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dips its silver oar. There art, invention, discovery, science, morality, religion, may safely and securely float. It wanders through every land. It is a genial, cordial source of thought and inspiration, wherever it touches, whatever it surrounds. Upon its borders there grows every flower of grace, and every fruit of truth.

3. Sir, I am not here to deny that that river sometimes oversteps its bounds. I am not here to deny that that stream sometimes becomes a dangerous torrent, and destroys towns and cities upon its banks. But I am here to say that, without it, civilization, humanity, government, all that makes society itself, would disappear, and the world would retrogade to its ancient barbarism.

COL. E. D. BAKER.

48. EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

1. For the purpose of public instruction, we hold every man subject to taxation in proportion to his property, and we look not to the question whether he himself have or have not children to be benefited by the education for which he pays. We regard it as a wise and liberal system of police, by which property and life and the peace of society are secured.

2. We hope to excite a feeling of responsibility and a sense of character, by enlarging the capacity and increasing the sphere of intellectual enjoyment. By general instruction, we seek, as far as possible, to purify the whole moral atmosphere; to keep good sentiments uppermost, and to turn the strong current of feeling and opinion, as well as the censures of the law and the denunciation of religion, against immorality and crime. Education, to accomplish the ends of good government, should be universally diffused.

DANIEL WEBSTER.

49. HINTS ABOUT LETTER WRITING.

I. STYLE.

The language of letters should be plain and familiar. The chief rule should be:-Write as you would speak.

II.

1. Name of Place, and Date of Writing.

2. Complimentary Address.

FORM.

3. Body of the letter.
4. Complimentary Close.
5. Envelope Address.
6. Postage Stamp.

III. GENERAL DIRECTIONS.

1. Date. If you live in a city, write, in addition to place and date, the number and street of your residence. This is important in cities having a free post-office delivery.

2. Complimentary Address.-Sir is very formal. Sir is the common business form, and My Dear Sir is friendly. There are other forms to be used, according to circumstances and the relations of the writer to those addressed; as, Dear Madam, Dear Sirs, Gentlemen, Ladies, Friend Mary, Dear Friend, My Dear Friend, Dear Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Cousin, Uncle, Aunt, etc.

3. Body of the Letter.-Do not begin a letter with the old-style formula, "I take my pen in hand," etc. If possible, avoid beginning a letter with I. Letters of friendship should be written very much as you would talk to your friends if they were present. Avoid crosslines and long interlineations. Never close your letter with apologies for haste or lack of time. Make business letters short, clear, and exact. After you have written your letter, read it over carefully; dot your is and

cross your t's; interline any omitted words, and erase any misspelled words, if it can be done neatly; if not, rewrite the letter.

4. Complimentary Close.-The common business form of closing is, Yours respectfully; the common friendly form is, Yours truly. According to the taste or the feelings of the writer, other forms may be used; such as, Yours sincerely, Yours affectionately; Your daughter, son, etc. Whatever the form may be, put a comma after it, and sign your name in legible handwriting.

5. Envelope Direction.-Write the post-office address in a large and legible hand. The names of many States may be abbreviated, but others should always be written in full; as, Maine, Ohio, Missouri, etc. A careless clerk might easily mistake N. Y. for N. J., N. H. for N. M., or might think Miss. meant Missouri. In addressing persons who live in large cities, write the name of the street and the number of the house.

6. Postage Stamps.-Put a stamp, or stamps, on the upper right-hand corner of the envelope; and in addressing strangers on business of your own, inclose a stamp if you expect an answer.

7. Titles.—Mr., Mrs., or Miss are the common titles placed before the names of persons addressed. The title Esq. is used after names; but in this country it has no particular meaning. Many persons of good taste prefer the plain name, without Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Esq. Messrs. may or may not be prefixed to the name of a firm, according to taste. Hon. is properly applied to members of Congress or of State Legislatures, and to heads of Departments, either National or State. Officers of the army or navy are to be addressed according to rank; as, Gen., Col., Capt., etc. Clergymen are entitled to Rev.; college or university instructors, to Prof.; physicians, to Dr., or M. D.-the latter following the

name.

IV. EXERCISES.

To be written, and read aloud as a reading lesson.

[From a boy to his friend, who had got a situation.] OUTLINE. Glad to hear of your success-hope you will like the place-father has seen the village-says it is very pretty-do not forget old friends-am anxious to know all about it-told the boys at school-they gave three cheers for you-write soon.

[From a boy applying for a situation.]

OUTLINE. Have seen your advertisement-beg to offer myself.

[From a girl, spending her holidays with a school-fellow in the country, to her sister at home.]

OUTLINE. The farm-house-the view from it-the neighboring village-a country walk-gathering blackberries-nutting in the woods-the evening-the family sitting around the fire, reading, working, and playing quiet games.

50. THE LADDER OF ST. AUGUSTINE.

The teacher should first read this poem, line by line, to the class, requiring pupils to repeat in concert after him. Each pupil, in turn, should then read one stanza from the platform; and afterward the class be required to memorize the poem for recitation.

1. Saint Augustine! well hast thou said,
That of our vices | we can frame |

A ladder, if we will but tread |

Beneath our feet each deed of shame!

2. All common things, each day's events,
That with the hour | begin and end,
Our pleasures and our discontents
Are rounds by which we may ascènd.

3. The low desire, the base design,
That makes another's virtues | léss;
The revel of the ruddy wíne,

And all occasions of excéss;

4. The longing for ignoble things;

The strife for triumph more than trúth;
1
The hardening of the heart, that brings |
Irreverence for the dreams of youth;

5. All thoughts of ill; all evil deeds,

That have their root in thoughts of ill;
Whatever hinders or impedes |

The action of the noble will;

6. All these must first | be trampled down |
Beneath our feet, if we would gain |
In the bright fields of fair renown |
|
The right of eminent domain.

7. We have not wings, we can not sóar;
But we have feet to scale and climb,
By slow degrees, by more and more,
The cloudy summits of our time.

8. The distant mountains, that uprear |
Their solid bastions to the skies,
Are crossed by pathways, that appear |
As we to higher levels rise.

9. The heights | by great men | reached and kept | Were not attained by sudden flight,

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