affected;
but the agreement is taken as an indication that
both the American and the German Governments
are anxious to avoid a tariff war.

Desirous.

The justices of the Supreme Court, who are
most anxious to prevent any wrong practices in
the divorce court, have for a long time been try-
ing to formulate some plan to prevent the court
[court's] being imposed upon and deceived.

Desirous.

126 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Then will arise the question of details of the
indemnities and means of security. Therefore
the Chinese Commissioners are more anxious
than the Powers to hurry [hasten] the negotia-
tions to a close.

Desirous.

One thousand tons of coal were mined in the
two collieries which [that] were in operation
yesterday, and one mine is still working to-day.
Mr. Thorne said that 80 per cent of his men were
anxious and willing to get back.

Desirous.

Germany is not in favor of continuing hos-
tilities in China. She is most anxious that the
Powers agree upon a middle course, pleasing alike
to those nations which [that] favor the occupa-
tion of Pekin and those which [that] would like
to withdraw.

Desirous.

The property adjoins that of John D. Rocke-
feller, who is said to be desirous of getting rid of
Melin and his saloon. The saloon keeper is anx-
ious to sell, but it is said wants too high a price.

This writer evidently thinks that desir-
ous and anxious are interchangeable. De-
sirous to get.

ANXIOUS

127

The great success of American jockeys has of
course stirred up a little jealousy, but the ma-
jority of English racing men are, I am sure, anx-
ious to treat us fairly.

Desirous.

Belief that he has now asserted his authority
and will behead Prince Tuan. To leave the Em-
press Dowager at Singan-fu. No Power anxious
to prolong the crisis.

Desirous.

Mr. Olney dismisses free silver at 16 to i
without even mentioning it, lumping it with other
minor differences of opinion -which [that] may
be overlooked by any Democrat anxious to remain
with his party.

Desirous.

For himself, being anxious to get the ordeal
of his maiden speech over as soon as possible,
he spoke on the very evening when [that] he
entered Parliament.

Desirous.

But however much the American heiress may
pity the princeling who has placeu his art treas-
ures and himself at her feet, she will do well to
0

I2g SOME ILL-USED WORDS

ask, " Would you be so anxious to marry me if
you could sell your pictures ? "

Desirous.

Mayor Joseph Mason's office was surrounded
last night by over [more than] five hundred
people, all anxious to catch sight of a woman in
man's clothes who [that] had caused the arrest
of her husband for assault.

Desirous.

But all of them are interested in the welfare
of the Manhattan Club and are anxious to see it
successful.

Desirous.

Moreover, England is anxious to enlist the in-
tervention of the United States in the Chinese
settlement, and she could not have looked for aid
in this direction from Mr. Bryan.

Desirous.

There was one thing he was particularly anx-
ious to have made clear, and that was that he had
not been in Mount Vernon since the night his def-
alcation was discovered.

Desirous.

ANXIOUS

129

Mr. Burdine was very anxious to have the
mother back. She had long been a faithful and
trusted servant.

Desirous.

The reason for Michael's glee was that eggs
are selling for 24 cents a dozen, and twenty-four
dozen would cost $5.76. He forgot that others
besides Baker were anxious to see the fun, and
that $5.76 was but a small item among 150 men.

Desirous.

The late king once remarked, it seems, that he
was not particularly anxious to acquire all the
youth and beauty of Siam himself, but, as so many
of her fairest daughters had already been pre-
sented to him, he could not possibly refuse similar
gifts in the future, as he did not wish to offend
any of his subjects.

Desirous.

Boston has been very generous in the past in
all such cases, and the mayor is anxious that the
city shall maintain its reputation for open-handed-
ness.

Desirous.

We are most anxious to preserve our his-
torical continuity, and we are far too patriotic

130 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

ever to dream of such a thing as denationali-
zation.

Desirous.

I am certainly as anxious to maintain the gold
standard as you are. — Carl Schurz's letter to Sec-
retary Gage.

Desirous.

Wiggs — Why are you so anxious to be cast
for the role of Hamlet?

Futlites — As I recollect the part, I get a
chance to kill most of the other members of the
company.

Desirous.

Of course I am very anxious to get married
immediately. I told her, however, that I was
willing to wait until she had finished this new
novel.

Desirous.

I am very anxious to make a success in the
new piece, and if hard work will accomplish it I
will [shall]. We begin rehearsals to-morrow
morning, and there will be a lot of work before
we will [shall] have it ready for the stage.

Desirous.

ANXIOUS 131

We are gathered here to-night as patriotic citi-
zens, anxious to do something toward reinstating
the prosperity of our fellow-countrymen, and pro-
tecting the fair fame of our nation against shame
and scandal.

Desirous.

Mr. Bryan was so anxious to have this treaty
ratified that he came in person to Washington
to use his influence with the opposition Senators
in its behalf, and he himself has admitted that
he was responsible for its ratification.

Desirous. If he was, he still is, hence
why not write is?

The Republican party is not afraid to meet
any issue, past or present. I am always anxious
myself to oblige my adversaries by discussing any
subject they may select.

Desirous.

The Government is anxious to have the ne-
gotiations transferred to some place remote from
Pekin, such as Brussels, Berne, or The Hague.

Desirous.

For this reason he was so anxious to secure
the contract that he was willing to pay liberally.

Desirous.

132

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

For some time past it has been known that
Lieutenant-Governor Woodruff has been anxious
to reorganize the party in Kings in order to at-
tract to it the independent element for the coming
municipal campaign.

Desirous.

The Government is anxious to have some
naval representation on the west side of the
Isthmus during the present disturbed condition
of political affairs in Colombia, but does not re-
gard the situation as so serious as to demand
immediate attention.

Desirous.

We write best when we say just what
we would say and say no more. The fre-
quency of our talking about Anxiety when
we mean Desire, does not lessen its dic-
tional sinfulness.

FINANCIAL

HERE is a verbal invader that, probably,
has as much to answer for as any other
\vord in the language.

Financial, pecuniary, and monetary,
though related in signification, are not in-
terchangeable. A monetary transaction is
one in which money changes hands; pe-
cuniary refers to a transaction in which
value is involved; financial is used in speak-
ing of the money affairs, the finances, of a
government and of private business enter-
prises of great magnitude. Successes are
pecuniary, not financial, and we assist our
friends pecuniarily, not financially.

Scores of others have been bribed by appoint-
ments to the Senate of Canada for life, and others
by invitations to accept seats in the Cabinet, and
hundreds of others by financial considerations ex-
pressed in public contracts, land grants, grants of
timber lands, and mines of great value.

Had Sir John A. Macdonald offered the Hon.
Sir Oliver Mowat a financial consideration for

134

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

his support of British connection he would have
spurned it with contempt. — Alice Stone Black-
well.

Pecuniary, or money consideration.

One of the most serious features of the Gal-
veston storm from a financial standpoint, is that
there were scarcely a dozen storm policies held
in the entire city, according to a statement of
Mr. Charles Janvier, of this city, president of the
Sun Insurance Company, of New Orleans, and
one of the besi-posted [informed] insurance men
in the South.

Monetary, or money.

From the financial standpoint the college
women married better than the non-college
women.

Pecuniary, or worldly; certainly not
financial.

It is alleged by the detectives that Mulhall,
who, they assert, is Salman, received credit from
a number of firms, who took the circular as a true
statement of his financial responsibility.

Pecuniary.

The directors of the company operating the
mill say that they kept the mill in operation dur-

FINANCIAL

135

ing the summer at a financial loss because they
did not want to throw the girls out of work and
in order to retain them for the busy season.

Pecuniary.

The men who [that] put up the money were
the Hon. Richard Croker, Chieftain of the New
York Democracy, and some of his political and
financial friends.

Moneyed.

No one is financially interested in this latest
undertaking but myself. Because of my experi-
ence I think I am more competent than any
[other] manager or [any] architect in this city to
build the kind of a playhouse the people want.

Pecuniarily.

The financial profit obtained by Secretary
Long's refusal to accept the original bids is con-
siderable.

Pecuniary.

We have now been paying these debts and
bringing home many of our securities and estab-
lishing countervailing credits abroad by [with?]
our loans, and placing ourselves upon [on] a sure
foundation of financial independence.

Pecuniary.

136 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

At that time the Manhattan was housed in
the Stewart Mansion at Thirty-fourth Street
and Fifth Avenue, and was in a bad way finan-
cially.

Pecuniarily.

The company had been in financial difficulties
for over [more than] a year, but through heavy
advances had been kept afloat until after its
through line had been completed.

Pecuniary, or money difficulties.

Money, so far as I know, is not recog-
nized as an adjective, yet it would not re-
quire much courage so to use it.

News of Henry V as a financial success seems
to have reached London. Lewis Waller, a popu-
lar actor there, says that he will [shall] revive
the Shakespeare drama on a fine scale at the
Lyceum.

Pecuniary.

The play will undoubtedly have a great finan-
cial success.

Pecuniary.

Auditor Castle, of the Post Office Department,
made public to-day a statement which [that]

FINANCIAL

137

shows the entire financial result of the postal
service for the year 1900.

Monetary.

Furthermore, all his financial obligations to
the estate are to be cancelled. — New York Sun.

Pecuniary.

The President is not unmindful of the dis-
tressed financial condition of Spain, and what-
ever consideration the United States may show
must come from its sense of generosity and be-
nevolence, rather than from any real or technical
obligation.

Spain was in want of money, hence her
troubles were pecuniary, if she had been
well supplied with money, but had had dif-
ficulty in managing her finances — if her
finances had simply been in a tangle— her
troubles would have been financial. Being
in financial difficulties is, by a good deal,
not so serious a matter as being in pecun-
iary difficulties. True, the thing that com-
monly makes financiering difficult is a lack
of means.

As far as any one here knows, he is in that
same financial condition to-day.

Pecuniary.

138 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

There will be a thorough canvass of the under-
graduate and alumni bodies this fall for sub-
scribers to the orchestra fund, and there is little
fear that any financial deficit will ensue.

Monetary.

Hinsdale being a small county and in financial
straits, there is no regularly appointed deputy
sheriff, so the imprisoned physician claims this
office.

Pecuniary or monetary.

We do not believe that it will be a failure. Its
financial success for one year at least is secured
in advance, providing [provided] the editor's in-
numerable friends do their duty at the beginning,
and providing [provided] likewise that Mr.
Bryan is careful that The Commoner does not
degenerate into The Communist. — New York
Sun, December 29, /poo.

Pecuniary.

It is quite as difficult, perhaps, always to
use financial, pecuniary, and monetary cor-
rectly as it is to use generally, commonly,
and usually correctly. Who is the he or
the she that does it? Financial would be
little used, if used only in its true significa-
tion.

HURRY

As an invader, hurry is a close second to
anxious. Hurry has crowded haste pretty
nearly out of the vocabulary field. Hurry,
if properly used, is a word that would be
used rarely, whereas haste, now little used,
is a word that would be used much, if hurry
would but keep out of its field.

Though widely different in meaning,
both the noun and the verb hurry are con-
tinually used in the sense of haste- and
hasten.

Hurry implies not only haste, but haste
with confusion, flurry; to move or to act
with injurious haste. Haste, to the con-
trary, implies only celerity of movement,
despatch, speed, expedition, an eager de-
sire to make progress. Unlike hurr\, haste
is not incompatible with dignity and delib-
eration. In hurry there is an absence of
forethought and method. Hasten we often

139

140

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

should, but hurry never! Properly, then, we
tell others to make haste, not to hurry up.

The bookkeeper may sometimes be in haste,
but of all men he should never be in a hurry. —
/. M. Buckley.

It is rough all around for Spain, so much so
[rough] that we could [should?] not be surprised
if Weyler were any day to jump into one of the
cars of the railroad train which [that] is held in
readiness for him, and hurry back to Havana.
— New York Sun.

Hasten.

The aldermen are in no hurry to revive street
music. — New York Sun.

Haste.

Though I am in a great hurry, I can not let
the opportunity slip to let you know —

Great haste.

If you do not hurry, you will be late.
Hasten.

Delay will suit the Empress Dowager. But it
is impossible to hurry matters in China.

Hasten.

HURR Y

141

When Chairman Stranahan rapped for order
at 10.13 o'clock, delegates and spectators were
still pouring into the building in a steady stream.
The late comers were seated in a hurry and then
Mr. Stranahan said— —

Haste.

The correspondent of The Sun knows that
pressure is being brought to bear on some of the
Ministers by merchants in their own countries
to hurry up the completion of the treaty.

Hasten.

The party leaders, the officers of the Conven-
tion, and the men who were to make the speeches
were not in a hurry; most of them had been up
until long after midnight, and this morning they
slept late.

Haste.

