LESSON I
THE NATIONAL PARKS IN JAPAN-I
Japan is a beautiful country. You can see many beautiful places in this country. There are so many famous districts that you cannot think of them all at once. But of all these beautiful districts twelve are set apart as National Parks. Get a map of Japan and you will see where they are. 
The most famous of our National Parks is the Five Lakes of Huzi--or 'Huzi-Goko'-- as we say in Japanese, which attracts a great number of city people. Lots of people go there for the week-end. Some people say that the best time to visit the lakes is either in spring or in autumn. The Hakone district is rich in historical stories. Hundreds of places, such as Nagao Toge, are famous for their charming sight of Mt. Huzi. 
Next comes Nikko. The beauty of Nikko has become proverbial. We often say, " One ought not to say 'magnificence ' until one has visited Nikko. " It is within easy reach of Tokyo. It only takes three hours in the train. It is famous for the beauty of art as well as of nature. The temples and shrines are a great attraction to visitors. A cable-car was opened in August, 1932. Thanks to the cable-car one can get to Lake Tyuzenzi in forty minutes from Nikko station. Lake Yumoto is much smaller than Lake Tyuzenzi, but many people consider it the prettier of the two. The district beyond Yumoto is famous for many kinds of Alpine plants that grow there. 
Yosino and Kumano is the National Park that is nearest to the large cities of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto. Few places are better known in our history and in poetry than Yosino. It is the home of the cherry-blossom. The mountains in this park are sometimes called the Yamato Alps. The Kitayama river flows through a remarkable gorge with steep, rocky cliffs on either side. The name, Toro Hattyo means ' eight cho of still water ' but this part of the gorge is really about a mile long. Flat-bottomed boats, driven by air propellers, go up and down the river. Nati waterfall is the highest in Japan. The Inland Sea is about 240 miles long and from four to forty miles wide. The Eastern part has been set apart as a National Park because it is the most beautiful. Perhaps it is the only Sea Park in the world, and the beauty of the calm waters, with big and small islands of all shapes here and there, is wonderful indeed. Most of the islands are covered with green pine-trees, and many fine beaches are to be seen along the shores. There are also the historical stories. In fact you might say that the story of the Japanese Empire is bound up with the Inland Sea. Yasima is very popular among the Japanese. 
We all know about the history of the Minamoto and Taira families. Most of the salt produced in Japan comes from this part of the country. 
Then there is the Japan Alps. Strictly speaking, it is the group known as the Northern Alps that are included in the National Park. It contains more than 100 peaks, of which about forty are over 8,000 feet high. The most popular centre is Kamikoti, where a fine European style hotel was opened in 1934. 
It attracts the visitor with hot springs as well as beautiful scenery. As Kamikoti is nearly 5,0OO feet high, it is quite cool in summer. Mountain hotels have been built in many places for the visitors, but thousands of students like to camp in their own tents. Nowadays many girls join their brothers in hiking and camping. Mt. Yari, or Spear Peak, (10,427 feet) is the highest in the Northern Alps. Few animals and birds are to be seen, but the park is rich in plant life. 

LESSON II 
THE NATIONAL PARKS IN JAPAN-II
Lake Towada is a crater lake situated in the north-east of the main island. It lies 1,312 feet above sea level. It is said to be one of the deepest in Japan. Everyone says that fine fishing may be had there. The river Oirase runs out from the lake, and its valley is very pretty. The road follows the stream for several miles. An Englishman has remarked that in places the road looks very much like England, with green grass on either side. Omati Keigetu, a great writer of the Meizi period, is well known for his love of this district and his descriptions of the scenery. 
The Park of Daisen lies 216 miles north-west of Osaka. It is a splendid place for both sea and mountain scenery on the west coast of Japan. Mt. Daisen is celebrated for its beauty and for the reverence with which it has been regarded from the distant past. It is surrounded by a chain of mountains about 4,000 feet high. A wonderful view may be had from the top. The panorama of Oki-no-sima is said to be wonderful. Daisen temple and the great shrine of Izumo are near by, and well worth visiting. There are three mountain parks in Kyusyu. They are Aso, Unzen and Kirisima. To look down into the crater of Mt. Aso is aweinspiring. The whole crater, 75 miles in circumference, forms the largest crater in the world. There are now three towns and eleven villages, with some 50,000 people in this big crater. Because of Mt. Aso the island of Kyusyu has been known as " The Land of Fire." An old legend says that the crater was once a great lake, but that the god of the mountain, pitying the people, broke one part of the lake side. This let out the water and made the land fit for farming. Two rivers, the white river and the black river, run out from the break. Mt. Unzen has long been very famous as a summer resort. It was really a National Park before it was officially chosen. Many visitors come over from Hong Kong and Shanghai. In summer the place is quite cool. There are many European hotels and in summer these are filled with visitors. It forms an ideal centre for walks and tours. In winter Unzen is famous for the ' silver thaw,' when trees and rocks on the mountains glisten with the frost. 
Kirisima is rather distant from any large cities and so there are not many hotels. To the Japanese, however, it is especially sacred for two reasons. One is that the grandson of the Sun Goddess came down upon Mt. Takatiho. Another shrine-- Higasi-Kirisima shrine-- marks the birthplace of his grandson Jimmu. The latter became the first Emperor of Japan in 660 B. C. Not only such stories as these, but the wonderful mountain scenery make this district a National Park. 
Lastly we must say something about two Parks in Hokkaido-- Akan and Daisetu-zan. Mt. Atosampuri is a volcano, always smoking. This park is famous for the big forests on the mountain-sides. It offers good skiing slopes. Two lakes are included in the Park. There are a great many hot springs. 
Daisetu-zan is often called " the roof of Hokkaido " as it contains the highest peaks and the finest views in the island. Daisetu-zan is the name of the group of volcanoes rather than of one particular mountain. Four great rivers run down from the mountains. The beauty of the gorges through which they run is unequalled in this Park. There is one lake, but it is quite small. The celebrated Sounkyo Gorge is over a dozen miles long. The Isikari is the longest river in Japan. It is 227 miles long. 
--Adapted from Caiger: " Talks in Japan " 

