“n Wir Mi FRONTISPIECE THE LISTENER. | Fee) ie At The dog had lifted the bed-clothes with his nose, and discovered the naughty girl.’’—p, 82, . ds THE CHILD’S GUIDE: COMPRISING FAMILIAR LESSONS, - 6 DESIGNED TO AID IN "CORRECT READING, SPELLING, DEFINING, THINKING AND ACTING, ie STEREOTYPE EDITION.. — Springteld: PUBLISHED BY G. AND C. MERRIAM. 1835. Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1833, BY GEORGE MERRIAM, fn the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. Ree’ PREFACE. Ir is the design of the compiler of this little volume to present a se- lection of lessons of such a character as shall be pleasing to children, assist them in learning to read, spell, and define correctly, and induce a habit of reading for ideas. Jt has also been a leading object, so to adapt and apply the lessons, as to exert the best possible moral influence. In using the work, when a class is called on to read, let them in the first place spell and define the most difficult words in the lesson, When a word is spelled incorrectly, let it be put to another scholar; and when properly spelled, let the whole class spell it together, keeping time with each other, While a class is reading, the closest attention should be given by each scholar; and if any one pronounces a word improperly, let the others correct him; and the one who does it most promptly should be com- mended. If any scholar reads with a monotonous tone, not placing the emphasis properly, let the next read the same sentence; if not read well by him, let another take it; and if none of the scholars appear likely to do the sentence justice, the teacher should read it himself; then let the scholars read it after him, and in general they will readily imitate his manner. It is certainly much better that a class should spend fif- teen minutes in learning to read one sentence with propriety, than that they should go over a whole lesson in the same time, without making any improvement. A great fault in the reading of many children, and many adults, is, a habit of pronouncing the words in an indistinct and hurried manner. To prevent or cure this habit, let the pupil be required frequently to read short sentences as slowly and distinctly as possible. Xe One mode here adopted of teaching definitions is, requiring the yenie to tell the opposite of words. This exercise has always been found pro- fitable and gratifying to children. Some of the most difficult words have the definitions given. In reciting these, the teacher should occasionally | wepeat a definition, and require the pupil to supply the word which it efines. A few of the questions at the end of the lessons are designed to assist in conveying definite ideas of words whigh have occurred. In answer: ing these, the scholar will apply many of those words which are, and others which are not, defined in this book,—frequently in a different connection from that in which they are used in the lesson, though al- ways with the same meaning. It is thought that one definition of a ~ word is usually sufficient to be learned by a young scholar at once. Ta ~ attempt to make a child understand arid remember half a dozen different definitions of the same word, is worse than useless. If a taste, for read- ing is formed, the pupil will acquire a knowledge of the different mean- ings of a word, by seeing it used to express different ideas, » Few peo- 1* ae : Bisse VI PREFACE. ple owé their knowledge of common English words to having committed numerous definitions to memory. ; A part of the questions are designed as examples of the manner in which the teacher should draw from every lesson and every occurrence, such practical instructions as they may suggest. Let itnot be forgotten, that ‘‘knowledge is power’’ to do mischief as well as to do good; and that the child’s future usefulness and happiness depend less on the intellectual than on the moral culture of which he is the subject; and that consequently every instructor is under the most imperious obliga- tions to inculcate and cherish correct moral principles. This may sometimes be done with happy success by dwelling on traits of character developed in a lesson. The little pupils should be led to contrast those who exhibit benevolent and amiable feelings with those who manifest opposite dispositions. This will often produce permanent impressions of the most salutary kind. Too great pains cannot be taken to prevdlllithe formation of a “habit of reading without thinking. Scarcely any thing can be a greater ob- stacle to the acquisition of sound and useful knowledge, and of vigorous habits of investigation. If these are not acquired, the mind will general- ly become a prey to frivolity and intellectual idleness: and it is well if it ~ do not also resign itself to low pursuits and sensual indulgence.’?* _To prevent the pupils from acquiring this habit, they should be ques- tioned as to the subject of each lesson, whether questions are annexed to itor not. And if they have not retained the most prominent thoughts, they should read the same lesson again. ; The printed questions may be varied, or a part of them omitted, at the discretion of the teacher. It is hoped, however, that the teacher’s dis- cretion will usually suggest many additional questions and practical remarks, ‘ In asking the questions, it may be well frequently to put them to a whole class, letting those answer who can do it most readily. At other times, the questions should be proposed to all the members of the class in turn, that none may pass unobserved if inattentive.—It is not, however, to be expected that correct answers will always be given; the teacher should make the best of those that are imperfect, and not hastily or harshly find fault with the pupil. The teacher should know the dimensions of the school-room, in order to have a standard by which to give the pupils correct ideas of the size of animals, &c. He should at all times use unwearied exertions to give the school exercises as much variety as possible, and to render them in- teresting to the pupils. For, ‘let scholastics declaim as they may, if children are to receive instruction to advantage, it must be given in a pleasing form,’? But few of the pieces selected for this volume have appeared in any former school-book. gt * BABINGTON. = . GON TEN TS. Page How Scholars should read, ........-. i era ae Scholars should understand what they read,........ 10 The Girl who ate toomuch,....... Simple Stories. 11 Bittio Charlie, Bam sys 6a «4 verve, ee ib. 14 The little Girl who was kind to others,. ........ ib. 15 The little Girl who.told Lies; .. . . . « is oes Pee as & The Idle Boy who became a Good Boy,. . Mrs. Barbauld. 20 About heme neat, dycns wets! in. “su « elbgteyiia pawns mG 21 Mary and her Rid yo. fo)... 6 Evenings at Home. 23 Mary aiid Saraliy, cme sy alia! ase )iqiiataeil Rational Guide. 26 «ih 40. There is nothing like Trying,. .........-.-. ib. a ig SA othe pou ae eee Comstock. The Conceited BOW) 6 sls pgm aie Vo) eee Mrs. Sherwood. The Conceited Boy’s Troubles,...%..... ay PEt OE PT Eh yo ie a sliieBi wu a Juvenile Magazine. Tortie i viaates’ bib eee te hee Juvenile Miscellany. Euitsle (Pysentss~acain, .) 0 oe! ato, ee ee 3 1b. The Rhinoceros, 6 ele Minha eel tate o's ats Sem Comstock, Anecdotes of the Rhinoceros, . ..'.55 4... 5 es 6 ib. DUES EROUEGY, 14's so! ys ta Wetle 'hi6 ms tee ehh ean 3 ee eo. Ot ae Oe eeneiaagls No1 Comstock. The Ten Commandments, AAO DIR os ody oot Bible. A Talk about the Ten Commandments, Youth’s Compan. Bbowp Colunibirey 6. Se yt oe NS eer The American Revolution,. ......... Cardell. More about the Revolutiony j! 6) 02465 ee ela sates Improper Sentences corrected, . .'. . Child’s Assistant. dts, THE Ce aes GU LsES LESSON I. HOW SCHOLARS SHOULD READ. Tue first thing little boys and girls should think of, when they begin to read, is, whether what they read can be plainly heard by every one in the room. You know, children, that you may be heard, and yet not be plainly heard. I have known some children read in such a way, that when I was sitting at the other side of the room, their voices sounded much like the buzz of a humble-bee, and | could not tell what they were reading about. I suppose your teacher has read the preface to this book; and if so, I think you will be taught to read very distinctly. Distinctly means plainly. Now you cannot do this, unless you read slowly. When J used to go to school, I found these dines in my book :— “ Learn to speak slow ; all other graces Will follow in their proper places.” iy 1 am sure that no one can ead pi es tia Uvety well, eet We mm 10 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. The nezt thing in reading is, to place the em- phasis on the right words. Perhaps you do not know what emphasis means. I will tell you. When you place the emphasis on a word, you speak it more strongly than the other words. If you were sent to the door, to call a boy whose name was James, perhaps you would say, “ James, the teacher says you must come 7m.” Here you would place the emphasis on the words James and az. ‘Che words on which the emphasis is placed, are called the emphatical words. Most of the em- phatical words in this book are printed in Italics, like the words James and 2x. One thing more | wish you to remember; and that is, to notice the stops. At a comma, you should make quite a short stop: not longer than you would be in speaking the word—and. At a semi- colon, or a colon, you should stop a little longer than at a comma ; and at a period, longer still. You will not often find a book, in which all the stops are just as they showld be ; you should there- fore make the same stops when you read, as when you talk. You should also speak your words, when reading, as when talking. | LESSON II. SCHOLARS SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY READ. Thope every scholar, who uses this book, will try to understand what he reads. The hardest words in many of these lessons. are defined at the yf THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 1] beginning of them. To define a word is to tell what it means. You will also find words at the beginning of some lessons, which you are to define, by naming words which have a meaning ezactly opposite. I suppose your teacher will question you, when you have read a lesson throwgh, as to what it is about. Some of the lessons have questions printed at the end. It will do you little, or no good, to read any thing of which you do not know the meaning. I have known some boys and girls, who were so foolish as to wish to read in the oldest class in school, in hard reading, who yet could not read a very sim- ple story, as it owght to be read. Now don’t’you think a scholar appears very much like a dunce, who thinks he ought to read in difficult lessons, written perhaps by Milton, and other great poets, before he knows any thing about the words they use? I hope you will never be guilty of such folly. Your teacher may sometimes think it best, that you should read over the same lesson, two or three times. You ought not to have a zew lesson, till you can spell all the words in the old one, and tell what the lesson is about. eran eee LESSON II. THE GIRL WHO ATE TOO MUCH. Bess was a fine erik of eight years old, Who could run, and gump, and play, for, hours. She . 12 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. was strong and well, and might have been so for a long time, if she had been good, and done as she was bid. But she was too fond of cakes, and would eat all she could find ; and she would eat fruit that was not ripe. Her mother bid her not to eat so much, or some day she would be made sick by the trash she put down her throat; but Bess would not ménd her. So one day she became very sick, and was put to bed, and she had pills to take, which she did not like. She was sick eight long days, and lay in Jed all that time ina dark room. She had such a pain in her head, that she could not bear to see the ight, or hear the dzrds sing. When she got up at last, she could not stand or walk, she was so weak. She could not run, or jump, or play, for a long time; nor could she run in the fields, or eat rzpe fruit with the good boys and girls. But while she was 2/, and could not sleep at night, she thought a great deal; and she found that those who told her not to eat too Much were good friends to her, and that she had done wrong not to mind them. When Bess was quite well, she took great care about what she ate, and to do all that she was b2d to do: so she grew st79ng, and was soon able to walk and run again. What was Bess too fond of? What would she eat? Was she sick? How long? What did she think of while she was sick? Bais ; > THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 13 THE GREEDY GIRL. c WR a yp “ Her iniaitiee bid her not to eat so much,—but ids would not mind her.’’—p. 12. LITTLE CHARLES. 14 THE CHILD'S GULDE. LESSON IY. DEFINITIONS. Weak, not strong. impudent, saucy. Fierce, furious, cruel. Prints. pictures. What is the opposite of Sick? Of Tall? Of Hard? First? Down ? LITTLE CHARLES. Charles was eight years old, and did not know how to read or write ; this would have been a great . shame, had it been quite his own fault ; but it was ‘not. His old aunt, in whose house he was, lay sick in ded more than half the year, and was too weak to teach him; nor did she send him to school, till her maid, Grace, told her that he was grown so impudent that she could not dear him. Then his aunt told Grace to take the boy out with her, and leave him at school. The jfirst day he went with good wll ; but when he was there, and found what he had to do, he did not dzkeit. So the next day, when Grace put on her cloak to go with him, he said, “I will not go to school; I will play with the cat at home.” Grace said, “ You must go,” and took his hand. But he gave hera hard slap, and said, “ No, I won't.” So Grace said no more, but went out of the room, and soon came back with a great, tall, THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 15 strong man,sto whom she said “ take up that child and come with me.’ The man did as he was bed ; and Charles did not dare to strike him, for he hada fierce look and a large stick. So Charles was brought to school in the man’s arms ; and it made all the boys laugh to see him put down on the floor like a bag of corn. Grace said it was the way he should go the neat day, if he was not a good doy. Charles saw there was no help for him, so he thought it best to do at once what he was ézd. At last he found out it was a good thing to go to school and learn; for his poor old aunt was so glad, when she heard he could sped/ and read, that she gave him do0ks with prints in them, of men, and beasts, and birds, and trees. When Charles had got so far that he could write and cipher, his aunt was so kind as to buy a horse for him to ride in the fields, and up and down the hills that were near her house. So he found it was well for him to do as his aunt wished to have him. LESSON V. THE LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS KIND TO OTHERS. Ann was a child of five years old, tito was good and kind to all. The girls who went to with her were fond of her; and the beasts a birds around the house would come when they he H ther voice. All the fowls inthe yard Cae school 16 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. her as soon as they saw her: and she was glad when she got leave to feed them. One day when she came home from school she met her mother, who gave her a cake; and as it was a fine day she went to the field at the back of the house to eat it. She had just sat down by the fence, when a poor thin dog came to look at her; she gave him a small bit of her cake, and saw him eat it and wag his tad. Then an old man came out of a poor hut to call-the dog; and Ann saw that he too was thin, and pale, and sick. So she gave him a large piece of her cake ; and he said, “ Thank you, good child !” and ate it, and told her that it did him good. The old man and his dog then went back to the hut, and Ann ate the small bit of cake that was /eft, and felt much better than if she had eaten the whole. Yet she was fond of cakes ; and I am not sure, if the old man and his dog had been fat and strong, that she would have thought of giving them a dz¢, as they did not ask for it; but she saw that they were in great want, which put her in mind to share with them. It was not long before Ann had another cake. As soon as she had got it, she went to look for the old man and his dog, but could not find them; and she meta boy who told her that they were grown fat and well, and were gone to their own home, a great way off. UNS? Vi THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 17 Wr LESSON VI. THE GIRL WHO TOLD LIES. Rose was asad girl. She did not tell the truth ; no one could trust toa word she said; and she had got such a bad name, that if some one said, ‘Rose told me the grapes were ripe,’ some one else would say, ‘ Then I am sure they are not ripe, for Rose does not tell the truth.’ One morning when there was a hard frost, as she ran by the road side, her foot slid on some ice, and she fell down. She felt a great pain in one leg, which made her scream and cry owt; and» she could not move that leg, nor stir from the spot where she day. A man who came that way in great haste said, ‘Are you hurt ?” and Rose said “Oh! yes: I have broken my deg.” But when the man saw who she was, he thought she did not say the truth, and so went away. e Then came a girl with a mélk-pazl on her head ; and Rose said, “ Pray help me ; my leg is broke.” And the girl put down her pail ; but she came near and saw it was Rose who spoke: then she said, “1 dare say this is not ¢rue, and I have no time to lose.” So she took up her pail and went on. Poor Rose was in great pain, and she told two or three more, who came by, the sad state she was, in; but as they all knew her, they thought it was false, and would not stop. Soshe lay therefortwo — hours with no one to help her, and thought whala | sad thing it was that nobody would ea 2% fete j ‘f fis paee es 18 THE CHILD’S GUIDE , Rs : x) THE KIND LITTLE GIBE. \. ——— —_ = =} = SS Mie nt “Ann saw that he was pale and sick. So she gave him a large piece of her cake.’’—p. 16. —- THE GIRL WHO TOLD LIES. * She lay there two hours, ish t faut: Sse a x i oi “4 i Le i ; THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 19 At last a man came that way who did not know Rose, and said, “ Why do you cry and moan so ?” She said, “I have broken my leg, and no one will help me or take me home.” This good man then said, “ Poor child! do not cry so; I will take you home.” So he took Rose in his arms, and brought her home ; and though he went slow, and took care not to hurt her, yet she felt great paz, and it made her cry and moan by the way. Her friends wept when they saw her so much hurt. Her leg had grown st7ff in the two hours she lay on the ground; she felt great pain when the done was set, and she had caught a bad cold. She had to lie in bed a long time ; and could not run or jump for four months ; but in this time she thought a great deal ; and when the cough shook her and hurt her eg, she felt that if she had been , known to tell truth, she might have had no couch. All this made Rose think what a bad thing it was to tell Zzes ; and when she got well she did not ted/ any more. And her friends were all very glad, and grew very fond of her, when they found that they could trust to her word. > ue LESSON VII. - ee DEFINITIONS, 3 Wise, judging rightly. Gather, to bring together. 20 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. Idle, lazy, not busy. Tell me the opposite of Big. Higher. Pleasant. Went. Pull. Come. Build. Well. Good. THE IDLE BOY WHO BECAME A GOOD BOY. There was a little boy; he was not a dig boy, for if he had been a dig boy, I suppose he would have been wzser; but this was a little boy, not higher than the ¢adle, and his papa and mama sent him to school. It was a very pleasant morning ; the sun shone and the dzrds sung on the trees. Now this little boy did not much dove his book, for he was but a silly little boy as I told you; and he had a great mind to play instead of going to school. And he saw a bee flying about, first upon one flower, and then upon another ; so he said, Pretty bee! will you come and play with me? But the ‘bee said, No, I must not be zdle; I must go and gather honey. Then the little boy met a dog ; and he said, Dog! will you play with me? But the dog said, No, I must not be idle; Iam going to drive the pigs out of my master’s garden. _ Then the little boy went by a hay-stack, and he saw a bird pulling some hay out of the hay-stack ; and he said, Bird! will yow come and play with me? But the bird said, No, I must not be idle ; T must pe some hay to build my mest with, and THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 9] some moss, and some wool. So the bird flew away. Then the little boy saw a horse, and he said, Horse! will you play with me? But the horse said, No ; I must not be idle, [must go and plough, or else there will be no corn to make bread of. Then the little boy thought with himself, what, is nobody idle? then little boys must not be idle either. So he made haste, and went to school, and learned his lesson very well, and the master said he was a very good boy. LESSON VIIL DEFINITIONS. Neat, cleanly. Careful, watchful. Cleanse, to make clean. Tell me the opposite of Remember. Whole. Smooth. Little. Dirty. Go. ABOUT BEING NEAT. I have sometimes seen a child go to school with dirty hands, a dirty face, and a dirty book ; but I do not remember that I ever heard such a.child read very wel]; and I am sure nobody could like to look at him. S uyie A neat scholar will wash his face ee bande tee * fore he comes to school, and te ery carefi ea 22 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. keep his clothes and books free from dirt. And he will want to have the school-room kept very neat. He would sweep it himself, almost every day, rather than have the floor covered with leaves and dirt. _ If he has a writing-book, you will not see a sin- gle blot in the whole of it. The corners of the leaves will not be rolled over, like a dog’s ears, but © will be kept smooth and clean. A neat scholar will not go into a house without cleansing his shoes, if they are dirty. He will spit as little as may be ; and will not whittle chazrs or benches. ae ee LESSON IX. DEFINITIONS. Gnaw, to wear away by biting. Delighted, much pleased. Allow, to give leave.—Children are not allowed to be noisy at school. | Troublesome, giving trouble-——A scholar who does not come to school in season, is troudle- some; because he disturbs others. Sip, to drink a little at a time. Angry, very much displeased. Persuade, to make another willing, by talking to him, or treating him kindly Presently, soon. Thrust, to push. Appear, to be in sight. Valuable, worth a great deal. THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 93 Tell me the opposite of better. Of Always. Mistress. Loved. Summer. Nothing. Danger. Carry. Found. Sorry. Mother. MARY AND HER KID. Kids are little goats. Goats do not like to live in the streets and houses, like the dogs. Goats love to run and jump about in the woods, and to gnaw the bark of trees. A goat is a little larger than a sheep. Here is a picture of one. It is between two and three feet high ; that is, about as high asa table. Goats give very good milk. People carry them to sea, because they are smaller than cows, and do not take up so much room in the ship. “ The skins of goats are made into leather: The skins of kids make very nice gloves. Handles for — knives and forks are made of goats’ horns. Their Alesh, tallow, and hair are also valuable. 