Read Ebook: Reading Made Easy for Foreigners - Third Reader by H Lshof John Ludwig

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This is a speech, brief, but full of inspiration, and opening the way to all victory. The secret of Napoleon's career was this,--under all difficulties and discouragements, "Press on." It solves the problem of all heroes; it is the rule by which to weigh rightly all wonderful successes and triumphal marches to fortune and genius. It should be the motto of all, old and young, high and low, fortunate and unfortunate, so called.

"Press on." Never despair; never be discouraged, however stormy the heavens, however dark the way; however great the difficulties, and repeated the failures, "Press on."

If fortune hath played false with thee today, do thou play true for thyself to-morrow. If thy riches have taken wings and left thee, do not weep thy life away; but be up and doing, and retrieve the loss by new energies and action. If an unfortunate bargain has deranged thy business, do not fold thy arms, and give up all as lost; but stir thyself and work the more vigorously.

LESSON VI

RESIGNATION

Rabbi Meir, the great teacher, sat one Sabbath day in the school of the holy law, and taught the people. The rabbi had two sons, who were youths of great promise and well instructed in the law. On that Sabbath day they both died.

Tenderly their mother bore them to an upper chamber, laid them on her bed, and spread a white sheet over their bodies.

In the evening Rabbi Meir came home. "Where are my sons," asked he, "that I may give them my blessing?"

"They are gone into the school of the law," was his wife's reply.

"I looked around me," said he, "and I did not see them."

She set before him a cup; he praised the Lord for the close of the Sabbath, drank, and then asked again, "Where are my sons, that they may also drink of the wine of blessing?"

"They cannot be far off," said his wife, as she placed food before him and begged him to eat.

When he had given thanks after the meal, she said, "Rabbi, allow me a question."

"Speak, my beloved," answered he.

"Some time ago," said she, "a certain one gave me jewels to keep for him, and now he asks them back. Shall I give him them?"

"My wife should not need to ask such a question," said Rabbi Meir. "Would you hesitate to give anyone back his own?"

"Oh, no," replied she, "but I did not like to give them back without your knowing beforehand." Then she led him to the upper chamber, stepped in, and took the covering off the bodies.

"Oh, my sons," sobbed the father, "my sons, my sons!" The mother turned herself away and wept.

Soon, however, his wife took him by the hand and said: "Rabbi, have you not taught me that we must not refuse to give back what was intrusted to us to keep? See, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: the name of the Lord be blessed."

And Rabbi Meir repeated the words, and said from the depths of his heart, "Amen."

STATUE OF LIBERTY IN NEW YORK HARBOR

"Liberty," or Bartholdi's statue, was presented to the United States by the French people in 1885. It is the largest statue ever built. The great French sculptor Bartholdi made it after the likeness of his mother. Eight years were consumed in the construction of this gigantic image. Its size is really enormous. The height of the figure alone is fully one hundred and fifty feet. Forty persons can find standing room within the mighty head, which is fifteen feet in diameter. A six-foot man, standing upon the lower lip, can hardly reach the eyes of the colossal head. The index finger is eight feet long, and the nose is over three feet long. Yet the proportion of all the parts of the figure is so well preserved that the whole statue is in perfect harmony.

The materials of which the statue is composed are copper and steel. The immense torch which is held in the hand of the giantess is three hundred feet above tidewater.

The Colossus of Rhodes was a pigmy compared with this huge wonder.

INDEPENDENCE

Scholars, who are enjoying the priceless blessings of that liberty which cost our forefathers so much treasure and so much blood,--have you read the Declaration of Independence? If you have not, read it; if you have, read it again; study it; make its noble sentiments your own, and do not fail to grave deep in your memories these immortal lines:--

"We hold these truths to be self-evident; That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such forms, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."

BE TRUE

Thou must be true thyself, If thou the truth wouldst teach; Thy soul must overflow, if thou Another's soul would'st reach; It needs the overflow of hearts To give the lips full speech.

Think truly, and thy thoughts Shall the world's famine feed; Speak truly, and each word of thine Shall be a fruitful seed; Live truly, and thy life shall be A great and noble creed.

NEWFOUNDLAND

Newfoundland is an island about the size of New York State. It belongs to England. The cod fisheries there are very extensive.

The people of Newfoundland are strong, healthy and industrious. They are law-abiding, and serious; crime is very rare among them. Their kindness and hospitality to strangers who visit the country are proverbial. Kindness to the poor and unfortunate is a marked feature in the character of the people. When business is poor they are ready to share their last morsel with those in distress.

The fishermen are the working classes of the country. During the height of the fishery season, and when fish are abundant, their labors are severe; but during winter they are for the most part in a condition of enforced idleness. Much of the work of curing the fish is done by women and girls, and their labors are often very heavy. When the fisheries are over, there are boats, nets, etc., to repair, stages to look after, and fuel to be cut in the woods and hauled over the snow.

If the fishery has been successful, then the fisherman has a balance coming to him after paying for his summer supplies, and is enabled to lay in a stock of provisions for the winter.

Winter is the season for enjoyment among the fishermen. This season for fireside enjoyments, home-born pleasures, is welcome. They have their simple social enjoyments of various kinds. Dancing is a favorite winter amusement among the fishermen and their families. Weddings are celebrated with great festivity.

Newfoundland is often regarded as the very paradise of sportsmen. Its countless lakes and ponds abound with trout of the finest description, and these bodies of water are the abodes of the wild goose, the wild duck, and other fresh-water fowl.

The pine forests are the home of numerous wild animals. The fox, the bear and the caribou furnish the highest prizes for the hunter.

SELECTION IV

BRING BACK MY FLOWERS

A child sat by a limpid stream, And gazed upon the tide beneath; Upon her cheek was joy's bright beam, And on her brow a blooming wreath. Her lap was filled with fragrant flowers, And, as the clear brook babbled by, She scattered down the rosy showers, With many a wild and joyous cry, And laughed to see the mingling tide Upon its onward progress glide.

And time flew on, and flower by flower Was cast upon the sunny stream; But when the shades of eve did lower, She woke up from her blissful dream. "Bring back my flowers!" she wildly cried; "Bring back the flowers I flung to thee!" But echo's voice alone replied, As danced the streamlet down the lea; And still, amid night's gloomy hours, In vain she cried, "Bring back my flowers!"

O maiden, who on time's swift stream Dost gayly see the moments flee, In this poor child's delusive dream An emblem may be found of thee. Each moment is a perfumed rose, Into thy hand by mercy given, That thou its fragrance might dispose And let its incense rise to heaven; Else when death's shadow o'er thee lowers, Thy heart will wail, "Bring back my flowers!"

LESSON X

THE USE OF TRIFLES

A certain painter once said he had become great in his art by never neglecting trifles. It would be well for all of us to follow that simple and easy rule. No man's house but would be more comfortable, and no family but would be more cheerful, if the value of trifles and the art of using them were better understood. Attention to trifles is the true art of economy.

We must, however, take care not to confound economy with parsimony. The former means a frugal and judicious use of things without waste, the latter a too close and sparing use of things needed. Now a person who understands the use of little things is economical; for instance. If you wipe a pen before you put it away it will last twice as long as if you do not.

ROSA BONHEUR

Rosa Bonheur was born at Bordeaux, France, the daughter of a painter. Her father was her first teacher in art.

At an early age, when most children draw in an aimless way, her father guided his little girl's efforts with his own experienced hand. He taught her to study and sketch from nature instead of relying on copies.

As a child she cared nothing for dolls and toys, but loved animals dearly. Is it any wonder, then, that she took them for her subject when she began to paint?

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