cried the other girls, and they began to make the crown. It
was soon finished.
17. "Now, Susan," said Rose, "put it on in a very dignified
way, for you are to be our queen."
18. As these words were spoken, the crown was placed on
her head. In a moment she snatched it off, and threw it on the
ground, saying, "No crown for me; I do not deserve it."
19. The girls looked at her with surprise. "I have deceived
my grandmother," said she, while tears flowed down her
cheeks. "I altered the mark she put in the stocking, that I
might join you in the woods."
20. "Do you call that wicked?" asked one of the girls.
"I am quite sure it is; and I have been miserable all the
time I have been here."
21. Susan now ran home, and as soon as she got there she
said, with a beating heart, "O grandmother! I deserve to be
punished, for I altered the mark you put in the stocking. Do
forgive me; I am very sorry and unhappy."
22. "Susan," said her grandmother, "I knew it all the time;
but I let you go out, hoping
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that your own conscience would tell you of your sin. I am so
glad that you have confessed your fault and your sorrow."
23. "When shall I be your own little girl again?" "Now,"
was the quick reply, and Susan's grandmother kissed her
forehead.
LESSON LXX.
YOUNG SOLDIERS.
1. Oh, were you ne'er a schoolboy,
And did you never train,
And feel that swelling of the heart
You ne'er can feel again?
2. Did you never meet, far down the street,
With plumes and banners gay,
While the kettle, for the kettledrum,
Played your march, march away?
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3. It seems to me but yesterday,
Nor scarce so long ago,
Since all our school their muskets took,
To charge the fearful foe.
4. Our muskets were of cedar wood,
With ramrods bright and new;
With bayonets forever set,
And painted barrels, too.
5. We charged upon a flock of geese,
And put them all to flight--
Except one sturdy gander
That thought to show us fight.
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6. But, ah! we knew a thing or two;
Our captain wheeled the van;
We routed him, we scouted him,
Nor lost a single man!
7. Our captain was as brave a lad
As e'er commission bore;
And brightly shone his new tin sword;
A paper cap he wore.
8. He led us up the steep hillside,
Against the western wind,
While the cockerel plume that decked his head
Streamed bravely out behind.
9. We shouldered arms, we carried arms,
We charged the bayonet;
And woe unto the mullein stalk
That in our course we met!
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10. At two o'clock the roll we called,
And till the close of day,
With fearless hearts, though tired limbs,
We fought the mimic fray,--
Till the supper bell, from out the dell,
Bade us march, march away.
LESSON LXXI.
HOW WILLIE GOT OUT OF THE SHAFT.
1. Willie's aunt sent him for a birthday present a little
writing book. There was a place in the book for a pencil.
Willie thought a great deal of this little book, and always
kept it in his pocket.
2. One day, his mother was very busy, and he called his
dog, and said, "Come, Caper, let us have a play."
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3. When Willie's mother missed him, she went to the door
and looked out, and could not see him anywhere; but she
knew that Caper was with him, and thought they would
come back before long.
4. She waited an, hour, and still they did not come. When
she came to the gate by the road, she met Mr. Lee, and told
him how long Willie had been gone. Mr. Lee thought he
must have gone to sleep under the trees. So they went to all
the trees under which Willie was in the habit of playing, but
he was nowhere to be found.
5. By this time the sun had gone down. The news that
Willie was lost soon spread over the neighborhood, and all
the men and women turned out to hunt. They hunted all
night.
6. The next morning the neighbors were gathered round,
and all were trying to think what to do next, when Caper
came bounding into the room. There was a string tied round
his neck, and a bit of paper tied to it.
7. Willie's father, Mr. Lee, took the paper, and saw that it
was a letter from Willie. He read it aloud. It said, "O father!
come to me. I am in the big hole in the pasture."
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8. Everybody ran at once to the far corner of the pasture;
and there was Willie, alive and well, in the shaft. Oh, how
glad he was when his father caught him in his arms, and
lifted him out!
9. Now I will tell you how Willie came to be in the shaft.
He and Caper went to the pasture field, and came to the edge
of the shaft and sat down. In bending over
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to see how deep it was, he lost his balance, and fell in. He
tried very hard to get out, but could not.
