15.-All about the Musk-Rat.

1. THE musk-rat is truly a wonderful little animal. Its body, when full grown, is from ten to fourteen inches in length, quite thick, and covered with a dark-brown fur, which is much used, though not considered very valuable. Its tail is covered with a thick scaly skin, and is from eight to ten inches long.

2. It has short legs, and paws that somewhat resemble those of a monkey, and five toes or fingers, that have long, sharp nails, which are very useful for digging purposes. Its head and ears are short, the former full and thick, and its eyes are small and almost round. It is a native of North America, where its popular name is musquash, the Indian name for musk-rat. It has a strong musky smell, and lives in its house during the winter.

3. It is surprising to hear of the sagacity of this animal. Its house is always built near a stream or a pond, and generally upon a low island. The house is of a conical shape, and often large enough for the abode of twenty musk-rats, though this numerous company never eat in their dwelling; they have tiny houses made for that purpose, and two or three will partake of a meal together.

4. The dwelling and the eating-house are made of clay, twigs, grass, and weeds. There are no doors in sight; the rat enters its house from the water.

5. Its dwelling is two and sometimes three stories high; it builds a ground-floor, then makes a path or sort of stair that leads to the upper chamber. This arrangement is very useful in times of danger.

6. The food of this creature consists of roots, the tender shoots of water-plants, and grasses. It is very cleanly, and many a time has been seen washing the roots preparatory to eating them.

7. It will take the food in one of its hand-like paws, plunge it into the water, shake and wash it vigorously, and then with the other paw rub off the remains of clay or soil.

8. It is an excellent swimmer, and can live for some time under the water. An acquaintance of mine caught one of these animals when it was young, and it grew tame and was contented with its indoor home; it was fed at first with milk, and afterwards with roots and grasses.

9. It was kept in an unused room, wherein was a fire-place, in which it built a little house, and it was amusing to see it scamper away with a bit of grass or twig and put it upon this house. It was kept for five or six months, and then escaped to the water, where, we suppose, it lived as wild as its fellows.-A. D. WALKER.

EXERCISE.

:

Write words meaning the same as the following, and substitute them for those in the lesson in length, considered, resemble, surprising, sagacity, conical, tiny, preparatory to, excellent, acquaintance, scamper, escaped.

16.-The Sleigh-Ride.

1. “Won't you give me a ride on your sleigh? I have not had a ride all winter."

2. These words were uttered by a little girl, the child of very poor parents, to Joel Barclay, a strong, rough boy, who was not very much esteemed by his schoolmates. He was apt to be "cross and snappish," as they phrased it.

3. When she said to Joe, with a timid voice, "Won't you give me a ride on your sled?" he was at first disposed to reply, "No! what business have you to have a ride?" Something seemed to close his mouth against the utterance of those words. He turned, and looked her full in the face. As soon as his eye met hers, he felt kindly towards her, and said, “Yes, you shall have a ride, and a good long one. Go into the house and get a shawl, or something to keep you warm while on the sleigh."

4. She did so. While she was in the house, Joe said to himself, "Am I not a fool for giving this girl a ride? I shall never get anything for it. She is little better than a poor-house girl."

5. At this moment Margaret came out, with so happy an expression of countenance that Joe could not help feeling its influence; and, without acknowledging it to himself, he felt that he had already got something for his kindness to the poor girl.

6. He resolved that he would give her a longer ride than he had intended to give. So, having shown her how to place her dress around her, and how to hold on, he set out for the village, determining to take her through the whole length of the street, and home again.

7. When he came near the schoolhouse, which stood a little out of the village, he saw a number of boys divided into two parties, and throwing snowballs at one another. The two parties were supposed to represent the British and the Americans. Some of the boys had recently been reading an account of the Revolutionary War.

8. When they saw Joe with his sled and passenger, they seemed to forget their separate nationalities, and the fact that they were at war. The contending lines were at once broken, and all rushed to the street, and began to direct their balls against Joe.

9. Joe stopped for a moment, and said, “You sit still while I thrash two or three of the larger boys." But seeing that she looked frightened, he started on a run, being sure that he could soon get beyond the reach of the snowballs.

10. Soon after he had got beyond their reach, a gentleman in a fine sleigh met him. He had witnessed the attack and the flight. He drew up his reins, and said with a smile to Joe, who also stopped, "They were too many for you."

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11. "I didn't run because I was afraid of them;

I ran because she wanted me to, or because she didn't want me to stop and thrash them."

12. "Would you like to go back and settle it with them?"

13. "I don't know as there is anything to settle. I don't suppose they meant anything but fun. They didn't throw at her. I felt angry at first; but I don't think they meant any harm."

14. "That is the best way to look at it," said the gentleman, as he drove on.

15. Joe drew Margaret through the village, and then took her home. After he had left her, he felt more comfortable than he had felt for some time. He had performed a benevolent act, and consequently felt the better for it. If you wish to have a comfortable feeling, go and do an unselfish, kind act towards some one, especially toward some one that needs it.-THE WELL-SPRING.

Questions. What is the meaning of "not very much esteemed"? What is meant by "as they phrased it"? What is the "countenance"? What was the "Revolutionary War"? What is meant by the "contending lines"?

Ut'tered, spoken.

DEFINITIONS.

Had witnessed, had seen.

National'ity, the nation to which Had performed', had done.

one belongs.

Benevolent, kind.

Language Exercise.-Compose sentences containing the following words: timid, disposed, kindly, influence, resolved, village, frightened, attack, settle, unselfish.