McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader by William Holmes McGuffey (classic reads txt) 📖

>LESSON IX.

nine mous'ie fro frol'ic bit slipped

spied crow teeth pearl used

[Illustration: White cat sneaking up on a mouse.]

KITTY AND MOUSIE.

1. Once there was a little kitty,
     White as the snow;
   In a barn he used to frolic,
     Long time ago.

2. In the barn a little mousie
     Ran to and fro;
   For she heard the little kitty,
     Long time ago.

3. Two black eyes had little kitty,
     Black as a crow;
   And they spied the little mousie,
     Long time ago.

4. Four soft paws had little kitty,
     Paws soft as snow;
   And they caught the little mousie,
     Long time ago.

5. Nine pearl teeth had little kitty,
     All in a row;
   And they bit the little mousie,
     Long time ago.

6. When the teeth bit little mousie,
     Mousie cried out "Oh!"
   But she slipped away from kitty,
     Long time ago.

LESSON X.

washed hours(ours) pre'cious game

harm a'ny (en'y) brushed end

AT WORK.

1. A little play does not harm any one, but does much good. After play, we should be glad to work.

2. I knew a boy who liked a good game very much. He could run, swim, jump, and play ball; and was always merry when out of school.

3. But he knew that time is not all for play; that our minutes, hours, and days are very precious.

4. At the end of his play, he would go home. After he had washed his face and hands, and brushed his hair, he would help his mother, or read in his book, or write upon his slate.

5. He used to say, "One thing at a time." When he had done with work, he would play; but he did not try to play and to work at the same time.

LESSON XI.

twit-twee bough (bow) twit-twit top'most lock

spray mate close'ly ros'y an'swer (an'ser)

[Illustration: Bird perched on tree branch.]

WHAT A BIRD TAUGHT.

1. Why do you come to my apple tree,
     Little bird so gray?
   Twit-twit, twit-twit, twit-twit-twee!
     That was all he would say.

2. Why do you lock your rosy feet
     So closely round the spray?
   Twit-twit, twit-twit, twit-tweet!
     That was all he would say.

3. Why on the topmost bough do you get,
     Little bird so gray?
   Twit-twit-twee! twit-twit-twit!
     That was all he would say.

4. Where is your mate? come, answer me,
     Little bird so gray.
   Twit-twit-twit! twit-twit-twee!
     That was all he would say.
                                      Alice Cary.

LESSON XII.

bright'ness pleas'ant learned dress

play'mates un kind' rag'ged word

ques'tions smil'ing crowed child

Sun'beam cheered Sus'ie gave

glad'ness un less' name gate

SUSIE SUNBEAM.

1. Susie Sunbeam was not her real name; that was Susan Brown. But every one called her Susie Sunbeam, because she had such a sweet, smiling face, and always brought brightness with her when she came.

[Illustration: Older girls playing with younger girl. Three children standing in background.]

2. Her grandfather first gave her this name, and it seemed to fit the little girl so nicely that soon it took the place of her own.

3. Even when a baby, Susie laughed and crowed from morning till night. No one ever heard her cry unless she was sick or hurt.

4. When she had learned to walk, she loved to go about the house and get things for her mother, and in this way save her as many steps as she could.

5. She would sit by her mother's side for an hour at a time, and ask her ever so many questions, or she would take her new book and read.

6. Susie was always pleasant in her play with other children. She never used an unkind word, but tried to do whatever would please her playmates best.

7. One day, a poor little girl with a very ragged dress was going by and Susie heard some children teasing her and making fun of her.

8. She at once ran out to the gate, and asked the poor little girl to come in. "What are you crying for?" Susie asked.

9. "Because they all laugh at me," she said.

10. Then Susie took the little girl into the house. She cheered her up with kind words, and gave her a nice dress and a pair of shoes.

11. This brought real joy and gladness to the poor child, and she, too, thought that Susie was rightly called Sunbeam.

LESSON XIII.

wood'lands di vine' raised un til' droop'ing blessed

whose seek up'ward hov'els in'ner steal

heav'en hearts lil'ies die roam'ing

IF I WERE A SUNBEAM.

