Imatges de pàgina
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F. No, really; it was on a fine balmy summer's morning, and moved forwards, one behind another

C. As still as death, creeping along under the hedges.

F. On the contrary-they walked remarkably upright; and so far from endeavoring to be hushed and still, they made a loud noise as they came along, with several sorts of instruments.

C. But, father, they would be found out immediately.

F. They did not seem to wish to conceal themselves; on the contrary, they gloried in what they were about. They moved forwards, I say, to a large plain, where stood a neat pretty village, which they set on fire

C. Set a village on fire? wicked wretches!

F. And while it was burning, they murdered-twenty thousand men.

C. O fie! father! You do not intend I should believe this; I thought all along you were making up a tale, as you often do; but you shall not catch me this time. What; they lay still, I suppose, and let these fellows cut their throats!

F. No, truly, they resisted as long as they could. C. How should these men kill twenty thousand people, pray?

F. Why not? the murderers were thirty thousand.
C. O, now I have found you out! You mean a

Battle.

F. Indeed I do. I do not know of any murders half so bloody.

LESSON 34.

DEFINITIONS.

Pléas-ant, pleasing, agreeable, gratifying.
Wéa-ry, tired, fatigued, destitute of strength.

Al-though, notwithstanding, allow, grant.

Ex-er-cise, task, what is appointed for one to perform.

What kind of word is played? Sleigh? Exercise? Tired? What word is the opposite of pleasant? Run? Play? Sister? How many trisyllables in this lesson? Dissyllables?

Little Charles.

1. 'Tis pleasant when the fields are green,
To run about and play;

'Tis pleasant when the snow has been,
To drag about my sleigh.

2. But if I played the long, long day,
How weary I should grow;-

Although the flowers were bright and gay,
And grass my feet below.

3. And if I might, from morn to night,
But slide and ride my sleigh,
With sister's doll, so gay and bright,
I should be tired of play.

4. But when my ex-er-cise is done,
The little time I play

Is

pleasant;—and I gladly run,
The gayest of the gay.

5. And when my mother, smiles and says,
I am her hope and joy,

In winter's cold, or spring's bright days,
I am a happy boy.

LESSON 35.

DEFINITIONS.

Pén-sive, gloomy, melancholy.

Prát-tling, talkative, talking idly.

Ef-faced, worn off, blotted out, destroyed.

Re-called, called back, taken back.

What kind of word is Autumn? Chilly? Mam-má? She'll? What is the opposite of chilly? Die? Light? How many polysyllables in this lesson? Trisyllables?

The Little Graves.-ANON.

1. 'Twas autumn, and the leaves were dry, And rustled on the ground,

2.

3.

And chilly winds went whistling by,
With low and pensive sound.

As through the grave-yard's lone retreat,
By meditation led,

I walked with slow and cautious feet,
Above the sleeping dead,—

Three little graves, ranged side by side,
My close attention drew;

O'er two, the tall grass, bending, sighed,
And one seemed fresh and new.

4. As, lingering there, I mused awhile
On death's long, dreamless sleep,

And opening life's deceitful smile,
A mourner came to weep.

5. Her form was bowed, but not with years,
Her words were faint and few,
And on those little graves her tears
Distilled like evening dew.

6.

A prattling boy, some four years
Her trembling hand embraced,

7.

old,

And from my heart the tale he told
Will never be effaced.

Child.

"Mamma, now you must love me more,

For little sister's dead;

And t'other sister died before,

And brother too, you said."

8. "Mamma, what made sweet sister die? She loved me when we played:

You told me, if I would not cry,
You'd show me where she's laid."

Mother.

9 "Tis here my child, that sister lies,
Deep buried in the ground:

No light comes to her little eyes,
And she can hear no sound."

10.

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Child.

'Mamma, why can't we take her up,
And put her in my bed?

I'll feed her from my little cup,

And then she won't be dead.

11. "For sister'll be afraid to lie
In this dark grave to-night,
And she'll be very cold, and cry,
Because there is no light."

Mother.

12. "No, sister is not cold my child;
For God, who saw her die,

As he looked down from Heaven and smiled,
Recalled her to the sky.

13. "And then her spirit quickly fled
To God, by whom 'twas given;
Her body in the ground is dead,
But sister lives in Heaven.”

14.

Child.

"Mamma, won't she be hungry there,
And want some bread to eat?
And who will give her clothes to wear,
And keep them clean and neat?"

15. "Papa must go and carry some;
I'll send her all I've got;

And he must bring sweet sister home,
Mamma, now must he not?"

Mother.

16. "No, my dear child, that cannot be;
But if you're good and true,
You'll one day go to her; but she
Can never come to you.

17. "Let little children come to me,
Once our good Savior said;
And in his arms she'll always be,
And God will give her bread."

LESSON 36.

DEFINITIONS.

In'-stru-ment, that by which a thing is done.
Sur-round-ed, encompassed, inclosed, encircled.
Port-mán-teau, a bag in which clothes are carried,
Dis-trib-u-ting, dividing, bestowing in parts.
De-ci-phering, finding out the meaning, unravelling
Mán-u-script, a book written, not printed.

Sub-lime, grand, wonderful, lofty.

Con-jéc-ture, an opinion without proof, a guess.
Sé-crets, things hidden, or concealed, or unknown,

De-téct-ed, found out, discovered.

Prone, inclined, disposed, apt.

Re-véal, to discover or make known.

Spe-cies, sert, kind, one like itself.
Vá-ry, differ, disagree.
Fór-tu-nate, lucky, successful.

A Curious Instrument.

1. A gentleman just returning from a journey to London, was surrounded by his children; eager to hear the news; and still more eager to see the contents of a small pormanteau, which were, one by one, carefully unfolded and displayed.

2. After distributing among them a few small presents, the father took his seat again; when the follow ing dialogue ensued:

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