Produced by Don Kostuch

[Transcriber's Note:

Welcome to the schoolroom of 1900. The moral tone is plain.
"She is kind to the old blind man."

The exercises are still suitable, and perhaps more helpful than some contemporary alternatives. Much is left to the teacher. Explanations given in the text are enough to get started teaching a child to read and write. Counting in Roman numerals is included as a bonus in the form of lesson numbers.

The form of contractions includes a space. The contemporary word "don't" was rendered as "do n't".

The author, not listed in the text, is William Holmes McGuffey.

Passages using non-ASCI characters are approximately rendered in this text version. See the PDF or DOC versions for the original images.

The section numbers are decimal in the Table of Contents but are in
Roman Numerals in the body.

Page headings are removed, but section titles are followed by the page on which they appear.

Don Kostuch end transcriber's note]

ECLECTIC EDUCATIONAL SERIES.

MCGUFFEY'S (Registered)
FOURTH ECLECTIC READER.

REVISED EDITION.

McGuffey Edition and Colophon are Trademarks of

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

New York-Chichester-Weinheim-Brisbane-Toronto

In revising the FOURTH READER, the aim has been—as it has with the other books of the Series—to preserve unimpaired all the essential characteristics of MCGUFFEY'S READERS. New articles have been substituted for old ones only where the advantage was manifest.

The book has been considerably enlarged, and has been liberally illustrated by the first artists of the country.

It can not be presumed that every pupil has at hand all the works of reference necessary for the proper preparation of each lesson; hence all the aids that seem requisite to this purpose have been given. Brief notices concerning the various authors represented have been inserted; the more difficult words have been defined, and their pronunciation has been indicated by diacritical marks; and short explanatory notes have been given wherever required for a full understanding of the text.

Especial acknowledgment is due to Messrs. Houghton, Osgood & Co. for their permission to make liberal selections from their copyright editions of many of the foremost American author whose works they publish.

COPYRIGHT, 1879, by VAN ANTWERP, BRAGG & Co.
COPYRIGHT, 1896, by AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY.
COPYRIGHT, 1907 and 1920, by H. H. VAIL.

M'G 4TH REV. EP 309

INTRODUCTORY MATTER. SUBJECT. PAGE

PUNCTUATION MARKS 7 ARTICULATION 9 ACCENT AND INFLECTION 23

SELECTIONS IN PROSE AND POETRY.

TITLE. AUTHOR. PAGE 1. Perseverance Charlotte Elizabeth 25 2. Try, Try Again T. H. Palmer 28 3. Why the Sea Is Salt Mary Howitt 29 4. Why the Sea Is Salt Mary Howitt 32 5. Popping Corn 34 6. Smiles 35 7. Lazy Ned 38 8. The Monkey 39 9. Meddlesome Matty 42 10. The Good Son 44 11. To-morrow Mrs. M. B. Johnson. 45 12. Where there is a Will there is a Way 47 13. Piccola Celia Thaxter 48 14. True Manliness Mrs. M. Q. Johnson 50 15. True Manliness Mrs. M. O. Johnson 52 16. The Brown Thrush Lucy Larcom 54 17. A Ship in a Storm 55 18. The Sailor's Consolation Charles Dibdin 58 19. Two Ways of Telling a Story Henry K. Oliver 60 20. Freaks of the Frost Hannah Flagg Gould 63 21. Waste not, Want not 64 22. Jeannette and Jo Mary Mapes Dodge 67 23. The Lion 69 24. Strawberries J. T. Trowbridge 71 25. Harry's Riches 74 26. In Time's Swing Lucy Larcom 77 27. Harry and his Dog Mary Russell Mitford 79 28. The Voice of the Grass Sarah Roberts 83 29. The Eagle 84 30. The Old Eagle Tree Dr. John Todd 86 31. Alpine Song W. W. Story 88 32. Circumstances alter Cases 89 33. The Noblest Revenge 94 34. Evening Hymn 97 35. How Margery Wondered Lucy Larcom 99 36. The Child's World 103 37. Susie's Composition 104 38. The Summer Shower T. B. Read 109 39. Consequences of Idleness Abbott 110 40. Advantages of Industry Abbott 113 41. The Fountain Lowell 116 42. Coffee 117 43. The Winter King Hannah Flagg Gould 120 44. The Nettle Dr. Walsh 121 45. The Tempest James T. Fields 125 46. The Creator John Keble 126 47. The Horse Bingley 128 48. Emulation 132 49. The Sandpiper Celia Thaxter 134 50. The Right Way F. R. Stockton 136 51. The Golden Rule Emma C. Embury 139 52. The Snow Man Marian Douglas 143 53. Robinson Crusoe's House Daniel DeFoe 144 54. Robinson Crusoe's Dress Daniel DeFoe 147 55. Somebody's Darling 150 56. Knowledge is Power 151 57. Good Will J. T. Trowbridge 153 58. A Chinese Story C. P. Cranch 156 59. The Way to be Happy 159 60. The Giraffe 162 61. The Lost Child Abbott 165 62. Which? Mrs. E. L. Beers 168 63. The Pet Fawn Miss S. F. Cooper 172 64. Annie's Dream 175 65. My Ghost Mrs. S. M. B. Platt 178 66. The Elephant 180 67. Dare to do Right Thomas Hughes 183 68. Dare to do Right Thomas Hughes 186 69. Wreck of the Hesperus Longfellow 190 70. Anecdotes of Birds Hall 191 71. The Rainbow Pilgrimage Grace Greenwood 197 72. The Old Oaken Bucket Samuel Woodworth 202 73. The Sermon on the Mount 204 74. The Young Witness S. H. Hammond 207 75. King Solomon and the Ants Whittier 211 76. Rivermouth Theater T. B. Aldrich 213 77. Alfred the Great 216 78. Living on a Farm 220 79. Hugh Idle and Mr. Toil Hawthorne 221 80. Hugh Idle and Mr. Toil Hawthorne 224 81. Burning of Fallow Mrs. Susanna Moodie 227 82. Dying Soldiers 230 83. The Attack on Nymwegen Motley 233 84. The Seasons Spring H. G. Adams 237 Summer Lowell 237 Autumn Thomas Hood 238 Winter C. T. Brooks 238 85. Brandywine Ford Bayard Taylor 239 86. Brandywine Ford Bayard Taylor 242 87. The Best Capital Louisa M. Alcott 245 88. The Inchcape Rock Southey 249 89. My Mother's Grave 253 90. A Mother's Gift W. Fergusson 255

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. [See PDF or DOC versions.]

SUBJECT PAGE
Perseverance 25
Popping Corn 35
The Monkey 40
Piccola 49
True Manliness 53
A Ship in a Storm 56
Two Ways of Telling a Story 60
The Lion 69
Harry and his Dog 81
Circumstances alter Cases 92
Evening Hymn 98
How Margery Wondered 100
Susie's Composition 107
Coffee 117
The Horse 128
The Sandpiper 135
Robinson Crusoe's Dress 147
A Chinese Story 158
Which? 169
Which? 170
Dare to do Right 185
The Old Oaken Bucket 202
Rivermouth Theater 215
The Attack on Nymwegen 234
The Inchcape Rock 251

PUNCTUATION MARKS. (7)

1. The Hyphen (-) is used between syllables and between the parts of a compound word; as, No-ble, col-o-ny, and text- book, easy-chair.

