The building, which was constructed of wood and contained a vast quantity of combustible materials, was in a short time consumed (as before.)

She studies history (hist'ry) and rhetoric (rhet'ric.)

The vessel (vess'l) was built as a model (mod❜l.)

We travelled (trav'lled) on a level (lev'l) road of gravel (grav'l.)

His musical (music']) tone had a comical (comic'l) effect.

A specimen of the metal (met'l) was sent to the capital (capit'l.)

Looking (lookin') out at the window on the willows in the meadow (windů, or winder, &c.) Dancing, drawing, and singing, being only graceful accomplishments, are much less important than the useful ones of reading and writing (dancin', &c.)

And the smooth stream in smoother (smoothe') numbers (numbe's) flows.

Faults of local usage exemplified.

[Negligent and erroneous custom, is a great source of the defective articulation which prevails in school reading. The extent to which faults of this class are sometimes carried, even in circumstances otherwise favourable to good education, may be inferred from the following specimen of the actual style, of articulation, current in many schools, which are certainly well taught in other respects.

Extract. "The young of all animals appear to receive pleasure simply from the exercise of their limbs and bodily faculties, without reference to any end to be attained, or any use to be answered by the exertion. A child, with

out knowing anything of the use of language, is in a high degree delighted with being able to speak. Its incessant repetition of a few articulate sounds, or perhaps of a single word, which it has learned to pronounce, proves this point clearly. Nor is it less pleased with its first successful endeavours to walk, or rather to run, which precedes walking, although entirely ignorant of the importance of the attainment to its future life, and even without applying it to any present purpose. A child is delighted with speaking, without having anything to say, and with walking, without knowing whither to go. And previously to both these, it is reasonable to believe, that the waking hours of infancy are agreeably taken up with the exercise of vision, or perhaps, more properly speaking, with learning to see."

Incorrect articulation. The young of all animuls (anim'ls or animáls) appear to receive playzhŭ, simply from the exe'cise of their limbs an' bod'ly fac'lties, without refrǎnce to any end tu be attained, or any use tŭ be answered by the exu'sh'n. A child, without knowin' anything u th' use of language, is 'n a high degree d'lighted with bein' able tŭ speak. Its incess'nt rep'tishn of a few artic'late sounds, or p'r'aps of a single word, which it has lunn'd tu prunounce, proves this point clea ly. Nor is it less pleased with its fust successful endeavŭs tu walk, or rather tŭ run, which prŭcedes (or pre-cedes) walkin', although entirely ignŭrunt u th' impo'tance ŭ th' attainmŭnt to its futu' (or futshu) life, and even without applyin' it to any pres'nt pu'pose. A child is d lighted with speakin' without havin' anything tŭ say, and with walkin', without knowin' whither to go. An' previously tu both these, it is reasonabŭl tă b'lieve, that the wakin' hours of infúncy are agree'bly taken up with the exe'cise of vizhn, or p'r'aps, more prope'ly speakin', with lunnin' tŭ see.

Errors of the above description, vary, of course, with the places, and even the schools, in which they exist; and the above, or any similar example, must be considered as thus limited, and not as meant to be of universal application. It should further be observed, that, in exhibiting a specimen of prevailing faults, it becomes necessary to the usefulness of the exercise, to include in the notation of a

passage, all the errors usually made by a class, although the number might be much smaller for an individual.

Every pupil who does not articulate distinctly, has an habitual fault in the pronunciation of one or more classes of words or syllables, and sometimes, perhaps, of letters. These should be selected, and thrown into the form of sentential exercises, for daily practice, in the manner exemplified in this lesson.]

Teachers who wish to pursue the study of articulation and pronunciation to a greater extent, are referred to the author's Lessons in Enunciation,' Worcester's edition of Todd's combination of Johnson and Walker's Dictionaries, or Worcester's edition of Webster's Dictionary.

READING LESSONS.

LESSON I.

READING-BOOKS.

EVERY Schoolbook is like a step on the road, or a step up stairs.* It brings us a little farther ón, or a little higher up. When we have

*The italics are meant to indicate emphasis,—the acute accent, the rising, and the grave, the falling inflection,-in other words, the upward and downward slides. Teachers, who wish to lay early the foundation of a good elocution in their pupils, will narrowly watch their habits in such passages as the above. Children incline, commonly, either to the fault of omitting emphasis, through inattention, or to that of overdoing it, through anxiety to mark it strongly. In the latter case, they usually run into an error, very common with adults, that of using a false "circumflex" or "wave," (a double slide, both upward and downward,—something like a twist of the voice,) instead of the simple inflection. This over-anxious emphasis is a great fault, both in sound and sense it produces a very inharmonious sound; and it uses a tone which properly belongs to double emphasis, or very peculiar stress, or to a double meaning in words. This inappropriate turn of voice happens to form the local accent of New England,-even with well-educated people. Its prevalence in usage, therefore, makes it often pass without detection, in school reading, in the Eastern states. As it is a mere accident of custom, in one region, it has no plea in its

read through all our schoolbooks, we are able to read any book that we can understand, so as to know more and more, every day we live.

Learning to read, is like doing work. The farmer ploughs first one field, then another, then another,* till all his ground is ploughed. The workman lays first one stòne, or one brìck, or one joist, or one beam; then another;* till the whole house is built. So it is with girls and boys in reading. They learn first one book, then another, then another; till they can read quite easily and well; and then they can know all the things that books teach us.

We should thank our parents and teachers, who take such pains to have us learn. If we could not read, we could not know much, we could not understand much, we could not think much. But it is very pleasant to be able to

favour; and those who form the habits of childhood, should endeavour to anticipate and prevent the error, in season. Another, though a less striking, error in inflections, is that of overdoing the single upward and downward slides,—somewhat as if all the clauses of a sentence were a succession of questions and answers. The rising inflection at a comma, is, usually, but a slight approach to the tone of interrogation.

* All "series," (successions of words or clauses, connected by a conjunction, expressed or understood,) when emphatic, take the falling slide.