pane. O Cruelty! thou hast taught even the little birds to doubt! 4. When the little stranger grew less timid, I gave it clear water, and tempting food, and so, for many weeks, we dwelt together; but when came the first warm, sunny day, I opened my doors, and it flew away,-away up, up into the dark-blue heavens, till it was lost to my eager gaze. 5. But not an hour had passed, ere I heard the flutter of its tiny wings, and saw, without, its little breast glittering in the golden sunbeams. It had a joyous life. No wired cage restrained its restless wing; but, free as the summer cloud, would it come each day, and gladly would my delighted soul drink in the silvery notes of its gladdening melody. 6. And it is not birds and flowers alone, that, treated with kindness, flourish so brightly 'neath its heaven-born rays. Individuals, families, nations, attest its truth. Legal suasion may frighten to compliance, but moral suasion rules the will. 7. To the erring wanderer, in the by and forbidden paths of sin, with a heart paled in darkness, and lost to every better feeling of his nature, one little word, one little act of kindness, however slight, will find a sunny resting-place in that sinful shade, and prove a light to guide the wayward one to holier and better deeds. The lion licked the hand that drew the thorn from his wounded foot; and Powhatan stayed the descending club, when the burning lips of the Indian girl pressed the prisoner's* pallid brow. 8. And it is ever thus. There beats not a heart, however debased by sin, or darkened by sorrow, that has not its * Captain Smith. noblest impulses aroused, in view of a generous and kindly action. The Holy Father implanted His own pure principles in the breast of every one, and widely do we deviate from their just dictates, when an unkind word, or an unkind act, wounds a broken heart, or crushes a loving, gentle nature. 9. "Speak not harshly,-much of care Every human heart must bear; 10. "Speak not harshly,-much of sin By the wrongs thou didst not shun, By the good thou hast not done, With a lenient spirit scan The weakness of thy brother man." QUESTIONS.-1. On what has kindness an influence? 2. What influence had it upon the little flower? 3. What, upon the little bird? 4. What is said of cruelty? 5. What is said of legal and moral suasion?. 6. What is Isaid of the lion? 7. Of Powhatan? 8. Why ought we not to speak harshly? LESSON XIII. SHAFT, arrow; here, careless word. AG' O NY, extreme suffering. WRING, writhe. UN A WÂRE$, unconsciously. EN DEAR' ING, kind; affectionate. EN SHRINED, sacredly preserved. CARELESS WORDS. 1. Он, never say a careless Word The shaft may ope some hidden wound, Weigh well those light-winged messengers; God marked your heedless Word, And with it, too, the falling tear, The heart-pang that it stirred. 2. Words! what are Words? A simple Word That long have lain a sealed fount, A Word hath summoned forth 3. Words! heed them well; some whispered one A shadow on the brow, the soul A name, forbidden, or forgot, That sometimes, unawares, 4. Oh, Words! sweet Words! A blessing comes Oh! are there not some cherished tones In the deep heart enshrined, QUESTIONS.-1. What is said of careless words? 2. What, of sweet words? 3. What is the use of the apostrophe in wak'ning, third verse? 4. What is the meaning of the suffix less, in the words careless, heedless? See SANDERS' NEW SPELLER, DEFINER, AND ANALYZER, page 143, Ex. 369. VEĠ' E TA BLE$, plants. LESSON XIV. DEP RE DA' TION, robbery; plunder. PRAC' TI CAL, pertaining to practice. VI' O LA TED, broken; transgressed. AL LUD' ED, referred; adverted. WEBSTER AND THE WOODCHUCK. BOSTON TRAVELER. 1. EBENEZER WEBSTER, the father of Daniel, was a farmer. The vegetables in his garden had suffered considerably from the depredations of a woodchuck, which had his hole or habitation near the premises. Daniel, some ten or twelve years old, and his older brother Ezekiel, had set a trap, and finally succeeded in capturing the trespasser. 2. Ezekiel proposed to kill the animal, and end, at once, all further trouble from him; but Daniel looked with compassion upon his meek, dumb captive, and offered to let him again go free. The boys could not agree, and each appealed to their father to decide the case. 3. "Well, my boys," said the old gentleman, "I will be the judge. There is the prisoner, (pointing to the woodchuck,) and you shall be the counsel, and plead the case for and against his life and liberty." 4. Ezekiel opened the case with a strong argument, urging the mischievous nature of the criminal, the great harm he had already done; said that much time and labor had been spent in his capture, and now, if he was suffered to live and go again at large, he would renew his depredations, and be cunning enough not to suffer himself to be caught again. 5. He urged, further, that his skin was of some value, and that, to make the most of him they could, it would not repay half the damage he had already done. His argument was ready, practical, to the point, and of much greater length than our limits will allow us to occupy in relating the story. 6. The father looked with pride upon his son, who became a distinguished jurist in his manhood. "Now, Daniel, it is your turn: I'll hear what you have to say." 7. It was his first case. Daniel saw that the plea of his brother had sensibly affected his father, the judge, and as his |