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The three tenses of an action may in a general way be represented by the
words _yesterday, to-day_, and _to-morrow_.
Let pupils fill blanks in the following statements, and state the tense
of each action.
We ---- go to see them next week.
John ---- last night.
You and I ---- in school at the present time.
* * * * *
LESSON LXVII.
found'ed, _established; placed_.
gar'ri son, _soldiers stationed in a fort or town_.
strode, _walked with long steps_.
coun'cil, _a number of men called together for advice_.
in cit'ing, _moving to action_.
de vot'ed, _very much attached_.
de feat'ed, _overcome_.
cul'ture, _a high state of knowledge_.
or'na ment ed, _adorned_.
wam'pum, _shells used by the Indians as money or for ornament_.
fan tas'tic, _wild; irregular_.
* * * * *
THE STORY OF DETROIT.
The early history of Detroit is highly romantic. It was founded in 1701
as a military colony.
It soon became one of the most important of the western outposts of
Canada, and as the French and Indians were usually on the most friendly
terms, the colony for a long time existed in a state of happiness and
contentment.
At the close of the French War, Detroit contained over two thousand
inhabitants. Canadian dwellings with their lovely gardens lined the
banks of the river for miles.
Within the limits of the settlement were several Indian villages. Here
the light-hearted French-Canadian smoked his pipe and told his story,
and the friendly Indian supplied him with game and joined in his
merry-making.
In the year 1760, Detroit was taken possession of by the English. The
Indians hated the English, as much as they had loved the French.
Pontiac, the ruling spirit of the forests at this time, was a most
powerful and statesmanlike chief. When he found that his friends, the
French, had lost their power, he sought to unite the Indian tribes
against the English colonies, and to destroy the English garrison at
Detroit by strategy.
He was chief of the Ottawas, but possessed great influence over several
other tribes. Pontiac believed, and that truly, that the establishment
of English colonies would be fatal to the interests of the Indian race.
He strode through the forests like a giant, inciting the tribes to war.
He urged a union of all the Indian nations from the lakes to the
Mississippi for the common defense of the race.
There lived near Detroit a beautiful Indian girl, called Catharine. The
English commander, Gladwyn, was pleased with her, and showed her many
favors, and she formed a warm friendship for him.
One lovely day in May, this girl came to the fort and brought Gladwyn a
pair of elk-skin moccasins. She appeared very sad.
"Catharine," said Gladwyn, "what troubles you to-day?"
She did not answer at once. There was a silent struggle going on in her
heart. She had formed a strong attachment for the white people, and she
was also devoted to her own race.
"To-morrow," she said at length, "Pontiac will come to the fort with
sixty of his chiefs. Each will be armed with a gun, which will be cut
short and hidden under his blanket. The chief will ask to hold a
council. He will then make a speech, and offer a belt of wampum as a
peace-offering.
"As soon as he holds up the belt, the chiefs will spring up and shoot
the officers, and the Indians outside will attack the English. Every
Englishman will be killed. The French inhabitants will be spared."
Gladwyn made immediate preparations to avoid the danger which threatened
them. The soldiers were put under arms. Orders were given to have them
drawn up in line on the arrival of the Indians the following day.
The next morning Indian canoes approached the fort from the eastern
shores. They contained Pontiac and his sixty chiefs. At ten o'clock the
chiefs marched to the fort, in fantastic procession. Each wore a colored
blanket, and was painted, plumed, or in some way gaily ornamented.
As Pontiac entered the fort, a glance showed him that his plot was
discovered. He passed in amazement through glittering rows of steel, he
made a speech, expressing friendship; but he did not dare to lift the
wampum belt which was to have been the signal for attack. He was allowed
to depart peaceably.
When he found that his plot had been discovered, his anger knew no
bounds. He gathered his warriors from every hand and laid siege to
Detroit. He was defeated, and with his defeat ended the power of the
Indian tribes in the region of the Upper Lakes.
Detroit became an English town, and afterward an American city. She has
gathered to herself the wealth of the fertile regions which lie around
her, as well as the commerce of the broad inland seas on either hand.
