Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Savage Life and Civilized Life,..........Sir H. Davy,....
The first Stages of the School-boy's Pil-

.205

grimage to the Temple of Learning,..Jane Taylor,.............214

ELLIPTICAL PIECES.

The Ant,.......

The Poor Man's Prayer (in verse,).......Conder,

A Good Boy,.......................

Anecdote of Washington,........

10

33

48

58

Winter Evening of an Iceland Family,..Dr Henderson,........... 69

The Beggar-man (in verse),...........................

The Brothers,...

Arabian Hospitality,.....................

Use of Squirrels to the British Navy,... Youth's Monthly Visitor,117

[blocks in formation]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

A round figure like a hoop or a coach-wheel is called a circle, and the line that bounds or goes round about the figure is called the circumference.

Our ships are better constructed than those of any other country. British oak is the best in the world; our workmen are the best in the world; and the same may be said of our sailors. These things con. spire to make our navy the envy of nations, and compel our enemies to do us homage.

When children descend to the meanness of telling lies, or speaking bad and profane words, they debase their nature, and make themselves unworthy of any kindness.

A

The most extensive empire in the world is Russia; the largest ocean is the Pacific; the highest mountains are in Asia. The most enormous sea-animal is the whale; the largest land-animal is the elephant; the most extraordinary country in the world is our own island.

No

Our bodies are liable to death; but our souls are immortal. precautions we can take can prevent death from at last seizing upon his prey. He is an intruder who waives all ceremony; and it will

be well for us if he do not come upon us unawares.

The

Nothing can surpass the kindness of a mother to her child. toils to which she will submit in order to provide for him are almost incredible. Yet how many ungrateful children are there! O strive to repay your mother's kindness. Submit to her commands; make progress in your learning; and suppress every thought that is painful to her. You will thus fill her with unbounded joy.

A transparent substance is one you can see through, and is the opposite of an opaque or dark substance. Thus glass is transparent; iron is opaque. An ascent and a declivity are one and the same thing, only with this difference, that the one is an ascending or upward slope, and the other a descending or downward slope. We are said to export goods when we send them out of the country, to import them when we bring them into the country, and to transport them when we transmit or send them across either the land or the sea.

[blocks in formation]

Heat expands, and cold contracts bodies; this is the general rule : but there are some cases in which this rule does not seem to hold. For instance, heat hardens clay, though it softens wax.

4

Mark that beautiful rivulet! It is now so small that you can dam it up with your hands. But follow its windings for a few miles, and you will find it swelled to a great river. Here there is scarcely water to float the paper-boat of a child; but before it reaches the ocean it is able to bear the numberless ships of the civilized world. Man is like this rivulet. His beginnings are small; but when manhood arrives he becomes of importance, and forms numerous connexions. And he resembles a river in death as well as during his life. The river is swallowed up at last in the ocean; and man passes into eternity.

When you make a mistake, rest not till you rectify it; when you fall into sin, rest not till you pray to God to pardon you for it, and to purify your heart.

True happiness is only to be found in the practice of virtue. Riches, honour, and pleasure, cannot cure a mournful soul. He only is the happy man who lives soberly, and righteously, and godly.

[blocks in formation]

Events that happen one after another, are said to fall out in succession. A son succeeds his father. We proceed when we advance with our work. The sea recedes when its waters retire from the shore. Our Saviour intercedes for his people in heaven.

Many things which at first sight seem incredible will be found to be worthy of credit when fully examined. A century ago, who would have believed that ships could be made to cross the sea without oars or sails. Yet steam-vessels are now quite common; and before the end of the present century steam-carriages will probably be as common as steam-ships are now.

We speak of the current of a river, and we speak of the current year or the current day: and in both cases with equal propriety; for time runs past as truly as flowing water does. Nay, time flows both more rapidly and more constantly than any river. Many things may occur to retard the course of a river or even to stop its motion; but the progress of time can neither be arrested nor delayed. How important then to improve our time; what a loss do they incur who waste it. Goodness is true greatness and true happiness. All things conduce to benefit him who obeys the commandments of God. A good conscience is a perpetual feast; and a sense of God's favour produces more real pleasure than all the wealth of the Indies. Repel, therefore, every evil thought; reject every bad advice; incur no stain of sin. You will never repent being good; but, if you are wicked, your sins will certainly find you out.

John Heartless was a very idle and wicked youth. He rejected the counsel of his parents from a child, and was expelled from school for bad conduct. Without asking the advice of his friends, he ran off to sea; but he tired of the hard work and severe discipline to which he was subjected on shipboard, as he had before tired of his lessons

« AnteriorContinuar »