And the trooper-jackets redden at the touch of the leaden

Rifle-breath;

And rounder, ROUNDER, ROUNDER roared the iron six

a The British Isles. British coat of arms.

b A fabulous animal with one horn, represented on the St. George, the patron saint of England. d An allusion to, and quotation from, the speech of Hotspur, in Shakspeare's 2d Part King Henry IV. (Fifth Reader, p. 32). See "Allusions," p. 128.

LESSON XVI.

A YANKEE DUEL.

Adapted: from GRACE GREENWOOD.

["GRACE GREENWOOD," the nom de plume (literary title) adopted by Mrs. Sarah Jane Lippincott, of Philadelphia. She was born in Onondago County, N. Y.]

1. AT one period of our Revolution, some companies of French troops, who were among those sent over under the kind Duc de Lauzuna and the Count de Rochambeau", to aid us in securing our independence, were stationed for a time in the little village of Lebanon, where my father's parents then resided. From my father, then a mere lad, I have heard many stories of the incidents which marked the French occupancy of our village, and among them the following ac

count of an "affair of honor," which created no little sensation in that quiet community. Some of the Duc de Lauzun's aristocratic young subalterns, not imitating the courtesy and modesty of their chief, were disposed to be rather supercilious, and to put on airs toward the young people of the town when admitted to their informal parties and merry-makings. In this way, a gay, handsome young captain gained an unenviable social distinction, and finally came to grief.

2. At a rural ball, to which he had managed to gain admittance, his roving fancy was caught by a rustic beauty, a merry little coquette, who, not having "a soul above buttons," was not ill pleased with his ardent glances and gallant, broken English; and who was immensely amused by marking the effect produced, by his devotion, on the countenance and demeanor of a certain stalwart young farmer present, and lowering darkly in the background, to whom, if the truth must be told, this naughty little maid was betrothed.

3. At last the dashing soldier grew a little too bold and ardent in his attentions. The lady became slightly alarmed, and her lover quite furious. He strode up to the Frenchman, with his eyes blazing and his hands clenched, but addressed him in a cool, steady tone, thus: "Look here, Monseer,© you French fellows come to America to fight, not to make love. So none of your flatterin', and palaverin', and parlez-vousin'd here. This young woman belongs to me; and you may jest make yourself scurce, double-quick time."

4. The young woman in question turned very white; Monsieur le Capitaine turned very red; but, seeing that his Yankee rival looked very black, and was altogether an ugly customer to deal with on the spot, he merely said, very significantly," "Monsieure have raison. Certainement we come to Amériques to fight." Then, bowing low to the lady, he strode haughtily away,

"With his sword cling, clang."

5. The next morning, an elderly French officer, who had grown gray in the service, yet had been engaged, as princi

pal or second, in more duels than battles, waited on the young farmer, whom he found in his barn threshing, and presented a cartel. The farmer, laying down his flail, very deliberately opened the note, and tried to spell out its contents; but, as it was in French, he was obliged to get the Frenchman to interpret it. Somewhat to the surprise of that officer, who was eager for some agreeable event to break the monotony of a long winter encampment, he readily consented to a meeting. The second then reminded him that he, as the challenged party, was entitled to the choice of weapons.

6. "I don't care a button what he fights me with. I'm ready for him," said the Yankee, rather evasively, wiping the sweat and dust off his forehead with a blue cotton handkerchief.

"Ah! den we prefare de rapière-what you call de small sword. Will dat please Monsieur", eh ?" said the officer, bowing and smiling with overwhelming politeness.

7. "Oh yes, as well as any thing-small swords or horsepistols; I ain't particular," replied the farmer, coolly. Then the time and place were agreed upon. The Frenchman bowed himself out of the barn as out of the presence of royalty; the farmer took up his flail and went on with his threshing-thump, thump, thump.

8. Both parties came punctually to the dueling-ground, over in the wood, very early on a mild spring morning: the gay captain in undress uniform, with the old major, his second, bearing a brace of small swords; the surgeon of the legion, with his ominous case of instruments, his lint, and bandages; then the farmer, in yet more undress uniformi. e., red flannel shirt, and gray homespun trowsers tucked into cowskin boots; his "hired man" for a second, and for his weapon the good hickory flail he had been swinging the day before!

