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LESSON XXIII.

AN'CIENT, that existed a long time ago.
ATH-LET IC, exercising and strengthen-
ing the body.

DE-VEL'OP, expand, cause to grow.
EF-FI-CA'CIOUS, productive of effect.
EL'O-CU TION, the manner of uttering
syllables and words.

I-TAL'ICS, (so called because first used in

Italy), letters which stand inclining thus, Italics, used to distinguish or call attention to words. PHYS IC-AL, pertaining to the body. SPEC'I-FY, to name particularly. TERM-IN-A'TIONS, final syllables of

words.

UT'TER-ANCE, Vocal sounds.

PRONUNCIATION.-School-fel'lows 6, quoits 13, ex'er-cise 9, an'cient 34, college 16, present 36, a-void', (not 'void) 3a, con-tin ́u-al, (not con-tin'yul) 3a, ref'er-ence 36.

A SHORT DIALOGUE ON VOCAL GYMNASTICS.

Pupil. At the head of many lessons in this Fifth Reader, I have noticed the title VOCAL GYMNASTICS. I should like to understand the meaning of that expression.

Teacher. You know, at least, what the term gymnastics denotes; for I have often enough seen you with your schoolfellows very deeply engaged in the practice.

Pupil. Practicing gymnastics! When? I certainly was not aware of it.

Teacher. Whenever you have been running or leaping or wrestling or throwing quoits or playing ball, or, in short, engaged in any sort of active, healthy exercise.

Pupil. These are nothing but plays. Are plays gymnastics?

Teacher. They may be so called. Gymnastics is properly a system of athletic exercises intended to develop all the physical powers, and promote bodily activity and strength. In Greece, in ancient times, a place was especially devoted to the performance of such exercises, and it was thence called the Gymnasium.

Pupil. I thought a gymnasium was a sort of school or college. My cousin Alfred goes to Mr. Classic's Gymnasium.

Teacher. The name at the present day is often given to schools in which the higher branches of knowledge are taught, because in such schools the mind is trained to strength and activity, as the body used to be in the ancient Gymnasium.

Pupil. But Vocal Gymnastics! Vocal has reference to the voice. What has the voice to do with running, jumping, or dancing?

Teacher. Much, to judge by the utterance from your lungs in the play-ground. But Vocal Gymnastics has nothing to do with your noisy sports. By Vocal Gymnastics is meant a system of exercises for training the voice in habits of accurate and forcible elocution.

Pupil. But that is the object of all our reading-lessons. Why, then, give the name to special portions?

Teacher. Because there are certain bad habits of reading to which you are liable, and there are certain good habits which are difficult to acquire. Now to enable you to avoid the bad habits and acquire the good habits nothing is so efficacious as continual practice directed specially to these ends.

Pupil. Will you give me an example of some of the bad habits to which we are liable?

Teacher. For full information I refer you to the Cautions in regard to Articulation and Pronunciation, which form the introduction to the Fifth Reader. Each of the lessons entitled Vocal Gymnastics is intended to give exercise in avoiding some one of these faults.

Pupil. And how are we to know to which of these faults our attention is to be given.

Teacher. At the beginning of each lesson there is reference to the Caution to which your attention is specially called. For instance, look at the next lesson. You see the words "Refer to Caution 1, Section a." Now turn back to caution 1, and tell me its object.

Pupil. (Turning back to page 7.) I find that we are required to give the proper sounds to unaccented vowels, and section a specifies some terminations in which a fault is frequently committed.

Teacher. What terminations do you find thus specified?

Pupil. Terminations in al, an, and others, all of which, I notice, contain the vowel a.

Teacher. And what error are you cautioned against, in reference to these terminations?

Pupil. Articulating the vowel a, as if it were u,—such, for instance, as saying ad'a-munt, instead of ad'a-mant.

Teacher. Now take notice that each sentence of the lesson contains one word or more with that termination. And further to ensure your attention, these terminations are all printed in italic letters.

Pupil. I understand then that in reading these sentences we are tỏ take the utmost care to give to each of these italic syllables the full, correct, and exact sound to which it is entitled.

Teacher. You are right. Now let me hear how perfectly you can do so.

LESSON XXIV.

VOCAL GYMNASTICS.

REFER TO CAUTION 1, SEc. a.-Terminations in al, an, ant, &c.

The gallant admiral bade the tyrant defiance in mortal combat. Human courage could not save the fatal standard. Instant allegiance is due to regular ordinances. Most musical, most melancholy. The Christian herald is exultant and jubilant.

LESSON XXV.

BEL FRY, the place in which bells are hung.

CIRCLE, to move round.

