What is the prevailing feeling? The haste of
the soldiers and the terror of the citizens.
How does the poet show this haste? By the use
of such phrases as "hot haste", "mustering
squadron", "clattering car", "impetuous speed",
"swiftly forming", as well as by the rapid
movement of the verse. Why did the citizens of
Brussels fear, since they had not to fight?
They dreaded the pillage and ruin which would
follow a French victory. Describe the scene in
your own words--the cavalry forming in line,
the movements of the artillery, the noise of
distant cannon, the "alarming drum", and the
panic of the citizens.
Stanza VI
The gathering of the Highlanders. Does the poet
address the ear or the eye in this description?
Only the sound of the bagpipes is described,
though it may suggest a picture of the Highland
regiments. What words describe the music? "Wild
and high", "war-note", "thrills savage and
shrill". Why does the poet mention proper
names--"Lochiel", "Evan", "Donald"? The
bagpipes recall stirring memories of these men,
which inspire the clansmen to prove worthy of
their ancestors. What is the "Cameron's
gathering"? The war-song of the Cameron clan.
Were there only Camerons in the Highland
regiments? No, the Camerons were only one
famous clan, but are taken here as
representative of the heroism of all the
Highlanders. Again, the use of individual
specific cases produces a greater impression
than a more general term. What was the
"pibroch"? A wild, irregular species of music
played on the bagpipes, adapted particularly to
rouse a martial spirit among troops going to
battle.
Stanza VII
What is described in this stanza? The march to
the battle-field. What words show that? "As
they pass". They were going through the forest
of "Ardennes". What is the mood of this stanza?
Sadness. The trees are represented as shedding
tears when "Nature" thinks of the sad fate
awaiting so many brave men. What were those
tears? The expression refers to the dew of the
early morning on the leaves of the trees, but
the poet has called it "Nature's tear-drops".
It is only a fanciful presentation of a natural
phenomenon. Explain, "if aught inanimate e'er
grieves". If inanimate nature, such as trees or
grass, can express sorrow. Nature cannot
grieve, but we appreciate the beauty of the
imagery. Point out a contrast in this stanza.
"This fiery mass of living valour", and "shall
moulder cold and low".
Stanza VIII
What is the purpose of this stanza? It gives a
summary of the preceding ones. Which stanza
corresponds to line 2? Stanza I. Which
corresponds to line 3? Stanzas II, III, and IV.
Which stanzas picture the "marshalling in
arms"? Stanzas V and VI. What stanzas picture
"Battle's magnificently stern array"? Stanzas
V and VII. Now contrast all these pictures with
the last. The story is epitomized, and the end
described--"friend, foe,--in one red burial
blent!"
The pupils should now read the poem, in order that the teacher may judge
by the varying tones and movements whether it has been properly
appreciated.
THREE SCENES IN THE TYROL
(Fourth Reader, page 336)
AIM
To lead the pupils to appreciate the thrilling pictures and to
understand the means by which the author has produced this vividness.
PREPARATION
The pupils have been required to read this lesson at their seats or at
home.
Where is the Tyrol situated? It is a province
in the Austrian Alps directly east of
Switzerland. (Show its position on the map.)
The mountains are majestic, high, precipitous;
the people daring and independent. The Tyrol is
noted for the many accidents which happen to
mountain-climbers. Who are the chief persons
concerned in these three scenes? Maximilian I,
Charles V, and Napoleon.
The author wishes to give, amid the most
impressive surroundings, three stirring events
in the lives of three great Emperors. State
briefly the first story. The Emperor Maximilian
was hunting a chamois, when he slipped on the
edge of the precipice, rolled helplessly over,
and caught a jutting ledge of rock, which
interrupted his descent. An outlaw hastened to
his assistance and guided him to safety.
PRESENTATION
I
Yes, this story is often called "The Rescue".
Let us note how the author helps us to see the
picture. Where does he place the spectator? On
a "thread-like road" running between the rocky
bank of the Inn River and the foot of the
precipice of the Solstein.
What does the author ask you, as the imaginary
spectator, to do? To throw your head back and
look upward.
Why? The precipice towers perpendicularly many
hundred feet above you. He wishes you to
imagine you are standing on this road and the
scene is taking place before your eyes.
What do you see? A hunter in pursuit of a
chamois.
Describe this hunter. He is lofty and
chivalrous in his bearing.
What happens? He is bounding on after a chamois
toward the edge of a precipice, when he loses
his footing and falls.
How does the author make you see this plainly?
He uses the present tense, as if the scene were
happening now--"is bounding", "loses his
footing", "rolls helplessly".
Any other way? Yes, he utters exclamations,
"Mark!" "Ah!" Every act is told in the form of
an exclamation.
"What is it that arrests him?" This is a
question. Does the author expect an answer? No,
he asks the question as I would ask it of
myself if I saw the hunter stopped in his
descent.
Why does he not tell you who this hunter is? I
see now for the first time that it is the great
Emperor Maximilian who is in such peril.
Does any one else see him? Yes, the Abbot, or
head of a neighbouring monastery.
Why does the author mention him? To indicate
that, apparently, human aid could not save the
Emperor.
What has been told us in this first paragraph?
The peril of the Emperor.
What is told us in the next? His rescue.
Who else sees the danger? Zyps of Zirl.
Who is he? A famous hunter and outlaw.
Do you see him at first? No, I hear his cry.
The author says "Hark! there is a wild cry!"
Then I recognize the outlaw.
Why does he utter the cry? To encourage the
Emperor and let him know there is some one
coming to his rescue.
Again how does the author make the picture
vivid? By the use of the present tense, by
commands, questions, and exclamations, and by
making the spectator, in his excitement,
address the mountaineer directly; for example,
"thou hunted and hunting outlaw, art thou out
upon the heights?" etc.
By what means does the author show how the
outlaw comes to the Emperor's aid? By comparing
him with the chamois, the insect, and the
squirrel. This man combines in himself all
their powers of movement.
What does the spectator now do? He fears that
all may yet be lost, so he shouts to the
Emperor to have courage, that the hunter is
coming.
How does the author show his relief from the
strain of the last few moments? His sentences
are now longer and smoother.
How was this event afterwards regarded? The
peasants maintained that an angel came down to
their master's rescue.
What does the author seem to think? That his
rescue was due to the interposition of
Providence.
What is told in the next paragraph? Zyps'
reward.
What did he receive? He was created a Count and
received a pension from the Emperor.
What was his title? "Count Hallooer von
Hohenfeldsen."
To what does this refer? To his "wild cry" from
the high peaks, when he saw the Emperor in
danger.
How can you prove that this story is true? By
inspecting the pension list of the Royal House
of Hapsburg and by looking at a cross in the
mountains that has been erected on the very
spot where Maximilian was rescued.
II
Whom do you see in the second vision? The
Emperor Charles V. pursued by his enemies.
Who was he? One of the greatest monarchs in
Europe, greater even than his grandfather,
Maximilian I. In this scene he is ill; his army
has met with reverses; he has made his escape
from Innsbruck, the capital of the Tyrol, and
is being conveyed through the mountains to a
place of safety, closely pursued by Maurice of
Saxony.
Describe the scene. It is at night, the wind is
high, and is driving the rain against the
Emperor's litter, which is borne by
mountaineers and surrounded by his faithful
officers.
What is given in the first paragraph? A
description of the storm.
How does the author prepare you for the scene?
The night suggests danger and mystery, and the
moon looks out from a cloud, as though at
something taking place in the gorge. The
spectator hears something besides the roar of
the wind.
Select all the words that show what a fearful
night it is. "Night", "dark", "wild", "gusty
winds", "howling", "sheets of blinding rain",
"whirling", "hissing eddies", "rent asunder",
"ravings of the tempest".
Notice all the details the author has made use
of to convey the idea of terror and danger.