94 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. Mary, a little girl, who lived in a place where there are many goats, taking a walk one day, found a little kid ; its mother, the old goat, had left it ; it was almost dead. Mary felt sorvy for the poor little kid; she took it up, hugged it in her arms, and carried it home with her. She begged her mother to let her keep the kid for her own. Her mother gave her leave. Mary gota basket full of clean straw, and laid it on the warm hearth, for a bed for the kid. She warmed some milk, and held it to him to drink. ~ ‘The kid drank it, and licked Mary’s hand for more. Mary was delighted when she saw him jump out of the basket, and run about the room ; presently, he lay down again, and took a comfortable nap. The next day, Mary gave her kid a name; she called him Capriole. She showed him to all the family, and allowed her little brothers and sisters to pat him. Capriole soon followed Mary all about the house ; trotted by her side into the yard ; ran races with her in the field ; and fed out of her hand. He soon grew troublesome, and thrust his nose into the meal tub. Sometimes he got a dlow for sipping the midk. Capriole’s little horns soon began to appear, and a white beard soon sprouted at the end of his chin. He grew bold enough to fight when he was angry, and sometimes threw down, Colin, Mary’s little brother, into the dirt: Every body said, “ Capriole is getting too saucy; he must be sent away, or be taught to dehave better.” Mary always took his part, and let him do as he pleased. Capriole loved his little mistress dearly. Near to Mary’s house, were some large THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 25 fields, and some tall rocks ; a little farther off was a high held. Oae fine summer’s day, Mary had finished her morning’s work, and wanted to play with her kid. She looked aba the house door, and could not see Capriole. She then ran to the field, and called aloud, “‘ Capriole! Capriole !” expecting to see him come running towards her. No Capriole came. Her heart began to beat. ‘“ What can have de- come of him? Somebody must have stolen him. Perhaps the neighbors’ dogs have killed him. Oh my Capriole! my dear Capriole! I shall never see you again.” Mary began to cry; but she still went oz, look- ing all around, and calling “ Capriole! Capriole !” After a while she heard the voice of Capriole. She looked wp, and saw her little goat, standing on the edge of a high rock ; she was afraid to call him, — lest he should jump dowz and break his neck. There was no danger ; Capriole had run away from\his mistress; he liked the fields and the rocks better than he liked Mary. She waited for him, however, till she was tired, and then went home, and got her little brothers to go back wzth her, to the foot of the Aid. They carried some dread and milk, for Capriole, but they could not persuade him back again; he had found a herd of goats, and they were playing together. So Mary bade him good What isa kid? What do goats love todo? Of what use/ are their skins? Horns? The skins of kids?” How _ are goats? Where carried? What did Mary do the kid she found? What else? bhi oe he. et | . ety oon oaiN Pre abs ae Si nea Uta Vetoes bile -. 26 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. LESSON X. DEFINITIONS. Depend, to rely on. Affronted, provoked. Determined, resolved. Convenience, ease, accommodation. Tell me the opposite of Lend. Willing. Pro- per. Lost. Run. Night. MARY AND SARAH. Mary. 1 wish you would lend me your thim- ble, Sarah, for I can never find mine when I want it. Sarah. And why can you not find it, Mary? Mary. lam sure I cannot ¢ell, but if you do not choose to lend me your's, I can borrow of some- body else. Sarah. Lam willing to lend it to you, but | should like to have you tell me why you always come to me to borrow when yow have lost any thing ? Mary. Because you never lose your things, and always know where to find them. Sarah. And how, think you, do I alw aye know where to find my things? \ Mary. How can T tell? If I knew, 1 might sometimes contrive to find my own. Sarah. Iwill tell you the secret, if you wyill hear it. Thave a set place for every thing, /nd THE CHILD’S GUILE. 27 after I have done wsing a thing, I always put it in its proper place, and never leave it to be thrown about and lost. Mary. I never can find tzme to put my things away; and who wants, as soon as she has wsed a thing, to have to run and put it away, as if one’ 's life depended upon it ? Sarah. Your life does not depend upon it, Ma- ry, but your conventence does; and let me ask, how much more time will it take to put a thing in its proper place, than to Aunt after it when lost, or borrow of your friends ? Mary. Well, I will never borrow of you again, you may depend upon it. Sarah. Why, you are not affronted, I hope. Mary. No, but Iam ashamed, and am deter- mined before night to have a place for every thing, and to keep every thing in its place. How can one always know where to find things? What depends on doing this? What else?, The convenience of others. LESSON XI. DEFIN ITIONS. Meadow, moist level ground, covered with grass and flowers. i Cluster, a bunch. Affectionate, fond, tender. Trouble, uneasiness. Playful, sportive, lively. 28 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. Overjoyed, much pleased. Caper, to jump about playfully. Dispute, to say a thing is not so. Credit, honor, character. Intend, to mean. Wholesome, healthy. Fruit, apples, pears, cherries, &c. Greedy, eager to eat. Tell me the opposite of Large. Ripe. Pleased. Happy. Ran. Best. Glad. Agree. Foolish- ly. Kind. Great. Carried. Sick. JACK AND HIS SISTERS. There was a large grape vine that ran up an oak tree in a meadow, about half a mile from the house. The vine hung full of grapes, in large clusters. When they were ripe and very jine, Jack invited his sésters to go there with him one fair day, and get some. The little girls were so pleased with going that they were ready in two minutes. Their mother smzled to see them go off so brisk and happy, and so affectéonate to each other. “ Lit- tle birds,” she said to herself, as they went out through the gate, “they have no ¢rowdle nor care.” Amnon, the pet lamb, ran playfully along after the children, and Mary said they could let him go as wellaszot. Jack let down the Jars for the girls, and the lamb skipped through with them. When little Betsey came under the vine, and saw the great bunchesvof prapes over her head, she jumped and hollowed, “O! O! O! I never THE CHILD’S GUIDE. AS) did see such a sight, in all my dife. What a par- cel! O, I wish my ’ma was here, to see this grape tree,” The pet lamb cared nothing about the grapes ; but, seeing Betsey so overjoyed, seemed to think she was playing with him. He began to hop up and down too, and they both jumped and capered very much alike. The grapes were indeed very fine. Mary said they were nearly as large as robdins’ eggs, almost as sweet as honey, and that she had never tasted any half so good. The color was dark purple. The vine ran over the whole of the oak tree. Jack climbed up among the branches, and the girls held their aprons to catch the beautiful clus- ters, as he threw them down, till they got their aprons heaping full. Then he scrambled down to the lower dmb, and jumped from that to the ground. “ Now, girls,” said he, “I will tell you what we will do. Weill spread these grapes on this clean grass, and sort them, and pick out the. very best bunches to carry home to ’pa and ’ma.” “O yes,” said Mary, “that is night ; so we will.” * Ves, brother Tate ” said little Betsey, “ you are a good boy.” She was pleased about giving the best grapes to her father and mother, though the little parrot could’ hardly speak all her words. “They will be glad,” said Jack, “to see that we think so much about them.” “ Yes,” said Ma- ry; “and another thing; let us agree never to. quarrel and be cross to each other.” By, “Tf you see me get angry, and act “Pigune. do. you teil me of it, so that 1 may leave it of iis be- 3 * ae 30 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. have better, and I will do the same with youw ; be- cause it is very dad for brothers and sisters to dis- pute, and you know father and mother are always so pleased, when they see us kind to each other.” “ Yes, I know that,” said Jack: “‘ We can nev- er pay our parents all we owe them, for being so good to us; but we ought to do all we can to make them happy and keep up the credit of our family.” The little girls both said they would try with all their might. , “ Ves,” said Jack, “that is what ad good chil- dren should do. When I get to be a great man, ’pa and ’ma will be old gray-headed people, and have wrinkles in their faces, like old Mr. Adlen and his wife; and then I intend to take care of them.” When they carried home the grapes to their mother, Mary said, “ Did you ever, in your life, ’"ma, taste any thing so good?” ‘They are very Jine, indeed, my dear,” said Mrs. Halyard. “We picked out all the dest, ’ma,” said Mary, “ for you and ’pa.” ‘Ah, my children,” said their mother, “then I shall tell your father of that good action, when he comes, and he will like the grapes very auch.” “Ma,” said Jack, “are not grapes very whole- some to eat?” ‘ Yes, my son,” said she, “ most kinds of fruit are wholesome, if they are ripe, and eaten a little at a tame.” _ “ The dest thing may become hurtful, when tak- en to excess ; and children frequently make them- selves seck, with good things, by being too greedy. — To be sure, people must eat, in order to live ; but THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 31 I wish my children always to remember that eating is not the chief thing they are to dive for.” LESSON XII. DEFINITIONS. Hut, a poor, small house. Vegetable, a plant, an herb. Coachman, one who drives a coach. Pious, religious. Ainuse, to please with harmless play. It some- times means to deceive artfully. Innocent, that which does not hurt. Infant, a very young child. Food, victuals. Tell me the opposite of Able. Of Near. Open. Busy. Poor. Honest. Often. Old. Found. Cold. Out. Asleep. Some. Useful. Fetch. THE OLD MAN AND LITTLE PETER. There was once a poor old lame man; he had’ been a soldier, and had almost lost the use of one leg, so he was not able to do much work. He built himself a little hwt, and made a garden. where he planted potatoes, beans, and such other vegela- bles as he wanted to eat. All the money he got was given to him by people | for wpeaing a gate near his hut. ai one 32 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. in coaches do not like to have the coachman leave the horses to open a gate; they are willing to give nga Sail a few cents to do it for them. he money which the poor man got in this way was enough to buy him clothes, and such other things as he wanted. This poor man was very honest, so every body thought well of him. He was pious, too; he prayed to God every night and morning ; he thought of God often, and he tried to please God. This old man, ina walk one day found a little kid, that had lost its mother, and was almost starv- ed. He took it home, and fed it, and nursed it, so that it grew very large and strong. He called the goat Nan. Nan loved her master; she ran after him like a little dog, and ate the grass which grew round his door. She often played very prettzy, so that she amused her master with her innocent tricks. The old man would lift up his eyes and thank God, that he had. given him this faithful creature. One cold night in the beginning of winter, the old man thought he heard a child cry ; he got up, lit a candle, went out at the door, and looking all about, he soon found a little daby lying on the ground. The old man knew not what to do. “J can Aardly take care of myself,” said he; “what shall I do with a poor infant? If I leave it here, the little creature will die before morning. I will take it in, and give it some food.” Saying this he took up the little boy, who was only covered with a fewrags. The infant smiled, and stretched out his arms to hug the é6ld man. ‘When he had brought it into the Aut, he called his THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 33 goat, Nan; her little kid was just dead, and she had mille to spare. Nan was quite walling to nurse the little boy ; he sucked till he had enough, and then fell asleep. The old man took the child to his bosom, and went to bed. He felt happy, because he had done a good action. Early the next morning, he waked, and gave the infant some of Nan’s milk. “ Who knows,” said the old man,.“ but this child may live to be.a man, and that God will make him good and happy. When he grows bigger he will be a comfort to me; he will learn to be wse- ful, to fetch my wood, and dig in the garden.” The little boy grew fast, and loved the old man dearly ; and he loved the goat too. She would lie down, and little Peter would crawl on his hands and knees close to her, and go to sleep in her bosom. In short time ‘Peter could watk, and he soon learned to talk a little. He called the old man “ Daddy,” and the goat he called “ Mammy.” He used to run about after his mammy. At night the old man would take Peter upon his knee, and talk to him while their supper was boil- ing over the fire. When Peter grew bigger, he opened the gate for his daddy, and learned to get the breakfast and dinner. The old man used to tell Peter stories, and amuse him very much. Can you tell me something you are able todo? Some- thing else? Something you are not able todo? Some- thing which is work? Something else ?—Of a vegetable ? Another?—What is better than money 2 _ Why ?—Who makes doors? Of what? The hinges? Of what? How? What is iron made of ?—What are sys weds of? What else gives light? What else? Sg 34 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. LESSON XIII. DEFINITIONS. Desire, wish. Grieved, made uowiaWernl Grateful, feeling that another has been kind. Daddy, a child’s name for father. Tell me the opposite of Faithful. Of Crying. Fast. Lady. Long. Gave. Day. MORE ABOUT LITTLE PETER. The old man had a great desire that his darling should learn to vead and write, but he had neither books, nor pens, nor paper. In the summer the old man would sit at his cottage door, and draw letters in the sand; he taught Peter their names, and taught him to make them. Peter soon learned all the letters of the alphabet, and he soon learned to put them together, in syllables and words. About this time Peter’s faithful nurse, Nanny, died. While she was sick, Peter took great care of her; he tried to make her take food, and held her head upon his little Zosom. All would not make her well; she died, and Peter was very much grieved. he poor goat was buried in the garden; Peter ~ would go there, and call upon his mammy, and ask her why she had /eft him. One day as he was calling Nanny, and crying, a lady came along ina carriage ; she overheard Peter. As soon as Peter heard some one call, “ open THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 35 the gate,” he ran as fast as he could. The lady asked him whom he was calling, and why he cried so. Peter answered, it was for his poor mammy, that was buried in the garden. “How did your mammy get her living ?” asked the lady. ‘“ She used to eat grass,” said Peter. The nay did not know what he meant; but the old man came out of his hut, and told her the whole story of Peter. She looked at the boy, who had dried up his tears, and was playing at the coach door ; she was much pleased with him. ‘“ Will you go with me, little boy ?” said she; “I will take care of you if you dehave well.” “ No,” said Peter, “I must stay with daddy ; he has taken care of me for a long time, and now I must take care of him.” The lady was pleased with this answer ; it showed Peter tobe a grateful bo She put her hand in fie pocket, and took out her — purse ; she found half a dol/ar in it, which she gave to Peter, and bid him buy some shoes and stock- ings ; then she went away. Peter knew how to use money; he had been sent to buy dread, and such things as his daddy wanted; but he did not know much about shoes and stockings. He had seen them upon others, but he had never worn any in his life. The next day the old man made him go to the town and lay out his money. Peter had not been gone long, before his daddy saw him come back, without his shoes and stock- ings. “ What have you done with your iat Peter ?” said the old man. 36 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. “ Daddy,” answered Peter, ‘I went to the store, and just put om shoes and stockings, but I did not like them; so [I laid out the money for a warm waistcoat for you; winter is coming, and you will be cold.” Did Peter have any books? How did he learn to read? ‘What became of Nanny? What can you tell me of the lady? Was Peter willing to go home with her? Why? What did this show him to be? What did she give him? For what? Did he buy them? What did he buy ? Can you name something which you have a desire to do? Something else? Something else? Something you have a desire not to do? &c.—Should we always be grateful to those who take care of us? Who takes care of you? Of all people? Are children grateful who do not mind their parents? Their teachers? Who do not thank God for taking care of them? If Peter had chosen to buy warm clothes for himself, while the old man who took care of him had none, what would he have been? . LESSON XIV. DEFINITIONS. Obedience, doing as one is told. Difficult, hard, not easy. Fatigued, tired. Patient, willing to wait quietly. LITTLE HARRY. “ Grandmother, when do you think mother will be at home ?” said little Harry, as he seated him- self upon the floor at her feet. ; THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 37 “Tt will not be long before we shall see her,” said his grandmother, “as it is almost dark.” “T wish it would grow dark faster,” said Harry, “for I want to tell her about my shoes, and all that lady said.” “You must try to be patient, my little boy,” said _ his grandmother ; and she took off her spectacles, and laying aside the apron she was mending for Harry, took him up inher lap. This little boy loved his grandmother, and always liked to sit in her lap. “What is the reason, grandmother, that you wear spectacles? J should not think you could see to work or read with them. When J put them on, I can but just see you; and you look so funny, that I can hardly tell where your eyes and nose are.” “ My eyes are not as good as yours are, Harry, and I could not see to work at all without these spectacles.” “ But I thought old people could do every thing a great deal better than little boys,” said Harry. “They know a great deal better how to do things, but they often cannot do them as well,” said his grandmother: “they often cannot see as well, or hear as well, or walk as well; but then they can teach little boys a great deal, and tell them what they can do with their eyes, and their ears, and ey limbs, to make them useful before they grow rs) ty “What can I do with my eyes, grandmother, that is useful ?” said Harry. “A great many things, my dear; you can find ae —_ my needle when I happen to drop it, and you know you have learned to thread it for me ; and when my ‘al » 4 RES Ba STE ss 38 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. spectacles are out of the way, you know I say, ‘come, Harry, be my spectacles for me ;’? and when you come and use. your eyes for me, you make them useful, and make me very happy to think that be- sides my own eyes, I have a pair in your little head.” “T hope, grandmother, you will always let me thread your needles for you,” said Harry ; “ and I dare say there are some other things etch do for you if you would det me.” “There are other things that you already do for me,” said his grandmother ; “ besides helping me with your eyes, you sometimes also use your feet forme. Don’t you remember when I was sick the other day, you went to the Doctor’s for me ? and often when my old limbs are tered, you use your young ones, and bring me what I want, while mine are resting.” While Harry and his grandmother were talking together in this pleasant way, the time which Har- ry thought would be so long, was-passed, and his mother came home. As soon as Harry saw her, he jumped down and ran to her saying, ‘“ Mother, mother, I have got a pair of shoes; now may I not go to school 2” “Tam too tired to attend to you mow, Harry,” said his mother; “so run off.” Harry was grieved at his mother’s not hearing the long story he had to tell her about his shoes ; but he deft her as soon as she dzd him, and did not say a word. Harry had learnt the best lesson a little boy can learn, which is obedience, and he did not find it so dificult to be quiet, as some children might suppose. — « THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 39 Harry’s mother was not strong, and had been e out, doing a hard day’s work, and was so much . fatigued that she felt too sick to talk till she had taken her swpper. When she felt better, she said, ‘Now, Harry, you may come and tell me about your shoes ; how did you get them 2” Harry now began to tell his mother all about the lady who had been there in the morning, and brought him the shoes. “It was the same lady, mother, that came the other day, and told you about that school, where they teach children to ead and count, and show them pictures and tell them stories. Now, moth- er, may I not go? for the lady said she wanted me to go, and she brought me these shoes on purpose.” “ Yes, child, you shall go, and I will bless them that keep you out of mzschief, and give you more learning.” When Harry had got his mother’s leave to his going to school, he went to Jed. He did not yet know, that when he laid down to sleep, the Being who made the su2 to shine, took care of him in the night, and always watched over him. He had not yet learned that when he was good, he pleased this good Being, who made the whole world and every thing in it. | What can you tell me about little Harry? About his grandmother? Mother? &c. Should children always try to be patient when they have — ay to wait for what they want?—Should children practise, / Ne obedience? Towhom? To whom else? &¢. When do © they not practise it?—Can you name something which you =~ would find difficult ?