honey wound LESSON XXIV. blub'ber scent slid tōre re proach' sting de spáir åt trået'ed cōmb licked (likt) těn'der ness STORIES OF BEARS. 1. Once a white she-bear and two large cubs were attracted by the scent of some blubber that was burning on the ice. They ran to the blubber, took some pieces from the fire, and ate them hurriedly. Some sailors who saw the bears threw them large pieces of the blubber from the ship. The old bear took these pieces and gave them to her cubs, keeping a very small piece for herself. As they were eating the last piece, the men shot the cubs, and wounded the mother. Her distress was most painful to see, and, though wounded, she crawled to the spot where they lay, tore the blubber into smaller pieces, and put some before each. Finding they did not eat, she tried to raise them, making piteous moans all the time. She then went away from them, looked back and moaned; and this failing to bring them, she returned and licked their wounds. She did this a second time, and still finding that the cubs did not follow, she went round and pawed them with great tenderness. Seeing, at last, that they were lifeless, she raised her head towards the ship, and by a growl seemed to reproach the sailors for having shot them. They returned this with a number of rifle balls. She fell between her cubs, and died licking their wounds. 2. A farmer once went upon the mountain to hunt bees. After traveling for some time, he thought he saw bees go in and out of the top of an old tree. The tree was very high and large. He climbed the tree, and found the top was dead and hollow. He then smoked the bees so that they could not sting. Then he climbed down into the hollow, to get the honey; but when near the honey-comb, he lost his hold and fell into the large store of honey which the bees had put there. He stuck fast and could not get out. He cried for help, but no one heard him. Here he stayed for two days. He ate honey to keep himself from starving, but he was in great despair. On the third day, he saw something dark enter the top of the tree. When he saw the animal was a bear, he was greatly frightened. Some bears are very fond of honey. They will find the hives of wild bees by the smell of the honey. The bear slid down the hollow of the tree hind-part foremost. Down, down he went till he reached the man. A happy thought struck the poor man in this moment of great danger, and he seized hold of the tail of the bear. In surprise and great fright, the beast climbed out of the tree as fast as he could, taking the man with him. The bear, when rid of his load, ran away as fast as he could, and the man could not thank him. COMPOSITION. Subject: THE BEAR. What is his shape? His size? What is his color ? How many kinds of bears? Where do they live? What kind of a home does he have? What does he eat? Can he walk, run, climb, or swim ? Have you ever seen one? Where? Tell some story you have heard or read of bears? This same outline will do for Compositions on "The Tiger," "The Wolf," "The Fox," and "The Lion." FOR PRACTICE IN ARTICULATION. 1. Drill carefully in pronouncing c (hard), and its equivalents, in these words. Drill carefully in pronouncing c (soft), and its equiv ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST. This apostle was the son of a poor fisherman. He was born in the town of Bethsaida. Of his boyhood we know very little. He helped his father to fish in the waters about his native town. But God was preparing him quietly for a greater work. St. John, who was the youngest of the apostles in age, was called to follow Christ on the banks of the Jordan river during the first days of our Lord's ministry. St. John is called the disciple whom Jesus loved. The introduction to his Gospel is the most sublime passage in the whole Bible. All his writings breathe a spirit of tenderness and love which came from his intimate relations with |