She was without her hat and seemed to be
in a hurry.

Perhaps she was flurried, and conse-
quently in a hurry.

After declaring himself in this manner, the
Democratic nominee hurried to make speaking

I42 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

engagements for La Salle and Joliet for the even-
ing of October Qth.

Hastened?

According to advices received here the Vice-
roys have received urgent orders to hurry money
to Singan-fu to pay the troops, who are believed
to be mutinous.

Hasten.

Go slowly, there is no hurry.
Haste.

Returns from Mexico in a hurry and after a
stormy conference lieutenant governor with-
draws opposition.

Haste.

Immediately upon his arrival he conferred
with some of his associates and then hurried off
to Woodruff's home to have it out with the lieu-
tenant governor.

Hastened.

Despite Mr. Nixon's statement there did not
seem to be any hurry on the part of the gambling
houses and poolroom keepers to get under cover.
— New York Sun.

Haste.

HURRY

143

Miles may answer Alger. The General says
he is in no hurry to reply, but may do so [reply]
later.

Haste.

The mind is hurried out of itself by a crowd
of great and confused images. — Burke.

Hurry, whether as noun or as verb, is a
word we should seldom have use for, if we
used it to express only what it really
means.

THE POSSESSIVE

WE should always put pronouns and
commonly nouns in the possessive case,
when they precede verbal nouns, as they
are called by some, participial nouns, as
they are called by others, and infinitives in
ing as they are called by still others. Some-
times we see the pronoun in the objective
form — or case — and oftentimes we see the
noun in no case at all; or, if you will, in any
case you please, except the case, in gram-
matical strictness, demanded — the posses-
sive. In such locutions as, His coming was
not unexpected, My going depends on the
weather, John's leaving made no difference,
the possessive is imperative; but some-
times, in the interest of euphony, when
nouns precede a participial noun, they are,
purposely, not inflected. In the great ma-
jority of cases, however, when the inflexion
is absent, it is the result of non-knowledge
or of non-painstaking. The possessive
144

THE POSSESSIVE

145

construction in these sentences is the
primitive and regular form.

Sometimes the downtown barbers throw out
-broad hints about it being necessary to rehone
the razor after a hard shave as a gentle induce-
ment for a tip.

Its.

If you can get any kind of decent odds put
some money up on McKinley ; it is like finding
it. Even out here in Colorado the odds are 3
to i on him winning.

His.

" That is ridiculous," said Mr. Croker. " I
have not heard of him giving up and I would
[should] certainly know of it."

His.

Yet he was compelled to say that the army
corps that was engaged in the operations that day
— some 30,000 men — was not in a condition which
[that] would warrant it being sent abroad as fit
to take the field.

Its.

His former cook sued him for $5,000 for al-
leged indignities and last night had him arrested,

I46 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

ostensibly to prevent him going to the Klon-
dike.

His.

Moreover, as the correspondent of the Daily
Telegraph points out, it would surpass the wit
of man to prevent them knowing our movements,
if not our intentions.

Their.

Nevertheless, there have been pretty well
established cases of it having carried off young
lambs and kids, and one has been shot while eat-
ing a rabbit which [that] it had just killed. Yet
one naturalist who [that] watched the laemmer-
geier for twelve years never once saw the bird
attack anything alive. The laemmergeier some-
times weighs sixteen pounds and has a wing ex-
panse of over [more than] nine feet.

Its.

I am glad that some one has concerned them-
selves [himself] about the matter to express their
conviction in a daily paper. — 5". C. R.

His.

Late in August he gave out an interview de-
claring that if Mr. Bryan were [should be] Presi-
dent the gold standard law would offer no effec-

THE POSSESSIVE 147

tive protection against the country being placed
on a silver basis.

Country's.

The average American finds it hard to think
patiently of an American Minister being extra
civil to a sovereign whose hands smell of blood
that has smoked [ ?] to the sky for vengeance.
Congratulations to such an [a] one are only an
absurd mockery.

Minister's.

The Berliner Tageblatt, Hamburgischer Cor-
respondent, and other newspapers express in simi-
lar terms their satisfaction that Germany is saved
forever from the possibility of Great Britain
grabbing the Yangtse Valley.

Britain's.

But most important of all, these three notes
say to the American people : You are weary of
unctuous phrases. You are opposed to your
President wandering about the Orient " outside
[of] the Constitution."

President's.

It was just at this time that Captain Eason
put in an appearance and prevented the bunco
game being played any further.

Game's.

I48 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

It sees no reason for any Power dissenting,
and says it should especially be indorsed with
alacrity by the Washington Government.

Power's.

He adds : " We see, then, that there was not
the slightest hope for our Government behaving
with any sort of magnanimity in the matter."

Government's.

Such a marriage affords too splendid [ !] an
opportunity to Germany to permit of any effort
being spared to accomplish it.

Effort's.

Yet within the last few days he has been
going around telling his audiences that the fact
of American money going abroad for investment
is a proof that the country is in a bad way.

Money's.

In a case like this where a false mark is put
on the package, there is but little chance of the
sender getting his loss made good.

Sender's.

In 1896 she prevented a man named Pietras
from building a pier, and beat him when he car-

THE POSSESSIVE 149

ried the case to the Court of Appeals. She also
prevented another pier being built two years
later.

Pier's.

I can not think for a moment there is any
danger of such a thing happening.

Thing's.

Read this at midnight roll call and at the roll
calls in the morning prior to the men leaving
their stations for duty at the polling places.

Men's.

Miss FitzGerald had Adolph examined by the
school medical inspector, who reported that there
were no evidences of the boy being in danger.

Boy's.

She and her husband live apart, but he re-
sented another man taking her out.

Man's.

Previous to [Previously to] that date it had
occupied a small building across the street. The
space was so limited here that it did not admit
of a railing being placed around the teller.

Railing's.

150

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

The Gleaner further asserts that, instead of
the revenue being honestly expended, there has
been more extravagance and corruption than was
ever before witnessed.

Revenue's. Than ever before had been
witnessed.

The people are opposed to this Government
acquiring territory which [that] is not to be gov-
erned by our Constitution. It has no more con-
stitutional right to set up a colonial system than
it has to create [make ?] a king.

Government's.

This led to the heroine recalling how the two
brothers, then in a wordy war with one another
[each other], used to form with their hands a
seat on which to carry her about.

Heroine's. Each other, when it is a ques-
tion of two only.

One can not have good or bad fortune with-
out the other being in the same box.

Other's.

It sometimes happens that flesh becomes poi-
sonous from the animal having fed upon [on]
noxious substances shortly before it was killed.

Animal's.

THE POSSESSIVE 151

The boy insisted on the bookmaker taking the
$100 and putting it all on the cheap thoroughbred
that he thought had a chance of winning the
handicap.

Well, the horse that the kid had picked only
won by [won by only] about half a block at 30
to i, that's all.

Bookmaker's.

My reason for giving so many examples
of this simple error is the exceeding fre-
quency with which we meet with them.
Reportorial English teems with them.

CAPABLE— SUSCEPTIBLE

THE Standard Dictionary defines capa-
ble thus : Possessing power or capacity
to do, perform, or undergo; as, he is capable
of any crime; capable of improvement [im-
proving?].

From which it would seem that capable,
when properly used, is used only in an
active sense. In the passive sense, the
proper word to use is susceptible.

Capable of being defended. — Webster's Dic-
tionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being defended. — Standard Dic-
tionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being protected against outward
violence; capable of vindication. — Worcester's
Dictionary.

Properly : Susceptible of being vindi-
cated, of being protected.
152

CA PABLE—SUSCEP TIBLE

153

Capable of being destroyed. — Standard Dic-
tionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being surmounted. — Century Dic-
tionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of solution, as a problem. — Standard
Dictionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being set on fire. — Worcester's
Dictionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being ignited. — Standard Dic-
tionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being ignited. — Webster's Dic-
tionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being solved; capable of being
paid. — Webster's Dictionary.

Susceptible.

154

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Capable of being corrected or set right. —
Standard Dictionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being comprehended. — Webster's
Dictionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being grasped or comprehended by
the mind. — Standard Dictionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being explained. — Worcester's
Dictionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being reversed. That may have
direction or position reversed; that may be used
in some way opposed to the normal or usual way.
— Standard Dictionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being apprehended or grasped. —
Standard Dictionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being understood. — Standard Dic-
tionary.

Susceptible.

CAPABLE— SUSCEP TIBLE \ 5 5

Capable of being reduced. — Webster's Dic-
tionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being set right or amended. — Web-
ster's Dictionary.

Susceptible.

Capable of being corrected or amended. —
Worcester's Dictionary.

Susceptible.

The trouble about the word is that it is not
capable of any definition. You can tell a
" bounder " when you see one. But it is impos-
sible to say what a " bounder " is.

Susceptible of being defined.

When Adam delved and Eve span, who was
then the gentleman? The poetic interrogation,
frequently propounded, has never, we believe,
been capable of satisfactory solution.

Susceptible of being satisfactorily
solved.

They are capable, too, of enduring great heat
and for that reason grow well in sub-tropical and
tropical countries.

Correctly used.

156 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Not capable of being divided without losing
identity. — Standard Dictionary.

Susceptible.

A vivid-hued, sometimes a many-colored,
scarf, often of immoderate length, capable of
being wound around and around the youthful
neck or over the head and ears and neck — that
was a tippet. — New York Sun.

Susceptible.

To my surprise, I find that not only the
Standard, Worcester, and Webster use
capable in the passive sense, but the word
is used in like manner in .the Encyclopaedic
and in the Century and by Johnson and
by Murray. Indeed, in all the dictionaries
capable is made to do double duty — for
itself and for susceptible.

Now if the dictionary way of using
capable be correct, it is also correct to say
that coffee is capable of being ground, that
sugar is capable of being dissolved, that
lead is capable of being melted, and that
iron is capable of being welded. If it be
proper to use capable in a passive sense,
what use have we for susceptible?

PROPOSITION— PROPOSAL

THE word proposition is much misused
in the sense of proposal. Indeed, it is quite
certain that more than half the time propo-
sition is improperly used.

A proposition is something to be consid-
ered; a proposal, something to be acted on.

We admit or deny the truth of a propo-
sition ; we accept or reject a proposal.

Here is a writer that, seemingly, looks
on proposition and proposal as being inter-
changeable:

The German Government has indicated to the
United States that it will submit a new general
proposition [proposal] in regard to the settlement
[settling] of the Chinese troubles, which will, it
is understood, take the place of the German pro-
posal to punish the leaders of the anti-foreign
outbreak as a condition precedent to peace negoti
ations.

Better : With regard to settling the Ch>
nese troubles.

157

158 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Examples of the correct use of propo-
sition are not easily found. Here are what
I have:

Surely there is nothing startling, to persons
familiar with the principles of American consti-
tutional law, in the proposition that even a great
city may not take away a man's private property
without paying for it.

Her success as a clergyman was immense;
only second, indeed, to her success in personally
proving the proposition that a woman can't work
at all, apparently, without overworking.

That woman is as much man's inferior in-
tellectually as she is physically is a proposition
the truth of which is generally admitted.

It is dangerous for a debater to affirm a uni-
versal proposition, since that can be negatived by
a single exception.

Herbert Spencer, and many other thinkers be-
fore him, have shown that if we try to realize
the absolute nature of the simplest phenomena,
we are inevitably landed either in a contradic-
tion or in some unthinkable proposition.

Thus, his main proposition that Christianity
is necessarily superior to all other systems be-

PROPOSITION— PROPOSAL 159

cause it is Divine is obviously based primarily
on his own " sentiment " or inward feeling or
conviction due to his religious faith, and not on
any rational facts.

Examples of the misuse of proposition
abound.

Then he applauded the proposition of the
Democratic platform to establish a " Department
of Labor " with its head a Cabinet officer.

Proposal.

The next propositions are that the forts at
Taku and the other forts on the coast of Chi-Li
shall be razed and the importation [importing]
of arms and war material prohibited.

Proposals.

In one of his reports Judge Taft refers to the
propositions of peace submitted by a number of
leading Filipinos, and also tells of the feast of
amnesty which [that] followed the issuance [is-
suing] of the amnesty proclamation.

Proposals.

An official note announces that France, Italy,
and Austria have formally assented to the propo-
11

l6o SOME ILL-USED WORDS

sitions in the German note for the punishment
[punishing] of the leaders of the recent outbreak
before beginning peace negotiations.

Proposals.

The nations, with the exception of Austria
and Italy, declined to accept the German propo-
sition that the Powers undertake the punishment
of [to punish] the anti-foreign leaders before
peace negotiations should be instituted. As Ger-
many has now so modified her proposition as to
remove the feature to which the Powers objected,
it is regarded certain that there will be a harmo-
nious agreement.

