COIN' ED, stamped.BAR' TER, trade; exchange.COM MOD' I TIES, goods; wares.BULL'ION, uncoined silver or gold.BUC' CA NEERS, pirates; freebooters.IM MENSE', very great; enormous.DAIN' TIES, delicacies.SMALL-CLOTHES, breeches.AT TIR' ED, dressed; arrayed.PE' ONY, plant and beautiful flower.PER' SON A BLE, handsome; graceful.ES PE' CIAL LY, mainly; chiefly.RE CEP' TA CLE, that which receives or holds.PON' DER OUS, heavy; bulky.RE SUM' ING, taking again.
1. Captain John Hull was the mint-master of Massachusetts, and coined all the money that was made there. This was a new line of business; for, in the earlier days of the colony, the current coinage consisted of gold and silver money of England, Portugal, and Spain.
2. These coins being scarce, the people were often forced to barter their commodities, instead of selling them. For instance, if a man wanted to buy a coat, he, perhaps, exchanged a bear-skin for it. If he wished for a barrel of molasses, he might purchase it with a pile of pine-boards. Musket-bullets were used instead of farthings.
3. The Indians had a sort of money, calledwampum, which was made of clam-shells; and this strange sort of specie was, likewise, taken in payment of debts, by the English settlers. Bank-bills had never been heard of. There was not money enough of any kind, in many parts of the country, to pay the salaries of the ministers; so that they sometimes had to take quintals of fish, bushels of corn, or cords of wood, instead of silver or gold.
4. As the people grew more numerous, and their trade one with another increased, the want of current money was still more sensibly felt. To supply the demand, the general court passed a law for establishing a coinage of shillings, sixpences, and threepences. Captain John Hull was appointed to manufacture this money, and was to haveone shilling, out of every twenty, to pay him for the trouble of making them.
5. Hereupon, all the old silver in the colony was handed over to Captain John Hull. The battered silver cans, and tankards, and silver-buckles, and broken spoons, and silver-buttons of worn-out coats, and silver hilts of swords that had figured at courts,—all such curious old articles were, doubtless, thrown into the melting-pot together. But by far the greater part of the silver consisted of bullion from the mines of South America, which the English buccaneers, (who were little better than pirates,) had taken from the Spaniards, and brought to Massachusetts.
6. All this old and new silver being melted down and coined, the result was an immense amount of splendid shillings, sixpences, and threepences. Each had the date, 1652, on the one side, and the figure of apine-treeon the other. Hence, they were calledpine-tree shillings. And, for everytwenty shillingsthat he coined, you will remember, Captain John Hull was entitled to putone shillinginto his own pocket.
7. The magistrates soon began to suspect that the mint-master would have the best of the bargain. They offered him a large sum of money, if he would but give up thattwentieth shilling, which he was continually dropping into his own pocket. But Captain Hull declared himself perfectly satisfied with the shilling. And well he might be; for, so diligently did he labor, that, in a few years, his pockets, his money-bags, and his strong box, were overflowing with pine-tree shillings. This was probably the case when he came into possession of Grandfather's chair; and, as he had worked so hard at the mint, it was certainly proper that he should have a comfortable chair to rest himself in.
8. When the mint-master had grown very rich, a young man, Samuel Sewell by name, fell in love with his only daughter. His daughter, whom we will call Betsey, was a fine, hearty damsel, by no means so slender as some young ladies of our own days. As Samuel was a young man of good character, industrious in his business, and a member of the church, the mint-master very readily gave his consent.
9. "Yes; you may take her," said he, in his rough way; "and you'll find her a heavy burden enough!" On the wedding-day, we may suppose that honest John Hull dressed himself in a plum-colored coat, all the buttons of which were made of pine-tree shillings. The buttons of his waistcoat were sixpences; and the knees of his small-clothes were buttoned with silver threepences.
10. Thus attired, he sat with great dignity in Grandfather's chair; and, being a portly old gentleman, he completely filled it from elbow to elbow. On the opposite side of the room, between her bridemaids, sat Miss Betsey, blushing like a full-blown peony.
11. There, too, was the bridegroom, dressed in a fine purple coat, and gold-lace waistcoat, with as much other finery as the Puritan laws and customs would allow him to put on. His hair was cropped close to his head, because Governor Endicott had forbidden any man to wear it below the ears. But he was a very personable young man; and so thought the bridemaids and Miss Betsey herself.
