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2. How pure its waters! its shallows are bright
With colored pebbles and sparkles of light,
And clear the depths where its eddies play,
And dimples deepen and whirl away.
Oh, loveliest there the spring days come,
With blossoms, and birds, and wild bees' hum;
The flowers of summer are fairest there,
And freshest the breath of the summer air;
And sweetest the golden autumn day
In silence and sunshine glides away.

3. Yet, fair as thou art, thou shunnest to glide,
Beautiful stream! by the village side;
But windest away from haunts of men,
To quiet valley and shaded glen;
And forest, and meadow, and slope of hill,
Around thee, are lonely, lovely, and still.
Lonely, save when, by thy rippling tides,
From thicket to thicket the angler glides;
Or the simpler comes with basket and book,
For herbs of power on thy banks to look;
Or haply, some idle dreamer, like me,
To wander, and muse, and gaze on thee.
Still, save the chirp of birds that feed
On the river cherry and seedy reed,
And thy own wild music gushing out
With mellow murmur and fairy shout,
From dawn to the blush of another day,
Like traveler singing along his way.

4. I often come to this quiet place,

To breathe the airs that ruffle thy face,
And gaze upon thee in silent dream,

For in thy lonely and lovely stream
An image of that calm life appears

That won my heart in my greener years.-Bryant.

LESSON II.- -THE BEST KIND OF REVENGE.

1. SOME years ago, a warehouseman in Manchester, England, published a scurrilous1 pamphlet, in which he endeavored to hold up the house of Grant Brothers to ridicule. William Grant remarked upon the occurrence that the man would live to repent what he had done; and this was conveyed by some tale-bearer to the libeler, who said, "Oh, I suppose he thinks I shall some time or other be in his debt; but I will take good care of that." It happens, however, that a man in business can not always choose who shall be his creditors.3 The pamphleteer became a bankrupt, and the brothers held an acceptances of his which had been indorsed to them by the drawer,' who had also become a bankrupt.

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2. The wantonly-libeled men had thus become creditors of the libeler! They now had it in their power to make him repent of his audacity. He could not obtain his certificate without their signature, and without it he could not enter into business again. He had obtained the number of signatures required by the bankrupt law except one. It seemed folly to hope that the firm of "the brothers" would supply the deficiency. What! they, who had cruelly been made the laughing-stocks of the public, forget the wrong and favor the wrong-doer? He despaired. But the claims of a wife and children forced him at last to make the application. Humbled by misery, he presented himself at the counting-house of the wronged.

3. Mr. William Grant was there alone, and his first words to the delinquent were, "Shut the door, sir!"—sternly uttered. The door was shut, and the libeler stood trembling before the libeled. He told his tale, and produced his certificate, which was instantly clutched by the injured merchant. "You wrote a pamphlet against us once!" exclaimed Mr. Grant. The supplicant expected to see his parchment thrown into the fire. But this was not its destination. Mr. Grant took a pen, and, writing something upon the document, handed it back to the bankrupt. He, poor wretch! expected to see "rogue, scoundrel, libeler" inscribed, but there was, in fair round characters, the signature of the firm.

4. “We make it a rule," said Mr. Grant, "never to refuse signing the certificate of an honest tradesman, and we have never heard that you were any thing else." The tears started into the poor man's eyes. "Ah!" said Mr. Grant, “my saying was true. I said you would live to repent writing that pamphlet. I did not mean it as a threat. I only meant that some day you would know us better, and be sorry you had tried to injure us. I see you repent of it now." "I do, I do!" said the grateful man; "I bitterly repent it." "Well, well, my dear fellow, you know us now. How do you get on? What are you going to do?". The poor man stated that he had friends who could assist him when his certificate was obtained. "But how are you off in the mean time?”

5. And the answer was, that, having given up every farthing to his creditors, he had been compelled to stint his family of even common necessities, that he might be enabled to pay the cost of his certificate. "My dear fellow, this will not do; your family must not suffer. Be kind enough to take this ten-pound note to your wife from me. There, there, my

dear fellow! Nay, don't cry; it will be all well with you yet. Keep up your spirits, set to work like a man, and you will raise your head among us yet." The overpowered man endeavored in vain to express his thanks: the swelling in his throat forbade words. He put his handkerchief to his face, and went out of the door crying like a child.-CHAMBERS.

1 SOUR'-RIL-OUS, grossly abusive.

15 A¤-CEPT'-ANCE, in commerce, is the accept

2 LI'-BEL-ER, one who, in a written article, ing or signing of a bill or order, so as to wantonly injures the reputation of another. bind the acceptor to make payment. IN-DORSE', to write one's name on the back of a note, etc., so as to become liable to pay it.

3 CRED'-IT-OR, one to whom another is in- 6 debted.

4 BANK'-RUPT, one who can not pay his debts.

7 DRAW'-ER, the maker of a note.

LESSON III.-A MODEST WIT.

1. A SUPERCILIOUS' nabob2 of the East

Haughty, being great-purse-proud, being rich---
A governor, or general, at the least,

I have forgotten which

Had in his family a humble youth,

Who went from England in his patron's' suite,

An unassuming boy, and in truth

A lad of decent parts, and good repute.

