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Style and Vocabulary Test

[EDITOR'S NOTE: A recent similar test proved so popular that we shall offer others from time to time. Here is an opportunity to compare your selection of words with that of a great writer in the past. In the following selection from the writing of Ben Jonson three synonyms, or near synonyms, are occasionally inserted in italics. In each of these cases, one of the italicized words is that actually used by the author. Encircle, or underline, the words which you would have selected and then turn to page 153 and check your selection with the words which were employed by the author.]

FOR

OR a man to write well, there are required three necessaries - to read the best authors, observe the best speakers, and much exercise of his own style. In style, to consider what ought to be written, and after what manner, he must first think and excogitate his matter, then choose his words, and examine the (1) importance, weight, consequence, of either. Then take care, in placing and (2) grouping, arranging, ranking both matter and words, that the composition be comely; and to do this with diligence and often. No matter how (3) slow, prosaic, uninteresting the style be at first, so it be laboured and accurate; seek the best, and be not glad of the forward (4) fancies, ideas, conceits, or first words, that offer themselves to us; but judge of what we invent, and order what we approve. Repeat often what we have formerly written; which beside that it helps the consequence, and makes the juncture better, it (5) stimulates, quickens, revives the beat of imagination, that often cools in the time of setting down, and gives it new strength, as if it grew lustier by the (6) going back, return, recession. As we see in the contention of leaping, they jump farthest that fetch their race largest; or, as in throwing a dart or javelin, we force back our arms to make our loose the stronger. Yet, if we have a fair gale of wind, I forbid not the steering out of our sail, so the favour of the gale deceive us not. For all that we invent doth please us in the conception of birth, else we

would never set it down. But the safest is to return to our judgment, and handle over again those things the (7) facility, ease, easiness of which might make them justly suspected. So did the best writers in their beginnings; they imposed upon themselves care and industry; they did nothing rashly; they obtained first to write well, and then custom made it easy and a habit. By little and little their matter showed itself to them more (8) plentifully, abundantly, fully; their words (9) responded, replied, answered, their composition followed; and all, as in a wellordered family, presented itself in the place. So that the sum of all is, ready writing makes not good writing, but good writing brings on ready writing. Yet, when we think we have got the faculty, it is even then (10) wise, good, desirable to (11) resist, oppose, withstand it, as to give a horse a check sometimes with a bit, which doth not so much stop his course as stir his mettle. Again, whither a man's genius is best able to reach, thither it should more and more contend, lift and dilate itself; as men of low stature raise themselves on their toes, and so ofttimes get even, if not (12) eminent, distinguished, celebrated. Besides, as it is fit for (13) developed, experienced, grown and (14) capable, able, qualified writers to stand of themselves, and work with their own strength, to trust and endeavour by their own (15) talents, endow ments, faculties, so it is fit for the beginner and learner to study others and the best. For

the mind and memory are more sharply (16) exercised, disciplined, trained in comprehending another man's (17) possessions, belongings, things than our own; and such as accustom themselves and are familiar with the best authors shall ever and anon find somewhat of them in themselves, and in the (18) expression, revelation, disclosure of their minds, even when they feel it not, be able to utter

something like theirs, which hath an authority above their own. Nay, sometimes it is the reward of a man's study, the praise of quoting another man fitly; and though a man be more prone and able for one kind of writing than another, yet ye must exercise all. For as in an instrument, so in style, there must be a (19) harmony, concord, unison in consent of parts.

W!

Use and Abuse of Dialect

By KATHARINE HOPKINS CHAPMAN

ITH regard to writing dialect I will not, for fear of being convicted of inconsistency, go so far as to repeat Punch's laconic advice about marriage: "Don't"; but I will pass along our black Mammy's warning when she sees one about to use rouge: "Put on jess er smidgin, Honey. It'll show up bettah 'n er whole kalsomine."

