LESSON XXX. EXERCISE. COPY and punctuate the following extract: THE LEPROSY IN AFRICA. Leprosy, that awful disease which covers the body with scales still exists in Africa, Whether it is the same leprosy as that mentioned in the Bible is not known but it is regarded as perfectly incurable and so infectious that no one dares to come near the leper In the south of Africa there is a large lazar house for the victims of this terrible malady It consists of an immense space inclosed by a very high wall and containing fields which the lepers cultivate There is only one entrance and it is strictly guarded When any one is found with the marks of leprosy upon him he is brought to this gate and enters never to return Within this abode of misery there are multitudes of lepers in all stages of the disease Dr Helbeck a missionary of the Church of England from the top of a neighboring hill saw them at work He noticed two particularly sowing peas in the field The one had no hands the other no feet those members having been wasted away by the' disease The one who wanted the hands was carrying the other who wanted the feet on his back and he again bore in his hands the bag of seed and dropped a pea every now and then which the other pressed into the ground with his foot and so they managed the work of one man between the two Such is the prison house of disease Ah how little do we realize the misery that is in the world How unthankful are we for the blessings which God bestows upon us while he denies them to others LESSON XXXI. RULES FOR THE USE OF CAPITAL LETTERS. WHAT usage formerly prevailed with regard to capital letters? To begin every noun, both in writing and printing, with a capital. This is still the practice in the German language. What are the rules that are to guide us at the present day? Begin with a capital letter: 1. The first word of every sentence. 2. All proper nouns, and titles of office or honor; as, Rome, Spain, President Fillmore, General Washington, Henry Street. 3. Adjectives formed from proper nouns; as, Roman, Spanish. 4. Common nouns when spoken to, or spoken of, as persons; as, "Come, gentle Spring." 5. The first word of every line of poetry. 6. The appellations of the Deity, and personal pronouns standing for His name; as, "God is the Lord; He ruleth in His might." 7. The first word of a quotation that forms a complete sentence by itself, and is not introduced by that, or other words which would connect it in construction with what precedes; as, "Remember the old maxim: 'Honesty is the best policy.' 8. Every important word in the titles of books, or headings of chapters; as "Locke's Essay on the Human Understanding." 9. Words that are the leading subjects of dis course. 10. The pronoun I, and the interjection O, must be written in capitals. EXERCISE. Copy the following sentences, applying the rules given above, and observing that where there is no rule for using a capital you must substitute a small letter: 1. Under Rule I. know Thyself. honesty is the best policy. follow virtue. It Rains. envy is a Dishonorable emotion. avoid the appearance of evil. improve every Moment. Alexander the great 2. Under Rules II. and III. overran syria, persia, lydia, and hyrcania, pushing his Conquests as far as the river indus. napoleon kept all europe at bay, until the Fatal Field of waterloo consigned him to st. helena. President adams received the congratulations of the french and spanish ministers. 3. Under Rule IV. Hail, winter, seated on thine icy Throne Fierce war has sounded his trumpet, And Called the peasant from the field! bland Goddess peace now smiles upon the plain. here I and sorrow sit. Grim darkness furls his leaden Shroud. 4. Under Rules V. and VI. in every leaf that trembles to the breeze, i hear the Voice of god among the trees. Trust in the lord; hath he Spoken, and shall he not do it? these, as they change, almighty father, these are but the varied god. 5. Under Rule VII. This was our saviour's command: "watch and pray." Virgil says, "labor conquers all things." "merry christmas," cried the delighted villagers. 6. Under Rule VIII. milton's "paradise lost" brought him in only five Pounds. Have you read dickens' Account of his visit to america, which he entitles "american notes for general circulation ?" I have read with delight hervey's "meditations among the tombs." 7. Under Rule X. i love thee not as once i loved, o false friend, o cruel traitor. O Heaven! i am undone ! O wretched youth! i thought i hated thee; but thy misfortune hath turned My Hate To Pity. LESSON XXXII. A REVIEW. WHAT is a sentence? How many kinds of sentences are there? What is a declarative sentence? an imperative sentence? an interrogative sentence? an exclamatory sentence? What is a phrase? What is a clause? What is a relative clause? a participial clause? an adverbial clause? a vocative clause ? When is one noun said to be in apposition with another? What is punctuation? Name the characters used in punctuation. Where is the period placed? What is the period also used to denote? Where is the interrogation point used? the exclamation point? Where should the colon be placed? What is the semicolon used to separate? Repeat the rule for the use of the semicolon between dependent clauses; the rule that relates to examples. For what is the comma used? What is the rule that relates to the use of the comma in the case of clauses and phrases? What are the four principal clauses that fall under this rule ? Mention some of the phrases that fall under it. What is the rule that relates to the subject of a verb? to the omission of words? to certain conjunctions? to nouns in apposition? to words used in pairs? EXERCISE. Copy the following extracts, inserting as may be required, capital letters, punctuation-points, and the other marks used in writing, described in Lesson XXVIII. 1. The Bushman and the missionary. the bush.men are a very degraded and ignorant race who live in southern africa not far from the cape of good hope A missionary who for some time had been laboring to introduce christianity among them took occasion one day to speak of the great objects of creation and the duties of man. at last he asked, what is the chief end of man The bushmen were silent for several moments apparently reflecting what answer they should give to this difficult question At length one of them who seemed inspired by a sudden idea replied, to steal oxen 2. The bravery of Horatius cocles. when porsenna king of the etrurians was endeavoring to reestablish tarquinius superbus on the throne he attacked rome and had the good fortune to take the janiculum at the first assault At this crisis horatius cocles a common sentinel but a man of the greatest courage posted himself at the extremity of the Sublician bridge and alone withstood the whole force of the enemy till the bridge was broken down behind him. he then threw himself into the tiber and swam over to his friends unhurt by either his full or the darts of the enemy 3. by wisdom tutored poetry exalts her voice to ages and informs the page |