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that was concealed, he would not have trusted the deceiving staff."

5. "Friend," answered the shepherd, "his eye has sharpened, and his strength improved, and I can now trust him to experience. Time must teach him due discretion. But he will persevere in the discovery, for his eye is clear, and his strength is practiced."

QUESTIONS.-1. How did the shepherd's boy try to cross the brook? 2. Did he succeed in leaping across? 3. If he had examined his staff, do you think he would have fallen into the brook? 4. Should we repose confidence in any one before we know their true character? 5. What does that maxim mean, "Look before you leap?" 6. "What is necessary in order to avoid mishaps?

LESSON XVIII.

Spell and Define-1. A BAN' DON ED, wholly forsaken. 2. EN TAN' GLED, twisted together; insnared. 3. CONVINC' ED, persuaded in mind. 4. E VINC ING, making evident; proving. 5. EL' E VA TED, raised; lifted up. 6. EX PUL' SION, a driving away by violence.

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What does Rule VIII. say about reading?

APPEARANCES ARE OFTEN DECEIVING.

1. "ONE afternoon," says Waterton, "not far from Monteiro, six or seven blackbirds, with a white spot between their shoulders, were making a noise, and passing to and fro on the lower branches of a tree, in an abandoned, weed-grown, orange orchard.

2. "Under one of the trees, there appeared to be a pale green grasshopper that was fluttering, as if it had got entangled in the top of the grass. When you once fancy that the

thing you are looking at, is really what you take it for, the more you look at it, the more you are convinced it is so.

3. "In the present case, this was a grasshopper beyond all doubt, and nothing remained to be done, but to wait till it had settled, in order that you might run no risk in breaking its wings, in seizing and setting it at liberty.

4. "It still kept fluttering; but having quietly approached it, behold! the head of a large rattle-snake appeared in the grass close by. A sudden spring backward prevented fatal consequences.

5. "What had been taken for a grasshopper, was, in fact, the elevated rattle of the snake, thus evincing that he was quite prepared, yet unwilling, to make a sure and deadly spring.

6. "He shortly after passed slowly from under the orange tree, to the neighboring wood on the side of a hill; and as he moved over a place bare of grass and weeds, he appeared to be about eight feet long."

7. Appearances are very frequently deceiving. What is evil, may appear like what is good. Poisonous berries often look tempting. Ice, sometimes, when it seems sound, if ventured upon, would break and let you into the waters. And "wine, when it giveth its color in the cup, at the last, biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder."

8. If then a thing appears to be right, be sure it is so, before you do it; if a thing appears to be good, be sure it is so, before you stretch out your hand to take it; or that which seemed to be a harmless grasshopper, may prove a destructive rattle-snake!

QUESTIONS.-1. How does this lesson show that appearances are deceiving? 2. What things can you mention as being deceiving? 3. How may we avoid being deceived by appearances?

LESSON XIX.

Spell and Define-1. REST' LESS NESS, (ness, state.) a state without ease; unquietness. 2. MEL' AN CHOL Y, a gloomy state of mind. 3. Beth' le hem itE, a citizen of Bethlehem. 4. RE LIEV' ED, eased; disburdened. 5. ARM'OR-BEAR ER, one who carries the arms of another. TON' ISH ED, confounded with fear; amazed. extreme enmity. 8. JAV' E LIN, a kind of spear. NING, knowing; skillful.

7.

6. AsMAL' ICE, 9. CUN'

THE BOY THAT PLAYED ON THE HARP BEFORE

THE KING.

1. A SPIRIT of restlessness and melancholy, had come upon Saul, the king of Israel, and his heart was very sad. Then the servants of Saul said to him, let us look for a man who is a cunning player on the harp, so that he may play before thee, and that thou mayest be well.

2. Then Saul said unto his servants, "Provide me a man that can play well, and bring him to me." And they went and brought David, the son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite. Whenever the heart of the king was heavy and full of sadness, David came before him,

and took the harp, and played with his hand. Then Saul wept, and his heart was relieved, and he became calm and friendly.

3. And Saul loved David greatly, and made him his armor-bearer. But Jonathan, David's friend, was astonished at the power of the harp in the hands of the youth.

4. And after a time Saul became wicked, and the spirit of God deported from him, so that he gave a place in his heart to envy and malice. And when the son of Jesse played before him on the harp, he threw the javelin which he held in his hand, and thought to have fastened him to the wall. But David avoided him twice, and fled.

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5. Then spake Jonathan, David's friend, "Where is now the art and power of your music?" But David answered and said, "The power of my harp is the same, but the heart of my lord, the king, has changed. At first it was heavy and full of sadness; but now it is evil. How should the music of the harp still rejoice him!"

QUESTIONS.-1. Was Saul, the king of Israel, always happy? 2. What did the servants propose to do to soothe his mind? 3. Whom did the servants select to play before the king? 4. What effect did the music of his harp have upon the king? 5. What honor did Saul confer on David for his music? 6. What did Saul at length try to do to David, as he played before him? 7. How many times did David escape from him? 8. Was the music of David the same as before, or was the heart of the king changed? 9. Will not music often remove sadness and melancholy?

LESSON XX.

Spell and Defne-1. CUL' TI VA TING, tilling; preparing for crops. 2. NEC' ES SA RY, that which must be; needful. 3. Re mind' ED, put in mind. 4. PET TISH LY, in a peevish, ill-tempered manner. 5. DRUDGE' RY, hard labor; ignoble toil. 6. A' MI A BLE, lovely; worthy of love. 7. NEG LECT ED, disregarded. 8. DIS PO' SED, inclined. 9. PER FECT ED, finished; completed. 10. RE PROACH', to charge with fault; to censure.

How does Rule IV. direct you to read?

THE NEGLECTED GARDEN.

1. I HAD a beautiful spot of ground, and it was given me as my own, that I might exercise my skill in gardening, and display my taste in cultivating flowers. So I dug it up with great care, picking out every stone; and even the innocent and harmless ground-worm was condemned to fall beneath my spade.

2. "Mind, Arthur," said my mother, "and not neglect it early in the morning, for it is healthful to labor then. At noon the sun is too scorching, and at night the falling dews are chilling; so, work in the morning, if you would have your garden repay you for your toil."

3. For a while, I attended to this advice. I arose with the sun, while the morning air and my gentle exercise strengthened my body, and prepared me to enjoy my breakfast with a sweeter relish.

4. But by degrees, I began to sleep a little later; I thought it was not necessary to rise quite so early, because I had dug up my ground, and sowed all my seeds, and what more was there to be done?

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