THK SmLD'S FIRST BOOK. BY CAMPBELL AND DUNN APPHOVKD BV THK EI)UCAT10NA.L ASSOCIATION OV VIRCUNIA THROUGH THKIU COMMiTTrrn!. IIIGIIMOND: 1864. DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Treasure'Room GIFT OF D, H, Ilev/TDall h:j^ ^ THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. BY * CAMPBJELL AND DUNN. ArPBOVZD BY THl EDUCATIOKAL ASSOCIATION OF VIRGINIA THROUGH THEIR COMMITTEK. RICHMO^^D: '1S64. Entered according to the Act of Congress of the Confederate States in the y^ar 1864, by Campbell & Dunn. r R E F /vTe Tn preparing this little work for childreDj tlie writers have aimed to give i-t four cliarncterisHc features : First. To have a proper combiuation of spelling aud read- ing lessons, the former being auxiliary to the latter. The lessons are so arranged, that no word is used in reading until it has occurred in the previous spelling lessons. This rule, however, is not strictly observed in the latter part of the book. Secondly. To make the beginner familiar with one step before taking another; so that, in the child's own language, the book may not " become hard too fast." Thirdly. To contain connected narratives "that will interest the young reader, instead of disconnected sentences. ' Fourthly. To present to the impressible mind of the child sound instruction in morality and true religion. Whether these aims have been attained is submitted to the judgment of the teachers and parents who may use oUr little volume. We have, in some instances, availed ourselves of the labors of others who have published books for children. THE CHILD'S i'lEST BOOK. » A B c D E F o H I J K li m N O P a R S T u V VT X Y Z & 6 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. ROMAN CAPITAL LETTERS. A B C D E F G H I' J K L M N P Q E* S T U Y W X Y Z ROMAN SMALL LETTERS. ' a b c d e f g h i j i k 1 m n p q r s t 11 Y w X Y z M I D N y U R B A K P F L Q '^ T J V H w a S E C X Z m i d n y u r b a k p f 1 q t j V h w g s e c X z i CONSONANTS. B C D F G H J K L M N P Q R S T V W X Z b c d f g h j k I m n p q r s t v w x z THE'CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. 7 ITALIC CAPITAL LETTERS. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ITALIC SMALL LETTER?. abed e f g li i j h I m n p q r s t u V w x_ y z M I D N Y U R B A K P F L Q T J V H W G S E C X Z m i- d n y o u r h a kpflqtjvh w g s e G X z VOWELS. AEIOU Y — aeiouy M (E 2d oeT^ ff ffi-ffl & 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. A AXE. B BAT. a axe. b bat. C CAT. D DOG. c cat. d dog. E EGG. F FOX. e egg. f fox. G GTJN. H HAT. g gun. h hat. I INK. J JUG. i ink. j jug. K KITE. L LI-ON. k kite. I li-on. M MUG. N NAG. m mug. n nag. THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. OX. o ox. Q QUEEN, q queen. S SUN. s sun. - U URN. u urn. W WING. w wing, Y YOKE. y yoke. p pia. P pig- R RAT. r rat. • T TOP. t top. V VICE. V vice. X EX. X ex. Z ZE-BRA, z ze-bra. 4t • • 10 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. ba be. bi bo hu bj ca ce ci co cu cy da de cli do dii dy fa" fo fi fo fn fy g^ ge gi go g^ gy ha he hi " lio hu hy ja JG ji jo J^^ j.y ka ke ki ko ku . ky la. le li lo ll^ ly ma me mi mo mu my na ne ni no nu i\y pa pe pi po pu py ra re ri ro TO 'y sa pe si PO SIT ■^y ta te ti to tu ty va ve yi • vo YU vy wa we wi wo WU wy za ze zi zo zn • ab ' eb ib ob iib ac ec ic oc iic ad ed .id od nd af ■ ef if • of nf THE CHILDS FIRST BOOK. n ak al am eg ek el em ik il im r.k ol GUI nk • 111 um ah en ill on un ap ep iP op up- al- er Il- or ur as es ls OS U3 at et ■ it- ot •lit av cv iv ov IIV ax ex ix ox ILX' az ez iz <»z HZ am ah go to if 1)0 ye {Ml ma • lo of ill lio by at ]AX IX) on it me my as do • so OX is • we lip vz THK CHILD'S FIT.ST BOOK. IlEADTNa IX TWO LETTERS. - ^^; ~_ -t--_ :c_rt>::;.r^j="' I am ill. TVc go in. ITe is in. Do go in. r:.r:siCi";i,-. He is by mec' No, I am on it. Am I bj^ it/^ He is bj it. Go in if I go. H(, is ij^^ as I am, My ma is in. So is my pa. If iie is in, so am I. THE CHILD'S FIRST ^OOK. Am I Up ? Ko, we go up. It is on me. If I go up, go up to me. I am up : so am I. 13 *Is he up? ■ Do go up as I do. ISTo, go on up. ISTo, go on by me. It is as if an ox is on it. It is an ox. Is it an ox ? Ko, it is pa. If it is pa, he is on an ox. So he is. If he be by an ox, is lie on it? No, he is at it. Is pa on an ox ? No, ma is on it; pa is by it, Lo, it is^ so. He is to go an it, if I do. I am to go on it, If I go on it, is it. my ox ? It is ray ox, or it is to go to me. " If it is to go to me, it is my ox. Go on, ox. 14 THE CHILD S FIRST BOOK. LESSONS IN THREE LETTERS. liad cut did try log toe bad but bid cry bog doe gad liut hid fry •cog foe lad jut lid pi-y . dog hoe mad nut rid and ' fog off sad • rut Tom axe . ^i^g his Tom had an axe. And as he did try to cut a log, he cut off his toe. Tie ran off to cry, and let his toe lie on the losr. o Fan box bat top big ban fox fat fop dig man old hat