vestigate_ every principle critically. Don't be afraid to _think for
yourself_. You know not the high destiny that awaits you. You know not
the height to which you may soar in the scale of intellectual existence.
Go on, then, boldly, and with unyielding perseverance; and if you do not
gain admittance into the temple of fame, strive, at all hazards, to
drink of the fountain which gurgles from its base.

EXERCISES IN FALSE SYNTAX.

NOTE 1, TO RULE 12. A noun in the possessive case, should always be
distinguished by the apostrophe, or mark of elision; as, The _nation's_
glory.

That girls book is cleaner than those boys books.

Not correct, because the nouns _girls_ and _boys_ are both in the
possessive case, and, therefore, require the apostrophe, by which they
should be distinguished; thus, "_girl's, boys'"_ according to the
preceding NOTE. [Repeat the note.]

Thy ancestors virtue is not thine.

If the writer of this sentence meant _one_ ancestor, he should have
inserted the apostrophe after _r_, thus, "_ancestor's"_; if more than
one, after _s_, thus, _"ancestors'_ virtue;" but, by neglecting to place
the apostrophe, he has left his meaning ambiguous, and we cannot
ascertain it. This, and a thousand other mistakes you will often meet
with, demonstrate the truth of my declaration, namely, that "without the
knowledge and application of grammar rules, you will often speak and
write in such a manner as not to be _understood."_ You may now turn back
and re-examine the "illustration" of Rules 3, 4, and 12, on page 52, and
then correct the following examples about _five_ times over.

A mothers tenderness and a fathers care, are natures gift's for mans
advantage. Wisdoms precept's form the good mans interest and happiness.
They suffer for conscience's sake. He is reading Cowpers poems. James
bought Johnsons Dictionary.

RULE 4. A verb must agree with its nominative in number and person.

Those boys improves rapidly. The men labors in the field. Nothing
delight some persons. Thou shuns the light. He dare not do it. They
reads well.

I know you can correct these sentences without a rule, for they all have
a harsh sound, which offends the ear. I wish you, however, to adopt the
habit of correcting errors by applying rules; for, by-and-by, you will
meet with errors in composition which you cannot correct, if you are
ignorant of the application of grammar rules.

Now let us clearly understand this 4th Rule. Recollect, it