cau'tion, _great care_.
strat'a gem, _a secret way; trick_.

de pends', _trusts to_.

mar'vel ous, _wonderful_.

jack'al, _a beast of prey_.

pro cure', _obtain_.

a dorn', _make beautiful_.


*       *       *       *       *




THE OSTRICH.


The ostrich is the largest of all birds now existing, and is found
chiefly in the sandy deserts of Africa and Arabia.

A full-grown African ostrich stands from seven to nine feet in height,
to the top of its head, and will weigh from two to three hundred pounds.

The body of the ostrich is large and massive; the legs are long,
measuring four feet or more, and the neck is of about the same length as
the legs.

The head is small for so large a bird; but its feet with their two great
toes are of good size, and possess astonishing strength.

An ostrich's beak is short and blunt; its neck slender and covered with
gray down. Its eyes are large and bright, and the sense of sight so keen
that it can readily see a distance of from four to six miles. It hears
and sees equally well, and can only be approached by stratagem.

The feathers of the male ostrich are of a glossy black, with the
exception of the large plumes of the wing-feathers, which in both the
male and female are snowy white.

To procure these beautiful white plumes is the chief object in hunting
the ostrich. Those plumes when plucked are sent to foreign countries,
and used to adorn ladies' hats, and for various other purposes.

The ostrich feeds on vegetable substances; but as an aid to digestion,
it sometimes swallows stones, glass, paper, nails, and pieces of wood.

An incident is related of an ostrich on exhibition in Paris, swallowing
a gold watch and chain. A gentleman approached within reach of the beak
of the bird, and, in the twinkling of an eye, the watch and chain were
snatched from his pocket and swallowed.

Although the ostrich has wings, it can not fly--it depends upon its
strong legs and feet for speed, and can run much faster than a horse.

The strength of the ostrich is marvelous. Its only weapon of defence is
its long and muscular leg.

[Illustration.]

It is accustomed to kick directly forward, and it is said by those who
have observed this habit, that a single blow from its gigantic two-toed
foot is sufficient to kill a panther, a jackal, or a hyena.

No better idea of its strength can be given than the fact of its being
employed for riding. A traveler, writing about two ostriches he saw in a
village in Africa, says:

"These gigantic birds were so tame that two boys mounted together the
larger one. The ostrich no sooner felt their weight, than it started
off at full speed and carried them several times around the village.

"This trial pleased me so much that I wished to have it repeated; and in
order to test their strength, I had a full-grown man mount the smaller
bird, and two men the larger bird.

"At first, they started with caution; but presently they spread their
wings and went off at such a speed that they seemed scarcely to touch
the ground."

The voice of the ostrich is deep and hollow, and is said to resemble at
times the roar of the lion. The bird frequently makes a kind of cackling
noise, and when enraged at an enemy, it hisses very loudly.

Ostriches make their nests in the sand. One female will, in a single
season, lay from twenty to thirty eggs, weighing about three pounds
each.

Most of these she places in the nest, standing them on one end; but some
of them are left outside of the nest as food for her young when they are
hatched.

The natives of Africa are very fond of ostrich eggs, using them for
food. In taking the eggs, they exercise great caution; for should the
birds discover them, they would break all the eggs and leave the nest.

Young ostriches are readily tamed. Some families in Africa keep them as
we do chickens. They play with children, sleep in the houses, and when a
family moves, the ostriches follow the camels, frequently carrying the
children on their backs.

Within the past few years, ostriches have been brought to this country;
and places called ostrich farms have been established in California and
other States, for the purpose of raising them for their feathers.


*       *       *       *       *


Language Lesson.--Let pupils point out any points that are omitted from
the following

Analysis.--1. Where the ostrich lives. 2. Its size and appearance--body,
head, neck, eyes, feathers, and plumes. 3. Its food. 4. An incident. 5.
Its speed. 6. Its strength,--leg and foot. 7. Riding ostriches. 8.
Voice of ostrich. 9. Nests and habits of the birds. 10. Ostriches in
this country.

Change such points as may be found necessary, and use the _analysis_ in
describing some well-known bird.


*       *       *       *       *




LESSON LXIV.


plead, _urge as a reason_.

breach, _a breaking, as of a promise_.

re buke', _call attention to wrong-doing_.

strew, _spread; scatter_.

chide, _find fault with_.

re sent'nent, _anger on account of an injury_.

un a vail'ing, _useless; not helping in any way_.

jus'tice, _honesty; what is right_.


