Section I.--The Congress in General._Reading Made Easy for Foreigners

Produced by Al Haines

READING MADE EASY FOR FOREIGNERS

Third Reader

JOHN L. HÜLSHOF

TEACHER OF MODERN LANGUAGES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

OF NEW YORK CITY

HINDS, NOBLE & ELDREDGE

31-33-35 West 15th Street, New York City

HINDS, NOBLE & ELDREDGE

PREFACE

This Reader is intended more particularly for pupils in Class A of the

public evening schools.

The pupils of this class may be considered as having passed the

transition stage of which mention was made in the Second Reader, and as

having entered upon the last stage in acquiring the English language.

They have not only acquired a considerable vocabulary, but have now a

practical mastery of our vernacular. They use English in their

conversation; in short, they have acquired the power of expressing

their feelings and thoughts in the English language. Notwithstanding

all this, they are conscious of the fact that their _language_ is less

idiomatic than that of the native born, and their power over the

written expression is wofully weak.

To remedy these defects, they flock to the evening schools. They have

decided to make this country their permanent home, and they are deeply

interested in everything appertaining to our government, our

institutions, our literature, in fact our civilization.

A glance at the contents of this reader will convince the experienced

teacher that the reading material is many-sided enough to satisfy the

demands of both teacher and pupils.

That this series of readers may become a powerful incentive in

implanting right ideals of social conduct, and lay the foundation of

true American citizenship, is the heartfelt wish of

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS

PREFACE

REMARKS TO THE TEACHER

LESSONS.

I. FLAG DAY

II. BREATHE PURE AIR

III. COFFEE

IV. OUR NATIONAL FLAG

V. PRESS ON

VI. RESIGNATION

VII. STATUE OF LIBERTY IN NEW YORK HARBOR

VIII. INDEPENDENCE

IX. NEWFOUNDLAND

X. THE USE OF TRIFLES

XI. ROSA BONHEUR

XII. ALEXANDER AND THE ROBBER

XIII. THE AMERICAN INDIAN

XIV. THE FIRST STEAMBOAT

XV. KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION

XVI. TACT AND TALENT

XVII. GEORGE WASHINGTON, PART I

XVIII. BEHAVIOR

XIX. ESSENCE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

XX. THE ART OF OBSERVATION

XXI. LETTERS

XXII. REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES

XXIII. ALI BABA

XXIV. BIRDS

XXV. SLEEP

XXVI. CURIOUS BIRDS' NESTS

XXVII. BUSINESS QUALIFICATIONS

XXVIII. ABBREVIATIONS OF NAMES OF STATES

XXIX. THE SUN

XXX. IVORY

XXXI. FLOWERS

XXXII. THE MOSQUITO

XXXIII. SELF-RELIANCE

XXXIV. FRANKLIN'S TOAST

XXXV. HUMANITY REWARDED

XXXVI. WORK PROCLAIMS A WORKMAN

XXXVII. REPUBLICS

XXXVIII. FALSE NOTIONS OF LIBERTY

XXXIX. THE VOICE

XL. THE INTREPID YOUTH

XLI. AUTUMN

XLII. WORDS AND THEIR MEANING

XLIII. HOW TO SELECT A BOY

XLIV. SALT

XLV. STUDIES

XLVI. RULES OF BEHAVIOR

XLVII. USING THE EYES

XLVIII. THE AFFECTION AND REVERENCE DUE A MOTHER

XLIX. WHEAT

L. COUNTENANCE AND CHARACTER

LI. THE VALUE OF TIME

LII. THE STUDY OF CIVICS

LIII. THE SEA AND ITS USES

LIV. WONDERLAND

LV. OUR COUNTRY TO-DAY, PART I

LVI. OUR COUNTRY TO-DAY, PART II

LVII. PICTURES FROM AMERICAN HISTORY

LVIII. THOMAS A. EDISON

LIX. ABRAHAM LINCOLN

LX. ADDRESS DELIVERED AT THE DEDICATION OF

THE CEMETERY AT GETTYSBURG

LXI. WAGES

LXII. LOVE FOR THE DEAD

LXIII. ECONOMY OF TIME

LXIV. GEORGE STEPHENSON, THE ENGINEER

LXV. GEORGE WASHINGTON, PART II

LXVI. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

LXVII. NOBILITY REWARDED

POETRY

SELECTION.

I. A CITY STREET

II. THE SHIP OF STATE

III. BE TRUE

IV. BRING BACK MY FLOWERS

V. "OLD IRONSIDES"

VI. TREASURE TROVE

VII. THE HERITAGE

VIII. THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER

IX. THE SWORD OF BUNKER HILL

X. THE HUNTERS

XI. MY FATHERLAND

XII. WOODMAN, SPARE THAT TREE

XIII. PRAYER IN BATTLE

XIV. THE RETORT

XV. A PSALM OF LIFE

XVI. THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET

XVII. OFT IN THE STILLY NIGHT

XVIII. THE PICKET OF THE POTOMAC

XIX. COLUMBIA, THE GEM OF THE OCEAN; OR,

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE

XX. RECESSIONAL

XXI. HUMAN PROGRESS

XXII. GIVE ME THE PEOPLE

MISCELLANEOUS

CHARACTERISTIC OF HEROISM CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES DECLARATION

OF INDEPENDENCE FREEDOM OF THOUGHT USEFUL INFORMATION WISE SAYINGS

REMARKS TO THE TEACHER

Complete answers should be given by the pupils. The simple words "yes"

or "no" do not constitute an answer in these exercises; such

expressions give no practice in the use of the language.

The teacher should prepare himself thoroughly for each lesson in order

to ask many pointed questions relative to the reading matter.

The entire time spent in reading the lesson and questioning the class

should not exceed thirty minutes. Too much detail will only confuse

and fatigue the pupils. Five or six words that present any difficulty

_either in spelling or pronunciation_ may be selected from the reading

lesson for dictation. Such words should not be given singly, but

rather in short sentences.

These sentences may first be read by the class from the blackboard and

then copied. After new slips have been distributed, the same sentences

should then be written from dictation (the writing on the blackboard

being covered or erased in the meantime). The pupils are afterwards

required to compare their work with that on the board and make the

necessary corrections themselves.

READING MADE EASY FOR FOREIGNERS

THIRD READER

LESSON I

FLAG DAY

In this fair land of ours you can see the Stars and Stripes floating

over every public school. This beautiful flag stands for our country.

Every American is proud of his country's flag. It stands for all that

is good and dear to an American. It stands for Liberty. It proclaims

liberty to all. Every star stands for liberty. Every stripe stands

for liberty. It stands for liberty of thought and liberty of speech as

well.

