rd at all. This unmanly dread of
simplicity, and of what is called "tautology," gives rise to a
patchwork made up of scraps of poetic quotations, unmeaning
periphrases, and would-be humorous circumlocutions,--a style of all
styles perhaps the most objectionable and offensive, which may be
known and avoided by the name of _Fine Writing_. Lastly, there is the
danger of _obscurity_, a fault which cannot be avoided without extreme
care, owing to the uninflected nature of our language.

All these difficulties and dangers are quite as real, and require as
much attention, and are fit subjects for practical teaching in our
schools, quite as much as many points which, at present, receive
perhaps an excessive attention in some of our text-books. To use the
right word in the right place is an accomplishment not less valuable
than the knowledge of the truth (carefully recorded in most English
Grammars, and often inflicted as a task upon younger pupils) that the
plural of _cherub_ is _cherubim_, and the feminine of _bull_ is _cow_.

To smooth the reader's way through these difficulties is the object of
the first three Parts of this book. Difficulties connected with
Vocabulary are considered first. The student is introduced, almost at
once, to _Synonyms_. He is taught how to _define_ a word, with and
without the aid of its synonyms. He is shown how to _eliminate_ from a
word whatever is not essential to its meaning. The processes of
_Definition_ and _Elimination_ are carefully explained: a system or
scheme is laid down which he can exactly follow; and examples are
subjoined, worked out to illustrate the method which he is to pursue.
A system is also given by which the reader may enlarge his vocabulary,
and furnish himself easily and naturally with those general or
abstract terms which are often misunderstood and misused, and still
more often not understood and not used at all. Some information is
also given to help the reader to connect words with their roots, and
at the same time to caution him against supposing that, because he
knows the roots of a word, he necessarily knows the meaning of the
word itself. Exercises are interspersed throughout this Part which can
be worked out with, or without, an English Etymological
Dictionary,[44] as the nature of the case may require. The exercises
have not been selected at random; many of them have been subjected to
the practical test of experience, and have been used in class
teaching.

T