THE TEMPESTUOUS EVENING.

I.

HERE'S grandeur in this sounding storm
That drives the hurrying clouds along,
That on each other seem to throng
And mix in many a varied form;
While, bursting now and then between

The moon's dim, misty orb is seen,
And casts faint glimpses on the green.

2.

Beneath the blast the forests bend,
And thick the branchy ruin lies,

And wide the shower of foliage flies;
The lake's black waves in tumult blend,
Revolving o'er and o'er and o'er,
And foaming on the rocky shore,
Whose caverns echo to their roar.

3.

The sight sublime enrapts my thought,
And swift along the past it strays,
And much of strange event surveys,
What history's faithful tongue has taught,
Or fancy formed, whose plastic skill
The page with fabled change can fill
Of ill to good, or good to ill.

4.

But can my soul the scene enjoy,
That rends another's breast with pain?
O hapless he who, near the main,
Now sees its billowy rage destroy,
Beholds the foundering bark descend,
Nor knows but what its fate may end
The moments of his dearest friend!

Bil'-lowy, full of billows, or large waves.
Fo'-li-age, leaves.

John Scott.

Found'-er-ing, going to the bottom.
Hur'-ry-ing, hastening.

Enrapts, carries away, overpowers. This word is not often used. Plastic means fashioning, forming, moulding.

1. Name all the things that might happen in a storm on land.

2. Explain the words throng, varied, orb, glimpses, sublime, fabled, rends, bark.

3. Express the sense of the last verse in your own words.

CAN ANIMALS COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER?

GERMAN professor, who was a close observer of the habits of animals, happened one day to be a-carrying a pot of honey across the humble room which served him as a dwelling-place, when a

drop fell by chance upon the floor.

2. Stooping to remove it, he observed an ant travelling towards the unexpected dainty. Again and again it dipped its mandibles into the honey,

until it was satisfied.

Then turning round it travelled away. The professor took a cloth, carefully removed every trace of the honey, and sat down and watched.

3. In due time the ant reappeared, followed by a train of his kindred, who made directly for the spot where the honey once had been and covered it. Then swarming round into a circle, with an open space in the middle of it, they seemed to hold a conference. One ant is seen apparently making his defence, the others with their antennæ before them more and more angrily replying.

The un

4. The defence is not satisfactory. fortunate culprit is condemned. The swarm fall upon him. They overwhelm him with their bites and stings, and when they have worked their will and wheeled round and trooped triumphantly away, his dismembered limbs are to be seen strewn over the spot where, but a few minutes before, he had been regaling himself.

5. Not many years ago an Hungarian nobleman was living in primitive fashion in his solitary schloss, or castle, in the centre of a forest-covered plain, with his flocks and herds around him. Along one side of the castle, commanded by its numerous windows, stretched an enormous sheepfold.

6. The neighbouring forest was infested with wolves. The winter had been a hard one. The wolves were famishing and unusually audacious.

One evening, as the shepherd was folding his sheep, he happened to leave the door ajar, when he espied two wolves at the entrance sniffing about and looking in.

7. Observing the shepherd, they turned tail and trotted away. The man informed his master. Immediately the nobleman sent messengers in all directions to his friends and acquaintance, desiring them to come to him forthwith, bringing with them all the fire-arms they could muster.

Then

8. He collected all the candles that were to be found. He had them lighted and placed in the windows, with a flower-pot over each of them, to conceal the light until the favourable moment. causing the sheep to be driven away to a place of safety and opening the door of the sheepfold, with a cord and weight attached to it, so that it could be closed in a moment, he stationed his friends with their guns loaded at the windows and waited the event.

9. At dead of night the howl of a wolf is heard, and two wolves trot in through the open door, followed by a pack of wolves, who pour in over the whole area of the fold, sniffing violently about-for the smell of the sheep is too plainly discernible,— and evincing their disappointment by angry snarls and growls.

10. In an instant crack goes the door! They are shut in. Off go the flower-pots! The fold is illuminated, The guns are levelled. One moment more, and every window will be ablaze, when sud

denly in a commanding voice the nobleman cries, "Halt!"

II. The wolves are holding a council. Before them are the two informers, snarling out their explanations. The trial is short and sharp. They are condemned. With one yell of fury the pack is upon them and has torn them limb from limb. Then calmly the wolves sit up and allow themselves to be shot down from the castle windows, till not one wolf is left alive. U.

An-ten'-næ, feelers of insects.
Au-da'-ci-ous, bold.

Con'-fer-ence, consultation.

Dis-cern'-i-ble, to be perceived or

seen.

Il-lum'-in-a-ted, lighted up.

In-fest'-ed, occupied in a hostile manner, as by enemies.

Man'-di-bles, with which certain insects eat, a sort of teeth.

1. Give your reasons for thinking that the ants in the one story, and the wolves in the other, must have communicated with one another.

2. Form adjectives from the nouns love, hate, anger, pity, sorrow, compassion, joy, grief.

3. Parse: "At dead of night the howl of a wolf is heard."