6. "And oh! how many will tread on me', And it lies there wrapped in silence yet. MISS H. F. GOULD. QUESTIONS.-What was the Pebble's boast? How did the Acorn feel? What did the Acorn say? What did it do? What did it become? What did the Pebble then say? What is the moral of this fable? Why is the rising inflection used at said" in the 4th paragraph? (Rule IV.) What words in the same paragraph form a commencing series? ("time-heel.") Give the reasons for the other inflections marked. LESSON XIII. UTTER each sound distinctly. Char-ac-ter, not ch❜rac-ter: dif-ferent, not dif'-rent: op-po-site, not op'-site: em-i-nence, not em’-nunce : in-vig-or-a-ted, not in-vig'-ra-ted: vig-or-ous, not vig'-rous. 1. Arch'-i-tects, n. (pro. ark'-e-tects), | 4. Fi'-at, n. decree. builders, formers, makers. Des'-ti-nies, n. ultimate fate, appointed condition. 2. Me-di-oc'-ri-ty, n. a middle state, or degree of talents. Me'-di-o-cre, n. (pro. me'-di-o-ker), a man of moderate talents. 5. Con'-dor, n. a large bird, Em-pyr'-e-al, a, relating to the highest and purest region of the heavens. 6. Ca-reer'-ing, a. moving rapidly. Prow'-ess, n. bravery, boldness. A-chieve'-ments, n. something accomplished by exertion. NO EXCELLENCE WITHOUT LABOR. 1. THE education, moral and intellectual, of every individual, must be, chiefly, his own work. Rely upon it, that the ancients were right; both in morals and intellect, we give their final shape. to our characters, and thus become, emphatically, the architects of our own fortune. How else could it happen, that young men, who have had + precisely the same opportunities, should be con tinually presenting us with such different results, and rushing to such opposite destinies? 2. Difference of talent will not solve it, because that difference is very often in favor of the disappointed candidate. You will see issuing from the walls of the same college, nay, sometimes from the bosom of the same family, two young men, of whom one will be admitted to be a genius of high order, the other scarcely above the point of mediocrity; yet you will see the genius sinking and perishing in poverty, obscurity, and wretchedness; while, on the other hand, you will observe the mediocre plodding his slow but sure way up the hill of life, gaining steadfast footing at every step, and mounting, at length, to eminence and distinction, an ornament to his family, a blessing to his country. + 3. Now, whose work is this? +Manifestly their own. They are the architects of their respective fortunes. The best seminary of learning that can open its portals to you, can do no more than to afford you the opportunity of instruction: but it must depend, at last, on yourselves, whether you will be instructed or not, or to what point you will push your instruction. 4. And of this be assured, I speak from observation a certain truth: THERE IS NO EXCELLENCE WITHOUT GREAT LABOR. It is the fiat of fate, from which no power of genius can absolve you. 5. Genius, unexerted, is like the poor moth that flutters around a candle, till it scorches itself to death. If genius be desirable at all', it is only of that great and magnanimous kind', which', like the condor of South America', pitches from the summit of +Chimborazo, above the clouds, and sustains itself, at pleasure, in that empyreal region', with an energy rather invigorated than weakened by the effort'. 6. It is this capacity for high and long-continued exertion', this +vigorous power of profound and searching investigation', this careering and wide-spreading comprehension of mind, and these long reaches of thought, that + "Pluck bright honor from the pale-faced moon, Or dive into the bottom of the deep, And drag up drowned honor by the locks';" this is the prowess', and these the hardy achievements', which are to enroll your names among the great men of the earth. WIRT. QUESTIONS.-Whose work is the education of every man? What did the ancients say upon this point? By what reasoning does the writer prove this to be the case? What, then, is required to secure excellence? What is said of genius united with indolence? What kind of genius is considered as desirable? What is the condor? Where is Chimborazo ? What is the rule for the inflections marked in the last paragraph ? (Rule II, 3§, commencing series, "exertion-locks'.") Give rules for the other inflections. ARTICULATION. Prolong the sounds of the vowels that are italicized. D-ay, a-ge, l-aw, awe-d, f-a-ther, a-rm, th-ee, ee-l, oo-ze, th-y, i-sle, th-ou. We have e-rr'd and str-ay'-d from thy w-ay-s like 1-o-st sh-ee-p. Sp-a-re thou those, O G-o-d, who confess their f-au-lts. LESSON XIV. PRONOUNCE Correctly. El-o-quence, not el-er-quunce; in-val-u-able, not in-val-ew-a-ble: at-ti-tudes, not at-ti-toods, nor at-ti-tshudes: or-a-tors, not or-it-uz: in-tel-lect-u-al, not in-tel-lect-ew-al: con-tin-u-al, not con-tin-ew-al. ARTICULATE each letter in the following words found in this lesson: Must, not muss: least, not leace: faults, not faulce: sep-ara-ted, not sep'-ra-ted: child, not chile: pre-sents', not pre-sence': next, not nex: fi-nest, not fi-nes: per-fect, not per-fec. 1. Req'-ui-site, n. (pro. rek'-we-zit), that | 3. Per-vert'-ed, p. turned from right to which is necessary. 