hole. So busy and active, and always intent on this one object, was he, that before long the little lady found he had made way with six pounds of hazel-nuts.

15. His general rule was to carry off four nuts at a time,—three being stuffed into the side pockets of his jaws, and the fourth held in his teeth. When he had furnished himself in this way, he would dart like lightning for his hole, and disappear in a moment; but in a short time up he would come, brisk and wide-awake, and ready for the next supply.

16. Once a person who had the curiosity to dig open a chipping squirrel's hole found in it two quarts of buckwheat, a quantity of grass-seed, nearly a peck of acorns, some Indian corn, and a quart of walnuts; a pretty handsome supply for a squirrel's winter store-room,-don't you think so?

17. Whiskey learned in time to work for his

living in many artful ways that his young mistress

devised. Sometimes she would tie the nuts up in a paper package, which he would attack with great energy, gnawing the strings, and rustling the nuts out of the paper in wonderfully quick time. Sometimes she would tie a nut to the end of a bit of twine, and swing it backward and forward over his head; and, after a succession of high jumps, he would pounce upon it, and hang swinging on the twine till he had gnawed the nut away.

18. Another squirrel-doubtless hearing of

Whiskey's good luck-began to haunt the same yard; but Whiskey would by no means allow him to cultivate his young mistress's acquaintance. No, indeed! he evidently considered that the institution would not support two. Sometimes he would appear to be conversing with the stranger on the most familiar and amicable terms in the back yard; but if his mistress called his name, he would immediately start and chase his companion quite out of sight, before he came back to her.

19. So you see that self-seeking is not confined to men alone, and that Whiskey's fine little fur coat covers a very selfish heart.

20. As winter comes on, Whiskey will go down into his hole, which has many long galleries and winding passages, and a snug little bedroom well lined with leaves. Here he will doze and dream away his long winter months, and nibble out the inside of his store of nuts.

Language Lesson.-Substitute expressions for the following:

1. I have been looking diligently around.

2. All sorts of dumb animals.

3. Resolved to cultivate his acquaintance.

4. He was not to be caught napping.

5. Make tours of discovery.

6. Began to haunt the same yard.

67.-The Family Clock.

1. STATELY in yon corner stands,
With honest face and busy hands,
The family clock-for years has stood,
In self-same tone and changeless mood,
Ticking on,-through every change,
Heeding naught-however strange.
Ticking on through grief and mirth,
Ticking on through death and birth;
Ticking, ticking, night and day.
Ticking, ticking time away.

2. Never hasting, never resting,

Naught thy diligence molesting;

Through winter's gloom and summer's shine,
Attesting still the flight of time.
Telling high and telling low,
Telling all who come and go,-
Life is short, and time is fleeting,
This alone thine only greeting.
Ticking, ticking, night and day,
Ticking, ticking time away.

3. Years agone-in infancy,

A thing of life thou seemed to be-
Hushed me into silent wonder,
Left my infant wit to ponder
As, loud and clear, from day to day
I heard thee toll the hours away.

In childhood's years I scann'd thy face,
And learned thereon the hours to trace,
Questioning if from elf or fairy
Came the tone that would not vary.
Ticking, ticking, night and day,
Ticking, ticking time away.

4. Drifting out of childhood's years,
Changing oft from mirth to tears,
Were we sad or were we gay,
Silently time flew away,

And left me here-how many gone!
Ah, left me here, almost alone,
With memory filling heart and brain
So full of weary, aching pain;

While thou'rt still ticking night and day,

Ticking, ticking time away.

MARY WILEY.

LANGUAGE EXERCISE.

1. Explain the expression "changeless mood."

2. Substitute another word for "naught."

3. Explain the meaning of "through winter's gloom and summer's shine."

4. Substitute a word for "molesting."

5. What is the meaning of "flight of time"?

6. Write a word instead of "agone."

7. Substitute a word for "ponder."

8. Explain the meaning of "toll the hours away."

9. Write a word instead of "scann'd."

10. What is meant by "elf or fairy"?

11. What is the meaning of "oft?"

12. Write the expression "thou'rt" in full.

68.-The Mountain Brook.

1. AWAY up among the mountains a tiny spring burst out. It trickled along almost silently at first, but it met another and another little spring, and, rolling together down the mountain-side, they tumbled over a rock and spread into a dancing, singing, glistening brook.

2. Stillness and shadow around as yet, only a little nook wherein to play, the brook-spirit longed for more sunlight and wider scope. The breezes whispered to her of broad lakes embosomed among wooded hills-of deep, blue rivers flowing through wide meadow-lands-of the vast ocean gathering them all home at last to itself. Could she do and be nothing beyond her present life? The shadows deepened and she sang less cheerily.

3. A robin flew down to the brink of the clear water, and then, perching on a green bough above, trilled forth its happy song. Squirrels and rabbits leaped along through the rustling grass to her side, and went away refreshed and glad. The merry little minnows darted to and fro in her shallow basin, happy through her, for even their life was dependent on the home and supply she gave them.

4. The ferns and grasses in their fresh greenery, gold-crowned cowslips and buttercups, tiny pearlflowers and blue violets bloomed beside her, giving fragrance and beauty in return for her benison of life and growth, and the glad sunshine threw its