图书在版编目（CIP）数据

英国学生文学读本：英文／英国托马斯—尼尔森公司编．—天津：天津人民出版社，2013.3

ISBN 978-7-201-07896-0

Ⅰ．①英…　Ⅱ．①英…　Ⅲ．①英语—阅读教学—中学—课外读物　Ⅳ．①G634.413

中国版本图书馆CIP数据核字（2012）第319580号

天津出版传媒集团

天津人民出版社出版、发行

出版人：刘晓津

（天津市西康路35号　邮政编码：300051）

网址：http://www.tjrmcbs.com.cn

电子邮箱：tjrmcbs@126.com

北京领先印刷有限公司

2013年3月第1版　2013年3月第1次印刷

880×1230毫米　32开本　47.5印张　字数：800千字　插图：388幅

定　价：108.00元（全套6册）

总目录

英国学生文学读本　1

英国学生文学读本　2

英国学生文学读本　3

英国学生文学读本　4

英国学生文学读本　5

英国学生文学读本　6

CONTENTS

01　SANDY BEACH

02　PUSSY WHITE FOOT

03　THE LITTLE SWANS' LESSON

04　IN THE WOODS

05　WHICH? (I)

06　WHICH? (II)

07　LONG TIME AGO

08　THE SHEEP

09　THE SEA

10　FRANK'S LETTER TO HIS DOG

11　THE CROWS AND THE WIND-MILL

12　OUT OF HARM'S WAY

13　THE LITTLE BUILDERS (I)

14　THE LITTLE BUILDERS (II)

15　THE EVENING STAR

16　A RIDE IN A TRAM-CAR

17　AMONG THE HAY

18　POOR DOLLY!

19　THE FISHERMAN'S CHILDREN

20　RABBITS

21　THE LITTLE CARPENTER

22　THE HONEY-BEE'S SONG

23　HOW POLL WAS FOUND

24　ELEPHANT STORIES

25　TABBY

26　MOUSIE CAUGHT

27　PUSSY AND MAY

28　PEEPSIE

29　SALT

30　A PICNIC IN THE WOODS

31　A STORY OF AN APPLE

32　THE BIRDS' NEST (I)

33　THE BIRDS' NEST (II)

34　THE LOST LETTERS

35　FATHER'S PAPER

36　HOP O' MY THUMB　(I)

37　HOP O' MY THUMB　(II)

38　HOP O' MY THUMB　(III)

39　HOP O' MY THUMB　(IV)

40　LITTLE SAILORS

41　LOST—THREE LITTLE BIRDIES

42　I WONDER

43　A RHYME FOR LITTLE FOLKS

44　NELL AND THE BIRD

45　THE SHINING WEB

46　FREDDIE AND THE CHERRIES

47　A LITTLE BOY

48　DO YOUR BEST

49　GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD MORNING

50　THE TWO LITTLE KITTENS

返回总目录

01

SANDY BEACH

1. Three little children lived in a pretty cottage close to the sea-shore. Their names were Lucy, Harry, and Fred Hope.

2. Near the cottage there was a beach of white sand more than a mile long. It was called Sandy Beach.

3. The children often went there with their father and mother.

4. They loved to wade in the clear water. It was not deep near the shore, so there was no danger.

5. One day the children went with their father to play at Sandy Beach. Their big dog Bruno was with them.

6. They saw a little boy rowing about in a boat. He was a good way from the shore.

7. The children were making houses in the sand, when they heard a loud scream and a splash. The boy had fallen out of the boat into the deep water.

8. There was no one in the boat to help him, and no other boat was near. Mr. Hope saw the danger, and called Bruno.

9. He came bounding to his side. Mr. Hope pointed to the little boy in the water. "Fetch him, sir; quick!" he cried to the dog.

10. Bruno knew what his master meant. Dashing into the water, he swam out to the boy, and caught him by the coat. Then he swam back again, bringing the little boy safe to shore.

11. How proud the children were of Bruno! Since that day they have been kind to all dogs for his sake.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

02

PUSSY WHITE FOOT

1. One day, when two sisters, called Nell and Kate, came home, they found a poor little kitty at the door of their house.

2. She was very cold and wet, and her paws were very dirty, for it was a rainy day. The children took her into the house, and gave her some milk at the warm fire.

3. Kitty always lived with them after that day. They called her Whitefoot, because she had four white paws.

4. Pussy, pussy Whitefoot,

Wandering in the street,

Wet and cold and dirty

With the rain and sleet;

5. Pussy, pussy Whitefoot,

Hungry and alone,

In the children's play-room

Found a happy home.

6. Pussy, pussy Whitefoot,

Spotted brown and black,

When she sees old Carlo

How she bends her back!

7. Pussy, pussy Whitefoot,

Fur as soft as silk;

See her roll and tumble,

See her lap her milk.

WORD SPELLING

03

THE LITTLE SWANS' LESSON

1. Once there was a white swan which had three pretty baby swans. These were very lazy little things.

2. They did not try to pick their own food or swim about by themselves. They thought it was much nicer to eat from their mother's bill, and sail up and down the stream on her back.

3. Their mother liked to feed them and carry them about. But she knew they must be taught to seek their own food and to swim up and down.

4. When she spoke to them about it, they said, "Next week we will begin." One of them did keep her word. She began to swim and seek food for herself. But the others still sat on their mother's back.

5. One day the mother swan was out in the stream, and the little ones were sitting on her back. All at once the mother dived, heels over head, and let the lazy little swans fall off.

6. Then up she came, and swam off as fast as she could, in among the reeds. There she stayed all night. Left alone, the little swans had to swim. By morning they had all learned their lesson.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

04

IN THE WOODS

1. It is very hot in the sun today. Let us go into the shady woods. There the trees are so thick overhead that the sun cannot get at us.

2. How cool and nice it is!

There are ever so many birds up in the trees. They are resting under the green leaves. Let us walk softly, and we may see some of them.

3. Look! there is a blackbird. I know him by his long tail. And here is a sparrow hopping about. What a bold little fellow he is!

4. Oh! did you see that nut drop? There is a squirrel in that tree. There, I see his bushy tail! He has seen us! Off he goes! Now he is in the next tree! Where has he gone?

5. Let us go a little further into the woods. I think I hear the sound of a stream. Yes; there it is at the foot of the hill.

6. How clear the water is! You can see the stones at the bottom.

7. Oh, what is that? It is only a little green frog.

Do not be afraid. He cannot bite you, for he has no teeth.

What a jump! He has gone down to the bottom of the deep pool. Good-bye, Froggie.

8. Now it must be time for dinner. Let us take some of these pretty flowers home to mother.

WORD SPELLING

05

WHICH?

I

1. There are two boys who go to the same school and are in the same class. One of them is called "Lazy Joe," and the other "Happy John." We shall soon see why.

2. Joe gets up very late in the morning, He dresses slowly, and has hardly time to wash his face or brush his hair.

3. He crawls to school like a snail, and is very often late. He never learns his lessons, so he is always at the foot of the class.

4. At home, he has no time to help his mother. When she sends him a message, he takes so long that she thinks he must have lost his way.

5. If she knew where to look for him, she would see how her lazy son spends his time.

6. She would very likely find him playing marbles with other boys as lazy as himself, or wasting his time in some other way.

7. A LAZY BOY BECOMES A LAZY MAN. If Joe does not mend his ways, he may find when he becomes a man that there is no room for him in this busy world.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

06

WHICH?

II

1. Now let us hear about the other boy. His name is John Sand, but he is always so bright and happy that he is called "Happy John."

2. John has to go a long way to school in the morning, yet he is never late and never absent.

3. In summer, when the trees are green and the birds are singing, John has a nice walk through the woods.

4. He has learned the names of the birds. He knows their songs, and he knows where to find their nests.

5. Sometimes he goes out of his way to get a peep at their pretty little eggs. But he never touches one of them.

6. When winter comes with frost and snow, John puts on his warm mittens and his thick boots. Then he runs off to school as happy as ever.

7. He has often to do messages in the village. See how he brings home his basket full of meal, tea, and sugar.

8. John finds time for his work and time for his lessons. He is never so happy as when he is busy. He is a great help to both father and mother.

9. You see John Sand is not at all like lazy Joe. WHICH do you wish to be like?

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

07

LONG TIME AGO

1. Once there was a little kitty

Whiter than snow;

In a barn she used to frolic,

Long time ago.

2. In that barn a little mousie

Ran to and fro;

For she heard the kitty coming,

Long time ago.

3. Four paws had little kitty,

Paws soft as dough;

And they caught the little mousie,

Long time ago,

4. Nine teeth had little kitty,

All in a row,

And they bit the little mousie,

Long time ago.

5. When the teeth bit little mousie,

Little mouse cried "Oh!"

But she got away from kitty,

Long time ago.

WORD SPELLING

08

THE SHEEP

1. Have you ever seen a flock of sheep feeding in the fields? They never stray far from one another. If a dog barks at them they all run close together.

2. Sheep are good climbers. We may often see them feeding far up on the hills.

3. In the month of May it is pretty to watch the little white lambs beside their mothers. They play and frisk about all day long.

4. In summer, when it is very warm, the sheep have to get their heavy coats of wool cut off. Then the shepherds are kept very busy.

5. With the help of their dogs, they gather all their sheep together in a place called a sheep-pen. The lambs are left outside, and bleat very sadly. They think that they have lost their mothers.

6. The sheep are washed one by one; and then the wool is cut off with big shears. This is called sheep-shearing.

7. The wool is made into cloth; so it is from the sheep that we get our warm winter clothing.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

09

THE SEA

1. It was summer. School was closed, and Jack and May went to the sea-side. Jack used to take his little sister down to the shore every day, and play with her on the sands.

2. One day they built a sand-house. But the sea came creep, creep, creeping up to it. At last the house was quite covered by the water. Then the sea crept slowly back again, but the sand-house was all gone.

3. Jack told little May that the sea crept in and out like this twice every day.

4. One day the sea was almost as smooth as a pond. But the water was not quite still. There were tiny waves. They were so soft and gentle that to Jack and May they seemed to be saying,

"Lip-pit-y, lap-pit-y, lap, lap, lap!

Lip-pit-y, lap-pit-y, lap, lap, lap!"

5. Next day the wind blew loud and strong, and the waves were very high. They broke into white spray as they dashed against the rocks.

6. How happy the sea-birds seemed floating on the big waves!

7. Jack liked the stormy waves; but little May liked the sea better when it was calm.

8. To-day May is looking for shells. Jack is helping her. She is telling him of a place where they can gather pretty ones.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

10

FRANK'S LETTER TO HIS DOG

1. MY DEAR BOB, —

I said I would write you a letter, and I am going to do it. I wish you were here to see all the chickens and geese and ducks.

2. There is an old goose that can beat you at swimming, but she cannot fetch a stick out of the water as you can. She ran after me yesterday, and pecked at my leg.

3. The funniest fellows are the pigs. You would like to give their curly tails a nip. There's the old mother pig. She eats as much as six dogs like you. There are ten baby pigs. They are just learning to eat, and are very greedy.

4. Grandpapa has an old white cow. Her name is Pit. She is called Pit because she fell into a big hole when she was a little calf. She can open the gate with her horns.

5. I am going to bring you something when I come home. It came off a sheep. It is for your bed in winter. But I shall not tell you just now what it is.

6. I want to see you very much. I shall never go away again unless they ask you too. I am coming home in three weeks.

Good-bye, old Bob.

Your loving master,

FRANK.

WORD SPELLING

11

THE CROWS AND THE WIND-MILL

1. There was once a wind-mill that swung its arms round and round day after day. It did no harm to anybody.

2. But there was a flock of crows living near who did not like the busy mill. They said it wanted to kill some of them. What else could it mean by swinging its great arms the whole day long?

3. They made up their minds to call a meeting of all the crows in the country. One fine summer evening they all met together near the mill.

4. The leader of the flock told his story. The crows thought the wind-mill a very bad thing indeed. The younger ones wanted to go and pull it down at once.

5. At last an old crow said: "Does the windmill ever leave its place, and chase crows or try to hurt them?"

6. The crows had to own that it did not. "How, then," asked the old crow, "is it likely to kill any of you?" — "Oh, it will do that if we go near it," they all said.

7. "And is that the only way that any of you will be hurt by it?" — "Yes, of course." — "Then," said the wise old crow, "I have only one thing to say: Keep out of harm's way."

8. The crows did so. Boys and girls might very well do the same— "KEEP OUT OF HARM'S WAY."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

12

OUT OF HARM'S WAY

GIRL

1. Dicky bird, Dicky bird, whither away?

Why do you fly when I wish you to stay?

I never would harm you, if you would come,

And sing me a song while you perch on my thumb.

BIRD

2. Dear girl, I will sing to you here in the tree,

But pray do not come any nearer to me;

Your wide-open hand and your eyes big and bright

Fill poor little Dicky with terror and fright.

GIRL

3. I love you, dear Dicky; so why should you fear?

If you will come with me, my sweet, pretty dear,

You shall live in a house of silver so gay,

And feed on a lump of white sugar each day.

BIRD

4. Oh, but, little girl, I've a nest in this tree,

And three little baby birds waiting for me.

I should pine in a house of silver so gay,

And starve on a lump of white sugar each day.

5. I love the fresh air, the sunshine so free;

My swing in the rose-bush, my home in the tree.

My birdies are calling me, so I must fly,

And sing as I leave you, "Good-bye, good-bye."

WORD SPELLING

13

THE LITTLE BUILDERS

I

1. Spring was gone, and summer, with its warm days, had come.

2. At an old farm-house there were a great many martins to be seen. They had come over the seas to spend the summer there.

3. They were very busy. Some were mending old nests; others were building new ones.

4. A pair of young birds had chosen a cosy place. They were building a nest in the corner of an old window.

5. All day long they kept flying to and fro, to get mud for the walls of their little house. They never seemed to tire.

6. At last their work was done. The walls were dry and firm. There were only a few soft feathers wanted inside, to make a warm bed for the baby birds.

7. Mr. and Mrs. Martin were so pleased with their work, that they thought they would have a little treat. Off they flew to get a nice supper of flies.

8. When they got back to their new home, they saw a big fat bird peeping out at the door.

9. "I beg your pardon, sir," said Mrs. Martin, "but you have made a mistake. This is my house."

10. "Your house! I don't know about that," said the big fat sparrow. "I found the house empty, and it suits me very well; so I mean to stay here."

Yes, and he had brought his wife with him, too!

11. Then up hopped Mr. Martin. But in spite of all he could say, the sparrows would not move. So rather than fight about it, he and Mrs. Martin very sadly gave up their neat little nest.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

14

THE LITTLE BUILDERS

II

1. Next day Mr. and Mrs. Martin began to build a new nest, with such a small door that no rude sparrow could get in.

2. The walls were built, and the inside was lined with feathers. Then came five lovely eggs, and then five little birds.

3. But, alas! one stormy night the rain wet the sides of the nest, and down it fell. In the morning, five dead baby birds lay on the ground.

4. How sad the father and mother were! They flew round and round the broken nest, and twittered to their dead babies. But it was of no use.

5. They had lost all—their home and their little ones. Did they give up now? Did they fly away to a brighter land? No; a third time they began a new house.

6. The other martins had already pretty families around them. Even the rude sparrow had a large family of little sparrows as rude as himself.

7. It was rather dull work sometimes. But when the sun shone out, Mr. and Mrs. Martin worked away merrily.

8. At last the house was finished, and a beautiful little house it was. Before long the nest was filled with another family of martins. All the little birds grew up, and a nicer family was not to be seen anywhere.

9. Now, children, when everything goes the wrong way, and trying seems of no use, will you remember the story of these brave little martins, and

"TRY, TRY, TRY AGAIN"?

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

"I'LL TRY."

Two robin redbreasts built their nest;

Within a hollow tree.

The wife sat quietly at home,

Her mate sang merrily,

And all the little young ones said,

"Wee, wee—wee, wee—wee, wee."

One day the sun was warm and bright,

And cloudless was the sky;

Cock-robin said, "My little dears,

'Tis time you learned to fly."

And all the little young ones said,

"I'll try, I'll try, I'll try."

I know a child, and who she is

I'll tell you by-and-by,

When mother says, "Do this, do that,"

She says, "What for? and why?"

She'd be a better child by far

If she would say, "I'll try."

15

THE EVENING STAR

1. Do you see the boy and the girl in the picture? They are brother and sister. The boy is pointing to a star that twinkles in the sky.

2. The sun has set, and soon it will be quite dark. A woman is driving her cows home to be milked.

3. It is not very late yet, for there is only that one star in the sky. When night comes there will be thousands of stars shining. But that one is always the first to be seen.

4. Because it shines in the evening, it is called "the Evening Star." It warns us that night is coming on.

5. Perhaps the boy is telling this to his sister; or he may be saying to her the pretty verses about the twinkling star: —

6. Little star, so high, so high,

Shining in the deep blue sky;

Little star, so far, so far,

Who can tell me what you are?

7. When the golden day is done,

And the night is just begun,

Then I wait and watch for you

As you twinkle through the blue.

8. When the night grows dark and chill,

Then you shine more bright and still;

And your kindly watch you keep

While the little children sleep.

9. Little star, so high, so high,

Shining in the far-off sky;

Silver star, I love you true,

And to-night I'll dream of you.

WORD SPELLING

16

A RIDE IN A TRAM-CAR

1. "Here is the car, Tom. I'll help you in." So papa helps Tom and mamma with little Mary in her arms up the steps. The bell rings, and away we go along the smooth iron rails.

2. Of course Tom goes to the end of the seat to watch the driver out of the window. How he would like to be able to drive a big tram-car himself. What fun it must be to ring a bell, like the driver, and see the carts and motor vans moving out of the way!

3. Here comes the man to take the fares. "How far are you going, sir?"

"To the post-office."

"Twopence, please, and a penny for the boy."

4. Papa pays twopence each for himself and mamma, and a penny for Tom. Mary is only a baby, so she goes free.

5. How often this car is stopping! It is soon so full that Tom has to sit on papa's knee. There is another lady coming in. Where will she sit? "Please take my seat," says papa. — "Come, Tom, you and I will go on the top of the car.

6. "Take care of the stair; it is very steep. Come to the front seat, and we can see all that is going on in the street."

7. How many things one sees from the top of a car! "Why are all these people standing round that high box with the big hole?" asks Tom.

"I think it must be a Punch and Judy show," says papa. "Yes. Look at the man with the long nose, and the dog with a paper collar."

"Oh, I wish the car would stop and let us watch it."

8. Now we are coming to a hill. That horse cannot pull his cart up, it is so steep. There is a boy waiting with a fresh horse, to help to pull the cart up. Our tram-car does not mind the steep hill, and we soon get to the top.

9. But here is the post-office. We must get down.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

17

AMONG THE HAY

1. "Where are you going, Willie?" said his sister Annie, one fine, warm day in June.

2. "I am going to the big hay-field, Annie. They are cutting the hay. Will you come?"

3. Off went the two children. They soon came to the field. Most of the hay was already cut. What a sweet smell it had!

4. Hay, you know, is just dried grass. All the men and women on the farm were turning it over and over with large wooden rakes. This is called making the hay, and the people who do it are called hay-makers.

5. They turn the hay over and over to dry it quickly. If this were not done, the hay would spoil, and then the horses and cattle would not eat it.

6. When the hay is quite dry, it is gathered in heaps called hay-cocks. Then it is taken in carts to the barn-yard, piled up in large stacks, and kept there to feed the cattle in winter.

7. Some hay-stacks were standing in one corner of the field, and Annie and Willie played about them for a long time.

8. They made a big hole in one of them. Annie called it her house, and Willie came to visit her.

9. They played at hay-fights, too. They threw great handfuls of hay at each other. Once, when Annie was sitting on the ground, Willie came up quietly behind her, and threw so much hay over her that she was quite covered up.

10. After they had played for a long time, they worked for a while at hay-making. They got rakes, and helped to turn over the hay.

11. When dinner-time came, they went home in one of the carts, sitting on the top of a load of hay. They were very tired, but very happy, after their day in the hay-field.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

18

POOR DOLLY!

1. 'Tis very well to smile—now,

But you gave me such a fright,

When I missed you, darling Dolly,

In the middle of the night.

2. I thought we played together,

And you fell into a stream;

Yet I said—just half awaking—

"'Tis nothing but a dream,

3. "For safe upon nay pillow

Lies her curly golden hair."

Then I reached my hand to touch you,

But I couldn't find you there.

4. I felt so sad and lonely

That I cried, but all in vain;

So to see if I could find you,

I went off to sleep again.

5. Now, fancy! in the morning

There you were, all safe and right;

And nurse said, "Here's poor Dolly,

Been upon the floor all night!"

6. Your pretty curls are tangled,

They were nice and smooth before;

So promise, Dolly darling,

You will tumble out no more!

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

19

THE FISHERMAN'S CHILDREN

1. James and George went down to the harbour one day to see the boats come in from the herring-fishing.

2. Their father was a fisherman. He had been away for some weeks at the fishing, but was to be back that day.

3. The harbour had a broad stone wall all round to keep out the waves. There was one opening for the boats to get in and out. Whenever they were inside they were safe from the wind and the waves.

4. James and George found a crowd of boys standing on the harbour wall. They were all looking away out to sea. Every one of them wished to be the first to spy the fishing-boats.

5. Soon they saw the brown sails far, far away. Nearer and nearer they came, sailing straight towards the harbour.

6. At last George cried out, "There she is! there is the white patch on her sail. That is our boat."

7. How happy the boys were when their father clasped them in his arms, and took them on board his boat to see the shining fish!

8. "I saw a ship a-sailing,

A-sailing on the sea;

And, oh! it was all laden

With pretty things for thee:

9. "There were comfits in the cabin,

And apples in the hold;

The sails were made of silk,

And the masts were made of gold.

10. "The four-and-twenty sailors

That stood between the decks,

Were four-and-twenty white mice,

With chains about their necks."

11. "The captain was a duck,

With a packet on his back;

And when the ship began to move,

The captain said, 'Quack, quack!'"

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

20

RABBITS

1. This is a picture of Flo and her white rabbit. Her brother gave it to her when it was quite young.

2. It is very tame. It lets Flo take it in her lap and feed it with cabbage leaves and other things. Look how it sits peeping over her shoulder at the green leaves she holds in her hands!

3. Pet rabbits are not all white. Some have black or gray coats. Wild rabbits are brown above and gray below.

4. What long ears the rabbit has! It must hear very well with such long ears! Stroke them. How soft they are!

5. Did you know that wild rabbits live under the ground? Yes; many of them live together in a big house with a great many holes. When an enemy comes in by one hole, the timid rabbits run away out by another.

6. The holes are very small. When a rabbit runs into its house, it has to lay its long ears flat down upon its head, or it cannot get in at all.

7. Rabbits stay in their houses most of the day. In the evening and early morning, when all is quiet, they come out and nibble the grass. It is pretty to watch the young ones playing together and tumbling over each other.

8. If they hear the least noise, they scamper off to their holes. You can see their little white tails bob up and down as they jump through the grass.

9. Rabbits cannot run and walk like cats and dogs, for their front legs are shorter than their hind ones. They can only jump.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

21

THE LITTLE CARPENTER

1. When I was a boy my father gave me a box of tools.

2. Harry Winter, the carpenter, and I were great friends. His shop was quite close to our house, and he let me work there whenever I liked. Harry was always very kind, and taught me how to use my tools.

3. The summer holidays were to begin in a week, and we were going to the country. I was in a hurry to finish a box that I was making; for mother had said that I might put my clothes in it, and pack them myself.

4. Do you know how I made the box? Well, I shall tell you. I took a board, and cut off two long pieces, one for the back and the other for the front, then two shorter pieces for the ends. Then I nailed them together like this.

5. Then I cut two big pieces, one for the lid and the other for the bottom. When the bottom was nailed on it fitted very well. But the lid had not been cut quite straight, so it did not fit.

6. Harry was very busy that day. But when I called, "Harry, will you come and see my box?" he laid down his work and came over to my corner of the shop. "The lid is not quite straight," I said, "but it will do well enough."

7. "Arthur," said Harry, "if it is not quite straight, it will not do well enough. WHAT'S WORTH DOING IS WORTH DOING WELL. Come; I'll show you how to put it right."

8. It was very good of him, when he was so busy. He stood beside me until I had made the lid fit splendidly. It was a fine box then.

9. Harry gave me some paint, and I painted the box brown. Then he gave me some little brass nails, and I put my name on the top like this—

10. The next day Harry put on a small lock, and the box was ready.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

22

THE HONEY-BEE'S SONG

1. I am a honey-bee,

Buzzing away

Over the blossoms

The long summer day;

Now in the lily's cup

Drinking my fill,

Now where the roses bloom

Under the hill. Gaily we fly,

My fellows and I,

Seeking the honey the flowers supply.

2. No idle moments

Have we through the day,

No idle moments

For sleep or for play.

Summer is flying,

And we must take care

Food for the winter

At once to prepare.

Bees in a hive

Are up and alive—

Lazy folks never can prosper or thrive

3. Awake, little children!

No harvest for those

Who waste their best hours

In lazy repose.

Come out—to the morning

All bright things belong—

And listen a while

To the honey-bee's, song.

Merrily singing,

Busily winging,

Back to the hive with the store we are bringing.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

23

HOW POLL WAS FOUND

1. In a small town in Scotland there lived a parrot. He was known to all the boys and girls in the place.

2. He could talk and sing and whistle. He barked like a dog, and mewed like a cat. He would cry, "Cluck, cluck, cluck," and all the cocks and hens would come strutting into the kitchen. Then Poll would throw them some of his own seed.

3. Poll was not shut up all day in his cage. He was very tame, and was often seen walking about in the garden. Sometimes he went outside the garden gate. He was so well known that no one harmed him.

4. When his master came home from his work, Poll would call out, "Uncle, uncle, how d'ye do? Glad to see you."

5. If his master found him in the garden, Poll would call out, "Uncle, uncle, take me home! Take me home!" Then Poll would be taken home, perched on "uncle's" shoulder.

6. One evening Poll was missed. He was not in the garden, and he was not in the house. Night came on, but Poll did not come home.

7. Next day the bell-man was sent round the town. He went from street to street. In each street he rang his bell, and called out: "Notice.—Lost—yesterday—a fine parrot. Any one who brings him back—safe and well—to Mr. Dow—will be rewarded."

8. But Poll was not brought back. No one seemed to know anything about him.

9. One day news of the parrot came to Mr. Dow. It was said that a shoe-maker who lived in a back street had a parrot. No one had seen the bird, but his voice had been heard.

10. Mr. Dow set off at once for the shoemaker's house. He knocked at the door, and asked the man if he had a parrot.

"No!" said the shoe-maker rudely; "I have no parrot."

11. "Uncle, uncle, take me home! Take me home!" called out a sad voice. Mr. Dow knew that voice well.

He pushed past the shoe-maker, found Poll in an inner room, and walked off with his pet without asking leave.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

24

ELEPHANT STORIES

1. One day a huge elephant was standing in the hot sunshine. The flies were buzzing round him, and he kept beating his body with his trunk to drive them off.

2. Just at that time his master brought a little black baby, and laid it down before the animal. "Watch it!" he said, and walked away into the town.

3. The elephant at once began to take care of the baby. He seemed no longer to mind the flies buzzing about himself. What he now cared about was to keep them from the child.

4. First he tried to drive them off with his trunk, but that did not do well. Then he tore down a branch of a tree, but it was too big. So he broke off a small part of the branch, and used it as a fan to keep the flies away from the baby.

5. There he stood for more than two hours, gently fanning the child. He did not seem to think of himself at all.

6. It was a beautiful sight to see him taking such care of that little baby. The elephant was so large and strong; the child, so small and weak.

7. A gentleman in England had an elephant which helped the gardeners in their work. It used to take up a broom with its trunk, and sweep away the leaves from the walks.

8. When the gardener was watering the flowers, the elephant would follow him about, carrying a watering-pot with its trunk.

9. Elephants can do all sorts of things with their trunks. In India they are taught to move large logs of wood. They soon learn to do it as cleverly as men.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

25

TABBY

1. My sister Ella has a cat called Tabby. She is black, and has a pretty white breast. She has long whiskers and a fine bushy tail.

2. It is very pretty to see Ella and Tabby at breakfast-time. Tabby gets up on the back of Ella's chair, and rubs her whiskers gently against the little girl's cheek with a soft "Pur-r-r."

3. Our dog Snap is very fond of Tabby, but in the morning he likes to run up to her with a loud bark. Then Tabby gives a fierce spit.

4. Of course it is all in play. Snap and she are good friends, and soon they will be lying before the fire quite close together.

5. Tabby's paws have soft pads under them, so that she can walk about very quietly. This makes her a good hunter for she can creep up to birds or mice without making the least noise. She gives a great spring when she gets near them.

6. When she is angry she puts out her claws like long sharp hooks. At other times she keeps them in, so that they look like little nails at the end of her toes.

7. Tabby catches birds and mice, but she never hurts us. Ella often says this nice verse about her pussy: —

"I love little pussy, her coat is so warm,

And if I don't hurt her she'll do me no harm;

So I'll not pull her tail or drive her away,

But pussy and I very gently will play."

8. I could tell you a great deal more about Tabby—how rough her tongue feels when she licks our hands, and how she can see as well in the dark as in the bright sunlight—but I have told you quite enough about her for to-day.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

"IF YOU PLEASE."

All dressed in gray a little mouse

Has made his home within my house;

And every night and every morn

I say, "I wish that mouse were gone."

But why? A quiet soul is he

As any one need wish to see.

My house is large, my hearth is wide,

With room for him and me beside.

Ah yes! But when the lights are out

He likes to slyly peep about,

And help himself to what he sees,

Without once saying, "If you please."

26

MOUSIE CAUGHT

1. In the cottage where Jack and little Annie lived there was a big cat which Annie called her own.

2. One night, when all was still, a little mouse was seen moving about on the floor, picking up crumbs.

3. When Jack saw it, he rose from his stool and tried to catch it; but mousie was too quick for him. In a moment it was off to a hole, and out of sight.

4. That night Jack set a wire trap near the hole, and put a little bit of cheese in the trap. Mousie could not keep away from the cheese.

5. During the night it crept into the wire trap. Down came the door, and poor mousie was caught. When morning came, there it was, trying hard to get out.

6. The big cat wanted to get hold of mousie; but Annie kept the cat in her arms, and would not let it go near the trap.

7. It was not a common mouse that was caught, but a pretty little harvest-mouse, which had found its way into the cottage.

8. The harvest-mouse lives among the long grass of the fields. It is about two inches in length, and its coat of brown fur is very soft and thick.

9. No bird can make a nicer home for its little ones than this mouse does. The nest is like a little round ball, with a very small opening. It is built of dried grass, and is made very close and firm.

10. Jack and Annie would not let mousie be drowned. They had read in their lesson-book about the harvest-mouse and its pretty ways. So they were going to set mousie free.

11. They took the trap out to the big field at the back of the cottage. There the grass was long and soft.

12. When the door of the trap was opened, out came mousie. It run off as fast as it could, and was soon out of sight in the long, soft grass. You may be sure that it was never seen in the cottage again.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

27

PUSSY AND MAY

MAY

Now, Pussy Gray,

Come here, I pray;

Listen to what I have to say.

Sit on the cushion at my side

And have your ribbon neatly tied.

You must not try to scratch or bite,

And you must never steal or fight;

But clear the house of rats and mice,

And keep your fur and whiskers nice.

The things that other pussies do

Would not be right at all for you,

You are my cat,

Remember that.

PUSSY

O Mistress May,

Your Pussy Gray

Has quite as much as you to say.

You should not scold, or pinch, or strike,

Or feed me only when you like;

Or shut me out to freeze at night,

When you are tucked up warm and tight;

But treat me always in the way

You'd like if you were Pussy Gray.

The things that other people do

May not be always right for you:

I am your cat,

Remember that.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

28

PEEPSIE

1. Peepsie is Alice's hen, and she has ten little chickens. She is a very good mother.

2. This is the story of how she got her chickens? It took her a long time. The first thing was to lay some eggs. Every time she laid an egg she walked about, saying, "Cackle, cackle," very proudly, as if she had done a great thing.

3. When a dozen eggs were laid, Peepsie began to sit on them and keep them warm. She sat day after day for three weeks. Then, "Crack!" went the shell of one egg, and very soon a tiny chick came out into the big world.

4. Soon another chick pecked its way through its shell, then another, and then another, until there was a brood of ten. There were no chickens in the other two eggs.

5. The little chicks were very funny at first. They stood on their shaky little legs, and cried, "Peep, peep," in a weak voice. And then Peepsie would answer, "Cluck, cluck," very softly.

6. Peepsie is very good to her chickens. She scratches up the earth to find seeds and worms for them to eat. When she says, "Cluck, cluck! pick it up. Cluck, cluck! eat it up," all the chicks run to see what she has found.

7. It is funny to hear Peepsie chuck-chucking at our dog Snap, when he comes barking up the garden in the morning.

8. She seems to say to him, "Chuck, chuck! what do you want here, sir? Chuck, chuck! You are too early, sir! Chuck, chuck! We do not want you till your mistress comes."

9. Peepsie does not know that Snap would not hurt her chicks. She will not let him come near them; but she always lets Alice touch them. She knows that Alice loves them, and will do them no harm.

10. When the chicks are cold or tired, Peepsie stoops down, and they run under her wings. Soon every little chick is fast asleep.

All the little tiny things

Nestle close beneath her wings;

There she keeps them safe and warm,

Free from fear and free from harm.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

"Never count your chickens before they are hatched."

29

SALT

1. "Father, Tom said I was not worth my salt. What did he mean?"

2. "Well, dear, I hope no one will ever be able to say that of you again. A girl who is not worth such a cheap thing as salt, is not worth very much.

3. "But for all that we could not do without salt any more than I could do without you." And he drew his little girl closer to him.

4. "No one will grow big and strong who does not have salt in his food. Even animals need it. Farmers often put a lump of salt in the fields for the horses and the cows and the sheep to lick.

5. "In Africa, hunters are sure of having wild animals to shoot if they wait quietly near a salt spring.

6. "But salt is not cheap in Africa, for it is very scarce. There children are as pleased with a little salt as you are with some sweets."

7. "Where does salt come from, father?"

"We get a great deal of it from the sea. Shallow pits are dug and filled with sea water. The sun dries up the water, and the salt is left behind.

8. "But we also get salt out of mines. There are salt mines in our country, just as there are coal mines and iron mines.

9. "The largest salt mine in the world is a wonderful place. It is far from here. Men have been digging salt out of it for six hundred years, and yet there seems as much left as ever!

10. "In this mine there are miles and miles of streets. There are houses all made of salt, where the miners with their wives and children live.

11. "Hundreds stay down in the mine all their lives, and hardly ever see the blue sky or the green grass.

12. "There are churches, too, made of salt, where the miners pray and sing.

13. "Horses are needed to draw trucks of salt in the mines. When they are once taken down they never come up again. The glitter of the salt and the glare of the lamps blind them, but they go on doing their work all the same."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

30

A PICNIC IN THE WOODS

1. Across the lake there was a wood on the hillside. It was a fine place for a picnic, and the children often rowed over and made tea under the trees.

2. They always took plenty of bread and butter and biscuits with them, and sometimes a piece of Aunt Mary's seed-cake. They also took some tea, of course, and a little milk and sugar.

3. All these things were packed in baskets, along with a kettle, a little tea-pot, and some cups.

4. It did not take long to make tea. One of the boys filled the kettle, while the others gathered sticks for the fire. The kettle was hung above the fire as you see it in the picture, and the water was soon boiling.

5. Then the girls made tea; for, of course, they could do that better than the boys. How nice everything was! Why do things always taste so nice at a picnic?

6. After tea was over, the cups were all washed and put away in the baskets. Then the children played at games round the big trunks of the trees.

7. When they were tired of games, they went off into the woods to pick wild flowers and ferns.

8. The boys were very proud of two big branches of the rowan-tree, with bunches of bright red berries among the green leaves. They looked quite gay in the bow of the boat, going home.

9. How happy the children's voices sounded, laughing and singing as they rowed home in the quiet evening!

10. As they looked back they could see the sun just going down behind the hill, and the red glow of their fire against the dark woods. They watched it growing smaller and smaller, till it gave one little flash and went out.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

31

A STORY OF AN APPLE

1. Little Tommy and Peter and Archie and Bob

Were walking one day, when they found

An apple; 'twas yellow and rosy and red,

And lying alone on the ground.

2. Said Tommy, "I'll have it;" said Peter, "'Tis mine;"

Said Archie, "I've got it; so there!"

Said Bobby, "Now, let us divide it in four,

And each of us boys has a share."

3. "No, no!" shouted Tommy; "I'll have it myself."

Said Peter, "I want it, I say."

Said Archie, "I've got it, and I'll have it all;

I won't give the least bit away."

4. Then Tommy he snatched it, and Peter he fought,

('Tis sad and distressing to tell!)

And Archie held on as hard as he could,

Till out from his fingers it fell.

5. Away from the three angry brothers it flew,

And then down a little green hill

That apple it rolled, and it rolled, and it rolled,

As if it would never be still.

6. A lazy old cow was eating the grass,

And switching her tail at the flies,

When all of a sudden the apple rolled down,

And stopped just in front of her eyes.

7. She gave but a bite and a swallow or two—

That apple was seen never more!

"I wish," sobbed out Archie and Peter and Tom,

"We'd kept it and cut it in four."

WORD SPELLING

32

THE BIRDS' NEST

I

1. It was spring, and I used to move my chair up to the window, where I could lean out and watch all the lovely things in the garden.

2. I could see the bees sucking honey from the flowers, and dozens of happy birds building their houses.

3. Now there hung just inside my window a box of strings. For two or three days not a bit of string could be found in the box. I put some in, but when next I went to look it was all gone.

4. One afternoon a pretty bird flew down on the window-sill. He put his little head on one side and winked his bright little eye.

5. Then, without saying "If you please," he dipped his beak into the box, and flew off with a piece of pink string.

6. I sat quite still to see if the little scamp would dare to come back. He did not; but he sent his wife, and she was just as bold as her mate.

7. She gave a hop, step, and jump, looked at me for a moment, and then took a piece of string without being a bit afraid.

8. What did the birds want with my pink string, I wonder? It was for the walls of the little nest which they were building.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

33

THE BIRDS' NEST

II

1. The nest is ready at last! Do you see how strongly it is tied to these three little twigs? How firm it is! You could hardly pull it to pieces.

2. Peep into the nest and see the soft lining of feathers and wool. Why do you think it was made so soft? It was for the little birds that were coming, of course.

3. Sure enough, one morning I leaned far out of the window, and saw five little eggs close together in the nest.

4. But I did not get much chance to look at them, I can tell you; for the mother bird would hardly leave the nest for a moment.

5. There she sat in the long May days and warm, still nights. Who but a mother would be so kind?

6. She did not mind the pain in her back or the stiffness in her legs, but sat quite still all the time. It was very hard; for all the other birds were having grand fun in the bright sunshine.

7. At last I was awakened one morning by such a chirping and singing! I knew in a minute what it all meant. I knew that where the night before there had been two birds and five eggs, there were now seven birds and nothing but egg shells!

8. The papa bird could hardly wait for me to dress, but flew off and on the window-sill, saying, "Why don't you get up? Why don't you get up? You're very lazy! Be quick! Be quick! I have five little birds.

9. "They came out of their shells this morning. They are so hungry that I can't get enough for them to eat.

10. "Why don't you get up, I say? I have five little birds, and I am looking after them while my wife is off taking a rest."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

34

THE LOST LETTERS

1. A shop-keeper was once in great trouble. He was waiting for letters which were bringing him some money. But day after day passed and no letters came.

2. At last he asked the postman if he knew anything about them. The postman said, "I put all your letters into the hole in your door. You should get a letter-box."

3. The shop-keeper, you see, had only a small slit in the door. When letters were put into it, they fell down on the floor of the shop.

4. The poor man did not know what to do. He needed the money very much. He knew that it had been sent to him; and the postman said that he had put all his letters down the hole in the door.

5. It was very strange. What could have become of the letters? A few days passed, and then other letters were missed.

6. At last the shop-keeper made up his mind to sit up all night, and see if he could find out what became of his letters.

7. Just as it began to get dark he heard the postman's step. Down on the floor fell, one, two, three letters.

8. The watcher left them there. Hour after hour passed, the clock struck twelve. Still the letters lay as they had fallen.

9. But hark! There was a sound near the door. Then something moved slowly to where the letters lay. One was lifted and carried off. Then a second letter was lifted, and then a third.

10. There was the thief!

Can you guess who it was? A rat!

11. His nest was just under the floor. The wood was torn up, and there lay thirty letters and some newspapers!

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

35

FATHER'S PAPER

1. As soon as father's had his tea,

And after all his work is done,

He lights the lamp, and says to me,

"Now, bring the paper, little one."

Then mother wheels his chair around,

And this is just the way he sits;

But I don't make the slightest sound

When father reads and mother knits.

2. I wonder what the papers say

To father when he reads at night?

You know I only read in play,

And father reads the papers right.

But when I sit upon the stool,

To find out what the papers tell,

He says next year I'll go to school,

And learn to read and write and spell.

3. I'm waiting here for father now;

The toast is made, the tea is set;

And when he comes he'll kiss my brow,

And say I am his darling pet.

"Has baby mine been good to-day?"

He'll ask when he sits down to tea;

And mother, she will smile and say,

"My little one's been helping me."

4. He'll take his chair, when tea is done,

And wheel it to the fire, and say,

"Now, where's the paper, little one?

Have you been reading it to-day?"

He'll hold it in his hand like me, —

I know the very way he sits;

But I'll be still as still can be

When father reads and mother knits.

WORD SPELLING

36

HOP O' MY THUMB

I

1. Once upon a time there lived near a wood a man with his wife and seven sons.

2. One of these boys was so very tiny that it is said he could hide in his father's shoe! He was named "Hop," because he was always dancing about.

3. His father called him "Hop on My Thumb," because he was so very little. But he was a kind and loving boy, and very wise for his age.

4. The father had at one time been a rich nobleman, but he had lost all his money. Now he was so poor that he was glad to chop wood to get bread for his family.

5. One night the father sat talking with his wife. The boys were in bed, and should all have been asleep; but Hop was wide awake.

6. He heard his father say that things were so bad that he could no longer get bread for the children.

7. "There is no help for it," he said sadly. "I cannot bear to see them starving at home. I shall take the boys to the woods tomorrow, and leave them there."

At this the mother wept.

8. There was no sleep for Hop that night. He lay awake thinking of what he had heard. As soon as it was light he got up.

9. Going quietly out of the house, he ran to the brook and filled his pockets with white stones. Then he went home again, and crept into bed before any one was up. Soon the family awoke.

10. When breakfast was over, the father called out to the boys. "Come along; we must set to work." And off they all went to the woods. But Hop walked behind the others, and here and there he dropped a stone.

11. Soon they were all at work chopping wood. After a time the father said to his boys that they might have some fun.

12. They played till they were tired. Then they looked about for their father. He was gone!

13. The boys were very much afraid. But Hop told them to follow him and he would take them home. Finding their way by the stones that Hop had dropped, the boys soon got out of the wood.

14. When at last they came to their home, their father seemed glad to see them. But he said to himself, "I will do it again some other day."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

37

HOP O' MY THUMB

II

1. The other day soon came. This time the boys were taken into the wood by a round-about way. Hop again walked behind the others. He had no stones this time, but he threw bread-crumbs on the ground.

2. Once more the father left his boys. Again Hop tried to lead his brothers home. But, alas! The birds had eaten all the crumbs.

3. Night was coming on; but little Hop was as brave as ever. He climbed a tree, and saw alight, to which the boys made their way.

4. It came from the window of a great castle. On getting there, Hop knocked at the door with a stone—the knocker was too high for him to reach.

5. The great door was opened by a woman. Hop told her how they were lost in the wood, and asked for food and a night's shelter.

6. The woman shook her head. "My husband is a cruel giant," she said. "If he were to find you here, he would eat you all up."

7. But Hop said, "O ma'am, we are all so hungry."

Then the woman felt sorry for them, and took them in.

8. They had not been long in the castle when a loud noise was heard. "Oh dear," said the woman, "here he comes! Quick, all of you! Hide behind that box there!"

9. No sooner had they done so than the giant walked in.

"Wife, what have you for supper?" "I have a roasted sheep," she said.

10. The giant sat down to supper. When he had eaten the sheep he began sniffing. Then he roared out, "There is something else! I smell fresh meat."

11. The giant rose up, and went looking about the room till he came to the large box behind which the boys lay.

"Aha!" he cried; "come out of that!" The poor boys crept out.

"Aha! what have we here?" Bending down he lifted up little Hop and one of his brothers.

12. "Well, this is a sweet little tit-bit, to be sure." And he was just going to pop Hop into his mouth, when his wife called out, "What are you going to do? You have had a good supper. Tomorrow I am going to make these boys into a pie for your dinner."

13. The giant seemed to think that the pie would be very good, so he let the boys go.

14. The woman then put them into a little room, saying, "There now! I wish you had not come in here. Well, go to sleep."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

38

HOP O' MY THUMB

III

1. How could, they sleep when they thought of the morrow and what might happen to them? Little Hop began looking about to see if there was any way of getting out of the fearful place.

2. By-and-by they heard a loud snore. The giant was asleep! Now was their chance!

3. The moon was shining brightly. By its light they found their way past the sleeping giant. Soon they were out in the woods again. How they ran and ran! The big brothers carried Hop by turns.

4. When the giant awoke, he began smacking his lips at the thought of the pie. He got a file and sharpened his teeth.

5. But when he found out that the pie had fled, he was in a fearful rage.

"Bring me my boots!" he roared to his wife. "I shall soon catch the rascals!"

6. These were magic boots. They would fit any foot. With these on, one could go over the ground as fast as a race-horse.

7. But a fairy had done something to the giant's boots. When he wanted to go this way, the boots turned that way; and when he wished to go that way, they turned this way.

8. In spite of all this, he was fast making up on the boys. They heard his loud breathing close behind them.

9. What was to be done? Hop spied a cave, and all the boys ran into it. Hop had just time to get out of sight, when up came the giant. He was tired, and lay down close by the cave, little thinking that his runaway dinner lay so near.

10. Soon the giant's snores told the boys that now was their time.

Hop cried, "Quick! Run for your lives! I mean to be home before you." The brothers did not need to be told twice.

11. Hop o' My Thumb crept softly from the cave. As softly he drew off the giant's boots, and put them on his own feet. Then away he skipped with strides as long as the giant's.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

39

HOP O' MY THUMB

IV

1. Soon after, the giant awoke. He spied Hop, and gave chase. On and on he ran, but Hop with the magic boots kept ahead of him.

2. The giant was still hurrying on, when he slipped and fell over a rock. He never rose again. His neck was broken, and he died.

3. A few skips and strides took Hop to his father's door. His brothers had not come up yet.

4. Hop showed the boots to his father and mother, and told how he had got them. He told, too, about the giant, and how he and his brothers had been so nearly baked in a pie. At this very moment the brothers rushed in. There were cries of joy on all sides.

5. After some time Hop o' My Thumb made up his mind to go to the king. He wished to give him the magic boots, and ask him to kill all the cruel giants in the land. Hop's friends thought that this was a good plan.

6. Hop was soon ready. The magic boots were on his feet. At the door he said to the boots, "To the king's palace;" and off they went. In a very few minutes he was there.

7. The king's servants thought him a great wonder. They gathered round him, and began to ask him questions. But Hop had no time to waste, and told them to take him before the king at once.

8. Hop made a very low bow to the king. Then he told all about the giant, and said that he hoped his majesty would give orders to kill all the giants in the land.

9. Then Hop spoke about the magic boots. The king had never seen them, but he had often heard about them. He told Hop he would like very much to have them. So Hop pulled off the boots, and placed them before the throne. They grew at once to a size that would fit the king.

10. The king then asked Hop about his family.

"My father is Count Abbey."

"Count Abbey!" cried the king. "He was once a dear friend of mine. I am so glad to know that he is still alive."

11. Servants were sent off at once to bring the count with his lady and their family to the palace. When they came, the king showed them great kindness.

12. He made each of the brothers an officer in the palace. Hop o' My Thumb was made chief page to his majesty, and no king ever had a better page.

Hop's parents were now very happy, and ended their days in joy and comfort.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

40

LITTLE SAILORS

1. Now, Harry, pull the chairs up,

And, Fanny, get the shawl;

We'll play that we are sailors,

And that we're in a squall.

2. The fire will be a light-house,

To warn us off the shore;

And we will place the foot-stools

For rocks, out on the floor.

3. Now, this chair is the stern,

And that one is the bow;

But, there, you must be careful,

And not lean hard, you know.

4. Now, sailors, pull that sail up,

And tuck the corners in; —

Well, if you want it tighter,

Ask mother for a pin.

5. Now couldn't we sing something

About the "Ocean Blue"?

Well, never mind, "By-baby"

Or anything will do.

6. Take care, you careless sailors,

And mind what you're about;

You know the sea will drown you,

If you should tumble out.

7. There—now you've gone and done it!

I knew how it would be.

I told you to be careful;

And now you're hurt, you see.

8. Well, never mind; we won't play

At sailors any more.

We'll get the building-blocks, and make

A house upon the floor.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

41

LOST—THREE LITTLE BIRDIES

1. Oh, where is the boy, in his jacket of gray,

Who climbed up a tree in the garden to-day,

And carried my three little birdies

They hardly were dressed

When he took from the nest

My three little robins, my dearest and best.

2. O butterfly! stop for a moment, I pray—

Have you seen a boy in a jacket of gray,

Who carried my three little birdies away?

He had such pretty eyes,

And was so small in size,

That he cannot be wicked—just not very wise.

3. O boy, little boy, in your jacket of gray!

If you will bring back my three robins to-day,

I'll try to forget that you took them away:

I'll sing all day long

My merriest song,

And I will forgive you this very great wrong.

42

I WONDER

1. I wonder if baby ever thinks,

And what does she think about?

Why does she sometimes look so sweet,

And why does she sometimes pout?

2. I wonder what baby ever thinks

That makes her so full of glee,

That brings the roses to her cheeks,

And dimples, one, two, three.

3. I wonder how baby ever knows

The time she should go to sleep,

And the time to wake and rub her eyes,

From her slumber soft and deep.

4. I wonder if baby ever laughs

At the things on grandmother's nose,

And if she ever tries to count

Her ten little rosy toes.

5. I wonder what ever baby says

In her kind of baby-talk,

When she coos and stretches out her arms

For father to come and walk.

6. I wonder what baby means to be

When she grows up big and tall;

I wonder if she's ever afraid

That mother will let her fall.

7. I wonder if we were ever new,

And tiny, and sleepy, and pink;

But the wonder I wonder most of all—

I wonder what babies think.

43

A RHYME FOR LITTLE FOLKS

1. Oh, I'll tell you a story that nobody knows,

Of ten little fingers and ten little toes,

Of two pretty eyes and one little nose,

And where they all went one day.

2. Oh, the little round nose smelled something sweet,

Something that surely was nice to eat;

And patter away went two little feet

Out of the room one day.

3. Ten little toes climbed up on a chair,

Two eyes peeped over a shelf, and there

Lay a lovely cake, all frosted and fair,

Made by mamma that day.

4. The mouth grew round, and the eyes grew big,

At the taste of sugar and spice and fig;

And ten little fingers went dig, dig, dig,

Into the cake that day.

5. And when mamma kissed a curly head,

Cuddling it cosily up in bed,

"I wonder, was there a mouse," she said,

"Out on the shelf to-day?"

6. "O mamma, yes," and a laugh of glee

Like fairy bells rang merrily;

"But the little bit of a mouse was me,

Out on the shelf to-day."

44

NELL AND THE BIRD

1. Good-bye, little birdie!

Fly to the sky,

Singing and singing

A merry good-bye.

2. Tell all the birdies

Flying above,

Nell in the garden

Sends them her love.

3. Tell how I found you,

Hurt, in a tree;

Then, when they're wounded,

They'll come straight to me.

4. I'd like to go with you,

If I could fly;

It must be so beautiful

Up in the sky.

5. Why, little birdie,

Why don't you go?

You sit on my finger

And shake your head, "No!"

6. He's off! oh, how quickly

And gladly he rose!

I know he will love me

Wherever he goes.

7. I know, for he really

Seemed trying to say,

"My dear little Nelly,

I can't go away!"

45

THE SHINING WEB

1. A hungry spider made a web

Of thread so very fine,

Your tiny fingers scarce could feel

The slender little line.

All. Round about, and round about,

And round about it spun;

Straight across, and back again,

Until the web was done.

2. Oh, what a pretty, shining web

It was when it was done!

The little flies all came to see

It hanging in the sun.

All. Round about, and round about,

And round about they danced;

Across the web, and back again,

They darted and they glanced.

3. The hungry spider sat and watched

The happy little flies;

It saw all round about its head,

It had so many eyes.

All. Round about, and round about,

And round about they go;

Across the web, and back again,

Now high again, now low.

4. "Oh, come within and sup with me,

You pretty little flies;

I'm sure you'd like to see my house,"

The hungry spider cries.

All. But round about, and round about,

And round about once more;

Across the web, and back again,

They flitted as before.

5. For all the flies were much too wise

To go too near the spider;

They flapped their little wings, and flew

In circles rather wider.

All. Round about, and round about,

And round about went they;

Across the web, and back again,

And then they flew away.

46

FREDDIE AND THE CHERRIES

1. Freddie saw some fine ride cherries

Hanging on a cherry tree,

And he said, "You pretty cherries,

Will you not come down to me?"

2. "Thank you kindly," said a cherry,

"We would rather stay up here;

If we should go down this morning,

You would eat us up, I fear."

3. One, the finest of the cherries,

Dangled from a slender twig.

"You are beautiful," said Freddie,

"Red and ripe, and oh, how big!"

4. "Catch me," said the cherry, "catch me,

Little master, if you can."

"I would catch you soon," said Freddie,

"If I were a grown-up man."

5. Freddie jumped and tried to catch it,

Standing high upon his toes;

But the cherry danced about him,

Laughed, and tickled Freddie's nose.

6. "Never mind," said little Freddie,

"I shall eat you yet all right;"

But a blackbird whistled boldly,

"I shall eat them all to-night."

47

A LITTLE BOY

1. If I were a little bird,

I'd sing my sweetest song;

I'd take a journey to the skies

And frolic all day long.

2. If I were a pussy-cat,

I'd chase the rats and mice;

And have sweet cream for supper,

And everything that's nice.

3. If I were a tiny mouse,

I'd gnaw the soft new cheese;

When Tabby wasn't in the way,

I'd do just as I please.

4. But I am a little boy,

Just learning what to do;

And every day, it seems to me,

I'll find out something new.

5. I get up in the morning

And play with Tom and Nell;

But when I am as old as they

I'll go to school as well.

6. I'm very little, to be sure,

But then I'm only four;

And some day I'll be older,

And know a great deal more.

48

DO YOUR BEST

1. Do your best, your very best,

And do it every day;

Little boys and little girls,

That is the wisest way.

2. Whatever work comes to your hand,

At home or at your school,

Do your best with right good will;

It is a golden rule.

3. If you find your lessons hard,

You need not yield to sorrow;

For he who bravely works to-day,

His tasks grow light to-morrow.

49

GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD MORNING

1. A fair little girl sat under a tree,

Sewing as long as her eyes could see

Then smoothed her work, and folded it right,

And said, "Dear work, good night! good night!"

2. Such a number of rooks came over her head,

Crying, "Caw! caw!" on their way to bed;

She said, as she watched their curious flight,

"Little black things, good night! good night!"

3. The horses neighed, and the oxen lowed;

The sheep's "Bleat! bleat!" came over the road;

All seeming to say with a quiet delight,

"Dear little girl, good night! good night!"

4. She did not say to the sun, "Good night!"

Though she saw him there, like a ball of light;

For she knew he had God's time to keep

All over the world, and never could sleep.

5. The tall pink fox-glove bent his head;

The violets bowed and went to bed;

And good little Lucy tied up her hair,

And said, on her knees, her favourite prayer.

6. And while on her pillow she softly lay,

She knew nothing more till again it was day;

And all things said to the beautiful sun,

"Good morning! good morning! our work is begun!"

50

THE TWO LITTLE KITTENS

1. Two little kittens, one stormy night,

Began to quarrel, and then to fight;

One had a mouse, the other had none,

And that was the way the strife had begun.

2. "I'll have the mouse," said the bigger cat.

"You'll have the mouse! we'll see about that."

"I will have that mouse," said the elder one;

"You shan't have that mouse," said the little one.

3. I told you before 'twas a stormy night

When these two kittens began to fight.

The old woman seized her sweeping-broom,

And swept the two kittens out of the room.

4. The ground was covered with frost and snow,

And the two little kittens had nowhere to go;

So they laid them down on a mat at the door,

While the old woman finished sweeping the floor.

5. Then they crept in as quiet as mice,

All wet with snow and as cold as ice;

For they thought 'twould be better that stormy night

To lie down and sleep than to quarrel and fight.

CONTENTS

01　WHAT IS FEAR?

02　"BRAVE AS A LION; GENTLE AS A LAMB."

03　CLIMBING

04　THE BEAR AND THE KETTLE

05　THE SNAIL (I)

06　THE SNAIL (II)

07　HIDE AND SEEK

08　THE MAGPIE AND THE BIRDS

09　WILLIE'S CHRISTMAS PRESENT

10　THE MAGIC OF SILENCE

11　MY BOAT

12　WORKING DOGS

13　THE STORY OF MUSSENTOUCHIT

14　THE SEAL

15　NATURE'S STORY-BOOK

16　SWINGING

17　STORIES OF MONKEYS

18　TIME AND TIDE WAIT FOR NO MAN

19　"HERRING, FRESH HERRING."

20　THEY DIDN'T THINK

21　THE INDIAN AND HIS DOG

22　HONESTY

23　SUGAR

24　WHAT ARE YOU?

25　UNCLE PHIL'S STORY

26　PICK, SHOVEL, AND SPEAR

27　HOW LONG IT TAKES

28　SUNNY SUMMER

29　COCOA-NUTS

30　A RUN AWAY RIDE

31　ABOUT FIRES

32　THE BROWN THRUSH

33　A RAILWAY TRAIN

34　SELFISH SAMBO

35　A YOUNG HERO

36　THE SNOW-FLAKE'S SONG

37　A WALRUS HUNT

38　CAMPING OUT

39　FILLING A BASKET WITH WATER

40　TIME ENOUGH

41　THE WATER BABY (I)

42　THE WATER BABY (II)

43　THE WATER BABY (III)

44　THREE LITTLE CHICKS

45　SOMETHING FOR CHILDREN

46　WYNKEN, BLYNKEN, AND NOD

47　SUPPOSE!

48　WE ARE SEVEN

49　THE CHILD'S FIRST GRIEF

返回总目录

01

WHAT IS FEAR?

1. Many years ago a little boy, who was about five years old, went to stay with his grandmamma(1).

2. He was a bold(2) and brave little lad, and often went out by himself for hours at a time. He used to wander about looking for flowers in the fields, or picking berries in the woods.

3. Sometimes he went so far from the house that his grandmamma was afraid that the gipsies(3) would take him away, or that he would fall into the brook.

4. One day he went out, and did not come back for dinner. No one knew where he had gone. About four o'clock(4) a storm came on, with thunder and lightning and heavy rain.

5. The little boy's grandmamma was now in a great fright about him. She sent out the gardener(5) and the stable-boy(6) to look for the child.

6. Just as it was growing dark the little fellow was brought back safe and sound(7). They had found him in an old hut(8) far away on the hill-side. He had crept into it for shelter from the rain; and there he was sitting quite happy, watching a noisy brook splashing down over the stones.

7. His grandmamma scolded him a little for staying away so long. "But I wonder, child," she said, "that fear did not drive you home."

"Fear?" said he, "I never saw Fear! I do not know what it is."

8. Who do you think that little boy was? He was Horatio Nelson, who afterwards became the famous(9) Lord Nelson, and won many great sea-fights for our country.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the first six nouns in the lesson.

2. Make sentences with these nouns as subject.

————————————————————

(1) Grandmamma, father's or mother's mother.

(2) Bold, fearless; brave.

(3) Gipsies, people who wander about the country and live in tents.

(4) O'clock, of the clock.

(5) Gardener, one who takes care of a garden.

(6) Stable-boy, one who looks after the horses in a stable.

(7) Sound, well.

(8) Hut, small house.

(9) Famous, well-known.

02

"BRAVE AS A LION; GENTLE AS A LAMB."

1. An old sailor, who had been with Nelson in all his great battles(1), was once asked if Nelson was a brave man. "Brave as a lion; gentle as a lamb," was the old sailor's reply(2).

2. "Nelson," he said, "did not know what fear was. He was ready to face any danger when duty called, and every man in the fleet(3) knew that their great admiral(4) was as brave as a lion.

3. "He was as gentle as a lamb too. After a battle he used to go and see those who had been wounded(5). A visit from Nelson seemed to cheer them so much that they forgot their pain for the time."

4. "When Nelson was wounded on board his ship the Victory, in the battle of Trafalgar(6), he was carried from the deck(7) down to the doctor's room.

5. "There were many wounded men there, and the doctor was very busy. As soon as Nelson was brought in, he left the other wounded men, to attend to(8) the admiral.

6. "Nelson would not allow this(9). 'No, no,' said he; 'attend to these brave fellows first. I shall wait my turn.' Even in his great suffering(10) he thus showed his kindness and his care for others."

7. Let every one of us learn a lesson from the old sailor's story, and try to be like Nelson, "Brave as a lion; gentle as a lamb."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the last six verbs in the lesson.

2. Name the subject and the predicate in the first sentence of section 6.

————————————————————

(1) Battles, fights.

(2) Reply, answer.

(3) Fleet, number of ships together.

(4) Admiral, the commander or chief man of a fleet.

(5) Wounded, hurt.

(6) Trafalgar, a headland on the south-west coast of Spain.

(7) Deck, upper floor of a ship.

(8) Attend to, look after.

(9) Allow this, let this be done.

(10) Suffering, pain.

03

CLIMBING

1. Never look behind, boys,

When you're(1) on the way;

Time enough for that, boys,

On some future day(2).

2. Though the way be long, boys,

Face it with a will;

Never stop to look behind

When climbing up a hill.

3. First be sure you're right, boys;

Then with courage(3) strong

Strap your pack(4) upon your back,

And tramp, tramp along.

4. When you're near the top, boys,

Of the rugged(5) way,

Do not think your work is done,

But climb, climb away.

5. Success is at the top, boys,

Waiting there until

Patient(6), plodding(7), plucky(8) boys

Have mounted(9) up the hill.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

————————————————————

(1) You're, you are.

(2) Future day, day to come.

(3) Courage, boldness.

(4) Pack, bundle.

(5) Rugged, rough; uneven.

(6) patient, persevering; willing to wait.

(7) Plodding, working slowly but surely.

(8) Plucky, brave.

(9) Mounted, climbed.

04

THE BEAR AND THE KETTLE

1. Once a bear was very hungry. Not being able to find any food in the woods, he came into a village(1) to see what he could find there.

2. The door of the first house that he came to was open, and, peeping(2) in, he found that there was nobody inside.

3. He went in, and began to smell about, but he could find no food. At last he came to a kettle of boiling water which was by the side of the fire.

4. Not knowing what it was, and thinking that there might be something good inside, he smelt the kettle, and, in doing so, burnt his nose.

5. Now the bear had never felt anything like this before. He thought the kettle was a new kind of animal with a sting(3), and he was very angry with it.

6. So he said to himself, "I'll(4) pay you(5) for hurting my nose;" and he took the kettle up in his paws, and tried to crush it against his breast.

7. The more he squeezed it, the more he burnt himself, and the more angry he grew. He roared with pain. At last he dropped the kettle, and, as it fell, he scalded(6) himself with the hot water.

8. The noise which he made brought some men to the spot to see what was the matter. Looking through the window, they saw the bear dancing about in great pain. They ran for their guns, and shot him.

9. In that land, if a man hurts himself when he tries to hurt somebody else, the people say, "He is like the bear with the kettle."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Name the nouns in sections 1 and 2.

2. Write the first six adjectives in the lesson.

————————————————————

(1) Village, a number of houses together in the country; a small town.

(2) Peeping, looking.

(3) Sting, the sharp point with which bees and wasps defend them selves.

(4) I'll, I will.

(5) Pay you, make you suffer.

(6) Scalded, burned.

05

THE SNAIL

I

1. Look at me. I am a snail. Would you like to hear me tell my story? Even a snail may have something new to tell you.

2. You laugh at me as I creep along, and you say, "As slow as a snail." But I can do things that you cannot do. I made the house which I carry about on my back; and a cosy(1) house it is.

3. Wherever I go I carry my house with me, and I am always making it bigger, as I grow bigger myself. It is a wonderful house, and winds about(2) like a staircase(3).

4. Some snails do not build houses for themselves. Look at that big black slug(4). He says he is my cousin, and he has horns just like mine; but he has no house on his back. I suppose he is too lazy to build a house.

5. Do you see how I stretch out my horns when I walk about? Touch them, and see how quickly I draw them in. I am not so slow as you think.

6. These horns are as useful to me as your eyes are to you. They are my eyes, as well as my feelers, and they tell me when danger is near. Then I draw them in at once, and curl up snugly in my shell.

7. When I am not taking a walk, I like to lie under the ivy(5) in a corner of the garden, where I find shelter from the sun and from my enemies.

8. I am fond of the warm days of summer, and yet I do not like to be out in the bright sunshine. So when the sun is hot I keep in the shade(6).

9. Our enemies are the greedy ducks and the blackbirds and thrushes. They are very fond of snails for dinner, and they have eaten up many of my friends.

10. In warm countries, where my friends grow very much bigger than I am, they are picked up by little boys and girls, and are cooked and eaten. But in this land we are quite safe from such a dreadful(7) fate(8).

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the nouns in sections 4 and 6.

2. Make sentences with the first six verbs as predicate.

————————————————————

(1) Cosy, snug; warm.

(2) Winds about, goes round.

(3) Staircase, flight of stairs in a house.

(4) slug, a snail without a house.

(5) Ivy, an evergreen creeping plant that clings to trees and rocks.

(6) Shade, shadow.

(7) Dreadful, terrible; frightful.

(8) Fate, end.

06

THE SNAIL

II

1. The ducks and the blackbirds and thrushes are not our only enemies. Old Robert, the gardener, does not like us, and he tries to crush us with his heavy boots.

2. We do not fear him much, for we can easily keep out of his way. His eyes are so dim(1) that he cannot see us in our snug home under the ivy.

3. He is angry with us because we eat the best and sweetest leaves in the garden. Perhaps he thinks that withered(2) leaves are good enough for snails, but we do not think so; we like the green ones best.

4. When rain falls, it makes the leaves fresh and juicy. What a feast we have then! We climb up on a leaf, and rasp(3) off little bits of it with our teeth.

5. Did you know that snails have teeth? They have a great many more teeth than you have. You have only two rows of teeth, and none of them are on your tongue.

6. Now all my teeth are on my tongue. It is covered all over with rows of teeth just like a file(4). There are more than a hundred rows, and more than a hundred teeth in each row.

7. You may think that my mouth must be very large to hold such a number of teeth; but it is not. My teeth are very, very small, so small that you could not see them. Big teeth would be of no use to me; to cut into the leaves my teeth must be small and sharp.

8. What do you suppose I eat in winter, when all the leaves are withered and the ground is bare? You could never guess. I eat nothing at all!

9. I creep into a hole when the weather becomes cold, and I make a little door for my house, which keeps out the wind and rain and snow. I leave just one tiny(5) hole to let in air. There I sleep cosy and warm till spring(6) comes, and the fresh juicy leaves are ready for me to eat.

10. I could tell you many other things about myself, but I hear the birds talking, and I must hide. Have I not told you enough to let you know what a wonderful creature(7) even a snail is?

11. Good-bye, my boy. You have listened very well to my story, and I think you will not hurt the next snail you see. When you go to the seaside in autumn(8), you will meet some friends of mine among the rocks. Try to get one of them to tell you his story also.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Make a list of the first six verbs in the lesson.

2. Make sentences with the last four nouns as subject.

————————————————————

(1) Dim, dull-sighted with age.

(2) Withered, faded; dry.

(3) Rasp, serape; rub.

(4) File, a piece of steel made rough for smoothing wood or metal.

(5) Tiny, very small.

(6) Spring, the first season of the year; sowing-time.

(7) Creature, animal.

(8) Autumn, the third season of the year; reaping or harvest-time.

07

HIDE AND SEEK

1. When the clean white cloth is laid,

And the cups are on the table,

When the tea and toast are made,

That's a happy time for Mabel.

Stealing(1) to her mother's side,

In her ear she whispers low,

"When papa comes in I'll hide;

Do not tell him where I go,"

2. On her knees upon the floor,

In below the sofa creeping;

When she hears him at the door,

She pretends(2) that she is sleeping.

"Where is Mabel?" father cries,

Looking round and round about.

Then he murmurs(3) in surprise(4),

"Surely Mabel can't(5) be out."

3. First he looks behind his chair,

Then he peers(6) beneath the table,

Seeking, searching everywhere

All in vain(7) for little Mabel;

But at last he thinks he knows,

And he laughs and shakes his head,

Says to mother, "I suppose

Mabel has been put to bed."

4. But when he sits down to tea,

From beneath the sofa creeping,

Mabel climbs upon his knee,

Claps her hands: "I was not sleeping."

When he asks, "Where is my girl's

Very secret(8) hiding-place?"

Mabel only shakes her curls,

Laughing, smiling, in his face.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the nouns in verses 3 and 4.

2. Name the adjectives in verses 1 and 2.

————————————————————

(1) Stealing, going quietly.

(2) Pretends, makes believe.

(3) Murmurs, says in a low voice.

(4) Surprise, wonder; astonishment.

(5) Can't, cannot.

(6) Peers, looks; peeps.

(7) In vain, of no use.

(8) Secret, hidden; unknown.

08

THE MAGPIE AND THE BIRDS

1. The magpie is a pretty bird, hardly so large as the crow. Its head and back are black, with some green, blue, and purple feathers, and its wings and tail are marked with white.

2. The magpie can repeat almost any sound it hears. But it has one bad fault. It is too fond of bright things, and it often steals gold and silver articles and hides them.

3. The magpie's nest is very neatly built, and, unlike most nests, it has a roof. The nest has to be very large, for the bird must have room for its long tail.

4. There is a story about the magpie's nest which you may like to hear.

Once upon a time some birds went to ask a magpie how he made such a fine nest.

5. "Well, I shall show you how I do it," said the magpie." I first lay two sticks across, so." — "Yes, yes, I knew that was the way," said the jay.

6. "Then I add a few more, like this," the magpie went on. — "Who does not know that?" cried the starling.

7. "Then I fetch a little moss(1) and grass." — "To be sure; why, we could do that," muttered(2) the jackdaw.

8. "Gentlemen," said the magpie, "I see you are quite as able to build a nest as I am, so I shall say, 'Good-morning.'"

9. Then he bowed to the company and flew away. So the birds learned nothing, and to this day none of them can build so good a nest as his.

10. They have often stared(3) at the roof of the magpie's nest, but they have never found out how to put a roof on their own.

11. It is silly to go to other people for advice(4), and then pretend to know as much as they do. We shall never grow wise in that way.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Name the last six verbs in the lesson.

2. Point out the subject and the predicate in the last sentence of section II.

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(1) Moss, a very small flowerless plant which grows in damp places.

(2) Muttered, spoke in a low voice.

(3) Stared, gazed; looked steadily.

(4) Advice, something to guide.

09

WILLIE'S CHRISTMAS PRESENT

1. It was winter and very cold, and Willie was lying ill in bed. He had been ill for many weeks, but was now getting better. The doctor said that he would soon be able to get out of bed, but he was not to go out for a long time.

2. Willie was very sorry when he heard this, and could hardly keep from crying. He wanted to look at the shop windows filled with Christmas(1) presents, and to see them all lit up at night.

3. But Willie's sister Maggie did all she could to cheer him(2). She went out to see the shop windows every afternoon when she came home from school, and she told Willie all about them.

4. There were evergreens(3) in nearly all the windows, and in one there was a big Father Christmas. He had a long white beard, and his large pockets were filled with all kinds of toys. How warm he seemed to be in his big coat and fur cap, and what a kind face he had!

5. When Maggie told Willie about him, he used to close his eyes and think he was looking into the shop-window himself. But there was one thing Maggie did not tell him about. This was a lovely wooden horse.

6. Every afternoon she stood looking at it, and wondering if she would be rich enough to buy it before Christmas; for she was saving up her money to buy it for Willie.

7. On Christmas(4) Eve she counted over all her pennies. But she had not enough. "If I only had three more, I could buy it," she said. But where was she to get those three pennies?

8. When her father came home that night he gave Maggie a bright new six-pence. She was to spend it as she liked. You cannot think how happy she was.

9. Away she went at once and bought the horse. The shopman wanted to wrap(5) it up in paper, but Maggie said she would carry it under her shawl.

10. When Willie awoke in the morning what a glad surprise he got! He had long been wishing for a horse, and now here it was. That was a happy Christmas for him, even though he could not go out of the house.

11. It was also a happy Christmas for Maggie. She was happy because she had made her brother happy. And father and mother were happy, too, because their Maggie had been so unselfish.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the nouns in sections 3 to 5.

2. Make sentence with these nouns as subject.

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(1) Christmas, 25th of December; the feast of the birth of Christ.

(2) Cheer him, make him happy.

(3) Evergreens, plants that keep green all the year round.

(4) Christmas Eve, the evening before Christmas Day.

(5) Wrap, cover.

10

THE MAGIC(1) OF SILENCE(2)

1. You have often heard that "it takes two to make a quarrel." Do you believe it? This is how my little friend May found that the proverb(3) is true.

2. Whenever Dolly came to see May there was a quarrel. May tried to speak gently(4); but no matter how hard she tried, sooner or later Dolly would make her so angry that she too would speak hard words. "Oh, what shall I do?" cried poor little May.

3. "Try this plan," said her mamma. "The next time Dolly comes into the room, sit down in front of the fire and take the tongs in your hand. Whenever Dolly says a sharp(5) word to you, snap the tongs gently, but say nothing."

4. Soon afterwards Dolly came to see her little friend. It was not a quarter of an hour(6) before Dolly became angry. She lost her temper(7), and began to scold. May rushed to the hearth(8), took up the tongs, and snapped them(9) gently.

5. More angry words came from Dolly, Snap went the tongs. More still. "Snap, Why don't you speak?" cried Dolly in a rage. Snap went the tongs.

6. "Why don't you speak?" she cried again; but another snap of the tongs was the only answer So Dolly rushed out of the room, crying, "I'll never, never come back again—never!"

7. Away she went. But did she keep her promise? No indeed! She came again the very next day. As soon as May caught sight of her friend, she ran for the tongs.

8. When Dolly saw this she remembered how cross she had been the day before. She felt very sorry for it now, and told May that she would never quarrel again.

9. There's a pretty little proverb,

From the sunny land of Spain;

But in North-land as in South-land

What it means is clear and plain:

Lock it up(10) within your heart,

Never lose or lend it, —

"It takes two to make a quarrel,

One can always end it."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the first ten verbs in the lesson.

2. Point out the adjectives in sections 3 and 4.

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(1) Magic, wonderful power.

(2) Silence, keeping silent; not speaking.

(3) Proverb, wise saying.

(4) Gently, softly; kindly.

(5) Sharp, angry; harsh.

(6) Quarter of an hour, 15 minutes; an hour is 60 minutes.

(7) Lost her temper, became very angry.

(8) Hearth, fireside; the part of the floor near the fire.

(9) Snapped them, made a sharp noise by striking them together.

(10) Lock it up, keep it safe.

11

MY BOAT

1. Little waves, I've(1) brought the boat

Father made for me,

For I want to see it float

On your silver sea.

Take it in your little hands,

Bear it o'er(2) the golden(3) sands.

2. What a pretty boat it is,

Sail and mast and all!

Father made it just like his,

Only very small.

And I'm going to call it Sun;

That's the name of father's one.

3. Little waves, come up and creep

Round my little boat.

Where the water's ankle-deep(4),

I shall see it float;

And you'll(5) sing your sweetest song

As it sails and sails along.

4. Tell me what you sing about,

Tell me what you say,

Coming in and going out

All the summer(6) day.

Whisper to my boat and me

Of the ships far out at sea.

5. While my boatie mounts and dips(7)

Where you break in foam(8),

Tell me how the big, big ships

Sail so far from home;

What they bring, and where they go,

And the wondrous(9) things you know;

6. How they sail so brave and bold

With the gentle breeze,

Seeing islands laid with gold

Set in silver seas,

Where the skies are bright and clear,

And there's summer all the year.

7. Now, my little boat you'll bring

Safely back to land.

I have heard the songs you sing

Creeping o er the sand.

When I'm older I'll find out

The lovely lands you sing about.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Name the nouns in verse 1.

2. Make sentences with the verbs in verse 3 as predicate.

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(1) I've, I have.

(2) O'er, over.

(3) Golden, yellow, like gold.

(4) Ankle-deep, as deep as to reach the ankle.

(5) You'll, you will.

(6) Summer, the second season of the year; the sun season.

(7) Mounts and dips, rises and falls.

(8) Foam, froth.

(9) Wondrous, wonderful; strange.

12

WORKING DOGS

1. Perhaps you have never seen a dog drawing a cart, but in Holland(1) and other countries that is a very common sight. The people of Holland are very busy, and they keep their dogs busy too.

2. Little carts or barrows are made for them, and the dogs trot or gallop along with their loads at a great rate(2). No dog is allowed to run about idle if he is big enough to work.

3. The dog in the picture is taking a basket of fowls to market(3) for his master. It is not a heavy load. But he will have a heavy enough load to take back, for when the cart is empty, his master will jump in and drive home.

4. The big Newfoundland(4) dog also works in his own country, drawing loads of wood or fish. He is so wise and gentle that he needs no driver. He takes his load where he is told.

5. Dogs are much used by the people of the frozen North, where snow lies on the ground most of the year. Horses cannot live there, and there are no roads for carts or carriages. So the people make sledges, which slide along over the snow and ice, and these sledges are drawn by dogs.

6. The dog that runs first is called the leader, and the driver tells him which way to go. He does not use reins, but he has a very long whip.

7. If the driver says "Nannook," the dogs run as fast as ever they can. Nan-nook is his name for the white bear, and the dogs hate the bear and like very much to hunt him.

8. So the master often plays a little trick on his dogs. He will call out "Nannook" when there is no bear in sight, so as to make the dogs run faster.

9. The dogs need very little food, but they do not always get so much as they need. One meal a day is enough, but they have often to go for two or three days without any food at all.

10. These dogs of the frozen North are very strong and active(5). A man who was carrying an important(6) letter once drove two hundred and seventy miles in less than four days in a dog-sledge.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the last ten nouns in the lesson.

2. Give the singular of barrows, carriages, reins.

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(1) Holland, a country of Europe.

(2) Rate, speed.

(3) Market, place for buying and selling.

(4) Newfoundland, a large island of North America.

(5) Active, fond of work.

(6) Important, of much value.

13

THE STORY OF MUSSENTOUCHIT

1. By the time Baby was twelve months old she had learned many things. She called her mother" ma-ma," and she could say "kitty" to the cat.

2. She knew "fire" and "burn;" for she had once put her hand against the hot grate, and she never forgot the pain of the big blisters(1) that came on her poor fingers. She also knew the lamp, and the window, and the mirror(2).

3. About this time she heard a long, strange word many, many times a day. The word was "Mussentouchit."

4. Baby wondered what Mussentouchit could be. The strange thing lived in the chest of drawers. Baby knew that; for the moment she got her busy little hands into any drawer, somebody would say, "Mussentouchit."

5. It lived in the sewing-machine, too; for the moment Baby set the wheel going, mother took her hand gently away, and said, "Mussentouchit."

6. It sometimes lived in the tall jar that stood on the little round table. Everybody in the room cried "Mussentouchit" when Baby stretched up her hand to touch that jar.

7. In the corner of the parlour there was a glass globe(3) with water, and in it lived three little gold-fishes(4). Baby was very fond of climbing on a chair to see the tiny fishes darting(5) across their pretty lake(6). But whenever she dipped her fingers into the globe to touch the pretty creatures, somebody said, "Mussentouchit."

8. Now this went on till Baby was two years old. There was no word she heard so often as the long, queer(7) word, Mussentouchit.

9. One day she found herself near the glass globe all alone. Her mother was very busy, and for a few minutes did not notice what Baby was doing. This was her chance.

10. She climbed up on the chair, and reached over to touch the gold-fishes. But she reached a little too far, and fell to the floor, dragging the globe with her, and drenching(8) herself with the water.

11. Baby was picked up, kissed, and scolded. She was frightened, but not hurt. This taught her a lesson which she did not forget. She learned not to put her hands into places where "Mussentouchit" lived.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Point out the first twelve verbs in the lesson.

2. Give the plural of baby, moment, glass, floor.

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(1) Blisters, sores caused by burns.

(2) Mirror, looking-glass.

(3) Globe, round vessel like a ball.

(4) Gold-fishes, small fish of a golden colour.

(5) Darting, springing quickly like dart.

(6) Lake, small sheet of water.

(7) Queer, strange.

(8) Drenching, soaking; wetting.

14

THE SEAL

1. Have you ever seen a seal? He has a pretty, round head and bright eyes, and his skin is covered with smooth hair. He can swim as well as a fish. But on land he can only crawl(1) very slowly.

2. The Eskimos of the frozen(2) North eat his flesh and make clothes of his skin, while his fat, melted into oil, gives them light and warmth in their snow huts.

3. If the seal could always stay under water like a fish, the Eskimo would not catch him easily. But he has to come up to the surface(3) now and again to breathe.

4. When the sea is frozen over, the seal makes a hole in the ice, where he may put up his head for a breath. The Eskimo hunter is very glad when he finds one of these holes, for he knows that a seal will soon come up there. So he sits down to wait, for he means to take that seal home with him.

5. If the wind is very cold, he will make a little wall of snow to keep it off him. He takes great care to make no noise, for the seal can hear very well. Sometimes the hunter ties his knees together to prevent(4) his clothes from rustling(5).

6. At last the seal's head comes up through the water. The Eskimo quietly raises his spear(6), and drives it with all his might into the seal. Then he fixes a rope to its body, and drags it home behind him.

7. When he comes home there is great joy, for his wife and children have perhaps had no food for some days, and no oil in their lamps. Without it, they could not even melt the snow for water to drink.

8. But now they feast merrily(7) on the seal. Most of it is eaten raw, for the Eskimo does not care for cooking his food. They will all feast and sleep as long as any of the seal's flesh is left, and will never think of going out to hunt again until forced by hunger.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the last ten verbs in the lesson.

2. Make sentences with these verbs as predicate.

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(1) Crawl, creep; move slowly.

(2) Frozen, covered with ice.

(3) Surface, top of the water.

(4) Prevent, hinder; keep back.

(5) Rustling, making a rubbing noise.

(6) Spear, a long piece of wood with a sharp iron point.

(7) Feast merrily, eat joyfully.

15

NATURE'S STORY-BOOK

1. "How many things papa knows about!" said Nelly to her mother one day. "He is always reading books. I wish I could read those big books, and learn all about everything!"

2. "People do not learn everything from printed books, Nelly," her mother replied(1). "There are many lessons to be read which are not found in books."

3. Nelly did not know what her mother meant, for she thought that wise people got all their knowledge(2) from books.

4. "There are many things you may learn," said her mother, "when you are in the garden. You have only to keep your eyes open, and the flowers and the trees will all tell you the story of their lives.

5. "If you want to know which flowers come out in the early spring, and which ones wait for the warm summer days, you only need to watch for their coming.

6. "You do not need books to tell you how the leaves of the apple-blossom(3) fall off, and how the lower part of the blossom swells out into a little green apple. You can see it growing day by day if you care to look.

7. "By keeping your eyes open you may learn much about the flowers and fruit and other things in the garden. When you learn in this way, you are reading stories from Nature's story-book.

8. "But Nature's story-book is also a lesson-book. You may read many lessons there, very easy lessons and very useful ones, which will help to remind(4) you of what you ought to do.

9. "Did you ever notice(5) the ants at work? How busy they are! Each one has his own work to do in building their house, and filling it with food for the winter.

10. "The bee also tells you not to be idle, but to work hard. How busy the bees are, flying from flower to flower, and how happy they seem! It is pleasant to hear them humming as they gather their honey(6)."

11. "Children have only to keep their eyes and their ears open, and they maybe learning all day long. And the lessons they learn from the flowers, and the birds, and the brooks, and the trees, are really lessons from Nature's story-book."

12. "I like Nature's storybook, mamma," said Nelly. "I think it is a more pleasant book to read from than papa's books, and I should like to begin reading from it at once. You must help me to find the easy lessons first."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Name the first ten nouns in the lesson.

2. Write down the adjectives in sections 1 to 4.

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(1) Replied, said; answered.

(2) Knowledge, learning; what one knows.

(3) Blossom, bloom.

(4) Remind you, keep you in mind of.

(5) Notice, see.

(6) Honey, a sweet juice in flowers.

16

SWINGING

1. Here we go on the garden swing,

Under the chestnut tree.

Up in the branches birdies sing

Songs to Baby and me,

Baby and Kitty and me.

Then up, high up, for the ropes are long,

And down, low down, for the branch is strong,

And there's room on the seat for three,

Just Baby and Kitty and me;

Merrily swinging,

Merrily singing,

Under the chestnut tree.

2. Up to the clustering(1) leaves we go,

Down we sweep(2) to the grass,

Touching the daisies there below,

Bowing to let us pass,

Smiling to us as we pass.

Then up, high up, for the ropes are long,

And down, low down, for the branch is strong,

And there's room on the seat for three,

Just Baby and Kitty and me;

Merrily swinging,

Merrily singing,

Under the chestnut tree.

3. Now we look on the garden green—

Far below us it lies;

Now through the leaves the sun is seen,

Close to our wondering eyes,

Flashing his light in our eyes.

Then up, high up, for the ropes are long,

And down, low down, for the branch is strong,

And there's room on the seat for three,

Just Baby and Kitty and me;

Merrily swinging,

Merrily singing,

Under the chestnut tree.

4. Kitty is trying hard to cling(3)

Close as her claws can grip(4),

Fearing she'll tumble down, poor thing!

Baby won't let her slip,

Must not allow her to slip.

Then up, high up, for the ropes are long,

And down, low down, for the branch is strong,

And there's room on the seat for three,

Just Baby and Kitty and me;

Merrily swinging,

Merrily singing,

Under the chestnut tree.

5. Slow and slower we'll let it swing,

Under the chestnut tree;

Low and lower the birdies sing

Songs for Baby and me,

Baby and Kitty and me.

Then slow and soft, though the ropes be long,

And soft and slow, though the branch be strong,

And room on the seat for three,

Just Baby and Kitty and me;

Sleepily swinging,

Sleepily singing,

Under the chestnut tree.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Name the last six nouns in the lesson.

2. Make sentences with these nouns as subject.

————————————————————

(1) Clustering leaves, leaves in clusters or growing close.

(2) Sweep, go; swing.

(3) Cling, hold; hang on.

(4) Grip, grasp; hold on.

17

STORIES OF MONKEYS

1. Monkeys are very funny animals. When they are sitting still, they look like little old men. Their faces are so grave(1) that you think they must know a great deal. They are active and nimble(2), and everybody laughs at their tricks.

2. Once a snake(3) killed a monkey in the forest(4), and ate him up. The snake then lay down to sleep.

3. The other monkeys had heard their poor friend's cries, and they came to see what was the matter. They screamed and chattered, and ran about, but they could not help him. Presently(5) they became quieter. They seemed to be holding a meeting to settle(6) what they should do.

4. In a little while, they all began to push at a great rock that hung over the place where the snake was sleeping. Ever so many monkeys came to help. They pushed and pushed, until at last down went the rock and killed the snake.

5. A gentleman who had been travelling in Africa(7) brought a very large monkey home with him. The monkey loved his master very much, but he loved his master's baby boy still more.

6. One day a fire broke out in the gentleman's house. Everybody was busy trying to put it out, and no one thought of the baby till it was too late. The staircase was already in flames. What was to be done?

7. Men rushed for a ladder to reach the window, but a ladder was of no use now. As they were looking up with tears in their eyes, what do you think they saw?

8. They saw a hairy hand and arm push up the nursery window(8). Then out came the monkey, carrying the baby in his arms. Down he climbed, slowly and carefully, and brought the little boy safely to the nurse(9). How the faithful monkey was praised and petted for his brave deed(10)!

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. How many verbs are in sections 1 to 3?

2. Point out the subject and the predicate in the first sentence.

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(1) Grave, solemn.

(2) Nimble, able to move quickly.

(3) Snake, a creeping animal; a kind of serpent.

(4) Forest, large piece of land covered with trees.

(5) Presently, suddenly; soon.

(6) Settle, arrange.

(7) Africa, one of the five continents.

(8) Nursery window, window of the children's room.

(9) Nurse, one who looks after children.

(10) Deed, action; something done.

18

TIME AND TIDE WAIT FOR NO MAN

1. Some children were spending their holidays near a loch on the west coast of Scotland. In Scotland the word loch sometimes means "lake," and sometimes "an arm(1) of the sea."

2. This loch was a long arm of the sea running, inland for many miles among the hills and mountains. If it had been a fresh-water lake there would have been no tide; but here there was a constant ebb and flow(2), just as in the open sea.

3. There was a little island(3) in the loch, on which about a score(4) of sheep and lambs(5) used to graze(6). At low tide they could go all over the island; but at high tide the water came right across the middle of the island, and made two islands instead of one.

4. One day, when the tide was out, a little lamb strayed(7) from its mother and went to the other end of the island. The mother sheep was feeding behind a clump(8) of trees, and did not miss her little one. The lamb did not notice that the tide was coming in. It knew nothing about tides.

5. Soon the water flowed across the middle of the island, and became so deep that the little lamb could not get back to its mother. It stood at the water's edge bleating very sadly, and the mother came running as soon as she heard the cry of her little one.

6. But the water was too deep even for the mother to wade across. So the sheep stood on the one side of the water, and the lamb on the other, bleating to each other and crying for help.

7. For a long time no one heard them. At last the children, who had been out rowing in a little boat, came near the island, and saw the little lamb and its mother. The children knew that it would be some hours before the middle of the island would be dry.

8. They took pity on the poor lamb, and rowed up to it. One of the boys lifted it into the boat, and they took it across to its mother.

9. The little lamb learned the lesson that "time and tide wait for no man." It never went to that end of the island again without its mother, and she seemed to watch it carefully when the tide was coming in.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Name the nouns in sections 1 to 4.

2. Give sentences containing flow, cry, and help, as nouns and as verbs.

————————————————————

(1) Arm, inlet; gulf, bay, etc.

(2) Ebb and flow, going out and coming in.

(3) Island, land surrounded by water.

(4) A score, twenty.

(5) Lambs, young sheep.

(6) Graze, eat grass.

(7) Strayed, wandered away.

(8) Clump, cluster; number growing together.

19

"HERRING, FRESH HERRING."

1. In the month of September, shoals(1) of herrings often found their way up the loch from the open sea. Then the fishermen used to get ready their boats and nets to catch some of the fish.

2. One evening the children saw a large fleet of herring boats sailing up the loch, so as to be ready to set their nets when night came on.

3. Herring fishing is always carried on at night. The nets do not float on the surface of the sea. One edge is kept up by floats(2), but the other edge is made to sink down into the water. Thus they hang like great curtains, as you see in the picture.

4. When it is dark the herrings do not see the net. They push their heads into its meshes(3), and cannot get them out again. In this way tens of thousands are often caught in a single night.

5. The children got leave to rise early next morning and sail out to meet the herring boats as they passed down the loch with their catch of fish. The picture shows the children waiting till the old boatman came to help them.

6. He soon came down, and pushed out the boat till it floated. Then he jumped in himself. They had to sail out a good way, but they were in plenty of time to meet the herring boats.

7. One of the boats stopped, and the boys bought some of the fine fresh herrings. The fishermen filled a big basket for a few pence, and then the boys bade(4) them goodbye and sailed away home to breakfast.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the verbs in sections 3 to 6.

2. Give sentences with these verbs as predicate.

————————————————————

(1) Shoals, large numbers.

(2) Floats, pieces of cork, etc., for floating.

(3) Meshes, openings between the threads of a net.

(4) Bade, wished.

20

THEY DIDN'T THINK

1. Once a trap was baited(1)

With a piece of cheese;

It smelt so strong to mousie,

It almost made him sneeze.

An old mouse said, "There's danger;

Be careful where you go!"

"Nonsense," replied the other;

"I don't believe you know!"

2. So he walked in boldly,

No one was in sight;

First he took a nibble(2),

Then he took a bite.

Close the trap together

Snapped, as quick as wink,

Catching little mousie there,

Because he "didn't think."

3. Once a little robin

Stood outside the door:

He wanted to go inside,

And hop upon the floor.

"NO, no," said the mother,

"You must stay with me;

Little birds are safest

Sitting in a tree!"

4. "I don't care," said Robin,

And gave his tail a fling;

"I believe you old folks(3)

Don't know everything."

He went; but pussy seized(4) him,

Before he'd time to blink(5).

"Oh," he cried, "I'm sorry!

But I didn't think."

5. Now, my little children,

Learn from this my song,

Young folks are not always right,

Nor old folks always wrong.

Don't suppose you know more

Than anybody knows;

For there's often danger

Where no danger shows.

WORD SPELLING

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. How many nouns are in verses 4 and 5?

2. Give the plurals of piece, mouse, mother, pussy, song.

————————————————————

(1) Baited. A bait is something to bite.

(2) Nibble, small bite.

(3) Folks, people.

(4) Seized, caught.

(5) Blink, wink.

21

THE INDIAN AND HIS DOG

1. Many years ago there was a farmer living in America who had a large family. The youngest child, Derrick, was a little boy about four years old.

2. His father and mother were much alarmed(1) one day when Derrick did not come home to dinner. They searched(2) for him all about the farm, but he was nowhere to be found. Then his father knew that he must be lost in the woods, and he set off at once with several of the farm servants to try to find him.

3. They spent the whole day in seeking for the child, but in vain. When night came on, the servants went home, but the father would not go back with them. He got a lantern(3), and said he would spend the night in looking for his child.

4. The night passed slowly away, and the morning came, but Derrick was not found. Still the father did not give up hope. He went home to get something to eat before starting again on his search.

5. Just as he was going out again, an Indian called to see the farmer. The Indian had with him a dog that he was very fond of. When he heard that the farmer's little boy was lost in the woods, he asked for the shoes and stockings which Derrick had worn last.

6. As soon as they were brought to him he held them out to his dog, and said, "Rover, these are the stockings and shoes of the little boy who is lost."

7. The dog sniffed(4) them all over, and then looked at his master, as if he meant to say, "I know what you want, and I'll see what I can do to help you." The Indian then pointed towards the wood, and the dog started off on his search.

8. Knowing that they could not keep up with the dog, the farmer and the Indian waited at the house till he should return(5). To the poor father and mother the time seemed very long, but in about an hour the dog came running back, wagging his tail, and looking very happy.

9. "There!" said the Indian; "he has found the child. Let us go with him now." The dog led the way; and they soon found the poor child, almost dead with cold and hunger, lying under some bushes. He was carried home by his father, and soon got quite strong again.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Point out the verbs in sections 5 to 8.

2. Give proper nouns which might be used for boy, girl town, river.

————————————————————

(1) Alarmed, frightened.

(2) Searched, looked.

(3) Lantern, a lamp with a case to keep off the wind.

(4) Sniffed, snuffed; smelt.

(5) Return, come back.

22

HONESTY

1. Long, long ago, in the far-off country of China(1), a man saved up a sum of money and bought a piece of land. Not long afterwards, as he was ploughing(2) the ground, he came upon a great heap(3) of gold and gems(4) buried in the earth.

2. There was nobody near when he found it, and he might have kept it all to himself. Such a heap of gold and gems would have made him a rich man. But he did not think of being rich; he thought of being honest.

3. Though he had bought the field, and paid a fair(5) price for it, he had not bought this treasure(6). He gathered it together and carried it to the man from whom he had bought the land.

4. "See," said he, "I have found all this gold and these gems in the field I bought from you. Take them, my friend; they are yours."

5. "Mine!" said the other. "No, no! they are yours. I sold you the whole field, with all that was in it. They are not mine. I cannot take them."

He, too, was an honest man.

6. For a long time each tried hard to make the other give way. But both were firm in doing right. Neither of them would take the wealth away from the other, or touch what he thought did not belong to him.

7. All the people heard of this, and praised(7) them both for their honesty; but nobody could settle which one ought to get the treasure.

8. At last the king was asked to say which of the two should be the owner. He said that he could not decide(8) between them, but that it was very plain they were both noble men.

9. Then he asked if they had any children, and he was told that the one had a son and the other a daughter.

10. "Ah!" said the king, "that makes it all right. The best plan will be that the son of the one worthy(9) man should marry the daughter of the other, and that the gold and gems should be given to the young people."

11. Thus the friendly dispute(10) was happily settled; and that year, it is said, the field bore a rich harvest, and the ears(11) of corn were larger than had ever been seen before.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Name the first ten nouns in the lesson.

2. Make sentences containing land, plan, and touch, as verbs and as nouns.

————————————————————

(1) China, a country of Asia.

(2) Ploughing, turning up with a plough to prepare for putting in seed.

(3) Heap, pile; number together.

(4) Gems, stones of great value, such as diamonds.

(5) Fair, just.

(6) Treasure, wealth; riches.

(7) Praised, spoke well of.

(8) Decide, settle; arrange.

(9) Worthy, deserving of honour; of great worth.

(10) Dispute, difference of opinion; quarrel. Bore, gave; carried.

(11) Ears, heads of grain with the seeds.

23

SUGAR

1. All boys and girls have "a sweet tooth"—that is to say, they like anything that is sweet. They do not care for their tea unless there is plenty of sugar in it.

2. Sugar comes from a plant which is called the sugar-cane. As you can see by looking at the picture, it is like very tall, strong grass, with a large bunch of leaves and flowers at the top.

3. The sugar-cane grows in hot countries far away, where bright butterflies and gay birds(1) fly among the flowers. It is so hot that you could not stay long out of doors during the hottest time of the day.

4. But the black people do not mind the heat. You see them in the picture busy cutting down the canes and tying them up in bundles. These bundles will be put into carts drawn by oxen, and taken to the sugar-mill(2).

5. The sugar-canes are full of a sweet juice, and it is from this juice that sugar is made. The little black boys and girls have all got a very sweet tooth, and they are fond of sucking pieces of sugar-cane.

6. In the sugar-mill the canes are squeezed between heavy rollers, until all the juice runs down into tubs below. It is then boiled and left to cool. When it cools, it becomes hard: here is sugar at last.

7. But it is still very unlike the white sugar we use in our tea; it is brown and coarse-looking(3).

8. This raw sugar, as it is called, is sent in ships to our country, and it has to be refined or boiled again before we can use it.

9. It takes about twenty sugar-canes to make one pound of white sugar. Yet after all the work of the natives(4) who grow the canes, and of the sailors who bring it to this land, and of the people who refine it here, we can buy this pound of sugar for two or three pence.

10. Much of the sugar we now use is made from a kind of beet-root(5), and not from the sugar-cane. This beet-root is white, not red like that which grows in our gardens. It grows in France(6) and in other countries of Europe(7).

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Point out the last six verbs in the lesson.

2. Give the singular of leaves, countries, oxen, natives.

————————————————————

(1) Gay birds, birds with bright feathers.

(2) Sugar-mill, machine for crushing sugar-cane.

(3) Coarse, rough.

(4) Natives, People who are born in a certain place are natives of it.

(5) Beet-root, the root of the beet plant.

(6) France, a country in the west of Europe.

(7) Europe, one of the five continents.

24

WHAT ARE YOU?

1. There are some little folks that we never can please:

They fret(1) about trifles(2), they trouble and tease(3),

Never happy—not even at play;

Till their friends are worn(4) out, and are heartily(5) glad

When bed-time has come, and each girl or lad

Is quiet, and out of the way.

2. There are some little folks so good-tempered(6) and sweet,

That to see their bright faces is always a treat(7),

And their friends can quite trust them, they know;

They amuse(8) themselves quietly with work or with play,

They take care not to worry(9) or get in the way,

And are welcome(10) wherever they go.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Name all the verbs in the lesson.

2. Make sentences with trifles, trouble, and treat, as nouns and as verbs.

————————————————————

(1) Fret, trouble themselves.

(2) Trifles, small things.

(3) Tease, worry; annoy.

(4) Worn, tired.

(5) Heartily, very; with all the heart.

(6) Good-tempered, good-natured.

(7) Treat, pleasure.

(8) Amuse, play; please.

(9) Worry, annoy; tease.

(10) Welcome, received with gladness.

25

UNCLE PHIL'S STORY

1. "Tell us a story, uncle Phil," said Rob and Archie, running to their uncle.

"What about?" said uncle Phil, as Rob climbed up on his right knee and Archie on his left.

2. "Oh, about something that happened(1) to you," said Rob. "Something when you were a boy," said Archie.

3. "Well, once when I was a little boy," said uncle Phil, "I asked my mother to let Roy and myself go and play by the river."

4. "Was Roy your brother?" asked Rob.

"No; but he was very fond of playing with me. My mother said yes, so off we went, and we had some good fun together.

5. "After a while I took a piece of wood for a boat and sailed it along the bank. At last it got into deep water, and I could not reach it with a stick, so I told Roy to go and get it for me.

6. "He almost always did what I told him, but this time he did not. I began to scold him, and he ran towards home.

7. "Then I grew angry. I picked up a stone, and threw it at him as hard as I could. Just then Roy turned his head, and the stone struck him right over the eye." "O uncle!" cried Rob.

8. "Yes, it made him stagger(2). He gave a little cry, and lay down on the ground. But I was still angry with him. I did not go to him, but took off my shoes and waded into the water for my boat.

9. "But the water was deeper than I thought, and I was soon carried away by the strong current(3). I screamed as it carried me down stream, but there were no men near to help me.

10. "But as I went down under the deep water, some one took hold of me and dragged me towards the shore; and when I was safe on the bank(4), I saw that it was Roy who had saved my life."

11. "Good fellow! Was he your cousin(5)?" asked Rob.

"No." replied uncle Phil.

"What did you say to him?" asked Archie.

"I put my arms around his neck and cried, and asked him to forgive(6) me."

12. "What did he say?" asked Rob.

"He said, 'Bow-wow-wow.'"

"Why, who was Roy, uncle?" asked Archie, in great surprise(7).

13. "He was my dog," said uncle Phil— "the best dog I ever saw. He taught me a lesson that day, did he not, boys? And I hope my story may teach you the same lesson."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the nouns in sections 4 to 7.

2. Point out subject and predicate in the first sentence of section 7.

————————————————————

(1) Happened, took place.

(2) Stagger, totter; stumble.

(3) Current, stream; running water.

(4) Bank, land at the side of the water.

(5) Cousin, uncle's or aunt's child.

(6) Forgive, pardon.

(7) Surprise, wonder.

26

PICK, SHOVEL, AND SPEAR

1. In the county(1) of Durham in England there are two places very near each other called "Brancepeth" and "Brandon."

2. What do you think these names mean? "Bran" is an old way of saying "Bruin," the word for a "bear." "Peth" is just "path(2)," and "don" is "den."

3. So you see that Brance-peth means "the bear's-path," and Bran-don means "the bear's den."

4. Here is the story of how these two places got their strange names. In olden times a fierce(3) bear had its den in the place now called Brandon. It used to wander through the thick forest which in those days covered that part of England.

5. It had one favourite walk(4) in the forest, and it killed so many people there that at last nobody dared to go near "the bear's path."

6. This went on for a long time. One day, however, a brave man named Hodge said that it was a shame for them all to be so much afraid of an animal, and that he was going to fight the great "bran."

7. He took with him only a pick, shovel, and a spear. The people thought he was mad not to take his bow(5) arrows(6), and his sword(7); for what could he do with a pick and a shovel?

8. Off went Hodge, and with his pick and shovel he digged a pit(8) right in the "bran's" path. He then covered the hole so neatly with turf(9), that nobody would ever have thought there was a pit there.

9. When this was done, Hodge took his spear and hid himself in the brushwood(10). He waited there hour after hour, spear in hand, watching and listening for the bear.

10. At last he heard the bear coming near. Crash! the monster(11) fell into the pit. Hodge dashed forward, and in a moment killed the bear with his spear.

11. In an old churchyard(12) near the spot there is a stone in memory of the brave Hodge. On it are carved(13) a pick, a shovel, and a spear.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the proper nouns in the lesson.

2. Make a list of the adjectives in sections 4 to 8.

————————————————————

(1) County, a division of a country.

(2) Path, way; road.

(3) Fierce, furious; dangerous.

(4) Favourite walk, walk that is liked, or looked on with favour.

(5) Bow, a bent instrument for shooting arrows.

(6) Arrow, a small dart or spear.

(7) Sword, a long, pointed blade for use in fighting.

(8) Pit, a hole in the earth.

(9) Turf, sod; grass-covered earth.

(10) Brushwood, small trees or bushes growing together.

(11) Monster, large animal.

(12) Churchyard, burying-ground beside a church.

(13) Carved, cut.

27

HOW LONG IT TAKES

1. "Oh, I'm so hungry!" cried Johnnie, running into the house. "Please give me some bread and butter!" "I am just baking the bread; you must wait a few minutes," said his mother.

2. Johnnie waited about two minutes, and then asked if the bread was ready.

"No," answered his mother; "not quite ready yet." "It takes a long time to make a slice of bread," said hungry Johnnie, with sigh(1).

3. "Perhaps you don't know, Johnnie, how long it does take," said his mother "The loaf which I am baking was really begun in the spring." Johnnie opened his eyes wide(2) when he heard this. "It was being got ready all through the summer and autumn."

4. Johnnie was glad that autumn was past now, for it would have been hard for a hungry little boy to wait all that time.

5. "The farmer dropped the seeds into the ground in April, but he could not make them grow," said his mother. "All the men in the world could not make a grain(3) of wheat grow.

6. "The farmer only drops the wheat into the ground and covers it up. Then come the rain and the sunshine, and the wheat springs up. Through May and June, and July and August, it is growing. The stalks(4) get longer and the ears begin to appear(5).

7. "At first the little grains are quite soft and green, but they soon become hard and round. The green colour changes into a rich yellow, and the wheat is ready to be cut down.

8. "Then the farmer takes the grain from the straw in his threshing-mill(6), and sends it to the flour-mill to be ground into flour. All this must be done before I can begin baking the bread for you."

9. By this time Johnnie had almost forgotten that he was hungry. He was no longer in a hurry. He was thinking.

10. "Well," he said at last, "I did not think of that before. But I am very glad the farmer began making that loaf so long ago, for I should not like to wait a whole year now."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Point out the first twelve nouns in the lesson.

2. Give common nouns in place of the proper nouns in the lesson.

————————————————————

(1) Sigh, long, deep breath.

(2) Opened his eyes wide, looked very much surprised.

(3) Grain, seed.

(4) Stalks, stems.

(5) Appear, show.

(6) Threshing-mill, mill for beating out grain.

28

SUNNY SUMMER

1. Summer's sunny days have come:

Soft and sweet the wind is blowing;

Bees across the meadows(1) hum,

Where the golden flowers are growing;

Fields and trees are green and fair,

Sunshine's sleeping everywhere.

2. Oh, the sunny summer days,

When the ripples(2) dance and quiver(3),

Where the sun at noontide lays

Silver beams(4) upon the river!

Come and let us wade in here,—

Warm the water is and clear.

3. See the fishes dart about

Where a thousand lights are dancing;

Here a minnow(5), there a trout(6),

Like a flash of silver glancing(7).

Is it "hide and seek" they play

All the sunny summer day?

4. Hear how sweet the river sings,

Ever rippling, ever flowing;

Telling of a thousand things,

Whence(8) it comes and whither(9) going;

Singing like the birds and bees

Of the wondrous world it sees.

5. "Come, and I shall bathe your feet,

Little boys, so warm with playing

In the summer's sultry(10) heat."—

That is what the water's saying.

Off go jacket, socks, and shoes,

How could any boy refuse(11)?

6. All the wood is filled with sound,

And the very air is ringing,

Up and down and round and round,

With the songs the birds are singing

Oh, the happy summer hours,—

All the world's a world of flowers!

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

————————————————————

(1) Meadows, grass-fields.

(2) Ripples, little waves.

(3) Dance and quiver, go up and down.

(4) Beams, rays; streaks of sunlight.

(5) Minnow, a very small fresh-water fish.

(6) Trout, a fresh-water fish.

(7) Glancing, throwing out a sudden gleam of light.

(8) Whence, from what place.

(9) Whither, to what place.

(10) Sultry, close; very hot.

(11) Refuse, say no.

29

COCOA-NUTS

1. Cocoa-nuts grow in the hot countries where it is summer-time all the year round, and where the bushes and climbing plants are always gay with flowers.

2. The cocoa-nut tree is tall and slender(1), and it has no branches. Its long feathery(2) leaves grow at the very top in one great spreading(3) bunch.

3. The nuts grow in clusters(4) among the leaves, and hang from the tree by tough(5) little stems. They have thick, coarse husks(6), which are used to make scrubbing-brushes and doormats.

4. The natives do not eat the ripe nut. Barefooted, they climb the round trunk and cut off a bunch of nuts before they are quite ripe. They cut these open, and eat the soft meat.

5. When the nuts are ripe and the meat inside them is hard, they are ready to be gathered and shipped(7) to other countries.

6. The men gather them in great baskets. The thick husks are stripped(8) off, and the nuts are ready to be carried in ships many hundreds of miles away from their warm, sunny home.

7. Cocoa-nut trees are almost as hard to climb as our telegraph poles(9), so the men sometimes use a rope passing round the tree and round their body, as you see in the picture. But the best climbers are the monkeys, who run up the trees very fast.

8. One warm day a man was walking through a forest. He was very thirsty, and he thought how nice the milk of a cocoa-nut would taste. But the nuts hung so high up that he could not get at them.

9. He saw some monkeys in the trees, and he wished he could climb the trees as they did. They seemed to be laughing and making faces at him, so he got angry and began to throw sticks at them.

10. The monkeys tore off cocoa-nuts and threw them at the man. In this way he got as many nuts as he wished; but he had to take great care that the monkeys did not hit him.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Name the nouns in sections 1 to 4.

2. Point out the subject and the predicate in the first sentence of section 4.

————————————————————

(1) Slender, thin; narrow.

(2) Feathery, shaped like feathers.

(3) Spreading, stretching out.

(4) Clusters, bunches.

(5) Tough, strong; hard.

(6) Husks, outer coverings.

(7) Shipped, carried in ships.

(8) Stripped off, taken off; peeled off.

(9) Telegraph poles, posts to which telegraph wires are fixed.

30

A RUN AWAY RIDE

1. One bright winter morning Minnie went for a railway journey all by herself. Not a word had she said about it at home, and why she did it nobody knows.

2. Perhaps it was not such a strange thing to do after all. There was the train standing at the platform(1); the door of a first-class carriage was open, and the cushions looked very soft and cosy. Can you wonder that Minnie jumped in and curled herself up on the seat?

3. When the man came round for tickets, he did not notice Minnie. If he had asked her for her ticket it would have been awkward, for she had neither ticket nor money.

4. Then the train started, and Minnie sat up and looked out at the window. She began to enjoy(2) her ride very much, for she was not a bit afraid of being all alone.

5. When the train stopped at the next station, a lady got in, and sat down beside Minnie, and gave her a nice sweet cake, which she liked very much. The lady talked to her, and asked her where she was going, but Minnie could not tell.

6. Rumble, rumble went the train, and Minnie began to feel sleepy; rumble, rumble a little longer, and Minnie fell fast asleep. When the train stopped again, she was wakened by a gentleman who jumped into the carriage, picked her up, and carried her into the station.

7. The gentleman was very kind to her, and patted her head. By-and-by a train going the other way rushed into the station. Minnie was placed in charge(3) of the guard(4), and he took care of her until she arrived(5) at her home again.

8. How did the gentleman know where Minnie lived? Because her home was at the railway station where the train had started, and when she was missed the station-master sent a telegram(6) to the station where the train was going.

9. Do you think that Minnie was a naughty little girl, and that she was scolded and sent to bed? She was not a little girl at all—only a pretty gray pussy. But this is a true story.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Give the first four verbs with nouns connected.

2. Give plural of railway, journey, carriage, gentleman, station, pussy.

————————————————————

(1) Platform, raised place.

(2) Enjoy, like.

(3) Charge, care.

(4) Guard, one of the men who have charge of a train.

(5) Arrived, reached.

(6) Telegram, a message sent by telegraph.

31

ABOUT FIRES

1. It was a cold, wet day. Fred was tired of reading, and tired of looking out of the window, so he began poking the fire for a change.

"What a lot of coal all the fires in the world must burn!" he said to his mother as he laid down the poker.

2. "Yes, indeed," she answered. "But there are a great many kinds of fires in the world besides our coal fires. Even in our own country it is not many hundreds of years since we began to burn coal.

3. "Long ago, when the land was covered with forest, the people made their fires of wood; and wood is perhaps the most common fuel(1) all over the world.

4. "Peat is used in parts of Ireland and Scotland, as well as in some other countries. Peat is a black kind of turf, which is formed of decayed(2) moss and other plants. It burns almost like coal when it is dried.

5. "The people in Iceland(3) keep all the bones of the fish they eat, and these fish bones are used as fuel. Then you have heard of the little Eskimos who live in the frozen North, and have no fires at all.

6. "They use a kind of lamp filled with oil made from the fat of the whale or the seal. Burning wicks(4) float about on the oil, and this keeps their little snow hut quite warm. They do not need a fire for cooking, for they eat their food raw.

7. "In some parts of France and other lands near the sea-shore, a coarse yellow and brown sea-weed is gathered and dried for fuel. It has not a nice smell when burning.

8. "In many countries the people use fireplaces very unlike ours. The French have a kind of stove(5) which can be wheeled about from room to room, while full of burning coke. Coke is made from coal, and gives off no smoke.

9. "The Russians(6) use a huge(7) china(8) stove, with a small fire inside. This stove has a flat top like a table, and very often the people use this as their bed.

10. "In hot countries no fires are needed for warmth, and you will see no chimneys in pictures of the natives' houses. They make their fires for cooking in the open air.

11. "They dig a hole in the ground for an oven. Some large stones are heated in the fire, and put into this hole. The food is then placed on these hot stones and covered up with leaves and earth until it is ready."

12. "There never was such a mother as you," cried Fred, delighted(9) with this talk. "I believe you know everything."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the nouns in sections 1 to 4.

2. Give common nouns in place of Fred, Ireland, French.

————————————————————

(1) Fuel, anything used for making a fire.

(2) Decayed, wasted; rotten.

(3) Iceland, a large island in the north-west of Europe.

(4) Wicks, twisted threads for drawing up the oil in a lamp.

(5) Stove, close fire-place.

(6) Russians, people of Russia, a large country in the east of Europe.

(7) Huge, very large.

(8) China, fine kind of earthenware, first made in China.

(9) Delighted, greatly pleased.

32

THE BROWN THRUSH

1. There's a merry(1) brown thrush(2) sitting up in the tree,

He's singing to me! he's singing to me!

And what does he say, little girl, little boy?

"Oh, the world's running over(3) with joy!

Don't you hear? don't you see?

Hush! look! In my tree

I'm as happy as happy can be!"

2. And the brown thrush keeps singing, "A nest, do you see,

And five eggs, hid by me in the old elm tree?

Don't meddle(4)! don't touch! little girl, little boy,

Or the world will lose some of its joy!

Now I'm glad! now I'm free!

And I always shall be,

If you never bring sorrow to me."

3. So the merry brown thrush sings away in the tree,

To you and to me, to you and to me;

And he sings all the day, little girl, little boy,

"Oh, the world's running over with joy!

But long it won't be,

Don't you know? don't you see?

Unless we're as good as can be!"

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Name the verbs in verse 3.

2. Write the last six adjectives in the lesson.

————————————————————

(1) Merry, happy.

(2) Thrush, a singing-bird.

(3) Running over, quite full.

(4) Meddle, touch.

33

A RAILWAY TRAIN

1. All boys like to see a railway train. How strong and heavy the engine looks! And yet the engine-driver can make it go fast or slow, or stop it altogether, just as he wishes.

2. There are always two men on the engine. One of them is called the driver. When he wants the train to start, he moves a little handle. This opens the way for the steam, which forces the wheels round. When the driver shuts off steam the train stops.

3. The other man is called the stoker. He has to look after the fires, so that the water in the boiler may be always kept boiling. For it is the steam from the boiling water that makes the engine go.

4. In every train there is a guard, who has a carriage for himself, called the guard's van. When the train stops at a station, he has to see that the passengers(1) who are leaving the train get their luggage(2) out of the van. Then the luggage of new passengers is put in.

5. When all the passengers are seated and the carriage doors shut, the guard signals(3) to the driver with a green flag or, if it is night, with a green lantern. Then as the train moves off he jumps into his van again, and begins to get ready the trunks and parcels for the next station.

6. Have you ever noticed how straight and smooth the rails are on which the train runs? They are made of steel(4), and are very strong. They must be firmly fixed in their places, and at the right distance apart for the wheels of the engine and the carriages.

7. There are men always at work on the railway line keeping it in good order. If anything goes wrong with the rails, a train may be thrown off the line. When this happens, the carriages are often broken in pieces and many passengers killed.

8. The men who manage(5) the train must know their work very well, and they must also be sober(6) and steady(7), for we trust our lives to their keeping when we travel by train. They must be brave men too, for they have often to face great danger.

9. How different it is now from the time when there were no trains! Long ago people travelled in coaches drawn by four horses, or they rode on horseback. Travelling took a much longer time then.

10. Goods also had to be carried by horses. Where there were roads, carts and waggons were used. Where there were no roads, the bundles were carried on the horses' backs.

11. But trains carry our goods so quickly, and carry so much at a time, that we can now get the things we want from other places much more easily and cheaply than in the olden days(8).

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the first four nouns with verbs connected.

2. Give sentences with the words train, handle, and guard as nouns and as verbs.

————————————————————

(1) Passengers, people travelling or passing by train.

(2) Luggage, trunks, bags, parces, etc.

(3) Signals, makes a sign.

(4) Steel, a very hard kind of iron.

(5) Manage, conduct; look after.

(6) Sober, temperate; not given to strong drink.

(7) Steady, faithful to duty.

(8) Olden days, days of long ago.

34

SELFISH SAMBO

1. The apple tree could not think, but it seemed to know that Sambo, the black pony(1), liked sweet apples. So it dropped a ripe one on the ground.

2. The tree stood in a sloping(2) field of grass, so away went the apple rolling down the hill. Sambo was feeding quietly in the field; but when he saw the apple he galloped joyfully after it. Another pair of sharp eyes were fixed on the apple.

3. "I want that apple myself," cried little Joe. He was sitting upon the gate, while grandpapa stood beside him with sister Belle on his shoulder.

4. "I think, Joe, that there are apples enough left for you. You can spare Sambo that one," said grandpapa.

5. By this time Sambo had chased the apple to the foot of the little hill. It stopped near the wall, and the pony ate it up in one bite.

"There! I've lost my apple," said Joe.

6. Just then Molly, the old cow, strolled(3) up to the apple tree. She knew as well as Sambo where the sweet apples came from. She stretched up her neck to get at the fruit, but she could not quite reach it.

7. Sambo saw her, and was very angry at her for trying to get any of his apples. He set out at a quick gallop for pool Molly. He flung(4) his heels in the air, and frightened the timid(5) cow away.

8. Then Sambo smelt on the ground for apples, but he found none. "Serves you right, you greedy, selfish old thing!" cried Belle. "You don't deserve to get any apples if you can't spare one for Molly."

9. Grandpapa looked at Joe with a queer smile. Perhaps he was thinking that a greedy boy might deserve as few apples as a greedy pony.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Point out the last ten verbs in the lesson.

2. Make sentences with these verbs as predicate.

————————————————————

(1) Pony, small horse.

(2) Sloping, slanting.

(3) Strolled, walked slowly.

(4) Flung, threw.

(5) Timid, easily frightened.

35

A YOUNG HERO

1. Some years ago there was a great fire that burned down a large part of the city of Chicago(1). Hundreds of homes were swept away. Many strange things happened while the flames were raging(2).

2. A rich lady was hurrying through the crowd of people, trying to save from the fire some of the things she valued(3) most.

3. She saw a little boy, and called him to her, saying, "Take this box, my boy, and do not part with it for one moment until I see you again. Stay here till I come back, and I will reward(4) you well."

4. The boy took the box, and the lady turned back to try to save some more of her goods. Just then the crowd came rushing between the lady and the boy, and they lost sight of each other.

5. The lady took refuge(5) for that night with friends who lived outside the city. Next day she tried to find the boy, but she could hear nothing either of him or of the box.

6. There were some very important papers in the box, as well as all her diamonds(6) and other jewels, and the lady was in great distress(7) at losing them.

7. But on the following night a watch-man found the boy lying beside the box near the place where the lady had left him, and almost buried in the sand and ashes that had fallen about him.

8. The poor boy had been there through the long hours without food or shelter. He was almost dead with fear and hunger, but he had never once though of leaving the box that had been trusted to his care.

9. Of course he was well repaid by the lady; but the boy who could be so faithful does not do his duty for the sake of reward. The lady trusted him, and he would have died at his post(8) rather than seem to be unworthy(9) of her trust. This is the spirit which turns boys and men into heroes.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Point out the first six verbs with nouns connected.

2. Make sentences containing these words as nouns and as adjectives—sand, paper, diamond.

————————————————————

(1) Chicago, a large city of the United States of America.

(2) Raging, burning very fiercely.

(3) Valued, placed great worth on.

(4) Reward, pay.

(5) Took refuge, went for safety.

(6) Diamonds, Jewels, gems; stones of great value.

(7) Distress, trouble; sorrow.

(8) Post, place where he had been told to stay.

(9) Unworthy, not worthy or deserving.

36

THE SNOW-FLAKE'S SONG

1. Here I come! here I come!

Fun and sport I'm bringing,

And I hear from far and near

Joyous(1) welcome ringing.

Here I come, a mighty(2) band(3),

Millions(4) follow after.

Oh, I am so glad to hear

Children's happy laughter!

2. Won't I make the old earth white,

Every nook(5) and corner!

Won't I send a shining host(6)

Sailing down upon her!

Quick! put on your boots and hats,

Skates and mittens, hurry!

Don't you see that I am in

Something of a flurry(7)?

3. Let the merry sport begin,

Shouting, sliding, singing!

Gaily up and down the hill

Send your glad notes(8) ringing.

Here I come! here I come!

All my army(9) leading,

To your welcome warm(10) and true,

Gaily, gladly speeding.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the nouns in verses 1 and 2.

2. Point out the verbs, nouns, and adjectives in the lesson which end in -ing.

————————————————————

(1) Joyous, glad; full of joy.

(2) Mighty, powerful; full of might or strength.

(3) Band, company; number.

(4) Millions. A million (1,000,000) is a thousand of thousands.

(5) Nook, narrow place; small corner.

(6) Host, great number; an army.

(7) Flurry, hurry.

(8) Glad notes, happy voices.

(9) Army, great number; a host.

(10) Warm, kindly; hearty.

37

A WALRUS HUNT

1. "Uncle George, you promised to tell us how it was that you nearly lost your life on your last voyage(1). You said you were hunting at the time."

2. Captain Hill had been away in a ship trying to find out all about the seas and islands which lie to the north of America.

3. "All right, boys," said he. "Come to anchor(2) on the arms of my chair. Now for your story. When it happened, we had been trying for nearly a year to reach the North Pole(3).

4. "Of course you know that the far North is a region(4) of snow and ice. Our ship was quite frozen up in the ice all through the winter. For four months the sun was never seen, even at mid-day.

5. "One morning, when the ice was beginning to melt, we had a walrus hunt. Do you know what a walrus is? It is a huge animal, somewhat like a seal in shape, but much larger.

6. "Its skin is nearly as hard as iron, and it has large tusks(5) which can break through the side of a boat very easily. So you see the walrus is rather a dangerous fellow to meddle with.

7. "Well, a herd(6) of walruses came into the open water near the ship that morning. We at once got ready for the hunt. We put some rifles, and a harpoon(7) with a long rope, into one of the boats, and dragged it across the ice to the open water.

8. "As we came near the walruses, they looked so fierce that we would have been glad to go back, but we were ashamed to do so. They were not afraid of us at all, and we began to be afraid of them.

9. "One of our men stood in the bow of the boat with the harpoon in his hand. Three of us had rifles, and we all fired at the same time. Then the man in the bow(8) thrust(9) his harpoon into one of the animals, which had been wounded by a bullet(10).

10. "Down he dived(11), and the whole herd followed him. The rope tied to the harpoon ran out at a fearful rate, but at last it stopped.

11. "Then up they all came again, and rushed towards the boat with their ugly heads just above the water.

12. "We had a hard fight of it. Many a shot we fired, but our bullets did not seem to hurt them. Had it not been for the oars, with which the sailors pushed them off, they would have crushed the boat to pieces.

13. "At last they all seemed to take fright, and dived down together with a great splash. The old fellow was still fast to the rope, and we soon killed him. The others all got away."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Point out the proper nouns in the lesson.

2. Make sentences with these words as nouns and as verbs—anchor, hunt, water.

————————————————————

(1) Voyage, journey by sea.

(2) Come to anchor, sit down. An anchor is a hook which keeps a ship from drifting away.

(3) The North Pole, is the most northerly part of the earth.

(4) Region, tract; large piece of land.

(5) Tusk, a very long, pointed tooth.

(6) Herd, large number. Rifles, guns.

(7) Harpoon, spear.

(8) Bow, front part.

(9) Thrust, struck with great force.

(10) Bullet, a little ball for shooting out of a rifle.

(11) Dived, went under water.

38

CAMPING OUT

1. Bob and Dick were two little boys who lived in a big city in America. Summer had come, and they went to their grandmamma's farm in the country to spend their long holiday.

2. They had been reading a story about travellers who lived in tents(1), and they thought that they would like nothing better than to camp out somewhere, and live in a tent.

3. The very first day of their visit they began to tease grandmamma about sleeping in a tent. The weather was so fine and warm that she thought it would do them no harm.

4. So she gave them two large sheets to make into a tent. She helped the boys to fix them together, and fasten them to the low branch of an apple tree in a small field near the house. They thought it a splendid(2) tent.

5. Night came, and the boys lay down in their tent. It was very dark, and the house seemed very far away. It was so still that even the rustling of the leaves seemed quite a loud sound. But the boys were very tired, and at last they fell sound asleep.

6. In the middle of the night Bob awoke, and heard the sound of some animal's footsteps near the tent. What could it be? Was it a bear? Bob had heard that bears were fond of fruit, and perhaps this bear had come for some apples off the tree.

7. He wakened Dick, and they sat up to listen. Nearer and nearer came the trampling(3); then they heard the crunching of an apple being eaten. The boys clung to each other in terror(4).

8. "Let's run to the house!" whispered Bob.

"Oh, he'll catch us! I know he can run faster than we can," said Dick, his teeth chattering(5) with fright.

9. "Wait till he goes round to the other side of the tent," said Bob, "Now then, come along!" And the two boys crawled out of the tent and rushed towards the house.

10. Before they had got half-way across the field, a strange sound made them stop and look behind, and then they saw in the dim light a big black animal galloping after them. They heard his loud breathing as he raced along.

11. Off the boys ran again, faster than before. Their screams reached the house before they did, and grandpapa came running out to see what was wrong. The boys rushed to him for safety.

12. Just at that moment their bear went rushing past also. But he did not stop until he reached the door of his own den. The bear was Black Jerry, the pig, who was as fond of apples as if he had been a real bear.

13. The boys got no more frights about bears, but they had had enough of sleeping in a tent. For the rest of their holidays they slept in the snug little room which had been prepared(6) for them at first.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write down any four verbs in lesson with nouns connected.

2. Give sentences with country, apple, and middle as nouns and as adjectives.

————————————————————

(1) Tent, a small hut made by fixing canvas on poles.

(2) Splendid, grand; very fine.

(3) Trampling, noise made by the feet.

(4) Terror, great fear.

(5) Chattering, making a noise by coming against each other.

(6) Prepared, made ready.

39

FILLING A BASKET WITH WATER

1. An Eastern king was once in need of a faithful servant. He gave notice that he wanted a man to do a day's work, and two men came and asked to be employed(1).

2. He engaged(2) them both, and set them to work to fill a basket with water from a well, saying that he would come in the evening and see their work. He then left them to themselves and went away.

3. After pouring in one or two bucketfuls, one of the men said,—

"What is the good of doing this useless work? As soon as we put the water into the basket it runs out again."

4. The other man answered,—

"It is no business of ours whether the work is useful or not. We promised to do it, and we are to be paid for doing it."

5. "I am not going to do such foolish work," replied the first speaker, and throwing down his bucket, he went away.

6. The other man continued(3) his work till about sunset(4), when he had nearly emptied the well. Looking into the basket, he saw something shining. It was a ring of great value, which his bucket had drawn up from the muddy bottom of the well.

7. "Now I see the use of pouring the water into a basket," he said to himself. "Had it been poured on the ground perhaps this ring would not have been seen for the mud."

8. At this moment the king came up followed by his servants. As soon as he saw the ring, he knew that the man had been doing exactly(5) as he had ordered, although the work had seemed useless.

9. The king knew that at last he had found a servant whom he could trust. He told the man to keep the ring for himself, saying,—

"You have been faithful in a little thing; now I see I can trust you in great things. From this time you shall be the chief(6) of my servants."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Name the verbs in sections 6 to 8.

2. Give the plurals of speaker, day, man, ring.

————————————————————

(1) Employed, given work.

(2) Engaged, took; settled with.

(3) Continued, kept at.

(4) Sunset, evening; the time when the sun sets.

(5) Exactly, just.

(6) Chief, head; first.

40

TIME ENOUGH

1. Two little squirrels, out in the sun;

One gathered nuts, the other had none:

"Time enough yet," was his constant(1) refrain(2),

"Summer is still only just on the wane(3)."

2. Listen, my child, while I tell you his fate.

He roused(4) him at last, but he roused him too late;

Down fell the snow in a pitiless(5) cloud,

And the starved little squirrel was wrapped in its shroud(6).

3. Two little boys in a school-room were placed;

One always working, the other disgraced(7):

"Time enough yet for learning," he said;

"I will climb, by-and-by, from the foot to the head."

4. Listen, dear children. Their locks(8) are turned gray:

One lives in wealth and in honour to-day;

The other, a pauper(9), looks out at the door

Of the alms-house(10), and idles his days, as of yore(11)

5. Two kinds of people we meet every day;

One is at work, the other at play,

Living uncared for, dying unknown—

The busiest hive(12) hath ever a drone(13).

