Under the sod and the dew, 6. Sadly, but not with upbraiding, In the storm of the years that are fading Under the sod and the dew, 7. No more shall the war-cry sever, When they laurel the graves of our dead,- Waiting the judgment day: Love and tears, for the Blue; LANGUAGE STUDY. 1. Write the analysis of: impartial (pars); defeat (facere). II. In stanza 1 select two adverbial phrases; one adjective phrase. III. Is the first sentence a period, or a loose sentence? What word in stanza 1 gently expresses the thought, are in their graves? (This figure is called euphemism.) In stanza 2 point out an antithesis. "Under the laurel, under the willow" (2): what is the figure of speech? (See Def. 8.) In stanza 5 select a simile. Point out variations in the refrain. 44.- An Economical Project. eon-trīve', to plan, to arrange. do-měs ́tie, house-servant. in'ter-ěst, advantage. u-til'i-ty, usefulness. 6: PREPARATORY NOTES. The Economical Project" is one of the pieces of pleasantry with which Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) used to amuse himself during the years he spent in Paris as commissioner for the United States government. Franklin was master of a very pithy style. 1. I was the other evening in a grand company, where a new lamp was introduced and much admired for its splendor; but a general inquiry was made whether the oil it consumed was not in exact proportion to the light it afforded. No one present could satisfy us in that point, which all agreed ought to be known; it being a very desirable thing to lessen, if possible, the expense of lighting our apartments. I was pleased to see this general concern for economy, for I love economy exceedingly. 2. I went home, and to bed, three or four hours after midnight, with my head full of the subject. An accidental sudden noise waked me about six in the morning, when I was surprised to find my room filled with light, and I imagined at first that a number of those lamps had been brought into it; but, rubbing my eyes, I perceived the light came in at the windows. I got up and looked out to see what might be the occasion of it, when I saw the sun just rising above the horizon, from whence he poured his rays plentifully into my chamber; my domestic having negligently omitted, the preceding evening, to close the shutters. 3. I looked at my watch, which goes very well, and found that it was but six o'clock; and, still thinking it something extraordinary that the sun should rise so early, I looked into the almanac, where I found it to be the hour given for his rising on that day. I looked forward too, and found he was to rise still earlier every day till towards the end of June; and that at no time does he retard his rising so long as till eight o'clock. 4. Those who, with me, have never seen any signs of sunshine before noon, and seldom regard the astronomical part of the almanac, will be as much astonished as I was, when they hear of his rising so early, and especially when I assure them that he gives light as soon as he rises. I am convinced of this. I am certain of my fact. I saw it with my own eyes. And, having repeated this observation the three following mornings, I found always precisely the same result. 5. Yet so it happens, that, when I speak of this discovery to others, I can easily perceive by their countenances, though they forbear expressing it in words, that they do not quite believe me. One, indeed, has assured me that I must certainly be mistaken as to the circumstance of the light coming into my room; for it being well known that there could be no light abroad at that hour, it follows that none could enter from without, and that my windows, being left open, instead of letting in the light had only served to let out the darkness. 6. He used many ingenious arguments to show me how I might, by that means, have been deceived. I own that he puzzled me a little, but he did not satisfy me; and the subsequent observations I made, as above mentioned, confirmed me in my first opinion. 7. This event has given rise in my mind to several serious and important reflections. I considered that if I had not been awakened so early in the morning, I should have slept six hours longer by the light of the sun, and in exchange have lived six hours the following night by candle-light; and, the latter being a much more expensive light than the former, my love of economy induced me to muster up what little arithmetic I was master of, and to make some calculations, which I now submit to the public; for utility is, in my opinion, the test of value in matters of invention. 8. Taking for the basis of my calculation the supposition that there are in Paris a hundred thousand families which consume in the night half a pound of candles per hour, I calculated that, by the economy of using sunshine instead of candles, the city of Paris might save every year the immense sum of three millions of pounds, English money. 9. If it should be said that people are obstinately attached to old customs, and that it will be difficult to induce them to rise before noon, and that consequently my discovery can be of little use, I answer, "Don't de spair." I believe all who have common sense, as soon as they have learned from this paper that it is daylight when the sun rises, will contrive to rise with him and to compel the rest, I would propose that every morning, as soon as the sun rises, all the bells in every church be set ringing; and if that is not sufficient, cannons should be fired in every street to wake the sluggards effectually, and make them open their eyes to their true interest. 10. All the difficulty will be in the first two or three days, after which the reformation will be as natural and as easy as the present irregularity. Oblige a man to rise at four in the morning, and it is more than probable that he will go willingly to bed at eight in the evening; and, having had eight hours' sleep, he will rise more willingly at four the morning following. 11. For the great benefit of this discovery, thus freely communicated and bestowed by me on the public, I demand neither place, pension, exclusive privilege, nor any other reward whatever. I expect only to have the honor of it. LANGUAGE STUDY. I. Write the analysis of: submit (mittere); omit (mittere); perceive (capere); deceive (capere); accidental (cadere); occasion (cadere). II. "From whence" (2): would it not be more accurate to omit "from"? 'And to compel the rest" (9): supply the ellipsis (Def. 12). III. In this piece, which type of sentence does Franklin prefer: the period, or the loose sentence? Point out examples of drollery, or quiet humor. In paragraph 4, how does Franklin express the thought, "I am convinced of this, and am certain of my fact, for I saw it with my own eyes"? Are not the three short sentences more pointed? |