McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader by William Holmes McGuffey

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EXERCISES.--How did Robinson Crusoe make a house? Of what did he make a
chair and table? How did he obtain boards? What does this lesson teach us
in regard to perseverance?

LIV. ROBINSON CRUSOE'S DRESS. (147)

1. But had any man in England met such a man as I was, it must either have
frightened him or raised a great deal of laughter; and, as I frequently
stood still to look at myself, I could not but smile at the notion of my
traveling through Yorkshire in such a dress.

2. I had a great, high, shapeless cap, made of a goat's skin, with a flap
hanging down behind, as well to keep the sun from me as to shoot the rain
off from running into my neck; nothing being so hurtful in these climates
as the rain upon the flesh under the clothes.

3. I had a short jacket of goatskin, the skirts coming down to about the
middle of the thighs, and a pair of open-kneed breeches of the same; the
breeches were made of the skin of an old goat, and the hair hung down such
a length on either side that it reached to the middle of my legs like
pantaloons.

4. Stockings and shoes I had none; but I made a pair of something, I
scarce know what to call them, like buskins, to flap over my legs, and
lace on either side like spatterdashes; but they were of a most barbarous
shape, as indeed were all the rest of my clothes.

5. I had on a broad belt of goatskin dried, which I drew together with two
thongs of the same, instead of buckles; and, in a kind of frog on each
side of this, instead of a sword and dagger, hung a little saw and
hatchet; one on one side, and one on the other. I had another belt not so
broad, and fastened in the same manner, which hung over my shoulder; and
at the end of it, under my left arm, hung two pouches, both made of
goatskin, too; in one of which hung my powder, in the other my shot.

6. At my back I carried my basket, on my shoulder my gun, and over my head
a great, clumsy, ugly, goatskin umbrella, but which, after all, was the
most necessary thing I had about me, next to my gun.

7. As for my face, the color of it was really not so dark as one might
expect from a man not at all careful of it, and living within nine or ten
degrees of the equator. My beard I had once suffered to grow till it was
about a quarter of a yard long; but, as I had both scissors and razors
sufficient, I had cut it pretty short, except what grew on my upper lip,
which I had trimmed into a large pair of Mahometan whiskers, such as I had
seen worn by some Turks.

8. Of these mustaches or whiskers, I will not say that they were long
enough to hang my hat upon them, but they were of a length and shape
monstrous enough, and such as in England would have passed for frightful.
But all this is by the bye; for, as to my figure, I had so few to observe
me that it was of no manner of consequence; so I say no more on that part.

DEFINITIONS.--4. Bus'kins, coverings for the feet coming some distance up
the leg, and fit for a defense against thorns, etc. Spat'-ter-dash-es,
coverings for the legs to keep them clean from water and mud. Bar'ba-rous,
uncouth, clumsy. 5. Thongs, strips of leather. Frog, a loop similar to
that sometimes used in fastening a cloak or coat. Pouch'es bags. 8.
Mon'strous, very large, enormous.

NOTES.--The novel, "Robinson Crusoe," was first published in 1719. It was
founded on the adventures of Alexander Selkirk, a Scotch buccaneer, who
was cast on the island of Juan Fernandez, west of South America, in 1704,
and remained there for more than four years, before he was rescued.

1. Yorkshire. This was the district of England where, according to the
story, Robinson Crusoe was born and passed his early life.

3. Open-kneed breeches. At this period knee breeches were worn almost
altogether in England. Those referred to here appear to have been loose
about the knee, and not close, as usual.

5. Instead of sword and dagger. It was then the fashion in England for
gentlemen to wear such weapons.

8. Such as in England would have passed for frightful. It was not the
custom in England, in DeFoe's time, to wear a full beard.

LV. SOMEBODY'S DARLING. (150)

1. Into a ward of the whitewashed halls,
Where the dead and dying lay,
Wounded by bayonets, shells, and balls,
Somebody's darling was borne one day;

2. Somebody's darling, so young and brave,
Wearing yet on his pale, sweet face,
Soon to be hid by the dust of the grave,
The lingering light of his boyhood's grace.

3. Matted and damp are the curls of gold,
Kissing the snow of that fair young brow;
Pale are the lips of delicate mold
Somebody's darling is dying now.

4. Back from his beautiful, blue-veined brow,
Brush all the wandering waves of gold;
Cross his hands on his bosom now;
Somebody's darling is still and cold.