Proposal.

The Rev. W. F. Graham (colored) was asked
to-day what was the feeling among the colored
people of the city concerning the proposition of
Miss Lillian Clayton Jewett to come here and
make one of her famous speeches.

Proposal.

And the proposition in the Municipal Assem-
bly of New York to abolish the name of old Elm
Street and substitute the name of " Dewey Ave-
nue " exemplifies the third class.

Proposal.

PROPOSITION— PROPOSAL 161

The proposition for the creation of the office
of State Auditor is defeated.

The proposal to create.

It is learned here that the discussion now pro-
ceeding in Berlin of an alleged American propo-
sition to limit the occupying forces in China to
1,000 in Pekin, 2,000 outside the walls, and 20,000
elsewhere is not based upon any plan suggested
by the State Department here. It can be said
positively that such a proposition has not figured
in the diplomatic negotiations.

Proposal.

The diplomatic negotiations looking to an
amicable settlement of the Chinese troubles cen-
tre in the proposition of Germany that the Chi-
nese Government be made to surrender the lead-
ers of the anti-foreign uprising. There is a
strong feeling of hope here that Germany will
modify her proposition.

Proposal.

Russia has made a proposition to the United
States as to a plan of solving the Chinese difficulty
which the Cabinet considered in a special session
to-day. — New York Sun.

Proposal.

1 62 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

It is thought here that the United States se-
cured considerable advantage by promptly reply-
ing to Russia's proposition. — New York SIM.

Proposal.

The amended canal treaty is the American
proposition to Great Britain. — New York Sun.

Proposal.

The using of proposition when one means
proposal, will commonly, perhaps always,
suffice to convey the thought intended; but
the would-be fine young woman that says
she " has saw " can defend her diction with
the same argument.

PREVIOUS TO

THE adjectives previous, subsequent, in-
dependent, antecedent, relative, and possibly
others are often erroneously used in an ad-
verbial sense. When used adverbially they
should have the adverbial termination.

The captain is very severe upon the conduct
of the English after the battle, but independently
of such strictures his narrative is very interest-
ing as a description of a part of the great naval
battle. — New York Sun.

Not independent of, as we often see it.
Independent is never anything but an ad-
jective.

More influential still, in this way, have been
the growing scarcity of gold relatively to the
need of it. — President E. Benjamin Andrews.

Unusual, but correct. Relative is an ad-
jective when not a noun, and when used
adverbially must have the adverbial inflec-
tion.

163

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Of these phenomena, the most important are
the failure-of Great Britain to maintain her finan-
cial and industrial preponderance relatively to her
competitors, and the evidence that the seat of
wealth and power is migrating westward, and
may even now have entered America.

Without reference to the Hay-Pauncefote
negotiations, and independently of the provisions
or restrictions of the proposed treaty, the Hep-
burn bill authorizes the President to acquire from
Costa Rica and Nicaragua the necessary terri-
tory.— New York Sun.

The size of the Democratic majority rela-
tively to the past was of no consequence, even in
the estimation of the Democrats of Arkansas. —
New York Sun.

Pekin — Germany's proposal is not acceptable
to this Government, and Minister Conger may be
instructed to begin peace negotiations, independ-
ently of the other Powers.

Examples of the other sort are more
abundant.

But I am sorry to say that George Ripley no
longer possessed the fine library that he had
previous to our experiment ; it was sold to pay off
the creditors. — Charles A. Dana,

Previously to,

PREVIOUS TO 165

On August 28th last, Minister Taylor, at
Madrid, learned at a dinner given by the Brit-
ish Ambassador to the representatives of
the foreign Powers that two or three days
previous the Prime Minister of Spain had. — New
York Sun.

Previously.

At the last official dinner given by Bismarck
previous to this fall, the Emperor gathered about
him a group from which the Chancellor held
aloof. — New York Sun.

Previously to.

The mayor will review the parade of the
Knights of Labor, which passes City Hall an
hour previous to the time set for that of the
Central Labor Union and Building Trades
Council.

Previously to.

First, aim to correct any mannerisms, any ab-
solutely discordant conditions in the presence,
action, or speech independent of any system. —
New York Sun.

Independently of.

A younger contemporary of Herodotus was
Hellenicus of Mytilene, whom Thucydides men-

1 66 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

tions as almost the only historian who [that] had
treated of the period subsequent to the Persian
wars.

Subsequently to.

Petition of Li and the other viceroys sub-
mitted to the throne at this meeting, subsequent
to the appointment of Tuan and Chwang.

Subsequently to.

For the last year, Mr. Rice drew only six or
eight checks a month, but previous to last year
he would send from fifteen to twenty checks
through our bank, and was what we would
[should] term a comparatively active depositor.

Previously to.

The great epochs that mark the history of
Constantinople previous to its capture by the
Turks may be indicated in a paragraph.

Previously to.

The origin dated long previous to the Jack-
son campaign, for nearly fifty years previous the
best tobacco and the best rum came from Aux
Cayes, and the best of everything was designated
as Aux Cayes, or O. K.

Previously.

PREVIOUS TO

i67

She lived at the Park Avenue previous to her
last marriage. After that event she left the hotel
with her young husband.

Previously to.

The lawyers refuse to disclose the terms of
settlement previous to the meeting of the bank
directors to be held next week. Mrs. Schreiber,
the mother of the defaulter, who was prostrated
when her son's crime became known, is still suf-
fering with [from] heart trouble.

Previously to.

Previous to the present Chinese trouble what
influence, if any, had Secretary Hay exerted
toward the establishment of [establishing] the
" open door " in China?

Previously to.

Previous to the death of Beha-u'llah he made
many prophecies, and all of them came true, say
his followers.

Previously to.

He recalled that the Socialists alone disap-
proved the Emperor's telegram to President
Kruger in 1896, subsequent to the Jameson raid.

Subsequently to.

1 68 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Having read one of Mr. Charles Reade's
novels (the title of which I forget), I wish to
inquire whether white slavery existed in this
country previous to the Revolution (i//6) or not.

Previously to.

Directors refuse to give details of the negotia-
tions with the United States. Some urge that the
canal be finished independent of any action by
this Government.

Independently of.

It is safe to say that we meet with the
incorrect form of these adverbs ten times
where we meet with the correct form once.
Indeed, we are so used to seeing and hear-
ing the incorrect form that the correct form
not infrequently is disturbing.

GENERALLY

IT is a common thing to see the word
generally used where one of its synonyms
would better serve. Indeed, there are per-
sons, among them some clever writers, that
seem to have little or no acquaintance with
any of Generally's kinship. It is easier to
write in an indiscriminating way, but that
is not a good way to choose if one would
produce what the world always has been
readiest to applaud and most willing to pay
for — quality.

I am often in doubt whether I should
use commonly, generally, usually, or ordi-
narily, but I am sure I more frequently use
the right word of the four than I should if
I were not of opinion that there is always
a best one of the four to use in any given
sentence.

The distinctions between these words
may, perhaps, be intimated thus:

Commonly is opposed to rarely or ex-
ceptionally.

169

1 70

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Generally to restrictedly.

Usually to occasionally.

Ordinarily to exceptionally or rarely.
Commonly and ordinarily are very closely
allied.

The American eagle — that is, the so-called
bald-headed eagle, which is not bald-headed at
all — is a fish-eating bird generally, though it will
not disdain flesh when it can get it.

Commonly?

A certain portion of the wages was generally
advanced as earnest money.

Commonly?

The Post, which is known as the Ambassa-
dors' organ, and is generally well informed, semi-
officially states that the dispute between Field
Marshal Count von Waldersee and General Chaf-
fee, growing out of the tatter's [General Chaf-
fee's] letter to the German commander in rela-
tion to

Ordinarily?

He is a conservative Republican, very careful
in his estimates, and his figures have generally
proved to be strikingly accurate.

Commonly?

GENERALLY

171

In the case of the man, as generally in Semitic
law, the opportunity for divorce was theoretically
unlimited.

Commonly or ordinarily.

Foreign press comment upon American na-
tional character is generally the reverse of flat-
tering, even when it appears in English publica-
tions. Yet even those journals which [that]
are most hostile in their criticism concede that
Americans possess certain qualities which [that]
place them in some respects in the front rank of
nations.

Commonly or ordinarily.

While it is generally most convenient to be
able to light all the stair lights from any story,
it may in some cases be thought undesirable to
have to light all the upper landings if only one
flight of stairs is to be used.

Commonly or ordinarily.

Of the contract for rent there were various
forms. Houses were generally rented for one
year, though, occasionally, the lease ran for a
longer period. A certain portion of the rent
for the term was generally paid in advance.

Commonly?

172 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

" Sporty " McAlister was what he was called,
and he was very often seen on [in] the streets in
the evening, generally in the neighborhoods fre-
quented by young girls.

Commonly?

He usually goes to Philadelphia every Mon-
day.

I am a great believer in sleep. I usually go
to bed early and rise late.

Ill-used, because over-used, generally is
properly used thus: It is generally known;
it is generally believed; it is generally ac-
cepted; it is generally regarded.

The opinion generally prevails, in my neigh-
borhood, that McKinley will be our President for
another four years.

Until recently, it was the generally accepted
belief, throughout the Christian world, that the
world was made in six times twenty-four hours.

It is generally understood that the law is
aimed at the executive council, to prevent that
body from acting in an executive and legislative
capacity.

GENERALLY

173

The distinction that should be made in
using these words is often very delicate,
too delicate indeed for it always to be made
even by the cleverest and most painstak-
ing. Nevertheless, however delicate the
distinction, it is none the less worth while
to try to make it.

APPRECIATE

IF any word in the language has cause
to complain of ill-usage, appreciate has.
Appreciate can not, properly, be employed
with a limiting, a qualifying word — i. e.,
with an adverb, since the word means to
estimate justly; to set the true, the real
value on men or things. An overestimate,
therefore, is no more appreciation than is an
underestimate. He that appreciates justly
estimates, and justly to estimate one must
weigh the demerits as well as the merits.

" We appreciate him highly " — a locu-
tion often heard- — is nonsense. " We have
great regard for him," or, " We think a
great deal of him," or, " We hold him in
high esteem."

We value things highly, and we prise
things highly, but we do not appreciate
things highly.

Such proofs of kind and generous feeling are
naturally most highly prised by me and will for-

APPRECIA TE

175

ever be cherished in my memory. — Albert Ed-
ward.

I number him among my most highly valued
friends.

She said she greatly appreciated [fully appre-
ciated] all we were doing for her country and her
people.

All this only shows how much Queen Victoria
thinks of what Americans are doing in getting
this hospital ship, and how much she appreciates
[values] any expression of good feeling from
America.

Singing birds are esteemed in all countries,
but in Japan the musical sounds emitted by cer-
tain insects are appreciated.

Bettered, but not mended, by using
prised where the writer has used esteemed
and appreciated.

Unskilled writers are commonly far too
solicitous to avoid tautophony. The re-
using of a word often betters the diction ; in
part, too, because the sound is repeated.
When one has a word that fully expresses
one's thought, as a rule, it is better to re-
use it than to use a synonym.
12

!j6 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Should I write, "than to employ"? I
do not think so, though employ would serve
as well, as far as the thought is concerned.
Note the circumstance that the first use is
under the emphasis, whereas the second is
barely touched in the utterance. This suf-
fices to prevent any monotony there might
otherwise be.

If one would appreciate how thoroughly the
entire industrial system depends upon iron, let
him imagine what the world would be to-day
without it.

Here is a writer that probably makes
appreciate do duty for a considerable list of
words. In this instance, realise, I fancy,
would have been a good choice to make.

" You can appreciate" said Kerr, " that we
naturally have nothing to give out."

Not appreciate, certainly; perhaps under-
stand.

He appreciated that his countrymen had a
claim on his memory.

Realized, or, was not unmindful.

APPRECIA TE

177

A little care should certainly suffice to
enable any one to avoid the misuse of ap-
preciate. The signification of the word is
so simple!

DICTION

Diction, according to the dictionaries —
and what they say on the subject has never
been questioned — is the manner of using
words; is especially that department of
rhetoric that treats of the choosing and ar-
ranging of words. We speak of the diction
of a book, an essay, a drama, a speech,
meaning the manner in which and the felic-
ity, or the lack of felicity, with which the
speaker or writer has expressed his thought.
This is the only sense in which, until re-
cently, so far as I know, the word diction
ever has been used.

" Diction," says Johnson, " being the ve-
hicle of the thoughts, first presents itself to
the intellectual eye."

When the word diction is used as it is
used in the following examples, what is it
intended to mean?

