years ago there was no such thing as a steam-boat or a railroad. Ever since the world began people had had nothing better than oars or sails to drive their boats.

3. When Robert Fulton said he would make a boat to run by steam, most people thought he was crazy. They could not see how anything but wind or oars could make a boat go.

4. Fulton tried many ways to drive his boat with steam. He found, at last, that the best way was to have a paddle-wheel on each side of the boat.

5. He first made a small boat with two little paddle-wheels. He turned the wheels with a crank. In this way he made the boat go very nicely.

6. After this he had a larger boat built He also had a small steam engine made to turn the paddles.

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7. It took a long time to fix the engine into the boat, but at last it was done. ton now had his steam-boat ready to go.

8. The boat was in the Hudson river, near New York. Many people came down to the shore to look at the queer boat; but most of them went away shaking their heads. They said the thing would never go. 9. At last the time came when Fulton was to show how his boat would sail. A great many people stood on the shore, looking at the boat. They were talking and laughing. By and by the smoke began to roll out of the smoke-stack. The paddlewheels began to go round. The boat began to move. Faster and faster it went until it was out in the middle of the river.

10. The people opened their eyes in wonder. They did not laugh at Fulton any more. They began to cheer him. When they went away this time they did not shake their heads. They had seen the thing go, which they thought would never go. Now they called Fulton a wise man instead of a crazy man.

SUBJECT LI.

A GREAT ARTIST.

1. Do you remember the little boy who

made a picture of his

baby sister while she

was asleep in the

cradle? His name

was Benjamin West, and he became one of

the best artists in the world.

2. When Mr. West was a boy he liked to make pictures better than to do anything else. Sometimes when he had work to do he would forget his work and sit down to draw pictures.

3. At this time he lived in a wild part of the country. There were no large

towns near his home. He had much trouble to get paints and brushes in the place where he lived.

4. There were some Indians living near. These Indians were good friends of Benny's father. They liked Benny, too, very much.

5. Sometimes the Indians painted their faces red. One day they showed Benny where they got the red paint. The paint was the juice of some red berries.

6. Benny went out and found some of these red berries. He used the juice to paint some pictures, but the pictures did not suit him. His brushes were not good. He needed soft brushes made of hairs.

7. A good thought came to him at last. Pussy's tail was made of the right stuff for a paint brush. So he took pussy and pulled a few hairs out of her tail. With these hairs he made a very good brush. When he needed another brush he pulled more hairs out of pussy's tail.

8. One day a friend from the city was looking at Benny's pictures. He saw how few paints and brushes the little artist had.

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When he went back to the city he bought a box of paints and sent them to Benny as a present.

9. This made Benny the happiest boy in the country. Now he could paint as much as he pleased. He worked at his pictures all day, and dreamed about them at night.

10. Other men came from the city to see Benny's pictures. They said Benny should go to Italy to study. This he did, and after a few years of study he went to live in England.

11. Once the king of England went to see his pictures. He was much pleased with them. Mr. West was now one of the greatest artists in the world.

SUBJECT LII.

A BOLD HUNTER.

I. The first white man to make his home in the state of Kentucky was Daniel Boone. He was born in the year 1735.