Transcriber's Notes
Where reference is made to page numbers, there is an annotation
showing a footnote number and the relative information is appended
at the end of each lesson or section.
Pronunciation marks have been ignored. However, accented syllables
precede the single apostrophe, which also serves as a break.
Otherwise breaks are shown by spaces.
Barnes' New National Readers
NEW NATIONAL FOURTH READER
by
CHARLES J. BARNES and J. MARSHALL HAWKES
1884
[Illustration: Destruction of Pompeii by Vesuvius.]
PREFACE
It is thought that the following special features of this book will
commend themselves to Teachers and School Officers.
_The reading matter of the book is more of a descriptive than
conversational style_, as it is presumed that the pupil, after having
finished the previous books of the series, will have formed the habit of
easy intonation and distinct articulation.
_The interesting character of the selections_, so unlike the reading
books of former times.
_The large amount of information_ which has been combined with incidents
of an interesting nature, to insure the pupil's earnest and thoughtful
attention.
_The length of the selections for reading_,--the attention of pupils
being held more readily by long selections than by short ones, though of
equal interest.
_The gradation of the lessons_, which has been systematically maintained
by keeping a careful record of all new words as fast as they appeared,
and using only such pieces as contained a limited number.
_The simplicity of the lessons_, which becomes absolutely necessary in
the schools of to-day, owing to the short school life of the pupil, his
immature age, and inability to comprehend pieces of a metaphysical or
highly poetical nature.
_The ease with which pupils may pass from the Third Reader of this
series to this book_, thereby avoiding the necessity of supplementary
reading before commencing the Fourth Reader, or of using a book of
another series much lower in grade.
_Language Lessons_, of a nature to secure intelligent observation, and
lead the pupil to habits of thought and reflection. Nothing being done
for the learner that he could do for himself.
_Directions for Reading_, which accompany the lessons--specific in their
treatment and not of that general character which young teachers and
pupils are unable to apply.
_All new words of special difficulty, at the heads of the lessons_,
having their syllabication, accent, and pronunciation indicated
according to Webster. Other new words are placed in a vocabulary at the
close of the book.
_The type of this book, like that of the previous books of the series,
is much larger than that generally used_, for a single reason. Parents,
every-where, are complaining that the eye-sight of their children is
being ruined by reading from small, condensed type. It is confidently
expected that this large, clear style will obviate such unfortunate
results.
_The illustrations have been prepared regardless of expense_, and will
commend themselves to every person of taste and refinement.
CONTENTS
LESSONS IN PROSE.
1.--"I'M GOING TO" (Part I) _Charlotte Daly_.
2.--"I'M GOING TO" (Part II) _Charlotte Daly_.
3.--THE BEAN AND THE STONE
5.--AN ADVENTURE WITH DUSKY WOLVES (I) _Mayne Reid_.
6.--AN ADVENTURE WITH DUSKY WOLVES (II) _Mayne Reid_.
7.--THE SAILOR CAT _David Ker_.
9.--THE LION
10.--ADVENTURE WITH A LION _Livingstone_.
11.--THE NOBLEST DEED OF ALL
13.--THE STORY OF INDIAN SPRING (I) _Aunt Mary_.
14.--THE STORY OF INDIAN SPRING (II)
15.--AN ADVENTURE WITH A SHARK
17.--A FUNNY HORSESHOE "_Christian Union_."
18.--THE GIRAFFE
19.--THE TRADER'S TRICK
21.--ALI, THE CAMEL DRIVER (I)
22.--ALI, THE CAMEL DRIVER (II)
23.--A QUEER PEOPLE
25.--WATER
26.--THE HIDDEN TREASURE (I)
27.--THE HIDDEN TREASURE (II)
28.--THE HIDDEN TREASURE (III)
30.--AIR _J. Berners_ (Adapted).
31.--A TIMELY RESCUE
33.--TRUE COURTESY (I)
34.--TRUE COURTESY (II)
35.--WHY AN APPLE FALLS
37.--THE JAGUAR
38.--HOLLAND (I) _Mary Mapes Dodge_.
39.--HOLLAND (II) _Mary Mapes Dodge_.
41.--SOMETHING ABOUT PLANTS
42.--FOREST ON FIRE (I) _Audubon_.
43.--FOREST ON FIRE (II) _Audubon_.
45.--A GHOST STORY (I) _Louisa M. Alcott_.
46.--A GHOST STORY (II) _Louisa M. Alcott_.
47.--A GHOST STORY (III) _Louisa M. Alcott_.
49.--THE RHINOCEROS
50.--PRESENCE OF MIND
51.--HALBERT AND HIS DOG
53.--THE CATERPILLAR AND BUTTERFLY
54.--WILD HORSES OF SOUTH AMERICA
55.--AN EMPEROR'S KINDNESS
57.--STORY OF THE SIOUX WAR (I)
58.--STORY OF THE SIOUX WAR (II)
59.--VOLCANOES
61.--ANECDOTE OF WASHINGTON (I)
62.--ANECDOTE OF WASHINGTON (II)
63.--THE OSTRICH
65.--AN INCIDENT OF THE REVOLUTION
66.--TROPICAL FRUITS
67.--STORY OF DETROIT
69.--MAKING MAPLE SUGAR (I) _Charles Dudley Warner_.
70.--MAKING MAPLE SUGAR (II) _Charles Dudley Warner_.
72.--NATURAL WONDERS OF AMERICA (I)
73.--NATURAL WONDERS OF AMERICA (II)
74.--AFRICAN ANTS _Du Chaillu_.
76.--EGYPT AND ITS RUINS (I)
77.--EGYPT AND ITS RUINS (II)
LESSONS IN VERSE.
4.--TO-MORROW _Mrs. M.R. Johnson_.
8.--RESCUED _Celia Thaxter_.
12.--MARJORIE'S ALMANAC _T.B. Aldrich_.
16.--A LEGEND OF THE NORTHLAND _Phoebe Cary_.
20.--A HAPPY PAIR _Florence Percy_.
24.--ILL-NATURED BRIER _Mrs. Anna Bache_.
29.--LOOKING FOR THE FAIRIES _Julia Bacon_.
32.--BIRDS IN SUMMER _Mary Howitt_.
36.--THE MILLER OF THE DEE _Charles Mackay_.
40.--THE WIND IN A FROLIC _William Howitt_.
44.--COMMON GIFTS
48.--WHAT THE CHIMNEY SANG _Bret Harte_.
52.--THE LIGHT-HOUSE
56.--UNITED AT LAST
60.--THE BROOK _Alfred Tennyson_.
64.--TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW _Charles Mackay_.
68.--THE FISHERMAN _John G. Whittier_.
71.--OLD IRONSIDES _Oliver Wendell Holmes_.
75.--THE LEAP OF ROUSHAN BEG _Henry W. Longfellow_.
DEFINITIONS
GEOGRAPHICAL AND PROPER NAMES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
The publishers desire to thank Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., the
Century Co., Roberts Brothers, and Charles Scribner's Sons, for
permission to use and adapt some of their valuable copyright matter.
SUGGESTIONS
To Teachers
The following suggestions are submitted for the benefit of young
teachers.
In order that pupils may learn how to define words at the heads of the
lessons, let the teacher read the sentences containing such words and
have pupils copy them upon slate or paper.
Then indicate what words are to be defined, and insist upon the proper
syllabication, accent, marking of letters, etc.
In this way the pupil learns the meaning of the word as it is used, and
not an abstract definition that may be meaningless.
Have pupils study their reading lessons carefully before coming to
recitation.
The position of pupils while reading should be erect, easy, and
graceful.
Give special attention to the subject of articulation, and insist upon a
clear and distinct enunciation.
In order to develop a clear tone of voice, let pupils practice, in
concert, upon some of the open vowel sounds, using such words as _arm,
all, old_.
In this exercise, the force of utterance should be gentle at first, and
the words repeated a number of times; then the force should be increased
by degrees, until "calling tones" are used.
Encourage a natural use of the voice, with such modulations as may be
proper for a correct rendering of the thoughts which are read.
It should, be remembered that the development of a good tone of voice is
the result of careful and constant practice.
Concert reading is recommended as a useful exercise, inasmuch as any
feeling of restraint or timidity disappears while reading with others.
Question individual pupils upon the manner in which lessons should be
read. In this way they will learn to think for themselves.
Do not interrupt a pupil while reading until a thought or sentence is
completed, since such a course tends to make reading mechanical and
deprive it of expression.
Errors in time, force of utterance, emphasis, and inflection should be
carefully corrected, and then the passage read over again.
The "Directions for Reading" throughout the book are intended to be
suggestive rather than exhaustive, and can be added to as occasion
requires.
The "Language Lessons" in this book, should not be neglected. They
contain only such matter as is necessary to meet the requirements of
pupils.
Words and expressions not readily understood, must be made intelligible
to pupils. This has been done in part by definitions, and in part by
interpreting some of the difficult phrases.
After the habit of acquiring the usual meaning has been formed, the
original meaning of those words which are made up of stems modified by
prefixes or affixes should be shown.
The real meaning of such words can be understood far better by a study
of their formation, than by abstract definitions. It will be found,
also, that pupils readily become interested in this kind of work.
As the capabilities of classes of the same grade will differ, it may
sometimes occur that a greater amount of language work can be done
effectively than is laid down in this book. When this happens, more time
can be devoted to such special kinds of work as the needs of the classes
suggest.
Constant drill upon the analysis of lessons, varied at times by the
analysis of short stories taken from other sources and read to the
class, will develop the reasoning faculties of pupils and render the
writing of original compositions a comparatively easy exercise.
Encourage the habit of self-reliance on the part of pupils. Original
investigation, even if followed at first by somewhat crude results, is
in the end more satisfactory than any other course.
The Definitions (pages 373-382) and the List of Proper Names (pages
383 and 384) may be used in the preparation of the lessons.[01]
When exercises are written, particular care should be required in regard
to penmanship, correct spelling, punctuation, and neatness.
[01] "The Definitions" are found at the end of the text, however "the
List of Proper Names" has not been included in this production.
PHONIC CHART.
VOWELS.
a as in lake
a " " at
a " " far
a " " all
a " " care
a " " ask
a as in what
e " " be
e " " let
i " " ice
i " " in
o " " so
o as in box
u " " use
u " " up
u " " fur
oo " " too
oo " " look
DIPHTHONGS.
oi, oy (unmarked), as in oil, boy
ou, ow " " " out, now
CONSONANTS
b as in bad
d " " do
f " " fox
g " " go
h " " he
j " " just
k " " kite
l " " let
m as in me
n " " no
p " " put
r " " rat
s " " so
t " " too
v " " very
w " " we
y as in yes
z " " froze
ng " " sing
ch " " chick
sh " " she
th " " think
th " " the
wh(hw)," what
EQUIVALENTS.
VOWELS.
a like o as in what
e " a " " where
e " a " " they
e " u " " her
i " u " " girl
i " e " " police
o, u like oo as in to, rule
o " u " " come
o " a " " for
u, o " oo " " put, could
y " i " " by
y " i " " kit'ty
CONSONANTS.
c like s as in race
c " k " " cat
g " j " " cage
n like ng as in think
s " z " " has
x " ks, or gz " box, exist
FOURTH READER
LESSON I
spokes'man, _one who speaks for others_.
cho'rus, _a number of speakers or singers_.
apt, _likely; ready_.
folks, _people; family_.
mis'er a ble, _very unhappy; very poor_.
lone'some, _without friends; lonely_.
score, _twenty_.
wretch'ed, _unhappy; very sad_.
* * * * *
"I'M GOING TO."
PART I.
Once upon a time, there was a little boy, whose name was Johnny.
"Johnny," said his mamma, one day, "will you bring me an armful of
wood?"
"Yes," said Johnny, "I'm going to"; but just then he heard Carlo, the
dog, barking at a chipmunk over in the meadow, so he ran off as fast as
he could go.
Now this was not the first time that Johnny had said to his mamma, "Yes,
I'm going to." He never thought of that wood again until about
dinner-time, when he began to feel hungry.
When he got back, he found that dinner was over, and papa and mamma had
gone to ride. He found a piece of bread and butter, and sat down on a
Large rock, with his back against the stump of a tree, to eat it.
When it was all gone, Johnny began to think what he should do next. He
closed his eyes as people are apt to do when they think.
Presently he heard a score of voices about him. One was saying, "Wait a
bit"; another, "Pretty soon"; another, "In a minute"; another, "By and
by"; and still another, louder than the rest, kept screaming as loud as
it could, "Going to, going to, going to," till Johnny thought they were
crazy.
"Who in the world are you?" said he, in great surprise, "and what are
you making such a noise about?"
"We are telling our names," said they; "didn't you ask us to tell our
names?"
"No," said Johnny, "I didn't."
"O what a story!" cried they all in a breath.
[Illustration]
"Let's shake him for it," said one.
"No, let us carry him to the king," said another.
So they began to spin about him like so many spiders; for each one of
them carried a long web, and when that gets wound around a boy or a
girl, it is a very difficult thing to get rid of.
In a few minutes they had him all wound up--hands and feet, nose and
eyes, all tied up tight. Then they took him among them, and flew away
with him, miles and miles, over the hills, and up to a big cave in the
mountain. There he heard ever so many more voices, and it was noisier
than ever.
"Where am I?" he said, as soon as he could speak.
"O you're safe at home," answered Wait-a-bit, for he seemed to be the
spokesman; "and they have been expecting you for some time."
