"He was convicted, and was given a sentence of twentyone years."

"He had been refused her hand."-N. Y. World.

"While in prison he was given a position in the Warden's office, and was granted many privileges. On account of his good behavior he was given credit, and in 1888 had but three more years to serve."

Past. Improperly used, in such sentences as the following, for last.

'Hazeltine has spent seven hundred dollars within the past three days."

"The phantom 'crow,' which has been so assiduously bolted during the past few days, will prove a veritable fowl."

“Within the past year there have been many changes in St. Louis."

“Reilly, who had been in the habit of handling snakes for the past twenty years, had been frequently warned about [against] the diamond backs."

"Hillbender is usually a very orderly place, but we have had two shooting affrays in the past week.”

"In the many tariff revisions which [that] have been necessary for the past twenty-three years, or which [that] may hereafter become necessary, the Republican party has maintained," etc.-Blaine.

Read last instead of past in every one of these sentences. Past does not in a single instance express what the writer intends to say.

Patronize. This word and its derivatives would be much less used by the American tradesman than they are if he were better acquainted with their true meaning. Then he would solicit his neighbor's custom, not his patronage. A man can have no patrons without incurring obligations-without be

coming a protégé; while a man may have customers innumerable, and, instead of placing himself under obligations to them, he may place them under obligations to him. Princes are the patrons of those tradesmen that they allow to call themselves their purveyors; as, "John Smith, Haberdasher to H. R. H. the Prince of Wales." Here the Prince patronizes John Smith.

Pell-mell. This adverb means mixed or mingled together; as, "Men, horses, chariots, crowded pell-mell." It can not properly be applied to an individual. To say, for example, "He rushed pell-mell down the stairs," is as incorrect as it would be to say, " He rushed down the stairs mixed together."

“A fourteen-year-old cowboy on a pony was driving a steer in the alley near the Journal office one day last week, when the steer made for the back door of Uecker's saloon, went pell-mell through the back door and saloon and out of [at] the front door on the dead run, followed by the daring boy on the pony."

People. This word is much used when some one of the words community, commonwealth, nation, public, or country would seem better to express the thought intended. People, as the word is often used, not infrequently conveys the impression that a class is meant-a class that includes all, perhaps, but the very rich and the higher officials. Now as there are, strictly, no classes in the United States, as all are equal in the eyes of cur institutions, as every citizen is the peer of every other citizen, save in eligibility to the presidency, the impression conveyed by the word people is often erroneous. For example, instead of, “The Senate must take action and obey the will of the people," would it not better express what is intended were we to say, "the will of the nation, or of the country"?

"Why should silver be forced upon [on] the people [public] as a substitute for greenbacks?" etc.

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Tell The Sun and the people [public] that we will [shall?] enforce the laws."

Per. This Latin preposition is a good deal used in such phrases as per day, per man, per pound, per ton, and so on. In all such cases it is better to use plain English, and say, a day, a man, a pound, a ton, etc. Per is correct before Latin nouns only; as, per annum, per diem, per cent., etc.

Perform. "She performs on the piano beautifully." In how much better taste it is to say simply, "She plays the piano well," or, more superlatively, “exceedingly well," or "admirably." If we talk about performing on musical instruments, to be consistent, we should call those that perform, piano-performers, cornet-performers, violin-performers, and so on.

Permit-Allow. These words are very nearly allied in meaning, but they are not, as most persons seem to think, absolutely interchangeable. To permit is formally to consent; to allow is tacitly to consent. Permit is comparatively positive and signifies to grant leave; allow is comparatively negative or passive and signifies merely not to forbid.

"It is shameful that we should allow ourselves to remain in ignorance."

"If you will permit me to do so, I will pay you a visit to-morrow."

"I wished to assist him, but he would not permit it.” Perpetually. This word is sometimes misused for continually. Dr. William Mathews, in his Words, their Use and Abuse, says: "The Irish are perpetually using shall for will." Perpetual means never ceasing, continuing

without intermission, uninterrupted; while continual means that that is constantly renewed and recurring with perhaps frequent stops and interruptions. As the Irish do something besides misuse shall, the doctor should have said that they continually use shall for will. I might perhaps venture to intimate that perpetually is likewise misused in the following sentence, which I copy from the London Queen, if I were not conscious that the monster that can write and print such a sentence would not hesitate to cable a thunderbolt at an offender on the slightest provocation. Judge, if my fears are groundless: "But some few people contract the ugly habit of making use of these expressions unconsciously and continuously, perpetually interlarding

their conversation with them."

"She [Pisa] was perpetually [continually] at war by sea and land."-Howells.

'Somebody rustled' it, and his perpetual (continual) inquiries after it resulted," etc.-Theodore Roosevelt.

"The amateur singer is perpetually [continually] introducing consecutive fifths and octaves into his music, perpetually [continually] bringing wrong color notes into his painting."—Author of The Green Carnation.

Person. See PARTY; also INDIVIDUAL.

Personalty. This word does not, as some persons think, mean the articles worn on one's person. It is properly a law term, and means personal property.

"There is but one case on record of a peer of England leaving over $7,500,000 personalty."

An English lady, desiring to leave a servant her clothing and jewels, described them in her will as her personalty, thereby, contrary to her intention, including ten thousand pounds in her bequest.

Personification. That rhetorical figure that attributes

sex, life, or action to inanimate objects, or ascribes to objects and brutes the acts and qualities of rational beings, is called personification or prosopopœia.

“The mountains sing together, the hills rejoice and clap their hands." "The worm, aware of his intent, harangued

him thus."

"See, Winter comes to rule the varied year,

Sullen and sad with all his rising train."-Thomson. "So saying, her rash hand, in evil hour,

Forth reaching to the fruit, she plucked, she ate!
Earth felt the wound; and Nature from her seat,
Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe,
That all was lost."-Milton.

"War and Love are strange compeers.

War sheds blood, and Love sheds tears;

War has swords, and Love has darts;

War breaks heads, and Love breaks hearts."

"Levity is often less foolish and Gravity less wise than each of them appears."

"The English language, by reserving the distinction of gender for living beings that have sex, gives especial scope for personification. The highest form of personification should be used seldom, and only when justified by the presence of strong feeling."-Bain.

"Knowledge and Wisdom, far from being one,

Have ofttimes no connection. Knowledge dwells
In heads replete with thoughts of other men;
Wisdom in minds attentive to their own.

Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much; Wisdom is humble that he knows no more."-Cowper. Perspicuity. This word is not infrequently misused for perspicacity, though they are quite unlike in meaning. A near synonym of perspicuity is clearness. Both words