6. Tell me, my child, if the squirrels have taught

The lesson I wish to remain in your thought;

Answer me this, and my story is done,—

Which of the two would you be, little one?

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the nouns in verses 5 and 6.

2. Point out the subject and the predicate in the first sentence of verse 2.

————————————————————

(1) Constant, regular.

(2) Refrain, a line or verse often repeated in a song.

(3) Wane, decline; coming near the end.

(4) Roused, stirred; set to work.

(5) Pitiless, without pity.

(6) Shroud, a covering for the dead.

(7) Disgraced, in shame.

(8) Locks, hair.

(9) Pauper, poor person.

(10) Alms-house, poor-house; house where poor people are kept and fed.

(11) Of yore, of old; as he used to do.

(12) Hive, a house for bees.

(13) Drone, bee that does no work; idler.

41

THE WATER BABY

I

1. It was a clear, sunshiny day, and out on the great, wide, open sea there sparkled(1) thousands and thousands of water-drops.

2. One of these was Dewdrop, a merry little fellow who danced on the silver(2) backs of the fishes as they darted to and fro in the water. Sometimes the waves threw him up in the air, but he always came down again plump into his mother's lap.

3. His mother, you know, was the Ocean(3); and very beautiful(4) she looked that summer day in her dark blue dress(5) and white ruffles(6).

4. By-and-by the happy water-drop tired of his play. Looking up to the clear sky above him, he thought he would like to have a sail on one of the white floating clouds.

5. After looking and wishing for a long while, he gave a jump from the Ocean's arms, and begged the Sun to catch him up and let him go on a journey to see the earth.

6. The Sun said "Yes," and took ever so many other drops too, so that Dewdrop might not be lonely on the way. Dewdrop did not know this, however, for they all had been changed into fine mist or vapour.

7. Do you know what vapour is? You have seen steam coming from the spout(7) of a kettle of boiling water, and perhaps you know that this steam is made up of very small particles of the hot water.

8. Now vapour is made from water in the same way as steam, only the particles(8) are so small that you cannot see them.

9. The water-drops had been changed into vapour, because drops are too big and heavy to sail up in the air. Higher and higher they sailed, and so fast that they grew quite dizzy. Why, in a few hours they had gone hundreds of miles!

10. And how grand it was to be looking down on the world below, and sailing faster than fishes can swim or birds can fly! Dewdrop had never enjoyed anything so much before.

11. But after a while, it grew nearly time for the Sun to go to bed. He became very red in the face, and began to sink lower and lower, until at last he went right out of sight!

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Give six nouns in the lesson with verbs connected.

2. Name six adjectives in the lesson with nouns connected.

————————————————————

(1) Sparkled, shone; glittered.

(2) Silver, bright like silver.

(3) Ocean, the largest division of water.

(4) Beautiful, pretty; full of beauty.

(5) Her dark blue dress, the colour of the sea.

(6) White ruffles, white frills; the foam of the waves.

(7) Spout, mouth.

(8) Particles, little parts.

42

THE WATER BABY

II

1. Poor little Dewdrop could not help being frightened, for every minute it grew darker and colder. It would soon be too dark for him to find his way home again.

2. But he thought he would like to get back to the earth; so he slipped away down through the cool, quiet air.

3. All his brothers now began to do the same; and as they fell lower and lower, they grew bigger and heavier, until they became little round, bright drops of water again.

4. But they were now far away from mother Ocean, and when they came down to the earth again they found themselves in a beautiful garden.

5. Dewdrop alighted(1) on a rose-bush. A lovely velvet bud(2) opened its leaves, and in he slipped among the crimson(3) cushions(4), to sleep until morning.

6. When morning came the birds began to wake up, and the flowers opened their leaves. Dewdrop saw the great Sun once more, and he called out, "Please, dear Sun, take me and my brothers up with you again."

7. So the Sun caught them up a second time, and together they flew through the air till noon-time(5). It grew warmer and warmer, and there was not even a blade of grass to shade them.

8. But just as Dewdrop cried out, "Please, King Sun, let me go back to the dear mother Ocean," the Wind took pity on him. She came with her cool breath and changed him and his brothers into a cold gray cloud.

9. She then told them to join hands and hurry away to the earth. Down they all went, rolling and tumbling over each other, till with a patter and clatter and spatter they danced on the ground; and the people cried, "It rains."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Write the verbs in section 9.

2. Write the adjectives ending in -er in the lesson.

————————————————————

(1) Alighted, settled; fell.

(2) Velvet bud, bud as soft as velvet.

(3) Crimson, deep red.

(4) Cushions, the soft leaves inside the bud.

(5) Noon-time, mid-day; twelve o'clock.

43

THE WATER BABY

III

1. Some of the drops fell on a mountain side, Dewdrop among them; and down the rocky cliff(1) he ran, leading the way for his brothers. They all plunged into a mountain brook, which came foaming(2) and dashing along, leaping over rocks and rushing down the hill-side.

2. When they reached the valley(3) below, they heard a strange clattering noise. Beside the brook stood a flour-mill, and at the door a man whose clothes were gray with dust.

3. Inside the mill were two great stones, one of which kept whizzing(4) round and round on the top of the other, faster than a boy's top could spin. It was worked by the big wheel outside. These stones ground the wheat into flour and the oats into golden meal.

4. But what giant(5) was it that turned that huge wheel, and made that heavy stone go round? No giant at all: it was no one but the tiny little water-drops themselves, who sprang on the wheel by hundreds and thousands, and whirled it round and round!

5. Then the brook flowed into a quiet pool, where ducks and geese were swimming. On the edge lived some fat frogs(6); and in the water were spotted trout, tiny minnows, and other fishes.

6. Dewdrop liked this place so much that he stayed a good while, sailing on the ducks' backs for ships and riding on the frogs for horses. But after a time he grew tired of this, and he and his brothers floated out over a waterfall(7) and under a bridge. When they had gone a long, long distance, they saw another brook tumbling down a hill-side.

7. "Come, let's join hands!" cried Dewdrop. So the two brooks joined hands, and dashed on together till they came to a gently-flowing river, which opened its arms to them.

8. With the help of Dewdrop and his brothers, the beautiful river grew broad and deep, though, not long before, it was only a little rill(8), through which a child could wade, or over which he could step.

9. On, ever on, the river went, seeking the Ocean. There was always something new and strange to be seen—busy cities, quiet little towns, buzzing saw-mills, and stone bridges.

10. But Dewdrop did not stay long in any place. As the river grew wider and wider, and came nearer and nearer its end, he could almost see the mother Ocean to whose arms he was joyfully running. Soon little Dewdrop was safe at home again.

11. In warm, still summer evenings, if you take a walk on the sea-beach(9), you will hear the gentle rippling noise of the waves. Some very wise people think it must be the voices of Dewdrop and his brothers telling each other about their wonderful journey round the world.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

1. Name the first twelve verbs in the lesson.

2. Make sentences with mountain, green, and stone as nouns and as adjectives.

————————————————————

(1) Cliff, steep rock.

(2) Foaming, frothing.

(3) Valley, hollow between hills.

(4) Whizzing, whirling and making a noise.

(5) Giant, very large man.

(6) Frogs, small animals living both on land and in water.

(7) Waterfall, the fall of a river over a high rock.

(8) Rill, brook; very small stream.

(9) Sea-beach, sea-shore.

44

THREE LITTLE CHICKS

1. Three little chicks

Got into a fix:

Would you like to know what about?

Well, listen a minute,

There's something in it

'Tis well for you all to find out.

2. Hear the old hen say,

In an old hen's way,

That each little chick understood,

"O dear, O dear !

I dreadfully fear

You are all very naughty and rude!"

3. But they stretched up their necks

And went on with their pecks,

As they wickedly fought with each other;

And the hen saw beside her

A hairy, fat spider,

And then she knew what was the bother.

4. It hung by a thread

From the rafter o'erhead,

And Whity and Speckle and Gray

Each wanted the bite;

And you see how the fight

Began in the usual way.

5. Whity pushed away Speck,

And he gave Gray a peck,

And said, "Go away; it is mine!"

But Speckle and Gray

Said each of them, "Nay;

I am bound on that spider to dine!"

6. And now would you see

Which one of the three

Secured the prize he was after?

While they were all fighting,

And scratching and biting,

The spider went home to the rafter.

7. So in vain was their fight,

For they got not a bite,

And the spider might chuckle and say,

"Ha, ha, my fine chicks,

This is one of my tricks,

And I gain while you lose in this way!"

8. The old mother hen

Turned soberly then,

And said to her children three,

"You may see, if you choose,

How you always will lose

By acting so selfishly.

9. "You go hungry to bed,

Each with a sore head,

While the spider sits up on the rafter;

He enjoys your defeat

While taking his meat,

And he's shaking all over with laughter."

10. From this little fable

I am sure you are able

To learn what you all ought to know—

That selfish contention,

As I hardly need mention,

Will never a good thing bestow.

45

SOMETHING FOR CHILDREN

1. There's enough for you children to do in the house

To keep you as busy as any old mouse.

There are errands to run,

Little tasks to be done,

That will do much to lighten your mother's hard work.

So, children, don't shirk,

But do what you can;

You'll be glad when you're grown

To a woman or man.

2. There's enough for you children to do out of doors;

If you look out for jobs, you will find them by scores:

Little things to attend,

Little tasks without end,

You will find you can do if you just make a start.

So, children, be smart,

And do what you can:

You'll be glad when you're grown

To a woman or man.

3. There's enough for you children to do anywhere;

So hurry around, and each do your full share.

And just see how bright

You will feel, when at night

You can think you have done what is honest and fair.

So, children, take care

To do what you can;

You'll be glad when you're grown

To a woman or man

4. And, children, whatever you do, do it well.

People always, in looking it over, can tell

If you hurry right through

Whatever you do,

Not caring at all if it's done ill or well.

So, whatever you do,

Do the best that you can;

You'll be glad when you're grown

To a woman or man.

46

WYNKEN, BLYNKEN, AND NOD

1. Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night

Sailed off in a wooden shoe—

Sailed on a river of crystal light,

Into a sea of dew.

"Where are you going, and what do you wish?"

The old moon asked the three.

"We have come to fish for the herring fish

That live in this beautiful sea;

Nets of silver and gold have we!"

Said Wynken,

Blynken,

And Nod.

2. The old moon laughed, and sang a song,

As they rocked in the wooden shoe;

And the wind that sped them all night long

Ruffled the waves of dew.

The little stars were the herring fish

That lived in that beautiful sea.

"Now cast your nets wherever you wish;

Never afraid are we."

So cried the stars to the fishermen three—

Wynken,

Blynken,

And Nod.

3. All night long their nets they threw

To the stars in the twinkling foam;

Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,

Bringing the fishermen home.

'Twas all so pretty a sail, it seemed

As if it could not be,

And some folks thought 'twas a dream they'd dreamed

Of sailing that beautiful sea;

But I shall name you the fishermen three—

Wynken,

Blynken,

And Nod.

4. Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,

And Nod is a little head,

And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies

Is a little one's cradle-bed.

So shut your eyes while mother sings

Of wonderful sights that be,

And you shall see the beautiful things

As you rock in the misty sea,

Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three—

Wynken,

Blynken,

And Nod.

47

SUPPOSE!

1. Suppose, my little lady,

Your doll should break her head,

Could you make it whole by crying

Till your nose and eyes were red?

And wouldn't it be pleasanter

To treat it as a joke,

And say you're glad "'twas Dolly's

And not your head that broke"?

2. Suppose you're dressed for walking,

And the rain comes pouring down,

Will it clear off any sooner

Because you scold and frown?

And wouldn't it be nicer

For you to smile than pout,

And so make sunshine in the house,

When there is none without?

3. Suppose your task, my little man,

Is very hard to get,

Will it make it any easier

For you to sit and fret?

And wouldn't it be wiser,

Than waiting like a dunce,

To go to work in earnest,

And learn the thing at once?

4. Suppose that some boys have a horse,

And some a coach and pair,

Will it tire you less, while walking,

To say, "It isn't fair"?

And wouldn't it be nobler

To keep your temper sweet,

And in your heart be thankful

You can walk upon your feet?

5. And suppose the world don't please you

Nor the way some people do,

Do you think the whole creation

Will be altered just for you?

And isn't it, my boy or girl,

The wisest, bravest plan,

Whatever comes or doesn't come,

To do the best you can?

48

WE ARE SEVEN

1. I met a little cottage girl,

She was eight years old, she said;

Her hair was thick with many a curl

That clustered round her head.

2. "Sisters and brothers, little maid,

How many may you be?"

"How many? seven in all," she said,

And, wondering, looked at me.

3. "And where are they, I pray you tell?"

She answered, "Seven are we:

And two of us at Conway dwell,

And two are gone to sea;

4. "Two of us in the churchyard lie,

My sister and my brother;

And in the churchyard cottage I

Dwell near them with my mother."

5. "You say that two at Conway dwell,

And two are gone to sea;

Yet you are seven: I pray you tell,

Sweet maid, how this may be?"

6. Then did the little maid reply,

"Seven boys and girls are we:

Two of us in the churchyard lie,

Beneath the churchyard tree."

7. "You run about, my little maid,

Your limbs they are alive;

If two are in the churchyard laid,

Then ye are only five."

8. "Their graves are green, they may be seen,"

The little maid replied,

"Twelve steps or more from my mother's door,

And they are side by side.

9. "My stockings there I often knit,

My kerchief there I hem;

And there upon the ground I sit,—

I sit and sing to them.

10. "And often after sunset, sir,

When it is light and fair,

I take my little porringer

And eat my supper there.

11. "The first that died was little Jane:

In bed she moaning lay,

Till God relieved her of her pain,

And then she went away.

12. "So in the churchyard she was laid;

And, all the summer dry,

Together round her grave we played,

My brother John and I

13. "And when the ground was white with snow,

And I could run and slide,

My brother John was forced to go;

And he lies by her side."

14. "How many are you, then," said I,

"If they two are in heaven?"

The little maiden would reply,

"O master! we are seven."

15. "But they are dead, those two are dead,

Their spirits are in heaven."—

'Twas throwing words away; for still

The little maid would have her will,

And said, "Nay, we are seven."

49

THE CHILD'S FIRST GRIEF

1. "Oh, call my brother back to me!

I cannot play alone;

The summer comes with flower and bee—

Where is my brother gone?

2. "The butterfly is glancing bright

Across the sunbeam's track;

I care not now to chase its flight—

Oh, call my brother back!

3. "The flowers run wild—the flowers we sowed

Around our garden tree;

Our vine is drooping with its load—

Oh, call him back to me!"

4. "He could not hear thy voice, fair child!

He may not come to thee;

The face that once like spring-time smiled,

On earth no more thou'lt see.

5. "A rose's brief, bright life of joy,

Such unto him was given.

Go; thou must play alone, my boy!

Thy brother is in heaven."

6. "And has he left his birds and flowers?

And must I call in vain?

And through the long, long summer hours,

Will he not come again?

7. "And by the brook and in the glade

Are all our wanderings o'er?

Oh, while my brother with me played,

Would I had loved him more!"

CONTENTS

01　BIRD OR BEAST?

02　"EVERGREEN."

03　WISHES

04　GAMBETTA AND HIS DOG

05　THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES

06　INDUSTRY

07　THE BANYAN-TREE

08　A HEROIC BROTHER

09　"WANTED—A BOY."

10　HOW A DOG SAVED A SHIP'S CREW

11　FABLES

12　THE NAIL-MAKER

13　TRIPPING INTO TOWN

14　HOW BIRDS USE THEIR BILLS

15　A ROGUE OUTWITTED

16　THE MAN IN THE BOY

17　BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SOW

18　THE CARE OF OUR STREETS

19　A NOBLE ACT

20　FAIRYLAND

21　THE TONGUE

22　GOOD OR BAD?

23　STICK TO YOUR BUSH

24　PERSEVERANCE

25　BUSY RAINDROPS

26　BUSY BROOKS

27　FABLES

28　SUMMER WOODS

29　A CLUMSY PET

30　WHAT THE NETTLE SAID

31　STORY OF A LION

32　THE MAN THAT CARRIED THE BRICK

33　THE WOOD-CUTTERS AND THE BIRDS

34　FUSS-AND-FRET

35　ABOUT MICE

36　"STAND FAST."

37　"HE'S A BRICK."

38　LESSONS FROM LITTLE THINGS

39　OBEYING ORDERS

40　ONLY A RIBBON

41　THE GOLDEN TOUCH (I)

42　THE GOLDEN TOUCH (II)

43　THE GOLDEN TOUCH (III)

44　A HIGH MARK

45　CONTENTMENT

46　ADRIFT ON AN ICE-RAFT

47　BABY SEALS

48　THE BEAR AND THE BEES

49　MICHAEL THE UPRIGHT

50　KILLING A RATTLESNAKE

51　HELP ONE ANOTHER

52　THE LADY-BIRD AND THE ANT

53　A BONE THAT NEEDED BREAKING

54　USEFUL GRASSES (I)

55　USEFUL GRASSES (II)

56　GIVING

57　THE HOUSE I LIVE IN

58　KEEP THE BODY CLEAN

59　FRESH AIR

60　EXERCISE

61　POETRY FOR RECITATION

返回总目录

01

BIRD OR BEAST?

1. One day in winter, George and Henry found a funny little animal hanging head downwards in an outhouse(1) in the garden. It was such a queer little thing that they took it into the house and showed it to their father.

2. "Is it a bird or a beast?" they asked.

"Which do you think?" replied Mr. Williams.

"Let me see if you can find that out for yourselves."

3. "It has no feathers," said their sister Alice, "and the hind-feet(2) have toes and claws. I think it is a beast."

4. "But then it has wings," said George. "Beasts do not fly. Fancy a pig flying! Wouldn't it be a strange-looking creature?"

5. "I think it is a beast for all that," said Henry, "for its body is covered with fur(3). It has long ears, and its wings are made of skin stretched on four very long fingers."

6. "You are right, Henry and Alice. This little animal is called a bat, and it is a beast," said their father. "Bats are beasts, as much as cats, mice, or elephants. They do not lay eggs; they have a mouth with lips and teeth, instead of a bill like a bird; and their bodies are covered with fur, instead of feathers.

7. "They have no wings, and yet they can fly. The toes or fingers of their fore-feet(4) are very long, and have a thin skin between them, like the feet of a duck. This skin stretches along the side to the hind-feet, and so forms a kind of wing.

8. "The bats that live in this country eat insects(5); but some that are natives of(6) hot countries suck the blood of other animals; and there are some large ones that live on fruit.

9. "In the winter all bats, except those that live in warm countries, fall into a deep sleep, and remain asleep till the warm weather comes again. See! The warmth of the kitchen has wakened your bat now, and you must feed him."

10. During the cold weather the children fed the bat with little bits of meat. Soon it grew so tame that every evening it would come and feed out of their hands. It always spent the day in sleep, hanging head downwards in some dark corner of the room.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing the words creature, create, creation.

2. Make nouns ending in -th (like warmth) from wide, long, broad, true.

3. Write out a list of words ending in -wards (like downwards).

————————————————————

(1) Outhouse, any small building near to a house, such as a stable.

(2) Hind, back.

(3) Fur, close, soft hair.

(4) Fore, front.

(5) Insects, small animals, such as wasps, bees, etc.

(6) Natives of, born in; belong to.

02

"EVERGREEN."

1. Once there grew in the centre of a large park a beautiful maple-tree(1). The park was close to a great city, and in the evenings many people left the hot dusty streets and went to walk on the smooth, soft turf(2), or to rest under the shade of the spreading trees(3).

2. All through the summer the maple was covered with green leaves, but when autumn came, its leaves changed colour. They began to turn red and yellow. Then people said, "How beautiful the maple-tree is! In all the park there is not another tree whose leaves are so pretty and so bright."

3. The maple was so pleased to hear herself praised, that she began to flutter her leaves and toss her head in a very proud, vain(4) manner. She spread out her boughs(5) so far that a little holly-tree(6) which grew beside her was almost hidden from sight.

4. "It does not matter," said the maple, "if I do hide the holly, for no one cares to look at him. He is such a plain little tree. His leaves do not turn red and yellow like mine."

5. The holly heard the unkind words of the maple, but he did not say anything. He only rustled his stiff leaves and sighed(7).

6. A good fairy(8) that watched over the trees in the park passed by just then, and said, "Why do you sigh, little holly? Are you unhappy?"

7. The holly replied, "I only sighed because the maple is so much more beautiful than I. She seems to please every one, but nobody cares for me."

8. The good fairy felt very sorry for the poor little holly, for he did look plain and small beside the great maple. So she touched him with her wand(9), and said,—

"Tree, tree, be cheerful for me,

And you for ever green shall be."

9. When the holly-tree heard her, he smiled brightly and rustled his leaves contentedly.

In a few days the bright maple leaves turned brown and fell to the earth, and the branches were left bare. The beauty of the maple was gone.

10. Then the snow came, and in all the park there was but one bright, cheerful spot, and that was where the little holly bravely stood, with his leaves as green as they were in summer.

11. All through the cold winter, the sight of his hardy(10) green leaves cheered the people who passed by. So they said, "Let us call the holly an 'evergreen.'" And to this day he keeps green all the year round.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write six words beginning with un-, meaning not (like un-kind).

2. Make adjectives ending in -ful (like beautiful) from joy, peace, pity, awe, and give their meanings.

3. Write the plural (like leaves) of loaf, sheaf, thief, and wolf.

————————————————————

(1) Maple, a large tree, from one kind of which maple-sugar is made.

(2) Turf, grass.

(3) Spreading trees, trees with branches which spread or stretch out.

(4) Vain, conceited; proud.

(5) Boughs, large branches.

(6) Holly tree, evergreen tree with shining prickly leaves and red berries.

(7) Sighed, breathed heavily, show-ing sadness.

(8) Fairy, a kind of spirit supposed to appear like a very small man or woman.

(9) Wand, a long, thin rod.

(10) Hardy, stout; tough.

03

WISHES

1. I wish I were a little bird,

I'd(1) fly so far and high,

And sail along the golden clouds,

And through the azure(2) sky.

I'd be the first to see the sun

Up from the ocean spring,

As high above the tall church spire(3)

My morning song I'd sing.

2. Above the hills I'd watch him still,

Far down the crimson(4) west,

And sing to him my evening song,

Before I went to rest.

And many a land I then should see,

As hill and plain I crossed;

Nor fear through all the pathless(5) sky

That I should e'er be lost.

3. To sunny southern lands afar,

How gladly would I go,

And rest among the shady groves(6)

Where vines(7) and olives(8) grow.

Now, if I climb our highest hill,

How little can I see!

Oh, had I but a pair of wings,

How happy I should be!

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) I'd, I would.

(2) Azure, of a light-blue colour.

(3) Spire, steeple; something tall and tapering to a point.

(4) Crimson, deep red.

(5) Pathless, without any path or road to be seen.

(6) Grove, small wood; number of trees together.

(7) Vine, a climbing plant bearing grapes, from which wine is made.

(8) Olive, a tree the fruit of which yields olive-oil.

04

GAMBETTA AND HIS DOG

1. Some years ago, a great French statesman(1) named Gambetta was driving from Paris(2) to his home in the country. The night was so dark that he could hardly see his horse's head, so he was driving very slowly.

2. Suddenly the horse reared(3). A man who had been bending down on the road felt the horse's nose touch him, and started up. As soon as Gambetta saw what had happened, he said,—

"You stupid fellow! You were nearly killed."

"I wish I had been."

"Why so?"

3. "I am a poor workman. My master told me to go to the village to get some money which was due(4) to him. I was paid in gold, and I put the money in my pocket. I did not know that there was a hole in it, but I find that all the gold has fallen out. I cannot hope to find it all again this dark night, and I dare not go back without it."

4. "Have you one coin left?"

"Yes, here is the only one left me."

Gambetta untied a dog which was under the carriage, held the coin to his nose, and said, "Go seek, Tom."

5. Off Tom ran, with his nose close to the ground so as to smell the footsteps of the man, and in a minute he came back with a coin in his mouth. Again and again he ran away into the darkness, and each time he returned bringing another coin with him.

6. In half-an-hour the workman had all his money again. Thanks to the cleverness of the dog and the kindness of his owner, he was able to go on his way once more with a light heart.

7. Tom's master was so pleased with his dog that the next day he bought him a new collar, and had the date marked on it in memory of his clever act.

8. This case showed great keenness(5) of scent(6) in the dog, for a coin is very small and not likely to smell strongly. Many other true stories are told, which show what a wonderful power of smell some dogs possess(7).

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make nouns ending in -man (like statesman) from work, sea, fire, and boat, and give their meanings.

2. Make verbs beginning with -un, meaning not, from the verbs tied, do, fasten, and cover, and give their meanings.

3. Make sentences containing the words slow, slowly, wise, wisely.

————————————————————

(1) Statesman, one who helps to manage the business of a country or state.

(2) Paris, the capital of France, a country to the south of England.

(3) Reared, rose on its hind legs.

(4) Due, owing.

(5) Keenness, sharpness; quickness.

(6) Scent, smell.

(7) Possess, have.

05

THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES

A FABLE(1).

1. A lark once made her nest in a field of hay. It was an early summer, and she was afraid that the mowers(2) would come to cut down the hay(3) before her young ones were able to fly to a place of safety. When she went away to look for food, she told her little ones to remember everything they heard the farmer say, and to tell her on her return.

2. When she was gone, the young larks heard the farmer say to his son, "I think this hay is ripe enough. Go tomorrow morning and ask our friends and neighbours(4) to come and help us to cut it down."

3. Soon afterwards the mother-lark came back. Her little ones chirped round her, and told her what the farmer had said, and asked her to remove them(5) to a place of safety before the mowers came.

4. Their mother replied, "Fear not; for if the farmer depends on his friends and neighbours, I am sure the hay will not be cut tomorrow."

5. Next day she went out again to seek for food, and left the same orders as before. The farmer came and waited, looking for his friends and neighbours; but the sun rose high in the sky, and still nothing was done, for no one came to help him.

6. Then the farmer said to his son, "These friends and neighbours of ours have not come to help us. Go to your uncles and cousins, and ask them to come early to-morrow morning and help us to mow our hay."

7. The son went away and did so, and the young larks were in a great fright. They told this also to their mother.

8. "If that is all," said she, "do not be frightened, dears; for uncles and cousins are not always very ready to help one another. But be sure to listen again to-morrow, and tell me what you hear."

9. Next day she flew away as usual for food. The farmer came down to the field with his son, but neither uncles nor cousins were there to meet him. So he said, "Well, George, have two good scythes(6) ready to-morrow morning, and we will cut down the hay ourselves."

10. When the mother-lark was told this, she said, "Now it is time for us to be gone; for when a man does his own work himself, he is not likely to fail."

11. So saying, she and her young ones flew away to another field, and the hay was cut next day by the farmer and his son. They had learned what the lark knew already, that work is best and most quickly done when people help themselves.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make nouns ending in -er (like mower) from the verbs sing, read, help, give, and give their meanings.

2. Write a few words (like enough) where gh has the sound of f.

3. Make verbs ending in -en (like frighten) from bright, sweet, soft, glad, and give their meanings.

THE LARK'S SONG.

A lark flew up from its dewy nest

Beside a meadow daisy,

And, swelling its throat, sang loud and clear,

As if with joy 'twere crazy.

"Wake up! wake up!" were the words it sang;

"The world is growing lazy.

In through yon window I peep and see

A maiden soundly sleeping.

Wake up, little girl! don't wait for the sun

To begin his tardy creeping;

Lest for unlearned lessons and tasks undone

At eve you may be weeping."

————————————————————

(1) Fable, a story made up to teach a lesson.

(2) Mowers, reapers; those who cut down grass or corn.

(3) Hay, grass cut and dried for feeding cattle.

(4) Neighbours, those who live near.

(5) Remove them, take them away.

(6) Scythe, a large curved blade fastened to a long handle, used for mowing.

06

INDUSTRY(1)

1. It is the duty of every man to work. The idle man wastes his time, and his life is of no use to himself or to others. The man who is too lazy to work for his living is the most ready to beg or to steal.

2. Among the Jews every boy, rich and poor alike, was taught some useful trade. One of the ancient(2) kings of Egypt(3) made a law, that all his people should come before their rulers once a year, and prove that they knew some trade by which they could earn(4) their living. Any man who could not do so was put to death.

3. There was at one time a custom among the people of Holland(5) which was meant to prevent idleness. When a man was found begging, who was able to work, he was seized, and put into a pit(6), into which water was allowed to run through a pipe.

4. At the bottom of the pit there was a pump to get rid of the water. But it was hard work to pump out the water that poured in; and if the man had stopped pumping, he would certainly have been drowned.

5. It was great fun for those who passed by to see an idle tramp(7) forced to work in spite of himself; and a few hours of this punishment was enough to cure a very lazy man. When he was quite worn out, he was ready enough to promise to work for his living in future(8).

6. But it is not enough that a man should learn some kind of work. He should apply himself to his work with a will, and not waste his spare minutes or half hours. "Work while you work, and play while you play," is a good rule for old people as well as young people.

7. There is no better aid(9) to industry than the habit of early rising, and this, like all other habits, is most easily formed in youth. A great French writer(10) tells us how he managed, by the help of his servant, to get up early in the morning, and thus save much of his time.

8. "When I was young," he says, "I was so fond of sleep that I lost half my time. My servant Joseph did all he could to help me to break off my lazy habit, but at first without success.

9. "At last I promised him five shillings every time he could make me get up at six o'clock. He came the next morning at that hour, and did his best to rouse(11) me; but I only spoke roughly to him, and then went to sleep again.

10. "The next morning he came again, and this time I became so angry that he was frightened. That afternoon I said to him, 'Joseph, I have lost my time, and you have not won your five shillings. You do not understand your work; you should think only of what I have promised you, and never mind how angry I am.'

11. "Next morning he came again. First I begged him to leave me alone, then I grew angry, but it was of no use; he made me get up, very much against my will.

12. "My ill-humour(12) did not last long after I was awake, and then I thanked Joseph, and gave him his five shillings. I owe to Joseph at least a dozen of the books I have written."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Mark the letters which are not sounded in the words owe, sow, toe, dough.

2. Make adjectives ending in -y (like angry) from hunger, dust, dew, feather, and give their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Industry, diligence; steady attention to work.

(2) Ancient, old; belonging to former times.

(3) Egypt, a country in the north-east of Africa.

(4) Earn, make; work for.

(5) Holland, a small country of Western Europe.

(6) Pit, hole in the earth.

(7) Tramp, one who walks from place to place and lives by begging.

(8) In future, afterwards.

(9) Aid, help.

(10) Writer, one who composes or writes books.

(11) Rouse, awake; stir up.

(12) Ill-humour, bad temper.

07

THE BANYAN-TREE

1. In the heart(1) of a great forest, a tall palm-tree raised its stately(2) head far above all the other trees. It had no spreading branches, like the rest; only a smooth, round trunk, crowned with a bunch of feathery green leaves.

2. A bird flew over the forest one day, and, as it passed, it dropped a single seed into the palm-tree's beautiful crown of leaves. For a time the seed lay there just as it fell; but at last the hot sun and the refreshing(3) showers wrought(4) a change in it, and it began to show that it was alive.

3. Tiny rootlets(5) grew out from it, and they began to twine(6) round the palm leaves, fixing firmly in its strange home the young plant which began to appear. Presently(7) the roots became larger, and twisted themselves into a network round the trunk of the palm-tree, as they made their way down to the ground.

4. How did the palm-tree like this strange guest(8)? For a time it stood as erect(9) and stately as before, but soon it began to droop(10). The twining roots were clasping it so tightly that the sap(11) could not flow freely through its leaves. While these roots were growing and thriving, the palm-tree was dying.

5. At last the palm-tree died; but by this time the roots had fixed themselves firmly in the ground, and where the palm had stood there was now a healthy banyan-tree, with branches spreading out on every side. These twining roots had become a cluster of pillars or stems to support it.

6. But as the banyan-tree grows and spreads, more pillars are needed. Long slender shoots grow down from its branches, and hang swaying(12) in the wind. By-and-by they reach the ground, and send down little rootlets to fix themselves there.

7. Then they grow thicker and stronger, and form new stems or props for the parent tree(13). You can see them in the picture, some thick and strong, some young and slender, and some which have not yet reached the ground.

8. As time goes on, the banyan becomes very large indeed. It has hundreds of these props, and looks like a whole grove of trees instead of only one. Thousands of men could find room to rest beneath its shade.

9. In India the herdsman(14) is glad to get its shelter from the burning heat of the sun, and he often uses the banyan-tree as his tent. He weaves(15) its branches together, and fills up the spaces between its stems with twigs and leaves. Thus he makes a shady bower(16) for himself, where he sits and watches his flock.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the past tense of the verbs fight, buy, and catch.

2. Write out the meanings of rootlet, streamlet, and brooklet, underlining the meaning of the part -let in each.

3. Make sentences containing the words grove and groove.

————————————————————

(1) Heart, centre; thickest part.

(2) Stately, noble; grand-looking.

(3) Refreshing, making fresh again.

(4) Wrought, worked; brought about.

(5) Rootlets, small roots.

(6) Twine, twist.

(7) Presently, very soon.

(8) Guest, visitor.

(9) Erect, straight up.

(10) Droop, hang down; wither.

(11) Sap, the juice which flows through plants and nourishes them.

(12) Swaying, moving to and fro.

(13) Parent tree, original tree.

(14) Herdsman, shepherd; man who watches a herd of cattle, etc.

(15) Weaves, works.

(16) Shady bower, seat shaded from the sun.

08

A HEROIC(1) BROTHER

1. Robert and his brother James were one day passing a church, where some men were at work mending the roof. It was dinner-time, and the men had all gone home, so the two boys climbed up the ladder.

2. There was a large hole in the roof where the slates had been removed, and the boys crept through this opening and found themselves inside the church, far up among the beams(2) of the roof. The floor seemed very far below them; but they could climb well, and they were not in the least afraid of falling.

3. Soon they made their way to the end of the church, where a little opening led into the tower or belfry. The boys crept through this opening and climbed up to the top of the tower, where the church bell was hanging.

4. There were little openings in the tower, and through these they could see the country for miles around. "We must go down," suddenly exclaimed Robert. "There are the men coming back to their work. They will be angry if they find that we have climbed up the ladder."

5. The two boys hurried out of the belfry and along the rafters(3), until they reached the opening in the roof again. In their haste they both stepped on the end of a small plank, which had been laid on the beams for the men to stand on, and their weight made the plank turn over.

6. Both boys lost their balance. Robert had just time to clutch(4) one of the beams as he fell, and he clung(5) to it with both hands. James missed the beam, but managed to seize his brother round the legs, and he held on in despair(6).

7. In this awful position the lads hung, shouting for help. But the workmen were still too far off to hear their cries, and as it was not yet time to begin work, they were walking along slowly.

8. At last the strain(7) of the double weight became more than Robert's hands could bear. His strength was failing(8), and he told James that he could hold on no longer.

9. "Could you save yourself if I let go?" asked James.

"I think I could," he replied.

"Then good-bye, and God bless you!" cried the noble boy, as he let go his hold of his brother and fell helplessly on the floor far below.

10. Robert then managed to climb on to the beam, and reached the ladder outside just as the workmen arrived. When they heard the sad story, they ran into the building, and there they found on the floor the dead body of the noble boy, who had given up his own life in order that his brother might be saved.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the adjectives from which strength, length, truth, depth, and height are formed.

2. Make sentences containing the words build, built, building, and builder.

————————————————————

(1) Heroic, brave; noble, like a hero.

(2) Beams, long piece of wood used for supporting a roof.

(3) Rafters, cross-beams of a roof.

(4) Clutch, seize hold of.

(5) Clung, held firmly.

(6) Despair, hopelessness.

(7) Strain, pulling or stretching power.

(8) Failing, giving way.

09

"WANTED—A BOY."

1. "Wanted—a boy." How often we

These common little words may see.

Wanted for errands(1) to be run,

Wanted for everything under the sun.

All that the men to-day can do,

To-morrow the boys will be doing too;

For soon the time is coming when

The boys must take the place of men.

2. Wanted—the world wants boys to-day;

And it offers them all it has for pay—

Honour, wealth, position(2), fame(3),

A useful life and a deathless name(4).

Boys to shape the paths for men,

Boys to guide the plough and pen,

Boys to forward the tasks begun,

For the world's great work is never done.

3. The world is anxious to employ

Not merely(5) some, but every boy

Whose heart and head will ever be true

To the work his hands shall find to do.

Honest, faithful, earnest, kind;

To good awake, to evil blind;

Heart of pure gold without alloy(6), —

Wanted—the world wants such a boy.

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Errands, messages.

(2) Position, a good place in the world.

(3) Fame, a great or honoured name.

(4) Deathless name, a name that will be remembered after one is dead.

(5) Merely, only.

(6) Alloy, a metal of less value mixed with a finer one.

10

HOW A DOG SAVED A SHIP'S CREW(1)

1. The noble Newfoundland(2) dog has often been the means of saving the life of a drowning man, but here is a story of one who saved the whole crew of a ship.

2. A heavy gale(3) was blowing, when a vessel was seen drifting toward the coast of Kent(4). She struck on the beach, and the breaking waves dashed over her in foam(5).

3. Eight men were seen holding on to the wreck(6), but no ordinary boat could go to their aid in such a sea; and in those days there were no life-boats(7)—at least there were none on that part of the coast.

4. The people on shore feared every moment that the poor silors would be washed off the ship and drowned; for although the ship was not far from the land, it was too far for any one to swim through the foaming breakers(8).

5. If a rope could be taken from the wreck to the shore, the sailors might be saved. How could this be done? A gentleman, who was standing on the beach with a large Newfoundland dog by his side, thought he saw how it could be managed.

6. He put a short stick in his dog's mouth, and then pointed to the vessel. The brave dog knew what his master wanted, and, springing into the sea, he fought his way bravely through the waves.

7. When he reached the ship, he tried to climb up its side, but in vain(9). He was seen, however, by the crew, and they made fast a light rope to another piece of wood, which they threw towards him.

8. The wise animal again seemed to understand what was meant, and, seizing this piece of wood, he turned his head towards the shore to carry it to his master.

9. This time the wind and waves helped him on his way; but he was almost worn out when he reached the shore, dragging the rope after him, and laid the piece of wood at his master's feet.

10. A stronger rope was then tied to the first one by the sailors, and one end of it was pulled on shore. Along this rope the sailors made their way one by one to the land, and in this way every man on board was saved, through the courage(10) and wisdom of the dog.

11. By next day the storm was over, and the sailors were able to row out to their ship and save a large part of the cargo. A week afterwards, they got the ship itself off the rocks, and took it into harbour to be repaired(11).

12. Some of you may have seen a rocket. When it is fired, it sails away up into the sky with a long train of sparks behind it. It is by large rockets fired from the shore, with a strong line fastened to them, that we now get a rope carried to such a wreck.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing the words drift, drive, drifting, and adrift.

2. Give the meanings of beach and beech.

3. Write sentences containing the word wreck as a noun and as a verb.

————————————————————

(1) Crew, the sailors belonging to a ship.

(2) Newfoundland, a large island on the east coast of North America.

(3) Gale, storm of wind.

(4) Kent, a county on the south-east of England.

(5) Foam, froth.

(6) Wreck, a ship broken up.

(7) Lifeboats, boats for saving life, made so as to float in very stormy seas.

(8) Breakers, large waves breaking on the shore.

(9) In vain, to no purpose.

(10) Courage, boldness; bravery.

(11) Repaired, put right again.

11

FABLES

I. THE DOVE(1) AND THE ANT

1. An ant, being very thirsty, went to a clear running stream to drink; but going too far into the water, she was carried away by the current(2). A dove who saw this took pity on her. She pulled a leaf from a tree near by, and dropped it into the water.

2. The ant climbed up on this leaf, and sailed away down stream till the leaf drifted(3) to the side of the brook, when she got safely ashore.

3. Not long after, a bird-catcher was out in the woods, and wished to catch this dove. He crept close up to her without being seen by his prey(4); but the ant was watching him, and saw what he was about.

4. Just as he was going to seize the dove, the ant bit his leg, and made him give so sudden a start that the dove heard him and flew away safely.

One good turn deserves another.

II. THE TWO FROGS

5. One hot sultry(5) summer, when the ponds and streams were nearly all dried up, two frogs(6) set out on a journey together to look for water.

6. After some time they came to a well, in which there was still plenty of water. But the well was deep, and the water did not come nearly to its mouth. They sat down upon its edge, and began to think whether they should jump in or not.

7. One of them wanted to jump in at once, saying that there was plenty of clear spring water, and that it was a place where they were not likely to be disturbed.

8. "Well," said the other, "all that may be true, and yet I cannot agree to jump in; for unless the water should rise to the mouth of the well, how are we to get out again?"

Look before you leap.

III. THE OLD MAN AND HIS SONS

9. An old man had many sons, who were always quarrelling with each other. After trying in vain to make them live at peace together, he one day hit upon the following plan.

10. He took a bundle of sticks, and asked his sons one after the other to break them. They tried with all their might, but in vain, for the sticks were closely and firmly bound together.

11. The father next untied the bundle, and gave his sons the sticks to break singly(7), which they did very easily. Then he spoke to his sons in these words:—

12. "O my sons, behold the power of unity(8)! If you would but keep yourselves joined together by love to one another, no enemy would be able to hurt you; but when you are divided from each other by your quarrels, you are weak, and it is easy for your enemies to injure you."

Union is strength.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the past (ending in -ed) of quarrel, travel, and marvel.

2. Make sentences containing unite, unity, unit, union, and uniform.

3. Make sentences containing bind, bound, band, bond, and bundle.

————————————————————

(1) Dove, a kind of pigeon.

(2) Current, running water; stream.

(3) Drifted, was driven along by the force of the current.

(4) His prey, that which he was going to seize.

(5) Sultry, close and warm.

(6) Frogs, small animals living both on land and in water.

(7) Singly, one by one.

(8) Unity, keeping together as one; agreement.

12

THE NAIL-MAKER

1. A busy nail-maker worked all day at his forge(1), and his strong, quick blows struck from the red-hot iron thousands of sparks, which rose around him, and filled his work-shop. The son of his rich neighbour came to see him almost every day, and would watch him with delight for hours at a time.

2. One day the nail-maker said to him in joke, "Would you not like to make some nails? Just try, my young master, if it be only to pass the time away. It may be useful to you some day."

3. The young gentleman, having nothing else to do, agreed. He placed himself before the anvil(2), and, laughing as he sat down, began to hammer. Before very long he was able to finish off a good shoe-nail.

4. Some years after this, war broke out, and this young man lost all his wealth. He was forced to leave his home and go away to a foreign land(3). When his money was all spent, he stopped one day at a large village, where most of the people were shoemakers.

5. He found out that they spent a large sum of money every year in buying shoe-nails from a neighbouring town, and that often they could not obtain(4) as many as they needed for the shoes of the army, most of which were made in that district(5).

6. The young gentleman, who was almost starving, remembered that he knew how to make shoe-nails. He offered to supply the shoe-makers of the village with all the nails they required, if they would build a work-shop for him; and to this they gladly consented(6).

7. He began to work; and the longer he worked, the better nails he was able to make. Many of the young men of the village came to learn the trade, and the work-shop soon grew to be a large and busy factory(7).

8. As head of this factory, the gentleman soon became rich, and he found himself better off than he had been before he lost his property(8) by the war. "It is always good to learn something," he used often to say to himself, "even if it is only how to make a shoe-nail."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the past (like spent) of lend, bend, and send; and (like ended) of mend, tend, attend, and pretend.

2. Join the following pairs of words, and give the correct spelling and meaning of the compounds: use+full, help+full, and full+ness.

————————————————————

(1) Forge, a smith's fire.

(2) Anvil, an iron block on which smiths hammer their work.

(3) Foreign land, another country.

(4) Obtain, get.

(5) District, part of the country.

(6) Consented, agreed.

(7) Factory, place where things are made.

(8) Property, belongings; wealth.

13

TRIPPING INTO TOWN

1. A little lass with golden hair,

A little lass with brown,

A little lass with raven(1) locks(2),

Went tripping(3) into town.

"I like the golden hair the best!"

"And I prefer(4) the brown!"

"And I the black!" three sparrows said,

Three sparrows of the town.

2. "Tu-whit! Tu-whoo!" an old owl cried,

From the belfry in the town;

"Glad-hearted lassies need not mind

If locks be gold, black, brown.

Tu-whit! Tu-whoo! so fast, so fast

The sands of life(5) run down;

3. "And soon, so soon, three white-haired dames(6)

Will totter(7) through the town.

Gone then for aye(8) the raven locks,

The golden hair, the brown;

And she will fairest be, whose face

Has never worn a frown(9)! "

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Raven, black, like a raven.

(2) Locks, tufts of hair.

(3) Tripping, skipping; walking merrily.

(4) Prefer, like best.

(5) The sands of life. The days of one's life are here compared to the sand in an hour-glass.

(6) Dames, elderly women.

(7) Totter, walk unsteadily.

(8) Aye, ever; always.

(9) Frown, scowl; look of displeasure.

14

HOW BIRDS USE THEIR BILLS

1. Although birds do not have hands, they have something that serves just as well. Their bills are as useful to them as our hands are to us.

2. Bills are not all alike, nor are they all used in the same way. The duck has a very queer bill. This bird finds its food under water. It cannot see what it gets when the water is muddy. But the inside of its bill is soft, so that it can feel the things that are in it just as we feel things with our fingers. Let us see how this helps the duck.

3. It thrusts(1) its bill down to the bottom of the pond(2) when it is feeding, and brings it up full of mud. But mixed with this mud are the small animals the duck lives upon.

4. All round the edge of its bill there are small points somewhat like teeth. The duck sends the mud out between these little points, but by means of them it keeps in all that it feels by its bill to be good for food.

5. You all know that birds build their nests with their bills; and what wonderful things these nests are. But there is a bird that knows so well how to sew with its bill that it is called the tailor bird. Look at this queer nest, which is hidden in the leaves that are sewed together. Do you see the three little ones stretching out their mouths to be fed?

6. This bird makes its threads from the fine down(3) of the cotton(4) plant. When all is ready for sewing, it makes holes through the leaves with its small bill, and then stitches them nicely together.

7. Some birds, like the wood-pecker, use their bills for boring holes in the trees, to get at worms and insects, which they eat. You can hear the "tap-tap" of this little instrument(5) a good way off.

8. I must tell you of one other bird, and this is a very strange-looking one. It has a very long bill, which it uses, like other birds, for gathering its food—insectsand worms. But this bird has another use for its bill: it makes a cane(6) of it.

9. It puts the tip of its bill on the ground and rests upon it, just as an old man does when he leans upon his staff. On account of this funny habit it is called the cane-bird.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Prefix all- to each of the following words, and give the correct spelling and meaning of the compounds: though, most, ways, together, one.

2. Write a few words ending in -tch (like stretch), and words ending in -ch (like teach).

————————————————————

(1) Thrusts, pushes; presses.

(2) Pond, small lake; pool.

(3) Down, soft hairs.

(4) Cotton, a soft woolly substance gathered from the pods of the cotton plant.

(5) Instrument, tool.

(6) Cane, staff; walking-stick.

15

A ROGUE(1) OUTWITTED(2)

1. There is a very amusing book, by a great Spanish(3) writer, which tells the story of an old knight(4), Don Quixote, and his trusty servant Sancho Panza.

2. At one time, as we are told in that book, Sancho was made ruler or judge of an island. Most people thought him stupid, and they were sure that he would make a great fool of himself now that he was made a judge. But Sancho was an honest man, with much common sense, as we shall soon see.

3. Two old men were one day brought before him. One of them carried a large staff in his hand. "My lord," said the other, who had no staff, "some time ago I lent this man ten pieces of gold as a favour. I did not ask it back for a good while, lest it should trouble him.

4. "Now he refuses to pay me again, and says he does not owe me anything. He declares(5) that he has returned the money I lent him. I pray your lordship, therefore, to question him; and if he will solemnly declare to you that he has paid me, I shall forgive him the debt(6). "

5. "What say you to this, old gentleman with the staff?" asked Sancho.

"Sir," answered the old man, "I own(7) he lent me the gold; but I have repaid him. Since he wishes it, I am ready to give you my most solemn word upon your rod of justice(8) that I have truly given him back his money into his own hands."

6. Then the judge held down his rod. The man gave his cane to his accuser(9) to hold, while he placed his right hand on the judge's rod of justice, and declared that he had returned the man's gold into his own hands.

7. The judge then asked the other man what he had to say in reply. He made answer that he did not think his old friend would speak falsely to the judge, and that perhaps he himself had forgotten that the money had been repaid.

8. Then the other took his cane again, and turned to leave the court(10). Sancho, seeing the old man with the staff in such a hurry to get away, ordered him to be called back.

9. "Honest man," said Sancho, "let me look at that cane a little; I have a use for it."

"With all my heart, sir," answered he. "Here it is!" With that he gave it to him.

10. Sancho took it and gave it to the other old man. "There," said he, "go your way, for now you are paid."

"How so, my lord?" cried the old man. "Do you judge this cane to be worth ten pieces of gold?"

11. "Certainly," said the judge, "or else I am the greatest dunce in the world."

Sancho then ordered the cane to be broken; and when this was done, out dropped the ten pieces of gold.

12. Then all the people round about were amazed(11), and began to think that their judge was a very wise man after all. They could not see how he managed to find out about the gold that was hidden in the cane. Do you think it was by magic(12), or that it was just a lucky guess?

13. He had noticed that the debtor gave the staff to the other man while he declared that he had given him back the money into his own hands, but that after doing so he quickly took the cane back again. On thinking over the man's words and acts, it came into his head that the money must be in the staff.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences with use, abuse, and excuse as nouns and as verbs. What sound has the s in each word in the latter case?

2. What words in the spelling list above have silent letters?

————————————————————

(1) Rogue, rascal; dishonest person.

(2) Outwitted, cleverly caught.

(3) Spanish, belonging to Spain, a country in the south-west of Europe.

(4) Knight, a nobleman; one who has "Sir" before his name.

(5) Declares, says to be the truth.

(6) The debt, what he owes.

(7) Own, admit.

(8) Rod of justice, wand or stick used as a sign of authority.

(9) His accuser, the one who brought the charge against him.

(10) Court, a room where a judge decides cases.

(11) Amazed, astonished; surprised.

(12) Magic, a secret power.

16

THE MAN IN THE BOY

1. Have you ever wondered what is meant by the saying, "The boy is father of the man"? Here are a few very short stories which may help you to understand the saying, and to see how true it often is.

2. A Swedish(1) boy fell out of a window and was badly hurt, but with clenched(2) teeth he kept back the cry of pain. The king, who saw him fall, said that such a boy would make a useful man in any time of danger. And so he did, for he became a famous(3) general(4).

3. A boy, who lived among the mountains in the north of Italy(5), used to crush flowers to get the colour out of their petals(6), and with this paint he painted the white wall of his father's house with all sorts of pictures. He was the great artist(7) Titian.

4. An old painter used to watch a little fellow who amused himself making drawings on his paint-pots, his easel(8), his stool, and anything else he could find to draw on. The painter said, "That boy will beat me one day." And so he did, for he was the famous sculptor(9) and painter Michael Angelo.

5. A German boy was reading a very exciting novel(10). When he was right in the middle of it he said to himself, "Now this will never do. I get too much excited over stories like this. I can't study so well after it. So here goes!" and he flung the book into the river. He read no more useless books, and attended only to his studies, until he became one of the most learned men who ever lived. He was Fichte, the great German writer.

6. Now you begin to see how the boy can be the father of the man. Every boy has in him the beginnings of the man he is to become, and the kind of boy he is now tells us the kind of man he will be.

7. Boys cannot all become great men, but they can all become good men, if they care to do so. And how can they do this? Simply by attending to their habits. They must get rid of their bad habits, and try to learn good and useful ones, and they must do so while they are young.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing the words paint (as noun and verb), painted (as verb and as adjective), painter, and paintings.

2. Give the meanings of sculptor and sculpture, and write sentences containing them.

3. Write some adjectives ending in -ish (like Swedish) formed from names of places.

————————————————————

(1) Swedish, belonging to Sweden, a country in the north-west of Europe.

(2) Clenched, tightly set.

(3) Famous, noted; well-known.

(4) General, commander of an army.

(5) Italy, a country in the south of Europe.

(6) Petals, coloured flower-leaves.

(7) Artist, painter of pictures.

(8) Easel, frame for a picture to rest on while being painted.

(9) Sculptor, one who carves images or figures from stone, wood, or metal.

(10) Novel, an untrue story.

17

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SOW

1. Be careful what you sow, boys!

For seed will surely grow, boys!

The dew(1) will fall,

The rain will splash,

The clouds will darken,

And the sunshine flash;

And the boy who sows good seed to-day

Shall reap the crop to-morrow.

2. Be careful what you sow, girls!

For every seed will grow, girls!

Though it may fall

Where you cannot know,

Yet in sun and in shade

It will surely grow

And the girl who sows good seen to-day

Shall reap the crop to-morrow.

3. Be careful what you sow, boys!

For the seeds will surely grow, boys!

If you plant bad seed

By the wayside(2) high,

You must reap the harvest(3)

By-and-by;

And the boy who sows wild oats(4) to-day

Must reap wild oats to-morrow.

4. Be careful what you sow, girls!

For all the bad will grow, girls

And the girl who now,

With a careless hand,

Is scattering thistles(5)

Over the land,

Must know that whatever she sows to-day,

She must reap the same to-morrow.

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Dew, moisture which forms at night; dampness.

(2) Wayside, the side of the road.

(3) Harvest, result; produce.

(4) Oats, a kind of grain.

(5) Thistle, a prickly weed.

18

THE CARE OF OUR STREETS

1. When walking along the streets you sometimes see a notice, "Keep to your right." There are other rules which might be put up for young people to read, such as these: "Don't run or play on the street;" "Don't push against people or stand in their way;" "Keep out of the way of carriages;" "Don't throw down orange-peel or waste-paper."

2. There are many different kinds of men needed to look after our streets, so that we may walk about in safety and in comfort. First, there is the policeman. He has not only to look after thieves, but to keep order and see that all obey the laws. He must see that carriages are not driven too fast, and that nothing is done to block up the way and prevent(1) people from passing along freely.

3. If a fire breaks out, the policeman is ready to give the alarm. If any persons are noisy or quarrel some, it is he who has to quiet them, or take them to the police-station if they will not obey.

4. Boys and girls do not know how much of our comfort is due to the policemen. It is often wonderful how patient they are with rough people.

5. Look! Who are these men that are so busy breaking up the roadway? These are the men who keep our streets in order. When the stones are worn smooth, or when hollows are formed in some pieces, horses are apt to slip. This will not do, so here come our hard-working road-makers to put all to rights.

6. Night is coming on. It will soon be dark. Ha! here come our lamp-lighters. Each carries a torch(2) at the end of a long rod, so that he looks like a glow-worm(3) in the twilight(4). The lamp-lighter is a good fairy, who drives away the darkness from our streets, and leaves a long line of sparkling lumps behind him.

7. Busy lamp-lighter! He will have to come round again in the early morning to put out the lights. To-morrow forenoon also he will come to polish(5) the glass of the lamps, and make them all ready for the evening.

8. The men who look after our drains(6) and our gas and water pipes have a good deal to do with our streets, but we can hardly say that they take care of them.

9. But we must not forget the scavenger, who keeps our streets clean. In our large towns much of his work is done when we are all asleep. His task is not a pleasant one, but it is very, very useful. What a mess our streets would soon get into, if it were not for his busy brush and shovel!

10. All of these men are under the orders of the Town Council, or, in country places, the County Council. The Council is made up of persons chosen by the people who live in the town or the county.

11. So you see that the people living in each place have the care of it in their own hands. They have to pay the money needed for keeping everything in order, and they have to choose men to take charge of it and spend it.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write a list of words ending in -some (like quarrelsome), and give their meanings.

2. Write sentences containing the words choose, chose, and choice; and please, pleasing, pleasant, and pleasure.

————————————————————

(1) Prevent, hinder; keep back.

(2) Torch, light.

(3) Glow-worm, a kind of fire-fly; insect that glows or gives out light in the dark.

(4) Twilight, the faint light before sunrise and after sunset.

(5) Polish, put a gloss on.

(6) Drains, channels for carrying off water.

19

A NOBLE ACT

1. During the war between France and Germany, in 1870 and 1871, a company of Prussian(1) soldiers was marching through a village in the north of France, when some of the villagers fired on them and killed six of them.

2. The Prussians were, of course, very angry, and the captain(2) made up his mind that his men should not be treated in that way at the next village they came to. He therefore ordered that six of the villagers should be shot. Six of the chief men were accordingly seized, bound, and locked up in a room in the mayor's(3) house.

3. The Prussian captain allowed the village pastor(4) to go and visit them, as they were to be shot on the following day. The pastor found the poor men in a state of great terror(5), and some of them seemed quite unable to listen to him.

4. Among the six was a widower(6), with five young, helpless children. The poor man wept bitterly over the hard fate(7) of his children. He wished that they too had been seized by the Prussians, so that they might have escaped by death from a life of beggary.

5. The pastor tried in vain to comfort this man. At last he left the poor man, and walked slowly to the house where the Prussian captain was staying for the night, and asked leave to speak to him.

6. "Captain," said the pastor, "six men have been given up to you in return for the death of six of your soldiers. None of these men fired on your troops(8). Your wish is not to punish the guilty(9), but to make an example of our village, so that the same thing may not happen in another place.

7. "It cannot matter to you who the men are whom you shoot; the better known your victims(10) are, the better warning will their death be to others.

8. "I have come, therefore, to ask you to let me take the place of one of the six men, whose death will leave his five children in great want. We are both equally innocent, and my death will serve your purpose better than his."

9. The officer(11) gave his consent in a careless way, and the pastor was bound and locked up along with the other five, while the poor widower was set free.

10. Happily the story of this noble act was told to the Prussian general the same evening, and he was so pleased with it that he ordered the captain to set free, not only the pastor, but the other prisoners as well.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make adjectives ending in -less (like helpless) from care, use, fear, and speech, and give their meanings.

2. Give the meaning of the following words, and of the -er in each: villager, prisoner, cottager, highlander.

————————————————————

(1) Prussians, people belonging to Prussia, the chief state of Germany.

(2) Captain, commander of a company of soldiers, or of a ship.

(3) Mayor, the chief man of a city or town.

(4) Pastor, minister; priest.

(5) Terror, fear.

(6) Widower, a man whose wife is dead.

(7) Fate, doom; what was to happen.

(8) Troops, companies of soldiers.

(9) Guilty, those who had done wrong.

(10) Victims, those who were to suffer.

(11) Officer, commander.

20

FAIRYLAND

1. On a sunny summer day,

When the very wind was warm,

Little Nellie walked away

With a basket on her arm,

2. Past the fields and through the wood,

Till she reached an open place

Where in wonder Nellie stood

With the sunlight on her face.

3. For it was a lovely sight

Nellie saw that summer noon(1);

Roses red and roses white,

All the flowers of leafy June.

4. Daisies, from their slender(2) stems,

Looked up to the glorious sun;

Dewdrops lay like little gems(3),

In the eyes of every one.

5. Golden buttercups were there,

Pinks with kingly coronets(4),

And the perfume(5) in the air

Told of hiding violets.

6. Grass and trees were fresh and green;

Flowers were there of every hue(6)—

Flowers that she had never seen,

Fairer than the flowers she knew.

7. What a wondrous spot it was,

Lovelier than tongue can tell!

"Beautiful," she said, "because

This is where the fairies dwell."

8. And she heard the birds and bees

Filling all the air with song,

While a brook among the trees

Gurgled(7) sweetly all day long.

9. "Bees, oh, tell me, as you hum,

Tell me, if you understand,

Have I really, really come

To the gates of Fairyland?"

10. But the birds and bees flew by,

Singing, humming, every one,

And a golden butterfly

Fluttered idly in the sun.

11. "Tell me true," she asked the breeze,

"Why you murmur with delight?"

Then she asked the flowers and trees,

"How is all the world so bright?"

12. Against the sun a cloud rose up:

The roses sighed, the wind grew cold;

And daisy, pink, and buttercup,

Had lost their silver and their gold.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make adjectives ending in -ous, and in -ful (like wondrous, wonderful) from pity, plenty, beauty, and bounty, and give their meanings.

2. Write short sentences containing the following words: hue and hew, knew and new, one and won.

————————————————————

(1) Noon, mid-day; twelve o'clock in the day.

(2) Slender, thin; slim.

(3) Gems, precious stones.

(4) Coronets, small crowns.

(5) Perfume, scent.

(6) Hue, colour; shade

(7) Gurgled, rippled; murmured.

21

THE TONGUE

1. What a wonderful thing our tongue is! No other part of our body moves so freely. It can be thrust out and pulled back very quickly; and it may be moved from side to side, or up and down, at pleasure. It can be rolled up, straightened, raised or lowered, with the greatest ease.

2. Did you ever notice the shape of the tongue? The thinnest part is the tip. It gradually(1) grows thicker and rises to the middle, and then slopes backwards to the throat.

3. It is fixed to the under part of the mouth at its back part or root, but its edges and its point or tip are quite free. The teeth form what we might call the walls of its house.

4. The tongue is like a watch-dog chained to his kennel. He can dart out and bark, but cannot get away. So the tongue can move as freely as possible, but cannot fall out of the mouth.

5. How useful to us is this little tongue of ours! Of course we could not speak without it. That is why it is called one of the "organs" of speech. The word "organ" simply means "an instrument." Thus the eyes are called the "organs of seeing," and the ears the "organs of hearing."

6. Now, the tongue is one of the instruments which enable us to speak, but it is not the only one. The lips, the teeth, the roof of the mouth, the nose, and the throat, are all needed for perfect speaking.

7. But the tongue is the chief organ of speech. Indeed, it is usual to look upon it as the only one, and "Hold your tongue!" is a vulgar(2) way of saying, "Do not speak!" "Be silent!"

8. The tongue is also of great service to us in eating. It tastes the food, and rolls it about in the mouth so as to mix it with the saliva(3). It places it under the teeth to be chewed, and pushes it to the back of the mouth to be swallowed.

9. Some animals use their tongue in place of a hand. If you watch a cow eating long grass, you will notice that she pushes out her rough tongue and passes it round a tuft of grass, pulling the tops of it into her mouth. The giraffe(4) uses his slender tongue in the same way, grasping the leafy twigs with it, and bringing them within reach of his teeth.

10. Insect-eating animals use their tongue as a kind of paw to lay hold of their prey. The frog's tongue is fixed to the front part of his mouth, and the point lies back towards his throat. When he sees a fly near, by a sudden "flick" with the back part or point of his tongue, which is covered with a kind of gum, the fly is seized and immediately(5) swallowed.

11. The ant-eater has a long, slimy(6), worm-like tongue, which he thrusts into the ants' nests and brings out covered with the insects. The tongue of the wood-pecker is very rough towards the point. He lives upon insects, and his rough tongue is well fitted for pulling them out of their holes in the bark of old trees.

12. The tongue of the whale is the biggest of all, being sometimes twelve feet in length, or twice as long as a tall man.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make verbs ending in -en (like straighten) from loose, black, wide, and broad, and give their meanings, and the meaning of the -en.

2. Make verbs beginning with en- from large, able, and slave, and give meanings as in Exercise 1.

————————————————————

(1) Gradually, little by little.

(2) Vulgar, coarse; common.

(3) Saliva, the fluid which moistens the mouth; spittle.

(4) Giraffe, an animal with long legs and long neck.

(5) Immediately, instantly; at once.

(6) Slimy, sticky.

22

GOOD OR BAD?

1. Do you think the tongue a good thing or a bad thing? Some say good, some say bad. Here is a very old story about the tongue, which may help you to answer the question.

2. Perhaps you have heard of Æsop, who wrote so many clever fables. He lived many centuries(1) ago in a country called Greece(2). He was a slave(3), but on account of his wisdom he was a great favourite with his master.

3. One day his master ordered him to go to the market and buy the best things he could find; for he was giving a dinner-party, and he wanted to have the best of everything for his guests(4).

4. Æsop went accordingly, and bought a large number of tongues, which he ordered the cook to serve up with different sauces(5). When dinner came, the first and second and last courses(6) were all tongues!

5. "Did I not order you," said the master, "to buy the best things in the market?"

"And have I not obeyed your orders?" replied the slave. "Is there anything better than tongues? Is it not from the tongue that words of truth and reason come forth? Do not men teach, persuade(7), and govern by the tongue? And by the tongue we worship(8), which is the highest of our duties."

6. "Well, then," said his master, thinking to puzzle him, "go to the market to-morrow and buy me the worst things you can find. The same company will dine with me, and I want a change."

"The worst things? Very well," said Æsop.

7. The next day came, and, lo, when dinner was served—tongues, tongues, tongues!

The master was more surprised than before, and asked Æsop to explain why he had again bought nothing but tongues.

8. "Master," said the clever slave, "tongues are the worst things in the world. The tongue is the cause of all strife(9), the inventor(10) of law-suits(11), the source(12) of all quarrels. It is the speaker of error, of falsehood, and of slander(13)."

9. The slave was right after all, was he not? The tongue is either good or bad, according to the way in which we use it. If a man is good, his tongue will also be good; and if a man's tongue is bad, we know by this that the man himself is bad.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing puzzle, quarrel, surprise, answer, and question, as nouns and as verbs.

2. Write sentences containing the words buy, bye, and by, and course, coarse, and source.

————————————————————

(1) Centuries, hundreds of years.

(2) Greece, a country in the southeast of Europe.

(3) Slave, one who is forced to work for another.

(4) Guests, visitors.

(5) Sauce, something used along with food as a relish.

(6) Courses, dishes served after one another.

(7) Persuade, prevail on.

(8) Worship, praise God.

(9) Strife, conflict; fights.

(10) Inventor, beginner; one who finds out.

(11) Law-suit, a quarrel taken into court to be decided.

(12) Source, cause; beginning.

(13) Slander, a false report about a person.

23

STICK TO YOUR BUSH

1. This story was told by a gentleman, who said that he owed all his success in life to a simple lesson taught him by his father.

2. "One day when I was a lad," said he, "a party of boys and girls from our school was going into the country to pick berries. I got my basket, and was going out of the gate, when my father called me back.

"He took hold of my hand, and said very kindly to me, 'Harry, my boy, what are you going for—to pick berries, or to play?'

"'To pick berries,' I replied.

3. "'Then, Harry,' said he, 'I want to tell you one thing. It is this: when you find a good bush, don't leave it to try to find a better one. The other boys and girls will run about, picking one or two berries here, and one or two there, wasting a great deal of time, but getting very few berries. If you do as they do, you will come back with an almost empty basket. If you want to get berries, the thing for you to do is to stick to your bush.'

4. "I went with the party," said the gentleman, "and we had a splendid(1) time. But it was just as my father had said. No sooner had one of the boys found a good bush than he called to his companions(2), and they would leave their places and run off to see what he had found.

5. "But my father's words kept ringing in my ears, and I stuck to my bush. When I had done with one I went to another, and finished that; and then I took another. When night came, I had a large basketful of nice berries, more than all the others put together; and I was not half so tired as they were.

6. "I went home very happy that night, and when father looked at my basketful of ripe berries, he said, 'Well done, Harry. You see it was just as I told you. Always stick to your bush.'

7. "Not long after that, my father died, and then I had to make my own way in the world as best I could. But I never forgot the lesson taught me by that day's berry-picking. I always stuck to my bush.

8. "When I had a good place, and was getting on well, I was not willing to leave it and spend days or weeks in trying to find a better place. When other young men would say, 'Come with us, and we will find you something better to do,' I shook my head, and stuck to my bush.

9. "After a while, my employers(3) took me into partnership(4) with them in their business. The habit of sticking to my business led to my success. I owe all I have to the lesson my father taught me when he said, 'Stick to your bush.'"

10. "One step, and then another.

And the longest walk is ended;

One stitch, and then another,

And the largest rent(5) is mended;

One brick upon another,

And the highest wall is made;

One flake upon another,

And the deepest snow is laid."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the plural (like berries) of party, country, and story; and also (like days) of boy, valley, and journey.

2. Write a list of words which add -es in the plural (like bushes).

3. Make sentences containing owed, owned, and ought.

————————————————————

(1) Splendid, grand; enjoyable.

(2) Companions, friends.

(3) Employers, masters.

(4) Took me into partnership, gave me a share in the business.

(5) Rent, tear; break.

24

PERSEVERANCE(1)

1. Dear Polly, these are joyful days;

Your feet can choose their own sweet ways;

You have no care for anything.

Free as a swallow on the wing(2),

You hunt the hay-field over

To find a four-leaved clover(3).

2. But this I tell you, Polly dear,

One thing in life you need not fear;

Bad luck, believe me, never haunts(4)

A child who works for what she wants,

And hunts a hay-field over

To find a four-leaved clover!

3. The little leaf is not so wise(5)

As it may seem in foolish eyes;

But then, dear Polly, don't you see,

Since you were willing carefully

To hunt the hay-field over,

You found your four-leaved clover.

4. Your patience may have long to wait,

Whether in little things or great,

But all good luck, as you will learn,

Belongs to those who work and earn.

Who hunts the hay-field over

Will find the four-leaved clover.

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Perseverance, determination to go on with a thing.

(2) On the wing, flying; in flight.

(3) Clover, a sweet-smelling plant with three leaves. To find a "four- leaved clover" was thought to be a sign of good luck.

(4) Haunts, visits; frequents.

(5) Wise, able to foretell the future.

25

BUSY RAINDROPS

1. "But what can little raindrops do?" said robin redbreast to the squirrel, as they sat talking beside the clear brook one fine morning. The robin and his friends had just had their morning bath, and the others had left him to finish his usual talk with their furry neighbour. "I don't like rain!"

2. "What can raindrops do?" came in a clear voice from the brook; "you should see us at work." The robin nodded his head to the squirrel, and they both listened to the sweet silvery voice.

3. "Yes," the brooklet(1) went on; "as soon as ever we got down from the clouds, we all went merrily to work—for there are no lazy raindrops. The ground was full of cracks and holes, where our cousin Jack had been before us.

4. "Do you know Jack Frost? He is a bright, merry fellow, and full of mischief; but he is very useful for all that. Every year he comes to loosen the soil(2) with his icy plough(3), so that the little raindrops can reach the roots and seeds of the flowers in the spring-time.

5. "Down we ran into the thirsty ground, through the rich loam(4) and the sandy soil—down till we reached a bed of clay(5), through which we could not make our way. It was very dark in those gloomy(6) cells(7)—not one ray of light to show us the way, not a sunbeam to cheer us on.

6. "We met brave little earth-worms toiling away in their dark caves. Day by day they gnaw(8) the fallen leaves and change them into fine loam. Then they crawl back to the surface(9), bringing this rich loam with them. All over the hill-side you can see hundreds of their little mounds(10), waiting to be spread over the surface again by the busy raindrops.

7. "We took some of this loam with us wherever we went, and placed it near the roots and the seeds. Then the sun sent down its warm rays, and soon the fields were green again.

8. "As we crept up through the slender flower-stems, the sleeping buds began to open and unfold their soft leaflets in the warm sunshine. We wakened up every seed in the garden, and fresh green shoots came peeping through the dark soil. The air was filled with the sweet songs of birds, for the spring had come.

9. "At length our long cold journey was ended, and we could come out of the damp soil and play with the sunbeams once more. How happy we were!

10. "Have you ever seen a spring of water bubbling up out of the soil? You should have been there to see us burst from the ground, and run sparkling and dashing down the hill-side. And now, you see, here we are." And the voice of the brooklet seemed to die away in soft ripples along the banks.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make adjectives ending in -y (like thirsty) from ice, sand, gloom, and silver, and give their meanings.

2. Make nouns ending in -let (like brooklet) from stream, leaf; and root, and give their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Brooklet, a small brook or stream.

(2) Soil, earth; ground.

(3) Icy plough, The frost loosens the earth as a plough does.

(4) Loam, mixed soil made up of clay, sand, etc.

(5) Clay, a thick, sticky kind of earth.

(6) Gloomy, dull-looking.

(7) Cells, small rooms or openings.

(8) Gnaw, eat away.

(9) Surface, top of the ground.

(10) Mounds, little heaps of earth.

26

BUSY BROOKS

1. "Ah! it has been raining again," said the squirrel, as he hurried down to the brook next morning.

"How muddy you are, little stream," chirped the robin. "I don't like to bathe in your water to-day. You are not nearly so pretty as you were yesterday."

2. "When I have told you my story." replied the brook, "you may perhaps like me much better with my dark load of mud than when I was a clear, sparkling stream.

3. "Last night a heavy shower fell in our valley(1). Tiny streams chased each other down the hillside like playful squirrels; but they were hard at work. They were cutting deep ruts(2) in the steep places, and carrying away the finest of the soil.

4. "They ran away with the earth-worm mounds, and spread their rich soil all over the meadows. Some of it they brought to me, and that is why I am so muddy this morning.

5. "But my work is not yet done, as you will see. I want you to follow me, and see what becomes of my load of fine rich soil.

6. "I must leave most of my load here," continued the brook, as it flowed into a wide pond. "I can carry it no further. All day long I shall pour this rich loam into the pond and build its muddy bed higher and higher.

7. "Now, my little friends, you see by this what all the brooks in the world are doing. They are wearing down the slopes, grinding the pebbles and sand into fine soil, and carrying it down to the low lands. Little by little the hills are being spread over the valleys; for it is the work of water to wear down the high lands, and to fill up the low places.

8. "Now look once more at the mud banks which I am forming in the pond. By-and-by you will find little islands where these banks now are. After a long time, the pond will be filled with this soil; and then there will be no pond at all, but a fertile(3) meadow in its place.

9. "The cluster(4) of little islands that I am making here is called a delta. At the mouths of great rivers, where they empty their muddy waters into the ocean, deltas are often formed so large that great cities are built on them, where thousands of people live. Some deltas are covered with green fields and some with dense(5) forests, for the soil that we make is always very rich.

10. "That is the kind of work we do when our waters are muddy: we tear to pieces the old barren(6) hills, and make new and fruitful plains out of the rubbish." Then the brook seemed to lose itself in the big lazy pond, and its voice once more became silent.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make nouns of a harder sound from each of the following verbs (like bath from bathe): breathe, clothe, grieve, live, and strive.

2. Give the present of the following verbs (like bring from brought): bought, sought, wrought, thought.

————————————————————

(1) Valley, low land between hills.

(2) Ruts, channels; hollow.

(3) Fertile, fruitful; rich.

(4) Cluster, group; number together.

(5) Dense, thickly-wooded.

(6) Barren, bare; unfruitful.

27

FABLES

I. THE MILLER, HIS SON, AND THEIR ASS

1. A miller(1) and his son were leading their ass to the fair(2) to sell him. They had not gone far, when they met a troop of girls returning from town, talking and laughing.

"Look!" cried one of them. "Did you ever see such stupid fellows, both trudging(3) along on foot, when one of them might be riding?"

2. When the miller heard this, he bade(4) his son get up on the ass, while he tramped along merrily by his side. Soon they came to a group(5) of old men standing by the wayside talking gravely(6) together.

3. "There," said one, pointing to the boy, "that proves what I was saying. What respect is paid to old age in these days? See that idle young rogue riding, while his father has to walk. —Get down and walk, sir, and let the old man ride!"

4. Upon this the son got down from the ass, and the miller took his place. They had not gone far in this way, when they met two country-women going home from market.

"You lazy old wretch!" cried both the women at once. "How can you ride upon the animal, when that poor young fellow can hardly keep pace with you?"

5. So the good-natured miller took his son up behind him on the ass, and in this way they almost reached the town.

"Pray, honest friend," said a townsman whom they met, "is that ass your own?"

"Yes," replied the miller.

6. "I should not have thought so by the way you load him," said the other; "why, you two are better able to carry the beast than he is to carry you."

"Well," said the miller, "we can but try."

7. So he and his son got down off the ass. They tied his legs together, and, slinging him from a stout pole, tried to carry him on their shoulders. This was so odd a sight that crowds of people ran out to see it and to laugh at it.

8. But the ass did not like the plan at all, for he felt very uncomfortable indeed. At last, as they were passing over a bridge, he pulled his legs out of the rope, tumbled off the pole, and in his fright jumped off the bridge into the river, and was drowned.

By trying to please everybody, you please nobody.

II．THE ARAB AND HIS CAMEL

9. One cold night, as an Arab(7) sat in his tent, a camel(8) gently thrust aside the flap(9) of the door and looked in.

"I pray thee, master," he said, "let me but put my head within the tent, for it is cold without."

"Welcome," said the Arab cheerfully, and the camel pushed his head into the tent.

10. "If I might but warm my neck also," said the camel after a while.

"You may do so," replied the Arab.

Soon the camel began looking round the tent, and he said again, "It will take but little more room if I place my fore-legs within the tent."

"You may also place your fore-legs within," said the Arab, moving aside a little to make room, for the tent was very small.

11. "May I not stand wholly(10) within?" asked the camel at last; "I keep the tent door open by standing as I do."

"Yes, yes," said the Arab, "I will have pity on you this cold night. Come wholly inside the tent." So the camel pushed forward into the tent; but it was too small for both.

12. "I see," said the camel, "there is not room for both of us here. As you are the smaller you had better stand outside, and then there will be room enough for me." And with that he pushed the Arab out of the tent.

Resist (11) evil at the beginning, lest it overcome you in the end.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the present participle (like trudging) of the verbs ride, prove, love, please.

2. Make sentences containing the words inside, aside, beside, and besides.

————————————————————

(1) Miller, one who keeps a mill.

(2) Fair, market; place for buying and selling.

(3) Trudging, walking with heavy steps.

(4) Bade, ordered; told.

(5) Group, company; number together.

(6) Gravely, solemnly.

(7) Arab, inhabitant of Arabia, a country in the south-west of Asia.

(8) Camel, a large animal with a hump on its back.

(9) Flap, part hanging loose.

(10) Wholly, altogether; entirely.

(11) Resist, stand or strive against.

28

SUMMER WOODS

1. Come ye into the summer woods;

There nothing can annoy;

All greenly wave(1) the chestnut leaves,

And the earth is full of joy.

2. There, lightly swung in bowery(2) glades,

The honeysuckles(3) twine;

There blooms the rose-red campion,

And the dark blue columbine.

3. And many a merry bird is there,

Unscared(4) by ruthless(5) men—

The blue-winged jay(6), the woodpecker,

And the golden-crested wren(7).

4. Come down, and ye shall see them all,

The timid and the bold;

For their sweet life of joyousness

It is not to be told.

5. And far within that summer wood,

Among the leaves so green,

There flows a little gurgling brook.

The brightest e'er was seen.

6. There come the gentle little birds,

Without a fear of ill(8),

Down to the murmuring water's edge

And freely drink their fill,

7. And dash about and splash about,

The merry little things;

And look askance(9) with bright black eyes,

And flirt(10) their dripping wings.

8. I've seen the nimble(11) squirrels drop

Down from their leafy tree,

The little squirrels with the old, —

Great joy it was to me.

9. And down unto the running brook,

I've seen them nimbly go;

And the bright water seemed to speak

A welcome kind and low.

10. And many a wood-mouse dwelleth there,

Beneath the old wood shade,

And all day long has work to do,

Nor is of aught afraid.

11. There is enough for every one,

And they lovingly agree; —

We might learn a lesson, all of us,

Beneath the greenwood tree.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the adverbs ending in -ly (like nimbly) made from gentle, humble, idle, and feeble.

2. Make sentences containing the words aught, ought, nought, and naughty, and give their meanings.

3. Make adjectives beginning with un- (like unscared) from the words hurt, harmed, touched, and pleasant.

————————————————————

(1) Wave, move backwards and forwards like a wave of the sea.

(2) Bowery glades, shady paths.

(3) Honeysuckle, campion, columbine, names of flowers.

(4) Unscared, not frightened.

(5) Ruthless, cruel; pitiless.

(6) Jay, a small bird of the Crow family, with blue feathers.

(7) Wren, very small, lively bird.

(8) Ill, harm; hurt.

(9) Askance, sideways.

(10) Flirt, play about.

(11) Nimble, active; moving quickly.

29

A CLUMSY PET

1. One of the biggest and most awkward(1) pets I ever heard of was a young elephant. A traveller in South Africa got one which had been caught alive by some of the native hunters. He treated it kindly, and a most amusing and intelligent(2) pet it became. What its name was I do not know, but we may call it "Tusky."

2. Tusky was about nine months old when he was captured(3), and at first he was a little afraid of his new master; but after smelling him all over, as a dog might do, he seemed to think that there was nothing to fear, and he was quite satisfied to trust the kind hands that patted and fed him.

3. Little Tusky—we call him "little" because he was young, and because it sounds pretty for a pet, but he was large enough to have filled a small room, and it was well to be careful that he did not step on your toes—little Tusky was as clever with his wonderful trunk as his grown-up relations are.

4. He could pick up a needle very neatly indeed. He always pushed it into a good position first with his foot, so that he could lay hold of it easily. Then he would take it up, and curl his trunk found, and have a good look at it, to see what he had found.

5. Tusky was not quite so dainty(4) and noiseless as a cat in his movements, and he often got into mischief, blundering about and upsetting things; in fact, he was a much more suitable pet for the wilds of Africa than he would have been for a house in England.

6. Strange to say, this huge(5) pet was afraid of being alone, and if he had nobody within reach to talk to him, he would cry in the most pitiful manner. So long as any human being, even one of the native children, was near him, he would be quite content; and he was as tame and friendly as any pet animal could be.

7. You would not expect an elephant to be very good at climbing. Yet when the bullock(6)-waggon was standing still, Tusky would climb up into it, so that he might be near his master. When the caravan(7) was moving forward, he would run alongside, or follow behind like a dog.

8. Poor Tusky came to a sad end, like too many pets. Somebody gave him some very unsuitable food, or else he stole it; and it disagreed with Tusky, and made him very ill. As nobody knew the proper medicine for a sick elephant, Tusky died, much to the regret of his master.

9. But he left a very pleasant memory behind him; and though he had been an awkward, lumbering sort of pet, and took up rather too much room, the poor animal could not help that. It would be well if all the elegant(8), graceful little English pets were as good-tempered and docile(9) as our big African Tusky.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing the words capture, captor, captive, and captivity.

2. Make verbs beginning with dis- (like disagreed) from the verbs please, appear, and like, and give their meanings.

3. Make nouns ending in -er (like hunter) from fish, read, write, and bake, and give the meaning of the -er in each.

————————————————————

(1) Awkward, clumsy; ungraceful.

(2) Intelligent, wise.

(3) Captured, caught; taken.

(4) Dainty, graceful; neat.

(5) Huge, immense; very large.

(6) Bullock, a young bull or ox.

(7) Caravan, band of people travelling together.

(8) Elegant, handsome; fine-looking.

(9) Docile, easily taught.

30

WHAT THE NETTLE SAID

1. One day a little boy was gathering wild flowers, when his hand chanced to touch a stinging nettle. "Oh, you horrid, ugly, ill-natured, useless thing," he cried, "what are you doing there?"

2. With that, he lifted his foot to trample down the nettle; but just then a soft voice fell on his ears: "Wait a little, my boy; do not kill me until we see whether you or I am to blame.

3. "I am not ill-natured, I attack no one, and I use my sting only in self-defence(1). Put a leaf of that dock(2) on your smarting fingers, and they will soon be better. Then take a seat beside me, and I shall tell you about myself. It will help you to forget your pain, and may perhaps teach you that even nettles are good for something in this world."

4. The boy did as he was told, and bade the nettle go on with its story. So it said: —

"You would like to know something about my sting. It is a little hair with a sharp point. Many of these hairs grow on my leaves. They are like needles, and therefore I am called 'nettle,' or 'needle-plant.'

5. "At the root of every hair there is a little bag of poison. When you touched me, the sharp points of some of my needles pricked your skin, and the poison from the little bags flowed into the tiny scratches they made, and caused the pain that made you so angry.

6. "Had you grasped me firmly, some of my hairs would have been pressed down, and others would have been broken off, and so the poison would have been poured on the outside of your skin, and would have done you no harm.

7. "My flowers are not bright, gaudy(3) things like those of the dandelion(4), and many boys, like you, imagine(5) that I have none. But if you look, you will see them hanging in curls all round the upper part of my stem. They are small round things, so numerous that you could not easily count them.

8. "I must now tell you what I am used for. A yellow dye(6) is got from the juice of my roots, and a bright green dye from my stalk and leaves. The fibres(7) of my stem are made into ropes and cloth; and in Germany great numbers of nettles are grown for the sake of the paper that is made from their fibres.

9. "In Norway(8) and Sweden and other countries, cows, pigs, and poultry(9) are fed on nettles. You must have heard of nettle-beer, which is brewed(10) in some parts of England. You may also have seen the tender shoots(11) of nettles boiled for food. We don't sting when boiled. The heat takes the sting out of us.

10. "But I must not forget to tell you that many beautiful butterflies, and other insects, feed on us. I could tell you a great deal more about myself, but I want you to try if you can remember what I have told you already."

11. The little boy began to count off on his fingers the various(12) uses of the nettle, and he did not notice for some time that the gentle voice had ceased(13). He lingered(14) round the spot, hoping to hear it again. But there was not a sound to be heard; and never from that day has any one heard the voice of the Stinging Nettle.

12. "Tender-handed stroke a nettle,

And it stings you for your pains;

Grasp it like a man of mettle(15),

And it soft as silk remains."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words dye, dyed, die, died.

2. Give sentences containing the words nettle, mettle, metal, meddle, medal.

3. What other two letters may have the sound which -ui has in fruit and juice? Give some examples.

————————————————————

(1) Self-defence, defending or protecting myself.

(2) Dock, a kind of plant with large leaves.

(3) Gaudy, showy; gay.

(4) Dandelion, a plant with a large yellow flower.

(5) Imagine, suppose; form the idea.

(6) Dye, colour.

(7) Fibres, the thread-like parts.

(8) Norway, a country in the north west of Europe.

(9) Poultry, farm-yard fowls.

(10) Brewed, made into ale or beer.

(11) Shoots, young plants.

(12) Various, different.

(13) Ceased, stopped.

(14) Lingered, waited for a long time.

(15) Mettle, courage; high spirit.

31

STORY OF A LION

1. There is only one creature of whom the lion seems to be afraid, and that creature is man. The lion will rarely(1) attack a man, unless he is attacked first, or can spring upon the man without being seen.

2. Bishop Hannington, a missionary(2) who lived in Central Africa, was out one day in the forest along with a native servant who carried his gun. He was looking for some of the strange plants and flowers that grow in that country.

3. Suddenly he heard a rustling among some thick bushes close by, and he saw that some large animal was crouching(3) among them. He took his gun and fired, and when he went to the place he found that he had shot a lion's cub(4).

4. When his servant saw this, he screamed with terror and ran away, shouting, "Run, run for your life!" At the same time the missionary heard a terrible roar, and, turning round, he saw a huge lion and a lioness come rushing towards him.

5. If he had run away from them, he would have been overtaken and torn to pieces in a moment. So this brave man simply turned and faced them, standing quite still, and looking steadily(5) into their fierce yellow eyes.

6. This surprised the lions so much that they, too, stood still, and looked in wonder at this strange two-legged animal, that would not run away, and that had such a bold clear look in his eyes.

7. Thus they stood for a few minutes without moving; and then very slowly and steadily the missionary began to move off backwards, never for a moment taking his eyes off his two savage(6) enemies. After he had gone backwards in this way for a hundred yards or so, he coolly turned his back on them and walked away.

8. But he did not mean to lose the skin of the animal he had shot. In a little while he went back to the place, and saw the lion and lioness walking round and round their dead cub, licking its body and growling. The missionary ran towards them, threw up his arms, and gave a loud shout.

9. The lion and his mate started, stared for a moment at this strange creature, and then ran away as fast as they could. The missionary then took up the cub, and walked off with it over his shoulder, as if there Was no danger.

10. His native servant was in so great terror that he did not dare to touch the animal, but left his master to carry it all the way to their tent. When the other natives heard of the missionary's bold action, they showed him great respect, and listened all the better to his teaching.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the names given to the young of the lion, horse, cow, dog, goat, and sheep (like cub, etc.).

2. Write the feminine, or name applied to a female, formed from lion, tiger, giant, author, and poet (like lioness).

3. Write the verbs formed from take (as overtake), and give their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Rarely, very seldom; not often.

(2) Missionary, one sent to teach the heathen.

(3) Crouching, bending down.

(4) Cub, young one; the young of bears, foxes, lions, etc.

(5) Steadily, fixedly; without moving.

(6) Savage, fierce; wild.

32

THE MAN THAT CARRIED THE BRICK

1. It is very difficult to get some people to be careful in doing little things. "Oh, it does not matter!" they say. "Wait till we have something great to do, and then we shall show how well we can do it."

2. What a mistake this is! We must do the small things well before men will trust us in the greater things. It is a grand rule of life to be faithful in little things.

3. "One morning, some years ago," said a merchant(1), "I was about to start for business, when the servant told me that a man was waiting at the front door to see me.

"'Tell him I'll(2) be down in a moment,' I said.

4. "On my going to the door, the man asked me for help. He said that he had a large family, and a sick wife, and no money to get food for them.

5. "'You seem to be strong and healthy; why don't you work?' I asked.

"'Simply because I cannot get work, sir.'

"'If I give you work, what pay do you want?'

"'Anything you like to give me, so that I can get bread for my family.'

6. "I thought I would try to find out if he really meant what he said. 'Very well,' I said, 'I shall give you a shilling an hour, if you will carry a brick under your arm around this square for five hours without stopping.'

"'Thank you, sir; I will do it.'

7. "I got a brick, and placed it under the man's arm, started him on his walk, and then went to my business. I never thought that the man would keep on all day doing what he had promised to do. I did not expect to find him there when I came back in the afternoon.

8. "But, as I came in sight of my house, I saw him walking steadily along, with the brick under his arm. A lot of boys were following him and making fun of him. But if any one spoke to him, his only answer was, —

"'Don't stop me; it's all right.'

9. "I went up to him, and taking him quietly by the arm, walked with him to my house, and gave him five shillings for what he had done. He said that in one of his walks a lady came out of a house and asked him what he was carrying that brick for. He told her the reason, and she gave him a shilling. And when it was known why he was doing this, others had helped him.

10. "'But what am I to do to-morrow?' he asked.

"'Why,' I said, 'go to some of those from whom you got help to-day and ask for work, and come to-morrow afternoon and tell me how you get on.'

11. "The next afternoon he came, and told me that he had found steady(3) work at four shillings a day. Before leaving, he asked for the brick. I gave it to him, and he took it away with him.

12. "Three or four years after this," said the merchant, "I was in a tramway-car, when a well- dressed man spoke to me with a smile, and asked if I knew him. Seeing that I was not sure, he said, 'Don't you remember the man who carried the brick?' He then told me that he had a business of his own, and was getting on well.

13. "'And what became of the brick?' I asked.

"'That brick, sir, always stands on our mantel-piece. We value(4) it as the most precious(5) thing we possess. It has made our fortune(6).'"

But it was not the brick that made the man's fortune; it was his faithfulness in doing even a very little thing.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the present participle (ending in -ing) of stop, fit, get, and sit, and also of stoop, meet, beat, and seat. What change is needed in the first four before -ing is added?

2. Make sentences containing the words this, these, that, and those.

————————————————————

(1) Merchant, trader; one who buys and sells.

(2) I'll, I will or shall.

(3) Steady, constant.

(4) Value, regard; look upon.

(5) Precious, valuable; highly thought of.

(6) Fortune, money; success.

33

THE WOOD-CUTTERS AND THE BIRDS

1. Two wood-cutters used to go into the forest together every day to cut wood. Each of them had a family of young children, and they used to work very hard to earn their daily food.

2. One of the men was bright and cheerful and always hoping for the best. The other was gloomy, and full of fears about the future(1).

"How hard it is to be so poor," he would often say. "If I should fall ill, what would become of my wife and children?"

3. One day, as they were going through the forest, they saw two birds' nests in a tree. The mother birds were sitting on their eggs. The wood-cutters watched the nests day after day, till they heard the young birds crying "Peep- peep," and saw the parents busily feeding their little ones.

4. One morning, as the gloomy man was going past the tree by himself, he saw one of the mother-birds flying towards her nest, with some food in her mouth for her little ones. Just at that moment a hawk(2) darted(3) down upon her and bore(4) her away in his claws.

5. "Poor bird!" cried the wood-cutter, "what will become of your young ones now? They have lost their mother, and they will die of hunger. That is exactly what my children would do, if anything should happen to me."

6. He kept thinking about this all day. It made him feel so sad that he went home by another road at night, because he could not bear to hear the cry of the starving birds(5). Next morning, however, he went to the nest to bury the poor motherless birds, for he was sure they would all be dead.

7. When he came to the tree, what was his surprise when he saw the other mother-bird flying to the nest of the orphans(6). Their little heads were lifted up, their little mouths were open, and their kind neighbour was feeding them just as she fed her own.

8. At this moment the cheerful wood-cutter came along, and learned with great surprise all that had taken place.

"Ah, is not that beautiful?" said he. "If these poor little birds are so strangely helped, surely we should not be afraid."

9. "Never again!" answered his friend. "If you are ever sick, I will take care of your wife and children, as this kind mother-bird is doing. If I am ill, I know you will do the same for me. And if anything should happen to us both, we may be sure that God will take care of our families in some way."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words bird, bird's, birds, and birds'.

2. Make sentences containing the words loss, lose, loose, and lost.

3. Make sentences containing the words food, feed, blood, and bleed.

————————————————————

(1) Future, time to come.

(2) Hawk, a bird of prey.

(3) Darted, sprang suddenly.

(4) Bore, carried.

(5) Starving birds, birds dying from want of food.

(6) Orphan, a child who has lost one or both parents.

34

FUSS-AND-FRET

1. Have you heard of the land called Fuss-and-fret,

Where the people live upon woes(1) and regret?

Its climate(2) is bad, I've heard folks say,

And there's seldom, if ever, a pleasant day.

2. 'Tis either too gloomy from clouded skies,

Or so bright that the sunshine dazzles(3) one's eyes;

'Tis either so cold, one is all of a chill(4),

Or else 'tis so warm that it makes one ill.

3. The season is either too damp or too dry,

And mildew(5) or drought(6) is always nigh;

For nothing that ever happened yet

Was just as it should be in Fuss-and-fret.

4. And the children—it really makes me sad

To think they never look happy and glad,

It is, "Oh, dear me!" until school is done,

And then, "There never is time for fun!"

5. Their teachers are cross, they all declare,

And examinations are never fair;

Each little duty they're apt(7) to shirk(8),

Because they are tired, or 'tis too hard work,

6. Every one is as grave as an owl,

And has pouting lips or a gloomy scowl;

The voices whine and the eyes are wet

In this doleful(9) country of Fuss-and-fret.

7. Now, if ever you find your feet are set

On the down-hill road into Fuss-and-fret,

Turn round and travel the other way,

Or you never will know a happy day.

8. Follow some cheerful face; 'twill guide

To the land of Look-at-the-pleasant-side.

There something bright you will always see,

No matter how dark the day may be.

9. You'll(10) smile at your tasks and laugh in your dreams,

And learn that no ill is so bad as it seems.

So lose no time, but hurry and get

As far as you can from Fuss-and-fret.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write other letters which sound like the -oe- in woes, shoes, and does.

2. Write a list of words formed from sun (like sunshine), and give their meanings.

3. Write in full the contractions used in this lesson.

————————————————————

(1) Woes, sorrows; griefs.

(2) Climate, kind of weather.

(3) Dazzles, blinds.

(4) Of a chill, very cold or chilled.

(5) Mildew, a whitish growth on plants, caused by dampness.

(6) Drought, very dry weather; want of rain.

(7) Apt, inclined; ready.

(8) Shirk, try to avoid.

(9) Doleful, gloomy; sad.

(10) You'll, you will.

35

ABOUT MICE

1. The mouse is a very friendly little fellow. He likes to visit us, and as long as we let him stay with us and share our food, he is as much at home in our house as we are.

2. But when he disturbs us at night by scampering about, or gnawing holes in the wood-work of our rooms, and when we find the things in our cupboards(1) all nibbled(2) and spoiled, we do not feel very friendly to him.

3. If we can catch one, we shall find him well worth looking at. He has a coat of fine fur, which he always keeps beautifully clean. He has long whiskers like those of the cat, and sharp claws, so that he can climb up a wall or anything that is a little rough.

4. His bright eyes can see in the dark, and his large round ears can hear the faintest(3) sound. His nose is pointed, and his under jaw(4) much shorter than his upper one. The two front teeth in each jaw are very sharp, and shaped like the edge of a chisel(5). These are the teeth he gnaws with.

5. These gnawing teeth are always growing longer, and if he did not gnaw something hard every day, so as to wear them down, they would soon become so long that he could not use them.

6. Mice make their homes in the hollow parts of our walls and floors, where they can move about from one part of the house to another without being seen. They are very shy and easily frightened, and when one comes into a room where people are, the least movement makes him scamper back to his hole.

7. The common gray mouse can be easily tamed, but the one usually kept as a pet is a mouse which has white fur and pink eyes. A lady who had a tame white mouse in a cage also caught and tamed a common gray mouse.

8. The gray mouse was very angry when he saw the lady pet the white mouse. One day the gray mouse somehow managed to get into the cage, and when the lady came back to the room she found the white mouse dead.

9. Some kinds of mice live in the fields and woods, and never enter our houses. The tiny harvest-mouse weaves a neat round nest of grass, which he fixes among the stalks of corn some distance above the ground.

10. He climbs the smooth stems like a monkey, and he holds on to them by his tail as well as by his claws. When coming down from his nest, he twists his tail round a stalk of corn and slides down.

11. The dormouse, or wood-mouse, also lives in the fields. Unlike other mice, his tail is covered with fur. He builds his nest in a hollow tree, and lives upon nuts and fruits. When cold weather comes, he rolls himself up in a ball, and sleeps till spring.

12. Once a dormouse was caught and kept in a cage, where he became quite tame, and was a great pet with the children. One day he escaped from his cage, and the children hunted all over the house for him, but could not find him.

13. In the evening, when they sat down to tea, a large cake was placed on the table. When it was cut, they noticed a hole leading to the centre of it, and there they found their little pet snugly curled up and fast asleep.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the plural of mouse, man, goose, and foot.

2. Name the letters which are not sounded in gnaw, gnash, gnat, knife, and know.

3. Make nouns ending in -ment (like movement) from amuse, amaze, and employ, and give their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Cupboard, a press for cups and other dishes, and for food.

(2) Nibbled, bitten.

(3) Faintest, slightest; least

(4) Jaw, the bone of the mouth in which the teeth are set.

(5) Chisel, a sharp tool for cutting wood or stone.

36

"STAND FAST."

1. In the south of Spain there is a small peninsula(1) which consists of one huge rock. It is called the Rock of Gibraltar. Over two hundred years ago, when we were at war with Spain, this rock was taken by the British.

2. It still remains in the hands of Britain, and it has been made into a very strong fortress(2). Great cannon are placed in galleries(3) cut out of the solid rock, and we always have a large number of soldiers there.

3. It is now more than a hundred years since Spain, aided by France, made a last attempt to drive the British out of Gibraltar. The governor of the fortress had with him only a small body of British troops.

4. One evening, during the siege(4), the governor was visiting the various batteries(5) to see that everything was in order. At one part of his round he came upon a soldier standing as sentry(6) at his post.

5. The soldier should have saluted(7) his general by raising his musket, or "presenting arms," as it is called; but he made no movement. Noticing this neglect, the general called out, "Don't you know me, sentinel, or why do you not salute?"

6. The soldier answered respectfully, "I know you well, general, but I cannot present arms; for within the last few minutes two of the fingers of my right hand have been taken off by the enemy's shot, and I am unable to hold my musket."

7. "Why do you not go and have your hand bound up, then?" asked the general.

"Because," answered the soldier, "a man who is on guard is forbidden to quit(8) his post until he is relieved(9) by another."

8. The general at once dismounted from his horse. "Now, friend," he said, "give me your musket(10), and I will take your place: go and get your wounds attended to."

9. The soldier obeyed, but went first to his comrades in the guard-house, in order that another sentry might be sent to take the general's place; and not till then did he go to the hospital(11) and get his hand dressed.

10. This injury to his hand unfitted him for active service as a soldier, and he was sent to England; but the news of his brave endurance(12) reached England before him. The king, George III., went to see him, and, as a reward for his faithfulness, he gave him the rank of an officer.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make nouns ending in -ance (like endurance) from the verbs attend, perform, annoy, admit, and enter. What change is made in the spelling of the last two words?

2. Make sentences containing round as various parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, preposition, and adverb).

3. Write the various meanings of the word post.

————————————————————

(1) Peninsula, land almost surrounded by water.

(2) Fortress, stronghold; place made strong against attack.

(3) Galleries, passages.

(4) Siege, the settling down of an army round a place in order to take it.

(5) Batteries, guns placed in order for shooting.

(6) Sentry, sentinel; soldier on guard.

(7) Saluted, made a sign of respect.

(8) Quit, leave.

(9) Relieved, released from duty.

(10) Musket, gun.

(11) Hospital, a place where the sick and the wounded are attended to.

(12) Endurance, bearing suffering.

37

"HE'S A BRICK."

1. We often hear a boy or a man say, "He's a brick," when speaking of a companion whom he likes. It is not perhaps a very correct way of speaking, but no one would be offended at being spoken of in this way.

2. If we go back to the time when the expression was first used, we shall find that it had a very good meaning indeed, and a boy could have no better aim in life than to deserve that he should be called a "brick."

3. An old Greek(1) writer tells us that, on one occasion, the famous city of Sparta was visited by an ambassador(2) from another kingdom in the north of Greece. Now the Spartans, as you may have heard, were the bravest of all the Greeks.

4. Every man was a soldier. They lived in a plain and simple fashion at home, as soldiers must do when they are in camp, and their city was without any of the fine buildings and statues(3) which were common in other Greek towns.

5. Now this ambassador knew that the King of Sparta was really master of all Greece, so he had expected to find the towns surrounded by massive(4) walls and lofty towers of defence. But he was very much surprised to find nothing of the kind.

6. He spoke of this to the king.

"Sire(5)," he said, "I have visited most of the principal towns of your kingdom, and I find no walls built for defence against an enemy. Why is this?"

7. "Indeed, Sir Ambassador," replied the king, "you cannot have looked very carefully. Come with me tomorrow, and I will show you the walls of Sparta."

8. Accordingly, on the following morning, the king led his guest out to the plain before the city, where the whole Spartan army was drawn up in battle array(6). Then pointing proudly to his soldiers, he exclaimed, "Behold the walls of Sparta—ten thousand men, and every man a brick!"

9. You will find many stories about the Spar-tans and their heroic deeds, which show how well they deserved the name of "bricks." One of the best is the story of how a small band of three hundred Spartans, and about five thousand other Greeks, stood for two days at the entrance of a narrow pass(7) and stopped the march of the King of Persia with a vast army, probably about three millions of men.

10. When the Persians came up, they found the Spartans engaged, some in games, and others in dressing their long hair. This was their usual custom before risking their lives in battle.

11. The Persian heralds commanded the Greeks to deliver up their arms to the great king. "Let him come and take them," was the answer. The heralds(8) said that the number of Persians was so great that their arrows would darken the light of the sun. "So much the better; for then we shall fight in the shade," replied the Spartans.

12. For two days they held the pass against the Persian host(9). And when at last they were surrounded, and there was no hope left, most of the other Greeks escaped over the mountains. The Spartans alone refused to flee, and fell fighting to the last on the ground they had held so nobly. You see in the picture the tomb(10) of their brave leader Leonidas.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words defend, defender, defence, and defenceless.

2. Mark the silent letters in tomb, brick, built, write, and knew.

3. Make nouns ending in -sion (like expression) from confess, possess, convert, and ascend.

————————————————————

(1) Greek, an inhabitant of Greece.

(2) Ambassador, a man of high rank sent as a messenger by one country to another.

(3) Statues, images or figures carved in stone or metal.

(4) Massive, very thick and heavy.

(5) Sire, a title of respect.

(6) In battle array, ready for fighting.

(7) Pass, road; path.

(8) Heralds, officers who carried the king's messages.

(9) Host, army; large number of men.

(10) Tomb (toom), grave.

38

LESSONS FROM LITTLE THINGS

I. THE SONG OF THE CRICKET

1. Yes, the world is big; but I'll do my best,

Since I happen to find myself in it, —

And I'll sing my loudest along with the rest,

Though I'm neither a lark nor a linnet,

And strive for the goal(1) with as tireless zest(2),

Though I know that I never may win it.

2. For shall no bird sing but the nightingale?

No flower bloom but the rose?

Shall little stars quench(3) their torches pale,

When Mars(4) through the midnight glows?

Shall only the highest and greatest prevail(5)?

May nothing seem white but the snows?

3. Nay, the world is so big that it needs us all

To make enough music in it;

And the world wants melody(6) e'en(7) from the small—

We have nothing to do but begin it.

So I'll chirp my merriest out with them all,

Though I'm neither a lark nor a linnet!

II. THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL

4. The mountain and the squirrel

Had a quarrel,

And the former called the latter "Little prig."

Bun replied:

"You are doubtless very big;

But all sorts of things and weather

Must be taken in together

To make up a year

And a sphere(8).

5. "I think it no disgrace

To occupy my place.

If I'm not so large as you,

You are not so small as I,

And not half so spry(9):

I'll not deny you make

A very pretty squirrel track.

Talents(10) differ—all is well and wisely put—

If I cannot carry forests on my back.

Neither can you crack a nut!"

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the superlative form, ending in -est (like merriest), of the adjectives happy, lively, funny, gay, and sly.

2. Write the past, ending in -ed (like replied), of the verbs deny, defy, supply, and cry; and also of fly.

————————————————————

(1) Goal, aim; anything a person tries hard to reach.

(2) Zest, keenness; eagerness.

(3) Quench, put out.

(4) Mars, the name of a planet, a kind of star.

(5) Prevail, have most power; win.

(6) Melody, music; song.

(7) E'en, even.

(8) Sphere, ball; the earth.

(9) Spry, lively; active.

(10) Talents, abilities; gifts.

39

OBEYING ORDERS

I

1. The story is told, in a French newspaper, of a poor labourer who lived near Paris with his wife and their three children. Industrious(1), frugal(2), and sober(3), Pierre saved all his spare money, until he was able to buy the tiny cottage in which they lived.

2. It was a tiny cottage indeed, built of stone, with a red-tiled(4) roof, standing in a well-kept little garden, and covered with creeping(5) plants. Pierre and his wife worked very hard, and saved every farthing they could, until the little cottage was paid for. When the last of the money was paid over, they made a little feast in honour of the occasion.

3. All this had happened just before the war between France and Germany broke out in 1870. Then Pierre was called out to serve in the army; for he had been a soldier before, and now every man who had been trained to fight was needed. As a gunner, he had been famous for his skill in hitting a mark.

4. The village where Pierre lived had fallen into the hands of the Germans, and the people had fled; but the French guns were pounding away at it from a fort(6) on the higher ground across the river, trying to drive out those of the enemy who had taken possession of it.

5. Pierre was a gunner at that fort, and one wintry day he was standing by his gun, when General Noël, the commander, came up and looked carefully at the village through his field-glass(7).

6. "Gunner," he said sharply, without looking at Pierre.

"General," answered Pierre, saluting.

"Do you see the bridge over there?"

"I see it very well, sir."

"And that little cottage there, at the left, in a thicket(8) of shrubs?"

Pierre turned pale.

"I see it, sir."

"It's a nest of Prussians. Try it with a shell(9), my man."

7. Pierre turned paler still, and in spite of the cold wind that made the officers shiver in their greatcoats, one might have seen big drops of sweat standing out on his forehead; but nobody noticed the gunner's emotion(10). He aimed his piece(11) carefully, and fired.

8. The officers, with their glasses, watched the effect of the shot after the smoke had cleared. "Well hit, my man! well hit!" exclaimed the general, looking at Pierre with a smile. "The cottage couldn't have been very solid. It is completely smashed."

9. He was surprised to see great tears running down the gunner's cheeks.

"What's the matter, man?" the general asked, rather roughly.

"Pardon me, general," said Pierre, in a low tone. "It was my own cottage—everything I had in the world."

II

10. When the owner of a ship sends his vessel out on a long voyage, he gives written orders to the captain about all that he is to do. No matter what happens, the captain must, as far as possible, carry out the orders he has received. The rule for him to follow is, "Obey orders, if you break(12) owners."

11. Some years ago, a rich merchant sent a vessel to India. He gave the captain orders, telling him how he was to sell his cargo, and what kind of cargo he was to bring back.

12. On arriving at the port to which he was sent, the captain sold his cargo. Then he found that he could make more money for the owner by taking back a different cargo from what he had been told to bring.

13. He did so, and made two or three thousand pounds more than he would have done if he had obeyed his master's orders. He reached England safely, and went to tell his master how successful he had been. In addition to his wages, he received a large sum of money from the profits(13) of the voyage. But, to his great surprise, his master then dismissed him from his service.

14. He asked why he had been dismissed in this way, and received this answer from his master, "Sir, I can have no man in my employment who does not obey my orders. Your disobedience has turned out very well in this case, but the next time it might bring great loss, or even ruin." He was never taken back into that merchant's service.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make adjectives ending in -ous (like famous) from fury, glory, joy, and grief, and give their meanings.

2. Write the past, ending in -ed (like obeyed), from convey, journey pray, and betray. Write also the past of pay, lay, and say.

————————————————————

(1) Industrious, diligent; hard-working.

(2) Frugal, thrifty; careful of his money.

(3) Sober, steady; not given to strong drink.

(4) Red-tiled, made of thin red tiles or bricks.

(5) Creeping, climbing.

(6) Fort, stronghold; battery.

(7) Field-glass, a kind of spy-glass.

(8) Thicket, grove; a number of small trees or shrubs growing closely together.

(9) Shell, bombshell, a shell of iron filled with gunpowder which bursts as it falls.

(10) Emotion, agitation; a strong movement of the feelings.

(11) Piece, gum.

(12) Break, ruin.

(13) The profits, money gained.

40

ONLY A RIBBON

1. In one of the London hospitals, a short time ago, a young doctor was employed as an assistant. He was very much interested in one of the patients(1), a poor girl ten years old, who was suffering from a very painful disease(2).

2. Katie lay in her little white cot, day after day, with nothing to amuse her, or help her to forget her pain. One day the doctor noticed her trying to make a doll of her finger, and speaking to it for a while. But she soon tired of this, and with a weary sigh she lay back to watch the pale sunlight creeping slowly across her bed.

3. That afternoon, as the young doctor was passing along the street, he noticed a ribbon of a lovely soft rose colour hanging in a shop window. He thought that it might help to amuse little Katie, and so he went in and bought it for her.

4. When he handed the ribbon to the child, she was too much surprised to speak. As she unrolled it, so smooth, and glossy, and delicate(3) in colour, her eyes sparkled with joy; and when she looked at her kind friend, they were dimmed with tears. She had met with very little love or kindness in her life, and this little gift made her feel rich and happy.

5. The nurse afterwards told the doctor that the child played with the ribbon all day long. She twisted it round her head, playing that she was a bride, a princess(4), or a fairy. She held it in her hand while she slept, or laid it, folded in paper, under her pillow.

6. Some weeks later, Katie's disease became worse, and it was found necessary to perform a dangerous operation(5). The operation was to be performed by two of the most skilful doctors in London.

7. But when Katie was brought into the room where the doctors were, she cried out for the young assistant who had been so kind to her. "He is the only friend I have," she sobbed. He was brought, and he held one of the child's hands, while the other was tightly closed over a little pink roll.

8. During the operation this fell from her grasp. As soon as she woke up from the effects of the ether(6), she opened her eyes and looked at her friend. "My ribbon," she whispered. He gave it to her, while the doctors and nurses stood grave and silent.

9. The operation had not been successful. Katie smiled happily into the face of her friend, and clasping the faded bit of silk, fell asleep for ever.

It was but a trifling(7) gift, and yet it had made the child's last days bright with thoughts of beauty and love.

10. "Loving words will cost but little,

Journeying up the hill of life;

But they make the weak and weary

Stronger, braver for the strife.

So, as up life's hill we journey,

Let us scatter all the way

Kindly words, to be as sunshine

In the dark and cloudy day."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make nouns ending in -ant (like assistant) from attend, defend, and depend, and give their meanings.

2. Give a list of adjectives from which nouns may be formed by adding -ness (like kindness).

3. What letters are omitted in making compound words from skill+full, will+full, and full+fill?

————————————————————

(1) Patients, sick people; those under a doctor's care.

(2) Disease, illness; trouble.

(3) Delicate, soft.

(4) Princess, the daughter of a king.

(5) Operation, work done by a doctor.

(6) Ether, a kind of medicine given to put one asleep.

(7) Trifling, small; of little value.

41

THE GOLDEN TOUCH

I

1. Once upon a time, but no one knows when or where, there lived a very rich king, whose name was Midas. He had one little daughter, whom he loved very dearly, and whose name was Marigold.

2. King Midas was fonder of gold than of anything else in the world, except this little maiden(1). But the more Midas loved his daughter, the more did he seek for wealth.

3. If ever he happened to gaze at the golden clouds of sunset, he wished that they were real gold, and that they could be squeezed safely into his strong box. When little Marigold ran to meet him with a bunch of buttercups and dandelions, he used to say, "Pooh, child! If these flowers were as golden as they look, they would be worth plucking!"

4. Midas was in his treasure room(2) one day enjoying the sight of his vast(3) stores of gold, when a stranger appeared before him.

"You are a wealthy man, friend Midas," he said. "I suppose no other room on earth contains so much gold as you have piled up in this room."

5. "I have done pretty well—pretty well," answered Midas, in a discontented tone.

"What!" exclaimed the stranger; "then you are not satis fied. Tell me what you wish."

"It is only this," replied Midas: "I wish everything that I touch to be changed to gold."

6. "The Golden Touch!" exclaimed the stranger. "But are you quite sure that this will satisfy you?"

"How can it fail to do so?" said Midas.

"And will you never regret asking for it?"

"Never!" cried Midas. "Nothing more is needed to make me perfectly happy."

"Be it as you wish, then," replied the stranger, waving his hand. "To-morrow at sunrise you will find yourself gifted with the Golden Touch."

7. In the morning, when the first sunbeam shone through the window, it glittered in a curious way on the white covering of the bed. What was the delight of the king when he found that the linen(4) had been changed to the purest gold! The Golden Touch had come to him with the first sunbeam.

8. Midas started up in joy, and ran about the room, grasping at everything. He seized one of the bed-posts, and it became a golden pillar. He pulled aside a window curtain, and the tassel(5) grew heavy in his hand—a mass of gold. He took up a book, and turned over the leaves; at once it became a bundle of thin gold plates, in which the words of the book could no longer be read.

9. He put on his clothes, and found himself dressed in cloth of gold, which he felt to be somewhat heavy. He drew out his hand-kerchief, which little Marigold had hemmed(6) for him. That also became gold, with his dear child's neat stitches running all along the border(7) in gold thread. Somehow, this last change did not quite please King Midas.

10. In the garden he found a great number of beautiful roses in full bloom; but Midas knew a way to make them far more precious, according to his way of thinking. So he went from bush to bush, touching each one as he passed, until every flower and bud was changed to gold. By the time this work was done, the morning air had given him an appetite for breakfast, so he went back to the palace.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make compound words beginning with a- (like aside) from the words shore, board, drift, and sleep, and give their meanings.

2. Write sentences containing the words cloth, clothe, clothes (noun), and clothier.

3. Write the present in -ing (like running) of hem, regret, put, meet, and change.

————————————————————

(1) Maiden, a young girl; an unmarried woman.

(2) Treasure room, room containing valuable things.

(3) Vast, immense; very large.

(4) Linen, fine cloth made from flax.

(5) Tassel, ornament made of a bunch of silk or wool.

(6) Hemmed, sewed round the edge.

(7) Border, edge.

42

THE GOLDEN TOUCH

II

1. King Midas sat at table waiting for little Marigold. She was crying bitterly as she came into the room, and sobbing as if her heart would break.

2. "How now, my little lady?" cried Midas. "Pray, what is the matter with you, this bright morning?"

Marigold held out her hand, with one of the roses which Midas had turned into gold.

"Beautiful!" cried her father. "And what is there in this splendid golden rose to make you cry?"

3. "Ah, dear father, it is not beautiful. It is the ugliest flower that ever grew. As soon as I was dressed I ran into the garden to gather some roses for you. But, oh dear, dear me! all the beautiful roses are spoilt. They no longer smell sweetly, and they are all quite yellow."

"Pooh, my dear little girl, don't cry about it," said Midas. "Sit down and eat your breakfast."

4. Meanwhile he poured out a cup of coffee(1), and lifted it to his lips. He was astonished to find that the instant his lips touched the coffee it became molten(2) gold, and the next moment it hardened into a lump.

5. He took a nice little trout(3) on his plate, and carefully touched its tail with his finger. To his horror(4) it was at once changed. Its little bones were now golden wires, and its fins and tail were thin plates of gold.

"I don't quite see," thought he to himself, "how I am to get any breakfast."

6. He now tried one of the smoking hot cakes, and then helped himself to a boiled egg. Alas! both were changed into hard yellow gold. Hoping that by being very quick he might manage to get something to eat, King Midas next snatched a hot potato, and attempted to cram it into his mouth and swallow it in a hurry.

7. But the Golden Touch was too quick for him. He found his mouth full of hot metal(5), which so burned his tongue that he roared aloud, and jumping up from the table, began to dance and stamp about the room, both with pain and fright.

8. "Father, dear father!" cried little Marigold, "pray, what is the matter? What has happened to you? Have you burned your mouth?"

"Ah, my dear child," answered Midas sadly, "I don't know what is to become of your poor father!"

9. Wishing to comfort him, pretty Marigold jumped up from her chair, and, running to Midas, threw her arms around him. He kissed her. He felt that his little daughter's love was worth a thousand times more than what he had gained by the Golden Touch.

"My precious Marigold!" cried he.

10. But Marigold made no answer. The moment the lips of Midas touched her fore-head a change had taken place. Her sweet, rosy face became of a glittering yellow colour, with yellow tear-drops on her cheeks. Little Marigold was a human child no longer, but a golden statue.

11. Poor King Midas! He stood at first dumb(6) with despair. Then he began to wring(7) his hands, and cried, "Would that I were the poorest man in all the wide world, if only my dear child were restored(8) to me!"

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words comfort (noun and verb), discomfort, comfortable, and uncomfortable.

2. Write a list of words ending in -mb, with the b silent (like dumb).

3. Write a list of words beginning with wr-, with the w silent (like wring).

————————————————————

(1) Coffee, a drink made from the berries of the coffee plant.

(2) Molten, melted.

(3) Trout, a fresh-water fish of the salmon kind.

(4) Horror, dismay; great fear.

(5) Metal, a name given to certain hard substances, such as iron, gold, silver, etc., which are dug out of the earth.

(6) Dumb, speechless.

(7) Wring, twist with agony.

(8) Restored, brought back; replaced.

43

THE GOLDEN TOUCH

III

1. Suddenly, in the midst of his despair, he beheld(1) the stranger standing near the door.

"Well, friend Midas," said he, "pray, how are you getting on with the Golden Touch?"

"I am very miserable," said he. "I have lost all that my heart really cared for."

2. "Ah! So you have learned something since yesterday?" observed(2) the stranger. "Let us see, then. Which of these two things do you think is really worth most—the Golden Touch, or one cup of clear cold water?"

"Oh, blessed water!" exclaimed Midas. "It will never cool my burning throat again!"

"The Golden Touch," continued the stranger, "or a crust of bread?"

"A piece of bread," answered Midas, "is worth all the gold on earth!"

3. "The Golden Touch," asked the stranger, "or your own little Marigold—warm, soft, and loving as she was an hour ago?"

"Oh, my child, my dear child!" cried poor Midas, wringing his hands. "I would not have done anything to hurt her, not even for the power of changing this whole big earth into a solid lump of gold!"

4. "You are wiser than you were, King Midas," said the stranger, looking calmly at him. "Your heart, I see, is not now entirely filled with the love of gold. Tell me, now, do you really wish to rid yourself of this Golden Touch?"

"It is hateful to me!" replied Midas.

5. "Go, then," said the stranger, "and plunge into the river that flows past the bottom of your garden. Take also a jar of the same water, and sprinkle it over any object that you wish to change back again from gold to its former state. If you do this, you may undo the mischief of which your greed has been the cause."

6. King Midas bowed low, and when he lifted his head the stranger was gone.

Midas lost no time in catching up a great earthen pitcher(3)—no longer earthen after he touched it—and hastening to the river side. He plunged in at once, without even waiting to pull off his shoes.

7. Then he dipped his pitcher into the water, and he was glad to see it change from gold into the same good, plain, earthen vessel which it had been before. A cold, heavy weight seemed to be lifted from his heart. The love of gold had left him, and he was no longer a miser(4), but a man.

8. King Midas hastened back to his palace. The first thing he did, as you need hardly be told, was to sprinkle the water by handfuls over the golden figure(5) of little Marigold.

No sooner did it fall on her than the rosy colour came back to her cheek again, and she began to sneeze and sputter. She was astonished to find that she was dripping wet, and that her father was throwing water over her!

9. "Pray, do not, dear father!" cried she. "See how you have wet my nice frock, which I put on only this morning." For Marigold did not know that she had been a little golden statue.

10. Her father did not care to tell his dear child how foolish he had been; but he led her into the garden, and sprinkled the rest of the water over the rose-bushes, and gave the roses back their bloom.

11. When King Midas had grown quite an old man, he was fond of telling Marigold's children this very strange story. And he would stroke their glossy curls, and tell them that their hair had a rich shade(6) of gold like that of their mother.

"And to tell you the truth, my precious little folks," King Midas often said, "ever since the time I have been speaking of, I have hated the very sight of all other gold, except this!"

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write a list of words with a silent 1 (like calm).

2. Make adjectives ending in -ish (like foolish) from the nouns child, boy, girl, and slave, and tell their meanings.

3. What is the meaning of -ish when added to adjectives, such as greenish, yellowish, etc.?

————————————————————

(1) Beheld, saw.

(2) Observed, remarked; said.

(3) Pitcher, jug; vessel for holding water, etc.

(4) Miser, one who hoards or saves up money.

(5) Figure, form; stature.

(6) Shade, tint.

44

A HIGH MARK

1. "What are you doing, Felix?"

"I am cutting my name up here, grandfather. I've almost finished."

As he spoke the boy dropped lightly down from the branch to which he had been clinging in order to carve(1) his name high up on the old tree.

"It's my name and the date of to-day(2). I cut it because this is my birthday, and because you gave me this new pocket-knife."

2. "Are you always going to make a high mark as you go along?"

Felix did not quite know what his grandfather meant.

"Wherever you go, my boy, you are sure to leave a mark of some kind," continued he. "All through your school life you will do so. It will be written in the books of the school that a boy of your name was there, and left either a high or a low record(3).

3. "But you are making marks of another kind. Every action you do, good or bad, leaves its mark on yourself, and helps to make you into a good or a bad man. Besides, boys very often do as they see others do, so your example is leaving marks on your companions also. And these are marks which will last far longer than the name and date on the bark(4) of the tree."

4. "Will this last very long?" asked Felix, as he glanced(5) up at the letters and figures he had carved.

"Come here," said his grandfather.

Felix followed him round to the other side of the tree. He looked closely at some marks on the bark to which his grandfather pointed.

5. "Why," he said, "that's your name, grandfather, and the date is eighteen hundred and forty-four. That's just fifty years ago."

"Yes," said grandfather. "I cut these when I was not much older than you are to-day."

"Fifty years!" said Felix, as he looked at those letters which had been cut such a very, very long time ago, as it seemed to him. "And will my name stay here for fifty years?"

6. "I suppose so, unless the tree is cut down. If you live for fifty years, you will still find it here. Your hair will be gray then." —grandfather laid his hand on the curly brown head— "and I shall be over there on the hillside," he added, pointing to the little churchyard in the distance.

"But I shan't(6) want to come here then, grandfather," said Felix, with tears very near to his eyes.

7. "Oh yes, you will. You will have other things to think about then. And I trust, Felix, that when you come here and see the letters you cut so long ago, you will be able to say, 'If grandfather could see me to-day, he would see that I have not forgotten what he said to me on my birthday so long ago.'"

8. Grandfather walked slowly across the meadow towards the house. Felix looked after him for a few moments, and then turned again to the tree.

9. "Grandfather is right," he said to himself, "and I must never forget what he has said. If I do not try to make good high marks of the kind he spoke of, I shall be ashamed ever to come here and see my name on this old tree."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Add the termination -ever to where, when, how, what, who, and which (like wherever), and make sentences containing the compound words.

2. Make nouns ending in -tion (like action) from protect, subtract, describe, and attend, and tell their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Carve, cut out.

(2) Date of to-day, day of the year.

(3) Record, written account.

(4) Bark, skin or covering of a tree.

(5) Glanced, looked suddenly.

(6) Shan't, shall not.

45

CONTENTMENT

1. Once on a time an old red hen

Went strutting round with pompous(1) clucks

For she had little babies ten,

And some of them were tiny ducks.

"'Tis very rare that hens," said she,

"Have baby ducks as well as chicks;

But I possess, as you can see,

These chickens four and ducklings(2) six!"

2. A season(3) later, this old hen

Was seen, still cackling of her luck,

For though she still had babies ten,

Not one of them was now a duck!

"'Tis well," she murmured, brooding(4) o'er

The little chicks of fleecy down(5);

"My babies now will stay ashore,

And so 'tis plain they will not drown!"

3. When spring next came, the old red hen

Clucked just as proudly as of yore(6)—

But, lo! her babes were ducklings ten,

Instead of chickens, as before.

"'Tis better," said the old red hen,

Who fondly watched her waddling brood(7);

"A little water now and then

Will surely do my darlings good."

4. But oh! alas, how very sad!

When gentle spring rolled round again,

The eggs came out so very bad,

That childless was the old red hen!

Yet patiently(8) she bore her woe,

And still she wore(9) a cheerful air,

And said, "'Tis best that things are so,

For chickens are a dreadful care!"

5. I half suspect(10) that many men,

Some boys and girls, and women too,

Might learn a lesson from this hen

With plumage(11) soft of russet(12) hue.

Whatever came, she ne'er complained,

Took every gift as fortune(13) sent it;

From every change new pleasure gained—

The secret this, she was contented.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing down as noun, adverb, and preposition.

————————————————————

(1) Pompous, proud; putting on high airs.

(2) Ducklings, young ducks.

(3) Season, one of the four parts of the year.

(4) Brooding, thinking deeply.

(5) Fleecy down, soft feathers.

(6) Of yore, long ago.

(7) Brood, family; offspring.

(8) Patiently, calmly.

(9) Wore, carried.

(10) Suspect, imagine; think.

(11) Plumage, feathers.

(12) Russet, reddish-brown.

(13) Fortune, chance; that which happens.

46

ADRIFT(1) ON AN ICE-RAFT(2)

1. In the summer of 1868 two German steamers set out to try to reach the North Pole(3). In the far north, off the coast of Greenland(4), the ships lost sight of each other in a fog(5), and one of them was crushed by the ice. She began to leak terribly, and soon filled with water; but the crew had time to save the boats and all their clothes and provisions.

2. The captain then set his men to build a house on the ice-field(6). The walls of this hut were built of pieces of the steamer's coal held together by snow, the roof was made of sails and mats covered with snow, and slabs(7) of coal formed the floor.

3. The little house was made very snug by a high bank of snow built all round to protect it from the cold wind. Into it were carried bread, meat, bacon, coffee, wood and coals, also stores of clothing, charts(8) and books.

4. All efforts to keep the ship afloat failed, and she sank beneath the ice on the 22nd of October 1868. Everything now depended on the ice-raft. If it held together, the coast of Greenland might be reached in the spring; but there was great danger of its breaking up before it drifted near the shore.

5. At first the field of ice was several miles in extent; but storms soon broke it up so much that at last only a small piece was left round the hut. Then one stormy night the ice cracked under the hut and went to pieces, and the men had to take refuge in the boats.

6. A new hut was built on a smaller piece of ice out of the ruins of the old one; but it was so small that only half the men could find shelter in it, the others had to live in the boats.

7. At one time the raft floated to within eight miles of the mainland of Greenland, and at another to within two miles of an island; but the men could not make their way to land, on account of the great hills of ice all around them. They drifted slowly south for hundreds of miles.

8. The men skated, walked, built snow men, and fished. At Christmas they made a tree of birch twigs, decorated(9) with bits of wax tapers. In the spring they were visited by troops of small birds, snow-linnets and snow-buntings. The seamen threw them some oats, which they ate greedily. The birds were so tame that they allowed themselves to be caught by the hand.

9. A severe storm drove the explorers(10) farther south, and broke up the ice-field. The men left their hut and took to the boats to make for the shore. Often they had to haul their boats on to an ice-floe(11) to pass the night or to wait for better weather. Once a storm kept them waiting on the ice for six days.

10. Then they set themselves to drag the boats over the ice towards the shore; but fresh snow fell, and they had to stop. They rested and waited for ten days. Then they again set to work, draggling their boats over the ice. At last they reached land, and moored(12) the boats in a small bay. They found their way to a little village on the 13th June 1869, after living for two hundred days on a floating ice-field.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words floe and flow, leak and leek, haul and hall.

2. Make adjectives ending in -y (like stormy) from snow, ice, hill, and rock, and give their meanings.

3. Make adverbs ending in -ly (like terribly) from slow, quick, greedy, and gay, and give sentences containing them.

————————————————————

(1) Adrift, driven by wind or stream.

(2) Ice-raft, a large floating piece ofice.

(3) North Pole, the most northerly point of the earth.

(4) Greenland, a large island to the north-east of America.

(5) Fog, a thick mist.

(6) Ice-field, a large mass of floating ice.

(7) Slabs, flat pieces.

(8) Charts, maps or drawings, especially of the sea.

(9) Decorated, adorned; made beautiful.

(10) Explorers, discoverers; those who find out about unknown countries.

(11) Ice-floe, a sheet of ice broken off from an ice-field.

(12) Moored, fastened; anchored.

47

BABY SEALS

1. The other day I went to see a curious family. There were seven babies in it. None of them was more than two months old; and yet there was no mother to nurse them, no father, not even a big sister to take care of them.

2. When I went into their house, they were swimming about in deep salt water; but as these babies were young seals, there was nothing strange in that. A little hollow of the sea, a kind of small gulf or bay, had been shut in to form a home for them.

3. There was plenty of room for them to swim about, and at low tide they could climb up on a rocky ledge(1), and bask(2) in the sunshine or go to sleep; for seals, as you know, can live both in water and on land. They must come up to the surface to breathe, but they keep their round black nostrils closed tightly when they dive under the water.

