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NOTE. Among the most frequent instances of contrast are words connected by or, when used as a disjunctive conjunction; as, It was either Jámes or John; and when a negative clause is opposed to an affirmative; as, He is not well, but better. In the case of negation, the negative sentence has the rising inflection, and the affirmative the falling, in whatever order they may occur.

EXAMPLES.

Contrast.

1. The young are slaves to novelty; the òld, to custom.
2. Fashion is the plague of wise men, and the idol of fools.
3. Prosperity ill acquired, is in general ill expended.

4. The injuries we dó, and those we suffer, are seldom weighed in the same balance.

Contrast by Or.

1. Is he my énemy, or my friend?

2. I could not tell whether he was in earnest, or in jèst.

3. Are animals governed by ínstinct, or by reason?

4. In the suitableness or unsuitableness, the propórtion or disproportion, of the affection to the object which excites it, consists the propriéty or impropriety of the action.

Contrast by Negation.

1. He came not with the aspect of vengeance, but of mèrcy. 2. The duty of a soldier is to òbey, not to diréct, his general. 3. It is not for your wealth, but your virtue, that I respect you. 4. We are not born for ourselves, but for the public good.

THE USES OF THE ATMOSPHERE.

1. THE air may be said to constitute the very essence of which life is made. When the Lord created man of the dust of the ground, he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul; and the experience of all ages amply testifies, that when men cease to breathe, they cease to live.

QUESTIONS. What are among the most frequent instances of contrast? Read the samples, and point out the words contrasted, and their proper inflections.

2. It has been observed that we might live many days, or even a month, without the light of the sún or the glimmering of a star; whereas, if we are deprived only a few minutes of this aerial support, we sicken, we faint, we die. How thankful, then, ought we to be, that no person can deprive us of this indispensable necessary of life!

3. The treasures of the earth, the verdure of the fields, and even the refreshments of the stream, often contribute to the luxuries of the great, while the less fortunate can only behold them as humble spectators; but, in the words of an eminent naturalist, "the air no limitations can bound, nor any landmarks restrain." In this benign element, all mankind can boast an equal possession; and for this we have all equal obligations to Heaven.

4. It is equally beneficial to all the branches of the animal creation; for although some creatures dwell in the very bowels of the earth, or swim in the unmeasurable depths of the sea, yet it has been demonstrated by experiment, that no sooner are they totally deprived of aír, than they cease to live.

5. By the same air, also, that preserves animal life, flame is fed and cherished. We all know the utility of fire, and the many inconveniences to which we should be exposed, were we deprived of that necessary element; but without air, in vain would the fagots be piled in a heap, in vain would we apply the lighted torch.

6. Every attempt to set the fuel in a blaze, in order to render our habitations more comfortable during the chilling damps of winter, and every effort to dispel the midnight gloom by the cheering candle, would prove abortive. Take but away the surrounding air, life expires, and the lighted taper goes out in darkness; for even an ordinary candle is said to consume about a gallon of air in a minute.

QUESTIONS. What is the first example of contrast in this piece? With what inflec. tions should the words contrasted be read? Point out the other examples of contrast that are marked, and read them with their proper inflections. Point out the examples of contrast not marked, &c.

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7. Plants are also dependent on the air for support and nourishment, and they cannot possibly exist without it. They are continually imbibing fresh nutriment from the atmosphere It is this wondrous fluid that helps to transfuse vegetable vigor into the trunk of the mighty oak, and gives a blooming gayety to the spreading rose.

8. And how wisely is its consistence calculated for answering these important purposes! It is neither too thick nor too thìn, too gróss nor too attenuated. It rushes with ease into our lungs, in order to inflate them in the act of respiration; it forces its way into the most minute tubes of the vegetable tribes.

9. In fact, as Mr. Derham observes, it is a subtile and penetrating matter, fit to pervade other bodies, to penetrate into the inmost recesses of nature; to excite, animate, and spiritualize; and, in short, to be the very soul of this lower world.

