diff options
Diffstat (limited to '16936.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 16936.txt | 5573 |
1 files changed, 5573 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/16936.txt b/16936.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6170abd --- /dev/null +++ b/16936.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5573 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Parker's Second Reader, by Richard G. Parker + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Parker's Second Reader + National Series of Selections for Reading, Designed For + The Younger Classes In Schools, Academies, &C. + +Author: Richard G. Parker + +Release Date: October 25, 2005 [EBook #16936] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PARKER'S SECOND READER *** + + + + +Produced by PM Children's Library, Emmy and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The University of Florida, The Internet +Archive/Children's Library) + + + + + + + +[Illustration: + +COVER + +NATIONAL SERIES + +PARKER'S SECOND READER + + +SOLD BY BOOKSELLERS GENERALLY THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.] + +[Illustration] + + + + +PARKER'S SECOND READER. + +NATIONAL SERIES OF SELECTIONS FOR READING; + +ADAPTED TO THE STANDING OF THE PUPIL. + + +BY RICHARD G. PARKER, A.M. + +PRINCIPAL OF THE NORTH JOHNSON SCHOOL, BOSTON; AUTHOR OF "AIDS TO +ENGLISH COMPOSITION," "OUTLINES OF GENERAL HISTORY," "THE +SCHOOL COMPEND OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY," ETC. + + +PART SECOND. + +DESIGNED FOR THE YOUNGER CLASSES IN SCHOOLS, ACADEMIES, &c. + + * * * * * + +"Understandest thou what thou readest?"--ACTS 6:30. + + * * * * * + +NEW YORK: +A.S. BARNES & BURR, +51 & 53 JOHN STREET. +SOLD BY BOOKSELLERS, GENERALLY, THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. + +Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year Eighteen Hundred and +Fifty-one, + +BY A.S. BARNES & CO., + +In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of +New York. + + +STEREOTYPED BY +HOBART & ROBBINS; +NEW ENGLAND TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY, +BOSTON + + + + +PREFACE. + + +In the preparation of this volume, I have kept fresh in my recollection +the immature state of the minds which I have endeavored to enlighten; +and while it has been my aim to present such a succession of reading +lessons as are suitable for the younger classes in our common schools +and academies, I have not forgotten that the first step to be taken, in +making good readers, is to open the understanding wide enough to afford +a sufficient entrance for the ideas which are to be communicated by +reading. Words are but sounds, by which ideas should be conveyed; and +written language is of little use, if it convey but sound alone. Great +pains have therefore been taken to exclude from this volume what the +young scholar cannot understand, while, at the same time, it has been +the aim of the author to avoid a puerile style, by which the early +intellect is kept down, and its exertions are repressed. In every step +and stage of its progress, the maxim "_Excelsior_" should be the aim of +the youthful mind; and the hand of the teacher should be extended, not +to _lift it up_, but only to _assist it in its endeavors to raise +itself_. All of the labor must not be done by the teacher, nor by books. +_They_ are of use only in exciting the mind to act for itself. They may, +indeed, act as pioneers, but the pupil must not be _carried_ in their +arms; he must perform the march himself. And herein lies the great +difficulty of the teacher's task: on the one hand, to avoid the evil of +leaving too little to be done by the scholar; and, on the other, to be +careful that he be not required to do too much. Real difficulties should +be lightened, but some labor should be permitted to remain. To make such +labor attractive, and easily endured without discouragement, is the task +which best shows the tact and skill of the teacher. If this volume be +found useful in aiding the teacher, by doing all that should be required +_from the book_, the design of the author will be accomplished. + + R.G.P. + + _Kneeland Place_, } + _May, 1851._ } + + + + +CONTENTS. + + +[_The Poetical Extracts are designated by Italic Letters_] + +Lesson Page + Preface v + 1. The Author's Address to the Pupil 9 + 2. Same subject, continued 13 + 3. " " " 17 + 4. The Discontented Pendulum, _Jane Taylor_ 19 + 5. Address of the Author to the Pupil, continued 23 + 6. " " " " " " " concluded 26 + 7. How to find out the Meaning of Words, _Original_ 29 + 8. Same subject, continued " 31 + 9. " " concluded " 34 +10. Words " 38 +11. Definitions " 42 +12. Reading and Spelling " 48 +13. Importance of Learning to Spell, _Original Version_ 51 +14. Demosthenes, _Original_ 53 +15. Hard Words, " 57 +16. Fire: a Conversation, " 63 +17. Same subject, continued " 67 +18. " " concluded " 73 +19. The Lark and her Young Ones, _Altered from AEsop_ 79 +20. Dogs, _Original_ 82 +21. Same subject, concluded " 85 +22. Frogs and Toads, _Bigland_ 87 +23. Maida, the Scotch Greyhound, _Altered from Bigland_ 90 +24. Gelert, " 94 +25. Knock again _Child's Companion_ 96 +26. Same subject, continued, " 98 +27. " " concluded, " 100 +28. Make Good Use of Time, _Emma C. Embury_ 102 +29. Same subject, continued, " 107 +30. " " concluded, " 111 +31. Verse, or Poetry, _Original_ 116 +32. _A Morning Hymn_, _Anonymous_ 121 +33. _Evening Hymn_, " 122 +34. _The Gardener and the Hog_, _Gay_ 123 +35. _The Hare and many Friends_, " 125 +36. Maxims, _Selected_ 128 +37. How to be Happy, _Child at Home_ 129 +38. Obedience and Disobedience, _Child's Companion_ 133 +39. Obstinacy, _Lessons without Books_ 139 +40. King Edward and his Bible, _L.H. Sigourney_ 144 +41. What does it Mean to be Tempted? _Rose-bud_ 147 +42. Same subject, continued, " 151 +43. " " " " 154 +44. " " concluded, " 157 +45. _Mary Dow_, _H.F. Gould_ 163 +46. _It Snows_, " 165 +47. _The Dissatisfied Angler Boy_, " 166 +48. _The Violet: a Fable_, _Children's Magazine_ 168 +49. Captain John Smith, _Juvenile Miscellany_ 170 +50. Same subject, continued, " 173 +51 " " " " 176 +52. " " concluded, " 179 +53. John Ledyard, " 180 +54. Same subject, concluded, " 183 +55. Learning to Work, _Original_ 185 +56. Same subject, continued, _Abbott_ 187 +57. " " concluded, " 189 +58. The Comma, _Parker's Rhetorical Reader_ 193 +59. The Semicolon, " 199 +60. The Colon, " 202 + + + + +PARKER'S SECOND READER. + + + + +LESSON I. + +_The Author's Address to the Pupil._ + + +1. I present to you, my little friend, a new book, to assist you in +learning to read. I do not intend that it shall be a book full of hard +words, which you do not understand. + +2. I do not think it proper to require children to read what they cannot +understand. I shall, therefore, show you how you may understand what is +in this book, and how you may be able, with very little assistance from +your teacher, to read all the hard words, not only in this book, but +also in any book which you may hereafter take up. + +3. But first let me repeat to you a saying, which, when I was a little +boy, and went to school, my teacher used to repeat to me. He said that +any one might lead a horse to the water, but no one could make him +drink. The horse must do that himself. He must open his own mouth, and +draw in the water, and swallow it, himself. + +4. And so it is with anything which I wish to teach you. I can tell you +many things which it will be useful for you to know, but I cannot open +your ears and make you hear me. I cannot turn your eyes so that they +will look at me when I am talking to you, that you may listen to me. +That, you must do yourself; and if you do not do it, nothing that I can +say to you, or do for you, will do you any good. + +5. Many little boys and girls, when their teacher is talking to them, +are in the habit of staring about the school-room, or looking at their +fellow-pupils, or, perhaps, slyly talking to them or laughing with them, +when they ought to be listening to what their teacher is saying. + +6. Others, perhaps, may appear to be looking at their teacher, while, at +the same time, they are thinking about tops and marbles, or kites and +dolls, and other play-things, and have no more idea of what their +teacher is saying to them than if he were not in the room. + +7. Now, here is a little picture, from which I wish to teach you a very +important lesson. The picture represents a nest, with four little birds +in it. The mother bird has just been out to get some food for them. The +little birds, as soon as their mother returns, begin to open their +mouths wide, and the mother drops some food from her bill into the mouth +of each one; and in this manner they are all fed, until they are old +enough to go abroad and find food for themselves. + +[Illustration] + +8. Now, what would these little birds do, if, when their mother brings +them their food, they should keep their mouths all shut, or, perhaps, be +feeling of one another with their little bills, or crowding each other +out of the nest? + +9. You know that they would have to go without their food; for their +mother would not open their mouths for them, nor could she swallow +their food for them. They must do that for themselves, or they must +starve. + +10. Now, in the same manner that little birds open their mouths to +receive the food which their mother brings to them, little boys and +girls should have their ears open to hear what their teachers say to +them. + +11. The little birds, as you see in the picture, have very large mouths, +and they keep them wide open to receive all the food that their mother +drops; so that none of their food ever falls into the nest, but all goes +into their mouths, and they swallow it, and it nourishes them, and makes +them grow. + +12. So, also, little boys and girls should try to catch, in their ears, +everything that their teacher says to them, and keep it in their minds, +and be able to recollect it, by often thinking about it; and thus they +will grow wise and learned, and be able to teach other little boys and +girls, of their own, when they themselves grow up. + +13. Now, my little friend, please to open your eyes and see what I have +put into this book for you, and open your ears to hear what your kind +teacher has to say to you, that your minds may grow, and that you may +become wise and good children. + + + + +LESSON II. + +_The same subject, continued._ + + +1. I told you, in the last lesson, that I would teach you how to +understand what is in this book, and how to read the hard words that you +may find in this or in any other book. + +2. Now, before you can understand them, you must be able to read them; +and in order that you may understand how to read them, you must take the +words to pieces; that is, take a few of the letters at a time, and see +whether you can read a part of the word first, and then another part, +until you have read the whole of it in parts, and then you can put the +parts together, and thus read the whole word. + +3. Now, in order that you may understand what I mean, I will explain it +to you by taking a long word to pieces, and letting you read a part of +it at a time, until you have learned how to read the whole word. + +4. In the next line, you may read the parts of the word all separated: + + Ab ra ca dab ra. + +Now you have read the parts of the word ab-ra-ca-dab-ra all separated, +you can read them very easily together, so as to make one word, and the +word will be Abracadabra. + +5. This long and hard word was the name of a false god, that was +worshiped many hundreds of years ago, by a people who did not know the +true God, whom we worship; and they very foolishly supposed that by +wearing this name, written on paper, in a certain manner, it would cure +them of many diseases. + +6. Here are a few more long and hard words, divided in the same manner, +which you may first read by syllables, that is, one syllable at a time: + +Val e tu di na' ri an. +In de fat i ga bil' i ty. +Hy po chon dri' a cal. +Me temp sy cho' sis. +Hal lu ci na' tion. +Zo o no' mi a. +Ses qui pe dal' i ty. + +7. You may now read these long words as they are here presented, without +a division of the syllables, as follows: valetudinarian, +indefatigability, hypochondriacal, metempsychosis, hallucination, +zoonomia, sesquipedality. + +8. Now, you see that words which look hard, and which you find difficult +to read, can be easily read, if you take the pains to divide them into +parts or syllables, and not try to read the whole word at once. + +9. I now propose to relate to you a little story which I read when I was +a little boy, and which I think will make you remember what I have just +told you about reading hard words, by first taking them to pieces, and +reading a part of them at a time. + +10. A father, who was dying, called his seven sons around his bed, and +showed them a bundle of small sticks tied together, and asked each one +to try to break all the sticks at once, without untying the bundle. + +[Illustration] + +11. Each of the sons took the bundle of sticks, and putting it across +his knee, tried with all his strength to break it; but not one of them +could break the sticks, or even bend them, while they were tied +together. + +12. The father then directed his oldest son to untie the bundle, and to +break each stick separately. As soon as the bundle was untied, each of +the sons took the sticks separately, and found that they could easily +break every one of them, and scatter them, in small pieces, all about +the floor. + +13. "Now," said the father, "I wish you, my dear sons, to learn a lesson +from these sticks. So long as you are all united in love and friendship, +you need fear little from any enemies; but, if you quarrel among +yourselves, and do not keep together, you see by these little sticks how +easily your enemies may put you down separately." + +14. Now, this was a very wise father, and he taught his sons a very +useful lesson with this bundle of sticks. I also wish to teach you, my +little friend, whoever you are, that are reading this book, another +useful lesson from the same story. + +15. Hard words, especially long ones, will be difficult to you to read, +unless, like the sons in the story, you untie the bundle; that is, until +you take the long words apart, and read one part or syllable at a time. +Thus you may learn what is meant by that wise saying, "_Divide and +conquer_." + + + + +LESSON III. + +_The same subject, continued._ + + +1. I have another lesson to teach you from the same story of the old man +and the bundle of sticks, which I think will be very useful to you, and +will make your lessons very much easier to you. + +2. Whenever you have a lesson to learn, do not look at it all at once, +and say, I cannot learn this long lesson; but divide it into small +parts, and say to yourself, I will try to learn this first little part, +and after I have learned that, I will rest two or three minutes, and +then I will learn another little part, and then rest again a few +minutes, and then I will learn another. + +3. I think that in this way you will find study is not so hard a thing +as it seemed to you at first, and you will have another explanation of +that wise saying, _Divide and conquer_. + +4. I will now tell you another story that I read when I was a little +boy. It was called a fable. But before I tell you the story, I must +tell you what a fable is. + +5. A fable is a story which is not true. But, although it is not a true +story, it is a very useful one, because it always teaches us a good +lesson. + +6. In many fables, birds and beasts are represented as speaking. Now, +you know that birds and beasts cannot talk, and therefore the story, or +fable, which tells us that birds and beasts, and other things, that are +not alive, do talk, cannot be true. + +7. But I have told you, that although fables are not true stories, they +are very useful to us, because they teach us a useful lesson. This +lesson that they teach is called the _moral_ of the fable; and that is +always the best fable that has the best moral to it, or, in other words, +that teaches us the best lesson. + +8. The story, or the fable, that I promised to tell you, is in the next +lesson, and I wish you, when you read it, to see whether you can find +out what the lesson, or moral, is which it teaches; and whether it is at +all like the story of the father and the bundle of sticks, that I told +you in the last lesson. While you read it, be very careful that you do +not pass over any word the meaning of which you do not know. + + + + +LESSON IV. + +_The Discontented Pendulum._--JANE TAYLOR. + + +[Illustration] + +1. An old clock, that had stood for fifty years in a farmer's kitchen, +without giving its owner any cause of complaint, early one summer's +morning, before the family was stirring, suddenly stopped. + +2. Upon this, the dial-plate (if we may credit the fable) changed +countenance with alarm; the hands made a vain effort to continue their +course; the wheels remained motionless with surprise; the weights hung +speechless;--each member felt disposed to lay the blame on the others. + +3. At length the dial instituted a formal inquiry as to the cause of +the stagnation, when hands, wheels, weights, with one voice, protested +their innocence. + +4. But now a faint tick was heard below from the pendulum, who thus +spoke:--"I confess myself to be the sole cause of the present stoppage; +and I am willing, for the general satisfaction, to assign my reasons. +The truth is, that I am tired of ticking." + +5. Upon hearing this, the old clock became so enraged, that it was on +the very point of _striking_. "Lazy wire!" exclaimed the dial-plate, +holding up its hands. + +6. "Very good!" replied the pendulum; "it is vastly easy for you, +Mistress Dial, who have always, as everybody knows, set yourself up +above me,--it is vastly easy for you, I say, to accuse other people of +laziness! You, who have had nothing to do, all the days of your life, +but to stare people in the face, and to amuse yourself with watching all +that goes on in the kitchen! + +7. "Think, I beseech you, how you would like to be shut up for life in +this dark closet, and to wag backwards and forwards, year after year, as +I do." + +8. "As to that," said the dial, "is there not a window in your house, on +purpose for you to look through?"--"For all that," resumed the +pendulum, "it is very dark here; and although there is a window, I dare +not stop, even for an instant, to look out at it. + +9. "Besides, I am really tired of my way of life; and, if you wish, I'll +tell you how I took this disgust at my employment. I happened this +morning to be calculating how many times I should have to tick in the +course of only the next twenty-four hours; perhaps some of you, above +there, can give me the exact sum." + +10. The minute-hand, being _quick_ at figures, presently replied, +"Eighty-six thousand four hundred times." + +11. "Exactly so," replied the pendulum; "well, I appeal to you all, if +the very thought of this was not enough to fatigue one; and when I began +to multiply the strokes of one day by those of months and years, really, +it is no wonder if I felt discouraged at the prospect: so, after a great +deal of reasoning and hesitation, thinks I to myself, I'll stop." + +12. The dial could scarcely keep its countenance during this harangue; +but, resuming its gravity, thus replied: "Dear Mr. Pendulum, I am really +astonished that such a useful, industrious person as yourself, should +have been overcome by this sudden action. + +13. "It is true, you have done a great deal of work in your time; so +have we all, and are likely to do; which, although it may fatigue us to +_think_ of, the question is, whether it will fatigue us to _do_. Would +you now do me the favor to give about half a dozen strokes, to +illustrate my argument?" + +14. The pendulum complied, and ticked six times in its usual pace. +"Now," resumed the dial, "may I be allowed to inquire if that exertion +was at all fatiguing or disagreeable to you?" + +15. "Not in the least," replied the pendulum; "it is not of six strokes +that I complain, nor of sixty, but of _millions_." + +16. "Very good," replied the dial; "but recollect, that though you may +_think_ of a million strokes in an instant, you are required to +_execute_ but one; and that, however often you may hereafter have to +swing, a moment will always be given you to swing in." + +17. "That consideration staggers me, I confess," said the +pendulum.--"Then I hope," resumed the dial-plate, "we shall all +immediately return to our duty; for the maids will lie in bed, if we +stand idling thus." + +18. Upon this, the weights, who had never been accused of _light_ +conduct, used all their influence in urging him to proceed; when, as +with one consent, the wheels began to turn, the hands began to move, the +pendulum began to swing, and, to its credit, ticked as loud as ever; +while a red beam of the rising sun, that streamed through a hole in the +kitchen window, shining full upon the dial-plate, it brightened up, as +if nothing had been the matter. + +19. When the farmer came down to breakfast that morning, upon looking at +the clock, he declared that his watch had gained half an hour in the +night. + + + + +LESSON V. + +_Address of the Author to the Pupil,--continued from Lesson 3d._ + + +1. The fable of the old clock, which has just been read, is intended to +teach us a lesson, or moral, and that is, that whenever we have anything +to do, whether it be a long lesson or a piece of hard work, we must not +think of it all at once, but divide the labor, and thus conquer the +difficulty. + +2. The pendulum was discouraged when it thought that it had to tick +eighty-six thousand four hundred times in twenty-four hours; but when +the dial asked it to tick half a dozen times only, the pendulum +confessed that it was not fatiguing or disagreeable to do so. + +3. It was only by thinking what a large number of times it had to tick +in twenty-four hours, that it became fatigued. + +4. Now, suppose that a little boy, or a little girl, has a hard lesson +to learn, and, instead of sitting down quietly and trying to learn a +little of it at a time, and after that a little more, until it is all +learned, should begin to cry, and say I cannot learn all of this lesson, +it is too long, or too hard, and I never can get it, that little boy, or +girl, would act just as the pendulum did when it complained of the hard +work it had to do. + +5. But the teacher says to the little boy, Come, my dear, read over the +first sentence of your lesson to me six times. The little boy reads the +first sentence six times, and confesses to his teacher that it was not +very hard work to do so. + +6. The teacher then asks him to read it over six times more; and the +little boy finds that, before he has read it to his teacher so often as +the six times more, he can say it without his book before him. + +7. In this way, that little boy will find, that it is not, after all, +so hard work to get what he calls a hard lesson; because all that he has +to do, is to read a small portion of the lesson at a time, and to repeat +the reading of that small portion until he can repeat it without the +book. + +8. When he has done this, he can take another small portion of the +lesson, and do the same with that, until, by degrees, he has learnt the +whole lesson; and then he will feel happy, because he knows that his +teacher, and his parents, will be pleased with him. + +9. But some pupils say to themselves, when they have a lesson to learn, +I do not want to study this lesson now; I will study it by and by, or +to-morrow morning. + +10. But, by and by, and when to-morrow comes, they feel no more disposed +to study their lesson than they did when the lesson was first given to +them. + +11. Now, my little friend, if you wish your time at school to pass +pleasantly, do not say to yourself, I will get my lesson by and by, or +to-morrow, but set yourself about it immediately, learn it as quickly as +you can, and I will assure you will not only make your teachers and your +parents happier, but you will be much happier yourself. + + + + +LESSON VI. + +_The Author to the Pupil._ + + +1. In the first lesson, I told you that I would show you how to +understand what is in this book; and how you may, with very little +assistance from your teacher, be able to read all the hard words that +you find in any book. + +2. Many little boys and girls are very fond of running out of their +places in school, and going up to their teachers with a great many +unnecessary questions. This always troubles the teacher, and prevents +his going through with all his business in time to dismiss you at the +usual hour. + +3. Whenever you meet with any real difficulty, that you cannot overcome +yourself without his assistance, you should watch for an opportunity +when he is at leisure, and endeavor to attract his attention quietly, +and without noise and bustle, so that your fellow-pupils may not be +disturbed, and then respectfully and modestly ask him to assist you. + +4. But if you are noisy and troublesome, and run up to him frequently +with questions that, with a little thought, you could easily answer +yourself, he will not be pleased with you, but will think that you wish +to make trouble; and, perhaps, will appear unkind to you. + +5. I will now endeavor to show you how you may understand what is in +your book, so that you will have no need to be troublesome to your +teacher. + +6. In the first place, then, always endeavor to understand every line +that you read; try to find out what it means, and, if there is any word +that you have never seen or heard of before, look out the word in a +dictionary, and see what the meaning of the word is; and then read the +line over again, and see whether you can tell what the whole line means, +when you have found out the meaning of the strange word. + +7. Now, as you can understand everything best when you have an example, +I will give you one, as follows. In the tenth chapter of the Acts of the +Apostles, at the first verse, there are these words: + + 1. "There was a certain man in Cesarea, called + Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian + band, + + 2. "A devout man, and one that feared God with all his + house, and gave much alms to the people, and prayed to + God always." + +8. I suppose you know what most of the words in these verses mean, +except the word _centurion_ in the first verse, and the word _alms_ in +the second. + +9. Now, if you look for the word _centurion_ in the dictionary, it will +tell you that _centurion_ means a military officer, who commanded a +hundred men. Thus you find that Cornelius was a soldier; and not