account to others, seemed important to him. In this, he followed his father.

My son, said Professor Cadmus, as he entered the room the next evening, I am now ready to talk about the kinds of sentences. You remember, I told you they were less numerous than the kinds of words. Less numerous, my son!

Good! said Wilmer. How many kinds have we, father? I am restless to know.

We can readily find this out, said Professor Cadmus, if we look at their FORM and MAKE. Now, Wilmer, all sentences declare, or question, or exclaim, or command. And they do this of one or more things. We have, then, only SIX kinds of sentences.

Only six, father! exclaimed Wilmer. I thought we had hundreds.

THE NUMBER OF THE KINDS OF SENTENCES.

Six, said Professor Cadmus, is the number. There are some VARIETIES of these, which you will learn in due time. You will find no more in any book. You will find no more in a speech of Daniel Webster, or a poem of William C. Bryant.

This is very nice, said Wilmer. I have nine kinds of words, and six kinds of sentences to make out of them.

Very correct, my son. You have only one more than the architect. The architect has only five orders, or kinds of buildings. He can shape his materials into no more. You can only build your nine kinds of words into six kinds of sentences.

This is very simple, said Wilmer. But what are their names, father?

I will tell you, my son. something, we call it a declarative sentence. When we question something of something, we call it an interrogative sentence. When we express an emotion about something, we call it an exclamatory sentence. When we command some

When we say something of

thing, we call it an imperative sentence. Each of these may be simple or compound. They are simple, when they say, question, or exclaim one thing. They are compound, when they say, question, or exclaim more than one thing.

EXAMPLES.

The sun shines. The moon arose, and the stars withdrew their light. Is it day? Has man repented, and sought his Maker? Oh, liberty? Oh, hope and love for ever gone!

The bell rings, my son! I have an engagement with a gentleman. Go now to your reading.

INSTRUCTION XXVII.

THE BEST WAY TO KNOW THE KINDS OF SENTENCES.

AN INCIDENT IN LEARNING.

Wilmer was very much pleased with the last conversation. He reduced it at once to practice. Never did he build his little block houses with such zeal as he tried to build the six kinds of sentences out of the nine kinds of words. He made some mistakes. So he did when he made his houses.

Well, Wilmer, said Professor Cadmus, I am happy to see that you succeed so well. You will make a fine wordbuilder. I mean to say, you will be a good grammarian. Let me tell you a little story.

THE LATHE.

Mr. Spencer, of Philadelphia, and Mr. Durand, of NewYork, invented a wonderful machine about the same time. Each one of them invented it. The machine was called a lathe, and made all those wavy figures you see on bank

notes.

Mr. Durand wanted to teach a youth to use it. It was very hard work. One day he said to him: George, take the machine apart. Be careful, and see where every thing belongs. George did so. Now, said Mr. Durand, put it together. This almost frightened George. He worked all day, but the machine was not built again. The next day he succeeded. After that, George was able to work the

machine.

It is just so, said Professor Cadmus, with sentences. You must take them apart, examine each kind of word, and see before you are able to use it.

its use,

Father, I suppose you will talk to me as Mr. Durand did to George. You will tell me to take the sentences apart, and put them together again.

Well, said Professor Cadmus, that would be a very good way to learn to use them.

THE BEST WAY то LEARN SENTENCES.

There is, I think, said Professor Cadmus, a more simple and pleasing way to learn sentences. We need not take them apart.

I am glad of it, said Wilmer.

So am I, my son. Mr. Durand could work the machine. There was no need of his taking the machine apart. He knew it, and could work it, because he made it. So, Wilmer,

you will know and use sentences well, when you learn to make them. To make them, is to know and use them.

I understand this, father. But how am I to make them? Is there any rule to guide me?

Yes, said Professor Cadmus, there is a very simple one. There is a simple way of learning to build words together, and make sentences.

Oh, I am glad of it, exclaimed Wilmer.

So am I, said Professor Cadmus. I am very glad on your account.

HOW WE BUILD SENTENCES OUT OF WORDS.

If you look at a sentence, said Professor Cadmus to his son, you will see that the words are put together in a row. One word follows another, till something is said of something.

Now, Wilmer, where do we begin to build?

To

Wilmer thought for a little, and said, at the left hand. You are nearly right, my son, said Professor Cadmus. We begin with the NOUN. This is the FOUNDATION. this every other kind of word is referred. It is the standard, and they are all shaped by it. We begin with the noun; and build on words, before and behind it.

This is very strange, father! said Wilmer! I never thought of such a thing. Begin with a noun, and build on words before and behind it!

It must be so, Wilmer, said his father. The noun, you know, stands for things, and all our knowledge begins with them. In this way, your little brother went to work. Ma and pa came first. My pa followed. Then it was, My ma is good. What do you say to this, Wilmer?

Oh, yes! It is so. I see it now clearly.

Two things, continued Professor Cadmus, you have to remember. First, to make sentences is the best way to know and learn to use them. Second, in making them, the noun is the starting-point. We begin with the noun, and build on words before and after it.

I will try and remember them, father.

One thing more, added Professor Cadmus. The meaning of sentences is yet to be known. Now, as the kinds of words are known by seeing or feeling the kinds of things for which they stand, so the meaning of sentences is found out by seeing or feeling what they stand for.

Well, father, what do they stand for? I hope they are few and easy.

They are so, my son, said the Professor. There are only five things for which sentences stand. ONLY FIVE. A thing is; it is with other things; it has an order; it is like something else; and it does something, or something is done to it.

EXAMPLES.

Night is. The moon and stars shine. Night follows day. Youth is like spring. The sun warms the earth. The earth is warmed by the sun.

Five things, father! Let me see if I can name them. Is, is with other things; order, likeness, something done. AmIright? You are, my son, said Professor Cadmus, with pleasure. These are the things for which sentences stand. Always try to see or feel them, and be sure of the meaning of sentences.

Professor Cadmus waited some time the next evening

before Wilmer joined him. Some new music had arrived,