And Oxus curdled as it crossed his stream. 
But Sohrab heard, and quailed not, but rushed on,
And struck again; and again Rustum bowed
His head; but this time all the blade, like glass,
Sprang in a thousand shivers on the helm,
And in the hand the hilt remained alone. 
Then Rustum raised his head; his dreadful eyes
Glared, and he shook on high his menacing spear,
And shouted:  “Rustum!”—­Sohrab heard that shout,
And shrank amazed:  back he recoiled one step,
And scanned with blinking eyes the advancing form;
And then he stood bewildered; and he dropped
His covering shield, and the spear pierced his side. 
He reeled, and, staggering back, sank to the ground,
And then the gloom dispersed, and the wind fell,
And the bright sun broke forth, and melted all
The cloud; and the two armies saw the pair—­
Saw Rustum standing, safe upon his feet,
And Sohrab wounded, on the bloody sand.

—­Matthew Arnold:  Sohrab and Rustum.

+Theme LXXVI.+—­Write a story and give special attention to the climax.

Suggested subjects:—­
  1.  The immigrant’s error.
  2.  A critical moment.
  3.  An intelligent dog.
  4.  The lost key.
  5.  Catching a burglar.
  6.  A hard test.
  7.  Won by the last hit.
  8.  A story suggested by a picture you have seen.

(Name the incidents leading up to the climax.  Is the mind held in suspense until the climax is reached?  Are any unnecessary details introduced?)

+146.  Conversation in Narration.+—­When introduced into narration, a conversation is briefer than when actually spoken.  It is necessary to have the conversation move quickly, for we read with less patience than we listen.  The sentences must be for the most part short, and the changes from one speaker to another frequent, or the dialogue will have a “made to order” effect.  Notice the conversation in as many different stories as possible.  Observe how variation is secured in indicating the speaker.  How many substitutes for “He said” can you name?  In relating conversation orally, we are less likely to secure such variety.  Notice in your own speech and that of others how often “I said” and “He said” occur.

EXERCISES

A.  Notice the indentation and sentence length in the following selection:—­

Louden looked up calmly at the big figure towering above him.

“It won’t do, Judge,” he said; that was all, but there was a significance in his manner and a certainty in his voice which caused the uplifted hand to drop limply.

“Have you any business to set foot upon my property?” he demanded.

“Yes,” answered Joe.  “That’s why I came.

“What business have you got with me?”

“Enough to satisfy you, I think.  But there’s one thing I don’t want to do”—­Joe glanced at the open door—­“and that is to talk about it here—­for your own sake and because I think Miss Tabor should be present.  I called to ask you to come to her house at eight o’clock to-night.”