10. When the good little dog saw that his master was in
the shaft, he would not leave him, but ran round and round,
reaching down and trying to pull him out. But while Caper
was pulling Willie by the coat sleeves, a piece of sod gave
way under his feet, and he fell in too.
11. Willie called for his father and mother as loud as he
could call; but he was so far away from the house that no one
could hear him.
12. He cried and called till it was dark, and then he lay
down on the ground, and Caper lay down close beside him.
It was not long before Willie cried himself to sleep.
13. When he awoke it was morning, and he began to think
of a way to get out. The little writing book that his aunt had
given him, was in his pocket. He took it out, and, after a
good deal of trouble, wrote the letter to his father.
14. Then he tore the leaf out, and took a string out of his
pocket, and tied it round Caper's neck, and tied the letter to
the
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string. Then he lifted the dog up, and helped him out, and
said to him, "Go home, Caper, go home!" The little dog
scampered away, and was soon at home.
LESSON LXXII.
THE PERT CHICKEN.
1. There was once a pretty chicken;
But his friends were very few,
For he thought that there was nothing
In the world but what he knew:
So he always, in the farmyard,
Had a very forward way,
Telling all the hens and turkeys
What they ought to do and say.
"Mrs. Goose," he said, "I wonder
That your goslings you should let
Go out paddling in the water;
It will kill them to get wet."
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2. "I wish, my old Aunt Dorking,"
He began to her, one day,
"That you would n't sit all summer
In your nest upon the hay.
Won't you come out to the meadow,
Where the grass with seeds is filled?"
"If I should," said Mrs. Dorking,
"Then my eggs would all get chilled."
"No, they wo n't," replied the chicken,
"And no matter if they do;
Eggs are really good for nothing;
What's an egg to me or you?"
3. "What's an egg!" said Mrs. Dorking,
"Can it be you do not know
THIRD READER. 193
You yourself were in an eggshell
Just one little month ago?
And, if kind wings had not warmed you,
You would not be out to-day,
Telling hens, and geese, and turkeys,
What they ought to do and say!
4. "To be very wise, and show it,
Is a pleasant thing, no doubt;
But, when young folks talk to old folks,
They should know what they're about."
Marian Douglas.
LESSON LXXIII.
INDIAN CORN.
1. Few plants are more useful to man than Indian corn, or
maize. No grain, except rice, is used to so great an extent as
an article of food. In some countries corn is almost the only
food eaten by the people.
3, 13
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2. Do you know why it is called Indian corn? It is because
the American Indians were the first corn growers. Columbus
found this grain widely cultivated by them when he
discovered the New World. They pounded it in rude, stone
bowls, and thus made a coarse flour, which they mixed with
water and baked.
3. Indian corn is now the leading crop in the United
States. In whatever part of this land we live, we see corn
growing every year in its proper season. Yet how few can
tell the most simple and important facts about its planting
and its growth!
4. Corn, to do well, must have a rich soil and a warm
climate. It is a tender plant, and is easily injured by cold
weather. The seed corn does not sprout, but rots, if the
ground is cold and wet.
5. To prepare land properly for planting corn, the soil is
made fine by plowing, and furrows are run across the field
four feet apart each way. At every point where these furrows
cross, the farmer drops from four to seven grains of seed
corn. These are then covered with about two inches of earth,
and thus form "hills" of corn.
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6. In favorable weather, the tender blades push through
the ground in ten days or two weeks; then the stalks mount
up rapidly, and the long, streamer-like leaves unfold
gracefully from day to day. Corn must be carefully cultivated
while the plants are small. After they begin to shade the
ground, they need but little hoeing or plowing.
7. The moisture and earthy matter, drawn through the
roots, become sap. This passes through the stalk, and enters
the leaves. There a great change takes place which results in
the starting of the ears and the growth of the grain.
8. The maize plant bears two kinds of flowers,--male and
female. The two are widely separated. The male flowers are
on the tassel; the fine silk threads which surround the ear,
and peep out from the end of the husks, are the female
flowers.
9. Each grain on the cob is the starting point for a thread
of silk; and, unless the thread receives some particle of the
dust which falls from the tassel flowers, the kernel with
which it is connected will not grow.
