the deepest feeling; that the language of the purposes and affections, of the will and of the heart, is genuine English, that the dialect of the market and the fireside'is Anglo-Saxon; the vocabulary of the most impressive and effective pulpit rs has been almost wholly drawn from the same pure source; the advocate who would convince the technical judge, or dazand confuse the jury, speaks Latin; while he who would h the better sensibilities of his audience, or rouse the multitude gorous action, chooses his words from the native speech of our ent father-land; that the domestic tongue is the language of ion and persuasion, the foreign of authority, or rhetoric and te; that we may not only frame single sentences, but speak hours, of course write as well] without employing a single orted word; and, finally, that we possess the entire volume of ne revelation, in the truest, clearest, aptest form in which an ingenuity has made it accessible to modern man, and yet a vocabulary, wherein saving proper names and terms, not in r nature translatable, scarce seven words in the hundred are ved from any foreign source."

bout seventy-five words borrowed from a "foreign source,” to o our mother tongue, say that they were not needed for this any other purpose by any English speaker or writer! One d in regard to what is said of the "volume of inspiration"— ble). By counting, Mr. Marsh tells us, that this book is found contain but seven per cent. of foreign words; but he did not us that 35,563 of these words are repetitions of the word and, how many times we should find of, the, in, for, etc., etc., nor at is the relative value of the untranslatable words to which he ers: e. g., such as the Greek Apostle, Christ, Deacon, idol, gue, etc., or the Latin, divine, conscience, grace, Mediator, Reemer, Prince, glory, punishment, eternal, repentance, patience, perience, doctrine, resurrection, prevent, etc., etc.

LITERARY EXERCISES IN ACADEMIES.

BY SAMUEL G. LOVE, A. M.,

Principal of Jamestown Union School and Collegiate Institute.

Some of us may possibly remember when we were boys just ering for the first time, the threshold of the academy, or other h school, and possibly we may remember how inexperienced, ly green we were in those more or less distant days. We can 1 to mind too, having just laid aside the implements of the m or the work-shop, in what regal splendor the grounds and ildings were spread before our excited admiring gaze; how willingly we were made to know that mud and filth were the cessary accompaniments of rain and sour weather, in those chanted regions, with what a thrill of joy we beheld, for the st time, the good, the noble preceptor and preceptress, their untenances beaming mildly and benignantly upon us, as though us they saw the future greatness of our country. It is barely ssible that we read their countenances wrong, or that those pernages have slightly degenerated since that period.

Then came the study and recitations; and if heaven has given the power to see ourselves as others saw us at that time, we n recall our awkwardness before the class, how wide we did Loot from the mark in spite of our grandest efforts, the sly icker of our mates, and the quiet encouraging word from the acher, till at last confidence and strength came slowly to our aid. efore many days, however, with some trepidation and a little cret pride, we heard our names announced among others, to rnish an essay for the following Wednesday. We had never in ur whole lives, perhaps, composed a line, but in the confidence of ntried strength, we felt that we could move the mountains, and helt the hills to tears. Lo! what a signal failure was ours. With pen in hand for hours we sat. Thoughts eluded us like hadows of fleecy clouds over the far-reaching prairie. As futile vere our efforts as the grasp of the child for the stars. Weariness nd sleep overcame us. The time drew near. The kind, good receptor gave us another week. How we would in that time ccomplish the great work. At length the meager production

s completed. How carefully we folded it from the sight of ery intruder. Shame and pride wrought our self-consciousness a high degree. The whole world knew of our effort, but its Igment should not be rashly summoned. It was too sacred for lgar eyes. Our first sweetheart alone should peruse its hallowed ge, for there were only about eight lines. And she said it was nice, so full of good thoughts, that we gave it over to the cher with ill-concealed satisfaction. At length it passed the deal and was returned. But, oh! how defaced! how marred ! ith hurried hand he had written in the margin, "Be careful out blots, nine are too many for one short essay. Your attenon is called to the first sentence, viz: Spring is the most easantest time of the year.'-Grammatical error, etc. Again, e last sentence but one, 'The ox is a nobul animit.'-The words derscored are misspelled, etc., etc." How impotent was lanage to express our disgust with ourselves, our rage with the cher. And when we thought to retrieve our good name at clamation, we stumbled and fell headlong upon the rostrum. las! the mishap closed our utterance, but opened the fountains our tears. Kindly the teacher excused us from so embarrassg a position, saying, perhaps, that we had a good voice and anner, and would do well another time.

To-day even, notwithstanding the great improvements in our aools, literary exercises in our academies are a serious, dreaded siness to many of the students, and an unwelcome task to some structors. The burden is thrown upon the pupil without any eparation, and hence he flounders about, as in thick darkness. oung persons, almost men and women in stature and years, often ter the academy, who have never attempted an essay, or even a ter scarcely, having what is called a good common school edution, and who firmly believe that the duties known as literary ercises, are all stuff and nonsense. They are without sufficient owledge and experience with the world to appreciate their use practical life. Their aspirations do not lie in that direction. ide and ignorance tend to stimulate opposition to, and even volt against, these meaningless exercises. This state of things the part of the student, will sometimes beget indifference and glect with the class officer. Is it strange, therefore, that students o often complete the academic curriculum, and enter upon the llege course, or go out into the world, without being able to

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is proposed in this paper to remark briefly upon the object terary exercises in our academies, and the means which may mployed to accomplish the object; and in the first place it be stated, that the aim should not be to make great writers peakers of the students. Such a mark is too high for them. ead of kindling the ambition of the learner, it will, in many s, prove a lasting discouragement. The gulf is too wide for He cannot overleap it. Continents and oceans lie between and the end to be gained. And in the event of rapid growth, will be too apt to fancy that he is nearing the goal, and slacken efforts accordingly. Rather let the facts appear before him in living colors. Let him understand that he is to learn to utter own, or the thoughts of another, with freedom and force, in the sence of any audience, upon the street, before a knot of neighs, or upon the rostrum or the stump, to the assembled multitude. him be taught also that the pen of the ready writer is plumed its mission only by patient, careful thought and research. flimsy rhapsody, no wild unstudied statement can ever avail to ve, or arouse in the right direction the intelligence and coöperaof good citizens. As in the ordinary walks of life, experience es strength and vigor, and in the various professions, longtinued effort and practice make men valuable, so in this le matter must the student be trained to patient persevering or, reviewing his work from time to time, writing and rewriting argument, until it shall assume proportions and a state of pertion satisfactory to his best understanding.

An object of importance to be gained by the student in these ercises is confidence in his own opinions and views; such assunce as will enable him to meet opposing statements without rinking, and to weigh them with candor. At the outset, the arner will very likely have too much pride to give an unbiased pression to his thoughts. The most common-place topics will sume in his mind an unnatural importance. Every blow aimed his argument will be sure to hit him, and writhing under the in inflicted, he will strike wildly about, without plan or purose. This excessive self-consciousness must be toned down, until is enabled to see things and estimate thoughts objectivelyhard lesson for many to learn, but valuable as any event in the Ee of the student.