"This isn't my home," said Johnny, feeling very miserable and beginning
to cry.
"O yes, it is," said a chorus of voices. "This is just where such folks
as you belong. There are many of your fellows here, and you won't be
lonesome a bit."
They had begun to unwind the web from his eyes now, so he opened them
and looked about him. O what a wretched place it was!
Against the sides of the cave, stood long rows of boys and girls, with
very sorry faces, all of them saying over as fast as they could speak,
"Going to, going to!" "Wait a bit, wait a bit!" "Pretty soon, pretty
soon!" "In a minute, in a minute!" studying the names just as hard as if
they were lessons.
There were Delays, and Tardys, and Put-offs, with ever so many more; and
in a corner by themselves, and looking more unhappy than all the rest,
were the poor little fellows whose names were "Too late."
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--Pupils should read loud enough for all the
class to hear them.
The words forming a _quotation_ should usually be spoken in a louder
tone than the other words in the lesson, as--
_"Johnny,"_ said his mamma, one day, _"will you bring me an armful of
wood?"_
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Divide into syllables, accent, and mark the sounds
of the letters in the following words: _Carlo, armful, mountain,
unwind_.
What two words can be used for each of the following: _I'm, didn't,
let's, you're, isn't, won't?_
What other words could be used instead of _got_ (page 16, line 4)?[02]
Proper names should begin with capital letters: as, _Johnny, Carlo_.
Give three other words used as proper names in this lesson.
[02] paragraph 4 of this lesson
* * * * *
LESSON II.
de spair', _loss of hope_.
pro cras' ti na tor, _one who puts off doing any thing_.
res o lu'tions, _promises made to one's self; resolves_.
yon'der, _there; in that place_.
mon'strous, _of great size_.
gi'ant, _an unreal person, supposed to be of great size_.
hor'rid, _causing great fear or alarm_.
ex pect'ed, _thought; looked for_.
* * * * *
"I'M GOING TO."
PART II.
"O dear, dear! Where am I?" said Johnny in despair. "Please let me out!
I want my mamma!"
"No, you don't," said Wait-a-bit. "You don't care much about her, and
this is really where you belong. This is the kingdom of Procrastination,
and yonder comes the king."
"The kingdom of what?" said Johnny, who had never heard such a long word
in his life before.
But just then he heard a heavy foot-fall, and a great voice that sounded
like a roar, saying, "Has he come? Did you get him?"
"Yes, here he is," said Wait-a-bit, "and he'd just been saying it a
little while before we picked him up."
Johnny looked up and saw a monstrous giant, with a bright green body and
red legs, and a yellow head and two horrid coal-black eyes.
"Let me have him," said the giant. So he took him up just as if he had
been a rag-baby, and looked him all over, turning him from side to side,
and from head to feet.
O but Johnny was frightened, and expected every moment to be swallowed!
"Let's see," said the giant; "he always says 'Pretty soon.' No, that
isn't it. What is it, my fine fellow, that you always say to your mamma
when she asks you to do any thing for her?
"It isn't 'Pretty soon,' nor 'In a minute.' What is it? They all mean
about the same thing, to be sure, and bring every body to me in the end;
but I must know exactly, or I can't put you in the right place."
Johnny hung his head, and did not want to tell; but an extra hard poke
of the giant's big finger made him open his mouth and say with shame,
that he always said, "I'm going to."
"O that's it!" said the giant. "Well, then, you stand there."
So he unwound a bit of the web from his fingers--just enough so that he
could hold the Procrastinator's Primer--and stood him at the end of a
long row of children, who were saying over and over again, just as fast
as they could speak, "Going to, going to, going to, going to," just
that, and nothing else in the world.
Johnny was tired and hungry by this time, and longed to see his mamma,
thinking that, if he could only get back: to her, he would always mind
the very moment she told him to do any thing.
He made a great many good resolutions while he stood there. At last the
giant called him to come and say his lesson.
"You shall have a short one to-day," said he, "and need say it only a
thousand times, because it is your first day here. To-morrow, you must
say it a million."
Johnny tried to step forward, but the web was still about his feet, so
he fell with, a bang to the floor.
Just then he opened his eyes to find that he had rolled from the rock
to the grass, and that mamma was calling him in a loud voice to come to
supper, and this time he didn't say, "I'm going to."
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--The words in quotation marks should be read in
the same manner as in Lesson I.
Read words in dark type in the following sentences with more force than
the other words:
"Has he _come?_ Did you _get_ him?"
Words that are read more forcibly than other words in a sentence are
called _emphatic words_.
Which are the _emphatic words_ in the following sentences?
"You shall have a short one to-day."
"I must know exactly."
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Divide into syllables, accent, and mark the sounds
of the letters in the following words: _extra, primer, moment,
coal-black_.
* * * * *
LESSON III.
remark'able, _worthy of notice; unusual_.
moist'ure, _wetness; that which makes wet_.
absorbed', _sucked up; drunk up_.
with'er, _lose freshness_.
starched, _stiffened, as starch_.
germ, _that from which the plant grows; bud_.
hand'some, _pleasing in appearance; very pretty_.
clasped, _surrounded; inclosed_.
* * * * *
THE BEAN AND THE STONE.
"I think I ought to be doing something in the world!" said a little
voice out in the garden.
"Pray, what can you do?" asked another and somewhat stronger voice.
"I think I can grow," answered the little voice.
If you had seen the owner of the little voice, perhaps you would not
have thought him any thing remarkable.
It is true he had on a clean white coat, so smooth and shining that it
looked as if it had been newly starched and ironed, and inside of this,
he hugged two stout packages.
The coat had only one fastening; but that fastening extended down the
back, and was a curious thing to see.
It looked just as if the coat had been cut with a knife, and had
afterward grown together again. It was like a scar on your hand; and a
scar it is called.
"Yes, I ought to be growing," said the little voice, "for I am a bean,
and in the spring a bean ought to grow."
Now you know how the coat came by its scar, for the scar was the spot
which showed where the bean had been broken from the pod.
"What do you mean by growing?" said the other voice, which came from a
large red stone.
"Why," said the bean, "don't you know what growing means? I thought
every thing knew how to grow. You see, when I grow, my root goes down
into the soil to get moisture, and my stem goes up into the light to
find heat. Heat and moisture are my food and drink.
"By and by, I shall be a full-grown plant, and that is wonderful! In the
ground, my roots will travel far and wide.
"In the air, how happy my stem will be! I shall learn a great deal, and
see beautiful things every day. O how I long for that time to come!"
"What you say is very strange," said the red stone. "Here I have been in
this same place for many years, and I have not grown at all. I have no
root; I have no stem; or, if I have, they never move upward nor
downward, as you say. Are you sure you are not mistaken?"
"Why, of course I'm not mistaken," cried the bean. "I feel within myself
that I can grow; and I have absorbed so much moisture that I must soon
begin."
Just then the bean's coat split from end to end, and for one or two
minutes neither the stone nor the bean spoke. The stone was astonished,
and the bean was a little frightened. However, he soon recovered his
courage.
"There!" said he, showing the two packages he had been carrying; "these
are my seed-leaves. In them is the food on which I intend to live when I
begin growing.
"When my stem is strong enough to do without them, they will wither away.
My coat is all worn-out, too. I shall not need it any longer. Look
inside the seed-leaves, and you will see the germ. Part of it is root,
and part of it is stem. Do you see?"
"I see two little white lumps," replied the stone; "but I can not
understand how they will ever be a root and a stem."
"I do believe you are a poor, dull mineral, after all," said the bean;
"and if so, of course you can not understand what pleasure a vegetable
has in growing.
"I wouldn't be a mineral for the world! I would not lie still and do
nothing, year after year. I would rather spread my branches in the
sunshine, and drink in the sweet spring air through my leaves."
"What you say must be all nonsense," said the stone. "I can't understand
it."
But the bean grew on without minding him. The roots pushed down into the
soil and drank up the moisture from the ground. Then this moisture went
into the stem, and the stem climbed bravely up into the light.
"How happy I am!" cried the bean.
It ran over the red stone, and clasped it with long green branches,
covered with white bean flowers.
"O indeed!" said the stone. "Is this what you call growing? I thought
you were only in fun. How handsome you are!"
"May I hang my pods on you, so that they can ripen in the sun?" said the
bean.
"Certainly, friend," said the stone.
He was very polite, now that he saw the bean was a full-grown vine.
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--Read in a conversational tone of voice, as in
Lessons I and II.
What word is emphatic in the third paragraph?
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the
words, _broken, packages, courage, polite_.
Tell in your own words how the bean grew.
* * * * *
LESSON IV.
elf, _a very small person; an unreal being_.
vex, _make angry; trouble_.
pon'dered, _thought about with care_.
streak, _line; long mark_.
* * * * *
TO-MORROW.
A bright little boy with laughing face,
Whose every motion was full of grace,
Who knew no trouble and feared no care,
Was the light of our household--the youngest there.
He was too young--this little elf--
With troublesome questions to vex himself;
But for many days a thought would rise,
And bring a shade to the dancing eyes.
He went to one whom he thought more wise
Than any other beneath the skies:
"Mother,"--O word that makes the home!--
"Tell me, when will to-morrow come?"
"It is almost night," the mother said,
"And time for my boy to be in bed;
When you wake up and it's day again,
It will be to-morrow, my darling, then."
The little boy slept through all the night,
But woke with the first red streak of light;
He pressed a kiss on his mother's brow,
And whispered, "Is it to-morrow now?"
"No, little Eddie, this is to-day;
To-morrow is always one night away."
He pondered awhile, but joys came fast,
And this vexing question quickly passed.
But it came again with the shades of night:
"Will it be to-morrow when it is light?"
From years to come, he seemed care to borrow,
He tried so hard to catch to-morrow.
"You can not catch it, my little Ted;
Enjoy to-day," the mother said;
"Some wait for to-morrow through many a year--
It always is coming, but never is here."
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--In reading poetry, pupils should notice the
emphatic words, and give them proper force.
Example.
"_Mother_,"--O word that makes the home!--
"_Tell_ me, when will _to-morrow_ come?"
The two dashes in the first line of the preceding example are used
instead of a parenthesis, and have the same value.
When there is no pause at the end of a line (see first line, third
stanza), it should be closely joined in reading to the line which
follows it, thus making the two lines read as one.
* * * * *
LESSON V.
ap'pe tite, _wish for food_.
a muse'ment, _play; enjoyment_.
gaunt, _lean; hungry looking_.
spe'cies, _kind_.
oc curred', _took place; happened_.
en cour'age ment, _hope given by another's words or actions_.
di rec'tion, _way; course_.
dusk'y, _very dark; almost black_.
sin'gu lar, _unusual; strange_.
* * * * *
AN ADVENTURE WITH DUSKY WOLVES.
PART I.
"During the summer and winter, we had several adventures in the
trapping and killing of wild animals. One of them was of such a
singular and dangerous kind, that you may feel interested in hearing
it.
"It occurred in the dead of winter, when there was snow upon the ground.
The lake was frozen over, and the ice was as smooth as glass. We spent
much of our time in skating about over its surface, as the exercise
gave us health and a good appetite.
"Even Cudjo, our colored servant, had taken a fancy for this amusement,
and was a very good skater. Frank was fonder of it than the rest of us,
and was, in fact, the best skater among us.
"One day, however, neither Cudjo nor I had gone out, but only Frank and
Harry. The rest of us were busy at some carpenter work within doors.
"We could hear the merry laugh of the boys, and the ring of their skates
as they glided over the smooth ice. All at once, a cry reached our
ears, which we knew meant the presence of some danger.
"'O Robert!' cried my wife, 'they have broken through the ice!'
"We all dropped what we held in our hands, and rushed to the door. I
seized a rope as I ran, while Cudjo took his long spear, thinking it
might be of use to us. This was the work of a moment, and the next we
were outside the house.
"What was our astonishment to see both the boys, away at the farthest
end of the lake, but skating toward us as fast as they could!
"At the same time, our eyes rested upon a terrible sight. Close behind
them upon the ice, and following at full gallop, was a pack of wolves!
"They were not the small prairie wolves, which either of the boys might
have chased with a stick, but of a species known as the 'Great Dusky
Wolf' of the Rocky Mountains.
"There were six of them in all. Each of them was twice the size of the
prairie wolf, and their long, dark bodies, gaunt with hunger, and
crested from head to tail with a high, bristling mane, gave them a most
fearful appearance.
"They ran with their ears set back and their jaws apart, so that we
could see their red tongues and white teeth.
"We did not stop a moment, but rushed toward the lake. I threw down the
rope, and seized hold of a large rail as I ran, while Cudjo hurried
forward armed with a spear. My wife, with presence of mind, turned back
into the house for my rifle.
"I saw that Harry was foremost, and that the fierce wolves were fast
closing upon Frank. This was strange, for we knew that Frank was by far
the better skater. We all called out to him, uttering loud shouts of
encouragement. Both were bearing themselves manfully, but Frank was
most in danger.
"The wolves were upon his heels! 'O they will kill him!' I cried,
expecting the next moment to see him thrown down upon the ice. What was
my joy at seeing him suddenly wheel and dart off in a new direction."
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--This lesson should be read with spirit, and
in a full, clear tone of voice.
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--_Presence of mind_ is the power to act quickly when
sudden danger threatens.
_Upon his heels_ means very close to.
_Dead of winter_ is the middle of winter, as that is supposed to be
the quietest or most lifeless time.
Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the following words:
_fancy, gallop, prairie, bristling, rifle_.
* * * * *
LESSON VI.
e lud'ed, _got away from; avoided_.
ex cit'ing, _causing deep interest_.
marks'man, _one who shoots well_.
re treat'ing, _going away from_.
en a'bled, _helped; made able_.
sim'i lar, _like; nearly the same_.
pur suit', _following after_.
nim'bly, _with a quick motion_.
com menced', _began_.
* * * * *
AN ADVENTURE WITH DUSKY WOLVES.
PART II.
"The wolves, thus nimbly eluded, now kept on after Harry, who, in turn,
became the object of our anxiety.
"In a moment they were close upon him; but he, already warned by his
brother, wheeled in a similar manner, while the fierce brutes, swept
along by the force of their running, were carried a long distance upon
the ice before they could turn themselves.
"Their long, bushy tails, however, soon enabled them to turn about and
follow in the new direction, and they galloped after Harry, who was now
the nearest to them.
"Frank, in the meantime, had again turned, and came sweeping past behind
them, at the same time shouting loudly, as if to tempt them away from
their pursuit of Harry.
"They heeded him not, and again he changed his direction, and, as though
he was about to skate into their midst, followed the wolves.
"This time he skated up close behind them, just at the moment when Harry
had turned again, and thus made his second escape.
"At this moment, we heard Frank calling out to his brother to make for
the shore, while, instead of retreating himself, he stopped until Harry
had passed, and then dashed off, followed closely by the whole pack.
"Another slight turn brought him nearly in our direction; but there was
a large hole broken through the ice close by the shore, and we saw
that, unless he turned again, he would skate into it.
"We thought he was watching the wolves too intently to see it, and we
shouted to warn him. Not so; he knew better than we what he was about.
"When he had reached within a few feet of the hole, he wheeled sharply
to the left, and came dashing up to the point where we stood to receive
him.
"The wolves, too intent upon their chase to see any thing else, went
sweeping past the point where he had turned, and the next moment
plunged through the broken ice into the water.
"Then Cudjo and I ran forward, shouting loudly, and, with the heavy rail
and the long spear, commenced dealing death among them.
"It was but a short, though exciting scene. Five of them were speared
and drowned, while the sixth crawled out upon the ice and was rapidly
making off, frightened enough at his cold ducking.
[Illustration]
"At that moment I heard the crack of a rifle and saw the wolf tumble
over.
"On turning round I saw Harry with, my rifle, which my wife had brought
down and handed to him, as a better marksman than herself.
"The wolf, only wounded, was kicking furiously about on the ice; but
Cudjo now ran out, and, after a short struggle, finished the business
with his spear.
"This was, indeed, a day of great excitement in our forest home. Frank,
who was the hero of the day, although he said nothing, was no doubt not
a little proud of his skating feat.
"And well he might be, as, but for his skill, poor Harry would no doubt
have fallen a prey to the fierce wolves."
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Let pupils use other words to express the meaning of
what is given below in dark type.
Again he _changed his direction_.
He then _dashed off_.
He wheeled _sharply_ to the left.
Cudjo and I commenced _dealing death among them_.
Cudjo _finished the business_ with his spear.
Harry would have _fallen a prey to_ the fierce wolves.
Tell the story in your own words, using the points in the following
Analysis.--1. Frank and Harry go to skate. 2. The alarm. 3. The
wolves. 4. The pursuit. 5. The escape. 6. Death of the wolves.
* * * * *
LESSON VII.
craft, _ship; a boat of any kind_.
mew'ing, _crying, like a cat_.
a dopt'ed, _received as one's own_.
ad mir'er, _one who likes another_.
voy'age, _journey by water_.
dain'ty, _nice in form or taste_.
a loft', _on high; in the air_.
wind'ward, _the point from which the wind blows_.
star'board, _the right-hand side of a ship_.
bruised, _injured, hurt_.
* * * * *
OUR SAILOR CAT.
She was a sailor cat, indeed, and it was a sailor who first brought her
on board.
Our steamer was lying at her pier in the North River, at New York,
taking in cargo.
One of our men, who had been ashore, came back with a little
gray-and-white kitten in his arms. She was very poor and thin, and her
little furry coat was sadly soiled with dirt and grease.
But she had not lost all her fun, for she was making play with her tiny
fore-paws at the ends of the sailor's red beard, to honest Jack's great
delight.
"Where did you pick that up, Jack?" asked the third officer.
"Well, your honor," said Jack Harmon, touching his cap with a grin,
"seems to me she must have left her ship and gone to look for another,
for I found her tramping along the pier there, and mewing as if she was
calling out for somebody to show her the road.
"So I thought that, as we have many rats aboard the old craft, she would
be able to pick up a good living there; and I called to her, and she
came at once, and here she is."
Here she was, sure enough; and as Jack ended his story, she chimed in
with a plaintive little "Me-ow," which said, as plainly as ever any cat
spoke yet, "I'm very cold and hungry, and I do wish somebody would take
me below and give me some food!"
She had not long to wait. Half an hour later she was the best-fed cat in
that part of New York City, and that night she lay snugly curled up with
a good warm blanket over her.
Of course, the first thing to do with an adopted cat is to give it a
name, and Jack Harmon, who was a bit of a wag in his way, and a great
admirer of the monster elephant which was just then making such a stir
in New York, called his new pet "Jumbo."
Jumbo soon became the pet of the whole crew, and of the passengers, too,
when they came on board, a few days later, for the voyage back to
England.
Before we were half-way across the ocean, the bits of meat or cake, and
bits of white bread soaked in milk, which were being constantly given
her by one and another, had made her look as round as an apple.
The ladies were never tired of stroking her soft fur and admiring her
dainty white paws, which were now as spotless as snow. The children
romped all day with this new playmate, who seemed to enjoy the sport
quite as much as themselves.
But Jumbo was not content with mere play. She seemed to think herself
bound to do something to "work her passage." Whenever any of the crew
went aloft to take in sail, Jumbo would always climb up, too, as if to
help them.
Jack Harmon was still her favorite, and whenever it came his turn to
stand at the bow and keep watch, there was Jumbo going backward and
forward.
On the eighth night of the voyage, the stars looked dim and
watery, and a low bank of clouds began to rise to windward of us, just
between sea and sky.
The old sailors shook their heads and looked grave, as if they expected
an unusual storm. Suddenly the wind began to blow strongly upon the
starboard quarter, stirring up a cross-sea which tossed the great ship
like a toy.
Nearly all the passengers had gone below, and the few who remained on
deck buttoned their water-proof coats, and held tightly on by any thing
they could seize.
Jack Harmon had shut up his cat below, but poor puss escaped somehow,
for all at once a shrill cry was heard, and there was Jumbo clinging to
a rail, with a great mountain of a wave coming right down upon her.
Several men sprang toward the spot, but Jack was foremost, and he had
just reached his little pet when down came the great wave upon them
both.
Instantly the whole after-deck was one roaring, foaming waterfall, the
flying spray of which blinded one for a moment. But when it cleared,
there stood our brave Jack--dripping, bruised, and bleeding from a cut
on the head.
But his little favorite was safe in his arms, and as he came back with
her, such a cheer went up from all who were on deck, as the old ship had
not heard for many a day.
"Let's send round the hat for him," said one of the passengers.
And the hat was sent around, so successfully that Jack got enough money
to give his poor old mother a happy Christmas, and still have something
left over for himself and Jumbo, who was his mother's pet ever after.
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--Should this lesson be read with the same tone
of voice as Lessons V. and VI.?
In the first paragraph, do not say _pier rin_ for _pier in; dir' tand_
for _dirt and_.
Point out two other places in the lesson where mistakes similar to those
just given might occur.
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Syllabify, accent, and mark the sounds of letters in
the following words: _cargo, officer, blanket, passengers, instantly,
bleeding_.
_Work her passage_ means to pay her fare by making herself useful.
Make out an _analysis_ in six parts for this lesson, and use it in
telling the story in your own words.
* * * * *
LESSON VIII.
loi'ter ing, _going slowly, lingering_.
pro tect'or, _one who keeps another from harm_.
throng'ing, _gathering in large numbers_.
wrecked, _dashed to pieces_.
thatched, _covered with straw or twigs_.
bronzed, _brown, darked-colored_.
bleach'ing, _whitening_.
van'ished, _gone out of sight; departed suddenly_.
rapt'ure, _great joy; delight_.
* * * * *
RESCUED.
"Little lad, slow wandering across the sands so yellow,
Leading safe a lassie small--O tell me, little fellow,
Whither go you, loitering in the summer weather,
Chattering like sweet-voiced birds on a bough together?"
"I am Robert, if you please, and this is Rose, my sister,
Youngest of us all"--he bent his curly head and kissed her,
"Every day we come and wait here till the sun is setting,
Watching for our father's ship, for mother dear is fretting.
"Long ago he sailed away, out of sight and hearing,
Straight across the bay he went, into sunset steering.
Every day we look for him, and hope for his returning,
Every night my mother keeps the candle for him burning.
"Summer goes, and winter comes, and spring returns but never
Father's step comes to the gate. O, is he gone forever?
The great, grand ship that bore him off, think you some tempest wrecked her?"
Tears shone in little Rose's eyes, upturned to her protector.
Eagerly the bonny boy went on: "O, sir, look yonder!
In the offing see the sails that east and westward wander;
Every hour they come and go, the misty distance thronging.
While we watch and see them fade, with sorrow and with longing."
"Little Robert, little Rose!" The stranger's eyes were glistening
At his bronzed and bearded face, upgazed the children, listening;
He knelt upon the yellow sand, and clasped them to his bosom,
Robert brave, and little Rose, as bright as any blossom.
"Father, father! Is it you?" The still air rings with rapture;
All the vanished joy of years the waiting ones recapture!
Finds he welcome wild and sweet, the low-thatched cottage reaching,
But the ship that into sunset steered, upon the rocks lies bleaching.
[Illustration]
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--Read the conversational parts of this poem
like conversation in prose.
Point out the _emphatic words_ in the first line of the last stanza.
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--_Into sunset steering_, means sailing westward.
_The misty distance thronging_, means gathering together in the
distance.
_The still air rings with rapture_, means that the air becomes full of
joyful shouts.
_All the vanished joy of years the waiting ones recapture_, means that
the children regain the happiness lost during their father's absence.
* * * * *
LESSON IX.
impos'ing, _grand looking; of great size_.
glar'ing, _fierce looking_.
lim'its, _space_.
e nor'mous, _very large; huge_.
start'led, _suddenly alarmed; surprised_.
au'dible, _that may be heard_.
maj'esty, _greatness; nobility_.
increas'ing, _growing larger_.
* * * * *
THE LION.
There is, in the appearance of the lion, something both noble and
imposing. Nature has given him wonderful strength and beauty.
His body, when full grown, is only about seven feet long and less than
four feet high; but his large and shapely head, with its powerful jaws,
his glaring eye, and long, flowing mane, give him an air of majesty that
shows him worthy of the name--"King of Beasts."
Yet we are told that a lion will not willingly attack man, unless first
attacked himself or driven by hunger to forget his habits.
On meeting man suddenly, he will turn, retreat slowly for a short
distance, and then run away.
The lion belongs to the cat family, and his teeth and claws are similar
in form and action to those of the house cat.
His food is the flesh of animals; and so great is his appetite, that it
must require several thousand other animals to supply one lion with food
during his life-time.
His strength is so enormous that he can crush the skull of an ox with a
single blow of his powerful paw, and then grasp it in his jaws and bound
away.
Unless driven by hunger to bolder measures, he will hide in the bushes,
or in the tall reeds along the banks of rivers, and spring suddenly upon
the unlucky animal that chances to come near him.
Many lions have been captured, and their habits and appearance carefully
studied. Although there is a difference in color--some being of a
yellowish brown, others of a deep red, and a few silvery gray--the
general form and appearance of all lions is the same.
The mane is of a dark brown, or of a dusky color, and the tail nearly
three feet long, with a bunch of hair at the tip.
The lioness, or female lion, is smaller in every way than the male and
has no mane.
It is in the night-time that the lion goes out from his den to seek for
food, and his color is so dark and his movements so silent, that his
presence is not known even at the distance of a few yards.
These dangerous beasts are no longer found in Europe, although they
lived there in numbers many hundred years ago. It is only in the deserts
and rocky hills of Asia and Africa that they are met with.
Those who have visited a menagerie, and have seen a lion within the
limits of a narrow iron cage, can form no idea of the majesty of the
brute when roaming about freely on his native soil.
The voice of the lion is loud and strong. It is likely to strike terror
to the bravest heart.
"It consists," says a well-known writer, "at times of a low, deep
moaning, repeated five or six times, and ending in scarcely audible
sighs; at other times, the forest is startled with loud, deep-toned,
solemn roars, increasing in loudness to the third or fourth, and then
dying away in sounds like distant thunder."
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--This lesson should be read a little more
slowly than conversation. When we wish to describe any thing, we must
give time for those who listen to us to get the meaning of what we say.
Do not run the words together when reading. (See Directions for Reading,
page 42.)[03]
Example.--"There is, in the appearance of the lion, something both
noble and imposing."
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the
following words: _meeting, require, Europe, idea, terror, measures,
unlucky, narrow, bolder_.
_Air of majesty_ means the noble appearance supposed to belong to
kings.
[03] See Lesson VII.