As a writer I have used few idioms except that of the negro, which comes to me, alas! more readily than English pure and undefiled — I, like Uncle Remus's Bre'r Rabbit, having been "bo'n an' bred in de briahpatch" of the South. Of course, I have now and then when under necessity of speech for some minor character, cribbed exclamations and assembled a few sentences which I hoped would pass muster for Irish, Jewish, or Swedish, as the case demanded. Haven't you? However, as a reader I have suffered many things in the name of dialect, and roamed a wide range of patois. Huge hunks of queer jargons have choked my mental epiglottis, alienating me from some authors. I have, according to my mood and the density of the dialect, wrestled with, skimmed, skipped, or slung aside whole stories and even books of composed dialects fearfully and wonderfully constructed from the speech of many peoples. These were good of their kinds,

doubtless, but they were presented in too wholesale lots; irritating to the eye and discouraging to the brain to decipher. Dialect adds relish to a story, but one does n't care for a meal composed entirely of relishes.

There was a period when entire tales written in patois were popular, but the style soon passed. A baker's dozen exceptions survive, but survive only as the exceptions which prove the rule. Especially was this "wholehog or none" style adopted by Southern writers, probably because of the variety and abundance of such material all about them. I believe this massive, unalleviated use of negro and "po' white trash" dialect killed off many fine writers and delayed for a decade the entrance of others into the field of national magazines. Do you often begin to read a story which lurks behind a smoke-screen of mis-spelled words, further pock-marked with innumerable apostrophes? Neither do I. Because there is too much easily read, straight American for which I have n't time for me to cut down the precious margin by undertaking to decipher a solid wall of dialect. The same is true, doubtless, of many readers.

However, a dash of folk-speech here and there throughout a story laid in the Bowery, out West, among the Creoles, down East, or out where the Swedes hold sway, helps to

differentiate and locate the story, imparting life and raciness to the characters. I hasten to add the popular Cape Cod, lest you think me out of date! But all these speech-spices should be sprinkled lightly here and there throughout the story.

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ling the conversation with indiscriminate "you-alls." Such seems to be a popular delusion. No Southerner, black or white, ever uses this idiom when addressing or referring to one person. It is always employed in the plural-eminent authors and Broadway comedians to the contrary notwithstanding. When these black-face comedians bring their synthetic monologues South their audiences often laugh at instead of with them because of this very mistake. It is a test of the genuineness of Southern dialect so don't you

Common sense must be exercised also in the spelling or rather mis-spelling of dialect. Some writers appear to think that in dialect every possible word should be spelled differently from its correct way, no matter how it is pronounced. For instance, take the word "whole" in Mammy Tamzie's advice. . . all commit that error again. (Did n't I tell you her name? Well, it is Tamzie, and she wears an honest-to-goodness bandanna head-kerchief.) Why spell that "whole" "hole," as I have seen done in dialect? It is unnecessary, because all pronounce it the same, and the change may lead to confusion, especially if the story should develop a real hole. In like manner, I have seen Colonels demoted to Kernels, have n't you?

One might think that Mammy Tamzie would not be apt to employ the word "kalsomine." If so, that one simply is not familiar with the negro's insatiable eagerness for imposing words. It is a racial obsession. Does she call the refrigerator an ice-box? No indeed, she says "freeze-ater"; my friend's Kelvinator she marvels at as a "Hoodoo Selfinator." Occasionally for short periods Mammy Tamzie, whom I inherited, is left in charge of our high-school daughter. If during her administration the boys and girls get up a moonlight picnic or other jaunt, Mammy Tamzie with-holds fried chicken, beaten biscuit, and angel-food cake until they satisfy her demand: "Who 's gwine ter shampoo dis pahty?" A chaperone they must produce before she will release the lunch.

If writers who are not familiar with their speech wish to introduce negro or white Southerners into their work, they should not imagine they can achieve the effect by sprink

The error is imbedded and wide-spread, but it is error. I have heard and used "you-all" my entire life, but I have never heard it employed in the singular except by outsiders. To give authority to this statement, I condense from memory the gist of an article on this subject by the late Dr. C. Alphonso Smith, head of the English department at the University of Virginia, Exchange Roosevelt Professor at Berlin (before we exchanged scraps of paper), and afterward head of the English department at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. Dr. Smith wrote a "Defense of the Way Cultured Southerners Use You-All," in which he said, "Since "Ye' was abandoned as the plural of 'you,' 'youall' is a finer distinction than otherwise can be obtained in English." He proved his contention by quotations from the Bible and Shakspere, and by examples of awkwardness and confusion often arising in modern English without it, and the clarity resulting from its proper use.

