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people chewing these seeds before their meals, to test the condition of their stomach and appetite.

6. Their long and pointed nails are then extremely useful. The skill and rapidity with which they strip off the hard shell to obtain the tiny kernel must be seen to be appreciated. A troop of squirrels or apes could not maneuver more dexterously.

7. We always thought that the natural propensity of the Chinese for what is artificial and deceptive had inspired them with this frantic passion for water-melon seeds; for if there is in the world a disappointing dish, a fantastic kind of food, it is surely this. Therefore the Chinese use them at all times and in all places.

8. If a few friends assemble to drink tea or rice-wine, there is an accompaniment of melon-seeds. They eat these seeds while traveling, while pursuing business. When children or workmen have a few sapecks to dispose of, they run to expend them on this dainty. The seeds are sold every where—in the towns and the villages—on the high-roads and the by-roads—in the wildest and most ill-provisioned place; you need never fear to be without melon-seeds.

9. The consumption of them throughout the empire is something incredible, something beyond the limits of the wildest imagination. You sometimes see junks on the river entirely loaded with this precious cargo.

HUC.

LESSON CLXXI.

BALM, that which heals or consoles.
BUOY ANT, light, elastic.

CAR-NA'TIONED, red-colored, like the carnation.

DEARTH, want, loss, deprivation.
METE, to measure, to appreciate.
STEALTH, secrecy.
TAINT, stain, blemish.

PRONUNCIATION.-Realm 32a, birth 9, dear 22, spir'it 3c, vi'o-let 3d.

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PRONUNCIATION.-Be-neath' 15, casks 29, op-po'nent 26c, des'ig-nate 27a, oaths 14, con-vince' 1g, oc-ca ́sion-al-ly 3a, course 9.

A VILLAGE LAWSUIT.

1. THE Court was held at the house of the plaintiff, one portion of which was used as a country store. In this room the ceremonies were about to commence.

2. There were no counters or desks. A few broad shelves, clumsily put up on one side, offered the only indication of the use to which the room was devoted.

3. On the shelves were scattered, at intervals, small bunches of hoes, bed-cords, and similar articles; while casks of nails, grindstones, quintals of dried salt fish, and the like, arranged round the room on the floor, made up the rest of the owner's merchandise.

4. The only table and chair were now occupied by the justice; the heads of casks, grindstones, or bunches of rakes serving for seats for the rest of the company.

5. On the left of the justice sat the defendant, whose composed look and knowing smile seemed to indicate his confidence in the strength of his defense. On the other side sat Bunker, the plaintiff

in the suit.

6. The parties were now called and sworn, and Bunker proceeded at once to explain the merits of his case.

7. He produced and spread open his account-book, and then went on to show his manner of charging, which was wholly by hieroglyphics, generally designating the debtor by picturing him out at the top of the page with some peculiarity of his person or calling.

8. In the present case the debtor, who was a cooper, was designated by the rude picture of a man in the act of hooping a barrel; and the article charged, there being but one item in the account, was placed immediately beneath, and was represented by a circular figure, which the plaintiff said was intended for a cheese that had been sold to the defendant some years before.

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9. "Now, may it please your Honor," said Bunker, after explaining in a direct, off-hand manner his peculiar method of book-keeping, 66 now, the article here charged the man had-I will, and do swear to it, for here it is in black and white. And I having demanded my pay, and he having not only refused it, but denied ever buying the article in question, I have brought this suit to recover my just due. And now I wish to see if he will get up here in court, and deny the charge under oath. If he will, let him- but the guilt of perjury will rest on his soul."

10. "Well, sir," replied the defendant, promptly rising, "you shall not be kept from your wish one moment; for I here, under oath, do swear that I never had a cheese of you in my life."

11. "Well, well," exclaimed Bunker, with looks of utter astonishment, "I would not have believed that there was a man in this county that would dare to do that."

12. Some sparring now took place between the parties. The justice, however, interfered: "Gentlemen," said he, "your oaths are at complete issue; but, as the plaintiff has the evidence of the book

on his side, I shall be compelled, in the present aspect of the case, to give the decision in his favor."

