LESSON II.

MEMORIZATION.-FROM "THE CHILDREN IN THE WOOD."

These pretty babes, with hand in hand,

Went wandering up and down;
And never more could see the man
Approaching from the town:
Their pretty lips with blackberries
Were all besmeared and dyed,
And when they saw the darksome night
They sat them down and cried.

-Old Ballad.

THEME: THE CHILDREN IN THE WOOD.

A gentleman of Norfolk died and left his two little. children, a boy and a girl, to the care of their uncle. In his will he bequeathed a fortune to the children, but on the condition that if they should die before they were grown up, the money was to belong to their uncle.

Now the uncle was a wicked man and wanted the money for himself. So he hired two wretches to take the children away and kill them.

But one of these ruffians felt sorry for the pretty little things, and tried to save them. He slew his companion, and went off, leaving the children alone in Wayland Wood. They were merry all day and ran about gathering blackberries; but when night came they grew cold and frightened. They lay on the ground and fell asleep in each other's arms. The robins took pity on them and covered them over with dead leaves. Their pity was of no use, for the children died of the cold before morning.

The wicked uncle took the money, but little good he got of it. Everything went wrong with him, and at last

he died in jail. And the ruffian who left the children to perish alone in the wood himself died miserably.

EXERCISE I. A.-Tell something about each of these: (1) an uncle, (2) a fortune, (3) a will, (4) gathering blackberries, (5) the robins, (6) a jail.

B.-Re-state the following sentences, but use other words to express the meaning of the italicized words :(1) He bequeathed a fortune to the children. (2) The wicked uncle wanted the money for himself. (3) One of the ruffians felt sorry for the pretty little things. (4) The robins took pity on them. (5) He got no good of it.

C. (1) Tell who was to take care of the children when their father died. (2) Tell why the uncle wanted the children killed. (3) Tell why the ruffian left the children in the wood. (4) Tell what happened to the uncle, and what to the man.

D.-What part of the story does each paragraph tell.

3. Note the kind of letter used with proper names, proper adjectives, personifications :—

Norfolk, Grendel, the Danes, a Swede.

There Honour comes, a pilgrim gray.

4. Note the kind of letter used in beginning a line. of poetry :

These pretty babes, with hand in hand,
Went wandering up and down.

How sleep the brave who sink to rest

By all their country's wishes blest!

5. Note how the first word of a direct quotation. begins :

The man cried out, "You are hurt."

The general manager telegraphed, "Despatch the train at

once."

And they lamented their lord's death, saying, "He was of all kings the mildest and most gentle."

By "direct quotation" we mean giving the exact words of the speaker or writer; hence if we change these words we must not use the capital letter or the marks of quotation ("") :—

The man cried out that you were hurt.

The general manager telegraphed that they should despatch the train at once.

EXERCISE II.—Re-write these sentences, taking care to put in thecapital letters needed:-(1)Slaves cannot breathe in england. (2) When greeks joined greeks, then was the tug of war. (3) There is a Reaper whose name is death. (4) charge, chester, charge! on, stanley, on!" were the last words of marmion. (5) art is long and time is fleeting. (6) The prince of wales is heir apparent to the throne of England; the duke of york will succeed him. (7) The shilling came out quite bright from the mint, and sprang up, and shouted, hurrah! now I'm off into the wide world. (8) Such was the custom of Branksome hall.

(9)

From greenland's icy mountains,
from India's coral strand,
where afric's sunny fountains

Roll down their golden sand.

REPRODUCTION.-Tell the story of "The Children in the Wood" in your own words, following this outline:— Title.

Introduction: The father's death-Why the children were left to the uncle's care.

The Story:

The fortune-Why the uncle wanted the children dead.

The uncle's resolve.

The ruffians-Why one killed the other.

The wood-The place where the children wandered.

The robins-What they did for the children and why they did it.

The death of the children.

Conclusion: The fate of the uncle and his tool.

LESSON III.

MEMORIZATION.-SONG FROM "AS YOU LIKE IT."

Under the greenwood tree,

Who loves to lie with me,

And tune his merry note

Unto the sweet bird's throat,

Come hither, come hither, come hither;

Here shall he see

No enemy

But winter and rough weather.

Who doth ambition shun,

And loves to live in the sun,

Seeking the food he eats,

And pleased with what he gets,

Come hither, come hither, come hither;
Here shall he see

No enemy

But winter and rough weather.

-William Shakspere.

THEME: LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD.

Once upon a time a little girl lived with her mother in a cottage near a wood. She often wore a pretty scarlet hood, and for that reason was called Little Red RidingHood.

One day she was sent to take some butter to her grandmother, who lived on the other side of the forest. Her mother tied on her red hood and bade her walk quickly and not talk with anyone she met. As she walked through the wood, a wolf met her, and making his voice as pleasant as possible, asked her where she was going. Forgetting what her mother had said, she told him. The wolf left her and trotted on ahead. Pretending he was Red Riding-Hood, he got into the

grandmother's cottage, and then ate up the poor old woman. He put on her night-cap, and got into her bed. When Red Riding-Hood came and knocked, he told her to come in. But she said, "Why, grandmother, what great eyes you have!" The wolf said, "That's to see you the better, my child." "But, what great ears. you have!" "That's to hear you the better, my child." "But what long arms you have!" "That's to hug you the better, my dear." "But what sharp teeth you've got!" "That's to eat you all up!" And with that he jumped out of bed and ate up the poor little girl.

EXERCISE I. A.—Tell something about each of these: (1) a wood, (2) a cottage, (3) a red hood, (4) a wolf, (5) walking in a wood, (6) a night-cap.

B.-Re-state the following sentences, but use other words to express the meaning of the italicized words: (1) Her mother bade her walk quickly. (2) Making his voice as pleasant as possible, he asked her. (3) The wolf trotted ahead. (4) He ate up the poor old woman. (5) Why, grandmother, what great eyes you have!

CAPITAL LETTERS-(Continued).

6. Note the kind of letter used with titles of God:The Almighty, Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, Son of God. The same usage is customary with pronouns referring to Deity :

Grant us Thy peace upon our homeward way;
With Thee began, with Thee shall end the day.

7. Note the kind of letter used with (i) titles of honour or distinction; (ii) of sect or party; (iii) days of the week, months, festivals; (iv) residences; streets :(i) Little Red Riding-Hood; the Governor-General of Canada; the President of the United States.