1. "If I were a sunbeam,
     I know what I'd do;
   I would seek white lilies,
     Roaming woodlands through.
   I would steal among them,
     Softest light I'd shed,
   Until every lily
     Raised its drooping head.

2. "If I were a sunbeam,
     I know where I'd go;
   Into lowly hovels,
     Dark with want and woe:
   Till sad hearts looked upward,
     I would shine and shine;
   Then they'd think of heaven,
     Their sweet home and mine."

3. Are you not a sunbeam,
     Child, whose life is glad
   With an inner brightness
     Sunshine never had?
   Oh, as God has blessed you,
     Scatter light divine!
   For there is no sunbeam
     But must die or shine.

SECOND READER. 35 LESSON XIV.

sup port' a long' boots be long' dol'lar years

man'age taught cor'ner no'tice mon'ey black'ing

gen'tle men hon'est (on'est) quite buy earned

[Illustration: Boy offering to shine man's shoes.]

HENRY, THE BOOTBLACK.

1. Henry was a kind, good boy. His father was dead, and his mother was very poor. He had a little sister about two years old.

2. He wanted to help his mother, for she could not always earn enough to buy food for her little family.

3. One day, a man gave him a dollar for finding a pocketbook which he had lost.

4. Henry might have kept all the money, for no one saw him when he found it. But his mother had taught him to be honest, and never to keep what did not belong, to him.

5. With the dollar he bought a box, three brushes, and some blacking. He then went to the corner of the street, and said to every one whose boots did not look nice, "Black your boots, sir, please?"

6. He was so polite that gentlemen soon began to notice him, and to let him black their boots. The first day he brought home fifty cents, which he gave to his mother to buy food with.

7. When he gave her the money, she said, as she dropped a tear of joy, "You are a dear, good boy, Henry. I did not know how I could earn enough to buy bread with, but now I think we can manage to get along quite well,"

8. Henry worked all the day, and went to school in the evening. He earned almost enough to support his mother and his little sister.

LESSON XV.

tread whis'per soft'ly talk cheer ful' care'ful

DON'T WAKE THE BABY.

[Illustration: Script Exercise:

Baby sleeps, so we must tread
Softly round her little bed,
And be careful that our toys
Don not fall and make a noise.

We must not talk, but whisper low,
Mother wants to work, we know,
That, when father comes to tea,
All may neat and cheerful be.
]

LESSON XVI.

full load heav'y mid'dle heav'i er

slip wrong han'dle broth'er de ceived'

[Illustration: Two boys carrying a basket on a pole between them.]

A KIND BROTHER.

1. A boy was once sent from home to take a basket of things to his grandmother.

2. The basket was so full that it was very heavy. So his little brother went with him, to help carry the load.

3. They put a pole under the handle of the basket, and each then took hold of an end of the pole. In this way they could carry the basket very nicely.

4. Now the older boy thought, "My brother Tom does not know about this pole.

5. "If I slip the basket near him, his side will be heavy, and mine light; but if the basket is in the middle of the pole, it will be as heavy for me as it is for him.

6. "Tom does not know this as I do. But I will not do it. It would be wrong, and I will not do what is wrong."

7. Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole. His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.

8. Yet he was happy; for he felt that he had done right. Had he deceived his brother, he would not have felt at all happy.

LESSON XVII.

bus'y (biz'zy) mis'chief looked un'to glee

con triv'ing ring'lets nod'dle drew nun

press'ing fin'gers car'pet wise lips

em brace' pon'der lash'es climb true

MY GOOD-FOR-NOTHING.

                 1.
"What are you good for, my brave little man?
Answer that question for me, if you can,—
You, with your fingers as white as a nun,—
You, with your ringlets as bright as the sun.
All the day long, with your busy contriving,
Into all mischief and fun you are driving;
See if your wise little noddle can tell
What you are good for. Now ponder it well."

                 2.
Over the carpet the dear little feet
Came with a patter to climb on my seat;
Two merry eyes, full of frolic and glee,
Under their lashes looked up unto me;
Two little hands pressing soft on my face,
Drew me down close in a loving embrace;
Two rosy lips gave the answer so true,
"Good to love you, mamma, good to love you."

Emily Huntington Miller.

LESSON XVIII.

ber'ries strikes rob'in ea'gle short king rid

foe dart fails