THE GLADNESS OF NATURE.

Is this a time to be cloudy and sad,

When our mother Nature laughs around,

When even the deep blue heavens look glad,

And gladness breathes from the blossoming ground?

There are notes of joy from the hang-bird and wren,
And the gossip of swallows through all the sky;
The ground-squirrel gaily chirps by his den,
And the wilding-bee hums merrily by.

The clouds are at play in the azure space,

And their shadows at play on the bright green vale, And here they stretch to the frolic chase,

And there they roll on the easy gale.

There's a dance of leaves in that aspen bower;
There's a titter of winds in that beechen tree;
There's a smile on the fruit, and a smile on the flower,
And a laugh from the brook that runs to the sea.

And look at the broad-faced sun, how he smiles
On the dewy earth that smiles in his ray,
On the leaping waters and gay young isles,
Ay, look, and he'll smile thy gloom away!

Ay, but a spirit dwells

Within our land that long ago hath fled

Those ancient countries. Liberty! 'Tis she

That paints with wonder all our woods and dells,
And with an aureole rings each mountain-head

And writes a morning freshness on the sea.

But knowledge to their eyes her ample page
Rich with the spoils of time did neʼer unroll,
Chill Penury repress'd their noble rage

And froze the genial current of the soul.

And, sir, it is no little thing to make
Mine eyes to sweat compassion.

It is well in our reading always to picture place or act. To picture the person or thing described adds greatly to the pleasure in reading beautiful descriptions, and in reading of fine actions both the acts and the actors should be imaged in the mind of the reader. Fine sentiments and noble thoughts tend to ennoble the character that pictures them. The figures of speech help greatly to this full realization of what authors wish us to see, feel, think, and do.

CIV. PUNCTUATION.

1. O Rome! my country! city of the soul!
The orphans of the heart must turn to thee,
Lone mother of dead empires! and control
In their shut breasts their petty misery.

2. Deep drank Lord Marmion of the wave,
And, as she stooped his brow to lave —
"Is it the hand of Clare," he said,

"Or injured Constance bathes my head?"

The punctuation marks used in these selections help one to understand the meaning. We observe that certain

marks indicate the ends of sentences while others are used to separate the parts of sentences.

CV.- TERMINAL MARKS.

A study of English prose and poetry shows that three different marks of punctuation are found at the ends of sentences. They are:

1. The period (.)

2. The interrogation point (?) 3. The exclamation point (!)

One of these three terminal marks must be used at the end of every sentence.

CVI. THE PERIOD.

The period is placed :

1. At the end of declarative and imperative sentences.

Mr. Benj. Brown; Smith, Jones & Co.; Enoch Green, M.D.; John Judson, D.D., LL.D.; Trenton, N. J.

Observe that the period is used after each of these abbreviations.

Notice the period after the headings, and after the figures used to number the sections, paragraphs, and sentences in this book.

2. After abbreviations, headings, and figures used to number sections, paragraphs, and sentences.

O'er, doesn't, aren't.

The omission of a letter from the middle of a word is indicated by the apostrophe (').

CVII. THE INTERROGATION POINT.

The interrogation point is placed at the end of interrogative sentences.

“Who are these strange people?” said he.

The interrogation point is used after a question. Should the question form part of the sentence it still requires the interrogation point.

CVIII. THE EXCLAMATION POINT.

The exclamation point is placed at the end of exclamatory sentences.

1. Charge, Chester, charge!

The game's afoot;

Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge,

Cry God for Harry! England! and Saint George!

2. "Hark!" said Olaf to his Scald,
Halfred the Bald,

"Listen to that song and learn it!
Half my kingdom would I give,
As I live,

If by such songs you would earn it!"

These passages show that the exclamation point is used:

1. At the end of every exclamatory sentence.

2. After an interjection.

3. After a phrase or clause containing an interjection.

4. After other words used with the force of inter

jections.

Write five interrogative sentences; five exclamatory sentences; five sentences using abbreviations.

CIX. - OTHER MARKS OF PUNCTUATION.

1. Sir Launfal woke as from a swound:
"The Grail in my castle here is found!
Hang my idle armor up on the wall,
Let it be the spider's banquet hall;
He must be fenced with stronger mail

Who would seek and find the Holy Grail."

2. I love (and who does not love?) the land of my birth.

Let us examine the punctuation marks that come within the sentences in these selections, for they contain all the marks ever used for separating the parts of a sentence.