5. Kiss him once for somebody's sake,
Murmur a prayer soft and low;
One bright curl from its fair mates take;
They were somebody's pride, you know;

6. Somebody's hand has rested there;
Was it a mother's, soft and white?
And have the lips of a sister fair
Been baptized in the waves of light?

7. God knows best! he was somebody's love:
Somebody's heart enshrined him there;
Somebody wafted his name above,
Night and morn, on the wings of prayer.

8. Somebody wept when he marched away,
Looking so handsome, brave, and grand;
Somebody's kiss on his forehead lay;
Somebody clung to his parting hand.

9. Somebody's watching and waiting for him,
Yearning to hold him again to her heart;
And there he lies, with his blue eyes dim,
And the smiling, childlike lips apart.

10. Tenderly bury the fair young dead,
Pausing too drop on his grave a tear;
Carve on the wooden slab at his head,
"Somebody's darling slumbers here."

DEFINITIONS.--1. Bay'o-net, a short, pointed iron weapon, fitted to the
muzzle of a gun. Dar'ling, one dearly loved. 2. Lin'ger-ing, protracted.
3. Mat'ted, twisted together. Del'i-cate, soft and fair. Mold, shape. 4.
Wan'der-ing, straying. 7. En-shrined', cherished. Waft'ed, caused to
float. 9. Yearn'ing, being eager, longing. 10. Ten'der-ly, gently, kindly.

LVI. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. (151)

1. "What an excellent thing is knowledge," said a sharp-looking, hustling
little man, to one who was much older than himself. "Knowledge is an
excellent thing," repeated he. "My boys know more at six and seven years
old than I did at twelve. They can read all sorts of books, and talk on
all sorts of subjects. The world is a great deal wiser than it used to he.
Everybody knows something of everything now. Do you not think, sir, that
knowledge is all excellent thing?"

2. "Why, sir," replied the old man, looking grave, "that depends entirely
upon the use to which it is applied. It may be a blessing or a curse.
Knowledge is only an increase of power, and power may be a bad, as well as
a good thing." "That is what I can not understand," said the bustling
little man. "How can power he a bad thing?"

3. "I will tell you," meekly replied the old man; and thus he went on:
"When the power of a horse is under restraint, the animal is useful in
bearing burdens, drawing loads, and carrying his master; but when that
power is unrestrained, the horse breaks his bridle, dashes to pieces the
carriage that he draws, or throws his rider." "I see!" said the little
man.

4. "When the water of a large pond is properly conducted by trenches, it
renders the fields around fertile; but when it bursts through its banks,
it sweeps everything before it and destroys the produce of the fields." "I
see!" said the little man, "I see!"

5. "When the ship is steered aright, the sail that she hoists enables her
sooner to get into port; but if steered wrong, the more sail she carries
the further will she go out of her course." "I see!" said the little man,
"I see clearly!"

6. "Well, then," continued the old man, "if you see these things so
clearly, I hope you can see, too, that knowledge, to be a good thing, must
be rightly applied. God's grace in the heart will render the knowledge of
the head a blessing; but without this, it may prove to us no better than a
curse." "I see! I see!" said the little man, "I see!"

DEFINITIONS.--l. Bus'tling, very active, stirring. Sub'ject, the thing
treated of. 3. Meek'ly, mildly, quietly, gently. Re-straint', anything
which hinders. Bur'dens, loads. 4. Con-duct'ed, led, guided. Trench'es,
ditches. Fer'tile, producing much fruit, rich. Prod'uce, that which is
yielded or produced. 5. Steered', guided, directed. Hoists, raises. 6.
Ap-plied', directed, made use of.

EXERCISES--What is the subject of this lesson? Is knowledge always a
power? Is it always blessing? Relate the several examples of power wrongly
used. If we use the powers that God has given us for bad purposes, what
will our knowledge prove to be?

LVII. GOOD WILL. (153)
By J. T. Trowbridge.--(Adapted)

1. I suppose you all, my boys, are looking for some sort of success in
life; it is right that you should; but what are your notions of success?
To get rich as soon as possible, without regard to the means by which your
wealth is acquired?

2. There is no true success in that: when you have gained millions, you
may yet be poorer than when you had nothing; and it is that same reckless
ambition which has brought many a bright and capable boy, not to great
estate at last, but to miserable failure and disgrace; not to a palace,
but to a prison.

