The Art of Writing & Speaking the English Language Part 11

5. I was wholly buried by the next wave that came upon me, but again I was carried a great way toward sh.o.r.e. I was ready to burst with holding my breath, when to my relief I found my head and hands shoot above the surface of the water. I was covered again with water, and dashed against a rock. The blow, taking my breast and side, beat the breath quite out of my body. I held fast by the piece of rock, however, and then, although very weak, I fetched another run, so that I succeeded in getting to the mainland, where I sat me down, quite out of reach of the water.

Questions and Notes. In what words in the preceding paragraphs has silent _a_ been dropped on adding a syllable? In what words do you find the digraph _ea,_ and what sound does it have in each? How many different sounds of _ea_ do you find? What is the difference between _breath_ and _breathe?all_ the differences? How many l's in _almost?_

In what other compounds does _all_ drop one _l_? Why do we not have two _r_'s in _covered_? (Answer. The syllable containing _er_ is not accented. Only accented syllables double a final single consonant on adding a syllable.) What rule applies in the formation of _carried?

having? endeavored? buried? taking? although? getting?_ What is peculiar in _toward? half? water? stomach? wholly? again? body? succeeded? of?_

To remember whether _relief, belief,_ etc., have the digraph _ie_ or _ei,_ notice that _e_ just precedes _f_ in the alphabet and in the word, while the _i_ is nearer the _l_; besides, the words contain the word _lie_. In _receive, receipt,_ the _e_ is placed nearest the _c_, which it is nearest in the alphabet. Or, think of _lice: i_ follows _l_ and _e_ follows _a,_ as in the words _believe_ and _receive_.

Observe the two _l_'s in _wholly,?_ one in _whole_; we do not have _wholely,_ as we might expect. Also observe that in _again_ and _against ai_ has the sound of _e_ short, as _a_ has that sound in _any_ and _many_.

IV.

6. I believe it is impossible truly to express what the ecstasies of the soul are when it is so saved, as I may say, out of the grave.

"For sudden joys, like sudden griefs, confound at first."

7. I walked about on the sh.o.r.e, my whole being wrapped up in thinking of what I had been through, and thanking G.o.d for my deliverance.

Not one soul had been saved but myself. Nor did I afterward see any sign of them, except three of their hats, one cap, and two shoes.

8. I soon began to look about me. I had no change of clothes, nor anything either to eat or drink; nor did I see anything before me but dying of hunger or being eaten by wild beasts.

(Crusoe afterward cast up a sort of ledger account of the good and evil in his lot. On the side of evil he placed, first, the fact that he had been thrown upon a bare and barren island, with no hope of escape.

Against this he set the item that he alone had been saved. On the side of evil he noted that he had no clothes; but on the other hand, this was a warm climate, where he could hardly wear clothes if he had them. Twenty-five years later he thought he would be perfectly happy if he were not in terror of men coming to his island--who, he feared, might eat him.)

Questions and Notes. How do you remember the _ie_ in _believe, grief,_ etc.? Give several ill.u.s.trations from the above paragraphs of the principle that we have a double consonant (in an accented penultimate syllable) after a short vowel. Give ill.u.s.trations of the single consonant after a long vowel. Make a list of the words containing silent letters, including all digraphs. What letter does _true_ have which _truly_ does not? Is _whole_ p.r.o.nounced like _hole? wholly_ like _holy?_ What is the difference between _clothes_ and _cloths?_ What sound has _a_ in _any_?

How do you remember that _i_ follows _e_ in _their?_ What rule applies in the formation of _dying_? Point out two words or more in the above in which we have a silent _a_ following two consonants to indicate a preceding long vowel. Give cases of a digraph followed by a silent _e_.

(Note. Add silent _e_ to _past_ and make _paste_?long _a_.) Is the _i_ in _evil_ sounded? There were no _bears_ upon this island. Mention another kind of _bear_. Observe the difference between _hardware_-- iron goods--and _hard wear,_ meaning tough usage. What is peculiar about _soul? impossible? ecstasies? wrapped? deliverance? sign? except? shoes?

hunger? thrown? terror? island?_

V.

9. I decided to climb into a tree and sit there until the next day, to think what death I should die. As night came on my heart was heavy, since at night beasts come abroad for their prey. Having cut a short stick for my defense, I took up my lodging on a bough, and fell fast asleep. I afterward found I had no reason to fear wild beasts, for never did I meet any harmful animal.

10. When I awoke it was broad day, the weather was clear and I saw the s.h.i.+p driven almost to the rock where I had been so bruised.

The s.h.i.+p seeming to stand upright still, I wished myself aboard, that I might save some necessary things for my use.

(Crusoe shows his good judgment in thinking at once of saving something from the s.h.i.+p for his after use. While others would have been bemoaning their fate, he took from the vessel what he knew would prove useful, and in his very labors he at last found happiness. Not only while his home-building was new, but even years after, we find him still hard at work and still inventing new things.)

