desirability of giving more and more time to this important subject.

When you have chosen a section of the book which particularly appeals to
you, begin your actual study by reading the phrases aloud. Read them
slowly and understandingly. This tends to impress them more deeply upon
your mind, and is in itself one of the best and most practical ways of
acquiring a large and varied vocabulary. Moreover, the practise of
fitting words to the mouth rapidly develops fluency and facility of
speech.

Few persons realize the great value of reading aloud. Many of the foremost
English stylists devoted a certain period regularly to this practise.
Cardinal Newman read aloud each day a chapter from Cicero as a means of
developing his ear for sentence-rhythm. Rufus Choate, in order to
increase his command of language, and to avoid sinking into mere empty
fluency, read aloud daily, during a large part of his life, a page or more
from some great English author. As a writer has said, "The practise of
storing the mind with choice passages from the best prose writers and
poets, and thus flavoring it with the essence of good literatures, is one
which is commended both by the best teachers and by the example of some of
the most celebrated orators, who have adopted it with signal success."

This study should be pursued with pencil in hand, so that you may readily
underscore phrases which make a special appeal to you. The free use of a
pencil in marking significant parts of a book is good evidence of
thoroughness. This, too, will facilitate your work of subsequent review.

The habit of regularly copying, in your own handwriting, one or more pages
of phrases will be of immense practical value. This exercise is a great
aid in developing a facile English style. The daily use of the pen has