pony. cession, mounted the French king on a fine creamcolored horse and rode at his side on a little This was all very kind, but I think it was perhaps a little theatrical, too, and has been made more meritorious than it deserved to be; especially as I am inclined to think that the greatest kindness to the King of France would have been not to have shown him to the people at all. 33. However, it must be said for these acts of politeness that, in course of time, they did much to soften the horrors of war and the passions of conquerors. It was a long, long time before the common soldiers began to have the benefit of such courtly deeds; but they did at last; and thus it is possible that a poor soldier who asked for quarter at the battle of Waterloo, or any other such great fight, may have owed his life indirectly to Edward, the Black Prince. I. Là Hōgue. Crécy (Cres'sĩ). É nôr'mous: very large. Warwick. Sire: lord or master; a title of respect in addressing a king. A mi ens (ăng). Sig'ni fỹ ing: meaning. II. Căl'ais. III. Poitiers (Pwȧ ti a'). St. George: the patron saint of England. Gôr'geous: fine; magnificent. Měr i tō'ri oŭs: possessing merit. Court'ly: polite; elegant. Wa'ter loo: a great battle fought in 1815, in which the French were defeated by the allied forces of English and Prussians. The Snowstorm BY JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892): An American poet. The scenes and people which surrounded his childhood are described in "Snowbound," from which this selection is taken. Whittier is sometimes called "The Poet of New England," because, better than any other writer, he pictures the scenes, life, and people of New England. Many of his shorter poems, such as "Maud Muller," "In School Days," and "The Barefoot Boy," are very popular. John Greenleaf Whittier 1. The sun that brief December day Of homespun stuff could quite shut out, That checked, mid-vein, the circling race Of life blood in the sharpened face, The coming of the snowstorm told. The wind blew east; we heard the roar And felt the strong pulse throbbing there 2. Meanwhile we did our nightly chores,- Crossed and recrossed the wingèd snow: The white drift piled the window frame, And through the glass the clothesline posts 3. So all night long the storm roared on: Took marvelous shapes; strange domes and towers Or garden wall or belt of wood; A smooth white mound the brush-pile showed, A fenceless drift what once was road; The bridle post an old man sat With loose-flung coat and high-cocked hat; The well curb had a Chinese roof; And even the long sweep, high aloof, Of Pisa's leaning miracle. Ŏm'i nous foreshadowing good or evil, usually evil. Por tent': a sign, especially of evil. Rhythm: measured beat; movement in musical time. Chōres: the regular light work of a household or farm. Herd's grass: a kind of grass much used for hay. Stan'chion: a bar for confining cattle in a stall. Hěl'mět: a defensive covering for the head. The helmet was often adorned with a cresta plume of feathers or other decoration - to show the rank of the wearer. Quěrủ lots : expressing complaint. Hoar'y: white, usually with age. Spher'ule a little sphere. Ge o mět'ric: according to geometry, the branch of mathematics which treats of solids, surfaces, lines, and angles. Pěl'li cle: thin film or skin. Chinese roof: a high, peaked roof. A loof': away; at a distance. Pï'ṣä: a city of Italy. Pisa's leaning miracle: the famous leaning tower of Pisa. Ball Bearings 1. My attention was first directed to the subject when my brother James, coming home one day after a long spin, complained loudly that some one had been tampering with his bicycle. Finding it harder work than usual, he had got off to look at the bearings, and found that several of the balls were missing. It struck me as wonderful that so much extra work and so much bad temper - should depend on a few small balls, and I was interested enough to study the subject. 2. Of course it is a question of friction. What is that, you say? Well, the word really means "rubbing," but a scientific man using it means the resist |