The method of the text is to begin by calling attention to an example, then to another, and so to secure acquaintance with facts. A young person (or, for that matter, an Older one) can not enter upon new knowledge by the path of generalization; we must all know first what kind of facts are being talked about. A student can see the particular words by which Goldsmith conveys us from a conversation to a drowning daughter, and can by further study of particulars learn the ways of coherence.

Many. Teachers will grudge the space devoted to theme assignments; for they know that much of the so-called con structive wor in texts is only ornamental, pretty suggestions of achievement, prodigally assigned by hundreds, though in an ordinary school not twenty can be required in a year. All such application work is of course sound in principle: if the year were 200 weeks long, we could secure 200 themes from each student. But in real life we are limited to mere human condi tions. My excuse for presenting several hundred theme topics is that many teachers and students are stimulated by an array of goodly possibilities, and like to see a wealth of options.

Practice work for theme architecture must be more wide and varied than the efforts that each student makes in his own con struction. There must be analysis of other people's work. We all know how true it is that a boy may learn better from an amusing example of error printed in a book than he does from his own theme in which a teacher has marked a similar error. I have always known that I could do better work in much shorter time if only I could have more themes for analysis as exercise material. These furnish constructive work in my class.

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