od, must be separated by
commas; as, "The husband, wife,[11] and children,[12] suffered extremely;"
"In a letter, we may advise, exhort, comfort, request, and discuss;"
"David was a brave, wise, and pious man;" "A man, fearing, serving, and
loving his Creator, lives for a noble purpose;" "Success generally
depends on acting prudently, steadily, and vigorously, in what we
undertake."

[11] The correctness and importance of this rule appear to be so
obvious, as to render it not a little surprising, that any _writer_,
possessing the least degree of rhetorical taste, should reject it. I
am bold to affirm, that it is observed by every correct reader and
speaker; and yet, strange as it may seem, it is generally violated
by those printers who punctuate by the ear, and all others who are
influenced by their pernicious example; thus, "The head, the heart
and the hands, should be constantly and actively employed in doing
good." Why do they not omit the comma where the conjunction is
understood? It would be doing no greater violence to the principles
of elocution; thus, "The head the heart and the hands, should be,
&c." or thus, "The head the heart, and the hands, should be
employed," &c. Who does not perceive that the latter pause, where
the conjunction is expressed, is as necessary as the former, where
the conjunction is understood? And, since this is the case, what
fair objection can be made to the following method of punctuation?
"The head, the heart, and the hands, should be constantly and
actively employed in doing good;" "She is a woman, gentle, sensible,
well-educated, and religious."

[12] As a considerable pause in pronunciation is necessary between
the last noun and the verb, a comma should be inserted to denote it;
but as no pause is allowable between the last adjective and the
noun, or between the last adverb and the verb, the comma, in such
instances, is properly omitted; thus, "David was a brave, wise, and
_pious_ man."

Two or more nouns, verbs, adjectives, participles, or adverbs, occurring
in the same construction, with their conjunctions understood, must be
separated by commas; as, "Reason, virtue, answer one great aim;" "Virtue
supports in adversity, moderates in prosperity;" "Plain, honest truth,
needs no artificial covering;" "We are fearfully, wonderfully framed."

_Exercises._--We have no reason to complain of the lot of man nor of the
mutability of the world. Sensuality contaminates the body depresses