McGuffeys Third Eclectic Reader | Page 9

almost frozen, and told his mother how disobedient he had been. He
remembered the lesson learned that day as long as he lived.
LESSON XVI.
BIRD FRIENDS. 1. I once knew a man who was rich in his love for
birds, and in their love for him. He lived in the midst of a grove full of
all kinds of trees. He had no wife or children in his home. 2. He was an
old man with gray beard, blue and kind eyes, and a voice that the
THIRD READER. 49 birds loved; and this was the way he made them
his friends. 3. While he was at work with a rake on his nice walks in the
grove, the birds came
close to him to pick up the worms in the fresh earth he dug up. At first,
they kept a rod or two from him, but they soon found he was a kind
man, and would not hurt them, but liked to have them near him. 3. 4.
50 ECLECTIC SERIES. 4. They knew this by his kind eyes and voice,
which tell what is in the heart. So, day by day their faith in his love
grew in them. 5. They came close to the rake. They would hop on top
of it to be first at the worm. They would turn up their eyes into his
when he spoke to them, as if they said, "He is a kind man; he loves us;
we need not fear him." 6. All the birds of the grove were soon his fast
friends. They were on the watch for him, and would fly down from the
green tree tops to greet him with their chirp. 7. When he had no work

on the walks to do with his rake or his hoe, he took crusts of bread with
him, and dropped the crumbs on the ground. Down they would dart on
his head and feet to catch them as they fell from his hand. 8 He showed
me how they loved him. He put a crust of bread in his mouth, with one
end of it out of his lips. Down they came like bees at a flower, and flew
off with it crumb by crumb. 9. When they thought he slept too long in
the morning, they would fly in and sit
THIRD READER. 51 on the bedpost, and call him up with their chirp.
10. They went with him to church, and while he said his prayers and
sang his hymns in it, they sat in the trees, and sang their praises to the
same good God who cares for them as he does for us. 11. Thus the love
and trust of birds were a joy to him all his life long; and such love and
trust no boy or girl can fail to win with the same kind heart, voice, and
eye that he had.
Adapted from Elihu Burritt.

LESSON XVII.
WHAT THE MINUTES SAY.
1. We are but minutes--little things! Each one furnished with sixty
wings, With which we fly on our unseen track, And not a minute ever
comes back.
2. We are but minutes; use us well, For how we are used we must one
day tell. Who uses minutes, has hours to use; Who loses minutes,
whole years must lose.
52 ECLECTIC SERIES
LESSON XVIII.

THE WIDOW AND THE MERCHANT. 1. A merchant, who was very

fond of music, was asked by a poor widow to give her some assistance.
Her husband, who was a musician, had died, and left her very poor
indeed. 2. The merchant saw that the widow and her daughter, who was
with her, were in great
THIRD READER. 53 distress. He looked with pity into their pale faces,
and was convinced by their conduct that their sad story was true. 3.
"How much do you want, my good woman?" said the merchant. 4.
"Five dollars will save us," said the poor widow, with some hesitation.
5. The merchant sat down at his desk, took a piece of paper, wrote a
few lines on it, and gave it to the widow with the words, "Take it to the
bank you see on the other side of the street." 6. The grateful widow and
her daughter, without stopping to read the note, hastened to the bank.
The banker at once counted out fifty dollars instead of five, and passed
them to the widow. 7. She was amazed when she saw so much money.
"Sir, there is a mistake here," she said. "You have given me fifty dollars,
and I asked for only five." 8. The banker looked at the note once more,
and said, "The check calls for fifty dollars." 9. "It is a mistake--indeed
it is," said