32 Avoid the insertion of a sound that does not belong to the word. a. Vowel sound. Thus elm, not el'um; prism, not pris'um; griev ́ous, not griev'i-ous; mis'chiev-ous, not mis-chiev'i-ous; stu-pen'dous, not stu-pen'du-ous. b. Consonant sound. Thus cliff, not clift; once, not oncet; moss, not morse; col'umn, not col'yum; hight, not highth. c. Avoid the omission of a consonant. Thus which, not wich; cap'tain, not cap'in; asked, not as't. 33 The following words, which are often incorrectly pronounced, have the proper pronunciation indicated:— cuir-ass' (que-rass') curs'ed, adj. (two syllab's) D Da-guerre'o-type(da-ger'- dis-ha-bille' (dis-a-bil') does (duz) doth (duth) drom'e-da-ry (drum'e da-ry) bron-chi'tis (not bron-kee'-en-thu'si-asm (not ism) Es-senes' (not es-se-neze) Na'ïve (nah'eve) noth'ing (nuth'ing) P Pal-an-quin' (pal-ankeen') pal'frey (pawl'fry) par'lia-ment (par'ly ment) par'tridge (not patʼridge) pi-a'no (pee-ah'no) Do not pervert the sound of the vowel in accented syllables. Thus anʼgel, not angel; chamber, not chamber; plaintiff, not plantiff; a-men', not ah-men'; can-ăl, not can-awl; spir'it, not sper-it; měsh-es, not mash-es; err'ing (pronounce er as in fer-ry); tas'sel, not toss❜l. 35 CONSULT THE DICTIONARY CONTINUALLY, AND ESPECIALLY IN ALL CASES OF DOUBT. EXERCISES IN PRONUNCIATION. The preceding Cautions may with advantage be occasionally used as readinglessons —one or more being read each day in class, and discussed. This may be a separate exercise, or occupy a few minutes of the ordinary reading-classes. Under the title PRONUNCIATION, preceding the lessons in this Reader, will be found a list of words liable to mispronunciation, with figures referring to the ap propriate Caution. The letters or syllables to which attention is to be called, are generally designated by italics. Pupils should be required to study this list, and be prepared for examination on it. The following model exhibits a method which may be pursued with advantage, and which the skillful teacher will vary and improve on at his discretion. MODEL. 1st. Pronounce the word CORRECTLY, slowly, and very distinctly, 2nd. Point out the error to which the word is liable. 3rd. Refer to the appropriate Caution-(and Section, if any). Suppose, for instance, the lesson for the day to be Marion's Dinner, page 302. The pupils are in place for reading. Each takes a word in turn. The language in italics is supposed to be by the teacher; in Roman letters by the pupil. TEACHER. The first word. - FIRST PUPIL. WHILE - incorrectly pronounced wile. Caution 32, section c,- avoid the omission of a consonant, in this case h— A vulgar sort of fault. Do you recollect any other words in which it is often committed?-Yes. Captain is almost always pronounced Cap'n. The next word.-CAROLINA-incorrectly Caroliny, sounding the final a like y. Caution 7. Unaccented a final should have an obscure sound of ah. - What do you understand by obscure sound? - Pronounced without stress. T. The next word. - LIBERTY — incorrectly lib ́uh-ty, suppressing the sound of Caution 9.—Yes; when properly sounded, liberty is a glorious word both in sound and meaning, but how often wretchedly mangled! The delivery of one of the noblest passages in the language —'A day, an hour of virtuous liberty is worth a whole eternity of bondage'-depends completely for effect on the full enunciation of the sound of r in the words hour, virtuous, liberty, worth, and eternity. The next word.- SAW-incorrectly sor, with an r. Caution 10. Avoid giving the sound of r where it does not belong. — A besetting sin of bad readers. They always maltreat this unhappy letter r. The next word.-POTATO-not potatur. Caution 6. Do not give to o the sound of ur.- Is this a common fault? — Most common. We hear it everywhere. Yeller, for yellow; winder, for window. The accurate pronunciation of this sound is one of the best signs of a cultivated reader. The next.-GREAT DEAL-incorrectly gra-deal, omitting the t in great, and run. ning the two words together. Caution 29. Speak the words distinctly.—I have heard a story of a physician who ordered some ice to be put in a patient's mouth, and was surprised on his next visit to find that it had been stuffed with mice. He pronounced some ice, as some mice. The next.-BEAUTEOUS —incorrectly beauchus. Caution 18. Do not give to t the sound of ch.