1. The children knew by sight the plant that bore the "Jacks," and every discovery was announced by a piercing shriek of delight. 2. At first I looked hurriedly toward the brook as each yell clove the air; but, as I became accustomed to it, my attention was diverted by some exquisite ferns. 3. Suddenly, however, a succession of shrieks announced that something was wrong, and across a large fern I saw a small face in a great deal of agony. 4. Budge was hurrying to the relief of his brother, and was soon as deeply imbedded as Toddie was in the rich, black mud at the bottom of the brook. 5. I dashed to the rescue, stood astride the brook, and offered a hand to each boy, when a treacherous tuft of grass gave way, and, with a glorious splash, I went in myself.
This accident turned Toddie's sorrow to laughter, but I can't say I made light of my misfortune on that account. To fall into clear water is not pleasant, even when one is trout-fishing; but to be clad in white trousers and suddenly drop nearly knee-deep into the lap of mother earth is quite a different thing.
I hastily picked up the children and threw them upon the bank, and then strode out, and tried to shake myself, as I have seen a Newfoundland dog do. The shake was not a success—it caused my trouser's legs to flap dismally about my ankles, and sent the streams of treacherous ooze trickling down into my shoes. My hat, of drab felt, had fallen off by the brookside, and been plentifully spattered as I got out.
+The Uses of Words and Groups of Words+.—We will put the first paragraph above into single sentences.
1. The whistles completed, we were marched with music to the place. 2. The "Jacks" grew in this place. 3. It was a place low, damp, and boggy, with a brook hidden away under overhanging ferns and grasses. 4. Boys delight in such a place.
Find the subject noun (or pronoun) and the predicate verb in each of the four sentences above. Does the whistles completed make complete sense? You learned in Lesson 16 that some forms of the verb do not assert—cannot be predicates. Does brook hidden, in 3, contain a predicate? What can you say of hidden? Find a noun in 3 used to complete the predicate and make the meaning of the subject plainer. What group of adjectives modifies place? Tell why these three adjectives are separated by commas. What long phrase describes place?
Find the first verb in the second paragraph of the selection. What is the object complement of this verb? That bore the "Jacks" does what? The pronoun that stands for plant. The plant bore the "Jacks," standing by itself, is a complete sentence; but by using that for plant the whole expression is made to do the work of an adjective. What conjunction joins on another expression that by itself would make a complete sentence? What are the subject and the predicate of this added sentence? By a piercing shriek of delight does what? Of what use are the phrases at first and toward the brook in sentence 2? What group of words is joined to looked to tell on what occasion or how often? Find in this group a subject, a predicate, and an object complement. What connects this group to looked? What two sentences does but here bring together? Does the semicolon show that this connection is close? Point out what you think to be the leading subject and the leading verb after but. By some exquisite ferns is joined to what? What group of words goes with was diverted to tell when? Find in this group a subject, a predicate, and an attribute complement. Point out in the first part of 3 the leading subject and its verb. What does suddenly go with? What does of shrieks modify? However is loosely thrown in to carry the attention back to what goes before. Notice the commas. Answer the question made by putting what after announced. In this group of words used as object complement can you find a subject, a predicate, and a complement? What two sentences does and here bring together? Point out the subject, the predicate, and the complement in the second of these. Across a large fern is joined like an adverb to what? In a great deal of agony modifies what? Find a compound predicate in 4. What phrase is joined to was imbedded to tell where? The group of words as deeply as Toddie was (imbedded) is joined to what? Find in 5 a compound predicate made up of three verbs, one of which has an object complement.
+To the Teacher+.—See suggestions with the preceding selection. If our exercises on the second paragraph above are found too hard, the compound and complex sentences may be broken up into single statements.
We have indicated elsewhere that this sentence work may follow Lesson 40.
+The Narrative+.—This selection from "Helen's Babies" is a story and therefore a narrative. But there are some descriptive touches in it. All stories must have such touches. Perhaps it is not always essential to distinguish between narration and description, but it is worth your while to do it occasionally. Try to point out the descriptive parts in these paragraphs. You certainly can find a descriptive sentence in the first paragraph, and descriptive words, phrases, and clauses throughout the selection. What help to the narrative do these descriptive touches give?