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shall soon be able to let you go home again; but first you must help me to earn some money.'

'But how could I earn money?' sobbed the poor child. 'You have a very good voice, and can sing many pretty songs; I can teach you some more. the guitar; and you must call me father.'

I shall play

Poor Gertrude saw that she must submit, and promised, with trembling voice, to do her best. And so she did. Wherever these two went, everybody admired the pretty little girl with the pale face and sad eyes, and when she began to sing, the people stopped in their walk to listen to the sweet sounds, for she really had a beautiful voice.

[Write from dictation]

The industrious little girl, who had been so useful to her parents, travelled with her companion a considerable distance; and, having a beautiful voice, she attracted attention and admiration wherever she went.

A TRUE STORY-concluded.

disappearance, vehicle,

[Spell and write]
persuaded,

succeeded, occupation, cultivated, celebrated, admiration, accompany, engagements, acknowledged, gratitude, prosperity.

Meanwhile, Gertrude's father and mother were in the deepest grief for their lost child. Everybody in the village liked little Gertrude, and joined in searching for her with all their hearts, but to no purpose; and the poor parents thought at last that their little girl must have been drowned in the river. After she left them, all seemed to go wrong. A disease came among the sheep, and killed half of them. Two years afterwards, a bad

harvest made it impossible for them to pay their way. Some of their land had to be sold, and one thing went after another, until, ten years after Gertrude's disappearance, they had lost almost everything. Sadly were they sitting one evening in their little cottage, that now looked bare and cheerless. Though the autumn wind was cold, they had no fire. The mother had her youngest child on her lap; the father was leaning his head upon the window-sill, looking the picture of hopeless despair.

'God sends us more trouble than we can bear,' he said at last; I have borne all with patience, but now every hope has left me.'

'If it be God's will,' replied his wife gently, 'all may be well yet!' but as she said so, she glanced at the helpless little group around her, and a tear fell down upon the baby's face.

'Go well with us, indeed!' said her husband, with a laugh that almost frightened his wife. 'Nothing has gone well with us since the child was lost. To-morrow we shall have to leave the house, and God only knows what is to become of us then.'

A vehicle stopped at the door.

'Here they are

The poor man started from his chair. already!' he cried. Will they have the cruelty to turn us out this very night?'

A tall, graceful-looking young lady stood there in the dim twilight; around her the group of wondering people. The lady seemed much affected, and for some moments unable to speak. At last, she threw herself into her father's arms, for the lady was Gertrude, the stolen child. For a moment all was confusion. The poor

mother sobbed, and the baby began to cry. Gertrude was the first to recover herself; and when

she had persuaded them to sit down again, she told them her strange story.

For two years she had led a wandering life with her companion; his expectations had been fulfilled, and they had become possessed of a considerable sum of money in a short time. She had been supported by the hope of being allowed to return home, and succeeded in persuading him to write and tell her parents what had become of her. After some weeks, he had told her that a neighbour had replied to his letter, and informed him that Gertrude's friends had gone to America. Soon after, Müller had fallen into bad company, and begun to drink. This had been a terrible time for the poor girl, for he grew worse every day, and his passion for drink became so strong that he was hardly ever sober. One evening he engaged in a drunken brawl with a companion, and received a blow on his head, from the effects of which he soon after died.

There was nothing left now for poor Gertrude but to follow her occupation alone. She had learned to play the guitar; and when her unfortunate companion had been buried, she went on her way, though she knew not whither. One day she was playing a sad air, when an elderly gentleman stopped to listen to her sweet voice. He made some inquiries. Gertrude told her history. He proposed to have her voice cultivated, as he knew it would repay the outlay and trouble well. For two years Gertrude enjoyed every advantage money could buy, and she had now become a celebrated singer. But her heart was not satisfied by the admiration of thousands, while she was uncertain as to the fate of her parents. She resolved to go to America to seek them, and her kind benefactor offered to accompany her. For this purpose,

she had now sought her native place once more, to gather what information she could. The pastor had just told her the sorrowful story of her parents.

In a few weeks, Gertrude's friends were established in a comfortable farm in their native village. Her brothers and sisters were educated at her expense; and though Gertrude's engagements required her absence during the winter, she spent two happy summers with them, after which she gave her hand to her former school-fellow, the young pastor of her native village. Her father often acknowledged with gratitude that God's ways are not our ways, for what he had deemed his greatest misfortune, had in reality proved the means by which they had all been raised to prosperity.

[Write from dictation]

For some time after her disappearance she was unfortunate; but her voice having been cultivated, she succeeded in obtaining occupation, secured numerous engagements, became a celebrated singer, and the admiration of thousands. She acknowledged with gratitude that her prosperity was due to a gentleman, who had been her benefactor.

A FABLE.

A monkey was boasting one day of his powers of imitation: 'I can roar like a lion and bray like an ass,' said he; 'in short, there is not an animal in the forest that I cannot imitate !'

"That may be true enough, friend,' said a knowing fox, who heard his boast; but pray, do you know any animal that imitates you?'

[Write the above from dictation.]

NAPOLEON AND THE SAILOR.

A True Story.

1.

Napoleon's banners at Boulogne

Armed in our island every freeman,
His navy chanced to capture one
Poor British seaman.

2.

They suffered him-I know not how-
Unprisoned on the shore to roam;
And aye was bent his longing brow
On England's home.

3.

His eye, methinks, pursued the flight
Of birds to Britain half-way over,
With envy; they could reach the white
Dear cliffs of Dover.

4.

A stormy midnight watch, he thought,
Than this sojourn would have been dearer,
If but the storm his vessel brought

To England nearer.

5.

At last, when care had banished sleep,

He saw one morning-dreaming-doting,

An empty hogshead from the deep

Come shoreward floating;

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