2. My choir shall be the moonlight waves, Even more than music, breathes of thee. 3. I'll seek, by day, some glade' unknown, 4. Thy heaven, on which 'tis bliss to look, 5. I'll read thy anger in the rack Of sunny brightness, breaking througn. 6. There's nothing bright, above, below, 7. There's nothing dark, below, above, THOMAS MOORE WE 70. WINDOWS. E have a special doctrine of windows. They are designed to let the light in, and equally to let the sight out; and this last function is, in the country, of prime importance. For 1 1 Glåde, an open place in a wood or forest.-2 Rite, a ceremony; religious observance.-3 Azure (åz'er), sky-blue. Nothing (nůth' ing) - De'i ty, Godhead; divinity.—o Fånc' tion, office; employment. window is but another name for a stately picture. There are no such landscapes on canvas as those which you see through glass. There are no painted windows like those which trees and lawns' paint standing in upon them, with all the glory of God resting on them! 2. Our common, small, frequent windows in country dwellings are contemptible. We love rather the generous old English windows, large as the whōle side of a room, manyangled, or circular; but, of whatever shape, they should be recessed-glorious nooks of light, the very antitheses of those shady coverts which we search out in forests, in hot summer days. 3. These little chambers of light, into which a group may găther, and be bōth in-doors and out of doors at the same time; where, in storms or in winter, we may have full access to the elements without chill, wet, or exposure, these are the glory of a dwelling. The great treasures of a dwelling are, the child's cradle, the grandmother's chair, the hearth and old-fashioned fireplace, the table, and the window. 4. Bedrooms should face the east, and let in the full flush of morning light. There is a positive pleasure in a golden bath' of early morning light. Your room is filled and glorified. You awake in the very spirit of light. It creeps upon you, and suffuses your soul, pierces your sensibility, irradiates' the thoughts, and warms and cheers the whole day 5. It is sweet to awake and find your thoughts moving to the gentle measures of soft music; but we think it full as sweet to float into morning consciousness upon a flood of golden light, silent though it be! What can be more delicious than a summer morning, dawning through your open windows, to the sound of innumerable birds, while the shadows of branches and leaves sway to and fro along the wall, or spread new patterns on the floor, wavering with perpetual change! H. W. BEECHER. 'Lawns, open spaces between woods.- An tith' e sis, the opposite to a thing. Coverts (kův'erts), covered places; shelters.- Hearth.-Suffuses (suf füz' ez). overspreads; covers. —' Ir rå' di ates brightens fills with light Båth. THE 71. RECREATION. HE Amĕricans, as a people, at least the professional' and mercantile classes, and the other inhabitants of large towns, have too little considered the importance of healthful, generous recreation. They have not learned the lesson contained in the věry word, which teaches that the worn-out man is re-creä'ted, made over again, by the seasonable relaxation of the strained faculties. 2. The Father of History3 tells us of an old king of Egypt, Amasis by name, who used to get up early in the morning, dispatch the business and issue the orders of the day, and spend the rest of the time with his friends, in conviviality' and amusement. Some of the agèd counselors were scandalized,' and strove by remonstrance to make him give up this mode of life. "But no," said he, "as the bow always bent will at last break, so the man forever on the strain of thought and action, will at ast go mad or break down." 3. Thrown upon a new continent, eager to do the work of twenty centuries in two, the Anglo-American' population has overworked, and is daily overworking itself. From morning to night, from January to December, brain and hands, eyes and fingers, the powers of the body and the powers of the mind, are kept in spasmodic, merciless activity. 4. There is no lack of a few tasteless and soulless dissipations, which are called amusements; but noble, athletic sports, manly out-door exercises, which strengthen the mind by strengthening the body, are too little cultivated in town or country. EDWARD EVERETT. 'Professional (pro fêsh' un al), relating to employment that requires learning in distinction from a trade.