8. In public, when called on for a sudden opinion, he was unready, short, and embarrassed; yet he wrote readily, rather diffusely, in an easy and correct style. This he had acquired by conversation with the world; for his education was merely reading, writing, and common arithmetic, to which he added surveying at a later day. His time was employed in action chiefly, reading little, and that only in agriculture and English history. His correspondence became necessarily extensive, and, with journalizing his agricultural proceedings, occupied most of his leisure hours within doors. 9. On the whole, his character was, in its mass, perfect-in nothing bad, in a few points indifferent; and it may be truly said, that never did Nature and Fortune combine more completely to make a man great, and to place him in the same constellation with whatever worthies have merited from man an everlasting remembrance; for his was the singular destiny and merit of leading the armies of his country successfully through an arduous war for the establishment of its independence, of conducting its councils through the birth of a government new in its forms and principles, until it had settled down into a quiet and orderly train, and of scrupulously obeying the laws through the whole of his career, civil and military of which the history of the world furnishes no other example. Thomas Jefferson. FOR PREPARATION.-I. Give an account of the author of this piece. Was he similar, in cast of mind and occupation in life, to Washington? (The opposite rather: while the latter was almost wholly practical, the life of the Will, the former was theoretical, the life of the Intellect. To Washington we owe the victories of the Revolution, to Jefferson the framing of that most wonderful piece of organic law, the Constitution of the United States. Upon this as a model is formed every State Constitution, and almost every municipal charter and government, in our nation.) Does this make his praise more or less valuable? Who were Newton, Bacon, Locke? What great papers of state were prepared by Jefferson? II. Aid'-ed, eälm'-est (kām'-), feat'-ūre (fēt'yur), ehår'-ae-ter, weighed (wad), doubt (dout), as-çend'-en-çy, un-yield'-ing, çîr'-ele, něç'-es-sa-ri-ly, pro-çeed'-ings, lei'-şure (lē'zhur), ärd'-u-ous, eoun'-çilş. III. Difference between "statue," "statute," and "stature" ?-copious, fluent, and diffuse? IV. Penetration, acute, invention, suggestions, judiciously, dislocated, incapable, maturely, refraining, integrity, inflexible, consanguinity, bias, irritable, utility, "visionary projects," copiousness. V. Which feature of Washington's character does he consider the strongest ? Can you relate an event that will support this view? Wise, good, and great man (5)-excluding wisdom and goodness, what other qualities are included under "great," do you think? Do "irritable" and “high-toned" harmonize, or contrast in meaning, as the author intended them? Should we not say "high-strung" for "high-toned"? Is most tremendous a good expression? Note the use of "copiousness (of ideas) and "fluency" (of words). Name the points mentioned as making Washington's a singular destiny and without a parallel. CXXI.-DECORATION OF THE SOLDIERS' GRAVES. 1. Sleep sweetly in your humble graves- 2. In seeds of laurel in the earth The blossom of your fame is blown, 3. Meanwhile, behalf the tardy years 4. Small tributes! But your shades will smile 5. Stoop, angels, hither from the skies! Henry Timrod. FOR PREPARATION.-I. Ode sung on the occasion of decorating the graves of the Confederate dead at Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, S. C., 1867. II. Märʼ-tyrş (-turz), eŏl'-umn (-um), pauşe (pawz), lạu'-rel, hō'-li-er. V. Explain "cannon-moulded pile." What is it that is "behalf the tardy years"? What is meant by "memorial blooms"? CXXII. THE WAY TO WEALTH. 1. COURTEOUS READER: I have heard that nothing gives an author so great pleasure as to find his works respectfully quoted by others. Judge, then, how much I must have been gratified by an incident I am going to relate to you. 2. I stopped my horse, lately, where a great number of people were collected at an auction of merchants' goods. The hour of the sale not being come, they were conversing on the badness of the times; and one of the company called to a plain, clean old man, with white locks: "Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of the times? Will not these heavy taxes quite ruin the coun try? How shall we ever be able to pay them? What would you advise us to do?" 3. Father Abraham stood up and replied: "If you would have my advice, I will give it to you in short; for 'a word to the wise is enough,' as Poor Richard says." They joined in desiring him to speak his mind, and, gathering around him, he proceeded as follows: "Friends," said he, "the taxes are indeed very heavy; and, if those laid on by the Government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. 4. "We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly; and of these taxes the commissioners cannot ease or deliver us by allowing an abatement. However, let us hearken to good advice, and something may be done for us. Heaven helps them that help themselves,' as Poor Richard says. 5. "It would be thought a hard government that should tax its people one-tenth part of their time to be employed in its service; but idleness taxes many of us much more; sloth, by bringing on diseases, absolutely shortens life. 'Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears; while the used key is always bright,' as Poor Richard says. How much more than is necessary do we spend in sleep! forgetting that 'the sleeping fox catches no poultry,' and that there will be sleeping enough in the grave. 6. "Lost time is never found again; and what we call time enough, always proves little enough.' Let us, then, be up and doing, and doing to the purpose, so by diligence shall we do more with less perplexity. 'Drive thy business, and let not that drive thee;' and 'early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,' as Poor Richard says. 7. "So, what signifies wishing and hoping for better times? We may make these times better, if we bestir ourselves. Industry need not wish, and he that lives upon hopes will die fasting.' 'There are no gains without pains; then help hands, for I have no lands.' 'He that hath a trade, hath an estate; and he that hath a calling, hath an office of profit and honor;' but then the trade must be worked at, and the calling well followed, or neither the estate nor the office will enable us to pay our taxes. Work while it is called to-day, for you know not how much you may be hindered to-morrow. 'One to-day is worth two to-morrows,' as Poor Richard says; and further, 'Never leave that till to-morrow which you can do to-day.' 8. "If you were a servant, would you not be ashamed that a good master should catch you idle? Are you, then, your own master? Be ashamed to catch yourself idle, when there is so much to be done for yourself, your family, and your country. It is true, there is much to be done, and perhaps you are weak-handed; but stick to it steadily, and you will see great effects; for 'constant dropping wears away stones,' and 'little strokes fell great oaks,' 9. "I think I hear some of you say, 'Must a man afford himself no leisure?' I will tell you, my friends, what Poor Richard says: 'Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to gain leisure; and since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour.' Leisure is time for doing something useful; this leisure the diligent man |