lis I Language Notes. 1 ^1/ '^^ '^^ •^-?^^^^^^^^^^^^M>^' FIFTH GRADE. LANGUAGE NOTES FOR FIFTH GRADE BY ROBERT J. McLaughlin, a. m. John Welsh School, Philadelphia. PHILADELPHIA : Walther Printing House, Third Street and Girard Avenue, 1904. LIBRARY of CONGRESS Two Gopies Received APR 25 1904 Copyrleht Entry CLASS Oc )6n w- Neither John nor I w - "speak.") Neither pine nor maple wrong. — here. — about it. (A form of . (A form of '"see.") Rule 4. A verb must be plural if any one of its subjects is plural. Exercise 7. Complete the following:— John or the boys w there. Either you or Mary w liore. Thev or their friends h it. (A form of "do.") Exercise 8. Write out in full the following contractions: — I'm not going. 1 Isn't he your friend? "We aren't very sure about it. Weren't you there? 'Tisn't true, at all. The apostro- It's no fun to do that. phe takes the There's no use in growling. ' place of the You're not angry, I hope. omitted letter. Don't you understand me? He doesn't know it at all. He hasn't been here for a long time. I've not seen him for a long time. Note. — In deciding Avhether to use "don't" or "doesn't," omit the ' ' not ' ' and try it. No one would say "He do like it, ' ' so we should not say "He don't (do not) like it." Rule 5. Where two pronouns, or a noun and a pronoun, are used, try the sentence with the first noun or pronoun left out. We can then tell whether the other oiie is correct or not. Illustration : ' ' Let him and I water the flowers. ' ' This sentence is Avrong, as we will see if we omit "him." Nobody would say "Let I water the flowers." They would say "Let me water the flowers." Therefore they should say, "Let him and me water the flowers." 15 Exercise 9. Prove that the pronouns in the sentences on the right side are correctly used: — Incorrect Sentences Him and me were there. John and me did it. I saw you and he. Between you and I, he is wrong. He spoke to you and I. Jo)in and us brought it. Let you and I buy it. Him and her came there. I looked at her brother and she. Her and I are friends. You and them quarrelled. May me and him go ? Bring him and I a piece. You and me did it well. Correct Sentences He and I were there. John and I did it. I saw you and him. Between you and me, he is wrong. He spoke to you and me. We and Jolin brought it. Let you and me buy it. He and she came there. I looked at lier brother and her. She and I are friends. You and tliey quarrelled. May he and I go? Bring him and me a piece. You and I did it well. Rule 6. After ''it is" or ''it was," iLse "I," "we." "he," "she" or "they," if a pronoun is needed; as, "It is I," "It was he," "It is she who spoke," "It was not we who did it." Rule 7. Do not use "them" in place of "those" to point out things. Do not say, "Give me them books." Say, "Give me those books." Do not say, "Them lessons are hard." Say, "Those les- sons are hard." Do not say, "I don't like them apples." Say, "I don't like those apples." Rule 8. Do not use an adjective to modify a verb. Exercise 10. Prove that the sentences on the right side are correct: — Incorrect Sentences Mary sings bad. John writes very slow. The boy laughed hearty. The bell rang quick. Correct Sentences Mary sings badly. John writes very slowly. The boy laughed heartily. The bell rang quickly. Note.— When the verb is connected with the five senses, do not put an adverb after it, but an adjective. The follow- ing are correct : — ' ' The rose smells sweet, " " The apple tastes sour, " " The song sounds pleasant," "He feels bad or ill." 16 Exercise 11. After studying the meaning and use of the fol- lowing words, use each in an original sentence: — (a) The verb "like" is less strong than "love." We love our father or mother, we like sunshine, ap- ples, games, books, etc. (b) (1) The word "may" is used as part of a verb to give the idea of permission. The word "can" is used to give the idea of ability or power, showing that the act is possible. The following little story from a magazine will make the idea clear. John said to his mother, ' ' Can I eat another piece of pie ? ' ' "I suppose you can," said his mother. "Well, may I eat it?" said he. "You certainly may not," said she. So John got no pie. (2) Examples of correct use of "may" and "can." ' ' ]\Iay I borrow John 's book ? " " Yes, you may. ' ' "William, you may raise the window, if you can." "I don't think you can do that. You may try it, if you wish." (c) "Got" means obtained by effort. Do not use it to mean "have." It is wrong to say, "He has got a kind mother." Say, "He has a kind mother." Never say, "I ain't got nothing." Say, "I haven't anything. ' ' Never say, ' ' What have you got there 1 ' ' Say, ' ' What have you there?" It is correct to say, "John got his book out to show it," "We can't get rid of it," "Before I had got half-way there, John passed me," etc. (d) "Mad" means insane, crazy. It does not mean ' ' angry. ' ' Do not say, "Wliat are you mad at?" Say, "Why are you angry?" We can say, "The dog became mad and had to be killed." Never say, "Are you mad at me?" Say, "Are you angry with me?" (e) "Good" is an adjective, "well" is an adverb. Never say, ' ' He did good in his lessons. ' ' Say, ' * He did well." 17 Never say, "Don't she sing good?" Say, "Doesn't she sing well?" (f) "There" and its opposite "here" are adverbs. Be careful not to use "there," the adverb of place, for ' ' their ' ' the possessive pronoun. ' ' Their ' ' is always followed by the noun owned. "There" tells where. Say, "Put it there."— "It is their mone3^" (g) "Too" is an adverb meaning more than enough. It means "also," sometimes. "To" is a preposition. Say, "He has written to his friend with too large a pen." Say, "He spoke too many times to go home early." Say, "You can go, too, John, for I did not have to scold you. ' ' Say, "To-day was too hot to play. Tuesday was, too." (h) "Between" is used for two things, "among" is used for many things. Say, "Divide the apple between the two boys." Say, "Divide the money among the three boys." (i) "Ain't" is very bad English. Never use it. Never say, "I ain't coming." Say, "I am not com- ing." Never say, "He ain't smart." Say. "He isn't smart. ' ' Never say, "I ain't doing nothing." Say, "I am not doing anything." Never say, "He ain't got nothing." Say, "He hasn't anything. ' ' (j) Do not put a preposition at the end of your sentence. Never say, "Where are you going to?" Say. "Where are you going?" Never say, ' ' Where are my books at ? " Say, ' ' Where are my books?" Never say, "What are you doing that for?" Say, "AVhy are you doing that?" (k) "Nice" really means "exact," "fine;" as, "a nice distinction between two things." Do not use "nice" for "pleasing," "good," or "delightful." Never say, " It is a nice day. ' ' Say, ' ' It is a very fine day," or "a very pleasant day." 18 Never say, "That is a nice book." Say, "That is a very interesting book." Never say, "He's a nice man." Say, "He is a pleas- ant man," "a kind man," "a witty man," or "a good man," as the case may be. Never say, "You have a nice dress." Say, "You have a pretty dress, or a handsome dress." (1) "Pretty" means "pleasing by beauty or grace." "Handsome" is used to show a greater degree of beauty. We speak of "pretty child," "a pretty flower," "a handsome house," "a handsome woman. ' ' "Pleasant" means "pleasing," "agreeable." We can say "a pleasant journey," "pleasant weather," "a pleasant smile," "a pleasant person." (m) "Begin" is a better word than "commence" or "start." VERB PARTS. ]\Iemorize the heavy-type verbs in the following: — 1. They throw it now 2. I know it now 3. The trees grow now 4. They begin now 5. They come now 6. I do it now 7. We see hini now 8. They go now 9. I write now 10. I speak now 11. They draw now 12. You shake now 13. I bring the letter 14. We take the letter 15. The pipes burst now 16. We sit now 17. They set it down 18. The teachers teach now. They threw it ye.sterday. He knew it last week. The trees grew l*ist year. They began yesterday. They came yesterday. He did it yesterday. We saw hiui yesterday. He went last year. I wrote last week. I spoke to him. They drew the book. You shook then. I brought the letter. We took the letter. The pipes burst last winter. We sat there yesterday. They set it down yesterday. They taught yesterday. They have thrown it often. He has known it a long time. The tree? have grown well. They have begun itoften. They have come a longdistance. He has done it before. We have seen him there. He has gone home. I have written a letter. I have spoken about it. They have drawn before. You have shaken it. I have brought it. We have taken it. The pipes have burst before. We have sat still an hour. They have set it down carefully. They have taught the lessons. iVo^e.— Remember that done and seen are never used as one part verbs, but as parts of verbs of more than one part. Many people make this bad mistake. Never say, ' ' He done it. ' ' Say, ' ' He did it, " or " He has done it." Never say, ' ' I seen him. ' ' Say, ' ' I saw him, " or " I have seen him." 19 Exercise 12. Complete the following sentences, using the re- quired verb form: — He has the book to me. (A form of "bring.") She would have it gladly. (A form of "do." Never say " would of done." Say " would have done.") The men the horse away. (A form of " take.") My sister's friend her a letter last week. (A form of "write.") The tea( hers have us well. (Do not say ' ' The teacher learned us that." Say " The teacher taught us that." Teachers teach.) They've still a long time. (A form of "sit.") They our house yesterday. (A form of "see.") We have him oui book. (A form of " bring.") The pipe during cold weather. (A form of "burst.") 1 the work the teacher gave me. (A form of "do.") Note.— Most verbs add "ed" to show past time. Thus, "I play to-day," but "I played yesterday." Do not make the childish mistake of saying "I play yesterday." PART III. POETRY WORK. Note. — Memorize one of the ten memory selections every month, as assigned. Study the meaning of the other poems by careful reading. Note to the ^eac/icr.— Paraphrasing of prose selections of one or more sentences is an excellent exercise. Such a book as "The Niirnberg Stove" or "Robinson Crusoe" might be taken, a half page or more being taken daily. After each new word has been defined and its use illustrated, have certain sen- tences paraphrased orally and in writing. SELECTION I. Choice Selections of Poetry and Prose. I. ' ' Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? Or, who shall stand in his holy place 1 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart. ' ' II. "For, lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing of birds is come. ' ' III, ' ' Lying lips are abomination to the Lord. ' ' 20 IV. ''He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." V. "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings." YI. "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." VII. "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whoso- ever is deceived thereby is not wise. ' ' VIII. "For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to pov- erty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags." JX. "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. ' ' X. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard ; consider her ways and be wise." Definitions:— "Ascend," go up. "Appear," come into sight. "Abomination," something hated greatly. "Diligent," industrious, careful, not idle. "Glutton," one who eats too much. "Drowsiness," sleepiness, dullness. "Sluggard," a lazy person. Exercises: — (a) Write these selections from memory, care- fully punctuated. Note. — We paraphrase an extract or piece when we take its ideas and express them in our own words. (b) Paraphrase Extract II., by filling these blanks, using one word for every blank : — The winter and the rain . The flowers now , and birds begin . (c) Paraphrase Extract IV., by filling each blank below with one word : — To be able to keep your temper than to be great. A man who is master of his temper is greater a great . (d) Paraphrase Extract V., using one word in each blank space :— When a attends strictly work, he is sure to e^reat honor. 