The first American flag was made in June, 1777, by Mrs. Ross, in the

city of Philadelphia. When General Washington saw the flag, he was

delighted with it. Every American is not only delighted with it, but

he loves the dear old flag. The fourteenth day of June of each year is

set apart as Flag Day.

"_I pledge allegiance to my flag and the Republic for which it stands;

one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all_."

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ABOVE LESSON ACCORDING TO THE RATIONAL METHOD.

_See Remarks to the Teacher, Page vii_.

What kind of a land is ours? What is meant by the stars and stripes?

Over what buildings do we see the flag floating? What kind of a flag

is it? For what does our flag stand? For what else does it stand?

What does our flag proclaim? Who is proud of the flag? What does our

flag tell to all the people? How many stars are there in the flag?

For what does each star stand? When was the first American flag made?

By whom was it made? In what city was it made? What did Washington

think of it when he saw it? How do we Americans look upon the flag?

When is Flag Day? etc., etc.

DICTATION EXERCISES

_See Remarks to the Teacher, Page vii_.

Our country has a _beautiful_ flag. This flag _proclaims_ or declares

liberty to the people. I am _delighted_ with my country's flag. I

pledge _allegiance_ or _fidelity_ to my flag. Our nation is

_indivisible_; it cannot be parted.

SELECTION I

A CITY STREET

I love the woods, the fields, the streams,

The wild flowers fresh and sweet,

And yet I love no less than these

The crowded city street;

For haunts of men, where'er they be,

Awake my deepest sympathy.

I see within the city street

Life's most extreme estates;

The gorgeous domes of palaces;

The dismal prison gates;

The hearths by household virtues blest,

The dens that are the serpent's nest.

I see the rich man, proudly fed

And richly clothed, pass by;

I see the shivering, houseless wretch

With hunger in his eye;

For life's severest contrasts meet

Forever in the city street.

Hence is it that a city street

Can deepest thoughts impart,

For all its people, high and low,

Are kindred to my heart;

And with a yearning love I share

In all their joy, their pain, their care.

_Mary Howitt_.

_Questions_: Can you put this little poem in prose? Tell what you

admire in nature. Then tell what you observe in the city. Tell about

the rich and where they live. Also about the poor and how they are

housed and clothed. Let us write a composition together.

LESSON II

BREATHE PURE AIR

Some boys were playing hide-and-seek one day, when one of their number

thought it would be good sport to hide little Robert in a large empty

trunk. He did so and then turned the key in the lock. The little

fellow in the chest was very quiet indeed, and they almost forgot about

him. After some time they thought of him and some one went to the

trunk and asked: "Hello, Robert. Do you want to come out now?" No

answer came. They opened the trunk and found poor little Robert nearly

dead. The doctor had to be called, and he worked long and hard to

restore the poor boy to health.

The air which we breathe out is not fit to be breathed in again. We

soon use up, in this way, all the pure air about us. So we must have a

fresh supply. As soon as Robert had breathed in all the good air that

was in the trunk, there was nothing left but poisoned air. If fresh

air had not been given to him by opening the trunk, he could not have

lived three minutes longer.

Nothing is so needful to health as good, pure air. Whether you are in

the schoolroom or in the house, remember this. Bad air is so much

poison, and the more we breathe it the worse it gets. The poison is

carbonic acid, and to breathe it long is certain death.

Not many years ago, during a storm at sea, a stupid sea-captain ordered

his passengers to go below in the hold of the vessel. Then he covered

up the hold, so that no fresh air could enter. When the storm was over

he opened the hold, and found that seventy human beings had died for

want of pure air.

Through his gross ignorance of the laws of life, he had done all this

mischief. Remember what I say: insist on having good air; for impure

air, though it may not always kill you, is always bad for your health.

LESSON III

COFFEE

Coffee is made from the berries of a tree called the coffee plant, or

coffee tree. This tree grows in some of the hot countries of the

world, as Brazil, Cuba, Arabia, and Java. The best coffee comes from

Arabia. But most of the coffee that is used in this country comes from

Brazil.

When first known, the coffee tree was a wild shrub growing among the

hills of Caffa, in the northeastern part of Africa. But when people

learned what a pleasant drink could be made from its berries, they

began to take it into other countries, where they cultivated it with

much care.

There is an old story told of a shepherd who, it is said, was the first

to use this drink. He noticed that after his goats had fed on the

leaves of a certain tree--the coffee plant--they were always very

lively and wakeful. So he took some of the leaves and berries of the

plant, and boiling them in water, he made a drink for himself. He

found it so pleasant to the taste that he told some of his neighbors

about it. They tried it and were as much pleased as himself. And so,

little by little, the drink came, after a while, into common use.

The coffee plant is a beautiful little tree, growing sometimes to the

height of twenty feet. It has smooth, dark leaves, long and pointed.

It has pretty, white blossoms, which grow in thick clusters close to

the branches. Its fruit looks a little like a cherry; and within it

are the coffee berries, two in each cherry.

When ripe, the red fruit turns to a deep purple and is sweet to the

taste. In Arabia the fruit is allowed to fall on mats placed under the

trees; but in other countries it is commonly gathered as soon as it is

ripe, and it is then dried by being placed on mats in the sun.

After the outside part has been removed the berries are again dried.

They are then put in sacks and boxes to be sent into other parts of the

world.

LESSON IV

OUR NATIONAL FLAG

There is a national flag. He must be cold indeed who can look upon its

folds rippling in the breeze without pride of country. If he be in a

foreign land, the flag is companionship and country itself with all its

endearments. Who, as he sees it, can think of a state merely? Whose

eyes, once fastened upon it, can fail to recognize the image of the

whole nation? It has been called a "floating piece of poetry."

Its highest beauty is in what it symbolizes. It is because it

represents all, that all gaze at it with delight and reverence. It is

a piece of bunting lifted in the air, but it speaks sublimely, and

every part has a voice. Its stripes of alternate red and white

proclaim the original union of thirteen states. Its stars of white on

a field of blue proclaim the union of the states. A new star is added

with every new state. The very colors have a language, which was

understood by our fathers.

White is for purity, red for valor, blue for justice. Thus the

bunting, stripes and stars together, make the flag of our

country--loved by all our hearts and upheld by all our hands.

SELECTION II

THE SHIP OF STATE

Thou, too, sail on, O ship of State!

Sail on, O Union, strong and great!

Humanity, with all its fears,

With all the hopes of future years,

Is hanging breathless on thy fate.

