After we have chosen a subject which seems suitable, we may find that we lack both time and space for a treatment of it which would be satisfactory either to ourselves or to our readers. We should then consider whether we can make the whole subject as interesting as we can make a part of it. We may adopt either of two plans: (1) we may discuss the whole subject briefly, or (2) we may discuss a small part of the subject fully. Let us examine both methods.

1. Discussing The Whole Subject Briefly

A pupil who read "The President's Message" gave in his notebook a summary of the whole message.

The President's Message

The annual report of President McKinley was made public last Monday. It is very long, and every point is enlarged upon too much. Still it is interesting reading.

He occupies half the report in telling about the Spanish War, from the time of the Cuban insurrection in 1895 to the signing of the peace treaty in Paris.

He writes about the blowing up of the Maine, Dewey's victory, Hobson's bravery, and the Sampson-Schley affair.

He then considers other subjects, such as our relations with other countries, especially the South American republics.

The annexation of Hawaii is a subject to which he devotes considerable space. The seizing of the Samoan group of islands, on the death of the Samoan king, by the U.S.S. Adams, - which was only a wooden gunboat, - and the holding of it against a fleet of German armor-clads, is a feat worthy of notice.

He writes about our trade with China and India, and the want of a large squadron of powerful warships on the Pacific.

2. Discussing A Small Part Of The Subject Fully

In the same notebook the writer, instead of reporting a lecture on Japan as a whole, limited himself to a small part of the subject, as follows:

Last evening I attended a lecture on Japan given by Miss Mary A. Robinson, a missionary. She told some very entertaining stories about the Japanese and their customs. I was particularly interested in her account of New Year's week. It is proper to go visiting and to enjoy life at that time, but no work should be done. In entertaining the visitors the host brings out ten trays, each divided into partitions and each partition full of food. It is customary merely to taste the food, but Miss Robinson, not knowing this, once ate until she could eat no more. Still there were three full trays left. She thanked her host and returned home, but judge of her astonishment on being told that she had eaten the food which the servant had expected to last for a whole week.

The Time Limit. In choosing a small "part of the subject we can often write about something that happened in a brief interval of time - perhaps in less time than it takes to tell it. The following story was told to the girl who wrote it by her father. At first she wrote a composition entitled "From Liverpool to New York," but the result was not satisfactory, so she limited her subject as shown here.

An Exciting Moment

Just before the war of 1861 I came as cabin boy from Liverpool to New York. One day as I stood on deck, looking in the direction of my far-off home, I saw a speck in the distance, right in our path. I watched it intently; it grew larger and larger as we neared it, and I soon saw that it-was a man-of-war. At the same time my curiosity was aroused by the general confusion on our boat, so different from the quiet of a moment before. When I asked my friend, the second mate, what it all meant, he said, "We are pursued by a hostile cruiser, and if you care for your life you had better go to the cabin." Several women on deck heard this remark, which was evidently meant for them as well as for me, and hastened downstairs. I followed them. If it was confusion on deck, it was panic in the cabin. Every face was pale with fear; some talked, others wept.

Suddenly the cabin door opened, and the burly captain walked slowly in. He uttered the word "silence" so harshly that no one dared do otherwise than obey. Then he called the men and began to give orders. Every one was willing to do his part. Some covered the name of the ship at the stern with canvas; others took the names off the bow. Each man seized the first thing he saw which resembled a gun. Three men emptied a hogshead, pulled it on deck, and beat it loudly. Across the water this sounded much like a drum. All was bustle and hurry; every one was eagerly fulfilling the orders of the captain.

My curiosity got the better of my fearand I crept upon deck again. The vessel was very near now, and the soldiers, standing with guns pointed at me, sent a shiver through my whole body.

The vessel passed us several times, but as we kept some distance from them they could find no clew to our identity, and finally, deciding that we were a man-of-war, left us unharmed.

In "An Exciting Moment" the title, as well as the subject, shows that the time is limited. In the following verses note how limited the subject is - not the title. The author does not attempt to describe the game; he singles out one man and admires him as he stands ready for the opponent and then rushes to the attack. If you are interested in football, and will read the lines aloud with the vigor they demand, you can hardly fail to enjoy them.

A Football Player

If I could paint you, friend, as you stand there, Guard of the goal, defensive, open-eyed, Watching the tortured bladder slide and glide Under the twinkling feet; arms bare, head bare, The breeze a-tremble through crow-tufts of hair; Red-brown in face, and ruddier having spied A wily foeman breaking from the side; Aware of him, - of all else unaware: If I could limn you, as you leap and fling Your weight against his passage, like a wall; Clutch him, and collar him, and rudely cling For one brief moment till he falls - you fall: My sketch would have what Art can never give - Sinew and breath and body; it would live.

