in which it is to be mastered is this: Beginning at the top, try
to find in your mind some connection between each word and the one
following it. See how you can at some future time make one suggest the
next, either by suggestion of sound or sense, or by mental
juxtaposition. When you have found this dwell on it attentively for a
moment or two. Pass it backward and forward before you, and then go on
to the next step.
The chain runs thus, the names of the President being in capitals, the
date words or date phrases being inclosed in parentheses:
President Chosen for the first word as the one most apt to occur to the
mind of anyone wishing to repeat the names of the Presidents.
Dentist President and dentist.
Draw What does a dentist do?
(To give up) When something is drawn from one it is given up.
This is a date phrase meaning 1789.
WASHINGTON. Associate the quality of self-sacrifice with
Washington's character.
Morning wash Washington and wash.
Dew Early wetness and dew.
Flower beds Dew and flowers.
(Took a bouquet) Flowers and bouquet. Date phrase (1797),
Garden Bouquet and garden.
Eden The first garden.
Adam Juxtaposition of thought.
ADAMS Suggestion by sound.
Fall Juxtaposition of thought.
Failure Fall and failure.
(Deficit) Upon failure there is usually a deficit
Date word (1801).
Debt The consequence of a deficit.
Confederate bonds Suggestion by meaning.
Jefferson Davis Juxtaposition of thought.
JEFFERSON.
Now follow out the rest for yourself, taking about ten at a time, and
binding those you do last to those you have done before, each time,
before attacking the next bunch.
JEFFERSON
Judge Jeffreys
(bloody assize)
bereavement
(too heavy a sob)
parental grief
mad son
MADISON
Maderia
frustrating
first-rate wine
(defeating)
feet
toe the line
row
MONROE
row
boat
steamer
side-splitting
(divert)
annoy
harassing
HARRISON
Old Harry
the tempter
(the fraud)
painted clay
baked clay
tiles
TYLER
Wat Tyler
poll tax
compulsory
(free will)
free offering
burnt offering
poker
POLK
end of dance
termination "ly"
(adverb)
part of speech
part of a man
TAYLOR
measurer
theodoilte
(Theophilus)
fill us
FILLMORE
more fuel
the flame
flambeau
bow
arrow
PIERCE
hurt (feeling)
wound
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