12. The mint-master, also, was pleased with his new son-in-law; especially as he had courted Miss Betsey out of pure love, and had said nothing at all about her portion. So, when the marriage ceremony was over, Captain Hull whispered a word to two of his men-servants, who immediately went out, and soon returned, lugging in a large pair of scales. They were such a pair as wholesale merchants use for weighing bulky commodities; and quite a bulky commodity was now to be weighed in them.
13. "Daughter Betsey," said the mint-master, "get into one side of these scales." Miss Betsey, or Mrs. Sewell, as we must now call her, did as she was bid, like a dutiful child, without any question of the why and wherefore. But what her father could mean, unless to make her husband pay for her by the pound, (in which case she would have been a dear bargain,) she had not the least idea.
14. "And now," said honest John Hull to the servants, "bring that box hither." The box, to which the mint-master pointed, was a huge, square, iron-bound, oaken chest. The servants tugged with might and main; but could not lift this enormous receptacle, and were finally obliged to drag it across the floor.
15. Captain Hull then took a key from his girdle, unlocked the chest, and lifted its ponderous lid. Behold!it was full to the brim of bright pine-tree shillings, fresh from the mint; and Samuel Sewell began to think that his father-in-law had got possession of all the money in the Massachusetts' treasury. But it was only the mint-master's honest share of the coinage.
16. Then the servants, at Captain Hull's command, heaped double handfuls of shillings into one side of the scales, while Betsey remained in the other. Jingle, jingle, went the shillings, as handful after handful was thrown in, till, plump and ponderous as she was, they fairly weighed the young lady from the floor.
17. "There, son Samuel," said the honest mint-master, resuming his seat in Grandfather's chair, "take these shillings for my daughter's portion. Use her kindly, and thank Heaven for her.It is not every wife that's worth her weight in silver!"
QUESTIONS.—1. What was Captain John Hull's business? 2. What portion of the money coined, was he to receive? 3. How did he get silver to coin? 4. Describe the shillings he coined. 5. How did he become wealthy? 6. Describe his dress on his daughter's wedding-day. 7. What did he say to his son-in-law, after weighing her with shillings?
LODG' ES, dens; caves.MAR' VEL OUS, wonderful.TIP' PED, pointed.HERD, gather in herds.FA' MOUS, noted; remarkable.ROE' BUCK, small species of deer.STRAIGHT' WAY, immediately.E RECT', upright.FROL' IC, fun; play.FORD, place where water can be waded.FLECK' ED, spotted; striped.FLUT' TER ED, quivered.PAL' PI TA TED, beat; throbbed.WA' RY, watchful; cautious.FA' TAL, deadly; mortal.EX ULT' ED, (xlikegz,) greatly rejoiced.
LONGFELLOW.
This lesson is taken from "The Song of Hiawatha," a poem, founded upon traditions current among some tribes of North American Indians, respecting an imaginary being of more than mortal powers and gifts, named Hiawatha. The scene of the poem is laid among the Ojibways, or Chippewas, a tribe of Indians, occupants, from the period of our earliest history, of the basin of Lake Superior.
1.Then the little HiawathaLearned of every bird its language,Learned their names and all their secrets,How they built their nests in summer,Where they hid themselves in winter,Talked with them where'er he met them,Called them "Hiawatha's chickens."
2.Of all beasts he learned the language,Learned their names and all their secrets,How the beavers built their lodges,Where the squirrels hid their acorns,How the reindeer ran so swiftly,Why the rabbit was so timid,Talked with them whene'er he met them,Called them "Hiawatha's brothers."
3.Then Ia'goo, the great boaster,He, the marvelous story-teller,He, the traveler and the talker,Made a bow for Hiawatha;From a branch of ash he made it,From an oak-bough made the arrows,Tipped with flint, and winged with feathers,And the cord he made of deer-skin.
4.Then he said to Hiawatha,"Go, my son, into the forest,Where the red deer herd together,Kill for us a famous roebuck,Kill for us a deer with antlers."Forth into the forest straightwayAll alone walked HiawathaProudly with his bow and arrows.
