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XII.

Arise, as in that elder time,
Warm, energetic, chaste, sublime!
Thy wonders in that godlike age
Fill thy recording sister's page;
'Tis said, and I believe the tale,
Thy humblest reed could more prevail,
Had more of strength, diviner rage,
Than all which charms this laggard age;
E'en all, at once together found,
Cecilia's mingled world of sound.
Oh! bid our vain endeavors cease;
Revive the just designs of Greece;
Return in all thy simple state;
Confirm the tales her sons relate.

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.

In order that one may adequately express what he is reading, the vocal organs must be trained. These organs, like all the other organs of the body, require exercise to impart to them the highest efficiency. Every class should, therefore, have a daily exercise in vocal gymnastics. For the strengthening of the voice, the exercises on the preceding pages are admirably adapted. But in order to be efficient they must be engaged in earnestly, vigorously, and persistently. The voice must be tasked to its utmost, for a short time, every day. Only thus can its power be increased. During this exercise the lungs should be kept filled with pure air. Indeed, a part of the exercise should consist in vigorous

breathing. Sound is made of air or breath, and there should be a large supply of the material kept constantly on hand.

But undue and sudden violence should be carefully avoided, and those exercises requiring the highest force should be practiced only a little while at a time. The vocal organs are often permanently injured by too severe a strain upon their power, caused either by entering too suddenly upon violent exercise, or continuing it too long. Great vocal power can not be suddenly acquired.

THE USE OF BOOKS FOR REFERENCE.

Among the things in which every pupil in our schools ought to be instructed is the use of books of reference. Of these, the unabridged dictionary is the first in rank. Every child should become acquainted with the notation of Webster and Worcester, and be able to consult either of them intelligently.

Pupils need also to acquire a power over books,—the ability to select from them whatever is requisite to the purpose in hand. Independence of thought is promoted by the habit of consulting books as the information they contain is wanted. To read a treatise on any topic, even if it is understood, is only to follow out another's thought; but to gather up the facts contained in books, and to put them into new relations, is to think for one's self.

This Reader, if properly used, will require much practice in consulting books on history, language, and science. Of course, such work, like all other, should be done thoroughly and understandingly. At first, the teacher should indicate the topics on which the pupil is to inform himself in this way. But the latter ought soon to acquire the power of determining for himself the points that need to be cleared up, and of selecting the material for that purpose.

In the notes appended to this book will be found much valuable information, very much more than is usually acquired in connection with reading lessons. But thorough teachers will wish to give their pupils a more extended knowledge of men and things than is there presented. For the use of such the following books are recommended. Many others might be justly named, but the few here given are of sterling character and quite sufficient for the wants of most schools.

Webster's Dictionary, new illustrated edition.
Worcester's Dictionary.

Anthon's Classical Dictionary.

New American Cyclopædia, with annual volumes.
Lippincott's Pronouncing Gazetteer of the World.

Sparks's American Biography.

Bancroft's and Hildreth's Histories of the United States.

Hume's and May's Histories of England.

Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Greeley's American Conflict.

Duyckinck's History of the Rebellion.

Cleveland's Compendium of English Literature.

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teenth Century.

Cleveland's Compendium of American Literature.

Barnard's American Journal of Education.

Harper's Monthly, from the beginning, also contains much useful information on practical matters.

EDWARDS'S SIXTH READER.

I. THE GRAY OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN.

HARRY HIBBARD,

At the Franconia Notch, in the White Mountains, in New Hampshire, there is a group of rocks at the top of one of the precipices, so placed that, when viewed from a certain point, they present the appearance of a human face in profile. All the surrounding scenery is romantic and impressive. The face has a gravo and thoughtful aspect. Every year the scene is visited by multitudes of curious travelers.

1. Where a tall post beside the road displays Its lettered arm, pointing the traveler's eye

Through the small opening 'mid the green birch trees,
Toward yonder mountain summit towering high,
There pause. What doth thy anxious gaze espy?
A crag abrupt hung from the mountain's brow!
Look closer! scan that bare, sharp cliff on high!
Aha! the wondrous shape bursts on thee now!

A perfect human face, neck, chin, mouth, nose, and brow!

2. And full and plain those features are displayed, Thus profiled forth against the clear, blue sky;

As though some sculptor's chisel here had made
This fragment of colossal imagery,

The compass of his plastic art to try.

From the curved neck up to the shaggy hair
That shoots on pine trees from the head on high,
All, all is perfect; no illusions there

To cheat the expecting eye with fancied forms of air!

3. Most wondrous vision! the broad earth hath not,
Through all her bounds, an object like to thee,
That traveler e'er recorded; nor a spot
More fit to stir the poet's phantasy.

Gray Old Man of the Mountain, awfully

There from thy wreath of clouds thou dost uprear
Those features grand, the same eternally!

Lone dweller 'mid the hills! with gaze austere

Thou lookest down, methinks, on all below thee here!

4. And curious travelers have descried the trace Of the sage Franklin's physiognomy

In that most grave and philosophic face.
If it be true, Old Man, that we do see

Sage Franklin's countenance, thou, indeed, must be
A learned philosopher most wise and staid,
From all that thou hast had a chance to see,
Since earth began. Here thou, too, oft hast played
With lightnings, glancing round thy rugged head.

ANALYSIS OF THE GRAY OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN.

Is this prose or poetry? What is the difference between these? [Two kinds of difference,-a difference in thought, and a difference in form. A composition full of poetry in thought, may have the form of prose.] Thoughts of what kind are poetical? prosaic? [To show the difference in form, let the teacher read, correctly and naturally, a few lines of blank verse, and a few lines of prose, and let the pupil, not the teacher, observe and point out the difference. One will be measured off to the car, the other will not.] Poems may be comic, serious, lively, joyous, sad, heroic, pathetic, descriptive, didactic, sublime, &c. Which and how many of these characteristics belong to this piece? Has it any other traits? Is any piece of poetry just alike in all its parts in this respect? How great are the differences in this piece? Is this a highly imaginative selection? Is the scene described

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