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quite as pretty, if not prettier. Just now they were looking at some monkeys, whose propensities to steal, and whose many whimsies, amused them much. Now they are going blackberrying, as blackberries are plentiful. I should prefer ponies for riding. donkeys have such fancies; but a child's joys are very simple; puppies, lilies, and poppies, at that age give as much pleasure as rubies, and bread is eaten as happily as jellies, kidneys, or turkeys. Children know nothing of villanies and atrocities, incendiaries or turnkeys. Academies and seminaries are their only dread; at least, if I may judge from the two little Marys, my cousins, the elder of whom says that, when she marries, her studies will cease, as ladies have only to take journeys for enjoyment, or go to pleasant parties A busier or giddier chiia than the elder Mary never lived. She is also the rosiest and merriest of all the children belonging to the families near us. The younger Mary is greedier than the elder. Delays in the supplies of darnties make her impatient. She is, moreover, lazier anờ sillier, besides being the clumsiest and ugliest child 1 But she has good abilities. She can act comedies, and understands somewhat about picture galleries; and, though she replies hastily to a question, she is generally right, and seldom needs to make apologies. Her eccentricities are great: volleys of abuse would only make her readier to put annoyances in the way of her teachers, and, in fact, do them all the injuries in her power; and as it is easier, so it is happier, for her to be governed by kindness.

ever saw.

RULE VII.

In writing words which commence with the prefix dis or mis, mistakes are sometimes made with regard to the omission or insertion of an S. In all such cases it is needful to consider whether the word to which dis or mis is prefixed begins with s. If so the s must be retained. Thus we write dis-satisfy, mis-state,

&c.

EXERCISE VII.

Mr. Jones, the surgeon, is disappointed and dissatisfied. He has been trying to prove that dissection is always necessary in cases of death from unknown disease. But Mr. Smith is no dissembler, and says that it would be dishonest dissimulation to conceal his dissent from this opinion. Mr. Jones takes pains to disseminate his own views, and does not distinguish between public and private duty. No one can dissuade him from his course. A dissyllable will express my opinion of him; he is a donkey, who not only misspends his time and his money, but by mischievous misstatements and mistakes causes the conduct of others to be misconstrued, and misdemeanors to be attributed to them.

RULE VIII.

Monosyllables and words accented on the last syllable, ending with a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, double the final consonant when they take an additional syllable beginning with a vowel. Thus permit becomes permit-ted; but expect, expect-ed. When the accent is on the first syllable, the final consonant is not doubled. Thus, we write prefer-ence, defer-ence, not prefer-rence or defer

rence.

Exceptions to this rule are to be found in words ending with 7, which usually double the consonant, and also in worship-ped, worshipping, bias-sed, and unbias-sed.*

EXERCISE VIII.

that he

The task of making known to Mr. was ballotted for yesterday, but not elected, was allotted to me. I found him in the wainscoted parlor, apparelled in a handsome dressing-gown. Tears bedimmed his face as he was compelled to own that the preference thus shown for another man, though much to be regretted, was not unexpected. I proffered my help but my attempt at counselling was useless; he preferred to wait until he had conferred

* In most American books these exceptions are not admitted.

with the uncle who has abetted his conduct. By accepting what I offered, he thought he might be committing himself to an unwise course of action. I demurred to this idea, thinking that he would not be benefited by the conference; for his relations have always libelled him, and murmured at him for contemning their opinion, and their murmurings are not likely to be lessened now. Unfortunately his repelling manners have from the beginning shown that he was bigoted to his own views. His father has annulled the permission given him to join Mr.

the great traveller, or, at least, he has trammelled it with limitations which have the effect of repealing it; and I omitted to tell him that he will no longer be permitted to see the cousin whom lately he has visited constantly, and of whom, to use a common phrase, he is a decided worshipper. He fidgeted indeed so much, and, keeping his eyes riveted on the carpeted floor, seemed so overcome by the distressing news I brought, that I could not venture to say much. His cousin will, however, be no loss, for she coquetted with another person whilst pretending to like him, and, though he pocketed the affront, he cannot have forgotten it; and it is my unbiassed opinion, that under any circumstances the worshipping could not long have continued, but that quarrelling would soon have begun. If duelling were in fashion, the man who has rivalled him would have but a bad chance.

DOUBLE-SOUNDING CONSONANTS.

In many of the words introduced into the following exercise, the middle consonant, though it is not really doubled, sounds as though it were, in consequence of the accent falling upon it. Words which do double the consonant are mixed with them for the sake of practice.

EXERCISE IX.

That woman has been convicted of felony, and is to be banished to one of the colonies. She has lived with the baroness ever since her marriage, and has now robbed her of a rare agate, and some coral. She has also damaged a damask table-cloth, by washing it in alum, and has stolen a calico chaircover, and some lace from a bodice. She gained credit at shops, and bought elegant dresses with money which had been put into a desk in a closet, in the time of the Irish famine. She was civil in manner, and very clever; but she drank claret out of the cellaret, and gave it to a bevy of friends. In fact, she has not an atom of honor or honesty in her. Her mistress used sometimes to treat her with rigor, and at other times to cherish her. One day she allowed her to copy the pattern of one of her dresses. The baron was known to cavil at this: but the baroness, who, amongst several blemishes in her character, is as quick as a comet in her resolutions, did not pause to balance his opinion against hers;

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