4. I sat for a long time upon the rocky ledge watching the little creatures. They were only about two feet long; but young as they were, they could swim perfectly. They played and tumbled about merrily, throwing their flippers, or fore-paws, round each other, as children sometimes do with their arms when rolling on the grass.

5. If my seven little friends had not been so young, they would not have been caught in the net set for them. Their keeper told me that old seals are very wary(3). They keep away from the nets, and try to prevent their young ones from going near. He said he, had known a mother-seal tear his net to tatters to get her baby out.

6. It was great fun looking at these water-babies. One of them seemed to be trying to show me how clever he was. He would come swiftly towards me, swimming under the water on his back; but he always turned and rose gracefully to the surface as he drew near the ledge. As he swam off he would look over his shoulder at me, as much as to say, "Didn't I do that well?"

7. Another crawled up the rock to my very feet, and looked at me with his large, gentle, beautiful eyes. He had little whiskers, like a cat's; and, indeed, he looked so like a nice pussy that I was going to pat him on the head, when the keeper cried, "Take care! take care! they bite like little tigers."

8. Some of them sat up straight in the water on their tails. At first sight they seemed to have three tails; but two of these were only their hind-limbs, which stretch out behind and serve as paddles(4) to help them on, or rather as rudders(5) to guide them when they are swimming.

9. One of them stood on his head on the rock under water, rubbing his nose with his flipper. But the drollest(6) sight was to see one little fellow sit up in the water and scratch his ear, or rather the side of his head; for these seals had no ears that could be seen on the outside, although they could hear quite well.

10. They used their flippers to rub themselves with; and as these flippers are like little hands when not opened out for swimming, it looked exactly as if they were combing out their hair.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words fore, four, and for.

2. Write the present in -ing (like swimming) of the verbs rub, sit, comb, dive, and rise.

3. Write sentences containing the words wary, aware, and beware.

————————————————————

(1) Rocky ledge, narrow shelf or ridge of rock.

(2) Bask, warm oneself; lie in the sun.

(3) Wary, watchful; cunning.

(4) Paddles, oars.

(5) Rudder, a flat piece of wood or iron for steering a boat.

(6) Drollest, strangest; most curious.

48

THE BEAR AND THE BEES

1. Some bears, going out for a walk one day,

Discovered in one of the trees

A hive full of honey, which smelt very fine,

So they stopped to make friends with the bees.

The old bear bowed low and said, "Brum, Brum;"

And the lady-bee answered, "Hum, Hum, Hum."

2. "Madam Bee," said the bear to the fair little queen,

"Yourself I am happy to meet;

I hope you'll invite me to share in your feast,

I'm exceedingly(1) fond of what's sweet!"

And he tried to smile with his "Brum, Brum, Brum;"

But the bees all frowned with their "Hum, Hum, Hum."

3. Then the queen bee haughtily(2) raised her head,

As she sat on her leafy throne,

And said, "Mr. Bear, as you very well know,

We bees prefer dining alone!"

Then the bear looked cross, and grunted, "Brum, Brum;"

But the bees all smiled, and applauded(3), "Hum, Hum."

4. "Heigh-ho! Mrs. Bee," said the angry bear,

"You will please to bear this in mind,

There is nothing to hinder my taking it all,

Since you do not choose to be kind!"

And he stalked about with a loud "Bruin, Brum;"

But the bees only laughed a low "Hum, Hum."

5. Then the bear began to climb up the tree;

But the queen, in her firmest tone,

Called out, "Mr. Bear, I must warn you now,

You had better let us alone—

We are all fully armed;" but the bear sneered, "Brum!"

And the bees all savagely buzzed, "Hum, Hum!"

6. The soldier-bees drew out their sharp keen knives;

While the little bees giggled with glee,

"Oh, what a sore nose you will have, Mr. Bear,

When you scramble down out of this tree!"

But the bear glared(4) in rage while he growled, "Brum, Brum,"

And the sturdy(5) young bees piped(6) a saucy(7) "Hum, Hum."

7. Nearer he crept to the coveted(8) prize;

But that prize he was never to gain,

For the knives pierced his nose, and his ears, and his eyes,

Till he howled with the smart and the pain:

Down he went to the ground with a sad "Brum, Brum,"

While the bees in their triumph(9) sang, "Hum, Hum, Hum!"

8. "Now then, Mr. Bear," said the sage(10) little queen,

"If you would be healthy and wise,

You must learn not to think quite so much of yourself,

And all others you must not despise(11)!"

And the bear marched off with a sullen(12) "Brum, Brum,"

While the busy bees buzzed with a pleasant "Hum, Hum."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing bear (as noun and verb) and bare.

2. Write a list of words ending in -self and -selves (like yourself), and give sentences containing them.

3. Write sentences containing discover, discoverer, and discovery.

————————————————————

(1) Exceedingly, unusually; very.

(2) Haughtily, proudly.

(3) Applauded, cheered.

(4) Glared, looked fiercely; stared.

(5) Sturdy, hardy; not easily made to yield.

(6) Piped, sang out.

(7) Saucy, impudent; bold.

(8) Coveted, much desired; longed for.

(9) Triumph, joy at victory.

(10) Sage, wise.

(11) Despise, look down upon.

(12) Sullen, sulky; ill-natured.

49

MICHAEL THE UPRIGHT(1)

1. More than two hundred years ago there lived in Holland a little boy named Michael. His parents wished to bring him up to some trade; but Michael's heart was set upon being a sailor, and nothing else would please him. So he was allowed to have his way, and his father got a berth(2) for him in a vessel about to sail for Morocco, on the north coast of Africa.

2. The ship belonged to a merchant who was in the habit of taking out bales(3) of cloth to sell to the natives of that place. As he went himself in the ship, he was able to see what kind of a boy Michael was.

3. Not only was Michael quick at learning his duties, but he was a boy to be trusted. Whatever he had to do he did as well as he could, whether any one was looking at him or not. "This is just the boy I want," thought the merchant, and Michael was soon raised to a higher place.

4. One day the merchant fell sick, and he could not go with his vessel, which was laden(4) ready to sail for Morocco. What could he do? He knew of only one person to whom he could trust his cargo, and that was Michael. So he sent for him, and told him that he must take charge of it.

5. Michael was young, and it was a difficult task he had to face; but it was his duty, and he did not flinch(5) from it. The ship sailed with Michael in charge, and in due(6) time he was arranging his cloth in the marketplace at Morocco.

6. Now the city was ruled by a cruel tyrant(7) called the Bey(8), who could do what he liked without anybody daring to find fault with him. On this very morning he came into the market, and after seeing the various pieces of cloth which Michael had for sale, he fixed on one and asked the price. Michael told him. The Bey offered half the sum he named.

7. "Nay," said Michael, "I ask no more than it is worth. My master expects that price, and I am only his servant. I have no power to take less." The Bey's face grew dark with anger, and the bystanders(9) trembled, for they knew that if the lad opposed(10) the wishes of the cruel governor, he would be put to death. "I will give you till to-morrow to think about it," cried the Bey, and he walked away.

8. Michael put back the cloth, and began calmly to wait on his other customers(11). Those around him begged him to give in to the Bey and save his life. But Michael replied, "My life is in God's hands. If my master loses one penny through me, I am not a faithful servant."

9. The morrow came. The Bey appeared as before; but, besides his other servants, the public executioner(12) followed behind him. He again asked Michael the price of the cloth, and he got the same answer. "Take my life if you will," added the brave Michael, "but I shall die as an honest man, and a true servant of my master."

10. Everybody expected to hear the order, "Strike off his head;" and in a moment the executioner would have done it. But the order was not given. The face of the Bey suddenly changed.

11. "Thou art a noble fellow!" he cried. "Would that I had such a servant as thou art. Give me thy hand; thou shalt be my friend. I will make of the cloth a robe(13) of honour in memory of thy faithfulness." And the Bey threw a purse of gold upon the table, told his servants to take up the cloth, and went away.

12. The upright young man rose step by step till he became an admiral(14), and he fought the battles of his country as nobly as he sold his master's cloth. The name of Michael Ruyter is still honoured in his native land. And the chief reason why his countrymen love him so much is just this—that in the very face of death he dared to do what was right.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing the words execute, execution, and executioner.

2. Make nouns ending in -ty (like duty) from cruel, honest, loyal, and royal, and give sentences containing them.

3. Make nouns ending in -or (like sailor) from the verbs act, visit, direct, and govern, and give their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Upright, honest; straight forward.

(2) Berth, situation; work.

(3) Bales, bundles.

(4) Laden, loaded

(5) Flinch, shrink; lose courage.

(6) Due, good.

(7) Tyrant, one who rules harshly.

(8) The Bey, a title given to the rulers of some countries.

(9) Bystanders, those standing by or near.

(10) Opposed, went against.

(11) Customers, buyers; those who were in the custom or habit of buying from him.

(12) Executioner, one who executes those sentenced to death.

(13) Robe, garment; dress.

(14) Admiral, commander of a fleet.

50

KILLING A RATTLESNAKE

1. Snakes have no legs to walk with, no wings to fly with, not even fins to swim with. The only bones in their bodies are the backbone and the ribs(1). Their backbone has so many joints that they can turn and twist in all directions, but it is chiefly by means of their ribs that they creep.

2. Other animals have ribs, and when they breathe, their ribs move backwards and forwards a little. The snake can move his ribs almost as freely as if they were little legs inside his skin.

3. The skin on the under side of his body is covered with hard scales. The edges of these scales(2) slope backwards, so that they slide easily over the ground when he moves his ribs forwards. When he moves his ribs backwards, however, the edges of these scales catch hold of the ground, and push or pull his body forward as if they were little feet.

4. There are many different kinds of snakes, most of which live in hot countries. Some of them have a poisonous sting. In pictures of serpents you often see a two-pronged(3) thing, like a little fork, darting out of the open mouth. Many people think that this is the sting of the serpent. But the forked part is only its tongue, and is quite harmless.

5. The real weapons(4) of the serpent are two long teeth, called fangs, in the upper jaw. Each of them is hollow, and has a little bag of poison above it. When the serpent bites an animal, the fang strikes deep into its flesh, while the poison flows down the hollow part into the wound.

6. One of the most dangerous of poisonous serpents is the rattlesnake. It gets its name from the rattling sound made by its tail when it moves. A gentleman, called Winthrop, who travelled by canoe(5) and saddle across North America, tells a story of how a rattlesnake was killed in a curious way.

7. He was at the time riding among the Rocky Mountains(6) with two Indian(7) guides. Suddenly Mr. Winthrop's horse started back from a rattlesnake which lay coiled(8) in the track. The snake glided away into a thick bush. There it stopped and turned to defend itself, with its fangs ready to strike. All the while its tail made a harsh rattling sound, showing that it was in a great rage.

8. In the bush the snake could not easily be reached with a stick, and Mr. Winthrop was about to shoot it, when one of the Indians said that he would show him how to kill the snake. The man took his pipe from the deerskin pouch(9) at his side, removed the stem from the bowl, and passed a stiff stalk of grass through the stem, so that some of the tobacco juice stuck to the point.

9. He crept slowly up to the bush and held the juice-covered end of the straw near the rattlesnake's nose. At once the snake became quiet—watchful, but no longer angry. It seemed to like the smell, and rattled no more. Its tongue moved gently out and in, and when the point of the straw at last touched its nose it was lulled(10) as if to sleep.

10. Then the Indian slowly drew away the straw, and the snake followed it, swaying(11) from side to side. It crept slowly out upon the path, and when the Indian touched its nose with the oily stalk its rattle gave a gentle burr, as if to say, "How nice! This is charming!"

11. At last the other Indian quietly came near. He suddenly drew his keen hunting-knife, and cut off the snake's head at a blow. Long and loud laughed the Indians at their clever trick; and they carried off the body for their supper, seeming to look upon it as a rare tit-bit(12).

WORD SPELLING

WORD SPELLING

1. Make adjectives ending in -ous (like poisonous) from danger, peril, hazard, and marvel, and give their meanings.

2. Write sentences containing the words defend, defender, defence, and defenceless.

3. Make sentences containing hollow as noun, verb, and adjective.

————————————————————

(1) Ribs, the bones which curve round the sides from the back-bone.

(2) Scales, thin plates or flakes.

(3) Pronged, pointed.

(4) Weapons, anything for fighting with.

(5) Canoe, a long, narrow boat.

(6) Rocky Mountains, in the west of North America.

(7) Indian, a native of North America.

(8) Coiled, wound in a ring.

(9) Pouch, bag.

(10) Lulled, soothed.

(11) Swaying, moving.

(12) Tit-bit, choice piece.

51

HELP ONE ANOTHER

1. Every one knows what busy little folks the ants are. Did you ever watch an ants' nest when it had just been disturbed? The little creatures run about so fast that all the earth seems alive with them, and you wonder what they can possibly be doing.

2. But I daresay if London were disturbed by an earthquake(1) as we disturb the ants' nest, and if you could watch the people from a balloon, you would see them running about in as much disorder. An ants' nest often has quite as many inhabitants(2) as London.

3. One day a party of little black ants found some grains(3) of sugar lying on a window-sill. They soon brought their friends, and all of them set to work to carry the sugar off to their nest. Some one who liked to watch these tiny insects had put the food there for them, and he watched the little workers with great interest.

4. When the sugar was all gone, the ants' friend gave them some more; but this time he put it into a bottle, which he hung by a string from the top of the window. Then he caught several ants and put them inside the bottle.

5. Each of them picked up a grain of sugar, and then found its way out of the bottle, and up the string, and down the window-frame(4) to the nest. There they told their friends of the new store of sugar, and soon there was a long stream of ants going to and fro(5) as before.

6. Next day their friend was surprised to find no more ants running down the string to the bottle, though there was quite a crowd of workers on the sill.

7. This was the secret. Inside the bottle some sturdy little fellows were very busy picking up the grains of sugar, and dropping them down to their friends on the sill. Ants can see only a very short distance, so these little toilers were sending the precious grains far out of their sight.

8. But they had found out that this was the way to help the others, and to get the sugar carried home quickly, and so they stayed up there in the bottle, working hard, and throwing the food down out of sight. They were quite sure their friends would find it and take care of it.

9. Patient little ants! Couldn't we copy them sometimes? We are not always contented to work where we are never seen, as the ants did in the bottle, helping other people. Yet perhaps the work would get on much better than when we are running to and fro and making a great fuss about it.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing the words inhabit, inhabitant, and habitation.

2. Make nouns ending in -ce (like patience) from distant, abundant, prudent, and obedient.

3. Make nouns beginning with dis- (like disorder) from pleasure, comfort, obedience, and like, and tell their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Earthquake, a shaking of the earth.

(2) Inhabitants, dwellers.

(3) Grains, small particles.

(4) Window-frame, the wooden spars which hold the glass.

(5) To and fro, backwards and forwards.

52

THE LADY-BIRD AND THE ANT

1. The lady-bird sat in the rose's heart,

And smiled with pride and scorn(1),

As she saw a plainly-dressed ant go by

With a heavy grain of corn.

So she drew the curtains of damask(2) round,

And adjusted(3) her silken vest,

Making her mirror(4) a drop of dew

That lay in the rose's breast.

2. Then she laughed so loud that the ant looked up,

And, seeing her haughty face,

Took no more notice, but travelled on

At the same industrious pace.

But a sudden blast of autumn came,

And rudely(5) swept the ground,

And down the rose with the lady-bird went,

And scattered its leaves around.

3. Then the houseless lady was much amazed,

For she knew not where to go,

And hoarse(6) November's early blast

Had brought with it rain and snow;

Her wings were chilled and her feet were cold,

And she wished for the ant's warm cell, —

And what she did in the wintry storm

I am sure I cannot tell.

LADY-BIRD

4. Lady-bird! lady-bird! fly away home—

The field-mouse has gone to her nest,

The daisies have shut up their sweet sleepy eyes,

And the bees and the birds are at rest.

5. Lady-bird! lady-bird! fly away home—

The glow-worm is lighting her lamp;

The dew's falling fast, and your fine speckled(7) wings

Will be wet with the close-dinging damp.

6. Lady-bird! lady-bird! fly away home—

The fairy bells tinkle afar;

Make haste, or they'll catch you, and harness you fast

With a cobweb(8) to Oberon's car(9).

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of adjectives made by adding -en or -n to nouns (like silken).

2. Write sentences containing rose, rose's, roses, and roses'.

3. Make sentences containing fast as noun, verb, adjective, and adverb.

————————————————————

(1) Scorn, contempt; looking down upon a person.

(2) Damask, cloth with figures woven on it, first made at Damascus.

(3) Adjusted, arranged; put in order.

(4) Mirror, looking-glass.

(5) Rudely, roughly.

(6) Hoarse, harsh.

(7) Speckled, spotted.

(8) Cobweb, a spider's web or net.

(9) Oberon's car, the chariot or carriage of the king of the fairies.

53

A BONE THAT NEEDED BREAKING

1. "Fred, I think I left my spectacles upstairs," said grandpapa.

"Oh dear," began Fred, who always disliked going up and down stairs, unless he wanted something for himself and could not get any one to fetch it for him. But before he finished his sentence, little Lillie had laid her work on the sofa, and, saying, "I'll get them, grandpapa," she was on her way upstairs.

2. "Fred, you forgot to put your tools away," said mamma a little later.

"Oh dear! it's such a bother to put everything away," fretted Fred. "Can't I leave them where they are till to morrow, for I shall want them again?"

"No; I want them put away at once," said mamma, in so firm a tone that Fred knew he must obey.

3. "Oh dear! I never can jearn this long lesson," he grumbled that evening when he sat down to prepare his lesson for the next day. "It's such a lot of work to do."

Dr. Morton had dropped in for a chat with Fred's father, and he looked up as he heard the boy's impatient(1) remark.

4. "What do you think I have been doing to-day, Fred?"

"I don't know," said Fred.

"Breaking a little girl's arm."

"Don't you mean mending it, doctor?" asked Fred, thinking the doctor had made a mistake.

5. "No; I broke it," answered the doctor. "Some time ago this little girl broke her arm, and it was very badly set(2), and has been so stiff ever since that she could not use it.

6. "She makes lace(3) very cleverly, and the money she has earned has been a great help to the family; but since her arm was hurt she has not been able to work at all. We decided(4) to-day that the only way to help the child would be to break her arm again and reset it."

7. "I think I would rather never be able to work at all than have that done to me," exclaimed Fred.

"Why, that's a pity," remarked the doctor, "for I think you have a bone which must be broken very soon if you are to become an active man. I have been intending to mention(5) it to you for some time."

8. Fred turned pale. He was not at all fond of bearing pain.

"Where is the bone?" he asked in a frightened tone. "Will you have to break it?"

"No; I can't very well break it for you," answered the doctor. "You can break it yourself better than any one can do it for you. It is called the lazy bone."

9. "Oh, is that what you mean?" asked Fred, smiling at the doctor's words.

"Yes, my boy, that is the bone I mean, and it is a bone you ought to break very soon if you are ever to be of any use in the world. It will take a pretty strong pull to break it, for it is one of the toughest bones I know anything about; but you can break it if you make the effort, and the sooner you set about it, the easier it will be. Will you try at once?"

10. "Yes, doctor, I will," promised Fred manfully, while his face flushed with shame at the thought that he had already earned the character(6) of a lazy boy.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make adjectives beginning with im- (like impatient) from possible, perfect, prudent, and pure, and give their meanings.

2. Make verbs beginning with mis- (like mistake) from spell, guide, lead, and behave, and give their meanings.

3. Make verbs beginning with re- (like reset) from build, call, pay, and print, and give their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Impatient, hasty; restless.

(2) Set, mended; put into its place.

(3) Lace, ornamental thread-work.

(4) Decided, agreed; made up our minds.

(5) Mention, speak about.

(6) Character, reputation; name.

54

USEFUL GRASSES

I

1. There is no plant more common than grass, and there is none more useful. It has a beauty of its own, too; and though it has no gay flowers, as many other plants have, we never tire of looking at the smooth green carpet which it spreads over our fields and hillsides.

2. If you were asked its use, you would likely answer that it feeds our sheep and cattle; and as their flesh forms part of our food, you might say that we get some of our food from the grass in this roundabout way.

3. We could live without beef(1) or mutton(2). Indeed many people prefer to do so, while many others are so poor that they cannot afford to buy meat. But there is one thing we could not do without, and that is bread. We call it the "staff of life," because it is necessary to support life.

4. Now let us see where this part of our food comes from. Bread is made of flour, flour is made from wheat, wheat is the seed of a plant that grows in the fields, and that plant is really a big kind of grass. So you might say that man is one of the grass-eating animals, might you not?

5. Cattle eat the leaves of grass while it is green and juicy, or they eat hay, which is just the long stems and leaves of grass cut down and dried in the sun. Birds eat the ripe seeds, for the seed contains a great deal of nourishment(3) in very small bulk(4); and we follow the example of the birds.

6. But we do not merely gather the seeds of grass where it happens to grow wild. All over the world for many thousands of years men have sown certain kinds of grass which bear large seeds, and by cultivating(5) them we get larger and better seeds.

7. These grasses are sometimes called grain plants and sometimes cereals(6). In this country there are three grain plants in common use—wheat, barley, and oats. There is a smaller kind, called rye-grass, which is used for making hay, or for pasture(7).

8. Wheat is the largest of these grains. When ripe, it has a long square-shaped head with four rows of seeds. It requires a good soil, and does not grow well in hilly parts of the country.

9. Barley has a more slender stem than wheat, and, when it is ripe, its head bends down in a very pretty curve. The common kind of barley has a long, flat- shaped head with two rows of seeds, and these seeds have each a long spike or beard. For this reason we sometimes speak of it as "bearded barley."

10. It is a much more hardy plant than wheat, and it requires neither so rich a soil nor so warm a climate. It is much grown in Scotland(8) and the northern countries of Europe.

11. Oats is also a hardy grain, much grown in Scotland. The head of oats is quite unlike that of wheat or barley. The seeds do not lie close to the stem, but hang down from it by slender, tough little stalks. It is a beautiful sight to see a field of ripe yellow oats waving in the wind.

12. When these grain-plants are ripe, the seeds become round and hard, and the whole plant changes from green to a golden yellow. They are then cut down by scythes or by reaping-machines, and tied into bundles called sheaves. The sheaves are set up to dry in the sun, and then carted home to the farm and built in large stacks.

13. The seeds are taken off by a threshing(9)-machine or mill, and carried to the flour-mill to be ground into flour or meal. The thin scales which cover the seeds are called chaff, and the long stems are called straw. Straw makes a soft bed for horses and cattle to lie on, and the finer kinds are also used for their food.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the singular of sheaves, wolves, calves, and shelves, and the plural of chief, grief, roof, and gulf.

2. Make sentences containing stalk and stack, talk and tack, stem and steam.

3. Write the past in -ed (like dried) of cry, supply, dye, and die.

————————————————————

(1) Beef, the flesh of oxen.

(2) Mutton, the flesh of sheep.

(3) Nourishment, support; means of living.

(4) Bulk, size.

(5) Cultivating, growing.

(6) Cereals, grains used for food.

(7) pasture, food for cattle.

(8) Scotland, the northern part of Great Britain.

(9) Threshing, beating out.

55

USEFUL GRASSES

II

1. Rice is a grain-plant which grows in warm countries such as India and China. Many of the people in India live on rice. They do not use beef or mutton, as they think it wrong to kill animals for food.

2. The head of the rice-plant is a little like oats, only the seeds are closer together. The fields where it is grown must be covered with water at certain times of the year. This makes work in the rice-fields very unhealthy.

3. A good deal of rice is used in this country for various purposes, either in whole grains or ground into flour. It is brought chiefly from India and the eastern parts of Asia.

4. Millet is another grain which is much used in India, even more than rice. We sometimes use it for feeding birds in cages. It is hot a large plant, but its head carries a very great number of seeds. When ground(1) and mixed with wheat flour, it forms a very good kind of bread.

5. Maize or Indian corn is the largest of all the grasses which are grown for the sake of their seeds. It was formerly(2) called Turkish(3) wheat, because it was much used by the people of Turkey. But America is the country where it is most cultivated. It was used by the natives or American Indians, and so we now call it Indian corn.

6. Maize often grows to the height of twelve feet or more, and the heads or cobs are sometimes nearly a foot long and two or three inches thick. It is planted in rows or in "hills," far enough apart to allow the farmer to pass between them and hoe(4) the ground to keep it clear of weeds.

7. Maize is used for food in many different ways. Sometimes the heads are cooked and eaten while green. When it is ripe, the seeds are ground down into meal or flour, and made into various kinds of cakes and puddings. In this country we use it chiefly in the form of corn-flour.

8. American boys and girls are fond of "pop-corn". To make this, the grains of maize are put into a little wire basket and heated over a fire until they "pop" or burst their husk(5), showing the white floury kernel(6).

9. There is a still larger grass than maize, which we all find very useful in food, though we do not use its seeds. That is the well-known sugar-cane, from whose sweet juice we get most of our sugar. Most grasses have hollow stems, but the stem of the sugar-cane is filled with a soft pulp(7), from which a sweet juice is squeezed out.

10. But we have still to speak of the tallest of all the grasses—a grass so tall that it might almost be called a tree. It is not used for food, but it is a very useful plant in many ways. It is called the bamboo.

11. You have seen bamboo canes or walking-sticks, and you may know how hard and strong, and yet how light they are. These sticks are made from small bamboo plants. The bamboo sometimes grows to be eighty or a hundred feet high, and more than a foot thick.

12. Its hard, hollow stern is used for hundreds of purposes in the countries where it grows, such as building houses and bridges, making water-pipes, pitchers and dishes, masts for boats, spears, and almost every sort of thing which we would make of wood or even of iron in this country.

13. There are other grasses which might be mentioned, but these are the best-known kinds. Do you not see from what has been said that grasses are our most useful plants? We use many fruits and vegetables as well; but with these cereals, and with the help of the sugar-cane, we could live very well. Indeed we might say that these grasses supply us with all the food we need, and that everything else is more or less a luxury(8).

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing the verbs grown, ground, eaten, and made in the present (like grows).

2. Make sentences containing flower, flour, flowery, and floury.

3. Write a list of compound words ending in -thing (like everything).

————————————————————

(1) Ground, crushed into a powder.

(2) Formerly, long ago; in former time.

(3) Turkish, belonging to Turkey, a country partly in Europe and partly in Asia.

(4) Hoe, clear away the weeds. A hoe is an instrument for cutting up weeds and loosening the earth.

(5) Husk, shell.

(6) Kernel, the inside part, or "meat," of a nut.

(7) Pulp, soft substance.

(8) Luxury, something more than in needed.

56

GIVING

1. Lady rose, lady rose,

In your fragrant(1) furbelows(2),

You give the wind sweet messages

Whichever way it blows;

You send them to the stranger,

You send them to your friend,

From out your store of treasure

Sweet gifts to all you send.

2. Little bird, little bird,

As you sing upon your bough,

A hundred hearts are happier

That you are singing now.

If the sun is shining brightly,

Or is hiding in a cloud,

You give the world your sweetest songs

And sing them brave and loud.

3. Merry brook, merry brook,

Gaily(3) dance upon your way;

How could a thirsty birdling(4) trill(5)

Its songs so sweet and gay, —

How could the rose have heart(6) to bloom

Were you not here to-day?

Oh, blessings on you, merry brook,

As you dance along your way!

4. Precious girls, precious boys,

Know you not that you possess

More than rose, or bird, or brook—

Gifts of cheer and loveliness?

Thoughts and words and deeds of love

Be you always freely giving,

And the world and all who know you

Will be richer for your living.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing treasure (as noun and verb), treasury, and treasurer.

2. Write the present in -ing (like shining) of the verbs hide, dance, die, and tie.

3. Give the verbs from which the nouns thought, deed gift, and song are obtained.

————————————————————

(1) Fragrant, sweet-smelling.

(2) Furbelows, fringes; borders.

(3) Gaily, merrily; joyfully.

(4) Birdling, young bird.

(5) Trill, sing.

(6) Heart, spirit; activity.

57

THE HOUSE I LIVE IN

1. What a wonderful thing our body is! It is far more skilfully formed than any machine that man ever made. How many things the hand can do, for example! It can hold a pen or pencil, or a ball or a cricket bat. It can pull a rope or thread a needle, or do hundreds of other things for me.

2. Look at the black-smith(1), how easily he wields(2) his heavy hammer, and how firmly his hand grasps the handle. This shows how strong the hand is, and how well it can do heavy work for us.

3. Look at the blind man, how cleverly his hand moves about among the things he is working with. His fingers are his eyes, and by gently touching anything he knows all about it almost as well as if he were looking at it. His books are printed in raised letters, and by feeling these letters he reads with his fingers almost as well as you can do with your eyes.

4. This wonderful body of mine is the house in which I live. It is not me, it is only my house. This house has five gates, through which messages from the outside world can get in to me. There is Eye Gate, and Ear Gate, and Nose Gate, and Taste Gate, and Touch Gate. All my knowledge of the things around me has come in through these five gates.

5. This house of mine has, in its lower story(3), a kitchen called the stomach, where the food is cooked (or "digested," as we call it) and prepared for being mixed with the blood. In the story above, there is a great pump, the heart, which sends the blood through the house, to keep it warm and in good repair(4).

6. Then in the top story, or the head, is the room where I, the master or mistress of the house, live. It is my part to keep everything right in my house, and to see that nothing goes out of order.

7. The wise master or mistress of a house will take care of it. When people are young, they do not know how to do this, and they are not fit to have a house of their own. But they learn many things about it at school and at home. A boy learns to work for his house when he is a man, and a girl learns to keep a house in order.

8. It is exactly the same with the body—the house in which each of us dwells. We must learn all we can about this house, and what we should do to keep it right. We must learn how to keep the body in good health; we must find out what is bad for it and what is good, that we may keep from the one and seek the other.

9. By heeding(5) these lessons, we may hope to grow up into strong and healthy men and women. Good health will cheer us, and make all our work easy and pleasant. Let us learn, then, some of the lessons which are needed in order to keep ourselves in good health.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the singular of ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.

2. Write a list of nouns ending in -smith (like black-smith).

3. Write the past of the verbs holds, dwells, reads, has, and gives (like held).

————————————————————

(1) Black-smith, a man who works in iron.

(2) Wields, handles; works.

(3) Story, flat; floor.

(4) Repair, good order.

(5) Heeding, paying attention to.

58

KEEP THE BODY CLEAN

1. The first lesson on health that I have to learn is this—I must keep my body clean. At school a boy will sometimes be seen with dirty hands or a dirty face. This should never be. It is a disgrace to the boy, and a disgrace to his school.

2. We should never be seen with dirty hands, dirty nails, or a dirty face. All should be kept clean and tidy. But that is not enough. The parts of the body that are covered with clothes also need to be washed.

3. Most of the dirt that gathers on the body comes not from the outside but from the inside of the body. The skin is full of little pores. These are the mouths of short pipes, which run from the flesh out through the skin. You can see them in this picture, which shows a little bit of the skin, cut through from the inside to the outside, and very much enlarged(1). These pores are like tiny windows in the walls of our house, the body.

4. When we open a window, it lets in fresh air and lets out foul(2) air. This is just what the pores do. They breathe in fresh air like little lungs(3), and they allow bad air and moisture to get out. If the skin is not kept clean by frequent(4) washing, the little pores become filled up, and cannot do their work. In this way the health is injured.

5. In a warm summer day we perspire more freely than in a cold day. We also perspire freely when we run a race or play at football or at cricket. When we cool down, some of the perspiration dries on the skin, and there it remains till it is washed away.

6. If the skin is kept clean, the pores do their work day and night. They are outlets for what would be hurtful to the body. But nothing can pass through them if they are choked(5) up with dirt. So we must keep the skin clean, or the health is sure to suffer.

7. Once upon a time a king was coming to visit a certain town, and the people went out to meet him, dressed in many kinds of gay and curious dresses, so as to amuse their great visitor. They took a little boy and covered his skin all over with thin leaves of gold, so that ho might look like a golden boy.

8. No doubt he looked very pretty, but he turned ill and died before the gilding(6) could be removed. All the pores of his skin were closed up by the gold, and it soon caused his death.

9. Water is useful for a great many purposes. It is good to drink, and it is good to wash with. Soap is also cheap and plentiful. Water and soap are all that is needed to keep the skin clean and ready for its work, and every one can get as much of these things as he requires.

10. In Holland there is a village which is said to be the cleanest in the world. The houses inside and outside, the streets and everything about the place, are kept in a state of spotless cleanliness.

11. Women wearing clumsy wooden shoes may be seen scrubbing the outsides of their houses and squirting water on the windows to keep them clean. We should be like these Dutch people(7), in keeping that wonderful house the body clean. It is only by frequent washing of the whole body that we can keep in good health.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make nouns ending in -ness (like cleanliness) from the adjectives happy, tidy, full, and hurtful.

2. Make nouns ending in -ation (like perspiration) from the verbs admire, invite, examine, and visit.

3. Write sentences containing disgrace and washing as nouns and as verbs.

————————————————————

(1) Enlarged, made larger.

(2) Foul, impure; bad.

(3) Lungs, organs by which we breathe.

(4) Frequent, repeated; often.

(5) Choked, filled up.

(6) Gilding, gold laid on in thin layers.

(7) Dutch people, people belonging to Holland.

59

FRESH AIR

1. The second health lesson I have to learn is this—I must breathe fresh air. If a man cannot get air to breathe, he will die in a few seconds. But that is not all: if the air he breathes is not pure airs, it is of no use, and it will soon poison him.

2. Why do we need to breathe at all? Because the air contains(1) a gas called oxygen, and a constant supply of this gas must be taken into the blood, or else we cannot remain in good health. When we breathe, the air passes through the nostrils(2) or the mouth, down into the lungs, and there it meets with the blood, which also flows through the lungs.

3. When passing through the lungs the blood runs through very small thin tubes(3), so thin that the oxygen of the air passes freely through them to the blood; but they are strong enough to keep the blood in its proper place. And as the oxygen gas passes inwards to the blood, another gas, which has to be got rid of, passes outwards from the blood, and is breathed out into the air.

4. Thus the air we breathe out is different from the air we breathe in. It has lost the gas which is necessary for our life and health, and it contains a gas which is hurtful to us. To breathe this air over again would be useless, as it contains too little oxygen, and would also be hurtful, as it contains a gas which has already been thrown off by the body.

5. If I live in a room that does not get fresh air, the air in it will soon become close and bad, because every time I breathe I take some of the oxygen out of it. If a lighted candle is put under a glass bell so that no air can get in, it soon burns up all the oxygen, and then it goes out.

6. If a small animal, such as a bird or a rabbit, is put under a similar(4) bell, it uses up all the oxygen, and the rest of the air is of no use to it. In a few minutes it becomes faint(5); it is unable to stand up, and unless it gets fresh air, it will soon die.

7. Once, in a storm, the captain of a ship made all the passengers go down below. There they were crowded into a small cabin(6), with only one small window, or port-hole, to let in fresh air. All night long the ship plunged deep into the waves, and the port-hole had to be firmly closed, so that no air could get in.

8. The passengers struggled and cried for help, but in the storm their cries were not heard on deck, where the captain and his men were battling with the storm. In the morning the storm was past, but when the cabin was opened two of the passengers were found dead. The bad air had poisoned them.

9. You may also have heard the story of the Black Hole of Calcutta(7), where one hundred and forty-six English prisoners were shut up in a small cell. They could not get enough air to breathe, and in the morning a hundred and twenty-three of them were found dead.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing cell and sell, past and passed, hole and whole.

2. Write un- before the adjectives well, healthy, able, and faithful, and give the meanings of the compound words.

3. Make sentences containing the words poison (noun), poisoned, and poisonous.

————————————————————

(1) Contains, has in it.

(2) Nostrils, the openings of the nose.

(3) Tubes, long, narrow pipes.

(4) Similar, of the same kind.

(5) Faint, very weak.

(6) Cabin, a room on board ship.

(7) Calcutta, a large city in the north-east of India.

60

EXERCISE

1. The third health lesson I have to learn is this—I must take plenty of exercise. To make the body strong we must use it. The parts that are most used become the strongest, and those we use least will be the weakest.

2. The arms of the blacksmith are very strong because he uses them so much. Ours are weaker than his because we use them so much less. The man who works at healthful labour becomes strong, while the idle man becomes weak.

3. The boy who works and plays in the open air grows strong and healthy, but the boy who sits indoors and does not take exercise grows up to be a weak and unhealthy man. It is best to take our exercise in the open air and the sun-light.

4. Games, like football and cricket, are good for boys. There are also plenty of pleasant outdoor games for girls. When no game can be played, a brisk walk in the open air is quite as good. Brisk(1) walking is one of the easiest and best of exercises, both for boys and for girls.

5. But there are some things we should avoid(2) when taking exercise. We should not work or play too long without resting. We should not try to do things that are beyond our strength. When exercise is too violent, it does harm rather than good.

6. A king, who was feeble(3) and ill because of idleness, asked medicine from his doctor. The doctor was wiser than the king, and knew that it was not medicine but healthful exercise that he needed.

7. He might have told him that it was his own laziness which had injured his health. But he knew very well that the king would not believe this, and he was very much afraid of making him angry.

8. The doctor therefore brought the king two heavy clubs of a strange kind of wood, and told him that these clubs held the medicine for his cure.

9. The doctor told him that he must grasp them by the handles and swing them about till his hands became moist from the exercise, and this moisture would make the medicine act. He obeyed the faithful doctor, and each day he might be seen in the open air at certain hours, working manfully with his magic clubs.

10. His muscles(4) grew strong, his health improved, and he greatly praised the medicine of his clubs and the wisdom of his good doctor. The king never learned from his faithful servant that the clubs were nothing but wood, and that the secret of their wonderful cure was found not in the clubs but in his own healthful exercise with them.

11. Clubs of this sort are often used by boys and young men, and girls also, to make their hands and arms strong. We call them Indian clubs. Dumb-bells(5), made of wood or of iron, are also used for the same purpose. In many of our schools, the children get drill with dumbbells or Indian clubs, to help in making their bodies healthy and strong.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the superlative form, in -est (like strongest), of the adjectives healthy, feeble, gay, and mad.

2. Write sentences containing walking as noun, verb, and adjective.

3. Write sentences containing quite, quiet, and quit.

————————————————————

(1) Brisk, smart; quick.

(2) Avoid, be careful not to do; keep from.

(3) Feeble, weak.

(4) Muscles, the fleshy parts of the body.

(5) Dumb-bells, weights held and swung in the hands.

61

POETRY FOR RECITATION

HANG UP THE BABY'S STOCKING

1. Hang up the baby's stocking;

Be sure you don't forget.

The dear little dimpled darling!

She ne'er saw Christmas yet;

But I've told her all about it,

And she opened her big blue eyes,

And I'm sure she understands it,

She looked so funny and wise.

2. Dear! what a tiny stocking!

It doesn't take much to hold

Such little pink toes as baby's,

And keep them from frost and cold.

But then for the baby's Christmas

It never will do at all;

Why, Santa Claus wouldn't be looking

For anything half so small!

3. I know what we'll do for the baby—

I've thought of the very best plan—

I'll borrow a stocking of grandma's,

The longest that ever I can;

And you'll hang it by mine, dear mother

Up here in the corner, so,

And write a letter to Santa,

And fasten it on to the toe.

4. Write, "This is the baby's stocking

That hangs in the corner here;

You never have seen her, Santa,

For she only came this year;

But she's just the dearest baby—

And now, before you go,

You must cram her stocking with presents,

From the top right down to the toe."

THE BOY FOR ME

1. His cap is old,

But his hair is gold,

And his face is as clear as the sky;

And whoever he meets

In lanes or in streets,

He looks him straight in the eye.

2. With a manly pride,

Having nothing to hide,

He bows with an air polite,

As the knight so bold

In the days of old,

And his smile is swift as light.

3. Does his mother call?

No kite or ball,

Nor the merriest game, can stay

His eager feet

As he hastes to meet,

Whatever she has to say.

4. And the teachers depend

On this little friend;

At school in his place at nine,

With his lessons learned

And his good marks earned,

All ready to toe the line.

5. I wonder if you

Have seen him, too,

This boy who is not too tall

For a morning kiss

From mother and sis,

Yet the manliest boy of all.

6. Gentle and strong,

And the whole day long

As merry as boy can be;

A gentleman, dears,

In the coming years,

And at present THE BOY FOR ME.

LUCY GRAY

1. Oft I had heard of Lucy Gray;

And, when I crossed the wild,

I chanced to see, at break of day,

The solitary child.

2. No mate, no comrade Lucy knew;

She dwelt on a wide moor, —

The sweetest thing that ever grew

Beside a human door!

3. You yet may spy the fawn at play,

The hare upon the green;

But the sweet face of Lucy Gray

Will never more be seen.

4. "To-night will be a stormy night—

You to the town must go;

And take a lantern, child, to light

Your mother through the snow." —

5. "That, father, will I gladly do!

'Tis scarcely afternoon—

The minster clock has just struck two,

And yonder is the moon!"

6. At this the father raised his hook,

And snapped a fagot-band;

He plied his work; —and Lucy took

The lantern in her hand.

7. Not blither is the mountain roe:

With many a wanton stroke

Her feet disperse the powdery snow

That rises up like smoke.

8. The storm came on before its time:

She wandered up and down;

And many a hill did Lucy climb,

But never reached the town!

9. The wretched parents all that night

Went shouting far and wide;

But there was neither sound nor sight

To serve them for a guide.

10. At day-break on a hill they stood,

That overlooked the moor;

And thence they saw the bridge of wood,

A furlong from their door.

11. They wept, and, turning homeward, cried,

"In heaven we all shall meet!" —

When in the snow the mother spied

The print of Lucy's feet!

12. Then downward from the steep hill's edge

They tracked the foot-marks small;

And through the broken hawthorn hedge,

And by the long stone wall;

13. And then an open field they crossed—

The marks were still the same;

They tracked them on, nor ever lost,

And to the bridge they came.

14. They followed from the snowy bank

Those fool-marks, one by one,

Into the middle of the plank;

And further there were none! —

15. Yet some maintain that to this day

She is a living child;

That you may see sweet Lucy Gray

Upon the lonesome wild.

16. O'er rough and smooth she trips along,

And never looks behind;

And sings a solitary song

That whistles in the wind.

TRY AGAIN

1. King Bruce of Scotland flung himself down,

In a lonely mood to think;

True he was a monarch, and wore a crown,

ut his heart was beginning to sink.

2. For he had been trying to do a great deed,

To make his people glad;

He had tried and tried, but could not succeed,

And so he became quite sad.

3. He flung himself down in low despair,

As grieved as man could be;

And after a while, as he pondered there,

"I'll give it all up," said he.

4. Now just at the moment a spider dropped,

With its silken cobweb clew;

And the king in the midst of his thinking stopped

To see what the spider would do.

5. 'Twas a long way up to the ceiling dome,

And it hung by a rope so fine,

That how it Would get to its cobweb home

King Bruce could not divine.

6. It soon began to cling and crawl

Straight up with strong endeavour;

But down it came with a slipping sprawl,

As near to the ground as ever.

7. Up, up it ran, nor a second did stay,

To utter the least complaint,

Till it fell still lower; and there it lay

A little dizzy and faint.

8. Its head grew steady—again it went,

And travelled a half-yard higher;

'Twas a delicate thread it had to tread,

And a road where its feet would tire.

9. Again it fell, and swung below;

But again it quickly mounted,

Till up and down, now fast, now slow,

Six brave attempts were counted.

10. "Sure," cried the king, "that foolish thing

Will strive no more to climb,

When it toils so hard to reach and cling,

And tumbles every time."

11. But up the insect went once more, —

Ah me! 'tis an anxious minute

He's only a foot from his cobweb door, —

Oh, say, will he lose or win it?

12. Steadily, steadily, inch by inch,

Higher and higher he got,

And a bold little run at the very last pinch

Put him into his native cot.

13. "Bravo! bravo!" the king cried out;

"All honour to those who try!

The spider up there defied despair;

He conquered, and why should not I?"

14. And Bruce of Scotland braced his mind,

And gossips tell the tale,

That he tried once more as he tried before

And that time did not fail.

15. Pay goodly heed, all ye who read,

And beware of saying, "I can't;"

'Tis a cowardly word, and apt to lead

To idleness, folly, and want.

16. Whenever you find your heart despair

Of doing some goodly thing,

Con over this strain, try bravely again,

And remember the spider and king.

THE HOMES OF ENGLAND

1. The stately homes of England!

How beautiful they stand,

Amidst their tall ancestral trees,

O'er all the pleasant land!

The deer across their greensward bound

Through shade and sunny gleam;

And the swan glides by them with the sound

Of some rejoicing stream.

2. The merry homes of England!

Around their hearths, by night,

What gladsome looks of household love

Meet in the ruddy light!

There woman's voice flows forth in song,

Or childhood's tale is told,

Or lips move tunefully along

Some glorious page of old.

3. The blessed homes of England!

How softly on their bowers

Is laid the holy quietness

That breathes from Sabbath hours!

Solemn, yet sweet, the church-bell's chime

Floats through their woods at morn;

All other sounds, in that still time,

Of breeze and leaf are born.

4. The cottage homes of England!

By thousands on her plains,

They are smiling o'er the silvery brooks

And round the hamlet fanes.

Through glowing orchards forth they peep,

Each from its nook of leaves;

And fearless there the lowly sleep,

As the bird beneath the eaves.

5. The free, fair homes of England!

Long, long, in hut and hall,

May hearts of native proof be reared,

To guard each hallowed wall!

And green for ever be the groves,

And bright the flowery sod,

Where first the child's glad spirit loves

Its country and its God.

THE GRAVES OF A HOUSEHOLD

1. They grew in beauty, side by side,

They filled one home with glee, —

Their graves are severed far and wide,

By mount, and stream, and sea!

2. The same fond mother bent at night

O'er each fair sleeping brow,

She had each folded flower in sight, —

Where are those dreamers now?

3. One, 'midst the forests of the West,

By a dark stream is laid—

The Indian knows his place of rest,

Far in the cedar shade.

4. The sea, the blue lone sea, hath one—

He lies where pearls lie deep;

He was the loved of all, yet none

O'er his low bed may weep.

5. One sleeps where southern vines are dressed

Above the noble slain;

He wrapped his colours round his breast,

On a blood-red field of Spain.

6. And one—o'er her the myrtle showers

Its leaves, by soft winds fanned;

She faded 'midst Italian flowers—

The last of that bright band.

7. And, parted thus, they rest who played

Beneath the same green tree;

Whose voices mingled as they prayed

Around one parent knee.

8. They that with smiles lit up the hall,

And cheered with song the hearth—

Alas for love, if thou wert all,

And naught beyond, O Earth!

CONTENTS

01　FINGERS AND FORKS

02　THE SNOWY OWL

03　A STORY OF FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

04　COMMON THINGS

05　THE WONDERFUL PENNY

06　A SLATE-PENCIL

07　LITTLE SCOTCH GRANITE

08　MY LITTLE HERO

09　THE LOBSTER

10　KEEP YOUR TEMPER

11　HOW FILIPPE'S COW WAS SAVED

12　TWO SURPRISES

13　TOO MANY DOLLS

14　THE BRAVE LITTLE SHEPHERD

15　PENGUINS

16　A HINDU FABLE

17　VIENNA ROLLS

18　THE EMPEROR'S WATCH

19　OUR YARD MEASURE AND OUR POUND WEIGHT

20　A SERMON

21　SMOKE

22　MATCHES

23　JACK AND THE MATCH-BOX

24　"IT WILL NEVER DO TO BE IDLE."

25　AN OSTRICH FARM

26　BIRD-HOUSES

27　A NEST IN A POCKET

28　THE FEAST OF CHERRIES

29　BANANAS

30　WEATHER-WISDOM

31　SUMMER

32　THE LIFE OF PLANTS

33　SOWING SEEDS

34　THE MEETING OF THE SHIPS

35　HOW THE "SHARON" WAS SAVED

36　ARMOURED ANIMALS

37　THE SLOTH

38　THE SENTINEL'S POUCH

39　ICELAND

40　KING HACON'S LAST BATTLE

41　FIRELAND

42　HOW CARL SAVED HIS FATHER'S LIFE

43　OLD THINGS MADE NEW

44　QUESTIONS

45　THE COTTON PLANT

46　SAMUEL CROMPTON, THE COTTON-SPINNER

47　HOW ROOKS DECAY

48　LITTLE BY LITTLE

49　SIFTING BOYS

50　THE LIFE OF A FLY

51　OUR WILD BEES

52　FAR, FAR UPON THE SEA

53　A STORY WITHOUT AN END

54　A NATION OF SOLDIERS (I)

55　A NATION OF SOLDIERS (II)

56　ANCIENT SONG OF VICTORY

57　THE FRAME-WORK OF THE BODY (I)

58　THE FRAME-WORK OF THE BODY (II)

59　MUSCLE

60　THE SKIN

61　POETRY FOR RECITATION

返回总目录

01

FINGERS AND FORKS

1. Queen Elizabeth(1) of England was a very grand lady, and fond of fine clothes and of jewels. If you had been asked to dine with her, you would have met lords and ladies in gay dresses. You would have seen upon the table dishes of silver and of gold, as well as rich and curious china from abroad; for we had not then begun to make fine china-ware in this country. But one thing would have struck you as very strange—that the great queen and all the fine lords and ladies of her court(2) ate their meat with their fingers!

2. Alfred the Great(3) and William the Conqueror(4), and all the kings and queens before her time, had done the same. None of them had ever seen forks, and Queen Elizabeth had seen only a few which had been brought to her from Italy. There was one of crystal(5), another of gold, and still another of coral. But the queen had never seen one used, and hardly knew what they were for.

3. Yet although these lords and ladies had no forks, they were as dainty(6) and careful in their manner of eating as the great people of our own day. They had knives and they had fingers, and with these they managed very well. We learn how they did it from their old books on good manners. In the first place, every person must wash his hands before beginning the meal; and even if he had just done this in private, he must do so again on sitting down at table.

4. Before the meat was brought to the table, it was prepared(7) so that it could be easily laid hold of with the fingers. If stewed, as was nearly always the case, it was in little bits; if roasted, it was cut in slices by a carver, and placed on the table in large plates.

5. When helping himself, each person had to choose and keep a certain part of the dish for his own. He helped himself daintily from this place, using only three fingers; afterwards in carrying the food to the mouth—which, of course, was done with the hand—the same three fingers were used.

6. Of course all this soiled the hands, and, at various times during the meal, bowls of perfumed(8) water and napkins were handed round, and no one must refuse to wash. This old custom of handing round a silver bowl or dish of rose-water is still sometimes seen.

7. After a while forks slowly began to come into use. Great ladies kept them in their rooms to eat comfits(9) with, and to toast bread; and in course of time they brought them to the table.

8. At first there was a feeling against the use of forks, chiefly because they came from abroad; and the first few persons who dared to use them were laughed at. The habit spread very slowly in England, even after it had become common in other countries.

9. For a long time, however, it was only among the rich that forks were used. Until about a hundred years ago, travellers used to carry knives and forks when they went on a long journey, for they could never be sure of finding them at the inns(10) on the road.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the meaning of the words jewel, jeweller, and jewellery, and make sentences containing them.

2. Make sentences containing the words China and china.

3. Make adverbs in -ly (like daintily) from easy, steady, angry, and pretty.

————————————————————

(1) Queen Elizabeth, began to reign 1558, died 1603.

(2) Court, household.

(3) Alfred the Great, began to reign 871, died 901.

(4) William the Conqueror, began to reign 1066, died 1087.

(5) Crystal, fine glass.

(6) Dainty, neat; hard to please.

(7) Prepared, made ready.

(8) Perfumed, scented.

(9) Comfits, sweetmeats; confectionery.

(10) Inns, places where food and lodging may be had; hotels.

02

THE SNOWY OWL

1. The snowy owl lives in cold northern countries like Norway, Sweden(1), Russia(2), and the north of America. It is sometimes seen in the Orkney and Shetland Islands.

2. The young bird is thickly spotted with brown, but as time goes on the brown colour disappears, and it becomes pure white, like most animals that live in the snowy North. Hares, foxes, and bears in those lands have white fur, while those that live farther south are brown or some other dark colour.

3. All these animals are well fitted for living among snow and ice. White is the warmest colour, and this helps them to stand the great cold of the "frozen North". White, too, is the colour of the snow; so a white covering helps the smaller animals to escape the notice of their enemies, while it helps the larger ones to get near their prey without being seen.

4. The snowy owl of the North is a bold fellow, and hunts by day as well as by night—looking for hares and rabbits, catching fish, and killing great numbers of small birds as well as of rats and mice.

5. It is very amusing to see him fishing—standing on a rock or a piece of ice, with the freezing water flowing over his feet and legs. Every now and then he makes a stroke at a fish as it passes him, and he seldom misses his aim. He does not seize his prey with his beak, as seabirds do when fishing, but with a swift grasp of his claw.

6. Yet his feet do not freeze, as you might think, for they are well protected(3). They are not bare like those of other birds, but are covered down to the very toes with warm downy(4) feathers, so thick that they make his legs look as large as those of a good-sized dog.

7. The eyes of the snowy owl are also well fitted for life in the far North. Most owls have big round eyes, and can see in the dark as well as a cat; but in strong sunlight they are blinded by the glare(5), and can hardly see at all. They sleep during the day, and hunt after the sun has gone down.

8. When this owl is caught and put into a cage, he does not sit on his perch or hide away in the dark corners during the daytime, as other owls do. He often comes down to the ground, and remains near the front of his prison even in broad daylight; for he can see as well in daylight as in the dusk(6).

9. You perhaps know that near the Poles(7) the sun never sets for some weeks during summer, and that it never rises for the same length of time in winter. Now, if the snowy owl could not hunt in the day time, he would starve during these summer days of constant sunshine. During winter, again, he has to hunt in the dark.

10. His eyes are large and of a bright yellow colour. In the daytime they shine with a light like that of a gem(8), and, surrounded by the snowy-white feathers, they give him a bold and fierce look; but at night they glow like living coals of fire.

11. One night a snowy owl settled on the rigging(9) of a ship to rest and sleep, and as he sat there unnoticed, a young sailor went aloft to do some work. The owl was wakened by the sailor, and as the large burning eyes suddenly opened close to the sailor's face, he turned and made his way down to the deck much faster than he had come up, declaring that he had seen a ghost.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make verbs in dis- (like disappear) from please, like, arrange, and mount, and give their meanings.

2. Make sentences containing each of these words as a noun and as a verb: prey, notice, stroke, perch.

3. Give a list of compound words formed from day (like daytime), with their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Norway, Sweden, These countries form the Scandinavian Peninsula, in the north-west of Europe.

(2) Russia, a large country in the north and east of Europe.

(3) Protected, covered; guarded.

(4) Downy, soft, like down.

(5) Glare, dazzling light.

(6) Dusk, twilight; between light and darkness.

(7) The Poles, the North Pole and the South Pole; the farthest north and the farthest south point of the Earth.

(8) Gem, a precious stone.

(9) Rigging, ropes that support the masts of a ship.

03

A STORY OF FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

1. When Florence Nightingale was a very little girl, and living in a village in Derbyshire, everybody noticed how kind she was to other people and to animals. Every person and every animal loved her; she even made friends with the shy squirrels.

2. There lived near the village an old shepherd named Roger, who had a favourite sheep-dog called Cap. One day Florence was out riding with a friend, and she saw Roger feeding his sheep. But Cap was not there, and the sheep were running about in all directions. Florence and her friend stopped to ask the shepherd what had become of his dog.

3. "Oh," he replied, "Cap will never be of any more use to me. He will have to be killed."

"Killed!" said Florence. "O Roger, how wicked of you to say so! What has poor old Cap done?"

4. "He has done nothing," replied Roger; "but a cruel boy threw a stone at him yesterday, and broke one of his legs." And the old shepherd wiped away the tears which filled his eyes. "Poor Cap!" he said, "he was as knowing as a human being."

5. Florence and her friend rode on to the shepherd's cottage, and went in to see the poor dog. When the little girl called him "poor Cap", he began to wag his tail. Then he crawled from under the table, and lay down at her feet. She took hold of one of his paws, patted his rough head, and talked to him while her friend examined the injured(1) leg.

6. It was badly swollen, and it hurt him very much to have it touched; but though he moaned(2) with pain, he licked the hands that were hurting him, for he knew that it was meant kindly.

7. "It's only a bad bruise(3), no bones broken," said Florence's friend. "Rest is all Cap needs; he will soon be well again."

"I am so glad!" said Florence. "But can we do nothing for him? he seems in such pain."

"Plenty of hot water to bathe his leg would both ease the pain and help to cure him."

8. Florence lighted the fire, got ready some hot water, and began to bathe the poor dog's leg. It was not long before he began to feel less pain, and he tried to show his thanks by his looks and by wagging his tail.

9. On their way back they met the old shepherd coming slowly homewards.

"O Roger!" cried Florence, "you are not to lose poor old Cap. We have found that his leg is not broken after all."

"Well, I am very glad to hear it," said the old man; "and many thanks to you for going to see him."

10. The next morning Florence was up early to bathe Cap's leg, and she found it much better. The following day she bathed it again, and in two or three days the old dog was able to look after the flock again.

11. This happened many years ago, and that kindhearted little girl grew up to be the kindest and bravest of women. She spent her youth in learning how to nurse the sick, and how to manage hospitals(4).

12. During the Crimean(5) War she went out at the head of a band of trained nurses to take care of our wounded soldiers, who were very badly off for want of proper care and good hospitals. She soon had ten thousand sick men to look after, and she could scarcely find time for rest or sleep. At one time her hard work made her very ill.

13. Florence Nightingale did a great deal to improve our hospitals at home. Her whole life was nobly spent in helping the sick, and especially those who are poor.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make nouns from injure, manage, and examine, and give their meanings.

2. Give a list of words in -wards (like homewards).

3. Make sentences containing the words bath, bathe, and bather.

————————————————————

(1) Injured, hurt.

(2) Moaned, groaned; made a low sound of pain.

(3) Bruise, hurt; the mark of a blow.

(4) Hospitals, places where the sick are cared for.

(5) Crimean War (1854-56), fought by England, France, and Turkey on the one hand, and Russia on the other, in the Crimea, a peninsula in the south of Russia.

04

COMMON THINGS

1. The sunshine is a glorious thing

That comes alike to all,

Lighting the peasant's(1) lonely cot(2),

The noble's painted(3) hall.

2. The moonlight is a gentle thing;

It through the window gleams(4)

Upon the snowy pillow where

The happy infant dreams.

3. It shines upon the fisher's boat,

Out on the lonely sea,

And where the little lambkins(5) lie,

Beneath the old oak tree.

4. The dewdrops on the summer morn

Like diamonds(6) deck(7) the grass;

The village children brush them off,

That through the meadows pass.

5. Blithe(8) robin on the pear-tree sings

Beside the cottage door;

The heath(9)-flower fills the air with sweets

Upon the pathless moor(10).

6. There are as many lovely things,

As many pleasant tones(11),

For those who sit by cottage hearths

As those who sit on thrones.

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Peasant, countryman; poor man.

(2) Cot, cottage.

(3) Painted hall, grand house.

(4) Gleams, shines.

(5) Lambkins, young lambs.

(6) Diamonds, the hardest and most precious stones.

(7) Deck, adorn; make beautiful.

(8) Blithe, happy; gay.

(9) Heath, a small plant with purple or white flowers growing on waste ground.

(10) Moor, a large stretch of uncultivated ground.

(11) Tones, notes; voices.

05

THE WONDERFUL PENNY

1. A new gold guinea(1) and a new copper penny fresh from the Mint(2) lay side by side on the counter of a bank one day. Said the proud gold piece to the penny, "Get out of my way; you are only made of brown copper, but I am made of shining gold.

2. "Nobody will care much for you; but I shall go out into the world, and everybody will want me. I shall pass into the hands of lords and ladies; I shall do great deeds; and at last, perhaps, the gold of which I am made will be used to form the crown of an emperor.(3)"

3. Just then an old miser(4) came into the bank, and the gold piece was paid out to him. The penny looked up and said to the gold piece, "Good-bye; may you always be happy."

4. Before the guinea could reply, the miser had thrust(5) it into an old bag and hidden it away in his pocket. He carried it home and put it into his money-chest in the cellar(6). But he was afraid that his money would not be safe there, so he buried it in the earth. Soon afterwards he died, and no one knew where his money was hidden; so the gold piece was lost, and has never been seen again to this day.

5. After the miser left the bank, the man who had charge of it saw a poor boy helping an old woman who had fallen down on the street. He went to the door and gave the boy the new penny. The boy carried it home, and told his little sister why it had been given to him. She was so pleased with its new, bright look, that he gave it to her.

6. The little girl ran into the garden to show the penny to her mother. Just then an old lame beggar came limping along the road, and asked for help. The little girl gave him the penny, and told him where it had come from, and why it had been given to her brother.

7. The beggar went on until he came to a baker's shop. He was just going to buy some bread, with the penny, when an old man came up with a pilgrim's staff in his hand. The pilgrim(7) was selling pictures of the city of Jerusalem(8), in order to get money to ransom(9) his brother, who had been taken prisoner by the Turks(10) at Jerusalem.

8. The poor beggar was moved(11) by the story of the pilgrim; he gave him the new penny, and told him its story as he had heard it from the little girl. The baker saw this kind act of the lame beggar, and as a reward he gave him more bread than he could have bought for the penny.

9. When the pilgrim came to Jerusalem, he went at once to the Turkish governor and offered him all the money he had gathered for his brother's free dom. The governor, however, wanted more money, and would not let the brother go.

10. The pilgrim said, "This is all that I have except one copper penny;" and then he told the story of the penny. The governor asked to see the penny that had done so many good actions. "I will keep it," he said, "and wear it next my heart, and perhaps a blessing will go with it." Then he gave the pilgrim all his money back again, and let his brother go free.

11. Soon after this the Turkish governor was in battle. An arrow struck him on the breast, but it glanced(12) off without hurting him. It had struck against the penny, and thus his life was saved.

12. When the war was over, the governor went to his master, the emperor, and as they talked together he told how his life had been saved by a penny. He showed him the penny, and told its story. As the emperor gazed at it, he exclaimed again and again, "It is wonderful! it is wonderful!"

THE WONDERFUL PENNY

13. The governor, seeing his delight, gave him the penny, and the emperor fastened it with a golden chain to the hilt(13) of his sword. One day soon after this, the emperor was about to drink a cup of wine, when the empress(14) asked to see the hilt of his sword. As he held it up, the penny dropped into the cup of wine.

14. When he took it out, he saw that the copper had changed to a green colour. Some one had mixed poison with the wine; but the change in the colour of the penny warned the emperor, and his life was saved.

15. Then the emperor had the penny put in his crown, surrounded by diamonds and jewels of great value. To him the penny seemed the brightest gem of all, for when he looked at it, it reminded him of all the good deeds it had done. And so, you see, it was not the golden guinea but the copper penny which was set at last in a royal crown.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Mark the silent letters in guinea, piece, pleased, and colour.

2. Make sentences containing the words Turk, Turkish, Turkey, and turkey.

3. Give a few nouns ending in -or (like governor), and their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Guinea, a coin of the value of twenty-one shillings, not now in use.

(2) Mint, a place where money is coined by government.

(3) Emperor, the ruler of an empire.

(4) Miser, one who hoards up money; a very greedy person.

(5) Thrust, pushed.

(6) Cellar, underground room.

(7) Pilgrim, a wanderer from another place or country; one who visits sacred places.

(8) Jerusalem, the chief city of Palestine, a country of Western Asia.

(9) Ransom, pay a sum of money for the release of a prisoner.

(10) Turks, people of Turkey, a country partly in Europe and partly in Asia.

(11) Moved, affected; touched in the feelings.

(12) Glanced, darted aside; slipped.

(13) Hilt, handle; part which is held.

(14) Empress, wife of an emperor.

06

A SLATE-PENCIL

1. You have heard of volcanoes, and you know that they are openings in the surface(1) of the earth, through which smoke, steam, hot ashes, and melted rock are poured out. From them we know that the inside of the earth is very hot, and quite different in many ways from the outside.

2. It may not seem at first that volcanoes have much to do with slate-pencils, but men who have studied the matter tell us that our slates and slate-pencils really came out of volcanoes. They have changed a great deal since that time, as you will easily believe.

3. Most volcanoes break out near the sea, some of them even underneath it. The melted rock that comes out hardens into a kind of stone called lava. The dust and ashes, however, settle down in the sea, and become fine soft mud, and this is what we have to do with at present.

4. You perhaps know, too, that rivers are constantly carrying down sand and mud, and this also settles on the bottom of the sea. The volcanic ashes are covered over with layer after layer of the sand and mud of the rivers, and in the course of ages they are pressed and hardened into stone or rock.

5. Now the slate-pencil you are using was long ages ago in the form of mud made from the ashes of a volcano, and was hardened by the pressure of rocks that were formed above it out of the river sand. Then it went through a great many changes caused by the action of volcanoes: it got twisted, and set on end, and squeezed, and bent, and broken, until—partly from this treatment, and partly from the great heat inside the earth—it was gradually(2) changed into what we call slate.

6. After all this had happened, the whole of the part of the earth where it lay was raised up somehow above the level of the sea, and those rocks which had been under water so long were made into ranges(3) of hills and mountains.

7. If you went to North Wales, you would find the slate-beds there upheaved(4) in all directions. They look as if they had been very badly used in the old days of the volcanoes. But all that is over now, and you would see there thousands of workmen digging and blasting(5) from the quarries(6) the slate which has been made fit for our use in such a strange way.

8. Do you wish to know now how your school slate was made? When slate is taken from the quarry, it is sent to a slate-maker, who splits it into blocks about two inches thick. He does this by driving a wedge(7) into the place where it will split most easily. On account of the heating and the squeezing which the slate has suffered, it splits more evenly and more easily than any other kind of stone.

9. Then a slate-splitter takes slate after slate from each block with the help of a chisel(8) and a mallet(9), and a man called a dresser cuts each slate to the right size and makes its edges straight. After this the slates are prepared for writing on by a machine which grinds the surface quite smooth.

10. Slate-pencils are cut in long narrow strips, and then smoothed and rounded, and put into little boxes for sale. They are not made of the best slate. Our British slate would not do for them; it is too hard. There is a softer kind of slate found in Germany(10) and Austria(11), and it is of this soft slate that your slate-pencils are generally made.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the meaning of -en in harden, and mention a few other words where it has the same meaning.

2. Make sentences containing the word age used with different meanings.

3. Mark the termination in action, treatment, and pressure, and give the verbs from which they are made.

————————————————————

(1) Surface, top; outside.

(2) Gradually, by degrees; little by little.

(3) Ranges, chains; long lines.

(4) Upheaved, forced up from below.

(5) Blasting, blowing to pieces with gunpowder.

(6) Quarries, mines; places from which stones, etc., are dug.

(7) Wedge, a piece of wood or of metal thick at one end and thin at the other.

(8) Chisel, a tool with a sharp edge for cutting wood, stone, etc.

(9) Mallet, a wooden hammer for driving pins, chisels, etc.

(10) Germany, a country of Central Europe.

(11) Austria, a large state of Central Europe.

07

LITTLE SCOTCH GRANITE(1)

1. Bertie and Johnny Lee were two little boys who lived in America. They were very glad when their cousin, Alick Grant, came from Scotland to live with them. He was a very bright boy and full of fun, and he could tell them many curious things about his home in Scotland, and about his voyage across the ocean.

2. He was as far on in his studies as his cousins were, and the first day he went to school with them they saw that he was very clever. He wasted no time in play when he should have been studying, and he got through his work very quickly.

3. Before closing school in the afternoon, the teacher began to call the roll. Each boy answered "ten" when his name was called. This was the number of his good-conduct marks for the day. When Alick understood that he was to say "ten" if he had not whispered during the day, he replied, "I have whispered."

4. "More than once?" asked the teacher.

"Yes, sir," answered Alick.

"As many as ten times?"

"Maybe I have."

"Then I can give you no good marks," said the teacher, "and that is a great disgrace."

5. "Why, I did not hear you speak a single word," said Johnny that night after school.

"Perhaps you did not," said Alick, "but I did it several times. I saw others doing it, so I asked the boy next me for a book, and then I lent him a slate-pencil. Afterwards I asked another boy for the loan of a knife and a piece of india-rubber. I thought it was allowed."

6. "Oh, we all do that sort of thing," said Bertie. "There isn't any sense in the old rule. Nobody could keep it. Nobody tries to."

"I will either keep it or own that I haven't," said Alick. "Do you suppose I will try to get good marks by cheating?"

7. "Oh, we don't call it cheating," said Johnny. "There wouldn't be a good mark for one of us if we were so strict."

"What does that matter, if you tell the truth?" asked Alick gravely(2).

8. Alick studied hard during working hours, and played with all his might at playtime. But according to his own account, he lost more good marks than any of the rest. By-and-by, however, the other boys began to notice many of Alick's ways.

9. After he came the boys began to answer "nine" and "eight" oftener than they used to do, and yet the school-room seemed to be less noisy than it had been before. Sometimes, when Alick's marks were lower than usual, the teacher would give a peculiar smile, but he said no more of disgrace.

10. Alick never preached to the other boys, or told tales; but seeing that this quiet, blue-eyed boy must tell the truth made them feel like cheats and story tellers. They all liked him, and called him "Scotch Granite," for he was so firm in keeping his word.

11. At the end of the term(3) Alick's name was very low down on the list. When it was read out, he had hard work not to cry, for he had tried to behave as well as he could.

12. The very last thing that day was a little speech by the teacher. He said that he once met a man wearing a plain cloak, whom he was about to pass by without a look, when some one told him that the man in the cloak was a very famous(4) general(5) and a great hero.

13. "He made no display(6) of the signs of his rank(7), but the hero was there just the same," said the teacher. "And now, boys, you will see what I mean when I tell you that I am going to give a gold medal to the one among you who has been most faithful and truthful. Who do you say should have it?"

14. "Little Scotch Granite!" shouted forty boys at once, for they well knew that, although he had so few good marks, he had a better right to the medal for truth than any one among them.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a few adjectives ending in -ous (like famous), and the noun from which each is formed.

2. Give the meaning of -er in teacher and in oftener.

3. Give a short list of adjectives formed from nouns by adding -ful (like faithful).

————————————————————

(1) Granite, a hard kind of rock of a gray or reddish colour.

(2) Gravely, solemnly.

(3) Term, session.

(4) Famous, well-known; noted.

(5) General, the head of an army.

(6) Display, show.

(7) Rank, position.

08

MY LITTLE HERO

1. Earth's bravest, truest heroes

Fight with an unseen foe(1),

And win a victory grander

Than you or I can know.

We little dream of the conflict(2)

Fought in each human soul,

And Earth knows not of her heroes

Upon God's honour-roll.

2. One of those little heroes

Right proud am I to know;

His name for me is Mother,

My name for him is Joe.

At the thought of a ten-year-old hero

Would many perhaps have smiled;

But a battlefield's a battlefield,

In the heart of man or child.

3. There were plans of mischief brewing(3);

I saw, but gave no sign(4),

For I wanted to test the mettle(5)

Of this little knight(6) of mine.

"Of course you must come and help us,

For we all depend on Joe,"

The boys said; and I waited

For his answer—yes or no.

4. He stood and thought for a moment;

I read his heart like a book,

For the battle that he was fighting

Was told in his earnest look.

Then to his waiting playmates

Out spoke my loyal(7) knight:

"No, boys; I cannot go with you,

For I know it wouldn't be right."

5. How proud was I of my hero,

As I knelt by his little bed

And gave him the bed-time kisses,

And the good-night words were said!

True to his Lord and manhood

May he stand in the world's fierce fight,

And shun(8) each unworthy(9) action,

Because it "wouldn't be right."

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Foe, enemy.

(2) Conflict, battle; fight.

(3) Brewing, gathering; making ready.

(4) Gave no sign, paid no attention.

(5) Mettle, courage; spirit.

(6) Knight, brave fellow; a man of rank below a baronet.

(7) Loyal, faithful; true to one's duty; obedient to law.

(8) Shun, avoid; keep out of the way of.

(9) Unworthy, bad; worthless.

09

THE LOBSTER

1. Perhaps you have read the story of two little boys who began to quarrel about the colour of a lobster. One declared that it was black, the other that it was red; the fact being that it is nearly black until it is boiled, and then turns bright red.

2. So the lobster changes in a very funny way after he is dead; but he and his cousins the crab, the prawn, the crayfish, and others, also pass through some curious changes during their life which you may like to hear about.

3. The lobster lives under water among the rocks near the shore. He is covered all over with a hard shell like a coat of mail(1), and so we call him a shellfish; but although he lives in the water, he is not a fish at all.

4. When he was quite a little fellow, his coat of mail was very little too. He grew very fast, but his hard coat did not grow at all, so it soon became too small for his body, which filled every nook and corner of it.

5. Then he stopped eating, and hid himself in a hole among the rocks. In a short time his body became so thin that he had plenty of room in his shell. This was just what he wanted.

6. And now began a great struggle to get out of his shell. He twisted and wriggled about with all his might, until the shell burst down the back. The shells of his claws burst at their joints, and he drew them off just as you would draw off a pair of gloves. Next he drew off the helmet that covered his head, and thus he got out of his shell.

7. Had his brother lobsters met him in this helpless state, they would soon have eaten him up; so he took care to keep out of their way, and lay resting in his hole. A new suit of armour(2) then began to grow. A kind of glue(3) mixed with lime came out through his thick skin, and in three or four days this glue became hard—a new shell was formed.

8. During the time his new shell was growing, the lobster had kept his body full of water, and swelled it out as much as he could, so that the new coat of mail was roomy and comfortable. He then came out of his hiding-place stronger than ever, and was ready to attack any of his brothers that might fall in his way.

9. During the first year of his life, he grew so fast that he had to get six new shells. In the second year, he got the same number. He did not grow so quickly after that, for in his third year he changed his shell only four times. Three new suits were enough for him in his fourth year; and now that he has grown older, he is less fond of new clothes, and will be contented with one suit each year for the rest of his life.

10. Lobsters are great fighters, and when they are caught the fishermen tie their claws with a piece of string to keep them from killing one another. Sometimes, in the course of a battle, a lobster gets one of his claws badly hurt; and as he has no doctor to bind up his wounds, he has to attend to them him self. His remedy(4) is very simple but very thorough(5), for he just breaks off the injured claw at the next joint.

11. The loss of a limb(6) is not so serious a matter for a lobster as it would be for most other animals. Indeed a lobster will often shake off his claws when he is frightened by anything, such as a sudden noise. In a short time a new claw begins to grow from the stump of the old one. Next time he changes his coat the new claw gets a complete sheath(7) of armour, and although it never grows so large as the others, it is ready for use once more.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make adjectives ending in -less (like helpless) from hope, care, joy, and home.

2. Give six words ending in -le (like struggle), and their meanings.

3. Give a short list of adjectives formed from nouns by adding -y (like roomy), and explain their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Coat of mail, iron dress to protect the body in battle.

(2) Armour, dress for defending from blows.

(3) Glue, a sticky substance got from the hoofs of animals.

(4) Remedy, cure.

(5) Thorough, complete; perfect; all through.

(6) Limb, a part of a body fastened to it by a joint, as a leg or an arm.

(7) Sheath, covering; shell.

10

KEEP YOUR TEMPER

1. Old Crusty the crab was out for his morning walk in Brodick Bay(1). He was not high and dry on the shore, where the tide sometimes carried him and left him. He never felt quite at ease when he was out of the water.

2. He was afraid that he might be trodden upon by some careless person in sand-shoes, and crushed at once out of the shape of a crab; or that he might be caught in a little net and carried off by a small boy, and teased out of his life. So, ever since Crusty had grown up, he had kept away from the shore, and spent most of his time under water.

3. This morning, although he was running about on the smooth, soft sand, there was no danger of his being crushed to death, or turned into a little boy's plaything; for there were many feet of clear water over his head, and Crusty felt that he was perfectly safe.

4. The old crab had hitherto escaped the fishermen's nets; and he had very little fear of his finny companions—except, indeed, when he was changing his coat, and then he hid himself very carefully—for what fish would care to swallow a creature that wears his bones on the outside, and that can grip as tightly as a pair of pincers(2), and hold on for a wholes day at a time?

5. So Crusty did pretty much as he liked, and he thought nobody would dare to touch him. He did not know that there are more ways of catching a crab than one, or that pride and bad temper may get even a crab into hot water.

6. Crusty was very well pleased with himself and his appearance this morning, for his new shell was most convenient and comfortable. He was quite sure that he was a very important person indeed. He had greeted(3) several of his smaller neighbours with a lofty(4) "good-morning," when suddenly, to his great surprise, he felt something give him a poke in the ribs.

7. Now, as Crusty's ribs were all in a solid mass, and his flesh safe inside of them, he was not in the least hurt, but he was very angry; for though he lived in cold water, he had a hot temper, and he had never learned to curb(5) it. So he turned round in a great hurry to revenge(6) himself, and punish the bold intruder(7) who had treated him in this way.

8. Crusty's eyes were not very sharp, and he did not stop a minute to find out what it was that had pushed him so rudely. But he caught sight of something, and at once took hold of it in his great, strong claws, and pinched it as hard as he could.

9. Crusty felt the something draw back as he took hold of it, and he thought it was most likely trying to escape from his clutches. "Serves him right," thought the old crab; "I'll teach him not to insult(8) his betters again."

10. So, as he was in a very bad temper, he pinched harder than ever, and would not let go. Then he felt the something running away rather fast; but he didn't care about that. He would punish it well before he let it go.

11. Away went Crusty and his enemy through the water; but in a minute the old crab gave a great gasp(9), and found himself, to his great surprise, right out of the water, in the open sunshine and fresh air. Then he got a fling which made him feel quite giddy, and came down upon something nearly as hard as himself.

12. Alas, poor Crusty! he was in the bottom of a fisherman's boat. His hasty temper had cost him his life. That something which had made him so angry was the end of a long pole, which a sly fisherman had poked at him to make him angry; for the fisherman knew that if the crab was angry enough, he would hold on to the pole until he was lifted right out of the water.

13. If the silly crab had been patient and good-tempered, he would have saved his life and his shell. If he had taken no notice of the poke in his ribs, he would still have been safe down below the water; but it was too late to think of that now. But if he had had a little parting advice to give to any one before he was boiled, it would surely have been this, "Keep your temper."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the meaning of each syllable in the word care-ful-ly.

2. Make sentences containing the words patient, patience, convenient, and convenience.

3. Give the nouns connected with proud, advise, live, grieve, and prove (pride, etc.).

————————————————————

(1) Brodick Bay, on the east of Arran, an island on the west coast of Scotland.

(2) Pincers, an instrument for taking firm hold of or pinching anything.

(3) Greeted, saluted; welcomed.

(4) Lofty, stately; proud.

(5) Curb, check; control.

(6) Revenge, do harm in return for an injury.

(7) Intruder, one who goes where he has no right.

(8) Insult, abuse.

(9) Gasp, sudden opening of the mouth for breath.

11

HOW FILIPPE'S COW WAS SAVED

1. During the war of 1870-71 between France(1) and Germany, the German troops entered France, and were marching towards Paris(2). A poor widow who lived near the line of their march had one cow, Fauchette, which was almost the only support of her family. To save the animal from the Germans, she allowed her to graze(3) only at night, and kept her hidden in the daytime.

2. Filippe, the widow's eldest girl, as soon as she had cleared away the supper things, went with Fauchette every night to the meadow where she grazed, and watched over her as long as was necessary to give her time for her meal. It was a lonely watch, and many times Filippe felt very much afraid.

3. One night, when the moon gave enough light to make out objects clearly, Filippe was suddenly startled(4) by the sound of horses' feet. The sound told her that a body of horsemen was coming along the road. She flew to Fauchette's side, and, with her hand on the gentle creature's shoulder, began to push her away toward a clump(5) of tall bushes.

4. But, alas! the bell had been left hanging from the cow's neck, and it gave out a tinkling sound, which drew the attention of the soldiers. Before Filippe could get the cow out of sight, a gruff(6) voice called out to her, "Hold on there! We see you! Don't try to get that cow away!"

5. Overcome with fear, Filippe could only stand with her hand against the cow's shoulder, looking in the direction whence the gruff voice had come.

The soldiers had now halted(7). Some had already dismounted and were climbing the fence. Others broke down a wide gap(8) in it, and entered the meadow on their horses. On they came, the moonlight glittering on their lances(9).

6. "O Fauchette !" cried Filippe, with a burst of tears, as she threw her arms around her dear cow's neck, "I am afraid they are going to kill you!" Then, in a firmer voice, she added, "But if they do, they'll have to kill me first!"

7. "Let go that cow, girl!" said the same harsh voice, now very near to her. "We must have her."

HOW FILIPPE'S COW WAS SAVED

"What do you want with her?" asked Filippe, raising her head, and trying to speak bravely.

"To eat her!" was the gruff reply.

At these words Filippe burst into tears. She could not bear to think of her beautiful Fauchette being killed and eaten.

8. "Are you going away or not?" the man asked. "If you do not, I'll have you taken away by force. Come!"

She did not move, but stood with her arms firmly clasped about the neck of Fauchette. The officer(10) turned to two of the men who had dismounted(11) and were standing near. "Seize her!" he said.

9. They started to obey the order. Filippe saw them coming, and her screams rang far and near. They were answered by an angry shout from the direction of the road, and the next moment a man on a powerful horse came galloping into the meadow through the gap in the hedge.

10. He was a man in the prime(12) of life, with an air(13) that showed he was accustomed(14) to be obeyed. Under his glance the men who had been about to seize Filippe slunk away. Only the officer held his ground, and he hung his head in confusion.

11. "What does this mean?" the new-comer sternly(15) demanded of the officer. Then, without waiting for a reply, he turned to Filippe.

"There, my girl, do not cry," he said, in the kindest tones. "They shall not take your cow. Return home with her. It is late for a girl like you to be out."

12. Then while Filippe, smiling through her tears, led Fauchette away, the stranger turned to the men, and she could hear him, after she had gone some distance, reproving(16) the soldiers in an angry voice.

13. Filippe did not know until long afterwards that the noble-looking horseman, who had come just in time to save her dear Fauchette, was no less a personage(17) than Frederick William, Crown Prince(18) of Prussia— "Our Fritz," as he was called by his soldiers.

14. He was a very kind-hearted as well as a very brave man, and many stories are told of the kindly acts which he did. He became Emperor of Germany in March 1888; but even then he was suffering from a very painful disease(19), of which he died in June of the same year, much loved and mourned(20) by all his people.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words custom, accustom, reprove, reproof.

2. Make sentences containing the words support and return as nouns and as verbs.

3. Give a list of compound nouns ending in -man (as horseman), with their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) France, a country of Western Europe.

(2) Paris, the capital of France.

(3) Graze, eat grass; pasture.

(4) Startled, frightened; made to start.

(5) Clump, cluster; number together.

(6) Gruff, rough; harsh.

(7) Halted, stopped.

(8) Gap, opening; a place that gapes.

(9) Lance, a long shaft of wood with a spear-head.

(10) Officer, commander.

(11) Dismounted, came off their horses.

(12) Prime, best or early part.

(13) Air, appearance; manner.

(14) Accustomed, used; in the habit of.

(15) Sternly, angrily; crossly.

(16) Reproving, finding fault with.

(17) Personage, noted person.

(18) Crown Prince, eldest son of the king; the prince who is to wear the crown next.

(19) Disease, trouble; illness.

(20) Mourned, grieved for.

12

TWO SURPRISES

1. A workman plied(1) his clumsy spade

As the sun was going down;

The German king, with a cavalcade(2),

On his way to Berlin(3) town,

2. Reined(4) up his steed(5) at the old man's side.

"My toiling friend," said he,

"Why not cease work at eventide(6),

When the labourer should be free?"

3. "I do not slave," the old man said,

"And I am always free;

Though I work from the time I leave my bed

Till I can hardly see."

4. "How much," said the king, "is thy gain in a day?"

"Eight groschen(7)," the man replied.

"And thou canst live on this meagre(8) pay?" —

"Like a king," he said with pride.

5. "Two groschen for me and my wife, good friend,

And two for a debt I owe;

Two groschen to lend, and two to spend

For those who can't labour, you know."

6. "Thy debt?" said the king. Said the toiler, "Yea,

To my mother, with age oppressed(9),

Who cared for me, toiled for me, many a day,

And now hath need of rest."

7. "To whom dost lend of thy daily store?"

"To my boys—for their schooling. You see,

When I am too feeble(10) to toil any more,

They will care for their mother and me."

8. "And thy last two groschen?" the monarch said.

"My sisters are old and lame;

I give them two groschen for raiment(11) and bread,

All in the Father's(12) name."

9. Tears welled(13) up in the good king's eyes.

"Thou knowest me not," said he;

"As thou hast given me one surprise,

Here is another for thee.

10. "I am thy king; give me thy hand" —

And he heaped it high with gold—

"When more thou needest, I command

That I at once be told.

11. "For I would bless with rich reward

The man who can proudly say,

That eight souls he doth keep and guard

On eight poor groschen a day."

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Plied, toiled; worked at.

(2) Cavalcade, number of men on horseback.

(3) Berlin, capital of Germany.

(4) Reined, stopped by drawing the reins.

(5) Steed, horse.

(6) Eventide, the close of the day. (Tide=time.)

(7) Groschen, a coin worth a little more than a penny.

(8) Meagre, poor; scanty.

(9) Oppressed, weighed down.

(10) Feeble, weak; having little strength.

(11) Raiment, clothing.

(12) The Father's, God's.

(13) Welled, sprang.

13

TOO MANY DOLLS

1. "It was very kind of my aunt to give me so pretty a present on my birthday," said Hattie Foster, as she sat looking at a lovely wax doll; "but I have already four nice dolls, and it seems a pity that she couldn't have chosen something else."

2. Hattie had always been so petted that it never seemed to occur to her(1) that any other child would like some of the toys which she cared for so little. Her friend Edith, a girl of sixteen, sat thinking for a few minutes.

3. "I heard a very touching(2) story yesterday; a true one, too," she said at last.

"What was it? Do tell it to me."

"One of the nurses at the hospital was telling mamma about one of her patients(3), little Nannie Ryan, who will be kept in bed for ever so long. She is very poor; her mother is a widow with three girls younger than herself.

4. "The other day she woke up from a nap, and said to the nurse, 'Oh, I've had such a lovely dream! I dreamed that I was sick in bed, as I am now; and that I was so tired, for I had nothing to play with.

5. "'Presently(4) I heard a soft noise at my pillow; and when I looked round, the fairies had laid there beside me such a beautiful dolly! She had real hair, soft and yellow, and a fine silk dress on, and even little shoes on her feet. Oh! I can see her now, if I just shut my eyes; so it's almost as good as if I really had her, isn't it?' The poor child has never had a nice doll, so, of course, it is the one thing she longs for."

6. "Poor little Nannie!" said Hattie, wiping the tears from her eyes. "And here I am grumbling because I have too many dolls! Don't you think this is like the one she dreamed of?" — and as she spoke she held up her pretty new doll.

7. "Will you ask the nurse to take her to Nannie for me?" asked Hattie.

"Why not go down to the hospital ourselves, and give the doll to Nannie? That will please her still more; she must feel lonely lying there," said Edith.

8. Soon the two girls were standing in the children's ward(5) of a large hospital. As they approached(6) Nannie's cot(7), the nurse held up a warning finger; the child was asleep. Hattie nodded and smiled, and whispered that now the child's dream might come true; so she went on tiptoe to her bedside, and gently laying down the doll, stepped back to wait till Nannie woke, as she never slept long at a time.

9. Three or four of the children near her were eagerly(8) watching this little scene(9), and their pale little faces lighted up with pleasure. No words can describe the look on Nannie's face as she slowly opened her eyes. She lay still for a few seconds, as if she thought it was only a dream; then she timidly(10) reached out her hand and touched the doll, to see if it were real.

10. With a cry of joy, she drew it to her, and exclaimed, "Oh, it's a real, true doll! The fairies have brought it at last! It's the very one I saw in my dream! Just look at her, nurse! See her curls, and her little shoes! And, nurse, take her just a minute over to little Mary Brady, because she can't turn round to see her."

11. This touching little scene was too much for Hattie. Although she was a little spoiled by having too many nice things, she did not wish to be selfish, and she did not know how selfish she had been until now. She took Edith's hand and slipped quietly out of the room; but the nurse brought her back, and she went and talked with Nannie for a little while.

12. That first visit to the hospital was by no means the last. Hattie now found a pleasant way of disposing of the toys and books she did not need; and they carried a ray of joy to more than one little sufferer.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing patient as noun and as adjective, and give the meaning in each case.

2. Give a list of the words ending in -self and -selves.

3. Make compounds with the prefix a- (like asleep) from the nouns shore, board, ground, and loft, and give their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Occur to her, come into her mind.

(2) Touching, sad; something that touches the feelings.

(3) Her patients, those under her care.

(4) Presently, soon; in a short time.

(5) Ward, a large room in an hospital.

(6) Approached, came near.

(7) Cot, a small bed.

(8) Eagerly, earnestly.

(9) Scene, sight.

(10) Timidly, in a frightened manner.

14

THE BRAVE LITTLE SHEPHERD

1. About one hundred and fifty years ago, the people living in a certain part of France were kept in a state of constant terror(1) by a wild beast, that had killed not only a large number of their sheep and cattle, but many of the people also. The strangest thing, however, was that no one knew what kind of animal it was.

2. It had killed more than two hundred persons. It roamed(2) about by day and by night, and at all seasons(3), so that people were afraid to leave their houses, and the shepherds were at their wits' end how to guard their helpless flocks.

3. The story of its ravages(4) had spread over the whole kingdom, and the king offered a large sum of money to the man who should kill it, for he was sorry for his unhappy subjects(5).

4. Any bold huntsman who proposed to go alone to chase this beast was looked on as either a madman or a hero of great daring. One French(6) nobleman set out with twelve soldiers and forty dogs; but their pursuit(7) was vain(8). Perhaps the hunted animal knew when it was wisest to keep out of the way.

5. After all, it was a child twelve years of age that firs saw the four-footed foe face to face; and he discovered it to be nothing more than a large she-wolf! This brave little fellow, with six smaller children to help him, was watching a flock of sheep. It was in the depth(9) of winter, and the little ones felt the bitter cold very keenly(10).

6. As they sat colse together, they began talking about the beast, that then lay hidden in some part of the forest near them. The children had fastened old knife-blades to sticks, to fight the monster if it should come to attack them, never dreaming that it would come; and they chattered on, talking of what they would do if they caught sight of the enemy.

7. And they soon did so. Suddenly the hungry wolf rushed out of the wood toward the frightened children! The eldest boy gathered his companions close together, and the fierce animal ran round about them, howling with rage and hunger. Then she darted upon one of the smaller children—a boy six years old—seized him by the arm, and carried him off in her jaws.

8. One boy said, "Let the beast take him, and we can escape." But the eldest called out, "Let us save our comrade(11), or die with him;" and the brave shepherd lad started with loud cries after the wolf. He was closely followed by his companions, whose courage rose when he led the way.

9. It so happened that the beast ran toward a marsh(12), in which she sank so deep that she could not at once get out of the soft clay. The children ran up to her and struck at her with their rude spears; but they could not pierce her tough skin.

10. "Strike her in the eyes!" cried the bold little shepherd— "strike her in the eyes!" It was no easy matter to strike the wolf in the eyes; but the children did their best to obey their brave young leader, and gave their enemy several hard blows on the nose and the mouth. She was forced to drop the little boy she had carried away. She had no time to bite him; she had hard enough work to defend herself against the blows of the furious(13) little folks.

11. At last she fled, leaving behind her the child whose life had been saved by the brave little shepherd; for if this lad had been a coward, you may be sure that the wolf would have escaped with her prey.

12. Whether the wolf died of her wounds, or whether she did not think herself safe in that part of the country any longer, she was never more seen or heard of there, and the people were able to live in peace and safety. The King of France gave to the twelve-year-old hero the full reward that had been promised for killing the wolf.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words beginning with gu- (like guard), and mark the silent letters in each,

2. Make sentences containing the words pursue, pursuer, and pursuit.

3. Give some words whose meaning resembles that of comrades.

————————————————————

(1) Terror, fear.

(2) Roamed, wandered.

(3) Seasons, times of the year.

(4) Ravages, plunderings.

(5) Subjects, people; those under a ruler.

(6) French, belonging to France.

(7) Pursuit, chase.

(8) Vain, of no use.

(9) Depth, middle; deepest part.

(10) Keenly, sharply.

(11) Comrade, companion; friend.

(12) Marsh, bog; soft, wet ground.

(13) Furious, enraged; very angry.

15

PENGUINS

1. Think of hundreds and hundreds of these strange birds standing in solemn rows along the shore. At a distance they look very much as if a great school of little children with pinafores on were standing on a desert(1) island!

2. Penguins are generally found very far south, on islands near the southern parts of South America and Africa. They make their nests on barren(2) shores where men do not live. They have seen so little of man that they are not at all afraid of him, and they will sit still and allow themselves to be killed with a stick.

3. In the water they are graceful(3), beautiful birds; but on land they roll and waddle about most awkwardly, falling flat and scrambling up again with the help of those queer flippers which they have in place of wings. When they are in a hurry they sometimes use their flippers as fore legs, and then they look more like beasts than birds.

4. They are very kind to their young ones, and feed them in a funny way. They open their mouths, and the young bird pushes its head away down the mother's or father's throat! The young one eats out of the parent bird's crop.

5. Far out in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between Africa and South America, and over a thousand miles from land, there is a group(4) of three small islands. On the largest of the group there are about a hundred people, who live together very happily.

6. They have no policeman, lawyer, or judge. There is a minister, who says that drunkenness or crime(5) is quite unknown among them. The son-in-law(6) of the first man who settled on the island is treated as the chief.

7. Two runaway sailors, who had visited this peaceful spot, thought that they would like to live with these plain people; but perhaps the people did not care to have them. At any rate, they were told that it would be much better if they would settle on an island about twenty miles farther south.

8. This island is called "Inaccessible(7)" —not a very promising(8) name, is it? —for no one can land on it except in calm weather. Still the two sailors were told that seals(9) were plentiful there, and they thought they would give the place a trial.

9. They built a hut on a smooth place near the shore, where they had a beautiful waterfall of sweet spring water near them. Great steep rocks all around shut them off from the interior(10) of the island; but by catching hold of the strong grass on the cliffs they could climb up to the high land, where wild pigs and goats were found.

10. For six months the sailors lived very comfortably, and killed a good many seals. Then a sad accident happened: they set fire to the grass, and in a moment their only way of climbing out of their little nook was gone. As the boat they had brought with them was broken, they were shut up in that little hollow, with winter coming on, and nothing to eat but a small supply of vegetables which they had raised.

11. The poor men grew very thin and weak, and were beginning to give up all hope of life, when great flocks of penguins came swarming(11) up the beach. The sailors knocked over some of the young ones, and found their flesh good, though that of the old ones tasted rank(12).

12. In a few weeks they were able to get plenty of penguin eggs, which are very good eating; and soon they were so pleased with their island, that when a ship stopped there, they sold their seal-skins and some penguin eggs, and made up their minds to stay on. But after another year they were tired of the company of penguins, and took passage on a ship to the Cape of Good Hope(13).

13. They said that the penguins came in great flocks, and made their nests on the island, and reared their young ones. After they had stayed for about three months, and their young ones were able to swim (for though they are birds, penguins never fly), they all went away in one night towards the south.

14. Penguins are very noisy birds, and have often warned sailors, by their cries at night, that they were sailing too near islands which were hidden by the darkness. Their cry is like that of a gruff-voiced man crying "Wha-at?" The birds are easily tamed, and in Peru(14) they are sometimes kept as pets, and will follow their masters about from place to place.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give various meanings of crop as noun and verb, and make sentences containing the word in each meaning.

2. Make sentences containing hollow and supply as nouns and as verbs.

3. Make sentences to show the use of the words company, accompany, and companion.

————————————————————

(1) Desert, unoccupied; waste.

(2) Barren, bare; uncultivated.

(3) Graceful, beautiful in appearance and motion.

(4) Group, number together; cluster.

(5) Crime, wickedness; breaking the law.

(6) Son-in-law, the husband of one's daughter.

(7) Inaccessible, unapproachable; that cannot be got at.

(8) Promising, hopeful.

(9) Seal, a sea animal hunted for its valuable skin and oil.

(10) Interior, central part; middle.

(11) Swarming, crowding; in large numbers.

(12) Rank, coarse; strong-tasted.

(13) Cape of Good Hope, a cape in the south of Africa.

(14) Peru, a country of South America.

16

A HINDU(1) FABLE

1. It was six men of Hindustan(2),

To learning much inclined(3),

Who went to see the elephant,

(Though all of them were blind),

That each by observation(4)

Might satisfy his mind.

2. The First approached the elephant,

And happening to fall

Against his broad and sturdy(5) side,

At once began to bawl, —

"I clearly see the elephant

Is very like a wall!"

3. The Second, feeling round the tusk,

Cried, "Ho! what have we here,

So very round, and smooth, and sharp?

To me it is quite clear

This wonder of an elephant

Is very like a spear!"

4. The Third approached the animal,

And happening to take

The squirming(6) trunk within his hands,

Thus boldly up and spake:

"I see," quoth(7) he, "the elephant

Is very like a snake!"

5. The Fourth reached out his eager hand,

And felt about the knee;

"What most this wondrous beast is like

To me is plain," said he:

"'Tis clear enough the elephant

Is very like a tree!"

6. The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,

Said, "Even the blindest man

Can tell what this resembles(8) most;

Deny the fact who can,

This marvel of an elephant

Is very like a fan!"

7. The Sixth no sooner had begun

About the beast to grope(9),

Than, seizing on the swinging tail,

That fell within his scope(10)—

"I see," quoth he, "the elephant

Is very like a rope!"

8. And so these men of Hindustan

Disputed(11) loud and long,

Each in his own opinion

Exceeding(12) stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right

And all were in the wrong.

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Hindu, Indian.

(2) Hindustan, India; the land of the Hindus, or Indians.

(3) Inclined, disposed; bent.

(4) Observation, taking notice; watching.

(5) Sturdy, strong and hard.

(6) Squirming, twisting; wriggling.

(7) Quoth, said.

(8) Resembles, is like.

(9) Grope, feel.

(10) Scope, reach.

(11) Disputed, argued.

(12) Exceeding, exceedingly; very.

17

VIENNA(1) ROLLS

1. Some of you have seen those crescent(2)-shaped rolls which are sometimes placed upon our table. How many, I wonder, have heard the curious old story about them? Here it is.

2. A great many years ago there was a war between the Austrians and the Turks—one of the many fierce wars that have been fought between the Christians and the followers of Mohammed(3). The city of Vienna had been for weeks in a state of siege(4). Shut in on all sides, the citizens could get no food from the country, and what they had within the city was almost finished.

3. The people were in despair(5). If they did not surrender(6), they must die of hunger; and if they did surrender, they would certainly be put to death by the Turks. It seemed as if nothing could save them from the dreadful fate that must soon come upon them.

4. So the days passed slowly on, until one evening a worthy, hard-working baker was in his bake-house, preparing the small quantity of flour that had to serve for tomorrow's bread.

VIENNA ROLLS

5. Suddenly he heard a slight rattling sound somewhere in the bake-house, which was repeated(7) every few seconds. He stopped his work, listened carefully, and very soon found out the cause of the noise.

6. On the floor, in a corner of the bake-house, stood a toy drum belonging to one of his little boys, and upon the tight skin head of it were lying several marbles.

7. The baker watched the drum closely. Every second or two the head of the drum would quiver, and the little marbles would dance and rattle upon it as if they were alive. Then putting his ear to the ground, he heard a distinct(8) tapping or hammering; and he noticed that each tap made the marbles dance again.

8. For a long time he could not think what this strange tapping meant, until suddenly it struck him that it must be caused by the regular blows of a pick, and that the Turks were doing what had been much feared—cutting a passage under the city walls into the city.

9. The baker thought there might still be time to stop them in this work, so he went at once to tell the rulers of the city what he had discovered. They told the general in command of the troops, and he looked into the matter carefully for himself. He found that the baker's opinion was correct.

10. By means of this discovery, the Austrians were able to defeat(9) the plans of the Turks. They made sudden attack on them while they were at work, and put them to flight; and thus the city was saved.

11. When the war was over, and thanksgivings for the victory had been offered in the churches, the baker was sent for and brought before the emperor himself. "I understand," said the emperor, "that we owe our safety, under God, to you. Ask what you will as your reward."

12. "Sire(10)," answered the honest baker, "I ask but for one thing. A poor fellow like me is not fit for riches or rank, and I want neither. Grant me but this one thing, your majesty, and I am content. Let me, and my children after me, from this time make our bread in the form of that crescent on the Turkish flag which has so long been our terror, so that every day those who eat it maybe reminded that Christ is greater than Mohammed." The baker's request(11) was at once granted; and so great was the demand for his bread that he soon made a fortune.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the various meanings of the words pass and passage, and make sentences containing them in each sense.

2. Make sentences containing the word defeat as noun and as verb.

3. Make sentences containing the words victor, victory, victorious, and victim.

————————————————————

(1) Vienna, the capital of Austria.

(2) Crescent, curved; like the crescent (or growing) moon.

(3) Mohammed (571-632), the founder of the religion called Islamism (or Mohammedanism).

(4) In a state of siege, surrounded by an army in order to take it; besieged.

(5) Despair, a state of hopelessness.

(6) Surrender, yield; give up.

(7) Was repeated, happened again.

(8) Distinct, clear.

(9) Defeat, overcome; get the better of.

(10) Sire, a title of respect, like sir, used to a sovereign.

(11) Request, wish; desire.

18

THE EMPEROR'S WATCH

1. Herr(1) Alfred Krupp succeeded his father in 1848 as the owner and manager of a small iron foundry(2) at Essen in Prussia(3). He had only a few workmen, and little money to pay them with; but he knew his work, and was always ready to adopt(4) any new invention which he saw to be useful.

2. Before he died, in 1887, his iron and steel foundries gave work to more than twenty thousand people, and he was the owner of many iron and coal mines. He was the first to use steel for making cannon, and, he made steel cannon(5) for most of the countries of Europe.

3. The Emperor William I.(6) of Germany was a great friend of Herr Krupp's, and used often to visit his foundry and watch his huge steam-hammers at work on the great blocks of steel which were being hammered into the shape of big guns. One day, as he went round the works, along with some of his attendants, the owner pointed out to him a very large steam-hammer which weighed fifty tons.

STEAM-HAMMER

4. The man who had charge of this hammer was a very clever workman, and the great gunmaker was very proud of him. As they came up to him, Herr Krupp said to the emperor, "This is Fritz and his big hammer. He manages it so well that he can bring it down with all its force, and yet stop it a tenth part of an inch above the anvil(7)."

5. The emperor took out his watch—a beautiful gold watch set with diamonds—and laid it on the centre of the anvil. Then, with a smile, he ordered Fritz to let fall the hammer and stop it before it could touch the watch.

6. The emperor's attendants who stood by looked on with surprise, and Fritz himself did not seem at all willing to take the risk. But Herr Krupp urged him to make the trial, and at his master's order he "let go."

7. Down came the great block of steel with all its force; but before it reached the watch, it was stopped as if it had been a feather, and there it remained, so close to the watch that not even a baby's finger could have been put between.

8. "Bravo! well done!" cried the delighted emperor, while those who stood by drew a long breath, and looked very glad to see the trial so well over. Herr Krupp looked more proud than ever of his workman's skill.

9. He stooped down to lift the watch from the anvil; but the emperor stopped him. "No, no; that watch belongs to Fritz. He has fairly earned it by the skill he has shown." When he said this, a hearty cheer burst from the workmen near, and rang through the whole building.

10. Herr Krupp was not to be beaten in kindness by the emperor; so he took out his purse, and handed it to the blushing Fritz along with the emperor's watch, saying as he did so, "Take this for the little ones at home." Then another cheer rang through the building, while the good old emperor himself clapped his hands.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make nouns in -ion from the verbs invent, adopt, and attend.

2. Give the present, past, and past participle of put, burst, took, and shown.

3. Make sentences with on, by, down, and between as prepositions and as adverbs.

————————————————————

(1) Herr, the German word meaning "Mr." or "Sir."

(2) Foundry, a place where metals are melted and poured into moulds.

(3) Prussia, a country of Central Europe; the chief State of Germany.

(4) Adopt, introduce; take up.

(5) Cannon, big guns.

(6) William I., Emperor of Germany from 1871 to 1888.

(7) Anvil, a large piece of iron on which smiths hammer their work.

19

OUR YARD MEASURE AND OUR POUND WEIGHT

1. How many thousands of times every day are yards of stuff measured off and pounds of goods weighed out! At every counter of every shop in every town in England, Scotland, and Ireland this is going on every hour of the day.

2. Did you ever wonder how it is that our yard is always just three feet and our pound always just sixteen ounces? Old measures and old weights wear out, and new ones must be made; and if somebody once made a mistake, it might be copied over and over again, and so our yard would gradually get too short or our pound too heavy, and you would get too little print for your dress or too much meat for your dinner.

3. Britannia has been very much afraid that this might happen, and so she has thought of a plan for keeping things right. (Britannia is just another name for old England, and you will find a portrait of the lady on that penny in your pocket: she holds the trident of Neptune in her hand, and her shield bears the Union Jack.)

4. This is the way that Britannia has taken care of her weights and measures. It is not enough for her that there are standard(1) weights and measures kept in every town, and that shopkeepers must have theirs compared(2) with these from time to time.

5. More than forty years ago she had a bar of bronze(3) made, and two lines marked on it exactly a yard apart, and this was sealed up in an oak box. Then a block of platinum, a very valuable and very hard kind of metal, was cut, weighing exactly a pound. This block was wrapped up in a kind of smooth paper that would not rub it in the least; and then it was placed in a silver-gilt case, and that case in another of bronze.

6. Outside that again it was protected by three boxes—two of wood and one of lead; and then a nice little niche(4) was made for the block and the bar in the wall of the staircase of the House of Commons(5), and they were safely built up.

7. All this was done in 1853; and since then the bar and the block have been taken out three times, to see that Britannia was making no mistake in weighing her tea and measuring her calico(6). The last time was in1912, and many wise people met together to see the weight and the measure tested(7).

8. They were delighted to find that our yard and our pound, in common use all over the country, were exactly like this bar of bronze and this block of platinum—that is, they weighed and measured the same within the ten-thousandth part of a grain and the hundred-thousandth part of an inch! Another examination will be made twenty years later, in 1932, and no doubt Britannia will then find her standard weights and measures quite as exact.

9. Let us hope that Britons will always be as careful to be true and just(8) and fair in all their dealings, as they are to keep their measures and their weights correct! We are commanded not only to use just weights and measures, but, while we are diligent(9) in business, to remember that with the same measure that we mete(10) to others it shall be measured to us again.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words each, every, either, and all as parts of the subject.

2. Give the simpler words from which the following are formed: valuable, comfortably, business.

3. Analyze and explain the words lighthouse, staircase, and shop-keeper.

————————————————————

(1) Standard, fixed.

(2) Compared, put alongside of.

(3) Bronze, a metal made of copper and tin.

(4) Niche, hollow place; nook.

(5) House of Commons, building in which the Commons or members of Parliament sit.

(6) Calico, cotton cloth, so called because it was first brought from Calicut in India.

(7) Tested, tried.

(8) Just, honest; exact.

(9) Diligent, steady; keeping close to work.

(10) Mete, measure.

20

A SERMON

1. Whatsoe'er you find to do,

Do it, boys, with all your might;

Never be a little true,

Or a little in the right.

Trifles(1) even

Lead to heaven,

Trifles make the life of man;

So in all things,

Great and small things,

Be as thorough as you can.

2. Let no speck of falsehood dim(2)

Spotless truth and honour bright."

Who will love and honour him

That says any lie is white?

He that falters(3),

Twists or alters,

In his tale the slightest part,

May deceive me(4), But, believe me,

He will never win my heart.

3. Help the weak if you are strong;

Love the old if you are young;

Own a fault if you are wrong;

If you're angry, hold your tongue;

In each duty

Lies a beauty

If your eyes you do not shut,

Just as surely

And securely

As the kernel(5) in the nut.

4. If you think a word will please'

Speak it, if it be but true;

Kindness you can show with ease,

Though no deed is asked from you.

Words may often

Soothe(6) and soften,

Gild(7) a joy or heal a pain;

They are treasures,

Yielding pleasures

It is wicked to retain(8).

5. Whatever thing you find to do,

Do it, then, with all your might;

Let your prayers be strong and true—

Prayer, my lads, will keep you right.

So in all things,

Great and small things?

Be a Christian and a man;

And for ever,

Changing never,

Be as thorough as you can.

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Trifles, small things; things of little value.

(2) Dim, cloud over; darken.

(3) Falters, hesitates; is not sure what to say.

(4) Deceive me, make me believe what is not true.

(5) Kernel, the inner part of a nut or of the stone of a fruit.

(6) Soothe, please with kind words or actions.

(7) Gild, make bright like gold; adorn.

(8) Retain, keep hold of.

21

SMOKE

1. "Where there's reek there's heat," is an old Scottish proverb(1), and a true one; for while there may be heat without "reek" or smoke, smoke is never found without heat.

2. Smoke, smoke, smoke—where can we go to escape from it? Look how it rolls in black clouds from the tall factory(2) chimneys, or curls in thinner wreaths(3) above the tops of our houses. In the cities it covers our faces and our clothes with smuts(4), it blackens or kills our flowers, and even hides the sun from our sight at mid-day.

3. Smoke comes from almost everything that burns, and although these things may be very different, the smoke that comes from them is very much alike. When a lamp or a candle or a gas flame is burning well, you do not see any smoke coming from it, but the smoke is there all the same.

4. Pass a white card through the top of the flame just quickly enough to keep it from being singed. Look at it now, and you will find it slightly blackened with smoke. Now pass it through the flame again, lower down this time: it is blacker still. So you see there is smoke in the flame of the candle, though very little comes from it.

5. Now let us see what happens when anything burns. Every substance that burns easily contains a great deal of carbon(5). When we hold a lighted match to anything of this kind, such as a bit of wood, the little particles(6) of carbon in it turn hotter and hotter, until a strange thing happens to them: they unite with particles of oxygen from the air, and suddenly disappear!

6. But as the particles of carbon join with the oxygen they become very hot indeed, white-hot, and it is these white-hot bits of carbon that rise up in a stream like a waterfall flowing upwards, and form what we call flame. The heat of the flame warms the particles of carbon near it, and they too join in the dance.

7. But what has all this to do with smoke? Well, some of these little specks of carbon do not find any oxygen to join with—it has all been used up—and so they do not turn white-hot, but sail away in their old form of little black specks of carbon, or soot, or smoke. They have been of no use in giving us light or heat.

8. When a fire is smoking, we may be sure that there is no enough oxygen(7) to make the carbon give out all its light and heat. What it wants is a good draught(8)—more air and more oxygen. This is why we sometimes blow the fire with the bellows, or stir it up with the poker so as to let in more air.

9. Did you ever wonder why smoke rises? It is because the air when heated becomes lighter, and floats upwards through the cold heavy air like a cork set free at the bottom of a basin of water. The colder air from below takes its place, and this also becomes heated and rises; so a constant stream of hot air goes upwards, carrying the smoke along with it.

10. Did you ever see white smoke? Look at the white clouds coming puff, puff, puff from the funnel of that railway engine. They are made of smoke mixed with steam, Each little speck of soot gets a coating(9) of moisture(10) from the steam, and so it looks like a white cloud or mist.

11. The same thing often happens with the smoke that hangs over our large towns on a calm day. If the air is very moist, the smoke and the moisture together turn into a thick fog. In London, Glasgow, Manchester, and other manufacturing places, the fog is often so thick that people must use gas light even at mid-day. In the streets they can scarcely see a yard before them.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the past tense and all the participles of sing and singe.

2. Make adjectives ending in -y from the nouns soot, smoke, fog, and fire, and give their meanings.

3. Write the comparative of hot, white, thin, and good, marking the letters added.

————————————————————

(1) Proverb, wise saying.

(2) Factory, work buildings; place where things are manufactured or made.

(3) Wreaths, circles.

(4) Smuts, dirty spots.

(5) Carbon, charcoal.

(6) Particles, very small parts.

(7) Oxygen, a gas forming part of the air, which supports life and flame.

(8) Draught, current.

(9) Coating, covering.

(10) Moisture, dampness.

22

MATCHES

1. Before a substance can begin to burn it must be made hot. But all substances do not need the same amount of heat before they catch fire. Some need very little, others a great deal. In lighting a fire we use things that will begin to burn easily.

2. Heat can be produced(1) by rubbing. When your hands feel cold, you rub them together to warm them. If you rub a flat metal button smartly on wood, you can make it hot enough to burn your hand.

3. The savages(2) of Africa and Australia rub two pieces of wood very quickly together, until they get heat enough to make them give off sparks. Then they catch the sparks in a handful of dry grass, which soon bursts out into flame.

4. In olden times in our own country a light was got by striking steel against flint(3). The force of the blow broke off little bits of steel and made them red-hot; and as these red-hot sparks fell, they were caught on a piece of half-burnt rag or tinder, which took fire very easily.

5. By the use of matches we can strike a light far more easily than our forefathers could do in the days of old, or than the savages of Africa can do now. This is because the head of the match contains a substance called phosphorus(4), which needs very little rubbing to make it hot enough to catch fire.

6. Phosphorus burns so easily that we cannot touch it with our fingers; the heat of the hand would make it take fire and burn us. Phosphorus is a very poisonous substance, and sometimes children have been poisoned by sucking the heads of matches.

7. You must have noticed that when a match begins to burn it bursts out into a large flame. To understand the cause of this, you must remember what was said in last lesson about "burning." When a substance burns, it is really joining with the oxygen of the air; and the more oxygen it gets, the faster it burns. For example, a splinter of wood with a red-hot tip when plunged into a bottle of oxygen gas bursts into flame and burns very rapidly.

8. But we can not very well carry about with us a bottle of oxygen to dip a match in as soon as it is lighted. So a substance which contains a great deal of oxygen is mixed with the phosphorus in the head of the match, and when this is heated by the burning phosphorus, it gives out its oxygen to make the phosphorus burn still faster.

9. This material and the phosphorus are made into a kind of paste, and the ends of the match splints are dipped into this paste, which dries and forms the head of the match. It is usually coloured blue or red. The splints are first dipped in paraffin(5) to make them burn easily.

10. Matches should always be used carefully, in case of their taking fire when we do not want them to do so. Very often a box has taken fire by being crushed, or dropped on the floor, or left too near the fire, or by children playing with it, and many fires have been caused in this way.

11. Many plans were tried to make matches less dangerous, and at last this one was found to work very well. No phosphorus is put on the match, but a little of it is mixed with other substances and put on the outside of the box. The head of the match is made of a substance which contains oxygen, and burns easily. When the match is rubbed on the phosphorus, it causes a spark, and the match takes fire. These matches are called safety matches, and they cannot be lighted by rubbing on anything but the box.

12. Matches were invented in 1829 by a teacher, afterwards Sir Isaac Holden, M.P.(6). He rose very early to study, and this led him to seek some easier way of getting a light in the dark mornings than by using flint and steel. When matches were first sold they cost 2s. 6d. per box of 50, or more than a halfpenny each.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words invent, inventor, and invention.

2. Write the plurals of child, halfpenny, dozen, and it.

3. Make sentences containing as nouns and as adjectives the words savage, metal, safety.

————————————————————

(1) Produced, obtained.

(2) Savages, wild, ignorant people.

(3) Flint, a very hard stone.

(4) Phosphorus, a yellowish substance, somewhat like wax, which is easily set on fire, and gives out a faint light in the dark.

(5) Paraffin, a white substance used for candles, got from shale, coal tar, etc.

(6) M.P., Member of Parliament.

23

JACK AND THE MATCH-BOX

1. Rachel the cook had laid the kitchen fire, ready for next morning. She had given the grate an extra polish, put in a layer of crumpled paper and another layer of dry sticks, and then piled up the little heap of coals on the top to make a cheerful blaze in the dark winter's morning. She finished by placing the match-box on the top of the grate, and then went off to bed.

2. Jack, our sleek(1)-coated jackdaw, had been perched(2) on the end of the dresser watching Rachel, with his head very much to one side. He had set his heart on that box of matches. Jack quite understood the use of a match. Nothing pleased him better than to get hold of one in his strong, clever bill, and rub it very hard until he got a spark.

3. True, he was just as likely to rub the wrong end of the match as the right one; and when the match was at last lighted, he would be sure to hold it so near the burning end that it blazed up in his eyes and sent him off in a terrible fright. More than once he burned his toes severely(3), and nearly set the house on fire.

4. Rachel had forgotten all about Jack when she put the match-box on the grate, and the sly bird kept quiet till he had the kitchen all to himself. Then he hopped slowly along the whole length of the dresser, and thence, by the help of one of the kitchen chairs, made his way to the floor; for one of Jack's wings was clipped, and he seldom tried to fly.

5. The moonlight streaming in at the window lay in silvery patches(4) on the floor. Jack walked across them, and tried to pick up one of the bars of light with his beak. After making several vain attempts, he gave it up. Then he hopped on the fender, eyeing the coveted(5) match-box.

6. Very soon the bird was perched on the top bar of the grate beside his treasure(6). He took out match after match, held it firmly in the tip of his bill, and rubbed it hard on the bar. Several times he got a spark; but he tossed away a good many matches in disgust(7), after trying to make them light at the wrong end.

7. Presently Jack had a great success. A match not only snapped and cracked, but burned into a steady flame while he still held it in his beak; and he was so frightened that he dropped it in a great hurry, and hopped away to the top of the oven. The blazing match fell down into a little opening between the coals, and found its way to the paper and wood beneath.

8. Before it burned itself out the bright little flame laid hold of a bit of paper, ran along it, curling it up as it went, crept round a chip of wood with a little fiery tongue, and soon leaped up among the sticks, setting them all in a blaze.

9. Jack looked on in surprise. He liked a fire, and he had often seen one lit, but he had never before lighted one himself, and even now he was not, at all sure how it had been done. Presently the box of matches caught fire, and blazed up with such a hiss and a sputter that Jack was nearly frightened out of his wits.

10. Rachel was frightened, too, next morning when she came down to light the fire, and found that it had been lighted long ago, so long ago that all her fuel(8) was burned up, and nothing was left but a few cinders in the grate, beside which the guilty(9) bird was sitting.

11. Jack got his usual scolding, which, however, he did not understand; so instead of expecting him to take warning for the future, Rachel took care not only to keep the match-box out of his reach, but ever afterwards to use safety-matches.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the principal parts (present, past, and past participle)of the verbs held, lit, left, and got.

2. Make sentences containing the words opening, treasure, and perch as nouns and as verbs.

3. Make sentences containing the words fear, fright, and frighten.

THE JOLLY OLD CROW.

1. On the limb of an oak sat a jolly old crow,

And chatted away with glee, with glee,

As he saw the old farmer go out to sow,

And he cried, "It's all for me, for me!

2. "Look! look! how he scatters his seeds around;

He is certainly kind to the poor, the poor.

If he'd empty it down in a pile on the ground,

I could find it much better, I'm sure, I'm sure.

3. "I've learned all the tricks of this wonderful man,

Who has such a regard for the crow, the crow,

That he lays out his ground in a regular plan,

And covers his corn in a row, a row.

4. "He must have a great fancy for me, for me—

He tries to entrap me enough, enough;

But I measure his distance as well as he,

And when he comes near me, I'm off, I'm off!"

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(1) Sleek, smooth; shining.

(2) Perched, sitting, as on a perch.

(3) Severely, very badly.

(4) Patches, spots.

(5) Coveted, desired; much wished for.

(6) Treasure, highly-prized article.

(7) Disgust, displeasure; dislike.

(8) Fuel, food for fire.

(9) Guilty, wicked; having done wrong.

24

"IT WILL NEVER DO TO BE IDLE."

1. One day I was driven by a rain-storm to take shelter in a little hut by the road-side, which was used by a cobbler(1) as his workshop. The man and his son were busy at their work; and after saying, "Good-day," we began to talk together.

2. Before I had been with them long, the old man sent his son out to get something that he needed for his work. The lad was only five minutes away, but it was too long for the active old cobbler to be idle. He became uneasy, moved about the room, and at last took up a scrap of leather and fell to work upon it, saying, "You know, sir, it will never do to be idle."

3. As soon as the rain was over, I went on my way homeward, thinking over what I had heard— "It will never do to be idle." Some people are always idle, others are idle only now and then. I was one of the latter class. I could work only by fits and starts(2). So the old man's words came home to me. They roused(3) my conscience(4), and I began to feel how wrong it was to waste so much of my life in idleness.

4. I had often heard and read that idleness is a very great evil; but now I began to see that it causes far more sorrow than people are aware of. It is the man who is doing nothing that is drawn into mischief, while the busy man is safe. It is only the idle that are wretched(5). A soldier in the heat of battle does not feel even the pain of a wound.

5. When a man is busy he is said to be "occupied." What does that mean? It means that a man at work is like a house with people dwelling in it. To be "occupied" is to have a tenant(6) inside; and when our minds are full of our work, there is no room for anything else. Idleness, on the other hand, is emptiness; and when the mind is empty, then the doors are thrown open, and evil thoughts troop in.

6. It is the misspent(7) odds and ends of our time that do most of us harm. We waste them instead of using them. A few minutes of idleness is often enough to spoil us for the work of the day. When it once gets hold of a man the habit of idleness is not to be shaken off easily.

7. As I have said, I made up my mind to follow the cobbler's rule for the rest of my life. Above all, I was determined that my mind should never be empty. Oh, it was very hard at first! but I kept to my purpose. I clung(8) to it; I cherished(9) it.

8. If any one ever feels the approach, the first approach, of laziness, let him say to himself, "In the next quarter of an hour I will do such a thing;" and then do it. I can promise him that it will make him a blessing both to himself and to others. He will grow into habits of work, and he will find, as I did, the truth of the cobbler's words, "It will never do to be idle."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words occupy, occupier, occupant, and occupation.

2. Make adjectives (one or more) from each of the words mischief, sorrow, and pain.

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(1) Cobbler, one who mends shoes; a shoemaker.

(2) By fits and starts, at intervals; now and then.

(3) Roused, awakened; stirred up.

(4) Conscience, the power of knowing right from wrong.

(5) Wretched, miserable; unhappy.

(6) Tenant, dweller; one who has the use of property by paying a rent for it.

(7) Misspent, wasted; badly spent.

(8) Clung, held firmly.

(9) Cherished, took great care of.

25

AN OSTRICH FARM

1. If you sleep in an attic bedroom(1), you do not expect to see a face at your window when you wake in the morning. But the little boy in the picture does not seem at all afraid of the strange face at his window. This great ostrich is an old friend, and is allowed to wander about the farm as it pleases.

2. An ostrich farm! Does it not seem strange to keep these great birds of the desert living in houses and fields, like sheep and cattle, instead of chasing them over the plains on horseback, or shooting them, as used to be done, in order to get their feathers? Some wild ostriches are still hunted, especially in the north of Africa; but most of our ostrich feathers are now got from tame birds.

3. Ostrich farming was begun in South Africa about fifty years ago, and there are now many large farms on the plains of Cape Colony(2). An ostrich farm. must have a good fence round it, to keep the birds from straying(3). The old birds are rather fond of fighting, so each pair must have a field to themselves.

4. Tame ostriches are not usually allowed to hatch their young ones. The eggs are taken from the nest to a room, where they are placed in boxes, and kept warm by a stove or a lamp. The heat is applied to the top of the box, and this has the same effect on the eggs as if the birds were sitting on them to keep them warm. In about six weeks the young chicks come out of the shell.

5. The chicks find no mother there to attend to them, but instead of that there is a native boy. (Natives are generally called "boys," however old they are.) It is very odd to see the young ostriches running to the boy when they are afraid, or when they want food, just as chickens run to their mother. The young birds require great care, and often large numbers of them die, causing much loss to the farmer.

6. For the first day or two the young birds eat nothing at all. Then they begin to swallow small stones and gravel(4). This may seem very stupid; but they know what they are about. Besides having a stomach, the ostrich, like other birds, has a thick strong pouch called a gizzard, in which it grinds its food among the gravel and other hard things which it swallows. So the young ostrich gets its grinding-mill into proper working order before it begins eating.

7. At first they are fed with green vegetables cut into small pieces; but after a little while they are able to pick for themselves the grass and other plants on which they feed, and they are then taken away to a large pasture field, and need no more care.

8. The large white and gray feathers of the wing and tail are very much prized(5) for ornament, they are so soft and graceful inform; the black feathers which cover the body of the bird are of no value. The crest(6) of the Prince of Wales is three ostrich feathers placed as you see in the picture, with the German words, Ich dien, meaning, "I serve;" and the story is told that this crest was first worn by an English prince after the battle of Crecy(7).

9. The ostrich gets a new covering twice a year, and at these times the old feathers fall off. In order to keep them from getting faded or dirty, the farmer cuts them off carefully with a pair of scissors before they are quite ready to drop off, while they are still fresh and beautiful.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words farm, warm, and native as various parts of speech.

2. Make adjectives from the words Africa, Wales, England, Germany, and Colony.

3. Mark the silent letters in the word scissors.

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(1) Attic bedroom, bedroom at the top of a house and lighted from the roof; garret.

(2) Cape Colony, the name formerly given to the Province of the Cape of Good Hope, now part of the Union of South Africa.

(3) Straying, wandering away.

(4) Gravel, sand and small stones.

(5) Much prized, highly thought of.

(6) Crest, a figure over a coat of arms.

(7) Crecy, a village in the north of France.

26

BIRD-HOUSES

1. Birds sometimes choose very strange places for making a home. They build their nests among trees or bushes, on the ground, under the ground, in the sides of cliffs(1), on the tops of mountains, under the eaves(2) of houses, down chimneys, among the rafters(3) of old buildings, and even on the wrecks of ships, and islands of seaweed floating in the ocean.

2. In choosing a place for a nest, several points have to be noticed by the birds. The place must be within easy distance of their feeding-ground; and it must be of such a kind that they will be safe from their enemies.

3. The feeding-ground of some birds is so difficult to reach, that it is no easy matter to find a place near at hand for the nests. A flock of sea-birds once came upon the wreck of a wheat ship, which had been stranded(4) on a sunken rock(5). They fed on the cargo of the wrecked ship; and rather than go many miles off to make their home on the shore, they took possession of the vessel, and began house-keeping there. Dozens of them built their nests in the cabin of the ship, in quiet nooks on the deck, and even in the tattered(6) sails.

4. Another strange place for bird-nests was a floating iceberg(7), which had drifted(8) down from the Northern seas, carrying with it frozen berries, seaweed, and other plants. Two gulls discovered the rich harvest of food on the iceberg, and they followed it for weeks and months. They built their nests on its summit, and reared(9) their young on this strange floating island.

5. Birds often find out clever plans for saving their homes from danger. Those that build in orchards(10) usually hang their nests on branches that are too slender to bear the weight of a cat. They also try to hide them from sight by winding leaves and twigs round the outside, or by keeping a cluster of leaves between them and the ground.

6. A small bird that had been very much annoyed by a cat at last hit upon a plan that baffled(11) pussy. Taking two slender branches of two different apple-trees, she joined their ends together, and hung her nest between them. When the young ones were hatched, pussy tried to reach the nest, first from one tree, and then from the other; but as the branches were high up in the air, she was afraid to venture(12) out on them.

7. Another small bird was in the habit of building its home on the ground, in the same orchard. One season she too fell upon a clever plan to defy the cat. A large, narrow-necked jar had been thrown away behind some bushes. It was half covered over with weeds and leaves, and this made it so much the better for the bird.

8. In spring she took possession of the jar, and built her nest in the farther end of it. The cat vainly tried to reach it by putting her paw in through the neck of the jar, but the distance was too great for her. Then she lay in wait for the old birds, and tried to catch them as they came out of the jar.

9. But they were too smart for pussy. Only one bird would enter at a time, and the other would stay outside to watch and give warning of danger. If the cat was near, the bird on watch outside would chirp loudly to the one inside. Then when pussy left, it would fly to the mouth of the jar and call to its mate to come out. In this way the two birds brought up their young ones in safety, and for three seasons they made the old jar their home.

10. There is a bird of the swallow family found in the East Indies(13) which fastens its nest to the sides of dimly-lighted caves by the sea-shore. The curious thing about this nest is that it is not made of clay or of grass, like those of other birds, but of a white sticky substance which the bird produces in its own mouth. It builds its nest, as the spider spins his web, from its own body.

11. The Chinese are very fond of soup made from these nests, and about twenty-five millions of them are taken to Canton(14) alone every year. When they are in good condition, white and clean-looking, they are sold for their weight in silver.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words choose, chose, and choice.

2. Give some words in -y (like chimney) which form the plural by merely adding s.

3. Make sentences containing the words discover, discovery, discoverer, and undiscovered.

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(1) Cliffs, steep rocks.

(2) Eaves, the overhanging edge of a roof.

(3) Rafters, beams to support the roof of a house.

(4) Stranded, run aground.

(5) Sunken rock, rock covered by the sea.

(6) Tattered, torn.

(7) Iceberg, a large mass of floating ice; an ice-mountain.

(8) Drifted, been driven along.

(9) Reared, brought up; cared for.

(10) Orchards, fruit-gardens.

(11) Baffled, puzzled; made its efforts useless.

(12) Venture, risk herself.

(13) East Indies, a number of large islands to the south-east of India.

(14) Canton, a large city in the south of China.

27

A NEST IN A POCKET

1. A little bird went to and fro,

Once in the nesting season,

And sought for shelter high and low,

Until, for some queer reason,

She flew into a granary(1),

Where, on a nail suspended(2),

The farmer's coat she chanced to see;

And there her search was ended.

2. The granary was in a loft(3),

Where not a creature met her;

The coat had hollows deep and soft—

Could anything be better?

And where it hung, how safe it was,

Without a breeze to rock it!

Come, busy little beak and claws,

Build quick inside the pocket!

3. Three speckled eggs soon warmly lay

Beneath the happy sitter;

Three little birds—oh, joy! — one day

Began to chirp and twitter.

And then—ah, can you guess the tale? —

The farmer came one morning,

And took his coat down from the nail

Without a word of warning!

4. Poor, little, frightened motherling(4)!

Up from her nest she fluttered,

And straightway every gaping(5) thing

Its wide-mouthed terror uttered.

The good man started back aghast(6);

But merry was his wonder

When, in the pocket, he at last

Found such unlooked-for plunder.

5. He put the coat back carefully:

"I think I have another;

So don't you be afraid of me,

You bright-eyed little mother.

I know just how you feel, poor thing,

For I have youngsters, bless you!

There—stop your foolish fluttering—

Nobody shall distress(7) you."