2. This youth had sense and spirit;

But yet, with all his sense,

Excessive diffidence

Obscured his merit.

3. One day, at table, flush'd with pride and wine,
His honor, proudly free, severely merry,

Conceived it would be vastly fine

To crack a joke upon his secretary.*

4. "Young man'," he said, "by what art', craft', or trade',
Did your good father' gain a livelihood?"--

"He was a saddler', sir," Modestus said,
"And in his time was reckon'd good."

5. "A saddler', eh'! and taught you Greek,
Instead of teaching you to sew'!5
Pray, why did not your father make
A saddler, sir, of you`?”

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6. Each parasite, then, as in duty bound,

The joke applauded, and the laugh went roun 1.
At length Modestus, bowing low,

Said (craving pardon if too free he made),
"Sir, by your leave, I fain would know
Your father's trade!"

7. "My father's trade'! by heaven, that's too bad!

My father's trade'? Why, blockhead, are you mad' ?

My father, sir, did never stoop so low-
He was a gentleman, I'd have you know."
8. "Excuse the liberty I take,'

Modestus said, with archness on his brow,
"Pray, why did not your father make
A gentleman of you?"-Anon.

1 SU-PER-CIL'-I-OUS, lofty with pride.

2 NA'-BOB, a man of great wealth.

3 PA'-TRON, & guardian or protector.

14 SEC'-RE-TA-RY, one employed to write letters; a chief clerk.

5 SEW, pronounced sō.

|6 PĂR ́-A-SĪTE, a sycophant; flatterer.

LESSON IV.

-THE ELOQUENCE OF ACTION.

1. WHEN public bodies are to be addressed on momentous occasions, when great interests are at stake and strong passions excited, nothing is valuable in speech further than it is connected with high intellectual and moral endowments. Clearness, force, and earnestness are the qualities which produce conviction. True eloquence, indeed, does not consist in speech. It can not be brought from far. Labor and learning may toil for it', but they will toil in vain'. Words and phrases may be marshaled in every way', but they can not compass' it. It must exist in the man', in the subject', and in the occasion'. Affected passion', intense expression', the pomp of declamation', all may aspire after it'-they can not reach' it. It comes, if it come at all, like the outbreaking of a fountain from the earth, or the bursting forth of volcanic fires, with spontaneous, original native force.

2. The graces taught in the schools, the costly ornaments and studied contrivances of speech, shock and disgust men when their own lives, and the fate of their wives, their children, and their country, hang on the decision of the hour. Then, words have lost their power, rhetoric is vain, and all elaborate oratory contemptible. Even genius itself then feels rebuked and subdued, as in the presence of higher qualities. Then, patriotism is eloquent; then, self-devotion is eloquent. The clear conception, outrunning the deductions of logic, the high purpose, the firm resolve, the dauntless spirit, speaking on the tongue, beaming from the eye, informing every feature, and urging the whole man onward, right onward, to his object-this, this is eloquence; or, rather, it is something greater and higher than all eloquence-it is action, noble, sublime, godlike action!-DANIEL WEBSTER.

LESSON V.-USE PLAIN LANGUAGE.

1. WHAT do you say'? What'? I really do not understand' you. Be so good as to explain' yourself again. Upon my word, I do not! Oh! now I know: you mean to tell me it is a cold day. Why did you not say at once, "It is cold' to-day ?" If you wish to inform me it rains or snows', pray say, "It rains," "It snows';" or, if you think I look well', and you choose to compliment me', say, I think you look well." "But," you answer, "that is so common and so plain, and what every body can say." “Well, and what if every body can? Is it so great a misfortune to be understood when one speaks, and to speak like the rest of the world'?

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2. I will tell you what, my friend-you do not suspect it, and I shall astonish you-but you, and those like you, want common sense! Nay, this is not all; it is not only in the direction of your wants that you are in fault, but of your superfluities; you have too much conceit; you possess an opinion that you have more sense than others. That is the source of all your pompous nothings', your cloudy sentences', and your big words without a meaning. Before you accost a person, or enter a room, let me pull you by the sleeve and whisper in your ear, “Do not try to show off your sense: have none at all; that is your cue. Use plain language, if you can; just such as you find others use, who, in your idea, have no understanding; and then, perhaps, you will get credit for having some."-LA BRUYÈRE.

LESSON VI.—
-THE THREE BLACK CROWS.

[It must be remembered that where the circumflex is used (~~) in the reading lessons, it does not designate the character of the vowel sound, but the nature of the inflection.]

1. Two honest tradesmen meeting in the Strand,
One took the other briskly by the hand':
"Hark ye'," said he', "'tis an odd story this,
About the crows'!" "I don't know what it is',"
Replied his friend. "No'? I'm surprised' at that;
Where I come from', it is the common chat:
But you shall hear': an odd affair indeed'!
And that it happened, they are all agreed:
Not to detain you from a thing so strange',

A gentleman', that lives not far from 'Change',

This week', in short', as all the alley knows',
Taking a puke', has thrown up three black crows'."

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