For instance, he was greatly pleased with the blue violets of spring, the wild roses of summer, and the scarlet cardinal-flowers of early autumn.

In the decline of the year, when the woods were variegated with all the colors of the rainbow, Ben seemed to desire nothing better than to gaze at them from morn till night. The purple and golden clouds of sunset were a joy to him. And he was continually endeavoring to draw the figures of trees, men, mountains, houses, cattle, geese, ducks, and turkeys, with a piece of chalk on barn doors or on the floor.

In those old times, the Mohawk Indians were still numerous in Pennsylvania. Every year a party of them used to pay a visit to Springfield, because the wigwams of their ancestors had formerly stood there. These wild men grew fond of little Ben, and made him very happy by giving him some of the red and yellow paint with which they were accustomed to adorn their faces.

His mother, too, presented him with a piece of indigo. Thus he now had three colors-red, blue, and yellow-and could manufacture green by mixing the yellow with the blue. Our friend Ben was overjoyed, and doubtless showed his gratitude to the Indians by taking their likenesses in the strange dresses which they wore, with feathers, tomahawks, and bows and arrows.

Spell and pronounce:-ancestors, England, France, seventh, asleep, buzzing, gazing, personage, slumbered, seized,' hastily, lullabies, performances, and indigo.

Give the synonyms for renown, destined, eclipsed, ripe age, distant, peacefully, blissful, vanishes, invented, observing, insisted, and hues.

Explain :-"world of art," "field of battle," "marks of confusion in his face," "wigwams of their ancestors."

LESSON XL.

in ģēnʼious, skillful to invent.

re spěЄt'a ble, worthy of respect.

rue'ful, mournful.

ôr'di na ry, common. çiv'il ly, politely.

ma tēʼri alş, the substances of which things are made. děx'ter ous, skillful; handy. en věl'oped, surrounded as a covering.

ex hÏb'it ed, showed; displayed.

BENJAMIN WEST-Continued.

All this time the young artist had no paintbrushes; nor were there any to be bought, unless he had sent to Philadelphia on purpose. However, he was a very ingenious boy, and resolved to manufacture paint-brushes for himself.

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With this design, he laid hold upon-what do you think? Why, upon a respectable old black cat, which was sleeping quietly by the fireside. 'Puss," said little Ben to the cat, “pray give me some of the fur from the tip of your tail ?”

Though Ben addressed the black cat so civilly, yet he was determined to have the fur, whether she were willing or not. Puss, who had no great zeal for the fine arts, would have resisted if she could; but the boy was armed with his mother's scissors, and very dexterously clipped off fur enough to make a paint-brush.

This was of so much use to him that he applied to Madam Puss again and again, until her warm coat of fur had become so ragged that she could hardly keep comfortable through the winter. Poor thing! she was forced to creep close to the chimneycorner, and eyed Ben with a very rueful look. But Ben considered it more necessary that he should have paint-brushes than that puss should be warm.

About this period Ben's father received a visit from Mr. Pennington, a merchant of Philadelphia, who was an old and esteemed friend of the West family. The visitor, on entering the parlor, was surprised to see it ornamented with drawings of Indian chiefs and of birds of beautiful plumage, and of the wild flowers of the forest. Nothing of the kind was ever seen before in the house of an ordinary farmer.

"Why, Friend West," exclaimed the Philadelphia merchant, "what has possessed you to cover your walls with all these pictures? Where did you get them?" Then Ben's father explained that all these pictures were painted by his little son, with no better materials than red and yellow ocher and a piece of indigo, and with brushes made of the black cat's fur.

"Indeed," said Mr. Pennington, "the boy has a wonderful faculty. Some of our friends might look upon these matters as childish; but little Benjamin appears to have been born a painter; and Providence is wiser than we are." The good merchant patted Benjamin on the head, and evidently considered him a wonderful boy.

When his parents saw how much their son's performances were admired, they could not help being proud of him; and they began to hope that some day he might have an opportunity to cultivate the genius which he displayed at so early an age.

One evening, shortly after Mr. Pennington's return to Philadelphia, a package arrived at Springfield, directed to our little friend Ben. "What can it possibly be?" thought Ben, when it was put into his hands. 'Who can have sent me such a great square package as this?"

On taking off the thick brown paper which enveloped it, behold, there was a paint-box with a great many cakes of paint, and brushes of various sizes. was the gift of good Mr. Pennington. There were, likewise, several squares of canvas, such as artists use for painting pictures upon, and, in addition to all these treasures, some beautiful engravings of landscapes. These were the first pictures that Ben had ever seen, except those of his own drawing.

What a joyful evening this was for the little artist! At bed-time he put the paint-box under his pillow, and got hardly a wink of sleep; for, all night long, his fancy was painting pictures in the darkness. In the morning, he hurried to the garret, and was seen no more till the dinner-hour; nor did he give himself time to eat more than a mouthful or two of food before he hurried back to the garret again.

The next day, and the next, he was just as busy as ever; until, at last, his mother thought it time to ascertain what he was about. She, accordingly, followed him to the garret.

On opening the door, the first object that presented itself to her eyes, was our friend Benjamin giving the last touches to a beautiful picture. He had copied portions of two of the engravings and made one picture out of both, with such admirable skill that it was far more beautiful than the originals. The grass, the trees, the water, the sky, and the houses were all painted in their proper colors. There, too, were the sunshine and the shadow looking as natural as life.

"My dear child, you have done wonders!" cried his mother. The good lady was in an ecstasy of

delight. And well might she be proud of her boy; for there were touches in this picture which old artists, who had spent a lifetime in the business, need not have been ashamed of. Many a year afterward, this wonderful production was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London.

Spell and mark the pronunciation of civilly, scissors, received, dexterously, comfortable, visitor, ornamented, opportunity, merchant, ocher, cultivate, canvas, canvass, landscapes, garret, and accordingly.

LESSON XLI,

per plěx'i tỷ, an uncertain state

of mind; doubt. kin'dred, relatives by blood.

dis eŭssed', examined by argument.

sim pliç'i ty, artlessness.

in'çi dent, circumstance; event. a bil'i tieş, talents.

fame, renown.

ae quired', gained; earned.

BENJAMIN WEST-Continued.

Well, time went on, and Benjamin continued to draw and paint pictures, until he had now reached the age when it was proper that he should choose a business for life. His father and mother were in considerable perplexity about their son.

According to their ideas, it was not right for people to spend their lives in occupations that are of no real and sensible advantage to the world. Now, what advantage could the world expect from Benjamin's pictures?

This was a difficult question; and in order to set their minds at rest, his parents determined to consult their kindred and their most intimate neighbors. Accordingly, they all assembled with their friends and neighbors, and discussed the matter in all its aspects.