McGuffey's Third Eclectic Reader Part 7

5. The sun, at that moment, broke forth from behind a cloud, and showed, by the sundial, that the clock was half an hour behind the right time.

6. The boasting clock now held his tongue, and the dial only smiled at his folly.

7. MORAL.--Humble modesty is more often right than a proud and boasting spirit.

LESSON XXIX.

REMEMBER.

1. Remember, child, remember, That G.o.d is in the sky; That He looks down on all we do, With an ever-wakeful eye.

2. Remember, oh remember, That, all the day and night, He sees our thoughts and actions With an ever-watchful sight.

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3. Remember, child, remember, That G.o.d is good and true; That He wishes us to always be Like Him in all we do.

4. Remember that He ever hates A falsehood or a lie; Remember He will punish, too, The wicked, by and by.

5. Remember, oh remember, That He is like a friend, And wishes us to holy be, And happy, in the end.

6. Remember, child, remember, To pray to Him in heaven; And if you have been doing wrong, Oh, ask to be forgiven.

7. Be sorry, in your little prayer, And whisper in his ear; Ask his forgiveness and his love.

And He will surely hear.

8. Remember, child, remember, That you love, with all your might,

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The G.o.d who watches o'er us, And gives us each delight; Who guards us ever through the day, And saves us in the night.

LESSON x.x.x..

COURAGE AND COWARDICE.

1. Robert and Henry were going home from school, when, on turning a corner, Robert cried out, "A fight! let us go and see!"

ECLECTIC READER. 77 2. "No," said Henry; "let us go quietly home and not meddle with this quarrel. We have nothing to do with it, and may get into mischief."

3. "You are a coward, and afraid to go," said Robert, and off he ran. Henry went straight home, and in the afternoon went to school, as usual.

4. But Robert had told all the boys that Henry was a coward, and they laughed at him a great deal.

5. Henry had learned, however, that true courage is shown most in bearing reproach when not deserved, and that he ought to be afraid of nothing but doing wrong.

6. A few days after, Robert was bathing with some schoolmates, and got out of his depth. He struggled, and screamed for help, but all in vain.

7. The boys who had called Henry a coward, got out of the water as fast as they could, but they did not even try to help him.

8. Robert was fast sinking, when Henry threw off his clothes, and sprang into the water. He reached Robert just as he was sinking the last time.

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9. By great effort, and with much danger to himself, he brought Robert to thc sh.o.r.e, and thus saved his life.

10. Robert and his schoolmates were ashamed at having called Henry a coward. They owned that he had more courage than any of them.

11. Never be afraid to do good, but always fear to do evil.

LESSON x.x.xI.

WEIGHING AN ELEPHANT.

1. "An eastern king," said Teddy's mother, "had been saved from some great danger. To show his grat.i.tude for deliverance, he vowed he would give to the poor the weight of his favorite elephant in silver."

2. "Oh! what a great quant.i.ty that would be," cried Lily, opening her eyes very wide.

"But how could you weigh an elephant?"

THIRD READER. 79 asked Teddy, who was a quiet, thoughtful boy 3. "There was the difficulty," said his mother. "The wise and learned men of the court stroked their long beards, and talked the matter over, but no one found out how to weigh the elephant.

4. "At last, a poor old sailor found safe and simple means by which to weigh the enormous beast. The thousands and thousands of pieces of silver were counted out to the people; and crowds of the poor were relieved by the clever thought of the sailor."

5. "O mamma," said Lily, "do tell us what it was!"

6. "Stop, stop!" said Teddy. "I want to think for myself-- think hard--and find out how an elephant's weight could be known, with little trouble and expense."

7. "I am well pleased," said his mother, "that my little boy should set his mind to work on the subject. If he can find out the sailor's secret before night, he shall have that orange for his pains."

8. The boy thought hard and long. Lily laughed at her brother's grave looks, as he sat leaning his head on his hands.

Often

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she teased him with the question, "Can you weigh an elephant, Teddy?"

9. At last, while eating his supper, Teddy suddenly cried out, "I have it now!"

10. "Do you think so?" asked his mother.

11. "How would you do it," asked Lily.

THIRD READER. 81 12. "First, I would have a big boat brought very close to the sh.o.r.e, and would have planks laid across, so that the elephant could walk right into it."

13. "Oh, such a great, heavy beast would make it sink low in the water," said Lily.

14. "Of course it would," said her brother. Then I would mark on the outside of the boat the exact height to which the water had risen all around it while the elephant was inside.

Then he should march on sh.o.r.e, leaving the boat quite empty."

15. "But I do n't see the use of all this," said Lily.

16. "Do n't you?" cried Teddy, in surprise. "Why, I should then bring the heaps of silver, and throw them into the boat till their weight would sink it to the mark made by the elephant. That would show that the weight of each was the same."

17. "How funny!" cried Lily; "you would make a weighing machine of the boat?"

18. "That is my plan," said Teddy.

19. "That was the sailor's plan," said his mother. "You have earned the orange, my boy;" and she gave it to him with a smile.

Adapted from A. L. O. E.

3,6.

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LESSON x.x.xII.

THE SOLDIER.

1. A soldier! a soldier! I'm longing to he: The name and the life of a soldier for me!

I would not be living at ease and at play; True honor and glory I'd win in my day.

2. A soldier! a soldier! in armor arrayed; My weapons in hand, of no contest afraid; I'd ever be ready to strike the first blow, And to fight my way through the ranks of the foe.