My usual practice with respect to the elliptical method of teaching, is, to deliver some appropriate, simple, extemporaneous tale, leaving out but few words at first, and those such as must obviously strike the children; as they get used to the plan, I make the omissions more frequent, and of words less obvious.  The following specimens will render the whole plain to the understandings of my readers.

A gardener’s youngest[a] ——­ was walking among the fruit[b] ——­ of his father’s[c] ——­, he saw a little[d] ——­ fly up and sit on one of the[e]——­ of the trees; the[f] ——­ lifted a stone, and was going to[g]——­ it at the poor[h]——­ which seemed to[i]——­ most sweetly thus: 

  My[k] ——­ is[l] ——­ of moss and hair,
  The[m] ——­ are[n]——­ and sheltered there;
  When[o]——­ soon shall my young[p] ——­ fly
  Far from the[q]——­ school[r]——­ eye.”

The[s]——­ eldest[t]——­ who understood the[u]——­ of birds came up at that moment, and[v]——­ out, throw down the[w] ——­, you hard-hearted[x] ——­ and don’t[y] ——­ the innocent[z] ——­ in the middle of his song; are you not[aa]——­ with his swelling red-breast, his beautiful sharp eye, and above all with the[bb] ——­ of his notes, and the familiar[cc] ——­ he assumes, even in the[dd] ——­ of a[ee]——­ like you?  Ask your youngest[ff] ——­ here if she remembers the[gg]——­ which her good[hh] ——­ read to her yesterday of a very[ii]——­ boy, who was very[kk]——­ to a harmless green[ll] ——­ which he caught[mm] ——­ for hunger, among the[nn]——­ in the[oo] ——­ of winter.

[Footnote a:  Son]

[Footnote b:  trees]

[Footnote c:  garden]

[Footnote d:  bird]

[Footnote e:  branches]

[Footnote f:  boy]

[Footnote g:  throw]

[Footnote h:  bird]

[Footnote i:  sing]

[Footnote k:  nest]

[Footnote l:  built]

[Footnote m:  eggs]

[Footnote n:  laid]

[Footnote o:  hatched]

[Footnote p:  ones]

[Footnote q:  roaming]

[Footnote r:  boy’s]

[Footnote s:  gardener’s]

[Footnote t:  son]

[Footnote u:  notes]

[Footnote v:  called]

[Footnote w:  stone]

[Footnote x:  rogue or boy]

[Footnote y:  disturb or hurt]

[Footnote z:  bird]

[Footnote aa:  pleased or delighted]

[Footnote bb:  sweetness or melody]

[Footnote cc:  air]

[Footnote dd:  presence]

[Footnote ee:  naughty boy]

[Footnote ff:  sister]

[Footnote gg:  story]

[Footnote hh:  mother, aunt &c.]

[Footnote ii:  naughty or good]

[Footnote kk:  cruel or kind]

[Footnote ll:  finch or linnet]

[Footnote mm:  perishing or dying]

[Footnote nn:  snow]

[Footnote oo:  depth or middle.]