McGuffey's Third Eclectic Reader Part 4

If I could sing a song like that, I'd sit where folks could see."

5. "I hope my little girl will learn A lesson from the bird, And try to do what good she can, Not to be seen or heard.

6. "This birdie is content to sit Unnoticed on the way, And sweetly sing his Maker's praise From dawn to close of day.

7. "So live, my child, all through your life, That, be it short or long, Though others may forget your looks, They'll not forget your song."

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LESSON XV.

HARRY AND ANNIE.

1. Harry and Annie lived a mile from town, but they went there to school every day. It was a pleasant walk down the lane, and through the meadow by the pond.

2. I hardly know whether they liked it better in summer or in winter. They used to pretend that they were travelers exploring a new country, and would scatter leaves on

THIRD READER. 47 the road that they might find their way back again.

3. When the ice was thick and firm, they went across the pond. But their mother did not like to have them do this unless some one was with them.

4. "Do n't go across the pond to-day, children," she said, as she kissed them and bade them good-by one morning; "it is beginning to thaw."

5. "All right, mother," said Harry, not very good- naturedly, for he was very fond of running and sliding on the ice. When they came to the pond, the ice looked hard and safe.

6. "There," said he to his sister, "I knew it had n't thawed any. Mother is always afraid we shall be drowned. Come along, we will have a good time sliding. The school bell will not ring for an hour at least."

7. "But you promised mother," said Annie.

8. "No, I did n't. I only said 'All right,' and it is all right."

9. "I did n't say anything; so I can do as I like," said Annie.

10. So they stepped on the ice, and started to go across the pond. They had not gone

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far before the ice gave way, and they fell into the water.

11. A man who was at work near the sh.o.r.e, heard the screams of the children, and plunged into the water to save them. Harry managed to get to the sh.o.r.e without any help, but poor Annie was nearly drowned before the man could reach her.

12. Harry went home almost frozen, and told his mother how disobedient he had been. He remembered the lesson learned that day as long as he lived.

LESSON XVI.

BIRD FRIENDS.

1. I once knew a man who was rich in his love for birds, and in their love for him. He lived in the midst of a grove full of all kinds of trees. He had no wife or children in his home.

2. He was an old man with gray beard, blue and kind eyes, and a voice that the

THIRD READER. 49 birds loved; and this was the way he made them his friends.

3. While he was at work with a rake on his nice walks in the grove, the birds came

close to him to pick up the worms in the fresh earth he dug up. At first, they kept a rod or two from him, but they soon found he was a kind man, and would not hurt them, but liked to have them near him.

3. 4.

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4. They knew this by his kind eyes and voice, which tell what is in the heart. So, day by day their faith in his love grew in them.

5. They came close to the rake. They would hop on top of it to be first at the worm. They would turn up their eyes into his when he spoke to them, as if they said, "He is a kind man; he loves us; we need not fear him."

6. All the birds of the grove were soon his fast friends.

They were on the watch for him, and would fly down from the green tree tops to greet him with their chirp.

7. When he had no work on the walks to do with his rake or his hoe, he took crusts of bread with him, and dropped the crumbs on the ground. Down they would dart on his head and feet to catch them as they fell from his hand.

8 He showed me how they loved him. He put a crust of bread in his mouth, with one end of it out of his lips. Down they came like bees at a flower, and flew off with it crumb by crumb.

9. When they thought he slept too long in the morning, they would fly in and sit

THIRD READER. 51 on the bedpost, and call him up with their chirp.

10. They went with him to church, and while he said his prayers and sang his hymns in it, they sat in the trees, and sang their praises to the same good G.o.d who cares for them as he does for us.

11. Thus the love and trust of birds were a joy to him all his life long; and such love and trust no boy or girl can fail to win with the same kind heart, voice, and eye that he had.

Adapted from Elihu Burritt.

LESSON XVII.

WHAT THE MINUTES SAY.

1. We are but minutes--little things!

Each one furnished with sixty wings, With which we fly on our unseen track, And not a minute ever comes back.

2. We are but minutes; use us well, For how we are used we must one day tell.

Who uses minutes, has hours to use; Who loses minutes, whole years must lose.

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LESSON XVIII.

THE WIDOW AND THE MERCHANT.

1. A merchant, who was very fond of music, was asked by a poor widow to give her some a.s.sistance. Her husband, who was a musician, had died, and left her very poor indeed.

2. The merchant saw that the widow and her daughter, who was with her, were in great

THIRD READER. 53 distress. He looked with pity into their pale faces, and was convinced by their conduct that their sad story was true.

3. "How much do you want, my good woman?" said the merchant.

4. "Five dollars will save us," said the poor widow, with some hesitation.

5. The merchant sat down at his desk, took a piece of paper, wrote a few lines on it, and gave it to the widow with the words, "Take it to the bank you see on the other side of the street."

6. The grateful widow and her daughter, without stopping to read the note, hastened to the bank. The banker at once counted out fifty dollars instead of five, and pa.s.sed them to the widow.

7. She was amazed when she saw so much money. "Sir, there is a mistake here," she said. "You have given me fifty dollars, and I asked for only five."

8. The banker looked at the note once more, and said, "The check calls for fifty dollars."

9. "It is a mistake--indeed it is," said the widow.

10. The banker then asked her to wait

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a few minutes, while he went to see the merchant who gave her the note.

11. "Yes." said the merchant, when he had heard the banker's story, "I did make a mistake. I wrote fifty instead of five hundred. Give the poor widow five hundred dollars, for such honesty is poorly rewarded with even that sum."

LESSON XIX.

THE BIRDS SET FREE.

1. A man was walking one day through a large city. On a street corner he saw a boy with a number of small birds for sale, in a cage.