*       *       *       *       *




TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW.


If Fortune, with a smiling face,
Strew roses on our way,
When shall we stoop to pick them up?--
To-day, my friend, to-day.
But should she frown with face of care,
And talk of coming sorrow,
When shall we grieve, if grieve we must?--
To-morrow, friend, to-morrow.

If those who have wronged us own their fault,
And kindly pity pray,
When shall we listen and forgive?--
To-day, my friend, to-day.
But if stern justice urge rebuke,
And warmth from memory borrow,
When shall we chide, if chide we dare?--
To-morrow, friend, to-morrow.

If those to whom we owe a debt
Are harmed unless we pay,
When shall we struggle to be just?--
To-day, my friend, to-day.
But if our debtor fail our hope,
And plead his ruin thorough,
When shall we weigh his breach of faith?--
To-morrow, friend, to-morrow.

For virtuous acts and harmless joys
The minutes will not stay;--
We have always time to welcome them
To-day, my friend, to-day.
But care, resentment, angry words,
And unavailing sorrow,
Come far too soon, if they appear
To-morrow, friend, to-morrow.


*       *       *       *       *


Directions for Reading.--Let some pupil in the class state the manner
in which the lesson should be read.

What is the effect of repeating the words _to-day_ and _to-morrow_, in
the fourth and eighth lines of each stanza?


*       *       *       *       *


Language Lesson.--Let pupils give the meaning of each stanza in their
own words.

_Warmth from memory borrow_ means become more angry when we remember
our own acts of kindness toward the person now doing us injury.

Explain the meaning of the following expressions.

_Strew roses on our way._

_Breach of faith._


*       *       *       *       *




LESSON LXV.


ref'uge, _a place of safety_.

fo'li age, _leaves and branches of trees or shrubs_.

op pressed', _heavily burdened_.

be tray', _give information to an enemy_.

con trived', _managed; arranged_.

rec'og nized, _knew by seeing_.

ren'der, _give; make_.

im'mi nent, _close by; threatening_.

com pel', _make one do any thing_.

cav'al ry, _soldiers mounted on horses_.

false, _not true; unreal_.

re spond'ed, _answered; replied_.


*       *       *       *       *




AN INCIDENT OF THE REVOLUTION.


During the Revolutionary War, when the American people were fighting
for independence, a governor of one of the colonies found himself in
great danger of being captured by British soldiers.

The governor, whose name was Griswold, contrived to reach the house of
a relative, and while there, was informed that the soldiers had
discovered his place of refuge and were then on their way to seize him.

Griswold at once realizing that his peril was imminent, determined, if
possible, to reach a small stream, where he had left a boat so hidden,
by the foliage that it could not be seen from the road.

In great haste and excitement, he left the house and proceeded in the
direction of the river. Passing through an orchard, he encountered a
young girl about twelve years old. She was watching some pieces of
linen cloth which were stretched out on the grass for the purpose of
bleaching.

Hetty--that was the girl's name--was seated under a tree with her
knitting, and had near her a pail of water, from which she occasionally
sprinkled the cloths to keep them damp.

She started up and was somewhat frightened when she saw a man leaping
over the fence; but soon recognized him to be her cousin.

"O, is it you, cousin!" exclaimed Hetty; "you frightened me--where are
you going?"

"Hetty," he replied, "the soldiers are seeking for me, and I shall lose
my life, unless I can reach the boat before they come. I want you to
run down toward the shore and meet them."

"They will surely ask for me; and then you must tell them that I have
gone up the road to catch the mail-cart, and they will turn off the
other way."

"But, cousin, how can I say so?--it would not be true. O, why did you
tell me which way you were going?"

"Would you betray me, Hetty, and see me put to death? Hark! they are
coming. I hear the clink of their horses' feet. Tell them I have gone
up the road and Heaven will bless you."

"Those who speak false words will never be happy," said Hetty. "But
they shall not compel me to tell which way you go, even if they kill
me--so run as fast as you can."

"I am afraid it is too late to run, Hetty; where can I hide myself?"

"Be quick, cousin. Get down and lie under this cloth; I will throw it
over you and go on sprinkling the linen."

"I will do it, for it is my last chance."

