With weeping, and with laughter still is the story told, CAUTIONS: a. Avoid the verse-accent on the. Read: By-the-nine-gods he-swore. b. Avoid the verse-accent on upon. A slight pause after man and a very slight emphasis on this will enable the reader to do this. c. Take great care not to place any emphasis on thee. d. Avoid the verse-accent upon as. e. Read: And-a-long-shout of-triumph. f. Carefully avoid the verse-accent upon to. The reader should hasten to the word highest. g. Avoid the verse-accent upon our. Hasten on to good father. h. Hasten on to cold north. 7. MEANINGS: 1. Trysting, meeting. 2. The Fathers of the City, the Senate or parliament composed of the elders. 3. Van, the part of an army which marches first. 4. Strait, narrow. 5. Harness, armour. 6. Surges, waves. Ensigns, flags, banners. 8. Vanguard, front part of the army. 9. Plied, used. 10. Athwart, across. 11. Deigning, condescending. 12. Craven, coward. 13. Rapturous, full of joy. 14. Gory, that had shed much blood. 15. Algidus, a forest near Rome. 0 RUTH. These beautiful verses are by THOMAS HOOD. They describe Ruth in the fields of Boaz. "And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field."-Ruth ii. 3. SHE stood, breast-high, amid the corn, Clasped by the golden light of morn, Whom many a glowing kiss has won. And her hat, with shady brim, Made her tressy' forehead dim: Praising God with sweetest looks. CAUTIONS: a. Each syllable of breast-high must be equally accented. b. Carefully avoid the verse-accent on of. A slight pause after sweetheart will enable the reader to do this. MEANINGS: 1. Tressy, covered with her hair. 2. Stooks, shocks. MAUD MÜLLER. Written by J. G. WHITTIER, an American poet, still living. MAUD MÜLLER, on á summer's day, sweet with hay. Beneath her torn hat glowed the wealth Singing, she wrought, and her merry glee But, when she glanced to the far-off town, The sweet song died, and a vague unrest And ask a draught from the spring that flowed She stooped where the cool spring bubbled up, And blushed as she gave it, looking down He spoke of the grass, and flowers, and trees, Seeks a vain excuse, he rode away. "My father should wear a broad-cloth coat; My brother should sail a painted boat. "I'd dress my mother so grand and gay, And the baby should have a new toy each day. "And I'd feed the hungry And all should bless me and clothe the poor, who left our door." The Judge looked back as he climbed the hill, THE WELL OF ST. KEYNE. "A form more fair, a face more sweet, "No doubtful balance of rights and wrongs, "But low of cattle And health of quiet But he thought of his and song of birds, and loving words." And his mother, vain of her rank and gold. But the lawyers smiled that afternoon, an old love-tune; And the young girl mused beside the well, He wedded a wife of richest dower, 143 THE WELL OF ST. KEYNE. This is a poem by ROBERT SOUTHEY (who was poet-laureate before Wordsworth, and died in 1843) on a Cornish custom. The tradition goes that whichever of two married persons shall drink first of the well of St. Keyne, will always have the mastery over the other. A WELL there is in the west countree," And a clearer one never was seen; But has heard of the well of St. Keyne. An oak and an elm-tree stand beside, And behind doth an ash-tree grow, A traveller came to the well of St. Keyne, For from cock-crow he had been travelling, And there was not a cloud in the sky. "Now art thou a bachelor, stranger ?" quoth he, "For an if thou hast a wife, The happiest draught thou hast drunk this day, "Or hath thy good woman, if one thou hast, For an if she have, I'll venture my life,° "I have left a good woman who never was here," The stranger he made reply; "But that my draught should be better for that, I pray you answer me why ?" "St. Keyne," quoth the Cornishman, “many a time Drank of this crystal well, And before the angels summon'd her, She laid on the water a spell. "If the husband of this gifted well A happy man thenceforth is he, "But if the wife should drink of it first, The stranger stooped to the well of St. Keyne, A WET SHEET AND A FLOWING SEA. "You drank of the well I warrant betimes?" He to the Cornishman said: as the stranger spake, And sheepishly shook his head. "I hastened as soon as the wedding was done, But i' faith she had been wiser than I, For she took a bottle to church." 145 CAUTIONS: a. The word countrée must be pronounced with the accent on the last syllable, as it is pronounced in the old ballads. b. The pause in this line seems to make up for the absence of the sufficient number of accents. c. An if is the old phrase for if; and the accent must be put upon the if. d. Take care not to let the accent touch the word of. The accent and the emphasis fall upon this. A WET SHEET AND A FLOWING SEA. A WET sheet1 and a flowing sea, A wind that follows fast, And fills the white and rustling sail, And bends the gallant mast And bends the gallant mast, my boys,— Away the good ship flies, and leaves Oh for a soft and gentle wind! But give to me the snoring breeze, And white waves heaving high— And white waves heaving high, my boys- The world of waters is our home, And merry men are we. There's tempest in yon hornëd moon, And hark the music, mariners! The wind is piping loud; The wind is piping loud, my boys, The lightning flashing free; While the hollow oak our palace is, Our heritage the sea. CAUTIONS: a. Avoid the verse-accent on like, and read: like-the-eagle. b. Read Oh-for-a-soft, etc. c. The emphasis is on home, and the sense therefore dwells upon it. MEANINGS: 1. Sheet, the rope that holds the sail. 2. On the lee, behind us. L |