Dioscuri, thou guardian deity Of those who drift upon the sea, In safety to Athenian shores, guide thou this barque. O sacred sea, upon thy threshold now I stand; I bring my soul to thee,-white as this rose, Eternal peace and silence in thy chambers dwell. I come to slumbers deep and still. Life, youth, love, Glaucus-farewell! A FINISHED EDUCATION. CLARA, aged eighteen, just graduated. Clara. Oh, Lucy, I'm so glad my education at last is finished! Now I can take a long, long rest. And really need it after working so hard. school studies are dreadfully difficult! find out yourself before long. Lucy, the high However, you'l But I must finish this letter at once. By the way, Lucy, shall I write until with one 7 or with two? Only think, Lucy, I've Lucy. Until has only one l.. Clara. So it has, of course! studied Latin and German and some in each of the books we had. They throw the words together pell-mell and you have to pick them out in the right order, and if you change a single letter at the end, it is all wrong. Instead of plain English pen, they say penna, pennæ, pennum, pennibus, pennos, and so on, with all sorts of queer endings. And you never can know which to put. Sometimes it is one, sometimes the other, and whichever you select is sure to be the wrong one. I'm glad I'm through with it. German isn't much better. In English we can say the table, the pencil, the anything. But the Germans, just to bother us I suppose, say der, die, or das, and you couldn't for your life tell which is right. They say "Baum" for "tree," and it is either der Baum, or die Baum, or das Baum; but I don't see that it makes much difference, for the meaning's just the same. And the plural instead of being simply "Baums," like our English "trees," is either Baume or Bame, Baüumer or Baumer, I'm sure I don't know which. French is much nicer. Mademoiselle talks to us in French, and even if we don't understand all she says, we have only to say, "Oui, mademoiselle," and she is satisfied. And then, French is so fashionable. But I haven't quite finished my letter. (Writes.) Is that right, Lucy? Shall I say "with Lucy Dear Friend: Yesterday, Brother Frank went to the exposition with Lucy and i Grammar always puzzled me. and I" or "with Lucy and me?" Lucy. With Lucy and me. jective case after with. They must both be ob Just think, Lucy, of Clara. You're right of course. studying algebra and geometry and trigonometry, all about x's and y's and quadratics and such things, and to prove that the circle is square; no, not exactly that, but something about squaring the circle; and about trapezoids and pyramids and parallelopipeds-think of it! And then in trigonometry about cosines and tangents, and how to measure a steeple without seeing it, and other things of the sort. It is dreadful! Lucy, dear, do help me get these sums to balance. I can't get my accounts straight and you're so much bet ter at figures than I. (A pause, during which Lucy balances the accounts.) Then, Lucy, we studied astronomy and learned about Jupiter and Arcturus and the asteroids and azimuths and declensions (or I believe they call them "declinations" in astronomy) and ever so many things, I can hardly think of their names. And do you know, Lucy, that all the stars go round the sun; I mean, some of them do and some of them go round the earth, and the moon is always full, even when it looks as though a piece were out. I tell you, it is wonderful! By the way, Lucy, here I read in the paper about Antwerp. The name sounds so familiar. But where in the world is Antwerp? It is so long since I studied geography, I declare I've forgotten! Lucy. Antwerp is a large city in Belgium. Clara. Sure enough! But we were talking about the high school studies. That isn't nearly all we learned. We studied zoology and botany and geology and physics and chemistry and mental philosophy and political economy and elocution. But I'll tell you about those some other time. I promised mamma I'd read to that poor blind lady this afternoon and I must be goingunless unless, Lucy, you will go in my stead. You know you can read so much better than I, and I'm sure Mrs. Rollins would rather listen to you. (Lucy assents.) Thank you, Lucy, I knew you wouldn't refuse. But wait a moment, I wish you'd write my name on these visiting cards before you go. I want to make some calls this afternoon and your writing looks so much better than mine. (Lucy writes.) Thank you! You're a dear, good sister! And when you get to high school, I'll help you all I can; see if I don't. -Journal of Education. THE WATERMILLION. There was a watermillion And when that watermillion That pickaninny hooked it, He ate the rind and pieces, AFTER DEATH IN ARABIA.-EDWIN ARNOLD. The following beautiful poem was one of the earlier compositions of the now Faithful friends! It lies, I know, And can hear your sighs and prayers; "I am not the thing you kiss; Cease your tears, and let it lie; Sweet friends! what the women lave For its last bed of the grave, Is a tent which I am quitting, Love the inmate, not the room,— The wearer, not the garb; the plume Of the falcon, not the bars Which kept him from these splendid stars! Loving friends! Be wise, and dry What ye lift upon the bier Is not worth a wistful tear. Out of which the pearl has gone; The shell is broken-it lies there; Lives and loves you; lost 'tis true In enlarging paradise, Lives a life that never dies.. Farewell, friends! Yet not farewell; I am gone before your face, Only not at death,—for death, Which our souls draw when we enter Be ye certain all seems love, Viewed from Allah's throne above; Be ye stout of heart, and come Bravely onward to your home! Thou Love divine! Thou Love alway! He that died at Azan gave This to those who made his grave. |