ds, and
the dusty roads and way-side grass, bringing greenness and gladness
every-where.

Without water nothing would grow; every thing would dry up and wither.

All animals drink water, for it forms a part of their blood and thus
helps to keep them alive. All trees and plants drink it by drawing it
through their roots or leaves, for it helps to form their sap.

Sometimes on a summer morning you will see drops of clear sparkling
water on flowers and grass.

To look at them you would think it had rained during the night; but,
noticing that the ground is dry, you know that no rain has fallen.

What then are these glittering drops of water? Where do they come from?

I will tell you. These drops are called dew. As night comes on, the
grass and the leaves of flowers and plants become cool.

When the warm air touches them, it becomes chilled, and as the air can
not then carry so much moisture as before, it leaves some of its
moisture on the flowers and grass.

A moisture like dew sometimes collects in the house. Did you ever
observe it in drops on the outside of a pitcher of cold water? Some
people suppose that the water comes through the pitcher, but it does
not.

The water being cold makes the pitcher cold, and as the warm air of the
room strikes it, a moisture like dew is left on the pitcher, in the same
manner as dew is left on grass, leaves, and flowers.

In cold weather, when the dew gathers on plants and flowers, it
sometimes freezes and forms frost, and when the clouds throw off their
moisture in rain drops, the rain becomes sleet, hail, or snow.

So you see that dew, rain, frost, sleet, snow, and hail are only
different forms of water.

* * * * *

LESSON XXVI.

treas'ure, _a large quantity of money; valuable things_.

for'mer ly, _in time past; heretofore_.

mod'er ate, _not great; limited in quantity_.

or'phan, _a child whose father and mother are dead_.

at tract'ive, _inviting; having power to draw toward_.

em'er y, _a kind of hard, sharp sand_.

ex treme', _last point or limit_.

rub'bish, _things of no value_.

fit'tings, _things needed in making an article ready for use_.

* * * * *

THE HIDDEN TREASURE.

PART I.

On a pleasant street in the old town of Fairfield, stands a neat, little
cottage. This was formerly the home of Mrs. Reed, an old lady respected
by her neighbors and loved by all the y