liop lig pan she mat lop jig ran the pat mop pig tan her I'at ])op rig* van lie eat sop wig bed got lap fly paw fed cot cap ply caw led dot gap sly jaw red hot hap eye law wed jot wap ami maw was ■ lot nap art raw out not sap ark saw t Fan had an old box. It sat on tlie top of a big bed ; and a bat got in-to it. She put it on her lap ; and as the lid was up, the bat got out. It did not fly, but ran up her arm as a rat ; and its paw put out her eye. THE CHILD'S FIRvST BOOK. 15 Mol pen let Ret i^y Dan den pet wet may off fen . get -way pay X)ft lien- jet bay ray nor nien met clay say for ten net S^Y lay oak wen pet liay nay The old cat, Mol, got a rat in the pig pen. As she had her paw on it by the pen, the big dog, Dan, ran at her. She had to let the rat go, and get up on the top 'of the pan, out of the reach of the dog. As she did so, off ran the rat, and hid in an old oak log. So noi old Dan did not get the cat ; rat. did the cat get the Anil lie yet leg kid • kip all die let beg cup dip cat" pie met keg sup lip car tie pet peg own rip its vie hit set put one pun sip elk run bow elf let bun sun low elm met dun tun mow who pit fun eye row fit sit gun die sow bit wit mm man tow 16 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. An «lk is not so big as an ox. It is not fit for a pet. It can run so as to get ont of the way of a dog; but it can not o^et out of tlie wav of a 2:un or a bow. A man who had a gun hit an elk in the eye ; and so it did die. see too bug mug bee coo' dug rug fee loo hug tug him woo .n^g slv I' dim a'ir lug ply rim end Wg try A sly fox did try to get a fat old hen to eat. She did not see him as he got in-to the lot; for a" fog was in the air ; and she had her eye, too, on a bug in the hay. The sly fox got up to her, and had his pa^^ u]) to put on her; but a dog, who lay in his bed in the end of the lot, saw him, and ran at him. And so the hen got off, and the fox had to run to get out of the way of the dog. THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK, 17 "%*Wk*,*^^'^ Ned now sow far (^d bow vow har can cow pop car man. lli)W cop mar Avliy mow was par use , row war tar 18 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. ISTed had a, gun. AVliy he got it, I can not say. But it was not a bad one ; and he was fit to use it. One day he saw a mad dog not far off, and put hi;3 gun to liis eye. Pop, the gun did go, and hit the dog. ^Ile bit no one now ; for he did die. Sam new Lou say cam dew you are dam few nse nut ham hew our pen jam jew ink hen mam mew irk old ram pew all see Sam has a new hat and a new box to put it in. He can pnt it on if he go out in the sun ; but he has no use for it in bed. He has an old cap, too ; but it is not fit for him in the hot sun ; nor to put on to go to see Lou. fHE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. 19 o-*^-, My pen and ink are so bad I can not say all I liad to say to yon. I gpt tlie ink out of a red nut ; it is. now dry. And I got tlie pen out of our old ben. But tbo' my pen and ink are bad, you can see all I do say ; and do not let it aU be of no use to you. Bol) rum boy sin God cob gum coy bin hod fob lium joy din nod jol) mum own fin pod mob sum . ear g^^ . rod rob rye ill tin sod sob eye inn win act Bob got a jug of rum at the inn. The rum was of no use to him. But he got rum, or may be it was " old rye." Day by day, he put the jug to liis lips; and did not use cup or mug. You can see by his red eye it is bad for him. 20 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. One day, in a mad fit, the r;^m got in-to him'; he liit his own boy, and cut liis lip and his ear, but did not put- out his eye. Bub was ill, too, and had to lie in bed as if to die. Yet he saw he was not fit to die ; and he did cry to God ; " Oh! God, 1 do sin day by day. I am far, far in the way of sin. Woe is me if I die as I am. But, oh ! my God, let me not die in sin." His cry did go up to God, and he did not let him die in sin. Bob got out of bed a new man. He did not use his jug now, nor go to the inn ; but he did act as if the eye of God was on him.* Hal yon bag jag Jim bon nag • ^ag who con cag mag. tlio^ doii fag rag yes dry g^g tag yet sky hag wag age apt sin mud ace act mix l>ud ale aft fix cud ate ash ■ pix won oat ask rix son oak- asp wee ton THE CHILD'S FIRST B0<5k. HAL AND JIM. Hal is on a bay nag. Ilcr dam was red ; but she has no red but a wee bit on the tij) of the ear. She is fed out of the bin or the oat mow; and has new haj too, and rj^e, if it can be got. -She has a dry bed to lie on^ She is gay, but is not apt to run off. Her age is six. Hal had a bet to run his nag ; but his pa had bid him not to run nor to bet. But Hal w^as a bad boy, and did not try to do as lie was bid. So one day he set off on his gay nag. As he was to be off all day, he put a bun or two and a bit of ham in a bag, and got cut hay and vjq for his nag. His aim was to get to the boy who was to run for the bet. He met Jim, who had a nag too. He was the boy for Hal. IlaL — Ho, Jim, can you run for the bet to-day ? Jim. — Yes, Hal, and win too. JIal. — I bet two to one on my nag. J'hi. — 'If you bet ten .to one, my nag can w^in. fT(fl. — Let \is run to yon oak we see far on in the Avay. Ji?