Is there no happy spot,

Where mortals may be blessed,
Where grief may find a balm,

And weariness a rest?

Faith, Hope, and Love, best boons to mortals given,
Waved their bright wings, and answered, “Yes, in heaven.'

QUESTIONS. 1. Is it true that the wind answered "no," or does the author im agine it? 3. What is said of the nearness of the moon to the earth? 3. What are the spots on the moon supposed to be? 4. Where is there a resting place from sorrow, &c.

LESSON XXXV.
Spell and Define.

1. In-dig'en-ous, native, not exotic.
1. Natives, those born in any place.
1. Theme, a subject on which one writes.
2. Em'pire, the territory governed by an

emperor.

3. Dis-cern'i-ble, visible, perceptible.
3. Cur'ing, preparing for preservation.
4. Prop'a-gate, to produce, to generate.

4. De-pos'it-ed, placed.

4. Veg-e-ta'tion, the growth of plants.
S. Ar-o-mat'ic, spicy, fragrant.
11. Sub-ject'ed, exposed, submitted.
12. Ma-nip-u-la'tion, an operation by the
hand.

13. In-trin'sic, inherent, essential.
13. Nat'u-ral-iz-ed, adapted to a climate.

ERRORS.1. Prob'er-bly for prob'a-bly; 2. pe-tic'e-lar for par-tic'u-lar; 3. con'fi-dunt-ly for con'fi-dent-ly; 3. geth'er-ed for gath'er-ed; 5. al'wuz for always; 10. shal'ler for shallow; 11. resk for risk; 12. im-per'fic-ly for im-perfect-ly.

THE TEA-PLANT.

1. THE tea-plant is indigenous to China" or Japan, and probably to both. It has been used among the natives of the former country from time immemorial; and from the age of Confucius, has been the constant theme of praise with the poets.

NOTES. See China, p. 109, note b. b Ja-pan', an empire east of the Chinese Empire, embracing the islands of Niphon, Jesso, Kiusiu, and Sikoke. c Confucius (Kon-fu'she-us); a Chinese religious teacher and philosopher, who lived about 550 years before Christ. He believed in the immortality of the soul, and taught the doc. trine of benevolence, justice, virtue, and honesty.

2. It is only in a particular tract of the Chinese Empire that the plant is cultivated; and this tract, which is situated on the eastern side, between the thirtieth and thirty-third degree of north latitude, is distinguished by the natives as the tea-country. The more northern part of China would be too cold; and further south the heat would be too great.

3. There is only one species of this plant; and although it has been said by some writers that there are two varieties, differing in the breadth of their leaves, this assertion is as confidently denied by others, who affirm that the differences discernible in the qualities of the dried leaves, are owing to the period of their growth at which they are gathered, and to some variations in the methods employed in curing them.

4. The Chinese propagate this plant from the seeds, which are deposited in rows four or five feet asunder; and so uncertain is their vegetation, even in their native climate, that it is found necessary to sow as many as seven or eight seeds in every hole.

5. The ground between each row is always kept free from weeds, and the plants are not allowed to attain a higher growth, than admits of the leaves being conveniently gathered. The first crop of leaves is not collected until the third year after sowing; and when the trees are six or seven years old, the produce becomes so inferior that they are removed to make room for a fresh succession.

6. The flowers of the tea-tree are white, and somewhat resemble the wild rose of our hedges. These flowers are succeeded by soft green berries or pods, containing each from one to three white seeds. The plant will grow either in low or elevated situations, but always thrives best, and furnishes leaves of the finest quality, when produced in light stony ground.

NOTE. -a Chi-nese' Empire; a populous and extensive country in the east of Asia, including China Proper, Corea, Chinese Tartary, and Thibet.

7. The leaves are gathered from one to four times during the year, according to the age of the tree. Most commonly there are three periods of gathering; the first commences about the middle of April; the second at midsummer; and the last is accomplished during August and September.

8. The leaves that are earliest gathered, are of the most delicate color and most aromatic flavor, with the least portion of either fiber or bitterness. The leaves of the second gathering are of a dull green color, and have less valuable qualities than the former; while those that are last collected are of a dark green, and possess an inferior value.

9. The quality is further influenced by the age of the wood on which the leaves are borne, and by the degree of exposure to which they have been accustomed; leaves from young wood, and those most exposed, being always the best.

10. The leaves, as soon as gathered, are put into wide, shallow baskets, and placed in the air or wind, or sunshine, during some hours. They are then placed on a flat cast-iron pan, over a stove heated with charcoal; from a half to three quarters of a pound of leaves being operated on at one time. The leaves are stirred quickly about with a kind of brush, and are then quickly swept off the pan into baskets.

