New National Fourth Reader Part 65

they are safe! Great G.o.d, I thank Thee!"

And, sure enough, there was the youth still unharmed. He had just emerged from the boiling vortex below the falls. With, one hand he held aloft the child, and with the other he was making for the sh.o.r.e.

They ran, they shouted, they scarcely knew what they did, until they reached his side, just as he was struggling to the bank. They drew him out almost exhausted.

The boy was senseless; but his mother declared that he still lived, as she pressed him to her bosom. The youth could scarcely stand, so faint was he from his exertions.

Who can describe the scene that followed--the mother's calmness while striving to bring her boy to life, and her wild grat.i.tude to his preserver, when the child was out of danger, and sweetly sleeping in her arms?

"G.o.d will give you a reward," said she. "He will do great things for you in return for this day's work, and the blessings of thousands besides mine will attend you."

And so it was: for, to the hero of that hour were afterward confided the destinies of a mighty nation. Throughout his long career, what tended to make him honored and respected beyond all men, was the spirit of self-sacrifice which, in the rescue of that mother's child, as in the more important events of his life, characterized George Was.h.i.+ngton.

Directions for Reading.--Read the first two pages of the lesson quietly, but not slowly. About the middle of page 299, the manner of reading should be changed, when the feeling of anxiety is turned to that of joy.[19]

Language Lesson.--Let pupils rewrite the first paragraph of the lesson, changing _past tenses_ to _present tenses_ throughout.

What effect will this change have upon the meaning?

[19] This lesson, seventh paragraph from the end.

LESSON LXIII

ex ist'ing, _living_.

mas'sive _large and solid_.

hy e'na, _a beast of prey_.

cau'tion, _great care_.

strat'a gem, _a secret way; trick_.

de pends', _trusts to_.

mar'vel ous, _wonderful_.

jack'al, _a beast of prey_.

pro cure', _obtain_.

a dorn', _make beautiful_.

THE OSTRICH.

The ostrich is the largest of all birds now existing, and is found chiefly in the sandy deserts of Africa and Arabia.

A full-grown African ostrich stands from seven to nine feet in height, to the top of its head, and will weigh from two to three hundred pounds.

The body of the ostrich is large and ma.s.sive; the legs are long, measuring four feet or more, and the neck is of about the same length as the legs.

The head is small for so large a bird; but its feet with their two great toes are of good size, and possess astonis.h.i.+ng strength.

An ostrich's beak is short and blunt; its neck slender and covered with gray down. Its eyes are large and bright, and the sense of sight so keen that it can readily see a distance of from four to six miles. It hears and sees equally well, and can only be approached by stratagem.

The feathers of the male ostrich are of a glossy black, with the exception of the large plumes of the wing-feathers, which in both the male and female are snowy white.

To procure these beautiful white plumes is the chief object in hunting the ostrich. Those plumes when plucked are sent to foreign countries, and used to adorn ladies' hats, and for various other purposes.

The ostrich feeds on vegetable substances; but as an aid to digestion, it sometimes swallows stones, gla.s.s, paper, nails, and pieces of wood.

An incident is related of an ostrich on exhibition in Paris, swallowing a gold watch and chain. A gentleman approached within reach of the beak of the bird, and, in the twinkling of an eye, the watch and chain were s.n.a.t.c.hed from his pocket and swallowed.

Although the ostrich has wings, it can not fly--it depends upon its strong legs and feet for speed, and can run much faster than a horse.

The strength of the ostrich is marvelous. Its only weapon of defence is its long and muscular leg.

[Ill.u.s.tration.]

It is accustomed to kick directly forward, and it is said by those who have observed this habit, that a single blow from its gigantic two-toed foot is sufficient to kill a panther, a jackal, or a hyena.

No better idea of its strength can be given than the fact of its being employed for riding. A traveler, writing about two ostriches he saw in a village in Africa, says:

"These gigantic birds were so tame that two boys mounted together the larger one. The ostrich no sooner felt their weight, than it started off at full speed and carried them several times around the village.

"This trial pleased me so much that I wished to have it repeated; and in order to test their strength, I had a full-grown man mount the smaller bird, and two men the larger bird.