* * * * *
LESSON X.
ar ti fi' cial, _not real; made by human skill_.
ex er'tion, _great effort; attempt_.
destroyed', _killed; put an end to_.
cleansed, _cleaned; freed from dirt_.
sit u a'tion, _position_.
fa'mous, _much talked of; well known_.
fre'quent ly, _often_.
in'ci dent, _adventure; event_.
nar rat'ed, _told_.
hurled, _thrown with force_.
stu'por, _sleepy feeling_.
* * * * *
ADVENTURE WITH A LION.
The dangers of lion-hunting may be understood from the following
incident, narrated by Livingstone, the famous African traveler:
"The villagers among whom I was staying were much troubled by lions,
which leaped into their cattle-pens and destroyed their cows.
"As I knew well that, if one of a number of lions is killed, the others
frequently take the hint and leave that part of the country, I gave the
villagers advice to that end, and, to encourage them, offered to lead
the hunt.
"The lions were found hiding among the rocks on a hill covered with
trees, and about a quarter of a mile in length. The men circled the
hill, and slowly edged in closer and closer, so that the lions might be
completely surrounded.
"Presently one of the natives spied a lion sitting on a piece of rock,
and fired at him, the ball missing the beast and striking the rock.
"The lion turned, bit like a dog at the spot where the bullet had
struck, and then bounded off to the shelter of the brushwood.
"Soon I saw another lion in much the same situation as the former, and,
being not more than thirty yards from it, let fly with both barrels.
"As the lion was still on its legs, I hastened to reload my gun; but
hearing a sudden and frightful cry from the natives, I looked up and
saw the wounded lion springing upon me.
"I was caught by the shoulder and hurled to the ground. Growling
terribly in my ear, the lion shook me as a dog does a rat.
"The shock produced a stupor, similar to that which seems to be felt by
a mouse after the first shake of a cat.
"The lion then leaped upon one of the natives who had tried to shoot at
him, and then sprang at the neck of a second native who, armed with a
spear, was rushing to the rescue.
[Illustration]
"The exertion was too much for the wounded beast, and so, with his claws
bedded in the spearman's shoulder, he rolled over and died.
"I had escaped, but with a shoulder so broken as to need an artificial
joint, and with eleven teeth wounds in my arm.
"These wounds were less severe than they would have been, had not a
heavy jacket which I had on, cleansed the teeth of the lion in their
passage. As it was, they were soon cured and gave me no trouble
afterward."
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--Read this lesson in a full and clear
conversational tone of voice.
Those parts of the lesson to which we wish to call attention, should be
read slowly.
Example.--"The men edged in closer and closer, so that the lions might
be completely surrounded."
Should the slow and clear reading be kept up throughout pages 51 and 52,
or should those pages be read more rapidly?[04]
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the
following words: _Livingstone, bullet, growling, jacket, offered,
advice, severe_.
_Edged in closer and closer_ means went slowly nearer and nearer.
_Let fly with both barrels_ means fired both barrels of his gun at the
same time.
_Still on its legs_ means not so badly wounded but that it was able to
stand up.
Tell the story in your own words.
[04] See this lesson.
* * * * *
LESSON XI.
en riched', _made rich_.
de tec'tion, _being found out_.
dis mount'ed, _got down from_.
sat' is fied, _supplied with all one wants_.
sum'mit, _top; highest point_.
en trust'ed, _gave the care of_.
em ployed', _used; made use of_.
im por'tant, _worthy of attention_.
ad dressed', _spoke to_.
di' a mond, _a very valuable stone_.
in clud' ed, _put in as a part_.
* * * * *
THE NOBLEST DEED OF ALL.
A rich Persian, feeling himself growing old, and finding that the cares
of business were too great for him, resolved, to divide his goods among
his three sons, keeping a very small part to protect him from want in
his old age.
The sons were all well satisfied, and each took his share with thanks,
and promised that it should be well and properly employed. When this
important business was thus finished, the father addressed the sons in
the following words:
"My sons, there is one thing which I have not included in the share of
any one of you. It is this costly diamond which you see in my hand. I
will give it to that one of you who shall earn it by the noblest deed.
"Go, therefore, and travel for three months; at the end of that time,
we will meet here again, and you shall tell me what you have done."
The sons thereupon departed, and traveled for three months, each in a
different direction. At the end of that time they returned; and all came
together to their father to give an account of their journey. The eldest
son spoke first.
"Father, on my journey a stranger entrusted to me a great number of
valuable jewels, without taking any account of them. Indeed, I was well
aware that he did not know how many the package contained.
"One or two of them would never have been missed, and I might easily
have enriched myself without fear of detection. But I gave back the
package exactly as I had received it. Was not this a noble deed?"
"My son," replied the father, "simple honesty cannot be called noble.
You did what was right, and nothing more. If you had acted otherwise,
you would have been dishonest, and your deed would have shamed you. You
have done well, but not nobly."
The second son now spoke. He said: "As I was riding along on my
journey, I one day saw a poor child playing by the shore of a lake; and
just as I rode by, it fell into the water, and was in danger of being
drowned.
"I at once dismounted from my horse, and plunging into the water,
brought it safe to land. All the people of the village where this
happened will tell you that what I say is true. Was it not a noble
action?"
"My son," replied the old man, "you did only what was your duty. You
could hardly have left the child to die without exerting yourself to
save it. You, too, have acted well, but not nobly."
Then the third son came forward to tell his tale. He said: "Father, I
had an enemy, who for years had done me much harm and tried to take my
life.
"One evening during my journey, I was passing along a dangerous road
which ran beside the summit of a cliff. As I rode along, my horse
started at sight of something in the road.
"I dismounted to see what it was, and found my enemy lying fast asleep
on the very edge of the cliff. The least movement in his sleep and he
must have rolled over and been dashed to pieces on the rocks below.
"His life was in my hands. I drew him away from the edge and then woke
him, and told him to go on his way in peace."
Then the old Persian cried out with great joy, "Dear son, the diamond is
yours, for it is a noble and godlike thing to help an enemy and return
good for evil."
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--Read this lesson in a conversational tone of
voice, and somewhat more slowly than Lesson III.
Read what is said by each one of the four different persons, as you
think each one of them would speak.
How would you read the third and fourth paragraphs?--the last paragraph?
Point out the _emphatic words_ in the last paragraph.
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the
following words: _Persian, therefore, valuable, account, jewels, aware,
contained, dishonest, duty, enemy_.
Let pupils use other words, to express the following:
To go on his way in peace. Return good for evil.
Tell the story in your own words, using the points in the following
Analysis.--1. The father divides his goods. 2. What he said to his
sons. 3. What the eldest son did. 4. What the second son did. 5. What
the third son did. 6. What the father said.
* * * * *
LESSON XII.
a new', _over again_.
al'ma nac, _a book giving days, weeks, and months of the year_.
rus'tling, _shaking with a gentle sound_.
scents, _smells_.
drow'sy, _sleepy; making sleepy_.
larch, _a kind of tree_.
flue, _an opening for air or smoke to pass through_.
haunt'ing, _staying in; returning often_.
mur'mur, _a low sound_.
fra' grant, _sweet smelling_.
* * * * *
MARJORIE'S ALMANAC.
Robins in the tree-top,
Blossoms in the grass,
Green things a-growing
Every-where you pass;
Sudden fragrant breezes,
Showers of silver dew,
Black bough and bent twig
Budding out anew;
Pine-tree and willow-tree,
Fringed elm and larch,--
Don't you think that May-time's
Pleasanter than March?
Apples in the orchard
Mellowing one by one;
Strawberries upturning
Soft cheeks to the sun;
Roses faint with sweetness,
Lilies fair of face,
Drowsy scents and murmurs
Haunting every place;
Lengths of golden sunshine,
Moonlight bright as day,--
Don't you think that summer's
Pleasanter than May?
Roger in the corn-patch
Whistling negro songs;
Pussy by the hearth-side
Romping with the tongs;
Chestnuts in the ashes
Bursting through the rind;
Red leaf and gold leaf
Rustling down the wind;
Mother "doin' peaches"
All the afternoon,--
Don't you think that autumn's
Pleasanter than June?
Little fairy snow-flakes
Dancing in the flue;
Old Mr. Santa Claus,
What is keeping you?
Twilight and firelight,
Shadows come and go;
Merry chime of sleigh-bells
Tinkling through the snow;
Mother knitting stockings
(Pussy's got the ball!)--
Don't you think that winter's
Pleasanter than all?
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--Read the lesson with spirit, and avoid
anything like sing-song.
Do not make the last word of each line _emphatic_, unless it is really
an _emphatic word_.
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the
following words; _Marjorie's, chestnuts, peaches, afternoon_.
What part of the year is described in each stanza?
What two words can be used for each of the following: _May-time's,
summer's_.
* * * * *
LESSON XIII.
col'o ny, _a number of people living together in one place_.
set'tlers, _those people who form a colony_.
shy, _easily frightened; timid_.
es tab'lished, _formed; settled_.
war'rior, _a soldier; one who fights in war_.
fur'ni ture, _articles used in a house_.
dread'ed, _feared very much_.
pros' per ous, _successful; rich_.
* * * * *
THE STORY OF INDIAN SPRING.
PART I.
"You want to know why this is called Indian Spring, Robbie? I will tell
you.
"When Mary and I were little girls, father moved away from our pleasant
home on the bank of the Delaware River, and came to this part of the
country. There were five of us: father, mother, Mary, our dear nurse
Lizzie, and I.
"Lizzie was a colored woman, who had lived with us a long time. She was
very handsome, and straight as an arrow. She was a few years older than
mother.
"Grandfather Thorpe, your great grandfather, boys, gave her to mother
when she was married. Your grandfather was a miller. The old mill that
I went to see to-day, was his. It was the first mill built in this part
of Pennsylvania.
"O, this was a beautiful country! my eyes never were tired of looking
out over these mountains and valleys. But I saw that mother's face was
getting thinner and whiter every day; they said she was homesick, and
before we had been in the colony a year, a grave was made under an
elm-tree close by, and that grave was mother's.
"I thought my heart was broken then, but I soon forgot my sorrow: I
still had father, sister Mary, and Lizzie.
"In this part of Pennsylvania at that time there were very few white
people, and besides our own, there was no other colony within ten
miles. But our people being so near together, and well armed, felt
quite safe.
"Ten miles away on the Susquehanna, was a small village established by a
colony from the north, which was used as a trading-post. There the
friendly Indians often came to trade.
"Father went twice a year to this village to get supplies that came up
the river. He often spoke of Red Feather, an old Indian warrior. Father
liked Red Feather, and he learned to trust him almost as he would have
trusted a white man.
"Time passed on until I was thirteen years old, a tall, strong girl, and
very brave for a girl. I could shoot almost as well as father.
"Little Mary was very quiet and shy, not like me at all. I loved
fishing, and often went out hunting with father, but she staid at home
with Lizzie, or sat down under the trees by the spring, watching the
shadow of the trees moving in it.
"Our colony had by this time become quite prosperous. A good many of the
settlers had built houses for themselves more like those they had left
behind on the Delaware.
"The spring that I was fourteen, father built this house. The mill had
already been grinding away for two years. We were very happy when we
moved out of our little log cabin into this pleasant house.
"We had but little furniture, but we had plenty of room. Up to this
time, there had not been much trouble with the Indians, and though we
had often dreaded it, and lived in fear many days at a time, only four
of our men had been killed by them.
"We had trusted many of the friendly Indians, and Red Feather had
frequently spent days at our settlement. He seemed to like the mill.
"I became quite attached to the old man; but Mary was always afraid of
him, and Lizzie kept her sharp eyes on him whenever he came into the
house. She hated him, and he knew it.
"One beautiful clear morning in August of that year, father went down to
the mill as usual. Lizzie was busy with her work, and little Mary was
playing with some tame doves, when looking up, I saw Lizzie start
suddenly.
"She had seen something in the woods that frightened her. Without
speaking, she went to the door, closed and fastened it, then turned and
looked out of the window. She never told mo what she saw.
"Father came home early that day; he looked anxious, and I knew that
something troubled him. Without waiting to eat his supper, he went out,
and very soon most of the men of the colony had gathered round him at
the spring."
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--With what tone of voice should this lesson be
read?
What other lessons before this, have been read with the same tone of
voice?
Name two _emphatic words_ in the following _exclamation_:
"O, this was a beautiful country!"
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Change the _exclamation_ given above to a
_statement_. What word would be omitted? How would the punctuation be
changed?
Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the following words:
_Delaware, thinner, Susquehanna, grinding_.
* * * * *
LESSON XIV.
con fu'sion, _disorder_.
sense'less, _without the power of thinking or acting; seemingly lifeless_.
re vived', _came back to life; recovered_.
cun'ning, _slyness; skill_.
pro voke', _make angry_.
stunned_, made senseless by a blow on the head_.
meek'ly, _in a gentle manner_.
his'to ry, _what is told of the past; a story_.
tot'ter, _shake as if about to fall_.
* * * * *
THE STORY OF INDIAN SPRING.
PART II.
"It was as I had feared; we were in danger of an attack from the
Indians.
"Something had happened at the trading-post to provoke them, and rouse
their thirst for blood. But a quiet night passed by and the sun shone
again over the hills in wonderful beauty.
"Suddenly, there sounded from the forest a scream. I had never heard it
before, but I knew it. It was the terrible war-whoop. Then all was
confusion and horror.
