"They dinna ken me either," said Tommy.

"What does that matter?" asked Corp, but Tommy was too full to speak. He had "found a way."

The lady and Mr. Ogilvy found Corp such a success that the one gave him a shilling and the other took down his reminiscences in a note-book. But if you would hear of the rings of blue and white and yellow Corp saw, and of the other extraordinary experiences he described himself as having when in a fit, you need not search that note-book, for the page has been torn out. Instead of making inquiries of Mr. Ogilvy, try any other dominie in the district, Mr. Cathro, for instance, who delighted to tell the tale. This, of course, was when it leaked out that Tommy had personated Corp, by arrangement with the real Corp, who was listening in rapture beneath the bed.

BARRIE: Sentimental Tommy.

B. Preserving the general form of the following dialogue, supply incidents and motives which will make this commonplace conversation momentous in its significance to both speakers:

The General. You will see that the prisoner is hanged at daybreak. By the way, have you learned his name?

The Colonel. He still refuses to disclose it.

The General. Oh, does he? Well, he doubtless wishes to spare the feelings of his relatives. It would be extremely unpleasant to read in the dispatches that a brother or a son had been hanged for a spy - eh?

The Colonel. It would be horrible.

The General. But he will let the secret out before he swings. They always do. Perhaps you had better report to me after the affair is over. I am anxious to know who he is. He is not a bad looking fellow. It struck me as I was examining him yesterday - no offence, mind — that he

looked something as you did when I first met you, twenty

years ago.

The Colonel. I noticed it.

The General. You did, eh? Then I was right. Well, I shall expect you before breakfast. You will need something to cheer you up.

1. A conversation between two girls to show that one feels superior to the other in good taste in dress. Let them comment on a third person, not on one another.

2. A conversation between two boys on the merits of a certain member of the team, to show that one is prejudiced. If possible, let this in part reproduce an actual conversation.

3. A conversation between a person who uses very precise language and one who makes shocking blunders unexpectedly.

4. A conversation between a very pompous man who has lost his way, and a policeman.

5. A conversation between two laborers about Halley's Comet.

Kinds of Narrative.

95. The account of narrative which has been given thus far is that of the fictitious narrative. We must not overlook the fact that there are real stories as well as fictitious stories. History and biography are as important as novels. But the principles that have been laid down apply with equal force to writing of both kinds. The charm of history and biography arises in large part from the fact that in them the writer shows the struggle of men with men and of men with the obstacles of life, or that he makes striking revelations

of character. Selection, unity, culmination of interest, are quite as important in the true story, if it is also to be an interesting story, as in the fictitious story.

96.

Miscellaneous Assignments.

A. Write the biography of some person unknown to fame whose character you admire. Use a fictitious name but tell a true story. It may be a biography of a near relative.

B. Tell some episode in the history of your own city, county, or state. Emphasize the personality of the actors in the story.

C. Retell in your own words the following narrative from Pepys's Diary, adding such incidents as may be necessary to make a good story of it. For a longer account of the great fire, see other passages of the Diary, under date of September, 1666, and read Knight's London, vol. i, pp. 492–494.

Soon as dined, I and Moone away, and walked through the City, the streets full of nothing but people and horses and carts loaden with goods, ready to run over one another, and removing goods from one burned house to another. They are now removing out of Canning-streete, (which received goods in the morning) into Lumbarde-streete, and further; and among others I now saw my little goldsmith, Stokes, receiving some friend's goods, whose house itself was burned the day after. We parted at Paul's; he home, and I to Paul's Wharf where I had appointed a boat to attend me, and took in Mr. Carcasse and his brother, whom I met in the streete, and carried them below and above bridge to and again to see the fire, which was now got further, both below and above, and no likelihood of stopping it. Met with the King and Duke of York in their barge, and with them to Queenhithe, and there called Sir Richard Browne to them. Their order was only to pull down houses apace, and so below bridge at the water-side;

but little was or could be done, the fire coming upon them so fast. Good hopes there was of stopping it at the Three Cranes above, and at Buttolph's Wharf below bridge, if care be used; but the wind carries it into the City, so as we know not by the water-side what it do there. River full of lighters and boats taking in goods, and good goods swimming in the water, and only I observed that hardly one lighter in three that had the goods of a house in, but there was a pair of Virginalls in it. Having seen as much as I could now, I away to White Hall by appointment, and there walked to St. James's Parke, and there met my wife and Creed and Wood and his wife, and walked to my boat; and there upon the water again, and to the fire up and down, it still increasing and the wind great. So near the fire as we could for smoke: and all over the Thames, with one's face in the wind, you were almost burned with a shower of firedrops. This is very true; so as houses were burned by these drops and flakes of fire, three or four, nay five or six houses, one from another. When we could endure no more upon the water, we to a little ale-house on the bank-side, over against the Three Cranes, and there staid until it was dark almost, and saw the fire grow; and, as it grew darker, appeared more and more, and in corners and upon steeples, and between churches and houses, as far as we could see up the hill of the City, in a most horrid malicious bloody flame, not like the fine flame of an ordinary fire. Barbary and her husband away before us. We staid till, it being darkish, we saw the fire as only one entire arch of fire from this to the other side the bridge, and in a bow up the hill for an arch of above a mile long: it made me weep to see it. The churches, houses, and all on fire and flaming at once; and a horrid noise the flames made, and the cracking of houses at their ruine. So home with a sad heart, and there find everybody discoursing and lamenting the fire; and poor

Tom Hater come with some few of his goods saved out of his house, which is burned upon Fish-streete Hill. I invited him to lie at my house, and did receive his goods, but was deceived in his lying there, the newes coming every moment of the growth of the fire; so as we were forced to begin to pack up our owne goods, and prepare for their removal; and did by moonshine (it being brave dry, and moonshine and warm weather) carry much of my goods into the garden, and Mr. Hater and I did remove my money and iron chests into my cellar, as thinking that the safest place. And got my bags of gold into my office, ready to carry away, and my chief papers of accounts also there, and my tallys into a box by themselves. So great was our fear, as Sir W. Batten hath carts come out of the country to fetch away his goods this night. We did put Mr. Hater, poor man, to bed a little; but he got but very little rest, so much noise being in my house, taking down of goods.

- Diary of Samuel Pepys, Sept. 2, 1666.

D. Make a complete story out of the following. In doing so you must (1) invent the characters; (2) find proper names for them; (3) add such incidents and descriptions as may be needed.

66

?" I asked, when, after some delay, the door was

," he replied, rather sarcastically. I had half a notion to reply in the same spirit, but better thoughts pre

and I should have taken to my heels. He came to my re

lief, as I thought.

that man's guile.

Alas! I did not suspect the depths of