I just received an office pass-around that I usually just
          check quickly for anything remotely useful and dump in the
          next person's overloaded in-box.  This time, turning it
          face-down to ease the pain somewhat, I noticed a whole
          section on Twain quotes.  They made what promised to be an
          awful Monday morning into something just a little bearable.
           Thought I'd share them.

          The section is as follows:

                           Top Tips from Mark Twain

             Mark Twain helped to shape the American language.  Here
          are some quotes worth noting from this great writer:


           ** On style (to a 12-year-old boy):  "I notice that you use
          plain, simply language, short words and brief sentences.
          That is the way to write English -- it is the modern way and
          the best way.  Stick to it, and don't let fluff and flowers
          and verbosity creep in."

           ** More on style:  "When you catch an adjective, kill it.
          No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them -- then the
          rest will be valuable.  They give strength when they are
          wide apart."

           ** On using short words:  "I never write `metropolis' for 7
          cents when I can get the same for `city.'

           ** More on short words:  "Eschew surplusage."

           ** On being concise:  "With a hundred words to do it with,
          the literary artisan could catch that airy thought and tie
          it down and reduce it to a ... cabbage, but the artist does
          it with 20 -- and the result is a flower."

           ** On word choice:  "The difference between the
          almost-right word and the right word is really a large
          matter -- 'tis the difference between the lightning bug and
          the lightning."

         -------------
          Susan Finkelstein