ears brightly burnished and tall.

2. Adown the white highway like cavalry fleet,
It dashes the dust with its numberless feet.
Like a murmurless school, in their leafy retreat,
The wild birds sit listening the drops round them beat;
And the boy crouches close to the blackberry wall.

3. The swallows alone take the storm on the wing,
And, taunting the tree-sheltered laborers, sing.
Like pebbles the rain breaks the face of the spring,
While a bubble darts up from each widening ring;
And the boy in dismay hears the loud shower fall.

4. But soon are the harvesters tossing their sheaves;
The robin darts out from his bower of leaves;
The wren peereth forth from the moss-covered eaves;
And the rain-spattered urchin now gladly perceives
That the beautiful bow bendeth over them all.

DEFINITIONS.--l. A-slant', toward one side. 2. High'way, a public road.
Re-treat', a place of refuge or safety, Crouch'es, stoops low. 3.
Taunt'ing, deriding, mocking. 4. Ur'chin, a child.

XXXIX. CONSEQUENCES OF IDLENESS. (110)

1. Many young persons seem to think it of not much consequence if they do
not improve their time well in youth, vainly expecting that they can make
it up by diligence when they are older. They also think it is disgraceful
for men and women to be idle, but that there can be no harm for persons
who are young to spend their time in any manner they please.

2. George Jones thought so. When he was twelve years old, he went to an
academy to prepare to enter college. His father was at great expense in
obtaining books for him, clothing him, and paying his tuition. But George
was idle. The preceptor of the academy would often tell him that if he did
not study diligently when young he would never succeed well.

3. But George thought of nothing but present pleasure. He would often go
to school without having made any preparation for his morning lesson; and,
when called to recite with his class, he would stammer and make such
blunders that the rest of the class could not help laughing at him. He was
one of the poorest scholars in the school, because he was one of the most
idle.

4. When recess came, and all the boys ran out of the academy upon the
playground, idle George would come moping along. Instead of studying
diligently while in school, he was indolent and half asleep. When the
proper time for play came, he had no relish for it. I recollect very well,
that, when "tossing up" for a gam