What is described in the next paragraph? The
passage of the litter through the dark gorge.
Is the spectator forgotten in this scene? No,
he first hears the "tramp of feet", then he
sees the torches, and, lastly, the Emperor's
litter surrounded by his attendants.
What words show you the difficulty of their
situation? "Hurried", "crowding", "crushing",
"steep and narrow gorge", "suppressed voices",
"fitful glancing of torches", "anxiously
shielded", "melee", "struggle onward".
Why are their voices suppressed? As a natural
result of their perilous position.
Why do they keep their torches burning? To find
their way through the enemy's country amid the
dangers by which they are surrounded.
What do the lamps look like? A "constellation"
of stars moving on in the same relative
position.
Does the author still refer to the storm? Yes,
in "derisive laughter", "rude wrath of the
tempest", and "plumes streaming on the wind".
The author wishes to picture continuously the
fitting surroundings for this adventure, and so
emphasizes these details.
Why does he speak of the "derisive laughter of
the storm"? He compares it to a fiend who mocks
the attempts of man to battle against his
power.
Who is described in the third paragraph of this
vision? The Emperor himself.
Why is he not described before, as he is more
important than either the storm or his
comrades? The story runs in a natural order.
First are seen the figures surrounding the
litter, and, as it approaches, the Emperor's
face is distinguishable.
What is first mentioned in connection with him?
His firmly set teeth.
What does this indicate? His great physical
pain, and his determination of character.
What is mentioned next? His age; he is but
fifty-three, but his wrinkles are deep and his
hair turning gray.
What are next described? His forehead, his
nose, his eye, his underlip.
Why does the author picture these features in
such detail? To show the character of the
Emperor.
What are we led to infer are some of his
characteristics? A strong intellect, imperious
manner, cruelty, and stubborn pride.
What strong contrast is drawn? The fugitive
invalid is the great Emperor. The author first
discusses his illness, his flight, his
suffering in the storm, his adverse fortune,
and then gives him his full titles--"Emperor of
Germany, King of Spain, Lord of the
Netherlands, of Naples, of Lombardy, and the
proud chief of the golden Western World".
Where does the author place the blame for his
present sufferings? On Charles himself, whose
sufferings, humiliation, and ultimate
deliverance were perhaps intended as a
discipline to lead him to repent for past
cruelties.
What is described in the last paragraph of this
scene? The escape.
Who is first mentioned? The pursuer, Maurice of
Saxony.
Describe him. He is first compared to an
"avenger of blood" in pursuit of a man fleeing
to the cities of refuge referred to in Joshua
xx. 3. He is next compared to the hound
relentlessly following his prey.
Who wins in this race? Charles eludes his
pursuer.
To whom should he show gratitude for his
escape? To Providence.
Does he acknowledge God's protection? No, he
gives all the credit to his "lucky star".
Explain this. Astrologers had said that the
"Star of Austria" was always at the highest
point in the heavens; and of this favoured
House of Austria, Charles was Archduke.
III
The first scene is called "The Rescue"; the
second, "The Run"; and the last, "The Ruin".
What is described in the last scene? The
destruction of the French Army.
Where is the scene laid? In the Tyrol, beside
the River Inn.
What is described in the first paragraph?
Bonaparte's decree that the strongholds of his
enemies--the Tyrolese warrior hunters--shall be
destroyed.
Why should he wish to do this? The Tyrolese
were an independent people, who would not
submit to conscription and taxation at the
hands of the Bavarians.
By what names does the author call Napoleon?
"Bonaparte." That was his surname. The French
Emperor had no hereditary right to the throne,
but he wished to be called Napoleon, instead of
Bonaparte, just as we speak of our King as
George V. and rarely refer to his surname of
Guelph.
Who advised Napoleon? "His own will is his sole
adviser." He ruled arbitrarily, consulting no
one.
What does he do in this case? He sends ten
thousand French and Bavarian soldiers to crush
the Tyrolese.
Why were the Bavarians taking part in the
struggle? They were at this time allies of
France, and Napoleon had given to their Elector
possession of this new but hostile province.
What does the second paragraph describe? The
army entering the narrow gorge in the
mountains.
How does the author give vividness to this
picture? He endows inanimate things such as the
"gorge" and the "river" with human attributes.
The "gorge" looks gloomy, forbidding, and
unfriendly, and the "river" seems to roar
indignantly, as though at the attempt of "the
mountain walls" to impede its progress.
The next sentence is in the form of a question
and its answer. Who is supposed to ask this
question? This is the question the leader of
the army would ask and the answer he would make
when he discovered the narrow road. The
construction of the sentence suggests the idea
of danger.
Why does the next sentence begin with "But"?
"But the glittering array winds on." It
suggests that some precautions for the safety
of the army should have been observed; but it
may have been impossible to take these
precautions, and the orders of Bonaparte had to
be obeyed at all hazards.
What is described in the next sentence? The
author gives full details of the progress of
this imposing army. The River Inn seems to
share the feelings of the Tyrolese themselves
and protest angrily against this invasion by a
foreign power.
How is the next sentence related to the
preceding? "But" marks a contrast. The noise of
the army and the river is contrasted with the
silence on the heights.
Why are the "eagles" mentioned? The silence is
rendered more impressive by the occasional
"shrill cry" of the eagles, and the "wings" of
the eagles hovering above are an omen of the
coming disaster which is to overtake "the
gilded eagles of France" below.
What is described in the next paragraph? The
"voice" from the "heights".
How does the author make this paragraph
impressive? As he wishes to indicate the
critical moment, he still uses the present
tense, direct narration, short sentences,
exclamation, and interrogation; he suggests,
through a mysterious voice far up the heights,
that supernatural agents are at work. The army,
in its helpless length, is compared to an
"uncoiled serpent".
What is the subject of the next paragraph? The
destruction of the entire army.
How is this ruin accomplished? Unseen in the
heights above, the Tyrolese peasantry hurl down
rocks, roots, and trunks of pine trees, as well
as sending a "deadly hail" from their rifles
along the "whole line" of the defenceless army
below.
Notice the richness of detail. What words help
to make the description of their destruction
more vivid? "Bounding", "thundering",
"gathering speed", "headlong way", "launched
down", "powerless foe", "deadly hail", "fearful
storm", "crushed to death", "tumbled, horse and
man, into the choked and swollen river".
Notice the contrast of this paragraph with the
picture in the second paragraph of this vision
of the gallant invading army.
What is the subject of the last paragraph? The
reflections of the author.
Of what does he speak? Of the wonders and
beauties of creation and the sad power that man
possesses of spoiling and staining these
wonders by giving rein to his own "evil
ambitions and fierce revenges".
How has he emphasized this? By the use of
exclamation, question, ellipses, and the
mention of the "serpent" as the symbol of evil.
How does the interrogative form of the sentence
give it vividness? Contrast the effect of
saying, "Who would willingly linger on the
hideous details?" with "No one would willingly
linger", etc. The author does not expect an
answer, he throws the sentence into the
question form for the rhetorical effect. The
reader pays more attention to the thought by
trying to find an answer to the question.
What is the value of the ellipses in "Sorrowful
that man ... should come"? It is stronger than
saying, "It is sorrowful that man ... should
come". The subject and verb are omitted, as
they are not strong words, and "Sorrowful" is
placed in the most prominent position on
account of its importance.
SUMMARY
In these three pictures, what is the constant
element? The scene used as the background. All
three visions take place in the Tyrol, two of
them on the banks of the Inn River. They are
three companion pictures of this historic
mountain province.
How does this style compare with that which you
find in other lessons? It is abrupt and abounds
in many rhetorical forms--ellipses, use of the
present tense, exclamation, direct address, and
accumulation of details.
Would it be suitable for all prose expression?
