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or touches the heart.
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To understand what is written, the reader must group the words
together in the way intended by the writer; and in doing this he can
receive assistance in various ways. Partly by the inflection of the
words; partly by their arrangement; partly also by punctuation. As to
inflection, we see in Latin an adjective and a substantive standing
together, yet differing in gender, in number, or in case; and we know
that the adjective does not qualify the substantive. But English has
not the numerous inflections of Latin. More scrupulous care therefore
is needed in the arrangement of words in order to bring together in
position such as are connected in meaning. Yet this is not always
enough. Except in the very simplest sentences there are generally
several arrangements which are grammatically possible; and, though all
save one may be absurd in meaning, the reader may waver for a moment
before the absurdity strikes him. Some artificial aid is thus needed
to prevent him from thinking of any arrangement but the right one.
There is no fault, for instance, to be found with the arrangement of
the following words, yet, printed without points, they form a mere
puzzle:

He had arrived already prepossessed with a strong feeling of
the neglect which he had experienced from the Whigs his old
friends however all of them appeared ravished to see him
offered apologies for the mode in which they had treated him
and caught at him as at a twig when they were drowning the
influence of his talents they understood and were willing to
see it thrown into the opposite scale.

Of course, with a little effort the meaning can be discovered; but if
such a little effort had to be put forth in every page of a whole
book, reading would become a serious task. By means of points, or
"stops," we are spared much of this. The groups are presented
ready-made to the eye; and the mind, bent on understanding the
thought, is not distracted by having first to discover the connection
of the words.

The reader's task is more difficult where two or more ways of grouping
the words not only are grammatically possible, but lead each to a more
or less intelligible meaning. As a rule he can find out from the
context which way the writer meant him to take. One politician writes
to another: "I ask you as the recognized leader of our party what you
thi