New National Fourth Reader | Page 6

to live
when I begin growing.
"When my stem is strong enough to do without them, they will wither
away. My coat is all worn-out, too. I shall not need it any longer. Look
inside the seed-leaves, and you will see the germ. Part of it is root, and
part of it is stem. Do you see?"
"I see two little white lumps," replied the stone; "but I can not
understand how they will ever be a root and a stem."
"I do believe you are a poor, dull mineral, after all," said the bean; "and
if so, of course you can not understand what pleasure a vegetable has in
growing.
"I wouldn't be a mineral for the world! I would not lie still and do
nothing, year after year. I would rather spread my branches in the

sunshine, and drink in the sweet spring air through my leaves."
"What you say must be all nonsense," said the stone. "I can't understand
it."
But the bean grew on without minding him. The roots pushed down
into the soil and drank up the moisture from the ground. Then this
moisture went into the stem, and the stem climbed bravely up into the
light.
"How happy I am!" cried the bean.
It ran over the red stone, and clasped it with long green branches,
covered with white bean flowers.
"O indeed!" said the stone. "Is this what you call growing? I thought
you were only in fun. How handsome you are!"
"May I hang my pods on you, so that they can ripen in the sun?" said
the bean.
"Certainly, friend," said the stone.
He was very polite, now that he saw the bean was a full-grown vine.
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--Read in a conversational tone of voice, as in
Lessons I and II.
What word is emphatic in the third paragraph?
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the
words, _broken, packages, courage, polite_.
Tell in your own words how the bean grew.
* * * * *

LESSON IV.
elf, _a very small person; an unreal being_.
vex, _make angry; trouble_.
pon'dered, thought about with care.
streak, _line; long mark_.
* * * * *

TO-MORROW.
A bright little boy with laughing face, Whose every motion was full of
grace, Who knew no trouble and feared no care, Was the light of our

household--the youngest there.
He was too young--this little elf-- With troublesome questions to vex
himself; But for many days a thought would rise, And bring a shade to
the dancing eyes.
He went to one whom he thought more wise Than any other beneath
the skies: "Mother,"--O word that makes the home!-- "Tell me, when
will to-morrow come?"
"It is almost night," the mother said, "And time for my boy to be in bed;
When you wake up and it's day again, It will be to-morrow, my darling,
then."
The little boy slept through all the night, But woke with the first red
streak of light; He pressed a kiss on his mother's brow, And whispered,
"Is it to-morrow now?"
"No, little Eddie, this is to-day; To-morrow is always one night away."
He pondered awhile, but joys came fast, And this vexing question
quickly passed.
But it came again with the shades of night: "Will it be to-morrow when
it is light?" From years to come, he seemed care to borrow, He tried so
hard to catch to-morrow.
"You can not catch it, my little Ted; Enjoy to-day," the mother said;
"Some wait for to-morrow through many a year-- It always is coming,
but never is here."
* * * * *
Directions for Reading.--In reading poetry, pupils should notice the
emphatic words, and give them proper force.
Example.
"Mother,"--O word that makes the home!--
"Tell me, when will _to-morrow_ come?"
The two dashes in the first line of the preceding example are used
instead of a parenthesis, and have the same value.
When there is no pause at the end of a line (see first line, third stanza),
it should be closely joined in reading to the line which follows it, thus
making the two lines read as one.
* * * * *

LESSON V.
ap'pe tite, wish for food.

a muse'ment, _play; enjoyment_.
gaunt, _lean; hungry looking_.
spe'cies, kind.
oc curred', _took place; happened_.
en cour'age ment, _hope given by another's words or actions_.
di rec'tion, _way; course_.
dusk'y, _very dark; almost black_.
sin'gu lar, _unusual; strange_.
* * * * *

AN ADVENTURE WITH DUSKY WOLVES.

PART I.
"During the summer and winter, we had several adventures in the
trapping and killing of wild animals. One of them was of such a
singular and dangerous kind, that you may feel