—2 Mår' can tile, relating to merchandise, or the sale of goods; trading. He rôd' o tus, called the "Father of History," a native of Halicarnassus, a Dorian city in Asia Minor, was born в. c. 484.- Con viv i ål' i ty, festive mirth; eating and drinking.-Scån' dalized, offended by a supposed criminal action.'Century (sent' yu rf), the period of a hundred years.- An' glo-A mår'i can (ång' glo), relating to the descendants of Englishmen in America.— Spasmodic (spaz mod' ik), consisting in spasms; relating to the motion of the muscles, without regard to the will.- Ath lêt' ic, belonging to the exercise of strength of body, as jumping, wrestling, &c. 72. THE STUDY OF HISTORY. Teacher. I hear that you have made great progress in history and that you have at home a very able instructress in it Pupil. Yes, that is the case; our governess knows all history and I have profited much from her instruction. T. But what have you learned? Tell me. P. All history. T. But what is all history? P. (Hesitating.) All history? Why it is-it is what is in books. T. Well, I have here many books on history, as Herodotus, Livy,' Tacitus,' and others; I suppose you know those authors. P. No, I do not; but I know the facts related in history. T. I dare say you do; I see, however, that, out of your knowledge of all history, we must deduct a knowledge of the authors who have written it. But perhaps that governess of yours has informed you who Homer, Hesiod,' Plato' and the other poets and philosophers were? P. I don't think she has; for, if she had, I should have remembered it. T. Well, we must then make one further deduction3 from your knowledge of all history; and that is, the history of the poets and philosophers. P. Why, I said just now that I did not learn those things, I learned matters of fact and events. T. But those things, as you call them, were men; however, I now understand you: the knowledge you acquired was a knowledge of things, but not of men; as, for instance, you learned that the city of Rome was built, but you did not learn any thing of the men that built it. P. True, true. (As if repeating by rote.) Rome was built 'Livy, an illustrious Roman historian, was born in Italy, B. c. 59. He died in the seventy-seventh year of his age, A. D. 18.—3 Caius Cor nelius Tacitus, a noted Roman historian, born in A. D. 58, or 59. The time of his death is unknown.-Homer and Hesiod were two of the earliest of the Greek poets. Plato was one of the Greek philosophers - De důc' tion, taking away; lessening. THE STUDY OF HISTORY. 171 by Romulus and Remus, twin brothers, the sons of Rhea Sylvia and Mars; they were exposed, while infants, by king Amulius, and afterward a shepherd brought them up and educated them. T. Enough, enough, my good little friend; you have shown me now what you understand by the history of men and things. But, pray, tell me what other men and things you were instructed in; for instance, tell me who and what Sylla was. P. He was a tyrant of Rome. T. Was the term tyrant the name of an officer ? P. Indeed, I do not know; but Sylla is certainly called, in history, a tyrant. T. But did you not learn that he was dictator,' and what the authority and duties of that officer were? and the authority of the consuls, tribunes of the people, and other magistrates among the Romans? P. No, I did not; for those things are hard, and are not so entertaining as great exploits, and would have taken up too much time. T. As to that, you will perhaps be better able to judge here after. Well, then, from your knowledge of all history, we must strike off all knowledge of the offices of the Roman magistrates. P. Ah! but we took more pleasure in reading about wars and exploits. T. Well, did you ever hear of Carthage, and the wars carried on against her? P. Oh, yes; there were three Carthaginian wars. T. Tell me, then, which party was victorious. P. The Romans. T. But were they victorious at the beginning? P. Oh, no (as if repeating by rote); they were beaten in four battles, by Hannibal: at Ticinium, Trebia, the Thrasymene lake, and Cannæ. 'Dic ta' tor, an officer of unlimited power, created only in times of great difficulty and danger.-- Côn' suls were the chief officers of the government of Rome after the expulsion of the kings.-' Trib' unes were officers appointed to look after the interests of the common people.- Hånʼni bal, one of the most illustrious ancient generals, was born at Carthage B. C. 247, and died в c. 183, in the sixty-fifth year of his age. |