only +that he was a soldier, but that he was an officer, that commanded +soldiers. + +10. Again, if you look for the word _alms_ in your dictionary, you will +find that it means money given to the poor; and thus you find that +Cornelius was a very good man, and not only prayed to God, but also gave +much money to assist the poor. + +11. You see, then, how useful a book a dictionary is at school, and how +important it is that you should have one. If your parents cannot give +you a very good one, any one is better than none. + +12. But if you have no dictionary, or if you cannot find the word you +wish to find in the dictionary, you must then wait for a convenient time +to ask your teacher, and he will always be pleased to find that you are +trying to understand the words in your lesson. + +13. If you have a dictionary, and do not know how to find out the words +in it, ask your teacher to show you; and when he has showed you how to +use it, be sure never to pass over a single word without knowing what it +means. + + + + +LESSON VII. + +_How to find out the Meaning of Words._--ORIGINAL. + + +[Illustration] + +1. Many years ago, when I lived in a small town, near the Merrimac +river, a little Spanish girl came to board in the same house. + +2. She could speak very well in her own language; but the people in her +country speak a language very different from ours: and when she first +began to speak, she heard nothing but Spanish words; and she learned no +other. + +3. She could not speak a word of English, and did not understand a word +that was spoken to her by any of the family. + +4. Her parents were very rich, but they placed her in the family, that +she might learn to speak English. + +5. She had no dictionary to turn to, to look out the meaning of words; +and if she was hungry, she could not ask for bread, and if she was +thirsty, she could not ask for water, nor milk, nor tea, for she did not +know the meaning of either of the words, _water_, _tea_, nor _milk_. + +6. Perhaps you would be puzzled to tell how she could learn to speak +English, if she had no one to teach her, and had no dictionary to inform +her about the words. + +7. But it was not many days before she could say "_bread_," if she was +hungry, and "_water_," if she wanted to drink; and I was very much +surprised to find how soon it was, at the dinner-table, she could ask +for meat, or potato, or pudding; and, at tea-time, for tea, or milk, or +sugar, or butter, or bread. + +8. I have no doubt that you would like to know how this little Spanish +girl learned to speak all of these words. I do not intend to tell you +quite yet, but I think you will find out yourself, if you will read the +next lesson. + + + + +LESSON VIII. + +_The same subject, continued._ + + +1. About twenty years ago, I was very ill, and, for a long time, my +friends thought I never should recover. + +2. By the very attentive care of my physician, and by the devoted +attention of my wife, I unexpectedly grew better; and the doctor said +that I must take a voyage for the recovery of my health. + +3. A kind friend, who was going to the West Indies, in a vessel of his +own, very generously offered to take me with him, and I gratefully +accepted the offer. + +4. We sailed from Boston early one morning, and were soon out of sight +of the land. I was quite ill during the voyage; but fortunately the +voyage was a short one, and we reached the place of our destination on +the fourteenth day after we sailed. + +5. The island, where we landed, was a beautiful spot; and lemons, +oranges, pine-apples, and many other delicious fruits, were growing out +in the open air. + +6. The people who lived on this island did not speak the English +language; and the family with whom I was to reside could speak only in +French. + +7. I observed, at dinner-time, that some of the persons at the table +held out their tumblers to the servant, and said something which sounded +to me like _O_. + +8. I often heard this word; and every time it was spoken, _water_ was +brought, or poured out, or something was done with _water_. + +9. I then made up my mind that this word that I thought was O meant +water; and I found out afterwards that I was right, except that I did +not spell it right. + +10. This I discovered by means of the Bible, from which the family used +to read. + +11. It was a very large one, with very large letters; and as I was very +fond of hearing them read, and of looking over the book while some one +was reading aloud, I noticed that whenever the reader came to the +letters e, a, u, he called them O; and thus I found out that water, in +their language, was called O, but was spelt e, a, u. + +12. In the same manner, I found out the words, or names, which they gave +to bread, and sugar, and butter, and meat, and figs, and oranges, and +lemons, and pine-apples. + +13. And now, perhaps, you may be able to find out how the little Spanish +girl, mentioned in the last lesson, learned the meaning of English words +that she had never heard until she came to live in the family where +nothing but English was spoken. + +14. She was obliged to listen, when any one spoke, and watch to see what +was wanted; and in the same manner in which I found out the meaning of +O, and what to call bread, and sugar, and butter, and meat, and figs, +and oranges, and other fruits, she learned to call things by their +English names. + +15. But, in order to do this, she was obliged to listen very +attentively, to try to remember every new name that she learned; and, by +so doing, in less than a year she could talk almost as plainly as any +one in the house. + +16. It was very easy for her to learn the names of things, because she +heard them spoken very often. Such words as _chair_, _table_, _water_, +_sugar_, _cake_, _potato_, _pudding_, and other words which are the +names of things she could see, she learned very quickly. + +17. But such words as _come_ and _go_, or _run_ and _walk_, and the +little words _to_ and _from_, and _over_ and _under_, or such words as +_quickly_ and _slowly_, and many other words of the same kind, she could +not learn so easily. + +18. In the next lesson perhaps you will find out how she learned the +meaning of these words. + + + + +LESSON IX. + +_The same subject, continued._ + + +[Illustration] + +1. There was a small family living very near to your residence, my young +friends who are reading this lesson, consisting of the father, the +mother, and four young children. + +2. The oldest was a boy of twelve years old, the next was a little girl +of about eight, the third was another pretty little girl of six, and the +youngest was an infant boy, only nine months old. + +3. As you may well suppose, the baby, as he was called, was the delight, +not only of the father and the mother, but also of his elder brother and +his two sisters. + +4. The oldest brother had a dog whose name was Guido,--an Italian name, +which is pronounced as if it were spelt Gwe'do. + +5. The dog had learned to love the dear little baby as much as the rest +of the family; and very often, when he was lying on the floor, the baby +would pull his tail, or his ears, or put his little hand into the +creature's mouth, and Guido would play as gently with him as if he knew +that the baby was a very tender little thing, and could not bear any +rough treatment. + +6. Nothing pleased the whole family, and Guido among the rest, so much, +as to hear the baby try to say _papa_, and _mamma_, and _bub_, and +_sis_; for he could not say _brother_, nor _sister_, nor pronounce any +other words plainly. + +7. The youngest sister was very fond of making him say these words; and +every time the little creature repeated them to her, she would throw her +arms around his little neck, and hug and kiss him with all the +affectionate love her little heart could express. + +8. She often used to dress her little doll as prettily as she knew how; +tying its frock on one day with a pretty blue ribbon, and on another +with a red one; for she had noticed, that whenever the doll was newly +dressed, the dear little baby would look very steadily at it, and hold +out its little arms towards it; and then she would carry it to her +little brother, and say to him, "Dolly,--pretty dolly,--bub want to see +dolly?" + +9. One day she had dressed her doll in a very bright new dress, with +very gay ribbons, and was carrying it towards her father to show it to +him, when suddenly she heard the baby cry out, "Dolly!" + +10. She immediately ran with delight to her little brother, holding up +the doll in its new shining dress, and repeated her usual words, +"Dolly,--bub want dolly?" + +11. The baby, delighted, looked up in its mother's face, and laughed, +and crowed, and giggled, and in its delight again repeated the word +"Dolly!" + +12. Pleased with her success, the little sister was unwearied in her +efforts to make her little brother repeat other words; and day by day +she was gratified to find the list of words which he lisped was growing +in length. + +13. By the unwearied endeavors of father, mother, brother and sisters, +this pretty little baby, by the time that it was three years old, could +speak plainly anything that was repeated to him, and had learned the +names of almost everything that he saw about the house, the yard, and +the street. + +14. But it was observed that Guido, the dog, although he could not speak +a word, had also learned the names of many things; and when George, the +oldest son, told him to go and bring his ball to him, Guido would wag +his tail, and go up into George's chamber, and look about the room until +he had found the ball; and then he would run down the stairs, and +dropping the ball at his young master's feet, look up in his face, +expecting that George would throw it down for him to catch again. + +[Illustration] + +15. The baby, however, learnt words and names much faster than Guido; +for although Guido knew as much as any dog knows, yet dogs are different +creatures from children, and cannot learn so much nor so fast as +children can, because it has not pleased God to give them the same +powers. + +16. Now, perhaps you may wish to know who this interesting family were +of whom I have been speaking; and you will probably be surprised to +learn, that all I have told you about this little baby is true of every +little baby, and that the manner that every infant is taught to speak is +the same. + +17. It is the same manner as that in which the little Spanish girl, +mentioned in the seventh lesson, was taught to speak the English +language. + + + + +LESSON X. + +_Words._--ORIGINAL. + + +1. I told you, in the last lesson, how an infant child first learned to +speak, when it was taught by its father and mother, and brother and +sisters. + +2. I intend to show you, in this lesson, how the little child learned +the meaning of a great many words himself, without the assistance of any +one else. + +3. He was very fond of Guido, the dog, and watched everything he did, +especially when his brother George was playing with him. + +4. When George called Guido, and said to the dog, "_Come here_, Guido," +the little boy could not help noticing that Guido _went to_ George. + +5. When George's father or mother called George, and said, "Come here, +George," the little child saw that George _went to_ his father, or his +mother. + +6. Now, nobody told the little child what George, or his father, or his +mother, meant by the word _come_; but he always saw, that when any one +said to another, "_Come_," that the one who was spoken to always _moved +towards_ the person who called him, and in this way the little child +found out what his father or his mother meant by the word _come_. + +7. It was in this way, my young friend who are reading this lesson, that +you, yourself, learned the meaning of most of the words that you know. + +8. When you were a little child, like the infant of whom I have been +speaking, you knew no more about words, or about speaking, than he did. + +9. But, by hearing others speak and use words, you learned to use them +yourself; and there is no word ever used, either in books or anywhere +else, that you cannot find out its meaning, provided that you hear it +used frequently, and by different persons. + +10. I will now give you an example, to show you what I mean. I will give +you a word that you probably never heard of before; and although I shall +not tell you what the word means, I think you will find it out yourself, +before you have read many more lines of this lesson. + +11. The word _hippoi_ is the word that I shall choose, because I know +that you do not know the meaning of it; but I wish you to read the +following sentences in which the word is used, and I think that you will +find out what _hippoi_ means, before you have read them all. + +12. In California, and in Mexico, and in most parts of South America, +there are many wild _hippoi_, which feed on the grass that grows wild +there. + +13. The Indians hunt the _hippoi_; and when they catch them, they tame +them, and put bridles on their heads, and bits in their mouths, and +saddles on their backs, and ride on them. + +14. A carriage, with four white _hippoi_, has just passed by the window, +and one of the _hippoi_ has dropped his shoe. The coachman must take him +to the blacksmith, to have the shoe put on. + +15. The noise which _hippoi_ make is a very strange noise, and when +they make it they are said to neigh (_pronounced na_). + +16. The hoofs of cows and goats and sheep and deer are cloven; that is, +they are split into two parts; but the hoofs of _hippoi_ are not split +or cloven, and for that reason they are called whole-hoofed animals. + +17. My father has in his barn four _hippoi_. One of them is red, and has +a short tail; another is white, with a few dark hairs in his mane, or +long hair on the top of his neck; the third is gray, with dark spots on +his body; and the fourth is perfectly black, and has a very long tail, +which reaches almost to the ground. + +18. Now, from these sentences, I think you will see that _hippoi_ does +not mean cows, or goats, or sheep, or deer; and I do not think it +necessary to tell you anything more about it, except that it is a word +that was spoken by the Corinthians and the Colossians and the Ephesians, +the people to whom St. Paul addressed those epistles or letters in the +Bible called by their names. + +19. When you have read this lesson, your teacher will probably ask you +what the word _hippoi_ means; and I hope you will be able to tell him +that _hippoi_ means----[here put in the English word for _hippoi_.] + + + + +LESSON XI. + +_Definitions._ + + +1. In the last lesson, I gave you a word which you had not seen before, +to find out the meaning of it, without looking in a dictionary. + +2. I told you, in a former lesson, how the little Spanish girl found out +the meaning of words which she did not know; and afterwards informed you +how the infant child was taught to speak. + +3. Now, I doubt not that you can speak a great many words, and know what +they mean when you use them; but I do not think that you ever thought +much about the way in which you learned them. + +4. Perhaps you will be surprised to hear that everybody learns to talk +and to use words in the same way that the little Spanish girl and the +little infant learned them; that is, by hearing others use them in +different ways, just as the word _hippoi_ was used in the last lesson. + +5. Nobody ever told you, probably, the meaning of a great many words +that you know; and yet you know them full as well, and perhaps better, +than if any one had told you about them. + +6. Perhaps you have a brother whose name is John, or George, or James, +or a sister whose name is Mary, or Jane, or Ann, or Lucy. You have +always heard them called by these names, ever since you, or they, were +quite young; and have noticed that when John was called, that the one +whose name is John would answer; and as each one answered when spoken +to, you learnt which was John, and which was Mary, and which was Lucy. + +7. So also, when a certain animal, having two large horns and a long +tail, and which is milked every night and morning, passed by, you heard +some one say _cow_; and in this way you learned what the word _cow_ +means. + +8. So also, when water falls from the sky in drops, little children hear +people say it rains; and thus they find out what _rain_, means. + +9. Now, when anybody asks you what any word means, although you know it +very well, yet it is a very hard thing to tell what it means,--that is, +to give a definition of it,--as you will see by the little story I am +about to tell you. + +10. A teacher, who was very anxious to make his scholars understand +their lessons, once told them he had a very hard question he wished to +ask them, and that he would let the one who answered the question best +take the head of the class. + +11. This teacher never allowed any of his pupils to speak to him without +first raising his right hand above his head, to signify that the child +had something to say; and when any child raised his hand in this way, if +he was not busy, he called upon the child to say what he wished. + +12. In this way he prevented the children from troubling him when he was +busy; and in this way he also prevented them from interrupting each +other, as would be the case if several of them should speak at once. + +13. On the day of which I am about to speak, he said to them, Now, +children, I have a very hard question to ask you, that does not require +you to study, but only to think about it, in order to answer it well; +and the one who gives me the best answer shall go to the head of the +class. The question is this: _What is a bird?_ + +14. Before they heard the question, they looked very sober, and thought +their master intended to puzzle them, or to give them a long sentence to +commit to memory. But as soon as they heard the question, they began to +smile among themselves, and wonder how their teacher should call that a +hard question. + +15. A dozen hands were immediately raised, to signify that so many of +the children were ready to answer it. + +16. Well, John, said the teacher, your hand is up; can you tell me _what +a bird is_? + +17. John immediately rose, and standing on the right-hand side of his +seat, said, A bird is a thing that has two legs. + +18. Well, said the teacher, suppose some one should saw off two of the +legs of my chair; it would then be a thing that has two legs; but it +would not be a bird, would it? You see, then, that your answer is not +correct. + +19. I will not mention the names of the other children who raised their +hands; but I will tell you what the answers were which some of them made +to the questions, and what the teacher said about each of their answers. + +20. One of the children said that a bird is an _animal_ with two legs. +But, said the teacher, all little boys and girls, and all men and women, +are animals with two legs; but they are not birds. + +21. Another child said that a bird is an animal that has wings. But the +teacher said there are some fishes that have wings, and that fishes are +not birds. + +22. A bright little girl then modestly rose and said, A bird is an +animal that has legs and wings, and that flies. The teacher smiled upon +her very kindly, and told her that it is true that a bird has legs and +wings, and that it flies; but, said he, there is another animal, also, +that has legs and wings, and that flies very fast in the air. It is +called a _bat_. It flies only in the night; but it has no feathers, and +therefore is not a bird. + +23. Upon hearing this, another bright-eyed child very timidly rose and +said, A bird is an animal that has legs, wings and feathers. Very well, +said the teacher; but can you not think of anything else that a bird +has, which other creatures have not? + +24. The children looked at one another, wondering what their teacher +could mean; and no one could think what to say, until the teacher said +to them, Think a moment, and try to tell me how a bird's mouth looks. +Look first at my mouth. You see I have two lips, and these two lips form +my mouth. Now, tell me whether a bird has two lips; and if he has not, +what he has instead of lips. + +25. One of the children immediately arose and said, that a bird has no +lips, but he has a bill; and that bill opens as the lips of a man do, +and forms the mouth of the bird. + +26. Yes, said the teacher; and now listen to me while I tell you the +things you should always mention, when you are asked what a bird is,-- + + First, A bird is an animal. + Secondly, It has two legs. + Thirdly, It has two wings. + Fourthly, It has feathers. + Fifthly, It has a hard, glossy bill. + +27. And now, said the teacher, you see that I was right when I told you +that I had a hard question to ask you, when I asked What is a bird? + +28. Now, if you will join all of these things which belong to a bird in +the description which you give in answer to my question, What is a bird, +you will then give a correct definition of a bird,--that is, you will +tell exactly what a bird is, and no more, and no less. + +29. A bird is an animal covered with feathers, having two legs, two +wings, and a hard, glossy bill. + +30. When you are asked what anything is, recollect what I have told you +about a bird, and try to recall everything that you ever knew about the +thing, and in this way you will be able to give a satisfactory answer. + +31. This will also teach you to think, and that is one of the most +important objects for which you go to school. It will enable you also to +understand what you read; and you can always read those things best +which you understand well. + + + + +LESSON XII. + +_Reading and Spelling._ + + +1. Another important thing for which you go to school is to learn how to +spell. It is not always very easy to spell, because there are so many +different ways in which the same letters are pronounced in different +words. + +2. That you may understand what I mean, I shall give an example, to show +you how many different ways the same letters are pronounced in different +words; and also another example, to show you how many different ways +there are of spelling the same syllable. + +3. To show you, first, in how many different ways the same letters are +pronounced in different words, I shall take the letters o, u, g, h. + +4. The letters _o, u, g, h_, are sounded or pronounced like the letter +_o_ alone, in the word _though_. The letters _o, u, g, h_, are +pronounced like _uf_, in the word _tough_. + +5. In the word _cough_, the letters _o, u, g, h_, are pronounced like +_off_. In the words _slough_ and _plough_, the letters _o, u, g, h_, are +pronounced like _ow_; and in the word _through_, they are pronounced +like _ew_, or like _u_. + +6. In the word _hiccough_ the letters _ough_ are pronounced like +_up_--and in the word _lough_, the letters are pronounced like _lok_. + +7. There are many words which end with a sound like _shun_; and this +syllable is spelled in many different ways, as you will see in the +following example. + +8. In the words _ocean_, _motion_, _mansion_, _physician_, _halcyon_, +_Parnassian_, _Christian_, and many other such words, the last syllable +is pronounced as if it were spelled _shun_. + +9. You see, then, that in some words a syllable sounding very much like +_shun_ is spelled + + _cean_, as in ocean; + in some it is spelled _tion_, as in nation; + in some it is spelled _sion_, as in mansion; + in some it is spelled _cian_, as in physician; + in some it is spelled _cyon_, as in halcyon; + in some it is spelled _sian_, as in Parnassian. + +10. It is such things as these which make both reading and spelling very +hard lessons for young children. If they think of them all at once, as +the pendulum did of the eighty-six thousand times that it had to swing +in twenty-four hours, it is no wonder if they feel discouraged, and say, +I can't get these hard lessons. + +11. But you must recollect that, as the pendulum, every time it had to +swing, had a moment given it to swing in, so you also have a moment +given you to learn everything in; and if you get a little at a time, you +will, in the end, finish it all, if it be ever so large. + +12. You have seen the workman engaged in building a brick house. He +takes one brick at a time, and lays it on the mortar, smoothing the +mortar with his trowel; and then he takes another brick, and another, +until he has made a long row for the side of the house. + +13. He then takes another brick, and lays that on the first row; and +continues laying brick after brick, until the house gradually rises to +its proper height. + +14. Now, if the workman had said that he could never lay so many bricks, +the house would never have been built; but he knew that, although he +could lay but one brick at a time, yet, by continuing to lay them, one +by one, the house would at last be finished. + +15. There are some children, who live as much as a mile, or a half of a +mile, from the school-house. If these children were told that they must +step forward with first one foot and then the other, and must take three +or four thousand steps, before they could reach the school-house, they +would probably be very much discouraged, every morning, before they set +out, and would say to their mothers, Mother, I can't go to school,--it +is so far; I must put out one foot, and drag the other after it, three +thousand times, before I can get there. + +16. You see, then, that although it may appear to be a very hard thing +to learn to read and to spell so many words as there are in large books, +yet you are required to learn but a few of them at a time; and if there +were twice as many as there are, you will learn them all, in time. + +17. I shall tell you a story, in the next lesson, to show you how +important it is to know how to spell. + + + + +LESSON XIII. + +_Importance of Learning to Spell._--ORIGINAL VERSION. + + +1. A rich man, whose education had been neglected in early life, and who +was, of course, very ignorant of many things which even little boys and +girls among us now-a-days know very well, lived in a large house, with +very handsome furniture in it. + +2. He kept a carriage, and many servants, some of whom were very much +better educated than he was himself. + +3. This rich man had been invited out many times to dine with his +neighbors; and he observed that at the dinners to which he was invited +there were turkeys, and ducks, and chickens, as well as partridges, and +quails, and woodcocks, together with salmon, and trout, and +pickerel,--with roasted beef, and lamb, and mutton, and pork. + +4. But he noticed that every one seemed to be more fond of chickens than +anything else, but that they also ate of the ducks and the turkeys. + +5. He, one