1. "Will you walk into my parlor'?" said the Spider to the Fly; ""Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy';a The way into my parlor is up a winding stair; And I've many curious things to show when you are there'." "Oh, no, no," said the little Fly; "to ask me is in vain; For who goes up your winding stair, can ne'er come down again." 2. "I'm sure you must be weary', dear', with soaring up so high'; Will you rest upon my little bed' ?" said the Spider to the Fly. "There are pretty curtains drawn around'; the sheets are fine and thin'; And if you like to rest a while', I'll snugly tuck you in'." "Oh, no, no," said the little Fly; "for I've often heard it said, They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed." 3. Said the cunning Spider to the Fly, "Dear friend', what can I do To prove the warm affection I've always felt for you? I have, within my pantry, good store of all that's nice; I'm sure you're very welcome-will you please to take a slice' ?" “Oh, no, no,” said the little Fly; "kind sir, that can not be: I've heard what's in your pantry'; and I do not wish to see!" 4. "Sweet creature'," said the Spider, "you're witty' and you're wise'; How handsome are your gauzyd wings'! how brilliant are your eyes'! I have a little looking-glass upon my parlor shelf; If you'll step in one moment', dear', you shall behold' yourself." "I thank you, gentle sir," she said, "for what you're pleased to say; And bidding you good-morning now', I'll call another day." 5. The spider turned him round about, and went into his den; For well he knew the silly fly would soon come back again: So he wove a subtlee web, in a little corner sly, 6. Then to his door he came again, and merrily did sing, Your robes are green and purple'; there's a crest upon your head'; Your eyes' are like the diamond bright'; but mine' are dull as lead'!" 7. Alas! alas'! how very soon this silly little fly, Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by'! With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew, Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue Thinking only of her crested head-poor foolish thing'! At last, Up jumped the cunning spider, and fiercely held her fast! He dragged her up his winding stair'; into his dismal' den'; Within his little parlor'; but she ne'er came out again! 8. And now, dear little children', who may this story read', To idle, silly, flattering words, I pray you ne'er give heed; Unto an evil counselor, close heart, and ear, and eye, And take a lesson from this tale of the spider and the fly. ■ SPY, see. b SOAR'-ING, flying aloft. AF-FEC'-TION, love; good-will. d GAUZ'-Y, like gauze; thin as gauze. e SUBTLE (sut't), artful; cunning. DIS'-MAL, dark; gloomy. 8 COUN'-SEL-OR, one who gives advice. [LESSON LXVI. This fable very forcibly depicts the well-known cunning of the spider, and the simplicity of the silly fly. The result furnishes a useful moral. Words of flattery and falsehood, though repelled at first, by being often repeated at length exert their baneful influence upon the vain and weak-minded. Thus, in the first, second, and third verses, the fly, knowing the treachery of the spider, repels all his blandishments; but, in the fourth verse, begins to yield, and promises to "call another day." The artful spider then felt sure of his victim; and the result proved that he had not misjudged the effects of his "flattering words." Observe the circumflex accent on "your," last line of first and second verses; and on "your," and "mine," last line of sixth verse.] LESSON LXVII. KEEP TO THE RIGHT. 1. "Keep to the right'," as the law directs'," Keep to the right, whoever expects 2. Keep to the right, with God and his Word'; с Keep to the right, nor ever be turned From what's faithful', and holy', and pure'. 3. Keep to the right, within and without', With stranger', and kindred', and friend': 4. Keep to the right in whatever you do', a DI-RECTS', orders; commands. b RULE, law. c WAN'-DER, go astray. AL-LURE', attempt to lead astray. [LESSON LXVII. It is a well-known law of the road, that each one shall "keep to the right"—that is, in the direction of his right hand-in passing another. The same phrase, or sentence, is here appropriately used, but with a different meaning, to enforce a principle of God's lawthat of doing what is morally "right" on all occasions.] N LESSON LXVIII. THE GOLD SOVEREIGN. 1. "When I was in my eighth year," said Judge "my father and mother being poor, with a large family of children to support," I was bound out to a farmer by the name of Webb, in whose service I was to remain until I should reach the age of twenty-one years. 2. "I can not say that I had a very easy time in Farmer Webb's service; for although he was an honest deacon, and a kind man in his family, he did not believe in allowing boys to be idle: so I had plenty of work to do, and very little time for play. 3. "Money was not very plenty in those days; and I had lived with Deacon Webb three years before I had handled any coin except a few copper pennies. By the following accident I learned the color of gold. 4. "One Saturday night Deacon Webb sent me to the village on an errand. While on my return, just about dusk, I noticed a little package of brown paper lying in the road. I picked it up, tore open the folds, and finding nothing, was on the point of throwing away the useless paper, when something dropped out, and fell with a ringing sound upon a stone. 5. "Stooping down, I saw, with surprise, what appeared to be a piece of money; but it was such as I had never seen before. It was yellow, round, too bright and too small for a penny. I took it up; I turned it over; I squeezed it in my fingers. Something whispered to me that it was a gold coin of great value. 6. "Trembling with excitement, I put it into my pocket. But I could not let it stay there. Every few minutes I took it out to look at it; but when I met any one, I was careful to put it out of sight. "Yet I felt a guilty dreads of finding its owner. I tried to persuade myself, if I found no owner, that the coin was honestly mine by right of discovery; and why should I go about the streets crying, 'Who has lost a piece of money'?' 8. "On reaching home, I hurried off to bed as soon as possible. I would not have any one know what I had found for the world. I was troubled with the fear of losing my treasure. But this was not all. It seemed to me that my face betrayed' |