XCVII.-WOODMAN, SPARE THAT TREE. re-nown', fame; Ruf; Ruhm. tow'-er, to be very high; sich emportürmen. 1. Woodman, spare that tree! 2. That old familiar tree, Are spread o'er land and sea,- 3. When but an idle boy, I sought its grateful shade; But let that old oak stand! 4. My heart-strings round thee cling, And still thy branches bend. Old tree! the storm still brave! Thy ax shall harm it not. Geo. P. Morris. XCVIII. A STUDENT'S HEROIC DEED. par ́-a-lyze, to unnerve; lähmen. sym'-pa-thize, to have a common feeling; mitempfinden. spec-ta'-tor, a looker on; Zuschauer. whist'-ful, eagerly attentive; gespannt. chiv'-al-ric, gallant; ritterlich. buf'-fet, to fight against; bekämpfen. sloop, a vessel with one mast; Schaluppe. mal'-a-dy, sickness; Krankheit. 1. "A ship ashore! a ship ashore!" was the cry which rung through the streets of St. Andrews, Scotland, one fearful winter day, more than threescore years ago. This thrilling cry roused every inhabitant. Citizens, students from the university, and sailors, rushed with pale faces and rapid steps along the streets toward a bay to the eastward of the town. Standing on the shore, the crowd was terror-stricken and paralyzed through beholding a vessel stranded on a sandbank but a few rods from the beach. She was shrouded. in surfy mist. The waves dashed furiously against her and broke over her decks with irresistible fury. 2. Yet, through the thick air and the driving sleet the people on the shore could now and then catch glimpses of the doomed crew clinging with the clutch of despair to the rigging of the wreck. There were many bold, brave men in that sympathizing crowd of spectators, but none who dared to venture through the mighty surges to save those ill-fated sailors. It seemed, indeed, to the stoutest heart too mighty a task for mortal man to attempt. All could sympathize with the wrecked ones; none saw a way to save them. 3. But there was one heroic soul in that eager, wistful crowd who thought that, with God's help, those perishing men might be snatched from the door of doom. He was a young man, a university student, strong in body, but still stronger in spirit. "Bring me a rope," he cried; "I will try to save them." 4. A strong rope was brought and fastened about his waist. Followed by the prayers of many and the good wishes of all, this chivalric youth struggled, with desperate courage, through the terrific surf into the deep water beyond. Then, with the strength of a young giant, guided by the skill of the experienced swimmer, he slowly worked his way towards the vessel's side. He had nearly reached it, when his friends, alarmed by the length of time and slowness of his progress, began pulling him back. Then he forgot himself he would save the men clinging in desperation to yon vessel's shrouds or perish in the attempt. 5. Grasping the knife that he carried between his teeth, he cut the rope by which his kindhearted friends were drawing him to shore and safety. He buffeted the rough waves successfully. He reached the breaker-swept deck of the. stranded sloop. After a word of cheer to the crew, he took a fresh rope, plunged anew into the surging waters, and swam back to the beach. 6. But four days of starvation, unrest, and exposure had robbed those poor creatures on board the wreck of both courage and strength. Not one of them dared attempt to escape by means of the rope. What then? Must they perish? Nay: not yet. The brave student will risk his life again in their behalf. 7. He rushes into the surf once more, struggles through the crested waves, boards the sloop, and brings off a man to the shore. Six times he makes the perilous trip, and saves a human life each time. The seventh time his charge is a boy, so weak and helpless that he loses his hold upon him twice, and twice he dives for him into the seething depths and brings him up. Finally, he reaches the beach with the corpse-like lad, the last of the rescued crew. 8. The crowd, which had hitherto watched the gallant young hero's movements with breathless stillness, now breaks forth into a loud, triumphal cheer, which neither the roar of the wind nor the thunder of the waves can drown. 9. The name of this noble young scion of the true chivalry was John Honey. His efforts on that memorable day cost him his life; not directly, however, for he lived a few years, but the seeds of a mortal malady were sown by his humane exertions on that day. He died at Bendochy, in 1814. Selected. IC. THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM. siege, surrounding a fortified place by an army; Belagerung. goad, to drive forward; to urge; anstacheln. out'-rage, excessive injury; Gewaltthätigkeit. sub-due', to conquer; unterwerfen. le'-gion, a body of Roman soldiers of about 5000 men; Legion. fac'-tion, party; Partei. tem'-po-ra-ry, lasting for a time only; zeitweilig. ram, an instrument for battering walls; Sturmbock. cat'-a-pult, instruments for throwing stones; Wurfmaschinen. bal-lis'-ta, mis'-sile, a weapon thrown; Geschoß. un-a-vail'-ing, vain; useless; nulos; erfolglos. graph ́-ic, lifelike; lebendig. sketch, an outline; Skizze. plead, to argue; unterhandeln. clam'-or, to cry; schreien. rab'-id, furious; wütend. rem-nant, a rest; Überbleibsel. gar'-ri-son, the troops in a fortress; Besayung. 1. The aspect of Jerusalem had changed but little from that which it had worn at the time of the Crucifixion, when, thirty-five years later, the Roman eagles gathered round their prey. But during these years the Jews had been plunging deeper and deeper into sin and wretchedness. At last, goaded by outrage and insult, they had risen against their Roman masters; and the great Vespasian had been sent by Nero to tame their stubborn pride. 2. Galilee and Perea were subdued after some trouble and delay; and the conqueror, having drawn a circle of forts round Jerusalem, was at Cæsarea, preparing for the last great blow, when he heard the news of Nero's death. The army in Palestine then proclaimed Vespasian emperor. He hastened to secure Alexandria, the second city in the empire; and having heard while there that the people of Rome were holding feasts in his own honor, he set out for Italy. So the siege of Jerusalem was left to his son Titus. 3. Mustering his forces at Cæsarea, and dividing them into three bands, Titus marched for the doomed city. Arrived there, he fortified three camps- one on the north, one on the west, and one, garrisoned by the Tenth Legion, on the Mount of Olives. Upon this last the Jews made a sally as the soldiers were digging the trenches; but they were soon beaten down the hill. 4. While the trumpets were blowing at Cæsarea, and the clang of the Roman march was shaking the land, murder, and outrage, and cruel terror filled all Jerusalem. Robbers, calling themselves Zealots, had flocked in from the country. Eleazar, at the head of one set of these, held the inner court of the Temple. John of Gischala, another leader of ruffians, occupying ground somewhat lower, poured constant showers of darts and stones into the holy house, often killing worshipers as they stood at the very altar. In this mad war, houses full of corn were burned, and was inflicted on the wretched people. misery of every kind In despair they called |