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Having carried on my work thus far with so little obligation to any favourer of learning, I shall not be disappointed though I should conclude it, if less be possible, with less; for I have long been awakened 5 from that dream of hope in which I once boasted myself with so much exultation, my Lord-your Lordship's most humble, most 7 obedient servant,

SAMUEL JOHNSON.

A MOTHER'S GRIEF.

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His wife opened the little bed-room door adjoining her room, and, taking the candle, set it down 10 on the top of a bureau there; 11 then from a small recess 12 she took a key, and put it 13 thoughtfully 14 in the lock of a drawer, and made a sudden pause,15 while the two boys,16 who, boylike,17 had followed close on her heels,18 stood looking with silent, significant glances at their mother.19 And 20 oh! mothers who read this, has there never been in your house a drawer, or a closet, the opening of which has been to you like the opening again of 21 a

1 Thus far, jusque-là-2 to any favourer of learning, envers quelque protecteur des lettres que ce soit-3 though I should, quand je devrais if less be possible, with less, avec encore moins d'obligation, si l'on peut en moins avoir- I have long been awakened, je suis revenu depuis long-temps-6 I once boasted myself with so much exultation, j'étais autrefois si fier et si heureux de me dire7" and most."

8 "The door of the little bed-room"-9 her room, "hers"-10 set it down, la posa-11 there, qui se trouvait là-12 then from a small recess, puis, du fond d'une cachette-13 and put it, "which she put"- thoughtfully, d'un air pensif-15 made a sudden pause, elle s'arrêta tout d'un coup-16 boys, "children". 17 boy-like, en vrais garçons-18 close on her heels, de tout près-19 stood, etc.......mother, s'arrêtèrent à regarder leur mère en silence, d'un air significatif— 20 and, to be left out-21 the opening of, etc.......again of, que vous n'ouvriez pas sans qu'il vous semblat rouvrir.

A MOTHER'S GRIEF.

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little grave? Ah! happy mothers that you are, if it has not been so.1

5

There were 2

Mrs. Bird slowly opened the drawer. little coats of many a form and pattern,3 piles of pinafores, and rows of small stockings; and even a pair of little shoes, worn and rubbed at the toes, were peeping from the folds 4 of a paper. There was a toy horse and a wagon, a top, a ball-memorials gathered 6 with many a tear and many a heartbreak !7 She sat down by the drawer, and leaning her head on her hands over it, wept 10 till 11 the tears fell 12 through her fingers into the drawer; then suddenly 13 raising 14 her 15 head, she began, with nervous haste, selecting 16 the plainest and most substantial articles,17 and gathering them into 18 a bundle.

'Mamma,” said one of the boys, gently touching her arm,19 "are you 20 going to give away those things?"

"My dear boys," said she, softly and earnestly,21 "if our dear, loving 22 little Henry looks down from heaven, he would be glad to have us do this.23 I could not find it in my heart to 24 give them away to any common

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1 If it has not been so, s'il n'en a pas été ainsi—2 there were, il y avait là-3 of many a form and pattern, de formes et de coupes différentes-worn, etc......folds, qui avaient été portés et qui étaient frottés aux bouts, se laissait entrevoir dans les plis-5 a toy horse and wagon, un cheval de bois et son chariot-6 gathered, mis de côté ? with many, etc......heartbreak, avec plus d'une larme et plus d'un déchirement de cœur-8 by, près de 9 leaning...... over it, y appuyant...............- 10 wept, elle se mit à pleurer-11 till, see note", p. 35-12 fell, coulèrent-13 see note, p. 3-14 raising, relevant-15 see note, p. 7-16 she began, etc......selecting, elle se mit avec une précipitation nerveuse à choisir-17 articles, objets-18 and gathering them into, et à en faire-19 literally, "to her touching gently the arm" (see note, p. 7)-20 see note a, p. 9-21 softly and earnestly, d'un ton à la fois doux et sérieux-22 "and loving" - to have us do this, de nous voir agir ainsi-24 I could not find it in my heart to, je ne me sentirais pas au cœur la force de 25 any common, an ordinary."

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person to anybody that was happy; but I give them to a mother more 2 heart-broken and sorrowful than I am,3 and I hope God will send his blessings with them!" 4

6

There are in this world blessed souls,5 whose sorrows all spring up into joy for others; whose earthly hopes, laid in the grave with many tears, are the seed from which spring healing flowers 7 and balm for the desolate and the distressed. Among such is the delicate woman who sits there by the lamp, dropping slow tears,10 while she prepares the memorials of her lost onell for the outcast wanderer.12

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MRS. STOWE, "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

THE QUALITY OF WIT.

Wit is a thing so subtle, so versatile, and so multiform-appearing 13 in 14 so many shapes, so many postures,15 and so many garbs,16—so variously apprehended by17 several eyes and judgments, that it seemeth no less hard to settle a clear and certain notion thereof 18 than to make a portrait of Proteus, or to define the figure 19 of the fleeting air. Sometimes it lieth in pat allusion 20

ses.

