Mec Gut fe y § Me @UrrEY's {2c NIB WL PIs; a 6 LESSON XIIL ocx rE A rt inds words - \ : Li's ‘2 7 ey TRI wy Tr GEN ry Few Tork a Cinslnnall 4 Enivage % S AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY. & " NM ¢ “1s & \ By ELMO SCOTT WATSON Haste thee, hool-boy, | ie a Far too ng Often you Any a 8 fea as ul their own ye their mind the name of NM America? Prol those who say was the most century, the in determinin American people to whose wi present day pa) their inspiratio though a recent gives only pedia Brittar there are t} name of W miniscent schoolma tended a down to the end something which McGuffey Readers. Herbert Quick in writing of his childhoo« rural Iowa in his book, “One Man's Life,” say “I had a burning thirst for books, On those farms a boy or girl with my appetite for literature was a frog in a desert, and, more Important, tion for further satis an old dog-eared volume of McGuffey's, the st lard school read- ers of my day. My mastery of the first and see- ond readers The thirst was satisfied lated to aspira- ning of the marvels of the printed 4 ght and gave me a sort f ecstasy. Those text-books constitute the most influential volumes ever pub- lished in America.’ Nor is he the only table t for mony. especially meloncholy poem contained fifth reader made ar pression on him that still remains, and Justice John H. Clarke said that the langua used in handing down decisions of the United States S sme conrt not infrequently was colored by the readers he had studied 50 years before. Ida M. Tarbell, the Inte Albert J. Beveridge, former Senator Charles 8S. Thomas of Colorado, Senator Simeon D. Feas } testa Newton yak clares it an in the and Senator Frank L. Greene are among others who credit MeGuffey with having had a large share in shaping their minds, To get the proper perspective on this impor tant individual, let us go back to the days before the Revolution. In August, 1774. William and Anne (McKittrick) MeGuffey emigrated to this country from Scotland. Landing at Philadelphia, they journeyed to the southern border of York county, Pennsylvania, where they settled. Dur- Ing the days of the Revolutionary war Georse Washington often stopped at their home. This Scotch family had one son, Alexander, who was six years old when they arrived in America. Alexander grew up to be a scout and Indian fighter, serving In Ohio and Western Pennsyl- vania under Gen. Arthur St. Clair and Anthony Wayne. At the end of this campaign in 1704 he married Miss Anna Holines of Washington coun- ty, Pennsylvania, and settled as a farmer in that county. Here, William Holmes MeGuffey was born, September 23, 1800, When the iad was two years old, the McGuf- feys removed to Trumbull county, Ohio, where Alexander McGuffey purchased a farm of 105 acres In Cortsville village, Cortsville township, in the Connecticut Western Reserve, One day Rev. Thomas Hughes, Presbyterian minister, was riding by the lonely MeGuffey cabin, He overheard the mother praying that her young son, William, might have the oppor tunity to secure an education that would fit him for life and for the ministry, Reverend Hughes arranged to have the boy attend school at the “Old Stone academy” which he had opened at Darlington, Pa. The tuition was $3 a year and board 75 cents a week. Here Willlam received his academic training and by the time he was \, eighteen was ready for a colleglate course, He went to the nearest college, Washington SGT SI Ss or = rad of tl cat Mary, Henri While at Miami, McG second of the graded set wurth manhood became an attorney aided Professor MceGuffey readers and collected mu the fifth and sixth readers After some time ¥, whose Interest Professor McGaf- fs in the field of literature and philosophy, was tendered a professorship of mer studies privately and on March 20, 1820. he re- ceived his ordination into the ninistry of the ital philosophy. He carried on theological Presbyterian church, with the degree of doctor of divinity. He never held a regular charge, but filled many pulpits on Sundays, MecGuffey recognized the dearth of reading material in the common schools of the time. He had keen literary sense and was able to select much that appealed to young minds. It was this selection of lessons from a wide range of authors that caused him to name the readers McGuffey Eclectic Readers. The first reader was issued In 1836. the see ond in 1837, and the third and fourth in 1838 The qualities that made the readers so pop- ular are the basic principles of life, honesty, Justice and truth behind the lessons In find- ing application of moral principles he selected the best in British and American literature. He takes in every phase of life with the home ns the foundation of it all. The