LESSON XXXIX. THE COMMON PATH. 1. Do not despise the common path 2. Do not avoid the common path', The wide highways of nature are 3. Do not forsake the common path, The sun itself would fade, without A world on which to shine: The glory of a noble mind Is not itself alone, But in the oft-reflected light Emitted from its own! J. E. CARPENTER. [This is a lesson of advice and precept. What is the meaning of "the common path?" The "wide highways of nature?" The meaning of the word "emitted," in the last line?] LESSON XL. WHY AN APPLE FALLS. 1. "I HAVE somewhere read," said Willie, "that Sir Isaac Newton was led to make some of his great discoveries by seeing an apple fall from a tree. But I don't see any thing wonderful in the fall of an apple'. Why should not an apple fall when its stem is broken'?" 2. "Let me ask you in return," said Uncle John, "if you see any reason why an apple should' fall' when its stem is broken'? Can you tell why any thing falls to the ground'?" 3. "I suppose an apple falls from a tree when its stem is broken," said Willie, "because-because-there is nothing to hold it up any longer. It is forced' to fall'. It can't help' it." 4. "Just' so', just' so'," said Uncle John; "it is forced' to fall. It can't' help' it. But what is it that forces the apple to fall'? Do you think the apple has any power to move itself"?" 5. Willie thought a while, and then said that he did not suppose the apple could move itself'. "But I should like to know," said he, "what makes it fall." 6. "That is the very question that Newton asked himself," said Uncle John. "And when he could answer that question', he could answer a great many more questions that had long puzzled all the philosophers before him." 7. "But I don't see, yet, what makes the apple fall," said Willie. "There must be something that pulls it down to the earth." 8. "Just' so', just' so'," said Uncle John. "The earth pulls the apple to it.” "But I don't see the earth pull it'," said Willie; "and I don't see how the earth can pull it.” 9. "Nor does any body know how' it can do it'. All we know is the fact that there is a force or power in the earth which draws the apple; and that power Newton called attraction. We say, the earth attracts the apple to it. The earth attracts us also, and keeps us from falling off.” "But do not other bodies have this power of attrac tion'?" asked Willie. 10. "Certainly. The apple has the same kind of power; but its power is very small, compared with the power of the great earth itself. One body thus acts upon any other body, just in proportion to the amount of matter it contains, and its nearness to the other. If I lift up a stone it is heavy, because the earth attracts, or draws it downward; and the more matter the stone contains', the heavi er' it is." 11. "But what would happen," asked Willie, "if the earth should suddenly lose this power of attraction'?" 12. "If the earth should lose this power," Uncle John replied, "and the sun and the moon should retain their powers of attraction, the same as now, every thing on the earth would be drawn away to the sun or the moon; and the earth itself would fall in pieces, and be drawn away also." 13. "Then the power which makes an apple fall to the earth," said Willie, "is pretty important after all, although I at first thought there was nothing wonderful about it." 14. "It is one of those great laws," said Uncle John, "which God has made to bind the universe together, and which helps to keep the earth and the other planets in their places." [This lesson is sufficiently simple in composition for an earlier book, but sufficiently suggestive of thought for one more advanced. It teaches that some of the most common things we see are the greatest of wonders, when we begin to think about them. If I hold up an apple, and then let it drop, I may say it falls because I let go of it. But this is, really, no reason at all. The only ultimate reason we can give for any thing is, God wills it.] LESSON XLI. FORGIVENESS.-A PARABLE. Bible.-Matt. xviii, 23-35. 1. THEN came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times'? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times', but, until seventy times seven. 2. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which owed him ten thousand talents. But foras much as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 3. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him a hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not; but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 4. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, Oh thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee'? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. [This lesson is one of the numerous parables of the New Testament. A parable is a short tale, which conveys a moral or religious truth. Unlike the fable, the parable never violates nature. It differs from the allegory, in distinctly comparing one thing with another, at the same time preserving them apart; not transferring, as does the allegory, the properties, qualities, and relations of one thing to another. What two things are compared in this parable? (A certain king and his servants on the one hand, and God and the subjects of his moral government on the other.) What moral duty is here enforced ?]. THE sun should not set upon our anger, neither should it rise upon our confidence. We should forgive freely, but forget rarely. I will not be revenged, and this I owe to my ene my; but I will remember, and this I owe to myself. LESSON XLII. FORGIVENESS. .a 1. O GOD! my sins are manifold ;a Wilt thou release my trembling soul, 2. My foemen,d Lord, are fierce and fell;e 3. Seven times, O Lord, I've pardoned them; They practice still to work me woe, But let them dread my vengeance now, "FORGIVE!" the voice in thunder spake, "OR NEVER BE FORGIVEN!" [This striking and beautiful poem, also enforcing the duty of forgiveness, is a fitting sequel to the foregoing parable. What confession is made in the first verse? What is God asked to do? What reply is made? What complaint, request, and reply, in the second verse? The continued complaint, request, and reply, in the third verse?] Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. |