well worth contending for; and success may attend you! and the "stars" will be brighter, as the "stripes" wear deeper. QUESTIONS-1. What did the rich boy say of the poor boy? 2. What reply did the poor boy make? 3. What other examples are cited of eminent men who were once poor? 4. What is said of Cincinnatus? 5. Of Washington? 6. Of Ben Jonson? 7. Of Burns? 8. What do all these examples prove? 9. What encouragement is given to young men? 10. What are the full forms of the words you're, 'prentice?

LESSON XLVII.

MAG' IC, power of enchantment.
CON TEN TION, strife; controversy.
TRA DI" TION, facts or events handed
down from age to age.
SUB' TILE, thin; slight; slender.
IN VEST' ED, clothed. [crest.
CREST' ED, adorned with a plume or
Az' URE, light-blue; sky-colored.

VEST URE, garment.
SE DATE', calm; quiet.
FAN TAS' TIC, fanciful; visionary.
RA' DI ANCE, brightness; luster.
IN VECTIVE, railing speech.
I DE AL, imaginary.

FA TIGUING, wearisome; toilsome.
AS PIR' ING, aiming; seeking to rise.

PER SPECT IVE, (PER, through; SPECT, to see; IVE, having the power,) having the power to see through; a view through.

UN DI VERT ED, (UN, not; DI, aside; VERTED, turned,) not turned aside; unheeded.

recce.

NOW AND THEN.

1. In distant days,—of wild romance,
Of magic, mist, and fable,-

JANE TAYLOR.

When stones could argue, trees advance,*

And brutes to talk were able,

When shrubs and flowers were said to preach,
And manage all the parts of speech,-

* The reference is to Orpheus, (or fūse,) an ancient poet and musician of The skill of Orpheus on the lyre, was fabled to have been such as to move the very trees and rocks, and to assemble the beasts around him as he touched its chords.

2. 'Twas then, no doubt, if 'twas at all,
(But doubts we need not mention,)

That Then and Now, two adverbs small,
Engaged in sharp contention;

But how they made each other hear,
Tradition doth not make appear.

3. Then was a sprite of subtile frame,
With rainbow tints invested-
On clouds of dazzling light she came,
And stars her forehead crested;

Her sparkling eyes of azure hue,

Seemed borrowed from the distant blue.

4. Now rested on the solid earth,
And sober was her vesture;
She seldom either grief or mirth
Expressed, by word or gesture;
Composed, sedate, and firm she stood,
And looked industrious, calm, and good.

5. Then sang a wild, fantastic song,
Light as the gale she flies on,
Still stretching, as she sailed along,
Toward the far horizon,

Where clouds of radiance, fringed with gold,
O'er hills of emerald beauty rolled.

6. Now rarely raised her sober eye
To view that golden distance;
Nor let one idle minute fly

In hope of Then's assistance;
But still with busy hands she stood,
Intent on doing present good.

7. She ate the sweet, but homely fare,
That passing moments brought her;
While Then, expecting dainties rare,
Despised such bread and water;

And waited for the fruits and flowers
Of future, still receding hours.

8. Now, venturing once to ask her why,
She answered with invective;
And pointed, as she made reply,
Toward that long perspective
Of years to come,-in distant blue,
Wherein she meant to live and do.

9. "Alas!" says she, "how hard you toil!
With undiverted sadness ;
Behold yon land of wine and oil!
Those sunny hills of gladness!

Those joys I wait, with eager brow,""And so you always will!" said Now.

10. "That fairy land that looks so real,
Recedes as you pursue it;

Thus, while you wait for times ideal,
I take my work and do it;
Intent to form, when time is gone,
A pleasant past to look upon.'

11. "Ah, well," said Then, "I envy not Your dull, fatiguing labors,

Aspiring to a brighter lot,

With thousands of my neighbors; Soon as I reach that golden hill,”— "But that," says Now, "you never will!"

12. "And e'en suppose you should," said she, "(Though mortal ne'er attained it,) Your nature you must change with me, The moment you have gained it; Since hope fulfilled, (you must allow,)

Turns Now to Then, and THEN to Now."

QUESTIONS.-1. What two words are represented as holding a contro versy ? 2. Describe the appearance of each. 3. When did Then propose to do something? 4. How did Now act? 5. What answer did Then make, when Now asked her why she waited? 6. What was Now's reply? 7. What did Now finally say to Then? 8. How should passages, within a parenthesis, be read? See SANDERS' UNION READER, NUMBER THREE, page 20.

1. In the early part of the war, a sergeant and twelve armed men undertook a journey through the wilderness, in the State of New Hampshire. Their route was remote from any settlement, and they were under the necessity of encamping over night in the woods. Nothing material happened

the first day of their excursion; but, early in the afternoon of the second, they, from an eminence, discovered a body of armed Indians advancing toward them, whose number rather exceeded their own.

2. As soon as the whites were perceived by their red brethren, the latter made signals, and the two parties approached each other in an amicable manner. The Indians appeared to be much gratified with meeting the sergeant and his men, whom, they observed, they considered as their protectors. They said they belonged to a tribe which had raised the hatchet with zeal in the cause of liberty, and were determined to do all in their power to repel the common enemy.

3. They shook hands in friendship. When they had conversed with each other for some time, and exchanged mutual good wishes, they, at length, separated, and each party traveled in a different direction. After proceeding to the distance of a mile or more, the sergeant, who was acquainted with all the different tribes, and knew on which side of the contest they were respectively ranked, halted his men, and addressed them in the following words:

4. "My brave companions, we must use the utmost caution, or this night may be our last. Should we not make some extraordinary exertions to defend ourselves, to-morrow's sun may find us sleeping, never to wake. You are surprised, comrades, at my words, and your anxiety will not be lessened, when I inform you that we have just passed our most inveterate foe, who, under the mask of pretended friendship, which you have witnessed, would lull us to security, and, by such means, in the unguarded moments of our midnight slumber, without resistance, seal our fate."

5. The men with astonishment listened to this short harangue; and their surprise was greater, as not one of