Front Matter

Preface

I have so often pitied children who have been studying a grammar which they did not understand, that I thought I could not do them a better service than endeavour to render so dry and abstruse a subject easy and familiar. In the elucidation of the first elements of grammar, I hope my attempt has not entirely failed; but had I been aware of the metaphysical  difficulties I should have to encounter in a further development of the subject, I do not think I should have undertaken the task. It is true, that the consideration of such difficulties seldom occurs to the minds of children, and may, perhaps, without inconvenience be disregarded in a work intended for them alone. They form, however, an insuperable obstacle to my rendering this little work as clear and intelligible as might be wished; and will, I trust, afford some apology for its imperfections.

The stories have been introduced with the view of amusing children during the prosecution of so dry a study; but they may occasionally be used with advantage as parsing exercises.