say that "what is one man's meat is another man's poison," or else, "Every one to his liking, as the good man said when he kissed his cow," the company would be persuaded that you had never associated with any but low persons. 7. To mistake or forget names, to speak of "What-d'yecall-him," or "Thingum," or "How-d'ye-call her," is excessively awkward and vulgar. To begin a story or narration when you are not perfect in it, and can not go through with it, but are forced, possibly, to say in the middle of it, "I have forgotten the rest," is very unpleasant and bungling. One must be extremely exact, clear, and perspicuous in every thing one says; otherwise, instead of entertaining or informing others, one only tires and puzzles them. 8. The voice and manner of speaking, too, are not to be neglected. Some people almost shut their mouths when they speak, and mutter so that they are not to be understood; others speak so fast, and sputter, that they are equally unintelligible. Some always speak as loud as if they were talking to deaf people; and others so low that one can not hear them. All these, and many other habits, are awkward and disagreeable, and are to be avoided by attention. You can not imagine how necessary it is to mind all these little things. I have seen many people with great talents ill received for want of having these little talents of good breeding; and others well received only from their little talents, and who had no great ones. Anonymous. LESSON XIII. THE HERITAGE. 1. THE rich man's son inherits1 lands, And he inherits soft, white hands, And tender flesh that fears the cold, A heritage, it seems to me, One scarce would wish to hold in fee.3 2. The rich man's son inherits cares: The bank may break, the factory burn, And soft white hands could hardly earn One would not wish to hold in fee. 3. What doth the poor man's son inherit'? A heritage, it seems to me, A king might wish to hold in fee. 4. What doth the poor man's son inherit' ?* A heritage, it seems to me, 5. What doth the poor man's son inherit'? To make the outcast5 bless his door; A heritage, it seems to me, 6. O rich man's son! there is a toil, Large charity doth never soil, But only whiten soft white hands— This is the best crop from thy lands; *This may be regarded in the nature of an indirect question, asking a repetition of what may not have been fully understood. See Note to Rule III. Or it may be regarded as an exclamatory sentence that becomes a question. See Note to Rule X. In either case it should receive the rising inflection. A heritage, it seems to me, 7. O poor man's son! scorn not thy state; 8. Both, heirs to some six feet of sod, J. R. LOWELL. 1 IN-HER-ITS, takes by descent from an an-4 AD-JUDG'ED, decreed; determined. cestor. 2 HER'-IT-AGE, an inheritance; estate derived from an ancestor. 3 IN FEE," an estate or property which one has in his own right, and which may be inherited by his heirs. |5 OUT'-€¤ÄST, one driven from home or country. 6 BE-NIGN', favorable; having a good influ ence. LESSON XIV. SCHEMES OF LIFE OFTEN ILLUSORY. 1. OMAR, the son of Hassan', had passed seventy-five years in honor and prosperity'. The favor of three successive califs had filled his house with gold and silver; and whenever he appeared', the benedictions of the people proclaimed his presence. 2. Earthly happiness is of short continuance'. The brightness of the flame is wasting its fuel'; the fragrant flower is passing away in its own odors'. The vigor of Omar began to fail'; the curls of beauty fell from his head'; strength departed from his hands', and agility from his feet'. He gave back to the calif the keys of trust, and the seals of secrecy; and sought no other pleasure for the remainder of life than the converse of the wise', and the gratitude of the good'. 3. The powers of his mind were yet unimpaired. His chamber was filled by visitants, eager to catch the dictates of experience, and officious to pay the tribute of admiration. Caleb, the son of the viceroy of Egypt', entered every day early, and retired late'. He was beautiful and eloquent': Omar admired his wit, and loved his docility. 4. "Tell me," said Caleb', "thou to whose voice nations have listened, and whose wisdom is known to the extremities of Asia', tell me how I may resemble Omar the prudent'. The arts by which thou hast gained power and preserved it are to thee no longer necessary nor useful; impart to me' the secret of thy conduct, and teach me the plan upon which thy wisdom has built thy fortune'." 5. "Young man',” said Omar', "it is of little use to form plans of life'. When I took my first survey of the world in my twentieth year', having considered the various conditions of mankind, in the hour of solitude I said thus to myself, leaning against a cedar, which spread its branches over my head: Seventy years are allowed to man'; I have yet fifty remaining. 6. "Ten years I will allot to the attainment of knowledge', and ten I will pass in foreign countries'; I shall be learned', and therefore shall be honored'; every city will shout at my arrival', and every student will solicit my friendship'. Twenty years thus passed will store my mind with images, which I shall be busy, through the rest of my life, in combining and comparing. I shall revel in inexhaustible accumulations of intellectual riches'; I shall find new pleasures for every moment', and shall never more be weary of myself'. 7. "I will not, however, deviate too far from the beaten track of life', but will try what can be found in female delicacy'. I will marry a wife as beautiful as the Houris', and wise as Zobeide'; and with her I will live twenty years within the suburbs of Bagdat, in every pleasure that wealth can purchase, and fancy can invent. 8. "I will then retire to a rural dwelling, pass my days in obscurity and contemplation, and lie silently down on the bed of death. Through my life it shall be my settled resolution that I will never depend on the smile of princes; that I will never stand exposed to the artifices of courts; that I will never pant for public honors, nor disturb my quiet with the affairs of state.' Such was my scheme of life, which I impressed indelibly upon my memory. 9. "The first part of my ensuing time was to be spent in search of knowledge', and I know not how I was diverted from my design'. I had no visible impediments without', nor any ungovernable passions within'. I regarded knowledge as the highest honor, and the most engaging pleasure'; yet day stole upon day, and month glided after month, till I found that seven years of the first ten had vanished', and left nothing behind' them. 10. "I now postponed my purpose of traveling; for why should I go abroad', while so much remained to be learned at home'? I immured myself for four years, and studied the laws of the empire. The fame of my skill reached the judges: I was found able to speak upon doubtful questions, and I was commanded to stand at the footstool of the calif. I was heard with attention; I was consulted with confidence, and the love of praise fastened on my heart. 11. "I still wished to see distant countries; listened with rapture to the relations of travelers, and resolved some time to ask my dismission, that I might feast my soul with novelty'; but my presence was always necessary, and the stream of business hurried me along. Sometimes I was afraid lest I should be charged with ingratitude; but I still proposed to travel, and therefore would not confine myself by marriage. 12. “In my fiftieth year', I began to suspect that the time of my traveling was past, and thought it best to lay hold on the felicity yet in my power, and indulge myself in domestic' pleasures. But at fifty no man easily finds a woman beautiful as the Houris, and wise as Zobeide. I inquired and rejected, consulted and deliberated, till the sixty-second year made me ashamed of wishing to marry. I had now nothing left but retirement'; and for retirement I never found a time', until disease forced me from public employment'. 13. "Such was my scheme', and such has been its consequence'. With an insatiable thirst for knowledge', I trifled away the years of improvement'; with a restless desire of |