lead them to their pasture on the hills, or in the green meadows by the running brook. The maids meanwhile haste to milk the cows, then churn the butter, put the cheese into the cheese-press, clean their dairy, and feed the pigs, geese, turkeys, ducks, and chickens. 4. James Brown did not work in the fields; so when he rose from his bed, his first care was to wash his face and hands, to comb ana brush his hair; and when these things were done, and he had said his morning prayer, he went with his father about the farm, or weeded the garden. Garden-work was very proper for a boy of his age and size. 5. James Brown had a cousin, named Thomas, and Thomas Brown once came to pay James a visit. The two boys were very glad to see each other, and Thomas told James of the famous city of London where he lived. 6. He spoke of the spacious paved streets, crowded all day by throngs of people, and lighted at night by rows, on each side of the way, of glass lamps. 7. He told him of the fine toy-shops, where all kinds of play-things for children are sold: such as bats, balls, kites, marbles, tops, drums, trumpets, whips, wheel-barrows, shuttles, dolls, and baby-houses. And of other great shops, where linens, muslins, silks, laces and ribbons fill the windows, and make quite a gay picture to attract the passers by. 8. He described also the noble buildings, and the great river Thames, with its fine arched bridges, built of stone. He spoke of the immense number of boats, barges, and vessels that sail and row upon the Thames, and of the great ships that lie at anchor there, which bring stores of goods from all parts of the world. 9. He told James likewise of the Tower of London, which is always guarded by soldiers, and in one part of which he had seen lions, tigers, a wolf, a spotted panther, a white Greenland bear, and other wild beasts, with many sorts of monkeys. 10. Thomas Brown talked very fast on these subjects, and as James, who had never seen anything of the kind, was quite silent, and seemed as much surprised as pleased with all that he heard, Thomas began to think his cousin was but a dull, stupid sort of boy. 11. But the next morning, when they went out into the fields, he found that James had as much knowledge as himself, though not of the same kind. Thomas knew not wheat from barley, nor oats from rye; nor did he know the oak tree from the elm, nor the ash from the willow. 12. He had heard that bread was made of corn, but he had never seen it threshed in a barn from the stalks, nor had he ever seen a mill grinding it into flour. He knew nothing of the manner of making and baking bread, of brewing malt and hops into beer, or of the churning of butter. Nor did he even know that the skins of cows, calves, bulls, horses, sheep, and goats, were made into leather. 13. James Brown perfectly knew these and many other things of the same nature: and he willingly taught his cousin to understand some of the arts that belong to the practice of husbandry. 14 These friendly and observing boys, after this time, met always once a year, and they were eager in their separate stations to acquire knowledge, that they might impart it to each other at the end of the twelve-month. ERRORS. 2. hosses for horses. 3. medders for meadows; paster for pasture. 11. feels for fields. QUESTIONS. What is the Rule? What things did James know better than Thomas? What did Thomas know better than James? Where did Thomas live? Do you know in what country London is ? RULE. Be very careful that you do not repeat your words in reading; once reading a word correctly is enough.* ELLEN AND JUDITH. 1. THERE was once a little girl, who always seem ed to feel great pity for those who were in want of food or clothing. If she was walking in the street *NOTE FOR TEACHERS. The fault which this rule forbids, is one of the worst and most common among persons of every age, both in reading and conversation. Very great pains should be taken to pre with any of her friends, and a beggar came near, she would entreat to have money given her, to give to that poor creature. 2. At home she begged cold meat or halfpence of her mamma, for all the beggars that came to the house, so that this little girl was praised all day long for being so very humane, and she began to think herself one of the best children in the world, and boasted to her playfellows, both of her good name, and of the great deal of money she got from her mamma for poor people. 3. One day Ellen, for thus she was called, had a girl about her own size and age to play with her, whose name was Judith. She was a quiet, modest child, who did not boast of any good that she did. She had no mother to indulge her wishes, and the friends she lived with could not afford to give money to all who asked for it. 4. Ellen's mamma was going out to pay a visit, but she left the children a large piece of rich plum-cake to divide between them, that they might play at making feasts. Before this cake was touched, a poor woman, with an almost naked child in her arms, sat down on the step of the door, and seemed ready to faint. 5. The children saw her, and ran to the door to ask what was the matter with her? She told a sad story of having been sick at a great distance from her home, and that she was now on her way to the place where vent children's forming a habit of repeating. It is useful to require them to read a sentence, till they can do it without any mistake or repetition. How sadly any composition would look, if it were written or printed, as many persons would read it. If it is necessary to shame a scholar for his blunders, copy some sentence as he reads it, and then read it to him. her friends lived, but that, having walked from daybreak without tasting a morsel of food, she felt herself not able to go a step further. 6. 'Poor woman!' cried Ellen, 'you shall not want food long, and I am glad you came to our door, for we take care of all the poor people.' And away she flew down stairs to seek the cook. But the cook was gone out, as well as her mistress, and what was worse, had taken the key of the pantry with her, so that the housemaid could not get anything to give. 7. 'Then pray, Mary, lend me a penny,' said Ellen, and you shall have it back again the moment mamma comes home.' But Mary had not a penny nor yet even a halfpenny. Ellen was quite angry with her, which was of no use, for the house-maid could not give that which she had not. 8. So Ellen ran back to the door, and said, poor woman, I am very sorry I have nothing for you; mamma is out, and the cook has locked up all the bread and meat. Do come again in two hours, pray do, for mamma will be at home then, and I will get both money and food for you. Go away now, my dear, good, poor woman, for indeed I have nothing to give you.' 6 9. 'Yes you have,' said quiet Judith: There is our plum-cake; give her that.' Ellen pulled her by the frock, and with an angry look, and in a sort of whisper, bid her hold her tongue, and not talk about the plum-cake, which was not a fit thing to give a beggar. 10. 'I know very well,' said Judith, 'that it is not so good for her as bread or meat would be, but she is |