2. The Comma (,), the Semicolon (;), and the Colon (:) denote grammatical divisions.

NOTE—These marks do not indicate the comparative length of the pauses to be made where they occur.

3. The Period (.) is placed at the end of a sentence. It is also used after an abbreviation; as, God is love. Dr. Eben Goodwin.

4. The Interrogation point (?) denotes a question; as, Has he come? Who are you?

5. The Exclamation point (!) denotes strong feeling; as, Oh Absaom! my son! my son!

6. Quotation marks (" ") denote the words of another; as, God said, "Let there be light."

7. The Apostrophe (') denotes that a letter or letters are left out; as, O'er, for over; 't is, for it is. It also denotes the possessive case; as, John's hat.

8. The Curves ( ) include what, if omitted, would not obscure the sense. The parenthesis, or words included by the curves, should be read in a low key, and with greater rapidity than the rest of the sentence.

9. Brackets [ ] include something intended to exemplify what goes before, or to supply some deficiency, or rectify some mistake.

10. A Dash (-) denotes a long or significant pause, or an abrupt change or transition in a sentence.

11. Marks of Ellipsis (***) indicate the omission of letters of a word, or words of a sentence; as, P * * * * e J**n, for Prince John; the ******* was hung, for the traitor was hung.

Sometimes a long line, or a succession of dots is used instead of stars; as, J—n A—-s, for John Adams; the D..e W…..m, for the Duke William.

12. A Brace (}) is used to connect several lines or words together.

13. A Diaeresis is put over the latter of two vowels, to show that they belong to two distinct syllables; thus, cooperate.

14. A Section is used to divide a discourse or chapter into parts.

15. An Index points out something that requires particular attention.

16. A Paragraph denotes a new subject. It is used in the common version of the Bible.

17. Certain marks and sometimes figures and letters are used to refer to some remark in the margin.

18. A Caret (^) is used in writing, to show that some-thing is omitted; as, Manner. I love her for her modesty and virtue.

ARTICULATION. (9)

ELEMENTARY SOUNDS

Articulation is the utterance of the elementary sounds of a language, and of their combinations.

An Elementary Sound is a simple, distinct sound made by the organs of speech.

The Elementary Sounds of the English language are divided into Vocals,
Subvocals, and Aspirates.

Vocals are those sounds which consist of pure tone only. They are the most prominent elements of speech. A diphthong is a union of two vocals, commencing with one and ending with the other.

Subvocals are those sounds in which the vocalized breath is more or less obstructed.

Aspirates consist of breath only, modified by the vocal organs.

VOCALS.

DIRECTIONS FOR ARTICULATION.

1. Let the mouth be open, and the teeth, tongue, and palate in their proper position.

2. Pronounce the word in the CHART forcibly, and with the falling inflection, several times in succession; then drop the subvocal or aspirate sounds which precede or follow the vocal, and repeat the vocals alone.

TABLE.

Long Vocals.

Sound Word Sound Word a hate e err a hare i pine a far o no a pass u tube a fall u burn e eve oo cool

Short Vocals.

Sound Word Sound Word

a mat o not e met u us i it oo book

REMARK.—In this table, the short sounds, except u, are nearly or quite the same, in quality, as certain of the long sounds. The difference consists chiefly in quantity. As a rule, the long vocals should be prolonged with a full, clear utterance; but the short vocals should be uttered sharply and almost explosively.

Diphthongs.

oi, oy, as in coin, boy. ou, ow, as in noun, now.

SUBVOCALS AND ASPIRATES.

DIRECTIONS FOR ARTICULATION.

Pronounce distinctly and forcibly, several times in succession, words in which these sounds occur as elements; then drop the other sounds, and repeat the subvocals and aspirates alone. Each subvocal in the first table should be practiced in connection with its cognate sound.

Let the class repeat the words and elements, at first in concert; then separately.

Select words ending with subvocal sounds for practice on subvocals; words beginning or ending with aspirate sounds, for practice on aspirates.

COGNATE SOUNDS.

Subvocals Aspirates Sound Example Sound Example b babe p rap d rod t at g fog k book j judge ch chat v live f file th them th myth z buzz s sink zh azure sh shine w win wh when

REMARK.—These eighteen sounds make nine pairs of cognate sounds. In articulating the aspirates, the vocal organs are put in the position as required for the articulation of the corresponding subvocals; but the breath is expelled with some force, without the utterance of any vocal sound. Let the pupil verify this by experiment, and then practice on these cognates.

The following sounds are not cognates.

SUB VOCALS.
Sound Example

l mill m him n tin ng sing, think r (rough) rule r (smooth) car

ASPIRATE.

h, as in hat.

SUBSTITUTES.

Substitutes are characters used to represent sounds ordinarily represented by other characters. The following table indicates nearly every form of substitution used in the language: a few exceptional cases only are omitted

TABLE OF SUBSTITUTES.

Sub For as in Sub For as in a e any o oo to a o what o oo would c z suffice o u son c s cite ph v Stephen c k cap ph f sylph ch k ache q k liquor ch sh machine qu kw quote d j soldier s sh sure e i England s zh rasure e a there s z rose e a feint u e bury ee i been u i busy f v of u oo rude g j cage u oo pull gh f laugh x ks wax gh k lough x ksh noxious i e police x z Xerxes i e thirst x gz examine i y filial y e myrrh n ng rink y i my o u work y i hymn o i women z s quartz o a form

VOCALS.

Let the teacher utter each word, and then its vocal sound, and let the pupil imitate closely and carefully, thus:

Mate, a; Rate, a: Man, a: Far, a: etc. a—Mate, rain, say, they, feint, gauge, break, vein, gaol a—Man, pan, tan, shall, lamp, back, mat, stand a—Far, hard, ah, aunt, heart, guard, psalm a—Ball, talk, pause, saw, broad, storm, naught, bought a—Was, what, wash, swap, nod, blot, knowledge e—Me, tree, sea, key, field, ceiling, people, police e—Met, bread, said (sed), says (sez), friend, heifer, leopard, guess, any (en'y), bury (ber'ry). e—Her, clerk, earn, were, first, myrrh. i—Pine, sign, lie, type, sleight, buy, guide, aisle, choir. i—Pin, fountain, been (bin), busy (biz'y), surfeit, sieve, hymn, build, myth. i—Sir, bird, girl, birch, mirth, birth. o—No, door, loam, hoe, soul, snow, sew (so), yeomen, bureau (bu'ro), hautboy (ho'boy). o—Not, blot, chop, throb, bother, body, wan. o—Nor, born, storm, cork, fork, small, stall. o—Wolf, woman, bushel, would, should, pull o—Move, who, tomb, group, soup, shoe, do, lose o.—Love, son, flood, front, shove, touch, does, tongue. oo—Wool, book, cook, rook, goodly. oo.—Food, troop, tooth, goose, spoon, noon. u.—Use, abuse, beauty, feud, view, adieu. u.—Rub, sum, sun, such, much, tuck, luck, trouble. u.—Fur, curl, hurt, burn, turn, spurn, work. u.—Full, bull, push, bush oi, oy.-Oil, point, voice, noise, boiler, boy, joy, alloy. ou, ow.-Our, sour, cloud, owl, now, bow, couch.