"I saw Nanito, an Indian that I knew, who had eaten at our table. I saw
him strike down our father, while Lizzie fought to save him.
"But it was no use, there was no mercy in the heart of the Indian. They
carried Lizzie away from us, and we never saw her again.
"Poor little frightened Mary and I were tied together, our hands
fastened behind us, and we were given, to--whom do you think,
Robbie?--to Red Feather. Then I hated him, and resolved that I would
kill him if I could.
"After a while he took us out of the house, and then I saw that most of
the houses in the little village were burning. The women and children
were saved alive, but nearly all the men were killed.
"I was very quiet, for I wanted my hands untied, and I thought perhaps
Red Feather would pity me and unfasten them.
"Little Mary was frightened nearly to death. She had not spoken since
she saw the Indian strike father down,--when she screamed and fell
senseless.
"For a good while I thought she was dead. She had revived a great deal,
but had not spoken.
"About sundown Red Feather led us down past the spring, out into the
woods, but not far away. We could still see the smoke rising from the
burning houses. The Indians had gone some distance farther and camped
with the white prisoners.
"Red Feather could speak English, so I told him if he would untie my
hands, I would make his fire, and bake his corn cake for him.
"He was old and feeble, and had lost much of his natural cunning. He
knew me, and trusted me; so without speaking, he took his hunting knife
from his belt, cut the cords, and I was free.
"I took the hatchet that he gave me to cut some branches for a fire, and
went to work very meekly, with my head down.
"I dared not speak to Mary, for fear he might see me, for his eyes were
fixed on me every moment. I baked his corn cake in the ashes, and gave
it to him. By this time it was dark, but the light from our fire shone
far out into the woods.
"I noticed Red Feather did not watch me so closely, and his eyes would
now and then shut, for he was very tired.
"He leaned forward to light his pipe in the ashes, when instantly,
almost without thinking, I seized the hatchet, and struck him with all
my might.
"With a loud scream, I plunged into the woods toward home. Turning an
instant, I saw Mary spring up, totter, and fall. With another sharp
report came a twinge of pain in my side. Suddenly I fell, and in the
darkness of the woods, they passed on, leaving me stunned and nearly
dead.
"I will not tell you now, my dear Robbie, how I was cared for, and who
brought home little Mary and laid her to rest under the elm, beside
mother--but the bullet that struck me then, I still carry in my side,
and shall as long as I live.
"Many years have passed since that terrible day, but I can never forget
it. As long as the history of this country lasts, Indian Spring will be
remembered, and other boys will listen, with eyes as wide open as
yours, to the tale it has to tell."
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--Should the second or third paragraph of the
lesson be read the faster?
When do we speak more rapidly--in telling an exciting story, or in
common conversation?
Do our feelings guide us when we speak slowly or rapidly?--when, we
speak quietly or forcibly?
Point out three paragraphs in the lesson that you would read as slowly
as Lesson XIII.; three that you would read more rapidly.
In reading rapidly, be careful not to omit syllables, and not to run
words together. (See Directions for Reading, page 42.)[05]
[05] See Lesson VII.
* * * * *
LESSON XV.
aft, _near the stern of a ship_.
anch'or, _a large iron for holding a ship_.
aimed, _directed or pointed at, as a gun_.
car'tridge, _a small case containing powder and ball_.
mood, _state of mind; temper_.
sul'try, _very hot_.
cleav'ing, _cutting through; dividing_.
dis cov'ered, _found out; seen clearly_.
buoys, _floats, made of wood, hollow iron, or copper_.
re sults', _what follows an act_.
* * * * *
AN ADVENTURE WITH A SHARK.
Our noble ship lay at anchor in the Bay of Tangiers, a town in the
north-west part of Africa.
The day had been very mild, with a gentle breeze sweeping to the
northward and westward. Toward the close of the day the sea-breeze died
away, and hot, sultry breathings came from the great, sunburnt desert of
Sahara.
Half an hour before sundown, the captain gave the cheering order to call
the hands to "go in swimming"; and, in less than five minutes, the forms
of our sailors were seen leaping from the arms of the lower yards into
the water.
One of the sails, with its corners fastened from the main yard-arm and
the swinging boom, had been lowered into the water, and into this most
of the swimmers made their way.
Among those who seemed to be enjoying the sport most heartily were two
boys, one of whom was the son of our old gunner; and, in a laughing
mood, they started out from the sail on a race.
There was a loud ringing shout of joy on their lips as they put off;
they darted through the water like fishes. The surface of the sea was
smooth as glass, though its bosom rose in long, heavy swells that set in
from the ocean.
One of the buoys which was attached to the anchor, to show where it lay,
was far away on the starboard quarter, where it rose and fell with the
lazy swell of the waves.
Towards this buoy the two lads made their way, the old gunner's son
taking the lead; but, when they were within about sixty yards of the
buoy, the other boy shot ahead and promised to win the race.
The old gunner had watched the progress of his son with great pride; and
when he saw him drop behind, he leaped upon the quarter-deck, and was
just upon the point of urging him on by a shout, when a cry was heard
that struck him with instant horror.
"A shark! a shark!" shouted the officer of the deck; and, at the sound
of those terrible words, the men who were in the water, leaped and
plunged toward the ship.
Three or four hundred yards away, the back of a monster shark was seen
cleaving the water. Its course was for the boys.
For a moment the gunner stood like one who had lost his reason; then he
shouted at the top of his voice for the boys to turn; but they heard him
not.
Stoutly the two swimmers strove, knowing nothing of the danger from the
shark. Their merry laughter still rang over the waters, as they were
both nearing the buoy.
O, what anxiety filled the heart of the gunner! A boat had put off, but
he knew it could not reach the boys in time to prevent the shark from
overtaking them.
Every moment he expected to see the monster sink from sight,--then he
knew all hope would be gone. At this moment a cry was heard on board
the ship, that reached every heart,--the boys had discovered their
enemy.
The cry startled the old gunner, and, quicker than thought, he sprung
from the quarter-deck. The guns were all loaded and shotted, fore and
aft, and none knew their temper better than he.
With steady hand, made strong by sudden hope, the old gunner pricked the
cartridge of one of the quarter guns; then he took from his pocket a
percussion cap, fixed it on its place, and set back the hammer of the
gun-lock.
With great exertions, the old man turned the heavy gun to its bearing,
and then seizing the string of the lock, he stood back and watched for
the next swell that would bring the shark in range. He had aimed the
piece some distance ahead of his mark; but yet a moment would settle his
hopes and fears.
Every breath was hushed, and every heart in that old ship beat
painfully. The boat was yet some distance from the boys, while the
horrid sea-monster was fearfully near.
[Illustration]
Suddenly the silence was broken by the roar of the gun; and, as the old
man knew his shot was gone, he covered his face with his hands, as if
afraid to see the result. If he had failed, he knew that his boy was
lost.
For a moment after the report of the gun had died away upon the air,
there was an unbroken silence; but, as the thick smoke arose from the
surface of the water, there was, at first, a low murmur breaking from
the lips of the men,--that murmur grew louder and stronger, till it
swelled to a joyous, deafening shout.
The old gunner sprung to his feet, and gazed off on the water, and the
first thing that met his sight was the huge body of the shark floating
on its back, the shot aimed by him having instantly killed it.
In a few moments the boat reached the daring swimmers, and, greatly
frightened, they were brought on board. The old man clasped his boy in
his arms, and then, overcome by the powerful excitement, he leaned upon
a gun for support.
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--What paragraphs should be read rapidly? Does
the feeling require it?
Use _calling tones_ for the words, "A shark! A shark!"
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the
following words: _Tangiers, Sahara, percussion, excitement, support_.
Tell the story in your own words, using the points in the following
Analysis.--1. Where the ship was. 2. The race. 3. The shark. 4. The
gunner's trial. 5. The result.
* * * * *
LESSON XVI.
scant'y, _not enough for use_.
hu'man, _belonging to man or mankind_.
cubs, _the young of wild animals_.
le'gend, _a story; a tale_.
soot'y, _blackened with smoke_.
scar'let, _of a bright red color_.
self'ish ly, _as if caring only for one's self_.
knead'ed, _pressed and rolled with the hands_.
dough, _unbaked bread or cake_.
* * * * *
A LEGEND OF THE NORTHLAND.
Away, away in the Northland,
Where the hours of the day are few,
And the nights are so long in winter,
They can not sleep them through;
Where they harness the swift reindeer
To the sledges when it snows;
And the children look like bear's cubs,
In their funny, furry clothes:
They tell them a curious story--
I don't believe 'tis true;
And yet you may learn a lesson
If I tell the tale to you.
Once, when the good Saint Peter
Lived in the world below,
And walked about it, preaching,
Just as he did, you know;
He came to the door of a cottage,
In traveling round the earth,
Where a little woman was making cakes,
In the ashes on the hearth.
And being faint with fasting--
For the day was almost done--
He asked her, from her store of cakes,
To give him a single one.
So she made a very little cake,
But as it baking lay,
She looked at it and thought it seemed
Too large to give away.
Therefore she kneaded another,
And still a smaller one;
But it looked, when she turned it over,
As large as the first had done.
Then she took a tiny scrap of dough,
And rolled and rolled it flat;
And baked it thin as a wafer--
But she couldn't part with that.
For she said, "My cakes that seem so small
When I eat of them myself,
Are yet too large to give away."
So she put them on a shelf.
Then good Saint Peter grew angry,
For he was hungry and faint;
And surely such, a woman
Was enough to provoke a saint.
And he said, "You are far too selfish
To dwell in a human form,
To have both food and shelter,
And fire to keep you warm.
"Now, you shall build as the birds do,
And shall get your scanty food
By boring, and boring, and boring,
All day in the hard dry wood."
Then up she went through the chimney.
Never speaking a word;
And out of the top flew a woodpecker,
For she was changed to a bird.
She had a scarlet cap on her head,
And that was left the same,
But all the rest of her clothes were burned
Black as a coal in the flame.
And every country school-boy
Has seen her in the wood;
Where she lives in the trees till this very day
Boring and boring for food.
And this is the lesson she teaches:
Live not for yourselves alone,
Lest the needs you will not pity
Shall one day be your own.
Give plenty of what is given to you,
Listen to pity's call;
Don't think the little you give is great,
And the much you get is small.
Now, my little boy, remember that,
And try to be kind and good,
When you see the woodpecker's sooty dress,
And see her scarlet hood.
You mayn't be changed to a bird, though you live
As selfishly as you can;
But you will be changed to a smaller thing--
A mean and selfish man.
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--In what manner should this lesson be read at
the beginning--quietly, or with much spirit?
On page 77, beginning with the second stanza, is what Saint Peter says
quiet and slow, or emphatic and somewhat rapid?[06]
Point out three places where two lines are to be joined and read as
one.
What two lines in each stanza end with similar sounds?
[06] See stanza number 12 of the poem.
* * * * *
LESSON XVII.
ex pres'sion, _a look showing feeling_.
a maze'ment, _great surprise; astonishment_.
mag'netisnm, _an unknown power of drawing or pulling_.
con tin'ued, _went on; stayed_.
test'ing, _trying_.
con ven'ience, _ease; the saving of trouble_.
ex per'i ments, _the trials made to find out facts_.
* * * * *
A FUNNY HORSESHOE.
"What a funny horseshoe!" said Charlie, "It has no holes for the nails!"
I looked up and saw that he had taken up a small "horseshoe magnet."
"Why that isn't a horseshoe," I said. "It's a magnet."
"Magnet! What's that?"
Charlie turned it over in his hands, and pulled the bar a little. The
bar slipped so that it hung only by a corner.
"Never mind," I said, as he looked up with a scared expression. "It
isn't broken. Put the bar back."
Charlie put it back, and it sprung into place with a sharp click.
"That's funny!" he cried again. "What made it jump so? And what makes it
stick? It doesn't feel sticky."
"We call it magnetism," I said. "Now, take hold of the bar, and see if
you can pull it straight off."
"I can't. It sticks fast."
"Pull harder."
Charlie braced himself for a strong pull. Suddenly the bar came off, and
he went tumbling backward.
"What did you say makes it hold so hard?" said he, getting up.
"Magnetism," said I again.
"But what is magnetism?"
"I couldn't tell you if I tried; but I think you could learn a great
deal about it with that magnet. You will find a lot of things in that
box that may help you."
Saying this, I left him to pursue his studies as best he could. When I
came back, I found him more puzzled than when I left him.
"That's the queerest thing I ever saw," he said. "Some things just jump
at it as though they were alive; some things it pulls; and some things
it doesn't pull a bit."
"That's a very long lesson you have learned," I said. "What does it
pull?"
"These," he said, pointing to a pile of things on one side of the box.
"And these things it doesn't pull."
"Let us see what you have in this pile," I said, looking at the first
little heap; "keys?"
"Trunk keys," said Charlie. "It doesn't pull door keys. I tried ever so
many."
"Try this key," said I, taking one from my pocket. "This is a trunk key.
See if the magnet pulls it."
"No-o," said Charlie, thoughtfully, "it doesn't; but it pulled all the
rest of the trunk keys I could find."
"Try this key to my office door."
Charlie tried it, and to his great amazement the key stuck fast to the
magnet.
"Surely," said I, "it pulls some door keys, and fails to pull some trunk
keys."
Charlie was more puzzled than ever. He looked at the keys, thought a
moment, then picked up my trunk key, and said: "This key is brass; the
rest are iron."