5.And the birds sang round him, o'er him"Do not shoot us, Hiawatha."Sang the robin, sang the bluebird,"Do not shoot us, Hiawatha."Up the oak-tree, close beside him,Sprang the squirrel, lightly leapingIn and out among the branches;Coughed and chattered from the oak-tree,Laughed, and said between his laughing,"Do not shoot me, Hiawatha."
6.And the rabbit from his pathwayLeaped aside, and, at a distance,Sat erect upon his haunches,Half in fear, and half in frolic,Saying to the little hunter,"Do not shoot me, Hiawatha."
7.But he heeded not nor heard them,For his thoughts were with the red deer;On their tracks his eyes were fastened,Leading downward to the river,To the ford across the river,And as one in slumber walked he.
8.Hidden in the alder bushes,There he waited till the deer came,Till he saw too antlers lifted,Saw two eyes look from the thicket,Saw two nostrils point to windward,And the deer came down the pathway,Flecked with leafy light and shadow.And his heart within him fluttered,Trembled like the leaves above him,Like the birch leaf palpitated,As the deer came down the pathway.
9.Then, upon one knee uprising,Hiawatha aimed an arrow;Scarce a twig moved with his motion,Scarce a leaf was stirred or rustled,But the wary roebuck started,Stamped with all his hoofs together,Listened with one foot uplifted,Leaped as if to meet the arrow;Ah, the singing, fatal arrow,Like a wasp it buzzed and stung him.
10.Dead he lay there in the forest,By the ford across the river;Beat his timid heart no longer;But the heart of HiawathaThrobbed, and shouted, and exulted,As he bore the red deer homeward.
TRAIL, track; footprints.IN' DICATED, pointed out; shown.MURK' Y, dark; gloomy.FLAM' BEAU, (flam' bo,) lighted torch.RE FLECT' ING, throwing back.LU' RID LY, gloomily; dismally.SUS PECT' ING, mistrusting.AS SAIL' ANTS, assaulters.ECH' O, (ek' o,) sound reverberated.RE LAPS' ED, fell back; returned.EN VEL' OPED, inwrapped.SUF FO CATED, smothered.BRAND' ISHING, flourishing; waving.RIG' ID, stiff.BIV' OUAC, (biv' wak,) pass the night without tents.PEER' ED, came in sight; appeared.DE CLIV' I TY, gradual descent.PRO LONG' ED, lengthened; continued.COM' RADE, companion; associate.
BOY'S BOOK OF ADVENTURES.
1. I had left the hunting party more than an hour, when I came upon the track of my old friend Konwell, who was, with his dogs, on the bloody trail of a panther. The animal must have had one of his legs broken; this was indicated by the marks on the soft ground; and it was plain that the tracks were made by three feet instead of four, and accompanied by blood at every leap.
2. I determined to follow; and, after a tramp of nearly an hour, I overtook my friend at the entrance of a cavern, where he stood waiting for me. The wounded animal had taken refuge in this cave, leaving us to do whatever we thought best. The poor beast doubtless supposed that within this murky recess he was safe from pursuit; but he was mistaken. Konwell informed me that he had hidden a bundle of pine splinters in a gulley, about half a mile distant, and that if I would keep guard over the mouth of the cave, he would go and bring it.
3. I agreed to this measure; and, with ready gun and drawn knife, prepared for any attack that might be made. I lay down at the entrance of the panther's cave. My friend soon returned, bringing the pine, as he had promised. His next movement was to kindle a large fire at the mouth of the cave, at which we lighted our torches; and, having taken the flambeaus in our left hand, while we carried our guns in the right, we cautiously entered the cave. I crept on before; but the space within soon became so high and roomy, that we could stand upright, and keep close to each other.
4. Bending toward the left, the cavity extended a considerable distance within the hill. After we had advanced about two hundred steps, we saw the glaring eyes of the wounded beast, which gleamed forth like two fiery balls, reflecting most luridly the light of our torches. Konwell now took my flambeau and stepped behind me. I leveled my gun in the direction of those flaming eyes, and fired. After the report, we heard a bustle; but could not exactly make out what it meant.
5. I reloaded my gun, resumed my torch, and Konwell now took his place in front. But, as those flaming eyes were no longer to be seen, we felt obliged to go farther. Our guns ready loaded, we believed ourselves to be prepared for anything. We proceeded carefully, as men are likely to do when suspecting danger, when, instantly, the panther started up from a hollow, in which he was lying, quite close to our feet.
