Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904 edition. Excerpt: ...fr/'eze frig/it fruf't Ga/t, gad Portion of a Page. From Fiske's New England Spelling-book, 1803-"Damn " included among the " words which fhould be well learned by every Scholar." But words just as much out of place are not uncommon in the old spellers. To quote a text-book preface of 1828, "They contain words collected from all departments of nature, life, and action; from the nursery, the kitchen, the drawing-room, the stable, the bar-room, the gaming table, the seaman's wharf, the apothecary's shop; from the subtle pages of the metaphysician, and the rhapsodies of the pompous pedant." The latter part of Fiske's speller, comprising the larger half, consists of the Constitution of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of Massachusetts, and Washington's Farewell Address. But preceding these profundities are a few short reading lessons of a more entertaining character including two " Moral Tales " which each have an illustration, the only pictures in the book. One of the tales was about--A CHILD, playing with a tame ferpent, faid to it, My dear little animal, doft thou imagine I would be fo familiar with thee if thy venom was not taken out; you ferpents are the moft perverfe, ungrateful creatures. I remember to have read, that a good naturcd countryman found a ferpent under a hedge, almoft dead with cold. He took it up and warmed it in his.breaft; but it was fcarcely come to life when it ftung its benefactor, and the too charitable peafant died of the wound. This is aftonifhing faid the ferpent: How partial are your hiftorians! Ours relate this hiftory in a different manner. Your charitable peafant believed the ferpent dead: Its fkin was beautifully variegated with...
