IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! 
A NEW PREMIUM! 
MDST USEFUL BOOK Ft 
LATEST EDITION PROM NEW PLATES. 
Printin'] and Bindinj Improved. 
It is possible for a child to learn to pro¬ 
nounce at sight and to correctly spell a 
thousand Greek words without assoeia 
ting with one of them the thought which 
it is designed to embody. He may also 
memorize the synonyms of these words 
and still be unable to intelli¬ 
gently express the simplest 
thought in the symbols 
which have been studied. 
This is much like the usu¬ 
al school process of memo¬ 
rizing abstract words and 
definitions. Children are 
compelled to learn to pro¬ 
nounce, spell and define 
thousands of words which 
remain almost as unintel¬ 
ligible and useless to 
them as so many uncom¬ 
prehended Chinese char¬ 
acters. No memorized word 
is useful except in so far 
as its meaning be clearly un¬ 
derstood. For the meaning 
of words we must consult a 
standard dictionary. 
In view of the fact that 
correct spelling and pro¬ 
nunciation and a knowledge 
of the significance of words 
in frequent use is the great¬ 
est educational accomplish¬ 
ment, the importance of a 
National Standard Dictionary in every 
household can scarcelybe over-estimated. 
We cannot think well, talk fluently or 
write intelligibly without having acquired 
such a dictionary knowledge of the lan¬ 
guage to be employed. 
The place for a child to begin this 
dictionary branch of his education is at 
home. If this fact were duly appreciated, 
the average intelligence of the nation 
would be doubled in five years by a rev¬ 
olution of our present deplorable process 
of memorizing abstract and meaningless 
words. 
When a word that is not understood is 
first heard or seen is the time to “ study 
it up” by the aid of a roliablo diction¬ 
ary which should bo ever at hand. By 
thus taking one Avord at a time while 
it is associated with tlio object or the 
thought which it is designed to convoy, it 
may be really learned as well as memor¬ 
ized, almost without effort; 
while to undertake to mem¬ 
orize a dozen cr fifty such 
words in a lesson at school 
would result in the accumu¬ 
lation of «' less rubbish 
rather than available knowl¬ 
edge. Not only does tho 
accumulation cf this use¬ 
less rubbish destroy tho 
child’s ambition 1 o learn and 
his thirst for knowledge, 
but it often shatters his con¬ 
stitution. 
This is a very gravo evil of 
our present school system 
Which must be apparent to 
every intelligent and 
thoughtful person. But 
this incalculable evil cannot 
be remedied while a dic¬ 
tionary of any kind is not 
to be found in one house¬ 
hold in twenty the country 
over. Hence, to supply this 
need in nearly every fam¬ 
ily, the New American Dic¬ 
tionary and Compendium of 
Useful Knowledge has been prepared for 
the press at an enormous expense. 
The dictionary part of the book is given 
in over 300 profusely illustrated 3-column 
pages, including geographical maps, dia¬ 
grams, etc. Every word in common use 
is correctly spelled, phonetically pro¬ 
nounced and comprehensively defined. 
Combined with the dictionary is an ex¬ 
ceedingly valuable Reference Compen¬ 
dium of Useful Knowledge, embracing 
84 different subjects. This vast amount 
of information, which is almost as import¬ 
ant as the dictionary itself, can bo ob¬ 
tained nowhere else for less than five 
times the price of the whole book. 
It is actually worth fifty ordinary books. 
A standard and reliable dictionary such 
as we offer is worth more to any house¬ 
holder than fifty ordinary books; and tho 
parent yho fails to provide such a work lor 
his chi d is depriving him of a rightful 
privilege which is absolutely worth a hun¬ 
dred times its cost. There are men, not a 
few. who would gladly give even a thous¬ 
and dollars for what would have been 
learned bvthe aid of such a book ns the 
New American Dictionary, if it had been 
supplied to them in early life. Of course 
it is only by producing it for the million 
that it is afforded at the nominal price of 
$1. postpaid; nr five copies postpaid for 
only $4. Ask 4 of your friends to buy one 
each ami thus get your own book free, all 
postpaid and warranted to give satisfaction. 
For three new subscribers to Seed-Time and Harvest and $1.50 we will send by 
mail a copy of this elegant new book which is retailed by the publishers at $1.00 alone. 
Any present subscriber sending $1.50 may order one copy of this popular book and three 
yearly subscriptions to Seed-Time and Harvest to be sent to any address desired. 
Address, Seed-Time and Harvest, 
La Plume, Lack’a Co., Pa. 
