A' '■ >\ T 4 ^^' / ,.'• V ^ ■ ^^ ^ /jt it OUR oyv^ N THIRD READER; FOR THE USE OP SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES. BY RICHARO STERLIJVO, A. M!., PRINCIPAL OF EDGEWORTII FEMALE SEMINARY, AND J. i3. cam:e»bell, a. im., • PROF. OP MATHEMATICS AND RHETORIC. GREENSBORO, N. C. : PUBLISHED BY STERLING, CAMPBELL & ALBRIGHT. RiOUMOXD, Va,, W. IIarqravk Whitr, 1 S 6 2. . Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1862, by RICHARD STERLING & J. D. ^JAMPBELL, In the Clerk's Office of* the District Court of the Confed- erate States, for the District of Pamlico, North Carolina. fi 'i / ^-iA.yK^>^^uJ^ '9^ *.;■■■' PREFACE, , i^ff To those who are familiar with the Readers intended ie precede the present volume, little need be said in explana- tion of the methocl pursued in the arrangement of this • work. It onlj carries out still further the prinoiplet ob which th^y were composed, and is adapted to the intoll#et- ual advancement which those pupils, who have properly studied " Our Own First and Second Re«der#,V are sup- posed to have made. In making their selections, the compilers bare endeavored ta interest their young readers, and at tTae same time to convey valuable information and wholesome moral leMons. We have omitted giving questions on the leseoui. These should be supplied by the teacher. Experience hai taught n3 that children frequently seek for the fcj?- words that wil] Jirifiwer the printed question, rathe* than aim to give the sense of the whole paragraph. Questions -thus used are of very little value. We would call special attention to the *•' Blackboard Bx- er^cises." These are designed to be written properly, on the slate pr blaekboard, from the dictation of the teacher. The pupil may, by this means, be taught spellings punetu ation, and the proper use of capital letters. _, The more difficult words of each lesson have been dc- lined, to aid the pupil in understanding what he reads : aud he should be required to 3pell and define thes© words, before reading the lesson. We cannot too earnestly insist upon the necessity of u elcar, distinct enunciation of each word and syllable, and a proper attention to emphases and pauses. Without the$o< there can be no good Reading. (»RE«NSB0ROWGH, N. C, January, 1863, P U N C T U A,T I O N . Punctuation is the art of dividing written language by points, in order that the relations of words and clauses may be plainly seen, and their meaning readily understood. The chara,cters used in punctuation are as follows : Period . Semicolon Interrogation Point 1 Comma Exclamation Point ! Dash Colon : Parenthesis Period. — A period must be placed at the end of cvevv c 48. The Drunkard's Daugh- ter .' 150 49. Battle of Guilford C. HoU" o u R oy^ isi' THIRD PEADEIl. Spe'// and define. o. Ob JrXT^', oppope. . - At tknt>''pd, %va<» present. Plfap^'ant. agioentile l'^- l'i;o NorNCK''. to .'•p* ak 5. ()c «^\''8M)N AL LY, si-iuotimes. li. Uk MBM^UBU, to ke^p in iuin(i SPRIiNG, 1. a^i. Sp .RR^LKD. glhtered. TFIK NEW BOOK. 1. One fine moniing in tbemoiith of May^ a little lr»oy, by the name of Willie Steve -s, Tras seen going to school, with his sister Ell#n. 2. He was a good little boy, and his lister was a kind and gentle girl ; t^lie was larger and older than Willie, and loved her. little brother very much. 3. They lived a great way from the school-honse, but they did n&t object to the long walk ; it was such a pleas- ant road, and Willie loved to be with his sister. 4. On the left side of the rood was a' stream of clear, cool jO our own THltlD READER. water. The banks were covered with grass and wild flow- ers. Someiimes they would stand on the bridge that passes over the stream, and watch the little fishes playing in the water. 5. The fish would occasionally spring up. from the water, fo cateh flies, or other insects. Sometimes they would chase one another in the stream, or turn over and over, and show their bright little fins, that sparkled like gold or silver. 6. On the right side of the road were some tall, beauti- ful trees, that threw their cool shade over the path. Here the birds built their nests ; and every morning Willie and Ellen could hear them singing their sweet songs. 7. The cows and sheep used to come to drink ; and on warm dajs, the cows would stand in the water under the shade of the large trees that grew near the stream. 8. Willie was very happy this morning, though he had not once thought of these beautiful things. What do you think made him so happy 1 I will tell you. 9. He had attended school during a)l the cold weather^ and had tried so hard to learn to read, that he could read all the lessons in the Second Reader, ^nd could spell all the words given in it, without looking at his book. 10. Willie had a book in his hand. It was a new book. ^ His father bought it for him the day before, aijd his clase were to read the first lesson in it that morning. 11. It was a very pretty book. Its name you' can see on the first page of the book you hold in your hand, for his book was like yours. OUR OWN TIIIRB READER. It 12. It was the new book, then, that ma«le Willie so hap- py. As he was thinking of it, he asked his sister Ellen how long it would be before he could read all the lessons in this book and have anothef. 13. " Mj dear brother," said his sister, "that depends on yourself. If yuu study your lessons with care, see how the words are spelled, and attended to what your teacher says, you will soon be able to read all the lessons in your new book." 14. I hope, my young reader, that you will remember what Ellen said to her little brother. If you study your lessons with care, and learn to spell and pronounce all the hard words, yoa will soon be able to read all the lessons in this book, and then you can have a new one. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. When God had made the sun, and moon, and stars, and this earth, and all the things that arc in it, He saw the things that he had made, and said they were very good. He called them good, because ho had so made them that they ill would do good. You also should try to do some good every day, and ev- ery hour, so that you may be the children of God.. He loves all those persons wh© spend their time in doing good ; and he will make them happy in this world, and in the world to come. 12 UUR OWN TlflRT) KEADER. Spell and dcjinc. 1. Jrw^f.ls, ornameviia. " (> Coy si\)''F.r., to think. 2. ^Admire'', to be p'ea«f d with. 7. GraC'chi. two celebrated R-: ■ '1. R:^;, limitf?, it means heaven.) THE MORNING WALK. One fine morning in the spring, Edgar and his sister , Mary walked out with their nurse,. Jane. The sun shon-e, and the air was fresh and sweet. Edgar and Mary rah a- long the road, and peeped into the fields to see the sheep and lambs. ** Let us open the gate, and walk in the field," said Ed- / . gar to Jane. Jane. No ; the grass is wet. The sun has not yet dried •up the dew. Do you not see the drops on the grass \ Mary. But the lambs do not mind the wet. June. They have w'ool to keep them dry and warm. The dev?-drops do not get through that, as Ihey would through your shoes. You migl^jjalie cold, if you were to run about in the damp, as the lambs do. OUR OWN TUllii; i._^.AJJi;-R. 17 E'fgar. 1 wish I could get some flowers. There are some id the field ; but they do not grow in the road. Jane. We will go up the hill, and then walk in the lane. I think Ave shall find some flowers on the banks. Mart/. And is there no dew in the lane ? ^ Jane. No> not where we shall walk ; and the banks are f Ik so «teep that you will bo able to reach the flowers without wetting your feet by stepping on the grass. I will gather those that grow too high on the bank for you to reach. " Thank you, thank you, Jane," said the little boy and girl; and away they ran up the hjll. It was not a very high hill ; but they ran so fast that they were tired when they got to the top of it. They sat down to rest upon the root of a large tree, while Jane gathered some pretty flowers that grew upon the high banks. The little joyous birds sang sweetly and seemed so happy this bright morning. " Why do^birds sing ?" Mary asked. EJgar. They sing for joy, I think. I dare say they are glad that warm weather is come. Do they mean to thank Godj'ii wond?>r 1 Jane. If they knew as much as we do, I dare say thej would thank him as well as they could. But they- do not know, as we do, who it is that feeds them and makes them happy. Edgar. I wish you would say those verses again,' Jane, which you tried to teadi mo one day. Will you, Jane., now "s\e are sitting here ? 18 OUR OWN THIRD READER. Jane. Yes ; if you will listen, wbile I repeat them. And you, too, Mary. Mary and Edgar both said they "would listen ; and Jane began. Who gave the sun its Va^*i»*^ ^"^^ light 1 Who made the moon that shines so bright, And all the stars that glow at night ? Tis God. • . Who made the earth that gives us rain ? Who feeds it both with dew and rain 1 Who made each beast that treads the plain ? . 'Tis God. . Who, by his will, in bounds doth keep The great and wild waves of the deep 1 Who made all things that swim and creep ? 'Tis God. Who gave the air, and made the sky ? Who formed. the bird that soars on high? "* Who taught its wings the way to fly 1 'Tis God. Who gave us life, and all we prize 1 Who shields us when we close our eyes? Who guards us when at mor# we rise X 'Tis God. , OUE OWN THIRD READER. 19 Who 8ends the sweet sleep to my bed ? By whom are all the wild beasts fed ? Who gives to me, each day, my bread ? 'Tis God. Who knows each thing, by night or day, I dream ©r think, or do or say ? Who hears me when I kneel to pray? 'Tis God. Who gave his^nn for me to die. Then raised him to his throne on high, And bids me in his name to cry ? 'Tis God. *' Thank you, Jane," said Bdgar ; " I think I shall soon know the verses. They are very pretty." BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Salt. — The salt which wc eat with onr food is found al- most everywhere. The waters of the mighty ocean con- tain salt. People collect a great quantity of water, and place it so that the water evaporates and leaves the salt. A child could make salt in this way. Take some salt water in a saucer, and set it in the sun ; the water will dry up in time, and leave the particles of salt sticking to the saucer. Much of the §^lt ^^e use is obtained by evaporating the water or salt springs, found in Virginia and otfier States. 20 OUR OWN tlilKD HEADER. >^K'.V «:icZ define. 2. FlEno?!, a thick row. i]. Gen^tly, £o/t1y. 7. Branch'es, limbs. U. Rb turn^, go back. THE bird's NE&T. 1 While Jane repeated the verses in the last lesson, Edgar and Mary were restina; after their race up the hill. The sun had dried up the ' -> from the grass, so that they could walk through the. fields without getting their feel wet. 2. They passed along a lane with a high hank on each side. There was a hedge of cedars on the top of the bank, and many wild flowers grew on either side of their path. There v,:ere daisies, and wild* i' so?, and Yiolets, which they , gathered for their mamma. 3. Then Edgar ran down the lane before Jane and Mary. He saw a pretty flower on the bank, and stopped to gather it. Then there was a loud noise in the bushes, and a bird flew out of thera. Edgar did not see the bird, and he felt almost afraid. 4. Jane had seen th6 bird fly ; and she said there might be a nest in the "hedge. ^ « Oh, how I should like to see it I" said Edgar. «« And so should I,'* said Mary. 5. Then they went to the place that the bird flew from, and Jane .looked into the bushes. At first, she could no^ find the ne«t; but soon she said, •" Oh ! here it is.'' OUR OWN THIRD READER. 21 • 6. "Please let me look;"' and "me, too, Jate — do, do, Jane," called out Edgar and Mary. And the kind nurse lifted them both, one by one, to peep into the nesU 7. There were two small limbs growing out near the root of one oi the cedttrs, that madera snug place for the nest. The branches which grew around hid it, but Jane parted these, while Edgar and Mary looked in. 8. Tt was like a little round basket made of n\oss and twigs. When the children looked closely, they could see that the nest was partly made of clay, but the in.«iide was nicely lined with i^oft hay. There were four blue eggs in the nest. Edgar took one in his hand : it was smooth and light. 9. " May we not take the nest home 1" Edgar asked. Jane What will the poor the poor bird do, if we take her nest away I Mary. Oh, the bird is gone ; she has left the nest for us. 40. Jane. No; she-did not leave it for us. She will eome back when we are gone. She flew away for fear of us. Edgar. What will she do with the eggs ? •11. Janc.^ She will sit gently on them, to keep them warm ; and in u short time, the inside of fhem will become young biVds, which will break through the shells. Would you like to see them then ? " Oh, yes ; that we should," said the children. 12. Jane. Then you must put the eggs b^ck in the nest, 22 ' . OUR OWN THIRD READER. and we must go away. We will come here again in a few days, and see if the eggs have hatched. But now we must return home. 13. Jane lifted Edgar up, and he put the egg back in the nest. They ran home, and told their mamma what they had seen. '^ BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. GoLi>. — Gold is not the most useful metal, but it has al- ways been highly prized ; partly because it is scarce,' and partly because it does not rust, but retains its brightness for a long time. Gold is used for money in most countries. It is also beaten into very thin sheets, called gold leaf, in which state it is used for many purposes. Gold is found in considerable quantities in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. LESS SON VI. Spdl and define. 1. Hand''som est, prettiest. 8. Plu^'mage, feathers 2. Thrust, forced. 1<. Cap'tivb, a prisoner. Ex teact/ to draw out. 12. Prov o caption, cause of a» 4. Im^i tatb, to be like. ger. THE HUMMING-BIRD. 1. The humming-bird is the smallest of all birds, and it is also one of the handsomest. It is almost always on the wing, and it flies so fast, that the wings can acaroe^jr be seen. OUR OWN THIRD READER. 38 2. It has a very long bill, in the shape of an awl. The bill is sharp at the point, so that it can be thrust into ©. flower, and extract the swedt honey from the bottom of the cup. 3. The cup of a flower is called the calyx. The calyx it sometimes deep, and it has a very narrow opening. With its long, sharp bill, the humming-bird can reach to the bot- tom of the flower, where all its sweetness lies. • 4. The tongue of the humming-bird is forked ; thai x% it is divided, so that it looks like two tongues, or like the. prongs of a fork. The feathers on its wings and tail are black, but those on its body, and under its wings, are of ».. greenish brown, with a fine reddish gloss, wbiek no silvw, or gold or velvet can imitate. 5. It has a small crest or tuft of featbers on its hoa4. This crest is green at the bottom, but brighter than gold at. the top. It sparkles in the sun like a little star in the middle of its forehead. The bill is small, straight, aE4 slender, about the length of a small pin. 6. This bird keeps its wings in such rapid motion, thftt their beautiful color can only be seen by their glitter. This rapid motion of its wings causes a humming soqimL and from this sound it has the name of humming-bird. 7. The humming-bird lays but two eggs, and they ar« «>- bout the size of small peas. The eggs are as white as sboV| with a few yellow specks on theai. These birds hatch thek eggs in ten days. 8. When the young first appear, they arc of the eiae at «. 24 . OUR OWN THIRD READFR. f • ^ * i "~' ■ blue-bottle fiy. The plumage of tlie young is not so bright as that of the old birds. 9. The humming-bird is easily tamed. In an hour after it has been caught, the cheerful little captive will often come and suck the honey, or sugar and water, from flowers^ held out to it. \0j In a few hours moreit becomes tame enough to sip sweets from a saucer, and soon it will come to the hand ■that feeds it. In dark or rainy weather, it seems to pass most of the time dozing on the, perch, or roost, in its cage, j 11. The humming-bird is a brave little felloTv. It some- y times dares to attack otiier birds much larger thdn itv'^elf, if they go too near its nest. Ee attacks even the king-bird, and drives the martin to his box. 12. Sometimes it will attack the yellow bird and the sparrow without any provocation. I hope none of my lit- tle readers will follow the bad example of these pretty lit- tle birds, and quarrel with other children, larger or smaller than themselves. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE: KoANOKE Island. — Roanoke Island lies on the coast of North Carolina, between Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. The first English settlement in North America, was made OD this island, in the year 1585. • • The colony was sent out by Sir Walter Kalcigh. But the colonists uli peribhed, or stiayeu ofT and mingled with the Indians. OUR OWN THIRD READER 25 Here the first English child was born on American Soil. Her iiame was Virginia Dare. ^ It was the first spot, on the American eontinont, pressed by the foot of aft English' woman, and it was the first epot cultivated by the hand of an Englishman. LEftSSON^ VII. Spell and define. 2. FoDN^fAFNs, sprino:'^, the 3. Moun^taims, rcry high lands, source from which anything flows. • . * THE FRIEND WHO LIVES OVER THE MOUNTAINS. 1. Our little Viola was sad in her play, And said as she felt in the world quite alone, " I don't know that any one loves me to-day — YeSj^there is one Friend — I know there is one.** 2. " And who is that Friend ?" asked Mary, her mate. As started the tears from pity*s quick fountains ; " 0, he is the Man with a heart very great, He is the dear Friend who lives over the mountains.** ^, ** Over the mountains, so far, far away ! Viola, then say does he ever come near ?** •* Yes, he is the Saviour ; he comes when I pray. And whenever I think of him. then he is here.*' 4. " And when I eit dowti to read his good word. 26^ OUR OWN THIRD READER. ♦^ He speaks to my heart in a whisper so mild ; And you too may hear the dear voice of the Lor*, ' If you'll read it, and pray, and be a good child." 5. I will tell you what once a little girl said, Who was going to heaven to drink of its fountains, She whispered it softly, she was not afraid, ." The strong Man will carry me over the mountains." 6. Over the mountains ! O, there is his home. And there all his people for ever will rest • To all of his dying ones, Jesus will come. And the strong Man will carry his lambs on his breast! BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Praise. — The noblest thing that an angel can do is to praise the Lord, and we have as much reason to praise him as angels have. We praise God when we believe his holy word. We praise him when we obey his commands, and do* his will. Rather forget to eat, to drink, and to lie down to. rest, than forget to praise God. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good. Bless the Lord, my soul ; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. V JLiESSOISr VIII. Spdl and define. I, Oa'i «IN, source. 8 8us pi^cious, imagining evil. OUR OWN THIRD READER. S7 2. Brist'Yy, like bristles. Scru'' pu lous, strict. Fa TiGUB'', labor, toil*. 9. Pk cu li ar^i ties, qualities 3. Die's! PI ED, noble. belonging to one only. 4. Cu Ri os''i TY, desire to know. A ver''sion, dislike. 6. Muz^'zLE, the nose and mouth.. Por^'trait, a likeness. 8. Symp''tom8, signs. 12. Sculp'tu^, ed, carved MAIDA, THE SCOTCH GREYHOUND. * 1. A hound is a dog, with long, smooth, hanging ears,, and long limbs, that enable him to run verj swiftly. TLe. greyhound is not so called on account of his color, but from a word which denotes his Grrecian origin. 2. The Scotch greyhound is a larger and more powerful animal than the common greyhound ; and its hair, instead of being ^leek and smooth, is long, stiff, and bristly. It can endure great fatigue. • 3. Sir Walter Scott had a very fine dog of Ihis kinc^ His name was Maida. He was one of the finest dogs of the kind ever seen in Scotland, not only on account of his beau- ty and dignified appearance, but also from his great size and strength. 4. When Sir Walter Scott travelled through strange towns, Maida was usually surrounded by crowds of people. He indulged their curiosity with great patience until it be- gan to be troublesome, and then he gave a single short bark, as a signal that they must trouble him no more. 5. Nothing could exceed the fidelity, obedience, and at- tachment of this dog to his master, whom he seldom quit- ted, and on whom he was a constant attendant', when trat- veiling. '28 OUR OWN THIRD READER. 6. Maida was a high-spirited and beautiful dog, with fclack ears, cheeks, back, and sides. ' The tip of his tail was white. His muzzle, neck, throat, breast, and legs were also white. 7. The hair on his whole body and limbs was rough and sha<'gy, anS particularly so on the neck, throat, and breast. Ttiat on the ridge of the neck he used to raise, like a lion's a[iane, when excited to anger. 8. His disposition was gentle and peaceable, both to men and animals ; but he showed marked symptoms of anger to ill-dressed people, whom he always regarded with a 8uspi*» •ious eye, and whose motions he watched with the mosli gcrupulous jealousy. 9. Among several .^peculiarities which Maida possessed #tie was a str >ng aversion to artists, arising from the fre- quent restraints he Was subjected to, in having his portrait Vaken, on account of his majestic appearance. 10. The instant he saw a pencil and paper produced, ho prepared to beat a retreat ; and, if forced to remain, he -fghowed the strongest marks of displeasure. 11. Maida's bark was deep and hollow Sometimes he Amused himself with howling, in a very tiresome way. "When he was very fond of his friends he used to griu^ tucking up his whole lips, and showing all his teeth ; but this was only when he very much desired to recoramendj himself. 12. Maida liesburied at the gate cf Abbotsford ; SI» Walter's country-seat, which he long protected. A grave- OUR OWN THIRD READER. 2i »tonc is placed over him, on i^hich is carved the figure of* ^og. It bears the following inscription : " Beneath thc'sculpturtd hn-m wuich 'atr jou wore, Sleep soundly, Maida, fit your atin iter's door." BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. New Orleans. — New Orleans is the largest commercial city in the Confederate State.«. It lies on the north bank •fthe^ Mississippi River, 100 miles from its mouth. The citj is built around a bend in the river, and on thia. account it is often called the Creacenf Cifif. The levee of New Orleans is an embankment constructed along the bank of the river, four miles in length, and one hundred fee't wide. This was built to prevent the inunda- tion of the city by the river, at high water. The dwellings in the suburbs are ^uVrounded by gardens, deooiated with orange, Jemon, and magnolia trees. LESSON IX. Spell and define. 2. Wrbaths, ornaments. 7 Ciieru'kul, pleasant. a. Bough, the limb of .a tree. 8. Httob, large. V G^p/RET. the upper pa t of a 9. Eau'nkst, nMent, loving. house next to the roof. Guard, pcotpct. * THE SNOW 8T()RM. 1. I marked at eve the snow-flakes fall So gently all around ; Like lightest feathers down thej came, And softly touched the ground. ■JO OUR OWN THIRD READER. 2. And as with ceaseless shower they fell Upon each shrub and tree, The brilliant wreaths which there the-y hun| Were beautiful to see. 3. But when the early night closed in, The winds came howling by ; They tore the wreaths from off the bough, • ' And whirled them through the sky. 4. Hark! how they 'dash the driving snow Against the window pane ; While now they murmur sad and low, Now rage. and roar amain. 5. Where arethe poor and friendless now — Children of want and woe 1 How many feel the bitter wii)d. And cold, and driving snow 1 6. How many, chilled and pale with fear. To some lone garret creep ; And there with scarce a covering Lie down to wake and weep. 7. While I beside a blazing fire My cheerful hours can spend ; And see, when'er I lift my eye, A kind and smiling friend. 8. And when the huge clock tells the hour That I to bed must go ; OUR OWN THIRD READER. 31 That friend will see me wrapped up well With coveriDg white as snow. 9. And then with sweet and earnest voice, Will breathe a gentle prayer, That Grod would bless her darling boy And guard him sleeping there. 10. And oh ! to Him who rules the storm. How thankful should I be, For such a- home, and such a friend, To watch and care for me. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Thou shalt not steal.— -We must never take anything that does not belong to us ; not so much as a pin. When we walk in the garden, we must not take a pear, or a peach, or a flower, unless we have permission, for that would be stealing ; and one of the commands of Grod is " Thou shalt not steal." ' If we see anything that belongs to another person, and which we should like to have, we must learn" to be content without it ; for we must not covet, or desire other men^s goods. L JE S S O N X. Spell and define. 1. In^dia, a country in Asia. 11. Quid^ed, directed. 3. CoM^poRT ABLE, pleasant. Howl, a cry of distress. 5. Re pli'^ed, answered. Rush''bd, ran swiftly. 8. Dread^'ful, terrible. 32 OUR OWN THIRD READER. THE TIGER STORY. 