1 That was, qui fût-2 "still (encore) more"-3 than I am, que je ne le suis (see note a, p. 29)-4 will send his......with them, y joindra 5 blessed souls, de saintes âmes-6 "of whom all the sorrows become a source of joy"—7 from which spring healing flowers, d'où jaillissent des fleurs salutaires-8 among such, de ce nombre-9 who sits there by, assise là près de-10 dropping slow tears, versant lentement des larmes-11 her lost one, "him (celui) whom she has lost"-12 the outcast wanderer, la malheureuse fugitive. 13"It appears "_14 in, "under "-15 postures, attitudes-16 many garbs, tant d'allures diverses-10 so variously apprehended by, "it strikes in (de) a manner so different”—18 to settle......thereof, d'en donner......19 figure, conformation-20 it lieth in pat allusion, il gît dans une allusion à propos.

So

THE QUALITY OF WIT.

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to a known story, or in seasonable application of a trivial saying, or in forging an apposite tale;2—sometimes it playeth in3 words and phrases, taking advantage of the ambiguity of their sense, or the affinity of their sound; sometimes it is wrapt in a dress of humorous expression ; 5-sometimes it lurketh under an odd similitude; sometimes it is lodged in a sly question, in a smart answer, in a quirkish reason, in a shrewd intimation, in cunningly diverting or cleverly retorting an objection; sometimes it is couched in a bold scheme of speech,10 in a tart11 irony, a lusty12 hyperbole, a startling 13 metaphor, a plausible reconciling 14 of contradictions, or in acute nonsense; 15-sometimes a scenical representation of persons or things, a counterfeit speech, a mimical look or gesture, 16 passeth for it; 17-sometimes an affected simplicity, sometimes a presumptuous bluntness giveth it being;-sometimes it ariseth only from a lucky hitting upon what is strange; 18—often it consisteth in one knows not what, and ariseth one knows not how its ways are unaccountable and inexplicable, being answerable to the numberless rovings

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Saying, dicton-2 in forging an apposite tale, dans l'invention d'une histoire à point-3 in, "on"-4 taking advantage, en tirant parti -5 in a dress of humorous expression, sous l'allure d'une expression plaisante-6 under an odd similitude, sous un rapprochement bizarre- it is lodged, etc.......intimation, il se trouve placé dans une question sournoise, dans une vive repartie, dans un faux-fuyant, dans une insinuation adroite-8 in cunningly, etc., "in an objection cunningly diverted or cleverly retorted"-9" it resides"-10 a bold scheme of speech, une forme hardie de langage-11 tart, mordante

12 lusty, ampoulée-13 startling, saisissante 14 reconciling, conciliation-15 acute nonsense, une bêtise piquante-16 a counterfeit, etc.,......literally: "a burlesque imitation of the speech, of the look, and of the gesture"-17 passeth for it, passe pour être de l'esprit— 18 sometimes it ariseth, etc.......strange, ou bien encore il provient simplement d'une heureuse et bizarre inspiration-19 ariseth, se produit.

H

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of fancy and windings of language.1 It is, in short, a manner of speaking out of the plain way, which, by an uncouthness in conceit or expression, doth amuse the fancy, stirring in it some wonder, and breeding some delight. It raiseth admiration, as signifying a nimble sagacity of apprehension, a special felicity of invention, a vivacity of spirit, and reach of wit more than vulgar. It seemeth to argue 10 a rare quickness of parts 11 that can produce such applicable conceits, a notable skill that can dexterously accommodate them 12 to the purpose before him,13 together with a lively briskness of humour,15 not apt to damp16 those sportful flashes of imagination. It procures delight,17 by gratifying curiosity with 18 its rarity, by diverting the mind from its road of 19 serious thoughts, by instilling gaiety and airiness of spirit,20 and by seasoning matters, otherwise distasteful and insipid, with an unusual and grateful twang.2

3

BARROW.

1 Being answerable, etc.......of language, comme elles correspondent aux mille fantaisies de l'imagination et aux mille tours et détours du langage-2 out of the plain way, en dehors de la voie commune- by an uncouthness in conceit, par l'étrangeté de l'idée - stirring, etc.......delight, en y éveillant un certain degré d'étonnement et de charme-5 as signifying, en ce qu'il indique—6 apprehension, conception-7 felicity of invention, facilité d'inventions spirit, caractère-9 vulgar, "ordinary"-10 to argue, dénoter11 quickness of parts, faculté de perception-12 a notable skill, etc. ......them, ainsi qu'un remarquable talent à les adapter avec justesse-13 to the purpose before him, au but proposé-14 together with, en même temps que-15 lively briskness of humour, verve pleine d'entrain-16 not apt to damp, qui n'est point de nature à refroidir procures delight, répand le charme-18 with, par-19 by diverting, etc.......road of, en chassant pour un instant les-20 by instilling, etc.......spirit, "by inspiring a humour gay and light"-21 by seasoning, etc....... twang, en assaisonnant ce qui autrement n'aurait ni goût ni saveur, d'un parfum rare et agréable.

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