6. It was a fearful sight to look upon him as he stood with ears laid back, his white teeth set together, as if in intense anger, and those wide open eyes glowing and sparkling as they rested upon us, his assailants. I can never forget his appearance. In a moment our guns were discharged, and the cave returned the thundering echo. We had both fired so precisely at the same moment, that neither of us could believe the other had discharged his gun.
7. We were certain that our enemy had been struck, but we knew not whether killed or only disabled. Quick as thought, we dropped our guns and drew our knives from the sheath. And haste was necessary; for the echo had not relapsed into silence, before we felt the weight of the panther against us; and we began cutting at him with our knives, and, at the same moment, in consequence of our hurried movements, our torches died out, and we were left in utter darkness.
8. Deafened by the noise and utterly bewildered, I turned to fly from the now raging enemy, and only became perfectly aware of what I was doing, when I found myself standing beside Konwell outside the cave in the open air. I only know now, that, enveloped in thick darkness, and almost suffocated with the smoke of gunpowder, I groped about, not knowing what I wished or intended; and that Konwell, at last, drew me forcibly to the mouth of the cave.
9. There we stood, each one brandishing his hunting-knife in his right hand, and holding the extinguished torch in the left; as we looked on each other, we scarcely knew whether to laugh or to be frightened at the strange figures we made. We were black with powder-smoke, covered with sweat and blood, and our clothing torn to rags.
10. Konwell complained of a pain in his breast. I opened the bosom of his shirt, and found two deep gashes made by the panther's claws, extending from the left shoulder to the pit of the stomach. I also received a few scratches, but our stout hunting-shirts were torn to shreds.
11. Until this moment, neither of us had felt that he was wounded; and even now, before we began to think of dressing those wounds, we made a large fire at the mouth of the cavern, in order to prevent the panther from coming forth. This done, we sat down beside the genial blaze to wash and bind up our scratches, and consult on what plan it was now best to proceed.
12. That the panther was still in the cave we were certain; but, whether living or dead, we did not know; at all events, he was wounded; for our hunting-knives were covered with blood quite up to the hilt. But we had no choice left; we must return; for our guns and Konwell's powder-flask, which the animal dragged off with him, still lay within the cavern. We therefore plucked up new courage; and, having relighted our torches, we brandished our knives, and prepared, though not without some heart throbbings, once more to enter the panther's den.
13. With light and cautious steps, lest we might be as unpleasantly surprised as we had been when we made our hasty retreat, we advanced, holding our torches before us, to the spot where we had dropped our guns, and without meeting with any hinderance from our enemy. Once more in possession of our trusty weapons, we reloaded them, and stepped forward with lighter hearts, yet still with great caution, when Konwell exclaimed, as he raised the flaming pine high above his head, and pointed with it in a certain direction, "See! there he is!"
14. This was the first word that had been spoken since we reëntered the cavern. I looked in the indicated direction, and there, indeed, lay the panther, stretched out at full length, but no longer dangerous. His eyes were set, his limbs were rigid,—the last agony was over. We skinned and cut him up as he lay. All three bullets had struck him, and both knives penetrated his body; and it must have been in the death-struggle that he leaped upon us.
15. When our work was ended, and we again came to the open air, the sun was low in the horizon, and all haste was necessary that we should set out on our forest-path without further delay. Our wounds smarted not a little, and, although we took time once more to wash them, they became so stiff that our progress was both toilsome and tedious. We soon became convinced that we should not succeed in reaching our companions while daylight remained, and we determined to bivouac for the night, at the foot of a rocky declivity, which promised a good shelter from the cutting wind.
16. To add to our discomfort, hunger began to make itself painfully felt; but this was soon overpowered by weariness, and, having gathered up the dry pine branches, we kindled up a good fire, and, without troubling ourselves to prepare any thing for supper, we stretched ourselves on the grass before it, and found the warmth most grateful.
17. Worn out by the toils of the day, in a few minutes Konwell was fast asleep; but, although much inclined to follow his example, I was prevented by the restlessness of my dog, which seemed to wish to warn me of the presence of danger. The faithful animal, cringing closely to me, laid his nose on my shoulder, raising his head from time to time, and whined, as though he wished to communicate something, and then, for a few moments, would remain quiet. Then, suddenly, he would rise up as in the attitude of listening, occasionally uttering a low growl.