—Do you ever get fatigued? When? Who makes the sun to shine? Who made the Baie i 40 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. LESSON XV. DEFINITIONS. Enter, to go in. Repeat, to say over. Attentively, carefully. Quiet, still. Tell me the opposite of Much. Of Black. Ask. Right. Forget. MORE ABOUT LITTLE HARRY. The wished-for morning soon came, and Harry awoke full of life, and was soon in readiness to go to school with his mother, who was glad to take her little boy to a place where so good care would be taken of him. And now we must suppose Harry in a school- room for the first time. When he went in, he felt a little troubled at seeing so many faces he did not know ; and he thought he should rather be in his grandmother’s dap than even in this school, where he had so much wished to come. But the school-mistress spoke very kindly to him and showed him some pictures ; and after she had talked with him a little while, Harry was wil- ling to stay, and in a short time felt as happy as he expected to feel. It so happened that he was seated on a bench with a little boy he knew, and this made him feel quite at home. After a little while, all the boys and girls were seated in their different places, and 9 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 4l when all was quiet, the school-mistress spoke to the children all together, and asked them if they would like to repeat their morning hymn. All that were old enough then stood up, and re- peated something which Harry did not quite under- stand. They were singing a morning hymn. He did not know what a morning hymn meant. It was not long, however, before Harry understood that a morning hymn was thanking God for taking care of us through the zzght, and for letting us en- joy another day. After this the school-mistress went to a large black slate, and with a piece of white chalk made some letters. Harry noticed every thing she did. When she made one letter, she asked the chil- dren its name. They almost all said, A. Harry looked at this letter very attentively, and saw that it seemed to stand upon twodegs and had a little dar across it. She then made another let- ter that was like a ring, and this wasO. And another which looked like a gate, and this was H. Harry kept his eyes all the time on the sdate, and noticed the difference in the letters, so that he might remember them when he saw them again. » The school-mistress saw how attentive Harry had been, and when the desson was over, she went up to him and said, “ your name is Harry, is it not, my little boy 2” “Yes, ma’am,” said Harry. “ T shall remember, then,” said she, “ and always eall you by your right name, Harry, and not Billy, a or Tommy, and you must try to remember to call all my letters by their right names; I hope the 4* Hae 8 yaw ees * 49 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. next time a see them you will not forget ther names, and I will try not to forget yours.” What. troubled little Harry when he first went into school? How did the mistress speak to him? Whom did he sit with? What did the scholars repeat? What is meant by a morning hymn? How did the teacher show the children the letters? &c. LESSON XVI. DEFINITIONS. Differ, to be unlike. Pouch, a small bag. Chap, (pron. chop) the upper or under part of an animal’s mouth. Down, soft feathers. Jaw, the bone of the mouth in which the teeth are fixed. —Torpid, dull, stupid. Gluttonous, fond of eating a great deal. Food, victuals. . Surface, the outside. , Tell me the opposite of Wet. Of Lazy. Un- der. Empty. Downwards. THE PELICAN, Do you know why the rain does not make the birds very wet? Why, it is because their feathers are oily, so that the rain does not easily soak through them. Their wings are very strong. A. THE CHILD’S GUIDE. / 43 swan’s wing would break a man’s leg. Some birds are very lazy. Here isa picture of a lazy bird, called the Pelican. It is a large bird, weighing over twenty pounds. It differs from all other birds in its d22/, and the great pouch under it. The pouch hangs at the lower edge of the un- der chap, and will hold fifteen quarts of water ; it reaches the whole length of the dzd/ to the neck : this bag is covered with a very soft down, and when empty can scarcely be seenj as the bird wrinkles it up into the lower jaw. , These birds are very torpid and very glution- ous. When in search of food, they fly over the water with one eye turned downwards, and as soon as they see a fish near the surface, they dart down swiftly, and are almost sure to sezze it and store it up in their pouch. Why do not birds get quite wet when it rains? How much will a pelican weigh? _How much more than a hen? Four or five times as much. What hangs at,the lower rises, of thé.pelican’s under chap? How much will it hold? ~ ? 44 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. LESSON XVII. DEFINITIONS. Ambition, desire of honor. . Jovial, merry. Resolute, bold, determined. Tattling, apt to tell tales. + ISAAC WILSON. Major Wilson had a son, named Jsaac,'about ten years old, and Isaac was inclined to be quite idle, and childish. His father was very anxious to have him do well; but was afraid he would never make a man of -honor and usefulness. Isaac was a stout, hearty boy; but he seemed “to have no manly ambition. In the winter he would sit moping inthe corner, without reading so much as. a newspaper, or caring whether Cana- da was North,or South from the United States. The neighboring boys, one cold day in February, hada jovial time, skating, and sliding down hill on their sleds. Some of them ran, as brisk as sgwir- rels, to ask Major Wilson to let Isaac come and play with them. “ O wes, by ald means,” said Major Wilson : *«T was once a boy myself: “Yes, ’m for the lad ‘that’s active in play, ’ And Bpcanan at Work ; sethat’s much the best way.” * Go, feck by dl means, ‘and have a. lively times with wonr mates :” but Isaac, scowling, shrug- Sal . % ‘ . THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 45 ged up his shoulders, and said he did not want to play in the cold. “Poor little chad,” said Solo- mon Belmot, “he wants his hands wrapped up in his mamma’s warm apron.” So these boys ran back to the rest to enjoy their sport. “Halloo, boys,” said the others, “ where is Isaac 2” “O,” said Solomon, “ he is sitting in the corner to keep the cat from eating the ‘tongs. That is all he will ever be good for : the ninny is too dazy,even to play.” This Solomon Belmot lived at a place called “ Briar Hill,” on account of the multitude of dlack- berries which grew there. Solomon was an active lad among the boys, and heartily earnest, wherever he engaged ; but he was so very fond of.a joke, that he would often say things a little Cea in order to make people laugh. This turn of mind was,unfortunate, and some- times created difficulty, where he did not zntend it. » He was more inclined to practise this harshness of speech, because his mother did so, though she was a good sort of a woman in other respects, and had the name of making the best cheese 6f any farmer’s wife about “ Briar Hill.” Major Wilson was mortified, at having such an idle lubber as Isaac for a son. He was much troub- led to determine what to do with hith. After some time he thought of. Jack Halyard, and, concluded that the best thing he could do, would be to get so good a scholar. to come: and 'liveva while at his house. ‘ ¢ Jack’s father agreed) to let, him on home with Major Wilson: but told hint to ‘be'careful not to spend his time in boyish py with ie and do a j Ee ye “gy Rev a | 4 ; Fi ow A6 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. him more hurt than good. This was in the month of May. Jack stayed five weeks, and in all that time went home only once. During these five weeks, Isaac was so altered, he hardly appeared to be the same boy. He was more active, more resolute, more manly in his conduct, had better zdeas of mii a and began to love learning. Before that time Isaac was afraid to 20 out Blogs after dark; but Jack cured him of that foolish whim, and many others. He used to make up a pitiful face, and think he was almost killed, if he hurt his finger or toe; but after Jack had been with him, he was ashamed to snitvel or squeal for every trifling affair. One'day, as they were in a pasture together, Isaac was frightened almost to death, at the sight of a rattle snake: He ran and screamed, as if the terrible creature was going to swallow him alive ; but Jack, without being at all affaid, gota good stick and killed the snake. What sort of a boy was Isaac? What did Solomon say of him? Whaftkind of a boy was Solomon? What mor- tified Major Wilson? Whom did he send for? Isita good thing to.be resolute? Why? Of what did Jack cure Isaac? How are those who practise tattling, like rattle snakes ? LESSON XVUI. MORE ABOUT ISAAC WILSON, “ These animals,’*said Jack, “ I have heard my father. say, are like tattling, mischief-making yan! THE CHILD’S GUIDE. AZ people: they are very poisonous; but dangerous only when they creep in secret, and bite before they are seen.” When Jack had been at Major Wilson’s about a week, he met Solomon Belmot in the road, and the following dialogue took place. Jack. Good morning, Solomon. Solomon. Good morning, Jack: I see you are going about with Isaac Wilson, and the people say you have come to dive there a while, and try to make something of him. Jack. 1 expect to stay there, till my father be- gins his haying and harvest. Sol? You will find Isaac very much like the jockey’s horse, that had but two fadlings. Jack. What were those two ? Sol. One was, the horse was bad to catch. Jack. What was the other? Sol. When they had catched him, he was good for nothing. Jack. 1 hope Isaac is not so bad as the horse you tell of; he will make a very decent man yet, if he will. only try in earnest. Sol. Ay, there is the difficulty, my g aad fellow, who can change that bag of sand into a smart boy ? Jack. 1 should hardly think that any young lad would be such a dolt, as not to try to make himself respectable in the world. | Sol. You might as well teach a fish to eat grass in the fields, as to make any thing of that lazy fellow. — Jack. We should be very careful, pisiagce: 48 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. about speaking evil of our nezghbors. Good e. Sol. Good morning. Jack talked much and very sensibly, with Isaac, and took great pains to teach him by an example, which his father had told him was the dest teaching in the world. Among other things which the boys read togeth- er, was the thirteenth chapter of the first book of Corinthians. St. Paul says, “ When I was a child, I spoke as a child; I thought as a child ; I under- stood as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Isaac began to wake from his babyish dreams, and to think of becoming a man of talents and merit. He told his father he was determined to exert himself in all that was good. He found that he slept better, and felt altogether better, when he had been well employed through the day. Major Wilson was so much pleased with the change in his son, that he said Jack Halyard was worth five times his weight in gold; and he made him a present of a likely colt, which was just wean- ed. Jack thanked him very politely ; but said this was much more than he had any reason to expect. Major Wilson insisted on his taking the colt. “My good little friend,” said the Major to Jack, —and he almost shed tears while he said it,—“the great happiness of parents is seeing their chdl- dren do well. If Isaac should ever make an ho- norable man, it will be in part owing to what you have done for him, and I should not regret giving Be THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 49 ten timesas much. ‘Take this colt. I hope, my dear fellow, you may live to ride him to Congress.” Can you tell any thing which Jack and Solomon said to each other? How did Major Wilson like the change in his son? What did he give to Jack? What was the rea- son of Isaac’s becoming a better boy ?- Are we always apt to be like those whom we are often with? Whom then should we choose for our friends? Those who know most and behave best. What.is the great happiness of parents ? u LESSON XIX. THE LITTLE PHILOSOPHER. Mr. L. was one morning riding by himself, when, dismounting to gather a plant in the hedge, his horse got loose and galloped away before him. He followed, calling the horse by his name, when he stopped, but on his approach set off again. At length a little doy in the neighboring field, seeing the affair, ran across where the road made a turn, and getting before the horse took him by the bridle, and held him till his owner came up. Mr. Li. looked at the boy, and admired his edaay, cheerful countenance. Thank you, my good lad! (said he) you have caught my horse very cleverly. What shall I give you “for your trouble ? Se his hand into his pocket.) Boy. I want nothing, sir. ae Mr. L. Don’t you? so much the better for’ you. , Few men can say asmuch. But pray what were ete you doing in ene ? Taig ae See 20 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. B. Iwas rooting up weeds, and tending the sheep that are feeding on the turnips, and keeping the crows from the corn. Mr. L. And do you like this employment ? B. Yes sir, very well, this fine weather. Mr. L. But would you not rather play ? B. This is not hard work ; itis almost as good as play. Mr. L. Who sent you to work ? B. My father, sir. Mr. L. Where does he live ? B. Just by, among the trees, there, sir. Mr. L. What is his name ? B. Thomas Hurdle, sir. Mr. L. And what is yours ? B. Peter, sir. Mr. L. How old are you ? B. I shall be e¢ght, Thanksgiving day. Mr. L. How long have you been out in this field 2 B. Ever since six in the morning, sir. Mr. L, And are you not hungry ? B. Yes, sir, I shall go to my dénner, soon. Mr. L. If you had sixpence now, what would you do with it? B. 1 don’t know; I never had so much in my life. Mr. L. Wave you no playthings ? B. . Playthings? what are they ? Mr. L. Such as bails, nine-pins, marbles, tops, and wooden horses. B. No, sir; but our Tom makes foot-balls to kick in the cold weather, and we set traps for birds; and then I have a jumping pole and a pair a) Ave} Oh. Pee Coe ¥ a THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 5k of stats to walk through the dirt with; and I had a hoop, but it broke. Mr. L. And do you want nothing else ? B. No. I have hardly time for those ; for | always ride the horses to the field, and bring up the cows, and run to the town on errands, and that is as good as play, you know. Mr. L. Well, but you could buy apples or gingerbread, at the town, I suppose, if you had money. B. O,Ican get apples at home; and as for gingerbread, I don’t mind it much, for my mammy gives me a piece of pie, now and then, and that is as good. Mr. L. Would you not like a knzfeto cut stacks ? B. 1 have one—here it is—brother Tom gave it to me. Mr. L. Your shoes are full of holes—don’t you want a detter pair ? B. J have a better pair for Sundays. Mr. L. But these let in water. B. O,Idon’t care for that. Mr. L. Your hat is all torn too. B. VWhavea better hat at home, but I had as lief have none at all, for it hurts my head. Mr. L. What do you do when it rains ? B. If it rains very hard, I get under the fence till it is over. Mr. L. What do you do when you are hungry before it is time to go home ? B. I sometimes eat a raw turnip. Oa Mr. L. But if there ave none ? at B. Then I do as wellas I can ; 1 work on, and never think of it. Pe 52 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. Mr. L. Are younot dry sometimes, this hot weather ? B. Yes, but there is water enough. Mr. L. Why, my little fellow, you are quite a philosopher. Bay Sint Mr. L. say you area philosopher; but lam sure you do not know what that means. B. No sir—no harm, I hope. Mr. L. No, No! Well, my boy, you seem to want nothing at all, so I shall not give you money to make you want any thing. but were you ever at school ? B. No sir, but daddy says I shall go, after harvest. Mr. L. You will want dooks, then. B. Yes sir, the boys all have books. Mr. L. Well, then, I will give you them—tell your daddy so,and that it isbecause I thought you a very good, contented boy. So now go to your sheep again. B. Iwill, sir. Thank you. Mr. L. . Good bye, Peter. B. Good bye, sir. ’ Now, children, what do you think of little Pe- ter? You see he was contented with every thing. Was not this much better than if he had complain- edof having to work, and of not having more playthings? In the next lesson you will see how a child appears, who cries at every trifle. What was Peter doing in the field? Did he like to work? What did he have to play with? &c. THE CHILD'S GUIDE. a3 LESSON XX. THE LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS CROSS. “ What is the matter, Mary? What makes you throw your pretty patchwork on the floor, and stamp on it so?’ Mary’s cheeks were very red ; for she felt a little ashamed, that her mother should see her behave so; and she said, “ It is very ugly patch work, amuther, very ugly zudeed ; and the needle is very ugly too. It pricks my fingers every minute.” “That is because you do not feel very good-na- tured, my dear ; not because the needle is naughty,” said her mother. ‘ You push the needle in such a hurry, that it pricks your fingers.” “T donot love tosew. May I get my play-things, mother ?” asked little Mary. Her mother told her she might get them. So Mary brought out her wooden lion and lamb, and her waxen doll, and her little milk-maid with her churn. . Then Mary twitched the string that kept the milk-maid churning, and it broke, so that she could not raise her arm up and down any more, and Ma- ry cried. “ What is the matter ?” asked her mother. “ She is a very wgly milk-maid,” said Mary, “I cannot make her churn any more.” ‘“ That is be- cause you were cross, and pulled a string so hard that you broke it,” said her mother. Before Mary could dry up her tears, her father, and her little cousins, George and Charlotte, came in. When her father asked what made her eyes look so red, her mother said, * Little pier is cies to-day.” 5% 54 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. “O no, I am not cross,” said Mary; and she was just going to cry again ; but her father hooked at her very kindly, and though her lips trembled a lit- tle, because she was very much grieved, she did not cry aloud. And she ran to find her very little paz/, full of pretty corn,that she might show it to Charlotte. And Charlotte brought her a very little swan, and a piece of steel; the swan’s mouth was made of magnet. Now magnet doves steel, dearly, and will run to- wards it. So they put the swan in a basin of wa- ter ; and when they held the steel a little way off from the bird, he would swim all round the water to catch the piece of steel. Mary laughed very much, to see him fly round so; and she put a piece of dread on the steel, and held it to him and said, “Come, biddy, come.” And the bird swam round after the bread, just as he would if he had been alive and hungry. Then Charlotte told her that she must not hold the steel too near the swan’s mouth, for if she did, it would fasten on it, and she could not pull it off. Then George and Charlotte ran into the next room, to play with her cousin’s bow and arrow, and her little pail of corn. While they were there, Mary held the steel too near the bird; and his mouth and the-steel fastened together, just like two pieces of wax; and because Mary could not pull the steel off, she screamed with all her might; for-she forgot that when her father looked kindly at her, she did not mean to cry any more that day. ? 5 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 55 “ What ! crying again?” said her mother. “Why, mother, I did not mean to cry any more; and I should not have cried,—but this swan is so very ugly, he will not let go this piece of steel.” “Tt is not the swan that is naughty,” said her fa- ther. “It is my own little Mary, who is not very good-natured. You put the steel too near the bird, and then because it fastened on his mouth, you screamed.” “ Why did not you, like a patient little girl, say, Mother, will you be so good as to take this off ? Would it not have been much better than to cry so?” Mary said that it would have been much bet- ter; and then she meant to be pleasant all day. But George came running in witha dead bwtter- Jy which he had found on the window; and he struck his foot against Mary’s little pail and spilied all the corn on the floor. “O dear,” said Mary, “ What an ugly pail.” And she cried again. When George had picked up all the corn, and Mary was quiet, Charlotte asked her aunt if she would be so good as to cut out some houses, and trees, and dogs, from some nice white paper, she held in her hand; and her aunt cut out a great | many pretty things and made some little boats, and cocked-up hats for her and Mary. After that, Mary’s father went down into the library ; and her mother said she was going to her chamber, a moment ; and she said, ‘‘ You must be very kind to each other, and I hope I shall not . hear Mary cry again to-day.” What can you tell me of Mary? Of her troubles ? &c. id 56 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. LESSON XXI. MORE ABOUT THE GIRL WHO WAS CROSS. Now Mary’s mother had told her a great many times, never to put any thing in her nose and ears ; but when little girls are cross, they never know what to do with themselves; so Mary rolled up some of the paper, and stuffed it in her ears; and after she had done it, she was frightened, because her mother had told her it might hurt her very much. So she cried, and ran to the foot of the stairs, and called out—“ Mother, mother, I’ve gota cock- ed-up-hat in my ear.”” And her father and mother both came very quickly; for she called so loud, that they thought she was half killed ; and when they heard what she said, they laughed very much ; and that made Mary cry louder. Her mother took the paper hat out of her ear, and dried up her tears; and when Mary looked round, she saw Charlotte sitting in her father’s lap; and she puckered up her lip, and looked up to her mother with a very grieved face. Her mother shook her jinger at her,—so she did not cry; but her voice trembled very much, _as she said, | “ Mother, Charlotte is sitting in my ‘father’s lap. . « That is heats Charlotte is a good girl, and does not cry,” said her father. “ If little Mary had been a good- -natured girl, she would have satin my. lap, too.” May could not dear that ; for she loved THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 57 her father very, dearly,—and she Jaid her head down in her mother’s lap, and sobbed. “Mary is seck, very sick, I am sure,” said her mother. ‘Charlotte, will you ring the bell, that I may tell Susan to take her to the nursery? She is too sick to sit up, | am swre.’ “Oh, no, 1 am not sick; Iam not sick; but I do want to cry,” said Mary. But she knew it was naughty to do so; and in a few moments she took her mother’s handkerchief, and wiped her face quite dry. A gentleman came in, and began to talk with her father ; and by-and-by, her father showed him one of Mary’s picture books, and asked him to take it home, to show it to one of his little girls. He put it in his pocket ; and then Mary thought she should burst out crying again; but she re- membered that her father had said she must not sit in his dap if she cried,—so she crept up softly behind his chair, and said, “ Father, that is my book.” ae | know it, my dear; and you shall have it again,” whispered her father. In a few.minutes, the gentleman went away, with the book in his pocket; Mary tried very hard to keep the tears from coming into her eyes. She shut her mouth tight, and winked her eyes ; and so she kept from crying. When she looked up, she saw her father was very much pleased wi her, for trying to be so good. A He took her up in his lap, and kissed her, nd said, “ Now little Mary shall sit with me, because she ‘Aid not cry, when she wanted to D Very much indeed.” ” oS THE CHILD’S GUIDE. And Mary said, “I never mean to cry so much again. My playthings break, and nobody loves me, and I feel sadly when I am so cross.” She was a better girl, afterwards: for she was always afraid that her mother would be obliged to tell her father again, “Little Mary is eross to- day.” What was in Mary’s ear? What was it made of? What was done with one of Mary’s picture books? Should ehildren be willing that others should read their pretty books? Is it foolish and wrong to cry at every trifle? ‘Would you rather be hke Mary, or Peter? LESSON XXII. THE WAY NEVER TO CRY. When little Robert Smith was about seven years of age, he was sitting one day ona little step, be- fore the door of his father’s house, crying very much. Just at that time, Robert’s waele came to fetch hai, to play with his little cousens ; but as soon as his uncle saw his red eyes, and how dir ty he had 3 ade his face, by wiping the tears away with his “dirty hands, he thought he would not take Robert that day, but aeiild rather wait, and see if he would not be a better boy. For,” said his uncle to himself, “I canhnat falc through the streets with anaug iy boy ; and THE CHILD'S GUIDE. 