SUB VOCALS.

Let the sound of each letter be given, and not its name. After articulating the sounds, each word should be pronounced distinctly.

b.—Be, by, boy, bib, sob, bite, bone, band, bubble. d.—Deed, did, dab, bid, bud, dead, door, indeed. g.—Go, gag, gig, bag, beg, fog, fig, girl, rag, log. j.—Jay, joy, jig, gill, job, judge, ginger, soldier. l.—Lad, led, dell, mill, line, lily, folly. m—Me, my, mad, mug, him, aim, blame. n.—No, now, nab, nod, man, sun, none, noun. r. (rough)—Rear, red, rough, riot, ripe, rude, ragged. r. (smooth)—Form, farm, worn, for, ear, manner. v.—Van, vine, vale, vivid, stove, of, Stephen. w.—We, woe, web, wed, wig, wag, wood, will, wonder. y.—Ye, yam, yon, yes, yarn, yoke, yawn, filial. z.—Zag, rose, rise, zone, lives, stars, suffice. zh.—Azure, osier, usual, measure, rouge (roozh). th.—Thee, thy, them, blithe, beneath, those. ng.—Bang, fang, gang, bring, sing, fling.

ASPIRATES.

f.—Fib, fob, buff, beef, if, off, life, phrase, laugh. h.—Ha, he, hub, had, how, hill, home, hire, horse. k.—Kill, bake, cat, cow, come, chord, black. p.—Pop, pig, lip, map, pipe, pope, apple, path, pile. s.—Sad, fuss, miss, cent, cease, sick, sound, sincere. t.—Hat, mat, toe, totter, tint, time, sleet, taught. sh.—Dash, shad, rush, sure, ocean, notion, passion, chaise. ch.—Chin, chop, chat, rich, much, church, bastion. th.—Thin, hath, think, teeth, truth, breath, pith.

SUBVOCALS COMBINED.

Utter the sounds only, and pronounce very distinctly.

br.—Bred, brag, brow, brim, brush, breed, brown. bz, bst.—Fibs, fib'st, robs, rob'st, rubs, rub'st. bd, bdst.—Fibbed, fib'd'st, sobbed, sob'd'st, robbed, rob'd'st. bl.—Blab, blow, bluff, bliss, stable, babble, gobble. blz, blst.—Fables, fabl'st, nibbles, nibbl'st. bid, bldst.—Fabled, fabl'd'st, nibbled, nibbl'd'st.

dr.—Drab, drip, drop, drag drum, dress, drink. dz, dst.—Rids, rid'st, adds, add'st, sheds, shed'st. dl.—Addle, paddle, fiddle, riddle, needle, idle, ladle. dlz, dlst.—Addles, addl'st, fiddles, fiddl'st. dld.—Addled, fiddled, huddled, idled, ladled.

fr.—Fret, frog, from, fry, fresh, frame, free. fs, fst.—Cuffs, cuff'st, stuffs, stuff'st, doffs, doff'st. ft.—Lift, waft, drift, graft, soft, theft, craft, shaft. fts, ftst.—Lifts, lift'st, wafts, waft'st, sifts, sift'st. fi.—Baffle, raffle, shuffle, muffle, rifle, trifle, whiffle. fls, flst.—Baffles, baffl'st, shuffles, shuffl'st, rifles, rifl'st. fld, fldst.—Baffled, baffl'd'st, shuffled, shuffl'd'st.

gr.—Grab, grim, grip, grate, grant, grass, green. gz, gst.—Begs, beg'st, digs, dig'st, gags, gag'st. gd, gdst.—Begged, begg'd'st, digged, digg'd'st. gl.—Higgle, joggle, straggle, glib, glow, glaze. glz, glst.—Higgles, higgl'st, juggles, juggl'st. gld, gldst.—Higgled, higgl'd'st, joggled, joggl'd'st.

jd.—Caged, hedged, bridged, lodged, judged, waged. kr.—Cram, crag, crash, crop, cry, creel, crone, crown. kw, (qu).—Quell, quick, quite, quote, quake, queen. ks, kst, (x).—Kicks, kick'st, mix, mixed, box, boxed. kt, kts.—Act, acts, fact, facts, tact, tacts, sect, sects. kl.—Clad, clip, clown, clean, close, cackle, pickle. klz, klst.—Cackles, cackl'st, buckles, buckl'st. kld, kldst.—Cackled, cackl'd'st, buckled, buckl'd'st.

lf.—Elf, Ralph, shelf, gulf, sylph, wolf. ld.—Hold, mold, bold, cold, wild, mild, field, yield. ldz, ldst.—Holds, hold'st, gilds, gild'st, yields, yield'st. lz, lst.—Fills, fill'st, pulls, pull'st, drills, drill'st. lt, lts.—Melt, melts, tilt, tilts, salt, salts, bolt, bolts. mz, mst.—Names, nam'st, hems, hem'st, dims, dim'st. md, mdst.—Named, nam'd'st, dimmed, dimm'd'st.

nd.—And, lend, band, blonde, fund, bound, round, sound. ndz, ndst.—Lends, lend'st, hands, hand'st. ndl.—Handle, kindle, fondle, trundle, brindle. ndlz, ndlst.—Handles, halldl'st, kindles, kindl'st. ndld, ndldst.—Handled, handl'd'st, kindled, kindl'd'st.

nks, nkst.—Banks, hank'st, sinks, sink'st. nkd.—Banked, clank'd, winked, thank'd, flank'd.

nz, nst.—Wins, win'st, tans, tan'st, runs run'st. nt, nts.—Hint, hints, cent, cents, want, wants. nch, nchd.—Pinch, pinch'd, blanch, blanch'd. ngz, ngd.—Hangs, hang'd, rings, ring'd. nj, njd.—Range, ranged, hinge, hinged.

pr.—Prat, prim, print, prone, prune, pry, prank. pl.—Plant, plod, plum, plus, apple, cripple. ps, pst.—Nips, nip'st, taps, tap'st, mops, mop'st. pt, pts.—Adopt, adopts, adept, adepts, crypt, crypts.

rj, rjd.—Merge, merged, charge, charged, urge, urged. rd.—Card, cord, curd, herd, ford, ward, bird. rdz, rdst.—Cards, card'st, herds, herd'st, cords, cord'st. rk.—Bark, jerk, dirk, cork, lurk, work. rks, rkst.—Barks, bark'st, lurks, lurk'st. rl.—Marl, curl, whirl, pearl, whorl, snarl. rlz, rlst.—Curls, curl'st, whirls, whirl'st, twirls, twirl'st. rld, rldst.— Curled, curl'd'st, whirled, whirl'd'st, snarled, snarl'd'st. rm.—Arm, term, form, warm, storm, worm, sperm. rmz, rmst.—Arms, arm'st, fbrms, form'st. rmd, rmdst.—Armed, arm'd'st, formed, form'd'st. rn.—Barn, warn, scorn, worn, earn, turn. rnz, rnst.—Turns, turn'st, scorns, scorn'st. rnd, rndst.—Turned, turn'd'st, scorned, scorn'd'st. rt.—Dart, heart, pert, sort, girt, dirt, hurt. rts, rtst.—Darts, dart'st, girts, girt'st, hurts, hurt'st. rch, rchd.—Arch, arched, perch, perched.

