One night, I remember this candle economy particularly annoyed me. I had been very much tired of my compulsory "blind man's holiday," especially as Miss Matty had fallen asleep, and I did not like to stir the fire and run the risk of awakening her; and so I could not even sit on the rug, and scorch myself with sewing by firelight, according to my usual custom....
187. A LIST OF BOOKS FOR READING. These books are of a varied character and are all interesting and of recognized excellence in their English. Most of them are books that, as a matter of general education, should be read by everyone.
Fiction: Treasure Island--Stevenson. Kidnapped--Stevenson. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde--Stevenson. The Scarlet Letter--Hawthorne. Twice Told Tales--Hawthorne. The Luck of Roaring Camp--Bret Harte. Tales of Mystery and Imagination--Poe. Silas Marner--Eliot. Robinson Crusoe--Defoe. Ivanhoe--Scott. Henry Esmond--Thackeray. Pilgrim's Progress--Bunyan. The Spy--Cooper. The Man without a Country--Hale. Tales of a Traveller--Irving. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow--Irving. Rip Van Winkle--Irving. Lorna Doone--Blackmore. Uncle William--Lee. The Blue Flower--Van Dyke.
Non-fiction: Sesame and Lilies--Ruskin. Stones of Venice--Ruskin. The American Commonwealth--Bryce. A History of the English People--Green. Views Afoot--Taylor. The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table--Holmes. Conspiracy of Pontiac--Parkman. Autobiography--Franklin. Lincoln--Douglas Debates. Critical Periods of American History--Fiske. Certain Delightful English Towns--Howells. The Declaration of Independence. Bunker Hill Oration--Webster. On Conciliation with America--Burke. The Sketch Book--Irving.
188. To write and to speak good English, one must have a good working vocabulary. He must know words and be able to use them correctly; he must employ only words that are in good use; he must be able to choose words and phrases that accurately express his meaning; and he must be able to spell and pronounce correctly the words that he uses.
189. GOOD USE. The first essential that a word should have, is that it be in good use. A word is in good use when it is used grammatically and in its true sense, and is also:
(1) _Reputable_; in use by good authors and writers in general. The use of a word by one or two good writers is not sufficient to make a word reputable; the use must be general.