2. Su-per-in-du'-ced, p. brought in as an addition. Ac-qui-si'-tions, n. qualities obtained. wrong. In-vin'-ci-ble, a. not to be overcome. 6. Dis-crim-i-na'-tion, n. the power of observing a difference. ON ELOCUTION AND READING. 1. THE business of training our youth in elocution, must be commenced in childhood. The first school is the nursery. There, at least, may be formed a distinct articulation, which is the first *It must be borne in mind by the pupil, that in a large class of words of this description, the last two syllables are pronounced as one syllable. requisite for good speaking. How rarely is it found in perfection among our orators! Words, says one, referring to articulation, should "be delivered out from the lips, as beautiful coins, newly issued from the mint; deeply and accurately impressed', perfectly finished'; neatly struck by the proper organs', distinct', in due +succession', and of due weight'." How rarely do we hear a speaker, whose tongue', teeth', and lips', do their office so perfectly as, in any wise, to answer to this beautiful description! And the common faults in articulation, it should be remembered, take their rise from the very nursery. But let us refer to other particulars. 2. Grace in eloquence-in the pulpit, at the bar-can not be separated from grace in the ordinary manners, in private life, in the social circle, in the family. It can not well be superinduced upon all the other acquisitions of youth, any more than that nameless, but invaluable quality, called good breeding. You may, therefore, begin the work of forming the orator with your child; not merely by teaching him to declaim, but what is of more consequence, by observing and correcting his daily manners, motions, and attitudes. Put your 3. You can say, when he comes into your apartment, or presents you with something, a book or letter, in an awkward and blundering manner', "Return, and enter this room again'," or', "Present me that book in a different manner'," or', self into a different attitude'." You can explain to him the difference between thrusting or pushing out his hand and arm, in straight lines and at acute angles', and moving them in flowing, *circular lines, and easy, graceful action. He will readily understand you. Nothing is more true than that "the motions of children are originally graceful;" and it is by suffering them to be perverted', that we lay the foundation for invincible +awkwardness in later life. + 4. We go, next, to the schools for children. It ought to be a leading object, in these schools, to teach the art of reading. It ought to occupy three fold more time than it does. The teachers of these schools should labor to improve themselves. They should feel, that to them, for a time, are committed the future orators of the land. 5. We would rather have a child, even of the other sex, return to us from school a first-rate reader, than a first-rate performer on the pianoforte. We should feel that we had a far better pledge for the intelligence and talent' of our child. The accomplishment, in its perfection, would give more pleasure. The voice of song is not sweeter than the voice of eloquence; and there may be eloquent readers', as well as eloquent speakers'. We speak of perfection' in this art; and it is something, we must say in defense of our preference, which we have never yet seen. Let the same pains be devoted to reading, as are required to form an accomplished performer on an instrument; let us have, as the ancients had, the formers of the voice, the music masters of the reading voice; let us see years devoted to this accomplishment, and then we should be prepared to stand the comparison. 6. It is, indeed, a most intellectual accomplishment. So is music, too, in its perfection. We do by no means + undervalue this noble and most delightful art, to which Socrates applied himself, even in his old age. But one + recommendation of the art of reading is, that it requires a constant exercise of mind. It involves, in its perfection, the whole art of criticism on language. A man may possess a fine genius, without being a perfect reader; but he can not be a perfect reader without genius. N. A. REVIEW. QUESTIONS. When must the business of training in elocution be commenced? What excellent comparison is employed to illustrate a good articulation? What is the relative importance of good reading? How does the power of reading with perfection compare with the power of excellent musical performance ? Explain the inflections marked in the 1st paragraph. (Rule VI, 3§.) Explain those marked in the 3d paragraph. (Rule II, 1§, and IV.) In the first sentence, which word is the subject? Which words are in the objective case? Which are the prepositions? In the last sentence, which words are in the objective case? Which are the verbs, and in what mode are they? Which are the modes? See Pinneo's Analytical Grammar. ARTICULATION. Prolong the sounds of the vowels that are italicized. W-a-r, o-r-b, fl-ow-s, p-u-re, d-ow-n, ai-d, b-ow, s-a-ve. Th-e-se are thy gl-o-ri-ous works, p-a-rent of g-oo-d. F-ai-rest of st-a-rs! L-a-st in the tr-ai-n of n-i-ght. H-o-ly, h-o-ly, h-o-ly, a-rt th-ou, O L-o-rd! H-ai-l h-o-ly l-i-ght. We pr-ai-se th-ee, O L-o-rd G-o-d. The reader will need to guard against a drawling style of reading after these exercises. |