At present, few writers employ dialect of any kind for the main body of the story, or inject it in solid phalanx. But it is popular and effective when used in broken doses, to enhance characterization, or to deepen local color. "Put on jess er smidgin, Honey-writer. It'll show up bettah 'n er whole kalsomine, an' dat's de gawspul trufe!"

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The Manuscript Clubs

A REGULAR department which seeks to discover the value of the social group of writers as a critical guide to the work of its members.

Editor, THE WRITER:

The meetings of the Scribes' Club of Spokane have been uniformly interesting and well attended for nine years, in spite of the fact that we have no system of fines or penalties for non-attendance or for non-participation. We find that the writing bug compels its victims to scratch, even though they have to drop everything to do so. There are eighteen of us with the bug, all women but one.

We meet every Thursday afternoon, and whenever a fifth Thursday occurs in the month, we have a social meeting with refreshments and literary stunts at the home of one

of the members. Business is attended to

briefly at the regular meetings, and most mat

ters of that nature are referred to a committee appointed by the leader elected from our number to preside at the sessions. The other officer is a treasurer who keeps a list of the members and collects from each the sum of twenty-five cents a month. This money is used to buy books or periodicals of reference.

We have no requirements for admission except the will to write, and those who are interested and really desirous of criticism attend as regularly as possible. We welcome authors of all classes. It makes no difference what sort of manuscripts they write, nor

whether they are successful or not. Contrary to the opinion of A. C. L. we think that a short-story creator may be a good writer and critic of poetry, and vice versa.

We have no trouble with levity nor the discussion of extraneous topics. Assignments are made occasionally to ensure full programs, but as a rule there is no lack of material for criticism.

When the meeting opens, the members announce, in turn, whether there have been any acceptances or checks during the week. This encouraging part of the program is followed by the presentation of new material. The author reads her manuscript without interruption. We think that is a matter of courtesy as well as of expediency. The club members use notebooks to jot down criticisms of all sorts, and are not backward in picking things to pieces without regard for the author's feelings, when we think it necessary, nor do we spare the praise when we are held spellbound by a heart-stirring verse or story. Often the manuscript is rewritten and reread at a later meeting and sold the first time out.

The most convincing proof of our success is the fact that we have been the inspiration for the formation of four or five similar clubs in the city.

Spokane, Washington

B. H. G.

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Editorial and Business Offices at 1430 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. Unsolicited manuscripts, if not accompanied by stamped and addressed envelopes, will not be returned and the Editors will not enter into correspondence about them.

Entered at the Boston Postoffice as Second Class Mail Matter.

Subscription postpaid, $3.00 per year; foreign, $3.36. Advertising Rates on Request. Note to Subscribers: Notice of change of address, stating both OLD and NEW address, must be received not later than the 5th of the month. Otherwise the next issue will go to the OLD address, and subscriber should send necessary postage to his postmaster to forward to new address.

HIS is the Fortieth Anniversary number of THE WRITER. In April, 1887, the first issue appeared, edited by William H. Hills and Robert Luce. On the editorial masthead the purposes of the magazine were thus defined:

To be helpful, interesting, and instructive to all literary workers.

To give plain and practical hints, helps, and suggestions about preparing and editing manuscript. To collect and publish the experiences, experiments, and observations of literary people, for the beneIfit of all writers.

To note improved methods and labor-saving devices for literary workers.

To discuss in a practical way interesting questions of etymology, grammar, rhetoric, or verse-making. To print entertaining personal articles by and about noted literary people.

To record the important news of the literary world.

To aid young writers in reaching the public by advising them how to make their copy salable. To be of value to the writers of sermons, lectures, letters; to the student of language; to the lover of literature; to all, in brief, who write for the newspaper, the magazine, or the book-publisher. Mr. Hills, still a member of the editorial staff, was one of the original editors. His service has been one of the longest in magazine history and few can boast that theirs has been more conscientiously devoted to the interests of readers. Independence has been the solid foundation of success.

On this occasion, marking the end of two decades of successful publication, it is fitting that the new members of the board should extend to Mr. Hills and Miss Gordon their congratulations, in which many of the old readers of THE WRITER will most heartily join.

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