6. Then merrily he ran away

To tell his wife about it—

How in his coat the nestlings lay,

And he must do without it.

She laughed, and said she thought he could;

And so, all unmolested(8),

The mother-birdie and her brood(9)

Safe in the pocket rested,

7. Till all the little wings were set

In proper flying feather;

And then there was a nest to let,

For off they flocked together.

The farmer keeps it still to show,

And says that he's the debtor;

His coat is none the worse, you know,

While he's—a little better.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Show the connection in meaning of lift, loft, lofty, and aloft.

2. Make sentences containing outer and utter.

3. Make sentences containing search, rock, and hollow as nouns and as verbs.

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(1) Granary, a place for keeping grain.

(2) Suspended, hung.

(3) Loft, a large upstairs room; an attic.

(4) Motherling, little mother.

(5) Gaping, open-mouthed.

(6) Aghast, struck with fear.

(7) Distress, trouble; harm.

(8) Unmolested, undisturbed.

(9) Brood, family; that which is bred.

28

THE FEAST OF CHERRIES

1. Three hundred years ago, says an old writer, cherries were very scarce in Germany. A strange disease came upon the fruit-trees, and the greater number of them died. But a rich merchant of Hamburg(1), named Wolff, who had a large garden in the middle of the city, had managed to keep his cherry trees free from this disease.

2. He had in his garden all the best kinds of trees then known, and he was able to sell his fruit for any price he liked to ask. His cherries were almost worth their weight in gold, and he soon made a fortune(2) out of them.

3. One spring-time, when his favourite trees were in full blossom, and gave good promise of a fine crop of fruit, a great war broke out. The German armies were defeated, and now Hamburg was besieged(3). The leader of the enemy vowed(4) that, as soon as he had taken the city, every man, woman, and child in it should be put to death.

THE FEAST OF CHERRIES

4. While the people fought bravely against the enemy without the walls, a more terrible enemy appeared within; for food began to get scarce. In a few days more, the citizens(5) must open their gates to their conquerors, or die of hunger.

5. But while those within the walls suffered from hunger, those encamped without were dying of thirst. The summer was very hot, and every spring and brook near their camp was dried up. The soldiers suffered much from want of water, while they had to endure(6) the heat and smoke of battle, and often the pain of wounds.

6. Wolff, the merchant, returned slowly to his house one morning. Along with the other merchants of the city, he had been helping to defend the walls against the enemy; and so constant was the fighting, that for a whole week he had worn his armour day and night. And now he thought bitterly that all this fighting was useless, for on the morrow want of food would force them to open the gates.

7. As he passed through his garden, he noticed that his cherry trees were covered with ripe fruit, so large and juicy that the very sight of it was refreshing. At that moment a thought struck him. He knew how much the enemy were suffering from thirst. What would they not give for the fruit that hung unheeded on the trees of his orchard? Might he not by means of his cherries secure safety for his city?

8. Without a moment's delay he put his plan into practice(7), for he knew there was no time to lose if the city was to be saved. He gathered together three hundred of the children of the city, all dressed in white, and loaded them with fruit from his orchard. Then the gates were thrown open, and they set out on their strange errand.

9. When the leader of the enemy saw the gates of the city open, and the band of little, white-robed children marching out, many of them nearly hidden by the leafy branches which they carried, he at first thought that it was some trick by which the townspeople were trying to deceive him, while preparing for an attack on his camp. As the children came nearer, he remembered his cruel vow, and was on the point of giving orders that they should all be put to death.

10. But when he saw the little ones close at hand, so pale and thin from want of food, he thought of his own children at home, and he could hardly keep back his tears. Then, as his thirsty, wounded soldiers tasted the cool, refreshing fruit which the children had brought them, a cheer went up from the camp, and the general knew that he was conquered, not by force of arms(8), but by the power of kindness and pity.

11. When the children returned, the general sent along with them waggons laden with food for the starving people of the city; and next day he signed a treaty(9) of peace with those whom he had vowed to destroy.

12. For many years afterwards, as the day came round on which this event took place, it was kept as a holiday, and called "The Feast of Cherries." Large numbers of children in white robes marched through the streets, each one bearing a branch with bunches of cherries on it. But the old writer who tells the story is careful to say, that on these occasions the children kept the cherries for themselves.

13. Every age of the world's history has its tales of war, and bloodshed, and cruelty, of wild struggles between nations, and of great victories; but nowhere among them all do we find the story of a more beautiful victory than that which was won by the little children who saved Hamburg.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Use in sentences the words siege, besiege, camp, and encamp.

2. Make sentences containing the words capture, captor, captive, and captivity.

3. Make sentences Containing the words conquer, conqueror, and conquest.

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(1) Hamburg, a city in the north of Germany.

(2) Fortune, large amount of money,

(3) Besieged, surrounded by the enemy.

(4) Vowed, made a solemn promise.

(5) Citizens, people of the city.

(6) Endure, suffer; put up with.

(7) Practice, working order.

(8) Force of arms, fighting.

(9) Signed a treaty, made an agreement.

29

BANANAS

1. "Will," said Uncle Jack, as he handed the children a basket of fruit that he had brought them, "which kind of fruit do you like best?"

"Bananas, uncle."

"I thought so. Now, I want to know what you children can tell me about bananas."

2. "I know they grow in hot countries," said Lily, "and I think they grow in the woods."

"Some kinds do grow in the woods," replied Uncle Jack; "but wild bananas are almost always too bitter to eat. The best fruit comes from trees planted in gardens or in fields."

3. "And how do they grow, uncle?" asked Lily.

"A great many shoots(1) come up from the roots of the old trees. These are cut off, and set in the ground, just as we plant geraniums and rose trees. Very soon the young shoots send up two long leaves. But you would not think that they were leaves. They are curled so tightly together that they look just like a round stick.

4. "After a while the leaves open out, and hang down like branches. Other leaves grow up, curled just as tightly as the first. These also open out, and bend down; and others grow in their places. Then the plant really begins to look like a tree. It grows to the height of twenty or thirty feet, and its leaves are sometimes ten feet long, and two or three feet broad. The trunk is not hard wood, like that of the oak or the pine. It is nothing but leaf-stems packed closely together.

5. "After a few months, a large purple bud appears in the centre of the leaves. Soon it grows out, and hangs down. It looks like a great purple heart. At last it opens, and there are seen rings and rings of bright little buds arranged around the stem. Soon each little bud bursts into a yellow blossom. Then comes the fruit. At first each banana is only a tiny green pod; but it grows and grows, till it is longer than any bean-pod you ever saw, and the cluster is very heavy."

6. "How heavy?" asked Will.

"Oh, about half as heavy as you are, Will."

"I am over six stone now, uncle."

"Well, a cluster of over forty pounds' weight is not uncommon. Each banana weighs very little by itself; but sometime there are several hundreds of them on one stem. When gathered, they are put in a cool place, or are covered up with earth, just as farmers in this country cover up their potatoes sometimes. The bananas that we get must be gathered while they are still green, or they would not keep long enough for the voyage."

7. "What becomes of the tree, uncle?" asked Will.

"Oh, when it has borne(2) its cluster of fruit, it withers away. The stem and the leaves die. But the root still lives; and all around the dead stem come up the young shoots, or baby plants, which, as I told you, are saved to plant again."

8. "Do people in the hot countries eat many bananas, Uncle Jack?" asked Lily.

"Thousands of people live almost entirely(3) on them, Lily, just as people in some countries live on potatoes, and in others on rice. They have bananas for breakfast, dinner, and tea. Sometimes the people of South America cut the fruit into strips, then dry it in the sun, grind it, and make a kind of flour from it. A field of bananas will give more than a hundred times as much food as a field of wheat of the same size.

9. "The young shoots," concluded(4) Uncle Jack, "that come up from the roots of the dead trees are sometimes eaten as we do green vegetables. The juice of the leaves is used to dye(5) cloth brown or black; and their long, tough fibres(6) are woven(7) into a beautiful kind of cloth called grass-cloth. One kind of banana produces a fibre which is known as Manilla(8) hemp."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing plant, shoot, and stick as nouns and as verbs.

2. Give a list of words ending in -le (like purple) and in -el (like travel).

3. Make sentences containing the words wither, whither, and whether.

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(1) Shoots, young branches.

(2) Borne, supported; carried.

(3) Entirely, altogether; wholly.

(4) Concluded, finished.

(5) Dye, colour.

(6) Fibres, thread-like parts.

(7) Woven, formed into cloth by working threads together.

(8) Manilla, chief town of the Philippine Islands in the East Indies.

30

WEATHER-WISDOM

1. It is wonderful how well some people can tell what kind of weather we are going to have. Shepherds and sailors, and other people who live much in the open air, are specially good at it. Boys and girls cannot expect to know the weather-signs so well; but there are some simple rules which may help them a good deal in this, if they wish to learn.

2. The sunset is a very good prophet(1) of the weather. If the clouds in the west look purplish-red, it is almost sure to be a good day on the morrow; but a yellow sunset generally foretells rain.

3. There is no more certain sign of wet weather than a ring or halo round the moon. The ring is caused by the moonlight shining through the moisture high up in the air; and the larger the halo, the sooner will this moisture turn into clouds and fall as rain.

4. There is a very old proverb about the rainbow as a weather-sign—

"A rainbow in the morning

Is the shepherd's warning;

But a rainbow at night

Is the shepherd's delight."

This is only true when the wind is in the west; but as the west wind is the most common one in this country, it is a very useful rule indeed.

5. Try if you can understand why this proverb is true. A rainbow is formed by the sun shining on falling raindrops. Whenever you look at a rainbow, therefore, you have clouds and rain in front of you, and the sun shining behind you. A rainbow needs sunshine and rain at the same time.

6. If you see a rainbow in the morning, when the sun is in the east, the rain-clouds must be in the west. As you stand looking at the rainbow, you feel the west wind blowing on your face, and very soon you will feel the rain also. The clouds drive towards you with the wind, and cover the whole sky. It is because a rainbow in the morning is a rainbow in the west, that

"A rainbow in the morning

Is the shepherd's warning."

7. in the evening the sun is in the west; so if a rainbow appears it will be in the east, and the rain-clouds will be there also. As you stand facing the rainbow, you feel the west wind blowing on your back, and you know that it is blowing these rain-clouds away from you. It is because a rainbow at night is a rainbow in the east, that

"A rainbow at night

Is the shepherd's delight."

8. Did you ever hear that birds are good weather prophets? That may seem very strange, but it is quite true. Take the swallows, for example. When you see them flying high, you may be sure that the weather is going to be fine; but when they keep low, skimming(2) along close to the ground, rain is almost certainly coming.

9. Why is this, do you think? The reason is not difficult to understand. The swallow feeds upon flies and gnats(3), which he catches as he sweeps through the air. Now, flies and gnats like to be in warm air; so that when you see swallows flying high up, you may be sure that the flies and the warm air also are far above the ground. But while the air is warm, it is able to hold a great deal of moisture, and so there is little chance of its coming down as rain.

10. Then there are the sea-gulls. When we see them gather on the land, we may be almost sure that stormy weather is coming. This is not be cause they are seeking shelter from the storm, but because, like the swallows, they are seeking food. The fish on which they prey keep near the surface of the sea in fine weather, but go far down in storms; so the gulls are glad to come to land and feed on the earthworms that may be washed out of the ground by the rain.

11. Here is one other curious weather-sign. Anglers(4) say that if, in spring, they see single magpies(5), they are sure to be unlucky, and catch little or nothing; but that when they meet the birds in pairs, they are sure to have a good day's fishing. The reason is, that in cold and stormy weather one magpie alone goes in search of food, while the other remains to keep the eggs or the young ones warm. But when the two parents go out together, it shows that the weather is warm and mild, and good for fishing.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words moist, moisten, and moisture.

2. Give the meaning of the various parts of the word un-luck-y.

3. Point out in the lesson where the word weather is used as a noun and where as an adjective.

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(1) Prophet, a foreteller of what is going to happen.

(2) Skimming, flying close to the surface.

(3) Gnat (nat), a small insect with a sting.

(4) Anglers, those who fish with rods.

(5) Magpie, a bird somewhat like the crow, that can be taught to speak.

31

SUMMER

1. The summer! the summer! the exquisite(1) time

Of the red rose's blush and the nightingale's chime(2),

The chant(3) of the lark and the hum of the bee,

The season of brightness and beauty and glee!

It is here! it is here! it is lighting again,

With sun-braided smiles, the deep heart of the glen.

2. It is touching the mountain and tingeing(4) the hill,

And dimpling the face of the low-laughing rill;

It is flooding the forest trees richly with bloom,

And flinging gold showers in the lap of the broom!

3. I have heard the lark warble his hymn(5) in the sky,

I have seen the dew-tear in the meek daisy's eye,

I have scented the breath of the fresh-opened flowers,

I have plucked a rich garland(6) from bright hawthorn bowers;

My footsteps have been where the violet sleeps,

And where arches of eglantine(7) hang from the steeps(8).

4. I have startled the linnet from thickets(9) of shade,

And roused the fleet stag(10) as he basked(11) in the glade(12);

And my spirit is blithe as a rivulet(13) clear,

For the summer, the golden-crowned summer, is here!

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Exquisite, delightful; grand.

(2) Chime, tune; the music of bells.

(3) Chant, song.

(4) Tingeing, colouring.

(5) Hymn, song of praise.

(6) Garland, wreath; flowers woven together.

(7) Eglantine, a wild rose.

(8) Steeps, steep places.

(9) Thicket, a number of small trees or shrubs growing closely together.

(10) Stag, the male of the red deer.

(11) Basked, lay in the sun.

(12) Glade, an open place in a wood.

(13) Rivulet, a small stream.

32

THE LIFE OF PLANTS

1. We all love flowers. We love them as we love the sunshine or as we love bright colours, because we admire their beauty, and because their presence makes us happier.

2. But have you ever thought that they are living things just as much as you are? They need food, and drink, and fresh air: they live and grow just as you do. Of course, they do these things in a very different way; but yet it may be interesting for you to think of flowers and plants as living creatures, and as relations of your own.

3. We speak of breathing as a mark of our life. But plants breathe too. Animals breathe air into their lungs(1), and the lungs take from it the life-giving oxygen that the animal needs. But there is a closer likeness yet between us and plants; for we breathe not only by means of the lungs, but by means of the skin which covers our bodies, Plants breathe with the whole surface of their bodies, and take from the air what they require just as the animal does. By the help of the micro-scope(2), we can see on the under side of their leaves the little openings through which plants breathe, as you see them in this little picture.

4. And plants eat, —not such gross(3) food as we eat, but things too fine and dainty for us even to taste. Down in the ground the fine hair-like roots creep about among the rocks and the soil, and drink in the moisture and the gases and minerals which they find there. But the roots do not supply all the food. The leaves help also; they take in nourishment(4) from the air all over their surface, wherever air and light touch them.

5. Then this rich juice is sucked up through the stem. As it passes along through the stem and the leaves and the flowers, each part takes from it the food which it needs, and thus the whole plant is nourished and grows.

6. Movement is one of the surest signs of life. Perhaps you do not know that plants can move. Of course you do not see them running about, but yet some of them move a good deal. If you watch the geraniums and other plants you have growing at home, you will see that they always turn towards the light.

7. Many flowers close up at night, or in cold weather, and open wide when the sun is shining. There are other plants that shrink(5) when you touch them, and fold up their leaves almost as quickly as a snail draws in his horns. Climbing plants move their tendrils about in a very curious way, as if they were feeling for something to lay hold of.

8. Then some plants have leaves that actually(6) seize hold of any insect that may settle on them, and do not open again until they have sucked in the softer parts of the insect for their own food. There are many other interesting facts that you may learn about the life of plants some day, but this may be enough to make you think of them as really living creatures.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make nouns in -ce from present, different, distant, and important, and give their meanings.

2. What change is made in the sound of the words close, use, and abuse when used as verbs and as other parts of speech?

3. Make sentences containing the words grow, growth, live, life, breathe, breath.

————————————————————

(1) Lungs, the organs by which animals breathe.

(2) Micro-scope, an instrument for seeing very small objects.

(3) Gross, coarse.

(4) Nourishment, food; support.

(5) Shrink, shrivel up.

(6) Actually, really.

33

SOWING SEEDS

1. Fred and Jane were one day walking with their mother along a country road on their way to a farm-house. As they went they saw a man with a scythe(1) cutting down the tall thistles that grew along the side of the road.

2. "Look, mother!" cried Fred; "why is that man cutting down the thistles? Surely he might allow them to grow on the roadside, where they cannot do any harm. How pretty their pink flowers look, and how sweetly they smell; the bees, too, seem to be very fond of them!"

3. When they came up to the man their mother said, "My little boy is very anxious to know why you are cutting down these thistles. He cannot see the use of it when they are not growing in the fields."

"Well, you see, thistles are like bad habits," the man answered as he leaned on his scythe and wiped his forehead. "They not only grow, but spread; just as bad habits spread by example.

4. "Their seeds have wings, and when they are ripe they float away on the wind. If we allowed them to ripen here, they would soon spread over the fields as welt as the road-side. So the only way to save us from having a crop of thistles in the fields next year is to cut these down before the seeds come.

5. "Perhaps you know some other seeds with wings," continued the man, looking at Fred.

"Do you mean the dandelion?" Fred asked. "We often take the head of the dandelion and blow off its down, saying, 'One o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, after each puff, until we have blown it all away."

6. "Yes; that is the kind of seed I mean. When you do this you are sowing its seeds for it. If you keep your eyes open, you will see other plants whose seeds have white silky wings to carry them along, and on a fine autumn day you will often meet such seeds on their journey."

7. They thanked the man for what he had told them, and passed on. Soon afterwards Jane went up to the hedge to look over it into the field, and her dress got dotted all over with little things which stuck so fast that she had some trouble in pulling them off.

"What are these, mother?" she asked.

8. "Seeds again," replied her mother. "These seeds have little bristles(2) sticking out with a hook at the end. When sheep or cattle rub against them as you have just done, these hooks catch in their wool or hair, and the ripe seeds are pulled off and carried away to some other place.

9. "Several plants have hooked seeds or burs, and thus get the help of animals in carrying their seeds to fresh ground. These plants get the animals to do their work without pay, but other plants pay for the help they get."

10. "Why, mother, what are you saying? How can plants get work done and pay for it?" asked Fred, laughing.

"Not only so," continued his mother with a smile, "but they advertise(3) for workers. I am thinking now of such plants as wild cherries, brambles, and the like, You can tell me how their seeds are sown."

11. "I should think they don't get sown at all; they are eaten up by the birds," said Fred.

"You are partly right and partly wrong. The fruit is eaten; but the seed has a very hard shell, so hard that the bird cannot break it, so he drops it somewhere on the ground."

12. "And so the bird gets the soft part as its wages for carrying away the stone," said Jane.

"That seems to be the bargain(4) between them."

"But what about advertising, mother?" said Fred; "were you just telling us a story when you said that?"

13. "You may call it a story, but it is really a true story, Fred. When the cherry stones are ready for sowing, how do you think the cherry tree advertises for sowers? She hangs out a red flag—"

"Oh, I see what you mean now," cried Fred: "you mean that whenever the cherries are ripe they turn red."

"Yes," said his sister; "and whenever the birds see them red, they know they are ripe. Is that the reason why ripe fruit is so bright in colour?"

14. "Well, we cannot easily tell the 'reason why' about anything, but you can see that the tree which has red flags will draw more birds to help in spreading its seeds than any other tree will do," replied her mother. "But here we are at the farm now." And as the brother and sister wandered through the orchard, they found that the "red flags" were very useful to boys and girls, as well as to little birds, in guiding them to the ripest fruit.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Mark the silent letters in scythe, thistle, journey, and autumn.

2. Make nouns in -er from sow, work, help, and do, and give their meanings.

3. Make adverbs in -ly from the adjectives right, wrong, useful, and ready.

THE MEETING OF THE SHIPS

————————————————————

(1) Scythe, a large curved blade fas-tened to a long handle.

(2) Bristles, prickles; stiff hairs.

(3) Advertise, send out a public or printed notice.

(4) Bargain, agreement.

34

THE MEETING OF THE SHIPS

1. When o'er the silent seas alone

For days and nights we've cheerless gone,

Oh, they who've felt it know how sweet

Some sunny morn a sail to meet!

2. Sparkling at once is every eye,

"Ship ahoy(1)!" our joyful cry;

While answering back the sounds we hear,

"Ship ahoy!" "What cheer?" "What cheer?"

3. Then sails are backed, we nearer come,

Kind words are said of friends and home;

And soon, too soon, we part with pain,

To sail o'er silent seas again.

STORM SONG

4. The clouds are scudding(2) across the moon,

A misty light is on the sea,

The wind in the shrouds(3) has a wintry tune,

And the foam is flying free.

5. Brothers, a night of terror and gloom

Speaks in the cloud and gathering roar;

Thank God, he has given us broad sea-room,

A thousand miles from shore.

6. Down with the hatches(4) on those who sleep!

The wild and whistling deck have we;

Good watch, my brothers, to-night we'll keep,

While the tempest is on the sea.

7. Though the rigging shriek in his terrible grip,

And the naked spars be snapped away,

Lashed(5) to the helm(6), we'll drive our ship

In the teeth of(7) the whelming(8) spray.

8. Hark, how the surges(9) o'erleap the deck!

Hark, how the pitiless tempest raves!

Ah! daylight will look upon many a wreck

Drifting o'er desert waves.

9. Yet courage, brothers! we trust the wave,

With God above us our guiding chart(10);

Lo, whether to harbour or ocean grave,

Be it still with a cheery heart!

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Ahoy, a word used chiefly at sea to call attention.

(2) Scudding, moving swiftly.

(3) Shrouds, the ropes which steady the masts of a ship.

(4) Hatches, openings in the deck of a ship.

(5) Lashed, tied; firmly fastened.

(6) Helm, rudder; the part by which a ship is steered.

(7) In the teeth of, against; in the face of.

(8) Whelming, overwhelming; covering with water.

(9) Surges, billows; great waves.

(10) Chart, map, especially of the sea.

35

HOW THE "SHARON" WAS SAVED

1. Out from the harbour of New York(1) sailed the good ship Sharon, bound for Liverpool. She soon passed Long Island(2), and, turning her head north-east-ward, sailed out into the broad waters of the Atlantic Ocean. At first all seemed to promise a pleasant voyage, but off the "Banks" of Newfoundland(3) a heavy gale sprang up.

2. For a time the Sharon held bravely on her way; but the wind rose to a hurricane(4), and it was all that captain and crew could do to keep their ship under control(5). As the weary hours went by, it be came plain that the battle was to be one of life and death.

3. In a squall(6) the ship was thrown on her beam-ends(7), and the cargo shifted to one side. Captain Wilson, almost in despair of saving his ship, ordered two masts—the main(8) and the mizzen(9)—to be cut away, hoping that the ship would right herself when freed from their weight.

4. Unfortunately, the crew did not manage this dangerous task in safety. Hatchet and saw soon cut through the masts; but as the spars and rigging came crashing down, they did terrible injury to life and limb. The first mate and one of the sailors were killed on the spot, and Captain Wilson himself was badly hurt, his right arm and collar-bone being broken.

5. In his helpless condition, the captain was unable to do anything more to save the ship. The second mate, who should now have taken the command, was not man enough to rise boldly up and face his difficult task with a brave heart. The sailors gave up all hope of safety, having no one to command them and decide what should be done.

6. But in this dark moment of despair there shines forth a bright star of hope. If no, man can take the command, a woman will do it! A clear voice was heard above the thunder of the storm— "Men, I will save the ship, if you will but obey!"

7. It was Mrs. Wilson, the captain's wife, who had spoken. She loved the sea, and had spent most of her life on it; she had studied it, in storm and calm, till she was as good a sailor as her husband; and the men knew well that under her command the best would be done for the safety of the Sharon, if indeed it was still possible to bring her into port(10).

8. Roused by this woman's courage, the sailors sprang to their tasks with new life. All the wreckage(11) was cleared away, and as soon as the ship was freed from its weight she began to right herself in the water. The following day being calmer, the cargo was got into its place, and the Sharon began once more to obey her helm.

9. The good ship, however, as her brave little captain discovered, had been driven to the south, far out of her course; so Mrs. Wilson tried to reach Bermuda, an island in the Atlantic. This effort failed from the want of masts to take the place of those which had been cut away; the Sharon could only sail before the wind, and her course was there fore changed further to the south.

10. Day after day went by, and the captain's wife still kept on at her double task, nursing her suffering husband and managing the vessel, till at last all were landed in safety at St. Thomas, a small island in the West Indies(12). In this port the ship was repaired, a doctor attended to Captain Wilson's injuries, and the captain's wife was welcomed as a heroine(13).

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the meaning of each part of the word un-fortun-ate-ly.

2. Make sentences to show the use of the words sail-or and sail-er.

3. Make sentences containing the words hero, heroic, heroism, and heroine.

————————————————————

(1) New York, the largest city of the United States of America.

(2) Long Island, an island to the east of New York.

(3) Newfoundland, a large island of North America.

(4) Hurricane, a terrible storm of wind.

(5) Control, command.

(6) Squall, a strong, sudden blast of wind or burst of rain.

(7) On her beam-ends, lying on her side; on the ends of the cross-beams which support the deck.

(8) Main, the chief mast.

(9) Mizzen, the mast nearest the stern.

(10) Port, harbour.

(11) Wreckage, broken bits of the ship.

(12) West Indies, a number of islands between North and South America.

(13) Heroine, a brave woman.

36

ARMOURED ANIMALS

1. The two curious animals of which we are now to read live in the part of South America between the two great rivers Amazon and Orinoco.

2. If we could fly like birds to that region(1) and look down upon it from above, we should see a vast plain covered with trees, and having numberless streams flowing through it.

3. A cooling north-easterly wind from the sea helps to temper the heat of the sun; and the vast forests cast a refreshing shade over the well-watered ground. The rivers are full of alligators(2), and the forests of wild beasts. It is there that our two animals with armour have their home.

4. The first is called the armadillo. He burrows(3) in sand-hills like a rabbit. The South American Indian is very fond of his flesh, and to get it he digs him out of his hole. He makes sure that the animal is at home before he begins to dig, and this he finds out in a very clever way.

5. He puts a short stick down the mouth of the hole. If a number of mosquitoes(4) come out, the Indian knows that an armadillo is in. When there are no mosquitoes in the hole, there is no armadillo.

6. When he is sure that the armadillo is there, the hunter cuts a long and slender stick, and pushes it into the hole. He watches the direction the stick takes, and then digs a pit in the sand to reach the end of it.

7. He then puts the stick further into the hole, and digs another pit. In this way he at last comes up with the armadillo, which has been making for itself a passage in the sand till it is quite tired out. The hunter sometimes takes most of a day to dig out one armadillo.

8. In laying hold of the armadillo, he must avoid(5) his feet; they are armed with sharp claws, and will give a severe wound. When left alone, he is a very harmless creature. He can swim well in time of need, but he does not go into the water from choice. He is very seldom seen abroad during the day, and he keeps close to the mouth of his hole.

9. The armadillo, however, carries his best defence about with him. He has neither fur, nor wool, nor bristles; but in place of them he has a shell, on which there are scales very much like those of fishes.

10. This covers every part except the ears. It is very supple(6), so that the animal is able either to stretch himself out or to roll himself up into a ball. When looked at closely, it puts one very much in mind of a coat of armour. It is not only strong but also very pretty.

11. The second of our armour-wearing animals is the land-tortoise. He, too, is often seen in these South American wilds, and is another harmless animal. He feeds on the fallen fruits which he finds in the forest.

12. When an enemy draws near, he never thinks of moving, but quietly draws himself under his shell, which is so strong that even the teeth of the jaguar(7) cannot pierce it, nor can a stroke of his paw do it any harm.

13. The tortoise seems to have only two foes who can do him any damage. One of these is the boa-constrictor. This snake swallows the animal alive, shell and all. But there are very few large enough to do this, and thus there is not much to fear from that quarter. The other enemy is man, who takes up the tortoise and carries him away. But man also is scarce in these wilds(8), and so the animal seldom receives harm at his hands.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Explain the meaning of numberless, numerous, and innumerable.

2. Give a list of words in -tch (like watch) and -ch (like rich).

3. Make sentences containing the words defend, defender, defence, and defenceless.

————————————————————

(1) Region, country; large tract of land.

(2) Alligators, a kind of crocodile found in America.

(3) Burrows, makes a hole; bores.

(4) Mosquitoes, a kind of insect found in warm countries, which gives a painful bite.

(5) Avoid, keep out of the way of.

(6) Supple, easily bent.

(7) Jaguar, a beast of prey some-what like the leopard.

(8) Wilds, wild or desert places.

37

THE SLOTH

1. The forest region of South America is the native country of the sloth. He is a very gentle creature, and has no means of defending himself. On the ground he is helpless, and cannot escape. But the Indians say that his piteous moans make even the jaguar pity him and turn out of the way.

2. He never hurts any living creature. He does not prey on other animals in order to provide food for himself. A few leaves, and those of the commonest and coarsest kind, are all he asks.

3. On looking at him you would say that he was very badly formed. He has a mere stump of a tail, hardly more than an inch and a half long. His legs appear deformed(1), from the loose way in which they are joined to the body. He has four feet, it is true, but he cannot use them to support his body on the ground, for they have no soles.

4. A gentleman once had a tame sloth, which he kept for several months. He often took him out of the house and placed him upon the ground in order to watch his motions.

5. If the ground was rough, he would pull himself forward, by means of his claws, at a good pace, and he always crawled towards the nearest tree. But if he was put upon a smooth part of the road, he was in great distress, and could hardly move at all.

6. When in the house his favourite perch was the back of a chair. After getting all his feet in a line upon the top bar of the back, he would hang there for hours at a time, and often, with a low cry, he would seem to beg for friendly notice.

7. It is only when on the ground that the sloth is awkward; in the trees he is as much at home as the squirrel or the monkey. His fur has so much the hue of the moss which grows on the branches, that it is very difficult to see him when he is at rest.

8. He can pass easily from tree to tree in the dense(2) forests in which he dwells, especially if there is a strong wind making the branches swing to and fro. The Indians have a proverb: "The sloth travels when the wind blows."

9. When he is climbing, he never uses both his fore limbs together, but first one and then the other. He spends his whole life in the trees, and never leaves them if he can help it. He does not live upon the branches, like the squirrel and the monkey, but under them. He moves hanging from the branch, he rests hanging from it. He does not hang head-down-wards, but with his body parallel to(3) the branch.

10. A traveller in these regions once came upon a sloth which was lying on the bank of a river. His Indian guide could not explain how he had got there, as he had never seen one in such a position before. Although the trees were within a few yards of the animal, he could not make his way over the sand quickly enough to escape. The traveller held out a long stick for him to take hold of, and then carried him to a large tree which grew near.

11. "He ascended(4) with wonderful rapidity(5)," says the traveller, "and in about a minute he was at the top of the tree. He now went off in a side direction, and caught hold of the branch of a neighbouring tree; he then proceeded towards the heart of the forest.

12. "I stood looking on in amazement(6) at his singular(7) mode of progress(8). I followed him with my eyes till the branches closed in betwixt us, and then I lost sight for ever of that sloth. I was going to add that I never saw a sloth take to his heels in such earnest; but the expression(9) will not do, for the sloth has no heels."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make adjectives in -ous from pity, plenty, bounty, and beauty, and give their meanings.

2. Make adjectives in -ful from the same words, and give their meanings.

3. Make sentences containing the words slows sloth, slothful, and slothfulness.

————————————————————

(1) Deformed, disfigured; not of the right form.

(2) Dense, thick; close.

(3) Parallel to, running in the same direction as.

(4) Ascended, climbed.

(5) Rapidity, swiftness.

(6) Amazement, wonder; astonishment.

(7) Singular, peculiar; strange.

(8) Progress, moving forward.

(9) Expression, saying.

38

THE SENTINEL'S(1) POUCH

1. Private(2) William Baum, of the Prussian army, as he stood peering(3) into the darkness, was almost wishing that the Austrians and Russians, whose camp-fires he could see along the other side of the valley, would make an attack, and give him something else to do than shiver in the wet.

2. But they did not; and Baum, growing colder and wetter every minute, wished himself back in his snug little apple-orchard at the foot of the "Giant Mountains," where he used to be in bed every night before the village clock tolled ten, after a good supper of brown bread and cabbage.

3. "If the king had to be out in a night of this sort," he said aloud, "he'd soon be as tired of the war as I am."

"And how do you know he hasn't?" broke in a sharp voice, close beside him.

At once Baum was himself again. The first sign of a stranger approaching his post recalled him to his duty as a soldier.

4. His musket was at his shoulder in a moment, and his voice rang out clear and stern, —

"Stand! Who goes there?"

"A friend," replied the unknown.

"Advance, friend, and give the pass-word."

"'The Prussian eagle.' "

"Pass, friend; all's well."

5. But instead of passing on, the stranger came close up to the sentry, who could just make out, by a stray gleam of moonlight, that his visitor was wrapped in a horseman's cloak, and had a hat drawn over his eyes in such a way as to hide his face.

"You seem to have rather damp quarters(4) here, comrade," said he. "Why don't you have a smoke to warm yourself a bit?"

6. "Smoke!" replied the sentry. "Why, where do you come from, brother, not to know that smoking on duty is forbidden?"

"But suppose the king gave you leave to smoke?" said the stranger.

"The king!" answered the soldier gruffly. "What would my captain say? Long before the king could hear of it, the drummer's cane would make acquaintance with my back."

"Pooh! the captain's not here to see you. Out with your pipe, man. I'll tell no tales."

7. "Look here, you rascal," cried the soldier, in an angry tone. "I half suspect(5) you're some fellow who wants to get me into trouble. Now, if that's so, you had better be off before worse comes of it; for if you say any more I'll give you a cuff you won't like."

"I'd like to see you try it," said the other, with a laugh.

8. The soldier's only reply was a blow, which sent the stranger's battered(6) old hat flying into the air, while he himself staggered back several paces(7).

"Very good," said he, recovering himself, and speaking in quite a different tone. "You'll hear of this tomorrow, my man, and get what you deserve, never fear. Goodnight to you."

He stooped as he spoke, and picking up something from the ground, vanished(8) into the darkness.

9. The sudden change in his unknown visitor's tone and manner, and his parting threat, caused some uneasiness to Baum. He began to fear that he had insulted an officer of high rank-a colonel(9) at the very least, perhaps even a general.

"However," thought he, "he doesn't know my name, that's one comfort; and he won't find it very easy to describe the spot where I was posted, seeing that the night is so dark."

10. But the next moment he gave a terrible start, for he had just missed his tobacco-pouch, which usually hung at his belt; and he remembered having seen the stranger pick up something as he went off. It must have been the pouch, and his name was upon it in full.

11. There was not much sleep for poor Baum that night, although he was relieved(10) from guard half-an-hour later. He tried to keep up his courage by telling himself over and over again that the general could hardly punish him for obeying orders; but even this did not comfort him much, for in those days there were very few things which a general could not do to a private soldier.

12. The next morning, sure enough, a corporal(11) and four men came to conduct Private William Baum to headquarters; and when he got there he found all the generals standing around a little lean, bright-eyed man, in a very shabby dress, whom Baum knew at once to be the king himself—Frederick the Great of Prussia.

13. "Gentlemen," said Frederick, with a sharp glance at the unlucky sentry, "what does a Prussian soldier deserve who strikes his king?"

"Death," answered the generals with one voice. "Good!" said Frederick. "Here is the man." And he held out a tobacco-pouch, marked with the name of "William Baum."

14. "Mercy, sire, mercy!" cried Baum, falling on his knees. "I never thought it was your majesty with whom I was speaking."

"No, I don't suppose you did," said the king, clapping him on the shoulder; "and I hope all my soldiers will obey orders as well as you do. I said you should get what you deserved, and so you shall; for I'll make you Sergeant(12) this very day."

And the king kept his word.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Explain the difference between conduct′ and con′duct, and make sentences to show their use.

2. Give a list of pairs of words which differ in the same way (present′ and pres′ent, etc.).

3. Make nouns from believe, relieve, and grieve; and from receive and deceive.

————————————————————

(1) Sentinel, guard; sentry; a soldier whose duty it is to give notice of danger.

(2) Private, a common soldier.

(3) Peering, looking closely.

(4) Quarters, pos; place of encampment for soldiers.

(5) Suspect, imagine; have an idea.

(6) Battered, beaten; knocked about.

(7) Paces, steps.

(8) Vanished, disappeared; went out of sight.

(9) Colonel, the leader of a body or column of soldiers.

(10) Relieved, set free.

(11) Corporal, a soldier of the first rank above private.

(12) Sergeant, a soldier next in rank above a corporal.

39

ICELAND

1. If you look at a map of Europe, you will see in the north-west corner of it a large island lying far out in the Atlantic Ocean. When you look at its name, and find it to be Ice-land, you may think that a country with such name can be of little importance or interest to any one; but it is really a most interesting place.

2. Iceland is a small country—only a little larger than Ireland—and very mountainous. In the interior of the island there are fields of snow and ice hundreds of square miles in extent, so that it well deserves the name of Iceland. There are other parts which are not covered with snow, but which are quite useless for cultivation being hard lava rock.

3. Now lava is a kind of rock which has been melted by the heat of the fires under the ground, and then poured out of a volcano like melted iron out of a furnace(1). Does it not seem strange to find a country, where the rocks are so hot below the ground, covered with snow and ice above?

ICELAND

4. Twenty or more of the mountains of Iceland have been volcanoes at one time or another. Only one, Mount Hecla, is now active, and even it has been quiet for a long time. The last time it was in eruption(2), it threw up ashes and cinders so high into the air that they fell in our own country, more than five hundred miles away.

5. But the fires are not out. In certain places, if you put your ear to the ground, you can hear a rumbling sound and the hissing of steam, where water is finding its way down to the hot parts underground. This steam and hot water are forced upwards by the heat through openings in the ground, and form springs of hot water.

6. Many people travel to Iceland to see these wonderful hot springs, or geysers, as they are called. Some are hot enough to cook anything that is put into their water. The Icelanders wash their clothes in some of the smaller ones, but in most of them the water has so much sulphur(3) in it that it is unfit for use.

7. The country is too cold for wheat, but garden vegetables are grown. The people live partly by fishing, and they also keep large flocks of sheep and herds(4) of cattle and ponies. They send large numbers of ponies to this country every year. In the long winter evenings the women spend their time in spinning and weaving the wool of their sheep into warm clothing.

8. But there is a still warmer covering than wool found in this cold country. This is the soft down of the eider-duck, which we use to make light, warm quilts. The eider-duck lines its nest with a fine silky down, which it pulls off its own breast. The people are careful not to harm these birds, and they even make nesting-places for them near their houses, so that many of the birds are very tame.

9. The people gather the down when the nests are made. The bird has then to strip off more down to make up for the loss, and her mate also gives some of his. But the nest must not be stripped too often, or the birds would suffer from the cold.

10. There are very few schools in Iceland, but the people are all intelligent(5) and well educated. In even the poorest cottages the children are taught to read. Their books are few, but they are very interesting, for they tell of the strange, wild life of the first settlers in Iceland. You may like to know who these settlers were.

11. Iceland is so far from the rest of Europe that a thousand years ago it was uninhabited and almost unknown. About that time the bold Norsemen of Norway began to leave their native land, rather than submit(6) to their cruel king, Harold the Fair. Some of them came to Scotland and Ireland; but they were not safe from him even there.

12. So they sailed away to this foggy island in the Northern Ocean, with its fires below ground and its frosts above; and there they founded a free state, and lived under their own laws. By-and-by they wrote down the story of their journeys and their settlement in this new home, and of the great deeds of their leaders. These tales are called sagas.

13. Some of these Norsemen sailed even farther than Iceland, and visited the shores of America, long before the days of Columbus(7). You see in the picture the kind of ship or galley which they used. They were great warriors, too, and made themselves masters of the sea. When a great chief died, he was sometimes buried or burned in his ship, and in the next lesson you have a saga telling how this was done in the case of one famous chief.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the meaning of -er in Icelander, and give a list of similar nouns made by adding -er to the names of countries.

2. Make nouns in -ion from cultivate, educate, submit, and permit, and give their meanings.

3. Make sentences containing down as noun, adverb, and preposition.

————————————————————

(1) Furnace, a large fire for smelting metals.

(2) Eruption, an active state.

(3) Sulphur, a yellow mineral substance that gives off a choking smoke; brimstone.

(4) Herds, large numbers.

(5) Intelligent, well-informed; thoughtful.

(6) Submit, yield; give in.

(7) Columbus, Christopher (1445-1506), the discoverer of America.

40

KING HACON'S LAST BATTLE

1. All was over; day was ending

As the foemen turned and fled.

Gloomy red

Glowed the angry sun descending;

While round Hacon's dying bed

Tears and songs of triumph blending(1)

Told how fast the conqueror bled.

2. "Raise me," said the king. We raised him—

Not to ease his desperate(2) pain;

That were vain!

"Strong our foe was—but we faced him.

Show me that red field again."

Then with reverent(3) hands we placed him

High above the battle plain.

3. Sudden, on our startled hearing,

Came the low-breathed, stern command—

"Lo! ye stand?

Linger not—the night is nearing;

Bear me downwards to the strand,

Where my ships are idly steering

Off and on, in sight of land."

4. Every whispered word obeying,

Swift we bore him down the steep,

O'er the deep,

Up the tall ship's side, low swaying

To the storm-wind's powerful sweep,

And his dead companions laying

Round him—we had time to weep.

5. But the king said, "Peace! bring hither

Spoil(4) and weapons, battle-strown—

Make no moan;

Leave me and my dead together;

Light my torch, and then—begone."

But we murmured(5), each to other,

"Can we leave him thus alone?"

6. Angrily the king replieth;

Flashed the awful eye again

With disdain(6)—

"Call him not alone who lieth

Low amidst such noble slain;

Call him not alone who dieth

Side by side with gallant men."

7. Slowly, sadly we departed;

Reached again that desolate(7) shore,

Never more

Trod by him, the brave, true-hearted,

Dying in that dark ship's core!

Sadder keel(8) from land ne'er parted,

Nobler freight(9) none ever bore!

8. There we lingered, seaward gazing,

Watching o'er that living tomb,

Through the gloom—

Gloom which awful light is chasing—

Blood-red flames the surge illume(10)!

Lo! King Hacon's ship is blazing;

'Tis the hero's self-sought doom.

9. Right before the wild wind driving,

Madly plunging—stung by fire—

No help nigh her—

Lo! the ship has ceased her striving!

Mount the red flames higher, higher,

Till, on ocean's verge arriving,

Sudden sinks the viking's(11) pyre(12)—

Hacon's gone!

— LORD DUFFERIN

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give another form of replieth, lieth, and dieth.

2. Point out the sentences in the lesson where the subject follows the predicate.

————————————————————

(1) Blending, mixing.

(2) Desperate, fearful; very severe.

(3) Reverent, respectful; loving.

(4) Spoil, plunder; that which is taken by force.

(5) Murmured, said in a low voice.

(6) Disdain, scorn.

(7) Desolate, solitary; barren.

(8) Keel, ship; the timber or beam running from end to end along the bottom of a ship.

(9) Freight, load.

(10) Illume, make bright.

(11) Viking, sea-king.

(12) Pyre, a heap of fuel for burning a dead body.

41

FIRELAND

1. If you look at a map of South America, you will see that a large piece of land is cut off from the south end by a narrow winding strait or channel. By this channel ships cross from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. It is so narrow in some parts that, on one occasion, the captain of a steamship was knocked off the bridge of his ship by the branch of a tree which he was passing. Yet the water was quite deep enough for the ship.

2. This channel is called Magellan Strait, after the first traveller who sailed through it. The land which is cut off by it consists of one large island about the size of Scotland, and a number of smaller ones. The whole group was named Tierra del Fuego, or Land of Fire, by Magellan, and English people who live near it generally call it Fireland.

3. The land is very mountainous. The lower slopes of the mountains are clothed(1) with thick forests, while their tops are covered with snow all the year round. Huge glaciers(2) stretch down the valleys to the sea, where the ice breaks up and floats away as icebergs.

4. The weather in Fireland is very cold and stormy, and it is said that one fine day in three months is as much as can be expected. Even in summer snow-storms are common. The wind blows with great force, and the passage round Cape Horn, the extreme(3) south point of Fireland, is much feared by sailors. A ship may be stopped for weeks by gales(4) and head winds.

5. The people who live in this dreary(5) land are called Fuegians, or Canoe Indians. They are a different race from those who live to the north of the strait. They are savages of the very lowest kind. They wear little or no clothing, though their country is so cold. A short fur cloak made from the skin of the sea-otter is their only clothing, and even this is often wanting.

6. Many of their customs are very cruel. All hard work, such as fishing and gathering shell-fish for food, is done by the women, who have to swim and dive in the ice-cold water. When food is scarce, which is often the ease, the old people are sometimes killed in order to leave more food for the others.

7. They have no laws. They do not even live in tribes under a chief, as most savages do. They have no religion. But at the present time there are missionaries(6) in that dreary land trying to teach the people and to improve their manner of living.

8. The natives suffer much from the cold, as you can easily believe, and they are very fond of being near a fire. They light a fire when they stop, for however short a time; and they may even be seen carrying a piece of burning wood when going from one place to another, so as to light a new fire when they stop again. In their canoes, also, they have a kind of clay hearth, where a fire is kept burning while they are fishing or sailing from place to place.

9. Fires are also lighted by them at certain points as a sign to their friends that a ship is in sight. They then paddle out in their canoes, and they will barter(7) everything they have for knives, beads, tobacco, or biscuits.

10. You can now see why this country is called Fireland. The natives are never seen without fires burning in some place near them, and it was from the number of these fires that Magellan called it the Land of Fire.

11. These poor Indians do not live in houses or in tents. When they stop for a few days at any part of the coast, they set up a shelter of branches of trees covered over with grass. But they rarely stay long in one place. When they have gathered the shell-fish from one part of the beach, they move on a little further.

12. The ground is so steep and rocky that they generally travel along the shore in their canoes, and this is the reason why they are sometimes called Canoe Indians. As they walk so little, their limbs are small and weak; while their head and shoulders look very large for the size of their bodies.

13. They do not cultivate the ground, and their only vegetable food consists of some berries that grow on a small bush, and a kind of large yellow mushroom(8). Their only tame animal is the dog, which they train to help them in catching fish.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing wǐnd (noun), wīnd (verb), wōund (noun), and wound (verb).

2. Make nouns in -ty from scarce, equal, and able, and give their meanings.

3. Make sentences containing the words inhabit, inhabitant, and habitation.

————————————————————

(1) Clothed, covered as with a cloth.

(2) Glaciers, fields of ice.

(3) Extreme, farthest.

(4) Gales, strong winds.

(5) Dreary, lonely; dull.

(6) Missionaries, those sent to teach the people of other lands.

(7) Barter, exchange.

(8) Mushroom, fleshy plant which grows usually on pasture fields.

42

HOW CARL SAVED HIS FATHER'S LIFE

1. Far away towards the icy North there is a beautiful country called Norway. It is a glorious land, with snow-covered mountains, deep, narrow, and well-wooded valleys, wild ravines(1), clear and beautiful lakes, and immense(2) forests of birch, pine, and fir trees.

2. All along the coast of Norway there are numerous inlets or arms of the sea, called fiords. Many of these extend for miles into the land, winding(3) like rivers among the mountains, and sometimes passing between dark and lofty rocks.

3. Let me tell you a story about a brave little boy, named Carl, who lived with his father in a wooden house on the shore of a beautiful fiord in Norway. It was a lonely spot. Visitors were never seen there, except when a ship sailed up the fiord to get a cargo of wood from the forest.

4. Carl's mother was dead, and father and son lived by themselves in the little house by the sea. The father was a fisherman. When he was not fishing, he hung his nets on poles at the side of his cottage. Then he would work on his little piece of land, or go off to shoot wild birds, which were found in large numbers on the rocks.

5. One day, Carl and his father had been away shooting wild ducks. In the evening they came home tired and hungry. Carl was carrying his father's loaded gun; for the little fellow was now old enough to be trusted with a gun, and more than once he had managed to shoot a bird.

6. "Look, father! the door is wide open," said Carl, as they came in sight of their little house.

As they came nearer, they heard the sound of something moving in the house. Carl's father was a bold man, and he walked quickly forward, saying with a smile, "Have the gun ready, Carl, in case I need it."

"All right, father," said the boy; "I'll be ready."

7. His father entered the house, where, to his great surprise, he saw a huge white bear. The hungry animal had been led by his keen scent(4) to the cottage, where a store of dried fish and meat was kept, and he had burst open the door, walked in, and helped himself. The floor was covered with the remains of the animal's feast, and articles of clothing, wooden platters, and other things were scattered about.

8. The bear growled when he saw Carl's father in the doorway, and the fisherman had only time to seize an axe which lay near, before the animal was upon him. The brave Norwegian(5), axe in hand, boldly faced his foe, and at the same time stepped carefully back towards the door.

"Be ready with the gun!" he shouted to Carl. "There is a bear in the house; but I will kill it."

"Yes, yes, father; the gun is ready," said the brave boy.

9. The bear sprang towards the fisherman, who dealt the animal a heavy blow with his axe; but as he turned half round to step out of the house, he stumbled, and fell heavily to the ground. In another moment the bear was upon him, and he could feel the animal's hot breath on his face.

10. Carl was standing near the door, with the loaded gun in his hand. Without stopping to think of his danger, he quickly made up his mind what to do. As the bear sprang on his father, and was about to seize him, he placed the muzzle of the gun close to its ear, and pulled the trigger. There was a loud report(6), and the animal fell dead.

11. "Are you much hurt, father?" cried Carl, as soon as he saw that the danger was over.

"No, my boy," said his father, rising. "You have saved my life," and he clasped his brave son to his heart.

12. Carl was pale and faint now that the strain(7) was over, and the thought of his father's great danger made him tremble; but after he had had something to eat, he felt strong enough to help to cut up the dead bear. The flesh was put away for food, and the heavy fur was made into a warm dress for Carl's father. The bullet which Carl had fired was found in the bear's skull(8), and the boy kept it to remind him of the day when he had been able to save his father's life.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the meanings of -let in inlet and streamlet.

2. Give the meanings of the various parts of the word fisher-man.

3. Make sentences containing the word scent as a noun, in various meanings, and as a verb.

————————————————————

(1) Ravines, deep hollows.

(2) Immense, very large.

(3) Winding, twisting in and out.

(4) Keen scent, strong sense of smell.

(5) Norwegian, native of Norway.

(6) Report, the noise of a shot.

(7) Strain, great excitement.

(8) Skull, the bones of the head.

43

OLD THINGS MADE NEW

1. It has been well said that "in nature there is nothing useless, nothing wasted, nothing destroyed." Everything has its use, although it may be hard for us to find out what that use is. When anything seems to be lost, it is merely changed into something else, and by-and-by we may find out what has become of it.

2. Trees and plants which grew long, long ago in dense forests have been preserved(1) to us in another form. When they fell and decayed(2) and were covered up by water and mud and sand, it seemed as if they were lost, but now we have found them in their new form. They have become coal, and they supply us with light and heat.

3. We are not so clever as nature in finding a use for everything. We pile up useless rubbish in huge heaps on the face of the earth, or throw it down into the sea. Nature will make some use by-and-by of our refuse(3), and perhaps a good use too. We are slowly learning nature's lesson, and in our manufactures we now make use of many things which were formerly thrown away.

4. For a long time the rags of our worn-out clothing were thought to be useless; but at length it was found out that linen and cotton rags could be made into paper. Then these rags were no longer wasted, but were carefully gathered up and used.

5. Even when the paper has been used, it is still not worthless. Waste paper can be cleaned and made into pulp(4), and once more turned into paper. Or the pulp made of this waste paper can be pressed into moulds(5) and formed into many things—such as boxes, trays, and toys of various kinds. This pressed pulp makes a very light and strong material, which is now used for telegraph posts and wheels for railway carriages. We call it by its French name, papier-mâché(6).

6. It was found, after some time, that woollen rags could also be made use of. By means of a machine with sharp teeth, they were torn into very small pieces, almost like the wool from which they were spun. Then this wool was once more made into a cheap kind of cloth called shoddy, or it was mixed with new wool and woven into ordinary cloth. A large trade in shoddy is carried on at Dewsbury in Yorkshire.

7. Broken glass does not seem of much value, but it also has its uses. It is sometimes mixed with fresh material, and then melted down to form new glass. But there is another use for it. It is ground down very fine, and then mixed with glue, and spread over sheets of paper. This forms the sand-paper or glass-paper which cabinet-makers(7) use for polishing wood.

8. Coal-tar is a black, sticky substance which comes from the coal we use in making gas. Forty years ago it was worth very little; a gallon of it could be got for a halfpenny. Its chief use was to paint the bottoms of wooden ships and boats, to keep them from rotting. But in the year 1856 it was discovered that a beautiful purple dye could be made from it.

Now we can produce all the colours of the rainbow from this black coal-tar.

9. From the same dirty-looking substance we can get a white powder which can be used instead of sugar. It is very much sweeter than sugar, however—about three hundred times sweeter, when pure. Think of a lump of sugar strong enough to sweeten three hundred cups of tea! This substance is said to have been discovered accidentally(8) by a chemist(9) who was working with coal-tar, and who sat down to dinner without having washed his hands carefully enough. Everything he ate tasted so sweet that he was led to look more closely into the nature of the substance with which he had been working.

10. From coal-tar also we now get various kinds of oil, and even some things that are of great value as medicine. Thus we are learning, little by little, to follow nature's plan, and to find a use for everything. And if we learn from the past, we shall call nothing worthless. Who can tell but that a few years hence things that we now think useless will be found to be of the greatest value?

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Mark the accent in the word refuse used as a noun and as a verb, and give a few words whose accent changes in the same way (present, etc.).

2. Give the present and past participles of die and dye.

3. Give a list of verbs formed by adding -en to adjectives (like sweeten), and give the meaning of each.

————————————————————

(1) Preserved, kept.

(2) Decayed, wasted away.

(3) Refuse, worthless stuff.

(4) Pulp, a soft mass.

(5) Mould, hollow shape in which anything is formed or cast.

(6) papier-mâché, Pronounce, pap'-yā′-mâ′-shā.

(7) Cabinet-makers, those who make furniture of wood.

(8) Accidentally, by chance.

(9) Chemist, one skilled in mixing or separating the various elements of which matter consists; a dealer in drugs and medicines.

44

QUESTIONS

1. Can you put the spider's web back in place

That once has been swept away?

Can you put the apple again on the bough(1)

Which fell at our feet to-day?

2. Can you put the lily-cup back on the stem,

And cause it to live and grow?

Can you mend the butterfly's broken wing

That you crushed with a hasty blow?

3. Can you put the bloom again on the grape,

And the grape again on the vine?

Can you put the dew-drops back on the flowers,

And make them sparkle and shine?

4. Can you put the petals(2) back on the rose?

If you could, would it smell as sweet?

Can you put the flour again in the husk(3),

And show me the ripened wheat?

5. Can you put the kernel(4) back in the nut,

Or the broken egg in the shell?

Can you put the honey back in the comb,

And cover with wax each cell?

6. You think that my questions are trifling(5), dear?

Let me ask you another one:

Can a hasty word be ever unsaid,

Or an unkind deed be undone?

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing bloom, smell, and cover as verbs and as nouns.

2. Give a short list of adjectives and of verbs with un- meaning not.

————————————————————

(1) Bough, a large branch of a tree.

(2) Petals, flower-leaves.

(3) Husk, outer covering; shell.

(4) Kernel, the inner part of a nut or of the stone of a fruit.

(5) Trifling, of little value.

45

THE COTTON PLANT

1. We do not know when cotton was first used for clothing. People learned to cultivate useful plants long before they learned to write, and so none of our books are old enough to tell us who were the first farmers, or bakers, or weavers. But it is only about a hundred years since cotton cloth was woven in this country.

2. Indian muslins(1) have long been famed for their beauty. A traveller, writing more than two hundred years ago, mentions some muslins that were "so fine you could hardly feel them in your hand;" and another traveller describes a fabric(2) "so exceeding fine that when laid on the grass, and dew has fallen on it, it is no longer visible(3)."

3. These delicate(4) materials were woven on looms(5) of the coarsest and simplest kind; and now, when the machinery has been made better, the natives seem to have lost much of their former skill, so that the new fabrics are by no means so fine as the old.

COTTON

4. When America was discovered by Columbus, over four hundred years ago, cotton was found growing there, and the natives showed some skill in weaving it into cloth. The United States of America has long held the first place among the cotton-growing countries of the world, and from it we get most of our raw cotton(6). For many years, indeed until about thirty years ago, the work in the cotton fields there was performed by negro slaves; but after a long war, all the slaves were freed in 1865.

5. Cotton is planted in the spring. The seeds are dropped into furrows(7), and covered over with about an inch of soil. When the young plants are from six to ten inches high, they are thinned out, the stronger ones only being left standing.

6. Soon afterwards the top bud is nipped off the main shoot of each plant, so that it may send out more side shoots, and thus bear more blossoms. The flowers begin to appear among the dark glossy leaves when the plant is from two to three feet high.

7. The blossom lasts only two days. When it opens, after sunrise in the morning, it is yellow or white in colour. It begins to close soon after noon, when a pale red streak may be seen running up each of its petals, and it is wholly closed by sunset.

8. Next morning, about sunrise, it opens again, as fresh as ever; but it is now a beautiful pink. It lasts till sunset, when it again closes; but this time the petals wither and fall off, and leave a little pod, or boll as it is called, about the size of a small bean.

9. This boll contains the seeds, surrounded by a white pulp. The pulp dries up as the boll ripens, and the coats of the seeds become covered with long silky hairs. These hairs grow longer and longer until they completely fill the boll, and at last they burst it open and hang out in snowy tufts several inches long.

10. The sooner these tufts are picked now, the better for the strength and whiteness of the cotton. From the middle of August to the end of September is the usual picking season. The soft white wool is gathered in bags or baskets, and spread out on the ground to dry.

11. The fibres have next to be separated from the seeds on which they grow. This was formerly done by hand, and it took a long time. It is now done much more rapidly by a machine called a cotton-gin. After being "ginned," the cotton is packed into bales for the market.

12. In the factory the bale cotton is first cleaned and combed or carded, and twisted into loose, coarse threads. These loose threads are then spun into yarn, stout or fine as may be required, and last of all the yarn is woven into webs of cloth.

13. The great usefulness of the cotton fibre is due to the fact that it can be twisted into a thread. Perfectly smooth fibres will not form a thread when they are twisted, but pull apart from each other. When seen through a microscope, the cotton fibre looks like a curling flat ribbon with thickened edges.

14. The seeds of the cotton plant are also useful. Those not needed for sowing are pressed between heavy rollers, when they yield a valuable oil which is used for cooking purposes, for making soap, and for mixing paints. The crushed mass of seeds is made into cotton-seed cakes which is used for feeding cattle.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words cloth, clothe, and clothier.

2. Give a list of words formed from sun (like sunrise).

3. Make sentences containing import and export.

————————————————————

(1) Muslin, a fine kind of cotton cloth, first made at Mosul, a city of Iraq, Asia.

(2) Fabric, woven cloth.

(3) Visible, open to view.

(4) Delicate, frail; very fine.

(5) Looms, weaving-machines.

(6) Raw cotton, cotton before it is spun or woven.

(7) Furrows, long, narrow hollows.

46

SAMUEL CROMPTON, THE COTTON-SPINNER

1. When cotton was first spun and woven in this country, all the work was done by hand, and was done very slowly. But many wonderful machines have been invented to save labour, and get the work more quickly done, such as the spinning-frame you see in the picture.

2. It is due to the invention of these machines that the cotton manufacture has grown to such a very great extent in England. Manchester, Liverpool, and other towns in Lancashire, have become vast hives of busy workers, and the population of the country is five tithes what it was at the beginning of the century(1).

3. The cotton spinners and weavers were at first very much against the new machines. They thought that if the work was done by machinery there would be fewer workmen needed. There were often great riots(2), and angry mobs(3) broke the machines to pieces, and even tried to take the lives of some of the owners or inventors.

4. One of the inventors who was treated in this way was Samuel Crompton, who was born at an old country house called Hall-in-the-Wood, near Bolton. When he was only five years old his father die. His mother was left with three children to struggle through the world as best she could. She was a hard-working, God-fearing woman, who did with all her might whatever she took in hand.

5. Her husband had been both a farmer and a weaver, and she filled his place so well that her webs(4) were the best woven, her butter the richest, her honey the purest in the whole district. She gave Samuel the best education that could be got in Bolton, first at a day-school, and afterwards at a night-school, when he was old enough to spin cotton during the day.

6. Every day Sam had to spin a certain amount of cotton. He did not dare to look his mother in the face unless each evening saw it done, and well done too. But Sam was fond of fiddle-making and fiddle-playing, and wished to have his work done early, so as to get time for these amusements. The threads often broke, and, as he said, he was "plagued(5) to death with mending them." He began to consider whether a better spinning-machine could not be made.

7. In 1774 he began to make a machine which he hoped would do the work better. Every minute he could spare from his spinning was spent at his machine. His mind was so much taken up with it that he was often busy all night over it, and some times the dawn(6) found him still at work. After five years of labour he finished the machine, and called it the "Mule".

8. Just at that time the weavers and spinners of Blackburn were marching through the country with the cry, "Men, not machines", and were breaking every machine they could lay hands on. To save his "Mule", Crompton took it to pieces and hid it in the roof of the house. When all was quiet again he brought it out, put it together, and began to use it in his own work.

9. The thread it made was so fine that people came from all quarters to see the "Mule". When he refused to let them in they got ladders, and climbed up to the window of the room where it stood. Sam lost patience "Why can't folk let me enjoy the machine by myself?" he said.

10. As soon as it became known, the "Mule" was seen to be far better than the cotton-spinning machines then in use, and millions of them were made and sold. New life was put into the cotton trade, and the country became richer and richer. But poor Crompton did not become rich. He was cheated by the manufacturers. Workmen he had taught to make the "Mule" left him to work for other masters. Large factories took away all his customers.

11. In despair he broke his spinning-machines, and hacked to pieces with an axe a carding-machine he had invented, saying bitterly, "They shall not have this too." He toiled away at weaving, farming, and cow-keeping, and found it no easy matter to support his family, while the nation was growing rich by the help of his invention.

12. In 1812 Parliament gave him a grant of five thousand pounds, which was all needed for the payment of his debts, and for meeting the losses of his business. His last days were spent in poverty. He died in 1827.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words invent, invention, and inventor.

2. Make nouns in -ment from treat, pay, and amuse, and give their meanings.

3. Make sentences containing extend, extent, and extensive.

————————————————————

(1) The century, the nineteenth century, 1801-1900.

(2) Riots, disturbance; uproar.

(3) Mobs, crowd; rabble.

(4) Webs, whole pieces of cloth as taken from the loom.

(5) Plagued, annoyed; bothered.

(6) Dawn, daybreak.

47

HOW ROOKS DECAY

1. When you look at a building that has stood for a few hundred years, you will usually see that the smooth face which the masons gave it is gone. The stones are worn into grooves(1) and furrows; and the carvings over the windows and the doorways are so much wasted away that it is difficult to make out what they were like.

2. In old churchyards in the country, you can see that the older the tombstones are the more they are wasted away. Sometimes the words that were cut out only forty or fifty years ago are so decayed that you cannot read them.

3. But it is not in our buildings alone that stones waste away. Look at the cliffs and ravines, the crags(2) and water-courses, in any part of the country. At the foot of each cliff you will likely find big blocks of stone and heaps of smaller pieces which have fallen from the rocks above. You may even see a fresh scar where a piece has just broken off and fallen among the pile of rubbish below. Wherever rocks are exposed(3) to the weather they are constantly wasting away.

4. When rain falls, part of it sinks into the earth. But it also sinks a very little way into the solid rock; for all rocks have small pores or openings in them. Then the rain-water dissolves away, little by little, part of the substance of the rock.

5. Some rocks, such as limestone, are composed(4) of only one kind of material; and if this is a material which the rain-water can dissolve, the whole rock gradually wastes away. Other rocks, such as sand-stone, consist of hard grains of one material, held together by a softer cement(5). When this soft cement wastes away, the hard grains crumble down into sand.

6. The oxygen of the air also helps to break up the rock. You know that when a piece of iron is left lying in the open air, it becomes covered with rust. When this rust is taken off, you find that the iron is rough on the surface. It has been eaten away by the oxygen.

7. Rocks which contain iron are eaten away in the same manner. The oxygen turns into rust the iron which is on the surface; and when that rust crumbles away, the oxygen eats its way into the new surface, and so layer after layer of the rock decays.

8. Frost is also a cause of that decay of rocks. Have your water-pipes at home ever burst in a keen frost? Perhaps you found one morning that no water would run from the tap, and as soon as the thaw came the house was flooded by an escape of water from a burst pipe. When water freezes it expands; if it freezes in a pipe where there is no room for it to expand(6), the pipe bursts with the pressure.

9. What has this to do with the decay of rocks? A great deal: not only in the loose soil, but in the hard rocks as well, the small pores or openings get filled with water during the wet winter weather. When a keen frost comes on, these little pores are burst and the grains of the rock forced asunder(7) by the frost. Porous(8) rock, such as sandstone, suffers most in this way.

10. Again, water freezes not only between the grains of the rock, but in the seams or joints, as they are called, which are found in all rocks. Only a very little water may get into a joint at first, but by degrees the joint widens, then more water gets in and makes it still wider when it freezes, until at last the block of stone is split up into pieces. In this way large blocks are broken off the face of cliffs.

11. It is on the sea-shore, perhaps, that you can most easily see the decay of rocks. During a storm the waves not only beat against the cliff, but they also pick up loose stones and hurl them against it, like so many cannon-balls fired against the walls of a castle. Each new piece that falls is used as a cannon-ball in its turn, and gets gradually worn smooth and round by being tossed to and fro by the breakers, until the beach is covered with sand and smooth pebbles(9) that once formed solid rock.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give sentences containing the words groove and grove, and give their meanings.

2. Make adjectives in -y from crag, stone, winter, water, and wave.

3. Give the simple words from which the following compound words are formed: natural, crumble, pressure, porous, loosen.

————————————————————

(1) Grooves, long hollows.

(2) Crags, cliffs; steep, rough rocks.

(3) Exposed, open.

(4) Composed, made up.

(5) Cement, plaster; a strong kind of mortar.

(6) Expands, extends; takes up more room.

(7) Asunder, apart.

(8) Porous, full of pores.

(9) Pebbles, small round stones.

48

LITTLE BY LITTLE

1. While the new years come and the old years go,

How little by little all things grow!

All things grow, and all decay—

Little by little passing away.

Little by little on fertile(1) plain

Ripen the harvests of golden grain,

Waving and flashing in the sun

When the heat of summer at last is done.

2. Low on the ground an acorn(2) lies—

Little by little it mounts to the skies,

Shadow and shelter for wandering herds,

Home for a hundred singing birds.

Little by little the great rocks grew,

Long, long ago, when the world was new;

Slowly and silently, stately(3) and free,

Cities of coral under the sea

Little by little are built, while so

The new years come and the old years go.

3. Little by little all tasks(4) are done;

So are the crowns(5) of the faithful won,

So is heaven in our hearts begun.

With work and with weeping, with laughter and play,

Little by little the longest day

And the longest life are passing away—

Passing without return, while so

The new years come and the old years go.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Distinguish the meanings of -en in ripen and golden, and give a few examples like each of these words.

2. Make sentences containing shelter, mount, and crown as nouns and as verbs.

————————————————————

(1) Fertile, fruitful.

(2) Acorn, the seed or fruit of the oak.

(3) Stately, grandly.

(4) Tasks, pieces of work.

(5) The crowns, etc., high opinions won by faithfulness.

49

SIFTING BOYS

1. Not long ago I was looking over one of the great saw-mills on the Mississippi River(1), in company with the manager of the mill. As we came to one room he said: "I want you to notice the boys in this room, and I will tell you about them afterwards."

2. There were some half-dozen boys at work on saws, with different machines, some broadening the points of the teeth, some sharpening them, some deepening the notches between them. There was one lad who stood leaning up against a bench, not trying to do anything.

3. After we had passed out of the room, the manager said to me: "That room is my sieve(2). The fine boys go through that sieve to higher places and higher pay. The coarse boys remain in the sieve, and are thrown out as of no use for this mill."

4. Then he explained what he meant. "If a boy wants to work in the mill, I give him the job of keeping the men in all parts of the mill supplied with drinking-water. That is the lowest position, and draws the lowest pay. I say to that boy, 'When you have nothing else to do, go into this room, and then I shall know where to find you when I want you.'

5. "But there is a much more important reason why I send him into this room. In a business like this our men are constantly changing. A good deal of the work, as you will see by watching the machines and those who manage them, requires much attention and skill. I must therefore look out for the best men to put into the highest positions.

6. "Now I put the water-boy into this room where there are several kinds of work being done. There are pieces of broken saws lying about, and some of the tools that are used in sharpening and mending them.

7. "I watch that boy. If he begins handling these broken saws, looking them over, trying them, practising(3) on them with the tools there, watching the other boys at their machines, asking questions about how the work is done, and always making use of his spare time in one way or another, why, that boy is very soon promoted(4).

8. "He is first put to work on some of the machines in this room, and afterwards on those that require greater skill, and is pushed ahead as rapidly as there are openings for him. He soon goes to a better position and better pay, and I get a new water-boy. He has gone through the sieve.

9. "But there is another kind of boy. When he has time to spare, he spends it in doing nothing. He leans up against the benches, crosses one leg over the other, whistles, stares out of the window, no doubt wishing he was outside, and watches the clock to see how soon he can get away. If he talks with the other boys, it is not to ask questions about their work, but to waste their time with some nonsense or other.

10. "I often do all I can to help such a boy. I push the tools under his very nose. I ask him questions about them. I talk with him about his plans for the future. I do all that I can to awaken(5) some kind of life in him. If the boy has any energy(6) in him, well and good; if he has not, he is simply useless. I don't want such a boy in this mill, even as a water-boy."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words sieve and sift.

2. Write the verbs in -en in the lesson, and give their meanings.

3. Make sentences containing handle as a verb and as a noun, and give their meaning, showing the connection with hand.

————————————————————

(1) Mississippi River, a very long river in North America.

(2) Sieve, strainer; a vessel for separating fine particles from coarse ones.

(3) Practising, working.

(4) Promoted, advanced; raised to a higher position.

(5) Awaken, rouse; stir up.

(6) Energy, vigour; life.

50

THE LIFE OF A FLY

1. What becomes of the flies in winter? There is not one of all the summer swarm(1) to be seen. They do not hide in corners, and go to sleep all winter, as some animals do. All, except a very few of them, die when the cold weather comes. Then where do all the flies come from in summer?

2. Before the flies die, they lay their eggs in some out-of-the-way place, where they remain hidden during the winter months. These eggs are hatched by the sun's heat when the warm weather comes. The little creature that comes out of the egg is not a fly, and it does not look as if it ever would become one. It is a little white worm—a maggot.

3. This little worm is sure to find plenty of food near, for the mother fly knew by instinct(2) what kind of food would suit the little one whom she would never live to see, and she laid the egg in a place where plenty of this food was to be found.

4. It begins at once to cat, and it does eat with a right good will. The first day of its life it eats twice its own weight of food, and as it grows its appetite becomes keener(3) still. With such an appetite it is not strange that the creature grows rapidly. After a time it stops feeding, and begins to make a little case for itself, in which it shuts itself up for a long sleep. If you were to see it at this stage, you might think it had no life. It does not see, it does not move.

5. By-and-by, however, it wakes up, forces its way out of the case in which it has been sleeping, and comes out a complete fly, with eyes, feelers, wings, and legs just like those of its mother.

6. All the gay butterflies and moths, and other insects which you see flying about, began life in the same way—as a worm or caterpillar, which was hatched from an egg. They all go to sleep for a time in a hard case which they make for themselves, before they change into the full-grown winged creatures which we know so well.

7. We usually think of flies as both useless and troublesome creatures, but they have a very important work to do for us. They are an army of little scavengers(4), always on the watch to pounce(5) upon little particles of decaying matter, which, but for them, would poison the air and form a danger to our health.

8. As these little pieces of waste matter are generally very small—often mere dust—flies must be very keen-sighted in order to find them; and so they are, for their eyes are so large as almost to cover both sides of their heads.

9. When you see it through a microscope, the eye of a fly looks like a great number of very small windows placed close beside each other. Now, each of these little windows or spaces is really a complete eye, and there are about four thousand of them in each big eye. No wonder, then, that not a speck of waste matter escapes their sharp sight.

10. The foot of a fly is no less wonderful than its eye. Have you ever wondered how it could walk on the smooth window-pane or even on the ceiling overhead without slipping or falling? When you learn more about its foot, you will be surprised at its power of letting go rather than at its power of holding on.

11. Each foot has two sharp hooked claws for climbing up a rough surface(6); but in order to prevent slipping on a smooth surface, the sole of the foot is kept wet with a strong glue or cement which it makes for itself.

12. Sometimes the fly stays too long in one spot, and the cement hardens, so that he cannot lift his foot. He has then to break off his leg before he can get clear, and it even happens sometimes that he is held a prisoner in this way until he starves to death.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words rapid, rapidly, and rapidity.

2. Make sentences containing the words poison, watch, and suit as nouns and as verbs.

3. Make sentences containing the words beside and besides, and show the difference in meaning.

————————————————————

(1) Swarm, large number.

(2) Instinct, the natural power by which animals are guided with out thought or reason.

(3) Keener, sharper; stronger.

(4) Scavengers, cleaners; sweepers of streets.

(5) Pounce, fall upon and lay hold of suddenly.

(6) Surface, outside.

51

OUR WILD BEES

1. Everybody knows something about a bee-hive; everybody has enjoyed the feast which the busy little workers gather for us from the summer blossoms, and has wondered at the skill with which this feast is prepared and stored away in the neat wax cells of the honey-comb.

2. But we are apt to forget that among the fields gay with wild flowers there are honey-gatherers at work which do not belong to any hive. They are much larger in size than hive-bees, and they make a loud, deep hum as they fly; they are also darker in colour—some of them nearly black, some with a broad ring of red.

3. The most common of these wild bees is the large furry humble-bee. It differs from the hive-bee somewhat as the country farmer or shepherd differs from the man of the city: it is big and burly(1) in form, wears a rougher coat, moves more slowly, has a longer day's work to do, and lives in a smaller house.

4. On a warm day in spring a big mother-bee may be seen flying about a dry grassy bank, now alighting(2) on the ground as if she were looking for something, then flying to another spot to continue her search, but paying no heed(3) to the flowers. She is busy house-hunting this fine morning, looking for a suitable(4) place for her nest.

5. At last her search is rewarded: here is an old burrow made by a field-mouse last year, but now empty and waiting for a new tenant. The sturdy(5) peasant-bee enters into possession at once, for this will save her the trouble of digging a burrow for herself; and it runs much deeper into the warm sandy soil than any burrow she would have found time to make.

6. She sets to work to widen the inner end of the burrow, for she expects to rear a much larger family than the field-mouse did, and she lines this inner chamber(6) with the softest moss she can find. Next she goes out among the flowers, and gathers some of the yellow flower-dust or pollen, which she moistens and forms into a round lump.

7. On the surface of this lump she lays a number of eggs at a little distance from one another, and covers them up with some of the pollen, so that each egg is shut up in a little cell. Soon the eggs hatch out into little white grubs(7), and these find plenty of food around them in the pollen or bee-bread. So, like all other grubs, they give themselves up entirely to eating and growing, and at last they become young bees.

8. In a short time the young bees are able not only to feed themselves, but to act as nurses for the younger ones; and now the mother-bee leaves the honey-gathering entirely to her busy little helpers, and attends only to her own work of getting new cells made, and laying more eggs in them. As her family increases in number, the mother finds her work getting always easier, for all the hard work is done by the young ones. The humble-bees could teach some young folks a lesson in this matter, if they were not too busy about their own work to think of teaching idlers.

9. During the summer quite a large family grows up in this underground dwelling, and the workers prepare for the cold weather by storing up honey in the old cells which formed the cradles(8) of the young bees, and in smaller ones which they build. But these cells form a much ruder(9) and humbler sort of honey-comb than that made by the hive-bees in their well-built city.

10. Some of our wild bees do not trouble to make or to look for an underground house. One of them, the moss-bee, makes her nest in a little hollow among the roots of long grass, and roofs it over with a thick covering of moss, which she lines with a coarse kind of wax to make it water-tight.

11. Such nests are often found in meadows and hay-fields. You may see a mower(10) suddenly drop his scythe on the grass and run off as fast as his legs can carry him. In his mowing he has found a wild bees' nest; but the wild bees have also found him, and he thinks it best to keep out of their way for a short time.

12. When all is quiet, and the bees think that the danger is past, the mower returns cautiously(11), covering up his face perhaps, and then suddenly seizes the honey-comb, carries it away from among the surprised owners, and sits down at a little distance to enjoy its contents(12).

13. Country boys sometimes get a spade and dig out the nest of the burrowing bees when they find one, and as a reward for their trouble they often find a large mass of honey-comb, not very neatly made, but full of very rich honey; and although they get a good many stings from the bees, and come home with hands and faces smarting and swollen, they seem to think that the honey repays them well for their work and their wounds.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make nouns in -ion from possess, expect, and prepare.

2. Make adjectives in -able from enjoy, suit, and teach, and give their meanings.

3. Make sentences containing increase and decrease as nouns and as verbs, and mark the accent of the word in each case.

————————————————————

(1) Burly, of large size; strong-looking.

(2) Alighting, settling; coming down.

(3) Heed, notice; attention.

(4) Suitable, fitting.

(5) Sturdy, hardy; not easily made to yield.

(6) Chamber, room.

(7) Grubs, worms produced from the eggs of moths, beetles, etc.

(8) Cradles, rearing-places.

(9) Ruder, rougher.

(10) Mower, one who mows or cuts down grass or corn.

(11) Cautiously, with great care.

(12) Its contents, what it contains.

52

FAR, FAR UPON THE SEA

1. Far, far upon the sea,

The good ship speeding(1) free,

Upon the deck we gather young and old,

And view the flapping sail,

Spreading out before the gale,

Full and round without a wrinkle or a fold;

Or watch the waves that glide

By the stately vessel's side,

And the wild sea-birds that follow through the air;

Or we gather in a ring,

And with cheerful voices sing,

Oh, gaily goes the ship when the wind blows fair!

2. Far, far upon the sea,

With the sunshine on our lee(2),

We talk of pleasant days when we were young,

And remember, though we roam,

The sweet melodies(3) of home—

The songs of happy childhood which we sung;

And though we quit(4) her shore,

To return to it no more,

Sound the glories that Britannia yet shall bear—

That "Britons rule the waves,"

And "never shall be slaves."

Oh, gaily goes the ship when the wind blows fair!

3. Far, far upon the sea,

Whate'er our country be,

The thought of it shall cheer us as we go;

And Scotland's sons shall join,

In the song of "Auld Lang Syne,"

With voice by memory softened, clear and low;

And the men of Erin's Isle(5),

Battling sorrow with a smile,

Shall sing "St. Patrick's(6) morning" void of(7) care.

And thus we pass the day,

As we journey on the way; —

Oh, gaily goes the ship when the wind blows fair!

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences with speed, cheer, fold, and journey as nouns and as verbs.

2. Give a list of compound nouns in -hood (like childhood), with their meanings.

3. Make sentences containing the words lee, lea, see, and sea.

————————————————————

(1) Speeding, going quickly.

(2) Lee, the side sheltered from the wind.

(3) Melodies, songs; tunes.

(4) Quit, leave.

(5) Erin's Isle, Ireland.

(6) St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

(7) Void of, Without.

53

A STORY WITHOUT AN END

1. Once upon a time there was a king who was very fond of hearing stories told. He spent all his time in listening to stories, and yet he never had enough; the more he heard the more he wanted to hear.

2. At last he sent a notice through his whole kingdom, that if any man would tell him a story that should last for ever and not come to an end, he would make him his heir(1), and would give him the princess his daughter in marriage; but if any man tried and failed, he was to lose his head.

3. Many story-tellers came forward to compete(2) for the splendid prize that was offered, and very long stories they told. Some of them lasted a week, some a month, some six months; but sooner or later the end of the story came, and then came the end of the story-teller also.

4. At last there came a man who said he had a story to tell which would last for ever. He was told the fate(3) of the other competitors, but he showed no fear. He was brought to the king, and they agreed on the time that he was to spend each day in telling his story. Then he began thus: —

5. "Once upon a time there was a king who was very fond of riches, and who was also very cruel. He had a large store-house built as high as a mountain, and he forced his people to bring part of their wheat and put it into his store-house. Then when it was quite full he had the doors and windows built up so that no one could get in.

6. "But one very small hole had been left near the top of the house. There came a swarm of locusts(4), and they tried to get in to the corn; but the hole was so small that only one locust could get in at a time. So one locust went in, and carried off one grain(5) of corn; and then another locust went in, and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in, and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in, and carried off an other grain of corn—"

7. He went on in this way day after day, when after a week the king said to him, "Well, that will do for the locusts; tell us now what happened afterwards." But the story-teller replied, "I cannot tell your majesty what happened afterwards until I have told you what happened first." And so he went on again: "And then another locust went in, and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in, and carried off another grain of corn—"

8. For six months this went on day after day, when the king said, "I am weary of those locusts of yours; how soon do you think they will have finished?"

The story-teller replied, "O king, who can tell? At the time I am speaking of they had cleared away a little space round the hole within, and the air was still dark with locusts without. But have patience, and we shall no doubt come to the end in time."

9. For a year longer the king sat and heard the story go on day after day— "And then another locust went in, and carried off another grain of corn; and then another, locust went in, and carried off another grain of corn." But he could stand it no longer, and cried aloud, "Stop, man; that is enough. Take my daughter, take my kingdom, take anything you like, but let us hear no more of that swarm of locusts of yours."

10. And so we are told that this story-teller gained the prize: he married the king's daughter, and became his heir. His story never came to an end; for when anybody asked to hear the end of it, he said he could not go on with the rest of the tale until he had finished with the locusts.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the masculine and feminine forms of the nouns king, heir, princess, daughter, and man.

2. Make sentences containing without and within as adverbs and as prepositions.

3. Make sentences containing the words patient, patience, and patiently.

————————————————————

(1) Heir, successor; one who has the right to the property of another after his death.

(2) Compete, try.

(3) Fate, doom; what was to happen.

(4) Locusts, insects with wings, somewhat like grasshoppers in shape.

(5) Grain, particle; a very small quantity.

54

A NATION OF SOLDIERS

I

1. Greece is a small hilly country in the south of Europe, about the size of England and Wales. It is not a place of much importance at the present day, but more than two thousand years ago the Greeks were famous all over the world for their skill in building, sculpture(1), painting, poetry, and almost every art(2).

2. Their temples(3) were built with very great skill and taste. The ruins of many of them are still standing, like these you see in the picture on next page. Yet these works were done at a time when Britain was a wild forest and its inhabitants savages.

3. The Greeks were brave soldiers, but they never became a great and strong nation. The country was divided into many kingdoms, few of them larger than an English county, and these little kingdoms were often at war among themselves.

4. The kingdom of Sparta was in the south of Greece. The Spartans were the bravest of all the Greeks. They had very strange laws and customs, which were well fitted for a nation of soldiers. Their laws are said to have been drawn up by a wise man called Lycurgus.

5. When Lycurgus had drawn up all the laws he thought necessary, he hit upon a plan to prevent them from being altered. He said that he had to go on a visit to a distant temple, and he got the rulers to promise that they would keep his laws unchanged until his return.

6. After he had visited the temple, he made up his mind that he would never return to Sparta, so that his laws might never be changed. He therefore killed himself, in order that his country might always enjoy those wise laws. Thus his death was an example of that love of country which he tried to teach during his life.

7. Let us now see what were some of those laws, and how they affected(4) the life of the people of Sparta. Of course the Spartans must have been a brave, hardy(5) race to begin with, or such laws would never have been obeyed among them.

8. Lycurgus wanted the people to live a plain, simple life, without any love of luxury(6) or wealth. With this object, he forbade the use of gold and silver in the country, and ordered that all money should be made of iron.

9. This was really almost the same as forbidding the use of money entirely. If we had only copper money, it would be very difficult to carry about with us even as much as the value of five pounds, while twenty pounds' worth of copper would make a good load for a man. Now, as iron is cheaper than copper, iron money would be even heavier than copper money. A man who wished to have money always with him would need a pair of horses and a waggon to carry his purse.

10. The use of iron money soon put a stop to that hoarding(7) of wealth which turns men into misers. It also put a stop to robbery, for no thief could carry away so much as would make it worth his while to steal.

11. But it put a stop to trade with other countries; and this was one thing which Lycurgus specially wished he did not want strangers to come and live in Sparta, lest they should bring in new customs, and spoil the people.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words affect and effect.

2. Make sentences containing the word taste as a verb and as a noun, with various meanings.

3. Make sentences containing the words poet, poem, poetry, poetical, and poetess.

————————————————————

(1) Sculpture, figures cut from stone, wood, or metal.

(2) Art, painting, sculpture, etc.

(3) Temples, large churches; places of worship.

(4) Affected, influenced; acted upon.

(5) Hardy, stout; able to bear a great deal.

(6) Luxury, something used for enjoyment over and above what is necessary.

(7) Hoarding, saving; laying up.

55

A NATION OF SOLDIERS

II

1. Lycurgus did all he could to keep the Spartans from giving their thoughts to wealth rather than to virtue(1) and courage, and to keep the rich people from looking down on the poor. He got the rich people as well as the poor to give up all their lands, and then the whole was divided equally among all the families.

2. Instead of taking their food at home, as we do, every one had to eat at public mess-tables(2), as our soldiers do. All the men of the city were divided into companies of fifteen or twenty, and each of these companies met daily at their own table, for which they had to provide among themselves a certain amount of food every month.

3. Thus no selfish person could indulge in(3) rich food. And it would not do either to eat privately at home before coming to the public table; for if one could not eat and drink his fair share when he came there, he was sure to be laughed at as weak and unmanly.

4. The food which was used at these tables was of the very plainest kind. A kind of black broth made with goat's flesh was most liked. This, along with bread and dried fruits, and wine from their own vineyards, formed their usual diet(4).

5. You can well believe that this law was much disliked by the rich. Indeed, it nearly cost Lycurgus his life at first; for he was stoned in the market-place, and saved his life only by his speed in running away.

6. The boys had mess-tables of their own; but they were allowed to be present at those of the men, in order that they might learn how to behave, and that they might be instructed(5) by listening to the conversation(6) of their elders.

7. The Spartans gave much care to the training of the young, but they cared only for such training as would make them brave soldiers and a terror to the enemy. This is not the kind of training which we need most in our country; and so we find that the Spartan boys were taught somewhat differently from ours.

8. When the Spartans first settled in their country, they had conquered the former inhabitants and made them slaves. These slaves did all the hard work, in the fields and in the houses; so the Spartan boys had no need to learn a trade in order to make their living. They looked upon labour of any kind as fit only for slaves.

9. When boys were seven years old, they were taken away from their parents, and trained to be soldiers. They did not get much of what we call education, though they were all taught to read and write. They went through all sorts of exercises to strengthen the body, and make them able to bear pain and fatigue(7).

10. The girls had a training of somewhat the same kind; and indeed the women of Sparta were as brave as the men. When a young man first went out to battle, his mother gave him his shield(8), with the words, "Return with this, or on it." What did she mean?

11. The shield was a long one, and if a man ran away from his enemies, he had to throw away his shield to help his flight. If a man was killed or severely wounded, his companions carried him home on his shield. Thus to return without it was a mark of disgrace, while to return on it showed that the man had done his duty in the battle.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make adjectives in -ish from the nouns self, fool, and child, and give their meanings.

2. Make adjectives in -ish from the adjectives blue, green, and sweet, and give their meanings.

3. Make verbs in dis- (like dislike) from appear, please, and mount, and give their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Virtue, goodness or purity.

(2) Mess-tables, tables where a number of people eat together.

(3) Indulge in, give himself up to.

(4) Diet, kind or amount of food one eats.

(5) Instructed, taught.

(6) Conversation, talk.

(7) Fatigue, weariness caused by overwork.

(8) Shield, a frame worn on the left arm to keep off blows.

56

ANCIENT SONG OF VICTORY

1. Io! they come, they come!

Garlands for every shrine(1)!

Strike lyres(2) to greet them home;

Bring roses, pour ye wine!

2. Swell, swell the Dorian(3) flute(4)

Through the blue, triumphal sky!

Let the cittern's(5) tone salute(6)

The sons of victory!

3. With the offering of bright blood,

They have ransomed hearth and tomb,

Vineyard, and field, and flood;

Io! they come, they come!

4. Sing it where olives(7) wave,

And by the glittering sea,

And o'er each hero's grave—

Sing, sing, the land is free!

5. Mark ye the flashing oars,

And the spears that light the deep?

How the festal(8) sunshine pours

Where the lords of battle sweep!

6. Each hath brought back his shield; —

Maid, greet thy lover home!

Mother, from that proud field,

Io! thy son is come!

7. Who murmured of the dead?

Hush, boding(9) voice! we know

That many a shining head

Lies in its glory low.

8. Breathe not those names to-day!

They shall have their praise ere long,

And a power all hearts to sway,

In ever-burning song.

9. But now shed flowers, pour wine,

To hail the conquerors home!

Bring wreaths for every shrine—

Io! they come, they come!

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing feast (as noun and as verb), festal, festive, and festival.

2. Make sentences containing light, deep, and hail as various parts of speech.

————————————————————

(1) Shrine, tomb; sacred place.

(2) Lyre, a kind of harp.

(3) Dorian, The Dorians were a Greek tribe whose music was of a bold, simple character.

(4) Flute, a light wind instrument.

(5) Cittern, a musical instrument like the guitar.

(6) Salute, welcome; hail.

(7) Olives, trees the fruit of which yields valuable oil.

(8) Festal, joyous; happy.

(9) Boding, prophesying; foretelling evil.

57

THE FRAME-WORK OF THE BODY

I

1. In your last reading-book you learned some things about your body, the house you live in, and how to keep it in good health. Now it is time that you should know something about the way in which this house is built.

2. If you were asked what your body is made of, you would likely say that it is made of flesh and bones, and covered with skin. You also know something about the blood which flows through it, and that there is a very important part which we call the brain.

3. But the flesh and the bones make up the largest part of the body, and there is a good deal to be learned about them. You know the general appearance of both flesh and bone from the parts of animals which you see in the butcher's shop, or which you get on your plate at dinner.

4. Bone is hard, and of a white colour; indeed, it looks more like a piece of wood or stone than a part of a living animal. But bone is a real part of the living body, and it grows and is nourished along with the body. If a man breaks the bone of his arm or his leg, it is firmly bound up, to prevent the broken parts from moving out of their proper place, and then in a few weeks the bone grows together again and becomes quite strong.

5. The bones are fastened together by various kinds of joints. They form the frame-work of the body, and give it strength to retain(1) its proper shape. This frame-work is called the skeleton(2). Some animals, like worms and slugs, have no skeleton; and others, like shellfish, have a kind of hard covering or skeleton outside.

6. The most important part of the skeleton is the back-bone. It is so important that naturalists(3) divide all animals into two classes(4)—those which have a back-bone, and those which have none. All the higher animals, including man, have a back-bone, or vertebral column as it is called, and they are therefore called vertebrate animals. The others are called invertebrate animals.

7. The vertebral column, or back-bone, is not really a bone at all. It is a pillar of small bones firmly bound together. If you string a number of reels of cotton upon a strong cord, and pull the cord tight, you will have a column somewhat like the vertebral column. It will bend slightly, as the back-bone does; but while you keep the string tight, it will be firm enough to stand upright.

8. At the upper end of the back-bone there is the skull. This is a hollow box or case made up of several pieces of bone fitting closely together. Inside the skull is the brain, which is in many ways the most important organ(5) of the body.

9. The nerves come from the brain, and it is by means of them that we feel, and see, and hear, and taste, and by means of them also that we move any part of our bodies as we wish. They are like living telegraph wires running all through the body.

10. From the lower part of the brain there is what we might call a living telegraph cable(6) passing down through the back-bone. This is the spinal cord, which gives off many branches, or nerves, as it passes downwards. If the spinal cord is injured, either by disease or by some accident, all power of feeling or of movement in the lower part of the body is lost. When this happens, we say that part of the body is paralyzed.

11. There is another box or case of bone in front of the back-bone. The ribs, which are joined to the back-bone behind, and bend round towards the breast-bone in front, form a strong cage, inside of which are placed the heart and the lungs.

12. The heart is a kind of force-pump which sends the blood through every part of the body. In the lungs the blood is made pure by mixing with the oxygen of the air. These organs, like the brain and the spinal cord, are well protected by the strong bony frame-work which surrounds them.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words appear, appearance, apparent, and apparently.

2. Make nouns in dis- from ease, appearance, and pleasure, and give their meanings.

3. Make sentences containing the words nature, natural, and naturalist.

————————————————————

(1) Retain, keep hold of.

(2) Skeleton, framework; the bones of an animal without skin or flesh.

(3) Naturalists, those who study the world of nature or some special part of it.

(4) Classes, kinds.

(5) Organ, member of the body having special work to do.

(6) Cable, line; an iron rope in which telegraph wires are laid under the sea.

58

THE FRAME-WORK OF THE BODY

II

1. Besides a head and a trunk or body, the higher animals have four limbs(1). Birds have two wings and two legs, quadrupeds have four legs, and we have two legs and two arms. But in their frame-work these different kinds of limbs are very much alike.

2. The arm joins the body at the shoulder, and the shoulder itself is formed of two bones—the collarbone in front, and the shoulder-blade behind. The collar-bone does not go round the neck, as its name might lead you to think. It is nearly straight, and has one end joined to the top of the breast-bone, just below the throat, and the other end to the top of the shoulder.

3. The shoulder-blade is a broad flat bone which rests on the ribs behind. Its outer corner meets the end of the collar-bone and forms the top of the shoulder. The arm hangs from this corner of the shoulder-blade, and is also joined to the collar-bone. The collar-bone gives the square shape to the shoulder when looked at from the front.

4. Between the shoulder and the elbow there is only one bone in the arm, but between the elbow and the wrist there are two. When you hold out your arm, and turn the palm of the hand first upwards and then downwards, you can feel those two bones twisting round each other.

5. The bones of the hand are arranged so as to give it great strength and yet allow of very free movement. In the wrist there are eight small bones, set in two rows across. They are very firmly bound together, but their large number allows the wrist to bend much more freely than if there were only one or two.

6. Next come the bones of the hand itself. In the body or palm of the hand there are five long bones—one for each finger, and one for the thumb. Then each of the fingers has three bones, and the thumb has two. Thus we have as many as twenty-seven pieces in the frame-work of the hand and wrist alone.

7. At its lower end the back-bone is fastened to a broad and strong mass of bone, to which the lower limbs are also joined. The bones of the leg and foot are very like those of the arm and hand. They are larger and stronger, as they have the whole weight of the body to carry, and the joints do not move so easily.

8. The joints of the limbs are very beautifully formed. The bones are bound together by bands of a very strong substance, somewhat like the sinews(2) which you find in meat. The ends of the bones which rub against each other are very smooth, and are covered with a substance called cartilage or gristle, which is much softer than the rest of the bone. There is a kind of oil which is made by the body itself at the places where it is needed, and some of this oil is constantly poured over the parts of the bone which touch each other.

9. These joints are just like the hinges(3) we make for ourselves: the parts are firmly joined, quite smooth, and well oiled, so that they move easily. Indeed, they are so like hinges that we call many of them hinge- joints. The elbow-joint is a hinge-joint.

10. The shoulder-joint is of a different kind. The top of the upper arm bone is round like a ball, and it moves in a shallow cup or socket(4) in the end of the shoulder-blade. Thus you can swing your arm round in a circle, and move it up and down, or from back to front. This kind of joint is called a ball-and-socket joint.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words containing a silent b (as thumb).

2. Make nouns in -ment from move, nourish, arrange, and enjoy. and show how to use them in sentences.

3. Make sentences containing the words join, joint, and jointed.

————————————————————

(1) Limbs, legs, arms; parts of the body fastened by a joint.

(2) Sinew, the tough fibrous band which joins a muscle to a bone.

(3) Hinges, the joints on which a door hangs and turns.

(4) Socket, a hollow place for fixing anything into.

59

MUSCLE

1. You have now got some idea of the frame-work of the body. As long as it is living, the body is always moving. Motion never ceases(1): sometimes there is motion from place to place, or locomotion; sometimes there are the voluntary(2) movements which we make when we are writing or speaking or eating; and all our life long, even while we are asleep, there are involuntary(3) movements going on, such as those of the chest in breathing, and of the heart in keeping the blood flowing through all the body.

2. The bones themselves are hard like a piece of wood, and have no power of moving. How, then, are all those movements caused? If you were to make a framework like that of the arm by joining pieces of wood together with hinges, how could you make these pieces of wood move as the arm moves?

3. The best way would be to have strings fixed to the various pieces of your model, so that when you pulled one string it bent the joint, and when you pulled another it extended(4) it again. This is exactly the way in which we move our limbs: there are strings which are fixed to the bones, and pull them up or down as we wish.

4. But how are the strings pulled, and who pulls them? This is the strangest part of the whole, and shows how different a living being is from any model(5) or machine which man can make. The strings are living strings, and they pull themselves whenever we who live in these wonderful living houses wish them to do so.

5. The strings are the muscles and sinews. Muscle is another name for the red flesh which is covered by the skin. You see what muscle is like when you have a piece of beef or mutton on your plate, for the flesh of the animal is just muscle.

6. Now look at this picture of the arm and one of its muscles. At the lower end is a strong sinew fastened to the bone of the fore-arm, a little below the elbow-joint; and at the upper end are two sinews which pass over the top of the shoulder to the shoulder-blade. But in the middle there is a thick mass of flesh lying along the upper arm bone. You can feel this by laying your hand on your own arm.

7. Keep your hand there as you bend your arm, and notice what happens. You feel this lump of flesh getting harder and thicker in the middle, white at the same time it gets shorter. This is the whole secret of all the hundreds of movements in our bodies. The middle of the string of muscle gets shorter and thicker, and so the two ends are pulled closer together.

8. When you extend your arm again, another muscle must do the work. A muscle which lies along the back of the arm pulls in the opposite direction, while the first becomes soft and loose again. One muscle can pull only in one direction, and so the muscles are usually in pairs—one for bending the joint, and one for extending it again.

9. What makes muscle act in this way? Some strange kind of telegraph message comes from the brain(6) through those nerves we spoke of, and causes the muscle to act.

10. Every time a muscle acts it loses a little of its substance, and so it wastes away gradually. But the blood is constantly carrying a supply of new material from the food we eat, and thus the muscle is repaired(7) as quickly as it is wasted.

11. The more frequently the substance of our muscles is wasted away and renewed(8) in this way the stronger and firmer they become. This is the reason why plenty of exercise or hard work makes our muscles firm and strong, while a life of laziness tends to keep them weak.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words speak, speaker, and speech.

2. Make verbs in re- from the words new, turn, and visit, and give their meanings.

3. Make nouns in -ness from lazy, busy, thin, and full, and mark the change in the word necessary before adding the termination.

————————————————————

(1) Ceases, stops.

(2) Voluntary, done on purpose.

(3) Involuntary, not done on purpose.

(4) Extended, enlarged; stretched out.

(5) Model, pattern; an exact likeness or copy.

(6) Brain, the soft matter inside the skull.

(7) Repaired, restored; made whole again.

(8) Renewed, made new again.

60

THE SKIN

1. Young people generally know more about the skin of the body than they do about the flesh or the bones. It is easier to know about the outside of things than about the inside. Snakes and toads and some other animals change their skins every year. Perhaps you are not aware that we also change our skins. We do not draw off the old skin like a glove or a stocking, as the snake does, and find a soft, new one underneath; we are constantly changing it, little by little every day. The old skin comes off in very small, flat scales, like fine white dust, and the new skin is constantly growing from beneath. This is one of the reasons why daily washing and frequent change of underclothing are necessary.

2. The outer layer of the skin, from which these scales come, is called the epidermis. It can stand a good deal of rough treatment without bleeding or feeling painful. But if this outer layer happens to be taken away, by a scratch or a blister, you find that the lower skin bleeds freely, showing that it is full of blood-vessels; and is painful when touched, showing that it is full of nerves.

3. These nerves give us the sense of touch or feeling, but they need the rough upper skin to keep them from injury. On the tips of the fingers, where we have a keen sense of touch, the nerves are very numerous. They rise in little mounds and ridges, so as to be near the surface, and to give greater fineness of touch.

4. There is a very curious fact about these little ridges which you see curving round and round on the tips of your fingers and thumbs. They are never exactly alike in any two persons, and they never change their form from year to year. Thus no two persons' fingers can make marks of the same shape on a piece of soft wax.

5. Now, when a person is accused(1) of a crime(2), it is sometimes very important to know whether this is the same person who was formerly punished for another crime. Accordingly, the police in some places keep a copy of the finger-prints of all convicts(3). It is found that these finger-prints are a surer way of knowing a person again than a photograph is. The face changes more than the fingers do.

6. In a robbery from a mail-bag(4) in America, the guilty person was discovered by the mark of his thumb, which he had left on the soft wax while closing up the bag. But this can hardly be called the natural use of the skin, any more than stealing can be called the natural use of the fingers. We have now to see what the uses of the skin really are.

7. One use of the skin is to protect the tender parts underneath—the veins and small blood-vessels, and the nerves or living telegraph wires. And in the lower animals, in order to give the better protection, the skin is sometimes covered over with such substances as shells, scales, hair, wool, feathers, nails, claws, horns, and the like, which are all different forms of the outer layer of the skin.

8. If a part of the body, such as the arm, be enclosed in a loose india-rubber bag full of fresh air, and kept in it for some time, the air in the bag is found to be changed. It contains the same impurities(5) as the air which we breathe out from the lungs. This shows us that the skin is really one of our breathing organs.

9. This breathing, as well as the passage of the perspiration(6), takes place through very fine spiral(7) tubes or pores in the skin. You can see these little pipes, as well as the roots of the hairs, in this picture, which shows a part of the skin cut through and very much enlarged. On the palm of the hand there are nearly 3,000 pores in every square inch of skin, and it has been found that the whole length of these tubes in a single body would be about thirty miles!

10. Such facts as these may help you to see that the skin is a very important organ of the body. And it is the organ which we can do most to help in its work, as it is not covered up from us. The help we can give it is chiefly by keeping it clean and vigorous(8), and protecting it from cold when necessary.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words aware, beware, wary, and unwary.

2. Show by their use in sentences that the words change, touch, and form may be various parts of speech.

3. Make sentences containing the words bleed, blood, feed, and food.

————————————————————

(1) Accused, charged; blamed.

(2) Crime, a breaking of the law.

(3) Convicts, criminals; persons convicted or found guilty of crime or wrong-doing.

(4) Mail-bag, letter-bag.

(5) Impurities, uncleannesses.

(6) Perspiration, moisture oozing out through the pores of the skin.

(7) Spiral, twisting round and round like a corkscrew.

(8) Vigorous, strong and healthy

61

POETRY FOR RECITATION

GEORGE NIDIVER

1. Men have done brave deeds,

And bards have sung them well;

I of good George Nidiver

Now the tale will tell.

2. In Californian mountains,

A hunter bold was he;

Keen his eye and sure his aim

As any you could see.

3. A little Indian boy

Followed him everywhere,

Eager to share the hunter's joy,

The hunter's meal to share;

4. And when the bird or deer

Fell by the hunter's skill,

The boy was always near

To help with right goodwill.

5. One day, as through the cleft

Between two mountains steep,

Shut in both right and left,

Their weary way they keep,

6. They see two grizzly bears,

With hunger fierce and fell,

Rush at them unawares

Right down the narrow dell.

7. The boy turned round with screams,

And ran with terror wild;

One of the pair of savage beasts

Pursued the shrieking child.

8. The hunter raised his gun—

He knew one charge was all—

And through the boy's pursuing foe

He sent his only ball.

9. The other on George Nidiver

Came on with dreadful pace;

The hunter stood, unarmed,

And met him face to face.

10. I say unarmed he stood:

Against those frightful paws,

The rifle-butt or club of wood

Could stand no more than straws.

11. George Nidiver stood still,

And looked him in the face;

The wild beast stopped amazed,

Then came with slackening pace.

12. Still firm the hunter stood,

Although his heart beat high;

Again the creature stopped,

And gazed with wondering eye.

13. The hunter met his gaze,

Nor yet an inch gave way;

The bear turned slowly round,

And slowly moved away.

14. What thoughts were in his mind,

It would be hard to spell;

What thoughts were in George Nidiver,

I rather guess than tell.

15. But sure that rifle's aim,

Swift choice of generous part,

Showed in its passing gleam

The depths of a brave heart.

THE AFRICAN CHIEF

1. Chained in the market-place he stood,

A man of giant frame,

Amid the gathering multitude

That shrank to hear his name—

All stern of look and strong of limb,

His dark eye on the ground;

And silently they gazed on him,

As on a lion bound.

2. Vainly, but well, that chief had fought:

He was a captive now;

Yet pride, that fortune humbles not,

Was written on his brow.

The scars his dark broad bosom wore

Showed warrior true and brave;

He could not be a slave.

3. Then to his conqueror he spake:

"My brother is a king;

Undo this necklace from my neck,

And take this bracelet ring,

And send me where my brother reigns,

And I will fill thy hands

With store of ivory from the plains,

And gold-dust from the sands."

4. "Not for thy ivory nor thy gold

Will I unbind thy chain;

That bloody hand shall never hold

The battle-spear again.

A price thy nation never gave

Shall yet be paid for thee;

For thou shalt be the Christian's slave,

In lands beyond the sea."

5. Then wept the warrior chief, and bade

To shred his locks away;

And, one by one, each heavy braid

Before the victor lay.

Thick were the platted locks, and long

And closely hidden there,

Shone many a wedge of gold among

The dark and crispèd hair.

6. "Look! feast thy greedy eye with gold

Long kept for sorest need;

Take it—thou askest sums untold—

And say that I am freed.

Take it; my wife, the long, long day,

Weeps by the cocoa-tree,

And my young children leave their play

And ask in vain for me."

7. "I take thy gold; but I have made

Thy fetters fast and strong,

And ween that by the cocoa shade

Thy wife will wait thee long."

Strong was the agony that shook

The captive's frame to hear,

And the proud meaning of his look

Was changed to mortal fear.

8. His heart was broken, crazed his brain;

At once his eye grew wild;

he struggled fiercely with his chain,

Whispered, and wept, and smiled.

Yet wore not long those fatal bands;

And once, at close of day,

They drew him forth upon the sands,

The foul hyena's prey!

— WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT

THE DAISY

1. There is a flower, a little flower,

With silver crest and golden eye,

That welcomes every changing hour,

And weathers every sky.

2. The prouder beauties of the field

In gay but quick succession shine;

Race after race their honours yield—

They flourish and decline.

3. But this small flower, to nature dear,

While moon and stars their courses run,

Wreathes the whole circle of the year,

Companion of the sun:

4. It smiles upon the lap of May,

To sultry August spreads its charms,

Lights pale October on his way,

And twines December's arms.

5. The purple heath and golden broom

On moory mountains catch the gale,

O'er lawns the lily sheds perfume,

The violet in the vale;

6. But this bold floweret climbs the hill,

Hides in the forest, haunts the glen,

Plays on the margin of the rill,

Peeps round the fox's den.

7. Within the garden's cultured round

It shares the sweet carnation's bed;

And blooms on consecrated ground,

In honour of the dead.

8. The lambkin crops its crimson gem,

The wild bee murmurs on its breast,

The blue fly bends its pensile stem

Light o'er the skylark's nest.

9. 'Tis Flora's page—in every place,

In every season fresh and fair;

It opens with perennial grace,

And blossoms everywhere.

10. On waste and woodland, rock and plain,

Its humble buds unheeded rise:

The rose has but a summer reign,

The daisy never dies.

—MONTGOMERY

THE SOLDIER'S DREAM

1. Our bugles sang truce, for the night-cloud had lowered,

And the sentinel stars set their watch in the sky;

And thousands had sunk on the ground overpowered—

The weary to sleep, and the wounded to die.

2. When reposing that night on my pallet of straw,

By the wolf-scaring fagot that guarded the slain,

At the dead of the night a sweet vision I saw,

And thrice ere the morning I dreamt it again.

3. Methought from the battle-field's dreadful array

Far, far I had roamed, on a desolate track:

'Twas autumn,—and sunshine arose on the way

To the home of my fathers, that welcomed me back.

4. I flew to the pleasant fields traversed so oft

In life's morning march, when my bosom was young;

I heard my own mountain-goats bleating aloft,

And knew the sweet strain that the corn-reapers sung.

5. Then pledged we the wine-cup, and fondly I swore

From my home and my weeping friends never to part:

My little ones kissed me a thousand times o'er,

And my wife sobbed aloud in her fulness of heart: —

6. "Stay, stay with us,—rest, thou art weary and worn;"

And fain was their war-broken soldier to stay;

But sorrow returned with the dawning of morn,

And the voice in my dreaming ear melted away.

— CAMPBELL

LORD ULLIN'S DAUGHTER

1. A chieftain to the Highlands bound

Cries, "Boatman, do not tarry,

And I'll give thee a silver pound

To row us o'er the ferry."—

2. "Now, who be ye would cross Lochgyle,

This dark and stormy water?"—

"Oh! I'm the chief of Ulva's isle;

And this, Lord Ullin's daughter:

3. "And fast before her father's men

Three days we've fled together;

For should he find us in the glen,

My blood would stain the heather.

4. "His horsemen hard behind us ride;

Should they our steps discover,

Then who will cheer my bonnie bride

When they have slain her lover?"

5. Out spoke the hardy Highland wight,

"I'll go, my chief—I'm ready!

It is not for your silver bright,

But for your winsome lady!

6. "And, by my word, the bonnie bird

In danger shall not tarry;

So, though the waves are raging white,

I'll row you o'er the ferry."—

7. By this the storm grew loud apace,

The water-wraith was shrieking,

And in the scowl of heaven each face

Grew dark as they were speaking.

8. But still, as wilder blew the wind,

And as the night grew drearer,

Adown the glen rode armèd men!—

Their trampling sounded nearer.

9. "Oh, haste thee, haste!" the lady cries;

"Though tempests round us gather,

I'll meet the raging of the skies,

But not an angry father."—

10. The boat has left a stormy land,

A stormy sea before her,

When—oh! too strong for human hand—

The tempest gathered o'er her!

11. And still they rowed amidst the roar

Of waters fast prevailing:

Lord Ullin reached that fatal shore—

His wrath was changed to wailing.

12. For sore dismayed, through storm and shade,

His child he did discover:

One lovely hand she stretched for aid,

And one was round her lover.

13. "Come back! come back!" he cried in grief,

"Across this stormy water;

And I'll forgive your Highland chief,

My daughter—O my daughter!"

14. 'Twas vain: the loud waves lashed the shore,

Return or aid preventing;

The waters wild went o'er his child,

And he was left lamenting.

—CAMPBELL

THE WIND IN A FROLIG

1. The Wind one morning sprang up from sleep,

Saying, "Now for a frolic! now for a leap!

Now for a mad-cap galloping chase!

I'll make a commotion in every place!"

2. So it swept with a bustle right through a great town,

Cracking the signs and scattering down

Shutters; and whisking, with merciless squalls,

Old women's bonnets and gingerbread stalls.

There never was heard a much lustier shout,

As the apples and oranges trundled about;

And the urchins that stand with their thievish eyes

For ever on watch, ran off each with a prize.

3. Then away to the fields it went, blustering and humming,

And the cattle all wondered what monster was coming.

It plucked by the tails the grave matronly cows,

And tossed the colts' manes all over their brows;

Till, offended at such an unusual salute,

They all turned their backs, and stood sulky and mute.

4. So on it went, capering and playing its pranks,—

Whistling with reeds on the broad river's banks,

Puffing the birds as they sat on the spray,

Or the traveller grave on the king's highway.

It was not too nice to hustle the bags

Of the beggar, and flutter his dirty rags;

'Twas so bold, that it feared not to play its joke

With the doctor's wig or the gentleman's cloak.

Through the forest it roared, and cried gaily, "Now,

You sturdy old oaks, I'll make you bow!"

And it made them bow without more ado,

Or it cracked their great branches through and through.

5. Then it rushed like a monster on cottage and farm,

Striking their dwellers with sudden alarm;

And they ran out like bees in a midsummer swarm:

There were dames with their kerchiefs tied over their caps,

To see if their poultry were free from mishaps;

The turkeys they gobbled, the geese screamed aloud,

And the hens crept to roost in a terrified crowd;

There was rearing of ladders, and logs were laid on,

Where the thatch from the roof threatened soon to be gone.

6. But the Wind had swept on, and had met in a lane

With a school-boy, who panted and struggled in vain;

For it tossed him and twirled him, then passed—and he stood

With his hat in a pool and his shoes in the mud!

7. Then away went the Wind in its holiday glee,

And now it was far on the billowy sea;

And the lordly ships felt its staggering blow,

And the little boats darted to and fro.

8. But, lo! it was night, and it sank to rest

On the sea-birds' rock in the gleaming west,

Laughing to think, in its frolicsome fun,

How little of mischief it really had done.

—WM. HOWITT

CONTENTS

01　THE MILLER'S TENTH (I)

02　THE MILLER'S TENTH (II)

03　THE LADDER OF ST. AUGUSTINE

04　"PAPER, SIR?"

05　CONTENTMENT

06　THE MALLANGONG

07　THE STORY OF CYRUS FIELD (I)

08　THE STORY OF CYRUS FIELD (II)

09　A SEA DREAM

10　BETWEEN SEA AND SKY (I)

11　BETWEEN SEA AND SKY (II)

12　THE KANGAROO

13　LAKE COMO

14　BOOTS AND SHOES

15　FOLLOWING A STAR

16　WHY "PAT" WORE THE V.C.

17　STRANGE SAVINGS-BANKS (I)

18　STRANGE SAVINGS-BANKS (II)

19　THE LAST TREE OF THE FOREST

20　A SWIM FOR LIFE

21　COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD

22　THE BATTLE OF MORGARTEN

23　A SWISS VILLAGE

24　ULRICA: A TALE OF NOVA SCOTIA (I)

25　ULRICA: A TALE OF NOVA SCOTIA (II)

26　GRAND PRÉ

27　THE FUGITIVES OF FRENCH CROSS

28　THE BLOW-PIPE

29　THE VENETIAN GONDOLA

30　VENICE

31　A STORY OF TWO ARTISTS

32　GOOD FOR EVIL

33　CARNIVOROUS PLANTS (I)

34　CARNIVOROUS PLANTS (II)

35　FISHING SONGS

36　SUMMER AND WINTER IN SWEDEN

37　SIR HENRY BESSEMER

38　A DAY IN THE DESERT

39　RAVEN'S CRAG

40　ENGLAND'S DEAD

41　A CLIMB UP MOUNT VESUVIUS

42　A CITY OF THE DEAD

43　ROME AND THE ROMANS

44　THE ROMANS AT TABLE

45　THE FISHERMEN

46　HUNTING THE SEA-OTTER

47　A SEAL-SKIN COAT

48　SELF-DEFENCE

49　THE HOLLY TREE

50　THE "SPECIAL."

51　DOWN THE MOSELLE

52　THE LAST FRENCH LESSON

53　BINGEN ON THE RHINE

54　KINDNESS TO ANIMALS

55　THE HORSE

56　HASSAN'S DREAM

57　THE BLOOD

58　THE HEART AND ITS WORK (I)

59　THE HEART AND ITS WORK (II)

60　THE LUNGS AND THEIR WORK

61　POETRY

返回总目录

01

THE MILLER'S TENTH

I

1. A young miller had just begun business in the old mill where his father had worked for many years. The farmers who lived near brought their grain there to be ground into flour, and gave the miller one-tenth of the grain as payment for his work. He was thus able to make enough to live comfortably, but, like many young men, he was eager to become rich.

2. Among his customers was a rich old farmer, who brought a load of grain to the mill every fortnight. One day when this farmer had left his load at the mill and gone away, the thought came into the miller's head, "If I take a little more than a tenth, this rich man will never miss it. I know that other people do such things, and why should not I?"

3. He accordingly took a little more than a tenth, and put the extra grain into an empty barrel of his own. His conscience(1) was not at ease, for he knew that he had done wrong; and yet he could not make up his mind to put the grain back again. Then another thought struck him. He saw a bag of grain standing near which belonged to a poor widow, and he said to himself, "I shall take less than my tenth from this poor widow(2), and that will make it all right. One should be kind to the poor."

4. The next time the farmer's corn came to the mill, the miller again took more than his tenth. The same thing happened again and again, but he did not always remember to give anything away to the poor widow. And while his stock of stolen grain was steadily increasing, his peace of mind(3) was as surely diminishing(4).

5. He went to church as usual every Sunday, but he was always uneasy when he heard the words, "Thou shalt not steal." He spent a good deal of his spare time over his weekly newspaper, while the water-wheel went steadily round and the mill-stones kept on grinding. But now he began to avoid looking at any reports of men being punished for dishonesty. When he passed the prison, he found himself looking up at the windows, and wondering what the men in there were doing, and what the crime was for which they had been sent there.

6. At last the load on his mind became more than he could bear. He dared not go to the farmer and make a full confession(5), and yet he could not bear to keep the grain which he had taken dishonestly. What should he do with it? Then a plan came into his head which seemed to promise an escape from his misery.

7. The farmer still came to the mill every second week with his grain; which showed that he had not yet suspected anything. The miller made up his mind that he would take less than his tenth out of the next grinding. He would have liked to take none at all, but he feared that the farmer might notice a difference if the flour he returned was of much more than the usual weight.

8. The miller therefore proposed to go on taking less and less grain out of the farmer's load each time, until the whole of his dishonest gains had been restored(6). By this means he hoped to return to the farmer what he owed him, without confessing his dishonesty. So, with a lighter heart, he got down his account-books and reckoned up to the very last pound how much grain he owed the farmer.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write out the nouns in the lesson ending in -er, and give their meanings so as to show the force of the termination.

2. Give the meanings of the compound words fortnight, Sunday, newspaper, water-wheel, mill-stone, and of their parts.

3. Write out a few verbs like grind, ground, which change the stem-vowel i into ou in the past.

————————————————————

(1) His conscience, the power by which he knew right from wrong.

(2) Widow, a married woman whose husband is dead.

(3) Peace of mind, happiness.

(4) Diminishing, becoming less.

(5) Confession, telling of his wrong doing.

(6) Restored, given back.

02

THE MILLER'S TENTH

II

1. Now, unhappy as the miller had been during all this time, he would have been far more so had he known what had been going on at the farm. The farmer's wife was a very careful and clever house-wife, as all farmers' wives should be, and she noticed that on several occasions the quantity of flour which came back from the mill seemed less than it used to be.

2. At last she mentioned her suspicions to her husband, but he laughed at them.

"No, no," he said; "the miller is an honest man. I know him, and I knew his father before him. There is nothing wrong with the flour."

"Well," she replied, "if he is honest, so much the better; but there can be no harm in weighing the grain we send him, and weighing the flour when it comes back."

3. The farmer laughed still, but he made no objection to this being done. When the flour came back from the mill, it was weighed, and to the good woman's great surprise it came out rather more than it should have been instead of less. The farmer laughed more than ever, rubbed his hands in glee, and said, "I told you so." But his wife still shook her head, as if not quite convinced(1), and said, "Wait till next time."

4. The miller, in the meantime, was happy in the belief that the farmer had noticed nothing unusual in the quantity of flour, so next time he took out no grain at all for himself. When the flour was taken home, the weight showed that something must be wrong, and both the farmer and his wife were puzzled to know what it could be.

5. That evening, as they sat by the fire in their old-fashioned, comfortable kitchen, the farmer said to his wife, "I have been thinking about the weight of this flour, wife. There must be something wrong with the miller's weights. We do not want him to cheat himself as he is doing. I must go over to the mill tomorrow and see him about it."

"That is just what I should like you to do," said his wife. "I am sure the flour was short of weight more than once, and we both know that it has been over weight twice. I cannot understand it, and it worries me."

6. Next morning the farmer rode over to the mill, and a great dread of evil(2) fell upon the miller when he saw him coming. At last his sin had found him out, and his attempt to put things right again had come too late. When the farmer dismounted(3), the miller was hardly able to reply to his hearty greeting.

7. "I suppose you cannot guess what I have come over to see you about," said the farmer.

The miller made no reply, but his guilty conscience left him little room for doubt on that point.

"Did you weigh our last grinding?" asked the farmer.

"Yes," answered the miller, in a low tone.

"Well, did you not know that it was over weight? You surely do not think that I want you to grind my corn for nothing!"

The miller's face grew scarlet, and the farmer began to see from his manner that he was in trouble. "Come," he said kindly, "I Was your father's friend; tell me all about it."

8. Then the miller went on to tell, in a broken voice, how he had been tempted to dishonesty, how miserable it had made him, and how he had tried to do what was right. "I would give all I have," he said, "to feel myself an honest man again. These bags here contain all that I have taken from you, and I shall never be happy till it is restored to you."

9. "My dear young friend," said the farmer, drawing his sleeve across his eyes, "I do not care about the grain; but since it is mine, you will feel happier if I take it. You have learned a hard lesson, which you will never forget. 'The way of transgressors(4) is hard,' you know. But now that is over and done with. I shall never fear to trust you after this. And no one need ever know of this business except the good wife, and she is one that can keep a secret."

10. So the grain was made into flour and sent back to the real owner, and the miller began to hold up his head like an honest man once more. He was no longer interested in the prison when he passed it; he could read his newspaper without skipping any part of it, or blushing(5) as he read; and at church on Sundays the eighth commandment seemed no more dreadful than the others.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing object′, ob′ject, objection, objector.

2. Write the latter part of section 5, putting it in the third per-son "His wife said that that was just what she wanted," etc.

3. Make abstract nouns from restore, tempt, transgress, honest, hearty.

————————————————————

(1) Convinced, satisfied in her mind.

(2) Dread of evil, fear of something going to happen.

(3) Dismounted, came off his horse.

(4) Transgressors, evil-doers; those who do wrong.

(5) Blushing, becoming red from shame, etc.

03

THE LADDER OF ST. AUGUSTINE

1. St. Augustine! well hast thou said,

That of our vices(1) we can frame

A ladder, if we will but tread(2)

Beneath our feet each deed of shame.

2. All common things—each day's events,

That with the hour begin and end;

Our pleasures and our discontents—

Are rounds by which we may ascend.

3. All thoughts of ill—all evil deeds,

That have their roots in thoughts of ill;

Whatever hinders or impedes(3)

The action of the nobler will,—

4. All these must first be trampled down

Beneath our feet, if we would gain

In the bright field of fair renown(4)

The right of eminent domain(5)!

5. We have not wings, we cannot soar,

But we have feet to scale and climb

By slow degrees—by more and more—

The cloudy summits of our time.

6. The mighty pyramids(6) of stone

That wedge-like cleave(7) the desert airs,

When nearer seen and better known,

Are but gigantic(8) flights of stairs.

7. The distant mountains that uprear

Their frowning foreheads to the skies,

Are crossed by pathways that appear

As we to higher levels rise.

8. The heights by great men reached and kept,

Were not attained(9) by sudden flight;

But they, while their companions slept,

Were toiling upward in the night.

9. Standing on what too long we bore

With shoulders bent and downcast eyes,

We may discern(10), unseen before,

A path to higher destinies(11).

10. Nor deem the irrevocable(12) past

As wholly wasted, wholly vain,

If rising on its wrecks at last

To something nobler we attain.

— LONGFELLOW(13)

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Vices, errors; evil habits.

(2) Tread, trample upon.

(3) Impedes, stands in the way of.

(4) Renown, fame.

(5) Eminent domain, supreme possession.

(6) Pyramids, very ancient Egyptian buildings with a square base, and tapering to a point.

(7) Cleave, divide.

(8) Gigantic, immense; very high.

(9) Attained, reached; gained.

(10) Discern, see plainly.

(11) Destinies, fortunes; what is appointed or destined for one.

(12) Irrevocable, that can never be recalled.

(13) Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth (1807-1882), American poet.

04

"PAPER, SIR?"

1. I had taken my seat in the most comfortable corner of a railway carriage, when a newsboy appeared at the window with his usual cry of, "Paper, sir?" I handed him a penny, and got in return a copy of the morning paper which I usually read.

2. It was the time of a General Election(1), and all over the kingdom men were making speeches day after day about the government of the country. The papers were full of these speeches, and of the news of the elections that had already taken place. They were more than full, indeed; for I saw that the paper which I had bought contained four extra pages that morning.

3. This led me to consider how much I had got for my penny. Two sheets of eight pages each, and eight columns in each page—one hundred and twenty-eight columns! If printed in book form, each column would make about six pages; so I had got for my penny a book of seven hundred pages! The paper was good, too, though much cheaper than the paper we get in books. I suppose I could not have bought so much blank paper at any shop for a halfpenny, perhaps even for a penny. All the printing, then, had only cost me about a halfpenny, perhaps much less.

4. How, then, was it possible for my paper to be sold for a penny? The secret is this: it is not those who buy the paper but those who advertise in it that make it pay. I found six full pages—forty-eight columns full of advertisements and notices of all sorts; and for printing every one of these notices the newspaper had charged from sixpence up to a good many shillings or pounds, according to the space it occupied.

5. I glanced at the summary(2) of the news given in one column of the paper, and in ten minutes I knew all the most important events that had happened during the previous day, not only in my own country, but all over the world, —in Europe, America, India, China, and even far-off Australia.

6. It seems as if we were in fairyland, and had the power of flying in a moment to any part of the earth by merely wishing to be there. By means of our newspaper, we can take a peep into any of the score of meetings held last night, and hear what was said there; or we may witness a fierce battle in South Africa, or listen to the gossip(3) about great men in the streets and cafés(4) of Paris.

7. How many weeks and months of travel by land and sea our ancestors(5) would have needed to learn as much as we do from our daily paper! By it we can see more of the world in half-an-hour than they could in half a life-time. How does this happen? What has caused the change? Chiefly two things—the printing-press and the telegraph(6).

8. Here I was reminded that I had taken no ac- count of what must cost a great deal of money—the gathering together of all the news my paper contained. In every large town, both in England and in other countries, there are men who telegraph to London every day the news of what is going on.

9. Evening is a busy time in the office of a morning paper. Telegrams are pouring in from all over the world; reporters(7) are busy writing(8) out their short-hand(9) notes of speeches at public meetings; the editors are writing "leaders," or articles discussing the great events of the day. All this has to be set up in type, letter by letter and word by word, by men called compositors. Did you ever think that every letter in your newspaper has been lifted up singly and put into its place?

10. After the letters are all set up in this way, a cast is taken from the page of type in a soft material, and bent round like a drum. When dry this becomes quite hard, and it is used as a mould into which melted metal is poured. When the metal hardens, it is exactly like the page of type, but all in one piece, so that letters cannot slip out of their places, and it is round like a drum instead of flat. These drums of metal are put into the printing-machine, ready to print the white paper.

11. If you saw a printing-machine at work, like the one in the picture, you could hardly tell how it acts, so rapidly does everything move. At one end is a huge roll of paper, all in one long web, like a broad white ribbon. As the paper passes between the rollers, it is printed on both sides. At the other end of the machine it comes out in the form of complete news-papers, each cut off and folded up, ready for my friend the newsboy. Some machines can print as many as twenty thousand papers in an hour.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing telegraph as noun, verb, and adjective.

2. Give a list of words formed from comfort, with meanings.

3. Give a list of words with the prefix re- (like reminded), with their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) General Election, choosing Members to make up a new Parliament.

(2) Summary, short accounts of the chief news of the day.

(3) Gossip, idle talk.

(4) Cafés, coffee-houses; eating-houses.

(5) Ancestors, forefathers.

(6) Telegraph, wires along which messages are sent by means of electricity.

(7) Reporters, men who write reports of matters of interest for a newspaper.

(8) Writing out, copying into ordinary writing.

(9) Shorthand, a system of signs which can be written more quickly than ordinary writing.

05

CONTENTMENT

1. A king, who was weary of the cares of his high office, determined to seek among his subjects for a man who was perfectly contented. His desire was to change places with that man, for he cared more for peace of mind than for royal dignity and honour. So he disguised himself(1), and set out on his search.

2. First he entered the house of a rich merchant, who had made his fortune in trade, and had now retired to enjoy a life of ease. The king soon discovered that the merchant found this life wearisome and tedious(2).

"I wish I were again enjoying an active life, like my neighbour over the way," said he. "I should be quite contented to work as hard as I used to do."

3. The king next entered the house of the "neighbour over the way," whom the retired merchant envied. "Contented!" he exclaimed, in answer to a question of the king; "why, I am leading the life of a slave! I wish I could afford to retire from business, like my rich neighbour there. He has nothing to do but to drive about in his carriage and enjoy himself."

CONTENTMENT

4. Thinking that he might succeed better in his search if he tried some other sphere(3) of life, the king next went to the house of a man whom he had lately appointed to an important office under the government.

But as he entered, he overheard this man speaking thus to himself, "Why did I ever think of accepting this position? I am envied by those who are under me, and despised(4) by those who are above me. I should have been much better as head of a business of my own, like my well-to-do friends round the corner of the street."

5. Sadly the king turned away from this house. "Contentment must be found somewhere else," he said, "in a position where men are above want, and yet free from the worries of ambition(5);" and he turned aside into a back street and entered the shop of a carpenter. He entered into conversation with the man, and said, "A life of honest independence such as yours, my friend, must indeed be a life of contentment."

6. "Who could be contented to work as a carpenter?" exclaimed the man. "If you are thinking of going into this business, let me warn you against it. I wish I had been anything else. I cannot see why some people have so much easier a life than others. There are two men for whom I work in the next street; they have made large fortunes since I came to this wretched(6) little shop. And then there is one of the king's officers for whom I do a little work sometimes; he has plenty of money, and servants to wait on him. And as for the king himself, what has he to do but to enjoy himself? Why cannot we poor working-men be as happy as they are?"

7. The king turned away in silence, and left the city. Dressed as a traveller, he stopped at a labourer's cottage at the side of a country road, and was invited by its owner to step in and rest. After he had partaken of the homely food that was offered him, he sat down beside the labourer on a bench near the door.

8. "I am afraid you must be very badly off, my friend," said the king.

"Badly off? not at all," said the labourer, with a smile. "I am always sure of plenty of work here, and I am well paid for it as things go. Then my garden takes up any spare time that I have, and you never saw such crops of potatoes as it gives me. Badly off! Nay, so long as I can work I shall never grumble."

9."Are you quite contented with your lot(7), then?" asked the king. "Have you no troubles at all?"