To-day she has more than one hundred and twenty thousand inhabitants,
and is famous for her wealth and culture.
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Let pupils review, as a written exercise, the
spelling of the following words.
treasure rheumatism group desperate
release mischievous courtesy separate
weary approach redoubled vegetable
stealthy caution mighty stratagem
peasants exhausted fortnight spectator
concealed draughts knowledge necessary
freight guidance flickering particular
In the sentences given below, change the verbs so as to represent the
action as completed.
"The chiefs march to the fort in fantastic procession. They find that
their plot is discovered. Pontiac immediately gathers his warriors from
every hand, and lays siege to Detroit. He is defeated, and with his
defeat, the power of the Indian tribes is at an end."
In the last two sentences, change the verbs so as to represent future
time.
Let pupils make out an _analysis_ and use it in treating the subject--
_The town (or city) that I live in._
_Suggestion_.--Include the location and early history of the town. Its
present population. Its different manufactures. How to get to it. Its
chief points of interest to a stranger. Anecdotes.
* * * * *
LESSON LXVIII.
heave, _raise; lift_.
mack'er el, _a fish spotted with blue, and largely used for food_.
con geals', _freezes; grows hard from cold_.
ant'lers, _branching horns_.
a main', _suddenly; at once_.
lurks, _lies hidden_.
reels, _frames for winding fishing lines_.
teem'ing, _containing in abundance_.
car'i bou, _a kind of reindeer_.
Mick'mack, _a tribe of Indians_.
* * * * *
THE FISHERMEN.
Hurra! the seaward breezes
Sweep down the bay amain;
Heave up, my lads, the anchor!
Run up the sail again!
Leave to the lubber landsmen
The rail-car and the steed;
The stars of heaven shall guide us
The breath of heaven shall speed.
From the hill-top looks the steeple,
And the light-house from the sand;
And the scattered pines are waving
Their farewell from the land.
One glance, my lads, behind us,
For the homes we leave, one sigh,
Ere we take the change and chances
Of the ocean and the sky.
Where in mist the rock is hiding,
And the sharp reef lurks below,
And the white squall smites in summer,
And the autumn tempests blow;
Where, through gray and rolling vapor,
From evening unto morn,
A thousand boats are hailing,
Horn answering unto horn.
Hurra! for the Red Island,
With the white cross on its crown!
Hurra! for Meccatina,
And its mountains bare and brown!
Where the caribou's tall antlers
O'er the dwarf-wood freely toss,
And the footsteps of the Mickmack
Have no sound upon the moss.
There we'll drop our lines, and gather
Old ocean's treasures in,
Where'er the mottled mackerel
Turns up a steel-dark fin.
The sea's our field of harvest,
Its scaly tribes our grain;
We'll reap the teeming waters
As at home they reap the plain.
Though the mist upon our jackets
In the bitter air congeals,
And our lines wind stiff and slowly
From off the frozen reels;
Though the fog be dark around us,
And the storm blow high and loud,
We will whistle down the wild wind,
And laugh beneath the cloud!
Hurra!--Hurra!--the west wind
Comes freshening down the bay,
The rising sails are filling--
Give way, my lads, give way!
Leave the coward landsman clinging
To the dull earth like a weed--
The stars of heaven shall guide us,
The breath of heaven shall speed!
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--Let some pupil in the class state in what
manner the lesson should be read.
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Change the verbs throughout the sixth stanza so as
to represent past action.
Give the time indicated in the following sentences.
I _am thinking_ about it. I _am going_ to-morrow.
As _verb-forms_ do not always determine the _time of an action_, we
must call an action _past, present_, or _future_, in accordance with
the meaning indicated by the verb.
* * * * *
LESSON LXIX.
op er a'tions, _ways of working; deeds_.
e vap'o rat ed, _has the moisture taken from it_.
au'ger, _a tool used in boring holes_.
shan'ty, _a hut; a poor dwelling_.
e nor'mous, _of very large size_.
su per in tend'ing, _directing; taking care of_.
an nounce', _give first notice of; make known_.
de li'cious, _affording great pleasure, especially to the taste_.
de'tails, _small parts of any thing_.
clar'i fied, _made clear or pure_.