18. Completely awakened by this strange behavior on the part of my faithful dog, it seemed to me as if I heard a slight rustling among the dry bushes; and, rising up to a half-sitting posture, I looked toward the rock behind me, and, to my great astonishment, became aware of a pair of glaring eyes fastened upon me. As my head was between the fire and those fearful eyes, I could plainly distinguish the fiery balls as, reflected on by the red light, they peered above the naked rocks.
19. It was a panther, and evidently, from the position in which I saw it, was ready for a spring. Happily on this, as on every other night, my trusty gun lay close beside me. I seized it, and, half-rising, so that the fire behind me afforded light for a steady aim, I leveled it exactly between the eyes. I fired, the bullet sped on its deadly errand, and the crack of the noble rifle, thundering against the steep rocks, returned with loud and prolonged echo.
20. Konwell, to whom the report of a gun was ever the sweetest music, now started up, as if roused by an electric shock, and grasped his gun. The dog continued his barking, smelling all around, and looking in my face as if to inquire in what direction he should go. There was no rustling movement on the rock, and the bullet must have taken effect.
21. Konwell shook his head as he inquired, "Why I had shot?" Without answering, I began to reload my gun: this finished, I took up a blazing pine brand from the fire, and proceeded to climb the steep wall of rock, that raised itself like a barrier, about twenty steps distant from the spot upon which we rested. Here I found an old panther, the largest I had ever seen, lying dead—my well-directed bullet had finished him. I flung the body over the rock, and my old comrade dragged him to the fire.
22. The ball had struck him directly in the right eye, passing through the brain. He was a fearful-looking animal, with terrible teeth and claws, and the more to be dreaded, as, when we cut him up, his stomach was found entirely empty. I believed that hunger had driven him so close to the fire; but Konwell thought he had scented the fresh venison we had with us. Be that as it may, there was little doubt but that he would have made a leap, as soon as the intervening fire had burned down; to its friendly presence, therefore, on this occasion, as a means of Providence, we owed our lives.
QUESTIONS.—1. What had Konwell driven into a den? 2. What preparation did he make, before entering into the cavern? 3. How far had the men proceeded before they saw the panther? 4. Describe the appearance of the panther, as they came near him after the first shot? 5. What did the panther do after the men both fired at him? 6. Did they finally succeed in killing the panther? 7. Describe the manner in which they killed another panther.
RAP' IDs, part of a river where the current is swift.TUR' BU LENCE, violent agitation.HELM, instrument for steering a vessel.EX CUR' SION, tour; ramble.A HOY', sea term used in hailing a vessel.QUAFF, drink largely.HOIST, raise; lift up.BLAS PHEM' ING, uttering impious language.SHRIEK' ING, screaming; crying out.
JOHN B. GOUGH.
1. I remember once riding from Buffalo to the Niagara Palls. I said to a gentleman, "What river is that, sir?" "That," said he, "is Niagara river."
2. "Well, it is a beautiful stream," said I; "bright, and fair, and glassy. How far off are the rapids?" "Only a mile or two," was the reply.
3. "Is itpossiblethat only a mile from us, we shall find the water in the turbulence which it must show near the Falls'?"
"You will find it so, sir." And so I found it; and the first sight of Niagara I shall never forget.
4. Now, launch your bark on that Niagara river; it is bright, smooth, beautiful, and glassy. There is a ripple at the bow; the silver wake you leave behind, adds to your enjoyment. Down the stream you glide, oars, sails, and helm in proper trim, and you set out on your pleasure excursion.
5. Suddenly, some one cries out from the bank, "Young men, ahoy!"
"What is it?"
"The rapids are below you!"
6. "Ha! ha! we have heard of the rapids; but we are not such fools as to get there. If we go too fast, then we shall up with the helm, and steer to the shore; we will set the mast in the socket, hoist the sail, and speed to the land. Then on, boys; don't be alarmed,—there is no danger."
7. "Young men, ahoy there!"
"What is it?"
"The rapids are below you!"
