Sanders' Union Fourth Reader Part 23

LESSON XVIII.

AP PAR' ENT LY, evidently.

CEN' TU RY, hundred years.

GI GAN' TIC, very large.

SPE' CIES, sort; kind.

DI MEN' SION, size; bulk.

SUB LIME', grand; magnificent.

UN MO LEST' ED, free from disturbance.

DIS PERS' ED, separated; scattered.

CLAM' OR OUS, noisy; importunate.

IN DE CIS' ION, doubt; irresolution.

POIS' ED, balanced.

AT' MOS PHERE, surrounding air.

TAL' ONS, claws.

DIS TRI BU' TION, division.

EC' STA SY, excessive joy; transport.

PER' SE CUT ED, hara.s.sed; injured.

THE OLD EAGLE TREE.

REV. JOHN TODD.

1. In a remote field stood a large tulip tree, apparently of a century's growth, and one of the most gigantic of that splendid species. It looked like the father of the surrounding forest. A single tree, of huge dimensions, standing all alone, is a sublime object.

2. On the top of this tree, an old eagle, commonly called the "Fishing Eagle," had built her nest every year, for many years, and, unmolested, raised her young. What is remarkable, as she procured her food from the ocean, this tree stood full ten miles from the sea-sh.o.r.e. It had long been known as the "Old Eagle tree."

3. On a warm, sunny day, the workmen were hoeing corn in an adjoining field. At a certain hour of the day, the old eagle was known to set off for the sea-side, to gather food for her young. As she this day returned with a large fish in her claws, the workmen surrounded the tree, and, by yelling, and hooting, and throwing stones, so scared the poor bird that she dropped her fish, and they carried it off in triumph.

4. The men soon dispersed; but Joseph sat down under a bush near by, to watch, and to bestow unavailing pity. The bird soon returned to her nest without food. The eaglets at once set up a cry for food, so shrill, so clear, and so clamorous, that the boy was greatly moved.

5. The parent bird seemed to try to soothe them; but their appet.i.tes were too keen, and it was all in vain. She then perched herself on a limb near them, and looked down into the nest with a look that seemed to say, "I know not what to do next."

6. Her indecision was but momentary; again she poised herself, uttered one or two sharp notes, as if telling them to "lie still," balanced her body, spread her wings, and was away again for the sea!

7. Joseph was determined to see the result. His eyes followed her till she grew small, smaller,--a mere speck in the sky,--and then disappeared. What boy has not often watched the flight of the bird of his country in this way?

8. She was gone nearly two hours, about double her usual time for a voyage, when she again returned, on a slow, weary wing, flying uncommonly low, in order to have a heavier atmosphere to sustain her, with another fish in her talons.

9. On nearing the field, she made a circuit around it, to see if her enemies were again there. Finding the coast clear, she once more reached her tree, drooping, faint, and weary, and evidently nearly exhausted.

Again the eaglets set up their cry, which was soon hushed by the distribution of a dinner, such as--save the cooking--a king might admire.

10. "GLORIOUS BIRD!" cried the boy in ecstacy, and aloud; "what a spirit! Other birds can fly swifter, others can sing more sweetly, others can scream more loudly; but what _other bird_, when persecuted and robbed--when weary--when discouraged--when so far from sea,--would have done this!

11. "GLORIOUS BIRD! I will learn a lesson from thee to-day. I will never forget hereafter, that when the spirit is determined, it can do almost anything. Others would have drooped and hung the head, and mourned over the cruelty of man, and sighed over the wants of the nestlings; but _thou,_ by at once recovering the loss, hast forgotten all.

12. "I will learn of thee, _n.o.ble bird!_ I will remember this. I will set my mark high. I will try to do something, and to be something in the world; _I will never yield to discouragements."_

QUESTIONS.--1. How far was this Old Eagle tree from the seash.o.r.e? 2. In what way did the workmen obtain the fish she brought for her young? 3.

What is said of the eaglets and the parent bird, when she returned to the nest? 4. What did she then do? 5. What did Joseph say when she returned with another fish?

LESSON XIX.

AUC' TION, vendue; public sale.

HOME' LESS, (LESS, _without or dest.i.tute of,_) without home.

PEN' NI LESS, dest.i.tute of pennies.

WASTE' LESS, without waste.

UN LIGHT' ED, (UN, _not_,) not lighted.

SELF' ISH NESS, devoted to one's self.

RE VERSE' (RE, _back_ or _again_; VERSE, _turn_), turn back, or exchange places.

AC QUIRE', gain; obtain.

IL LUS TRA' TION, explanation.

SOL' I TA RY, single.

DIS PEL', drive away; disperse.

BE NIGHT' ED, unenlightened.

THE LIGHT OF KNOWLEDGE.

ELIHU BURRITT.

1. Knowledge can not be stolen from you. It can not be bought or sold.

You may be _poor_, and the sheriff come into your house, and sell your furniture at auction, or drive away your cow, or take your lamb, and leave you homeless and penniless; but he can not lay the law's hand upon the _jewelry of your mind_. This can not be taken for debt; neither can you _give it away_, though you give enough of it to fill a million minds.

2. I will tell you what such giving is like. Suppose, now, that there were no sun nor stars in the heavens, nor any thing that shone in the black brow of night; and suppose that a lighted lamp were put into your hand, which should burn wasteless and clear amid all the tempests that should brood upon this lower world.

3. Suppose next, that there were a thousand millions of human beings on the earth with you, each holding in his hand an unlighted lamp, filled with the same oil as yours, and capable of giving as much light. Suppose these millions should come, one by one, to you, and light each his lamp by yours, would they rob you of any light? Would less of it shine on your own path? Would your lamp burn more dimly for lighting a thousand millions?

4. Thus it is, young friends. In getting rich in the things which perish with the using, men have often obeyed to the letter that first commandment of selfishness: _"Keep what you can get, and get what you can."_ In filling your minds with the wealth of knowledge, you must reverse this rule, and obey this law: _"Keep what you give, and give what you can."_

5. The fountain of knowledge is filled by its _outlets,_ not by its inlets. You can _learn_ nothing which you do not _teach;_ you can acquire nothing of intellectual wealth, except by _giving._ In the ill.u.s.tration of the lamps, which I have given you, was not the light of the thousands of millions which were lighted at yours, as much your light, as if it all came from your solitary lamp? Did you not dispel darkness by giving away light?

6. Remember this parable, and, whenever you fall in with an unlighted mind in your walk of life, drop a kind and glowing thought upon it from yours, and set it a-burning in the world with a light that shall shine in some dark place to beam on the benighted.

QUESTIONS.--1. What is said of knowledge? 2. What is the giving of knowledge like? 3. In getting rich, what precept have men obeyed? 4.

What precept must be obeyed in getting knowledge? 5. How is knowledge best acquired? 6. What is meant by the _jewelry of the mind,_ first paragraph? 7. What, by _intellectual wealth,_ fifth paragraph?

LESSON XX.

EX TIN' GUISH ED, put out.

SOL' EMN, grave; serious.

GAR' RI SON, fortress furnished with soldiers, for defense.

SEN' TI NEL, soldier on guard.

CAR A VAN, company of traveling traders or pilgrims.

CON STEL LA' TIONS, cl.u.s.ters of fixed stars.