- In what other words is this error often committed? - In na'chur, for nature; cree'chur, for creature. — Right. It is unnecessary to pursue these illustrations farther. We hope every teacher will at least try the plan. DEFINITIONS. PRECEDING each lesson of the FIFTH READER are definitions of some of the most difficult words. These definitions are not intended to be full and exhaustive of all the meanings of the word, but only explanatory or illustrative of the sense in which it is used in the context. Indeed, in many instances, they are more properly notes than definitions. They are in no degree intended to supersede the Dictionary, which should be in every pupil's hand, and continually consulted. It is recommended to the teacher to devote a few minutes before each reading exercise to these definitions. Let the teacher give out the words orally-the pupil write them on his slate, with syllables properly divided and accented, and with the definition. Each pupil may then pass his slate to his neighbor, whose business it becomes to detect errors, if there should be any. In addition to the list at the head of the lesson, it will be well for the teacher to select other words for the pupils to define with the aid of the Dictionary. THE FIFTH READER. LESSON I. A-NON'Y-MOUS, (literally, without a name,) DE-TAIL', a minute narration. | DIS-PLAY', literally, to unfold; hence, to show. MAD AM, (French, ma, my, and dame, lady.) a title given chiefly to elderly or married ladies. VE'HE-MENT-LY, with great force. PRONUNCIATION.-Ac'tu-al 3, as-ton'ished 1, con-cerned' 1, gets 33, hast'ened 21, in'ter-est-ing 3, pe-cul'iar 16, re-plied' 1, ve'he-ment-ly 26e. 1. Or all books, the Bible is the most interesting and useful to those who will read it attentively. It is the only work that reveals the true story of the creation and of the first human family, and which clearly unfolds to man his duty and his destiny. 2. Its title signifies THE BOOK, which implies that it is above all other books. The following story, which is but the detail of an actual occurrence, displays a proper sense of its value. 3. A boy, who was a member of a Sunday-school, was one day sent by his mother to a shop for some soap. The shop-woman, having weighed it, took a leaf from a Bible that was placed on the counter for waste paper. The boy was greatly astonished, and vehemently exclaimed, "Why, madam, that is the Bible!" 4. "Well, what if it is?" replied the woman. "It is the Bible!" replied the boy, "and what are you going to do with it?" "To wrap up the soap," was the answer. 5. “But, madam, you should not tear up that book, for it is the Bible!" cried the boy with peculiar emphasis. "What does that signify?" said the woman sharply. "I bought it for waste paper to use in the shop." 6. The boy, with still increasing energy, exclaimed, “What, the Bible! I wish it were mine; I would not tear it up in that way." "Well," said the woman, "if you will pay me what I gave for it, you shall have it." "Thank you," replied the boy; "I will go home and ask mother for some money." my 7. Away he went, and said, "Mother, mother, please give me some money." "What for?" said his mother. "To buy a Bible," he replied; "for the woman at the shop was tearing up the Bible, and I told her she ought not to do so; then she said she would sell it to me. O mother, do give me some money to buy it, that it may not be torn up." 66 8. His mother said, "I cannot, my dear boy; I have none." The child cried, and still begged for some money, but in vain. Then, sobbing, he went back to the shop, and said, 'My mother is poor, and cannot give me any money; but, O madam! do not tear up the Bible, for my teachers have told me that it is the Word of God." 9. The woman, perceiving the boy to be greatly concerned, said, "Well, don't cry; for you shall have the Bible, if you will go and get its weight in waste paper." At this unexpected but joyful proposal, the boy dried up his tears, saying, "That I will, madam, and thank you, too." 10. Away he ran to his mother, and asked her for some paper. She gave him all she had; and then he went to all the neighbors' houses and begged more. Having, as he hoped, collected enough, he hastened, with the bundle under his arm, to the shop, and, on entering it, exclaimed, 11. "Now, madam, I have got the paper." "Very well," said the woman, "let me weigh it." The paper was put into one scale, and the Bible into the other. 12. The scale turned in the boy's favor, and he cried out, with |