IT WAS SUPERFLUOUS

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 126, 4 June 1910, Page 6

IT WAS SUPERFLUOUS

"May I examine the children a little?" asked a visitor at a grammar school. "Certainly, you may," answered the teacher smilingly. The visitor stepped to the blackboard and wrote this sentence upon it: "Pennsylvania abounds in anthracite coal." ; "Now," he said, "I should Nlike to have some child point out. the mistake in that sentence." One of the older girls came forward, picked up. the chalk, and rewrote the statement thus: "Anthracite coal abounds in Pennsylvania." "Not so bad," said the visitor, "but you haven't found it." Another changed it as follows: — "Anthracite coal is abundant in Pennsylvania." "That will not do either." One of the big boys tried his hand, with this result: "Pennsylvania is abundantly supplied with anthracite coal." "No; that is not so good." Then a little boy stepped, forward and with his finger erased the word "coal."

"That word isn't needed/ he said. "Anthracite means hard coal." "Right," said the visitor.