/i. — ^Ko, Hal ;. it is too far ; and the way is not all dry. Let us run to tlie asii w^e see mid-way. The way to it has no mud ; it is all dry. //o:/.—'We can do as 3^ou say. 22 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. Ual won the bet ; for tie got to tlie asli, as Jiiii wa§ a rod off. And now Hal had joy ; but Jim was sad ; for he had to pay the bet. The sun wfls ftir np in the sky; and Hal got out the cut hay and rye for liis nag; and Jim got of it for his.- He got out, too, all he had in his bag to eat ; and he and Jim ate it all up. put tho' Hal had joy as he won the bet of Jim, he was sad in the eve : his fun was now all woe ; for he did as his pa had bid him not to do; and now he had to go to him. He was in a sad fix ; and art and wit did not get him out. The rod was his lot. THE DOG AND THE HEN. A boy had an old hen, and a big red dog. He put a box in a pen for his hen ; and she sat in it to lay an egg. But the big red dog was bad, and ran in-to the pen and bit the hen and ate up her egg. But the hen got out of the way of the dog, and ran off out of her box and out of the pen in-to the lot. A bag by tlie pen had ice in it ; and she did go on the ice to get for oujfc of the w^ay of the dog. As she did so, the boy sa\y the dog try to do as she did ; and he was sad to see it; for he has bit his hen-, and his aim is to do it now too, if he can get to her. But as he did try to go on the ice, he got in-to the mud up to his eye. He put his leg on a log in the bog to get out of the mud ; but it w^as as if it had oil on it. As the boy saw it he had joy ; for tlie old hen was out of the ^vay, and the bad dog was yet in the bog. THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. 23 A MOENINa PRAYER. Oh ! God, who art my God, in all the way I go, be not far off. May I see no ill -nor woe to-day. Aid me to do as I am bid ; and to act as if the eye of God was on me all the day. And let me do to all as all are bid to do to me. Try me not by thy law ; for day by day I go far in the way of sin. But let me do no sin to-day. Do all I ask^ not for me, but for thy son. A-men. AN EVExVING PRAYER. Oh! my God, God of the sky, and air, and sea, and of all men, ope thy ear to my cry ; and let not my sin be on me ; for oft did I sin to-day. May I put off the old man and put on the new man. May I pay my vow to God, and do all his law. Cut me not off in sic ; but if I die ere I see. the day, may I be fit to die, and go to God in joy. May thy Son ask all for me. A-men. SAM AND HIS DOG RED LEG. THE LAP DOG. Sam was a big boy, and he had a pet lap dog. He let it lie in his bed as he lay, or he let it sit in his lap as he sat. He fed it out of all he had to eat ; and it was as fat as a fed pig ; yet it w^as not so big as a kid of a day old ! "Was it not a pet ? It had a red tip to one car, and it had one red leg ; so now you see why it was dog Hed Leg. If Sam bid it put up the red paw on his lap, the dog did as it was 24 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. ' bid, and put up no paw but the red one ; or if he did say to it, "Go, Ked Leg, and get nie uiy liat oflf the pin," Red Leg ran for the hat, and got it off the pin for Sam ; and got him no liat but his own. Now, Eed Leg was a dog of wit, as you may se6 ; - and Sam was a Lad of wit, too ; and he had got a giin^ fur lie was old and big, and fit to use one ; and he let no one get at it, or use it, but men. But Bob (a boy * who saw him get it) was sad, for he had no gun. He was not fit to get one, tho' he w^as as big and as old as Sam. Bob was son to an old man who lay ill in a cot not far off. .The old man had no son but him. He had had a son who was not so old as Bob ; and he was not* bad. He was fit to .di€ ;. so God had let him go up to Him in joy; and now the old man had no son but Bob ; and he was a bad, bad boy. Bob had no dog, nor no gun ; but ho had a pet of his own, and it was a bad one. You may say it was fit for a bad boy to get a bad pet. He Kad set a gin one day, and he got an old mag-pie in it; and tho' the mag-pie had its leg cut in the gin, Bob did not let it go, but put it up in a box, and had»it for his pet. TEE DOU AND' GUN. - Kow Sam and his dog, and Bob and his mag-pie, set off" one day, to sit on the dry ^od in the sun. The mag-jne sat by Bob, and Bed Leg lay on the sod by Sam. The eye of the dog was on Sara ; but his lip and his leg lay on the top of the gun. Now, Bob was in joy to see the lip of the dog at the top of the gun. " It may go oft'! it may go oft"! " said THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOit. 