Questions and Notes. There are two _l_'s in _till_; why not in _until?_

What other words ending in two _l_'s drop one _l_ in compounds?

What two sounds do you find given to _oa_ in the preceding paragraphs?

What is peculiar about _climb? death? dies? night? heart? heavy? since?

beasts? prey? defense? lodging? bough? never? harmful? weather? driven?

bruised? necessary? judgment? others? happiness? build?_

Use the following words in appropriate sentences: _clime, dye, pray, bow, write, would_. What two p.r.o.nunciations may _bow_ have, and what is the difference in meaning? What two sounds may _s_ have in _use,_ and what difference do they mark?

What two rules are violated in _judgment?_ What other words are similar exceptions?

VI.

11. As I found the water very calm and the s.h.i.+p but a quarter of a mile out, I made up my mind to swim out and get on board her. I at once proceeded to the task. My first work was to search out the provisions, since I was very well disposed to eat. I went to the bread-room and filled my pockets with biscuit. I saw that I wanted nothing but a boat to supply myself with many things which would be necessary to me, and I glanced about me to see how I might meet this need.

12. I found two or three large spars and a spare mast or two, which I threw overboard, tying every one with a rope that it might not drift away. Climbing down the s.h.i.+p's side, I pulled them toward me and tied four of them fast together in the form of a raft, laying two or three pieces of plank upon them crosswise.

13. I now had a raft strong enough to bear any reasonable weight.

My next care was to load it. I got three of the seamen's chests, which I managed to break open and empty. These I filled with bread, rice, five pieces of dried goat's flesh, and a little remainder of European grain. There had been some barley and wheat together; but the rats had eaten or spoiled it.

Questions and Notes. In _calm_ you have a silent _l_; what other words can you mention with this silent _l_? Note the double _e_ in _proceed_ and _succeed; precede_ has one _e_ with the silent _e_ at the end.

Note that _u_ is inserted into _biscuit_ simply to make the _c_ hard before _i_; with this allowance, this word is spelled regularly.

What is the difference between _spar_ and _spare?_ What other word have we had p.r.o.nounced like _threw_? Explain _tying_ and _tied_.

Did any change take place when _ed_ was added to _tie_? Note that _four_ is spelled with _ou_ for the long _o_ sound; _forty_ with a simple _o_. How is _14_ spelled? How do you remember _ie_ in _piece_?

What sound has _ei_ in _weight_? Mention another word in which _ei_ has the same sound. What other word is p.r.o.nounced like _bear_? How do you spell the word like this which is the name of a kind of animal? In what three ways do you find the long sound of _a_ represented in the above paragraphs? Make a list of the words with silent consonants?

VII.

14. My next care was for arms. There were two very good fowling-pieces in the great cabin, and two pistols. And now I thought myself pretty well freighted, and began to think how I should get to sh.o.r.e, having neither sail, oar, nor rudder; and the least capful of wind would have overset me.

15. I made many other journeys to the s.h.i.+p, and took away among other things two or three bags of nails, two or three iron crows, and a great roll of sheet lead. This last I had to tear apart and carry away in pieces, it was so heavy. I had the good luck to find a box of sugar and a barrel of fine flour. On my twelfth voyage I found two or three razors with perfect edges, one pair of large scissors, with some ten or a dozen good knives and forks. In a drawer I found some money.

"Oh, drug!" I exclaimed. "What art thou good for?"

(To a man alone on a desert island, money certainly has no value.

He can buy nothing, sell nothing; he has no debts to be paid; he earns his bread by the sweat of his brow, his business is all with himself and nature, and nature expects no profit, but allows no credit, for a man must pay in work as he goes along. Crusoe had many schemes; but it took a great deal of work to carry them out; and the sum of all was steady work for twenty-five years. In the end we conclude that whatever he got was dearly bought. We come to know what a thing is worth only by measuring its value in the work which it takes to get that thing or to make it, as Crusoe did his chairs, tables, earthenware, etc.)

Questions and Notes. What is peculiar in these words: _cabin, pistols, razors, money, value, measuring, bought, barley, capful, roll, successors, desert, certainly?_ What sound has _ou_ in _journeys?_ Is this sound for _ou_ common? What rule applies to the plural of _journey?_ How else may we p.r.o.nounce _lead?_ What part of speech is it there? What is the past participle of _lead?_ Is that p.r.o.nounced like _lead,_ the metal?

How else may _tear_ be p.r.o.nounced? What does that other word mean?

