PREFACE

The object of this reader is to prépare the pupil

in the shortest possible time to read French easily.

The extracts hâve been selected with this end in view,

being intended to proye so simple as to présent little

difSculty in translation^ and so yaried and interesting

as to rouse and hold the attention. They are from the

Works of well-known French authors, but ail haye

been more or less abbreyiated in order to bring them

within the limits and scope of the work. The yocab-

nlary is fuU^ and explains the ordinary idiomatic

phrases and expressions used in the text, leaying

only the grammatical diffîculties and a few literary

and historical points to be treated in the notes.

Références in the notes are to Whitney^s French

Grammars. Eyery îrregular yerb in the yocabulary

is referred by number to the model yerb in the table

at the end of the book, where its synopsis will be

found giyen in full. It is hoped that the greatest

stumbling block in the way of early French reading

niay thus be lessened.