"Oh, as to that, every one has his own troubles, and I have mine. There is the rheumatism(8) in my arm, which keeps me awake all night sometimes, and will not let me work for days together. And then my landlord is not always so kind or even so just as he might be."

10. "Why, is not this cottage your own?" The labourer laughed. "Oh no; I am not so rich as all that. But what I say is this, that though I have my own share of troubles, yet there is more good in my lot than in that of most people. I am quite satisfied with what I have; and even my troubles will no doubt help to make me more like what I ought to be."

11. The king took leave of his humble friend, and searched no further. "I have found," said he to himself, "a man who is perfectly contented; and I have learned that I need not change places with him in order to be contented myself. The secret of contentment is this—to accept the evil along with the good; and instead of throwing off burdens, to try to bear them, so that they shall lead to a greater happiness."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the meanings of these words so as to show their relation to one another—contain, con′-tents, contented, contentment, discontent.

2. Contrast with the above the words contend, contention, contentious.

3. Give a list of words in -age (like carriage), with meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Disguised himself, made himself look different by changing his dress or appearance.

(2) Tedious, tiresome.

(3) Sphere, position.

(4) Despised, looked down on; thought little of.

(5) Ambition, desire for honour or high place.

(6) Wretched, small; mean-looking.

(7) Lot, position in life; what is allotted to one.

(8) Rheumatism, a severe pain in the muscles and joints.

06

THE MALLANGONG

1. One day an English trader in Australia, who was interested in natural history(1), was standing on the bank of a pond, when suddenly a strange animal rose to the surface of the water and swam noiselessly about. The creature had soft, thick fur. It had four feet, which appeared somewhat like those of a mole, but were webbed. Stranger still, the small, pointed head ended in a large, flat, duck's bill.

2. The animal sank noiselessly out of sight as the trader gazed at it, and he then realized(2) that he was the first white man who had seen the curious animal which he had heard of as the mallangong, about which he had been told many strange tales by the natives. He at once made up his mind that he must catch this animal and examine it more closely.

3. For this purpose he had first to find a regular(3) mallangong-hunter, for he knew that the creature was very wary(4) and difficult to find. An old native was brought to him, who said that he knew how to find the creature, and a hunting party at once started under his direction. The old hunter had a long, tough, slender stick, pointed at one end. Two or three of the party were given pickaxes and shovels; and thus equipped(5), they set out for the banks of the pond.

4. As he advanced slowly, the old man frequently thrust his rod into the ground and twisted it about—the white men looking on as if they thought this a very dull kind of hunting.

"I have found him!" cried the old man suddenly, as he thrust his rod into the ground once more. "Dig! dig!"

The shovels soon laid bare a little tunnel, which was carefully opened up by the men. It was long and winding; but at last a small round chamber was found, and the guide picked up from it what seemed. a ball of fur. "Mallangong!" he said.

5. The trader carried home his prize, and soon it became lively and friendly. It took the food that was offered, and showed no fear of man; it came to its master when called, and would climb on his shoulder when he was seated.

6. It was found to have its nostrils at the end of its bill, and small, shining, bead-like eyes. Its ears were merely holes hidden among its fur. Its hind feet had palms like those of a mole, webs like those of a duck, and spurs behind like those of a game-cock. It had cheek-pouches, like those of a squirrel, for carrying its food in. It would move about the room during the night, while during the day it would lie asleep in the sunshine, or hidden in a heap of shavings.

7. This animal, which is called by scientific people(6) along name which means "the bird-nosed puzzle," is about twenty inches in length. Its bill is covered with tough skin, which forms a kind of frill or ruffle where it joins the head. Its fur is soft and thick, dark brown above, and paler on the under side of the body.

8. The mallangong is never found far from the water. Its tunnel and round nest are made in the banks of a pond or river. The animal feeds on the small worms and insects which it finds in the mud, and it stores them in its cheek-pouches until it has time to chew them carefully with its hard gums, for it has no teeth.

9. The natives declared that this animal laid eggs like a bird. But then it was a mammal(7), for it fed its young ones with milk; and no mammal had ever been known to lay eggs. It was found, however, that the mother lays two eggs, with strong, tough shells, and from these the young ones are hatched. They are then very small; but they grow rapidly, and soon learn to eat insect food. There are, therefore, a good many reasons for calling this strange creature a "bird-nosed puzzle."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Distinguish the meanings of the words trader, tradesman, trading, and trade.

2. Make sentences containing the words wary, aware, and beware.

3. Rewrite the last five lines of section 2 in the first person— "The trader said to himself, 'I am the first white man,'" etc.

————————————————————

(1) Natural history, the study of animals.

(2) Realized, knew it to be true.

(3) Regular, accustomed; practised.

(4) Wary, watchful; always on the look-out for danger.

(5) Equipped, fitted out; furnished with everything needful.

(6) Scientific people, people having an exact knowledge of a subject.

(7) Mammal, an animal that suckles its young.

07

THE STORY OF CYRUS FIELD

I

1. Cyrus Field was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts(1), in the year 1819. His father was the pastor of a church there; and in his pleasant home amongst the hills the boy spent a happy childhood. After he left the village school, he was sent to be trained in business under a merchant in New York(2).

2. He was fortunate in the master under whom he was trained, and he gained a thorough knowledge of business, besides learning the value of industry and faithfulness in all work. His energy was so remarkable, that before he was twenty-one he went into business for himself, and within twelve years he made a fortune, and decided to retire from business.

3. He spent the first year of leisure in travel; but he very soon felt the need of more definite(3) work in his life, and began to look about for some enterprise(4) to which he might devote his energy. At this time he met gentleman who had been engaged in an attempt to lay a telegraph cable(5) across the Gulf of St. Lawrence(6) to Newfound-land(7). The attempt had failed; but the eagerness(8) of the unsuccessful engineer interested Mr. Field, and while thinking on the matter, the idea flashed upon him, "Why not carry a cable across the Atlantic?" Thus he was led to enter upon his life-work.

TELEGRAPH CABLE.

4. He knew that such a plan would seem foolish to many people, and therefore he made many preparations before he spoke of it in public. Two difficulties met him at once. The first was the difficulty of making a cable 2,000 miles in length strong enough and yet not too heavy; the second, the fear that the electric current(9) might not be able to travel so far under water. Experiments were made, and he was certain that these two difficulties could be overcome.

5. The next question was, How deep was the ocean at the place where the cable must lie? Careful soundings were taken, and it was found that at the bottom of the sea between Newfoundland and Ireland there stretched a great plateau—now called Telegraph Plateau—on which the cable might be laid at a depth of from 1,500 to 2,000 fathoms; that is, from 9,000 to 12,000 feet.

6. After these experiments had been made, Mr. Field and some of his friends formed a small company to try to carry out the plan. The money required was got from England and America, and each country supplied a vessel. In 1857, half the cable was stowed in the English Agamemnon, half in the American Niagara, and these ships set forth on their great enterprise.

7. Three hundred miles of the line had been laid, when it broke, and the vessels were forced to return. In the following year a second attempt was made, on a different plan. Instead of starting from the Irish coast, the vessels sailed half-way over the sea; there they joined the two halves of the cable and separated, each sailing homewards. Only 100 miles were laid when the cable again broke. Several times the trial was repeated without success, and at last there came a great storm in which the Agamemnon was almost lost.

8. After this disappointment, most of those who had provided the money said that it was useless to try again. But the difficulty of the work had not discouraged Cyrus Field; he roused new hopes in the hearts of the others, and it was decided to make one more attempt.

9. The two vessels again set off, and on the 5th of August 1858 it was flashed across the ocean that the cable was laid. The first greeting that passed along the line was, "Peace on earth, good will toward men." Then gradually the current failed, the messages grew fainter, and at last ceased entirely.

10. For some years no more could be done, as America was distracted(10) by civil war(11). Meantime, the science of electricity made progress; and when Cyrus Field and his friends were ready to begin work again, it was found that they could have the steamship Great Eastern to carry the new cable in one piece. This was a great advantage, for the joining of the wire in mid-ocean had always been a matter of great difficulty. So this huge vessel, which had proved useless for ordinary purposes, found her proper work at last.

11. In July 1865, she set sail with her precious cargo. Twelve hundred miles had been crossed, and the hopes of all were high, when a sudden lurch of the vessel snapped the cable, and it disappeared in water two miles deep. Great grappling-irons(12) were let down. and thrice they laid hold of the cable; but each time the chains proved too weak to drag it to the surface from such an immense depth. A month was spent in these attempts; then the discouraged band were forced to return to England and report another failure.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write a list of nouns ending in the termination -hood (like childhood), and give their meanings.

2. Give a list of words with the prefix over- (as overcome), and give their meanings.

3. Give a few words ending in -eer, -er, and -or, meaning the agent or doer of a thing.

————————————————————

(1) Massachusetts, one of the United States of North America.

(2) New York, the largest city in the United States.

(3) Definite, settled.

(4) Enterprise, undertaking.

(5) Cable, rope of copper wire covered with gutta-percha, strengthened and protected by iron or steel wires on the outside.

(6) Gulf of St. Lawrence, a large gulf on the east of Canada.

(7) Newfoundland, a large island off the east coast of Canada.

(8) Engineer, one who plans roads, bridges, etc.

(9) Electric current, the passage of electricity along a wire.

(10) Distracted, put in confusion.

(11) Civil war, war between different parties of the same country.

(12) Grappling-irons, an instrument having many iron hooks to catch hold with.

08

THE STORY OF CYRUS FIELD

II

1. Mr. Field had now gained the confidence of friends who were willing to persevere as long as he would. The next spring, another cable, more perfect than any that had yet been made, was stowed in the Great Eastern,(1) and she once more sailed westward.

2. For fourteen days she steamed on, laying down mile after mile of the electric wire. All on board watched as eagerly as did Columbus(2) for the signs of the New World(3); and they did not watch in vain, for on the 27th of July 1866, the anchor was cast in the little harbour of Heart's Content in Newfoundland. Since then there has not been a single day without telegrams passing between the Old World and the New.

3. As soon as the shore end had been made fast, Mr. Field and the officers went in a body to a little church, and offered thanks to God for the success granted them. Then without delay they set off again to find the cable which had been lost the year before.

4. Several times it was caught and brought up within sight of the watchers; once it was alongside of the vessel, but broke away before it could be made fast. By unwearied effort it was at last secured, and spliced(4) to the half which had lain for a year in the hold(5) of the Great Eastern. This cable was then successfully laid to Heart's Content.

5. Thus not one but two cables, wore laid across the Atlantic Ocean in one year. But even two cables proved insufficient for the needs of the countries on either side of the Atlantic. There are now four laid from Valentia(6) to Newfoundland, and one from Valentia to Nova Scotia(7); two from the south of England, to St. Pierre(8) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and to Panama(9) respectively; one from Lisbon(10) to Pernambuco(11) in South America, connected with one to London from Lisbon; and one from Brest(12) to St. Pierre.

6. In writing of his work, Mr. Field says: "In looking back over these eventful years, I wonder how we had courage to carry it through in the face of so many defeats, and of almost universal(13) unbelief. A hundred times I reproached(14) myself for persisting in what seemed beyond the power of man. And again there came a feeling that having begun I could not turn back; at any cost, I must see the work through. At last God gave us the victory. And now, as we see its results, all who had a part in it must feel rewarded for all their labours and their sacrifices(15). "

7. "Peal the clanging bell,

Thunder the brazen(16) gun,

Over the earth in triumph swell

The notes of a victory won:

Not over field, and ditch, and corse;

Not by musketry(17), cannon, and horse;

Not by skirmish(18) and battle fell;

Not by the whiz of shot and shell,—

But men of will and thought,

Men of muscle and brain,

Have planned, and toiled, and suffered, and fought,

And conquered the raging main.

8. "Far from an Eastern shore,

By the second ark is brought,

Spanning the dusky darkness o'er,

A line of glowing thought—

Dashing through ripples, and torrents, and waves,

Courting the gloom of mariners' graves,

Hastily threading the ocean isles,

And bringing to naught three thousand miles.

For men of will and thought,

Men of muscle and brain,

Have planned, and toiled, and suffered, and fought,

And conquered the raging main."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words confide, confident, confidence, confidential.

2. Rewrite in the third person the first eight lines of section 6— "Mr. Field says that he wonders," etc.

3. Give a list of adjectives in -en, meaning made of (like brazen).

————————————————————

(1) The "Great Eastern," the name of the largest ship ever built.

(2) Columbus (1445-1506), the discoverer of America.

(3) The New World, America.

(4) Spliced, joined by working each broken end into the other.

(5) Hold, the hollow or lower part of a ship where goods are put.

(6) Valentia, an island off the west coast of Ireland.

(7) Nova Scotia, a peninsula on the east coast of Canada.

(8) St. Pierre, a small island belonging to France.

(9) Panama, an isthmus joining North and South America.

(10) Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, in the south-west of Europe.

(11) Pernambuco, a town of Brazil South America.

(12) Brest, a town on the north-west coast of France.

(13) Universal, general; world-wide.

(14) Reproached, found fault with.

(15) Sacrifice, self-denial.

(16) Brazen, made of brass.

(17) Musketry, muskets or rifles.

(18) Skirmish, a slight battle between small parties.

09

A SEA DREAM

1. We sailed all night on a sapphire(1) sea,

Under the crystal moon,

Over the waves as they danced in glee,

And sang to the sea-wind's tune;

Away, when the town was sound asleep

And the land was lulled to rest,

Where the silvery spears(2) of the stars sink deep

Down into the ocean's breast.

2. And far as we sailed, a line of light

Led from the shadowy shore,

In links of phosphorus(3) falling bright

From the blade of the guiding oar.

And on to the silvery smile that played

On the lips of the slumbering sea,

The moonbeams an angel pathway made

Like the spray on the hawthorn tree.

3. Round and round did the wavelets croon(4)

In the deep delight of dream,

And the wind sang songs of the seas that swoon

In the summer sun's sultry(5) beam.

It sang of the morning and rosy dawn,

And the wakening smile of love,

When the curtains of dreamland and night are drawn,

And the sun rises radiant(6) above.

4. All night long we sailed and sailed

Over the slumbering sea,

Till the eastern sky into amethyst(7) paled,

And the gulls screamed loud in their glee.

Such songs and such scenes no poet hath sung,

Nor pictured with passionate(8) pen;

But when in the heavens God's star-lamps are hung,

We'll hear them and see them again.

—GABRIEL SETOUN

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Sapphire, bright blue.

(2) Silvery spears, etc., rays of light coming from the stars.

(3) Phosphorus, a light given out by small sea animals like the faint blue light of phosphorus.

(4) Croon, sing softly; hum.

(5) Sultry, very hot.

(6) Radiant, beaming with light.

(7) Amethyst, violet blue.

(8) Passionate, fervent; showing strong feelings.

10

BETWEEN SEA AND SKY

I

1. "Pshaw! are those the cliffs? Why, they are not so very high. I have seen uglier-looking rocks than those before."

The speaker stood up in the bow of the little boat, and shaded his eyes with his hand as he gazed at the wall of rock rising four hundred feet above the restless sea. It was thirty years or more ago, and the island of Anglesey had not then become the favourite summer resort that it is now.

2. A few wealthy Englishmen, however, had even then discovered the beauties of the island, and the charm of its healthy, clear atmosphere. But such visitors were still too few in number to have any effect on the simple life of the people, who still gained their living by farming, fishing, or samphire-gathering; sometimes by all three together.

3. Samphire is a plant of the Carrot family, and is much valued as a salad(1), or for pickling. It is found growing in crevices(2) of the cliffs on many parts of the coast of England. The gathering of this plant is a very dangerous trade, as the samphire-gatherer swings himself down the face of the high cliffs, with but a slender rope to support him, while the cruel sea rolls far below.

4. Harold Fitzmaurice, the son of a rich Englishman, was staying at Beaumaris with his aunt. He was still a school-boy, though a fine, big, athletic(3) fellow for his age. He had made the acquaintance of an old fisherman and his son; and when he found that they often went to gather samphire, he was very anxious to go with them on one of their expeditions(4) to the cliffs.

5. His wish was quickly granted, for the old man was now too old to descend the cliffs himself, and on account of the rheumatism in his arms, he was often unable to manage the rope, and had to get some one to help him. The offer of the services of such a strong-looking young fellow as Harold was eagerly accepted by the old man, whose rheumatism was worse that day than usual.

6. The heavy, round-bowed boat, pulled by the fisherman's son, soon reached the foot of the cliffs. They disembarked(5) at a place where there was a steep path leading up the rocky height, and made fast the boat to a projecting(6) piece of rock.

7. "They are not very high," said Harold, looking up at the crags and repeating his former remark. "I thought gathering samphire was considered a terribly dangerous occupation. Why, I would not mind swinging down one of these cliff s myself."

"It is all very well for you to say that, young master," said the young fisherman. "Those who know nothing fear nothing." Harold gave a careless shrug of his shoulders, but made no reply.

8. Carrying the long rope looped over his shoulder, the younger man led the way to the wind-swept summit of the cliff, while his father and the young Englishman followed him up the path. Then fastening the rope about his waist, he swung himself clear of the edge, and was slowly lowered by the strong arms of Harold and the feeble ones of his father.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words which have somewhat the same meaning as cliff.

2. Write a list of the words made from favour, with different terminations, and give their meanings.

3. Rewrite in the third person what was said by Harold in section 7— "Harold said that the cliffs," etc.

————————————————————

(1) Salad, herbs, such as samphire, lettuce, etc., eaten raw with salt, vinegar, oil, etc.

(2) Crevices, nooks; small openings in the rocks.

(3) Athletic, robust; well adapted to all physical exercise.

(4) Expeditions, outings; journeys.

(5) Disembarked, landed from the boat.

(6) Projecting, jutting out.

11

BETWEEN SEA AND SKY

II

1. At length the young man reached a crevice where a bunch of samphire grew. Finding a foot-hold on the rock, he gathered the plant, untied the rope from about his waist, and fastening the samphire to it, gave the signal to pull up. Then he waited until the rope again descended within his reach. When he had gathered all that was to be found at that spot, he was at last drawn up himself, carrying a great bunch of the plant under his arm.

2. "Perhaps you would like to try it now, young master," he said to Harold with a slight sneer(1), wiping the blood from a long scratch on his wrist.

"I will try it," Harold replied; and greatly to the other's surprise he began to tie the rope round his body.

3. The old man tried to dissuade him(2); but Harold was determined, and with much grumbling on the part of the fisherman, he let himself down over the brink of the cliff. Slowly and steadily, inch by inch, the rope was paid out by the old man and his son, who felt not a little uneasy at the risk they were allowing the young stranger to run.

4. A hundred feet down the rock he found some samphire at a spot where he could secure a good footing. With great care he unfastened the rope from his waist, and gathering all that he could reach, he sent it up to the summit of the cliff. When the rope came down again, he swung himself still further down the cliff. This time he did not take the trouble to tie the rope round him, but trusted to his strong arms.

5. Down, down he went, until he caught sight of a recess(3) in the face of the cliff, which was hidden from those above by an overhanging rock. Here, on a broad ledge, grew a great quantity of samphire, and this Harold made up his mind he would gather. But it was not an easy thing to do, for he was hanging in the air fully eight feet away from the ledge.

6. He began to swing himself backwards and forwards, gently at first, then a little more strongly, coming nearer and nearer the rock at each swing. Another swing, and his toes touched the rock; yet another, then a jump, and he found himself safely landed on the ledge. The samphire was soon gathered, and Harold turned to seize the rope again. A frightened cry burst from his lips. The rope swung gently in the breeze before him, but the overhanging rock above kept it far out beyond his reach. He was imprisoned between sea and sky!

7. His first thought was to leap out towards the rope, but the risk was too great. If he missed it, or allowed it to slip through his hands, nothing could save him from a terrible death on the rocks below. He had therefore to think of some other way of reaching it.

8. At last he hit on a good plan. Drawing his watch from his pocket, he let it swing from his hand by its strong ribbon. No; the ribbon was not long enough. He then tore up his strong silk handkerchief, and tying the strips together, he fastened to the watch ribbon one end of this silken line.

9. Swinging the watch about his head, he threw it. towards the rope. It just touched, and then swung back, striking a sharp blow upon the rock.

"Ah! that's bad for the watch," exclaimed Harold, noticing the dent(4) made in one side of it.

He cast it once more toward the rope, with no better result. Time after time the throw was repeated, till at length the watch and a portion of the ribbon caught against the rope, and were wound tightly around it. Harold drew it carefully toward him. Breathlessly he stretched out his hand and clutched(5) the precious rope. He was safe!

10. With trembling hands he fastened it securely about his waist, and seizing the bunch of samphire which he had gathered, gave the signal to be drawn up. A few moments later, he stood upon the summit of the cliff."

Will you try it again, young master?" asked the young fisherman."

No, sir! There is not enough money in the Bank of England to tempt me," replied Harold emphatically(6).

11. He kept his adventure secret from the old man and his son, but he told it afterwards to his father; and even to this day Captain Harold Fitzmaurice carries a gold watch that bears upon its case several very ugly-looking dents, the cause of which he has frequently to explain.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words formed from descend, with their meanings.

2. Give the meanings of dissuade, persuade, persuasion, and persuasive.

3. Write sentences containing the words terror, terrible, terrify, terrific.

————————————————————

(1) Sneer, a look of contempt or disdain.

(2) Dissuade him, turn his mind from it (opposite of persuade).

(3) Recess, nook; opening.

(4) Dent, mark or hollow made by a blow.

(5) Clutched, seized hold of.

(6) Emphatically, firmly; with emphasis.

12

THE KANGAROO

1. A hundred years ago the kangaroo was unknown in this country, and if any one had given a description of the animal, it would likely have been laughed at, as are the descriptions of the great sea-serpent which we sometimes read at the present day. But Australia is the land of animal-puzzles, and today no one thinks it strange that we should find there a quadruped(1) that does not walk on four legs.

2. The kangaroo is one of the class of animals called marsupial, or pouched. That is to say, the female has in front of her body a kind of pouch in which her little one is kept safe and carried about. The young one is very small at first, and lives on milk alone, never leaving the pouch; but after a few months it begins to leave its hiding-place and hop feebly about, nibbling the grass near its mother. When alarmed it returns to its pouch.

3. There is an odd story told of the way in which this animal got its name. Some English sailors who had landed on the Australian coast saw a party of native hunters who had just killed an animal unlike any creature the sailors had ever seen before. They pointed to the animal, and asked the natives what it was called. The reply was, "Kangaroo," which meant, "I do not understand," for the natives did not know what the sailors were asking. The sailors knew quite as little of the native language, and they at once concluded that "kangaroo" was the native name of the animal; and so it has been called kangaroo ever since.

4. There are many different kinds of kangaroo. Some are only a few inches in height, and like the rat in their general appearance; others are six or seven feet high when standing upright. Some are found on the wide grassy plains; others in the forests, where they live in the trees like squirrels. They are all alike, however, in some respects: they all have a pouch for carrying their young, and they all have short fore legs and very long hind legs.

5. They do not walk on all fours, as most quadrupeds do, but advance by leaping or hopping on their strong hind legs; in some kinds the long, powerful tail also helps to support them. The great or giant kangaroo usually clears nine or ten feet at each leap, but when he is going at full speed his leaps measure twice as much. He skims along the plain without seeming to touch the ground, and at a speed which would keep him safe from horse and hound if he could hold out long enough.

6. This animal has a peculiarity about his lower jaw which is worth mentioning. The two lower jawbones do not grow together in front like those of other animals, and he can open them so far as to separate his two middle teeth about a quarter of an inch. These two teeth are sharp on the edges as well as at the points, and when he brings them together side-ways they act like a pair of scissors. In this way he can feed on grass which is too short for the teeth of any other animal.

7. While this is an advantage to the kangaroo, it causes much loss to the sheep-farmer; for his pasture is eaten by the kangaroo down to the very roots, so that it will not grow again. So much damage is done in this way that in some districts a reward is offered for every kangaroo that is killed. The animal is also hunted for its skin, which makes a fine soft leather, and sometimes the hind quarters and the tail are eaten.

8. The natives stalk the kangaroo, and kill it with the boomerang or the spear, and the settlers often shoot it. The kangaroo is also hunted on horseback and with dogs. The chase is sometimes a long one, and it is only the endurance(2) of the dogs that enables them to come up with their prey. When brought to bay(3), a full-grown kangaroo sometimes makes good fight, and a kick from his powerful hind foot with its long claws is often fatal to young dogs that have not learned how to attack him.

9. Though naturally a timid animal, the mother kangaroo will sometimes show much courage for the sake of her little one. An Englishman, who had a sheep-farm in Australia, was one evening sitting in the balcony(4) of his house, when he was surprised to see a kangaroo timidly approaching. As she went in the direction of the water-tank, he supposed that she wanted to drink, and he was surprised at her courage in coming so near the house for this purpose.

10. She advanced, stopped, and retreated(5) several times, as if struggling with her fears, but at last she went up to the tank. Then the gentleman saw her take her young one out of her pouch and hold it with her fore legs over the edge of the tank to drink. He could see her sit quivering with fear while it drank; and as soon as it had finished, she put it back in her pouch, and bounded swiftly away without waiting to satisfy her own thirst.

11. The gentleman who saw this incident(6) and tells the story, was so much impressed(7) by the love of the mother kangaroo, that from that time he would never shoot or hunt the animal.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing the words describe, description, descriptive, indescribable.

2. Write out a list of words made from appear, with various terminations, and also with the prefixes dis- and re-.

3. Rewrite in the first person the story beginning in section 9— "I was one evening sitting in the balcony of my house," etc.

————————————————————

(1) Quadruped, any four-footed animal.

(2) Endurance, power of continuing for a long time.

(3) Brought to bay, forced to fight; without means of escape.

(4) Balcony, a small gallery or platform outside a window.

(5) Retreated, went back.

(6) Incident, occurrence.

(7) Impressed, affected; touched in the feelings.

13

LAKE COMO

1. The lakes of the Cumbrian Mountains in England and of the Scottish Highlands are very beautiful, but perhaps those of the Alpine valleys are even more lovely. A splendid group of lakes lies on the southern side of the Alps, in the north of Italy(1). Nestling at the very foot of the mountains are Maggiore, Como, Garda, and others, all famous for their enchanting scenery. Of all these, Como is the most renowned. Not only is it exceedingly beautiful, but the climate is delightful, and invalids(2) from colder countries throng to its shores to enjoy its balmy(3), health-giving air.

2. It is not a very large lake, for it is only thirty miles long, and at no point more than two and a half miles broad. Indeed, throughout the greater part of its length it is much narrower. Its shape is curious—not unlike a two-pronged fork, with the handle turned to the north. The prongs are separated by the promontory of Bellagio.

3. People visiting this beautiful spot usually arrive first at the little town of Como, at the south-western end of the lake. Let us fancy ourselves going there together, and arriving in the lovely Como country at the close of a summer evening. It is moonlight, and we take a boat for a row upon the shining water.

4. Smoothly we glide over the placid(4) surface, enjoying the cool air after the glowing heat of the day. The moon pours its bright light upon the lake, but the hills are dark with mysterious(5) shadows. The whole scene is hushed in profound(6) repose, and the only signs of man's presence are the twinkling lights along the water's edge. The town of Como lies behind us—a swarm of such glow-worm beams; the hills and shadows gloom around; the lake is a sheet of tremulous(7) silver.

5. We hardly know how we can leave so much beauty; but we come ashore, and return to our hotel at last. Next morning we are up early, for the steamer starts for the head of the lake at eight o'clock, and we go on board a little before that hour. There is an awning(8) spread over the after-part(9) of the boat; but we do not feel the need of it in the fresh morning air, and we go as near to the bow(10) as possible, that we may be the very first to enjoy the famous beauty of the scene opening before us.

6. A few sails dot the water, and everywhere there are small canopied(11) boats like the one we had last night. Now we reach a bend in the lake, and the roofs and towers of the city of Como pass from our view. With every curve of the ever-curving lake, other roofs and towers constantly succeed them, no less lovely and picturesque(12) than they. We advance over charming expanses of water lying between lofty hills; and as the lake is narrow, the voyage is like sailing up a winding river.

7. Wherever the hills do not descend sheer into the water, a pretty town nestles on the brink; or, if not a town, then a villa, or even a cottage, if there is room for nothing more. Many little towns climb half-way up the heights; and the green hills, covered with vines and olives, are dotted with peasants' houses to the very crest.

8. The lake stretches far away among the Alps; and, as we draw near its upper end, the scenery becomes more stern and grand. The mountains grow loftier and loftier, and by-and-by they wear light wreaths of cloud and snow. Our voyage stops at the village of Colico. It is now mid-day. A burning calm is in the atmosphere and on the broad valley—out of which a marshy stream oozes(13) into the lake—and the brilliant sunshine glitters on the snow-crowned hills.

9. Once more our steamer moves slowly out upon the lake, but it now bears us homewards to the town of Como. As the heat of the day yields to the coolness of the evening air, we watch with delight the shadows creeping higher and higher on the hills, while their tops are still bathed in the warm rays of the setting sun. We listen to the songs of the girls winding yellow silk on reels that hum through the open windows of the village factories(14). And now at last our golden day on Como's lake has come to an end; and as we step silently ashore, we feel as if we must have been dreaming about some region too beautiful for earth.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Rewrite section 4, using the past tense throughout instead of the present.

2. Distinguish between scene and scenery: make sentences containing each, and give words of similar meaning.

3. Make sentences containing the word crest in various meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Italy, a country in the south of Europe.

(2) Invalids, people who are unwell.

(3) Balmy, soothing; sweet-smelling, like balm.

(4) Placid, peaceful; unruffled.

(5) Mysterious, strange; difficult to understand.

(6) Profound, deep; intense.

(7) Tremulous, quivering; trembling.

(8) Awning, a curtain to give shelter from the heat of the sun.

(9) After-part, stern.

(10) Bow, fore-part.

(11) Canopied, provided with awnings.

(12) Picturesque (pic-tu-resk'), picturelike.

(13) Oozes, flows slowly.

(14) Factories, workshops.

14

BOOTS AND SHOES

1. While the head is sheltered by the hair, the feet are naturally bare and unprotected. Therefore, in the early ages of the world's history, people seem to have felt the need of coverings for their feet, long before they ever dreamed of hats, helmets, or bonnets.

2. The feet were first protected by sandals or shoes roughly made of the skins of animals. Sandals are merely rudely(1)-shaped soles of wood, leather, bark, plaited(2) grass, or straw, fastened to the feet by straps or thongs. This simple kind of protection is still in common use in Eastern lands(3). In our climate more protection for the feet is necessary, and the Saxons wore shoes made of leather, sometimes with wooden soles. Sandals were, however, worn by the clergy.

3. Besides sandals, shoes covering the whole foot, which were tied above with latchet, lace, or string, were worn by the more wealthy Romans. Those of the women were white, the men's were black, while red ones were worn only by people of the highest rank. Long boots or buskins, which covered part of the leg, were also worn by hunters.

4. About the year 1100 A.D., a French nobleman, who had badly-shaped feet, ordered his shoemaker to make him long, pointed shoes. Others followed his example, and shoes with long points were worn by the upper classes both of France(4) and of England. In the time of Richard the Second of England, the points were made so long that, in order to walk, gentlemen were forced to fasten them to their knees with gold or silver chains. Often, too, the peaked toes were twisted like corkscrews. At last a law was passed forbidding any person below the rank of lord to wear shoes with peaks beyond a certain length. Not long afterwards the fashion changed, and shoes were worn with toes as absurdly(5) broad as they had before been absurdly long.

5. Boots are merely shoes extended so as to give better protection to the ankle and leg. Two centuries ago, boots were worn much longer than they are now. One of the longest kinds was the jack-boot, commonly worn by horsemen. It reached above the knee, was wide at the top, and had high heels. Round the ankle was a flat leather band with a powerful spur. A neater form of the jack-boot is still worn by the Horse Guards(6).

6. By-and-by a lighter form of the jack-boot was adopted(7), suited for walking as well as for riding.

This reached only to the knee, and fitted more closely to the leg. It was known as the Hessian boot. Next, a still lighter and shorter boot was adopted, which was worn inside the trousers, and was named after the Duke of Wellington(8), by whom it was brought into use. It is interesting to notice that an early form of ankle-boot was named after his friend Blücher. It is only during the present century that ankle-boots have come into common use.

7. A kind of shoe, called a sabot, is in common use among the peasantry of France and Belgium(9). It is made of wood, and is hollowed out of one piece, like the canoes of our savage ancestors. Wood is also used for the soles of a kind of coarse boots or shoes, called clogs, which are in use in some parts of this country. Pattens are worn in various places to raise the foot above the mud. They consist of a wooden sole, supported on high blocks of wood or rings of iron, and, like sandals, they are fastened to the foot by straps. At the present time, india-rubber is much used for making over-shoes for protecting leather boots in snowy or wet weather. Rubber soles are also used for light shoes of various kinds.

8. Boots and shoes are sometimes worn too tight. This injures the health by checking the circulation of the blood, and it also causes much suffering by producing corns(10) and bunions(11) and ingrowing toenails. High heels should also be avoided, as they throw the weight of the body too much on the fore part of the foot, thus straining the muscles of the leg, and causing an awkward and ungraceful walk, such as is common in our towns at the present day.

9. The counties of Leicester, Northampton, and Stafford are the centres of the English boot and shoe trade. In the large shoe factories almost all the work is done by machinery. The soles and heels are cut out of thick leather by a machine, at the rate of two pairs per second. Other machines fold and stitch the uppers, sew them to the soles, make button holes, sew on buttons, and even brush and polish the boots when finished. By machinery a pair of boots can be completed, from the hide to the finished article, in a little over an hour. In some of the large factories over ten thousand pairs of boots can be made in a day.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write a short list of words with the prefix pro-, and show its meaning in each case.

2. Make sentences containing the words circle, circular, circulate, circulation, encircle.

3. Give a list of words connected with factories, and their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Rudely, roughly.

(2) Plaited, braided; twisted.

(3) Eastern lands, countries to the east of Europe; Asia.

(4) France, a country in the west of Europe.

(5) Absurdly, ridiculously; senselessly.

(6) Horse Guards, the chief British cavalry regiments.

(7) Adopted, brought into use.

(8) Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), great British general.

(9) Belgium, a country in the west of Europe.

(10) Corn, a hard growth on a part of the foot.

(11) Bunion, a painful swelling on the toe-joints.

15

FOLLOWING A STAR

1. Egypt(1) forms part of the dominions(2) of the Sultan(3) of Turkey(4), but on account of its position on the road to our Indian Empire, it is very important for Britain that the government of Egypt should be friendly to us. After the Suez Canal(5) was made, Britain had still more interest in the good government of the country, and we became practically the rulers of Egypt. This was displeasing to the Turks, and to a party of the Egyptians as well, and many plans were tried to get rid of British influence.

2. In 1882, the party hostile(6) to Britain was led by a general called Arabi Pasha(7), while the Khedive, the ruler of Egypt, remained friendly. A rebellion took place, not so much against the Khedive as against Britain, and British troops had to be sent out to restore the power of the Khedive. The decisive battle was fought at Tel-el-Kebir(8), where the rebels had a very strongly-fortified camp. The British army made a swift night march over the desert, with the stars for their only guiding-marks, and almost reached the Egyptian camp before they were seen. The camp was stormed and carried at the point of the bayonet, and in a quarter of an hour the battle was over and the rebellion at an end.

3. In the Portsmouth Garrison Church there is a beautiful tablet(9) with this inscription: —

"Sacred to the Memory of Wyatt Rawson,

Commander Royal Navy.

He fell while acting as guide to the Second Division, at the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir, 13th September 1882. Aged 29."

This young hero's death has been beautifully commemorated(10) in the following little poem, "At Tel-el-Kebir": —

4. Over the desert at midnight, with a rapid, silent stride,

"Were marching the British soldiers and their gallant sailor guide.

God help them all if lie failed to find his way in the gloom aright,

For his comrades' lives and his country's famo were placed in his hands that night.

5. Never a faltering moment unsteadied the ranks he led;

Forward they pressed on their silent way, with the sailor at their head;

On while the gloom and the darkness screened them from watchful foes,

Till the goal(11) they sought was safely gained as the sudden morning(12) rose.

6. Quick the alarm was sounded, quick was the onslaught made,

Sharp was the fight; but the foe fell back from the British fire and blade.

Many a heart that late beat high was stilled in that hour for aye,

And among the first of the British men fell the man who had led the way.

7. Sadly they bore him back to die, and the kindly general came,

Bent o'er his friend with grateful thanks, pity, and promised fame;

Never a word said the dying man of his pain or his hapless(13) fate,

But the eager words came, "General, didn't I guide you straight? —

8. "It was a star, you know, a star, a star!" —and he backward fell;

His young life closed with the service done and the trust fulfilled so well.

And long as an English voice shall speak of the Tel-el-Kebir fight

Will be heard the brave young sailor's name who guided them straight that night.

9. Nor say that his work was ended with the deed that led to death;

It may be a nobler mission(14) was wrought with his dying breath.

For shall not the words he uttered like a living watchword thrill

To the hearts of men enlisted(15) in a higher service still?

10. On through the unknown country, while the goal yet lies afar,

Led through the gloom and darkness by the light of a guiding star;

God keep us following where it leads till the doubtful path grows straight,

And the march shall end and the conflict cease where it shines on the golden gate.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words decide, decision, decidedly, decisive, undecided.

2. Write a list of the words connected with the root of commemor-ated, without a prefix.

3. Write words from the same root with the prefix re-. What letter is inserted in the root when this prefix is used?

————————————————————

(1) Egypt, a country in the north-east of Africa.

(2) Dominions, domains; places under one government.

(3) Sultan, the title of the ruler of Turkey.

(4) Turkey, a country in the southeast of Europe.

(5) Suez Canal, a canal made to join the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

(6) Hostile, unfriendly.

(7) Pasha, a title given to officers of high rank in the Turkish army.

(8) Tel-el-Kebir, a small village in Lower Egypt.

(9) Tablet, slab.

(10) Commemorated, kept in memory.

(11) Goal, purpose; end.

(12) Sudden morning, This refers to the absence of twilight in the tropics.

(13) Hapless, unfortunate; unlucky.

(14) Mission, service.

(15) Enlisted, engaged.

16

WHY "PAT" WORE THE V.C.

1. If you should ever visit Edinburgh, you will, no doubt, climb the long steep street to the castle, and, from the highest point of the ramparts(1), feast your eyes on the wide and fair prospect(2) spread out below. If you then lean over the wall of the King's Bastion(3), and look down at the corner of the great rock just beneath, you will see a small three-cornered space of ground which looks at first like a tiny garden.

2. It is full of bright flowers; but it is not a garden, for you see standing against the low wall a row of grave-stones. The ground and the grave-stones alike are so small that you wonder what kind of a burial-place it is. On reading the inscriptions, you find that they are all written in memory of dogs; and that these good dogs have been the pets of the various regiments which have lived in garrison here. On a stone in the right-hand corner you may read, "In Memory of 'Pat,' who followed the 72nd Highlanders for 10 years in peace and war. Died 9th March 1888."

3. From a portrait of "Pat," which was exhibited(4) after his death, he seems to have been of mixed descent(5), partly like a pug and partly like a bull-dog. Where he was born and educated no one can tell, for the first that is known of him is that he followed the men in from' parade(6) one morning; and, having thus en-listed in the 72nd of his own free-will, he never showed any wish to become deserter. He was named "Pat" after the colonel's(7) servant, from a comical(8) twist in the dog's face which reminded the soldiers of that man.

4. In 1878, trouble arose between the British and the Afghans(9), and the 72nd regiment was sent out to India. When marching orders came, there was no one more ready to obey than Pat. Up to this time he had had no one master; he was content to belong to the regiment. But when Colour-Sergeant(10) Jim M'Pherson was down with fever, Pat was ordered to mount guard over his tent to keep thieves away. Soon he came to look on himself as being in charge of the sick man as well as of the tent, and he began to show great fondness for him. After his recovery, the dog adopted him as his master.

5. Pat was rewarded by the present of a new collar, with a ring to which a chain could be fastened. Who could have dreamed that this ring would one day—though one day only—support a Victoria Cross? The Victoria Cross, as you may know, is a small bronze cross bearing the words "For Valour(11)," and is only awarded to one who has shown great courage in battle, saved a comrade's life at the risk of his own, or done some other heroic(12) deed. The wearer of the cross has the letters "V.C." put after his name. The award of the Victoria Cross is the highest honour that can be paid to any soldier in the British army. It is an honour open to officer and private alike; but it has been bestowed on only one dog, and that dog was Pat.

VICTORIA CROSS.

6. This was how it happened. In a desperate fight before Candahar(13), Jim M'Pherson was bearing the colours of his regiment, when a bullet struck his right hand and injured it badly. He had barely time to seize the staff of his flag with the wounded hand, and to grasp his sword with the left, when a powerful Afghan rushed upon him to capture his flag.

7. Fighting left-handed, the Highlander was no match for his active foe. He was pressed backwards, and the Afghan had raised his terrible knife for the fatal blow, when Pat rushed at him, and made his sharp little teeth meet in the bare leg of the enemy. The Afghan missed his blow at the soldier, and turned in fury on his smaller assailant(14). The dog hung on with wonderful pluck, though he received an ugly wound, until his huge foe was laid low by a chance bullet.

8. Jim thought that his little friend was dead. But there was no time for regrets; his own strength was rapidly failing, and he made a last effort to reach his officer's side with the flag. Jim stuck to his colours as Pat had done to his enemy, and, in spite of his wounds, he carried them off safely. The good colonel had seen most of Jim's gallant fight, and said something about "mention in the dispatches(15)" and "V.C.," but Jim heard him not. He was carried off the field unconscious(16).

9. Next morning he was awakened by the entrance of the doctor, and found a muddy-looking bundle lying by his bed.

"Why, it is Pat," he exclaimed. "Look at him first, doctor, and see if you can do anything for him. I would give up my other hand to save him. But for him, I should be lying out yonder. It was he who saved the flag. I'll tell you all about it when I am a little stronger."

10. Both Pat and his master recovered, and the sergeant was never tired of telling how the plucky little creature had saved his life and saved the flag at the same time. He always wound up the tale by saying, "If I ever get home again, and hold the V.C. you are all talking about, Pat shall have a share in the honour. For four-and-twenty hours he shall wear it in the streets of Edinburgh, hanging from the ring of his collar here."

And Jim kept his word, according to the witness of many who saw the strange sight.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make words from the root of inscription, using the prefixes de-, sub-, con-, and super-, and give their meanings.

2. Give a list of words formed from courage, with various prefixes and terminations.

3. Rewrite section 6 in the first person, as if spoken by the soldier— "I was bearing the colours," etc.

————————————————————

(1) Rampart, bulwark; wall or mound round a fortified place.

(2) Prospect, view.

(3) Bastion, a building of earth or stone at the angle of a fortress.

(4) Exhibited, shown; open to view.

(5) Descent, parentage.

(6) Parade, drill.

(7) Colonel, the leader of a body or column of soldiers.

(8) Comical, peculiar; strange.

(9) Afghans, the people of Afghanistan, a country in Asia, northwest of India.

(10) Colour-Sergeant, the sergeant who carries the colours or flag of a regiment.

(11) Valour, bravery.

(12) Heroic, brave; gallant.

(13) Candahar, a large city in Afghanistan.

(14) Assailant, one who makes an attack.

(15) Dispatches, reports.

(16) Unconscious, insensible.

17

STRANGE SAVINGS-BANKS

I

1. You all know what a savings-bank is. Many schools have savings-banks, where the boys and girls can take their spare pennies instead of spending them on sweets; and almost every post-office is also a savings-bank, where pennies and shillings can be put away safely until they are needed. You have also been told many times, no doubt, about the use of saving— "laying by something for a rainy day," as we call it; and you know the meaning of the proverb, "Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves."

2. Still there are many people who do not see the use of saving something to make provision for "hard times;" and when hard times come, they have to depend on their neighbours for help, or starve. You remember the fable of the ant and the cricket. A cricket called on an ant one cold winter morning to beg for help. When he was asked how he had passed the summer, he confessed that he had spent his time in singing; so the ant advised him to spend the winter in dancing, and then shut the door in his face. The ant had evidently(1) saved just enough for himself and no more; but one of the good points about our saving is that it enables us to help a poorer neighbour out of our own store.

3. This fable reminds us, however, that there are many strange savings-banks in the world, very different from our school or post-office banks. Certain kinds of ants store up grain for the winter, but the best-known insect savings-bank is the honey-comb. The bee is so much in earnest over his saving that we might call him a miser(2); but then he might retort(3) by calling us robbers, so that we had better not call him names.

HONEY-COMB.

4. It is a great matter that a savings-bank should be perfectly safe, but the bee often suffers from his bank being plundered(4). The squirrel finds his store of nuts much safer, no doubt, because we do not think them worth stealing. But there are some animals whose savings are still less likely to be taken away from them. The camel is an example of this class. Everybody has read about his power of carrying several days' supply of water in his stomach when travelling over the sandy deserts; but he has his best savings-bank in his hump we should perhaps say humps, for the camel has two of them, and the animal with the single hump is more properly called the dromedary.

5. This hump is formed almost entirely of fat. When the animal has plenty to eat and drink, the hump becomes large and full. But after a long journey and scanty(5) fare(6), the hump is much smaller, and the skin is loose and flabby(7), as you often see it in the poor, ill-fed animals in our travelling menageries(8). The fat of the hump is a store of nourishment which the camel's body provides for itself when it has the opportunity, to be gradually used up in times of want.

CAMEL

6. Animals often store up strength and nourishment in the form of fat at certain seasons. Some animals, such as the bear, which spend the winter in sleep, become very fat in the autumn. Their bodies are thus provided with a sufficient store of nourishment and warmth for the winter. When the animal wakes up in spring, it is lean and starved-looking. It has used up all its savings, and may be regarded as "hard up," if not bankrupt(9).

DROMEDARY.

7. People sometimes put money in the savings-bank not for themselves, but for the benefit of their children; and we find also that many animals and even plants are in the habit of saving for their young ones. Next time you are enjoying a fresh egg for breakfast, be sure you remember that the golden yolk which you like so well is really a store of nourish ment, placed there for the use of the chick which would have grown inside the egg.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write a list of words formed from save, with various terminations.

2. Give the meaning of each part separately in the words pro-vision, re-vision, vis-ion, and vis-ible.

3. Write sentences containing the words fare (in various meanings), farewell, and wayfarer.

————————————————————

(1) Evidently, seemingly; clearly.

(2) Miser, one who denies himself and others the comforts of life in order to hoard up money.

(3) Retort, answer back.

(4) Plundered, robbed.

(5) Scanty, small; poor.

(6) Fare, feeding.

(7) Flabby, soft; loose.

(8) Menageries, collections of wild animals for show.

(9) Bankrupt, one not able to pay his debts; one whose bank is broken.

18

STRANGE SAVINGS-BANKS

II

1. So much for the savings-banks that we find among animals; let us now look at some vegetable savings-banks. We find it pleasant to break into some of the animals' banks and enjoy their hoards(1), but our very life depends on our making use of the stores of food which plants lay up.

2. Plants have many different kinds of seeds, but these all consist of two parts—the young plant itself, and a store of starch and fat for it to feed on, until its roots and leaves ace strong enough to draw their nourishment from the earth and the air. The grain-plants from which we derive our "staff of life(2)" are merely grasses whose seeds contain a large store of such food. In a large seed, suck as a bean, you can see these different parts most easily. Take a bean out of a pod, and peel off its shining coat. You find that it then divides easily into two parts, which are slightly joined at one edge.

BEAN

a, Seed-leaves; b, Young plant.

3. Just at the point where the two halves are joined, you can see a little raised part which belongs to neither half, but is joined to both. This is the young plant itself, and those two flat, green, fleshy parts are really two of its leaves, They are called seed-leaves, and are packed full of food for the young plant. When it begins to grow, it absorbs(3) this nourishment from its savings-bank, and the two seed-leaves gradually shrivel(4) up and decay(5).

4. The seeds of our fruit-trees are still more ingenious(6) savings-banks. When the plum-tree or the cherry-tree puts away its savings, it keeps two separate accounts: one part of the store is to be paid to the young plant in the way we have just described, and the other is meant for a bribe or reward to any bird that will carry away the seed to some place where it can have room to grow. The soft part which you eat is the bird's share; crack the stone, and you will find the young plant and its share of the savings-bank inside.

5. We have next to speak of plants that store up their savings in their roots, such as the turnip, carrot, parsnip, and beet. The part of the turnip which is eaten is a kind of thickened root called a tap-root. In order to discover its use to the plant, you must leave the turnip in the ground for two years. During its first year, the plant grows into the form which we commonly see; it has no stem, but a bunch of large green leaves growing from the top of a very thick tap-root.

TURNIP

(First year.)

6. Next year the turnip changes its appearance entirely. A tall green stem springs up from among the leaves, and bears at the top a large number of sweet-scented yellow flowers. After these have fallen off, a number of long, thin seed-vessels appear. By the time that this has happened, the savings-bank in the tap-root has given up all its nourishment to feed the flowering stem, and has become a dry empty shell.

7. If you were asked to name other plants whose roots serve as food, you might mention the onion. This would be a mistake, however. The roots of the onion are small and thread-like, and the bulb that we use is not a root but something quite different. If you take a young bulb of the onion or any similar plant and split it up the middle, you will see that the bulb is merely the lower part of the leaves, which have begun to turn thick and fleshy. This bulb is a new kind of savings-bank; the thick leaves act like the tap-root of the turnip, and store up food for the flower-stem.

ONIONS

8. Many of you have no doubt grown tulips or hyacinths from bulbs, and have noticed how the flowers draw their nourishment from this kind of savings-bank. In countries such as Cape Colony(7), where there is a long dry season, a large number of wild flowers grow from bulbs. These bulbs are stores of food and moisture, kept safe for the future plant during the time of drought.

BULB OF TULIP

9. We have already seen how plants store up food in their seeds, roots, and leaves. The stems of plants are less commonly used as savings-banks, but there is one well-known and most useful plant whose store is laid up in its stem. That plant is the potato. But, you may say, we do not eat the stem of the potato plant, and we should not find much nourishment in it, if we did. Have you not seen potatoes dug up out of the ground, and are you not quite sure that the useful part of the plant is its root?

10. If you put a potato into damp earth, or keep it moist in a dark place during the spring-time, you will get an answer to your question. You will find that in each "eye" or hollow of the potato a little leaf-bud appears, which soon grows out into a new stem. Now leaf-buds do not grow from roots, but from stems, so that the potato is not really a root, but a kind of underground stem. An underground stem which has been very much thickened by storing up starch to feed the new shoots is called a tuber.

POTATO PLANT

POTATO

Tuber with leaf-buds.

11. There are many other ways in which we see provision made in nature for storing up food for times of need; but those we have mentioned may be enough to make you think about the matter, and find out some of the other ways for yourself. They may also help to show you that besides having your school savings-bank for your spare pennies, you have in your own bodies the means of laying up stores of health and strength for future years.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the simpler words from which the nouns drought, height, weight, draught, and sight are formed.

2. Give a list of words formed from appear, with various terminations, and with the prefixes dis- and re-.

3. Write the words formed from appear in which the e is not used (-par- instead of -pear-).

————————————————————

(1) Hoards, supplies; what they have saved up.

(2) Staff of life, bread.

(3) Absorbs, drinks in.

(4) Shrivel, wither.

(5) Decay, waste away.

(6) Ingenious, clever; skilful.

(7) Cape Colony, a country in the south of Africa belonging to Britain.

19

THE LAST TREE OF THE FOREST

1. Whisper, thou tree, thou lonely tree—

One where a thousand stood;

Well might proud tales be told by thee,

Last of the solemn wood.

2. Dwells there no voice amidst thy boughs,

With leaves yet darkly green?

Stillness is round, and noontide glows;

Tell us what thou hast seen.

3. "I have seen the forest shadows lie

Where men now reap the corn;

I have seen the kingly chase rush by

Through the deep glades(1) at morn,

4. "With the glance of many a gallant spear,

And the wave of many a plume(2),

And the bounding of a hundred deer, —

It hath lit the woodland's gloom.

5. "I have seen the knight and his train(3) ride past,

With his banner borne(4) on high;

O'er all my leaves there was brightness cast

From his gleaming panoply(5).

6. "And the merry men of wild and glen,

In the green array(6) they wore,

Have feasted here with the red wine's cheer

And the hunter-songs of yore(7).

7. "But now the noble forms are gone

That walked the earth of old;

The soft wind hath a mournful tone,

The sunny light looks cold.

8. "There is no glory left us now

Like the glory with the dead;

I would that where they slumber now

My latest leaves were shed."

9. O thou dark tree, thou lonely tree,

Thou mournest for the past!

A peasant's home in thy shade I see,

Embowered(8) from every blast.

10. A lovely and a mirthful sound

Of laughter meets mine ear,

For the poor man's children sport around

On the turf with naught to fear.

11. And roses lend that cabin(9) wall

A happy summer glow;

And the door stands open free to all,

For it recks not of(10) a foe.

12. And the village bells are on the breeze

That stirs thy leaf, dark tree.

How can I mourn, 'midst things like these,

For the gloomy past with thee?

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of adjectives formed from nouns by adding -ly (like kingly), and give their meanings.

2. Write out a list of words with the prefix em- (like embowered), and give their meanings.

3. Write out similar words where en- is used for em-.

————————————————————

(1) Glades, open spaces in a forest.

(2) Plume, feather.

(3) Train, followers.

(4) Borne, carried.

(5) Panoply, armour.

(6) Array, dress.

(7) Yore, olden times.

(8) Embowered, shaded; protected.

(9) Cabin, cottage; small house.

(10) Recks not of, gives no thought to.

20

A SWIM FOR LIFE

1. "The hunt is over, youngster. The deer must have taken to the hills. There is no use in watching longer."

This speech was welcome enough to Joe Benton, for he had stood on a rocky point on the shore of the lake, watching for the deer since daylight, and it was now nearly noon. Joe put his rifle into the skiff(1), and rowed toward the small island where the party of deer-hunters was encamped. The other hunters decided to spend the rest of the day in duck-shooting farther up the lake; but Joe was tired, and he offered to keep house while the others were away.

2. The early twilight(2) was coming on, and Joe must have been dozing a little, when he was startled by hearing the baying of hounds. He ran down to the beach where his skiff was moored(3), and listened.

As he looked out oa the lake, he saw there a sight to gladden a hunter's eyes. Not a hundred yards away a huge buck(4) was swimming along near the bank; but he had already seen the boy, and instead of striking out into the lake, he was skirting(5) the shore, so as to avoid the island.

3. There was no time to be lost. Without going back to get his rifle, Joe jumped into his boat, and rowed so as to head off the deer from the land and drive him into the lake. The buck tossed his antlers(6), and now started boldly toward the opposite shore of the lake. Joe could easily keep alongside; but how was he to kill his game? He wished for his Winchester rifle, which was standing in a corner of the hut with its chambers(7) full of cartridges(8)!

4. There was a way of killing a swimming deer which he had heard of, but had never tried. This was to drown it, by catching its hind legs and forcing its head below the surface.

Rowing close up to the deer, he dropped his oars, and, as the animal gave a great plunge, he caught one of its hind legs with his right hand; but he could not reach the other leg.

5. The animal turned furiously on its pursuer, and threw both front feet and half its body upon the gunwale(9). The little boat capsized, and Joe fell into the water.

In a moment he came to the surface, half blinded by his sudden plunge. The boat was floating bottom up some yards away. Joe began to swim towards it.

6. An angry snort behind him caused him to turn his head. There, coming towards him, not ten feet away, was the buck, its eyes flashing angrily, Joe knew that an old buck when brought to bay some times shows fight. On land, deer are timid, shy creatures; but here the ease was different. The buck was a much better swimmer than the boy, and seemed to know it.

7. Joe saw that the deer would be upon him before he could reach the boat. Just before the angry creature reached him, he turned and dived, and took several rapid strokes under water. When he rose to the surface, he was close to the deer, and, with a great effort, he flung himself upon the buck's back, and grasped its antlers.

8. Then began a struggle in the like of which Joe had never before taken part. The animal threw itself about furiously in its endeavours to get rid of its rider. But the boy had a strong hold with both hands and knees, and clung with desperate tenacity(10).

9. At first Joe enjoyed his wild ride. But he soon became exhausted(11). A few more struggles on the deer's part would compel him to let go. Fortunately the animal was also growing tired, and would need all its strength to reach the shore. But now a new danger arose. Suppose it should not have strength enough to carry him ashore? He himself felt unable to swim a dozen yards.

10. They were now not more than a quarter of a mile from land, but the buck was growing very weak. Joe slipped off its back, and holding himself up by placing one hand on its antlers, he swam alongside. They now made a little more headway. The deer made no effort to harm his companion in danger. Joe was dizzy and weak, but he could see the bank not more than a hundred yards away. Would they ever reach it? Every few yards the deer's head went under water, and it was evident that it could swim but little further with the boy's weight to support.

11. A feeling of pity made Joe let go the deer, and the two swam slowly along, side by side. The boy's strength was almost gone, and the water was gurgling in his ears, when he heard a shout behind him, and he was caught by a strong arm and drawn into a boat.

As Joe lay against the side of the boat, a man on the seat next him raised his rifle, but the boy struck up the barrel.

"The deer belongs to me if to anybody," he said, "and I want to let him go."

12. Joe's friends, the party of duck-hunters, looked at him with surprise; but no one offered to molest(12) the buck, which climbed ashore and disappeared in the woods.

That evening, when Joe told his story, the general opinion was that he had done right.

"When Joe is telling of this day's work," said one old hunter, "to point to a pair of antlers would not be so good an ending to his story, as to say that he saved the life of the deer that towed(13) him ashore."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words oppose, opposite, opposition, and opponent.

2. Write a list of words with the root -pose- combined with the prefixes pro-, ex-, and dis-, and various terminations.

3. How are the prefixes con-, in-, and sub- changed before -pose? Give examples in sentences.

————————————————————

(1) Skiff, a light boat.

(2) Twilight, the faint light before sunrise or after sunset.

(3) Moored, tied to the shore.

(4) Buck, a male deer.

(5) Skirting, keeping close to the side of.

(6) Antlers, branching horns.

(7) Chambers, compartments; parts of a fire-arm in which the charge is placed.

(8) Cartridge, case of pasteboard, copper, or brass, containing the exact charge of powder for any fire-arm.

(9) Gunwale, the upper edge of a boat's side.

(10) Tenacity, firmness; power of holding fast.

(11) Exhausted, tired out.

(12) Molest, harm; hurt.

(13) Towed, pulled through the water.

21

COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD

1. To protect their heads from the heat of the sun, from cold, and from rain, people at the present day wear hats, bonnets, and caps; but among our savage ancestors, as among many savage(1) tribes(2) at the present day, the only head-covering in use was their own thick, matted(3) hair. Among savage nations the need for clothing is generally little felt, and the clothes that are worn are often used more for ornament than for protection from the weather.

2. A thousand years ago, in the days of our Saxon forefathers, the usual covering for the head was a cap, which was made either of cloth or of the skins of animals. Among the richer classes the cap was decorated with jewels or with ornaments of gold. Rounded or cone(4)-shaped hats with brims were also worn, but it was not until long afterwards that they came into common use for everyday wear.

3. In the thirteenth century(5), a common form of head-dress was the hood. It was made of cloth, and it covered not only the head but the neck and shoulders as well, leaving only the face exposed. About the fifteenth century, the hood went out of fashion, and people once more returned to flat caps, hats, and bonnets for their head-dress. The bonnet was often richly ornamented with jewels and feathers. You may have heard of an old Scottish coin called a "bonnet-piece." It was made of Scottish gold. On it the king, James the Fifth(6), is shown wearing a bonnet instead of a crown. In England, hats were commonly worn in the time of Elizabeth(7), and they have continued to be used in various forms down to the present day.

4. The chief materials used in making hats are felt, silk, and straw. It is said that the way to make felt was discovered by accident. A man was going to a distant town; and having tender feet, he put carded(8) wool into his shoes. When he came to the end of his journey, he was greatly surprised to find that the wool had been pressed and beaten into a kind of cloth.

5. How could this be? If a hair of wool be examined under a microscope(9), it is seen to be covered with scales, which all point towards the tip. When two hairs are placed together, with their tips in opposite directions, the scales of the one fit into those of the other, so that the two cling closely together. A sheet of felt, or a hard round ball, can be made of wool or hair in this way, by merely pressing or beating it.

WOOL

(Magnified).

6. The cloth which the man was so much astonished to see had been made by his feet pressing the fibres(10) of the wool closely together. The new substance was called felt, and soon machines were invented that made much better felt than a man's feet could ever have done. The fur of the hare, rabbit, and other animals was used for making felt.

7. For a long time the fur of the beaver was greatly prized for making hats, shaped somewhat like the "top-hats" worn nowadays, and consequently the beavers were killed in great numbers. Beaver-skins thus became so scarce and dear that hatters began to seek for other materials; and about the year 1810 hats were first made of silk. It was not, however, until the first years of the reign of Queen Victoria(11) that silk hats or top-hats became fashionable. At first they were manufactured chiefly in France.

8. The framework of a silk hat is made of several layers of cotton cloth, well covered with a kind of varnish(12), which makes it stiff and also water-proof. Over this a covering of fine silk plush(13) is neatly drawn and stretched, before the varnish is quite dry, and thus the plush is held firmly in its place, as if with glue. The edge of the brim is then bound with ribbon, and the lining put in.

9. hats are also made of straw. Wheat-straw is the best for this purpose, and is plaited either whole or split. It is said that straw hats were first introduced into Britain by Mary(14), Queen of Scots, who tried to teach the women of Scotland to plait straw. She met with little success; but her son, James the Sixth(15), who became king of England as well as of Scotland, introduced straw-plaiting into Bedfordshire, which has ever since been the centre of the trade.

10. There women and children plait the straw in their own homes. They then take it to Bedford, Dunstable, or Luton, where it is made into hats and bonnets, which are sent to London, and thence to all parts of the world.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing the words machine, machinery, mechanic, and mechanical.

2. Write a list of words made from the root -duce (like introduce), and the prefixes in-, re-, pro-, and de-, and give their meanings.

3. Give a list of words made from the root -press, with various prefixes, and give their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Savage, untaught; uncivilized.

(2) Tribes, clans; divisions of a nation.

(3) Matted, uncombed; like a mat.

(4) Cone, a figure with a round base, and tapering towards the top, like a sugar-loaf.

(5) Thirteenth century, 1201-1300.

(6) James the Fifth, King of Scotland from 1513 to 1542.

(7) Elizabeth, Queen of England from 1558 to 1603.

(8) Carded, combed; smoothed out.

(9) Microscope, an instrument for viewing very small objects.

(10) Fibres, thin threads.

(11) Queen Victoria, began to reign in 1837.

(12) Varnish, polish.

(13) Plush, a kind of cloth like velvet, but having a longer nap.

(14) Mary, Queen of Scots, Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1587.

(15) James the Sixth, King of Great Britain from 1603 to 1625.

22

THE BATTLE OF MORGARTEN

1. In the year 1315, Switzerland(1) was invaded by Duke Leopold of Austria with a strong army. This prince had often declared that he would trample the bold peasants under his feet; and he brought with him ropes to bind their chiefs. On the 13th of October, the Swiss saw the approach of this army—the first army which had ever attempted to enter their country.

2. When the troops reached the level ground overhung by the heights of Morgarten. masses of rock were hurled down the hill-side upon them by the peasants; and when they had thus been thrown into confusion, they were attacked and routed(2) by the mountaineers. The duke himself narrowly escaped capture.

3. The wine-month(3) shone in its golden prime(4),

And the red grapes clustering hung,

But a deeper sound, through the Switzer's clime(5),

Than the vintage music(6) rung—

A sound through vaulted cave,

A sound through echoing glen,

Like the hollow swell of a rushing wave; —

'Twas the tread of steel-girt(7) men.

4. And a trumpet, pealing wild and far,

'Midst the ancient rocks was blown,

Till the Alps replied to that voice of war

With a thousand of their own.

And through the forest glooms

Flashed helmets to the day,

And the winds were tossing knightly plumes

Like the larch boughs in their play.

5. In Hasli's(8) wilds there was gleaming steel,

As the host of the Austrian passed;

And the Schreckhorn's(9) rocks, with a savage peal,

Made mirth of his clarion's blast.

Up 'midst the Rigi's snows

The stormy march was heard,

With the charger's tramp, whence fire-sparks rose,

And the leader's gathering word.

6. But a band, the noblest band of all,

Through rude Morgarten strait,

With blazoned streamers(10) and lances tall

Moved onwards in princely state.

They came with heavy chains,

For the race despised so long;

But amidst his Alp domains

The herdsman's arm is strong.

7. The sun was reddening the clouds of morn

When they entered the rock defile(11),

And shrill as a joyous hunter's horn

Their bugles rung the while.

But on the misty height

Where the mountain people stood,

There was stillness as of night,

When storms at distance brood(12).

8. There was stillness as of deep dead night,

And a pause, but not of fear,

While the Switzers gazed on the gathering might

Of the hostile shield and spear.

On wound(13) those columns(14) bright

Between the lake and wood;

But they looked not to the misty height

Where the mountain people stood.

9. The pass was filled with their serried power(15),

All helmed and mail-arrayed,

And their steps had sounds like a thunder-shower

In the rustling forest shade.

There were prince and crested knight,

Hemmed in by cliff and flood,

When a shout arose from the misty height

Where the mountain people stood.

10. And the mighty rocks came bounding down

Their startled foes among,

With a joyous whirl from the summit thrown—

Oh, the herdsman's arm is strong!

They came, like lauwine(16) hurled

From Alp to Alp in play,

When the echoes shout through the snowy world,

And the pines are borne away.

11. The fir-woods crashed on the mountain-side,

And the Switzers rushed from high,

With a sudden charge on the flower and pride

Of the Austrian chivalry(17):

Like hunters of the deer,

They stormed the narrow dell,

And first in the shock, with Uri's(18) spear,

Was the arm of William Tell(19).

12. There was tumult in the crowded strait,

And a cry of wild dismay,

And many a warrior met his fate

From a peasant's hand that day!

And the empire's banner then,

From its place of waving free,

Went down before the shepherd-men,

The men of the Forest-sea.

13. With their pikes and massy clubs they brake

The cuirass(20) and the shield,

And the war-horse dashed to the reddening lake

From the reapers of the field!

The field—but not of sheaves;

Proud crests and pennons lay

Strewn o'er it thick as the birch-wood leaves

In the autumn tempest's sway.

14. Oh, the sun in heaven fierce havoc viewed

When the Austrian turned to fly;

And the brave in the trampling multitude

Had a fearful death to die!

And the leader of the war

At eve unhelmed was seen

With a hurrying step on the wilds afar,

And a pale and troubled mien(21).

15. But the sons of the land which the freeman tills

Went back from the battle toil

To their cabin homes 'midst the deep green hills,

All burdened with royal spoil.

There were songs and festal fires

On the soaring Alps that night,

When children sprang to greet their sires

From the wild Morgarten fight.

— MRS. HEMANS(22)

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write a list of words with a meaning similar to that of banner.

2. Write in prose the substance of verses 7 to 12.

3. Make sentences containing the words flow, flood, flooded, fluid, and fluent.

————————————————————

(1) Switzerland, Austria, countries of Central Europe.

(2) Routed, put to flight.

(3) Wine-month, October.

(4) Prime, perfection; full beauty.

(5) Switzer's clime, the country of the Swiss.

(6) Vintage music, the songs of those who gather the grapes.

(7) Steel-girt, armour-clad.

(8) Hasli, a valley in Switzerland.

(9) Schreckhorn, Ri'gi, lofty summits of the Alps.

(10) Blazoned streamers, flags adorned with coats of arms, etc.

(11) Rock defile, narrow gully or valley between high cliffs.

(12) Brood, hang over.

(13) Wound, followed the winding path; came.

(14) Columns, lines of soldiers.

(15) Serried power, crowded ranks.

(16) Lauwine, avalanche.

(17) Chivalry, knights and warriors.

(18) Uri, a district in the centre of Switzerland.

(19) William Tell, famous as the champion of Swiss liberty.

(20) Cuirass, breastplate.

(21) Mien, look; expression.

(22) Mrs. Hemans (1794-1835), English poetess.

23

A SWISS VILLAGE

1. The life of the peasants in the higher and more remote regions(1) of the Alps has remained unchanged for centuries. Far away from cities and railways, the mountain peasant lives as his ancestors did, and likely in the very house where his great-grandfather was born.

2. The house is probably a large unpainted two-storied building made of square pine logs, with the ends projecting at the corners, and sometimes carved into pretty shapes. It has little windows, generally filled with flowers. The roof is made of large boards, and is kept in its place by the help of poles and stones.

3. The village of Obstalden consists of a hundred such houses, standing on the high terrace of a mountain slope above the Wallen See, one of the most delightful little lakes in Switzerland. The lake is seventeen miles long, and two or three miles wide. It is clear as crystal, five hundred feet deep, and closed in by a nearly perpendicular(2) wall of rocks two thousand feet high. At a little distance are ridges and peaks nine thousand feet above sea-level, with white glaciers(3) and beautiful waterfalls.

4. The first and most pleasant recollection that one has of the village, after the wonderful scenery, is the perfect simplicity of the people, and the familiar(4) greeting of the stranger that comes from every lip. Every one seems to know him, every one speaks to him as a friend.

5. It seems absurd to call the hundred houses scattered on the green slope a town. The grass grows everywhere, quite up to the door-steps. There is no street in the place, except the white, well-paved post-road that goes by, not through, the village. Little, stony goat-paths lead up to and around the houses, and there is hardly a fence to be seen in the place.

6. But it is a town. There is the little stone church, with the white steeple and the big-faced clock outside, and the stone floors and the plain wooden benches within. There, on the south end of the church, is painted in great letters and figures the big sun-dial(5), used long before the village had a clock. Behind the little stone church is the village church-yard. Near by, in the old, old school-house, there are the happy children and their teacher, who is also the village pastor.

7. The big brown houses are scattered over the sloping meadow, each of them large enough for two or three families. Every house is as clear as any one could wish. They are comfortable enough, though very simply furnished. Rude benches take the place of chairs; there are no carpets on the floor, few pictures on the wall, and little of the luxury(6) that is common in the homes of most farmers in our country.

8. In almost every peasant's house stands an old-fashioned loom(7). It occupies the best corner of the best room. It is of more importance than anything else in the house, for by it is earned a great part of the income of the family. Silk cloth is woven for the great exporters(8) at Zürich(9), and the women are glad to earn one or two shillings a day, by weaving from dawn(10) till evening twilight.

9. While the women are weaving, the men cut grass and wood, cultivate a few potatoes, look after their little dairies, and prepare for the winter. Those of the women who are not engaged at the loom help the men out of doors. Cheese of goats' milk is made here in abundance.

10. It is an interesting sight to see the village goat-herd, usually a young man, start off every morning, driving all the goats of the village to the grass on the higher mountain slopes. His is a strange life: all the long summer day he is alone with his goats among the mountains. Evening twilight sees him at the head of his flock, winding his way down to the village. A great wreath of pink Alpine roses is twined about his hat; perhaps another rose-wreath is slung over his shoulders. Sometimes he sings one of his Alpine songs, sometimes he plays on a rude flute, as the goats in a long line follow him down to the group of stalls called "the village of the goats."

11. The goat village consists of scores of little, low, covered pens, lined with forest leaves, and as snug as can be. Every goat knows its own stall, and promptly(11) enters it.—"It is a poor, foolish goat," says the herdsman, "that does not know its own milking-place." The cheese which is made from the goat's milk is sent to the cities, and a large part of it is exported to other lands.

12. One thing always to be found in a Swiss home is a great stove of white china or earthenware, about seven feet high. It looks very cold in spite of the wood fire inside, for it is generally pure white. In shape it is either round or square. Sometimes tiny steps lead to the top, where a curtain is hung so as to make a warm little room about six feet square. In this room the children go to dress on cold mornings.

13. It has been said that the people of these Alpine villages are too poor and ignorant to love and enjoy the grand scenes about them. That is quite a mistake. Poor, in a sense, they are; but if, with their little herds, their green meadows, and their simple lives, they are content, then are they also rich. The Alpine peasant loves the mountains about him; and more than one lone wanderer from the Alps to foreign lands has been known to die of heartache, longing for the scenes of his childhood.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the verbs formed from the root -port and the prefixes ex-, im-, and trans-, and give their meanings.

2. Give a list of words formed with -ware (like earthenware), and their meanings.

3. Write sentences containing the words luxury, luxuriant, and luxurious, and distinguish between the meaning of the two last.

————————————————————

(1) Remote regions, out-of-the-way districts.

(2) Perpendicular, straight up and down.

(3) Glaciers, bodies of ice slowly moving down a mountain valley; rivers of ice.

(4) Familiar, intimate; well-known.

(5) Sun-dial, a flat surface with a pin in the centre, the direction of the shadow of which shows the time of day.

(6) Luxury, something used for enjoyment over and above what is necessary.

(7) Loom, an instrument for weaving cloth.

(8) Exporters, people who send goods out of the country.

(9) Zürich, a town in the north of Switzerland.

(10) Dawn, daybreak.

(11) Promptly, without hesitating; at once.

24

ULRICA: A TALE OF NOVA SCOTIA

I

1. The little village of Saxenhausen in Germany was in commotion(1). A proclamation(2) had just been sent out offering free land to all Germans who would settle in the new British colony of Nova Scotia. Many of the villagers were eager to go, none more so than Conrad Ludovic, a poor sick lad who earned a bare living by carving little wooden figures.

2. Ulrica was going—Ulrica the orphan girl to whom he had been betrothed(3) for six years. She was going with her uncle. Could Conrad but save enough money for the passage, he would go too; and in the new country they would be married, and would live in comfort and happiness. All day long, and far into the night, Conrad sat at his bench carving; but the work was too hard for his strength, and shortly before the time of sailing he was laid low with sickness.

3. It was then that Ulrica made up her mind to take the land for which Conrad had applied. In a few years she could have the house built and the land tilled(4), and with what she and Conrad together could earn, enough would soon be raised to pay for his passage to Nova Scotia.

4. The voyage was over, and all were safely landed at Halifax(5), and taken to the site(6) of the new settlement. A discouraging site it was. Nothing could be seen but forest. Not a tree had been felled; the whole of the coast was rocky and wild. Soon the colonists set to work bravely to clear the land and to put up houses. Ulrica's land was at a little distance from the chief settlement, in a lonely spot at the edge of the forest. Her house was finished long before any of the others; for all the settlers liked the brave girl, and helped her as well as they could. In the same way her land was the first cleared, and a promising crop of flax(7) and turnips and barley soon grew upon it.

5. Ulrica had worked hard, but she had been unable to raise enough money to pay for Conrad's passage, and he was still in Germany. As she sat on her cottage door-step one afternoon and thought it all over, her brave heart was heavy within her.

A sharp "Hallo!" broke in upon her meditation(8), and turning quickly she saw a man approaching from the forest with an axe on his shoulder. She recognized(9) him as Carl Stanford, who had come out in her ship, but had disappeared soon after landing. He asked her for food, and she led him into the little kitchen.

6. "Get me some food as quickly as possible," said Carl, seating himself wearily, "for I must be off to the settlement; I have news to tell." And then he told how the old French settlers had been driven from Grand Pré by the English soldiers. "The buildings and barns were burned to the ground," he said. "Not one is standing; but the cattle and horses and sheep are still feeding there by thousands. That is why I have come here. If I can raise a party of men, we can bring back hundreds of the cattle. Unless we make haste, the English will have them; but there is time yet. Only last night I left them feeding in the meadows."

7. "Only last night," repeated Ulrica. "How did you get here?" The man glanced down at his roughly-shod feet. "They brought me," he said. "But the mountains? They say there are mountains between us and the French country." "Mountains have been climbed," said the man. "And the rivers, and the thick forest?" said the girl. "All rivers do not cross the track, and paths have been marked through the deepest forests. With this axe I cut plenty of marks on the trees."

8. When Carl had gone, Ulrica went out for a piece of rope. Returning to the kitchen, she coiled it up closely and tied it in a handkerchief, along with a loaf of barley bread. With this bundle in her hand, she stepped out into the moonlight, and plunged into the dark woods. She was bound for the meadows of Grand Pré, to bring back a cow to sell for Conrad's passage-money.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Explain the meaning of the prefixes in the words commotion, proclamation, discouraging, unable, and repeated.

2. Trace the connections in meaning among the words betrothed, troth, truth, trow, true, trust.

3. Write sentences containing the words colony, colonize, colonist, colonial.

————————————————————

(1) Commotion, confusion.

(2) Proclamation, order; notice given to the people.

(3) Betrothed, engaged; promised in marriage.

(4) Tilled, made ready for seed.

(5) Halifax, chief city of Nova Scotia.

(6) Site, place selected; situation.

(7) Flax, a plant from which linen is made.

(8) Meditation, deep thoughts.

(9) Recognized, knew.

25

ULRICA: A TALE OF NOVA SCOTIA

II

1. Her way at first lay through a forest of tall pines, where walking was easy. In the bright moonlight she could easily see the white marks that had been cut on the trees.

It was in the deep woods, not ten miles from her home, that Ulrica's courage first failed her. The soft plumage(1) of an owl in its noiseless flight brushed against her face. She started, and uttered a loud cry. The cry echoed and re-echoed through the forest, till the girl was filled with terror, and sank to her knees on the ground.

And then came another horror. In her sudden fright she had lost sight of the markings on the trees!

2. It did not occur to her that with the daylight she could easily find these marks again. She forgot everything but that she was alone in the great woods, and lost. Closing her eyes in terror, she leaned back against a great tree. Her face touched something rough on the smooth bark. She put up her hand to feel what it was, and found that it was one of the marks that Carl Stanford had cut. In her fright she had never thought of seeking it on the tree under which she rested. Her courage returned, and watching the white chippings well, she set out on her way again.

3. It was late in the afternoon when she reached the quiet village of Grand Pré, which but a few days before had been the home of hundreds of happy peasants. The cattle had run away to a great open meadow some miles distant, and the herd was so large that Ulrica dared not venture(2) among them. Close at hand, however, there was one fine cow feeding quietly on a patch of cabbages. Ulrica went up to it, and patted it kindly. Then having shut the gate of the enclosure so that the animal could not escape, she looked about for a place of rest. She went into a cellar, and having eaten some of her barley bread, she soon fell asleep.

4. The last object she saw before going to sleep was a very red brick in the wall in front of her, and she could not help wondering why it seemed so different from the others.

The sun was up when she awoke half dazed, hardly knowing whether she was awake or dreaming. There was the red brick still before her. She walked up to it, and to her astonishment she found that it was loose. Taking it out, she found behind it one—two—three—twenty gold pieces. She wrapped them in her handkerchief, and went out to look for her cow. Fastening her rope to its horns, the resolute(3) girl then led it along the road towards her home.

5. Two hours before this, a party of the Germans had started from the settlement. All through the day they travelled, and about midnight, as they stopped to rest, they heard the tinkling of a bell. "That is a French cow-bell," said Carl Stanford. "But the French pastures(4) are many miles away, man," said half a dozen voices. "It is a French bell," said Carl, "and I am going to find out what it is doing here;" and with that he started, followed by the others, in the direction of the sound. Soon the tinkling came nearer and nearer, till they saw in the moonlit forest the great sleek(5) cow led by Ulrica. For a moment no one spoke. Then a cheer, loud and long, burst from every man.

6. The morning after Ulrica reached the settle meat, she handed the captain of a ship two of the gold pieces to pay for Conrad's passage.

The month of May brought Conrad, much improved in health by the voyage. In the little church of St. John he and Ulrica were married. Her small cabin was soon changed for the best house in the town, planned and built by Conrad himself.

7. To this day farmers in that neighbourhood trace the pedigree(6) of their best cows to Ulrica's French prize. The cow-bells there are still made after the pattern of the one that tinkled so mysteriously in the forest a hundred years ago. And some of the richest families in the province are not ashamed to trace their ancestry(7) back to that peasant girl.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the meanings of dense, density, condense, and condensation, so as to show their connection.

2. Show the connection in meaning between the words horror, horrid, horrible, horrify, abhor, and abhorrence.

3. Give various forms under which the prefix ob- is found in compound words (such as oc-cur).

————————————————————

(1) Plumage, feathers.

(2) Venture, run the risk of going.

(3) Resolute, determined; fixed in purpose.

(4) Pastures, feeding grounds for cattle.

(5) Sleek, smooth; shining.

(6) Pedigree, descent.

(7) Ancestry, forefathers.

26

GRAND PRÉ

1. This is the forest primeval(1); but where are the hearts that beneath it

Leaped like the roe(2), when he hears in the woodland the voice of the huntsman?

Where is the thatch-roofed village, the home of Acadian(3) farmers, —

Men whose lives glided on like rivers that water the woodlands,

Darkened by shadows of earth, but reflecting an image of heaven?

2. Waste are those pleasant farms, and the farmers for ever departed,

Scattered like dust and leaves, when the mighty blasts of October

Seize them, and whirl them aloft, and sprinkle them far o'er the ocean.

Naught but tradition(4) remains of the beautiful village of Grand Pré.

*　*　*　*　*　*

3. In the Acadian land, on the shores of the Basin of Minas(5),

Distant, secluded(6), still, the little village of Grand Pré

Lay in the fruitful valley. Vast meadows stretched to the eastward,

Giving the village its name, and pasture to flocks without number.

Dikes, that the hands of the farmers had raised with labour incessant(7),

Shut out the turbulent(8) tides; but at stated seasons the flood-gates

Opened, and welcomed the sea to wander at will o'er the meadows.

4. West and south there were fields of flax, and orchards, and corn-fields,

Spreading afar and unfenced o'er the plain; and away to the northward

Blomidon(9) rose, and the forests old, and aloft on the mountains

Sea-fogs pitched their tents, and mists from the mighty Atlantic

Looked on the happy valley, but ne'er from their station descended.

5. There, in the midst of its farms, reposed the Acadian village.

Strongly built were the houses, with frames of oak and of chestnut.

Such as the peasants of Normandy(10) built in the reign of the Henries(11).

Thatched were the roofs, with dormer-windows(12); and gables projecting

Over the basement(13) below protected and shaded the doorway.

6. There in the tranquil(14) evenings of summer, when brightly the sunset

Lighted the village street, and gilded the vanes(15) on the chimneys,

Matrons and maidens sat in snow-white caps, and in kirtles

Scarlet and blue and green, with distaffs(16) spinning the golden

Flax for the gossiping looms, whose noisy shuttles withindoors

Mingled their sound with the whirr of the wheels and the songs of the maidens.

7. Solemnly down the street came the parish priest, and the children

Paused in their play to kiss the hand he extended to bless them.

Reverend walked he among them; and up rose matrons and maidens,

Hailing his slow approach with words of affectionate welcome.

8. Then came the labourers home from the field, and serenely(17) the sun sank

Down to his rest, and twilight prevailed. Anon(18) from the belfry(19)

Softly the Angelus(20) sounded, and over the roofs of the village

Columns of pale-blue smoke, like clouds of incense(21) ascending,

Rose from a hundred hearths, the homes of peace and contentment.

9. Thus dwelt together in love these simple Acadian farmers, —

Dwelt in the love of God and of man. Alike were they free from

Fear, that reigns with the tyrant, and envy, the vice of republics.

Neither locks had they to their doors, nor bars to their windows,

But their dwellings were open as day and the hearts of the owners;

There the richest was poor, and the poorest lived in abundance.

*　*　*　*　*　*

10. Still stands the forest primeval; but under the shade of its branches

Dwells another race, with other customs and language.

Only along the shore of the mournful and misty Atlantic

Linger a few Acadian peasants, whose fathers from exile

Wandered back to their native land to die in its bosom.

— LONGFELLOW: Evangeline.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Break up into their several parts, giving their meanings, the words incessant, welcomed, unfenced, chestnut.

2. Give fully the meaning of these compound words, as derived from that of their parts: — woodland, huntsman, eastward, flood- gates, sea-fogs, door-way, snow-white, twilight.

3. Write the substance of section 10 in simple language.

————————————————————

(1) Primeval, belonging to the earliest ages.

(2) Roe, the female deer.

(3) Acadian, belonging to Acadia, the French name of Nova Scotia.

(4) Tradition, story passed down from father to son.

(5) Basin of Minas, a bay on the east side of the Bay of Fundy.

(6) Secluded, retired; separated from others.

(7) Incessant, without ceasing.

(8) Turbulent, restless.

(9) Blomidon, a headland of Nova Scotia.

(10) Normandy, an old province in the north-west of France.

(11) Henries, French kings of the name of Henry.

(12) Dormer-windows, windows on a sloping roof, standing straight up and down.

(13) Basement, floor on the level of the street.

(14) Tranquil, peaceful; calm.

(15) Vanes, weather-cocks.

(16) Distaff, staff or rod on which flax is fixed for spinning.

(17) Serenely, peacefully.

(18) Anon, forthwith; at once.

(19) Belfry, a tower in which a bell is hung.

(20) Angelus, bell calling to evening prayer.

(21) Incense, spices burned in worship.

27

THE FUGITIVES OF FRENCH CROSS

1. Nova Scotia, or Acadia, as it was called by the French, was settled partly by French and partly by British colonists. When France finally gave up the province to Britain in 1713, the French colonists refused to accept the change of rule. Urged on by a mistaken patriotism(1), they formed plots with the Indians(2) against the English, and it was at last determined to remove them to other parts of the British possessions.

2. On the 12th of September 1755, the French villagers of Belisle, near Port Royal(3), were full of sorrow. News had just arrived that they were prisoners of the English king, and that his soldiers would soon arrive to burn the barns and houses, and to carry the people themselves over the seas. Flight to the dark forest seemed their only chance of liberty.

3. Pierre Melancon, the hardy old hunter, was chosen leader; and as soon as darkness came on, the party of three hundred set out on their long march. Their plan was to cross the mountains to the Bay of Fundy(4), where they hoped to find friendly Indians who would convey them across the water to their friends in what is now called New Brunswick(5). But illness and starvation soon played havoc among the party, and many died by the way.

4. Before they reached the sea, winter had set in, and there was no hope of reaching their friends across the bay till spring came. They encamped on the shore of a small bay, where for months they lived on mussels(6) alone. On the 17th of March, only sixty weak, starved men, out of the band of three hundred, were living to see a canoe come up the cove. In it were two friendly Indians—an old man and a strong lad. They shared what food they had among the poor Frenchmen; but this was all they could do, for they came from a solitary camp.

5. The old Indian's eyes glistened(7) as he heard the name of Pierre Melancon. He was led to the hut where the famous old hunter had been lying for weeks stricken(8) with illness.

The old Indian seated himself beside him, and, without a word of explanation, said, "You have been across the bay to Chignecto, in a canoe?"

"Ay, twice," replied Pierre, with a gleam of pride lighting his sunken eyes.

6. "My people and your people are there—many. They would come and take you in canoes if they knew," said the Indian.

"Ay, if they knew," echoed(9) the old man sadly.

"I have here," said the Indian, "a good canoe, and my boy is brave and strong. He will paddle the canoe across; but he does not know the course nor the bad eddies(10) in the tide on the other shore. Will the old hunter go as guide, and keep the canoe from the bad tides?"

7. The old man's hands dropped on his knees, his head fell forward on his breast, and there was silence in the hut. At last his old wife said, "Pierre, you will go; your strength may come back." The old man raised his head, and seeming for the first time to recognize her, he said firmly, "Ay, old wife, it has come back;" then rising to his feet he said to the Indian, "I will go." And without further words Pierre placed on his head a small cap of otter skin and stepped outside the hut.

8. At the shore they brought him the last food that was in the camp, but he would not take it.

"You must eat to give you strength," they said.

"I have strength," he replied, "and I have not eaten for two days."

Turning to the young Indian he said, "Push off, and get into the bow." Then he bent down and kissed his wife's pale face, and seated himself in the stern of the canoe without a word. Under the powerful strokes of the paddles the canoe darted forward like an arrow.

9. Friends, both French and Indian, crowded round the old hunter when he reached the other shore, and great was their surprise to learn about the starving party across the bay. The strongest canoe and a large fishing-boat were at once made ready to go to their assistance. Pierre was urged to remain among his friends and rest, but he insisted on returning to rescue his own people. He seated himself in the bow of the boat, and by his side sat the brave young Indian, his companion.

10. The fugitives were on the watch for his return, foremost among them the old hunter's wife. Long before the others she caught sight of his broad shoulders in the bow of the boat, and she wondered why he did not turn his head to look towards the shore, where they were all waiting for him. The brave young Indian who sat in the bow beside him knew the reason why; he saw the dew gather on the cold pale face, and the dim eyes lose their lustre(11). He knew that the brave old hunter had found earth's final shore, and was at rest at last.

11. A day and a night the rescuers rested, while the starving French settlers were supplied with much-needed food. The next day was fair, and the people were safely carried to the other side of the bay. The spot where they landed is still called Refugee Cove.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words fugitive, refuge, and refugee.

2. Give the meanings of liberty, liberate, liberal, and deliver, so as to show their connection.

3, Show in the same way the connection between solitary, sole, solitude, sullen, and desolate.

————————————————————

(1) Patriotism, love of country or people.

(2) Indians, native inhabitants of America.

(3) Port Royal, new Annapolis, on west coast of Nova Scotia.

(4) Bay of Fundy, between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

(5) New Brunswick, a province in the east of Canada.

(6) Mussels, a kind of shell-fish.

(7) Glistened, shone.

(8) Stricken, struck down.

(9) Echoed, repeated.

(10) Eddies, currents.

(11) Lustre, brightness.

28

THE BLOW-PIPE

1. When a native of the forest region of Guiana(1) goes in quest(2) of feathered game, he seldom carries his bow and arrows. It is the blow-pipe that he then uses. This extraordinary tube of death is perhaps one of the greatest natural curiosities of Guiana. The Indians say that it grows in the south-west of the country, in the wilds which extend between them and the Rio Negro(3).

2. The reed(4) must grow to an amazing length, as the part which the Indians use is from ten to eleven feet long; and no tapering(5) can be perceived in it, one end being as thick as the other. It is of a bright yellow colour, and perfectly smooth both inside and out. It grows hollow; nor is there the least appearance of a knot or a joint throughout its whole extent. The natives call it "ourah."

3. This reed is of itself too slender to serve for a blow-pipe; but there is a species of palm common in Guiana which is larger and stronger, and this the Indians use as a case in which they put the ourah. It is called "samourah," and is of a brown colour, and full of knots.

Thus the ourah and the samourah, one within the other, form the blow-pipe of Guiana. The end which is applied to the month is tied with a small silk-grass cord to prevent it from splitting.

4. The arrow is from nine to ten inches long. It is made out of the leaf of a species of palm tree, hard and brittle(6), and pointed as sharp as a needle. About an inch of the pointed end is poisoned. The other end is burned to make it still harder, and about an inch and a half of it is wound round with wild cotton. The cotton must be just large enough to fit the hollow of the tube, and it requires considerable skill to put it on well. It is tied on with a silk- grass thread to prevent it from slipping off the arrow.

5. With a quiver(7) full of poisoned arrows over his shoulder, and his blow-pipe in his hand, in the same position as a soldier carries his musket, see the Indian advancing through the forest in quest of game. The birds generally sit high up in the tall and tufted trees, but still they are not out of the Indian's reach, for his blow-pipe will send an arrow to a height of three hundred feet. Silent as midnight he steals upon them, and so cautiously does he tread the ground that the fallen leaves rustle not beneath his feet.

6. His ear is open to the least sound, while his eye, keen as that of the lynx(8), is employed in finding the game in the thickest shade. Often he imitates their cry, and decoys(9) them from tree to tree till they are within range of his tube. Then taking a poisoned arrow from his quiver, he puts it in the blow-pipe, and collects his breath for the fatal puff.

7. Silent and swift the arrow flies, and seldom fails to pierce the object at which it is sent. Sometimes the wounded bird remains in the same tree where it was shot. Should it take wing, its flight is of short duration, and the Indian, following in the direction it has taken, is sure to find it dead. Even when only a slight wound is inflicted, the poison works so quickly that the bird can live but a few moments. The flesh is not in the least injured by the poison, and can be eaten with perfect safety.

— WATERTON

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words duration, durable, endure, endurance.

2. Give a list of words from the root -pose with the prefixes con-, in-, dis-, re-, ex-, oh-, pro-, and pre- (like preposition, etc.).

3. Give the meaning of the prefixes in appear, collect, beneath, amazing, and extraordinary.

THE VENETIAN GONDOLA

————————————————————

(1) Guiana, a country in the north of South America.

(2) Quest, search.

(3) Rio Negro, a river of Brazil, South America.

(4) Reed, a thick, coarse grass, with hollow, jointed stalks, growing near or in water.

(5) Tapering, becoming narrower towards one end.

(6) Brittle, easily broken.

(7) Quiver, a case in which arrows are carried.

(8) Lynx, a wild animal of the cat kind.

(9) Decoys, entices.

29

THE VENETIAN(1) GONDOLA

1. The gondola is the carriage of Venice, and a most delightful one it is. The gondolier is out of sight of the passengers, like the driver of a hansom cab, and nothing obstructs the view except the graceful steel prow(2), waving slightly to and fro.

2. The gondola is a fiat-bottomed boat, finely shaped and beautifully ornamented. It rests lightly upon the water, and is propelled(3) and guided as easily as a canoe. It draws(4) so little water that it can pass through the shallowest canals at low tide.

3. The gondola, however, belongs to the luxury of Venice. It is for pleasure and convenience, not for business. Even when strangers are brought in it from the railway stations and the foreign steamers, the heavy luggage is left to be taken by the "barca," a more common, flat-bottomed boat used for merchandise(5).

4. Those who have never visited Venice have a vague(6) idea that to get from one end of the city to another one is always forced to go by boat. That is not so. Unless one wishes to visit the neighbouring islands, he can reach any part on foot, although he may have to pass through many narrowly streets and climb up and down the numerous steps of many bridges.

5. Few of the inhabitants of Venice ever go about in boats. Only people of the better class possess gondolas. Those of the middle class seldom hire them, and would as soon think of taking one to go a short distance as a poor man in one of our cities would think of taking a cab. When a native must take a conveyance, there are the omnibus boats and the steamboats, which supply the place of our tramway cars.

6. Here in Venice, where all heavy goods are carried by boats, there are large barges instead of trucks, and numerous small ones instead of wheel-barrows for the butcher, baker, and other trades-people. These small boats are of all shapes and sizes, but the usual form is a large, light, graceful skiff called a "sandolo", which is easily propelled by one oar.

7. I use the word "propelled", as I do not know whether I should say rowed, sculled, or paddled; for the gondola and the sandolo are alike propelled by a single oarsman with a single oar. He does not paddle, for he uses a rowlock(7); and he does not scull, for the oar is not placed over the stern, but at one side.

8. The gondolier stands in the stern on a little raised platform, and plies his oar on the right side. He uses a high rowlock not unlike a fork. He faces the prow, gives a long, strong push, and throws the force of his whole body into the stroke. Then he drags the oar slightly in the water before the next stroke, and by so doing, in some way all his own, he keeps the boat straight. The peculiar stroke gives a slight sidewise movement to the boat which is not unpleasant. It is difficult to learn the art of using an oar in the Venetian fashion, and very easy for the beginner to lose his balance; and I am sure that rew have played at being a gondolier without getting a ducking.

9. The cost of a gondola, all complete, with its steel prow, brasses, cushions, and numerous trappings, is about one thousand lire, or forty pounds, which is a large sum for a Venetian. The gondolier hires out himself and his boat for five life, or four shillings, a day. There is, however, a long winter in Venice, with few travellers, when the gondolier will tell you that he has "much want of money".

10. All along the quays(8) opposite the Doge's(9) palace and the public gardens, and at intervals on the Grand Canal, there are gondolier stations, which are also ferries. Here cluster the gondolas that are for hire, and that do the ferrying across the Grand Canal or to the neighbouring islands.

11. For centuries the gondoliers had great power in Venice, and only a limited number of men were allowed to follow the business. At last the formation of a steamboat company broke their power. They still ply up and down the Grand Canal, and form noisy groups around the ferries, but their days are numbered; for now that the steamboat has come, the gondolier will soon be a picturesque object of the past.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words with terminations meaning "the agent, or doer", like gondolier.

2. Write a list of words, with their meanings, formed from the root -pel (like propel), with the prefixes con-, re-, ex-, dis-, and in-.

3. Give a number of words connected with numerous, some with the letter b, as in number, and others without.

————————————————————

(1) Venetian, belonging to Venice, a city in the north of Italy.

(2) Prow, bow; fore-part.

(3) Propelled, driven forward.

(4) Draws, requires for floating.

(5) Merchandise, goods; trade.

(6) Vague, hazy.

(7) Rowlock, rest for an oar.

(8) Quays, landing-places.

(9) Doge, the ruler of Venice.

30

VENICE

1. There is a glorious City in the Sea.

The sea is in the broad, the narrow streets,

Ebbing and flowing, and the salt sea-weed

Clings to the marble of her palaces.

No track of men, no footsteps to and fro,

Lead to her gates.

2. The path lies o'er the sea,

Invisible(1); and from the land we went

As to a floating city, steering in

And gliding up her streets as in a dream

So smoothly, silently; by many a dome(2),

Mosque(3)-like, and many a stately portico(4),

The statues ranged along an azure(5) sky;

By many a pile(6) in more than Eastern splendour,

Of old the residence of merchant-kings;

The fronts of some, though time had shattered them,

Still glowing with the richest hues of art,

As though the wealth within them had run o'er.

— SAMUEL ROGERS

VENICE BY NIGHT.

3. Night in her dark array

Steals o'er the ocean,

And with departed day

Hushed seems its motion

Slowly o'er yon blue coast

Onward she's treading,

Till its dark line is lost

'Neath her veil spreading.

The bark on the rippling deep

Hath found a pillow,

And the pale moonbeams sleep

On the green billow.

4. Now o'er the blue lagoon(7)

Light barks are dancing,

And 'neath the silver moon

Swift oars are glancing.

Strains from the mandolin(8)

Steal o'er the water;

Echo replies between

To mirth and laughter.

O'er the wave, seen afar,

Brilliantly shining,

Gleams like a fallen star

Venice reclining.

— F. KEMBLE

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Invisible, unseen; not to be traced by sight.

(2) Dome, rounded roof, like a cup turned upside down.

(3) Mosque, a Mohammedan church or temple.

(4) Portico, porch; covered entrance.

(5) Azure, deep blue.

(6) Pile, lofty building.

(7) Lagoon, a shallow lake or pool, especially one into which the tide flows.

(8) Mandolin, a stringed musical in strument.

31

A STORY OF TWO ARTISTS

1. Two Venetian artists, Daru and Priuli, had been rivals in youth, but Priuli had soon shown such great ability that the other was left far behind. For this, Daru could never forgive him; he felt the bitterest jealousy of his rival, and even a thirst for vengeance against him. Outwardly, however, Darn professed(1) a warm friendship for Priuli, which the latter believed to be sincere(2).

2. A French noble, residing in Venice, had engaged Priuli to paint him a picture, which the artist had finished and taken to his house. At this time war was suddenly declared between Venice and France, and the nobleman found himself forced to set out for France, and unable to obtain money to pay for the picture. Priuli urged him to take the picture with him, and to send the price of it at some future time. He did so, and in due time the money was given to the artist by a Venetian Jew(3), who had received it from the French noble in Milan.

3. Daru had been long waiting for a chance to ruin his great rival. He knew all about this transaction, and he saw that out of it he could make a serious charge against Priuli. So he sent secret information to the rulers of the city that Priuli had received money from a foreign prince with whom Venice was at war. Daru thought that this would bring certain ruin upon Priuli, for on charges of this sort some of the highest nobles in Venice had been arrested and tried.

4. Priuli was arrested and brought before the council(4). His explanation was frank(5) and simple. He told the whole story, showing that he had received no money from a foreign prince, but merely payment of a debt from a private person. Had Priuli been a powerful noble, with powerful enemies, his story would not have been so readily believed. But Priuli had no powerful enemies, and the Venetians were always tender to artists; and so he was found not guilty. At the same time, it was not the custom of the Venetian council to set any prisoner free too quickly.

5. Priuli was therefore sent back to prison; but he was placed in a comfortable room, where he could obtain everything he desired. Being in want of a picture for the Palace, the council gave him a commission(6) to paint for them a scene from Venetian history. In the meantime, they had been making inquiries, and they had now discovered who it was that had made the charge against Priuli.

6. Daru meanwhile was rejoicing in his vengeance. The fall of Priuli would make him—Daru—the first artist in Venice. Full of confidence, therefore, he asked from the council a commission for that very work which, unknown to him, had already been entrusted to Priuli. The request was granted, but on condition that the council should judge between his work and that of another artist whose services had already been engaged.

7. Daru's picture was finished. Some of the council came to see it, and gave it much praise. They told him that the other picture had also been completed, and was now in the Palace, where they invited him to go and see it. Daru went with them, wondering how the other picture was already at the Palace. Had the council chosen it before even seeing his work?

8. In a large upper room of the Palace a brilliant(7) company was assembled, among them the Doge himself. But in that company Daru saw one form which made him blind to all the rest. Forgetting the respect due to the august(8) company, he stood still and stared upon the face of that man whom for months he had thought of as lying in a dreary prison.

9. "We gave you a commission, signor(9)," said the Doge; "but we had previously given it to another with whom you were to compete(10). We honour our friend Priuli so much that we invited him to our Palace to do his work undisturbed. His work is finished. It is here. Come and see whether you think that yours is equal to his."

The wretched(11) Daru could neither speak nor move. His base(12) plot had been discovered, and he, the informer, had been detected. And now he was before the dread council, and the awful prison-house was near.

10. "This," continued the Doge, "is an admirable picture, a masterpiece(13), which shall adorn our walls. As for your work, you shall be rewarded—for all that you have done." There was a terrible meaning in these words. As the Doge ended, he made a sign to the attendants, and they led Daru away.

Priuli was restored to liberty in a few days; but Daru, having been kept in prison for about a year, left Venice, and never came back.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words vengeance, avenge, and revenge.

2. Give a list of words with the termination -ship (like friendship), with their meanings.

3. Give a list of words with the prefix trans- (like transaction), and their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Professed, pretended to have.

(2) Sincere, real.

(3) Jew, descendant of Jacob; Israel-ite; Hebrew.

(4) Council, rulers.

(5) Frank, open; straight forward.

(6) Commission, order; piece of work entrusted to any one.

(7) Brilliant, distinguished; grand.

(8) August, imposing.

(9) Signor, Sir.

(10) Compete, try against.

(11) Wretched, miserable.

(12) Base, low; mean.

(13) Masterpiece, a piece of work done with great skill.

32

GOOD FOR EVIL

1. Antenore was one of the proudest nobles of Venice. No one was so jealous as he of the rights of his class; no one was so much displeased when any of the lower orders began to show signs of wealth.

2. Among those whom he most disliked was the merchant Galbajo, a man who was much liked among those of his own rank, on account of his simple and unaffected(1) manners. His wealth was great, and he had made it all himself, yet he showed none of the vanity which often marks self-made men.

But Galbajo was too prosperous; his success caused jealousy. By means of dark hints dropped by Antenore, suspicion was aroused, and many began to look on Galbajo as a man who had made his fortune by fraud and crime.

3. Such was the state of affairs when war broke out between the Venetians and the Turks(2). All trade was brought to a standstill; the ships of Venice lay idle in the docks. It was no wonder, then, that the arrival of one of Galbajo's ships from Smyrna(3) made the Venetian merchants very suspicious. Who was this Galbajo? Why were his ships spared by the Turks? Was he a traitor(4) and in league(5) with the enemy? Such were the questions Antenore kept asking, until the unfortunate merchant was arrested and thrown into prison.

4. Galbajo made a simple and straightforward statement. His ship had sailed from Smyrna before war had been declared. Having been forced to put into Corfu(6) for repairs, it had been kept there for some time, and had not reached Venice until the war had begun. But through the influence of Antenore this story was not believed, and Galbajo was sentenced to banishment(7) for life. He knew well who was the cause of his misfortunes, but he submitted without a word.

5. The war went on. The Turks were everywhere victorious. At length came the tidings that the last fleet of Venice had been defeated, and that thousands of Venetians had been carried off as slaves. Among those captured was the only son of Antenore, the pride of his father, the last of his line. Antenore was crushed under the blow. For some time he waited anxiously for tidings of his son, but as the weeks passed by he gave up all hope of his return.

6. One day, a few months later, there came a boat to Venice. A young man disembarked and proceeded in a gondola to the Palace Antenore. He rushed past the servants at the door, ascended the grand staircase, and entered the room at the end of it.

7. Here sat an old man with his head bowed in his hands. So deep in thought was he, that he neither saw nor heard the new-comer. The young man stood for a moment, and then went up to him. "Father!" The old man started to his feet with a white face. He could not say one word, but holding his beloved son in his arms he clung to him and sobbed like a child.

8. Then came eager questions about his escape, or whether he had ever been a captive. "Captive 1" exclaimed the lad; "ay, that I have been, but I was saved by a rich Greek named Angelus. He is the noblest of men. He found me in prison, sick and dying, bought me as his slave, took me home with him, and nursed me back to life and health. Then he gave me my freedom and sent me back to Venice, bearing this letter for you."

9. Antenore eagerly broke the seal of the letter and read the following: —

"With this letter you will receive back to your heart your only son, the last of your line. Banished by you, I came to Alexandria, and here I live in disguise as a Greek; but my heart clings to my country. I met your son by chance, and I loved him as my own son, for he was a Venetian. Willingly would I have kept him with me to soothe my exile, but I loved him too well for that, and so I send him home. Take him, then, for you are his father; take him—a gift from the man you most hate; for know, O Antenore, that the deliverer of your only son from slavery is—the banished GALBAJO."

10. Antenore dropped the letter from his trembling hands. He was filled with remorse(8) and bitter self-reproach(9), and he felt that he could never know peace of mind again, until he should see Galbajo restored to his home in Venice. To this work he now devoted himself. The story of Galbajo's noble conduct, together with the influence which Antenore possessed, led to the recall of the merchant from banishment. Galbajo returned to Venice, and the old jealous hatred of Antenore gave way to respectful and intimate friendship.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give some words in which the prefix dis- means not, as displeased, and some in which it means apart or asunder, as dispose.

2. Analyze the words straightforward and disembarked, and give the force of each part.

3. Write in the third person the substance of the letter in section 9, beginning, "Galbajo said in his letter that," etc.

————————————————————

(1) Unaffected, natural; without affectation or pretence.

(2) Turks, the people of Turkey, a country partly in Europe and partly in Asia.

(3) Smyrna, chief town of Asia Minor.

(4) Traitor, betrayer; one who is false to something entrusted to him.

(5) League, alliance.

(6) Corfu, a small island off the west coast of Turkey in Europe.

(7) Banishment, exile; being com-pelled to leave one's native country.

(8) Remorse, regret; being sorry for what one has done.

(9) Self-reproach, finding fault with oneself.

33

CARNIVOROUS PLANTS

I

1. Every one of you, boys and girls, knows that animals eat plants, but it may be something new for you to learn that there are also plants which eat animals. Where, you may ask, shall we look for such cruel and dangerous vegetables? We need not go to foreign lands, for they are to be found in abundance on our own marshes and moorlands. Yet you may take your rambles without any fear of being pounced on and devoured by some "plant of prey." For they are not hunters, but trappers, and they only devour such prey as the very smallest insects.

2. Let us go to seek for some of these flesh-eating plants. Here we are on the edge of a wide moor, where the springy turf is pleasant enough under foot in July or August, but quite impass-able with wet during most of the year. The thick carpet of moss is dotted with clumps of heather, rushes, coarse grasses, and other plants of the moor. Let us now look more closely at one of those little rosettes(1) of bright yellowish green, which look like vegetable star-fishes scattered over a beach of moss instead of sand. That is one of the plants we want. It is called the butterwort, perhaps because it looks so fat and oily.

BUTTERWORT

3. From the centre of each rosette rises a slender stalk of two or three inches, bearing a small, dusky(2) purple flower rather like a dog-violet. The green leaves which form the rosette are stiff, and lie close to the ground, as if to keep a clear space among the other plants. They curl up at the edges, and look as if they did not want to mingle(3) with their kindred(4) round about; and indeed they do not want to be troubled with plants creeping over them, for they have other game in view.

4. Attracted by the bright green star, a small insect comes in search of honey. He finds the leaf covered with a sticky fluid, and his touch causes more of the fluid to come out of little pores in the leaf. The insect is held fast, and the gum clogs up the pores of his body so that he cannot breathe. He soon dies.

5. Then the plant pours out an acid(5) liquid, which soon dissolves all the soft parts of the captured insect, and leaves only the skeleton(6). At the same time this dissolved or digested food is sucked up by the leaf. In fact, by first catching hold of the insect, and then digesting it, this smooth, green leaf really acts both as a mouth and a stomach.

6. If the insect alights near the raised edge of the leaf, that edge curls over, so as to bring him more within reach of the gum and the acid. If you put a little piece of sand on the leaf, the plant will pour out plenty of gum; but it seems to discover that you are playing a trick on it, for it does not pour any acid on the sand. If you give it a bit of flesh or of egg, or even a drop of milk, the digesting acid will be poured out at once.

7. Perhaps you may know that farmers use the acid, or rennet, as it is called, that is got from the stomach of a calf, to curdle(7) their milk into cheese. The acid juice of the butterwort is so like the juice of the animal stomach, that in Lapland(8) the people used to pour warm milk over some butterwort leaves, and thus changed it into a kind of curd, of which they were very fond.

8. The work of digesting its prey is rather slowly performed by the butterwort, and we should require to stay beside the plant for twenty-four hours or so, to see it completed. When it is finished, the leaf expands again, and lies ready to hold fast and devour any small creature that may come within its grasp.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Show the connection in meaning between kin, akin, kindred, kins-man, mankind, kindly.

2. Give examples of words with terminations meaning "small," like rosette.

3. Give the meanings of attract, contract, distract, extract, abstract, and protract, showing the force of the prefixes.

————————————————————

(1) Rosettes, something in the form of a rose (literally a small rose).

(2) Dusky, dark-coloured.

(3) Mingle, mix.

(4) Kindred, relations; those of the same kind or family.

(5) Acid, sour.

(6) Skeleton, bones without the flesh or skin.

(7) Curdle, change into a solid mass.

(8) Lapland, a district in the far north of Europe.

34

CARNIVOROUS PLANTS

II

1. On this same patch of moor we may find another of these flesh-eating plants. This is smaller than the last, and less easily found. It has a slender flower-stalk with a spike of small whitish flowers rising from the centre of a curious group of leaves. The leaves lie flat on the ground; they are small and round, no larger than split peas, and covered with bright red hairs that look like tiny red pins stuck in a tiny green pin-cushion.

2. Each of these hairs carries at its point a bead of clear fluid, which glitters in the sun; hence the plant is called the sundew. Let any thirsty insect come to drink this dew, and a strange thing happens. He finds his feet held fast by the sticky dew, and the more he struggles the more of these dewdrops does he rub against. He is held fast until he is suffocated(1), and then he is digested and swallowed up by the leaf.

LEAF OF SUNDEW ENLARGED

3. Those hairs, as we have called them, are really a kind of tentacle(2), like those with which some animals hold their prey; and when a small fly alights on the plant, the hairs begin to bend in towards the centre of the leaf. Even those hairs which have not been touched bend over, as your fingers close upon your palm(3), until all of them are helping to hold fast the prey and dissolve it with their liquid.

SUNDEW

4. If the insect alights near the edge of the leaf, he is thus carried towards the centre and held fast, while the leaf itself bends so as to form a cup for the acid that pours from the hairs. If two insects alight on the same leaf, the hairs form into two groups, those near each animal curving towards him, so that the leaf acts as if it had two hands. In this way all the insects that come are attended to.

5. There are certain other insect-eating plants found in mossy pools, not so well known as the butterwort and sundew. These are the bladderworts. They have no roots, and they live in the water. In winter they sink to the bottom and go to sleep. In summer they float, and spend their time—as so many boys would like to do—in fishing, or, at any rate, in trap ping the very minute(4) creatures that swarm in every pool.

6. They catch insects exactly as fishermen catch lobsters. They have little, bladder-like traps, into which small creatures swim or crawl; but once in, these never get out again, for the entrance is guarded by stiff hairs, and has a kind of trap-door, which only opens inwards. On the outside the trap is also protected by bristles(5); but these are large, and prevent only the larger animals from entering, and this makes the smaller ones all the more ready to go in for shelter.

BLADDER-WORT

7. Among the insect-eaters or flesh-eaters of other lands, the most striking is the plant known as Venus's fly-trap. You can see by the picture that its leaves are arranged somewhat like those of the sundew. There is a broad, flat leaf-stalk, and the leaf proper at the end of it is composed of two rounded lobes(6), which lie like a book partly opened. Round the edge is a row of teeth, and on the round part are a few hairs, which act as feelers.

VENUS'S FLY-TRAP

8. When an insect settles on these feelers, the open book shuts up very quickly, and the teeth on the opposite edges pass each other, just as your fingers do when you clasp your hands together. They remain locked together in this way until the insect is digested, and only the hard parts of it remain. Then the book or trap opens again, and is ready for another meal.

PITCHER-PLANT

9. There is also a large class of plants, known as pitcher-plants, that trap insects. They are natives of tropical countries(7); but you may see them in the hot-houses of any botanic(8) garden. In some kinds the pitchers are seen growing upright, in others hanging from a tendril(9); but in every case they are partly filled with liquid.

10. Beads of honey round the edge, and sometimes patches of gay colour, attract insects, many of which slip down the smooth sides of the pitcher into the liquid. They are prevented from escaping by a fringe of stiff hairs which grow, point down wards, inside the lip of the pitcher; and so they are first drowned and then dissolved in the liquid, and their substance is absorbed(10) as nourishment by the plant.

PITCHER-PLANT

11. Most plants require animal substances as part of their food, and farmers and gardeners supply this to them. We generally find that plants of the flesh-eating or insect-eating kind grow on moors and in ponds, where there is little animal matter to be found; hence they have acquired(11) the power of helping themselves in those ingenious(12) ways which we have noticed.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of the words (with their meanings) formed from the root -ply (like supply), with various prefixes.

2. Show the connection in meaning between the words insect, section, dissect, and intersect.

3. Make nouns from dissolve, resolve, and absolve (like solution from solve).

————————————————————

(1) Suffocated, killed from want of air; choked.

(2) Tentacle, a long feeler or finger for laying hold of anything.

(3) Palm, inner part of the hand.

(4) Minute, very small; tiny.

(5) Bristles, stiff hairs standing erect.

(6) Lobes, flat rounded parts.

(7) Tropical countries, countries in the Torrid Zone, the hottest part of the earth.

(8) Botanic, belonging to botany, the science of plants.

(9) Tendril, the slender shoot of a plant.

(10) Absorbed, sucked in.

(11) Acquired, learned; got possession of.

(12) Ingenious, clever; skilful.

35

FISHING SONGS

I. —THE TAKING OF THE SALMON.

(See Frontispiece.)

1. A birr! a whirr! a salmon's on—

A goodly fish, a beauty!

Bring up, bring up the ready gaff(1),

Let silken line and trusty staff(2)

Prepare to do their duty.

Hark! 'tis the music of the reel,

The strong, the quick, the steady;

The line darts from the active wheel—

Have all things right and ready.

2. A birr! a whirr! the salmon's out

Far on the rushing river;

Onward he holds with sudden leap,

Or plunges through the whirlpool(3) deep

In desperate endeavour.

Hark to the music of the reel,

The fitful(4) and the grating(5);

How madly whirls the breathless wheel,

Now hurried, now abating!

3. A birr! a whirr! the salmon's off!

No, no, we still have got him;

The wily(6) fish is sullen(7) grown,

And like a bright imbedded stone

Lies gleaming at the bottom.

Hark to the music of the reel—

'Tis silent and forsaken;

With care we'll guard the magic wheel

Until its notes re-waken.

4. A birr! a whirr! the salmon's up!

Give line, give line and measure!

But now he turns! Keep down ahead,

And lead him as a child is led,

And land him at your leisure.

Hark to the music of the reel—

'Tis welcome, it is glorious;

It wanders through the winding wheel,

Returning and victorious.

5. A birr! a whirr! the salmon's in,

Upon the bank extended;

The princely fish is gasping low,

His brilliant colours come and go,

All beautifully blended.

Hark to the music of the reel—

It murmurs and it closes;

Silence is on the conquering wheel,

Its wearied line reposes.

— STODDART

II. —FISHING.

6. Bring the rod, the line, the reel,

Bring, O bring the osier(8) creel(9),

Bring me flies of fifty kinds,

Bring me showers and clouds and winds,

All things right and tight,

All things well and proper,

Trailer(10) red and bright,

Dark and wily dropper;

Cast(11) of midges(12) bring,

Made of plover(13) hackle(14),

With a gaudy wing

And a cobweb tackle.

7. Lead me where the river flows,

Show me where the alder(15) grows;

Reeds and rushes, moss and mead,

Lead me to them, quickly lead,

Where the rising trout

Watches round an eddy,

With his eager snout

Pointed up and ready,

Till a careless fly,

On the surface wheeling,

Tempts him, rising sly,

From his safe concealing.

8. There, as with a pleasant friend,

I the happy hours will spend,

Urging on the subtle(16) hook,

O'er the dark and chancy nook,

With a hand expert,

Every motion swaying,

And on the alert

When the trout are playing.

Bring me rod and reel,

Flies of every feather,

Bring the osier creel,

Send me glorious weather.

— STODDART

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Gaff, wooden handle, with a hook attached, for landing fish.

(2) Staff, fishing-rod.

(3) Whirlpool, body of water whirling round in a circle.

(4) Fitful, irregular in movement.

(5) Grating, harsh-sounding.

(6) Wily, cunning; sly.

(7) Sullen, gloomy; silent.

(8) Osier, made of willow twigs.

(9) Creel, a basket for carrying fish.

(10) Trailer, dropper, names given to different flies in a cast.

(11) Cast, number of flies fastened to the same line.

(12) Midges, small flies.

(13) Plover, a common wild bird.

(14) Hackle, feathers used for making artificial flies.

(15) Alder, a tree or shrub growing in moist ground.

(16) Subtle, wily; cunning.

36

SUMMER AND WINTER IN SWEDEN(1)

1. If you were to go up in a balloon(2), and through some accident be swept across the North Sea to Sweden, you would soon perceive that you were in a very different land from your own. If you were to ask the first boy whom you met to tell you where you were, he would answer in a strange language; and if you gave him a penny to make him speak more plainly, he would take off his cap and shake hands with you.

2. Suppose, then, that he takes you to his home, and that you sit down to table with his father, mother, brothers, and sisters. A little, flaxen-haired girl, the youngest child of the household who can speak, stands at her father's side, and says a little verse in Swedish, while all bow their heads. I will translate(3) what she says. It is this, —

"In Jesus' name, we sit at meat;

May God now bless the food we eat!"

When the meal is finished, the same little one returns thanks in another verse to the Giver of all good things. Then every boy and girl shakes hands with mother and father, and says, "Thanks for the food."

3. We will suppose that it is summer-time, and that the boys take you out to see their farm. The horses and colts come running to you, stretch their necks over the fence, and rub their noses on your shoulder; and the great oxen lying in the shade give you a friendly look out of their big brown eyes. Every animal is tame and gentle, for in Sweden the boys never throw stones at beasts or birds, and never frighten or torment them in any way.

4. After supper, the sun is still high in the heavens; and at nine o'clock, when you go to bed, it is shining brightly as it swings low along the horizon(4). If you wake up at midnight and go to the window, you behold the whole northern sky glowing with red and yellow hues. Whether it is sunset or sunrise it is hard to say, for the sky is full of light all through the short summer nights. Indeed, in the north of Sweden, for a whole month the sun never sets.

5. If you like winter, you will surely be pleased with Sweden. Here are cold, snow, and ice enough to satisfy anybody, and that for four or five months at least. Here you can enjoy all your own winter sports to perfection, and you may see others that are quite new to you. Yon can learn how to slip over the snow-clad hills and through the deep, dark northern forests on "skees," as they are called.

6. These skees, or snow-skates, are thin straps of wood from six to nine feet long, about four inches wide, and turned up at the front like the runners of a sledge. Your feet are bound to the middle of them in such a way that, while the toes and ball of the foot are fast, the heel is free to move up and down. With a staff in your hand to help you up the hills, and to aid you in steering down them, you may glide over the snow at the rate of six or eight miles an hour.

7. Then there is the "kicker." I know you would like that. It is a very light kind of sledge. Two upright posts some three feet high rise from the frame-work, and behind these the runners extend backward five or six feet. You grasp the top of the posts, one with each hand, stand with one foot on one of the runners, while with your other foot you push your "kicker" and yourself over the half-trodden snow highways.

8. The push should be a long, strong, sweeping, and regular kick against the snow between the runners. When one leg is tired, you stand upon the other runner and kick with the other leg. You must have a steel plate strapped on to the ball of each foot, with three or four projecting spikes in it, to catch in the snow.

9. Another winter sport is sailing on skates. The Swedish sail is in form like the capital letter A with the top cut off. You place the cross-bar over your shoulder to windward, and with a good breeze glide away over the ice at the rate of a mile in two minutes. You can not only sail before the wind, but you can glide to and fro across the lake with wind abeam(5), or tack to windward as gallantly as the fleetest yacht(6).

10. The wintry days are merry, but they are very short. At Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, there are in December only six hours of daylight, and in the far north it is night during the whole twenty-four hours, day after day—if night can be called day—for over a month. By the darkness of winter you have to pay for the long days and luminous(7) nights of summer.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences to show the use of the words north, northern, northerly, northwards.

2. Make a list of the words that have a meaning similar to that of hue.

3. Give words, with their meanings, formed from the root of project-ing, with various prefixes.

————————————————————

(1) Sweden, a country in the north west of Europe.

(2) Balloon, silk bag filled with gas.

(3) Translate, change from one language into another.

(4) Horizon, line where earth and sky seem to meet.

(5) Abeam, in the direction of the cross beams that support the deck of a ship; on the side.

(6) Yacht, a swift, light boat for pleasure-sailing.

(7) Luminous, bright; full of light.

37

SIR HENRY BESSEMER

1. For every great work where strength and lightness are required, steel has now taken the place of iron. Our steam-ships and steam-engines, our railways and railway bridges, are all made of steel. That we are able to produce steel in large enough quantities and at a small enough cost for such purposes, we owe chiefly to the discoveries and inventions of one man, Sir Henry Bessemer.

2. He was the son of French parents, his father having settled in England during the terrors of the French Revolution(1). He was born at Charlton, in Hertford-shire, in 1813. As a boy his favourite amusement was clay modelling(2). In London he was making his way in life as a modeller and designer(3), and working also as an engraver(4) on steel, when something happened which promised at first to secure him a comfortable position for life.

3. All important documents(5) require a government stamp. These stamps are now embossed(6) upon the documents themselves; but in Bessemer's early days they were made separately, like our postage stamps, and gummed on. The government was losing many thousands of pounds each year, by dishonest people taking off the stamps from old documents and fixing them on new ones.

4. After several months of hard work, Bessemer succeeded in making a machine which would pierce the parchment of the document itself with hundreds of small holes, arranged so as to form a stamp. The government was satisfied with this invention, and offered Bessemer the post of Superintendent of Stamps as a reward. Before he was appointed to the post, however, a friend suggested(7) to him that it would be still simpler to use a die(8) by which a date would be put on each stamp as it was printed.

5. Bessemer saw that if this plan was adopted by the government, the post which they had just offered him would become unnecessary. Still, trusting in the fairness of the government to give him some reward, Bessemer unfolded to them the new plan. Judge of his disappointment when the government at once adopted this new method, but refused to give the inventor a single farthing of reward.

6. His next invention was happily a more profitable one. He was struck with the fact that the bronze(9) powder used for gilding, which was then sold for seven shillings an ounce, was made from a material which cost only one shilling per pound. He set to work to invent a method of making the powder, and after two years he succeeded in his task.

7. Warned by his former experiences, and knowing very little of the patent law(10), Bessemer decided to keep this secret to himself, and to begin the manufacture of the powder on a small scale. The room in which the manufacture was carried on was kept locked, and only a few trusted workmen were allowed to know the secret. The business proved a prosperous one, and it is still carried on by two of Bessemer's assistants, who keep the process secret.

8. But it is in connection with his improvements in the manufacture of iron and steel that Sir Henry Bessemer's name is best known, and it was for these improvements that he received the honour of knighthood. Cast iron is weak and brittle on account of its impurities, and in order to get rid of these impurities, the melted iron had to be stirred about by men, who suffered much from the extreme heat. The effect of this stirring was to burn up all the impurities, partly by bringing them while hot into contact with the air.

9. The invention of the Bessemer process made the production of malleable(11) iron and of steel very much simpler and cheaper. This process consists of forcing air through the melted iron. The oxygen(12) of the air combines with or burns up the impurities, and leaves the iron soft and malleable. Steel is produced in the same way, the only difference being that steel contains a small proportion of carbon(13). The steel produced in this way is not so fine as that made by the older process, but it costs only one-fifth as much. In this way it has been possible to use steel for rails and bridges and other great undertakings where iron was formerly used.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words pure, purity, purify, and impure.

2. Show the connection in meaning between proceed, proceedings, process, and procession.

3. Write a list of words formed with the root -ceive (like receive), and give their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) The French Revolution, 1789 to 1795.

(2) Clay modelling, making figures out of clay.

(3) Designer, one who plans and sketches.

(4) Engraver, one who cuts pictures or letters on stone or metal.

(5) Documents, written or printed papers.

(6) Embossed, raised.

(7) Suggested, proposed.

(8) Die, stamp.

(9) Bronze, a mixture of copper and tin.

(10) Patent law, law giving the right to the profits of an invention to the inventor for a certain time.

(11) Malleable, that can be beaten out.

(12) Oxygen, a gas found in the air necessary for the support of life and flame.

(13) Carbon, an element found in wood, coal, charcoal, etc.

38

A DAY IN THE DESERT

1. Our camels were waiting for us, but, leaving them to be loaded with our goods, we started off in advance, eager for our first walk in the desert. The fresh, pure air put new life into us, and we strode ahead in high spirits, although here and there the skeletons of camels that lay bleaching(1) in the sun warned us that a desert journey was not without its dangers.

2. At the distance of a mile or two we came to the Wells of Noses, where there are a number of springs and palm trees. We were in a glow of heat after our walk, and we found it very pleasant to rest under the shade and enjoy the coolness, as a gentle wind was stirring the palms above our heads. Parties generally camp here for the first night, and start fresh in the morning; but we had a day's work before us, and we now sprang up as we saw our train(2) approaching. It halted in front of us, and the camels knelt down in the soft, warm sand for us to mount; when they rose up, we were fairly launched on the desert.

3. And now that we are really "at sea," it is time to speak of the "ship" that carries us. To-day began my first experience of camel-riding, of which I had heard fearful descriptions, and which is to many the great terror of the desert. An English writer describes the sensation to be like that which one would experience in riding on a piano-stool that was mounted on the top of a hansom cab and driven over ploughed ground. Friends had told me that my back would be broken, and for the first hour or two I almost expected to hear the bones crack. Yet, strange to say, I lived through it, and after a month's experience I found camel-riding not at all unpleasant. It is a long, swinging motion, and one only needs a little time to get accustomed to it.

4. I am prepared to take up the defence of the camel as a much-abused and long-suffering beast. True, I cannot boast of his looks or of his temper. He has not the beauty of the horse, with its smooth, round body, arched neck, and clean limbs. The only pretty feature of a camel is his ears, which, instead of being long like a donkey's, are small like those of a mouse. No, his general appearance is decidedly ungainly.

5. Nor is the camel an amiable(3) beast. He is always groaning and complaining, and has a growl like that of a lion. But in spite of all defects of temper, he has some notable(4) virtues(5). Though he has not the speed of the horse, yet when it comes to the heavy work of carrying burdens, he leaves the horse far behind. Much as the camel growls when you are loading him, yet when the burden is placed upon him, he will rise up and carry it all day long. In this he is like some men, who are always grumbling, but who rise up under their loads and bear them manfully; while others, who are smooth and full of promises, manage to evade(6) every irksome(7) duty.

6. But as to riding this beast of burden, one might well hesitate. The first glance is not assuring. When you take your stand beside the huge, creature, whose hump towers quite above your head, and think of sealing such a height, it seems like climbing a hay-stack. But you have not to climb up to him—he kneels down to you; the only trouble is the mounting.

7. The camel is lying on the ground, his long legs all under him. The rider mounts, and the beast begins to rise. First he rises to his fore knees, jerking(8) the rider sharply backward. Then his long hind legs begin to move under him, and as he rises at once to his full height, the rider gets a violent jerk forward. Then the fore legs are set in motion again, and the camel rises from his knees to the proper level, with the rider in the saddle.

8. Once seated, the posture(9) is very easy. Indeed one can ride in any posture—astride, as men ride, or sideways, as ladies ride—and with this advantage, that one can turn either way, to the right or to the left. The favourite posture of the Arab(10) is with his legs crossed on the camel's neck. To this one easily gets accustomed. I have sat thus for hours, with folded arms and folded legs—the picture of a philosopher(11).

9. It is a great advantage in riding a camel that he does not need to be guided. He has no bridle, but only a halter(12) around his nose, by which he is led. To each animal there is a camel-driver, who, if need be, will go before and lead him. This I soon found to be unnecessary, since camels left to themselves will follow each other in Indian file(13), and seldom go out of the way.

10. When we dismounted to walk, I generally observed my driver looking wistfully(14) at the vacant seat. He would not have presumed(15) to use his master's saddle; but sometimes I gave him a smile and a nod, and then he climbed up at the rear, and, seating himself a few inches in front of what looked more like a piece of tarred rope than a respectable camel's tail, with his naked and swarthy(16) legs high in air, he rode there in triumph.

11. Among my attendants was a boy, who sometimes had the honour of leading my camel. He was a bright little Arab, and never looked up to me with out a smile on his face. Perhaps he saw a smile on the face looking down upon him. I taught him one English word— "good;" and the manner in which he would repeat after me "Good, good, good," was the amusement of the whole party. How patiently he trudged along from day to day, always merry, with out a care—a creature of the sun, living in its beams.

12. Poor little Selim! where is he now? Watching the flock of black goats on the hill-side. Does he ever think of the Englishman? The Englishman sends him his blessing. May he too have goats and camels, and a black tent, and the fairest daughter of the tribe for his little wife; and may he find many an occasion to chuckle within himself, "Good, good, good!"

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing the words des′ert, desert′ (verb), deserts′ (noun), and dessert.

2. Trace the connection in meaning between lance and launch.

3. Write a list of adjectives ending in -some (like irksome), and give their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Bleaching, whitening.

(2) Train, line of camels and attendants.

(3) Amiable, lovable.

(4) Notable, worthy of being noticed.

