The Project Gutenberg EBook of McGuffey's Sixth Eclectic Reader by William Holmes McGuffey This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: McGuffey's Sixth Eclectic Reader Author: William Holmes McGuffey Release Date: September 26, 2005 [EBook #16751] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MCGUFFEY'S SIXTH ECLECTIC READER *** Produced by Don Kostuch [Transcriber's Notes: Welcome to the schoolroom of 1900. The moral tone is plain. "She is kind to the old blind man." The exercises are still suitable, and perhaps more helpful than some contemporary alternatives. Much is left to the teacher. Explanations given in the text are enough to get started teaching a child to read and write. Counting in Roman numerals is included as a bonus in the form of lesson numbers. The form of contractions includes a space. The contemporary word "don't" was rendered as "do n't". The author, not listed in the te xt, is William Holmes McGuffey. Passages using non-ASCI characters are approximately rendered in the text version. The DOC and PDF versions include the original images. The section numbers are decimal in the Table of Contents but are in Roman Numerals in the body. Don Kostuch end transcriber's notes] She sits, inclining forward as to speak, Her lips half-open, and her finger up, As though she said, "Beware!" (Page 341) ECLECTIC EDUCATIONAL SERIES. McGUFFEY'S® SIXTH ECLECTIC READER. REVISED EDITION. McGuffey Editions and Colophon are Trademarks of - JOHN WILEY & SONS. INC. NEW YORK-CHICHESTER-BRISBANE-SINGAPORE-TORONTO SUPPLEMENTARY READING FOR GRAMMAR AND HIGH SCHOOL GRADES ECLECTIC ENGLISH CLASSICS. Arnold's (Matthew) Sohrab and Rustum Burke's Conciliation with the American Colonies Carlyle's Essay on Burns Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner Defoe's History of the Plague in London De Quincey's Revolt of the Tartars Emerson's The American Scholar, Self-Reliance and Compensation Franklin's Autobiography "George Eliot's" Silas Marner Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakefield Irving's Sketch Book (Ten Selections) Irving's Tales of a Traveler Macaulay's Second Essay on Chatham Macaulay's Essay on Milton Macaulay's Essay on Addison Macaulay's Life of Johnson Milton's L'Allegro, Il Penseroso, Comus Lycidas, Milton's Paradise Lost, Books I and. II Pope's Homer's Iliad, Books I, VI, XXII, XXIV, Scott's Ivanhoe Scott's Marmion Scott's Lady of the Lake Scott's The Abbot Scott's Woodstock. Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Shakespeare's Twelfth Night Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice Shakespeare's Midsummer-Night's Dream Shakespeare's As You Like It Shakespeare's Macbeth Shakespeare's Hamlet, Sir Roger de Coverley Papers (The Spectator), Southey's Life of Nelson Tennyson's The Princess, Webster's (Daniel) Bunker Hill Orations, ----- Sent, postpaid on receipt of price. COPYRIGHT, 1879, BY VAN ANTWERP, BRAGG & COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1896, BY AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY. COPYRIGHT, 1907 AND 1921, BY HENRY H. VAIL. M'G REV. 6TH EC. EP 118 Preface In the SIXTH READER, the general plan of the revision of McGUFFEY'S SERIES has been carefully carried out to completion. That plan has been to retain, throughout, those characteristic features of McGUFFEY'S READERS, which have made the series so popular, and caused their widespread use throughout the schools of the country. At the same time, the books have been enlarged; old pieces have been exchanged for new wherever the advantage was manifest; and several new features have been incorporated, which it is thought will add largely to the value of the series. In the revision of the SIXTH READER, the introductory matter has been retained with but little change, and it will he found very valuable for elocutionary drill. In the preparation of this portion of the work, free use was made of the writings of standard authors upon Elocution, such as Walker, McCulloch, Sheridan Knowles, Ewing, Pinnock, Scott, Bell, Graham, Mylins, Wood, Rush, and many others. In making up the Selections for Reading, great care and deliberation have been exercised. The best pieces of the old book are retained in the REVISED SIXTH, and to the these been added a long list of selections from the best English and American literature. Upwards of one hundred leading authors are represented (see "Alphabetical List. of Authors," page ix), and thus a wide range of specimens of the best style has been secured. Close scrutiny revealed the fact that many popular selections common to several series of Readers, had been largely adapted, but in McGUFFEY'S REVISED READERS, wherever it was possible to do so, the selections have been