sis.

202. Pauses

The Comma , denotes the shortest pause;
the semicolon ; a little longer pause than the comma;
the colon : a little longer pause than the semicolon;
the period . or full point the longest pause.

203. The Relative Duration

of these pauses is described as:

Comma While you count One.
Semicolon " " " Two.
Colon " " " Three.
Period " " " Four.

This, however, is not an infallible rule, because the duration of the
pauses should be regulated by the degree of rapidity with which the
matter is being read. In slow reading the duration of the pauses
should be increased.

204. The Other Points

are rather indications of expression, and of meaning and connection,
than of pauses, and therefore we will notice them separately.

205. The Misplacing

of even so slight a point, or pause, as the comma, will often alter
the meaning of a sentence. The contract made for lighting the town of
Liverpool, during the year 1819, was thrown void by the misplacing of
a comma in the advertisements, thus:

"The lamps at present are about 4,050, and have in general two
spouts each, composed of not less than twenty threads of cotton."

The contractor would have proceeded to furnish each lamp with the said
twenty threads, but this being but half the usual quantity, the
commissioners discovered that the difference arose from the comma
following instead of preceding the word _each_. The parties agreed to
annul the contract, and a new one was ordered.

206. Without Punctuation.

The Following Sentence shows how difficult it is to read without the
aid of the points used as pauses:

Death waits not for storm nor sunshine within a dwelling in one of
the upper streets respectable in appearance and furnished with such
conveniences as distinguish the habitations of those who rank among
the higher clashes of society a man of middle age lay on his last
bed momently awaiting the final summons all that the most skillful
medical attendance all that love warm as the glow that even an
angel's bosom could do had been done by day and night for many long
weeks had ministering spirits such as a devoted wife and loving
children are done all within their power to ward off the blow but
there he lay his raven hair smoothed