McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader

How it opens

The exercises are still suitable, and perhaps more helpful than some contemporary alternatives. Much is left to the teacher. Explanations given in the text are enough to get started teaching a child to read and write. Counting in Roman numerals is included as a bonus in the form of lesson numbers.…

Details

• AuthorWilliam Holmes McGuffey
• SourceProject Gutenberg #14880
• Length64,368 words · 4h 17m of reading
• Chapters92
• DictionaryIncluded
• CopyrightPublic domain in the United States
• Source checked2026-08-28

Contents

92 chapters

Recovered from the original source text, so you can open the book at any of them.

1. 01The section numbers are decimal in the Table of Contents but are in Roman Numerals in the body.
2. 02New York-Chichester-Weinheim-Brisbane-Toronto
3. 03The book has been considerably enlarged, and has been liberally illustrated by the first artists of the country.
4. 04PUNCTUATION MARKS. (7)
5. 05ELEMENTARY SOUNDS
6. 06Incorrect Correct
7. 07Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct
8. 08Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct
9. 09Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct
10. 10Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct
11. 11Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct
12. 12Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct
13. 13SENTENCES FOR PRACTICE
14. 14Examples
15. 15Examples
16. 16I. PERSEVERANCE. (25)
17. 17II. TRY, TRY AGAIN. (28)
18. 18V. POPPING CORN. (34)
19. 19VI. SMILES. (35)
20. 20VII. LAZY NED. (38)
21. 21VIII. THE MONKEY. (39)
22. 22IX. MEDDLESOME MATTY. (42)
23. 23X. THE GOOD SON. (44)
24. 24XI. TO-MORROW. (45)
25. 25XII. WHERE THERE IS A WILL THERE IS A WAY. (47)
26. 26XIII. PICCOLA. (48)
27. 27By MRS. M. O. JOHNSON.--(ADAPTED.)
28. 28XVI. THE BROWN THRUSH. (54)
29. 29XVII. A SHIP IN A STORM. (55)
30. 30XVIII. THE SAILOR'S CONSOLATION. (58)
31. 31XX. FREAKS OF THE FROST. (63)
32. 32XXI. WASTE NOT, WANT NOT. (64)
33. 33XXII. JEANNETTE AND JO. (67)
34. 34XXIII. THE LION. (69)
35. 35XXIV. STRAWBERRIES. (71)
36. 36XVV. HARRY'S RICHES. (74)
37. 37XXVI. IN TIME'S SWING. (77)
38. 38XXVII. HARRY AND HIS DOG. (79)
39. 39XXIX. THE EAGLE. (84)
40. 40XXX. THE OLD EAGLE TREE. (86)
41. 41XXXII. CIRCUMSTANCES ALTER CASES. (89)
42. 42XXXIII. THE NOBLEST REVENGE. (94)
43. 43XXXIV. EVENING HYMN. (97)
44. 44XXXVI. THE CHILD'S WORLD. (103)
45. 45XXXVII. SUSIE'S COMPOSITION. (104)
46. 46XXXVIII. THE SUMMER SHOWER. (109)
47. 47XXXIX. CONSEQUENCES OF IDLENESS. (110)
48. 48XL. ADVANTAGES OF INDUSTRY. (113)
49. 49XLI. THE FOUNTAIN. (116)
50. 50XLII. COFFEE. (117)
51. 51XLIII. THE WINTER KING. (120)
52. 52XLIV. THE NETTLE. (121)
53. 53XLV. THE TEMPEST. (125)
54. 54XLVI. THE CREATOR. (126)
55. 55XLVII. THE HORSE. (128)
56. 56XLVIII. EMULATION. (132)
57. 57L. THE RIGHT WAY. (136)
58. 58LI. THE GOLDEN RULE. (139)
59. 59LIII. ROBINSON CRUSOE'S HOUSE. (144)
60. 60LIV. ROBINSON CRUSOE'S DRESS. (147)
61. 61LV. SOMEBODY'S DARLING. (150)
62. 62LVI. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. (151)
63. 63LVIII. A CHINESE STORY. (156)
64. 64LXX. THE WAY TO BE HAPPY. (159)
65. 65LX. THE GIRAFFE, OR CAMELOPARD. (162)
66. 66LXI. THE LOST CHILD. (165)
67. 67LXIII. THE PET FAWN. (172)
68. 68LXIV. ANNIE'S DREAM. (175)
69. 69LXV. MY GHOST. (178)
70. 70LXVI. THE ELEPHANT. (180)
71. 71LXVII. DARE TO DO RIGHT. (183)
72. 72LXVIII. DARE TO DO RIGHT. (Concluded.) (186)
73. 73LXIX. THE WRECK OF THE HESPERUS. (190)
74. 74LXX. ANECDOTES OF BIRDS. (193)
75. 75LXXI. THE RAINBOW PILGRIMAGE. (197)
76. 76LXXII. THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET. (202)
77. 77LXXIII. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. (204)
78. 78LXXV. KING SOLOMON AND THE ANTS. (211)
79. 79LXXVI. RIVERMOUTH THEATER. (213)
80. 80LXXVII. ALFRED THE GREAT. (217)
81. 81LXXVII. LIVING ON A FARM. (220)
82. 82LXXIX. HUGH IDLE AND MR. TOIL. (221)
83. 83LXXX. HUGH IDLE AND MR. TOIL. (Concluded.) (224)
84. 84LXXXI. BURNING THE FALLOW. (227)
85. 85LXXXII. THE DYING SOLDIERS. (230)
86. 86LXXXIII. THE ATTACK ON NYMWEGEN. (233)
87. 87LXXXIV. THE SEASONS. (237)
88. 88LXXXV. BRANDYWINE FORD. (239)
89. 89LXXXVI. BRANDYWINE FORD. (Concluded.) (242)
90. 90LXXXVII. THE BEST CAPITAL (245)
91. 91LXXXIX. MY MOTHER'S GRAVE. (253)
92. 92XC. A MOTHER'S GIFT-THE BIBLE. (255)

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