New National Fourth Reader Part 28

"That is remarkable," said Mrs. Reed, as she put on her spectacles and drew up her chair a little closer to Alice.

"And there is some writing on it too," said Alice, as she drew it from its hiding-place and handed it to Mrs. Reed.

"Why, it's my husband's writing!" exclaimed Mrs. Reed, as she closely examined the faded letters. "What can it mean? I never saw it before.

Read it, Alice; your eyes are younger than mine."

Alice read: "'Look and ye shall find,' and underneath this," continued Alice, "is a picture of a mantel-piece, and underneath that, it reads: 'A word to the wise is sufficient.'"

Mrs. Reed again took the paper. Her hand trembled and her face became a little pale.

"Alice," said she, "this is a picture of the old tile mantel-piece in the other room. There is some mystery about this. What can it mean?"

"Yes," said Alice, "the tiles in that mantel have quotations on them."

In an instant, Alice was on her feet and sprung into the other room, leaving Mrs. Reed in a state of wonderment.

Hastily examining the tiles in the mantel, Alice cried out: "O Mrs.

Reed, do come! here is a tile with exactly the same words on it!"

Mrs. Reed hurried into the room, and had scarcely pa.s.sed the threshold, when the tile fell to the hearth and broke into a dozen pieces.

Directions for Reading.--Point out breathing-places in the last paragraph.

p.r.o.nounce carefully the following words: _fortunate, adjoining, clothes, hearth, sitting-room, wedding-dress_.

Language Lesson.--Let pupils use other words to express the meaning of the following sentences.

_Alice received a warm welcome_.

_Mrs. Reed stepped into the adjoining room with a light heart_.

_Her face lighted up with joy_.

_Those things remind me of happy days_.

"_A word, to the wise is sufficient_."

Change the _statements_ given above to _questions_.

Change the following _exclamations_ to complete _statements_.

Do come! Let me look! Read it, Alice!

Model.--See my pocket-book! = I wish you would look at my pocket-book.

LESSON XXVIII.

be fall'en, _happened to_.

thrust, _move suddenly or with force_.

mis hap', _something which has occurred to cause pain or sorrow_.

ex cit'ed ly, _in a very earnest manner_.

min'gled, _joined closely; united_.

le'gal ly, _as the law requires_.

a bun'dant, _beyond one's need; plentiful_.

com'fort a ble, _having everything needed to keep one from pain or want_.

re la'tions, _the feelings or acts of people toward each other_.

charm'ing, _very pleasant_.

THE HIDDEN TREASURE.

PART III.

"O what have I done! what have I done!" cried Alice. "O Mrs. Reed, I'm so sorry--I have broken the tile!"

"How did it happen, Alice? Was it loose?"

"Why yes," replied Alice; "I put my hand on it, and thought it appeared to move a little. Having my scissors with, me, I, through curiosity, ran the points in between that tile and the next one."