Lessons+24+-+25

=Lesson 24 - __A Journey to the Center of the Earth__= toc It was on the seventh of August. Our constant and successive descents had taken us quite thirty leagues into the interior of the earth, that is so say, that there were above us thirty leagues, nearly a hundred miles, of rocks and oceans, and continents, and towns, to say nothing of living inhabitants. We were in a southeasterly direction about two hundred leagues from Iceland.

On that memorable day, the tunnel had begun to assume an almost horizontal course.

I was on this occasion, walking on in front. My uncle had charge of one of the Ruhmkorf coils, I had possession of the other. By means of its light, I was busy examining the different layers of granite. I was completed absorbed in my work.

Suddenly, halting and turning around, I found that I was alone!

"Well," I thought to myself, "I have certainly been walking too fast, -- or else Hans and my uncle have stopped to rest. The best thing I can do is to go back and find them. Luckily there is very little ascent to tire me."

I accordingly retraced my steps, and while doing so, walked for at least a quarter of an hour. Rather uneasy, I paused and looked eagerly around. Not a living soul, I called aloud. No reply. My voice was lost amid the myriad cavernous echoes it aroused!

I began for the first time to feel seriously uneasy. A cold shiver shook my whole body, and perspiration, chill and terrible, burst upon my skin.

"I must be calm," I said, speaking aloud, as boys whistle to drive away fear. "there can be no doubt that I shall find my companions. There cannot be two roads. It is certain that I was considerably ahead, all I have to do is to go back."

Having come to this determination, I ascended the tunnel for at least half an hour, unable to decide if I had ever seen certain landmarks before. Every appeal was made to me, well knowing that in that dense and intensified atmosphere I should hear it a long way off. But no. The most extraordinary silence reigned in this immense gallery. Only the echoes of my own footsteps could be heard.

accordingly considerably constant dense determination immense inhabitant intensified memorable successive
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=Lesson 25 - __Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas__= As to my own treatment while I lived on Colonel Lloyd's plantation, it was very similar to that of the other slave children. I was not old enough to work in the field, and there being little else than field work to do, I had a great deal of leisure time. The most I had to do was to drive up the cows at evening, keep the fowls out of the garden, keep the front yard clean, and run of errands for my old master's daughter, Mrs. Lucretia Auld. The most of my leisure time I spent in helping Master Daniel Lloyd in finding his birds, after he had shot them. My connection with Master Daniel was of some advantage to me. He became quite attached to me, and was a sort of protector of me. He would not allow the older boys to impose upon me, and would divide his cakes with me.

I was seldom whipped by my old master, and suffered little from any thing else than hunger and cold. I suffered much from hunger, but much more from cold. In hottest summer and coldest winter, I was kept almost naked--no shoes, no stockings, no jacket, no trousers, nothing on but a coarse tow linen shirt, reaching only to my knees. I had no bed. I must have perished with cold, but that, the coldest nights, I used to steal a bag which was used for carrying corn to the mill. I would crawl into this bag, and there sleep on the cold, damp, clay floor, with my head in and feet out. My feet have been so cracked with the frost, that the pen with which I am writing might be laid in the gashes.

We were not regularly allowanced. Our food was coarse corn meal boiled. This was called MUSH. It was put into a large wooden tray or trough, and set down upon the ground. The children were then called, like so many pigs, and like so many pigs they would come and devour the mush; some with oyster-shells, others with pieces of shingle, some with naked hands, and none with spoons. He that ate fastest got most; he that was strongest secured the best place; and few left the trough satisfied.

advantage attached devour impose leisure perish protector secure seldom similar
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=Unit Test Lesson 24 - 25=