113. It is a dread and awful thing to die!

114. Lovely art thou, oh Peace! and lovely are thy children, and lovely are the prints of thy footsteps in the green valleys!

115. Why, here comes my father! How quickly he has returned! Oh how glad I am to see him!

LESSON VIII.

THE PERIOD, INTERROGATION, AND EXCLAMATION UNITED.

The pupil was taught in the first lesson (See No. 3,) that when he comes to a period he must stop as if he had nothing more to read. He is now informed in this lesson how long to stop. The general rule is, to stop until he has had time enough to count four. At the end of a paragraph, whether the period or some other mark be used, the reader should make a longer stop than at an ordinary sentence. The Interrogation and Exclamation are generally pauses of the same length with the Period.

EXAMPLES.

116. George is a good boy. He gets his lesson well. He is attentive to the instructions of his teacher. He is orderly and quiet at home.

er.

117. A good scholar is known by his obedience to the rules of the school. He obeys the directions of his teachHis attendance at the proper time of school is always punctual. He is remarkable for his diligence and attention. He reads no other book than that which he is desired to read by his master. He studies no lessons but those which are appointed for the day. He takes no toys from his pocket to amuse himself or others. He pays no regard to those who attempt to divert his attention from his book.

118. Do you know who is a good scholar? Can you point out many in this room? How negligent some of our fellow pupils are! Ah! I am afraid that many will regret that they have not improved their time!

119. Why here comes Charles! Did you think that he would return so soon? I suspect that he has not been

pleased with his visit.

Have you Charles? And were your friends glad to see you? When is cousin Jane to be married? Will she make us a visit before she is married? Or will she wait until she has changed her name?

120. My dear Edward, how happy I am to see you. I heard of your approaching happiness with the highest pleasure. How does Rose do? And how is our old whimsical friend the Baron? You must be patient and answer all my questions. I have many inquiries to make. 121. The first dawn of morning found Waverley on the esplanade in front of the old Gothick gate of the castle. But he paced it long before the draw-bridge was lowered. He produced his order to the sergeant of the guard and was admitted. The place of his friend's confinement was a gloomy apartment in the central part of the castle.

122. Do you expect to be as high in your class as your brother? Did you recite your lessons as well as he did? Lazy boy! Careless child! You have been playing these two hours. You have paid no attention to your lessons. You cannot say a word of them. How foolish you have been ! What a waste of time and talents you have made.

LESSON IX.

THE COMMA.

The Comma is a mark like this 9

When you come to a comma in reading, you must generally make a short pause. Sometimes you must use the falling inflection of the voice, when you come to a comma; and sometimes you must keep your voice suspended as if some one had stopped you before you had read all that you intended. The general rule when you come to a comma is, to stop just long enough to count one. In this lesson you must keep your voice suspended when you come to a

comma.

EXAMPLES.

123. Diligence, industry, and proper improvement of time, are material duties of the young.

124. He is generous, just, charitable, and humane.

125. By wisdom, by art, by the united strength of a civil community, men have been enabled to subdue the whole race of lions, bears, and serpents.

126. The genuine glory, the proper distinction of the rational species, arises from the perfection of the mental powers.

127. Courage is apt to be fierce, and strength is often exerted in acts of oppression. Wisdom is the associate of justice. It assists her to form equal laws, to pursue right measures, to correct power, to protect weakness, and to unite individuals in a common interest and general welfare. Heroes may kill tyrants, but it is wisdom and laws that prevent tyranny and oppression.

[Sometimes a comma must be read like a question.]

128.* Do you pretend to sit as high in school as Anthony? Did you read as correctly, speak as loudly, or behave as well as he?

128. Do you pretend to sit as high on Olympus as Hercules? Did you kill the Nemean lion, the Erymanthian boar, the Lernean serpent, or Stymphalian birds?

