"No," replied his father, in a stern and
resolute tone of voice, dismissing for a moment his feelings of tenderness; "if you do, I will whip you severely. Cling to your horse! Cling to your horse!"
The son, who feared his father more than he did the raging river, obeyed the command; and the noble animal on which he was mounted, struggling for some time, carried him safe to shore.
"My son!" exclaimed the glad father, bursting into tears, "remember, hereafter, that in danger you must possess courage, and being determined to save your life, cling to the last hope!
"If I had replied to you with the tenderness and fear which I felt, you might have lost your life; you would have lost your presence of mind, been carried away by the current, and I should have seen you no more."
What a noble example is this! The heroism of this father and his presence of mind saved the life of his boy.
Directions for Reading.—In calling tones, as on pages 237 and 238, notice that the falling inflections only can be used.[14]
Language Lesson.—Let pupils make out an analysis, and use it in telling the story in their own words.