2. LESSON SECOND. The Good Son. 1. There was once a little boy, a wild little boy, who like you, loved play; but he had a mother, whom he loved better than play. 2. 'This boy, at first, did not choose to learn either to read, or to write; but his mother told him that no one can be of use unless he knows how to read. 3. So the boy thought, "this will not do; I wish to be of use; the time may come, when my mother will want my help, as much as I now want hers." 4. Well, on this thought, Harry began to learn with all his heart, and he got along fast, so that he soon learned to read well, and write, and to do sums, and you shall see what good came of it. 5. His mother grew old, and became weak and sick, but her good son took care of her when she was old, as she had taken care of him when he was a weak child. 6. He now felt the use of knowing something; for, when he was quite a young lad, he went as a clerk into a shop, and his master paid him good wages. 7. At the end of the week when his master paid him his money, with what joy would he carry it home and pour it into the lap of his mother. 8. And then she would smile, and her dim eye would brighten, and how sweet to him was the smile with which she thanked him. 3. LESSON THIRD. The useful Boy, who would not tell a Lie. 1. Francis was not more than six years of age; - but he liked to do things to help people. One day his mother was scraping some lint, and he asked what it was good for. 2. She told him that when any person gets hurt with a knife or a gun, it is used to stop the blood. "Let me try if I can scrape some lint," said he ; and his eyes brightened with joy when his mother told him he did it very well. 3. "I am good for something, am I not, mamma?" said he. "Brother Henry says all the good I can do is to keep the bread from moulding, but I mean to tell him that I can scrape lint." 4. His mother liked to have him employed; so she let him take a pitcher every morning and go after milk for his breakfast. 5. One morning, his brother Henry wished to go; and he tried to get the pitcher out of his hand - Francis would not let go of it, because his mother told him to go, and between them the pitcher was broken. 6. He now began to cry, for he did not like to carry home the broken pitcher instead of some nice, warm milk. A naughty boy who came along, asked him why he did not tell his mother that he did not break it. 7. Francis wiped his eyes, and stared at him, as if he did not believe any body could be so wicked “I will not tell a lie," said he, manfully; "mamma will not scold at me; but if I knew she would scold, or even beat me, I would not tell a lie." 8. His mother did not scold at him. She told him he ought not to quarrel with his brother, but when they had any dispute, he must come to her. 4. LESSON FOURTH. Mary and her Pigeon. 1. Some rude boys had one day got a pigeon which was lame, and its wings being cut, it could not fly; so they had tied a string to one of its legs, and put it down to throw stones at, that he who hit it should have it for his own. 2. But just as they were going to throw at it, little Mary ran and begged them to stop, and said she would buy the bird. "How much," said she, "must I give for it?" 3. "Six-pence," said one of the boys. "I have but four-pence," said Mary, - "take all my money. I do not want the bird; only do not use it ill." 4. So they took her money, and gave her the bird; and she took care of it, and fed it well, and it lived with her a long time in the house. 5. It would be very pleasant, if we could now see how cheerful the poor bird used to look upon Mary, every day as she fed it; and how glad was she, as she stroked its glossy feathers, that she had saved its life. 6. How should we like to be pelted with sticks and stones? Poor birds can feel pain, as well as boys and girls, and it is not right to hurt any one of God's creatures, - we should treat them with mercy and kindness. 5. LESSON FIFTH. Kind Lucy. 1. Lucy was a very kind little girl. She never beat her kitten, or set her foot upon an insect on purpose. Sometimes, when she was eating her bread and milk, a hungry fly would light upon the edge of the bowl, and try to drink. 2. Lucy never knocked him into the milk, to make him struggle and drown there; but she would say to him, "Drink away, my little fly, 3. Her mother told her that the little black tongue, with which the fly sucked up the milk, was like the great trunk of an elephant, and that the fly could push it out, to reach his food, and draw it in when he had done eating, - only it was so very small that she could not see it. 4. One day, when she had found a dead fly, she called Lucy to her and told her to look through a glass which made the fly look ten times as large as he really was; and then Lucy saw what a curious trunk he had to unroll, when he wanted his supper, and rollup again when he wished to go to sleep. 5. When the spring weather came, and the sun was warm, and the grass green, a butterfly flew into the window and lighted upon a beautiful rose bush, which was standing in the sunshine. 6. Lucy jumped up, and cried, "O, what a pretty butterfly! Mother, may I catch him?" Her mother told her she could not touch him without hurting him; and she took down a dead butterfly which was pinned over the looking-glass, and told Lucy to put her finger on it. 7. When she took her finger off, it was cover ed with fine meal, that came from the butterfly's wings. Her mother told her that this meal was a bunch of little tiny feathers, just like those of a bird, only so small that she could not see them. 8. Then she looked at the butterfly through the glass, and she could see the feathers very plainly; and when she knew that every touch of her finger pulled out a bunch of feathers, and hurt the butterfly, she did not wish to take hold of him, for she was a very kind-hearted girl. 9. The glass that Lucy looked through is called a magnifying glass, or microscope. 1. See, the rose has burst from its green bud, the dark pink leaves are spread out, and the brown moss in vain seeks to hide its bloom. |