De La Salle Fifth Reader Part 27

Locate the cities of _Rome_ and _Florence_.

Give words that mean the opposite of the following:

ill, bade, buy, first, old, begin, empty, enter, cooked, merry, bought, friend, inhale, patient, palace, distant, appeared, disgrace, famous, faithful, morning, enchanted.

Recite the words--"Oh, my lord, what will become of poor Peter?"--as Thomas uttered them. Remember he was beseeching a great _cardinal_ in favor of a poor dest.i.tute _boy_ whom he loved as a brother. He _felt_ what he said.

Do you find any humorous pa.s.sages in the selection? Read them, and tell wherein the humor lies.

Memory Gems:

When a friend asketh, there is no to-morrow.

_Spanish Proverb._

Diligence overcomes difficulties; sloth makes them.

_From "Poor Richard's Proverbs."_

A gift in need, though small indeed, Is large as earth and rich as heaven.

_Whittier_.

_41_

vas' sal roy' al ly beg' gar y hom' age sen' ti nel dif' fer ence

TO MY DOG BLANCO.[003]

My dear, dumb friend, low lying there, A willing va.s.sal at my feet, Glad partner of my home and fare, My shadow in the street.

I look into your great brown eyes, Where love and loyal homage s.h.i.+ne, And wonder where the difference lies Between your soul and mine!

For all the good that I have found Within myself or human kind, Hath royally informed and crowned Your gentle heart and mind.

I scan the whole broad earth around For that one heart which, leal and true, Bears friends.h.i.+p without end or bound, And find the prize in you.

I trust you as I trust the stars; Nor cruel loss, nor scoff of pride, Nor beggary, nor dungeon bars, Can move you from my side!

As patient under injury As any Christian saint of old, As gentle as a lamb with me, But with your brothers bold;

More playful than a frolic boy, More watchful than a sentinel, By day and night your constant joy To guard and please me well.

I clasp your head upon my breast-- The while you whine and lick my hand-- And thus our friends.h.i.+p is confessed, And thus we understand!

Ah, Blanco! did I wors.h.i.+p G.o.d As truly as you wors.h.i.+p me, Or follow where my Master trod With your humility,--

Did I sit fondly at His feet, As you, dear Blanco, sit at mine, And watch Him with a love as sweet, My life would grow divine!

_J.G. Holland_

From "The Complete Poetical Writings of J.G. Holland."

[Ill.u.s.tration:]

[Footnote 003: Copyright, 1879, 1881, by Charles Scribner's Sons.]

LEAL (l[=e]l), loyal, faithful.

DUNGEON (d[)u]n' j[)u]n), a close, dark prison, commonly underground.

Tell what is meant by the terms, dumb friend; willing va.s.sal; glad partner; my shadow; human kind; frolic boy.

What duty does Blanco teach his master?

Memorize the last two stanzas of the poem.

The three great divisions of time are _past, present, future._ Tell what time each of the following action-words expresses:

found, find, have found, will find, bears, shall bear, has borne, crowned, will crown, did crown, crowns.