After-dinner sports.
The mask of Christmas.
An original account of some Christmas holiday.
_Rural Life in England_
What Irving actually saw that suggested the comments in this essay.
The conclusions that he drew from his observations.
Rural life in England, as Irving saw it, compared with rural life in America.
Going to church--an imaginative sketch based on Irving.
_The Country Church_
The rich man"s arrival at church--a description.
The audience at worship--a description.
A country audience in America--a sketch from real life.
The n.o.bleman and the newly rich--a contrast.
A detailed outline of Irving"s account of the two families.
_Westminster Abbey_
Time and circ.u.mstances of the visit and the mood of the visitor.
What Irving saw in the abbey (omit the musings).
Reflections suggested by the visit.
History of the building.
_The Mutability of Literature_
The setting for Irving"s discussion of literature.
A summary of Irving"s thought on the changing of.
_The Art of Book-making_
Adventures in the British Museum.
The meaning of Irving"s dream.
How far is it honest for schoolboys and schoolgirls books for their essays?
_Stratford on Avon_
An evening with Irving at the Red Horse Inn.
The Shakespeare House.
A visit to Shakespeare"s grave.
The groves and park about Charlcote.
The "great hall."
An original account of a visit to the home of an author, or to a place of historic interest, or of natural beauty.
_The Angler_
Irving"s fishing excursion.
A stroll along the banks of the Alun.
The fisherman philosopher.
III. Study of the Book as a Whole
CONTENT.--What attractive features of country life in England does Irving represent?
Compare them with attractive features of country life in America.
Examine the sketches where the scene is laid in the city to see whether Irving wrote with equal appreciation of city life.
Irving"s interest in antiquities.
Compare Irving"s essays with Addison"s in respect to descriptions of country life; city life; discussions of practical questions; representation of character; philosophy of life; purpose in writing.
FORM.--Examine Irving"s method of describing a person, for example, Master Simon in _Christmas Eve_, and compare it with Scott"s procedure in _Ivanhoe_.
Examine his description of the inn kitchen in _The Stage-Coach_ and compare with one of your own on a similar subject.
Study the paragraphs in _Rural Life in England_ to discover whether or not there is in each one a topic sentence and a regular method of development.