Chapter XXI: Stave V

What does this chapter relate? How Scrooge
actually kept Christmas Day.

What were the other chapters about? The first
and the last were the only chapters where he
was awake. Chapters Two, Three, and Four are
visions or dreams. Notice how the phantom
changed into the bed-post.

This chapter should be studied closely. Who
wrote this story? Charles Dickens, an English
novelist.

Do you know any other good stories by the same
author? _David Copperfield_, _The Pickwick
Papers_, _Nicholas Nickleby_.

Yes, we have had extracts in the Readers from
these books.

What lessons are they? _The Pickwick Club on
the Ice_, in the _Third Book_; _David
Copperfield's First Journey Alone_, and _The
Indignation of Nicholas Nickleby_ in the
_Fourth Book_.

Some day you must read these stories. _David
Copperfield_ tells us a great deal about
Dickens' early days. _The Pickwick Papers_ is
full of humour in scenes such as that depicted
in _The Pickwick Club on the Ice_, and has some
fine characters in it, and _Nicholas Nickleby_
gives a vivid picture of the brutality existing
in some schools in England at the time the book
was written.

THE LADY OF THE LAKE

(Fourth Reader, page 270)

The pupils will have read the account of the stirring combat between Fitz-James and Roderick Dhu. They will be curious to know the circumstances that led up to this combat and also the conclusion of the story.

The aim of the teacher is to lead the pupils to appreciate the construction of the story, the fine character sketches, and the descriptions of natural scenery, as well as to give them an impression of Highland life. The pupils will take delight in the rapid movement of the verse and in the deeds of valour.

Some passages should be dwelt upon at greater length by the teacher, and others more lightly touched upon, so that the connections of the various parts will be understood. A close and tedious consideration of all the lines would not show a good critical taste, as some passages are very fine, while others have only ordinary merit.

The teacher should disclose the identity of Fitz-James as James V of Scotland and should explain the cause of the exile of the Douglas Family. He should also sketch the life of rebellion and consequent outlawry led by some of the Highland clans before they were reduced to submission.