none of the corn for bread till I had a greater quantity by me, I had the next six months to apply myself wholly, by labour and invention, to furnish myself with utensils proper for the performing all the operations necessary for making the corn, when I had it, fit for my use.

9. But first I was to prepare more land, for I had now seed enough to sow above an acre of ground. Before I did this, I had a week's work at least to make me a spade, which, when it was done, was a very sorry one indeed, and very heavy, and required double labour to work with it.

10. However, I went through that, and sowed my seed in two large flat pieces of ground, as near my house as I could find them to my mind, and fenced them in with a good hedge, the stakes of which were all cut off that wood which I had set before, which I knew would grow; so that in one year's time I knew I should have a quick or living hedge, that would want but little repair. This work was not so little as to take me up less than three months; because great part of that time was in the wet season, when I could not go abroad. Defoe.

De-cem'-ber

scythe

sic'-kle

meas'-ure

se-cure'

re-solved'

mul'-ti-tude per-form'-ance ne'-ces-sar-y sieves

pre-serve' sen'-si-ble la-bo'-ri-ous

en-cour'-age-ment be-lieve'

cut'-las-ses, broad curving swords | in-es'-tim-a-ble,

with one edge, such as are

carried by seamen.

per-plexed', in doubt what to do. ac-com'-plish, finish.

cannot be valued too highly.

te'-di-ous, tiresome.
u-ten'-sils, vessels in common use.
re-pair', keeping right, mending.

EXERCISES.-1. Make nouns from the following verbs: Reap, save, carry, measure, encourage, add, employ, resolve, conquer, esteem, appoint, furnish.

2. Make verbs from the following verbs: Sprinkle, daub, appoint, admit, adjust, behave, take, lead, fuse.

3. Name the nouns from which these adjectives are formed: Courageous, multitudinous, sensible, wooden, estimable, advantageous, laborious, sorrowful, seasonable, violent.

THE DISCONTENTED PENDULUM.

[Jane Taylor wrote several books for the instruction and entertainment of young people, at the beginning of the present century. This example is from her Contributions of Q. Q., a series of articles mostly reprinted from a popular magazine.]

1. An old clock that had stood for fifty years in a farmer's kitchen, without giving its owner any cause of complaint, early one summer's morning, before the family was stirring, suddenly stopped. Upon this, the dial-plate (if we may credit the fable) changed countenance with alarm, the hands made an ineffectual effort to continue their course, the wheels remained motionless with surprise, the weights hung speechless, each member felt disposed to lay the blame on the others. At length the dial instituted a formal inquiry into the cause of the stop, when hands, wheels, weights, with one voice, protested their innocence; but now a faint tick was heard below from the pendulum, who thus spoke :

2. 'I confess myself to be the sole cause of the present stoppage, and I am willing, for the general satisfaction, to assign my reasons. The truth is, that I am tired of ticking.' Upon hearing this, the old

clock became so enraged, that it was on the very point of striking.

'Lazy wire!' exclaimed the dial-plate.

'As to that,' replied the pendulum; 'it is vastly easy for you, Mistress Dial, who have always, as everybody knows, set yourself up above me—it is vastly easy for you, I say, to accuse other people of laziness-you, who have had nothing to do all the days of your life but to stare people in the face, and to amuse yourself with watching all that goes on in the kitchen! Think, I beseech you, how you would like to be shut up for life in this dark closet, and wag backwards and forwards, year after year, as I do.'

6

3. Why,' said the dial, 'is there not a window in your house on purpose for you to look through?'

6

'For all that,' resumed the pendulum, although there is a window, I dare not stop, even for an instant, to look out. Besides, I am really tired of my way of life; and, if you please, I'll tell you how I took this disgust at my employment. This morning, I happened to be calculating how many times I should have to tick in the course only of the next four-and-twenty hours-perhaps some of you above there can give me the exact sum.'

4. The minute-hand, being quick at figures, instantly replied, 'Eighty-six thousand four hundred times.'

'Exactly so,' replied the pendulum; 'well, I appeal to you all, if the very thought of this was not enough to fatigue one; and when I began to multiply the strokes of one day by those of months and years,

really it is no wonder if I felt discouraged at the prospect: so after a great deal of reasoning and hesitation, thinks I to myself—I'll stop!'

5. The dial could scarcely keep its countenance during this harangue; but resuming its gravity, thus. replied: Dear Mr Pendulum, I am really astonished that such a useful industrious person as yourself should have been overcome by this suggestion. It is true, you have done a great deal of work in your time; so have we all, and are likely to do, and though this may fatigue us, to think of, the question is, will it fatigue us to do? Would you now do me the favour to give about half-a-dozen strokes, to illustrate my argument?' The pendulum complied, and ticked six times at its usual pace.

'Now,' resumed the dial, 'was that exertion fatiguing to you?'

'Not in the least,' replied the pendulum: 'it is not of six strokes that I complain, nor of sixty, but of millions.'

6. Very good,' replied the dial; 'but recollect, that although you may think of a million strokes in an instant, you are required to execute but one; and that however often you may hereafter have to swing, a moment will always be given you to swing in.'

'That consideration staggers me, I confess,' said the pendulum.

Then I hope,' added the dial-plate, 'we shall all immediately return to our duty, for the maids will lie in bed till noon, if we stand idling thus.'

7. Upon this, the weights, who had never been accused of light conduct, used all their influence in

urging him to proceed; when, as with one consent, the wheels began to turn, the hands began to move, the pendulum began to swing, and, to its credit, ticked as loud as ever; while a beam of the rising sun, that streamed through a hole in the kitchenshutter, shining full upon the dial-plate, made it brighten up as if nothing had been the matter.

8. When the farmer came down to breakfast, he declared, upon looking at the clock, that his watch had gained half an hour in the night.

dis-con-tent'-ed

kit'-chen

com-plaint'

coun'-ten-ance

in-quir'-y

Jane Taylor.

EXERCISES.-1. Make verbs from the following nouns: Danger, gulf, joy, rage, dew, head, siege, shrine.

2. Make adjectives from the following verbs: Satisfy, exclaim, suggest, illustrate, consider, prevent, resolve, volunteer.

3. Name the verbs from which the following adjectives are formed Desirable, navigable, watchful, helpful, opposite, available, composite, obligatory, satisfactory.

4. Make sentences of your own, and use in each sentence one or more of the following words: Accuse, resume, appeal, industrious.