We know what Master laid thy keel,

What Workman wrought thy ribs of steel,

Who made each mast, and sail, and rope,

What anvils rang, what hammers beat,

In what forge and what a heat

Were shaped the anchors of thy hope!

Fear not each sudden sound and shock,

'Tis of the wave, and not the rock;

'Tis but the flapping of the sail,

And not a rent made by the gale.

In spite of rock and tempest's roar,

In spite of false lights on the shore,

Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea.

Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee;

Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears,

Our faith triumphant o'er our fears,

Are all with thee,--are all with thee.

_H. W. Longfellow_.

LESSON V

"PRESS ON"

This is a speech, brief, but full of inspiration, and opening the way

to all victory. The secret of Napoleon's career was this,--under all

difficulties and discouragements, "Press on." It solves the problem of

all heroes; it is the rule by which to weigh rightly all wonderful

successes and triumphal marches to fortune and genius. It should be

the motto of all, old and young, high and low, fortunate and

unfortunate, so called.

"Press on." Never despair; never be discouraged, however stormy the

heavens, however dark the way; however great the difficulties, and

repeated the failures, "Press on."

If fortune hath played false with thee today, do thou play true for

thyself to-morrow. If thy riches have taken wings and left thee, do

not weep thy life away; but be up and doing, and retrieve the loss by

new energies and action. If an unfortunate bargain has deranged thy

business, do not fold thy arms, and give up all as lost; but stir

thyself and work the more vigorously.

If those whom thou hast trusted have betrayed thee, do not be

discouraged, do not idly weep, but "_Press on_." Find others: or, what

is better, learn to live within thyself. Let the foolishness of

yesterday make thee wise to-day.

LESSON VI

RESIGNATION

Rabbi Meir, the great teacher, sat one Sabbath day in the school of the

holy law, and taught the people. The rabbi had two sons, who were

youths of great promise and well instructed in the law. On that

Sabbath day they both died.

Tenderly their mother bore them to an upper chamber, laid them on her

bed, and spread a white sheet over their bodies.

In the evening Rabbi Meir came home. "Where are my sons," asked he,

"that I may give them my blessing?"

"They are gone into the school of the law," was his wife's reply.

"I looked around me," said he, "and I did not see them."

She set before him a cup; he praised the Lord for the close of the

Sabbath, drank, and then asked again, "Where are my sons, that they may

also drink of the wine of blessing?"

"They cannot be far off," said his wife, as she placed food before him

and begged him to eat.

When he had given thanks after the meal, she said, "Rabbi, allow me a

question."

"Speak, my beloved," answered he.

"Some time ago," said she, "a certain one gave me jewels to keep for

him, and now he asks them back. Shall I give him them?"

"My wife should not need to ask such a question," said Rabbi Meir.

"Would you hesitate to give anyone back his own?"

"Oh, no," replied she, "but I did not like to give them back without

your knowing beforehand." Then she led him to the upper chamber,

stepped in, and took the covering off the bodies.

"Oh, my sons," sobbed the father, "my sons, my sons!" The mother

turned herself away and wept.

Soon, however, his wife took him by the hand and said: "Rabbi, have you

not taught me that we must not refuse to give back what was intrusted

to us to keep? See, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: the

name of the Lord be blessed."

And Rabbi Meir repeated the words, and said from the depths of his

heart, "Amen."

LESSON VII

STATUE OF LIBERTY IN NEW YORK HARBOR

"Liberty," or Bartholdi's statue, was presented to the United States by

the French people in 1885. It is the largest statue ever built. The

great French sculptor Bartholdi made it after the likeness of his

mother. Eight years were consumed in the construction of this gigantic

image. Its size is really enormous. The height of the figure alone is

fully one hundred and fifty feet. Forty persons can find standing room

within the mighty head, which is fifteen feet in diameter. A six-foot

man, standing upon the lower lip, can hardly reach the eyes of the

colossal head. The index finger is eight feet long, and the nose is

over three feet long. Yet the proportion of all the parts of the

figure is so well preserved that the whole statue is in perfect harmony.

The materials of which the statue is composed are copper and steel.

The immense torch which is held in the hand of the giantess is three

hundred feet above tidewater.

The Colossus of Rhodes was a pigmy compared with this huge wonder.

LESSON VIII

INDEPENDENCE

Scholars, who are enjoying the priceless blessings of that liberty

which cost our forefathers so much treasure and so much blood,--have

you read the Declaration of Independence? If you have not, read it; if

you have, read it again; study it; make its noble sentiments your own,

and do not fail to grave deep in your memories these immortal lines:--

"We hold these truths to be self-evident; That all men are created

equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable

rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of

happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted

among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed;

that, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these

ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to

institute a new government, laying its foundation on such principles,

and organizing its powers in such forms, as to them shall seem most

likely to effect their safety and happiness."

SELECTION III

BE TRUE

Thou must be true thyself,

If thou the truth wouldst teach;

Thy soul must overflow, if thou

Another's soul would'st reach;

It needs the overflow of hearts

To give the lips full speech.

Think truly, and thy thoughts

Shall the world's famine feed;

Speak truly, and each word of thine

Shall be a fruitful seed;

Live truly, and thy life shall be

A great and noble creed.

_Anonymous_.

LESSON IX

NEWFOUNDLAND

Newfoundland is an island about the size of New York State. It belongs

to England. The cod fisheries there are very extensive.

The people of Newfoundland are strong, healthy and industrious. They

are law-abiding, and serious; crime is very rare among them. Their

kindness and hospitality to strangers who visit the country are

proverbial. Kindness to the poor and unfortunate is a marked feature

in the character of the people. When business is poor they are ready

to share their last morsel with those in distress.

The fishermen are the working classes of the country. During the

height of the fishery season, and when fish are abundant, their labors

are severe; but during winter they are for the most part in a condition

of enforced idleness. Much of the work of curing the fish is done by

women and girls, and their labors are often very heavy. When the

fisheries are over, there are boats, nets, etc., to repair, stages to

look after, and fuel to be cut in the woods and hauled over the snow.

If the fishery has been successful, then the fisherman has a balance

coming to him after paying for his summer supplies, and is enabled to

lay in a stock of provisions for the winter.

Winter is the season for enjoyment among the fishermen. This season

for fireside enjoyments, home-born pleasures, is welcome. They have

their simple social enjoyments of various kinds. Dancing is a favorite

winter amusement among the fishermen and their families. Weddings are

celebrated with great festivity.

Newfoundland is often regarded as the very paradise of sportsmen. Its

countless lakes and ponds abound with trout of the finest description,

and these bodies of water are the abodes of the wild goose, the wild

duck, and other fresh-water fowl.

