McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader Part 20

By Christopher Pea.r.s.e Cranch, who was born at Alexandria, Va. (then D.

C.), in 1813. He has written some well-known children's stories, besides numerous poems; but his greatest literary work is "The AEneid of Vergil, translated into English blank verse." He died in Cambridge Ma.s.s., 1892.

1. Two young, near-sighted fellows, Chang and Ching, Over their chopsticks idly chattering, Fell to disputing which could see the best; At last, they agreed to put it to the test.

Said Chang, "A marble tablet, so I hear, Is placed upon the Bo-hee temple near, With an inscription on it. Let us go And read it (since you boast your optics so), Standing together at a certain place In front, where we the letters just may trace; Then he who quickest reads the inscription there, The palm for keenest eyes henceforth shall bear."

"Agreed," said Ching, "but let us try it soon: Suppose we say to-morrow afternoon."

2. "Nay, not so soon," said Chang; "I'm bound to go To-morrow a day's ride from Hoang-Ho, And sha'n't be ready till the following day: At ten A. M., on Thursday, let us say."

3. So 'twas arranged; but Ching was wide-awake: Time by the forelock he resolved to take; And to the temple went at once, and read, Upon the tablet, "To the ill.u.s.trious dead, The chief of mandarins, the great Goh-Bang."

Scarce had he gone when stealthily came Chang, Who read the same; but peering closer, he Spied in a corner what Ching failed to see-- The words, "This tablet is erected here By those to whom the great Goh-Bang was dear."

4. So on the appointed day--both innocent As babes, of course--these honest fellows went, And took their distant station; and Ching said, "I can read plainly, 'To the ill.u.s.trious dead, The chief of mandarins, the great Goh-Bang.'"

"And is that all that you can spell?" said Chang; "I see what you have read, but furthermore, In smaller letters, toward the temple door, Quite plain, 'This tablet is erected here By those to whom the great Goh-Bang was dear.'"

5. "My sharp-eyed friend, there are no such words!" said Ching.

"They're there," said Chang, "if I see anything, As clear as daylight." "Patent eyes, indeed, You have!" cried Ching; "do you think I can not read?"

"Not at this distance as I can," Chang said, "If what you say you saw is all you read."

6. In fine, they quarreled, and their wrath increased, Till Chang said, "Let us leave it to the priest; Lo! here he comes to meet us," "It is well,"

Said honest Ching; "no falsehood he will tell."

7. The good man heard their artless story through, And said, "I think, dear sirs, there must be few Blest with such wondrous eyes as those you wear: There's no such tablet or inscription there!

There was one, it is true; 't was moved away And placed within the temple yesterday."

DEFINITIONS.--1. Near-sight'ed, seeing at a short distance only.

Chop'sticks, small sticks of wood, ivory, etc., used in pairs by Chinese to carry food to the mouth. Tab'let, a small, flat piece of anything on which to write or engrave. In-scrip'tion, something written or engraved on a solid substance. Op'tics, eyes. Palm, the reward of victory, prize.

2. A. M., an abbreviation for the Latin ante meridian, meaning before noon. 3. Man-da-rin', a Chinese public officer. 5. Pat'ent, secured from general use, peculiar to one person.

LXX. THE WAY TO BE HAPPY. (159)

1. Every child must observe how much more happy and beloved some children are than others. There are some children you always love to be with. They are happy themselves, and they make you happy.

2. There are others whom you always avoid. They seem to have no friends.

No person can be happy without friends. The heart is formed for love, and can not be happy without it.

3. "'Tis not in t.i.tles nor in rank, 'Tis not in wealth like London bank, To make us truly blest.

If happiness have not her seat And center in the breast, We may be wise, or rich, or great, But never can be blest."

4. But you can not receive affection unless you will also give it. You can not find others to love you unless you will also love them. Love is only to be obtained by giving love in return. Hence the importance of cultivating a good disposition. You can not be happy without it.

5. I have sometimes heard a girl say, "I know that I am very unpopular at school." Now, this plainly shows that she is not amiable.

6. If your companions do not love you, it is your own fault. They can not help loving you if you will be kind and friendly. If you are not loved, it is a good proof that you do not deserve to be loved. It is true that a sense of duty may, at times, render it necessary for you to do that which will displease your companions.

7. But if it is seen that you have a n.o.ble spirit, that you are above selfishness, that you are willing to make sacrifices to promote the happiness of others, you will never be in want of friends.

8. You must not regard it as your misfortune that others do not love you, but your fault. It is not beauty, it is not wealth, that will give you friends. Your heart must glow with kindness, if you would attract to yourself the esteem and affection of those around you.