* * * * *
MAKING MAPLE SUGAR.
PART I.
There is no part of farming that a boy enjoys more than the making of
maple sugar; it is better than "blackberrying," and nearly as good as
fishing.
And one reason he likes this work is that somebody else does the most of
it. It is a sort of work in which he can appear to be very active, and
yet not do much.
In my day maple-sugar-making used to be something between picnicking and
being shipwrecked on a fertile island, where one should save from the
wreck, tubs and augers, and great kettles and pork, and hen's-eggs and
rye-and-indian bread, and begin at once to lead the sweetest life in the
world.
I am told that it is something different nowadays, and that there is
more desire to save the sap, and make good, pure sugar, and sell it for
a large price.
I am told that it is the custom to carefully collect the sap and bring
it to the house, where there are built brick arches, over which it is
evaporated in shallow pans, and that pains are taken to keep the leaves,
sticks, ashes and coals out of it, and that the sugar is clarified.
In short, that it is a money-making business, in which there is very
little fun, and that the boy is not allowed to dip his paddle into the
kettle of boiling sugar and lick off the delicious syrup.
As I remember, the country boy used to be on the lookout in the spring
for the sap to begin running. I think he discovered it as soon as
anybody.
Perhaps he knew it by a feeling of something starting in his own
veins--a sort of spring stir in his legs and arms, which tempted him to
stand on his head, or throw a handspring, if he could find a spot of
ground from which the snow had melted.
The sap stirs early in the legs of a country boy, and shows itself in
uneasiness in the toes, which, get tired of boots, and want to come out
and touch the soil just as soon as the sun has warmed it a little.
The country boy goes barefoot just as naturally as the trees burst their
buds, which were packed and varnished over in the fall to keep the water
and the frost out.
Perhaps the boy has been out digging into the maple-trees with his
jack-knife; at any rate, he is pretty sure to announce the discovery as
he comes running into the house in a state of great excitement, with
"Sap's runnin'!"
And then, indeed, the stir and excitement begin. The sap-buckets, which
have been stored in the wood-house, are brought down and set out on the
south side of the house and scalded.
The snow is still a foot or more deep in the woods, and the ox-sled is
got out to make a road to the sugar camp. The boy is every-where
present, superintending every thing, asking questions, and filled with a
desire to help the excitement.
It is a great day when the cart is loaded with the buckets, and the
procession starts into the woods. The sun shines brightly; the snow is
soft and beginning to sink down; the snow-birds are twittering about,
and the noise of shouting and of the blows of the axe echoes far and
wide.
In the first place the men go about and tap the trees, drive in the
spouts, and hang the buckets under. The boy watches all these operations
with the greatest interest.
He wishes that some time when a hole is bored into a tree that the sap
would spout out in a stream, as it does when a cider-barrel is tapped.
But it never does, it only drops, sometimes almost in a stream, but on
the whole slowly, and the boy learns that the sweet things of the world
have to be patiently waited for, and do not usually come otherwise than
drop by drop.
Then the camp is to be cleared of snow. The shanty is re-covered with
boughs. In front of it two enormous logs are rolled nearly together, and
a fire is built between them.
Forked sticks are set at each end, and a long pole is laid on them, and
on this are hung the great iron kettles. The huge hogsheads are turned
right side up, and cleaned out to receive the sap that is gathered.
The great fire that is kindled is never allowed to go out, night or day,
so long as the season lasts. Somebody is always cutting wood to feed it;
somebody is busy most of the time gathering in the sap.
Somebody is required to watch the kettles that they do not boil over,
and to fill them. It is not the boy, however; he is too busy with things
in general to be of any use in details.
He has his own little sap-yoke and small pails, with which he gathers
the sweet liquid. He has a little boiling-place of his own, with small
logs and a tiny kettle.
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--In the second line of the lesson, after the
word _more_, a pause should be made for the purpose of giving special
effect to the words which follow. This is called a _rhetorical pause_.
In the third and fourth lines, point out the _rhetorical pauses_.
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Let some pupil explain the meaning of the third
paragraph of the lesson.
