AN APRIL DAY.

Geoffrey Chaucer (1328-1400) is called the Father of English Poetry. He is the first great author in our literature whose diction approaches the genius of our language. The Anglo-Saxon element in his speech takes a more modern form; the grammatical construction is vastly ahead of even the prose of his time in its likeness to later English; rhyme and metre are introduced and wonderfully perfected; so that a modern reader, by a little attention to the final accented e, and ed of verbs, will find that his verse reads with great smoothness and harmony. His greatest poem, "Canterbury Tales," a series of narratives by a company of pilgrims to Canterbury, is a picture-gallery of the manners of the 14th century.

ALL day the low-hung clouds have dropt

Their garnered fulness down;

All day that soft gray mist hath wrapt
Hill, valley, grove, and town.
There has not been a sound to-day
To break the calm of nature;
Nor motion, I might almost say,
Of life, or living creature:
Of waving bough, or warbling bird,
Or cattle faintly lowing;-

I could have half believed I heard

The leaves and blossoms growing.

I stood to hear - I love it well,

The rain's continuous sound:

Small drops, but thick and fast they fell,
Down straight into the ground;

For leafy thickness is not yet

Earth's naked breast to screen,

Though every dripping branch is set
With shoots of tender green.

Sure, since I looked at early morn,

Those honeysuckle buds

Have swelled to double growth; that thorn
Hath put forth larger studs;

That lilac's cleaving cones have burst,
The milk-white flowers revealing;
E'en now, upon my senses first

Methinks their sweets are stealing.
The very earth, the steamy air
Are all with fragrance rife;
And grace and beauty everywhere

Are flushing into life.

Down, down they come. - those fruitful stores!
Those earth-rejoicing drops!

A momentary deluge pours,

Then thins, decreases, stops;
And ere the dimples on the stream
Have circled out of sight,
Lo! from the West a parting gleam
Breaks forth, of amber light.
But yet behold-abrupt and loud
Comes down the glittering rain:
The farewell of a passing cloud,
The fringes of her train.

Questions: What is the "garnered fulness" of the clouds? What has been wrapt by the mist? What kind of day has it been? Name various sounds unheard. What cattle low? What might one have almost believed? Why did you stand? To hear what? How did the rain fall? When is earth screened by leaves? How have the honeysuckle buds grown in a single day? What are "shoots of tender green"? What are “cleaving cones"? Show me the shape of a cone. Make a cone with a slip of paper. How are the "milk-white flowers revealed"? Through what sense does the odor of flowers steal upon us? When does the air appear steamy? Explain the term "rife." Use it in three or four sentences. Name six creatures rejoiced by rain falling. What is a "momentary deluge"? What are dimples? What are dimples on baby's face? To what does Chaucer compare "glittering rain"? What is a train? How is rain like the fringes of a train? Name four places in sacred history where rain is mentioned.

A

NOBLE REVENGE.

YOUNG officer had so far forgotten himself, in a moment of irritation, as to strike a private soldier, full of personal dignity, and distinguished for his courage. The inexorable laws of military discipline forbade the injured soldier any practical redress. In a tumult of indignation, the soldier said to the officer that he would make him repent it.

Some weeks after this a partial action took place. The armies are facing each other. But it is no more than a skirmish which is going on; in the course of which, however, an occasion suddenly arises for a desperate service. A redoubt, which has fallen into the enemy's hands, must be recaptured at any price. A strong party has volunteered for the service; there is a cry for somebody to head them; you see a soldier step out from the ranks to assume this dangerous leadership; the party moves rapidly forward; in a few minutes it is swallowed up from your eyes in clouds of smoke; for one half-hour from behind those clouds you receive hieroglyphic reports of bloody strife, fierce, repeating signals, flashes from the guns, rolling musketry and exulting hurrahs, advancing or receding, slackening or redoubling.

All is over: the redoubt has been recaptured. Crimsoned with glorious gore, the wreck of the conquering party is relieved, and at liberty to return. From the river you see it ascending. The plume-crested officer in command rushes forward, with his left hand raising his hat in homage to the blackened fragments of what once was a flag; whilst with his right hand he seizes that of the leader. They pause! This soldier, this officer, who are they? Reader, once before they stood face to face- once again they meet. As one who recovers a

brother whom he has accounted dead, the officer springs forward, throws his arms round the neck of the soldier and kisses him, as if he were some martyr glorified by that shadow of death from which he was returning: while on his part, the soldier, stepping back, and carrying his open hand through the beautiful motion of the military salute to a superior, makes this immortal answer

an answer which effaced for ever the memory of the indignity offered to him, even whilst for the last time alluding to it: "Sir," said he, "I told you before that I would make you repent it."

Questions:- What led to the ill feeling between the young officer and the soldier? How was the soldier prevented from retaliating? What did he say to the officer? What occasion soon arose for a display of courage on the part of the soldier? What is a redoubt? What did the soldier volunteer to do? What is meant by "hieroglyphic report"? What success attended the enterprise? How did the officer welcome back the conquering party? What took place when the officer and soldier again faced each other? How long did this hesitation last? How did the officer show his appreciation of the soldier's bravery? How did the soldier return this acknowledgment? How may we best make one repent of any indignity he may have offered us?

COMPOSITION.

Write an account of the incident related above, in your own words, from the following outline: A young officer strikes a private soldier. The soldier, prevented by discipline from retaliating, says he will make his superior repent it. A short time after the army is attacked; a redoubt has to be recaptured; a soldier steps forward to lead those who volunteer; they charge, capture and hold; when relieved and returning they meet an officer who salutes the victors. Suddenly he stops, he recognizes in the leader the soldier whom he had struck; the latter advances and accepts the hand offered him, saying, “I told you I would make you repent it." Give the Scriptural text in which the doctrine of forgiveness of injuries is inculcated.

irritation

redress

redoubt
fragments

inexorable

action

ANALYSIS.

APPLICATION OF RULES FOR AGREEABLE EXPRESSION.

"Pay close attention to the emotions or feelings the selection suggests."

"Give due attention to the vocal tones called for by the selection." What are the chief emotions suggested by "Noble Revenge"? (a) INTEREST, by the narration of fact contained in the sentence: “A young officer had so far forgotten himself, in a moment of irritation, as to strike a private soldier, FULL OF PERSONAL DIGNITY, AND DISTINGUISHED FOR HIS COURAGE.”

The capitalized words add to the sense of injustice committed, and must therefore have special stress placed upon them.

(b) SELF-COMMAND, as required by the fact that "The inexorable laws of military discipline forbade the injured soldier any practical redress."

This entire sentence should be read in a half subdued, but equally sustained tone throughout.

(c) In a louder, but equally sustained tone, increased in strength towards the end, proceed:

"In a tumult of indignation, the soldier said to his officer that HE WOULD MAKE HIM REPENT IT."

The next few lines being a mere connection to the narrative, may be read in a monotone.

(d) A renewal of interest is created in the next paragraph, where it is related that:

"Some weeks after this a partial action took place. THE ARMIES ARE FACING EACH OTHER. But it is no more than a skirmish which is going on; in the course of which, however, an occasion suddenly arises for A DESPERATE SERVICE. A redoubt, which has fallen into the enemy's hands, MUST BE RECAPTURED AT ANY PRICE. A strong party has volunteered for the service; there is a cry for somebody to head them; you see a soldier step out from the ranks to assume THIS DANGEROUS LEADERSHIP; the party moves rapidly forward; IN A FEW MINUTES IT IS SWALLOWED UP IN CLOUDS OF SMOKE; for one half-hour from behind those clouds you receive hieroglyphic reports of BLOODY STRIFE, fierce, repeating signals, flashes from the guns, rolling musketry and exulting hurrahs, advancing or receding, slackening or redoubling."

In the paragraph given above, the first sentence should be read in a