No; it is impassioned prose, full of emotion
and picturesque detail. The smoother, more
regulated sentence-structure, such as is in
place in ordinary narration, would be too cold
for these descriptions. On the other hand, this
style is not suitable for expressing a quiet
mood or giving a clear explanation. It is too
turbulent, and would pall upon the reader if
continued at too great length, but it is often
very suitable in an oratorical selection.
The pupils should finally read the lesson aloud, to show how they have
appreciated the story.
CHAPTER VIII
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
Before studying these lessons in supplementary reading, it is suggested
that the teacher read again what has been said on "Extensive Reading",
p. 39 of this Manual.
SOUTH-WEST WIND, ESQ.
(Third Reader, page 86)
You have read the story of South-West Wind,
Esq., in the Third Reader.
Who were the persons mentioned in this story?
Three brothers, Schwartz, Hans, and Gluck.
What were their characters? Schwartz and Hans
were rich but very miserly; they were
quarrelsome, drunken, and cruel. Gluck was
kind, polite, and unselfish.
How did Gluck show these qualities? He admitted
the stranger into the house for shelter from
the rain, when he knew his brothers would
punish him for so doing; he asked politely to
take the stranger's cloak, when the water
dripping from it was putting the fire out; and
he offered him his share of the mutton,
although he knew it meant that he must go
without his own supper.
When the older brothers returned what did they
do? They tried to punish Gluck and to force the
stranger out of the house.
What happened? They were hurled to the ground
by the stranger, who was much stronger than
they supposed.
What other punishment did they receive? The
roof was blown off the house while they slept,
and their beautiful valley, together with their
crops and cattle, was utterly destroyed by the
heavy rains.
Who was the stranger? He left his card with
"South-West Wind, Esq." written on it.
Now the story in the Reader is only the first
chapter of a longer story, which relates what
fortune came to the three brothers. What should
you expect would happen to them? I should
expect that Schwartz and Hans would have more
troubles, and that Gluck would be rewarded for
his kind-heartedness.
CHAPTER II
Read the second chapter of this longer story
called _The King of the Golden River_.
Give me the main points in this chapter?
1. The valley was turned into a desert.
2. The brothers became goldsmiths.
3. The mug
4. Gluck's wish that the river would turn into gold
5. The voice from the furnace
6. The dwarf
7. The King told Gluck how the river could be turned into gold.
What are the characters of the two brothers in
this chapter? They were very dishonest and even
tried to mix copper with the gold. They were
drunken and wasted their money, and they were
lazy and cruel.
Describe the mug that was being melted. It had
been given to them by their uncle, and Gluck
was very fond of it. It was made of gold almost
in the form of a human face. The face was
fierce and red, the eyes were bright, the beard
and whiskers were of fine gold, and the hair
was of fine spun gold, forming the handle of
the mug.
While the mug was being melted in the furnace,
what did Gluck see as he looked out of the
window? The range of mountains overhanging
Treasure Valley, with the mountain tops shining
in the sunset.
This is a lovely description of a sunset in the
mountains. Pick out the details of the picture.
"Rocks ... all crimson and purple with the
sunset", "bright tongues of fiery cloud", "the
river ... a waving column of pure gold", "the
double arch of a broad purple rainbow",
"flushing and fading alternately in the wreaths
of spray".
What words suggest colours? "Crimson",
"purple", "fiery", "pure gold", "purple
rainbow", "flushing", "fading".
What did this picture suggest to Gluck? It made
him wish that the river were really gold.
Describe the dwarf who came out of the furnace.
He was a foot and a half high; his hair and
beard were long, curled, and delicate, and his
face was copper-coloured.
Account for the dwarf being in such a place. It
was owing to the malicious enchantment of a
king stronger than himself that he had been
turned into the golden mug, and, when the mug
was melted, Gluck poured out the metal, and,
thus freed the King of the Golden River from
the power of his enemy.
How did the King show his gratitude? He told
Gluck how the river could be turned into gold.
What must Gluck do in order to gain this end?
He must climb to the top of the mountain and
cast three drops of holy water into the stream
at its source.
CHAPTER III
What are the main facts in this chapter?
1. The brothers returned and beat Gluck because the mug
was a total loss.
2. Schwartz and Hans fought.
3. Schwartz was arrested.
4. Hans stole a cupful of holy water.
5. Hans taunted Schwartz.
6. Hans attempted to change the river to gold.
(1) The dog;
(2) the fair child;
(3) the old man.
7. Hans was changed into the Black Stone.
What characteristics of the older brothers are
shown in this chapter? They were drunken,
brutal, quarrelsome, dishonest, malicious, and
selfish.
Why are the dog, the child, and the old man
introduced into the story? To show how
indifferent Hans was to the suffering of
animals, children, and aged people. The sight
of these helpless creatures should have aroused
his pity.
Were there any indications in the story that
Hans would be unsuccessful? Yes, there was "a
strange shadow"; the air "seemed to throw his
blood into a fever"; "a dark gray cloud came
over the sun"; "long, snake-like shadows";
"leaden weight of the dead air"; "flash of blue
lightning"; "tongues of fire"; "flashes of
bloody light".
Why was Hans unsuccessful? He had led a bad
life, had been dishonest, and had been selfish
to the dog, the child, and the aged man.
Show that it was an appropriate punishment that
Hans should be turned into a Black Stone. His
heart was as hard as stone, and his deeds were
black.
CHAPTER IV
What is the main theme of this chapter?
Schwartz's attempt to turn the river into gold.
What are the chief incidents recorded?
1. Gluck paid Schwartz's fine.
2. Schwartz refused water to the child, the old man,
and to the spirit of Hans.
3. He was also changed to a Black Stone.
What were the indications that Schwartz would
be unsuccessful? There was a "black cloud
rising out of the West"; "a mist of the colour
of blood"; "waves of the angry sea"; "bursts of
spiry lightning"; "the sky was like ... a lake
of blood"; "its waves were black, like
thunderclouds"; "their foam was like fire";
"the lightning glared into his eyes".
CHAPTER V
What is the theme in the last chapter? Gluck's
attempt to turn the river into gold.
Give the main incidents.
1. The priest gave him holy water.
2. He gave water to the aged man and the child.
3. He gave his last drop of water to the dying dog.
4. The dog was transformed into the King of the Golden River.
5. He gave Gluck three drops of dew.
6. Gluck cast the water into the river.
7. Treasure Valley again became a fertile garden, and Gluck
became very rich.
What were the indications that Gluck would be
successful? After giving the old man some
water, the "path became easier"; "grasshoppers
began singing"; there was "bright green moss";
"pale pink starry flowers"; "soft belled
gentians"; "pure white transparent lilies";
"its waves were as clear as crystal".
What strong contrast is brought out in this
story? There is a contrast between this chapter
and the two preceding ones. Gluck's conduct is
so different from that of Schwartz and Hans;
and the aspect of nature, as it appears to him,
is very different from the scenes viewed by his
brothers.
Describe Treasure Valley after it was changed.
The "fresh grass sprang beside the new
streams"; "creeping plants grew"; "young
flowers opened"; "thickets of myrtle and
tendrils of vine cast lengthening shadows";
"his barns became full of corn and his house of
treasure".
Why did Gluck deserve so much kindness? He had
been hospitable to South-West Wind, Esq.; had
suffered hunger and punishment on his account;
had been industrious; had freed the King of the
Golden River from his enchantment; had obeyed
his instructions; had felt sorry for Hans; had
paid Schwartz's fine; and had shown mercy to
animals and helpless people.
Was there anything said about the two older
brothers? Yes, there are two black stones,
which people still call "The Black Brothers",
at the top of the cataract. This story tells
how these stones came to be there.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
(Fourth Reader, page 39)
The pupils have read _Scrooge's Christmas_, in the Fourth Reader. They
have also read the synopsis of _A Christmas Carol_ at the beginning of
the lesson. If they have read the first four _staves_ of the carol in a
general way, they will be in a better position to study intensively the
last stave, or chapter, which is the lesson in the Reader. They will
understand the causes that have changed this "covetous old sinner" to
the man "who knew how to keep Christmas Day well". This lesson should be
taken up near Christmas. The pupils will discuss Stave I, after having
read it at home.
