McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader, William Holmes McGuffey
McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader
William Holmes McGuffey
Category: Children
Genres: Reader,Fable,Poetry
Level 2.051:49 h47.6 mb
McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader is the second in the series used to teach young readers. The book uses sentences to help children understand the meaning of words. Students given this text had already built a basis for reading and therefore could use this book's exploratory nature to educate further and incite young readers. The stories are exciting enough to be memorable to help children further understand and even recall them and their learned vocabulary.

McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader

Revised Edition

by
William Holmes McGuffey

McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader

Lesson I

newspaper      cold       order       seem       through      stockings
 chat       story       light       Harry      branches       kiss      
burns       Mrs.    events       another          Mr.   
stool        lamp       mends

McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader

EVENING AT HOME.

1. It is winter. The cold wind whistles through the branches of the trees.

2. Mr. Brown has done his day’s work, and his children, Harry and Kate, have come home from school. They learned their lessons well to-day, and both feel happy.

3. Tea is over. Mrs. Brown has put the little sitting room in order. The fire burns brightly. One lamp gives light enough for all. On the stool is a basket of fine apples. They seem to say, “Won’t you have one?”

4. Harry and Kate read a story in a new book. The father reads his newspaper, and the mother mends Harry’s stockings.

5. By and by, they will tell one another what they have been reading about, and will have a chat over the events of the day.

6. Harry and Kate’s bedtime will come first. I think I see them kiss their dear father and mother a sweet good night.

7. Do you not wish that every boy and girl could have a home like this?

Lesson II

beautiful         porch         rainbow          burst      
bubbles          same           biggest          sneeze          colors

McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader

BUBBLES.

1. The boys have come out on the porch to blow bubbles. The old cat is asleep on the mat by the door.

2. “Ha! ha!” laughs Robert, as a bubble comes down softly on the old cat’s back, and does not burst.

3. Willie tries to make his bubble do the same. This time it comes down on the cat’s face, and makes her sneeze.

4. “She would rather wash her face without soap,” says Harry. “Now let us see who can make the biggest bubble.”

5. “Mine is the biggest,” says Robert. “See how high it floats in the air! I can see — ah! it has burst.”

6. “I can see the house and the trees and the sky in mine,” says Willie; “and such beautiful colors.”

7. “How many, Willie?”

8. “Red, one; blue, two; there — they are all out. Let us try again.”

9. “I know how many colors there are,” says Harry. “Just as many as there are in the rainbow.”

10. “Do you know how many that is?”

Lesson III

rubber               gun                parlor                street               
number                ten                o’clock                shoot

WILLIE’S LETTER.

McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader

New York, Dec. 10, 1878
Dear Santa Claus:
Papa is going to give me a Christmas tree, and he says that you will put nice things on it if I ask you. I would like a gun that will shoot, and a rubber ball that I can throw hard, and that will not break Mamma’s windows or the big glass in the parlor. Now, please don’t forget to come. I live on Fourth St., number ten. I will go to bed at eight o’clock, and shut my eyes tight. I will not look, indeed I won’t.
Your little boy,
Willie.

McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader

Lesson IV

above               world                dark                oft                never               
spark                dew                till                diamond               
twinkle                blazing

THE LITTLE STAR.

1. Twinkle, twinkle, little star;
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky!

2. When the blazing sun is set,
And the grass with dew is wet,
Then you show your little light;
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

3. Then, if I were in the dark,
I would thank you for your spark.
I could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.

4. And when I am sound asleep,
Oft you through my window peep;
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.

Lesson V

behind     together       noble      Scotch      
Dodger      minutes        crib      wagon      terrier   
country      scold        fellow       shaggy    friskily    
fits         cellar       guards         
Newfoundland         yard        harness

McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader

TWO DOGS.

1. James White has two dogs. One is a Newfoundland dog, and the other is a Scotch terrier.

2. The Newfoundland is a large, noble fellow. He is black, with a white spot, and with long, shaggy hair. His name is Sport.

3. Sport is a good watchdog, and a kind playfellow. Every night he guards the house while James and his father are asleep.

4. In the daytime, James often uses Sport for his horse. He has a little wagon, and a set of small harness which just fits the dog.

5. He hitches Sport to this wagon, and drives over the country. In this way, he can go almost as fast as his father with the old family horse.

6. The name of James's Scotch terrier is Dodger. He is called Dodger because he jumps about so friskily. He is up on a chair, under the table, behind the door, down cellar, and out in the yard, — all in a minute.

7. Dodger has very bright eyes, and he does many funny things. He likes to put his paws up on the crib, and watch the baby.

8. The other day he took baby’s red stocking, and had great fun with it; but he spoiled it in his play, and James had to scold him.

9. Everyone likes to see James White with his two dogs. They always seem very happy together.

Lesson VI

between               bureau                stairs                needle               
afraid                shadow                held                stir

McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader

AFRAID IN THE DARK.


1. “Willie, will you run upstairs, and get my needle book from the bureau?”

2. But Willie did not stir. “Willie!” said mamma. She thought he had not heard.

3. “I’m afraid,” said Willie.

4. “Afraid of what?”

5. “It’s dark up there.”

6. “What is the dark?” asked mamma. “See! It is nothing but a shadow.” And she held her hand between the lamp and the workbasket on the table.

7. “Now it is dark in the basket; but as soon as I take my hand away, it is light.”

8. “Come and stand between the lamp and the wall, Willie. See! There is your shadow on the wall. Can your shadow hurt you?”

9. “Oh no, mamma! I am sure it can not hurt me.”

10. “Well, the dark is only a big shadow over everything.”

11. “What makes the big shadow, mamma?”

12. “I will tell you all about that, Willie, when you are a little older. But now, I wish you would find me a brave boy who is not afraid of shadows, to run upstairs and get my needlebook.”

13. “I am brave, mamma. I will go. — Here it is.”


14. “Thank you, my brave little man. You see the dark didn’t hurt you.”

SLATE WORK.

Beautiful faces are they that wear
The light of a pleasant spirit there;
Beautiful hands are they that do
Deeds that are noble, good and true;
Beautiful feet are they that go
Swiftly to lighten another’s woe.

McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader

Lesson VII

spider     tickling          stay         neck          nose       
secret         crawls         legs            beck          ope     
goes             toes            speck            choose          dot     
nod            shoes        spread          believe          six

McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader

BABY BYE.

1. Baby Bye,
Here’s a fly;
We will watch him, you and I.
How he crawls
Up the walls,
Yet he never falls!
I believe with six such legs
You and I could walk on eggs.
There he goes
On his toes,
Tickling baby’s nose.

2. Spots of red
Dot his head;
Rainbows on his back are spread;
That small speck
Is his neck;
See him nod and beck!
I can show you, if you choose,
Where to look to find his shoes,
Three small pairs,
Made of hairs;
These he always wears.

3. Flies can see
More than we;
So how bright their eyes must be!
Little fly,
Ope your eye;
Spiders are near by.
For a secret I can tell,
Spiders never use flies well;
Then away,
Do not stay.
Little fly, good day.

Lesson VIII

servant     suddenly       longer    returned       lived    
tired      since        five        anxious        trouble     
certain      nearly         dozen       seven       
attic       strange       great     proper     
coal        seemed

McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader

PUSS AND HER KITTENS.

1. Puss, with her three kittens, had lived in the coal cellar; but one day she thought she would carry them to the attic.