5. "An hour and a half!" said Andrew, as they got into the carriage; "it did not seem near so long as that, I was so much engaged in reading about Rollo and James."

6. "And I had just got to the place where Susy Miller burned her fingers," said Mary.

7. "What are you laughing at, aunt?" said little Kate; 66 was not I good too?"

8. "Yes; you were all good," said Aunt Phebe. "I was only thinking how much like 'big people' certain little ones looked when they sat down to read, instead of pouting and fretting."

9. "I shall not forget this as long as I live," said Andrew; " and when things do not go to suit me, I will get a book and read, and not think about my troubles. I could not think what made mother so patient."

10. "I wish I had had Aunt Phebe to keep me still," said Uncle William; "for I have spent most of my time and breath, since the break-down, in scolding John for being so careless, and in hurrying the wheelwright, when I might have read the morning paper."

11. By this time, the basket of cold chickens and all the other "good things" were packed into the carriage, and the door was shut; so I heard no more. But from their happy and quiet looks, as they drove off, I am inclined to think that Aunt Phebe's way of waiting was a very good one.

QUESTIONS.-1. What was heard while Aunt Phebe and the children were reading? 2. What did Uncle William do and say? 3. What was Andrew's answer? 4. How long had they waited? 5. How did it seem to the children? 6. How far had Mary read? 7. What did Kate say? 8. What was Aunt Phebe's answer? 9. What did Andrew say? 10. How had Uncle William spent his time? What do you think of Aunt Phebe's way of waiting?

ERRORS.-Gen'tle-mun for gen'tle-man; truss for trust; gra deal la-bout' for great deal a-bout'; wuth for worth.

THAT IS A BOY I CAN TRUST.

1. "I ONCE visited," says a gentleman, "a large public school. At recess, a little fellow came up and spoke to the teacher; and, as he turned to go down the platform, the teacher said, 'That is a boy I can trust. He never failed me.'

2. "I followed him with my eye, and looked at him when he took his seat after recess. He had a fine, open, manly face. I thought a great deal about the teacher's remark. What a character had that boy earned!

3. "He already possessed what would be worth to him more than a fortune. It would be a passport to the best office in the city, and, what is still better, to the confidence of the whole community.

4. “I wonder if boys know how soon their characters are estimated by older people. Every boy in the neighborhood is known; and opinions, either favorable or unfavorable, are formed of him.

5. "A boy of whom the teacher can say, 'I can trust him, he never failed me,' — will never want employment. The fidelity, promptness, and industry, which he has shown at school, are prized every where. He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much."

QUESTIONS. -1. What remark did the teacher make about one of the boys? 3. What did this boy already possess? 4. What opinions are formed of boys by those who are older? 5. What is said of such a boy as is here described? 5. What is said of him who is faithful in little? Give the elements in the word neighborhood. 4. How should words, connected by the disjunctive or, be read? See Rule 2, page 57.

ERRORS.-Os'tridge for os'trich; larg'ist for larg'est; hun'durd for hund'red; con'stunt-ly for con'stant-ly; swiff'ly for swift'ly.

THE OSTRICH.

1. THE Ostrich is the largest bird known. It weighs about three hundred pounds. Its legs and neck are very long; and, if one were standing in your father's parlor, stretching up its long neck, its head would touch the ceiling.

2. This bird can run very fast indeed, much faster than the swiftest horse. When running, it con

stantly flaps its wings, which tends greatly to increase its speed. Its wings are so small and its body so large, that it never flies in the air.

3. You may sometimes have ridden on your father's horse; but I presume you never thought of riding on a bird. I will tell you of a feat once performed by two ostriches, and which has been recorded by an eyewitness.

4. In a small village in Africa, the country in which ostriches are the most numerous, there were two which had been tamed. Two negro boys got upon the back of the larger of these birds; and, as soon as it felt their weight, it swiftly ran off, and carried them two or three times round the village.

5. The gentleman was so much pleased with this sight, that he wished to see it again; and, to test the strength of these ostriches, he desired one man to get on the smaller, and two men upon the larger one.

6. At first, they only trotted very fast; but, in a short time, they spread their wings, as if to catch the breeze, and ran so swiftly that their feet seemed scarcely to touch the ground.

7. But, though ostriches may be made so tame and familiar, yet they are not gentle and kind to strangers. If one who was not acquainted with them should come near them, they would run with great fury at him, and try to throw him down.

8. If they succeed in doing this, then they strike him with their bills, tear him with their claws, and sometimes even kill him.

9. The ostrich is seldom taken alive. It will outstrip the fleetest horse in the chase; and, if it did not run in a circle, it could never be caught by the same party of hunters.

10. Although by nature wild and innocent, yet, when closely pursued, it becomes desperate, and fights fearfully with its beak, wings, and feet; so that the hunters are obliged to escape from its rage to save themselves from being thrown down and trampled under its feet.

11. But, when the silly ostrich finds that both escape and defence are equally out of its power, it either puts its head under its wings, or buries it in the sand; thus thinking to hide itself from its enemies by blinding its own eyes!

12. When the time of laying their eggs approaches, they make a hole in the sand in the most solitary spot they can find. A number of them will lay their eggs in the same nest, and then take turns in sitting upon them, in the most friendly manner.

13. When the nest is first made, they lay a number of eggs around it, which they do not design to sit upon. These are placed there for the purpose of feeding the young ones, which can not at first provide for themselves, or eat the hard food on which the old ones live.

14. If they find that their eggs have been disturbed, or that any human being has been about the nest, they not only desert it, but will break all the eggs, and trample upon them with great fury.

15. They are so greedy that they will eat almost any thing, such as rags, stones, pieces of bricks, and even fragments of iron. It is said that one silly thing killed itself by eating a great quantity of quick-lime. 16. In a field of grain, they will do as much damage as a drove of pigs. A flock will sometimes attack a field, and crop off every ear, leaving nothing for the poor farmer but the bare straw.