One. Certain pronouns of demonstrative signification are called indefinite because they refer to no particular subject. This is one of them. If we were putting a supposition by way of argument or illustration, we might say, 'Suppose I were to lose my way in a wood"; or, "Suppose you were to lose your way in a wood"; or, "Suppose one were to lose one's way in a wood." All these forms are used, but, as a rule, the last is to be preferred. The first verges on egotism, and the second makes free with another's person, whereas the third is indifferent. "If one's honesty were impeached, what should one do?" is more courtly than to take either one's self or the person addressed for the example.

"The

One should be followed by one, and not by he. better acquainted one is with any kind of rhetorical trick, the less liable he is to be misled by it": should be, "the less liable one is to be misled by it."

"Can one do what he [one] chooses with his [one's] money? Can he [one] destroy it?"-Corr. N. Y. Sun.

Professor Bain says, in his Composition Grammar :

"This pronoun continually lands writers in difficulties. English idiom requires that when the pronoun has to be again referred to it should be used itself a second time. The correct usage is shown by Pope: 'One may be ashamed to consume half one's days in bringing sense and rhyme together.' It would be against idiom to say 'half his days.'

"Still, the repetition of the pronoun is often felt to be heavy, and writers have recourse to various substitutions."

Fenimore Cooper, like Scott, is not very particular; an example may be quoted: "Modesty is a poor man's wealth; but, as we grow substantial in the world, patroon, one can afford to begin to speak truth of himself as well as of his neighbor," Were Cooper a careful writer, we might per

suade ourselves that he chose we and one with a purpose: we might indicate that the speaker had himself and the patroon directly in his eye, although at the same time he wanted to put it generally; and one might hint that modesty succeeded in getting the better of him. But himself and his would alone show that such speculations are too refined for the occasion.

Men was more frequent in good writing formerly than now. "Neither do men [does one] light a candle and put it under a bushel." "Do men [does one] gather grapes of thorns?"

"When one suddenly wakes up deaf, one forgets for a time that one has already been blind."

One is frequently used superfluously; as, "It might have been expressed in one half the space."

The diction is always bettered by repeating the noun in sentences like this:

"It is often hard to tell a good man from a bad one by his face." Say, rather, 'a good man from a bad man."

Ones. "There is a word," says an anonymous English writer, "that, especially in its plural form, is often used without any necessity. We refer to the word ones. 'The horses were very fine ones'; 'there were many admirable dresses, and among the best ones were those of Lady X. and the Countess of Y.'; 'the speeches were all good, the best ones being by Lord Z. and the Duke of Q.'; and so on ad infinitum. In all such cases ones is superfluous. The same word, in the singular and in the plural, is often inelegantly made to do duty for some other term when that other term should be used. The avoidance of repetition is of course at times desirable, but it is frequently proper to repeat a word that occurs in a preceding sen

tence, particularly if ambiguity would be the result of not doing so."

"Lord Melbourne was a man of very different abilities and character from the eminent ones [men] that have now been drawn."

Only. This word, when used as an adjective, is more frequently misplaced than any other word in the language. Indeed, I am confident that it is not correctly placed half the time, either in conversation or in writing. Thus, "In its pages, papers of sterling merit [only] will only appear" (Miss Braddon); "Things are getting dull down in Texas; they only shot [only] three men down there last week"; "I have only got [only] three." Only is sometimes improperly used for except or unless; thus, "The trains will not stop only when the bell rings." The meaning here is clearly "except when the bell rings.”

Dr. Bain, in his Higher English Grammar, speaking of the order of words, says:

"The word requiring most attention is only.

'According to the position of only, the same words may be made to express very different meanings.

"He only lived for their sakes.' Here only must be held as qualifying 'lived for their sakes,' the emphasis being on lived, the word immediately adjoining. The meaning then is, 'he lived,' but did not work, did not die, did not do any other thing for their sakes.

"He lived only for their sakes.' Only now qualifies 'for their sakes,' and the sentence means, he lived for this one reason, namely, for their sakes, and not for any other reason.

"He lived for their sakes only.' The force of the word when placed at the end is peculiar. Then it often has a diminutive or disparaging signification. 'He lived for their sakes,' and not for any more worthy reason. 'He

gave sixpence only,' is an insinuation that more was expected.

"By the use of alone, instead of only, other meanings are expressed. He alone lived for their sakes'; that is, he, and nobody else, did so. 'He lived for their sakes alone,' or, for the sake of them alone'; that is, not for the sake of any other persons. 'It was alone by the help of the Confederates that any such design could be carried out.' Properly only.

"When men grow virtuous in their old age, they only make a sacrifice to God of the devil's leavings.'-Pope. Here only is rightly placed. Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure,' should be, think of the past only as its remembrance,' etc. As he did not leave his name, it was only known that a gentleman had called on business': it was known only. 'I can only refute the accusation by laying before you the whole': this would mean, The only thing I am able to do is to refute: I may not retaliate, or let it drop; I must refute it.' 'The negroes are to appear at church only in boots'; that is, when the negroes go to church they are to have no clothing but boots. 'The negroes are to appear only at church in boots' might mean that they are not to appear anywhere but at church, whether in boots or out of them. The proper arrangement would be to connect the adverbial adjunct, in boots, with its verb, appear, and to make only qualify at church and no more: The negroes are to appear in boots only at church.'

·

It thus appears very plain that we should look well to our onlys.

"His eyes only directed their gaze on the finest feature of each face, his ears only caught the happiest remarks, his heart only thrilled at the noble motive in every ac

tion."-John Oliver Hobbs. Three onlys, and all misplaced.

Other. This word is very often improperly omitted in sentences like the following:

"Is there any State in this Union that has contributed so much to the honor and welfare of this country as Virginia?" Virginia being a State, the sentence obviously should be, "Is there any other State," etc.

"In no [other] language does it work so much mischief as in our English."

"He said that the American vessels presented a finer appearance than any [other] vessels there."-N. Y. Herald.

Ought-Should. These two words, though they both imply obligation, should not be used indiscriminately. Ought is the stronger term; what we ought to do, we are morally bound to do. We ought to be truthful and honest, and should be respectful to our elders and kind to our inferiors.

Over. Very often used in the sense of more than, which is to be preferred.

"It is over [more than] a mile from here to the river."

Overalls. Very frequently and very incorrectly pronounced over halls.

Overflown. Flown is the past participle of to fly, and flowed of to flow. As, therefore, a river does not fly over its banks, but flows over them, we should say of it that it has overflowed, and not that it has overflown.

Over his signature. Properly, under. See SIGNA

TURE.

Overly. This word is now used only by the unschooled.

Owing. See DUE.