CHAPTER II

. OF THE ARTICLES.

The {025}Articles in English are two, _a_ and _the_; _a_ becomes _an_ before a vowel, and before an _h_ which is not sounded: as, _an_ exquisite, _an_ hour-glass. But if the _h_ be pronounced, the _a_ only is used: as, _a_ homicide, _a_ homoepathist, _a_ hum.

_A_ or _an_ is called the indefinite article, because it is used, in a vague sense, to point out some one thing belonging to a certain kind, but in other respects indeterminate; as,

"A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!"

So say grammarians. Eating-house keepers tell a different story. A cheese, in common discourse, means an object of a certain shape, size, weight, and so on, entire and perfect; so that to call half a cheese a cheese, would constitute a flaw in an indictment against a thief who had stolen one. But a waiter will term a fraction, or a modicum of cheese, a cheese; a plate-full of pudding, a pudding; and a stick of celery, _a salary_. Here we are reminded of the famous exclamation of one of these gentry:--"Sir! there's two teas and a brandy-and-water just sloped without paying!" _The_ is termed the definite article, inasmuch as it denotes what particular thing or things are meant as,

"_The_ miller he stole corn, _The_ weaver he stole yarn, And the little tailor he stole broad-cloth To keep the three rogues warm."

A substantive to which no article is prefixed is taken in {026}a general sense; as, "Applesauce is proper for goose that is, for all geese.

[Illustration: 035]

A few additional remarks may advantageously be made with respect to the articles. The mere substitution of the definite for the indefinite article is capable of changing entirely the meaning of a sentence. "That is _a_ ticket" is the assertion of a certain fact; but "That is _the_ ticket!" means something which is quite different.

The article is not prefixed to a proper name; as, Stubbs, Wiggins, Brown or Hobson, except for the sake of distinguishing a particular family, or description of persons; as, He is _a_ Burke; that is, one of the Burkes, or _a_ person resembling Burke.

The {027}definite article is frequently used with adverbs in the comparative and superlative degree: as, "_The_ longer I live, _the_ taller, I grow or, as we have all heard the showman say, "This here, gentlemen and ladies, {028}is the vonderful heagle of the sun; the 'otterer it grows, the higherer he flies!"

[Illustration: 037]

##