On a warm, sunny day, some labourers were sowing corn in an adjoining field. At a certain hour of the day, the old eagle was known to set off for the sea-side, to gather food for her young.

As this day she returned with a large fish in her claws, the men surrounded the tree, and by yelling and hooting, and throwing stones, so scared the poor bird, that she dropped her fish, and they carried it off in triumph.

The men soon dispersed; but a boy, named Joseph, who was with them, sat down under a bush near by, to watch, and to manifest pity which was of no avail. The bird soon returned to her nest without food. The eaglets at once set up a cry for food, so shrill, so clear, and so clamorous, that the boy was greatly moved.

The parent bird seemed to try to soothe them; but their appetites were too keen, and it was all in vain. She then perched herself on a limb of the tree near them, and looked down into the nest, with a look that seemed to say, "I know not what to do next."

But she was not long in deciding how to act,— again she poised herself, uttered one or two sharp notes, as if telling them to "lie still," balanced her body, spread her wings, and was off again for the sea!

Joseph was determined to see the result. His eye followed her, till she grew small, smaller, a mere speck in the sky, and then disappeared.

She was gone nearly two hours, about double her

usual time for a voyage, when she again returned, on a slow, weary wing, flying uncommonly low, in order to have a heavier atmosphere to sustain her, and having another fish in her talons.

On nearing the field, she made a circuit round it, to see if her enemies were again there. Finding the way clear, she once more reached the tree, drooping, faint, and weary, and evidently quite exhausted.

Again the eaglets set up their cry, which was soon hushed by the distribution of a dinner such as—save the cooking—a king might admire.

"Glorious bird!" cried the boy, in a state of "What a spirit!"

great delight, and aloud.

Other birds can fly swifter, others can sing more sweetly, others scream more loudly; but what other bird, when persecuted and robbed-when weary when discouraged-when so far from the sea-would do this?

Glorious bird! I will learn a lesson from thee to-day. I will never forget hereafter that when the spirit is determined, it can do almost anything. Others would have drooped, and hung the head, and mourned over the cruelty of man, and sighed over the wants of the nestlings; but thou, by at once recovering the loss, hast forgotten all.

"I will learn of thee, noble bird! I will remember this. I will set my mark high. I will try to do something in the world. I will never yield to discouragements."

QUESTIONS:-1. What is this lesson about? 2. Where did she build her nest? 3. What kind of a tree was it? 4. How long had it stood? 5. What was remarkable about the eagle building her nest in this tree? 6. By what name was the tree generally known? 7. Where did the eagle go daily? 8. And for what purpose? 9. Tell what took place on the day that the eagle was seen to come home with a large fish in her claws. 10. Who had pity on the eagle, and stayed to watch what she would do? 11. What was the condition of the eaglets? 12. When the mother bird could not quiet them, what did she at length decide on doing 13. What did Joseph then do? 14. How long was it before the eagle returned? 15. What was the length of time she took on ordinary occasions? 16. How did her mode of flying show that she was very weary? 17. How did she act when she came to the field where the great tree, with her nest at the top, stood? 18. When she got to her nest, and the eaglets commenced again to cry for food, what did she do? 19. Tell distinctly what Joseph said when he saw the love of the eagle for her young. 20. What was the grand lesson which he learned from that old eagle? 21. What lesson do you think may be learned from this story?

WORD LESSON :

ad-join'-ing de-cid'-ing man'-i-fest

an-noy'-ance di-men'-sions perch'-ed ap'-pe-tites dis-pers'-ed pois'-ed

cen'-tu-ry dis'-tant

sur-round'-ing tri'-umph

un-com'-mon-ly

splen'-did

yell'-ing

clam'-o-rous

hoot'-ing sub-lime'

yield

LESSON XXII.

Wolves.

ap-proach', being or coming ex-cur'-sions, rambles.

near.

at-tack'-ing, making an onset.
cau'-tious, watchful, wary.
de-tec'-ted, found out, dis-
covered.

WOLVES! Wolves!

noise'-less-ly, without the least

noise.

sav'-age, cruel, wild, and fierce. scam'-pers, runs with great speed.

What an alarm this shout

causes when it is heard in the villages of some

parts of Europe, where these savage animals are still very numerous !

And perhaps soon after this cry, and just as it is getting dusk, when there are seen in the distance fierce-looking hairy forms, half hidden by the trees, and eager to seize either man or beast; we can fancy how carefully the father of a family closes up his doors for the night, and how anxiously the mother looks to see that all her little ones are safe in their cradles and beds.

It has been observed that wolves howl most when the weather is about to change to rain; and at some times they will prowl about quite noiselessly, and must be more dangerous then, because they give no warning of their approach.

When wolves have not been able to get food enough in their haunts, they come out on plundering excursions among the villages and towns; but, unless they are very hungry, they are very cautious how they come near to the abodes of men.

If there are several in a party, they will keep "in file," as the soldiers say, and step so nearly in each other's footprints that you might suppose only one had gone by.

A narrow road or path they will jump over entirely; and as they go along they hold their heads up, and sniff the air as dogs do; and they seem to know, when the wind is blowing, that by going against it they can smell enemies, while they are not detected themselves.

The following woodcut illustrates a very touching story. A Russian nobleman and his family, travelling over a dreary plain, in a carriage drawn by post-horses, was pursued and overtaken by a pack of hungry wolves. He and his trusty servant shot two of the pack, and the rest were thereby

detained for a little in devouring their dead comrades, while the nobleman made some advance on his journey.

He had, however, only proceeded a very short distance, when the ravenous wolves speedily overtook him again-two more were shot, and eaten up as before, then the leading horse was loosed