17. About eight inches of the tail came smack across the man's naked shins, sending him heels over head.

18. It was a mere accident that his legs were not broken like sticks of sealing-wax; and had the blow been directed with the crocodile's full force, such would have been the unhappy result. As it was, they were only scratched; and the man, leaping to his feet, ran to recover his ax; that weapon having been hurled several yards out of his hands by the blow.

19. By the time he had got it, however, the crocodile was no longer on dry ground. His newly opened eyes opened perhaps for the first time for months-caught sight of the water close by; and crawling forward a step or two, he launched his ugly mud-bedaubed carcass into the welcome element. The next moment he had dived and was out of sight. MAYNE REID.

LESSON CLX.

A-MAIN", with force, with violence.

DES'ERT, uninhabited, wild, as the moon

appears.

DUSK'Y, partially dark, not luminous.
FLIT, to fly rapidly.

VANE, a weathercock.

PRONUNCIATION.-Tem'pests 29, clat ́ter-ing 3b, ev ́er-y 3b, shriek 23, elm 32a, whis'tle 21, jus'tle 21, rus'tle 21, bustle 21.

1.

2.

3.

THE WINDY NIGHT.

ALOW and aloof, over the roof,
How the midnight tempests howl!

With a dreary voice, like the dismal tune
Of wolves that bay at the desert moon;
Or whistle and shriek through limbs that creak,
"To-whoo, to-whit," they ery and flit,
"To-whit, to-whoo" like the solemn owl!

Alow and aloof, over the roof,

Sweep the moaning winds amain,

And wildly dash the elm and the ash,

Clattering on the window-sash,

With a clatter and patter, like hail and rain,

That well might shatter the dusky pane!

Alow and aloof, over the roof,

How the tempests swell and roar!

Though no foot is astir, though the cat and the cur

Lie dozing along the kitchen floor,

There are feet of air on every stair!

Through every hall,

Through each gusty door,

There's a justle and bustle, with a silken rustle,

Like the meeting of guests at a festival!

PRONUNCIATION.-Years 22, at-tempt'ed 1f, be-came' 1, pro-posed' 2d, been 33, re-mained' 1, fol ́low-ing 6, re-gained' 1, ex qui-site 26d, hear 22, differ-ence 1b, to-bac'co 6.

AN INDIAN PRAYER.

1. COL. JAMES SMITH, who at a later period was a resident of Bourbon County, Kentucky, was taken prisoner by the Indians in 1755.

2. He was then eighteen years of age. He was adopted by one of the Indian tribes, and remained with them till 1759, when he escaped.

3. The oldest chief of this tribe, who was greatly reverenced by his people, was afflicted with rheumatism during the winter. Early in April he became so much better that he was able to walk.

4. The old chief, in company with Smith and a young Indian, attempted to descend a small stream. The water was so shallow as to endanger their bark canoe.

5. In their emergency the chief proposed to go ashore, and pray for rain to raise the stream.

6. When they had drawn their canoe to the shore the chief built a "sweating-house," in order to purify himself before engaging in his religious services. He stuck a number of semicircular hoops in the ground, and laid a blanket over them.

7. Having heated a number of large stones, he placed them under the blanket. He then crawled in himself, with a kettle of water in his hand, directing Smith to draw the blanket, so as almost entirely to exclude the external air.

8. This having been done, he began to sing aloud, pouring water upon the hot stones, so that the steam rose from the blanket like a heavy mist. In this hot bath he remained for fifteen minutes, singing the whole time, and then came out dripping from head to foot with perspiration.

9. As soon as he had taken breath he began to burn tobacco, throwing it into the fire by handfuls, and at the same time repeating the following words in a tone of deep and solemn earnestness :—

10. "O Great Spirit! I thank thee that I have once more regained the use of my limbs; that I am now able to walk about and kill turkeys, without feeling exquisite pain.

11. "Oh! ho! Grant that my knees and ankles may be perfectly well, that I may be able not only to walk, but to run and jump logs, as I used to do last fall.

12. "Oh! ho! Grant that upon this voyage we may frequently kill bears as they may be crossing the Sandusky and the Scioto. 13. "Oh! ho! Grant that we may also kill a few turkeys to stew with our bear's-meat.

14. "Oh! ho! Grant that rain may come to raise the stream a few feet, that we may descend in safety to the Scioto, without splitting our canoe upon the rocks.

15. 66 And now, O Great Spirit! thou knowest how fond I am of tobacco, and though I do not know when I shall get any more, yet thou seest that I have freely given up all I have for a burnt-offering. Therefore I expect that thou wilt be merciful and hear all my petitions; and I, thy servant, will thank thee and love thee for all thy gifts."

16. Smith, who held the old chief in great veneration, listened to the first part of his prayer with much respect and gravity. But when he heard the attention of the Great Spirit called to the tobacco which his worshiper bestowed on him so liberally, longer restraint was impossible, and he burst into a half-stifled laugh.

17. The old chief was deeply offended; and he rebuked his young companion in the following words:

18. "Brother, I have somewhat to say to you. When you were reading your books in our village you know I would not let the boys plague you or laugh at you, though we all thought it a foolish and idle occupation in a warrior.

19. "I respected your feelings then; but just now I saw you laughing at me. Brother, I do not believe that you look upon praying as a silly custom, for you sometimes pray yourself.

20. "Perhaps you think my mode of praying foolish; if so, would it not be more friendly to reason with me and instruct me than to sit on that log and laugh at an old man?"

21. Smith apologized, assuring him of the sincerity of his respect

and love; but that when he saw him throw into the fire the last of his tobacco, of which he was so fond, he could not help smiling a little; but the offense should not be repeated.

22. The old chief, without a word, handed him his pipe as a token of friendship, though it was filled with nothing but willow-bark; and the little difference was soon forgotten.

LESSON CLXII.

PRONUNCIATION.-Blessed 33, fierc'est 22, con-so-la'tion 2d, fear'ful 22, be-yond' 1,

and 29, bil'low 6, doth 33.

THE BIBLE.

LESSON CLXIII.

AC-COM PA-NI-MENT, in music, a part| added as an embellishment to the principal part.

AN-1-MA'TION, the state of being lively and full of spirit.

CHOR IS-TER, à singer.

DAINT'Y, nice, delicate.

Do- MES TIC-A-TED, made domestic,
tamed.

Ec'STA-SY, transport, rapture
PLAINT, lamentation, complaint.
SE QUENCE, Succession, series.

PRONUNCIATION -Eu-ro-pe'an 26f, Lou-i-si-an'a 3c, isth'mus (ist'mus al-lure' 16, as-sume 16 and 19, de-ceive' 1, whis'tle 21, mew'ing 16.

1. EUROPEAN poetry is full of the praises of the nightingale; but good judges have decided that the songster of America, the mocking-bird, is greatly its superior.

2. The mocking-bird is found over a great portion of America. To the more northern parts of the United States it comes only at the approach of warm weather; but in the southern portions it is found all the year.

3. In Louisiana, the mocking-birds, during the winter, approach the farm-houses and plantations, living about the gardens or outhouses. They are then frequently seen on the roofs, and perched on the chimney-tops, always full of animation.

4. When the weather is mild the old males sing with as much spirit as during the spring or summer, while the younger birds are busily engaged in taking lessons.

5. On the Isthmus of Darien these birds are found in great num