1. Lucy and Fanny were two little girls who lived with their father and mother in London. When Lucy was sev- en and Fanny five years old, their uncle George came home from India. This was a great joy to them ; he was so kind, and had so much to tell them about distant places, and strange |)eople, and animals, and things such as they had never seen. ^ 2. One day after dinner, tl.ej both climbed on his knees, and Lucy said, " uncle, do tell us a tiger story." *' Very well," said he, " I will tell you a story about a. tiger and a baby. It is a true story, for what I am going to tell you happened to some friends of mine." • 3. This gentleman and lady had one sweet little baby, and they had to take a long jwurney with it through a wild part of India. There were no houses along their road, and * they had to sleep in a tent. That is a kind of house made by driving high stakes firmly into the ground, and t^hen drawing curtains all over them. It is very comfortable and cool in a warm country where there is no rain ; but then there are no doors nor windows to shut, as we do at night, to make all safe. 4. One night they had to sleep in a very wild place, near a thick wood. The lady said, "Oh, I feel so much afraid to-night ; I cannot tell you how f ■ ightened I am. I know there are many tigers and wild beasts in the woods; and i?hat if they should come out upon us." OUR OWN THTRB READER. 38 5. Her husband replied, "My dear, wo will make the servants kindle a fire, and keep a watch, and you need have 90 fear ; and we must put our trust in God." 6. So the lady kissed her babe, and put it iwto its cradle; and then she and her husband knelt down together, and grayed to God to keep^them from every danger, and they repeated th^t pretty verse, " I will both lay me down in peace, a»<3 sleep ; for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell In .safety." * 7. In the middle of the night, the la'dy started up with & ary. " Oh, my baby ! my baby ! I dreamed just now, that « n' great tiger had crept below the curtains, and ran away syith my child." 8. And when she looked into the cradle, the baby was oot there ! Oh, you may think how dreadful was their dis- tress .' They ran out of the tent, and ther<^ in the moon- light, they saw a great animal moving towards the woods, with something white in his mouth. 9. They woke jfll.the servants, and got loaded guns, and all went after it into the woods. They went as fast, and as quietly, as they could, and very s©on came to a place where they saw through the trees, that the tiger had lain down and was playing with the baby, just as a cat docp with a mouse, before she kills it. 10. The baby was not crying, and did not seem hurt. The poor father a^id mother could only pray to the Lord for help, and when onq of the men took up his gun, the lady cried, " Oh, you will kill my child." 34 OUR OWN THIRD READER. • 9 — — — ■ 11. But the man raised the gun and fired at once, and God guided his aim. The tiger gave a loud howl, leaped in the air, and then fell down again, shot quite dead. They all rushed foij^ard, and there was the dear child, quite safe and smiling, as if it were not at all afraid. 1^. "And did the baby really.live 1" Yes, the poor lady was very ill afterwards, but tke baby not at all. I have seen it often since then, ^ou may be sure that when they Jooked at their child afterwards, the parents gave thanks to God. It was he that made the mother dream and awake just at the right time, and made the tiger hold the baby by the clothes so as not to hurt it, and the man to fire so as to *shoot the tiger, and not the child. 13. But, now, good night, my dear little girls ; and be- fore you go to bed, pray to God to keep you safe, as my friend did that nigh.t in the tent. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Come, ye children, hearken unto me ; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days that he may see good ? Keop thy tongue from evil^ and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good ; seek peace, and pursue it. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great mercy., Thp Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all l»is works. OUR OWN THIRD READER. 35 All thy works praise thee, Lord ; and thy saints shall bless thee. '^ JL.ESSO:iV XI. Spell and define. 1. Star'tlrd, alarmed. Mister a blb, unhappy. 2. Rk port^, noise 14, Spar''kled, glittered 7. Ag''o NY, severe pain. • 16. Lei''surr, not occfHpied. 8. < int^'mkn'r, salve. 17. Pa^tient, contented 11. Re mov'ed, taken efiF. Grieve, to be sorry. BLIND LITTLE LUCY. 1. One beautiful summer morning Lucy Parker was swinging upon the gate of the front yard. She- was looking along the road that led to the village, and wishing that her mother had let her go there with her brother' Thomas to see the soldiers ; when suddenly she wag startled by a loud noise, like the firing of a pistol. 2. While she was wondering, she heard a loud laugh, and Thomas jumped out from under the fence close by the house, and threw something at 'her feet. It burst with another loud report ; and Lucy ran screaming, and hid her- self behind a tree. Thomas was following her, when his mother caught his arm, and asked him what he was doing. 3. " Only shooting oiF fire crackers, mother," said he. " See they are nothing but only rolls of paper, with a little powder in them, and a string to them. I set fire to the string, and when it has burnt up to the paper, the powder 36 OUR OWN THIRD READER. £;o€S oiF, and tliey burst with a great noise ; but they do no harm." 4. " I do not know that,'* said his mother. " Your fa- ther has told you never to play with gunpowder." " O," said Thomas, " all the boys in town throw them ; but they never hurt anybody ; itnd I will be careful. I only want to scare Lucy a little" and oflF he .ran after hil sister 5. Soon he saw her white dress among the lilac trees, and he crept softly up, and tossed one of his crackers into the bush. Lucy jumped up, and ran, and Thomas after her, throwing the crackers at her all the time. ■ C. After, a while, finding that they did her no harm, ' Lucy began to laugh ; and she stopped to take breath, and to pick up little stones, to throw back, in play, at Thomas. But ! as she stooped down, one of t4ie crackers burst close to her face, and the burning powder all flew into her eyes, those bright black eyes of Lucy. 7. She screamed in great agony ; and as she ran wildly around, she hit herself against the trees, for she could not .sec anvt'iing. Thomaswasso frightened, atfirst, that he cou'd not stir ; but soon he went as fast as he could, to call tbeii*^ mother. ^y were glad enough to hear that he was coming home. 3. All was eager expectation and preparation during the next two or three days. Every time a carriage passed, the children would rusk ou£ to see if it waa not their father. 4. On Thursday evening Thomas was leaning over the gate, " hark, look," said he, " yes, I do, I do see a eloud of dust, far up the road yonder, and"* it comes nearer and nearer. And there ! — is not that a horse 1" 4*0 OUR. OWN THIRD READER. 5. " Yes, and I can see wheels now," said Jane. " It h a carj-iage." . " And look! look!" cried Fanny, "I see some one lean- ing out of the window, and looking at us. * He nods his head ! He beckons to us ! Yes, it is father! itis^fathet 9\ And off they all ran to meet him. "0!" exclaimed Lucy, "I wish — I wish I could -see* and she sat do\wn on the ground and cried aloud." 6. The sound of the wheels stopped ; she heard her fa- ther jump out, she heard the happy voices and the kisses^ hut her tears would only come faster and faster, till Mr, Parker himself, fondly lifting her up, said, *• My poor lit- tle darling, what is the matter How ?" Lucy threw heir arms around his rl^ck, laid her head on his bosom, an(5 eSbbed out, " 0, my dear, dear fablpier, I do so want to sec you." 7. Lucy's sorrows never lasted long. Soon she began to laugh again and to join in the general rejoicing. But he? fat;her would often look at his blind, little daughter witlx pity and sorrow .in his face ; and when she climbed up' on his knee, td kiss him good night, he looked earnestly in he? face, and said, "It does seem to"me that these eyes might 666 a'gain." 8. Mr. Parker then told his family t^at one of the gen* tlemen who came over in the ship with him, was Dr. Hut- ton who was famous»for his skill in curing blindness. He is a very pleasant man, and when I told him about our un- fortunate little daughter, he seemed to feel very much fcr MlIK OWN Tm«n READFR. 41 h':i t."* Lucy. 44 OUll OWN THIRD RKAI^ER". ^ SLArKBOARD EXF.RCISE. Silver. — Silver is a fine metal of a whitish color, which lias, for «) any years, been used for money. It is also much used for wntch-cascs, s-poons', forks, and many other things. I^ may be beateji out into sheet?, nearly as thin as cold- leaf; and it may be drawn into wire finer than a human feair. » ^ *Go!d and silver are called perfect metals, because thcj do not waste by pas^^il>g through the fire, aiul because they do not rust like other metals. LEsssoisr XIII. . ' ' Spell and define. 1. Shep^heko, one who takes 7, MiN^'aLEi), mixe^l c?iie <.f kher.p. 0. rJiHT lastetu (1 with a belt. 8. I»K FBND'', p-.'otect. 10. Peu'ish, to die. 6. Prk'ck.us, val'iiib'e. 11. De si«Hy. vi-h C. Val'leys, low land^ between 12. A ]NoinT''EST, mVo over, hills. THE GOOD SHEPHFRD. 1. Keeping flocks was common in old times Kiops and rulers were often called Shepherds. God himsrelf is called & Shepherd ; and the Lord Jesus Christ |ays, '* I am the good Shepherd." I wish to tell you something about the flock of Christ, and about Christ as a Shepherd. 2. The flock of Christ has in it some old sheep, that have^ been with him a long time. Some of tlilese are strong and Jieakhy, others are feeble and sickly. Some have been wit!i oua ow\ rriiRD iiKADEa. -iS bini but a littlo v7hile. W^ do not call thein sheep. Thoj are yjuiig, an J \yj oiU tliaiu laiuos, and some of them w© call little lambs. Glirist said to Peter, " Feed my slieep ; feed my lambs." 3. Ciirist's (lock is Kot very large. It has no strengrh of it:^elf. It cannot defend itself. If left alone, it would b» eaten up by the woWes. E^en old sheep, left alone, cni- not protect themselves from wolves. All that l)ve Christ and hate sin, belong to th-is flock. If wc do not love him, we are but goats. 4. I must tell you something about the Shepherd. The Bible calls him "the good Shepherd." He is both God and num. He knows what Tiis flock 'fleeds. He is mighty to sav-e, and strong to deliver. He is ever loving. H& loved us, so that he laid down his life for us. He died for the lambs as well as for the theep. Jesus Christ shed his blood for little children. 5. All the children that are now in heaven were washed in his precious blood. David was once a Shepherd, and there came a lion anJ^a bear to cany off some of his lambs. But he went after theiii and slew them at the risk of his life. But Jesus Christf knew that to tmve his flock he mubfc die. He is the best friend little boys aijd girls have. " He has done more for them than all the world besides. Ileis the chiefest among ten thousand. There is none like Jesu.-'e;k a.lv c^. ' 7. Heauk'bn, to 1 s-ea. 3. Puz''zi.Bi>, cm!us'(l. perplexed A stray', outofthe right way. 5. Won-'dkr FuL, siirpHsi;!g. 8. So Lu'Tioilf explanatiofi: cav't help doing wrong. 1. " Mother, I should not think God would punish chil- dren for doing wrong when they can not help it," said James, who sat'looking out of the window a long time, thinking. " Can't help it?" said his mother. " No," said James, " I don't think they can." 2. " Is it not because they don't use God's helps to do right ■?" asked his mother. " God's helps ?" said Jamos. " What ?" " He has given them a guide-book, in the first place. It clearly tells the- right way and the wrong way, and where OIR <»VVN TfJlPi) READEH. 4;) tlicy loifd to — one to heaven aiiu tlic otlier to hell. If any body con.^ults that Book, ho cau Aiot mistake about the way," said the mother. ^ 3. " Is it the Bible you mean ?" asked James. '■ Yes," she answered, ^' and lest we should gut^^nto the, dark, or bepuzzled about the moaning of our guide-book, God has given another help ; that is his Floly Spirit, 'who,,' he says, ^will open the eyes of the blind,* and 'will guide you into all truth,' and you need make no mistake, and Have no excuse." ^ 4. "I don't know wlmt tltat means," said James quickly. " When we see a person, weakly, sickly and fiot able to do what he wants. to do, we say, he is inlirm, he needs help. God sees how we stumble, and miss the right way, and how weak W6 are ; he, therefore, oiFers his Holy Spirit t.) make us strong." 5. " That is wohderiul," said James, " how God' knjws everything !" " Besides all this," said his mother, " He has put a lit- tle voice within you, which, when you are inclined to go wrong, says, ' No, no, no !' and when you do right, says, ' Ye«, yes, my dear child,* very sweetly, indeed." 6. "Yes, my teacher. told me about the conscience-" ' " Do you not think, James," asked his mother, seriously " that God has done his part to" make little boys and girls " do right? Not only to know the right, but to do right, also?" " Mother," answered James, nflcr a few moments, thinks 50 OUR OWN THIRD READER. JBg, " I think God has. It is not God's fault, I ^m sure Then why do they not always do right 1" ^ 7. " Because they do not mind God's helps," said his mother. " If they would study their guide-book, ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten and help them, and hearken to that kind little voice within, and try to do right, I am sure no child would go astray." 8. The little boy was lost in thought for some*time ; at length he said : " Mother, we have got no excuse for being wicked. Go^ is good — very good." And, dear children, this is a true and happy solution of the matter. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. KiCHMOND. — Richm^)nd is the capital of Virginia ; and also, at present, the <]apital of the Confederate States of America. It is situated on the North bank of the James Eiver, at the head of tide-water. It is the largest city in Virginia, and one of the most beautiful in the Confederate States. The situation of the city and the scenery of the environs are much admired, combininjr in a high degree the elements of grandeur, beauty and variety. The river, winding among verdant hills which rise with graceful undulations, is interrupted by -numerous islands and granite rocks, among which it tumbles, and foams for a distance of several miles. OUR OWN ITHIRD READER. The city, situated on several hiils, is laid out with regu- larity. LESSON XV. Spell and define. 1. Glow'ino, bright. 5. Fold, an enclosure for sbeep. I'a'diant, sljiiiing. 6. Jew'els, oraamen^s. 2. Cb LES-'riAL, heavouly. 8. SHEr/TWR. iMd. proteiiting. Blight, that which withers. 9. Tikmli/ing, ♦•xciting. 3. SiG'^NET, seal. Cease''less, eudless. TELL ME OP JESUS. 1. We sat beside the glowing hearth, my cherished ones nr d I, Tlie light of pure and truthful love heaiued in each rad ant eye: " Tell me o^ Jesus, dear mamiJia,'" was said in swoetosr tono, •' Oh, tell me some sweet tale of him, the high and holy ()r»<^" 2. '' Tell me of JeMJs," precious truMi ! it reused my hi art above To that celos-iil clime of light and ftll enduring love, Where change, and blight, and i)ain, and d?ath can noyer, never come. Where Jesus calls the little flock and bids them wolcome h une. 3. The love of childhood, p^eci -na trust, to erring mortals g ven, Sweet l of immortality, that speak tTi us of he.v*u : So full of tiuth and pr- c'o 'S li"pt', lik" kinJi'fd spirits lliprf». That even ht-ro the 8igi;et biight of hea-ci ly iove tliny weir 4. " To[l me of Jesus !" Mother's heart aiid can ynu still d 'ay, And from tltat tevd'^r tooch'nsr ton'^ in oo'.lies- fu'-n M«a.>. ? Oh. clasp thuso folded hands in thii.e and wifli a t(';:rf.il eye, Raise he.irt and voice in came-t prater to him ab-v.' the -ly. di OUK OWN THJUl) HEADER. 5. TfK' gen'e Sliepli- r I, u^k his cars, his pr^ici ms K.vo u itnl I — (^h, a k t!int hi; wi'l iiig and chsitii fotfVcr there ihe strains of Jesus'-lore. 6. '• Tel! me '>f .le ih " — -.wpot'ty tell of him who «ii ;d to save, To take the ••tin'j; of death away "an I r ih^lie g^>omy grave Of all if8 hoa-ti (I vict TV — wim dicil th.it wc rainht rise A«< jewels ill his -^lary crow i, ti s'li le i^b tve the s'.tie'j. 7. Oh. mother, t^ke thy litL'e oi-s a d till of Betlilehe-n's Star, Whose g'orious I g «t -ti I brifjhtly shines in beauty from afar, And te 1 ofpeiCL'ful O ivet nd diik Gc'thsenane, And tell the linle trusting ones, yes, tell of Calvary. 8. Then point to hevvcn where Jesu-* is, the Saviour's precious home, And where I e sweet'y. gently says, " 'et litle children ome."' Oh. suffer th< m to con»e to yne and be forever blest. Anil find within my ssheltering arms their everlasting rest. 9. And when the Angels thrriling b'ast shall sound the death of time. Oh. rany we m Mt o ir cherisheil ones within that blissful clime. And through \\\.' e\er c^^ase'ess r.tand of ag s as tliey r.>ll. May love to .Je.-ius evei thrlli au'l tune the raptuied soul. BLACKBOARD EXIiRCISE. RufiKs.— Never put oflf till to-morrow, what you can do to-day. Never trouble otners for what you can do yourself. Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap. Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst, and cold. We never repent of having eaten too little. OUR <.WV THinD RKAPKR. 53 Notliiijg is trnnblcsome tlint we do willingly. How much pain tliose evils cost ii<», which never happen. When angry, count ten before you speak ; if very angry, count a Lundrcil. LE^SO]V XVI. SpeJl ft lid (hfiitf. 2. Ap PFOACH'^iNO, ('riiwi g.tie:ir. 14. AIk N'v\Hii,K..ii)ievve«h gfitne. 4, Dk Ll!G!HT''lD. nilicll p<':i-"pm bliould- I um homely, and poor, h\ d oros^s." 56 ' orn owv third rfadfr 13. " I don't think yon would be cross, if tUegirV' would be pleasanf to you. I want yon to love iiiCj and wc ^vill ke good friends." *' I don't kn^w about thnt,'* *^aid J:\ne. " I gnes?? it will be tbc best to stny juf-t as w(i liii\e been all tbe time." " No ; T lun not going to do any suoh thing," cried Kit- ty, laughing, and throwing her plump little arras arouud' Jane's? neck. "I .e, tOuk her p.iace first in the class. Examination-day came at last, and Kitty, though thin and pale, was able to be present. Just before the exercises began, she whispered to Jane. *" I am glad you are to have the prize. I think you de- gerved it more than I all the time, because you have studied BO hard." 15. Jane made no reply ; bi?t l^uth, who was looking, saw her turn away and draw her fuind over h.er eyes. At the close of the afternoon, the teacher stood up before the* desk on which the rewards were temptingly spread out, and said in a clear, distinct tone. " Tho first prize for good scholarship is awarded to Jan« Bangs." 16. Jane's faca crimsoned, for every eye in the rooix» was bent upon her; but she rose in her seat, and replied, firmly. ** If you please, Mr. Carrol, I can not take the prize. It belongs, by right, to Kitty Howitt. If she had not been OUR OWN THIRD RE^^DEK. 57 siclr, I should never have been first in the class. Please give it to her." 17. A little rustling movement all over the room, and the many smiling faces, told the pleasure which was felt bj the audience at this adt of !?elf-denial. Mr. Carrol remarked that what Jane had said was true and in accordance with her request he Vould transfer the first prize to Kitty Howitt. 18. Jane came to her after school was dismissed, and whispered in her ear. "One month ago, I wished almost every day that something would happen to prevent you from having the prize. I hated you and everybody else, and was as miserable as I could be ; but you came to me ^with kind words, and asked me to love you. O Kitty, you don't know how difl'erent everything seemed after that! And when you were lying sick, I prayed every day that God would make you well. What should I have done if he had let you die 1" 19. After tfiat, Kitty and Jane were firm friends. They .<^tered the high school together, were in the tame class, and studied from the same books ; and when, a few months later. Miss Karin Bangs died, x>.rs. Howitt took Jane to her own home. 20. Children, remember the power of a single kind word. The very hardest heart may bo touched and softened by a loving smile. ''Kind words can never die; * ( hfrislied und hle«i, God knows h»iW deep they lie, * Stored in the breast.'* 68 OI R OWV Tlimi> READER. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Mammoth Cavk — Among the natural curiosities of Kentucky, the ni(»st not. d is the Maujuioth Cave. It, is Bituated 130 miles south-west of liCxinctun. In the extent and number of its charmjers, the length of its galleries', and the variety of interesting objects, it has no equal on the globe.* This remarkable cavern has been explored for ton miles^ without any indications of coming to a termination. In a river, which flows through the cave, are found a kind of wUite fish, that have no eyes. Spell and define. i. Bswa^e', take care 3. Hatnt. folloir, i'Honn, the siringor a mu 3. They haunt us through the toilsome daj, And through the lonely tiight, And rise to cloud the spirit's ray, When all besides is bright. 4. Though from the mind, and with the breath, • Which gave them, they have flown ;, Yet wormwood, gall, and even death. May dwell in every tone. 5. As burning tears can well attest,. A sentence lightly framed May linger, cankering, in the breast At which it first was aimed. , G 0, could my prayer indeed be heard — 9 • Migl>t I tjie past live o*er — IM guard against a careless word, E'en though I spoke no more. . BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Charleston. — Charleston is the Commercial Capital of 8buth Carolina. It is situated on a peninsula between AshUy and Cooper Rivers, which unite below and form » spacious harbor, about seven miles from the sea. The streets of the city are, in some quarters, lined with the " Pride of China," and other trees. Many of tha Eouscs are beautifully ornamented with verandas, reaching from the pround to I'he roof, md surrounded hy f:^''ri\o\)A. pro- fusely adorne'd with oranire tree", maijrnolinyand palin^Mto.c^. Il^re.was tou^Kl the fir.>i h.ittle in the VV; r of Indopcu 60 OtTa OWN THIRD READER* donee of tbe Confederate States. The bombardment and Burreuder of Fort Sumter, in Charleston haTbor, constitutes fi (TJoHous era in our national history. Genera'l Beaure- gard oouimanded the Confederate forces. t X. E $!< s o ]Nr xviii. • iSpell and ihjine. Com pn/sioN, force, co is'.ra'iit. De (jr^de', t..» oHsgrace, to lower. Kfc'og niz »ng, aelcM' w eflging ,-\pim.au k', pra.-e. ft firmer a^juaiiitanctj. Ruf-'fian, a i-ob->or. ^OK Ti HI ox'tjon, disappoint- Ui lem-'ma, a :Jilfica t ."-ituat on. ment vexation. WHICH WAS TIIE COWARD? ' PABT I Rtlph. Good morning, cousin Laura ! I have a word • •" * ^to 8ay to you. ♦ Lnttnt. Only a word 1 It is yet half an hour to school- lime, and T can listen. '^ Uolph. I saw you yesterday speaking to that fellow, Leslie, — Prank Leslie. Lduio. Of course I spoke to Frank. What then 1 1^ le too good to be spoken to 1 Valph Far from it ! You must give up his actjuaint. unco. Laura. Indeed, cousin Ealph ! I must give up his ac, .*uaintance ! On what compulsion r/jws/ 11 Rolph, If you do not wish to be cut by all the boys of «|lie academy, you must cut Frank. . <»UR OWN TH'RD READER. 61 Laura. Cut ! What do you mean by 'cut? • Rdlph. By cutting, I mean not recognizing an individ- ual. When a boy wlio kyows you passes you without speaking or bowing, he cuts you Laufa. I Chank you for the explanation 1 And T aim to understand that I must either give up the aoquaintancd of my friend Frank, or submit to the terrible mortification of being "cut " by Mr. Ralph Burton and his companions t Ralph. Cjrtainly. Frank is a boy of no spirit, — is short, a coward. ' Laura. How has he shown it? Ralph. Why, a dozen boys have dared him to fight, anA he refuses to do it. Laura. And is your test of courage a willingness t# fight ? If so, a bull-dog is the most courageous of gentle- men. Ralph I am serious, Laura ; you must give him up^ Why, the other day, Tom Harding put a chip on my hat, 'and dared Frank Leslie to knock it olT. But Leslie folded his arms and walked ofi*, while we all groaned and hissed* Laura. You did ? You groaned and hissed t Ralph, I did not belive you had so little of the true gentleman a- bout you ! Ralph What do you mean ? Come, now, I do not lik& that ! Laura. Frank Lesie refused to degrade himself to th» level of the brute, — to engage in a rough-and-tumble fight, — and so you joined in insulting him ! bhame upon you^ cousin Ralph ! 62 OUR OWN THIRD READER. , *Iiali}h. 0,'it is easy to s^aj " »»hanje !" but, if a fellow ^f my own size dared lue to fight liim — Laura. You would wot hpe tlie courage to refuse. And why ? Because you are afraid, of being hissed t Kow Frank had the manhood to despise ybur hisses, and value his own self-respect far above the applause of boys eilly enough to make fighting the test of courage. Ralph. Cousin Laura, let me suppose a case You are walking with Frank in a solitary place, when a ruffian eonieis up and tries to carry you oif. Would you have a fighting boy like Tom Harding, or a fellow like Frank, to stand b}' jou in such a dilemma T Lftnra. I should have all the more confidence in Frank's readiness to do his best to protect me, because of hisrefusal to fight without a cause. The truly brave are always the least quarrelsome. They are not in the habit of defying others to knock chips off their hats. They reserve them" •selves for the right occasion. ' , Ralph. Well, cousin Laura, I have given you fair "varn- ing. So if the fellows of our academy do not bow to you liereafter, you will know what it means. Good morning. Laura. Good morning 1 Perhaps time will show which «f us has taken the correct view of the mutter. BLAOKEOAKD EXFRCI8K " Natural HRiDat; —The Natural Bridge, one of the most €Tiblime of Nature's works, is situated in Kuckbridge coun. Hj, Virginia, on the ascent of a hill, which seems to ha'^e OUR OWN THIRD READER. 63 been cloven through its length by some great convulsion. This bridge oi limestone rock spans a chasm of ninety feet in width, at the distance of about two hundred and fifteen feet above Cedar Creek which flows beneath. The average width of the bridge is eighty feet, and its thicknesa fifty-five. A portion of this thickness is com- posed of earth, on which large trees are growing, and the ren^inder is of solid limestone. LESSON XIX. Spelt and dejine. Res o lu'tion, fix^d purpose, de In trnt-'lt, with e:.g^r desire. cisi'»n. De srKut/rivR, ruinous* In^matks, iiiha»'it;ints ^ Sua PBN^B^ anxjoug waiting, Vi';N'rDi^E, djire to ^o. doiiht Ri'vAL UY. compt tit'on. 1l lits'tki nus, eel. brvted fair ou» En .