LESSON III
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Do you ever go to the city library to read, or to get a book to take home? If you are trying to teach yourself, the library will be a great help to you. 
There you will find all kinds of books. Some are books of geography and history, and others tell about various trades. There you will find books in many different languages. 
You can go to the delivery-room and get a book to take home to read. The clerk will charge the book to your name. If you wish to find the name or the number of a book, look in the catalogue. 
You should be careful of the books and not damage them in any way.  
The reading-room is open to all those who care to go there and read. In this room you should be careful not to make a noise and not to disturb others in any way. 
Many people who think they are too old to go to school go to the library and teach themselves by reading. 
All the newspapers and magazines are there for you to read, free of cost.  
The reference department has shelves full of books that tell about all the things you may wish to look up. 
You may go there during the day, or in the evening, and read and study. The clerk will explain anything which you do not understand. 
--Adapted from W. C. Thoreley 

LESSON IV
THE LORELEI 
The beautiful Rhine flows for hundreds of miles through the sunny fields of Germany. Part of the way it runs between low hills that in summer are green with vines for miles back from the banks. If you should go on shore, and peep under those great green leaves, you would find heavy bunches of sweet purple grapes. 
Sometimes the river flows between hills and cliffs on which stand great castles and the old ruins of palaces. These ancient stone buildings were once the homes of lovely ladies and brave soldiers. There is a poem, a song, or a story, about every old castle, every cliff, and every rock along this river. It is well called " The Storied Rhine." When you sail down the Rhine, the old story-tellers will show you a famous rock called the "Lorelei." It is a high cliff, standing near some dangerous currents in the waters of the Rhine. They will show you the place where you can wake with your voice a wonderful echo which rings seven times from the cliffs. If you ask why this rock is called the " Lorelei," they will tell you a story of long ago. 
It is about a beautiful water fairy, named the Lorelei, who lived in the river Rhine. On moonlight nights she sat upon this rocky cliff combing her bright golden hair with a jewelled comb. As she spread her hair of gold, the jewels flashed in the moonlight, and she sang a song far sweeter than any sound in the world. 
When the boatmen of the Rhine heard the voice of the Lorelei, they forgot the dangerous rapids at the foot of the cliff. They though of nothing but the wonderful music of the singing maiden. They tried to get nearer to her rock, and did not think of the rapids. Nearer and nearer they rowed, until their boats were dashed to pieces on the rocks, and they themselves were drowned in the rushing waters. 

LESSON V
THE BAKER 
Maggie's father was a baker. He had to work very hard, for he had many children. One day, when Maggie got home she went into the bakehouse to her father. She had been there many times before, but she had never thought much about what she saw. She wanted to see how the bread and the cakes were made. 
She saw a man making the dough for the bread. He turned up his shirt sleeves, and put a big white apron in front of him. Then he went to a sack and took out quite a lot of flour. This he put into a big wood trough. 
Next, he made a hole in the flour, and put some yeast in it. Then he put in some water over and over again, until it was made into dough. 
He told Maggie that he should then leave the dough for a time. He said the dough would " rise." Maggie knew that he meant that the dough would all puff up.  
Then, in a few hours, when the dough was ready, he would make it into loaves. These loaves he would bake in the oven. 
He also made a lot of cakes, for he told Maggie that all the school-children were to have tea next day. Another man was making buns. He gave Maggie one bun to eat. It was very nice. 
While Maggie was in the bakehouse, her little brother Jack came in. 
Jack was only quite a little boy. He went all over the place, and Maggie had to take him away, for fear he should do any harm. Then Maggie ran off to play with some other little girls. 
In a little while she came back. As she stood at the door and looked in, what do you think she saw?  
There was her little brother, looking just like a snowman. He had tried to hide from 
Maggie, and had fallen into a sack of flour. 
When Maggie saw him, she laughed very much. But Jack did not laugh; he looked as though he would like to cry. So Maggie said to him, " You would not have fallen into the flour if you had not gone where you ought not to go." 
Then she took off his coat, and shook a lot of the flour from it. After this, she got a brush, and gave him a good brush down. She did not like to see him looking ready to cry, so she told him that he was a horse, and that she was his master brushing him down, ready to go out with the cart. He laughed at this, and was soon quite happy again. 

