THREE VALUABLE WORKS. Beautifully printed and elegantly bound. I. The Art of Conversation, With Directions for Self-Culture. An admirably conceived and entertaining book-sensible, instructive, and full of suggestions valuable to every one who desires to be either a good talker or listener, or who wishes to appear to advantage in good society. Price $1.50. II. The Habits of Good Society. A Handbook for Ladies and Gentlemen. With thoughts, hints, and anecdotes concerning social observances; nice points of taste and good manners; and the art of making one's self agreeable. Sound common sense, rendered fascinating by a pleasant and agreeable style. *Price $1.75 III. Arts of Writing, Reading, and Speaking. An attractive work for teaching not only the beginner, but for perfecting every one in these three most desirable accomplishments. For youth, this book is both interesting and valuable; and for the adult, whether professionally or socially, it is one they cannot dispense with. Price $1.50. These three books are the most perfect and complete of their kind ever published. They are made up of no dry stupid rules that everybody knows, but are fresh, sensible, good-humored, entertaining, and readable. Every person of taste should possess them, and cannot be otherwise than delighted with them. *Each will be sent by mail, free, on receipt of price, by G. W. Carleton, Publisher, New York. OF WRITING, READING, AND SPEAKING. BY EDWARD W. COX. NEW YORK: Carleton, Publisher, Madison Square. LONDON: S. LOW, SON & CO. M DCCC LXX. HARVARD COLLEGE Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern THE NEW YORK PRINTING COMPANY, NEW YORK. PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. THE road to knowledge is free to all who will give the labor and study requisite to gather it; nor are there any difficulties so great that the student of resolute purpose may not effectually surmount and overcome them. Mankind may possess the materials of knowledge, but it must exercise wisdom and understanding in applying them. It is to point out the road to these high results, and to enlarge the faculties for independent self-culture, that this treatise is laid before the public. It aims to instruct the student what to do, how to do it, and how to learn to do it. It not only treats upon the foundation of the arts of Writing, Reading, and Speaking, but embraces lessons in Thinking, Style, Language, Pronunciation, Expression, Punctuation, Attitude, Delivery, and Action; besides countless hints upon the proper rendering of Poetry, the Reading_of Narrative, the Bible, Dramatic Reading, Wit and Humor, Public Readings, Composition, the Art of Writing a Speech; the Oratory of the Pulpit, Bar, Senate, Platform; Social Oratory, and that of the various other professions and occasions for rhetorical display. The work is adapted not only to the students of both sexes in schools, but also to the searcher after knowledge of maturer years. It will help the lawyer to climb the heights of his profession through close and limited courts; the parliamentary leader to powers of mental endurance, and activity of extraordinary intellect; the political leader to bear the excitement of long and anxious debate in a crowded house; and is generally adapted to enlarge the faculties for independent self-culture. Previous expensive editions having been adopted by many schools and institutions as an educational work, this new reprint is published at a greatly reduced price, in the hope that it may be taken into general use. |