mind? 9. What is meant by "when the swift river bears us to

2. Put

1. Point out and discuss the scenes in this selection. yourself in little Paul Dombey's place, and tell in writing what you would be likely to do and say.

THE WILD HONEYSUCKLE

Fair flower, that dost so comely grow,
Hid in this silent, dull retreat,
Untouched thy honied blossoms blow,
Unseen thy little branches greet:

No roving foot shall crush thee here,
No busy hand provoke a tear.

From morning suns and evening dews
At first thy little being came:

If nothing once, you nothing lose,
For when you die you are the same;
The space between is but an hour,
The frail duration of a flower.

PHILIP FRENEAU.

THE HERITAGE

The truly Christian sentiment of this striking poem cannot help awakening a responsiye chord. Here we shall notice the persuasive manner in which the gifted author, James Russell Lowell, contrasts the life of the rich with that of the poor. The story will not only clear away many erroneous notions, but will give the correct view of life.

The rich man's son inherits lands,

And piles of brick, and stone, and gold,
And he inherits soft white hands,

And tender flesh that fears the cold,
Nor dares to wear a garment old;

A heritage, it seems to me,
One scarce would wish to hold in fee.

The rich man's son inherits cares;

The bank may break, the factory burn,
A breath may burst his bubble shares,
And soft white hands could hardly earn
A living that would serve his turn;

A heritage, it seems to me,
One scarce would wish to hold in fee.

The rich man's son inherits wants,
His stomach craves for dainty fare;

With sated heart, he hears the pants

Of toiling hinds with brown arms bare, And wearies in his easy-chair;

A heritage, it seems to me,

One scarce would wish to hold in fee.

What doth the poor man's son inherit?
Stout muscles and a sinewy heart,

A hardy frame, a hardier spirit ;
King of two hands, he does his part
In every useful toil and art;
A heritage, it seems to me,
A king might wish to hold in fee.

What doth the poor man's son inherit?
Wishes o'erjoyed with humble things,
A rank adjudged by toil-worn merit,
Content that from employment springs,
A heart that in his labor sings;

A heritage, it seems to me,
A king might wish to hold in fee.

What doth the poor man's son inherit?
A patience learned of being poor,
Courage, if sorrow come, to bear it,
A fellow-feeling that is sure

To make the outcast bless his door;

A heritage, it seems to me,

A king might wish to hold in fee.

O rich man's son! there is a toil

That with all others level stands; Large charity doth never soil,

But only whiten, soft white hands This is the best crop from thy lands; A heritage, it seems to me,

Worth being rich to hold in fee.

O poor man's son! scorn not thy state;
There is worse weariness than thine,
In merely being rich and great;

Toil only gives the soul to shine,
And makes rest fragrant and benign;
A heritage, it seems to me,

Worth being poor to hold in fee.

Both, heirs to some six feet of sod,
Are equal in the earth at last;
Both, children of the same dear God,
Prove title to your heirship vast
By record of a well-filled past;

A heritage, it seems to me,
Well worth a life to hold in fee.

JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL.

AIDS TO STUDY

James Russell Lowell (1819–1891), one of the foremost American men of letters, was born in Cambridge, Mass. As a boy he had a great love for reading. Many an hour he spent in his father's library engrossed in stories and poetry. In 1838, he was graduated from Harvard University. Seventeen years later, he succeeded Longfellow as professor of English Literature at his Alma Mater. Lowell's literary labors embrace both prose and verse. Among his best known poems are The Vision of Sir Launfal, A Fable for Critics, The First Snow Fall, The Fountain, Under the Old Elm. His prose works include criticisms, satires, and speeches. heritage (her'i táj), what is inher- sated (sāt'ĕd), satisfied, surfeited, ited, or passes from heir to heir. filled.

1. What does the rich man's son inherit? 2. Is his a happy lot? 3. Has he any wants? 4. What is the heritage of the poor man's son? 5. Does he enjoy more real happiness than the rich man's son? 6. Name three characteristics of the poor man's son mentioned in the sixth stanza. 7. What does the poet say to the rich man's son? 8. How does he advise the poor man's son? 9. What does he say in the last stanza?

Expressions for study:

bubble shares

king of two hands

sated heart

six feet of sod

to hold in fee

toil-worn merit

well-filled past

worse weariness

1. Write a short composition contrasting the lot of the rich young man with that of the poor young man.

2. Read the gospel according to St. Matthew, xix, 13-26. What lessons are taught in these verses?