13. Upon this the defendant called on two of his neighbors, who testified that he always made a sufficient supply of cheese for his family. They further testified that in the year of the alleged purchase it was within their knowledge that the defendant, instead of buying, had actually sold a considerable quantity of the article.

14. This evidence seemed to settle the question in the mind of the justice, and he soon announced that he felt bound to give judgment to the defendant for his costs.

15. "Now, Mr. Bunker," said the defendant, after coolly pocketing his costs, "now, that it is all settled, I am just going to convince you that I am not the one that has made a false oath in this business."

16. "Well, we shall see," rejoined Bunker, eyeing his opponent with a look of mingled doubt and defiance.

17. "Yes, we shall see," responded the other in a determined manner; "we shall see if we cannot make you eat your own words. But I wish first to tell you where you missed it. When you dunned me, Bunker, for the pay for a cheese, and I said I never had one of you, you went off a little too quick: you called me a liar before giving me a chance to say another word. And then I thought I would let you take your own course, till you took that name back. If you had held on a minute without breaking out so upon me, I would have told you just how it was, and you would have got your pay on the spot; but

18. "Pay!" fiercely interrupted Bunker. "Then you admit you had the cheese, do you?

19. "No, sir, I admit no such thing, for I still say I never had a cheese of you in the world. But I did have a small grindstone of you at the time, and at just the price you have charged for your supposed cheese; and here is your money for it, sir. Now, Bunker, what do you say to that?"

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20. "Grindstone, cheese, — grindstone!" muttered Bunker, now evidently puzzled and doubtful. He took a few rapid turns about the room, and occasionally stopped at the table to scrutinize anew his hieroglyphical charge.

21. "I must think this matter over again. Grindstone,-cheese, -cheese, grindstone,- ah! I have it! but may I be forgiven for what I have done! It was a grindstone, but I forgot to make a hole in the middle for a crank."

22. Upon this curious disclosure the opposing parties were not long in effecting an amicable adjustment. In a short time the company broke up, all obviously as much gratified as amused at this singular but happy result of the lawsuit.

D. P. THOMPSON.

LESSON CLXXIII.

large river.

BAR TER, to give one thing for another. | STRAND, the shore of the sea or of a BUT TRESS, a mass of stone, a prop. HAP LESS, unfortunate, unhappy. PIS-TOLE', a gold coin, the value of which varies in different countries from three to five dollars.

SURGE, to swell, to rise high.
TOLL'MAN, one who collects toll.
URGE, to press forward.
WRACK, Wreck.

PRONUNCIATION.-Pur-sue' 16 and 19, drifts 29, 'neath 15, a gain′ 33, a-mid' lf.

THE BRAVE MAN.

1. THE thaw-wind came from the Southern Sea,
Heavy and damp, o'er Italy.

The scattered clouds before it flew,

As flies the flock when wolves pursue.

It swept o'er the plain, and it strewed the wood,
And it burst the ice-bands on river and flood.

2. The snow-drifts melt till the mountain brawls
With the roar of a thousand waterfalls.

The waters are over both field and dell;
Still doth the land-flood wax and swell;
And high roll its billows, as, raging and black,
They hurry the ice-crags along in their track.

3. On pillars stout and arches wide,

A bridge of granite stemmed the tide;
And midway o'er the foaming flood,
Upon the bridge the toll-house stood.

There dwelleth the tollman, with children and wife.
Oh, tollman! Oh, tollman! quick! flee for thy life!

4. Near, and more near, the wild waves urge !
Loud howls the wind, loud roars the surge!
The tollman springs on the roof in fright,

And he looks at the waves in their gathering might-
"All-merciful God! to us sinners be good!

We are lost! we are lost! The flood! the flood!"

5. High rolled the waves! In headlong track
Hither and thither dashed the wrack!
On either bank uprose the flood;

Scarce on their base the arches stood!
And hear the tollman, with children and wife,
Howl out through the storm for life, for life!

6. High heaves the flood-wreck; block on block
The sturdy pillars feel the shock.

On either arch the surges break;

On either side the arches shake.

They totter! they sink 'neath the whelming wave!
All-merciful Heaven! have pity and save!

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