Rankin J.S. Everyday English. Book 1

Boston, New York: Educational Publishing Company, 1902. — 252 p.To make good speech a sort of social obligation will impress a child infinitely more than all the abstractions known as rules of grammar. There is no more interesting, even fascinating subject than that of language use, whether relative to the old or young. Yet vital books about language are the exception. There seems to be a wellnigh fatal penalty attached to the handling of such a theme; to wit, the dryasdust manner, a lack of all freshness, color and movement. This is all the stranger since we are all implicated in the questions of the use and abuse of the mother tongue and no topic is more eagerly discussed or awakens a more alert attention. The little volume here following contains, it seems to me, a thoroughly acceptable treatment of the principles of language use for the guidance of children.