-u^ko, followed. A chievb'ment. a heroic d«ed. WHIOII WAS, THE COWARD? PABT II. Ralph, Good mornitig, once more, cousin Laura. Laura. Good morning ! But I thought you did not mean to speak to me again. Ralph. 0, the fir'e of last evening put my resolution oui of my head. Laura. A terrible fir6 it was! Were you present? Ralph. T and Tom Harding were with one of the fire- companies, and worked at the engine. Laura. Did you see that boy go up the ladder ? 6-t OUU OWN THIRD HEADER. Riilph. Yes; I would like to be in hi^ shoes, for they say the [lam ine S.)cietv arc gt)ingtogive hiiriag»ld mcrhil. Lnura. I wish I had been there to see him ! How did it happen 1 . Rnlph. Why, you see, the firemen thought they had cleared the house of all its inmates; but, all at once, a poor Irish woiyan began crying out that her sick babjf was in bed in the corner romi of the third story. " Too late ! too late !" said the firemen. L'lura. But why was it too late X Ralph. You shall hear. . The only ladder that was long enough to reach np to that window was so burned and charred in the middle, that the men were all afraid to trust their weight'on it. When the pt)or woman learned this, she !»creamed so that you could hear her above all the noij-e of the engine. Laurti. Poor woman ! I do not wonder at it. But why did she not make the attempt herself? Ralph. She had been badly lamed by the fall of a beam, and could not climb. The chief fireman called out, ** Is there no boy that will venture up 1 We men are all too heavy." , •• Laura. I think I see you and Tom Harding starting in generous rivalry to try which will be first to go up the ladder ! Ralph No, you don't see any such thing. Tom and I perceived the danger too clearly. Bu*, all at once, a little OUR cWN TllJRD Rl iAD>R. G5 fellovT, whose face was so blacked with smoke that n«body knew wlio he wasj darted up the ladder, swift as a monkey; 8iich a alienee as en.-uod ! There wa? no moie shouting. Everybody h>oked intently on the boy. " Tlie ladder will break wlien he gets to the weak place," whispered one. " No," said another ; " he has passed it safely " And so he had. On he went, and suddenly disappeared thioufrh the window. The n«xt moment a burst o*f flame flashed on him, showing hipi at the top of the ladder, with the baby swung over his back. " Hush ! hush !" said the tir«Mnen. Nobod} spoke. D jwn came the body steadily, — down to the weak place,-r-and then Lount. It did not break ? . . Unlph. No, but it bent. He passed it, however, and then slid down the rest of the way, and placed the baby in its mother's arms. You should have heard her go on! You s^^ould have heard the shouts from the crowd ! You should have seen the people press to get a sight of the boy ! But he slipped away under their arms, and ran off. Liura. And doei nobody know the name of the young hero? ■ (P Ralph Nobody that I have heard of. But here is a morning newspaper, which I have not yet opened. Let me unf«)ld it. Here's the account.' (^Reads) *' Destructive fire last evening ; — house occupied by^Irish families !" That column is all about the fire. Here it teljs of the Irish woman and the baby. Laura. How long you are in finding it ! Give it to 66 OUR OWN TH nU> READKR. tne. (Tokes o'^d rutuh.) "The infant wouUl, in all pro- bability, have pori.sbed, had it not been for the coujage of a lad, who, hearing the chief fireman's appeal, darted up the ladder, dashed throngh a window into the io< ni wheie the infant laj sleet>int>, bore it cut in safety, descended the ladder, and eave the little creature into the arms of its lately despairing, but now overjoyed nmther." Jittf'ph Is rhe b^^'s nam-e mentioned ? Luna. Ay! liere it is ! Here it is! And who do you think he is? lhili>li Do not \eep la j 'm suspense ! Lanrn, Well, then, he is the boy who was so much afraid of knocking the chip off your hat, — Frarik Leslie,— the cowatd, as you called hini ! U'llpli No ! ^ Let. me see the paper for myself. There is the name," sure enough, printed in capital letters ! Laiud, But, cousin, how much more illustri(tus an a- chieveujent it would liave been'for'him to have knocked off that chip ! Then he would have stood in no dagger of being •* cut " by Mr. T«»m Harding and Mr. Ralj»h Burton. Riilph Don'r- laugh at me any more, cousin Laura ! I see I have been in the wrong. FrUik Leslie isno coward* 1 will ask his.pardini. Ldiiin. VV^ill you \ My dear cousin, you will, in that case show that you, too, are not without true courage. BLACKBOARD EXKRCISE. Maxims — Diligence, industrv, and proper improvement of time, are the moht in.portant duties of the young. 4 OUR OWN THfRD READRR. 67 The acquisition of knowledge ought to be the chief oc- cupation of youth. Whatever talents we may possess, virtue is a necessary requisite, in order to their shining with proper lustre. Sincerity and truth form the basis of every virtue. The veil which covers from our sight the events of future years, is a veil woven by the hand of mercy. * L E JS S O 3V XX. Sp*'ll and dijint. 1. SiiB''UKB.s, pl;ic< g ne r n city. 4. An''guish. exfn-me p;iia or Sub sis'tknok, liv.. g sdrn.w. ALMs-'stKK iNo,. «M gluing, 6 VVi8T''kul LY. anxiously. •j^2. K« li';nc»,. u•^^t. e. J!>ub^^e qdknt, foliowmg. 3, 1 K LLC^TANT LY, Unwllillgljr 7 J'kE Slh I I'^TION, (luectii.u. U. Jn''ci dent, uccurieitce. TRUST IN G(il> — WASHINGTON. ' 1. iMany, many years ago, in a desolate little cabin in the suburbs of Philadelphia, sat a lonely widow, surround- ed by her fatherless children. Her husband had fallen in defence of his country. Since his death she had earned a ■canty subsistence by her own hands without being bur- ft densome to any. one ; and her liUle ones, ihough but poorly fed and clothed, had never felt that bitterest ingredient of poverty — alms-seeking from the public. 2. But recently sickness had laid its heavy hand upon Jier, and stern want, starvation almost, had followed close- ly in its footsteps. 5fet did not her faith fail. She re- peated the words that so otten before had cheered her fead .A/- gQ OUR OWX THIRD READKR iieart, <■ Leave thj fatherless children, and I will pre.servjp' them alive, saith the Lord;" "I have been young, and now am old, jet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread ;" and her heart rose in humble* yet firm reliance upon their Divine Author 3. As her children had eaten nothing all day, and she was still too feeble even to rise from her bed, she now felt compelled, though almost reluctantly, to send forth the eldest of her children on his first mist-ion of begging, to seek from some charitable stranger a few shillings to buy ^read, hoping she should soon be again able to earn it by h^r own efforts. , 4. The child, a noble little fellow of ten years, shrank from such an errand ; but seeing his poor mother's look ©^ anguish, he hushed his own regrets, and rushed forth into . the streets, little heeding, in his grief, what course he took; but a higher power, though unseen, directed his steps. 5. As the child walked mournfully on, looking wistfully into the faces of the people he met, he was too much dis- heartened by their cold or indiff'arenf looks to venture to address them.' The longer he put it off, tl^e more reluc- tant he was to ask. the afras ho feared mig'it be refusedj* and weeping bitterly, h« hurried on, unknown and unheed- ed by the busy throng 6. Suddenly a kind voice spoke to him, and looking up, he saw a mild, benevolent-looking gentleman, dressed in black, and wearing a three-cornered hat. Taking the child's kand in his, and leading him gent j onward, the gentle* OUa OWx\ THIRD READER Q^ man soon drew from the little boy tkeir whole history — the father's name and death, the mother's struggles to gain a support, her recent sickness, aiid their subsequent suffer- incrs ; and then he bade the child lead him to his home, though stopping at a provision-store on the way *o order a supply for the poor family. 7. Entering the house, the quick eye of the stranger soon di>cerned the cause of tlie mother's feebl^jcss, introduci' g him>elf as a physician quite suited to her case, though n. t a regular practitioner*, he ollered to icrifr n presrn'p'inv^ wliich he said he was sure would prove beneficial. Leavijig the paper on the table, after saying a few kind, cheeringi word.- to the'motlier, he left the house, promising to repeat his visit* iii a few days, and then to renew the preseription li iiccessajy. 8. When he was iroJic, the widow looked at the papc and fouudit an .order for a hundred dollars to be paid on demand, and signed by George Washington. 9. This is I true incident. 8uch was the father of his country, it man fearing God, n(»t less pitilul to tise sorrows of H wt'eping cliild and th^ aniieties of a widowed mo'he.r, than g>eat in the armies of his country and the councils of the nation. Tlius were the widow's [)rayers answered, and the seed of this faithful Christian not t-uiiered to ^ bnj bitm.!* BLACKIJOARD EXERCISE. iMAXiMs.— Time once past never returns; the moment which is lost, is lost foiever. 70 OUR OWN THIRD READER. There is nothing on earth so stable, as to assure us of undisturbed rest ; nor so powerful, as to afford us constant protection. He that cannot live well to-day, will be less qualified to live well to-morrow. When we have no pleasure in goodness, we may certainly eon^ude, that our pleasure is drawn from am opposite quarter. ^ * LESSON XX^. ^ .• Spell and define. t. »Dis cov'br iNO, finding ouf. 7. En coitn'trr, to contead with. ' SiTH ENDUED, bung. Db fkr'kkd, delayed. 5, En cour'aob \1ent. -upport. * Schemb, pi m. %. An-'cibnts. men of old timea. 8. He ro-'ic, fearless. THE DISCOVERY OP AMERICA. PART li 1. In the middle of tbe fourteenth century, with the help of the newly-invented compass, some Spaniards yentured * out from the shore of Spain into the Atlantic Ocean farther than they had evej* been before, and discovered the Canary Islands ; but they did not venture to go farther over tha ocean. • 2. Fifty years after this, a Portuguese captain sailed a- long the coast of Africa, and got far enough to se© a great beacMaiid Ivhich he thoa^rht must be the end of it. This he culled t^iie Cape « if St^rUiS, because of the c'roadful toui- py^tfc? he met with thfer»^. But when he came back to Por^ OUR OWX THIRD RKADER. 71 I igal, the king told liim he • ug'it rather to have called the htiadland the Cape of (rood H |»e, for there was now good hope that the way to India was found. 3. These things set many persons to thinking ahpiit dis- covering new couhtrie« ; but no one thought so much to the purpose as a man named Christopher Columbus, an Italian. He believed that the earth was round, and suspended in air, without any support except the law of God ; -^id that, could we set out from a certain point, and travel in one di- rection, we should, in time, arrive at that same point again. Take an orange, and let your finjrer travel over it in one direction, and you will see what I mean. 4. Columbus thought a long time, without saying much, about the shape of the earth, and the reasons tliere were for thinking that, by going out into the Atlantic Ocean, and •ailing on toward the west, he should come to land. When he -felt quite sure, he began to speak of his plan, and tried to get some one to send him out in a ship to prove that he was right. 5. First he went to his native city of Genoa; but th*re he met with no encouragement. Then he applied to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain ; but they kept him fiye years waiting for an answer, and when the answer came it was a refusal. 6. A number of learned men kad consulted about the plan of Columbu^ and had decided that it was all nonsense. One i«aid that, if there had been anything to discover, tfi« ancieiits would have discovered it ; another, that i^ Coium- /2 OUR OWN THIRD RKADER. bus sailed so far over the round globe, and got^down to tbc bottom of the watery hill, he would never get up again. 7 Poor Columbus ! Many and bitter were the disap- pointments he had to encounter. Long and wearily did he have to wait and hope, and then have his hope deferred. Some persons called him foolish ; others said he was mad. Boys, who had heard their parents talk about him,, used to jeer at him in the streets, and calLhim the man with the wild scheme in his head. 8. Should it ever be your lot in life to be misunderstood and laughed at for holding to a sincere conviction, or do- ing what you believe to be your duty, remember what the great Columbus had to endure, and let the thought nerve you to a more heroic, resolution to pcysevere. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. • Columbia. — jColumbia, the capital of South Carolina, is situated on an extensive plain on the East bank of the Con- garde River. The town makes a beautiful appearance, being regularly laid out in long and broad streets, highly ornamented with shade trees. Some of the private gardens of Columbia are among the most extensive and beautiful upon the American continent. The new State House, when completed, will be one of the most elegant structures in the Confederate States. A large force has been occupied in buiMing it for a number of years, and it will yet require several years to complete this superb structure. OUR OWN THIRD READER. 73 LJESSOINT XXII. Spell and define. 3. Pri^or, the chief of a convent. 6. Gaz^ing, looking intently. 2. Op por tu^ni ty, fit time. 7. Shore, land bordering on the Ex PANSE'', extent. sea. 3. Tbr^'bi fibd, much frightened. Dis tinct^ly, plainly. Mu A soothing antidote is here. 6. And there, those wild and gloomy pines. Which seem to frown upon me now. OUR OWN THIRD READER. 81 Seem traced with deep and wide-drawn lines ; And warning shadows seem to bow, Lifting and spreading their fingers high, As if to grasp the bright blue sky. 7. What is the lesson 1 Slave of earth And worthless cumberer that I am, A thousand holy thoughts have birth, ' r All floating upwards, pure and calm — Beyond the sky those thoughts are given, Entering in the gates of heaven ! BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. MiLLEDGEViLLE. — MilledgeviUe is the capital of Geor- gia. It is situated on the West bank of the Oconee river^ and is built on elevated ground, surrounded by a beautiful and fertile cotton country. The streets cross each other at right angles ; those run- ning'in one direction lie parallel with the river. At the distance of three quarters* of a mile from the bank of the river, is a fine public square, on the summit of a hill, which is adorned with the State house. Spell and define. 1. Mag NiF^ii CBNT, pompous. 8. Ex^'cbl aEN cy, goodness. As ser''tion, declaration. Ex cbed''in&, very great. Peg FOUND"', deep. Dis trib-'u ted, dispensed. 4. MiT^TBD, left out. JO. SuG GEST'^ED, inquired. 82 OUH OWN THIRD READER. WATER. 1. Some childreawere in my room the other day, and I asked them to tell me " what water was good for." " Good to drink," said one. " Grood to wash clothes with," said a second. " Good to wash dishes with," said a third. And a little timid, blue-eyed girl, whose cheeks were so €lean they fairly shone, lisped, '' Good to wash our faces with." 2. "Pshaw!" exclaimed her brother John, "I should be ashamed to say that, Fan; /say it's good to swim in." This magnificient assertion produced a momentary silence. At length some one said : " Good to make tea with." . " And coffee," said another. " Good to paddle a boat in," said John. " And steamboats," added another. "And ships; great big ships with sails," shouted a third. Then came a pause, in which all seemed buried in;profound thought. 3. " It's good to rain with," said the clean-faced little Fanny. " And for snow," added John. • " Why, snow isn't water, by a great deal," stoutly as- serted Mary T , a child of five years old, with very rosy cheeks. " I should like to know if it's any thing else ?" said John. •" Melt it, and you'll see what it's made of." >%UR OWN THIRD READER. 83 4. Another pause. " You have remembered many of the ^ uses of the water," said I ; " but thete are some important ones still omitted. There is one I should expect you to think of now," I said, as a train of cars went whizzing by, not twenty rods from my window. 5. " Cats don't go bynvater ?" inquired little Fanny. "No, indeed," said some one in reply. " It's good for cows to- drink." "Yes; and for horses, and dogs, and sheep." " And*our little canary birds," said Mary T . " Yes, every animal drinks water," 'I said ; " but there are still some things forgotten. Who will think ?" 6. " 0, I don't love to think," said little Fanny. "It's good to turn mills with," said John. "Why didn't I thfnk of that before ? Saw* mills and grist-mills, and all kinds of mills go by water." " Yes," said I ; " that opens a wide» field of usefulness before us, for our manufacturing machinery is carried by water. Who will think again]" Finally, all declared they could think of nothing else, and even John Patterson gave out, as he called it. 7. " Water is good for steam," said I ; " and steam is one of the most important agents known. It is doing' won- ders in our day." " Why, how many things wat^r is good for !" exclaimed little Fanny; " I never thought of them all before." 8. " Little girls ought to think," said I. " To go through ■ such a world as this without thinking, is very much like 84 OUR OWN THIRD READER* .taking a journey with your eyes shut. Unless the eyes of your mind are wide open, you will never perceive the ex- cellency and beauty with which you are surrounded, or know the exceeding kindness of your Heavenly Father. Having now seen how useful water is, you will understand why it is found in all portions of the earth, and ,so plenti- fully distributed. 9. Just imagine for a moment a world without water. What would be the consequences? Every human being, man, woman, and child, would perish of thirst, whether living in city or country ; whether rich or poor ; whether American or European, Asiatic or African ; all would die a dreadful death." 10. " But couldn't they drink milk t" ' suggested Mary. " Why, the cows wouldn't give any milk, if they didn't get wateir to drink 1" inquired John. 11. " No. Not only all human beings, but all the races of animals found on the face of the earth would perish. Every beast that prowls through the lonely forest ; every animal that loves the dwelling of man, or ministers to his wants ; all the feathered tribes ; and all the fishes in the great sea, would at once die for want of water. All these are thirsty as well as man, and to all Grod has given drink. He is a kind Father, who never forgets the wants of his creatures, or fails to supply them. Let us be thankful for his goodness, and praise him for it with loving hearts con- tinually." OUR OWN THIRD READER. 85 BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. The Pulaski Monument. — The Pulaski Monument was erected in the citj of Savannah, in the year 1825, in mem- ory of Generals Pulaski and Greene, of the Revolutionary army. It is a neat and simple obelisk of white marble, fifty-three feet high. The base of the pedestal is ten feet four inches by six feet eight inches, and its height is thirteen feet, the shaft which surmounts the pedestal, being thirty-seven feet in height. It is built upon a platform of granite, three feet above the ground, and is enclosed by a cast-iron railing. It has a very advantageous position, in the middle of one of the public squares. LESSON XXVI. Spell and define. 1. Tri'umphrd, obtained a victory. 13. Re dbem-'ed, saved. 2. Hab I ta-'tion, a dwelling 15. A maz-'bd, astonished. place. 16. PuB''cHAS ed, bought. Ex ALT'', praise. 17. Sanc'tu a ry, holy place. 7. Con summed, destroyed. 20. Proph'et ess, a female proph- • 8. Con geal''ed, frozen. et. Tim^'brel, a Hebrew drum. n THE SONG OF MOSES. — EXODUS CHAPTER XV. 1. Then sang Moses and the (Children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously ; the horse and his rider hath he thrown ipto the sea. OUR OWN THIRD READER. 2. The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation ; he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation ; my father's God, and I will exalt him. 3. The Lord is a man of war ; the Lord is his name. 4. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea; his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. 5. The depths have covered them ; they sank into the bottom as a stone. 6. Thy right hand, Lord, is become glorious in power ; thy right hand, Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. 7. And in the greatness of thine excellency, thou hast overthrown them that rose up agafnst thee : thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. 8. And with the blast of thy nostrils, the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, an(i the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. 9. The enemy said, I will puj-sue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil ; my lust shall be satisfied upon them'; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. 10. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them they sank as lead in the mighty waters. . • 11. Who is like unto thee, Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doitig wonders 1 12. Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swal- lowed them. 1 3. Thou in thy jiiercy hast led forth th^ people which ©UR OWN THIRD READER. 87 thou hast redeemed : thou hast guided them in thy strength, unto thy holy habitation. \4. The people shall hear, and be afraid ; sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestine. 15. Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed ; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them : all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. 16. Fear and dread shall fall upon them ; by the great- ness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone ; till the people pass over, Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. 17. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the , mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in ; in the sanctuary, Lord, which thy hands have established. 18. The Lord shall reign for ever and ever. 19. For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea,*and the Lord brought again the waters of the sea upon them ; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. 20. And Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand ; and all the women * went out after her, with timbrels and with dances. 21. And Miriam answered them. Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously ; the horse and bis rider hath he thrown into the sea. ^8 OUR OWN THIR© READER. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE, » Virtue. — Guard well your heart. Shut up every crevice by wholesome thoughts, and the evil atmosphere by which you are surrounded will never enter. He who would tempt you for one moment to turn from the patt of truth, must receive no favor at your hands. Slumber not when evil associates are pressing to your side. To be virtuous is to be respected; to be respected is to be happy ; to be happy is to be good. \ LESSON XXVII. Spell and define. 1. Fir'ma ment, the sky. 8. Stat^'utes, laws. 4. Tab^'er na CLE, dwelling place. En light^bn ing, supplying 5. Bride'groom, a newly married with light. man. 9. En dur''ing, continuing. 7. Tes^ti mony, the sacred Scrip-13. Pre sump''tu<>us, irreverent, tures. Do min'ion, power. PSAI^M 'XIX. 1 . The heavens declare the glory of God^; and the firma- ment sheweth his handiwork. 2. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4» Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, OUR OWN THIRD READER. 89 5. Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, • aud rejoiceth as a strong marw to run a race. 6. His going forth is from the end of the heayen, and his circuit unto the ends of it ; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul : the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8. The statutes of the Lord are right', rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the "eyes. 9. The fear of the Lord is clear, enduring ferever : the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold : sweeter also than honey and the honey- •comb. 11. Moreover, by them is thy servant warned; and in keeping of them there is great reward. 1 2. Who can understand his errors ? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me : then shall I be up- right, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression- 14. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be J^^ceptable in thy sight, Lord, my strength, and my redetmer. ♦ ^ BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Facts. — There are two thousand five hundred diflferent 7 90 OUR OWN THIRD READER. species of fish known ; forty-four thousand species of in- sects ; seven hundred of reptiles ; four thousand of birds; and five thousand mammiferous animals. LESSON XXVIIl. Spell and define. * 2. Al lot^'tbd, given, assigned. Lib'e ra, ted, set free. Gbat''i FY iNG, pleasing 5. For-'ao inq, seeking provisions. 3. Me mc'ri al, a monument. Pro ceed^ go on. Grat'i tude, thankfulness. 6. Lan^'guish ed, become feeble, 4. PouKD, a place where stray Ex tract''ei>, taken out. animals are confined. Dun'gbok, a dark prison. ATTENTION TO OTHERS. 1. A gentleman was visiting the house of a lady, and when he went away, her little daughter opened the door to let him out. " I wish you a better office, my dear," he said. " Yes, sir," was the reply, "to let you in ['' Can you have any doubt that she was a kind and well-behaved little girl? 2. I was once walking in a garden with a little boy, who was showing me the parts of it allotted to himself and his two brothers. As I passed on, I stopped to gather some currants from a bush, but he asked me not to do so,. "Those," he said, " belong to Frederick, and those to Charles, who are now from home, and I should like them to have fruit when they return ; but here, you see, mine are quite ripe ; please to take some of these." This, was OUR OWN THIRD READER> 91 tnily gratifying, and I loved that little boy more dearly for his thonghtfulness. 