Mr. Mann had gained a reputation as an elabo-
rate disguiser of himself and as a speaker of
178

DICTION

179

astonishingly broken English. He appeared in
this piece in much the same aspects of droll vis-
age and awkward physique, but his diction was
markedly improved in amusing value, because its
tedious slowness and reiteration were gone and
all its funniness was retained.

Quite apart from its great success as a song,
Rhoda and Her Pagoda, as Miss Ashley rendered
it, was a delicious piece of acting. Somehow or
other, this little girl, since she graduated from
the newsboy ranks in " 1492," has learned what
diction means. Yvette Guilbert herself could not
have got more meanings — either single or plural
— out of this remarkably clever song.

Shall we ever have another actor with Booth's
wonderfully facile and expressive diction? •

He begins to speak more rapidly, his eyes
brighten, and the long sentences which [that]
roll from his lips are as pure in diction as if he
were on the stage delivering in classical style the
sentences he reads so wonderfully.

The French have a word that presents
the same appearance to the eye that the
English word diction presents. They use
it where a writer content to confine himself
to English would use delivery, utterance, or

igo SOME ILL-USED WORDS

elocution. This may possibly account for
the " new meaning " in which certain writ-
ers use this good old English word. For
the benefit of the average reader — for a
time at least — the innovation should be ac-
companied by an explanatory foot-note.

NONE

THE word none is commonly treated as
a plural, as, " None of them were his
equals." Though none is a contraction of
not one, construing none as a singular in a
sentence like this antagonizes established
usage. Instead of using none as a singular,
it is better to write not one or no one, which,
besides being more idiomatic, is more em-
phatic.

None of these conditions arc at present ful-
filled. We do not know who or what is the actual
Government of China. The reports which [that]
reach us on this subject continue to be untrust-
worthy and conflicting. — London Times.

Thus it happens that none of the Cordilleran
States from Venezuela to Chili has as yet
emerged from the stage of rough, pioneer ex-
ploration.

Have.

The European papers are now discussing the
problems that confront the Powers since the occu-

181

1 82 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

pation of Pekin. None of them appears to favor
the Russian proposal to withdraw from the Chi-
nese capital.

Appear.

No man here expects to see Coler nominated.
None claims more than 150 votes for him.

Claim.

None of the boys is over fourteen years old,
and young Meehan is only seven. Their parents
are all respectable people.

Are more than.

It is midway in merit among' them, and, al-
though none of the others has won success in a dis-
tinctly fashionable New York theatre, Mr. Herne
has the advantage of an adulatory following.

Have.

True, the role of Beckmesser is not a severe
test of the voice, but of all the roles in comic
opera none perhaps is as difficult from the purely
dramatic viewpoint.

Are so.

The same is the case with Kerr. None of his
relatives has called to see him.

Have.

NONE 183

None of the relatives of the accused was pres-
ent except Judge John F. Kerr, brother of George
Kerr, and his counsel.

Were.

None of the proposals which has been made at
Washington, except this violation of a princip
of international law, if it ever was suggested,
excites any resentment here.

That have.

Of the eighteen persons referred to as still
missing in The Sun yesterday none has yet been
accounted for.

Have.

None of those named by Charles Stewart
Smith has as yet announced his intention of- de-
clining to serve on the committee.

Have.

Neither " none have " nor " not one
has " is offensive to anybody, whereas
" none has " is offensive to many, if for no
other reason than because it conflicts with
habit. It is always unwise to make use of
any form of expression that, in any degree,
is calculated to divert the reader's, or the
listener's, attention.

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

There is one of our big dailies that seem-
ingly is adverse to printing a plural verb
with none under any conditions, yet this
same daily prints dictional errors of every
description. Its columns teem daily with
auxiliary verbs misused. Somebody said
something once about a gnat and a camel.
If the saying doesn't apply here, it's only
because there is no gnat.

INDIVIDUAL

THE word individual, as a noun, is prop-
erly used in contradistinction to collective
terms. It is often improperly used where
Person or man, for example, would be the
proper word.

The rules applicable to a corporation must be
the same as would be applied to an individual in
a similar case. There can be no question in the
present case that if the defendant were an in-
dividual, there is no way in which his acts could
be held illegal. — New York Sun.

Properly used.

The industries of a nation depend upon the
actions of an aggregation of individuals. When
the individual considers an expenditure for a
permanent improvement, and finds that improve-
ment will cost 50 per cent to 100 per cent more
than it would have done [cost] a year before, or
is likely to do [cost] a year later, he acts, and
that action is almost invariably a postponement
of that improvement.

Properly used.

185

1 86 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

It is to the Mormons as a sect that I object,
and not as individuals, for among them I have
met many excellent persons.

Properly used.

Changes, both in individuals and in communi-
ties, are often effected by trifles. .

Properly used.

Action by State and individual must go hand
in hand.

Properly used.

Great events affect individuals as well as
nations.

Correctly used.

Individual is opposed to what is divisible
into parts. Etymologically, it means that
that can not be divided.

When the Jehu got into the dispute with his
fare, two other rough-looking individuals ap-
peared on the scene and took the part of the
former [Jehu]. — New York Evening Sun.

Men or fellows.

To this, of course, there have been many nota-
ble exceptions, for endurance of sight, like any

INDIVIDUAL 187

form of physical strength, differs greatly in dif-
ferent individuals.

Persons.

There are physical limits to the executive
energies of any single individual, and, broadly
speaking, there are limits beyond which it is not
safe to test the administrative capacity [ability]
of a single head.

Any man. The individual is always
single.

There are two or three circumstances under
which the editor appears to be an agreeable in-
dividual.— George H. Westley.

Person.

This proceeding is usual, it seems, at 'such
audiences, and the fact that so many individuals
hear everything, even at the most important in-
terviews, accounts for the impossibility of keep-
ing secret anything that happens at the Tsung-li-
Yamen in regard to political or other affairs.

Persons.

The Lord Mayor is a very busy individual
and the following list is a thoroughly authentic
account of some of the functions in which a re-
cent Lord Mayor took part.

Person or man.

1 88 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

There was nothing of the jaunty air which

[that] first distinguished William T about

that interesting individual this morning when he
was seen in the city prison. — New York Evening
Sun.

Person.

The public trustee is a corporation, and it is
immaterial whether the individual, for the time
being holding the office, disappears, resigns, or
dies, the corporation continues.

Man or person.

Using individual, when one should use
person or man, is not quite so objectionable
as it is to use party; but the difference is
not great.

IN RESPECT OF

IF I knew how to hit the locution " In
respect of " any harder than George P.
Marsh hits it in his Lectures on the Eng-
lish Language, I should not quote Marsh,
who says:

' The deliberate introduction of incor-
rect forms, whether by the coinage [coin-
ing] of new or the revival [reviving] of
obsolete and inexpressive syntactical com-
binations, ought to be resisted even in
trifles, especially where it leads to the con-
fusion [confusing] of distinct ideas. • An
example of this is the recent use of the ad-
verbial phrases in respect of, in regard of,
for in or with respect to, or regard to.
This innovation is without any syntactical
ground, and ought to be condemned and
avoided as a mere grammatical crotchet."

Much would depend on the rapid flow of blood
in the case of the head of the guillotined criminal
in respect of the existence of movement or con-
sciousness.

To.

189

190 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

There was not any appreciable improvement in
to-day's stock market in respect of activity but a
distinctly better tone was evident in the dealings.

To.

It admits the principle that, in respect of
South American republics, the United States may
not only intervene in disputes, but

To.

In respect of area, indeed, the French colonies
much exceed the Dutch.

To.

In the Periclean age no writer on morals or
physics can be compared in respect of style with
Plato, who belongs to the next generation.

To.

You will see that I ask for no change in the
conditions, as I was perfectly satisfied with all
the arrangements made on the last occasion and
in respect of which the New York Yacht Club
was so deservedly congratulated.

To.

Every reader of the papers, too, knows of your
action as Governor in respect of the Ice Trust.

To.

IN RESPECT OF \^\

There is indeed one striking difference in re-
spect of custom.

To.

Even if " In respect of " were as idio-
matic as " In respect to," the fact that the
one locution is offensive, at the least, to
some, while the other locution is offensive,
it is certain, to none, should, it would seem,
suffice to determine one's choice.

FEELS BADLY

WE frequently see, and more frequently
hear, adverbs used where the qualifying
word should be an adjective. In grammar
it is always the thought that determines.
He that says, " She looks badly or miser-
ably " means that she looks to be in a bad
or miserable physical condition. " She
looks sadly or gladly or madly " is not
more incorrect. The thought is, " She has
the appearance of being glad, or sad, or
mad." The noun, then, not the verb, is
the word qualified.

From the last hole the wind smelled so
strongly [strong] of gas that the drillers were
unable to work over it. — Pittsburg Dispatch.

If this be correct, then we should say,
The butter smells or tastes sweetly.

The oil used was that of the cocoanut, in
which some sweet-smelling woods or flowers had
been infused. Most commonly, however, it was
192

FEELS BADLY

193

very rancid. Hence the wearers of it smelled
unpleasantly [unpleasant], but Banks found that
he soon got reconciled to it. — New York Sun.

The oil did not really smell; it was smelt,
and to the smeller it was unpleasant.

When taken home and skinned the carcass
weighed 246 pounds, and it smelled so strongly
of checkerberry that Nye's family had to go out
doors to breathe while the work of dressing it
was going on.

Strong.

" Now," as he there said himself, " thanks to
my misfortune, one can see me nakedly as I am/'
— Lord Rosebery.

Naked. Grammatical French, probably,
translated into ungrammatical English.

I wish you would deny for me that story that
Mr. Jiggins committed suicide on my account.
I heard about his death before I left, and as he
had been a friend of mine I naturally felt very
badly.

Bad.

It sounded strangely to the listeners in the
courtroom to hear the girl in giving her testi-

194

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

mony speak always as she did of " papa, mamma,
and the baby." — New York Sun.

Strange. That is, It had a strange
sound to the listeners.

Why, then, does he suddenly feel so badly
about the Philippines?

Bad.

OF THE NAME OF

THE locution, " Of the name of " is met
with frequently, and the locution, " By the
name of " is met with occasionally. The
first is objectionable, the second — nearly
always — erroneous. Nearly always, the
one word named is all that is required.

We might know a man of the name of,
or named, Jones by the name of Smith.
That is, the man we know by the name of
Smith might really be named Jones.

Accompanied by a young man of the name of
Gaerin she attended the theatre last night and
after the performance the pair went to Court-
ney's saloon.

Named.

At 165 West I36th Street last night it was
said that nobody of the name of Johnson lived
there.

Named.

The police of this city have arrested a Ve-
netian shoemaker of the name of Giuseppe To-

195

I96 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

mazio, who is suspected of having been the ac-
complice of Luccheni, the assassin of the Em-
press of Austria.

Named.

A young Frenchman of the name of Cauchois
has successfully crossed the Straits of Dover,
from Dover, in a canoe.

Named.

A young man of the name of Stevens is nearly
dead to-day at his home in Spring Valley from an
encounter with a bull.

. Named.

His mother, Mary, daughter of James Coghler,
was descended from an old Italian family of the
name of Righi.

Named.

Here are two examples of the other sort:

Singularly enough, a German woman by the
name of Helena Bohlan, a convert to Moham-
medanism and an inmate of a Turkish harem,
has written a novel entitled Half Animal, which
is in opposition to Midhat's story, being an [a]
eulogy of Turkish marriage life. — Literary
Digest.

Named.

OF THE NAME OF 197

Upon the trial he offered to prove by a com-
petent witness that a man by the name of John
Cline had confessed that he was the guilty party.
— New York Sun.

Named.

This is a locution that the dictionist
strenuously objects to. Why use four
words when one would better serve?

COMMENCE

MOST careful writers are content — if I
do not err — to look on commence and begin
as being absolutely interchangeable, and,
as a consequence, seldom, if ever, use com-
mence, a word that comes to us from, or at
the least through, the French. They prefer
the Saxon word begin and use it exclusively.

They that would make a distinction — if
such there be — between the two words are
counselled to consult " Crabb's English
Synonyms." One will seldom, if ever, be
vulnerable to the faultfinder, if one confines
oneself to begin. In truth, we could dis-
pense with commence entirely.

An older man, with a well-developed beard
that is commencing to get a bit wiry, will fre-
quently exhaust 700 strokes.

Beginning.

At the commencement of the war, and at the
time of the defeat 9f the Spanish fleet at Manila,

198

COMMENCE

199

Spain was the supreme and sovereign authority
in the Philippines.

Beginning.

A passenger conductor must by experience
qualify himself for that position; commencing as
freight brakeman, next as freight conductor.

Beginning.