3. Wealth rightly got and rightly used, rational enjoyment, power,
fame,--these are all worthy objects of ambition; but they are not the
highest objects, and you may acquire them all without achieving true
success. But if, whatever you seek, you put good will into all your
actions, you are sure of the best success at last; for whatever else you
gain or miss, you are building up a noble and beautiful character, which
is not only the best of possessions in this world, but also is about all
you can expect to take with you into the next.

4. I say, good will in all your actions. You are not simply to be kind and
helpful to others; but, whatever you do, give honest, earnest purpose to
it. Thomas is put by his parents to learn a business. But Thomas does not
like to apply himself very closely. "What's the use?" he says. "I'm not
paid much, and I'm not going to work much. I'll get along just as easily
as I can, and have as good times as I can."

5. So he shirks his tasks; and instead of thinking about his employer's
interests, or his own self improvement, gives his mind to trifles,--often
to evil things, which in their ruinous effects upon his life are not
trifles. As soon as he is free from his daily duties, he is off with his
companions, having what they call a good time; his heart is with them even
while his hands are employed in the shop or store.

6. He does nothing thoroughly well,--not at all for want of talent, but
solely for lack of good will. He is not preparing himself to be one of
those efficient clerks or workmen who are always in demand, and who
receive the highest wages.

7. There is a class of people who are the pest of every community, workmen
who do not know their trade, men of business ignorant of the first
principles of business. They can never be relied upon to do well anything
they undertake. They are always making blunders which other people have to
suffer for, and which react upon themselves. They are always getting out
of employment, and failing in business.

8. To make up for what they lack in knowledge and thoroughness, they often
resort to trick and fraud, and become not merely contemptible but
criminal. Thomas is preparing himself to be one of this class. You can
not, boys, expect to raise a good crop from evil seed.

9. By Thomas's side works another boy, whom we will call James,--a lad of
only ordinary capacity, very likely. If Thomas and all the other boys did
their best, there would be but small chance for James ever to become
eminent. But he has something better than talent: he brings good will to
his work. Whatever he learns, he learns so well that it becomes a part of
himself.

10. His employers find that they can depend upon Jim. Customers soon learn
to like and trust him. By diligence, self-culture, good habits, cheerful
and kindly conduct, he is laying the foundation of a generous manhood and
a genuine success.

11. In short, boys, by slighting your tasks you hurt yourself more than
you wrong your employer. By honest service you benefit yourself more than
you help him. If you were aiming at mere worldly advancement only, I
should still say that good will was the very best investment you could
make in business.

12. By cheating a customer, you gain only a temporary and unreal
advantage. By serving him with right good will,--doing by him as you
would be done by,--you not only secure his confidence but also his good
will in return. But this is a sordid consideration compared with the
inward satisfaction, the glow and expansion of soul which attend a good
action done for itself alone. If I were to sum up all I have to say to you
in one last word of love and counsel, that one word should be--Good will.

DEFINITIONS.--3. Char'ac-ter, the sum of qualities which distin-guish one
person from another. 4. Purpose, intention, aim. 7. Prin'ci-ples, fixed
rules. 9. Ca-pac'i-ty, ability, the power of re-ceiving ideas. 12.
Sor'did, base, meanly avaricious.

EXERCISES.--What is meant by the phrase "to apply himself," in the fourth
paragraph? What is meant by "a generous manhood," tenth paragraph? By
"expansion of soul," twelfth paragraph? Tell what is meant by "good will,"
as taught by this lesson. How did Tom and James differ in character?

LVIII. A CHINESE STORY. (156)

By Christopher Pearse Cranch, who was born at Alexandria, Va. (then D.
C.), in 1813. He has written some well-known children's stories, besides
numerous poems; but his greatest literary work is "The AEneid of Vergil,
translated into English blank verse." He died in Cambridge Mass., 1892.

1. Two young, near-sighted fellows, Chang and Ching,
Over their chopsticks idly chattering,
Fell to disputing which could see the best;
At last, they agreed to put it to the test.
Said Chang, "A marble tablet, so I hear,
Is placed upon the Bo-hee temple near,
With an inscription on it. Let us go
And read it (since you boast your optics so),
Standing together at a certain place
In front, where we the letters just may trace;
Then he who quickest reads the inscription there,
The palm for keenest eyes henceforth shall bear."
"Agreed," said Ching, "but let us try it soon:
Suppose we say to-morrow afternoon."

2. "Nay, not so soon," said Chang; "I'm bound to go
To-morrow a day's ride from Hoang-Ho,
And sha'n't be ready till the following day:
At ten A. M., on Thursday, let us say."

