He remembered too late, on his thorny green bed, Much that well may be thought cannot wisely be said. curate, clergyman; tractable, easily managed; mettle, high spirit; to boot, in addition; docile, easily taught; reverie, deep, dreamy thought. Read the poem through and be prepared to tell the story. How many lines in each stanza? Which lines rhyme? Collect all the names applied by the curate to his horse. Is creature a synonym for courser ? Spelling. Curate, mettle, docile, saddle, reverie. Word Study. What is the stem in the word discovered? What is the meaning of the prefix dis? Can you explain the use of the word from this analysis? Grammar. In stanza 1 you will find the mare referred to several times without giving it a name; thus, her, she. The curate is referred to by use of the words who, his. You can readily see that these words are not names, but words used for names. We call them pro-nouns (pro meaning for). See how many pronouns you can find in the remaining stanzas of this poem. If you substitute for the pronoun the noun for which it stands, you will readily see what a useful part of speech the pronoun is. The word for which a pronoun is used is called its ante cedent. Give pronouns which might be used in place of the following nouns: 1. Your own name. 2. Your own name with another's. 3. The name of some one you are addressing. 4. Mary. 5. Mary's. 6. John's and Henry's. 7. A bird. 8. Mary and John. Fill the blanks below with pronouns: am out of practice," said Mr. Winkle. "Come to called Mr. Pickwick. 66 will all go together," said Mr. Wardle "Watch - -!" cried the boys. Another lady said thought all enjoyed themselves. Mr. Winkle wished swanlike. are a humbug!" cried Mr. Pick master. She threw Name all the antecedents. Make a list of the pronouns you have used and learn them. question, "What is a pronoun?” 12 THE STAGECOACH [Tom is an English lad, leaving home for Rugby, a famous English school, in the times when railways were not yet introduced into England, and people traveled by stagecoach. The whole book, Tom Brown's School-days, is thoroughly worth reading, for it not only describes Tom's adventures in the great school, but shows how the schoolmaster made a man of him. Boys will like to see how the old game of "Rugby" was played.] "Now, sir, time to get up, if you please. Tallyho coach for Leicester'll be round in half an hour, and don't wait for nobody." So spake the boots of the Peacock Inn, Islington, at half-past two o'clock on the morning of a day in the early part of November, 183-, giving Tom at 5 the same time a shake by the shoulder, and then putting down a candle and carrying off his shoes to clean. Tom tumbled out of bed at the summons of Boots, and proceeded rapidly to wash and dress himself. At ten minutes to three he was down in the coffeeroom in his 10 stockings, carrying his hatbox, coat, and comforter in his hand; and there he found his father nursing a bright fire, and a cup of hot coffee and a hard biscuit on the table. 5 "Now, then, Tom, give us your things here, and drink this; there's nothing like starting warm, old fellow." Tom addressed himself to the coffee, and prattled away while he worked himself into his shoes and his greatcoat, well warmed through a Petersham coat with velvet col10 lar, made tight after the abominable fashion of those days. And just as he was swallowing his last mouthful, winding his comforter round his throat, and tucking the ends into the breast of his coat, the horn sounds, Boots looks in and says, "Tallyho, sir;" and they hear the ring and the 15 rattle of the four fast trotters, and the town-made drag, as it dashes up to the "Peacock." 20 "Anything for us, Bob?" says the burly guard, dropping down from behind, and slapping himself across the chest. "Young genl'm'n, Rugby; three parcels, Leicester; hamper o' game, Rugby," answers hostler. "Tell young gent to look alive," says guard, opening the hind boot, and shooting in the parcels, after examining them by the lamps. "Here, shove the portmanteau 25 up atop-I'll fasten him presently. Now then, sir, jump up behind." "Good-by, father - my love at home." of the hand. Up goes Tom, the guard catching his hatbox and holding on with one hand, while with the other he claps the horn to his mouth. Toot, toot, toot! the hostlers let go their heads, the four bays plunge at the collar, and away goes the tallyho into the darkness, 5 forty-five seconds from the time they pulled up. I sometimes think that you boys of this generation are a deal tenderer fellows than we used to be. At any rate you're much more comfortable travelers, for I see every one of you with his rug or plaid, and most of you 5 going in those fuzzy, dusty, padded, first-class carriages. It was another affair altogether, a dark ride on the top of the tallyho, I can tell you, in a tight, Petersham coat, and your feet dangling six inches from the floor. Then you knew what cold was, and what it was to be without 10 legs, for not a bit of feeling had you in them after the first half hour. But it had its pleasures, -the old, dark ride. First there was the consciousness of silent endurance, so dear to every Englishman of standing out Then there was against something, and not giving in. 15 the music of the rattling harness, and the ring of the horses' feet on the hard road, and the glare of the two bright lamps through the streaming hoarfrost, over the leaders' ears, into the darkness; and the cheery toot of the guard's horn, to warn some drowsy gateman or the 20 hostler at the next change; and the looking forward to daylight; and last, but not least, the delight of returning sensation in your toes. The tallyho is past St. Albans, and Tom is enjoying the ride, though half frozen. The guard, who is alone 25 with him on the back of the coach, is silent, but has muffled Tom's feet up in straw, and put the end of an oat sack over his knees. The darkness has driven him |