and even Thackeray wrote bed's foot; but such expressions are not now in good use. The tendency of the best modern usage is to indicate relations between words by prepositions rather than by changes in form. It is only in inferior writers that the tendency is the other way.

To speak of Congress' act is to sin against idiom, clearness, and euphony, at the same time.

Some short phrases-e. g., "a week's wages," "a day's ""the law's delay march," are so convenient that they are supported by the best modern usage. With pronouns still greater latitude is allowed. Careful writers avoid in our midst, in their midst; but no one hesitates to write "on our account," "in my absence," "to their credit," "for my sake," "in his defence."

As a general rule, the POSSESSIVE CASE should be confined to cases of possession.

Singular or Plural. Nouns that are in the singular number are sometimes treated as if they were in the plural; nouns in the plural, as if they were in the singular.

e. g.,

66

"News" as a plural noun is no longer in good use. "Tidings," now rarely heard, seems to be still plural. "Means" in the sense of instrument a means to an end," "this was the sole means within reach "— is usually, though perhaps not always, treated as singular; but in the sense of income "his means are ample” it is plural.

e. g.,

Some words are always treated as plural: e. g., "assets," "dregs," "eaves," "nuptials," "pincers," "proceeds," "riches," "scissors," "shears," "suds," "tongs," "trousers," "vitals."

Others are treated sometimes as singular, sometimes as plural: e. g., "alms," "amends," "headquarters," "measles," "odds," "ethics," "mathematics," "politics," "tactics," and other words ending in "-ics." Anthony Trollope, for example, in the first volume of "Framley Parsonage,' writes: "Politics as a profession was, therefore, unknown to him;" in the second volume, "Politics make a terrible demand on a man's time." The tendency of modern Eng

lish seems to be to treat words in "-ics" (except, perhaps, "athletics") as singular.

I.

The United States agree to set apart certain lands for the Indians.

II.

The United States agrees to set apart certain lands for the Indians.

Before the Civil War, the best authorities, including, it is said, all our Secretaries of State, treated "the United States as a plural noun. Its use in the singular number was condemned by William C. Bryant in the famous "Index Expurgatorius," which in his day settled questions of usage for "The New York Evening Post" and its intelligent readers. Of late years, however, many persons maintain that, the sword having decided that all the territory under the Stars and Stripes constitutes one country, the name of that country should be in the singular number, — as if a question of grammar were to be determined by political reasons. The weight of usage, at any rate, seems to be still in favor of treating "The United States as a plural

noun.

I.

Use two spoonfuls of flour.

Thus I had two mothers-in-law

at once.

II.

Use two spoonsful of flour. Thus I had two mother-in-laws at once.

"Spoonfuls" is correct; for "spoonful," "shovelful," and "cupful" are, like "peck" and "pint," words of meas"Mothers-in-law" is correct; for the word "mother" is the fundamental, or distinguishing, part of the compound. For a similar reason, "men-of-war" and "sail-lofts are

ure.

correct.

I.

In the establishment were twenty man-clerks and ten woman-clerks.

II.

In the establishment twenty men-clerks and women-clerks.

were

ten

"Man-clerks" and "woman-clerks" are preferable to men-clerks and women-clerks; for "clerk" is the fundamental, or distinguishing, part of the compound. In “maidservants the same rule holds; but "men-servants" and "women-servants," which are in the King James translation of the Bible, are still supported by good use.

I.

This happened between the twenty-second and the twentythird year of his life.

II.

This happened between the twenty-second and the twentythird years of his life.

In this example, the singular form of the noun is preferable to the plural, because "year" is understood after "the twenty-second." In such cases the plural is sometimes used; but generally the singular is preferable.

Be careful to put every noun in the proper number.

Nouns of Foreign Origin. - Ignorant writers misuse nouns of foreign origin.

I.

I am sorry to say that I am not an alumnus of this University.

I don't care for proctors now; I'm an alumnus.

The water is full of animalcules.

On examination, I found a bacterium.

The study of English should be a part of every college curriculum.

These scanty data are all we have.

It was a dictum of the judge.

II.

I am sorry to say that I am not an alumni of this University.

I don't care for proctors now; I'm an alumnum.

The water is full of animalculæ.

On examination, I found a bacteria.

The study of English should be a part of every college curricula.

This scanty data is all we have.

It was a dicta of the judge.

Between "formulas" and "formulæ," "memoranda" and "memorandums," "radii" and "radiuses," "syllabuses" and "syllabi," usage is divided; but it seems to favor in each pair the form first named.

Never use a NOUN OF FOREIGN ORIGIN, unless you know how to use it.

Forms in ess. "Abbess," "actress," "countess," and "duchess" are in good use. A few years ago the same might have been said of "authoress" and "poetess;" but since so many women have entered the field of letters there has been a disposition to call them "authors" or 66 'poets." Editress has never had any vogue, and writeress has been used by no one, I believe, except by Thack

1 "Errors in grammar" is the proper expression.