LESSON VI
A BRAVE AMERICAN GIRL
At the time of the Revolutionary War, a brave little American girl named Anne Randolph lived on a farm not far from Philadelphia. Her father and her two brothers had joined the American army that was led by General George Washington. Anne and her mother were left alone to take care of the farm. 
Two years before the time of this story, Anne's father had given her a beautiful calf, and the two had become great friends. Whenever Anne went into the field, the young cow came to her. 
At one time during the war the English army was in Philadelphia. The soldiers, as they marched through the country, took the farmers' horses and cattle. One day the soldiers came to the farm of Mr. Randolph. When they saw Anne's cow, they tied a rope about her horns and led her away. Anne begged very hard for her pet, but the soldiers only laughed at her. 
It did not take long for Anne to think what to do. She ran to the stable, jumped on her pony, and galloped away to see Lord Cornwallis, the general of the English army. It was a very brave thing for a little girl only ten years old to do. 
A soldier was on guard in front of the house in which the general was living. " What do you want? " he asked Anne, as she galloped up. 
" I must see Lord Cornwallis," she said. 
The soldier let her pass, for he thought that she had very important news to tell. When Anne hurried into the room, Lord Cornwallis and some of his officers were at dinner.  
" What do you want, my child? " he asked. 
" I want my cow, sir. Your soldiers have taken her away, and I have come to get her. Oh, please, sir, you must let me have her." 
" And who are you, my little girl? " asked the general, kindly. 
" I am Anne Randolph, and I live three miles from here with my mother. Have you seen my cow, sir? " 
" Have you no father or brothers, Anne? " 
" Yes, sir, I have a father and two brothers, but they are in the army." 
" In which army? " 
" In the American army, sir." 
" Oho! so they are rebels, aren't they? " 
" Oh, yes, sir, we are all rebels here, sir." 
" And are you a little rebel yourself? " 
" Yes, indeed; I was born a rebel." 
The general threw back his head and laughed. " And your cow is a rebel, too, I suppose." " I think so, sir. She is the nicest cow I ever knew." 
The general and his officers laughed again. 
" Look here, my little rebel," said Lord Cornwallis, " don't you know that we are here to fight the rebels? " 
" Yes, sir, but you are not here to fight a little American girl," Anne answered. " Oh, sir," she went on, " I raised my cow myself. She has always been mine. She can't belong to you. I would never steal your cow, sir," the little girl said proudly. 
The general rose. " Come here, my child. I promise you that your cow shall be safe in your stable tomorrow; and here, take these," he said, unfastening a pair of silver knee-buckles. " Keep them to remember me by. And if the soldiers trouble your cow again, come to me at once." 
" Gentlemen," said Lord Cornwallis to his friends, after Anne had left, " this country is certain to be free, with such brave little rebels in it." 
The next morning Anne's cow was once more in her own snug stable. 
--From " Elson Basic Readers " 

LESSON VII
THE SOLITARY REAPER 
Behold her, single in the field, 
Yon solitary Highland Lass! 
Reaping and singing by herself; 
Stop here, or gently pass! 

Alone she cuts and binds the grain, 
And sings a melancholy strain; 
O listen! for the Vale profound 
Is overflowing with the sound. 

No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands 
Of travelers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:

A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas 
Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?-
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy far-off things,
And battles long ago:

Or is it some more humble lay, 
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending; 
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;--

I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.
--William Wordsworth

LESSON VIII
SWIMMING
Jane is fond of bathing. As soon as school is over, she runs home to get a bath towel and her bathing-suit. Then she runs down to the beach.  
Jane is a splendid swimmer. She can swim to a rock that lies two hundred meters out at sea, and back again, without feeling tired. 
She is greatly admired by the other girls who would like to be able to swim such a long distance. 
She is also a good diver. What she is particularly fond of, is to get up on the top of a diving-stand, and then plunge into the dashing wave, head foremost. She can pick up a penny from among the pebbles at a very great depth, and likes to dive under a boat and come up on the other side.  
When you go to bathe, don't stand shivering with the water only up to your knees, but plunge in at once, head first. While in the water, keep moving about all the time. Thus the limbs get exercise, and the blood is kept running through the veins. 
Also remember that it is not wise to bathe the body while it is heated. So, if you are in a sweat, wait till you get cool before you take off your clothes. 
Don't stay too long in the water either. When the least shiver comes over the body, leave the water at once, and rub all the limbs well with a dry towel. 
Boys and girls should learn how to swim as early in life as they can. You cannot fully enjoy bathing in the sea or the river, unless you are able to swim. 
Besides, there is no better exercise than swimming; for while it cleans your body, it brings every muscle into play. There is nothing like a swim before breakfast to give you an appetite. 
Then think of the many people who, being unable to swim, are drowned every summer when they happen to get out of their depth while bathing!  
It is very seldom that a good swimmer is drowned. In a shipwreck he may save his life by swimming to the shore or to some rock near by, or else by remaining on the surface of the water till a boat comes to his rescue. 
A good swimmer may also have a chance of saving other people's lives, and this is indeed one of the greatest joys that may fill the heart of a brave man.  

LESSON IX 
A VOYAGE 
At last we are out in the middle of the river. We see the sailors running here and there and hear loud shouts. The tugs leave us, and we hear the noise of our ship's engines, gently but steadily beginning to do their work. The propellers begin to go round, and we have started on our long voyage. 
There are no big waves on the river. There is no need to be afraid of being sea-sick yet, and this is a good chance to see the great ship which is to be our home for some time. 
There is much room to walk about on the decks or to play games when we get to a warmer part of the world. There are rooms where we can rest or read when the weather is too cold or wet for us on deck, a room where we can write letters, and another where we may go if we wish to smoke. 
On the highest deck we see the wireless office. If we wish we may send radio messages to our friends. We are glad to know, too, that in case of danger from fire, storms, or any other cause, we may get help quickly from other ships by sending a radio message. When we go to lunch we sit on chairs. 
They are fastened to the floor so that they will not move about when the ship rolls in bad weather. The stewards, wearing white coats, stand behind us ready to bring us whatever we ask for.  
During the afternoon we get out of the river Thames and turn south. It is dark by five o'clock, and as we walk up and down the decks we see the lights of Ramsgate, Dover and Folkestone, and the lighthouses which shine all the way along the south coast. During dinner we ask the officer at our table what the weather is likely to be and are glad to hear that it will not be very bad. 
Yet for two or three days there are very few passengers to be seen, and the empty chairs in the dining saloon and on deck do not make us feel happy. We go down the English Channel and across the Bay of Biscay, which is no rougher than anywhere else. Then a day comes when everybody on the ship seems to be quite happy and well. It is quite warm and the sea is a bright blue. We are passing close beside a rocky coast and we go so near that we can see the white waves breaking upon the rocks. This is the coast of Spain, and an officer points out to us Cape Trafalgar where the great English sailor Nelson fought the French and Spanish fleets in 1805. 
After a few days at sea, we no longer pay attention to the low noise made by the propellers as they turn steadily round, and push us through the water. We no longer hear all the other strange little noises that seem to be part of the ship's life. We may even come to think of the rolling of the ship as something quite natural. 
So when we wake up one morning and find the ship quite still, when we hear none of the usual noises, we wonder at first what has happened. But we soon know the cause. We are at Gibraltar. 
--Selected from Hornby: Through the Mediterranean and Up the Nile 

LESSON X 
THE LAST LESSON--I 
That morning I was very late in going to school, and I was very much afraid of a scolding. For a moment the thought came into my head of running away into the fields. The weather was so warm and the air so clear! I could hear the blackbirds sing in the edge of the wood, and in the field behind the sawmill the Prussian soldiers were drilling. All this was much more attractive than the class-room, but I put the temptation out of my mind and ran on. 
A little crowd of people, gathered around the notice-board before the town hall, made me wonder what the news could be. As I crossed the square, the blacksmith cried out to me; " Don't run so fast, my boy! You will arrive at your school soon enough." I did not stop to find out what he meant, for I thought that he was making fun of me. 
When I reached the school yard I was all out of breath, and my head was going like a trip-hammer. Usually, at the opening of school, there was great noise that could be heard in the street and the master's "A little less noise, please! A little less noise! " 
I had been counting upon this confusion to reach my seat without being noticed, but to-day everything was as still as if it had been Sunday. There was nothing for me to do but to open the door and walk into the room, and you can imagine how red my cheeks were and how frightened I was. 
To my surprise nothing happened. Our teacher looked at me without anger and said gently: " Go to your place quickly, little Frank; we were going to begin without you." 
I went at once to my desk and sat down. Then for the first time I noticed that the master wore his beautiful long green coat, and the black silk cap which he usually kept for visiting day. The class seemed strangely quiet and attentive. But what surprised me most was to see at the back of the room the people of the village, who never came except on great occasions. They were sitting silent as we were ourselves, and everybody looked sad. Old Hauser had brought with him a battered book, which he held wide open upon his knees. I could not understand what it all meant. 
Then the master stood up, and in the same strangely gentle voice he said: " My children, this is the last time I shall ever teach you. The order has come from Berlin that in future only German shall be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master comes to-morrow. This is our last lesson in French. I beg you to be very attentive! " 
My last lesson in French! I, who hardly knew how to write! Why, then I should never learn. As I looked down at my books, which had once seemed to me so heavy and tiresome, they were like old friends from whom I could not bear to part. Now I understood it all. That was the news on the bulletin-board, and it was in honor of this last lesson that the old people of the village were present. It was their way of thanking the master for his forty years of faithful service, and of doing reverence to the country they loved. 

LESSON XI
THE LAST LESSON I
Suddenly I heard my name called. It was my turn to read. What would I not have given if I could have said that rule in grammar from beginning to end, without a mistake! But I stumbled over the very first words and stood ashamed, and could not lift my head. I heard the master say: "I will not scold you, little Frank. You are punished enough already. And you are not alone in your fault. We all think: ' Oh, there is plenty of time. I will learn to-morrow.' And you see what happens. Now these Prussians have a right to say to us. 'Come, you pretend to be French and yet you cannot speak or write your own language." 
Then the master spoke to us of the French language. He told us that it was the most beautiful language in the world, the clearest, the strongest; that we must cherish it and never forget it because no people could ever really be conquered so long as they kept their language, for that was the key to their prison. 
Then he took a grammar and read to us our lesson. I was astonished to find how easy it was. Everything that he said seemed so clear and simple! It may have been because I never had been so attentive, but I think, too, that he had never been so patient in explaining. It was as if the poor man would have taught us all that he knew himself in this one lesson. Then came the writing exercise. New copies had been written on clean slips of paper in this way: 
France, Alsace. 
France, Alsace. 
They looked like little flags waving from desks. And every child worked with all his might. One could hear only the scratching of the pens on the paper. On the roof of the schoolhouse pigeons were cooing softly, and listening to them. I said to myself. "Will they have to sing in German, I wonder?" 
From time to time as I looked up from my work I saw the master sitting motionless in his chair, looking at the things about him as if he wished to carry away with him the picture of his little schoolroom. For forty years he had sat in the same place with his class before him. And on the next day he was to leave the place for ever!  
Still, he had the courage to go on with our lesson to the end. After the writing came history and then the little ones learned their lesson --ba-be-bi-bo-bu. The old blacksmith put on his spectacles and went through the exercise with the children. His voice trembled a little; it sounded so strange that we longed to laugh, and yet we could not help crying. 
Then the clock struck. It was noon. At the same moment we heard the footfalls of the Prussians' feet as they came back from drill. The master stood up. He was very pale and never had he looked so tall. 
“My friends," said he "my friends-- 
But something choked him. He could not go on. Instead, he turned toward the blackboard and with a piece of chalk wrote in large round letters: Vive la France!  
Then he stood there, his face hidden against the wall, and without speaking he made a little sign to us with his hand to go away. 
--Adapted from Alphonse Daudet 

LESSON XII 
WHY STARS TWINKLE 
All people on earth are at the bottom of a great sea. This sea is not of water, but of air. All around our earth the air reaches miles and miles from the surface up into the sky. The higher up we go, the lighter and thinner the air becomes.  
It may help us to understand the arrangement of the air round the earth if we understand how feathers lie when they are in a great heap. At the bottom of the heap, the feathers are packed down and crowded together. At the top of the heap the feathers are loose and light. 
It is in this way that the air is packed down and heavy near the surface of the earth, and thinner and lighter the higher up we go. In the same way on the mountain top the air is lighter than at the foot of the mountain. Men have gone seven miles up in the air in a balloon. But the air is so thin seven miles up that it is difficult for anyone to get air enough to breathe. One hundred miles up from the earth's surface there is scarcely any air. And one hundred and fifty miles up there is no air at all. 
Now the stars are far, far beyond the air that surrounds our earth. When we look at the stars, we look at them through a sea of air. They seem to sparkle and move. 
But it is not the stars that move--the air moves. It makes the stars seem to move. We say then that the stars twinkle. 
--Adapted from "Tell me Why " 

