proached his feathers, suddenly recovering, and dropping as much on the other. 3. At length sleep seemed to fix him in a steady posture, whereupon the owner took him from his finger, and laid him flat on the table, where the man assured us he would remain in a good sound sleep, while he himself would have the honor to do his best to fill up the interval. 4. While the little bird was thus exhibiting, a huge black cat, which, doubtless, had been on the watch from some unobserved corner, sprang upon the table, seized the poor canary in its mouth, and rushed out of the window in despite of all opposition. Though the dining-room was emptied in an instant, it was a vain pursuit; the life of the bird was gone, and its mangled body was brought in by the unfortunate owner in such dismay, accompanied by such looks and language, as must have awakened pity even in a misanthrope. He spread himself half-length over the table, and mourned his canary-bird with the most undissem bled sorrow. 5. It is needless to observe, that every one of the company sympathized with him; but none more so than the band of musicians, who, being engaged in a profession that naturally keeps the sensibilities more or less in exercise, felt the distress of the poor birdman with peculiar force. It was really a banquet to see these people gathering themselves into a knot, and, after whispering, wiping their eyes, and cheeks, depute one from among them to be the medium of conveying into the pocket of the bird-man, the very contribution they had just before received for their own efforts. 6. Having wrapped up their contribution, they contrived to put it into the poor man's pocket. As soon as he became aware of what they had done, he took from his pocket the little parcel they had rolled up, and brought out with it, by an unlucky accident, another little bag, at the sight of which he was ex tremely agitated; for it contained the canary-seed, the food of the "dear lost companion of his heart." 7. There is no giving language to the effect of this trifling circumstance upon the poor man; he threw down the contribution-money that he had brought from his pocket along with it, not with an ungrateful, but a desperate hand. He opened the bag, which was fastened with red tape, and taking out some of the seed, put it to the very bill of the lifeless bird, exclaiming: (pl.) "No, poor Bijou! no; thou canst not peck any more out of this hand that has been thy feeding-place so many years; thou canst not remember how happy we both were when I bought this bag full for thee! Had it been filled with gold, thou hadst deserved it!" 8. "It shall be filled-and with gold," said the master of the house, "if I could afford it." 9. The good man rose from his seat, which had been long uneasy to him, and gently taking the bag, put into it some silver, saying, as he handed it to his nearest neighbor: "Who will refuse to follow my example? It is not a subscription for mere charity; it is a tribute to one of the rarest things in the whole world; namely, to real feeling, in this sophistical, pretending, parading age. If ever the passion of love and gratitude was in the heart of man, it is in the heart of that unhappy fellow; and whether the object that calls out such feelings be bird, beast, fish, or man, it is alike virtue, and ought to be rewarded." QUESTIONS.-1. How did the canary counterfeit sleep! 2. What happened, while the canary was thus performing his feats? 3. How did the death of the bird affect the owner? 4. How did the musicians show their sympathy? 5. What happened to increase the poor man's sorrow? 6. How did the master of the house testify his regret? 7. What did he say to the company? How, according to the notation mark, should the latter part of the 7th paragraph be read? See Part I. p. 40. Why are p and d doubled in the words dropping, nodding, while k and m remain single in speaking, claiming? See Sanders' Spelling Bsok, p. 167, Rule II. and Note I. LESSON L. SPELL AND DEFINE.-1. CYN' IC, one having a surly, morose dispo sition; a snarler. 2. VIG'I LANT, watchful. 3. GEN E ROS' I TY, liberality; frankness of disposition. 4. DIS INTER EST ED NESS, freedom from selfishness. 5. Mo ROSE', peevish; sour. 6. IN U EN' DOES, hints; indirect allusions. 7. IN DIS CRIM' IN ATE LY, without distinc tion. 8. SUS PI' CION, mistrust. 9. As CET I CISM, that which is peculiar to a hermit. 10. TRANS FIX' ING, piercing through; stabbing. 