not at all like this lazy way of doing; so he came, and instead of at once lifting the waggon out of the rut, as he could easily have done, he asked the waggoner what he did lying there bawling for help, without doing anything. "Put your own shoulder to the wheel, and do your best," said he, “and then call on me; if I see that you need my help after that, I will give it you. I only help those who help themselves."

QUESTIONS.-What happened to the waggon? What is a rut ? What did the waggoner do? Who appeared? What did he say? What lesson should we learn from this fable?

Give, spell, and explain other words like the following in sound-ale, alter, ant, bald, barred, bored, bold, braid, boy, chased, aught, bale, bear, be, beech, beer, beat, bell, berry, bread.

SONNET.-Wordsworth.

Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802.

EARTH has not anything to show more fair;
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This city now doth like a garment wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,

Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep

In his first splendour valley, rock, or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep ;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!

THOSE evening bells! those evening bells!
How many a tale their music tells

Of youth, and home, and that sweet time
When last I heard their soothing chime!
Those joyous hours are passed away!
And many a heart that then was gay
Within the tomb now darkly dwells,
And hears no more those evening bells!
And so 'twill be when I am gone!
That tuneful peal will still ring on,

While other bards shall walk these dells, And sing your praise, sweet evening bells!

WHEN the world was first created, it was appointed how many years each creature should exist. So the ass came and inquired how long he was to live.

"Thirty years," he was told; and then he was asked, "Is that sufficient ?"

"Alas," replied the ass, "that is a long time. Think how many wearisome burdens I shall have to carry from morning till night; how many cornsacks I shall take to the mill, that others may eat bread, while I receive nothing but blows and kicks, and yet keep always active and obliging. Take away some of my years, I pray."

So the ass was pitied, and a life of only eighteen years appointed to him; whereupon he went gladly away, and the dog then made his appearance, and was asked the same.

"How long do you wish to live?" was inquired of him; "thirty years were too much for the ass, but perhaps you will be satisfied."

"Remember

"Do you think so?" said the dog. how much I shall have to run; my feet will not last them out; and then, when I have lost my voice and cannot bark, and my teeth and cannot bite, what Iwill there be for me to do but to crawl and howl from one corner to another?"

So the dog's plea was allowed, and twelve years

appointed for his age, after which he departed and made room for the monkey.

"You will live thirty years willingly, no doubt," was said to the monkey. "You need not work like the ass and the dog, and therefore will always be well off."

"Alas, it should be so," said the monkey; "but really it is very different. I must always be making comical faces for people to laugh at; and all the apples they give me to eat turn out sour ones. How often is sadness hidden by a joke? But thirty years I can never endure." Thereupon ten years were allowed to him.

Last of all, man appeared, healthy and vigorous, and requested a time to be appointed to him.

"You shall live thirty years," was the reply; "is that enough?"

"What a short time!" exclaimed man; "just when I shall have built myself a house, and lighted a fire upon my own hearth, and just when I shall have planted trees to bear me fruit in their season, and I am thinking of enjoying life, I must die! I pray let my life be lengthened!"

"The eighteen years of the ass shall be added." "That is not enough," said man.

"You shall also have twelve years of the dog's life."

"Still too little,” replied man.

"Well, then, you may have the ten years allowed to the monkey; but you must desire no more.' Man was then obliged to leave, but he was not satisfied.

Thus man lives seventy years. The first thirty are the years of his manhood, which pass quickly away; he is then healthy and vigorous, works with pleasure, and rejoices in his being. Then follow the eighteen years of the life of the ass, which bring to him one burden after another; he must work for corn which nourishes others, and abuse and blame become the reward of his labours. Next come the twelve years of the dog, during which man has to sit in corners, grumbling because he has no longer any teeth to bite with. And when this time is up, then the ten years of the monkey bring the close of the scene. Then man becomes childish and foolish, and does strange things, which too often make him a jest.

QUESTIONS.-How many years were offered the creatures named? What did the ass say? What did the dog say? What did the monkey say? What did man say? Tell the different parts of man's life, and how each is marked.

Correct the errors in the following:

Citizen. Oh, misses, my hat and vig's overboard. Wife. Dear me! And there's a wale! Passenger. A whale! Where? where? I'd give a fi'pund note to see a whale. Captain. There aint never no vale, no veres, sir: it's the gen'l'man's mispronuncification, sir; it's his vife's waii vat she vears over her vig, sir, that's all.

Citizen. Villiam, I vants my vig. Servant. Vitch vig, sir? Citizen. Vy, the vite vig, in the vooden vig box, vitch I vore last Vensday in the westry.

Give other words, spelling and explaining them, like the following in sound :--bite, by, bore, bruise, brute, blue, bough. candid, cannon, coarse, cora.