Casabianca.

[Young Casabianca, a boy about thirteen years old, son to the admiral of the Orient, remained at his post (in the battle of the Nile) after the ship had taken fire, and all the guns had been abandoned; and perished in the explosion of the vessel, when the flames had reached the powder.]

THE boy stood on the burning deck,
Whence all but him had fled;

The flame that lit the battle's wreck
Shone round him o'er the dead.

Yet beautiful and bright he stood,
As born to rule the storm;
A creature of heroic blood,

A proud, though childlike form.

The flames rolled on,

he would not go

Without his father's word;

That father, faint in death below,
His voice no longer heard.

He called aloud-"Say, father, say
If yet my task is done!"

He knew not that the chieftain lay
Unconscious of his son.

"Speak, father!" once again he cried,
"If I may yet be gone!"

And but the booming shots replied,

And fast the flames rolled on.

Upon his brow he felt their breath,

And in his waving hair,

And looked from that lone post of death

In still, yet brave despair!

And shouted but once more aloud,

"My father, must I stay?"

While o'er him fast, through sail and shroud,
The wreathing fires made way.

They wrapped the ship in splendor wild,
They caught the flag on high,

And streamed above the gallant child,

Like banners in the sky.

There came a burst of thunder-sound
The boy-0, where was he?
Ask of the winds, that far around

With fragments strowed the sea

With mast, and helm, and pennon fair,
That well had borne their part,

But the noblest thing that perished there,
Was that young, faithful heart.

Note to Teachers. - Poetry should be read more slowly than prose. To prevent the fault of rapidity, and to cultivate the proper tones, it will be necessary, in the beginning, for the teacher to first read a stanza, and then require the pupil to read it after him.

LESSON XVII.

CONSONANT SOUNDS IN COMBINATION.

pt as in rapt, kept, slept, wept.

pts as in accepts, excepts, precepts, intercepts. as in barb, garb, verb, curb.

rb

rbd as in barb'd, garb'd, curb'd, disturb'd.

When, (not wen,) what, which, while, where, whet, whip, whence, whither, whenever, whatever.

What is it makes me happiest?

WHAT is it makes me happiest ?
Is it my last new play?
Is it my bounding ball, or hoop,
I follow every day?

Is it my puzzles or my blocks,
My pleasant solitaire?

My dolls, my kittens, or my books,
My flowers fresh and fair?

What is it makes me happiest ?

It is not one of these;

Yet they are treasures dear to me,

And never fail to please.

Note to Teachers. — In pronouncing words commencing with wh, the letters should be transposed; thus, hwen, hwat, &c. Who and its compounds form an exception to this rule

O, it is looks and tones of love
From those I love the best,
That follow me when I do right:
These make me happiest !

LESSON XVIII.

CONSONANT SOUNDS IN COMBINATION.

rbz as in garbs, herbs, orbs, disturbs.
rd as in bard, herd, cord, absurd.
rdz as in bards, herds, cords, words.
rdzh as in barge, charge, large, urge.

I told him of it, (not uv it.) I speak of him. I heard

of them. It came from her, (not frum her.) I heard from him. I called for it, (not fur it.) He came for them.

Dr. Franklin's First Entrance into Philadelphia.

I HAVE entered into the particulars of my voyage, and shall, in like manner, describe my first entrance into this city, that you may be able to compare beginnings so little auspicious with the figure I have since made.

On my arrival at Philadelphia, I was in my working dress, my best clothes being to come by sea. I

was covered with dirt; my pockets were filled with shirts and stockings; I was unacquainted with a single soul in the place, and knew not where to seek a lodging. Fatigued with walking, rowing, and having passed the night without sleep, I was extremely hungry, and all my money consisted of a Dutch dollar, and about a shilling's worth of coppers, which I gave to the boatmen for my passage.

As I had assisted them in rowing, they refused it at first; but I insisted on their taking it. A man is sometimes more generous when he has little, than when he has much money; probably because, in the first case, he is desirous of concealing his poverty.

I walked towards the top of the street, looking eagerly on both sides, till I came to Market Street, where I met a child with a loaf of bread. Often had I made my dinner on dry bread. I inquired where he had bought it, and went straight to the baker's shop, which he pointed out to me.

I asked for some biscuits, expecting to find such as we had in Boston; but they made, it seems, none of that sort in Philadelphia. I then asked for a threepenny loaf. They made no loaves of that price. Finding myself ignorant of the prices, as well as the different kinds of bread, I desired him to let me have threepenny worth of bread of some kind or other. He gave me three large rolls. I was surprised at receiving so much. I took them, however, and, having no room in my pockets, I walked on with a roll under each arm, eating a third.