Father. Do you not think they would die, if they had no
water to drink?
Rose. Yes, sir, I am sure they would. How shocking to
think of such a thing!
Father. I thought little Rose was sorry it rained. Do you
think the trees and flowers would grow, if they never had
any water on them?
Rose. No, indeed, father, they would be dried up by the
sun. Then we should not have any pretty flowers to look at,
and to make wreaths of for mother.
Father. I thought you were sorry it rained. Rose, what is
our bread made of?
Rose. It is made of flour, and the flour is made from
wheat, which is ground in the mill.
Father. Yes, Rose, and it was rain that helped to make the
wheat grow, and it was water that turned the mill to grind the
wheat. I thought little Rose was sorry it rained.
Rose. I did not think of all these things, father. I am truly
very glad to see the rain falling.

20 ECLECTIC SERIES.

LESSON IV.

CASTLE-BUILDING.

1. "O pussy!" cried Herbert, in a voice of anger and
dismay, as the blockhouse he was building fell in sudden
ruin. The playful cat had rubbed against his mimic castle,

THIRD READER. 21
and tower and wall went rattling down upon the floor.
2. Herbert took up one of the blocks and threw it fiercely
at pussy. Happily, it passed over her and did no harm. His
hand was reaching for another block, when his little sister
Hetty sprang toward the cat, and caught her up.
3. "No, no, no!" said she, "you sha'n't hurt pussy!
She did n't mean to do it!"
4. Herbert's passion was over quickly, and, sitting down
upon the floor, he covered his face with his hands, and began
to cry.
5. "What a baby!" said Joe, his elder brother, who was
reading on the sofa. "Crying over spilled milk does no good.
Build it up again."
6. "No, I won't," said Herbert, and he went on crying.
7. "What's all the trouble here?" exclaimed papa, as he
opened the door and came in.
8. "Pussy just rubbed against Herbert's castle, and it fell
down," answered Hetty. "But she did n't mean to do it; she
did n't know it would fall, did she, papa?"
9. "Why, no! And is that all the trouble?"

22 ECLECTIC SERIES.
10. "Herbert!" his papa called, and held out his hands.
"Come." The little boy got up from the floor, and came
slowly, his eyes full of tears, and stood by his father.
11. "There is a better way than this, my boy," said papa.
"If you had taken that way, your heart would have been light
already. I should have heard you singing ove