the question would be pertinent, Why not strike out the weaker clause, and let only the stronger one stand? But if it is used skilfully, the purpose is to fix the reader's attention upon a proposition that he might pass over without apprehending its importance. Daniel Webster's speech at the trial of a murderer presents an example: "The guilty soul can not keep its own secret. It is false to itself-or rather it feels an irresistible impulse of conscience to be true to itself." The simplest form of the figure occurs frequently in conversation, and occasionally gets into print. Here is an example from Charles Lamb's Old Margate Hoy: "We had neither of us seen' the sea." This would be allowable in conversation, because it may be supposed that the thought of making the declaration emphatic did not occur to the speaker till he had utered the first two words, and then he said “neither of us"" instead of simply saying "not." But in his essay Lamb should have changed it to "Neither of us had seen the sea."

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Epoch-making.—If a publisher wishes to say, in a flaming advertisement, that he has just issued an epoch-making book," by all means let him do so. Such expressions may be good enough for the advertising column, but they are ridiculous in anything that should be literature. "What!" said a friend, on seeing such an announcement on a pub

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lisher's bulletin-board; must the old epoch ractories shut up shop and turn off the hands?" It is an instructive fact that of all the books that have been launched with this characterization, not one has secured a permanent place or proved to be of real significance.

Equally. This word may be followed properly by with, but not by as. Thus: "His first book was excellent, and his second is equally good "—not equally as good. "John shares in the estate equally with his brothers."

Erote'sis or Interrogation. This figure may be defined as the asking of a question that answers itself. An ordinary question, asked for the purpose of eliciting information, is not a figure of speech; but when Patrick Henry, in his famous oration, exclaimed: “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?" his language was highly figurative.

Etc. It is a common error to place this abbreviation at the end of an enumeration of particulars that are mentioned as examples. If one writes, "He deals in dry goods, hardware, stationery, books, etc.," it is correct. But to write, "He deals in many things, such as dry goods, hardware, stationery, etc.," is not correct. Because of the "such as" the "etc." should be omitted. Etc. is the abbreviation of the Latin words et cetera, which may

650707

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mean and others" or and the others," as the

Latin language has no article.

Euphemism or Euphuism. This figure consists in a choice of words intended to avoid a disagreeable impression that might be produced if the idea were conveyed bluntly in the usual or more specific terms. One of the simplest is that of the prudish woman who spoke of “the limbs of the piano." A more striking one was originated by the wife of a hod-carrier, who, being asked what was her husband's business, answered that he was "a descender and elevater." One of the most ghastly is Hamlet's remark in answer to an inquiry for Polonius, that he has gone to supper. Slang has many euphemisms. Thus, "It has gone where the woodbine twineth,” i. e., up a spout, i. e., to the pawnshop, which once was popular and in every-day use, but is now obsolete. One of the most ludicrous euphemisms is that of the pugilist, who calls his profession "the manly art of self-defense."

Euphony. In every composition-with perhaps the exception of mathematical propositions and legal documets-euphony should be considered. The making of a sentence euphonious usually depends more upon the arrangement of the words. than upon their choice. Consider the simplest possible case the name of a firm. Smith and Jackson is euphonious, because no letters of similar sound

come together in such a way as to interfere with each other and prevent clear enunciation, and it is in regular trochaic rhythm. But Jackson and Smith is not euphonious; it has no rhythm, and the final n in Jackson interferes with the sound of and. In his In Memoriam, Section VII, Tennyson has purposely made one line

On the bald street breaks the blank day

as cacophonous, or ineuphonious, as possible, to represent the mental effect of a great personal calamity. It would be intolerable to have much of this; and all the rest of the long dirge is musical.

Euphony should be carefully considered in the naming of children. If the family name. is Sevier, the son should not be named Wallace, nor the daughter Alice, because the Christian name should end with a sound distinct from that with which the surname begins. Sometimes family names are used for Christian names in disregard of euphony, as Parker Rogers, for instance. In such case the difficulty can be overcome by means of a middle initial, as, Parker L. Rogers.

Ever so. This expression-in ever so much, ever so fine, ever so late, etc.-—appears to be fairly fixed in the language. But there can be no doubt that the original and proper form is never so, which is capable of logical explanation, while ever so

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is not. Thus, never so fair a day" means that there never was a day so fair; but ever so fair a day has literally no meaning at all. So long as we have our choice, we would better use the defensible form. Every. See EACH.

Except. The use of this word as a conjunction -as in Matthew v, 20, "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees," etc.—is rather archaic and poetical. For this reason it is better in prose to write the homelier word unless, and also for another reason. When a word has two meanings, it is better to confine its use to that meaning which it alone expresses, provided the other meaning is exactly conveyed by another word that is in good usage.

Fall. The use of this word as the name of one of the four seasons is objectionable, because it has other meanings, while the season has a distinctive name, autumn, dedicated to it alone. If fall is not an Americanism it is at least of recent date. Autumn occurs seven times in Shakespeare's works; fall not at all. Autumn is from the Latin, augere, to increase, suggested by the ripening of fruits and grains; fall is suggested by the dropping of the leaves. One may be called the cheerful name, the other the mournful. And autumn is by far the more poetic word.

Fancy. See IMAGINATION.