- E. C. Lefroy.

If you were to make a piece of sculpture, how much of this material could you use? How much, if you were to paint the picture? Does the writer have any advantages over the painter and the sculptor ?

It is probably evident that, as a rule, a composition is more likely to be interesting if the subject is so limited that the treatment may be full. Now and then a brief outline of a large subject may be valuable, but usually the narrower the subject the more likely are we to make our account of it readable. The following list, taken from a pupil's notebook, shows how easy it is to find such subjects:

1. The Use of the T Square.

2. On the Way to School.

3. Signing the Peace Treaty.

4. The Six Days' Race.

5. On the Way to the Fire.

6. The Eclipse of the Moon.

7. A Steam Shovel.

8. A Free Ride.

9. The Police Ambulance.

10. Senator Hoar's Speech.

11. Three Chapters of "Ivan- hoe."

12. In a Grocery Store.

13. Down Broadway Hill.

14. In the Carpenter Shop.

15. A Newsboy.

16. A Horseless Carriage.

17. Absent from School.

18. Shoveling Snow.

19. Delay on the Bridge.

20. A Glimpse of the President.

21. A Minstrel Show.

22. The Store in which I work on Saturdays.

23. Our Hut.

24. Chickens.

25. A Horse.

26. A Hard Task.

27. Two Happy Boys.

28. My Spending Money.

Exercises

15. Rewrite five of the titles in section 8, page 8, so that a small part of the subject may be discussed fully.

16. Rewrite five of the titles so that the treatment will cover only a brief interval of time.

17. The following diagram indicates some of the steps by which we may narrow, or limit, a large subject until it becomes suitable for short compositions. By this means it is often possible to find a large amount and variety of material where we thought there was none.

Develop further some of the topics in the diagram that most interest you. Thus, make the topics under "walking in the country," or "walking in the city," fit your own locality or some place you have visited, or your favorite season.

18. Work out a complete diagram of your own on one of the following general subjects: games, books, magazines, electricity, cooking, travel, buildings, birds, flowers, occupations.

19. Make a list of prominent buildings, and in discussing them in class show how subjects for writing or talking multiply if you take pains to make the most of your material.

If, for example, you consider the public library, you may describe the entrance, a room, a picture, a bookcase, or the librarian.

20. Make a list of all the indoor and outdoor games you enjoy playing.1

21. Make a list of all the indoor and outdoor games you enjoy watching.

22. Keeping in mind the suggestion about limited subjects, make a list of topics, taken from those just prepared, on which you have something to say.

Arrange them so that they will be convenient for reference.

23. Be prepared to write a secretary's report of the next recitation in English.

It is the duty of such a reporter to pick out the important points and to give information about them in a clear, concise way. Some matters he may pass over, some he should merely mention, and others he should treat fully. The following record, by the class secretary for the day, explains itself.

Secretary's Report

October 20, 1912

Division IA met in Room 5 at ten o'clock for the regular recitation in English. After the reading and criticism of the secretary's report for October 18, the teacher distributed some themes that are to be corrected and returned next time. He called attention to the convenience of the Key on page 28, and went about the room to explain criticisms that were not clear. He had Master Fox read from page 27

1 Most of the class will be able to add to their lists, if some of the longest ones are written on the blackboard.

• the distinction between "revising" and "rewriting," and urged the class to remember these two points:

1. The pupil who pays no attention to directions for revision neglects his opportunities and wastes his teacher's time.

2. The slipshod habit of attending to some suggestions, and disregarding others because they are not understood or do not seem feasible, will not be tolerated.

As soon as every one understood all the marks that had been made on his manuscript, the pupils in the third and fourth rows read aloud the theme for the day, Exercise 35, page 30. Each pupil stood well and read clearly, although some read so indistinctly at first that they had to try two or three times. The themes were then exchanged and criticized in accordance with Exercise 36, page 30.

The next lesson is to write a secretary's report of to-day's recitation.

Every one was present.

Respectfully submitted,

Arthur H. Brown.1

1 Some teachers of English find it convenient to have such a report written in connection with each recitation. An arrangement which has proved very satisfactory is to set apart a notebook for such reports. In this notebook A writes his report of to-day's recitation, reads it at the next recitation, and passes the book to B, who in turn is. secretary for the day and hands the book to C. Not only is the exercise a good one, but the secretary's book is convenient both for calling attention to the business of the day and for enabling a pupil who has been absent to find out just what work he must make up.