صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

cases; the body is of a light green colour, shaded with brown; and it is provided with six feet. It is said to delight in new-built houses; being, like the spider, pleased with the moisture of walls; and the softness of the mortar enables it to burrow and mine between the joints of bricks or stones, and to open communications from one room to another. Yet crickets are particularly fond of kitchens, and bakers' ovens, on account of their warmth.

Residing in so warm a situation, they are always alive and merry; and a good Christmas fire is to them like the heats of the dog-days. Though they are frequently heard by day, yet their natural time of motion is only in the night. As soon as it grows dark, the chirping increases; and they come running forth, of all sizes, from that of the smallest fly, to that of their full growth.

As one would naturally suppose,—from the situations which they inhabit,-they are a thirsty race, and show a great desire for liquids, being found frequently drowned in pans of water, milk, bròth, or the like. Whatever is moist, they are fond of; and therefore often gnaw holes in wet woollen stockings and aprons that are hung by the fire.

In summer evenings, they have been ob

served to fly out at the window, and over roofs of houses: this accounts for the sudden manner in which they often leave their haunts, as it does for the method by which they come to houses where they were not known before. When in the air, they move in waves or curves, like woodpeckers, opening and shutting their wings, at every stroke, and so are always rising and sinking.

LESSON XXX.

THE LADY-BUG AND THE ANT.

THE lady-bug sat in the rose's heart,
And smiled with pride and scorn,
As she saw a plain-dressed ant go by,
With a heavy grain of corn;

So, she drew the curtains of damask round,

And adjusted her silken vest,

Making her glass of a drop of dèw,

That lay in the rose's breast.

Then she laughed so loud, that the ant looked up,

And seeing her haughty face,

Took no more notice, but travelled on

At the same industrious pace;
But a sudden blast of autumn came,
And rudely swept the ground,

And down the rose with the lady-bug fell,
And scattered its leaves around.

Then the houseless lady was much amazed,
For she knew not where to go;
And hoarse November's early blast

Had brought both rain and snow;

Her wings were chill, and her feet were cold,
And she wished for the ant's warm cell,-
And what she did when the winter came,
I'm sure I cannot tell.

But the careful ant was in her nest,
With the little ones by her side;
She taught them all like herself to toil,
Nor mind the sneer of pride;—

And I thought, as I sat at the close of day,
Eating my bread and milk,

It was wiser to work and improve my time,
Than be idle and dress in silk.

LESSON XXXI.

FRANK AND HIS COUSIN MARY.

FRANK had a little cousin Mary, between five and six years old, who was brought to his mother's house. Mary was dressed all in black, when Frank first saw her; and she looked very melancholy. Frank went to his father, who was standing in another part of the room, and whispered to him, and asked why Mary was dressed in black, and why she looked so melancholy.

His father answered, "Because her mother is dead."

"Poor girl!" said Frank. "If my mother were dead, how sorry I should be! Poor little Mary! what will she do without a mother?"

"Mary is to live with ùs," said his father; "your mother and I will take care of her, and teach her, as well as we can; and you will be kind to her, will you not, Frank?”

"That I will, papa," said Frank.

He ran directly for those of his playthings which he thought would please her the most; and he spread them before her. She looked at them, and smiled a little; but she soon put them down again, and did not seem to be amused by them. Frank took her to his garden, and gathered for her those of his flowers which he liked the best; but she did not seem to like them nearly as much as he did, or as much as he had expected she would.

She said, "Thank you; but mamma had nicer flowers than these, at home. I wish I were with mamma. I wish mamma could come back again to me."

Frank knew, that her mamma could not

*Emphasis and inflection fall, properly, in cases such as the above, on the auxiliary, and not on the negative adverb, unless in cases of dispute and contradiction, or other extraordinary force.

come back again to her; but he did not say so, then, to Mary. He took her to look at the hoùse which he was building; and he showed her the sticks, which his papa had given him for the roof, and explained to her how he intended, to róof it, and how he intended, afterwards to thatch it. He said, that they two could work at it together; and he asked her if she should like it.

She said, she believed that she should like it by and by, but not then.

He asked her, what she meant by "by and by?"

She said, "To-morrow, or some other day, but not to-dây."

To-morrow came; and little Mary, after she had slept all night, and had eaten some breakfast, and become better acquainted with all the people in the house, who were strangers to her, began to look more cheerful; and, by degrees, she talked a little more; and, presently, she began to run about, and to play with Frank. He played with her, at whatever she liked best; he was her horse, for that was what she asked him to be; and he put a bridle of packthread round his body, and let her drive him; and he lent her his whip, with which he let her whip him as much as she pleased.

« السابقةمتابعة »