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'Twas allotted to man with his earliest breath,
Attends him at birth, and awaits him at death,
Presides o'er his happiness, honor, and health,

Is the prop of his house, and the end of his wealth.
In the heaps of the miser 'tis hoarded with care,
But is sure to be lost on his prodigal heir.

It begins every hope, every wish it must bound,
With the husbandman toils, and with monarchs is crowned.
Without it the soldier, the seaman, may roam;
But woe to the wretch who expels it from home!
In the whispers of conscience its voice will be found,
Nor e'en in the whirlwind of passion be drowned.
'Twill not soften the heart; but, though deaf to the ear,
It will make it acutely and instantly hear.
Yet in shade let it rest, like a delicate flower,
Ah! breathe on it softly-it dies in an hour.

Al lot'těd, set apart for; prod'i gal, spendthrift.

STUDY HELPS

This famous riddle, as you can no doubt easily see, is a series of suggestions on the part played in words by the letter "h".

In reading, bring out the words containing "h" so as to give that letter the sound value suggested by the statements.

ROSE AND ROOT

JOHN JAMES PIATT

The rose aloft in sunny air,

Beloved alike by bird and bee,
Takes for the dark root little care,
That toils below it ceaselessly.

I put my question to the flower:
"Pride of the summer, garden queen,
Why livest thou thy little hour?"
And the rose answer'd: "I am seen."

I put my question to the root-
"I mine the earth content," it said,
"A hidden miner underfoot;

STUDY HELPS

I know a rose is overhead."

What facts about the rose are found in stanza 1?

What question is the rose asked? What is it called in this question? Explain its answer.

What answer does the root make to the same question?

Try to state the lesson which is taught by these two answers.

THE TAX-GATHERER

JOHN BANISTER TABB

"And pray, who are you?"
Said the violet blue
To the bee, with surprise
At his wonderful size,
In her eyeglass of dew.

"I, madam," quoth he,
"Am a publican bee,

Collecting the tax

On honey and wax.

Have you nothing for me?"

Pub'li can (pub'li kan), a collector of taxes or tributes; tax (tǎks),

a charge laid upon persons or property for public purposes.

STUDY HELPS

What question did the violet ask her visitor?
Who did he say he was?

Why was he calling upon the violet?

With what would she pay her tax?

Does the violet use her eyeglass all day?

ON HUNT OF WATER

CAPTAIN FREDERICK MARRYAT

[The good ship Pacific was on its way from England to Australia. Mr. and Mrs. Seagrave, with their four children and a colored servant girl named Juno, were passengers. The ship was knocked about by storms and finally deserted by all the crew with the exception of an old seaman named Masterman Ready, who remained with the Seagraves. He succeeded in running the ship ashore on a small island in the South Seas. Before the ship broke up many supplies, some pigs, goats, chickens, and two dogs, named Romulus and Remus, were taken ashore. No fresh water was found on the side of the island where they had landed, and Ready and the older boy, William, a lad of twelve years, start out to find water and to explore the island.]

I. CROSSING THE ISLAND

Ready was up before the sun had appeared, and awakened William. They dressed themselves in silence, because they did not wish that Mrs. Seagrave should be disturbed. The knapsacks had been already packed, with two bottles of water in each, wrapped round with coconut leaves to prevent their breaking, and the beef and pork divided between each knapsack. Ready's, which was larger than Will'am's, held the biscuit and several other things which Ready had prepared in case they might need them; and round his waist. he twisted two cords, to tie the dogs if required.

As soon as the knapsacks were on, Ready took the ax and gun, and asked William if he thought he could carry a small spade on his shoulder. William replied that he could;

and the dogs, who appeared to know they were going, were already standing by them, when Ready went to one of the small water casks, took a drink himself, gave one to William, and then as much to the dogs as they would drink. Having done this, just as the sun rose, they turned into the coconut grove, and were soon out of sight of the tents.

"Now, Master William, do you know," said Ready, stopping after they had walked about twenty yards, "by what means we may find our way back again; for you see this forest of trees is rather puzzling, and there is no path to guide us?"

"No, I am sure I cannot tell: I was thinking of the very same thing when you spoke; and of Tom Thumb, who strewed peas to find his way back, but could not do it, because the birds picked them all up."

"Well, Tom Thumb did not manage well, and we must try to do better; we must do as the Americans always do in their woods, we must blaze the trees."

"Blaze them! What, set fire to them?" replied William. "No, no, Master William. Blaze is a term they use (why, I know not, except that there must be a term for everything) when they cut a slice of the bark off the trunk of a tree, just with one blow of a sharp ax, as a mark to find their way back again. They do not blaze every tree, but about every tenth tree as they go along, first one to the right, and then one to the left, which is quite sufficient; and it is very little trouble,-they do it as they walk along, without stopping. So now we 'll begin: you take the other side, it will be more handy for you to have the hatchet in

your right hand; I can use my left. See now—just a slice off the bark-the weight of the ax does it almost, and it will serve for a guide through the forest for years."

"What an excellent plan!" observed William, as they walked along, occasionally marking the trees.

"But I have another friend in my pocket," replied Ready, "and I must use him soon."

"What is that?"

"Poor Captain Osborn's pocket compass. You see, William, the blazing will direct us how to go back again; but it will not tell us what course we are now to steer. At present, I know we are going right, as I can see through the wood behind us; but by and by we shall not be able, and then I must make use of the compass.

"I understand that very well; but tell me, Ready, why do you bring the spade with us-what will be the use of it? You never said you were going to take one yesterday morning."

"No, Master William, I did not, as I did not like to make your mother anxious about anything; but the fact is, I am very anxious myself about one thing, and that is as to whether there is any water on this island; if there is not, we shall have to quit it sooner or later, for although we may get water by digging in the sand, it would be too brackish to use for any time, and would make us all ill. We have not much on shore now; and if the bad weather comes on, we may not be able to get any more from the wreck. Now, very often, there will be water if you dig for it, although it does not show above ground; and therefore I brought the spade."

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