The pine forests are the home of numerous wild animals. The fox, the

bear and the caribou furnish the highest prizes for the hunter.

SELECTION IV

BRING BACK MY FLOWERS

A child sat by a limpid stream,

And gazed upon the tide beneath;

Upon her cheek was joy's bright beam,

And on her brow a blooming wreath.

Her lap was filled with fragrant flowers,

And, as the clear brook babbled by,

She scattered down the rosy showers,

With many a wild and joyous cry,

And laughed to see the mingling tide

Upon its onward progress glide.

And time flew on, and flower by flower

Was cast upon the sunny stream;

But when the shades of eve did lower,

She woke up from her blissful dream.

"Bring back my flowers!" she wildly cried;

"Bring back the flowers I flung to thee!"

But echo's voice alone replied,

As danced the streamlet down the lea;

And still, amid night's gloomy hours,

In vain she cried, "Bring back my flowers!"

O maiden, who on time's swift stream

Dost gayly see the moments flee,

In this poor child's delusive dream

An emblem may be found of thee.

Each moment is a perfumed rose,

Into thy hand by mercy given,

That thou its fragrance might dispose

And let its incense rise to heaven;

Else when death's shadow o'er thee lowers,

Thy heart will wail, "Bring back my flowers!"

_Lucy Larcom_.

LESSON X

THE USE OF TRIFLES

A certain painter once said he had become great in his art by never

neglecting trifles. It would be well for all of us to follow that

simple and easy rule. No man's house but would be more comfortable,

and no family but would be more cheerful, if the value of trifles and

the art of using them were better understood. Attention to trifles is

the true art of economy.

We must, however, take care not to confound economy with parsimony.

The former means a frugal and judicious use of things without waste,

the latter a too close and sparing use of things needed. Now a person

who understands the use of little things is economical; for instance.

If you wipe a pen before you put it away it will last twice as long as

if you do not.

Generally the habits we acquire in our youth we carry with us into old

age; hence the necessity of proper training in childhood. A woman who

attends to trifles and has habits of economy will not hastily throw

away bits of cotton or worsted, nor will she waste soap by letting it

lie in the water. She will keep an eye to the pins and matches,

knowing that the less often such things are bought, the more is saved.

She will not think it above her care to mend the clothes or darn the

stockings, remembering that "_a stitch in time saves nine_."

LESSON XI

ROSA BONHEUR

Rosa Bonheur was born at Bordeaux, France, the daughter of a painter.

Her father was her first teacher in art.

At an early age, when most children draw in an aimless way, her father

guided his little girl's efforts with his own experienced hand. He

taught her to study and sketch from nature instead of relying on copies.

As a child she cared nothing for dolls and toys, but loved animals

dearly. Is it any wonder, then, that she took them for her subject

when she began to paint?

In her childhood she had two dogs and a goat for pets, and later on

kept a sheep in her Parisian apartment. Still later, when she had

become a distinguished woman, her studio included a farmyard.

Her animal paintings are so real and life-like that a study of the

faces of all the horses in that wonderful picture, "The Horse Fair,"

will reveal distinctly different expressions in each face.

Although most simple in her personal habits and in her life, Rosa

Bonheur was the greatest woman artist that ever lived.

"The Horse Fair," Rosa Bonheur's most famous painting, was bought by an

American gentleman and presented by him to the Metropolitan Museum of

Art, in New York.

LESSON XII

ALEXANDER AND THE ROBBER

_Alexander_--What! art thou that Thracian robber, of whose exploits I

have heard so much?

_Robber_--I am a Thracian, and a soldier.

_Alexander_--A soldier!--a thief, a plunderer, an assassin, the pest of

the country; but I must detest and punish thy crimes.

_Robber_--What have I done of which you can complain?

_Alexander_--Hast thou not set at defiance my authority, violated the

public peace and passed thy life in injuring the persons and properties

of thy fellow-subjects?

_Robber_--Alexander, I am your captive. I must hear what you please to

say, and endure what you please to inflict. But my soul is

unconquered; and if I reply at all to your reproaches, I will reply

like a free man.

_Alexander_--Speak freely. Far be it from me to take advantage of my

power, to silence those with whom I deign to converse.

_Robber_--I must, then, answer your question by another. How have you

passed your life?

_Alexander_--Like a hero. Ask Fame, and she will tell you. Among the

brave, the bravest; among sovereigns, the noblest; among conquerors,

the mightiest.

_Robber_--And does not Fame speak of me too? Was there ever a bolder

captain of a more valiant band? Was there ever--but I scorn to boast.

You yourself know that I have not been easily subdued.

_Alexander_--Still, what are you but a robber,--a base, dishonest

robber?

_Robber_--And what is a conqueror? Have not you too gone about the

earth like an evil genius, plundering, killing without law, without

justice, merely to gratify your thirst for dominion? What I have done

in a single province with a hundred followers, you have done to whole

nations with a hundred thousand. What; then, is the difference, but

that you were born a king, and I a private man; you have been able to

become a mightier robber than I.

_Alexander_--But if I have taken like a king, I have given like a king.

If I have overthrown empires, I have founded greater. I have cherished

arts, commerce, and philosophy.

_Robber_--I too have freely given to the poor what I took from the

rich. I know, indeed, very little of the philosophy you speak of, but

I believe neither you nor I shall ever atone to the world for the

mischief we have done it.

_Alexander_--Leave me. Take off his chains, and use him well. Are we,

then, so much alike? Alexander like a robber? Let me reflect.

LESSON XIII

THE AMERICAN INDIAN

Not many generations ago, where you now sit, surrounded with all that

makes life happy, the rank thistle nodded in the wind, and the wild fox

dug his hole unscared. Here lived and loved another race of beings.

Beneath the same sun that rolls over your heads, the Indian hunter

pursued the panting deer; he gazed on the same moon that smiles for

you, and here too the Indian lover wooed his dusky mate.

Here the wigwam blaze beamed on the tender and helpless, the council

fire glared on the wise and daring. Here they warred; and when the

strife was over, here curled the smoke of peace.

Here, too, they worshiped; and from many a dark bosom went up a pure

prayer to the Great Spirit. He had written His laws for them, not on

tables of stone, but He had traced them on the tables of their hearts.

The poor child of nature knew not the God of revelation, but the God of

the Universe he acknowledged in everything around.

He beheld Him in the star that sunk in beauty behind his lonely

dwelling; in the flower that swayed in the morning breeze; in the lofty

trees as well as in the worm that crawled at his feet.

All this has passed away. Four hundred years have changed the face of

this great continent, and this peculiar race has been well-nigh blotted

out. Art has taken the place of simple nature, and civilization has

been too strong for the savage tribes of the red man.