59 { am sure he must have been naughty, or he would have no cause to cry.” When his uncle came up to the little step where Robert sat, he said, “ Well, Robert, are you always crying ?—What is the matter 2” “Dear uncle,” answered Robert, sobbing and rubbing his face again with his dirty hands; “I cry almost all day long.” —‘ Where 1s your pocket handkerchief?” said bis uncle: “you should not wipe your face with those dirty hands.” “T have dost my handkerchief,” answered Ro- bert. ‘ Did any one take it out of your pocket ?” asked his uncle. ‘ No,” said Robert: ‘TI laid it down somewhere, and when I wanted it, I could =~ not find it: Iam sure it must be lost.” “ But, my dear Robert,” said his uncle, “ when- ever you use your pocket handkerchief, you should never lay it down, but always put it in your pock- et: for if you do not know where you have put it, you can never know where to find it.” Robert cried and sobbed still louder than before ; and stammered out as well as he could, “Dear uncle, do not you find fault with me too: every. " body huffs and reproves me all day long. “When I go to the school, my master punishes me for not saying my lesson ; when I come home, tlie maid says,‘ O you naughty boy; what a house you make with your dirty feet;’ when I go into the parlor, my father says, ‘ Why do you not sh the door after you? “ My brothers and sisters are angry, and adanel with me, whenever I break or lose any of their — playthings: and now I have beenturned outofthe room, because I did not go to dinner when the s ser- Aes PELs ace 60 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. vant called me, but staid to finish my game at ball with that little boy you met as you came.—lIs it not very hard, dear uncle,—is it not very sad ?” When Robert had done, his uncle said, ‘“ Yes, my dear little boy, I dare say you find it very hard to be huffed and found fault with; but you should remember, my love, that nobody ever finds fault with good children, and that if you were to try and never do wrong, nobody would ever huff you or make you cry. ~ © Now I think it would be better, when you come _from school in the afternoon, if you were never to go to play, till you have learned your lesson for the next morning. “ The next morning read it carefully over again before you go to school; and when you have said your lesson well, your master will not puwnzsh you, but will say that you are a good boy, and that you will be a clever man. _» “When you come home from school, stop at the door, and scrape your feet; not carelessly, but in a careful manner : then go to the mat and rub them wo they ; are clean; and then the maid will say, *Here comes our little Robert; he is a good boy —d05 you not hear how he scrapes "and rubs his feet?” When you go inor out of aroom, shut the door every time after you. When you are with your ae brothers ‘and sisters, never touch or take away any of their playthings, without first asking leave. i aly they let you have any thing, take care not to break it or lose it, and then your brothers and sis- _. ters will never guarre/ with you, but will dove you oe (and lend you any thing they have. a ‘a would have you try and do all this, for a few = THE CHILD’S GUIDE. THE CRYING BOY. THE CRYING BOY REFORMED. Now I never cry, and every body loves me.”—p. 6% ) Tay: 6 62 _gEHE CHILD'S GUIDE. wv days, and I am sure, when I comeagain, you will tell me you have had no cause to cry.” Little Robert remembered what his uncle had said to him, and tried to be a good boy ; he became ~ every day better and better, and cried every day less and less. In about a week, Robert’s uncle came again. Robert ran to meet him at the garden gate. “Q,” said Robert, “ what a good uncle you are ; you have made me quite happy. I have tried and done all that you told me; now I never cry, and every body loves me.” “Tam very glad to hear it, my dear child,” an- swered his uncle; “now you shall go with me. The ast time I came, you should have gone; but as I found you a bad boy, I could not take you.” LESSON XXIII. DEFINITIONS. Absent, away, not at home. Instrument, a tool. THE GIRL WHO SWALLOWED FRUIT-STONES. len Martin had a habit of swallowing the ones of fruit. She once made herself so ill with cherry-stones, that her mother would not allow her to eat any more cherries that season. But notwithstanding, as soon as plums came, she began to swallow plwm-stones: and at last she THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 63 thought of trying to get down the stone of a peach. So she put one into her mouth, intending to take it out again, if she found it too large. Just at that moment she happened to look out of the window near which she was standing, and she saw her father arrive at the door, after having been absent several weeks on a journey. She was so glad to see him return, and she ran down stairs to meet him in such haste, that she forgot the peach-stone in her mouth. In running, she shook it down into her throat, where it stuck :o fast that it could not be moved. It choked and hurt her so dreadfully, that she thought she was going to die. Her face turned black with pain, and her eyes looked as if they were going to start from her head. Her father and mother were shocked when they saw her. She could scarcely speak so as to make them understand what was the matter. A doctor, who lived next door, was sent for, and with great difficulty he pulled out the peach-stone by putting an zstrument down her throat, which was sore for a long time after; it having been so scratched and scraped that she spit up blood. She never again swallowed fruit-stones. Can you name a boy who is absent from school? A girl? Can you name an instrument for cutting wood? For. mending a pen? Should you be choked if you had no. air to breathe? How much air do you inhale inad About one hundred hogsheads. » apne 64 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. LESSON XXIV. THE LEOPARD. The Leopard is an animal of the cat kind.’ The back of this animal is as high as the head of a child of two years old, and his body is as long as a bench on which four or five children can sv. He is about two feet anda half high, and a little more than four feet and a half long. His shape is like that of the cat and the tiger. His head is small; his ears short; his body long, and his legs short and’ strong. His color, along the back, is yellowish brown, potted. with bide: ; his head, face, and throat are ule brown, and his breast pale yellow. Every part. of his skin is spotted with black. When this animal is quiet in his cage, and no one goes near him, he looks mild and innocent, like a cat. But if any person goes to him when he is THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 65 eating, or strikes at him with a whip, he growls, shows his teeth, and looks very fierce and dan- gerous. The Leopard is not so cruel or ferocious a beast as the tiger. He is more kind to his keeper than the tiger, and will not always dite when he is touched with the hand. He can even be tamed when taken quite young, and treated with kindness. Some Leopards have been so tame as to follow their masters like the dog, and when patted on the head, to purr like the cat. He is however a dangerous animal, when ever so tame, for he will sometimes get angry and fly at his master and try to tear him in pieces. This animal is found in the greatest numbers in Africa ; but he also lives in China. The Leopard lives on such animals as he can catch, by springing upon them in the woods. But sometimes, when he is hungry, he will leave the woods, and go to the sheep-yards, where he makes terrible destruction, often killing a whole flock in one night. The hunting Leopard is not so large as the com- mon Leopard. He is sometimes tamed and taught to catch other animals for his master. He is taken into the woods ina cage, and when his master sees a deer, he takes the Leopard out and shows it to him. The cunning animal creeps along slyly, | ike a cat, until he gets near his game; he then sprin upon it, and holds it fast for his master. ua By The skin of the Leopard is very beautiful, i ae sells at ahigh price. The flesh of ie dogs ee 6 66 THE CHILD'S GUIDE. useful in Africa, where he is eaten by the poor negroes. Is a sheep ferocious ? Is a dog, when angry, ferocious ?— How large is the Leopard? What is his color? How does he look when no one is near him? When he is eat- ing? Can he be tamed? What does helive on? Of what use is the Leopard ? LESSON XXV. DEFINITIONS. Anecdote, a short story. Provider, one who gets things ready for others. Sheep-fold, a pen where sheep are kept. Robbery, theft done by force. Contend, to quarrel. Pursue, to go after. Can you tell me the opposite of Pleasure? Of Peace 2 Contented? Wrong? Right ? ANECDOTES OF THE LEOPARD. The Leopard, like other beasts of this kind, shows no mercy to such living creatures as he . can master. He kalls what he does not want, and so long as he can have the pleasure of destroying, ‘he does not even eat. ~ Thus, he often kills great nzmbers, without eat- ing any. Mr. Kolbe says, that two Leopards, with their three young ones, stole into a sheep-fold one THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 67 night at the Cape of Good Hope, and killed nearly a hundred sheep. It seemed, from the short time they had to make all this destruction, that they did not eat any thing until all the sheep were killed. The old ones then took three sheep, that were dead, and laid them before their yowng ones to eat, and having all ate as much as they wanted, the pa- rents like good providers for their family, each took a whole sheep in their mouths, and began to move towards the woods. They however paid dearly for this night’s rob- bery ; for the people, finding what had happened, pursued, and destroyed them all, except the old male, who escaped to the woods, in spite of all they could do. Mr. Kalbe also says, that the Leopard will not, like the wolf and hyena, eat flesh that has ‘oh long killed ; nor will he touch any meat that has been killed by other animals. Leopards are so selfish and quarrelsome, that they cannot live in peace even with each other. When two are shut up together in a cage, one seems to wish the other dead, so that he can have all the food that is given them. When they nave a piece of meat thrown in for both, they cannot be contented to divide it, and each take his part, but they both want the whole, so that they keep growling and striking each | other, as long as any of their food is left. das a When it is all eaten wp, and there is nothing to. contend about, they again become good-natured — and friendly, and lie down together in peace. Bie they are always ready to fight again, if ie Pi thing to quarrel about. ae 68 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. Uhave seen some children, who, like the Leop- ards, were always ready to quarrel, or even to Jight, when they could not have every thing they wanted. Such children are much worse than Leop- ards, because these dumb beasts do not know good from evil, and therefore do not know that it is wrong to fight. But children know good from evil. They are taught by their parents, and at Sunday Schools, that itis not only mean and shameful to quarrel and fight, but that it is wecked in the sight of God. Now let every child, when he is angry, say to himself, If I quarrel and fight I shall be no better than a leopard or a dog ; but I ought to be better than these animals, for God has given me power to speak, to know good from evil, which power he has not given to the beasts. Let him think, also, that if other children quar- rel, and do wicked things, this is no excuse for him, and that it is better in the sight of all good people, and in the sight of God, to suffer wrong than to do wrong. : What is said of the Leopard’s showing mercy? What of those who broke into a sheep-fold? How will two Leopards appear when shut up in a cage together? What is said of children who are always ready to quar- rel? What should every child say to himself when he gets angry? What is better than to do wrong ? THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 69 LESSON XXVI. DEFINITIONS, Delicious, highly pleasing to the taste. Attracted, engaged, invited. Ascend, to go up. Arrive, to get to a place. Recover, to get back again. Can you tell me the opposite of Began? Possi- ble? Quick? Slyly? Behind? Returned? Thinner? Narrow? Safe ? HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OF IT. Robinet, avery poor man, after a hard day’s work, was returning home with a basket in his hand. What a delicious supper I shall have! said he to himself. This piece of kid well stewed down, with my onions sliced, thickened with my meal, and sea- soned with my salt and pepper, will make a dish fit for the governor. 'Then [have a good piece of a barley loaf at home to finish with. How | long to be aé it! A noise in the hedge now attracted his notice, and he spied a squirrel nimbly running up a tree, and popping into a hole between the branches. Ha! thought he, what a nice present a nest of young squirrels will be to my little: ee Pil try if L can get it. Mu 70 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. Upon this, he set down his basket in the road, and began to climb up the tree. He had half as- cended, when casting a look at his basket, he saw a dog with his nose in it, ferreting out the piece of kid’s flesh. He made all possible speed down, but the dog was too guick for him, and ran off with the meat in his mouth. Robinet looked after him—Well, said he, then I must be content with a soup, with- out meat—and no bad thing either. He travelled on, and came to a little public house by the roadside, where an acquaintance of his was sitting on a bench, drinking beer. He in- vited Robinet to take a draught. Robinet seated himself by his friend, and placed his basket on the bench by him. A tame raven, which was kept at the house, eame slyly behind him, and perching on the basket, stole away the bag in which the meal was tied up, and hopped off with it to his hole. Robinet did not perceive the theft till he had sot on his way again. He returned to search for his bag, but could hear no tidings of it. Well, says he, my soup will be the thinner, but I will hoil a slice of dread with it, and that will do it some good at least. He went on again, and arrived at a little brook, over which was laid a narrow plank. % So saying, he struek, with all his might, a fine large burr, crushed it to pieces, and then jumped up, using, at the same time, profane and wicked words. Assoon as he turned round, he saw the Master standing very near him. Then he felt very much ashamed and afraid, and hung down his head. “ Roger,” said the Master, (for this boy’s name was Roger,) “can you get me a chestnut burr 2” Roger looked up a moment, as if to see whether the Master was in earnest, and then began to look around for a burr. A boy who was standing near the tree, with a red cap full of burrs in his hand, held out one of them. Roger took the burr and handed it to ‘the Master, who quietly put it in his pocket, and walked away without saying a word. As soon as he was gone, the boy with the red cap, said to Roger, “I expected the Master would have given you a good scolding for talking so.’ “The Master never scolds,” said another boy, who was sitting on a log pretty near, with a green satchel in his hand, “ but you see if he does not remember it. Roger looked as if he did not know what to think about it.” gia 4 “T wish,” said he, “I knew what he is going to do with that burr.” | That afternoon, when the lessons had heen all. _ Yecited, and it was about time to dismiss the school, the boys put away their books, and the Master read if a few verses in the Bible, and then offered a prayer, 96 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. in which he asked God to forgive ‘all the sins which any of them had committed ‘that day, and to take care of them during the night. After this he asked all the bova to sit down. He then took his handkerchief out of his pocket, and laid it on the desk, and afterwards he put his hand into. his pocket again, and took out the chestnut burr, and all the boys looked at it. “ Boys,” said he, “ do you know what this is ?” One of the boys in the back seat, said, in a half whisper, “it is nothing but a chestnut burr.” “Lucy,” said the Master, toa bright eyed little girl sitting near him, “ what is ths ?” “Tt is a chestnut dwr7r, sir,” said she. “Do you know what it is for?” “] suppose there are chestnuts in it.” “ But what is this rough prickly covering for ?’’ Lucy did not know. “Does any body here know 2?” said the Master. One of the boys said he supposed it was to hold the chestnuts together, and keep them up on the tree. “But I heard a boy say,” replied the Master, “that he thought they ought not to be made to grow so-~—The nut itself, he thought, ought to hang alone on the branch, without any prickly covering, just as apples do.” “ But the nuts themselves have no stems to be fastened by,” answered the same boy. “That is true, but I suppose this boy thought that God could have made them grow with stems and that this would have been better than to have them in burrs.” THE CHILD'S GUIDE. 97 After a little. pauses the Master said he would explain to them what the chestnut burr was for, and wished them stad: to listen de i Who heard ae use Seeicked words? Who else? Who else? What does the Bible. say of him who takes God’s name in vain? What kind of men use wicked. words ?—What did the Master do? Who expected he would give Roger a scolding? What did another boy, say ? Can you tell what chestnut burrs are for ? LESSON XXXVII. WHAT THE CHESTNUT BURR IS FOR. “How much of the chestnut is good to eat, William 2?” asked he, looking at the boy before him “ Only the meat.” “ How long does it take the ‘meat to grow § a? “All summer, I suppose, it is growing.’ “ Yes ; it begins early in summer, and gradually grows and swells until it has become of full size and is ripe, in the fall. Now suppose there was a tree out here near the school-house, and the chest- nut meats should grow upon it without any shell or covering ; suppose, too, that they should taste like good ripe chestnuts at first, when they were very small: Do you think they would be safe ?” William said, “No! the boys would pick them, and eat them before they had time to grow.” “Well, what harm would there be in that? would it not be as well to have the chestnuts early in summer as to have them in the fadl?” ei 9S THE CHILD’S GUIDE. William hesitated. Another boy who sat next him, said, “There would not be so much meat in the chestnuts, if they, were eaten before they had time to grow.” “ Right,” said the Master, “ but would not the boys know this, and so all agree to let the little chestnuts stay, and not eat them while they were small 2” William said he thought they would not. Ifthe chestnuts were good, he was afraid they would pick them off and eat them, if they were small. All the rest of the boys in the school thought so too. —“ Here, then,” said the Master, “is one reason for having prickles around the chestnuts when they are little. But then it is not necessary to have all chestnuts guarded from boys in this way: a great many of the trees are in the woods, which the boys do not see; what good do the burrs do in these trees ?” The boys hesitated. Presently the boy who had the green satchel under the tree with Roger, who was sitting in one corner of the room, said, “ | should think they would keep the sqwzrrels from eating them.” “ And besides,” continued he, after thinking a moment, “I should suppose, if the meat of the chestnut had no covering, the rain might wet it and _ make it rot, or the sun dry and wither it.” * Yes,” said the Master, “these are very good reasons why the nut should be carefully guarded. First, the meats are packed away in a hard brown shell, which the water cannot get through; this keeps it dry and away from dust, and other things which might injure it. 4 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 99 « Then several nuts thus protected grow together closely, inside this green prickly covering, which spreads over them and guards them from the larger animals and the boys. When the chestnut gets its full growth, and is ripe, this covering you know splits open, and the nuts drop out, and then any body can get them, and eat them.” The boys were then all satisfied that it was bet-. ter that chestnuts should grow in burrs. “ But why,” asked one of the boys, “do not apples grow so ?” “Can any body answer that question?” said the Master. The boy with the green satchel said that apples had a smooth, tight skin, which kept out the wet, but he did not see how they were guarded from animals. The Master said it was by their taste. ‘They are hard and sour before they are full grown, and so the taste is not pleasant, and nobody wants to eat them, except sometimes a few foolish boys, and these are often punished by being made sick. “ When the apples are full grown, then they change from sour to sweet, and become mellow ; then they can be eaten. Can you tell me of any other fruits which are preserved in this way ?” One boy answered, strawberries and blackber- ries, and another said, peaches and pears. Another boy then asked why the peach-stone was not outside of the peach, so as to keep it from being eaten. But the Master said he would ex- plain this another time. Then he dismissed the scholars, after asking Roger to wait till the rest. had gone, as he wished to see him alone. P NE Tes ™ ee ee 100 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. What good does the chestnut burr do? What else? Why do not apples grow so? . Who want tg eat apples before they are grown? How are they often often punished ? Why do you suppose the Master. kept Roger“after the rest had gone? BAe LESSON XXXVIII. THE TWO PEAR TREES, Betsy Bloom was a fine, straight, well-made child; and she hada very beautiful face. The servant, who used to dress her in the morning, when she got up, and to undress her at night, when she went to bed, would often say to her, * What a beautiful, fine Mess you are! Iam sure, not one of your play-fellows is half so beautiful.” here was an old woman, who had nursed Betsy, that used to come and see her, and almost every time she came, she used to say to Betsy “ Bless your pretty face, my sweet Miss! Iam sure I think you grow prettier every day.” Betsy heard so much about her prettiness, that she began to think she was Jetter than other chil- dren, who were wot so pretty. If any of her. school-fellows were homely, Betsy would not speak to them: at last, she became so naughty, that she would sometimes mock them, and give them nick-names. Betsy’s father and mother were very fond of her ; and paid so much attention to her, that tuey saw all her fauits, and always tried to make her a good girl; “ for,” said they, when they were talking 3 Bate ng ie THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 101 THE PROUD LITTLE GIRL. c ag “The servant who used to dress her, would often say to her, What a beautiful, fine Miss you are !’’—p. 96. p. 99. Q* 102 THE CHILD’S GUIDE, to each other alone, “ We are szze, although our Betsy is sucha pretty child, every body will dzslike her, if she be not also good-natured and obliging.” One day Betsy was walking in the garden with her father and mother, when little Gertrude, a neighbor’s child, came into the garden. Gertrude ran kindly up to Betsy’s father and mother, gave each of them a hand, and said, “ If they pleased, she would stay a little while and play with Betsy.” _ They told her she was welcome to stay as long “as she pleased; and Betsy’s mother stooped down Ae) ali Ses and kissed her, and said, “Come whenever you like, my dear—you know we are always glad to see you.” Now Gertrude’s face was very much scarred and pitted with the small-pox: she had very red, weak eyes ; and, besides this, she was very short for her age; for she was as old as Betsy, and not so tall, by more than a head; and she had a hump upon her back. But Gertrude was very sensible; she was al- ’ ways in a good humor with every body; she was “never seen to be angry ; and she was so attentive to her learning and her lessons, that every body who knew her loved her. Little Betsy loved her too; but since she had thought so much of her own beauty, she was ashamed to be seen with such a homely child as Gertrude. | Betsy therefore took very little notice of Ger- -trude, and would not play with her at all; so that Gertrude, whothought Betsy was in across humor, said she would go home, and come again another day. ! : THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 103 Betsy was glad when she was gone; and Betsy ran up to her father and mother, who were still in the garden. They were standing near a fine, straight, high pear tree; there were many pears growing upon the tree ;—the pears were of a fine yellow color, and one side of them was as red as acherry. §*" : Betsy came runing up to her father and moth- er: “QO,” said: she, “how beautiful those pears are: I think they must now be quite ripe; will you be so kind, father, as to gzve me one 2?” hy The father gathered one of the most beautiful looking pears that he could find, and gave it to Betsy. ‘“ Thank yqu, father,” said she, and bit a piece directly out of it; but when it was in her mouth, she did not know what to do. It was as dry as a bit of stick, and so hard and rough, that she would have spit it out, but she thought, as her father had gathered it for her, he would take it 2d if she did not eat it. “Do you not like the pear?” asked Betsy’s mother, who saw what a face she made. “I do not think I can eat it,” said Betsy. Y “You may throw it away, then,” said her father ; “but I thought you would have liked it, because of its deauty : you know, my dear, you like every thing that is handsome, and dislike whatever is homely.” » He then led his daughter to an old, crooked pear _ tree, which looked almost as if it would fall down: © the pears that grew on it were not beautiful; and they looked so green, that Betsy said she thought _ they were not half ripe. Her father gave her one — of them, and told her to taste it: as sooasshebit = 4 (i Fy 104 THE CHILD'S GUIDE, it, her mouth was filled with fine juice, “and she cried out, “ O, father, what'a nice pear! I never tasted any thing so nice before!—How full of juice it is !—What a fine taste it has !” “ Are you sure that you like the pear?” asked her father ; “ for it is nota deautifil pear ?” Betsy said she lzked it, though it did not look pretty. “Pray, then, my dear,” said her father, “ if I were to make you a present of a peartree for your- - self, which would you choose—the old crooked tree upon which these pears grow, or the beautiful looking tree yonder, upon which the others grow ?” Betsy said she should choose the ugly looking, crooked tree, with the green pears. Her father asked her why. “ Because,” said Betsy, “ the one bears nice pears, that I can eat; and the other would be of no use, for | could not eat one of the pears.” “Then, I suppose,” said her father, “ you think _ things that are good and useful, better than things ‘that are beautiful and of no use.” Betsy said yes, that was what she thought. “But, my dear child,” said her father, “if you think so, how could you be so unjust, and so cruel, to poor little Gertrude, as you were a little while ago? You know she is very good ; and how can you be so cruel to some of your play-fellows, whom you despise because they are not so hand- some as you are ?—though they are etter than you, for they despise no one.” Betsy stood quite ashamed, and did not dare to look up to her father: the tears ran down her > cheeks ; but she took her father’s hand, eee she could not ot spealt a word. 4 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 105 “ Do you think you have been wrong and naugh- ty ?—and are you resolved to mend?” asked her father, in a kinder voice than that in which he had © before spoken, — “T am quite sorry,” said Betsy, “that I should have behavedso ill; but if you will forgive me, my dear father, I am sure I shall never do so any more—for | now see, that the most beautiful things and people, are not always so good as those things, and those people that are homely.” What bad things did Betsy do? Do you know what the Bible says of some children who mocked a good old man? Who came to see Betsy? Was she sensible? What does that mean? Did Betsy treat her kindly? Why? Was this right? Which pear tree bore the best pears? &c. Are handsome people better than others ? Are they worse, if more proud ? LESSON XXXIX. DEFINITIONS. Haughty, proud. Mien, look. Mild, kind, merciful. Submissively, modestly, without pride. Frankness, fairness. Argue, to reason, to dispute. Revenge, a wish to hurt one who h has hurt us. Deny, to contradict. A THE CHILD'S GUIDE. —® THE WAY TO FIND OUT PRIDE. : Pride, ugly pride, sometimes is seen, By laughing looks, and lofty mien; But oft’ner it is found, that pride Loves deep within the heart to hide, And, while the looks are meld and fair, It sits and does its mischief there. Now, if you really wish to find If pride is lurking in your mind, ‘Inquire if you can bear a slight, Or patiently give up your right. Can you submissively consent To take reproof and punishment, And feel no angry temper start Tn any corner of your heart ? Can you with frankness own a crime, And promise for another time ? Or say you’ve been in a mistake, Nor try some poor ezcuse to make, But freely own that it was wrong To argue for your side so long ? Flat contradiction can you bear, When you are right and know you are; Nor flatly contradict again, But wait, or modestly explain, And tell your reasons, one by one, Nor think of ¢riwmph, when you’ve done? Can you, in business, or in play, Give up your wishes or your way ; THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 107 Or Wo a thing against your will, For somebody that’s younger still ? And never try to overhear, Or say a word that i is not fair? Does laughing at you in a joke, No anger nor revenge provoke? But can you laugh yourself, and be, As merry as the compan Or when you find that you could do To them, as they had done to you, Can you keep down the wicked thought, And do exactly as you ought? Put all these questions to your heart, And make it act an honest part; And, when they’ve each been fairly tried, I think you'll own that you have pride ; Some one will suit you as you go, And force your heart to tedl you so; But if they all should be denied, Then you’re too proud to own your pride! LESSON XL. THE LITTLE APPLE TREE. “Look here, Lucy,” said little Charles to his sister, “and tell me what this is that is coming up out of the ground.” ae Lucy ran to see; it wasa green thing that looked — oe a little like a leaf. Lucy did not know what it Pub Ren 108 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. “T will ask papa,” said she, “he is coming along by here.” : | She asked her father to look at it, and he stop- ped a moment, and said that it was a little apple tree which was growing up from a seed, but that he was in haste, and could not stop to talk about it. * A little apple tree !” said Charles, as his father passed on. “ Whatisa little appletree? Do you know Lucy ?” Lucy said she did not—there was an apple tree in the garden, but it wasa great high tree, and besides, it did not look at add like that. “ We will wait till papa can tell us.” The next morning Charles came running in to call Lucy to look at the little apple tree. They went out together, and found that it had changed a great deal in the night. The green thing was up entirely out of the ground, and looked like two little Zeaves upon a stem. “T wonder what makes it grow-wp so,” said go aLucy. “T don’t Anow,” said Charles. ‘ Would not - you dig it wp and see?” ~ .“Q no, I would not; I am afraid it would not grow any more.” “OQ, we can put it back again ezactly as it was before ; and it would be so good to find out what itis which makes it grow.” Lucy at last consented, and they dug away the earth with a stick, and took the little apple tree up. Its stem reached down only a little way, and there was nothing at the end of it, but alittle root. ‘They dug all about there, but could not find any thing which made it grow. THE CHILD’S GUIDE. - 409 At last Charles said he would give wp—he did not believe he could find out—he did not believe any body knew. So they began to fill up the hole, and tried to fix the little apple tree in its place again. They dirtied the top of it in handling it with their dirty fingers, and though they pushed it this way and that way, they could not fix it exactly as it was before. At last they eft it, and went in to ask their mother about it. She told them that she knew what made it grow. “ What 2s it?” said Lucy. | “It is God. He makes every thing grow—the grass, and the trees, and every thing.” “ But, how can he make every thing grow at the same tzme?” | “ Because he is present every where, and he is able to do any thing which he pleases. He is al- ways with you and Charles; and makes your hair. and your fingers and your whole ody grow.” “Then he is always iz us, and all about us.” “Yes, and he sees you at all times; he notices when you do wrong and when you do right.” Charles and Lucy then went away thinking that they ought to be careful not to do any thing wrong. The next morning they went to see the little apple. tree, and found it wilted and dead. — How did Charles and Lucy try to find out what mate the apple tree grow? Who did make it grow? Does he make any thing else grow? Where is God? What does he notice? 10 110 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. LESSON XLI. THE TWO BOOKS. ‘Mind how you touch my gilded covers,” said a fine book to a very plain one that happened to lie near him. “I wonder how such a ragged fellow can dare to take such liberties.” “Tt is true,” said the plain book, “I do not look so fine as you do, but I have no rags that I need be ashamed of; for while you have been doing nothing these six years on the shelf, I have been vead a hundred times. “ Besides, although my cover is nearly worn out, my leaves are sound, and worth a new cover; but when your fine covers are eaten off by the worms, you will never get any more I fear.” “T am glad you dke your rags,” said the fine book, “ but I will thank you to stand a little farther _ »» off, for I do not like them so well.” _ “For my part,” said the poor book, “I would rather be worn out in doing good, than rust in idle- ness. But here comes our master.” The master came in, and seeing the two books together, the thought struck him that it would be well to put the good covers upon the book which was used, and the old ones upon that which nobody read. No sooner said than done. They were sent to the book-binder’s, and before night changed covers. He that would be useful in the world, must ex- pect sometimes to wear out. his coat, and suffer abuse from the idle and selfish. THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 188! LESSON XLII. THE BLACKBERRY GIRL. “Why, Phebe, are you come so soon; Where are your derries child ? You cannot, sure, have sold them all, You had a basket pil’d.” “No, mother, as I climb’d the fence, The nearest way to town, My apron caught upon a stake, And so I tumbled down. “TJ scratched my arm, and tore my hafr, But still did not complain ; And had my dlackberries been safe, Should not have cared a grain. “ But when I saw them on the ground, All scattered by my side, I pick’d my empty basket up, And down I sat and cried. “Just then a pretty little Miss Chane’d to be walking by ; She stopp’d, and looking pitiful, She bege’d me not to cry. ‘Poor little girl, you fell,’ said she, ~ ‘And must be sadly hurt’-— “0, no, Icried, but see my frutt, . All mix’d with sand and dirt!” — 112 “THE CHILD’S GUIDE. ‘Well, do not grieve for that,’ she said: “Go home, and get some more.’ “ Ah, no, for I have stripp’d the vines, These were the dast they bore. “My father, Miss, is very poor, And works in yonder stall ; He has so many little ones, He cannot clothe us all. “T always long’d to go to church, But never. could I go; For when I ask’d him for a gown, He always answer’d, ‘ No.’ ‘ There’s not a father in the world That doves his children more; I'd get you one with all my heart, But, Phebe, I am poor.’ « But when the dlackberries were ripe, He said to me one day, ‘ Phebe, if you'll take the time That’s given you for play, ‘And gather blackberries enough,— And carry them to town,— To buy your bonnet and your shoes, Pil try to get a gown.’ “O Miss; I fairly jump’d for joy, My spirits were so light: And so, when I had leave to play, I pick’d with all my might. THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 113 “T sold enough to get my shoes, About a week ago; And these, if they had not been spilt, Would buy a donnet too. “ But now they’re gone, they all are gone, And I can get no more, And Sundays I must stay at home Just as I did before. “ And, mother, then I cried again, As hard as I could cry ; ! And, looking up, lsawatear Was standing in her eye. a “She caught her bonnet from her head— ‘ Here, here,’ she cried, ‘ take this!’ “QO, no, indeed—I fear your "Ma Would be offended, Miss. ‘My ’Ma! no, never! she delights All sorrow to beguile ; And ’tis the sweetest joy she feeds, To make the wretched smile. ‘She taught me, when I had enough, To share it with the poor ; And never let a needy child t Go empty from the door. ‘So take it, for you need not fear Offending her, yousee; *. I have another, too, at homie,. a one’s enough for me”. 114 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. — ~*So then I took it, here it is— For pray what could I do? And, mother, I shall Zove that Miss As long as I love you.” | What is a stall? What is it'to deguile the sorrows of others? Who are meant by the wretched ? What happened to little Phebe? Why did she cry? Who pitied her? Why did Phebe want a gown? Why did not her father get her one? When blackberries were ripe, what did he say to her? Did she get the shoes? The bonnet? How? &c. LESSON XLIII. WHAT THE BLACKBERRY GIRL LEARNED AT CHURCH. “What have you in that basket, child ?” “ Blackberries, Miss, all pick’d to-day ; They’re very large and fully ripe ; Do look at them, and ¢aste them, pray.” “QO, yes; they’re very nice, indeed, Here’s fowrpence—that will buy a few ; Not quite so many as I want— However, I must make it do.” “ Nay, Miss, but you must take the whole;” “T can’t, indeed, my money’s spent ; I should be glad to buy them all, But I have not another cent.” « And if you had a thousand, Miss, I'd not accept of one from you. THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 115 Pray take them, they are ald your own, And take the little basket, too. “Have you forgot the little girl You last year gave a bonnet to ? Perhaps you have—but ever will That little girl remember you. “ And ever since, I’ve been to church, For much do I delight to go; And there I learn that works of love Are what all children ought to do. “So then I thought within myself, That pretty dasket, Billy wove, TI’ll fill with fruit for that dear Miss, For sure ‘twill be a work of love. “ And so one morning up I rose, While yet the fields were wet with dew, And pick’d the nicest I could find, oe And brought them, fresh and sweet, for yoRe ies Re 3 “| know the gift is small indeed, For such a lady to receive ; But still I hope you'll not refuse All that poor Phebe has to give.” What did the little girl give to the young lady who - gave her the bonnet? What does going to church mean? What did the girl learn at church? What are works of love? Ought you to do such works? If the little girl had taken pay for her berries, would she have been grateful? Did you ever read of a little boy who was grateful? Ofone who was a miser? Would a miser oe away clothes ? ers ae 116 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. “LESSON XLIV. HOW TO BEHAVE AT MEETING. It often happens that children who go to meeting sit in the gallery, away from their parents. And sometimes they play in time of worship, which is very wrong. It has been said, that ‘ parents know, that when their children sit together, and out of their szght, they will play; and that no parent who wishes them to do otherwise, will send them into the gallery to sit by themselves.” It is hoped, however, that this is not true of ad/ parents whose children do not sit with them at meeting. Perhaps they do not always think enough about it. _Ifany of the children who read this book, when they attend public worship, do not sit with their parents, or other friends who are older than them- _ selves, they must remember that God is displeased - with those who play, while others around them are worshipping Him—it may be well for them to show this lesson to their friends at home. When young people go to church, they should make as little ozse as possible, in shutting doors, and in walking to their seats. ae They should not be paring their finger-nails, or be otherwise busy with their penknives; but should attend closely to whats is sazd, and try to remem- ber it. People ought. not to sleep at meeting ; though good people have sometimes been known to do it. A faa, hoe | we will call Mr. Arnum, once ? THE CHILD'S GUIDE. 117 heard one of his neighbors use bad,words. Mr. Arnum knew this to be wrong. He therefore went to the person, and said to him, “ My friend, when a man sees his neighbor doing what is wrong, don’t you think he ought to go to him and tedZ him of it?” “Certainly,” an- swered the man; “have you known me do any thing that was not right ?” “Yes,” replied Mr. Arnum; “ not long since I heard you use bad language.” ‘“ Did you ? in- deed!” said the man; “well, I thank you for your kindness, and will try to leave off doing so.” Soon after, on the Sabbath, Mr. Arnum fell asleep at meeting. The man who had been re- proved by him for using bad words, sat at the other side of the house. He saw that Mr. Arnum was nodding, and rose from his seat and went to him. He then put his hand on his shoulder, and gently shook him, saying, “ Mr. Arnum, when a man sees his neighbor do wrong, don’t you think... "he ought to goto him and tell him of it?—I think _ it is wrong to sleep when we meet to worship our Maker.” : Mr. Armum was much mortified, as almost every one in the house was looking at them. Per- haps, also, he felt ashamed that this man should have reason to reprove himself, when, but a short time before, he had gone to the man to tell him of his fault. Is it right to play at meeting? To be paring your fingernails? &c. Do you think the Blackberry Girl played at meeting? Why do you think so? What can you tell me of Mr. Arnum?° What is it to reprove a per- son? g him out of Bob Rowley some of ou can easily. guess < had.’ His father tried ~ boy ; “ he has been out tion, but he would be. getting any thing to eat ; Was a fool, but bedarif my.rice.” 1 °hn 2” asked his older his attention to any +2 00 a cricket, and ate up fortune left him: j-2 2 good relish.. He scraped of it; and now heads and looked at the spoon, as hands in his pock had been more. But he put it rful look, and said to his mother, How did the laying I can do for you, this after- i ey of gartlons and in obedience to her he ran off aes. ne 2). whistling and singing as he went. i «Well, my dear Octavia, do not these children _ seem happy?” asked her mother, as they walked homeward. “Yes, ma’am,” replied the little girl; “their dirty dlocks seemed to amuse them as much as my doll does me.”’ “From this, my daughter, learn that God is good to the poor, as well as to the rich,” said her _ mother. “ God has ordained that every body shall *. be happy, who is good; and he helps every one to be good who earnestly w7shes to be so. “ Little John wanted all his dinner sadly ; but he . gave it to a boy who needed it more than he did. He put down a selfish feeling, and he encouraged a kind feeling; and that is the reason he is happy.” . What makes people happy? Whom did. Octa¥ia go with her mother to see? What were the children doing? Where had John been? What did he say of Bob Rowley? _ What did Octavia think of these children? What has God ordained? Whom does he help to be good? Why was little John happy ? THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 129 LESSON XLIX. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE TRYING, Mary Jones, and her brother. Edmund, had no father, or mother; but they hada sester who was older than themselves, and who was very kind to them. She used to teach them every day, to read and — 3 write, and to sew very prettily ; besides that, she wished them to learn lessons in Colburn’s Arith- ~~ metic. Perhaps some of my little readers may not have met with this book; and it may seem hard that Mary and Edmund should be desired to study any thing so difficult as arithmetic ; but you must re- member, that their sister was very kind to them, and, therefore, would not be likely to gzve them any thing to learn, which was too hard» for them. Edmund was eight years old, and was able to — answer directly to any of the first questions in fractions; such as, ‘“ Seven fourths of twelve, are how many times six?” and he had attended so closely to it, that he understood the proportions of numbers very well. But Mary, who was seven years old, was, lam sorry to say it, unable to answer, “ How many are two and five,” or any of those simple questions. She had not attended, as her brother had done ; and this was the reason she had not succeeded in - learning as well. j “ Sister, have you the head-ache to-day ? Your eyes look sick,” said Mary, affectionately. — 130 THE CHILD'S GUIDE. “Yes, my dear, my head does ache; but I will try to teach you, notwithstanding, about your les- son, and, if you are attentive, I can make you un- derstand it in a few minutes. What is your lesson fonda te Mary’s face lengthened very much, as she an- swered dolefully, “It is, how many gills in a quart ? and, sister, I cannot find it out; I’ve been study- ing a great while, and I know I never shall under- stand it.” : Her sister took a slate and pencil and marked out a circle, which, she said should stand for a quart ; then she drew a line across the middle of it, and divided the circle into two parts. “One of these halves, Mary, isa pint; you know two pints make a quart. Now, I will divide this pint into two parts, and each part, you know, is a half a pint; in a half-pint there are two gills, —amake a dot for each gill—now divide the rest, as you have seen me do this.” * T cannot, sister.” “Well, Mary, then Iwill do it. I place a dot for each gi/i—now count the gills; there are eight. I think you understand now, Mary ?” “ Yes, sister, | think I do; may I take my spel- ling-book 2” ! ‘Very soon—now tell me, lest you forget it, Mary, how many gills in a quart 2” “JT don’t know—I never shall learn those hard questions ;” and Mary looked very red,—for ‘she was a great deal ashamed of her inattention, while her kind sister had been trying to teach her. She looked up in her sister’s face, and saw that she looked very #//, and her eyes were full of tears. THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 131 Mary would much rather she had spoken harshly to her, than to look so grieved ; and her own heart told her she had done very wrong to try the pa- tience of one who had been so good to her. But she did not like to say that she was sorry ; so she took her spelling-book, and bent her head over it to study very hard. In a little time, Edmund was ready to repeat his lesson: it was short, but he understood it fully, and answered every question readily: his sister kissed him, and then she said,‘‘ Mary, youremem- ber that littlé fan of mine with the ivory handle, that you like so much; if you will commit your lesson in arithmetic, perfectly, for a week, you shall have it for your own.” Mary did not say a word, but she hid her face in her spelling-book, and the tears dropped thick and fast from her eyes. It was a long time before she — could command her voice sufficiently to say, “Ido not w7sh for the fan.” “Not wish for it, Mary ? I thought you did wish | for it very much.” “T mean,” said Mary, “I wish to learn my les- son, to please you, and because I aught to do so,— and not for the sake of the fan; and I do not want you to give it to me, if I do get my lesson. In- deed, sister, I will try to learn better, if you will not look so sorry.” Her sister did not look sorry then ; but she kissed - Mary, and told her, if she pleased, she might come — and attend that moment to her arithmetic lesson, When the explanation was finished, Mary answer- ed to the question of, “How many gills to a quart ?”—“ Fight.” SN Re oe ae Sah te wae 132 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. In a few months she understood all the myste- ries of her arithmetic; if at any time her lesson seemed too difficult, she recollected the time when she learned the number of gills to a quart, and would say, very gravely, to her brother, “ After all, Edmund, there is nothing like tryzng. I find when I really try, that I can learn any thing—any thing, I mean, in fractions, and. spel- ling ; and | remember, when I did not get my lessons perfectly, it was always because I was thinking of something beside counting. I was always thinking of our dlocks, and how we should make a temple, and put the itten inside, or something else that had nothing to do with the lesson. I tell you this, Edmund,” she concluded, with a dignified air, “so that you may know how to correct yourself if—if you should not study well. Come, let us go build a pagoda.” Did Mary and Edmund have parents to teach them ? Who did teach them? What did she wish them to learn ? What simple question could not Mary answer? Why? What was the lesson, which Mary thought so hard? How did her sister try to make her understand it? Did Mary attend to what her sister was saying? Was this being grateful? How did her sister look? What did she offer to give Mary if she would get her lessons well for a week? Would Mary take it? Why? Did she ina few months understand her lessons? What did she say to Edmund? Why did not she get her lessons before ? When Mary was crying, she could not command her voice ; what does that mean? ‘Do you commonly su:ceed in getting a lesson, when you study hard? When you are thinking about something else? What is a circle? Can you make one with a pencil? When Mary \woked digmfed, did she laugh? Cry? Look silly? What are pagodas? Temples in the East Indies, where Idols are rworshipped.-What are Idols? THE CHILD’S GUIDE: 132. LESSON L. DEFINITIONS, Solitary, having no company. Combat, a battle. Select, to pick out. Victim, something destroyed. Prey, that whisina eter by force to be devoured. Resemble, to be like. THE TIGER. dees The Tiger is from three feet and a half, to four feet high, and from eight to ten feet long. His shape is very much like that of the cat ; but his /egs are thicker, and stronger in proportion to his body, than those of the cat. His ears are small; his mouth is wide; and his: eee and claws are long and terrible, ei) The color of this animal gives him, a ‘most beau- ph 184 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. _ tifulappearance. It is deep yellow, striped around the body with black. The Tiger is the most ferocious and blood- thirsty of all beasts. He is so cruel, as never to be contented with slaying, so long as he sees any living creature near him. His rage for destruction is such, that he does not eat, so long as he can have the pleasure of killing. Keven when he is not hungry, he delights in tearing other animals in pieces. This animal has seldom or never been so far tamed as to make it safe for a stranger to go near him, when full grown. Young Tigers have, how- ever, permitted dogs to live with them. Neither the kindest, nor the most severe treat- ment, has ever subdued this ferocious animal. He will often dite the hand that feeds him, when he is starving, just as soon as he will one that strikes him, In his rage, he will attack every living beast except the elephant and the rhinoceros, and even these he does not always avoid. He is so bold and fierce, that he does not even fear the face of man; but will attack the solitary traveller, wherever he can find him, or at.a single bound, select his victim from a group of men. The Tiger seizes his prey exactly as the cat does. The cat does not seize her prey by running it down like the dog, but she watches until the poor little mouse comes along, when she springs upon it at once. _. Just so the huge Tiger does. He hides himself where the buffalo or other animals come to drink, THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 135 and when one comes zear him, he gives a bound, and seizes it with his terrible claws and teeth. It is said that the Tiger is so amazingly strong, that after having killed a dwffalo, an animal Jarger than an oz, he throws it across his back, and hold- ing it with his teeth, runs off, just as a fox runs away with a goose. These animals are so fierce and spiteful, that they never_can agree to live in peace, even among themselves: and hence they never run in droves, nor do they assist each other in their combats with other animals. | The shapes of the Tiger and the Leopard are very nearly alike. Their colors are also alike, being yellow and black. The Tiger is yellow, striped with black, while the Leopard is yellow, spotted with black. The size of the Tiger is much /arger than that of the Leopard; he is also more fierce and cruel. The Leopard can be tamed so as to be glad to see his master; but the Tiger is seldom glad to see any thing which he cannot tear in pieces and devour. — The skin of the Tiger, on account of its singu- lar beauty, is valuable, and sells at a high price, but no other part of the animal is of any use. If the Tiger himself, is of little use, his history perhaps may be useful; for we must not believe that any thing has been made without a good de- sign. If it should be asked, for instance, why the most beautiful of quadrupeds should be at the same time one of the most ferocious and hateful of all animals, in his actions, we may answer that the Creator, perhaps, intended to show us how little 136 THE CHILD'S GUIDE. value we ought to set upon Jeauty, by thus bestow- ing it on the worst of creatures. ‘In not permitting such strong and cruel animals to run in droves, the Creator’s wisdom, and his kindness towards man, are plainly tobe seen. For did Tigers herd together, the people where they live would either be destroyed by them, or be obliged to go constantly with gums or spears in their hands to defend themselves, and_ save their lives. Thus we see that the ferocity of Tigers, being such as not to admit of their running in droves, is the very means by which their causing wide de- struction is prevented. Is the Tiger as long as this room? How high is he? What is his shape?. Color? Is he cruel? Can he be tamed? How does he seize his prey? How large is a buffalo? Can the Tiger lift a buffalo? Do Tigers live in peace among themselves? What animal does the Ti- ger resemble in his looks? Is he spotted? Is the Tiger of any use? Why may we suppose so hateful an animal is made so beautiful? Whatshows that the Creator is wise, and kind to man ? When do children resemble Tigers? LESSON LI. DEFINITIONS. Conceited, having a high opinion of one’s self. Pert, bold, saucy. Flatter, to coax. Permission, leave. Encourage, to give courage to; to make bold. ) THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 137 THE CONCEITED BOY. _ When little Henry had finished his lesson, Mrs. Kitty came into the study, and asked her master’s leave to go, in the afternoon, to see her szster, who lived about a mile distant, and to take Master Henry with her. “You have my leave to go yourself, Kitty,” said Mr. Dalben; “ but as to taking Henry, I think he would do you no credit ; his. spirits will rise, he will begin to chatter, aad I fear that you will not check him as you ought to do.” “Indeed I will, Sir,” said Mrs. Kitty ; “T al- ways do speak to him when he is rude.” “ And I will be very good,” said Henry. “ And I will keep him out of all mischief, Sir,” said Kitty. “And I will do every thing which Mrs. Kitty bids me,” said Henry. “And I am sure little Master will be good,” _ added Mrs. Kitty. i + And so I suppose I must give my permis- sion,” said Mr. Dalben; “ but I trust to you, Kitty, if he does not behave well, that you will never ask leave to take him out again.’ Thus the matter was settled; and as soon as dinner was over, Master Henr tole leave of his uncle, and walked off with Mrs. Kitty over the fields towards Mrs. Green’s cottage. Mrs. Green, who expected her sister, was dressed _ in her best gown and apron; and her two daugh- ters were also set forth in their best. At sight. of 12* 2 wy i38 THE CHILD'S GUIDE. ‘Henry and Mrs. Kitty, they came out at the door, and gave them a hearty welcome. “And so, Master Milner,” said Mrs. Green, “this is mighty kind of you, to come so far to see us poor folks. Come, Master Milner, please, Sir, to be seated ; you must have the big chair.” “Nay, sister,” said Mrs. Kitty, in a whisper, “do not make,too much of the child; he will grow _ troublesome ; and master will blame me.” Mrs. Green, however, still kept flattering him. She and her daughters gave him the first and best at supper, till the young gentleman, by degrees, grew very pert, and began to chatter ata great rate. After he had talked for some time, as the party were sitting around the table, a large frog came sprawling over the little narrow walk, which ran from the house door to the gate. “ Ah!” said Kitty, “look at that frightful crea- ture: sister Green, I wonder you don’t clear your garden of those frogs! I would as soon meet a thief in the dark, as a frog.” Mrs. Green laughed, and said, “ O, they do no harm; why should you be afraid of thei ?” Master Henry now took it upon himself to show _ ' how much he knew. “Those creatures do no harm,” said he; “they are of the class amphibia ; that is, of the third class; some of that class are very mischievous ; but frogs never hurt any one.” “ Amphibia!” said Mrs. Kitty: “what a word is that, Master Henry! how can you use such words 8)... | “Tt is not English, Mrs. Kitty,” said Henry, / “you don’t understand it, I know; but I do; it # ; THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 139 means the creatures who live half on land and half in water, as frogs and toads do.” Mrs. Green looked at her sister, and said, “ Dear me! do hear how he talks !” “There are szz classes of living creatures,” said Henry, being encouraged by Mrs. Green; “ first, those which feed their young ones with milk, such as cows, and dogs, and cats, and rats, and sheep : and then there is the second class, dirds ; and the third, amphibia ; and the fourth, fish; and the fifth, insects, as butterflies ; and the sixth, worms.” “ There, again,” said Mrs. Green, “what words are those to come out of the mouth of such a boy? { Did you ever hear the like ?” Mrs. Kitty was pleased that Henry should 2 able to do himself so much credit before Mrs. Green; but she said, “ You know, sister, he does not find out these things, but that Master teaches him; and so you know it is no wonder, if he knows more than we do.” “QO!” said Mrs. Green, “but it is a wonder | how such a young creature should be able to keep all these things in his head, and speak them so properly as he does.” Where did Mrs. Kitty and Henry go? “What did _ Henry promise? How was Mrs. Green dressed? What did she say to Henry? Did she flatter him? What did he soon become? What soon came in sight? What did Kitty say? What did Henry? What did he say about the amphibia? About the first class of living crea- tures? Thesecond? Third? Fourth? Fifth? Sixth? How came Henry to know more than the: women? Was it right to be proud of it? Can you nam ane amphi- bious animal ? es 140 THE CHILD'S GUIDE. LESSON LII. THE CONCEITED BOY’S TROUBLES. By this time Henry was become so conceited, that he could not sit still; so, having eaten and drank as much as he could conyeniently swallow, he got up, stalked about the room, and then went out into the garden, having been told not to go beyond the fence. The first thing he did, was, to pursue Mrs. Green’s ducks round Pha ohen calling out, “ Quack, quack, quack,” as they waddled before him, till they made their escape through the fence into the next field. He then espied an old owl, hid ina ¢ree. As soon as Henry saw him, he#began to call to him, making a low bow, and saying, “ Your servant, old gentleman ; your nose is exactly fit for a pair of spectacles.” The owl, however, being used to the human voice, took no notice of Henry; whereupon he began picking up sods to throw at him; this was very cruel sport. Being soon tired of this, he looked around again for something to amuse him; and seeing a ladder set up against the side of the house, he climbed up it, and scrambling along the roof, he reached the very highest part of it, ‘astride of which he set himself, and trying to fancy that the house was an elephant, he pretended to be driving it forward, as if it were really moving. _ THE CHILD'S GUIDE. 141 When Mrs. Kitty was ready to go home, she sent her nieces to call Henry. He was mounted at the top of the house, and had the pleasure of hearing himself called for, and saw them running here and there to jind hin. Neither of them thought of looking for him where he really was. This pleased Master Hen- ry mightily, and he kicked his elephant, and rode away famously, in his own conceit. Mrs. Kitty and Mrs. Green came out, and called Master Henry so loudly, that they might be heard a quar- ter of a mile distant. After a while Henry called out, “O! O! Hen- ry Milner, where are you, where are you, Sir? Don’t you hear the people cadd you?” At the sound of his voice, the women looked up and said; “O, Master Milner! you little rogue! how you have frightened us; and how did you get up there?” Henry then came down, and they started for home. They took a different path from that by which they had come; it led them down a long, narrow lane, at the end of which was a little brook, which they were to cross by a narrow wooden bridge. : Mrs. Green and her daughters went witk them part of the way. Master Henry soon became very rude, and Mrs. Kitty grew angry, and tried to catch hold of the naughty boy ; but he ran down the lane, got upon the wooden bridge, and stood jumping upon ay it with all his might. On seeing this, Mrs. Kitty scolded, Mrs. Green screamed, and her daughters ran. forward ‘with all — speed, but all in vain. The eh bree in the 142 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. very centre, and Henry came tumbling into the brook, bringing the bridge down wth him. The water was not indeed very deep, but there was enough of it to wet the little boy to his knees, as he stood up. He was not hurt, but was cover- ed with mad up to his shoulders. Mrs. Kitty was much vexed and frightened ; however, she and her nieces soon contrived to pull the little boy out of the water, and passing over the brook as well as they could, some of the party made the best of their way towards home. Mr. Dalben was walking in his garden, when Mrs. Kitty and her younger niece appeared, lead- ing Master Henry detween them; for Mrs. Green and her oldest daughter were gone back, The whole party were handsomely bedaubed with mud, and Mrs. Kitty looked rather ashamed ; neither was Master Henry in quite so high spirits as when he was explaining his sz classes to Mrs. Green and her daughters. « Why, Kitty,” said Mr. Dalben, “ what is the matter? Where have you all deen? Henry, my boy, what can you possibly have been about ? have you been improving your acquaintance with the amphibia ?” _ “QO, Sir!” said Mrs. Kitty, “ Master Henry would not mind what I said to him; and he broke down the érzdge, Sir; and he has been in the brook.” “ Well, well,” said Mr. Dalben, “I told you how it would be ; but make all possible haste now ; get his clothes off, and his ed warmed, and I will come in a few minutes with something for him to drink.” AS ya THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 148 Mr. Dalben soon returned with something which was very bitter; Henry drank it without saying a word; for he knew he had behaved ill, and de- served punishment. When Henry had done eating, what did he do ? &c. Do you think he did right to climb to the top of the house ? Why? Do you think he had a comical look when he came out of the brook? A haughty look? What is found at the centre of an apple? At thesurface? Do you think Henry was delighted with the bitter drink? Was it delicious ? What will make children conceited ? LESSON LIII. DEFINITIONS. Generous, ready to give, bountiful. Convince, to make one believe by showing good reasons. Reverence, love and respect. Sustenance, victuals.. Furnished, supplied. Deceived, made to believe a lie. FIRST OF APRIL, Joseph and Charles were both of them blessed with excellent parents. Both of them attended the Sabbath School ; and both were good scholars. Charles was pleasant, affectionate and kind; Joseph was good, generous and just. Charles loved a good story: Joseph was a'lover of truth. The evening of first of April, Joseph asked leave 144 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. to spend with his friend. His mother cheerfully gave him leave. ‘‘ Charles,” said he, as he entered the door, “I am tired of the first of April.” Charles. Why, what is the matter, Joseph ? You don’t object, I hope, to a little fun. Joseph. Yes, Charles, I object to such fun as I have seen to-day. I object to lying. Charles. Why, the first of April we’re always allowed to fool people, and I don’t see as there is any harm in it. Every body does so. Joseph. I know that every body sins against God; but still, sin is wrong, and God will call us to account for it. Is it no harm to tell a lie? Besides, Charles, I can tell you things which I have seen to-day, that will convince you that I am right. Charles. Well, Joseph, I am willing to be convinced, if lam wrong. Joseph. Isaw an old gentleman riding on horse- back,—I should think he was sixty years old,—the few hairs upon his head were gray. For such men we ought always to feel a great reverence. The boys had wrapped up some sand in a paper, on the outside of which was written Sugar, and put itin the muddiest place in the road. The old gentleman stopped his horse, and got off in the mud, and was about to pick up the bun- dle, when my heart was touched, and I said to him, Sir, the boys are trying to fool you.” ‘Then all the boys shouted “ Apri fool,” and one of them wanted to fight with me for spoiling. their sport ; but I refused to do it, and walked away. Charles. .'That was really tod bad to make sport of such ‘fn old gentleman, tvho had done them no mi ar . THE CHILD'S GUIDE. 145, Joseph. There was another cruel thing that I saw. Some boys had taken pains to heat a horse- shoe very hot, and laid it upon a stone by the side of the road. A traveller passing along in a wa- gon, with his wife, saw the shoe, and got out to pick it up; in doing which he burnt his hand. very se- verely. The boys, at the same instant, shouted “ Apral fool,” which frightened the horse, so that he ran away with the wagon, and upset it, scattering the traveller’s things all along the road. The woman, in attempting to jump from the wagon, fell upon her face, and was very much znjur ed. Charles. That was cruel indeed. How did the boys feel ? : 4 Joseph. At first they laughed: when they. ay the horse running, they trembled : and when the: woman was hurt, they were afrazd and ran away. I saw many other tricks, where no serious damage was done, but where a great many lies were told; and sometimes the fool came > upon the boys thom selves. | Charles. Yes, I saw one trick of that lend and a pretty good one too. A little boy, whose mother was very poor, was sent with half a dollar to buy flour. Several of the boys had fooled ham, and he thought he would have a little sport. He stopped at the coppersmith’s and got a hole bored in the half dollar, and put a string into it; ' then laying the piece down before a store, s ‘ood behind the door, and when any persan attem vted to pick it up, he twitched it in. The. string hear the money was covered with dust,, Brae ae not be seen. a 13 : (146 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. He succeeded in fooling a number of people in this way. At last, a drunken man came along, who understood the trick, and stepped on the string, and broke it, and got the money, and told the boy he was an “ April fool,” and spent the money in drinking. Joseph. For my part, 1am resolved never to play “ Apri fool” again; for I think it the worst kind of lying. Here we see old age made sport of ; human life put in danger ; a poor widow deprived of her sustenance ; and a drunkard furnished with the means of getting drink ;—all thzs, and a great deal more, to gratify the sport of children Now, Charles, who are the greatest fools, the boys who tell the dzes, or those who are decezved by them? ' Charles. Weil, Joseph, 1 am of your opinion. { never before knew the evils to be so great. Joseph. Let us both, then, set our faces against this vile practice. Let us do all we can to puta stop to it. What mischief was done by the boys to the traveller and his wife? What does the Bible say about lying? Ans. It says, ‘ Lie not.one to another.’ Who are the greatest fools, those who tell lies, or those who are deceived by them? Did you ever read of a little girl who told lies? Do you remember what happened to her? Can a person act alie? Is it right to make sport of old people? Are you furnished with books? What furnishes people with milk? What happened to the boy who was sent to buy flour? Who succeeded in getting away his half dollar?’ What did the man do with the money? What do you suppose he drank? Why do you suppose so? Would it have been better to throw away the money? Why? How many persons in the United States become drunkards every year? More than thirty thousand. How may you be sure of not becoming one ? Maes) tae THE CHILD'S GUIDE. 147 LESSON LIV. DEFINITIONS. Mirror, a looking-glass. Cricket, a low stool. Reflect, to think. Deprive, to take away from. LITTLE TYRANTS. “Mary, Mary, if you behave so rude and don’t mend me, when I tell you to stop, I shall not let you go with me to-morrow to pick currants in that beautiful garden,” said Ellen Wilson to her sister, a little romping girl, four years younger than herself. Mary stopped her play of jumping from the table, and looking at her sister, half laughing, a little saucily replied, “T guess, Miss Ellen, I shall go; because mother has promised me; and you know she always performs her promises.” “Yes, I know she does ; but did she not add, if you were a good girl ?” “Well, you know I have been a good iil El- len.” “ No, I don’t, Mary ; for I have been trying this ' long time to make you stop jumping from the tadle, and you would’nt mind me until now; and if you won’t mind me here at home, I shall not dare to take you where there are so weet ens you can injure by touching.” a S. ees 148 — THE CHILD’S GUIDE. “ Well, Ellen, I wild mind you; I won’t jump there any more, ever.” | Ellen was a gentle and very amiable child; though, like all children, sometimes fond of a little authority. Mary played some time very prettily with her doll; but spying a new ook on the table, she took it, and, delighted with the pictures, refused to re- sign it to her sister, who said, ‘Give it to me, Mary; ’tis a borrowed book; and you know mo- ther does not allow you to have borrowed books.” “Well, Ellen, only let me see this one picture ; ‘tis so pretty! - QO! here is another, prettier yet.” But Ellen, fearing the book would not be re- signed until she had seen all it contained, said, “ Very well, Mary, I must go to mother.” _ The eager little girl was so much engaged look- ing at the picture of a colored butterfly on the back of a mouse, she did not notice immediately that her sister had gone. As soon as she missed her, she put up the book, and running to the door, call- ed, “ Ellen, Ellen, I have put it up.” But Ellen did not hear ; she was in the room with her mo- ther. Mary followed, quite ashamed of herself; for she knew that her mother wished her to mind her ’ sister, who was usually very gentle and kind to her. “Mother,” said Ellen, “ Mary has the book William borrowed yesterday ; and will not let me have it.” Mary entered the room while Ellen was speak- ing, saying, “I have put it zp, mother; but Ellen hurried me so.” “My dear,” said Mrs. Wilson, “you did very THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 149 wrong not tomind your sister. She is older than you are, and knows better than you do what is proper and right; and as you did not choose to re- sign the book when she asked you for it, I shall not take the trouble of showing you all the pretty pic- tures it contains, and explaining them to you. Now you may go to your play. I trust you will not be so rude again.” “Mother,” said Ellen, “is it best Mary should go to that beautiful garden with me, to-morrow ? I know she won’t mind me ; and she may step on the flowers, and do something wrong.” “IT should be sorry to deprive her of so much innocent enjoyment, Ellen; but if you think you cannot agree together, | shall certainly keep her at home; though if you are kind, and don’t attempt to tyrannize over her, my dear, I think she would be a very good, obedient little girl.” _ Pyrannize ! Mother, I don’t know what that means.’ “Tyranny means.an unjust, unkind or cruel use of power. You know what power means, El- len.” “Yes, mother, the Prestdent has power; and you and father have power, and can reward or punish us. But I heard William reading some- thing to you about a king, who was a tyrant; can little girls and kings be alike ?” “Tf a little girl makes a bad use of all the pow- er she has, she will be as tyrannical as a king, who makes a bad use of all the power fe has. A little girl has but little power; so she can do bat little harm. ’Tis probable, if her power were bebe a it would increase her desire to tyrannize.” 13* | om o | 150 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. “ But, mother, I never tyrannized over. Mary in my life.” “Are you sureof that, Ellen? Perhaps you do not yet clearly comprehend the word ; I will tell you of two. little girls, though they are young la- dies now, the eldest of whom, I think, tyrannized over her sister. I was on a visit to their mother. LESSON LY. THE LITTLE TYRANTS,—AGAIN. One afternoon, I was writing in a room next to the one in which the children generally sat. Mrs. Norton left me, and went up stairs for something, leaving the door open. I was perfectly still, and the little girls did not know of my being near. * Caroline,’ said the eldest, ‘bring me that book on the secretary.’ j ©O Julia, I can’t get up,’ said little Caroline. ‘Don’t you see my lap is full ? I could see them both in the large mirror that hung opposite. ‘The dear little chubby girl was seated on her cricket in the corner; her white apron spread over her small lap; her dimpled hands placing her many-colored squares for patch- work. ‘See, Julia,’ said she, in a beseeching tone, ‘all my pretty patch-work ‘that I have been so long laying out to baste together, will be tumbled on the floor, if I get up.’ % ‘ Nonsense, said. her sister, ‘make haste; I u THE CHILD’S GUIDE, 151 have done this volume, and want the other imme- diately.’ ‘How can you be:so cross, Julia? you are do- ing nothing at all. “Iam sure I would not plague you so, for any thing.’ : You know, Caroline, mamma tells you’ to mind me.’ ‘But I am sure she wouwld’nt, Miss Julia, if she knew how cross you are to me sometimes.’ ‘There comes mother,’ said Julia, hearing her footsteps on the stairs ; ‘we'll see, Miss Caroline, if you won’t mind.’ The little girl jumped up and got the book. I saw many of her pretty squares fall on the carpet ; and the rest were fumbled in a heap in her lap. Julia took the book and began her reading again. Mrs. Norton’ came through the room in ee without noticing the big tears that dimmed the — bright blue eyes of her little girl; who, wiping them away with the corner of her apron, Heder her work anew witha patient sweetness, that quite » won my dove.” “OQ! mother, what a cross sister,” ait Ellen. “Yes, my dear, she was tyrannical. I think, my daughter, you understand the meaning of ty- ranny now. You feel that Julia tyrannized over _her sister.” “ Yes, mother.” “Mrs. Norton, thinking Julia, as she was so much older, capable of guiding her sister, and of _being useful to her in many ways, had given her power, which she abused ; and though her mother found it out in time to prevent its injuring the gen-_ tle Caroline, Julia grew up Wie a hla ‘9 se ey ee aaeith 162 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. nize, and her manners are far less pleasing than her sister’s, who is now the mother of just such a little lively romp as Mary.” “ Did I ever'see her mother? Does she live in this town 2” “No, my dear, she lives a great way off; I wish she was near us; forI love her much.” “ Ellen, I will tell you how you can always have almost absolute power over your sister; absolute power means power to make her do just what you wish her to do,—and such power you can have over Mary without tyranny, and without harsh- ness,” “ How, mother 2?” “By being perfectly good. You think I am mistaken, I dare say; but if you will reflect a mo- ment, you will remember many times when your manner of asking her has been improper, your look impatient, and your voice too loud. T'o-day, my daughter.” “Indeed, mother! I was mot impatient to-day ; but waited until she had seen four pictures.” “T suppose you waited a moment, my dear ; but had you been perfectly kind, you would have thought how much little folks loved pictures, and what a temptation such a beautiful book was ; and instead of saying, ‘ You must not have it, Mary,’ you should have said, ‘It is a beautiful book, I know: and I will show you all the pictures as soon as I have done my work; but you know mo- ther will be displeased if you disobey her, and take a borrowed book in your hand.’ Don’t you think, if you had spoken thus, she would have resigned the book to you willingly ¢ °” THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 153 “ Yes, mother.” “ But now, my dear, you have deprived her of the pleasure of seeing its contents. ‘Remember, my dear child, I give you some power over your sister, not merely because you are older, but be- cause I think you her superior ; because I think you capable of guiding her right, often when her frolicsome disposition would lead her into mis- chief. Is it not important, then, that you should always show yourself capable of guiding her by the patient gentleness of your manners, and your obedience to the commands and wishes of your parents ?” “Oh yes, mother, and I do try to be good.” at think you do, Ellen, and I am certain, my child, that you know how to apply to God for aid and strength, when you feel your weakness. ‘ And remember, you are never fit to command, until you” know how to obey.’” Ellen threw her arms round her mother’s neck. Her eyes were full of tears, and her young heart full of kind feelings. She said, “I will take Ma- ry with me to-morrow, mother; for I shall be so gentle and affectionate to her, that she will dove to mind me.” “ Keep that resolution, my dear, and you will be certain of her ready obedience, and an agreeable Visit.’ Does this book contain pictures? Does it contain pretty stories? Does enjoyment mean the same as pain? What is the opposite of pain? &c.—Is it probable that idle scho- Jars will learn much ?—Do you inerease in strength as you. " grow older ?—Can you mention a person who is your sw- pervor ?— Another? What does impatient mean? Is 1 ne to be tmpatient, when taking care of a ihetle sisters 8 nvs % 154 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. SS ELS HWOOY LESSON LVI. THE RHINOCEROS. The Rhinoceros is about five and a half, or six feet high, and from twelve to fourteen feet long. This animal’s body is very long and large ; his legs are short, but thick and clumsy; his ears are broad, and stand upright ; his upper lip is long, and hangs over the lower one; his eyes-are smal! ; his skin lies in great folds, like a thick, stiff piece of cloth; his nose is long, and is armed with a great, strong horn; and his feet are short, ending in three toes each... The horn of the Rhinoceros is used as a weapon, to defend him against the ion, elephant, and other animals. It is so strong, that he can run it through a small tvee, just as easy as a boy runs an awl through a small stick. : The Rhinoceros lives on grass, and the small twigs of trees; he also eats thorns, sugar cane and all sorts of corn. THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 155 He gathers his food with his upper lip, which ends ina poznt, and which he can stretch out a foot or more. He is a harmless beast, when let alone; but when attacked by other animals, or pursued by men, no animal is more fierce or more dangerous. He is so strong, and fights with so much skill with his horn, that even the elephant cannot master him, and the tiger would rather attack the elephant than the Rhinoceros. His skin is so thick and hard, that it is a good defence against the claws of the lion and tiger. The color of the Rhinoceros is a dark, bluish brown. He has no hair except on the tail and ears. This animal runs w/d in Asia and Africa, where he lives in low, muddy places, for he loves to wal- low in the mire like the hog. The Rhinoceros can be so far tamed as to be quiet in confinement, and to do a few things at his master’s bidding. But he is not a docile ani- mal, and under instruction behaves more like a pig than like any other beast. He is a solitary beast, and loves best to be alone. He seems too stupid to take any pleasure in com- pany, and is contented if he can wallow in the mire, get enough to eat, and then go to sleep. The Rhinoceros is said to hear uncommonly well. He will listen with great attention to any sound, which he has not often heard Jefore. Even while he is eating, if a drum is beat,he willraise his head, and hearken to ita long meer ee The flesh of this animal is eaten by the Indians and Africans, and is said by them to be excellent. yer ae A dign'® 156 "KF THE CHILD’S GUIDE. i ~ His skin makes the hardest, and for some uses, the dest leather, in the world. His horn is some- times used by ignorant people as a medicine. At a single thought, it might be difficult for us to conclude, for what use such a huge and disgust- ing creature as the Rhinoceros was made ; but if we reflect a moment, we shall see, that in the country where he dives, he may bea great blessing to the poor negroes, who might, perhaps, starve without his flesh. Nor is it difficult to see that the Creator has been kind to this poor stupid beast, for He has given hima horn, with which to defend himself, and without which, he would easily be beaten to death by the elephant, or become the common prey of the don and tiger. How large is the Rhinoceros? What is his shape? What food does he live on? Is he a narmiess animal? ' What is his color? Whereis he to be found? Can he be tamed? What makes him contented? What other animal does so? Can the Rhinoceros hear well? Of what use is he ? LESSON LVI. ANECDOTES OF THE RHINOCEROS. Many years ago,a Rhinoceros was sent from India to London, and although he was only two years old, the cost of his living, during the voyage, was upwards of four thousand dollars., He was fed on rice, sugar, and hay. Bale A THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 157 He had, three times a day, seven pounds of rice, mixed with three pounds of sugar, besides large quantities of hay and herbs. This animal was of a peaceable disposition, and would let a person touch any part of its body, without being angry. When he was hungry, or when struck by any one, he became very furious, nor would he become zame, and mild again, until something was given him to eat, when he would again become innocent and harmless as before. When angry, he would spring about in a very strange manner, and often raise himself up on his hind feet, at the same time pushzng most furiously against the sides of his cage. His motions were quick, and nimble, although so stupid and lazy in appearance. Dr. Parsons, who writes the substance of the above account, says that he does not believe this creature can ever be tamed, so as to obey his master, and that when offended, he believes he would destroy every person who happened to be near him. Mr. Kolbe, who went into the country where the Rhinoceros lives, says that this animal, in his wild state, does not often attack men, unless they provoke him, or weara red dress. Why a red dress should make him angry, we cannot say; but on seeing it, he becomes very furious, and pursues after the man who has it om, and will destroy him, if he can. But Kolbe says it is very easy to escape him, — although he runs with great swiftness, for this beast cannot see any thing that is not right defore him. — Soy TOU ae di yi aay ae me 158 . THE CHILD’S GUIDE. Therefore the man that he is in pursuit of, must stand stzJ until the Rhinoceros comes very zea him, when he must suddenly jump to one side, and then run away. The animal keeps on for a while, -but not seeing the man, stops, not knowing which way to pursue ; and thus the man has time to get out of his way. Now can we not see the goodness of the Crea- tor towards man, in having made the sight of this huge animal less perfect than that of other ani- mals? For, could he see all around, like the cow, and horse, no person could escape his fury, who should be purswed by him. Does the Rhinoceros eat a great deal? What color does he dislike? Is it easy toescape him? Why? LESSON LVIII. MY BROTHER, Who often with me kindly play’d, And all my little playthings made, My kite or ball—though still unpaid ? My Brother. Who made a sled when winter came, With little ropes to draw the same, And on:its sides carv’d out my name ? My Brother. THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 159 Who after him my sled would tow, Swift o’er the ice, where’er I’d go, And mark’d the gliding wave below ? My Brother. Who smil’d to chase my childish fear, And wip’d away the falling tear, When the cold zce crack’d loud and near ? My Brother. And who was it that taught to me The seeds of learning A, B, C, On paper mark’d them out for me ? My Brother. Who to the school my dooks would bear, And Jead me o’er the bridge with care, And lessons find for me when there ? My Brother. Who gathered apples from the tree ? Chestnuts and walnuts too—for me, Who cheerful did all this? ’twas thee, My Brother. These joyful days have had an end ; But oh! to me thy kindness lend, And still remain my dearest friend, My Brother. And may I ever grateful be For all thy kindness shown to me, - And ne’er withdraw my love from thee, _ My Brother. Sa Ae 16) THE CHILD’S GUIDE. LESSON LIX. DEFINITIONS. Splendid, very bright, showy. Brilliant, shining. Estimation, regard. Introduction, the act of bringing into use. Entertainment, provisions of the table, a feast. Nuisance, that which gives trouble. Disgusting, provoking dislike. External, outward. Raa NA NS GO AN Rs R Gp ees Piwa ee THE PEACOCK. - The common Peacock is about five feet long, the tail being three feet and a half, and the body one foot and a half. This bird is very beautiful. The head is small, and crowned with a crest, consisting of a few ee tae a To aay Aes ay teocé THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 161 straight feathers; the neck is long and small; the body is of a considerable size ; the wings short, and the tail very large and long. Its colors are very splendid. The back dnd wings are of a slight ash color, mingled with black; the head, neck, and breast are greenish blue, with a gloss, which, in the sun, appears exceedingly brilliant; the eyes are set between two stripes of white; the feathers of the tail are a mixture of green, blue, purple, and gold; the bird can spread its tail into the form of a half circle, when it be- comes one of the most beautiful objects imaginable. Among the Romans, Peacocks were held in the highest estimation ; and the person who first used them at his table, as an article of food, became so celebrated on this account, that his name is known to this day. After their first introduction to the table, it soon became fashionable among the great men at Rome to eat Peacocks ; not, probably, on account of their goodness, but because their expense was so as to prevent most people from offering so costly a dish ; so that the man who first undertook the business — of fattening them for the markets, made his for- tune by the trade. In Greece, at one period, these birds were so highly esteemed, that the price of a pair of them was more than a hundred dollars of our money ; and. we are told, that when Alexander the Great was in India, he was so struck with their beauty, that he laid a heavy Jjine and punishment on any per- son who should in any manner Wand or injure them. At this time, when a pair was carried to Athens, k 14* aa 162 THE CHILD'S GUIDE, the rich went from all parts of Greece, for no other purpose than to behold so great a curiosity ; each person paying a certain swm for the sight. In what manner the Romans cooked the Pea- cocks, we are not informed; but at the present day, after the highest seasoning, their flesh is still . black, tough, and, when compared with that of other birds, but very poor eating. How long Peacocks were considered a delicious, as well as acostly article of diet, does not appear ; but in the time of king Francis First, of France,. rather more than three hundred years ago, these: birds were still used at the entertainments of the great, though they were not eaten. At that time, the fashion was to take off the skin, and then, having prepared the flesh with spices and salt, the skin was again drawn on, so that the bird appeared in full plumage, and was in no way injured. Thus fitted up for service, it was kept for many years, to be set on the table in full dress, on great occasions. At weddings and other high times, they filled the beak and throat of the bird with cot- ton and camphor, which was set on fire for the entertainment of the company. For the beauty of its plumage, few of the feath- ered race can compare with the Peacock. But this poor bird can boast of nothing but outside show. His voice, which is a kind of scream, is unpleasant, and even shocking to the ear; his legs are black, and so homely, that it is said he will never look:at them himself. He is a voracious eater, and devours plants, seeds, corn, and insects. In gardens and planted fields, he is such a nui- THE CHILD’S GUIDE. . 163 sance, that his owner is often obliged to pay money for the damage he commits. - The bad conduct of this bird, therefore, makes him a disagreeable companion, notwithstanding his beauty. So that those who are well acquainted with him, take little notice of his dress, his charac- ter being a matter of much more consequence to them than the fine appearance of his feathers. Let this be a lesson to those who expect that beauty and external show, rather than good quali- ties, will gain them respect and influence in the world. The truth is, that personal beauty, like the Peacock’s plumage, after being a little while admired, if not combined with other charms, is every where soon forgotten or despised. Let a person be ever so gaudily dressed, and ever so handsome, if he is disgusting in his man- ners, and overbearing in his conduct, he will soon find himself shunned and hated by every body ; whereas a person of amiable and obliging manners, ~ if neither handsome in person, nor dressed in fine clothes, will always be deloved, and always have influence, wherever he goes. } How long is the Peacock’s body? Histail? Is it beau- uful? Are Peacocks good to eat? Why then did the Ro- mans eat them? Isit foolish to eat things because they cost a great deal of money? What would it be better to do with the money? What is all this bird can boast of? What is better for children than outside show ? 164 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. LESSON LX. THE LAW OF GOD. In the State of Massachusetts, the law requires *** that all the instructors of youth shall “use their” best endeavors to impress on the minds of children and youth committed to their care and instruction, the principles of piety, justice, anda sacred regara@ to truth.” In other States, where there may be no ‘such law, teachers owe it as a duty to God and their country, to see that their pupils have a knowledge of these great principles. This cannot be done, while they are ignorant of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is m hea- ven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth ; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them: for I, the Lorp thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the in- iquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me ; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy ; six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work ; but THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 165° the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor aby maid-servant, nor ‘thy cattle, nor the stranger ~sthat is within thy gates ; for in six days the Lord : ~ faade heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. 5. Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 6. Thou shalt not kill. 7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 8. Thou shalt not steal. 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s Wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's. What is a Jaw in Massachusetts? What is the duty of teachers in all places?) Why? Can you repeat the first commandment? The second? &c. [The commandments should be recited at least once a fortnight, till every scholar who is old enough, can repeat them.] LESSON LXI. A TALK ABOUT THE COMMANDMENTS. BETWEEN A FATHER AND His CHILDREN. Father. Children, how many commandments are there ? Aas wt y cy 166 THE CHILD’S GUIDE, . All the children. 'Ten. Father. Where do you find them, Benjamin ? Benjamin. I do not know. Father. Do you know, Ann? Ann. In my primer. Father. True, they are in your primer, and in many other small books for children. But I meant to ask in what part of the Bzdle they are. Can you tell me, George ? George. ‘They are inthe 20th chapter of Exo- dus. Father. 'That is right. Are they in any other part of the Bible, Lucy ? Lucy. I believe not, Sir. Father. What do you think about it, James ? James. ‘They are in the fifth chapter of Deu- teronomy. Father. That is right, my son. They are all recorded together in these two places, but no where else in all the Bible. They are mentioned singly, or several of them together, in other places, some of them frequently. But if you want to find the ten commandments in ove place, you must look in one of these two chapters. Can you tell me whose commandments they a7eer who gave such commandments ? All. God. Father. Whom does God command ? George. The children of Israel. Benjamin. Us. Ann. All the children. James. Every body. Tnacy. All mankind. high You all answer differently 3. but you all THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 167 say the truth. But, George, what made you think that these commandments were for the chil- dren of Israel ? George. Because, when Moses was alone with God in the mount, God wrote them on two tables of stone, and Moses carried them down to the chil- dren of Israel, and gave them to that people, as God bade him. ‘Father. You are right. God gave them first to the children of Israel, and they kept them laid up among their sacred things from age to age; one generation taught them to their children, and they to their children, and so they have been pre- served among the Israelites, or Jews, to this very day. But, Lucy and James, why do you suppose that these commands are for “every body,” or “all mankind ?” Lucy. Because, all the Jewish Scriptures, “the law and the prophets,” make part of the Bi- ble; and the Bible is intended forevery “crea- ture under heaven,” and ministers are “to go into all the world and teach it.” Father. That is true; and is it by such means we have the Bible, with all its precious command- ments and ordinances ? ae Iucy. Yes, Sir. You have told us that the Old Testament books were preserved among Christians after the time of Christ, as well as those of the New; and that the Old Testament has been translated from the Hebrew into the English, and the New Testament from the Greek; and that all together make our English Bible, which we py been taught to read ever since we could read at all. 168 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. Father. Yes. The sacred books were brought in ancient times, from the south-east part of Eu- rope to Great Britain; and when our fathers came to this western wilderness, they brought them with them. And now, in this land of liberty and plenty, almost every child may read and hear in his own tongue, the wonderful works of God. Now, James, can you tell me any other reason why the ten commandments are for “every body,” be- sides the fact that the books of Exodus and Deuter- onomy make part of our English Bible ? James. Christ and his apostles, I believe, quote the commandments, and speak of them as the commandments of God, and as binding on Jews and Gentiles, and all people. Father. They do so; and it would be a pleas- ing and profitable exercise, if we could refer to a number of such places, and read and remark on what they wrote. But we have no time this even- ing; for | want to talk with you more about the commandments themselves. They are indeed designed for all people ; for “all the children,” as, Ann said, and for “us,” as Benjamin said. Nowl want any of you to tell me, what these command- ments are sometimes called. Tucy. The decalogue. James. ‘The moral law. — George. ThelawofGod._ . Father. You all say right. Lucy, why are they called the “ decalogue ?” Lacy. Because there are just ten of them. Father. Why is that a reason for the name ? Lucy.- 1 do not know. uh eh ‘ THE CHILD’S GUIDE, 169 Father. Then I will tell you. The word “ decalogue” means any thing which consists of ten words, or ten speeches ; and is derived from two Greek words that signify ten words. It is al- so called a “law,” or “the law of God,’ because it contains what God requires and forbids, and threatens punishment to those who disobey. It is called “the moral law,” to distinguish it from another which bears the name of the “ ritual, or ceremonial law.” That wasa law which told the Israelites about the sacrifices, and the holy days, and the modes of worship at the temple. This law relates to the heart and the conduct through every day of our dife ; and contains in a few words all that God requires of men, and what he forbids, both towards him and towards one another. George. Ihave been thinking, Pa, why these ten commandments should be called the great law of God; did he never give but ten commandments to mankind ? Father. Yes, my son, he has given a great many more. But,as.1 was just. now saying, these ten are the great commands, given in few words, so that we may easily remember them ; but in other parts of the Bible, they are" explained at greater length, and applied in a great many par- ticular cases. And if any body should obey these ten, and love them with all the heart, he could not hate or disobey one of all the words of God in the Bible. He would, like the Psalmist, “have re- spect unto all God’s commandments,” and to him “every word of God” would be pure, and lovely, and sweet. Our Lord Jesus even reduced the 15 170 THE CHILD'S GUIDE. number Jelow ten. Having said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,” he added, “This is the first and great command; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neigh- bor as thyself. On these two commandments” hang all the law and the prophets.” Do you think, children, if a man or a child loved God with all his heart, he could have any other gods before him, or worship images ? All. No, Sir. Father. If a man or a child loved every body as well as he did himself, could he kill ong body © in anger, or for money ? All. No, Sir. Father. Could such a man steal, or bear false testimony, or even desire to get away what be- longed to another ? All. No, Sir. Father. Couldachild that had such love, ever disobey or grieve his parents ? All. No, Sir. Father.. Now we will talk no more at present. ‘But I want you to commit all the ten command- ments to memory, if you do not know them now, so that at another time I may see how well you understand them. THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 171 LESSON LXIi. P ABOUT COLUMBUS. All the great and good men, who have ever lived, became great and good by their own efforts. Christopher Columbus was one of these great men ; and though he lived about four hundred years ago, and was at firsta poor boy, people now love to talk about Columbus, and praise him. He was born at Genoa, a city of Italy, in 1435. His father was a wool-comber, and it is likely was not able to let his son go to school as much as most boys do now. Mr. Irving, who has written a large book Hk oe Columbus, tells us that he became a good scholar by “diligent self-schooling,” and by studying, when perhaps, other boys or young men of his age were at play. Some boys, when they go to school, and have to learn a lesson in Geography, think it very hard, and cannot see of what wse it will be, to remember so many hard names. But Columbus loved to study Geography, and he thought about what he read. And when he had learned allthat he could from books, he wanted to know more about the earth. He did not feel satisfied with the accounts given of the shape of the earth. He thought it wa« round hike an orange, and that men could sail round it. Columbus wanted to try to find another contz- nent by going west. But he could not build a ship, and hike: men to help him, without money. So 172 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. he applied to the sovereigns of his own country for acd. Butthey refused to help him. He then went to the king of Portugal ; and the king pretended to think it a foolish scheme; but he privately sent some ships Azmself, so that he might have all the honor and benefit of the voyage. ~ Perhaps the king was advised to deceive Colum- bus by his counsellors, and would have acted right, if they had not urged him to do wrong. But like most people who do wrong, he did not suc- ceed. Columbus soon left him, and went to the king of Spazn. The name of this king was Ferdinand, and that of his queen, Isabella. The queen was much pleased with the plan of Columbus, and she hoped he would find the country he expected to find. She persuaded the king to let him have shzps and men, and money; and Columbus engaged to let the king have most of the valuable things he might find. Before they sailed, Columbus and his men prayed to God, that he would take care of them, and give them success. They then began their voyage, on the 14th of August, 1492. On leaving sight of land, the sailors felt as though they had taken leave of the world. In the trouble of the moment, they despaired of ever again seeing their homes. Many of them shed tears. Columbus tried to soothe their distress, promis- ing them land, riches, and many other things. He did not do this in order to deceive them; for he really delieved he should fulfil his promises. When they had got far out into the sea, the THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 173 sailors were still more afraid, and wanted to go back, and treated Columbus with great disrespect. But he persuaded them to continue the voyage a few weeks longer, and at length they discovered land. Their first act on landing, was to return thanks to God, with tears of joy. ‘They called the island on which they landed, San Salvador. Columbus soon after returned to Spain. The king and queen were very glad when they heard of the new country he had found. They sent him Jack again, and sent many other ships. They now discovered the islands which are called the West Indies. Columbus afterwards made another voyage, and discovered the continent, and was sent home in chains by those who envied him.. The ill treat- ment he now received afflicted him so much as to hasten his death, which took place in 1506. Columbus intended to use the vast gains he ex- pected from his discoveries for the relief of the poor, and for religious purposes. He was a good man. Mr. Irving says of him, “The Sabbath was to him a day of sacred rest; on which he would never sail from a port, unless in case of extreme necessity.” ‘His language was pure, and free from all gross or irreverent expressions.” “He has been extolled for his skill in controlling others, but far greater praise is due to him for the firmness he displayed in governing himself.” Now, if you would have a character like that of Columbus, you must imitate his good qualities. Where was Columbus born? How long ago? What was his ee How did Columbus. ecome a good scho- 174 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. lar? What did he want to do? To whom did he apply for help? To whom next? How did the king of Portu- gal treat him? Was this right? Why? Of whom did he at last obtain help? What did queen Isabella per- suade*the king to do? What did Columbus and his men do before they sailed? How did the men feel when they lost sight of land? How did Columbus soothe them ? What does soothe mean? How did they treat Columbus when they had gone still farther? What did they do when they discovered land, and went on shore? Did Columbus afterwards make another voyage to this coun- try? Another? How was he treated then? How did this affect him? What did he mean to do with the gains he expected to make? How did he regard the Sabbath? What kind of language did he use?’ Do good men use bad language? Should you imitate good men in doing what is right? LESSON LXIIL DEFINITIONS. Revolution, a change in the government of a coun- try. Wigwam, an Indian hut. ,, ‘Conditions, terms of agreemént. Royal, belonging to a king. * Taxes, money paid to those who govern us. Compel, to force. Declare, to tell openly. Palace, a king’s house. Particulars, the different parts. .. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Before the people who came from England landed here, this whole country was all a wilder- THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 17& mess. No bridges were made over any of the streams: no roads, nor any houses, except Indian wigwams. There was no plough, nor hoe, nor spinning-wheel, nor loom, nor saw-mill, nor grist- mill, in this whole region. Thousands of deer and bears, wolves, buffaloes, mooses, foxes, beavers, rabbits, and other animals, were running wild in the woods: but with all the fur in the country, the Indians did not know how to make a single hat. They commonly settled near a river, for the sake of fish ; or by the sea-shore, where they could catch lobsters, and oysters, and clams. All the hard work was done by their women. ‘The men loved hunting, which they carried on with clubs, or bows and arrows. Iristead of living together like a band of brothers, through the whole country, they were divided into. small tribes, engaged half the time in war, and murdering each other. They were as faithful to their friends as the best white people; but very — cruel indeed to their enemies. As to reading and writing, these Indiawg did not know one letter from another ; and sé they were called Savages. Such was the condition of this country, when the first ship-load of Englishmen came to Vir- ginia, in 1607 ; and thirteen years afterwards, an- other company to Plymouth in Massachusetts. These people had te cut down trees, digjup stwmps by the roots, and.in a little time bege themselves houses, and then churches and school- houses. It was agreed that the king of England should be the king of this country; but the people here were to worship God in their own way, and to be h i 2 4 m to build “tiegsemegy 176 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. free. These conditions were writien down on pieces of paper, with the kine’s name signed to them, and given to those who settled in different places here in North America. These papers were called royal charters. The settlements made according to these charters, were called British colonies or provinces. For about 150 years, the colonies continued in this way, working hard, and suffering many evils. One English king after another passed away, and a new king was seated on the throne. In these American colonies, the people grew old and died ; their children became men and women, and took their places, under the samé royal charters. King George the Third received the crown of Great Britain, at the death of his grandfather. He had a set of men, called his ministers or coun- sellors, to help him contrive plans and govern his kingdom. ‘They attempted to make the people of this country pay zazes to them. Many other acts they did contrary to the rights of our people. This conduct dissatisfied the Americans. They said, ‘If King George can coimpel us, against our will, to use paper with his stdmp on it, and make us pay a taz for that stamp ; and if he can make us pay him three pence, sterling money, for each pound of tea we use, and which he has no right to; by the same rade he might take our cattle from us, or drive us from our farms.’ They said, ‘The British government has no right to tax this country: we have a right to be free: we will be free ; and we will not pay this tax.’ When the king and his counsellors were told what the mismo sai determined, they were THE CHILD'S GUIDE. 177 greatly offended. Themen called the Lords, and others called the Commons, five or six hundred of them in ad/, met with the Ministers, at the parlia- ment-house, in London, and declared that they had a right to pass laws to compel the Americans to do whatever they sazd. The news of this affair came across the Atlantic by the first ship to this country, and our people began to prepare for very serious difficultes. They chose their wisest men to meet and agree, in be- half of the people, on what was proper to be done. These men wrote the king, saying they thought that the persons about his palace, whom he listened to, did not know the particulars of our affairs, and were filling his ears with very wrong stories. At the same time they also wrote letters to the inhabi- tants of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and said they hoped the people there would not help the king’s bad advisers to practise their unjust and cruel schemes against the Americans. But for fear of the worst, the colonists prepared, as well as they could, to take care of themselves. They collected powder and bullets, guns and swords, fifes and drums, so that ifthe king’s armies should attempt to kill them, or ‘chain them and make them slaves, they could defend themselves. Before the English came here, who lived here? What was their food?) When did the first Englishmen come to Virginia? How long ago? How soon after did a compa- ny come to Massachusetts? Who was to be king of this country? Were the people to be free? What king taxed the colonies? What did the people say? What did the king and his counsellors then do€ What did the ~ Americans do next ? 178 THE CHILD'S GUIDE. — LESSON LXIV. DEFINITIONS. Militia, men kept in readiness to defend their country when it is necessary. Devise, to contrive. Reign, to rule as a king. Colony, a company of people who leave their own country and move to some other one. Proceeding, dealing between man and man. Slaughtered, killed. Conquer, to overcome. Bravery, courage. MORE ABOUT THE REVOLUTION. The king’s officers and soldiers, with their red coais, came over in great numbers, to force us to submit. The British army took possession of Bosten, and sent a party of soldiers out about twenty roiles, to take the powder’and other things whicn the Americans had collected at Concord. iby the way they met with acompany of Amer- Wan Mulia, at Lexingt ton, paraded og the green, by the mecting-house. The British, fred upon hese, and killed eight men on the spo A num- ber of others were badly wounded. This affair uappened the 19th of April, in the year 1776. The war was now begun, and both parties ex- erted themselves with great vigor. Many bloody actions took place. Our people again chose their ablest men to meet and devise the best plans in their peer to proms te the American cause. THE CHILD’S GUIDE. 179 This meeting of wise and good men was called the Congress. The first important thing they did was to appoint that most noble of men, George Washington, to be commander-in-chief of all the “ armies which could be raised to defend this coun- try. “hte many batiles, and great sufferings, brought — upon these colonies by the British troops, the Con- gress, at Philadelphia, determined to make a bold stand, in behalf of our countrymen, and to tell all the world what they meant to do. They chose five of their best scholars to draw up a writing, ona large sheet of paper; and in that writing, they said the king of England had done many wrongs towards the Americans: he had reigned over thern like a tyrant, and not like a father ; and they could no longer dear such treatment. iy They said that, from that time, each of the thir- teen colonies should be a free state: they should all be united to defend their rights ; they should form a nation by themselves, and have a govern- ment of their own, and make their own laws, and the king of Great Britain should, no longer de the king of this country. They ayypealed to all na- tions, and to. the God of heaven and earth, for the justice of their cause. | ; Fifty-six members of Corferess signed their names to this paper, and plegecd their lives, their fortunes, and sacred honor, t/o make the proceed- ing stand good. This w/riting was called the Declaration of American Inidependence. It was dated the 4th day of July,/ in the year 1776. The war now raged in/ a terrible manner, and G (ies wide Nas F ia , ee) uit ay i RN te) Wt “si RS ts Pe oun ht aS 180 THE CHILD’S GUIDE. vast numbers on doth sides were slaughtered. The king of Great Britain hired, in Germany, 17,000 soldiers, called Hesszans, to come here and help his men to conquer this country. Our people defended themselves with singular bravery; and, in the year 1778, Dr. Franklin, a learned American, went to Paris, and agreed with Louis XVI. king of France, to send a French fleet and army here, to assist in defending the United States. At the same time, a Very noble and extraordina- ry young manin France, by the name of La Fay- ette, hearing of the sufferings of the people here, hired a brig, and came at the risk of his dzfe to save them from ruin. He was made general in the American army, and passed through many dan- gers.and hurdships in our cause. He is now an old man, and remarkably beloved by all good ‘When the fighting had continued nearly eight years, and two\large British armies had been killed or taken prisoners by the Americans, king George concluded to gixe up the contest, and let the United States de a natiom by themselves, as they had de- termined. This \var is called the war of the Revo- lution, because that by it the government of the country was changed. . ee See Who came over from! England to force the Americans to submit? What did Cd\ngress do? What writing did most of them sign? Who can\\\e from France to help the Ame- ricans? How long did t\he fighting last? What is this war called? i" Moe kn oaks ia Saas r UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA Po __ 3.0112 115262146 ikl * oi for 3 sgt + ’ oe “oes hPa ‘i ey “ f = | t - s 4 a 4 4 ; ‘ Ff x ae > ‘> fe 3 z wea! Je = ax oe “4 < > Fs ad H . ¢ F a 4 ; a ; , * ‘ Or a3 re > 4 4 - a3 y 2 ¥ de Fai « 1 7 £ ey Mex te % My 4. * ma a i. é a a9 er eae as. 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