M. Well, now take a closer view of the valley. Do you notice the smooth, quiet lake, reflecting the moon and the stars? C. Yes. M. And do you mark the tops of yonder mountains, purpled with the sunset? C. Yes. M. And do you listen to the songs of the various birds,-the robin, the thrush, the mocking-bird? C. Yes. M. And what feelings do all these things excite in your heart? C. I feel happy, mother. I feel what I cannot well put into words; but they fill my heart with sweet joy. M. Yes, Catharine, these beautiful works of nature do excite feelings which none can fully express. They fill the mind with lofty images, and elevate the soul with emotions too exquisite for human speech. But has it never occurred to you that God, in these beautiful works of nature, is speaking to us, and that the exquisite thoughts and feelings excited by them are but the answer of our hearts to His appeal? C. I have never thought of the subject in that light. M. But is not that the true light in which we should view it? You say you have never seen God; but His works are before you every day of your life, and if you will but study them, you can be sure of His existence and certain of His character. You have an uncle in England, who has sent you pretty presents, and written you many kind letters. Now, you have never seen your uncle; but have you any doubt that he really exists? C. Certainly not, mother. M. And have you any doubt that your uncle loves you and desires your happiness? C. Surely not. It would be very absurd to suppose that I have no uncle, when he has been sending me presents every year, and has been writing me kind letters ever since I could read. M. And do you love your uncle? C. Can you doubt it, mother? Should I not be ungrateful and unfeeling not to love one so good and so kind? M. Well, my child, let us now apply this to our subject. You have never seen your uncle nor heard his voice, and yet you feel assured that he exists, and you love him sincerely. And does not God prove His existence to us, beyond the possibility of mistake, by His great and glorious works? Who but God could have spread out this sky, and studded the firmament with shining worlds? Who but God could have thrown up yonder hills, and scooped out this valley, and gathered into its bed the wide waves of that lake? And who but a good and benignant being would have made all these things beautiful, and placed creatures among them to feel and delight in their beauty? C. Indeed, mother, it must be so. These great and glorious works must have had a great and glorious Author. As these are beautiful, too, and give us pleasure, He must have designed them for our profit and happiness. He is therefore kind and benignant. M. That is quite true; and can you not now love God, though you have never seen Him? C. I think I can, mother,—indeed, how can I help loving one so great, and yet so good? I now perceive the ingratitude of the heart that refuses to love God, and the folly, as well as the wickedness, of refusing to do His commands. Surely one so great must know what is best for us; and one so kind-one who has done so much to make us happy, has a title to our obedience and affection. M. And remember one thing more, my child. Your uncle, you say, has written you kind letters: and this has not only strengthened your confidence in the existence of your uncle, but it has excited and confirmed your affection for him. God has also written letters to His children, in the books of the Old and New Testaments. Study them, Catharine, and you will see that they prove the existence of God, and His love for His creatures, more strongly than human writings can prove human affection. LESSON LIII. BOUN'TI-FUL, profuse, without stint. DEARTH, want, scarcity. LAV'ISH, free, profuse. PRINCELY, generous and liberal, as princes ought to be. RE-PLENISHED, supplied in abundance. PRONUNCIATION.-The 31, per'fumes 16, na'ture 17, heart 9, ask 29. 1. SEE the rivers flowing Downward to the sea, Pouring all their treasures, Bountiful and free. GIVE. 2. Watch the princely flowers Yet their lavish spending 3. Give thy heart's best treasures; Wait not a return. From thy little store, HOUSEHOLD WORDS. LESSON LIV, AS-SO'CIAT-ED, (Latin ad, to, and socius, | PE CUL ́IAR, (Latin peculium, private a companion,) united, joined. EN-DEARING, making dear, tender. EX-PRESS', to press out, to set forth in words. IN FAN-CY, (Latin in, not, and fans, speaking,) literally, inability to speak; the first period of life. property,) belonging to only one, special. SUG-GEST', (pronounced sug-jest',) to bring before the mind. SYM'PA-THY, fellow-feeling, the quality of being affected by the feelings of another, compassion. PRONUNCIATION.