The little harebell.

“Tell me, little harebell,
   Are you lonely here. 
Blooming in the shadow
   On this rock so drear?”

“Clinging to this bit of earth,
   As if in mid-air,
With your sweet face turned to me,
   Looking strangely fair?”

“Lady” said the harebell,
   Nodding low its head,
“Though this spot seem dreary,
   Thought the sunlight’s fled.

“Know that I’m not lonely
   That I ne’er despair. 
God is in the shadow
   God is everywhere.”

[Illustration:  Flowers on hillside.]

LESSON XLI.

rough (ruf) of’ten (of’n) be neath’ fierce’ly

sea’side twen’ty tim’id ly com pels’

rob’ber breast spots mode

os’prey hook’ed

[Illustration:  Osprey catching fish.]

The fishhawk.

1.  The fishhawk, or osprey, is not so large as the eagle; but he has, like the eagle, a hooked bill and sharp claws.

2.  His color is a dark brown, with black and white spots, and his length is from twenty to twenty-two inches.  His breast is mostly white.  His tail and wings are long.

3.  The fishhawk is often found sitting upon a tree over a pond, or lake, or river.  He is also found by the seaside.

4.  He watches the fish as they swim in the water beneath him; then he darts down suddenly and catches one of them.

5.  When he catches a fish in his sharp, rough claws, he carries it off to eat, and, as he flies away with it for his dinner, an eagle sometimes meets him.

6.  The eagle flies at him fiercely with his sharp bill and claws, and compels the hawk to drop the fish.

7.  Then the eagle catches the fish as it falls, before it reaches the ground, and carries it off.

8.  The poor fish hawk, with a loud cry, timidly flies away.  He must go again to the water and catch another fish for his dinner.

9.  Thus you see, that the eagle is a robber.  He robs fishhawks, whose only mode of getting a living is by catching fish.

LESSON XLII.

leaf task twice sigh’ing hol’i days

gay twig meant stopped dif’fer ent

puff edge mat’ter au’tumn hun’dreds

lead grew rus’tled Oc to’ber trem’bling

[Illustration:  Several large trees; fence in foreground.]

WHAT THE LEAF SAID.

1.  Once or twice a little leaf was heard to cry and sigh, as leaves often do, when a gentle wind is blowing.  And the twig said, “What is the matter, little leaf?”

2.  “The wind,” said the leaf, “just told me that one day it would pull me off, and throw me on the ground to die.”