3. His request reminded me of a pleasing circumstaiAe. A Tery poor and aged man was busy in planning and grafting an apple tree, when some one rudely asked, " why do you plant trees, who cannot hope to eat the fruit of them ?" With great calmness he raised himself up, and leaning on his spade, replied, "Some one planted trees be- fore I was born, and I have eaten the fruit ; I now plan « for others, that the meinorial of my gratitude may exHSft when I am dead and gone.'* I should think that the old man had onoc been a kind little boy. * 4. In 'other cases a similar feeling appears. Aj horse happening to stray into the road, a neighbor of its. owner put the animal into the pound, and soon after moeting him, he told him what he had done, and added, '" And next time I catch him in the roadjiJ will do so again.'* *f Neighbor," Replied the oWner of the horse, " I looked out of my win- dow in the night not long since, and sfiw your cattle in my meadow, and I drove them out, and shut them in your yard; and next time they stray in this manner^ I will do so again.*' Struck with a reply so truly christian, the man liberated the horse, and paid the charges himself. 5. During a war in Germany, some soldiers in a foraging party called at the house of a venerable man, demanding aid. He led them forth, and on arriving at a $eld of corij, they said,, "this will do ;" but he begged them to proceed A little farther ; having done so, he pointed to afield whieh 92 OUR OWN THIRB READER. be said was quite at their service. The soldiers observing that this was not so good as the last, thought that the aged m*n was cunningl;y passing off what was inferior on them. '*ad hastily demanded the reason he did not let them take iihe former. " That field was my neighbor's ; this is mijae." 6. Another incident is equally deserving remembrance. Captain, afterwards Sij- David Baird, having been taken prisoJier ;by Hyder Ally, an East Indian chief, was with ©ther British officers,, thrown into prison. The wounds he bad received were not merely unhealed, but in a state which Ihreatened mortification, and his general health was rapidly declining. When he and his companions had languished some time in confinement, one of Ally's officers appeared', bearing with him fetters weighing. nine pd^inds each, which were intended for the unhappy prisoners. To resist was useless; they therefore submitted. On the officer coming to the captain, one of his companions sprang forward, and urged the cruelty of fettering limbs still festering with wounds, from one of wbich a ball had recently been ex- tracted, and stated that death was likely to follow suck treatment. The reply was, " that as many fetters had been sent as there were prisoners, and that they must all be put on ;" then said the noble advocate of his wounded friend, « Put a db^ble pair on me, so that Captain Baird may be spared wearing them." This moved the officer ; a delay Arose, the irons were dispensed with, and the captive in the dungeon of Seringapatam was spared to become its con- queror, and for a time its master. OUR OWN THIRD READER. 98 7. Let it be constantly remembered, that we are not left to act ai? we please. The Bible says : " Whatsoever ye would that men should do to^you, do ye even so to them." ^If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen ? 'And this commandment have we from him. That he who loveth God^ love his brother also.*' I. John iv : 20, 21. ' I BLACKB(»ARD EXERCISE. Montgomery. — Montgomery, the capital of the State of Alabama, is situated on a high bluff, at the head of steam- boat navigation on the Alabama River. The surrounding country is one of the richest cotton re- gions in the State ; and large quantities art shipped from this port. Montgomery is a handsome city ; and an elegant State house has recently been completed. It is situated ob a commanding eminence ; and from the top of this there iat an extensive view of the surrounding country. Many fine residences adorn the city. « L E S S O IV XXIX. t Spell and define. 1. In TRo duc'bd, brought into 3. I is cus^sions, debates. "ot^'ce Sue CEs^'soR, one who follows Civ^'iL JZBD, refineil, culiivated. in tue same office. Prov^incb, a divii^ion of a 5. Com'merce, trade, traflBc. country. A uapt''bd, suited. 2. .tS ton'ish ment, surprise. 7. De vour'', to eat up. A MAZ^sD, filled with wouder. Ma tur-'ed, ripened. M OUR OWN THIRD REABER. TOBACCO. 1.. The use of tobacco was introduced among civilized nations after the discovery of America. The Spaniards, whi) were among the first settlers on this continent, and the neighboring islands, carried the plant to Europe about the .jear 1560 ; and the name tj which it is known is derived from Tabacco,;in the province of Yucatan. 2. Sir Walter Kaleigh was the first man, perhaps, who oarriea tobacco to England, and a number of anecclotes are related in regard to the astonishment which its use excited,. ' Jt is said that he at first smoked in private, and becoming thirsty, he called to his servant to bring him some water; when the man brought it he was amazed at seeing the smoke issuing from his master's mouth, and supposing him to be •n fire, threw the water on him to put it out. 3. It is reported that Queen Elizabeth, observing the profit which Sir Walter was making on tobacco, and on the habit of smoking which he introduced, remarked that while iitfcer men's plans for making fortunes often ended in smoke^ *Sir Walter was turning his smoke into gold. V iolent dis- • tMissions sprang up in regard to the use of this plant ; and* Queen Elizabeth's successor. King James the First, wrot« a book against it, called " The Counterblast to Tobacco." 4. Still the practice of using this weed extended among all classes; and finally the cultivation and manufacture of tobacco became very important branches of industry, em- ploying ^a great number of persons. Virginia, almost from OUR OWN THIRD READER. 95 its first settlement, became famous* for the production of tobacco ; and it was soon a staple in North Carolina and Maryland. Virginia and North Carolina produce a large portion of the tobacco used in the world ; but Cuba is also celebrated for its production, and it is made to some exfent in Spain, France, Germany, Holland, Russia, Denmark, and in some places in Asia. ' ' • 5. Still much of the tobacco of Commerce comes from Virginia and North Carolina, where the climate and soil seem to be peculiarly adapted to its growth, maturity and flavor ; and as the demand for it rapidly and steadily in- creases over the whole world, it is likely to be a source tf wealth and influence to the Confederate States. 6. The seed is first sown early^in the Spring, in beds pre-v pared by burning heaps of logs and brush ; and when the plants are sufficiently large to be removed, they are pulled up and planted in hills. 7. The fields are kept clear of grass and weeds ; and as the tobacco grows, the top bud is taken out, and the lowest le ives are pulled ofl", in order to let the strength of the plant go more fully into the upper ones. A large, ugly,* green worm feeds on the leaves ; and these+worms must be carefully picked ofi'and destroyed, or they will devour or injure much of the crop. When the plant has properly matured, It is cut, and hung on poles in the sun, or in houses over a fire to dry ; and after this the leaves arc stripped from the stalks, sorted, and packed in hogsheads. In this condition the planter generally sells or ships his % OFR OWN THIRD READIJIB. tobacco, and it is bought by manufacturers who prepare it for chewing, for smoking in pipes, or make it into segars and snuff. BLACKBOAUD EXERCISE. Florida. — Florida, the land of flowers, is one of the few great peninsulas of America, and presents several peculiar features, one of which is its very important position. It nowhere presents any considerable elevation ; and the greater part of the surface is a perfect level, raised but lit- tle above the ocean. , It has a delightfully mild and uniform climate. This is owing to the uniformity of the surface, and the proximity of the sea. Tallahassee is the Capital of Florida. i:.E«so]Nr XXX. Spell and define. 1. Re LASTED, told. 11. Viv'iD, bright, clear. '2. Choice, excelleat. A w^ful,. terrible. Nurs'er y-man, one who ralsesl2. Con demn'ed, pronounced young trees. " , guilty. 3. Ex PRESS'', particular. Crim'i nal, one guilty of a 6. Rel-'ish ed, enjoyed. crime. 8. Grafted, made a harsh noise. 13. In vol^un ta ri ly, without 10. Trunk, the body. . thought. » THOU, GOD, SEEST ME ! * 1. "These four littl.e words did me more good when i. was a boy, fhan almost anything else," said a gentleman the other day. " I cannot reckon up' all the good th^J OUR OWN THIRD READER. 97 hare done me ; they were the first words my mothejr taught me." He then related the following" story : 2. My father grafted a pear-tree ; it was a choice graft, and he watched it with , great care. The second y^r it bloomed,, but it bore but one pear. It was said to be a superior kind of pear, and my father was quite anxious to see if it came up tq the promises of the nursery-man. 3. This single pear, then, was an object of some concern to my father. He wanted it to become fully ripe ; the high winds, he hoped, would not blow it oflf ; and he gave ex- press directions to all the children on no account to touch it. The graft was low and easily reached by us. It grew finely. 4. Everybody who oame to the garden, he took to the tree, and they all S'^id, " It will prove to be a most 'excel- lent pear." It began to look very beautiful ; it was full iind round ; a rich red color was graduUy dyeing its cheeks, and its grain was clear and healthy. ^'Is it not almost ripe 1 I long for a bite," I cri^d, as I followed father one day down the alley to the pear-tree. 5. " Wait patiently, my child, it will not be fully ripe for a week," said my father. I thought I loved pears better than anything else ! I often stopped and looked wistfully at this one. ^^ 0, how go )d it looks," I used to think, smacking my lips ; " I wish it was all mine." 6. The early apples did not taste as good ; the currants Were not so much relished, and the damsons I thought • 98 OUR OWN THIRD READER. nothing of in comparison with this pear. The longer I»Te - mained alone under the pear-tree, the greater my desire for it. "0, I wish I had it !" was the selfish thought that gradually filled my mind. 7. One night after we were in bed, my iDrothers fell a^ sleep long before I did ; I tossed about and could not go to sleep. I crept up and went to the window. It was a warm, still summer night ; there was no moon ; no noise except the hum of numberless Id sects. My father and mother were gone away. I put my head out of the win- dow and peeped into the garden. I traced the dark outline of the trees. I glanced in the direction of the pear-tree. The pear tree — then the pear ! My mouth was parched ; I was thirsty. I thought how good a juicy pear would taste. • I wa,s tempted. 8. A few moments found me creeping down the back stairs, with neither shoes, nor stockings on. The sligh'est creaking frightened me. I stopped on every step tp listen. Nancy was busy somewhere else, and John had gone to bed. At last I fairly felt my way to the garden-gate. It was fastened. It seemed to take me ages to unlock it, so fearful was I of makiog a noise, and the bolt grated. I got it open, went in, and latched it after me. I ran down the walk. My feet made tio noise on the damp earth. I stop- ped a moment and looked all round, and then turned in the direction of the pear-tree. 'Presently I was beneath its branches. 9. " Father will think the wind has knocked it off;^* but OUR OWN THIRD READER. 99 there was not a breath of air stirring. " He will think somebody has stolen it ; — that some boys came in the night and robbed the garden" — I trembled at the thought of what I was about to do. 10. I leaned against the trunk of the tree and raised my hand to find it, and to pull it. On tiptoe, with my hand uplifted, and my head turned upward, I beheld a star look- ing down upon me through the leaves. " Thou, God, seest me !" escaped from my lips. The star-seemed like the ey* of (rod spying me out under the pear-tree, I was so fright- ened I did not know what to do. "Thou, God, seest ME !" I could not help saying over and over again. 11. God seemed on every side. I was afraid to look, and hid my face. It seemed as if father and mother, and all the boys, and everybody in town, would take me for a thief. It appeared as though all my conduct had been seen by the light of day. ' It was some time before I dared to move, so vivid was the impression made upon my miud by the awful truth in these four words, "Thou, God, seest ine !" I knew He sa=v me. I felt that He saw me. 12. I hastened from the tree ; nothing on eartli would have tempted me to touch the pear. With very different feelings did I creep back to my room again. I lay down on the bed, feeling more like a condemned criminal than anything else. No one in the house had seen me ; but ! it seemed as if everybody knew it, and I should never dare to meet my father's face again. 13. It was a great while before I went to sleep. I heard TOO OUR OWN THIRD READER. my parents come home, and I inyoluntarilj hid my face un. der the sheet. But I could not hide myself from a sense •f God's pi'esence. His eyes seemed everywhere, diving into the very depths of my heart. It started a train of in- fluences which, Grod he praised, I never got over. If I wa!s ever tempted to any secret sin, " Thou, Grod, seest me I"* vSitared me in the face, and I stood back restrained and awed. 14. The gentleman finished ; his story interested me greatly. I hope it will interest my young readers, and do them much good. Children, learn these four )Vords. Im- press them upon your heart. Think of them when yoii lie down, afd when you rise up, and when you go by the way, when alone or with your companions, both at home and a- broad ; remember " Thou, God, seest me !" BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Mobile. — Mobile is the Commeroial Capital of Alabama^ It stands on a low plain, only about fifteen feet above the water at high tide, but commands a fine view over the spa- cious harbor, and lies open to the sea-breezes. The distance from the coast of the gulf of Mexico is thir- ty miles, and from New Orleans one hundred and sixty- four. The cotton trade of this port is very great, the amount received and exported being greater than that of any other Southern city except New Orleans. There are several fine public buildings, among which is a handsome market house with rooms for the munieipal offi- cers in the upper story. t>UR OWN THIRD READER. 10] LESS O IV XXXI. Spell and define. En'^ter prisb, undertaking. Peb^il, danger. Scheme, plan. Pbo test-'ep, asserted, proved. De sPAiu^ entire loss of hope. Fer vent''ly. earnestly. En coun^ter, meet with. Gleam'ino, glittering. Ad Ven^ture, strahge occurrence. Feicn'ed pretended. Re puls^bd, .druTe back. Stub^born, hard to be moved. Ko/PECK, a Russian coin about Im pe^ki al, belonging to an em- the size of a cent. " peror. Ter^'ri fied, frightened. THE HEROINE OF SIBERIA. Prascovie Lopouloff {pronounced, Prns'ko-vec Lo'poo-loflf) wns the real name of a girl who, about the yeu 17^5, made her wav, many hundreds of miles, from Siberia to St. Petersburg, to beg the Em- peror of Russia to release her father from exile. She was eighteen months ill making the journey. Siberia is a part of the Rassian empire, and one of the col«ie-t countries in the world. The adven- tures of Prascovie have been made the subject of a popular stery, entitled " Elizabeth, or the Exiles of SHicrja^" by Madame Cottin, a French lady. The incidents of the following dialogue between Pras- covie and the Empress, at St. Petersburg, are strictly true. Empress. ,Come near to me, child. Sit by ray side. I wistf to hear more of your story. What first prompted you to this undertaking ? Did your father urge it ? Prascovie. 0, no ! lady. My father opposed it strong- ^ly. It was long before I could get his consent. I3ut I prayed to Heaven that he might be made to yield, and, at length, my prayer was granted, and I set forth on my way with .a glad heart. ■ 102 OUR OWN THIRD READER*. Emp. And was your mother equally opposed to your enterprise? Pras. At first she laughed at me for what she called my wild scheme; but after a year or two, seeing that I did not give it up, she believed that Heaven had put the thought into my mind, and so she began to favor it. Emp. But how could you suppose you would be able to gain access to the Emperor ? You were very poor and without friends. How did you expect to get a hearing*^ Pros, I believed that Grod would raise up friends to a daughter whose object was to save her parents from exile and despair. I had faith in his protection, and it never failed me. * ' * Emp. But, did you encounter no adventures on your «Dng and dangerous journey 1 Were you* never in peril 1 Pras. 0, yes ! ,^ I was twice taken ill, and once came near being drowned. On one occasion I arrived late at a village, sind sought g, lodging in vain. At last an old man, who had previously repulsed me, followed and invited me into his hut. There I found an old woman. But both these people* had a bad expression, which alatmed me. The woman closed the door silently and securely, after I had seated myself. They asked me whither I was going* T told them to St. Petersburg ; on which the man remark* ed that I must have plenty of money about me, to be able to undertake so long a journey. I told them what -was true, that 1 had only a few kopecks ; but they, in a harsh manner, accused me of lying. OUE OWN TfflRD REAOER. 103 Emp. Deaf child, were you not greatly terrified 1 These people must have been robbers. How did you support yourself under such peril ? Pras. They told me to go to -bed. I did so ; but took care to leave' my wallet exposed, so that they might see I , had told the truth, if they chose to exaiiiine it. About midnight I was roughly awakened, and saw the old woman standing over me. My blood ran oold. She had examined the wallet, and been disappointed on finding it so empty. I begged hard for my life ; and protested that I had no more money. But the old womaE, without replying, search- ed my dress, and made me take off my boots, that she might look also into them. The old man held a light while the search wlis going on. , Finding that all was in vain, they left me. 1Emp» Did you not at once try to make your escape ?' How. did you know that they might not attempt some seri- ous violence, — angry at not finding anything worth stealing upon your person 1 Pras. At first I thought of trying to make my escape- But then, dear lady, I remembered that God had protected me thus far, and I fully believed he would continue to care for me. I prayed to him fervently. I prayed for my pa- rents,-— for myself, — for the wicked old man and woman in whose hut I was, — and, at last, I sank into a sweet sleep. When I awoke in the morning,' tht) siin was shining brightly in at the frosty window, gilding the icicles and gleaming on the snow. The old man and woman were bua' 104 OUR OWN TmRD READER. tiing about to get breakfast. Expecting cruel treatment, I descended fearfully to the floor'. What was my surprise on being kindly greeted by the old woman with, " Well, dear, have you had a nice sleep ?" I told them I had slept well, and now wished to go. But they begged me to sit down and take some soup. Emp. It was a trick to poison you, I fear ; and their * good-humor, was feigned, most like. I hope you did not eat anything. Pros. Indeed, but I did, dear lady ; I ate heartily, for I was very hungry. The old people questioned me, and I ' told "them my whole story; how I had left Ischim without money, and was begging my way to St. Petersburg, to en- treat the emperor to release my father .from exile. Will you believe it, dear lady 1 I saw the tears come into the eyes of these old people, as they listened to my story, 'The old woman drew me aside, and begged me to forget what had happened " Think it was a dream," hhe said. " Your goodness and pitiable condition softened our hearts ; and you will find,' when you next count your mon- ey, that we are not the people you take us for." They both kissed me, and I bade them good-by. After I had walked a few miles 1 had the curiosity to open my wal- ^ let, and found, to my astonishment, that they had added forty kopecks to my little stocR. And yet, this wretched old couple, as I afterwards learned, had the reputation of being robbers. Emp. Your artless manner and affecting errand melted OUR OWN THIRD READER. even their sinful., stubborn hearts ; or, it may have been that your pra'yer for thein was not unheard in heaven; and that a seed of redeeming goodness was planted in. their souls, and- watered by those tears which you made theip shed. Pra^. I will hope it. But tell me, dear lady, is there any hope for my father I When will his case have a hear- ing] 0, how encouraged he will be when he learns that I have been admitted here, — into the imperial palace,— and treated kindiy by the empress herself! Emp. I have delightful news for you, my child. Thi.«^ paper, wbich I hold in my* hand, is an order from th». em- peror for your father's release, and for the payment to him of a sum of money sufficient to defray the expense of his journey to the interior of Russia. There ! Tak6 a glass of water, dear. Do not faint with joy*. Bear up ! bear up I * BLACKBOARD KXERCIiSE. t To^^KOA Falls. — The most beautiful of the natural cu- io i le.^ of Georgia, is thetTockoa Falls. The Tockoa rCreek flow.s from the Southern extremity of the AUeghanies, at Canawhee mountain. It descends one hundred and eighty-seven fc^t from a precipice, in ^ narrow stream, twenty feet in breadth, which, in the rainy season, forms an unbroken sheet of foam. At the ordinary height of the water, the supply ig so small, that it is said to be dis.-jipated in vapor before ii ^reaches the level below. ^he' mountaii\s of Georgia abound in beautiful ca|cade and picturesque scenery. 106 OUR OWN THIRD RBADER. LESSON XXXII. Spdl and df'Jine. 2. Thrill, to affect. 6. Oling, hold fast, adhere. Steains, songs, tunes. » Al loy'', corrupt, injure. Rap'ture, delight. ^ 8. Aye, ever. I. AcH'^iNG, feeling pain. THOUGHTS FOR THE CHILDREN 1. In this bright world that God hath made — Which is perfection's own — If this, his foot&tool, is so fdir, 0, what must be his throne ? . 2. If thrill us BO, the strains which float Up from the feathered throng, 0, with what rapture shall our souls ^ List to the angels', song ! 3. If peace, upon extended wing, Can make our life §o blest, How great will be her bliss when she Shall fold them on her breast I 4. If earthly love, the aching of A wounded heart can calm, How sweet shall fall the love of God— - Like Gilead's healing balm ! 5. If cheers us so, the golden light, That flies so soon away, OUR OWN thir6 reader. l(y 0, with whsrt rapture shall we hail That never-ending day ! 6« If so we cling to this poor life, That sorrow doth alloy, How shall we love the life to come, The life of endless joy ! 7. Then, little children, while ^e walk Upon this lower land, 0, let us keep the narrow way, Led by our Father^s band. 83 And gain a,t last the peace and loye, The morning pul:^ and bright. The life that never ends, to walk 1 With him for aye*in white. , BLACKBOARD EXERCISE.. - ^ Natural BRiDQE.---Alabama possesses a Natural BridiM which is spoken of as rivalling the far-.famed one of Vit- gkiia. It is situated iti Walker County, ia the midst of sceneJT beautiful and picturesque. This grand structure of the Great Architect spans aboul one hundred and twenty feet, while its Ijeight is about sev* «Qty feet. A smaller bridgjj connects it with the bluff be- yond. Lofty hemlock and beech trees grow on the bridge, and throw their cool shade on the little str^m below^ 108 Otill OWN THIRD READER. Spell and define 2. Pall, covering tht own over 4. ' Wuap^'pings, coverings.- , the dead Plume, fearhers worn as ac Frbioht, burden, load. orn im'ent. THE LITTLE GRAVE. l.^It's only a.jittle grave," they said, " Only just a child that^s dead ;" And so they carelessly turned away From the mound the spade bad made that day. Ah, they did' not know how dee'p a shade That little grave in our home had made. %. I know the coffin was narrow and small; One yard would have served for an ample pall ; • And one man in his erms could have borne away The rosewood and its freight of clay ; But I know that darling Ifopes were hid Beneath that little coffin-lid. 3. 'I know that a mother stood that day With folded hands by that form of clay ; * I know that burning tears were hid *Neath the 'drooping lash and aching lid ; And I know her lip and cheek and brow Were almost as white # her baby's now. 4. I know that some things were hid away. The crimson frock and wrappings gay : OUR OWN fHIRD READER 109 The little sock and the half-worn shoe, '^ The cap with its plume and tassels blue; And an empty crib, with its covers spread, As whit© as the*face of the guileless dead. 5 ''J^'is a little grave; but oh, have care. For world-wide hopes are buried there ; And ye, perhaps, in coming years, May see, like her, through blinding tears. How much of light, hoins, or even any considerable, hills, Being within many miles of it. ^ 2. The ascent of the mountain to "the spring," an agree- a>1ble post of refreshment, more than half thf» distance to the t5op, is so gradual that the visitor may proceed on horse- Wck. From this spot the acclivity l:iecomes steeper until y«u reach the pinnacle, which presents ah elevation of some are seen sweeping up from the surrounding forest, gradually approaching and becoming steepe-, utitii they terminate -M the perpendicu- lar and altar-like mass of ri)ok which forms the summit. It here gives an idea' of some gigantic •voik t»f art, so regular and so surprisingly similar are the curves of its outlines, and so exactly over the ceiitrc does the towering pinnacle appear to be placed. m 6. The'name is said to be a translation of an Indian ap- 112 OUk OWN THIRD READER. pellation, signifying Pilot, called so by- th'e aborigines, be- caa.