of a lobster presented at table; and from that model he invented an iron tube, which, when laid down, was found effectually to answer the purpose. 7. Brunel took his first lessons in forming the Thames Tunnel from the tiny shipworm. He saw how the little creature perforated the wood with its well-armed head, first in one direction and then in another, till the archway was complete, and then daubed over the roof and sides with a kind of varnish; and by copying this work exactly on a large scale, he was at length enabled to accomplish his great engineering work. 8. So trifling a matter as the sight of sea-weed floating past his ship enabled Columbus to quell the mutiny which arose amongst his sailors at not discovering land, and to assure them that the eagerly sought New World was not far off. 9. It is the close observation of little things which is the secret of success in business, in art, in science, and in every pursuit in life. Though many of these facts and observations seemed in the first instance to have but slight significance, they are all found to have their eventual uses, and to fit into their proper places. Samuel Smiles. EXERCISE. 1. The difference between men consists in the intelligence of their observation. [Clearness of seeing things.] 2. The non-observant man goes through the forest and sees no fire wood. 3. One of the vergers in the cathedral replenished a lamp with oil. [Petty officers; sextons.] 4. Galileo, a youth of eighteen, noted it attentively. 5. Fifty years elapsed before he completed the invention. 6. Captain Brown saw a tiny spider suspended across his path. 7. Brunel saw how the shipworm perforated the wood. 8. Columbus quelled the mutiny among his sailors. FITZ-JAMES AND RODERICK DHU. LI. FITZ-JAMES AND RODERICK DHU. ODERICK. Thy name and purpose, Saxon! Stand! ROD Rod. What dost thou require? Fitz. Rest, and a guide, and food, and fire. My life's beset, my path is lost, The gale has chilled my limbs with frost. Rod. Art thou a friend to Roderick ? No! Rod. Thou darest not call thyself a foe? Fitz. I dare! To him and all the band He brings to aid his murderous hand. Rod. Bold words! But though the beast of game Though space and law the stag we lend Come Roderick Dhu, Fitz. They do, by Heaven! Thou bearest the belt and spurs of knight. Rod. Enough, enough! Sit down and share Walter Scott. 133 EXERCISE. SUBSTITUTE THE FOLLOWING WORDS IN THE ABOVE PIECE WHERE THEY A LII. A GIGANTIC ICEBERG. T twelve o'clock we went below, and had just got through dinner, when the cook put his head down the scuttle and told us to come on deck and see the finest sight that we had ever seen. the first man who was up. "Where away, cook?" asked "On the larboard bow." 2. And there lay, floating in the ocean, several miles off, an immense irregular mass, its top and points covered with snow, and its centre of a deep indigo color. deep indigo color. This was an iceberg, and of the largest size, as one of our men said who had been in the Northern Ocean. 3. As far as the eye could reach, the sea in every direction was of a deep blue color, the waves running high and fresh, and sparkling in the light, and in the midst lay this immense mountain-island, its cavities and valleys thrown into deep shade, and its points and pinnacles glittering in the sun. All hands were soon on deck looking at it, and admiring in various ways its beauty and grandeur. 4. But no description can give any idea of the strangeness, splendor, and, really, the sublimity of the sight. Its great size, for it must have been two or three miles in circumference, and several hundred feet in height, its slow motion as its base rose and sank in the water, and its high points nodded against the clouds; the dashing of the waves upon it, which, breaking high with foam, lined its base with a white crust; and the thundering sound of the crackling of the mass, and the breaking and tumbling down of huge pieces; together with its nearness and approach, which added a slight element of fear, all combined to give it the character of true sublimity. 5. The main body of the mass was, as I have said, of an indigo color, its base crusted with frozen foam; and as it grew thin and transparent towards the edges and top, its color shaded off from a deep blue to the whiteness of snow. It seemed to be drifting slowly towards the north, so that we kept away and avoided it. It was in sight all the after A GIGANTIC ICEBERG. 135 noon, and when we got to leeward of it, the wind died away, so that we lay to quite near it for a greater part of the night. 6. Unfortunately there was no moon; but it was a clear night, and we could plainly mark the long, regular heaving of the stupendous mass, as its edges moved slowly against the stars. Several times in our watch loud cracks were heard, which sounded as though they must have run through the whole length of the iceberg, and several pieces fell down with a thundering crash, plunging heavily into the sea. Towards morning a strong breeze sprang up, and we filled away and left it astern, and at daylight it was out of sight. 7. No pencil has ever yet given anything like the true effect of an iceberg. In a picture they are huge, uncouth masses stuck in the sea; while their chief beauty and grandeur their slow, stately motion, the whirling of the snow about their summits, and the fearful groaning and crackling of their parts - the picture cannot give. This is the large iceberg; while the small and distant islands, floating on the smooth sea, in the light of a clear day, look like little floating fairy isles of sapphire. R. H. Dana. EXERCISE. 1. The iceberg was on the larboard bow. [Left-hand side, forward.] 2. It was an immense irregular mass. 3. Its cavities and valleys were thrown into deep shade. 4. The pinnacles glittered in the sun. 5. It must have been two or three miles in circumference. 6. Huge pieces broke and tumbled down. 7. It seemed to be drifting slowly towards the north. 8. We lay to quite near it a greater part of the night. [Stopped.] 9. Unfortunately there was no moon; but it was a clear night. 10. We could plainly mark the long, regular heaving of the stupendous mass. 11. A strong breeze sprung up, and we left the iceberg astern. 12. They looked like little floating fairy isles of sapphire. [Blue crystal.] LIII.—HYMN OF THE MOUNTAINEERS. ALL. OR the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers' God! FOR FIRST VOICE. Thou hast made Thy children mighty, by the touch of the mountain sod. Thou hast fixed our ark of refuge where the spoiler's foot ne'er trod; ALL. For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers' God! SECOND VOICE. We are watchers of a beacon whose light must never die; ALL. For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers' God! THIRD VOICE. For the dark-resounding caverns, where Thy still small voice is heard; For the strong pines of the forests, that by Thy breath are stirred; For the storms, on whose free pinions Thy spirit walks abroad; ALL. For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers' God! FOURTH VOICE. The royal eagle darteth on his quarry from the heights, And the stag that knows no master seeks there his wild de lights; But we, for Thy communion, have sought the mountain sod. ALL. For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers' God! |