Stave I
What is the title of this work? A Christmas
Carol.
Why is it called a carol? In England, it is the
custom for bands of singers, called "waits", to
go from house to house on Christmas Eve. The
author calls this ghost story of Christmas a
carol in prose, for it pictures the joys and
sorrows of this season.
What does a stave mean? It keeps up the idea of
a carol. Each chapter is called a stave, or
stanza of the carol.
What is the title of the first stave? "Marley's
Ghost."
Who was Marley? He had been Scrooge's partner,
but was now dead. He had been as miserly as
Scrooge himself.
Where is the scene laid? In London.
When? On Christmas Eve.
Describe Scrooge. "Oh but he was a tight-fisted
hand ... one degree at Christmas". (See Stave I
of _A Christmas Carol_.)
Notice the wonderful accumulation of strong
adjectives and phrases in this description. Why
does the author use so many? He wishes to
emphasize the cold miserliness of this man.
What is the first incident? Scrooge's treatment
of his nephew, who has invited him to dinner on
Christmas Day.
What does this incident show? His churlishness,
and his contempt for those who spend money
freely.
What is the next incident? His refusal to
subscribe to any charities in the city.
What comes next? The account of his treatment
of Bob Cratchit.
What does this show? His meanness and tyranny.
When he returns from his supper, what does he
encounter? Marley's Ghost.
What does the ghost tell him? How it must
wander through the world without rest, in
atonement for Marley's cruelties and his
neglect of other people. It laments his
misspent life.
What does it promise to do to Scrooge? It
promises to send him "Three Spirits".
What good description is found in Stave I?
Besides the character sketch of Scrooge, there
is a picture of Christmas Eve in the London
streets, in the paragraph beginning "Meanwhile
the fog and darkness thickened".
Stave II
What is described in this chapter? The visit of
the first spirit.
What was it? The "Ghost of Christmas Past".
Read me a description of it. "It was a strange
figure ... like a child ... which it held under
its arm".
What does the spirit do? It forces Scrooge to
accompany it and shows him former Christmas
scenes in his life.
What are these scenes? Scrooge as a solitary
boy at school; his boyhood stories, _Ali Baba_
and _Robinson Crusoe_; his sister; Fezziwig's
ball; Scrooge's sweetheart; scenes in her
married life.
What is the mood of these different scenes?
There is humour, and a great deal of fun, as
well as some pathos. It is all told in a lively
style.
What are the best descriptions? Fezziwig's
ball, and the remembrance of the scenes in _Ali
Baba_.
Stave III
What is told in this chapter? The visit of the
second spirit.
Who was it? The "Spirit of Christmas Present".
What does it show Scrooge? Scenes of Christmas
shopping; Christmas out-of-doors; the Grocers;
Bob Cratchit's family, the goose, their
dinner, the puddings; the miner's home; the
lighthouse keepers; the sailors; Scrooge's
nephew at home--blindman's bluff, forfeits, Yes
and No; vision of "Ignorance" and "Want".
What do all these scenes go to show? How
different kinds of people keep Christmas; how
kind and merry most people are at this season
of the year: and how some have to struggle in
order to get this one day's pleasure.
Select some examples of humour. Peter's
conceit, some of the descriptions of the
grocery stores, the anticipations lest harm
befall the goose and the pudding.
Select any examples of pathos. The references
to Tiny Tim.
Select and read the best descriptions. The
grocery stores, the fruit stores, the goose,
the pudding.
Stave IV
What is told in this chapter? The visit of the
third spirit.
What was it? The "Ghost of Christmas Yet to
Come".
What does it show Scrooge? A vision of his
death--how he is plundered by laundress,
charwoman, and undertaker; the phantom of
Death; Scrooge's creditors; the grave.
Had these scenes actually taken place? No, but
they will be realized if Scrooge does not
change his manner of thinking and living.
What is the effect of these three visions?
Scrooge promises the "Ghost of Christmas Yet to
Come" "I will honour Christmas in my heart and
try to keep it all the year".
Why are the scenes in this chapter not so
pleasant as those that the two former spirits
had shown him? The scenes that the first spirit
had brought before him were his joys at the
Christmas season before he had hardened his
heart; those that the second spirit had shown
were scenes in the lives of people who do
something for others and enjoy themselves in
the true Christmas spirit; those that the last
spirit had shown were the sordid scenes which
would be sure to come if he did not change his
attitude toward life. The last scenes shown him
by the third spirit furnish a strong contrast
to the others.
Stave V
What does this chapter relate? How Scrooge
actually kept Christmas Day.
What were the other chapters about? The first
and the last were the only chapters where he
was awake. Chapters Two, Three, and Four are
visions or dreams. Notice how the phantom
changed into the bed-post.
This chapter should be studied closely. Who
wrote this story? Charles Dickens, an English
novelist.
Do you know any other good stories by the same
author? _David Copperfield_, _The Pickwick
Papers_, _Nicholas Nickleby_.
Yes, we have had extracts in the Readers from
these books.
What lessons are they? _The Pickwick Club on
the Ice_, in the _Third Book_; _David
Copperfield's First Journey Alone_, and _The
Indignation of Nicholas Nickleby_ in the
_Fourth Book_.
Some day you must read these stories. _David
Copperfield_ tells us a great deal about
Dickens' early days. _The Pickwick Papers_ is
full of humour in scenes such as that depicted
in _The Pickwick Club on the Ice_, and has some
fine characters in it, and _Nicholas Nickleby_
gives a vivid picture of the brutality existing
in some schools in England at the time the book
was written.
THE LADY OF THE LAKE
(Fourth Reader, page 270)
The pupils will have read the account of the stirring combat between
Fitz-James and Roderick Dhu. They will be curious to know the
circumstances that led up to this combat and also the conclusion of the
story.
The aim of the teacher is to lead the pupils to appreciate the
construction of the story, the fine character sketches, and the
descriptions of natural scenery, as well as to give them an impression
of Highland life. The pupils will take delight in the rapid movement of
the verse and in the deeds of valour.
Some passages should be dwelt upon at greater length by the teacher, and
others more lightly touched upon, so that the connections of the various
parts will be understood. A close and tedious consideration of all the
lines would not show a good critical taste, as some passages are very
fine, while others have only ordinary merit.
The teacher should disclose the identity of Fitz-James as James V of
Scotland and should explain the cause of the exile of the Douglas
Family. He should also sketch the life of rebellion and consequent
outlawry led by some of the Highland clans before they were reduced to
submission.
CANTO I
The teacher should study with the pupils the
Invocation of the three opening stanzas and ask
them to read the first canto. He should next
discuss it briefly, as suggested in the
following outline:
What are the main divisions of the first canto?
1. The chase
2. Description of the Trossachs
3. Description of Ellen Douglas
4. Description of Fitz-James.
Why is the story of the chase introduced? It
brings Fitz-James alone into the enemy's
country, where he meets Ellen Douglas, and
prepares the way for the adventures that
follow.
What is the story of the chase? The hundred
huntsmen and the horses and the dogs become
wearied in the long pursuit after the stag. One
huntsman alone is left to enter the deep ravine
where the stag escapes.
This description of the Trossachs made the spot
famous, and ever since it has been a favourite
resort of tourists.
CANTO II
The Island
What are the divisions of this canto?
