The Project Gutenberg EBook of McGuffey's Fifth 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 Fifth Eclectic Reader Author: William Holmes McGuffey Release Date: February 14, 2005 [EBook #15040] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MCGUFFEY'S FIFTH ECLECTIC READER *** Produced by Don Kostuch Transcriber's Note: 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 "non-ASCI" text remains as images. The "non-ASCI" text is approximated in text boxes to right of the image. The form of contractions includes a space. The contemporary word "don't" was rendered as "do n't". The author, not listed in the text is William Holmes McGuffey. Don Kostuch ECLECTIC EDUCATIONAL SERIES. McGUFFEY'S® FIFTH ECLECTIC READER. REVISED EDITION. McGuffey Editions and Colophon are Trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York-Chichester-Weinheim-Brisbane-Singapore-Toronto Copyright, 1879, by VAN ANTWERP, BRAGG & CO. Copyright, 1896, by AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY. Copyright, 1907 and l920, by H. H. VAIL. M'G. REV 5TH EC. EP 310 PREFACE. The plan of the revision of McGUFFEY'S FIFTH READER is the same as that pursued in the other books of the REVISED SERIES. The book has been considerably enlarged, but the new pieces have been added or substituted only after the most careful consideration, and where the advantages to be derived were assured. It has been the object to obtain as wide a range of leading authors as possible, to present the best specimens of style, to insure interest in the subjects, to impart valuable information, and to exert a decided and healthful moral influence. Thus the essential characteristics of McGUFFEY'S READERS have been carefully kept intact. The preliminary exercises have been retained, and are amply sufficient for drill in articulation, inflection, etc. The additional exercises on these subjects, formerly inserted between the lessons, have been omitted to make room for other valuable features of the REVISED SERIES. A full understanding of the text is necessary in order to read it properly. As all the books of reference required for this purpose are not within the reach of the majority of pupils, full explanatory notes have been given, which, it is believed, will add greatly not only to the interest of the reading lessons, but also to their usefulness from an instructive point of view. (iii) iv PREFACE. The definitions of the more difficult words have been given, as formerly; and the pronunciation has been indicated by diacritical marks, in conformity with the preceding books of the REVISED SERIES. Particular attention is invited to the notices of authors. Comparatively few pupils have the opportunity of making a separate study of English and American literature, and the carefully prepared notices in the REVISED SERIES are designed, therefore, to supply as much information in regard to the leading authors as is possible in the necessarily limited space assigned. The publishers have desired to illustrate McGUFFEY'S READERS in a manner worthy of the text and of the high favor in which they are held throughout the United States. The most celebrated designers and engravers of the country have been employed for this purpose. It has been the privilege of the publishers to submit the REVISIED SERIES to numerous eminent educators in all parts of the country. To the careful reviews and criticisms of these gentlemen is due, in a large measure, the present form of McGUFFEY'S READERS. The value of these criticisms, coming from practical sources of the highest authority, can not well be overestimated, and the publishers take this occasion to express their thanks and their indebtedness to all who have thus kindly assisted them in this work. 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. CONTENTS. INTRODUCTORY MATTER. SUBJECT. PAGE I. PRELIMINARY REMARKS 9 II. ARTICULATION 9 III. INFLECTIONS 15 IV. ACCENT 26 V. EMPHASIS 27 VI. MODULATION 30 VII. POETIC PAUSES 33 EXERCISES 34 SELECTIONS IN PROSE AND POETRY. TITLE. AUTHOR. PAGE 1. The Good Reader 39 2. The Bluebell 43 3. The Gentle Hand T. S. Arthur. 44 4. The Grandfather C. G. Eastman. 49 5. A Boy on a Farm C. D. Warner. 