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trembling in a corner-their mother was weeping, and the father was walking the floor in agony.

4. The young galley-slave asked what was the matter, and the father replied that they were that morning to be turned out of doors, because they could not pay their rent.

5. "You see me driven to despair," said the father; "my wife and little children will soon be without food and shelter, and I am without the means to provide any for them." As the convict listened to this tale, the tears started in his eyes. means to provide for "I have but just es

6. "I will give you the your family," he then said. caped from the galleys; and whoever secures and takes back an escaped prisoner will receive a rewards of fifty francs. How much does your rent amount to?""3

"Forty francs," answered the father.

7. “Well,” said the other, "put a cord around my body. I will follow you to the city: they will recognize me, and you will get fifty francs for bringing me back."

8. "No, never!" 10 exclaimed the astonished listener. My children should starve a dozen times before I would do so base a thing!"

9. But the generous young man insisted, and declared at last that he would go and give himself up, if the father would not consent to take him. After much hesitation the latter yielded, and, taking his preserver by the arm, led him to the city, and to the mayor's office.

10. Every body was surprised that a little man,

like the peasant, had been able to capture such a strong young fellow: but the proof was before them. The fifty francs were paid, and the prisoner was sent back to the galleys.

11. After he had gone, the peasant asked to see the mayor in private, and told him the whole story. The mayor was so much affected that he not only added fifty francs to the peasant's purse, but wrote to the Minister of Justice, begging the young pris

oner's release.

12. The minister examined into the affair, and, finding that the young man had been condemned to the galleys for a small offense, and that he had already served out half of his time, ordered his release.

13. Was not this a noble deed of self-denial and charity on the part of the young man'? And it not only benefited others', but it benefited himself also. Can you explain how it benefited himself' ?1

a SERVE, work; labor.

b BOARD, deck of a ship. REFUGE, shelter from danger.

d RE-POSED', rested; slept.

AG'-O-NY, great distress.

1 CON-VICT, a person found guilty of a crime.

RE-WARD', pay for services.

h REC'-OG-NIZE, know; recollect.

1 BEN'-E-FIT-ED, did good to; profited.

[LESSON V. is a lesson on character. It shows the great generosity and noble-heartedness of the young galley-slave, when he knew that his kindness to another would consign him again to a prison. How his conduct was rewarded. How were the mayor and minister benefited? Who was most benefited? (The galley-slave.) Why? How are you benefited by reading this story?]

A kindness is never lost.

To be happy, you must be good.
Do what you ought, come what may.
Merit will surely meet with a reward.

LESSON VI.

NIGHT AND DAY.

1. The world is round, and, like a ball,
Seems swinging in the air;
A sky extends around it all,
And stars are shining there.

2. Water and land upon the face
Of this round world we see;
The land is man's safe dwelling-place,
But ships sail on the sea.

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places; and when we see the sun setting, others, in a distant part of the world, see it rising. Our evening is their morning, and our midnight is their noonday.

5. Would you know the cause of these changes?' The earth is a large globe or ball'; and it turns over, from west to east, once in every twenty-four hours', at one time carrying us toward the sun', and at another time carrying us away from it.

6. When we are carried toward the sun', it is the early part of the day to us'; and when we are

carried away from it', the sun seems to go downdown until it sets in the west, and at length night comes upon us. The sun seems to us to go round the earth; but it does not.

7. While we are on the side of the earth toward the sun, there are other people who are on the opposite side of the earth, where it is night; and when we see the sun rising in our east', others see it setting in their west'.

• EX-TENDS',

8. The sun, to us, is setting now';a

Behold him in the west';4

And soon the busy people here
In sleep will take their rest.

9. In other countries, far away',2
The day begins to break';4d
And while we sleep',2 the people there
Will from their slumbers wake.

10. But when the sun comes round again,
And lights the eastern skies',2

The evening will begin with them',
And we from sleep will rise.

stretches out; reaches. b DIS'-TANT, remote; far away.

[blocks in formation]

[LESSON VI. explains, in a familiar way, some of the first principles in Geography. The earth is a globe or ball, divided into land and water, and surrounded by the air, sky, and stars. What causes day and night, morning and evening, etc.]

GOD IS SEEN IN EVERY THING.
In the sun, the moon, and sky,
On the mountains wild and high,
In the thunder, in the rain,
In the grove, the wood, the plain,
In the little birds which sing-
God is seen in every thing.

LESSON VII.

THE SNOW-STORM.

1. How cold the blast!10 The snow falls fast,
And yet I hope 'twill stay:

The wind doth blow the falling snow,
In meadows far away.

2. Jack Frost is near, we feel him here,
He's on his icy sled;

And covered deep, the flowers sleep
Beneath their snowy bed.

3. Come out and play, this winter day,
Amid the falling snow;

Come young and old, nor fear the cold,

Nor howling winds that blow.

[LESSON VII. is a description of a snow-storm. The cold of winter. Invitation to come out and play.]

LESSON VIII.

A KING REPROVED.

1. A king, riding along in disguise, and seeing a soldier at the door of a public house, stopped and asked the soldier to drink with him. While they were talking, the king swore.

The soldier said, "Sir, I am sorry to hear a gentleman swear."

b

His majesty took no notice of the remark, and soon swore again.

2. The soldier then said, "Sir, I will pay my part, if you please, and go; for I dislike swearing. If you were the king himself, I should tell you of it."

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