LESSON XIII 
AT THE NEW HOUSE 
Mrs. Wood. Did you bring the luggage from the hotel, George? 
George. Yes, Mother, I did. The man from the curtain shop is here, waiting to see you. 
Mrs. W. Where is he? 
G. He was here a moment ago. I think he has gone into the house. Oh, here he is. (The man from the upholsterer's comes out of the house, with a foot-rule in his hand.) 
Upholsterer. Good morning, madam. With which room do you wish to begin? Mrs. W. I think we had better begin with the drawing-room. Did you bring any patterns of stuff for curtains? 
U. Yes, madam, here they are. You will find the prices marked in romazi on each. 
Mrs. W. I rather like this one, don't you, Mary? 
Mary. Yes, I think the pattern is very pretty, unless you like another color. 
Mrs. W. I think I prefer blue. It is an easier color to dye, when they fade. 
M. Can I have green for my bedroom? 
Mrs. W. No, I'm afraid you can't, as we must have all the curtains in the front of the house the same color. Different colored curtains would look so bad from the road. 
M. Very well, then, Mummy, let us have blue. 
Mrs. W. (To Upholsterer) What is the width of this material? 
U. They are all double width. 
Mrs. W. Will you kindly measure the windows? 
U. Yes, madam. I suppose you would require double curtains? 
Mrs. W. Yes, of course. Will they be wide enough to meet across, or will you have to join on a strip? 
U. I think they are wide enough, with a little over to spare. 
Mrs. W. I shall want casement curtains, top and bottom, for each of the windows. I suppose you can fix the rods?  
U. Would you like brass rods or stained wooden rods? 
Mrs. W. Oh, I think stained wooden ones would be quite good enough. The old curtain poles will do quite well, but I expect we shall want more rings. Have you any to match? 
U. Yes, madam. I think we have. If not, I will try to get them elsewhere. Mrs. W. Did you bring any patterns of silk for the casements? 
U. No, madam. I am afraid that I didn't. I will telephone to the shop and ask them to send up patterns at once. They should be here in about half an hour. (Mr. Wood arrives in a taxi.)
Mrs. W. I believe I've done everything you asked me to. The Peking rugs arrived this morning, and they are going to send them up early this afternoon with the other things from the station. 
Mrs. W. I'm very glad to hear that, so we shall not be long getting straight. 
Mr. W. When do you expect the maids to come in? 
Mrs. W. They are to come first thing to-morrow morning. Till then we shall have to do for ourselves. 
Mr. W. That's rather a nuisance, but I suppose it can't be helped. If you've done all you can for the moment, let’s go into town and have lunch. You can leave the key with the man who is doing the garden, in case the other things turn up before we get back.
Mrs. W. Very well, let's go. Mary had a bad toothache yesterday. It kept her awake most of the night. When we have had lunch, I'd better take her to the dentist.  
Mr. W. I'm sorry to hear your tooth is aching, Mary. Is it any better now? 


M. Yes, thank you, Daddy. It's only aching a very little now, but I suppose I'd better go to the dentist, as it is sure to come on again to-night, when I am in bed. 
Mr. W. Would you like to go before or after lunch? 
G. She'd better go after lunch, because she won't be able to eat anything after the dentist. 
M. You're very comforting, aren't you, George?
G. Well, it's probably true. 
M. Yes, perhaps. But I don't want to be reminded of it. 
Mrs. W. Now, you two, do stop quarrelling! 
Leave Mary alone, George. It's quite bad enough having toothache without your making fun of her. Make yourself useful, and go and call a taxi. --Adapted from F. H. Lee and O. Umetani: 
"English As We Speak It” 

LESSON XIV
BREAK, BREAK, BREAK

Break, break, break, 
On thy cold gray stones, O Sea! 
And I would that my tongue could utter 
The thoughts that arise in me. 

O well for the fisherman's boy, 
That he shouts with his sister at play! 
O well for the sailor lad, 
That he sings in his boat on the bay! 
And the stately ships go on 
To their haven under the hill; 
But O for the touch of a vanish'd hand, 
And the sound of a voice that is still! 

Break, break, break, 
At the foot of thy crags, O Sea! 
But the tender grace of a day that is dead 
Will never come back to me. 
--Alfred Tennyson 

LESSON XV 
PETROLEUM  
Man has learned to do almost every kind of work with machines. The trains, motor-cars, ships, and aero planes that carry him so swiftly are all machines. On the farm, he uses machines to grow his food plant. In the factories, he provides clothing, shelter,?and tools, by means of machines. 
None of these machines could move without oil. There are many kinds of oil, but the kind that he uses most comes from the earth. In its first form, before he has prepared it for its many uses, it is called petroleum. 
This petroleum in its natural form can be used only in a few ways. For most of its uses, it must first be heated and separated into a great many products. Gasoline, kerosene, and fuel oils are a few of them. With the use of oil great changes have come about. It is because of oil and its products that engines of light weight were developed, and because of these engines aero planes were made to fly and motor-cars to run. Ships cross the oceans and trains cross the continents driven by oil engines. Tractors, which do the work of many, many horses, are run with gasoline. 
Oil has become more and more necessary to everyone. Now, if the supply of oil were cut off, our manner of living would change completely unless something to take its place were found. 
It is no wonder, then, that in the places where oil is found, many wells are drilled together. The steel towers which are built over each well make the oil-field look like a forest, with tall towers instead of trees.
Oil has been discovered and wells have been drilled even under the water of the oceans. Here the oil is pumped up through a pipe from the sands beneath the water. 
It is no wonder, also, that every nation in the world is doing all in its power to secure a good supply of this thick brownish liquid. 

