r teacher, and he will always be pleased to find that you are
trying to understand the words in your lesson.

13. If you have a dictionary, and do not know how to find out the words
in it, ask your teacher to show you; and when he has showed you how to
use it, be sure never to pass over a single word without knowing what it
means.

LESSON VII.

_How to find out the Meaning of Words._--ORIGINAL.

[Illustration]

1. Many years ago, when I lived in a small town, near the Merrimac
river, a little Spanish girl came to board in the same house.

2. She could speak very well in her own language; but the people in her
country speak a language very different from ours: and when she first
began to speak, she heard nothing but Spanish words; and she learned no
other.

3. She could not speak a word of English, and did not understand a word
that was spoken to her by any of the family.

4. Her parents were very rich, but they placed her in the family, that
she might learn to speak English.

5. She had no dictionary to turn to, to look out the meaning of words;
and if she was hungry, she could not ask for bread, and if she was
thirsty, she could not ask for water, nor milk, nor tea, for she did not
know the meaning of either of the words, _water_, _tea_, nor _milk_.

6. Perhaps you would be puzzled to tell how she could learn to speak
English, if she had no one to teach her, and had no dictionary to inform
her about the words.

7. But it was not many days before she could say "_bread_," if she was
hungry, and "_water_," if she wanted to drink; and I was very much
surprised to find how soon it was, at the dinner-table, she could ask
for meat, or potato, or pudding; and, at tea-time, for tea, or milk, or
sugar, or butter, or bread.

8. I have no doubt that you would like to know how this little Spanish
girl learned to speak all of these words. I do not intend to tell you
quite yet, but I think you will find out yourself, if you will read the
next lesson.

LESSON VIII.

_The same subject, continued._

1. About twenty years ago, I was very ill, and, for a long time, my
friends thought I never should recover.

2. By the very attentive care of my physician, and by the devoted
attention of my wife, I unexpectedly grew better; and the doctor said
that I must take a voyage for the recovery of my health.

3. A kind friend, who was going to the West Indies, in a vessel of his
own, very generously offered to