^e . c- mountain served as a beacon to pilot theiA in their forest wanderings through a great extent of surroiind- ing*country. 7. It satisfies the eye, and fills the soul with a calm and ioleima delight to gaze upon the Pilot. Whether touahed by the fleecy wingy of the morning clouds, or piercing the glittering skies of noon, or reposing in the mellow tints of evening ; whether bathed ia tS ^ pale light of fehe moon, or enveloped in the surges or the tempest, with f the lightning flashing around its brow, it stands ever the same, its foun- dations'^ in the depth of the earth, and its summit rising io olitary grandeur to the heavens — the twin of Time and em blem of Eternity — ^just as it rose under its Maker's -hand on the ijaorning of creation, and just as it will stand when the- last generation shall gaze upon it for the last time. BLACKBOARD EXKRCISE. Productions' of the Confederate States. — No coun- try iu: llafes^orld excels the Confederate States in the rich- ness of its aoil, the variety and value of its productions. Here are combine^ all the elements of national wealth and greatness, so far as climate and productions are concerned. To' enumerate a few. of the principal products of these States, wheat, rye, corn, oats, tobacco, cotton, sugar, rice, hemp, turpentine, fruits and vegetables abound in almost- endless variety. Tiie most valuable timber ii found abundantly in our widely extended forests. OUR OWN THIRD RFAD ':R. 11'> !Spdl and dejiae. * A. Di'^A DEM, a crown -1. Num''bei(S. song, -notes. Pat''tle*mknts, hi.i;h walls. A uode'. home '*■ Ban^ners. mUitary fljigs. 5. i Jukr^'ney, to tr«vel. Rb sPLEN''DENT,brilli.ini,hright. HAUGH''rY, proud, arrogant. • TflFi pilot: from *' CAROLINA." 1. All-shadowing Pilot! high, and loT)e, and cold. Thou rear'st thy form in grandeur, and the light Which gilds thy brow at sunset, as of old, Shall be to thee a diadem all bright, Amid the ages distant and untold, To guide the pilgrim's dim and failing sight Alqng thy battlements. • And now the sun Groes down behind the' mountains — day is gone, i, 'Tis night upon the Pilot ! cgme and see The startling of the mighty pile ; Look how the lightnings glance — and^now the free Wild winds are rushing o'er this earth-born isle, ■ Thrown 4ip amid .the wide and desert sea. The clouds are gathering, and no lovely smile Of the bright stars is ours. Hark ! thfe tone Of the loud thunder from its flashing throne ! " 8. Night on the Pilot ! From the stormy west . The clouds are nifustering, and their banners gleam In shadowy glory, and their uSds are dress'd 114 * OUR OWN THIRD READER. ' In the mild livery of Ori9n's beam. And now each glen and lofty mountain's crest » GrfQWs bright beneath the moon's resplendent stream Of living radiance. Now the light is gone,- And darkness girds us with her rayless zone. 4. The morn is up— the bright and dewy morn — And darkness rolls from off the lofty pile, * . And voices, deep and wild, and mouyitain^-born, Gro up in thankfulness ; for now the smile Of day is on us ; now the huntsman's horn • Winds its rich numbers through each deep defile. Startling the eagle from his hii^h abode Mid the raugh crags where mortal foot ne'er trod. §. Journey we eastward. Hail ! old Guilford, hail ! Thy soil is sacred. Thine the battle-ground Where England's strong and haughty hosts grew pale In victory's presence. Here the brave were crownM With fame immortal. Here the loudest gale Of battle sounded, while the blue profound, Rent with thy sh )uts of triumph, clear'd away, • And pour'd upon thee Freedom's perfect day. BLACKB(»ARD EXERCISE. Minerals. — Not les% varied and valuable are the miner- ul productions of the Confederate States. Gold, silver, s. trial of paiience, op- 3. .Bril''li\nt bright. position. 4. Pkr'se cut ED, punished on 8. Housi^'ugld, family.. account'of belief. » THE MOUNT OP BLESSING 1. A little circle of mother and children was gathered Bii the Sabbath, evening around the fireside. They had been reading the fifth chapter of Matthew, those precious words of blessing with which the Savior began his ministry on earth. Their hearts were full of tendpr feeling as they ailently sat, and each pondered on the beatitude sweetest to him. ' 2. " Blessed are they that mour^," thought the rtio-ther^ while tears fell fast orf her widow's dress, and her heart went up in prayer that here might be that holy mourning which should be comforted. 3. " 'Ble.-^sed are the poor in spirit ' is what I choose,*^" ^aid a little blufe-eyed girl, nestling close to lier .mother's 116 OUR OWN THIRD READER side, "for I want to be in the kingdom' of heaven." *' I would have, ' Blessed are the meek ' for my motto," said auotli^r whose brilliant eyes were full of spirit ; " it would help rae most, I think;" " ' But blessed Pire the pure in heart' must be best of all, 'for they shall see Grod,? " exclaimed a thoughtful looking boy of twelve. 4. Another, two or three.years older, remained silent, though his tei^ful eye aipd glowing cheek showed that he too had a beatitude dear to him.. " Which do you choose^ George 1" asked his mother. " Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake," he answered, with a quivering lip. " Oh, George, that cannot be for any of us," cried the. children ; '^that was for the. martyrs who died for Jesus' sake." "/It is sweet to me too,-'' said George. 5. " Tell us why," said bis mother. "Iti,is dearest to me," answered the boy, " because it seems as if Jesus was •saying, it to me ; dnd oh, mother, it helps ilie so when the boys at school laugh arid call me the 'pious boy.' Only yesterday as I was going to schodl, some of them called af^ ter me, ' There's the boy that goes to prayer-meeting;' and then they dared me to fight, and called me a coward, be- cause I'walked on without speaking; but ofi, mother," and the boy's eyes shone clearly as he spoke, ''I did not feel '•their words touch me. I. only heard Jesus saying, 'Blessed are ye when men shall revile you.'" 6. There was a pause; The tears which filled the moth- er's eyes now were blissful tears. " I did Aot think there OUR OWN THIECD HEADER. 11* was any persecution now," said one of the children at length. '' It is true no one is put to death now for believ- ing in Jesus," replied the mother ; '*but few c»n enter tbc christian life without meeting it' in some form. Much courage is often heeded to bear being laughed or snearft at for our trust in Jesus. This kind of persecution is often ' the first cross the young disciple has to bear for his Lord ; and his Lord sweetly cheCi's'him with the glorious words, ^ " Blessed are ye whcR men shall revile^you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, .for my sake. Rejoice,_ and be exceeding gla-d ; for great is ^our reward in heaven." 7. " Mother, fehall we sing that hymn I learned to-day ?" asked George ; and the little circle salig : " Shall Jesus bear that cross alone, ' And all the world go free.? No ; there's a cross for every one, ^ And. there's a cross for me." 8. The Sabbath evening passed away ; and this christian household came down, like Jesus, from the mount of Bless- ing to the work of daily life, each bearing a beatitwde which proved a " well of water " in the soul, " springing iip into everlasting life." BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Jackson. — The' Capital of Mississippi is Jackson. It .i?? situated on Pearl River, on a plain about a quarter of a mile from the^left bank. 118 OUR OWN TfiiRD READER. « The streetV are regular, and the' town contains several beautiful public buildings. The State house is a handsome edifice. ^ About thirty thousand bales of cotton are shipped an- nually from Jackson. LESSON XXXVII. Spell mid define. 2. HiJain tain^'rd, kept. 3. Rs 8ult''ed, end'd. Pri'^ou, former. Con solved, comfotfed. . • PtUN^ci PLB, rule of action. 4. Yield'ing, giving up. ' Con ces'^sion, yielding. 5 In junC'tion, comjuaftd. Con vic^TiDNS, settled bolief. Esteem'', think. A FABLE. 1. Two neighbors, whose names were Self and Will, at** tempted to cross a stream from opposite sides upon a foot bridge so narrow as to allow of but a single footman at the same time. They met about midway of the stream, where each insisted that the other must turn back and - give the right of way. 2. Each claimed to be the first on the bridge, and maim- tained his ground as a prior right. Each contended for this right as a matter of principle, which would allow of ncr concession.- Each pleaded urgent and important business. ,Will felt himself morally bound to maintain his rights. Self could not in conscience ma^^e concession without sacri- iwing his honest convictions. 3. Arguments resulted in aijgry words, and from hard OUR OWN THIRD RfiADER. 110 *. words they came to blows ; and in the struggle to maintain each his. own rights, both fell together into the stream- Each with great difficulty gained the shored exhausted and vshiverinis: from a cold bath. Each consoled himself with the idea of " personal sifffering for righteousness' sake,"' %od both became bitter enemies for life. 4. While they were muttering revenge upon each other, two other neighbors, Love and Kindness, met in like oir- cumstances upon the same bridge. It was a meeting of glad surprise. They exchanged cheerful and happy greet- ings, and each insisted on yielding the right' of way to his brother. Each desired to be first in the concessios, and to carry out each other's principles, both twice crossed the bridge together. * After'a friendly chat they parted company, finding in their experience a practical reason for the injunction : " Let each esteem the other better than himself." BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Baton Rouge. — Baton Rouge, the Capital of Louisiana^ is situated on a bluff about thirty feet in height^ on the east bank of the Mississippi River. Below the city the river passes through a plain, occupied by rich plantation^ of sugar-cane, splendid villas, and nu-* meious groves of tropical fruit trees The State house and Baton Rouge College are the most .l^rominent public buildings: though many of the private (Iwellings are worthy of notice. 120 OUR OWN THIRD READER. Spdl and define. i. ScANX, not.sufB ient. '> Trm^'i'sst. a violent storm. Bil''lows. waves 4 Pearl, a precious subanee 2. Ea^oer liV. earnestly. ^ found in the shell of oysters. Glar'^bd, shone brightly. 5. 'Bow'ers, places of .shelter. ''• LOST IN HEAVEN. 1. Two little children thin and pale, With clothing scant and poor, Stood where the foam^capped billows leaped Upon 'the roek. bound shore. Hand clasped in hand, silent they gazed Upon the surging sea, Until the younges't vvhifpered low — "^ Where can our father be V %. The elder brother only gazed More eagerly away, « / ' . Where they had sought their father's ship For many a weary day ; No snowy sail glared o'er the waye, No vessel pr(^ud and free, Then bursting into tears he cried " He's lost, he's lost at sea !" 3. " No, brother, no," the little one , More eagerly replied, "Tell not my mother he is lost, At sea Diy- father died. — OUR OWN THIRD READER. 12J He is not lostjUiis boat was not ^ By storm or tempest driven. Come, let us tell lier, brother, That faiiher's lost in Heaven ! 4. We will tell her he was wand'ring Along tBe streets of gold, ^ Where gates of pearl and b«^.auteouB a alls The heavenly world enfold ; And that amidst the angels, Where all were bright as day. And he as glorious as the rest, Our father lost his way. it 5. And that he never will forsajce Again those heavenly bowers. To seek a world of pain and want. Of sorrow such as ours. Come, let us tell bur mother " He's not by tempests driven. And we'll go and seek our father, The loved one lost in Heaven.'* ' ) BLACKBOARD EXERCISK. Nashville. — Nashville, a handsome and flourishing city, the Capital of Tennessee, is situated on the left bank of Cumberland Riv^r, 200 milA above its entrance into thfe Ohio. The Cumberland is here crossed by a magnificenfc wir»> suspension bridge. • 122 OUR OWN THIRD READER. The Capital is constructed of pure white limestone and upon a plan of the most liberal magnificence. It is buiU entirely of stone and iron, without any wood about it/ Chaste, yet grand, it will stand through coming ages, as a noble monument of the taste and patriotism of the age; and to the youths of the State who gaze upon its complete and faultless pjfiportions, it will irresistibly convey a les- son in architecrural symmetry and beauty, that books may never teach them. LEissoi^r xxxix. ^ Spell and define: 1. U Ni vER^ST TY, a seminary of 4. Pc'tent, powerful. learning of the highest cjass. Ster-'b o type,i firmly fixed. ^, Ybb''sion, a translation. Pbn'i tent, forry for sin. An''chor, that which confers Cou''tro ver sy, opposition. stability or security Bi oc'ra phy, history of au individual. LUTHER FINDING A BIBLE. 1. Martin Luther, at the age of twenty years, bad never had a copy of the Bible in his hands. When a studeot in the University of Erfurth, he discovered an old Latin copy in the library. The Bible proved a " light to his feet and a lamp to his path." ' * 2. The entrance of God^s word brought light into Ger- many ; it will carry light into Africa and Japan. Happy arc the people that can freely i4ad it in their owa. language. Happy is the soul that searches for it, as for hid treasure, and hides H in the heart. /. / OUR»OWN THIRD aEADBR. 12cl 3. The Bible is a book of untold power over all wh)# come in close contact with its great truths. An old writfr «ajs of our common version, "Who will say that the aiu- cbnrtnon beauty and marvellous English of the Bible is aCft one of the great strongholds of Protestantism in this couB- try ? It lives on the ear like music that can never be for- gotten. It is part of the national mind, and the anchor ol Qational faith. 4. " The memory of the deaxi passes into it ; the pot€|i»it traditions of childhood are st(?reotyped in. its verses; tjbte power of all the griefs and trials of a man is hidden be- neath its words. It is the representative of his best mi^- meuts, and all that there has been about him that is so^ and gentle, and pure and penitent and good, speaks to hflfii forever out of his English Bible. It is his sacred treasurjn, which doubt has never dimmed and controversy never soiled. In the length and breadth of the land, there is not a Pro- testant with, one spark of religion about him, whose spiritB- »l biography is n«t in his Saxon l^ible." BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Annapolis — Annapolis ia distinguished as the Capital of Marylanti. It stands on the right bank of the Scvefn River, three miles above its entrance into ChctSapeake Ba¥. The Stato house is an old building, and bus long served for public purposes. The American Congress assembled here during some ,Q| the must interesting periods of the Revolution. The Sejj_ ate chamber in which they held their sessions remAins UU- 124 OUR OWN THIRD REAPER. ;Uteved. It was here that Greneral Washington Te8ign<^«i hie commission, after the close of the war. \ S'pell and define. '•. Plbkmsb, a gift. ' 4 Scof''fbr, one who ridiculte. SouKCB, fountain, origin. 8c(>bn, cootempt, derision. .-. Ijj'cbhsb, an honorary offering. 5. Cling, to hold fast. I THE MOTirfeR's GIFT. 1. Remember, love, who gave thee this, \ When other days shall come ; When shfe who had thy earliest kiss^. Sleeps in her narrow home. Remember, 'twas a mother gave The^gift to one she'd die to save* 2, That mothet sought a pledge of love. The holiest for her son ; And from the gifts of God above She chose a goodly.oue; She chose for her beloved boy . The source of life, and light, and joy : %. And bade him keep the gift — that whea The parting hour should come, They might have hope to meet again. In her etfirnal home. She said his faith in that would be Sweet incense to her memory. OUR OWN THIRD READER. lJ5i 4. And should the scoffer, in tis* pride. Laugh that fond gift to scorn, And bid him cast that pledge aside, That ho from youth had borne, She bade him pause and ask his breast, If he, or she, had loved him best. 6. A parentis blessing on her. son Goes with this holy thing ; The love that would retain the one, Must to the other clino:. % Remember, 'tis no idle toy ; A mother's gift — Remember boy. • BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Austin— The Capital of Texas is Austin, situated oiv the north bank of the Colorado River, two hundred milck-, from its mouth. The scenery around Austin is highly picturesque, and tlic view from the Grovernor's house remarkably beautiful. A fine State house has recently been erected, occupying- a conspicuou-Q position on an eminence, and Overlooking st, I'xtensive region. liKHSO^V XL.I. Spell and define. i. Di8 a8'tbou8, unfortunate 8. Vig'or ous. energetic. QiN'ER ous, honorable. 9. Pue cis'ion, accuracj, i\ Rkck'lk88 ly, carelessly. Junc^tcrb, a critical point «! ' ■5 Tact, cleverness. time. iXG OTJK OWN THIRD READER.. ■fcnd tact, and also of well tried bravery. Cornwallis in- /?tructed him to go toward the mountains, quiet opposition, and hasten the royalists to the British camp. Ferguson re- eived his instructions with much satisfaction, and left thr / 1 OUR OWN THIRD READER. . 127 presence of his superior, nothing douUting that he should retunn witli additional reputation. 4. He took with him nearly two hundred select British'^ regulars and a thousand tories, chosen and disciplined by himself, and turning his face to the west, he set forth in high spirits. For a season everything ! worked admirably, but British rigor had overshot the. mark, and " a speck of war " was beginning to show itself in the mountains. 5. Ferguson took the alarm, and wrote to inform Corn- wallis, but at the ^me time assured his Lordship that, if all the rebels in the land should attack hirii, he was able to defend himself. The dispatch fell into the hands of the Americans, who were collected together to the number of nearly three thousand men. It was " an extemporjineous hf)st," as Irving calls it, drawn together from various quar- ters, many of them poorly equipped for battle, but all cad- ger to check the insolence of Ferguson. 6. After reading the dispatch of the enemy, and ascer- taining distinctly his whereabouts, selecting about nine hundred o' their best mounted and equipped men, they pushed" on in pursuit. There was little discipline among them, but there was one influence which abundantly sup- plied the place of knowledge of the arts of warr — each man was fearless, and willing to risk his life to secure the de- struction of Ferguson and his party. . Each Colonel was al- lowed to lead his own men .in his own wav, but Colonel Campbell, of Virginia, was chosen a sort of chief command- • * ' er of the whole party. ^ 128 OUR OWN THIRD READER. 7. Ferguson had tiTken a position on King's Mountain, a * ,place £0 well su ted to his case, that he did not doubt his ability to resist all attacks until reinforcements arrived from the British camp, for he was not aware -that his mes- sengers had been captured by the Americans, who now be- gan to appear in the distance. At first he eyed the motley lirowd before him with seorn, not deigning to think that they really meditated an attack, but when his practical eye <)onyinced him of his mistake, lio. chafed like a lion at bay. 8. Without loss of time, the Americans, so soon as their arrangements were complete, began a vigorous attack. They were divided into three parties" of nearly equal size : Camp- bell and Shelby, leading the centre, Sevier and McDowell, fche right, aiad Cleveland and Williams, the left. 9. Ferguson met the attack Vith.the pu&h of the bayonet, Isefore which the Americans fell back, for there was not a bayonet among them, but they were now attacking from another quarter, which Ferguson wheeled about to meet. His fury knew no bounds when he perceived that the party he bad driven down the hill with the bayonet, were renew- ing the attack with more vigor than at first. He wheeled from point to point, leading his men to the charge with desperate bravery, but the precision of the' American fire '«ras thinning his ranks with fearful rapidity, and his ease ivas becoming utterly hopeless. At this juncture, .a rifle ball brought Ferguson to the ground, and the battle was at a.n end. 10. The American loss in killed was only some twenty- OUR OWN THIRD READER. 129 Jivcj^p thirty men, though a g(V)d in«ny were wounded. \inflffjg the killed, however, was Colonel Williams, one of the mcst heroic and valuable of the party. The British loss was 150 killed and as many wounded. * Nearly nine hiin* (ircd men were made prisoners. 11 ' A court martial wa^ held the day after the battle, and a number of tories who had been bitter and remorse- loss in their persecution of their countrymen, were hung ; and though such rigor is always to be regretted, yet men have seldom been more provoked to use it, than in the pres- ent case. 12. The battle of King's Mountain, notwithstanding the smallness of the numbers engaged, put a new face on the *ffairs in the South ; and when news of the total destruction of Ferguson reached the British camp, it was received with a heavy heart by Cornwallis, who now was made to tremble for his own safety. 13. The heroes of King's Mountain having so well ae- cUmplished their purpose, returned in triuwiph to their homes, many of them scarcely fully appreciating the im- mense service they had rendered their country ; but the value of that service was soon to be realized by Greene, who bad been appointed commander in the South, and» who.' whether fighting or retreating, chiding the tardy or encour- aging the resolute, was to justify the confideiice by which hs had been' chosen for such a post, at so important a crisis, by the Father of his country. ISO OUR OWN THIRD READER. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. • Frankfort. — ^Frankfort, a handsome town^ the Capital of Kentucky, is beautifully situated on the right bank of the Kentucky Riv^fr-, sixty miles from its mouthi It stands on an el^ated plain between the river and th^ bluff, which rises a. short distance behind the tow>n to the height of alx)ut one hundred and fifty feet. A chain bridge crosses the river near the middle of the ■oity,.and connects it with South Frariki^ort. The State house stands on a small eminence nearly mid- way between the river and thd northern limit of the .valley. It is a'handsome edifice, built of Kentucky marble, quar- ried in the vicinity, with a portico supported- by aix col- umns in the Ionic style. L. E H S O TSr XLII. I^pfll and define. 1. Fangs, sharp teeth. 7. S6l''i ta bi, alone. 2.. In ge nu''i tt, power of inven § Dis so lu'tion, destruction. ti(0K^HAM MIR, a large, heavy Res o lu^tion, determlnftioa. hammer. U ni-'ted, joined. HOW TO BECOME STRONG. Bichafd Sayer accompanied his father one morning to OUR OWN THIRD READER. ISi^-v the blacksmith shop of Mr. Beckvrith. As they entered, Mr. B. was beating a* large piece of red hot iron with a ponderous hammer. Richard was much interested in the work, but wondered how any man could use with so much ease the heavy ham-^ mer with which the iron was formed into the shape desired. As they left the shop Richard said to his father^ " what a strong arm Mr. Beckwith has ! what makes it so strong T"^ Mr. S. He has made it strong by exercise — by wield- ing his heavy hammer. R. I should think that would wear it out instead of making it strong. Mr. S. Excessive labor would have that efifect^but hard laboj only tends to give additional strength. The way to get a strong arm is to work hard with it ; what is the way to get a strong mind 1 R. I suppose one must work hard with the mind. Mr, S. Certainly, stfong minds are acquired in the same way that strong arms are. » R. I should think, then, that everybody would have strong minds Mr. S. Why so ? R, Because when a man has a strong mind, he is macii more respected. Mr. S, And so you think, if str^ength of mind depende on the will, all men would have it ? R, Yes, sir. . \n Mr, S. But you forget that a necessary eondition of ' 140 OUR 6WN THIRD READERI having it, is hard work; Men do not like hard work cJf any kind, but least of all hard work with the mind. It is much easier to get a man to work hard over a forge than over a hook. It is much easier to induce him to swing the iron sledge-hammer than the intellectlial sledge-hammer R. Our teacher told ua that our minds grew strong hy acquiring knowledge. Mr. )S. That is true, but the knowledge must be ac- quired by your own labor. Suppose your teacher could . |)our all the knowledge he possesses into your mind at once^ just as all the water can be poured from one cup into an- other ; you would 'have more knowledge thanjou have now, but your strength of mind would not be increased. That oan be increased only by exercise. R. Then the more help a person gets in his studies^ the less benefit he gets from them. Mr. S. Certainly ; suppose a pjiysician should ell his^ patient that h^ must walk a mile every day in order t© strengthen his limbs, and that instead of doing it^ he getp another person to do it for him ; do you think his limbs would grow strong in' consequence of the other person*? walking? R. No, sir. One would be very foolish to think so. Mr, S. And the patient would be very foolish to , pur- sue the supposed course. But not more so than the stu- dent who gets another to learn his lesson for him. i?. If it is better for one to get his lessons without help v-^UR ^WN THIRD REAT)ER 141 frf'iu any one, I should think it would be better for him not to bave booka with notes and explanations. Mr. S. It certainly would be. I have no patience with those ,>school books in which all labor on the part of the stu- dent is superseded. The makers of such books would seem t. Hap''less, unfortunate. « TOUCH NOT, TASTE NOT, HANDLE NOT. 1. " Wine is a mocker, and strong drink is raging. Who liath woe ? who hath sorrow t who hath contentions ? who OUR OWN THIRD READER. 