nd before a crash of falling timbers told them
that they had barely escaped with their lives.

9. Tom Barton never forgot the lesson of that night; and he came to
believe, and to act upon the belief, in after years, that true manliness
is in harmony with gentleness, kindness, and self-denial.

EXERCISES.--Relate the story of the fire. What is meant
by "to any purpose," in paragraph four? Did Fred show any
lack of manliness when tested? What does this lesson teach?

XVI. THE BROWN THRUSH. (54)

Lucy Larcom, the author of the following poem, was born in 1826, and
passed many years of her life as a factory girl at Lowell, Mass. She died
in 1893.

1. There's a merry brown thrush sitting up in a tree;
"He's singing to me! he's singing to me!"
And what does he say, little girl, little boy?
"Oh, the world's running over with joy!
Don't You hear? Don't you see?
Hush! look! In my tree
I'm as happy as happy can be!"

2. And the brown thrush keeps singing, "A nest do you see,
And five eggs hid by me in the juniper tree?
Don't meddle! don't touch! little girl, little boy,
Or the world will lose some of its joy!
Now I'm glad! now I'm free!
And I always shall be,
If you never bring sorrow to me."

3. So the merry brown thrush sings away in the tree,
To you and to me, to you and to me;
And he sings all the day, little girl, little boy,
"Oh, the world's running over with joy!
But long it won't be,
Don't you know? Don't you see?
Unless we're as good as can be."

EXERCISES.--What is a thrush? Why was the thrush so
happy? Do you think he would have been happy if the little
boy or girl had robbed the nest?

XVII. A SHIP IN A STORM. (55)

1. Did you ever go far out upon the great ocean? How beautiful it is to
be out at sea, when the sea is smooth and still!

2. Let a storm approach, and the scene is changed. The heavy, black clouds
appear in the distance, and throw a deep, deathlike shade over the world
of waters.

3. The captain and sailors soon see in the clouds the signs of evil. All
hands are then set to work to take in sail.

4. The hoarse notes of the captain, speaking through his trumpet, are
echoed from lip to lip among the rigging. Happy will it be, if all is made
snug before the gale strikes the vessel.

5. At last, the gale comes like a vast moving mountain of air. It strikes
the ship. The vessel hea