for terrible. 10. supprising or sprising for surprising. II. zactness and zactly for exactness and exactly. 12. steemed for esteemed; strordinary for extraordinary. 13. perpetooal for perpetual.

QUESTIONS.

What is the Rule before this Lesson, and what are the reasons for it?

Why is this bird called the Mocking Bird? Can it mock anything except birds?

11. Name all the stops in this paragraph.

NOTE. If the Teacher finds the three following Lessons too difficult for small children, they should be divided into shorter Lessons. If the scholar will study hard upon them, he shall have some easy ones after them.

LESSON VIII.

RULE. Be careful to learn and remember the Stops and Marks so well, that you will know their meaning whenever you meet them.

PUNCTUALITY AND PUNCTUATION.

1. PERHAPS my young readers may think that punctuality and punctuation mean the same thing, but I shall soon show that there is a great difference. Punctuality means, Doing things at the proper time; but punctaation means, Placing the proper Stops and Marks in

sentences: thus, you see, these words mean very different things.*

2. Have you learned all the Stops and Marks that have been used in the foregoing Lessons? No, sir, not half of them.'t You have n't, indeed! Well, I am sorry that you are not more punctual. If you had learned every one when it was used, you would not be so troubled now, when they all come upon you together.‡

3. When we omit to do things at the proper time, we can never have everything in its proper place. The scholar who is not ready to read and spell when his turn comes, is not punctual, and he ought to stand word

one side like a

Λ

that forgot to take its proper place.

4. A scholar who has not learned his lesson, stands like an ellipsis, that is denoted by stars,

***

or by

to show that some

thing is omitted. He will read limping along, and hesitating how to call his words, as if he were saying, Mr. B five dollars to N*** to buy

gave

5. If you go over the whole country, you will find that men, and women, and children, do their headwork and their hand-work, and all sorts of work, without proper regard to punctuality. If one promises to meet you at 10 o'clock, it is not likely that he will

* The scholar will observe that there are four different stops in the first sentence; and he will notice the other stops and marks in other parts of the Lesson.

† Notice all the marks that are here used.

Sometimes there are other marks used to refer to notes in the margin or bottom of the page. The scholar will easily understand them if he looks carefully. I See the next rule.

come till 11; and then he may make the wicked ex cuse, that it is ten till eleven.

.

6. It is the fashion for every one to be making excuses for want of punctuality. The shoemaker, the tailor, the blacksmith, the carpenter, the book-maker, the printer, the book-binder, the book-seller, the reader, and all sorts of workmen, neglect to fulfil their promises; and then they make excuses. I believe it was Dr. Franklin who said A man who is good at making excuses, is good for nothing else.' He meant that those who try to fulfil their promises, are very seldom obliged to break them, and, therefore, they have no occasion to learn how to make excuses: but those who break their promises often, have to study to make such excuses as will make others think them innocent and such men are not to be trusted.

7. Now, my young friends, I would have you con sider this matter well. Sometimes you cannot be punc tual in doing what you have promised, or proposed, or have been told to do; but it is certainly true that you cannot be in the habit of breaking your promises, or delaying and neglecting your duties, without very great sin. § Want of punctuality is want of economy.

8. I have said that want of punctuality is sin; and this is the proper reason why you should be as punctual as possible in all things. But I now say also, that those persons who are not punctual, waste their time and their money.

9. [The Reason.] The reason why want of punctuality is want of economy, is that everything is confused and comes out of time and place, when you neglect it at its proper season; and then it takes much

time, (and time is money,) to set right what you have suffered to go wrong.

10. If, therefore, you mean to be honest men and women, and live comfortably with others, and have enough of the good things of life, be punc'tual in performing all your duties.

If others promise—and neglect to do,

(Their fault is surely no excuse for you)

They'll trouble many- and be loved by few.

ERRORS.

2. larned for learned. 4. limpin for limping. 5. childurn for children.

QUESTIONS.

1. What does punctuality mean? What does punctuation mean? What Stops and Marks are in this sentence?

2. What Stops and Marks are in this sentence?

asterisk, obelisk, and parallel refer to ?

3. What is a caret ?

4. What do stars, dots, and a dash show?

What do the

Remark. Look at the rule over the next Lesson, and you will see that this hard sentence is to be read thus: Mister B. gave five dollars to N. to buy a (blank) for M.

5. What is a hyphen? What is an apostrophe ? 6. What is an index? What is a quotation?

What is a paragraph used for?
What is a parenthesis used for?
What is the use of the brace?

8. What is a section used for? 9. What is a bracket used for? 10. What is the use of the accent? What is the use of the dash in this sentence? What Rule is at the beginning of the Lesson?

LESSON IX.

RULES. 1. When only the first letter of a name is printed or written, if you know the whole name, read it; but if you do not know the whole, read the letter as though that were the name.

2. If a dash, or stars, or dots, stand for a whole word, call that word blank: and read it with a falling tone, as though you were telling those who hear you, that there is a blank instead of a word.

THE VULTURE.

1. ALL persons who have been to New Orleans, or other southern parts of the United States, have seen a great many large, filthy looking birds about the streets, on the houses, and walking about the yards. I first saw these birds as I was going up the Mississippi river, on my way to New Orleans. They flew about the trees, and lit upon the fields, and were sometimes seen on the houses and chimneys.

2. I asked my companion Mr. Y what they were; and he said they were Turkey Buzzards. I afterwards found that they were called by this name in all that country; but they are properly a kind of vulture. They are about as large as turkeys, and are commonly of a very dark brown color. The vulture of Europe, Asia, and Africa, is larger than this, and its wings and tail are of a yellowish brown.

3. Mr., another companion on my voyage, told me that these birds were very useful in carrying away or eating whatever putrid meat they found in the towns, and on the plantations; and for that reason, no one is allowed to kill them. When I arrived in New Orleans,