joy. But Bantam was the great object of interest; all wanted to mount at once, and it was with some difficulty that John arranged that they should ride by turns, and the eldest should ride first. 11. Off they set at last; one on the pony, with the dog bounding and barking before him, and the others holding John's hands; both talking at once, and overpowering him with questions about home, and with school anecdotes. 12. We stopped a few moments afterwards to water the horses, and on resuming our route, a turn of the road brought us in sight of a neat country seat. I could just distinguish the forms of a lady and two young girls in the portico, and I saw my little comrades, with Bantam, Carlo, and old John, trooping along the carriage road. I leaned out of the coach window, in hope of witnessing the happy meeting, but a grove of trees shut it from my sight. 13. In the evening we reached a village where I had determined to pass the night. As we drove into the great gateway of the inn, I saw on one side the light of a rousing kitchen fire beaming through a window. I entered, and admired, for the hundredth time, that picture of convenience, neatness, and broad, honest enjoyment, the kitchen of an English inn. It was of spacious dimensions, hung round with copper and tin vessels highly polished, and decorated here and there with a Christmas green. 14. Hams, tongues, and flitches of bacon were suspended from the ceiling; a smoke-jack made its ceaseless clanking beside the fireplace, and a clock ticked in one corner. A well-scoured deal table extended along one side of the kitchen, with a cold round of beef and other hearty viands upon it, over which two foaming tankards of ale seemed mounting guard. Travellers of inferior order were preparing to attack this stout repast, while others sat smoking and gossiping over their ale on two high-backed oaken settles beside the fire. 15. I had not been long at the inn when a post-chaise drove up to the door. A young gentleman stepped out, and by the light of the lamps I caught a glimpse of a countenance which I thought I knew. I moved forward to get a nearer view, when his eye caught mine. I was not mistaken; it was Frank Bracebridge, a sprightly, good-humoured young fellow, with whom I had once travelled on the Continent. Our meeting was extremely cordial, for the countenance of an old fellow-traveller always brings up the recollection of a thousand pleasant scenes, odd adventures, and excellent jokes. 16. Finding that I was not pressed for time, and was merely making a tour of observation, he insisted that I should give him a day or two at his father's country seat, to which he was going to pass the holidays, and which lay at a few miles' distance. 'It is better than eating a solitary Christmas dinner at an inn,' said he, 'and I can assure you of a hearty welcome in something of the old-fashioned style.' His reasoning was cogent, and I must confess the preparation I had seen for universal festivity and social enjoyment had made me feel a little impatient of my loneliness. I closed, therefore, at once, with his invitation; the chaise drove up to the door, and in a few moments I was on my way to the family mansion of the Bracebridges. Washington Irving. [In these notes the following abbreviations are used: Lat. for Latin, Gr. for Greek, Fr. for French, and lit. for literally.] Man'-sion, a large house. Lat. mansio, place of abode, from maneo, mansus, to dwell. Im-pend'-ing, quite near. Literally · 'hanging over;' from Lat. in, upon, and pendeo, I hang. Bux'-om, gay, lively. Gi-gan'-tic, like a giant; huge. From Gr. gigas, a giant. An-tic-i-pa'-tion, a looking forward. From Lat. ante, before, and capio, I lay hold. Bu-ceph'-a-lus, a famous horse, which belonged to Alexander the Great. Guard'-ian-ship, care. Guardian is from old Fr. gardien, and is merely the French form of warden. Similar cases are guarantee and warrant, guile and wile. Per-son-age. From Lat. persona. Com-mis'-sion, a charge. From Lat. com, with, and mitto, I send. Ser-en'-i-ty, peace. An-i-ma'-tion, life, spirit. Lat. anima, life. From Pheas'-ant, a well-known bird. From Fr. faisan, which is derived from Gr. Phasianos, belonging to Phasis, a river flowing into the eastern shore of the Black Sea, whence the bird was brought to Europe. Bil'-let-doux, a love-letter. It is French, and properly means 'sweet letter.' Jun'-to, a body of men met together. The word is Spanish, and comes from Lat. jungo, junctus, to join. Cy'-clop, name of certain ancient giants, who had only one eye in the middle of the forehead. Sul-phu'-re-ous, containing sulphur. Here it only means the dark red light of the smithy fire. Cir-cu-la'-tion, a passing round. From Lat. circulus, a circle. Re-doubt'-a-ble, to be feared. From Lat. re, back, and dubito, I doubt. Por'-ti-co, a range of columns in front of a building. From Lat. porticus, a porch. Vi'-ands, food. Fr. viande, from Lat. vivo, I live. Tank'-ard, a large drinking-vessel. Cor'-dial, hearty. From Lat. cor, cordis, the heart. Co'-gent, strong and convincing, pressing. From Lat. cogo, I press, from co, together, and ago, I drive. EXERCISES.-1. Explain the following: (1) Having so many commissions to execute; (2) the cyclops round the anvil; (3) the impending holiday; (4) resuming our route; (5) our meeting was extremely cordial; (6) universal festivity and social enjoyment. 2. Analyse and parse the following: 'When you doubt whether an intended action be good or bad, abstain from it.' 3. Name all the derivatives you know from the following Latin roots (1) Mitto, I send; (2) mitto compounded with ad-, re-, de-, com-, sub-, trans-, inter-, per-, e- ; (3) jungo, junctus, I join ; (4) vivo, I live. with gas; our first railway was constructed in 1825; the electric telegraph and the penny post were developed a few years afterwards. These great agencies, along with the steam printing-press and the steamship, have changed the world to a degree that we cannot now realise. 2. Let us try to imagine what our country was before the railway was called into existence: it is no easy task. At that time the swiftest means of communication was the stage-coach. A great deal of romance is associated with the old stage-coach; we think of the breezy drive along the turnpike road; of the horn which was sounded on approaching the village, exciting a temporary interest and animation in its sleepy inhabitants; of the ready and substantial hospitality at the country inn; of the huge flagons of ale, and the ample round of beef. How much more delightful than the ride in the crowded and prosaic railway carriage! 3. In the pleasant summer, when the weather was tolerably dry, travelling by the stage-coach must have been an excellent thing; but it was also tedious. When the coaching system reached its perfection, on well-made roads and with the best of horses, a journey was often performed at the rate of ten miles an hour. In earlier days, when the roads were bad, the rate of travelling was painfully slow. A traveller who in 1703 made the journey from Portsmouth to Petworth, a distance under forty miles, says: 'We sat fourteen hours in the coach, and we did. not get out, save once when we were overturned, and twice when we stuck in the mire.' John Scott, afterwards Lord Eldon, when he went from Newcastle to London in 1766, in a coach called 'The Fly,' from its quick travelling, was more than three days and nights on the road-a journey which is now made in six hours. 4. But on the best of roads and with the most excellent horses, travelling by coach must have been in winter and in bad weather not only unpleasant but dangerous to the health. A journey by coach in the midst of snow and sleet or rain and wind, with cold feet, surrounded by sulky or unsympathetic companions, must have been a fearful trial, which could not have been improved by the prospect of a severe attack of rheumatism as the reward of such an excursion. 5. There were days, however, when even the coach was an innovation and a luxury, for that mode of |