25 the bad boj. " " The gun may go .off, and hit-Eed Leg, and vex Sam. But my pet mag-pie can not be hit by *-Ov the gun ; for the top of the gun is to Sam and to his dog, and not to me or to my mag-pie." But the gun was not in the way to go off as it lay. It was a new gun, and it was an odd one too. If Sam. was to let off his gun, he had to fit a tin cap, or cup, on a peg in the gun ; and the ca^) was to be hit on the top, to set the gun off. Now Sam had put a cap on the peg of his gun ; and Bob saw how he did it : for he had his eye on the gun, a;id he said, "Oh! if it may but go off, and hit the dog! He.'is a bad old cur, tho' he has a red leg; and he bit my mag-pie one day. So do, gun, go off, and hit him if you can," But the gun did not go off, tho' Bob bid it." So he ran and got a log — a big, big log, (he did not let Sam see him get it,) and he let the log hit the cap of the gun on the top, to set it off; and the gun did go off: and, how can I say to you all the ill it did? 2 26 THE CHILD'S FIRSt BOOK. It did not liit Ked Leg ; but it hit tlie pet mag-pie.: and Bob saw her lie on the 60*d. and he was sad, and did sob and crv. A BAD SON. To hit the mag-pic was not all the ill the gmi did. The old man of the cot w^as not far off, and, sad to say, the gnn hit him ; yes, it hit him, and he lay on the sod, as if to die ! Bob did not see the gnn hit the old man ; but it Ifiad cut him on the leg : and tho' he did not cry for the cut, yet, as he lay on the sod, he dicl cry to see one who was his own son so bad a boy. Bob, now^, as the mag-pie lay on the sod, saw how far a gun can go; and, he saw, too, how bad it is to set one off; yet he was not so sad for the old man, as for his own pet mag-pie : and he said, '' Oh ! why did the gun go so far? why did it not hit the old cur who had his lip on it, and who bit my pet? — why did it not hit himV So he did cry and sob, and was sad. But Sam said to him, " Do not cry. Bob : the mag- pie may not die. It can fly yet, you see ; and, may be, it is not so ill as to die." Boh. — " Oh ! yes, sir, my mag-pie is ill ; you saw it try to fly, but it can not get up. You may see it now fix its eye on me, as if to ask why I let off the gun at it? No, no, my mag-pie can not fly, nor can it sit. It can but lie on the sod and die. And now I see it die ! Oh ! how sad I am ! " Aud Bob lay on the sod by his pet ; and did cry, and sob, and hit the sod, as as w^e oft see a bad boy do. tHE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. 2? A SAD PA-PA. The old man of the cot saw Bob lie on the sod ; and, ill as he w^s, he got up, to ask if he was hit by the gun : but, as he saw his son was not hit at all, he said to him, •^' Oh I Bob, you are a bad boy : I saw you set off the gun ; and you see how it has hit me, and cut my leg ! You let it off to hit Red Leg, and did try to aim it at him ; but it did not go oft' so as to hit the dog ; no, it hit the mag-pie you had for a pet, (as was fit for it to do,) and you saw it die. ' " Now, you see the gun has hit me too, and I may die, as the mag-pie did ; and, if I do, who can be to you as'I am ? A bad boy can get no one to aid him, and how can you get on if I am not by you ? Oh ! my son, my son ! bad as yon are, I am sad for you ! " Bob got up oft' the sod, and did fix his eye on the cut his pa-pa had got. It was not for his pet mag-pie he was now sad. Ko ! he was in woe to see his ]3a-pa so ill. '• Sam was sad to see the old man ill, and sad to see Bob in woe ; and he said, " Bob is in woe, sir, to see you so ill ; and he is sad, too, I see, for his own sin; so he may yet get oft' his bad way, and- be as a son to you. Do not, I beg, let him see you in ire. He nay be of use to you now you are ill ; and he can not be so sad, if you let him be of use to you." Bob. — " Oh ! do not ask him to let me be of use to him. I am too bad a boy. I, who set off the gun, and hit him, can not be as his son." Sam, — " You can tr 7 to be of use to him, and to be as a son to him now he is ill; can you not?" Bob did not say yes, or no ; but he did cry as he saw 28 THE CHILD'S FIRgT BOOK. the sad cut on the leg of his own pa-pa ; and the old man said to him, " You see. Bob, the eye of God is on ns all. Sin can not be hid" : for God can see all who sin. He saw you hit the gun, and set it off, as yon sat on the sod : and He did to you as yon did try to do to Sam. You did try to vex him, and God saw fit to vex yon. But God did it to let yon see how had you are, so as not to let yon go on in sin." . Bob. — " Oh ! I was bad ! "bad to Sam, who can vex no one ; but, mi ! how bad I am to yon ! You can not now let me be as a son to you." THE END. The old man, and Bob, and Sam, gotin-to the cot; and as Bob saw his pa-pa so ill, and the cut on his leg so red, he ran to his bed, and lay on it in woe, and did ask God not to let his pa-pa die. " Oh, God ! I am a- bad, bad boy," said he ; "a boy of sin ! But "I am sad for all the ill I did, and now I ask Thy aid to get me ont of the way of sin. Thy Son can se.e all we d6, and He has an ear to all we say ; oh ! let all I now do be fit for His eye ; and let all I sa}^ be fit for His ear. And, oh ! do not let my pa-pa die ! But say I may yet be a son to him ; and let me be Thy son now and to my end. — Amen."