-Con-sid ́er lg, re'al-ly 3a, dis-tin'guish 3c, pret'ty 33, mu'sic 16, ac-count' 3a, to'ward 266, wont (wunt)." THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WORD. Parley. COME, girls and boys, I have a question to ask you! Parley. What do you consider the most beautiful word in our language? Think! Come, Lucy, you are wont to be quick in your thoughts. Lucy. Well, really, I hardly know what word is the most beautiful. There are a great many that are beautiful. Do you mean to ask what word gives us the most pleasure by its sound, or what word does so by the thoughts it suggests? Parley. Both; for the sound and the sense of words are so associated together in the mind that we can hardly distinguish between the effect of the one and that of the other. You may perhaps say silver is a beautiful word as to its sound alone; but I suspect that its beauty depends quite as much upon the idea of the shining and costly metal which it brings to the mind. Come, John, what is your opinion? John. Well, I think gunpowder is the finest word I know of. Little James. Well, the sweetest word I can think of is molassescandy. Ellen. I think honey is a pretty word. Seth. And I think money is a pretty word. All the Children. Oh, yes, money is a beautiful word! Parley. Can you not think of one that is still pleasanter always falls with a soft and endearing sound upon the ear? one that Lucy. Why, Mr. Parley, your question is new-I never thought of it before. I can think of a great many words that are pleasing, but that which pleases me most is mother. All the Children. Oh, yes-yes-mother is the most beautiful of all words! Parley. Well, Lucy, perhaps you are right; but pray tell me why think mother the most beautiful of all words? you Lucy. Because it pleases both the ear and the heart. The word always brings to my mind the image of my mother herself. Now I love my father and my sisters and my brothers; but there is something deeper-more tender, in the love I bear to my mother. And -and Parley. Go on, Lucy. Lucy. I do not find it easy to express what I think and feel.. It seems to me, however, that the word mother not only brings the image of my mother before me, but that it wakes up those peculiar feelings of love which are exercised toward her alone. I do not know why it is so, but there is a kind of music in the word, and, like music, it seems to suggest thoughts and feelings which no words can well explain. Parley. You have expressed yourself very well, Lucy. I perfectly agree with all you have said. The word mother is, in my opinion, the most beautiful in our language-chiefly, however, on account of the beautiful idea it suggests. I think there are no feelings so pure, so unselfish, and at the same time so pleasing, as those we exercise toward a beloved mother. These feelings begin in infancy and endure to the end of life. My mother has long slept in her tomb; but whenever I think of her a glow passes over my whole soul. I sometimes have a mournful feeling at the thought that I can hear her voice no more; that I can see her no more; that I can no more enjoy her sympathy-her prayers-her counsel; but this mourning is turned to joy when I think of her above, and the humble hope of meeting her there springs up in my bosom. LESSON LV. VOCAL GYMNASTICS. REFER TO CAUTION 9.-The object of Lesson XXVIII was to guard the reader against introducing the sound of r into words where it does not belong. We now warn him against the opposite fault of dropping or perverting or slurring this sound in words in which it is found. Much of the effect of good reading is due to the full, forcible enunciation of this letter. (1.) The horses burst into the arbor. (2.) Honor thy father and thy mother. (3) Sail over the river. (4.) The artist spoke to his neighbor. (5.) The nurse was the first to enter the chamber. (6.) The partridge was killed in February. (7.) When loud surges lash the sounding shore the hoarse, rough verse should like the torrent roar. (8.) Ruin seize thee, ruthless king. (9.) Crowned monarch of true hearts, fair Liberty' (10.) To arms! to arms! they cry. (11.) Carve does not rhyme with halve; nor morn with dawn. འ་ལ LESSON LVI. BE-DEW, to moisten, as with dew. LA'VA, melted matter discharged by a START, to move suddenly, to give way. PRONUNCIATION.-La'va 7, be dewed' 16, mem'o-ry 30, arm 9, list'en-ing 21, quiv'er-ing 36, nursed 9. THE OLD ARM-CHAIR. 1. I LOVE it! I love it! and who shall dare 2. It is bound by a thousand bands to my heart; 3. In childhood's hour I lingered near 4. She told me shame would never betide, With truth for my creed and God for my guide; As I knelt beside that old arm-chair. 5. I sat and watched her many a day When her eye grew dim, and her locks were grey; 6. Years rolled on, but the last one sped- 7. It is past! it is past! but I gaze on it now 8. Say it is folly, and deem me weak, While the scalding drops start down my cheek; My soul from a mother's old arm-chair. ELIZA COOK. |