"And my poor fool is hang'd! No, no, no life!
Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life,
And thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more,
Never, never, never, never, never!--
Pray you, undo this button:--thank you, sir.--
Do you see this? Look on her,--look,--her lips,--
Look there, look there!"--

28. A dash is sometimes used alone before an appositive phrase or
clause.

"For the first time he determined to try the coal-hole--a
small closet near the hearth."

PERIOD, EXCLAMATION POINT, INTERROGATION MARK.

29. A period closes every declarative sentence.

30. A period is used after abbreviations.

31. An exclamation point follows an expression of strong emotion.

32. An interrogation mark follows a direct question.

33. An interrogation mark is sometimes used in the body of a sentence,
when the writer wishes to make the assertion forceful and uses a
rhetorical question for the purpose.

"The shepherd's dog barked fiercely when one of these
alien-looking men appeared on the upland, dark against the
early winter sunset; for what dog likes a figure bent under
a heavy bag?--and these pale men rarely stirred abroad
without that mysterious burden."

34. Quotation marks inclose every quotation of the exact words of
another. When one quotation is made within another, the inner or
secondary quotation is inclosed with single marks, the main or outer
quotation is included within the double marks.

(Examples of both may be found above.)

SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHING PUNCTUATION.

At the time the pupils are studying the rules for punctuation they are
reading Hawthorne or some other author equally careful of his
punctuation. In his writing they will find numerous examples of the
rules for punctuation. Let them take five rules for the comma, finding
all the examples in five pages of text. In the same way furnish
semicolons, colons, and dashes. When the rules have all been learned,
they should be able to give the reason for every mark they find in
literature. Next place upon the board paragraphs not punctuated, and
have the pupils punctuate them. Remember that there is not absolute
uniformity in the use of the comma, semicolon, and colon; though in
each author there is a general adherence to the principles he adopts.
Punctuation should be consistent. Insist that the pupil punctuate his
written work consistently.