21 (e) Paraphrase Extract VI., using one word in each space : — Long is promised to those parents, (f) Paraphrase Extract X., using one word in each space: — The hizy should notice how acts^ and should learn . SELECTION II. Hail, Columbia, Happy Land ! ''Hail, Columbia, happy laud! Hail, ye heroes, heaven-born band ! Who fought and bled in Freedom's cause, Who fought and bled in Freedom's cause, And when the storm of war was gone. Enjoyed the peace your valor won. Let Independence be your boast, Ever mindful what it cost, Ever grateful for the prize ; Let its altars reach the skies. Firm, united, let us be. Rallying round our liberty; As a band of brothers joined, Peace and safety we shall find." — Joseph Hopkinson Definitions : — ' ' Hail, ' ' a greeting or salute. ' ' Hero, ' ' a brave man. "Valor," bravery, courage. "Mindful," re- membering. "United," joined together. "Rallying," collecting together, assembling. (a) Write the extract from memory, carefully punctu- ated. (b) Paraphrase the last four lines by completing the fol- lowing, using one word in each space: — We shall obtain peace and safety if we like , and prize our . (e) Write the lines of the extract paraphrased here : — "Be proud of your freedom, remembering what it cost, and feeling grateful for it. 22 SELECTION III. The Landing of the Pilgrims. (Memorize verses 1, 2, 9, 10.) The breaking waves dashed high On a stern and rock-bound coast, And the woods against a stormy sky Their giant branches tossed; And the heavy night hung dark The hills and waters o'er, When a band of exiles moored their bark On the wild New England shore. Not as the conqueror comes, They, the true-hearted, came ; Not with the roll of stirring drums. And the trumpet that sings of fame; Not as the flying come. In silence and in fear; — They shook the depths of the desert gloom With their hymns of lofty cheer. Amidst the storm they sang, And the stars heard and the sea ; And the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang To the anthem of the free! The ocean eagle soared From his nest by the white waves' foam, And the rocking pines of the forest roared,— This was their welcome home ! There were men with hoary hair Amidst that pilgrim band; Why had they come to wither there Away from their childhood's land? There was woman's fearless eye. Lit by her deep love 's truth ; There was manhood's brow serenely high, And the fiery heart of youth. 23 What sought they thus afar? Bright jewels of the mine ? The wealth of seas, the spoils of war? They sought a faith 's pure shrine ! Ay, call it holy ground, The soil where first they trod. They have left unstained what there they found,— Freedom to worship God. —Felicia Remans Definitions:— "Giant," very large, giant like. "Tossed," threw. "Exiles," people driven from their home or their native land. "Bark," boat. "Moored," anchored. "Trumpet," a musical instrument. "Fame," honor, renowTi. "Gloom," darkness. "Anthem," a hymn. "Soared," flew upward. "Hoary," white with age. "Serenely," calmly. "Fiery," fierce, passionate. (a) Complete the following paraphrases, using one word for each blank :— Verse 2— On the hills and waves, the darkness of rested, when the Puritan landed on Verses 3 and 4— These brave people did not come like , led by the music of . They did not come like those flying for their lives. Their noble hymns re-echoed through . (b) What did they not seek and what did they seek? What greeting did they receive on landing? Why is their landing-place reverenced and honored by all? SELECTION IV. The Sandpiper. (Memorize verses 1 and 4.) Across the narrow beach we flit. One little sandpiper and I ; And fast I gather, bit by bit. The scattered driftwood, bleached and dry. The wild waves reach their hands for it. The wild wind raves, the tide runs high, As up and down the beach we flit, — One little sandpiper and I. 24 Above our heads the sullen clouds Scud black and swift against the sky; Like silent ghosts in misty shrouds Stand out the white lighthouses high. Almost as far as eye can reach I see the close-reefed vessels fly, As fast we flit along the beach, — One little sandpiper and I. I watch him as he skims along, Uttering his sweet and mournful cry ; He starts not at my fitful song. Nor flash of fluttering drapery; He has no thovight of any wrong. He scans me with a fearless eye. Stanch friends are we, well-tried and strong. The little sandpiper and I. Comrade, where wilt thou be to-night When the loosed storm breaks furiously? My driftwood fire will burn so bright ! To what warm shelter canst thou fly ? I do not fear for thee, though wroth The tempest rushes through the sky. For are we not God's children both, Thou, little sandpiper, and I ? — Celia Thaxter Definitions:— "Sandpiper," a small bird, found by the sea- shore. "Flit," move rapidly, fly. "Driftwood," wood drifted in by the waves. "Raves," talks or acts wildly. "Sullen," angry. "Shroud," the garment worn by persons at burial. "Mournful," sad. "Flut- tering," flying as a cloth in the wind. "Drapery," cloth draped or hung around an object. "Scans," ex- amines carefully. "Furiously," angrily, fiercely. "Wroth," angry, (a) Complete these paraphrases. Note. — If the blank has a long line use several words to fill it: — Verse 1 — The little and I are on the — . I am gathering the dry driftwood, while the waves rush ill as though Tlie wind is howling and the tide is high, as we hurry along the 25 beach. Verse 3—1 watch him flying along, making that sad, sweet sound. He is not alarmed at hear- ing my , nor at the sight of my garments, in the wind. He does not think and looks at me fearlessly. We are very . (b) Why are the sails of all the boats taken in? What word says so ? What do the lighthouses resemble 1 Why is the poet not alarmed for the bird's safety? SELECTION V. In School Days. (Memorize verses 1, 2, 3.) 1. Stills sits the schoolhouse by the road, A ragged beggar sunning ; Around it still the sumachs grow, And blackberry vines are running. 2. Within, the master's desk is seen, Deep scarred by raps official; The warping floor, the battered seats. The jack-knife's carved initial; 3. The charcoal frescoes on its wall; Its door's worn sill betraying The feet that, creeping slow to school. Went storming out to playing. 4. Long years ago a winter sun Shone over it at setting ; Lit up its western window-panes, And low eaves' icy fretting. 5. It touched the tangled golden curls, And brown eyes full of grieving. Of one who still her steps delayed When all the school were leaving. 6. For near her stood the little boy Her childish favor singled. His cap pulled low upon a face Where pride and shame were mingled. 26 7. Pushing with restless feet the snow To right and left, he lingered; As restlessly her tiny hands The blue checked apron fingered. 8. He saw her lift her eyes ; he felt The soft hands' light caressing, And heard the tremble of her voice, As if a fault confessing. 9. "I'm sorry that I spelt the word: I hate to go above you, Because"— the brown eyes lower fell— * ' Because, you see, I love you ! ' ' 10. Still, memory to a gray-haired man That sweet child face is showing. Dear girl ! the grasses on her grave Have forty years been growing. 11. He lives to learn, in life's hard school, How few who pass above him Lament their triumph and his loss. Like her — because they love him. — John G. Whittier Definitions:— "Scarred," marked by cuts. "Rap," a sharp, quick blow. "Official," belonging to an officer. "Bat- tered," much worn by hard usage. "Initial," first let- ter of a name or word. "Frescoes," drawings on plas- ter. "Eaves," the lower edges of the roof where it joins the walls. "Tangled," interwoven, united to- gether in a twisted manner. "Grieving," sorrowing. "Favor," kind regard or liking, kind act. "Mingled," mixed. "Lingered," delayed. "Caressing," loving touch. "Lament," mourn. "Triumph," victory, suc- cess, (a) Complete these paraphrases, using several words where the blank has a long line drawn : — Verses 2-3. — In the schoolroom, we can see the teach- er's desk, badly marked where The floor is warped, and the seats are much . The of names cut by , are often seen, as well as on the walls. The worn- 27 out sill shows us how the children, who had -, rushed out eagerly Verse 5. — The sun shone : and the tear- filled eyes of a little girl who home. Verse 10. — The old man can still see the _, although she has been dead for years. (b) Write a paragraph of three sentences, using the words "triumph," and "lingered." Write this paragraph about "Soldiers." (c) Why is the schoolhouse like a poor, ragged beggar? Compare the actions of the two children in verse 7. Why did the little girl feel sorry? (d) Tell the whole story from verse 5 to verse 9 inclusive, in your own words. SELECTION VI. I Remember, I Remember. (Memorize verses 1, 2, 4.) 1. I remember, I remember The house where I was born, The little window where the sun Came peeping in at morn. He never came a wink too soon. Nor brought too long a day; But now I often wish the night Had borne my breath away! 2. I remember, I remember The roses, red and white. The \dolets and the lily-cups, Those flowers made of light ! The lilacs where the robins built. And where my brother set The laburnum on his birthday, — The tree is living yet! 3. I remember, I remember Where I was used to swing. And thought the air must rush as fresh To swallows on the wing; 28 My spirit flew in feathers then, That is so heavy now, And summer pools could hardly cool The fever on my brow ! 4. I remember, I remember The fir trees dark and high ; I used to think their slender tops Were close against the sky. It was a childish ignorance, But now 'tis little joy To know I 'm farther off from Heaven Than when I was a boy. — Thomas Hood Definitions :— " Borne, ' ' carried. ' ' Fir, ' ' a kind of evergreen tree. ' ' Slender, ' ' thin. ' ' Childish, ' ' like a child, young. "Ignorance," lack of knowledge, stupidity. (a) What two dift'erent trees are mentioned, and what is said of each? What did the poet think of the flying of the birds ? (b) Paraphrase the first six lines by completing the fol- lowing, using several words in each space : — I can remember the house in which and the little window where the sun shone in at dawn. I did not care how early nor how late it con- tinued to shine. Paraphrase the first four lines of verse 3 by com- pleting this: — I remember the , and I thought that must have enjoyed flying as mucli . SELECTION VII. (Memorize verses 1, 2, 4, 5.) The First Snowfall. 1. The snow had begun in the gloaming, And busily all the night Had been heaping field and highway With a silence deep and white. 2. Every pine and fir and hemlock Wore ermine too dear for an earl. And the poorest twig on the elm tree Was ridged inch deep with pearl. 29 3. From sheds new-roofed with Carrara Came Chanticleer's muffled crow, The stiff rails were softened to swansdown, And still fluttered down the snow. 4. I stood and watched by the window The noiseless work of the sky, And the sudden flurries of snowbirds. Like brown leaves whirling by. 5. I thought of a mound in sweet Auburn Where a little headstone stood; How the flakes were folding it gently, As did robins the babes in the wood. 6. Up spoke our own little I\Iabel, Saying, "Father, who makes it snow?" And I told of the good All-Father, Who cares for us here below. 7. Then, with eyes that saw not, I kissed her ; And she, kissing back, could not know That my kiss was given to her sister, Folded close under deepening snow. — James Russell Lowell Definitions:— "Gloaming," twilight. "Highway," road. "Hemlock," an evergreen tree. "Ermine," costly white fur. ' ' Earl, ' ' a nobleman of high rank. ' ' Twig, ' ' a small branch of a tree. "Carrara," a place in Italy producing fine marble. "Chanticleer," a rooster. "Muffled," dulled or deadened in sound. "Swans- down," the soft downy feathers of swans. "Noiseless," quiet. "Flurry," a light snowfall with wind. "Whirl- ing," moving rapidly and in confusion. "Mound," a little elevation of earth. "Mount Auburn," a cemetery near Boston. (a) Write the poem from memory, carefully punctuated. (b) Complete these paraphrases, using one or more words as required by the sense: — Verses 1-3.— The snow began to fall in the evening, and kept up , silently covering the and roads with white. All the trees, the , were covered with white, which looked like costly 30 . Every of the elm had on it a deep covering of . One could hear the from sheds whose roofs looked like . On the fence rails, the soft fleecy lay thick, yet still it . (c) What did the poet say about the snow on the little grave ? Describe the scene between ]\Iabel and her father. SELECTION VIII. (Memorize all.) America. 1. My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died, Land of the Pilgrims' ])ride, From every mountain side Let freedom ring ! 