not of the nondescript character usually found in books of this class. That it should be free from superfluous line and flourish, and yet have grace and beauty. That it should be adapted for both copying and reading. 6th.--_That the lessons should be largely "conversational in style,"_ to cultivate flexibility of voice and to break up the dreary monotone so frequently heard among children. 7th.--_That the lessons of a book of this grade should not average more than seven "new words."_ That all such words should appear at the commencement of lessons, and be familiar to the pupil. That this method secures careful gradation, and is in marked contrast with the old custom of having from fifteen to twenty-five. 8th.--_That "Outline Drawings" of the objects first presented to pupils should be made in the presence of the class_, as it stimulates them to draw, and thus makes easy and profitable the copying of the "Script Exercises." 9th.--_That the schoolbook of to-day must be beautifully and copiously illustrated_. That there must be variety as well as excellence, both in drawing and engraving. That well-known and famous artists must be secured, such as Harper, Fredericks, Church, Lippincott, Eytinge, White, Beard, Weldon, Thulstrup, Cary, Moser, Weaver, and Share; and such engravers as Karst, Wigand, French, Held, Davis, Hellawell, etc. 10th.--_That the exercises must be instructive as well as interesting,_ and that no artificial system of vowel classification ought to interfere with the free and natural use of words. 11th.--_That a book of this kind should be suited to the wants of graded and ungraded schools_, there evidently being nothing in the one not readily adaptable to the other. 12th.--_That every book of this class should contain a collection of brief extracts from standard literature_ to be committed to memory. 13th.--_That this book is constructed on the above principles_. ALPHABETS. [Script: A a] A a [Script: B b] B b [Script: C c] C c [Script: D d] D d [Script: E e] E e [Script: F f] F f [Script: G g] G g [Script: H h] H h [Script: I i] I i [Script: J j] J j [Script: K k] K k [Script: L l] L l [Script: M m] M m [Script: N n] N n [Script: O o] O o [Script: P p] P p [Script: Q q] Q q [Script: R r] R r [Script: S s] S s [Script: T t] T t [Script: U u] U u [Script: V v] V v [Script: W w] W w [Script: X x] X x [Script: Y y] Y y [Script: Z z] Z z [Script: &] & FIGURES. [Script: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0] FIRST READER PART I LESSON I. [Illustration: ] dog it is a dog It is a dog. SCRIPT EXERCISE. [Script: dog] [Illustration] [Script: dog] LESSON II. NEW WORDS. boy the and run see [Illustration] See the boy and the dog. The boy and the dog run. SCRIPT EXERCISE. [Script: boy] [Illustration] [Script: boy] LESSON III. NEW WORDS. rat big can get this [Illustration] This is a big rat. Can the dog get the rat? The dog can get the rat. SCRIPT EXERCISE. [Script: rat] [Illustration] [Script: rat] LESSON IV. NEW WORDS. hen nest box on in [Illustration] See the hen and the nest. The hen is on the nest. The nest is in a box. SCRIPT EXERCISE. [Script: hen] [Illustration] [Script: box] LESSON V. NEW WORDS. cat egg will an at [Illustration] The big cat is at the nest. Will the cat get an egg? See the hen run...