11. The next process is that of rolling, which is effected by carefully rubbing them between men's hands; after which they are again put, in larger quantities, on the pan, and subjected anew to heat, but at this time to a lower degree than at first, and just sufficient to dry them effectually, without the risk of scorching.

12. This effected, the tea is placed upon a table, and carefully picked over, every unsightly or imperfectly dried leaf that is detected being removed from the rest, in order that the sample may present a more even, and a better appearance when offered for sale. With some finer sorts of tea a different manipulation is employed; the heated plates are dispensed

with, and the leaves are carefully rolled into balls, leaf by leaf, with the hands.

13. The names by which the principal sorts of tea are known in China, are taken from the places in which they are produced; while others are distinguished according to the periods of their gathering, the manner employed in curing, or other intrinsic circumstances. The tea-plant has not been naturalized in this country or in England, not being capable of enduring a full exposure to the cold of our winter.

QUESTIONS. 1. Where is the tea-plant indigenous? 1. What is Japan? 1. Who was Confucius? 1. What did he believe and teach? 2. What is the Chinese Empire? 3. To what are the differences in tea owing? 4. How do the Chinese propagate the tea-plant? 7. How often are the leaves gathered? 8. Which leaves are best? 10. How are they prepared for market? 13. From what do the different kinds of tea derive their names?

LESSON XXXVI.

1. Parks, pleasure grounds.

1. Prox-im'i-ty, nearness.

1. Lat'er-al-ly, sideways.

5. Mag-nif'i-cent, splendid.

5. Sec'tion, a part cut off.

Spell and Define.

7. La'bel, a slip of writing.

9. En-thu'si-asm, elevation of fancy.

9. Sac-ri-le'gious, violating sacred 11. Mar'red, injured.

12. Lodge, a small house.

[things.

6. Pre-dom'in-ant, prevalent over others. 15. Ter'ra-ces, raised level spaces.

6. Lute, a musical instrument.

16. Em-bel'lish-ed, adorned.

ERRORS.-6. An'cient for än'cient; 6. pas'trals for pas'to-rals; 9. sac-ri-ligʻious for sac-ri-le'gious; 11. a-gayn' for a-gain'; 12. milds for miles; 17. pop'e-lous for pop'u-lous; 17, teoun for town.

THE ENGLISH PARKS.

1. THE English parks abound with trees of extraordinary age and size. They are not like the trees of our original forests, growing up to a great eight, and on account of their proximity to each other, having but few branches, but they are much shorter, throwing out their branches laterally to a great distance, and thus affording an extensive and delightful shade.

2. I measured one in Lord Bagot's celebrated park in Staffordshire, and going round the outside of the branches keeping within the droppings of the circuit, the distance was a hundred yards.

*

3. The gigantic size of some of the celebrated oaks in the park of the Duke of Portland," which we measured, when he did me the kindness to accompany me through his grounds, seems worthy of notice. The oak denominated the little Porter oak, measured twenty-seven feet in circumference; the great Porter oak is twenty-nine feet in circumference; and the Seven Sisters, thirty-three feet in circumference.

4. The great Porter oak was of very large diameter, even fifty feet above the ground; and an opening in the Green Dale oak, at one time, was large enough to admit the passage of a small carriage through it, but by advancing years the space has become somewhat contracted.

5. These, indeed, are noble trees, though it must be confessed that they were thrown quite into the shade by the magnificent Kentucky button-wood or sycamore, of whose trunk I saw a complete section exhibited at Derby, measuring twenty-five feet in diameter, and seventy-five feet in circumference. This was brought from the United States, and indeed might well be denominated the mammoth of the forest.

6. In these ancient parks, oaks and beeches are the predominant trees, with occasional chestnuts and ashes. In very many cases I saw the beauty and force of that first line in the pastorals of Virgil, in which he addresses Tityrus' as "playing

NOTES. -a Staffordshire; a county in the west of England. b Port'land; a peninsula in the county of Dorsitshire, England. c Der'by; a town in the central part of England. d United States; a federative republic occupying the middle division of North America. e Vir'gil; a very distinguished Roman poet, born at Andes, now Peteole, near Mantua, 70 years before Christ. He was modest in his appearance, and of a mild and gentle disposition. The Æneid is his most distinguished work. fTit'y-rus; a fictitious name of a shepherd mentioned in the first eclogue of Virgil; it is supposed to represent the poet himself.