2. My native country, thee. Land of the noble free. Thy name I love; I love thy rocks and rills. Thy woods and templed hills ; My heart with rapture thrills. Like that above. 3. Let music swell the breeze, And ring from all the trees Sweet freedom's song; Let mortal tongues awake. Let all that breathe partake. Let rocks their silence break, The sound prolong. 4. Our fathers ' God to Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing ; Long may our land be bright "With freedom's holy light; Protect us by Thy might. Great God, our King ! — Samuel Francis Smith, D. D. 31 Definitions:— "Liberty," freedom. ''Fathers," forefathers, ancestors. "Rill," a small stream. "Rapture," great delight or joy. "Mortal," human, belonging to man- kind. "Partake," share. "Prolong," continue, make long. "Author," maker. "Protect," guard, defend. "Might," power, strength. (a) Write this poem from memory, carefully punctuated. (b) Complete these paraphrases, using one or more words as required: — Verse 1:— My song shall be about , the land of freedom. Here my ! Here lived the noble ! Let the sound of liberty be heard all the land. Verse 4 — We sing to the God of our . Let the of freedom ever shine on our . O God, keep us safe by the great . (c) What does the poet love ? What lines are paraphrased by:— "Let the rocks echo the song of liberty"? SELECTION IX. From Washington's "Rules for Behavior." 1. Every action in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those present. 2. In presence of others, sing not to yourself with a hum- ming noise, nor drum with your fingers or feet. 3. Be not curious to know the affairs of others, neither approach to those that speak in private. 4. Undertake not what you cannot perform, but be care- ful to keep your promise. 5. Associate yourself with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation ; for it is better to be alone than to be in bad company. 6. When a man does all he can, though it succeeds not well, blame not him that did it. 7. Make no show of taking great delight with your vic- tuals ; feed not with greediness ; lean not on the table ; neither find fault with what you eat. Definitions:— "Curious," inquisitive, anxious to know. "Ap- proach," come near to. "Undertake," set about, at- 32 tempt. "Perform," do, finish. "Associate," act with as a friend or partner. ' ' Esteem, ' ' value, prize. ' ' Rep- utation, ' ' what people think of us. ' ' Victuals, ' ' food. (a) Write these extracts from memory, correctly punc- tuated. (b) Complete these paraphrases: — 1. Always show to those in your . 3. Do not try to find out other people's . When people are talking together, do not go 4. Do not attempt what . Be sure to . 5. If you want . (c) Give three rules for table manners. Why should we not blame a man who tries hard but fails ? SELECTION X. Memorize the following, writing it, carefully punctuated when known: — We are a republic whereof one man is as good as another before the law. Under such a form of government, it is of the greatest importance that all should be possessed of education and intelligence. — r? ^6^5(5 S. Grant. Definitions:— "Whereof," of which. "Importance," value, necessity. "Intelligence," understanding, knowledge. (a) Complete this sentence:— Grant said, "As all are equal in the eyes of the law, it is very necessary " SELECTION XL Rain in Summer. How beautiful is the rain ! After the dust and heat. In the broad and fiery street. In the narrow lane. How beautiful is the rain ! How it clatters along the roof Like the tramp of hoofs ! How it gushes and struggles out From the throat of the overflowing spout ! 33 Across the window-pane It pours and pours ; And swift and wide, With a muddy tide, Like a river down the gutter roars The rain, the welcome rain ! The sick man from his chamber looks At the twisted brooks ; He can feel the cool Breath of each little pool ; His fevered brain Grows calm again, And he breathes a blessing on the rain. From the neighboring school Come the boys. With more than their wonted noise And commotion; And down the wet streets Sail their mimic fleets. Till the treacherous pool Engulfs them in its whirling And turbulent ocean. In the country, on every side. Where far and wide. Like a leopard's tawny and spotted hide, Stretches the plain, To the dry grass and the drier grain, How welcome is the rain ! In the furrowed land The toilsome and patient oxen stand; Lifting the yoke-encumbered head, With their dilated nostrils spread. They silently inhale The clover-scented gale, And the vapors that arise From the well-watered and smoking soil. For this rest in the furrow after toil Their large and lustrous eyes Seem to thank the Lord, More than man's spoken word. 34 Definitions: — "Fiery," very hot, burning. "Lane," a nar- row country road or way. "Clatters," makes a rattling noise. "Neighboring," near-by. "Wonted," usual. "Commotion," disorder, noisy violence. "Mimic," imitated, not real. "Treacherous," not trustworthy, de- ceitful. "Turbulent," violently disturbed, restless. "Tawny," tan-colored, of a deep yellow color. "En- cumbered," burdened, loaded. "Yoke," a wooden bar or frame worn on the neck of cattle when dragging loads. "Dilated," widened, spread out. "Nostrils," openings of the nose. "Inhale," breathe in. "Gale," breeze, wind. "Lustrous," bright, shining. (a) Tell in your own words what is said of the boys. How does the rain affect the sick? "What color was the country before the rain? (b) Complete the paraphrase of the last section: — The meek oxen, fastened to the plough, stand . Their nostrils are wide-spread in order to breathe in . As they stand there resting, their bright, beaming eyes . SELECTION XIL Hiawatha's Hunting. Then the little Hiawatha Learned of every bird its language. Learned their names and all their secrets, How they built their nests in summer. Where they hid themselves in winter. Talked with them whene'er he met them, Called them ' ' Hiawatha 's chickens. ' ' Of all beasts he learned the language, Learned their names and all their secrets, How the beavers built their lodges, Where the squirrels hid their acorns. How the reindeer ran so swiftly. Why the rabbit was so timid, Talked with them whene'er he met them, Called them "Hiawatha's brothers." Then lagoo, the great boaster, He, the marvelous story-teller. He, the traveler and the talker, Made a bow for Hiawatha ; 35 From a branch of ash he made it, From an oak-bough made the arrows, Tipped with flint, and winged with feathers. And the cord he made of deer-skin. Then he said to Hiawatha, "Go, my son, into the forest. Where the red deer herd together, Kill for us a famous roebuck. Kill for us a deer with antlers ! ' ' Forth into the forest straightway All alone walked Hiawatha Proudly, with his bow and arrows; And the birds sang round him, o'er him, "Do not shoot us, Hiawatha!" Sang the robin, the Opechee, Sang the bluebird, the Owaissa, "Do not shoot us, Hiawatha!" Up the oak-tree, close beside him, Sprang the squirrel, Adjidaumo, In and out among the branches, Coughed and chattered from the oak-tree. Laughed, and said between his laughing, "Do not shoot me, Hiawatha!" And the rabbit from his pathway Leaped aside, and at a distance. Sat erect upon his haunches. Half in fear and half in frolic, Saying to the little hunter, "Do not shoot me, Hiawatha!" But he heeded not nor heard them, For his thoughts were with the red deer; On their tracks his eyes were fastened. Leading downward to the river, To the ford across the river, And as one in slumber walked he. Hidden in the alder-bushes. There he waited till the deer came, Till he saw two antlers lifted, Saw two eyes look from the thicket, Saw two nostrils point to windward, And the deer came down the pathway. Flecked with leafy light and shadow. 36 And his heart within him fluttered, Trembled like the leaves above him, Like the birch-leaf palpitated, As the deer came down the pathway. Then, upon one knee uprising, Hiawatha aimed an arrow; Scarce a twig moved with his motion. Scarce a leaf was stirred or rustled, But the wary roebuck started, Stamped with all his hoofs together. Listened with one foot uplifted, Leaped as if to meet the arrow; Ah ! the singing, fatal arrow. Like a wasp it buzzed and stung him ! Dead he lay there in the forest. By the ford across the river; Beat his timid heart no longer. But the heart of Hiawatha Throbbed, and shouted, and exulted. As he bore the red deer homeward. And lagoo and Nokomis Hailed his coming with applauses. — Henry W. Longfellow Definitions:— "Beaver," a fur-covered animal, remarkable for building its lodges or houses across streams. "Acorn," the nut of the oak tree. "Swiftly," rapidly. "Timid," not brave, easily frightened. "Marvelous," wonderful. "Tipped," covered at the tip or end. "Antlers," horns of the deer. ''Straightway," at once, immediately. ' ' Chattered, ' ' talked rapidly and without much meaning. "Erect," upright, in a vertical posi- tion. "Haunches," hips. "Frolic," merriment, fun. "Heeded," regarded, paid attention to. "Ford," a place where a stream can be crossed by wading. "Thicket," a close group or collection of trees or bushes. ' ' Flecked, ' ' spotted. "Palpitated," fluttered, beat rapidly. "Rus- tled," made a faint sound as by moving leaves or silk. * ' Wary, ' ' watchful, careful. ' ' Fatal, ' ' deadly. ' ' Exult- ed," rejoiced greatly. "Hailed," called to, saluted, (a) Give two Indian names for certain birds. What bird secrets did Hiawatha learn? Show the difference 37 in character between the rabbit and the squirrel. Describe Hiawatha's hunting weapons. What plea or request did the birds make? How did the ap- proach of the deer affect the young hunter ? (b) Describe the killing of the deer. How did Hiawatha feel after he had captured the deer? PART IV. WRITTEN ENGLISH. EASIER RULES OF PUNCTUATION. The Capital:— (1) Every sentence must start with a capital letter. (2) The first word of every line of poetry starts with a capital letter. Illustration. — "My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, i Of thee, I sing." (3) The first word of every quoted sentence begins with a capital letter. Illustration.— John said, "Bring the book to me." (4) Proper names and proper adjectives are capitalized. Illustration. — We live in Philadelphia, a great American city. (5) Every important word in the title of a book, story^ etc., is capitalized. {Note. — Articles, conjunctions and prepositions are not capitalized.) Illustration. — (1) The name of the book was, "The Story of an Idle Boy." (2) The great painting of "The Last Supper" is in Milan. (3) Write a composition on "A Visit to the Country." The Period:— (1) A sentence stating a fact ends with a pe- riod. (2) A period must be used after an abbreviation. Illustration.— (1) Mr. Brown, Mrs. Smith, and Capt. Jones called. Interrogation Point:— (1) A sentence asking a question must end with an interrogation point. Illustration. — Will you go now, James? "Do you not know your lesson?" said I. The Exclamation Point :— (1) Use the exclamation point af- ter such words as Oh !, Alas !, Hurrah ! 38 (2) Use the exclamation point after such words as end a sentence if it is all an exclamation. Illustration.—' ' How fine ! how lovely ! ' ' they said. Oh ! whj^ was I so foolish 1 Alas ! there is no hope. look at the snn ! Hurrah ! the sun is shining. Note.— Where the interjection mark is equal to a comma, the word following it does not begin with a capital letter. Fre- quently a conuna is used after Oh; as, John said "Oh, how de- lightful ! " " Oh, come to-morrow ! ' ' said I. The Comma : — (1) Words in a series of three or more must be separated by commas. Illustration.— Furs, fish, and lumber come from Alaska. Neither John, James, Harry, nor William could do it. (2) The name of a person spoken to must be separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. Illustration.— John, bring that bundle here. Can you tell me the reason, Mary ? (3) The parts of a date or location must be separated by commas. Illustration.— I saw the man on Aug. 1, 1900. The boy was here on Thursday, Sept. 2nd, 1903. He was born in Annapolis, Md., on the third of July, 1862. The Apostrophe — (1) Use an apostrophe to show posses- sion ; as, ' ' John 's book is new. ' ' (2) Use an apostrophe to mark the omission of a letter; as, "Yes, 'tis true, but don't mention it, please." Quotation JMarks :— (1) When we use the exact words of an- other person, we are said to quote them. Illustration.