1. The departure of the huntsmen
2. Description of the minstrel
3. The story of Roderick's love
4. Return of the Clan-Alpine
5. Malcolm Graeme
6. The quarrel.
What is the value of this canto? It explains
many facts that we did not understand. Among
others, it shows us the relation of the
Douglases to the King and to Roderick Dhu. It
tells of the love of Malcolm Graeme for Ellen
and of Roderick's hopeless love for her. It
shows us Roderick's noble traits of character
and the fearful cruelties of which he is
capable. He cannot possibly win Ellen's love.
CANTO III
The Gathering
What are the main divisions of this canto?
1. Roderick's determination to renew hostilities
2. Brian the Hermit
3. The ceremony
4. The message of the Fiery Cross
5. Roderick's devotion to Ellen
6. The gathering.
What are the best passages in this canto?
1. Description of Loch Katrine
2. The coronach
3. Hymn to the Virgin.
Why are funeral and wedding scenes introduced?
These serve to show how the message of the
Fiery Cross was looked upon as more important
than even death or marriage.
What insight into the life of the clansmen is
furnished in this canto?
1. The superstition of the Highlanders. This is shown in
Brian's faith and in the weird ceremonies in connection
with the Fiery Cross.
2. The method of mustering the clans by means of the message
of the Fiery Cross.
3. Their funerals and weddings.
Notice also the vigour of the stanzas that
describe the flight of Malise.
CANTO IV
The Prophecy
Give the main themes in this canto.
1. Return of Malise
2. Norman's guard
3. The augury and the prophecy
4. Return of Fitz-James to Ellen Douglas
5. The ring
6. Blanche of Devan
7. Death of Murdoch
8. Fitz-James meets Roderick Dhu.
What are the best stanzas? The ballad of "Alice
Brand".
Why is this ballad introduced? It shows the
character of Scottish minstrelsy, the belief in
the world of fairies, and the lesson of hope
that at the darkest moment the hour of
happiness may be near. It furnishes another
example of Allanbane's prophetic insight.
The introduction: "The rose is fairest when it
is budding new." Why is this stanza
appropriate? It shows the tenderness of
Norman's love, as contrasted with the fierce
warfare in which he is engaged.
Why is Blanche of Devan introduced? To furnish
an example of Roderick's cruelty, so that
Fitz-James should feel justified in punishing
him. Blanche of Devan also warns Fitz-James of
Murdoch's treachery. This stanza explains the
allusions in the lesson in the _Fourth Book_,
for example: "a braid of your fair lady's
hair", and "There lies red Murdoch stark and
stiff".
What characteristics of Roderick are shown in
the canto?
1. His care for the defenceless in his clan
2. His cruelty to his enemies
3. His hospitality
4. His superstition.
What was the prophecy?
Who spills the foremost foeman's life
That party conquers in the strife.
What is the value of the prophecy in the poem?
It furnishes a reason for the eagerness of the
clansmen to take the life of the huntsman, as
the former would then "conquer in the strife".
CANTO V
The Combat
Give the main events in this canto.
1. Roderick guides Fitz-James to neutral ground
2. The combat
3. Douglas surrenders
4. The games
5. The popularity of Douglas.
What is the most striking part of this canto?
The story of the combat.
Why? It is a fine example of Scottish bravery
and chivalry.
What Scottish characteristics are found in this
canto?
1. The character of Scottish games in the city
2. The fickleness of the mob
3. The chivalrous conduct of the combatants.
CANTO VI
The Guard-room
What are the main themes in this canto?
1. The rough soldiers
2. Ellen presents the ring
3. The battle of Beal' an Duine
4. Death of Roderick
5. Ellen's request to James
6. Happiness of the Douglases and of Malcolm Graeme
7. Farewell to the Harp.
Why are the rough soldiers introduced? This
passage furnishes a good description of the
character of the soldiers, and shows the power
of Ellen's quiet dignity and modesty.
What is the value of the battle of Beal' an
Duine? It affords an opportunity to the valiant
Roderick to imagine himself in battle, so that
when death comes he does not realize that it
finds him a prisoner and his clan vanquished.
How does the poem end? Ellen, her father, and
Malcolm Graeme are united and happy, and
Fitz-James reveals his identity and shows his
magnanimity.
What should be read in connection with the last
three stanzas? The first three stanzas of the
poem. They are an Invocation to Scottish
minstrelsy. We now have the Farewell.
Which cantos do you consider are the best? The
first and the fifth.
Why? The first contains such wonderful
word-pictures and the fifth seems to be the
crisis of the story. The interest is not
sustained in the sixth canto, as one knows
matters are sure to be adjusted.
CHAPTER IX
SELECTIONS FOR MEMORIZATION
Little deeds of kindness,
Little words of love,
Make our earth an Eden,
Like the heaven above.
--BREWER
God make my life a little light,
Within the world to glow,--
A little flame that burneth bright.
Wherever I may go.
The world is so full of a number of things,
I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.
--STEVENSON
Be kind and be gentle
To those who are old,
For dearer is kindness
And better than gold.
Politeness is to _do_ and _say_
The kindest thing in the kindest way.
Two ears and only one mouth have you;
The reason, I think, is clear:
It teaches, my child, that it will not do
To talk about all you hear.
Whene'er a task is set for you,
Don't idly sit and view it,
Nor be content to wish it done;
Begin at once and do it.
Work while you work, play while you play;
This is the way to be cheerful and gay.
All that you do, do with your might;
Things done by halves are never done right.
--STODART
Five things observe with care,--
Of whom you speak, to whom you speak
And how, and when, and where.
--GRAY
See that little sunbeam
Darting through the room,
Scattering the darkness,
Lighting up the gloom.
Let me be a sunbeam
Everywhere I go,
Making glad and happy
Every one I know.
Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!
--STEVENSON
Do all the good you can,
In all the ways you can,
To all the people you can,
Just as long as you can.
When you come to think of it,
The day is what you make it;
And whether good, or whether bad,
Depends on how you take it.
Slumber, slumber, little one, now
The bird is asleep in his nest on the bough;
The bird is asleep, he has folded his wings,
And over him softly the dream fairy sings:
Lullaby, lullaby--lullaby!
Pearls in the deep--
Stars in the sky,
Dreams in our sleep;
So lullaby!
--F. D. SHERMAN
Dare to be true; nothing can need a lie.
The face you wear, the thoughts you bring,
A heart may heal or break.
He who is good at making excuses is seldom good
for anything else.--FRANKLIN
To _be_ good is the mother of to _do_ good.
I'll not willingly offend,
Nor be easily offended;
What's amiss I'll try to mend,
And endure what can't be mended.
A man of words and not of deeds,
Is like a garden full of weeds;
For when the weeds begin to grow,
Then doth the garden overflow.
Little children, you must seek
Rather to be good than wise,
For the thoughts you do not speak
Shine out in your cheeks and eyes.
--ALICE CARY
To tell a falsehood is like the cut of a sabre;
for though the wound may heal, the scar of it
will remain.--SADI
All that's great and good is done
Just by patient trying.
'Tis a lesson you should heed,
Try, try again;
If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try again.
If a task is once begun,
Never leave it till it's done;
Be the labour great or small,
Do it well, or not at all.
For every evil under the sun,
There is a remedy, or there is none.
If there be one, try to find it;
If there be none, never mind it.
There are many flags in many lands,
There are flags of every hue,
But there is no flag in any land
Like our own Red, White, and Blue.
The inner side of every cloud
Is always bright and shining;
And so I turn my clouds about,
And always wear them inside out,
To show the silver lining.
I would not hurt a living thing,
However weak or small;
The beasts that graze, the birds that sing,
Our Father made them all.
Little drop of dew,
Like a gem you are;
I believe that you
Must have been a star.
When the day is bright,
On the grass you lie;
Tell me then, at night
Are you in the sky?
--F. D. SHERMAN
How beautiful is the rain!
After the dust and the heat,
In the broad and fiery street,
In the narrow lane,
How beautiful is the rain!
