Page 123 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

122 THIRD BOOK OF
dish, a quoit, or a piece of iron thrown in the ancient sports), from
dikein, to throw.
So'LAR, a., sunny ; of the sun. L. solaris, om sol, the sun. PEACH'Es, n., a kipd of uit. F. peches. L. persic , peach-trees, so
called because originally brought om Persis (Persia). NIGHT1INGALE, n., a bird that sings in the night: in poetry o en called Philomel, a word of endearment., A.S. nichtgale; Ger. nachtiyal,
-nacht, the night, and galen, to gale or sing.
ARTIFICIAL (- sh'-) a., not natural; contrived with skill. F. art ­
ciel, om ars, F. and L., skill, contrivance.
DEF1INITE, a., certain, precise. F. d ni, om nis, L., the end. NA'TURE, n., the established course or order of the phenomena, or ap­
pearances of the universe. F. nat. ure. See" Nation," p. 114. Ecs'·rACY, n., rapture; the state of being, as it were, out of oneself, (with admiration, joy, &c.) F. extase. G. ekstasis,-eks, out o
and histemi, I stand.
AsPIRA'TIONS, n., pious breathings, or ejaculations. F. a irations,
om spiro, L.- om spairo, G.-I breathe.
WHEN the warm gales of spring have once breathed on the earth, it soon becomes covered, in eld and in rest, with its thick garb of green, and soon open­ ing owers or blossoms are everywhere breathing back again a agrance to heaven. mong these, the heliotrope is seen always turning its beauti l disk to the sun, and many delicate owers, which open their leaves only to catch the direct solar ray, closing them often even when a cloud intervenes, and cer­ tainly, when the chills of night approach. On the sunny side of a hill, or in the sheltered crevice of a rock, or on a garden wall with warm exposure, there may be produced grapes, peaches, and other delicious uits, which will not grow in situations of an oppo­ site character, all acknowledging beat as the i 1me­ diate cause, or indispensable condition, of vegetable li . nd among animals, too, the e ects of heat are equa1ly remarkable. The dread silence of winter, r instance, is succeeded in spring by one general cry of joy. lo in the air the lark is everywhere carolling; and in the shrubberies and woods, a ' thousand little throats are similarly pouring rth