sk.—Ask, scab, skip, risk, skum, bask, husk. sks.—Asks, tasks. risks, whisks, husks. skd, skst.—Asked, ask'st, risked, risk'st, husked, husk'st. sp, sps.—Gasp, gasps, rasp, rasps, crisp, crisps.

spd.—Gasped, lisped, crisped, wisped, cusped. st, sts.—Mast, masts, nest, nests, fist, fists. sw.—Swim, swell, swill, swan, sweet, swing, swam. str.—Strap, strip, strop, stress, strut, strife, strew.

tl.—Rattle, nettle, whittle, bottle, hurtle, scuttle. tlz, tlst.—Rattles, rattl'st, nettles, nettl'st. tld, tldst.—Rattled, rattl'd'st, settled, settl'd'st. ts, tst.—Bat, bat'st, bets, bet'st, pits, pit'st, dots, dot'st. tw.—Twin, twirl, twice, tweed, twist, twelve, twain. tr.—Trap, trip, trot, tress, truss, trash, try, truce, trice. vz, vst.—Gives, giv'st, loves, lov'st, saves, sav'st.

zm, zmz.—Chasm, chasms, prism, prisms. zl.—Dazzle, frizzle, nozzle, puzzle. zlz, zld.—Dazzles, dazzled, frizzles, frizzled. sht.—Dashed, meshed, dished, rushed, washed. shr.—Shrank, shred, shrill, shrunk, shrine, shroud, shrew. thd.—Bathed, sheathed, soothed, smoothed, wreathed. thz, thzt.—Bathes, Bath'st, sheathes, sheath'st.

ngz, ngst.—Hangs, hang'st, brings, bring'st. ngd, ngdst.—Hanged, hang'd'st., stringed, string'd'st. nks, nkst.—Thanks, thank'st, thinks, think'st. nkd, nkdst.—Thanked, thank'd'st, kinked, kink'd'st. dth, dths.—Width, widths, breadth, breadths. kld, kldst.—Circled, circl'd'st, darkle, darkl'd'st. kl, klz.—Circle, circles, cycle, cycles. lj, ljd.—Bilge, bilged, bulge, bulged, indulge, indulged. lb, lbz.—Alb, albs, bulb, bulbs. lk, lks, lkst, lkdst.—Milk, milks, milk'st, milk'd'st.

lm, lmz.—Elm, elms, whelm, whelms, film, films. lp, lpd, lpst, lpdst.—Help, helped, help'st, help'd'st. lv, lvz, lvd.—Valve, valves, valved, delve, delves, delved. lch, lchd.—Belch, belched, filch, filched, gulch, gulched. lth, lth —Health, healths, tilth, tilth

mf, mfs.—Nymph, nymphs, triumph, triumphs. gth, gths.—Length, lengths, strength, strengths. rb, rbz, rbd, rbst, rbdst.—Curb, curbs, curbed, curb'st, curb'd'st. rf, rfs, rfst, rfdst.—Dwarf, dwarfs, dwarf'st, dwarf'd'st. rv, rvz, rvst, rvd, rvdst.—Curve, curves, curv'st, curved, curv'd'st. rth, rths.—Birth, births, girth, girths, hearth, hearths. rp, rps, rpd, rpst, rpdst.—Harp, harps, harped, harp'st, harp'd'st. rs, rst.—Nurse, nursed, verse, versed, course, coursed.

thr.—Thrash, thresh, thrift, throb, thrush, thrust, throng, three, thrive, thrice, throat, throne, throve, thrill, thrum.

thw.—Thwack, thwart.

EXERCISES IN ARTICULATION.

Errors to be Corrected.

To TEACHERS.—In the following exercises, the more common errors in articulation and pronunciation are denoted. The letters in italics are not silent letters, but are thus marked to point them out as the representatives of sounds which are apt to be defectively articulated, omitted, or incorrectly sounded.

A

Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct Fa-t fa-tal Sep-er-ate sep-a-rate reel re-al temp-per-unce tem-per-ance ras-cul ras-cal up-pear ap-pear crit-ic-ul crit-ic-al tem-per-it tem-per-ate test'ment tes-ta-ment mod-er-it med-er-ate firm'ment fir-ma-ment in-ti-mit int-ti-mate

E

Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct Ev'ry ev-er-y sev'ral sev-er-al b'lief be-lief prov-i-dunce prov-i-dence pr'vail pre-vail ev-i-dunce ev-i-dence r'tain re-tain si-lunt si-lent trav'ler trav-el-er mon-u-munt mon-u-ment flut'ring flut-ter-ing con-ti-nunt con-ti-nent tel'scope tel-e-scope con-fi-dunt con-fi-dent

I

Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct D'rect di-rect rad'cal rad-i-cal d'spose dis-pose sal'vate sal-i-vate van'ty van-i-ty can'bal can-ni-bal ven-t'late ven-ti-late mount'n moun-tain ju-b'lee ju-bi-lee fount'n foun-tain rid-cule rid-i-cule vill'ny vil-lain-y

O

Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct Des'late des-o-late rhet-er-ic rhet-o-tic hist'ry his-to-ry in-ser-lent in-so-lent mem'ry mem-o-ry croc-ud-ile croc-o-dile col'ny col-o-ny com-prum-ise com-pro-mise ag'ny ag-o-ny anch-ur-ite an-cho-rite balc'ny bal-co-ny cor-per-al cor-po-ral ob-s'lete ob-so-lete ob-luq-quy ob-lo-quy wil-ler wil-low or-ther-dox or-tho-dox wid-der wid-ow cun-di-tion con-di-tion pil-ler pil-low pus-i-tion po-si-tion mead-er mead-ow tug-eth-er to-geth-er fel-ler fel-low put-a-ter po-ta-to win-der win-dow tub-ac-cur to-bac-co

U

The most common mistake in the sound of u occurs in words of the following kind: as, crea-ter or crea-choor, for crea-ture; nat-er or na- choor for na-ture, etc.

Incorrect Correct

Lec'-ter lec'-choor lec'-ture fea'-ter fea'-choor fea'-ture mois'-ter mois'-choor mois'-ture ver'-der ver'-jer ver-dure mix'-ter mix'-cher mix'-ture rup'ter rup'-cher rup'-ture sculp'-ter sculp'-cher sculp'-ture ges'-ter ges'cher ges'-ture struc'-ter struc'-cher struc'-ture stric'-ter stric'-choor stric'-ture ves'-ter ves'-cher ves'-ture tex'-ter tex'-cher tex'-ture fix'-ter fix'-cher fix'-ture vul'-ter vul'-cher vul'-ture for'-ten for'-choon for'-tune stat'-er sta'-choor stat'-ure stat'-ew stat'-choo stat'ue stat'-ewt sta'-choot stat'-ute ed'-di-cate ed'-ju-cate ed'-u-cate

H

In order to accustom the learner to sound H properly, let him pronounce certain words without and then with it: as aft, haft; ail, hail, etc. The H should be clearly sounded.

