THE DAFFOdils.

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they Outdid the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company :

I gazed and gazed- but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought :

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH.

VIII. CONTRASTED DESCRIPTIONS.

An object is not sufficiently described if any important statement is omitted, or if the description given is equally true of some similar object.

Accuracy and power in description are best secured by exercises in contrasted description; and as much of contrast as is essential should be given in every description. The outlines in Section IV will be found of service in writing contrasted descriptions. In connection with each topic ask, How do the objects being described resemble each other in this particular, and how do they differ?

Study the following contrasted description :

THE OWL AND THE EAGLE.

The owl and the eagle are both birds of prey, but the owl seeks his prey by night, while the eagle seeks his by day.

The owl is distinguished from all other birds by his extremely large head and great, staring eyes, which are surrounded by a disk of feathers. These eyes can see well in twilight or moonlight, but are unable to bear the glare of sunlight.

The eagle is remarkable for his exceedingly keen eyesight and his great strength. He soars at a great height in the sky.

The eagle is a finer-looking bird than the owl. The plumage of these birds varies in different species, but the eagle's is generally golden brown, while the owl's is

curved, though The wings of

gray or white. The bill of the eagle is not from the very base, as the owl's is. the eagle are very broad, and are adapted for long and rapid flights; the wings of the owl, however, though generally long, are not so serviceable. The claws of both birds are curved and sharp, but those of the eagle are much the stronger. The tail of the owl, unlike that of

the eagle, is generally rather short and round.

The owl lays five or six eggs, and the eagle two or three. Both birds feed upon hares, fishes, birds, and game of every kind. The eagle often carries off and devours larger animals, such as little pigs and lambs, while some species of owls live entirely upon insects.

The owl is often considered a bird of ill omen, perhaps on account of his peculiar, dismal cry. The eagle is called the King of Birds, and is regarded as an emblem of might and courage.

Exercise.

Write a contrasted description of the following:

1. A lion and a tiger.

2. A dog and a cat.

3. An eagle and a vulture.

4. A snake and an eel.

5. A savage and a civilized man.

TO THE TEACHER. · Other contrasted descriptions of animals studied about in the geography, of great cities like London and New York, Rome and Constantinople, and of historical characters like Washington and Lincoln, may now be written. See note at the beginning of this Chapter, page 24.

IX. DESCRIPTION FOR COMPARISON.

Study carefully the fine description below, written by Washington Irving. Then compare it with the description which you wrote on the same subject, as directed on page 33.

Write a letter to your teacher in which you explain the difference between the two descriptions.

A FARMYARD DURING A STORM.

"The place was littered with wet straw that had been kicked about by travelers and stable-boys. In one corner was a stagnant pool of water. There were several half-drowned fowls crowded together under a cart, among which was a miserable, crestfallen rooster, drenched out of all life and spirit, his drooping tail matted, as it were, into a single feather, along which the water trickled from his back.

"Near the cart was a half-dozing cow, chewing the cud, and standing patiently to be rained on, with wreaths of vapor rising from her reeking hide. A wall-eyed horse, tired of the loneliness of the stable, was poking his spectral head out of a window, with the rain dripping on it from the eaves. An unhappy cur, chained to a doghouse hard by, uttered something, every now and then, between a bark and a yelp.

"An uncomely servant-girl tramped backward and forward through the yard in pattens, looking as sulky as the weather itself. Everything, in short, was comfortless and forlorn, excepting a crew of hardened ducks, assembled, like boon companions, round a puddle, and making a riotous noise over their liquor."

CHAPTER IV.

NARRATION.

I. STORIES TO BE IMITATED.

Exercise I.

Compare the two following stories, and notice that the story of "The Two Farmers" is written in imitation of that of "The Two Goats."

THE TWO GOATS.

Two goats met upon a narrow bridge which led across a deep mountain stream. They were going in opposite directions, and neither would retreat for the other. After quarreling for some time they began to fight, and finally, losing their balance, they both fell over into the stream below.

THE TWO FARMERS.

Two farmers quarreled about a meadow, each claiming it as his own. As they could not agree, they had a long lawsuit over the matter. At last the following verdict was rendered: "Since each has as much right to the meadow as the other, it must be sold and the money divided between them." This was done. The cost of the lawsuit, however, was so great that the money received from the sale of the meadow was not sufficient