50 6. The Singing Lesson Jean Ingelow. 52 7. Do not Meddle 54 8. Work Eliza Cook. 59 9. The Maniac 60 10. Robin Redbreast W. Allingham. 62 11. The Fish I Did n't Catch Whittier. 63 12. It Snows Mrs. S. J. Hale. 67 13. Respect for the Sabbath Rewarded 69 14. The Sands o' Dee Charles Kingsley. 71 15. Select Paragraphs Bible. 72 16. The Corn Song Whittier. 74 17 . The Venomous Worm John Russell. 77 18. The Festal Board 78 19. How to Tell Bad News 81 (V) vi CONTENTS. TITLE. AUTHOR. PAGE 20. The Battle of Blenheim Southey. 82 21. I Pity Them 85 22. An Elegy on Madam Blaize Goldsmith. 87 23. King Charles II. and William Penn Mason L. Weems. 88 24. What I Live For 91 25. The Righteous Never Forsaken 92 26. Abou Ben Adhem Leigh Hunt. 95 27. Lucy Forrester John Wilson. 96 28. The Reaper and the Flowers. Longfellow. 101 29. The Town Pump Hawthorne. 103 30. Good Night Peter Parley. 108 31. An Old-fashioned Girl Louisa M. Alcott. 110 32. My Mother's Hands 113 33. The Discontented Pendulum. Jane Taylor. 114 34. The Death of the Flowers Bryant. 117 35. The Thunderstorm Irving. 119 36. April Day Mrs. C. A. Southey. 121 37. The Tea Rose 123 38. The Cataract of Lodore Southey. 128 39. The Bobolink Irving. 132 40. Robert of Lincoln Bryant. 135 41. Rebellion in Massachusetts State Prison J. T. Buckingham. 138 42. Faithless Nelly Gray Hood. 143 43. The Generous Russian Peasant Nikolai Karamzin. 146 44 Forty Years Ago 148 45. Mrs. Caudle's Lecture Douglas Jerrold. 151 46. The Village Blacksmith Longfellow. 154 47. The Relief of Lucknow "London Times." 156 48. The Snowstorm Thomson. 159 49. Behind Time 161 50. The Old Sampler Mrs. M. E. Sangster. 163 51. The Goodness of God Bible. 167 52. My Mother 170 53. The Hour of Prayer Mrs. F. D. Hemans. 171 54. The Will 172 55. The Nose and the Eyes Cowper. 176 56. An Iceberg L. L. Noble. 177 57. About Quail W. P. Hawes. 180 58. The Blue and the Gray F. M. Finch. 183 59. The Machinist's Return Washington "Capital." 185 60. Make Way for Liberty James Montgomery. 189 61. The English Skylark Elihu Burritt. 193 62. How Sleep the Brave William Collins. 195 63. The Rainbow John Keble. 195 CONTENTS. vii TITLE. AUTHOR. PAGE 64. Supposed Speech of John Adams Daniel Webster. 196 65. The Rising T. R. Read. 200 66. Control your Temper Dr. John Todd. 204 67. William Tell Sheridan Knowles. 207 68. William Tell Sheridan Knowles. 216 69. The Crazy Engineer 221 70. The Heritage Lowell. 228 71. No Excellence without Labor William Wirt. 230 72. The Old House Clock 232 73. The Examination. D. P. Thompson. 231 74. The Isle of Long Ago B. F. Taylor. 239 75. The Boston Massacre Bancroft. 241 76. Death of the Beautiful Mrs. E. L. Follen. 245 77. Snow Falling J. J. Piatt. 246 78. Squeers's Method Dickens. 247 79. The Gift of Empty Hands Mrs. S. M. B. Piatt. 252 80. Capturing the Wild Horse Irving. 253 81. Sowing and Reaping Adelaide Anne Procter. 258 82. Taking Comfort Whittier. 259 83. Calling the Roll Shepherd . 262 84. Turtle Soup C. F. Briggs. 263 85. The Best Kind of Revenge 266 86. The Soldier of the Rhine Mrs. C. E. S. Norton. 269 87. The Winged Worshipers Charles Sprague. 271 88. The Peevish Wife Maria Edgeworth. 273 89. The Rainy Day Longfellow. 276 90. Break, Break, Break Tennyson. 277 91. Transportation and Planting of Seeds H. D. Thoreau. 278 92. Spring Again Mrs. Celia Thaxter. 282 93. Religion the only Basis of Society W. E. Channing. 284 94. Rock Me to Sleep Mrs. E. A. Allen. 286 95. Man and the Inferior Animals Jane Taylor. 288 96. The Blind Men and the Elephant J. G. Saxe. 290 97. A Home Scene D. G. Mitchell. 292 98. The Light of Other Days Moore. 295 99. A Chase in the English Channel Cooper. 296 100. Burial of Sir John Moore Charles Wolfe. 301 101. Little Victories Harriet Martineau. 302 102. The Character of a Happy Life Sir Henry Wotton. 308 103. The Art of Discouragement Arthur Helps. 309 104. The Mariner's Dream William Dimond. 312 105. The Passenger Pigeon Audubon. 311 106. The Country Life R. H. Stoddard. 319 107. The Virginians Thackeray. 321 viii CONTENTS. TITLE. AUTHOR. PAGE 108. Minot's Ledge Fitz-James O'Brien. 326 109. Hamlet. Shakespeare. 328 110. Dissertation on Roast Pig Charles Lamb. 333 111. A Pen Picture William Black.