American star speaker, educator and entertainer : a standard work on composition and oratory ...

Front matter

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Preface

MILLIONS of young people in America are being educated, and hence there is a very great demand for a Standard Work showing how to express written thought in the most elegant manner and how to read and recite in a way that insures the greatest success. To meet this ieilormous demand is the aim of this volume.

Part I. — How to Write a Composition. — The treatment of this subject is masterly and thorough, and is so fascinating that the study becomes a delight Rules and examples are furnished for the right choice of words, for constructing sentences, for punctuation, for acquiring an elegant style of composition, for writing essays and letters, what authors should be. rwd, etc. The directions' given are all right to the point and are easily put into practice.

The work contains a complete list of synonyms, or words of similar meaning, and more than 500 choice subjects for compositions, which are admirably suited to persons of all ages. These are followed by a charming collection of Masterpieces of Composition by such world-renowned authors as Emerson, Hawthorne, George Eliot, Lord Macaulay, Washington Irving, C. H. Spurgeon, Sarah J. Lippincott, Mrs. Stowe and many others.

These grand specimens of composition bear the stamp of the most brilliant genius. They are very suggestive and helpful. They inspire the reader to the noblest efforts, and teach the truth of Bulwer Lytton's well-known saying that " The pen is mightier than the sword."

Part II. — Readings and Recitations. — The second part of this incomparable work is no less valuable, and a candid perusal will convince you that it contains the largest and best collection of recitations ever brought together in one volume. These are of every variety and description. Be careful to notice that every one of these selections, which are from the writings of the world's best authors, is especially adapted for reading and reciting. This is something which cannot be said of any similar work.

All the Typical Gestures used in Reciting are shown by choice engravings and the reader has in reality the best kind of teacher right before him. The different attitudes, facial expressions and gestures are both instructive and charming. These are followed by Recitations with Lesson Talks. Full directions are given for reciting the various pieces, and this is done by taking each paragraph or verse of the selection and pointing out the gestures, tone of voice, emphasis, etc., required to render it most effectively. The Lesson Talks render most valuable service to all who are studying the grand art of oratory.

The next section of this masterly volume contains Recitations with Music.

iv PREFACE.

This is a choice collection of readings which are rendered most efWtive by accompaniments of music, enabling the reader by the use of the voice or same musical instrument to entrance his audience

These charming selections are followed by a superb collection oi Patriotic Recitations which celebrate the grand victories of our army and navy in the Philippines and West Indies. These incomparable pieces are all aglow with patriotic fervor and are eagerly sought by all elocutionists.

There is space here only to mention the different parts of this delightful volume, such as Descriptive and Dramatic Recitations ; Orations by Famous Orators ; a peerless collection of Humorous and Pathetic Recitations, and Recims for Children and Sunday Schools.

Parents are charmed with this volume because it furnishes what the little folks want and is a self-educator for the young. It marks a new era in book publishing.

Part III. — Programmes for Special Occasions.— These have been prepared with the greatest care in order to meet a very urgent demand. The work contains Programmes for Fourth of July; Christmas Entertainments; Washington's Birthday; Decoration Day ; Thanksgiving Day ; Arbor Day ; Public School and Parlor Entertainments ; Harvest Home ; Flower Day, etc. Beautiful Selections for Special Occasions are contained in no other work, and these alone injure this very attractive volume an enormous sale.

Dialogues, Tableaux, etc. — Added to the Rich Contents already described is a Charming Collection of Dialogues and Tableaux for public and private entertainments. These are humorous, pithy, teach important lessons and are thoroughly enjoyed by everybody.

In many places the winter lyceum is an institution ; we find it not only in

academies, and noi nal schools, but very frequently the people in a district

own organize a debating society and discuss the popular questions of the day.

enefit thus der ^ed cannot be estimated. In the last part of this volume

►e found by-law for those who wish to conduct lyceums, together with a

lection of sul ects for debate.

Thus it is seen th. r this is a very comprehensive work. Not only is it care-

repared, not onl) does it set a very high standard of excellence in compo^

and elocution, but it is a work peculiarly fitted to the wants of millions oi

ople throughoi ■ our country. The writer of this is free to say that such

this would ha e been of inestimable value to him while obtaining an

i ration. All wise par- nts who wish to make the best provision for educating

their children should understand that they have in this volume such a teacher in

composition and oratory as has never before been offered to the public.

PART I.— HOW TO WRITE A COMPOSITION. Treatment of the Subject

Right Choice of Words

Obscure Sentences

vVrite Exactly what You Mean

What You Should Read

Our Great Writers

Learning to Think

How to Acquire a Captivating Style. . . . Make Your Composition Attractive . . .

The Choice of Language

Faults in Writing .

Putting Words into Sentences

Suit the Word to the Thought

An Amusing Exercise

Errors to be Avoided

Subject and Predicate

Practice in Simple Sentences

Sentences Combined

Punctuation

The Full Stop

The Note of Interrogation

The Comma

The Semicolon r

Quotation Marks «■ r

The Note of Exclamation - *

§hort Stories to be Written from Memory Outlines to be Turned into Narratives . . Stories in Verse to be Turned into Prose . Three Fishers Went Sailing

PAGE

to

40 42 43 43 46 47 50 51 51

PAGS

The Sands of Dee 52

The Way to Win 52

Press On 52

The Dying Warrior 52

The Boy that Laughs 53

The Cat's Bath 53

The Beggar Man „ 53

The Shower Bath 54

Queen Mary's Return to Scotland 54

The Eagle and Serpent 54

Ask and Have . 55

What Was His Creed? 55

The Old Reaper 55

The Gallant Sailboat 55

Wooing 56

Miss Laugh and Miss Fret 56

Monterey 56

A Woman's Watch . . . . <, 57

tvove Lightens Labor . . . „ 57

Abou Ben Adhem 57

Essays to be Written from Outlines 58

Easy Subjects for Compositions '. . 61

Use of Illustrations 62

Examples of Apt Illustrations .... Examples of Faulty Illustrations . . . How to Compose and Write Letters .

Examples of Letters

Notes of Invitation

Letters of Congratulation

Love Letters .

Outlines to be Expanded into Letters

SPECIMENS OF ELEGANT COMPOSITION.

Getting the Right Start J. G. Holland 67

Dinah, the Methodist George Eliot 69

Godfrey and Dunstan George Eliot 70

Rip Van Winkle Washington Irving 72

Puritans of the Sixteenth Century Lord Macaulay 73

On being in Time C. H. Spurgeon 75

John Ploughman's Talk on Home C. H. Spurgeon Pearl and her Mother . . Nathaniel Hawthorne

Candace's Opinions Mrs. H. B. Stowe

Midsummer in the Valley of the Rhine

Geo. Meredith Power of Natural Beauty . . . R. W. Emerson

63 63 64 65 65 66 66 66

SUBJECTS FOR COMPOSITIONS.

Historical Subjects 84

Biographical Subjects 85

Subjects for Narration and Description .... 86

Popular Proverbs 87

Subjects to be Expounded ...,,,.,,, 87

Subjects for Argument 89

Subjects for Comparison . . r • ■ 89

Miscellaneous Subjects 90

Noms de Plume of Authors Ill

V

VI

CONTENTS.