"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, "Rest, little young One, rest; thou hast forgot the day "He took thee in his arms, and in pity brought thee home; "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, "Thy limbs will shortly be twice as stout as they are now, "It will not, will not rest!-Poor creature, can it be Alas, the mountain-tops that look so green and fair! "Here thou need'st not dread the raven in the sky; DEVELOPMENT II. NUTTING-TIME. THE month was October, the frosts had come down, 'Twas there with our bags and our baskets we went, And when, in the ashes beneath the bright flame, 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, That from foes shall guard the land, On the beach to play. Hand in hand with merry playmates 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, Four brown sparrows, the cunning things, Stooping lower to scan my prize, And looking up at that mournful call, The poor little mother-bird. With grief and terror her heart was wrung; "Oh, birdie," I said, "if you only knew And so through this world of ours we go, But, oh! if we only, only knew That God is tender and warm and true, 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. |