Find a word in the above paragraphs p.r.o.nounced like _flower_. What other word p.r.o.nounced like _buy? profit? sum? dear? know? ware?_ What sound has _s_ in _sugar_? Make a list of the different ways in which long _e_ is represented. What is peculiar about _goes_? Make a list of the different ways in which long _a_ is represented in the above paragraphs. What sound has _o_ in _iron_? Is _d_ silent in _edges_?

What sound has _ai_ in _pairs_? What other word p.r.o.nounced like this?

How do you spell the fruit p.r.o.nounced like _pair_? How do you spell the word for the act of taking the skin off any fruit? What sound has _u_ in _business?_ In what other word has it the same sound? Mention another word in which _ch_ has the same sound that it has in _schemes_. What other word in the above has _ai_ with the same sound that it has in _chairs_?

VIII.

16. I now proceeded to choose a healthy, convenient, and pleasant spot for my home. I had chiefly to consider three things: First, air; second, shelter from the heat; third, safety from wild creatures, whether men or beasts; fourth, a view of the sea, that if G.o.d sent any s.h.i.+p in sight I might not lose any chance of deliverance. In the course of my search I found a little plain on the side of a rising hill, with a hollow like the entrance to a cave. Here I resolved to pitch my tent.

(He afterward found a broad, gra.s.sy prairie on the other side of the island, where he wished he had made his home. On the slope above grew grapes, lemons, citrons, melons, and other kinds of fruit.)

17. Aft er ten or twelve days it came into my thoughts that I should lose my reckoning for want of pen and ink; but to prevent this I cut with my knife upon a large post in capital letters the following words: "I came on sh.o.r.e here on the 30th of September, 1659." On the sides of this post I cut every day a notch; and thus I kept my calendar, or weekly, monthly, and yearly reckoning of time.

(He afterward found pen, ink, and paper in the s.h.i.+p; but the record on the post was more lasting than anything he could have written on paper.

However, when he got his pen and ink he wrote out a daily journal, giving the history of his life almost to the hour and minute. Thus he tells us that the shocks of earthquake were eight minutes apart, and that he spent eighteen days widening his cave.)

18. I made a strong fence of stakes about my tent that no animal could tear down, and dug a cave in the side of the hill, where I stored my powder and other valuables. Every day I went out with my gun on this scene of silent life. I could only listen to the birds, and hear the wind among the trees. I came out, however, to shoot goats for food. I found that as I came down from the hills into the valleys, the wild goats did not see me; but if they caught sight of me, as they did if I went toward them from below, they would turn tail and run so fast I could capture nothing.

Questions and Notes. Are all words in _-ceed_ spelled with a double _e_? What two other common words besides _proceed_ have we already studied? What sound has _ea_ in _healthy?_ in _pleasant?_ in _please?_ How do you remember that _i_ comes before _e_ in _chief?_ What sound has _ai_ in _air?_ Do you spell 14 and 40 with _ou_ as you do _fourth?_ What other word p.r.o.nounced like _sea?_ Note the three words, _lose, loose,_ and _loss;_ what is the difference in meaning? Why does _chance_ end with a silent _e? change?_ What other cla.s.ses of words take a silent _e_ where we should not expect it? What other word p.r.o.nounced like _course?_ What does it mean? How do you spell the word for the tool with which a carpenter smooths boards? Mention five other words with a silent _t_ before _ch_, as in _pitch_. To remember the order of letters in _prairie,_ notice that there is an _i_ next to the _r_ on either side. What other letters represent the vowel sound heard in _grew?_ What two peculiarities in the spelling of _thoughts?_ Mention another word in which _ou_ has the same sound as in _thought_.

How is this sound regularly represented? What other word p.r.o.nounced like _capital?_ (Answer. _Capitol_. The chief government building is called the _capitol;_ the city in which the seat of government is located is called the _capital,_ just as the large letters are called _capitals_.) What sound has _ui_ in _fruit?_ What other two sounds have we had for _ui_? Would you expect a double consonant in _melons_ and _lemons,_ or are these words spelled regularly? What is peculiar about the spelling of _calendar?_ What other word like it, and what does it mean? What other word spelled like _minute,_ but p.r.o.nounced differently? What sound has _u_ in this word? What other word p.r.o.nounced like _scene?_ Is _t_ silent in _listen?_ in often? Why is _y_ not changed to _i_ or _ie_ in _valleys?_ What other plural is made in the same way? Write sentences in which the following words shall be correctly used: _are, forth,_ see (two meanings), _cent, cite, coa.r.s.e, rate, ate, tare, seen, here, site, tale_. In what two ways may _wind_ be p.r.o.nounced, and what is the difference in meaning?

IX.

19. I soon found that I lacked needles, pins, and thread, and especially linen. Yet I made clothes and sewed up the seams with tough stripe of goatskin. I afterward got handkerchiefs and s.h.i.+rts from another wreck. However, for want of tools my work went on heavily; yet I managed to make a chair, a table, and several large shelves.