day, determined to invite his friends to dine with him, in +return for their civilities in inviting him; and he made up his mind to +have an abundance of those things, in particular, of which he had +observed his friends to be most fond. + +6. He accordingly sent his servant to market, to buy his dinner; and, +for fear the servant should make any mistake, he wrote his directions on +paper, and, giving the paper, with some money, to the servant, he sent +him to the market. + +7. The servant took the paper and the money, and set off. Just before he +reached the market, he opened the paper, to see what his master had +written. + +8. But his master wrote so very badly, it took him a long time to find +out what was written on the paper; but, at last, he contrived to make +it out, as follows: + +9. "Dukes would be preferred to Turks; but Chittens would be better than +either." + +10. What his master meant by dukes, and turks, and chittens, he could +not guess. No such things were for sale at the market, and he did not +dare to return home without buying something. + +11. As he could find nothing like dukes nor turks, he happened to see a +poor woman carrying home a basket full of kittens. This was the most +like _chittens_ of anything he could find; and not being able to get +what his master had written for, he thought his master meant kittens. He +therefore bought the basket of kittens, and carried them home for his +master's dinner. + + + + +LESSON XIV. + +_Demos'thenes._--ORIGINAL. + + +1. There lived, a great many years ago, in Athens, one of the most +renowned cities of Greece, a very celebrated orator, whose name was +Demos'thenes. + +2. But you will not understand what an _orator_ is, until you are told +that it means a person who speaks before a large number of people, to +persuade them what to do, or to give them information, or good advice. + +3. Thus, when a minister or clergyman preaches a good sermon, and speaks +in such a manner as to please all who hear him, convincing them of their +duty, and persuading them to do it, he is called an orator. + +4. Demos'thenes was not a clergyman, or minister, but he spoke before +large assemblies of the Athenians, and they were very much delighted to +hear him. Whenever it was known that he intended to speak in public, +every one was anxious to hear him. + +5. Now, I wish to show you how hard he worked, and what he did, to +become a great orator. + +6. In the first place, then, he had a very weak voice, and could not +speak loud enough to be heard by a large assembly; and, besides this, he +was very much troubled with shortness of breath. These were very great +discouragements, and had he not labored very hard to overcome them, he +never could have succeeded. + +7. To cure his shortness of breath, he used to go up and down stairs +very frequently, and run up steep and uneven places; and to strengthen +his voice, he often went to the sea-shore, when the waves were very +noisy and violent, and talked aloud to them, so that he could hear his +own voice above the noise of the waters. + +[Illustration] + +8. He could not speak the letter _r_ plainly, but pronounced it very +much as you have heard some little boys and girls pronounce it, when +they say a _wed wose_ for a _red rose_, or a _wipe cherwy_ instead of a +_ripe cherry_. + +9. Besides this, he stammered, or stuttered, very badly. To cure himself +of these faults in speaking, he used to fill his mouth full of pebbles, +and try to speak with them in his mouth. + +10. He had a habit, also, of making up faces, when he was trying to +speak hard words; and, in order to cure himself of this, he used to +practice speaking before a looking-glass, that he might see himself, +and try to correct the habit. + +11. To break himself of a habit he had of shrugging up his shoulders, +and making himself appear hump-backed, he hung up a sword over his back, +so that it might prick him, with its sharp point, whenever he did so. + +[Illustration] + +12. He shut himself up in a cave under ground, and, in order to confine +himself there to his studies, he shaved the hair off of one half of his +head, so that he might be ashamed to go out among men. + +13. It was in this way that this great man overcame all of his +difficulties, and, at last, became one of the greatest orators that have +ever lived. + +14. Now, whenever you have a hard lesson to read, or to study, think of +Demos'thenes, and recollect how he overcame all his difficulties, and I +think you will find that you have few things to do so hard as these +things which he did. + +15. When your teacher requests you to put out your voice and speak loud, +remember what Demos'thenes used to do to strengthen his voice, and you +will find very little trouble in speaking loudly enough to be heard, if +you will only try. + + + + +LESSON XV. + +_Hard Words._ + + +1. In one of the former lessons, you were taught how to read long and +hard words, by taking them to pieces, and reading a part of a word at a +time. + +2. I promised you also that this book should not be filled with hard +words; but I did not promise that there should be no hard words in it. + +3. Having taught you how to read hard words, I propose, in this lesson, +to give you a few long words to read,--not for the purpose of +understanding what they mean, but only to make you able to read such +words, when you find them in any other book. + +4. The best way of getting rid of all difficulties, is to learn how to +overcome them, and master them; for they cease to be difficulties, when +you have overcome them. + +5. Demos'thenes, as I told you in the last lesson, had a very hard task +to perform, before he became a great orator. You, also, can become a +good scholar, if you will take pains to study your lessons, and learn +them well. + +6. Before you read any lesson to your teacher from this book, it is +expected that you will study it over, and find out all the most +difficult words, so that you may read them right off to him, without +stopping to find them out, while he is waiting to hear you read them. + +7. Now, here I shall place a few hard words for you to study over, to +read to your teacher when you read this lesson to him; and he will +probably require every one in your class to read them all aloud to him. + +8. I wish you not to go up to your teacher to ask him to assist you, +until you have tried yourself to read them, and find that you cannot. + +9. There are some words that are not pronounced as they are spelt, as I +have taught you in a former lesson. + +10. Such a word as _phthisic_, which is pronounced as if it were spelled +_tis'ic_, I dare say would puzzle you, if you had never seen it before; +but before you go up to your teacher, to ask him any questions, you +should read over the whole of your lesson, and perhaps you will find, in +the lesson itself, something that will explain what puzzled you; and +thus you could find it out from your book, without troubling your +teacher. + +11. Here are some of the long words I wish you to read. + +12. Organization, Theoretical, Metaphysical, Metempsychosis, +Multitudinous, Arithmetician, Metaphysician, Hyperbolical. + +13. Apotheosis, Indefeasible, Feasibility, Supersaturated, Prolongation, +Meridional, Ferruginous, Fastidiousness. + +14. Haberdashery, Fuliginous, Exhalation, Prematurely, Depreciation, +Appreciability, Resuscitate, Surreptitious, Interlocutory. + +15. Sometimes the letters _a e_, and _o e_, are printed together, like +one letter, as in the words Caesar, Coelebs, and then the syllable is +pronounced as if it were spelled with _e_ alone, as in the following +words: + +16. Diaeresis, Aphaeresis, OEcumenical, AEthiop, Subpoena, +Encyclopaedia, Phoenix, Phoebus, AEolus. + +17. When there are two little dots over one of the letters, they are +both to be sounded, as in the word Aerial, which is pronounced +a-e-ri-al. + +18. The letter _c_ is one which puzzles many young persons who are +learning to read, because it is sometimes pronounced like _k_, as in the +word _can_, and sometimes like _s_, as in the word _cent_; and they do +not know when to pronounce it like _k_, and when to sound it like _s_. + +19. But if you will recollect that _c_ is sounded like _k_ when it +stands before the letters _a_, _o_, or _u_, and that it is sounded like +_s_ before the letters _e_, _i_, and _y_, you will have very little +trouble in reading words that have the letter _c_ in them. + +20. So also the letter _g_ has two sounds, called the hard sound, and +the soft sound. The hard sound is the sound given to it in the word +_gone_; the soft sound is that which is heard in the word _gentle_. + +21. The same rule which you have just learnt with regard to the letter +_c_ applies to the letter _g_. It has its hard sound before _a_, _o_, +and _u_, and its soft sound before _e_, _i_, and _y_. + +22. There are, it is true, some words where this rule is not applied; +but these words are very few, so that you may safely follow this rule in +most words. + +23. The letters _ph_ are sounded like _f_. The letters _ch_ are sounded +sometimes like _k_, as in the words _loch_ and _monarch_, and sometimes +like _sh_, as in the words _chaise_ and _charade_; and they have +sometimes a sound which cannot be represented by any other letters, as +in the words _charm_ and _chance_. + +24. I suppose that you have probably learned most of these things which +I have now told you in your spelling-book; but I have repeated them in +this book, because I have so often found that little boys and girls are +very apt to forget what they have learned. + +25. If you recollect them all, it will do you no harm to read them +again, but it will impress them more deeply on your memory. But if you +have forgotten them, this little book will recall them to your mind, so +that you will never forget them. + +26. I recollect, when I was a little boy, that the letter _y_ used to +trouble me very much when it began a word, and was not followed by one +of the letters which are called vowels, namely, _a_, _e_, _i_, _o_, _u_. +I knew how to pronounce _ya_, _ye_, _yi_, _yo_, _yu_; but one day, when +I was studying a lesson in geography, I saw a word which was spelt _Y, +p, r, e, s_, which puzzled me very much. + +27. I knew that the letters _p, r, e, s_, would spell _pres_, but I did +not know what to call the _y_. After studying it a long time, I found +that the letter _y_, in that word and some others, was to be pronounced +like the long _e_, and that the word was pronounced _Epres_, though it +was spelled _Y, p, r, e, s_. + +28. Perhaps you will be able, when you grow up, to write a book; and to +tell little boys and girls who go to school, when you have grown up, how +to read hard words, better than I have told you. + +29. If you wish to do so, you must try to recollect what puzzles you +most now, and then you will be able to inform them how to get over their +difficulties and troubles at school; and when they grow up, I have no +doubt that they will feel very grateful to you for the assistance you +have given them. + + + + +LESSON XVI. + +_Fire,[A]--a Conversation between a Mother and her little Daughter._ + + +[Illustration] + +_Daughter._ Mother dear, you told me, the other day, that nobody knows +what _light_ is, except the Great Creator. Now, can you tell me _what +fire is_? + +_Mother._ I fear, my child, that you have asked another question which I +cannot directly answer. What fire is, is known only by its effects. + +_Daughter._ And what are its effects, mother? + +_Mother._ Some of its effects are as well known to you, my dear, as they +are to me; and I shall, in the first place, call to your recollection +what you yourself know about _fire_, before I attempt to give you any +further information in relation to it. + +_Daughter._ Why, mother, I am sure I do not know what fire is. + +_Mother._ No, Caroline, I know that you do not know what fire is; +neither do I, nor does any one, except the Great Creator himself. This +is one of his secrets, which, in his wisdom, he reserves for himself. + +But you certainly know some of the effects of fire. For instance, you +know that when you have been out into the cold, you wish, on your +return, to go to the fire. Now, can you tell me what you go to the fire +for? + +_Daughter._ Why, certainly, mother; I go to the fire to warm myself. + +_Mother._ And how does the fire warm you, my dear? + +_Daughter._ Why, it sends out its heat, mother; and I hold out my hands +to it, and feel the heat. + +_Mother._ And where does the heat come from, Caroline? + +_Daughter._ Why, the heat comes from the fire, mother. + +_Mother._ Then, my dear, you know at least one of the effects of fire. +It produces, or rather sends out, heat. + +_Daughter._ But does not the fire make the heat, mother? + +_Mother._ If you had a little bird, or a mouse, in a cage, and should +open the door and let it out, should you say that you _made_ the little +bird, or the mouse? + +_Daughter._ Say that I made them, mother?--why, no; certainly not. I +only let them go free. God made them. You told me that God made all +things. + +_Mother._ Neither did the fire make the heat. It only made it free, +somewhat in the same manner that you would make the bird or the mouse +free, by opening the door of the cage. + +_Daughter._ Why, mother, is heat kept in cages, like birds or mice? + +_Mother._ No, my dear, not exactly in cages, like birds or mice; but a +great deal closer, in a different kind of cage. + +_Daughter_ Why, mother, what sort of a cage can heat be kept in? + +_Mother._ I must answer your question, Caroline, by asking you another. +When Alice makes her fire in the kitchen, how does she make it? + +_Daughter._ She takes some wood, or some coal, and puts under it some +pine wood, which she calls kindling, and some shavings, and then takes a +match and sets the shavings on fire, and very soon the fire is made. + +_Mother._ But does she not first do something to the match? + +[Illustration] + +_Daughter._ O, yes; I forgot to say that she lights the match first, and +then sets fire to the shavings with the lighted match. + +_Mother._ But how does she light the match, my dear? + +_Daughter._ Why, mother, have you never seen her? She rubs one end of +the match on the box, where there is a little piece of sand-paper, and +that sets the match on fire. + +_Mother._ Is there any fire in the sand-paper, Caroline? + +_Daughter._ Why, no, mother; certainly not. + +_Mother._ Was there any fire in the match, before she lighted it? + +_Daughter._ Why, no, mother; if there had been, she would have had no +need to light it. + +_Mother._ You see, then, that fire came when she rubbed the match +against the sand-paper; and that the fire was not in the sand-paper, nor +in the match. + +_Daughter._ Yes, mother, but I did not see where it came from. + +_Mother._ I am going to explain that to you, my dear, in the next +lesson. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[A] This lesson, together with the two following lessons, is +taken from a little book, called "Juvenile Philosophy," published by +Messrs. A.S. Barnes & Co., 51 John-street, New York. It consists of nine +conversations, between a little girl and her mother, on the subjects, +Rain, Color, Vision or Sight, the Eye, Light, Fire, Heat and Wind. + + + + +LESSON XVII. + +_The same subject, continued._ + + +_Mother._ Did you ever see a person rub his hands together, when he was +cold? + +_Daughter._ O yes, mother, a great many times. I have seen father come +in from the cold, and rub his hands together, and afterwards hold them +to the fire and rub them again, and then they get warm. + +_Mother._ And now, Caroline, take your hand and rub it quickly backwards +and forwards, over that woolen table-cloth, on the table in the corner +of the room, and tell me whether that will make your hand warm. + +_Daughter._ O, yes, dear mother; I feel it grow warmer, the faster I rub +it. + +_Mother._ Here are two small pieces of wood. Touch them to your cheek, +and tell me whether they feel warm now. + +_Daughter._ They do not feel warm, nor cold, mother. + +_Mother._ Now rub them together quickly a little while, and then touch +them to your cheek. + +[Illustration: R] + +_Daughter._ O, dear, mother! they are so hot that they almost burnt my +cheek. + +_Mother._ Yes, Caroline; and do you not recollect, when you read +Robinson Crusoe, that his man Friday made a fire by rubbing two pieces +of wood together? + +_Daughter._ O, yes, dear mother; and I have often wondered why Alice +could not light her lire and the lamp in the same manner, without those +matches, which have so offensive a smell. + +_Mother._ It is very hard work, my dear, to obtain fire by rubbing two +pieces of wood together; and it would take too long a time to do it. The +two pieces of wood would grow warm by a very little rubbing; but in +order to make them take fire, they must be rubbed together a great +while. + +_Daughter._ But, mother, if it takes so long a time to get fire by +rubbing two pieces of wood together, why can Alice set the match on fire +so easily by rubbing it once on the sand-paper? + +_Mother._ That is what I am about to explain to you, my dear. Here, take +this piece of paper and hold it up to the lamp. + +_Daughter._ It has taken fire, mother. + +[Illustration: L] + +_Mother._ Now take this piece of pine wood, and hold that up to the lamp +in the same manner, and see whether that will take fire too. + +_Daughter._ Yes, mother, it has taken fire; but I had to hold it up to +the lamp much longer than I did the paper. + +_Mother._ Now take this piece of hard wood, and do the same with that. + +_Daughter._ The hard wood takes longer still to catch fire, mother. + +_Mother._ Yes, my child. And now I am going to make the hard wood take +fire more quickly than the paper did. + +_Daughter._ Dear mother, how can you do it? + +_Mother._ I am going to show you, my dear. Here is a small phial, which +contains something that looks like water. It is spirits of turpentine. I +shall dip the point of the piece of hard wood into the phial, and take +up a little of the spirits of turpentine. Now, Caroline, touch the point +of the hard wood with the turpentine on it to the flame. + +_Daughter._ Why, mother, it caught fire as soon as I touched the flame +with it! + +_Mother._ Yes, certainly; and you now see that some things, like the +spirits of turpentine and the paper, take fire very readily, and others +take fire with more difficulty. + +_Daughter._ Yes, mother; but when Alice drew the match across the +sand-paper, there was no flame nor fire to touch it to. How, then, could +it take fire? + +_Mother._ Hold this piece of paper up to the blaze of the lamp, my dear, +but be careful not to touch the fire or flame of the lamp; only hold it +close to the blaze. + +_Daughter._ Why, mother, it has taken fire! + +_Mother._ You see, then, that a thing will sometimes take fire when it +does not touch the fire. + +_Daughter._ Yes, mother; but I do not understand where the fire comes +from. + +_Mother._ The fire comes from the heat, my dear. Now, you know that heat +is produced by rubbing two things together; and that some things, like +the spirits of turpentine, take fire very easily, or with very little +heat; and others, like the hard wood, require to be heated some +time,--or, in other words, require much heat,--to make them take fire, +or to burn. Some things require only as much heat to make them take fire +as can be obtained by rubbing them together very quickly, like the wood +which Robinson Crusoe's man Friday used. + +_Daughter._ But, mother, the match is made of wood,--why does that take +fire so easily? + +_Mother._ It is true, Caroline, that the match is made of wood; but it +has something at the end of it, which takes fire much more easily than +the spirits of turpentine. Indeed, so easily does it take fire, that it +requires only so much heat to set it on fire as can be obtained by +drawing the match once across the sand-paper. + +_Daughter._ But, mother, matches do not always take fire. I have seen +Alice rub several across the sand-paper, before she could set one on +fire. + +_Mother._ That is true, and the reason of this is, that the matches are +not all well made. Now, if I should take several pieces of hard wood and +tie them together, and dip their ends into the spirits of turpentine, +what would happen, if the ends of some of the pieces did not touch the +spirits of turpentine, because I had not tied them together with their +points all even? + +_Daughter._ Why, mother, some of them would take fire easily, because +the points had the spirits of turpentine on them; while those which did +not touch the spirits could not be lighted so easily. + +_Mother._ So it is, my dear, with the matches. They are all dipped into +the substance which takes fire so easily; but some of the ends do not +reach the substance, and do not become coated with it, and therefore +they will not light more easily than the pine wood of which they are +made. + + + + +LESSON XVIII. + +_The same subject, concluded._ + + +_Daughter._ Well, mother, I understand, now, how the match is set on +fire. It is rubbed on the sand-paper, and that produces heat, and the +heat sets the match on fire. But I always thought that fire makes heat, +and not that heat makes fire. + +_Mother._ Heat does not always make fire, Caroline; for, if it did, +everything would be on fire. + +_Daughter._ Everything on fire, mother! why, what do you mean? + +_Mother._ I mean, my dear, that everything contains heat. + +_Daughter._ Everything contains heat, mother, did you say? Why, then, is +not everything warm? Some things, mother, are very cold; as ice, and +snow, and that marble slab. + +_Mother._ Yes, my child, everything contains heat, as I shall presently +show you. When Alice goes to make a fire in a cold day, she does not +carry the heat with her, and put it into the fire, nor into the wood, +nor the coal, does she? + +_Daughter._ Why, no, to be sure not, mother. + +_Mother._ And the heat that comes from the fire, after it is made, does +not come in at the windows, nor down the chimney, does it? + +_Daughter._ Why, no, mother; it feels cold at the windows, and cold air +comes down the chimney. + +_Mother._ But, after the fire is made, we feel much heat coming from the +fire, do we not? + +_Daughter._ Why, yes, mother; that is what the fire is made for. We feel +cold, and we want a fire to make us warm; and when the fire is made, it +sends out heat, and makes us warm. + +_Mother._ Well, now, where can the heat come from? You know what fire is +made from, do you not? + +_Daughter._ Certainly, mother; the fire is made of wood, or of coal. + +_Mother._ But is the wood or the coal warm before the fire is made? + +_Daughter._ No, mother, the wood and the coal come from the cold +wood-house, or the cellar, and they are both very cold. + +_Mother._ And yet, the wood and the coal become very hot when they are +on fire. + +_Daughter._ O yes, mother, so hot that we cannot touch them with our +hands, and we have to take the shovel or the tongs to move them. + +_Mother._ And do they burn the shovel and the tongs, my dear? + +_Daughter._ Why, no, mother; if they did, the shovel and the tongs would +be of little use in stirring the fire. + +_Mother._ Can you think of any reason why they do not burn the shovel +and the tongs? + +_Daughter._ You told me, mother, that some things require a very little +heat to set them on fire, and that other things require a great deal. I +suppose that there was not heat enough to set them on fire; and if there +had been, they would not burn, because they are made of iron. + +_Mother._ You are partly right, my dear, and partly wrong. They would +not burn, because there was not heat enough in the fire to burn them. +But there are very few things, and in fact it may be doubted whether +there is anything, which will not burn, when sufficient heat is applied. +But let us return to the fire: you say the heat does not come from the +windows nor from the chimney, and you say, also, that the wood and the +coal are both cold. Now, where can the heat come from? + +_Daughter._ I am sure I cannot tell, mother; will you please to tell me? + +_Mother._ You recollect that I told you that the rubbing of the match on +the sand-paper produces a little heat, which caused the match to burn. +The match was then applied to the shavings, and, as it was burning, gave +out heat enough to set the shavings on fire; the shavings produced heat +enough to set the pine wood, or kindling, on fire, and then the pine +wood, or kindling, produced more heat, and set the wood and coal on +fire. Now, there was nothing to produce the heat but the match, the +shavings, the wood and the coal; and _the heat must have been in them_. +The fire only served to set it free, and let it come out of the match, +the wood, and the coal. + +_Daughter._ But, mother, how did the heat get into the wood and coal? + +_Mother._ It is not known, my dear, how the heat _got into_ the wood and +coal, any more than how the fruit gets on to a tree. We say that it +grows on the tree; but what growing is, and how it is caused, are among +the secrets of God. + +_Daughter._ If the heat is in the wood and the coal, mother, why do we +not feel it in them? They both feel cold. I cannot perceive any heat in +them. + +_Mother._ The heat is in the wood and the coal, although you do not see +it. Do you see any smoke in the wood and the coal, my dear? + +_Daughter._ No, mother, I do not. + +_Mother._ Did you never see a stick of wood fall on the hearth from the +kitchen fire, and see the smoke coming from it? + +[Illustration] + +_Daughter._ O yes, mother, very often; and the smoke goes all over the +room, and into my eyes, and makes the tears come into my eyes. + +_Mother._ And can you see the smoke in the wood before the wood is put +on the fire? + +_Daughter._ No, mother, I am sure I cannot. + +_Mother._ But you are sure that the smoke comes from the wood, are you +not? + +_Daughter._ O yes, mother; I see it coming right out of the wood. + +_Mother._ Then, my dear, I suppose you know that if there is something +in the wood and coal, which you call _smoke_, although you cannot see +it until it comes out, you can easily conceive how another thing, which +we call _heat_, can be in the wood and coal, which we cannot perceive +until it is made to come out. + +_Daughter._ O yes, mother; how wonderful it is! + +_Mother._ Yes, my dear, all the works of God are wonderful; and what is +very surprising is, that many of his most wonderful works are so common, +so continually before our eyes, that we do not deem them wonderful until +we have been made to think much about them, by talking about them, as +you and I have talked about the rain, and the clouds, and