like the English vowels, or so nearly like them that
they can not prevent an Englishman from understanding French and
speaking it.

The greatest mistake he makes is in not bearing in mind that the accent
should always be laid on the last syllable, or on the last but one if
the word ends in _e_ mute. How much easier this is to remember than the
place of the English accented syllable, which varies constantly! In
_admirable_, you have it on the first; in _admire_, on the second; in
_admiration_, on the third. On the contrary, no difficulty about the
pronunciation of the three French words, _admirable_, _admirer_, and
_admiration_; the tonic accent falls on the last sound syllable in
every case.

* * * * *

The less educated a man is the more stress he lays on the accented
syllables; and you find the lower classes of a country lay such
emphasis on these syllables that they almost pronounce nothing else.
Being unable to make myself understood when pronouncing whole English
words, I have often tried to use only the accented syllables when
speaking to the lower class people of England; in every attempt I have
been successful.

I obtained a basket of strawberries in Covent Garden Market by asking
for a "_bask of strawbs_."

A lower class Yankee will understand few Frenchmen who speak to him of
_America_; but he will understand them if they speak to him of _Merk_.

* * * * *

The greatest defect in an Englishman's pronunciation of French is
generally in the wrong connection of words between which there is no
pause.

The final consonant of a word, followed by another beginning with a
vowel or _h_ mute, should be pronounced as if it belonged to the latter
word. An Englishman sounds _ses amis_ as if it was _seize amis_. He
should say: "se samis."

"Mon ami est a Paris" = "Mo nami e ta Paris."

Perhaps the following remark on the separation of syllables may fix the
rule:

The English say: _mag-nan-im-ity_.

The French say: ma-gna-ni-mi-te.

* * * * *

You see, dear reader, how difficult it is to refrain from talking
"shop," when one has been a school-master.

XVI.

PUBLIC SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS AND EXHIBITIONS.--GRATEFUL PARENTS.--
INQUIRING MOTHERS.--A DEAR LITTLE CANDIDATE.--LADIES' TESTIMONIALS.
--A SCIENCE MASTER WELL RECOMMENDED.

It seems strange that in a democratic country,