fection. The inventive head, and the skillful, executing hand, thus become general, national, characteristic, among us.

8. I am perfectly aware that some people, in this country as well as others, despise labor, and especially manual labor, as ungenteel. There are people in these United States who scoff at New England for making the general practice of thrifty, productive industry among her people a point of education.

9. "The gentleman," say these refined persons, "must not work." It is not easy to cite a higher example of a gentleman, in thought, feeling, and manner, than St. Paul,* and he was a tent-maker. King Alfredt was a gentleman; and he

could turn his hand to servile labor.

Daniel

10. But let me refer to New England examples. Webster was a gentleman; and he began with the scythe and the plow. Abbott Lawrence § was a gentleman; and he served through every grade an apprenticeship to his profession. Timothy Dwight || was a gentleman, and was trained to the positive labors of the farm. Franklin, ¶ the printer; Sherman,** the shoemaker; Ellsworth,†† the teamster, all were gentlemen, and of that high order which regards truth, honor, manliness, as its essential basis.

11. Nothing, in my view, is more despicable, nothing more

*St. Paul. See Acts of the Apostles, chap. xviii. ver. 1-3.

↑ King Alfred. See note, page 81.

Dan'iel Web'ster. See note, page 119.

§ Ab'bott Law'rence, a distinguished merchant of Boston, Mass., who, in connection with his brother Amos, accumulated a large fortune by manufactures and trade. He was a member of Congress for several years, and Minister to England from 1849 to 1851. He died in 1855, aged 62.

Tim'o-thy Dwight, a distinguished divine, and for several years President of Yale College. He was born in Northampton, Mass., May 14, 1752; and he died Jan. 11, 1817, in the 65th year of his age.

Franklin. See note, page 68.

** Rog'er Sher'man was born in Newton, Mass., April 19, 1721. He was a member of the first Congress, in 1774, from Connecticut, and was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He died in 1793, aged 72.

†† Oli-ver Ells'worth, one of the most distinguished of the Revolutionary patriots of America, of her statesmen, and of her lawyers. He was born at Windsor, Ct., April 29, 1745; and he died in the 63d year of his age.

calculated to diffuse and cherish a debasing effeminacy of body and soul, than the doctrine that labor is degrading. Where such ideas prevail, rottenness lies at the foundation of society.

12. But to go back to my theme. If you ask me why it is that this important institution of whittling is indigenous among us, I reply that, in the first place, our country is full of a great variety of woods, suited to carpentry, many of them easily wrought, and thus inviting boyhood to try its hands upon

them.

13. In the next place, labor is dear, and therefore even children are led to supply themselves with toys, or perchance, to furnish some of the simpler articles of use to the household.

14. This dearness of labor, moreover, furnishes a powerful stimulant to the production of labor-saving machines, and hence it is, through all these causes co-operating, — that steam navigation, the electric telegraph, the steam-reaper, &c., &c. are American inventions.

15. And the aptitude of the citizens of this country, especially those of New England, for mechanical invention, has enabled them at the World's Fair, whether it be held in London, or Paris, or the United States, to gain a greater proportion of prizes for useful inventions than any other people. Such are some of the results of whittling!

QUESTIONS. -1. How do foreigners and sketchers of American manners regard whittling? 2-5. What does the writer say of his own experience in regard to this subject? 5, 6. What is the reason why we surpass other nations in the excellence of our tools of all kinds? 7. What is said in this paragraph? 8. How do some people regard labor? 9, 10. What examples of gentlemen are here mentioned? What is said of each ? Who was St. Paul? Abbott Lawrence? Timothy Dwight? Roger Sherman?

Oliver Ellsworth? 11. What is said of the doctrine that labor is degrading? 12, 13. Why is whittling indigenous among us? 14. What is the effect of dear labor in this country? What is the character of this piece? Point out the examples connected by or, and tell how they should be read. See Rule 2, and its exception, pages 70 and 71

1. ART, practical skill.

LESSON LI. 51

1. RA'DI-ANCE, brilliancy, splendor.

1. SER'APH, an angel of the highest order.

2. THIS'TLE, a prickly plant.

2. GLAD'DEN-ED, was made glad.

ERRORS.

