Lesson:

1. How brightly through the mist of years,


My quiet country home appears!


My father busy all the day


In plowing corn or raking hay;


My mother moving with delight


Among the milk pans, silver-bright;


We children, just from school set free,


Filling the garden with our glee.


The blood of life was flowing warm


When I was living on a farm.





2. I hear the sweet churchgoing bell,


As o'er the fields its music fell,


I see the country neighbors round


Gathering beneath the pleasant sound;


They stop awhile beside the door,


To talk their homely matters o'er—


The springing corn, the ripening grain,


And 'how we need a little rain;'


'A little sun would do no harm,


We want good weather for the farm.'





3. When autumn came, what joy to see


The gathering of the husking bee,


To hear the voices keeping tune,


Of girls and boys beneath the moon,


To mark the golden corn ears bright,


More golden in the yellow light!


Since I have learned the ways of men,


I often turn to these again,


And feel life wore its highest charm


When I was living on the farm.

Teaching Guide:

Step 1: Study the Notes and Definitions

  • Read any notes and/or information about the author.
  • Study any definitions.

Step 2: Examine the Lesson Image

Describe the image, its setting, and its characters.

Step 3: Read the Lesson Passage

  • Find each new word in the passage.
  • Practice reading the passage, both silently and aloud.
  • Upon mastering the passage, recite it aloud to your instructor.

Step 4: Complete any Exercises