THIRD READING BOOK. SCHOOL LESSONS. A FEW Words with you, my young reader, before beginning this Third Book of Reading Lessons. You now begin, I hope, to feel some pleasure in learning, and to see some use in what you have been taught; and you no doubt wish, therefore, to acquire still greater knowledge. It was not much that you were able to learn a year or two ago; for until you could read, it was not possible for you to learn much on any subject. But yet I daresay you have learnt to do something more than read. Let me guess.—Have you learnt to spell? I hope so; for if you cannot spell words rightly, your writing will be of little use, for no one will be able to understand the words you write if you do not spell them in the proper way. Have you learnt your tables? I hope so too; for if you do not know them, you will never be able to do your sums correctly. I hope, too, you have learnt most of the verses by heart which are in your "Second Reading Book," and that you can repeat them without mistake, whenever you are called upon to do so. And I daresay you have begun to learn to write, either on your slate or in your copy-book, and do easy sums without difficulty. Now, I think I have mentioned nearly all that you have learnt since you first came to school. Am I not right? seen. Well, then, let us talk next of what you have to learn in future. You have learnt to read, but it is in order that you may learn many more things. First, you have still to learn Spelling, for there are a great many long and difficult words in the language which you have perhaps never yet And you can use the Arithmetic-Book now, which will show you how to do your sums, and which has plenty of sums in it for you to work. But there are other subjects which you must begin to study, as soon as you are able. You must learn Grammar, in order that you may know, not only how to spell words correctly, but how to use them correctly. You must learn Geography, in order that you may know what the world is like, and where all the different countries are of which you hear or read. And you must read History, in order that you may know the events which have taken place in this and other countries, in the years long since gone by. Now, you could not learn any of these things if you had not first learnt to read. You see, then, how useful your first lessons may be to you; and the lessons to come will be of still greater use, if you take pains, and try to do well whatever you are told to do. You feel some pleasure, I hope, at being able now to begin this "Third Reading Book ;" and I am sure you will feel more pleasure still when you have finished it; for if you pay attention as you should do, you will then be able to read almost any book with ease and profit, whether it is a book of Lessons, or Geography, or History, or some pretty tale, or a description of the strange things and sights in foreign lands. Learning is no hard task, when you really wish to get on. A good boy or girl at school is always pleased and happy, and besides being pleased, gives pleasure also to teacher as well as to father and mother. If you, my young reader, are one of this sort, you will determine, from this moment, to try with all your might and be at all times attentive and obedient. HONOUR AND HONESTY. A BAKER was once going through the streets of a large town, with a basket full of cakes upon his head. As he went hastily along, he let some of the cakes fall; but he neither saw nor knew that they had fallen. Now, a little boy, called Colin, was walking along the same street, not far behind the baker; and when he saw the cakes fall, he ran and picked them all up, and then made after the baker, and gave them back to him. "Thank you, my young friend," said the tempted to eat the cakes?”very wrong," said the boy; have no right to take that which does not belong to me." "You are a good boy," said the baker; "you have done quite right in bringing them to me; and as you have been honest, I shall be pleased if you accept two for a reward." Colin thanked him, and took the cakes; and then hurried off to share his feast with his little brother, as any kindhearted boy would be sure to do in such a case. baker; "but were you not "Oh, that would have been "the cakes are yours; and I Now the baker, as he went on his rounds, let some more cakes fall out of his basket; for he had filled it too full that morning. And another boy, called Stephen, when he saw them fall, ran and picked them up. But this boy was not honest like the other; for, instead of taking them to the man as he should have done, he began to eat them greedily. As the baker was going back, he caught this boy with a cake in each hand, and said to him, "My boy, who gave you those cakes?"-"Oh, I found them," re plied the young glutton, "and so, of course, I shall eat them."" But they belong to me," replied the baker, "and you ought to have told me when you saw them fall, or to have brought them to me yourself; so now, as you have acted like a little thief, I shall punish you severely." So saying, the baker took his basket from his head, and setting it down, ran after the little boy, who was running away from him, and when he had caught him, he gave him a good beating. The cries which poor Stephen then uttered were frightful; and when his father heard them, he hastened out to see what was the matter with him. But when the baker told him why he had been beating him, he said the baker had done quite right; and then he paid him for all the cakes his son had eaten; and, taking Stephen into the house, whipped him again for his dishonest and disgraceful conduct. Let us, then, always act like Colin, and not like Stephen; for we have no right to touch anything without leave which belongs to another person. Honesty, too, is the best policy, as these two boys found out; and lies and dishonesty are sure to be found out at last. THE WOODCUTTER'S EVENING SONG. Dropping lowly in the west; Joyful are the thoughts of home, Though to leave your pretty song, If I stop, and stand about, Well I know how things will be; Judy will be looking out Every now and then for me. So, fare-ye-well! and hold your tongues; All day long I love the oaks ; And my faggot down I throw, Baby, too, to laugh and crow. COTTON AND LINEN. THAT useful article cotton, is produced from the cottonplant, or shrub, which is found in many different parts of the world, but chiefly in America. The seeds are contained |