Change the verbs in the last paragraph so as to indicate _future
time_.
* * * * *
LESSON LXX.
grim'y, _dirty_.
re al i za'tion, _the act of coming true_.
in vent'ed, _found out; contrived_.
per mit'ted, _allowed_.
dis solved', _melted; broken up_.
a vid'i ty, _eagerness_.
re duced', _made smaller in quantity_.
sen sa'tion, _feeling_.
crys'tal lize, _change into hard particles of a regular shape_.
* * * * *
MAKING MAPLE SUGAR.
PART II.
In the great kettles the boiling of the sap goes on slowly, and the
liquid, as it thickens, is dipped from one to another, until in the end
kettle it is reduced to syrup, and is taken out to cool and settle,
until enough is made to "sugar off."
To "sugar off" is to boil the syrup until it is thick enough to
crystallize into sugar. This is the grand event, and is only done once
in two or three days.
But the boy's desire is to "sugar off" all the time. He boils his kettle
down as rapidly as possible; he is not particular about chips, scum, or
ashes.
He is apt to burn his sugar; but if he can get enough to make a little
wax on the snow, or to scrape from the bottom of the kettle with his
wooden paddle, he is happy.
A great deal is wasted on his hands, and the outside of his face, and on
his clothes, but he does not care; he is not stingy.
To watch the operations of the big fire gives him constant pleasure.
Sometimes he is left to watch the boiling kettles, with a piece of pork
tied on the end of a stick, which he dips into the boiling mass when it
threatens to go over.
He is constantly tasting of it, however, to see if it is not almost
syrup. He has a long, round stick, whittled smooth at one end, which he
uses for this purpose, at the constant risk of burning his tongue.
The smoke blows in his face; he is grimy with ashes; he is altogether
such a mass of dirt, stickiness, and sweetness, that his own mother
wouldn't know him.
He likes to boil eggs with the hired man in the hot sap; he likes to
roast potatoes in the ashes, and he would live in the camp day and night
if he were permitted.
To sleep there with the men, and awake in the night and hear the wind in
the trees, and see the sparks fly up to the sky, is a perfect
realization of all the stories of adventures he has ever read.
He tells the other boys afterward that he heard something in the night
that sounded very much like a bear. The hired man says that he was very
much scared by the hooting of an owl.
The great occasions for the boy, though, are the times of "sugaring
off." Sometimes this used to be done in the evening, and it was made the
excuse for a frolic in the camp.
The neighbors were invited; sometimes even the pretty girls from the
village, who filled all the woods with their sweet voices and merry
laughter, were there, too.
The tree branches all show distinctly in the light of the fire, which
lights up the bough shanty, the hogsheads, the buckets on the trees, and
the group about the boiling kettles, until the scene is like something
taken out of a fairy play.
At these sugar parties every one was expected to eat as much sugar as
possible; and those who are practiced in it can eat a great deal.
It is a peculiar fact about eating warm maple sugar, that though you
may eat so much of it one day as to be sick, you will want it the next
day more than ever.
At the "sugaring off" they used to pour the hot sugar upon the snow,
where it congealed into a sort of wax, which I suppose is the most
delicious substance that was ever invented. And it takes a great while
to eat it.
If you should close your teeth firmly on a lump of it, you would be
unable to open your mouth until it dissolved. The sensation while it is
melting is very pleasant, but it will not do to try to talk, for you can
not.
The boy used to make a big lump of it and give it to the dog, who seized
it with great avidity, and closed his jaws on it, as dogs will on any
thing.
It was funny the next moment to see the expression of perfect surprise
on the dog's face when he found that he could not open his jaws.
He shook his head; he sat down in despair; he ran round in a circle; he
dashed into the woods and back again.
He did every thing except climb a tree, and howl. It would have been
such a relief to him if he could have howled. But that was the one thing
he could not do.
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Let pupils change the verbs in the following lines,
so that they will indicate _present time_.
"He shook his head; he sat down in despair; he ran around in a circle;
he dashed into the woods and back again."
Suggestion.--Let the teacher, from time to time, select stories, and
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