leys. Blue wreaths of smoke ascend through the trees, and betray the half-hidden cottage; the eye contemplates wellthatched ricks, and barns bursting with plenty: the peasant laughs at the approach of winter.

2. White houses peep through the trees; cattle stand cooling in the pool; the casement of the farm-house is covered with jasmine and honey-suckle; the stately green-house exhales the perfume of summer climates. Children climb the green mound of the rampart, and ivy holds together the half-demolished buttress. The old men sit at their doors; the gossip leans over her counter. The house wife's stores of bleached linen, whiter than snow, are laid up with fragrant herbs; they are the pride of the matron, the toil of many a winter's night.

3. The wares of the merchant are spread abroad in the shops, or stored in the high-piled warehouses; the labor of each profits all; the inhabitants of the north drink the fragrant herb of China; the peasant's child wears the webs of Hindostan. The lame, the blind, and the aged, repose in hospitals; the rich, softened by prosperity, pity the poor; the poor, disciplined into order, respect the rich. Justice is dispensed to all. Law sits steadily on her throne, and the sword is her servant:

WAR.

4. They have rushed through like a hurricane; like an army of locusts they have devoured the earth; the war has fallen like a water spout, and deluged the land with blood. The smoke rises not through the trees, for the honors of the grove are fallen; and the hearth of the cottager is cold; but it rises from villages burned with fire, and from warm ruins, spread over the now naked plain.

5. The ear is filled with the confused bellowing of oxen, and sad bleating of over-driven sheep; they are swept from their peaceful plains; with shouting and goading are they driven away; the peasant folds his arms, and resigns his faithful fellow-laborers. The farmer weeps over his barns consumed by fire, and his demolished roof, and anticipates the driving of the winter snows.

6. On that rising ground, where the green turf looks black with fire, yesterday stood a noble mansion; the owner had said in his heart, here will I spend the evening of my days, and enjoy the fruit of my years of toil; my name shall

L

descend with mine inheritance, and my children's children shall sport under the trees which I have planted. The fruit of his years of toil is swept away in a moment; wasted, not enjoyed; and the evening of his days is left desolate.

7. The temples are profaned; the soldier's curse resounds in the house of God; the marble pavement is trampled by iron hoofs; horses neigh beside the altar. Law and order are forgotten; violence and rapine are abroad; the golden cords of society are loosed. Here are the shrieks of woe and the cry of anguish; and there is suppressed indignation bursting the heart with silent despair.

8. The groans of the wounded are in the hospitals, and by the road side, and in every thicket; and the housewife's web, whiter than snow, is scarcely sufficient to stanch the blood of her husband and children. Look at that youth, the first-born of her strength; yesterday he bounded as the roebuck; was glowing as the summer fruits; active in sports, strong to labor; he has passed in one moment from youth to age; his comeliness is departed; helplessness is his portion for the days of future years. He is more decrepit than his grandsire, on whose head are the snows of eighty winters; but those were the snows of nature; this is the desolation of

man.

9. Every thing unholy and unclean comes abroad from its lurking-place, and deeds of darkness are done beneath the eye of day. The villagers no longer start at horrible sights; the soothing rites of burial are denied, and human bones are tossed by human hands. No one careth for another; every one, hardened by misery, careth for himself alone. Lo, these are what God has set before thee; child of reason! unto which does thine heart incline?

QUESTIONS.-1. How is peace described? 2. Mention some of the benefits resulting from peace? 3. What is meant by the herb of China,' and the web of Hindostan?' 4. How is war described? 5. What are some of the evil effects of war? 6. What is said of the owner of the noble mansion? 7. What of the temples of God? 8. What of the youth? 9. How will you answer the question proposed in the last verse ?

Why the rising inflection at peare, first verse? With what tones of voice should the different parts of this piece be read? What Rule is there for the rising inflection on hoof: and abroad, seventh verse? What inflection occurs generally at the semicolons in this lesson? How are children, respect, evening, violence, locusts, often erroneously pronounced? Is the last question direct or indirect?

LESSON XXIX.

SPELI. AND DEFINE.-1. Impair, to lessen; to make worse. 2. Mefiorates, makes better. 3. Originally, at first. 4. Reverse, the direct opposite. 5. Portrait, picture, or painting of a person. 5. Climate, a portion of the earth considered on account of its weather. 6. Contagion, literally, a disease to which we are liable, whenever exposed to those affected with it. 7. Broom, a plant growing somewhat like brakes. 8. Heath, land overgrown with heath; a desolate plant. 9. Common, and unoccupied on account of its worthlessness. 10. Railing, bitter reproach. 11. Railery, harmless ridicule. 12. Vapors, a disease of nervous debility, in which imaginary evils appear as real.

A rach'ne and Melissa, or The Art of Happiness.HARRIS.

1. ALMOST every object that attracts our notice, has its bright and its dark side. He who habituates himself to look at the displeasing side, will sour his disposition, and, consequently, impair his happiness; while he who constantly beholds it on the bright side, insensibly meliorates his temper, and, in consequence of it, improves his own happiness, and the happiness of all about him.

