ORAL AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE 8 1 



lines; then let the writing go on freely, without every 

 thought being hampered by the idea that the critical teacher 

 is peering over the shoulder, or that the paper " wont pass " 

 if the periods and spelling are not correct. Even a mature 

 writer of ability, buried in the inspiration and enjoyment 

 of his creation, may make technical mistakes that he will 

 stare at later in astonishment ; but he will correct every page 

 of his manuscript with the utmost care before permitting it 

 to go to the public. Give the child an equal freedom of 

 creation, teach him an equal patience in correcting. 



Subject matter is comparatively easy to find, for it is 

 the handling of the material that is of importance. A paint- 

 ing from a master's hand may be only a weary laborer halt- 

 ing for a prayer in obedience to the call of the bell in his 

 village church. The canvas may be small. It is not the 

 subject, it is not the size, that makes the painting immortal ; 

 it is the treatment. The subject for a child's composition 

 must be as simple as are the experiences of that child. His 

 training is in expression. A wandering bee, buzzing in the 

 window; a bird, twittering over the spring nest; a dog, 

 coaxing and fawning for his evening meal; a horse, cross 

 and rebellious at being cinched up under the saddle, is 

 there any end to the thoughts about which a child will talk 

 or write? Give ideas, not subjects. The former inspire, the 

 latter deaden. Do not trouble about the subject, a paper 

 can be named after it is written. 



Then there are real and imaginary letters, narrations, de- 

 scriptions, reproductions, and simple character sketches. 

 Children readily express personal opinions about poems and 

 stories. All papers should be short, sometimes a few lines 

 will be all that can be given. The clothing of the thought 

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