first reader Is all play, but In the second he begins to get a little more responsibility, holding to the home and stressing kindness to the family and to animals, The third reader Is a character builder, Every lesson has a moral. The fourth reader be- gins to give a bigger and broader vision of life with lessons of travel, religion and statesmanship, In 1836 Doctor McGuffey left Oxford to accept the presidency of Cincinnati college. In 1830 he became president of Ohio university at Athens, In 1844 he returned to Cincinnati and served as professor at Woodward college, afterward known as Woodward high school. In 1845 McGuffey went to the University of Virginia as professor of natural and moral philosophy. He remained at this Institution, designed and built by Thomas Jefferson, until his death on May 4, 1873. Even the most casual survey of the MeGuffey Readers reveals the stern reality of life in the century before this one. There Is not a speck of humor in them, from MecGuffey's New First Eclectic Reader, from which the wee children learned their ABC's and gazed with fascinated eyes at the quaint woodcuts of birds and beasts, to McGuffey's New Sixth Eclectic Reader, an Imposing volume containing 450 pages of solid and forbidding type described on the fiyleaf ns “Exercises of Rhetorical Reading With Intro ductory Rules and Examples.” The stories always end with a moral, and . Hamilic n Mec Guffey — a. LESSON LIV. pu ESSON LX. sight front alks that tle of a little drama in cGuffey's Fourth Matty," “A “Extract from the he Mount'™ are some of the other “Lazy Ned" * id ne ift, the Bible nembered titles, Mfth Reader boasts the title: “MeGuf- Fifth Eclectic Reader {ses for Scho '* Here we find ol« fand Muller,” “Shylock, or the Pou Selected and tects of Gambling which begin f gambling iis, perhaps often than any other sin, w influence on its victim i an imperceptible pretext is in- considerable, { F termed innocent play, with no more than t gentle excitement neces sary to amusement. This plea, once indulged. is but too often ‘as the lettin wit of water." The interest imperceptibly gr id superior skill, opportun over. whelming passior f depraved intures, ally themselves with ipient an owing fond. neas, Dam and dike are swept away, The vie tim struggles In vain, and is borne down by the uncontrolled current.” “The Bible, the best of Classics™ the only Husband,” are the titles of other lessons. and nany of these articles are honored by the name of the author in the index. That familiar poem, “The Spider and the Fly,” is given In this read- er. “Directions for Reading” are expounded and rules for proper diction are stressed, It remains for the Sixth Reader to begin with “Principles of Education,” which Is con- sidered under six heads: 1. Articulation. 2. Inflection, . Accent and Emphasis, . Reading verse, 6. The voice. . Gesture, “Religion basis of society,” “The Intemperate All faults to be remedied are meticulously listed. Indeed, lessons In articulation start with the second reader, and proper emphasis and correct pronunciation are stressed all through the series, Of the McGuffey Readers, adults are prob ably most familiar with the Sixth Readers. To millions who live today, that work meant the literary peak. It contained Hamlet's soliliquy and “The Fall of Cardinal Wolsey,” from “Hen. ry VII" Beott's “Lochinvar” and “Marmion and Douglas”; Gray's Elegy; Macanley on “The Impeachment of Warren Hastings”: Tennyson's “Enoch Arden”; Poe's “The Raven": Longfel- low's “Evangeline,” and “A Psalm of Life" The McGuffey Readers have had a wide In fluence. They have been translated into many languages, even the Japanese, Their serious are pose, their kindly spirit, their high moral tone doubtless made children of an older day better men and women In our own time, The sale of them has made a fortune for their publishers, who estimate that 122,000,000 coples of the readers have been sold (® by Western Newspaper Union.) A Green Gown By CLARISSA MACKIE © by McClure Newspaper Syndicates, WNU Bervice 6 ND so you are wearing green? remarked Klia Nellson as she looked at Kathleen's new dress for the party. “Yes, you know It is my favorite color—perhaps I rather fancy it be Ciiuse my eyes are green” “Are they inquired her “I always thought they were grayish blue” . on green; “No, Indeed,” laughed the other girl, “Mother has bought me a string of Jade green beads—pretty, aren't they?” “Lovely,” murmured Ella indifferent ly, J ntly she madé some ex cuse and hurried on, but she did not £0 home then, She went to call upon several other there was RE COTO tly. is a the green little eveni wear a that time she w jealousy id ut Frederick? thleen shoo) Elie WIR BO it out on Wed. riously angry (athleen, 1. George I will be I will be there,” and then, only then, Her dress had been ready several days, but she had not shown it to anybody. One of the queer things about the party that night was that eight o'clock sounded and went by and very few girls arrived, There was the usual stag line of un attached young men, and there were girls and their escorts. Pretty in girls in pink and yel- and a few in white or | a quarter after eight Ella Nell on arrived with George Moore, and she looked like a rose In a charming | pink dress, and then in groups or by | ones and twos came the other girls of her particular “crowd.” and every girl wore green! Every shade of green silk, satin, or georgette in combination | with another color was represented, | and there was much laughter, while Ella was here, there, and sverywhere in her rosepink dress, like one lovely rose in a plain green garden of girls! And then, just a little late, came Kathleen with Frederick Warner Kathleen was in green, too, but her dress was somehow “different” from the others—it was a beautiful shade of green, jade, and she wore an odd string of jade beads, “How odd that so many should wear green!” she confided to Fred as they danced. "Of course, it Is worn a lot, but our whole crowd is wearing green, all except Ella. Doesn't she look adorable in pink?” Frederick had keenly observed Ella Neilson, but he merely said: “Looks like a peony! Kathleen, you are like a cool green rush growing in a quiet pool” Kathleen blushed adorably and smiled at him. “There are 80 many of us green rushes, Frederick—I am afraid we are like the wild flags in the crecks “Never mind,” he only whispered. “Among them all, Kathy, there is just one green You!" When the evening was over, and Frederick and Kathleen walked home under the early morning pale moon, it was then that Frederick confessed to Kathleen that he did not like any other girl except her—and It came out in just the way that all happy ending love stories do! As for Ella Neilson it was something of a tragedy for her when she fell In love and married a Los Angeles Boy Needed Help Leroy Young, 1116 Georgla Bt, Los An- geles, 1s a “regular fellow,” active in sports, and at the top in his classes at school. To look at him now, you'd think [he never had a day's sickness but his mother says: “When Leroy was just a little fellow, we found his stomach and bowels were weak. He kept suffering from con- stipation. Nothing he ate agreed with him. He was fretful, feverish and puny. a. \ hen we started giving him Cali fornia Fig Syrup his condition im- proved quickly, Hig const ] ipation and biliousness stopped 1d he has had Bo more trouble of t kind. I have irnla Fig Syrup wit him for colds and upset spells. He likes it because it tastes 1 like fit He t wonderfully I” Eince used Culif because California Flg Syrup has been the trusted standby of mothers for over 50) years. Leading physicia recom. mend it. 1t | 3 works with Nature to reg: tone und stren n the stomach and bowels of én so they get full thelr food and waste is eliminated in a normal way ¢ is purely vegetable and nourishmen Four million bottles v8 how mothers depend on ways look for the word “Cali on the carton to be sure the genuine, year Period of Depression Worried Walt Whitman k in 1857 Walt Whitman was and » Do You Get BILIOUS ,, IZ Constipation will upset your entire system ond bring on dyspep. sig, nervousness ond lock of pep. Com. mon os i! is, mony people neglect this trouble ond lead themselves into serious eilments. Your doctor will tell you the importance of keeping bowels open. The easy, scfe remedy is Dr. Morse's Indion Root Pills, mode of pure herbs ond roots. They not only clecnse but clo reguicte. Af oll druggists ia DrMorses ivoian RAT PILLS Mild & Gentle Laxative Want “Ad” Jogs Memory usual was the public announce that appeared in the London recently. h Hungarian 1 Baron Ivan Rubido-Zichy, inserted this a¢ Hungarian that, having lost his er book, he is unable to remember his engage ments for next week, and would, therefore, be grateful for remind persons who ivertisecment: “The minister greets Luckily three invited him to dinner on vari ghts telephoned to remind him and as for the rest of remembered the dates # the engagements he them. man by the name of Green! USE GLENN'S SULPHUR SOAP Ekin eruptions, excessive Containe perspimation, insect bites, 33%: % Pure relieved st once by this re- Sulpbur freshing, beautifring toilet and bath soap. Best for Soft, Clear Skin Rohland 's Styptie Cotton, Te “Calibration” Er the calibration of an instra- ment is meant the checking or cor recting of the scale readings of the instrument, Rl —— — *
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers