PROGRESSIVE READERS; No. 5: A CLASS BOOK FOR THE USE OF ADVANCED PUPILS, IN Public and Private Schools. COMPRISING VERY LARGE SELECTION OF LESSONS; A TREATISE ON BY JOHN E. LOVELL, AUTHOR OF THE U. S. SPEAKER, NEW SCHOOL DIALOGUES, YOUNG SPEAKER, ETC. "Reading in the schools, when properly conducted, has reference to three "The voice of the young orator should be first modulated by the practice of PHILADELPHIA: PUBLISHED BY H. C. PECK & THEO. BLISS. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, BY JOHN E. LOVELL, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Connecticut MEARS & DUSENBERY, STEREOTYPERS AND ELECTROTYPERS, PHILADELPHIA. PREFACE. In the four preceding volumes of this series of Readers, the Progressive Principle, or that of advancing by easy, systematic steps, is studiously carried out. But now, when the pupil has acquired the ability to read difficult written language in a fluent and, it may be, graceful manner, it is no longer demanded. In the present volume, therefore, no attempt has been made to graduate the lessons, except in some measure as to length and style; the object, in respect to the latter particular, being to produce as great an elocutionary variety as possible. The Lessons have been drawn chiefly from eminent authors; they embrace a large amount of matter, and extend through a wide range of subjects are chaste in language, pure in sentiment, and such as will be likely to engage the youthful mind, imparting to it interesting facts or ideas of nature, science, morals, or literature. The introductory treatise on the Principles of Elocution will be found to be both comprehensive and practical. No space has been occupied in useless discussion. The definitions and rules are brief, and, it is hoped, to the point. Full exercises are given to illustrate and impress every principle, while they are so arranged that they will afford easy and effective means of individual or class instruction. Some portion of these principles should be set apart for study in connection with each reading lesson; in some cases, however, it may be thought better to take up the principles one day and the reading the next; but the pupil should not be allowed to neglect them, so long as he continues at school. To become an accomplished reader requires persevering study and much practice. Pointed letters have been occasionally introduced into the reading lessons, to indicate the correct pronunciation of certain words. The vowels marked in unaccented syllables, should be uttered very lightly, but the true sound must be preserved. If the accented syllable is struck with spirit, there will be little danger of falling into error in this respect. In digraphs or improper diphthongs, the pointed vowel is the one to be sounded. The pronunciation of many words is spelled out in the Explanatory Index. The Explanatory Index is very full: it comprises some two thousand or more definitions, including explanations of classical allusions and |