'Twas my forefather's hand
That placed it near his cot,
Then, woodman, let it stand,
Thy axe shall harm it not.

That old familiar tree,

Whose glory and renown

Are spread o'er land and sea,

Ah! would'st thou hack it down?

Woodman, forbear thy stroke

Touch not its earth-bound ties,

Oh! spare that aged oak,
Now tow'ring to the skies.

When but an idle child,

I sought its grateful shade; In all their gushing joy,

Here, too, my sisters played. My mother kissed me here; My father pressed my hand; Forgive this foolish tear,

But let that old oak stand!

My heart-strings round thee cling,
Close as thy bark, old friend!
Here shall the wild-bird sing,
And still thy branches bend.
Old tree! the storm still brave!
And, woodman, leave the spot;

While I've a hand to save,

Thy axe shall harm it not.

QUESTIONS:-1. What is meant by a woodman? 2. What is he commanded not to do? 3. Why? 4. Who does the poet say planted the tree? 5. What is meant by that? 6. What is the meaning of the tree being called familiar? 7. What do you understand by glory and renown? 8. What is the meaning of earthbound ties? 9. Tell what took place under the shade of that tree when the poet was only a boy.

MORE than two hundred and fifty years ago, so the story has come down to us, there lived in the city of Middleburg, in Holland, a spectacle-maker of good repute. One summer's afternoon his two little boys were amusing themselves on the pavement before their father's house, by playing with some of the spectacle-glasses from the workshop.

While so engaged the younger boy held up a glass between his finger and thumb, bidding his sister try to look through her own glass and

through his at the same time. She did; when lo! the weather-cock on the top of the spire of the church seemed to be turned upside down, much larger, and much nearer.

Calling to her elder brother, who was lying on the warm stones of the street watching them, she bade him come and look. He did; and wondering how this could be, took the glasses, and running to his father, who had been watching them through the shop window, told him of the effect produced by holding one glass before the other, and looking through both at a distant object.

The father listened, and having tried the experiment, found it was even so as the children had said. For several days the spectacle-maker could think of nothing else. It was a very important discovery, which might be of great advantage to himself, and a benefit to the world. He then fixed two glasses on a board in such a way that the distance of each from the other might be increased or diminished at pleasure.

Many persons visited the workshop to see the new experiment, which afforded at the time only a little amusement and curiosity. But this playful accident of the children led to the invention of the telescope, the instrument by which distant objects are magnified, and seen more clearly and distinctly.

This discovery led also to the invention of another very important instrument, called the

microscope, by which small objects were made to look very large.

These instruments have now been so improved that unthought-of wonders in the heavens and on the earth have been revealed to the view of man.

All such inventions as these should be welcomed by us, for they help to discover more and more of the wonderful works of God, each step as we advance increasing our reverence of Him, and filling our souls with admiration of His infinite goodness. For verily His works are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.

QUESTIONS:-1. How long is it since this spectacle-maker lived? 2. Where did he live? 3. Where is that? 4. Point it out on the map. 5. What do you think is the meaning of the man being of good repute? 6. This man had two little boys, what were they doing? 7. Where? 8. When? 9. What did the younger boy tell his little sister to do? 10. Did she? 11. What was remarkable? 12. What did she do? 13. Did he? 14. What then did he do? 15. How did the father act? 16. What did this simple amusement of the children lead to? 17. What kind of an instrument is this? 18. Did you ever see one? 19. Where? 20. What other instrument did this also lead to the discovery of? 21. What is the use of it? 22. Have you seen it? 23. What benefits have we got by the use of these instruments? 24. What do they help us to find out? 25. What effect should this have on us?

LESSON XXV.

Antelope Hunting.-PART I.

beau'-ti-ful, lovely, very fine.
dif'-fer-ent, not the same.
ga-zelle', an Arabian deer.
leop'-ard, a beast of prey.
pant'-ing, breathing hard.

re-cov'-er-ed, got better.

re-sist', to stand against.
se-cure', to get, to obtain.
strag'-glers, wanderers from
the path.