In the hills of Sacramento there is gold for the
     gathering.—­EMERSON.

     I thought the writing excellent, and wished, if possible, to
     imitate it.—­FRANKLIN.

[Sidenote:  Caution.]

187.  There is one use of the which is different from all the above.  It is an adverbial use, and is spoken of more fully in Sec. 283.  Compare this sentence with those above:—­

     There was something ugly and evil in his face, which they had not
     previously noticed, and which grew still the more obvious to
     the sight the oftener they looked upon him.—­HAWTHORNE.

Exercise.—­Find sentences with five uses of the definite article.

USES OF THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE.

[Sidenote:  Denotes any one of a class.]

188.  The most frequent use of the indefinite article is to denote any one of a class or group of objects:  consequently it belongs to singular words; as in the sentence,—­

     Near the churchyard gate stands a poor-box, fastened to a
     post by iron bands and secured by a padlock, with a sloping
     wooden roof to keep off the rain.—­LONGFELLOW

[Sidenote:  Widens the scope of proper nouns.]

189.  When the indefinite article precedes proper names, it alters them to class names.  The qualities or attributes of the object are made prominent, and transferred to any one possessing them; as,—­

     The vulgar riot and debauchery, which scarcely disgraced an
     Alcibiades or a Caesar, have been exchanged for the higher
     ideals of a Bayard or a Sydney.—­PEARSON

[Sidenote:  With abstract nouns.]

190. An or a before abstract nouns often changes them to half abstract:  the idea of quality remains, but the word now denotes only one instance or example of things possessing the quality.

[Sidenote:  Become half abstract.]

     The simple perception of natural forms is a delight.—­EMERSON

     If thou hadst a sorrow of thine own, the brook might tell thee
     of it.—­HAWTHORNE

In the first sentence, instead of the general abstract notion of delight, which cannot be singular or plural, a delight means one thing delightful, and implies others having the same quality.

So a sorrow means one cause of sorrow, implying that there are other things that bring sorrow.

[Sidenote:  Become pure class nouns.]

NOTE.—­Some abstract nouns become common class nouns with the indefinite article, referring simply to persons; thus,—­

     If the poet of the “Rape of the Lock” be not a wit, who
     deserves to be called so?—­THACKERAY.

     He had a little brother in London with him at this time,—­as
     great a beauty, as great a dandy, as great a villain.—­Id.