We will [shall] not commence [begin] operat-
ing the Broadway line by [with] electricity be-
fore spring, but we have placed contracts for
material to connect the Third Avenue and Fourth
Avenue and other East Side lines with the Broad-
way line, and soon after we commence [begin]
operations with electricity on the Broadway line
we will [shall] be able to run the cars of these
lines as well as those of the Sixth Avenue line
right down to South Ferry.

This paragraph tells us that the Broad-
way line will be run, next spring, by the
Company with electricity.

A OR AN, WHICH ?

As the American has no difficulty in
aspirating his h's, there is no excuse for his
dropping the initial h in polysyllabic words,
though the h does not stand under the
accent. The truth is, however, that most
Americans that use an before these /t's are
not aware that, when they do so, the h
should be dropped in the utterance, which
to that extent is to Cockneyize the lan-
guage. It's a question of euphony, nothing
more; in strictness, grammar has nothing
to do with it.

A historical, a heroic, a habitual, is
offensive to nobody; whereas an historical,
an heroic, an habitual, is offensive to many.
And then a is American, you know!

Schuck, who is of powerful physique, has an
hallucination that he is still at the top of the
ladder on which he was injured.

200

A OR AN, WHICH?

2O I

" Since then the Congress gatherings," he
said, " had shown that a race accused of money
grabbing could rise to an heroic measure."

A. ,

This lack of German patriotism and of ag-
gressiveness in employing the many superior
qualities and acquirements of the Germans is an
hereditary weakness.

That purpose the author endeavors to carry
out in an historical introduction and in the last
four of his nine chapters.

" He had," he said, " all his long life been an
habitual drinker of strong liquors."

He indulged in an harangue that for violence
I never have heard equalled.

MISCELLANEOUS

He left Fort Resolution for Great Bear Lake
in April, hauling his canoes by dog teams over
the ice of Slave Lake to its outlet.

With.

The building will be as high as the law allows.
It will be lighted with electricity and heated by
steam.

With.

Another authority averred: "Henry George
had little influence ; he frightened us by the con-
fiscatory features of his plan."

With.

Sir Ernest Satow, the British Minister, is suf-
fering with [from] pleurisy. While his condi-
tion is serious it is not believed to be dangerous.

There is no improvement in the condition of
General Gaselee, the British commander, who is
suffering with [from] pneumonia.
202

MISCELLA NEO US

203

Osgood Field, who died in Paris on Thursday
after a month's illness with [of] pneumonia and
complications, was a New Yorker by birth, but
had lived abroad for many years.

Perhaps no word in the language is
oftener misused than by. We often see it
where with is the proper preposition.
Theatres are cooled in summer with ice,
heated in winter zvith steam, and lighted at
all times either with gas or electricity, yet
their advertisements often tell us that they
are cooled by ice and so on. They are
cooled by the management — the agent —
with ice — the means. We never light our
houses by candles, cool our wine by ice, or
sweeten our coffee by sugar.

Commonly, it is not difficult to decide
what preposition to use, but sometimes the
most learned are in doubt. Indeed, the
English language offers no greater diffi-
culty than the proper use of the preposi-
tions. It is the last thing the foreigner
learns.

But the cruelty of the treatment accorded new
cadets of late years is spread on the records of
the court by the admissions of many cadets.
Fourth-class men have been exercised to fatigue,

2O4

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

exhaustion, fainting, and convulsions. — New
York Sun.

The word accord is here used in a sense
directly opposed to its accepted meaning,
which is, To condescend to grant, to vouch-
safe. We accord only good.

Whereupon a most affectionate and cordial
welcome was accorded the Baroness, and she was
invited to pass a long period with them.

Prepositions frequently, and sometimes
other words, should be repeated where they
are not.

I must especially refer to Captain McCalla, of
the United States Navy, who was of the greatest
value to me and [to] all concerned. He was
slightly wounded in three places, and well merits
recognition.

Never before in the politics of this country
or [of] any other [country] have advocates of
any political party seeking national control under-
taken to commend it to favor by arguing that its
triumph would be innocuous.

The above figures are sufficient assurance to
me and [to] many others that the workingman
knows which side his bread is buttered on.

MISCELLA NEO US

205

As a rule, the money in institutions for sav-
ings in this or [in] any other country is the con-
crete result of the toil and self-sacrifice of the
poor and of those who [that] are only moderately
well-to-do.

Separating to, the sign of the infinitive,
from its verb is a thing to be avoided.

All Europe, inimical to England, is drawing
its own conclusions from the fact that fifteen or
at most twenty thousand Boer soldiers have been
able to so long resist [so long to resist] the com-
bined military resources of the empire.

The circumstances in the case of Mr. Pear-
son, who died in official harness, were to some
extent an excuse, but far from a justification, for
the precedent which [that] the placing of his
bust established — a precedent which [that] it is
better now to promptly overthrow [promptly to
overthrow] than to further strengthen [further to
strengthen]. — Home Journal.

For no one would [should] we expect to more
clearly [more clearly to] voice the sentiments of
the Cleveland Democracy, save it be Cleveland
himself, than Mr. Olney.

To really love [really to love] the conversion,
welfare, and salvation of never-dying souls is to
faithfully and persistently tell [faithfully and per-

2o6 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

sistently to tell] them not only of the wondrous
love of God, but it is also to fully [fully to] in-
doctrinate them respecting hell. — The Rev. Sill-
man Blagdon.

It would seem that with the Reverend
Mr. Blagdon, the matter is everything, the
manner nothing.

Both Mr. Platt and Mr. Berri believe that
Mr. Woodruff should reconsider his decision not
to again [again to] be the candidate for Lieu-
tenant Governor.

But I know that few things could happen to
so seriously and, in some cases, so disastrously
[to] affect the men and women of this country
who [that] have been able to save enough money
to open accounts in the savings banks as the elec-
tion of William J. Bryan.

Here we have no fewer than eight words
between the sign of the infinitive and its
verb.

We have here an example of a nauseous
exudation of the vanity of the player folk
that occasionally gets into print.

The leading part of Timmendorf will be
created by the leading comedian of the Irving
Place Theatre, Mr. Gustav von Seyffertitz.

MISCELLANEOUS 2O?

If Herr von Seyffertitz is the " creator "
of Timmendorf, what is the author of the
play of which Timmendorf is a part? Com-
monly, very little discretion is allowed these
" creators " of parts; they must, as a rule,
play as author and stage-manager direct.
The Dramatic Mirror never uses create as
it is used in the sentence above; it uses
originate, which, however, is not very much
better, since there is little difference in the
signification of the two words. Until re-
cently, an actor that was the first to play
a part was said to be The original so and so.
Forrest, for example, was said to be the
original Jack Cade; he was never spoken of
as having created or as having originated
Jack Cade. To express the thought abso-
lutely, we should have to use the locution,
The first to play.

To use either in the sense of each is little
better than an affectation.

Two other pages marched on cither [each]
side of him, and each held by the bridle a valu-
able charger.

The fishermen live during the season on small
vessels or immense scows fitted with a 'cabin at
14

2o8 SOME TLL-USED WORDS

either [each] end if their camp is near a swampy
shore.

Almost every trade has its own street, the
shops on either [each] side being devoted to
shoe-making or harness-making, or crockery-mak-
ing, in all their different branches.

The mob was strung out along on either
[each] side, shouting, cursing, and every little
while making a rush at the Governor's company.

Snow is piled up so high on either [each]
side of the walks that one can not see persons
walking on the opposite side of the street.

The patriarch of the pack is a dog nine years
old, who [that] has helped to kill over 200 moun-
tain lions.

These lions, so-called, of California and
the Northwest, like the cougar, the puma,
the catamount, and the painter — a corrup-
tion of panther — are panthers. They might,
very properly, be called the American leop-
ard, like which they are, except in color.
They and the leopard are tree-climbers,
which the lion and the tiger are not. There
is nothing leonine about them, except that
they, like the lion, are of the cat family.

M ISC ELLA NEO US

209

Indeed, it would not be surprising if a mob
were to attempt a rescue. If forty murderers re-
main unhung [unhanged], why should a new
murderer be a victim ?

He that is lynched is " hung by the
neck"; he that is executed judicially is
" hanged by the neck."

" Well, you had better keep out of the way
of each other," said Magistrate Hogan. " I shall
discharge the prisoner this time, but my advice
to him is that he leave [let] his wife alone in
the future."

But, as a rule, actresses have left [let] man-
agement alone in this country; and few women
not actresses have undertaken the task.

This use of leaiv is indefensible.

Lincoln had been practising law on one side
of the Wabash River and Thompson on the other
and they had many mutual [common] friends.
— Chicago Record.

Mutual implies reciprocity of sentiment,
sentiment received and returned. Jones
and Smith have a mutual aversion — they
dislike each other — or they are mutually de-
pendent'— i. e., they depend on each other.

2io SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Jones and Smith have a common acquaint-
ance in the person Brown. Jones and Smith
found two of their common friends in the
audience. Common enmities often cement
friendship.

The jealousy of England, on the part of both
France and Germany, is so bitter that the two
nations have almost forgotten that the river
Rhine exists. Their common hatred of the island
kingdom is inspired by the circumstance. — New
York Sun.

The careless writer would be quite sure
to use mutual instead of common in a sen-
tence such as we have here, yet mutual
would be indefensible.

A mutual [common] friend of the married
pair stops the elopement and saves the merely
foolish woman from becoming criminal.

Yet the actress who [that], out of character,
ought to sit for her picture most often [oftenest]
with unadorned head, insists most often [often-
est] upon wearing for portraiture a hat or [a]
bonnet that destroys the future value of her
picture.

The common origin of such pieces is often
demonstrated by analysis or by general appear-

MISCELLA NEO US 211

ance, but more often [oftener], perhaps, it re-
mains in doubt.

Never smoke upon [in] a, crowded street, in
public carriages, or in any other place where it
may be offensive at the time or afterward. — How
to Behave.

We live in a street, meet people in a
street and do things in a street, and not on
or upon a street. The man, however, that
smokes in the street would be likely to in-
sist that on the street is good enough Eng-
lish for him. This is doubly true of the
man that smokes a pipe in the street. No
man can smoke a pipe in the street and have
the appearance of being other than a vulgar
fellow. He that does it descends — in his
manners — to the level of the groom and the
hackman.

A knot of people can always be found on [in]
Broadway looking up at the banner and studying
its inscriptions.

The presence of the Yale students was made
conspicuous by the appearance of hazing parties
and their victims on [in] the principal streets of
the city to-night.

212 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

The locution " on the street " has a sig-
nification in England that deters every one
from using it in the sense of " in the street."

The author of The Gods, Some Mortals,
and Lord Wickenham never by any chance,
it would seem, gets the little word only in
the right place. Examples:

His eyes only directed their gaze [only] on the
finest feature of each face, his ears only caught
[only] the happiest remarks, his heart only
thrilled [only] at the noble motive in every action.

Beauty is only given [only] to few.

Only, when used as an adjective, is more
frequently misplaced than any other word
in the language.

Unhappily, they only persevered in this ex-
cellent resolve for [only] a few days. Within a
week their abhorrence of the bottle had disap-
peared, and they were drinking with a zest that
comes of temporary privation.

The right-placing of only is commonly a
very simple matter.

The word other is frequently wanting.

Probably more women have fallen in love with
Jane Eyre's Rochester than with any [other] man
within the pages of a book,

MISCELLANEO US

213

When he returned to the United States in the
autumn of 1863 he was at the height of his career.
He was then more loved and honored than any
[other] man of his day.

Here's a genuine romantic actor for you !
One who [that] really appreciates the value of
lines and reads them with more intelligence than
any [other] actor on the American boards to-day.

The Sun has shown up the tricky document
as no [other] paper could do. Let us have a
truly American canal or none.

Salisbury and Bayard. They congratulate
one another [each other] upon the signing of the
arbitration treaty. — Headline New York Sun.

One another is properly used only when
it is a question of more than two. The
headline man of the Sun has long been a
bit careless.

He may also define how far he and his wife
are to mutually [mutually to] support one another
[each other] in cases where assistance is required.

There was a time when the speakers at public
dinners were supposed to show off. Now they
devote their attention to making a §how of
Other [one another].

214 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

The expression fin de siccle is .supposed to sum
up in itself a number of peculiarities of the time.
This is in spite of the fact that it is perpetually
[continually] used in a loose and reckless way.
— New York Sun.

Perpetual means never ceasing, continu-
ing without intermission, which is not the
thought the writer intended to express.
Occurring with interruptions is expressed
by continually.

The preparations for the monster Bryan meet-
ing, when all records of attendance will be broken
if Tammany obeys orders, are inspired by Mr.
Croker. His teeming brain is never still, he is
perpetually [continually] on the go.

The members of the gang with which Barrett
has worked are four crooks known to the police
as George Willard, "Dan" Algin, "Billy"
Burke, and " Micky " Gleeson.

