Discussion. Sir Ralph the Rover, idly pacing his deck, sees in the distance the Inchcape float. His merry, wicked mood prompts him to plague the At his command, his men row him to the rock; over Night comes on in darkness and in storm; the vessel They hear the breakers roar, but no sound of bell tells There comes a fearful shock; the ship has struck the The Rover curses himself in his wild despair; and, as the waves run over the sinking ship, he, in dying fear, fancies he hears the Inchcape Bell, sounding forth his doom. Conclusion. REPRODUCTION IV. SELFISH SORROW. THE house lay snug as a robin's nest And a field of flowers was toward the west, Where a belt of weedy and wet black sand Was always pushing in to the land. And with her face away from the sun The grandam sat, and spun and spun, Fret and fret, and spin and spin, In spite of the waiting and wistful eyes And spin, spin, and fret, fret, And at last the day was done, And the light of the fire went out and met "It will be a stormy night—ah me!” "Oh, no, it is n't a-going to rain!' “If it rains, let it rain; we shall not drown!" Says the child, so glad and gay; "The leaves of the aspen are blowing down; A sign of fair weather, they say!" And the grandam moaned, as if the sea The heart of the dove-eyed little girl And she says, pulling golden curl upon curl "I wish we were out of sight of the sea!" And the grandam answered, "Woe is me!" The sun in a sudden darkness slid, And all the flowery field was hid With the cold gray mist and the rain. Then knelt the child on the hearth so low, And blew the embers all aglow. On one small hand so lily white And the grandam heard her laughter low, At length she put her spectacles on, And drew the book to her knee: "And does it tell," she said, "about John, My lad who was lost at sea?" “Why, no,” says the child turning face about, "'Tis a fairy tale; shall I read it out?" The grandam lowlier bent upon The page as it lay on her knee: And the little girl, with a saddened face, And climbing up and over the chair, Like a crown, on the old gray head. "So, child," says the grandam-keeping on With her thoughts—" your book does n't tell about John?" "No, ma'am, it tells of a fairy old Who lived in a daffodil bell, And who had a heart so hard and cold "O foolish child, I can not tell, May be a crown, or so." "But the fairy lived in a daffodil bell, And couldn't hoard crowns, you know!" And the grandam answered-her thought joined on Don't vex me about your crown, But say if the ribs of a ship should break And the ship's crew all go down Of a night like this, how long it would take 'But, grandam "-"Nay, have done," she said, Is heavy; get you down!" "O ma'am, I'm so sorry to give you a pain!" And the child kissed the wrinkled face time and again. And then she told the story through Of the fairy of the dell, Who sold God's blessed gift of the dew When it wasn't hers to sell, And who shut the sweet light all away With her thick black wings, and pined all day. And how at last God struck her blind, The grandam wiped a tear, And then she said, "I should n't mind If you read to me now, my dear!" And the little girl, with a wondering look, Slipped her golden hair from the leaves of the book. And the grandam pulled her down to her knee, And kissing her, said, "Run out and see If there isn't a lull in the storm. I think the moon, or at least some star, Must shine, and the wind grows faint and far." Next day again the grandam spun, And oh, how sweet were the hours! For she sat at the window toward the sun, And next the field of flowers, And never looked at the long gray sea, Nor sighed for her lad that was lost, "Ah, me!" ALICE CARY. THE PREPARATION OF A TOPICAL OUTLINE. The pupil is now required to make his own topical outline. Such an outline should be made with every Reproduction before attempting to give the story in other words. Observe carefully the following directions for making an outline: 1. Search your material for leading thoughts,—these will form the general topics. 2. Make as few topics as possible; raise nothing to the rank of a topic which may properly stand under one already found. 3. Make each topic complete in itself; no two topics should cover the same ground; no one topic disguised in different words should appear twice. 4. A general topic may consist of sub-topics arranged under it. 5. Be careful to consider the order of the topics; no point to the clear understanding of which some other point is necessary, should precede that other. 6. The list of topics should give a clear conception of the whole subject. REPRODUCTION V. ON THE DEATH OF A FAVORITE CAT, DROWNED IN A TUB OF GOLDFISHES. Rhet.-7. 'TWAS on a lofty vase's side, Where China's gayest art had dyed The azure flowers that blow, |