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LESSON CCXXVII.

A'CRE (A'ker), a city and sea-port in |
Syria, at the eastern end of the Med-
iterranean Sea. It carries on a large
commerce by means of caravans with
the celebrated city of Damascus.
IM-MURE', to imprison, to confine.
JOR'DAN, a river of Asia flowing into
the Dead Sea. Its Arabic name means
"The great watering-place."

KHAN (kawn), an eastern inn, generally
built in a square, surrounded by arch-
es used as stables and warehouses for
the use of traveling merchants.
O RI-ENTAL, eastern applied partic-
larly to the parts of Asia lying east of
the Mediterranean Sea.

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SPOIL, plunder taken from others by violence.

PRONUNCIATION.- Arab 27a, spoils 13, virtues 18, inʼstinct 29.

THE ARAB AND HIS HORSE.

1. A CARAVAN on its way from Damascus to Acre was once attacked by a tribe of Arabs. The robbers were successful; their victory was complete; the booty ample and rich.

2. But while engaged in dividing their spoils the Arabs in their turn were interrupted by a body of Turkish troops that had been sent out from Acre for the protection of the caravan.

3. The tide of fortune was now changed. The Arabs were overpowered. Many were slain, and the rest made prisoners. The prisoners were securely tied by cords, and conducted to Acre for punishment.

4. Among the Arabs was a man named Abou, who was the owner of a horse of great beauty and value. Abou was wounded by a bullet in his arm during the combat. The wound was not mortal; he was therefore placed by the Turks on the back of a camel, and led off with the other prisoners. The conquerors took possession

of the horse.

5. The evening before they were to enter Acre the whole party encamped in the mountains. The feet of the wounded Arab were bound together by a leather thong; and he lay stretched near the tent where the Turks were sleeping.

6. Being kept awake by the pain of his wound, he heard the neighing of his horse amongst the other horses which were fastened to stakes around the tents in the open air, according to the oriental usage.

7. Abou recognized its voice. He could not resist the desire to see and caress once more the faithful animal which had been the companion and friend of his life. With the assistance of his hands and knees, he dragged himself with difficulty along the ground, till he reached the spot where the horse was fastened.

8. "My poor friend," said he to the faithful animal, "what wilt thou do among the Turks? What will become of thee? Instead of the broad desert, thou wilt be immured in the narrow arches of a

khan! Instead of the pure air of heaven, thou wilt breathe the unwholesome exhalations of a crowded stable!

9. "The women and children will no longer share with thee their bowl of camel's milk-no longer bring thee barley or millet in the hollow of their hands! No longer will tiny fingers feed thee with crusts of bread under the palm-trees in the starlight! Thy hoofs will no longer beat the sands of the desert, fleeter than the wind of Egypt! No more wilt thou divide the waters of Jordan with thy breast, and cool therein thy skin whiter than their foam.

10. "Though I remain a slave --be thou free! Go, return to the tent which thou lovest so well! Say to my wife that her husband will return no more! Put thy head under the curtains of the tent, and lick the hands of the children who will never again know a father's love!"

11. While Abou was thus speaking, his teeth had gnawed through the cord of goat's hair with which the legs of the horse were fastened. The animal was free. But at the sight of his master bound and wounded at his feet the faithful and sagacious steed understood, by instinct, what no language could explain to him.

12. He stooped his head, and affectionately smelt the Arab's face and person; then seizing with his teeth the leathern thong with which the man's waist was girdled, he lifted him from the ground, and bore him off at a full gallop.

13. With his burden still in his mouth he arrived at the tent, where, laying his master on the sand at the feet of his astonished wife and children, he fell himself, and expired from fatigue.

The Arab poets

14. All the tribe wept over the faithful steed. have celebrated his virtues in many a song; and to this day his name is constantly in the mouths of the Arabs of the Desert.

LAMARTINE.

LESSON CCXXVIII.

VOCAL GYMNASTICS.

REFER TO CAUTION 34.- Do not cut off, or shorten, the long

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sound of o in such words as bone, home prevalent in some parts of the country. italics the full sound of o as in no.

a vulgar custom, very Give to the words in

(1.) A whole load of stone was thrown in the road. (2.) Some folk wear coats, others cloaks. (3.) The child was choked by a bone in its throat. (4) As the coach came home, it ran over a toad. (5.) The lady saved her comb wholly by accident. (6.) Let only rhyme with lonely; boat with vote. (7.) The unruly oxen broke their yoke. (8.) A greedy goat was seen to steal the oats. (9.) The lawyer spoke long and loud for his client. (10.) You Yankee peddler, say bone and whole; you can pronounce roam, then why not home?

LESSON CCXXIX.

EC'STA-SY, extreme enthusiasm and ex- | IN-DE-CIS'ION, hesitation, pausing to

citement. IM-PRESSION, the effect which objects or events produce on the mind. TAL'ON, the claw of a bird,

consider.

SPECIES, (spe' sheez,) sort, kind.
UN-MO LEST ED, without being troubled,
or annoyed.

PRONUNCIATION.-Ed'u-ca-ted 2e, cen'tu-ry 18, gath'er 33, eaʼglet 16, shrill 23, cir cum-stance la.

THE OLD EAGLE-TREE.

relate had a very who was left to be His friends had a

1. THE little incident which I am about to decided effect in forming the character of a lad educated by the impressions of circumstances. small farm, on which the boy worked with such men as from time to time happened to be employed.

2. In a remote field stood a large tulip-tree, a tree apparently of a century's growth, and one of the most gigantic of that splendid species. It looked like the father of the surrounding forest.

