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PART III.

Miscellaneous Forms.

Introductory: Scope and Complete Method of

Composition.

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In the foregoing Parts, following the commonly accepted division of the subject of Composition, we have made a survey of the whole field, so far as seemed practicable. It has frequently been seen how the several divisions overlap and intermingle, making anything like a sharply defined and therefore exhaustive division impossible. It will be seen further that prominence of any element or attribute not made the basis of our division - peculiar qualities of style, specific practical or literary purposes, etc., gives rise to forms not sufficiently provided for in our method. They could be fitted into our scheme of classification doubtless, but the process would involve embarrassing distortion. All the old principles must hold good, too, but there will have to be modifications and adaptations to accord with the peculiar form or specific purpose.

Because of this a few exercises are added here dealing with the more prominent forms of composition that thus arise. The list cannot be complete, and may not be very helpful, but it will at least serve to show how varied and interesting, practice in writing can be made. Special subjects are not given, but the student will readily find or make them. A character self-developed and self-portrayed by speech or action; a dialect sketch, Yankee, Hoosier, Creole, Negro, Chinese; a critical review of a favorite book, of the last lecture, opera, play; a fashion note, a bit of gossip; a story from

country, village, or city life; a romance, a ghost story; a reminiscence, a dream, a meditation; — the variety of themes is endless.

One thing will bear emphasis here. It has already been dwelt upon in Exercises IV. and XXVIII.XXX. It is the art of selection. It rests simply upon the fact that nothing.is equally important at all times, nor all things at the same time. True generally, this is particularly true in letters. The mere fact that a thing exists is not sufficient excuse for thrusting it upon our attention. We hold some things of more account than others and cannot afford to spend time over those that neither harm nor help nor interest us. And truth itself may often do none of these. Besides we have a higher conception of the province of art than the mere reproduction of things as they are without even a change of combination. Actual facts, truth science is concerned with that. But there is another kind of truth, with which art is concernedtruth to what might be, ought to be, ought not to be. Fidelity, not only to what is, but to what is probable or possible grant this to be within the scope of art and you have a conception worthy of a creative mind. The art of selection therefore means much. It looks forward to combination, construction-such creation as we are capable of. It means that this feature must be taken intact, that feature must be modified, the other must be rejected. It means that each part must be good and appropriate and that all parts must fit together so that the whole shall be good. For practical suggestions relative to this process the student is referred to the Exercises cited above. More can be

learned in the attempt to apply the principles and in the study of successful work. And the mere keeping in mind the necessity of cultivating this art of selection and rejection will help toward its better attainment.

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If now we take Mr. Ruskin's canon "Remember always, you have two characters in which all greatness of art consists: First, the earnest and intense seizing of natural facts; then the ordering those facts by strength of human intellect, so as to make them, for all who look upon them, to the utmost serviceable, memorable, and beautiful"-if we take this and consider it as applicable to the art of composition, it will be seen that we have supplemented it with two other “characters possibly comprehended by Mr. Ruskin in the above selection and expression. After the "seizing of natural facts," which was the burden of the first part of our work, comes the discrimination among them and selection, spoken of there and repeated with emphasis here. Then follows the ordering of those factsarrangement—so eloquently insisted upon by Mr. Ruskin. Lastly comes adequate expression, which together with arrangement has been specially discussed in the introduction to Part II. Such is the complete method of composition; follow it in every endeavor, no matter how imperfectly, through the several stages, and the result cannot be wholly bad.

EXERCISE LXVI.

NEWS.

Of the many departments of journalism, we shall consider two or three only, which especially demand the

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