compared, and made to conform strictly with the originals as they appear in the latest editions authorized by the several writers. (iii) iv PREFACE. The character of the selections, aside from their elocutionary value, has also been duly considered. It will be found, upon examination, that they present the same instructive merit and healthful moral tone which gave the preceding edition its high reputation. Two new features of the REVISED SIXTH deserve especial attention-- the explanatory notes, and the biographical notices of authors. The first, in the absence of a large number of books of reference, are absolutely necessary, in some cases, for the intelligent reading of the piece; and it is believed that in all cases they will add largely to the interest and usefulness of the lessons. The biographical notices, if properly used, are hardly of less value than the lessons themselves. They have been carefully prepared, and are intended not only to add to the interest of the pieces, but to supply information usually obtained only by the separate study of English and American literature. The illustrations of the REVISED SIXTH READER are presented as specimens of fine art. They are the work of the best artists and engravers that could be secured for the purpose in this country. The names of these gentlemen may be found on page ten. The publishers would here repeat their acknowledgments to the numerous friends and critics who have kindly assisted in the work of revision, and would mention particularly President EDWIN C. HEWETT, of the State Normal University, Normal, Illinois, and the HON. THOMAS W. HARVEY, of Painesville, Ohio, who have had the revision of the SIXTH READER under their direct advice. Especial acknowledgment is due to Messrs. Houghton, Osgood & Co., for their permission to make liberal selections from their copyright editions of many of the foremost American authors whose works they publish. January, 1880. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. SUBJECT. PAGE I. ARTICULATION 11 II. INFLECTION 18 III. ACCENT AND EMPHASIS 33 IV. INSTRUCTIONS FOR READING VERSE 39 V. THE VOICE 40 VI. GESTURE 55 SELECTIONS FOR READING. TITLE. AUTHOR. PAGE. 1. Anecdote of the Duke of Newcastle Blackwood's Magazine. 63 2. The Needle Samuel Woodworth. 67 3. Dawn Edward Everett. 68 4. Description of a Storm Benjamin Disraeli. 70 5. After the Thunderstorm James Thomson. 72 6. House Cleaning Francis Hopkinson. 73 7. Schemes of Life often Illusory Samuel Johnson. 78 8. The Brave Old Oak Henry Fothergill Chorley. 81 9. The Artist Surprised 82 10. Pictures of Memory Alice Cary. 88 11. The Morning Oratorio Wilson Flagg. 90 12. Short Selections in Poetry: I. The Cloud John Wilson. 94 II. My Mind William Byrd. 94 III. A Good Name William Shakespeare. 95 V. Sunrise James Thomson. 95 V. Old Age and Death Edmund Waller. 95 VI. Milton John Dryden. 96 (v) vi CONTENTS. TITLE. AUTHOR. PAGE. 13. Death of Little Nell Charles Dickens. 96 14. Vanity of Life Johann Gottfried von Herder. 100 15. A Political Pause Charles James Fox. 102 16. My Experience in Elocution John Neal. 104 17. Elegy in a Country Churchyard Thomas Gray. 108 18. Tact and Talent 113 19. Speech before the Virginia Convention Patrick Henry. 115 20. The American Flag Joseph Rodman Drake. 119 21. Ironical Eulogy on Debt 121 22. The Three Warnings Hester Lynch Thrale. 124 23. The Memory of Our Fathers Lyman Beecher. 128 24. Short Selections in Prose: I. Dryden and Pope Samuel Johnson. 130 II. Las Casas Dissuading from Battle R.B. Sheridan. 130 III. Action and Repose John Ruskin. 131 IV. Time and Change Sir Humphry Davy. 131 V. The Poet William Ellery Channing. 132 VI. Mountains William Howitt. 132 25. The Jolly Old Pedagogue George Arnold. 133 26. The Teacher and Sick Scholar. Charles Dickens. 135 27. The Snow Shower William Cullen Bryant. 141 28. Character of Napoleon Bonaparte Charles Phillips. 143 29. Napoleon at Rest John Pierpont. 146 30. War Charles Sumner. 148 31. Speech of Walpole in Reproof of Mr. Pitt Sir R. Walpole. 151 32. Pitt's Reply to Sir Robert Walpole William Pitt. 152 33. Character of Mr. Pitt Henry Grattan. 154 34. The Soldier's Rest Sir Walter Scott. 156 35. Henry V. to his Troops William Shakespeare. 158 36. Speech of Paul on Mars' Hill Bible. 160 37. God is Everywhere Joseph Hutton. 161 38. Lafayette and Robert Raikes Thomas S. Grimke'. 163 39. Fall of Cardinal Wolsey William Shakespeare. 167 40. The Philosopher John P. Kennedy. 171 41. Marmion and Douglas Sir Walter Scott. 176 42. The Present Adelaide Anne Procter. 178 43. The Baptism John Wilson. 180 44. Sparrows Adeline D. Train Whitney. 185 45. Observance of the Sabbath Gardiner Spring. 186 46. God's Goodness to Such as Fear Him Bible. 189 47.