NOVEMBER 107 



writings, and the constant reference to the ideal in their 

 philosophy, which could not fail to be interesting and 

 attractive to you. Unfortunately I do not know how far 

 you are advanced in your study of the language, but I think 

 I remember your telling me that you had but just begun 

 it. I have therefore sent you " Klauer's Manual," the 

 best book for self-tuition which has been published, 

 and I have marked in the Index a few of the selections 

 which are perhaps the easiest to begin with. There is 

 this advantage in the book, that should you be so far 

 advanced as not to need the interlinear translation, the 

 selections which are given without it contain some 

 admirable passages from the best authors. Should you 

 be but just beginning I should advise you to learn by 

 heart only the articles, y e five personal pronouns, and 

 y e three auxiliary verbs ; and then, looking over the 

 conjugation of the regular verb, proceed at once to read 

 the pieces in the 1 st vol. in the order in which they are 

 marked, using the 2 nd vol. (in which they are trans- 

 lated) as the key. You will find the numbers of the 

 pieces in the 2 nd vol. corresponding with those in the 

 1 st . I have also sent you a little volume of Schiller's 

 poems, with a few which I like marked. I should advise 

 you, if any took your fancy, to learn them by heart ; it is 

 an agreeable way of getting into one's mind a great fund 

 of words to be serviceable on all occasions. I had some 

 difficulty in getting you the " Morgen und Abendopfer," 

 but I was anxious that you should have these little poems. 

 They are written by a German clergyman. The poetry 

 is very pretty and simple, and I like them for the cheer- 

 ful view which they take of religion. I have also 

 ventured to send you a little book of selections from 

 different authors, principally for the sake of those which 

 have been made from the works of four men whose 

 writings I have often perused with almost unmixed 