"That's so," I said.
"And all these door keys that the magnet didn't pull," he continued,
"are brass, too. Perhaps it can't pull brass things."
"Suppose you try. But first see if there are any brass things that the
magnet pulled."
Charlie looked them over. Then we tried the casters of my chair, and all
the other brass things we could find, none of which the magnet would
pull.
"There's no use in trying any longer," said Charlie. "It won't pull
brass."
"Then, there's another matter settled," I said. "The magnet does not
pull brass. Is there any thing else it does not pull?"
"Wood," said Charlie. "I tried lots of pieces."
"Any thing else?"
"Stones," said Charlie, eagerly.
"What are these?" I asked, holding up a couple of heavy stones he had
put among the things the magnet pulled.
"I guess I put those there by mistake," said Charlie, testing with, the
magnet a number of stones in the other pile.
"Try them," I said.
"O!" he said, as the magnet lifted them; "I forgot. It does lift some
stones."
"Well, what else have you in that pile of things the magnet did not
pull?"
"Glass, leather, lead, bone, cloth, tin, zinc, corn, and a lot of
things."
"Very well. Now let us see what the magnet does pull."
"Iron keys," said Charlie, "and nails."
"Here's a nail in this other pile."
"That's a brass nail. The magnet pulls only iron nails."
"What else have we in this pile?"
"Needles, hair-pins, screws, wire--iron wire," he added quickly. "Brass
wire doesn't stick, you know."
"How about this?" I asked, taking a small coil of copper wire from my
desk.
"I guess that won't stick," said Charlie. "Because that's copper wire,
and the magnet doesn't seem to pull any thing that isn't iron."
Much to Charlie's satisfaction, the magnet did not pull the copper wire.
Then I took up two stones, one rusty red, the other black, and said:
"What about these?"
"I guess they must have iron in them too," said Charlie. "Have they?"
"They have," I replied. "They are iron ores from which iron is made. Why
did you think there was iron in them?"
"Because they wouldn't have stuck to the magnet if there wasn't."
"Quite true. So you have learned another very important fact. Can you
tell me what it is?"
"The magnet pulls iron," said Charlie.
"Good," said I; "and it is also true that the magnet does not pull--"
"Things that are not iron," said Charlie.
"True again," I said. "So far as our experiments go, the magnet pulls
iron always, and never any thing else."
"But what makes it pull iron?"
"That I can not tell. We see it does pull, but just how the pulling is
done, or what makes it, no one has yet found out.
"For convenience we call the pulling power magnetism. You may keep the
magnet, and at some other time, I will tell you more about it."
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Name six words in the lesson, each of which is made
up of two words by leaving out letters.
Write out the two words in each case.
What is the name of the mark which shows the omission of letters?
Point out the _statement, command, question_, and _exclamation_ in
the sentences given below.
"O, isn't it a funny horseshoe!"
"Put the bar back."
"What made it jump so?"
"The magnet pulls iron."
* * * * *
LESSON XVIII.
ex pos'es, _shows_.
mi mo'sa, _a tree that grows in Africa_.
mot'tled, _marked with spots of different color_.
re sem'bling, _looking like_.
ap proach', _coming near_.
pub'lic, _open to all; free_.
va'ri ous, _different; unlike in kind_.
de fend', _take care of; protect_.
gait, _manner of stepping_.
pre vents', _keeps from; stops_.
ca' pa ble, _having power; able_.
* * * * *
THE GIRAFFE OR CAMELOPARD.
There are few sights more pleasing than a herd of tall and graceful
giraffes.
With, their heads reaching a height of from twelve to eighteen feet,
they move about in small herds on the open plains of Africa, eating the
tender twigs and leaves of the mimosa and other trees.
The legs of a large giraffe are about nine feet long, and its neck
nearly six feet; while its body measures only seven feet in length and
slopes rapidly from the neck to the tail.
The graceful appearance of the giraffe is increased by the beauty of its
skin, which is orange red in color and mottled with dark spots.
Its long tail has at the end a tuft of thick hair which serves the
purpose of keeping off the flies and stinging insects, so plentiful in
the hot climate of Africa.
[Illustration]
Its tongue is very wonderful. It is from thirteen to seventeen inches in
length, is slender and pointed, and is capable of being moved in various
ways. It is almost as useful to the giraffe as the trunk is to the
elephant.
The horns of the giraffe are very short and covered with skin. At the
ends there are tufts of short hair. The animal has divided hoofs
somewhat resembling those of the ox.
The head of the giraffe is small, and its eyes, large and mild looking.
These eyes are set in such a way that the animal can see a great deal of
what is behind it without turning its head.
In addition to its wonderful power of sight, the giraffe can scent
danger from a great distance; so there is no animal more difficult of
approach.
Strange to relate, the giraffe has no voice. In London, some years ago,
two giraffes were burned to death in their stables, when the slightest
sound would have given notice of their danger, and saved their lives.
The giraffe is naturally both gentle and timid, and he will always try
to avoid danger by flight. It is when running that he exposes his only
ungraceful point.
He runs swiftly, but as he moves the fore and hind legs on each side at
the same time, it gives him a very displeasing and awkward gait.
But though timid, he will, when overtaken, turn even upon the lion or
panther, and defend himself successfully by powerful kicks with his
strong legs.
The natives of Africa capture the giraffe in pitfalls, which are deep
holes covered over with branches of trees and dirt. When captured, he
can be tamed, and gives scarcely any trouble during captivity.
Fifty years ago, but little was known about giraffes in Europe or
America. Now we can find them in menageries and the public gardens of
our large cities.
The giraffe thrives in captivity and seems to be well satisfied with a
diet of corn and hay. It is a source of great satisfaction to those who
admire this beautiful animal, that there is no reason which prevents him
from living in a climate so different from that of his African home.
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Write statements containing each of the following
words, used in such a manner as to show their proper meaning: _feet,
feat; red, read; fore, four; gait, gate_.
Model.--
We are coming to _see_ you to-morrow.
He stood watching the ships sailing on the _sea_.
* * * * *
LESSON XIX.
ex pert', _skillful_.
ad vise', _offer advice; give notice of what has happened_.
civ'il ized, _having laws, learning, and good manners_.
quan'ti ty, _a large amount; part_.
in duce', _lead one to think or act_.
pre pared', _made ready for use_.
de part'ed, _went away_.
hence forth', _from this time forward_.
part'ner, _one who shares with another, as a partner in business_.
ar riv'ing, _coming to; reaching a point_.
con vince', _make one believe_.
* * * * *
THE TRADER'S TRICK.
Out in the West, where many Indians live, there are white men who go
among them to trade for furs and skins of animals.
These furs and skins are collected and prepared by the Indians, and
serve the purpose of money when the traders visit them to dispose of
various kinds of goods.
In old times, before the white men came to this country, the Indians had
only bows and arrows, and spears with which to hunt.
But the white men soon taught them to use guns, and to-day, nearly all
the tribes in America are well supplied with rifles or shotguns.
They are very expert with these fire-arms, and as they use them a great
deal, must have a large and constant supply of gunpowder.
A story is told of how, at one time, a tribe of Indians tried to raise
gunpowder by planting seed. This shows how little they knew of civilized
life and habits.
A trader went to a certain Indian nation to dispose of a stock of goods.
Among other things he had a quantity of gunpowder.
The Indians traded for his cloths, hats, axes, beads, and other things,
but would not take the powder, saying: "We do not wish for the powder;
we have plenty."
The trader did not like to carry all the powder back to his camp; so
thought he would play a trick on the Indians, and induce them to buy it.
Going to an open piece of ground near the Indian camp, he dug some
little holes in the soft, rich soil; then mixing a quantity of onion
seed with his powder, he began to plant it.
The Indians were curious to know what he was doing, and stood by greatly
interested.
"What are you doing?" said one. "Planting gunpowder," replied the
trader.
"Why do you plant it?" inquired another.
"To raise a crop of powder. How could I raise it without planting?" said
the trader. "Do you not plant corn in the ground?"
"And will gunpowder grow like corn?" exclaimed half a dozen at once.
"Certainly it will," said the trader. "Did you not know it? As you do
not want my powder, I thought I would plant it, and raise a crop which I
could gather and sell to the Crows."
Now the Crows were another tribe of Indians, which was always at war
with this tribe. The idea of their enemies having a large supply of
powder increased the excitement, and one of the Indians said:
"Well, well, if we can raise powder like corn, we will buy your stock
and plant it."
But some of the Indians thought best to wait, and see if the seed would
grow. So the trader agreed to wait a few days.
In about a week the tiny sprouts of the onion seed began to appear above
the ground.
The trader calling the Indians to the spot, said: "You see now for
yourselves. The powder already begins to grow, just as I told you it
would."
The fact that some small plants appeared where the trader had put the
gunpowder, was enough to convince the Indians.
Every one of them became anxious to raise a crop of gunpowder.
The trader sold them his stock, in which there was a large mixture of
onion seeds, at a very high price, and then left.
From this time, the Indians gave no attention to their corn crop. If
they could raise gunpowder, they would be happy.
They took great care of the little plants as they came up out of the
ground, and watched every day for the appearance of the gunpowder
blossoms.
They planned a buffalo hunt which was to take place after the powder
harvest.
After a while the onions bore a plentiful crop of seeds, and the Indians
began to gather and thresh it.
They believed that threshing the onion seeds would produce the powder.
But threshing failed to bring it. Then they discovered that they had
been cheated.
Of course the dishonest trader avoided these Indians, and did not make
them a second visit.
After some time, however, he sent his partner to them for the purpose of
trading goods for furs and skins.
By chance they found out that this man was the partner of the one who
had cheated them.
They said nothing to him about the matter; but when he had opened his
goods and was ready to trade, they coolly helped themselves to all he
had, and walked off.
The trader did not understand this. He became furiously angry, and went
to make his complaint to the chief of the nation.
"I am an honest man," said he to the chief. "I came here to trade
honestly. But your people are thieves; they have stolen all my goods."
The old chief looked at him some time in silence, and then said: "My
children are all honest. They have not stolen your goods. They will pay
you as soon as they gather their gunpowder harvest."
The man had heard of the trick played upon the Indians; but did not know
before this, that his partner was the one who had cheated them. He could
not say a word. He departed at once. Arriving at his home, he said to
his partner:
"We must separate. I have learned a lesson. I can not remain in business
with a dishonest man. You cheated the Indians for a little gain. You
have lost it, and I advise you, henceforth, to deal honestly with all
men."
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--In the first paragraph of the lesson, notice
the places marked below (__) where words are likely to be run together
in reading, and avoid making such errors.
"Out__in the West, there__are men who trade for furs__and skins__of
animals."
Point out similar places in the second paragraph.
Name four _emphatic words_ occurring in the last sentence of the
lesson.
* * * * *
Language Lesson. Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the
following words: _dispose, gunpowder, complaint, henceforth_.
Give reasons for the capital letters and marks of punctuation used in
the last paragraph of the lesson.
Tell the story in your own words, using the points given in the
following
Analysis.--1. Trading with the Indians. 2. The use of fire-arms among
the Indians. 3. The trader's trick. 4. Visit of the trader's partner. 5.
What the Indians did. 6. The return of the partner. 7. What he said to
the trader.
* * * * *
LESSON XX.
floss'y, _made of silk_.
mag'ic, _unnatural power_.
war'bling, _singing_.
mope, _become stupid or dull_.
boun'ty, _what is given freely_.
lan'guish, _become weak; wither_.
* * * * *
A HAPPY PAIR.
Over my shaded doorway
Two little brown-winged birds
Have chosen to fashion their dwelling,
And utter their loving words;
All day they are going and coming
On errands frequent and fleet,
And warbling over and over,
"Sweetest, sweet, sweet, O sweet!"
Their necks are changeful and shining,
Their eyes like living gems;
And all day long they are busy
Gathering straws and stems,
Lint and feathers and grasses,
And half forgetting to eat,
Yet never failing to warble,
"Sweetest, sweet, sweet, O sweet!"
I scatter crumbs on the doorstep,
And fling them some flossy threads;
They fearlessly gather my bounty,
And turn up their grateful heads.
And chatter and dance and flutter,
And scrape with their tiny feet,
Telling me over and over,
"Sweetest, sweet, sweet, O sweet!"
What if the sky is clouded?
What if the rain comes down?
They are all dressed to meet it,
In water-proof suits of brown.
They never mope nor languish,
Nor murmur at storm or heat;
But say, whatever the weather,
"Sweetest, sweet, sweet, O sweet!"
Always merry and busy,
Dear little brown-winged birds!
Teach me the happy magic
Hidden in those soft words,
Which always, in shine or shadow,
So lovingly you repeat,
Over and over and over,
"Sweetest, sweet, sweet, O sweet!"
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Let pupils express, in their own language, the words
given below in dark type.
Their eyes are like _living gems_.
Which you always repeat _in shine or shadow_.
What kind of birds are described in the lesson?
Why did they gather straws, stems, lint, feathers, and grasses?
* * * * *
LESSON XXI.
mes'sage, _word; notice_.
mer'chan dise, _things traded; goods_.
guid'ance _leading; directing_.
halt, _stop_.
de cid'ed, _made up their minds_.
re trac'ing, _going back over_.
ho ri'zon, _line where the earth and sky seem to meet_.
en camped', _set up tents_.
sole, _only_.
gushed, _flowed rapidly; poured_.
* * * * *
ALI, THE BOY CAMEL-DRIVER
PART I.
Hassan was a camel-driver who dwelt at Gaza. It was his business to go
with caravans, backwards and forwards, across the desert to Suez, to
take care of the camels. He had a wife and one young son, called Ali.
Hassan had been, absent for many weeks, when his wife received from him
a message, brought by another camel-driver, who had returned with a
caravan from Suez.
It said: "Send the boy with the camel to Suez with the next caravan. I
have some merchandise to bring home, and I will stop at Suez till he
comes."
Ali's mother was pained at the thought of sending her young son away to
such a distance for the first time; but she said to herself that Ali
was now quite old enough to be helping his father, and she at once set
about doing what was required for his journey.
Ali got out the trappings for the camel, and looked to the water-bottles
to see that they did not leak. His mother did all that was needed to
make him quite ready to join the next caravan that started.
Ali was delighted to think that he was to go to his father, and that at
last the day was come when, he too was to be a camel-driver, and to take
a journey with the dear old camel which he was so fond of.
He had long wanted to ride on its back across the desert, and to lie
down by its side to rest at night. He had no fear.
The camel, of which Ali was so fond, had been bought by his father with
the savings of many a year's hard work, and formed the sole riches of
the family.
Hassan was looked upon as quite a rich man by the other camel-drivers,
and Ali, besides having a great love for the animal, was proud of his
father being a camel owner.
Though it was a great creature by the side of the young boy, it would
obey the voice of Ali, and come and go at his bidding, and lie down and
rise up just as he wished. Hassan called his camel by an Arabian word,
which meant "Meek-eye."
At last, there was a caravan about to start for Suez which Ali could
join. The party met near the gates of the city, where there were some
wells, at which the water-bottles could be filled. Ali's mother
attended, and bid her son a loving farewell.
The caravan started. The camels which were to lead the way, had around
their necks jingling bells, which the others hearing, followed without
other guidance.
Ali looked about and saw his mother standing near the city gate. He took
his cap off and waved it above his head, and his mother took off the
linen cloth which she wore over her head, and waved it.
Tramp, tramp, tramp went the camels, their soft spongy feet making a
noise as they trod the ground. The camel-drivers laughed, and talked to
each other.
Ali was the only boy in the caravan, and no one seemed to notice him. He
had a stout heart, and tried not to care.
He could talk to Meek-eye, and this he did, patting the creature's back,
and telling him they would soon see his father.
The sun rose higher and higher, and the day grew hotter and hotter. The
morning breeze died away, and the noon was close and sultry.
The sand glowed like fire. There was nothing to be seen but sand and
sky. At mid-day a halt was made at one of the places well known to the
drivers, where shade and water could be had.
The water-bottles were not to be touched that day, for at this place a
little stream, which gushed from a rock, supplied enough for the men,
while the camels needed no water for many days.
After resting a short time, the kneeling camels were made to rise, the
riders first placing themselves on their backs, and the caravan then
moved on.
At night the party encamped for rest, the camels lying down, while fires
were lighted and food was prepared.
Several days were thus passed, and Ali found that he liked this kind of
life as well as he thought he should.
No Arabs were met with, nor even seen; but a danger of the desert, worse
than a party of Arabs, came upon them.
There arose one day at noon, one of those fearful burning winds which do
such mischief to the traveler and his camel. The loose sand was raised
like a cloud. It filled the nostrils and blinded the eyes.
The only thing to be done, was for the men to get off the backs of the
camels, and lie down with their faces to the earth.
After the storm had passed, they arose to continue their journey. But
the sand had been so blown as to cover the beaten track, and thus all
trace of the road was lost.
The camel-drivers who led the way stood still, and said that they did
not know which way to turn.
No distant rock or palm-tree was to be seen, and no one could say which
was the south, towards which their faces ought to be turned.
They wandered on, now turning to the right, and now to the left; and
sometimes, when they had gone some distance in one direction, retracing
their steps and trying another.
The caravan made a halt, and it was now decided to journey towards the
setting sun, in hopes of finding once more the right track.
Night came on, however, and they had not found it, nor had they reached
any place where they could fill their water-bottles, which were empty.
Once or twice, some one of the party fancied that he saw in the distance
the top of a palm-tree; but no, it turned out to be but a little cloud
upon the horizon.
They had not yet found the old track; neither had they supplied
themselves with water to cool their parched lips.
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--Always take breath before beginning to read a
sentence. If the sentence is a long one, choose such places for breathing
as will not injure the sense.
When we are out of breath, we are likely either to read too fast, or
stop to breathe at such places as to injure the sense.
In the first sentence of the second paragraph on page 101, we may make
slight pauses to take breath after _noon_ and after _winds_.[07]
Point out breathing-places in the last paragraph on page 100.[08]
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the
following words: _jingling, nostrils, farewell_.
Let pupils use other words to express the following:
A stout heart. Towards the setting sun.
[07] See paragraph 22 beginning, "There arose one day at noon...."
[08] See paragraph 21 beginning, "Several days were thus passed...."
* * * * *
LESSON XXII.
pro pose', _offer; advise_.
group, _a number of persons or things together_.
grief, _great sorrow; distress_.
draughts (drafts), _quantities of water taken at one time_.
quenched, _satisfied; put out_.
re' cently, _newly; lately_.
flick'er ing, _fluttering; keeping in motion_.
greed'ily, _very eagerly_
pre'cious, _of great price; costly_.
wea'ry, _very tired_.
refresh'ing, _cooling; reviving_.
* * * * *
ALI, THE BOY CAMEL-DRIVER.
PART II.
Poor Ali suffered like the rest from terrible thirst. He drank the last
drop of water from his water-bottle, and thought of the morrow with
fear.
He was so tired when night came, he was glad to lie down by the side of
Meek-eye and go to sleep. Ali slept, but before morning, was awakened by
the sound of voices.
He listened, and heard the chief driver tell one of the merchants that,
if they did not find water very soon, the next day a camel must be
killed, in order to get the water contained in its stomach.
This is often done in cases of great need in the desert, the stomach of
the camel being so formed as to hold a great quantity of water.
Ali was not surprised to hear such a thing spoken of; but what was his
distress and alarm, when he heard the merchant propose that it should be
"the boy's camel" that should be killed!
The merchant said the other camels were of too good a kind, and of too
much value; while, as to this young boy, what business had he to have a
camel of his own?
It would be better far, they said, for him to lose his camel than for
him to die, like the rest, of thirst. And so it was decided that
Meek-eye should be killed, unless water were found the next morning.
Ali slept no more. His heart was full of grief; but his grief was mixed
with courage and resolution. He said to himself that Meek-eye should not
die.
His father had trusted him to bring the camel, and what would he say if
he should arrive at Suez without it? He would try to find his way alone,
and leave the caravan as soon as possible.
That night when all was quiet, and the merchant and camel-driver had
gone to sleep, Ali arose, and gently patting the neck of Meek-eye, awoke
him.
He placed his empty bag and water-bottles on his back, and seating
himself on him, made signs for the creature to rise, and then suddenly
started off.
Tramp, tramp, tramp, went Meek-eye over the soft sand. The night was
cool and refreshing, and Ali felt stronger and braver with every tramp.
The stars were shining brightly, and they were his only guides.
He knew the star which was always in the north, and the one which was in
the west after the sun had gone down. He must keep that star to the
right, and he would be sure to be going towards the south.
He journeyed on till day began to dawn. The sun came up on the edge of
the desert, and rose higher and higher. Ali felt faint, weary, and
thirsty, and could scarcely hold himself on to Meek-eye. When he thought
of his father and mother, he took courage again, and bore up bravely.
The sun was now at its height. Ali fancied he saw a palm-tree in the
distance. It seemed as if Meek-eye saw it also, for he raised his head
and quickened his step.
It was not long before Ali found himself at one of those pleasant green
islands which are found throughout the desert, and are called oases.
He threw himself from the camel's back, and hunted out the pool of water
that he knew he should find in the midst of the reeds and long grass
which grew there.
He dipped in his water-bottle and drank, while Meek-eye, lying down,
stretched out his long neck, and greedily sucked up great draughts of
the cool water.
How sweet was the sleep which crept over them as they lay down in the
shade of the great palm-tree, now that they had quenched their thirst!
Refreshed and rested, Ali was able to satisfy his hunger on some ripe
dates from the palm-tree, while Meek-eye began to feed upon the grass
and leaves around.
Ali noticed, while eating his dates, that other travelers had been there
recently: as the grass at the side of the pool was trampled down. This
greatly cheered him. He quickly followed in their track, still going in
a southerly direction.
He kept the setting sun to his right, and when it had gone down, he
noticed the bright star that had guided him before.
He traveled on, tired and faint with hunger for many a mile, till at
last he saw, a long way off, the fires of a caravan which had halted for
the night.
Ali soon came up to them. He got down, from Meek-eye, and leading him by
the bridle, came towards a group of camel-drivers, who were sitting in a
circle.
He told them his story, and asked permission to join the party, and
begged a little rice, for which he was ready to pay with the piece of
money that his mother had given him when he left home.
Ali was kindly received by them, and allowed to partake of their supper.
The men admired the courage with which he had saved his favorite camel.
After supper Ali soon closed his weary eyes, and slept soundly by the
side of Meek-eye.
In the midst of a pleasant dream, Ali was suddenly aroused by the sound
of tinkling bells, and on waking up he saw that another caravan had
arrived, which had come from the south.
The merchants sat down to wait until their supper was brought to them,
and a party of camel-drivers drew round the fire near which Ali had
been sleeping. They raked up its ashes, put on fresh fuel, and then
prepared to boil their rice.
What voice was that which roused Ali just as he was falling asleep
again? He listened, he started to his feet, he looked about him, and
waited for a flash of flame from the fire to fall on the faces of the
camel-drivers who stood around it.
It came flickering up at first, and then all at once blazing out,
flashed upon the camel-driver who stood stooping over it, and lighted up
the face of Ali's father!
The father had waited at Suez many days, wondering why Ali did not come;
and then, thinking there had been some mistake, determined to return
home with the caravan, which was starting for Gaza.
We need hardly describe the joy of both father and son at thus meeting,
nor the pleasure with which the father listened to the history of Ali
the fears and dangers to which his young son had been exposed. He was
glad, too, that their precious Meek-eye had been saved.
There was no one in the whole caravan so happy as Hassan, when, the next
morning, he continued, his journey to Gaza in company with Meek-eye and
his beloved son Ali.
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the
following words: _suffered, permission, partake, merchants, beloved_.
Let pupils use other words to express the meaning of what is given below
in dark type.
Ali _bore up bravely_.
Meek-eye _quickened his step_.
_The sun_ was now _at its height_.
Write statements containing each of the following words, used in such a
manner as to show their proper meaning: _herd, heard; need, knead; no,
know; way, weigh; knew, new_.
Make out an _analysis_ of the two lessons, and use it in telling the
story in your own words.
* * * * *
LESSON XXIII.
ob served', _saw; noticed_.
trans par'ent, _clear; easily seen through_.
ma te'ri al, _that of which any thing is made or to be made_.
ob tained', _taken from; received_.
gar'ments, _articles of clothing_.
verd'ure, _any green growth_.
a dorn', _dress with taste; beautify_.
par tic'ular, _of an unusual kind_.
va ri'e ty, _a number of different kinds_.
del'i cate, _gentle; tender_.
ca ressed', _treated with fondness_.
* * * * *
A QUEER PEOPLE.
One evening, as Captain Perry was sitting by the fireside at his home in
Liverpool, his children asked him to tell them a story.
[Illustration]
"What shall it be about?" said the captain.
"O," said Harry, "tell us about other countries, and the curious people
you have seen in them."
"Yes, yes!" exclaimed Mary. "We were much interested, while you were
away the last time, in reading 'Gulliver's Travels' and 'Sindbad the
Sailor.'"
"You have seen as wonderful things as they did, haven't you, father?"
said Harry.
"No, my dears," said the captain. "I never met such wonderful people as
they tell about, I assure you; nor have I seen the 'Black Loadstone
Mountain' or the 'Valley of Diamonds.'"
"But," said Mary, "you have seen a great many people, and their
different manners and ways of living."
"Yes," said the captain, "and if it will interest you, I will tell you
some of the curious things that I have observed."
"Pray, do so!" cried Harry, as both the children drew close to him.
"Well, then," began the captain, "I was once in a country where it was
very cold, and the poor people could scarcely keep themselves from
starving.
"They were clothed partly in the skins of beasts, made smooth and soft
by some particular art; but chiefly in garments made from the outer
covering of an animal cruelly stripped off its back while alive.
"They lived in houses partly sunk below the ground. These houses were
mostly built of stones or of earth hardened by fire.
"The walls of the houses had holes to let in light; but to prevent the
cold air and rain from coming in, they were covered with a sort of
transparent stone, made of melted sand.
"As wood was rather scarce, they used for fuel a certain kind of stone
which they dug out of the earth, and which, when put among burning
wood, catches fire and makes a bright flame."
"Dear me!" said Harry. "What a wonderful stone! Why didn't you
bring a piece home with you, father?"
"I have a piece, which I will show you some time," replied the captain.
"But to go on with my story.
"What these people eat is remarkable, too. Some of the poor people eat
fish which had been hung up and smoked until quite dry and hard, and
along with it they eat the roots of plants, or coarse, black cake made
of powdered seeds.
