McGuffey's Fifth Eclectic Reader Part 13

Thus was man's extremity G.o.d's opportunity. Had the poor barber possessed one half-penny, or even had credit for a candle, he might have remained unknown for years; but he trusted G.o.d, who never said, "Seek ye my face,"

in vain.

DEFINITIONS.--2. Ap-par'ent, clear, plain. 3. Gen-teel', fas.h.i.+onable, elegant. Re-duced', brought to poverty. 4. Vi'o-late, to break, to profane. 5. In-ves'ti-gate, to inquire into with care. Di'a-lect, a local form of speech. 6. Con-front', to face, to stand before. 7. At-tor'ney (pro. at-tur'ny), a lawyer. I-den'ti-ty, the condition of being the same as something claimed. Trans-fer'ring, making over the possession of.

Ex-trem'i-ty, greatest need. Op-por-tu'ni-ty, favorable time.

XIV. THE SANDS O' DEE.

Charles Kingsley (b.1819, d.1875) was born at Holne, Devons.h.i.+re, England.

He took his bachelor's degree at Cambridge in 1842, and soon after entered the Church. His writings are quite voluminous, including sermons, lectures, novels, fairy tales, and poems, published in book form, besides numerous miscellaneous sermons and magazine articles. He was an earnest worker for bettering the condition of the working cla.s.ses, and this object was the basis of most of his writings. As a lyric poet he has gained a high place. The "Saint's Tragedy" and "Andromeda" are the most pretentious of his poems, and "Alton Locke" and "Hypatia" are his best known novels.

1. "O Mary, go and call the cattle home, And call the cattle home, And call the cattle home, Across the sands o' Dee!"

The western wind was wild and dank with foam, And all alone went she.

2. The creeping tide came up along the sand, And o'er and o'er the sand, And round and round the sand, As far as eye could see; The blinding mist came down and hid the land-- And never home came she.

3. Oh, is it weed, or fish, or floating hair?-- A tress o' golden hair, O' drowned maiden's hair, Above the nets at sea.

Was never salmon yet that shone so fair Among the stakes on Dee.

4. They rowed her in across the rolling foam, The cruel, crawling foam, The cruel, hungry foam, To her grave beside the sea; But still the boatmen hear her call the cattle home, Across the sands O' Dee.

Notes.--The Sands O' Dee.

The Dee is a river of Scotland, noted for its salmon fisheries.

O' is a contraction for of, commonly used by the Scotch.

RKMARK.--The first three lines of each stanza deserve special attention in reading. The final words are nearly or quite the same, but the expression of each line should vary. The piece should be read in a low key and with a pure, musical tone.

XV. SELECT PARAGRAPHS.

1. O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him; sing psalms unto him; talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name; let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Remember his marvelous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.

2. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the work of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

3. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my G.o.d; in him will I trust. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

4. O come, let us sing unto the Lord, let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and show ourselves glad in him with psalms. For the Lord is a great G.o.d, and a great King above all G.o.ds. O wors.h.i.+p the Lord in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth stand in awe of him. For he cometh, for he cometh, to judge the earth; and with righteousness to judge the world, and the people with his truth.

5. Oh that men would praise the Lord' for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! They that go down to the sea in s.h.i.+ps, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven; they go down again to the depths; their soul is melted because of trouble; they reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

6. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I1 will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

--Bible.

DEFINITIONS.--1. Mar'vel-ous, wonderful. 2. Or-dained', appointed, established. Do-min'ion (pro. do-min'yun). supreme power. 5. Ha ven, a harbor, a place where s.h.i.+ps can lie in safety.

XVI. THE CORN SONG.

1. Heap high the farmer's wintry h.o.a.rd!

Heap high the golden corn!

No richer gift has Autumn poured From out her lavish horn!

2. Let other lands, exulting, glean The apple from the pine, The orange from its glossy green, The cl.u.s.ter from the vine;

3. We better love the hardy gift Our rugged vales bestow, To cheer us, when the storm shall drift Our harvest fields with snow.

4. Through vales of gra.s.s and meads of flowers Our plows their furrows made, While on the hills the sun and showers Of changeful April played.

5. We dropped the seed o'er hill and plain, Beneath the sun of May, And frightened from our sprouting grain The robber crows away.

6. All through the long, bright days of June, Its leaves grew green and fair, And waved in hot midsummer's noon Its soft and yellow hair.

7. And now, with Autumn's moonlit eves, Its harvest time has come; We pluck away the frosted leaves And bear the treasure home.

8. There, richer than the fabled gift Apollo showered of old, Fair hands the broken grain shall sift, And knead its meal of gold.

9. Let vapid idlers loll in silk, Around their costly board; Give us the bowl of samp and milk, By homespun beauty poured!

10. Where'er the wide old kitchen hearth Sends up its smoky curls, Who will not thank the kindly earth And bless our farmer girls!

11. Then shame on all the proud and vain, Whose folly laughs to scorn The blessing of our hardy grain, Our wealth of golden corn!

12. Let earth withhold her goodly root; Let mildew blight the rye, Give to the worm the orchard's fruit, The wheat field to the fly:

13. But let the good old crop adorn The hills our fathers trod; Still let us, for his golden corn, Send up our thanks to G.o.d!

From Whittier's "Songs of Labor."

DEFINITIONS.--1. h.o.a.rd, a large quantify of anything laid up. Lav'ish.

profuse. 4. Meads, meadows. 9. Vap'id, spiritless, dull. Samp, bruised corn cooked by boiling.

Notes.--8. According to the ancient fable, Apollo, the G.o.d of music, sowed the isle of Delos, his birthplace, with golden flowers, by the music of his lyre.

XVII. THE VENOMOUS WORM.

John Russell (b. 1793, d. 1863) graduated at Middlebury College, Vt., in 1818. He was at one time editor of the "Backwoodsman," published at Grafton, Ill., and later of the "Louisville Advocate." He was the author of many tales of western adventure and of numerous essays, sketches, etc.

His language is clear, chaste, and cla.s.sical; his style concise, vigorous, and sometimes highly ornate.