The Metropolitan third reader...

Front matter

m^

Book sie

THE

Preface

THIS series originally comprised four Progressive Readers. A Fifth, or Oratorical Reader, was soon after added ; but as many teachers complained that the Third Reader was too far in advance of the Second, an Intermediate Reader has been prepared, and is now published, to follow after the Second. The Third Reader has also been carefully revised, and, where it was possible to do so, shorter and more simple words have been substituted for larger and more difficult ones. These changes will, it is hoped, make the Metropolitan series entirely complete.

Having had some experience in the education of youth, and having examined most of the Readers published, we noticed that, with the single exception of the Christian Brothers' series, all the others are better adapted for pagan than Christian schools. They are made expressly for mixed schools, where Protestant and CathoHc, Jew and pagan, may read out of the same book, without discovering that there is such a thing as religion in the world.

Dr. Brownson, in. his Review for July, has so well described what Readers should and should not be, that we will be pardoned for quoting him, as he ex-

6 PKEFACE.

presses far more clearly than we can what we would wish to say :

"Instructions in natural history or natural science, as chemistry, mineralogy, geology, quadrupeds, birds, fishes, or bugs, may be very interesting, but they form no part of education, and tend far more to materialize the mind than to elevate it to God, and to store it with moral and religious principles, which may one day fructify, and form a character of moral and true religious worth. A book may contain much useful instruction on nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, participles, and other parts of speech, very proper in a grammar-book, but quite out of place in a reading-book ; but all these lessons belong to the department of special instruction, and either have no bearing on education proper, or tend to give to educa-tion a dry, utilitarian, and materialistic character. . . . The aim of the reading-book is not instructioii, save in the single art of reading, but education, the development or cultivation in the mind and in the heart of those great principles which are the basis of all religion."

We have endeavored to make these Keaders as attractive in every way as any series published ; while from a Catholic point of view, we can conscientiously claim for them some degi^ee of merit.

The style in which the publishers have got up the other books of this series is very creditable to them ; but in this third book they have surpassed themselves. It is embellished with numerous engravings, many of them very fine, and far superior to what is generally seen in school-books.

The Compiler.

