William. While I was looking at him, a heron came flyg over my head with his large flagging wings. He alighted at the next turn of the river, and I crept softly behind the bank to watch his motions. He had waded into the water as far as his long legs would carry him, and was standing with his neck drawn in, looking intently on the stream. Presently he dashed his long bill as quick as lightning into the water, and drew out a fish, which he swallowed. I saw him catch another in the same manner. He then took alarm at some noise I made, and flew away slowly to a wood at some distance, where he settled. Tutor. Probably his nest was there; for herons build upon the loftiest trees they can find, and sometimes in society together, like rooks. Formerly, when these birds were valued for the amusement of hawking," many gentlemen had their heronries and a few are still remaining. William. I then turned homeward across the meadows, where I stopped a while to look at a large flock of starlings, which kept flying about at no great distance. I could not tell at first what to make of them; for they rose altogether from the ground as thick as a swarm of bees, and formed themselves into a kind of black cloud, hovering over the field; after taking a short round, they settled again, and presently rose again in the same manner. I dare say there were hundreds of them. Tutor. Perhaps so, for in the fenny countries their flocks are so numerous as to break down whole acres of reeds, by set tling on them. This disposition of starlings to fly in close swarms was remarked even by Homer, who compares the foe flying from one of his heroes to a cloud of starlings retiring dismayed at the approach of the hawk. EI EI William. After I had left the meadows, I crossed the cornfields in the way to our house, and passed close by a deep marlpit. Looking into it, I saw in one of the sides a cluster of what I took to be shells; and upon going down, I picked up a clod of marl, which was quite full of them; but how sea-shells could get there, I cannot imagine. Tutor I do not wonder at your surprise, since many philosophers have been much perplexed to account for the same appear ance. It is not uncommon to find great quantities of shells am relics of marine animals even in the bowels of high mountain very remote from the sea. Willin. I got to the high field next to our house just as the sun was setting, and I stood looking at it till it was quite lost. What a glorious sight! The clouds were tinged with purple and crimson, and yellow, of all shades and hues, and the clear sky varied from blue to a fine green at the horizon. But how large the sun appears just as it sets! I think it seems twice as big as when it is overhead. Tutor. It does so; and you may probably have observed the same apparent129 enlargement of the moon at its rising. William. I have: but pray what is the reason of this? EI Tutor. It is an optical deception, depending upon principles which I cannot well explain to you till you know more of that branch of science. But what a number of new ideas this afternoon's walk has afforded you! I do not wonder that you found it amusing; it has been very instructing, too. Did you see nothing of all these sights, Robert? Robert. I saw some of them, but I did not take particular notice of them. Tutor. Why not? Robert. I do not know. I did not care about them; and I made the best of my way home. Tutor. That would have been right if you had been sent on a message; but as you only walked for amusement, it would have been wiser to have sought out as many sources of it as possible. But so it is, one man walks through the world with his eyes open, and another with them shut; and upon this difference depends all the superiority of knowledge the one acquires above the other. I have known a sailor who had been in all the quarters of the world, and could tell you nothing but the signs of the tipplinghouses he frequent'ed in different ports, and the price and quality of the liquor. On the other hand, a Franklin could not cross the English Channel without making some observations useful to mankind. While many a vacant, thoughtless youth, is whirled throughout Europe, without gaining a single ideä worth crossing a street for, the observing eye and inquiring mind find matter for improvement and delight in every ramble in town or country. Do you, then, William, continue to make use of your eyes, and you, Robert, learn that eyes were given you to use. Aikin. IX. A CHAPTER OF ADVICE. 1. I GIVE you, in this chapter, some maxims, which I hope you will read again and again, until they are so fixed in your memories that they will influence you every day and every hour If you are governed by them, you may not become great, but you certainly will become good; and it is much more important to be good than to be great. 2. Rise early, and offer up your praise to the Giver of all good. Enter steadily and fearlessly upon the duties of the day. Be determined that no trial shall overcome your patience, and no impediment conquer your perseverance. If your object be a good one, say, "I will try to attain it." 3. Never be found without an object. Ask yourself how you can do the most good; and when you have decided, throw your soul into your purpose. Never do good to obtain praise. Take a red-hot iron in your hand rather than a dishonest penny. Do no bad action to serve a good friend. Be charitable to others faults, but implacable to your own. 4. Wage war with evil, and give no quarter. Die for the truth, rather than live to uphold a lie. Never court needless danger, nor fly from a peril which duty imposes. Read good books, seck out good companions, attend to good counsels, and imitate good examples. Never give way to despondency. Does the sun shine? — rejoice. Is it covered with a cloud? wait till the cloud has passed away. 5. Take good care of your education; see that your principles and your deportment are equal to your attainments. I knew one whose head was highly educated, but whose heart was sadly neglected. He was too learned to honor his unlettered parents; too well-informed to follow the advice of his friends; and by far too polite to practise the vulgar duties of his situation 6. This person is now spending his days in idleness, as low in the estimation of others as he is high in his own. If you wish to be good, great or wise, you must begin while you are young, or you will never begin at all Be attentive to your manners. Those are the best manners which raise you in the opinion of others without sinking you in your own. 7. A poor woman once fell and injured herself so that she could not walk, and a crowd soon gathered around her. One polite person pitied her, another promised to make her case known; but a plain, modest-looking man stepped forward, paid for a coach to convey her home, slipped a piece of money into her hand, and disappeared. One kind act, done with simplicity, is worth a thousand fine speeches. Bruce X. -TRUST NOT TO APPEARANCES 1. EARLY one day in leafy June, 2. Though he could see no houses near, For not a thief upon the road Would guess where he his cash had stowed. 3. As thus he went. that Quaker sly "Stop, brother!" said the first; "the weather 4. "Nay," said the stranger, "know'st thou not That robbers here resort, my brother?" A fig for robbers!" said the other; 5 I've all my money in a note, And that is hid- not in my coat Bat-"- Behold "What! in your shoe?"—"The secret 's told ! 6." You see it has a double sole: Within that I have hid the whōle: Now, where's the robber who would think 7. "Here!” cried the stranger; —"so dismount, I'm Captain Bibb, the robber trim, So hand your money quick to him. 8. "Don't tremble- all you 've got to do, You know, is to take off your shoe; And for your money I will give Advice19 shall serve you while you live: 9. "Don't take each broad-brim chance may send Osborne. XI. NOT AFRAID OF BEING LAUGHED AT. 1. I SHALL never forget a lesson which I received when quite young lad, at an academy in the village of B. Among my schoolfellows were Hartley and Jemson. They were somewhat older than myself, and to the latter I looked up as to a sort of leader in matters of opinion as well as of sport. He was not at heart malicious, but he had a foolish ambition of being thought witty and sarcastic, and he made himself feared by a besetting habit of turning things into ridicule, so that he seemed continually on the look-out for matter for derision. ΕΙ 2. Hartley was a new52 scholar, and little was known of him among the boys. One morning, as we were on our way to school" |