of night. The colors come and go; they change from crimson to gold, from gold to crimson. The snow is stained with rosy light. Twofold from the zenith, east and west, flames a fiery sword; and a broad band passes athwart the heavens, like a summer sunset. 6. Soft, purple clouds come sailing over the sky, and through their vapory folds the winking stars shine white as silver. Summer. 1. The sun does not set till ten o'clock at night; and the children are at play in the streets an hour later. The windows and doors are all open, and you may sit and read till midnight without a candle. 2. Oh, how beautiful is the summer night, which is not night, but a sunless, yet unclouded day, descending upon earth with dews and shadows and refreshing coolness! 3. How beautiful the long, mild twilight, which, like a silver clasp, unites to-day with yesterday! How beautiful the silent hour, when morning and evening thus sit together, hand in hand, beneath the starless sky of midnight! 4. From the church tower in the public square the bell tolls the hour with a soft, musical chime; and the watchman, whose watchtower is the belfry, blows a blast in his horn for each stroke of the hammer; and four times to the four corners of the heavens, in a sonorous voice, he chants: "Ho! watchman, ho! God keep our town From fire and brand And hostile hand! 5. From his swallow's nest in the belfry he can see the sun all night long; and farther north the priest stands at his door in the warm midnight, and lights his pipe with a common burning-glass. LONGFELLOW. LESSON CXCII. VOCAL GYMNASTICS. REFER TO CAUTION 29.-The following sentences contain words which are pronounced nearly, but not exactly, alike. (1.) One of his last acts was to fell a tree with his ax. (2.) The currier reads in the Daily Courier. (3) The king applied to his council for counsel. (4.) A rich dessert was placed before the traveler, as his desert. (5.) Ah, are my friends still here? (6.) Divers diverse interpretations are made of the same text. (7.) The president followed the precedent. (8) He would accept no reward except our thanks. (9.) The horse's bridle was adorned with bridal-ribbons. (10.) Some one has dared to meddle with my medal. (11.) The judge's consort attended the concert. LESSON CXCIII. DIS SOLVE', to fall asunder, to crumble, | LEA, an extensive plain, a meadow. was dying, to toll a bell, that all who heard might pray for the passing soul. Hence the proverb, When the bell begins to toll Lord have mercy on the soul.' PRONUNCIATION-Dis-solve' 33, gold'en 4d, shroud 23, for-sake' 1, tears 22, ap-pears' 22. LESSON CXCIV. BURGH'ER, a member of a burgh or bor- | PET'U-LANT, saucy, pert and fretful. ough, a citizen, an inhabitant. IM PO TENT, weak, powerless. MER CU RI-AL, active, sprightly. MO BILITY, activity, readiness to move. PICK ET, a guard posted in front of an army to give notice of an enemy's approach. PUG-NA'CIOUS, disposed to fight, quarrelsome. SHARP'ER, a tricking fellow, a cheat. SUB-TER-RA'NE-AN, being under ground. SYC'O-PHANT, a parasite, one who lives at the expense of another by fawning and flattery. PRONUNCIATION.-Thith'er 15, a're-a 26d, shrill 23, ad-ven'tur-ous 18, pe-cul iar 16, grad'u-al-ly 3a. 1. THE prairie-dog, or marmot, is an animal about the size of a rabbit. He is of a sprightly, mercurial nature; quick, sensitive, and somewhat petulant. He is very gregarious, living in large communities, sometimes of several acres in extent. 2. Here innumerable little heaps of earth show the entrances to the subterranean cells of the inhabitants, and the well-beaten tracks, like lanes and streets, show their mobility and restlessness. 3. According to the accounts given of them, they would seem to be continually full of sport, business, and public affairs; whisking about hither and thither, as if on gossiping visits to each others' houses, or congregating in the cool of the evening or after a shower, and gamboling together in the open air. 4. Sometimes, especially when the moon shines, they pass half the night in revelry, barking, or yelping with short, quick, yet weak tones, like those of very young puppies. From this bark they derive the name of prairie-dogs. 5. While in the hight of their playfulness and clamor, should there be the least alarm, they all vanish into their cells in an instant, and the village remains blank and silent. In case they are hardpressed by their pursuers, without any hope of escape, they will assume a pugnacious air, and a most whimsical look of impotent wrath and defiance. 6. The prairie-dogs are not permitted to remain sole and undisturbed inhabitants of their own homes. Owls and rattlesnakes take up their abode with them; but whether as invited guests or unwelcome intruders is a matter of controversy. The most probable opinion is that they force their disagreeable company upon the marmots, and live upon them without the slightest feeling of gratitude. 7. The rattlesnake is considered as little better than a sycophant and sharper, that winds himself into the concerns of the honest, credulous little dog, and deceives him most sadly. He is now and then detected with one of the younger members of the family in his maw. 8. It was toward evening that I set out with a companion to visit a village of these marmots. Unluckily, it had been invaded in the course of the day by some of the rangers, who had shot two or three of the inhabitants, and thrown them into confusion. 9. As we approached we could perceive numbers of the inhabitants seated at the entrances of their cells, while sentinels seemed to be posted on the outskirts, to keep a look-out. 10. At sight of us, the picket guards scampered in and gave the alarm, whereupon every inhabitant gave a short yelp, or bark, and dived into his hole, his heels twinkling in the air as if he had thrown a somerset. 11. We traversed the whole village, which covered an area of about thirty acres; but not a whisker of an inhabitant was to be seen. We probed their cells as far as the ramrods of our rifles would reach; but could unearth neither dog nor owl nor rattlesnake. 12. Moving quietly to a little distance, we lay down upon the ground, and watched for a long time, silent and motionless. Byand-by, a cautious old burgher would slowly put forth the end of his nose, but instantly draw it in again. 13. Another, at a greater distance, would emerge entirely; but catching a glance of us, would throw a somerset and plunge back again into his hole. 14. At length some who resided on the opposite side of the village, taking courage from the continued stillness, would steal forth, and hurry off to a distant hole, the residence, possibly, of some family-connection or gossiping friend, about whose safety they were solicitous, or with whom they wished to compare notes about the late occurrences. 15. Others, still more bold, assembled in little knots in the streets and public places, as if to discuss the recent outrages offered to the commonwealth, and the atrocious murder of their fellow-burghers, and to devise plans for the public safety. 16. We rose from the ground and moved forward to take a nearer view of these public proceedings, when, yelp! yelp! yelp!there was a shrill alarm passed from mouth to mouth. The meetings suddenly dispersed; feet twinkled in the air in every direction; and in an instant all had vanished into the earth. 17. On a subsequent occasion, being desirous to obtain the skin of one of these animals, I was on the watch for a chance of a shot at them. One of these marmots had perched himself on the pile of earth in front of his hole, sitting up and exposing a fair mark, while a companion's head was seen poking out of the entrance, too wary, perhaps, to trust himself farther. A well-directed ball from my rifle carried away the entire top of the head of the first one, and knocked him two or three feet from his post, perfectly dead. 18. While I was reloading, the other came boldly out, seized his companion by one of his legs, and, before we could reach the hole, had drawn him completely out of sight. There was a touch of feeling in this little incident which raised these animals in my estiCompiled from IRVING and KENDALL. mation. LESSON CXCV. LAY, here means motto or maxim. | RUGGED, rough, difficult to travel. PRONUNCIATION.-Bright'ness le, thorn 9, up'ward 9, shar'est 1b. UPWARD!-ONWARD! 1. WHAT though the mountain's side be steep-and rugged be thy way ? |