LESSON XVI 
THE EMPEROR'S CHOIR SINGER 
Over a hundred years ago there lived in Vienna, Austria, a boy named Franz Schubert. 
His father was a poor school-master. Many and many a day there was hardly enough in the little house to feed all the children. Clothes were shabby; shoes were full of holes; often the house was cold because there was no money to buy fuel with. 
One day when he was twelve years old, he was waiting in a large gloomy room in the Imperial Music School in Vienna. There were a number of boys of his own age who were to take an examination. Those who passed could sing in the Emperor's choir. They would be given beautiful, gold-trimmed uniforms, and would be taught music and other things free. Little Franz simply must pass the examination which meant clothes and schooling with at least two meals a day. 
The crowd of boys waiting their turn played all kinds of tricks on the ragged little Franz. He was fat and awkward. He wore thick glasses and looked as sad as if he had already failed in the examination. He had been obliged to help with the work at his poor home, and had not played much with boys of his own age. This made him so shy that he had not a word to say. The boys laughed at him and made fun of his old clothes. At last it was Franz's turn to sing for the great music master. This was something he knew how to do. He was no longer shy. 
With perfect ease his clear voice sang the beautiful, simple music which was used in the examination. Then the master gave him a harder piece. Again, clear and true, rang out the song. Harder and harder pieces were given him. Yes, he could read the music as if he had known it always. What was more, he sang with such feeling that the master could hardly believe that he was hearing a shy, awkward boy. Of course Franz passed the examination, and was given a beautiful uniform and the free lessons. He had already begun to study the piano and the violin. Now he played better and better every day. For long hours he practiced his lessons over and over until he could play every part smoothly and easily. His father loved music too, and the poor schoolmaster with Franz and his two brothers, had a little orchestra all their own. 
Once in a while Father Schubert would make a mistake in his 'cello part. The first time no one would say anything about it. But if he made the same mistake again little Franz would say, "Father, something must be wrong there.”  
So Father Schubert with his three sons in the little orchestra often played the music little Franz had written. And a hundred years later the whole world was ringing with the same wonderful melodies. Great orchestras of a hundred musicians played them to thousands of listeners. And music lovers everywhere with piano, violin, harp, flute, and every kind of instrument sang over again the songs of Franz Schubert. 

LESSON XVII
ITALY
You may have heard much about Italy--that lovely land, the land of golden sunshine and warm, soft air. There the skies are almost always blue--such a wonderfully deep blue, that Italy is often called "The Land of Blue Skies." 
In the north of Italy, many splendid lakes lie on the southern side of the Alps. Of all these beautiful lakes, Como is the most famous. Not only is it wonderfully beautiful, but the weather is nicely warm, and people from colder countries come to its shores to enjoy its sweet health-giving air. 
Then traveling south through warmth and sunshine, little white villages happy people, beautiful flowers and rich fruits, we reach Rome, upon the River Tiber. So old is Rome, so full of past and present grandeur, that it is known as the "Eternal City." Here we can visit the great Cathedral of St. Peter's, the largest church in all the world, with its wonderful dome, and its paintings and sculptures by the greatest artists who have ever lived, including such masters as Raphael and Michelangelo. Only ruins remain to show us what the Eternal City was like in the days when, as centre of the great Roman Empire, she was queen of the world. But these ruins are magnificent enough, especially those of the Forum, the centre of Ancient Rome, where parts of the magnificent temples that once stood here can still be seen. 
In Italy, too, we must visit Venice, that loveliest of fairy cities, built entirely upon islands rising out of the sea, where all the streets are made up of water, and one goes traveling, shopping or visiting in a gondola, passing all the time under bridges, for there are nearly four hundred beautiful bridges across the one hundred and fifty canals. The wonderful old towns of Naples, Genoa, Florence and many others, all call to us to visit them before we say good-bye to Italy and her happy people of the beautiful fairy land.

LESSON XVIII
HOW SOUND TRAVELS 
Have you ever thought about sound and how it travels? Probably it is so common for you to hear sounds, that you seldom think how these sounds reach your ear. Although the earth and air are carrying sounds all round us, these sounds have become so much a part of our life that very few people take time to think about them. 
Sound can travel through the air, through the earth, or through water. If I asked you which carried sound most rapidly, air, water, or earth, I suppose that most of you would answer. The air. But you would be wrong, because sound travels either through water or earth more rapidly than through air.  
The Red Indians of North America, some of the bravest fighters who have ever lived, knew this. When they were out looking for their enemies, they would frequently lie down on the ground and press one ear to the earth to listen. They could hear if they were being followed by men riding on horses. They could tell by the sound whether the horses were near or far. At the present time Boy Scouts, when they are out in the woods, frequently listen in this same way for distant sounds. 
It is possible to hear a distant sound, like the report of a great gun, first through the earth and then a few seconds later through the air. You might suppose from this that sound travels slowly through the air. Compared with the speed of light, the speed of sound is slow, but compared with the speed of a running boy, sound travels very quickly. In five seconds sound travels a mile. The report of a gun will go a mile while you are walking across a street. It would take the average boy about ten minutes to run a mile. From these figures you can judge how fast sound travels. 
Sometimes when you are swimming with a friend in a river, a lake, or even in the ocean, try this way of studying the speed of sound through water. Make your friend stand at some distance from you with one ear under the water. Then strike two rocks together under water in such a manner that your friend will see you and be able to judge how long the sound takes to reach her. Do the same thing with the rocks out of water and your friend listening in the usual way. You will then find out in a general way how rapidly sound travels through water. It is possible to get a more exact idea by striking a bell under water and, by means of the second hand of a watch, recording the time that the 
sound takes. 
Many amusing ways of studying the rate at which sound travels can be worked out by two friends. Try striking a steel or iron fence with a key or some other similarly hard object. Your friend at the far end of the fence can hear the sound twice, once with her ear pressed against the fence, and then again if she lifts her head. The reason for this is that the sound travels more quickly along the steel fence than through the air. 
I have frequently seen the smoke or fire from a gun long before I heard the report. You might suppose sometimes that you were too far away to hear the sound and that you were listening in vain. Then after a few seconds the sound reaches you at last. Light travels so quickly that in far less than a second you will see a gun fired even though it is several miles away. The sound may take ten or fifteen or twenty seconds to reach you. Can you tell me of any other way of showing that light travels faster than sound? 

