Untitled Page 4

COPY
Fort Washington, Jan. 5th, 1850

Dear Brother.
I received with much pleasure your letter of Dec. 9th. Its style I think very good. And I think from it notwithstanding your now finding it difficult to compose a composition, you will in time find it not very difficult. In writing your compos write simply, put down your ideas whatever they are in language that comes easily but be sure the language expresses your idea correctly. Arrange your ideas in as good order as possible. Do not strive by any means to use that kind of language commonly termed "high flown". I can well understand your troubles in regard to compositions. I have not forgotten the trouble they used to cause myself. If your composition contain sensible matter do not fear for its reception because it is short. Take care not to have in a sentence that has not some direct reference to the subject about which you write. When you sit down to compose have your theme fixed clearly in your mind. Then you are almost sure to have a unison of ideas. In declaiming, speak slowly. This is necessary in order to speak distinctly. Cultivate a proper emphasis. In my early declaiming I used to speak too fast, and very indistinctly often running one word into another. Had I declaimed slowly, I should have emphasized better and soon spoken much more distinctly. I was never a good declaimer and pretty much to the end of my school days I did not know how to remedy my defects, not hardly in what they consisted. People who speak indistinctly where there is no natural defects seldom are aware of the fact. Your Grammar will fast become easier as you advance. I am inclined to think that one of the greatest causes why beginners find grammar so difficult is that they do not understand the meaning of the words and terms they are constantly using. I hope therefore you will take pains to study them out whenever you do not understand them. Continue the study of grammar until you thoroughly understand its principles and in fact let it be your motto to understand everything thoroughly before you quit its study. In the acquisition of knowledge progress as fast as possible. But by this I do not mean pursue many studies at one time nor incessantly. No, pursue just so many studies as you can cleverly manage, without tiring your mind, keep your mind fresh. Spend a portion of each day in conversation. Converse generally with those older and more advanced than yourself. You can learn much from conversation. It will help you digest the ideas you acquire, and their retention. For associates seek the older and more advanced students. You will not