De La Salle Fifth Reader Part 4

Memory Gem:

Press on! There's no such word as fail!

Push n.o.bly on! The goal is near!

Ascend the mountain! Breast the gale!

Look upward, onward,--never fear!

[Ill.u.s.tration:]

_9_

THE LITTLE FERN.

A great many centuries ago, when the earth was even more beautiful than it is now, there grew in one of the many valleys a dainty little fern leaf. All around the tiny plant were many others, but none of them so graceful and delicate as this one I tell you of. Every day the cheery breezes sought out their playmate, and the merry sunbeams darted in and out, playing hide-and-seek among reeds and rushes; and when the twilight shadows deepened, and the sunbeams had all gone away, the little fern curled itself up for the night with only the dewdrops for company.

So day after day went by: and no one knew of, or found the sweet wild fern, or the beautiful valley it grew in. But--for this was a very long time ago--a great change took place in the earth; and rocks and soil were upturned, and the rivers found new channels to flow in.

Now, when all this happened, the little fern was quite covered up with the soft moist clay, and perhaps you think it might as well never have lived as to have been hidden away where none could see it.

But after all, it was not really lost; for hundreds of years afterwards, when all that clay had become stone, and had broken into many fragments, a very wise and learned man found the bit of rock upon which was all the delicate tracery of the little fern leaf, with outline just as perfect and lovely as when, long, long ago it had swayed to the breezes in its own beautiful valley.

And so wonderful did it seem to the wise man, that he took the fern leaf home with him and placed it in his cabinet where all could admire it; and where, if they were thoughtful and clever enough, they could think out the story for themselves and find the lesson which was hidden away with the fern in the bit of rock.

Lesson! did I say? Well, let's not call it a lesson, but only a truth which it will do every one of us good to remember; and that is, that none of the beauty in this fair world around us, nor anything that is sweet and lovely in our own hearts, and lives, will ever be useless and lost. For, as the little fern leaf lay hidden away for years and years, and yet finally was found by the wise man and given a place with his other rare and precious possessions where it could still, though silently, aid those who looked upon it; so we, as boys and girls, men and women who are to be, can now, day by day, cultivate all lovely traits of character, making ourselves ready to take our place in the world's work. And when that time comes we shall not only be able to aid others silently, as did the little fern, but may also, by word and deed, lend a hand to each and every one around us.

_Mara L. Pratt._

From "Fairyland of Flowers." The Educational Publis.h.i.+ng Co.

Break up the following words into their syllables, and place the accent mark where it belongs in each:

outline, tracery, cabinet, delicate, finally, character, hundreds, centuries, remember, beautiful, possessions. Show the correct use of the words in original sentences. The dictionary will help you in the work.

Name some of the traits of character that will help a boy or a girl to be truly successful in life.

Memory Gems:

The child is father of the man; And I could wish my days to be Bound each to each by natural piety.

_Wordsworth_.

Truth alone makes life rich and great.

_Emerson_.

There is a tongue in every leaf-- A voice in every rill-- A voice that speaketh everywhere-- In flood and fire, through earth and air, A tongue that's never still.

_Anon_.

_10_

blithe whistler mellow replied cheery skylark

HELPING MOTHER.

As I went down the street to-day, I saw a little lad Whose face was just the kind of face To make a person glad.

It was so plump and rosy-cheeked, So cheerful and so bright, It made me think of apple-time.

And filled me with delight.