10. The air, besides being the medium of light and vision, is also the great vehicle of sound; serving to convey to the ear, by its undulating motion, all that diversity of noise and modulation of tone necessary to warn us of impending danger, or attract our attention and regard. It wafts to our senses all the modulation of music, and the more agreeable entertainments of refined conversation, and delivers the speaker's message with the most punctual fidelity.

11. The air also is made highly subservient to the sense of smelling. It conveys to our organs of smell the extremely subtile effluvia which are emitted from odoriferous bodies.

12. Those detached particles are so imperceptibly small, that they would elude the most careful hand, or escape the nicest eye; but this trusty depository receives and escorts the invisible vagrants, without losing so much as a single atom, entertaining us by this means with the delightful sensations which arise from the fragrance of flowers; and admonishing

QUESTIONS. What uses of the atmosphere are mentioned in this piece? Is it of use 'n any other respects? Mention some of its other uses.

us, by the transmission of offensive smells, to withdraw from an unwholesome situation, or beware of pernicious food. Thus does the air administer to the senses of seeing, hearing. and smelling.

EXERCISE III.

Rising Inflection.

RULE 2. The pause of suspension, denoting that the sense is unfinished, and language expressing tender emotion, generally require the rising inflection.

EXAMPLES.

Pause of Suspension.

1. The light tints of the young fóliage, so púre, so tender, so spíritual, are vanished.

2. When I see the intellectual, móral, and relígious growth of the community, its estáblishments, its institútions, its social action, and reflect that all this life, enjoyment, and plénty, are placed under the invisible protection of the public péace; when I consider further, that what we see, and héar, and féel, and toúch, of all these blessings, is perhaps the smallest párt of them, my heart melts within me for grief, that they, the pioneers of the mighty enterprise, must die before the sight of all these blèssings.

3. Friends, Rómans, countrymen, lend me your ears.

4. Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.

Tender Emotion.

Yet come it will! the day decreed by fátes!

The day when thóu, imperial Tróy! must bénd,
Must see thy warriors fall, thy glories end.

THE WAY TO BE HAPPY.

1. A STORY is told of two travelers in Lápland, which throws more light on the art of being happy, than a whole

QUESTIONS. What is the rule for the pause of suspension, &c.? Read the examples.

volume of precepts and aphorisms. Upon a very cold day in winter, they were driving along in a slédge, wrapped up in furs from head to foot; even their faces were almost covered, and you could hardly see anything but their eyebrows, and these were white and glistening with frost.

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2. At last they saw a poor man who had fallen down, benúmbed and frózen, in the snow. We must stop and help him," said one of the travelers. Stop and help him!" replied the other; "you will never think of stopping on such a day as this! We are half frozen ourselves, and ought to be at our journey's end as soon as possible.". ."-"But I cannot leave this man to pérish," rejoined the more humane tráveler; "I must go to his relief;" and he stopped the sledge.

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3. "Come," said he, "come help me rouse him."-"Not I," replied the other; "I have too much regard for my own life, to expose myself to this freezing atmosphere any more than is necessary. I will sit here, and keep myself as warm as I cán, till you come back." So saying, he resolutely kept his seat while his companion hastened to the relief of the perishing mán, whom they had providentially discovered.

4. The ordinary means of restoring consciousness and activity were tried, with complete success. But the kindhearted traveler was so intent upon saving the life of a fellowcréature, that he had forgotten his own exposure; and what was the consequence? Why, the very efforts which he made to warm the stranger, warmed himself; and thus he had a twofold reward.

5. He had the sweet consciousness of doing a benevolent act, and he also found himself glowing from head to foot, by reason of the exertions he had made. And how was it with his companion, who had been so much afraid of exposing him

QUESTIONS. After what word does the first pause of suspension occur in this piece? What inflection should be given to this word? Point out the other words that are marked. Point out other pauses of suspension that require the rising inflection. What duty may we learn from this lesson ?

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