9. Great was the astonishment, and voluble was the indignation of the Frenchmen, when finally made to understand that the rustic really intended to fight the duel with this ugly rural instrument. But the farmer sturdily stood his ground. "I don't know any thing about your toastin'-irons,"

he said; "but I do understand a flail, and I've just made up my mind to fight this here duel with a flail. So, Monseer, begin lungin' and pokin' at me just as quick as you please."

10. The perplexed captain then dropped down to a little friendly remonstrance, saying, very blandly, "Pardon, Monsieur, you know not de duel. Permit me to recommend de small sword. I lend him wis de most great plaisiri, Monsieur. You no take him? you fight wis dat ting? See you, I cut wis my rapière1 dat leetle cordon dat hold de two part togedder tout de suite; and den where will you be, eh ?" 11. The farmer laughed carelessly, and a little tauntingly, as he replied, "Never mind me, Cap'en. I'm obleeged to you. I can look out for myself, I guess. Keep your extra small sword to spit your frogs on. I'll stick to my flail. And now let's to work. I'm in suthin' of a hurry to git back to my other thrashin' job."

12. "Bien!" said the Frenchman, shrugging his shoulders. “If Monsieur wills to die, I put myself at his service tout à fait." So they took their positions.

13. "One! two! three!" at it they went. The Frenchman made a magnificent stroke, aimed at the weak point in his adversary's weapon, but missed, and fell back for a new demonstration. Then the Yankee, giving a whirring swing with his flail, brought it down on the head of the captain, whack! making the powder fly, and bringing that alert swordsman to the ground. He was not killed, but severely. bruised and somewhat stunned.

14. For some minutes the farmer stood in his place, leaning on his flail, watching the ministrations of the surgeon; then, as the Frenchman failed to "come to time," and declared himself satisfied (bien satisfait), the victor civilly bade the party good-morning and strode from the field, followed by his man, and whistling the new air of "Yankee Doodle."

For the French mon• Rai'son (rā'song), 8 Amérique (am ā reek'),

a Lau zun’ (lò zăng). b Rochambeau' (rō shong bō'). sieur' (mo seer'), sir, or mister. d Parlez-vous' (pär lā võo'). reason. 1 Certainement (sêr' ten mong), certainly. Americă.

h Ra-pière (rap e āre'). 1 Plaisir (plă zeer'), pleasure. Tout de suite (too de sweet), immediately. * Bien (be ong'), very well. entirely. m (beong sǎt is fā'.)

Tout à fait (toot äh fa'),

LESSON XVII.

THE BACHELORS.

[The following humorous descriptive poem is admirably adapted to the purpose of recitation, but will fully task the powers of the reciter in picturing forth, by voice and gesture, the variety of scenes described. The rhyming alliteration (frequent recurrence of the same letters or sounds) in the 3d and 6th verses is of the same kind as that in Southey's "Cataract of Lodore." See Fifth Reader, p. 337.]

1. THE naturalists say that these singular creatures

Are alike in their habits, their form, and their features;
The Benedicksa think that their senses are small,
Whilst women affirm they have no sense at all,
But are curious compounds of very strange stuff,
Inflexible, hard, and exceedingly tough:-

The old ones have wigs', and the young ones have hair',
And they scent it', and curl it', and friz it with care','
And turn it to dark' should it chance to be fair.

2. They are ramblers' and wanderers, never at home,
Making sure of a welcome wherever they roam;
And every one knows that the Bachelor's den
Is a room set apart for these singular men—
A nook in the clouds, perhaps five by four,
Though sometimes, indeed, it may be rather more—
With skylight, or no light, ghosts, goblins, and gloom,
And every where known as the Bachelor's Room.

3. These creatures, 'tis said, are not valued at all, Except when the herd give a Bachelor's ball; Then dress'd in their best, in their gold-broidered vest, 'Tis allowed, as a fact, that they act with much tact, And they lisp out, "How do?" and they coo, and they sue, And they smile for a while, their guests to beguile, Condescending and bending, for fear of offending: Though inert, they expect to be pert, and to flirt, And they turn and they twist, and are great hands at whist;

And they whirl and they twirl, and they whisk, and are brisk,