"I want nothing from you; I ask nothing of you; why can not we be friends?"

"Good afternoon!" said Scrooge.

"I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you so resolute. We have never had any quarrel, to which I have been a party. But I have made the trial in homage to Christmas, and I'll keep my Christmas humor to the last. So, a merry Christmas, uncle!" "Good afternoon!" said Scrooge. "And, a happy New Year!"

"Good afternoon!" said Scrooge.

His nephew left the room without an angry word.

ADAPTED FROM CHARLES DICKENS.

Tell all you can about Scrooge.

What kind of man was he? What kind of man was his nephew? What does rime mean? What is holly? Which man do you like better? Why? Pick out as many expressions as you can which lead you to see what kind of man Scrooge was; the nephew.

Honor and shame from no condition rise; Act well your part-there all the honor lies.

THE FROST.

The Frost looked forth, one still, clear night, And whispered, "Now I shall be out of sight; So through the valley and over the height

In silence I'll take my way.

I will not go on like that blustering train, The wind and the snow, the hail and the rain, Who make so much bustle and noise in vain, But I'll be as busy as they!"

Then he flew to the mountain and powdered its crest,

He lit on the trees, and their boughs he dressed
With diamonds and pearls, and over the breast
Of the quivering lake he spread

A coat of mail, that it need not fear
The downward point of many a spear
Which he hung on its margin far and near,
Where a rock could rear its head.

He went to the windows of those who slept, And over each pane like a fairy crept: Wherever he breathed, wherever he stepped, By the light of the morn were seen

Most beautiful things. There were flowers and trees,

There were bevies of birds and swarms of bees, There were cities, and temples, and towers, and these

All pictured in silver sheen!

But he did one thing that was hardly fair —
He peeped in the cupboard, and, finding there
That all had forgotten for him to prepare-
"Now, just to set them a-thinking,

I'll bite this basket of fruit," said he;
"This costly pitcher I'll burst in three,
And the glass of water they've left for me
Shall 'tchick!' to tell them I'm drinking."

- HANNAH FLAGG GOULD.

What did the frost regard as his advantage over the other elements named? Study the various ways in which freezing is described. In prose would the different ways be spoken of thus? Why say "powdered its crest"? What was "a coat of mail"? Its meaning here? Write in good, plain prose an account of the effects of frost described in this poem.

blus' ter ing

sheen

bus' tle

běv' Yeş

God grants liberty only to those who love

it, and are always ready to guard and defend it.

- DANIEL WEBSTER.

A SNOWBALL.

It is still snow, snow. A shameful thing happened in connection with the snow this morning when we came out of school. A crowd of boys had no sooner got into the Corso than they began to throw balls of that watery snow which makes missiles as solid and heavy as stones. Many persons were passing along the sidewalks. A gentleman called out, "Stop that, you little rascals!" and just at that moment a sharp cry rose from another part of the street, and we saw an old man who had lost his hat and was staggering about covering his face with his hands, and beside him a boy who was shouting, "Help! help!"

People instantly ran from all directions. He had been struck in the eyes with a ball. All the boys dispersed, fleeing like arrows. I was standing in front of the bookseller's shop, into which my father had gone, and I saw several of my companions approaching at a run, mingling with others near me, and pretending to be engaged in staring at the

windows. There was Garrone, with his penny roll in his pocket, as usual; Coretti, the little mason; and Garoffi, the boy with the postagestamps. In the meantime a crowd had formed around the old man, and a policeman and others were running to and fro, threatening and demanding: "Who was it? Who did it? Was it you? Tell me who did it!" and they looked at the boys' hands to see whether they were wet with snow.

Garoffi was standing beside me. I perceived that he was trembling all over, and that his face was as white as that of a corpse. "Who was it? Who did it?" the crowd continued to cry.

Then I overheard Garrone say, in a low voice to Garoffi, "Come, go and present yourself; it would be cowardly to allow any one else to be arrested."

"But I did not do it on purpose," replied Garoffi, trembling like a leaf.

"No matter; do your duty," repeated Gar

rone.

"But I have not the courage."

"Take courage, then; I will go with you.'