And, in the churchyard cottage, I
Dwell near them, with my mother."

"You say that two at Conway dwell,
And two are gone to sea,

Yet ye are seven: I pray you tell,
Sweet maid, how this may be."

Then did the little maid reply,
"Seven boys and girls are we;
Two of us in the churchyard lie,
Bencath the churchyard tree."

"You run about, my little maid;
Your limbs they are alive:
If two are in the churchyard laid,
Then ye are only five."

"Their graves are green; they may be seen," The little maid replied,

"Twelve steps or more from mother's door, And they are side by side.

"My stockings there I often knit,

My 'kerchief there I hem;
And there upon the ground I sit;
I sit and sing to them.

"And often, after sunset, sir, When it is light and fair,

I take my little porringer, And eat my supper there. 7 *

"The first that died was little Jane;
In bed she moaning lay,

Till God released her from her pain,
And then she went away.

"So in the churchyard she was laid;
And when the grass was dry,
Together round the grave we played,
My brother John and I.

"And when the ground was white with snow And I could run and slide,

My brother John was forced to go;
And he lies by her side."

"How many are you, then," said I,

"If they two are in heaven?"

The little maiden did reply,
"O master, we are seven!"

"But they are dead - those two are dead;
Their spirits are in heaven."

'Twas throwing words away; for still The little maid would have her will, And said, "Nay, we are seven."

LESSON XXIII.

The Battle of Blenheim.

It was a summer evening;
Old Kaspar's work was done,

And he before his cottage door
Was sitting in the sun;

And by him sported on the green
His little grandchild, Wilhelmine.

She saw her brother Peterkin
Roll something large and round,
Which he beside the rivulet,

In playing there, had found;

He came to ask what he had found,
That was so large, and smooth, and round.

Old Kaspar took it from the boy,

Who stood expectant by;

And then the old man shook his head,

And, with a natural sigh,

""Tis some poor fellow's skull," said he, "Who fell in the great victory.

"I find them in the garden,
There are many here about,
And often, when I go to plough,
The ploughshare turns them out.
For many thousand men," said he,
"Were slain in that great victory."

"Now tell us what 'twas all about,"
Young Peterkin he cries;
And little Wilhelmine looks up,
With wonder-waiting eyes;
"Now tell us all about the war,

And what they killed each other for."

"It was the English," Kaspar cried, "Who put the French to rout; But what they killed each other for, I could not well make out.

But every body said," quoth he, "That 'twas a famous victory.

"My father lived at Blenheim then, Yon little stream hard by;

They burned his dwelling to the ground,
And he was forced to fly:

So with his wife and child he fled;
Nor had he where to rest his head.

"With fire and sword the country round Was wasted far and wide;

And many a hapless mother, then,

And new-born baby died.

But things like that, you know, must be At every famous victory.

"Great praise the duke of Marlborough won, And our good prince Eugene." "Why, 'twas a very wicked thing,"

Said little Wilhelmine.

"Nay, nay, my little girl," quoth he,

"It was a famous victory.

"And every body praised the duke, Who this great fight did win."

"But what good came of it at last?" Quoth little Peterkin.

"Why, that I cannot tell," said he, "But 'twas a famous victory."

LESSON XXIV.

CONSONANT SOUNDS IN COMBINATION.

rvd as in curv'd, nerv'd, serv'd, swerv'd.
rvz as in curves, nerves, serves, swerves.
rz as in bars, cars, mars, tars.

shr as in shrank, shrink, shriek, shrine.

He was amiable, capable, respectable, formidable, and terrible.

It was the act of all the acts of government the most objectionable.

John Steady and Peter Sly. — A Dialogue.

Peter. Ho, John! do not (stumble over that log! I do not think it a good plan to study my lessons as I go to school.

John. Nor I; but I feel that I must this morning. Peter. Why, what is the matter?

John. I believe I have got the wrong lesson, and I am now studying another.

Peter. Let me see. Where did you begin?

John. Here, at the top of the page; and I learned over three leaves, down to the end of the chapter. Peter. Well, that is all right.

John. Are you sure?

Peter. As certain as can be.

John. Well, now, I am half glad and half sorry. Only think there is poor George Somers has been

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