* So Bob got up, and ran to his pa-pa to try to be of use to him ; and God let him be of use, and let him get all he had to ask for; and in a day or two, the old man was not ill, and he said to Bob', " You do not vex me now, my boy, for you try, I gee, not to be bad ; and you see how God can aid THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. 29 U8 all to get out of tlie way of sin, if we but tiy to do so." Then Bob said, to Sam, low in bis ear, " Ob ! Sam, I am in joy now ; pa-pa said, ' my hoy.'^ Ob ! I see be can let mc be bis son yet." " Yes," said tbe old man, " I can let you be my son. You are my own son now. May God let you be His son too." LESSONS IN FOUR LETTERS. nice book bead dice cook read fice book lead lice look meed mice nook then rice rook when vice took glen keep must • well deep bust beU peep dust cell weep gust dell good just fell hood lust sell here ^ rust tell 80 THE CniLDS FIRST BOOK. . - THE GOOD BOOK. Here is a nice book for Ann. She may look at itj and she may read in it ; and she may keep it for her own. But then she must be good, and do as we bid her,. and try to do well. beat says drum talk feat days^ crum balk heat jays grum walk meat lays love your neat pays dove four peat rays Lord pour seat ways with come gone have boys some land mine place need band dine face deed hand fine lace feed sand kine mace heed wish line pace i-eed di-sh nine race seed fish pine give weed said vine live earn THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. 31 made poor more tore bade -boor bore wore cade moor core part fade liiirt fore cart jade thou gore dart lade that lore hart rade high pore mart wade nigh sore tart take hope save will bake lope cave bill cake mope gave fill lake pope lave gill make rope pave hill rake home rave kill sake dome wave mill wake soul help pill rill ^ both pray hear Bill « doth fray in-to till loth gi-ay ar-my glad bray tray o-ver crdd dray wray la-dy THE DRUMMER BOY. I met a hoy one day, who had gone in-to the army to beat the drum, and who says he has love for his Lord. As I love to talk with the boys in the ar-my, I said to him : " Did your ma wisli you to come in-to the ar-my ?" "Yes, sir; she said, 'sons all o-ver the land have gone to the war, and I must and do give mine,' " 32 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. *'May be she had need of the pay you can earn, and that made her give you up." The poor boy was hurt and said: " It was not the pay, sir ; it was more than that ; it was not the pay at all; for she said to me, 'You can do your part, my boy, for the land. For if you will beat the drum, you will take the place of a man.' I am here for our land, sir — to help to save my home." " You are a fine boy," said I, "and your ma a la-dy of high soul: I hope God will save her to you and you to her, and give us a land fit for you to be your glad home." "If you did but hear my ma pray," said he, "you must see that we have both a God and a land." loaf • rags shoes feet pale thin said look poor here want more than made- took soon kind this good will give coat sure them have wear cold rt\ik must * ' hiirt- j)ast wish make glad with nice pair weak such help THE KIND MAN. I saw a man buy a loaf, and he met a boy all in rags ; the boy had no cap or hat on, no shoes at all on his feet, and he was pale and thin. The man said to the boy, " You look ill, my poor lad ; here is my loaf THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. 83 for you ; you look as if you want it more than I do. The boy mado^a bow, took the loaf, a;id soon ate it up. This man was kind and good, was he not ? If you see that boy, will you give him an old coat and a cap ? I am sure he wants them ; and you have a coat that you do not wear now. How the cold and the rock must hurt his feet ! Will you let him go by and not wish to make him glad with a new pair of shoes ? He is poor and weak, and you are not so. Give to such and help them, and God will not let you want. aunt gave when hftar came book hand know eTohn kiss -come dare read dear. next fall well Jane y«ar tale3 have lend hope sure shall take find care that * * tear much soil fond none dunce wish THE. KIND AUNT. My aimt came to see me to-day, and she gave me this new book. Look, Ann; look, John, what a nice| book. I will trv to read well ; for my aunt, when she gave it to me, took me by the hand and gave me a | kiss, and said, '' Kow, my dear Jane, I give you tnisi book, as I hear you wish to know how to read ; and wlien 1 come to see you next year, I hope I shall