Page:Hill's manual of social and business forms.djvu/101

Rh written thus. The reader cannot fail to recognize the truth and thought conveyed in this stanza of Cowper's, beyond the words themselves:

The idea expressed in these few lines brings up in long review the trials of a past life, and the recollection of sorrows and afflictions which we afterwards, not unfrequently, discovered to be blessings in disguise, and in reality seemingly designed for our best good.

There is much food for reflection in the following stanza from Gray's "Elegy":

With this reading comes up the thought of those of our fellow men whom we know to be good, noble, and worthy, but whose names will go down to the grave unhonored and unknown.

Very plainly we see the meaning beyond the words in the following, also from Gray:

A similar idea is expressed by Whittier, though in fewer words:

Both stanzas are deeply freighted with thought beyond what is expressed.

Those extracts, whether in prose or poetry, that are destined to go down to coming generations, are so laden with ideas and suggestions that in listening or reading, the scenes they suggest seem to move before us, and we forget words in contemplating that which the words describe.

Prose writings often contain gems of thought told very briefly, especially in the works of our best authors. In the following, from Irving's description of the grave, the reader becomes so absorbed in the picture portrayed that the words themselves are lost in the emotions they enkindle:

The Bible abounds in beautiful and expressive sayings, that reveal much in few words, as shown in the following:

Care should be taken to prune out the unnecessary words with an unsparing hand. Thus, in the sentence, "I have got back, having returned yesterday," it is better to say, "I returned yesterday."

Two young men, upon going into the army during the late civil war, were requested by their friends to telegraph at the close of any battle they might take part in, concerning their condition. At the close of the battle of Perryville, one telegraphed the following:

The other telegraphed as follows:

Hiram well knew that his friends would hear immediately of the battle from the newspapers, and would learn from the same source that his regiment participated in the engagement. Their