Aft Haft Edge Hedge
Ail Hail Eel Heel
Air Hair Ell Hell
All Hall Elm Helm
Ark Hark Eye High
Arm Harm Ill Hill
Art Hart It Hit
Ash Hash old Hold
At Hat Yew He

D Final.

Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct

An and frien friend lan land soun sound mine mind groun ground boun bound fiel field

K Final.

Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct

Fris frisk dus dusk des desk mos mosque tas task tus tusk ris risk hus husk

N for Ng.

Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct

Morn-in morn-ing shav-in shav-ing run-nin run-ning hid-in hid-ing talk-in talk-ing see-in see-ing walk-in walk-ing lov-in lov-ing drink-in drink-ing fight-in fight-ing slid-in slid-ing laugh-in laugh-ing

R

Sound the R clearly and forcibly.
When it precedes a vowel, give it a slight trill.

Rule ruin rat rug reck rate reed rill rub rig rim rite ride rise red rag rick rote run reek rib rob rip ruse roar roam rack rid rip rouse Arch farm lark far snare for march harm bark bar spare war larch charm mark hair sure corn starch dark are stair lure born arm spark star care pure horn

T Final

Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct

Eas east wep wept moce most ob-jec ob-ject los lost per-fec per-fect nes nest dear-es dear-est gues guest high-es high-est

TS Final

Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct

Hoce hosts sec's sects tes tests bus busts lifs lifts cense cents tuffs tufts ob-jec's ob-jects ac's acts re-spec's re-spects

W for Wh

Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct

Wale Whale Wet Whet
Weal Wheel Wine Whine
Wen When Wip Whip

SENTENCES FOR PRACTICE

Sentences like the following may be read with great advantage, for the purpose of acquiring distinctness and precision in articulation.

This act, more than all other acts, laid the ax at the root of the evil.
It is false to say he had no other faults.

The hosts still stand in strangest plight. That last still night. That lasts till night. On either side an ocean exists. On neither side a notion exists. Among the rugged rocks the restless ranger ran. I said pop-u-lar, not pop'lar. I said pre-vail, not pr'vail. I said be-hold, not b'hold.

Think'st thou so meanly of my Phocion? Henceforth look to your hearths. Canst thou minister to a mind diseased? A thousand shrieks for hopeless mercy call.

ACCENT.

Accent, marked thus ('), is an increased force of voice upon some one syllable of a word; as, Col'o-ny, bot'a-ny; re-mem'ber, im-por'tant; rec-ol-lect', rep-re-sent'. In the words col'o-ny and bot'a-ny, the first syllable is accented. In the words re-mem'ber and im-por'tant, the second syllable is accented. In the words rec-ol-lect' and rep-re-sent', the third syllable is accented.

INFLECTION.

Inflection is an upward or downward slide of the voice. The Rising
Inflection, sometimes marked thus ('), is an upward slide of the voice.

Examples

Has he come'?
Has he gone?
Are you sick'?
Will you go'?
Are they here'?

The Falling Inflection, marked thus (') is a downward slide of the voice.

Examples

They are here.
He has gone.
He has come
I will go.
I am well.

Let the pupil practice these examples until he is perfectly familiar with the rising and falling inflections.

Are you sick or well? Will you go, or stay?
Did he ride, or walk? Is it black, or white?
Is he rich, or poor? Are they old, or young?
Did you say cap, or cat? I said cat, not cap.
Did you say am, or ham? I said ham, not am.

Is the dog white', or black'? The dog is black', not white'.
Did you say and', or hand'? I said and', not hand'.
Is the tree large', or small'? The tree is small', not large'.
Are the apples sweet', or sour'? The apples are sour' not sweet'.
Is the tide high', or low'? The tide is high', not low'.
Did you say play', or pray'? I said pray', not play'.

MCGUFFEY'S FOURTH READER.

I. PERSEVERANCE. (25)

1. "Will you give my kite a lift?" said my little nephew to his sister, after trying in vain to make it fly by dragging it along the ground. Lucy very kindly took it up and threw it into the air, but, her brother neglecting to run off at the same moment, the kite fell down again.

2. "Ah! now, how awkward you are!" said the little fellow. "It was your fault entirely," answered his sister. "Try again, children," said I.

3. Lucy once more took up the kite. But now John was in too great a hurry; he ran off so suddenly that he twitched the kite out of her hand, and it fell flat as before. "Well, who is to blame now?" asked Lucy. "Try again," said I.

4. They did, and with more care; but a side wind coming suddenly, as Lucy let go the kite, it was blown against some shrubs, and the tail became entangled in a moment, leaving the poor kite hanging with its head downward.

5. "There, there!" exclaimed John, "that comes of your throwing it all to one side." "As if I could make the wind blow straight," said Lucy. In the meantime, I went to the kite's assistance; and having disengaged the long tail, I rolled it up, saying, "Come, children, there are too many trees here; let us find a more open space, and then try again."

6. We presently found a nice grassplot, at one side of which I took my stand; and all things being prepared, I tossed the kite up just as little John ran off. It rose with all the dignity of a balloon, and promised a lofty flight; but John, delighted to find it pulling so hard at the string, stopped short to look upward and admire. The string slackened, the kite wavered, and, the wind not being very favorable, down came the kite to the grass. "O John, you should not have stopped," said I. "However, try again."

7. "I won't try any more," replied he, rather sullenly. "It is of no use, you see. The kite won't fly, and I don't want to be plagued with it any longer." "Oh, fie, my little man! would you give up the sport, after all the pains we have taken both to make and to fly the kite? A few disappointments ought not to discourage us. Come, I have wound up your string, and now try again."

8. And he did try, and succeeded, for the kite was carried upward on the breeze as lightly as a feather; and when the string was all out, John stood in great delight, holding fast the stick and gazing on the kite, which now seemed like a little white speck in the blue sky. "Look, look, aunt, how high it flies! and it pulls like a team of horses, so that I can hardly hold it. I wish I had a mile of string: I am sure it would go to the end of it."

9. After enjoying the sight as long as he pleased, little John proceeded to roll up the string slowly; and when the kite fell, he took it up with great glee, saying that it was not at all hurt, and that it had behaved very well. "Shall we come out to-morrow, aunt, after lessons, and try again?"

10. "I have no objection, my dear, if the weather is fine. And now, as we walk home, tell me what you have learned from your morning's sport." "I have learned to fly my kite properly." "You may thank aunt for it, brother," said Lucy, "for you would have given it up long ago, if she had not persuaded you to try again."

11. "Yes, dear children, I wish to teach you the value of perseverance, even when nothing more depends upon it than the flying of a kite. Whenever you fail in your attempts to do any good thing, let your motto be,—try again."

DEFINITIONS.—In defining words, that meaning is given which is appropriate to them in the connection in which they are used.

4. En-tan'gled, twisted in, disordered. 5. As-sist'-ance, help, aid. Dis-en-gaged, cleared, set free. 6. Grass'plot, a space covered with grass. Dig'ni-ty, majestic manner. 7. Dis-ap-point/ments, failures or defeats of expectation. Dis-cour'age, take away courage. 9. Glee, joy 11. Per-se-ver'ance, continuance in anything once begun. Mot'to, a short sentence or a word full of meaning.

EXERCISES—What is the subject of this lesson? Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite? What did his, aunt say to him? What may we learn from this? What should be our motto if we expect to be successful?