light, and its +colors. + +_Daughter._ I have been thinking, mother, about Alice and the fire. You +told me that the fire did not _make_ the heat, any more than I _make_ +the little mouse or the bird when I open the cage door and let them out. +I see now how it is. Alice brings the wood and the coal into the kitchen +fireplace, and the match lets the heat out of the shavings, and the +shavings let it out of the wood and the coal, until we get heat enough +to make us warm. + +_Mother._ Yes, my dear; and there is no more heat in the room after the +fire is made than there was before,--only, before the fire was made, +the heat was hid, and we could not perceive it; but when the fire is +made, it makes the heat come out, and makes it free, just as I make the +little bird free, by opening his cage door. + + + + +LESSON XIX. + +_The Lark and her Young Ones._--Altered from AESOP. + + +1. A lark having built her nest in a corn-field, the corn grew ripe +before the young ones were able to fly. Fearing that the reapers would +come to cut down the corn before she had provided a safe place for her +little ones, she directed them every day, when she went out to obtain +their food, to listen to what the farmers should say about reaping the +corn. + +2. The little birds promised their mother that they would listen very +attentively, and inform her of every word they should hear. + +3. She then went abroad; and on her return, the little birds said to +their mother, Mother, you must take us away from here; for while you +were gone we heard the farmer tell his sons to go and ask some of his +neighbors to come to-morrow morning early, and help them cut down the +corn. + +4. Is that what he said? asked their mother. Yes, mother, said the +little birds; and we are very much afraid that you cannot find a safe +place for us before the farmer and his neighbors begin to cut down the +corn. + +5. Do not be afraid, my children, said the lark; if the former depends +on his neighbors to do his work for him, we shall be safe where we are. +So lie down in the nest, and give yourselves no uneasiness. + +6. The next day, when the mother went out for food, she directed the +little ones again to listen, and to tell her all that they should hear. + +7. In the evening, when she returned, the little ones told her that the +farmer's neighbors did not come to assist him on that day; and that the +farmer had told his sons to go and request his friends and relations to +come and assist him to cut down the corn, early in the next day morning. + +8. I think, my children, said the lark, we shall still be safe here; and +we will, therefore, feel no anxiety or concern to-night. + +9. On the third day, the mother again charged the young larks to give +her a faithful report of what was done and said, while she was absent. + +10. When the old lark returned that evening, the little larks told her +that the farmer had been there, with his sons, early in the morning; +but, as his friends and relations had not come to assist him, he had +directed his sons to bring some sharp sickles early in the next morning, +and that, with their assistance, he should reap the corn himself. + +11. Ah! said the mother, did he say so? Then it is time for us to +prepare to be gone; for when a man begins to think seriously of doing +his work himself, there is some prospect that it will be done; but if he +depends on his friends, his neighbors, or his relations, no one can tell +when his work will be done. + +12. Now, this little story is called a Fable. It cannot be true, because +birds do not and cannot speak. + +13. But, although it is not true, it is a very useful little story, +because it teaches us a valuable lesson: and that is, that it is best to +do our own work ourselves, rather than to depend upon others to do it +for us; for, if we depend upon them, they may disappoint us, but +whatever we determine to do for ourselves, we can easily accomplish, if +we go right to work about it. + + + + +LESSON XX. + +_Dogs._--ORIGINAL. + + +1. I never knew a little boy that was not fond of a dog, and I have +never seen many dogs which were not fond of little children. + +2. It is not safe for little children to touch every strange dog that +they see, because some dogs are naturally rather cross, and may possibly +bite any one who touches them, when they do not know the persons. + +3. But when a dog knows any one, and sees that his master is fond of +that person, he will let such a person play with him. He is always +pleased with any attentions that his master's friends bestow on him. + +4. Large dogs are generally more gentle than small ones, and seldom bark +so much as the little ones do. They are also more easily taught to carry +bundles and baskets, and draw little carriages for children to ride in. + +5. Some people are very much afraid of dogs, because they sometimes run +mad. The bite of a mad dog produces a very dreadful disease, called +_Hydropho'bia_. + +6. This is a long and hard word, and means _a fear of water_. It is +called by that name because the person who has the disease cannot bear +to touch or to see water. + +7. Dogs that are mad cannot bear to see water. They run from it with +dreadful cries, and seem to be in very great distress. + +8. Whenever, therefore, a dog will drink water, it is a pretty sure sign +that he is not mad. + +9. This dreadful disease very seldom affects dogs that are properly +supplied with water. + +10. Dogs require a great deal of water. They do not always want much at +a time, and it is seldom that they drink much. But whoever keeps a dog +ought always to keep water in such a place that the dog may go to it to +drink, whenever he requires it. + +11. A dog is a very affectionate animal, and he will permit his master, +and his master's children and friends, to do a great many things to him, +which he would perhaps bite others for doing. + +12. There are many very interesting stories told of dogs, which show +their love and fidelity to their masters, which you can read in a book +called "Anecdotes of Dogs." + +13. But there are a few little stories about dogs that I know, which I +will tell you, that are not contained in that book. I know these +stories to be true. + +14. My son had a dog, whose name was Guido. He was very fond of playing +in the street with the boys, early in the morning, before they went to +school. + +15. Guido was always very impatient to get out into the street in the +morning, to join the boys in their sports; and all the boys in the +street were very fond of him. + +16. He used to wake very early, and go into the parlor, and seat himself +in a chair by the window, to look out for the boys; and as soon as he +saw a boy in the street, he would cry and whine until the servant opened +the door for him to go out. + +17. One very cold morning, when the frost was on the glass, so that he +could not see out into the street, he applied his warm tongue to the +glass, and licking from it the frost, attempted to look out. + +18. But the spot which he had made clear being only large enough to +admit one of his eyes, he immediately made another, just like it, in the +same manner, for the other eye, by which he was enabled to enjoy the +sight as usual. In the next lesson, I will tell you some other little +stories of Guido, and another dog, whose name was Don, that belonged to +my daughter. + + + + +LESSON XXI. + +_The same subject, concluded._ + + +1. One day I went to take a walk, with a friend of mine, in the country; +and Don, the dog I mentioned in the last lesson, followed us. + +2. We walked to a little grove about a mile from my house, to see the +grave of a beautiful little child, that was buried on the summit of a +little hill, covered with pines, spruce and other evergreens. + +3. While we were admiring the beauty of the spot, Don was running about +the grove; and I completely lost sight of him, and supposed that he had +returned home. + +4. But presently I saw him at a distance, barking up a tree at a +squirrel that had escaped from him. + +5. As I turned to go home, I said to my friend, You see Don is away, and +does not see me. I am going to drop my handkerchief here, and send him +after it. + +6. We had got half way home, when presently Don came bounding along, and +very shortly came up to us. + +7. As soon as he came up to me, I stopped, and feeling in my +coat-pocket, said to him,--Don, I have lost my pocket-handkerchief,--go +find it. + +8. I had scarcely uttered the words before he was off. He was gone only +two or three minutes, and then, returning with my handkerchief in his +mouth, he dropped it at my feet. + +9. Guido, the other dog, was very fond of going into the water himself; +but he never would allow any one else to go in. + +10. The reason was this. My little son George was one day looking over +into the water, to watch the eels that were gliding through the water +below, and losing his balance, he fell into the water. + +11. No one was near except Guido, and he immediately jumped in after +George, and, with great labor, brought him on shore, and saved him from +drowning. + +12. Ever since that time, Guido has been very unwilling to let any one +go near the water. It seemed as if he had reasoned about it, and said to +himself, It is hard work to drag a boy out of the water, but it is much +easier to keep him from going in. + +13. Guido was not a very large dog. He was of the breed, or kind, named +Spaniel; so called because that kind of dog originally came from +Hispaniola. He had long ears, curling hair, a long bushy tail, and +webbed feet, like all dogs that are fond of the water. + +14. Webbed feet are those in which the toes are not separated, but seem +to be joined together by a thin substance, like thick skin, which +enables them to swim more easily. + +15. Don was a very large dog, of the Newfoundland species, a kind which +is remarkable for its beauty and intelligence. + + + + +LESSON XXII. + +_Frogs and Toads._--BIGLAND. + + +1. Frogs and toads resemble one another in figure, but custom and +prejudice have taught us to make a very different estimate of their +properties: the first is considered as perfectly harmless, while the +latter is supposed to be poisonous. + +2. In this respect, the toad has been treated with great injustice: it +is a torpid, harmless animal, that passes the greatest part of the +winter in sleep. + +3. Astonishing stories have been told of toads found in the center of +solid blocks of stone, and other similar situations, without the least +trace of the way by which they entered, and without any possibility of +their finding any kind of nutriment. + +4. Toads, as well as frogs, are of a variety of species; and in the +tropical climates they grow to an enormous size. It is very probable +that they contribute to clear both the land and the water of many +noxious reptiles of a diminutive size, which might prove exceedingly +hurtful to man. + +5. The toad, however, is one of the most inoffensive of all animals. We +have even heard that it has sometimes been successfully applied for the +cure of the cancer, the most dreadful, and one of the most fatal, of +human evils. + +6. Mr. Pennant has related some interesting particulars respecting a +toad which was perfectly domesticated, and continued in the same spot +for upwards of thirty-six years. + +7. It frequented the steps before the hall-door of a gentleman's house +in Devonshire; and, from receiving a regular supply of food, it became +so tame as always to crawl out of its hole in an evening, when a candle +was brought, and look up, as if expecting to be carried into the house. + +8. A reptile so generally detested being taken into favor, excited the +curiosity of every visitant; and even ladies so far conquered their +natural horror and disgust as to request to see it fed. It seemed +particularly fond of flesh maggots, which were kept for it in bran. + +9. When these were laid upon a table, it would follow them, and, at a +certain distance, would fix its eyes and remain motionless for a little +while, as if preparing for the stroke, which was always instantaneous. + +10. It threw out its tongue to a great distance, when the insect stuck +by the glutinous matter to its lip, and was swallowed with inconceivable +quickness. + +11. After living under the protection of its benefactor upwards of +thirty-six years, it was one day attacked by a tame raven, which wounded +it so severely that it died shortly afterward. + +12. The erroneous opinion of toads containing and ejecting poison has +caused many cruelties to be exercised upon this harmless, and +undoubtedly useful tribe. Toads have been inhumanly treated, merely +because they are ugly; and frogs have been abused, because they are like +them. + +13. But, we are to observe, that our ideas of beauty and deformity, of +which some arise from natural antipathies implanted in us for wise and +good purposes, and others from custom and caprice, are of a relative +nature, and peculiar to ourselves. + +14. None of these relative distinctions, of great and small, beautiful +or ugly, exist in the all-comprising view of the Creator of the +universe: in his eyes, the toad is as pleasing an object as the +canary-bird, or the bulfinch. + + + + +LESSON XXIII. + +_Maida, the Scotch Greyhound._--Altered from BINGLEY. + + +[Illustration] + +1. A hound is a dog with long, smooth, hanging ears, and long limbs, +that enable him to run very swiftly. The greyhound is not so called on +account of his color, but from a word which denotes his Grecian origin. + +2. The Scotch greyhound is a larger and more powerful animal than the +common greyhound; and its hair, instead of being sleek and smooth, is +long, stiff and bristly. It can endure great fatigue. + +3. It was this dog that the Highland chieftains, in Scotland, used in +former times, in their grand hunting-parties. + +4. Sir Walter Scott had a very fine dog of this kind, which was given to +him by his friend Macdonnel of Glengarry, the chief of one of the +Highland clans. His name was Maida. + +5. He was one of the finest dogs of the kind ever seen in Scotland, not +only on account of his beauty and dignified appearance, but also from +his extraordinary size and strength. + +6. He was so remarkable in his appearance, that whenever his master +brought him to the city of Edinburgh, great crowds of people collected +together to see him. + +7. When Sir Walter happened to travel through a strange town, Maida was +usually surrounded by crowds of people, whose curiosity he indulged with +great patience, until it began to be troublesome, and then he gave a +single short bark, as a signal that they must trouble him no more. + +8. Nothing could exceed the fidelity, obedience and attachment, of this +dog to his master, whom he seldom quitted, and on whom he was a +constant attendant, when traveling. + +9. Maida was a remarkably high-spirited and beautiful dog, with long +black ears, cheeks, back, and sides. The tip of his tail was white. His +muzzle, neck, throat, breast, belly and legs, were also white. + +10. The hair on his whole body and limbs was rough and shaggy, and +particularly so on the neck, throat, and breast: that on the ridge of +the neck he used to raise, like a lion's mane, when excited to anger. + +11. His disposition was gentle and peaceable, both to men and animals; +but he showed marked symptoms of anger to ill-dressed or +blackguard-looking people, whom he always regarded with a suspicious +eye, and whose motions he watched with the most scrupulous jealousy. + +12. This fine dog probably brought on himself premature old age, by the +excessive fatigue and exercise to which his natural ardor incited him; +for he had the greatest pleasure in accompanying the common greyhounds; +and although, from his great size and strength, he was not at all +adapted for coursing, he not unfrequently turned and even ran down +hares. + +13. Sir Walter used to give an amusing account of an incident which +befell Maida in one of his chases. "I was once riding over a field on +which the reapers were at work, the stooks, or bundles of grain, being +placed behind them, as is usual. + +14. "Maida, having found a hare, began to chase her, to the great +amusement of the spectators, as the hare turned very often and very +swiftly among the stooks. At length, being hard pressed, she fairly +bolted into one of them. + +15. "Maida went in headlong after her, and the stook began to be much +agitated in various directions; at length the sheaves tumbled down, and +the hare and the dog, terrified alike at their overthrow, ran different +ways, to the great amusement of the spectators." + +16. Among several peculiarities which Maida possessed, one was a strong +aversion to artists, arising from the frequent restraints he was +subjected to in having his portrait taken, on account of his majestic +appearance. + +17. The instant he saw a pencil and paper produced, he prepared to beat +a retreat; and, if forced to remain, he exhibited the strongest marks of +displeasure. + +18. Maida's bark was deep and hollow. Sometimes he amused himself with +howling in a very tiresome way. When he was very fond of his friends, +he used to grin, tucking up his whole lips and showing all his teeth; +but this was only when he was particularly disposed to recommend +himself. + +19. Maida lies buried at the gate of Abbotsford, Sir Walter's country +seat, which he long protected; a grave-stone is placed over him, on +which is carved the figure of a dog. It bears the following inscription, +as it was translated by Sir Walter: + + "Beneath the sculptured form which late you wore, + Sleep soundly, Maida, at your master's door." + + + + +LESSON XXIV. + +_Gelert._--BINGLEY, altered. + + +1. I have one more story to tell you about the Highland greyhound. It is +an old Welsh story, and shows how extremely dangerous it is to indulge +in anger and resentment. + +2. In a village at the foot of Snowden, a mountain in Wales, there is a +tradition that Llewellyn (_pronounced_ Lewel'lin), son-in-law to King +John, had a residence in that neighborhood. + +3. The king, it is said, had presented him with one of the finest +greyhounds in England, named Gelert. In the year 1205, Llewellyn, one +day, on going out to hunt, called all his dogs together; but his +favorite greyhound was missing, and nowhere to be found. + +4. He blew his horn as a signal for the chase, and still Gelert came +not. Llewellyn was much disconcerted at the heedlessness of his +favorite, but at length pursued the chase without him. For want of +Gelert, the sport was limited; and getting tired, Llewellyn returned +home at an early hour, when the first object that presented itself to +him, at his castle gate, was Gelert, who bounded, with his usual +transport, to meet his master, having his lips besmeared with blood. + +5. Llewellyn gazed with surprise at the unusual appearance of his dog. +On going into the apartment where he had left his infant son and heir +asleep, he found the bed-clothes all in confusion, the cover rent, and +stained with blood. + +6. He called on his child, but no answer was made, from which he hastily +concluded that the dog must have devoured him; and, giving vent to his +rage, plunged his sword to the hilt in Gelert's side. + +7. The noble animal fell at his feet, uttering a dying yell, which +awoke the infant, who was sleeping beneath a mingled heap of the +bed-clothes, while beneath the bed lay a great wolf covered with gore, +which the faithful and gallant hound had destroyed. + +8. Llewellyn, smitten with sorrow and remorse for the rash and frantic +deed which had deprived him of so faithful an animal, caused an elegant +marble monument, with an appropriate inscription, to be erected over the +spot where Gelert was buried, to commemorate his fidelity and unhappy +fate. The place, to this day, is called Beth-Gelert, or The Grave of the +Greyhound. + + + + +LESSON XXV. + +_Knock Again._--CHILD'S COMPANION. + + +1. I remember having been sent, when I was a very little boy, with a +message from my father to a particular friend of his, who resided in the +suburbs of the town in which my parents then lived. + +2. This gentleman occupied an old-fashioned house, the door of which was +approached by a broad flight of stone steps of a semi-circular form. The +brass knocker was an object of much interest to me, in those days; for +the whim of the maker had led him to give it the shape of an elephant's +head, the trunk of the animal being the movable portion. + +3. Away, then, I scampered, in great haste; and having reached the +house, ran up the stone steps as usual; and, seizing the elephant's +trunk, made the house reecho to my knocking. No answer was returned. + +4. At this my astonishment was considerable, as the servants, in the +times I write of, were more alert and attentive than they are at +present. However, I knocked a second time. Still no one came. + +5. At this I was much more surprised. I looked at the house. It +presented no appearance of a desertion. Some of the windows were open to +admit the fresh air, for it was summer; others of them were closed. But +all had the aspect of an inhabited dwelling. + +6. I was greatly perplexed; and looked around, to see if any one was +near who could advise me how to act. Immediately a venerable old +gentleman, whom I had never seen before, came across the way, and, +looking kindly in my face, advised me to knock again. + +7. I did so without a moment's hesitation, and presently the door was +opened, so that I had an opportunity of delivering my message. I +afterward learned that the servants had been engaged in removing a heavy +piece of furniture from one part of the house to the other; an operation +which required their united strength, and prevented them from opening +the door. + + + + +LESSON XXVI. + +_The same subject, continued._ + + +1. As I was tripping lightly homeward, I passed the kind old gentleman, +about half way down the street. He took me gently by the arm; and, +retaining his hold, began to address me thus, as we walked on together: + +2. "The incident, my little friend, which has just occurred, may be of +some use to you in after life, if it be suitably improved. Young people +are usually very enthusiastic in all their undertakings, and in the same +proportion are very easily discouraged. + +3. "Learn, then, from what has taken place this morning, to persevere in +the business which you have commenced, provided it be laudable in +itself; and, ten to one, you will succeed. If you do not at first +obtain what you aim at, _knock again_. A door may be opened when you +least expect it. + +4. "In entering on the practice of a profession, engaging in trade, or +what is usually called settling in the world, young people often meet +with great disappointments. + +5. "Friends, whom they naturally expected to employ them, not +unfrequently prefer others in the same line; and even professors of +religion do not seem to consider it a duty to promote the temporal +interest of their brethren in the Lord. + +6. "Nevertheless, industry, sobriety, and patience, are usually +accompanied by the Divine blessing. Should you therefore, my little +friend, ever experience disappointments of this kind, think of the brass +knocker; _knock again_; be sober, be diligent, and your labors will be +blessed. + +7. "In the pursuit of philosophy many difficulties are encountered. +These the student must expect to meet; but he must not relinquish the +investigation of truth, because it seems to elude his search. He may +knock at the gate of science, and apparently without being heard. But +let him _knock again_, and he will find an entrance." + + + + +LESSON XXVII. + +_The same subject, concluded._ + + +1. "Do you ever pray to God? I hope and trust you do. God commands and +encourages us to pray to him. But he does not always answer our prayers +at the time, or in the way, we expect. + +2. "What then? We know that he hears them. We know that he is a gracious +God, a reconciled Father in Christ. Let us _knock again_. Let us ask in +faith, and, if what we ask be pleasing in his sight, he will grant it in +his own good time. + +3. "You know who it was that said, 'Ask, and it shall be given you; +seek, and ye shall find; _knock_, and it shall be opened unto you: for +every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to +him that _knocketh_, it shall be opened.' + +4. "Once more: our progress in the Divine life, even after we have +wholly given ourselves to the Lord, does not always equal our wishes or +expectations. We find much indwelling sin, much remaining corruption, to +struggle with. + +5. "But let us not despond. The grace of our Lord is sufficient for us, +and his strength is made perfect in our weakness. Let us _knock again_. + +6. "Let us continue, with humble confidence, to do what we know to be +pleasing in our Master's sight. Let us work out our own salvation, with +fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in us both to will and to +do of his good pleasure." + +7. We had now reached the gate of my father's garden; and the good old +gentleman, taking me kindly by the hand, bid me try to remember what he +had said. He then went his way, and I saw him no more. + +8. I afterward endeavored to find out who he was; but I did not succeed. +His advice, however, sunk deep into my mind, and has often been of +singular value to me since. + +9. My disposition is naturally sanguine, and my disappointments +proportionably acute. But, upon calling to mind the old mansion, the +brass knocker, and my venerable counselor, I have frequently been led to +_knock again_, when I might otherwise have sat down in despondency. + +10. I hope that many of my readers will derive similar benefit from the +perusal of this little history; for the sole end of its publication will +be answered, if the young persons under whose eyes it may come be +induced, at every season of doubt and perplexity, in the exercise of +simple confidence in God, to _knock again_. + + + + +LESSON XXVIII + +_Make Good Use of your Time._--EMMA C. EMBURY. + + +[Illustration: "To everything there is a season, and a time for every +purpose under heaven."] + +1. "My dear Anna," said Mrs. Elmore, as she bade her little girl +farewell, "I shall be absent ten days; and as you have already had so +many lessons from me respecting the manner of distributing your hours of +amusement and study, I will only say to you, now, '_Make good use of +your time_.'" + +2. Anna's eyes filled with tears as the carriage drove off, and she felt +very lonely when she returned to the parlor without her mother. She +thought over her mother's parting words, until she felt quite proud of +the confidence reposed in her, and resolved not to abuse it by neglect. + +3. She accordingly took her books and sat down to her studies, as +attentively as if her mother had been waiting to hear her recitation. + +4. Anna was an affectionate, intelligent child. She would have made any +sacrifices to please her mother, and she really loved her studies; but +her one great fault was a disposition to loiter away time. + +5. This her mother well knew; and after trying admonition, until she +almost feared she was increasing the evil by allowing Anna to depend too +much upon her guidance, she determined to test the effect of leaving her +to her own responsibility. + +6. For an hour after her mother's departure, Anna sat in close attention +to her studies. All at once, she started up. "I am so hungry," said she, +"I must go to Betty for some luncheon;--but stop--I will finish my +exercise first." + +7. She wrote a line or two; then throwing down her pen, petulantly +exclaimed, "There! I have made two mistakes, because I was in such a +hurry;--I will not finish it till I come back." + +8. So away ran the little girl to her old nurse, and the next half-hour +was spent in satisfying her hunger. As she was returning, with laggard +step, she happened to spy, from the window, a beautiful butterfly +fluttering about the rose-bushes in the garden; and, quite forgetting +her unfinished exercise, away she flew in chase of the butterfly. + +9. But, agile as were her movements, the insect was too nimble for her; +and after an hour's race beneath the burning sun, she returned, flushed +and overheated, without having succeeded in its capture. + +10. Again she applied herself to her books; but study was not so easy +now as it would have been a little earlier. Anna was too tired to apply +her mind to her lessons; and after loitering a while over her desk, she +threw herself on the sofa, and fell into a sound sleep, from which she +was only awakened by a summons to dinner. + +11. After dinner, Betty proposed taking her out to walk; and though +conscious that she had not performed half her duties, she had not +resolution enough to refuse to go. Tying on her bonnet, she took a +little basket on her arm, and set out with Betty to gather +wild-flowers. + +12. When they reached the woods, Betty sought out a mossy seat under an +old tree, and, taking her work from her pocket, began to sew as +industriously as if she had been at home. + +13. "O Betty!" exclaimed Anna, "how can you sit and sew, when there are +so many pleasant sights and sounds around you?" + +14. "I can hear the pleasant sounds, my child, without looking round to +see where they come from," replied Betty; "and as for the pretty sights, +though I can enjoy them as much as any one, I cannot neglect my work for +them. + +15. "I promised your mother to have these shirts finished when she came +home, and I mean to do so."