8. One pleasant morning, about a week afterward, his father invited him to take a walk among some beautiful trees.

For a time they walked on in silence. "Dennie," at last said the father, "do you know what made you sick the other day?"

9. "Why, I suppose I drank too much rum," the boy artlessly replied.

"Well, my son, do you know that I think you are in danger of becoming a drunkard?”

10. "Yes, father, I know you tell me so; but I am not afraid of it. You drink every day, and you are not a drunkard; and when I am old enough to know how much it will do for me to drink, then I too can keep from being drunk.”

11. They seated themselves on a rock. His father in the most earnest manner described to him the evils of intemperance. Then taking from his pocket a small gold watch which Dennie had long desired to call his own, he said, “Dennie, if you will promise me that you will never drink any more rum, I will give you this watch. Will you make the promise?"

12. Rising from his seat, and looking his father full in the face, Dennie replied, "If it is wrong to drink rum, I scorn to be hired not to drink it. But I will tell you what I will do. If it is wrong for me to drink, is it not wrong for you? If you will stop drinking, father, I will."

13. Had a flash of lightning burst from the cloudless sky above them, his father would not have been more startled. How could he preach or perform the laborious duties of a pastor without his daily glass of bitters? How could he rise from bed in a cold winter night, and go to pray by the bed of death, without a glass of spirits to prevent his taking cold?

14. The sacrifice was indeed great; but the welfare of his child demanded it. Summoning all his resolution, he replied with a faltering voice, "I will do so, my son." And thus in that place did they pledge themselves to total abstinence.

15. As they retraced their steps the father, taking the little watch from his pocket, gave it to Dennie. "My son," said he, "you have long wished me to give you this watch. It shall be yours so long as you keep your promise. Should that promise ever be broken, I shall expect you to return the watch. Till then let it be a token to you of the promise we have just made.”

16. Years have passed. Dennie is now a distinguished clergyman in one of the most populous western cities. Four bright little boys call him father. The little gold watch decorates his parlor-wall. Often does he point to it, and tell of his danger, and of his escape from the whirlpool of intemperance. That little gold watch is to him of greater worth than all the gold of California.

LESSON LXXIV.

A DO', bustle, great stir.
BAL CO-NY, a frame or gallery projecting
in front of a window or opening of a
house.

BOUN'TY, generosity, liberality in giv-
ing.

DAME, Mrs., a title of honor to a woman.
MEN ACE, to threaten.

MIS'SILE, (Latin mitto, to send, throw,) a weapon thrown.

OF-FENSIVE, used in attack; opposed
to defensive.

SA'VOR, to have a smell or taste of, to
partake of the nature of.
WAGE, to engage in, to carry on.
SUE, to beg, to use entreaties.

PRONUNCIATION.-Be-neath' 15, men'aced 26b, sue 16, con-fu'sion 16, mis sile 5, were 33, been 33, rap'ture 17 and 18.

4. For Pug, however rich in fruit,

Appeared in bounty greatly lacking,
And flung, in answer to their suit,

The shells of nuts, which he'd been cracking.

5 At this the suppliants, filled with rage,
Resolved to sue to him no longer,
But battle now prepared to wage,

As they in numbers were the stronger.

6. The monkey, on this rude attack,

Although he thought the means expensive,
Without ado untied his sack,

And turned his nuts to arms offensive.

7. Pug, with his missiles, aimed his blows
So hard and fast that in conclusion
His smarting and bepelted foes
Fled off in cowardly confusion.

8. At length he proudly stood alone,

With feelings that of rapture savored,

Prepared to thank, in joyous tone,

Dame Fortune, who his cause had favored,

9. That he had from the fierce attack
His precious nuts so well defended,
But cast his eyes upon his sack,

And saw that they were all expended.

10. And though he had maintained his place,
And now his foes had all retreated,

He stood precisely in the case
As if himself had been defeated.

Thus oft we see a triumph cost
As much as if the day were lost.

ANONYMOUS.

