LESSON LXXXIV. BEACH, shore of the sea. DES-O-LATION, ruin, destruction. MYR'I-AD, the number of ten thousand; PROSPECT, (Latin prospectus, from pros picio, to look forward,) a view of something distant, view of things to come, expectation. PROV'-I-DENCE, (Latin providentia, from provideo, to see before,) foresight, the divine superintendence; God superintending. REC'ON-CILE, to make one satisfied with any thing. PRONUNCIATION.-Com-plain' 1g, con-sid'er 1g, shin'ing 12, pro-duc'ing 16, prevent' 1, cheer'ful 22, Fred'er-ic 3b, re'al-ly 3a, des-o-la'tion 2d, put'ting 33. THE YOUTHFUL GRUMBLERS. 1. THREE children, named Mary, Frederic, and Geraldine, had been promised by their father a ride to a beautiful beach affording a fine view of the sea. When the appointed day came they were greatly vexed to find it raining. Mary and Frederic grumbled sorely; but Geraldine reasoned with them, and strove to show the folly of their conduct. 2. "We want to go to the beach; father promised to take us there; and now we cannot go, because of this ugly rain," said Frederic. 3. "Yes," said Geraldine, "he promised to take us, but it was with the prospect of pleasant weather. I am as sorry not to go as you are. I wished very much to pick up shells upon the beach, to see the blue ocean, to observe the white gulls skimming and screaming over the water, and to watch the vessels with white sails gliding by in the distance. I love the occan, and every time I see it, it makes my heart leap, as if I had met some dear friend after long absence." 4. "And so do I love the ocean, and wish this dirty rain had kept away," said Frederic, with a very sour face. 5. "And so do I love the ocean, and the rain is very naughty," said little Mary, in the same temper as her brother; for it is to be observed that one child is very apt to reflect the feelings of another. 6. "Well, well," said Geraldine, "you may call the rain all the hard names you please; you cannot mend the matter. The rain does not come or go at your bidding. Do you know who makes the rain, Frederic?" "Yes, God makes it," was the answer. 7. "True, my dear brother," said Geraldine; "God makes it rain; and do you think it right to bestow such hard words upon that which God has made? Is it right to grumble or complain on account of what God is doing?" "I did not think of that," said Frederic. 8. "I know you did not," said his sister; "if you had thought of it, I am sure you would not have spoken so; but we ought always to consider that what God does is right, and, instead of grumbling, we should feel cheerful and content, knowing that what He does is not only always right, but really for the best, even when it might seem otherwise to us. Now, I wish to show you that in this case it is for the best that it should rain. 9. "You know it is spring; that is, all the buds of the trees, the flowers, the plants, are now springing forth. Well, these things all need rain; for it is as necessary that they should have drink as that little children should. Now, God looks down upon the earth, and He sees millions and millions of buds, lifting up their heads, as it were, and asking for drink. 10. "The sun has been shining very warm for several days, and all the plants, the grasses of a hundred kinds, the primroses, the daisies, the lilacs, the violets, the leaves of the trees-all, all, are thirsting for water; and these myriads of God's creatures look up to Him, and seem to ask Him for rain. And God says, 'Let there be rain!' and the rain begins to fall, and the leaves and grasses and plants and shrubs and trees, are rejoicing; when, lo! Frederic Larkin comes forth, and calls out, 'Stop, stop, rain; for I wish to go to the beach!"" 11. Here Frederic smiled; and, though he felt the absurdity and unreasonableness of his conduct, he was silent, and Geraldine went on as follows:- "You see, Frederic, how very important it is that we should have rain; for without it the grass and grain would per ish, and we should perish, too, for want of food. The rain that falls to-day will probably be the cause of producing food enough for ten thousand people a whole year; and you, just for the sake of going to the beach, would prevent all this good; you, for a day's pleasure, would make ten thousand people starve." 