— John said, "My book is on the table." The words in heavy type show us what John said. They are enclosed in quotation marks. (2) There are two kinds of quotation, direct and indi- rect. Direct quotations give the exact words of the speaker, while indirect quotations do not give his words, but only his thought in other words. Direct quotation must be quoted but indirect must not. Illustration.— (a) Direct— Mary said, "I have no money." Indirect— Mary said that she had no money. 39 (b) Direct— We said, "Our books are quite new. ' ' Indirect— We said that our books were quite new. (c) Direct— James said, "John, will you lend me that book?" Indirect— James asked John if he would lend him the book. (3) When a direct quotation is broken into by the words said, thought, we may call it a broken quotation. Illustration.— "Yes," said he, "the money will be paid." (4) If SAID, THOUGHT, or EXCLAIMED gocs before or after the quotation, separate that part by a comma, start the first word quoted with a capital, and put the quotation marks at the beginning and end of the words quoted. (b) If SAID, THOUGHT, or EXCLAIMED comes in the middle of the quotation, separate that part by commas, begin the second part of the quotation with a small letter, and use quotation marks around both parts of the quotation. Notc.—li the part before the break was a full sentence, the second part of the quotation would begin with a capital letter. Illustration. — "It snowed quite often last winter, ' ' said I. "You remember that storm in February, don't you?" Punctuation Exercises. — (a) Punctuate the following: — A woman had a goose which laid a golden egg every day one day she said to herself why should I wait for the goose to lay the eggs why not take the whole treasure at once so she took a knife killed the goose and hunted for the gold she found no golden eggs but she succeeded in killing her goose do not try to get rich too quickly. (b) After the teacher has written each of the following fables on the board without any capitals and without any punctuation marks, the pupil will copy on paper, punctuating correctly. (c) Paragraphs from the readers can be treated the same way. Fables:— Study Fable Number 1 and then write it care- fully from memory. Do the same with each of the other fables given here: — 40 (1) THE DOG AND HIS SHADOW. A dog had a piece of meat, and was carrying it across a stream. lie stopped on the bridge, and thought he saw an- other dog in the stream with a piece of meat. The greedy dog said to himself, "I'll try to get that meat." He snapped at it, and so lost his own piece in the water. He then found it was only a shadow in the water, so his greed made him lose every- thing. (2) THE WOLF AND THE GOAT. A wolf saw a goat feeding at the top of a steep rock where he could not reach her. The wolf said, "iNIy dear friend, I am afraid you will fall and break your neck. Come dowii to the nice grass here in the meadow." The goat replied, "Are you \ery hungry ? I think I shall not go down to the meadow to ■ be eaten by you. ' ' The greedy wolf could not deceive the clever goat. (3) THE BULL AND THE CALF. A bull was once trying with all his might to squeeze him- self through a narrow place to get to his stall. "I will show you how to go through," said a yoimg calf. "I have done it often." The bull replied, "Do not bother yourself. I knew the w^ay before you were born. " jMoral : — Do not try to teach your elders. (4) THE CAT AND THE BIRDS. A cat heard that some birds near him w'ere sick. He dressed up to look like a doctor and went and knocked at the door. ' ' I hear you are sick, ' ' said he. ' ' Let me in, and I will give you some medicine to cure you." The birds knew their enemy and said, ' ' No, thank jou. "We are better without you. ' ' (5) THE FOX AND THE CROW. A crow stole a piece of cheese one day and flew off with it into a tree. A fox saw her and thought he would like to get the crow's cheese. Looking up at her, he began to flatter her^ saying, ' ' How beautiful you are ! You are the queen of birds. Will you not sing for me?" The silly crow was pleased and opened her mouth to try to sing. The cheese then fell down and was seized by the fox, who went ofi: with it, laughing at the vain crow. 41 (6) THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE. A hare runs very fast, and the tortoise moves very slowly. A hare one day made fun of a tortoise for its slowness, and the tortoise offered to run a race with him. The hare agreed, and the race started. After a while, the hare stopped and said, "I think I shall take a nap. The tortoise moves so slowly I know she will never get ahead of me." The hare then lay down. The tortoise, however, never stopped, but kept on steadily and thus won the race. It is better to work steadily than swiftly. (7) THE CROW AND THE PITCHER. A thirsty crow saw a pitcher and flew to it to get a drink. "When she looked in the pitcher she saw the water was too far down to reach. She said to herself^ "What shall I do? I am sure there is some way to get that water." Looking around, she saw some i^ebbles on the ground. She dropped enough of these into the pitcher to bring the water up to the top, and then she drank it easily. "Where there's a will, there's a way," said the crow. (8) THE FOX AND THE GRAPES. A fox saw some fine grapes on the top of an arbor. They looked very tempting, and the fox wanted very much to get them. He looked longingly at them, tried several times to get them, but found they were entirely too high to reach. "Oh, well, those ^apes are sour anyhow. I don't want them," said the fox, and walked away. (9) THE JACKDAW AND THE SHEEP. A jackdaw sat on a sheep's back, chattering noisily. "Be quiet, noisy bird", said the sheep. "You are wearing my life out. If I were a savage dog j^ou would not dare to treat me so." "Yes," said the jackdaw, "that is the truth. I annoy only helpless creatures that cannot defend themselves." Do you not think that was a mean spirit to have ? (10) THE OAK AND THE REED. A tall, powerful, oak tree grew beside a stream. "How strong I am! Nothing could conquer me", thought the oak. One day a storm came and the proud oak was torn up by the wind. The tree fell into the river and was carried down the 42 stream. As it moved on, the oak saw a little, weak reed still standing on the bank. "How did you escape the wind that blew me down ? ' ' said the oak to the reed. ' ' My friend, ' ' said the reed, "yon were too proud. You fought the wind, and I yielded to it, and so escaped. It does not pay to be too stub- born." Exercise 11. Complete these sentences: — (a) The greedy dog said that he . (b) When the wolf saw the goat, he said he was , and asked her to ■ . The goat asked the wolf if he . (c) When a young calf saw a bull trying to squeeze him- self through a narrow place he offered to , but . (d) The birds refused to accept the cat's offer of medi- cine and said that they thought . (e) The fox said that the grapes were sour and that . Exercise 12. Write each of the following sentences in your own words : — (a) I w^as put to the grammar school at eight years of age, as my father intended to devote me to the church. (b) My early readiness in learning to read and the opin- ion of all his friends that I should make a good scholar encouraged my father in sending me to school. (c) At ten years of age, I was taken home to assist my father in his business, which was that of a tallow chandler. (d) I remember well that my father was frequently visited by leading people in Boston, who asked his advice in affairs of the town or church. (e) To this day if I am asked, I can scarcely tell, a few hours after dinner, what I dined upon. Adapted from ''The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.'* Exercise 13. Reproduce the following from memory after reading carefully: — In ancient times, the towns in Europe were surrounded by walls, and you could enter only by going through the gates. A farmer once drove to such a town with a load of oats. When he reached the gate, the guard 43 stopped him and asked him what he had in his wagon. The farmer leaned down and whispered to the guard, "Oats." The guard was surprised at his whispering, and asked him why he spoke so low. ' ' Hush ! ' ' said the farmer, "I do not want my horses to know that I have oats in the wagon." Definitions. "Ancient," olden, old. "Were surrounded by walls," had walls all around. Exercise 14. Write the following reproduction from memory : After thirty-six years' absence, Cortez returned to Spain. He had conquered Mexico and other lands, and had sent home vast sums of money. The king of Spain received him quite coolly when he came back. One day, Cortez went to the palace. "Who are you?" said the king, proudly. Cortez answered just as haughtily, "I am the man who conquered more provinces for you and for Spain than your ancestors left you cities. ' ' Definitions. "Vast," large, immense: "Quite," very. "Haughtily," proudly. "Provinces," conquered countries. "Ancestors," forefathers, those who lived before us. Exercise 15. (a) Write a paragraph of four sentences about Indians, using the word "ancient." (b) Write a sentence, using the two words "haughtily," and "surrounded." (c) Complete this sentence :— The proud Cortez told the king how much he had done for Spain when . Exercise 16. Write the following reproduction from memory : Near Franklin's home was a salt-marsh, and the boys used to stand on its edges to fish for minnows. Franklin proposed to his companions that they ought to build a wharf to stand on while fishing. He showed them a heap of stones near by, intended for a new house near the marsh, and they decided to use these stones for their wharf. That evening after the workmen had gone, they built their wharf. The next morning, however, when the men missed their stones, they found out what the boys had done and complained to their parents. The boys were punished severely. Franklin says he tried to show his father how useful the wharf was, but his father told him that nothing was useful which was not honest. 44 Exercise 17. Write each of the following in your own words : (a) From a child I was fond of reading, and all the little money that came into my hands was always laid out in books. (b) Often I sat up in my room reading the greatest part of the night, when the book had been borrowed in the evening and had to 'be returned early in the morning. (c) I now took a fancy to poetry. (d) About this time I met with an odd volume of "The Spectator." I thought the language was excellent and I wished, if possible, to imitate it. (e) He wrote several of the articles in the volume from memory. Then he compared his work with the original, and corrected his mistakes. iVo^e.— Numerous exercises in paraphrasing prose sen- tences should be taken. Exercise 18. Letter Forms. A letter consists of four parts. The heading or date, the greeting or salutation, the body of the letter, and the closing part or conclusion. (a) Heading: — Put the place and date in the upper, right hand side, using periods after abbreviations, and separating the parts by commas. Example of Letter Heading : — 2273 N. Broad St.. Phila., July 6, 1903. (b) The greeting in a business letter is different from that in a letter to a friend. Example of a business letter greeting: — Messrs. Brown, Smith and Co., 38 N. Eighth St., Phila. Gentlemen : — Example of a friendly greeting: — My dear Friend:— (c) The conclusion varies according to the kind of letter. Conclusion for a business letter: — Yours respectfully, (Miss) Jennie A. Brown. 45 Conclusions for a friendly letter: — (1) Sincerely yours, John A. Smith. (2) Your loving daughter, Mary. (3) Arrange the address on the envelope thus: — Stamp MR. JOHN SMITH, 4907 S. Fifth St., Phila. Pa. Exercise 19. Study the following letter ordering books, and then write from memory: — 2356 N. Tenth St., Phila., Jan. 5, 1903. Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 4 Park Street, Boston, ]\Iass. Gentlemen : — Enclosed please find money order for two dollars and eighty cents, for which you will please send me one copy of each of the following: — Louisa M. Alcott's "Little Women." George Eliot's, "The Mill on the Floss." Yours respectfully, John R. Williams. Exercise 20. AVrite a letter to your cousin describing your work in school. (Write at least fifty lines.) Exercise 21. Imagine you were a Pilgrim in 1620. Write a letter describing your life in the new world. (Write at least fifty lines.) Exercise 22. Write a note ordering an article of clothing from some business firm in town. 46 Exercise 23. Write a note requesting a friend to loan you a copy of a certain poem, naming the poem and the author. Exercise 24. Write a note thanking your friend for a Christ- mas gift. Exercise 25. Write a note ordering groceries. Exercise 26. Write a note to send with a certain book as a birthday present. Exercise 27. Write a letter describing a concert you at- tended. (At least fifty lines.) Letter Forms to Oflficials. (a) A letter to the Governor: — 2705 N. Lamborn St., Phila., June 9, 1903. Hon. Samuel W. Pennypacker, Governor of Pennsylvania, Sir:- Very respectfully, James Brown. Envelope Address : — Hon. Samuel W. Pennypacker, Governor of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pa, (b) A letter to the President:— 1139 Chestnut St., Phila., November 16, 1903. To His Excellency, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States. Mr. President: — Very respectfully, James Smith, Secretary, Civic League. Envelope Address : — To the President, The White House, Washington, D. C. Note. — The abbreviation Rev. stands for Reverend, being a title for a minister. The abbreviation M. D. stands for Doc- tor. We can say Doctor Brown, or "James Brown, M. D." Esquire, a title given to lawyers or used in addressing letters in place of Mr., can be written Esq. Col. stands for Colonel, Gen. stands for General, Capt. for Captain. Illustration. — 47 Gen. Brown and Col. Jones of the U. S. army were there. Time abbreviations : — A. M. stands for morning, M. stands for noon, P. M. stands for afternoon, Jan. stands for Jannary, Apr. for April, Aug. for Augnst, Oct. for October, Nov. for November. Illustration. — The train started at 9 A. M. and reached the city at 2 P. M. — Etc. (et ctetera) means "and so forth." Business Abbreviations : — Dr. stands for debtor, Co. for company, Amt. for amount, Cr. for creditor (one to whom money is owed) ; Cr. also stands for credit. Illustration.— When a person deposits money in a bank the amount is entered in the Cr. column of his book. Illustration No. 2. (A bill for services) :— Phila., Feb. 9th, 1898. Mr. John Brown To William H. Smith, Dr. For sixteen lessons in English at $3.00 per lesson, $48.00. Received pavment, Wm. H. Smith. (This means that John Brown owed Wm. Smith $48.00.) Notice that no period is required after 9th, as that is not an abbreviation. Illustration No. 3 (A receipt for rent) :— Phila., Mar. 9, 1904. Received of Mr. James Brown the sum of Twenty-five Dol- lars for one month's rent of house, 2572 Franklin St., due Mar. 9, payable in advance. R. Smith. ADDITIONAL STORIES FOR REPRODUCTION. iV^ofe.— Pupils are to write the story from memory after reading it carefully. 1, COLUMBUS AND THE EGG. After his return from the New World, Columbus was in- vited to a grand banquet. One of the other guests jealously asked him whether there were not other men in Spain who could have discovered the Indies. Columbus said nothing, but took an egg, and invited the company to try to make it stand on its end. Every one attempted it, but failed. Columbus then struck the egg, so as to break the end a little, and stood it on the broken part. In this way he showed them how easy it is to do a thing after some one else has shown how. Definitions.— " Banquet," a feast. "Indies," the country in southern Asia. "Attempted," tried. 48 2. WASHINGTON AND THE CORPORAL. During the Revolution, a young officer was giving orders to his men about a beam or log that they were trying to lift. A man not in military dress, just then came up, on horseback, and asked the officer why he did not help his men a little. The latter Avas much surprised, and said very proudly, "Sir, I am a corporal." "I did not know it," said the other. "I ask your pardon, Mr. Corporal." He dismounted, and pulled at the beam with all his might until it was raised. Then he turned to the officer and said, "Mr. Corporal, when you need help for another job like this, send for your commander-in-chief, and I shall be glad to help you again." The corporal was astonished to find it was Washington who had helped the men. Definitions. — "Corporal," an army officer of low rank. "Military," pertaining to soldiers. ' ' Latter, ' ' the person spoken of last. ' ' Surprised, ' ' astonished. ' ' Dismounted, ' ' came down off the horse. ' ' Commander-in- chief, ' ' the head officer of the army. 3. W^ASHINGTON 'S OBEDIENCE. When Washington was about fourteen years old, he wanted to become a sailor. His father had died three years before, and his mother had hard work to support the family on their farm. At first, she was willing to have the boy go, but a letter from George's uncle in England changed her mind. "If you care for the boy's future," said he, "do not let him go to sea. Places in the king's navy are not easy to ob- tain. If he begins as a sailor, he will never be aught else." Although the boy wanted to go to sea, he obeyed his mother and stayed at home. How different the history of our country might have been if Washington had not yielded to his mother's wish in this matter. Definitions. — "Aught, " anything. "NaAy, " a number of ships. 4. Washington's journey in the wilderness. At twenty-one, Washington was the owner of IMount Ver- non, in northern Virginia on the Potomac River. This rich estate became his when the little daughter of his half-brother, Lawrence, died. The next year after this, in 1753, Washing- ton was sent by Governor Dinwiddle to Fort le Boeuf in north- western Pennsylvania to ask the removal of the French forts. 49 After delivering his message, Washington started home again. He had about four hundred miles to walk, mostly through thick forests, and it was the depth of winter. The journey was very hard indeed. With gun in hand, Washington and his guide, Christopher Gist, marched on through the snows, guided by their compass by day and by the North Star at night. When they reached the Allegheny River, they found it full of float- ing ice. They tried to cross on a raft but the raft upset, and Washington was almost droMiied. They managed to reach an island, where they passed the night without shelter or fire. In the morning they reached the opposite shore and continued their way. At last, the long journey ended, and Washington reached the capital of Virginia and made his report about the forts. Note. — Be careful not to say "drownded. " Pronounce it as one syllable. 5. THE DEATH OP WASHINGTON. The thirteenth of December, 1799, was a very stormy day, with rain and sleet. Washington had some repairs being made at Mount Vernon, and was out in the storm for several hours. He was chilled through, and during the night became so ill he had to send for the doctor. It was no use, and the hero died the next night, at ten o'clock. His last w^ords were "It is well." His friend, Henry Lee, in making a speech in Congress in honor of the dead Washington, said : "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and endear- ing scenes of private life." 6. COLUMBUS IN CHAINS. On his third voyage, Columbus went to the Spanish set- tlement on the island now called Hayti, and remained there for two years. The king of Spain then sent out Bobadilla to inquire into the affairs of the colony. Bobadilla put Colum- bus in chains and sent him back to Spain. The captain of the ship wanted to take the chains off, but the angry Columbus said he would wear them until Queen Isabella ordered them removed. When he reached Spain, the chains were removed, but still the Queen did not give him his rights. Columbus kept these chains in his room until his death, and asked to have them buried with him. 50 His fourth and last voyage was very unsuccessful, and when he returned, the mocking Spaniards called him "The Lord of Mosquito Land," because he had found a land with many mosquitoes, but no gold. Definitions. — '.'Settlement," a little town. "To inquire into," to ask about. ' ' Unsuccessful, ' ' not successful. 7. DANIEL WEBSTER AND THE CONGRESSMAN. The great Daniel Webster's father was a poor New Eng- land farmer. One day, while the boy was in the field with his father, a Congressman visited them. After he had gone, Dan- iel's father said, "My son, that man gets six dollars a day as Congressman, while I have to toil here. It is because I never had the education he had. I intend to give you the chance of getting an education. Exert yourself, improve your oppor- tunities, learn, learn, and you will not need to go through the hardships that have made an old man of me before my time. {Note.— Daniel Webster was one of the finest speakers that ever lived. He was a United States Senator from Mas- sachusetts for many years.) Definitions.— "Congressman," a member of U. S. Congress. "Toil," work. "Exert yourself,'' work, try. " Opportunities, " chances. "Hardships," toils, things hard to bear. 8. SIR PHILIP Sidney's kindness. Sir Philip Sidney was an English soldier. He was badly wounded in a great battle, and lay on the ground dying, sur- rounded by many other sufferers. After the battle ended, one of his friends brought him, with great difficulty, a cup of water to drink. Sir Philip was glad indeed to get it, and was just ready to drink when he saw a poor dying soldier look longingly at the water. The gentle Sir Philip could not bear to see the man suffer, and pushed the cup of water towards him, saying, "Here, comrade, take this. Thy need is greater than mine. ' ' Was he not a noble soul ? Do you wonder that rich and poor wept when the brave Sir Philip was buried? Definitions. — "Difficulty, " trouble. "Longingly," eagerly, with great desire. ' * Comrade, ' ' companion, fellow soldier. 9. BRUCE AND THE SPIDER. Robert Bruce was a king of Scotland. His enemies were so powerful that he had to fight battle after battle. After a 51 great defeat his army was scattered, and Bruce had to hide himself to save his life. He found refuge in an old shed, and was so discouraged that he thought he might as well give up and not try to win back his kingdom. Just then, he saw a spider above his head, trying to weave her web. Six times she tried to throw the thread from one beam to another, but each time she failed. Bruce became interested in the spider's perseverance, and re- solved if she tried the seventh time and succeeded, he also would fight once more. He was delighted indeed to find her succeed the seventh time. He gathered his forces once more, fought another battle with the English and won, becoming the great king of Scot- land. The spider taught him that nothing is too hard to do. If we will only keep on trying, we are sure to succeed. Definitions.— "Powerful, " strong. "Defeat," a failure, an over- throw of an army in battle. "Scattered," divided into many parts. "Eefuge, " shelter, protection, "Discouraged," without hope. "Per- severance, ' ' steadiness, keeping at a thing. ' ' Eesolved, ' ' determined, made up his mind. 10. LINCOLN 'S KINDNESS TO ANIMALS. Lincoln, the great President of the United States, visited General Grant near Richmond, during the war, to see how things were going. On this visit, he saw three tiny kittens crawling about the tent. The mother was dead, and the kittens were very hungry. Lincoln picked them up, stroked their fur, and said, "Poor little creatures, don't cry. You'll be taken care of." Then he turned to an officer and told him to get them some milk and have them taken care of. Several times during his visit he stooped down to stroke them and to listen to their purring. The great president was not too great to help a suffering animal. Definitions. — "Tiny, " very small. "Creatures," created beings. ' ' Stooped, ' ' bent. 11. THE SPANISH IN MEXICO. The Aztecs were the semi-civilized Indians who inhabited Mexico at the time of the discovery of America. The cruel Cortez landed there with a small army in 1519, and, as the In- dians had no horses and no firearms, they were easy to conquer. The last king of the Aztecs was the brave Guatimozin. Cortez after many battles captured the fallen monarch. To make him 52 tell where he had hidden his gold, the cruel Spaniards put him on a fire of burning coals. One of the Aztec princes, who was tortured in the same way, begged by looks for permission to tell where the treasure was. The proud King, turning to him scornfully, said, "Am I now reposing on a bed of flowers?" Cortez did not get the gold, and the Indian's secret died with him. Definitions. — " Semi-civilized, ' ' half ci\ilizecl. ' ' Firearms, ' ' guns, "Monarch," king. "Scornfully," with scorn or contempt. 