general, and flower, in the second verse ; voluptuous, in the fourth luxuriant, in the sixth. The last two words have properly four syllables in each, but they are read as three, and yet each letter should be plainly sounded.

In the first verse of the song to the Sky-Lark, how should flower and violets be pronounced ?

pass-ing
spend-thrift
char-i-ty
en-dear-ment
cham-pi-on
ven-er-a-ble

re-lieve
wretch-ed
off-spring
pre-vail-ed
roll-ing
wan-der-ings

anguish rus-tic warmth prompt guests swept

LESSON X X XIII.

Rule. The letter u when it follows d or t, has its proper, long sound, as in pure, mute. Thus, the sound of u in nature, educate, creature, and all similar words, is like you.

Note. The scholar may pronounce such phrases as the following ;

bid

you, did you : and then say natu, edu, creatu: and then say nature, educate, creature. In all these cases the u sounds alike, and is the same as you.

intreat you,

3. Yet he was kind, or if severe in aught,

The love he bore to learning was in fault.
The village all declared how much he knew,
'Twas certain he could write and cipher too ;
Lands he could measure, times and tides presage,
And even the story ran that he could gauge :

4. In arguing, too, the parson owned his skill,

For even though vanquished he could argue still ;
While words of learned length, and thundering sound,
Amazed the gazing rustics ranged around;
And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew,
That one small head should carry all he knew.
But past is all his fame. The very spot,
Where many a time he triumphed, is forgot.

ERRORS. 3. measur for measure. 4. argwing for arguing; argoo for argue; kerry for carry.

3. Where bounteous Nature only tills

The willing soil ; and o'er whose hills
And down beside the shady rills,
The hero roams eternally.

4. And, these fair isles to the westward lie,

Beneath a golden, sunset sky,
Where youth and beauty never die,

And song and dance move endlessly.
5. They tuld of the feats of his dog and gun,

They told of the deeds his arm had done,
They sung of battles lost and won,
And so they paid his eulogy.

6. And o'er his arms and o'er his bones,

They raised a simple pile of stones,
Which, hallowed by their tears and moans,
Was all the Indian's monument.

7. And since the chieftain here has slept,

Full many a winter's winds have swept,
And many an age has softly crept
Over his humble sepulchre.

ERRORS.

2. Injun for Indian. This word is most properly pronounced indyan, as if it were divided, ind-ian, but many persons pronounce it in-de-an, or in-je-an. 7. wenter for winter; sepulchre for sep'ulchre.

LESSON X X XI V.

Rule. Avoid the habit of being obliged to clear your throat and mouth, by coughing, spitting, and making other unpleasant noises, just as you are beginning to read.

Note. There are cases in which this cannot be avoided, but no one needs to be in the habit of doing it. The organs can generally be made ready without any noise.

THE DISCONTENTED PENDULUM.

1. An old clock, that had stood for fifty years in a farmer's kitchen, without giving its owner any cause of complaint, early one summer's morning, before the family was stirring, suddenly stopped. Upon this, thu dial-plate, (if we may credit the fable,) changed countenance with alarm; the hands made a vain effort to continue their course : the wheels remained motionless with surprise : the weights hung speechless : each member felt disposed to lay the blame on the others. At length, the dial instituted a formal inquiry as to the cause of the stagnation, when hands, wheels, weights, with one voice, protested their innocence.

2. But now a faint tick was heard below from the pendulum, who thus spoke :-'I confess myself to be the sole cause of the present stoppage ; and I am willing, for the general satisfaction, to assign my reasons. The truth is, I am tired of ticking.' Upon hearing this, the old clock became so enraged that it was on the very point of striking

3. "Lazy wire !' exclaimed the dial-plate, holding up its hands. Very good !' replied the pendulum, 'it is vastly easy for you, Mistress Dial, who have always, as every body knows, set yourself up above me, - it is vastly easy for you, I say, to accuse other people of laziness! You, who have had nothing to do all the days of your life, but to stare people in the face, and to amuse yourself with watching all that goes ou in the kitchen ! Think, I beseech you, how you would like to be shut up for life, in this dark closet, and to wag backwards and forwards year after year, as I do.'

4. “As to that,' said the dial, 'is there not a window in your house, on purpose for you to look through ?' — For all that,' resumed the pendulum, it is very dark here ; and, although there is a window, I dare not stop, even for an instant, to look out at it. Besides, I am really tired of my way of life ; and if you wish, I'll tell you how I took this disgust at my employment.'

5. I happened this morning to be calculating how many times I should have to tick in the course of only the next twentyfour hours; perhaps some of you, above there, can give me the exact sum.'

6. The minute hand being quick at figures, presently replied, 'Eightysix thousand four hundred times.' Exactly so,' replied the pendulum ; 'well, I appeal to you all, if the very thought of this was not enough to fatigue one ; and when I began to multiply the strokes of one day by the months and years, really it is no wonder if I felt discouraged at the prospect; so, after a great deal of reasoning and hesitation, thinks I to myself, I'll stop.'

7. The dial could scarcely keep its countenance during this harangue; but resuming its gravity, thus replied:

Dear Mr. Pendulum, I am really astonished that such a useful, industrious person as yourself, should have been overcome by this sudden action. It is true, you have