--"Dear me!" said the little girl, "I wish I +had brought my book, and I might have studied my lesson here." + +16. "No, no, Anna," said the old woman; "little girls can't study in the +woods, with the birds singing and the grasshoppers chirping around them. +Better attend to your books in-doors." + +17. Betty continued her sewing; and towards sunset, when they arose to +return, she had stitched a collar and a pair of wristbands, while Anna +had filled her basket with flowers. + +18. As they approached the village, Betty called at a poor cottage, to +inquire after a sick child, and Anna was shocked at the poverty and +wretchedness of the inmates. The little children were only half clothed, +their faces were covered with dirt, and their rough locks seemed to bid +defiance to the comb. + +19. Pitying the condition of the poor little girls, Anna determined to +provide them with some better clothing; and she returned home full of +benevolent projects. + +20. The next morning, as soon as she rose, she began to look over her +wardrobe; and selecting three frocks which she had outgrown, she carried +them to Betty, to alter for Mrs. Wilson's children. + +21. "I shall do no such thing," said Betty; "Mrs. Wilson's children are +not suffering for clothes; the weather is warm, and they are as well +clad as they will be the day after they are dressed up in your finery. + +22. "Mrs. Wilson is an untidy, slovenly woman; and though your mother +charged me to look after her sick baby, she did not tell me to furnish +new clothes for the other dirty little brats!" + +23. "Well, Betty, if you don't choose to do it, I'll try it +myself."--"Pretty work you'll make of it, to be sure! you will just cut +the frocks to pieces, and then they will fit nobody." + +24. "Well, I am determined to fix them for those poor little ragged +children," said Anna; "and if you will not help me, I will get Kitty the +chambermaid to do it." + + + + +LESSON XXIX. + +_The same subject, continued._ + + +1. Anna found a very good assistant in the warm-hearted, thoughtless +Irish girl. Kitty cut out the frocks, and Anna sat herself down to make +them. + +2. She found it rather tedious work, and, if she had not been afraid of +Betty's ridicule, she would have been tempted to throw her task aside; +but as Kitty promised to help her, as soon as her household duties were +completed, Anna determined to persevere. + +3. When night came, she had finished one frock, and begun another; so +she went to bed quite happy, forgetting that, in her benevolent zeal, +she had neglected her studies and her music, as well as her mother's +plants and her own Canary-bird. + +4. The next day, she again went to work at the frocks, and, with Kitty's +assistance, they were completed before tea-time. Never was a child +happier than Anna, when she saw the three little frocks spread out upon +the bed. + +5. A degree of self-satisfaction was mingled with her benevolence, and +she began to think how pleased her mother would be to learn how hard she +had worked in the cause of charity. She ran off for Betty to take her +down to Mrs. Wilson's cottage; but she found Betty in no humor to +gratify her. + +6. "I'll have nothing to do with it!" said the old woman. "Kitty helped +you to spoil your pretty frocks, and she may help you dress the dirty +children;--they will look fine, to be sure, in your French calico +dresses!" + +7. Anna was too happy to mind Betty's scolding; so away she flew to find +Kitty, and they set off together for Mrs. Wilson's cottage. When they +arrived there, they found the children by the edge of the pond making +dirt pies, while their faces and hands bore testimony to their industry. + +8. Kitty stripped and washed them, though nothing but the bribe of a new +frock could have induced them to submit to so unusual an operation. Anna +almost danced with pleasure, when she beheld their clean faces, +well-combed locks, and new dresses. + +[Illustration] + +9. Her mother had now been three days gone, and Anna felt that she had +not quite fulfilled her trust. But she satisfied herself with the +thought that two days had been devoted to a charitable purpose, and she +was sure her mother would think that she had made good use of that +portion of her time. + +10. The fourth day, she determined to make amends for past neglect, by +studying double lessons. She went to her room and locked the door, +resolving to perform all her duties on that day, at least. + +11. She had scarcely commenced her studies, however, when she +recollected that she had not watered her mother's plants since she had +been gone. She threw down her books, and running into the garden, sought +her little watering-pot; but it was not to be found. + +12. She was sure she had put it either in the summer-house, or the +tool-house, or under the piazza, or somewhere. After spending half an +hour in search of it, she remembered that she had left it under the +great elm-tree, in the field. + +13. By this time, the sun was shining with full vigor upon the delicate +plants; and, forgetting her mother's caution to water them only in the +shade, she overwhelmed the parched leaves with a deluge of water, and +went off quite content. + +14. She then thought of her bird; and on examining his cage, found that +he could reach neither the seed nor the water. So she replenished his +cups, decorated his cage with fresh chickweed, treated him to a lump of +sugar, and played with him until she had loitered away the best part of +the morning. + +15. Immediately after dinner, a little friend came to see her, and the +rest of the day was consumed in dressing dolls, or arranging her +baby-house. + + + + +LESSON XXX. + +_The same subject, concluded._ + + +1. On the fifth day, she summoned courage enough to persevere, and +actually performed every task with attention. + +2. In the afternoon, Betty took her out to walk, and Anna coaxed her +into a visit to Mrs. Wilson's cottage. What was her indignation, as she +approached the house, to see the children again playing on the margin of +the duck-pond! + +3. As soon as they saw her, they ran to hide themselves, but not until +she had observed that their new frocks were as dirty, and almost as +ragged, as the old ones. Betty did not fail to make Anna fully sensible +of her own superior wisdom. + +4. "I told you so, child," said she; "I told you it was all nonsense to +try to dress up those dirty creatures; much good you have done, to be +sure!" Anna almost cried with vexation, as she thought of all the time +and labor she had wasted upon her benevolent task, and she walked home +with a heavy heart. + +5. The next morning, she had scarcely risen from the breakfast-table, +when Kitty came to show her a beautiful little ship, which, her +brother, who was a sailor, had made for her, as a token of remembrance. + +[Illustration] + +6. Anna was delighted with it; nothing could be more beautiful than its +graceful form, its delicate rigging and snowy sails. She begged to have +it set on her table, that she might see it while she was studying, and +the good-natured Kitty left it with her. + +7. But in vain the heedless child tried to study; her eyes and thoughts +wandered perpetually to the pretty toy before her. "How I should like to +see it sail!" said she to herself. The more she looked at it, the more +anxious she became to see it in the water. + +8. At length, taking it carefully up, she stole down stairs, and hurried +across the garden to a little brook in the adjacent field. Here she +launched her tiny bark; but it had scarcely touched the water, when it +turned over on its side. She then recollected that she had once heard +her father speak of the manner of ballasting a ship; so she hastened to +gather a quantity of small stones, with which she filled the little +cabin. + +9. Again she intrusted her ship to the crystal streamlet; but, alas! the +weight of the stones carried it straight to the bottom. There it lay in +the pebbly channel, with the clear waters rippling above it, and the +little girl stood aghast upon the brink. + +10. She bared her arm, and attempted to reach it, but without success. +At length, while making a desperate effort to regain it, she lost her +balance, and fell into the water. + +11. Fortunately, the water was not deep, and she soon scrambled out +again; but she was thoroughly wet, and, having been very warm before the +accident, she was now chilled to the heart. + +12. Grasping the little ship, the cause of all the mischief, she hurried +home, and creeping softly into the kitchen, sought her friend Kitty, to +screen her from Betty's anger. By this time she was shivering with a +violent ague, and Kitty carried her immediately to Betty. + +13. Poor Anna! she was now obliged to be put to bed, and to take some +of Betty's bitter herb tea, seasoned too with scolding, and all kinds of +evil predictions. She felt very unhappy, and cried sadly; but +repentance, in this case, came too late. + +14. Her head began to ache dreadfully; her skin was parched with fever, +and before the next morning she was very ill. She had taken a violent +cold, which brought on an attack of scarlet fever; and when Mrs. Elmore +returned, she found her little daughter stretched on a bed of sickness. + +15. How did that fond mother tremble, as she watched by the bedside of +her darling child, uncertain whether she would ever again lift up her +head from her uneasy pillow! + +16. Anna did not know her mother in the delirium of fever, and her +melancholy cry of "Mother! mother! come back!--I will never be so bad +again!" wrung Mrs. Elmore's heart. + +17. For three weeks Anna lay between life and death; and when she was at +length pronounced out of danger, she was as helpless as an infant. + +18. One day, as she sat propped up by pillows, she told her mother all +that had passed during her absence, and awaited her decision respecting +the use she had made of her time. + +19. "My dear child," said Mrs. Elinore, "I trust the past will afford a +lesson you will never forget. So far from having made good use of your +time, you have done harm in everything you have undertaken. + +20. "Your attempts at study, instead of affording you any real +instruction, have only given you habits of inattention, which you will +find very difficult to overcome; for your eyes have wandered over the +page, while your thoughts have been with the fool's, to the ends of the +earth. + +21. "Your irregular care of my plants, which you thought would serve +instead of habitual attention, has been the means of destroying them as +effectually as if you had allowed them to perish from total neglect. + +22. "Your injudicious benevolence to the Wilsons served only to make the +children envious of each other, without giving them habits of neatness, +which are essential to the well-being of such a family; while it had a +worse effect upon yourself, because it not only wasted your precious +time, but excited in you a feeling of vanity, on account of what you +considered a good action. + +23. "If, instead of trusting so boldly to your good resolutions, you had +entered upon your duties with an humble mind, and resolved to _try_ to +do right,--if you had apportioned your time with some degree of +regularity,--you might have performed all that was required of you, +enjoyed all your amusements, and gratified every kindly feeling, without +a single self-reproach. + +24. "As it is, you feel sensible of having failed in everything,--of +having exposed yourself to great peril, and subjected your mother to +great anxiety, simply from your disposition to loiter, when you should +labor. + +25. "I trust that, in the solitude of your sick chamber, 'the still +small voice' of your many wasted hours has made itself heard, and that +hereafter you will not so utterly fail to make good use of your time." + + + + +LESSON XXXI. + +_Verse, or Poetry._ + + +1. All the lessons in this book which you have thus far read have been +in prose. I intend to give you some lessons in verse, or, as it is +sometimes, but improperly called, poetry. + +2. There is a great deal of difference between verse and poetry; but as +this book is intended for those who are not quite old enough to +understand all these differences, I shall not attempt at present to +point them out to you. + +3. But I wish you first to understand the difference, which you can see +with your eye, between prose and verse. The lines of verse often end in +what are called _rhymes_. Thus, if one line ends with the word _found_, +the next line ends with a word which sounds very much like it, as +_ground, round, bound, sound, hound, wound_. + +4. These are called _rhymes_. Here are a few such lines. + + +IMPROVEMENT OF TIME. + + "Defer not till to-morrow to be wise; + To-morrow's sun to thee may never rise." + + +BEST USE OF MONEY. + + "When wealth to virtuous hands is given, + It blesses like the dew of Heaven; + Like Heaven, it hears the orphan's cries, + And wipes the tears from widow's eyes." + +5. Sometimes the rhymes occur in alternate lines; that is, two lines +come together which are not rhymes, and are followed by two lines to +make rhymes to both, as follows: + + "Let the sweet work of prayer and praise + Employ our youngest breath; + Thus we're prepared for longer days, + Or fit for early death." + +6. There are some kinds of verses that do not rhyme. These are called +_blank_ verse. Here is an example of blank verse: + + "Mark well, my child, he said; this little stream + Shall teach thee charity. It is a source + I never knew to fail: directed thus + Be that soft stream, the fountain of thy heart. + For, oh! my much-loved child, I trust thy heart + Has those affections that shall bless thyself; + And, flowing softly like this little rill, + Cheer all that droop. The good man did not err." + +7. Now, there are several things that I wish you to notice in these +lines. In the first place, if you will count the syllables, you will +find that there are exactly ten syllables in each line; and it is always +the case, that in verse it is necessary that there should be a certain +number of syllables of a certain kind. + +8. What that number is, I cannot now explain to you; but you will be +able to understand from a book called a grammar, which you will probably +study at some future time, if you do not study it now. It is contained +in that part of grammar called Prosody. + +9. The next thing I wish you to notice is, that every line of verse +always begins with a capital letter. + +10. And thirdly you will notice, that the lines of verse are more +regular in their sound than lines of prose. They have a kind of musical +sound about them, which you very rarely hear, except in verse. + +11. And fourthly you will notice, that some of the words are shortened +by leaving out a letter, and putting in its place a mark called an +_apostrophe_, which looks just like a comma, only it is placed higher up +in the line, as in the following line: + + "Thus we're prepared for longer days." + +12. In this line, if the words were written out at full length, with all +their letters in them, the line would stand as follows: + + "Thus we are prepared for longer days." + +13. But this would destroy what is called the _measure_ of the line, by +putting too many syllables into it; and therefore the words _we are_ are +shortened, so as to be read as one syllable, and the line is to be read +as follows: + + "Thus weer prepared for longer days." + +14. The next difference I shall point out to you between prose and +verse, is that in verse the words are placed in a different order from +what they would be in prose; as you will notice in the following lines: + + "When all thy mercies, oh my God! + My rising soul surveys, + Transported with the view, I'm lost + In wonder, love and praise." + +15. Now, if these lines were written in prose, the words would stand in +the following order: "O my God! when my rising soul surveys all thy +mercies, I'm transported with the view of them, and lost in wonder, love +and praise." + +16. And now that I have explained to you a few of the points in which +verse differs from prose, I will only add, that when you read verse, you +must not stop at the end of every line, unless there is a pause or mark +there; and that you must avoid reading it as if you were singing it to a +tune. + + + + +LESSON XXXII. + +_God Present Everywhere._ + + + 1. Thou, Lord, by strictest search hast known + My rising up and lying down; + My secret thoughts are known to thee, + Known long before conceived by me. + + 2. Surrounded by thy power I stand, + On every side I find thy hand: + O skill for human reach too high! + Too dazzling bright for mortal eye! + + 3. From thy all-seeing Spirit, Lord, + What hiding-place does earth afford? + O where can I thy influence shun, + Or whither from thy presence run? + + 4. If up to heaven I take my flight, + 'Tis there thou dwell'st enthroned in light; + If to the world unseen, my God, + There also hast thou thine abode. + + 5. If I the morning's wings could gain, + And fly beyond the western main; + E'en there, in earth's remotest land, + I still should find thy guiding hand. + + 6. Or, should I try to shun thy sight + Beneath the sable wings of night; + One glance from thee, one piercing ray, + Would kindle darkness into day. + + 7. The veil of night is no disguise, + No screen from thy all-searching eyes; + Through midnight shades thou find'st thy way, + As in the blazing noon, of day. + + 8. Thou know'st the texture of my heart, + My reins, and every vital part: + I'll praise thee, from whose hands I came + A work of such a wondrous frame. + + 9. Let me acknowledge too, O God, + That since this maze of life I trod, + Thy thoughts of love to me surmount + The power of numbers to recount. + + 10. Search, try, O God, my thoughts and heart, + If mischief lurk in any part; + Correct me where I go astray, + And guide me in thy perfect way. + + + + +LESSON XXXIII. + +_Devotion._ + + + 1. While thee I seek, protecting Power, + Be my vain wishes stilled; + And may this consecrated hour + With better hopes be filled. + + 2. Thy love the power of thought stowed, + To thee my thoughts would soar: + Thy mercy o'er my life has flowed, + That mercy I adore. + + 3. In each event of life, how clear + Thy ruling hand I see! + Each blessing to my soul more dear, + Because conferred by thee. + + 4. In every joy that crowns my days, + In every pain I bear, + My heart shall find delight in praise, + Or seek relief in prayer. + + 5. When gladness wings my favored hour, + Thy love my thoughts shall fill; + Resigned, when storms of sorrow lower, + My soul shall meet thy will. + + 6. My lifted eye, without a tear, + The gathering storm shall see; + My steadfast heart shall know no fear-- + That heart will rest on thee. + + + + +LESSON XXXIV. + +_The Gardener and the Hog._--GAY. + + 1. A gardener, of peculiar taste, + On a young hog his favor placed, + Who fed not with the common herd,-- + His tray was to the hall preferred; + He wallowed underneath the board, + Or in his master's chamber snored, + Who fondly stroked him every day, + And taught him all the puppy's play. + + 2. Where'er he went, the grunting friend + Ne'er failed his pleasure to attend. + As on a time the loving pair + Walked forth to tend the garden's care, + The master thus addressed the swine: + + 3. "My house, my garden, all is thine: + On turnips feast whene'er you please, + And riot in my beans and peas; + If the potato's taste delights, + Or the red carrot's sweet invites, + Indulge thy morn and evening hours, + But let due care regard my flowers; + My tulips are my garden's pride-- + What vast expense these beds supplied!" + + 4. The hog, by chance, one morning roamed + Where with new ale the vessels foamed; + He munches now the steaming grains, + Now with full swill the liquor drains; + Intoxicating fumes arise, + He reels, he rolls his winking eyes; + Then, staggering, through the garden scours, + And treads down painted ranks of flowers; + With delving snout he turns the soil, + And cools his palate with the spoil. + + 5. The master came,--the ruin spied. + "Villain, suspend thy rage!" he cried: + "Hast then, thou most ungrateful sot, + My charge, my only charge, forgot? + What, all my flowers?" No more he said; + But gazed, and sighed, and hung his head. + + 6. The hog, with stuttering speech, returns:-- + "Explain, sir, why your anger burns; + See there, untouched, your tulips strown, + For I devoured the roots alone!" + + 7. At this the gardener's passion grows; + From oaths and threats he fell to blows; + The stubborn brute the blows sustains, + Assaults his leg, and tears the veins. + Ah! foolish swain, too late you find + That sties were for such friends designed! + + 8. Homeward he limps with painful pace, + Reflecting thus on past disgrace: + Who cherishes a brutal mate, + Shall mourn the folly soon or late. + + + + +LESSON XXXV. + +_The Hare and many Friends._--GAY. + + + 1. A hare, who, in a civil way, + Complied with everything, like Gay, + Was known by all the bestial train + Who haunt the wood, or graze the plain. + Her care was never to offend, + And every creature was her friend. + + 2. As forth she went, at early dawn, + To taste the dew-besprinkled lawn, + Behind she hears the hunter's cries, + And from the deep-mouthed thunder flies. + + 3. She starts, she stops, she pants for breath; + She hears the near advance of death; + She doubles to mislead the hound, + And measures back her mazy round; + Till, fainting in the public way, + Half dead with fear, she gasping lay. + + 4. What transport in her bosom grew, + When first the horse appeared in view! + "Let me," says she, "your back ascend, + And owe my safety to a friend. + You know my feet betray my flight,-- + To friendship every burden's light." + + 5. The horse replied:--"Poor honest puss, + It grieves my heart to see thee thus. + Be comforted,--relief is near; + For all your friends are in the rear." + + 6. She next the stately bull implored; + And thus replied the mighty lord:-- + "Since every beast alive can tell + That I sincerely wish you well, + I may, without offense, pretend + To take the freedom of a friend. + Love calls me hence; a favorite cow + Expects me near yon barley-mow; + And when a lady's in the case, + You know all other things give place. + To leave you thus might seem unkind; + But see,--the goat is just behind." + + 7. The goat remarked her pulse was high, + Her languid head, her heavy eye,-- + "My back," says he, "may do you harm; + The sheep's at hand, and wool is warm." + + 8. The sheep was feeble, and complained + His sides a load of wool sustained: + Said he was slow, confessed his fears; + For hounds eat sheep, as well as hares. + + 9. She now the trotting calf addressed, + To save from death a friend distressed. + "Shall I," says he, "of tender age, + In this important care engage? + Older and abler passed you by; + How strong are those! how weak am I! + + 10. "Should I presume to bear you hence, + Those friends of mine may take offense. + Excuse me, then,--you know my heart; + But dearest friends, alas! must part. + How shall we all lament! Adieu! + For see,--the hounds are just in view." + + 11. 