147 hath babhling ? who hath wounds without a cause ? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at/the wine." ^ 2*. How oft«n do men meet in good humor, then drink to excess, talk nonsense, fancy themselves insulted, take iire within, rave, threaten, and then come to blows % ^ A long time ago, Seneca spoke of those who ** let in a thief at the mouth to steal away the brains." In such a jeasie the stupid- ity of a brute is often united with the fury of a demoniac. Nay, the man among the tombs was comparatively harmless ; he only injured himself But how often does the drunken revel end m the cry of murder ! 3. How often does the hand of the intoxicated man, lifted . against his dearest friend^ perhaps the wife of his bosom, ■■■; " In one rash hour. Perform a deed that ha'unts him to the grave !" 4. Could I call around me, in one vast assembly, the young men of this nation, I would say : Hopes of my coun- try, blessed be ye of the Lord, now in the dew of your youth. But look well to yOur footsteps ; for .vipers, and scorpions, and adders, surround your way. Look at the generation who have just preceded you. The morning of* their life was cloudless, and it dawned as brightly as your own. But behold, now, the smitten, enfeebled, inflailed, debauched, i41e, poor, irreligious, and vicious, with halting step, dragging onward to meet an early grave. 5. Their bright prospects are clouded, and their sun is set, never to rise. No house of jtheir own receives then;, while from poorer to poorer tenements they descend, as im- 4 148 OUR OWN THIRD READER. providence dries up their resources. And, now, who are those that wait on their footsteps with muffled faces and sable garments ? That is e father, and that is a motlier, whose graj hairs are coming with sorrow to the ^rave. That-is a sister, weeping over evils which she can not ar- rest ; and there is the broken-hearted wife ; 'and these are the children— hapless innocents! — for whom their father ha^ provided no inheritance, save one of dishonor, and na- kedness, and woe ! 6. And is this, beloved youth^ the histofy of your course ? In this scene of desolation, do you see the image of yOtfr - ■future selves'? Is this the poverty, andthe disease, which, as an armed man, shall take ho.ld on you ? and are y.our relatives and friends to succeed those who now move op, in this mournful procession, weeping as they go ? 7. Yes, bright as yoijr morning now opens, and high as your hopes beat, this is your noon, and your night, unless you shun those habits of intemperance which have thus early made theirs a day of clouds and of thick darkness If you frequent places of evening resort for social drinking; if you set out with drinking, daily, a- little, prudently, tem- perately ; it is yourselves, which, as in a glass, you behold. ( •6. "One of the greatest consolations afforded to my mind . by the succftss of the temperance cause, is the reflection that my child will not be a drunkard." S.uch was the language of a distinguished philanthrdpist, as he held a listening as- Bombly, chained by the voice o. his elocjuence. 9. To this remark the heart of every parent assents; for OUR OWN THIRD READER 149 tftat the progress of tlie temperance cause will be so great, • a-tthe period when the child, which is now an infant, shall «cfme upon the theatre of life, as to render all use of ardent spirit, afe a drin^, -disreputable, can scarce be questioned 10. If any father or mother could lift the • vail of futu- rity, and read 9n the page of coming years, that the son now so loved, so idolized perhaps, woulc? become a bloated, polluted and polluting creature, reeling under the influence of ardent spirit, the remainder of life would bo wretched. To such a parent, this world would indeed be a vale of tea s; and the silence and solitude of the* tomb would be welcomed as the place where the weary might be at rest. 1 ] . The temperance reform does in fact lift tke vail' of ,1 ycc-rs, and disclose to the parents of the* present generation, their children and their children's children freed from all the woes and curses of drunkenness^ the smile of gratitude upi n their countenance, and the language- of benediction .up( n their lips. 12. "My child will not be a drunkard!" Cheering thought! HorW it swells the heart with emotions too* big for utterance! What an animating prospect does it open to the mind 1 Alms-houses, and jails, and penitentiaq|^, and state-prisons, will then stand only as so many menu- . ments of the vices of an age gone by ; and the evils conse- quent iJpon the"use of ardent spirit shall %xist only upon the historian's page, as so many records of the former d«- j^-jeneracy and the errors of mankind. 150 OUR OWN THIRD REABER. • BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. 1 HrcKJRY-NuT Gap. — The scenery along the Hickory-, f Nut Grap, in the mountains of North Carolina, is among the* ^j. finest in the world. As you approach the Gap from the south, the mountains seem to hem you in — ^looming up before you like an im- passible barrier. On a nearer approach, the -Gap isdiscov- ' ered, a narrow defile between lofty peaks. / "Bald Mountain," so called from its rocky brow, risesf, on the right, presenting to you a front of al;nost solid rock, if rising perpendicularly to the height of several hundred feet. ' Just beyond it is the ^^ Pinnacle," the highest peak for many miles around. The view-from its summit is grand and extensive. On the left rise various peaks, known by > their appropriate names. ^■•^^^ Hi JESS ON XL VIII. Spell and define. I. STRUG'aLB, strive, contend. 4. Re vbal'inqs, discoveries. Sole, only. Fate, end. Q. Cher'ish bd, nursed, fostered. 8. Glow, brightness. Gall, bitterness; A tonk^, to expiate, 3. Bb sot'ted, stupefied. Fla-'vor, taste. Bur lbsqxjbd', ridiculed. * Pro claim^bd, declared pub- ^ licly. THE drunkard's DAUGHTER. * ^ 1. Go, feel what I have felt; Go, Ibear wliat I have borne ; Sink 'neath a blow a father dealt, And the cold, proud world's scorn ; ^ig??^ ^WN THIRD READER. 151 Thus Struggle on from year to year, Thy sole relief, the scalding tear. 2. Go, weep as I have wept, O'er a loved father's fall See every cherished promise swept— Youth's sweetness turned to gall ; Hope's faded flowers strewed all the wi^y That led me up to woman's day. 3. Go, kneel as I have knelt; Implore, beseech, and pray ; S^ive the besotted heart to melt. The downward course to stay — Be cast with bitter curse aside — Thy prayers burlesqued— thy tears deEed 4. Go, hear what I have heard — The sobs of sad despair — As memory's feeling fount hath stirred, And its revealings there Have told him what he might have been, Had he the drunkard's fate foreseen. 5. Go, hfisxr, and see, and feel, and know, AH that my soul hath felt or known, Then look within the wine-cup's glow — See if its brightness can atone ; Think if its flavor you would try, If all proclaimed " 'Tis drink and die." 152 - OUR OWN THIRB READER. * BLACKBOARD, EXERCISE. - Mount Vernon. — Mount Vernon in Virginia, the f«r mer residence of G-eneral Washington, lies on the west side of the Potomac River, eight miles south of Alexandria. It contains- the Mansion and Tomb of the " Father of bis Country." To an American this place is interesting, in a degree which no language can either heighten or describe. Washington died on the 14th of April, 1799. LESSOT^f XLIX. - Spell and define. * 1. Ma n(eu''vers, evoluiione in Field^'-pieces, small canttCH, ♦ military t'ictics. ' * 10. Dw pil''ing, marching into E lud^'ed, avoide(J; shunned. line. 2. Ju Di^cious LY. widely. 11. Ag''i ta ted, excited, dis- 3. Har^'as^ed, teMsed. • turbed. An TAQ-'o NiST, enemy. Un daunt^'ep, bold, fearless 4. Vet'er ans, old soldiers. Tra di''tion8, reports hand- 8. Brigade'', a division of troops. ed down from one genera- 9. Flank, the right or left side lion to another, of an army. " ■ " • BATTLE OF GUILFORD COURT HOUSE. 1. Perhaps the most brilliant event in the ipilitary ca- lmer of General Greene was his celebrated retreat from the Catawba river to Virginia. By a serie.s of masterly manoeu- vres, and occasional skirmishes of great spirit, he eluded tRe superior forces of Cornwallis, and placed the Americaw army on the northern bankpf the Dat>. 2. "Your retreat," said Washington, " is highly ppplaud- OUR OWN THIRD READER. 15S efl by all ranks.*' And Tarloton, the most active of the British officers, says, " Every measure of the Americans, during their march from the Catawba, was judiciously de- signed and vigorously executed." 3. Greene soon received supplies and reinforcements, and rccrossed the Dan. It was now the turn of Cornwallis to retreat , He fell back upon ^illsboro, followed und harass*- ed by Pickenff, Caswell, and other gallant American officers. Every day the situation of the Briti h general was becom- ing more critical, and every effort was made to draw hii> prudent antagonist into the open field. 4. Though not yet strongcnough to give battle to Corn- wallis, General Greene^yielded somewhat to, the popular opinion, and took position near Guilford Court House^ where he awaited the a'pproach of his brave and persevering foe. A larg^ portion of Greene's troops consisted of raw and inexperienced militia, who had never been in battle, while those of his adversary were veterans who had been schooled in warfare, and had been conqueroTs on many -a hard fought field. 5. It was on the 15th of March, 1781, that the American general drew up in order of battle. The ground was chosen with regard to the nature, of his troops. It was bro^en.anJ irregular. Greene's first line was drawn out across the road ly which the enemy, was approaching. (5. The position was protected in some measure by. a rail fence. This line consisted of untrained militia from North Carolina;, who had never crussed arms with an enemy. Bu^ I'l 154 OUR OWX THIRD READER. they were practised marksmen. Thej were commanded bj Generals Butler and Eaton, 7. The second line, arranged abcrut three hundred yards behind the first, consisted of raw troops al.«o ; Virginians, commanded by Stevens and Lawson. Both these lines ex- tended across the road. 8. The third line, about four hundred yards in the^ re&,r of the second, was composed of regular or continental troops. The Virginia brigade, under General Hu er, consisted of two regimentSj.one commanded by Colonel Green, and the other by Lieutenant-Colonel Hawes^ and composed the right. The Maryland brigade, under the command of Col- onel Williams, consisting of two regiments, one led by Col- onel Gunby, the other by Colonel Ford, formed the left. In conformity with the nature of the ground, they were drawn up so as to present a double front. 9. Colonel Washington with a body of dragoons, Kirk- wood^s Delaware infantry, and a battalion of Virginia mili- tia, covered the right flank ; Lee's legion, with the Virginia riflemen under Colonel Campbell, covered the left. Two six-pounders were in the road, in advance of the first lino ; two field pieces, with the rear-liae near the CouH House, where General Greene took his station. 10. About noon the head oF the British army waa feeca vidvancing in a spirited manner along the road,,and defiling into the fields. A cannonade was opened from the two eix- pounders in front of the American line. It was answered. l)y the British artillery. Neither produced tauciv effect DUa OWN THfRD READER. ^5i The. enemy now advanced coolly and Bteadily in three columns; the Hessians and Highlanders under General Leslie, on the right, the Royal artillery and guards in the centre, and Webster's brigade on the left. 11. The militia, who composed the first line, waited un- til the enemy were within one hundred and fifty yard^, when, agitated by their martial array and undaunted movo- ment, they began to fall into confusion; and. delivering as. irregular and not very efi"ective tire, the^ gave way and fled. Some fled to the woods, others fell back upon the second line; while many, according to the traditions.of the cou»- try, acted nobly, stood firm as long as practicable, and them, joining other corps, took an active part in th© 'subsequenfc. events of that memorable day. 12. When the front line gave way, the British rush«^ forward with a loud shout of triumph to eneounter the Virginians, and expected similar success. They were ^ud^ denly checked by a galling fire from' the flanking partitt* under Lee and W^ashington. Cornwallis ordered up his r^ serve, and drov« the second line slowly before them, suf- fering severely from their fi^p. The battle now began witfc double spirit. The fire of the militia told with deadly ef- fect upon the assailants. But the British bayonet again succeeded ; the second line gave way, and Stevens, who had kept the. field for some time after being wounded, ob> dttrcd a retreat. s ]5^ OUR OWN TlJiri) 'RKADF.R. BLACKBOARD FXKRCISE. < ViCKSBURG — Vicksburg is situated on an elevated blufi' open the east side ot the Missist^ippi River. It is tour bun^ died miles above New Orleans, and is a place of great com- mercial importance. It annually exports a;bout one hun- dred thousand bales of cotton. ..^ This city has recently become memorable, by its heroi* and successful resistance to a lot'g continued and . ter'rifi*- ^liombardment by the gunboats of the United States. L 12 S » O M L. Spdl and dejiae. i . • ;1. Au;:r. Hil 4. Nicoueiuii? saitli urnw biui, How can a man be. bi)rn when he is old ? can he enter theiSecoiid time into his moth- or's womb, and be born 1 5. Jesus answered^ 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Ex- «*ept a man be born of water and of the Spirit, .he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6. That which i.s born of the flesh is flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ♦ 7. Marvel not that T said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst Kot tell whence it confe^h, and whitlier it goeth : so is every one that is born of the Spirit, 9. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can t^ese things be 1 10. Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a n.as- ter of Israel, and knowest not these things ? 1 1. Verily, verily, I say unto thee,. We speak that we do l^uow, and testify that we have seen ; and ^ye receive not our witness. 12. If I have told yoM earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye l^lieve, if I tell jou of heavenly things? 13. Aud no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Sou of man which is in heaven. 14.- And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even po must the Son of man be lifted up; 15. That whv)Soever betieveth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. • 162 OTJR OWN- THIRD READER. 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave bis only begotten 8on, that -whosoever believeth in him should nol perish, but have everlasting life. 17. For God sent not his -Son into the world to condem» the world : but that the world through him might be saved. 18. He that believeth on l^im is not condemned : but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hatb not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, 19. And this is the- condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, be cause their deeds were evil. • 20. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, nei- ther Cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved 21. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that hj» deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.- BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. ScRiPTrRE Maxi5ts. — A soft answer turneth away wrath ; but grievous words stir up anger. Pride goeth before destruction ; and a haughty spirit before a fall. Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be truly wise. He that hath pity on the pt)or, lendeth to the Lord ; thar which he hath given, will he pay him again. A fool despiseth his father's instruction : but he that re- gardeth reproof is prudent. The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowl- edge : but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. OUR OWN THIRD REaAr. 16?- LESSON LIl. Spell and (fejine. 1. Spekds*. hastens. Un dkr mixes', digs und^r th^ ?KRK. dt\v. w tlicred. ffiUDdntion. TKK.»'>i''K8, locks of hHir 3. Stage, the di?tflrice between 2. Tor'rknts, rapid streams. ^ si opting plhces. Fath'om less, unruea-uiflble THE CLOSE OF THK YKAR. 1. Time speeds away, away, away ; Another hour, another day. Another month, another year, Drop from us like the leaflets sere — Drop like the life-blood from our hearts; ^ * The rose-bloom from the cheek departs, The tresses from the temples fall, The eye grows dim, and strange to all. 2. Time speeds away, away, away, t Like torrents in a stormy day ; He undermines the stately tower, Uprouts the tree, and snaps the flower, And sweeps from our distracted breast. The friends that loved, the friends that blessed, And leaves us weeping on the shore, To whiqh they can jeturn no more. 3. Time speeds away, away, away ; * No eagle through the skies of day, UM . Ourf^OWN THIRD READER. No wind along the hiils can flee So S'Tiriftly or so smooth as he, ■ Like fiery steed, from stage to stage, * He bears us on —from youth to age ; •Then plunges in the fearful sea Of fathomless eternity^ BLACKBOj\RD EXERCISE. SciUPTURE Quotations.— Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him. It is better to be a door-keeper in the house of the Lord, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. He that planted tlie ear, shall he not hear 1 he thjtfc formed the eye. shall he not see ? I hiive been young, and now I am old ; yet have I never scon the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. * T have seen the wicked in great power ; and spreading himself like a green bay --tree. Yet he passed away : T sought him, but he could not be found. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom. Length of days h in her right hand ; and in her left hand, riches and hon- •Dr. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her pathi are peace. LESSOTsr LIII. JSpell and define. * %. Prb'c:ous. valuable. 7. Stat-'utes, written laws. a.. .Test, something to he laugh- , W.on'^ukous, "wonderful. ed at. 8. Do(/tk INK, that which is taugh-t. Mirth, merriment. SyRAiOHT''wAY, imme liately. OUR OWN THIRD READER. U»5 The study of the biblk 1. The Scriptures arc the word of God. In them lie speaks to every man that hears or reads his holy word. •* Blessed is he that readeth, and they tjiat hear the word? of this prophec}'." It is every one's duty to ''.search th*i Scriptures." Christ so commands us. Let me ask you ti> attend to some things which I wi^;l^to»eay on this subject. 2. The study of the Bible is a great matter. • That holv book treats of God, of man, of time, of eternity, of heaven," and of hell. It speaks only truth on all matters. He whj» knows the Bible well, may be wise, and good, and happ;j. though he never reads any other book. 3. The Bible is full of truths, even of the very greatest truths. As there is no God like the tr.ue God ; so there i* no book like God's book. It does more good in the worl. T have known some people to make a jest of the truths of Seripture. I hope you will. never do that. The great 3,n*d good Luther said : " When God would destro}" a man, He lets him make a jest of sacred things." If you wish to have mirth, let it nft be profane, but innocent. If you would learn, much, you must search the Scriptures ot'teia, and day by day. A very wise man said : " Get a little at 1% time, a id as often as vou can, and vou will soon know a great deal." 7. You must also be patient, and not hasty. No one ex- pects children, to think and study as much as old people •♦ught to do. Still they may search the Bible much more than most of them do. You must also pray to God to open your eyes. Bavtd was a great and good man. Yet he often prayed thus : " Teach me thy statutes ; opeti thou mine, eyes, that I may behold wondrous things but of thy law." If David had need to pray thus, surely you ought to ask God to teach you. 8. The beat way to keep the word of God in mind, is to keep it in your life. Jesus Christ sSiys : " If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of f}xld<" James says: "If any man be a hearer of the word, aad not a doer,, he is like unto a man, beholding his natu* ral face in a glass ; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth h\f way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man h% OUR OWN THIRD READER. 167 is." The bible is a lookiDg-glass. It sliows us what ite are, and we ought to look into it very often, and do what we find it teaches. Practice is the very life of piety. '' To know what is right, and not to do it, is wicked, for "to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." 9. He who will thus searcfi the ^riptures, shall come to know a great deal about the greatest things. David says that he knew more than all his teachers, and more than the ancients, because he studied and kept God'h word. You need not be afraid that you will soon learia all that is in the Bible. It is like a gold mine, where ii man may dig <2very day of his life, and find much gold, and yet there will be plenty left for all his children to dig as much as they want all their lives. 10. How thankful you ought to be to God for the Bible. Thousands and miUioDh of children have it not. I hope you will do what is in your povrer to help to send the Bible all over the world. BLACKBOARD KXERCISB. JIOME. We shall go home to our Fath^er's house — • , To our Father's house in the skic.= , Where the hope of our souls shall have no blight, Our love no broken ties. We shall roam on the banks of the river of peace And bathe in its blissful tide And one of the joys of our heaven shall be The little girl that died. lf)« OTIR. OWN' THl'tin 'iBADStt. ■''• aS/)''// «??rf ih^fine.. 1. T,0 CAl/l TIES, pTpOC^. 8. f-US TAIX-'. pupport, 2. A papt'fd. pvitn] P>- ?MiR'CKs,n es ns c< supjoil. 4. Sta^'LE. fi principril froduc-p9. Frv/ciES, kind. iion. * ■ Ca koes', SDiall l>< ats. RICE. 1. Rice is a grain used for tlie food of muu, and is out of tlie most wholeffome^and npurishing of all the products of tire soil. As it cannot be raised to advaritage in all parts of the "world, and is 'in much demand, it is a Fonrce of wealth to those localities suited to its growth. 2. It requires a low 'moist soil, so situated that it oan K- •eovered with water, and then drained ; and on this accftunt the lands along the Atlantic -coast, in America, from thv Bay of Delaware to the Gulf of Mexico arc more, or lens adapted to its cultivation. \ 3, Within the limits of the Cdfederate States, especially. ' there is a very large and fertile region peculiarly suited to this plant ; and here it can he raised with iriore profit and in larger quantities than anywhere else' in the . world. It is, however, not yet extensively cultivated in' ibiF eonntry. except in a few of the States; and the Carolinas, fJorth and South, produce most of the rice u^ed in North America. 4. It is an important staple in both of the.^c States., though a larger auiount of land h devoted to tliis purpojH* . in South Carolina than in her sifter State: r.nd tbrfc cu- OUR OWN THIRD READER. 169 4^ gaged in this pursuit receive an ample reward for their la- bo#and capital, 5 Rice is cultivated in other parts of the world, espe- cially in Asia ; and in China it is a crop of great impo»- tanee and constitutes the principal food of the inhabitants. The rice plant resembles wheSt in shape, color and the Al'-- lire of its leaves ; but the stem generally is not^more than three or four feet high ; the grain is white and enclosed in a busk from which it is separated by flails, by tramping, or by mills constructed for the purpose. 6. The fields on which the crop is to be raised are level situaied near rivers or other bodies of water, and som^imes surrounded by embankments or walls of earth ; and through these fields channels are cut from the water with which they Are to be flooded When the soil has been properly pre- ' pared, and the seed sown or planted the water is let in un- til the whole soil is covered to a certain depth, and allowed to remain until the crop has grown for a considertblo time — and finaDy the fields are drained, and the rice mature^ and ripens. 7. As already stated, rice is the principal food of the Chinese, and it may be said that half tht people of Ajia live upon it.. It is also largely cultivated and used in Af^ rica, and to some extent in parti of Europe. But the rioe of the Carolinas, in the Cotfederate States, i^ most esteem- ed. The climate and soil of this region seem to suit it best, and the grain is larger than that of the East ludiofj, and can be more easily cooked; 12 170 OUR OWN THIRD READER. 8. The more it is used, the mt)re it is esteemed, and a '' small portion of it will sustain life in a healthy conditi(^. If all the lands suited to the production of rice in the Car- olina^ were devoted to this purpose, they would furnish i?ood enough to sustain life in more than two millions of people — and still there would be left more than seven- eighths of the territory of the two States for other crops , facts which give us some idea of the resources of the Con- federate States. 9. There is also in the inland parts of North America a species of wild rice, much used by the Indians. It grows in places where the water is about two feet deep, Thife In- dians gather it in the following manner. About the time it begins to ripen, they go into the midst of it in their ca- noes, and tie together large bunches of it, just below the heads. When it becomes fully ripe and dry, they return^ and running their canoes under these bunches, beat out the grain, and catch as it falls. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Glass. — Glass is a compound of silex and an alkali, usu- ally the carbonate of potash or Boda. Lime or oxide of lead is added to produce different qualities of glass. These substances are melted together at a high temperature. The mass is left to cool until it is in a proper state for working. ^ Glass may be colored by t'lie addition of metallic oxides. Few compounds a r more valuable or more extensively med than Glass. It is beautiful as well as useful. It is tiic most brittle of all substances. Hi OUR OWN THIRD READER. 171 L K S S O IV L V. Spell and define. 1. Sa lu-'bhi ous, healthful. 5, En codn''ter bd, met with. Rb IN pobcb''mbnts, additional Par tio^i patk, U take part. troops. Galled, annoyed Lkv'ibs, regular soldiers. In fant'^y, foot soldiers, li. Prox iM^'i TT, nearness 7. Rb sbhvb'', select troops kept In de pat^'i ga ble, perseyer- in the rear to give asais- ing. tanco when requried, iJ. Pre''vi ous, going before. 9. Chasm, an opening. 4. Pal | sa^dokd, enclosed with stakes set in the ground BATTLE^PP EUTAW SPRINGS. 1. After the unsuccessful attack upon Ninety-Six, Gen«> eral Grreene retired to the salubrious hills of theSantee, to refresh his wearied and exhausted troops, and wait for rein- forcements ; but he was disappointed as to reinforcements. During the two months that he remained among the hills •f theSantte, he had received only two hundred North Caro- lina levies and five hundred South Carolina militia; still 5ie prepared for a bold effiDrt to drive the enemy from their remaining posts. 2. On the 22d of August, 1781, General Greene broke . ijp his encampment on the Santee, to march against Colo- lel Stuart, the British commander, who lay at Eutaw Springs in a pleasant security, never dreaming of the prox - imity of his active and indefatigable foe. 3. On the night of the 7th ot September, Greene, wrap j^ed in his cloak, slept beneath the shadows of an oak, witk'" 172 OUR OWN THIRD READER. in seven miles of the British ^camp. For three days pre- vious to this, the American army had advanced by easy marches towards the enemy's position. But to the aston- ighment of Greene, the British commander seemed to havt Bo intimation of his approach ; although the march wa* conducted without any special attempt at concealment, 4. The position occupied by Colonel Stuart was one of considerable strength. On his right was the Eutaw Creek, T^hich issued from a deep ravine, thickly fringed with brusk and underwood. The only open ground was an old corn- field, through which the public rOad now ran. This wais commanded by a strong brick -house,»with a palisadoed gar den, which Colonel Stuart intended as a protection, if too much pressed by cavalry. The British lay in the field, un- der cover of the house.- 5. At 4 o'clock on the morning of the 8th, Greene put tfie \meriean army consisting of about two thousand men, in motion, arranged in two columns. Lieutenant-Colonel Lee formed the advance, and Lieutenant-Colonel Washington the rear. After advancing cautiously within four miles of the British camp, Lee v^uddenly encountered a party of the enemy and halted. The echoing of musketry through the voods, Roon gave notice to the American commander that aa action had commenced, and the cavalry were hurried on to participate. The hot fire in front so severely galled the British that they began to give way. At the same moment the cavalry dashed into the rear, driving before them the eneoiy's horse, and scattering the infantry in all directiDns. tiUH OWN THIRD KE\i.hK/ 17S Many of the British were killed and wounded, and -about •forty with their captain takeii priboncrs. 6. The soldiefs had marched but a little distance after this skirm'sh, when they encoinUered a second corps, and the action recommenced. The ar^illery now opened «i both sides, and, while the soldierfe were falling beneath it£ .fire, each army formed its line of battle. 7. The first column of the American army consisted of the militia of North and South Carolina, led by Mai-ion, Pickens and Malmedy. In the second, came the continen- tals — chiefly from Maryland, Virginia and North CanJinft. Colonel Lee with his legion covered the right flank. Colo- nel Henderson the left. Colonel Washington, with ' his dragoons and the Delaware troops, formed the reserve. Each column had two field-pieces. The British formed but one line, drawn up in front of their tents, with two separate bodies of infantry and cavalry in their rear, and their ar- tillery distril^uted in difft^rent roads alofig the line. * 8. While the skirmishing continued, one corps after an- other came into action, until the greater part of both armies were engaged. The fire ran from rank to rankT, raking tke long extended lines, and bringing infantry, cavalry and ar- tillery-men to the ground. The militia fought with the spirit and firmness of veterans. They yielded only to the whole weight of the British army, enforced by the forwarfi" movement of the bayonet, but not until each man fired sev- enteen routtds. 9. As the militia retired, Greene dashed towards his sec- 174 • OUR OWN THIRD REASlTR. -•nd line, an4 ordered its centre under General' Sumner t* ill the chasm. These troops poured into, action with loud •^outs ; the battle grew darker and bloodier, and the ene- my in their turn fell back to their first position unable t« atand th* galling severity of the American fire. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. St. Augustine. — St. Augustine is the principal tow» and seaport on the Atlantic coast of Flordia. It is the •Idest town settled by Europeans on the American conti- nent, having been founded by the Spaniards in 1565. ^|he houses are built chiefly of the shell limestone whick abounds along the coast. Orange and lemon trees whick •Ifrow luxuriantly in the mild climate of Florida, add muck lio the beauty of this town. L.KSSO:iV LVI. Spell and define. 9 *. Oleaw'ing, glittering. In ter pos''bdj» interfered. Hbl-'mbts, armor for the head. 6. A chiev'ed. accomplished. Sa''b»s.s, short swords. lu tox^'i cat bd, drunk. 2, L'BKM^iNG, thinking. 7, Fu''gi tives, those running %r tJ Ckit'i CAii, drVisive. Tray, . 4 As sail'bd, attack, d. 8. Wrestled, forced. Re coil'ei), gave baek. 9. Ce lkr''i ty. swiftness. 5. Dense, close. fiATTLE OF EUTAW SPRINGS (CONTINUED.) * 1, The British commander felt that everything was at stake, and ordered up his reserve. The conflici was thcM 4errible. Regiments were sweeping along under galling- OUR OWN THIRD RKADER-. 176 fires; the hot sun was prle'aiiiing and (lancin|j over thou- sands of J)ayonets, and helhtets, and vsabre;* ; cavalry wore rn.^hing along from rank to rank ; while the ground, air and woods rocked with the rusliing of angry thousands, tlie rattling of musketry, and tlie loud loar of cannon. Charge * after change was crushing scores into the earth ; and tlie love of lifeVthe strong, universal tie, w;is suspended in tiie whirlings of passion. 2. Pressed hy superior nnnibers the American line p:«^"e way, and the British rushed f<»rward with a shout, deeming the field already won. This was the n^oment for Grreene^B unemployed battalion : and h!^s voice rang wildly through^ the fearful uproar "Let Williams and Campbell \.sweep* the field with the bayonet." 3. They hastened to obey, and having delivered a deadly fire at forty yards' distance, advanced at a brisk rate, with l(»nd shouts and trailed arms, prepared to luake the deadly thrust. Colonel Campbell in command of the. Virginians received his de-th-wound at this critical moment. But the ardor of his men was unchecked by the fall ,of their be- loved and heroic commander. The eye of Greene was upon them, and the w;ir-worn defenders of the South led them on. 4. At this moment Colonel Lee, observing that the line extended beyond the British left, instantly ordered a com- pany to turn their fl^nk and charge them in the rear.. AV sailed in front by the bayonet, and in flank by musketryj> the 9nemy recoiled. For a moment they rallied — the armies closed — bayonets plunged at opposing bosoms. The next « t 176 OUR OWN THIRD READER. moment the British line was broken, tlie troops fied in all directions, and left at their camp the undisputed prize of the Tictors. Manj were captured, mahy hurried off madlj iilong the Charleston road, and others threw themselves into the brick house. 5. A party of English under Major Majoribanks.still held a dense thicket where they had been stationed 4n the com- mencement of the battle, and poured a destTuctive fire upon the pursuers. Greene ordorod Colonel Washington to dis- lodge them. But the thicket was impassible for cavalry. Horses and riders were shot down or bayoneted ; most of ^the officers were killed or wounded. Colonel WashingtoB bad his horse sjiot under him ; he himself was wounded, and would have been slain, had not a British officer inter- posed and taken him prisoner. 6. Victory now seamed certain on the side of the Ameri- cans. The^ had driven the British from the field, and had taken possession of their camp ; unfortunately the soldiers^ thinking the day their own, crowded the tents, and gave themselves^ up to the gratification of their appetites. The dainties and strong drinli of their enemies, achieved' what their weapons apd valor had not done. Many of them be- came intoxicated and unmanageable — the officers interfered in vain ; all was riot and disorder. 7. The enemy in the meantime recovered in a measure from their confusion and opened a fire from every window of the brick house, and from the palisadoed garden. €ren- cral Greene sent his artillery to batter the house, but .hi,? OUR OWN THIRD READKR. 177 guns were not heavy enough to make anj impression upon its strong walls. Colonel Sfnart was by this time rallying the* fugitives and advancing to support that part of the rijht wing that had taken refuge in the houfee and garden; when Greene, finding his ammunition nearly exhausted, determined to gite up the attempt to dislodge the enemy from their strongholds, since he ^ould not do ^it without .severe loss. 8 Thus ended 4he^b?^ttle of Eutaw Springs, in which ae- cidei^t wrested a complete victory from the hands of the American general. It lasted more than tliree hours, and Afiis fiercely contested the crops in both armies bravely sup- porting each other. Both sides claimed the victory, bu( tke advantages were altogether with the Americans. 9. The enemy decamped in the night after destroying large quantities of stores and arms, and leaving beijiind them seventy of their wounded, who might have impeded the celerity of their flight. Their loss in killed, wounded and captured, in this action, was six hundred ai^d thirty- three, of whom five hurjdred were prisoners in the hands of the Americans ; the loss sustained by t^he latter in killed, wounded and missing was five hundred and 'thirty-five. One of the slain most deplored was Colonel Campbell, who had so bravely led on the Virginians. He fell in the shock (if the charge with the bayonet. It was a glori^^us close of :\i gallant career. In his dying moments he was told of the defeat of the enemy, and is said to have •uttered the cele- brated ejactilation of Geperal Wolfe, " I die contented/' I" 8 OUR OWN TTIIRB READER. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Beware of Bad Bo )KS. — " Why, what harm will bpo^ do me?" The same harm that personal interieourse would with the bad men who may have written them. If a good book can be read without making one better, a bad hdbh eannot be read without making one the \frorse. L E S S O INT LVII. Spell and define. 1. YoFE, in'time pfist Chabm. to alla.v bj secret pow^r. 2. Rec^m PENgE. reward. A. Throng, to come ia crowd^^. ,S. Ykarn^ing, intense desire. 6. Lul^'la by, a soDg to quiet ife- LoNG. Avi^h earnestly. fants. 4.. A BIDES'', continues. ^ ' rock me to sleep. **?" 1. Backward, turn backward, oli Time, in your tight, Make me a child ag^in, just for to-night ! Mother, come back from the echoless shore, Take me again to your heart as of yore — Kiss from my. forehead the furrows of care, Smooth the few silver threads out of my hair — . ' 'Over my slumbers your loving watch keep — ' Rock me to sleep, mother — rock me to sleep ! 2. Backward, flow blackward, oh tide of years : '1 am so weary of toils and of tears ; Toil without*recompense — tears all in vain — Tnlie them, and give me my childhood again ! OUR OWN THIRD READER. J7t I •have grown weary of dust and decay, Weary of flinging my soiil- wealth away ! Weary of sowing for others to reap — Rock m© fb sleep, mother — rock me to sleep ! • 3. Tired of the hollow, the base, the untrue, Mother, oh mother, my heart calls for you ! Many a sumftier the grass has grown green, Blossomed and faded — our faces bet^ween ; iTet, with strong yearning and passionate pain. Long I to-night for your presence again ; Come from the silenc^ so long and so deep — ^ Rock me to sleep, mother — rock me to sleep ! 4. Over my heart in days that are flown. No love like mother-love ever has shone ; No other wership abides and endures. Faithful, unselfish apd patient, like yours. None like mother can charm away pain From the sick soul and the world-weary brain ; Slumber's soft calm o'er ray heavy lids creep — Rock.me to sleep, mother — rock me to sleep ! 3. Come, let your brown hair, just Ifghted with gold, Fall on your shoulders again as of bid— Let it fall over my forehead to-night, Shading my faint eyes away from the light — For with its sunny-edged shadows once more, Happily will throng the sweet visions of yore ; OUR OWN THIRD READER. Loviugij, ijoftly, Its bright l^illowa Bweep — . Rock me to sleep, -mother — rock me to sleep ! ^. Mother, dear mother, the years have been long Since I last hushed to your lullaby song — Sing, then, and unto my soul it shall seem Womanhood's years have been but a dream. Clasp to your arms in a loving embrace, With your light lashes just sweeping my face, Never hereafter to wake or to weep — Rock me to sleep, mother — rock me to sleep ! BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. China Ware. — The art of manufacturing China ware. lis may be supposed from its name, was origmally obtainecl from China. The commercial term for China ware is por- celain. T'liis, however, is not a Chinege word, but comes is? us from the Portuguese, who first brought over theise beautiful wares, and with w^om^the word porcellana mopn* :i cup. L E H S O n' LVIII. Spell and define. ' ^ . 1.. Might, power. 4. Doz''ing, sleeping lightly- 2v Obn^'u inb, true. Puos'ing, dullness. P»E veal'ing, making known. 6. Foe''ma.n, enemy. THE MEN FOR THE TIMES. 1. Gi}"e US the nerve of steel. And the arms of fearless might OUR OWN THIRD READKR IM •And tlie stre^^th of will that is ready still To battle for the right. f. Give us the eye to weep That honest tear of feeling, That shuts net down for the "world's dread frown, The genuine heart reviealing. 3. Give us the mind to feel The sufferings of another, And fearless powar in the dying" hour To helpt* suffering brother. • 4. Give us the clear, cool brain, That is ney^r asleep or dozing: But sparkling ever, with bold endeavor, Wakes the world from its prosjng. 5. Ah ! give us the nerve of steel, ^ •• And the hand of fearless might. And the heart that can love and feel, And the head thtt is always right. 6. For the foeman ij: now abroad, And the earth is filled with crimes : Let it be our pr^er'to God, Oh, give us the Bien for the times. * BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. TuRrENTiNE.— -Turpentine is obtained from the piiic trees which abound in the eastern portions of the Carc^lloae;. \$2 OUR OWN THIRD READER. ^ i _^ Deep notches, called boxes, are cut in the trunk of the tr0e in which the turpentine collects as it exudes from the wQod where the bark has been removed. The turpentine thus obtained is distilled and furnish<8S >^S^its of turpentine and rosin. LESSON LIX. Spell and define. I. Fruit''ful NESS, abundance. Toils, labor. 2v Slug'gard, a lazy person 5. En cum''ber ed, loaded. '■}[: Pro lif'ic fruitful. 6. Pos sess-'ing, having. 1. Vine^'yard, a plantation of Trans i^lant'ed, removed and grape vines. planted in another place. THE IMPORTANCE OF WELJi-SPENT 'YOUTH. 1. As the beauty of summer, the fruitfulness of autumn, aad the support of winter, depend upon spring; so the hap- piness, wisdom, and piQty of middle life and old age, de- pend upon youth Youth is the seed-time of life. 2. If the farmer does not plow his land, and commit the precious seed to the ground in Spring, it will be too late af- terward ; so if we, while young, neglect to cultivate out hearts and minds, by not sowing the seeds of knowledge and virtue, our future lives will be ignorant, vicious, and wretched. " The sluggard will not jnoir by reason of tht cC^ld ; he, therefore, shall beg in harvest, and have nothing." 3. The soil of the human heart is naturally barren of cyery thing good, though prolific of evil. If corn, flowers^ Qt trees, be not planted, and carefully cultivated, nettles OUR OWN THIRD READER. 18| and brambles will spring up ; and the mind, if not culti- vated, and stored with useful knowledge, M'ill become a barren desert, or a thornj wilderness. * 4. "I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vine- yard of the man void of understanding, and lo ! it was all grown over witn thorns, and nettles had covered the fact thereof, and the stone wall thereof was brcjvon down.'* When our first parents had sinned, the ground was cursed for their sake, and God said, " Thorn?, also, and thistles shall it bring forth ;" but this curse is turned into a bless* ing by the diligent and industrious, who are never happy when unemployed, who delight in labor and exertion, and receive q,n ample reward for all their toils. 5. As the Spring is the most important part of the year^ so i» youth the m©st important period of life. Surely, God has a claim to our first and principal attention, and religion demands the morning of our days, and the first season, the spring of our lives : before we are encumbered by cares, distressed by afflictions, or engaged in busine*, it becomes as to resign our souls to God. 6. Perhaps you may live for many years ; then you will be happy in possessing knowledge and piety, and be enabled to do good to others ; but if, just as youth is showing its buds and blossoms, the flower should be snapped from its atalk by the rude hand of death, now important that it Aould be transplanted from earth, to flourish forever at the foot of the tree of life, and beside the waters of the river ijf life in heaven. 184 OUR OWN THIRD READER BLACK BOARD EXERCISE. The Seasons.— The four seasons are Spring, Summer. Autumn, and Winter. Spring includes March, April, and May ; Summer ir eludes June, July, and August ; Autun;iii includes September, October, and November ; Winter in- cludes December, January, and February. The year l^f!;ins with January and ends with December. IL. E H S O N LX. Spell and define. 1. As SAULTS^, attacks.^ 4, Loath, un-willing. Tl hts''tra tive, explanatory. Ri'val ry, competition. 2. Beach, the seashore. 5. In cin^'tives, induceraents. Es piED^ dif^covered. * 6. Re lin^'qttish, give up. 3. In consider kate, thoughtless. 8. Baf'flsd, defeated. ^ A WARD^ED, giren as a prize. 9. Im^'jii nent, near at hand. SWIMMING FOR LIFE. 1. Presence of mind is the power of maintaining one'« faculty of reason apd calculation in- the midst of danger, and against the assaults of fear and surprise. I will relate ati incident illustrative of the advantage of presence of .mind in times of peril. > 2. A wealthy gentleman, «f the name of Manning, was »t a port in the West Indies. With two friends, he went down to the beach to bathe.* While he remained upon the shore, and his companions were sporting in the waves at a cnnsiderable distance, fie espied an enormous shark making straight for the unconscious swimmers. OUR OWN TiriRt) READER. 185 3. ^Thc first impulse of ii htisty and inconsiderate person would have been to alarm the bathers by a loud outcry of danger. But Manning kne v tTiat such a course would, by frightening them, deprive them of all power of escape. jBtc thercfurc preserved his unconcerned appearance, and play- fully shouted to them, holding up his watch,'" Now for u ,^wimn>ing- match ! This watch shall \c awarded to him who first touches the shore " 4. Nothing loath to -try their powers of ^peed, the two «\vimmers stru,ck out for the shore.with all the swiftrie5.-> oi" which they were capable. All this while the sharS had i)ecu silently rearing his prey ; and as they turned for the m shore, he shot through the waves .with ii^creased velocity. The nice for life, unconsciously oft the part o.f the pursued, was now fairly begun. The swimmers, 'in their friendly rivalry, strained every nerve'; but the shaik gained rapidly !ipon them. * . 5. Manning, though inwardly tortured, with anxiety, still i)rcse'fved his calm and smiling appearance, as he continued to utter incentives to increase the speed of his unfortunate' friends. "Look at it, gentlemen!" h.e exclaimed :" a, watch that cost me a hundred pounds in London. Think of the glory of winning it! Faster! faster! Don't give up!" 6. They were still a long way from the shorcj when one of them showed soipe signs of fatigue, and was apparently about to relinquish the race. That was a moment of agony to Manning. "What, Farnum!". he exclaimed to this friend, " do you grow a laggard so soon 1 Fie, man, fie ! 13 186 OUR OWN THIRB REABKR. A few more good strokes, and you will be the conqueror ! Bravo ! That^s it ! that's it !" 7. The. tired competitor, tjms encouraged, struck out his arms with new vigor. On came the shark behind the .still unconscious swimmers, nearer and nearer, his enormous fina Sashing in the ssunlight. The swimmers approached the ;^ore ; the shark was so near them that he turned uy>on his side to make the final plunge at them, and begin the work of death . 8^ At this moment Manning rushed into the water, and with his cane frightened the shark, and then dragging his timazed and exhausted friends upon the bank, ptyitcd to the baffled sea-monster, now angrily lashing the waves with his fins. 9. Then the swimmers comprehended the imminent dan- ger from which they had escaped, and one of them fell faint- ing to the earth. They never forgot the unconscious match with the shark, nor thie admirable presence of mind of their friend Manning, to which they were indebted for their lives. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. The Lion. — The lion, which is the strongest and most <:ourageous of the cat tribe of animals, has been called tho " king of beasts " and " monarch of the fore.«t." He ia a natire of Africa and of Southern Asia, The greatest siac of the African lion is nearly eight feet in length and fovtt and a half in height. The roaring of the lion is loud and dreadful : when heard in the night it resembles distant thunder. His cry of auger 19 more shrill and piercing. OUR OWN .THIRD READER. ISf SpfdI. and define. \. Con'ckkt. bj agreement 5. Ca pit u la'tiom, » surrender ij. Vi cjs'i TY, neighborhood bj treaty. i, Ci>.N Juric'TiOK, union. 6. An tio'i pa timq, expooting. \)v. vi'cKS, Htratagems. 7. Kiv'kt ep, fixed iiamorably. Des ti NA^'Tioif, a pliioe to be Id'ho min y, disgraco. ivacliel. ll- Ex OT. ta'tiom, grektjoy. 4. En ciH-'cLB, snrrouiid. , Peal'bd. sounded. * In vjn'ci blb, unconquenible 18. Kb it'kr at kd, repeated* Ex'tri ca tino, setting fieei SU|LRENDEi; OF C0RNWALLI8 AT YORKTOWN^ VA. 1. Soon after the battle of Guilford Court House, LonI Gornwallis left North Carolina, and acting in concert witjti the other detachments of the British armj, overran the lower counties of Virginia. 2. Cornwallis established himself at Yorktown in Vir- ginia, but a few miles from Chesapeake Bay. There waft no American force in the vicinity seriously to annoy him.. Relying upon the supposed superiority of the British fleeit in the Chesapeake, he regarded his position as favorable to the accomplishment of his designs in the South. 3. Washington resolved in conjunction with our allie(» from France, to make a bold movement for his capture* By various devices he succeeded in deceiving the English into the belief that he was making great preparations for the siege of New York. Before the British commander wa*> »ware of the destination of the American army, it had ao- 188 OUR OWN THIRD REABBR. eoniplislied a considerable part of the jourtiey toward Vir- ginia. Thus Sir Henry Clinton, the British conimander-in- ©hief^ was prevented from rendering any aid to Yorktown. 4 By rapid marches Washington hastened to encirclt the fo^. On the 28th of September, 1781, the combined j^meriean and French armies moved from Williamsburg, and lav siege to Yorkiown. The French fleet appeared in invincible strength off the harbctr. The siege was pressed with great energy and .spirit. Cornwallis was hopelessly .©aught. Thete was no possibility of extricating himself. Neither by land nor by sea, could he obtain any supplic*. Shot and sh-ell carried destruction into the midst of his de- spairing forces ; while famine gtared hijn in the face. 5. On the morning of the 17th of October, Cornwalli"^ »6kQd a cessation ©f hostilities for twenty-four hours, that «ommissioners might meet and settle terras of the surren der of Yorktown and the army under his command. After gome little delay, articles of capitulation were signed by th«f' respective commanders, and Cornwallis and. his army that iad so long been a terror to the South became prisoners of war. • 6. The 19th of October was the day appointed for the Burrendei;. At 12 o'clock the combined army was drawn Dp ; the Americans on the right commanded by Washing- k)n in full uniform ; on. the le'ft were the French troops un- der Count Rochambeau. In every direction thousands of spectators grouped into crowds, were eagerly anticipating a OUE OWN THIRD RKADKR. 