They were benumbed with cold, and would surely have frozen to death, but for our timely rescue.

Mr. Larkin grasped one of the lads, cut off his shoes, tore off his jacket; and then, loosening his own garments to the skin, placed the chilled child in contact with his own warm body, carefully wrapping over him his great-coat.

I did the same with the other child; and we then returned to the boat; and the men having partly recovered, pulled slowly back.

The children, as we learned when we afterwards had the delight of returning them to their parents, were playing on the ice, and had ventured on the cake.

A movement of the tide set the ice in motion, and the little fellows were borne away on that cold night, and would certainly have perished, had not Mr. Larkin seen them as the ice was sweeping out to sea.

“How do you feel?” I said to the mate, the next morning after this adventure.

“A little stiff in the arms, captain,” the noble fellow replied, while the big tears of grateful happiness gushed from his eyes—­“a little stiff in the arms, captain, but very easy here,” and he laid his hand on his manly heart.

* * * * *

Language Lesson.—­Change the following commands to statements.

    Take the other oar.  Don’t give up!

Give the meaning of the word lads in the third and fourth lines of page 152, and in the fourth line of page 154.[09]

Make out an analysis of the lesson, and use it in telling the story in your own words.

[09] See Lesson XXXI.

* * * * *

LESSON XXXII.

re’gion, place; space.

furze, a thorny shrub with yellow flowers.

list’eth, wishes; pleases.

mirth, joy; fun.

boon, gay; merry.

shaft, an arrow; the stem of an arrow.

up borne’, held or borne up.

crest’ing, touching the tops of.

* * * * *

BIRDS IN SUMMER.

  How pleasant the life of a bird must be,
  Flitting about in each leafy tree;—­
  In the leafy trees so broad and tall,
  Like a green and beautiful palace hall,
  With its airy chambers, light and boon,
  That open to sun, and stars, and moon;
  That open unto the bright blue sky,
  And the frolicsome winds, as they wander by!

[Illustration]

  They have left their nests in the forest bough;
  Those homes of delight they need not now;
  And the young and old they wander out,
  And traverse their green world round about;
  And hark! at the top of this leafy hall,
  How, one to the other, they lovingly call: 
  “Come up, come up!” they seem to say,
  “Where the topmost twigs in the breezes play!