Sanders' Union Fourth Reader Part 32

Its moral is the same,-- A light and trivial circ.u.mstance'?

Some thought, it still may claim.

Art thou a father'? teach thy son Never to deem that _all is done_, While _aught remains untried_; To hope, though every hope seems crossed, And when his bark is tempest-tossed Still calmly to confide.

9. Hast thou been long and often foiled (<) by="" adverse="" wind="" and="">

And vainly struggled, vainly toiled, For what some win with ease'?

Yet bear up heart, and hope, and will, n.o.bly resolved to struggle still, With patience persevere; Knowing, when darkest seems the night, The dawn of morning's glorious light Is swiftly drawing near.

10. Art thou a Christian? shall the frown Of fortune cause dismay'?

The Bruce but won an _earthly crown_, Which long hath pa.s.sed away; For thee a _heavenly crown_ awaits; For thee are oped the pearly gates,-- Prepared the deathless palm: But bear in mind that _only those_ _Who persevere unto the close,_ _Can join in Victory's psalm_.

QUESTIONS.--1. Will smooth seas and favoring gales make a skillful mariner? 2. What will make skillful and brave men? 3. In what respect is adversity better than prosperity? 4. What story ill.u.s.trates this fact?

5. How many times did the spider try, before it succeeded? 6. In how many battles had Bruce been defeated? 7. What important lesson is taught youth? 8. What encouragement is given to the Christian?

LESSON x.x.xV.

PA' TRI OT' IC, having love of country.

OB SER VA' TION, remark, expression.

POP' U LAR, well received; prevailing.

E QUAL' I TY, sameness of social position.

AUD' I BLE, that may be heard.

DE TER' MIN ED, fully resolved.

HES' I TATE, scruple.

BRA' VO, well done.

BROILS, wrangles; quarrels.

RENOWN' ED, famed; celebrated.

O' DI OUS, hateful; offensive.

COUNT' ESS, wife of a count or earl.

f.a.g-END', the meaner part.

NO BIL' I TY, n.o.ble rank.

BUR LESQUE', (_burlesk',_) ridicule.

HE RED' I TA RY, coming by descent.

CON' STI TUTES, forms; composes.

APH' O RISMS, precepts; maxims.

TEM' PO RA RY, continuing for a time.

BECK, sign with the hand; nod.

[Headnote 1: LA VA' TER, (John Gaspar,) a celebrated physiognomist, that is, one skilled in the art of determining character by the external features, born in Zurich, in 1741.]

That part of this dialogue uttered by Caroline, should be read in a very earnest and spirited style,--that uttered by Horace in a more grave, deliberate, and candid manner.

WEALTH AND FAs.h.i.+ON.

_Caroline_. What a pity it is that we are born under a Republican government!

_Horace_. Upon my word, Caroline, that is a patriotic observation for an American.

_Caroline_. Oh, I know that it is not a _popular_ one! We must all join in the cry of liberty and equality, and bless our stars that we have neither kings nor emperors to rule over us, and that our very first audible squeak was republicanism. If we don't join in the shout, and hang our caps on liberty-poles, we are considered monsters. For my part, I am _tired_ of it, and am determined to _say what I think_. I _hate_ republicanism; I hate liberty and equality; and I don't hesitate to _declare_ that I am for monarchy. You may laugh, but I would say it at the stake.

_Horace_. Bravo, Caroline! You have almost run yourself out of breath.

You deserve to be prime minister to the king.

_Caroline_. You mistake; I have no wish to mingle in political broils, not even if I could be as renowned as Pitt or Fox; but I must say, I think our equality is _odious_. What do you think! To-day, the new chamber-maid put her head into the door, and said, "Caroline, your marm wants you!"

_Horace_. _Excellent!_ I suppose if ours were a _monarchical_ government, she would have bent to the ground, or saluted your little foot, before she spoke.

_Caroline_. No, Horace; you _know_ there are no such forms in this country.

_Horace_. May I ask your highness what you _would_ like to be?

_Caroline_. I should like to be a countess.

_Horace_. Oh, you are moderate in your ambition! A countess, now-a-days, is the f.a.g-end of n.o.bility.

_Caroline_. Oh! but it sounds so delightfully,--_"The young Countess Caroline!"_

_Horace_. If _sound_ is all, you shall have that pleasure; we will call you _the young countess_.

_Caroline_. That would be mere burlesque, Horace, and would make one ridiculous.

_Horace_. Nothing can be more inconsistent in us, than aiming at t.i.tles.

_Caroline_. For _us_, I grant you; but, if they were _hereditary,_ if we had been born to them, if they came to us through belted knights and high-born dames, _then_ we might be proud to wear them. I never shall cease to regret that I was not born under a monarchy.

_Horace_. You seem to forget that all are not lords and ladies in _royal_ dominions. Suppose you should have drawn your first breath among the _lower cla.s.ses_,--suppose it should have been your lot to crouch and bend, or be trodden under foot by some t.i.tled personage, whom in your heart you despised; what then?

_Caroline_. You may easily suppose that I did not mean to take _those_ chances. No; I meant to be born among the _higher_ ranks.

_Horace_. Your own reason must tell you, that _all_ can not be born among the _higher ranks_; for then the _lower ones_ would be wanting, which const.i.tute the comparison. Now, Caroline, is it not better to be born under a government where there are no such ranks, and where _the only n.o.bility is talent and virtue'?_

_Caroline_. Talent and virtue! I think _wealth_ const.i.tutes our n.o.bility, and the right of abusing each other, our liberty.

_Horace_. You are as fond of aphorisms as Lavater[Headnote 1] was.

_Caroline_. Let me ask you if our rich men, who ride in their own carriages, who have fine houses, and who count by millions, are not our _great_ men?

_Horace_. They have all the greatness that _money_ can buy; but this is very limited.

_Caroline_. Well, in _my_ opinion, _money is power_.

_Horace_. You mistake. Money may be _temporary power_, but _talent_ is _power itself_; and, _when united with virtue, is G.o.dlike power_, before which the mere man of millions quails.

_Caroline_. Well, Horace, I really wish you the possession of _talent_, and _principle_, and _wealth_ into the bargain. The latter, you think, will follow the two former, simply at your beck;--you smile; but _I_ feel as determined in _my_ way of thinking, as _you_ do in _yours_.

QUESTIONS.--1. What is the subject of this dialogue? 2. What did Caroline regret? 3. What reply did Horace make? 4. What did Caroline wish to be? 5. What did Horace say const.i.tuted true n.o.bility?