McGuffey's Third Eclectic Reader Part 1

McGuffey's Third Eclectic Reader.

by William Holmes McGuffey.

INTRODUCTION.

ARTICULATION.

A distinct articulation can only be gained by constant and careful practice of the elementary sounds.

Whenever a word is imperfectly enunciated, the teacher should call attention to the sounds composing the spoken word.

If the pupil fails to sound any element correctly, as in the case of lisping, the fault can be overcome by calling attention to the correct position of the organs of speech, and insisting upon exact execution. Except in case of malformation of these organs, every pupil should sound each element correctly before such drill should cease.

MCGUFFEY'S

THIRD READER.

LESSON I.

THE SHEPHERD BOY.

1. Little Roy led his sheep down to pasture, And his cows, by the side of the brook;

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But his cows never drank any water, And his sheep never needed a crook.

2. For the pasture was gay as a garden, And it glowed with a flowery red; But the meadows had never a gra.s.s blade, And the brooklet--it slept in its bed:

3. And it lay without sparkle or murmur, Nor reflected the blue of the skies; But the music was made by the shepherd, And the sparkle was all in his eyes.

4. Oh, he sang like a bird in the summer!

And, if sometimes you fancied a bleat, That, too, was the voice of the shepherd, And not of the lambs at his feet.

5. And the glossy brown cows were so gentle That they moved at the touch of his hand O'er the wonderful, rosy-red meadow, And they stood at the word of command.

6. So he led all his sheep to the pasture, And his cows, by the side of the brook; Though it rained, yet the rain never pattered O'er the beautiful way that they took.

7. And it was n't in Fairyland either, But a house in the midst of the town, Where Roy, as he looked from the window, Saw the silvery drops trickle down.

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8. For his pasture was only a table, With its cover so flowery fair, And his brooklet was just a green ribbon, That his sister had lost from her hair.

9. And his cows were but glossy horse-chestnuts, That had grown on his grandfather's tree; And his sheep only snowy-white pebbles, He had brought from the sh.o.r.e of the sea.

10. And at length when the shepherd was weary, And had taken his milk and his bread, And his mother had kissed him and tucked him, And had bid him "good night" in his bed;

11. Then there entered his big brother Walter, While the shepherd was soundly asleep, And he cut up the cows into baskets, And to jackstones turned all of the sheep.

Emily S. Oakey.

LESSON II.

JOHNNY'S FIRST SNOWSTORM.

1. Johnny Reed was a little boy who never had seen a snowstorm till he was six years old.

Before this, he had lived in a warm country, where the sun s.h.i.+nes down on beautiful

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orange groves, and fields always sweet with flowers.

2. But now he had come to visit his grandmother, who lived where the snow falls in winter. Johnny was standing at the window when the snow came down.

3. "O mamma!" he cried, joyfully, "do come quick, and see these little white birds flying down from heaven."

4. "They are not birds, Johnny," said mamma, smiling.

5. "Then maybe the little angels are losing their feathers!

Oh! do tell me what it is; is it sugar? Let me taste it," said

THIRD READER. 17 Johnny. But when he tasted it, he gave a little jump--it was so cold.

6. "That is only snow, Johnny," said his mother.

7. "What is snow, mother?"

8. "The snowflakes, Johnny, are little drops of water that fall from the clouds. But the air through which they pa.s.s is so cold it freezes them, and they come down turned into snow."

9. As she said this, she brought out an old black hat from the closet. "See, Johnny! I have caught a snowflake on this hat. Look quick through this gla.s.s, and you will see how beautiful it is."

10. Johnny looked through the gla.s.s. There lay the pure, feathery snowflake like a lovely little star.

11. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star!" he cried in delight. "Oh!

please show me more snow-flakes, mother."

12. So his mother caught several more, and they were all beautiful.

13. The next day Johnny had a fine play in the snow, and when he carne in, he said, "I love snow; and I think s...o...b..a.l.l.s are a great deal prettier than oranges."

3,

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LESSON III.

LET IT RAIN.

Rose. See how it rains! Oh dear, dear, dear! how dull it is!

Must I stay in doors all day?

Father. Why, Rose, are you sorry that you had any bread and b.u.t.ter for breakfast, this morning?

Rose. Why, father, what a question! I should be sorry, indeed, if I could not get any.