hnd| that you read well." I will try to read well, as I wisli, so much my dear aunt may be as fond of me as I ami 9> 34 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. of her, and she can not be fond. of me if I am not good. When I have read mj.book, Ann, I will lend it to you; for I dare say.it is full of nice tales, t^d I am sure you will take care of it, and not tear it or soil it. John says none but a dunce will tear or soil a book. How glad I am to hav^ a kind aunt and a new book. quite dark dusk bird ftist flies. time they hide holes wall tree then their food owls hour moths bees buzz does sin-g cage head wing tell what star moon just like four five count pray late ^c^-^t know what ship it was, nor who Was 38 THE CHILD'S FIR^T BOOK. on it ; but they went to bed sad, for Ned's pa had not come home, and what if he were in that ship ! Next m(^'n came the sad ne-ws. The fear was true ; he was in that ship, and went down with its crew. He came no more to his neat cot and the dear ones in it. He went to be at rest with his God. ^^ AT SCHOOL. It was now a sad time at Ned's home. He and his ma and Ma-ry were all. One seat by the fire had no one it. At morn and eve they had no one to sing and pray with them. They were sad, too, when they sat down to eat ; for they did not now e-ven look for him to come back and take his seat with them. Ned's ma now made him learn to read in a book his pa gave him as he last went a-way. And Ma-ry, too, now and then,, came to look at the pig and dog, and the hen and bird, and the boy and girl, that were in the book \ bnt she did not tear it. When Ned was a-ble tb read well in this book, his ma ee'nt him iJo a • THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. 39 t . inan who had ma-iiy boys with him. She gave him a new book, and a pen, and a slate. ^ed was a good boy here ; and when he went home at eve his ma was glad to see him ; and Ma-ry came out to meet him. in a ^qq ; for she had no one to play with her when he was from home. When it was warm, they lay on the turf by the old oak ; and ISTed made a dog or cat for Ma-ry on his slate. He had now al-so a new book with a map in it ; and he told Mary thg^ the part in-side the red lijie "^ was land, but that out-side was the sea. And they saw an isle out in the sea, to which pa had gone when he left home the last time. It had the ve-ry name he used to tell them at home : Ned read it on the map, , '' Cu-ba," This did not pass out of his mind. But he ^ oft told his ma of it, or got his map to show it to Ma-ry. GONE TO SEA. N'ed had kept in mind much of what his jm had told him of what he saw o-ver the sea. He had, too, all his life seen ships, and men who had been to sea. And when he was six and ten years old, he had a mind to go to sea him-self. But his ma did not wish him to go ; fdr the loss of his pa was yet in her mind, and it 40 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. would be sad to have her son meet the same fate. But ■ Ned, tho' he was a good boj, and, for the most part, " did as his ma told him, yet had a will of his own. And this time, he was not kept back. He said he mnst see Cu-ba, and then go al-so to some land over the sea. He soon got a pl/ice in a fine, big ship ; and then told his ma and Ma-ry good-bye, and set sail. He saw much that was new to him on the trip ; but it did not make him glad ; for he was all the time kept sad by the fact that his ma did *not wish him to go from - home. Morn and eve this was in his mind ; and he lay np-on his bed till a late hour ere he shut his eyes. But Ned was not a-ble now to turn back, as the ship kept on its way. And soon Cu-ba was seen far off to the east. Ned now got high up on a rope by the mast to see what was to be seen. But he did not run up and down the rope with ease like the old tars. It was new to hhn ; and, just as the ship went by a point of land, not far from the place to" stop, his foot gave way, and he fell in-to the deep. A boat was let down to save him ; but Ned was a-ble so swim ; and, as the land was hot far off, he did not wait for the boat, but swam to the land and was safe. '^ But the e-vil of his case did not end here ; for no one was with him, and he knew not how to go, nor for whom to. ask. At last he found his way to a large city. But here he was more lost than in the wood where first he came to land ; for, tho' he met men each step he took, he knew no one. He did not find e-vcn one of the crew^ of his ow^n ship. At last he w^ent to a room in an inn by him-self. Here he lay down up-on his bed, and had not a 6oul to talk to of all the woa he felt. THE CHILI>'S FIRST BOOK. ' 41 THE RETURN. As thus he lay, he felt how sad it was to be where he knew no one ; and it was more sad to have come when his ma did not wish him to -do so. Oh, that he were a-ble to tell her all he felt ! But she was far a-way o-ver the wide sea. Then it came into his mind