"The rich people have a whiter kind of cake upon which they spread a
greasy matter that is obtained from a large animal. They eat also the
flesh of many birds and beasts when they can get it, and the leaves and
other parts of a variety of vegetables--some raw and others cooked.
"For drink they use the water in which certain dry leaves have been
steeped. These leaves, I was told, came from a country a great distance
away.
"I was glad to leave this country because it was so very cold; but about
six months after, I was obliged to go there again. What was my surprise
to find that great changes had taken place!
"The climate was mild and warm, and the country was full of beauty and
verdure. The trees and shrubs bore a great variety of fruits, which,
with other vegetable products, were used largely as food.
"The people were gentle and civilized. Their dress was varied. Many wore
cloth woven from a sort of wool grown in pods on bushes.
"Another singular material was a fine, glossy stuff used chiefly by the
rich people. I was told that it was made out of the webs of
caterpillars, which to me seemed quite wonderful, as it must have taken
a great number of caterpillars to produce the large quantity of the
stuff that I saw.
"These people have queer ideas about their dress. The women wear
strangely figured garments, and adorn their heads, like some Indian
nations, with feathers and other fanciful head-dresses.
"One thing surprised me very much. They bring up in their houses an
animal of the tiger species, having the same kind of teeth and claws as
the tiger.
"In spite of the natural fierceness of this little beast, it is played
with and caressed by the most timid and delicate of their women and
children."
"I am sure I would not play with it," said Harry.
"You might get an ugly scratch, if you did," said the captain.
"Aha!" cried Mary; "I've found you out: you have been telling us of our
country and what is done at home all this while!"
"But we don't burn stones, or eat grease and powdered seeds, or wear
skins and caterpillars' webs, or play with tigers," said Harry.
"No?" said the captain. "Pray, what is coal but a kind of stone; and is
not butter, grease; and wheat, seeds; and leather, skins; and silk, the
web of a kind of caterpillar; and may we not as well call a cat an
animal of the tiger kind, as a tiger an animal of the cat kind?"
"So, if you will remember what I have been describing, you will find
that all the other wonderful things that I have told you of, are well
known among ourselves."
"I have told you the story to show that a foreigner might easily
represent every thing among us as equally strange and wonderful, as we
could with respect to his country."
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--Point out breathing-places in the last
paragraph.
Name the _emphatic words_ in the last paragraph.
Pronounce carefully the following words: _vegetable, foreigner, beasts,
products, across, again, also, apron_.
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Let pupils express the meaning of what is given below
in dark type, using a single word for each example.
Houses built of _earth hardened by fire_.
The walls have _holes to let in the light_.
They were covered with _a sort of transparent stone_.
They drink _water in which dry leaves have been steeped_.
Many wore cloth woven from _a sort of wool grown in pods_.
* * * * *
LESSON XXIV.
lin'net, _a kind of bird_.
com pare', _be equal; have similar appearance_.
wor'ried, _troubled; anxious_.
hum'ble, _meek; lowly_.
mis'chiev ous, _full of mischief; troublesome_.
grub, _dig up by the roots_.
* * * * *
THE ILL-NATURED BRIER
Little Miss Brier came out of the ground,
She put out her thorns, and scratched ev'ry thing 'round.
"I'll just try," said she,
"How bad I can be;
At pricking and scratching, there are few can match me."
Little Miss Brier was handsome and bright,
Her leaves were dark green, and her flowers pure white;
But all who came nigh her
Were so worried by her,
They'd go out of their way to keep clear of the Brier.
Little Miss Brier was looking one day
At her neighbor, the Violet, over the way;
"I wonder," said she,
"That no one pets me,
While all seem so glad little Violet to see."
A sober old Linnet, who sat on a tree,
Heard the speech of the Brier, and thus answered he:
"'Tis not that she's fair,
For you may compare
In beauty with even Miss Violet there;
"But Violet is always so pleasant and kind,
So gentle in manner, so humble in mind,
E'en the worms at her feet
She would never ill-treat,
And to Bird, Bee, and Butterfly always is sweet."
Then the gardener's wife the pathway came down,
And the mischievous Brier caught hold of her gown;
"O dear, what a tear!
My gown's spoiled, I declare!
That troublesome Brier!--it has no business there;
Here, John, grub it up; throw it into the fire."
And that was the end of the ill-natured Brier.
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--This lesson should be read in a spirited
manner.
It is suggested to vary the reading exercise by having one pupil read
each stanza, and the class repeat it in concert.
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Let pupils use other words to express the meaning of
what is given below in dark type.
There are few can _match_ me.
They'd go out of their way to _keep clear of_ the Brier.
Supply letters omitted from the following words: _they'd, gown's, e'en,
'round_. Write the words in full.
* * * * *
LESSON XXV.
ply, _make regular journeys_.
com'merce, _trade between places or peoples_.
might'y, _of great power_.
trav'erse, _pass over; cross_.
re'al ize, _understand the truth of_.
pro pel', _drive forward_.
prop'erty, _any thing that belongs to a person_.
or'chards, _numbers of fruit-trees_.
im mense', _very large_.
glit'ter ing, _sparkling with light_.
* * * * *
WATER.
It is difficult to realize that nearly three-fourths of the surface of
the earth is water; yet it is a fact.
Think of the immense space covered by oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers,
and how useful all this water is to mankind.
Sailing ships and steam-ships traverse the oceans and lakes. Steam-boats
ply along the rivers, carrying people and merchandise to and fro, going
sometimes as far as three thousand miles from their starting point.
It is by water that men float their rafts of logs or lumber to distant
places. Water turns the great wheels of many of our mills, and thus
harnessed to mighty machines, does more work than thousands of men and
horses.
These machines produce paper, cloth, flour, lumber, and many other
useful articles.
When water is heated and turned into steam, it moves powerful engines.
These engines propel our great steam-ships and steam-boats and drive
machines of all kinds in mills and factories.
Many of you have seen water, clear and cool, trickling from the rocks in
the side of a hill. This water first forms a spring.
From this spring, the water escapes in a tiny stream, called a rivulet
or creek, and flows along until it enters a river. Many springs make
many rivulets; many rivulets make large rivers.
Rivers sometimes receive such great quantities of water that they
overflow their banks, and destroy much valuable property. This is called
a freshet or a flood.
Many people who live near some of our rivers have lost their houses,
furniture, and cattle, which were all swept away by these floods.
In the winter of 1883, the Ohio River received so much water from the
thousands of rivulets flowing into it, that it overflowed its banks.
The result of this overflow was one of the greatest floods ever known,
and many, no doubt, who read this, were there to see its terrible
effects.
But where does all this water come from? you may ask.
Let me see if I can explain it to you. The water in all these rivers,
lakes, and oceans is constantly rising into the air in what is called
moisture or vapor. We can not see this moisture, neither can we see the
air.
If the air is cold, moisture does not rise rapidly; but, as the air
becomes heated, it takes up more moisture, so that the more heat there
is in the air, the more moisture rises.
Heated air is light, and rises higher and higher from the ground, taking
the moisture with it, until it reaches a point where it begins to cool.
Then as the air cools, the moisture forms into clouds, and these clouds
are, in a certain sense, floating water.
Floating water! How can water float! do you ask?
Well, I will tell you. Cold air is heavier than heated air, and until
the clouds become so full of moisture as to return some of it to the
earth, in the shape of rain, they float because they are lighter than
the air underneath them.
The winds, by the flapping of their mighty wings, drive the clouds over
the land to the hills and the mountains and the thirsty fields; and
there they pour their blessings on the farms, pastures, orchards, and
the dusty roads and way-side grass, bringing greenness and gladness
every-where.
Without water nothing would grow; every thing would dry up and wither.
All animals drink water, for it forms a part of their blood and thus
helps to keep them alive. All trees and plants drink it by drawing it
through their roots or leaves, for it helps to form their sap.
Sometimes on a summer morning you will see drops of clear sparkling
water on flowers and grass.
To look at them you would think it had rained during the night; but,
noticing that the ground is dry, you know that no rain has fallen.
What then are these glittering drops of water? Where do they come from?
I will tell you. These drops are called dew. As night comes on, the
grass and the leaves of flowers and plants become cool.
When the warm air touches them, it becomes chilled, and as the air can
not then carry so much moisture as before, it leaves some of its
moisture on the flowers and grass.
A moisture like dew sometimes collects in the house. Did you ever
observe it in drops on the outside of a pitcher of cold water? Some
people suppose that the water comes through the pitcher, but it does
not.
The water being cold makes the pitcher cold, and as the warm air of the
room strikes it, a moisture like dew is left on the pitcher, in the same
manner as dew is left on grass, leaves, and flowers.
In cold weather, when the dew gathers on plants and flowers, it
sometimes freezes and forms frost, and when the clouds throw off their
moisture in rain drops, the rain becomes sleet, hail, or snow.
So you see that dew, rain, frost, sleet, snow, and hail are only
different forms of water.
* * * * *
LESSON XXVI.
treas'ure, _a large quantity of money; valuable things_.
for'mer ly, _in time past; heretofore_.
mod'er ate, _not great; limited in quantity_.
or'phan, _a child whose father and mother are dead_.
at tract'ive, _inviting; having power to draw toward_.
em'er y, _a kind of hard, sharp sand_.
ex treme', _last point or limit_.
rub'bish, _things of no value_.
fit'tings, _things needed in making an article ready for use_.
* * * * *
THE HIDDEN TREASURE.
PART I.
On a pleasant street in the old town of Fairfield, stands a neat, little
cottage. This was formerly the home of Mrs. Reed, an old lady respected
by her neighbors and loved by all the young people of the place.
There was about Mrs. Reed a kindly manner which pleased all who knew
her. Although very poor, she took much interest in her young friends and
tried to make them happy.
Mrs. Reed had not always been poor. Her husband when alive was supposed
to be rich; but after his death, it was found that nothing was left to
his widow but two small cottages.
In one of these cottages, Mrs. Reed lived; the other, she rented. But
the rent received was no more than enough to enable her to live with
moderate comfort. She had little or nothing left with which to do for
others.
One cold winter morning, two persons were talking together in the cozy
sitting-room of the cottage. One was Mrs. Reed, and the other, Alice
Brown, a poor orphan girl, who lived with some distant relatives in
Fairfield.
"You are very kind to come to see me so often, Alice," said Mrs. Reed.
"I wonder why you do; because there is nothing attractive here."
"Why, Mrs. Reed!" replied Alice; "how can you talk so? are you not here?
do I not always receive a kind word and a welcome smile from you?"
"Well, you know I love you, Alice, and am always delighted to have you
come," said Mrs. Reed; "I am sure that were it in my power to do so, I
would have you here all the time.
"I would like to give you books, have you attend school, and do every
thing to make you happy. But alas! Alice, you know I am too poor to do
what I wish, and at times it makes me feel very sad."
"O, indeed you are too good, Mrs. Reed! My greatest pleasure is to come
and see you, and I hope you will always love me.
"I wish I could stay here all day; but you know that the day after
to-morrow will be Christmas, and I must hurry home now, as auntie wants
me to help her prepare for it. So good-by."
"But, Alice, you will come to see me Christmas morning, will you not?"
asked Mrs. Reed.
"Yes," replied Alice, "for a little while." And with a kiss and another
good-by, she left Mrs. Reed alone.
"What a dear good girl she is," said Mrs. Reed to herself, as she
watched Alice tripping down the street toward her home.
"She was so good to me last summer when I was ill! and here is Christmas
and I have no money with which to buy her a present.
"O dear, dear! why was I left so poor! I am sure my husband had some
money; what could he have done with it!"
Mrs. Reed sat down in her rocking-chair and for a full half hour looked
thoughtfully into the fire. Starting up suddenly, she again exclaimed to
herself:
"I do really believe that if I go up into the garret, I can find,
something for a Christmas present, that will please Alice.
"I remember a curious old box that Mr. Reed had, that was sent to him
from India. If I can find some bits of ribbon, and silk, I will line it
and make it into a nice little work-box for Alice."
Then Mrs. Reed climbed up the narrow stairway into the garret, and,
after searching some time among the rubbish that lay around in all the
nooks and corners, discovered the box.
Taking it down-stairs and finding some pieces of silk, she spent the
rest of the day in making it into a work-box.
She made a pretty needle-book, a tiny pincushion, and an emery bag like
a big strawberry. Then from her own scanty stock she added needles,
pins, thread, and her only pair of small scissors, scoured to the last
extreme of brightness.
One thing only she had to buy--a thimble; and that she bought for a
penny. The thimble was of brass and so bright that it was quite as
handsome as gold.
When full, the little box was very pretty. In the bottom lay a quilted
lining, which had always been there, and upon which she had placed the
fittings.
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--The conversational parts of this lesson may
be read as a dialogue by two pupils.
Which is the most _emphatic word_ in the following sentence?
"O dear, dear! Why was I left so poor!"
Point out the _emphatic words_ in the third paragraph of the lesson.
* * * * *
LESSON XXVII.
hand'y, _convenient; ready for use_.
ad join'ing, _next to; neighboring_.
sin cere'ly, _honestly; truly_.
fort'u nate, _favored; lucky_.
act'u al ly, _really; truly_.
suf fi'cient, _enough; plenty_.
carv'ings, _figures cut in wood or stone_.
mys'ter y, _something entirely unknown_.
thresh'old, _a piece of board which lies under a door_.
tile, _a thin piece of baked clay_.
ex am'ine, _look at with care_.
* * * * *
THE HIDDEN TREASURE.