3. UP-HEAV'ED, reared up, built.

3. TEEM'ING, abounding in.

4. QUIV'ERS, trembles.

4. RE-NOWN'ED, having great fame.
4. SUB-DU'ING, overcoming.

Frum for from; roth for wräth; track'liss for track'less; tase for taste pi'zn for poi'son; rel'um for realm.

ODE ON ART. SPRAGUE.

1. WHEN, from the sacred garden driven,
Man fled before his Maker's wrath,
An angel left her place in heaven,

And crossed the wanderer's sunless path.
'Twas Art, sweet Art! new radiance broke
When her light foot flew o'er the ground,
And thus with seraph voice she spoke,

"The curse a blessing shall be found."

2. She led him through the trackless wild,
Where noontide sun had never blazed;
The thistle shrunk, the harvest smiled,

And Nature gladdened as she gazed.
Earth's thousand tribes of living things,
At Art's command, to him are given;
The village grows, the city springs,

And point their spires of faith to heaven.

3. He rends the oak, and bids it ride

To guard the shores its beauty graced;
He smites the rock, upheaved in pride,
See towers of strength and domes of taste.
Earth's teeming caves their wealth reveal;
Fire bears his banner on the wave,

He bids the mortal poison heal,

And leaps triumphant o'er the grave.

4. In fields of air, he writes his name,

And treads the chambers of the sky;
He reads the stars, and grasps the flame
That quivers round the throne on high.
In war renowned, in peace sublime,

He moves in greatness and in grace;
His power, subduing space and time,

Links realm to realm, and race to race.

QUESTIONS.-1. What is meant by "the sacred garden"? 1. Who crossed the wanderer's path? 1. What was the name of the angel? 1. What did she say? 2. What did she do? 3. What does man do by the aid of art? 4. What do the first four lines of this stanza mean? 4. What does man's power do?

LESSON LII.

1. TRANS'PORT, rapturous joy.

1. OB-LIV'I-OUS, causing forgetfulness.

2. PIN'IONS, Wings.

3. SIGHT'LESS, wanting sight.

4. SHROUD'ING, concealing.

5. SPELL, a charm.

6. BAY, a laurel-wreath.

7. E-THE RE-AL, consisting of spirit.

ERRORS.-For-git'ful for for-get'ful; air'ly for early; und for and; al'wuz for al'ways; sight'liss for sight'less.

1. HE sleeps, forgetful of his once bright fame;
He has no feeling of the glory gone;
He has no eye to catch the mounting flame,
That once in transport drew his spirit on;
He lies in dull, oblivious dreams, nor cares
Who the wreathed laurel* bears.

2. And yet not all forgotten sleeps he there;

There are who still remember how he bore

Upward his daring pinions, till the air

Seemed living with the crown of light he wore;
There are who, now his early sun has set,

Nor can nor will forget.

* Lau'rel. See note, page 213.

8. He sleeps;

and yet, around the sightless eye
And the pressed lip, a darkened glory plays;
Though the high powers in dull oblivion lie,
There hovers still the light of other days;
Deep in that soul, a spirit not of earth
Still struggles for its birth.

4. He will not sleep for ever, but will rise

Fresh to more daring labors; now, even now,
As the close, shrouding mist of morning flies,
The gathered slumber leaves his lifted brow;
From his half-opened eye, in fuller beams,
His wakened spirit streams!

5. Yes, he will break his sleep; the spell is gone!
The deadly charm departed! See him fling
Proudly his fetters by, and hurry on,

Keen as the famished eagle darts her wing!
The goal is still before him; and the prize
Still wooes his eager eyes.

6. He rushes forth to conquer!

Shall they take –

They who with feebler pace still kept their way

When he forgot the contest

shall they take,

Now he renews the race, the victor's bay?

Still let them strive; when he collects his might,
He will assert his right.

7. The spirit can not always sleep in dust,

Whose essence is ethereal; they may try
To darken and degrade it; it may rust
Dimly awhile, but can not wholly die;
And when it wakens, it will send its fire
Intenser forth and higher.

What is

QUESTIONS. — 1. What is here represented as sleeping? What is Genius? said of the laurel? 2. What of Genius being forgotten? 3. Where is the spirit strug gling? 4-6. What will Genius do when he awakes? 6. What is meant by "the victor's bay"? 7. What is said of the spirit of Genius? - With what pitch, move. Dient. and quality of voice should this lesson be read?