He was soon concealed under the heavy folds of the long cloth. A few
minutes afterward, a party of cavalry dashed along the road. An officer
saw the girl and called out to her in a loud voice--

"Have you seen a man run this way?"

"Yes, sir," replied Hetty.

"Which way did he go?"

"I promised not to tell, sir."

"But you must tell me this instant; or it will be worse for you."

"I will not tell, for I must keep my word."

"Let me question her, for I think I know the child," said a man who was
guide to the party. "Is your name Hetty Marvin?"

"Yes, sir."

"Perhaps the man who ran past you was your cousin?"

"Yes, sir, he was."

"Well, we wish to speak with him. What did he say to you when, he came
by?"

"He told me that he had to run to save his life."

"Just so--that was quite true. I hope he will not have far to run. Where
was he going to hide himself?"

"My cousin said that he would go to the river to find a boat, and he
wanted me to tell the men in search of him that he had gone the other
way to meet the mail-cart."

"You are a good girl, Hetty, and we know you speak the truth. What did
your cousin say when he heard that you could not tell a lie to save his
life?"

"He asked, would I betray him and see him put to death?"

"And you said you would not tell, if you were killed for it."

Poor Hetty's tears fell fast as she responded, "Yes, sir."

"Those were brave words, and I suppose he thanked you and ran down the
road as fast as he could?"

"I promised not to tell which way he went, sir."

"O yes, I forgot; but tell me his last words, and I will not trouble you
any more."

"He said, 'I will do it, for it is my last chance.'"

Hetty was now oppressed with great fear; she sobbed aloud, and hid her
face in her apron. The soldiers thought they had obtained all the
information they could, and rode off toward the river-side.

While Griswold lay hidden at the farm, he had agreed upon a signal with
his boatmen, that if in trouble he would put a white cloth by day, or a
light at night, in the attic window of his place of concealment. When
either signal was seen, the men were to be on the watch, ready to render
him assistance in case of need.

No sooner had the soldiers ridden away, than Griswold's friends in the
house hung out a white cloth from the window, to warn the boatmen, who
then pulled out to sea.

The boat, with two men in it, was nearly out of sight by the time the
soldiers reached the shore, and this caused them to conclude that
Griswold had effected his escape.

Meantime he lay safe and quiet until the time came for Hetty to go home
to supper. Then he requested her to go and ask her mother to put the
signal-lamp in the window as it grew dark, and send him clothes and
food. The signal was seen, the boat returned, and Griswold made his way
to it in safety.

In better days, when the war was over, and peace declared, he named one
of his daughters Hetty Marvin, that he might daily think of the brave
young cousin whose sense and truth-speaking had saved his life.


*       *       *       *       *




LESSON LXVI.


con sume', _use entirely; exhaust_.

cul ti va'tion, _attending to the growth of plants_.

ex'ports, _the products of a country which are sold to other countries_

trans por ta'tion, _carrying_.

o'val, _shaped like an egg_.

prin'ci pal, _chief; that which is most important_.

es'ti mat ed, _stated in regard to quantity_.

se lect'ed, _chosen; picked out_.

ter'mi nates, _comes to an end_.


*       *       *       *       *




TROPICAL FRUITS.


Those who have not visited tropical countries, can scarcely imagine the
wonders of their vegetation. There is nothing in the northern half of
the United States, with which to compare the richness of the vegetable
growth of the tropics.

In the Southern States of our Union, as well as in Mexico and Central
America, there are found many of the same plants and trees that grow in
countries lying still nearer the equator.

The various kinds of fruits which grow in these countries, form a very
large portion of the exports. Among those that are most commonly sent to
us, are bananas, oranges, lemons, dates, cocoa-nuts, and figs.

In countries where the banana grows most abundantly, no article of food
which the natives can obtain, requires so little trouble in its
cultivation.

One has only to set out a few banana sprouts, and await the result. In a
short time, a juicy stem shoots up to the height of fifteen or twenty
feet.

It is formed of nothing more than a number of leaf stalks rolled one
over the other, and grows sometimes to a thickness of two feet.

Two gigantic leaves grow out from the top, ten feet long and two feet
broad. They are so very thin and tender that a light wind splits them
into ribbons.

From the center of the leaves a very strong stalk rises up, which
supports the cluster of bananas. There are sometimes over one hundred
bananas to a single stalk.

