Plain English Part 111

And there is one Whose faith, whose fight, whose failing, Fame shall placard upon the walls of time.

He dared begin-- Despite the unavailing, He dared begin, when failure was a crime.

When over Africa Some future cycle Shall sweep the lake-gemmed uplands with its surge; When, as with trumpet Of Archangel Michael, Culture shall bid a colored race emerge;

From boulevards O'erlooking both Nyanzas, The statured bronze shall glitter in the sun, With rugged lettering: "JOHN BROWN OF KANSAS: HE DARED BEGIN; HE LOST, BUT, LOSING, WON."

--_Eugene Ware_.

SPELLING

LESSON 29

Last week we studied words which had the same, or nearly the same, meaning. There is always a slight distinction in the meaning of words, but some of them are so nearly the same that it makes very little difference which word we use. Some writers, however, are very careful and spend a great deal of time in the selection of just the right word to express their meaning.

Robert Louis Stevenson once said a good writer would wait half a day in order to secure the best word to convey a certain idea.

A very amusing story is told of Thomas Carlyle, who was very careful to use words expressing just the shade of meaning which he desired to express. He had a habit of writing in a note book these words as they occurred to him, so he would have them for ready reference and use. One day he had searched all day for a certain word which eluded him.

Suddenly in the middle of the night he wakened with the word flas.h.i.+ng in his mind. He wanted to write it down immediately lest he should forget it in the morning, but it was cold and he dreaded getting up in the cold to secure his note book so he nudged Jeanie, his wife, and said: "Jeanie, Jeanie, get up! I have thought of a good word, and I want you to write it down." Now it was equally cold for Jeanie, so Jeanie nudged Thomas and said: "Thomas, Thomas, get up yourself. I have thought of a bad one!"

Nevertheless, it is a good idea when these good words occur to you to write them down. Possibly to save trouble, you had better write them for yourself!

But in addition to words which have the same meaning, or almost the same meaning, there are also words which express just the opposite meaning, and it is well for us to be master of these words also.

+These words which express opposite meaning are called antonyms.+ Words and their antonyms are given in this week's spelling lesson in the words for the first three days' study. For the last three days, words only are given. Look these words up in your dictionary and determine upon the most suitable antonyms.

+Monday+

Legal Illegal

Artificial Natural

a.s.sert Deny

+Tuesday+

Civilized Barbarous

Courage Cowardice

Active Pa.s.sive

+Wednesday+

Initial Final

Temporary Permanent

History Legend

+Thursday+

Addition Cleverness a.s.sured Genuine Acquit Increase

+Friday+

Affection Composure Enlarge Anxious Prompt Discord

+Sat.u.r.day+

Succeed Describe Winning Wasteful Superficial Grieve

Write the proper word in the following blanks:

PATIENTS or PATIENCE

The Doctor has many.......

We have no......with stupidity.

NEGLIGENCE or NEGLECT

The accident was due to the......of the employer.

He has been guilty of......of his family for he was injured by the criminal......of the Railroad Company.

OBSERVANCE or OBSERVATION

The troops were concealed from.......

Trade Unions never fail in the......of Labor Day.

A man's own......will guide him in the......of all good customs.

RELATIVES or RELATIONS

Taft and Roosevelt did not always have pleasant......with each other.

He has gone to visit his.......

We do not always have pleasant......with our.......

SECTS or s.e.x

There are many religious.......

Woman is refused the ballot because of her.......

STATUE or STATUTE