9. You are little aware how much the happiness of your whole life depends upon the cultivation of a good disposition. If you will adopt the resolution that you will confer favors whenever you can, you will certainly be surrounded by ardent friends. Begin upon this principle in childhood, and act upon it through life, and you will make yourself happy, and promote the happiness of all within your influence.

10. You go to school on a cold winter morning. A bright fire is blazing in the stove, surrounded with boys struggling to get near it to warm themselves. After you are slightly warmed, a schoolmate comes in suffering with cold. "Here, James," you pleasantly call out to him, "I am almost warm; you may have my place."

11. As you slip aside to allow him to take your place at the fire, will he not feel that you are kind? The worst boy in the world can not help admiring such generosity; and, even though he be so ungrateful as not to return the favor, you may depend upon it that he will be your friend as far as he is capable of friendship. If you will always act upon this principle, you will never want for friends.

12. Suppose, some day, you are out with your companions playing ball.

After you have been playing for some time, another boy comes along. He can not be chosen upon either side, for there is no one to match him. "Henry,"

you say, "you may take my place a little while, and I will rest."

13. You throw yourself down upon the gra.s.s, while Henry, fresh and vigorous, takes your bat and engages in the game. He knows that you give up to oblige him, and how can he help liking you for it? The fact is, that neither man nor child can cultivate such a spirit of generosity and kindness without attracting affection and esteem.

14. Look and see which of your companions have the most friends, and you will find that they are those who have this n.o.ble spirit; who are willing to deny themselves, that they may make others happy. There is but one way to make friends; and that is, by being friendly to others.

15. Perhaps some child who reads this feels conscious of being disliked, and yet desires to have the affection of his companions. You ask me what you shall do. I will tell you. I will give you an infallible rule: Do all in your power to make others happy. Be willing to make sacrifices, that you may promote the happiness of others.

16. This is the way to make friends, and the only way. When you are playing with your brothers and sisters at home, be always ready to give them more than their share of privileges. Manifest an obliging disposition, and they can not but regard you with affection. In all your intercourse with others, at home or abroad, let these feelings influence you, and you will receive a rich reward.

DEFINITIONS.--4. Cul'ti-vat-ing, cherishing, encouraging. 5.

Un-pop'u-lar, not pleasing others. 6. Com-pan'ions, those who keep company with anyone. 7. Sac'ri-fic-es, things given up to oblige others.

Pro-mote', advance, forward. 10. Suf'fer-ing, undergoing pain. 11.

Gen-er-os'i-ty, kindness, n.o.bleness of soul. 15. In-fal'li-ble, certain, that can not fail. 16. Man'i-fest, to show plainly. In'ter-course, communication, mutual dealings.

EXERCISES.--What is this lesson about? Can we be happy without friends?

How can we win the love of those about us? Whose fault is it if we are not loved? What rule will surely gain us love and friendship if we always follow it?

LX. THE GIRAFFE, OR CAMELOPARD. (162)

1. The giraffe is a native of Africa. It is of singular shape and size, and bears some resemblance both to the camel and the deer. The mouth is small; the eyes are full and brilliant; the tongue is rough, very long, and ending in a point. The neck is long and slender, and, from the shoulder to the top of the head, it measures between seven and eight feet; from the ground to the top of the shoulder, it is commonly ten or eleven feet; so that the height of a full-grown giraffe is seventeen or eighteen feet.

2. The hair is of a deep brown color in the male, and of a light or yellowish brown in the female. The skin is beautifully diversified with white spots. They have short, blunt horns, and hoofs like those of the ox.

In their wild state, they feed on the leaves of a gum-bearing tree peculiar to warm climates.

3. The giraffe, like the horse and other hoofed animals, defends itself by kicking; and its hinder limbs are so light, and its blows so rapid, that the eye can not follow them. They are sufficient for its defense against the lion. It never employs its horns in resisting the attack of an enemy.

Its disposition is gentle, and it flees to its native forest upon the least alarm.

4. Le Vaillant (the celebrated French traveler and naturalist) was the first who gave us any exact account of the form and habits of the giraffe.

While he was traveling in South Africa, he happened one day to discover a hut covered with the skin of one of those animals; and learned to his surprise that he was now in a part of the country where the creature was found. He could not rest contented until he had seen the animal alive, and had secured a specimen.

5. Having on several days obtained sight of some of them, he, with his attendants, on horseback and accompanied with dogs, gave chase; but they baffled all pursuit. After a chase of a whole day, which effected nothing but the fatigue of the party, he began to despair of success.

6. "The next day," says he, "by sunrise, I was in pursuit of game, in the hope of obtaining some provisions for my men. After several hours'

fatigue, we saw, at the turn of a hill, seven giraffes, which my pack of dogs instantly pursued. Six of them went off together; but the seventh, cut off by my dogs, took another way.