business, and persuaded him to go to London, to buy presses and types; telling him he would lend him money, and give him letters of introduction and recommendation. A letter of introduction is a letter in which the writer asks the person to whom it is addressed to be kind to the one who bears it, and to serve him in any way he can. 10. Franklin went to London relying upon the governor's promises; but when he arrived there, he found that Sir William had played him a pitiful trick, and done nothing for him. So here he was, in the midst of the great city of London, without money and without friends. But he had a good trade; and being an excellent workman, he readily found employment in a printing office. He earned money enough to support himself, and save something besides. 11. The workmen in this office were in the habit of drinking a great deal of strong beer, which was not good for their health, and cost them more money than they could afford. Franklin drank nothing but water, and they called him the water American. He endeavored to persuade them to leave off beer drinking, and save their money; but they told him it made them strong, and that they could not do their work without it. He convinced them that this was not true, because he could lift and carry a greater weight than any of them. Some of them at last gave it up, and drank as he did. 12. Franklin passed eighteen months in London, working hard at his business, and diligently improving his mind by study and observation." He was liked and respected by every body; for, besides being industrious, temperate, and studious, he was very good-natured and obliging, and always ready to do a good turn to others. He was also a very pleasant and entertaining companion, and always full of life, and spirit, and cheerfulness. 13. He returned to Philadelphia when he was twenty years old; and soon afterwards he began the printing business on his own account, in partnership with a man named Meredith, who had some money. The business prospered in their hands, and his career afterwards was one of uniform success, usefulness, and distinction. 14. But our account of Franklin stops with the end of his youth. Our young readers, when they grow older, will read his Life, and learn how he became a great statesman and a great philosopher," and what valuable discoveries he made, and how much good he did to his country and to mankind. 15. Our object is to show that his success and dis tinction as a man were owing in great part to his diligence" and industry as a boy. He never wasted his time in idle sports or frivolous" amusements," but stored his mind with useful knowledge in his leisure hours. Boys at this time have more advantages of education than Franklin had. They have better schools to go to, and far more books to read. They have only to improve their chances as he did his, and they can. not fail to be good scholars and respectable men. 1 COMPLIMENT. An act or speech of civili, or regard. 2 PAMPERING Feeding luxuriously. DISGUID. Altered so as to deceive, or present an unusual appearance. 4 ASCRIBING Assigning, imputing. DIFFERENCE. State of being unlike, disagreement. 6 INTELLIGENCE. Knowledge, mental power, information. 7 OBSERVATION. A noticing of ob 8 STATESMAN. Onc skilled in the art of government. ⚫ PHILOSOPHER. A wise man, a sage 11 FRIVOLOUS. Trivial, trifling. LXIII.-THE ORPHAN BOY'S TALE. OPIE. year, and thus The battle of the In this battle the [The Nile is a large and celebrated river of East Africa. It runs through Egypt, and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. It overflows its banks onco makes fertile a soil which otherwise would be parched and barren. le was fought near one of the mouths of the river, Aug. 1, 1798. English flcet, commanded by Lord Nelson, badly defeated the French fleet commanded by Brueys.t] 1. STAY, lady, stay, for mercy's sake, 2. Yet I was once a mother's pride, And my brave father's hope and joy; 3. Poor foolish child, how pleased was I, And see the lighted windows flame! 4. To force me home my mother sought; For with my father's life 'twas bought, 5. The people's shouts were long and loud; My mother, shuddering, closed her ears; "Rejoice, rejoice," still cried the crowd, My mother answered with her tears. 66 6. "O, why do tears steal down your cheek," 7. "What is an orphan boy?" I said; When suddenly she gasped for breath, 8. My hardships since I will not teil; 9. O, were I by your bounty fed! Trust me, - 10. Lady, you weep. What is't you say? ORPHAN. A child who has lost either father or mother, or both. REJOICE. Be glad, exult. 18* 8 ACCENT. Manner of speaking. 5 CHIDE. Scold, find fault. LXIV. THE BEGGAR-BOY. sub'urbş crim'şon (krim'zn) âu tụmn spěc'ta-cle 4 tür'bid 1. "AWAY with you there, you ragged old beggar-boy! I'd like to know what right you have to look over the fence at our flowers." The speaker was a little boy, not more than eleven years old; and though people sometimes called him handsome, yet just then his face looked very harsh and disagreeable. 2. He stood in a beautiful garden, just in the suburbs' of the city. It was the month of June, and the tulips were opening themselves to the sunshine. O, it was a great joy to look at them, as they bowed gracefully to the light, with their necks of crimson, of yelJow, and carnation.3 3. The beds were on each side of the path that curved around a small arbor, where the young grape clusters, that lay hidden among the large leaves, gave a glorious promise for the autumn. 4. A white paling ran in front of the garden, and over this the little beggar-boy, so rudely addressed, was leaning. He was very lean, very dirty, very ragged. I am afraid you would have turned away in disgust from so repulsive a spectacle; and yet God and the angels loved him. 5. He was looking, with all his soul in his eyes, on the beautiful blossoms, as they swayed to and fro in the summer wind; and his heart softened, while he leaned his arm on the fence-railing and forgot every thing in |