--LONGFELLOW
In spring, when stirs the wind, I know
That soon the crocus buds will show;
For 'tis the wind who bids them wake
And into pretty blossoms break.
--F. D. SHERMAN
O, pause and think for a moment
What a desolate land it would be,
If, east or west, the eye should rest
On not a single tree!
--GRAY
It was only a sunny smile,
And little it cost in the giving,
But it scattered the night,
Like the morning light,
And made the day worth living.
Keep pushing--'tis wiser
Than sitting aside,
And dreaming and sighing,
And waiting the tide.
In life's earnest battle,
They only prevail
Who daily march onward,
And never say "fail".
One step and then another,
And the longest walk is ended.
One stitch and then another,
And the largest rent is mended.
One brick and then another,
And the highest wall is made.
One flake and then another,
And the deepest snow is laid.
Speak the truth and speak it ever,
Cost it what it will.
He who hides the wrong he did,
Does the wrong thing still.
Whichever way the wind doth blow,
Some heart is glad to have it so;
Then blow it east or blow it west,
The wind that blows, that wind is best.
We should make the same use of books that the
bee does of a flower: he gathers sweets from
it, but does not injure it.
I smile, and then the Sun comes out;
He hides away whene'er I pout;
He seems a very funny sun,
To do whatever he sees done.
And when it rains he disappears;
Like me, he can't see through the tears.
Now isn't that the reason why
I ought to smile and never cry?
--F. D. SHERMAN
If fortune, with a smiling face,
Strew roses in our way,
When shall we stoop to pick them up?
To-day, my friend, to-day.
If those who've wronged us own their faults,
And kindly pity pray,
When shall we listen and forgive?
To-day, my friend, to-day.
Are you almost disgusted with life, little man?
I will tell you a wonderful trick
That will bring you contentment if anything can--
Do something for somebody, quick.
Are you very much tired with play, little girl?
Weary, discouraged, and sick?
I'll tell you the loveliest game in the world--
Do something for somebody, quick.
"Were it not for me",
Said a chickadee,
"Not a single flower on earth would be;
For under the ground they soundly sleep,
And never venture an upward peep,
Till they hear from me,
Chickadee-dee-dee!"
--SIDNEY DAYRE
The world at noon belongs to the sun,
At eve to the home-coming herds;
But while the dew is early--very, very early--
The world belongs to the birds.
As still as in a dream lie the meadows and the stream,
'Neath the soaring and outpouring of the birds.
--WETHERALD
I know, blue modest violets,
Gleaming with dew at morn--
I know the place you come from,
And the way that you are born!
When God cuts holes in Heaven,
The holes the stars look through,
He lets the scraps fall down to earth,--
The little scraps are you.
The blossoms, down in the meadow,
In the gardens, and woods, and the hills,
Are singing, too, with their playmates,
The birds, and the breezes, and rills.
And I think, if you listen closely,
In the sweet glad days of spring,
With the song of the brook, the breeze, and the birds,
You can hear the flowers sing.
--MOOREHOUSE
Good-night, little shivering grasses!
'Tis idle to struggle and fight
With tempest and cruel frost-fingers;
Lie down, little grasses, to-night!
Good-night, little shivering grasses!
Lie down 'neath the coverlet white,
And rest till the cuckoo is singing;
Good-night, little grasses, good-night!
--_A November Good-night._--BEERS
Daffydowndilly came up in the cold,
Through the brown mould,
Although the March breezes blew keen on her face,
Although the white snow lay on many a place.
I can't do much yet, but I'll do what I can.
It's well I began!
For unless I can manage to lift up my head,
The people will think that the Spring herself's dead.
O Daffydowndilly, so brave and so true,
I wish all were like you!
So ready for duty in all sorts of weather,
And holding forth courage and beauty together.
--WARNER
One to-day is worth two to-morrow's.--POOR
RICHARD'S ALMANAC
The future is purchased by the present.--SAMUEL
JOHNSON
The sober second thought is always essential,
and seldom wrong.--MARTIN VAN BUREN
Recollect that trifles make perfection, and
that perfection is no trifle.--MICHAEL ANGELO
Have more than thou showest,
Speak less than thou knowest.
--SHAKESPEARE
Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle
that fits them all.--O. W. HOLMES
Let all the end thou aim'st at be thy country's,
Thy God's and truth's.
--SHAKESPEARE
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but
in rising every time we fall.
Learn to obey and you will know how to
command.--LUBBOCK
One who is contented with what he has done will
never become famous for what he will do.
Be not simply good, be good for
something.--THOREAU
The better part of valour is
discretion.--SHAKESPEARE
They that touch pitch will be
defiled.--SHAKESPEARE
Ill blows the wind that profits
nobody.--SHAKESPEARE
Honour and shame from no condition rise;
Act well your part, there all the honour lies.
--POPE
True happiness consists not in the multitude of
friends, but in their worth and choice.--BEN
JONSON
One "do" is worth a thousand "don'ts" in the
destruction of evil or the production of
good.--HUGHES
I look upon the simple and childish virtues of
veracity and honesty as the root of all that is
sublime in character.--EMERSON
Remember that though it is a good thing to be a
great man, it is a great thing to be a good
man.
Striving not to be rich or great,
Never questioning fortune or fate,
Contented slowly to earn, and wait.
In the workshop, on the farm,
Or wherever you may be,
From your future efforts, boys,
Comes a nation's destiny.
It is a low benefit to give me something; it is
a high benefit to enable me to do something of
myself.--EMERSON
Greatly begin! though thou hast time
But for a line, be that sublime,--
Not failure, but low aim, is crime.
--LOWELL
Never give up! 'Tis the secret of glory;
Nothing so wise can philosophy preach;
Look at the lives that are famous in story;
"Never give up" is the lesson they teach.
It is a good thing to be rich, and a good thing
to be strong, but it is a better thing to be
beloved of many friends.--EURIPIDES
Do what conscience says is right;
Do what reason says is best;
Do with all your mind and might;
Do your duty, and be blest.
What men want is not talent, it is purpose; in
other words, not the power to achieve, but the
will to labour.--BULWER-LYTTON
So nigh is grandeur to our dust,
So near is God to man,
When Duty whispers low, _Thou must_,
The soul replies _I can_.
--EMERSON
Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it each
day, and it becomes so strong we cannot break
it.--HORACE MANN
Ponder well, and know the right,
Onward then, with all thy might!
Haste not! years can ne'er atone
For one reckless action done.
--GOETHE
Our grand business is not to see what lies
dimly at a distance, but to do what lies
clearly at hand.--CARLYLE
Slight is the sting of his trouble whose winnings are less than his worth:
For he who is honest is noble, whatever his fortune or birth.
--ALICE CARY
Press on! There's no such word as fail!
Push nobly on! The goal is near!
Ascend the mountain! Breast the gale!
Look upward, onward--never fear!
He who has a thousand friends
Has not a friend to spare;
And he who has one enemy
Will meet him everywhere.
--OMAR KHAYYAM
Work for some good, be it ever so slowly;
Cherish some flower, be it ever so lowly;
Labour!--all labour is noble and holy.
--FRANCES S. OSGOOD
A man should never be ashamed to own he has
been in the wrong; which is but saying in other
words that he is wiser to-day than he was
yesterday.--POPE
Tender-handed stroke a nettle,
And it stings you for your pains;
Grasp it like a man of mettle,
And it soft as silk remains.
Fill up each hour with what will last;
Buy up the moments as they go;
The life above, when this is past,
Is the ripe fruit of life below.
New occasions teach new duties; time makes ancient good uncouth;
They must upward still and onward, who would keep abreast of Truth.
--LOWELL
The heights by great men reached and kept,
Were not attained by sudden flight;
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.
--LONGFELLOW
Nothing useless is, or low,
Each thing in its place is best,
And what seems but idle show
Strengthens and supports the rest.
