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2. The following anecdotes may aid in illustrating the nature and value of this virtue. Robert Bruce, the restorer of the Scottish monarchy, being out on an expedition to reconnoiter the enemy, had occasion to sleep at night in a barn. In the morning, still reclining his head on a pillow of straw, he beheld a spider climbing up a beam of the roof.

3. The insect fell to the ground, but immediately made a second essay to ascend. This attracted the notice of the hero, who, with regret, saw the spider fall a second time from the same eminence. It made a third unsuccessful attempt. Not without a mixture of concern and curiosity, the monarch beheld the insect nine times baffled in its aim; but the tenth trial was crowned with success.

4. It gained the summit of the barn, and the king, starting from his couch, exclaimed, "This despicable insect has taught me perseverance. I will follow its example. Have I not been often defeated by the enemy's superior force? On one fight more hangs the independence of my country." In a few days his anticipations were fully realized; he gained the battle of Bannockburn.

5. A few years since, while traveling in an adjacent state, I came to a little valley surrounded by rocky and precipitous hills. In that valley was a single house. It was old, and, from its irregularity of form, seemed to have been built at different periods.

6. It was, however, in good condition, and bespoke thrift and comfort. Not a shingle was missing from the roof; no dangling clapboards disfigured its sides; no unhinged blinds swung idly in the wind; no old hats were thrust through the windows. All around was tidy and well-conditioned.

the

7. The wood-house was stored with tall piles of hickory; barn was ample; and stacks of hay without declared that it was full within. The soil around, as I have said, was rocky; but cultivation had rendered it prolific.

8. Thriving orchards, rich pastures, and fertile meadows, occupied the bed of the valley and the rugged sides of the hills. I was struck with the scene; and, when I reached a village at the distance of two or three miles I made some inquiries, and learned the story of the proprietor.

9. He was originally a poor boy, wholly dependent upon his own exertions. He was brought up as a farmer, and began life as a day-laborer. In childhood he had read that "Procrastination is the thief of time." He did not at first understand the meaning of this proverb, and pondered long upon this desperate thief who bore the formidable title of Procrastination.

10. The adage was at length explained to him; but the struggles he had made to comprehend it fixed it deep in his mind. He often thought of it, and made it the ruling maxim of his life.

Year by

11. Following its dictates with inflexible perseverance, he at length became proprietor of the little valley I have described. year it improved under his care; and at the period of which I am speaking he was a man of wealth.

LESSON LXXXVIII.

CAT'A-RACT, a great fall of water over a | NECTAR, the drink of the gods.

precipice. IN-TRU'SIVE-LY, without being invited; of itself.

JU'PI-TER, the chief deity among the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Por'SED, balanced.
RE-VERT', to turn back.

TAN'GLED, interwoven, interlocked, hav-
ing the branches of one tree interlocked
with those of another.

PRONUNCIATION.-Oak'en 4d, buck'et 1b, view 16, i'ron 11, oft'en 21, ex qui site 26d.

THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET.

1. How dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood,
When fond recollection presents them to view -
The orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wild-wood,
And every loved spot which my infancy knew;
The wide-spreading pond, and the mill which stood by it,
The bridge, and the rock where the cataract fell;
The cot of my father, the dairy-house nigh it,

And e'en the rude bucket which hung in the well;-
The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,
The moss-covered bucket, which hung in the well!

2. That moss-covered vessel I hail as a treasure;
For often at noon, when returned from the field,
I found it the source of an exquisite pleasure,
The purest and sweetest that nature can yield.
How ardent I seized it with hands that were glowing,
And quick to the white-pebbled bottom it fell;
Then soon, with the emblem of truth overflowing,
And dripping with coolness, it rose from the well;-
The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,
The moss-covered bucket, arose from the well!

3. How sweet from the green, mossy brim to receive it,
As, poised on the curb, it inclined to my lips!
Not a full, blushing goblet could tempt me to leave it,
Though filled with the nectar that Jupiter sips.
And now,
far removed from the loved situation,
The tear of regret will intrusively swell
As fancy reverts to my father's plantation,

And sighs for the bucket which hangs in the well ;-
The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,
The moss-covered bucket, which hangs in the well!

LESSON LXXXIX.

CASTLE, a fortress, the house of a no- |
bleman or prince. Castle in the air,
a visionary project, so called because
it has no solid foundation.
DRACH'MA, (pronounced drak'ma,) a
small coin.

IN-CON-SOL'A-BLE, not to be comforted.