12. "But I did not think of all this," said Frederic. "I know you did not," said Geraldine; "and I am not complaining of you; I am only telling you these things, so that when the rain comes in the way of your pleasure or your plans you may see that it is all for the best. If, instead of looking out for causes of discontent, we would always regard the bright side of things, we should never fail to find something to make us cheerful. 13. "Now, as to the rain, if every one had the power of putting it off, we should never have any rain, and therefore all the living things in the world would starve. You would put it off to-day, because you desire to go to the beach; somebody else would put it off to-morrow, for he might then wish to go there or somewhere else; the next day some other person would put it off; and it would be put off and put off, till all plants and animals would perish, and the earth would become a scene of desolation. 14. "God, instead of intrusting so important a matter as rain to us short-sighted human beings, has kept it in His own hands. And now tell me, Frederic, are you not satisfied, nay, happy, that He has done so?" "Yes, I am," said Frederic. "I did not mean to complain of God." 15. "I know you did not, my dear brother," said Geraldine; "and what I am now saying is not designed to rebuke you, but to make you take a right view of this matter; for if you will do this, you will be able, even when your favorite plans are thwarted by the dispensations of Providence, to turn your very disappointments into sources of peace and content. 16. "When we find our schemes marred, our wishes defeated by the weather or some other event of Providence, we can reflect that it is for the best as well for others as ourselves; and this conviction, if sincere, will reconcile us to every disappointment." LESSON LXXXV. VOCAL GYMNASTICS. REFER TO CAUTION 1, Sec. d.—Terminations in ol, or, ory to be kept distinct from ul, ur, ury. (1.) A complete victory was won. (2.) The viol is a musical instrument. (3.) Cicero, the orator, and Catiline, the conspirator, have each his place in history. (4.) The senator was jocular. PRONUNCIATION.-Spok'en 4d, brok'en 4d, wov'en 4d, re-pose' 1, mus'ing 16, ne'er 33, giv'en 4d, heav'en 4d. SELECTIONS. 1. KINDNESS. 1. A LITTLE Word in kindness spoken, Has often healed the heart that's broken, 2. A word, a look, has crushed to earth Which, had a smile but owned its birth, 3. Then deem it not a little thing A pleasant word to speak; The face you wear, the thoughts you bring, 2. INGRATITUDE. ANONYMOUS. 1. BLOW, blow, thou wintry wind; thou art not so unkind Thy tooth is not so keen, because thou art not seen,— 2. Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky; thou dost not bite so nigh Though thou the waters warp, thy sting is not so sharp 3. WHERE IS THY HOME? SHAKSPEARE. 1. "WHERE is thy home, thou lonely man?" Who came with furrowed brow and wan, 2. He paused, and, with a solemn mien, Upturned his holy eyes, "The land I seek thou ne'er hast seen: 3. Oh, blest, thrice blest, the heart must be 4. GOOD MORNING. 1. THE eagle, on his rocky hight, 2. The rose-bud, in her woven bower, When such as these give warning? ANONYMOUS. ANONYMOUS. LESSON LXXXVII. AT-TRACT', to draw, to engage. ES'SAY, attempt, endeavor. LAUD'A-BLE, deserving praise, praise- MAX'IM, (from Latin maximus, greatest, because considered of the greatest authority,) an established principle, a leading truth. PER-SE-VER'ANCE, (Latin perseverus, PRONUNCIATION.-Il-lus'trate 26c, es'say (not es'sy) 2a, su-pe'ri-or 16 and 19, fer'tile 5a, in-qui'ries 26c, max'im 1, sum'mit 1, be-held' 1, em'i-nence 1b, con-cern' 1g, in'sect 1. PERSEVERANCE. 1. PERSEVERANCE- the steady pursuit of a laudable and lawful object—is almost a sure path to eminence. It is a thing which seems to be inherent in some, but it may be cultivated in all. Even those who seem to be either indolent like the sloth, or changeful as the butterfly, by skillful training may be endowed with the habit of perseverance. |