crystallized in the most gifted minds; it holds up for his admiration and imitation examples of virtue, moral heroism, and self-sacrifice; it instills a love for the good, the pure, and the beautiful, in the natural and moral worlds, -and has thus more influence in forming his character than perhaps all other school-books united.
Such, in the opinion of the compiler, is the province of the reading-book; and the endeavor has here been made to prepare a series which should fulfill this high mission, and serve, in the hands of our noble army of teachers, not only as instruments of mental culture, but of moral elevation, to the young generation on whom the future hopes of our country and the cause of civilization depend.
If students, having mastered this book, desire to make a further or more systematic study of English literature, such a compilation as Underwood's Handbook will be found excellent for that purpose.
The writer would here express his obligations to Messrs. J. R. Osgood & Co. for permission to use extracts from their copyright editions of leading American authors; and he acknowledges with gratitude the assistance he has received from many kind friends, particularly from J. T. Trowbridge, Esq., to whom he is especially indebted.
L. B. M.