R. I. FULTON, A.M., AND T. C. TRUEBLOOD, A.M. 66 ASSOCIATE AUTHORS OF "PRACTICAL ELOCUTION," COLLEGE CRITIC'S TABLET," AND "CHART OF VOCAL EXPRESSION"; AND 588512 PUBLISHERS' NOTE. THE lower books of this series were constructed with a distinct purpose of producing natural, pleasant, fluent readers. To this end the selections were literary and attractive rather than directly instructive, healthful and inspiring rather than conspicuously didactic. That they were successful in these respects is beyond question. Perhaps no set of readers has ever been so pleasing to pupils. Testimony on this point has been almost universal where several sets of readers have been employed at the same time. In this book - the Fifth of the series - the aim is to build upon this foundation, working for variety in taste, enlargement of powers, and quickness of comprehension. The work may be compared to that of the gymnasium, mental expansion and vigor taking the place of physical. As becomes a classic series, the selections are from standard writers. Certain plain, though not always easily defined, requirements must be met in a school reader. One extract after another is tested, and its fitness being proved, it becomes a recognized force in school education. The list is winnowed for each new series of books and a few new selections made. It is hoped that the present choice may be acceptable even though, as is inevitable, individual favorites have by reason of limited space been omitted. Many excellent extracts, from too great familiarity, must for a time be laid aside. The use to be made of the book will be largely a question of locality. In sections of country where supplementary reading is not provided, and where easy access to libraries cannot be had, the pupil will con his reader as his one fountain of supply, retaining through life distinct remembrances of it as his introduction to the world of letters. In cities, the reading book is rather the gauge by which to measure the quality of the flood of literature which waits to be appropriated. In each of these offices the work of the school reader is a great one. Its importance can hardly be estimated. Obligation is gratefully acknowledged to authors and publishers for material, and to teachers and superintendents for suggestions relative to the composition of the volume. TYPOGRAPHY BY J. S. CUSHING & Co. BOSTON, U.S.A. PRESSWORK BY GINN & Co. BOSTON, U.S.A. |