129. Are you the boy, of whose good conduct I have heard so much?

129. Art thou the Thracian robber, of whose exploits I have heard so much?

130. Have you not misemployed your time, wasted your talents, and passed your life in idleness and vice?

130. Hast thou not set at defiance my authority, violated the public peace, and passed thy life in injuring the persons and properties of thy fellow-subjects?

131. Who is that standing up in his place, with his hat on, and his books under his arm?

131. Whom are they ushering from the world, with all this pageantry and long parade of death?

132. Did he recite his lesson correctly, read audibly, and appear to understand what he read?

132. Was his copy written neatly, his letters made handsomely, and no blot appear on his book?

Some of the sentences which follow will be marked with the same number; and such sentences are to be read in the same manner, and with the same inflection of the voice, &c.

132. Was his wealth stored fraud fully, the spoil of orphans wronged, and widows who had none to plead their rights ?

132. Have not you, too, gone about the earth like an evil genius, blasting the fair fruits of peace and industry?

133. Is that a map which you have before you, with the

leaves blotted with ink?

133. Is this a dagger, which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?

133. Will you say that your time is your own, and that you have a right to employ it in the manner you please?

[Sometimes the comma is to be read like a period, with the falling inflection of the voice.]

134. The teacher directed him to take his seat, to study his lesson, and to pass no more time in idle

ness.

134. It is said by unbelievers that religion is dull, unsocial, uncharitable, enthusiastic, a damper of human joy, a morose intruder upon human pleasure.

134. Charles has brought his pen instead of his pencil, his paper instead of his slate, his grammar instead of his arithmetic.

134. Perhaps you have mistaken sobriety for dulness, equanimity for moroseness, disinclination to bad company for aversion to society, abhorrence of vice for uncharitableness, and piety for enthusiasm.

135. Henry was careless, thoughtless, heedless, and inattentive.

135. This is partial, unjust, uncharitable, iniquitous. 135. The history of religion is ransacked for instances of persecution, of austerities, and enthusiastic irregularities.

135. Religion is often supposed to be something which must be practised apart from every thing else, a distinct profession, a peculiar occupation.

135. Dryden's mind has a larger range, and he collects his images and illustrations from a more extensive circumference of science. Dryden knew more of man in his general nature, and Pope in his local manners. The no

tions of Dryden were formed by comprehensive speculation, and those of Pope by minute attention.

135. Oh! you might deem the spot the spacious cavern of some virgin mine, deep in the womb of earth, where the gems grow, and diamonds put forth radiant rods, and bud with amethyst and topaz.

[Sometimes the comma is to be read like an exclamation.*]

136. Oh how can you destroy those beautiful things which your father procured for you! that beautiful top, those polished marbles, that excellent ball, and that beautifully painted kite, oh how can you destroy them, and expect that he will buy you new ones!

136. Oh how canst thou renounce the boundless store of charms that nature to her votary yields! the warbling woodland, the resounding shore, the pomp of groves, the garniture of fields, all that the genial ray of morning gilds, and all that echoes to the song of even, all that the mountain's sheltering bosom shields, and all the dread magnificence of heaven, oh how canst thou renounce and hope to be forgiven !

137. Oh winter! ruler of the inverted year! thy scat tered hair with sleetlike ashes filled, thy breath congealed upon thy lips, thy cheeks fringed with a beard made white with other snows than those of age, thy forehead wrapped in clouds, a leafless branch thy sceptre, and thy throne a sliding car, indebted to no wheels, but urged by storms along its slippery way, I love thee, all unlovely as thou seemest, and dreaded as thou art!

13. Lovely art thou, O Peace! and lovely are thy children, and lovely are the prints of thy footsteps in the green valleys,

[Sometimes the comma and other marks are to be read without any pause or inflection of the voice.]

138. You see, boys, what a fine school-room we have, in which you can pursue your studies.

*The pupil will notice that some sentences which contain a question, to which no answer is given or expected, are marked with an exclamation point instead of an interrogation point; but such sentences generally express surprise or astonishment, &c. The sentences numbered 136 are of this kind.