'Tis thus in friendships; who depend + On many, rarely find a friend. + +[Illustration] + + + + +LESSON XXXVI. + +_Maxims._--SELECTED. + + +Never delay until to-morrow what you can do to-day. + +Never trouble others for what you can do yourself. + +Never spend your money before you have it. + +Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap. + +Pride costs more than hunger, thirst, or cold. + +We never repent of having eaten too little. + +Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly. + +How much pains have those evils cost us which never happened! + +Take things always by their smooth handle. + +When angry, count ten before you speak; if very angry, a hundred. + +Hear as little as possible spoken against others; and believe nothing of +the kind, until you are absolutely forced to believe it. + +Always believe that if you heard what may be said on the other side of +the question, a very different account of the matter might be given. + +Do to others what you would have them do to you. + + + + +LESSON XXXVII. + +_How to be Happy._--CHILD AT HOME. + + +1. Every child must have observed how much happier and more beloved some +children are than others. There are some children whom you always love +to be with. They are happy themselves, and they make you happy. + +2. There are others, whose society you always avoid. The very expression +of their countenances produces unpleasant feelings. They seem to have no +friends. + +3. No person can be happy without friends. The heart is formed for love, +and cannot be happy without the opportunity of giving and receiving +affection. + +4. But you cannot receive affection, unless you will also give it. You +cannot find others to love you, unless you will also love them. Love is +only to be obtained by giving love in return. Hence the importance of +cultivating a cheerful and obliging disposition. You cannot be happy +without it. + +5. I have sometimes heard a girl say, "I know that I am very unpopular +at school." Now, this is a plain confession that she is very disobliging +and unamiable in her disposition. + +6. If your companions do not love you, it is your own fault. They cannot +help loving you, if you will be kind and friendly. If you are not loved, +it is a good evidence that you do not deserve to be loved. It is true, +that a sense of duty may, at times, render it necessary for you to do +that which will be displeasing to your companions. + +7. But, if it is seen that you have a noble spirit, that you are above +selfishness, that you are willing to make sacrifices of your own +personal convenience to promote the happiness of your associates, you +will never be in want of friends. + +8. You must not regard it as your _misfortune_ that others do not love +you, but your _fault_. It is not beauty, it is not wealth, that will +give you friends. Your heart must glow with kindness, if you would +attract to yourself the esteem and affection of those by whom you are +surrounded. + +9. You are little aware how much the happiness of your whole life +depends upon the cultivation of an affectionate and obliging +disposition. If you will adopt the resolution that you will confer +favors whenever you have an opportunity, you will certainly be +surrounded by ardent friends. + +10. Begin upon this principle in childhood, and act upon it through +life, and you will make yourself happy, and promote the happiness of all +within your influence. + +11. You go to school on a cold winter morning. A bright fire is blazing +upon the hearth, surrounded with boys struggling to get near it to warm +themselves. After you get slightly warmed, another school-mate comes in, +suffering with cold. "Here, James," you pleasantly call out to him, "I +am almost warm; you may have my place." + +12. As you slip aside to allow him to take your place at the fire, will +he not feel that you are kind? The worst dispositioned boy in the world +cannot help admiring such generosity. + +13. And even though he be so ungrateful as to be unwilling to return the +favor, you may depend upon it that he will be your friend as far as he +is capable of friendship. If you will habitually act upon this +principle, you will never want friends. + +14. Suppose, some day, you were out with your companions, playing ball. +After you had been playing for some time, another boy comes along. He +cannot be chosen upon either side, for there is no one to match him. +"Henry," you say, "you may take my place a little while, and I will +rest." + +15. You throw yourself down upon the grass, while Henry, fresh and +vigorous, takes your bat and engages in the game. He knows that you gave +up to accommodate him; and how can he help liking you for it? + +16. The fact is, that neither man nor child can cultivate such a spirit +of generosity and kindness, without attracting affection and esteem. + +17. Look and see which of your companions have the most friends, and you +will find that they are those who have this noble spirit,--who are +willing to deny themselves, that they may make their associates happy. + +18. This is not peculiar to childhood. It is the same in all periods of +life. There is but one way to make friends; and that is, by being +friendly to others. + +19. Perhaps some child, who reads this, feels conscious of being +disliked, and yet desires to have the affection of his companions. You +ask me what you shall do. I will tell you. + +20. I will give you an infallible rule. Do all in your power to make +others happy. Be willing to make sacrifices of your own convenience, +that you may promote the happiness of others. + +21. This is the way to make friends, and the only way. When you are +playing with your brothers and sisters at home, be always ready to give +them more than their share of privileges. + +22. Manifest an obliging disposition, and they cannot but regard you +with affection. In all your intercourse with others, at home or abroad, +let these feelings influence you, and you will receive a rich reward. + + + + +LESSON XXXVIII. + +_Obedience and Disobedience._--CHILD'S COMPANION. + + +1. You have never disobeyed your parents, or your teachers, or any who +have been placed in authority over you, without being uncomfortable and +unhappy! Obedience, in a child, is one of the most necessary qualities; +for it protects him from all the evils of his want of experience, and +gives him the benefit of the experience of others. + +2. One fine summer's day, I went to spend an afternoon at a house in +the country, where some young people were enjoying a holiday. + +3. They were running cheerfully up and down a meadow, covered over with +yellow crocuses, and other flowers; and I looked on them with delight, +while they gamboled and made posies, as they felt disposed. + + "Here sister with sister roamed over the mead, + And brother plucked flow'rets with brother; + And playmates with playmates ran on with such speed + That the one tumbled over the other." + +4. Now, they all had been told to keep away from the ditch at the bottom +of the field; but, notwithstanding this injunction, one little urchin, +of the name of Jarvis, seeing a flower in the hedge on the opposite +bank, which he wished to gather, crept nearer and nearer to the ditch. + +5. The closer he got to the flower, the more beautiful it appeared to +be, and the stronger the temptation became to pluck it. + +6. Now, what right had he to put himself in the way of temptation? The +field, as I said before, was covered over with flowers; and that in the +hedge was no better than the rest, only it was a forbidden flower, and +when anything is forbidden it becomes, on that very account, a greater +temptation to a disobedient heart. + +7. Jarvis had gathered a whole handful of flowers before he saw the one +growing in the hedge; but he threw all these away, so much was his mind +set on getting the one which he wanted. + +8. Unluckily for him, in getting down the bank, his foot slipped, and +down he rolled into a bed of stinging nettles, at the bottom of the +ditch, which fortunately happened to have in it but little water. + +9. Jarvis screamed out with might and main, as he lay on his back; for, +whichever way he turned, his cheeks and his fingers brushed against the +nettles. + +[Illustration] + +10. His cries soon brought his companions around him; but, as they were +all young, they knew not how to render him assistance, on account of +the stinging nettles, and the depth of the ditch. + +11. I ran to the spot, and pulled up Master Jarvis in a pretty pickle, +his jacket and trowsers plastered with mud, and his hands and face +covered with blotches. + +12. Here was the fruit of disobedience! And as it was with Jarvis, so +will it be with every one who acts disobediently. + +13. Whenever you feel a temptation to disobey God; to disobey his holy +word; to disobey the admonitions of your own conscience; to disobey your +parents, your teachers, or any in authority over you,--be sure that a +punishment awaits you, if you do not resist it. + +14. As you are not able to resist it in your own strength, ask God's +assistance for Christ's sake, and it will not be withheld. Now, remember +Jarvis, and the bed of stinging nettles! + +15. The Bible tells us very plainly how much God sets his face against +disobedience. "The children of Israel walked forty years in the +wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of +Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord." + +16. "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for, because of these +things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." Nor +is it disobedience to God that is alone hateful in his sight; for +disobedience to parents is spoken of as an evil thing, too. + +17. "The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his +mother, the ravens of the valley shall pluck it out, and the young +eagles shall eat it." + +18. But I cannot bear to think that you are disobedient! I would rather +consider you obedient in all things, and encourage you in holding on +your way, obeying the will of God, and the word of all in authority over +you. + + "The Lord rules over sea and land, + And blest indeed are they + Who all his counsels understand, + And his commands obey." + +19. I have often been struck with the simplicity with which some +children obey their parents. This tractable disposition is very amiable +in a child. + +20. It was no longer ago than last week, that, in crossing a field, I +overtook three children: one, a little girl of about five years old, was +on the foot-path, and, just as I came up, her brother called her to him, +where he was in the field. + +21. "No, William," said the little maid; "my mother told me not to go +off the foot-path, and it would be very wicked to disobey my mother." + +22. I caught the little creature up in my arms; and having a small neat +book in my pocket, suitable for a child, I gave it to her, and told her +to remember that the reason why I gave it was, that she had been +obedient to her mother. + + "Though cares on cares in parent hearts be piled, + Great is that blessing--an obedient child!" + +23. Without obedience there can be no order. The man must obey his +master, the maid her mistress, and the scholar his teacher. If you +attend a Sunday-school, whatever class you are in, be obedient to your +instructors, or you will make but little progress. By obedience you will +learn faster, secure the respect of those about you, and set a proper +example to those younger than yourself. + +24. If you are in a place of work, be obedient to your employer. Those +make the best masters and mistresses who have been the most obedient +servants; for the discharge of one duty disposes us to perform another. + +25. The best way to qualify yourselves to act well when grown up, is to +act well while you are children. + + + + +LESSON XXXIX. + +_Obstinacy._--LESSONS WITHOUT BOOKS. + + +1. There is a certain fault which almost all children have in a greater +or less degree. It is called by different names; sometimes it is termed +wilfulness, sometimes pertinacity, and sometimes it receives the still +harsher name of obstinacy. + +2. Almost all our faults are owing to the perversion or abuse of +propensities originally good; and perseverance, when carried too far, or +expended upon unworthy objects, becomes a troublesome infirmity. + +3. Louisa and Emily had both something of this infirmity, but differing +both in degree and in its mode of operation. + +4. What are called _little things_ did not trouble Emily at all; and, on +the contrary, they troubled Louisa very much. + +5. But, when anything did seem peculiarly desirable to Emily,--when she +set her heart upon having her own way,--she carried her perseverance to +a degree which deserved to be called obstinacy. + +6. She could _give up_, as children term it, with less effort, and more +grace, than most others; but if anything determined her not to give up, +she was immovable. + +7. "You are almost always in the right," my daughter, her father once +said to her, "and Heaven preserve you from error; for when you once fall +into it, you will be too apt to persevere." + +8. It happened, at one time, that she and Louisa were having some nice +sun-bonnets made. Emily went for them at the time when they were to be +finished, and finding only one completed, immediately appropriated it to +herself, because she was really in greater need of it than Louisa, who +had one that answered her purpose very well. + +9. Louisa resented this, because that, being the eldest, she considered +herself as having the first right; but Emily could not be persuaded to +give up, although Louisa's equanimity was very much disturbed on that +account. + +10. If it had been proposed to her beforehand to let Louisa have the +bonnet voluntarily, she would not have hesitated, for she was not +selfish; but when Louisa claimed it as a right, she resisted. + +11. Her mother afterwards told her that she should always avoid +irritating the peculiar humors of her companions. "You," said she, +"would not have minded waiting for the other bonnet a day or two, but to +Louisa it was quite a serious evil." + +12. And here let me remark upon the proneness which all children have to +magnify the importance of little things. A strife often arises among +them, about just nothing at all, from a mere spirit of competition. + +[Illustration] + +13. One says, "This is my seat." Another, who would not else have +thought of desiring that particular seat, immediately regards it in the +light of a prize, and exclaims, "No, I meant to have that seat; and I +had it just before you took it." + +14. Half a dozen claimants will appear directly, and perhaps get into a +serious quarrel; whereas, had the reply been, in the first instance, +"Very well, let it be your seat," there would have been an end to the +matter. + +15. But to return to Louisa. She magnified a thousand little things, of +every day occurrence, in such a manner as proved a very serious +inconvenience to herself. + +16. She wished to have her potato sliced, but never mashed. She could +not bear to see a door open a single moment; and, even if she were at +her meals, and the closet door happened to stand ajar, she would jump up +and fly to shut it, with the speed of lightning. + +17. She could not _endure_ the feeling of gloves; nor could she any +better endure to have her hat tied. Her aunt bore with all these follies +a while, and then deliberately resolved to counteract them. + +18. Louisa at first thought this was very hard and unreasonable. "Why +can't I have my potato sliced, Aunt Cleaveland?" said she; "what hurt +can it do? And why can't I shut the door when it is open? is there any +harm in that?" + +19. "Not at all, my dear, in the thing itself," Mrs. Cleaveland replied; +"but there is a great deal of evil in having your tranquillity disturbed +by things of such small moment. + +20. "If you allow yourself to be distressed by trifles now, how will you +bear the real trials of life, which you must inevitably sustain, sooner +or later? + +21. "By and by, you will find out that your suffering from these sources +is all imaginary, and then you will thank me for having restrained you. + +22. "Now, here is this nice dish of mashed potatoes, which we have every +day. If such a little hungry girl as you are, since you have breathed +our healthy mountain air, cannot eat it, and with relish too, I am +greatly mistaken; and, in process of time, I have no doubt you will +cease to observe whether the door is open or shut." + +23. On the first day of trial, Louisa just tasted the potato, and left +the whole of it upon her plate. Her aunt took no notice of this. The +next day, Louisa came in to dinner after a long walk, and was very +hungry. + +24. There was but one dish of meat upon the table, and it was of a kind +which she did not much like; so, forgetting all her repugnance to mashed +potato, she ate it very heartily. + +25. Mrs. Cleaveland, however, forbore to take any notice of this change; +and it was not until after several weeks had elapsed, and Louisa had +ceased to think of the distinction between sliced potato and mashed +potato, that her aunt reminded her of the importance which she had +formerly attached to the former. + +26. "Now, my dear Louisa," said Mrs. Cleaveland, "since you find the +task is not so very difficult as you apprehended, promise me that you +will try to cure yourself of all these little infirmities; for such I +must term them. + +27. "There is so much real suffering in life, that it is a pity to have +any which is merely imaginary; and though, while you are a little girl, +living with indulgent friends, your whims might all be gratified, a +constant and uniform regard to them will be impossible by and by, when +you are old enough to mingle with the world." + + + + +LESSON XL. + +_King Edward and his Bible._--MRS. L.H. SIGOURNEY. + + +1. I will tell you a little story about a young and good king. He was +king of England more than two hundred and eighty years ago. His name was +Edward, and, because there had been five kings before him of the name of +Edward, he was called Edward the Sixth. + +2. He was only nine years old when he began to reign. He was early +taught to be good, by pious teachers, and he loved to do what they told +him would please God. He had a great reverence for the Bible, which he +knew contained the words of his Father in heaven. + +[Illustration] + +3. Once, when he was quite a young child, he was playing with some +children about his own age. He wished much to reach something which was +above his head. To assist him, they laid a large, thick book in a chair, +for him to step on. Just as he was putting his foot upon it, he +discovered it to be the Bible. + +4. Drawing back, he took it in his arms, kissed it, and returned it to +its place. Turning to his little playmates, he said, with a serious +face,--"Shall I dare to tread under my feet that which God has +commanded me to keep in my heart?" + +5. This pious king never forgot his prayers. Though the people with whom +he lived were continually anxious to amuse him, and show him some new +thing, they never could induce him to omit his daily devotions. + +6. One day he heard that one of his teachers was sick. Immediately, he +retired to pray for him. Coming from his prayers, he said, with a +cheerful countenance, "I think there is hope that he will recover. I +have this morning earnestly begged of God to spare him to us." + +7. After his teacher became well, he was told of this; and he very much +loved the young king for remembering him in his prayers. + +8. Edward the Sixth died when he was sixteen years old. He was beloved +by all, for his goodness and piety. His mind was calm and serene in his +sickness. + +9. If you are not tired of my story, I will tell you part of a prayer +which he used often to say, when on his dying bed. + +10. "My Lord God, if thou wilt deliver me from this miserable life, take +me among thy chosen. Yet not my will, but thy will, be done. Lord, I +commit my spirit unto thee. Thou knowest how happy it were for me to be +with thee. Yet, if thou shouldst send me life and health, grant that I +may truly serve thee." + +11. Children, you should do like King Edward, reverence your Bible, and +love to pray to God. + + + + +LESSON XLI. + +_What does it Mean to be Tempted._--M.H., IN THE ROSE-BUD. + + +1. "Mother," said little Frank, "I wish you would tell me what it means +to be tempted. I heard you say, the other day, that people are tempted +to do many wicked things;--pray tell me, mother, if such a little boy as +I am is ever tempted?" + +2. "Yes, my child, every day you live; and when I have told you what +temptation is, I think you will confess that you have not only been +tempted, but often yielded to temptation. + +3. "To be tempted, means to be drawn by the offer of present pleasure to +do what is wrong. There are many kinds of temptation, and I think you +will understand me better if I give you an instance. + +4. "You know, my dear Frank, that both your father and I have forbidden +your going to the pond where your cousin Henry was drowned, because we +think it very dangerous for you to venture there. But you also know that +the other day you went, and suffered severely afterward for your +disobedience." + +5. "Yes, mother," said Frank; "but then I should not have gone, if +William Brown had not showed me his pretty ship, just as I was coming +out of school, and asked me to go see him launch it; and oh, mother, if +you had only seen it! + +6. "It had masts and sails, just like a _real_ ship; and on the deck a +little man, which William called the captain. And then, when it was on +the water, it sailed along so sweetly!--the pond was as smooth as a +looking-glass, so that we could see two little ships all the time. + +7. "I didn't think of disobeying you, mother; I only thought of the +pretty ship, and that there could be no harm in seeing William sail +it."--"The harm, my dear son (as you call it)," said his mother, "was +not in sailing the boat,--this is an innocent pleasure in itself; but it +was doing it after it had been forbidden by your parents, that made it +wrong. + +8. "The temptation to disobedience came in the form of a little ship. +You were drawn by it to the pond, the forbidden spot. You saw it sail +gayly off, and stood on the bank delighted." + +9. "But, mother," interrupted Frank, "I shouldn't have got into the +water and muddied my clothes, if the little ship hadn't got tangled in +the weeds; and the boys all shouted, Clear her! Clear her! and I +couldn't help stepping in, I was so near; and my foot slipped, and I +fell in." + +10. "Yes," said his mother, "and but for assistance of your +play-fellows, you might have been drowned. But God, whose eye was upon +you all the while, saw fit to spare you; and how thankful you ought to +be that he did not take you away in your disobedience! + +11. "You now see how you were tempted, first to go with William Brown to +the pond, and then to step into the water; which shows how one +temptation leads to another. But did not something within you, my son, +tell you, while there, that you were doing wrong to disobey your +parents?" + +12. "No, mother; I do not recollect that it did. I'm sure I did not +think a word about it till I was alone in bed, and was asking my +heavenly Father to take care of me. Then something seemed to say, +'Frank, you have done wrong to-day.' + +13. "And I felt how wicked I had been, and could not ask God to forgive +me till I had confessed all to you. I knew you were away when I came +home, and I thought you hadn't returned. + +14. "I was so unhappy that I called Betsy, and told her how I felt. She +told me it was an accident, and no matter at all; that she had taken +care of my clothes, and she believed you would never know anything about +it. + +15. "But all this was no comfort to me; the something within would not +be quiet. If it had spoken to me in the same way when I first saw the +little ship, I think I should not have gone to the pond." + +16. "Frank," said his mother, "this something within, which is +conscience, did then speak, but you did not listen to its voice. The +voice of temptation was louder, and you obeyed it, just as you followed +some noisy boys, the other day, though I was calling to you, 'Frank, +come back.' + +17. "I spoke louder than usual, and at any other time you would have +heard my voice; but you were too much attracted by the boys to listen to +me. + +18. "Temptation makes us deaf to the voice within; and yielding to +temptation, as you see, my son, leads us into sin; and this is why we +pray, in the Lord's prayer, 'Lead us not into temptation, but deliver +us from evil,' which is sin, for there is no greater evil than sin. + +19. "It is to keep us from this great evil that God has given us this +voice within, to warn us not to follow temptation, though the sin appear +but a trifling one, and though it hold out the promise of pleasure, as +the little ship did." + + + + +LESSON XLII. + +_The same subject, continued._ + + +1. "I will name some of the temptations to which little boys are a good +deal exposed, and yield to without thinking, and sometimes without +knowing to what they may lead. + +2. "Sometimes the temptation to steal comes in the form of some +beautiful fruit; perhaps in his father's garden, which he has been +forbidden to touch; or perhaps in an orchard far from the eye of the +owner, where he might take it without fear of being seen; and he says to +himself, 'No one will ever know it; I will take only a few.' + +3. "But does he forget that the eye of God is upon him, and does he not +hear the voice of conscience saying, 'Thou shalt not steal!' He would +shudder to be called a thief; but taking what does not belong to us, be +it ever so small a thing, is stealing. + +4. "And when detected, he is tempted to lie, to conceal his fault and +avoid punishment; and here again we see how one sin leads to another. +The temptations to cruelty are many. Sometimes they appear in the form +of a bird's nest, placed by a fond and loving mother on the high bough +of a tree, to secure her young brood from danger. + +5. "The boy, in his rambles in the woods, sees the nest, climbs the +tree, and, though the little birds are too feeble to fly, and the +anxious mother flutters round, as if to entreat the cruel boy to spare +her little ones, he is unmindful of her tenderness, and, thinking only +of his prize, bears it off to his companions, who enjoy it with him. + +6. "Here is a sinful feeling indulged, which, if not subdued, may lead +to murder. I wish you to remember, my dear boy, that it is by allowing +ourselves to commit little sins that we become great sinners. + +7. "You would be frightened if you could have placed before you a +picture of the course of sin. You would exclaim, What a monster!--he +must never come near me,--it is dangerous even to look on him! Let me +entreat you, then, my son, to guard against temptation. + +[Illustration] + +8. "If you say to temptation, as you would to a wicked companion, who +had often led you into mischief, 'Go away; I do not like your company,' +temptation, though for a while it may plead to be indulged, will soon do +as the wicked companion would, if often sent away with such a reproof, +discontinue to come; or, if found in your company, will not harm you; +for conscience, like a good friend, will be ever near; and your blessed +Saviour, who has promised to help those who are tempted, will assist you +to overcome temptation. + +9. "I hope now you understand what it means to be tempted."