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Each of the Four Numbers of

"100 Choice Selections" contained
in this volume is paged separately,
and the Index is made to corres-
pond therewith. See EXPLANATION on
first page of Contents.

The entire book contains nearly

1000 pages.

100

CHOICE SELECTIONS.

No. 13.

CENTENNIAL HYMN.-JOHN G. WHITTIER.

Our father's God! from out whose hand
The centuries fall like grains of sand,
We meet to-day, united, free,
And loyal to our land and Thee,
To thank Thee for the era done,
And trust Thee for the opening one.

Here, where of old, by Thy design,
The fathers spake that word of Thine,
Whose echo is the glad refrain
Of rended bolt and falling chain,
To grace our festal time from all'
The zones of earth our guests we call.

Be with us while the New World greets
The Old World thronging all its streets,
Unveiling all the triumphs won
By art or toil beneath the sun;
And unto common good ordain
This rivalship of hand and brain.

Thou who hast here in concord furled
The war-flags of a gathered world,
Beneath our western skies fulfill
The orient mission of good-will:

And, freighted with love's golden fleece,
Send back the Argonauts of peace.

For art and labor inet in truce,
For beauty made the bride of use,
We thank Thee, while withal we crave
The austere virtues, strong to save;
The honor, proof to place or gold;
The manhood, never bought nor sold.

Oh! make Thou us through centuries long,
In peace secure, in justice strong;
Around our gift of freedom draw
The safeguards of Thy righteous law,
And, cast in some diviner mold,
Let the new cycle shame the old.

TOM.-CONSTANCE FENIMORE WOOLSON.

Yes, Tom's the best fellow that ever you knew.
Just listen to this:-

When the old mill took fire, and the flooring fell through,
And I with it, helpless there, full in my view

What do you think my eyes saw through the fire
That crept along, crept along, nigher and nigher,
But Robin, my baby-boy, laughing to see

The shining? He inust have come there after me,
Toddled alone from the cottage without

Any one's missing him. Then, what a shout-
Oh! how I shouted, " For Heaven's sake, men,
Save little Robin!" Again and again

They tried, but the fire held them back like a wall.
I could hear them go at it, and at it, and call,

He sat

“Never mind, baby, sit still like a man!
We're coming to get you as fast as we can."
They could not see him, but I could.
Still on a beam, his little straw hat
Carefully placed by his side; and his eyes

Stared at the flame with a baby's surprise,
Calm and unconscious, as nearer it crept.

The roar of the fire up above must have kept

The sound of his mother's voice shrieking his name
From reaching the child. But I heard it. It came
Again and again. O God, what a cry!

The axes went faster: I saw the sparks fly

Where the men worked like tigers, nor minded the heat That scorched them,-when, suddenly, there at their feet,

The great beams leaned in-they saw him-then, crash,
Down came the wall! The men made a dash,—
Jumped to get out of the way, and I thought,
"All's up with poor little Robin!" and brought
Slowly the arm that was least hurt to hide

The sight of the child there,-when swift, at my side,
Some one rushed by, and went right through the flame,
Straight as a dart-caught the child-and then came
Back with him, choking and crying, but-saved!
Saved safe and sound!

Oh, how the men raved,

Shouted, and cried, and hurrahed! Then they all
Rushed at the work again, lest the back wall
Where I was lying, away from the fire,
Should fall in and bury me.

Oh! you'd admire

To see Robin now he's as bright as a dime,
Deep in some mischief, too, most of the time.
Tom, it was, saved him. Now, isn't it true
Tom's the best fellow that ever you knew?
There's Robin now! See, he's strong as a log!
And there comes Tom too-

Yes, Tom was our dog.

TRUE NOBILITY.-AN ORATION.

Who are the true noblemen of the earth? Who well deserve to belong to the nobility? Not they who are decked with glittering crowns and costly paraphernalia; not they who possess wealth and power; not they whose names are echoed far and wide, and lauded as successful financiers, mighty warriors, brilliant statesmen, or eloquent orators; but they who are known by excellent virtues and noble deeds; they who have honest and pure hearts, above all meanness and crime; who act honestly in all circumstances, and whose chief desire is to benefit their fellow-men.

Nobility denotes true honor. It does not mean that man shall continually play the hypocrite in order to carry out his plans-ready to praise a man in the morning and curse him at sun-down-ready to shout for Republicanism in the street, and wire-pull for Democracy in the caucus.

A true nobleman is a man straightforward and just, kind and benevolent; who feeds the hungry, clothes the naked,

visits the afflicted ones of earth, pouring oil upon the troubled waters, and brushing away the tear that trembled in the eye of the weeper.

It is he who is independent. Not that independence which says, "I am Sir Oracle; let no dog bark when I do ope my mouth," but that independence which consists of true moral courage, that Newton-like, can learn from a goat-herd, and when necessary, can promptly say, "No." I mean that independence that is exempt from undue influence, and possessing the power of self-control.

Nobility denotes a courteous deportment; cheerfulness, industry, affability, an obliging disposition, and a strict observance of all the proper rules of society are necessary to true nobility.

Another important element is mental cultivation. Ignorance is debasing to the mind and robs it of its glory. Intelligence expands and gives energy and power to the soul. To obtain this intelligence, careful study and close thought are necessary. Here is the true Castilian fount. Drink deep thereof, and learn to be good and noble.

Study well the book of Nature. There you will meet with wide ideas of beauty and grandeur,—and hold fellowship with Him who maketh the earth His footstool, the heavens His throne, the thunder His voice, and the clouds His chariot,— and you will be rewarded with rich gems of thought and new and grand projects that mayhap shall cause you to be remembered as another Franklin, another Newton, or another Locke. True nobility denotes purity of soul with freedom from all corruptions of our nature,—pride, self-will, anger, covetousness, envy. It also denotes a proper government of the body by curbing properly all the desires and appetites. These all should be conformed to the principles of morality and religion. Cleanliness, which is next to godliness, is its constant attendant.

True nobility denotes an earnest, active life, consecrated to the glory of God and the good of humanity. Man can only answer the end of his being in working with all his ransomed powers to this end. He will scarcely have placed his foot on the threshold of this work, ere he will be surrounded with difficulties.

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