the train. I went to the paper office very early every morning. One morning I went to the office very early and I found everything in great excitement. I asked them what the trouble was. One man told me that a battle had been fought and ten thousand men had been killed. I then went to the telegraph office and told the man that I would give him a paper and Harper's Magazine for a year if he would telegraph to towns and tell them that a great battle had been fought and ten thousand had been killed.

I went back to the office and told the man that I wanted one thousand papers. But the man would not give them to me without money. I then went to the Editor's office. I knocked but no one answered. I then went in. But he did not look up. But he gave me that sentence written on paper. Then the man gave me all the papers I wanted.

When I went on the train I could get ten cents for a paper. At the first town men fought and gave me twenty five cents for a paper. When I reached Port Huron I jumped off on a sand pile. I never saw such a crowd before. They screamed at me they pulled me and they tore my clothes and fought one another.

Men put twenty five cents, fifty cents, and a dollar and sometimes two dollars in my pocket and dragged the papers from me. Soon my papers were gone and my hands and pockets were full of money. When I counted my money I

found that I had $150.00. I said if one telegram will do this it is worth studying. I did study it.

This is an interesting and well-told paper. It has mistakes, of course, for it was written by a fourth-grade boy who was so intent on the story that he forgot some of the things he knew about correct writing. Besides, this paper was not rewritten. If the boy had had an opportunity to take it a day or two later, read it over

carefully and correct all the mistakes he could find, it would be in better condition.

Look over this paper, enjoy it, and then see if you can improve it in any of the little formal points that even fourth-grade children know. Here are a few suggestions: Are all the quotation marks used that are needed? Is there any unnecessary repetition of words? In the sentence, "I asked them what the trouble was," who is meant by them? Would it be better to put in a noun? Why?

In the third paragraph, do you think that the sentences are well formed? Take the three sentences as written: "I then went in. But he did not look up. But he gave me that sentence written on paper." Are these really three different sentences? Which of these sentences belong together? Why? Is "twenty five" written correctly? Where should commas be used that are omitted in this paper? What other improvements can you make ?16

FIFTH MONTH

SUMMARY OF SUBJECTS

VERBS

Review do, go, come, sit, lie, see, write, bring, teach
Win, shake, ring, sing, can, may

PREPOSITIONS AND PRONOUNS

NOUNS

Plurals

Possessives

PRONUNCIATION

SENTENCE STRUCTURE

COMPOSITION

At least two of the five language periods per week are to be given to constructive work in composition See suggestive program in appendix

VERBS

Write the four forms of do, go, come, sit, lie, see, write, bring and teach.

Are you still using "seen" instead of saw? If so, write the conjugation of saw, making complete sentences for all of the six places, as:

and

I saw him come
He saw me playing
She saw her aunt

PAST TENSE

We saw the ball game

You saw the ice man

They saw the horse fall

Think of some of your incorrect uses of saw, put the correct forms into conjugations, making complete sentences. Write above a conjugation the name of its tense, as past tense is written above the one just given. Here are some new verbs:

We say, he rang the bell; or we may say, he rung the bell. The same is true of the past tense of sing; two words are used, sang and sung. Rang and sang are the better forms to use, however, so let us practice on them. Give nine sentences with rang. Nine with sang.

Give five sentences with shook.

Write the conjugation of the present perfect tense of shake (I have shaken). Give ten sentences using shaken.

Write the conjugation of the present perfect tense of sing. Give ten sentences using have sung or has sung.

CAN AND MAY

Can and may are often confused by persons who do not know how to tell one from the other; but if you have learned what each word means you can easily use them correctly. Can shows power; it says that you are able to do a certain thing. May shows permission; it says that you are permitted to do something. The sentences given below will show or illustrate this difference in meaning. You should study these sentences carefully, because it is always easier to get the meaning of a word when you see how it is used in a complete thought.

I can write my lesson (I know it, and so I can write it). It has stopped raining; we can play ball this recess. I am so tall I can hang my coat on the highest hook. I can't learn this lesson; it is too hard. The bird can sing beautifully. The engine can draw a long train of cars.

Ella, you may water the plants if you wish to (Ella has permission to water the plants). Mama says I may go to the circus tomorrow. You may leave my marbles in my desk, James. May I go home, Miss Allen?

PREPOSITIONS AND PRONOUNS"

Write sentences in which you use in, into, between, by, with, for and to.

There is a difference between in and into. In means inside of, within; as, he is in the house. That is, he is inside of the house, or he is within. Into means from the outside to the inside; as, go into the house. That is, go from the outside to the inside of the house.