Who flies from Folly's glittering lure,
And shuns the bright meridian sun!

23. "Let the proud tulip glitter still,

Robed in her scarf of varying hue;

Alone 'neath Nature's eye we 'll rest,

Cheered by her smile, and nurtured by her dew."

QUESTIONS. How must this piece of poetry be regarded? 7. What did the gay tulip say to the lily? 11. What is meant by the wind-god? 12. What did the pale lily reply to the tulip? 18. What is said of the varieties of the rose? 18. Will you name some of the colors? 18. How may new varieties be produced? 20. Which flower did the rose take to herself? What is the moral of this piece?

LESSON V.

Spell and Define.

1. Dis-po-si'tion, temper of mind.

2. Shrubs, low, dwarf trees.

2. Dif-fuse', to send out in all directions.

3. Wan'ton-ly, without restraint.

4. Ver-be'nas, a kind of plants.

4. Mari-gold, a plant bearing a yellow flower.

8. Con-tempt', scorn, disdain.

8. Vex-a'tion, state of being irritated. 9. U-til'i-ty, usefulness.

10. Ex-plain', to make plain.

12. In'no-cent, harmless.

14. De-spise', to scorn, to disdain.
18. De-sign'ed, intended.

18. Ef'forts, exertions, endeavors.
18. Hon'or, to reverence.

ERRORS. 1. Good'nis for good'ness; 2. gar'din for gar'den; 3. deu for do; 4. mer'i-goold for mar'i-gold; 8. son'thin for something; 8. ex'lent for excel·lent ; 16. yore for your; 18. to'kun for to'ken.

UTILITY OF FLOWERS.

J. ALDEN.

1. THOMAS FORESTER was a great lover of flowers. It is pleasant to see this disposition in young persons. It indicates refinement of feeling, and gives us some reason to hope that the love of beauty and goodness will grow in the soul, and adorn the conduct of life.

2. Thomas had a piece of ground in the garden, which he called his own. In it he set roses and other flowering shrubs,

NOTE. See rose, p. 103, note a.

and planted at the proper time a great many flower-seeds. He kept it very free from weeds, and in fine order, in conse quence of which he had the pleasure of causing many flowers to unfold their beauties, and diffuse their fragrance.

3. Thomas loved his flowers, but he was willing to pick them for such persons as he knew would prize them and take care of them. He was not willing to pick them for those who would hold them for a little while, and then throw them away or tear them to pieces, as you have often seen persons do. He thought we had no more right wantonly to waste beauty, than to waste money.

4. Some visitor, who had little regard for flowers or sense of propriety, had been in Thomas' garden, and left rather unpleasant traces of his visit. When Thomas next went to his garden, he exclaimed, "Who has been in my garden? My finest moss rose is gone, and here is a handful of verbenasa pulled off and thrown away, and this satin striped marigold has been trampled upon; - it is too bad!" And he sat down on a rustic seat near, and wept.

5. At this moment Mr. Felton came along, and asked him what he was crying for.

6. "Somebody has been in my garden, and destroyed my flowers."

7. "O," said Mr. Felton, "I thought some damage had been done. These things are worth nothing; I would not cry about such a matter."

8. Thomas looked at him with a feeling of sorrow and contempt, but did not speak, for fear he should say something wrong. He had learned that when he felt vexed with any person, it was best not to say anything to him. This is an excellent rule. The true way is to say nothing till the feeling of vexation has passed away.

9. While Thomas was engaged in repairing damages as

NOTE. -a Ver-be'nas; plants of different species, bearing funnel-shaped flowers, of various colors, as blue, white, scarlet, &c. The ancients held them in great vener. stion, and strewed and sanctified their temples with them.

far as possible, and putting his garden in order, his thoughts continued to be occupied with the subject of the utility of flowers. He knew the Lord never made anything in vain, and he thought he would consider and set in order in his mind, the uses of flowers, so that he might have an answer ready, should he again fall in with a person like Mr. Felton.

10. But he did not succeed so well as he desired; and when he had finished what he had to do in his garden, he went to his father, to get him to explain the subject to him.

11. "Father," said Thomas," of what use are flowers? I do not ask because I do not think they are of use, but I wish to know what to answer those who say they are of no use, and that we ought not to spend time upon them.”