(5) Virtues, good points in his character.

(6) Evade, escape; get out of the way of.

(7) Irksome, troublesome; tiresome.

(8) Jerking, jolting; throwing or pulling with a quick, short motion.

(9) Posture, position.

(10) Arab, a native of Arabia, a country in the south-west of Asia.

(11) Philosopher, a man of great wisdom.

(12) Halter, a rope for leading an animal.

(13) Indian file, one behind the other; single file.

(14) Wistfully, longingly; eagerly.

(15) Presumed, ventured; taken it upon him.

(16) Swarthy, tawny; dark-coloured.

39

RAVEN'S CRAG

1. In the far north of England, overlooking the wild lands of the Scottish Border and the waters of the picturesque Liddel, stands the old ruined castle of Raven's Crag. It had been an abbey once, but it was given by Henry the Eighth to a favourite knight, Sir Ralph Deverell.

2. In the time of the civil war(1) between the king and the parliament, Sir Marmaduke Deverell was lord of Raven's Crag. He was the fast friend of Charles the First(2), and he died fighting against Cromwell(3), whose guns tumbled down many a stone in the strong walls of his old castle. After Sir Marmaduke's death, his only son was sent away for safety to France, in charge of an old servant.

3. Before the birth of this son, Sir Marmaduke had made a will leaving all his estates to his kinsman(4) Lacy Elrynton, who easily obtained possession of them during the Commonwealth(5), being friendly to Cromwell's rule. The young Reginald Deverell returned; but Elrynton refused to give up the estates, since no later will of Sir Marmaduke's could be found. Reginald died, and left a son, who became a steward(6) on the estates of his fathers, and his descendants occupied the same humble position for nearly two centuries.

4. One fine afternoon a boy of sixteen stood on the terrace of the old castle. He was a bright, winsome(7) lad, with a sturdy form and brave blue eyes—eyes which he had inherited from the old Deverells; for this boy was the heir of brave Sir Marmaduke in the direct line.

5. Guy Deverell stood looking at the old castle with an expression of sadness on his young face, when his sister Magdalene, a little girl of nine or ten years, ran up to him on the terrace.

"O Guy, see my new ostrich plume! Is it not pretty? And I am to wear it with my velvet cape to church on Sunday. But do look at the ravens!" she continued; "there are hundreds of them. And see how tame they are!"

6. "Yes; they seem to have taken possession of the old castle. They have always made the place their home. I suppose that is why Sir Ralph called it Raven's Crag."

The girl took off her new hat, placed it on the ruined wall, and then ran off to a low arch, where she stood on tiptoe to gaze out over the river. Her brother followed her.

7. "It is a glorious old place, and it ought to be ours. If only the will could be found which Sir Marmaduke must have made after his son was born! But of course it is useless to think of finding it now, after two hundred years, and so we shall always be poor. It is too bad, is it not, sis?"

8. "O Guy," cried little Magdalene suddenly, "a raven has carried away my new ostrich plume. See! there goes the bird into that tower."

"Yes; I can see a hole in the wall where the Ironsides'(8) shot knocked out a stone. The raven probably has its nest there. But your ostrich feather is much too good for a raven's nest. I think I can get it for you again."

9. He soon got a piece of strong rope, and climbing up the old staircase of the tower, he reached a high window, and fastened his rope securely. He then mounted the window-sill and lowered himself by the rope.

10. It was rather a daring feat, but Guy had no fear. Carefully he descended, swinging in mid air, the terrace of the castle forty feet below him. The ivy clung firmly to the old crumbling walls. He secured a footing among the stems of the plant, and supporting himself with one hand, he was able to reach the raven's nest in the recess.

11. He easily found the ostrich plume, which he placed in his pocket. He put in his hand again, to find out what else the thievish bird had stored in its nest. His fingers touched a piece of crumpled parch men. This he also drew out. It was old and discoloured by age, but when he unfolded it a signature(9) caught his eye—that of Marmaduke Deverell, Baron.

12. His face was grave and serious when he got up to the window again.

"Here is your ostrich feather, Magdalene," he said, as he swung himself over the window-sill, "and I have found something else that may be worth a great deal more. It is—it is Sir Marmaduke's lost will!"

And he held the piece of crumpled, dingy(10) parchment before her eyes.

13. Strange as it may seem, the lost will had indeed been discovered. The ravens had probably stolen it from some open window, and had carried it to their nest. It was soon placed in a lawyer's hands, and proved to be genuine(11). The Elryntons made no objection to the claim of the young heir, when they found it supported by a writing of such ancient date.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words, with their meanings, from the root -press, with various prefixes.

2. Give a list of adjectives in -ish (like thievish), with their meanings.

3. Rewrite in the third person the first part of section 6— "Guy said that the ravens seemed," etc.

————————————————————

(1) The civil war, war between Charles the First and the Parliament, 1642-1649.

(2) Charles the First, King of Great Britain from 1625 to 1649.

(3) Cromwell, the leader of the Parliamentary forces during the civil war.

(4) Kinsman, relation: one of the same kindred or family.

(5) The Commonwealth, 1649-1660.

(6) Steward, overseer; one who looks after another's estate.

(7) Winsome, attractive; lovable.

(8) Ironsides, the name given to the soldiers under Cromwell.

(9) Signature, a person's name written by his own hand.

(10) Dingy, dirty-coloured; soiled.

(11) Genuine, real; not false.

40

ENGLAND'S DEAD

1. Son of the ocean isle(1),

Where sleep your mighty dead?

Show me what high and stately pile

Is reared(2) o'er Glory's bed.(3)—

2. Go, stranger, track the deep;

Free, free, the white sail spread!

Wave may not foam nor wild wind sweep

Where rest not England's dead.

3. On Egypt's(4) burning plains(5),

By the pyramid o'erswayed,

With fearful power the noon-day(6) reigns,

And the palm-trees yield no shade.

4. But let the angry sun

From heaven look fiercely red,

Unfelt by those whose task is done—

There slumber England's dead.

5. The hurricane hath might

Along the Indian shore,

And far by Ganges'(7) banks at night

Is heard the tiger's roar.

6. But let the sound roll on;

It hath no tone of dread

For those that from their toils are gone—

There slumber England's dead.

7. Loud rush the torrent-floods

The western wilds(8) among,

And free in green Columbia's(9) woods

The hunter's bow is strung.

8. But let the floods rush on,

Let the arrow's flight be sped;

Why should they reck(10) whose task is done? —

There slumber England's dead.

9. The mountain storms rise high

In the snowy Pyrenees(11),

And toss the pine-boughs through the sky

Like rose-leaves on the breeze.

10. But let the storm rage on,

Let the forest wreaths be shed;

For the Roncesvalles'(12) field is won—

There slumber England's dead.

11. On the frozen deep's repose

'Tis a dark and dreadful hour

When round the ship the ice-fields close,

To chain her with their power.

12. But let the ice drift on,

Let the cold blue desert spread;

Their course with mast and flag is done—

There slumber England's dead.

13. The warlike of the isles,

The men of field and wave—(13)

Are not the rocks their funeral piles(14),

The seas and shores their graves?

14. Go, stranger, track the deep;

Free, free, the white sail spread!

Wave may not foam nor wild wind sweep

Where rest not England's dead.

— MRS. HEMANS

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Son of the ocean isle, native of Britain.

(2) Reared, raised; erected.

(3) Glory's bed, the graves of those who have died in war.

(4) Egypt, a country in the north-east of Africa.

(5) Burning plains, deserts.

(6) Noon-day, mid-day-sun.

(7) Ganges, the great river of India.

(8) Western wilds, forests of America.

(9) Columbia, part of British North America.

(10) Reck, care.

(11) Pyrenees, mountains between France and Spain.

(12) Roncesvalles, a village in Spain.

(13) The men of field and wave, soldiers and sailors.

(14) Piles, monuments.

41

A CLIMB UP MOUNT VESUVIUS(1)

1. Of all the volcanoes in the world, Vesuvius is perhaps the most interesting. It is easy to climb, for it is only about four thousand feet high; and if you do not wish to climb it on foot, you can take a carriage to the foot of the cone, where you will find a cable railway(2) which will carry you to the very top.

2. The district in which Vesuvius stands is one of the most fertile spots in Europe. On the sunny slopes of the hills around we find indigo(3), liquorice(4), tobacco, rice, olives, lemons, grapes, oranges, walnuts, chestnuts, figs, and peaches growing, besides many of the fruits which belong to the torrid zone(5), and nearly all those of the temperate regions(6). The soil is rich, the sun is bright and warm, and rain is abundant throughout the winter months.

3. In the midst of all this grand display of the bounties of nature stands Vesuvius dark, barren, uncultivated, and desolate. When we cast our eyes up the slopes of the mountain, we see clearly marked the line where the bright green of the cultivated region meets the bleak barrenness of what we can only compare to a huge cinder-heap.

MOUNT VESUVIUS AND THE BAY OF NAPLES

4. When an eruption occurs, a stream of red-hot lava(7) flows down like a river of molten(8) iron. It carries all before it. It rolls up to a house, and the house falls before it. It approaches a tree, and wraps it in its fiery mantle; the sap within the tree becomes steam, and the tree explodes with a sound like that of a cannon. Sometimes the stream pushes on until it rolls into the sea, where it casts up volumes of steam, as if a new volcano had broken out at the foot of the mountain.

5. The pleasantest way to see Vesuvius is to visit it on a summer night. As we ascend the mountain, winding over the steep road, we see the Bay of Naples(9) sparkling in the sunshine, while the bright glow of evening casts its rosy light over the busy city(10) at our feet. As the sun dips below the horizon, the first rays of the moon are already beginning to gleam behind the distant Apennines(11); and before we are half-way across the vast lava-beds, we are in a fairy scene of silver brightness, crossed here and there by the dark shadows and rugged outlines of the old lava streams around us.

6. At midnight we reach the lower station of the cable tramway or railway which is to draw us up. Here we stop for a rest and for supper. In an hour's time we are seated in a carriage, and are being hauled up the steep sides of the cone. Then a short walk brings us to the top, and what a scene meets us there!

7. Steam is coming out in large puffs from the central cone; and now and then with a loud roar the mountain casts large masses of red-hot stones high into the air. We see the vapour gleaming fiercely red as the hot stones fly upward. The still night air is rent by the roar of the mountain as it discharges a fiery volley into space, soon to fall in a shower on the rocks around us.

8. As dawn begins to break, we see the shadow of the mountain thrown across the bay. The peaks to the eastward are warmed with the first glow of sun light, and the blue sea to the westward is tinged with gold. It is a scene of marvellous beauty, and we should forget its dangers, if the dead city of Pompeii did not lie at the foot of the slope, four thousand feet beneath us, teaching us its dread lesson.

9. It is full daylight now, and we can approach nearer the crater(12) without great danger. We follow our guide confidently, though we are half stifled by the fumes of sulphur, and hot stones now and then fall unpleasantly near us. The guide puts the ladies into a place of safety; but we go on, following him closely, and keeping an eye on the mountain.

10. The walking is steep and rough now, the fumes are almost stifling, and the cinders beneath us are so hot that we feel our feet burning. The guide puts his handkerchief over his mouth, and we follow his example.

He has reached the top, and we are close behind him. We look over, and see a mass of red-hot cinders like a burning cliff. As the wind clears away the steam, we look down into an immense black gulf.

11. The mountain roars again; the red-hot stones fly past us. We are safe here, because the wind is now quite strong, and carries the stones to leeward; but it is not a place to linger in. A sudden change of wind might mean death. The falling in of the ridge on which we stand would mean death also. The scene is most exciting, and as we turn to descend, and see our friends looking at us through their field-glasses(13), we feel that they, too, must have held their breath when they saw us shrouded(14) in steam and close to the open crater.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of adjectives with the termination -ous (like marvel ous), with their meanings.

2. Give the meanings of these compound words, showing the connection of their component parts—field-glass, red-hot, sun-light, lava-bed, cinder-heap.

3. Rewrite in the third person section 6, putting the verbs in the past tense— "At midnight they reached", etc.

————————————————————

(1) Mount Vesuvius, a volcanic mountain in the south-west of Italy, near Naples.

(2) Cable railway, a railway on which the cars are drawn by a strong rope.

(3) Indigo, the name of a plant from which a blue dye is got.

(4) Liquorice, a plant used in medicine.

(5) Torrid zone, the broad belt round the middle of the earth where the heat is very great.

(6) Temperate regions, places between the tropics and the polar circles, where it is neither very hot nor very cold.

(7) Lava, melted matter thrown out of a volcano.

(8) Molten, melted.

(9) Bay of Naples, a lovely bay on the south-west of Italy.

(10) City, Naples.

(11) Apennines, a mountain range running through Italy.

(12) Crater, the mouth of a volcano.

(13) Field-glasses, instruments for seeing objects at a distance.

(14) Shrouded, covered as with a shroud.

42

A CITY OF THE DEAD

1. Two thousand years ago the fires of Mount Vesuvius were supposed to be extinct(1). Among the towns and villages which then clung to its slopes in fancied security was the flourishing city of Pompeii, one of the favourite resorts of the wealthy Romans. The splendour of Pompeii was at its height, when in a single day, the 24th of August, A.D. 79, the city was swept out of existence.

2. The morning rose bright and clear. Suddenly a great pillar of cloud rose from the crest of Vesuvius. The earth shook; huge waves rolled across the bay; flashes of fire broke through the gloom of the cloud. Then a terrible shower of stones, which had been shot far up into the air, began to fail on the doomed city, and covered the streets to a depth of many feet.

3. After the stones came fine ashes, which made the air thick and stifling. Those who tried to escape from the city were suffocated by the ashes and the sulphur fumes, and were covered up where they fell. Then came showers of boiling water, which turned the ashes into mud, and afterwards more showers of stones and streams of lava covered up the ruins of Pompeii, so that not a trace of its buildings could be seen.

4. A letter written by Pliny, a great Roman writer, gives us a most interesting account of this great eruption of Vesuvius. He writes from Misenum, a town twenty miles distant from Vesuvius; and we can judge how terrible that eruption must have been in the neighbourhood of the mountain. In his letter he says: —

5. "That night my sleep was greatly broken by shocks of earthquake; but now they were so violent as to threaten total ruin. At last my mother and I went out of the house. The buildings all around us were tottering(2), and we resolved to quit the town. The people followed us in a panic(3), and pressed in great crowds around us.

6. "Our chariots(4) swayed so violently that we could not keep them steady, even by supporting them with large stones; the sea seemed to be rolled back from the shore by the convulsions(5) of the earth. On the other side of the bay a black and terrible cloud seemed to descend and enshroud the whole ocean.

7. "Ashes now began to fall upon us. Turning my head, I perceived behind us a dense cloud, which came rolling in our track like a torrent. In a few moments we were in darkness—not the darkness of a cloudy night, or when there is no moon, but that of a chamber which is closely shut.

8. "Then a heavy shower of ashes rained upon us, which we were obliged every now and then to shake off, or else we should have been covered up and buried. After a while this dreadful darkness gradually disappeared; the day returned, and with it the sun, though very faintly. Every object was seen to be covered with a crust of white ashes like a deep layer of snow."

9. The buried city lay forgotten for over sixteen hundred years. Then the site was discovered by accident. About 1720, excavations(6) were begun; and now the ashes and the hardened mud have been cleared away, and a Roman city can now be seen as it existed eighteen hundred years ago. By studying its ruins, we have learned more about the Romans and their customs than we could have done from all the books that were ever written.

10. About the centre of the city is the Forum—the market and the meeting-place of the citizens. Around it stand the public offices and temples; but far more interesting than these are the private houses and shops, which tell us so much about the habits of the people. Most of the houses are decorated with paintings of Roman life. Think of a dining-room prepared for a party, sealed up for eighteen hundred years, and then opened to view!

11. We can also see the figures of the very men and women who were in the city when disaster overtook it; for the mud which covered their bodies has hardened, and from this we have been able in many cases to get plaster casts of the figures, and even of their dress and ornaments.

12. Thus we see a man, in the act of running away, held fast in the mud. The key of his strong-room has fallen from his hands when he was at the point of death. In another place a woman, fleeing with her child, has sunk to the ground exhausted. A priest with an axe is trying to cut his way out of a house in which he has been shut up by the stones and ashes. In one spot a Roman soldier stands firm at his post, never flinching(7) in the face of danger.

13. How the scene lives before us as we stroll among the ruins! These ruts in the streets were made by chariots eighteen hundred years ago. These pictures on the walls were drawn by the school-boys then. Beside them we see Latin jokes, and advertisements such as, "The gladiator(8) company of the Ædile(9) Certus will fight at Pompeii the day before the Kalends(10);" or this, "To let, shops with their terrace, etc. Address—Primus, slave of Cnoeus;" or electioneering bills, such as, "The scribe(11) Issus requests you to support M. Vatia as aedile. He is worthy." Truly, it needs but a little imagination to make this city of the dead a city of the living.

A STREET IN POMPEII

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the meanings, showing the force of the prefixes, of exist, consist, resist, persist, and subsist.

2. Write sentences to show the various meanings in which post may be used.

3. Give a list of words and their meanings formed from the root -rupt- (like eruption), with the prefixes ab-, con-, in-, inter-, and dis-.

————————————————————

(1) Extinct, put out; ended.

(2) Tottering, shaking.

(3) Panic, state of great alarm and confusion.

(4) Chariot, a kind of carriage.

(5) Convulsions, violent shakings.

(6) Excavation, digging or hollowing out.

(7) Flinching, wavering; shrinking.

(8) Gladiator, one who fought for pay to amuse a crowd.

(9) Ædile, Roman magistrate.

(10) Kalends, the first day of each month.

(11) Scribe, writer.

43

ROME AND THE ROMANS

1. "Rome was not built in a day;" so impatient young folks are sometimes told by their older friends, to remind them that great things are never done with out much time and labour. The proverb points us back to the time when Rome was the city, the capital of the whole known world.

2. The little Roman boys were told far more about the building of their city than any English boy is taught about the building of London. The story of the founding of Rome is told in the Latin(1) poems and histories which you may read some day; and a very interesting story it is, though we cannot be at all sure that it is true.

3. About three thousand years ago, so the story runs, the famous city of Troy, on the coast of Asia Minor, was taken by the Greeks(2) after a siege of ten years. Some of the inhabitants escaped, and, after many wanderings, they landed on the coast of Italy. There they settled, and built the city of Alba Longa, the "Long White Town."

A ROMAN CHARIOT-RACE

4. Long afterwards Alba Longa was ruled over by a usurper(3), who wished to put to death two little boys who had a better right to the throne than he. The twin babies were supposed to have been drowned in the river Tiber(4); but they were really cast ashore, still alive, at the spot where Rome now stands. There, we are told, they were nursed by a she-wolf, until they were found and taken care of by a shepherd and his wife.

5. One of these boys was Romulus, the founder of Rome. The city was said to have been founded 754 years before the birth of Christ; and until the Romans became Christians, they counted their years from the founding of their city, just as we now do from the birth of Christ.

6. For over two centuries Rome was governed by kings; then a republic(5) was set up, which lasted for five centuries; finally an empire(6) was established. After five centuries more the Roman Empire was divided into separate parts, which have become the various countries of southern and central Europe.

7. The time of the republic was the time of the wonderful growth of the Roman power. It was the time of the great heroes of Rome—men who lived in a simple way, and were ready to give up all they had, even life itself, for the sake of their country. They were like the Spartans(7) in their plain living, their courage in war, and their sense of duty.

"For Romans in Rome's quarrels

Spared neither lands nor gold,

Nor son nor wife, nor limb nor life,

In the brave days of old."

8. The first consul or president of the Roman republic was called Brutus, a man famed for his stern virtue. His two sons were found guilty of treason(8) to the state, and although the punishment might have been exile, he ordered them to be put to death, so firm was he in his purpose that love for his sons should not hinder his duty as a ruler.

9. Another of those heroes was called Cincinnatus. He also was consul, but after his time of office was over, he retired to his little farm of four acres, and lived there as a farmer or crofter, as we might now call him. Not long afterwards, when war broke out, and the Roman army was being hemmed in by the enemy, the senators(9) came to ask Cincinnatus for aid.

10. They found him at work on his little patch of ground, assisted by his wife. When his visitors approached, he put on his outer robe and went to meet them. They begged him to come to the help of his country, and offered him the post of dictator or absolute ruler, while the danger lasted; and the noble peasant-farmer accepted the task.

11. He went to Rome, ordered all business to cease, and commanded every man who was of military age to meet in the Plain of Mars before sunset, bringing food for five days, and twelve strong stakes. With this new army Cincinnatus reached the enemy's camp before midnight, and quickly surrounded it with a ditch and a strong fence of pointed stakes. In the morning the enemy found themselves in a trap, and at once surrendered.

12. Having thus speedily delivered his country, Cincinnatus gave up his dictatorship, and retired once more to the quiet, humble life of a peasant on his little farm. It was men of such a type who made Rome great, and spread her power over the shores of the Mediterranean, and northwards beyond the Danube(10), the Rhine(11), and the English Channel.

13. In her later history the great men of Rome were famed for their wealth and luxury. The city was enriched by splendid buildings triumphal arches(12), aqueducts(13), temples, tombs, palaces, circuses, and amphitheatres(14)—the ruins of which still remain. Many of these building were the gifts of rich men, who hoped to gain the favour and the votes of the common people, and thus to win power for themselves. Splendid shows were also provided for the public at the expense fights of wild beasts, and still more cruel combats of gladiators or swordsmen in the circus.

RUINS OF ANCIENT ROME

14. With all its wealth, there was in the city a large class of men who were generally idle and often starving. Most of the trades were carried on by slaves, and labour was regarded as unfit for a free man. Large quantities of corn were frequently given to the poor, sometimes to avoid a famine, and some times to buy their votes in an election. Most of the freemen of the lower classes were dependent on the rich for their living, and became the "clients(15)" of some well-to-do "patron(16)."

15. As bribery(17) became more common, respect for law and order disappeared. The army became master of the state, and the favourite general of the day was made emperor. For its own proper work, however, the army was becoming of little use. Its ranks were not filled by Romans; the soldiers were drawn from all parts of the empire, and fought only for pay. It thus formed a poor protection against the fierce warriors of the north, who invaded the empire and plundered its capital.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write a list of words with the prefix in- in the form of im-, and give its meaning in each case.

2. Give a list of words with the prefix a- meaning on (like ashore).

3. Make sentences containing the words empire, emperor, empress, and imperial.

————————————————————

(1) Latin, language spoken by the ancient Romans.

(2) Greeks, the people of Greece, a country in the south-east of Europe.

(3) Usurper, one who takes by force the position belonging to another.

(4) Tiber, a river in Central Italy.

(5) Republic, a country whose ruler is chosen by the people.

(6) Empire, country ruled over by an emperor.

(7) Spartans, a warlike race who lived in the south of Greece.

(8) Treason, being false to one's king or country.

(9) Senators, councillors.

(10) Danube, a large river flowing east through Central Europe.

(11) Rhine, a river flowing north through Germany.

(12) Triumphal arches, arches built in memory of a great triumph or victory.

(13) Aqueducts channels constructed for conducting or bringing in water.

(14) Amphitheatre, circular building with seats all round, and having an open space, called the arena, in the centre.

(15) Client, one who comes to another for help.

(16) Patron, one who gives help and favour.

(17) Bribery, paying for office or honour.

44

THE ROMANS AT TABLE

1. If we had visited a Roman consul during the later period of Roman power, we should have seen a very different kind of house from that in which Cincinnatus lived. Let us make such a visit. On our knocking at the entrance gate, it is opened for us by a slave, who is chained to his post in order to prevent his leaving the door unguarded. We pass through a porch, and reach the large hall. The walls are painted, and the floor is laid with bright tiles. In the centre of the roof there is a large opening which lights the hall, and beneath it a hollow place to receive the rain-water which may enter. In cold or stormy weather the opening is closed by a curtain.

ENTRANCE TO A ROMAN MANSION

2. Round this hall are ranged the bedrooms, and at the farther end is the library and picture-gallery. Beyond these we see an open court, with a fountain in the centre, and a row of heavy marble columns(1) all round. From this court we may enter the chief room, or room of state, the dining-room, the kitchen, and other apartments. Behind these, again, we find the well-kept garden.

3. The dining-room was of great importance in a Roman mansion. The table itself was of fine wood, or even of ivory(2). Round three sides of it were placed low couches instead of chairs. One side was left free for the slaves who waited on the guests. The men reclined on couches, leaning on their left arm, while they helped themselves with the right hand, without knife or fork. The women usually sat upright, and also the children, who had a table for themselves.

4. Breakfast was served as early as four o'clock for soldiers, for workmen, and alto for children. The children went to school early, and one Roman writer, who lived next door to a school, complains that he could not sleep in the morning on account of the crying of the children who were being whipped. Let us hope that this did not happen every morning.

5. Breakfast usually consisted of bread, cheese, and dried fruit such as raisins and dates. The bread was made of wheat flour. The loaves were flat, and about two inches thick. Some loaves of this kind were discovered at Pompeii, where they had lain covered up by lava and volcanic ashes for nearly two thousand years. Lunch was eaten about mid-day, and consisted of various kinds of meat, fish, and eggs—generally the remains of the preceding(3) day's dinner.

BREAD FOUND AT POMPEII

6. Dinner was the great meal of the day. It was eaten any time between three o'clock and sunset, and sometimes even later, according to the fashion of the time. A regular dinner among the well-to-do Romans consisted of three parts—the antepast or "whet," the several courses of the dinner itself, and the dessert(4). The purpose of the "whet" was to give the guest a keener appetite for dinner. The usual bill of fare(5) for this was small turnips, lettuce, radishes, and other vegetables; eggs, fish, and shell-fish; honey and water, and the dregs(6) of a certain kind of wine.

7. The dinner itself usually consisted of from three to seven courses. Fish was much liked, and many Roman houses had fish-ponds, where various kinds of fish were reared for the table. The best oysters were those brought from England. A kind of snail, which was fattened for use, was also considered a great dainty. All our common domestic fowls were used, as well as thrushes, blackbirds, and other singing birds. Of game, the wild boar and the hare were most valued; pork was the favourite flesh, but beef and mutton were little cared for.

8. The common vegetables were lettuce, cabbage, asparagus, turnips, mushrooms, leeks, and onions. For dessert, such fruits as apples, dates, and olives were used, and also sweetmeats of various sorts. Wine of various kinds was produced in Italy, or imported from abroad.

HALL OF ROMAN MANSION

9. During the course of the repast(7), the guests were entertained with music, dancing, readings, jokes, and juggling(8) performances, done by slaves or by hired performers. Vast sums of money were often spent on feasts among the rich. A fine mullet(9) is said to have sold for ￡50, and a barbel(10) for ￡65. One dish of singing birds—not the "four-and-twenty blackbirds" of our younger days—is believed to have cost ￡800. The rich were also fond of getting dishes which were new or strange as well as costly, such as nightingales and peacocks, and the tongues and brains of flamingoes(11). We must not suppose, however, that many of the Romans lived in this style. The great mass of the people lived, as they do still, at a small expense, their common diet being barley bread, beans and lentils, and cheap fish.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write sentences containing the words slave, slavery, slavish, and enslave.

2. Give the various meanings which may be expressed by the word court.

3. Show the connection in meaning of the words court, courtly, courteous, courtier, courtesy, curtsey.

————————————————————

(1) Columns, pillars.

(2) Ivory, a substance got mostly from the tusks of elephants.

(3) Preceding, previous.

(4) Dessert, fruit served after dinner.

(5) Bill of fare, list of dishes.

(6) Dregs, the part of a liquid that falls to the bottom.

(7) Repast, meal.

(8) Juggling, conjuring; making sport by tricks.

(9) Mullet, a fish highly esteemed as food.

(10) Barbel, a fresh-water fish.

(11) Flamingoes, wading birds found in the tropics.

45

THE FISHERMEN

[1. The fisheries off the coast of Newfoundland have been for nearly three hundred years among the most important of the world. Hundreds of schooners(1) and other fishing craft(2) crowd the great Bank of Newfoundland(3) and the neighbouring coasts from June to September, some of them British, some French, and others American. The cold current which flows past the coast of Labrador(4), often bringing icebergs with it, meets the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream(5) near these banks, and dense fogs are very common where this meeting takes place. In the following poem the Quaker(6) Poet(7) of America refers to the dangers of the fisherman's life: —]

2. Hurrah! the seaward breezes

Sweep down the bay amain(8);

Heave up, my lads, the anchor,

Run up the sail again!

Leave to the lubber landsmen

The rail-car and the steed;

The stars of heaven shall guide us,

The breath of heaven shall speed.

3. From the hill-top looks the steeple,

And the lighthouse from the sand,

And the scattered pines are waving

Their farewell from the land.

One glance, my lads, behind us,

For the homes we leave one sigh,

Ere we take the change and chances

Of the ocean and the sky.

4. Now, brothers, for the icebergs

Of frozen Labrador,

Floating spectral(9) in the moonshine

Along the low, black shore,

Where like snow the gannet's(10) feathers

On 'Brador's rocks are shed,

And the noisy murre(11) are flying

Like black scuds(12) overhead;

5. Where in mist the rock is hiding,

And the sharp reef(13) lurks below,

And the white squall smites in summer,

And the autumn tempests blow;

Where through grey and rolling vapour,

From evening unto morn,

A thousand boats are hailing,

Horn answering unto horn.

6. There we'll drop our lines, and gather

Old Ocean's treasures in,

Where'er the mottled mackerel

Turns up a steel-dark fin.

The sea's our field of harvest,

Its scaly tribes our grain;

We'll reap the teeming(14) waters

As at home they reap the plain.

7. Though the mist upon our jackets

In the bitter air congeals(15),

And our lines wind stiff and slowly

From off the frozen reels;

Though the fog be dark around us,

And the storm blow high and loud,

We'll whistle down the wild wind,

And laugh beneath the cloud.

8. In the darkness as in daylight,

On water as on land,

God's eye is looking on us,

And beneath us is His hand.

Death will find us soon or later,

On the deck or in the cot;

And we cannot meet Him better

Than in working out our lot.

9. Hurrah! hurrah! the west wind

Comes freshening down the bay;

The rising sails are filling, —

Give way(16), my lads, give way!

Leave the coward landsman clinging

To the dull earth, like a weed;

The stars of heaven shall guide us,

The breath of heaven shall speed!

— WHITTIER

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write out the compound words in the poem, and show the relation between their component parts.

2. Write in simple language the substance of verses 6 and 8.

————————————————————

(1) Schooners, vessels with two masts.

(2) Craft, vessels.

(3) Bank of Newfoundland, a large sand-bank to the east of Newfoundland.

(4) Labrador, a district on the northeast coast of Canada.

(5) Gulf Stream, a stream of warm water flowing from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic to the shores of Britain and Norway.

(6) Quaker, one of the Society of Friends.

(7) Quaker Poet, John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892).

(8) Amain, with might and main. Lubber, lazy; stay-at-home.

(9) Spectral, ghostly; like a spectre or ghost.

(10) Gannet, a bird found in the northern seas.

(11) Murre, a sea-bird; also called guillemot.

(12) Scuds, clouds scudding or being driven quickly across the sky.

(13) Reef, a line of rocks lying near or at the surface of the water.

(14) Teeming, swarming.

(15) Congeals, turns into ice.

(16) Give way, work hard at your oars or sails.

46

HUNTING THE SEA-OTTER

1. As the schooner came to anchor, Rae saw before him a little town clinging to the side of a mountain that rose up precipitously(1) behind it, with its summit lost in the mist. Here several hundred Aleutian(2) hunters of the sea-otter lived with their families. Rae found the Aleuts not at all an ill-looking people. Most of them were short and squat(3) of figure, with broad faces, high cheek-bones, flat noses, and small black eyes.

2. Baranov went to make arrangements for sharing in a sea-otter hunt with Kahgoon, the chief hunter in the village; and when this had been done, Rae was anxious to learn as much as he could about the strange animal whose skin is more precious to the fur-dealer than any other. When at its best, a perfect sea-otter skin will bring a hundred pounds at any of the centres of the fur-trade.

3. Sometimes these creatures are killed by clubbing(4); but it is only in the midst of a wild storm, when the billows are breaking in thunder upon the beach, and the air is thick with flying spray, that even a native can approach near enough to kill them in this way. The animal spends very little time on land; in fact it comes ashore only in severe storms, to get a rest from the tumbling of the billows. So, in the midst of the tempest, the Aleuts will launch their "bidarkies" or skin-covered canoes, and scud like an arrow before the gale towards some tiny islet where the otter may be found sleeping. This, how ever, is no undertaking for white men; only natives could dare such dangers, and Rae felt no desire to engage in a hunt of this kind.

SEA-OTTER

4. Shooting in the surf is another way of hunting the sea-otter. Rae and Baranov tried this method one day in the midst of a raging gale; but the wind and spray dashing in their faces prevented them from taking accurate(5) aim, and after wasting much powder they gave it up in disgust, although the natives, with much inferior weapons, were able to secure several good skins.

5. The two lads were therefore all the more eager to try their luck in the great "spearing surround" for which Kahgoon arranged, as soon as the water became sufficiently calm for this purpose. The party started soon after dawn in twenty bidarkies, each having two occupants, and one larger boat which held Rae and Baranov and the four natives who were to paddle it.

6. When the hunting-ground was reached, the fleet spread out into a long single line, an interval of a hundred feet or so being between the boats. Thus arranged, they paddled softly and slowly over the rolling water in perfect silence. It seemed an age to the eager boys before the "view-halloo" was raised by old Kahgoon. His keen eye detected the nose of an otter lifted for a moment above the waves, and he held up his paddle as a signal. The creature had taken the alarm, and had shot away down into the depths of the sea with the speed of a salmon. Brat, as Kahgoon well knew, he must soon reappear to breathe.

7. Kahgoon stopped his canoe where the otter had disappeared, and held up his paddle in the air, while the other boats rapidly formed round him in a circle of about half a mile in diameter(6), so that when the otter rose again some one would be sure to see him. After about fifteen minutes he rose breathless, so near the big boat that both Rae and Baranov saw him at the same moment. There was no longer any need for silence, so with shouts of "There he is! I see him!" they urged their boat towards the spot, and raised their paddles for another circle to form.

8. In this way the hunted animal was forced to dive again and again without being allowed time for a full breath. The chase continued for over an hour. Each disappearance of the otter was shorter than the preceding one, and the fatal circle drew ever closer about him.

9. At length, exhausted by his tremendous exertions, and so breathless as to be unable to dive any longer, the animal floated helplessly on the water, and a well-aimed throw of Kahgoon's spear put an end to the struggle. The chase was over and the prize was won. All rejoiced with the veteran(7) hunter over his success, each hoping that he might himself be the lucky one next time.

After the hunters had rested for a little while and had a chat together, the boats lined out again and moved over the water in search of another victim.

— J. MACDONALD OXLEY

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write a list of nouns ending in -ant, meaning the doer of a thing (like occupant).

2. Give a list of words with the prefix inter- (like interval), and give their meanings.

3. Write out a short list of words with the prefix pre-, and also with the prefix per-, giving their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Precipitously, like a precipice.

(2) Aleutian, belonging to the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific.

(3) Squat, broad.

(4) Clubbing, striking with clubs.

(5) Accurate, sure; certain.

(6) Diameter, breadth through the centre.

(7) Veteran, old and experienced.

47

A SEAL-SKIN COAT

1. "Look at this Christmas present," said Kate to me, as she held up a pretty seal-skin coat which her uncle had sent her. "Is it not perfectly lovely?"

I admired the handsome garment, while Kate went on: "I should so like to see the seals, with their pretty, soft furry coats."

2. "Have you ever heard of the magic carpet which the Arabian(1) legends(2) tell of?" I asked. "When one took his seat on this carpet, and wished to be in any distant place, the carpet immediately rose into the air, and in a moment carried him there. Suppose we imagine your coat to be a magic carpet, and let it carry us, or at least our thoughts, to the far-off home of the fur-seal."

"Yes, let us go at once," cried Kate.

3. "Nay, if we go at once, not a seal shall we behold. They are far out at sea just now, and we need not expect them to come to land before May. But let us make a new use of the magic carpet: if it can carry our thoughts to a distant place, why not to a distant time as well?"

"The one seems as easy as the other," she replied.

4. "Very well, then. It is now May, about the 20th, let us say, and we are already at the other side of the world. This is the Behring Sea(3), which tumbles its cold, grey billows on the shore; and the island on which we stand is St. Paul's Island, one of a small group called the Pribylov Islands.

5. "It is cool and misty; but there are few warm or clear days in this quarter(4), even in summer. On the rocks we can see a few large seals, seven feet long every one of them; we recognize them at once by the pictures of seals that we have seen. The nearest one shows no fear of us, and we need not fear him. He walks up the beach, lies or sits down and fans himself in a comical(5) way with his hind flippers. He is very fat, and it is well for him that he is so. When he has his family gathered round him on that rock, he will stay there to defend them from all comers for the next three or four months, and during that time he will neither eat nor drink.

6. "Soon the mother seals arrive, and come on shore to nurse their little ones; for, curiously enough, the baby seals cannot swim when they are born. As they grow older, they begin to roll about the shore, and are very frolicsome(6). When about three months old, they begin to venture into the water; but at first they soon scramble out again, sputtering and spitting and crying as loud as they can. In a few days they learn to swim and dive perfectly."

7. "But the fur," cried Kate. "Are all these seals dressed in soft brown fur like this?"

"No, not one of them. The old chiefs have a coat of coarse grey hair, and the females have a more silky coat, no doubt; but still it is hair, not fur. But now, in obedience to your wish, our magic carpet carries us onwards to see the fur. We have left the crowded 'rookeries,' or nursing homes, and at some distance along the shore we see thousands of other seals.

8. "They are young male seals— 'bachelors', the hunters call them—from two to six years old. They seem to enjoy life, and roll and tumble about like so many kittens. When they get older, they will take up their residence on the rookeries, and gather a family group round them like the old warriors we have left there.

9. "Now it is near the end of June, and the seal-hunters have arrived. They are mostly Indians, natives of the islands. They approach a swarm of those bachelor seals, and surround and drive inland a flock of two or three hundred, as if they were sheep. Then an experienced hunter goes round and points out any seal that is not to be killed, because he is too young, or too old, or is shedding his coat.

10. "At last we reach the fur. The seals have been killed, and their skins have been sprinkled with salt and sent on to London. Now each skin is stretched on a frame, and the inside is scraped until it becomes thin and soft. Next it is heated, and then all the coarse hairs are easily combed out, and the soft silky fur which remains is dyed a rich brown colour, as you see it in the coat which you admire so much.

11. "The seal has really two coats—long hair outside, and soft, short fur growing among it, just as the soft down of the duck grows below its feathers. The long hairs have deeper roots than the fur, and when the skin is pared thin, these roots are cut away from the inside, and the hairs come out easily, leaving the fur firmly fixed in the outer skin.

12. "All the skins are taken from the young or 'bachelor' seals, and the rookeries are carefully preserved, so as to keep up the supply of seals year after year. The American Government, to whom these islands now belong, is very careful to prevent the killing of too many seals.

"But now it is tea-time; let us wish ourselves back again. Our magic carpet has proved its power once more, for here we are back at Christmas and home again."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make words ending in -ery (like rookery), formed from bake, brew, tan, and hatch, with their meanings.

2. Give a list of words which have a meaning like that of swarm, and show how they are used in sentences.

3. Write a list of adverbs, and another of adjectives, ending in -ly, and give their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Arabian, belonging to Arabia, a large country in the southwest of Asia.

(2) Legends, stories founded on imagination; fables.

(3) Behring Sea, part of the North Pacific Ocean.

(4) Quarter, part of the world.

(5) Comical, funny.

(6) Frolicsome, full of fun.

48

SELF-DEFENCE

1. We sometimes hear of animals that have become extinct, such as the great auk(1), the last specimen of which was shot during the present century. Plants, too, run the risk of becoming extinct in certain districts. When a rare plant is found in some nook among the mountains, botanists(2) are so eager to get a specimen of it that sometimes not a single plant is left. There is no danger of our cultivated plants becoming extinct, however, for farmers take care to preserve a sufficient quantity of seed every year.

2. The lower animals are not so intelligent as to preserve or cultivate the plants on which they feed. Where animals of the graminivorous or browsing(3) type are plentiful, therefore, their feed-plants run the risk of being eaten up entirely, while they are young and juicy, and before the seeds of another crop have been sown.

3. Plants have therefore to rely on certain means of self-defence, in order that they may live their lives and sow their seeds, instead of being eaten up bodily by the first grass-eating animal that happens to pass. Those that have no means of self-defense will naturally be eaten up first, while those with the best weapons or the toughest armour will live longest and produce most seed, and so will spread most widely over the ground.

4. The ways in which plants protect themselves from animals are often most ingenious and effective. Some plants contain a poisonous juice, and if an animal does not take warning from its taste or smell, his attack on the plant will cost him his life. A few poisonous plants grow in this country—the deadly nightshade, the water-hemlock, and others; and children have sometimes been poisoned by eating such plants. There are others, such as watercress, which we find very good to eat, but which are too bitter for animals to feed on.

5. It is a curious fact that the deadly nightshade, which is so poisonous to the browsing animals that might otherwise eat it all up, is quite harmless to beetles and smaller creatures that live on it. The plant can easily spare as much of its leaves as they require, and they seem rather to like its juice. Animals appear to detect poisonous plants by their smell, though there are some of them which to us have no smell at all.

DEADLY NIGHTSHADE

6. Next to poisonous plants we might place stinging plants, such as the nettle. The leaves of the nettle are studded(4) with fine hollow hairs, rounded at the tip. When one of these hairs is touched, its round point breaks off, and its sharp, ragged edge pierces the skin, while the juice which filled the hollow flows into the wound. The sting of some of the huge tropical plants of this kind is nearly as dangerous as the bite of a poisonous snake. Yet the nettle can hardly be called poisonous, for the young shoots are sometimes used as food, and taste a little like spinach when they are boiled.

7. The most common means of defence among plants are thorns, spines, prickles, or bristles of various kinds, some of them very strong and dangerous-looking, others just sharp enough to be unpleasant for any animal that may be in quest(5) of a meal. We have all come in contact with such plants as thistles at one time or another, and we have found that they defend themselves very well. Yet the donkey can make a meal of them in spite of their spears.

HEMLOCK

8. Thistles have both stem and leaves covered with prickles. Other plants, such as the hawthorn and blackthorn, have them on the stem or branches only, and the young leaves spring up under shelter of these thorns. Certain grasses and sedges(6) have their prickles set on the leaves themselves, which are so hard and jagged at the edges that most animals leave them alone.

9. The furze has so many thorns that we hardly notice anything else to be protected; but there is a family of plants, called the cactus, that has gone still further in the way of self-defence. They are found in the desert, where plants are scarce, and even the roughest and least juicy are in danger of being eaten up, if they do not die of drought(7). But the cactus remains juicy and green in spite of either heat or animals.

CACTUS

10. Its leaves have turned into mere prickles, hard, sharp, and dangerous to touch, without any of that soft green surface which is necessary to the life and growth of a plant. The stem, on the other hand, is covered, not with bark, but with that green surface which is found on the leaves of other plants. The stem has undertaken the work of the leaves, seeing that the leaves have had to undertake the work of defence against animals; and so the plant thrives where hardly any other vegetable life is found.

11. After all, plants do not carry on war against animals; they act only in self-defence, and have no more armour than is absolutely(8) needed. You may see this by looking at the next holly tree you pass. If it is a tall one, you will notice that while the lower leaves that are exposed to danger are sharp and prickly at the edges, those on the higher branches are smooth and unprotected. This fact about the holly tree has suggested the poem by Southey(9), which you will find as your next lesson.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of nouns ending in -ist, meaning the doer of a thing (like botanist).

2. Write out the words connected with effect and with affect, and give their meanings.

3. Write out a list of words, with meanings, formed from -take (like undertake), with various prefixes.

————————————————————

(1) Great auk, a large bird of the auk species, somewhat like a penguin.

(2) Botanists, people who make a special study of plants.

(3) Browsing, feeding on plants and grass.

(4) Studded, covered.

(5) Quest, search.

(6) Sedges, a kind of coarse grass growing in swamps.

(7) Drought, want of rain.

(8) Absolutely, really.

(9) Southey, Robert (1773-1843), English poet.

49

THE HOLLY TREE

1. O reader! hast thou ever stood to see

The holly tree?

The eye that contemplates(1) it well, perceives

Its glossy leaves

Ordered by an Intelligence so wise,

As might confound(2) the atheist's(3) sophistries(4).

2. Below, a circling fence, its leaves are seen

Wrinkled and keen, —

No grazing cattle through their prickly round

Can reach to wound;

But as they grow where nothing is to fear,

Smooth and unarmed the pointless leaves appear.

3. I love to view these things with curious eyes,

And moralize(5);

And in this wisdom of the holly tree

Can wisdom see

Wherewith, perchance, to make a pleasant rhyme—

One which may profit in the after-time.

4. Thus, though abroad perchance I might appear

Harsh and austere(6);

To those who on my leisure would intrude,

Reserved and rude; —

Gentle at home amid my friends I'd be,

Like the high leaves upon the holly tree.

5. And should my youth, as youth is apt, I know,

Some harshness show,

All vain asperities(7) I day by day

Would wear away,

Till the smooth temper of my age should be

Like the high leaves upon the holly tree.

6. And as when all the summer trees are seen

So bright and green,

The holly leaves a sober(8) hue display,

Less bright than they;

But when the bare and wintry woods we see,

What then so cheerful as the holly tree?

7. So serious should my youth appear among

The thoughtless throng;

So would I seem among the young and gay

More grave than they;

That in my age as cheerful I might be

As the green winter of the holly tree.

— SOUTHEY

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write out the words containing the syllable -ieve, and those containing -eive.

2. Make sentences containing round as noun, adjective, verb, adverb, and preposition.

3. Write out pairs of adjectives ending in -ful and in -less, formed from the same noun (like thoughtful, thoughtless).

————————————————————

(1) Contemplates, thinks carefully about.

(2) Confound, baffle; put into confusion.

(3) Atheist, one who does not believe in God.

(4) Sophistries, false reasonings intended to mislead.

(5) Moralize, draw a moral from; learn a lesson.

(6) Austere, stern; severe.

(7) Asperities, roughness of manner.

(8) Sober, quiet.

50

THE "SPECIAL."

1. Roy Kingsley lived near a railway in America, on which his big brother was an engineer(1). Roy was delighted when Hal allowed him, as he sometimes did, to make a trip on the engine, and to help Jack Dunn the fireman.

2. One afternoon Hal came home looking vexed. "Roy, would you care to go up to Silverton with me to-night?" he asked, as his brother met him at the door. "I am just back from my run, and I have got orders to take a special goods train up the branch line to-night. Dunn is unwell, and I cannot get another man. Will you fire for me this trip?"

"Of course I will!" exclaimed Roy; "it's just what I want. Hurrah!"

3. The Silverton branch ran through an almost uninhabited and thickly-wooded country to a large mining settlement some thirty miles from the junction(2).

"Look at all this smoke!" cried Hal, as they passed the junction and ran on to the branch line. "The woods up the line are on fire, and the smoke will soon be so thick that we shall not be able to see our funnel."

4. The train had finished half its journey. The smoke had become so thick that nothing could be seen even a few yards away, and through it came the occasional flashes of a great fire. The air grew hot. Sparks and cinders rattled against the engine.

5. A few minutes passed, and then, as if a curtain had been drawn away, the smoke disappeared, and the train plunged into almost clear air, between two lines of flaming trees which sent up great tongues of fire under the hurrying clouds of black vapour that rolled towards the sky.

"Hallo!" exclaimed Hal, "this is scorching! I shall put on more steam, and make a rush through it."

6. Just then Tom Brainerd, the guard, made his way to the engine. "What are you doing, Kingsley?" he shouted. "Surely you are not going on?"

"Going on!" gasped Hal, utterly amazed; "of course I am going on. I am not afraid of a little fire, I hope; but I believe you are, Tom."

"Reverse(3), quick, man, and back us out!" said Brainerd, in a harsh, vehement(4) voice, seizing the engineer's arm with both hands. "Do you know what we have for freight(5)?"

"No, and I don't care!" said Hal. "But what is it?" "Blasting powder!"

"What?" cried the brothers together.

"Yes, tons of it, for the Silverton mines. And the men loosened the staves(6) of some of the kegs(7) when they loaded it, so that there is loose powder scattered all about the next carriage!"

7. Kingsley pulled the throttle(8) wide open. "Sit down, Tom," he said calmly, without looking at the guard. "We can't go back. The fire is all along the line by this time. We must go right through. —Coal up, Roy, but not too much. Quick, boy!"

Suddenly Brainerd sprang up, and left the engine. Roy saw him on the top of the powder-van scraping off the sparks and putting out the little fires which started upon the dry boards of the roof.

"Tom is a brave fellow," said Hal. "It was the worry and dread that made him so weak. You see he knew what this fire was like, and he knew what he had to carry through it. But he will be all right now."

8. When Hal turned his eyes to the track again, he gave a start, and shut off steam. "Put on the brake(9), Roy! quick!"

A great burning tree lay across the rails in front. Even while Roy threw his weight on the brake, he was thinking, "What shall we do now?" and before he had finished turning the iron wheel, he had made up his mind. He cut away the leather curtain which closed the back of the engine cab, and rolling it up he plunged it into the water-tank, drew it out dripping wet, and threw it over his shoulders. Then with an axe in his hand he jumped down and ran forward to the tree.

9. Roy felt the heat as he had not felt it before, but he chopped blindly on, and as he did so he wondered confusedly whether he could hold out long enough to finish his task.

At last he heard a voice faintly calling him, and at the same moment the tree trunk gave way under his axe.

Then he managed to stagger to the side of the engine, and his brother lifted him up.

"I can do the rest," said Hal.

He turned on the steam, backed some distance, and then ran full tilt at the divided tree. The engine caught it and tossed it aside. Once more the train flew on at full speed.

10. They left the fire behind, and plunged once more into thick smoke. This also was left behind; and the train reached the cleared land around Silverton, and drew up at the little station. Roy had lain exhausted ever since his brother had helped him up. He now looked up, and saw Tom Brainerd coming—black, blistered, and almost without a hair on his head.

"Well, boys," said he cheerfully, "the fast powder train's up to time."

Hal was as calm as ever. The only praise he gave Roy was contained in one remark, but this was the greatest compliment(10) he could pay him. "You will make a railwayman some day, Roy," was what he said.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write out a few nouns ending in -eer, -ier, and -er, meaning the agent or doer (like engineer).

2. Give various meanings for the words brake and break.

3. Give a list of words, with their meanings, formed from the root-fuse (like confuse), with various prefixes.

————————————————————

(1) Engineer, one who works an engine.

(2) Junction, the place where two or more railway lines meet.

(3) Reverse, make the engine go in the opposite direction.

(4) Vehement, forcible; violent; furious.

(5) Freight, cargo.

(6) Staves, narrow strips of wood.

(7) Kegs, casks.

(8) Throttle, a valve which regulates the supply of steam.

(9) Brake, drag; a piece of wood pressed against a wheel to stop it.

(10) Compliment, praise; words said in one's favour.

51

DOWN THE MOSELLE

1. The river Moselle, often called "The Bride of the Rhine," is even more picturesque than the Rhine itself. It is more winding and also narrower, so that the voyager is nearer the beauty and quaintness(1) of its shores. Its bordering hills, although no higher than those along the Rhine, are at least equally impressive(2); while the valleys and ravines(3) which wind away between them are more irregular and inviting.

ON THE MOSELLE

2. A rowing trip down the Moselle is safe, easy, and full of pleasure. One may start at Metz(4), or even at Nancy(5), but the best point is Treves. This ancient town, so interesting by reason of its Roman ruins and its quaint old buildings, is reached directly from Cologne in less than six hours by railway, through a delightfully picturesque country.

ROMAN GATEWAY, TREVES.

3. Imagine yourself at last gliding down stream, with Treves fading into the distance as the afternoon shadows lengthen. You are at the oars, pulling with slow, even strokes. Your friend in the stern holds the tiller(6). You are fairly under way, and already the scenes on either hand begin to interest you. Here, for instance, you pass a company of German infantry(7) bathing. They keep their ranks, and at signals from the bugle throw off their clothing, plunge, still in line, into the stream, and a few moments later emerge(8) and dress. One wonders if they keep their ranks and move by signal when they eat, drink, and sleep.

4. Now you pass a great foundry(9) on the other bank. Volumes of smoke pour from its tall chimney, glowing furnaces light up its dark interior, and its distant workmen suggest to your fancy fairies working underground in some enchanted cavern. Next you float for a mile or two between green meadows, behind which lie villages embowered(10) in trees. A rude barge crosses your course laden with peasants returning from work, and singing some evening hymn. There a group of merry girls and boys run along the nearest bank, shouting, "Englander! Englander!"

5. Presently a steamer passes you, one of the regular line from Coblentz(11), and its passengers look at you smilingly. Here you come to a chain-ferry, a barge made fast by a buoyed(12) chain to an anchor far up in mid-stream. When the barge is pushed off, the force of the current swings it over to the other shore like a pendulum; but as the pull straightens the chain, bringing it sharply to the surface of the water between the buoys, you must be careful not to let your boat get caught by it, or you will be capsized instantly. Another sort of ferry is common. A strong wire rope extends from a tower upon one bank to a similar tower opposite. The boat, square-ended and flat-bottomed, is fastened to this cable, and is drawn across by another rope passing over a pulley.

6. By-and-by you land, stroll through a quiet village, buy some fruit, and sketch the picturesque outline of some old house. Perhaps you climb a neighbouring hill to gain the lovely view from its summit. Later, in some quiet cove, yon rest a while and bathe. You explore the ruins of a castle upon a height, or rest beneath some sheltering bridge while a sudden shower passes over.

SCHLOSS ELTZ

7. Sometimes for miles the hillsides rise almost from the water's edge, and are covered with well-cultivated vineyards. Now and then you pass a considerable town, and hear a band playing in the garden of its chief hotel. Charming views succeed each other swiftly, and no one who has any taste for natural beauty can fail to be continually delighted.

8. The Moselle castles are less famous than those on the Rhine, perhaps, but they are quite as picturesque and equally worth visiting. Usually they stand upon high places above the villages. The most striking castle of all is Schloss Eltz, three miles inland from the river, rising upon a knoll above the mass of foliage which fills the surrounding valley, like some great rock above the waves of the ocean. It is one of the best preserved specimens of its kind in all Germany, and many of its rooms still retain their original furnishings.

9. These are only a few of the many pleasures which such a trip affords. On reaching the Rhine at Coblentz, one finds his face browned, his muscles hardened, and his appetite become enormous. He has also learned to appreciate(13) better whatever is beautiful in nature or quaint in architecture(14), and has been entertained and instructed by his intercourse(15) with a simple, kindly peasantry.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make out a list of adjectives ending in -ive (like impressive), and give their meanings.

2. Make sentences containing the words cave, cavity, cavern, and excavate.

3. Make sentences containing the words succeed (in two meanings), success, succession, and successor.

————————————————————

(1) Quaintness, strangeness; rustic appearance.

(2) Impressive, striking.

(3) Ravines, deep hollows; gorges.

(4) Metz, Treves, Cologne, towns in the west of Germany.

(5) Nancy, town in the east of France.

(6) Tiller, the handle by which the helm is moved.

(7) Infantry, foot-soldiers.

(8) Emerge, come out.

(9) Foundry, a workshop where metals are melted and poured into moulds.

(10) Embowered, enclosed; surrounded.

(11) Coblentz, a town in the west of Germany.

(12) Buoyed, supported by floats or buoys.

(13) Appreciate, value.

(14) Architecture, styles of building.

(15) Intercourse, coming in contact with.

52

THE LAST FRENCH LESSON

[1. In 1871 the province of Alsace(1) was ceded(2) to Germany, after the Franco-German(3) War. The people were mostly French, and had the greatest dislike to becoming subjects of Germany—a feeling which was strengthened by the efforts of the German Government to force the German language on them. The following sketch gives an example of the popular dislike of the conquering nation.]

2. This morning I was late in going to school, and I was very much afraid of a reprimand(4), as Mr. Hamel had said he would question me on the participles, and I had not prepared a single word. For a moment I thought of playing truant; the day was warm and bright, the blackbirds were whistling, and the Prussian(5) soldiers were at drill in the park. I managed to resist all these attractions, however, and hurried on to school.

3. In passing the mayor's(6) house, I saw that a new notice was posted up on the board, which every one stopped to read. Many a sad notice had been posted up there during the last two years—news of battles lost, and orders for men and money for the war. As I passed on, the blacksmith, who was standing there, called to me, "Don't hurry, my boy; you will be at your school soon enough to-day." I thought he was making fun of me, and ran on.

4. When I reached the playground, I did not hear that buzz of noise which I had counted on to enable me to get to my place unnoticed. Everything was quiet. You may imagine how frightened I was at having to open the door and enter in the midst of this silence. But Mr. Hamel only looked at me, and said in a kindly voice, "Hurry to your place, my little Franz; we were about to commence without you."

5. When I was seated at my own desk, I had time to notice that the master had on his handsome green coat, his finely-embroidered(7) shirt-front, and his black silk skull-cap, all of which he wore in school only on examination days and at the distribution of prizes. But what surprised me most was to see the benches at the end of the room, which were usually unoccupied, filled by the old people of the town all sitting silent like ourselves.

6. Mr. Hamel took his seat, and in a grave, sweet voice he said, "My children, this is the last time I shall teach you. The order has come from Berlin(8) that nothing but German is to be taught in the schools of Alsace. The new master will come to-morrow. To-day is your last lesson in French. Be very attentive, I pray you."

7. Now I understood why he had put on his fine Sunday clothes, and why the old men were seated at the end of the room. My last French lesson! Why, I could hardly write. How I regretted the time I had wasted in bird-nesting, and in sliding on the Saar(9)! My books, that I had found so wearisome, now seemed old friends that were about to leave me.

8. I heard my name called. What would I not have given to be able to recite all those rules of the participles without a blunder! But I could only stand silent, with a swelling heart, not daring to look up.

"I will not scold you, my little Franz," said Mr. Hamel, in a sad tone; "you are punished enough. Every day you have said, 'I have time enough—I will learn tomorrow;' and now what has happened? This putting off instruction till tomorrow has been the fault of us all in Alsace. Now the invaders say to us, 'How can you pretend to be French, when you cannot read and write your own language?'"

9. Mr. Hamel went on to speak of the French language, saying that it was the most beautiful, the most polished(10), and the richest(11) language in the world, and that we must now watch over each other and see that we never forgot it; for even when a people become slaves, while they keep their own language it is as if they held the key to their prison.

10. Then he took up a grammar, and went over our lesson with us. I was astonished to find that I could understand it quite easily. I had never listened so eagerly, and the master had never explained so patiently. It seemed as if he wished to make all his knowledge enter our heads at once.

Next we passed to writing. He had prepared an entirely new exercise for us, to be written in round hand: "France, Alsace; France, Alsace." How eagerly each one applied himself! Nothing could be heard but the scratching of the pens upon the paper. A butterfly entered, but no one stopped to watch it. The pigeons cooed on the roof, and I thought, "I wonder if they will be required to sing in German."

11. Mr. Hamel sat silent in the chair he had occupied for forty years. To-morrow he would leave the country forever; even now we could hear his sister in the room above packing the trunks. Yet he had the courage to go through the school work to the end.

Suddenly the clock struck noon. At the same time the bugles of the Prussian soldiers sounded under our windows, where they had come to drill.

12. Mr. Hamel rose, pale, but full of dignity.

"My friends," he said in a low voice— "my friends, I—" But he was not able to finish the sentence.

He turned to the blackboard, and with a piece of chalk wrote, in letters that covered the whole board, "Vive la France(12)!"

Then he stopped, leaned against the wall, and without saying a word, he waved his hand as if to say, "The end has come; go!"

— From the French of ALPHONSE DAUDET

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Show the connection in meaning between image, imagine, imagination, imaginary, and imitate.

2. Give the meanings of tribute, tributary, distribute, contribute, and retribution, showing their connection.

3. Give the words formed from the root -tend with the prefixes ad-, con-, in-, ex-, dis-, and pre-, with their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Alsace, a district in the southwest of Germany.

(2) Ceded, given up.

(3) Franco-German War, war between France and Germany in 1870-1871.

(4) Reprimand, severe rebuke.

(5) Prussian, belonging to Prussia, the chief state of the German Empire.

(6) Mayor, chief magistrate.

(7) Embroidered, adorned with figures worked in needlework.

(8) Berlin, the capital of Germany.

(9) Saar, a tributary of the Moselle.

(10) Polished, refined; elegant.

(11) Richest, grandest; most complete.

(12) Vive la France! long live France! France for ever!

53

BINGEN(1) ON THE RHINE

1. A soldier of the Legion(2) lay dying in Algiers(3);

There was lack of woman's nursing, there was dearth(4) of woman's tears;

But a comrade stood beside him, while his life-blood ebbed away,

And bent, with pitying glances, to hear what he might say.

The dying soldier faltered, as he took that comrade's hand,

And he said, "I never more shall see my own, my native land:

Take a message and a token(5) to some distant friends of mine;

For I was born at Bingen—at Bingen on the Rhine.

2. "Tell my brothers and companions, when they meet and crowd around

To hear my mournful story, in the pleasant vineyard ground,

That we fought the battle bravely; and when the day was done,

Full many a corse(6) lay ghastly pale beneath the setting sun.

And amidst the dead and dying were some grown old in wars—

The death-wound on their gallant breasts, the last of many scars:

But some were young, and suddenly beheld life's morn(7) decline;

And one had come from Bingen—fair Bingen on the Rhine.

BINGEN

3. "Tell my mother that her other sons shall comfort her old age,

And I was aye a truant bird, that thought his home a cage;

For my father was a soldier, and, even as a child,

My heart leaped forth to hear him tell of struggles fierce and wild;

And when he died, and left us to divide his scanty hoard(8),

I let them take whate'er they would, but kept my father's sword;

And with boyish love I hung it where the bright light used to shine,

On the cottage-wall at Bingen—calm Bingen on the Rhine.

4. "Tell my sister not to weep for me, and sob with drooping head,

When the troops are marching home again, with glad and gallant tread;

But to look upon them proudly, with a calm and steadfast(9) eye,

For her brother was a soldier too, and not afraid to die.

And if a comrade seek her love, I ask her in my name

To listen to him kindly, without regret or shame;

And to hang the old sword in its place (my father's sword and mine),

For the honour of old Bingen—dear Bingen on the Rhine!

5. "There's another—not a sister: in the happy days "gone by,

You'd have" known her by the merriment that sparkled in her eye;

Too innocent for coquetry(10), too fond for idle scorning! —

O friend, I fear the lightest heart makes sometimes heaviest mourning!

Tell her the last night of my life (for ere this moon be risen

My body will be out of pain, my soul be out of prison(11))

I dreamed I stood with her, and saw the yellow sunlight shine

On the vine-clad hills of Bingen—fair Bingen on the Rhine.

6. "I saw the blue Rhine sweep along; I heard, or seemed to hear,

The German songs we used to sing in chorus sweet and clear;

And down the pleasant river, and up the slanting hill,

That echoing chorus sounded, through the evening calm and still;

And her glad blue eyes were on me, as we passed with friendly talk

Down many a path beloved of yore(12), and well-remembered walk;

And her little hand lay lightly, confidingly(13) in mine; —

But we'll meet no more at Bingen—loved Bingen on the Rhine."

7. His voice grew faint and hoarser; his grasp was childish weak;

His eyes put on a dying look; he sighed, and ceased to speak.

His comrade bent to lift him, but the spark of life had fled;

The soldier of the Legion in a foreign land—was dead!

And the soft moon rose up slowly, and calmly she looked down

On the red sand of the battle-field, with bloody corses strown;

Yea, calmly on that dreadful scene her pale light seemed to shine,

As it shone on distant Bingen—fair Bingen on the Rhine!

— HON. MRS. NORTON(14)

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Show the connection in meaning between dear (in two senses), dearth, and darling.

2. Make sentences containing the words decline and incline, each in various senses.

————————————————————

(1) Bingen, a village of Germany, on the Rhine.

(2) Legion, a regiment; part of an army.

(3) Algiers, the capital of Algeria, a country in the north of Africa.

(4) Dearth, want.

(5) Token, something given as a remembrance.

(6) Corse, corpse; lifeless body.

(7) Life's morn, the days of youth.

(8) Scanty hoard, small savings.

(9) Steadfast, firm.

(10) Coquetry, trifling; flirting.

(11) Prison, the body.

(12) Of yore, long ago.

(13) Confidingly, trustingly.

(14) Hon. Mrs. Norton (1808-1877), English poetess.

54

KINDNESS TO ANIMALS

1. Some years ago, a Polish(1) exile in Siberia(2) was passing by a village, when he heard terrible cries of pain coming from one of the outlying houses. Hurrying to the place, he was shocked to find a peasant boy torturing a dog.

2. The Polish gentleman, finding the dog mortally injured, shot it through the head and put it out of its pain. The boy was very angry at being interfered with, and called for help. Up came his father, who was indignant(3) that any one should have dared to interfere with his son. "It is his dog," said the father; "he may do what he likes with it." Finally, the Pole only escaped from a very unpleasant scene by giving the boy some money to keep him quiet.

3. "What a pair of brutes!" you will exclaim; and indeed they hardly deserved the name of human beings. Only a savage can be so stupid as to inflict pain for its own sake, or so unfeeling as to take pleasure in looking at suffering. Cruelty is natural to the savage, and to children who are quite untaught; civilized people are proud of ceasing to be barbarous(4), and of learning to be men.

4. It is man's nature to live together in families and tribes, and cities and nations, and therefore men have learned to prize those qualities in each other which make social life happiest and best. Of these qualities one of the most important is sympathy—fellow-feeling. If a man had no fellow-feeling, we should call him "inhuman;" he would be no true man. We think so much of this quality that we call a kind man "humane"—that is, manlike in his conduct, first to other men, and afterwards to all living things.

5. If you are cruel to animals, you are not likely to be kind and thoughtful to men; and if you are thoughtful towards men, you are not likely to be cruel and thoughtless towards animals. This is why the wise man of old wrote, "The merciful man is merciful to his beast." He could not be unkind to creatures that are dependent on him; he would feel unjust.

6. What a pleasure it is also to be loved by our pets or domestic animals, and to feel that we are eating for them and are deserving of their love; or to watch the ways of wild creatures, and gradually to make friends with them! Kind treatment makes animals far more useful to us than unkindness, so that from every point of view—from justice to ourselves, from pleasure and interest, and from profit as well—it is good to treat animals kindly.

7. Treating animals kindly does not mean that we must never inflict any pain on them. We ourselves are trained by pains as well as by pleasures; so, too, punishment is sometimes needed to train our dogs and horses to obey us. We endure Pain at the hands of the surgeon(5), to cure some wound or to heal some disease; so, too, animals must submit to be doctored.

8. We send out our bravest men to face wounds, sickness, and death, for the good of the nation; so, too, we let our horses share the risks of battle. For similar reasons, we cannot hesitate to destroy dangerous creatures like wolves and tigers and poisonous snakes, or creatures which cause loss and suffering; but to destroy them cruelly only shows senseless ferocity(6). It is no excuse to say that these animals deserve to be treated cruelly on account of their own cruelty; they are not really cruel, for they tear and kill not from love of unkindness, but because they must do so in order to live.

— L. HUXLEY

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words mortal (in two senses), mortality, and immortal.

2. Show the connection in meaning between human, humane, humanity (in two senses), and inhuman.

3. By adding the proper prefix, make words which mean the opposite of just, justly, justice.

————————————————————

(1) Polish, belonging to Poland, a country in the west of European Russia.

(2) Siberia, a large territory in Northern Asia belonging to Russia.

(3) Indignant, very angry.

(4) Barbarous, like savages.

(5) Surgeon, a doctor; one who cures wounds or injuries of the body.

(6) Ferocity, fierceness.

55

THE HORSE

1. The horse seems to have been early domesticated(1) in the fertile plains of the Old World. The Egyptians and the Assyrians(2), we know, employed horses in war five thousand years ago. War, indeed, and hunting were what the best horses were used for, their speed and their spirit being specially suited to these pursuits.

HORSES FROM ANCIENT ASSYRIAN SCULPTURES

2. Among the Arabs they are still peculiarly valued, and treated almost as members of the family. The Arab horses are famous for their speed, gentleness, and endurance(3), as well as for their beauty. Our own thoroughbreds(4) are descended from Arabian horses which were imported into England in the eighteenth century. The greater size to which we have bred our horses enables them now to beat the pure Arabs in racing.

ARABIAN HORSE

3. How do we treat these most useful servants of ours? They do us good service; do we take care that they are worked in the easiest—which is also the most profitable—way possible? Horses suffer far more than other animals, because they bear pain silently. What a yelping a dog makes if you whip him! But the horse does not cry out at the cut of the whip, or at the galling of a sore under his harness, nor does he refuse to carry an extra load, like the camel and the llama(5). So he is too often over-driven, overburdened, and worn out before his time.

4. If we lived with our horses like the Arabs, we should have learned to understand them, and to treat them tenderly. As it is, many who drive horses are ignorant of the real facts about them, and believe things which we know to be false; while many of those who can understand and feel for them do not come enough into contact with horses to notice the effects of such treatment.

5. Much useless suffering is caused by the bearing-rein. The coachmen of fashionable people put bearing-reins on the carriage-horses, to make them carry their heads high and look smart; and other drivers follow this example. But a horse drawing a load should always have its neck free, especially when it comes to a hill. If the head is held up, the horse can do less pulling, and is worn out by pulling in a cramped position. And all this happens because the driver is too stupid to perceive it.

6. Sir Arthur Helps(6) tells a story of some English cart-horses that were taken to Glasgow. The Scotch carters did not need to be told to take off the bearing-reins; but the poor animals were so much accustomed to the reins that at first they would not work without them. So the carters put them on again, but loosely, till after a few days the horses got used to the change, and worked without any bearing-rein far better than they had done before.

7. Fashion has been the cause of even worse cruelties. When a horse is in the shafts, he ought to be harnessed as close to the cart as possible, so as to pull the weight more easily. Now this causes the horse's tail to rub against the cart, and it has been thought best to shorten it by cutting off the last joint or two while the creature was young. But see the results of a stupid fashion. It is considered smart to dock(7) the tails of riding-horses also; then the shorter the tail, the smarter the horse is thought to look.

8. This cutting of the tails is often cruelly done, and a great number of horses die every year from unskillful docking, or from neglect of the wounds. Then there is another consequence. The horses are dreadfully tormented by the flies they can no longer brush away. At the battle of Minden(8), fought in 1759, a great part of the cavalry(9) was rendered useless by the suffering of the horses from this cause. There is a story of an innkeeper who charged twice as much for feeding a long-tailed horse as a short-tailed one. The latter was too much troubled by the flies to eat steadily.

9. What else can we do for our good servant the horse besides seeing that he is not barbarously docked, nor strapped up with a bearing-rein till he is prevented from working properly? We can house him comfortably, and see that the stable is clean and properly ventilated(10). We can choose the least slippery kinds of paving for the streets, and take care in winter either to rough the horses' shoes or spread gravel over the slippery surfaces. We can use proper brakes and drags to ease the weight of the cart on hills.

10. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has done a great work for horses. Cruel treatment of animals is now forbidden by law. In-spectors are sent out to watch, and to have those punished who break the law. The fear of punishment is wonderfully stimulating(11) to the minds of men who are too stupid or too ignorant to think for them selves how animals should be treated.

11. Last of all, when a horse grows too old for the work it is doing, it would be very heartless to send it off into a new service where it would be harshly treated. The old servant is worthy of kindness at the end. Either make sure that it will be well treated, or have an end put to its life quietly and painlessly.

— L. HUXLEY

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words family, familiar, familiarity, and unfamiliar.

2. Give two meanings of sensible, and say which of them is the opposite of insensible, and which of senseless.

3. Distinguish between the meanings of brethren and brothers, and give some other examples of nouns with two forms in the plural.

————————————————————

(1) Domesticated, trained to live near houses; tamed.

(2) Assyrians, an ancient race that lived in Western Asia.

(3) Endurance, the power of working for a long time without rest or complaint.

(4) Thoroughbreds, horses bred from the best blood.

(5) Llama, a small animal of the camel kind.

(6) Sir Arthur Helps (1817-1875), English essayist and historian.

(7) Dock, cut short.

(8) Minden, a town of Prussia.

(9) Cavalry, horse soldiers.

(10) Ventilated, aired.

(11) Stimulating, rousing.

56

HASSAN'S DREAM

1. By a clear well, beside a lonely road,

Hassan the humble had his poor abode;

He could not roam abroad in search of fame

And noble deeds, for he was bent and lame.

No eyes smiled back to his at night or morn,

And evermore he moaned, "Why was I born?

What good can I achieve(1)? Why do I live,

Who have no strength to strive, no gold to give?

Others are opulent(2), beloved, renowned(3);

What can I do? Why cumber I the ground(4)?"

2. Even then a honey-bee, in passing, fell,

Burdened with pollen(5), in his crystal well;

And Hassan raised it as it struggling lay,

Dried its wet wings, and sped it on its way;

And, still repining(6), sought his daily toil,

Digging and watering the needy soil

Of his small vineyard, that he might one day

Share its rich fruit with those who came that way.

3. He pruned the cruel thorns and briers which tore

The feet and robes of travellers by his door;

He picked the sharp stones from the trodden way

Where barefoot pilgrims plodded day by day,

And beggar children, with unsandalled(7) feet,

Wandered along in weariness and heat;

He brought them in his carven cocoa-shell

Draughts of sweet water from his living well.

4. He found the lost lamb, wandering from its own,

And soothed its shivering by his chimney-stone;

Spared the poor moth that sought his taper's blaze,

And fed the hungry birds in winter days;

Saved the weak fledgeling(8) fallen from the nest,

Calmed its wild fear, and warmed it in his breast;

Rescued the firefly from the spider's snare,

And sent it on its shining path in air,

And was a helper and a friend indeed

To every suffering creature in its need;

Yet all the while bewailed(9) his lack of worth,

And marvelled what his use could be on earth.

5. Once, musing(10) thus, he laid him down to rest,

And mourned no more, for comfort filled his breast:

He dreamt his weary days had all gone by,

And that he sought his bed of boughs to die;

A great white angel stood beside him there,

And said, "Thou hast had many ills to bear,

O Hassan, and hast grieved in solitude

Because thou canst not do great deeds of good;

But since thy hand each day fresh succour(11) brings

To men distressed, even beasts and creeping things,

Cherishing all with thy wide charity,

This thou hast done, beloved, unto Me".

Then Hassan saw how blindly he had wept

His narrow powers, and he smiled and slept.

— ELIZABETH AKERS

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write a list of words with the prefix be- (like beloved), and give its meaning in each.

2. Make sentences with the word speed as a noun, an intransitive verb, and a transitive verb.

3. Give a list of verbs that have two forms of past participle (like carved and carven).

————————————————————

(1) Achieve, perform; do.

(2) Opulent, wealthy.

(3) Renowned, famous; noted.

(4) Cumber the ground, be in the way.

(5) Pollen, the fine powder on flowers.

(6) Repining, complaining; murmuring.

(7) Unsandalled, bare; without sandals.

(8) Fledgeling, a bird that has newly got its feathers.

(9) Bewailed, lamented; deplored.

(10) Musing, pondering; thinking deeply.

(11) Succour, relief; help.

57

THE BLOOD

1. Every boy and girl has seen blood at one time or other, from some cut or scratch, but no one likes to see it. Many people faint at the sight of blood, and some young people think that a hurt which bleeds a little must be very serious indeed. A century or two ago it was believed that the loss of some blood was good for one's health. People used to go to doctors, and even to barbers and others who knew how to open a vein(1) and bandage it again, in order that they might be bled; nowadays we think that a holiday with change of air is a better thing than bleeding for keeping us in good health.

2. While the loss of a little blood does not hurt a healthy person, the loss of too much is certain to cause death. The loss of less than half of the whole quantity in the body would be fatal. We speak of it as our "life-blood," and you will see that the name is well deserved when you think of its uses to us.

3. Every part of the body—flesh, skin, bones, and the rest—was at one time blood. All the parts of the body are constantly wasting away, some of them quickly, and others more slowly, and this waste must be made up by new material, which has to be got from the blood. Where does the blood get its supplies of material for building up the body? You know in a general way, no doubt, that all our nourishment comes from our food. This nourishment must be changed into blood, however, before it is of real service to the body. Let us see how this change takes place.

4. The first part of the change takes place in the mouth. The food is ground by the teeth and mixed with the saliva(2) in the mouth. Our food should be well chewed if we want it to do us good. Birds swallow their food without chewing it, and dogs seem able to swallow and digest anything except a bone with very little chewing. Our power of digestion is not so great as theirs, however, so we should eat our food in a different and slower way, even though we feel very hungry.

5. When we swallow our food, it passes into the stomach. There it is mixed with a fluid which comes from the walls of the stomach, and it is kept turning round and round by the slow movements of those muscular(3) wails until it becomes a creamy like fluid. Then it leaves the stomach and passes into the very long and crooked tube known as the intestines.

6. In this tube it is mixed with various other fluids, the most important of which is bile from the liver; and as it receives these fluids, it becomes completely digested, or ready for mixing with the blood. All over the walls of the stomach and intestines there are little openings, the ends of very fine tubes, which suck up the food as it is fully digested. These pipes join, like brooks forming a river, and carry their load of nourishment to one of the large veins above the heart, where it is poured into the blood.

7. Since the nourishment of our body depends so much on what we eat and drink, young people, as well as old, should learn to avoid what is useless and hurtful in food and drink. This is specially important for the young, for the body is more easily injured in some ways during youth. Besides, young people, while they are growing, have to attend to some extent to the making of their bodies, and they should learn to do it well.

8. Young people should take the kind of food that suits them, not the kind that may suit older people. Foods of a highly-seasoned(4) or stimulating nature may be needed by old people, but are always hurtful to the young. The most dangerous habit in our country, however, is the use of stimulating and intoxicating drinks(5). They are not only dangerous to health, but the increasing desire for them, which often arises after one begins to use them, leads to many terrible evils.

9. No alcohol(6) should ever pass the lips of a young person unless it is specially ordered by a doctor, and even tea and coffee should be very little used if at all. These drinks contain little or no nourishment, and young people do not need them as stimulants.

10. Doctors tell us that people are as much given to excess(7) in eating as in drinking, and that much of their weak health comes from eating too much. Eating quickly, and eating too much, alike throw extra work on the stomach, and the result is that its work is badly done, the blood is imperfectly supplied with nourishment, and the health suffers. The same result follows if our food is not properly cooked.

11. We should take our meals regularly. The stomach seems to expect this, and is ready to pour out its fluid and mix it with the food at the usual time. When we eat at irregular times, the work of digestion is not so well done. These are the most important things to attend to as regards the food that gives nourishment to the blood. In addition, a supply of fresh air is as necessary as food itself to keep the blood in a proper state.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words season (in two senses), seasoning, and seasonable.

2. Give some nouns in -ant, meaning the person or thing which does (like stimulant).

3. Give some examples of the prefix in- (meaning not) becoming ir-, im-, and il-.

————————————————————

(1) Vein, a tube carrying the blood to the heart.

(2) Saliva, the fluid that moistens the mouth; spittle.

(3) Muscular, made of muscle.

(4) Seasoned, flavoured with spices.

(5) Intoxicating drinks, drinks which make one drunk.

(6) Alcohol, the intoxicating or poisonous element in certain drinks.

(7) Excess, taking too much; intemperance.

58

THE HEART AND ITS WORK

I

1. Have you ever noticed that when you were ill the first thing the doctor did when he came to see you was to take up your hand and place his two fingers firmly on your wrist? Perhaps you know why he did so: it was in order that he might feel your pulse. If you place the points of your two first fingers on the wrist of your other hand, a little way above the thumb, and press firmly, you will feel a throbbing movement under the skin.

2. Do this again after you have been running, and you will find the throbbing movement much more rapid, and also stronger, as if the moving part were able to resist(1) a harder pressure. Place your hand next on the left side of your chest, and you will feel throbbing movement there which keeps time exactly with that in your wrist.

3. So the pulse in your wrist tells the doctor the rate at which your heart is beating, and it also tells him the strength with which the heart is doing its work. In many kinds of disease the heart beats too rapidly, and at the same time the pulse feels feeble, and wanting in firmness.

4. We must now try to understand how the heart does its work, and what the use of that work is to the body. The work of the heart is to send the blood to every part of the body. The blood flows away from the heart in strong tubes called arteries. These arteries divide up into branches, which again divide and subdivide(2) into smaller tubes. At last they are broken up into a network of tubes or blood-vessels called capillaries, which are finer than hairs. The capillaries join again to form small tubes called veins, and these small veins unite like the tributaries of a river to form the large veins which carry the blood back to the heart.

5. All movements in the body are caused by contraction(3) of muscle, and the movement of the blood is due to this cause also. The heart is a hollow bag of strong muscle. Its movements will be most easily understood by thinking of it first as having a single chamber with two doors—one for the blood to enter from the veins, and one for it to leave by the arteries. When the heart is at rest, the blood pours into it from the veins. Then it suddenly contracts. One would think that the blood would be squeezed out through both openings, but there is a valve(4) or trap-door which prevents it from getting back into the veins, so it is forced through the other door into the arteries.

DIAGRAM TO ILLUSTRATE THE ACTION OF THE HEART.

H, Heart. A, Arteries. V, Veins. c, Capillaries. d, Trap-doors or valves.

6. Then the muscles of the heart become slack once more. Blood pours into it from the veins; but a valve at the entrance to the arteries prevents any from coming back that way, so it is filled from the veins alone. The next contraction forces this blood along the arteries in the same way as before, and thus the current is kept up. Every contraction or beat of the heart sends a fresh wave along the arteries, and it is this wave which we call the pulse.

7. But the heart is not by any means so simple in its form as we have so far thought of it. In the first place, the blood does not enter the large chamber or ventricle direct from the veins; it gathers in an entrance-chamber or lobby above, called the auricle. While the ventricle is discharging(5) one portion of blood, another portion is getting ready for it in this entrance-chamber. There is a trap-door between the two chambers which opens downwards only, so that blood cannot get back from the ventricle to the auricle again.

8. We have spoken of it so far as a single organ(6), but the heart is really a double organ, or as we might say, consists of two hearts joined together—a right heart and a left. It has a right and a left division, each with its own auricle and ventricle, and there is no direct communication(7) between these two divisions. The reason for this is that we have two circulations in our body. By the first the blood is sent all through the body, to nourish and warm it; by the second it is sent through the lungs, to be purified and supplied with oxygen to prepare it for its next journey, as we shall see in another lesson.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the words formed from the root -sist, with the prefixes ad-, ex-, in, and per-, with their meanings.

2. Make sentences containing the words unit, unite, unity, unify, union, and uniform.

3. Give various meanings for the words charge and discharge.

————————————————————

(1) Resist, withstand; keep back.

(2) Subdivide, divide again.

(3) Contraction, drawing or gathering together.

(4) Valve, a kind of flap or lid.

(5) Discharging, emptying out.

(6) Organ, part of the body fitted to do a certain kind of work.

(7) Communication, means of passing from one place to another.

59

THE HEART AND ITS WORK

II

1. Let us now follow a drop of blood from the time it starts on a journey through the body till it is ready for its next journey. It leaves the left ventricle of the heart and enters the largest of the arteries. It travels down wards, we shall suppose, through the branch artery, which conveys blood to the foot. This artery gives off branch after branch, becoming smaller and smaller itself. At last it spreads out into a fine network of capillaries which you cannot see without a microscope(1), and which are so close together that you can not push a needle into the skin without piercing some of them and letting out the blood.

DIAGRAM OF THE CIRCULATION.

A, Heart. B, Left Ventricle.

C, Arteries. D, Capillaries of body.

E, Veins. F, Right Auricle.

G, Right Ventricle.

H, I, J, Circulation through the arteries, capillaries, and veins of the lungs.

K, Left Auricle.

2. Our drop of blood moves very slowly here; but it is urged on by the pressure of the stream from the heart. By-and-by a few of these fine capillaries unite to form a tiny vein, and the drop begins to travel up through this vein. As it ascends, the vein becomes larger and larger through new tributaries joining it. Here and there, little bag-shaped valves or doors open to allow the blood to pass upwards, but shut to prevent it from flowing downwards. By this means the whole weight of the blood does not rest on the lower parts of the veins.

3. Upwards our drop is pushed, until it reaches the large vein that enters the heart, but this time it enters the right auricle. Then it descends through the trap-door into the right ventricle, and is at once forced out through an artery which takes it to the lungs, where it is again sent through a network of capillaries. What happens to it there we shall learn later on. Back it comes from the lungs to the heart, once more through a vein, and this time enters the left auricle. Then it goes through the trap-door into the left ventricle, and is ready for a new journey.

4. The blood moves rapidly through the larger arteries—about twelve inches per second. While in the capillaries, however, it moves only at the rate of an inch or two in a minute. The blood spends most of its time in the capillaries, for it is there that its work is really done; but each drop of blood must pass through only a very small length of these capillaries; or it would have all its nourishment taken away, and would become useless.

5. While the blood passes slowly through the capillaries, it gives up to the body the nourishment it received from the food, and the oxygen it took in from the air. Each part of the body finds in the blood what it requires. The flesh, the bone, the skin, and the hair are all helping themselves to something as the blood passes along. It carries back some waste matter which the body no longer needs, and gets rid of that chiefly through the lungs.

6. Yon can see that the heart has a great deal of work to do. It is unwise, therefore, to do anything that would throw unnecessary work on it. Some times the heart is injured by people taking too violent exercise—running too hard, or lifting very heavy weights. Frequently it is injured by the use of strong drink. Alcohol affects the beating of the heart, and makes it work harder. It is like whipping a horse to make him run fast when there is no need for it; his strength is wasted, and he becomes weakened and exhausted(2). Spirits(3) cause warmth at first, but this is apt to be followed by greater cold, and so men never use alcohol when they are in the polar regions(4). It wastes the strength without renewing it.

7. You have all seen the heart of a bullock or of a sheep in the butcher's window. Your own heart is of very nearly the same shape, and in size it is a little larger than your closed fist. You may judge of its strength by the amount of work which it has been calculated(5) a man's heart performs every day. The heart beats about seventy-five times a minute in a grown-up person, and somewhat faster in a young person. This means that it beats 108,000 times every twenty-four hours. It has been found that the heart of a grown-up man does as much work every twenty-four hours in sending the blood through his body as the muscles of his legs do when he walks to the top of a hill over 1,500 feet high.

8. What seems the greatest wonder of all, perhaps, is this, that all those movements are made without our knowing anything about them. If we try to keep our hand or arm moving regularly backwards and forwards, the muscles will soon become fatigued(6); and after they become fatigued, the movement will soon stop in spite of all our efforts. But the heart goes on without ceasing, minute after minute, hour after hour, day and night, for all the days and years of our life.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of verbs with the prefix re- (like renew), and give its meaning in each.

2. Make sentences containing the words regular, regulate, regulation, irregular, and irregularity.

3. Write a list of words ending in -gue (like fatigue), where the -ue is not sounded.

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(1) Microscope, an instrument for viewing very small objects.

(2) Exhausted, worn out.

(3) Spirits, alcohol.

(4) Polar regions, land near the Poles.

(5) Calculated, reckoned; counted.

(6) Fatigued, exhausted; very tired.

60

THE LUNGS AND THEIR WORK

1. The beating of the heart is not the only movement that must go on during sleep. The movements of breathing are as necessary to our life as those of the heart. You know that fresh air is necessary for our life and health, and that we should get fresh air into our houses by ventilating our rooms, especially our bedrooms; and you know that living in the open air as much as we can is good for the health. We have now to see how the lungs do their work in making use of this fresh air.

2. You must not think that the lungs cause the movements of our breathing. We speak of them as the "organs of respiration(1)," but the movements by which the air is drawn in and forced out again are not caused by the lungs. The ribs are covered with muscles which move them upwards and outwards, thus making the chest wider. At the same time partition(2) which lies across the body below the lungs is pulled downwards, and this increases the depth of the chest.

3. When you have a hollow space which is suddenly increased in size in this way, what will happen? Just what happens when you pull the handles of a pair of bellows apart, so as to enlarge their inside cavity.(3) A quantity of air rushes in to fill up the additional space. It is the sudden enlargement of the chest cavity that causes the air to rush in through the nostrils, although we sometimes speak as if it were the entrance of the air that expanded(4) the chest.

4. As soon as the chest has thus been filled with air, the muscles relax(5). The chest falls back to its former size, and in doing so it sends out a quantity of air equal to that which was breathed in. Then there is a slight pause, after which another breath is taken in and expelled(6) in the same way. So the movements go on all through our life, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, but without any stoppage. These movements are partly under our control. We can make them little faster or slower for a short time, but they go on in spite of us and without any effort on our part.

5. If anything causes the breathing to stop, the heart soon ceases to beat also, and death is the result. The breathing stops either when no air can get into the chest, as in cases of suffocation and drowning, or when the air is bad, as in cases of gas poisoning. Those who dive for pearls and sponges learn to hold their breath for a much longer time than other people can do; but these occupations are generally bad for the health.

6. When you are happy said active, your breathing goes on regularly and quickly; but if something has made you sad and gloomy, you sit still, and your breathing is less vigorous(7). Have you ever noticed what happens then? All at once, in spite of yourself, you take in a long, deep breath, which we call a sigh. This sigh is a hint to you that your lungs are not getting enough fresh air, and that it would be better to take some exercise or do some work than to sit still and injure your health.

7. The lungs lie inside the chest, and fill up most of it. They extend above, behind, and on both sides of the heart. The air passes into them down the windpipe, which has two branches, one for each lung. These branches divide and subdivide until they end in very tiny little bags or cells, and it is those air-cells which form most of the lungs.

DIAGRAM OF THE LUNGS SHOWING THE WINDPIPE AND AIR-CELLS.

8. The walls of the air-cells are covered with a network of capillaries, or small tubes, through which blood is circulating. In last lesson you were told that the blood all passed through the lungs, and most of its time there is passed in these little pipes in the cell-walls of the lungs.

9. When the blood comes to the lungs, it is of a dark purplish-red colour, with little oxygen in it, and too much carbonic acid and other waste matter, which it has gathered up and carried with it from the various parts of the body. When it leaves the lungs, it is of a bright scarlet colour, and full of oxygen to be carried throughout the body, and given away to it as the blood flows along. The thin walls of the capillaries allow the oxygen to pass inwards and the carbonic acid to pass outwards through them. Thus the blood is made pure, and fitted for going once more on its life-giving journey.

10. The air we breathe in ought to be pure air; the air we breathe out is always impure. It contains carbonic acid and watery vapour from the blood, and other impurities, and we should have good ventilation in our houses to let this impure air escape. A grown-up person requires as much fresh air every day as would fill a room seven feet square and a little more than seven feet high.

11. Young people should be careful always to breathe through the nose and not through the mouth. Breathing through the mouth is not only an unpleasant habit, but it is often hurtful to the health. In cold weather it allows the air we breathe in to strike more directly down into the windpipe and the lungs, and we are thus apt to get colds. When coming out of a warm room in winter, it is specially important to keep the mouth shut for some time, and to breathe through the nostrils.

12. We should take care that our clothing is not too tight to allow the free movement of the chest in breathing. Much oxygen is needed by the body, and a want of good air is as sure to cause weakness as a want of good food. On the other hand, there is nothing better for our health than exercise in the fresh air by the sea-side or among the hills. The exercise causes our breathing to become deep and vigorous, while the air in such places is rich in oxygen, and free from the impurities which we can never get rid of in cities and crowded places.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Write the words formed from the root -spire with the prefixes in-, ex-, per-, re-, con-, and ad-, and give their meanings.

2. Give a list of adjectives ending in -ish, and give the meaning of the termination in each.

3. Make sentences containing the words expand, expansion, expanse, and expansive.

————————————————————

(1) Respiration, taking in and putting out air from the lungs.

(2) Partition, division.

(3) Cavity, hollow part.

(4) Expanded, enlarged.

(5) Relax, slacken.

(6) Expelled, put out.

(7) Vigorous, strong; forcible.

61

POETRY

TO A WATER-FOWL

1. Whither, 'midst falling dew,

While glow the heavens with the last steps of day.

Far through their rosy depths dost thou pursue

Thy solitary way?

2. Vainly the fowler's eye

Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong

As, darkly seen against the crimson sky,

Thy figure floats along.

3. Seek'st thou the plashy brink

Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide,

Or where the rocking billows rise and sink

On the chafed ocean side?

4. There is a Power whose care

Teaches thy way along that pathless coast—

The desert and illimitable air—

Lone wandering, but not lost.

5. All day thy wings have fanned

At that far height the cold, thin atmosphere,

Yet stoop not weary to the welcome land,

Though the dark night is here.

6. And soon that toil shall end:

Soon shalt thou find a summer home and rest,

And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend

Soon o'er thy sheltered nest.

7. Thou'rt gone—the abyss of heaven

Hath swallowed up thy form; yet on my heart

Deeply hath sunk the lesson thou hast given,

And shall not soon depart.

8. He who from zone to zone

Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight,

In the long way that I must tread alone

Will lead my steps aright.

— W. C. BRYANT

BRING FLOWERS

1. Bring flowers, young flowers, for the festal board,

To wreathe the cup ere the wine is poured;

Bring flowers! they are springing in wood and vale,

Their breath floats out on the southern gale,

And the touch of the sunbeam hath waked the rose,

To deck the hall where the bright wine flows.

2. Bring flowers to strew in the conqueror's path,

He hath shaken thrones with his stormy wrath!

He comes with the spoils of nations back,

The vines lie crushed in his chariot's track,

The turf looks red where he won the day;

Bring flowers to die in the conqueror's way.

3. Bring flowers to the captive's lonely cell;

They have tales of the joyous woods to tell,

Of the free blue streams, and the glowing sky,

And the bright world shut from his languid eye;

They will bear him a thought of the sunny hours,

And a dream of his youth—bring him flowers, wild flowers!

4. Bring flowers, fresh flowers, for the bride to wear!

They were born to blush in her shining hair;

She is leaving the home of her childhood's mirth,

She hath bid farewell to her father's hearth,

Her place is now by another's side—

Bring flowers for the locks of the fair young bride!

5. Bring flowers, pale flowers, o'er the bier to shed—

A crown for the brow of the early dead!

For this through its leaves hath the white rose burst,

For this in the woods was the violet nursed;

Though they smile in vain for what once was ours,

They are love's last gift—bring ye flowers, pale flowers!

6. Bring flowers to the shrine where we kneel in prayer;

They are nature's offering, their place is there!

They speak of hope to the fainting heart,

With a voice of promise they come and part;

They sleep in dust through the wintry hours,

They break forth in glory—bring flowers, bright flowers!

— MRS. HEMANS

IVY SONG

1. Oh, how could Fancy crown with thee

In ancient days the god of wine,

And bid thee at the banquet be

Companion of the vine?

Thy home, wild plant, is where each sound

Of revelry hath long been o'er,

Where song's full notes once pealed around,

But now are heard no more.

2 The Roman on his battle-plains,

Where kings before his eagles bent,

Entwined thee with exulting strains

Around the victor's tent;

Yet there, though fresh in glossy green

Triumphantly thy boughs might way,

Better thou lovest the silent scene

Around the victor's grave.

3. Where sleep the sons of ages flown,

The bards and heroes of the past;

Where, through the halls of glory gone,

Murmurs the wintry blast,

Where years are hastening to efface

Each record of the grand and fair, —

Thou in thy solitary grace,

Wreath of the tomb, art there.

4. Oh, many a temple once sublime

Beneath a blue Italian sky,

Hath nought of beauty left by time

Save thy wild tapestry!

And reared 'midst crags and clouds, 'tis thine

To wave where banners waved of yore,

O'er towers that crest the noble Rhine,

Along his rocky shore.

5. High from the fields of air look down

Those eyries of a vanished race—

Homes of the mighty, whose renown

Hath passed, and left no trace.

But there thou art; thy foliage bright

Unchanged the mountain storm can brave—

Thou, that wilt climb the loftiest height,

Or deck the humblest grave!

6. 'Tis still the same: where'er we tread,

The wrecks of human power we see—

The marvels of all ages fled

Left to decay and thee!

And still let man his fabrics rear,

August, in beauty, grace, and strength;

Days pass—thou ivy never sere,

And all is thine at length!

— MRS. HEMANS

THE DAY IS DONE

1. The day is done, and the darkness

Falls from the wings of night,

As a feather is wafted downward

From an eagle in his flight.

2. I see the lights of the village

Gleam through the rain and the mist,

And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me

That my soul cannot resist—

3. A feeling of sadness and longing

That is not akin to pain,

And resembles sorrow only

As the mist resembles the rain.

4. Come, read to me some poem,

Some simple and heartfelt lay,

That shall soothe this restless feeling,

And banish the thoughts of day.

5. Not from the grand old masters,

Not from the bards sublime,

Whose distant footsteps echo

Through the corridors of Time.

6. For, like strains of martial music,

Their mighty thoughts suggest

Life's endless toil and endeavour;

And to-night I long for rest.

7. Read from some humbler poet,

Whose songs gushed from his heart,

As showers from the clouds of summer,

Or tears from the eyelids start;

8. Who, through long days of labour,

And nights devoid of ease,

Still heard in his soul the music

Of wonderful melodies.

9. Such songs have power to quiet

The restless pulse of care,

And come like the benediction

That follows after prayer.

10. Then read from the treasured volume

The poem of thy choice,

And lend to the rhyme of the poet

The beauty of thy voice.

11. And the night shall be filled with music,

And the cares that infest the day

Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,

And as silently steal away.

— LONGFELLOW

THE SHIP-BUILDERS

1. The sky is ruddy in the east,

The earth is grey below,

And, spectral in the river-mist,

The ship's white timbers show.

Then let the sounds of measured stroke

And grating saw begin—

The broad axe to the gnarled oak,

The mallet to the pin!

2. Hark!—roars the bellows, blast on blast,

The sooty smithy jars,

And fire-sparks, rising far and fast,

Are fading with the stars.

All day for us the smith shall stand

Beside that flashing forge;

All day for us his heavy hand

The groaning anvil scourge.

3. From far-off hills the punting team

For us is toiling near;

For us the raftsmen down the stream

Their island barges steer.

Rings out for us the axeman's stroke

In forests old and still—

For us the century-circled oak

Falls crashing down his hill.

4. Up, up! in nobler toil than ours

No craftsmen bear a part:

We make of Nature's giant powers

The slaves of human art.

Lay rib to rib and beam to beam,

And drive the tree-nails free;

Nor faithless joint nor yawning seam

Shall tempt the searching sea.

5. Where'er the keel of our good ship

The sea's rough field shall plough

Where'er her tossing spars shall drip

With salt spray caught below,

That ship must heed her master's beck,

Her helm obey his hand,

And seamen tread her reeling deck

As if they trod the land.

6. Her oaken ribs the vulture-beak

Of Northern ice may peel;

The sunken rock and coral peak

May grate along her keel;

And know we well the painted shell

We give to wind and wave

Must float, the sailor's citadel,

Or sink, the sailor's grave.

7. Ho! strike away the bars and blocks,

And set the good ship free;

Why lingers on these dusty rocks

The young bride of the sea?

Look! how she moves adown the grooves

In graceful beauty now,

How lowly on the breast she loves

Sinks down her virgin prow.

8. God bless her, wheresoe'er the breeze

Her snowy wing shall fan,

Beside the frozen Hebrides,

Or sultry Hindostan;

Where'er, in mart or on the main,

With peaceful flag unfurled,

She helps to wind the silken chain

Of commerce round the world.

9. Speed on the ship! but let her bear

No merchandise of sin,

No groaning cargo of despair

Her roomy hold within;

No Lethean drug for Eastern lands,

Nor poison-draught for ours;

But honest fruits of toiling hands

And Nature's sun and showers.

10. Be hers the prairie's golden grain,

The desert's golden sand,

The clustered fruits of sunny Spain,

The spice of Morning-land!

Her pathway on the open main

May blessings follow free,

And glad hearts welcome back again

Her white sails from the sea!

— WHITTIER

THE TREASURES OF THE DEEP

1. What hidest thou in thy treasure-caves and cells,

Thou hollow-sounding and mysterious main? —

Pale glistening pearls, and rainbow-coloured shells,

Bright things which gleam unrecked of and in vain. —

Keep, keep thy riches, melancholy Sea!

We ask not such from thee.

2. Yet more, the depths have more! What wealth untold,

Far down, and shining through their stillness, lies!

Thou hast the starry gems, the burning gold,

Won from ten thousand royal argosies, —

Sweep o'er thy spoils, thou wild and wrathful main!

Earth claims not these again!

3. Yet more, the depths have more! Thy waves have rolled

Above the cities of a world gone by!

Sand hath filled up the palaces of old,

Sea-weed o'ergrown the halls of revelry! —

Dash o'er them, Ocean, in thy scornful play!

Man yields them to decay!

4. Yet more, the billows and the depths have more!

High hearts and brave are gathered to thy breast!

They hear not now the booming waters roar;

The battle-thunders will not break their rest! —

Keep thy red gold and gems, thou stormy grave!

Give back the true and brave!

5. Give back the lost and lovely! those for whom

The place was kept at board and hearth so long,

The prayer went up through midnight's breathless gloom,

And the vain yearning woke 'midst festal song!

Hold fast thy buried isles, thy towers o'erthrown—

But all is not thine own!

6. To thee the love of woman hath gone down,

Dark flow thy tides o'er manhood's noble head,

O'er youth's bright locks and beauty's flowery crown;

Yet must thou hear a voice—Restore the dead!

Earth shall reclaim her precious things from thee! —

Restore the dead, thou Sea!

— MRS. HEMANS

THE RIDE OF JENNIE MACNEAL

1. Paul Revere was a rider bold—

Well has his valorous deed been told;

Sheridan's ride was a glorious one—

Oft it has been dwelt upon.

But why should men do all the deeds

On which the love of a patriot feeds?

Hearken to me, while I reveal

The dashing ride of Jennie Macneal.

2. On a spot as pretty as might be found

In the dangerous length of the Neutral Ground,

In a cottage, cosy, and all their own,

She and her mother lived alone.

Safe were the two, with their frugal store,

From all of the many who passed their door;

For Jennie's mother was strange to fears,

And Jennie was tall for fifteen years;

With fun her eyes were glistening,

Her hair was the hue of the blackbird's wing.

And while the friends who knew her well

The sweetness of her heart could tell,

A gun that hung on the kitchen wall

Looked solemnly quick to heed her call;

And they who were evil-minded knew

Her nerve was strong and her aim was true.

3. One night, when the sun had crept to bed,

And rain-clouds lingered overhead,

Soon after a knock at the outer door,

There entered a dozen dragoons or more.

The captain his hostess bent to greet,

Saying, "Madam, please give us a bit to eat;

We will pay you well…….

Then we must dash ten miles ahead,

To catch a rebel colonel abed.

He is visiting home, it doth appear;

We will make his pleasure cost him dear."

4. Now, the grey-haired colonel they hovered near

Had been Jennie's true friend, kind and dear;

And oft, in her younger days, had he

Right proudly perched her upon his knee.

She had hunted by his fatherly side;

He had taught her how to fence and ride,

And once had said, "The time may be

Your skill and courage may stand by me."

5. With never a thought or a moment more,

Bareheaded she slipped from the cottage door;

Ran out where the horses were left to feed,

Unhitched and mounted the captain's steed;

And down the hilly and rock-strewn way

She urged the fiery horse of grey.

Around her slender and cloakless form

Pattered and moaned the ceaseless storm;

Secure and tight a gloveless hand

Grasped the reins with stern command;

And on she rushed for the colonel's weal,

Brave, fearless-hearted Jennie Macneal.

6. Hark! from the hills, a moment mute,

Came a clatter of hoofs in hot pursuit;

And a cry from the foremost trooper said,

"Halt, or your blood be on your head!"

She heeded it not, and not in vain

She lashed the horse with the bridle-rein.

Into the night the grey horse strode,

His shoes struck fire from the rocky road,

And the high-born courage that never dies

Flashed from his rider's coal-black eyes.

The pebbles flew from the fearful race;

The rain-drops splashed on her glowing face.

"On—on, brave horse!" with loud appeal,

Cried eager, resolute Jennie Macneal.

7. "Halt!" once more came that voice of dread—

"Halt, or your blood be on your head!"

But no one answering to the calls,

After her sped a volley of balls.

They passed her in her rapid flight—

They screamed to her left, they screamed to her right;

But, rushing still o'er the slippery track,

She sent no token of answer back.

8. The grey horse did his duty well,

Till all at once he stumbled and fell—

Himself escaping the nets of harm,

But flirting the girl with a broken arm,

Still undismayed by the numbing pain,

She clung to the horse's bridle-rein,

And gently bidding him to stand,

Patted him with her able hand;

Then sprang again to the saddle-bow,

"Good horse! one more trial now!"

9. As if ashamed of the heedless fall,

He gathered his strength once more for all;

And galloping down a hillside steep,

Gained on the troopers at every leap.

They were a furlong behind or more,

When the girl burst through the colonel's door—

Her poor arm, helpless, hanging with pain,

And she all drabbled and drenched with rain;

But her cheeks as red as firebrands are,

And her eyes as bright as a blazing star—

And shouted, "Quick! be quick, I say!

They come! they come! Away! away!"

Then fainting on the floor she sank.

10. ……The startled colonel pressed

His wife and children to his breast,

And turned away from his fireside bright,

And glided into the stormy night;

Then soon and safely made his way

To where the patriot army lay.

But first he bent in the warm firelight,

And kissed the forehead cold and white.

11. The girl roused up at the martial din,

Just as the troopers came rushing in;

And laughed, even in the midst of a moan,

Saying, "Good sirs, your bird has flown.

'Twas I who scared him from his nest;

So deal with me now as you think best."……

12. But the gallant young captain bowed, and said,

"Of womankind I must crown you queen;

So brave a girl I have never seen.

Wear this gold ring as your valour's due;

And when peace comes, I'll come for you."

CONTENTS

01　AMONG THE ALLIGATORS

02　MEASUREMENT OF TIME

03　SILKWORMS

04　DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND

05　AN ORIENTAL LEGEND

06　A HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNT (I)

07　A HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNT (II)

08　KAMTCHATKA AND ITS PEOPLE

09　A LUMBER CAMP

10　THE LUMBERMEN

11　ABOUT ICEBERGS

12　THE HEROINE OF CASTLE DANGEROUS

13　A CITY IN THE ANDES

14　LAND AND SEA BREEZES

15　THE CLOUD

16　A DESERT RIDE (I)

17　A DESERT RIDE (II)

18　THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON

19　ON READING

20　HASTE NOT, REST NOT

21　NATIVE SPORTS IN HAWAII

22　PAPUA AND ITS PEOPLE

23　A THREE DAYS' CHASE (I)

24　A THREE DAYS' CHASE (II)

25　THE OCEAN

26　THE KRAKATOA ERUPTION

27　HUMANITY IN WAR

28　THE BATTLE OF CORUNNA (I)

29　THE BATTLE OF CORUNNA (II)

30　THE ARSENAL AT SPRINGFIELD

31　THE LITTLE CORPORAL (I)

32　THE LITTLE CORPORAL (II)

33　PERFUMES

34　A DINNER PARTY IN ANCIENT THEBES

35　ELEGY WRITTEN IN A COUNTRYCHURCHYARD

36　A TEA-CARAVAN

37　ACROSS LAKE BAIKAL

38　THE WORLD BEFORE COLUMBUS

39　MONTEZUMA (I)

40　MONTEZUMA (II)

41　MONTEZUMA (III)

42　THE PLATE OF GOLD

43　THE LAND OF THE WHITE ELEPHANT

44　CROSSING THE BAR (I)

45　CROSSING THE BAR (II)

46　MOY CASTLE

47　A RIVER IN THE OCEAN

48　THE "KURO SIWO".

49　STORIES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (I)

50　STORIES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (II)

51　DAVID'S LAMENT FOR ABSALOM

52　THE OVERLAND ROUTE

53　THE RUBBER-TREES OF THE AMAZON

54　USES OF FORESTS

55　A FOREST HYMN

56　THE NERVES AND THE BRAIN

57　TOUCH

58　TASTE AND SMELL

59　THE EAR

60　THE EYE

61　POETRY

返回总目录

01

AMONG THE ALLIGATORS

1. One afternoon in May, I had paddled a few miles up a sluggish(1) Florida(2) river, in an almost uninhabited part of the country. As evening fell, I returned in the canoe, floating with the current. The woods were full of perfume, and I drifted idly along, drinking in the balmy breath of the pines and the fragrance of the lilies and other flowers which grew on every side.

2. The gentle hum of insects filled the air, and softened the shrill voices of the frogs among the reeds, while now and then trills of exquisite(3) bell-like notes rang out from the throats of mocking-birds. Myriads(4) of fire-flies flashed and faded in the thick undergrowth. Presently the moon sent her pale light through the thick foliage of the trees, and the misty vapour over the river shone with a faint silvery sheen. Enchanted with the beauty of the night, I let the current drift me slowly onward, though the damp air warned me to hasten my return.

3. As I entered a wide lagoon(5) surrounded by a rank growth of marshy plants, I found the air filled with a musky odour. I knew by experience that it was the odour given out by the alligator. Soon I heard that sharp clacking noise which these creatures are fond of making with their huge jaws; and presently I saw a large alligator not fifteen feet away on my right, close to the bank of the river. In the bright moonlight, and in that clear water, the long body of the creature shone grayish-green. Every mark on it was distinct. Right ahead I saw another, and there was still another to my left; and farther on, in the shadow of the reeds, lay one, two, three big ones and several small ones. In front, the waters swarmed with them.

4. Drifting like a log with the stream, the canoe did not attract their attention. It was necessary to steer very carefully, however, in order to escape a collision with them, as one of them might return the blow with a snap of his formidable(6) jaws. In spite of all my precautions(7), while passing under the shadow of some great trees, I ran straight upon the back of a large female alligator without seeing her. She did not move; and as the canoe grated against her side in passing on, her eyes glared into mine so near that I could have touched them with my fingers. I cocked my rifle, but the great creature made no effort to attack me. Then I saw about twenty little alligators regain their places on her back and head, from which my canoe had thrown them.

5. Now and then an alligator would lash the water furiously with its powerful tail, and utter a strange sighing bellow. One after another all those within hearing would join in, making the waters foam and gleam, and raising a deafening noise with their hoarse cries and snapping jaws. I did not relish the thought that a slap of some powerful tail might knock me into the water; so I went ashore, and climbed up an oak which overhung the river.

6. The North American alligators do not attack man, and I had never heard of any one being injured by them in Florida; but I did not care to risk being thrown into the water among them. The Florida waters teem with fish, which furnish the alligators with all the food they need; but I once saw a small hog, which was feeding on the river-bank, seized and borne off shrieking and struggling in the jaws of an alligator.

7. Sitting on a convenient branch, I watched the alligators for an hour or so. The smaller ones gambolled and frolicked like kittens, chasing one another over the backs of the older ones, and tumbling about with the liveliest and most graceful movements. Sometimes a large one would sweep a tribe of small fellows off his back, and pursue them to the bottom of the river. Returning with one in his jaws, he would let it go and catch it again, playing with it some time before allowing it to escape.

ALLIGATORS

8. After the frolicking company went out of sight, I followed them in the canoe, and soon overtook them. Paddling quickly, I dashed through the startled throng. They dived in great alarm under the water, and for some time I could trace them by the phosphorescent(8) gleam they made in their headlong rush. I passed herd after herd as I made for the mouth of the river. Their not unpleasant musky odour was wafted to where our schooner lay moored, half a mile out at sea; and now and then, high above the wash of the waves on the low, sandy shore, rose that low, hoarse bellowing, as their curious voices blended in a chorus of strange sounds.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Show the connection in meaning between sluggish, sluggard, slug, slack, and slouch.

2. Make a few sentences containing words like per′fume and perfume′, whose meaning changes with a change of accent.

3. Give the meaning of chant, and show how the root-meaning has changed in the words enchantment and incantation.

————————————————————

(1) Sluggish, slowly flowing; inactive.

(2) Florida, a peninsula in the southeast of the United States of America.

(3) Exquisite, beautiful; grand.

(4) Myriads, great numbers; tens of thousands.

(5) Lagoon, a shallow lake or pool, especially one into which the tide flows.

(6) Formidable, terrible; dreadful.

(7) Precaution, caution or care beforehand.

(8) Phosphorescent, luminous; shining in the dark like phosphorus, a substance which gives out a faint light at night.

02

MEASUREMENT OF TIME

1. How did men first measure time? We can picture to ourselves how our ancestors(1) turned their eyes in wonder to the great sun; how they watched him rising higher and higher(2) till he reached his noonday strength, then sinking lower and lower until he disappeared beneath the western horizon and left the world to darkness.

2. The great sun has sunk to rest, and in his place have come the gentle moon and thousands of twinkling stars. But again the sun rises, shines, and sets. Again he is followed by moon and stars. Man's first lesson in time has now been learned: the light he calls day, the darkness night.

3. Of all the heavenly bodies, the moon is the only one that seems to change its form and size. At one time it is a mere crescent(3), at another it is a full circle. Man counts the days from new moon to new moon, or from full moon to full moon, and calls the period a month. This is the second step in counting time.

4. He next observes changes in the length of the days and in the heat of the sun. He sees the flowers spring up, blossom, and decay, and the trees put on their gay garments of green, change them to sober brown, and finally lose them altogether. His ideas of seed-time, harvest, and winter are formed, and he begins to count the moons from seed-time to seed-time, or from winter to winter, and makes the grand discovery— "Twelve months make one year." In such a way as this men got their first notions of year, and month, and day.

5. Hundreds of years seem to have passed before hours, minutes, and seconds were thought of. For a long time morning, noon, and evening were the only divisions of the day. The night was divided into two or three "watches(4)." It must have been noticed very early that the shadows of trees, posts, and other objects fell in the same direction at the same time every day. From this was invented the sun-dial(5); but it told the time only when the sun shone, and was useless in cloudy weather or at night.

PRINCIPLE OF THE SUN-DIAL

6. A great improvement was made when water-clocks and sand-clocks were invented. In the one so much water, and in the other so much sand, dropped in a given time from a higher to a lower vessel. The water-clock was used for periods of about twelve hours; the sand-clock was used for one hour, and was therefore called an "hour-glass." Sometimes people carried hour-glasses with them, as we carry watches.

SUN-DIAL ON WALL

7. King Alfred(6) of England was one of the busiest of men, and knew how precious time was. He invented a new way of measuring it. He ordered six candles of equal weight and length to be made out of a certain quantity of wax. Each candle was divided into twelve inches, and each inch into twelve parts. As each candle burned four hours, the six candles lasted twenty-four hours. The king kept such candles burning night and day wherever he went. As the candies burned one inch in twenty minutes, and three-twelfths of an inch in five minutes, Alfred was able to do what no one before his day had done—to measure a very short space of time.

HOUR-GLASS

8. But the wind blew through the walls of His palaces, the windows of his churches, and the canvas of his tents, and the candles sometimes burned away at an irregular rate, and sometimes were put out altogether. So Alfred made lanterns of wood with very thin plates of horn for the sides. Thus sheltered, his candles became more trustworthy time keepers.

WATER-CLOCK

9. The first clock with weights and wheels is said to have been invented about the year 1000 A.D.; but clocks of that kind could not be carried about from place to place. Other four hundred and fifty years passed away before the first watch was made at Nuremberg in Germany. As the works were shut up in round metal cases, these early watches were often called "Nuremberg eggs." The cases afterwards came to be made of many different shapes and sizes, and they were often ornamented with crystal and precious stones, as well as with gold and silver.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Analyze the words ancestor, predecessor, and forefather, and give the meaning of the various parts of each.

2. Show the connection between crescent and increase.

3. Give the distinction between worthlessness and unworthiness, and show the connection between worth and worship.

————————————————————

(1) Ancestors, forefathers; people who have lived before us.

(2) Rising higher and higher, approaching nearer to the zenith, or point overhead.

(3) Crescent, curve; the shape of the new moon.

(4) Watches, parts of the night; so called because men remained awake to watch in turn.

(5) Sun-dial, a flat surface with a pin in the centre for showing the time by the sun's shadow.

(6) King Alfred—849-901.

03

SILKWORMS

1. One of the most interesting points in the manufacture of silk is the mode in which the silkworms are reared. Those who are engaged in this work select a certain number of well-formed cocoons(1). At the end of fifteen or twenty days, the moths come out of these cocoons. All moths whose wings are expanded at the time of their birth are regarded as useful; whereas those which have crumpled wings and no eyebrows, and which are without down, are considered useless, and are at once destroyed.

MOTH

2. After a day or two, the females, each having been placed on a sheet of coarse paper, begin to lay their eggs. In the silk districts of the north of China, owing to the coldness of the climate, pieces of cloth are used instead of sheets of paper. The number of eggs which one moth lays is generally five hundred, and the period required for this is about three days. The moths die almost immediately after they have laid their eggs.

3. During the autumn and winter months, the eggs are carefully put away on shelves in a large, well-aired room. In spring, each egg hatches out into a tiny black worm scarcely thicker than a hair. Those in charge begin at once to feed the little worms with the leaves of the mulberry-tree, cut into very small pieces with sharp knives, so that the leaves are not bruised nor their juice lost. When the worms are quite young, they are fed every half-hour. By-and-by their meals are reduced to one each hour; and when they have attained to their full growth, they get only three or four meals a day.

4. Like all other creatures, these young silkworms have their seasons of rest, and to these seasons the Chinese give distinguishing names(2). The first sleep, which takes place on the fourth or the fifth day after birth, is termed the "hair sleep," and lasts but one day. The second sleep takes place on the eighth or the ninth day, and the third on the fourteenth. The fourth and last sleep, which takes place about the twenty-second day, is styled the "great sleep," in consequence of its long duration.

5. During each period of sleep, the worms cast their skins; and after getting rid of their old skins, they grow very quickly in size and strength. When they have reached the age of thirty-two days, they are full-grown, each being about two inches in length, and almost as thick as a man's little finger. They are then of an amber(3) colour. At this stage they cease to take food, and begin to spin their silk cocoons.

FULL-GROWN SILKWORM

6. In spinning, they move their head first to the one side and then to the other, and continue this operation until the whole body has been enveloped(4) in a cocoon or case of silk. The time which a worm requires to accomplish this labour is from three to five days; and as soon as it has enclosed itself in the cocoon, it falls into a deep sleep. The attendants then place the bamboo shelves on which the cocoons lie near a slow fire of charcoal or of wood, in order that the chrysalids, as the worms are called at this stage, may be killed by its heat. Otherwise they would, in three weeks more, break from their prison and appear in the form of moths—the last and perfect state of insect life.

COCOON

7. The chrysalids having been destroyed, the cocoons are removed from the frames. Women and girls now unwind the cocoons, placing them in boiling water, in order that the silk may come off more easily. These workers must be deft(5) of hand and expert in the business, fully capable of making the threads of equal size, and of producing them bright, clear, and glossy.

8. When the cocoons are put into boiling water, the outer layer, which is called the silk rind or shell, is first unwound. Another set of women, who are equally expert, are then engaged in unwinding the inner layer of the cocoons, called the silk pulp or flesh. In the course of a day, one woman can unwind five ounces of silk; the most expert workers cannot do more than eight ounces.

9. From long, white, and shining cocoons a fine and good thread of silk is obtained; from those which are large, dull in colour, and not firm of texture(6), a coarse thread is produced. This coarse thread is used in making the stuffs with which dresses are lined. When the silk covering is removed, the chrysalids are eaten by the workers, who regard them as excellent food.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences showing the use of expanse and expansion.

2. Give various meanings of regard and of respect, distinguishing the literal or primary from the figurative or secondary meaning.

3. Explain the word texture, and give a list of words from the same root, with meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Cocoons, the shells made by insects to cover themselves.

(2) Distinguishing names, names by which they are known from one another.

(3) Amber, yellowish. Amber is a hard substance found in the earth.

(4) Enveloped, enclosed as in an envelope.

(5) Deft, quick; clever.

(6) Texture, composition; make.

04

DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND

1. Mansour, an Egyptian merchant, one day visited the cadi(1) on account of a law-suit, the issue of which troubled him but little, for a private conversation with the judge had given him hopes of the success of his cause(2). The old man therefore asked his young son Omar to accompany him in order that he might be early accustomed to deal with the law.

2. The cadi was seated in the courtyard of the mosque(3). He was a fat, good-looking man, who spoke little, and this, added to his large turban and his air of perpetual(4) calmness, gave him a great reputation(5) for justice and wisdom. The spectators were numerous. The principal merchants were seated on the ground on carpets, forming a semicircle in front of the magistrate. Mansour took his seat a little way from the judge, and Omar placed himself between the two, his curiosity being strongly excited.

DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND

3. The first case called was that of a young Banian, with loose, flowing robes, who had lately landed from India, and who complained of having been cheated by one of Mansour's comrades in trade.

"Having found a casket of diamonds among the effects left by my father," said he, "I set out for Egypt, to live there on the proceeds of their sale. I was obliged by bad weather to put into Jiddah(6), where I soon found myself in want of money. I went to the bazaar(7), and inquired for a dealer in precious stones. The richest, I was told, was Mansour; the most honest, Ali, the jeweller. I applied to Ali.

4. "He welcomed me as a son, as soon as he learned that I had diamonds to sell. He gained my confidence by every kind of attention, and advanced me all the money I needed. One day, after dinner, he examined the diamonds one by one, and said, 'My child, these diamonds are of little value; my coffers(8) are full of such stones. The rocks of the desert furnish them by thousands.'

5. "To prove the truth of what he said, he opened a box, and, taking there from a diamond thrice as large as any of mine, gave it to the slave that was with me. 'What will become of me?' I cried. 'I thought myself rich, and here I am, poor, and a stranger.'

"'My child,' replied Ali, 'leave this casket with me, and I will give you a price for it such as no one else would offer. Choose whatever you wish in Jiddah, and in two hours I will give you an equal weight of what you have chosen, in exchange for your Indian stones.'

6. "On returning home, I learned that Ali had been deceiving me. What he had given to the slave was nothing but a bit of crystal. I demanded my casket. Ali refused to restore it. Venerable(9) magistrate, my sole hope is in your justice."

7. It was now Ali's turn to speak. "Illustrious(10) cadi," said he, "it is true that we made a bargain, which I am ready to keep. The rest of the young man's story is false. What matters it what I gave the slave? Did I force the stranger to leave the casket in my hands? Why does he accuse me of treachery(11)? Have I broken my word, and has he kept his?"

8. "Young man," said the cadi to the Banian, "have you witnesses to prove that Ali deceived you? If not, I shall put the accused on his oath, as the law decrees." A Koran(12) was brought. Ali placed his hand on it, and declared three times that he had not deceived the stranger, and that he was ready to carry out his part of the bargain.

9. Omar had listened eagerly to all that was said. He now approached the stranger, and asked, "Do you wish me to help you to gain your suit?" "Yes," was the reply; "but you are only a child; you can do nothing." "Have confidence in me for a few moments," said Omar. "Accept Ali's bargain; then let me choose in your stead what you will take in exchange for your diamonds, and fear nothing."

10. The stranger having agreed to this, Omar bowed to the cadi. "Ali," said he to the jeweller, "you have doubtless brought the casket with you, and can tell the weight thereof." "Here it is," said All; "it weighs twenty pounds. Choose what you will. If the thing asked for is in Jiddah, you shall have it within two hours; otherwise the bargain is null and void(13)."

"What we desire," said Omar, raising his voice, "is ants' wings. You have two hours in which to furnish the twenty pounds you have promised us." "This is absurd," cried the jeweller; "it is impossible! I should need half a score of slaves and six months' labour to satisfy so foolish a demand."

11. "Are there any winged ants in Jiddah?" asked the cadi. "Of course," answered the merchants, laughing. "Our houses are full of them; and it would be doing us a great service to rid us of them."

"Then Ali must keep his promise, or give back the casket," said the cadi. "This young man was mad to sell his diamonds weight for weight; he is also mad to demand such payment. So much the better for Ali the first time; so much the worse for him the second. Justice has not two weights and measures. Every bargain holds good before the law. Either furnish twenty pounds of ants' wings, or restore the casket to the Banian." "A righteous judgment," shouted the spectators, wonder-struck at such equity(14).

12. The casket was at once restored to the stranger, who was now almost beside himself with joy. He took from it three diamonds of the first water and forced them on Omar, who put them in his girdle, and seated himself by his father, his gravity unmoved by the gaze of the assembly.

—LEFEBVRE-LABOULAYE

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words repute, reputation, and disreputable.

2. Explain the formation of the word welcome, and show its use as various parts of speech.

3. Give the meanings of the words equity, iniquity, equality, and inequality.

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(1) Cadi, a Turkish judge.

(2) Cause, case; law-suit.

(3) Mosque, a Mohammedan church or temple.

(4) Perpetual, continual; constant.

(5) Reputation, fame; character.

(6) Jiddah, a town in Arabia, the seaport of Mecca.

(7) Bazaar, market; place where goods are set out for sale.

(8) Coffers, chests for holding valuables.

(9) Venerable, worthy of honour or reverence.

(10) Illustrious, renowned; famous.

(11) Treachery, false dealing; deceit.

(12) Koran, the Mohammedan Bible.

(13) Null and void, of no binding force; of no effect.

(14) Equity, fairness; justice.

05

AN ORIENTAL(1) LEGEND(2)

1. A king, grown old in glory and renown,

With wisdom wished his happy reign to crown.

Feeling the years turn white upon his head,

He thought upon his end, and thus he said:

"Three sons I have, strong types of sturdy youth,

Bred(3) in all honour, manliness, and truth;

Honest and brave are they, I know it well;

But traits(4) there are in all that none may tell.

I'll test them, therefore; for I fain would know

Which one shall rule the best when I must go."

2. Thereon he sent a slave to call his sons

Into his presence. Strong and manly ones

They surely were, to glad a father's sight,

And mind him of his spring-time's manly might.

To whom the king: "My sons, the time draws near

When I, your sire, shall be no longer here,

And I would know which of you I may trust

To wield the sceptre(5) when my hands are dust;

And to that end I make you this request,

Which of my three sons loves his father best?"

3. Then spake the eldest: "Sire, my love for thee

Is deeper, broader, greater than the sea,

Vast as it is, that wets thy kingdom's shore.

Such is my love for thee, my sire, and more."

The second then: "My father and my king,

There is not any yet created thing

In the whole universe(6), below, above,

To mark the scope and measure of my love."

The youngest simply said: "I cannot tell

Thee more than this, I love my father well."

4. The king dismissed them with a tender word,

And sat and pondered well what he had heard;

Then called his minister, and to him spake:

"My lord, a pilgrimage I fain would make

To far-famed Mecca(7). That I may atone

For sins unpardoned, I will go alone,

Barefooted and bareheaded; and if I

By Allah(8) shall be called upon to die

While on this pilgrimage, 'tis my command

That my three sons together rule the land."

5. A year went by, and yellow were the leaves,

The ripened grain was gathered into sheaves,

And all made ready for the harvest sport,

When through the kingdom—city, camp, and court,

Seaport and hamlet—the sad news was sped,

That the wise ruler and just king was dead.

Loved as a monarch tender, brave, and true,

His people mourned him deeply as his due.

His sons were told the words the king had said,

And reigned together in their father's stead.

6. The calendar had marked another year,

And on the drooping stalk the full-grown ear

Through golden husk and silken tassel showed,

When wearily along the dusty road

A beggar slowly moved towards the town.

Outside the open gate he sat him down

And rested. Suddenly his thoughts were bent

Upon a man near by, with garments rent,

Who sighed, and wept, and beat upon his breast,

And ever made this moan, "I loved him best."

7. "Friend," said the beggar, "tell, if I may know,

What is the cause and secret of thy woe.

Allah hath certain cure for every ill;

Thine may He soften!" For a moment still

The other sat; then, with fresh tears, he said:

"Great is my loss. I mourn the king that's dead.

Ah! never more shall men see such a one.

He was my father, I his oldest son."

And then he beat once more upon his breast,

And rent his clothes, and cried, "I loved him best."

8. The beggar sighed. "Such love must Allah prize.

Thy brothers? mourn they also in this wise?"

"Not so," the mourner said. "The next in age

His grief with other thoughts did soon assuage(9);

With horse and hounds his hours are spent in sport,

To the great shame and sorrow of the court.

The youngest bears the pains and cares of state;

Works out our father's plans; to low and great

Meteth(10) out justice with impartial(11) hand,

And is beloved and honoured in the land."

9. The beggar left the son on grief intent,

And straightway to the court his footsteps bent;

Cast off his beggar's clothes before the throne,

And, clad in purple, proudly claimed his own;

Cried, in a voice that made the arches ring,

"Hear ye, my people! As I am your king,

My power, my crown, my sceptre, and my throne

Go to my youngest son, and him alone! —

Son of my heart, I fold thee to my breast;

Who doth his father's work loves him the best."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the meaning and explain the connection between pound (various uses), ponderous, and ponder.

2. Make sentences showing the uses of the words tract and trace, in various meanings, and give other words from the same root.

3. Show the various uses of the words sire and sir, and their connection with senior.

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(1) Oriental, Eastern; belonging to the countries of Asia.

(2) Legend, a story founded on the imagination or on tradition.

(3) Bred, brought up; reared.

(4) Traits, distinguishing marks of appearance or character; features.

(5) Sceptre, a staff borne by a sovereign as a mark of power.

(6) Universe, creation; world.

(7) Mecca, a city of Arabia, famous as the birthplace of Mohammed; the holy city of the Mohammedans.

(8) Allah, the Arabic name for God.

(9) Assuage, allay; lessen.

(10) Meteth, measureth; distributeth.

(11) Impartial, fair; acting in the same way to every one.

06

A HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNT

I

1. After a journey of several days across a tract of country near the river Nile, we camped for the night in a patch of scrub(1) a little larger and greener than those surrounding it. We were then about sixty miles to the south-west of Kassala(2). Next day we made a slight deviation(3) in our journey, in order to visit an Arab encampment. It proved to be the camp of a hunting party. They had journeyed to the "great river" to get hippopotamuses' skins, which were to be made into shields, or to be sold at Kassala.

2. After the sheik(4) had offered us some coffee and food, the conversation turned into the one channel of interest to this race—the use of arms and the management of the horse. Among the weapons shown us was the spear used in hunting the hippopotamus. It had a large, heavy head of soft steel about eighteen inches long, fitted with a single stout barb. The shaft was a light bamboo rod about ten feet long. Attached to the iron head was a light but very strong rope twenty feet long; and at the free end of the rope was a float, shaped like an oval football and about the same size, made of a peculiarly light wood which they called ambatch.

3. "We will now show you the hippopotamus," said the sheik.