Here and there a few Indians remain; but these are merely the degraded

offspring of this once noble race of men.

SELECTION XI

MY FATHERLAND

There is a land, of every land the pride,

Beloved by Heaven o'er all the world beside,

Where brighter suns dispense serener light,

And milder moons imparadise the night.

O land of beauty, virtue, valor, truth,

Time-tutored age, and love-exalted youth!

The wandering mariner, whose eye explores

The wealthiest isles, the most enchanting shores,

Views not a realm so bountiful and fair,

Nor breathes the spirit of a purer air.

In every clime, the magnet of his soul,

Touched by remembrance, trembles to that pole;

For, in this land of Heaven's peculiar race,

The heritage of nature's noblest grace,

There is a spot of earth supremely blest,

A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest,

Where man, creation's tyrant, casts aside

His sword and scepter, pageantry and pride,

While, in his softened looks, benignly blend

The sire, the son, the husband, brother, friend.

Here woman reigns; the mother, daughter, wife,

Strew with fresh flowers the narrow way of life;

In the clear heaven of her delightful eye,

An angel guard of love and graces lie;

Around her knees domestic duties meet,

And fireside pleasures gambol at her feet.

"Where shall that land, that spot of earth be found?"

Art thou a man?--a patriot?--look round;

Oh, thou shalt find, howe'er thy footsteps roam,

That land thy country, and that spot thy home.

_James Montgomery_.

LESSON XXIX

THE SUN

How far away from us is the sun? Are we to answer just as we think, or

just as we know? On a fine summer day, when we can see him clearly, it

looks as if a short trip in a balloon might take us to his throne in

the sky, yet we know--because the astronomers tell us so--that he is

more than ninety-one millions of miles distant from our earth.

Ninety-one millions of miles! It is not easy even to imagine this

distance; but let us fancy ourselves in an express-train going sixty

miles an hour without making a single stop. At that flying rate we

could travel from the earth to the sun in one hundred and seventy-one

years,--that is, if we had a road to run on and time to spare for the

journey.

Arriving at the palace of the sun, we might then have some idea of his

size. A learned Greek who lived more than two thousand years ago

thought the sun about as large as the Peloponnesus; if he had lived in

our country, he might have said, "About as large as Massachusetts."

As large as their peninsula! The other Greeks laughed at him for

believing that the shining ball was so vast. How astonished they would

have been--yes, and the wise man too--if they had been told that the

brilliant lord of the day was more than a million times as large as the

whole world!

LESSON XXX

IVORY

How many articles are made of ivory! Here is a polished knife-handle,

and there a strangely-carved paper-cutter. In the same shop may be

found albums and prayer-books with ivory covers; and, not far away,

penholders, curious toys, and parasol-handles, all made of the glossy

white material.

Where ivory is abundant, chairs of state, and even thrones are made of

it; and in Russia, in the palaces of the great, floors inlaid with

ivory help to beautify the grand apartments. One African sultan has a

whole fence of elephants' tusks around his royal residence; the

residence itself is straw-roofed and barbarous enough, both in design

and in structure. Yet imagine that ivory fence!

The elephants slain in Africa and India in the course of a year could

not furnish half the ivory used in the great markets of the world

during that time. Vienna, Paris, London and St. Petersburg keep the

elephant-hunters busy, yet it is impossible for them to satisfy all the

demands made upon them, and the ivory-diggers must be called upon to

add to the supply.

Every spring, when the ice begins to thaw, new mines or deposits of

fossil ivory--a perfect treasure of mammoths' tusks--are discovered in

the marsh-lands of Eastern Siberia. There are no mammoths now--unless

we call elephants by that name; yet their remains have been found upon

both continents. In the year 1799, the perfect skeleton of one of

these animals was found in an ice-bank near the mouth of a Siberian

river. As the vast ice-field thawed, the remains of the huge animal

came to light.

The traders who search for mammoths' tusks around the Arctic coasts of

Asia make every effort to send off, each year, at least fifty thousand

pounds of fossil ivory to the west along the great caravan road. So

great is the demand, however, that this quantity, added to that sent by

the elephant-hunters, is not large enough to make ivory cheap in trade

or in manufacture.

SELECTION XII

WOODMAN, SPARE THAT TREE

Woodman, spare that tree!

Touch not a single bough!

In youth it sheltered me,

And I'll protect it now.

'Twas my forefather's hand

That placed it near his cot:

There, woodman, let it stand;

Thy ax shall harm it not.

That old familiar tree,

Whose glory and renown

Are spread o'er land and sea,--

And wouldst thou hew it down?

Woodman, forbear thy stroke!

Cut not its earthbound ties!

Oh, spare that aged oak,

Now towering to the skies!

When but an idle boy

I sought its grateful shade;

In all their gushing joy,

Here, too, my sisters played.

My mother kissed me here,

My father pressed my hand:

Forgive this foolish tear,

But let that old oak stand.

My heart-strings round thee cling,

Close as thy bark, old friend;

Here shall the wild bird sing,

And still thy branches bend.

Old tree, the storm still brave!

And, woodman, leave the spot!

While I've a hand to save,

Thy ax shall harm it not.

_George P. Morris_.

LESSON XXXI

FLOWERS

He who cannot appreciate floral beauty is to be pitied, like any other

man who is born imperfect. It is a misfortune not unlike blindness.

But men who reject flowers as effeminate and unworthy of manhood reveal

a positive coarseness.

Many persons lose all enjoyment of many flowers by indulging false

associations. There are some who think that no weed can be of interest

as a flower. But all flowers are weeds where they grow wild and in

abundance; and somewhere our rarest flowers are somebody's commonest.

And generally there is a disposition to undervalue common flowers.

There are few that will trouble themselves to examine minutely a

blossom that they have often seen and neglected; and yet if they would

question such flowers and commune with them, they would often be

surprised to find extreme beauty where it had long been overlooked.

It is not impertinent to offer flowers to a stranger. The poorest

child can proffer them to the richest. A hundred persons turned into a

meadow full of flowers would be drawn together in a transient

brotherhood.

It is affecting to see how serviceable flowers often are to the

necessities of the poor. If they bring their little floral gift to

you, it cannot but touch your heart to think that their grateful

affection longed to express itself as much as yours.

You have books, or gems, or services that you can render as you will.

The poor can give but little and can do but little. Were it not for

flowers, they would be shut out from those exquisite pleasures which

spring from such gifts. I never take one from a child, or from the

poor, without thanking God, in their behalf, for flowers.