LESSON XIX
ALICE IN WONDERLAND--I
Alice sat nodding sleepily on a mossy bank beside her big sister, who was reading. 
Soon a pink-eyed white Rabbit ran by her, looking at its watch and crying, "Oh dear--I shall be late!" Alice bounded after the Rabbit, across a field and into a hole under a hedge. After running through the hole some distance, she suddenly began to fall. She fell slowly, and it was a very pleasant sensation. Alice was wondering whether she would stop at the earth's centre when, bump! --she landed on a heap of leaves, unhurt. 
The Rabbit was running down the passage. Springing to her feet, she pursued, but it disappeared around the next corner and Alice found herself in a long hall of many doors, all locked. On a table was a tiny golden key, which fitted the smallest door, only fifteen inches high. Opening this, she saw a beautiful flower-garden, but could not squeeze through the door. 
On the table she found a bottle labeled "Drink Me." Alice tasted it--it was very nice, and she drank it all. Soon she shrank to only ten inches in height. "Now I can go into the garden!" cried Alice, running to the door, but, alas! she found that she had locked it again and left the key on the table far beyond her reach. 
Beneath the table in a glass dish, she found a cookie on which were the words, "Eat Me." She ate this and soon grew nine feet tall. 
Presently the Rabbit entered and, seeing Alice, fled in dismay, dropping his gloves and fan. Alice picked them up and began to fan herself. Soon she was only two feet high and dropped the fan in a fright. Thereupon she stopped growing smaller and knew it was a magic fan. 
Hearing footfalls, she turned to see the Rabbit standing near. It was nearly as tall as she and seemed very angry. "You go to my house and bring me a pair of gloves and a fan!" commanded the Rabbit sternly. Alice, badly frightened, started to obey. Strangely enough, the hall disappeared and she found herself running through a deep wood. Soon she came to a little white house. The door-plate said "W. Rabbit." Entering, she hurried up-stairs to the Rabbit's bedroom and found, not gloves and a fan, but a bottle on the table. It was not labeled, but?Alice drank the contents. She grew so rapidly that the room was hardly big enough to contain her, although she was lying on the floor with her head drawn up to her chin. 

LESSON XX 
ALICE IN WONDERLAND--II  
While she was in this sad situation, some one threw pebbles through the window into the room. These turned into bits of candy. Alice ate several of them and soon shrank until she could run out from the house. Running into the wood, she sat down beside a mushroom to rest. 
"What can I do for you?" asked a voice. Alice looked up, and on top of the mushroom sat a blue Caterpillar, smoking a pipe.  
"Oh, please, sir," replied Alice, "make me larger!" 
"That's easy," said the Caterpillar; "one side of this mushroom will make you taller, and the other side shorter."  
Before Alice could ask more, the Caterpillar disappeared. 
Alice broke off a piece from each side of the mushroom. After eating a bit of one, she grew so short that her chin struck her foot. Hastily eating some of the other, she grew so tall that her head was among the tree-tops. "Oh dear, shall I never be my regular size again! " she cried, nibbling from the first piece and shrinking down to only nine inches. 
With a sad heart she started to walk through the wood, and soon came to a little house about four feet high. Without knocking, Alice walked into the kitchen. The Duchess sat rocking a little pig in her lap, the Cook was sprinkling pepper into a kettle of soup, and a Cheshire Cat on the hearth grinned from ear to ear at her. All three sneezed violently from time to time. 
"Please go away--I don't like your grin," said Alice to the Cat. 
"All right," replied the Cat, and disappeared, beginning with the tail and ending with the grin--but the grin remained after the rest had disappeared. 
To escape from this horrid grin, Alice ran out of the house and into the wood, closely pursued by the grin. Seeing a little door open leading into a big tree, Alice slipped through and shut the door behind her, leaving out the grin.  
Turning about, she at last found herself in the beautiful garden. Standing about a rose-tree near the door were three gardeners painting the white roses red. "Why are you doing that?" 
"Because," replied one," the Queen does not like white roses." 
"Hush!" said another; "here comes the Queen now!" 
Alice turned to see the royal procession. There were soldiers with clubs, courtiers with diamonds, and the royal children were ornamented with hearts, while in and out among them hopped the White Rabbit. Last of all came the King and Queen of Hearts. 
When the Queen came to Alice, she stopped and asked, "My child, do you play croquet?" 
"Y-y-y-yes," answered Alice, much confused. 
"Then here is your mallet," replied the Queen, handing Alice a live flamingo. Then the game began, and such an interesting game of croquet Alice had never seen. 
The croquet balls were live hedgehogs and the soldiers bent over to make the arches. All played at once. When Alice would get ready to hit her ball with the flamingo's head, either the hedgehog would walk off, or the soldier making the arch would stand up to rest his back. 
"How do you like the game?" asked a voice. Looking up, Alice saw the grin of the Cheshire Cat. Before she could answer the Cat's head appeared, but no more of it. 
"I don't like it at all," replied Alice, dropping her mallet, which at once flew off. The Cat turned to look at the King, who did not like being grinned at, and complained to the Queen, who ordered the Cat's head cut off on the spot. 
"That is all very well," said the King, "but I should like to know how it is possible to cut off the head of a cat which has no body?" While they were talking, the Cheshire Cat disappeared, head, grin and all. 