2. Arachne and Melissa are two friends. They are both of them women in years, and alike in birth, fortune, education, and accomplishments. They were originally alike in temper too; but, by different management, are grown the reverse of each other. Arachne has accustomed herself to look only on the dark side of every object. If a new poem makes its appearance with a thousand brilliancies and but one or two blemishes, she slightly skims over the passages that should give her pleasure, and dwells upon those only that fill her with dislike. If you show her a very excellent portrait, she looks at some part of the drapery which has been neglected, or to a hand or finger which has been left unfinished.

3. Her garden is a very beautiful one, and kept with great neatness and elegancy; but, if you take a walk with her in it, she talks to you of nothing but blights and storms,-of snails and caterpillars, and how impossible it is to keep it from the litter of falling leaves. If you sit down in one of her temples, to enjoy a delightful prospect. she observes to you that there is too much woód, or too little water; that the day is too súnny, or too glòomy; that it is súltry, or windy; and finishes with a long harangue upon the wretchedness of our climate. When you return with her to the

company, in hope of a little cheerful conversation, she casts a gloom over all, by giving you the history of her own bad health, or of some melancholy accident that has befallen one of her daughter's children. Thus she insensibly sinks her own spirits, and the spirits of all around her; and at last discovers, she knows not why, that her friends are grave.

4. Melissa is the reverse of all this. By constantly habituating herself to look only on the bright side of objects, she preserves a perpetual cheerfulness in herself, which, by a kind of happy contagion, she communicates to all about her. If any misfortune has befallen her, she considers it might have been worse, and is thankful to Providence for an escape. She rejoices in solitude, as it gives her an oppor tunity of knowing herself; and in society, because she can communicate the happiness she enjoys.

5. She opposes every man's virtues to his failings, and can find out something to cherish and applaud in the very worst of her acquaintance. She opens every book with a desire to be entertained or instructed, and therefore seldom fails of securing her object. Walk with her, though it be on a heath or a common, and she will discover numberless beauties, unobserved before, in the hills, the dales, the brooms, brakes, and the variegated flowers of weeds and poppies.

6. She enjoys every change of weather and of season, as bringing with it something of health or convenience. In conversation, it is a rule with her, never to start a subject that leads to any thing gloomy or disagreeable. You therefore never hear her repeating her own grievances, or those of her neighbors, or, what is worst of all, their faults and imperfections. If any thing of the latter kind be mentioned in her hearing, she has the address to turn it into entertainment, by changing the most odious railing into a pleasant railery, Thus Melissa, like the bee, gathers honey from every weed; while Arachne, like the spider, sucks poison from the fairest flowers. The consequence is, that of two tempers once very nearly allied, the one is ever sour and dissatisfied, the other always gay and cheerful; the one spreads a universal gloom, the other a continual sunshine.

7. There is nothing more worthy of our attention, than this art of happiness. In conversation, as well as life, hap piness very often depends upon the slightest incidents. The taking notice of the badness of the weather, a north-east wind, the approach of winter, or any trifling circumstance

of the disagreeable kind, will insensibly rob a whole compar.y of its good humor, and fling every member of it into the vapors. If, therefore, we would be happy in ourselves, and are desirous of communicating that happiness to all about us, these trifling matters of conversation ought carefully to be attended to.

8. The brightness of the sky, the lengthening of the day, the increasing verdure of the spring, the arrival of any little piece of good news, or whatever carries with it the most distant glimpse of joy, will frequently be the parent of a social and happy conversation. Good manners exact from us this regard to our company. The clown may repine at the sunshine that ripens the harvest, because his turneps are burnt up by it; but the man of refinement will extract pleasure from the thunder storm to which he is exposed, by remarking on the plenty and refreshment which may be expected from the succeeding shower.

9. Thus does politeness, as well as good sense, direct us to look at every object on the bright side; and, by thus acting, we cherish and improve both. By this practice it is, that Melissa is become the wisest and best of women living; and by this practice, may every person arrive at that agreeableness of temper, of which the natural and never failing fruit is happiness.

QUESTIONS.-1. What has almost every object? 2. How may we diminish or improve our happiness? 3. What was the character of Arachne? 4. How did she regard a poem? 5. A portrait? 6. Her garden? 7. The weather? 8. What was Melissa's character? 9. How did she view different objects? 10. To what is each compared ' 11. What may afford us happiness?

On what principle are bright and dark emphatic, first verse? (Les. VIII. Note VIII.) On what principle are the inflections marked in the third verse? (Rule III. Les. IV.) With what inflections is the first part of the eighth verse to be read? (Rule IV. Les. V.)

LESSON XXX.

SPELL AND DEFINE.-1. Exhalation, that which rises in the form of vapor. 2. Dulcet, sweet to the ear; harmonious. 3. Symphony, harmony of sounds. 4. Imperial, pertaining to an emperor; royal. 5. Disport, to amuse or divert. 6. Elysian, yielding the highest pleasure; very delightful. 7. Her'o-ism, distinguished bravery; courage. 8. Vo luptuaries, persons who gratify the appetites, or indulge in sensual pleas10. Coveted, greatly desired or 9. Manual, done by the hand.

ures.