12. "They are of use to make us happy. They give us pure and innocent pleasure," said his father.

13.

Is it not wrong to despise them?”

14. "Suppose your father were to make you a very curious instrument, to please you, and should paint it in the most beautiful manner, would it be right for you to despise it?" 15. "No, sir; it would be an insult to my father.”

16. "If your father were absent from you, and were to send you such an instrument, it would please you; and what else would it do?"

17.

It would make me think of him when I saw it." 18. "This is another of the uses of flowers. They are not only designed to give us pleasure, but to remind us of our Father who is in heaven,—of his goodness to us. Whenever you look at a flower, and admire and enjoy its beauty, you should say to yourself, My Father made it; you should regard it as a token of your Father's goodness, and resolve to make greater efforts to please and honor him.

QUESTIONS. 1. What does a love of flowers indicate? 2. How did Thomas keep his garden? 3. Why was Thomas not willing to pick his plants to be torn to pieces? 4. What did he do when he found his flowers had been injured? 4. What are verbenas? 4. How did the ancients regard them? 8. Why did not Thomas make any reply to Mr. Felton? 8. What is it best to do when we feel vexed with any one? 12. What is one of the uses of flowers? 18. What else are flowers useful for?

ERRORS.1. Tem'per-a-tchure for tem'per-a-ture; 2. us'yal-ly for us'u-al-ly; 2. sroud for shroud; 3. keerful-ly for careful-ly; 3. ev'ry for ev'er-y; tex'ter for texture; 5. chamber for cham-ber; 6. luth'er-y for leath'er-y; 9. ur'ror for error; 13. em-bas'sen-der for em-bas'sa-dor.

THE SILK-WORM.

1. THE silk-worm, like most other caterpillars, changes its skin four times during its growth. The intervals at which these changes follow each other, depend much on the climate or temperature, as well as the quality and quantity of their food. It usually attains its full growth in about thirty days from the time it issues from the egg, and, if properly fed, is about three inches in length.

2. The appetite of the silk-worm increases with its age, and is greatest about the time, it changes its skin the fourth time, when it also attains its greatest size. It then ceases to eat, and diminishes in size and weight. This usually continues for nine or ten days, after which it begins to spin its shroud of silk from a fluid secreted in the body for that purpose, and which is drawn out through an aperture into a thread, in a manner similar to that in which the wire-drawer draws out his wire.

3. In this operation, it proceeds with the greatest caution, looking carefully about for a spot in which it may be most secure from interruption. Having selected a place, it begins to move its head to different places, in order to fasten its

thread on every side. All this work, though it looks to the bystander like confusion, is not without design.

4. It neither arranges its threads, nor disposes one over another, but contents itself with distending a sort of cotton or floss to keep off the rain; for nature having ordained silkworms to work under trees, they never change their method, even when they are reared in our houses. It next surrounds itself with another coat of pure silk, and within this another of a still finer texture, and with a strong gum, binds all the inner threads over one another.

5. It is thus inclosed with three coverings entirely different in their texture, and which afford a protective shelter. The outer loose silk or floss is for keeping off the rain; the fine silk in the middle, prevents the wind from causing injury; and the glued silk, which composes the tapestry of the chamber where the insect lodges, repels both air and water, and prevents the intrusion of cold.

6. The cocoon, in which the worm is inclosed, is of the form of a pigeon's egg, and more pointed at one end than at the other. When the worm has exhausted itself to furnish the labor and materials of the three coverings, it loses the form of a worm, first throwing off the skin with the head and jaws attached to it, and the new skin hardening into a kind of leathery consistence.

7. Its nourishment is already in its stomach, and consists of a yellowish mucus; but gradually the rudiments of the moth unfold themselves; the wings, the antennæ, and the legs, becoming solid. In two or three weeks, a slight swelling may be observed in the chrysalis, which at length produces a rupture in the membrane that covers it, and by repeated efforts, the moth bursts through the leathery envelope into the chamber of the cocoon, which it finally pierces and escapes.

8. After removing the floss, or exterior coating, the middle portion of the cocoon is the part used in the manufacture of

ilk fabrics. The first preparation is to throw the cocoons