Simpler and more idiomatic, hence bet-
ter, thus: That Barrett has worked with.

The despotism under which this country is suf-
fering is worse than confinement in a penitentiary.

The despotism that this country is suf-
fering under; or, simply, The despotism
this country is suffering under.

MISCELLA NEOUS 215

This reminds one of the Hamlet line,
" There is nothing either good or bad but
thinking makes it so."

It is a mistake to think that neither a
sentence nor a clause of a sentence ever
should be ended with a preposition.

Never mix the languages, if you can
avoid it. One language at a time. Per is
Latin.

The rent of rooms in the college buildings
ranges from $15 to $80 per [a or the] year, and
board is procurable in the college hall for $2.75
per [a or the] week.

Before the freeze, when the yield was 5,000,-
ooo boxes, they sold at 50 cents per [a or the]
box, but this year the average price per [a or the]
box is $2.

A dealer in this city -who [that] bought coal
in Amboy recently finds to-day that he can pur-
chase [buy] the same only at an advance of $i
per [a or the] ton. A man who [that] bought
four consignments of coal from a dealer recently
received yesterday an offer of re-purchase at an
advance of 50 cents per [a or the] ton, the dealer
saying that he ivould [should] soon be able to
dispose of the coal for $i a ton more.

2i6 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

The presence of the word purchase be-
trays the tyro. The use of the instead of a
is not common, but the one is quite as cor-
rect as the other.

When apples are plenty [plentiful] and rea-
sonable in price as they are this season. — New
York Sun.

Dr. Campbell, in his Philosophy of Rhet-
oric, says: "Plenty [a noun] for plentiful
[an adjective] appears to me so gross a vul-
garism that I should not have thought it
worthy of a place here if I had not some-
times found it in works of considerable
merit." The error is more common in
America than in England.

The masculine roles in plays predominate
largely. Of comely, intelligent, and tolerably
facile actresses the supply is far in excess of the
demand. Heroes are scarce. Heroines are plenty
[plentiful].

Where the worn coins come from is not
known, but the fact that they are so plenty
[plentiful] has led some persons to believe that
they are purchased by weight somewhere.

MISCELLANEOUS

217

A special word must be recorded in favor of
Mr. Watts's rendition [rendering] of the poetry.
— New York Home Journal.

We have authority for using rendition as
it is used in this example, yet this use of the
word does not find favor with our most
careful writers. They use the word only in
the sense of yielding possession, surrender,
thus: They remained till the rendition of the
fortress.

Let him confess, publicly, over [under] his
signature, the truth that the $262,000,000 worth
of bonds. — New York Sun.

" Given under my hand and seal " means
under the guarantee of my signature and
seal. The position of the signature on the
paper has nothing to do with it. We write
under a date though the date be placed, as
it often is, at the bottom of the sheet.

Joseph H. Manley, chairman of the Repub-
lican State Committee, over his signature to-
night, issued the following.

Under.

Ex-President Cleveland has spoken at last, and
in a most emphatic way. He is opposed to Bryan

2ig SOME ILL-USED WORDS

and Bryanism. He to-day authorized over his
signature the publication of his views.

Under.

That way is to issue to the Democracy of the
United States an address, over the signatures of
the Democratic National Committee.

Under.

Here is a common error — an error of
omission. The preposition should have
been repeated.

The chrysanthemum seems to have recovered
from the partial disfavor into which it fell [it fell
into] last year, and to be once more flourishing
in popular fashion. There is a tide in the affairs
of flowers as well as [of] men.

Transpire is frequently used in the sense
of to occur; to happen; to come to pass;
whereas it should be used only in the sense
of to leak out; to become known. Here is
a good example of the correct use of the
word:

" Do angels ever come back and pay the
money they owe ? " she asked. It transpired that
this particular angel owed the child $5.

MISCELLA NEO US

219

Reliable information about the real extent of
the plague in Bombay and the vicinity is lacking.
— New York Sun.

We commonly see its vicinity, but the
vicinity is equally correct. Supply the el-
liptical words and we have, " In Bombay
and in the vicinity of Bombay."

M. Leroy Beaulieu is sanguine enough to
anticipate that this alliance would not remain
purely economical.

Here is a use of anticipate that should be
cast in brass and kept as a dictional curi-
osity. Predict would probably have served
the writer's purpose; but very likely in his
judgment, predict was not fine enough. -

Alvord, the notorious bank robber, pleaded
guilty yesterday. It is curious to note the ag-
grieved air adopted by the prisoner. You would
think that it was a case of the culprit [culprit's]
being more sinned against than sinning. It
shows that when one is a criminal it is well to
be a big one [criminal]. — New York Evening
Sun.

\Ye do not adopt airs, we assume them.
Neither word is necessary. " The ag-

220 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

grieved air of the prisoner " would suf-
fice.

The close student of the life of Samuel Rich-
ardson does not think of him as a novelist alone
[only]. He was a business man who had a con-
siderable eye for material enterprises. This fact is
recalled by the disappearance of an [a] historic
house of his, the building in Salisbury Square,
London, which he built for himself in 1754.

We could not say, The student does not
think of him alone as a novelist. Alone and
only, we see, are not interchangeable.

In an interview in the Pittsburg Dispatch of
yesterday morning, Mr. Carnegie said, in sub-
stance, that the real reason for the Carnegie
Company [Company's] taking up the making of
steel pipe was [is] because it wanted to. He said
that the reason it had [has] been decided to have
the plant at Conneaut was [is] because the rail-
roads running into Pittsburg had [have] been
charging altogether too high freight rates. The
only way to get rid of the railroads and their
rates, Mr. Carnegie said, was [is] for his com-
pany to take to water.

The Columbia oarsmen begin the year in ex-
cellent financial [pecuniary or monetary] condi-
tion. If the university shows the same sort of

MISCELLANEO US 22 1

improvement on the water that it displayed
[showed] on the football field, all will be well.

It was fortunate for us that nothing happened
to him in the circumstances.

Quite correct, but not very common.
The French always write in the circum-
stances.

Balance is often improperly used in the
sense of rest or remainder. Not the balance
of the stock, but the rest or the remainder of
the stock. The word means, when properly
used, the excess of one thing over another, as
the difference between the debits and the
credits.

The balance of the officers of the university
were either doubtful, non-committal, or their
views could not be ascertained.

The rest.

Shades of my grandmother ! Perhaps they
would take me ! As though I were an outcast,
whose faults might be forgiven if I promised to
be good !

As if. The locution " as though " is
very common, but it never says what the
writer really intends to say.

222 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Their object seems to be to try and bring
about an awakening among the younger people
of India.

Not try and, but try to bring.

We follow a negative with so, not with as.

However good Alderman Bridges's poetry
may be, it is not half as [so] interesting or pic-
turesque as his prose.

There is no train in England as [so] luxurious
as the Pennsylvania Limited and none as [so] fast
as the Empire State Express. As regards the ad-
vantage in speed, it may be said that the hauls
in the United States are longer, distances between
stations are greater, and the tracks not as [so]
crowded.

Use the verb in the infinitive, when that
form is permissible.

It looks as if a great many of Governor
Odell's views would [will] be embodied in legis-
lation. Many statesmen have ideas, but few have
the happiness of seeing them take a concrete
shape.

To see.

Clauses are often much misplaced. Here
is an example: The queen-mother had ex-

MISCELLANEO US

223

hausted the treasures Sully had amassed in
bribes to the princes. Not so. The queen-
mother had exhausted, in bribes to the
princes, the treasures amassed by Sully.

Look to your clauses, or you may some
day unwittingly advertise for " a coachman
to look after a pair of horses of a religious
turn of mind." Or you may advertise " a
splendid gray horse, calculated for a charger,
or would carry a lady with a switch tail."

" Son-in-law of mine, too," groaned the old
gentleman. " As bright a young fellow as I ever
knew [have known]. I loved him as though [if]
he were [had been] my own flesh and blood."

" You always [have] told me that he was [.is]
a veritable Napoleon of finance."

" And so he is," and the old gentleman made
[an] attempt to laugh. " And I [have] encour-
aged him in it. I must admit that I [have] lit-
erally drummed it into him that business was [is]
business and that sentiment, friendship, even re-
lationship, had [have] to be put aside when it
came [comes] to business."

" But what has he done? Nothing criminal? "

" Taken me at my word, the world would say.
I'm going to retire. I'm out, frozen out. You
know the factory I have my biggest investment

224 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

" Certainly. It is coining money, and your
salary as president is $20,000."

Here the old gentleman groaned again.

" I took a vacation. What more natural than
that my son-in-law should vote my stock ? I
gave him authority to do so [vote it]. He elected
himself president, chose his own board of di-
rectors, and increased the salary of his position
[the president] $5,000 per annum [a year]. I'm
simply turned out to pasture. My, what a boy ! "
— Detroit Free Press.

We all know what tipping is. It is a vile,
foreign practice tvhich [that] has increased, is
increasing, and ought to be diminished. It de-
stroys the self-respect of him who gives and him
who takes. It stamps the one as a coward and
the other as a sort of blackmailer.

It blesseth him that gives and him that
takes. — Shakespeare.

The subject is one of such tremendous im-
portance to Americans that the fullest considera-
tion will unquestionably be given to it by busi-
ness men who are alive to the broad and epoch-
making developments of the day. — Dry Goods
Economist.

Are all business men alive, or are only a
part of them alive? There being no comma
before who, the sentence says only a part.

MISCELLANEOUS

225

If there were a comma before who, the sen-
tence would say all business men are alive,
in which case we should think the meaning
doubtful. The meaning, then, depends on
the presence or the absence of a comma, a
thing that often owes its presence or its
absence to the compositor. If the relative
tJiat instead of who had been used, the mean-
ing would not have depended on a comma,
though a comma should never be put be-
fore a relative pronoun that introduces a
restrictive clause. We sometimes see com-
mas that properly stand before restrictive
relatives, but they have been put after a
parenthetic clause and not before the rela-
tive.

The religious communities, which have inci-
dentally involved the common ownership of prop-
erty and have employed their members in pro-
duction for the benefit of a commonwealth, have
become rich.

This sentence says that all religious com-
munities are co-operative, which we know
is not true. No comma and that and the
sentence would say what it was intended
to say.

226 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

Lizards, snakes, and grasshoppers, which live
in the sand, are gray or brown, while their
brethren of the trees and grass are green. — New
York Sun.

The first ten words of this sentence tell
us that all lizards, snakes, and grasshoppers
live in the sand; while the remainder of the
sentence tells us that some lizards, snakes,
and grasshoppers live in trees and grass.

Not content with destroying the Teutonic
peoples, which had already settled on Roman soil,
Justinian intrigued with the tribes that were
still north of the Danube, and fomented their
quarrels.

This sentence begins by saying that all
the Teutonic peoples had settled on Roman
soil, which we sec by the last half of the
sentence was not true.

The men that have shown themselves as
masters of prose are not, for the most part, the
men that are widely read and the men that are
most widely read owe many millions of readers
to something else than their mastery of prose
form. — Prof. Thomas R. Price.

Here is a writer that introduces his re-
strictive clauses with that.

WHY USE THAT TO INTRODUCE
RESTRICTIVE CLAUSES?

NOTE. — This essay, to be understood,
must be carefully studied. Simply reading
it will not suffice.

Owing to the indiscriminate, haphazard
use of the relative pronouns that almost
universally prevails, there is never, proba-
bly, a newspaper, and rarely a book, printed
in the English language in which there are
not ambiguous sentences; and yet this am-
biguity can be easily avoided, as we see if
we give the subject a little attention.

So long as we continue to use the rela-
tive pronouns indiscriminately, the mean-
ing of all but one of the following six sen-
tences— which are all grammatically and
idiomatically correct — and of all like sen-
tences, will be doubtful:

i. These are the master's rules, who
must be obeyed.

227

228 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

2. These are the rules of the master, who
must be obeyed.

3. These are the rules of the master,
that must be obeyed.

4. These are the rules of the master,
which must be obeyed.

5. These are the master's rules, which
must be obeyed.

6. These are the master's rules, that must
be obeyed.

Nos. i and 2 should mean : These are
the rules of the master, and he must be
obeyed ; but they may mean : These are
the rules of a certain one of several mas-
ters, and this one is the one we must
obey.

No. 3 may mean: Of the master's rules,
these are the ones that must be obeyed. It
may also mean: Of several masters, these
are the rules of the one whose rules must
be obeyed.

Nos. 4 and 5 may mean: These are the
rules of the master, and they must be
obeyed; or they may mean: Of the rules of
the master, these are the ones that must be
obeyed.

That is properly the restrictive relative

WHY USE THAT?

