9. "The moon-beams fell upon the child As, weeping, there he lay; And gusty winds were sweeping wild Along the forest way, When up rose John, at dead of night; For he would see his mother; _She_ loved her child, although _he_ might Be _nothing_ to another.

That narrow creek he forded o'er,-- 'Tis nearer than around the sh.o.r.e.

10. "But here the sh.o.r.e is rough, you see; The bank is high and steep; And John, who climbed on hands and knee, His footing could not keep.

He backward fell, all, all alone; Too weak was he to rise; (_pl._) And no one heard his dying moan, Or closed his dying eyes.

How still he slept! And grief and pain Could never come to him again.

11. "A stranger, pa.s.sing on his way, Found him, as you have said; His feet were out upon the clay, The water o'er his head.

And then his foot-prints showed the path He took, adown the creek, When he escaped the woman's wrath, So hungry, faint, and weak.

And people now, as you have heard, Do call the place, THE DEAD CHILD'S FORD."

QUESTIONS.--1. Was John an orphan, or half orphan? 2. Was he drowned at night, or in the daytime? 8. By whom was he found? 4. What is the place called where he was drowned? 5. Give the rule for the rising inflections, as marked in the 1st, 2d, and 4th verses. 6. Why are there no quotation marks at the beginning of the 2d verse? 7. Why are half quotations used in the 3d and 8th verses? 8. How should a part of the 8th and 10th verses be read, according to the notation marks? See page 41.

LESSON VII.

EX CLAIM' ED, cried out.

DE MAND' ING, asking; requiring.

A MISS', wrong; improperly.

AC CUS' ED, charged with.

BREACH, violation.

VIS' ION, sight; view.

DE SCRIP' TION, account.

SLUG' GARD, lazy person.

LAME AND LAZY,--A FABLE.

[Footnote: For an explanation of the term fable, see page 236.]

1. Two beggars, LAME and LAZY, were in want of bread. _One_ leaned on his crutch, the _other_ reclined on his couch. Lame called on Charity, and humbly asked for a _cracker_. Instead of a cracker, he received a _loaf_.

2. Lazy, seeing the gift of Charity, exclaimed: "What'! ask a _cracker_ and receive a _loaf'_? Well, I will ask a loaf." Lazy now applied to Charity, and called for a loaf of bread. "Your demanding a loaf," said Charity, "proves you a _loaf_-er. You are of that cla.s.s and character who _ask_ and _receive not_; because you ask amiss."

3. Lazy, who always found fault, and had rather whine than work, complained of _ill-treatment_, and even accused Charity of a breach of an exceeding great and precious promise: "Ask, and ye shall receive."

4. Charity pointed him to a painting in her room, which presented to his vision three personages, Faith, Hope and Charity. Charity appeared larger and fairer than her sisters. He noticed that her right hand held a pot of honey, which fed a bee disabled, having lost its wings. Her left hand was armed with a whip to keep off the drones.

5. "I do not understand it," said Lazy. Charity replied: "It means that Charity _feeds_ the lame, and _flogs_ the lazy." Lazy turned to go.

"Stop," said Charity, "instead of _coin_, I will give you _counsel_. Do not go and live on your poor mother; I will send you to a _rich ant_."

6. "_Rich aunt'_?" echoed Lazy. "Where shall I find her'?" "You will find a description of her," replied Charity, "in Proverbs, sixth chapter, sixth, seventh, and eighth verses, which read as follows: 'Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise; which, having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provided her meat in summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.'"

7. MORAL. Instead of waiting and wishing for a rich UNCLE to _die_, go and see how a rich ANT _lives_.

QUESTIONS.--1. Where is the quotation in the 3d paragraph to be found?

Answer. John, 16th chapter, 24th verse. 2. Where, the quotation in the sixth paragraph? 3. Why does it commence with a half quotation? Answer.

Because it denotes a quotation within a quotation.

LESSON VIII.

HAUGH'TY, proud; disdainful.

PAR TIC' U LAR LY, especially.

TRANS ACT', do; perform.

A BASH' ED, confused.

DIS COV' ER, find out.

EX AM' INE (_egz am' in_), look over; inspect.

REC' TI FY, correct; make right.

REC' OM PENSE, reward.

DE SERVES', merits.

DE CLIN' ING, failing.

PRE VENT' ED, hindered.

AP PRO BA' TION, approval.

PRE'CEPTS, instructions; counsels.

BEN E FAC' TOR, friend; one that benefits.

A Ma.s.s' ED, gathered.

A DAPT' ED, suited.

CON FI DEN' TIAL, trusty; trusted.

IN TEG' RI TY, honesty.

FAITHFULNESS IN LITTLE THINGS.

ELIZA A. CHASE.

1. "Is Mr. Harris in'?" inquired a plainly, but neatly dressed boy, twelve or thirteen years of age, of a clerk, as he stood by the counter of a large bookstore.

The clerk regarded the boy with a haughty look, and answered: "Mr.

Harris is in; but he is engaged."

2. The boy looked at the clerk hesitatingly, and then said: "If he is not particularly engaged, I would like to see him."

"If you have any business to transact, _I_ can attend to it," replied the clerk. "Mr. Harris can not be troubled with boys like you."

3. "What is this, Mr. Morley?" said a pleasant-looking man, stepping up to the clerk; "what does the boy want?"

"He insisted on seeing you, though I told him you were engaged,"

returned the clerk, a little abashed by the manner of his employer.

4. "And what do you wish to see me about, my lad?" inquired Mr. Harris, kindly.

The boy raised his eyes, and, meeting the scornful glance of the clerk, said timidly: "I wish you to look at the bill of some books which I bought here, about three months since. There is a mistake in it, which I wish to correct."

5. "Ah, my boy, I see," replied Mr. Harris; "you have _overpaid_ us, I suppose!"

"No, sir," answered the boy. "On the contrary, I purchased some books which are _not charged_ in the bill, and I have called to pay for them."