II. TRY, TRY AGAIN. (28)

1. 'T is a lesson you should heed,
Try, try again;
If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try again;
Then your courage should appear,
For, if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear;
Try, try again.

2. Once or twice though you should fail,
Try, try again;
If you would at last prevail,
Try, try again;
If we strive, 'tis no disgrace
Though we do not win the race;
What should you do in the case?
Try, try again.

3. If you find your task is hard,
Try, try again;
Time will bring you your reward,
Try, try again.
All that other folks can do,
Why, with patience, should not you?
Only keep this rule in view:
Try, try again.

DEFINITIONS.—l. Cour'age, resolution. Con'quer, gain the vic-tory. 2. Pre-vail, overcome. Dis-grace', shame. Win, gain, ob-tain. 3. Re-ward', anything given in return for good or bad con-duct. Pa'-tience, constany in labor.

EXERCISES.—What does the mark before "'T is" mean? What is it called? What point is used after the word "case" in the second stanza? Why?

III. WHY THE SEA IS SALT. (29) A FAIRY TALE.

Mary Howitt was born in 1804, at Coleford, England. She wrote many charming stories for children in prose and verse, and also translated many from Swedish, Danish, and German authors. This story is arranged from one in a collection named "Peter Drake's Dream, and Other Stories." She died in 1888.

1. There were, in very ancient times, two brothers, one of whom was rich, and the other poor. Christmas was approaching, but the poor man had nothing in the house for a Christmas dinner; so he went to his brother and asked him for a trifling gift.

2. The rich man was ill-natured, and when he heard his brother's request he looked very surly. But as Christmas is a time when even the worst people give gifts, he took a fine ham down from the chimney, where it was hanging to smoke, threw it at his brother, and bade him begone and never to let him see his face again.

3. The poor man thanked his brother for the ham, put it under his arm, and went his way. He had to pass through a great forest on his way home. When he had reached the thickest part of it, he saw an old man, with a long, white beard, hewing timber. "Good evening," said he to him.

4. "Good evening," returned the old man, raising himself up from his work, and looking at him. "That is a fine ham you are carrying." On this, the poor man told him all about it.

5. "It is lucky for you," said the old man, "that you have met with me. If you will take that ham into the land of the dwarfs, the entrance to which lies just under the roots of this tree, you can make a capital bargain with it; for the dwarfs are very fond of ham, and rarely get any. But mind what I say: you must not sell it for money, but demand for it the 'old hand mill which stands behind the door.' When you come back, I'll show you how to use it."

6. The poor man thanked his new friend, who showed him the door under a stone below the roots of the tree, and by this door he entered into the land of the dwarfs. No sooner had he set his foot in it, than the dwarfs swarmed about him, attracted by the smell of the ham. They offered him queer, old-fashioned money and gold and silver ore for it; but he refused all their tempting offers, and said that he would sell it only for the old hand mill behind the door.

7. At this, the dwarfs held up their little old hands, and looked quite perplexed. "We can not make a bargain, it seems," said the poor man, "so I'll bid you all a good day."

8. The fragrance of the ham had by this time reached the remote parts of dwarf land. The dwarfs came flocking around in little troops, leaving their work of digging out precious ores, eager for the ham.

9. "Let him have the old mill," said some of the newcomers; "it is quite out of order, and he don't know how to use it. Let him have it, and we will have the ham."

10. So the bargain was made. The poor man took the old hand mill, which was a little thing not half so large as the ham, and went back to the woods. Here the old man showed him how to use it. All this had taken up a great deal of time, and it was midnight before he reached home.

11. "Where in the world have you been?" said his wife. "Here I have been waiting and waiting, and we have no wood to make a fire, nor anything to put into the porridge pot for our Christmas supper."

12. The house was dark and cold; but the poor man bade his wife wait and see what would happen. He placed the little hand mill on the table, and began to turn the crank. First, out there came some grand, lighted wax candles, and a fire on the hearth, and a porridge pot boiling over it, because in his mind he said they should come first. Then he ground out a tablecloth, and dishes, and spoons, and knives and forks.

13. He was himself astonished at his good luck, as you may believe; and his wife was almost beside herself with joy and astonishment. Well, they had a capital supper; and after it was eaten, they ground out of the mill every possible thing to make their house and themselves warm and comfortable. So they had a merry Christmas eve and morning.

DEFINITIONS.—l. Tri'-fling, of small value. 5. Hand 'mill, a mill turned by hand. 6. At-tract'ed, drawn to, allured. 7. Perplexed', puzzled. 8. Fra'grance, sweetness of smell.

IV. WHY THE SEA IS SALT. (32)
(Concluded.)

1. When the people went by the house to church, the next day, they could hardly believe their eyes. There was glass in the windows instead of a wooden shutter, and the poor man and his wife, dressed in nice new clothes, were seen devoutly kneeling in the church.

2. "There is something very strange in all this," said everyone. "Something very strange indeed," said the rich man, when three days afterwards he received an invitation from his once poor brother to a grand feast. And what a feast it was! The table was covered with a cloth as white as snow, and the dishes were all of silver or gold. The rich man could not, in his great house, and with all his wealth, set out such a table.

3. "Where did you get all these things?" exclaimed he. His brother told him all about the bargain he had made with the dwarfs, and putting the mill on the table, ground out boots and shoes, coats and cloaks, stockings, gowns, and blankets, and bade his wife give them to the poor people that had gathered about the house to get a sight of the grand feast the poor brother had made for the rich one.

4. The rich man, was very envious of his brother's good fortune, and wanted to borrow the mill, intending—for he was not an honest man—never to return it again. His brother would not lend it, for the old man with the white beard had told him never to sell or lend it to anyone.

5. Some years went on, and, at last, the possessor of the mill built himself a grand castle on a rock by the sea, facing the west. Its windows, reflecting the golden sunset, could be seen far out from the shore. It became a noted landmark for sailors. Strangers from foreign parts often came to see this castle and the wonderful mill of which the most extraordinary tales were told.

6. At length, a great foreign merchant came, and when he had seen the mill, inquired whether it would grind salt. Being told that it would, he wanted to buy it; for he traded in salt, and thought that if he owned it he could supply all his customers without taking long and dangerous voyages.

7. The man would not sell it, of course. He was so rich now that he did not want to use it for himself; but every Christmas he ground out food and clothes and coal for the poor, and nice presents for the little children. So he rejected all the offers of the rich merchant. The merchant, however, determined to have it; he bribed one of the man's servants to let him go into the castle at night, and he stole the mill and sailed away with it in triumph.

8. He had scarcely got out to sea, before he determined to set the mill to work. "Now, mill, grind salt," said he; "grind salt with all your might!—salt, salt, and nothing but salt!" The mill began to grind and the sailors to fill the sacks; but these were soon full, and in spite of all that could be done, it began to fill the ship.

9. The dishonest merchant was now very much frightened. What was to be done? The mill would not stop grinding; and at last the ship was overloaded, and down it went, making a great whirlpool where it sank. The ship soon went to pieces; but the mill stands on the bottom of the sea, and keeps grinding out "salt, salt, nothing but salt!" That is the reason, say the peasants of Denmark and Norway, why the sea is salt.