229

pronoun, and winch and who are properly
the co-ordinating relative pronouns. That,
when properly used, introduces something
without which the antecedent is not fully
defined, whereas wliicli and who, when prop-
erly used, introduce a new fact concerning
the antecedent.

Whenever a clause restricts, limits, de-
fines, qualifies the antecedent — i. e., when-
ever it is adjectival, explanatory, in its func-
tions— it should be introduced with the rela-
tive pronoun that, and not with which, nor
with who or whom.

The use of that solely to introduce re-
strictive clauses, and who and wJiich solely
to introduce co-ordinating clauses, avoids
ambiguities that must occasionally come- of
using the relative pronouns indiscriminate-
ly. This clearly appears from the following
examples:

" I met the watchman who showed me
the way." Does this mean, " I met the
watchman and he showed me the way"?
or does it mean that, of several watchmen
I met, the one that on some previous occa-
sion showed me the way? It should mean
the former, and it would mean that and

230

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

nothing else, if we discriminated in using
who and that.

" And fools who came to scoff remained
to pray." Does the familiar line from Gold-
smith mean, And the fools that came,
though they came to scoff, remained to
pray? or does it mean that some of the
fools that came, came to scoff, and these
remained to pray? Probably the former is
the meaning; but as the line stands, this,
no matter how general the opinion, can be
only conjectured, as every one must admit
that the meaning intended may be the lat-
ter. If the latter is the meaning, it is clear
that the proper relative to use is that. Had,
however, Goldsmith never used who, except
to introduce co-ordination, we should know
positively just what he intended to convey.

" It is requested that all members of
Council who are also members of the Lands
Committee will assemble in the Council
room." Does this mean that all the mem-
bers of the Council are also members of the
Lands Committee, and that they shall as-
semble? or does it mean that such members
of Council as are also members of the Lands
Committee shall assemble?

WHY USE THAT?

231

" The volume is recommended to all
geologists to -whom the Secondary rocks of
England are a subject of interest." Is the
volume recommended to all geologists, or
to such only as take an interest in Secondary
rocks?

" He had commuted the sentence of
the Circassian officers who had conspired
against Arabi Bey and his fellow-ministers
— a proceeding which [that] naturally in-
censed the so-called Egyptian party." Did
all the Circassian officers conspire, or only
a part of them?

" On the ground floor of the hotel there
are three parlors which are never used."
Does this mean three of the parlors on the
ground floor are not used? or does it mean
the three parlors on the ground floor are
not used? The latter is probably the mean-
ing intended, but as there is no comma after
parlors, the former, using the relatives in-
discriminately as we do, is the meaning ex-
pressed.

" Emin Bey, the chief, who leaped the
wall on horseback and landed safely on the
debris below, was afterward taken into
favor." Here the language and the punc-

232

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

tuation convey the impression that Emin
Bey was the sole chief, when in fact he was
only one of the many chiefs that were pres-
ent on the occasion referred to. The
thought intended is expressed thus: " Emin
Bey, the chief that leaped the wall, . . .
was afterward taken into favor."

" His conduct surprised his English
friends who had not known him long."
Does this mean all his English friends, or
only those of them that had not known him
long? If the former is the meaning, then
who is the proper relative to use with a
comma; if the latter, then that should be
used, without a comma.

" Agents of the Turkish Government are
trying to close the Protestant schools in
Asia Minor, which are conducted by mis-
sionaries from the United States." Are the
Turks trying to close all the Protestant
schools in Asia Minor, or only a part of
them? All, according to this statement;
but that is probably not what is intended, as
there are doubtless Protestant schools in
Asia Minor that are not conducted by mis-
sionaries from the United States.

" The police captains who yesterday vis-

WHY USE THAT?

233

ited the central office to draw their pay, all
expressed their sympathy," etc. Did all the
police captains visit the central office, or
only a part of them?

' The youngest boy who has learned to
dance is James." As long as we use who
for the purposes of both restriction and co-
ordination, this means either, " The young-
est boy is James, and he has learned to
dance," or, " Of the boys, the youngest
that has learned to dance is James." If
the latter is the meaning, then that should
have been used ; if the former, then
who is correctly used, but the co-ordinate
clause should have been isolated with com-
mas.

Who and which are the proper co-ordinat-
ing relatives — i. e., the relatives to use when
the antecedent is completely expressed
without the help of the clause introduced
with the relative. Thus: " The society now
numbers nearly twenty members, who (=
and they) have given up all family ties and
devoted themselves entirely to religious
work." " The choir consists of about sixty
men and boys, who are surpliced." " But
some of their friends, who (= persons that)

234

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

are wealthy and influential members of the
church, did not like to have them give up
their work in Boston, which had been at-
tended with great results, and urged them
to return, which they have consented to do,
and they will soon begin work anew at the
old church, which is the property of the
Society of St. John the Evangelist."

Here are some examples of the correct
use of zvho, which, that, and whom: " The
heirs, who are very numerous, will be pres-
ent " — i. e., all the heirs. " The heirs, ivho
have been notified, will be present " — i. e.,
all the heirs. " The heirs that have been
notified will be present" — i.e., only those
notified. " The heirs, whom I have seen,
will be present " — i. e., all the heirs. ' The
heirs that I have seen will be present "
i. e., only those seen. " I study grammar,
which I like very much." " Give me the
grammar that lies on the desk." " He
struck the man wlio " — i. e., a certain man
— " had done him no harm." " He struck
the man that " — i. e., a man of several men
— " insulted him." " He struck the wrong
man — the one that had done him no harm."
" Our house, wliicJi is built of brick, is very

WHY USE THAT? 235

warm." " The house that is built of brick
is the warmest." " The cat " — i. e., the
species — " which you so dislike is a useful
animal." " The cat " — i. e., the individual
— " that you so dislike is a very pretty one."
" He jumped into the water, which greatly
frightened his mother." " He attends to
his own affairs, which is the way to make
them prosper." " He that attends to his
own affairs is likely to see them prosper."
" The man tliat I saw is tall." " This man,
whom I know well, is a good ploughman."
" He that lets the sun go down on his
wrath," etc.

In the following examples the errors in
the use of the relatives are corrected in
brackets: " The rich despise those who
[that] flatter too much, and hate those who
[that] do not flatter at all." " An am-
bitious man whom [that] you can serve will
often aid you to rise," etc. " He that feeds
many serveth few; he serveth all ivJio [that]
dares be true." " The curious inquirer who
[that] sets himself," etc. " This book has
been made for those who [that] aim to
have," etc. " The people who [that] are
expecting, under the new code . . . The

236

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

people will not consent, under a Govern-
ment which [that] depends upon their will,
to adopt the Sabbatarian notions wJiicJi
[that] the old Puritans . . . Yet there are
some narrow minds in New York who
[that] still think . . . They have no sym-
pathy with those zvho [that] would force
. . . Then there are the Jews, who do not
feel . . . and zuho claim the right to work
or play on Sunday . . . The population
would be sunk in gloom, which would of
course," etc.

It is necessary, for the proper under-
standing of which, to advert to its peculiar
function of referring to a whole clause as
the antecedent: " William ran along the top
of the wall, which alarmed his mother very
much." The antecedent is obviously not
the noun " wall," but the fact expressed
by the entire clause — " William ran," etc.
" He by no means wants sense, which only
serves to aggravate his former folly"; name-
ly, (not " sense," but) the circumstance
" that he does not want sense." " He is
neither overexalted by prosperity nor too
much depressed by misfortune, which you
must allow marks a great mind." " We

WHY USE THAT?

237

have done many things ivhich we ought
not to have done " might mean " we ought
not to have done many tilings " — that is, " we
ought to have done few things." That
would give the exact sense intended: " We
have done many things that we ought not
to have done." That is much more fre-
quently used instead of who as a restrictive
relative than will be at first supposed. As
evidence of this I offer a sentence that I
find in a London cablegram to a New York
newspaper: " It was he that moved the ad-
journment until Tuesday." This, in my
judgment, is better and more idiomatic
English than it would have been had the
writer used who instead of that.

Occasionally, but by no means often, we
meet with a that that should be which.
Here are two such whiches:

Across the Straits of Fuca there is the pretty
English town of Victoria that [which] has as
solid mansions, etc.

The Strait or Gulf of Georgia, that [which]
separates Vancouver Island from the mainland,
although, etc.

There is not, as some of the unthinking
seem to believe, any valid objection to using

238 SOME ILL-USED WORDS

two thats in immediate succession, as in the
utterance they are widely different. Thus
used, they are not at all disturbing, not at
all tautophonic. Two successive thats are
tautophonic to the eye only. The demon-
strative that always has its full name sound,
while the other that, be it a conjunction or
a relative, is barely touched; thus, " I say
th't THAT book is old." " Where is THAT
th't I gave you? " Indeed, three successive
thats are not at all disturbing — e. g., " They,
therefore, that treat of these subjects more
boldly, venture to say th't THAT th't is base
is the only evil."

Who is that that dares to address the court?
— Dickens.

We must next allude to the cases where the
relative is governed by a preposition. We can
use a preposition before who (in the objective
case whom) and which, but when the relative
is that the preposition must be thrown to the
end of the clause. Owing to an imperfect appre-
ciation of the genius of our language, offence
was taken at this usage by some of our leading
ivriters at the beginning of last century, and to
this circumstance we must refer the disuse of
that as the relative of restriction. — Bain's Gram-
mar.

WHY USE THAT ?

239

That can not be preceded by a preposition,
and hence throws the preposition to the end.
" This is the rule that I adhere to." This is per-
fectly good English, though sometimes unneces-
sarily avoided. — Abbott's How to Write Clearly.

In every other language the preposition is
almost constantly prefixed to the noun which
[that] it governs; in English it is sometimes
placed not only after the noun, but at a consid-
erable distance from it, as in the following ex-
ample : " The infirmary was, indeed, never so full
as on this day, which I was at some loss to ac-
count for." Here no fewer than seven words
intervene between the relative which and the
preposition for belonging to it. One would
imagine, to consider the matter abstractly, that
this could not fail in a language like ours, which
admits so few inflections, to create obscurity.
Yet this is seldom, if ever, the consequence. In-
deed, the singularity of the idiom hath made some
critics condemn it absolutely. That there is noth-
ing analogous in any known tongue, ancient or
modern, hath appeared to them a sufficient reason.
/ own it never appeared so to me. — Dr. Camp-
bell's Rhetoric.

The constant placing of the preposition
before the relative tends to make a writer's
style turgid, ponderous — sometimes, in fact,

almost unidiomatic. It makes one's dic-
10

240

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

tion differ too widely from the diction
of every-day life, which is the diction
much the best suited to many kinds of
composition.

The following examples, taken from
Massinger's Grand Duke o*f Florence, will
show what was the usage of the Elizabethan
writers:

For I must use the freedom / was born with.

In that dumb rhetoric which you make use of.

... if I had been heir
Of all the globes and sceptres mankind bows to.

. . . the name of friend
Which you are pleased to grace me with.

. . . wilfully ignorant, in my opinion,
Of what it did invite him to.

I look to her as on a princess
/ dare not be ambitious of.

... a duty
That I was born with.

WHY USE THAT? 241

So in Shakespeare, to take an example
cut of many:

To have no screen between the part he played
And him he played it for.

Why, there is not a single sentence in this
play that I do not know the meaning of. — Ad-
dison.

Originality is a thing we constantly clamor
for and constantly quarrel with. — Carlyle.

It will be observed that the relative,
when it is the object, is often omitted.

" It was not one with which he could find
fault"; better, "One he could find fault
with."

" It will be a joy to which I have looked
forward with hope " ; better, " A joy that I
have looked forward to with hope."

' You are the first one to wliom I have
unburdened my mind "; better, " First one
I have unburdened my mind to."

' The man to whom I refer " ; better,
' The man I refer to."

" Don't whip with a switch that has the
leaves on if you want to tingle." — Beecher.
How much of its idiomatic terseness this

242

SOME ILL-USED WORDS

sentence would lose if changed to, " Don't
whip with a switch on which there are
leaves," or on which the leaves remain, or
from which the leaves have not been re-
moved !

The more thought one gives to the mat-
ter the more one will be inclined, I think, to
discriminate in the use of the relative pro-
nouns, and the less one will be opposed to
that construction that puts the governing
preposition at the end. — From the Verbalist.

(2)

THE END

BOOKS BY ALFRED AYRES.

Some Ill-used Words. A Manual for the Use of those
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**y well-nigh every one who uses the English language.

The Orthoepist. A Pronouncing Manual, containing about
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that are ofton mispronounced. Revised and enlarged edition.
i8mo. Cloth, $1.25.
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The English Grammar of William Cobbett. Care-
fully revised and annotated by ALFRED AYRJS. With Index.
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A NEW AND UNIQUE VOLUME.

