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 forbăde words. He put his handkerchief to his face, and went out of the door crying like a child.-CHAMBERS. SeŬR'-RIL-OUS, grossly abusive.

15 A €-cĚPT'-ANCE, in commerce, is the accept? 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. 3 ErĚD'-IT-OR, one to whom another is in- 6 IN-DÕRSE', to write one's name on the back debted.

of a note, etc., so as to become liable to pay 4 BĂNK'-BUPT, one who can not pay his debts.

17 DRAW'-ER

it.

the maker of a note.

LESSON III. -A MODEST WIT.

1. A SUPERCILIOUS' naboba 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 pātron'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' ?”
6. Each parasite, 6 then, as in duty. bound,
The joke applauded, and the laugh went round.

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-CÏL'-I-OUS, lofty with pride. 2 NĀ'-BOB, a man of great wealth.

PĀ'-TRON, a guardian or protector.

14 Sěc'-RE-TA-RY, one employed to write let.

ters; a chief clerk.
5 Sew, pronounced sõ.
16 Pår'-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 mnst 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.” “Wěll, 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' ?

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. "Noʻ? 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'"

2. “'Impossible' !" “Này, but it's really true';

I had it from good hands, and so may you."
“From whose', I pray'?” So, having named the man,
Straight to inquire his curious comrade ran.
""Sir', did you tell'”—relating the affair-
“Yes', sir', I did'; and if it's worth your care,
Ask Mr. Such-a-one'; he told it me;

But, by-the-by, 'twas two' black crows, not three'."
3. Resolved to trace so wondrous an event,

Whip to the third the virtuoso went.
“Sir”—and so forth—“Why, yes; the thing is fact,
Though in regard to number not exact;
It was not two black crows'; 'twas only one';
The truth of that you may depend' upon:
The gentleman himself told me the case.'

“Where' may I find' him ?” “Why, in such a place.”
4. Away he goes, and having found him out-

“Sir, be so good as to resolve a doubt.”
The to his last informant he referred,
And begged to know if true what he had heard.
“Did you, sir, throw up a black crow'?” “Not' I'!”
“Bless' me! how people propagate a lie'!
Black crows have been thrown up, three, two, and one,
And here I find at last all comes to none !
Did you say nothing of a crow at all'?”
“Crow-crow—perhaps I might', now I recall
The matter over'." “And pray, sir, what was 't ?”
“Why, I was horrid sick, and, at the last,
I did throw up, and told my neighbor' so,
Something that was as black, sir, as a crow.”—BYROM.

LESSON VII.—WHAT IS A GENTLEMAN ? 1. A GENTLEMAN is just a gentle-man; no more, no less ; & diamond polished, that was first a diamond in the rough. A gentleman is gentle. A gentleman is modest. A gentleman is courteous. A gentleman is generous. A gentleman is slow to take offense, as being one that never gives it. A gentleman is slow to surmise evil, as being one that never thinks it. A gentleman goes armed only in consciousness of right. A gentleman subjects his appetites. A gentleman refines his taste. A gentleman subdues his feelings. A gentleman deems every other better than himself.

2. Sir Philip Sidney was never so much a gentleman-mirror though he was of England's knighthood—as when, upon the field of Zutphen, as he lay in his own blood, he waived the draught of cold spring water that was brought to quench

C

his mortal thirst in favor of a dying soldier. St. Paul described a gentleman when he exhorted the Philippian Christians : “Whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”—G. W. DOANE.

LESSON VIII.—WHAT IS TIME ?
1. I ASKED an aged man, a man of cares,

Wrinkled and curved, and white with hoary hairs;
“Time is the warp of life,” he said : "oh tell
The young, the fair, the gay, to weave it well!"
I asked the ancient venerable dead',
Sages who wrote', and warriors who bled';
From the cold grave a hollow murmur flowed,

“ Time sowed the seed we reap in this abode !"
2. I asked a dying sinner, ere the tide

Of life had left his veins : “Time!” he replied,
" I've lost' it! ah! the treasure'!” and he died.,
I asked the golden sun, and silver spheres,
Those bright chronometers of days and years :
They answered, “ Time is but a meteor glare !”.

And bade us for eternity prepare.
3. I asked a spirit lost'; but oh the shriek

That pierced my soul!! I shudder while I speak !
It cried, “ A particle'! a speck'! a mite
Of endless years, duration infinite !"
Of things inanimate, my dial I
Consulted, and it made me this reply:
" Time is the season fair of living well',

The path of glory', or the path of hell'.”
4. I asked old Father Time himself, at last,

But in a moment he flew swiftly past;
His chariot was a cloud, the viewless wind
His noiseless steeds, which left no trace behind.
I asked the mighty angel, who shall stand
One foot on sea, and one on solid land;
“By heavens !” he cried, “I swear the mystery's o'er;
Time was,” he cried, “but TIME SHALL BE NO MORE!”

MARSDEN.

TIME is the cradle of hope', but the grave of ambition'; the salutary counselor of the wise', but the stern corrector of fools'. Wisdom walks before it', opportunity with it', and repentance behind' it: he that has made it his friend', will have little to fear from his enemies'; but he that has made it his enemy', will have but little to hope from his friends'.-LACON,