ence by that body of distinguished men. He made himself master of his temper, and cultivated it as a great business in life. There are one or two instances which show this part of his character in a light that is beautiful. 4. One day, after having received his highest honors, he was sitting and reading in his parlor. A roguish student, in a room close by, held a looking-glass in such a position as to pour the reflected rays of the sun directly in Mr. Sherman's face. He moved his chair, and the thing was repeated. A third time the chair was moved, but the looking-glass still reflected the sun in his eyes. He laid aside his book, went to the window, and many witnesses of the impudence expected to hear the ungentlemanly student severely reprimanded. He raised the window gently, and then-shut the window-blind! 5. I can not forbear adducing another instance of the power he had acquired over himself. He was naturally possessed of strong passions; but over these he at length obtained an extraordinary control. He became habitually calm, sedate, and self-possessed. Mr. Sherman was one of those men who are not ashamed to maintain the forms of religion in their families. One morning he called them all together, as usual, to lead them in prayer to God; the "old family Bible" was brought out, and laid on the table. 6. Mr. Sherman took his seat, and placed beside him one of his children, a child of his old age; the rest of the family were seated around the room; several of these were now grown up. Beside these, some of the tutors of the college were boarders in the family, and were present at the time alluded to. His aged and superannuated mother occupied a corner of the room, opposite the place where the distinguished judge sat. 7. At length, he opened the Bible, and began to read. The child who was seated beside him made some little disturbance, upon which Mr. Sherman paused and told it to be still. Again he proceeded; but again he paused to reprimand the little offender, whose playful disposition would scarcely permit it to be still. And this time he gently tapped its ear. The blow, if blow it might be called, caught the attention of his aged mother, who now, with some effort, rose from the seat, and tottered across the room. At length she reached the chair of Mr. Sherman, and, in a moment, most unexpectedly to him, she gave him a blow on the ear with all the force she could summon. "There," said she, "you strike your child, and I will strike mine." 8. For a moment, the blood was seen mounting to the face of Mr. Sherman; but it was only for a moment, when all was calm and mild as usual. He paused; he raised his spectacles; he cast his eye upon his mother; again it fell upon the book from which he had been reading. Not a word escaped him; but again he calmly pursued the service, and soon after sought in prayer an ability to set an example before his household which would be worthy of their imitation. Such a victory was worth more than the proudest one ever achieved on the field of battle. DEFINITIONS.-1. Con-trōl', subdue, restrain, govern. Călt'ūre (pro. kult'yur), cultivation, improvement by effort. Dis'çi-plined, brought under control, trained. 2. In-tol'er-a-ble, not capable of being borne. 3. Děf'er-ençe, regard, respect. 4. Rep'ri-mănd-ed, reproved for a fault. 6. Su-per-ăn'nu-a-ted, impaired by old age and infirmity. 8. A-chieved', gained. NOTE. Roger Sherman (b. 1721, d. 1793) was born at Newton, Massachusetts, and until twenty-two years of age was a shoemaker. He then removed to New Milford, Connecticut, and was soon afterward appointed surveyor of lands for the county. In 1754, he was admitted to the bar. At various times he was elected a judge; sent to the Legislature, to the Colonial Assembly, and to the United States Congress; made a member of the governor's council of safety; and, in 1776, a member of the committee appointed to draft the Declaration of Independence, of which he was one of the signers. LXVII. WILLIAM TELL. James Sheridan Knowles (b. 1784, d. 1862), a dramatist and actor, was born in Cork, Ireland. In 1792 his father removed to London with his family. At the age of fourteen, Sheridan wrote an opera called "The Chevalier de Grillon." In 1798 he removed to Dublin, and soon after began his career as an actor and author. In 1835 he visited America. In 1839 an annual pension of £200 was granted him by the British government. Several years before his death he left the stage and became a Baptist minister. The best known of his plays are "Caius Gracchus," "Virginius," "Leo, the Gypsy," "The Hunchback,” and “William Tell," from the last of which the following two lessons are abridged. SCENE 1.-A Chamber in the Castle. Enter Gesler, Officers, and Sarnem, with Tell in chains and guarded. Sar. Down, slave! Behold the governor. Ges. (Seated.) Does he hear? Sar. He does, but braves thy power. Officer. Why don't you smite him for that look? My eyes? He smiles! Nay, grasps His chains as he would make a weapon of them Why speakest thou not? Tell. For wonder. Ges. Wonder? Tell. Yes, that thou shouldst seem a man. Ges. What should I seem? Tell. A monster. Ges. Ha! Beware! Think on thy chains. Tell. Though they were doubled, and did weigh me down Prostrate to the earth, methinks I could rise up Erect, with nothing but the honest pride Of telling thee, usurper, to thy teeth, Thou art a monster! Think upon my chains? Ges. Darest thou question me? Tell. Thou dost. Ges. Beware my vengeance! It can not take away the grace of life; Its fair report that's rife on good men's tongues; Ges. But it can make thee writhe. Tell. It may. Ges. And groan. Tell. It may; and I may cry Go on, though it should make me groan again. Ges. Whence comest thou? Tell. From the mountains. Wouldst thou learn Ges. Canst tell me any? Tell. Ay: they watch no more the avalanche. Tell. Because they look for thee. The hurricane The torrent breaks, and finds them in its track. Ges. What do they then? Tell. Thank heaven, it is not thou! Thou hast perverted nature in them. There's not a blessing heaven vouchsafes them, but The thought of thee-doth wither to a curse. Ges. That's right! I'd have them like their hills, That never smile, though wanton summer tempt Them e'er so much. Tell. But they do sometimes smile. Ges. Ay! when is that? Tell. When they do talk of vengeance. Ges. Vengeance? Dare they talk of that? Tell. Ay, and expect it too. Ges. From whence? Tell. From heaven! Ges. From heaven? Tell. And their true hands Are lifted up to it on every hill For justice on thee.. Ges. Where's thy abode? Tell. I told thee, on the mountains. Ges. Art married? Tell. Yes. Ges. And hast a family? Tell. A son. Ges. A son? Sarnem! Sar. My lord, the boy-(Gesler signs to Sarnem to keep silence, and, whispering, sends him off.) Tell. The boy? What boy? Is't mine? and have they netted my young fledgeling? me, And share his father's ruin! But a look Would put him on his guard—yet how to give it! That step-that step-that little step, so light Upon my heart! I feel my child! (Enter Sarnem "Tis he! We can but perish. (5.-14.) |