The Book of the Short Story.

Edited by ALEXANDER JESSUP, Editor of Little
French Masterpieces, etc., and HENRY SEIDEL
CANBY, Instructor in Yale University. I2mo.
Cloth, $1.10.

For the Teacher of English.
For the Student of Literature.
For the Story Writer.
For the Story Reader.

The purpose of this volume is to give, both by expo-
sition and example, a view of the Short Story from the
earliest times to the close of the igth century. In addi-
tion to the eighteen representative tales that the volume
contains, there is a general introduction, and notes, before
each story. There are also lists of the principal Short
Story collections of the world's literature. It is believed
that this is the first adequate attempt to present a com-
prehensive and expert review of the Short Story within
the scope of a single volume. While the book is designed
primarily for educational purposes, it will be found to
possess a lively interest for the general reader.

Some of the writers whose short stories appear are :
SIR WALTER SCOTT. HONOR£ DE BALZAC.
WASHINGTON IRVING. NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
DANIEL DEFOE. ROBERT Louis STEVENSON.

CERVANTES. EDGAR ALLAN POE.

VOLTAIRE. RUDYARD KIPLING.

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.

FELIX GRAS'S ROMANCES.

The White Terror.

A Romance. By FELIX GRAS. Translated from the Pro-
ven9al by Mrs. Catharine A. Janvier. Uniform with " The
Reds of the Midi " and " The Terror." i6mo. Cloth, $1.50.
In "The White Terror" M. Gras paints with singular vividness the
.1 range conditions offered in the Midi after the more familiar events ol
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mil reverses of \\ hues and Reds, and the lengthening of the shadow cast
i y Nnpolton, while throughout all these stoimy and adventurous scei ef
there passes the appealing figure of Adeline, daughter of a murdered
Koyalist. The story ol Adeline's protection by humble friends from
f.K tional hate and frjm the murderous Calislo forms a romance extraor-
dinary in its sympathetic quality ai.d dramatic power. Her story and
the tale of her friend Paj-calet's adventures in the Napoleonic wars make
a romance which throbs with life and holds the reader tense with suspended
interest. Ihe entlniHastic reception given to M Gras's " Reds of the
Midi' and "'Ihe leriui" indicates the welcome awaiting his new
romance.

The Terror.

A Romance of the French Revolution. By FELIX GRAS,
author of " The Reds of the Midi." Uniform with "The
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Janvier. i6mo. Cloth, $1.50.

" If Felix Gras had never done any other work than this novel, it
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. . . ' The Terror ' is a story that deserves to be widely read, for, while
it 'is o1 thrilling intrr^t, holding the reader's attention closely, there is
about it a literary quality that makes it worthy of something more than a
careless perusal."- Brooklyn Eagle.

The Reds of the Midi.

An episode of the French Revolution. By F£LIX GRAS.
Translated from the Provensal by Mrs. Catharine A. Janvier.
With an Introduction by Thomas A. Janvier. With Frontis-
piece. i6mo. Cloth. $1.50

" I have read with great and sustained interest ' The Reds of the
South,' which you were good enough to present to me. Though a work
o' fiction, it aims at painting the historical features, and such works if failh-
fi'lly executed throw more light than many so-called histories on the true
roots and causes of the P evolution, which are so widely and so gravel y
misunderstood. As a novel it seems to me to be wtitten with great skill. '
- William E. Gladstone

D. APPLKTON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.

NOVELS BY HALL CAINE.

The Eternal City. $1.50,

"The book abounds in vivid pictures which pass before the mind of
the reader like a majestic and many-colored panorama, showing the
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glory and all its shame." — Boston Beacon.

The Christian. $1.50.

"A book of wonderful power and force." — Brooklyn Eagle,
"None who read it will gainsay its power and effectiveness." — Neva

York Times.

" The public is hardly prepared for so remarkable a performance as

'The Christian.' ... A permanent addition to English literature. . . .

Above and beyond any popularity that is merely temporary." — Boston

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The Manxman. $1.50.

" Hall Caine has the art of being human and humane, and his char-
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handles large human questions — the questions of lawful and lawless
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The Deemster. $1.50.

(New copyright edition, re-vised by the author.)

" Hall Caine has already given us some very strong and fine work,
and ' The Deemster ' is a story of unusual power. . . . Certain passages
and chapters have an intensely dramatic grasp, and hold the fascinated
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The Bondman. $1.50.

(New copyright edition, revised by the author.)

The Scapegoat. $1.50.

(New copyright edition, revised by the author.)

Capt'n Davy's Honeymoon. $i oo.
The Little Manx Nation. f i.oo.

THEATRE EDITIONS.
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Theatre Edition. Illustrated. I2mo. Cloth, 50 cents.
The Manxman.

Theatre Edition. Illustrated. I2mo. Cloth, 75 cents.

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BOOKS BY S. R. CROCKETT.

Each, lamo. Cloth, $1.50.

"For a good Scotch story, faithful to locality and quaint neighbor-
hoods in its every particular, commend us to S. R. Crockett."

— The Courier, Boston.

Deep Moat Grange. ,

In the popular author's most readable % style, but through the lips of a
Yorkshire lad, comes this tale of young love, steeped in murder and
mystery, and the machinations of the criminally insane. Deep Moat
Grange — a tumble-down estate near the village of Breckonside, in the
north of England, is the pivot of interest around which the lad, Elsie the
heroine, a curate, and the villagers revolve.

Fishers of Men.

Illustrated.

The story of Kid McGhie, "a little hero of the Dickens type who is
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The Lilac Sunbonnet.
Twenty-third thousand.

"A love story, pure and simple, one of the old-fashioned, wholesome,
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half so sweet has been written this year it has escaped our notice."

—Neiv York Times.

Cleg Kelly, Arab of the City. His Progress and

Adventures.
Illustrated. Twelfth thousand.

" A masterpiece which Mark Twain himself has never rivaled. ... If
there ever was an ideal character in fiction it is this heroic ragamuffin."

— London Daily Chronicle.
" In no one of his books does Mr. Crockett give us a brighter or more

fraphic picture of contemporary Scotch life than in 'Cleg Kelly.' . . .
t is one of the great books. "—Boston Daily Advertiser.

The Standard Bearer.

An Historical Romance. Ninth thousand.

"Those of his friends who read Mr. Crockett all the more eagerly
because the wholesome country air Mows through his books, because the
hc.it her flames in his landscapes, and because he is never tired of drawing
women as pure as they are lovable, may turn to 'The Standard Bearer '
with unimpaired trustfulness. We have enjoyed this tale heartily, and
we feel sure that in this respect we shall have thousands of companions "

— The Literary World, London.

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.

BY SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE.

Uniform Edition. Each, J2mo. Cloth, $1.50.

The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard.

A Romance of the Life of a Typical Napoleonic Soldier.

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dulged in by 'The Three Muskateers.' Written with a dash and swing
that here and there carry one away." — New York Mail and Express.

Rodney Stone.

" A notable and very brilliant work of genius." — London Spectator.

" Dr. Doyle's novel is crowded with an amazing amount of incident and
excitement. . . . He does not write history, but shows us the human side of
his great men, living and moving in an atmosphere charged with the spirit
of the hard-living, hard-fighting Anglo-Saxon." — New York Critic,

Round the Red Lamp.

Being Facts and Fancies of Medical Life.

"A strikingly realistic and decidedly original contribution to modern
literature." — Boston Saturday Evening Gazette.

The Stark-Munro Letters.

Being a Series of Twelve Letters written by STARK-MuNRO,
M.B., to his friend and former fellow student, Herbert Swan-
borough, of Lowell, Massachusetts, during the years 1881-1884.
" Cullingworth, a much more interesting creation than Sherlock
Holmes, and I pray Dr. Doyle to give us more of him."

—Richard le Gallienne in the London Star.

A Duet, with an Occasional Chorus.

"Charming is the one word to describe this volume adequately. Dr.
Doyle's crisp style and his rare wit and refined humor, utilized with cheer-
ful art that is perfect of its kind, fill these chapters with joy and gladness
for the reader." — Philadelphia Press.

" Bright, brave, simple, natural, delicate. It is the most artistic and
most original thing that its author has done. We can heartily recommend
'A Duet ' to all classes of readers. It is a good book to put into the hands
of the young of either sex. It will interest the general reader, and should
delijjht the critic, for it is a work of art. This story taken with the best
of his previous work givef Dr. Doyle a very high place in modern letters."

— Chicago Times-Herald.

Uncle Bernac.

A Romance of the Empire.

" Simple, clear, and well-defined. . . . Spirited in movement all the
way through. A fine example of clear analytical force." — Boston Herald.

" From the opening pages the clear and energetic telling of the story
never falters and our attention never flags." — London Observer.

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.

THE LIBRARY OF USEFUL STORIES.

Illustrated. J6mo. Cloth, 35 cents net per volume;
postage, 4 cents per volume additional.

The Story of Extinct Civilizations of the West. By

ROBERT E. ANDERSON, M. A., F. A. S.
The Story of Alchemy. By M. M. PATTISON MUIR.
The Story of Animal Life By B LINDSAY.
The Story of the Art of Music. By F. J. CROWEST.
The Story of the Art of Building. By P. L. WATFR-

HOUSE.

The ^tory of "Cin^ Alfred. By Sir WALTER BESANT.
The Story of Books. By GERTRUDE B. RAWLINGS.
The Story of the Alphabet. By EDWARD CLODD.
The Story of Eclipses. By G. F. CHAMBERS, F.R. A.S.
The Story of the Living Machine. By H. W. CONN.
The Story of the British Race. By JOHN MuNRO.C.E.
The Story of Geographical Discovery. By JOSEPH

JACOBS.

The Story of the Cotton Plant. By F.WILKINSON, F.G S.
The Story of the Mind. By Prof. J. MARK BALDWIN.
The Story of Photography. By ALFRED T. STORY.
The Story of Life in the Seas. By SYDNEY J. HICKSON.
The Story of Germ Life. By Prof. H. W. CONN.
The Story of the Earth's Atmosphere. By DOUGLAS

ARCHIBALD.
The Story of Extinct Civilizations of the East. By

ROBERT ANDERSON, M. A., F. A. S.
The Story of Electricity. By JOHN MUNRO, C. E.
The Story of a Piece of Coal. By E. A. MARTIN, F.G.S.
The Story of the Solar System. By G. T. CHAMBERS.
The Story of the Earth. By H. G. SEELEY, F. R.S.
The Story of the Plants. By GRANT ALLEN.
The Story of "Primitive" Man. By EDWARD CLODD.
The Story of the Stars. By G. F. CHAMFERS, F. R. A. S.

D. AFPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.

BOOKS BY CY WARMAN.
Snow on the Headlight.

A Story of the Great Burlington Strike. I2mo. Cloth, $1.25.

" Mr. Warman holds a unique position among our tellers of
tales, since he alone is a practical railroad man, who knows the
work, and has done it, in all its details." — New Yo, k Mail and
Express.

"Plenty of close-range photographs, interior views, of the
great Burlington strike are to be found in Cy \V arman's book." —
Philadelphia limes.

" It has the great virtue of being a plain story plainly told by
ona who knows. Whatever other impression it may convey to the
reader, it conveys most strongly the impression of truth. And
this plain truth, told in a plain way, is a terrible thing. One can
feel all the way through that half the tale— and perhaps the worst
half —is left untold, yet such as stands in print is sufficient, and to
the reader who cares for something more than the superficial ad-
venturous incident of the book it will not be without its instructive
influence." — Denver Republican

"Told with all the freshness and vividness of an eyewitness."
—Philadelphia Call.

"Will be read with interest by all railroad men." — Galesburg
(III.) Mail.

The Story of the Railroad.

Illustrated. I2mo. Cloth, $1.50.

" Far more interesting than the average novel. . . . Mr. War-
man's volume makes us hear and feel the rush of modern civiliza-
tion. It gives us also the human side of the picture — the struggles
of the frontiersman and his family, the dismay and cruel wrath of
the retreating savage, the heroism of the advance guard of the rail-
way builders, and the cutthroat struggles of competing lines. He
does not deal greatly with statistics, but the figures he uses help
make up the stunning effect of gigantic enterprise. There is not
a dull page in the book."— New York Evening t-ost.

" Intensely interesting— a history that reads like a romance,
and compared with whose marvelous story indeed most modern
romances will seem spiritless and tame." — Charleston News and
Courier.

"Worthy to stand on the same shelf with Hough's 'Story of
the Cowboy.' " — Milwaukee Journal.

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE
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UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY

Ayres, Alfred

]A60 Some ill-used words

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