and rattlesnakes are said to take up their abodes with them; but whether as invited guests or unwelcome intruders, is a matter of controversy. The owls are of a peculiar kind, and would seem to partake of the character of the hawk; for they are taller and more erect on their legs, more alert in their looks, and rapid in their flight, than ordinary owls, and do not confine their excursions to the night, but sally forth in broad day. 6. Some say they only inhabit cells which the prairie dogs have deserted and suffered to go to ruin, in consequence of the death in them of some relative; for they would make out this little animal to be endowed with keen feelings, that will not permit it to remain in the dwelling where it has witnessed the death of a friend. Other fanciful people represent the owl as a kind of housekeeper to the prairie dog; and, from having a note very similar, insinuate that it acts, in a manner, as family preceptor, and teaches the young litter to bark. 7. As to the rattlesnake, nothing satisfactory has been ascertained of the part he plays in this most interesting household; though he is considered as little better than a sharper, that winds himself into the concerns of the honest, credulous little dog, and takes him in most sadly. 8. It was towards evening that I set out with a companion, to visit the village in question. Unluckily, it had been invaded in the course of the day by some of the rangers, who had shot two or three of its inhabitants, and thrown the whole community into confusion. As we approached, we could perceive numbers of the inhabitants seated at the entrances of their cells, while sentinels seemed to have been posted on the outskirts to keep a look-out. At sight of us, the picket guards scampered in and gave the alarm; whereupon every inhabitant gave a short yelp, or bark, and dived into his hole, his heels twinkling in the air as if he had thrown a somersault. but not a We probed 9. We traversed the whole village, or republic, which covered an area of about thirty acres; whisker of an inhabitant was to be seen. their cells as far as the ramrods of our rifles would reach, but could unearth neither dog, nor owl, nor rattlesnake. Moving quietly to a little distance, we lay down upon the ground, and watched for a long time, silent and motionless. 10. By-and-by, a cautious old burgher would slowly put forth the end of his nose, but instantly draw it in again. Another, at a greater distance, would emerge entirely; but, catching a glance of us, would throw a somersault, and plunge back again into his hole. At length some, who resided on the opposite side of the village, taking courage from the continued stillness, would steal forth, and hurry off to a distant hole, the residence possibly of some family connection or gossiping friend, about whose safety they were solicitous, or with whom they wished to compare notes about the late occurrences. 11. Others, still more bold, assembled in little knots in the streets and public places, as if to discuss the recent outrages offered to the commonwealth, and the atrocious murder of their fellowburghers. 12. We rose from the ground and moved forward to take a nearer view of these public proceedings, when yelp! yelp! yelp!-there was a shrill alarm passed from mouth to mouth; the meetings suddenly dispersed; feet twinkled in the air in every direction; and in an instant all had vanished into the earth. quest, search for. count, a nobleman, who was attached to the party. prai'-rie, an extensive tract of mar'-vel-lous, wonderful. pet'-u-lant, saucy, forward. van'-ish, go out of sight. pug-na'-cious, fighting; combative. whim'-si-cal, funny; odd. in-trud'-ers, in-comers that are not con'-tro-ver-sy, difference of opinion. pre-cep'-tor, teacher. lit'-ter, young of the prairie dog. pick'-et guards, the animals on the van'-ished, went out of sight. EXERCISES.-1. The Latin prefix pre- means before; as precede, to go before; predict, to tell before; preface, something spoken or written before, the introduction to a book; prefer, to place or esteem one thing before another. 2. Analyse and parse the following: 'Some say they only inhabit cells which the prairie dogs have deserted and suffered to go to ruin.' 3. Make sentences of your own, and use in each one or more of the following words: Congregate, subterranean, clamour, discuss. AN ECONOMICAL PROJECT. [This lesson is one of the lighter essays of Benjamin Franklin (1706— 1790), the distinguished American statesman and philosopher. It was written during the years he spent in Paris as commissioner for the United States government.] 1. I was the other evening in a grand company, where a new lamp was introduced and much admired for its splendour; but a general inquiry was made whether the oil it consumed was not in exact proportion to the light it afforded. No one present could satisfy us in that point, which all agreed ought to be known; it being a very desirable thing to lessen, if possible, the expense of lighting our apartments. I was pleased to see this general concern for economy, for I love economy exceedingly. 2. I went home, and to bed, three or four hours after midnight, with my head full of the subject. An accidental sudden noise waked me about six in the morning, when I was surprised to find my room filled with light, and I imagined at first that a number of those lamps had been brought into it; but, rubbing my eyes, I perceived the light came in at the windows. I got up, and looked out to see what might be the occasion of it, when I saw the sun just rising above the horizon, from whence he poured his rays plentifully into my chamber; my domestic having negligently omitted, the preceding evening, to close the shutters. 3. I looked at my watch, which goes very well, and found that it was but six o'clock; and, still thinking it something extraordinary that the sun should rise so early, I looked into the almanac, where I found it to be the hour given for his rising on that day. I looked forward too, and found he was to rise still earlier every day till towards the end of June; and that at no time does he retard his rising so long as till eight o'clock. 4. Those who, with me, have never seen any signs of sunshine before noon, and seldom regard the astronomical part of the almanac, will be as much astonished as I was, when they hear of his rising so early, and especially when I assure them that he gives light as soon as he rises. I am convinced of this. I am certain of my fact. I saw it with my own eyes. And, having repeated this observation the three following mornings, I found always precisely the same result. 5. Yet so it happens, that, when I speak of this discovery to others, I can easily perceive by their countenances, though they forbear expressing it in words, that they do not quite believe me. One, indeed, has assured me that I must certainly be mistaken as to the circumstance of the light coming into my room; for it being well known that there could be no light abroad at that hour, it follows that none could enter from without, and that my windows, being left open, instead of letting in the light, had only served to let out the darkness. 6. He used many ingenious arguments to show me how I might, by that means, have been deceived. I own that he puzzled me a little, but he did not satisfy me; and the subsequent observations I made, as above mentioned, confirmed me in my first opinion. 7. This event has given rise in my mind to several serious and important reflections. I considered that if I had not been awakened so early in the morning, I should have slept six hours longer by the light of the sun, and in exchange have lived six hours the following |