world, for the Egyptians were a learned people, among whom history and the arts flourished while the Greeks were still savages.

When the merchants had come to this land of Egypt, they sold Joseph as a slave to the captain of the king's army.

After a time it came to pass that Pharaoh, the king, dreamed that while he stood upon the banks of the Nile there came out of the river seven fat kine to feed in the meadow, and after them came up seven lean kine; and the seven lean kine ate up the seven fat kine, and were still as lean as when they came.

And Pharaoh dreamed again that he saw seven ears of corn upon one stalk, full and good, and after them seven ears dry and thin, and the seven poor ears devoured the seven good ears.

In those days people always thought their dreams to be warnings, and were anxious to find meanings for each one. So the king sent all over Egypt for wise men to explain his dream, but no one could give him

an answer.

Now, it happened that Joseph had once given to a servant a wise explanation of a curious dream which this servant himself had dreamed. The king was told of Joseph's wisdom, and the young slave was sent for by Pharaoh.

Joseph listened to the story of the dream, and spoke thus: "The seven fat kine and the seven full ears of corn mean that there shall be seven years of plenty; and the seven lean kine and the seven thin ears mean seven years of famine. The seven years of plenty shall be followed by seven years of famine, which will eat up all that has grown in the years of plenty."

Then Joseph advised the king to begin to save, now, for the seven years of famine; and the king gave Joseph

charge of the harvests and made him ruler over the land of Egypt, and grain was gathered as the sands of the sea.

Pronunciations.- O bei'sançe; He'bron; Phā'raōh.

Definitions. Sheaves, bundles of stalks of grain. Balm, fragrant ointment. Myrrh, an Arabian gum. Pyramids, great monuments erected by the kings of Egypt. Kine, cattle. Famine, scarcity of food. Vale, valley. Devoured, eaten. Obeisance, a bow, a courtesy.

Use each of these words in a written sentence of your own. Spell: sheaves; obeisance; seized; stripped; myrrh; pyramids. Describe Pharaoh's dream. Give Joseph's explanation of it. If you should wake up in Egypt to-morrow, what might you see? Tell all you know about the pyramids of Egypt.

HERO STORIES.

41. BIBLE HEROES-JOSEPH.

PART II.

Articulation.-seven | years; called | to; Joseph's | old | home.

As Joseph had foretold, the seven years of famine followed the seven years of plenty. The people called to Pharaoh for bread, and the king sent them all to Joseph.

Even in Joseph's old home, in Canaan, his father and his brothers were hungry, and the father sent ten of the sons down into Egypt for corn, keeping at home Benjamin, the youngest.

When his brothers came before Joseph, he did not, at first, make himself known to them. He spoke harshly to them and accused them of being spies, and put them into prison.

Finally he let them go, on their promise to come again and bring their youngest brother to prove that they were not spies, but had told the truth about their family.

BORNIA

He ordered that their beasts should be laden with grain, and sent them on their homeward journey, keeping Simeon, one of the brothers, that he might be sure they would return with Benjamin, whom he greatly wished to see.

Upon hearing the story told by his sons, and what Joseph demanded, the broken-hearted old father cried, Joseph is dead, Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away also."

But Jacob had to let them go as they had promised, and again they stood before Joseph. He said to them, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spake? Is he yet alive?" They answered him and bowed low. Then he said, "And is this your younger brother of whom you spake to me? God be gracious to thee, my son." But still Joseph did not make himself known.

At dawn the next morning the ten brothers again set out homeward with their beasts laden with food; but before long they were overtaken by Joseph's servant, who charged them with stealing Joseph's silver cup. The brothers said this was not true, and opened their sacks to show that they had not taken the vessel. But in Benjamin's sack they found the cup.

You must know that Joseph himself had caused the cup to be put there, because he wished an excuse to keep his brother Benjamin with him.

When the brothers were brought back before Joseph, one of them spoke for the rest, saying they were indeed. innocent of stealing; but did not know how to prove this, as the cup had been found in Benjamin's sack.

Joseph then said that the man in whose sack the cup was found should be his servant, and that the others might go in peace to their fathers.

Then the older brother began to tell, in beautiful, pleading words, how Jacob loved Benjamin, and how

that my father will die, and we, thy servants, shall bring down the gray hairs of our father with sorrow to the

grave. Now, therefore,

let me, thy servant,
bondman here, and let
with his brothers."
seph wept aloud, and
Joseph." And his
were struck with terror,
not answer him. Then he
Joseph, your brother, whom

Then Jo

said, "I am brethren

and could

said, "I am

you sold

into Egypt. But do not be grieved or angry with your

selves that you sold me, for God sent me before you to preserve life." And Joseph kissed

his brothers, and they wept and

talked together.

Then Joseph bade his broth

ers hasten home and

bring Jacob and the

whole family down.

into Egypt.

And

When Jacob saw the wagons that Joseph had sent, he said, "It is enough. Joseph, my son, is yet alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

When Jacob and his family drew near to Egypt, Joseph made ready his chariot and went forth to meet his father, and Jacob said, "Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, and thou art yet alive."

But Jacob lived for many years after this, and his son Joseph went on holding his high office as the king's guide, and making all about him happy.

Pronunciations.-€ā'naan.

Definitions. Spies, enemies who watch secretly. Gracious, merciful, friendly. Pleading, persuading. Bondman, a male slave. Chariot, an ancient carriage for war or pleasure.

Use each of the words defined in a sentence of your own.

Select the hardest ten words of this lesson, to spell.

How did Joseph's brothers happen to come to Egypt? Why did they not recognize Joseph as soon as he did them? What revenge might Joseph have taken upon his brothers? What noble course did he take instead? Which seems the finer character to you - the heroes of myths, or this Bible hero? In what language were the Bible stories written? The Homer stories?

42. THE DEATH OF THE FLOWERS.

William Cullen Bryant is one of the four American poets of the first rank, the other three being Longfellow, Whittier, and Lowellall of whom lived in this century. At nineteen Bryant wrote "Thanatopsis," one of the classic poems of the language. "To a Water Fowl" and "The Planting of the Apple Tree" are well known, also.

Articulation.-Forests | cast; fragrance | late; robin | and the wren. The melancholy days are come, the saddest of the year,

Of wailing winds, and naked woods, and meadows brown and sear.
Heaped in the hollows of the grove, the autumn leaves lie dead;
They rustle to the eddying gust, and to the rabbit's tread.
The robin and the wren are flown, and from the shrubs the jay,
And from the wood-top calls the crow through all the gloomy day.