LESSON XVII.

EARLY WILL I SEEK THEE.

Now that my journey's just begun,
My course so little trod:
I'll stay before I further run,
And give myself to God.

And, lest I should be ever led
Through sinful paths to stray,
I would at once begin to tread
In wisdom's pleasant way.

If I am poor, He can supply,
Who has my table spread;
Who feeds the ravens when they cry,
And fills his poor with bread.

And Lord whate'er of grief or ill!

For me may be in store, }

*ཎྞཝོ』

Make me submissive to thy will, aga And I would ask no more.

Attend me through my youthful way, Whatever be my lot;

And when I'm feeble, old, and grey, O Lord, forsake me not. t

Then still as seasons hasten by,

I will for heaven prepare; That God may take me when I die, To dwell for ever there.

LESSON XVIII.

ADJECTIVE, ADVERB.

Adjectives and Adverbs are words used to express quality. Adjectives qualify Nouns, and Adverbs qualify Verbs and Adjectives. Thus boy is a Noun, because it is a name applied to a person: now, when I say good boy, I express a quality (that of goodness)

which the boy possesses; good, therefore, is called an Adjective. Again, when I say, a good boy says his lesson well; boy (the name) is a Noun; good (the quality) is an Adjective; says (which affirms what the boy does) is a Verb; his (used instead of the boy's name) is a Pronoun; lesson (the name of what the boy says) is a Noun ; and well (which expresses the quality of the boy's saying, or the manner in which he says his lesson) is an Adverb. In like manner, John strikes the table smartly; John, a Noun; strikes, a Verb; table, a Noun; and smartly, an Adverb, because it qualifies the Verb, or expresses the way in which John struck the table. Had it qualified the Noun John, it would have been smart John struck the table; had it qualified table, it would have been, John struck

the smart table; in both which cases, smart would have been an Adjective. In the same way, when I say, James is a very good boy; very is an Adverb, because it does not qualify either of the Nouns James or boy, but the Adjective good.

I am coming, little maiden!
With the pleasant sunshine laden
With the honey for the bee;
With the blossom for the tree;
With the flower and with the leaf;
Till I come the time is brief.

I am coming, I am coming!
Hark, the little bee is humming;
See, the lark is soaring high,
In the bright and sunny sky:

And the gnats are on the wing;
Little maiden, now is spring.

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See the yellow catkins cover
All the slender willows over;
And on mossy banks so green
Starlike primroses are seen;
Every little stream is bright;
All the orchard trees are white.
Hark! the little lambs are bleating;
And the cawing rooks are meeting
In the elms, a noisy crowd;
And all birds are singing loud;
And the first white butterfly
In the sun goes flitting by.

Turn thy eyes to earth and heaven !
God for thee the spring has given,
Taught the birds their melodies,
Clothed the earth, and cleared the
skies,

For thy pleasure or thy food,-
Pour thy soul in gratitude!