CHARACTERISTIC OF HEROISM

The characteristic of heroism is its persistency. All men have

wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have

chosen your part, abide by it, and do not weakly try to reconcile

yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be the common, nor the

common the heroic.

_R. W. Emerson_.

LESSON XVIII

BEHAVIOR

There is always a best way of doing everything, if it be to open a

book. Manners are the happy ways of doing things. They form at last a

rich varnish, with which the routine of life is washed, and its details

adorned. Manners are very communicable; men catch them from each other.

The power of manners is incessant,--an element as unconcealable as

fire. The nobility cannot in any country be disguised, and no more in

a republic or a democracy than in a kingdom. No man can resist their

influence. There are certain manners which are learned in good

society, and if a person have them, he or she must be considered, and

is everywhere welcome, though without beauty, or wealth, or genius.

Give a boy address and accomplishments, and you give him the mastery of

palaces and fortune wherever he goes.

Bad behavior the laws cannot reach. Society is infested with rude,

restless, and frivolous persons who prey upon the rest. Bad manners

are social inflictions which the magistrate cannot cure or defend you

from, and which must be intrusted to the restraining force of custom.

Familiar rules of behavior should be impressed on young people in their

school-days.

LESSON XIX

ESSENCE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

1. Congress must meet at least once a year.

(Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.)

2. One State cannot undo the acts of another.

3. Congress may admit any number of new States.

4. One State must respect the laws and legal decisions of another.

5. Every citizen is guaranteed a speedy trial by jury.

6. Congress cannot pass a law to punish a crime already committed.

7. Bills of revenue can originate only in the House of Representatives.

8. A person committing a crime in one State cannot find refuge in

another.

9. The Constitution forbids excessive bail or cruel punishment.

10. Treaties with foreign countries are made by the President and

ratified by the Senate.

11. Writing alone does not constitute treason against the United

States. There must be an overt act.

12. An Act of Congress cannot become law over the vote of the President

except by a two-thirds vote of both Houses.

13. The Territories each send one delegate to Congress, who has the

right to debate, but not the right to vote.

14. An officer of the Government cannot accept any title of nobility,

order or gift without the permission of Congress.

15. Only a natural-born citizen of the United States can become

President or Vice-President of the United States.

SELECTION VIII

THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER

1. Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming;

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there:

Oh, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

2. On that shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:

'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner; oh, long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

3. And where are the foes who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war, and the battle's confusion,

A home and a country should leave us no more?

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave;

And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

4. Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved homes and the war's desolation.

Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto, "In God is our trust";

And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

_Francis Scott Key_.

USEFUL INFORMATION

To obtain a good knowledge of pronunciation, it is advisable for the

reader to listen to the examples given by educated persons. We learn

the pronunciation of words, to a great extent, by imitation. It must

never be forgotten, however, that the dictionary alone can give us

absolute certainty in doubtful cases.

"If the riches of the Indies," says Fenelon, "or the crowns of all the

kingdoms of the world, were laid at my feet in exchange for my love for

reading, I would despise them all."

That writer does the most good who gives his reader the greatest amount

of knowledge and takes from him the least time. A tremendous thought

may be packed into a small compass, and as solid as a cannon ball.

"Read much, but not many works," is the advice of a great writer.

LESSON XX

THE ART OF OBSERVATION

The Indian trapper is a man of close observation, quick perception and

prompt action. As he goes along, nothing escapes him. Often not

another step is taken until some mystery that presents itself is fairly

solved. He will stand for hours in succession to account for certain

signs, and he may even spend days and weeks upon that same mystery

until he solves it.

I rode once several hundred miles in the company of such an experienced

trailer, and asked him many questions about his art. Near the bank of

a small river in Dakota we crossed the track of a pony. The guide

followed the track for some distance and then said: "It is a stray

black horse, with a long bushy tail, nearly starved to death; it has a

broken hoof on the left fore foot and goes very lame; he has passed

here early this morning."

I could scarcely believe what was said, and asked for an explanation.

The trailer replied: "It is a stray horse, because he did not go in a

straight line; his tail is long, for he dragged it over the ground; in

brushing against a bush he left some of his black hair; he is very

hungry, because he nipped at the dry weeds which horses seldom eat; the

break of his left fore foot can be seen in its track, and the slight

impression of the one foot shows that he is lame. The tracks are as

yet fresh, and that shows that he passed only this morning, when the

earth was soft."

In this manner the whole story was accounted for, and late in the

afternoon we really did come across a riderless horse of that

description wandering aimlessly in the prairies.

SELECTION IX

THE SWORD OF BUNKER HILL

He lay upon his dying bed,

His eye was growing dim,

When, with a feeble voice, he called

His weeping son to him:

"Weep not, my boy," the veteran said,

"I bow to Heaven's high will;

But quickly from yon antlers bring

The sword of Bunker Hill."

The sword was brought; the soldier's eye

Lit with a sudden flame;

And, as he grasped the ancient blade,

He murmured Warren's name;

Then said: "My boy, I leave you gold,

But what is richer still,

I leave you,--mark me, mark me, now,--

The sword of Bunker Hill.

"'Twas on that dread immortal day,

I dared the Britons' band;

A captain raised his blade on me,

I tore it from his hand;

And while the glorious battle raged,

It lightened Freedom's will;

For, boy, the God of Freedom blessed

The sword of Bunker Hill.

"Oh, keep this sword,"--his accents broke,--

A smile--and he was dead;

But his wrinkled hand still grasped the blade,

Upon the dying bed.

The son remains, the sword remains,

Its glory growing still,

And eighty millions bless the sire

And sword of Bunker Hill.

_William R. Wallace_.

The battle of Bunker Hill was fought on the 17th of June, 1775, in

Charlestown, Massachusetts. The Americans, after having twice repulsed

double their number of the English, were compelled to retreat for want

of ammunition. This was the first actual battle of the Revolutionary

War.

NOTE:--Joseph Warren, a distinguished American general and patriot,

born in Massachusetts in 1741, graduated at Harvard College in 1759.

He was killed at the battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.

LESSON XXI

LETTERS

_Notes of Invitation_.

FORMAL NOTE.

March 8, 1909.

_Mr. Joseph H. Curtis_:--

The pupils of Class A, Public School No. -- most cordially invite Mr.

and Mrs. Joseph H. Curtis to attend the Closing Exercises to be held in

the school on Thursday evening, March eleventh, at eight o'clock.

INFORMAL NOTE.

February 2, 1909.

_My dear Mr. Curtis_:--

May we have the pleasure of your company at dinner Tuesday evening,

February ninth, at seven o'clock?