3. So 'twas arranged; but Ching was wide-awake:
Time by the forelock he resolved to take;
And to the temple went at once, and read,
Upon the tablet, "To the illustrious dead,
The chief of mandarins, the great Goh-Bang."
Scarce had he gone when stealthily came Chang,
Who read the same; but peering closer, he
Spied in a corner what Ching failed to see--
The words, "This tablet is erected here
By those to whom the great Goh-Bang was dear."

4. So on the appointed day--both innocent
As babes, of course--these honest fellows went,
And took their distant station; and Ching said,
"I can read plainly, 'To the illustrious dead,
The chief of mandarins, the great Goh-Bang.'"
"And is that all that you can spell?" said Chang;
"I see what you have read, but furthermore,
In smaller letters, toward the temple door,
Quite plain, 'This tablet is erected here
By those to whom the great Goh-Bang was dear.'"

5. "My sharp-eyed friend, there are no such words!" said Ching.
"They're there," said Chang, "if I see anything,
As clear as daylight." "Patent eyes, indeed,
You have!" cried Ching; "do you think I can not read?"
"Not at this distance as I can," Chang said,
"If what you say you saw is all you read."

6. In fine, they quarreled, and their wrath increased,
Till Chang said, "Let us leave it to the priest;
Lo! here he comes to meet us," "It is well,"
Said honest Ching; "no falsehood he will tell."

7. The good man heard their artless story through,
And said, "I think, dear sirs, there must be few
Blest with such wondrous eyes as those you wear:
There's no such tablet or inscription there!
There was one, it is true; 't was moved away
And placed within the temple yesterday."

DEFINITIONS.--1. Near-sight'ed, seeing at a short distance only.
Chop'sticks, small sticks of wood, ivory, etc., used in pairs by Chinese
to carry food to the mouth. Tab'let, a small, flat piece of anything on
which to write or engrave. In-scrip'tion, something written or engraved
on a solid substance. Op'tics, eyes. Palm, the reward of victory, prize.
2. A. M., an abbreviation for the Latin ante meridian, meaning before
noon. 3. Man-da-rin', a Chinese public officer. 5. Pat'ent, secured from
general use, peculiar to one person.

LXX. THE WAY TO BE HAPPY. (159)

1. Every child must observe how much more happy and beloved some children
are than others. There are some children you always love to be with. They
are happy themselves, and they make you happy.

2. There are others whom you always avoid. They seem to have no friends.
No person can be happy without friends. The heart is formed for love, and
can not be happy without it.

3. "'Tis not in titles nor in rank,
'Tis not in wealth like London bank,
To make us truly blest.
If happiness have not her seat
And center in the breast,
We may be wise, or rich, or great,
But never can be blest."

4. But you can not receive affection unless you will also give it. You can
not find others to love you unless you will also love them. Love is only
to be obtained by giving love in return. Hence the importance of
cultivating a good disposition. You can not be happy without it.

5. I have sometimes heard a girl say, "I know that I am very unpopular at
school." Now, this plainly shows that she is not amiable.

6. If your companions do not love you, it is your own fault. They can not
help loving you if you will be kind and friendly. If you are not loved, it
is a good proof that you do not deserve to be loved. It is true that a
sense of duty may, at times, render it necessary for you to do that which
will displease your companions.

7. But if it is seen that you have a noble spirit, that you are above
selfishness, that you are willing to make sacrifices to promote the
happiness of others, you will never be in want of friends.

8. You must not regard it as your misfortune that others do not love you,
but your fault. It is not beauty, it is not wealth, that will give you
friends. Your heart must glow with kindness, if you would attract to
yourself the esteem and affection of those around you.

9. You are little aware how much the happiness of your whole life depends
upon the cultivation of a good disposition. If you will adopt the
resolution that you will confer favors whenever you can, you will
certainly be surrounded by ardent friends. Begin upon this principle in
childhood, and act upon it through life, and you will make yourself happy,
and promote the happiness of all within your influence.

10. You go to school on a cold winter morning. A bright fire is blazing in
the stove, surrounded with boys struggling to get near it to warm
themselves. After you are slightly warmed, a schoolmate comes in suffering
with cold. "Here, James," you pleasantly call out to him, "I am almost
warm; you may have my place."

11. As you slip aside to allow him to take your place at the fire, will he
not feel that you are kind? The worst boy in the world can not help
admiring such generosity; and, even though he be so ungrateful as not to
return the favor, you may depend upon it that he will be your friend as
far as he is capable of friendship. If you will always act upon this
principle, you will never want for friends.