CREST, a tuft of feathers on the head.
FILM'ED, Covered with a thin skin.
GLEN, a narrow valley, a dale.
HER MIT, (from a Greek word signifying
solitary,) one who retires from the
world, a recluse.

from Latin sacer, sacred,) an officer of
the church, who takes charge of the
building, the sacred vessels, &c.
VI-BRATION, the state of moving one
way and the other in quick succession.
MOTTLED, marked with spots of differ-
ent colors.

OLD-SOUTH, the name of a church in
Boston.

SEX'TON, (contracted from sacristan, | WAʼRY, cautious, watchful.

PRONUNCIATION. Often 21, clear 22, cheer'i-ly 22, ris'ing 12, fu'ner-al 16, and 29.

THE BELFRY PIGEON.

1. ON the cross-beam under the Old-South bell
The nest of a pigeon is builded well.
In summer and winter that bird is there,
Out and in with the morning air.

I have passed him oft, and I know his peck
By the play of gold in his mottled neck.

2. And I love to see him track the street,
With his wary eye and active feet;
And I often watch him as he springs,
Circling the steeple with easy wings,
Till across the dial his shade has passed,
And the belfry edge is gained at last.

3. 'Tis a bird I love, with his brooding note,
And the pulsing throb in his trembling throat;
There's a human look in his swelling breast
And the gentle curve of his lowly crest;
And I often stop with the fear I feel,
He runs so close to the rapid wheel.

4. Whatever is rung on that noisy bell,
Chime of the hour or funeral knell,
The dove in the belfry must hear it well.
When the tongue swings out to the midnight moon,
When the sexton cheerily rings for noon,

When the clock strikes clear at morning light,
When the child is waked with "Nine at night,”-

5. When the chimes play soft in the Sabbath-air,
Filling the spirit with tones of prayer,
Whatever tale in the bell is heard,
He broods on his folded feet unstirred;
Or, rising half in his rounded nest,
He takes the time to smooth his breast,
Then drops again with filmed eyes,
And sleeps as the last vibration dies.

N. P. WILLIS.

LESSON XXVI.

HAND'SOME-LY, amply, generously, lib- | IN-SERT', to set in, to print in a newserally. paper.

PRONUNCIATION. - First 9, ad-ver-tise 26d, ad-ver'tise-ment 26g, news 16.

ADVERTISING IN THE NEWSPAPER.-A DIALOGUE.

Ralph. OH, father, what do you think has happened?

Futher. I am sure I cannot tell.

R. Why, my little dog Bounce is lost.

F. Indeed? I am sorry to hear it. How did it happen?

R. I was walking with him in the streets; another dog came along, and they began to play. First they put their noses together; then Bounce scampered away, and the other dog after him. I called as loud as I could, but Bounce would not come back. Then I ran after him, but they turned into another strect, and I could not find them any where.

F. Have you made search for him?

R. Oh yes. I have been all over the city without success.

F. Well, we must advertise him.

R. What, advertise him in a newspaper? Do you think that will find him?

F. Perhaps it may. I will write an advertisement, and you may go to the newspaper-office, and have it inserted.

R. That will be grand: pray do it immediately. Come! Here is paper, pen, and ink.

F. Very well. [writes.]

Now listen while I read it to you:

Lost!

A small black dog, of the terrier-breed, fawn-colored along the breast and down' the legs: very lively and playful, and answers to the name of Bounce. Whoever will return him to the owner at No. 55, Chestnut Street, shall be handsomely

rewarded.

There, will that do?

R. Oh, yes, that will do!

newspaper-office to print it.

Now I will go and ask the man at the

F. Yes, but you must take money to pay for it.

R. What, shall I have to pay for printing the advertisement?
F. Certainly. The printer must be paid for his work. It will

cost you half a dollar at least. Here is the money.

R. Thank you. I do hope we shall find poor Bounce.

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PRONUNCIATION.-Dol'lar 34, prob'a-bly 3a, po'et-ry 36, per-haps' 36 & 32c, fawn 10, par-tic'u-lars 3e, fel'low 6, quan'ti-ty 3c, mu-se'um 26c, cu-ri-os'i-ties 3c.

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[The next day Ralph came running to his father with a newspaper in his hand.]
Ralph. OH,father, I have found it, I have found it!
Father. What! Bounce? Have you found Bounce?
R. Oh, no. Not Bounce, but the advertisement.

L

Here it is:

OST.-A small black DOG of the terrier-breed: fawn-colored along the breast and down the legs: very lively and playful, and answers to the name of Bounce. Whoever will return him to the owner at No. 55, Chestnut Street, shall be handsomely rewarded.

It is printed exactly as you wrote it. Now, how can this advertisement bring Bounce back to us?

F. Why, you know people generally read the newspapers and look over the advertisements. Probably little Bounce has been found by somebody, and if the person who has found him sees this advertisement, he will probably bring him to us!

R. Oh, that will be charming. But you surprise me. I did not suppose that the advertisements in a newspaper were often read. I know that sister Sally always hunts for the marriages and the

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