14. Did the Bishop make a show of his kindness, or did he do it in such a way as not to have it noticed? Read passages

to prove what you think. 15. Why did the Bishop avoid reminding Jean Valjean

of what he had been?

16. What idea as to human 20.
kindness had Jean Val-
jean's life and experience
beaten into his soul?
What new idea did the
Bishop's kindness give
him?

17. What do you think of the Bishop? Why?

18. "This door does not de- 21.

mand of him who enters,

whether he has a name,
but whether he has a
grief." Explain what
this means.

19. Do you think that the

22.

Bishop should have reproached him and advised him to do better in the future? Notice how gently and tactfully the Bishop suggests that this unfortunate man will be likely to find employment in the cheese-dairies. Do you think that Victor

Hugo simply wanted to write a story in telling about the Bishop and the Convict? Or was he trying, by the story of the good Bishop, to induce others to do as this good Bishop did?

Have you ever looked about

you to try to find a "Jean Valjean" to whom you might be the "Bishop"?

What has this story to do with you?

Thou must be true thyself,
If thou the truth wouldst teach;
Thy soul must overflow, if thou
Another's soul wouldst reach!
It needs the overflow of heart
To give the lips full speech.

HORATIUS BONAR

TULOOM

ERASTUS WALCOTT ELLSWORTH

Look in your geography for the map of Central America, and find Yucatan. On its eastern side you will find the island of Cozumel. Just across the channel on the mainland stand the ruins of the ancient temple of Tuloom, the subject of this fine poem.

In Central America, hundreds of years ago, lived a strange and, for that time, a highly civilized people. They were called Mayas (mä'yäz). You have read in your histories about the Aztecs of Mexico who were conquered by the great Spaniard, Cortez. In Prescott's "Conquest of Mexico," you would enjoy reading about the astonishing adventures of Cortez. The Aztecs, too, had a wonderful civilization in the old city of Mexico.

The Mayas of Central America probably lived in Mexico before the Aztecs, who may have driven them southward into Central America.

Among the ruins left by the Mayas are found great temples, upon the altars of which they sacrificed human beings to please the strange gods they worshiped. One of these ancient stone buildings is 240 feet long, 180 feet wide, and 80 feet high.

In making their temples, the Mayas used gigantic blocks of hewn stone, fitted so closely that a thin knife can hardly be inserted into the joints.

The Mayas, as a civilized people, are no more. Only their mighty ruins are left to tell their story. Their massive temples are now ruins, surrounded by great tropical forests, overgrown with tall trees and vines, and inhabited by bats. But hundreds of years ago these temples must have been wonderful. On the

tower of the great teocalli (tē-ó-kǎl'î), or temple, was a large copper gong, which, when beaten rapidly by the priests, called the Mayas for many miles by its deep, drum-like boom, to worship, or notified them of danger. The law required that every one who was physically able to stand on his feet must come to the temple when the gong boomed.

The priests, or flamens, were dressed in wonderful robes woven of the bright feathers of tropical birds.

Now let us imagine that we are Mayas of eight hundred years. ago in Yucatan. We hear the rapid Boom! Boom! Boom! of the gong on the temple tower. With thousands of others we hurry to the temple, for human sacrifices are to be made, and we wish to

see.

The poor victims, sometimes a bride and groom, are laid on great flat stone altars. A priest in gorgeous feathered robe takes out their hearts with a knife of flint, and rubs the hearts on the stone lips of the hideous idols. What a sight!

But the Mayas and their priests and their sacrifices are no more. And this wonderful poem, with its strange, ghostly sounds and its marvelous descriptions, tells what we should see now, were we to visit the temple which it describes.

Try to see every picture in the poem. And do not fail to read poem aloud to hear the ghostly music of the lines which are so well suited to the theme.

the

In the last two stanzas, the poet wonders whether, centuries from now, strangers will come to the United States as he came to Tuloom, and find our country, also, a ruin, and wonder about our civilization as he wondered about that of the Mayas.

You should learn these words:

stucco a dark gray plaster soffit: the archways, staircases, usually put on outside walls.

façade (få-sād'): the front of a

building.

cornices, and other similar

canoe-like boats of the Cen-i an island near the eastern tral American Indians. They coast of Yucatan.

are fashioned in one piece spume: sea foam on the tops of out of the trunk of a tree.

waves.

Isle of Cozumel (kō-sōō-měl'): flamens (flā’měnz): priests.