LESSON LXVII. MANNERS. "The gentleman is a man of truth, lord of his own actions, and expressing that lordship in his behavior, not in any manner dependent and servile, either on persons, or opinions, or possessions. "The manners of this class are observed and caught with devotion by men of taste. The association of these masters with each other, and with men intelligent of their merits, is mutually agreeable and stimulating. The good forms, the happiest expressions of each, are repeated and adopted. By swift consent everything superfluous is dropped, everything graceful is renewed. "A circle of men perfectly well-bred would be a company of sensible persons, in which every man's native manners and character appeared. But any deference to some eminent man or woman of the world forfeits all privilege of nobility. He is an underling: I have nothing to do with him; I will speak to his master. "Moral qualities rule the world; but, at short distances, the senses are despotic. The love of beauty is mainly the love of measure or proportion. The person who screams or uses the superlative degree, or converses with heat, puts whole drawing-rooms to flight." 53 LESSON LXVIII. PUBLIC DUTIES. "Let us remember that we have duties and obligations to perform corresponding to the blessings which we enjoy. Let us remember the trust, the sacred trust, attaching to the rich inheritance which we have received from our fathers. Let us feel our personal responsibility, to the full extent of our powers and influence, for the preservation of the principles of civil and religious liberty. And let us remember that it is only religion, and morals, and knowledge, that can make men respectable and happy under any form of government. "Let us hold fast to the great truths that communities are responsible as well as individuals; that no government is respectable which is not just; that without unspotted purity of public faith, without sacred public principle, fidelity, and honor, no mere forms of government, no machinery of laws, can give dignity to political society. In our day and generation, let us seek to raise and improve the moral sentiment so that we may look, not for a degraded, but an elevated and improved future. And when both we and our children shall have been consigned to the house appointed for all living, may love of country and pride of country glow with equal fervor among those to whom our names and our blood shall have descended! '' 54 TO TEACHERS. FIRST of all, and above all, in every lesson. given to pupils, teach the thought. In the very first lessons in which graphic language is involved, teach reading and writing together. Give the first lessons in writing slowly, carefully, and patiently, until the pupil acquires the art of copying correctly. Teach the forms of the letters by the observation which comes from correctly copying them. Teach the names of the letters by speaking them as if known-one or two at a lesson. Make a point of teaching the names of the letters quite early in the course. Teach the alphabet in its order as soon as the forms and names of the letters are known. Change from script to print at the end of a two or three months' course. Let the test of spelling be the ability of the pupil to spell words correctly in daily original written work. Again teach the thought first, last, and al ways. ABBREVIATIONS. A., Ans., answer. A., or @, at, to. Ap., Apr., April. Aq. (aqua), water. A. A. S., Fellow of the American Aug., August. A. C. (Ante - Christum), before B. C., before Christ. Christ. Acct., c, account. B. C. L., Bachelor of Civil Law. A. D. (Anno Domini), in the year Bk., bank, book. of our Lord. Ad., advertisement. Adjt., adjutant. Ad lib. (ad libitum), at pleasure. Adm., administrator. B. LL. (Baccalaureus Legum), B. M. (Baccalaureus Medicinœ), Bro., brother. Ad v. (ad valorem), according to C., cent., ct. (centum), by the A. M. (Ante- Meridiem), before C. E., Canada East. noon. Chap., chapter. A. M. (Anno Mundi), in the year Chem., chemical; chemistry. of the world. Am., American. Amt., amount. Anon., anonymous. Chron., chronology. C. J., chief-justice. Co., county; company. |