beds, and when their heads were covered with those vast, ribboned nightcaps which our great and little ancestors wore, it was scarcely possible for any but a nurse or a mother to tell the one from the other child.

10. Howbeit alike in form, we have said that they differed in temper. The elder was peaceful, studious, and silent; the younger was warlike and noisy. He was quick at learning when he began, but very slow at beginning. No threats of the ferule would provoke Harry to learn in an idle fit, or would prevent George from helping his brother in his lesson. Harry was of a strong military turn, drilled the little negroes on the estate, and caned them like a corporal, having many good boxing-matches with them, and never bearing malice if he was worsted-whereas George was sparing of blows, and gentle with all about him.

11. As the custom in all families was, each of the boys had a special little servant assigned him: and it was a known fact that George, finding his little wretch of a blackamoor asleep on his master's bed, sat down beside it, and brushed the flies off the child with a feather-fan, to the horror of old Gumbo, the child's father, who found his young master so engaged, and to the indignation of Madam Esmond, who ordered the young negro off to the proper officer for a whipping. In vain George implored and entreated-burst into passionate tears, and besought a remission of the sentence. His mother was inflexible regarding the young rebel's punishment, and the little negro went off beseeching his young master not to cry.

12. On account of a certain apish drollery and humour which exhibited itself in the lad, and a liking for some of the old man's pursuits, the first of the twins was the grandfather's favourite and companion,

K

and would laugh and talk out all his infantine heart to the old gentleman, to whom the younger had seldom a word to say.

13. George was a demure, studious boy, and his senses seemed to brighten up in the library, where his brother was so gloomy. He knew the books before he could well-nigh carry them, and read in them long before he could understand them. Harry, on the other hand, was all alive in the stables or in the wood, eager for all parties of hunting and fishing, and promised to be a good sportsman from a very early age.

pat-ri-mon'-i-al home, house which

had belonged to his ancestors. Vir-gin'-i-a, an eastern state of North America. It was originally an English colony, founded in 1607.

al-lied', related.
Round'-heads, a name given to the

Puritans in the time of Charles I., because of their practice of having the hair cut close to the head. It is here applied to their American descendants. Penn-syl-va-ni-a, a large and prosperous eastern state of North America, named after William Penn, to whom the territory was granted by Charles II. in 1681.

mem'-or-a-ble, worthy of being remembered.

re-volt', a rising against authority.

stu'-di-ous

pa-tri-arch'-al, like the patriarchs or early heads of families, such as Abraham or Jacob, of early Bible history.

as-signed', given to; set apart for. Po-to'-mac, a large river of the United States, which forms the greater part of the boundary between Virginia and Maryland.

hos-pi-tal'-i-ty, kindness to strangers.

feu'-dal, pertaining to feudalism, a
system during the middle ages
by which lands were held on
condition of service to the lord-
superior.

des'-pot-ism, absolute power.
ne'-gro em-an-ci-pa'-tion, deliver-

ance of the negro from slavery. dis-po-si'-tion, temper.

an'-ces-tors, forefathers.

EXERCISES.-1. The Saxon prefix (1) to- means this; as to-day, this day; to-night, this night. (2) Un- means not, reversing or undoing; as unfaithful, not faithful; undress, to take off or undo the dress; uncover, to take off the cover; unchain, to take off the chain.

2. Analyse and parse the following: 'Never were people less republican than those of the great province which was soon to be foremost in the memorable revolt against the British crown.'

3. Make sentences of your own, and use in each one or more of the following words: Memorable, ancestor, hospitality, pursuit.

RINGING THE WILD HORSE-I.
[From Washington Irving's Tour on the Prairies.]

1. We left the buffalo camp about eight o'clock, and had a toilsome and harassing march of two hours, over ridges of hills covered with a ragged, meagre forest of scrub oaks, and broken by deep gullies.

2. About ten o'clock in the morning we came to where this line of rugged hills swept down into a valley, through which flowed the north fork of Red River. A beautiful meadow, about half a mile wide, enamelled with yellow, autumnal flowers, stretched for two or three miles along the foot of the hills, bordered on the opposite side by the river, whose banks were fringed with cotton-wood trees, the bright foliage of which refreshed and delighted the eye, after being wearied by the contemplation of monotonous wastes of brown forest.

3. The meadow was finely diversified by groves and clumps of trees, so happily disposed that they seemed

as if set out by the hand of art. As we cast our eyes over this fresh and delightful valley, we beheld a troop of wild horses quietly grazing on a green lawn, about a mile distant, to our right; while to our left, at nearly the same distance, were several buffaloes, some feeding, others reposing, and ruminating among the high, rich herbage, under the shade of a clump of cotton-wood trees. The whole had the appearance of a broad, beautiful tract of pasture-land, on the highly ornamented estate of some gentleman farmer, with his cattle grazing about the lawns and meadows.

4. A council of war was now held, and it was determined to profit by the present favourable opportunity, and try our hand at the grand hunting manoeuvre which is called 'ringing the wild horse.' This requires a large party of horsemen, well mounted. They extend themselves in each direction, at a certain distance apart, and gradually form a ring of two or three miles in circumference, so as to surround the This must be done with extreme care, for game. the wild horse is the most readily alarmed inhabitant of the prairie, and can scent a hunter a great distance, if to windward.

5. The ring being formed, two or three ride toward the horses, which start off in an opposite direction. Whenever they approach the bounds of the ring, however, a huntsman presents himself, and turns them from their course. In this way they are checked, and driven back at every point, and kept galloping round and round the circle, until, being completely tired down, it is easy for hunters to ride up beside them and throw the lariat over their heads. The prime horses of the most speed, courage, and endurance, however, are apt to break through and

escape, so that, in general, it is the second-rate horses that are taken.

6. Preparations are now made for a hunt of this kind. The pack-horses were now taken into the woods and firmly tied to trees, lest in a rush of wild horses they should break away. Twenty-five men were then sent under the command of a lieutenant to steal along the edge of the valley within the strip of wood that skirted the hills. They were to station themselves about fifty yards apart, within the edge of the woods, and not advance or show themselves until the horses dashed in that direction.

7. Twenty-five men were sent across the valley to steal in like manner along the river bank that bordered the opposite side, and to station themselves among the trees. A third party of about the same number was to form a line, stretching across the lower part of the valley, so as to connect the two wings. Beatte and our other half-breed, Antoine, together with the everofficious Tonish, were to make a circuit through the woods so as to get to the upper part of the valley, in the rear of the horses, and drive them forward into the kind of sack that we had formed, while the two wings should join behind them and make a complete circle.