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outward objects, which form the basis of much of our knowledge. Others, in past times and in distant regions have done the like, and on their testimony we may know what they have learned. But none of us rest content with these; we are ever extending our knowledge by inductions from these observed or received facts.

But very soon we find ourselves going beyond these operations. The facts learned become so many, and are so varied, that we very soon begin to arrange them in some order; and no sooner have we done this, than we form a notion of the plan or system by which they came about, and by which they act. In other words, we adopt or invent some theory to account for known facts related to each other.

Astronomy was no doubt one of the earliest studies of the human race. Men observed the daily rising and setting of the sun; the monthly phases of the moon; the succession of the seasons; the real and apparent motions of the planets and fixed stars; and ere long they formed a theory or general basis plan or principle to account for these phenomena.

The Egyptians and many other orientals believed the astronomical theory of Ptolemy, which taught that our earth is the central body of the universe, and that the sun, moon, and stars revolve about it. This, however, has long since been given up, and a theory taught by Copernicus, and more consistent with present known facts, has taken its place.

You have also been introduced to other theories in science, both true and false, which you may now with advantage try to recall to your memory. And having done this, you may very reasonably ask how you are to know a true from a false theory. We will try to help you to answer your own question. And let us just premise that although we have generally used the term theory in connection with scientific facts, it is by no means limited to them, as our future illustrations will show.

Young persons are very apt, often quite unconsciously, to form theories upon very narrow or limited data. For instance: you can well remember some of your earliest attempts at parsing; what a sad hash you made of it: nouns put down as prepositions, and conjunctions as verbs, and so on. You now wonder how you could have made such blunders.

Let us look into the matter, and, if possible, find how it arose. Some parts of speech you had little or no difficulty with; thus, the articles and interjections were so few, you could easily learn them all, and there was an end of it. Of the rest, you thought you discovered a short cut, and acted upon it,-in reality, you formed a false theory, and it was this:-you noted, very early, that prepositions and conjunctions were generally short one-syllable words. And when you had long words, they mostly turned out either nouns or verbs.

Now, you were too wise to discard the use

of your definitions altogether, and by them you could generally distinguish the noun, the verb, the adverb, and so on. But have you not often put is a preposition, and nevertheless' a verb, simply because the one was a short word, and the other long? In time you found your theory wrong, and have long since learned that words can only be classed according to their real force and purpose in a sentence.

Take another case. A teacher of a so-called 'ragged school' receives a street waif in the form of a dirty ragged urchin; his eye flashes with anger at the first restraint, his brow knits, his face is altogether coarse, and lights up only at the sight of a good meal. Years of culture follow: the face gradually alters, intelligence, truth, and good temper, may be now as plainly read there as deceit and cruelty were in his former state.

Again. Early in life a girl loses a loving, wise and conscientious mother. The joy and guide of the home is gone. The child is confided to the care of a selfish and passionate hireling nurse. Very soon the face of the child tells its story. You need ask no questions: the sly look, the set teeth or vacant stare tell the change that has come over the mind and heart of the child.

These are but extreme cases of what is all but universally seen. The teacher forms the theory that the face is the index of the mind. Exceptions there may be, but they leave the truth of the theory untouched.

A theory, then, is tested by its being in

harmony with, and accounting for, the great mass of facts bearing upon the subject of which it treats.

Home Exercise.-1. Define testimony, phenomena, oriental, noun, verb, preposition, and conjunction. 2. Give in brief the ancient and modern theory of the solar system. 3. Say whether you think the face, as a rule, is the index of the mind, and give some facts to confirm your opinion.

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A JOYOUS Strain for the village lane,

Not a spot can that surpass;

With its rippling burn and its feathery fern,
And its soft and daisied grass.

While on either side of its path so wide,
Are the hedgerows trim and green;

And a quaint old tree here and there you see
O'er the mossy bankside lean.

In the morn how sweet from the little street Through the open gate to hie,

When the hawthorn bloom sheds a rich perfume, And the dewgems sparkling lie:

Or to sit on a stile in the evening's smile,
And hear the throstle sing,

When the gold clouds rise in the western skies,
Like the halls of a fairy king.

Then to hear the trill of the whistle shrill,
As the train speeds far away;

Or the merry noise of the girls and boys,
Round their cottage homes at play.
To see the swain with his loaded wain
To his whitewashed farmstead wend,
With a shout and cheer for his children dear,
And a greeting for each friend.

Then to cross the bridge by the heathery ridge,
Down beside the old brook mill;

"Tis a pleasant walk for a friendly talk,
Or to muse alone and still.

Then a joyous strain for the village lane,
Where we rove at morn and even,

When the lark mounts up like a spirit of hope,

That is singing its way to heaven.

GEO. BENNETT.

Home Exercise.-1. Learn the first stanza. 2. Select the nouns and the adjectives qualifying them. 3. Paraphrase the second stanza.

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