--LONGFELLOW
And not by eastern windows only,
When daylight comes, comes in the light,
In front, the sun climbs slow, how slowly,
But westward, look, the land is bright.
--CLOUGH
Full many a gem of purest ray serene
The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear;
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
--GRAY
If a man empties his purse into his head, no
man can take it away from him. An investment in
knowledge always pays the best
interest.--BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
I do not know
Where falls the seed that I have tried to sow
With greatest care;
But I shall know
The meaning of each waiting hour below
Sometime, somewhere!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labour and to wait.
--LONGFELLOW
Begin while life is bright and young,
Work out each noble plan;
True knowledge lends a charm to youth,
And dignifies the man.
Then upward, onward, step by step,
With perseverance rise,
And emulate, with hearts of hope,
The good, the great, the wise.
The night has a thousand eyes,
And the day but one;
Yet the light of the bright world dies,
With the dying sun.
The mind has a thousand eyes,
And the heart but one;
Yet the light of a whole life dies
When love is done.
--FRANCIS BOURDILLON
In the darkness as in daylight,
On the water as on land,
God's eye is looking on us,
And beneath us is His hand!
Death will find us soon or later,
On the deck or in the cot;
And we cannot meet him better
Than in working out our lot.
--WHITTIER
The Royal Navy of England hath ever been its
greatest defence and ornament; it is its
ancient and natural strength--the floating
bulwark of our Island.--BLACKSTONE'S
_Commentaries_
It is the land that freemen till,
That sober-suited Freedom chose.
The land, where girt with friends or foes
A man may speak the thing he will;
A land of settled government,
A land of just and old renown,
Where Freedom slowly broadens down
From precedent to precedent.
--TENNYSON
O triune kingdom of the brave,
O sea-girt island of the free,
O empire of the land and wave
Our hearts, our hands, are all for thee.
Stand, Canadians, firmly stand,
Round the flag of our Fatherland.
--LACLEDE
Sharers of our glorious past,
Brothers, must we part at last?
Shall we not thro' good and ill
Cleave to one another still?
Britain's myriad voices call,
"Sons, be welded each and all
Into one Imperial whole,
One with Britain, heart and soul!
One life, one flag, one fleet, one Throne!"
Britons, hold your own!
--TENNYSON
"England! What thou wert, thou art!"
Gird thee with thine ancient might.
Forth! and God defend the Right.
--NEWBOLT
Believe not each accusing tongue,
As most weak people do;
But still believe that story wrong
Which ought not to be true.
--SHERIDAN
He prayeth best who loveth best
All things, both great and small,
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.
--COLERIDGE
For whatever men say in blindness,
And spite of the fancies of youth,
There's nothing so kingly as Kindness,
And nothing so royal as Truth.
--ALICE CARY
To do something, however small, to make others
happier and better, is the highest ambition,
the most elevating hope, which can inspire a
human being.--LUBBOCK
Small service is true service while it lasts.
Of humblest friends, bright creature! scorn not one:
The daisy, by the shadow that it casts,
Protects the lingering dew-drops from the sun.
--WORDSWORTH
Look up and not down;
Look forward and not back;
Look out and not in;
And lend a hand.
--HALE
Have you had a kindness shown?
Pass it on.
'Twas not given for you alone,
Pass it on.
Let it travel down the years,
Let it wipe another's tears;
Till in heaven the deed appears.
Pass it on.
A little spring had lost its way
Amid the grass and fern;
A passing stranger scooped a well
Where weary men might turn.
He walled it in, and hung with care,
A ladle on the brink;
He thought not of the deed he did,
But judged that Toil might drink.
He passed again; and lo! the well,
By summer never dried,
Had cooled ten thousand parched tongues,
And saved a life beside.
--MACKAY
Evil is wrought by want of thought
As well as want of heart.
--HOOD
Nature has given to men one tongue, but two
ears, that we may hear from others twice as
much as we speak.--EPICTETUS
Count that day lost whose low-descending sun
Views from thy hand no worthy action done.
If happiness have not her seat
And centre in the breast,
We may be wise or rich or great,
But never can be blest.
--BURNS
A kindly act is a kernel sown,
That will grow to a goodly tree,
Shedding its fruit when time has flown,
Down the gulf of eternity.
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Into his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
--DICKINSON
It is pleasant to think, just under the snow,
That stretches so bleak and blank and cold,
Are beauty and warmth that we cannot know,
Green fields and leaves and blossoms of gold.
Under the green hedges after the snow,
There do the dear little violets grow,
Hiding their modest and beautiful heads
Under the hawthorn in soft, mossy beds.
Sweet as the roses, and blue as the sky,
Down there do the dear little violets lie;
Hiding their heads where they scarce may be seen,
By the leaves you may know where the violets have been.
--MOULTRIE
The linnet is singing the wild wood through;
The fawn's bounding footsteps skim over the dew.
The butterfly flits round the blossoming tree,
And the cowslip and bluebell are bent by the bee;
All the creatures that dwell in the forest are gay,
And why should not I be as merry as they?
--MITFORD
Do the duty which lies nearest thee!
Thy second duty will already have become clearer.
--CARLYLE
Live truly, and thy life shall be
A great and noble creed.
I slept, and dreamed that life was Beauty;
I woke, and found that life was Duty.
--HOOPER
Great is the art of beginning, but greater the
art is of ending.--LONGFELLOW
Opinions shape ideals, and it is ideals that
inspire conduct.--JOHN MORLEY
You cannot dream yourself into a character; you
must hammer and forge yourself into
one.--FROUDE
Not once or twice in our fair island story
The path of duty was the way to glory.
--TENNYSON
Know thy work and do it, and work at it like a
Hercules. One monster there is in the world--an
idle man.--CARLYLE
Every evil to which we do not succumb is a
benefactor. We gain the strength of the
temptation we resist.--EMERSON
In every common hour of life,
In every flame that glows,
In every breath of being rife
With aspiration or of strife
Man feels more than he knows.
--W. W. CAMPBELL
Never to the bow that bends
Comes the arrow that it sends;
Never comes the chance that passed:
That one moment was its last.
Oh, fear not in a world like this,
And thou shalt know ere long,
Know how sublime a thing it is
To suffer and be strong.
--H. W. LONGFELLOW
Sow an act, and reap a tendency; sow a
tendency, and reap a habit; sow a habit, and
reap a character; sow a character, and reap a
destiny.--THACKERAY
The gifts that we have, heaven lends for right
using, and not for ignoring, and not for
abusing.
It is not what he has, nor even what he does,
which directly expresses the worth of a man,
but what he is.--_Journal_--AMIEL
My good blade carves the casques of men,
My tough lance thrusteth sure,
My strength is as the strength of ten,
Because my heart is pure.
--TENNYSON
True worth is in _being_, not _seeming_,--
In doing each day that goes by
Some little good--not in the dreaming
Of great things to do by and by.
No work which God sets a man to do--no work to
which God has specially adapted a man's
powers--can properly be called either menial or
mean.--CARLYLE
Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again;
Th' eternal years of God are hers;
But Error, wounded, writhes in pain,
And dies among his worshippers.
--BRYANT
To thine own self be true;
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou can'st not then be false to any man.
--SHAKESPEARE
No life
Can be pure in its purpose or strong in its strife
And all life not be purer and stronger thereby.
--LYTTON
Knowledge and wisdom far from being one, have
ofttimes no connection. Knowledge is proud that
he has learned so much; wisdom is humble that
he knows no more.--COWPER
Wish not to taste what doth not to thee fall;
Do well thyself, before thou striv'st to lead,
And truth shall thee deliver without dread.
--GEOFFREY CHAUCER
Oh, many a shaft, at random sent,
Finds mark the archer little meant!
And many a word at random spoken,
May soothe, or wound, a heart that's broken.