3. On the top of this tree, an old eagle, commonly called the "Fishing Eagle," had, every year, for many years, built her nest and unmolested raised her young. This tree stood full ten miles from the sea-shore. It had long been known as the "Old EagleTree."

4. One warm, sunny day the workmen were hoeing corn in an adjoining field. At a certain hour of the day, the old eagle was known to set off for the sea-side, to gather food for her young. As she this day returned with a large fish in her claws the workmen surrounded the tree, and, by yelling and hooting and throwing stones, so scared the poor bird that she dropped her fish, which they carried off in triumph for their own dinner.

5. The bird soon returned to her nest without food. The eaglets at once set up a cry for food so shrill, so clear, and so clamorous that the boy was greatly moved. The parent-bird seemed to try to soothe them; but their appetites were too keen, and it was all in vain. She then perched herself on a limb near them, and looked down into the nest with a look that seemed to say, "I know not what to do next."

6. Her indecision was but momentary; again she poised herself, uttered a few sharp notes, as if telling them to "lie still," balanced her body, spread her wings, and was away again to the sea!

7. The boy now determined to await the result. His eye followed the bird till she grew small-smaller-a mere speck in the sky, and finally disappeared.

8. She was gone nearly two hours-double her usual time

min

when she again returned on a slow, weary wing, with another fish in her talons. On nearing the field she made a circuit around it, to see if her enemies were still there.

9. Finding the coast clear, she once more reached her tree, drooping, faint and weary, and evidently almost exhausted. Again the eaglets set up their cry, which was soon hushed by the distribution of a dinner such as,-save the cooking,-might satisfy a king.

10. "Glorious bird!" cried the boy aloud in ecstasy; "what a spirit! Other birds can fly more swiftly,-others can sing more sweetly, others scream more loudly: but what other bird, when persecuted and robbed,-when weary,-when discouraged,-when so far from sea, -would do it?

11. "Glorious bird! I will learn a lesson from thee to-day. I will never forget, hereafter, that when the spirit is determined it can do almost any thing. Others would have drooped, and hung the head, and mourned the cruelty of man, and sighed over the wants of the nestlings; but thou, by at once repairing the loss, hast forgotten all.

12. "I will learn of thee, noble bird! I will remember this. I will set my mark high. I will try to do something, and to be something, in the world; and I will never yield to discouragements."

REV. JOHN TODD.

LESSON CCXXX.

AB-SORBED', deeply engaged, engrossed. |
COL'UMN, a body of men drawn up in
deep file with a narrow front.
DIS-EN-GAGED', free, at liberty.
FANG, long, sharp, pointed tooth.

PUN'GENT, piercing, stinging, sharp. ROYAL, excelling as a king excels men of lower rank. A royal-tiger is the largest and most ferocious species of that animal.

GAN GES (Gan'jeez), the largest river of WIND, to move in a circuitous route, to India.

twist.

PRONUNCIATION-Ind'ia (not In'jy) 7 & 18, col'umn 326, as-cer-tain' 3b, snake (not sneck), tre-men'dous 32a, rep'tile 5a.

INCIDENTS IN NATURAL HISTORY.

1. How a Tiger took Snuff.

1. A TRAVELER in India, crossing the river Ganges, discovered, on reaching the shore, a royal-tiger at some distance, but on the approach.

2. Being without guns or other arms, he ordered his men to use their oars as weapons of defence. They formed into a close column, and waited to ascertain the intentions of the animal.

3 The tiger evidently intended mischief. He continued wind

ing, and occasionally crouched as if on the point of making a spring upon the party.

4. Among his provisions for the journey the traveler happened to have a bladder of Scotch snuff. Hastily emptying the contents into a handkerchief, he jumped and trod upon it, till the snuff became as fine as dust.

5. The tiger continued to approach. When he got within about twenty yards of the party the traveler discharged a double handful of the snuff, which was carried by a strong wind into the face of the tiger. The animal growled, shook his head, and retreated a few yards.

6. In a few minutes he returned to the attack, approaching cautiously, rubbing his eyes with his fore legs. When he had got near enough he again crouched and made ready for a murderous spring.

7. While the tiger was just in this position the traveler let fly at him the whole contents of the handkerchief. The aim was good, and the cloud of snuff filled the eyes and nose and open mouth of the tiger.

8. The royal beast could not stand this pungent application. A tremendous and prolonged roar proved the pain he felt; springing into the river, he fled to the opposite shore.

II. How a Battlesnake took a Dost of Hartshorn.

1. Ir is common among southern hunters to provide themselves with a bottle of spirits of hartshorn. This often proves very useful in the field in case of wounds or other injuries.

2. A southern hunter used to amuse himself, when he met with a rattlesnake, with endeavoring to capture it alive. This he was enabled to do, after long practice, by means of a forked stick, with which he seized the snake immediately back of the head. Once, however, he came very near paying dear for this daring feat.

3. While hunting he found a monstrous rattlesnake, which he scized in his usual manner. Then placing the fingers of his left hand firmly behind the snake's head, he lifted it up for the purpose of opening its mouth and examining its fangs.

4. While the hunter was thus absorbed in the examination of its head the snake had twisted its body in numerous folds around his left arm. At first he gave little heed to the movements of the reptile; but by degrees he became conscious of a slight pressure, accompanied by alarming numbness of the member.

5. The hunter immediately attempted with his other hand to free his arm. But he could not succeed, and at the same time he felt that his power to do so was every moment lessening, while he had the additional horror of knowing that his fingers were becoming unable to retain their hold.

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