Sanders' Union Fourth Reader.

by Charles W. Sanders.

PREFACE.

THIS FOURTH READER is designed to pa.s.s the pupil from the comparatively easy ground occupied by the THIRD to the more difficult course embraced in THE UNION FIFTH READER, which is next higher in the series. It is, therefore, carefully graded to this intermediate position.

In one sense, however, it is the most important in the set; since the great ma.s.s of pupils, in our common schools, are drawn away from scholastic pursuits long before the proper time for entering upon any course of reading more advanced than that which is here presented. This consideration has had its full weight in the preparation of the following pages.

Every exercise will be found to bear the impress of that special adaptation to the purposes of teaching, without which no book of this kind can fully perform the office which it a.s.sumes. The labor expended in this direction, though all unseen by the casual observer, has been neither light nor brief. It can be duly appreciated by none but the experienced teacher.

All words in the exercises, requiring explanation, have been arranged, as regular lessons in spelling and definition. In these definitions, however, it must be kept in mind, that no attempt has been made to give _all the meanings of which a word is susceptible, but that only which it bears in the particular place in the exercise where it is found._ There is a special educational advantage in thus leading the mind of the pupil definitely to fix upon the _precise import_ of a word, in some particular use or application of it.

All proper names occurring in the text, and at all likely to embarra.s.s the learner, have been explained in brief, comprehensive notes. These notes involve many matters, Geographical, Biographical, and Historical, which are not a little interesting in themselves, aside from the special purpose subserved by them in the present connection.

All this has been done, and more, in order to secure that kind of interest in the exercises which comes of reading what is clearly understood; and because no perfect reading is possible, where the reader himself fails to perceive the meaning of what he reads.

In the selection and adaptation of the pieces, the highest aim has been to make and to leave the best moral impression; and this, not by dull and formal teachings, but by the pleasanter, and, therefore, more powerful, means of incidental and unexpected suggestion. Admonition is then most likely to be heeded, when it comes through the channel of events and circ.u.mstances.

The direct and ostensible aim of the book, however, has been kept steadily in view; which is to furnish the best possible exercises for practice in Rhetorical reading. To this end, the greatest variety of style and sentiment has been sought. There is scarcely a tone or modulation, of which the human voice is capable, that finds not here some piece adapted precisely to its best expression. There is not an inflection, however delicate, not an emphasis, however slight, however strong, that does not here meet with something fitted well for its amplest ill.u.s.tration. No tenderness of pathos, no earnestness of thought, no play of wit, no burst of pa.s.sion, is there, perhaps, of which the accomplished teacher of Elocution may not find the proper style of expression in these pages, and, consequently, the best examples for the ill.u.s.tration of his art.

The book, thus briefly described, is, therefore, given to the public with the same confidence that has. .h.i.therto inspired the author in similar efforts, and with the hope that it may reach even a higher measure of usefulness than that attained by any of its predecessors, in the long line of works which he has prepared for the use of schools.

NEW YORK, April, 1863.

EXPLANATION OF THE PAUSES.

The Period is the longest pause--a full stop. It marks the end of a sentence, and shows the sense complete; as, The sky is blue'. Pause the time of counting _six_, and let the voice fall.

The Interrogation is used at the end of a question; as, Is the sky blue'? If the question can be answered by _yes_ or _no_, the voice rises; if not, it falls; as, Where is your map';? Pause the time of counting _six_.

The Exclamation denotes wonder, surprise, pain, or joy; as, O'! what a sweet rose'! Pause the time of counting _one_, after a single word, and let the voice rise; but after a complete sentence, pause the time of counting _six_, and let the voice fall.

The Colon is a pause shorter than the Period; as, The sky is clear': the sun shines. Pause the time of counting _four_, and let the voice fall.

The Semicolon is a pause shorter than the Colon; as, The rose is fair'; but it soon fades. Pause the time of counting _two_, and let the voice fall. Sometimes the voice should rise, as the sense may require.

The Comma is the shortest pause; as, Jane goes to school', and learns to read. Pause the time of counting _one_, and keep the voice up.

The Dash denotes a sudden pause or change of subject; as, I saw him--but what a sight! When the dash is used after any other pause, the time of that pause is doubled.

EXPLANATION OF OTHER MARKS.

The Apostrophe has the form of the comma. It denotes the possessive case; as, John's book; also, that one or more letters have been left out of a word; as, lov'd for loved.

The Quotation includes a pa.s.sage that is taken from some other author or speaker; as, John said: "See my kite."

The Parenthesis includes words not properly a part of the main sentence; as, I like these people (who would not?) very much. The words within the parenthesis should be read in a lower tone of voice.

The Brackets inclose words that serve to explain the preceding word or sentence; as, James [the truthful boy] went home.

The Caret shows where words are to be put in that have been omitted by mistake; as, Live ^in peace.

The Diaresis is placed over the latter of two vowels, to show that they belong to two distinct syllables; as, aerial.

The Hyphen is used to connect compound words; as, Well-doing; or the parts of a word separated at the end of a line.

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The Index points to something special or remarkable; as, => Important News!

*** .... or ----

The Ellipsis shows that certain words or letters have been purposely omitted; as, K**g, k..g, or k--g, for king.

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