broadening the mind. Nowhere, however, is there
greater need of a wise plan of work, since the teacher must overcome
mental inertia on the part of the pupils, and usually they are not
spurred on, as in novel reading, by their interest in the subject
itself.

The author's purpose is to impart his thought clearly and vigorously.
Here lies the suggestion for any plan of study. If the thought is to be
appreciated the students must understand the matters of which the essay
treats. Furthermore, they must examine the conclusions and note how they
are reached. In this way they will learn to discriminate between opinion
and established fact; between logical and illogical reasoning. Since the
author, in accomplishing his purpose, has paid special attention to
orderly arrangement, to clear and forceful statement, and to a skillful
choice of words, so these matters must be the subject of careful study
on the part of the student. Conscious imitation has its place in
developing the power to write, and it is no less valuable in gaining an
appreciation of an author's style. The study of the essay offers the
best opportunity for imitative work of this kind, since it is the essay
that the student himself, in his school exercises, is continually trying
to write. Care should be taken at this stage of the work not to ask
pupils to discuss matters that are beyond their knowledge.

GENERAL PLAN FOR THE STUDY OF THE ESSAY

I. Preparation

Complete understanding of the matters that the essayist expects his
readers to know usually involves more study than the class have time to
give. Carlyle in his _Essay on Burns_ takes for granted the reader's
familiarity with the poetry of Burns and the facts of his life, while
probably only a few of the pupils who come to the study of this essay
have more than a scanty knowledge of either of these subjects. It
remains for the teacher, then, to select the most important facts and to
bring them before the class by various means as fully as the time will
permit, remembering in the choice and presentation of subjects that it
is of the utmost importance to get the student to approach the new book
with interest and enthusiasm.

II. Reading and Study

A rapid reading by the pupil before the work is taken up in the class
room may or may not be practicable. A safer method, perhaps, is to give
the class a general outline of from five to ten topics, and ask them to
read the essay topic by topic. The recita