LESSON LXXV.

VOCAL GYMNASTICS.

REFER TO CAUTION 5, SEC. α AND b. Read the sentences with Some of the examples have the long sound of i, some

great care. the short.

(1.) Man is finite. (2.) This is an infantile sport. (3.) The river has a serpentine course. (4.) The gentile is contrite. (5.) He got some turpentine on his carabine. (6.) He gave aconite to his feline friend. (7.) The freeman scorns a servile act. (8.) The sick man should take camomile tea. (9.) The crevice is deep. (10.) The sacrifice of a contrite heart.

LESSON LXXVI.

BRITAIN, (probably from the Celtic | bruit, tin, and tan, land or country, meaning tin-land,) a name given to the island which contains England and Scotland.

CLEVER, dexterous, skillful, ingenious. In some parts of the United States it is used to denote good-natured.

CORN, all kinds of grain. Indian corn,
or maize, was not known in Britain
in ancient times.
Ex-PANSE', (Latin expansus, spread out,)
wide and smooth extension, extent.
FOR TRESS, a stronghold, a fortified place.
SAV'AGE, (French sauvage, wild,) rude,
uncivilized.

PRONUNCIATION.-Corn 9, En'gland 33, length 25, hid'den 4d, are 33, for'tress le, for'ests 29, a-gainst 33, oft'en 21.

1. Ir you look at the map of the world, you will see in the lefthand upper corner of the eastern hemisphere two islands lying in the sea. England and Scotland form the larger of these islands, and Ireland the smaller.

2. The little neighboring islands, which are so small on the map as to be mere dots, are chiefly little bits of Scotland-broken off, I dare say, in the course of a great length of time, by the power of the restless waters.

3. In the days of old, a long, long while ago, before the Saviour was born, these islands were in the same place; and the stormy sea

roared around them just as it roars now. But the sea was not then alive with great ships sailing to and from all parts of the world. 4. It was very lonely. The islands lay solitary in the great expanse of water. The foaming waves dashed against their cliffs, and the bleak winds blew over their forests. But the winds and waves brought no adventurers to land upon the islands; and the savage islanders knew nothing of the rest of the world, and the rest of the world knew nothing of them.

6. It is supposed that the Phoenicians, who were an ancient people famous for carrying on trade, came in ships to these islands, and found that they produced tin and lead; both very useful things, as you know, and both produced to this very hour upon the sea-coast. 7. The most celebrated tin-mines in Cornwall are still close to the sea. One of them has been extended till it is hollowed out underneath the ocean; and the miners say that, in stormy weather, when they are at work down in that deep place, they can hear the noise of the waves thundering above their heads.

8. The islanders were, at first, poor savages, going almost naked, or dressed only in the rough skins of beasts, and staining their bodies, as other savages do, with colored earths and the juices of plants.

9. By little and little, strangers became mixed with the islanders, and the savage Britons grew into a bold, wild people. They were almost savage still, especially in the interior of the country away from the sea, where the foreign settlers seldom went; but they were hardy, brave, and strong.

10. The whole country was covered with forests and swamps. The greater part of it was very misty and cold. There were no roads, no bridges, no streets, no houses that you would think deserving of the name.

11. A town was nothing but a collection of straw-covered huts, hidden in a thick wood, with a ditch all around, and a low wall made of mud, or of the trunks of trees placed one upon the other. 12. The people planted little or no corn, but lived upon the flesh of their flocks and cattle. They made no coins, but used metal rings for money.

13. They were clever in basket-work, as savage people often are; and they could make a coarse kind of cloth, and some very bad earthenware. But in building fortresses they were much more clever.

14. They made boats of basket-work, covered with the skins of animals; but seldom, if ever, ventured far from shore. They made swords of copper mixed with tin; but these swords were of an awkward shape, and so soft that a heavy blow would bend one.

15. They made light shields and short, pointed daggers, with which they fought in close engagement. They had also spears, which they jerked back, after they had thrown them at an enemy, by a long