LESSON VII.
How to find out the Meaning of Words.—Original.
1. Many years ago, when I lived in a small town, near the Merrimac river, a little Spanish girl came to board in the same house.
2. She could speak very well in her own language; but the people in her country speak a language very different from ours: and when she first began to speak, she heard nothing but Spanish words; and she learned no other.
3. She could not speak a word of English, and did not understand a word that was spoken to her by any of the family.
4. Her parents were very rich, but they placed her in the family, that she might learn to speak English.
5. She had no dictionary to turn to, to look out the meaning of words; and if she was hungry, she could not ask for bread, and if she was thirsty, she could not ask for water, nor milk, nor tea, for she did not know the meaning of either of the words, water, tea, nor milk.
6. Perhaps you would be puzzled to tell how she could learn to speak English, if she had no one to teach her, and had no dictionary to inform her about the words.
7. But it was not many days before she could say "bread," if she was hungry, and "water," if she wanted to drink; and I was very much surprised to find how soon it was, at the dinner-table, she could ask for meat, or potato, or pudding; and, at tea-time, for tea, or milk, or sugar, or butter, or bread.
8. I have no doubt that you would like to know how this little Spanish girl learned to speak all of these words. I do not intend to tell you quite yet, but I think you will find out yourself, if you will read the next lesson.