10. The many uses of Indian corn and its products are
worthy of note. The green
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stalks and leaves make excellent fodder for cattle. The ripe
grain is used all over the earth as food for horses, pigs, and
poultry. Nothing is better for fattening stock.
11. Green corn, or "roasting ears," hulled corn and
hominy, New England hasty pudding, and succotash are
favorite dishes with many persons. Then there are parched
corn and pop corn--the delight of long winter evenings.
12. Cornstarch is an important article of commerce. Sirup
and sugar are made from the juice of the stalk, and oil and
alcohol from the ripened grain. Corn husks are largely used
for filling
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mattresses, and are braided into mats, baskets, and other
useful articles.
13. Thus it will be seen how varied are the uses of Indian
corn. And besides being so useful, the plant is very beautiful.
The sight of a large cornfield in the latter part of summer,
with all its green banners waving and its tasseled plumes
nodding, is one to admire, and not to be forgotten.
LESSON LXXIV.
THE SNOWBIRD'S SONG.
1. The ground was all covered with snow one day,
And two little sisters were busy at play,
When a snowbird was sitting close by on a tree,
And merrily singing his chick-a-de-dee.
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2. He had not been singing that tune very long
Ere Emily heard him, so loud was his song;
"O sister, look out of the window!" said she;
"Here's a dear little bird singing chick-a-de-dee.
3. "Poor fellow! he walks in the snow and the sleet,
And has neither stockings nor shoes on his feet:
I wonder what makes him so full of his glee;
He's all the time singing his chick-a-de-dee.
4. "If I were a barefooted snowbird, I know,
I would not stay out in the cold and the snow;
I pity him so! oh, how cold he must be!
And yet he keeps singing his chick-a-de-dee.
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5. "O mother; do get him some stockings, and shoes,
And a nice little frock, and a hat if he choose:
I wish he'd come into the parlor, and see
How warm we would make him, poor chick-a-de-dee!"
6. The bird had flown down for some sweet crumbs of bread,
And heard every word little Emily said:
"What a figure I'd make in that dress" thought he,
And laughed as he warbled his chick-a-de-dee.
7. "I am grateful," said he, "for the wish you express,
But have no occasion for such a fine dress;
I rather remain with my little limbs free,
Than to hobble about, singing chick-a-de-dee.
8. "There is One, my dear child, though I can not tell who,
Has clothed me already, and warm enough, too.
Good morning! Oh, who are so happy as we?"
And away he flew, singing his chick-a-de-dee.
F. C. Woodworth.
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LESSON LXXV.
MOUNTAINS.
1. The Himalayas are the highest mountains on our globe,
They are in Asia, and separate India from Thibet. They
extend in a continuous line for more than a thousand miles.
2. If you ever ascend one of these mountains from the
plain below, you will have to cross an unhealthy border,
twenty miles in width. It is, in fact, a swamp caused by the
waters overflowing the river banks.
3. The soil of this swampy border is covered with trees
and shrubs, where the tiger, the elephant, and other animals
find secure retreat. Beyond this border, you will reach
smiling valleys and noble forests.
4. As you advance onward and upward, you will get
among bolder and more rugged scenes. The sides of the
mountains are very steep, sometimes well wooded to quite a
height, but sometimes quite barren.
5. In crossing a river you must be content with three ropes
for a bridge. You will find the streets of the towns to be
simply stairs
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cut out of the rock, and see the houses rising in tiers.
6. The pathways into Thibet, among these mountains, are
mere tracks by the side of
foaming torrents. Often, as you advance, you will find every
trace of the path swept away by the failing of rocks and earth
from above.
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7. Sometimes you will find posts driven into the mountain
side, upon which branches of trees and earth are spread. This
forms a trembling foothold for the traveler.
8. In the Andes, in South America, the sure-footed mule is
used to carry travelers. Quite often a chasm must be crossed
that is many feet wide and hundreds of feet deep. The mule
will leap across this chasm, but not until it is sure it can
make a safe jump.
9. "One day," says a traveler, "I went by the worst pass
over the Andes Mountains. The path for seventy yards was
very narrow, and at one point it was washed entirely away.
