Have built up those pretty islands
In the distant, dark-blue ocean;
And the noblest undertakings

Man's wisdom hath conceived
Bý oft-repeated effort

Have been patiently achieved.

3. A little, 't is a little word,
But much may in it dwell;
Then let a warning voice be heard,
And learn the lesson well.
The way to ruin thus begins,
Down, down like easy stairs;
If conscience suffers little sins,
Soon larger ones it bears.

4. A little theft, a small deceit,
Too often leads to more;

'Tis hard at first, but tempts the feet,
As through an open door.

Just as the broadest rivers run

From small and distant springs,

The greatest crimes that men have done
Have grown from little things.

What things are done little by little? What lesson do they teach us?

3. The charcoal frescos on its wall;
Its door's worn sill, betraying

The feet that, creeping slow to school,
Went storming out to playing!

4. Long years ago a winter sun
Shone over it at setting;

Lit up its western window-panes,
And low eaves' icy fretting.

5. It touched the tangled golden curls,
And brown eyes full of grieving,
Of one who still her steps delayed
When all the school were leaving.

6. For near her stood the little boy
Her childish favor singled;

His cap pulled low upon a face

Where pride and shame were mingled.

9. "I'm sorry that I spelt the word:
I hate to go above you,

Because," the brown eyes lower fell, -
"Because, you see, I love you!"

10. Still memory to a gray-haired man
That sweet child face is showing.
Dear girl! the grasses on her grave
Have forty years been growing!

11. He lives to learn, in life's hard school,
How few who pass above him

Lament their triumph and his loss,

Like her, because they love him.

Su'machs. Trees or shrubs used in Bat'tered.
medicine, dyeing, and tanning.
Of-fi'cial. Authoritative; done by Fres'cos.
virtue of office.

Warp'ing.

In-i'tial.

Injured by beating.
The first letter of a word.
Paintings on fresh plaster.

Sin'gled.

Selected.

Contracting; twisting La-ment'. Mourn; grieve for.

out of a straight direction.

[This lesson is from a book called "Dialogues for the Amusement and Instruction of Young Persons," by Jacob Abbott. Oscar and Carroll are brothers. Timboo, a youth from one of the South Sea Islands, is a domestic; but, being good-natured and intelligent, is much liked by the boys, and has a great deal of influence over them.]

TIMBOO, OSCAR, CARROLL.

Enter OSCAR and CARROLL, bringing a kite and twine. The kite is broken up, and the twine and tail are all tangled together. The boys both speak together.

OSCAR. Just see, Timboo! See how Carroll has tangled up my twine!

CARROLL. See, Timboo!

broken up my kite!

Just see how Oscar has

TIMBOO raises his finger, and the boys suddenly stop. TIMBOO. Wait a moment. You did n't start exactly together. If you want both to speak at once, you must start exactly together. Get all ready, both of you, and when I say, one, two, three, begin; then both set off at once telling the story, and talking as loud and as fast as you can.

CARROLL (vexed). Nonsense, Timboo! You're only making fun of us, and you're always making fun of us. But this is really a serious difficulty, and we want you to settle it.

TIMBOO. I don't see how I'm ever going to find out what it is about.

CARROLL. Why, I'll tell you. ·

OSCAR. No, I'll tell you.

TIMBOO. You see there is no way of deciding who shall tell the story. Then, besides, I don't believe that either of you is capable of telling the story.

CARROLL. Why not?

TIMBOO. Because whichever of you undertakes to tell it, he will tell only what is in his own favor. He will keep back and hide all that is in favor of the other. That is the way that boys always do.

CARROLL. NO; I won't do so. Let me tell the story, and I'll tell it perfectly fair.

TIMBOO. Very well. I'll let you try on this condition: for everything that you keep back, which is in Oscar's favor, and against yourself, you shall be punished.

CARROLL. What will be the punishment?

TIMBOO. Whatever I think best. It will be some good sharp punishment, you may depend. It will make you smart well. So you had better look out, and be honest.

CARROLL. Well, I'll tell the story just as it really was. I won't omit anything at all. You see-(he talks very slowly and earnestly) — you see, Oscar wanted to go and fly my kite, — no, we both wanted to go, and SO - and so I lent Oscar the kite and we went. Well, we went up the hill, and Oscar took the string to run with the kite, and and when he was running, the kite was going against the tree, and I told him to stop and he would n't, and so the kite got entangled, and now it's broken to pieces.

OSCAR. And my twine is all tangled up.

CARROLL. But your twine can be untangled again; but my kite is spoiled, and can never be made good again. TIMBOO. Well now, Oscar, is that a full and fair statement of the case?