--SIR W. SCOTT
Govern the lips as they were palace doors, the
king within. Tranquil and fair and courteous be
all words which from that presence win.
--EDWIN ARNOLD
Whene'er a noble deed is wrought,
Whene'er is spoken a noble thought,
Our hearts, in glad surprise,
To higher levels rise.
--LONGFELLOW
Love thyself last; cherish those hearts that hate thee;
Corruption wins not more than honesty.
Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace,
To silence envious tongues; be just, and fear not.
--SHAKESPEARE
Not by the power of commerce, art, or pen,
Shall our great Empire stand, nor has it stood,
But by the noble deeds of noble men--
Heroic lives and heroes' outpoured blood.
--F. G. SCOTT
Take up the white man's burden--
In patience to abide,
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;
By open speech and simple,
An hundred times made plain,
To seek another's profit
And work another's gain.
--KIPLING
Love thou thy land, with love far-brought
From out the storied Past, and used
Within the Present, but transfused
Thro' future time by power of thought.
--TENNYSON
For as long as conquest holds the earth,
Or commerce sweeps the sea,
By orient jungle or western plain
Will the Saxon spirit be;
And whatever the people that dwell beneath,
Or whatever the alien tongue,
Over the freedom and peace of the world
Is the flag of England flung.
--W. W. CAMPBELL
Of old sat Freedom on the heights,
The thunders breaking at her feet;
Above her shook the starry lights;
She heard the torrents meet.
Her open eyes desire the truth.
The wisdom of a thousand years
Is in them. May perpetual youth
Keep dry their light from tears.
--TENNYSON
If I have faltered more or less
In my great task of happiness;
If I have moved among my race
And shown no glorious morning face;
If beams from happy, human eyes
Have moved me not; if morning skies,
Books, and my food, and summer rain
Knocked on my sullen heart in vain--
Lord, Thy most pointed pleasure take,
And stab my spirit broad awake.
--R. L. STEVENSON
A good book is the precious life-blood of a
master-spirit, embalmed and treasured up on
purpose to a life beyond life.--MILTON
The book which makes a man think the most is
the book which strikes the deepest root in his
memory and understanding.
Men at some time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
--SHAKESPEARE
No book is worth anything which is not worth
_much_; nor is it serviceable until it has been
read and re-read, and loved, and loved again;
and marked, so that you can refer to the
passages you want in it, as a soldier can seize
the weapon he needs in an armoury, or a
housewife bring the spice she needs from her
store. Bread of flour is good; but there is
bread, sweet as honey, if we would eat it, in a
good book.--RUSKIN
Goodness moves in a larger sphere than justice.
The obligations of law and equity reach only to
mankind, but kindness and beneficence should be
extended to creatures of every
species.--PLUTARCH
My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky;
So was it when my life began,
So is it now I am a man,
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die.
The child is father of the man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.
--WORDSWORTH
Be but yourself, be pure, be true,
And prompt in duty; heed the deep
Low voice of conscience; through the ill
And discord round about you, keep
Your faith in human nature still.
--ELIZABETH WHITTIER
Four things a man must learn to do
If he would make his record true;
To think, without confusion, clearly;
To love his fellow-men sincerely:
To act from honest motives purely;
To trust in God and Heaven securely.
--HENRY VAN DYKE
Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar;
The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hooks of steel.
--SHAKESPEARE
Never do anything of which you will have cause
to be ashamed. There is one good opinion which
is of the greatest importance to you, namely,
your own. "An easy conscience", says Seneca,
"is a continual feast".--LUBBOCK
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.
--SHAKESPEARE
Man is his own star, and the soul that can
Render an honest and a perfect man,
Commands all light, all influence, all fate,
Nothing for him falls early or too late;
Our acts our angels are, for good or ill;
Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.
--BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting;
The soul that rises with us, our life's star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar,
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God who is our home.
--WORDSWORTH
Be wise to-day; 'tis madness to defer;
Next day the fatal precedent will plead;
Thus on, till-wisdom is pushed out of life.
Procrastination is the thief of time;
Year after year it steals, till all are fled,
And to the mercies of a moment leaves
The vast concerns of an eternal scene.
--EDWARD YOUNG
Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,
As the swift seasons roll!
Leave thy low-vaulted past!
Let each new temple, nobler than the last,
Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,
Till thou at length art free,
Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea.
--O. W. HOLMES
Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith, "A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all nor be afraid!"
--BROWNING
Were a star quenched on high,
For ages would its light,
Still travelling downward from the sky,
Shine on our mortal sight.
So when a great man dies,
For years beyond our ken,
The light he leaves behind him lies
Upon the paths of men.--LONGFELLOW
It is not growing like a tree
In bulk doth make man better be;
Or standing long, an oak, three hundred year,
To fall a log at last, dry, bald, and sear.
A lily of a day
Is fairer far in May,
Although it fall and die that night--
It was the plant and flower of light.
In small proportions we just beauties see;
And in short measures life may perfect be.
--BEN JONSON
We shape ourselves the joy or fear
Of which the coming life is made,
And fill our Future's atmosphere
With sunshine or with shade.
The tissue of the Life to be,
We weave with colours all our own;
And in the field of Destiny
We reap as we have sown.
--WHITTIER
Heaven is not reached at a single bound,
But we build the ladder by which we rise
From the lowly earth to the vaulted skies,
And we mount to its summit round by round.
I count this thing to be grandly true:
That a noble deed is a step toward God,--
Lifting the soul from the common clod
To a purer air and a broader view.
--J. G. HOLLAND
Let me but do my work from day to day
In field or forest, at the desk or loom,
In roaring market-place or tranquil room;
Let me but find it in my heart to say,
When vagrant wishes beckon me astray,
"This is my work; my blessing, not my doom;
Of all who live, I am the only one by whom
The work can best be done in the right way."
--HENRY VAN DYKE
Good name, in man or woman, dear, my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their soul.
Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name,
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.
--SHAKESPEARE
God give us men! A time like this demands
Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands;
Men whom the lust of office does not kill;
Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy;
Men who possess opinions and a will;
Men who have honour,--men who will not lie.
--J. G. HOLLAND
To live content with small means; to seek
elegance rather than luxury, and refinement
rather than fashion; to be worthy, not
respectable; and wealthy, not rich; to study
hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly;
to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages
with open heart; await occasions, hurry never;
in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and
unconscious, grow up through the common,--this
is my symphony.--CHANNING
O, may I join the choir invisible
Of those immortal dead who live again
In minds made better by their presence; live
In pulses stirred to generosity,
In deeds of daring rectitude, in scorn
Of miserable aims that end with self,
In thoughts sublime that pierce the night like stars,
And with their mild persistence urge men's minds
To vaster issues.
--GEORGE ELIOT
A thing of beauty is a joy forever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
--KEATS
Sunset with its rosy feet
Stains the grasses low and sweet;
And the shadow-beeches softly fall
Across the meadows, dark and tall;
O fold away
The dusty day,
Sweet nightfall, in thy curtains gray.
--JAPANESE
Now fades the last long streak of snow,
Now bourgeons every maze of quick
About the flowering squares, and thick
By ashen roots the violets blow.
Now rings the woodland loud and long,
The distance takes a lovelier hue,
And drowned in yonder living blue
The lark becomes a sightless song.
--TENNYSON
A cloud lay cradled near the setting sun;
A gleam of crimson tinged its braided snow;
Long had I watched the glory moving on
O'er the still radiance of the lake below.
Tranquil its spirit seemed, and floated slow!
Even in its very motion there was rest;
While every breath of eve that chanced to blow
Wafted the traveller to the beauteous west.
--WILSON
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Page 32, the first paragraph under ALLUSIONS contains a sentence
fragment: "If these allusions." As no meaning could be ascertained, it
was retained intact.
The OE-ligature is denoted in this work by brackets [OE].