12. Suppose, some day, you are out with your companions playing ball.
After you have been playing for some time, another boy comes along. He can
not be chosen upon either side, for there is no one to match him. "Henry,"
you say, "you may take my place a little while, and I will rest."

13. You throw yourself down upon the grass, while Henry, fresh and
vigorous, takes your bat and engages in the game. He knows that you give
up to oblige him, and how can he help liking you for it? The fact is, that
neither man nor child can cultivate such a spirit of generosity and
kindness without attracting affection and esteem.

14. Look and see which of your companions have the most friends, and you
will find that they are those who have this noble spirit; who are willing
to deny themselves, that they may make others happy. There is but one way
to make friends; and that is, by being friendly to others.

15. Perhaps some child who reads this feels conscious of being disliked,
and yet desires to have the affection of his companions. You ask me what
you shall do. I will tell you. I will give you an infallible rule: Do all
in your power to make others happy. Be willing to make sacrifices, that
you may promote the happiness of others.

16. This is the way to make friends, and the only way. When you are
playing with your brothers and sisters at home, be always ready to give
them more than their share of privileges. Manifest an obliging
disposition, and they can not but regard you with affection. In all your
intercourse with others, at home or abroad, let these feelings influence
you, and you will receive a rich reward.

DEFINITIONS.--4. Cul'ti-vat-ing, cherishing, encouraging. 5.
Un-pop'u-lar, not pleasing others. 6. Com-pan'ions, those who keep company
with anyone. 7. Sac'ri-fic-es, things given up to oblige others.
Pro-mote', advance, forward. 10. Suf'fer-ing, undergoing pain. 11.
Gen-er-os'i-ty, kindness, nobleness of soul. 15. In-fal'li-ble, certain,
that can not fail. 16. Man'i-fest, to show plainly. In'ter-course,
communication, mutual dealings.

EXERCISES.--What is this lesson about? Can we be happy without friends?
How can we win the love of those about us? Whose fault is it if we are not
loved? What rule will surely gain us love and friendship if we always
follow it?

LX. THE GIRAFFE, OR CAMELOPARD. (162)

1. The giraffe is a native of Africa. It is of singular shape and size,
and bears some resemblance both to the camel and the deer. The mouth is
small; the eyes are full and brilliant; the tongue is rough, very long,
and ending in a point. The neck is long and slender, and, from the
shoulder to the top of the head, it measures between seven and eight feet;
from the ground to the top of the shoulder, it is commonly ten or eleven
feet; so that the height of a full-grown giraffe is seventeen or eighteen
feet.

2. The hair is of a deep brown color in the male, and of a light or
yellowish brown in the female. The skin is beautifully diversified with
white spots. They have short, blunt horns, and hoofs like those of the ox.
In their wild state, they feed on the leaves of a gum-bearing tree
peculiar to warm climates.

3. The giraffe, like the horse and other hoofed animals, defends itself by
kicking; and its hinder limbs are so light, and its blows so rapid, that
the eye can not follow them. They are sufficient for its defense against
the lion. It never employs its horns in resisting the attack of an enemy.
Its disposition is gentle, and it flees to its native forest upon the
least alarm.

4. Le Vaillant (the celebrated French traveler and naturalist) was the
first who gave us any exact account of the form and habits of the giraffe.
While he was traveling in South Africa, he happened one day to discover a
hut covered with the skin of one of those animals; and learned to his
surprise that he was now in a part of the country where the creature was
found. He could not rest contented until he had seen the animal alive, and
had secured a specimen.

5. Having on several days obtained sight of some of them, he, with his
attendants, on horseback and accompanied with dogs, gave chase; but they
baffled all pursuit. After a chase of a whole day, which effected nothing
but the fatigue of the party, he began to despair of success.

6. "The next day," says he, "by sunrise, I was in pursuit of game, in the
hope of obtaining some provisions for my men. After several hours'
fatigue, we saw, at the turn of a hill, seven giraffes, which my pack of
dogs instantly pursued. Six of them went off together; but the seventh,
cut off by my dogs, took another way.

7. "I followed the single one at full speed, but, in spite of the efforts
of my horse, she got so much ahead of me, that, in turning a little hill,
I lost sight of her altogether, and I gave up the pursuit. My dogs,
however, were not so easily exhausted. They were soon so close upon her
that she was obliged to stop and defend herself. From the noise they made,
I conjectured that they had got the animal into a corner, and I again
pushed forward.

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