brushes of comets' hair;
They shall find real saints to draw from--
Magdalene, Peter, and Paul;
They shall work for an age at a sitting
and never be tired at all!

"And only the Master shall praise us,
and only the Master shall blame;
And no one shall work for money,
and no one shall work for fame;
But each for the joy of the working,
and each, in his separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as he sees It
for the God of Things as They Are!"

Avoid Hackneyed Phrases.

Much like general terms, which mean something or nothing, are
expressions that have become trite and hackneyed. At some time they
were accurate phrases, saying just what was needed. By being used for
all sorts of purposes, they have lost the original thought of which
they were the accurate expression. They have no freshness. The
sounding phrases repeated in the pulpit, or the equally empty phrases
of the scientist, however good they were at their inception, are, in
the writing of many persons, but theological and scientific cant
relied upon by ignorant people to cover up the vacuity of their
thought. One's own expression, even though it be not so elegant and
graceful, is better than any worn-out, hackneyed phrase. Think for
yourself; then say what you have thought in the best language you can
find yourself.

"Fine Writing."

"Fine writing," the subjection of noble words to ignoble service, is
to be avoided. Mr. Micawber was addicted to this pomposity of
language; and Dickens, by the creation of this character, has done
literature a real service, by showing how absurd it is, how valueless
for anything more than humor. "'Under the impression,' said Mr.
Micawber, 'that your peregrinations in this metropolis have not as yet
been extensive, and that you might have some difficulty in penetrating
the arcana of the Modern Babylon in the direction of the City Road--in
short,' said Mr. Micawber, in another burst of confidence, 'that you
might lose yourself--I shall be happy to call this evening, and
install you in the knowledge of the nearest way.'" Here are great
words in profusion to dress out a little thought. "Fine writing" is as
much out of taste as over-dressing. When the thought calls for noble
expression, then all one's energies should be bent to finding noble
phrases; but for common things common expressions are the only ones in
good taste.

In Prose avoid