"If the sun be shining hot, do but stretch thy woolen chain,
This beech is standing by, its covert thou canst gain;
For rain and mountain-storms! the like thou need'st not fear,
The rain and storm are things that scarcely can come here.

"Rest, little young One, rest; thou hast forgot the day
When my father found thee first in places far away;
Many flocks were on the hills, but thou wert owned by none,
And thy mother from thy side forevermore was gone.

"He took thee in his arms, and in pity brought thee home;
A blessed day for thee! then whither wouldst thou roam?
A faithful nurse thou hast; the dam that did thee yean
Upon the mountain-tops no kinder could have been.

"Thou know'st that twice a day I have brought thee in this can
Fresh water from the brook, as clear as ever ran;
And twice in the day, when the ground is wet with dew,
I bring thee draughts of milk, warm milk it is and new.

"Thy limbs will shortly be twice as stout as they are now,
Then I'll yoke thee to my cart like a pony in the plow;
My playmate thou shalt be; and when the wind is cold
Our hearth shall be thy bed, our house shall be thy fold.

"It will not, will not rest!--Poor creature, can it be
That 'tis thy mother's heart which is working so in thee?
Things that I know not of belike to thee are dear,
And dreams of things which thou canst neither see nor hear.

"Alas, the mountain-tops that look so green and fair!
I've heard of fearful winds and darkness that come there;
The little brooks that seem all pastime and all play,
When they are angry, roar like lions for their prey.

"Here thou need'st not dread the raven in the sky;
Night and day thou art safe, our cottage is hard by.
Why bleat so after me? Why pull so at thy chain?
Sleep-and at break of day I will come to thee again!"

DEVELOPMENT II.

NUTTING-TIME.

THE month was October, the frosts had come down,
The woodlands were scarlet and yellow and brown;
The harvests were gathered, the nights had grown chill,
But warm was the day on the south of the hill.

'Twas there with our bags and our baskets we went,
And searching the dry leaves we busily bent;
The chestnuts were big and the beech-nuts were small,
But both sorts are welcome to boys in the fall.

And when, in the ashes beneath the bright flame,
On eves of November, with laughter and game,
The sweetmeats are roasted, we recollect still
How fine was the day on the south of the hill.

H. I., in St. Nicholas.

Tell how much the nut-gathering had been talked of, and how long; who formed the party; whose quick eyes were first to spy the nuts; whose nimble fingers helped to fill each basket; how the squirrels stared in startled wonder at the merry party whose voices broke the usual stillness of the woods; how they regarded this invasion of their rights; of the journey home-all heavily laden; what is the dearest recollection of that happy day?

DEVELOPMENT III.

AT THE SEASIDE.

HEAPING up the shining pebbles,
Spading in the glistening sand,

Building fierce but mimic forts

That from foes shall guard the land,
Making lovely landscape gardens
That are watered by the spray, -
Ah! 'tis surely pleasant,
On the beach to play.

Hand in hand with merry playmates
Wading where the billows break,
Swift their feet the way retracing,
Lest the waves their steps o'ertake,
Merry childish laughter pealing
Out from hearts so wildly gay,-
Ah! 'tis surely pleasant,
On the beach to play.

Give the names of your playmates; tell who is the merry, daring leader in your play; describe your gardens or the forts you have constructed; tell how often the incoming wave has kissed your retreating feet; the delightful sail over the bright waters; give any other amusements in which you might engage; describe the feelings awakened on beholding the awful grandeur of the ocean.

DEVELOPMENT IV.

TRUST.

SEARCHING for strawberries ready to eat,
Finding them crimson and large and sweet,
What do you think I found at my feet-
Deep in the green hill-side?

Four brown sparrows, the cunning things,
Feathered on back and breast and wings,
Proud with the dignity plumage brings,
Opening their four mouths wide.

Stooping lower to scan my prize,
Watching their motions with curious eyes,
Dropping my berries in glad surprise,
A plaintive sound I heard.

And looking up at that mournful call,
I spied on a branch near the old stone wall,
Trembling and twittering, ready to fall,
The poor little mother-bird.

With grief and terror her heart was wrung;
And while to the slender bough she clung,
She felt that the lives of her birdlings hung-

On a more slender thread.

"Oh, birdie," I said, "if you only knew
That my heart is tender and warm and true."
But the thought that I loved her birdlings too
Never entered her small brown head.

And so through this world of ours we go,
Bearing our burdens of needless woe;
Many a heart beating heavy and slow
Under its load of care.

But, oh! if we only, only knew
That God is tender and warm and true,
And that he loves us through and through,
Our hearts would be lighter than air.

ANONYMOUS. CHAPTER VI.

SYNTHESIS OF SENTENCES INTO A PARAGRAPH.

A Paragraph is a connected series of sentences, developing a single topic.

In form, it is distinguished by commencing on a new line a short distance from the beginning of the line. The sentences are then written in close succession, until the paragraph is completed.

In combining sentences into a paragraph, the following directions should be observed:

1. Read carefully the various sentences. Select the leading statements, and express them by means of independent propositions; the other thoughts should be expressed by words, phrases, or clauses.

2. Do not connect facts that are unconnected in thought, into long, loose, compound sentences joined by ands.

3. See that each sentence has some bearing upon what precedes it; while, at the same time, it expresses a thought not given in a preceding sentence.

4. Be careful, when expressing connection between sentences, to use such conjunctions as show the correct relation of the thoughts. Where it is necessary to express the connection, such words or phrases as and, but, therefore, since this is so, furthermore, again, so, likewise, may be used. When the connection in thought between successive sentences is either very close or very distant, connectives may generally be omitted.