11. FLIP' PANT, pert; talkative. 12. SU PER CILI OUS, haughty; arrogant. 13. IM' PU DENT, saucy; insolent. 14. RE STRAIN' En, checked; held in 15. RE STOR' ED, brought back; remedied. 16. CRA' TER, the outlet or mouth of a volcano. 17. LA' va, liquid matter from volcanoes. 18. E RUP' TIONS, outbursts. 19. DE PRAV' ED, corrupted. 20. MIS' TLE TOE, a plant that grows on trees. THE CYNIC. HENRY WARD BEECHER. 1. The Cynic is one who never sees a good quality in a man, and never fails to see a bad one. He is the human owl, vigilant in darkness and blind to light, mousing for vermin, and never seeing noble game. The cynic puts all human actions into only two classes-openly bad, and secretly bad. 2. All virtue and generosity and disinterestedness are merely the appearance of good, but selfish at the bottom. He holds that no man does a good thing, except for profit. The effect of his conversation upon your feelings, is to chill and sear them; to send you away sour and morose. His criticisms and inuendoes fall indiscriminately upon every lovely thing, like frost upon flowers. 3. "Mr. A," says some one, "is a religious man." He will answer: "Yes; on Sundays." "Mr. B has just joined the church:" "Certainly; the elections are coming on." The minister of the gospel is called an example of diligence: "It is his trade." Such a man generous:-"of other men's money." This man is obliging:-"to lull suspicion and cheat you." That man is upright:-" because he is green." is 4. Thus, his eye strains out every good quality, and takes in only the bad. To him religion is hypocrisy, honesty a preparation for fraud, virtue only want of opportunity, and undeniable purity, asceticism. The live-long day he will sit with sneering lip, uttering sharp speeches in the quietest manner, and in polished phrase, transfixing every character which is presented: "His words are softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords." 5. All this, to the young, seems a wonderful knowledge of human nature; they honor a man who appears to have found out mankind. They begin to indulge themselves in flippant sneers; and with supercilious brow, and impudent tongue, wagging to an empty brain, call to naught the wise, the long-tried, and the venerable. 6. I do believe, that man is corrupt enough; but something of good has survived his wreck; something of evil, religion has restrained, and something partially restored; yet, I look upon the human heart as a mountain of fire. I dread its crater. I tremble when I see its lava roll the fiery stream. 7. Therefore, I am the more glad, if upon the old crust of past eruptions, I can find a single flower springing up. So far from rejecting appearances of virtue in the corrupt heart of a depraved race, I am eager to see their light, as ever mariner was to see a star in a stormy night. 8. Moss will grow upon gravestones; the ivy will cling to the moldering pile; the mistletoe springs from the dying branch; and, God be praised, something green, something fair to the sight and grateful to the heart, will yet twine around and grow out of the seams and cracks of the desolate temple of the human heart! QUESTIONS.-1. What is the author's description of a cynic? 2. How are young people apt to regard the sneers and sarcasms of the cynic? 3. In what do they begin to indulge themselves? 4. With what observations on human nature does the piece conclude? 5. What is the literal meaning of the word CYNIC? Ans. Dog-like: the word being derived from a Greek word, meaning a dog. 6. In what part of the Bible may be found the passage quoted in the 4th paragraph? LESSON LI. SPELL AND DEFINE.-1. RE SIGN', concede; give up. 2. MIS GIV'INGS, doubts. 3. EL' O QUENCE, art of speaking well; fluency of speech. 4. PRE VAIL', overcome; get the advantage. 5. PROF FERED, offered; tendered. 6. WI' LY, cunning. 7. TEN' ANT, Occupant. 8. TIN' Y, very small; little. 9. AS PIR' ING, aiming at; reaching towards. 10. LAND' LORD, the master of an inn; the proprietor. 11. MOLD' ER ING, turning to dust; crumbling. 12. PAR' LEY, discourse; discussion. 13. RE JECT', refuse; cast off. 14. POL LUTE', defile; corrupt. 15. IN SID' I Ous, ensnaring. Avoid saying whose shears for whose years, shut tout for shut out, &c. THE CROP OF ACORNS. 1. There came a man in days of old, L. H. SIGOURNEY, 2. The owner some misgivings felt, 66 3. The wily tenant sneered with pride, 4. O ye, whose years, unfolding fair, |