y; =Argument=, which
discovers truth and rejects error; and =Persuasion=, which urges to
certain thoughts or acts. The first two are the bases of fiction; the
third didactic, scientific, historical and editorial writings. The
fourth and fifth are mostly employed in conjunction with the third, in
scientific, philosophical, and partisan literature. All these
principles, however, are usually mingled with one another. The work of
fiction may have its scientific, historical, or argumentative side;
whilst the textbook or treatise may be embellished with descriptions and
anecdotes.

Description

Description, in order to be effective, calls upon two mental qualities;
observation and discrimination. Many descriptions depend for their
vividness upon the accurate reproduction of details; others upon the
judicious selection of salient, typical, or significant points.

One cannot be too careful in the selection of adjectives for
descriptions. Words or compounds which describe precisely, and which
convey exactly the right suggestions to the mind of the reader, are
essential. As an example, let us consider the following list of epithets
applicable to a =fountain=, taken from Richard Green Parker's admirable
work on composition.

Crystal, gushing, rustling, silver, gently-gliding, parting, pearly,
weeping, bubbling, gurgling, chiding, clear, grass-fringed,
moss-fringed, pebble-paved, verdant, sacred, grass-margined,
moss-margined, trickling, soft, dew-sprinkled, fast-flowing,
delicate, delicious, clean, straggling, dancing, vaulting,
deep-embosomed, leaping, murmuring, muttering, whispering,
prattling, twaddling, swelling, sweet-rolling, gently-flowing,
rising, sparkling, flowing, frothy, dew-distilling, dew-born,
exhaustless, inexhaustible, never-decreasing, never-failing,
heaven-born, earth-born, deep-divulging, drought-dispelling,
thirst-allaying, refreshing, soul-refreshing, earth-refreshing,
laving, lavish, plant-nourishing.

For the purpose of securing epithets at once accurate and felicitous,
the young author should familiarize himself thoroughly with the general
aspect and phenomena of Nature, as well as with the ideas and
associations which these things produce in the human mind.

Descriptions may be of objects, of places, of animals, and of persons.
The complete description of an object may be said to consist of the
following elements:

1. When, where, and how se