present editor of the North American Teacher, an educational journal published in the interest of Catholic schools. cackling (kǎk'ling), silly, prattling. ignoble (Ig nō'b'l), mean, dishon orable, disgraceful. mutinous (mu'ti nus), rebellious. sanctum (săŋk'tŭm), a room used scathe (skath), to wound, do harm to, damage. stupendous (stú pěn'dus), wonderful, monstrous, astonishing. symbol (sim'bol), a sign, a figure, a type. Tipperary (Tip'ĕr a'ri), a county of Ireland. Viking (Vi'king), one who belonged to the pirate crews of the Northmen. 1. The providence of God is beyond what? 2. Does it reach farther than our wildest dreams? How does God inspire men? 3. What does He inspire them to do? 4. Who inspired Columbus? 5. What obstacles did he encounter? 6. What were some of the comments of the people? 7. What was his chief ambition? 8. How did he inspire the sailors? 9. What must he have said when he saw land? 10. Did he realize the great work that he did? 11. What other poems on Columbus have you read? 1. Review the story of the great Columbus as you find it in your textbook on history. 2. Are the facts in the poem the same as those given in the textbook? 3. In what respects do they differ? 4. How do you account for this? 5. Columbus by Joaquin Miller, and The Voyage of Columbus by Samuel Rogers, are interesting and profitable reading. 6. Study the words having prefixes in this poem, and notice how they change the meaning of the root word. BOB'S PICNIC Doctor Maurice Francis Egan in the story entitled The Watson Girls gives a humorous yet pathetic account of Alice and Clara Watson: two girls who had a very high opinion of themselves, but a rather poor estimation of their country cousin, Amélie Watson. It happened on one occasion that their brother Bob gave a party. Six young people bent on fun took the morning boat for the picnic grounds. A few incidents connected with that memorable day are recorded in the following chapters. "Dear me!" said Alice, impatiently, pulling her pink lawn skirt about her, "some of these people are so rude! And Bob has gone off with my parasol, my complexion will be ruined! I wish I hadn't worn my patent leather slippers; they pinch terribly. But a girl must look nice!" "Not if she wants to enjoy herself at a picnic," said Belinda, who carried a large glass jar of lemonade; her bright red felt hat was pushed to the side of her head as usual. Alice looked very dainty and pretty, but unhappy. Her shoes were slight, and the path was covered with big pebbles and tough grass. Her much-ruffled pink frock had been rumpled slightly in passing through the crowd on the wharf, and her straw hat was adorned with such expensive French roses that she was afraid the fierce sunlight would cause them to fade. "Do hurry, Amélie," she said. "Let's get into the shade. There's that German boy about to speak to you! Come on, don't notice him!" Amélie smiled and paused, detaining Alice gently. "Fraulein," said the German boy, "I want to give this for thankfulness of your music." He held his cap in his left hand, he presented her, with his right, a curious brass whistle shaped like a swan. "Don't take that trash!" said Alice. "Come on!" "It is a good whistle. There is only one other like it. It is a fine thing," said the boy seriously. "The other whistle was made for my sister, who is dead in the sea. It is engraved with flowers." Amélie thanked him. She took from her pocketbook a silver medal of Lourdes, and gave it to him. "Thank you, Fraulein," he said. He picked up the big basket he had set down to speak to Amélie and disappeared. The whistle was exquisitely engraved with arabesques. Where had she seen it before and admired it? Why did you bring a shawl and that net bag of yours? Really, you are an object!" grumbled Alice. "The idea of your being so polite to that boy. If you belonged to our circle for visiting the poor, you'd soon find out how impudent that set of people are. One girl I took some shoes to actually returned the call. I wish I had thrown the water-lilies in the face of that impudent boy!" Amélie had some difficulty in holding her tongue. The little procession winding towards the Point was preceded by Bob, who carried two great boxes of cake protected by Alice's pink parasol, from which hung two sunflowers. The twins came next, with a hamper of pies between them. After them walked Willie Golden, carrying a big bunch of very yellow bananas, followed by Jack White, with two big pineapples. There was an interval. Then followed Amélie, carrying Mrs. Holliwell's shawl and the pepper, tea, and sugar, which which everybody else had forgotten. Alice walked, resplendent in pink lawn, with embroidery and rose-colored ribbons, but she walked with difficulty. Clara bore three long loaves of French bread tied with streamers of yellow tissue paper, and Jack White handled with care a big brown paper bag containing his mother's famous deviled crabs. There were several stragglers; then triumphantly came the black boys, with the turtle, the vegetables, the icecream freezer, Jack White's mandolin and Belinda's guitar, mounted on two wheelbarrows. Bob looked back at the procession, with great satisfaction. "It's a splendid picnic: I wish papa and mamma were here to see it!" The Point was deep in ferns. The oaks were bound together by Virginia creepers and the clematis, while here and there a yellow-red, trumpet-shaped flower showed among the climbing green. The tall ferns were reflected in the crystal stillness of the spring, and coolness and freshness made the spot delightful. it "It's pleasant, but where am I to sit down, looks damp," Alice said, drawing her delicate pink dress about her. Amélie meekly spread the shawl upon the ground, and Alice sank upon it. "Oh," she wailed, suddenly, "I forgot the tea." "It's in this bag - this despised net bag," said Amélie. "I'm so glad! I can't live without tea." The black boys began to prepare the material for green turtle soup, made after a manner of their own. The children gathered wood. And in half an hour the boiler was hung over a blazing fire, and the picnickers were jubilantly stirring the stew with newly cut pine sticks. Amélie made herself very busy. At last the white tissue paper cloth was laid and the varied colored paper napkins nicely arranged near the spring. Then she blew her whistle. It had a sweet, loud tone. She held it in her hand musingly. Where had she seen one like it before? |