McGuffey's Third Eclectic Reader Part 13

8. But if we allow ourselves to do what we have some fears may not be quite right, we shall grow more and more sleepy, until the voice of conscience has no longer power to wake as.

LESSON LI.

SPRING.

1. The alder by the river Shakes out her powdery curls; The willow buds in silver For little boys and girls.

2. The little birds fly over, And oh, how sweet they sing!

To tell the happy children That once again 't is Spring.

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3. The gay green gra.s.s comes creeping So soft beneath their feet; The frogs begin to ripple A music clear and sweet.

4. And b.u.t.tercups are coming, And scarlet columbine, And in the sunny meadows The dandelions shine.

5. And just as many daisies As their soft hands can hold, The little ones may gather, All fair in white and gold.

6. Here blows the warm red clover, There peeps the violet blue; Oh, happy little children!

G.o.d made them all for you.

Celia Thaxter.

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LESSON LII.

TRUE COURAGE.

One cold winter's day, three boys were pa.s.sing by a schoolhouse. The oldest was a bad boy. always in trouble himself, and trying to get others into trouble. The youngest, whose name was George, was a very good boy.

George wished to do right, but was very much wanting in courage. The other boys were named Henry and James. As they walked along, they talked as follows: Henry. What fun it would be to throw a s...o...b..ll against the schoolroom door, and make the teacher and scholars all jump!

James. You would jump, if you should. If the teacher did not catch you and whip you, he would tell your father, and you would get a whipping then; and that would make you jump higher than the scholars, I think.

Henry. Why, we would get so far off, before the teacher could come to the door, that he could not tell who we are.

Here is a s...o...b..ll just as hard as ice, and George

THIRD READER. 135 would as soon throw it against the door as not.

James. Give it to him, and see. He would not dare to throw it.

Henry. Do you think George is a coward? You do not know him as well as I do.

Here, George, take this s...o...b..ll, and show James that you are not such a coward as he thinks you are.

George. I am not afraid to throw it; but I do not want to. I do not see that it

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will do any good, or that there will be any fun in it.

James. There! I told you he would not dare to throw it.

Henry. Why, George, are you turning coward? I thought you did not fear anything. Come, save your credit, and throw it. I know you are not afraid.

George. Well, I am not afraid to throw. Give me the s...o...b..ll. I would as soon throw it as not.

Whack! went the s...o...b..ll against the door; and the boys took to their heels. Henry was laughing as heartily as he could, to think what a fool he had made of George.

George had a whipping for his folly, as he ought to have had. He was such a coward, that he was afraid of being called a coward. He did not dare refuse to do as Henry told him, for fear that he would be laughed at.

If he had been really a brave boy, he would have said, "Henry, do you suppose that I am so foolish as to throw that s...o...b..ll, just because you want to have me? You may throw your own s...o...b..a.l.l.s, if you please!"

THIRD READER. 137 Henry would, perhaps, have laughed at him, and called him a coward.

But George would have said, "Do you think that 1 care for your laughing? I do not think it right to throw the s...o...b..ll. I will not do that which 1 think to be wrong, if the whole town should join with you in laughing."

This would have been real courage. Henry would have seen, at once, that it would do no good to laugh at a boy who had so bold a heart. You must have this fearless spirit, or you will get into trouble, and will be, and ought to be, disliked by all.

LESSON LIII.

THE OLD CLOCK.

1. In the old, old hall the old clock stands, And round and round move the steady hands; With its tick, tick, tick, both night and day, While seconds and minutes pa.s.s away.

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2. At the old, old clock oft wonders Nell, For she can't make out what it has to tell;

She has ne'er yet read, in prose or rhyme, That it marks the silent course of time.

3. When I was a child, as Nell is now, And long ere Time had wrinkled my brow, The old, old clock both by night and day Said,--"Tick, tick, tick!" Time pa.s.ses away.

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LESSON LIV.

THE WAVES.

1. "Where are we to go?" said the little waves to the great, deep sea.

"Go, my darlings, to the yellow sands: you will find work to do there."

2. "I want to play," said one little wave; "I want to see who can jump the highest."

"No; come on, come on," said an earnest wave; "mother must be right. I want to work."

3. "Oh, I dare not go," said another; "look at those great, black rocks close to the sands; I dare not go there, for they will tear me to pieces."

4. "Take my hand, sister," said the earnest wave; "let us go on together. How glorious it is to do some work."

5. "Shall we ever go back to mother?" "Yes, when our work is done."

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6. So one and all hurried on. Even the little wave that wanted to play, pressed on, and thought that work might be fun after all. The timid ones did not like to be left behind, and they became earnest as they got nearer the sands.

7. After all, it was fun, pressing on one after another-- jumping, laughing, running on to the broad, shining sands.

8. First, they came in their course to a great sand castle.

Splash, splash! they all

THIRD READER. 141 went over it, and down it came. "Oh, what fun!" they cried.

9. "Mother told me to bring these seaweeds; I will find a pretty place for them," said one--and she ran a long way over the sands, and left them among the pebbles. The pebbles cried, "We are glad you are come. We wanted washing."