that, without this warmth, all the earth would be covered with ice, and all the men and animals would die? You see, then, how important the sun is, and how great are the benefits of the light and heat which it sends abroad over the world. Let us be thankful to God every morning for the light and heat of the sun. These are the sources of life to every thing that grows or feels. NIGHT. The sun is setting in the west. It seems to go down behind the hills. Darkness is creeping over the valleys. The birds have ceased) their song, and are gathering into the forest or the thick branches of the trees. The hen has gone to her shelter, and gathered her chickens under her wing. The flies, and gnats, and butterflies, are gone to their rest. The cows and sheep have lain down to their repose. Stillness seems to have come over the world. The sun has set. It is dark. It is getting chill and damp. It is night. Do you see those little shining points in the sky? What are they? We call them stars; but they are worlds far away, and probably they are covered with trees, and hills, and rivers, and cities, and people. We cannot go to them, nor can any one come from them to tell us about them. They are God's worlds, and they are, no doubt, as useful as they are beautiful. How wonderful is night! How fearful would it be if it were to last forever! But we know that the sun will come to-morrow, to give us its cheerful light Let us go to rest, for night is made for and heat. sleep. But let us first think of that great and good Being, who has made all these wonders of nature. Let us put our trust in him. In his care we are safe. But we must ask his protection, and seek his forgiveness) for all our faults. Oh, how fearful would it be if God were not our Friend! How sad would it be if we were to be unkind to others, and to feel that he might not be kind to us! How sad would it be if we were so wicked as not to love and fear him, the best and kindest of all beings! But we may all This would 'indeed be dreadful. be good, if we try to be so. Even if we have done wrong, we may go to him, and ask his forgiveness; and if we ask sincerely,) he will not refuse it. Did you never disobey your father or mother, and, having done so, have you not begged their pardon? And, having done this, have you not been forgiven? And is not this forgiveness pleasant to the heart? Let me tell you that God is as ready to be kind and forgiving to his children, as parents are to their children. Let nothing, then, prevent your loving God, praying to him, or asking his forgiveness. The more you have sinned, the more careful you should be to look up to him, and pray to him, and ask his counsel and pardon. Those who have been most wicked have most reason to love God; for his kindness is great enough to pardon even them. LESSON XII. CONSONANT SOUNDS IN COMBINATION. bd as in ebb'd, robb'd, sobb'd, embib'd. Attune, (not attoon,) tune, opportune, importune, opportunity, adduce, deduce, produce, delude delusion. Faith in God. I KNEW a widow very poor, A gentle, modest lad. And very hard this widow toiled) To feed her children four; Note to Teachers. Let the children pronounce the words in the above table, and then utter each of the consonant elements in the combination separately. Take, for instance, the word ebb'd. Here we have the combination bd. These must be uttered in rapid succession, until the combination can be pronounced with force, distinctness, and ease. And honest pride the woman felt, To labor, she would leave her home, And glad was she when she could buy And this was all the children had On any day to eat : They drank their water, ate their bread, One day, when snow was falling fast, I thought that I would go and see Ere long I reached their (cheerless) home; 'Twas searched by every breezeWhen, going in, the eldest child I saw upon his knees. I paused to listen to the boy: He never raised his head, But still went on, and said, "Give us I waited till the child was done, And, when he rose, I asked him why "Why, sir," said he, "this morning, when My mother went away, She wept because, she said, she had "She said we children now must starve, Our father being dead; And then I told her not to cry, "Our Father,' sir, the prayer begins, As we have no kind father here, "And then you know the prayer, sir, too, Asks God for bread each day; So in the corner, sir, I went; And that's what made me pray." I quickly left that wretched room And very soon was back again, "I thought God heard me," said the boy; I answered with a nod; I could not speak; but much I thought |