He was so animated, that, after he fell asleep, he kicked off the bed-clothes, and dreamed he was in a snow-bank. When his mother came to see him,

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as she always did before she went to bed, he cried out in his sleep, "It is not fair to pelt me when 1 am down."

Alas for William's bright (visions) They melted away, as many a bright vision has before. In the course of the night the snow-storm turned to rain, and in the morning every flake had disappeared. Poor William was dreadfully disappointed; and I am sorry to say he was quite out of humor about it, and came into the breakfast-room looking very cross indeed. "What is the matter, William?" said his mother; for she missed his sunny smile in a moment. "I say it is too bad," exclaimed he, pouting. "What is too bad, William?"

"Why, the snow is all gone!" said William, and he looked up as if he had a good mind to cry.

I am very sorry for your disappointment," said his mother; "but never mind, William; we shall have plenty of snow-storms before winter is over; so cheer up, my dear, and after breakfast, I will tell you an anecdote."

"An anecdote? What is that, mother?"

"It is a story."

William's face brightened somewhat at the sound of a story, and he finished his breakfast with rather a better appetite than when it was begun. As soon as breakfast and prayers were over, the children gathered round their mother, to hear the anecdote.

"You have heard, children, of the shepherd of Salisbury Plain, a very poor and a very good man. One day, when he was tending his sheep, a gentleman rode up, and said, 'Friend, what do you think the weather will be to-morrow?' 6 Why,' said the old man, 'it will be just such weather as pleases me.' "The gentleman was surprised that he should answer him so, and asked him what he meant. mean, sir,' said the old man, 'that it will be just such weather as pleases God, and whatever pleases God, pleases me.'"

'I

"What a good old man!" exclaimed Eugenia. William did not speak, but he looked as if he thought the story was meant for him///

LESSON XVI.

CONSONANT SOUNDS IN COMBINATION.

nd as in band, land, hand, sand.
ndz as in bands, lands, hands, sands.
nt as in bent, lent, meant, sent.

nts as in tents, events, wants, haunts.

Roll, roar, ground, round, brown, frown, frail, afraid, breeze, freeze, green, grown, from, front.

Note to Teachers. The rough r, as heard in the above words, should De slightly trilled when uttered. It requires one motion of the tongue only.

Casabianca.

[Young Casabianca, a boy about thirteen years old, son to the admiral of the Orient, remained at his post (in the battle of the Nile) after the ship had taken fire, and all the guns had been abandoned; and perished in the explosion of the vessel, when the flames had reached the powder.]

THE boy stood on the burning deck,
Whence all but him had fled;

The flame that lit the battle's wreck
Shone round him o'er the dead.

Yet beautiful and bright he stood,
As born to rule the storm;
A creature of heroic, blood,
A proud, though childlike form.

The flames rolled on,

- he would not go

Without his father's word;

That father, faint in death below,
His voice no longer heard.

He called aloud-"Say, father, say
If yet my task is done!"

He knew not that the chieftain lay
Unconscious of his son.

"Speak, father!" once again he cried,
"If I may yet be gone!"

And but the booming shots replied,
And fast the flames rolled on.

Upon his brow he felt their breath,

And in his waving hair,

And looked from that lone post of death

In still, yet brave despair!

And shouted but once more aloud,

"My father, must I stay?"

While o'er him fast, through sail and shroud,
The wreathing fires made way.

They wrapped the ship in splendor wild,
They caught the flag on high,

And streamed above the gallant child,
Like banners in the sky.

There came a burst of thunder-sound.

The boy-0, where was he?

Ask of the winds, that far around
With fragments strowed the sea

With mast, and helm, and pennon fair,
That well had borne their part,

But the noblest thing that perished there,
Was that young, faithful heart.

Note to Teachers. - Poetry should be read more slowly than prose. To prevent the fault of rapidity, and to cultivate the proper tones, it will be necessary, in the beginning, for the teacher to first read a stanza, and then require the pupil to read it after him.

LESSON XVII.

CONSONANT SOUNDS IN COMBINATION.

pt as in rapt, kept, slept, wept.

pts as in accepts, excepts, precepts, intercepts. rb as in barb, garb, verb, curb.

rbd as in barb'd, garb'd, curb'd, disturb'd.

When, (not wen,) what, which, while, where, whet, whip, whence, whither, whenever, whatever.

What is it makes me happiest?

WHAT is it makes me happiest ?
Is it my last new play?

Is it my bounding ball, or hoop,
I follow every day?

Is it my puzzles or my blocks,
My pleasant solitaire?

My dolls, my kittens, or my books,
My flowers fresh and fair?

What is it makes me happiest ?

It is not one of these;

Yet they are treasures dear to me,

And never fail to please.

Note to Teachers. In pronouncing words commencing with wh, the letters should be transposed; thus, huen, hwat, &c. Who and its compounds form an exception to this rule.