In a few minutes about thirty of us were on horse-back. We pressed on to the river. The current ran strongly in the middle, and the banks were irregular, as if violently washed by the action of the great spring floods. In the coves were quiet pools studded(5) with rocks. We left our horses in care of some of the men. The great hunter of the party, Jali by name, then put on his hunting costume, which means that he discarded(6) most of his clothes, and braced a leathern belt around his waist. He must have been seventy years of age. He was more than six feet high, and as straight as an arrow. With his grey hair and bronzed skin, he was a picture worth looking at.

4. Seizing a spear, he examined it in every part. Then he withdrew the bamboo shaft from the head, thrust the head through his girdle, and coiled the rope on his left arm, with the float over his shoulder. Thus equipped(7), and using the shaft as a pole, he leaped from boulder to boulder with the activity of a boy, until he reached the deep-water entrance to a large pool. As he leaped to the last boulder, two hippopotamuses arose from its shadow with a snort and a rush and swam rapidly through the passage into the open river.

5. "They were awake; we were too soon after their meal. But I wished to be certain of having time to find one to-day," said the sheik, as we proceeded to another pool about half a mile below. As we clambered over some rocks, and through a gorge, at the bottom of which was a small pool, I saw the immense head of a hippopotamus lying close to a perpendicular rock that formed a wall twenty feet long, running at right angles to the river. The old man, Jali, had been walking along just in front of me; and as I touched him, and pointed down to the animal's head, the gravity of his face was lifted as a curtain rises: he looked forty years younger in an instant. Hurriedly telling us in Arabic to halt and remain quiet, he climbed up the side of the gorge again and disappeared.

6. In about five minutes the sheik touched my hand, and directed his eyes to the middle of the river. There, in the rushing current, was the old man, quietly carried along by it, with only half his head above water, and the large float bobbing about in his wake(8). As he neared the jutting wall of rock, he could not have been thirty feet from the half-asleep river-horse, and his head sank lower and lower until it was almost submerged(9).

7. "Surely he, an old man, can never breast that current to gain the rock," I said in a whisper to the chief. But the sheik only smiled, and made a motion to be silent. As the veteran(10) hunter passed the end of the rock, he turned on his side, and after a fierce struggle with the water, gained a footing on the lower part of the rock, where, hidden from our view, he rested until he had regained his breath.

8. Then his hand appeared on the top, next his head, and then, by sheer muscular force marvellous in so old a man, he raised himself to the very top of the rock. He fitted the shaft of the spear into the head; cast clear the rope and float; rose slowly to his full height, his long, sinewy arm raised; and advanced to the edge of the pool. The sun behind him suddenly cleared a large belt of cloud that for a few minutes had obscured it, and cast his shadow forward right in front of the hippopotamus. Slowly the animal sank. The old Arab did not move; no statue of bronze was ever more rigid than this old river-king, with his dripping body and upraised spear, just risen from the flood.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of nouns in -ity, formed from adjectives, as activity.

2. Make sentences showing the use of the words Arab, Arabic, and Arabian, as adjectives.

3. Give a list of words formed from the stem of submerge, with various prefixes and terminations.

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(1) Scrub, low growth of bushes.

(2) Kassala, a town in Nubia, a country in the north-east of Africa.

(3) Deviation, alteration in the course.

(4) Sheik, the head of an Arab family or tribe; the chief of an Arab village.

(5) Studded, dotted; covered.

(6) Discarded, took off; rejected.

(7) Equipped, fitted out; provided with what is required.

(8) Wake, track.

(9) Submerged, covered with water.

(10) Veteran, old and experienced.

07

A HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNT

II

1. For fully three minutes Jali stood thus gazing into the clear water. Then his arm quivered slightly, and although the surface of the water was still unbroken, the spear descended like lightning into the pool. In a moment an enormous pair of jaws appeared, wide open, and then the ungainly(1) head of the furious hippopotamus, as he sprang half out of the water and dashed across the pool. And the hunter! His wet foot slipping on the wet rock, he had plunged forward head-foremost as the animal rose, narrowly missing its jaws, and had disappeared under the waters of the pool.

2. We rushed down to the rock, but could see neither man nor hippopotamus. Presently the huge head of the latter reappeared far out in the current. Furious with pain and rage, the wounded animal was fighting his way with powerful strokes to the shallows farther down the bank.

3. "Poor Jali! he is gone," said the sheik, anxiously peering in all directions over the blood-stained water "Well, let us go after the wounded animal." Leading the way, he ran quickly down the bank of the river to where the hippopotamus had struck the shallows and was ploughing his way to land, sending up showers of spray into the air as his ungainly form galloped though the shallow stream.

4. Suddenly he seemed to catch sight of the float bobbing behind him, and he immediately turned to attack it. Then two men, carrying a long rope, plunged out into the current and drifted until one was well past the animal. As soon as they got him midway between them, the two men made their way ashore, sweeping the rope along until they caught the float in its loop. Then all the Arabs seized the rope, and slowly drew the animal to shore.

5. As long as he was in the water, the hippopotamus seemed not to notice the crowd pulling at him, and ploughed along in a vain effort to reach the float, which was dancing in front. But as soon as he reached the land, a change came over him. For a moment he stood at bay(2); then, regardless of his wound, he charged straight at us, his irresistible(3) rush carrying to the ground nearly every one who was hauling at the rope. Woe betide the man who was not swift in regaining his feet! But the natives are as active as cats. They scattered in all directions, not running away, but passing behind or to one side of the animal, diverting(4) his attention and breaking his charge; while those nearest the ends of the rope got a fresh purchase(5) by passing it round a rock and bringing the animal up with a round turn.

SPEARING THE HIPPOPOTAMUS

6. Now two hunters attacked him, one on each side. The animal charged one of the hunters, who immediately fled; but the other attacked him with his spear as he passed. Charge after charge he made, snapping the spear-shafts like reeds, and biting one of the ropes in two, until the son of the sheik, taking a tried spear in his hand, went to meet him single-handed. The hippopotamus rushed blindly at him. The hunter jumped warily(6) to one side to avoid the rush; then, as the rope caused the animal to swerve round, the young man ran up and pierced him to the heart.

7. As soon as the excitement had subsided, the sheik with a small party went to see if the body of Jali could be seen in the clear water, and recovered. We saw nothing except the loose shaft of the spear floating near the outlet of the pool. I felt thoroughly sorry for the fine old hunter; but nothing could be done, and we turned to go. But what was that? Where did that chuckling laugh come from? Lying down on the wall of rock, and peering over its side, we saw old Jali hanging to a projection(7) below, quietly laughing to himself at our gloomy looks.

8. We pulled the old man up, and found him uninjured, but very weak and tired. He told us that when he fell he had enough presence of mind to turn over beneath the water and dive back close to the rock, where he remained submerged as long as he could. He knew that to keep under was his only chance of safety. The animal, not seeing him, made for the open river. Then Jali got his head out of the water, and quietly rested, not venturing to scale the rock until we came back to look for him.

9. On our return to the camp, I counted eight hippopotamuses that the Arabs had secured in less than three weeks. This would supply them with food for a very long time; and the hides, when transported(8) to Kassala, would bring high prices.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences showing the use of the words lightening and lightning.

2. Show the connection between the words drive, drift, and drove.

3. Give various meanings of the word bay, used as different parts of speech.

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(1) Ungainly, ungraceful; awkward.

(2) At bay, on defence.

(3) Irresistible, resistless; carrying all before it.

(4) Diverting, drawing away; taking off the attention.

(5) Purchase, advantage; gain of power.

(6) Warily, watchfully.

(7) Projection, jutting-out portion.

(8) Transported, conveyed; carried or taken from one place to another.

08

KAMTCHATKA AND ITS PEOPLE

1. If you look at a map of Siberia, you will notice a peninsula jutting southward from its north-eastern corner. This is Kamtchatka. A great range of mountains runs through the entire length of the peninsula, and contains five or six active volcanoes. The central and southern parts of the country are broken up by the spurs(1) of the great mountain range into deep, picturesque(2) valleys, and the scenery is perhaps the most beautiful in all Northern Asia.

KAMTCHADALS

2. We sailed from America across the Pacific to this northern land. The very name of Kamtchatka had always called up to our minds everything barren and inhospitable(3). We did not think for a moment that such a country could have beautiful scenery and luxuriant(4) vegetation. But it was summer when we arrived, and to our surprise and delight we looked upon grassy hills covered with trees and green bushes, and valleys white with clover and having little groves of silver-barked birch. Even the rocks nodded with wild roses and columbine, which had taken root in their clefts.

3. The vegetation everywhere, untouched as yet by the autumn frosts, seemed to have an almost tropical luxuriance. High, wild grass, mingled with flowers, extended to the brinks of the rivers; alpine roses grew in dense thickets along the banks, and dropped their pink and yellow petals like fairy boats upon the surface of the still, clear water; yellow columbine drooped low over the river; and strange black lilies, with downcast looks, stood here and there in sad loneliness.

4. Nor was animal life wanting to complete the picture. Wild ducks with long outstretched necks shot past us continually in their swift, level flight, uttering hoarse "quacks" of curiosity and alarm. The cries of geese came to us, softened by the distance, from the higher slopes of the mountains; and now and then a magnificent eagle, startled from his solitary watch on some jutting rock, expanded his broad-barred wings, launched himself into the air, and soared upward in ever-widening circles, until he became a mere moving speck against the white, snowy crater of the nearest volcano.

5. The population of the country is made up of three distinct races—the Russians, the Kamtchadals or settled natives, and the wandering Koraks. The Kamtchadals, who are the most numerous, are principally occupied in fishing and trapping, and in the cultivation of rye, turnips, cabbages, and potatoes. They live in little log villages, which are built near the mouth of some river or stream, or inland among scattered clumps of poplar and yellow birch, and are protected by high hills from the cold northern winds. The houses, which are clustered irregularly together near the beach, are very low, and are made of logs squared and notched at the ends, and having the chinks stuffed with masses of dry moss.

6. Here and there between the houses stand a few curious buildings which are used as fish storehouses. They are simply conical log-tents raised from the ground to secure their contents from the dogs. They resemble small haystacks standing on four legs. High, square frames of horizontal poles stand beside every house, filled with thousands of drying salmon; and the smell which fills the air all around betrays the nature of the Kamtchadals' occupation, and of the food upon which they live. Half a dozen dug-out canoes lie bottom upward on the sandy beach, covered with large neatly-tied nets; two or three long, narrow dog-sledges stand up on their ends against every house; and a hundred or more sharp-eared dogs, tied at intervals to long, heavy poles, lie panting in the sun, snapping viciously at the flies and mosquitoes which disturb their rest.

7. In the centre of the village, facing the west, in all the glory of red paint and glittering domes(5), stands the Greek church, contrasting strangely with the rude log houses over which it lifts its shining golden cross. It is generally built of carefully-hewn logs, painted a deep brick-red, covered with a green sheet-iron roof, and surmounted(6) by two onion-shaped domes of tin, which are sometimes coloured sky-blue and spangled with golden stars.

8. The settled natives of Northern Kamtchatka have generally two different residences, in which they live at different seasons of the year—a winter settlemen and a summer fishing-station. In the former, which is generally situated under the shelter of timbered hills several miles from the sea-coast, they reside from September until June. The fishing-station is always built near the mouth of a river or stream, and consists of a few earth-covered huts, and a great number of wooden frames on which fish are hung to dry. To this fishing-station the inhabitants all remove early in June, leaving their winter settlement entirely deserted.

9. The wandering Koraks of Kamtchatka, who are divided into about forty different bands, roam over the great steppes(7) in the northern part of the peninsula. They wander almost constantly with their great herds of reindeer, and so unsettled and restless are they in their habits, that they seldom camp longer than a week in any one place.

10. This, however, is not altogether due to love of change. A herd of four or five thousand reindeer will, in a few days, paw up the snow and eat all the moss within a radius of a mile from the encampment, and then, of course, the band must move to fresh ground. They must wander, or their deer will starve, and then their own starvation follows as a natural consequence.

11. The restless habits thus produced have now become part of the Korak's very nature, so that he could hardly live in any other way. This wandering, free life has made the Koraks bold, impatient of restraint(8), and perfectly self-reliant(9). Give them a small herd of reindeer, and a moss steppe to wander over, and they ask nothing more from all the world.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Explain the difference between the words luxuriant and luxurious, and give the abstract noun connected with each.

2. Analyze the words surmounted and encampment, and give the meaning of the various parts of each.

3. Explain the word nodded as applied to rocks in section 2.

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(1) Spur, a smaller range of mountains running off at an angle from a larger one.

(2) Picturesque, fitted to form a good picture.

(3) Inhospitable, uninviting; bleak.

(4) Luxuriant, abundant; having a very great growth.

(5) Domes, rounded roofs or ceilings.

(6) Surmounted, topped.

(7) Steppes, uncultivated plains; wastes.

(8) Restraint, being kept under control.

(9) Self-reliant, depending entirely on one's self.

09

A LUMBER CAMP

1. There is no summer in a Canadian lumber camp; at any rate, there is nobody in the camp in summer, which amounts to the same thing. The season of activity in the camps, or the "shanties" as they are generally called, extends from late September to early April. Let us follow a gang that is going upon a "limit(1)" still untouched by the axe, far up the Black River, a tributary of the Ottawa, a hundred miles or more from the nearest village. This gang consists of about forty men, including the foreman, clerk, carpenter, cook, and chore-boy, all active, sturdy, and good-natured fellows.

2. Scouts(2) have previously selected the best site for the camp. On arriving, the first thing done by the gang is to build the shanty, which is to be their home during the long, cold winter. This is the way they go about it: —First of all, a number of trees are cut down. The trunks, cleared of all their branches and roughly squared, are sawed into the proper lengths, and are then laid one upon another until an enclosure is made, with walls eight feet high. Upon the top of these walls strong beams are laid, which are supported in the centre by four great pillars. Then comes the roof.

3. A floor of roughly-flattened timbers having been laid, and a door cut, it only remains to construct the "camboose," or fireplace, and the bunks. A bank of sand about two feet deep and six feet square makes the hearth. Over it extend the two wooden cranes that support the capacious(3) kettles. A mighty fire roars and crackles unceasingly upon the hearth, its smoke escaping through a square hole in the roof—a hole so big that one may lie in the bunks and study the stars. The bunks are sloping platforms about seven feet in length, running along three sides of the room.

LUMBERING

4. The forty men are divided according to the nature of their work. The clerk, cook, and chore-boy are the "home-guard." The others, according to their various abilities, are choppers, road-cutters, teamsters(4), sawyers, and chainers. The only duty requiring explanation is that of chore-boy. He is the cook's assistant, and general servant of the shanty. He has to chop the firewood, draw the water, wash the dishes, and perform a multitude of such odd jobs, in return for which he is apt to get little thanks and much abuse.

5. The choppers have the most important and interesting part of the work. They always work in pairs, and go out armed with a keen axe apiece and a cross-cut saw between them. Having selected their victim—say a splendid pine, towering more than a hundred feet in the air—they take up their position at opposite sides of it. Soon the strokes of the axes ring out in quick succession. For some time the yellow chips fly fast, and presently a shiver runs through the tree's mighty frame. One of the choppers cries warningly to the other, who hastens to get out of the way. A few more strokes are given with nice skill. Then comes a rending crack, and the stately tree, after quivering a moment as if uncertain which way to fall, crashes headlong to the ground.

6. The shantyman leads a free, hearty, healthy life. From dawn until dark he works in the open air, exercising lungs and muscles. His fare is substantial(5) in quality and unlimited in quantity. When the day's work is over, and he trudges home to the shanty, he finds the warm welcome of a steaming supper awaiting him. This usually consists of a pot of excellent pea-soup, a boiler of strong tea, a big pan full of fat pork, fried and floating in gravy, another pan containing slices of cold boiled pork, and huge loaves of bread baked in great iron pots buried deep in the ashes of the "camboose," better than city baker ever made.

7. There is not much change in the bill of fare all winter. Occasionally, perhaps, if the roads permit, fresh beef "on foot" will be sent up, and the lumber-men may enjoy the luxury of steak and roast. Often game will fall in their way while they are working in the woods. Great is the rejoicing when they succeed in bringing down a fat deer. Bear-steak, too, is not unknown.

8. After supper, the shantyman has an hour or more before bed-time. The French-Canadians are especially fond of singing, and many of their songs are full of spirit and beauty. By nine o'clock, at the latest, all have "turned in." The process of going to bed consists simply in taking off one's coat and boots, and rolling up snugly in a couple of thick blankets. In the dusk of early morning the foreman's loud voice is heard calling to the men, "Turn out now, and get your breakfast!" The lumberman has been asleep ten good hours, but he feels as if he had just lain down!

— J. M. OXLEY

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences showing the use of the words tribute, tributary, and attribute, and explain the connection between them.

2. Explain in what sense the word timbers may be used in the plural, and when it may not.

3. Give a list of nouns ending in -ster, as teamster, with meanings.

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(1) Limit, a tract of land within a certain limit or bound.

(2) Scout, one sent before to report.

(3) Capacious, large; holding much.

(4) Teamsters, those who drive teams of horses or of oxen.

(5) Substantial, solid; of good substance.

10

THE LUMBERMEN

1. Wildly round our woodland quarters

Sad-voiced autumn grieves,

Thickly down these swelling waters

Float his fallen leaves.

Through the tall and naked timber,

Column-like and old,

Gleam the sunsets of November,

From their skies of gold.

2. O'er us, to the southward heading,

Screams the grey wild-goose;

O'er the night-frost sounds the treading

Of the brindled(1) moose(2).

Noiseless creeping, while we're sleeping,

Frost his night-work plies;

Soon his icy bridges heaping

Shall our log-piles rise.

3. When with sounds of smothered thunder,

On some night of rain,

Lake and river break asunder(3)

Winter's weakened chain,

Down the wild March flood shall bear them

To the saw-mill's wheel,

On where Steam, the slave, shall tear them

With his teeth of steel.

4. Here are mossy carpets, better

Than the Persian weaves,

And than Eastern perfumes sweeter

Seem the fallen leaves;

And a music wild and solemn

From the pine tree's height,

Rolls its vast and sea-like volume

On the wind of night; —

5. Make we here our camp of winter;

And through sleet and snow,

Pitchy knot and beechen splinter

On our hearth shall glow.

Here, with mirth to lighten duty,

We shall lack alone

Woman's smile and girlhood's beauty,

Childhood's lisping tone.

6. But their hearth is brighter burning

For our toil to-day;

And the welcome of returning

Shall our loss repay,

When, like seamen from the waters,

From the woods we come,

Greeting sisters, wives, and daughters,

Angels of our home.

7. Not for us the measured ringing

From the village spire,

Not for us the Sabbath singing

Of the sweet-voiced choir;

Ours the old majestic temple,

Whore God's brightness shines

Down the dome so grand and ample,

Propped by lofty pines.

8. Heeding truth alone, and turning

From the false and dim,

Lamp of toil, and altar burning,

Are alike to Him.

Strike then, comrades! trade is waiting

On our rugged toil;

Far ships waiting for the freighting

Of our woodland spoil.

9. Cheerily on the axe of labour

Let the sunbeams dance,

Better than the flash of sabre(4)

Or the gleam of lance(5).

Up, my comrades, up and doing!

Manhood's rugged play

Still renewing, bravely hewing

Through the world our way.

— J. G. WHITTIER

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give various meanings of the word quarter, as different parts of speech, and in combination with other words.

2. Make sentences showing the connection between freight and fraught, and give their meanings.

3. Write in prose the substance of verses 1, 2, and 3.

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(1) Brindled, marked with brown streaks; striped.

(2) Moose, the largest deer of North America.

(3) Break asunder, thaw; throw off.

(4) Sabre, a sword with a broad, heavy blade and a thick back, curved backward at the point.

(5) Lance, a long shaft of wood with a metal point.

11

ABOUT ICEBERGS

1. The whole interior of Greenland is covered with an immense ice-cap, many hundred feet in thickness. Even in summer the heat of the sun is powerless to melt this mass, which only freezes into greater solidity when that heat is withdrawn. The immense pressure of the new snowfall of each year helps to turn the lower parts into solid ice.

AN ARCTIC GLACIER

2. The great weight of snow also acts as a propelling(1) power, and forces the icy stream down the valleys towards the coast, where it appears as an enormous crystal precipice. At last the front of the glacier(2) is forced into the sea, and into deeper and still deeper water. It begins to feel the action of the waves and tides, which wear away its base, and great cliffs of ice overhang the ocean.

3. A lofty cliff of ice, thus overhanging the water, begins to show signs of insecurity. Great caverns have been formed in its base, deep fissures(3) are discernible in its surface. Suddenly, with a roar far louder than thunder, the ice-mountain snaps asunder, and the detached mass comes crashing down. A cloud of spray dashes high into the air, and a young iceberg is born. It dives as it touches the waves, rises slowly, sways and tumbles to and fro, but at last finds its balance. Its front is one hundred and fifty feet above the waves; but there is about nine times as much bulk beneath as above the surface.

4. The berg is scarcely launched into life before it begins to feel the influence of the great Arctic Current that flows southward through Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. Borne on the bosom of this stream, it starts on its long voyage of six or possibly twelve months. As the berg reaches a warmer climate, the silent rays of the sun and the action of the warmer air begin slowly to take effect: streamlets trickle down its sides; great crags ever and anon fall from it with a sullen plunge into the ocean.

ICEBERGS

5. Soon it becomes top-heavy—it reels and turns over. Rocky fragments embedded in its now upturned base are exposed to the light. The berg presents a completely new front, and is no longer recognizable as the same towering monster that left the portals of the North months before. It is in a state of unstable(4) equilibrium(5), and as fragments are broken off, it frequently turns over with a hoarse roar. All sailors know how dangerous are icebergs in this condition. They call them "growlers," and give them a wide berth.

6. Greatly reduced in size, the berg still holds on its course, and approaches the banks of Newfoundland. Now it enters the warm water of the Gulf Stream, and its dissolution(6) is at hand. Cascades(7) are streaming down its sides; caverns are worn right through its centre; small lakes are formed on its summit; rents and fissures are constantly widening; finally, it fails to pieces with a noise like thunder. Its shattered remains are scattered far and wide, and speedily melt in the warm waters. The berg is no more.

7. Such is the life-history of an iceberg. When it reaches a certain stage—when it becomes "rotten," as the sailors say—it is especially dangerous. Then a slight cause will make it break up into fragments, raising huge billows which might swamp a vessel. The concussion(8) of the air from the firing of a gun, or even the noise made by a steamer, has been known to cause the breaking up of an iceberg.

8. Sometimes a berg has projections or spurs underneath the water, stretching far out from its base, and a vessel that ventures too near may strike on one of these unseen ice-reefs. In July 1890, a steamer with tourists(9) on board, who were anxious to have a near view of a large berg, approached so close that she struck on one of its projecting spurs. The shock and the weight of the vessel broke off the spur, and at the same time a huge piece of the berg, many hundreds of tons in weight, fell into the water with a fearful roar close behind the steamer. A great wave lifted her stern, and she seemed to be going to the bottom; but the good ship came slowly up, her deck covered with ice fragments, and cataracts(10) of water streaming from her sides. It was an extremely narrow escape.

9. There are many berg-producing glaciers on the Greenland coast. The largest known, the Humboldt, was reported by Dr. Kane as extending forty miles along the coast, and presenting a perpendicular front three hundred feet high. This glacier is nine hundred feet thick, and advances at a rate of forty-seven feet a day.

10. Sir John Ross once saw an iceberg two and one-fifth miles broad, two and one-half miles long, and one hundred and fifty-three feet high. In the southern hemisphere much larger bergs have been seen, towering from seven hundred to eight hundred feet above the waves. It must not be forgotten that in estimating the size of an iceberg, the visible portion is only one-tenth part of the whole mass.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of verbs with the stem pel, as propel, and the abstract noun formed from each.

2. Make sentences showing the use of stability, unstable, and establish, and their connection in meaning.

3. Give the meaning of dissolution, solution, and resolution, and the verbs from which they are formed.

————————————————————

(1) Propelling, moving, driving forward.

(2) Glacier, a field of ice on a mountain side.

(3) Fissures, deep cracks; clefts.

(4) Unstable, unsteady; easily moved.

(5) Equilibrium, balance.

(6) Dissolution, breaking up.

(7) Cascades, little waterfalls.

(8) Concussion, agitation; a violent shaking caused by one body striking against another.

(9) Tourists, travellers for pleasure.

(10) Cataracts, waterfalls.

12

THE HEROINE(1) OF CASTLE DANGEROUS

1. Long before the capture of Quebec by General Wolfe, a large part of Canada was settled by the French. The early settlers "took their lives in their hands," for in those days Indians lurked everywhere, making war upon the white men.

2. One sunny morning late in October 1692, the fair young daughter of Seigneur(2) Rocheres came out of the gate of the fort which formed her home, and, accompanied by a servant, walked down toward the river. She was expecting a visitor, Madame Fontaine, fresh from Paris, who was coming to keep Madeleine company while her father and mother were away in Montreal.

3. Suddenly the report of a gun was heard in the distance. "Laviolette," said Madeleine to the servant, "run to the top of that hillock and see why the gun was fired." The man went as he was directed, and Madeleine anxiously awaited his return. In a few minutes he came rushing down the slope, crying, "The Iroquois(3)! the Iroquois! Run for your life!"

4. Turning round, she saw some fifty Indians running to cut off her retreat to the fort; but Madeleine was too fleet for them. Seeing that they could not catch her, the Indians began to fire. Happily, however, their bullets failed to take effect. As soon as Madeleine was within hailing distance of the fort, site shouted bravely, "To arms! to arms!"

5. The inmates of the fort—her brothers (two mere boys), two soldiers, a servant (an old man of eighty), and a number of women and children—were in a state of panic; but Madeleine at once took command, and prepared for the defence of the fort. The gate was barred, and breaches(4) in the walls were hastily repaired. Then the brave girl hurried to the blockhouse for arms and ammunition(5). Here she found the two soldiers hiding, terror-stricken, from the foe. One of them was standing near the powder with a lighted match in his hand. "What are you going to do with that match?" cried Madeleine.

"Set fire to the powder and blow us all up, to save us from the torture of the Iroquois," was the sullen reply.

"You miserable cowards!" she cried, dashing the match from his hand and stamping out the flame. "Go and defend the fort!" and the men obeyed.

6. Madeleine supplied herself with ammunition, and taking a gun, said to her brothers, "Let us fight to the death! We are fighting for our religion and our country." With these words the three young warriors went to join in the defence of the fort. And right gallantly they fought. The boys were born soldiers. The only tales which had enlivened their long winter evenings had been stories of heroic adventure, and they had been longing for an occasion like this. Inspired by their daring sister, they now made good use of their opportunity.

7. The Indians did not know how weak was the garrison(6) of the fort, so they determined not to attempt an attack at once, but in the meantime to search for stragglers in the woods. While they were away, the canoe with the Fontaine family arrived, and reached the fort in safety,

8. It was most probable that the Indians would attack the fort at night. When it grew dark, Madeleine assembled the garrison of six, and addressed them thus: "God has saved us from the hands of our enemies, but we must take care not to fall into their snares to-night. I shall take charge of the fort with the old man, and another who never fired a gun. The rest of you must defend the women and children in the block-house, which is the strongest place. And if I am taken, don't surrender, even if the Indians burn me before your eyes! The enemy can't hurt you in the block-house, if you make the least attempt to fight."

9. And so they all went to their places. Every few minutes "All's well" rang out from fort to blockhouse. The Indians heard it as they gathered round their council fire to discuss the plan of attack, and as they heard the shout they thought the fort must be full of watchful soldiers. So once more the attack was postponed till dawn.

10. For a week the siege continued. During that time Madeleine took but hasty meals, and contented herself with brief intervals of sleep, sitting at a table with her head lying on her arms folded over her gun, ready for action. Her brothers imitated her, and never showed the slightest sign of fear. The Iroquois now and then showed themselves; but the crack of a musket and the whiz of a bullet warned them to keep out of sight. Day after day they camped in the woods till the garrison should be starved out.

11. After seven days the splashing of paddles was heard in the St. Lawrence, and a hail in French told the besieged that help had come at lash—-the soldiers of the king. Madeleine posted a sentry at the gate, and walked down to the river. Saluting the officer in command, she said, "Sir, I resign my command." "Which could not have been more bravely held," was the reply; and the soldiers marched into the fort to relieve the worn-out defenders.

"THE IROQUOIS! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

The Indians had retired on seeing the soldiers, but they were pursued and defeated.

12. The brave girl became a brave woman. She had many adventures among the Indians. Once, rifle in hand, she saved from the hands of the Iroquois a young Frenchman, who afterwards became the husband of his brave preserver. But in Canadian history she will always be most famous as the Heroine of Castle Dangerous.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give lists of nouns in -or, -ar, and -er, denoting agent, with meanings.

2. Give a list of words connected with probable, and of those in which the stem has the form prov-.

3. Make sentences showing the difference in meaning between effect and affect.

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(1) Heroine, a very brave woman.

(2) Seigneur, the French for "lord."

(3) Iroquois, a group of Indian tribes, formerly occupying the district south of the river St. Lawrence.

(4) Breaches, broken places; openings.

(5) Ammunition, powder, balls, etc.

(6) Garrison, a body of soldiers for defending a stronghold.

13

A CITY IN THE ANDES

1. To reach Quito from the sea, one must ride several days on mule back. The highway to the capital is not yet completed, and only a bridle-path crosses the shoulder of Chimborazo, at a height of fourteen thousand feet, so that the journey is one of great hardship and discomfort. Goods for the interior of Ecuador are carried upon the backs of mules or of men, who travel twelve or fourteen hours a day, and take two or three weeks for the journey.

CROSSING THE ANDES

2. But having once reached the capital of the Incas, one finds himself rewarded for his hardship and exposure; for the scenery is grander than can be found anywhere else, and the ancient city is so quaint(1) and queer that a visit to it seems like entering another world. Quito is at least, two hundred years behind the times in almost every feature of civilization. There are no newspapers, and there is only one printing-office, which belongs to the government. There is not a carriage in the place, and there are only a few carts of the most primitive(2) pattern.

3. The history of Quito has never been written, but tradition(3) makes the city as old as Jerusalem or Damascus. The Incas, or native Indians, tell of a mighty nation, called the Quitos, who lived there before their fathers came, but of whom the world has no other knowledge. Pizarro, the conqueror of Peru, found it the magnificent capital of a mighty empire extending over three thousand miles, and as thickly settled as Europe. The city was then filled with beautiful palaces of stone, adorned with gold and silver and gems, but all was plundered and destroyed through the Spaniards' greed for wealth.

QUITO

4. Decay and dilapidation(4), poverty and ignorance, filth and depravity(5), are the most conspicuous(6) features of life in Quito; but the people are as vain and proud as if they had all the good things of the world, and they think their city grander than London or Paris. Men stand idly around the street corners, wrapped in their ponchos or cloaks, and beggars reach out their hands for alms to those who pass by. Soldiers are numerous; they are usually barefooted, and wear uniforms of ordinary white cotton sheeting.

5. Indian women clad in black glide to and fro with their mantles drawn down over their heads, or sit in the market-place selling fruits and vegetables. Water-carriers may be seen with great jars of clay on their backs, going to and from the fountain in the square. There are no pipes or wells to supply the houses, and all the water has to be brought by the servants, or purchased from the public carriers.

6. There are no fixed prices for anything in the shops. If you ask the cost of an article, the merchant will reply, "How much will you give for it?" If you name a sum, he will then ask twice or three times as much as you offer, and bargain with you. The women in the market will sell nothing wholesale(7). If potatoes are threepence a pound, every pound will be weighed out separately, no matter whether you buy two pounds or twenty. There is no money smaller than the quartille, which is worth three halfpence, so the change is given in bread. On his way to market the buyer stops at the baker's shop, and fills his basket with bread to be given as change—so many rolls to the penny.

7. Everything has to be paid for in advance. When you go to a market-woman and tell her that you want some vegetables, she asks for your money. When you give it to her, she hands you what you have bought. If you order a coat at the tailor's or boots at the shoemaker's, you have to pay for them in advance; for the workmen may not have money to pay for the materials at the wholesale shop, and they have no credit(8). The landlord at the hotel or the boarding-house where you are staying comes round every morning and asks you to pay your board for the day. Otherwise he could not buy food.

8. There is not a chimney in all Quito. The weather is seldom cold enough to require a fire for heating purposes, and all the cooking is done with charcoal on a sort of shelf like a blacksmith's forge. There must be a different fire for every pot or kettle. Two persons attend to the cooking—the one with a pair of bellows, to keep the fires from going out; and the other to keep the pots from falling over, for they are made with rounded bottoms.

9. The Indians form the labouring population, and they carry all their burdens on their backs. They generally go at a slow trot when on a journey, which they can keep up for hours without tiring. They never laugh or sing, and they have no sports, no songs, no tales; they are sullen and stupid, and submissive(9) to all sorts of cruelty and oppression. Three hundred and fifty years of Spanish rule have crushed the spirit of the poor son of the Inca, so that he no longer smiles.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give various meanings of the word civil, and of the different parts of the word civilization.

2. Make sentences showing the use of the words population, populous, popular, and depopulate.

3. Give a list of verbs formed from the stem press, with various prefixes, and their meanings.

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(1) Quaint, antique; odd.

(2) Primitive, old-fashioned; ancient.

(3) Tradition, stories handed down from one generation to another.

(4) Dilapidation, destruction; falling down of stonework.

(5) Depravity, wickedness.

(6) Conspicuous, outstanding; noticeable.

(7) Wholesale, in large quantities.

(8) Credit, trust given or received.

(9) Submissive, yielding; ready to submit.

14

LAND AND SEA BREEZES

1. In many tropical countries the oppressive heat is modified(1), and the climate of the sea-shore made refreshing and healthful, by the regular alternation(2) of winds which come from the sea during the day and from the land during the night. This daily change of wind is due to the fact that the land heats more rapidly and also cools more rapidly than the water. During the heat of the day, the air above the land becomes warmer than that above the sea, and consequently lighter. It therefore rises, or rather it is pushed upwards by the colder air which flows towards the land and takes its place. This movement of the air constitutes(3) the sea-breeze.

2. When the sun goes down, the land cools more rapidly than the sea, and the air overlying the land becomes colder and heavier than that above the water. A current of cold air from the land then flows out seawards, pushing aside the warmer air, and forming the land-breeze.

3. Upon the northern coast of Java the phenomenon(4) of daily land and sea breezes is finely developed(5). As the sun rises up out of the sea into the cloudless azure(6) sky, all nature is yet fresh with the dews of night. But as it climbs ever higher, the land-breeze goes to rest. Here and there it still plays over the water, but finally it sinks exhausted, and there is a great calm. The atmosphere becomes clearer under the intense heat, and the gentle swell of the now polished waves reflects the sunshine like a thousand mirrors.

4. All distant objects become distinct, and seem to draw nearer. Small fishing-boats loom up like large vessels. The seaman coasting along the shore is misled by the clearness, and believes that he has been driven towards the land by a current. The planks of the deck burn under his feet; he vainly spreads an awning to shelter himself from the great heat.

5. The sun is near the zenith, and all nature seems to have fallen into a sleep. Yonder, far out on the sea, a darker tint appears on its glassy surface, and again disappears. Once more it returns; it remains, and slowly approaches. It is the welcome sea-breeze; but it may be one or two hours more before it has regularly set in. Small white clouds appear above the horizon, a symptom(7) of a fresh breeze. Then we feel a cool breath from the sea, succeeded by others which remain longer, and presently the refreshing sea-breeze has really set in.

6. The air becomes grey with vapour, which envelops the promontories in mist and curtains the mountains with clouds. Objects which seemed near are now apparently removed to a distance, and the sailor is apt to think himself farther from land than he really is. The sea is raised into short broken waves, whose white crests are blown away by the wind.

7. As the sun approaches the horizon, the roll of thunder is heard from the piled-up clouds over the mountains, and the gleam of lightning is seen through the mist. But as the sun sinks, the mist gradually disappears. The wind and the sea cease their chafing(8) and fretting; soon all is again still. This stillness is pleasant to the feelings. The driving briny sea-breeze had grown wearisome, and the calm is welcome.

8. It is a threatening calm, however. The air above the mountains is still dark and cloudy. The rain falls there in torrents, and the thunderstorm once more rages. Soon the clouds spread seawards from the mountains, and the whole sky becomes overcast and threatening. The sailor off the coast knows what to expect: his sails are soon filled by the land-breeze, which will carry him briskly on his way till morning.

9. This alternation of land and sea breezes is most regular and perfect in the regions of calms which are found under the equator and each of the tropics. In Valparaiso(9), for example, during the dry season, when there is no prevailing wind to interfere with the development of those local breezes, the sea-breeze begins to move towards the land about ten in the morning. By three or four in the afternoon it reaches the force of a gale, and stops communication between the shore and ships in the harbour. By sunset, however, the wind has spent its fury, and there is a perfect calm.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of verbs ending in -fy, as modify, and their meanings.

2. Give the meaning of constitute, and explain the various meanings of constitution.

3. Give a list of adjectives in -some, with meanings, and of other terminations which have a similar force.

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(1) Modified, moderated; lessened.

(2) Alternation, succession; a coming in turns.

(3) Constitutes, composes; makes up.

(4) Phenomenon, unusual occurrence.

(5) Developed, shown in a complete form.

(6) Azure, light blue; sky-coloured.

(7) Symptom, sign; mark.

(8) Chafing, irritation; fretting.

(9) Valparaiso, the chief seaport of Chili, South America.

15

THE CLOUD

1. I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers,

From the sea and the streams;

I bear light shade for the leaves when laid

In their noonday dreams.

From my wings are shaken the dews that waken

The sweet birds every one,

When rocked to rest on their Mother's breast.

As she dances about the Sun.

I wield the flail(1) of the lashing hail,

And whiten the green plains under;

And then again I dissolve it in rain,

And laugh as I pass in thunder.

2. I sift the snow on the mountains below,

And their great pines groan aghast;

And all the night 'tis my pillow white,

While I sleep in the arms of the blast.

Sublime on the towers of my skyey bowers,

Lightning, my pilot, sits;

In a cavern under is fettered the Thunder—

It struggles and howls at fits:

Over earth and ocean, with gentle motion,

This pilot is guiding me,

Lured by the love of the Genii(2) that move

In the depths of the purple sea.

*　*　*　*　*　*

3. The sanguine(3) Sunrise, with his meteor(4) eyes,

And his burning plumes outspread,

Leaps on the back of my sailing rack,

When the morning-star shines dead,—

As on the jag of a mountain crag,

Which an earthquake rocks and swings,

An eagle alit one moment may sit

In the light of its golden wings.

And when Sunset may breathe, from the lit sea beneath,

Its ardours(5) of rest and of love,

And the crimson pall of eve may fall

From the depth of heaven above,—

With wings folded I rest, on mine airy nest,

As still as a brooding dove.

4. That orbed maiden, with white fire laden,

Whom mortals call the Moon,

Glides glimmering o'er my fleece-like floor,

By the midnight breezes strewn;

And wherever the beat of her unseen feet,

Which only the angels hear,

May have broken the woof(6) of my tent's thin roof,

The stars peep behind her and peer;

And I laugh to see them whirl and flee,

Like a swarm of golden bees,

When I widen the rent in my wind-built tent,

Till the calm rivers, lakes, and seas,

Like strips of the sky fallen through me on high,

Are each paved with the moon and these.

*　*　*　*　*　*

5. I am the daughter of Earth and Water,

And the nursling of the Sky:

I pass through the pores of the ocean and shores;

I change, but I cannot die.

For after the rain—when, with never a stain,

The pavilion(7) of heaven is bare,

And the winds and sunbeams, with their convex(8) gleams.

Build up the blue dome of air—

I silently laugh at my own cenotaph(9),

And out of the caverns of rain,

Like a child from the womb, like a ghost from the tomb,

I arise and unbuild it again.

—SHELLEY

WORD SPELLING

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(1) Flail, an implement for thrashing grain by hand.

(2) Genii, spirits; supernatural beings.

(3) Sanguine, blood-red.

(4) Meteor, flashing.

(5) Ardours, warmth; fervours.

(6) Woof, the cross threads in a web.

(7) Pavilion, canopy; a building having a dome-shaped roof.

(8) Convex, rounded outwards; opposite of concave.

(9) Cenotaph, memorial built to one who is buried elsewhere; empty tomb.

16

A DESERT RIDE

I

1. When we had come opposite to the fountain, we found our way blocked by an Arab encampment. The twinkling lights seemed to fill the whole plain. All appeared to be fast asleep; but we knew that if one of the Bedawin(1) saw us, we should soon have the whole hornets' nest after us. As the wind was coming from the fountain, we resolved to try to get round the other side of the encampment. We alighted, and, slinging the nose-bags on our horses, carefully led them as we moved round the Arab flank.

2. It was an anxious time; for, had horses whinnied, or a desert dog discovered us, we should certainly have been deprived of our horses at least. By making a circuit(2) of a mile or more, we got past the northern flank of the sleeping host. A strong wind was blowing from the camp, laden with the odour of camels and camp-fires.

3. As soon as we thought we had got past the Arabs, we worked our way back to the direct path, and started for Karyetein(3) at a good pace. The track was hard, and the noise of our cantering horses roused the camp, which was nearer to us than we had supposed. An alarm shot was fired, and then there arose a babel of sounds, in which the braying of asses, the barking of dogs, and the shouting of men were mingled.

4. We kept steadily on our way, but we did not seem to be getting much further from the noises. When we had ridden for about an hour, we became aware that we were being pursued. The night was very dark, and we could see nothing but the camp-fires in the distance; but we could distinctly hear the clatter of horses feet, and even the hard breathing of horses which were being driven furiously.

AN ARAB ENCAMPMENT

5. Three courses were open to us—to stand and fight, to race for our lives, or to give our pursuers the slip. To have fought would have been simple madness, for, from the noise our pursuers made, there seemed to be hundreds of them. It was doubtful if we could have escaped by hard riding, for our steeds were jaded, while theirs were fresh. The darkness favoured the third plan.

6. We were then passing over rough ground, and having reached the dry bed of a river, we turned up it at right angles to the path. In a few seconds we were quite out of sight, among the hills. We again hung the nose-bags on our horses' heads, and set them to feed, and I crawled back to a little hill by the side of the path.

I had scarcely got to the top of the hill, and peeped over, lying flat on the ground, when the troop swept past. There seemed to be about a dozen horses, and as many dromedaries(4), and as each dromedary carried two men, there may have been thirty or forty all told.

7. We now knew that we had no reasonable cause for fear. We both had breech-loaders(5) and revolvers of the newest patterns, and we should have been able, if the worst had come, to fire forty shots between us in a minute. My companion, an old Wimbledon crack shot, was anxious to begin at once; but I was determined to avoid bloodshed if possible.

8. We now mounted our horses, and followed the Bedawin, who thought they were following us. There was less than half a mile between us. We could hear them distinctly; but if they heard us, they must have thought we were some of their own party. When we had followed them for an hour or so, and they seemed to be getting further and further ahead of us, it became necessary to shake them off in some way or other, as we knew that the dawn would very soon reveal us.

9. My companion carried a little flask of brandy, which I induced him to give to me. We then rode into the desert to the left, and I took the muslin which was fixed on my helmet as a protection against the sun, saturated(6) it with the brandy, and set fire to it on a heap of brushwood. The flame rose suddenly, and the brushwood caught fire and continued the blaze. I fired two or three shots, sending the bullets whistling after our pursuers. At the same time we walked our horses between them and the fire, and danced round it, so that we might seem more numerous than we were. Then we galloped back in the darkness to the road, and crossed out into the desert on the other side.

10. The ruse(7) succeeded splendidly. The fire burnt itself out quickly, but the Bedawin hurried back to the spot where they had seen it. We heard them leave the road, and pass with much noise through the brushwood. Knowing that our path was now free, we returned to it, and sped as fast as we could on our way to Karyetein. We were both profoundly thankful that we had escaped a real danger, and that we had not been obliged to shed the blood even of desert cut-throats.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Show the connection between discover and uncover, and make sentences showing their uses.

2. Give a list of words formed from the root of induce, with various prefixes, and give their meanings.

3. Make sentences containing the words splendid, splendour, and resplendent, and trace the connection of the words.

————————————————————

(1) Bedawin, Arabs belonging to the wandering tribes of the desert.

(2) Circuit, journey round.

(3) Karyetein, a town in Syria, near Damascus.

(4) Dromedaries, camels with one hump.

(5) Breech-loaders, guns which are loaded from the breech or part where the barrel joins the stock.

(6) Saturated, soaked.

(7) Ruse, trick; stratagem.

17

A DESERT RIDE

II

1. We continued our journey unmolested(1) at a slow gallop, and did not pause till it was broad day. Then we dismounted, and walked by our mares for a mile or so. Shortly afterwards, four horsemen coming from the hills appeared on our right. They had long spears, clubs hanging from their saddles, and flint pistols and daggers in their belts.

2. It was a pretty sight to see these four sons of the desert bearing down upon us. At first their pace was the ordinary desert jog-trot. Greater speed, however, was necessary to catch us, and, as they came nearer, they galloped as fast as they could to get before us. The horses were at full stretch, and the riders, with their short stirrups and high saddles, seemed to sit on the tops of their horses as if on seats, ready to spring.

3. They reached the road about four hundred yards in front of us, reined up their horses, and planted themselves right in our way. We brought our horses to a walking pace, and prepared for the worst. They shook their spears, and leaned forward in their saddles, as if about to charge; but they saw our shining weapons, and paused.

4. We approached till we were within eighty yards of the enemy, and halted. I said, "Who are you, and what do you want?"

One of them replied with a sharp bark, "You are trespassers(2) on our land, and we will make you repent it, you dogs."

I said, repeating one of their own proverbs, "Violent language never yet tore a shirt. I can shoot the four of you through the head in four seconds; and if you move one step towards us, I will shoot your horses to begin with."

5. They did not like the prospect; and after they had exchanged words among themselves, one of them said: "No man has ever presumed to pass through our territory without leave; but if you surrender the horses you are riding, we will let you pass."

ARAB HORSEMEN

"Let there be no fooling," I replied. "Since the day that Abraham your father, of blessed memory, passed along this same road, till this day, the way has been open. We are here to injure no man; but if you attempt to stop us, your blood be upon your own heads."

6. My companion said, "Let me empty two of their saddles."

"No," said I; "if they attack us, we will shoot their horses first."

One of them then said, "We belong to the great Anazi tribe, which makes pasha's(3) tremble, and we cannot let you pass."

To this I replied, "Your sheik and I are friends, and I know his brother, who spends much time in Damascus. I have just established a school at Karyetein, and I am only anxious to befriend the Bedawin; but you must give way. My friend wants to shoot two of you to begin with. We are the stronger, but I am loth to harm you. I now give you five minutes to make up your minds, and if you do not move off in that time, may Allah be merciful to you."

7. My companion, whose horse was restive(4), dismounted, and stood with his gun ready. I sat in the saddle, with my watch in my hand. "Four minutes are now gone," I said, "and the fifth is half sped." A few seconds later, I put my watch into my pocket, and as I lifted my gun to my shoulder they turned and fled.

8. They galloped along the path before us, and we galloped after as if in pursuit. Several times they turned, and waited as if to stop us; but we galloped straight at them, putting up our guns to our shoulders.

They then galloped off in a wide circle, riding round us at a respectful distance, for some time, and finally they took up their position at a little hill on the left near our path. As we came near, they rode round the hill, out of sight; but one of them appeared suddenly from behind the hill, and discharging his blunderbuss(5) at me, fled at full gallop with his companions.

9. We hurried to the spot from which the shot had come; but the four horsemen were already a quarter of a mile away, and going at a tremendous pace. My companion dismounted, and sent half a dozen bullets after them; but the distance was too great for effective(6) shooting. He was very vexed that we had let them off, especially when he knew that I had been hit.

10. I had had a marvellous escape. The gun fired was a short, wide-mouthed blunderbuss. Such guns are charged with a quarter of a pound of powder and a pound and a half of pellets, slugs, nails, bits of iron, and split bullets. The discharge tore up the ground round us, and it seemed to sweep my mare almost off her feet. She had received only a few scratches. I was not quite so fortunate. I had a slight wound in the left hand, and two in the breast, neither of which was serious.

11. This adventure was all over in less time than it takes to read the account of it, and we continued our journey in the increasing heat, and alighted at the new school in Karyetein at eleven o'clock, having ridden the whole distance from Palmyra(7) in a little over twelve hours, interruptions included.

— DR. WM. WRIGHT

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Show the force of the prefix, stem, and suffix in the word interruption, and give other words containing each of these parts in other combinations.

2. Make sentences containing the word mount as noun and as verb, and give a list of words derived from it, with meanings.

3. Give the meanings and illustrate the uses of the words effect, effective, effectual, and efficacy.

————————————————————

(1) Unmolested, without hindrance.

(2) Trespassers, people going where they have no right to go.

(3) Pasha, a Turkish governor of a province; a title of rank in Turkey.

(4) Restive, restless; impatient.

(5) Blunderbuss, an old kind of gun with a wide muzzle.

(6) Effective, efficient; able to do what is wanted.

(7) Palmyra, a town in Syria.

18

THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON

1. 2nd September 1666.—This fatal night, about ten, began that deplorable(1) fire, near Fish Street, in London. 3rd.—The fire continuing, after dinner I took coach with my wife and son, and went to the Bankside in Southwark, where we beheld that dismal spectacle, the whole city in dreadful flames near the water-side.

2. The fire went on all the night—if I may call that night which was as light as day for ten miles round about—helped by a fierce eastern wind in a very dry season. I saw the whole south part of the city burning from Cheapside to the Thames, and all along Cornhill (for it kindled back against the wind as well as forward), Tower Street, Fenchurch Street, Gracechurch Street, and so along to Bainard's Castle, and the fire there was now taking hold of St. Paul's Church.

3. The conflagration was so universal, and the people were so astonished, that from the beginning they hardly stirred to check it. There was nothing heard or seen but crying out and lamentation(2), the people running about like distracted(3) creatures, without at all attempting to save their goods. There was a strange consternation(4) upon them, as the fire consumed churches, public halls, hospitals, monuments, and ornaments, leaping from house to house, and street to street, at great distances one from the other.

THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON

4. We saw the Thames covered with goods afloat, all the barges and boats being laden with what some persons had had time and courage to save. Carts, also, were on all sides carrying things out to the fields, which for many miles were strewed with movables of all sorts; and tents were erected to shelter both people and what goods they could get away.

5. Oh, the miserable and calamitous(5) spectacle! All the sky was of a fiery aspect, like the top of a burning oven, the light being seen above forty miles round about for many nights. God grant that my eyes may never behold the like—above ten thousand houses all in one flame! The noise and crackling and thunder of the impetuous(6) flames, the shrieking of women and children, the hurry of people, the fall of towers, and houses, and churches, were like a hideous storm.

6. The air all about was so hot that at last one was not able to approach the fire. Men were forced to stand still and let the flames burn on, which they did for nearly two miles in length and one in breadth. The clouds of smoke were dismal, and reached nearly fifty miles in length. Thus I left it this afternoon. London was, but is no more!

7. 4th.—The burning still rages, and it has now got as far as the Inner Temple. All Fleet Street, the Old Bailey, Ludgate Hill, Warwick Lane, Newgate, Paul's Chain, and Watling Street are now flaming. The stones of St. Paul's have been falling on all sides, the melting lead of the roof running down the streets in a stream, and the very pavements glowing with fiery redness, so that no horse or man is able to tread on them. The eastern wind stilt more impetuously drives the flames forward.

8. 5th.—Men now began to bestir themselves, and not to stand dismayed, as they had done hitherto. It was seen that nothing was likely to put a stop to the fire, but the blowing up of as many houses as would make a wider gap than any which had yet been made by the ordinary method of pulling them down. Some stout seamen had proposed this early enough to have saved nearly the whole city; but some avaricious(7) men would not permit it, because their houses must have been among the first destroyed. This was now commanded to be done; and as the wind also abated, the people seemed to take spirit again.

9. The poor inhabitants were dispersed about St. George's Fields and Moorfields, as far as Highgate, and for several miles round. Some lived under tents, some under miserable huts and hovels. Many were without a rag or any necessary utensils(8), bed, or board, and were now reduced from riches and ease to extremest misery and poverty.

10. 7th.—I went this morning on foot from Whitehall as far as London Bridge, clambering over heaps of still smoking rubbish. The ground under my feet was so hot that it burnt the soles of my shoes. The people who walked about the ruins appeared like men in a desert, or rather in some great city laid waste by a cruel enemy.

— Abridged from the Diary of JOHN EVELYN (1620-1706)

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing spectacle in different meanings, and give a list of words formed from the same root.

2. Explain the various meanings of consume and consumption.

3. Give the meaning of the prefix and of the stem of the word distracted, and a list of words from the same stem, with meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Deplorable, pitiable; having mournful results.

(2) Lamentation, wailing; weeping.

(3) Distracted, confused; perplexed.

(4) Consternation, confusion; great terror.

(5) Calamitous, disastrous; causing ruin or great loss.

(6) Impetuous, hasty; rushing with great force.

(7) Avaricious, greedy.

(8) Utensils, vessels or tools.

19

ON READING

1. In reading, it is well to propose to ourselves definite ends and purposes. The more distinctly we are aware of our own wants and desires in reading, the more definite and permanent(1) will be our learning. Hence it is a good rule to ask ourselves frequently, "Why am I reading this book?" or, "Why am I reading it at the present time rather than at any other?" The answer may be that it is convenient; that the book happens to be at hand; or that we read to pass away the time. Such reasons are often very good, but they ought not always to satisfy us. Yet the very habit of asking these questions, however they may be answered, will help in calling ourselves to account for our reading.

2. To read with a definite object before us imparts a greater interest to the contents of any book. Any one is conscious of this who reads a story with the purpose of repeating it to an absent friend; or an essay with the design of using its facts or arguments in a debate; or a poem with the object of remembering and reciting its finest passages. Indeed, one never learns to read effectively until he learns to read in such a spirit.

3. The private history of all self-educated men shows that they were not only earnest but select in their reading, and that they selected their books with distinct reference to the purposes for which they used them. Indeed, the reason why self-trained men so often surpass men who are trained by others, in the effectiveness and success of their reading, is that they know for what they read and study, and have definite aims and wishes in all their dealings with books.

4. Another good rule is this—always have some solid reading in hand, some work or author which you carry forward from one day to another, or from one hour of leisure to the next, with persistence, till you have finished what you have undertaken.

5. The writer once called upon one of the greatest of modern travellers at an early hour of the day. It was after breakfast, and though he had but a few minutes to spare, he was sitting with a book in hand—a book of solid history, which he was perusing(2) day after day. He remarked: "This has been my habit for years, in all my wanderings. It is only by reading in this way that I can overcome the distraction(3) of my attention, as strange persons and strange scenes present themselves before me from day to day."

6. If several subjects seem to us equally important and interesting, we should take them in order, and give to each for the time our chief and perhaps our exclusive(4) attention. "One thing at a time" is a good rule for all activity.

7. Most topics(5) admit of the use of a considerable variety of books, each supplementing(6) the others. For example, if we are reading the history of the Great Rebellion in England, we should read, if we can, not a single author only, as Clarendon(7), but half a dozen or more, each of whom writes from his own point of view, and supplies what another omits.

8. But, besides the formal histories of the period, there are various novels, the scenes and characters of which are placed in those times, such as Scott's(8) "Woodstock;" there are also diaries, such as those of Evelyn, Pepys, and Burton; and there are memoirs, such as those of Colonel Hutchinson. There are poems, such as those of Andrew Marvell(9), Milton(10), and Dryden(11). There are also hundreds of political tracts and pamphlets(12) referring to the period.

9. We name these various classes of books, not because we would advise every one to read all these books, or even all these classes of books, as a matter of course, but in order to illustrate how great is the variety of books and reading matter that may be grouped around a single topic.

10. Every person must judge for himself how long a time he can bestow upon any single subject, or how many and various are the books regarding it which it is wise to read; but of this every one may be assured, that it is far easier, far more agreeable, far more economical of time and energy, to concentrate(13) the attention upon a single subject at a time than to extend it to half a score, and that six books read in succession upon a single topic are far more interesting and profitable than twice as many which treat of distinct and unrelated topics.

—N. PORTER

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a short list of words in which the prefix im- means not, and of those in which it has a different meaning.

2. Make sentences showing various uses of the word period.

3. Explain the meaning of illustrate, and show its connection with lustre and illustrious.

————————————————————

(1) Permanent, lasting.

(2) Perusing, carefully reading through.

(3) Distraction, confusion of mind; perplexity.

(4) Exclusive, entire; shutting out all else.

(5) Topics, subjects.

(6) Supplementing, adding something to.

(7) Clarendon (1608-1674), Edward Hyde, Earl of, Lord High Chancellor of England.

(8) Scott, Sir Walter (1771-1832), great novelist.

(9) Marvell, Andrew (1621-1678), for some time assistant Latin secretary to Milton.

(10) Milton, John (1608-1674), great English poet.

(11) Dryden, John (1631-1700), famous English poet.

(12) Pamphlets, small books; tracts.

(13) Concentrate, fix; bring towards the centre.

20

HASTE NOT, REST NOT

1. Without haste! without rest!

Bind the motto to thy breast;

Bear it with thee as a spell(1);

Storm or sunshine, guard it well;

Heed not flowers that round thee bloom;

Bear it onward to the tomb.

2. Haste not! let no thoughtless deed

Mar(2) for e'er the spirit's speed;

Ponder well and know the right,

Onward then with all thy might;

Haste not! years can ne'er atone(3)

For one reckless action done.

3. Rest not!—life is sweeping by;

Do and dare before you die;

Something mighty and sublime

Leave behind to conquer time—

Glorious 'tis to live for aye

When these forms have passed away.

4. Haste not, rest not! calmly wait;

Meekly bear the storms of fate;

Duty be thy polar guide(4)—

Do the right, whate'er betide(5)!

Haste not, rest not! conflicts past,

God shall crown thy work at last.

— From the German of GOETHE

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the meaning of tide in such words as betide, tidings, noontide.

2. Write in prose the substance of verses 2 and 3.

————————————————————

(1) Spell, charm; words supposed to have a magic power.

(2) Mar, ruin; damage.

(3) Atone, make up for.

(4) Polar guide, compass, the needle of which always points to the pole.

(5) Betide, befall; happen.

21

NATIVE SPORTS IN HAWAII

1. The Pacific Islanders are the most expert of all nations in swimming and in aquatic(1) games. In all the tropical groups nearly the entire population lives upon the seashore. The climate is warm; the people have little to do; and on windy days, when the billows roll in heavily from the ocean, whole villages sometimes spend an afternoon in the daring pastime(2) of surf-playing.

2. The Hawaiian practises this sport upon a surfboard, which he calls a "wave-sliding board." It is made of firm, light wood; it is equal in length to the swimmer's height, about a foot wide, slightly oval in outline, and often convex on both sides. It is polished and stained black, and it is preserved with great care.

3. The natives choose a spot where immense billows, driven in by the trade-winds(3), break furiously upon the coast. Each person, taking his swimming-board under him, plunges into the surf, and strikes out for the deep water half a mile or more from the shore. Arrived at last at the outside of the reef, where the waves first begin to break, he turns, extends himself at full length upon his board, faces the shore, and throws quick glances behind him, watching for a larger wave than usual to ride upon.

4. Three or four waves pass, but he laughs at them, though the smallest of them would have dashed over a foreign swimmer and drowned him. At last he sees a mighty billow approaching him. It is the very king of waves. It comes with its crest high in the air, its liquid edge already trembling and snapping in the sunlight, and it utters a hollow roar as it sweeps down upon the swimmer. It draws him backward for an instant toward it, as if to swallow him; then snatching him up in its course, it hurls him with inconceivable(4) speed toward the shore. He lies upon his board on the front surface of the wave; his head is down, his heels slant upward into the flashing foam which half envelops him. A score of his companions are dashing madly onward with him: they shout more loudly than the roaring of the wave.

5. You look to see the swimmer dashed against the shore. He is going with the speed of a racer—there seems no escape for him—when suddenly he disappears from sight. By a backward movement of the hands he retreats into the heart, of the wave, sinking away from its front surface. Soon he reappears on the seaward side of the breaker that now shatters itself upon the lava-rock. His head is already turned from the shore, and he is again making his way into deep water to mount another billow.

6. The children have a number of games at which they play, in and under the water, as fearlessly as school children gambol in the playground. One is a kind of "tig," in which the object of the side that is "in" is to reach two or three successive stations by swimming and diving, so as to escape being touched by any player of the "out" party, who are the pursuers.

7. Leaping from high, perpendicular cliffs is a favourite and daring sport with the men. They choose a place where the water is not less than fifteen or twenty feet in depth at the foot of the cliff; then, taking a rousing run to get fairly under way, they bound far into the air from the edge of the cliff.

8. As the diver falls from the dizzy height—sometimes a hundred feet—toward the water, he bends himself almost double; but just before striking the water, he partially straightens himself, so that his whole body is slightly curved forward at the moment of the plunge, and the feet are a little in advance of a perpendicular line from the head. He strikes the water without a splash, entering it with that quick, dull "chuck" that a smooth pebble makes when thrown forcibly into water, and at an angle so nicely calculated that he is actually brought to the surface again by the momentum(5) of the fall. He shoots through the arc of a circle under the water, and after two or three seconds comes up, feet foremost. The first thing you see of him is his toes, emerging from the water fifteen or twenty feet in front of the place where he went under. No athletic feat is more daring and beautiful than this.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of compound words, with their meanings, showing the force of the termination -er in various uses.

2. Give a list of adjectives that express very great size, as immense, and show the force of the various parts in each word.

3. What class of words double the final letter before certain terminations, like swimmer?

————————————————————

(1) Aquatic, connected with water.

(2) Pastime, sport; amusement.

(3) Trade-winds, (so called because of their great use to trading vessels), winds in the hot regions of the earth which blow constantly in the same direction.

(4) Inconceivable, unimaginable; that cannot he thought out.

(5) Momentum, impetus; the amount of force with which a body moves.

22

PAPUA AND ITS PEOPLE

1. If Australia be regarded as the "fifth continent," then Papua or New Guinea is the largest island in the world, having an area of about two hundred thousand square miles. It is separated from Australia by a channel about sixty-five miles in width. The coastline, fringed with coral reefs, deeply indented with beautiful bays, and skirted with still more beautiful islands, is extremely picturesque; while its vast mountain ranges rival the Himalayas in height and the Alps in grandeur.

PAPUAN BOAT

2. And yet Papua is not entirely a paradise(1). The balmy odours of its forests are often laden with deadly miasma(2), bringing fever and pestilence(3). Serpents lurk among the flowers, crocodiles haunt the rivers, and wild boars roam through the forests. Mosquitoes and sand-flies abound everywhere.

NATIVE HOUSES

3. The people of Papua are of several distinct races and types, and they differ in character as much as in form and colour. The Malay, the Polynesian, and the Papuan races are the most numerous. The natives of the interior seem to be further advanced in civilization than those on the coast. In appearance the Papuans resemble negroes. They are of somewhat small stature, and of dark-brown or black complexion, with thick lips and frizzled or woolly hair.

4. In their general habits they have reached a higher point of advancement than the natives of Australia. Their food consists of yams(4), bananas, and sago, with fish, pork, and the flesh of the kangaroo(5) and the crocodile. They vary this diet with such delicacies as rats, frogs, snakes, turtles' eggs, and caterpillars. They drink water, and the milk of the cocoa-nut.

5. Their mode of ploughing or digging is very simple. Eight or ten natives, each with a sharp-pointed stake, stand close together in a row. At a given signal they drive these stakes into the ground to the proper depth, and then use them as levers to turn over a strip of the soil. So regularly is the work done, that a patch of ground broken up in this manner looks as if it had been ploughed. They get abundant crops of the plants already mentioned, together with Indian corn, tobacco, and sugar-cane, and these they must frequently protect from the wild boar and the kangaroo by a strong fence.

PAPUANS

6. Their temples are used for social as well as for religious purposes. The older men assemble in them for eating, talking, and smoking; and in them visitors and strangers are hospitably entertained. They are also places of refuge, where a man is safe from the pursuit of an enemy.

7. In visiting New Guinea, one gets a glimpse of what our own country must have been in the "stone age," as we call it. The natives know of iron, and covet it above everything else; but where they have not mixed with white men, their weapons and implements are all made of wood, stone, or bone—stone axes and war-clubs, arrows tipped with bone or flint, knives of bamboo, daggers of bone, and shields of wood covered with matting.

TREE HOUSES

8. The native houses are usually built on poles several feet in height, sometimes driven into the sand on the sea-shore, so that they are surrounded at high tide. They consist of a light framework of wood, thatched with palm leaves, and floored with split bamboo. A ladder reaches from the ground to a platform outside, and this platform is frequently extended from one house to another so as to form an elevated passage-way through the village. The houses have a door at each end, but no window.

9. One picturesque feature in New Guinea is the tree houses, which are built in some of the loftiest trees, fifty or sixty feet from the ground. These are used as watch-towers to observe an enemy, and also as a refuge for the women and children in case of attack. As the trees below are often destitute of(6) branches, these lofty dwellings can only be reached by means of a long ladder of very primitive construction, which serves the purpose of the drawbridge of a fortified castle.

10. The various tribes engage in trade among themselves. The natives at Port Moresby manufacture a kind of earthenware for domestic purposes, which they barter for sago and sugar-cane. Iron is more valuable than gold, and for a piece of hoop-iron a Papuan will exchange his dearest possessions. Salt is also very highly esteemed, and its flavour is relished much more than that of sugar. Tobacco, however, is the favourite medium of exchange, and circulates as readily as coin does with us.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of adjectives formed from the names of places, as Papuan, with various terminations.

2. Explain by showing the force of the parts of each word, how numerous, numberless, innumerable, and countless are alike in meaning.

3. Make sentences showing the use of the words extend, extent, extension, and extensive.

————————————————————

(1) Paradise, a place or state of great happiness or enjoyment; heaven.

(2) Miasma, poisonous particles arising from decaying matter, and floating in the air; malaria.

(3) Pestilence, plague; disease that quickly kills great numbers.

(4) Yam, a large plant with roots somewhat like the potato.

(5) Kangaroo, a large Australian animal, remarkable for its powers of leaping.

(6) Destitute of, without.

23

A THREE DAYS' CHASE

I

1. On November 8th, 1810, when we were lying in that splendid harbour the Cove of Cork, an order came for us to proceed to sea instantly, on a week's cruise off Cape Clear, in quest of an enemy's vessel reported to have been seen on the west coast. Off we went, but it was not till the 11th that we reached our appointed station. Towards evening it fell dead calm, at which time there were two strange sails in sight—one of them a ship which we supposed to be an American, from the whiteness of her sails; the other a very suspicious, roguish-looking brig.

2. As the night fell a light breeze sprang up, and we made all sail in the direction of the brig, though she was no longer visible. In the course of the middle watch we fortunately got sight of her with our night-glasses, and by two in the morning we were near enough to give her a shot. The next instant her booms(1) were rigged out and her studding-sails(2) set. The most crack ship in His Majesty's service could hardly have made sail more smartly. For our part, we could set nothing more, having already spread every stitch of canvas.

3. The two forecastle(3) guns—long nine-pounders—were now brought to bear on the brig; and orders were given to fire at the sails, which, expanded as they now were before us, offered a mark that could not well be missed. Nevertheless, the little fellow would not heave to for all we could do with our forecastle guns. How it happened that none of her yards(4) or masts were brought down by our fire was quite inexplicable.

4. About half-past four the breeze began gradually to die away, after which the chase rather gained than lost distance. By five o'clock it was almost entirely calm, and the chase thrust out his sweeps, as they are called—huge oars requiring five or six men to each. These give a small light vessel an advantage over a large ship when there is little wind. In less than an hour he was out of shot. As soon as he had rowed himself from under the relentless(5) fire of our guns, he was busily employed in bending a new suit of sails and repairing his damaged spars. By noon next day he was at least ten miles ahead of us, and at two o'clock we could just see his upper sails above the horizon.

5. In the course of the afternoon we perceived from the mast-head, far astern, a dark line along the horizon—the first trace of a breeze coming up. Soon the sails were filled, and as we raced along we had the malicious satisfaction of observing that the poor little privateer(6) had not yet got a mouthful of the charming wind which was setting us all a-skipping about the decks. In the spot where the brig lay there was a belt of clear white light, within which the calm still lingered, with the privateer sparkling in its centre. Just as the sun went down, however, this spot was likewise ruffled by the wind, and the brig, like a hunted hare roused, sprang off again.

6. It was not till about two o'clock in the morning that we once more came within good shot of the brig. She appeared, however, to possess the same invulnerability(7) as before; for we could neither strike her hull, so as to force her to surrender, nor bring down a yard, nor lop off a mast or a boom. It was really a curious spectacle to see a little bit of a thing skimming away before the wind, with such a huge monster as the Endymion tearing and plunging after her, like a voracious(8) dolphin in pursuit of a flying-fish.

7. At last our captain became impatient: he gave orders for the whole starboard(9) broadside to be got ready; and then, giving the ship a yaw(10), poured the whole discharge, as he thought, right into his wretched victim.

Not a man on board the frigate expected ever to look on the poor brig again. What, then, was our surprise, when the smoke blew swiftly past, to see the intrepid(11) little fellow gliding away more merrily than before! There was a general murmur of applause at the Frenchman's gallantry. Next instant, however, this sound was converted into hearty laughter, when, in answer to our thundering broadside, a single small gun, a six-pounder, was fired from the brig's stern.

8. Instead of gaining by our manoeuvre, we had allowed the privateer to gain several hundred yards upon us; and his funny little shot, which had excited so much mirth, passed through the lee foretop-sail yardarm. Had it struck on the windward side, where the yard was cracking and straining at a most furious rate, the greater part of the sails on the foremast might have come down quicker than we could have wished, for we were now going at a great rate, with the wind on the quarter.

9. Soon another shot cut through the weather maintop-gallant sheet(12); and so he went on, firing away briskly, till most of our lofty sails were fluttering with the holes made in them. His own sails, I need scarcely add, were by this time so completely torn up by our shot that we could see the sky through them all; but still he refused to heave to, and by constantly firing his single stern-chaser(13), he showed that he meant to lose no possible chance of escape. Had one or two of his shot struck either of our topmasts, I really believe he might have got off.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Explain the force of the suffix in roguish, British, and greenish.

2. Analyze the words inexplicable and invulnerability, showing the meaning of each part.

3. Give examples of common words, as sheet, which have a special meaning when used of ships.

————————————————————

(1) Booms, beams to which certain sails are fastened.

(2) Studding-sails, small sails used in a light wind.

(3) Forecastle, the front part of the deck, usually raised.

(4) Yards, spars which cross the masts of a ship.

(5) Relentless, merciless; pitiless.

(6) Privateer, an armed ship belonging to a private person or persons, having authority from government to attack and plunder an enemy's ships.

(7) Invulnerability, state of being secure from injury.

(8) Voracious, gluttonous; greedy in eating.

(9) Starboard, the right-hand side; steer-board.

(10) Yaw, sudden change of course.

(11) Intrepid, fearless.

(12) Maintop-gallant sheet, the rope supporting the top-gallant sail (the third sail above the deck) on the mainmast.

(13) Stern-chaser, a gun fired over the stern.

24

A THREE DAYS' CHASE

II

1. The breeze had now freshened nearly to a gale, and the distance between us and the brig was rapidly decreasing, for most of his sails were in shreds. The guns were reloaded, and orders given to depress them as much as possible—that is, to point their muzzles downwards—but that not a shot was to be fired till the frigate came actually alongside of the chase. We were resolved to make him surrender, or to run him down; such was our duty, and that the Frenchman knew right well. He waited, however, until our jib-boom(1) was almost over his taffrail(2), and not till then, when he must have seen into our ports and along the decks, which were lighted up fore and aft, did he give the signal of surrender.

2. It may be supposed that the chase was now completely over, and that we had nothing further to do than to take possession of our prize. Not at all! It was found impossible to board the brig, or at least it seemed so dangerous that our captain was unwilling to hazard a boat and crew till daylight came. The gale increased before morning to such a pitch that there was a doubt if any boat could live, and the intention of boarding our prize was of course further delayed. But we took care to keep close to him, a little to windward, in order to watch his proceedings as narrowly as possible. It did not escape our notice in the meantime that our friend went on quietly, even in the height of the gale, shifting his wounded yards, reeving(3) new ropes, and bending fresh sails.

3. About three o'clock in the afternoon a furious squall of wind and rain came on, and the brig suddenly bore up and set off once more right before the wind. At the height of the squall we totally lost sight of our prize; and such a hubbub I hardly recollect to have heard in my life before.

"Where is she? Who was looking out? Where did you see her last?" and a hundred similar questions were poured out in abundance. Sail was made at once, and off we dashed into the thick of the squall in search of our lost treasure.

4. For about a quarter of an hour a dead silence reigned over the whole ship, and every eye was strained to the utmost, for no one knew exactly where to look. There was, indeed, no certainty of our not actually running past the privateer, and it would not have surprised us much when the squall cleared up had we seen him a mile or two to windward, far beyond our reach. These fears were put an end to by the sharp-eyed captain of the foretop, who had perched himself on the jib-boom end, calling out with a voice of the greatest glee, —

"There he goes! there he goes! right ahead! under his topsails and foresail!"

5. Sure enough there we saw him, springing along from wave to wave, his masts bending like reeds under the pressure of the sails. In a very few minutes we were again alongside of him. Nothing daunted, however, by the style in which we bore down upon him, the gallant commander of this pretty little egg-shell of a vessel placed himself on the weather-quarter(4), and with a speaking-trumpet in his hand, indicated a wish to be heard.

6. "I have been compelled to bear up(5)," he called out in French; "otherwise the brig must have gone to the bottom. The sea broke over us in such a way that I have been obliged, as you may perceive, to throw all my guns, boats, and spars overboard. We have now several feet of water in the hold in consequence of your shot. If, therefore, you oblige me to heave to(6), I cannot keep the vessel afloat one hour in such weather."

7. "Will you make no further attempt to escape?" asked the captain of the Endymion.

"As yet I have made none," he replied firmly. "I am your prize; and, as a man of honour, I do not consider myself at liberty to escape even if I had the power. I bore up when the squall came on, as a matter of necessity. If you will allow me to run before the wind along with you till the weather moderates, you may take possession of the brig when you please; if not, I must go to the bottom."

8. At eight o'clock in the evening it began to moderate, and by midnight we succeeded in getting a boat on board of the prize, after a run of between three and four hundred miles. Such is the scale of nautical sport! The brig proved to be the Milan. privateer from St. Malo, of fourteen guns and eighty men, many of whom were unfortunately wounded and several killed by our shot. In the morning we stopped the leaks, exchanged the prisoners for a prize crew, and put our heads towards the Cove of Cork again, and we returned right merrily to tell our long story of the three days' chase. The captain's name was M. Pierre Lepelletier of St. Malo; and wherever he goes, I will venture to say he can meet no braver or more resolute man than himself.

— CAPTAIN BASIL HALL

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the literal or primary, and the figurative or secondary, meanings of depress, impress, and express.

2. Give examples of words with the suffix -ward, as windward, and their meanings.

3. Give a list of words, with their meanings, formed from the stem of proceed, with various prefixes.

————————————————————

(1) Jib-boom, the boom or beam for the jib, the sail furthest in front.

(2) Taffrail, the rail round the after part of the deck or quarterdeck.

(3) Reeving, passing through the blocks or pulleys.

(4) Weathe-quarter, the weather or wind side of the quarter-deck, the after part of the deck.

(5) Bear up, to run before the wind; to put the helm up, or to the wind side, turning the ship to leeward.

(6) Heave to, turn the ship's side to the wind so as to drift slowly.

25

THE OCEAN

1. Roll on, thou deep and dark-blue ocean—roll!

Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain:

Man marks the earth with ruin—his control

Stops with the shore; upon the watery plain

The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain

A shadow of man's ravage, save his own,

When, for a moment, like a drop of rain,

He sinks into thy depths, with bubbling groan,

Without a grave, unknelled(1), uncoffined, and unknown.

2. His steps are not upon thy paths—thy fields

Are not a spoil for him—thou dost arise

And shake him from thee; the vile strength he wields

For earth's destruction thou dost all despise,

Spurning him from thy bosom to the skies,

And send'st him, shivering, in thy playful spray,

And howling, to his gods, where haply lies

His petty hope in some near port or bay,

And dashest him again to earth: there let him lay.

3. The armaments(2) which thunder-strike the walls

Of rock-built cities, bidding nations quake,

And monarchs tremble in their capitals;

The oak leviathans(3), whose huge ribs make

Their clay creator the vain title take

Of lord of thee, and arbiter(4) of war—

These are thy toys, and, as the snowy flake,

They melt into thy yeast of waves, which mar

Alike the Armada's pride or spoils of Trafalgar.

4. Thy shores are empires, changed in all save thee.

Assyria, Greece, Rome, Carthage, what are they?

Thy waters wasted them while they were free,

And many a tyrant since: their shores obey

The stranger, slave, or savage: their decay

Has dried up realms to deserts. Not so thou:

Unchangeable save to thy wild waves' play,

Time writes no wrinkle on thine azure brow—

Such as Creation's dawn beheld, thou rollest now.

5. Thou glorious mirror, where the Almighty's form

Glasses(5) itself in tempests; in all time—

Calm or convulsed—in breeze, or gale, or storm,

Icing the pole, or in the torrid clime

Dark-heaving—boundless, endless, and sublime—

The image of Eternity—the throne

Of th' Invisible; —even from out thy slime

The monsters of the deep are made; each zone

Obeys thee; thou goest forth, dread, fathomless(6), alone!

— BYRON

WORD SPELLING

————————————————————

(1) Unknelled, having no funeral bell tolled for him.

(2) Armaments, weapons of war; ships of war.

(3) Leviathan, ship of very large size; a very large sea-animal, mentioned in the Book of Job.

(4) Arbiter, judge; one chosen to decide between two parties.

(5) Glasses, reflects, like a looking-glass.

(6) Fathomless, bottomless.

26

THE KRAKATOA ERUPTION

1. About eleven o'clock on Sunday morning, the thirteenth of May 1883, the trouble began. Java, Sumatra, and Borneo were convulsed by earthquakes. The surface of the earth rocked, houses tumbled down, and big trees were shaken out of the ground. Earth-quakes are no rarity in these islands, but this earth-quake showed no signs of ceasing. The earth quivered constantly, and from its depths there seemed to rise strange sounds and hollow explosions.

KRAKATOA ISLAND

2. On Thursday there came a telegram from Anjer, ninety miles away, on the north-west coast of Java, intimating that a volcano had broken out on Krakatoa island, about thirty miles west of Anjer, in Sunda Strait. I was requested by the Dutch Government to go to the scene of action and take scientific observations(1), and by four o'clock that afternoon I started with a party on board a special steamer from Batavia.

3. As we rounded the northern extremity of Java, we saw ascending from Krakatoa, still fifty miles away, an immense column of smoke. Its appearance changed as we approached: first it looked like flame, then it would appear to be steam, and again it would take the appearance of a pillar of fire inside one of white fleecy wool. The diameter(2) of this pillar of fire and smoke I should put down at one and a half miles. All the while we heard that sullen, thunderous roar which had been a feature of this disturbance ever since Sunday, and was now becoming louder.

4. We remained on deck all night and watched. The din increased till we could with difficulty hear one another's voices. Dawn approached, and when the rays of the sun fell on the shores of Krakatoa, we saw them reflected from what we thought was a river, and we resolved to steam into its mouth and disembark. When we came to within three-quarters of a mile of the shore, we discovered that what we supposed to be a river was a torrent of molten sulphur. The smell almost overpowered us. We steamed away to windward, and made for the other side of the island.

5. This island, though volcanic, had up till now been quiet for at least a century. It was eight or ten miles long and four wide, and was covered with forests of fine mahogany and rosewood trees. It was inhabited by a few fishermen, but we found to signs of these inhabitants. The land, down to the water's edge, was covered with powdered pumice stone, which rained down from the clouds around the great column of fire. Everything with life had already disappeared from the landscape, which was covered with a steaming mass of stones and ashes.

6. Several of us landed, and began walking inland. We sank deep in the soft pumice, which blistered our feet with its heat. I climbed painfully upwards towards the crater, in order to measure it by my sextant(3); but in a short time the heat melted the mercury(4) off the mirror of the instrument. I was then half a mile from the crater. As I retraced my steps towards the shore, I saw the bottom of each footprint I had made on my way up glowing red with the heat from beneath. We photographed the scene from the deck of the steamer, where the fire-hose was kept playing constantly, wetting the rigging and everything about the ship to prevent her taking fire.

7. The steamer then returned to Batavia, and I went to reside at Anjer, where, from my villa on the hillside a mile inland, I could see Krakatoa, thirty miles away, belching out its never-ending eruption. We supposed that it would go on till it burned itself out, and then become quiet again.

8. On Sunday morning, the twelfth day of August, nearly three months after, I was sitting on the veranda of my house taking my morning cup of tea. I saw the fishing-boats lying at anchor in the bay, the fishermen themselves being on shore at rest. As my gaze rested on the boats, I suddenly became aware that they were all beginning to move rapidly in one direction. Then in an instant, to my intense surprise, they all disappeared.

9. I ran further up the hillside to get a better view, and looked far out to sea. Instantly a great glare of fire right in the midst of the sea caught my eye. All the way across the bay and the strait, in a line of flame reaching to Krakatoa itself, the bottom of the sea seemed to have cracked open so that the subterranean(5) fires were belching forth. On either side the waters were pouring into this gulf with a tremendous noise, but the fire was not extinguished. The hissing roar brought out the people of Anjer in excited crowds.

10. My eyes were turned away for a moment as I beckoned to some one, and during that moment came a terrible, deafening explosion. It stunned me; and when I was able again to turn my eyes to the bay, I could see nothing. The whole scene was shrouded in darkness, from amid which came cries and groans, the creaking of breaking beams in the houses, and above all the roar of the breakers on the shore. The city of Anjer, with its sixty thousand people, had been engulfed(6)!

11. I afterwards found that the water was one hundred feet deep where the city of Anjer had been, and that the coast-line had moved one and a half miles inland, where the city of New Anjer is now built. A big island in the strait had been split in two, with a wide passage between its two parts. An island to the north-west of Krakatoa had disappeared. Along the coast of Java for fifteen or twenty miles many new islands were formed which afterwards disappeared. The air was filled with minute particles of dust, which after some weeks spread even to Europe and America. What the causes of such a tremendous convulsion may have been it is quite impossible accurately to say.

— From the Narrative of J. T. VAN GESTEL

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences illustrating various meanings of the word observation.

2. Give a list of verbs which have two forms of the past participle, as molten.

3. Give the various meanings of the word column, and mention words derived from it.

————————————————————

(1) Scientific observations, notes and observations made for the benefit of science.

(2) Diameter, distance through the centre; breadth.

(3) Sextant, an instrument for measuring angles, consisting of the sixth part of a circle, mounted on a frame, and marked with degrees, minutes, etc.

(4) Mercury, a white liquid metal; quicksilver.

(5) Subterranean, underground.

(6) Engulfed, swallowed up.

27

HUMANITY IN WAR

1. Humanity in war! Can such a thing be? Do not the two terms contradict each other? For what is war? It has been well described as "the combination of all the horrors, atrocities(1), crimes, and sufferings of which human nature is capable." And what is humanity? It is the sum of all the noblest qualities of the human heart—pity, tenderness, mercy, brotherly love. What room can there be in war for the exercise of these virtues?

2. Yet it is a fact that some of the greatest conquerors have been the most humane(2) of men. In the moment of his victory over Pompey, when Romans were driving Romans from the field, Julius Cæsar rode hither and thither exclaiming, "Spare, spare the citizens!" And who has not been touched by the picture of Wellington moved to tears as he rode amid the dead and the dying over the field of Waterloo?

3. War does not always harden the soldier's heart, or crush within it feelings of humanity, even toward his enemies. Nothing in history is more curious, or more creditable to human nature, than the readiness with which enemies become friendly during a truce, or even in an accidental lull in the fighting.

4. In the American Civil War(3), a party of Northern soldiers came face to face with a troop of Southerners in front of a farmhouse. When the order to attack was about to be given, a little girl, seeing her pet kitten in danger, rushed from the farmhouse to a tree in the line of fire, and called out, "Kitty, kitty, come down!" The soldiers paused, then they laughed, and then they cheered; and from both sides several men ran forward to help the girl, and to warn her of the danger she was in. After that, fighting was out of the question. Northerners and Southerners were soon exchanging tobacco and sharing their rations in the most friendly way.

5. After the battle of Inkermann, a Russian and a Frenchman, both severely wounded, found themselves lying side by side. As the cold increased with the advance of night, they drew nearer to each other. Soon the Russian, in spite of his shivering, fell asleep from sheer weakness. When he awoke towards morning, he found himself comfortably wrapped in a second overcoat—in addition to his own—while his French friend lay beside him, dead: needless to ask whose was the second overcoat. The Russian carried a button of that coat in his pocket till his dying day.

6. At Waterloo, a Highland soldier, seeing the colour-sergeant of his regiment fall with the flag, rushed forward in the face of a cavalry charge to save his colours. The flag was so fast in the grip of the dead sergeant, that it could not at once be disengaged. The Highlander therefore lifted both man and flag on his back, and carried them off. The leader of the French cavalry was so struck with the bravery of the deed, that he halted his troop and shouted, "Bravo, Highlander!"

7. The great Napoleon was a man who never hesitated to sacrifice life for the advancement of his own ambition. Yet even Napoleon had his humane moments. During the battle of Austerlitz, when a body of Russians and Austrians were fleeing across a frozen lake, Napoleon ordered his cannon to be fired on the ice so as to break it up. The result was that hundreds were drowned. Next morning, he observed a wounded Russian lying on a floe(4) of ice near the shore of the lake, and calling piteously for help. Though the soldier's plight was the result of Napoleon's order, the emperor's heart was touched, and he asked his officers to do what they could for the unfortunate man.

AFTER AUSTERLITZ

8. Several Frenchmen at once plunged into the icy water in order to effect a rescue; but their wet clothes froze, so that they could not swim, and they were themselves rescued with difficulty. Thereupon, two brave young officers, having stripped themselves to the skin, boldly swam out to the ice-floe, and succeeded in pushing it to the shore. The Russian was rescued, and soon revived, and he showed his gratitude by taking service under the emperor's flag. His rescuers showed courage surpassing that of the battlefield, in saving the life of an enemy, and one of them contracted an illness by it from which he never completely recovered.

9. The rude game of war is being tempered more and more by the spirit of humanity. Civilized nations have agreed to prohibit the use of explosive bullets, which, like the poisoned arrows of the savage, prolong and aggravate the agonies of the wounded. Humanity has also led to the improvement of appliances for the relief of the sick and the wounded. The field-hospital with its staff of nurses, and the ambulance-wagon(5) with its attendant surgeons, are now as important in the equipment of an army as the ammunition-wagon and the field-battery.

10. The most cheering proof, however, of the advance of civilization is the growing desire of the Great Powers to settle their disputes, not by war, but by arbitration and mutual agreement; and when one thinks of it calmly, the decision of international(6) differences by war—that is to say, by the slaughter of hundreds or of thousands of men who have little knowledge of, or interest in, the quarrel—seems to be a savage mode of proceeding, and altogether unworthy of the civilized nations of the world.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences showing the various uses of the word term, and give a list of compound words formed from it.

2. Give a list of words formed from the stem of dispute, with various prefixes, and their meanings.

3. Give a list of words in sur-, as surpassing, showing its meaning in each.

————————————————————

(1) Atrocities, great wickedness or cruelties.

(2) Humane, merciful; tender-hearted.

(3) American Civil War (1861-1865), between the Northern and the Southern States of America on the question of negro slavery.

(4) Floe, a floating field of ice.

(5) Ambulance-wagon, a carriage used to carry the wounded to the hospital.

(6) International, between nations.

28

THE BATTLE OF CORUNNA

I

1. As we sailed into the harbour of Corunna, on the morning of the 15th of January (1809), we distinctly made out with our glasses(1) the two lines of troops; for although the ridge upon which the British were posted lay nearer to the sea, it was of such in-considerable height compared with that occupied by the French, that we could observe the army of the enemy mustering thick along the sky-line, and over-looking ours in a very ominous(2) manner.

SIR JOHN MOORE

2. When night fell, a double row of fires along the summits of the two hills pointed out the position of the rival hosts. The night proved very dark: and as fresh fuel was piled on the fires, they became obscured for a moment, rising again into a sudden blaze on being stirred up by the groups of soldiers whom we saw, or fancied we saw, standing between us and the light.

3. It will easily be supposed that our curiosity to see the ground, and to talk with the soldiers on the field, was very great. We had small hopes, however, of being allowed to leave the ship at such a time; and I can never cease to feel grateful for the kindness of the captain, who allowed the purser(3) and myself to go on shore. We were personally acquainted with several of the officers in the army, whom we hoped to find on the ground; so next day we pushed our way through the town (which was in a shocking state of disorder), and soon found ourselves on the great Madrid road, which cut across the positions of both armies nearly at right angles.

4. As the morning turned out fine, the whole scene looked highly picturesque; and though painful in many respects, it possessed an uncommon degree of interest. The soldiers lay scattered about, wearied and dispirited, ragged in their dress, and many of them broken down in appearance, by the fatigues of this celebrated retreat; their hands and faces had been rather less familiar with soap and water than with the smoke of their muskets and the charcoal of their cooking fires. Many were sitting on the grass, and gazing every now and then with very wistful eyes toward the ships.

5. When we reached the 95th the well-known rifle corps(4), I was happy to meet an old friend alive and merry among the officers of this regiment. These gentlemen appeared in better spirits than most of the others with whom we had conversed. We were surprised, indeed, to find them laughing heartily; and upon asking the cause of their mirth, we were shown a good-sized pig, which the regimental cooks were busily cutting up. It seems that this unfortunate grunter had been disturbed by the French pickets(5) near the village of Elvina, just in front of the spot where the 95th were stationed. He had made good his retreat, as he thought, but fell right upon our friends the sharp-shooters. These merry soldiers, delighted with their good luck, pressed us much to stay and partake of their windfall(6); but we wished to retrace our steps along a part of the line, so as to gain the road to Corunna, and return on board before sunset.

6. I asked the commanding officer of one of the regiments, stationed near the top of the position, whether he thought anything could possibly rouse the men up. In reply, he said, with a very expressive smile and a slight nod of his head, implying that even then he suspected what was about to take place, "You'll see by-and-by, sir, if the French there choose to come over."

7. These words had hardly been uttered, when a movement along the whole of the enemy's line became apparent. Almost at the same instant a furious cannonade(7) opened from a battery mounting eleven guns (eight and twelve pounders), of the existence of which I believe no person on our side had previously had the smallest suspicion, so completely, up to this moment, had it been masked. Had we remained to share the picnic with our friends of the 95th, we must have partaken, close at hand, of the first salvo(8) of round shot and grape from the French guns.

8. The effect of these preparatory notes of war was extremely curious. At the first discharge from the French battery, the whole body of the British troops, from one end of the position to the other, started to their feet, snatched up their arms, and formed in line with as much regularity and apparent coolness as if they had been on parade in Hyde Park. I really could scarcely believe my eyes when I beheld these men spring from the ground, full of life and vigour, though but one minute before they had all been stretched out listlessly in the sun. We could hear a loud hum, and occasionally a jolly shout, and many a peal of laughter, along a distance of nearly a mile. In the midst of these sounds the peculiar sharp "click-click-click" of fixing bayonets fell distinctly on the ear, very ominously.

9. Many thousand stands of new arms had been issued to the troops from the stores at Corunna; and I could observe the men rapping the flints, tightening the screws, and tossing about their firelocks, with the air of veteran sportsmen eager to try their new pieces(9). Not a single face could now be seen turning toward the ships, and we found it difficult to obtain an answer to any of our questions. All had become animation and cheerfulness in minds from which, but a short time before, it seemed as if every particle of spirit had fled.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences illustrating the various uses of the word post.

2. Give a list of words of similar meaning to purser.

3. Give a few examples of things named from the place of their invention or manufacture, as bayonet (from Bayonne).

————————————————————

(1) Glasses, field-glasses; telescopes.

(2) Ominous, threatening; foreboding evil.

(3) Purser, the naval officer who keeps the accounts of a ship, and has charge of the provisions, etc.

(4) Corps, division; body of troops.

(5) Picket, outposts; soldiers stationed at a distance from the main body to guard against surprises.

(6) Windfall, unexpected piece of good fortune. [Literally, fruit blown down by the wind, not requiring to be plucked off the tree.]

(7) Cannonade, bombardment; attack by firing cannon.

(8) Salvo, volley; discharge.

(9) Pieces, guns.

29

THE BATTLE OF CORUNNA

II

1. The army, in a few minutes, stood perfectly ready to meet that of the enemy, whose troops, in three immense close columns, were by this time moving rapidly down the side of the opposite heights.

I have no precise(1) notion of the number of men in each of these square, solid masses—I think I have heard it stated at six or seven thousand. They kept steadily together, and their appearance was the most imposing and formidable thing I recollect ever having seen, either before or since.

2. The purser and I stood near the centre of the position when the battle commenced; but as the ground was rather flat, we found it difficult to see well into the valley. We therefore climbed an abrupt(2) rising ground on the left, on which two or three regiments were posted. About half-way up this rising ground stood three British field-pieces. These guns worked away briskly at the French columns as soon as they came within range.

3. The French battery(3) then set about silencing the fire of our artillery, and our position became rather unpleasant. The small six-pound shot of the British field-pieces had whistled over us merrily enough; but when the heavy metal of the enemy came screaming about our ears, the story told quite differently. Several of these balls hit our guns; while every shot that fell short came plump into the little hollow space where we stood. We agreed that a retreat was the proper measure. The French gunners just at that moment pitched a shot so that it fell between us, and threw the dirt and stones quite over us. We took the warning in good part, and moved off towards a rising ground still farther to the left.

4. Here we made acquaintance with the colonel(4) and the other officers of one of the regiments of the reserve. The colonel held a pocket spy-glass in his hand, and very kindly described to us the nature of the different movements as they took place. By this time the centre, and a portion of the left of the British line, gradually became engaged in the valley; but the severest fighting of all was at the village of Elvina, which was in possession sometimes of the one party, sometimes of the other.

BURIAL OF SIR JOHN MOORE

5. The road leading into Corunna was soon covered along its whole length with wounded men, some of whom were walking alone, some supported by comrades who were less severely hurt, and a good many in carts. Soon a large group passed near us, bearing along a wounded officer. It was evident that he was some person of consequence; and while we were trying to discover who it could be that engaged so much attention, an officer rode up the hill. He told us that in the centre was carried their brave commander-in-chief, Sir John Moore, who had been struck off his horse by a cannon-shot a few minutes before. The command now devolved upon Sir John Hope.

6. The battle, which had commenced nearly at the foot of the British hill, had gradually moved itself forward toward the French side of the valley; and the much-contested village of Elvina remained finally in our possession. The advantage was manifestly on the side of the British, for it became easy to distinguish, towards the end of the day, that the struggle was carried on at a position considerably in advance of that on which the British had stood when first attacked.

TOMB OF SIR JOHN MOORE

7. When the action was over, and the army was withdrawn to the position it had occupied in the morning, every demonstration(5) was made of an intention to retain possession of the ground. Large fires were kindled along the line, and kept up during the whole night; which deceived the enemy, and gave time for the different corps not only to retire at leisure in good order, but to embark almost as regularly as if nothing had happened.

8. The details of Sir John Moore's death are now so well known that they need not be repeated here; but at the time I am speaking of, being new to every one, they produced a great effect.

During the whole night, while the troops were embarking, after their late commander's body had been consigned(6) to its truly military grave, his dying remark that he had always wished to end his days thus, his exultation(7) at the success of his last engagement, and his satisfaction at the conduct of the soldiers, passed eagerly from mouth to mouth. Such, indeed, is the influence of authority, that these expressions appeared to the army an ample recompense for all the hardships they had endured on this memorable retreat, which had ended so mournfully, but at the same time so gloriously.

— CAPTAIN BASIL HALL

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the meaning, showing the force of the prefixes, of abrupt, interrupt, eruption, and irruption.

2. Give a list of words formed from the stem of devolve, with various prefixes, and their meanings.

3. Make sentences containing various words of similar meaning to contest.

————————————————————

(1) Precise, exact.

(2) Abrupt, steep; rough.

(3) Battery, artillery; guns placed in order for shooting.

(4) Colonel (kur'nel), the leader of a body of soldiers; the chief officer of a regiment.

(5) Demonstration, indication; show.

(6) Consigned, committed; given up.

(7) Exultation, great delight.

30

THE ARSENAL(1) AT SPRINGFIELD

1. This is the Arsenal. From floor to ceiling,

Like a huge organ, rise the burnished arms;

But from their silent pipes no anthem pealing

Startles the villages with strange alarms.

2. Ah, what a sound will rise, how wild and dreary,

When the death-angel touches those swift keys!

What loud lament and dismal Miserere(2)

Will mingle with their awful symphonies(3)!

3. I hear, even now, the infinite fierce chorus,

The cries of agony, the endless groan,

Which, through the ages that have gone before us,

In long reverberations(4) reach our own.

4. On helm and harness rings the Saxon hammer;

Through Cimbric(5) forest roars the Norseman's song;

And loud, amid the universal clamour,

O'er distant deserts sounds the Tartar(6) gong.

5. I hear the Florentine, who from his palace

Wheels out his battle-bell with dreadful din;

And Aztec(7) priests upon their teocallis(8)

Beat the wild war-drums made of serpent's skin;

6. The tumult of each sacked and burning village;

The shout that every prayer for mercy drowns;

The soldiers' revels in the midst of pillage;

The wail of famine in beleaguered(9) towns;

7. The bursting shell, the gateway wrenched asunder

The rattling musketry, the clashing blade:

And ever and anon, in tones of thunder,

The diapason(10) of the cannonade.

8. Is it, O man, with such discordant noises,

With such accursed instruments as these,

Thou drownest Nature's sweet and kindly voices,

And jarrest the celestial harmonies?

9. Were half the power, that fills the world with terror,

Were half the wealth, bestowed on camps and courts,

Given to redeem the human mind from error,

There were no need of arsenals or forts:

10. The warrior's name would be a name abhorred;

And every nation that should lift again

Its hand against a brother, on its forehead

Would wear for evermore the curse of Cain!

11. Down the dark future, through long generations,

The echoing sounds grow fainter, and then cease;

And like a bell, with solemn, sweet vibrations,

I hear once more the voice of Christ say, "Peace."

12. Peace! and no longer from its brazen portals

The blast of War's great organ shakes the skies,

But beautiful as songs of the immortals,

The holy melodies of love arise.

— LONGFELLOW

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words, with their meanings, showing the use of the suffix -ry, as musketry.

2. Make sentences illustrating the various meanings of the noun court.

3. Write in prose the substance of verses 9 and 10.

————————————————————

(1) Arsenal, a place for making or storing material required in war.

(2) Miserere, the name of the Latin version of the 51st Psalm. [Literally, "have pity."]

(3) Symphonies, harmonies; agreement of sound.

(4) Reverberations, reflections of sound; echoes.

(5) Cimbric, belonging to the Cimbri, an ancient people of northwestern Europe.

(6) Tartar, a native of Tartary.

(7) Aztec, belonging to a race of people who settled in Mexico in the fourteenth century.

(8) Teocallis, buildings for worship in ancient Mexico.

(9) Beleaguered, besieged; block-aded.

(10) Diapason, the harmony of notes an octave apart; a full deep tone.

31

THE LITTLE CORPORAL

I

1. Napoleon Bonaparte was for many years known among his soldiers as the Little Corporal. It was their "pet name" for their general; and Napoleon liked the name, for he knew that it was a sign of their friendship and devotion. It was given him during his first campaign(1) as leader of a French army. He was very young for the post, being only in his twenty-seventh year; but the old soldiers liked him all the better for that. As his army won victory after victory, the veterans used to discuss, in a playful manner round the camp-fires, whether he should not be promoted for his services. So, after one battle they made him a corporal, after another a sergeant, and so on, through all the military ranks. But the title of Corporal, the lowest rank of officer, was the one that pleased them most; and for many years, when Napoleon made his nightly round of his camp, he was sure to be greeted by shouts of "Vive le petit caporal(2)!"

2. Never did soldiers love their general as those of the French army loved Napoleon. They admired his exceptional courage and coolness. Every one of them had seen him do some act of conspicuous(3) bravery. Some had seen him gallop to the head of a wavering regiment and lead it to a glorious charge; others had seen him seize the colours from an ensign, dash forward almost alone, and plant them in the very face of the enemy; others had seen him coolly turn over a block of stone sent whizzing past his head by the explosion of a shell, and had perhaps heard him remark, "A few inches more, and that would have done its work."

3. Napoleon knew how to speak to his soldiers, just a few words at a time, but words that went to their hearts. He recalled their past victories, he praised their courage, he stirred their patriotism and their devotion to himself, while at the same time he did not hesitate to reprimand(4) them for any want of bravery. At Marengo he galloped to the front of a retreating squadron(5), and with the words, "Soldiers, remember that it is my custom to sleep upon the battle-field," he rallied(6) them for a charge.

4. In marching from Egypt to Syria, a detachment of his army lost its way in the desert. Napoleon himself set off in search of his lost troops, and eventually found them nearly dying of hunger and thirst. The very sight of the general revived them, and when he told them that food was at hand they took heart again. "But," continued Napoleon, "even if supplies had been longer delayed, would that have excused murmuring and despair? No, soldiers; learn to die with honour."

5. The slightest reprimand from Napoleon had a wonderful effect on officers and privates alike. Many a fine young fellow exposed himself to certain death from his feeling of shame at a word of rebuke. Such was Croisier, who mounted an exposed battery before the walls of Acre, and quietly stood there till he met his death.

6. On one occasion Napoleon addressed a regiment which had shown signs of cowardice in battle. "You have shown," he said, "neither discipline nor courage. You have allowed yourselves to be defeated where a few resolute men might have withstood an army. It should be written on your colours, 'They are no longer French soldiers.'" Cries, groans, and shouts showed how much the regiment felt the rebuke. Napoleon then changed his tone, alluding to their bravery on former occasions, and never afterwards had he any reason to complain of their behaviour.

7. The most striking illustration of Napoleon's power over his soldiers occurred after his escape from Elba. Marching through the south of France with a few followers, he met a body of troops sent to arrest him. The two parties quietly advanced till within a few yards of each other, then halted. Napoleon threw open his cloak, showing the star of the Legion of Honour(7). "If there is a man among you who will kill his emperor," he cried, "let him do it now. Here I am." Shouts of "Vive l' Empereur(8)!" were the only reply. Napoleon threw himself among the leaders. Taking a veteran by the whiskers, he said, "Speak honestly, old fellow, could you have the heart to kill your emperor?" The man dropped his ramrod into the barrel of his gun; the sound showed that it was empty. "Judge," said he, "if I have done thee much harm; the others are all the same." And with that all the soldiers fell into line, Napoleon gave the word, and the united party marched forward.

8. Another cause of the devotion shown to Napoleon by his soldiers was the rough, friendly way in which he treated them. He would himself lend a hand in any hard work, whether in pulling guns up an Alpine pass, or in digging in the trenches. He talked of the soldiers as his children, he joked with them, playfully boxed their ears, or pulled their noses. He was careful of their comfort. On parade in winter he would suddenly pinch a soldier. "What," he would cry, "no woolen clothes under your uniforms at this time of year! —See, colonel, that every man in this regiment has them by to-morrow." After a hard-fought battle, Napoleon and his staff would sometimes spend the whole night on the field caring for the wounded.

9. No one was ever sterner with his soldiers at breaches of discipline(9); yet the soldiers knew that Napoleon could sometimes overlook a fault. One night, it is said, after a hard day's fighting, he found a sentry asleep at his post. The punishment for such an offence in every army is death. Yet Napoleon, instead of waking the soldier and putting him under arrest, shouldered his musket and mounted guard till the man awoke, to receive a full pardon from his emperor.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words with the suffix -ship, as friendship, and their meanings.

2. Make sentences showing the various uses of the words charge and discharge.

3. Give a list of words with the suffix -ism, as patriotism, and their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Campaign, war; the time during which an army keeps the field.

(2) "Vive le petit caporal," the French for "Long live the little corporal."

(3) Conspicuous, outstanding; that cannot be missed by the eye.

(4) Reprimand, rebuke; blame severely.

(5) Squadron, square body of troops.

(6) Rallied, reunited; brought together again.

(7) Legion of Honour, an order instituted by Napoleon L. in 1802 for merit.

(8) "Vive l'Empereur," the French for "Long live the Emperor."

(9) Breaches of discipline, acts of disobedience.

32

THE LITTLE CORPORAL

II

1. It has often been said that, in Napoleon's time, every private(1) in the French army carried a marshal's(2) baton(3) in his knapsack(4). This means that a man's advancement did not depend on his wealth or social position, but entirely on his own conduct as a soldier. The way in which he promoted his men made every one of them anxious to distinguish himself before the emperor. After an engagement, Napoleon would gather his captains around him, and ask them to select the bravest from among them for promotion. A brave action seldom went unrewarded; sometimes it was by a pleasant word—that was enough for his soldiers—but more often the word was accompanied by something more substantial.

2. Sometimes a quick retort(5), or a clever speech, was the first step in the promotion of a gallant young fellow. Marshal Junot owed his advance to a quiet, cool exclamation. When a private at Toulon, he was writing to Napoleon's dictation. The letter was just finished, when the explosion of one of the enemy's shells covered it with earth. "Thanks," said Junot, nodding towards the battery; "we shall not need sand to dry the letter this time."

3. The devotion of the soldiers was so intense that no risks were too great when undertaken in his service. Napoleon seldom ordered any one to do a particularly dangerous piece of work; he preferred to ask for volunteers, and he never failed to find them. During his advance on Vienna in 1809, a large body of the Austrians had formed their camp on the opposite bank of the Danube. A strong division had also been posted in front of his line of march, but it was reported that this division had crossed the river, leaving his way open. The real position of the enemy could only be determined by capturing and questioning some of the Austrians on the opposite bank of the river. To cross the flooded Danube, and carry off one of the enemy from their own intrenchments(6), was a plan so little likely to succeed, that the emperor would not order any one to make the attempt. But on the situation being explained to one of his young officers, ambition to win his emperor's approval made the danger seem light.

4. Six picked men of the Old Guard accompanied this officer, but it was only by force that boatmen could be obtained for an expedition of so desperate a character. When the river had at last been crossed, and the boat guided into the shelter of the brushwood on the shore within a few yards of the Austrian sentinels, the officer was at a loss how next to proceed. Fortune solved his difficulty. First one, and then two others of the enemy, came to the riverside for water. These were silently and swiftly ducked into the river, and then gagged(7) and bound before they could utter a cry. In putting off from the shore, however, a noise was made which drew the attention of the sentries, and a brisk fire was opened on the retreating boat. The occupants owed their safety only to the darkness of the night, and to their own exertions at the oars.

5. Napoleon, on their return, rewarded the unwilling boatmen with most liberal payment, and bestowed the cross of the Legion of Honour on the soldiers of the Guard. The Austrian soldiers were also kindly treated. As soon as possible they were returned to their friends, with a sum of money, sufficient to repay them for the rough treatment to which it had been necessary to subject them, in order to get the information desired.

A DANGEROUS EXPEDITION

6. A similar capture was once made by two of Napoleon's marshals, Lannes and Murat. It was a daring deed. The French and Austrian armies were lying on opposite sides of a river. The Austrians guarded the only bridge by batteries on their side of the stream. In order to make their position still more secure, an Austrian officer was sent to destroy the bridge entirely.

7. He was at work there one evening, when Lannes and Murat strolled down to the riverside, and, as enemies often do in the intervals of fighting, they began to talk to him. They managed to keep his attention fixed on the Austrian side of the stream, so that he did not notice a file of French grenadiers coming quietly up behind him. In a moment he and his party were seized. Lannes and Murat then put themselves at the head of the grenadiers, and advanced on the batteries. Taken by surprise, the Austrians were afraid to fire, seeing their own officers among the party. The batteries were seized, and the guns turned against the very soldiers who had erected them.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of verbs from which nouns in -sion are formed, as explode.

2. Make sentences showing the various uses of the word fortune, and give a list of words derived from it.

3. Explain the meanings of the words office, officer, official, officiate, and officious.

————————————————————

(1) Private, soldier of the lowest rank.

(2) Marshal, the highest military officer in France.

(3) Baton, staff showing the office of him who carries it.

(4) Knapsack, a bag for carrying provisions, used by soldiers and travellers.

(5) Retort, quick and witty reply.

(6) Intrenchments, trenches or walls made for defence.

(7) Gagged, forced something into their mouths to prevent them speaking.

33

PERFUMES

1. It is difficult to realize how universal was the use of perfumes in ancient times. The early physicians freely prescribed sweet odours, especially as cures for nervous diseases, and seemed to understand that certain flowers and scents are not only beneficial(1) to health, but will also purify the air and ward off disease.

CENSERS FOR BURNING INCENSE

2. Egypt was a great mart for perfumes. Joseph was sold to a company of Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt bearing spices, balm, and myrrh(2). Egyptian women used many essences(3) and rare perfumes, and wore necklaces of scented wood, as the Chinese women still do. Guests were received in chambers strewn with flowers, and slaves hung garlands of roses, lotus, or saffron flowers round their necks, while sweet-smelling gums were burned in little vases.

3. The love of the Jews for perfumes was also very great. In their worship a sacred incense was burned which was not allowed to be used in private life. They perfumed their rooms with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon, and scented their hair with myrrh, cassia, aloes, and frankincense(4). They carried small gold or silver boxes, or brightly-coloured vials, suspended from their necklaces, containing musk, attar of roses, balsam, saffron, or spikenard. One-tenth part of a bride's dowry(5) was set apart for the purchase of scents.

INCENSE-BOX (ROMAN)

4. The Greeks well understood the charm of fresh, fragrant flowers, and at their feasts they decorated their rooms and their persons with garlands and wreaths. The Grecian love of perfumes spread to Rome, and perfumers' shops, marked by a bunch of sage for a sign-board, crowded one quarter of the city.

GLASS SCENT-BOTTLES (ROMAN)

5. Pliny(6) tells us that the Romans imported perfumes from India and Arabia to the value of a million sterling every year. Julius Cæsar and Crassus tried to restrain this waste by forbidding the sale of foreign perfumes in Rome, but this edict(7) only made them more expensive. Every one used them. Houses, furniture, and dresses were perfumed; the amphitheatres(8) and baths were scented with lavender and other essences, and on certain feast-days even the military ensigns were anointed.

ALABASTER VASE (ROMAN)

6. Perfumes were never richer or more costly in England than in the time of Elizabeth. The queen was very particular in her choice of scents; and her minister, Cecil, once prevented her from opening some private letters which he had received from James of Scotland, by declaring that they had an evil odour, and he thus saved himself from a dangerous position.

POMANDER

7. Perfumes were burnt in the fires to give out gentle odours; scented lozenges were used to sweeten the breath, and pomanders were carried suspended from chains. Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, so pleased Elizabeth with the present of a pair of perfumed gloves, that she had her portrait painted with them on her hands, and their scent became fashionable as "Lord Oxford's perfume." Scented gloves, embroidered and richly jewelled, were favourite presents until the middle of last century.

POMANDER

8. Perfumes were known in England long before Elizabeth's time, however. Matilda, queen of Henry the First, received from France a present of a dish for rosewater in the form of a silver peacock, the tail being set with precious stones. The pomander, or scent-ball, was also known—a gold musk-ball, weighing eleven ounces, being mentioned among the possessions of Henry the Fifth. These balls were pierced, so as to let out the perfume, and were used by fashionable gentlemen as well as by ladies, worn round the neck, carried in the hand, or suspended from the girdle.

PERFUMED GLOVE (TIME OF ELIZABETH)

9. Attar of roses, the most delicate perfume of the East, is made from the roses of Damascus and the vales of Cash-mere among other places—five hundred pounds of leaves being required to yield one ounce of the oil. Next to this, santalwood, or sandalwood as it is generally called, is the favourite Oriental perfume. This fragrant wood is much used for carving into caskets and jewel-boxes, and for burning as incense. A few perfumes are obtained from animals, such as musk, civet, and ambergris.

JEWELLED PERFUME-BOX

10. We import perfumes from all parts of the world. The rose-gardens of the East, the flower farms of southern France, and the lavender-fields of Mitcham in Surrey show that the modern use of perfumes supports a large industry; but all this is nothing compared with the lavish use of sweet scents in ancient times and during the Middle Ages.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences showing the use of the word suspend, in two meanings, and of suspense.

2. Give a list of words, with their meanings, formed with the prefixes for- and fore-.

3. Give a list of words similar in meaning to vale.

————————————————————

(1) Beneficial, fitted to do good.

(2) Myrrh, a gum from Arabia having a bitter taste.

(3) Essences, perfumes made from flowers; extracts.

(4) Frankincense, a gum or resin with a sweet smell.

(5) Dowry, the portion given with a wife.

(6) Pliny (23-79 A.D), a Latin historian.

(7) Edict, decree; order.

(8) Amphitheatre, a circular building with seats all round, which rise towards the back, and having an open space, called the arena, in the centre.

34

A DINNER PARTY IN ANCIENT THEBES

1. Let us invite ourselves to a dinner party in Egyptian high life, such as might have been given in the ancient city of Thebes about three thousand years ago. The time is mid-day, and the guests are arriving on foot, in chairs borne by servants, and in chariots. A high wall, painted in panels, surrounds the fashionable villa, and on an obelisk(1) near is inscribed the name of the owner. We enter the grounds by a folding gate flanked with lofty towers.

2. At the end of a broad walk, bordered by rows of trees, stands a brick mansion, over the door of which we read in hieroglyphics(2), "The Good House." The building is made airy by corridors, colonnades(3), and open courts shaded by awnings, all gaily painted and ornamented. Its grounds include flower-gardens, vineyards, date-orchards, and groves of trees.

3. We shall accompany the guest whose chariot has just halted. The Egyptian nobleman drives his own horse, but he is attended by a train of servants. One of these runs forward to knock at the door, another takes the reins, another presents a stool to assist his master to alight, and others carry the various articles which he may require during the visit. As the guest steps into the court, a servant receives his sandals(4), and brings water that he may wash his feet. He is then invited into the festal chamber, where his host and hostess sit side by side on a double chair, to which their favourite monkey is tied.

EGYPTIAN GARDEN

4. On his shaven head the Egyptian gentleman wears a wig with little top curls, and long queues(5) which hang behind. His beard is short—a long one is only for the king. His large-sleeved robe is of fine white linen, and he is adorned with necklace, bracelets, and a number of finger-rings. The lady by his side also wears a linen robe over another of a richly coloured stuff. Her hair falls to her shoulders in crisp and glossy braids. Charms, in the form of beetles, dragons, asps, and strange symbolic eyes, dangle from her gold ear-rings, bracelets, necklace, and anklets.

5. Having saluted his host and hostess, the newcomer seats himself on a low stool, where a servant anoints his head with a sweet perfume, hands him a lotus blossom, hangs garlands of flowers on his neck and head, and offers him wine. The servant, as he receives back the emptied cup and offers a napkin, politely remarks, "May it benefit you." This completes the formal reception.

6. Every lady is attended, in the same manner, by a female slave. While the guests are arriving, the musicians and dancers belonging to the household amuse the company, who sit on chairs in rows, the ladies commenting on one another's jewellery, and, in compliment, exchanging lotus flowers.

7. The room is furnished with couches, arm-chairs, and footstools, made of the native acacia, or of ebony and other rare imported woods, inlaid with ivory, carved in animal forms, and cushioned and covered with leopard skins. The ceilings are stuccoed(6) and painted, and the panels of the walls are adorned with coloured designs. The tables are of various sizes and fanciful patterns. The floor is covered with a palm-leaf matting or wool carpet.

8. And now the ox, kid, geese, and ducks, which, according to custom, were hurried into the cooking pots as soon as they were killed, are ready to be served. After hand-washing, the guests take their seats on stools, on chairs, or on the floor, one or two at each little, low, round table. The dishes, many of which are vegetables, are served in courses, and the guests, having neither knife nor fork, help themselves with their fingers. Servants keep the wine and water cool by fanning the porous jars which contain them.

9. During the repast, when the enjoyment is at its height, the Osiris—an image like a human mummy—is brought in and formally introduced to each visitor, with the reminder that life is short and all must die. This little incident does not in the least disturb the enjoyment of the guests.

10. There is one, however, to whom this warning is not given, and who, though anointed and garlanded and duly placed at a table, does not partake of the delicacies set before him. This is a real mummy, a deceased member of the family, whom the host is keeping for some months before burial. It is in his honour, indeed, that the relatives and friends are assembled: the presence of a beloved mummy is the chief pleasure of an Egyptian party.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences showing the various meanings of the word course.

2. Give a list of words, with their meanings, formed with the prefix be-, as beloved.

3. Give a list of words similar in meaning to repast.

————————————————————

(1) Obelisk, monument; a four-sided tapering pillar, ending at the top in a small pyramid.

(2) Hieroglyphics, the figures or pictures which the ancient Egyptians used instead of letters of the alphabet.

(3) Colonnade, rows of columns at equal distances.

(4) Sandal, a shoe consisting of a sole strapped to the foot, leaving the upper part bare.

(5) Queue, a twist of hair worn at the back of the head; pigtail. (Also spelt cue.)

(6) Stuccoed, covered with a plaster made of lime, sand, and finely-crushed marble.

35

ELEGY(1) WRITTEN IN A COUNTRYCHURCHYARD

[See Frontispiece.

1. The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,

The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea,

The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,

And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

2. Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,

And all the air a solemn stillness holds,

Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,

And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds;

3. Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tower

The moping owl does to the moon complain

Of such as, wandering near her secret bower,

Molest her ancient solitary reign.

4. Beneath those rugged elms, that yew tree's shade,

Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap,

Each in his narrow cell for ever laid,

The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.

5. The breezy call of incense-breathing Morn,

The swallow twittering from the straw-built shed,

The cock's shrill clarion(2), or the echoing horn,

No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed.

6. For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn,

Or busy housewife ply her evening care;

No children run to lisp their sire's return,

Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share.

7. Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield,

Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe(3) has broke;

How jocund did they drive their team afield!

How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!

8. Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,

Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;

Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile

The short and simple annals of the poor.

9. The boast of Heraldry(4), the pomp of Power,

And all that Beauty, all that Wealth e'er gave,

Await alike the inevitable(5) hour—

The paths of glory lead but to the grave.

10. Nor you, ye proud, impute to these the fault,

If Memory o'er their tombs no trophies raise,

Where through the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault

The pealing anthem swells the note of praise.

11. Can storied(6) urn(7) or animated(8) bust

Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?

Can Honour's voice provoke the silent dust,

Or Flattery soothe the dull cold ear of Death?

12. Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid

Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire;

Hands that the rod of empire might have swayed,

Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre.

13. But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page,

Rich with the spoils of time, did ne'er unroll;

Chill Penury(9) repressed their noble rage,

And froze the genial current of the soul.

14. Full many a gem, of purest ray serene,

The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear;

Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,

And waste its sweetness on the desert air.

15. Some village Hampden(10), that with dauntless breast

The little tyrant of his fields withstood;

Some mute inglorious Milton, here may rest;

Some Cromwell, guiltless of his country's blood.

16. The applause of listening senates to command,

The threats of pain and ruin to despise,

To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land,

And read their history in a nation's eyes,

17. Their lot forbade: nor circumscribed(11) alone

Their growing virtues, but their crimes confined, —

Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne,

And shut the gates of Mercy on mankind;

18. The struggling pangs of conscious Truth to hide,

To quench the blushes of ingenuous(12) Shame,

Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride

With incense kindled at the Muse's flame.

19. Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,

Their sober wishes never learned to stray;

Along the cool sequestered(13) vale of life

They kept the noiseless tenor(14) of their way.

20. Yet even their bones from insult to protect,

Some frail memorial still erected nigh,

With uncouth(15) rhymes and shapeless sculpture decked,

Implores the passing tribute of a sigh.

21. Their name, their years, spelt by the unlettered(16) Muse,

The place of fame and elegy supply;

And many a holy text around she strews,

That teach the rustic moralist to die.

22. For who to dumb Forgetfulness a prey,

This pleasing, anxious being, e'er resigned

Left the warm precincts(17) of the cheerful day,

Nor cast one longing, lingering look behind?

23. On some fond breast the parting soul relies,

Some pious drops the closing eye requires;

Even from the tomb the voice of Nature cries—

Even in our ashes live their wonted fires.

24. For thee, who, mindful of the unhonoured dead,

Dost in these lines their artless tale relate, —

If chance, by lonely Contemplation led,

Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate,

25. Haply some hoary-headed swain may say,

"Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn

Brushing with hasty steps the dews away,

To meet the sun upon the upland lawn.

26. "There, at the foot of yonder nodding beech,

That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,

His listless length at noontide would he stretch,

And pore upon the brook that babbles by.

27. "Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn,

Muttering his wayward fancies he would rove;

Now drooping, woful, wan, like one forlorn,

Or crazed with care, or crossed in hopeless love.

28. "One morn I missed him on the accustomed hill,

Along the heath, and near his favourite tree;

Another came, nor yet beside the rill,

Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he;

29. "The next, with dirges(18) due, in sad array,

Slow through the church-way path we saw him borne:

Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay

Graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn."

THE EPITAPH(19)

30. Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth,

A youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown;

Fair Science frowned not on his humble birth,

And Melancholy marked him for her own.

31. Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere;

Heaven did a recompense as largely send:

He gave to Misery all he had—a tear;

He gained from Heaven ('twas all he wished) a friend.

32. No further seek his merits to disclose,

Or draw his frailties from their dread abode,

(There they alike in trembling hope repose), —

The bosom of his Father and his God.

— THOMAS GRAY

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of examples of Personification in this lesson—that is, of things or qualities spoken of as persons or agents.

2. Give a list of words formed with the prefix a-, as afield, and their meanings.

3. Write in prose the substance of verses 4 to 7.

————————————————————

(1) Elegy, a funeral song.

(2) Clarion, note; a trumpet with a loud, clear sound.

(3) Glebe, soil; land for cultivating.

(4) Heraldry, a knowledge of the coats of arms and history of noble families.

(5) Inevitable, certain; that cannot be avoided.

(6) Storied, bearing a story or inscription.

(7) Urn, a vessel for holding the ashes of the dead.

(8) Animated, lifelike.

(9) Penury, poverty; want.

(10) Hampden, John (1594-1643), a famous patriot, who was tried in 1636 for resisting the pay-ment of ship-money.

(11) Circumscribed, confined.

(12) Ingenuous, frank; honourable.

(13) Sequestered, retired.

(14) Tenor, course.

(15) Uncouth, rough.

(16) Unlettered, uneducated.

(17) Precincts, regions; boundaries.

(18) Dirges, funeral chants.

(19) Epitaph, inscription on a tomb.

36

A TEA-CARAVAN

1. Tea is an article of which an enormous quantity is used in this country. Russia probably stands next to Britain in the quantity of tea used by its people; but the Russians like their tea much weaker than we do, and they do not let it stand so long to infuse.

2. All our tea formerly came from China, and many tales are told of the races between the tea-clippers, each trying to be the first to bring its cargo of the new season's tea to the English markets. Now only one-fourth of our tea comes from China. In Russia, the whole of the seventy or eighty million pounds that are used every year is brought from China; and it is said that the best Chinese tea is never exported except to Russia. The following account of a tea-caravan on its way to Russia is given by a recent traveller in Siberia: —

3. At last my preparations were complete, and I started on the next stage of my journey. The road, for some miles after leaving the town, lay along the ice in the very centre of the river Yenisei. As it was a very bright moonlight night, the effect was novel and beautiful; and the track being smooth and level, the horses went along at their top speed. I was gradually lulled into a deep sleep, and woke to find the first stage of twenty-nine versts(1) accomplished, and the sledge in the post-yard of Botoiskaya.

4. The little village was slumbering; not a light was to be seen in any of the windows. In the post-house was the only sign of life. Looking up the street, which in the moonlight had a quaint appearance with its tumble-down cottages, I saw a most curious sight. The centre of the road had exactly the appearance of being laid with railway sleepers. As far as one could see, the long ridges in the snow followed each other so regularly that I could not help asking what was the reason of so cutting up the road.

5. To my astonishment I was told that these ridges were caused by the thousands of horses in the caravans which had passed along the road during the winter. The horses know that they can get a better foothold by walking in each other's footsteps, and fall into the habit of doing so almost mechanically(2). Shortly afterwards, I had the first of many opportunities of noting this for myself; for presently a large tea-caravan came along, and I observed that it hardly ever happened that a horse stepped out of the grooves—so much so that the drivers, strolling alongside, seemed to have very little to do, as the animals knew all that was expected of them.

6. This, my first sight of a caravan on the great post-road, was but the forerunner of what we met and passed, both day and night, almost without intermission, all the way to Irkutsk. While many were laden with European goods bound eastwards, most of them were coming from China with tea. So great, in fact, was this traffic that I could not help wondering where all this immense quantity of tea could go to, more especially when one considers that what comes to Europe by the great post-road is only a small portion of the annual amount imported from China.

7. The tea of China, packed in bales of hide, is brought across the Gobi desert by ox-wagons or by camels as far as the frontier(3), where it is transferred to sledges or to Siberian carts, according to the season, and the long journey to Tomsk is commenced, a journey taking over two months. The same horses go the whole way, but they are allowed to take their own pace, and seldom make more than three miles an hour. At Tomsk the tea is stored till spring, when it is taken by river-steamer into Russia. Tea brought overland is said to retain more of its original flavour than that which, packed in lead, has made a sea voyage; but the difference is so slight that probably only an expert can detect it.

8. There are comparatively few men in charge of these immensely valuable consignments(4)—which often consist of as many as two hundred and fifty sledges—only one man to about seven horses, as a rule. At night the men take it in turn to keep watch. On the great post-road a peculiar form of highway robbery exists. Bales of tea are frequently cut loose and stolen in the dark hours by thieves, who lurk around to take advantage of a driver dozing in his sledge. The poor fellow then has to pay dearly for his "forty winks," as he has to make the loss good out of his wages—a very serious matter, considering the value of a bale of tea.

— J. L. GILMOUR

By permission of the Religious Tract Society.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give the meanings of the words consider, consideration, considerate, and considerable.

2. Explain the similarity in meaning between valuable, invaluable, and priceless; and contrast with valueless and worthless.

3. Give a list of words with the prefix trans-, as transferred, and their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Verst, a Russian measure of length, almost two-thirds of an English mile.

(2) Mechanically, in a machine-like way.

(3) Frontier, border; the part of a country that fronts or faces another.

(4) Consignment, goods entrusted to one for sale.

37

ACROSS LAKE BAIKAL

1. It was a lovely morning when we once more sighted the river Angara. But, to my astonishment, this was no silent expanse of ice, as I had seen it on the previous night. Before me was a broad, swiftly-running river, its clear waters sparkling like crystal in the bright rays of the rising sun, while on the surface no trace of ice could I discern.

2. We followed the banks of the river all the way to Lake Baikal. I was prepared now for any surprise, after the transformation that had so startled me in the morning; so, when a bend in the road brought us in full view of this vast inland sea, I was not astonished to see that it was still held in the icy grasp of the Siberian winter. The ice commenced at the very mouth of the Angara. From one side of the stream to the other, the line of the ice was as straight as if it had been ruled.

3. Our road now lay along the shore—a sort of rocky beach, reminding me very much of bits of Devonshire. The road in one place left the shore for a short distance, and went right across a little harbour crowded with shipping, where we had to dodge in and out among the vessels, and duck our heads to avoid the ropes and spars. My driver evidently knew the place well, for we went right through the fleet at full gallop, and a few minutes later reached the point at which the journey across the lake is commenced.

4. Try to imagine what it would be like, starting from Dover on a warm, spring-like morning to drive over to Calais or to Boulogne, and you will have some idea of this part of my journey. The opposite shore was quite invisible; and the ice, owing to its smoothness and the unusual absence of snow on its surface, presented almost the appearance of a very calm sea under the bright blue morning sky.

5. Lake Baikal is remarkable for the rapidity with which its water freezes when winter sets in. The appearance of the ice depends entirely on the weather at the time when the water congealed(1). If the surface was then much agitated, the ice everywhere will present a broken appearance like waves, plainly showing how sudden and irresistible is the icy grasp of the Siberian winter. I am informed that along the coast the curious phenomenon of frozen waves has often been noticed, the curl of the water, and even the foam, being distinguishable in the solid mass. I was fortunate in finding the ice perfectly smooth: it had evidently been a dead calm at the time the frost set in.

SLEDGE-TRAVELLING

6. The road over the lake is indicated by a double row of pine saplings stuck at intervals in the ice; a curious effect being thus produced, not unlike an endless miniature(2) boulevard(3), stretching away till it is lost in the distance. I could not help noticing the way the horses are shod for the work. Huge spikes are fastened to their shoes, which, as they gallop along, splinter the ice in all directions, but give them a firm foothold on its treacherous surface.

7. When we were well out in the open, and tearing along at the horses' top speed, the motion was simply delightful. For about a mile from the shore the ice had a thin layer of snow over it; but we gradually left this dazzling white carpet, and at length reached the clear ice, when I saw around me the most wonderful and bewitching sight I ever beheld. Owing to the marvellous transparency of the water, the ice presented everywhere the appearance of polished crystal, and although undoubtedly of great thickness, was so colourless that driving upon it appeared like passing over space. It gave me at first quite an uncanny feeling to look over the side of the sledge down into the dark abyss(4) beneath. This feeling, however, gradually changed to one of fascination(5), till at last I found it positively difficult to withdraw my gaze from the awful depths.

8. About half-way across, I stopped to make a sketch, and to take some photographs. It was no easy matter; for I found, on getting out of the sledge, that the ice was so slippery that, in spite of my felt snow-boots, I could hardly stand. The deathlike silence of the surroundings reminded me not a little of my experiences in the ice of the Kara Sea. This wonderful silence was occasionally broken by curious sounds, as if big guns were being fired at some little distance. These sounds were caused by the cracking of the ice. I was told that in some parts of the lake there were huge fissures, through which the water could be seen. For this reason it is advisable to perform the journey by daylight.

9. We reached the opposite coast in four hours and a half, the horses having done the whole distance of over thirty miles with only two stoppages of a few minutes each. It was evidently an easy bit of work for them, as they seemed as fresh when we drew up in the post-yard as when they started in the morning.

— J. L. GILMOUR

By permission of the Religious Tract Society.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words derived from image, and their meanings.

2. Give a list of words similar in meaning to beach, and show the difference between them.

3. Give a list of words with the root graph, as photograph, with their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Congealed, froze; turned into ice.

