Part 7 (1/2)

He is stopping at the Biltmore Hotel. Although he talked freely of the trouble in Europe, he frowned at the report about the $2,000,000 shrapnel order, and then said with blazing eyes:

”Why, our company would not accept an order for $15,000,000 worth of shrapnel! The war itself is a bitter shame. It is something that does not belong in the general scheme of enlightened humanity. If men would only think in unison, and think purely and strongly for the abolition of war, it would stop. There should be a general movement in the United States in this direction.

”When I was a youngster I left my home in Centralia, Ill., to win my own way in the world, and my mother gave me five maxims--one for each finger--which I since have followed with great profit. They are:

”'Seek company among those whom you can trust and a.s.sociation with whom will make you better.

”'Never gamble or go where gambling is done.

”'Never drink or go where drinking is done.

”'As to smoking, it isn't so bad as drinking or gambling, but take my advice and let it alone.

”'When in doubt about where to go, stop and ask if it would be a good place to take your mother.'

”Plat.i.tudes, eh! Some might call them that; but they have brought me happiness, and they have brought happiness to others.

Not long ago I sat down and figured how much I had saved by not drinking, gambling, or the like. I figured it out at $1,000 a year, and it had been 30 years since my mother gave me the advice.”

III. Notes

1. The contrast in Model I consists in the incongruity between the ages of the people and their occupations; in II the contrast is obviously the same as that alluded to in Byron's famous line,

”Seek roses in December, ice in June”;

in III Mr. Howard's ideas, ideals, and conduct are in contrast with those of some men.

2. Ant.i.thesis between the actual and the normal is always interesting.

IV. Queries and Exercises

1. Explain the syntax of all nouns, adverbs, and infinitives in the models.

2. Find a metaphor in I.

3. Discuss the meaning and etymology of the following words: matrimonial, commuters, Christmas, December, animals.

4. Is ”nearby” a better word than ”adjacent”?

5. Where is Yonkers?

6. Tell whether the sentences are simple, compound, or complex.

7. What is the subject of each paragraph in II and III?

8. Write double headings for I and II. ”Double” means in two parts.

For example: