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PREFACE.

THE paramount object of this book, no less than of the lower numbers of the series, is to help the pupil to become a good reader. To be a good reader, one must not only be able to pronounce all the words in a given lesson, but he must have so thorough an understanding of the selection to be read that he involuntarily makes the thoughts and feelings of the author his own. An exercise in reading should, therefore, always be a pleasure to those who participate in it. It should never in any sense be regarded as a task. Children who like to read are pretty sure to become good readers; and the easiest way to teach reading is to make every recitation full of interest and a source of delight. But this is not all. Careless habits must be avoided. Distinct enunciation and correct pronunciation must be insisted upon and secured. It is not enough that the reader himself understands and is interested. He must make his hearers understand also, and that without effort, and he must give them such pleasure that they shall not soon become weary of listening to him.

The lessons in this volume have been prepared and arranged with a view towards several ends: to interest the young reader; to cultivate a taste for the best style of literature as regards both thought and expression; to point the way to an acquaintance with good books; to appeal to the pupil's sense of duty, and strengthen his desire to do right; to arouse patriotic feelings and a just pride in the achievements of our countrymen; and incidentally to add somewhat to the learner's knowledge of history and science and art.

The illustrations will prove to be valuable adjuncts to the text. Spelling, defining, and punctuation should receive special attention. Difficult words and idiomatic expressions should be carefully studied with the aid of the Word List at the end of the volume. Persistent and systematic practice in the pronunciation of these words and of other difficult combinations of sounds will aid in training the pupils' voices to habits of careful articulation and correct enunciation.

While literary biography can be of but little, if any, value in cultivating literary taste, it is desirable that pupils should acquire some slight knowledge of the writers whose productions are placed before them for study. To assist in the acquisition of this knowledge, and also to serve for ready reference, a few pages of Biographical Notes are inserted towards the end of the volume. The brief rules given on page 6 should be learned at the beginning, and carefully and constantly observed.

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