9.

BATTLE OF WATERLOO.

Require pupils to memorize for concert recitation.

1.

There was a sound of revelry by night,

And Belgium's capital had gathered then Her beauty and her chivalry, and bright

The lamps shone o'er fair women and brave mèn;
A thousand hearts beat happily; and when
Músic arose with its voluptuous swéll,

Soft eyes looked love to eyes which spake again,
And all went merry as a marriage-bell;

But hùsh! hàrk! a deep sound strikes like a rising knèll !

2.

Did ye not hear it?-Nò; 't was but the wind,

Or the car rattling o'er the stony street:

On with the dance! let joy be unconfined;

No sleep till mòrn, when youth and pleasure meet To chase the glowing hours with flying féet—

But hark! that heavy sound breaks in once more, As if the clouds its ècho would repeat;

And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before!

Arm! ARM! it is-it is the cannon's opening roar!

3.

Ah! then and there was hurrying to and fró,
And gathering téars, and trémblings of distréss,
And cheeks all pále, which but an hour agó
Blushed at the praise of their own loveliness;
And there were sudden pàrtings, such as press
The life from out young hearts, and choking sighs
Which ne'er might be repeated: who could guess
If ever more should meet those mutual éyes

Since upon night so sweet such awful mòrn could rise!

4.

And there was mounting in hot hàste; the steéd,
The mustering squadron, and the clattering cár,
Went pouring forward with impetuous speed,
And swiftly forming in the ranks of wàr;
And the deep thunder peal on peal afár,

And néar, the beat of the alarming drùm
Roused up the soldier ere the morning stàr;

While thronged the citizens with terror dumb, Or whispering with white lips, "The foe! They come ! they come!"

5.

And Ardennes waves above them her green leaves,
Dewy with nature's téar-drops, as they pass,
Griéving, if aught inanimate e'er griéves,
Over the unreturning brave-alás!

Ere evening to be trodden like the grass,

Which now beneath them, but above shall grow

In its next verdure, when this fiery mass

Of living válor, rolling on the foe,

And burniny with high hope, shāll mōulder cōld and lòw.

6.

Last noon beheld them full of lusty life,
Last éve in Beauty's circle proudly gày;

The midnight brought the signal-sound of strife,
The mórn, the marshaling in àrms-the day,
Battle's magnificently stern array!

The thunder-clouds close d'er it, which when rent, The earth is covered thick with other clay,

Which her own clay shall cóver, héaped and pént, Ríder and horse-friend, foè-in one red būrial blent.

BYRON'S Childe Harold.

SUPPLEMENTARY READING. Let the class read, from some historical work, if obtainable, an account of the battle of Waterloo.

10. FAITHLESS NELLY GRAY.

A pun is generally indicated by the circumflex inflection. A rhetorical pause should be made before the word expressing the pun. Before reading call on the class to explain the puns.

1. Ben Battle was a soldier bold,
And used to war's alarms;
But a cannon-ball took off his legs,
So he laid down | his arms!

2. Now Ben, he loved a pretty màid,
Her name was Nelly Grày;
So he went to pay her his devoirs,
When he'd devoured | his pay.

3. But when he called on Nelly Gray,
She made him quite a scòff;
And when she saw his wooden legs,
Began to take them off!

4. "O Nelly Gráy! O Nelly Gray!
Is this your love so wárm?
The love that loves a scarlet coat
Should be more uniform!"

5. Said she, "I loved a soldier once,
For he was blithe and brave;
But I will never have a man
With both legs | in the grave!

6. "Before you had those timber toes,
Your love I did allow,

But then, you know, you stand upon
Another footing now!"

7. "O false and fickle Nelly Gray!

I know why you refuse:

Though I've no feet | some other man
Is standing in my shoes!

8. "I wish I ne'er had seen your fàce;
But, now, a long farewell!
For you will be my death;-alás
You will not be my Nell!"

9. Now when he went from Nelly Gray,
His heart so heavy got,

And life was such a burden grown,
It made him take | a knôt !

10. So, round his melancholy neck,
A rope he did entwine,

And for the second time in life,
Enlisted in the Line!

11. One end he tied around a béam,
And then removed his pégs,.
And, as his legs were off,-of course,
He soon was off | his legs.

12. And there he hung, till he was dead
As any nail in town:

For, though distress had cut him up,
It could not cut him down!

3

THOMAS HOOD.

WRITTEN SPELLING.-WORDS AND THEIR OPPOSITES.

Write the opposites of the following words:

IV. VOCAL TRAINING.—STRESS.

Stress denotes the manner of applying force of voice to single words or sounds.

The radical or abrupt stress applies the force of voice suddenly to the first part of a word or sound; it is like the beat of a drum. In this stress the vowel and liquid sounds are cut short abruptly. It is used in the expression of strong passions, such as anger, and in courage and boldness; also in the expression of strong determination, of hurry, and of alarm. The radical stress is indicated thus, (>).

The median or smooth stress corresponds to the swell in music, being strongest in the middle part of the sound. It is indicated thus, (<>). In this stress the vowel and liquid sounds are smooth and prolonged. The median stress is used in expressing joy, reverence, grandeur, and sublimity; also in expressing peace, tranquillity, and tender feeling. It prevails in the reading of poetry.

The other technical forms of stress-the vanishing, thorough, compound, and the tremor-concern only advanced pupils in elocution.

CONCERT DRILL ON STRESS.

1. Repeat four times with median stress the long vowel sounds—ā, ē, ī, ō, ū.

2. Repeat four times with radical or abrupt stress the short vocals-ă, ě, I, Ŏ, ǎ.

3. Repeat, with strong force and abrupt explosive stress on the initial vowel, the words: a-le, a-rm, a-ll, e-ve, i-sle, o-ld, oo-ze, oi-l, ou-t.

4. Repeat the same words with median stress, or strong swell, as in music.