8. "Ha! ha! we will laugh and quaff; all things delight us. What care we for the future! No man ever saw it. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. We will enjoy life while we may,—will catch pleasure as it flies. This is enjoyment; time enough to steer out of danger when we are sailing swiftly with the current."
9 (ff.) "YOUNG MEN, AHOY!"
"What is it?"
"BEWARE! BEWARE! THE RAPIDS ARE BELOW YOU!"
10. "Now you see the water foaming all around. See how fast you pass that point! Up with the helm! Now turn! Pull hard! (=) Quick! quick! quick! pull for your lives! pull till the blood starts from your nostrils, and the veins stand like whip-cords upon your brow! Set the mast in the socket! hoist the sail! (sl.) Ah! ah! it is too late! Shrieking, howling, blaspheming; over they go."
11. Thousands go over the rapids of intemperance every year, throughthe power of habit, crying all the while, "When I find out that it[Footnote: Temperate drinking.]is injuring me, I will give it up!"
QUESTIONS.—1. Where are the Niagara Falls? 2. How does the water appear just above the Falls? 3. How does it appear farther up? 4. What reply are the young men represented as making, when first told the rapids were below them? 5. What, when told the second time? 6. What must they do, to escape destruction? 7. What is said ofthe power of habit?
BE SOT' TED, stupefied.BUR LESQU' ED, mocked; derided.DE FI' ED, set at defiance.CHER' ISH ED, fostered; encouraged.STREW' ED, scattered; spread.LIV' ID, discolored; black and blue.MIR' ROR ED, reflected, as in a glass.RE VEAL' INGS, disclosures.PLIGHT' ED, pledged.FOR SWORN', perjured.STAMP' ED, impressed; fixed deeply.BLIGHT, blasting disease.A TONE', make reparation.PRO CLAIM' ED, openly declared.LOATHE, detest; abhor.BEV' ER AGE, drink.
These verses should be read in a firm, half-indignant, yet imploring tone of voice,—except the last verse, which should be expressed in a very decided and impassioned manner.
[Footnote: These beautiful and touching verses were written by a young lady, in reply to a friend who had called her a monomaniac on the subject of temperance.]
1. Go, feel what I have felt,Go, bear what I have borne;Sink 'neath a blow a father dealt,And the cold, proud world's scorn;Thus struggle on from year to year,Thy sole relief,—the scalding tear.2. Go, weep as I have wept,O'er a loved father's fall,See every cherished promise swept,—Youth's sweetness turned to gall;Hope's faded flowers strewed all the wayThat led me up to woman's day.3. Go, kneel as I have knelt;Implore, beseech, and pray,Strive the besotted heart to melt,The downward course to stay;Be cast with bitter curse aside,—Thy prayers burlesqued, thy tears defied.4. Go, stand where I have stood,And see the strong man bow;With gnashing teeth, lips bathed in blood,And cold and livid brow;Go, catch his wandering glance, and seeThere mirrored, his soul's misery.5. Go, hear what I have heard,—The sobs of sad despair,As memory's feeling fount hath stirred,And its revealings thereHave told him what he might have been,Had he the drunkard's fate foreseen.6. Go to my mother's side,And her crushed spirit cheer;Thine own deep anguish hide,Wipe from her cheek the tear;Mark her dimmed eye,—her furrowed brow,The gray that streaks her dark hair now;Her toil-worn frame, her trembling limb,And trace the ruin back to himWhose plighted faith, in early youth,Promised eternal love and truth;But who, forsworn, hath yielded upThat promise to the deadly cup,And led her down from love and light,From all that made her pathway bright,And chained her there 'mid want and strife,That lowly thing,—a drunkard's wife!And stamped on childhood's brow so mild,That withering blight,a drunkard's child!7. Go, hear, and see, and feel, and know,All thatmy soulhath felt and known,Then look upon the wine-cup's glow;See if its brightness can atone;Think if its flavor you will try,If all proclaimed, "'Tis drink and die!"8. Tell me Ihatethe bowl;Hateis a feeble word:(f.)I loathe, ABHOR,—my very soulWith strong disgust is stirred,Whene'er I see, or hear, or tell,Of the DARK BEVERAGE OF HELL!!