DEFINITIONS.—l. De-vout'ly, in a reverent manner. 5. Re—flect'ing, throwing back light, heat, etc., as a mirror. Land'-mark, an object on land serving as a guide to seamen. Ex-traor'—di-na-ry, wonderful. 9. Whirl'-pool, a gulf in which the water moves round in a circle. Peas'ents, those belonging to the lowest class of tillers of the soil in Europe.

EXERCISES.—What is a "fairy tale"? What fairy people are told about in this story? How did the poor man find the way to the land of the dwarfs? Do you think the old man would have told him if the poor man had not been so polite? How did the poor man treat his rich brother in return for his unkindness? How was the greed of the dishonest merchant punished? What is meant by "strangers from foreign parts"? Where are Denmark and Norway?

V. POPPING CORN. (34)

1. One autumn night, when the wind was high,
And the rain fell in heavy plashes,
A little boy sat by the kitchen fire,
A-popping corn in the ashes;
And his sister, a curly-haired child of three,
Sat looking on, just close to his knee.

2. Pop! pop! and the kernels, one by one,
Came out of the embers flying;
The boy held a long pine stick in his hand,
And kept it busily plying;
He stirred the corn and it snapped the more,
And faster jumped to the clean-swept floor.

3. Part of the kernels flew one way,
And a part hopped out the other;
Some flew plump into the sister's lap,
Some under the stool of the brother;
The little girl gathered them into a heap,
And called them a flock of milk-white sheep.

VI. SMILES. (35)

1. Poor lame Jennie sat at her window, looking out upon the dismal, narrow street, with a look of pain and weariness on her face. "Oh, dear," she said with a sigh, "what a long day this is going to be," and she looked wishfully up the street.

2. Suddenly she leaned forward and pressed her pale face against the glass, as a rosy-checked boy came racing down the street, swinging his schoolbooks by the strap. Looking up to the window, he took off his hat and bowed with a bright, pleasant smile.

3. "What a nice boy he is," said Jennie to herself, as he ran out of sight. "I am so glad he goes by here on his way to school. When he smiles, it seems like having the sun shine. I wish everybody who goes by would look up and smile."

4. "Mamma," said George West, as he came from school, "I can't help thinking about that poor little girl I told you of the other day. She looks so tired. I took off my hat and bowed to her to-day. I wish I could do something for her,"

5. "Suppose you should carry her a handful of pretty flowers some time when you go to school," said Mrs. West. "I'll do that to-morrow morning," said George, "if I can find my way into that rickety old house."

6. The next morning, as Jennie sat leaning her head wearily against the window, watching the raindrops chasing one another down the glass, she spied George with a handful of beautiful flowers carefully picking his way across the street. He stopped in front of her window, and, smiling very pleasantly, said, "How shall I find the way to your room?"

7. Jennie pointed to an alley near by, where he turned in, and with some difficulty found his way to the dingy staircase. Opening the door to Jennie's gentle "Come in," he said, "I have brought you a handful of flowers to look at this rainy day."

8. "Are they for me?" exclaimed Jennie, clapping her hands in delight. "How kind you are," she continued, as George laid them in her lap. "I have not had a flower since we live in the city."

9. "Did you use to live in the country?" asked George. "Oh, yes," answered Jennie, "we used to live in a beautiful cottage, and there were trees and flowers and green grass, and the air was so sweet."

10. "Well, what made you move here?" "Oh," said Jennie, softly, "papa died, and mamma was sick so long that the money was all gone. Then mamma had to sell the cottage, and she moved here to try to get work to do."

11. "Do you have to sit here all day?" asked George, glancing around the bare room and out into the dismal street. "Yes," said Jennie, "because I am lame; but I would not care for that, if I could only help mamma."

12. "I declare, it's too had!" said George, who dreaded nothing so much as being obliged to stay in the house. "Oh, no, it isn't," said Jennie, pleasantly; "mamma says maybe we should forget the Lord if we had everything we wanted, and He never forgets us, you know."

13. "Well, I must rush for school," said George, not knowing exactly what to say next; and he was soon out of Jennie's sight, but had a happy little corner in his heart, because he had tried to do a kind act. He did not know how much good he had done in making a pleasant day out of a dreary one for a little sick girl.

14. "Mamma," said George, that evening, after he had told her what Jennie said, "papa must give them some money, so they can go back to their home."

15. "No," said his mother; "he can not do that, and they would not wish him to do so; but perhaps he can help us contrive some way to assist them, so that they can live more comfortably."

16. "I am going to carry Jennie some of the grapes grandpa sent me, to-morrow," said George, turning over the leaves of his geography. "I will put some of my pears into your basket, and go with you," said his mother; "but there is one thing we can always give, and sometimes it does more good than nice things to eat, or even money."

17. "What is that, mamma,—smiles?" asked George, looking up. "Yes," answered his mother; "and it is a good plan to throw in a kind word or two with them when you can."

DEFINITIONS.-l. Dis'mal, gloomy, cheerless. Wish'ful-ly, with desire. 5. Rick'et-y, imperfect, worn out. 7. Din'gy, dark. 11. Glan'cing, looking about quickly. 13. Drear'y, comfortless, gloomy. 15. Con-trive', to plan.

EXERCISES.—What is the subject of this lesson? How did George West make the day pleasant for Jennie? What did his mother suggest? What happened next day? What did Jennie tell George about her life? Relate what happened at George's home that evening. What does the lesson teach?

VII. LAZY NED. (38)

1. "'T is royal fun," cried lazy Ned,
"To coast, upon my fine, new sled,
And beat the other boys;
But then, I can not bear to climb
The tiresome hill, for every time
It more and more annoys."

2. So, while his schoolmates glided by,
And gladly tugged uphill, to try
Another merry race,
Too indolent to share their plays,
Ned was compelled to stand and gaze,
While shivering in his place.

3. Thus, he would never take the pains
To seek the prize that labor gains,
Until the time had passed;
For, all his life, he dreaded still
The silly bugbear of uphill,
And died a dunce at last.

DEFINITIONS.-l. Roy'al, excellent, noble. Coast, to slide. An—noys', troubles. 2. In'do-lent, lazy. 3. Prize, a reward. Bug-bear, something frightful. Dunce, a silly fellow.

EXERCISES.—What did Ned like? What did he not like?

VIII. THE MONKEY. (39)

1. The monkey is a very cunning little animal, and is found in many parts of the world.

2. A lady once had a monkey, which had been brought to her as a present. This monkey, like all others, was very fond of mischief and of doing whatever he saw others do.

3. His mistress found him one day sitting on her toilet table, holding in one hand a little china mug with water in it, and in the other her toothbrush, with which he was cleaning his teeth, looking all the time in the glass.

4. Her little daughter, Maria, had a large doll with a very handsome head and face. She one day left this doll in the cradle, and went out of the room. The monkey came in, took the doll in his arms, and jumping upon the washstand, he began to wash its face.

5. He first rubbed it all over with soap. Then seizing the towel, he dipped it in the wash bowl, and rubbed it so hard that the doll's face was entirely spoiled, the paint being all washed off.

6. There have been many tales of monkeys who, armed with sticks, have joined together and made war or resisted their enemies with great effect. These are not true, as it is known that in their native state monkeys have no idea of weapons.