that One was near, to whom we may tell all our woe. And he did try to look to God, and tell Him all the woe and sin he felt. And he told not on-ly the sin he had done when he came from home and left his ma, but al-so the sins of all his life. He kept back none. ISTed's ma had oft told him not to sin, and when he did sin, to go to God and seek his ^ner-cy. And he knew well that it was sin to do what God bade him not to do, or not to do what God, in his word, bade him do ; and he knew that oft he had done sin ; but not till he lay up-on his bed in that lone. room, and his mind ran back over the past, did he feel the e-vil of sin. And here he went to God, aud thus did he pray : " Oh-^ my God, I am full of sin, and not fit to lift my eye to Thee ; yet have mer-cy up-on me ; show me Thy love, and take a-way my sins ; blot them all from Thy book, and make me a new man, for the sake of Thy Son, who has died to save us from our sins.'* His mind was now at rest ; for he gave his heart to God, and found mer.-cy in Christ. He soon af-ter came back to his home in the neat cot by the sea side, to make glad the heart of his ma, by a new life of love to God. 42 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. LESSONS IN WORDS OF FIVE AND SIX LETTERS brave these think nght fine come Will Hale going have road with great ba-by shame first long wait brow cheek told word bade strong prove them till ^ noble would from house leave should . fact where which AYHO IS THE BRAVE BOY? Hear these boys and tell me which you think was right and brave : " Oh, yes, that is fine ! So we will ! Come on now ! There is Will Hale ! Come on Will ; we are going to have a ride on the road. Come with us ! "Yes, if my ma will let me. , I will run and ask her," said Will. " Oh, oh ! so you must run and ask your ma! Great ba-by, run fast and and ask your ma if you may go 1 Have, you" no shame ! I did not ask my ma." " Nor I," " nor I," said all the rest. *' Be a man. Will," said the first boy. " Come with us if you do not want to seem base, as long you as you live." " Do you not see all of us wait for yoq ?" His brow, eye, lips, cheek, all told how that word base stung his heart. Will he prove that he is base by go-ing with them ? No. " I will not go till I ask my ma ! " ^aid the nobly THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. 43 boy. " And I am not base. I told her I would not go from the house till she gave me leave ; and I should be base in fact if I were to tell her a lie ! " Was not Will Hale brave as well as good ? Did he not do right ? deed ev-er were life seem bright sweet there thing earth worth liv-ing your pil-low vest call mind maid fall pass need lit-tle can-die throws beams shines world true gives warmth makes heart which done fail who ''a good deed. Did you ev-cr do a good deed? .Were you not glad of it, and did not life seem more bright and sweet for it ? You felt as if there was one thing on earth worth liv-ing for. When you put your head on your pil-low to rest, was it not sweet to call to mind the joy you had made ? Then, will you ev-er fail to do a good deed when you can ? Will you pass by a poor bo}^ and not ask if he be, in need, that you may help him ? How far that lit-tle can-die throws its beams ! So shines a good* deed in a bad world. Is it not true ? A good deed shines and gives warmth, too. It. makes glad more than one heart — the heart which does it, as well as the heart un-to which it is done. Who can fail to do good and be kind ? 44 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. leaves once taught . truth some nails board each wrong were pull go-ing last holes Gough strong learn for-get long pang truth haste speech would could friend known tear scenes. be-fore a-way thought dwelt grace thro' cause .^rief pangs ■ ' some dwelt SIN LEAVES ITS MARK. An old man once taught his son a sad truth in this way : " He gave him some nails and a board—the nails to be put in-to the board, one by one, each time the boy did *wrong. "When they were all put in, he told his son to pull out a nail each time he was go-ing to do wrong but did not. It took much more time to get the nails out than in. But at last the son let. him see that the board had no nail in it. The old man was sad, and said, " But the holes are there." Mr. Gough says the marks of sin are as strong. " What you learn from bad ways, and from the bad, you will not for-get, and it will be a long, long pang to you. I tell you, in all truth, hot as in the haste of a speech, but as I would say and have said to my God, I would give my right hand this night if I could for- get that which I h'ave known from e-vil men ; if I could tear from my mind the sceftes in which I have been, the acts which have been done be-fore me. You can- not, I think, take a-way the dark mark of one e-vil thought that has come aud dwelt in your heart. THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. 