QUESTIONS.—1. By whom was this poetry written? 2. What circumstance induced her to write it? 3. What is the meaning ofmonomaniac?Ans. One who is deranged in a single faculty of the mind, or with regard to a particular subject, the other faculties being in regular exercise. 4. What reasons does she assign for her hatred of alcoholic drink? 5. What does she say of her mother? 6. With what tone of voice should the last verse be read? See page 40, Rule 4. 7. Why are some words and sentences printed in Italics and Capitals? See page 22, Note III.
REC' ORDS, accounts; minutes.AD VENT' URES, doings; strange occurences.EN CUM' BER, load; clog.GRAT I FI CA' TION, indulgence.SCHEME, plan; progress.DE LIB ER A' TION, thought; consideration.LUX U RI OUS, pleasure-loving.EX PE DI' TION, tour; enterprise.MO ROSE', sour; ill-humored.RE VOLT' ING, disgusting; abhorrent.CON TEM' PLATE, consider; think upon.REL' IC, remains.IN VES' TI GATE, examine; look into.AC COM' PLISH ED, effected.PIC TUR ESQUE', (pikt yur esk')grand; beautiful; picture-like.
MERRY'S MUSEUM.
1. Horace and Herman, two young men who were friends, set out to travel in distant countries. Before they departed, each had formed aplanof proceeding. Horace determined to give himself up entirely topleasure,—to go wherever his humor might dictate,—and to keep no records of his adventures. In short, he resolved toenjoy himselfas much as possible, and, by no means, to encumber his mind with cares, duties, or troubles of any kind.
2. Herman was as fond of amusement as Horace; but themodehe adopted for the gratification of his wishes, was quite different. In the first place, he made out a scheme of his travels: he procured maps, read books, and, after mature deliberation, adopted a certain route, as most likely to afford him pleasure as well as instruction.
3. In the formation of this plan, he spent several weeks; and, in this occupation, he found quite as much satisfaction as he afterwards did in traveling. Thus he obtained one great advantage over his idle and luxurious friend, who foolishly thought that the essence of enjoyment lay in freedom from thought, restraint, and toil. Even before they set out on their journey, Herman had actually found nearly asmuchpleasure as Horace received in the whole course of his expedition.
4. The two young men started together; and, as there were then no canals or railroads, they both set out on foot. They had not proceeded far before they separated,—Horace taking one road and Herman another.
5. After the lapse of three years, they both returned; but what a difference between them! Horace was morose and dissatisfied; he had seen a good deal of the world, but, as he had traveled with no other design than togratify himselffrom hour to hour, he had soon exhausted the cup of pleasure, and found nothing at the bottom but the bitter dregs of discontent.
6. He pursued pleasure, till, at last, he found the pursuit to be distasteful and revolting. He grew tired even of amusement. He indulged his tastes, humors, and passions, until indulgence itself was disgusting. When he returned to his friends, he had laid up nothing in his memory, by the relation of which he could amuse them; he had kept no record of things he had seen; he brought back no store of pleasing and useful recollections for himself, or others. Such was the result of three years' travel for pleasure.
7. It was quite otherwise with Herman. Adhering to his plans, he visited a great many places, and, each day, he recorded in his journal what he had seen. Whenever he met with an interesting object, he stopped to contemplate it. If it was some aged relic, famous in history, he took pains to investigate its story, and to write it down. If it was an object of interest to the eye, he made a sketch of it in a book which he kept for that purpose.
8. In this way, Herman accomplished three good objects. In the first place, by taking pleasure in a moderate way, and mixing with it a little toil and industry, he prevented that cloying surfeit which, at last, sickened and disgusted Horace.
9. In the second place, he greatly increased his enjoyments by the plan he adopted. Merely executing a plan is agreeable, and a source of great pleasure. It is natural to derive happiness from following out a design,—from seeing, hour by hour, day by day, how results come about, in conformity to our intentions.
10. Butthiswas not theonlyadvantage which Herman received from his system. The very toil he bestowed; the investigations he made; the pleasant thoughts and curious knowledge that were unfolded to his mind; the excitement he found in his exertions; the pleasure he took in drawing picturesque scenes;allconstituted a rich harvest of pleasure, which was wholly denied to Horace.
11. Thus it was that labor and industry, exerted in carrying out a plan, afforded the young traveler a vast deal of gratification. The very things that Horace looked upon as hateful, were, in fact, the sources of his friend's most permanent enjoyment.
