3.  “O mamma!” he cried, joyfully, “do come quick, and see these little white birds flying down from heaven.” 4.  “They are not birds, Johnny,” said mamma, smiling. 5.  “Then maybe the little angels are losing their feathers!  Oh! do tell me what it is; is it sugar?  Let me taste it,” said

Third reader. 17 Johnny.  But when he tasted it, he gave a little jump—­it was so cold. 6.  “That is only snow, Johnny,” said his mother. 7.  “What is snow, mother?” 8.  “The snowflakes, Johnny, are little drops of water that fall from the clouds.  But the air through which they pass is so cold it freezes them, and they come down turned into snow.” 9.  As she said this, she brought out an old black hat from the closet.  “See, Johnny!  I have caught a snowflake on this hat.  Look quick through this glass, and you will see how beautiful it is.” 10.  Johnny looked through the glass.  There lay the pure, feathery snowflake like a lovely little star. 11.  “Twinkle, twinkle, little star!” he cried in delight.  “Oh! please show me more snow-flakes, mother.” 12.  So his mother caught several more, and they were all beautiful. 13.  The next day Johnny had a fine play in the snow, and when he carne in, he said, “I love snow; and I think snowballs are a great deal prettier than oranges.”

3,

        18 Eclectic series.

Lesson iii.

LET IT RAIN.

Rose.  See how it rains!  Oh dear, dear, dear! how dull it is!  Must I stay in doors all day?  Father.  Why, Rose, are you sorry that you had any bread and butter for breakfast, this morning?  Rose.  Why, father, what a question!  I should be sorry, indeed, if I could not get any.  Father.  Are you sorry, my daughter, when you see the flowers and the trees growing in the garden?  Rose.  Sorry?  No, indeed.  Just now, I wished very much to go out and see them,—­they look so pretty.  Father.  Well, are you sorry when you see the horses, cows, or sheep drinking at the brook to quench their thirst?  Rose.  Why, father, you must think I am a cruel girl, to wish that the poor horses that work so hard, the beautiful cows that

Third reader. 19 give so much nice milk, and the pretty lambs should always be thirsty.  Father.  Do you not think they would die, if they had no water to drink?  Rose.  Yes, sir, I am sure they would.  How shocking to think of such a thing!  Father.  I thought little Rose was sorry it rained.  Do you think the trees and flowers would grow, if they never had any water on them?  Rose.  No, indeed, father, they would be dried up by the sun.  Then we should not have any pretty flowers to look at, and to make wreaths of for mother.  Father.  I thought you were sorry it rained.  Rose, what is our bread made of?  Rose.  It is made of flour, and the flour is made from wheat, which is ground in the mill.  Father.  Yes, Rose, and it was rain that helped to make the wheat grow, and it was water that turned the mill to grind the wheat.  I thought little Rose was sorry it rained.  Rose.  I did not think of all these things, father.  I am truly very glad to see the rain falling.