45 You may pray for it, and, by the grace of God, you may put it out, but it will, tliro' life, cause you grief and pangs. wise ages a-go ev-er child know deeds work pure some mark stamp signs haste spend . each cent soon save much . hide mean keep him-self share things self-ish name rain hard taste strong drink loye grows church Sun-day ho-ly e-ven pa-pa mam-ma bless days land fond Bi-ble learn hap-py tho' great changes place rule soul . fail heart THE BOY MAKES THE MAN. The wise man said long a-ges ago, " E-ven a child is known by his deeds, if his work he pure or not, and if it-be right or not." Some men seem to think that a child has no mark or stamp of the man at all. Yet, we can see in the young the signs of what they are apt to be for life. When we see a boy in haste to spend each cent as soon as he gets it, we think it a sign that he will not save much as a man. When we see a boy lay up and hide his cents, and will not parfrwith them for a good end, we think it a sign that he will be a mean man, and keep all he can get.' When we see a boy who all the time looks out for 46 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. him-self, and will not share his good things with the boys who play with him, we think it a sign that he will grow np a self-ish man. When we see a boy get mad day by day and take the name of God in vain, we think it a sign that he will make a hard and bad man. When we se3 a boy like to taste strong drink, we think it a sign that he will love it too well and drink too much when he grows to be a man, When we see a boy who hates to go to church, and does not keep Sun-day ho^ly, we think it a sign that he will be an e-vil man. When we see a child love and mind his pa-pa and ma-ma, we think it a sign that God will bless him, and that his days may be long in his land. When we see a boy fond. of the Bi-ble, who loves to read and learn it, we think it a sign that he will be a good and hap-py man. And tho' great changes may take place in heart and mind and soul, yet, as a rule these signs do not fail. play-ing trap ball ' grow soul ^rew young trade rich girls . care bet-ter a-ble gray still leave death should what' read NOW IS THE TIME. " Not "yet," said a lit-tle boy, as he was play-ing with his top and ball ; " when l^grow old I will think of my soul;" The lit-tle boy grew to be a young man. " JS'ot yet," said the young man j "I am now to go fHE CHILE'S FIRST BOOK. 47 in-to trade ; when I am rich, then I will think of my soul." He grew rich, '• IS'ot yet,'- said the rich man ; '\my boys and girls must have my care ; when they are well in life, I shall be bet-ter able to think of my soul." He grew to be an old man, and his head was grey. " Kot yet," still he said ; I shall soon leave off trade, and then I shall have all my time to read and to pray." And soon Death came for him, he put off from time to time what should have been done when he was a child. In life he had no God, and in de^th (he had no hope. EVENING PRAYER. Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep ; If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take ; And this I ask for Jesus' sake. MORNING PRAYER. The morning bright. With rosy light. Hath waked me up from sleep Father I own, Thy love alone, Thyiittle one doth keep. All through the day, I humbly pray, )Be thou my God and guide ; My sins forgive. And let me live, Blest Jesus, near thy side. 48 THE CHILD'S FIRST BOOK. THE LORD'S PRAYER. Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptgrtion, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, *and the glory, forever. Amen. USE. ME! Hake use of me, my God ! Let me not be forgot, A broken vessel cast aside, One whom thou needest not. I am Thy creature, Lord, And made by hands Divine, And I am part, however mean. Of this great world of Thine. Thou usest all Thy works. The weakest things that be ; Each has a service of its own. For all things wait, on Thee. Thou usest the high stars. The tiny drops of dew, The giant peak, and little hill ; And why not use ine too ? All things do serve Thee here. All creatures, great and small ; Make use of me, my God, The weakest of them all ! ILLUSTRATED NEW^ I \ •) 'I:iThis Book is Due iderfei .y. r.rm Subscription.— Twenty Dollars per year, or Ten Dollars for i months. News Dealers supplied at Twenty-five Dollars per hundr ' The War A its Heroes! The handsomest book ever published in the Confederacy, conta^ ing portraits and biographical sketches of Generals COOPER, LEE, JACKSON, EWELL, LONGSTREET, JOS. E. JOHNSTCJ A. P., HILL, HAMPTON, G. W. SMITH, ! PEMBERTON, LANE, HINDMAN, ; HOOD, M. L. SMITH, Com. HOLLINS, ;i The gallant PELHAM, und the bold partisan, Maj. JNO. S. MOSl' 2Vie Popular ;S(on/, by Miss BRADDON, entitled tummz trtcTORv Has also been published in book-form, (beautifully illustrat't ''*' and is now ready for delivery. Address AYRES & WADE, FahUshcrs, Rit^imowl