(2) Miniature, small.

(3) Boulevard, broad promenade or street which occupies the site of demolished fortifications (as the French name implies).

(4) Abyss, chasm; bottomless pit.

(5) Fascination, spell; act of working on by a charm.

38

THE WORLD BEFORE COLUMBUS

1. The discovery of America was not a lucky accident, which might equally well have happened at any time before or after the time when it actually did happen. The way had been paved for it by centuries of experiment and speculation, and the actual circumstances which led up to it form an interesting study in the history of mankind.

2. From the remotest ages, an overland trade had been carried on between Asia and Europe by means of caravans, river navigation, and coasting voyages round the Mediterranean. The great stream of caravan traffic which still crosses Asia to Russia is a branch of this old-world trade, continued under scarcely altered conditions. But, towards the close of what we call the Middle Ages, a barrier(1) was suddenly thrown across the channel of this traffic at Constantinople, when that city was captured by the Turks in 1453.

3. Soon the Turkish Empire spread over Asia Minor, Arabia, and Persia, and westward over all the northern shores of Africa and the south of Spain; an empire which threatened Christendom(2) itself, for the religion of Mohammed(3), more powerful than the Turk, became his great ally. The new creed was accepted from Gibraltar to the Hoogly, and the world bade fair to be turned upside down.

4. Great cities, fostered by the trade with the East, had sprung up around the shores of the Mediterranean. Tyre and Sidon of old had lived on it; Athens and Rome had been strengthened by it; Venice, Florence, Genoa, Marseilles, Cadiz, and Lisbon arose on the ruins of the Roman Empire as the great markets of the world. Now this trade was barred by the Turk; and civilized Europe, divided against itself as it then was, was powerless to restore its course. The religious enthusiasm which showed itself in so many crusades, spent itself in vain against the new empire of the East.

5. The traffic which had enriched the Latin races(4) was at an end. The Germanic races(5), hitherto regarded as barbarians(6), were now to take the lead in Europe and in the world. Up to this time England had counted for little among the nations. She had no share in the carrying trade of the Mediterranean. She was behind the southern nations in civilization. But now, since trade could no longer be carried on by land, and since men must look to the sea as their highway, the opportunity of England and of the northern races was at hand.

6. For ages men had speculated as to the shape of the earth; but now that a water route to the East was necessary, this problem became of some practical interest. Many bold thinkers affirmed, from what they already knew of the earth, that it must be a sphere, which could be everywhere navigated; and if so, it was plain that the far East could be reached by sailing westwards. It was in entire confidence in this theory that Columbus sailed westward to reach the east coast of Asia; and to his dying day he believed that Asia was what he had actually reached.

7. Not only was the road unknown to Columbus, but the means of travelling were ridiculously inadequate(7), according to our modern ideas. Ignorant of the vast ocean, he thought only of the shores beyond, and he preferred small vessels, in order to reach the land more easily. His largest ship, the Santa Maria, was only about the size of a modern coasting schooner, and carried no more than fifty men; while the two others, the Pinta and the Nina, are described as "small open boats," —that is, only partly decked.

"SANTA MARIA."

8. The form of sail then in use, as it still is in the Mediterranean and on the Nile, was the lateen sail, a large triangular sail with a very long yard. The square sail was less common, though also used when running before the wind. Columbus tells us in his diary that on reaching the Canary Islands, they made the Pinta square-rigged instead of lateen; and this would be of some advantage in sailing before the trade-winds, which wafted them across the Atlantic.

"NINA."

9. Before this time, ships of war had been moved chiefly by oars; and a raised platform, or "castle," at either end was provided for the soldiers. Hence we still call the forward part of our ships the "fore-castle." This cumbrous(8) arrangement is seen in the ships of Columbus, and it gives them an appearance very different from those of our own time.

"NINA."

10. In spite of all hindrances, Columbus made his great venture; and if he did not reach Asia, he at least showed how Asia might be reached. The ocean was to be henceforth the great highway of commerce; the Atlantic was to become the Mediterranean or "Midland Sea" of a larger world, and the maritime nations of Western Europe were to take the place so long held by those of the south as the carriers of the world's trade. With this great revolution the Middle Ages close, and modern history begins.

MODERNNILEBOAT

THE SEA-WEED

11. The flying sea-bird mocked the floating dulse:

"Poor, wandering water-weed, where dost thou go,

Astray, upon the ocean's restless pulse?"

It said, "I do not know.

12. "At a cliff 's foot I clung, and was content,

Swayed to and fro by warm and shallow waves:

Along the coast the storm-wind raging went,

And tore me from my caves.

13. "I am the bitter herbage of that plain

Where no flocks pasture, and no man shall have

Homestead, nor any tenure there may gain

But for a grave.

14. "A worthless weed, a drifting, broken weed,

What can I do in all this boundless sea?

No creature of the universe has need,

Or any thought, of me."

15. Hither and thither, as the winds might blow,

The sea-weed floated. Then a refluent tide

Swept it along to meet a galleon's prow—

"Land, ho!" Columbus cried.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences containing the words kin, akin, kindred, and kind, in various meanings.

2. Give the meaning of the words creed, credible, credulous, credit, and creditor, showing the connection between them.

3. Give a list of words with the prefix en-, used in various meanings, as enrich.

————————————————————

(1) Barrier, obstacle; bar; something stopping the way.

(2) Christendom, that part of the world which has become Christian.

(3) Mohammed (570-632 A.D.), the founder of the Mohammedan religion.

(4) Latin races, races of southern Europe, akin to the inhabitants of Italy.

(5) Germanic races, races of northern Europe, akin to the inhabitants of Germany.

(6) Barbarians, savages; uncivilized peoples.

(7) Inadequate, insufficient; not equal to what is wanted.

(8) Cumbrous, clumsy; unwieldy.

39

MONTEZUMA

I

1. High on the table-land of Mexico there once stood a beautiful city, which was built partly on the shores of a lake and partly on islands in the lake. The houses were built of stone, and were of great size. In the squares of the city stood beautiful temples, ornamented with silver and gold and jewels, the principal of which were the temple of the sun and the temple of the god of war. All round the lake the country was well cultivated, and produced crops of cotton, maize, wheat, sugar, and coffee. Great roads led from the capital to the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and of the Pacific Ocean.

MEXICO

2. The people who dwelt there were called Aztecs. They were very different from the other Indian tribes, who dwelt on the Atlantic coasts. They were highly civilized, and had a written language of their own. They were also powerful in war, and were acknowledged as masters by all the nations around. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, these wonderful people were at the height of their power. They were ruled over by a king called Montezuma, whom they loved and reverenced as a god. But in an evil hour the story of their great riches reached the ears of the cruel and greedy Spaniards, with whom the lust for gold was the ruling passion(1).

3. In the fourteenth year of Montezuma's reign, there appeared off the coast of Mexico ships that roused the curiosity of the people. They were Spanish ships, filled with adventurers seeking for gold and precious stones in the unknown countries of the New World. Canoes laden with meats and fruits pushed off from the shore. The Spaniards received the natives kindly, and gave them some trifling presents. They then sailed away, promising to return the next year. The natives hastened to the capital to tell the king about the visitors. They drew pictures of the ships and the men, and of all that they had seen.

CORTES RECEIVING THE MESSENGERS

4. The next year the Spanish fleet appeared again, and this time the great Spanish explorer Cortes was on board. Montezuma was troubled when he heard of their arrival, for there was a prophecy among the Aztecs that a white god should one day come and conquer the kingdom of Mexico. The council of the kingdom decided that it would be best to receive the Spaniards with all respect, and messengers were accordingly sent to offer presents, and congratulations on the safe arrival of the white god, from his servant Montezuma.

5. The presents were so magnificent that the Spaniards determined to see the splendours of the capital. No doubt their minds were set on the conquest of a country containing such stores of wealth. The messengers were sent back with a few holland shirts and some toys of little value, along with a message to the king that the Spaniards could not sail away without accomplishing their real object—that of visiting the great king Montezuma and his famous capital.

6. In a week the ambassadors(2) returned with large presents of gold, but with a firm message from the king that he refused to see the Spaniards, and that he wished them to return to Spain at once. The golden presents, however, had so excited the greed of the Spaniards that they cared not for such messages. "This is a rich and powerful prince indeed," cried Cortes; "but it will go hard with us if we do not one day visit him in his capital."

7. On the 16th of August 1519, Cortes started on his march to Mexico, just to see "what sort of a king the great Montezuma was, of whom they had heard so much" —this tyrannical(3) king before whom every subject trembled, and who declined to be looked on by the Spaniards. From time to time messengers reached him from Montezuma urging him to return to his own country; but to all these Cortes replied courteously(4) but firmly, "It is my duty to the King of Spain," and passed on.

8. With the first faint streak of dawn, on the 8th of November, Montezuma's beautiful city of Mexico was reached by Cortes and his Spanish army. With beating hearts they gathered under their banners, their trumpets sounding, their eyes straining over the gorgeous sight that met their view. The sacred flames on the altars, dimly seen through the grey mists of the morning, showed the site of temples and towers. The palace was soon revealed in the glorious morning sunshine, as it poured over the wondrous valley.

9. Mexico was one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Situated on a great salt lake, but slightly divided from a large fresh-water lake, the city seemed to sit upon the waters with her diadems(5) of gleaming towers, her expanse of flowery meadows, her circle of mountains all reflected in the innumerable mirrors framed by her courts, her palaces, her temples. No wonder the Spaniards looked with envy on the fair city; no wonder they coveted the boundless wealth of this newly-discovered kingdom.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences showing various uses of the words principal and principle.

2. Show by examples the similarity and the difference in meaning of the words rise, raise, and rouse.

3. Give a list of words similar in meaning to boundless, and show the force of their different parts.

————————————————————

(1) Passion, strong desire.

(2) Ambassador, a minister of high rank sent by one government to another to look after its interests; representative.

(3) Tyrannical, despotic; acting like a tyrant or absolute ruler.

(4) Courteously, respectfully; having the manners of a courtier.

(5) Diadems, crowns.

40

MONTEZUMA

II

1. On they went, these seven thousand Spaniards, on to within half a league of the capital, where, at a solid wall of stone, twelve feet high, they were stopped by some hundred Mexican chiefs, who announced that the great Montezuma had come out to meet them. Amid a crowd of Indian nobles, preceded by three officers of state bearing golden wands, the Spaniards saw the royal litter blazing with gold. It was borne on the shoulders of barefooted nobles, who walked slowly, with eyes bent down on the ground. Over it was a canopy of gaudy feather-work, powdered with jewels and fringed with silver.

2. Suddenly it stopped; the great king alighted; the ground was spread with tapestry(1), that the imperial feet should not be soiled; and with the canopy carried over his head, the monarch advanced in all his regal majesty. His subjects lined the way, bending forward with their eyes fixed on the ground as he passed. He was dressed in an ample cloak, sprinkled with pearls and precious stones. On his feet he wore sandals with soles of gold, on his head plumes of the royal colour, green.

MEETING OF CORTES AND MONTEZUMA

3. Cortes descended from his horse, and showed profound respect to Montezuma. He threw round his neck a collar made of false pearls and diamonds; while Montezuma returned this somewhat poor present by presenting the Spanish general with two collars of shells adorned with golden pendants(2). Then with colours flying and music playing, the Spaniards followed the great king into his capital. Cortes himself was to lodge in the royal palace. "This palace belongs to you and your brethren," said the king. "Rest after your fatigues, and in a little while I will visit you again."

4. That evening the Spaniards celebrated their arrival in Mexico by a great discharge of guns. As their thunder shook the buildings of the city and echoed away among the hills, and as the smoke rolled up in volumes, the hearts of the Indians were filled with dismay. They had those in their midst who could spread desolation through their fair city, who could call down thunderbolts to consume them!

5. The following day Cortes paid a visit to Montezuma. Passing through courts where fountains of crystal water played by night and day, under ceilings hung with feather draperies(3) glowing with colour, over mats of palm-leaf, through clouds of incense and intoxicating(4) perfumes, the Spaniards were at last ushered into the royal presence.

6. Cortes soon entered on the subject which was uppermost in his thoughts—the conversion to Christianity of Montezuma and his people. Eloquently he spoke to the heathen king of the wrong he did in worshipping idols and strange gods; eloquently he begged him to accept the new religion he was sent from Spain to teach.

7. All his eloquence was in vain. It soon became clear that neither the conquest nor the conversion of Mexico would be possible while Montezuma was on the throne. To seize the king's person was the only course open. A few weeks later, having gained an audience(5) of the king, Cortes talked playfully for a time, receiving presents from Montezuma, and gaining his favour. Suddenly changing his tone, he accused the king of having been the author of a skirmish between the Indians and the Spaniards, in which a great many of the latter were killed. He begged Montezuma to come quickly into their palace to assure them of his innocence.

8. As the full meaning of Cortes's words dawned on Montezuma, he became pale as death; then his face flushed, as he cried angrily, "When was it ever heard that a great prince like myself voluntarily(6) left his own palace to become a prisoner in the hands of strangers? And if I should consent to such a degradation(7)," he continued firmly, "my subjects never would." Two long hours were spent in argument. "Why do we waste time on this barbarian?" cried one impatient Spaniard. "Let us seize him, and, if he resists, let us plunge our swords into his body." The fierce tone of the Spaniard alarmed Montezuma. He looked round for sympathy and support, but in vain. Then his courage sank, and he feebly consented to go. His litter was called for, and so, borne by his weeping nobles in deep silence, Montezuma left his palace, never to return.

9. Though allowed a certain amount of pomp and luxury, he was virtually(8) a prisoner. The fact was proclaimed to his subjects by the appearance of some sixty men patrolling outside the palace day and night. Soon the king's humiliation was completed by fetters being fastened to his feet. He was speechless under this new insult. He was as one struck down by a heavy blow. He offered no resistance, he spoke no word, but from time to time low moans expressed his anguish. He was a king no longer.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words similar in meaning to monarch, and make sentences illustrating their use.

2. Analyze the words uppermost and Christianity, showing the force of each part.

3. Rewrite section 8, changing the direct quotations into indirect.

————————————————————

(1) Tapestry, cloth of wool and silk covered with woven or sewed figures.

(2) Pendants, hanging ornaments.

(3) Draperies, hangings of cloth.

(4) Intoxicating, making drunk.

(5) Audience, interview; meeting.

(6) Voluntarily, of his own free will.

(7) Degradation, humiliation; lowering of position.

(8) Virtually, practically; really; to all intents and purposes.

41

MONTEZUMA

III

1. So firmly convinced was Montezuma that Cortes was an ambassador from the gods, whose will it was that he should undergo this torment, that he consented to each new demand of the Spaniards without opposition. At last came the demand that the king and his lords should swear allegiance(1) to Spain, and consent to pay tribute. Montezuma obediently assembled his lords and nobles, and addressed them with great emotion. He told them to show their last act of obedience by acknowledging the great king beyond the waters, and by paying him the tribute due to himself.

2. As he concluded, his voice broke and tears fell down his cheeks. At the sight of his distress his lords were deeply moved. His will had always been their law, they said; it should be so still, they asserted amid their sobs. Even among the triumphant Spaniards there was not a dry eye that day. The tribute consisted of three great heaps of gold. "Take it," sobbed Montezuma, "and let it be recorded in your annals that the king sent this present to your master."

3. Not satisfied with this, Cortes went a step further. The temple must be given up for Christian worship. "Why, why will you urge matters to an extremity?" cried Montezuma, who through all his troubles turned to his gods and his oracles(2). "Why will you bring down the vengeance of our gods, and stir up rebellion among my people, who will never consent to this profanation(3) of their temple?" But this too had to be conceded(4).

4. Nevertheless, as time went on, it became evident to Cortes that he had pushed things too far. Signs of discontent began to show themselves among the Mexicans, and the Spaniards grew uneasy. "Go," said Montezuma, "if you have any regard for yourselves; go without delay. You have enraged my gods and trampled on my priests. I have but to raise my finger, and every Indian will rise against you." These words were spoken in May.

5. It was in the middle of June that trouble broke out. Six hundred Indians were massacred by the Spaniards while they were engaged in a sacred rite. Then all the pent-up hostility against the Spaniards broke forth in one great cry for revenge. Cortes and his men were driven from the streets and besieged in the palace where they lodged. The rage of the people knew no bounds. Hundreds were mowed down by the Spanish guns, but still the mob pressed on.

6. At last Montezuma agreed to address the crowd of Indians, in the hope of making peace. Surrounded by a guard of Spaniards and a few of his own nobles, the Indian monarch ascended the central turret of his palace. The clang of instruments, the fierce cries, were hushed, and a deathlike silence reigned over the whole crowd. Many prostrated(5) themselves on the ground, others bent the knee, and all eyes turned towards the king whom they had been taught to reverence with slavish awe, from whose face they had been taught to turn away as too divine to look upon.

7. Once more Montezuma felt himself a king, as with his old authority he spoke to them for the last time. "Why do I see my people here in arms against the palace of my fathers? Is it that you think your king is a prisoner, and that you wish to release him? If so, you have acted rightly. But you are mistaken. I am no prisoner. The strangers are my guests. I remain with them only from choice, and can leave them when I like. Return to your homes then. Lay down your arms. Show your obedience to me who have a right to it. The white men shall go back to their land, and all shall be well again."

8. Then Montezuma was the friend of the hated Spaniards after all! A murmur of contempt(6) ran through the crowd. Did he not care for the insults and injuries their great nation had received? It was intolerable(7). The blood of the Mexicans was up; passion and revenge urged them on. "Coward! traitor!" Such words were flung at the unhappy monarch. They were followed by a cloud of stones and arrows, and Montezuma fell senseless to the ground.

9. He was borne below by his faithful nobles; but he had nothing more to live for. He had tasted the last drop in his cup of bitterness-his own people had turned against him. In vain did Cortes try to soothe the anguish of his spirit, in vain did his attendants try to nurse him back to life; he tore the bandages from his wounds, he refused comfort. He sat in gloomy silence brooding over his fallen fortune, and on June 30, 1520, he died.

10. Cortes then attacked the natives, and was almost defeated by overwhelming(8) numbers. The Spaniards had given up hope, when Cortes cut down the Mexican standard-bearer and seized the sacred banner. As soon as they saw this in the hands of the Spaniards, the natives threw down their arms and fled to the mountains. Thus the country of Mexico, with its great mines of gold and silver, became the property of the King of Spain. The conquered Aztecs were compelled to work in the mines as slaves. For three hundred years the country was ruled by Spain; at the end of that time it again became free. The Mexicans of today are partly Indians and partly Spanish in descent, but there are some who still remember with pride that they are descendants of the ancient Aztecs.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences showing the use of the words convince, conviction (two meanings), convict′, and con′vict.

2. Give a list of words with the prefix mis-, as mistaken, and their meanings.

3. Make sentences showing the various meanings of the word sense.

————————————————————

(1) Allegiance, obedience.

(2) Oracles, sayings of prophets; the places where a god is believed to speak.

(3) Profanation, abuse; violation.

(4) Conceded, granted; yielded.

(5) Prostrated, lay flat on the ground.

(6) Contempt, scorn; disregard.

(7) Intolerable, unbearable; that cannot be endured.

(8) Overwhelming, overpowering.

42

THE PLATE OF GOLD

1. One day there fell in great Benares' temple-court

A wondrous plate of gold, whereon these words were writ:

"To him who loveth best, a gift from Heaven."

2. Thereat

The priests made proclamation: "At the mid-day hour,

Each day, let those assemble who for virtue deem

Their right to heaven's gift the best; and we will hear

The deeds of mercy done, and so adjudge(1)."

3. The news

Ran swift as light, and soon from every quarter'came

Nobles and peasants, hermits(2), scholars, holy men,

And all renowned for gracious or for splendid deeds.

Meanwhile the priests in solemn council sat, and heard

What each had done to merit best the gift of Heaven.

So for a year the claimants came and went.

4. At last,

After a patient weighing of the worth of all,

The priests bestowed the plate of gold on one who seemed

The largest lover of the race—whose whole estate

Within the year had parted been among the poor.

This man, all trembling with his joy, advanced to take

The golden plate—when, lo, at his first finger-touch

It changed to basest lead! All stood aghast; but when

The hapless claimant dropped it clanging on the floor,

Heaven's guerdon(3) was again transformed to shining gold.

5. So for another twelvemonth sat the priests and judged;

Thrice they awarded—thrice did Heaven refuse the gift.

Meanwhile a host of poor maimed beggars in the street

Lay all about the temple gate, in hope to move

BENARES

That love whereby each claimant hoped to win the gift.

And well for them it was (if gold be charity),

For every pilgrim to the temple gate praised God

That love might thus approve itself before the test.

And so the coins rained freely in the outstretched hands;

But none of those who gave so much as turned to look

Into the poor sad eyes of them that begged.

6. And now

The second year had almost passed, but still the plate

Of gold, by whomsoever touched, was turned to lead.

At length there came a simple peasant—not aware

Of that strange contest for the gift of God—to pay

A vow within the temple. As he passed along

The line of shrivelled(4) beggars, all his soul was moved

Within him to sweet pity, and the tears welled up

And trembled in his eyes:

7. Now by the temple gate

There lay a poor sore creature, blind, and shumed by all;

But when the peasant came, and saw the sightless face

And trembling, festered hands, he could not pass, but knelt,

And took both palms in his, and softly said: "O thou

My brother, bear thy trouble bravely; God is good."

Then he arose and walked straightway across the court,

And entered where they wrangled(5) of their deeds of love

Before the priests.

8. Awhile he listened sadly, then

Had turned away; but something moved the priest who held

The plate of gold to beckon to the peasant. So

He came, not understanding, and obeyed, and stretched

His hand, and took the sacred vessel. Lo! it shone

With thrice its former lustre(6), and amazed them all.

"Son", cried the priest, "rejoice! The gift of God is thine—

Thou lovest best!" And all made answer, "It is well".

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words with the suffix -ever, as whomsoever, and show its force in each.

2. Make sentences showing the use of the words council, counsel, councillor, and counsellor.

3. Write in prose the substance of section 5.

————————————————————

(1) Adjudge, award; decide as a judge.

(2) Hermit, a holy man who lives apart from others.

(3) Guerdon, reward; recompense.

(4) Shrivelled, withered up; shrunk.

(5) Wrangled, disputed; quarrelled.

(6) Lustre, brightness.

43

THE LAND OF THE WHITE ELEPHANT

1. Fifty years ago, we knew very little of the kingdom of Siam, beyond the fact that the people worshipped white elephants. But English civilization made its way through India to Burmah, and opened the closely-sealed ports of Siam and Cochin China. The late King of Siam chose an Englishman for one of his counsellors. The new king has not only opened his kingdom for English education, but is encouraging the schools by royal gifts and favour.

2. Siam has not the tropical heat of India. The climate is delicious. The Bay of Bengal on the one side, and the Gulf of Siam on the other, keep this kingdom refreshed with sea-breezes. Bangkok, the capital, built out into the river Nenam, is called the "Venice of the East". Indeed, it is even more of a water city than the "Queen of the Adriatic"; for while Venice has its foundations on solid ground, Bangkok actually floats on the water. Huge bamboo rafts are constructed, and on these houses, shops, and even gardens are built.

3. We chanced to arrive at Bangkok on a feast-day. It was evening when we came round a bend in the river and caught sight of the floating city. A marvellous panorama(1), an illuminated world, seemed spread out before us. Thousands of fire-globes shed their brilliant light over the broad bosom of the water; and on either side, as far as the eye could reach, there was an endless succession of lights of every imaginable colour and shape, forming an illumination such as only Eastern ingenuity(2) can devise.

4. Every house was decorated with lanterns; the yards and masts of every ship—even the tiniest boat—sparkled with brilliant coloured fire; while the more distant pagodas(3) and palaces were a blaze of glory. It was the great annual festival of Siam, the Feast of Lanterns; and had we arrived one day later we should have missed this fairy-land spectacle.

5. The temples, of which there are one hundred, are built on the river-bank. Here also stand the king's palaces, the houses of the foreign consuls(4), and the residences of the nobility. During last century the capital of Siam stood on the river-bank some distance above the position of the present capital; but the annual overflow of the river caused such a deposit of mud that the place became very unhealthy, and a new town was built farther down the river.

IN A BUDDHIST TEMPLE

6. The floating houses have no communication with each other by land; all travelling is done by boat. Almost every conceivable commodity is borne in these little boats—rice, fish, fruit, and flowers—and every sort of handicraft(5) is carried on in them. Here you may see a Chinaman manufacturing rich soup over a hissing kettle, and delivering it to his customers; another person is baking bread; another, under a gaily-striped awning, is weaving gold thread into embroidery, while a mite of a child manages the little boat. The scenes in the water streets are always new and interesting.

7. The religion of Siam is a form of Buddhism(6). The reverence with which the Siamese regard the white elephant is not difficult to understand, when we remember that the white elephants are supposed to be the abodes of the souls of their dead kings. One of the most splendid temples near the city is set apart for the royal white elephant. It stands in a garden of palms, and at the time of my visit to it, a dozen priests, dressed in yellow robes, were in attendance on the great white animal. He stood lazily waving his trunk, and helping himself to leaves and branches from the heaps placed before him.

8. His room was lofty; the floor was covered with a mat of pure, chased gold, each interwoven plait being about half an inch broad. On this costly carpet the unwieldy animal stood and stamped his great feet, with no more care for its magnificence than if it had been his native turf. Several priests were constantly engaged in cleaning the floor and in piling up fresh herbage for his majesty to feast on. Gold-smiths were taking the worn strips out of the golden carpet, and replacing them with new, shining ones.

9. The man who was so fortunate as to entrap this sacred animal was rewarded with a hereditary(7) pension, and was raised to a very high office in the kingdom—that of water-carrier to the elephant. The jars in which the water is carried, and the trough from which the sacred animal drinks, are of pure gold.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words formed from the stem of constructed, with various prefixes, and their meanings.

2. Make sentences showing the use of the nouns succession and success, and of the verb succeed, in the meaning corresponding to each of these nouns.

3. Explain the meaning of the words annual, annal, annuity, anniversary, and per annum, showing their connection.

————————————————————

(1) Panorama, a view in every direction.

(2) Ingenuity, genius; cleverness or skill shown in the plan or make of a thing.

(3) Pagodas, Indian or Chinese temples.

(4) Consul, ambassador; one who looks after his country's interests in a foreign land.

(5) Handicraft, trade or craft done by the hand.

(6) Buddhism, the religious system founded in India by Buddha.

(7) Hereditary, inherited; passing from a person to his heir.

44

CROSSING THE BAR

I

1. [The felucca(1) Midge was employed, along with H.M. frigate(2) Gazelle, in suppressing(3) the slave-trade on the west coast of Africa. Her commander, having received information that a slaver was lying at some distance up a large river, had taken his ship up the stream to try to capture her. In an attack on a slaving settlement near the mouth of the river, the crew of the Midge were driven back, but succeeded in regaining their ship, which was anchored in mid-stream. The frigate being unable to cross the bar at the mouth of the river, was hovering in the offing(4).]

2. "There is the Gazelle, sir," said Clinker, the master-at-arms; "you see her top-gallant sails over the green bushes there, sir."

The long jib-boom of the frigate appeared past the mangroves(5) at the river's mouth, and gradually the beautiful craft came into full view, rising and falling on the long swell. She moved silently along, the bright green wave curling from her bows, as the cut-water slid gently through the heaving water. As we looked, a string of small round bundles, each apparently about the size of a man's head, slid up to the main royal mast-head. The instant the upper-most reached the truck, a gun was fired, and at the same moment the round balls blew out steadily in so many flags.

3. "What signal now, Mr. Marline?"

"The signal to weigh and stand out, sir."

"Why, we can't—it is impossible; the swell on the bar puts it out of our power."

"Very true," said old Pumpbolt: "I, for one, won't undertake to carry you over until there is less broken water at the river's mouth."

The lieutenant(6) commanding the felucca telegraphed(7) to this effect. The frigate acknowledged it, and answered that she would remain in the offing all night, in expectation of our getting over at high water, when possibly there would be less sea on the bar.

4. While we were talking and laughing on deck, Mr. Marline came aft to us. "There are a good many dark specks passing and repassing above us in the upper reach of the river—yonder, sir, as far as you can see. Will you please to look at them, Mr. Sprawl?"

Sprawl took a long look, and then handed the glass to me. I could perceive a number of small black spots slowly descending the river.

Sprawl had also noticed this. "Why, Brail, those gentry seem mustering in some strength. There cannot be fewer than a hundred canoes paddling about there. What say you?"

5. However, we went to dinner; and we were in the very middle of it, when down came Wadding, the gunner. "Beg pardon, sir," said the old seaman, "but these chaps are coming nearer than seems quite convenient."

"Indeed!" said old Sprawl.— "We must keep a bright look-out here, Brail."

We went on deck, and found that the report was literally true(8); but although the whole surface of the river in the distance seemed swarming, still there was no warlike demonstration made, beyond the occasional descent of a fast-pulling canoe now and then, a mile or so below the main body. But they were always very easily satisfied in their reconnoitring(9), so far as we could judge, for the whole of them kept a wary distance.

6. It was now half-past four, and low water as near as could be. The bar astern of us—by this time, the breeze having taken off, we were riding to the ebb—was one roaring ledge of white breakers; but it was smooth water where we lay, the fall of the tide having completely broken the heave of the heavy swell that rolled in from the offing on the bar. The clouds had risen over the land, some large drops of rain fell, and altogether we had strong prognostications(10) of a wet if not a tempestuous evening.

7. Soon after sunset a thick haze began to mantle over the water, and continued to increase until you could scarcely see the length of the felucca.

We had been some time at quarters, the boats astern having been hauled up alongside, lest in the fog some of the canoes might venture near enough to cut the painters. But everything continued so quiet and still, that we were beginning to consider that our warlike preparations might not have been called for.

"These poor creatures will not venture down on us, after the lesson they had yesterday," I said to Sprawl.

"Don't you trust to that," said one of the negro sailors. "I know something—ah, you shall see!"

8. "Men's" shouted Lanyard, after we had been waiting in silence for some time, "keep a bright look-out; there are native canoes cruising all about us, and close, too, in the thick mist there. Peer about, will you? Clear away both guns. Hush! what is that?"

"Notating," said Sprawl; "I hear nothing but the rushing of the river, and the rubbing of the boats alongside against the gunwale(11)."

"But I do," said Mr. Marline. "There is the splash of paddles as plain as can be—there—"

"Where?" said De Walden.

"There," said Binnacle— "there;" and at the very instant I saw the dark prow of one canoe emerge from the fog, the after-part being hid under the thick but moon-illumined haze.

9. Presently another appeared close to her, but less distinctly, both assuming a wavering and impalpable(12) appearance, like two large fish seen, the one nearer and the other farther off, in muddy water.

"Mr. Marline, fire at that fellow nearest us."

The moment the musket was discharged, the canoe backed into the fog again; but we could plainly hear the splash of a number of paddles rapidly plied, as if in great alarm. But even these sounds soon ceased, and once more all was still.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences to show the various uses of the word bar.

2. Give a list of words formed from the stem of undertake, with various prefixes, and their meanings.

3. Rewrite section 8, turning the direct quotation into indirect.

————————————————————

(1) Felucca, a small vessel carrying lateen sails.

(2) Frigate, a swift-sailing warship next in size to a battleship or ship of the line.

(3) Suppressing, putting down.

(4) Offing, the part of the sea off the shore towards the horizon.

(5) Mangroves, trees which grow on muddy shores and river-banks of warm countries.

(6) Lieutenant, an officer in the navy next in rank below a commander; in the army, next below a captain.

(7) Telegraphed, signalled.

(8) Literally true, true to the letter.

(9) Reconnoitring, inspection; casting the eye over.

(10) Prognostications, prophecies; predictions.

(11) Gunwale, the upper edge of a ship's side.

(12) Impalpable, shadowy; not easily perceived; what cannot be touched.

45

CROSSING THE BAR

II

1. For half an hour after this the silence continued unbroken, so we went below for supper, intending to make a start for the mouth of the river whenever the swell on the bar was quieter. Soon Binnacle trundled down the ladder in red-hot haste. "The canoes are abroad again, sir; we hear them close, and the fog is thicker than ever." So we all hurried on deck.

2. It was clear that our adversaries(1) were clustering round us in force, although we could see nothing through the fog at a distance of ten paces(2).

"I say, master," said Sprawl, "the bar should be almost passable now for a light craft like this?"

"Certainly," said Pumpbolt— "I do not doubt that it is; and if this mist would only clear away, I would undertake to take the Midge across it as sound as a bell."

3. "What is that?" It was a rattle, as if a loose-purchase or fall had suddenly been shaken, so as to make the blocks clatter and then hauled taut(3).

Suddenly the mist thinned. "Look there!" I shouted. "It is a large schooner, one of those slaving villains, stealing past us under cover of the mist. There—there he is on our quarter!"

"Clear away both guns," sang out the lieutenant.

The strange sail continued to glide noiselessly down the river.

4. "What vessel is that?" No answer. "Speak, or I will fire into you." All silent.

ON THE REEF

Both cannons were discharged, and, as if by magic, the veil that had hid everything from our view rose from the river, disclosing suddenly the dark stream above and on each side of us covered with canoes; while the large schooner that we had fired into, instead of trying to escape over the bar, now shortened sail, and bore up across our bows, firing two guns and a volley of small-arms in passing.

5. "We are beset, Lanyard; that chap is the commander-in-chief. His object is not to escape, but to capture us, take my word for it," cried Sprawl. "Forward, master, and look out for the channel.—Lanyard, let Brail take the helm; I will mind the sail."

"Stand by to cut the cable; hoist away the sail there. All ready forward?"

"All ready, sir."

"Cut away, then."

The clear axe glanced in the moonlight, and fell twice in heavy, gashing thumps, and the third time in a sharp, trenchant(4) chip. The next moment the little vessel slowly floated away with the current.

"Hoist away there—hoist—haul aft the sheet."

6. At that moment the breeze freshened. We were about a mile from the bar, on which the swell was breaking in thunder; but we had run clear of the mist, and the placid moon was shining bright overhead. Yells rose from the canoes, and a volley of spears was discharged at us, several of which fell on board, but without doing any injury. The strange sail was right in our path.

"What shall we do?" sang out old Pumpbolt from forward.

Trusting to the great strength of the Midge, Lanyard shouted, "Plump us right aboard of him, if you can't do better; but creep under his stern, if you can."

But the slaver would not give us the opportunity of doing either, for as he saw us booming along, aiming at him right amid-ships, he bore up, and stood right for the bar.

7. At this time we had a distinct view, not only of our formidable antagonist, a large topsail schooner, apparently full of men, but also of the bar which we were about to pass, in such uncomfortable fellow- ship. The canal of deep water at which we aimed was about fifty yards wide.

"Do you see your marks now, Mr. Brail?" cried the master.

"Yes: we are running straight as an arrow for the channel."

On the right hand and on the left the swell was by this time breaking in thunder, flashing up in snowflakes and sending up a misty drizzle into the cold moonlight sky; but the channel right ahead was still comparatively quiet.

8. The schooner made an attempt to luff(5) across our bows.

"Aim at him again," sang out old Davie Double-pipe— "aim at him again, Lanyard; to heave to here is impossible."

But once more, as we approached him, he kept away.

We were now actually on the bar. The noise was astounding, deafening. The sea foamed and raged, and flew up in mist, and boiled in over our decks on either hand, as if we had been borne away in some phantom(6) ship, that floated on white foam instead of water. We ran on, the strange sail on our lee-beam.

9. "Now is your chance!" shouted old Pumpbolt; "jam him down against the long reef there. Up with your helm, Mr. Brail."

"Ease off the sheet," chimed in the first lieutenant.

In an instant our broadsides were rasping.

"Starboard; shove him down, Mr. Brail!" again shrieked the master; "keep her away, and ram him on the reef there—time enough to luff when he strikes."

I was fully alive to all this. The whole scene was now brightly lit up by the glorious moon, and we could perfectly see what we were about. We sheered close aboard of the schooner.

"Jam her on the reef!" again yelled the master.

10. I did so. Crash! the schooner struck. Her masts bent like willow wands, the cordage and blocks rattling, and then the foretop-mast went over the bows. The next sea broke over her in smoke, and hove her, broadside on, upon the reef; another shock, and the mainmast was over the side. The sea was making a fair breach over her; and while the cries of the unfortunates aboard of her rent the air, we all at once slid out of the turmoil of dashing waves, and rose buoyantly(7) on the long smooth swell that was rolling in from the offing.

— MICHAEL SCOTT

Abridged from "The Cruise of the Midge."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Explain the meaning of the words adverse, adversary, and adversity, showing their connection.

2. Make sentences to show the use of the words capture, captor, captive, captivity, and captivate.

3. Give a list of words of similar meaning to antagonist.

————————————————————

(1) Adversaries, enemies; opponents.

(2) Pace, step; a length of about two and a half feet.

(3) Taut, tight; firm.

(4) Trenchant, sharp; cutting.

(5) Luff, turn a ship's head towards the wind.

(6) Phantom, fanciful; spectral.

(7) Buoyantly, floating easily; rising to the waves.

46

MOY CASTLE

AN EPISODE OF THE 'FORTY-FIVE

1. There are seven men in Moy Castle

Are merry men this night;

There are seven men in Moy Castle

Whose hearts are gay and light.

2. Prince Charlie came to Moy Castle,

And asked for shelter there,

And down came Lady M'Intosh,

As proud as she was fair.

3. "I'm a hunted man, Lady M'Intosh—

A price is on my head!

If Lord Loudon knew thou'dst sheltered me,

Both thou and I were sped(1)."

4. "Come in! come in, my prince!" she said

And opened wide the gate;

"To die with Prince Charlie Stuart,

I ask no better fate."

5. She's called her seven trusty men,

The blacksmith at their head:

"Ye shall keep watch in the castle wood,

To save your prince from dread."

6. The lady has led the prince away,

To make him royal cheer?

The seven men of M'Intosh

Have sought the forest drear.

7. And there they looked and listened,

Listened and looked amain(2);

And they heard the falling of the leaves,

And the soft sound of the rain.

8. The blacksmith knelt beside an oak,

And laid his ear to the ground,

And under the noises of the wood

He heard a distant sound.

9. He heard a sound of many feet

Warily(3) treading the heather—

He heard a sound of many men

Marching softly together.

10. "There's no time now to warn the prince,

The castle guards are few;

'Tis wit will win the play to-night,

And what we here can do."

11. He's gi'en(4) the word to his six brethren,

And through the wood they're gone;

The seven men of M'Intosh

Each stood by himself alone.

12. "And he who has the pipes at his back,

His best now let him play;

And he who has no pipes at his back,

His best word let him say."

13. It was five hundred Englishmen

Were treading the purple heather,

Five hundred of Lord Loudon's men

Marching softly together.

14. "There's none to-night in Moy Castle

But servants poor and old;

If we bring the prince to Loudon's lord,

He'll fill our hands with gold."

15. They came lightly on their way,

Had never a thought of ill,

When suddenly from the darksome wood

Broke out a whistle shrill.

16. And straight the wood was filled with cries,

With shouts of angry men,

And the angry skirl(5) o' the bagpipes

Came answering the shouts again.

17. The Englishmen looked and listened,

Listened and looked amain,

And nought could they see through the mirk(6) night,

But the pipes shrieked out again.

18. "Hark to the slogan(7) of Lochiel,

To Keppoch's gathering cry!

Hark to the rising swell that tells

Clanranald's men are nigh!

19. "Now woe to the men that told us

Lochiel was far away!

The whole of the Highland army

Is waiting to bar our way.

20. "It's little we'll see of Charlie Stuart,

And little of Loudon's gold,

And but we're away from this armèd wood,

Our lives have but little hold."

21. It was five hundred Englishmen,

They turned their faces and ran,

And well for him with the swiftest foot,

For he was the lucky man.

22. And woe to him who was lame or slow,

For they trampled him on the heather!

And back to the place from whence they came

They're hirpling(8) all together.

23. Lord Loudon's men, they are gone full far

Over the brow of the hill;

The seven men of M'Intosh,

Their pipes and crying are still.

24. They leaned them to a tree and laughed,

'Twould do ye good to hear,

And they are away to Moy Castle

To tell their lady dear.

25. And who but Lady M'Intosh

Would praise her men so hold?

And who but Prince Charlie Stuart

Would count the good French gold?

26. There are seven men in Moy Castle

Are joyful men this night;

There are seven men in Moy Castle

Whose hearts will aye be light

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Rewrite the sentences in this ballad which are grammatically incomplete.

2. Show the peculiarities in grammatical structure of verses 20 and 23.

3. Write in prose the story of the ballad, avoiding direct quotations.

————————————————————

(1) Sped, ruined; condemned to die.

(2) Amain, as steadily as possible; with might and main.

(3) Warily, cautiously; guarding against danger.

(4) Gi'en, given.

(5) Skirl, scream.

(6) Mirk, murky; dark.

(7) Slogan, the war cry of a Scottish Highland clan.

(8) Hirpling, limping; walking as if lame.

47

A RIVER IN THE OCEAN

1. What is the Gulf Stream? Whence does it come? Where does its current cease to flow? To what cause or causes is it due? These questions have often been asked from the time when Columbus made his great voyage of discovery, four hundred years ago, down to the present day; and even now there are some of them which have not been satisfactorily answered.

COURSE OF THE GULF STREAM

2. It has been well described as "a river in the ocean". It flows along the coast of North America from the south of Florida to Cape Hatteras, and thence crosses the Atlantic toward the shores of Europe. It has its source in the Gulf of Mexico, which is fed from the Caribbean Sea. This in turn receives its waters from the Atlantic Ocean, into which the Gulf Stream itself again pours its own supply. Thus there is, in reality, a grand circular movement of the whole of the North Atlantic, and of this movement the Gulf Stream is a portion.

BENEATH THE SURFACE

3. This river is very warm, because it has been heated by the sun during its course through the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. It has its own finny inhabitants and other animal life: curious crabs that make nests in the floating sea-weed; beautiful little jelly-fish, floating or swimming near its surface in such countless numbers that at times the waters are brown with them; graceful flying-fish, which dart out of the water in shoals(1); and countless myriads of minute animals floating about, so that the water seems to be filled with motes.

4. In point of size, this ocean river far excels the rivers of the land. The Mississippi near its mouth is about two thousand feet wide and one hundred feet deep. The Gulf Stream, at its narrowest point in the Strait of Florida, is more than two thousand feet deep, and over forty miles wide. In point of speed, few navigable rivers equal the Gulf Stream at this part of its course, as it hurries along at a rate of four, five, and sometimes over six miles an hour. The water is of a beautiful deep blue; and on the edge nearest the coast, its line of meeting with the shore water is frequently so sharply defined that at one end of the vessel you may see the clear warm water from the south, while at the other end is the cold dark water from the north.

5. When Columbus crossed the ocean to America for the first time in 1492, he discovered the existence of the current which enters the Caribbean Sea, and helps to form our Gulf Stream. All the old Spanish navigators noticed this current, and wondered what could be its cause. The Gulf Stream itself was not discovered until the famous Ponce de Leon went to search for the "fountain of youth." He had been told of a wonderful well or spring on the island of Bimini; and the Spaniards, who were always on the look-out for remarkable or valuable objects, fitted out an expedition of discovery.

AT THE SOURCE OF THE GULF STREAM

6. They did not know where Bimini was, except that it lay somewhere north-west of Porto Rico; but they set out, hoping to find the means of cheating time, and making the old young again. They sailed along the eastern side of the Bahama Islands, and finally reached the coast of Florida. Then they turned south, and sailed against the current for several hundred miles, all the time wondering whence the water came and whither it went. It was thought by many persons that all the water of the sea was moving; that it reached a hole in the earth and went down, and at some other point, a great distance away, returned again to the surface.

7. Now what is the origin(2) of the Gulf Stream? The trade-winds, always blowing toward the west, blow the surface water in the same direction, and it is to this cause that the movement of the Gulf Stream is due. The water is driven by the wind into the Caribbean Sea, from the western end of which the accumulated(3) water runs into the Gulf of Mexico; and from there it escapes through the Strait of Florida into the Atlantic Ocean.

8. The effect of this current of warm water on the shores of Western Europe may be easily seen by comparing the climate of places which are in the same latitude on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Thus the town of Bergen and the Shetland Islands are no farther south than Cape Farewell in Greenland and the north of Labrador, where the climate is of an arctic character. The Gulf of St. Lawrence, which is closed to navigation during the winter by ice, is as far south as the English Channel and the north of France. A line joining places whose average(4) temperature(5) for January is 32°, or the freezing-point of water, instead of running east and west as it might be expected to do, runs from New York, past the south of Newfoundland to the south of Iceland, and thence to the north of the Lofoden Isles in Norway, which lie inside the Arctic Circle.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Explain the meanings of expedition (in two senses), expeditious, and expedient, and show their connection.

2. Give a list of words formed from the stem of direction, with various prefixes, and their meanings.

3. Make sentences showing the use of the word current as noun and as adjective, and of the noun formed from it in the latter sense.

————————————————————

(1) Shoals, great numbers; crowds together.

(2) Origin, beginning; source.

(3) Accumulated, collected.

(4) Average, taking one day with another.

(5) Temperature, the amount or degree of heat or cold.

48

THE "KURO SIWO".

1. Those who study geography can hardly fail to notice the remarkable difference between the climate of the eastern or Atlantic coast of British North America and that of the western or Pacific coast in the same latitude. Take, for example, the shores of Newfoundland, Labrador, and Greenland, as compared with those of Vancouver Island, Queen Charlotte Islands, and Alaska. On the Atlantic coast are found icebergs, ice-fields, frozen bays, stunted(1) shrubs, and only the most hardy kinds of plants and grasses; while on the Pacific coast are noble forests, luxuriant grasses, and a generally equable(2) climate through-out the year.

2. Sitka in Alaska is but three degrees(3) farther south than Cape Farewell in Greenland, yet near Sitka there are grand old woods, where firs grow to a great size. The cedars of the Queen Charlotte Islands also attain an enormous size, and from their trunks the Indians excavate(4) immense canoes, often sixty feet in length by six or eight in breadth, which are capable of carrying forty or fifty warriors.

3. We are so much accustomed to regard climate as depending merely on distance from the equator that these facts strike us as strange, and require to be explained. Why does the west coast have so much the milder and better climate? One answer, though not a complete one, as we shall see later, may be given in two words, Kuro Siwo. These two words are from the Japanese language, and signify "Black Stream". The Kuro Siwo, so called from the dark tint of its waters, is a branch of the great ocean current which flows north from the equatorial seas, and renders the climate of the Japan islands so equable, and the land so fruitful. A part of this warm stream crosses the Pacific from the coasts of Asia, and, caught in the great bight of the Alaska peninsula and the Aleutian Islands, flows in and out among all those hundreds of islands, from Vancouver to Sitka, and gives to this whole coast its moist, mild winter, just as the Gulf Stream does to the west of Europe.

COURSE OF THE KURO SIWO

DRIFTED BY THE KURO SIWO

4. But the Kuro Siwo has not only brought warmth and moisture to the north-west coast; it is now believed that the current must also have carried the first human inhabitants to America. Many years ago, the attention of the people of Sitka was attracted one morning to a strange-looking craft, which had come ashore during the night on one of the little rocky wooded islands that lie round the harbour. The stranger was found to be the dismasted, waterlogged hull of a Japanese junk. Strange to say, there were ten or twelve Japanese on board, still alire, though nearly dead from exposure and famine.

5. The junk(5) had been dismasted in a tempest, while on a voyage from one Japanese port to another, and had drifted steadily north-eastward in the Kuro Siwo, which sets constantly and strongly from the coasts of China and Japan across the Pacific toward America. There are also traditions that, on two former occasions, Japanese or Chinese junks have drifted to the coast of America further southward. How many times such accidents may have occurred in the past no one knows.

6. Many people believe that the Indian tribes of North America are of the same race as the early inhabitants of Siberia and Japan. Did the Kuro Siwo bring them? The theory that it did, suggested(6) by the Japanese junk borne to Sitka by the Kuro Siw, is at least probable. But the fact of the mild climate being caused by this current is clearly proved.

7. In contrasting the climate of Sitka with that of Newfoundland, there is, however, one other current to be taken into account. This is a cold current which flows through Davis Strait and washes the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland. This polar current is often freighted with ice-floes and icebergs from the Greenland coasts, and huge bergs may be seen carried by it right against the warm surface current.

8. Thus the difference of climate on the east and on the west coast of North America is caused by the action of two opposite forces—the genial warmth of the Kuro Siwo on the one side, and the cold and fogs brought by the polar current on the other. The combined influence of the two currents is so great, that latitude is of little account in determining the temperature of places on either coast.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Explain the various meanings of the word degree, and show their connection.

2. Give a list of words of similar meaning to fruitful.

3. Make sentences showing the use of the words origin, original, originate, and originality.

————————————————————

(1) Stunted, dwarfed; stopped in their growth.

(2) Equable, uniform; without varia-tion.

(3) Degree, the 360th part of the earth's circumference (here equal to 69 miles).

(4) Excavate, hollow out.

(5) Junk, a flat-bottomed Chinese or Japanese ship with three masts.

(6) Suggested, called to the mind; proposed.

49

STORIES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT

I

1. There is no more romantic figure in history than Alexander, the son of Philip, King of Macedonia. He was born in the year 356 B.C., and succeeded his father on the throne when barely twenty years of age. Having first secured his position as king over the Grecian states, he led an army across the Hellespont, to continue the war with Persia. Asia Minor, Palestine, and Egypt were in turn subdued; and then the Persian power was destroyed at the battle of Arbela, which left Alexander master of the empire. An expedition still farther to the east carried the conqueror across the Indus; and he was only prevented from reaching the Ganges by the murmurs of his followers. On his return to Babylon, he died at the early age of thirty-two years. Plutarch, the Greek historian, has preserved for us a large number of interesting anecdotes(1), which throw light on the character of this great conqueror.

2. Ambassadors from Persia happened to arrive in the absence of his father Philip, and Alexander, who was a mere boy, received them in his stead. He impressed them greatly by his politeness and solid sense. He asked them no childish or trifling question, but inquired the distances of places, and the roads through the provinces of Asia; he desired to be informed of the character of their king, in what manner he behaved to his enemies, and in what the strength and power of Persia consisted. The ambassadors were struck with admiration, and looked upon the celebrated shrewdness(2) of Philip as nothing in comparison with the lofty and enterprising(3) genius of his son.

DOMINIONS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT

3. Whenever news was brought that Philip had taken some strong town or won some great battle, the young man, instead of appearing delighted with it, used to say to his companions, "My father will go on conquering till there will be nothing great left for you and me to do." As neither pleasure nor riches, but valour and glory, were his great objects, he thought that, in proportion as the dominions he was to receive from his father grew greater, there would be less room for him to distinguish himself.

4. The horse named Bucephalus was offered for sale, and King Philip, with the prince and many others, went into a field to see some trial made of him. The horse appeared extremely vicious and unmanageable, and would not allow any one to mount him. Philip was displeased at their bringing him so wild and ungovernable a horse, and bade them take him away. But Alexander, who had observed Bucephalus well, said, "What a horse they are losing, for want of skill and spirit to manage him!" Philip at first took no notice of this; but upon the prince's often repeating the same expression, and showing great uneasiness, he said, "Young man, you find fault with your elders, as if you knew more than they, or could manage the horse better." "And I certainly could," answered the prince. "If you should not be able to ride him, what forfeit(4) will you pay for your rashness?" asked the king. "I will pay the price of the horse."

5. Upon this all the company laughed; but the king and the prince agreeing as to the forfeit, Alexander ran to the horse, and laying hold of the bridle, turned him to the sun; for he had observed, it seems, that the shadow which fell before the horse, and moved whenever he moved, greatly disturbed him. While the horse's fierceness and fury lasted, Alexander kept speaking to him softly and stroking him; after which he gently let fall his mantle, and leaped lightly upon the horse's back. Then, without pulling the reins too hard, or using either whip or spur, he set him going. As soon as he perceived that he was quiet, he put him to a full gallop, and pushed him on both with voice and spur.

6. Philip and all his court were in great distress at first, and looked on in profound silence; but when the prince had turned his steed and brought him straight back, they all received him with loud acclamations(5),—except his father, who wept for joy, and kissing him said, "Seek another kingdom, my son, that may be worthy of thy abilities, for Macedonia is too small for thee."

7. A general assembly of the Greeks being held at Corinth, they resolved to send their troops with Alexander against the Persians, and he was unanimously(6) elected captain-general. Many statesmen and philosophers(7) came to congratulate him on the occasion; and he hoped that Diogenes(8), who was then living at Corinth, would be one of the number. Finding, how-ever, that he preferred the enjoyment of his leisure in the suburbs, he went to see him.

8. Diogenes happened to be lying in the sun; and at the approach of so many people, he raised himself up a little and fixed his eyes upon Alexander. The king addressed him in an obliging manner, and asked him if there was any way in which he could serve him. "Only stand a little out of my sunshine," said Diogenes. Alexander, we are told, was struck with such surprise at finding himself so little regarded, and saw something so great in that carelessness, that while his courtiers were ridiculing the philosopher, he said, "If I were not Alexander, I should wish to be Diogenes."

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of compound words formed from stead, and their meanings.

2. Explain the meanings of the words consist, consistency, and consistent, and show their connection.

3. Analyze the word unmanageable, showing the force of each part.

————————————————————

(1) Anecdotes, stories; incidents

(2) Shrewdness, cleverness; farseeing power.

(3) Enterprising, adventurous; fond of difficult undertakings.

(4) Forfeit, penalty; payment for doing wrong.

(5) Acclamations, shouts of joy or welcome; applause.

(6) Unanimously, being all of one mind.

(7) Philosophers, wise men; lovers of wisdom.

(8) Diogenes (412-322 B.C.), Greek philosopher.

50

STORIES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT

II

1. Upon taking Gordium, in Asia Minor, he found a famous chariot, fastened with cords made of the bark of the cornel tree, and was informed of a tradition, firmly believed among the barbarians, that the fates had decreed(1) the empire of the world to the man who should untie the knot. Alexander, finding he could not untie it, cut it asunder with his sword.

2. While on his march through Asia Minor, Alexander was struck down by a serious illness. The physicians were afraid to try any remedy, in case of its failure leading to their own destruction at the hands of the king's friends. One Philip, a faithful Greek physician, determined to risk his own life in trying to save that of the king, and prepared for him such medicines as were in use at the time. In the meantime, Alexander received a letter from a friend telling him to beware of Philip, whom Darius, the Persian king, had bribed to poison him. Alexander read the letter and put it under his pillow, without showing it to any one.

3. Soon Philip, with the king's friends, entered the chamber, having in his hand the cup which contained the medicine. The king received it without he least mark of suspicion, and at the same time put the letter in his hands. It was a striking situation They looked upon each other, but with a very different air. The king, with an open and unembarrassed(2) countenance, expressed his regard for Philip, and the confidence he had in his honour; Philip's looks showed his indignation at the calumny(3). He threw himself down by the bedside, entreating his master to be of good courage and trust to his care. The medicine, indeed, was so strong that at first the king was speechless, and showed scarcely any sign of life; but afterwards he soon recovered.

4. Many instances are given of his generosity. One day as a Macedonian of mean circumstances was driving a mule laden with the king's money, the mule grew tired; the man then took the burden upon his own shoulders and carried it till he tottered under the weight and was ready to fall. Alexander happening to see him, said, "Hold on, friend, the rest of the way, and carry it to your own tent, for it is yours." Indeed, he was generally more offended at those who refused his presents, than at those who asked favours of him. He had given nothing to Serapion, one of the youths who played with him at ball, because, as Alexander said, he asked nothing. One day when they were at play, Serapion took care always to throw the ball to others of the party; upon which Alexander said, "Why do you not give it me? Because you did not ask for it," said the youth. The repartee(4) pleased the king much; he laughed, and immediately made him very valuable presents.

ATTOCK, WHERE ALEXANDER CROSSED THE INDUS

5. When Alexander was upon the point of setting out for India, he saw that his troops were so laden with spoils that they were unfit to march; therefore early in the morning when he was to take his departure, after the carriages were assembled, he first set fire to his own baggage and that of his friends, and then gave orders that the rest should be served in the same manner. Few were displeased at the order, and numbers received it with acclamations of joy.

His tastes were simple, and his habits free from luxury. When some of the best cooks and bakers were sent to wait on him, he said that he had no need of them, for his tutor had supplied him with much better—a march before daybreak to give a relish to his dinner, and a light dinner to prepare for his supper.

6. It is said that the dominions of Taxiles, in India, were as large as Egypt. They were very fertile, and afforded excellent pasturage. As he was a man of great prudence(5), he waited on Alexander, and after the first compliments, thus addressed him: "What occasion is there for war between you and me, if you are not come to take from us our water and other necessaries of life—the only things that reasonable men will take up arms for? As to gold and silver and other possessions, if I am richer than you, I am willing to oblige you with part; if I am poorer, I have no objection to sharing in your bounty." Charmed with his frankness, Alexander took his hand, and answered, "Think you, then, with all this civility, to escape without a conflict? You are much deceived if you do. I will dispute it with you to the last; but it shall be in favours and benefits, for I will not have you exceed me in generosity."

7. When Porus was taken prisoner, Alexander asked him how he desired to be treated. He answered, "Like a king." "And have you nothing else to request?" replied Alexander. "No," said he; "everything is comprehended(6) in the word 'king.'" Alexander not only restored him his own dominions immediately, which he was to govern as the king's, lieutenant, but added very extensive territories to them; for having subdued a free country, which contained fifteen nations, five thousand considerable cities, and villages in proportion, he bestowed it on Porus.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Explain the various uses of the word mean, by itself, and in combinations, as meantime.

2. Give a list of words formed from the stem of acclamation, with various prefixes, and their meanings.

3. Make sentences showing the use of the words dominion, dominions, domain, dominate, and domineer.

————————————————————

(1) Decreed, ordained; decided.

(2) Unembarrassed, not perplexed.

(3) Calumny, evil speaking; a false statement made to do harm to some one.

(4) Repartee, retort; a smart, witty answer.

(5) Prudence, forethought; habit of thinking well before acting.

(6) Comprehended, included.

51

DAVID'S LAMENT FOR ABSALOM

1. The pall(1) was settled. He who slept beneath

Was straightened for the grave; and, as the folds

Sunk to the still proportions, they betrayed

The matchless symmetry(2) of Absalom.

His hair was yet unshorn, and silken curls

Were floating round the tassels as they swayed

To the admitted air……

2. His helm was at his feet; his banner, soiled

With trailing through Jerusalem, was laid

Reversed, beside him; and the jewelled hilt,

Whose diamonds lit the passage of his blade,

Rested, like mockery, on his covered brow.

The soldiers of the king trod to and fro,

Clad in the garb of battle; and their chief,

The mighty Joab, stood beside the bier(3),

And gazed upon the dark pall steadfastly(4),

As if he feared the slumberer might stir.

3. A slow step startled him. He grasped his blade,

As if a trumpet rang; but the bent form

Of David entered, and he gave command,

In a low tone, to his few followers,

And left him with his dead. The king stood still

Till the last echo died; then throwing off

The sackcloth(5) from his brow, and laying back

The pall from the still features of his child,

He bowed his head upon him, and broke forth,

In the resistless eloquence of woe: —

4. "Alas, my noble boy! that thou shouldst die!

Thou, who wert made so beautifully fair!

That Death should settle in thy glorious eye,

And leave his stillness in this clustering hair!

How could he mark thee for the silent tomb,

My proud boy Absalom?

5. "Cold is thy brow, my son! and I am chill.

As to my bosom I have tried to press thee,

How was I wont to feel my pulses thrill,

Like a rich harp-string, yearning(6) to caress thee,

And hear thy sweet 'My father!' from these dumb

And cold lips, Absalom!

6. "The grave hath won thee! I shall hear the gush

Of music, and the voices of the young;

And life will pass me in the mantling blush,

And the dark tresses to the soft winds flung; —

But thou no more, with thy sweet voice, shalt come,

To meet me, Absalom!

7. "And, oh! when I am stricken, and my heart,

Like a bruised reed, is waiting to be broken,

How will its love for thee, as I depart,

Yearn for thine ear to drink its last deep token!

It were so sweet, amid death's gathering gloom,

To see thee, Absalom!

8. "And now, farewell! 'Tis hard to give thee up,

With death so like a gentle slumber on thee! —

And thy dark sin! —oh, I could drink the cup,

If from this woe its bitterness had won thee.

May God have called thee, like a wanderer, home,

My erring Absalom!"

9. He covered up his face, and bowed himself

A moment on his child; then, giving him

A look of melting tenderness, he clasped

His hands convulsively(7), as if in prayer.

And, as a strength were given him of God,

He rose up calmly, and composed the pall

Firmly and decently—and left him there,

As if his rest had been a breathing sleep.

— N. P. WILLIS

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Show the connection in meaning between the words thrill, trill, and drill.

2. Make sentences showing the use of the words betray (two meanings), traitor, and treason, and the compound words formed from them.

3. Write in prose the substance of the first three sections.

————————————————————

(1) Pall, the cloth placed over a coffin at a funeral.

(2) Symmetry, proportion.

(3) Bier, coffin; a bed or frame on which a dead body is carried.

(4) Steadfastly, in a fixed manner.

(5) Sackcloth, coarse cloth, formerly worn as a sign of mourning or of repentance.

(6) Yearning, onging.

(7) Convulsively, with a sudden start; in an agitated manner.

52

THE OVERLAND ROUTE(1)

1. The idea of reaching India by the Mediterranean, the Isthmus of Suez, and the Red Sea, and thus saving the time spent in doubling(2) the Cape, first occurred to a man named Thomas Waghorn. In 1827 he was appointed by the directors of the East India Company to report on the navigation of the Red Sea, and to convey certain dispatches(3) by this route to Bombay.

2. He got notice of this mission on the 24th of October, and was desired to be at Suez by the 8th of December, in order to catch the steamer Enterprise, and proceed in her to India. He took only four days to make ready for the journey, and on the 28th of October left London for Dover on the "Eagle" stagecoach. He then crossed the English Channel in a packet-boat, and proceeded to make his way, as rapidly as possible, over land to a Mediterranean port, from which he could get a vessel to carry him to Egypt.

3. Circumstances were against him. Bridges broke down; falling avalanches(4) had to be avoided; an accident disabled the steamer in which he was to sail. In spite of all, he dashed through five kingdoms, and reached Trieste in nine days, or little more than half the time then taken by the mails for the same journey.

4. An Austrian brig had left for Alexandria the night before; but the breeze had fallen, and she was still to be seen from the hill-tops. A carriage was obtained, and off went Waghorn along the coast in chase of the vessel, hoping to make up to her at a village twenty miles down the Gulf of Venice. Every hour he gained on her; he began to make out her hull, her sails, and her rigging. He urged on the post-boys with redoubled vehemence(5); he kept them going at a furious rate.

ALEXANDRIA

5. He was within three miles of the vessel; another half-hour would see him safe on board, and then—hurrah for India! But suddenly a strong northerly wind sprang up; the sails of the brig swelled out before it, and poor Waghorn, with his panting, jaded horses, was left far behind. The chase was hopeless now, so he went back to Trieste, exhausted with fatigue and disappointment.

6. Two days afterwards, he sailed from Venice on board a Spanish ship. After a voyage of sixteen days, he arrived at Alexandria, where he hired donkeys to take him to Rosetta. In spite of many delays, he succeeded in crossing the desert in time to keep his appointment at Suez on the 8th of December.

7. But there was no sign of the steamer. After waiting two days, with feverish impatience, Mr. Waghorn determined to sail down the Red Sea in the hope of meeting her. The people of the district held up their hands in horror at the purpose of the mad Englishman, and tried to dissuade him(6); but Waghorn could not rest. He was commissioned to inquire into the navigability of these waters, and he would do so in an open boat if necessary, let folk say what they would; and so he did.

8. In six and a half days he arrived at Jiddah—six hundred and twenty miles from Suez—and anchored his boat close to one of the East India Company's cruisers, the Benares. On going on board to learn the news, he was told by the captain that the Enterprise was not coming at all. This intelligence seems to have felled him like a blow, and he was immediately seized with a delirious(7) fever. It was six weeks before he could proceed to Bombay, where he arrived on the 21st of March. In spite of all the drawbacks in his way, he had accomplished the journey in four months and twenty-one days, which was a very short time for such a journey in those days.

9. During the next twelve years, Waghorn devoted himself to the establishment of the Overland Route. He provided English carriages, vans, and horses for the conveyance of the passengers across the Egyptian desert, placed small steamers on the Nile and Alexandria Canal, built eight halting-places between Cairo and Suez; and he "converted the wandering robbers into faithful guides, so that even ladies and children could cross and re-cross the desert with as much security as if they had been in Europe."

10. What a change has taken place in the journey to the East by the Overland Route since the days of Waghorn! Having crossed by steamer from Dover to Calais, the traveller is swiftly borne by train to the French port of Marseilles, or, further still, through the Alps to Brindisi, near "the heel of the boot" formed by the south of Italy. This ends the overland part of the journey, for he has next to join the powerful steamer which will bear him across the Mediterranean to Port Said, through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to Aden, and then across the Indian Ocean to India, Ceylon, Singapore, China, or to Australia, should that continent be his goal.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences to show the uses of the words direct, direction (in various meanings), director, and indirect.

2. Give a list of words ending in -gue, as fatigue, showing where the letters are silent.

3. Explain the difference in meaning between north, south, etc., and their derivatives northerly, southerly, etc.

————————————————————

(1) Route, course; track.

(2) Doubling, sailing round.

(3) Dispatches, letters, usually on public business.

(4) Avalanche, a mass of snow or ice slipping down a mountain side.

(5) Vehemence, eagerness; great force in doing anything.

(6) Dissuade him, turn away his mind from; discourage him.

(7) Delirious, raving; wandering in mind.

53

THE RUBBER-TREES OF THE AMAZON

1. In studying the great valley of the Amazon, the first step is to distinguish between the mainland and the flood-plain. The mainland is always beyond reach of the floods, though it may be only a few inches above them; and it has a foundation of rock, which crops out in many places. The flood-plain, on the contrary, has clearly been formed by the river itself. Its islands and flats are built up of mud and clay, with an occasional sand-bank; but they are never stony, and only isolated(1) points are above the level of the highest floods.

2. When sailing among the islands and through the channels of the flood-plains, with their swampy forests, their great stretches of meadow, and their half-submerged plantations, any one who is not blind must feel his soul moved within him by the marvellous beauty of the vegetation. No ground is seen; straight up from the water the forest rises like a wall—dense, dark, impenetrable(2), a hundred feet of leafy splendour. And breaking out everywhere from among the heaped-up masses rise the palm trees in thousands. For here the palms hold court; nowhere else is their glory unveiled as we see it here.If palms standing alone are esteemed the most beautiful of trees, what shall we say when their numbers are counted, not by scores or by hundreds, but by thousands, and where they are seen against a background of such forest as can never be found outside of the tropics?

RUBBER-TREES

3. The Indian pilot of our boat points out numbers of rubber-trees, and we learn to recognize their white trunks and shining bright-green foliage. This low region is one of the most important rubber districts, and hundreds of natives are employed in gathering and preparing the crude(3) gum. Occasionally we see their thatched huts along the shore, built on piles, and always damp, reeking, dismal, suggestive of ague(4) and rheumatism(5); for the tide-lowlands, glorious as they appear from the river, are sodden marshes within.

4. The rubber-trees are scattered through marshy forests, where we clamber over logs, and sink into pools of mud, and leap the puddles; where the mosquitoes are bloodthirsty, and nature is damp and dark and threatening; where the silence is unbroken by beast or bird.

5. In the early morning, men and women come with baskets of clay cups on their backs, and little hatchets to gash the trees. Where the white milk drips down from the gashes, they stick their cups on the trunk with daubs of clay. If the tree is a large one, four or five gashes may be cut in a circle round the trunk. By noon the flow of milk has ceased, and the natives come to collect the contents of the cups in calabash(6) jugs. A gill or so is the common yield from each tree, and a single gatherer may attend to a hundred and twenty trees or more, wading through these dark marshes, and paying dearly for his profit in fever and weakness.

6. A day's gathering will be a calabash of white liquid, in appearance precisely like milk. If left in this condition, it coagulates(7) after a while, and forms a whitish gum. To make the black rubber of commerce, the milk must go through a peculiar process of manufacture. Over a smouldering fire is placed a clay chimney, like a widemouthed, bottomless jug; through this chimney the thick smoke rises in a constant stream from the fire beneath. Now the rubber-gatherer takes a mould like a round-bladed paddle, dips it in the milk, and holds it over the smoke until the liquid coagulates.

7. Then another coat is added; but now, as the wood is heated, the milk coagulates faster. It may take the gatherings of two or three days to cover the mould thickly enough. The rubber is still dull white; but in a short time it turns brown, and finally almost black. The mass is then cut from the paddle and sold to traders in the village. Bottles are sometimes made by coating with rubber a clay mould, which can be broken up and removed.

8. During the wet months, from February until June or July, the ground is under water, and the huts of the natives are wholly deserted. The gum is then weak, and of comparatively little value. Besides, the trees need this period of rest to make up for the constant drain in summer.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences showing the various uses of the word crop.

2. Give a list of words derived from native and from liquid, with their meanings.

3. Make sentences showing the use of the words esteem (noun and verb), estimate, estimation, and estimable.

————————————————————

(1) Isolated, detached; separated.

(2) Impenetrable, impassable; that cannot be entered or passed through.

(3) Crude, unrefined; raw.

(4) Ague, a fever followed by fits of cold and shivering.

(5) Rheumatism, pains in the muscles and joints.

(6) Calabash, The hard shell of the fruit of the calabash tree is used for jugs, drinking-vessels, etc.

(7) Coagulates, becomes thick or curdled.

54

USES OF FORESTS

1. The greater part of the land surface of the earth is thickly covered with growing plants. The influence of this plant covering is very important in many ways. The most immediate effect produced by trees is the improvement of the soil into which their roots penetrate(1). Wherever they succeed in finding a foothold, they at once proceed to make and to preserve a coating of soil, which in the end may become fit for cultivation.

2. The roots penetrate downward into crevices(2) of the rock, starting as slender filaments(3) which grow in size and wedge the stones apart, and thus make the beginnings of a soil. Into every cranny of the disrupted(4) stone other roots find their way, and repeat the process of breaking. In this way the rock is fractured into bits, and becomes subjected to the dissolving action of the rain-water, and so affords food for plants. The root-hairs, also, produce an acid capable of dissolving certain mineral substances, and this acid helps to decompose(5) the particles of stone. In this way the rootlets of plants serve in part to make from the solid rocks the soil that gives them support.

3. Not only do trees help to make the soil upon which they live, but they also preserve it from destruction. In a time of heavy rain, the soil is rapidly borne away to the rivers, and thence to the sea, in the form of mud. In countries where the soil has long been tilled, it constantly diminishes(6) in depth; and unless great care is taken, in a few centuries it all passes away into the streams, except where the surface is very level. Thus in Italy, and in many of the countries that have long been cultivated, the soil on the steeper slopes, which once were fertile, has so far disappeared that many extensive districts are now barren wastes.

4. Forests serve not only to prevent the wasting of the soil under the pelting influence of the rain, but they also greatly restrain the action of even the largest rivers. Willows, poplars, and other water-loving plants thrive along the banks of a stream, send their roots downward beneath the surface, and so make a strong net-work which resists the cutting action of the river, and keeps it within narrow bounds.

5. Forests also help to prevent floods. If the rain falls on an unforested country, the water flows quickly over the bare surface to the brooks, and thence to the larger rivers, on its way to the sea. When, however, the rain falls on forests, the water enters a thick, spongy layer, composed of partly-decayed leaves, together with fallen trunks and branches of trees. Through this sponge the water moves but slowly on its way to the streams, and when it is actually in the brooks, its progress downward is retarded by numerous dams made of fallen timber and drift-wood. The result is that instead of pouring swiftly to the sea, the flood waters creep slowly away, requiring weeks in place of hours for their journey to the greater rivers.

6. There is another effect which forests have upon the soil. The strong roots of trees, penetrating far down into the subsoil(7) and into the crevices of the rocks, draw upward and build into their trunks the solid matter which we find in the ash of burnt wood. The trees also gather a large part of their substance from the atmosphere. All the material which goes into the air when wood is burnt came from the air during the growth of the plant. When the tree dies, or when its leaves and branches fall, this mixture of decayed vegetable matter is mixed with the soil, and serves to increase its fertility. The farmer has to imitate the natural process which goes on in the forest, and introduce similar substances into the soil in order to maintain its productiveness.

7. From the forests we derive the timber which constitutes a large part of our houses, and which is also necessary for the construction of our agricultural machinery, of part of our ships, and of a host of other structures which are essential to(8) the well-being of man.

8. Although mineral coal has, in the more civilized parts of the world, to a great extent taken the place of wood for heating purposes, probably three-fourths of the domestic hearths in the world are still supplied from the forests. It is to be hoped that the use of coal will become yet more extensive, and so diminish the tax which is laid upon the woods, and spare them for more necessary uses.

9. Last of all, we may note the elements of beauty which are afforded by our woods. One accustomed to dwell near pine trees, or within a short distance of a great forest, has probably never realized how important are these elements in the landscape. If he dwells for a while on plains where trees are found only near the larger streams, and there, indeed, in scanty growth, he will soon come to recognize how much of his enjoyment of natural beauty is derived from the presence of forests.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Analyze the word decomposition, and give a list of words from the same root, and their meanings.

2. Make abstract nouns from the verbs diminish, restrain, thrive, flow, and enter

3. Make sentences showing the use of the words matter, material (noun and adjective), materially, and immaterial.

————————————————————

(1) Penetrate, pierce; enter into.

(2) Crevices, narrow openings.

(3) Filaments, fibres; thin or thread-like things.

(4) Disrupted, broken apart; ruptured.

(5) Decompose, separate; break up into parts.

(6) Diminishes, decreases; lessens.

(7) Subsoil, the under layer of the soil.

(8) Essential to, necessary for.

55

A FOREST HYMN

1. The groves were God's first temples. Ere man learned

To hew the shaft, and lay the architrave(1),

And spread the roof above them; ere he framed

The lofty vault, to gather and roll back

The sound of anthems, —in the darkling wood:

Amid the cool and silence, he knelt down,

And offered to the Mightiest solemn thanks

And supplication(2). For his simple heart

Might not resist the sacred influences

Which from the stilly twilight of the place,

And from the grey old trunks that high in heaven

Mingled their mossy boughs, and from the sound

Of the invisible breath that swayed at once

All their green tops, stole over him, and bowed

His spirit with the thought of boundless power

And inaccessible(3) majesty.

2. Ah, why

Should we, in the world's riper years, neglect

God's ancient sanctuaries(4), and adore

Only among the crowd, and under roofs

That our frail hands have raised? Let me, at least,

Here, in the shadow of this aged wood,

Offer one hymn—thrice happy if it find

Acceptance in His ear.

3. Father, Thy hand

Hath reared these venerable columns, Thou

Didst weave this verdant roof; Thou didst look down

Upon the naked earth, and forthwith rose

All these fair ranks of trees. They in Thy sun

Budded, and shook their green leaves in Thy breeze,

And shot toward heaven. The century-living crow,

Whose birth was in their tops, grew old and died

Among their branches, till at last they stood,

As now they stand, massy and tall and dark—

Fit shrine for humble worshipper to hold

Communion(5) with his Maker.

4. These dim vaults,

These winding aisles, of human pomp or pride

Report not; no fantastic(6) carvings show

The boast of our vain race to change the form

Of Thy fair works. But Thou art here—Thou fill'st

The solitude: Thou art in the soft winds

That run along the summit of these trees

In music; Thou art in the cooler breath

That from the inmost darkness of the place

"THE GROVES WERE GOD'S FIRST TEMPLES."

Comes, scarcely felt; the barky trunks, the ground,

The fresh moist ground, are all instinct with Thee.

5. Here is continual worship; Nature here,

In the tranquillity that Thou dost love,

Enjoys Thy presence. Noiselessly around,

From perch to perch, the solitary bird

Passes; and yon clear spring, that midst its herbs

Wells softly forth, and wandering steeps the roots

Of half the mighty forest, tells no tale

Of all the good it does. Thou hast not left

Thyself without a witness, in these shades,

Of Thy perfections; grandeur, strength, and grace

Are here to speak of Thee.

6. This mighty oak,

By whose immovable stem I stand and seem

Almost annihilated(7)—not a prince

E'er wore his crown as loftily as he

Wears the green coronal(8) of leaves with which

Thy hand has graced him. Nestled at his root

Is beauty such as blooms not in the glare

Of the broad sun. That delicate forest flower,

With scented breath and look so like a smile,

Seems, as it issues from the shapeless mould,

An emanation(9) of the indwelling Life,

A visible token of the upholding Love,

That are the soul of this great universe.

7. My heart is awed within me when I think

Of the great miracle that still goes on

In silence round me—the perpetual work

Of Thy creation, finished, yet renewed

For ever. Written on Thy works I read

The lesson of Thy own eternity.

Lo! all grow old and die; but see again

How on the faltering footsteps of decay

Youth presses—ever gay and beautiful youth,

In all its beautiful forms. These lofty trees

Wave not less proudly that their ancestors

Moulder beneath them. Oh, there is not lost

One of earth's charm; upon her bosom yet,

After the flight of untold centuries,

The freshness of her far beginning lies,

And yet shall lie. Life mocks the idle hate

Of his arch-enemy, Death—yea, seats himself

Upon the tyrant's throne, the sepulchre,

And of the triumphs of his ghastly foe

Makes his own nourishment. For he came forth

From Thine own bosom, and shall have no end.

— W. C. BRYANT

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Analyze the word inaccessible, showing the force of each part.

2. Explain the two meanings of untold, and give sentences showing the use of each.

3. Point out the cases of Personification in the poem.

————————————————————

(1) Architrave, a beam which extends from one pillar to another in a building; the chief beam.

(2) Supplication, entreaty; earnest prayer.

(3) Inaccessible, unapproachable; that cannot be reached.

(4) Sanctuaries, sacred places; places of worship.

(5) Communion, converse; fellowship.

(6) Fantastic, whimsical; fanciful.

(7) Annihilated, extinguished; blotted out.

(8) Coronal, crown; chaplet.

(9) Emanation, outcome; issue.

56

THE NERVES AND THE BRAIN

1. Have you ever looked carefully at a rabbit when your mother has got one in from the butcher for your dinner? If so, you may have noticed that, when the skin is removed, the red muscles can be easily seen on the body and limbs of the animal. If you separate carefully the muscles that lie along the back of the hind leg, you will see a little white thread running down the leg. This is a nerve, the largest nerve in the whole body, and it is known as the sciatic nerve. We have a similar nerve in our bodies; and when it becomes inflamed, it causes the painful disease called sciatica.

2. If you follow this nerve down the rabbit's leg, it will be seen to branch again and again, some of the little twigs passing to the skin, and others to the muscles of the limb. If you trace the nerve upwards into the body, which is not so easy, it will be seen to pass into the backbone. The backbone consists of a string of bones forming a hollow tube, which is filled with a long cord of soft white material. In the head this cord expands into the brain. A great many other nerves leave the spinal cord on both sides and pass to the body and the limbs, and some twenty more pass from the brain to the head and such parts as the eyes, the nose, and the ears.

3. Small as these nerves are—some of them thinner than the thinnest thread—the microscope(1) shows that each of them is composed of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of microscopic threads closely packed side by side, and bound together by material of very great delicacy. The nerves, then, form a system of cords joining the brain and spinal cord with all parts of the body, and this system is very much alike in the human body and in that of the higher animals.

4. You may ask, what is the use of all this? and in order to explain its use, I shall give you an illustration(2). You all know what the telegraph is. Now, the nervous system is of much the same use to the body as the telegraphic system is to Great Britain. When a ship touches at any port, the news is wired to London; and if a foreign force were to attempt a landing in time of war, the message to London would be followed by other messages sent to all parts of the country, calling the people to arms. So, in like manner, when anything touches the human body—a pin point, or even the rubbing of our clothing—the tiny nerves convey their messages to the spinal cord and the brain; and not till then do we feel the prick or the touch. When a flash of light falls upon the eye, or when sound breaks upon the ear, the tiny nerves are affected, and send their messages to the brain; and then, but not till then, do we see or hear.

5. We know, too, that something else may follow or accompany our feeling. The flash of light may cause us to start. The sound of the word "Attention" will cause all the soldiers in a company to draw their heels together and to hold themselves erect. In these cases the movement that is made is due to messages conveyed from the brain and spinal cord through the nerve threads to the muscles of the body, which then move as directed. We see, then, that the brain and spinal cord are like a great central telegraph office, where messages are received and dispatched, and that the nerves are like the telegraph wires.

6. But the brain has many other uses than those I have described. It is the seat of memory, the storehouse of the feelings and thoughts of our past lives. By means of the brain we are able to think, and to compare one thing with another. Doctors tell us that, when certain portions of the brain are diseased or injured, the patient may have large parts of his past life blotted out from memory, or that the powers of his mind may be so injured or destroyed that speech and thought are impossible.

7. Like all other parts of the body, the brain requires rest, and this it should obtain for eight or nine hours every night. When we are asleep, no sound should disturb us. Without this sleep, the greatest fatigue ensues, and the weariness and discomfort become at last unbearable.

8. Although we have learned something regarding the uses of the brain, we shall never be able to explain everything concerning it. Here, as everywhere else, we find that the more we know, the more there is to be known. People who study a great deal always should be, and generally are, the most modest and the most ready to acknowledge their ignorance. The reason is, that they most fully understand how small is man's capacity(3) for acquiring(4) knowledge, how short is his life, and yet how vast is the material upon which he has to work.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences showing the use of the words flame, inflame (two meanings), inflammation, and inflammable.

2. Trace the connection between the meanings of the words affected (two meanings), disaffected, unaffected, affection (two meanings), and affectation.

3. Give a list of words formed from the stem of acquiring, with various prefixes, and their meanings.

————————————————————

(1) Microscope, an instrument for viewing very small objects.

(2) Illustration, example.

(3) Capacity, ability.

(4) Acquiring, procuring; getting by seeking or working.

57

TOUCH

1. The skin, as we all know, is very sensitive(1) to the "touch" of outside objects. It is also sensitive to heat and cold, and to pain. All parts of the body are not equally sensitive to touch. The skin of the finger-tips is more sensitive than the skin of the knuckles, but not so sensitive as the skin of the forehead or of parts that are covered with hair. In order to show that this is true, touch with your finger-tip a knuckle of the clenched hand of a friend. You can touch it so lightly that he does not feel the touch upon the knuckle, while you can feel it quite distinctly upon the finger. The skin of the lips and face is as sensitive as that of the finger-tip, and the tongue is even more so.

2. Not only can you feel that an object has touched the skin, but you have learned by experience to know what part of the body has been touched. Shut your eyes, and tell a friend to touch different parts of your face, and you will be able to tell him what parts he has touched. This power of locating(2) a touch is greater in some parts of the skin than in others, and is possessed in the highest degree by the skin of the finger-tips and of the tongue.

3. If you bandage a friend's eyes, and touch his fingertips with the points of a pair of compasses, he will be able to distinguish each point until they are nearly close together—say one-tenth of an inch apart. When they are closer than this, he will think that he is being touched by a single point. Now touch the palm of the hand, and the points of the compasses must be a quarter of an inch or half an inch apart before the two points can be felt separately. On the back of the arm a touch is even more badly located, and the points of the compasses must be an inch or so apart before each is felt separately.

4. The roots of the hairs are very sensitive to touch, as you can readily observe; for if a hair on the back of the hand or head be disturbed ever so little, this disturbance will be felt. Many animals, such as dogs, cats, and rabbits, are provided with special hairs of touch, which spring from the sides of the mouth, and from the temple, eyebrows, and edges of the ears. These hairs are very long and stout. In the dark they warn the animal of any obstacle(3) in its path.

5. As we have already seen, the skin is sensitive to heat and cold, but it readily becomes accustomed to any change of temperature. If you put your hand into lukewarm(4) water, it feels warm at first, and then the warm feeling passes away. If after keeping your hand in really hot water for half a minute, you plunge it into the lukewarm water, the latter feels quite cold. As in the one case the lukewarm water feels warm and in the other case cold, it is evident that the skin is not a judge of the actual temperature of things. It only informs us whether heat is coming to the skin, or whether heat is leaving the skin. Thus lukewarm water gives heat to the skin when the hand is cold, but it takes heat from the hand which has previously been heated by hot water.

6. A piece of iron and a piece of wood in the same room appear to the hand to have quite different temperatures. The iron appears to be much the colder. They are really of exactly the same temperature, as a thermometer(5) would show. The iron feels colder simply because it is a better carrier (or conductor) of heat than the wood, and so it draws the heat out more quickly from the hand. In a very hot room, where both the iron and the wood are hotter than the hand, the iron feels the hotter of the two, because it carries more heat to the hand than the wood does.

7. The nerves of heat and of cold do not pass to all parts of the skin. They are to be found only in certain localities called the "heat spots" and the "cold spots." The latter are most easy to find, and we can map out their position in our own hands quite readily. Take a pin, dip its head in water to cool it, and draw the head slowly along the back of the hand. Suddenly here and there you will feel the cold of the pin. If you mark one of these spots with ink, you will find that whenever the pin is drawn over it the same feeling of cold is produced. You must not do it too quickly, or too often, however, or the pin will get warm, and the nerves of that spot will be exhausted and become less sensitive.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words formed from the stem of locating, with meanings.

2. Give a list of words compounded with -meter, like thermometer, and their meanings.

3. Make sentences showing the use of the words distinguish, distinguished (adjective), distinct, distinction, and distinctness.

————————————————————

(1) Sensitive, able to feel keenly.

(2) Locating, placing; settling the position of.

(3) Obstacle, hindrance; anything in the way.

(4) Lukewarm, tepid; neither cold nor hot.

(5) Thermometer, an instrument for measuring the temperature or degree of heat.

58

TASTE AND SMELL

1. We may begin our study of taste and smell by making a very simple experiment. Get a raw potato, peel it, cut it into slices, and wrap these up in pieces of clean paper. Do the same with an onion, taking care to hold it in a cloth while cutting it up, and to remove the cloth and the knife, so that no smell of the onion remains in the room. Then blindfold a friend, place him on a chair, and explain what he is to do. He is to hold his nose with his hand, and then he is to get a piece of fruit put into his mouth. He must chew the fruit, and guess what it is. You are to mention several fruits, and he is to nod his head when you come to the right one.

2. When he is ready, you slip a piece of the potato into his mouth. He will perhaps guess that it is an apple or a pear; but as soon as he takes his hand away from his nose, so that he can smell, he will know that it is a potato. You can then try the same experiment with the onion; and even the onion will not be recognized until the nose is brought into use.

3. This shows that it is to our noses and not to our tongues that we owe the power of distinguishing from each other the flavours of fruits, and of a hundred other things which in common language we are said to taste. It is only the saline or salt, the sweet, the acid or sour, and the bitter substances that we really taste. Many substances, like table salt, have no smell at all, and it is by our tongue alone that we recognize them.

4. The nerves of smell, or olfactory nerves, arise from the delicate(1) lining of the nose, high up beyond the nostrils, and pass directly to the brain. Many animals have more sensitive noses than we have. The foxhound can detect the odour of the fox on the turf an hour or more after it has passed swiftly over the spot, and the bloodhound can recognize the scent of a particular man as easily as you can recognize his face.

5. Turning now to the sense of taste, we find that the tongue and the back of the throat are both capable of tasting. Sweet, sour, and salt substances are best tasted by the tip, the side, and the middle of the tongue, while bitter substances are tasted at the back alone. If you taste some quinine(2), or chew some hop leaves, you will find that the bitter taste is not felt until some of the substance gets to the back of the mouth.

6. The nerves of taste, or gustatory nerves, arise in the red skin of the tongue and the back of the mouth, probably in little tiny projections or papillae, which are of various kinds. Round the edge and also on the top of the tongue are scattered a few big papillae, which often look like little red spots. Between these are others, more numerous and much smaller. At the back of the tongue, so far back that it is very difficult to see them, are some fifteen or twenty large papillae—as large, in fact, as small warts. They are probably the spots where the taste nerves for bitter substances arise.

7. We cannot taste everything. Chalk and sand, for example, are tasteless. A substance must be dissolved in the saliva or juice of the mouth before it can be tasted, and chalk and sand cannot be dissolved. Among the substances which can be dissolved(3) in the saliva, there are some which have no taste at all, such as the white of an unboiled egg, pure starch, paste, and gum; but the list of such substances is not a long one. If you think over the matter, you will find that, as a rule, substances which have a pleasant taste and smell are good for food; while, on the contrary, things that have an unpleasant taste and smell are hurtful when we eat or drink them.

8. We have therefore two senses guarding us from danger. They are placed in the mouth and the nose, ready to direct us in the choice of food. If we followed the leading of these senses more obediently, it would be much better for many of us. Too many people force themselves by habit to acquire tastes, such as a taste for beer, whisky, pepper, mustard, and tea, none of which are liked by children. Our taste for them is not a natural one, and many of the diseases that trouble us arise from the consumption(4) of these articles.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Show the connection in meaning between experiment, experience and expert.

2. Make sentences showing the use of the words project′, proj′ect, projection and projectile.

3. Give a list of words similar in meaning to hurtful.

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(1) Delicate, finely made.

(2) Quinine, a substance got from the bark of the cinchona tree, much used as medicine.

(3) Dissolved, melted.

(4) Consumption, eating; using up.

59

THE EAR

1. If you look into the ear of the boy sitting next you, you will see a little tunnel leading right into the head. This tunnel leads to the most important parts of the ear, which are lodged within a mass of hard bone for protection. What we commonly call the ear is only the external(1) ear. It is a trumpet for collecting the quick tremors(2) of the air, which we call "sound-waves," and for directing them into the tunnel we have just mentioned.

2. This external eat is not necessary to hearing, and those who have had their ears cut off—a punishment sometimes inflicted by the Red Indians upon their enemies—can hear fairly well, though not quite so plainly as before. To many animals the outer ear is of greater service than it is to man: the horse, by turning its ears about, finds out in what direction a sound is loudest, and thus knows whence it proceeds. Notice how a horse will turn its ears towards you, if you make a noise to attract its attention.

3. Savage men also have the power of finding out the direction of sounds by moving their ears; and travelers in Australia relate how the Bushmen(3), squatting(4) by night round the camp fire, constantly turn their eyes and ears about, suspicious of every sight and sound. We have no need of being so continually on the alert, for we are not always going about in terror of our lives; and after many generations of disuse, the muscles have lost their power of movement. Most of us, however, have tiny ear muscles still left, and one or two in the class will probably be able to use them so as to cause a very slight movement of the ears.

4. You will hardly believe that, owing to the want of this power, you cannot tell, without the help of your eyes, whether a sound comes from behind or from the front. Bandage your eyes, and ask two friends to stand one in front of you and the other behind. Let one of them click two pennies together, and you will not be able to say which friend made the click. You will generally think that the sound comes from behind; for we are so accustomed to see any sounding body which is situated in front of us, that when our eyes are bandaged and we do not see it, we are deceived into thinking that it must be behind us.

5. If an insect should crawl into the tunnel of your ear, it would not be able to go very far. At a distance of less than an inch, it would be stopped by a thin partition, called the drum of the ear. Beyond this partition there is a chamber called the middle ear, and this communicates with the back of the throat by a long passage.

6. The middle ear contains a chain of three little bones, called, from their curious shapes, the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup; and these attach the ear drum to another drum, which closes the entrance to a third chamber, called the inner ear. This inner ear is filled with a watery fluid. When sound-waves cause the drum of the ear to vibrate(5), the motion is transmitted(6) by the chain of bones to the inner ear, and the fluid within it vibrates in the same way.

7. This inner ear consists of some very long winding passages in the bone of the head. Hence it is termed the labyrinth. Floating in the fluid which it contains, we find a membrane(7), called the basilar membrane, which is composed of thousands of tiny microscopic threads; and from these, thousands of nerve fibres, like white threads, pass to the brain.

SECTION OF THE EAR

8. In order to understand how it is that the brain is affected by the sound-waves, you would require to open the top of a piano and watch the piano wires. When you sing a note, one or two wires will be set in motion by the sound-waves of your voice. Stop singing and listen, and you will find that these wires have taken up the note you sang, and by their vibrations are producing a faint sound of the same pitch. If you tie a thread to one of these wires, it too will be set in motion. This is practically(8) a model of what takes place in the ear; for the tiny threads of the basilar membrane move to and fro, just like the piano wires when a sound is made. These affect the nerves, just as the piano wire affects the thread tied to it.

9. The ear is a very wonderful and complicated organ, and the work it has to do is very varied. By its help we become conscious of all the hundred sounds of the city or the country-side, from the deepest to the shrillest; and if we listen carefully to a tolling bell, we hear in every note the several blended tones that it rings forth. Of even greater importance is the power which hearing gives to us of understanding our fellow-creatures' thoughts and wants, of listening to the voice of friend or teacher, and of developing our minds and characters by what we learn from them.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words formed from the stem of attention, with various prefixes, and their meanings.

2. Show the difference in meaning and in structure between the words en′trance and entrance′.

3. Make sentences showing the use of the words varied, variegated, variable, and variety (in several meanings).

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(1) External, outside.

(2) Tremors, vibrations; tremblings; movements.

(3) Bushmen, men who live in the "bush," or wild, wooded country, of Australia.

(4) Squatting, sitting on the ground with the legs crossed.

(5) Vibrate, quiver; move backwards and forwards.

(6) Transmitted, conducted; sent from one place or person to another.

(7) Membrane, film; a thin skin.

(8) Practically, really; to all intents and purposes.

60

THE EYE

1. The best way to study the more important parts of this very beautiful and wonderful organ, is to get a bullock's eye from the butcher and examine it well. In front you will see a transparent part, like the glass of a watch. This is called the cornea; it is the window of the eye. Through it you can see the pupil, the dark portion in the centre, and the brown iris which surrounds it. The cornea extends to the sclerotic, or white of the eye; and you will find that the white and the cornea together enclose the eye in a protecting coat, through which the nerve of the eye, called the optic nerve, enters from behind.

DIAGRAM OF THE EYE

a, Cornea;

b, f, cavities filled with clear fluid;

c, iris; d, pupil; e, crystalline lens;

g, retina; h, choroid coat;

i, sclerotic coat; j, optic nerve.

2. If you get a sharp pair of scissors and cut through the white, just behind the cornea, so that the front part of the eye is separated from the back portion, you will be able to study the inside. Looking first at the front part, you will see the lens(1) of the eye just behind the iris(2). It is about half an inch across, or perhaps a little more, and it appears to be made of the purest and most brilliant crystal. If you remove the lens, you will see the iris, which now looks like a circular curtain, while the pupil is nothing but a hole in its centre. In the eye of the ox and of the cat the pupil is a slit, but in the human eye it is a round hole.

3. If you watch the eye of a friend, you will see that the pupil changes its size: when there is much light, the pupil is small; but when there is little light, or immediately after the eyes have been closed, the pupil is large. The iris has, therefore, the power of changing its shape, so that the hole in its centre may become small when there is much light, and large when there is little.

4. If you now look at the remaining half of the bullock's eye, you will observe two thin coats inside the white. The first is a black layer which at some parts has a glistening green colour; this is called the choroid coat. The second is very thin, yellow in colour, and so delicate that you will probably have torn it with your scissors; this is called the retina. It is full of nerves, which all run to the back of the eye, unite to form the optic nerve, and then pass to the brain.

FORMATION OF AN IMAGE IN THE EYE

5. When we look at an object, say a piece of white paper, the rays of light from the paper pass through the transparent cornea and the pupil, and are brought to a focus by the lens, so as to form an image upon the retina. This image affects the nerves of the retina, and these affect the brain, and we are conscious of the white paper. It is quite easy to see the image that the lens is capable of making. You may set about it in the following way: —Get a pill-box, remove the top, cut out a hole in the bottom into which you can fit the lens, and fasten it there. Take a piece of thin white paper, rubbed with oil or grease to make it transparent, and hold it over the top of the pill-box. Then turn the box with the lens towards a lighted candle or a window, and look from behind at the greased paper. You will see upon it a tiny image of the candle or of the window turned upside down.

6. As we have seen, the retina receives the images which are cast upon it; but all parts of it are not equally sensitive. When we look at the middle of a page of print the letters there are seen quite clearly, but at the side they are blurred(3) and indistinct. When we wish to see anything, we turn the eye so that its image may fall on the centre of the retina. But very near the middle of the retina there is a small spot which is absolutely(4) blind; this is called the blind spot. Make a dot on a piece of white paper, and about three inches to the right of this draw a cross. Now close the left eye, look

●

at the dot with the right eye, and holding the paper some ten inches in front of the face, move it about a little, always keeping the eye fixed on the dot. In most positions both the dot and the cross are seen; but in one position the image of the cross is cast upon the blind spot, and the cross suddenly disappears.

7. The lens—so transparent that it is generally called the "crystalline" lens—frequently becomes clouded in old age. The eye then becomes useless, for the light cannot pass through it, and we say that a cataract has formed. When this cataract is to be removed by an operation, the eye-surgeon cuts into the cornea and removes the lens; and although the patient's sight is never again perfect, he can see fairly well with the help of spectacles.

8. This most delicate organ is often much abused, and in consequence many defects of sight arise. There is nothing so bad for the eyes as writing, reading, sewing, or doing any fine work, in a dim light. School-rooms should have large and high windows, and the scholars should be so placed that the shadows of their bodies do not fall upon the paper with which they are working. Both in reading and in writing the head should be held well up, and should never be bent over the work, for then the eyes become too full of blood, and fatigue rapidly comes on. One cannot be too careful of the eyes in youth, for no loss is greater than that of sight.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Give a list of words formed from the stem of transparent, with various prefixes, and their meanings.

2. Make sentences containing the words delicate and delicacy in various meanings.

3. Give a list of words ending in -re with the sound of -er.

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(1) Lens, magnifying-glass; a glass with one or both sides curved.

(2) Iris, the coloured ring round the pupil of the eye.

(3) Blurred, made indistinct.

(4) Absolutely, entirely; quite.

61

POETRY

L'ALLEGRO

1. Hence, loathëd Melancholy!

Of Cerberus and blackest Midnight born,

In Stygian cave forlorn,

'Mongst horrid shapes, and shrieks, and sights unholy:

Find out some uncouth cell,

Where brooding Darkness spreads his jealous wings,

And the night-raven sings;

There, under ebon shades, and low-browed rocks,

As ragged as thy locks,

In dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell!

But come, thou Goddess fair and free,

In Heaven ycleped Euphrosyne,

And by men, heart-easing Mirth……

2. Haste thee, Nymph! and bring with thee

Jest, and youthful Jollity,

Quips, and cranks, and wanton wiles,

Nods, and becks, and wreathëd smiles,

Such as hang on Hebe's cheek,

And love to live in dimple sleek;

Sport, that wrinkled Care derides;

And Laughter, holding both his sides.

3. Come, and trip it, as ye go,

On the light fantastic toe;

And in thy right hand lead with thee

The mountain nymph, sweet Liberty:

And, if I give thee honour due,

Mirth! admit me of the crew;

To live with her, and live with thee,

In unreprovëd pleasures free;

4. To hear the lark begin his flight,

And, singing, startle the dull Night

From his watch-tower in the skies,

Till the dappled dawn doth rise;

Then to come, in spite of sorrow,

And at my window bid good-morrow,

Through the sweet-brier, or the vine,

Or the twisted eglantine:

While the cock, with lively din,

Scatters the rear of darkness thin;

And to the stack, or the barn door

Stoutly struts his dames before:

5. Oft listening how the hounds and horn

Cheerly rouse the slumbering morn,

From the side of some hoar hill

Through the high wood echoing shrill:

Some time walking, not unseen,

By hedgerow elms on hillocks green,

Right against the eastern gate,

Where the great sun begins his state,

Robed in flames and amber light,

The clouds in thousand liveries dight:

While the ploughman, near at hand,

Whistles o'er the furrowed land;

And the milkmaid singeth blithe;

And the mower whets his scythe;

And every shepherd tells his tale

Under the hawthorn in the dale.

6. Straight mine eye hath caught new pleasures,

Whilst the landscape round it measures

Russet lawns, and fallows grey,

Where the nibbling flocks do stray;

Mountains, on whose barren breast

The labouring clouds do often rest;

Meadows trim with daisies pied;

Shallow brooks and rivers wide.

Towers and battlements it sees

Bosomed high in tufted trees;

Where perhaps some beauty lies,

The Cynosure of neighbouring eyes.

7. Hard by, a cottage chimney smokes

From betwixt two aged oaks;

Where Corydon and Thyrsis, met,

Are at their savoury dinner set,

Of herbs, and other country messes,

Which the neat-handed Phillis dresses;

And then in haste the bower she leaves,

With Thestylis to bind the sheaves;

Or, if the earlier season lead,

To the tanned haycock in the mead.

8. Sometimes with secure delight

The upland hamlets will invite;

When the merry bells ring round,

And the jocund rebecks sound

To many a youth and many a maid,

Dancing in the chequered shade;

And young and old come forth to play

On a sunshine holiday,

Till the livelong daylight fail;

Then to the spicy nut-brown ale,

With stories told of many a feat,

How fairy Mab the junkets eat.

9. She was pinched and pulled, she said;

And he, by friar's lantern led;

Tells how the drudging goblin sweat

To earn his cream-bowl duly set;

When, in one night, ere glimpse of morn,

His shadowy flail hath threshed the corn

That ten day-labourers could not end;

Then lies him down the lubber fiend,

And, stretched out all the chimney's length,

Basks at the fire his hairy strength;

And crop-full out of doors he flings,

Ere the first cock his matin rings.

Thus done the tales, to bed they creep,

By whispering winds soon lulled asleep.

10. Towered cities please us then,

And the busy hum of men;

Where throngs of knights and barons bold,

In weeds of peace, high triumphs hold;

With store of ladies, whose bright eyes

Rain influence, and judge the prize

Of wit, or arms; while both contend

To win her grace, whom all commend.

11. There let Hymen oft appear,

In saffron robe, with taper clear;

And pomp, and feast, and revelry,

With mask, and antique pageantry, —

Such sights as youthful poets dream

On summer eves by haunted stream.

Then to the well-trod stage anon,

If Jonson's learned sock be on;

Or sweetest Shakespeare, Fancy's child,

Warble his native wood-notes wild.

12. And ever, against eating cares,

Lap me in soft Lydian airs,

Married to immortal verse,

Such as the meeting soul may pierce,

In notes, with many a winding bout

Of linkëd sweetness long drawn out;

With wanton heed, and giddy cunning,

The melting voice through mazes running;

Untwisting all the chains that tie

The hidden soul of harmony;

That Orpheus' self may heave his head

From golden slumber on a bed

Of heaped Elysian flowers, and hear

Such strains as would have won the ear

Of Pluto, to have quite set free

His half-regained Eurydice.

These delights, if thou canst give,

Mirth! with thee I mean to live.

— MILTON

IL PENSEROSO

1. Hence, vain deluding joys!

The brood of Folly without father bred;

How little you bestead,

Or fill the fixëd mind with all your toys!

Dwell in some idle brain,

And fancies fond with gaudy shapes possess,

As thick and numberless

As the gay motes that people the sunbeams;

Or likest hovering dreams,

The fickle pensioners of Morpheus' train.

2. But hail, thou Goddess, sage and holy,

Hail, divinest Melancholy!

Whose saintly visage is too bright

To hit the sense of human sight;

And therefore, to our weaker view,

O'erlaid with black, staid wisdom's hue, —

Black, but such as in esteem

Prince Memnon's sister might beseem;

Or that starred Ethiop queen that strove

To set her beauty's praise above

The sea nymphs, and their powers offended……

3. Come, pensive nun! devout and pure,

Sober, steadfast, and demure;

All in a robe of darkest grain,

Flowing with majestic train;

And sable stole of cipres lawn,

Over thy decent shoulders drawn

Come! but keep thy wonted state,

With even step, and musing gait,

And looks commercing with the skies,

Thy rapt soul sitting in thine eyes:

There, held in holy passion still,

Forget thyself to marble, till,

With a sad, leaden, downward cast,

Thou fix them on the earth as fast.

4. And join with thee calm Peace, and Quiet,

Spare Fast, that oft with gods doth diet,

And hears the Muses in a ring

Aye round about Jove's altar sing;

And add to these retirëd Leisure,

That in trim gardens takes his pleasure:

But first, and chiefest, with thee bring

Him that soars on golden wing,

Guiding the fiery-wheelëd throne,

The cherub Contemplation;

And the mute Silence hist along,

'Less Philomel will deign a song,

In her sweetest, saddest plight,

Smoothing the rugged brow of night;

While Cynthia checks her dragon yoke,

Gently o'er th' accustomed oak:

5. Sweet bird, that shunn'st the noise of folly,

Most musical, most melancholy!

Thee, chantress, oft, the woods among,

I woo to hear thy even-song;

And, missing thee, I walk unseen

On the dry, smooth-shaven green,

To behold the wandering moon,

Riding near her highest noon,

Like one that had been led astray

Through the Heaven's wide pathless way;

And oft, as if her head she bowed,

Stooping through a fleecy cloud.

6. Oft, on a plat of rising ground,

I hear the far-off curfew sound

Over some wide-watered shore,

Swinging slow with sullen roar:

Or, if the air will not permit,

Some still, removëd place will fit,

Where glowing embers, through the room,

Teach light to counterfeit a gloom;

Far from all resort of mirth,

Save the cricket on the hearth,

Or the bellman's drowsy charm,

To bless the doors from nightly harm:

7. Or let my lamp, at midnight hour,

Be seen in some high lonely tower,

Where I may oft out-watch the Bear,

With thrice-great Hermes; or unsphere

The spirit of Plato, to unfold

What worlds or what vast regions hold

The immortal mind that hath forsook

Her mansion in this fleshly nook;

And of those dæmons that are found

In fire, air, flood, or under ground,

Whose power hath a true consent

With planet, or with element……

8. Thus, Night! oft see me in thy pale career,

Till civil-suited Morn appear;

Not tricked and frounced, as she was wont

With the Attic boy to hunt,

But kerchiefed in a comely cloud,

While rocking winds are piping loud;

Or ushered with a shower still,

When the gust hath blown his fill,

Ending on the rustling leaves

With minute drops from off the eaves.

9. And when the sun begins to fling

His flaring beams, me, Goddess! bring

To archëd walks of twilight groves,

And shadows brown, that Sylvan loves,

Of pine, or monumental oak,

Where the rude axe, with heavëd stroke,

Was never heard the nymphs to daunt,

Or fright them from their hallowed haunt.

10. There, in close covert by some brook,

Where no profaner eye may look,

Hide me from day's garish eye;

While the bee with honeyed thigh,

That at her flow'ry work doth sing,

And the waters murmuring

With such consort as they keep,

Entice the dewy-feathered Sleep;

And let some strange mysterious dream

Wave at his wings in airy stream

Of lively portraiture displayed,

Softly on my eyelids laid.

And, as I wake, sweet music breathe,

Above, about, or underneath,

Sent by some spirit to mortals good,

Or th' unseen genius of the wood.

11. But let my due feet never fail

To walk the studious cloister's pale;

And love the high embowëd roof,

With antique pillars massy proof,

And storied windows richly dight,

Casting a dim religious light.

There let the pealing organ blow

To the full voiced quire below,

In service high, and anthems clear,

As may with sweetness, through mine ear,

Dissolve me into ecstasies,

And bring all Heaven before mine eyes.

12. And may, at last, my weary age

Find out the peaceful hermitage,

The hairy gown and mossy cell,

Where I may sit, and rightly spell

Of every star that Heaven doth shew,

And every herb that sips the dew;

Till old experience do attain

To something like prophetic strain.

These pleasures, Melancholy! give,

And I with thee will choose to live.

— MILTON

WOLSEY ON HIS FALL

[Wolsey, charged with high treason, is deprived of the Great Seal and of all his goods and lands.]

1. Wolsey. Farewell, a long farewell, to all my greatness!

This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth

The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms,

And bears his blushing honours thick upon him;

The third day comes a frost, a killing frost,

And,—when he thinks, good easy man, full surely

His greatness is a-ripening, —nips his root,

And then he falls, as I do.

2. I have ventured,

Like little wanton boys that swim on bladders,

This many summers in a sea of glory,

But far beyond my depth: my high-blown pride

At length broke under me; and now has left me,

Weary and old with service, to the mercy

Of a rude stream, that must for ever hide me.

Vain pomp and glory of this world, I hate ye:

I feel my heart new opened.

3. Oh, how wretched

Is that poor man that hangs on princes' favours!

There is, betwixt that smile we would aspire to,

That sweet aspéct of princes, and their ruin,

More pangs and fears than wars or women have:

And when he falls, he falls like Lucifer,

Never to hope again……

Enter CROMWELL.

4. Cromwell. ……How does your grace

Wolsey. Why, well;

Never so truly happy, my good Cromwell.

I know myself now; and I feel within me

A peace above all earthly dignities,

A still and quiet conscience. The king has cured me,

I humbly thank his grace; and from these shoulders,

These ruined pillars, out of pity, taken

A load would sink a navy,—too much honour:

Oh, 'tis a burden, Cromwell, 'tis a burden

Too heavy for a man that hopes for heaven!……

What news abroad?……

5. Cromwell. The Lady Anne,

Whom the king hath in secrecy long married,

This day was viewed in open as his queen,

Going to chapel; and the voice is now

Only about her coronation.

6. Wolsey. There was the weight that pulled me down.

O Cromwell,

The king has gone beyond me: all my glories

In that one woman I have lost for ever:

No sun shall ever usher forth mine honours,

Or gild again the noble troops that waited

Upon my smiles. Go, get thee from me, Cromwell;

I am a poor fall'n man, unworthy now

To be thy lord and master. Seek the king:

That sun, I pray, may never set! I have told him

What and how true thou art: he will advance thee;

Some little memory of me will stir him—

I know his noble nature—not to let

Thy hopeful service perish too: good Cromwell,

Neglect him not; make use now, and provide

For thine own future safety.

7. Cromwell. O my lord,

Must I then leave you? Must I needs forego

So good, so noble, and so true a master?

Bear witness, all that have not hearts of iron,

With what a sorrow Cromwell leaves his lord. —

The king shall have my service; but my prayers

For ever and for ever shall be yours.

8. Wolsey. Cromwell, I did not think to shed a tear

In all my miseries; but thou hast forced me,

Out of thy honest truth, to play the woman.

Let's dry our eyes: and thus far hear me, Cromwell;

And,—when I am forgotten, as I shall be,

And sleep in dull cold marble, where no mention

Of me more must be heard of, say, I taught thee, —

Say, Wolsey,—that once trod the ways of glory,

And sounded all the depths and shoals of honour, —

Found thee a way, out of his wreck, to rise in—

A sure and safe one, though thy master missed it.

9. Mark but my fall, and that that ruined me.

Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition;

By that sin fell the angels; how can man, then,

The image of his Maker, hope to win by it?

Love thyself last; cherish those hearts that hate thee;

Corruption wins not more than honesty.

Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace,

To silence envious tongues. Be just, and fear not:

Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy country's,

Thy God's, and truth's; then if thou fall'st, O Cromwell,

Thou fall'st a blessed martyr!

10. Serve the king;

And,—-prithee, lead me in:

There take an inventory of all I have,

To the last penny; 'tis the king's: my robe,

And my integrity to Heaven, is all

I dare now call my own. O Cromwell, Cromwell!

Had I but served my God with half the zeal

I served my king, He would not in mine age

Have left me naked to mine enemies.

— SHAKESPEARE

Henry VIII., Act iii. Scene 2.

MARK ANTONY'S SPEECH.

[Mark Antony occupies the rostrum after Brutus has left it. His speech is a very skilful piece of pleading. He works on the sense of justice of the citizens, on their cupidity, on their pity, on their vengeance, and, while professing to have no such purpose, stirs them up to mutiny.]

1. Antony. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.

The evil that men do lives after them;

The good is oft interrëd with their bones;

So let it be with Cæsar. The noble Brutus

Hath told you Cæsar was ambitious:

If it were so, it was a grievous fault,

And grievously hath Cæsar answered it.

Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest, —

For Brutus is an honourable man;

So are they all, all honourable men,—

Come I to speak in Cæsar's funeral.

2. He was my friend, faithful and just to me:

But Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honourable man.

He hath brought many captives home to Rome,

Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:

Did this in Cæsar seem ambitious?

When that the poor have cried, Cæsar hath wept:

Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honourable man.

3. You all did see that on the Lupercal

I thrice presented him a kingly crown,

Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And, sure, he is an honourable man.

I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,

But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love him once, not without cause:

What cause withholds you, then, to mourn for him?

O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,

And men have lost their reason. —Bear with me;

My heart is in the coffin there with Cæsar,

And I must pause till it come back to me……

4. But yesterday the word of Cæsar might

Have stood against the world; now lies he there,

And none so poor to do him reverence.

O masters, if I were disposed to stir

Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,

I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong,

Who, you all know, are honourable men.

I will not do them wrong; I rather choose

To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,

Than I will wrong such honourable men.

5. But here's a parchment with the seal of Cæsar;

I found it in his closet, 'tis his will:

Let but the commons hear this testament,—

Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read, —

And they would go and kiss dead Cæsar's wounds,

And dip their napkins in his sacred blood,

Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,

And, dying, mention it within their wills,

Bequeathing it as a rich legacy

Unto their issue……

6. Citizens. The will, the will! we will hear Cæsar's will.

Antony. Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it;

It is not meet you know how Cæsar loved you.

You are not wood, you are not stones, but men;

And, being men, hearing the will of Cæsar,

It will inflame you, it will make you mad:

'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs;

For, if you should, oh, what would come of it!

A Citizen. Read the will; we'll hear it, Antony……

Antony. You will compel me, then, to read the will?

Then make a ring about the corpse of Cæsar,

And let me show you him that made the will.

Shall I descend? and will you give me leave?

Several Citizens. Come down. [Antony comes down.

7. Antony. If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.

You all do know this mantle: —I remember

The first time ever Cæsar put it on;

'Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent,

That day he overcame the Nervii: —

Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through:

See what a rent the envious Casca made:

Through this the well-belovëd Brutus stabbed;

And as he plucked his cursed steel away,

Mark how the blood of Cæsar followed it,

As rushing out of doors, to be resolved

If Brutus so unkindly knocked, or no;

For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel: —

Judge, O you gods, how dearly Cæsar loved him!

8. This was the most unkindest cut of all:

For when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,

Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,

Quite vanquished him: then burst his mighty heart;

And, in his mantle muffling up his face,

Even at the base of Pompey's statua,

Which all the while ran blood, great Cæsar fell.

Oh, what a fall was there, my countrymen!

Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,

Whilst bloody treason flourished over us.

9. Oh, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel

The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.

Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold

Our Cæsar's vesture wounded? Look you here,

Here is himself, marred, as you see, with traitors.

A Citizen. O piteous spectacle!……

All. Revenge!—-About!—Seek!—Burn!—Fire!—

Kill!—Slay!—Let not a traitor live!

10. Antony. Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up

To such a sudden flood of mutiny.

They that have done this deed are honourable:

What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,

That made them do it: they are wise and honourable,

And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you.

I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts:

I am no orator, as Brutus is;

But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,

That love my friend; and that they know full well

That gave me public leave to speak of him;

11. For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,

Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,

To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;

I tell you that which you yourselves do know;

Show you sweet Cæsar's wounds, poor, poor dumb mouths,

And bid them speak for me: but were I Brutus,

And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony

Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue

In every wound of Cæsar, that should move

The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.

— SHAKESPEARE

Julius Cæsar, Act iii. Scene 2.

TO A SKYLARK.

1. Hail to thee, blithe spirit!

Bird thou never wert,

That from heaven, or near it,

Pourest thy full heart

In profuse strains of unpremeditated art.

2. Higher still, and higher,

From the earth thou springest,

Like a cloud of fire;

The blue deep thou wingest,

And singing still dost soar, and soaring ever singest.

3. In the golden lightning

Of the sunken sun,

O'er which clouds are bright'ning,

Thou dost float and run,

Like an unbodied joy whose race is just begun.

4. The pale purple even

Melts around thy flight;

Like a star of heaven,

In the broad daylight

Thou art unseen, but yet I hear thy shrill delight.

5. Keen as are the arrows

Of that silver sphere,

Whose intense lamp narrows

In the white dawn clear,

Until we hardly see, we feel that it is there.

6. All the earth and air

With thy voice is loud,

As, when night is bare,

From one lonely cloud

The moon rains out her beams, and heaven is over-flowed.

7. What thou art we know not;

What is most like thee?

From rainbow clouds there flow not

Drops so bright to see,

As from thy presence showers a rain of melody.

8. Like a poet hidden

In the light of thought,

Singing hymns unbidden,

Till the world is wrought

To sympathy with hopes and fears it heeded not.

9. Like a high-born maiden

In a palace tower,

Soothing her love-laden

Soul in secret hour

With music sweet as love, which overflows her bower.

10. Like a glowworm golden

In a dell of dew,

Scattering unbeholden

Its aërial hue

Among the flowers and grass which screen it from the view.

11. Like a rose embowered

In its own green leaves,

By warm winds deflowered,

Till the scent it gives

Makes faint with too much sweet these heavy-wingëd thieves.

12. Sound of vernal showers

On the twinkling grass,

Rain-awakened flowers,

All that ever was

Joyous, and clear, and fresh, thy music doth surpass.

13. Teach us, sprite or bird,

What sweet thoughts are thine;

I have never heard

Praise of love or wine

That panted forth a flood of rapture so divine.

14. Chorus hymeneal,

Or triumphal chant,

Matched with thine would be all

But an empty vaunt—

A thing where in we feel there is some hidden want.

15. We look before and after,

And pine for what is not;

Our sincerest laughter

With some pain is fraught;

Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought.

16. Yet if we could scorn

Hate, and pride, and fear;

If we were things born

Not to shed a tear,

I know not how thy joy we ever could come near.

17. Better than all measures

Of delight and sound,

Better than all treasures

That in books are found,

Thy skill to poet were, thou scorner of the ground.

18. Teach me half the gladness

That thy brain must know,

Such harmonious madness

From my lips would flow,

The world should listen then, as I am listening now.

— SHELLEY

Table of Contents

版权页

目录

英国学生文学读本　1

CONTENTS

01　SANDY BEACH

02　PUSSY WHITE FOOT

03　THE LITTLE SWANS' LESSON

04　IN THE WOODS

05　WHICH?　I

06　WHICH?　II

07　LONG TIME AGO

08　THE SHEEP

09　THE SEA

10　FRANK'S LETTER TO HIS DOG

11　THE CROWS AND THE WIND-MILL

12　OUT OF HARM'S WAY

13　THE LITTLE BUILDERS　I

14　THE LITTLE BUILDERS　II

15　THE EVENING STAR

16　A RIDE IN A TRAM-CAR

17　AMONG THE HAY

18　POOR DOLLY!

19　THE FISHERMAN'S CHILDREN

20　RABBITS

21　THE LITTLE CARPENTER

22　THE HONEY-BEE'S SONG

23　HOW POLL WAS FOUND

24　ELEPHANT STORIES

25　TABBY

26　MOUSIE CAUGHT

27　PUSSY AND MAY

28　PEEPSIE

29　SALT

30　A PICNIC IN THE WOODS

31　A STORY OF AN APPLE

32　THE BIRDS' NEST　I

33　THE BIRDS' NEST　II

34　THE LOST LETTERS

35　FATHER'S PAPER

36　HOP O' MY THUMB　I

37　HOP O' MY THUMB　II

38　HOP O' MY THUMB　III

39　HOP O' MY THUMB　IV

40　LITTLE SAILORS

41　LOST—THREE LITTLE BIRDIES

42　I WONDER

43　A RHYME FOR LITTLE FOLKS

44　NELL AND THE BIRD

45　THE SHINING WEB

46　FREDDIE AND THE CHERRIES

47　A LITTLE BOY

48　DO YOUR BEST

49　GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD MORNING

50　THE TWO LITTLE KITTENS

英国学生文学读本　2

CONTENTS

01　WHAT IS FEAR?

02　"BRAVE AS A LION; GENTLE AS A LAMB."

03　CLIMBING

04　THE BEAR AND THE KETTLE

05　THE SNAIL　I

06　THE SNAIL　II

07　HIDE AND SEEK

08　THE MAGPIE AND THE BIRDS

09　WILLIE'S CHRISTMAS PRESENT

10　THE MAGIC OF SILENCE

11　MY BOAT

12　WORKING DOGS

13　THE STORY OF MUSSENTOUCHIT

14　THE SEAL

15　NATURE'S STORY-BOOK

16　SWINGING

17　STORIES OF MONKEYS

18　TIME AND TIDE WAIT FOR NO MAN

19　"HERRING, FRESH HERRING."

20　THEY DIDN'T THINK

21　THE INDIAN AND HIS DOG

22　HONESTY

23　SUGAR

24　WHAT ARE YOU?

25　UNCLE PHIL'S STORY

26　PICK, SHOVEL, AND SPEAR

27　HOW LONG IT TAKES

28　SUNNY SUMMER

29　COCOA-NUTS

30　A RUN AWAY RIDE

31　ABOUT FIRES

32　THE BROWN THRUSH

33　A RAILWAY TRAIN

34　SELFISH SAMBO

35　A YOUNG HERO

36　THE SNOW-FLAKE'S SONG

37　A WALRUS HUNT

38　CAMPING OUT

39　FILLING A BASKET WITH WATER

40　TIME ENOUGH

41　THE WATER BABY　I

42　THE WATER BABY　II

43　THE WATER BABY　III

44　THREE LITTLE CHICKS

45　SOMETHING FOR CHILDREN

46　WYNKEN, BLYNKEN, AND NOD

47　SUPPOSE!

48　WE ARE SEVEN

49　THE CHILD'S FIRST GRIEF

英国学生文学读本　3

CONTENTS

01　BIRD OR BEAST?

02　"EVERGREEN."

03　WISHES

04　GAMBETTA AND HIS DOG

05　THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES

06　INDUSTRY

07　THE BANYAN-TREE

08　A HEROIC BROTHER

09　"WANTED—A BOY."

10　HOW A DOG SAVED A SHIP'S CREW

11　FABLES

12　THE NAIL-MAKER

13　TRIPPING INTO TOWN

14　HOW BIRDS USE THEIR BILLS

15　A ROGUE OUTWITTED

16　THE MAN IN THE BOY

17　BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SOW

18　THE CARE OF OUR STREETS

19　A NOBLE ACT

20　FAIRYLAND

21　THE TONGUE

22　GOOD OR BAD?

23　STICK TO YOUR BUSH

24　PERSEVERANCE

25　BUSY RAINDROPS

26　BUSY BROOKS

27　FABLES

28　SUMMER WOODS

29　A CLUMSY PET

30　WHAT THE NETTLE SAID

31　STORY OF A LION

32　THE MAN THAT CARRIED THE BRICK

33　THE WOOD-CUTTERS AND THE BIRDS

34　FUSS-AND-FRET

35　ABOUT MICE

36　"STAND FAST."

37　"HE'S A BRICK."

38　LESSONS FROM LITTLE THINGS

39　OBEYING ORDERS

40　ONLY A RIBBON

41　THE GOLDEN TOUCH　I

42　THE GOLDEN TOUCH　II

43　THE GOLDEN TOUCH　III

44　A HIGH MARK

45　CONTENTMENT

46　ADRIFT ON AN ICE-RAFT

47　BABY SEALS

48　THE BEAR AND THE BEES

49　MICHAEL THE UPRIGHT

50　KILLING A RATTLESNAKE

51　HELP ONE ANOTHER

52　THE LADY-BIRD AND THE ANT

53　A BONE THAT NEEDED BREAKING

54　USEFUL GRASSES　I

55　USEFUL GRASSES　II

56　GIVING

57　THE HOUSE I LIVE IN

58　KEEP THE BODY CLEAN

59　FRESH AIR

60　EXERCISE

61　POETRY FOR RECITATION

英国学生文学读本　4

CONTENTS

01　FINGERS AND FORKS

02　THE SNOWY OWL

03　A STORY OF FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

04　COMMON THINGS

05　THE WONDERFUL PENNY

06　A SLATE-PENCIL

07　LITTLE SCOTCH GRANITE

08　MY LITTLE HERO

09　THE LOBSTER

10　KEEP YOUR TEMPER

11　HOW FILIPPE'S COW WAS SAVED

12　TWO SURPRISES

13　TOO MANY DOLLS

14　THE BRAVE LITTLE SHEPHERD

15　PENGUINS

16　A HINDU FABLE

17　VIENNA ROLLS

18　THE EMPEROR'S WATCH

19　OUR YARD MEASURE AND OUR POUND WEIGHT

20　A SERMON

21　SMOKE

22　MATCHES

23　JACK AND THE MATCH-BOX

24　"IT WILL NEVER DO TO BE IDLE."

25　AN OSTRICH FARM

26　BIRD-HOUSES

27　A NEST IN A POCKET

28　THE FEAST OF CHERRIES

29　BANANAS

30　WEATHER-WISDOM

31　SUMMER

32　THE LIFE OF PLANTS

33　SOWING SEEDS

34　THE MEETING OF THE SHIPS

35　HOW THE "SHARON" WAS SAVED

36　ARMOURED ANIMALS

37　THE SLOTH

38　THE SENTINEL'S POUCH

39　ICELAND

40　KING HACON'S LAST BATTLE

41　FIRELAND

42　HOW CARL SAVED HIS FATHER'S LIFE

43　OLD THINGS MADE NEW

44　QUESTIONS

45　THE COTTON PLANT

46　SAMUEL CROMPTON, THE COTTON-SPINNER

47　HOW ROOKS DECAY

48　LITTLE BY LITTLE

49　SIFTING BOYS

50　THE LIFE OF A FLY

51　OUR WILD BEES

52　FAR, FAR UPON THE SEA

53　A STORY WITHOUT AN END

54　A NATION OF SOLDIERS　I

55　A NATION OF SOLDIERS　II

56　ANCIENT SONG OF VICTORY

57　THE FRAME-WORK OF THE BODY　I

58　THE FRAME-WORK OF THE BODY　II

59　MUSCLE

60　THE SKIN

61　POETRY FOR RECITATION

英国学生文学读本　5

CONTENTS

01　THE MILLER'S TENTH　I

02　THE MILLER'S TENTH　II

03　THE LADDER OF ST. AUGUSTINE

04　"PAPER, SIR?"

05　CONTENTMENT

06　THE MALLANGONG

07　THE STORY OF CYRUS FIELD　I

08　THE STORY OF CYRUS FIELD　II

09　A SEA DREAM

10　BETWEEN SEA AND SKY　I

11　BETWEEN SEA AND SKY　II

12　THE KANGAROO

13　LAKE COMO

14　BOOTS AND SHOES

15　FOLLOWING A STAR

16　WHY "PAT" WORE THE V.C.

17　STRANGE SAVINGS-BANKS　I

18　STRANGE SAVINGS-BANKS　II

19　THE LAST TREE OF THE FOREST

20　A SWIM FOR LIFE

21　COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD

22　THE BATTLE OF MORGARTEN

23　A SWISS VILLAGE

24　ULRICA: A TALE OF NOVA SCOTIA　I

25　ULRICA: A TALE OF NOVA SCOTIA　II

26　GRAND PRÉ

27　THE FUGITIVES OF FRENCH CROSS

28　THE BLOW-PIPE

29　THE VENETIAN GONDOLA

30　VENICE

31　A STORY OF TWO ARTISTS

32　GOOD FOR EVIL

33　CARNIVOROUS PLANTS　I

34　CARNIVOROUS PLANTS　II

35　FISHING SONGS

36　SUMMER AND WINTER IN SWEDEN

37　SIR HENRY BESSEMER

38　A DAY IN THE DESERT

39　RAVEN'S CRAG

40　ENGLAND'S DEAD

41　A CLIMB UP MOUNT VESUVIUS

42　A CITY OF THE DEAD

43　ROME AND THE ROMANS

44　THE ROMANS AT TABLE

45　THE FISHERMEN

46　HUNTING THE SEA-OTTER

47　A SEAL-SKIN COAT

48　SELF-DEFENCE

49　THE HOLLY TREE

50　THE "SPECIAL."

51　DOWN THE MOSELLE

52　THE LAST FRENCH LESSON

53　BINGEN ON THE RHINE

54　KINDNESS TO ANIMALS

55　THE HORSE

56　HASSAN'S DREAM

57　THE BLOOD

58　THE HEART AND ITS WORK　I

59　THE HEART AND ITS WORK　II

60　THE LUNGS AND THEIR WORK

61　POETRY

英国学生文学读本　6

CONTENTS

01　AMONG THE ALLIGATORS

02　MEASUREMENT OF TIME

03　SILKWORMS

04　DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND

05　AN ORIENTAL LEGEND

06　A HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNT　I

07　A HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNT　II

08　KAMTCHATKA AND ITS PEOPLE

09　A LUMBER CAMP

10　THE LUMBERMEN

11　ABOUT ICEBERGS

12　THE HEROINE OF CASTLE DANGEROUS

13　A CITY IN THE ANDES

14　LAND AND SEA BREEZES

15　THE CLOUD

16　A DESERT RIDE　I

17　A DESERT RIDE　II

18　THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON

19　ON READING

20　HASTE NOT, REST NOT

21　NATIVE SPORTS IN HAWAII

22　PAPUA AND ITS PEOPLE

23　A THREE DAYS' CHASE　I

24　A THREE DAYS' CHASE　II

25　THE OCEAN

26　THE KRAKATOA ERUPTION

27　HUMANITY IN WAR

28　THE BATTLE OF CORUNNA　I

29　THE BATTLE OF CORUNNA　II

30　THE ARSENAL AT SPRINGFIELD

31　THE LITTLE CORPORAL　I

32　THE LITTLE CORPORAL　II

33　PERFUMES

34　A DINNER PARTY IN ANCIENT THEBES

35　ELEGY WRITTEN IN A COUNTRYCHURCHYARD

36　A TEA-CARAVAN

37　ACROSS LAKE BAIKAL

38　THE WORLD BEFORE COLUMBUS

39　MONTEZUMA　I

40　MONTEZUMA　II

41　MONTEZUMA　III

42　THE PLATE OF GOLD

43　THE LAND OF THE WHITE ELEPHANT

44　CROSSING THE BAR　I

45　CROSSING THE BAR　II

46　MOY CASTLE

47　A RIVER IN THE OCEAN

48　THE "KURO SIWO".

49　STORIES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT　I

50　STORIES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT　II

51　DAVID'S LAMENT FOR ABSALOM

52　THE OVERLAND ROUTE

53　THE RUBBER-TREES OF THE AMAZON

54　USES OF FORESTS

55　A FOREST HYMN

56　THE NERVES AND THE BRAIN

57　TOUCH

58　TASTE AND SMELL

59　THE EAR

60　THE EYE

61　POETRY