ceed in separating properly the following sentences without help, you may be sure that you are a good thinker. 1. The roe leaped. Exercise 2 2. The hearts beneath the forest leaped like the roe. 3. The thatch-roofed village is gone. 4. The thatch-roofed village was the home of Acadian farmers. 5. Their lives glided on like rivers. 6. The rivers that water the woodland reflect the image of heaven. 7. The pleasant farms are waste. 8. The Acadian farmers are scattered like leaves. 9. The mighty blasts of October whirl the leaves aloft. 10. They are sprinkled far o'er the ocean. 11. Naught remains. 12. The beautiful village of Grand-Pré has been destroyed. THE VILLAGE OF GRAND-PRÉ In the Acadian land, on the shores of the Basin of Minas eastward, Giving the village its name, and pasture to flocks without number. Dikes, that the hands of the farmers had raised with labor incessant, Shut out the turbulent tides; but at stated seasons the flood 20 gates 25 Opened and welcomed the sea to wander at will o'er the meadows. West and south there were fields of flax, and orchards and cornfields Spreading afar and unfenced o'er the plain; and away to the northward Blomidon rose, and the forests old, and aloft on the mountains Sea-fogs pitched their tents, and mists from the mighty Atlantic Looked on the happy valley, but ne'er from their station descended. 30 SUBJECT AND PREDICATE Continued Read the text over and try to see everything before you as in a picture. Shut your eyes now, and see how much of the picture you can recall. Have you ever been at the seashore? If not, you will have to make good use of your imagination to see the shore of the Basin of Minas, and the big waves rolling in with their load of foam. Is the village which you see a quiet place or noisy? What about its location is it on a hill overlooking the sea, or is it between hills? What sort of country do the people look out over when they watch the sun rising? Do you see any animals in the picture? Do you see the tide rising from the sea? How far does it come toward the village? Look (with your eyes shut) toward the setting sun. What a beautiful country it is! Tell what you see. Away to the north it is quite different. mountains and the tall, dark forests? ness away at the top of the mountain? Do you see the What is that white Open your eyes and read the text again, trying to remember the whole picture. Exercise 3 1. Stand beside your desk, with your book closed, and describe the country around Grand-Pré as you remember it. See how well you can do this. 2. What is the meaning of Grand-Pré? 3. Were floodgates built in the dikes by the farmers for the purpose of letting the sea overflow the meadows at certain times? 4. Learn something interesting concerning the tides in the Bay of Fundy, and report to the class. 5. What is the appearance of a field of flax? What kind of bloom does the flax have? 6. Do you suppose the Acadian boys ever had to guard the flocks? Why? 7. At what time of year do people sometimes do what these sea-fogs were doing? 8. Can you find anything in your geography that will explain why the mists "ne'er from their station descended"? Exercise 4 Separate each sentence into subject and predicate: 1. The little village of Grand-Pré lay in a fruitful valley. 2. Vast meadows stretched to the eastward. 3. The meadows gave to the village its name. 4. Dikes that the farmers had raised shut out the turbulent tides. 5. The floodgates opened at stated seasons. 6. The floodgates welcomed the sea. 7. The sea wandered o'er the meadows. 8. The fields of flax were west and south. 9. Orchards spread afar o'er the plain. 10. Blomidon rose away to the northward. 11. Sea-fogs pitched their tents aloft on the mountains. 12. Mists from the mighty Atlantic looked on the happy valley. 13. They ne'er from their station descended. Words used to name things that may be thought about are called nouns. (Commit definition, Grammar: 4.) Exercise 5 Remembering that nouns are always name-words, make a list of nouns that have been used thus far in Evangeline. THE VILLAGE OF GRAND-PRÉ Continued There, in the midst of its farms, reposed the Acadian village. Strongly built were the houses, with frames of oak and of hemlock, Such as the peasants of Normandy built in the reign of the Henries. Thatched were the roofs, with dormer-windows; and gables projecting Over the basement below protected and shaded the doorway. There in the tranquil evenings of summer, when brightly the sunset Lighted the village street, and gilded the vanes on the chimneys, 35 Matrons and maidens sat in snow-white caps and in kirtles doors Mingled their sound with the whir of the wheels and the songs of the maidens. Solemnly down the street came the parish priest, and the children Paused in their play to kiss the hand he extended to bless them. Reverend walked he among them; and up rose matrons and maidens, Hailing his slow approach with words of affectionate welcome. 45 1. What are peasants? Exercise 6 2. Who were the Henries? 3. Tell the meaning of the following words: dormer-windows, gables, vanes, matrons, kirtles, distaffs, parish, reverend. 4. Why are the looms called "gossiping"? 5. What sort of man do you imagine the priest was? 6. Can you close your eyes and see the village of Grand-Pré in the summer twilight? Without referring to your book, make a list of the things you can recall, writing simply the name-words. Using these words as subjects, say something about each, thus making complete sentences. Begin each sentence with a capital letter, and place a period at the end. 7. Normandy was a portion of France lying west of Paris. Can you find it in your geography? The fifth should be answered fully, the pupil supplementing the information found in the text with imaginary details, such as color of eyes, complexion, height, expression of face, etc. Care should be taken by the teacher that the portrait which the pupils have in their minds be really appropriate to the priest. |