7. The sticks and other missiles said to be thrown at travelers as they pass under the branches of trees, are usually the dead branches, etc., accidentally broken off, as the monkeys, with the natural curiosity of their tribe, pass along the tops of trees to watch the actions of the people below.

8. They can, however, be taught to use a stick, and to use it well. Some time ago, two Italians together owned an organ and a monkey, by means of which they earned their living. During one of their exhibitions, a dog flew at the little monkey, which made its owners very angry.

9. They and the owner of the dog quarreled about it, and at last it was agreed that the dog and the monkey should fight it out; the monkey, because he was smaller, was to be allowed a stick.

10. The monkey was taught what he was to do in the following manner: One of the Italians crawled on his hands and knees, barking like a dog, while the other got on his back, grasped his hair, and beat him about the head with a stick.

11. The monkey looked on with great gravity, and, when the instruction was over, received the stick with the air of a man who knew his work and meant to do it.

12. Everything being settled the dog flew at the monkey with open month. The monkey immediately leaped on his back, and, grasping the dog's ear, beat away at his head with such good will that his adversary speedily gave in. The monkey, however, was not content with a mere victory, but continued pounding at the dog's head until he left him senseless on the ground.

DEFINITIONS.—1. Cun'ning, sly. 3. Toi'let ta'ble, dressing table. 6.
Re-sist'ed, opposed. 7. Mis'siles, weapons thrown. 8. Ex-hi-bi'tions,
public shows. 11. Grav'i-ty, seriousness. In-struc'-tion, lesson, 12.
Sense'less, without apparent life.

EXERCISES.—What kind of an animal is a monkey? Where did the lady find the monkey one day? What was he doing? What did he do with Maria's doll? Do monkeys in their native state know how to use sticks as weapons? Can they be taught to use them? Relate the story of the two Italians. What is the meaning of "etc." in the seventh paragraph?

IX. MEDDLESOME MATTY. (42)

1. Oh, how one ugly trick has spoiled
The sweetest and the best!
Matilda, though a pleasant child,
One grievous fault possessed,
Which, like a cloud before the skies,
Hid all her better qualities.

2. Sometimes, she'd lift the teapot lid
To peep at what was in it;
Or tilt, the kettle, if you did
But turn your back a minute.
In vain you told her not to touch,
Her trick of meddling grew so much.

3. Her grand mamma went out one day,
And, by mistake, she laid
Her spectacles and snuffbox gay,
Too near the little maid;
"Ah! well," thought she, "I'll try them on,
As soon as grand mamma is gone."

4. Forthwith, she placed upon her nose
The glasses large and wide;
And looking round, as I suppose,
The snuffbox, too, she spied.
"Oh, what a pretty box is this!
I'll open it," said little miss.

5. "I know that grandmamma would say,
'Don't meddle with it, dear;'
But then she's far enough away,
And no one else is near;
Beside, what can there be amiss
In opening such a box as this?"

6. So, thumb and finger went to work
To move the stubborn lid;
And, presently, a mighty jerk
The mighty mischief did;
For all at once, ah! woeful case!
The snuff came puffing in her face.

7. Poor eyes, and nose, and mouth, and chin
A dismal sight presented;
And as the snuff got further in,
Sincerely she repented.
In vain she ran about for ease,
She could do nothing else but sneeze.

8. She dashed the spectacles away,
To wipe her tingling eyes;
And, as in twenty bits they lay,
Her grandmamma she spies.
"Heyday! and what's the matter now?"
Cried grandmamma, with angry brow.

9. Matilda, smarting with the pain,
And tingling still, and sore,
Made many a promise to refrain
From meddling evermore;
And 't is a fact, as I have heard,
She ever since has kept her word.

DEFINITIONS.-l. Qual'i-ties, traits of character. 2. Med'-dling, interfering without right. 4. Forth-with', at once. Spied, saw. 5. A-miss', wrong, faulty. 6. Woe'ful, sad, sorrowful 8. Tin'gling, smarting. 9. Re-frain', to keep from.

EXERCISES.—What did Matilda do? How was she punished? What effect did it have on her?

X. THE GOOD SON. (44)

1. There was once a jeweler, noted for many virtues. One day, the Jewish elders came to him to buy some diamonds, to put upon that part of the dress of their high priest, which the Bible calls an ephod.

2. They told him what they wanted, and offered him a fair price for the diamonds. He replied that he could not let them see the jewels at that moment, and requested them to call again.

3. As they wanted them without delay, and thought that the object of the jeweler was only to increase the price of the diamonds, the elders offered him twice, then three times, as much as they were worth. But he still refused, and they went away in very bad humor.

4. Some hours after, he went to them, and placed before them the diamonds, for which they again offered him the last price they had named; but he said, "I will only accept the first one you offered to me this morning."

5. "Why, then, did you not close with us at once?" asked they in surprise. "When you came," replied he, "my father had the key of the chest, in which the diamonds were kept, and as he was asleep, I should have been obliged to wake him to obtain them.

6. "At his age, a short hour of sleep does him a great deal of good; and for all the gold in the world, I would not be wanting in respect to my father, or take from him a single comfort."

7. The elders, affected by these feeling words, spread their hands upon the jeweler's head, and said, "Thou shalt be blessed of Him who has said, 'Honor thy father and thy mother;' and thy children shall one day pay thee the same respect and love thou hast shown to thy father."

DEFINITIONS.—l. Jew'el-er, one who buys and sells precious stones. Not'ed, well known. Eld'er, an officer of the Jewish church. Eph'od, part of the dress of a Jewish priest, made of two pieces, one covering the chest and the other the back, united by a girdle. 2. Di'a-monds, precious stones. 3. Hu'mor, state of mind, temper. 5. Close, come to an agreement.

EXERCISES.—Relate the story of the jeweler and his diamonds. What did the elders say to him, when they heard his reason for not giving them the diamonds at first?

XI. TO-MORROW. (45)

Mrs. M. B. Johnson is the authoress of "To-morrow," one of a collection of poems; entitled "Poems of Home Life."

1. A bright, merry boy, with laughing face,
Whose every motion was full of grace,
Who knew no trouble and feared no care,
Was the light of our household—the youngest there.

2. He was too young, this little elf,
With troublesome questions to vex himself;
But for many days a thought would rise,
And bring a shade to his dancing eyes.

3. He went to one whom he thought more wise
Than any other beneath the skies;
"Mother,"—O word that makes the home!—
"Tell me, when will to-morrow come?"

4. "It is almost night," the mother said,
"And time for my boy to be in bed;
When you wake up and it's day again,
It will be to-morrow, my darling, then."

5. The little boy slept through all the night,
But woke with the first red streak of light;
He pressed a kiss to his mother's brow,
And whispered, "Is it to-morrow now?"

6. "No, little Eddie, this is to-day:
To-morrow is always one night away."
He pondered a while, but joys came fast,
And this vexing question quickly passed.

7. But it came again with the shades of night;
"Will it be to-morrow when it is light?"
From years to come he seemed care to borrow,
He tried so hard to catch to-morrow.

8. "You can not catch it, my little Ted;
Enjoy to-day," the mother said;
"Some wait for to-morrow through many a year
It is always coming, but never is here."