The fact which gave rise to this poem is very commonplace. A girl named Lucy lived a short, uneventful life in the country and died. No one knows what her surname was. It is not even known whether she was a real person or not, but the poet Wordsworth has made the name Lucy live forever through this exquisite little word picture.

The first stanza makes you feel that the common, homely tasks of daily life, though they receive no spoken word of praise, awaken and strengthen love.

Can you see the beauty of the comparisons in the

second stanza? The girl was Lucy this or Lucy that to most of the few who knew her, but to the one who loved her, she was a modest violet, a bright star.

Do you catch the meaning of the last stanza? It teaches that it is not the big, bustling world that counts for most in our lives, but the little home circle, the heart circle of those whom we love and who love

us.

220

A COLONIAL GIRL

Actions that show Character

Two hundred years ago, Mary Shepperd, a girl of fifteen, was watching for savages on the hills of Concord, while her brothers thrashed in the barn. Suddenly the Indians appeared, slew the brothers, and carried her away. In the night, while the savages slept, she untied a stolen horse, slipped a saddle from under the head of one of her captors, mounted, fled, swam the Nashua River and rode through the forest, home. - GEORGE W. CURTIS.

This story simply tells what a girl did. Not a single adjective is used to characterize the girl, and yet you have formed an opinion about her. Your opinion is based on the girl's actions. There is no better way to show a person's disposition or character than to tell what the person does. Think of as many adjectives as you can that would apply to the girl.

Exercises. I. Find all the verbs in the story about "A Colonial Girl." Name the subject of each verb.

II. Bring to class a story, showing one of the following:

1. The faithfulness of a dog. 2. The intelligence of an elephant. 3. The fierceness of a tiger. 4. The power of mimicry in a parrot. 5. The slyness of a fox. 6. The courage of a soldier. 7. Kindness to animals.

III. Write a composition on De Soto, the Conqueror, using this outline : —

1. The exploits of Cortez, Pizarro, and De Leon.

2. The effect of these conquests on De Soto his expedi tion the search for gold cruelty to the natives.

3. Discovery of the Mississippi.

4. Death and burial of De Soto.

5. His character.

Word Study

To characterize means to show traits of character.

221

CLAUSES

Study these sentences : —

1. The next boy is Warren Prescott.

2. The boy in the next seat is Warren Prescott.

3. The boy that sits in the next seat is Warren Prescott.

The same boy is spoken of in each of the above sentences. In the first sentence, what word tells which boy is named? What phrase tells the same thing in the second sentence? In the third sentence, the group of words, that sits in the next seat, tells the same thing in a different way.

Study carefully the group of words, that sits in the next seat. It is, as you see, a part or division of Sentence 3, and yet it has a subject that and a predicate sits. A group of words like that sits in the next seat, forming a part or division of a sentence and having a subject and predicate of its own, is called a clause.

Exercise. I. Find the subject and predicate of each of the following groups of words. Use each group as a part or division of a sentence : —

That Jack built; that lay in the house; that ate the malt; to whom we write letters; from which we read; that I lost.

What is a division of a sentence having a subject and predicate called? What clauses have you used in this exercise?

II. Use these clauses in sentences:

1. When the wind blows; until the bell rings; where the ice is smooth; if you whisper.

2. That he is coming; where the fire is; why the door opened; what the boys were doing.

III. Find two clauses in each of the following sentences. Pick out the subject and the predicate of each clause.

1. This is a good story which we read yesterday.

2. When winter came, the pond was frozen.

3. I do not hear what you say.

4. Stand when the bell rings.

5. These are the skates that Ned found.

6. The teacher teaches and the children learn.