12. YANKEE BRAG. Horace Greeley, the editor of the New York "Tribune," was once talking in a company about his own nation. "What this country needs," said Greeley, "is a real good licking " An Englishman who was present said, "Quite right, ]\Ir. Greeley. The country needs a 'licking'!" ]Mr. Greeley then went on as if no ore had spoken, saying, "But the trouble is, there 's no nation that can give it to us. ' ' Definitions. — "Editor, " the chief of a newspaper. "Nation," in- habitants of a country. ' ' Licking ' ' is bad English for thrashing or whipping. Note. — Extra single quotation marks are needed around "licking," as it is a c|uotatiou inside of a quotation. 13. SIR WALTER RALEIGH. Walter Raleigh one day saw Queen Elizabeth hesitate at a muddy place in the road. Raleigh at once threw his velvet cloak down over the place for the Queen to walk on, and this act gave him her favor. His expeditions to America all failed. They, however, secured two important plants for the people of Europe, — the tobacco plant and the potato. Raleigh was one of the first to smoke tobacco in England. His servant entered his room one day while Raleigh was smoking, bringing a tankard of ale with him. He saw the smoke coming out of his master's mouth and threw the ale in his face. Then he rushed out to tell the household that his master was on fire. Definitions.— "Hesitate, " pause, stop in doubt. "Expedition," an attempt of a company to settle or explore. ' ' Tankard, ' ' a large drinking vessel. "Household," the people of the house. 14. THE DEATH OF RALEIGH. King James, the successor of Queen Elizabeth, was not friendly to Raleigh, and kept him in prison. He was released 53 to point out a gold mine which he said was in Guiana. He did not find the mine, and on his return the King ordered him to be beheaded. He met death bravely. Before he laid his head on the block, he felt the edge of the ax and said smilingly, that it was a sharp medicine, but one which would cure the worst disease. As the executioner hesitated, Raleigh said to him, '' ' What dost thou fear ? Strike, man ! " So perished the brave Raleigh. Definitions. — "Successor," the person who holds an office after another. "Keleased, " set free. "Beheaded," killed by having the head cut off. ' ' Smilingly, ' ' with a smile. ' ' Executioner, ' ' the man who has to put prisoners to death. "Perished," died. 15. "hats off." William Penn became a Quaker, and would not change his religion because he believed he was right. The Quakers, among other customs, refused to take their hats off to any one. One day, Penn had to visit King Charles II. at his palace to arrange some matters about Penn's new colony in America. He entered the room where the King was, and kept his hat on all the time. The King, with a smile, then took off his own. "Friend Charles," said Penn to the King, "why dost thou take oft' thy hat ? " "Friend Penn," said the King, "it is the custom of this place for only one man at a time to wear his hat. ' ' Definitions.— "Believed, " thought, considered. "Dost thou," do you. ' ' Custom, ' ' practice, habit. 16. LADY YEARDSLEY 'S VISITOR. On Christmas eve. Lady Yeardsley, a New England col- onist, saw an Indian at the window. She did not dare show that she was afraid, but opened the door and bade him enter. The Indian told her he was a chief of the Roanokes, and that he had come a month's journey to bring his baby boy to her to get the white man's education. Lady Yeardsley took the child and made her visitor stay all night. On Christmas morning, she and her children went to ■church and took the Indian with them. When the men saw the Indian, they seized their muskets, shouting, "A spy! a spy ! ' ' Lady Yeardsley would not let them shoot, and when she told his story, they became very friendly to him. Was he not a good father to wish to give his son an education ? 54 Definitions.— "Christmas eve," the night before Christmas. "Col- onist," one who goes to live in a strange land. "Spy," one who seeks to get knowledge of an enemy's position or condition. 17. GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS. On the base of the old Temple Clock in London is carved the motto, "Go about your business." About two hundred years ago, a workman was employed to put a new face on the clock and he asked the city judges for a motto. They promised to give one, but they put him off from week to week. One day he found them at a public dinner, and again he asked them for a motto. The impatient judges said, ' ' Oh, go about your business." The clockmaker thought it was a good motto for such dawdlers, and there it is to-day. Definitions. — ' ' Base, ' ' bottom. ' ' Motto, ' ' a wise saying. "Dawdler," one who wastes time. 18. A LESSON IN OBEDIENCE. Mr. Ruskin, the great English author, said the first lesson he learned was to be obedient. "One evening," he says, "when I was yet in my nurse's arms, I wanted to touch the tea-urn, which was boiling merrily. My mother bade me keep my fingers back ; I insisted on putting them forward. ' ' The nurse would have taken him away from the urn, but his mother said to let him touch it. Ruskin says he touched it, and received his first lesson in liberty. He says, ' ' It was the first piece of liberty I got, and the last which for some time, I asked." Definitions. — "Author," one who writes a book. "Tea-urn," the metal vessel used to keep the tea hot. "Insisted," determined, held firmly to a plan. "Liberty," freedom. 19. CANONICUS. Canonicus was the chief of the Narragansett Indians of Rhode Island in colonial times. He was very haughty, and sent to the governor of the little settlement at Plymouth a bundle of new arrows, wrapped up in a snake skin. "What does this mean?" asked the astonished governor of the Indian messenger. "It means war," yelled the man as he ran away. Governor Bradford was not so easily frightened. He took out the arrows, filled the skin with powder and bullets, and sent back this challenge of war to the Indian chief, thus declaring that if Canonicus came with arrows, the whites would come 55 with guns. There was no more trouble after the Indians re- ceived their answer. Definitions. — "Haughty,'' proud. "Astonished," surprised. 20. A STORY OF GENERAL GOFPE. King Charles I. had been beheaded, and when his son, Charles II., became king, some years afterwards, he tried to seize the men who had condemned his father to death. Goffe was one of these men. He fled to New Haven, Connecticut, and found refuge with the minister, Davenport. AVhen King Charles II. sent to New Haven to arrest Goffe, Davenport preached a sermon to the people from the text, ' ' Hide the out ■ casts; betray not him that wandereth." The sermon had a great effect and Goffe escaped. Several years later, this same Goft'e saved the town of Hadley from capture by the Indians in King Philip's War. The Indians had almost taken the town when this aged man appeared, led the people to victory, and then suddenly dis- appeared. Definitions.— "Condemned to death," ordered to be killed. "Out- cast, ' ' a man without home or friends. ' ' Betray not him that wan- dereth, ' ' do not tell on the poor soul flying for his life. ' ' Aged, ' ' old. "Disappeared," went out of sight. 21. TIME IS MONEY. One morning, while Franklin was getting his newspaper ready to be printed, a man came into his bookstore. After a long while, he picked out a book, and asked the shopboy its price. "One dollar," said he. "No less?" asked the man. "No, that is the price," answered the boy. The man went out and returned in about an hour. He in- sisted on seeing Franklin, although the boy told him Franklin was very busy. When Franklin came into the shop, the man held up the same book and asked its price. ' ' One dollar and a quarter," said Franklin. "Why, the boy said a dollar," ex- claimed the man. "True," said Franklin," but it is a dollar and a half now. The difference in price will not pay me for having to leave my work to see you. ' ' 22. BENJAMIN WEST. Benjamin West was the great Quaker artist. Quakers did not approve of pictures, and Ben was six years old before he ever saw a picture of any kind. 56 When Ben was about seven years old, his married sister visited the family and the boy was left in charge of her sleep- ing baby for a while. The baby smiled in her sleep, and Ben drew the picture of the sleeping child. When his mother re- turned and saw the picture, she was so pleased at his skill that she threw her arms around him and kissed him. In after years, West said, ' ' A kiss from my mother made me a painter, ' ' The boy got his first colors from the Indians. To make his first brush, he cut the fur from the tip of the tail of his father's favorite cat. West later became a great painter, known all over the world. Definitions. — "Artist," one who paints pictures. "Approve of," like, think well of. 23. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND THE BUTTONHOLES. Benjamin Franklin thought that every girl should know how to sew. One day he saw his daughter trying to make a proper buttonhole. She tried several times, but could not do it. Her father did not scold her nor reproach her for her failure. The next day, however, Franklin said to her, ' ' I have made an arrangement with my tailor to have j^ou go to him every day at a fixed hour. He will teach you to make button- holes." The girl went and learned, and to this day the girls of the Franklin family are all taught the art of making button- holes. Franklin, the great statesman, found time to be a good father, careful of his children's education. Definitions. — ' ' Proper, ' ' correct. ' ' Eeproach, ' ' rebuke, scold, ' ' Statesman, ' ' a man who attends to the affairs of the nation. 24. CURING A BAD TEMPER. The young grandson of Louis XIV., King of France, had a fine disposition, except that he had a violent temper. His teacher, Fenelon, determined to cure him. One day, a servant accidentally offended the young Prince, and in his rage he injured the servant. Fenelon then called all the other ser- vants into the room, and bade them look at the angry Prince. He said to them, "You see before you the future king of France. Yet when he becomes so angry, he has no command over himself, and is like one who is out of his senses. There- fore, when he falls in such a temper, you must treat him as in- sane, until I tell you he has again control over himself." 57 After being treated this way a few times, the Prince saw his error, and conquered his temper. Definitions. — "Violent, " fierce. "Accidentally," not purposely, by accident. "Offended," annoyed, made angry. "Future king," the next king, the king of a time to come. "Insane," crazy. "Error," mistake, failure. ' ' Conquered, ' ' mastered. 25. WHY GRANT DID NOT SWEAR. A friend once said to Grant, "General, it seems strange that you have gone through all the rough and tumble of army life, and have never been provoked into swearing a single oath." Grant in reply said, "When a boy, I disliked to hear swearing, and when a man, I saw how foolish it was. I always noticed that swearing helps to rouse a man's anger. When a man gets into a passion, his enemy, who keeps cool, always gets the best of him. In fact, I see no use in swearing." 26. A STORY OF Newton's boyhood. Sir Isaac Newton was a great scholar and the most learned Englishman of his time. When a boy, for a while he was very idle and was at the foot of the class. One day the head boy kicked him violently, causing severe pain. When school was dismissed, Newton challenged the boy to fight. Although not equal to the other boy in strength, Newton won the fight by his courage, and felt very proud over his victory. The next morning, however, when the other boy took the head seat and Newton the tail seat, he felt ashamed that his enemy should be so much higher in rank. From that day on, Newton began to study, and soon made himself the head of his class. Definitions. — "Learned," wise. "Violently," with great force. ' ' Eank, ' ' order. 27. THE BOSTON BOYS. Boston Common had fine coasting and sledding in winter. The British soldiers were quartered on this common at the be- ginning of the Revolution, and annoyed the boys by spoiling all their pleasure on the ice. At last the boys decided to tell General Gage, the British commander, about it. "Who sent you here ? Have your rebel fathers been teaching you, too, to rebel?" asked Gage. "Nobody sent us, sir," said the boys. "Your soldiers will not let us skate on the pond nor coast on the hill." 58 The genei-al laughingly said, "Very well, my lads, I promise voii my soldiers will not trouble you again. You are plucky little fellows, and you shall have your coasting and skating. ' ' The boys thanked him heartily for being so kind, and ran off. Gage told the story to another officer and said that even the children in America drew in the love of liberty in the air they breathed. Defijjitions.