And I sometimes have asked, Shall we ever be men? Shall we always be youthful, and laughing, and gay, Till the last dear companion drops smiling away? Then here's to our boyhood, its gold and its gray! NOTES 1. It is comforting to know that Dr. Holmes lived to see the sixtieth anniversary of the graduation of his class, when he wrote "After the Curfew." 2. The charming wit and grace suggested in this poem remained with its genial author until his death in 1894. He met death bravely with a smile, while carrying on a conversation with his son. 3. The Royal Society is the oldest scientific society in Great Britain. The function of this society is to encourage scientific research in every possible way. To it is entrusted a large sum each year to be distributed as prizes to eminent scholars, who have made some remarkable contribution to scientific knowledge. 4. "Judge." George T. Bigelow, Chief Justice of Massachusetts. 5. "Speaker." Honorable Francis B. Crowninshield, Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. 6. "Mr. Mayor." G. W. Richardson, of Worcester, Massachusetts. 7. "Member of Congress." Honorable George L. Davis. 8. "Reverend." James Freeman Clarke. 9. "That boy with the grave mathematical look." Professor Benjamin Peirce. 10. "Justice," "Squire." B. R. Curtis, a Justice of the United States Supreme Court. 11. "Smith." S. F. Smith, author of "America." 12. Define as here used: Catalogue, garlands, fiction, fudge, logical chain, syllabled fire, pith. EXERCISES 1. What word should receive particular stress in the first line? 2. What is meant by "the Catalogue's spite"? By "the Almanac's cheat"? 3. About how old was the youngest man there that night? 4. Where does the first bit of seriousness creep in? 5. What does he mean by "Where the snow-flakes fall thickest," etc.? 6. Why were garlands awarded in competitions? 7. Was it really "a neat little fiction"? 8. What does the author's witty nonsense as to the pretense of calling these men by dignified titles, make more noticeable? 9. What do you understand that the laughing boy had done? 10. How does it seem to you that men differ from boys? 11. What does he hint is his wish as to their becoming men? 12. What does he mean by "its gold and its gray"? 13. By "our life-lasting toys"? 14. Describe the feeling you think this poem must have created when it was read by the author. ADDITIONAL READINGS HOLMES: The Last Leaf. After the Curfew. MOORE: The Light of Other Days. LONGFELLOW: The Old Clock on the Stairs. Twenty Years Ago. THE BOSTON TEA PARTY THE reader of the history of the times preceding the Revolutionary War. The great American historian, Bancroft, has told us vividly the story of one of the early acts which led to the Revolutionary War. The following story ought to be read by every young American who believes in his country; for in this story he can catch the spirit of those patriots who deliberately resisted oppression and who, having put their hands to the plow, did not think of looking back until they had established the colonies as free and independent states. THE BOSTON TEA PARTY The most celebrated tea party ever known was that which was held in Boston Harbor late one evening in December, 1773. There was at that time no great nation of the United States, as there is now, but between the Atlantic Ocean and the Allegheny Mountains there were thirteen colonies which had been founded by the English and some other peoples of Europe, and were still under the control of the British government. George the Third, King of England, and some of his noblemen had done all that they could to oppress the people of these colonies. They had forbidden the colonists sending their own goods to any other country than England. They would not allow the Americans to cut down pine trees outside of enclosed fields, or to manufacture iron goods. They had tried in every way to tax the people of this country, while at the same time they would not allow them to take any part in the making of the laws governing the colonies. At length a tax was laid on all tea sold to the colonies, and several ships were loaded with that article and sent from England to the American ports of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. But the colonists did not like to be taxed in that way, and everywhere they made agreement among themselves to drink no more tea until the tax should be removed. Not being represented in Parliament, they were unwilling to be taxed by Parliament. About the first of December, one of the three tea ships which had been sent to Boston arrived and anchored in the harbor. A town-meeting was held in the Old South Meeting-house, at which nearly five thousand persons were present. It was the largest assembly that had ever been known in Boston. All the people were opposed to allowing the tea to be landed, and by a vote of every one at that great meeting, it was resolved that it should be sent back to England, and that no duty should be paid on it. The merchants to whom the tea had been sent, and who expected to make some profit out of it, promised not to land the cargo, but asked for time to consider the matter before sending the ship back to England. "Is it safe to trust to the promises of these men, who by their acts have already shown themselves to be the enemies of their country?" asked some one in the assembly. "Let the ship be guarded until the merchants have had time to make up their minds and give an answer," said another. "I will be one of the guard, myself," said John Hancock, "rather than that there shall be none." So it was decided that a party of twenty-five men should guard the tea ship during the night, and that on no account should the merchants postpone their answer longer than till the next morning. The next morning the answer of the merchants was brought: "It is entirely out of our power to send back the tea; but we are willing to store it until we shall receive further directions." Further directions from whom? The British government? The wrath of the people was now aroused, and the great assembly resolved that it would not disperse until the matter should be settled. In the afternoon both the owner and the master of the tea ship came forward and promised that the tea should return as it had come, without |