LESSON XV. Louis Philippe in an Indian Village. a-bode', house. a-muse'-ment, sport, enjoyment. con-duc'-ted, led. in-trust', to give in charge. oc'-cu-pied, engaged, busy. vouch, make sure of. MANY years ago, whilst Louis Philippe was staying on the shores of Lake Erie, he went some three or four miles out to visit the Indians. After being conducted to the village and the chief's wigwam, he shook hands with the chief, who came and stood by his horse's head. He told the chief that he had come to make him a visit of a day or two; to which the chief replied that he was very glad to see him, and that he was welcome to the best they had. The chief, however, told him that he would require to give him everything he had-the horse he was riding on, his gun, his watch, his money, in a word everything which he wished to get again. Louis Philippe began to think that he was fairly robbed, but his mind was set at rest by the chief's saying to him-"If you have anything which you wish to be sure to get again, I wish you to let me have it; for whatever you give into my hands now, you will be sure to find safe when you are about to leave; otherwise I would not be willing to vouch for their safety, for there are some of my people whom I cannot trust." From that moment he felt quite easy, and spent several days in the village very pleasantly, and with much amusement. When he was about to leave, his horse was brought to the chief's door and saddled, and all the property he had left in his hands was safely restored. He then mounted his horse, and rode a short distance toward his abode, when he discovered that he had left his favourite dog, which he had been too much occupied to think about, and which he did not remember to have seen after he entered the village. He turned his horse and rode back to the door of the chief's wigwam, and made inquiries for his dog. The chief said—“But you did not intrust your dog to my care, did you?" "No; I did not think of the poor dog at the time." "Well, then," said he, "I can't answer for it. If you had done as I told you, your dog would have been safe. However, I will inquire for it." At this moment one of the chief's little sons was ordered to run and open a rude pen, by the corner of the wigwam, and out leaped the dog, and sprang upon his leg as he was sitting on his horse. Louis Philippe offered the chief a reward for his honesty, but he refused it, and added that whenever he should again visit the red people he should trust their word, and feel assured that he would always find safe whatever property he intrusted to an Indian's care. Many years after this, when Louis Philippe was King of the French, two Indian chiefs visited Paris, and were invited by the king to the palace. He received them in the kindest possible manner, and told them that he and his queen were very glad to see them. When he was a young man, he said, he had visited many Indian tribes in America, had been in their wigwams, and had always been treated by them with respect. He afterwards presented each of the chiefs with a heavy gold medal, which he himself hung round their necks, and next day sent silver medals of the same size and form to each of their attendants, with a liberal sum in money to be divided among them. Before leaving the palace, the Indians danced the war-dance for the amusement of the royal family. Louis Philippe, Duke of Orleans, after many strange adventures, was elected King of the French in 1830, and reigned until the Revolution in 1848, when he fled to England, where he died on the 26th of August, 1850. He spent some time in America before he became king. Indian. The name given in general to all the native tribes of America. QUESTIONS:-1. Who was Louis Philippe? 2. How long did he reign? 3. What did the chief ask him to do when he reached the village? 4. Why did the chief act thus? 5. When was his property restored to him? 6. Why was not his dog given to him on leaving? 7. What feature in the Indian character does the lesson illustrate? LESSON XVI. Ye Mariners of England. brav'-ed, endured, defied. bul'-warks, means of defence. fame, glory. mar'-i-ners, sailors. match, cope with. me-te-or, bright as a falling star. quells, subdues, calms. steep, high, rocky shore. ter-rif-ic, filling with fear. YE mariners of England, That guard our native seas; Whose flag has braved a thousand years Your glorious standard launch again, And sweep through the deep, While the stormy winds do blow; The spirits of your fathers Shall start from every wave; While the stormy winds do blow; Britannia needs no bulwark, No towers along the steep; Her march is o'er the mountain wave, With thunder from her native oak When the stormy winds do blow; The meteor flag of England Till danger's troubled night depart, To the fame of your name When the storm has ceased to blow; When the fiery fight is heard no more, And the storm has ceased to blow. CAMPBELL. Has braved a thousand years.-Alfred the Great, who lived in the ninth century (849-901 A.D.), was the first to give England anything approaching to a navy. Blake.—The great sea-captain of the Commonwealth period. Nelson. The greatest sea-captain this or any other country ever produced; fell at Trafalgar, 1805. With thunder from her native oak.-The reference is to cannon from men-of-war, most of which until lately were built of oak. |