— "Coasting, " sledding down a hill. "Quartered," placed, located. * ' Eebel, ' ' one who ref iises to obey. ' ' Plucky, ' ' brave. * * Heartily, ' ' warmly. 28. A LESSON IN MANNERS. General Lee, the great Southern general in the Civil War, was once in a car going to Richmond, Virginia. He had a seat at the extreme end, and the other seats were filled with officers and soldiers. A poor old woman entered the car some time later, and finding no seat, she walked through the car imtil she reached General Lee. He at once arose, and gave her his seat. In- stantly the other officers rose to offer him their seat, but he refused to accept any, saying, "No, gentlemen, if there is no seat for the infirm old woman, there can be none for me. ' ' The officers looked much ashamed at their general's rebuke, and quickly left the car, one after another. Definitions.— "Extreme end," the very end. "Instantly," at once, immediately. ' ' Eef used to accept any, ' ' would not take any. ' ' In- firm, " weak, sickly. 29. THE WATCH OF THE TRUSSIAN SOLDIER. A Prussian soldier, who had no Avatch, wore a bullet fast- ened to a cord which hung from his vest pocket as a watch chain. King Frederick had been told of the soldier's van- ity. Wishing to ridicule him a little for it, one day he stopped in front of him and asked him to tell him the time by his watch. The soldier drew the bullet from his pocket, and said, "Your ]\Iajesty, my watch does not tell the time, but it tells me I must always be ready to die for you." The King was so pleased at the reply, that he drew his own watch out, and presented it to him. Definitions. — "Prussia, " a eouatry in Germany in Europe. "Eid- ieule, ' ' make fun of. ' ' Your Majesty, ' ' words used in speaking to a king. * ' Presented, ' ' gave. 59 30. A STORY OP .ESOP. .Esop, the great writer of fables, was once going into a little town. On the way, he met a traveler who asked how long it would take him to reach the town that they could see in the distance. ' ' Walk, ' ' said .Esop. ' ' I know I must walk to get there ; but in what time can I reach it?" said the traveler. .Esop again said, "Walk." The traveler then decided the other nuist be crazy and started off on his journey. After a few minutes, 3]s()p called after him, "You will get there in two hours." The traveler then exclaimed, "If you know now, why didn't you tell me before?" .Esoj) replied, "How could I tell hoAV long it would take you when I did not know how fast you could walk?" 31. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AT THE INN. When Franklin was a young printer, he had to go once from Philadelphia to Boston. On the long journey, of course, he stopped at various inns. At one of these inns he found the landlord was very inquisitive. He knew that if he an- swered one question he would have to answer twenty, at least. Therefore, to end the bother, he asked the landlord to bring in his wife, his children and the servants. When all were there, Franklin said, ' ' I sent for you to tell you about myself. My name is Benjamin Franklin ; I am a printer, nineteen years of age ; I reside in Philadelphia and I am going to Boston. If you want to know anything else, ask now, and then permit me to eat my supper in peace." Definitions.— "Various, " different. "Inn," a country hotel. ' ' Landlord, ' ' inn keeper. ' ' Inquisitive, ' ' curious, anxious to know other people's affairs. "Eeside, " live. "Permit," allow. 32. ABSENCE OP MIND. Sir Isaac Newton, the great English scientist, was often so busy with his studies, that he thought of nothing else. One morning he had a very difficult problem to study, and would not leave it to go to breakfast. A servant was sent to his room with an egg and a saucepan of hot water. Newton wished to be alone, so he sent the servant out, telling her he would cook the egg himself. After telling him to boil it for three minutes, she went out of the room. Fearing he might 60 forget, she returned soon after and found him standing by the fire-side, with the egg in his hand and the watch boiling in the saucepan, quite unaware of his mistake. Definitions.— "Scientist, " one who studies a science, as the study of the stars, of the human body, etc. ' * Unaware, ' ' not knowing, ignorant of. 33. A STORY OF GENERAL GRANT. When the Civil "War broke out in 1861, Grant was in the leather business at Galena, Illinois. He soon enlisted, as he had been educated as a soldier at West Point. Soon he was made Colonel of the Twenty-first Illinois Regiment of Infan- try. This was a very disorderly regiment whose former Col- onel had not been able to control them. When Grant appeared before his men, he looked so shabby and seemed so shy that they jeered at him. "Speech! Speech!" they cried. Grant simply said, "Soldiers, go to your quarters." His tone was so commanding that they had to obey, and he soon brought them into order and obedience. Definitions. — ' ' Enlisted, ' ' volunteered as a soldier or sailor. "Eegiment, " a body of soldiers commanded by a colonel. "Shy," timid. ' ' Jeered, ' ' mocked, sneered. ' ' Quarters, ' ' lodging. ' ' Tone, ' ' sound of the voice. 34. GENERAL GEORGE ROGERS CLARK. Colonel Hamilton with his British soldiers and his In- dians determined to drive the Americans out of the West dur- ing the Revolution. General Clark with about one hundred and fifty men started from Virginia to fight the British. After much difficulty, Clark and his men reached Fort Kaskaskia in Illinois, on the fourth of July, 1778. It was night, and the British soldiers were having a dance in the fort. Clark quietly entered the room and the dance ended in terror at the sight of him. Clark stood still by the door and said to them, "Go on with your fun; only remember you are dancing now under the flag of Virginia, and not under that of Great Britain. ' ' Was not this an odd way to capture a fort ? Definitions. — "Terror, " fear. "Great Britain," England. 35. THE CAPTURE OF PORT VINCENNES. Fort Viucennes was in Indiana, about one hundred and fift}^ miles from Fort Kaskaskia. In winter, Clark and his little army of one hundred and seventy men decided to set out 61 on this long journey. Much of the way was over what are called "The Drowned Lands," and the Americans for a week had to wade through icy water, two feet deep. When near the fort, they had to wade again for four miles. The wearied men could scarcely go forward, but when Clark ordered the first one killed that refused, they dragged themselves over. A battle was fought, and Clark took Fort Vincennes, and hoisted the American flag over it in triumph. If it had not been for Clark, we should never have ob- tained all the great region along the Ohio. In 1812, Virginia presented a sword as a present to Clark, In replying to the presentation speech, Clark said, "When Vir- ginia needed a sword, I gave her one. I am too old and infirm, as you see, ever to use a sword again, but I am glad that my old mother state has not forgotten me. ' ' This great man died in great poverty in 1818, and his humble grave is marked only by a little headstone bearing the letters "G. P. C." Definitions. — "Decided," made up his mind. "Wearied," tired. "Scarcely," hardly. "Hoisted," raised. "Triumph," joy over a vic- tory. 36. ANDREW JACKSON AND HIS MOTHER. Andrew^ Jackson, who later became President of United States, was the son of a poor settler in North Carolina. The Revolution was being fought when he was a boy, and he was taken prisoner by the British. The commander ordered Andrew to clean his boots for him, and Andrew refused, say- ing he was a prisoner of w^ar and had no right to be made to clean boots. The officer then drew his sword in a rage, and gave him a severe cut on the head. When he took the small- pox, his mother secured his release. This good women met her death while nursing the American prisoners in the filthy prison-ships in Charleston harbor. Andrew never forgot her teachings, however, and years after, Jackson used to say he won all his success by following the teachings of his "good old mother. ' ' Definitions. — "Settler," one who goes to live in a wild country. " Eevolution, " the war which began in 1776, and brought United States freedom from England. "Filthy," dirty. 37. DANIEI; BOONE. Daniel Boone was a famous hunter and pioneer in our early history. 62 Some words he cut on a tree in Tennessee, years ago, tell us he was a better hunter than speller. The words are, "D. Boon killed a bar on this tree in the year 1760. ' ' Boone was the first to explore Kentucky, going there in 1769. Several years later (1775) , after making a path through the dense forest, he and a party of settlers built a fort at Boonesborough in central Kentucky. Once the Indians cap- tured him and several companions. They sold his companions to the British, but refused to part with Boone, and adopted him as a member of their tribe. Boone lived as one of them, but at last managed to escape and get back to Boonesborough. Another time, a few years later, four armed Indians sur- roimded the barn where Boone was drying his tobacco crop. They thought they had him, surely. Boone, however, dashed on them with his arms full of tobacco, and filled their eyes and noses with the stinging dust, nearly blinding them, and thus escaped. This great explorer and hunter did much to open up the state of Kentucky to civilization. Definitions. — "Pioneer, " a settler in a new country. "To ex- plore, ' ' to examine a land or region. 38. DAVY CKOCKETT. Another famous hunter was Colonel David Crockett of Tennessee. He was a fine shot and rarely missed his aim. They tell a story of a coon or raccoon that was up a tree when he aimed at it from below. The coon said, "Don't shoot, colonel. I'll come down, as I know I'm a gone coon." Crockett's motto was, "Be always sure you're right, then go ahead!" Crockett died bravely in the Alamo in 1836. This fort was in Texas, and Colonel Travis with Crockett and one hundred and fifty brave Americans held it against an army of Mexicans during a terrible siege of about two weeks. Finally, the Mexicans attacked the fort with overwhelming numbers, and took it when only six of the garrison were left, Crockett being one of the six. Santa Anna, the Mexican general, had these six killed. "Remember the Alamo" became a war cry when the Texans fought and won their fight for independ- ence from Mexico. Note. — Accent "Alamo " on the first syllable. G3 39. FRANKLIN AND WHITEFIELD. Whitefield, the great English preacher, once addressed an audience in Philadelphia on the needs of an orphan asylnm in Georgia. Franklin was in the audience. He said he did not approve of Whitefield 's plan, as he thought it would be cheaper to bring the children to a Philadelphia asylum. Franklin had some coppers in his pocket, besides some silver and gold coins. When the sermon began, Franklin said, "I resolved he should get nothing from me as collection. As he proceeded, I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers. Another stroke of his oratory made me determined to give the silver. Finally, I emptied my pocket, gold and all, on the plate. ' ' Definitions.— " Addrepged," gpoke to. "Audience," a number of people gathered for a lecture or concert. ' ' Orphan, ' ' a child ^vithout a father or mother. ' ' Approve of, ' ' favor, believe in. ' ' Resolved, ' ' de- termined, decided. ' ' Proceeded, ' ' went on. ' ' Concluded, ' ' decided. ' ' Oratory, ' ' fine speaking. ' ' Finally, ' ' at last. ' ' Plate, ' ' collection plate. 40. "helping ZEKE." Daniel AVebster's father once had to go to town for a week. Before leaving, he gave orders to his two sons, Ezekiel and Daniel, to mow a certain field. After their father left, the boys went to look at the field. "We can easily do that in three days," said Ezekiel, and away they went to play. When three days were ended, they went again to the field, and thinking it was impossible to finish it on time, they decided not to do any of it, and went out to play again. W^hen the father returned and saw the work undone, he was very angry and called the boys before him. "Ezekiel," said he, "what have you been doing all week?" "Nothing," answered Zeke, trembling before his angry father. "Daniel, what have you been doing '? ' ' said the father. "Helping Zeke," said Dan. The father was so amused at the reply that the boys es- caped the deserved whipping. 41. THE TWO PUMPKINS. In New England, in colonial days, the Indians Avere very dangerous neighbors. Prudence Place and her sister Endurance were the chil- dren of a farmer who lived in a log cabin in a clearing in New Hampshire, almost two hundred years ago. Their parents had 64 gone visiting for the day, leaving the two girls at home. After the girls had gathered in the pumpkins from the field, they had a little fun cutting two of them into Jack-o'-lanterns with hideous faces. They stuck candles inside and intended to put them at the window, to amuse their parents when they came home that night. As night came on, Prudence saw three Indians prowling around. The girls were frightened, for they had no way of protecting themselves. Suddenly they thought of the Jack-o'-lanterns. As soon as it was dark, they heard the stealthy steps of the Indians in the garden. The girls at once lighted the candles in the Jack-o'-lanterns and thrust the heads on a pole, so that the Indians saw the horrible faces. The Indians gave one yell of terror and fled, never venturing near that cottage again. Definitions. — "Clearing, " a farm formed in a forest by removing trees. "Hideous," horribly ugly. "Protecting," defending, guarding. ' ' Stealthy, ' ' very quiet, almost silent. ' ' Venturing, ' ' daring. 42. HOW JACKSON ENTERED WEST POINT. "Stonewall" Jackson was the greatest soldier of the South next to General Lee. As a boy, he had a great desire to go to West Point. He learned of a vacancy in his district, and started to go to Wash- ington, three hundred miles away, to ask the Congressman from his district to appoint him. Part of the way he rode on horseback, and part he walked. He had to hurry, for if he did not get there in two weeks, his Congressman could not fill the place, but the appointment would be made by the Secretary of State. Jackson reached the capital late at night, and went at once to see his Congressman. "I'm afraid you're too late, Tom. The position passed into the hands of the Secretary this day." "The day isn't over till midnight," said Jackson. "It is hardly eleven o'clock yet." The Congressman saw he was in earnest, and late as it was, went with him to the Secretary, and secured the place for him. Jackson went to West Point and graduated with honor. Definitions.— "District, " each district in a state elects one Con- gressman. ' ' Appoint, ' ' select for an office or position. ' * Appointment, ' ' selection, the choosing of a man for a place. "Secured, ' ' obtained. 43. GENERAL CUSTER AND THE BIRd's NEST. General Custer was a famous Indian fighter in western United States, years ago. He was riding one day over the G5 plains at the head of a column of men, and suddenly wheeled his men aside to the right. Those in the rear were curious to know why the line had changed its direction, and when they neared the place, they looked carefully to see. What do you think it was "? It was a bird's nest, full of tiny eggs, lying there in the desert. Custer had turned a whole company of soldiers aside to save the nest of the bird from destruction. Definitions. — "Eear," back. "Curious," anxious to know. COMPOSITION WORK. PICTURE WORK. Write descriptions or compositions based on the study of the following Perry pictures: — 1. "Landing of the Pilgrims"— 1332— Rothermel. 2. ' ' Can't You Talk ? ' '— 1063-Holmes. 3. "Lessons in Boat Building"— 3185— Bacon. 4. "Composition Day"-1085 C-Geoffrov. 5. "Robin Redbreast"— 3156— Munier. 6. "Saved"— 893— Landseer. 7. "A Helping Hand"— 596— Renouf. 8. "The Blacksmith"— 534— Frere. 9. "Two Mothers and Their Families"— 3194— Gardner. 10. "Shepherdess Knitting"— 516— Millet. INFORMATION FOR COMPOSITION WORK. 1. Plant Life in the Different Regions of the Earth. The distance from the Equator, the elevation of the land, and ocean currents are the chief causes of differences in climate. It is the climate of a place, usually, that decides its plant and animal life. We can divide plant life into three zones or belts:— I. In the northern and southern parts of the earth, the climate is bitterly cold, giving us the two cold belts. The soil is frozen the greater part of the year and covered with snow. Hence there is little vegetable life except dwarf birches and willows, a few inches high, and mosses and lichens which grow on rocks and stones, covering them gradually. The hot summer sun melts the snow, and in a few weeks the Arctic slopes are bright with poppies or covered with orange and gray lichens. If we ascended a mountain in the Torrid Zone, we should find the plants change from the tropical vegetation at the base, 66 to lichens, mosses and dwarf trees toward the top. The sum- mits of high mountains even in the Torrid Zones are covered with perpetual snow. II. The cool or temperate belts come next to the cold belts. In the colder part, just next to the cold belts, we find forests of cone-bearing evergreen trees, such as pine, fir, hemlock, spruce and cedar. Next to this come the forests of oak, maple, walnut, chestnut, etc., which drop their leaves in winter. Many food plants are found in the cool belts, such as wheat, oats, corn, barley, rye. Fruit trees and the flax plant, from whose fibres we make linen cloth, are other valuable plants here. In the warm part of the cool or temperate belt we find cotton and rice. III. The region near the Equator is called the torrid belt, sometimes called ' ' the belt of palms. ' ' There we have the cocoa palm, the date palm, india rubber, bananas, sugar-cane and coffee. Cotton and rice also grow in this region. From tropical Asia we get the spices, cloves, nutmegs, cinnamon and pepper. Definitions.— "Elevation, " height. "Chief," most important, main. ' ' Decides, ' ' settles, determines. * ' Fibres, ' ' thread-like parts of a plant. (a) Complete these sentences: The chief differences be- tween the vegetation in Polar regions and that in the Torrid Zone are as follows : In ascending a mountain peak in Mexico, we . Cotton and sugar are not grown in Maine because (b) Write a composition on "Wheat," on "Trees," on "Cotton," on "Tropical Vegetation." 2. Annual Life in the Different Regions of the Earth. We can divide the animal life of the earth into three great climatic belts. I. In the cold belt, Avhere there are few plants, we find few land animals. The little white fox, the Arctic hare, the rein- deer or caribou, and the polar bear are the chief Arctic land animals. Except the reindeer, all Arctic land animals are white, in order to conceal them from their enemies or their prey, in that land of snow. In the icy waters live the enormous whale, the walrus and the valued seal. 67 II. In the cool or temperate regions we find domestic ani- mals chiefly. In the pine-forest region in America, Europe and Asia, we find millions of fur-bearing animals, such as the I)eaver, the sable, the ermine, and the otter. The strongest and iiercest animal of the temperate region is the grizzly bear of the Eocky Mountains. III. In the torrid belt there are many wild animals, fierce and powerful. They usually make their homes in the dense, tropical forests. In tropical Africa, we find the immense j^orilla, or man- like ape, the lion, the long-necked giraffe, the man-eating croc- odile, and the huge, thick-skinned rhinoceros with the horned nose. The camel is the most valuable animal of desert Africa, I)earing heavy loads across the hot deserts without drinking for three or four days at a time. In tropical Asia, we find the "buffalo, the elephant, the tiger and the crocodile. Both the elephant and the buffalo have been tamed, and used as beasts of burden. In tropical South America, in the selvas, live the immense boa-constrictors, the fierce jaguars, the timid tapirs, the arma- dillos with bony armor, the alligators, and the sloths, passing their lives hanging by their toes from tree branches. Definitions. — "Climatic," pertaining to climate. "Fur-bearing," covered with fur. (a) Complete these sentences : — Some carnivorous or flesh-eating animals are There are fewer wild animals in the Temperate Zone because . The animals especially valuable to Eskimos are The Creator has fitted the polar bear for its life in Arctic regions by (b) "Write a composition on "Some Northern Animals," on "Tropical Animals," on "The Elephant," on "Bees," on "Beavers," on "Seals," on "The Ani- mals of the Andes. ' ' 3. The Moon. The diameter of the moon is about two thousand miles, while the earth's diameter is almost eight thousand miles. The moon is over two hundred thousand miles away from the earth. The moon revolves around the earth in a path called its orbit, and it takes about a month for the moon to go around the earth. 68 The moon is not like the sun as it has no fire, but is cold and dead. It gives us light only because it reflects the light of the sun. Half of the moon is dark, therefore, and half is light. When the earth, moon and sun are nearly in a straight line, with the moon between the earth and the sun, of course the side of the moon toward the earth gets no sunlight and is therefore dark and invisible. When the moon has moved so that we can see a faint line of light, we call it a crescent or new moon. In a week, the moon passes through quarter of its path or orbit around the earth, and the light part seen becomes larger. It is then at the first quarter. In another week, the moon has traveled around half of its orbit, and is opposite to the earth. We now see the whole side lighted up by the sun, giving us full moon. The lighted part which we see decreases now, as it goes on round the other half of its orbit, becoming quarter moon again, and at last disappearing. The moon has many mountains, some being quite high. No one lives in the moon, as there is no air, water or vegetation there. Definitions. — "Eevolves, " turns around, moves in a curved line around a central object. "Eeflects, " throws back, as a mirror. "Decreases," grows less, diminishes. (a) Complete these sentences : — The orbit of the moon is simply the curved . The moon differs from the sun in being . As the moon has no air or water At full moon, the earth is in a line between the sun and the moon, and the sun is able to (b) Write a composition on "The Moon." 4. The Heavenly Bodies. The sun is the earth's source of light and heat, although it is about ninety-three million miles (93,000,000) distant from us. Without the sun, all life on the earth would cease. Around this sun the various planets revolve, the earth taking one year for its revolution around the sun. All the planets, like the earth, shine by light reflected from the sun. The planets vary in size, the largest being Jupiter and Mercury being smallest. If we represented the sun by a globe two feet in diameter, on the same scale the earth and Venus would each be represented by a pea, while Jupiter would be 69 represented by a small-sized orange. These planets are seen by us at night, and look much like other stars. They are very different, however, from stars, for the stars are really suns, each shining by its own light. The stars are separated from us by immense distances. Light travels about one hundred and eighty-six thousand (186,000) miles per second. It takes about eight minutes for the light to travel from the sun to the earth, but it takes over four years for light to travel from the nearest star to the earth, for that star is over two hundred and fifty thousand (250,000) times as far from the earth as the sun is. The Pole Star is so far away that it takes over forty-five years for its light to travel to the earth. Do not these awful spaces show us how wonderful God's power is? Constellations are groups of stars, named long ago because they resembled certain objects. The Dipper is a group of seven stars about the North Star (Pole Star). The two stars making the side of the dipper opposite the handle, point to the North Star, being in a straight line with it. The Pleiades are a cluster of faint stars, resembling a butcher's cleaver in shape. Orion is a very bright constellation. Its chief stars form the four corners of an oblong, and inside this oblong is a slanting line of stars. The Milky Way is a whitish line extending across the sky from northwest to southeast. This Milky Way is composed of millions of stars too far away to be seen clearly, unless with a powerful telescope. Definitions. — ' ' Constantly, ' ' always, continually. ' ' Scale, ' ' size, measurement. ' ' Second, ' ' one-sixtieth of a minute. ' ' Eesembled, ' ' looked like. ' ' Objects, ' ' things. ' ' Cleaver, ' ' a kind of axe. ' ' Com- posed, ' ' made up of. ' ' Telescope, ' ' an instrument by which we see the