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satisfaction of the teachers and the taught, it is hoped may commend it to the use of country schools. It is part of a series of school books of one moral and rational design,-that which is manifest in this, extended to History and general Literature.

New York, March, 1848.

BOOKS BY ELIZA ROBBINS.

PRIMARY.

1. PRIMARY LESSONS.

2. INTRODUCTION TO POPULAR LESSONS.
3. AMERICAN POPULAR LESSONS.
4. SCHOOL FRIEND.

5. PRIMARY DICTIONARY.

PROGRESSIVE.

6. SEQUEL TO POPULAR LESSONS.

7. TALES FROM AMERICAN HISTORY.
8. POETRY FOR SCHOOLS.

9. GRECIAN HISTORY.
10. HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
11. BIOGRAPHY FOR SCHOOLS.
12. ELEMENTS OF MYTHOLOGY.

13. YOUTH'S PLUTARCH.

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TO LITTLE CHILDREN.

TO DEDICATE is to offer.

People who write books sometimes dedicate them to great and wise men; sometimes they dedicate them to persons whom they love and who love them, because the person who writes believes it will give pleasure to those whom he loves to read what he has written.

Because I believed that I should give knowledge and pleasure to children I wrote this book, and I now dedicate it to them. I think they will understand and enjoy what they read and study in other books more perfectly for having read this.

They can understand every word in it. It teaches then to examine whatever they see, to think about and to inquire the meaning of what they do not understand.-Every word is explained.

Children can understand the title-page. Title means name- -American Popular Lessons.

Popular means belonging to the people-belonging to every body. A catechism written for the children of the "Friends," or for the children who go to the Roman Catholic church, would not be a popular catechism, because all children are not "Friends" or Roman Catho

lics. These are American popular lessons, because they are designed for any, or all the children of the American people.

Chiefly selected, &c. is a phrase, in the titlepage-selected means picked out. If you have a number of apples, and choose some of the best of them to give away, you select the best. Mrs. Barbauld, Miss Edgeworth, and some other good friends of children have written a great number of books, and beautiful stories for them. There are more of these books than some of you can buy; there are parts of them which you cannot understand. I have selected from them some parts that you can understand, and I hope they will do you good.

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Your affectionate

FRIEND.

THE LITTLE DOG TRUSTY;

OR, THE LIAR, AND THE BOY Of truth.

VERY little children do not know what is ineant by a liar, and a boy of truth.

Very little children, when they are asked a question, say "yes," and "no," without knowing the meaning of the words; but you, children, who can speak quite plain, and who can tell by words, what you wish for, and what you` want, and what you have seen, and what you have done; you, who understand what is meant by the words, "I have done it," or, "I have not," you can understand what is meant by a liar, and a boy of truth.

Frank and Robert were two little boys about eight years old. Whenever Frank did any thing wrong he always told his father and mother of it; and when any body asked him about any thing which he had done or said he always told the truth; so that every body who knew him believed him but nobody who knew his brother Robert believed a word which he said, bécause he used to tell lies.

Whenever Robert did any thing wrong he never ran to his father or mother to tell them of it, but when they asked him about it, he denied it, and said he had not done the things which he had done.

The reason that Robert told lies was, because

he was afraid of being punished for his faults if he confessed them. He was a coward, and could not bear the least pain, but Frank was a brave boy, and could bear to be punished for little faults: his mother never punished him so much for such little faults as she did Robert for the lies which he told, and which she found out afterwards.

One evening these little boys were playing together in a room by themselves; their mother was ironing in the next room, and their father was out at work in the fields, so there was nobody in the room with Robert and Frank; but there was a little dog, called Trusty, lying by the fire-side.

Trusty was a pretty playful little dog, and the children were very fond of him.

"Come," said Robert to Frank, "there is Trusty lying beside the fire asleep; let us go and waken him, and he will play with us."

"O yes, do let us," said Frank. So they both ran together towards the hearth to waken the dog.

There was a basin of milk standing upon the hearth, and the little boys did not see where it stood, for it was behind them; as they were both playing with the dog, they kicked it with their feet, and threw it down, and the basin broke, and all the milk ran out of it over the hearth, and about the floor. When the little boys saw what they had done, they were very sorry and frightened; they did not know what to do; they stood for some time, looking at the broken basin and the milk, without speaking.

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Robert spoke first.

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