A cluster of ripe bananas will weigh from sixty to seventy pounds, and
represents a large amount of food. When a stalk has produced and ripened
its fruit, it begins to wither and soon dies.

In a very short time, however, new sprouts spring up from the old root,
and ere long the native has another cluster. So rapidly do they follow
each other, that one cluster is scarcely consumed before another one is
ready to ripen.

Bananas ripened on the stalk will not bear transportation to any great
distance; therefore, when selected for export, the clusters are cut off
while the bananas are very green.

Another valuable fruit of the tropics is the date. This fruit grows on a
tree called the date-palm, that is found in both Asia and Africa.

The date-palm is a majestic tree, rising to the height of sixty feet or
more, without branches, and with a trunk of uniform thickness throughout
its entire length.

It begins to bear fruit about eight years after it has been planted, and
continues to be productive from seventy to one hundred years.

Dates are oval in shape, and have a long solid stone. They form the
principal food of the inhabitants of some of the eastern countries, and
are an important article of commerce.

When they are perfectly ripe, they possess a delightful perfume, and are
very agreeable to the taste.

In preparing dates to be sent to distant countries, they are gathered a
short time before they are quite ripe, dried in the sun on mats, and
finally packed in boxes or straw sacks.

Travelers in the deserts of Africa, often carry dried dates with them
for their chief food, during a journey of hundreds of miles.

The Arabs grind dried dates into a powder which they call date flour. If
this is packed away in a dry place, it will keep for years, and only has
to be moistened with a little water to prepare it for eating.

One of the most valuable and productive of tropical trees is the
cocoa-nut palm. It grows largely in both the East and West Indies, and
elsewhere throughout the torrid zone.

It rises to a height of from sixty to one hundred feet, and terminates
in a crown, of graceful, waving leaves. Some of these leaves reach a
length of twenty feet, and have the appearance of gigantic feathers.

The fruit consists of a thick outward husk of a fibrous structure, and
within this, is the ordinary cocoa-nut of commerce.

The shell of the nut is hard and woody, and a little over a quarter of
an inch in thickness. Next to this shell is the kernel, which is also a
shell about half an inch thick, and composed of a white substance very
pleasant to the taste. Within this white eatable shell, is a milky
liquid, called cocoa-nut milk.

[Illustration]

The cocoa-nut is very useful to the natives of the regions in which it
grows. The nuts supply a large portion of their food, and the milky
fluid inclosed within, forms a pleasant and refreshing drink.

The shell of the nut is made into cups, and from the kernel, cocoa-nut
oil is pressed out and largely used in making soap and for other
purposes.

In Ceylon, the tree is cultivated extensively. It is estimated that
there are twenty million trees in that island, and that each tree
produces about sixty nuts yearly. The wealth of a native is based upon
the number of cocoa-nut palms he owns.

Another well-known tropical fruit is the fig, which grows on a bush or
small tree about eighteen or twenty feet high.

The fig-tree is now cultivated in all the Mediterranean countries, but
the larger portion of the American supply comes from western Asia and
the south of France.

The varieties are extremely numerous, and the fruit is of various
colors, from deep purple to yellow, or nearly white.

The trees usually bear two crops--one in the early summer, the other in
the autumn.

When ripe, the figs are picked and spread out to dry in the sun. Thus
prepared, the fruit is packed closely in barrels, baskets, or wooden
boxes, for commerce.

Oranges and lemons are cultivated in nearly all warm countries. They
grow on trees somewhat smaller than apple trees, and must be picked for
export while they are hard and green.

They ripen during transportation, so that green oranges put up and sent
to us from Sicily or other distant points, change to a golden yellow
color by the time they reach us.

Oranges are grown largely in Florida and Louisiana, extensive orange
orchards being frequently met with in traveling through those States.
The oranges grown there are considered very choice, and are generally
sweeter than those brought from Italy.


*       *       *       *       *


Language Lesson.--Define the following words, giving the meaning of
each part as indicated by hyphens: _ex-port-ing, un-common-ly,
dis-trust-ful, pro-vid-ing, un-bear-able, un-hope-ful_.

The syllables _placed before_ a stem are called _prefixes_; those
_placed after_ a stem, _suffixes_.

The words _shall_ and _will_ are used to indicate _future time_; as, I
shall go; you will go; he will go.