Part I. Fage

Instructions on the Principles op Eeading 11

1. Baptism 15

2. The Smile of Innocence 18

3. Kind Words 19

4. The Brothers 20

6. Beware of Impatience 21

6. The Two Ways 23

7. Counsel to the Young 25

8. On a Picture of a Girl leading her Blind Mother through the

Woods Willk. 26

9. The Honest Shepherd Boy 28

10. The Wonders of a Salt Mine Youth's C Magazine 82

11. The Starry Heavens 83

12. Carelessness 35

13. Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith 39

14. Live for Something 42 .

17. My Boy Absalom N. P. Willis. 62

18. The Scholar's Vision 54

19. Birth of our Saviour Duty of a Christian. 58

20. A Spanish Anecdote 61

21. Anecdotes of Dogs Natural History. 62

22. Burial of Sir John Moore Wolfe. 66

23. I Try to be Good 68

24. The Green Mossy Bank 70

25. On the Baptismal Vows Duty of a Christian. 7 1

26. The Litany 73

27. The Sign of the Cross 74

28. The Three Friends . .' 77

29. Song of the Eailroad 0. W. Holmes. 78

30. Victorinus 80

8 CONTENTS.

PAOB

81. Guardian Angels 82

32. The Eesurrection of the Body Bible History. 84

33. A Story of a Monk 87

34. The Dilatory Scholar 89

35. Spanish Evening Hymn 90

86. Christ stilling the Tempest 91

37. Holiday Children 92

Part II

1. The Dream of the Crusader 95

3. The Lord's Prayer Bible Stories. 99

4. Legend of the Infant Jesus 101

5. The Do-Nothings 102

6. Healing the Daughter of Jairus Willis. 105

7. St. Philip Neri and the Youth Br/ron. 108

8. Confirmation. 109

9. Birds in Summer 110

10. The Children and the Infant Jesus 112

11. The Grave of Father Marquette Judge Kennedy. 117

12. Abraham and Isaac Bible History. 120

13. Hohenlinden Campbell. 123

14. Language of Flowers Clifton Tracts. 124

15. Homeward Bound Willis. 127

16. Lucy's Death Clifton Tracts. 128

17. .Autobiography of a Rose K M. Guthrie. 132

19. Winter 138

20. The Snow 141

21. Uses of Water 143

Dying Christian to his Soul Pope. 145

22. Flight into Egypt Bible Stories. 146

23. The Freed Bird Mrs. Hemans. 148

24. Beheading of St. John Bible Stories. 150

25. Saturday Afternoon Willis. 152

26. Learning and Accomplishments not inconsistent with Good

Housekeeping 154

27. Learning aind Accomplishments (Continued) 156

CONTENTS. 9

rAGB

28. Anecdotes of the Tiger .... Katwral Etstory 159

29. The Fountain .163

30. Benedict Arnold 164

31. Ruth and No^mi Bible Stories. 166

32. Flowers 169

33. The Scholar of the Rosary 170

35. The Month of May 175

36. The Month of Mary C. Youth's Magazine. 177

37. The Indian 178

88. Charity Oimpion. 180

39. The Everlasting Church Macavlay. 181

40. Welcome to the Rhine Eemans. 183

41. The Bee-Hive 185

42. The Child's Wish m June 187

45. Anna's Offering of Samuel Bible Stories. 196

46. The Boy and the Child Jesus Heber. 199

47. The Holy Eucharist ; .Bible Stories. 201

48. The House of Loretto KM. Guthrie. 204

49. Extreme Unction Duty of a Christian. 207

50. " What is that, Mother ? " Doane. 209

61. Charity Original. 210

62. Anecdotes of Horses Anecdotes of Animals. 211

63. The Battle of Blenheim Southey. 215

64. The Annunciation Bible Stories. 217

55. St. Felicitas and her Sons Mrs. Hope. 220

66. Immortality 0. A. Brownson. 224

67. The Widow of Nain Willis. 225

68. Monument to a Mother's Grave J. R. Chandler. 227

69. Adoration of the Shepherds Bible Stories. 230

60. The Angelus Bell Campion. 232

61. The Adoration of the Magi Bible Stories. 234

63. St. Columba blessing the Isles Machay. 239

64. The Observing Judge 241

67. Henry the Hermit Southey. 246

68. God is Everywhere 249

69. Anecdote of Frederick the Great 250

70. A Small Catechism McGee. 251

10 CONTENTS.

71. The Prodigal Son Bible Stories. 252

72. Blanche of Castile 255

73. Hail Virgin of Virgins Lyra Catholica. 256

74. Legend of Daniel the Anchoret Mrs. Jameson. 259

76. Childhood's Years Kirke While 262

80. Tired of Play Willis. 278

81. Melrose Abbey Ordinal. 279

82. Curing the Blind Life of Christ for Youth. 281

83. Country Fellows and the Ass Byron. 283

84. The First Crusade , Michaud. 285

85. The Battle of Antioch 288

86. Village Schoolmaster. Goldsmith 291

87. The Rector of Guignen Bishop Bayley. 292

88. The Three Homes 294

89. St. Peter delivered out of Prison Youth's C. Magazine. 295

90. The Hermit Goldsmith. 298

91. Pope Leo the Great and Attila Bridge's Modem History. 299

92. Childhood of Jesus Life of Christ for Youth. 301

93. The Butterfly's Ball, etc Roscoe. 302

94. The Ascension Bible Stories. 304

95. The Traveller Goldsmith. 306

96. The Moorish Wars in Spain. 307

97. The Monks of Old .Q. P. R. James. 309

98. The Sacred Pictures Bible Stories. 311

99. Truth in Parentheses Hood. 312

100. Japanese Martyrs , Games. 313

101. Pain in a Pleasure-Boat Hood. 317

102. Flowers for the Altar. Clifton Tracts. 320

I have given the names of some authors ; but in arranging this Reader, my object was to secure pieces suitable for children who were commencing to read rather fluently. Many of them are fugitive. I sought rather to make it pleasant and instructive, than to cull from particular authors.

THE THIRD READER.