On one side the rock brushed my shoulder, and on the other
side my foot overhung the precipice."
10. The guide told this man, after he was safely over the
pass, that, to his knowledge, four hundred mules had fallen
over that precipice, and in many instances travelers had lost
their lives at that terrible spot.
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LESSON LXXVI.
A CHILD'S HYMN.
1. God make my life a little light,
Within the world to glow;
A little flame that burneth bright
Wherever I may go.
2. God make my life a little flower,
That giveth joy to all,
Content to bloom in native bower,
Although its place be small.
3. God make my life a little song,
That comforteth the sad;
That helpeth others to be strong,
And makes the singer glad.
4. God make my life a little hymn
Of tenderness and praise;
Of faith--that never waxeth dim
In all His wondrous ways.
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LESSON LXXVII.
HOLDING THE FORT.
1. While Genie was walking slowly down street one day,
she heard an odd rapping on the pavement behind her.
Looking round, she saw Rob Grey hobbling on crutches.
2. "Why, what is the matter?" cried Genie. "I have n't seen
you for a week, and now you are walking in that way."
3. "I shall have to walk in this way as much as a week
longer, Genie. I sprained my ankle by stopping too quick--
no, not too quick, either, for there was something in my
way."
"What was it?" asked Genie.
4. "One of the Commandments," replied Rob. "You
remember how that lecturer talked to us about 'holding the
fort'? Well, I thought I should like to do it; but it's a pretty
long war, you know--all a lifetime, and no vacations--
furloughs, I think they call them."
5. "If there was nothing to fight, we should not need to be
soldiers," said Genie.
6. "Well, I thought I would try; but the
THIRD READER. 205
first day, when we came out of the schoolhouse, Jack Lee
snatched my books out of my hand, and threw them into the
mud.
7. "I started after him as fast as I could run. I meant to
throw him where he had
thrown the books, when, all of a sudden, I thought of the
Commandment about returning good for evil.
8. "I stopped short--so short, that, somehow,
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my foot twisted under me. So, you see, it was one of the
commandments."
9. "If one must stumble at them, it is a good thing to fall
on the right side," said Genie, with a wise nod of her head.
10. "The whole thing puzzles me, and makes me feel--
well, like giving it up," said Rob. "It might have served me
right when I was chasing Jack; but when I thought of the
Commandment, I really tried to do the right thing."
11. "You did do it, Rob," said Genie. "You 'held the fort'
that time. Why, do n't you see--you are only a wounded
soldier."
12. "I never thought of that," said Rob. "If I believe that
way--" He began to whistle, and limped off to school without
finishing the sentence. But Genie knew, by the way he
behaved that day, that he had made up his mind to hold the
fort.
THIRD READER. 207
LESSON LXXVIII.
THE LITTLE PEOPLE.
1. A dreary place would be this earth,
Were there no little people in it;
The song of life would lose its mirth,
Were there no children to begin it;
2. No little forms, like buds to grow,
And make the admiring heart surrender;
No little hands on breast and brow,
To keep the thrilling love chords tender.
3. The sterner souls would grow more stern,
Unfeeling nature more inhuman,
And man to utter coldness turn,
And woman would be less than woman.
4. Life's song, indeed, would lose its charm,
Were there no babies to begin it;
A doleful place this world would be,
Were there no little people in it.
John G. Whittier.
208 THIRD READER.
LESSON LXXIX.
GOOD NIGHT.
1. The sun is hidden from our sight,
The birds are sleeping sound;
'T is time to say to all, "Good night!"
And give a kiss all round.
2. Good night, my father, mother, dear!
Now kiss your little son;
Good night, my friends, both far and near!
Good night to every one.
3. Good night, ye merry, merry birds!
Sleep well till morning light;
Perhaps, if you could sing in words,
You would have said, "Good night!"
4. To all my pretty flowers, good night!
You blossom while I sleep;
And all the stars, that shine so bright,
With you their watches keep.
5. The moon is lighting up the skies,
The stars are sparkling there;
'T is time to shut our weary eyes,
And say our evening prayer.
Mrs. Follen.