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IN

READING, SPEAKING,

AND

CONVERSATION.

DESIGNED FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, AND

HOME INSTRUCTION.

BY

WILLIAM SHERWOOD.

NEW YORK:

A. S. BARNES & CO., 51 & 53 JOHN STREET.
CINCINNATI: H. W. DERBY; CHICAGO: D. B. COOKE & CO.

HARVARD
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1855, by

A. S. BARNES & CO.,

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

PREFACE.

THIS work is upon a new plan: it aims to draw the attention of pupils to the proper estimate of their own powers, and to show them how they can best improve themselves. It is designed for schools, colleges, and general readers. Keeping in view conventional usage, nature and common sense, the author has endeavored to strip elocution, as a study, of its repulsive, artificial character, and to make it plain, easy, and attractive. Its principles are embodied and illustrated in a course of reading lessons: and to render these more impressive and pleasing, they are occasionally varied by examinations, conversations, and dialogues. And to guard against conceit and affectation, he has labored to impress upon the student that all right expression must necessarily spring from right thoughts and feelings. He has introduced what he calls the rising and falling curves, which, it is presumed, will be esteemed a valuable improvement: but in the use of these and other notations, he has purposely avoided all didactic rules. The lessons containing selected pieces are intended for exercises both in reading and speaking; and are equally adapted for both sexes. They are interspersed with many amusing anecdotes, with a view to training the pupil to a more colloquial

manner.

The marks over the following vowels are designed to show the different inflections made in reading; and the others to show the slight pauses not indicated by punctuation :

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Neither John, nor Jámes, nor Joseph | was thère ? Ah, it was Jâmes that did it! I never thought it could be you!

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