189 *ig>it of tViat fortoidikbi^ a'liiij, wliusc presence they bad s« »»ftcn fled. • • ^ 7. At length a movement was obflorved hi the Britisli Hnes, and General O'llara appeared raduntcd on a noble charger." Every eye was riveted upon the spot, in order tm get a view of Cornwallis. Slowly And gracefully O'Hfirft rode toward Washington, and yet the earl appeared not. When the British general approacbeil Wjishington, he rai.sefl his hat, and was refi^rred to General Lincoln. The mystery was explained. The proud spirit of Cornwallis could not submit to the ignominy of delivering up his sword in person. 8. Slowly following their general, ca«e the Britisli troops, with shoufdered arms, cased crtlors, and marching to the solemn tones of a national air. They were mot bf General Lincoln near the centre of the enclosed^pace, an4l ♦ (conducted to the field where the ceremony was to talie place. 9. The march of thfi captured army was irregiilar aufl disorderly. But when the last act of their humiliatiom ifamc, when thejr were to resign the arms with which thcj" had so frequently swept ev.erything before them, shame anfi mortified pride could no longer be concealed. The com- mand to ground arms seemed torn by compulsion from most *>f tke officers ; and was obeyed by many in a manner irri- • table and sullen. Observing this, Lincoln rode along the line and restored order. •10 Seven thousand two hundred and forty-seven Eng- lish veterans laid down their arms to the victors. Seventy- live brass, and one hundred and sixtj-ninc iron cannon,. ^0 OUR OWN THIKD READER. wpwarda of seven tliousand muskets, with correspon Jin^- Military stores, graced the triumph. II. This glorjeus capture routed hope and joy all over ile coHntry; one wild shout— the burst of a nation's cxul- lotion—pealed through the land. The Hector of the Bri- iigh host had fallen, and all felt that his cause could not iong survive. The English became disheartened bj the in- domitab.'e perseverance of the Americans ; and the surree* icr of Cornwaliis was virtually the end of the revolutionary war. 12. The day after the capitulation, Washington devoutly wsued the following order to the army : " Divine service i* to be performed to-morrow in the several brigades and divi* ^ons. The cbmmander-in. chief earnestly recommends that fehe troops not on duty should universally attend, with that seriousness of deportment and gratitude of lieart which tlu' uecognition of such reiterated and astonishing interposi- ^ons of Providence demand of us." BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. . YoRKTowN. — Yorktown, seventy miles from Richmond. IB situated on the right bank of York river, and is distin- guished for the closing scene of the American revolution^ ♦he surrender of Lord Cornwaliis, which put an end to th«? druggie between Great Britian and the United States. The ruins of the old church have a sad and solemn -af*- pect. It was built above one hundred and fifty yeard ago, and destroyed Jby fire in 1814. The bell is preserved and. fcears this inscription : '*Counfi/ of York, Virginia, 1725." nUnfoWM THl.D R^stHK ^ ]{)X ILiEJSWON L.X1I. Spe// a IK I d'fiw • 1. An':n'\lr, a ppccic'- qC hi '(■ rv • . (iuAN''A kies. c rn housp.' Ei/o (iiir.NOK, ilie powor .-f (> cro pkS"<'i tika. bent of rr.i'.tl^ pf king \v« 11. iiM'! n ti-'n 4. ( 'AN'^ii pY, n cjoveriiijr ovt'r h( iil.T •••v'ish. jiv tuso, wastefi'i r». A:- HI nu'i TV eo»<- a|);ilica iO ^'l' pk-k fi.u'i ties, sfim^tliMig tidi:. diligoc*' b yond wliar is wanted • TIIK OKVKROUS RUSSIAN TilASAXT. 1. Let Virgil sing the [)rai.ses of AuirnstiiP', genius colc- br.'ite >n^rit, and flattery cxrol the tale: ts of the grpat. The short and simple " annals of the poor " engross ray \h.j\ ; and while I record the history of Flor Silin's virtues, th'-ugli I speak of a poor peasant, I shall describe a noble niai'.. I ask no ejoquence to assist me in the task ; modest Vnjih rejects' the aid of ornament to set it. off, 2. Tt i» impossible, even at this distant period, to refjcct, without horror, en the nnserio* of that year, known iu Lower Wolga by the name of the "famine year."* 1 re- aiember the summer, whose scorching heats had dried up ail the fields, arid the drought had no relief but from ':!ie tears of the ruined farmer. 8. I remember the cold, comfortless autumn, and the de- spairing rustics, crowding round their empty farms with folded arras^ and sorrowful countenances, pondering on their misery, instead of rejoicing, as usual, at the golden har- vest; I remember the winter which succeeded, and I re- 192 OUR OWN THIRD -READER. • fleet, with agony, on the miseries it brought with it; whole- families left their homes, to become beggars on the highway. 4. At<.night, the canopy of heaven served them aa their anly shelter from the piercing winds and bitter frost ; to describe these scenes, would be to harm the feelings of mj? readers ; therefore to my talc. In those days I lived on an f^tate not far from Simbirsk ; and though but rt child, I 5iave not forgotten the impression made on my mind, by the f^eneral calamity. - 5. In a village adjoining, lived Flor Silin, h poor, labor- ing peasant : a man remarkable for his assiduity, and the skill and judgment with which he cultivated ^is lan^s. lie was blessed with abuiidant crops ; and his meaiie .being Larger than his wants, his granaries, even at this time, were full of .corn. ' The dry year coming on, had beggared all the village, except himself. Here was an opportunity to grow rich. Mark, how Flor Silin acted. Having called the poorest of his neighbors about him, he addressed them in the following manner : • 6. *' My friends, you walU eofJi for your subsistence : iyod hJts blessed me with abundance; assist in thrashing ant a quantity, and each of you take what he wants for hia family." The peasants were amazed at this unexampled generosity ; for sordid propensities exist in the yiHagc, n.^ well as in the populous city. . 7. The fame of Flor Silin's bcncvoleiice having reached ather villages, the famished inhabitants presented thcm- Holves before him, and begged for corn. This good creat- OUR OWN THIRD READER. 19^ ure received tliem as brotliers ; and, while his store ro- Hiained, afforded all relief. At length, his wife,* seeing no md to%flQ generosity of his noble spirit, reminded him how necessary it wotild be to think of their own want?, and hold his lavish hand, before it was too late. "It i* written iri the scripture," said he, "Give, and it shall be given unto you." 8. The following jear, Providence listened to the prayer? »)f the poor, and the harvest was abundant. The peasants who had been saved from starving by Flor Silin, nowgath- (M'ed around him. 9. "Behold;" said they, " the corn you lent '.us.* You .'.o.ved our ^Yives and children. We should have been fani- ished but for you ; may God reward you ; he only can ; all pre have to give, is bur corn and grateffil thanks.". "I want no coriv at present, nij good neighbors," said he : "•' my harvest. has cxcce^^ed all my expectations; ftr the rest, thank Heaven, I have been but an, liumblo instru- ment." * 10. They urged him in vain. "No," said he "I shall not acce|)t your corn. If you have superfluities, share them among your poor n-eighbors, who, being unable to sow their fields last autumn, arc still in want — l.;t us assist them, my iiear friends, the Almighty vnW bless us for it." " Yes," replied thre grateful peasants, "our poor neighbors shall have this corn. . They shall know that it is to you that they nwe this timely succor, and join to teach their children tht debt of gratitude, to your benevolent hc^rt " -Silin raised his tearful eyes to heiiven. An angel might have envied '^im his feelingH. [94 OUR OWN THIRD READ1611. , BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Happiness. — Many persons go abroad for happ«fc.«a, in- stead of seeking it where it must be found, if anywbere. within themselves. So have I seen an absent-minded nia'B hunt for his hatj while it was in his hand qr on his head. LEHSON T^XIII. Spell and define. I. Mouhx^'ful, sad. A. Biv-'on ac, encaiiipin. A CFifEv'is*;. accomplishinij;, .A PSALM OF LIFE. • , 1. Tell me not, in mournful numbcri;, Life is bttt an empty dream ; For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what thejj^ seem. - 2. Life is real ! Life is earnest ! * , And the grave is not its goal : ^ Dust thou art, to dust rcturiiftst, Was not spoken of the soul. 3. Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Is our destined end or way : But to act, that each to-morrow Find us farther than to-day. 4. Art is long, and time is lieetiifg, And our hearts, though stout and brare, OUR OWN THIRD READER. * !.?>>'• % Still, like iBufBed drums arc ^^e*»tiiig Funeral marches to the graTe. , 5^ In the world's ferpad field of battle, In the bivouac of life, Be not like dumb, driven cattle ; ^ Be a hero -in the stride ! (J. Trust no future, however pleafiant, Let the dead past bury its dead ; Act ! act in the living present ! Henrt within, and God overhead. 7. Lives of great men all remind us Wo can make our lives sublime. And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time ; 8. Footprints, that perhaps another. Sailing o'er life's solemn main ; A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again. 9. Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate ; Still achieving, still pursuing, « * Love to labor and to wait. BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Valuk of Time. — As every thread of gold is valuable, «» 13 every moment of time ; and as it would be great folly IQ3 OUR OWN THIRD READER. tn phoe horses (as Nero did) with gold,* so it- is lo spend time in trifles. Our,tim6 should not be estimated by days and vc&r.s iuerely, but by the number of our good deeds. LESSOJsT LXIV^. Spell and define. -^■'^J^'^/.i?' ^'i ETii, gives content. 7. Un right'E'^us, evil, wiokod. \*/ Ev Elf last'^ing, never ending, A bund'ant ly, fully, amply. lasting always. 11. Vuii), empty, in vain. Cov^E NANT, a nautual Jkgroo Ac com^plish, effect, bring;i« ment. pass. A. (JOM mand'kh., one who directs * or governs. (50SI>EL INVITATION. — ISAIAH IN, * * I. Ho, every one that thirateth, come yc to the wat6jp.8j, and he that hath no money; *come ye, buy aud eat; yea, me, buy wine and milk, without money, and without prLee. 'i. Wherefore d6 ye spend money, for that which is xsxA •i>read ? and ycj^ur labor for that which satisfieth not 1 hear- 4;en diligently unto Mc, and eat ye that which isp^oodj awa let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3. Incline your ear, and come unto Me ; hear, and yoiit ' aoul shall live; and I will, make an everlastiog covenant .vith you, eveft the .sure mercies of David 1. Behold, I have given Him. for a witness to the peopJe. a leader and commander to the people. fn Behold, thou'.shalt call a nation that thou knowejt not. and nations that know not thee shall run unto thee, beoasi^i,^ OUR OWN TniRD TiKADKR. U^7 of the Lord tby God, and for tbc Holy One of Israel ; for lie bath glorified thee. 6. Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye nyuu Him while He is near : 7. Lot the wioked forsake his way, and ti^e imrightcon* man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, nm] lie will have mercy upoi him ; and to our God,'for Ho will abundantly pardon. . 8.' For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither orf your wuys My ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens ^re higher than the earth, so utv ■My ways higher than your^ ways, and M3' thoughts i\fhy) your thoughts. • * * 10. For as the rain eometh down and the^'ljnow from hear- en, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, auu inaketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to »tjjfe sower, and bread' to the eater : 11. So shall My word be, that goeth forth out ol My • moutli : it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accom- plish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 12. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace : the mountains and the hills shall break forth befort you into singing, and aH the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree; and instead of the brier, shall come up the myrtle-tiee ; and it iSihaH be to the Lord for a navie, for an everlasting sign that, shall not be cut off. ii*8 OUR OWN THIRD READER. /Spell and define . ^iiM^ic, one vrho imitates. Spohts^man, a hunter. Kk geed'kd, surpassed. At tkmpt'^kd, trieJ. (■OP^iED, imitated. (I Rue, to regret. THE MIMIC. . A mimic I knew, who, to give him his due, AVas exceeded by none and was equalled by few. He could bark like a dog ; he could grunt like a hog i Nay, I really belitve he could crdak like a frog. Then, as for a bird, — you may tri\»t to my word, 'Twa-s the best imitation that ever you heard : It must be confessed that he copied birds best : YouM have thought he had lived all his life in a nesL It happened, one day, that he came in the way Of a sportsman, — an excellent marksman, they say. And near a stone wall, with his little bird-call, The mimic attempted to imitate all. So well did he go it, the birds all flew to it ; But, ah ! he had certainly reason to rue it, ' It turned out no fun, — for the man with the gun, Who was seeking for partridges, took him for one. He was shot in the side ; and he feelingly cried, A mopaent or so ere he fainted and died : "' Who for others prepare a trap, should beware » They do Bot themselves fall into the snare." "our own third bbadeh. 199 BIBLE VIEW OF SLAVERY. » 1. SI-AV-EKY INSTITUTED. Genesis xvii — 12. Aad he that is eight days old shall b^ i)irciinicii*ed aniong-you, every uian-child- in your genera 'ions, he that is born in the hous^e, or bought with riion- oy of any stranger, which is not of thy ?eed. 13. He that is born- in thy how> of his chariots, and his horsemen. II. HEIiRKWS MICiHT BE ENSEAVEI). Exodus xxi — 5. And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children : I will not g«> out free ; 6. Then* bis master shall bring him unto the- judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl ; and he shall serve him forever. ' * Dkuteronomy XV — 16. Atid it shall bo, if he >cr, i utr. OUR OWN THIRD REABSR. 201 tbcc, I wil! U(it go away from tlicc ; becau'fee he lovcth thee ;ind thy house, because he is well with thee ; 17. Then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through liis ear unto the door, and he shall Ije.thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maid-servant thou shalt do likewise. Note. — The Hebrew and Greek words trjA^lated servant, bond^ ma?i, bondmaxd, .tc, in this and the succeeding lessons are alwnj» «sed in those langua^e^ when slave is meant. The laws so strictly forbidding the permanent servitude of Ibeir Hebrew brethren, and at the same time permitting and advising it, iu regard to foreigners, are striking and decisive. Their slaves were % possession, bought, sold, and inherited, and were procured of "th« Ijeathcn round nbout them," and of "the children of the strangers . sojourning among them." So it continued all through the Bible his- tory ;*all through the period from Malachi to Christ, and all through the New Testament period. We infer from the language tf the Evangelists, the phraseology in Christ's language and parables, that !here were slnves is almost ev« cry family wbo were able to afford them. An^ the apostolic epis- tles show that there were iu all ihe primitive churches, believin«- masters and believing slavesf-^ind (hero is no hint of the uulawfulness Of this relation, any more than that of husband and wife, or pa- rent and child. The whole Bible has come from a slaveholding people. It is ful of allusions to this institution. And any man who makes ^ Concord- atice and omits the distiuctirn between hireling and slave, m;ikey the Bible contradictory to itself and absurd. BIBLE VIEW OF SLAV:E;RY (continued.) III. SLAYKRY RECOGNIZED THROUGH' THE WHOLf: BIBLE. Genesis xxxii — 3. And Jacob gent piessencers befor* 14 ' 202 OUR OWN THIED READER. hira to Esau his brother, unto the land of Seir, the couEtry af Edom. 4. And he cojiimnnded thei8% saying, thus shall ye i?]^eak unto my lord Esau ;. Thy servant Jacob saith thu?, I huv« sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now ; 5. And I have oxen, and aases, fioclis, and men-servants, and wonaen-servanfs : and I liave sent to tell my lord, that T may-find grace in thy sight. Genesis xxvi — IB. And the man wased great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great; ' 14. For he had possession of flocks, and possession of terds, and groat store of fc^ervante : and the Philistiiie* envied him. Genesis xx- — 10. Eut tlie seventh day is the ^Sabbath of the Lord thy God ; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor (hy mftid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy^stranger that is T\i thin thy gates. 17. Tfeou shalt not cov^t thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wiilj nor his man-servant., nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's. I. Samuel xxv — 10. And Nabal answered David's ser- vants, asd said, Who is David 1 and who is the son of Jesse ? there be many servants nbw-a-days. that break away every man from his master. I. Kings ii — 39. And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unt's Achish son of Maachah king of Gath ; and they told Sliirnei, saying, E»hold, thy servants be in Gath. , 40. And Shimei arose atid saddled -his ass, and went U) Gath to Achish to seek his servants ; and Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. OUR OWN THIRD READER. 20§ Esther vii — 4. For we are sold, I and my people, to \yt destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had be^n sold for bond-men and bond-women, I had held my tongue,' although the eneuiy. could not countervail the kind's damaixe* Phovlrbs iii — 9. He that is despised, and hath a ser- vant, is better than h« that honoreth hiraeelf, and lackcth bread. Proverbs xvii — 2. A wise servant shall rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren. Proverbs xxx — 10. Accuse not a servant unto his mas- ter, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. EccLESiASTES ii — 7. I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me. Jeremiah xxxiy — 8. This is the word that came unt© Jeremiah from the Lord, aftej that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jeru- salem, to proclaim liberty unto them ; 9. That every man should let his man-servant, and ev- ery man his maid-servant, being a Hebrew or a Hebrewess go free ; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother. EzEKiEL xxvii — 13. Javan, Tubal, and Meshcch, th«j were thy merchants ; they traded the persons of men and ▼CBsels of brasa in thy market. Matthew xxiv — 45. Who then is a faithful and' wiB« servant, whom hii lord bath made ruler over his hoom- koldy to give them their meet in due season t 46. Blessed i» that servant, whom kifi lord, wken ht tgauetb, Bhall find so doing. 204 OUR OWN THIRD READER. 47. V.erily I say ■unto yon, that he shall make him riilrv over all his goods. 48. But andlf that evil servant shall say in his heart. My lord delaycth his coming ; ^ 49. And shall begin to smite his fellew-serTants, and to cat and drink with the drunken ; 50. The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware ©f, 51. And sha,ll cut him asunder, and appoint him a por- tion with the hypocrites ; there shall be weeping and gnash- ing of teeth. LiiKE xvii" — 7. But which tf youj having a servant plough- ing, or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, wheit he is come from the field. Go ajad sit down to meat 1 8. And will not rather say unto liim, Make ready where- with I may sup, and gird thyself and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken, and afterward thou shalt eat arid drink? 9. Doth he thank that servant, because he did the things that were commanded him t I trow not. Luke xx — 9. Then began he to speak to the people this parable ; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. 10. And at the season he »ent a servant to the husband- men, that they should give him Of the fruit of the vine- yard ; but the hutsbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. " . 11. 'And again he sent another servant; and they beat tiim also ^ and entreated him shamefully, and sent him a- way empty. 12. And again he sent a third ; md they wounded hjm also, and' cast him out. 13. Then said the lord of the viieyard, What shall 1 do ? ■ OUR OWN THIRD READER. 205 T Tcill send my beloved sou ; it may be they will reveifeiice him when, they see him. John xviii — 10. Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was'Malchus. 26. One of the sertants of the high priest (being his kins- man whose ear Peter cut off) saith, Did not 1 see thee in the garden with him ? Philemon — 8. Wherefore, thongh I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, 9. Yet fof love's sake*"! rather beseech thee, being su«h :i one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. 10. I beseeah thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds : 11. Which in times past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me : 12. Whom I have sent again : thou therefore receive him. that is, my own bowels : 13. Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy ■stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel : . ^ 14. But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. 15. For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that trhou shouldest receive him forever : 16. Net now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, especially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord 1 17. If th9u count me therefore a partne», receive him as myself. 18. If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on miy account. 'IQQ ' OUR OWN THIRD READER 19. I Paul have written it with my own hand, I will re- pa : albeit I do |iot say to thee how thou owest unto me, eyen thine own self besides. BIBLE VIEW OF SLAVERY (continued.) IV. DIRECTIONS TO MAST^IRS. Genesis xxi — 20. If a man smite his servant, or hie maid, with a rod, and ho die under his hand ; he shall Ire surely punished. 21. But if he continue a day or two, he shall not be pun- ished ; for he is his money. Leviticus xxv — :43. Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor, but shalt fear the Lord. Proverbs xxix — 19. A servant will not be corrected l>y words ; for though he understand he will not answer. 21. He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child, shall have him become his son at the length. Proverbs xxx — 11. Accuse not a servant unto his mas- ter, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. Ephesians vi — 9. And, ye masters, do the same thii^ unto them, forbearing threatening ; knowing that your mas^ ter also is in heaven ; neither is thei^e respect of persons with him. CoLossiANS iy — 1. Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal ; knowing that ye also have a Ma«- fecr in heaven. T. DlRKOTIONS TO SERVANTS 0JB27S8IS £yi-— 7. And the angel of the Lord found hei OWN THIRD 207 by'a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shnir. 8. And he said^, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence earnest thou, and whither wilt thou go 1 And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. 9. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hand. PrtOVERBs xxvii— 18. Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat tbe fruit ther.eof ; so he that waiteth on his master shall, be honoted. I. CoRijJTtUAN.s vii— 20. Let evety man abide in the •same calling wLeroin he was called. 21. A/t thou called beiuff a servant? Care not for it ; but if thou mayest Ije made free, use rather. Ephesians vi — 5. Servants,* be obedient to them that are your masters according to the ficsh, with fear and trem- bling, in singleness of your heartj as unto Christ; 6. Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers ; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. M: tVith good Tvill (loi'ug service, ac tc the Lord, ?.r^ r^'t to men, 8. K^iowing that Tfhat good thing any man doetb, -tln' same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond ot U\ e. ^ ' CoLdfesiANS iii— 22. Servants, obey in all things your ^ roasters according to the flesh ; not with eye-service, aF ^ men-pfleasers ; but in singleness of heart, fearing God : 23. And whatsoever yc do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto .men : * 24. knowinp; that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance ; for ye' serve the Lord Chrri?t. T. tImothy vi — 1. Let as many servants gs are under 208 OUR OWN THIRD READER . . ._ . -_ , tho yclie count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine ho not blasphemed. 2. And* they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren ; but rather do thejn service, because they are faithful and beloved, par- takers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. ■ .3. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to whole- some words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, 4. He is proud, knowiner nothing, but doting about ques- tions and strifes of words, T. hereof conreth envy, strife, railings, evil surmisiRgs, 5. Perverse disp^tings of men of corrupt minds, and dcr stitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness ; from such withdraw thyself. Titus ii— ^9. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please then:: well in all things ; not answering again : . . 10. Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour 1n*j|ll things. I. Peter ii — 18. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear ; not only to the good and gentle, but to the fro ward. 19. For this is thank-worthy, if a man for conscience to- ward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. ' 20, For what glory is it, if, when ye be bufl'eted flbr your faults, ye shall {ake it patiently 1 but if, when ye m Well, and suffer for it, yc take It jiatiently, this is acceptable with God. \ >-^J-- L ^■V' '%^- c fi^y^ i n r wd I ' ^ / ■*• ^.