12. In the third place, Herman had come back laden with rich stores of knowledge, observation, and experience. Not only was his journal rich in tales, legends, scenes, incidents, and historical records, but in putting these things down on paper, his memory had been improved, and he had acquired the habit of observing and remembering. His mind was full of pleasant things, and nothing could be more interesting than to hear him tell of his travels, and of what he had seen.
13. While Horace was dull, silent, and sour, Herman was full of conversation, life, and interest. The one was happy', the other unhappy`; one was agreeable', the other disagreeable`; one had exhausted the cup of pleasure', the other seemed always to have the cup full and sparkling before him`. It was agreed on all hands that Horace was a disagreeable person, and everybody shunned him; while Herman was considered by all a most agreeable companion, and everybody sought his society.
14. So much for the two travelers;one, a luxurious lover of pleasure, who thought only of the passing moment, and, in his folly, abused and threw away his powers of enjoyment; theother, a lover of pleasure also; but who pursued it moderately, with a wise regard to the future, and careful attention, every day, to the rules of duty; and who thus secured his true happiness.
QUESTIONS.—1. What plan had Horace determined to pursue while traveling? 2. What was Herman's plan? 3. What is said of Horace, after his return? 4. How was it with Herman? 5. What is said of the two in contrast? 6. What effect has the emphasis on the place of the accent in the wordsunhappyanddisagreeable, 13th paragraph? See page 22, note V.
IM' PORT, meaning.GROV' EL ING, mean; creeping.A CHIEVE' MENT, performance.AS PI RA' TION, wish; ardent desire.SAN' GUINE, ardent; hopeful.RE' AL IZ ED, attained.IN SPI RA' TION, natural impulse.STATE' LI NESS, dignity: majesty.AD VENT' TUR OUS, daring; enterprising.EX UL TA' TION, (xlikegz,) triumph.RI' VALS, competitors.DIG' NI TY, elevation; majesty.OR' A CLES, wise words or sentences.A' PEX, hight; summit.TEN' E MENT, dwelling;here means, the body.AD MON' ISH. warn.RAPT' UR OUS, joyous; ecstatic.AN TIC I PA' TION, foretaste.
PHI LOS' O PHY, (PHILO,love; SOPHY,wisdom,) love of wisdom; reason of things. See SANDERS & McELLIGOTT'S ANALYSIS, page 236, Ex. 334
1. HIGHER! It is a word of noble import. It lifts the soul of man from low and groveling pursuits, to the achievement of great and noble deeds, and ever keeps the object of his aspiration in view, till his most sanguine expectations are fully realized.
2. HIGHER! lisps the infant that clasps its parent's knee, and makes its feeble effort to rise from the floor. It is the first inspiration of childhood to burst the narrow confines of the cradle, and to exercise those feeble, tottering limbs, which are to walk forth in the stateliness of manhood.
3. HIGHER! echoes the proud school-boy in his swing; or, as he climbs the tallest tree of the forest, that he may look down upon his less adventurous comrades with a flush of exultation,—and abroad over the fields, the meadows, and his native village.
4. HIGHER! earnestly breathes the student of philosophy and nature. He has a host of rivals; but he must excel them all. The midnight oil burns dim; but he finds light and knowledge in the lamps of heaven, and his soul is never weary, when the last of them is hid by the splendors of the morning.
5. And HIGHER! his voice thunders forth, when the dignity of manhood has mantled his form, and the multitude is listening with delight to his oracles, burning with eloquence, and ringing like true steel in the cause ofFreedomandRight. And when time has changed his locks to silver,—when the young and the old unite to do him honor, he still breathes forth from his generous heart fond wishes for their welfare.
6. HIGHER YET! He has reached the apex of earthly honor; yet his spirit burns as warm as in youth, though with a steadier and purer light. And even now, while his frail tenement begins to admonish him, that "the time of his departure is at hand," he looks forward, with rapturous anticipation, to the never-fading glory, attainable only in the presence of the Most High.
QUESTIONS.—1. What is said of the wordHigher, first paragraph? 2. When does the school-boy say Higher? 3. What is said of the student? 4. What, when he arrives at manhood? 5. What, when he becomes old? 6. Where is the passage within the quotation to be found? Ans. 2 Timothy, 4th chapter, 6th verse.