--"I think I +do, mother," said Frank, "and I thank you for telling me so much about +temptation. I shall never again repeat the Lord's prayer without +thinking what it means, and I hope God will keep me from the great evil +of sin." He then kissed his mother, and she promised to tell him, some +other time, how we are tempted by sinful thoughts. + + + + +LESSON XLIII. + +_The same, subject, continued._ + + +[Illustration] + +1. It was not long after Frank had the conversation with his mother upon +the temptation to sinful actions, that he claimed her promise to tell +him how we may be tempted to sinful thoughts. + +2. It was Sunday evening. Frank and his mother were sitting alone +together at a window which opened upon a flower-garden, rich in the hues +with which God has seen fit to adorn this beautiful part of creation. + +3. "You have been at church to-day, my son," said his mother; "and to my +eye you did nothing offensive, for you sat still during the sermon, and +appeared engaged with your book during the prayers. + +4. "I saw only the _outward_ part; but remember there was an eye of +infinite purity looking upon your heart, and seeing the thoughts that +were passing there. You only can tell if they were fit to meet that +eye." + +5. Frank looked down; for, like most children, he was not apt to examine +either his thoughts or motives, but was well satisfied if he gained the +approbation of his parents. + +6. His mother, seeing he was struggling to disclose something, said, +"You are an honest boy, Frank, and do not, I trust, wish to conceal the +truth from your mother. If you have received my approbation for correct +conduct, you certainly cannot enjoy it, if you feel that it is not +deserved." + +7. "That is what troubles me, mother," said Frank; "for, while I was +sitting so still, and you thought I was attending to the sermon, I was +all the while watching a pretty little dog, that was running from pew to +pew, trying to find his master; and when he got on the pulpit step, and +rolled off, I came so near laughing that I was obliged to put my +handkerchief to my mouth, and make believe to cough. + +8. "I kept my eye upon him till church was done, and thought, if I could +see him at the door, I would try to make him follow me home, and keep +him. + +9. "I feel now, mother, that all this was very wrong, and that these +naughty thoughts tempted me to break God's holy Sabbath." + +10. "I am glad you feel this, my son; for, besides being sinful to +desire to have the little dog, which was coveting what belonged to +another, the time and place in which you indulged the thought was the +breaking of that commandment which says, 'Remember the Sabbath day, to +keep it holy.'" + +11. "But, mother," asked Frank, impatiently, "how shall I keep these +thoughts out? They come before I know it. Sometimes a boy has a new suit +of clothes on, and I cannot help looking at him; and sometimes the +girls will play with their gloves, and tie and untie their bonnets; and +sometimes the little children get to sleep, and I can't help watching +them, to see if they will not slip off the seat. + +12. "I think, mother, if we did not sit in the gallery, I shouldn't see +so many things to tempt me to wicked thoughts in church." + +13. "If I really believed this myself, Frank, I should think it +important to change our seat: but the mischief does not lie here; it is +in your heart. + +14. "If this were right, and you really loved God and his service, the +thought of his presence would keep out these troublesome intruders; not +altogether, my son, for the best of people are sometimes subject to +wandering thoughts; but it is a temptation which they overcome, by +turning their attention immediately to the services, and by taking their +eyes from the object that drew away their thoughts from God." + + + + +LESSON XLIV. + +_The same subject, concluded._ + + +1. "If some great king, who loved his people, and was continually giving +them some good things, should appoint a day when he would meet his +subjects, rich and poor, young and old, and should declare to them how +they may best please him; and a person should be appointed to read to +them, from a book he had himself written, directions for their conduct; +and that, as a reward for obedience, should promise they should be +admitted to his palace, where nothing that could trouble them should +ever be allowed to enter--" + +2. "Why, mother," exclaimed Frank, "I should so admire to see a king, +that I should be willing to do everything he required; and should be +afraid, all the time, of doing something he did not like, while in his +presence. I should keep looking at him all the time, to see if he were +pleased;--but go on, mother." + +3. "Well, my son, suppose this great person, who is also good, should +keep a book in which he noted down all your actions, and even looks; +and, on a certain day which he had appointed, and which was known to +himself, should call together a great multitude of people, his friends +and yours, and should read to them all that he had written there,--do +you think you would be careless or indifferent what was written against +your name?" + +4. "O no, mother! I should be so anxious that I should want to hide +myself, for fear something should be read that I should be ashamed +of,--something very bad. But, mother, no king ever did this, that you +know of. If he did, pray tell me more about him; and if his subjects +were not all good and obedient." + +5. "I have heard of a king, my son, who has done more than this; but not +an earthly king. Earthly kings are limited in their power; for they are +but men. But the king of whom I speak is the Lord of the whole earth." + +6. "Do you mean God, mother?"--"I do, my son. You have told me how you +should behave in the presence of an earthly king on the day he should +appoint to meet his people; and would you treat with less reverence and +respect him who is the King of kings and Lord of lords? + +7. "Can you, on entering his house, say, 'The Lord is in his holy +temple,' and feel no desire to meet him there; but allow any trifle that +meets your eye to carry your thoughts away? Do you, when his holy book +is read, feel no desire to hear the directions he has given to lead you +to your heavenly home? + +8. "And when the petitions are sent up imploring his blessings, and +asking his forgiveness, have you none to offer? Are you so blest as to +have nothing to ask, and so good as to need no forgiveness? + +9. "O my son, be careful how you neglect these gracious privileges! And +when his ministers, whom he has appointed to declare his will,--to +instruct you out of his word,--preach to you from the sacred pulpit, +will you turn a deaf ear, and lose their instructions, and at the same +time displease your heavenly Father? + +10. "This great and powerful king is also your father and friend. He +loves you more than any earthly friend. He is willing to hear all your +petitions, and is even more ready to give than we are to ask. He has +appointed one day in seven in which to meet us, and this is the Sabbath, +about the keeping of which we are now talking. + +11. "And he has also appointed a day in which he will judge the world, +from the book which he has kept of our accounts. + +12. "On that day there will be assembled a great multitude, which no man +can number, out of every kindred and tongue; great and small, good and +bad. You and I will be there, my son. + +13. "There will be the minister and his people, the Sunday-school +teacher and his scholars, all to receive either the sentence, 'Come, ye +blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the +foundation of the world,' or, 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into +everlasting punishment.'" + +14. Frank was moved by this representation of the consequences of his +neglect of the duties he owed his heavenly Father, and said, "O, how sad +it would be, how dreadful, if, on that day I should be sent to dwell +forever where God is not, and where you and father are not!" + +15. "Dreadful, indeed, my son, would be such a separation; and when you +think of this, let it make you more earnest to serve and please God; for +Jesus Christ, who came upon earth once to die for us all, and will come +again to judge the earth, has gone to prepare mansions in heaven for +those who love him, that they may dwell with him forever in perfect +happiness. + +16. "Let us now, my son, pray to our heavenly Father to prepare us for +this blessedness, that where he is, there we may be also." Frank and his +mother knelt together, and offered up the following prayer:-- + + +PRAYER FOR GOOD THOUGHTS. + +17. Almighty and most merciful Father! teach us thy will, that we may +know how to please thee. Put good thoughts into our hearts, and right +words into our lips, that our services may be such as thou wilt please +to accept. + +18. Forgive, we pray thee, the sins we have committed this day, in +thought, word, or deed, and make us truly sorry on account of them. Help +us to love thee more, and serve thee better, for the time to come. + +[Illustration] + +19. Bless all our friends, and make them thy friends. Make us a +household serving thee, that after this life is over, we may all meet in +heaven. + +20. O then, great Shepherd, who neither slumberest nor sleepest, take us +under thy protection this night; and when the cheerful light of day +again returns, lead us forth in thy fold, and keep us from every +temptation that will draw us away from thee. + +21. May our peaceful slumbers remind us of the sleep of death; and, on +the morning of the resurrection, wilt thou clothe us in the +righteousness of Christ, and receive us to dwell with him in life +everlasting! Amen. + + + + +LESSON XLV. + +_Mary Dow._--H.F. GOULD. + + + 1. "Come in, little stranger," I said, + As she tapped at my half-opened door, + While the blanket pinned over her head + Just reached to the basket she bore. + + 2. A look full of innocence fell + From her modest and pretty blue eye, + As she said, "I have matches to sell, + And hope you are willing to buy. + + 3. "A penny a bunch is the price; + I think you'll not find it too much; + They're tied up so even and nice, + And ready to light with a touch." + + 4. I asked, "What's your name, little girl?" + "'Tis Mary," said she,--"Mary Dow," + And carelessly tossed off a curl, + That played o'er her delicate brow. + + 5. "My father was lost in the deep,-- + The ship never got to the shore; + And mother is sad, and will weep, + When she hears the wind blow and sea roar. + + 6. "She sits there at home, without food, + Beside our poor sick Willie's bed; + She paid all her money for wood, + And so I sell matches for bread. + + 7. "For every time that she tries + Some things she'd be paid for to make, + And lays down the baby, it cries, + And that makes my sick brother wake. + + 8. "I'd go to the yard and get chips, + But, then, it would make me too sad, + To see men there building the ships, + And think they had made one so bad. + + 9. "I've one other gown, and, with care, + We think it may decently pass, + With my bonnet that's put by to wear + To meeting and Sunday-school class. + + 10. "I love to go there, where I'm taught, + Of One who's so wise and so good, + He knows every action and thought, + And gives e'en the raven his food. + + 11. "For He, I am sure, who can take + Such fatherly care of a bird, + Will never forget or forsake + The children who trust to his word. + + 12. "And now, if I only can sell + The matches I brought out to-day, + I think I shall do very well, + And mother'll rejoice at the pay." + + 13. "Fly home, little bird," then I thought, + "Fly home, full of joy, to your nest!" + For I took all the matches she brought, + And Mary may tell you the rest. + + + + +LESSON XLVI. + +_It Snows._--H.F. GOULD. + + + 1. It snows! it snows! from out the sky, + The feathered flakes, how fast they fly! + Like little birds, that don't know why + They're on the chase, from place to place, + While neither can the other trace. + It snows! it snows! a merry play + Is o'er us, on this heavy day! + + 2. As dancers in an airy hall, + That hasn't room to hold them all, + While some keep up and others fall, + The atoms shift; then, thick and swift, + They drive along to form the drift, + That, weaving up, so dazzling white, + Is rising like a wall of light. + + 3. But now the wind comes whistling loud, + To snatch and waft it, as a cloud, + Or giant phantom in a shroud; + It spreads, it curls, it mounts and whirls, + At length a mighty wing unfurls, + And then, away! but where, none knows, + Or ever will.--It snows! it snows! + + 4. To-morrow will the storm be done; + Then out will come the golden sun, + And we shall see, upon the run + Before his beams, in sparkling streams, + What now a curtain o'er him seems. + And thus with life it ever goes, + 'Tis shade and shine!--It snows! it snows! + + + + +LESSON XLVII. + +_The Dissatisfied Angler Boy._--H.F. GOULD. + + +[Illustration] + + 1. I'm sorry they let me go down to the brook, + I'm sorry they gave me the line and the hook, + And I wish I had stayed at home with my book. + I'm sure 'twas no pleasure to see + That poor, little, harmless, suffering thing, + Silently writhe at the end of the string; + Or to hold the pole, while I felt him swing + In torture, and all for me! + + 2. 'Twas a beautiful speckled and glossy trout, + And when from the water I drew him out + On the grassy bank, as he floundered about, + It made me shivering cold, + To think I had caused so much needless pain; + And I tried to relieve him, but all in vain; + O! never, as long as I live, again + May I such a sight behold! + + 3. O, what would I give once more to see + The brisk little swimmer alive and free, + And darting about, as he used to be, + Unhurt, in his native brook! + 'Tis strange how people can love to play, + By taking innocent lives away; + I wish I had stayed at home to-day, + With sister, and read my book. + + + + +LESSON XLVIII. + +_The Violet: a Fable._--CHILDREN'S MAGAZINE. + + + 1. Down in a humble dell + A modest violet chanced to dwell + Remote from gayer flowers; + Its days were passed in simple ease, + It sipped the dew and kissed the breeze, + Nor thought of happier hours. + + 2. Long lived it in this quiet way, + Till, on a hot and sultry day + About the midst of June, + It chanced to spy a lady fair, + All dressed in satins rich and rare, + Come walking by, at noon. + + 3. And thus the silly flower began:-- + "I much should like to live with man, + And other flowers to see;-- + Why is it (for I cannot tell) + That I forever here should dwell, + Where there is none but me?" + + 4. While thus it spoke, the lady stopped + To pick up something she had dropped, + And there the flower she spied; + And soon she plucked it from its bed, + Just shook the dew-drop from its head, + And placed it at her side. + + 5. Soon at the lady's splendid home + The violet found that she was come, + For all was bright and gay: + And then upon the mantel-shelf, + With many a flower beside herself, + Was placed, without delay. + + 6. And oh, how glad and proud was she + In such a splendid place to be!-- + But short was her delight; + For rose and lily turned away, + And would not deign a word to say + To such a country wight. + + 7. She passed the day in much disgrace, + And wished that she might change her place, + And be at home again: + She sighed for her own mossy bed, + Where she might rest her aching head; + But now to wish were vain. + + 8. Next morn, the housemaid, passing by, + Just chanced the little flower to spy, + And then, without delay, + She rudely seized its tender stalk, + And threw it in the gravel walk, + And left it to decay. + + 9. And thus it mourned,--"O silly flower, + To wish to leave its native bower! + Was it for this I sighed? + O, had I more contented been, + And lived unnoticed and unseen, + I might not thus have died!" + + 10. Nor let this lesson be forgot: + Remain contented with the lot + That Providence decrees. + Contentment is a richer gem + Than sparkles in a diadem, + And gives us greater ease. + + + + +LESSON XLIX. + +_Captain John Smith._--JUVENILE MISCELLANY. + + +1. The adventures of this singular man are so various, and so very +extraordinary, that the detail of them seems more like romance than true +history. He was born in Lincolnshire, England, and was left an orphan at +an early age. + +2. His love of adventure displayed itself while he was yet a school-boy. +He sold his satchel, books and clothes, and went over to France, without +the knowledge of his guardians. + +3. Afterward, he served as a soldier in the Netherlands for several +years. At the end of his campaign, he returned to England, where he +recovered a small portion of the estate left him by his deceased father. + +4. This money enabled him to resume his travels under more favorable +auspices, at the age of seventeen. He again went to France, and embarked +at Marseilles (_pronounced_ Mar-sales'), with some pious pilgrims, +bound to Italy. + +5. During this voyage a violent tempest threatened destruction to the +vessel; and poor Smith being the suspected cause of the impending danger +was thrown, without mercy, into the sea. + +[Illustration] + +6. He saved himself by his great expertness in swimming; and soon after +went on board another vessel, bound to Alexandria, where he entered into +the service of the Emperor of Austria, against the Turks. + +7. His bravery, and great ingenuity in all the stratagems of war, soon +made him famous, and obtained for him the command of two hundred and +fifty horsemen. + +8. At the siege of Regal, the Ottomans sent a challenge, purporting that +Lord Turbisha, to amuse the ladies, would fight with any captain among +the Austrian troops. Smith accepted the challenge. + +9. Flags of truce were exchanged between the two armies, and crowds of +fair dames and fearless men assembled to witness the combat. Lord +Turbisha entered the field well mounted and armed. + +10. On his shoulders were fixed two large wings made of eagles' +feathers, set in silver, and richly ornamented with gold and precious +stones. A janizary, or Turkish soldier, bore his lance before him, and +another followed, leading a horse superbly caparisoned. + +11. Smith came upon the ground with less parade. A flourish of trumpets +preceded him, and his lance was supported by a single page. + +12. The Turk fell at the first charge, and Smith returned to his army in +triumph. This so enraged one of the friends of the slain that he sent a +challenge to Smith, offering him his head, his horse and his armor, if +he dared come and take them. + +13. The challenge was accepted, and the combatants came upon the ground +with nearly the same ceremony and splendor. Their lances broke at the +first charge, without doing injury to either; but, at the second onset, +the Turk was wounded, thrown from his horse, and killed. + + + + +LESSON L. + +_The same subject, continued._ + + +1. The Christian army were at this time anxious to finish erecting some +fortifications, and were very willing to amuse their enemies in this +way. They therefore persuaded Captain Smith to send a challenge in his +turn, offering his head, in payment for the two he had won, to any one +who had skill and strength enough to take it. + +2. The offer was accepted; and a third Turk tried his fortune with the +bold adventurer. This time Captain Smith was nearly unhorsed; but, by +his dexterity and judgment, he recovered himself, and soon returned to +the camp victorious. + +3. These warlike deeds met with much applause; and the prince gave him a +coat of arms, signed with the royal seal, representing three Turk's +heads on a white field. + +4. Not long after this, Captain Smith was left wounded on the field of +battle,--was taken prisoner by the Turks,--and sent as a slave to a +noble lady in the interior of the country. + +5. He could speak Italian well, and his fair mistress was very fond of +that language. She listened to accounts of his bravery, his adventures, +and his misfortunes, with deepening interest; and finally sent him to +her brother, a powerful bashaw, with a request that he should be treated +with much kindness. + +6. The proud officer was angry that his sister should trouble herself +about a vile European slave; and, instead of attending to her request, +he caused him to be loaded with irons, and abused in the most shameful +manner. + +7. During the long and tedious period of his slavery, he suffered as +much as it is possible for man to endure; but at length he killed his +tyrannical master, and, with great peril, escaped through the deserts +into Russia. + +8. His romantic genius would not long allow him to remain easy. He could +not be happy unless he was engaged in daring and adventurous actions. He +no sooner heard of an expedition to Virginia, under the command of +Christopher Newport, than he resolved to join it. + +9. He arrived in this country with the first emigrants, who settled in +Jamestown, April 26, 1607. It is said this infant settlement must have +perished, had it not been for the courage and ingenuity of Captain +Smith. + +[Illustration] + +10. Once they were all nearly dying with hunger, and the savages utterly +refused to sell them any food. In this extremity, Smith stole the Indian +idol, Okee, which was made of skins stuffed with moss, and would not +return it until the Indians sold them as much corn as they wanted. + + + + +LESSON LI. + +_The same subject, continued._ + + +1. The colony were once in imminent danger of losing their brave and +intelligent friend. While exploring the source of the Chickahominy +river, he imprudently left his companions, and, while alone, was seen +and pursued by a party of savages. He retreated fighting, killed three +Indians with his own hand, and probably would have regained his boat in +safety, had he not accidentally plunged into a miry hole, from which he +could not extricate himself. + +2. By this accident, he was taken prisoner; and the Indians would have +tortured him, and put him to death, according to their cruel customs, +had not his ever-ready wit come to his aid. + +3. He showed them a small ivory compass, which he had with him, and, by +signs, explained many wonderful things to them, till his enemies were +inspired with a most profound respect, and resolved not to kill the +extraordinary man without consulting their chief. + +4. He was, accordingly, brought into the presence of the king, Powhatan, +who received him in a robe of raccoon skins, and seated on a kind of +throne, with two beautiful young daughters at his side. After a long +consultation, he was condemned to die. + +5. Two large stones were brought, his head laid upon one of them, and +the war-clubs raised to strike the deadly blow. At this moment, +Pocahontas, the king's favorite daughter, sprang forward, threw herself +between him and the executioners, and by her entreaties saved his life. + +6. Powhatan promised him that he should return to Jamestown, if the +English would give him a certain quantity of ammunition and trinkets. +Smith agreed to obtain them, provided a messenger would carry a leaf to +his companions. On this leaf he briefly stated what must be sent. + +7. Powhatan had never heard of writing;--he laughed at the idea that a +leaf could speak, and regarded the whole as an imposition on the part of +the prisoner. + +8. When, however, the messenger returned with the promised ransom, he +regarded Smith as nothing less than a wizard, and gladly allowed him to +depart. It seemed to be the fate of this singular man to excite a +powerful interest wherever he went. + +9. Pocahontas had such a deep attachment for him, that, in 1609, when +only fourteen years old, she stole away from her tribe, and, during a +most dreary night, walked to Jamestown, to tell him that her father had +formed the design of cutting off the whole English settlement. + +10. Thus she a second time saved his life, at the hazard of her own. +This charming Indian girl did not meet with all the gratitude she +deserved. + +11. Before 1612, Captain Smith received a wound, which made it necessary +for him to go to England, for surgical aid; and after his departure a +copper kettle was offered to any Indian who would bring Pocahontas to +the English settlement. + +12. She was, accordingly, stolen from her father, and carried prisoner +to Jamestown. Powhatan offered five hundred bushels of corn as a ransom +for his darling child. + +13. Before the negotiation was finished, an Englishman of good +character, by the name of Thomas Rolfe, became attached to Pocahontas, +and they were soon after married, with the king's consent. + +14. This event secured peace to the English for many years. The Indian +bride became a Christian, and was baptized. + + + + +LESSON LII. + +_The same subject, concluded._ + + +1. In 1616, Pocahontas went to England with her husband,--was introduced +at court, and received great attention. + +2. King James is said to have been very indignant that any of his +subjects should have dared to marry a princess; but Captain Smith has +been accused, perhaps falsely, of being sufficiently cold and selfish to +blush for his acquaintance with the generous North American savage. + +3. Pocahontas never returned to her native country. She died at +Gravesend, in 1617, just as she was about to embark for America. + +4. She left one son, Thomas Rolfe; and from his daughter are descended +several people of high rank in Virginia, among whom was the celebrated +John Randolph of Roanoke. + +5. Smith had many adventures, after his wound obliged him to leave +Jamestown. He visited this country again; made a voyage to the Summer +Isles; fought with pirates; joined the French against the Spaniards; and +was adrift, in a little boat, alone, on the stormy sea, during a night +so tempestuous that thirteen French ships were wrecked, near the Isle +of Re; yet he was saved. + +6. He died in London, in 1631, in the fifty-second year of his age, +after having published his singular adventures in Europe, Asia, Africa, +and America. + + + + +LESSON LIII. + +_John Ledyard._--JUVENILE MISCELLANY. + + +1. Few men have done so much, in a short life, as John Ledyard. When he +was a mere boy, he built a canoe with his own hands, and descended +Connecticut river alone and unassisted. + +2. He enlisted as a soldier, at Gibraltar; and afterwards, in the humble +character of corporal of the marines, he sailed round the world with the +celebrated Captain Cook. + +3. After his return to England, he formed the bold design of traversing +the northern parts of Europe and Asia, crossing Behring's Straits, and +examining the whole of North America, from east to west. + +4. Sir Joseph Banks, famous for his generosity to men of enterprise, +furnished