less a fault to teach the subject as if writing were ne thing more than a means of reporting sales or securin orders for goods. It seems to them that a proper balan character of the student's work in an elementary course maintained best only when the two kinds of writing which is an artistic end in itself, and that which serves poses of everyday life, are considered side by side. T out the book, therefore, they have observed the divisio writing into æsthetic and instrumental, and have sought the student how the two very different purposes implied terms make necessary two standards of effectivenes second opinion is concerning argumentation. The thought it absolutely essential to treat this subject as if in truth mainly a form of composition, and not oral There seems to be little more reason for attempting, in on writing, to restrict the whole field of argument to its o rigid and all in all least usable form, than for dealing wi sition as if it were used solely as a means of making ex sermons. They have endeavored, too, to give informal ar at least a part of the consideration it deserves. Any intention of trying to write either a series of essays for vacation reading or a body of condensed di for ready reference is hereby disclaimed. The authors a to admit that they have tried to make the treatment of th ject fresh and simple enough to enable the layman to r book with a degree of ease and with profit. They have, h written primarily for the classroom; and they have assum the teacher would in many instances desire to illustra amplify according to the needs of individual students. A the text may possibly have some value as it stands alo authors wish to insist that its real significance becomes only when it accompanies regular practice in composition criticism. They are firm believers in Carlyle's "Proper hast no other knowledge but what thou hast got by wo The following chapters aim only to give fundamental sugg about "working"; their function is not to serve as a sy arbitrary guideposts, but rather as a vantage point from the student can choose his own way intelligently. It scarcely need be said that the book presupposes the very necessary drill in elementary details. Thanks are gratefully extended to Professor J. S. Kenyon, of Butler College; Professor C. W. Park, of the University of Cincinnati; Professor Roderick Scott, of Earlham College; Professor P. D. Sherman, of Oberlin College; and Mr. Meredith Nicholson, for reading parts of the manuscript; to Mr. H. W. O'Connor, Mrs. Mabel Bonnell Barnes, and Mr. D. L. Clark, for valuable suggestions and substantial assistance of many kinds; to several of the authors' students for illustrative matter, especially to Mr. Phil Clugston for the brief and the parts of the completed argument used in Chapter VIII; and to a half hundred professional writers for the information they cheerfully contributed about their methods of work. All other conscious obligations are acknowledged in the text or the footnotes. The selections from T. B. Aldrich, Arlo Bates, John Burroughs, S. M. Crothers, R. W. Emerson, B. Harte, G. L. Kittredge, J. R. Lowell, B. Matthews, G. H. Palmer, Bliss Perry, E. A. Ross, and H. B. Stowe are used by permission of, and by special arrangement with, Houghton Mifflin Company. Grateful acknowledgment is made to The Century Company; Doubleday, Page, and Company; Harper and Brothers; Henry Holt and Company; John Lane Company; J. B. Lippincott Company; Longmans, Green, and Company; Macmillan Company; and Charles Scribner's Sons for permission to use copyrighted material; and to the publishers of The Nation and The Outlook for the use of extracts. R. W. B. N. W. B. |