LESSON XXI
ALICE IN WONDERLAND--III  
Alice went to look for her flamingo, but could not find it. When she returned, all the players had gone to the Palace. Alice followed and entering, found a trial in progress. The King and Queen sat on their throne hearing the evidence. The Knave of Hearts was being tried for stealing some tarts the Queen had made. Several witnesses testified, but they talked of everything else except the stolen tarts. 
"What a silly trial!" thought Alice, nibbling absent-mindedly at a piece of mushroom she had left. Almost before she knew it, she grew so tall that her head bumped against the ceiling. 
"Call the next witness!" commanded the King. 
"Alice!" cried the White Rabbit. 
"But I don't know anything about the stolen tarts," protested Alice. "That's very important," remarked the King.  
"It' against the rules for a witness over a mile high to testify," said the Queen. 
"Leave this court at once!" ordered the King, addressing Alice. 
"In that case," said the King, "let the jury consider the verdict." "Sentence first and verdict afterward," objected the Queen.
"How absurd to have a sentence before a verdict!" said Alice, scornfully. 
"Off with that girl's head!" shouted the Queen, pointing at Alice. 
"Will you please stoop down so that I can carry out the Queen's orders?" asked the Royal Executioner, politely. 
"No, I won't!" cried Alice; "you are all nothing but a pack of cards, anyhow, and I am not afraid of you!" 
Thereupon the whole pack rose up into the air and flew straight into Alice's face. 
"Come, Alice dear, wake up," said her big sister, shaking her gently; "You've been sleeping nearly an hour and it's time to go home."  
Then little Alice knew that her wonderful journey had been only a wonderful dream. 
--By Lewis Carroll (Condensation by Newton Newkirk) 

APPENDICES
I
THE LORELEI 
I know not what it presages, 
That my soul is sad today;
A story of olden ages 
Will not from my thoughts away. 
The air grows cool and it darkles, 
The Rhine flows calmly on: 
The peak of the mountain sparkles, 
In the light of the setting sun. 

On a lofty rock reclining 
Is a maiden wondrous fair: 
All glorious her robe is shining, 
As she combs her golden hair. 
With a golden comb she combs it, 
And a low song singeth she; 
A song of sadness and longing, 
A wonderful melody. 

As the strains come floating o'er him, 
The boatman, rowing by, 
Sees naught of the cliffs before him, 
He only looks on high. 
Soon the waves are angrily flinging 
The boat and boatman down; 
And this, with her wondrous singing, 
The Lorelei has done. 
--Heinrich Heine 

II 
MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME 
The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home, 
'Tis summer, the darkies are gay; 
The corn-top's ripe and the meadows in the bloom, 
While the birds make music all the day;  
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor, 
All merry, all happy and bright; 
By'n-by hard times comes a-knocking at the door, 
Then, my old Kentucky home, good night! 
Weep no more, my lady, 
O weep no more to-day! 
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home. 
For the old Kentucky home, far away. 

They hunt no more for the possum and the coon, 
On the meadow, the hill and the shore; 
They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon, 
On the bench by the old cabin door; 
The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart, 
With sorrow where all was delight; 
The time has come when the darkies have to part, 
Then, my old Kentucky home, good night!  
Weep no more, my lady, 
O weep no more to-day! 
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home. 
For the old Kentucky home, far away. 

The head must bow and the back will have to bend,  
Wherever the darky may go; 
A few more days, and the trouble all will end, 
In the field where the sugar-canes grow; 
A few more days for to tote the weary load, 
No matter 'twill never be light; 
A few more days till we totter on the road, 
Then, my old Kentucky home, good night! 
Weep no more, my lady,  
O weep no more to-day! 
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home, 
For the old Kentucky home, far away. 

III 
SOME FORMS OF LETTER-WRITING 
Dear Mrs. Johnstone, 
Will you give us the pleasure of your company at dinner on Thursday next, the 14th inst., at half-past seven? 
Yours sincerely,
Maud Jennings
9, Enfield Villas, 
Hornsey, N. 8. 
Monday. 

My dear Mrs. Jennings, 
Many thanks for your kind invitation. I shall be very pleased to dine with you on Thursday next. With kind regards, 
Yours truly, 
Edith Johnstone
Holly Mount, 
Green Road, 
Hampstead.  
Tuesday evening. 

Mrs. Halliday would be pleased if Miss Barclay would have tea with her on Friday afternoon, at five o'clock. 
211, George Street, N.W.1. 
Wednesday. 

Miss Barclay regrets that a previous engagement prevents her accepting Mrs. Halliday's kind invitation for Friday afternoon. 
9, Monteith Row, S.W.3. 
Wednesday evening. 

18, Berkeley Court, W. l. 
Aug. 18th, 1940. 
Dear Irene, 
I have booked seats for next Wednesday's matinee at the "Haymarket." The play begins at 2.30, so we shall have plenty of time for lunch! Restaurant is quite handy, so will you meet me in the lobby at 1 o'clock? I hope these arrangements will suit you, and if I don't hear from you I shall expect to see you as arranged. 
Always yours affectionately.
Gladys

Dear Gladys, 
I am so glad you have been able to book seats for the "Haymarket," as I hear the play is excellent. The arrangements as to lunch meet with my entire approval. So, many thanks for the trouble you have taken in fixing things up. 
Much love,
Irene