IN-EX'O-RA-BLE, unyielding, unrelenting.
Pos'TURE, situation, attitude.
VEN-E-RATION, the highest degree of
respect.

VIZ'IER, a minister or councilor of state,
in Turkey, &c. The vizier of highest
rank is called grand vizier.

PRONUNCIATION.-Du'ring 16, o'pen 4d, bas'ket 1b, pos'ture 17 and 18, a-mus'ing 16, grand'eur 16, a-part'ments If, due 17, drach'ma 7, cas'tles 21.

CASTLES IN THE AIR.

1. ALNASCHAR was a very idle fellow, who never would set his hand to any business during his father's life. When his father died he left to him the value of a hundred drachmas in Persian money. Alnaschar, in order to make the best of it, laid it out in bottles, glasses, and the finest earthenware. These he piled up in a large open basket; and, having made choice of a very little shop, placed the basket at his feet, and leaned his back against the wall, in expectation of customers.

2. As he sat in this posture, with his eyes upon the basket, he fell into a most amusing train of thought, and was overheard by one of his neighbors as he talked to himself in the following manner. "This basket," says he, "cost me at the wholesale merchant's a hundred drachmas, which is all I had in the world. I shall quickly make two hundred of it by selling it by retail.

3. "These two hundred drachmas will, in a very little while, rise to four hundred; which, of course, will amount in time to four thousand. Four thousand drachmas cannot fail of making eight thousand. As soon as, by these means, I am master of ten thousand I will lay aside my trade of glassman, and turn jeweler.

4. "I will then deal in diamonds, pearls, and all sorts of rich stones. When I have got together as much wealth as I can well desire I will make a purchase of the finest house I can find, with lands, slaves, and horses. I shall then begin to enjoy myself and make a noise in the world. I will not, however, stop there, but will still continue my traffic, until I have got a hundred thousand drachmas.

5. "When I have thus made myself master of a hundred thousand drachmas I shall naturally set myself on the footing of a prince, and will demand the grand vizier's daughter in marriage.

6. "When I have brought the princess to my house I will take particular care to train her in due respect for me. To this end, I will confine her to her own apartments, make her short visits, and talk but little to her. Her women will represent to me that she is

inconsolable by reason of my unkindness; but I will still remain inexorable.

7. "Her mother will then come and bring her daughter to me as I am seated on a sofa. The daughter, with tears in her eyes, will fling herself at my feet, and beg me to receive her into my favor. Then will I, to impress her with a thorough veneration for my person, draw up my legs, and kick her from me with my foot, in such a manner that she shall fall down several paces from the sofa."

8. Alnaschar was entirely swallowed up in his vision, and could not forbear acting with his foot what he had in his thoughts; so that, unluckily striking his basket of brittle ware, which was the foundation of all his grandeur, he kicked his glasses to a great distance from him into the street, and broke them into ten thousand pieces.

THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS.

LESSON XC.

GHAST LY, white, deathlike. LAND'SCAPE, as much of the earth's surface as the eye can comprehend.

PAT TENS, Wooden shoes.
WAIL'ING, cries, lamentations.
WIG'WAM, an Indian cabin or hut.

PRONUNCIATION.-Land'scape 2a, an'guish 24, wom'en 33, pat'ten 4c.
Wasting with hasting rhymes, blasting with fasting.

FAMINE IN WINTER IN AN INDIAN VILLAGE.

1. O THE long and dreary winter!

O the cold and cruel winter!
Ever thicker, thicker, thicker,
Froze the ice on lake and river.

2. Ever deeper, deeper, deeper,
Fell the snow o'er all the landscape;
Fell the covering snow, and drifted
Through the forest, round the village.

3. Hardly from his buried wigwam
Could the hunter force a passage;
With his pattens and his snow-shoes
Vainly walked he through the forest;

4. Sought for bird or beast, and found none;
Saw no track of deer or rabbit;

In the snow beheld no footprint;
In the ghastly gleaming forest

Fell, and could not rise, from weakness;
Perished there from cold and hunger.

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PRONUNCIATION.-Be-hold' 1, neigh'bor 9, certain (cer'tin) 1c, strength 25, depart'ed 1, re-pay' 1.

THE GOOD SAMARITAN.

1. AND, behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted Jesus, saying, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

2. He said unto him, "What is written in the law? How readest thou?"

3. And he, answering, said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself."

4. And he said unto him, "Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."

5. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

6. And Jesus, answering, said, "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half-dead. 7. "And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.

8. "And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

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