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VARIOUS OBJECTS, WITH THEIR PROPERTIES. 71

2. The light which flows from the sun consists of seven colors, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The earth is spread over with most of these colors'; the fields appear spread over with green', some parts with a light green', and some parts with a dark green color. Fir trees, and some poplar trees', are dark green', corn and grass are of a light green color. A rose is red; some roses are white. The crowfoot, the cowslip, the crocus, and the wallflower', are yellow. Furze and broom have also pretty yellow flowers. The blue-bottled flower, and some hyacinths', are of a blue color. Some daisies are red, some are white, and some have two or three colors. The corn in the fields, the grass in the meadows, and the leaves of trees', are green.

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3. Iron is heavy', copper is heavier', lead is heaviest. Lead will sink', if you throw it into a basin of water', but a cork will swim on the top of the water. stone will sink in the water', but a pice of light wood will swim'; and if you push the wood down with your hand to the bottom of the basin', it will quickly rise again to the top.

4. The sun shines from the heavens', and gives us light all the day. He is so bright that we can scarcely look up to him. If we were to look strait towards the sun', it would dazzle our eyes. But if we take a piece of glass that is red or dark green', or a glass that is covered all over with the smoke of a candle', we may look at the sun through this glass without dazzling our eyes. The sun sometimes shines very bright', and sometimes he is covered with clouds. The sun is giving us light at this moment', but we cannot see him.

Can any of you tell the reason why the sun is not seen, just now', when he is giving us light'? What hides him from our sight'? The sky sometimes ap

pears clear', like a large blue dome or half globe', and sometimes it is all over covered with dark clouds. When the sun rises in the east', that part of the sky is often covered with bright red and yellow clouds'; and when he sets, in the evening, in the west', clouds of the same kind are sometimes seen. God made the sun, the moon, and the stars'; he also made the fields', the trees', and the corn'; he formed our bodies and our souls'; he gave us eyes to see with, ears, that we might hear', hands to handle with,' feet to walk with', and he preserves us every moment. He is present with us in this place', and sees all that we do', though we cannot see him'. Let us give thanks to God, for he is good', and let us do what he commands.

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THE peacock is the most beautiful bird in the world. Its beauty excels that of all other animals. Its bill is about two inches long, and is of a brown

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color. Its head and neck, and parts of its breast', are of a dark blue color. On the top of its head there is a tuft of pretty green feathers', which adds to its beauty. Its neck is long and slender, and its back of a whitish grey color, spotted with black. But the plumage and tail of this splendid bird are the most beautiful parts of its body. They are adorned with colors so rich and various, that no human art can make any thing like them. When this bird walks in the sunshine, every moment produces a thousand shades of coloring', which are beautiful and ever varying. These fine colors exceed the luster of the finest flowers of the fields and gardens.

But, like the flowers, they fade every year', and the feathers drop from their bodies', and are again renewed every spring.

The length of the peacock, from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail', is about three feet eight inches.. Some of its longest feathers are four feet long. This bird appears haughty and proud', and loves to display its fine colors to those who are looking on', like, those little boys and girls who are proud of their fine clothes.

The peacock perches upon high places', and lives upon barley and other kinds of grain. Its beautiful plumage does not appear before it is nearly three years old. When it drops its fine feathers, in the time of harvest', it does not like to be seen', but seeks to hide itself in some gloomy place.

Though the peacock is very beautiful', it utters a very harsh and disgusting cry. For whole hours it will repeat the cry of eko, eko, eko, with the most hideous noise. It cannot sing a pleasant song', like the linnet and the blackbird. It is so wicked that it will scarcely live with any other bird', except the pigeon'; and it tears and spoils every thing it gets a hold of

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with its bill.

This bird was first brought from a far distant country', from the East Indies', and it lives to the age of twenty-five years.

Little boys and girls', be not like the peacock, proud and vain', on account of your beauty and your fine clothes'; for humility and goodness are always to be preferred to beauty.

LESSON XL.

JIM DICK.

DEPEND upon it, no revenge cuts more keenly than kindness, and this is seldom forgotten by an enemy.

Acts of kindness and soft words have an irresistible power. "When I was a small boy," says Southey', "there was a black boy in the neighborhood, by the name of Jim Dick. I and a number of my play-fellows were one evening collected together at our sports, and began tormenting the poor black', by calling him negro', blackamoor', and other degrading epithets the poor fellow appeared excessively grieved at our conduct', and soon left us. We soon after made an appointment to go a skating in the neighborhood', and on the day of the appointment I had the misfortune to break my skates', and I could not go without borrowing Jim's skates. I went to him and asked him for them. O yes, John', you may have them and welcome',' was his answer. When I went to return them, I found Jim sitting by the fire in the kitchen', reading the Bible. I told him that I had returned his skates', and was under great obligations to him for his kindness. He looked at me as he took his skates', and, with tears in his eyes, said to me', 'John', dont never call me blackamoor again`,` and immediately left the room. The words pierced

A PEASANT'S SON.

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my heart', and I burst into tears', and from that time resolved never again to abuse a poor black."

What a noble example is here! Who will not imitate the poor black', and do good even to those who treat them with unkindness'?

LESSON XLI.

A PEASANT'S SON.

A MAN who was in the habit of going to a neighbor's corn-field to steal the grain', one day took his son with him', a boy eight years of age. The father told him to hold the bag, while he looked if any one was near to see him. After standing on the fence, and peeping through all the corn rows, he returned to take the bag from the child', and began his sinful work. "Father'," said the boy', "you forgot to look somewhere else." The man dropt the bag in a fright', and said, "Which way`, child'?" supposing he had seen some one. "You forgot to look up to the sky to see if God was noticing you." The father felt this reproof of the child so much, that he left the corn', returned home', and never again ventured to steal'; remembering the truth his child had taught him', that the eye of God always beholds us.

LESSON XLII.

ADVICE FROM A BEE.

PRETTY bee, pray tell me, why'
Thus from flower to flower you fly',
Culling sweets the livelong day',
Never leaving off to play' ?-

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