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PREFACE.

THE object for which PLEASANT PAGES was written was stated, in the Preface of Vol. I., to be the formation of moral and intellectual habits in the rising generation. The Author finds, on looking over his work, that two of the fourteen courses of instruction proposed for this object have not been completed. One, the PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, was given up because it was found that the subject was not well adapted for conversational lessons without the aid of a globe or suitable maps. The other course, the FOREIGN GEOGRAPHY, was found impracticable; for it would have occupied more space than PLEASANT PAGES could afford. The other courses of instruction consist of MORAL LESSONS, BIOGRAPHY, NATURAL HISTORY, BOTANY, OBJECT LESSONS, ENGLISH HISTORY, ENGLISH GEOGRAPHY, GRAMMAR, DRAWING, ARITHMETIC, POETRY, and MUSIC.

The Author does not claim much originality for this work; it is little more than a compilation. He has, therefore, great pleasure in acknowledging that a large proportion of the matter in the lessons on Natural Science is derived from Dr. Carpenter's popular

works on Zoology, Physiology, and Botany. To those
who, after reading these subjects in PLEASANT PAGES,
may be desirous of studying them more deeply, he
would earnestly recommend those well-arranged and
valuable works. They are published by Orr and Co.

It is also a source of gratification to the Author
to allude to the success which in so short a time
PLEASANT PAGES has met with. The extent of its sale
has been, as an educational book, almost unprecedented.
He hopes that it may long continue to be popular,
and may teach the love of all that is good to many
generations.

It was the intention of the Author to issue, imme-

diately after the completion of this work, a course of

educational books for Schools, differing very much

from anything yet published, with a view to influence

greatly the modes of instruction in the Preparatory

Schools of this country. The Author has, however,

been induced to postpone this course for a short time

by unforeseen considerations, and by the desire for rest

occasioned by the sad and irreparable loss referred to in

the lessons on Love.

THE PRIORY HOUSE SCHOOL,

CLAPTON, June, 1853.

"PLEASANT WORDS are as an honeycomb; sweet to the soul."

“Is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly.”

W. I REMEMBER, papa, the tale which you told us about Tom Martingale.

L. And so do I, papa; you said that charity "vaunteth not itself."

P. And in the text which I have written above, are two more truths about charity. You shall know how Tom Martingale learned them.

Tom was brushing his hat one morning, his younger brother was putting the schoolbooks in the school-bag, and both were just going out of the street-door when their father called them back.

Tom was glad to receive this order, for he happened to be very early that morning. He thought that he should reach Mr. Snub's shop before his son started for school.

But we will go to Mr. Snub's shop before him. John Snub, senior, was not unlike his son. He was an ugly looking man, but he was very hard-working. Being a country shoemaker he did nearly all his work himself. If you had looked into his shop at 8 o'clock in the morning, you would have found that he had done breakfast, and was seated on his low chair. Regularly at 8 o'clock he used to put his

“I wish, Tom," he said, lap-stone on his knees, and "that you would call on Mr. place some unfortunate shoe Snub, the shoemaker. Tell upon it. Then, with a shorthim to let me have my Wel- handled hammer in his hand, lington boots in the course of he would beat the old shoe the day on Saturday." without mercy. He had little

His sister Sarah used to sit, and work at her needle, and listen to him, and wonder what it all meant.

"What is the use of your

time to whistle or sing, for, while he worked, his little girl and two younger boys used to sit around him, and read. Every day, during working hours, he kept school" with learning all this?" she said; them. He had taught them "you go on, amaveram, amareading, writing, and arith-veras, amaverat, and then again, metic, because they were not amaveramus, amaveratis, amayet strong enough to walk with verant, until I am quite tired. their brother, John, to the You are not a gentleman's son, National School. John; what can be the use of Latin to you ?”

On the morning when Tom Martingale was sent with his papa's message, these children were obliged to wait. Their elder brother, was saying his lesson to his father.

The lesson which the shoemaker's son repeated was from the Latin Grammar. You remember how Tom Martingale promised his papa that he would teach John something every morning; and to his surprise John said he would like to learn Latin. So, every day for three months, John Snub had waited for the Martingales at the finger-post near the common, and had said his lesson to them on their way to school. This was his plan: he used to learn his declensions, or verbs, in the evening, say them to his father in the morning, and then repeat them to Tom again. When Tom heard his lessons he used to teach him how to pronounce the words properly; for, he said, unless you learn the right "accent" and "quantity," you cannot learn Latin properly.

John Snub liked to hear his son say his Latin, but the younger children did not.

"I'll tell you," said John; "you know how you like to go with me into the fields, and to learn botany, and to study botany-books. You know the old books which father has, about insects, and the microscope, and chemistry, and natural philosophy, and other things. Now I like to read such books."

"So do I," said Sarah. "And I should like to buy a microscope one day." "If you can save up enough money," said Sarah.

"I dare say I shall," said John. "There is no reason why poor people shouldn't examine God's works as well as rich people."

"That's right, John," said his father; "I only wish I had begun to learn a little earlier myself."