him with money for the undertaking. He expended nearly all of +it in purchasing sea stores; and these, most unluckily, were all seized +by a custom-house officer, on account of some articles which the English +law forbade to be exported. + +5. Poor Ledyard was now left in utter poverty; but he was a resolute +man, and he would not be discouraged. With only ten guineas in his +purse, he attempted to _walk_ over the greater part of three continents. + +6. He walked through Denmark and Sweden, and attempted to cross the +great Gulf of Bothnia, on his way to Siberia; but when he reached the +middle of that inland sea, he found the water was not frozen, and he was +obliged to foot it back to Stockholm. + +7. He then traveled round the head of the gulf, and descended to St. +Petersburg. Here he was soon discovered to be a man of talents and +activity; and though he was without money, and absolutely destitute of +stockings and shoes, he was treated with great attention. + +8. The Portuguese ambassador invited him to dine, and was so much +pleased with him, that he used his influence to obtain for him a free +passage in the government wagons, then going to Irkutsk, in Siberia, at +the command of the Empress Katharine. + +9. He went from this place to Yakutz, and there awaited the opening of +the spring, full of the animating hope of soon completing his wearisome +journey. But misfortune seemed to follow him wherever he went. + +10. The empress could not believe that any man in his senses was +traveling through the ice and snows of uncivilized Siberia, merely for +the sake of seeing the country and the people. + +11. She imagined that he was an English spy, sent there merely for the +purpose of prying into the state of her empire and her government. She +therefore employed two Russian soldiers to seize him, and convey him out +of her dominions. + +12. Taken, he knew not why, and obliged to go off without his clothes, +his money, or his papers, he was seated in one of the strange-looking +sledges used in those northern deserts, and carried through Tartary and +White Russia, to the frontiers of Poland. + +13. Covered with dirty rags, worn out with hardships, sick almost unto +death, without friends and without money, he begged his way to +Konigsberg, in Prussia. + + + + +LESSON LIV. + +_The same subject, concluded._ + + +1. In this hour of deep distress, he found a person willing to take his +draft for five guineas on the Royal Society of England. With this +assistance, he arrived in the land of our forefathers. + +2. He immediately applied to his ever-ready friend, Sir Joseph Banks, +for employment. Sir Joseph, knowing that nothing suited him better than +perilous adventures, told him that a company had just been formed, for +the purpose of penetrating into the interior of Africa, and discovering +the source of the river Niger. + +3. Burning sands, savage negroes, venomous serpents, all the frightful +animals of the torrid zone, could not alarm the intrepid soul of +Ledyard. He immediately expressed his desire to go. + +4. When the map was spread before him, and his dangerous journey pointed +out, he promptly exclaimed, "I will go to-morrow morning." + +5. The gentleman smiled at his eagerness, and gladly intrusted him with +an expedition in which suffering and peril were certain, and success +extremely doubtful. He left London on the 30th of June, 1788, and +arrived in Grand Cairo on the 19th of August. + +6. There he spent his time to great advantage, in searching for and +deciphering the various wonders of that ancient and once learned land. + +7. His letters from Egypt were delightful. They showed much enthusiasm, +united with the most patient and laborious exertion. The company formed +great hopes concerning his discoveries in Senaar, and awaited letters +from that country with much anxiety. + +8. But, alas! he never reached there. He was seized with a violent +illness at Cairo; died, and was decently buried beside the English who +had ended their days in that celebrated city. + +9. We should never read accounts of great or good men without learning +some profitable lesson. If we cannot, like Ledyard, defend Gibraltar, +sail round the world with Captain Cook, project trading voyages to the +north-west coast, study Egyptian hieroglyph'ics, and traverse the dreary +northern zone on foot,--we can, at least, learn from him the important +lesson of _perseverance_. + +10. The boy who perseveringly pores over a hard lesson, and who will not +give up an intricate problem until he has studied it out, forms a +habit, which, in after life, will make him a great man; and he who +resolutely struggles against his own indolence, violent temper, or any +other bad propensity, will most assuredly be a good one. + + + + +LESSON LV. + +_Learning to Work._--ORIGINAL. + + +1. A few years ago, several little volumes were published, called "_The +Rollo Books_," which are full of interesting stories about a little boy +of that name. They were written by a gentleman whose name is Abbott. + +2. They are not only interesting, but also very instructive books; and +no little boy or girl can read them, without learning many very useful +lessons from them. They are not only useful to young persons, but their +parents, also, have derived many useful hints from them, in the +management of their children. + +3. The following little story is taken from one of them, called "_Rollo +at Work_;" and I hope that my little friends who read this story at +school will also read it at home to their parents, because it will be +both interesting and useful to them. + +4. The story begins, by telling us that Rollo's father had set him at +work in the barn, with a box full of nails, directing him to pick them +all over, and to put all those that were alike by themselves. + +5. Rollo began very willingly at first, but soon grew tired of the work, +and left it unfinished. The remainder of the story will be found in the +following lessons, in Mr. Abbott's own words. + + + + +LESSON LVI. + +_The same subject, continued._--ABBOTT. + + +1. That evening, when Rollo was just going to bed, his father took him +up in his lap, and told him he had concluded what to do. + +2. "You see it is very necessary," said he, "that you should have the +power of confining yourself steadily and patiently to a single +employment, even if it does not amuse you. + +3. "I have to do that, and all people have to do it; and you must learn +to do it, or you will grow up indolent and useless. You cannot do it +now, it is very plain. + +4. "If I set you to doing anything, you go on as long as the novelty and +the amusement last; and then your patience is gone, and you contrive +every possible excuse for getting away from your task. + +5. "Now, I am going to give you one hour's work to do, every forenoon +and afternoon. I shall give you such things to do as are perfectly plain +and easy, so that you will have no excuse for neglecting your work, or +leaving it. + +6. "But yet I shall choose such things as will afford you no amusement; +for my wish is that you should learn to work, not play." + +7. "But, father," said Rollo, "you told me there was pleasure in work, +the other day. But how can there be any pleasure in it, if you choose +such things as have no amusement in them, at all?" + +8. "The pleasure of working," said his father, "is not the fun of doing +amusing things, but the satisfaction and solid happiness of being +faithful in duty, and accomplishing some useful purpose. + +9. "For example, if I were to lose my pocket-book on the road, and +should tell you to walk back a mile, and look carefully all the way, +until you found it, and if you did it faithfully and carefully, you +would find a kind of satisfaction in doing it; and when you found the +pocket-book, and brought it back to me, you would enjoy a high degree +of happiness. Should not you?" + +10. "Why, yes, sir, I should," said Rollo.--"And, yet, there would be no +amusement in it. You might, perhaps, the next day, go over the same +road, catching butterflies; that would be amusement. Now, the pleasure +you would enjoy in looking for the pocket-book would be the solid +satisfaction of useful work. + +11. "The pleasure of catching butterflies would be the amusement of +play. Now, the difficulty is, with you, that you have scarcely any idea, +yet, of the first. + +12. "You are all the time looking for the other; that is, the amusement. +You begin to work, when I give you anything to do; but if you do not +find amusement in it, you soon give it up. But if you would only +persevere, you would find, at length, a solid satisfaction, that would +be worth a great deal more." + +13. Rollo sat still, and listened; but his father saw, from his looks, +that he was not much interested in what he was saying; and he perceived +that it was not at all probable that so small a boy could be reasoned +into liking work. + +14. In fact, it was rather hard for Rollo to understand all that his +father said; and still harder for him to feel the force of it. He began +to grow sleepy, and so his father let him go to bed. + + + + +LESSON LVII. + +_The same subject, concluded._ + + +[Illustration] + +1. The next day, his father gave him his work. He was to begin at ten +o'clock, and work till eleven, gathering beans in the garden. + +2. His father went out with him, and waited to see how long it took him +to gather half a pint, and then calculated how many he could gather in +an hour, if he was industrious. Rollo knew that if he failed now he +should be punished in some way, although his father did not say anything +about punishment. + +3. When he was set at work, the day before, about the nails, he was +making an experiment, as it were, and he did not expect to be actually +punished, if he failed; but now he knew that he was under orders, and +must obey. + +4. So he worked very diligently, and when his father came out, at the +end of the hour, he found that Rollo had got rather more beans than he +had expected. Rollo was much gratified to see his father pleased; and he +carried in his large basket full of beans to show his mother, with great +pleasure. + +5. Then he went to play, and enjoyed himself very highly. The next +morning, his father said to him,--"Well, Rollo, you did very well +yesterday; but doing right once is a very different thing from forming a +habit of doing right. I can hardly expect you will succeed as well +to-day; or, if you should to-day, that you will to-morrow." + +6. Rollo thought he should. His work was to pick up all the loose stones +in the road, and carry them, in a basket, to a great heap of stones +behind the barn. + +7. But he was not quite faithful. His father observed him playing +several times. He did not speak to him, however, until the hour was +over; and then he called him in. + +8. "Rollo," said he, "you have failed to-day. You have not been very +idle, but have not been industrious; and the punishment which I have +concluded to try first is, to give you only bread and water for dinner." + +9. So, when dinner-time came, and the family sat down to the good +beef-steak and apple-pie which was upon the table, Rollo knew that he +was not to come. He felt very unhappy, but he did not cry. + +10. His father called him, and cut off a good slice of bread, and put +into his hands, and told him he might go and eat it on the steps of the +back door. "If you should be thirsty," he added, "you may ask Mary to +give you some water." + +11. Rollo took the bread, and went out, and took his solitary seat on +the stone step leading into the back yard; and, in spite of all his +efforts to prevent it, the tears would come into his eyes. + +12. He thought of his guilt in disobeying his father, and he felt +unhappy to think that his father and mother were seated together at +their pleasant table, and that he could not come, because he had been an +undutiful son. He determined that he would never be unfaithful in his +work again. + +13. He went on, after this, several days, very well. His father gave him +various kinds of work to do, and he began, at last, to find a +considerable degree of satisfaction in doing it. + +14. He found, particularly, that he enjoyed himself a great deal more +after his work than before; and, whenever he saw what he had done, it +gave him pleasure. + +15. After he had picked up the loose stones before the house, for +instance, he drove his hoop about there with unusual satisfaction; +enjoying the neat and tidy appearance of the road much more than he +would have done, if Jonas had cleared it. In fact, in the course of a +month, Rollo became quite a faithful and efficient little workman. + +[Illustration] + + + + +LESSON LVIII. + +_The Comma._ + + +THE COMMA is a mark like this =,= + +When you come to a comma in reading, you must generally make a short +pause. Sometimes you must use the falling inflection of the voice, when +you come to a comma; and sometimes you must keep your voice suspended, +as if some one had stopped you before you had read all that you +intended. The general rule, when you come to a comma, is, to stop just +long enough to count one. + + +EXAMPLES. + +Diligence, industry, and proper improvement of time, are material duties +of the young. + +He is generous, just, charitable, and humane. + +By wisdom, by art, by the united strength of a civil community, men have +been enabled to subdue the whole race of lions, bears, and serpents. + + [Sometimes a comma must be read like a question.] + +Do you pretend to sit as high in school as Anthony? Did you read as +correctly, articulate as distinctly, speak as loudly, or behave as +well, as he? + +Did he recite his lesson correctly, read audibly, and appear to +understand what he read? + +Was his copy written neatly, his letters made handsomely, and did no +blot appear on his book? + +Was his wealth stored fraudfully, the spoil of orphans wronged, and +widows who had none to plead their rights? + +Have not you, too, gone about the earth like an evil genius, blasting +the fair fruits of peace and industry? + +Is that a map which you have before you, with the leaves blotted with +ink? + +Will you say that your time is your own, and that you have a right to +employ it in the manner you please? + + [Sometimes a comma is to be read like a period, with + the falling inflection of the voice.] + +The teacher directed him to take his seat, to study his lesson, and to +pass no more time in idleness. + +It is said by unbelievers that religion is dull, unsocial, uncharitable, +enthusiastic, a damper of human joy, a morose intruder upon human +pleasure. + +Charles has brought his pen instead of his pencil, his paper instead of +his slate, his grammar instead of his arithmetic. + +Perhaps you have mistaken sobriety for dullness, equanimity for +moroseness, disinclination to bad company for aversion to society, +abhorrence of vice for uncharitableness, and piety for enthusiasm. + +Henry was careless, thoughtless, heedless, and inattentive. + + [Sometimes the comma is to be read like an + exclamation.] + +O, how can you destroy those beautiful things which your father procured +for you! that beautiful top, those polished marbles, that excellent +ball, and that beautiful painted kite,--oh, how can you destroy them, +and expect that he will buy you new ones! + +O, how canst thou renounce the boundless store of charms that Nature to +her votary yields! the warbling woodland, the resounding shore, the pomp +of groves, the garniture of fields, all that the genial ray of morning +gilds, and all that echoes to the song of even, all that the mountain's +sheltering bosom shields, and all the dread magnificence of heaven, oh, +how canst thou renounce, and hope to be forgiven! + + [Sometimes the comma, and other marks, are to be read + without any pause or inflection of the voice.] + +You see, boys, what a fine school-room we have, in which you can pursue +your studies. + +You see, my son, this wide and large firmament over our heads, where the +sun and moon, and all the stars, appear in their turns. + +Therefore, my child, fear, and worship, and love God. + +He that can read as well as you can, James, need not be ashamed to read +aloud. + +He that can make the multitude laugh and weep as you can, Mr. +Shakspeare, need not fear scholars. + + [Sometimes the pause of a comma must be made where + there is no pause in your book. Spaces are left, in the + following sentences, where the pause is proper.] + + James was very much delighted with + the picture which he saw. + + The Europeans were hardly less amazed + at the scene now before them. + + The inhabitants were entirely naked. + Their black hair, long and curled, floated + upon their shoulders, or was bound in tresses + around their head. + + Persons of reflection and sensibility + contemplate with interest the scenes of + nature. + + The succession and contrast of the seasons + give scope to that care and foresight, + diligence and industry, which are + essential to the dignity and enjoyment + of human beings. + + + [The pupil may read the following sentences; but before + reading them, he may tell after what word the pause + should be made. The pause is not printed in the + sentences, but it must be made when reading them. And + here it may be observed, that the comma is more + frequently used to point out the grammatical divisions + of a sentence than to indicate a rest or cessation of + the voice. Good reading depends much upon skill and + judgment in making those pauses which the sense of the + sentence dictates, but which are not noted in the book; + and the sooner the pupil is taught to make them, with + proper discrimination, the surer and the more rapid + will be his progress in the art of reading.] + +While they were at their silent meal a horseman came galloping to the +door, and, with a loud voice, called out that he had been sent express +with a letter to Gilbert Ainslee. + +The golden head that was wont to rise at that part of the table was now +wanting. + +For even though absent from school I shall get the lesson. + +For even though dead I will control the trophies of the capitol. + +It is now two hundred years since attempts have been made to civilize +the North American savage. + +Doing well has something more in it than the fulfilling of a duty. + +You will expect me to say something of the lonely records of the former +races that inhabited this country. + +There is no virtue without a characteristic beauty to make it +particularly loved by the good, and to make the bad ashamed of their +neglect of it. + +A sacrifice was never yet offered to a principle, that was not made up +to us by self-approval, and the consideration of what our degradation +would have been had we done otherwise. + +The following story has been handed down by family tradition for more +than a century. + +The succession and contrast of the seasons give scope to that care and +foresight, diligence and industry, which are essential to the dignity +and enjoyment of human beings, whose happiness is connected with the +exertion of their faculties. + +A lion of the largest size measures from eight to nine feet from the +muzzle to the origin of the tail, which last is of itself about four +feet long. The height of the larger specimens is four or five feet. + +The following anecdote will show with what obstinate perseverance +pack-horses have been known to preserve the line of their order. + +Good-morning to you, Charles! Whose book is that which you have under +your arm? + +A benison upon thee, gentle huntsman! Whose towers are these that +overlook the wood? + +The incidents of the last few days have been such as will probably never +again be witnessed by the people of America, and such as were never +before witnessed by any nation under heaven. + +To the memory of Andre his country has erected the most magnificent +monuments, and bestowed on his family the highest honors and most +liberal rewards. To the memory of Hale not a stone has been erected, and +the traveler asks in vain for the place of his long sleep. + + + + +LESSON LIX. + +_The Semicolon._ + + +THE SEMICOLON is made by a comma placed under a period, thus =;= + +When you come to a semicolon, you must generally make a pause twice as +long as you would make at a comma. + +Sometimes you must keep the voice suspended when you come to a +semicolon, as in the following: + + +EXAMPLES. + +That God whom you see me daily worship; whom I daily call upon to bless +both you and me, and all mankind; whose wondrous acts are recorded in +those Scriptures which you constantly read; that God who created the +heaven and the earth is your Father and Friend. + +My son, as you have been used to look to me in all your actions, and +have been afraid to do anything unless you first knew my will; so let it +now be a rule of your life to look up to God in all your actions. + + [Sometimes you must use the falling inflection of the + voice when you come to a semicolon, as in the + following:] + + +EXAMPLES. + +Let your dress be sober, clean, and modest; not to set off the beauty of +your person, but to declare the sobriety of your mind; that your outward +garb may resemble the inward plainness and simplicity of your heart. + +In meat and drink, observe the rules of Christian temperance and +sobriety; consider your body only as the servant and minister of your +soul; and only so nourish it, as it may best perform an humble and +obedient service. + +Condescend to all the weakness and infirmities of your fellow-creatures; +cover their frailties; love their excellences; encourage their virtues; +relieve their wants; rejoice in their prosperity; compassionate their +distress; receive their friendship; overlook their unkindness; forgive +their malice; be a servant of servants; and condescend to do the lowest +offices for the lowest of mankind. + + [The semicolon is sometimes used for a question, and + sometimes as an exclamation.] + + +EXAMPLES. + +Hast thou not set at defiance my authority; violated the public peace, +and passed thy life in injuring the persons and properties of thy +fellow-subjects? + +O, it was impious; it was unmanly; it was poor and pitiful! + +Have not you too gone about the earth like an evil genius; blasting the +fair fruits of peace and industry; plundering, ravaging, killing, +without law, without justice, merely to gratify an insatiable lust for +dominion? + +What a glorious monument of human invention, that has thus triumphed +over wind and wave; has brought the ends of the earth in communion; has +established an interchange of blessings, pouring into the sterile +regions of the north all the luxuries of the south; diffused the light +of knowledge and the charities of cultivated life; and has thus bound +together those scattered portions of the human race, between which +Nature seemed to have thrown an insurmountable barrier! + + + + +LESSON LX. + +_The Colon._ + + +THE COLON consists of two periods placed one above the other, thus =:= + +Sometimes the passage ending with a colon is to be read with the voice +suspended; but it should generally be read with the falling inflection +of the voice. + +The general rule, when you come to a colon, is to stop just long enough +to count three; or three times as long as you are directed to pause at a +comma. + + +EXAMPLES. + +Law and order are forgotten: violence and rapine are abroad: the golden +cords of society are loosed. + +The temples are profaned: the soldier's curse resounds in the house of +God: the marble pavement is trampled by iron hoofs: horses neigh beside +the altar. + +Blue wreaths of smoke ascend through the trees, and betray the +half-hidden cottage: the eye contemplates well-thatched ricks, and barns +bursting with plenty: the peasant laughs at the approach of winter. + + [The following passages ending with a colon are to be + read with the voice suspended:] + +Do not flatter yourselves with the hope of perfect happiness: there is +no such thing in the world. + +A boy at school is by no means at liberty to read what books he pleases: +he must give attention to those which contain his lessons; so that, when +he is called upon to recite, he may be ready, fluent, and accurate, in +repeating the portion assigned him. + +As we perceive the shadow to have moved along the dial, but did not +perceive its moving; and it appears that the grass has grown, though +nobody ever saw it grow: so the advances we make in knowledge, as they +consist of such minute steps, are perceivable only by the distance gone +over. + +When the proud steed shall know why man restrains his fiery course, or +drives him o'er the plains; when the dull ox, why now he breaks the +clod, is now a victim, and now Egypt's god: then shall man's pride and +dullness comprehend his actions', passions', being's use and end. + +Jehovah, God of hosts, hath sworn, saying: Surely, as I have devised, so +shall it be; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand. + +George, you must not laugh at me; I will not bear it. You forget what +you are about when you ridicule me: I know more than you do about the +lessons. + +I never heard a word about it before, said George, yesterday: who told +you about it, Charles? + +I never heard one word of it before, said my uncle Toby, hastily: how +came he there, Trim? + +Thou shalt pronounce this parable upon the King of Babylon; and shalt +say: How hath the oppressor ceased? + +It is not only in the sacred fane that homage should be paid to the Most +High: there is a temple, one not made with hands; the vaulted firmament: +far in the woods, almost beyond the sound of city-chime, at intervals +heard through the breezeless air. + + +THE END. + +[Illustration: List of textbooks] + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + +To retain the flavor of this schoolbook, the Transcriber has left all +grammar errors in tact. Any exceptions are noted below. + +Page vii: Opening bracket added to first sentence. [_The Poetical +Extracts + +Page 131: Period added: generosity. + +Page 139: Period added: she was immovable. + +Page 150: Period added: 18. + +Page 154: Period added: The same, subject, continued. + +Page 165: Word "might" changed to "mighty" due to space in poem and +poem's scheme. + +Page 202: Word "curse" is presumed: "...curse resounds in the ..." + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Parker's Second Reader, by Richard G. Parker + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PARKER'S SECOND READER *** + +***** This file should be named 16936.txt or 16936.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/6/9/3/16936/ + +Produced by PM Children's Library, Emmy and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The University of Florida, The Internet +Archive/Children's Library) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |