The fire brass feet, and brass shovel and tongs. burned so brightly, and warmed so nicely, that the little creature stretched out her feet to warm them likewise, when, lo! the flame expired, the stove vanished, and left nothing but the little half-burned match in her hand. 8. She lit another match; and she now sat under a Christmas-tree that was larger and more superbly decked than even the one she had once seen through a glass door at some rich merchant's. A thousand tapers burned on its green branches, and gay pictures seemed to be looking down upon her. The match then went out. 9. The Christmas lights kept rising higher and higher. They now looked like stars in the sky. One of them fell down, and left a long streak of fire. "Somebody is now dying," thought the little girl ; for her old grandmother, the only person who had ever loved her, and who was now dead, had told her that when a star falls it is a sign that a soul is going up to heaven. 10. She again rubbed a match upon the wall, and it was again light all around; and in the brightness stood her old grandmother, clear and shining like a spirit, yet looking so mild and loving. 11. " Grandmother," cried the little one, "oh, take me with you! I know you will go away when the match goes out-you will vanish, like the warm stove and the fine large Christmas-tree." And she made haste to rub the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to hold her grandmother fast. 12. And the matches gave a light that was brighter than noon-day. Her grandmother never appeared so beautiful nor so large. She took the little girl in her arms, and both flew upwards, all radiant and joyful, far, far above mortal ken, where there was neither cold, nor hunger, nor care to be found; for it was to the land of the blessed that they had flown. 13. But in the morning the poor girl was found leaning against the wall, with red cheeks and smiling mouth. She had been frozen on the last night of the Old Year. 14. The child sat in the stiffness of death, still holding the matches, one bundle of which was burned. People said, "She tried to warm herself." Nobody dreamed of the fine things she had seen, nor in what splendour she had entered upon the joys of the New Year. HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN.15 cow-er-ing ex-pired' New Words in this Lesson. pro-ject-ed sa-vour-y su-perb-ly van-ished Questions:-1. What evening was it? What kind of evening? 2. Who was roaming through the streets? What had become of her slippers? 3. What did she carry? Why was she sad and miserable? 4. What did she not heed? What did she heed? 5. Where did she sit down? Why did she not dare to return home? 6. What might do her some good? 7. What did she therefore do? What did the light seem to show her? What happened when it expired? 8. What did she see when she lit a second match? 9. What did she say when the star fell down? 10. What did she see the third time she lit a match? 11. What did she say to her grandmother? Why did she go on rubbing more matches? 12. What kind of light did they give? What did her grandmother then do? Where did she take her? 13. What was found in the morning? 14. What did people say? Of what did nobody dream? Notes and Meanings. 5 Cow-er-ing, crouching; lying close. Pro-ject-ed, jutted out. 6 Were be-numbed', had lost the power 7 Ex-pired', died out. [of feeling. 8 Su-perb-ly, grandly; splendidly. 12 Ra-di-ant, bright; beaming. 15 Hans Christ-ian An-der-sen (1805- Summary:-A little match-girl wandered through the streets on the last night of the old year. She had not sold any of her matches, and she did not dare to go home, so she sat down in a corner between two houses. To warm her nearlyfrozen hands she struck a match, and imagined that she was sitting before a large fire in an iron stove. She lit another match, and she seemed to be sitting under a large and beautiful Christmas-tree. Another match gave her a vision of her dead grandmother; and to keep her, the child lit the whole bundle of matches, and was carried away in her arms. In the morning the child was found deadfrozen to death on the last night of the old year. Exercises:-1. Parse and analyze: The child was found dead. 2. Use the following words as Nouns and Adjectives-dark, evening, cold, iron, brass, glass. 3. Make Sentences containing-ceiling, sealing; celery, salary; cellar, seller. 4. Describe Christmas and New Year. Why is this a season of festivity? BINGEN ON THE RHINE. 1. A soldier of the Legion lay dying in Algiers; there was lack of woman's nursing, there was dearth of woman's tears; but a comrade stood beside him, while his life-blood ebbed away, and bent, with pitying glances, to hear what he might say. 2. The dying soldier faltered, as he took that comrade's hand, and he said, "I never more shall see my own, my native land. Take a message and a token to some distant friends of mine, for I was born at Bingen,—at Bingen on the Rhine. 3. "Tell my brothers and companions, when they meet and crowd around to hear my mournful story, in the pleasant vineyard ground, that we fought the battle bravely; and when the day was done, full many a corpse lay ghastly pale beneath the setting sun. And 'midst the dead and dying were some grown old in wars,-the death-wound on their gallant breasts, the last of many scars: but some were young, and suddenly beheld life's morn decline; and one had come from Bingen,-fair Bingen on the Rhine. 4. " Tell my mother that her other sons shall comfort her old age,—and I was aye a truant bird, that thought his home a cage; for my father was a soldier, and, even as a child, my heart leaped forth to hear him tell of struggles fierce and wild. And when he died, and left us to divide his scanty hoard, I let them take whate'er they would, but kept my father's sword; and with boyish love I hung it where the bright light used to shine, on the cottage-wall at Bingen,-calm Bingen on the Rhine. 5. "Tell my sister not to weep for me, and sob with drooping head, when the troops are marching home again with glad and gallant tread; but to look upon them proudly, with a calm and steadfast eye, for her brother was a soldier too, and not afraid to die. And if a comrade seek her love, I ask her in my name to listen to him kindly, without regret or shame; and to hang the old sword in its place (my father's sword and mine), for the honour of old Bingen,—dear Bingen on the Rhine. 6. "There's another-not a sister; in the happy days gone by, you'd have known her by the merriment that sparkled in her eye; too innocent for coquetry, too fond for idle scorning,-O friend, I fear the lightest heart makes sometimes heaviest mourning!-tell her the last night of my life (for ere this moon be risen, my body will be out of pain, my soul be out of prison,) I dreamed I stood with her, and saw the yellow sunlight shine on the vineclad hills of Bingen,-fair Bingen on the Rhine. 7. "I saw the blue Rhine sweep along; I heard, or seemed to hear, the German songs we used to sing in chorus sweet and clear; and down the pleasant river, and up the slanting hill, the echoing chorus sounded through the evening calm and still; and her glad blue eyes were on me, as we passed with friendly talk down many a path beloved of yore, and well-remembered walk; and her little hand lay lightly, confidingly in mine: but we'll meet no more at Bingen,-loved Bingen on the Rhine." 8. His voice grew faint and hoarser; his grasp was childish weak; his eyes put on a dying look ; he sighed, and ceased to speak. His comrade bent |