Sincerely yours,

CHARLES STORY.

406 Elm Street.

INFORMAL REPLY TO ABOVE INVITATION.

February 4, 1909.

My dear Mr. Story:--

I thank you for your kind invitation to dine with you Tuesday evening,

but a previous business engagement makes it impossible for me to be

present. I am very sorry.

Cordially yours,

HENRY CURTIS.

215 Cedar Street.

FORMAL NOTE.

Mr. and Mrs. George H. Baldwin request the pleasure of the company of

Mr. and Mrs. Henry S. Gray on Thursday evening, March fourth, at eight

o'clock.

315 Madison Avenue.

FORMAL REPLY TO ABOVE INVITATION.

Mr. Henry S. Gray regrets that he is unable to accept the invitation of

Mr. and Mrs. George H. Baldwin for Thursday evening, at eight o'clock.

506 Myrtle Avenue.

INFORMAL LETTER.

ROCHESTER, N. Y., March 1, 1909.

My dear Friend:--

I arrived here yesterday afternoon in the best of spirits. I am

staying here at a nice, quiet hotel, and expect to remain here for the

next few days. Rochester is so different from the great Metropolis.

This morning I went to see the University and some other public

buildings. I am delighted with my trip. From here I intend to proceed

to Buffalo and to Niagara Falls. From there I shall write you a much

longer letter.

Please give my kindest regards to all the family.

Cordially yours,

HENRY FIELD.

LESSON XXII

REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES

The rapid settlement and improvement of many parts of our country have

been greatly aided by the invention of various kinds of machinery. The

work of many hands can now be done by one machine, and thus a great

saving of human labor is effected.

In former times, the crops of wheat and oats, rye and barley, were

gathered with a sickle; the grain was thrashed with a flail; the grass

in the meadows was cut with a scythe. But, now, all this is changed;

on the great prairies of the West, the wheat, rye and oats are cut by

the reaper, and with a steady hum the thrashing-machine does its work

of cleaning the grain.

The scythe has given place to the mowing machine, and the sickle and

flail have been laid away as relics of other times. Thus the machinery

invented by the genius and skill of man, not only lightens the labor of

the farmer, but it performs the work which formerly required the united

effort of many men. Many foreign countries send to the United States

for mowers and reapers, because it is here these machines have reached

their highest perfection.

LESSON XXIII

ALI BABA

Ali Baba was a poor Persian wood carrier, who accidentally learned the

magic words "_Open Sesame_," "_Shut Sesame_," by which he gained

entrance into a vast cavern, in which forty thieves had stored their

stolen treasures. He made himself rich by plundering these stores of

wealth, and through the cunning of Morgiana, his female slave, Ali Baba

succeeded in destroying the whole band of thieves. He then gave

Morgiana her freedom and married her to his own son.

LESSON XXIV

BIRDS

In the United States there are a great many birds. Many of them live

in the woods; others are found in the fields. Some are seen in the

gardens, and a few are kept in our houses. The eagle builds her nest

upon the highest rock, while the wren forms her snug and tiny nest in

the way-side hedge. The swallow plasters her nest upon the gable of

the house or under the eaves of the barn. Out in the wheat-field we

hear the whistle of the quail. The noise of the ducks and geese comes

to us from the pond. The birds of prey dart downward through the air.

Everywhere we find the birds.

In autumn the migratory birds leave us, but they return in the spring.

Even in March we hear the call of the robin. At the same time the bold

and saucy blue-jay pays us his first visit. One hears the sweet songs

of the birds from May until October. Some of them remain with us

during the winter.

There are many things that birds can do. The swallows fly with the

greatest ease. The ostrich runs rapidly. Swimming birds dive with

much skill. The owl moves noiselessly through the night air. Birds of

prey search out their victims with keen vision.

Nearly all birds build skillfully made nests with their bills and feet.

Some make them out of straw, and the little birds usually line them

with wool. The large birds of prey build theirs from small sticks and

twigs. For the most part they hatch the eggs with the warmth of the

body. Many birds are highly valued on account of their eggs, while

others are prized for their flesh and feathers. Still others charm us

with their songs.

LESSON XXV

SLEEP

Of all the wonderful things about us, sleep is one of the most

wonderful. How it comes, why it comes, how it does its kind, helpful

work, not even the wisest people are able to tell. We do not have much

trouble in seeking it, it comes to us of itself. It takes us in its

kindly arms, quiets and comforts us, repairs and refreshes us, and

turns us out in the morning quite like new people.

Sleep is necessary to life and health. We crave it as urgently as we

do food or drink. In our waking hours, rest is obtained only at short

intervals; the muscles, the nerves, and the brain are in full activity.

Repair goes on every moment, whether we are awake or asleep; but during

the waking hours the waste of the tissues is far ahead of the repair,

while during sleep the repair exceeds the waste. Hence a need of rest

which at regular intervals causes all parts of the bodily machinery to

be run at their lowest rate. In other words, we are put to sleep.

Sleep is more or less sound, according to circumstances. Fatigue, if

not too great, aids it; idleness lessens it. Anxious thought, and

pain, and even anticipated pleasure, may keep us awake. Hence we

should not go to bed with the brain excited or too active. We should

read some pleasant book, laugh, talk, sing, or take a brisk walk, or

otherwise rest the brain for half an hour before going to bed.

The best time for sleep is during the silence and darkness of night.

People who have to work nights, and to sleep during the day, have a

strained and wearied look.

The amount of sleep needed depends upon the temperament of each

individual. Some require little sleep, while others need a great deal.

Eight hours of sleep for an adult, and from ten to twelve hours for

children and old people is about the average amount required.

Some of the greatest men in history are known to have been light

sleepers. Most of the world's great workers took a goodly amount of

sleep, however. Sir Walter Scott, the great writer, took eight hours

of sleep, and so did the famous philosopher Emanuel Kant. Children

need more sleep than grown people. They should retire early and sleep

until they awake in the morning.

When fairly awake we should get up. Dozing is unhealthful, especially

for young people.

"Early to bed and early to rise,

Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

LESSON XXVI

CURIOUS BIRDS' NESTS

Among the most curious nests are those made by the birds called

weavers. These feathered workmen serve no apprenticeship; their trade

comes to them by nature; and how well they work at it! But then you

must admit that Nature is a skillful teacher and birds are apt scholars.

The Baltimore oriole is a weaver, and it makes its nest out of bark,

fine grass, moss, and wool, strengthening it, when circumstances

permit, with pieces of string or horse-hair. This nest, pouch-shaped,

and open at the top, is fastened to the branch of a tree, and sometimes

is interwoven with the twigs of a waving bough. The threads of grass

and long fibers of moss are woven together, in and out, as if by

machinery; and it seems hard to believe that the little birds can do

such work without help.

The tailor-bird of India makes a still more curious nest: it actually

sews, using its long, slender bill as a needle. Birds that fly, birds

that run, birds that swim, and birds that sing are by no means rare;

but birds that sew, seem like the wonderful birds in the fairy-tales.

Yet they really exist, and make their odd nests with great care and

skill. They pick out a leaf large enough for their nest, and pierce

rows of holes along the edges with their sharp bill; then, with the

fibers of a plant or long threads of grass, they sew the leaf up into a

bag. Sometimes it is necessary to sew two leaves together, that the

space within may be large enough.

This kind of sewing resembles shoemakers' or saddlers' work; but, the

leaf being like fine cloth and not like leather, perhaps the name

"tailor-bird" is the most appropriate for the little worker. The bag

is lined with soft, downy material, and in this the tiny eggs are

laid--tiny indeed, for the tailor-bird is no larger than the

hummingbird. The weight of the little creature does not even draw down

the nest, and the leaf in which the eggs or young birds are hidden

looks like the other leaves on the trees; so that there is nothing to

attract the attention of the forest robbers.

Another bird, called the Indian sparrow, makes her nest of grass-woven

cloth and shaped like a bottle. The neck of the bottle hangs downward,

and the bird enters from below. This structure, swinging from a high

tree, over a river, is safe from the visits of mischievous animals.

Is it any wonder, then, that birds and their nests have always been a

source of delight to thinking man?

With no tools but their tiny feet and sharp little bills, these

feathered songsters build their habitat, more cunningly and artfully

than any artisan could hope to do even after a long apprenticeship.

SELECTION X

THE HUNTERS

In the bright October morning

Savoy's Duke had left his bride.

From the Castle, past the drawbridge,

Flowed the hunters' merry tide.

Steeds are neighing, gallants glittering

Gay, her smiling lord to greet,

From her splendid chamber casement

Smiles the Duchess Marguerite.

From Vienna by the Danube

Here she came, a bride, in spring,

Now the autumn crisps the forest;

Hunters gather, bugles ring.

Hark! the game's on foot; they scatter;

Down the forest riding lone,

Furious, single horsemen gallop.

Hark! a shout--a crash--a groan!

Pale and breathless, came the hunters;

On the turf, dead lies the boar,

But the Duke lies stretched beside him,

Senseless, weltering in his gore.

In the dull October evening,

Down the leaf-strewn forest road,

To the Castle, past the drawbridge,

Came the hunters with their load.

In the hall, with torches blazing,

Ladies waiting round her seat,

Clothed in smiles, beneath the dais

Sat the Duchess Marguerite.

Hark! below the gates unbarring,

Tramp of men and quick commands.

"'Tis my lord come back from hunting,"

And the Duchess claps her hands.

Slow and tired, came the hunters;

Stopped in darkness in the court.--

"Ho! this way, ye laggard hunters.

To the hall! What sport, what sport?"

Slow they entered with their Master;

In the hall they laid him down;

On his coat were leaves and blood-stains,

On his brow an angry frown.

Dead her princely, youthful husband

Lay before his youthful wife;

Bloody 'neath the flaring torches:

And the sight froze all her life.

In Vienna by the Danube

Kings hold revel, gallants meet;

Gay of old amid the gayest

Was the Duchess Marguerite.

In Vienna by the Danube

Feast and dance her youth beguiled.

Till that hour she never sorrowed;

But from then she never smiled.

_Matthew Arnold_.

WISE SAYINGS

A room hung with pictures is a room hung with thoughts.

A fig for your bill of fare.

Show me your bill of company.

Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair.

No evil can befall a good man, either in life or death.

It is well to think well; it is divine to act well.

They are never alone who are accompanied with noble, true thoughts.

We find in life exactly what we put into it.

Too much rest is rust.

Order is heaven's first law.

The difference between one boy and another is not so much in talent as

in energy.

LESSON XXVII

BUSINESS QUALIFICATIONS

Attention, application, accuracy, method, punctuality and dispatch are

the principal qualities required for the efficient conduct of business

of any sort. It is the precept of every day's experience that steady

attention to matters of detail lies at the root of human progress, and

that diligence, above all, is the mother of what is erroneously called

"good luck."

A French statesman, being asked how he contrived to accomplish so much

work, and at the same time attend to his social duties, replied, "I do

it simply by never postponing till to-morrow what should be done

to-day." It was said of an unsuccessful public man that he used to

reverse this process, his maxim being, "never to transact to-day what

could be postponed till to-morrow."

But bear in mind this: there may be success in life without success in

business. The merchant who failed, but who afterward recovered his

fortune, and then spent it in paying his creditors their demands in

full, principal and interest, thus leaving himself a poor man, had a

glorious success: while he who failed, paid his creditors ten cents

only on a dollar, and afterward rode in his carriage and occupied a

magnificent mansion, was sorrowfully looked on by angels and by honest

men as lamentably unsuccessful.

True success in life is success in building up a pure, honest,

energetic character--in so shaping our habits, our thoughts, and our

aspirations as to best qualify us for a higher life.

LESSON XXVIII

ABBREVIATIONS OF NAMES OF STATES

Ala. Alabama, Mont. Montana,

Alaska. Alaska, Nebr. Nebraska,

Ariz. Arizona, Nev. Nevada,

Ark. Arkansas (sa), N. H. New Hampshire,

Cal. California, N. J. New Jersey,

Colo. Colorado, N. Mex. New Mexico,

Conn. Connecticut, N. Y. New York,

Del. Delaware, N. C. North Carolina,

Fla. Florida, N. Dak. North Dakota,

Ga. Georgia, O. Ohio,

Idaho. Idaho, Okla. Oklahoma,

Ill. Illinois (noi), Ore. Oregon,

Ind. Indiana, Pa. Pennsylvania,

Ind. T. Indian Ter., R. I. Rhode Island,

Ia. Iowa, S. C. South Carolina,

Kans. Kansas, S. Dak. South Dakota,

Ky. Kentucky, Tenn. Tennessee,

La. Louisiana, Tex. Texas,

Me. Maine, Utah. Utah,

Md. Maryland (mer) Vt. Vermont,

Mass. Massachusetts Va. Virginia,

Mich. Michigan, Wash. Washington,

Minn. Minnesota, W. Va. West Virginia,

Miss. Mississippi, Wis. Wisconsin,

Mo. Missouri, Wyo. Wyoming.

*The words Utah, Idaho and Alaska are not abbreviated.