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THE ADVENTURES OF SAMUEL AND SELINA



JEAN C. ARCHER






The Dumpy Books for Children.

        XIII. THE ADVENTURES OF
        SAMUEL AND SELINA.




The Dumpy Books for Children.

_Cloth, Royal 32 mo, 1/6 each._

       *       *       *       *       *

    =I. THE FLAMP, THE AMELIORATOR, AND THE
        SCHOOLBOY'S APPRENTICE.= By E. V. LUCAS.
        (_Seventh Thousand._)

    =II. MRS. TURNER'S CAUTIONARY STORIES.=
        (_Eighth Thousand._)

    =III. THE BAD FAMILY.= BY MRS. FENWICK. (_Fifth
        Thousand._)

    =IV. THE STORY OF LITTLE BLACK SAMBO.=
        Illustrated in Colours. BY HELEN BANNERMAN.
        (_Forty-seventh Thousand._)

    =V. THE BOUNTIFUL LADY.= BY THOMAS COBB.
        (_Fourth Thousand._)

    =VI. A CAT BOOK.= Portraits by H. OFFICER
        SMITH. Characteristics by E. V. LUCAS. (_Eighth
        Thousand._)

    =VII. A FLOWER BOOK.= Illustrated in Colours by
        NELLIE BENSON. Story by EDEN COYBEE. (_Eighth
        Thousand._)

    =VIII. THE PINK KNIGHT.= Illustrated in Colours
        by J. R. MONSELL. (_Eighth Thousand._)

    =IX. THE LITTLE CLOWN.= BY THOMAS COBB.

    =X. A HORSE BOOK.= BY MARY TOURTEL. Illustrated
        in Colours. (_Eighth Thousand._)

    =XI. LITTLE PEOPLE: An Alphabet.= By HENRY
        MAYER. Verses by T. W. H. CROSLAND. Illustrated
        in Colours.

    =XII. A DOG BOOK.= Illustrated in Colours by
        CARTON MOORE PARK. Text by ETHEL BICKNELL.

    =XIII. THE ADVENTURES OF SAMUEL AND SELINA.= By
        JEAN C. ARCHER. Illustrated in Colours.

       *       *       *       *       *

        LONDON: GRANT RICHARDS,
        48, Leicester Square.




THE ADVENTURES OF SAMUEL AND SELINA.

By JEAN C. ARCHER.

        LONDON
        GRANT RICHARDS.
        1902.




[Illustration: BENROSE & SONS L^{TD}

DERBY LONDON & WATFORD]


        In Spring,
            While softly cooed
                         The Dove,

        Sam
            Told Selina of
                         His Love.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

        The Summer Moon smiled on them both,
        Selina plighted him her Troth.

        But Autumn brought a gayer Swain--
        Selina broke it off again.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

        'Tis Winter now--
                   Selina's slack--
        She'd give her thumbs to have him back.

        Yet--
            When they met
                She tossed her head;

        He
            Stared at her and
                       Cut her dead!

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

        But Fate at last to them was kind:
          It sent
                a
                  Roaring,
                        Raging
                              Wind!

          Which,
            Just as Sam was passing by,
            Blew off Selina's Hat!
                           Oh! My!

        Sam
                Caught it--by a daring jump.

        Selina's
                  Heart
                            went
        Thump! Thump!! Thump!!!

        "Oh, Sam!" she cried;
                  Tears dimmed her sight--
        And after that it all came right.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

        They made it up--and very soon
        They started on their Honeymoon.

        Selina proved a model wife,
        Her Sam was all her joy in life;
        She fetched his shoes and darned his hose,
        And sympathized with all his woes.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

        And,
          As she let him have his say,
        He loved her more from day to day;
        And--on her birthday--for a spree,
        Took her to the Menagerie.

        She revelled in the Monkey Walk,
        Where Apes, of motley hue,
        Each jumped--upon a yellow stick--
        All shining and brand new.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

        And picture, children, how the Snarks
        Rejoiced her frugal mind;
        They ate the Buns, they ate the Bag,
        And even stale cheese rind.

        The Jub-jub birds Selina fed,
        But they were rude and rough;
        They fought and scratched,
              Nor would they stop
        When they had had enough.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

        At last,
              When happy, hot and tired,
        They found no more to see,
        Sam took her to a shady spot
        And treated her to tea.

              Selina's hat and dress he praised,
              She clapped his feeblest puns;
              It was a perfect carnival
              Of sentiment and Buns!

        Much time, alas! they cannot spare,
        Since holidays are few;
        Soon, hand in hand, they start afresh
        To seek adventures new.

              And all about along the walks
              Stern "Cautions" they espy;
              "You need not fear," said Samuel,
              "While I, my love, am nigh."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

        Alas! how brief are mortal joys;
        There comes an awful burbling noise!

        As, terror-struck, he turns to fly,
        Too late he hears her anguished cry,

        "O Samuel!
              O Samuel!!

        Beware!
                The awful
                      Camuel"!!!

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

        The Camel rushed!
                    The Camel flew!
        Till all its spots were streaks of blue;
        To Samuel it seemed to be
        Itself a whole
                    Menagerie!

        The Camel chased him round and round;
        He sank--exhausted--on the ground;
        The Camel never noticed that,
        But pranced along--
                    with Sammy's hat.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

        _And_--when it found its victim gone,
        Imagine how the brute went on;
        It bucked and reared
                    and kicked
                                and shied,
        Till, finally,
                    It BUST!
                                and died.

        When Sammy heard the loud report
        And saw the pieces fly,
        He felt that sure as eggs was eggs,
        He, too, must surely die.

              But brave Selina, though her tears
              Fell all the while like rain,
              Washed off the dirt and set him up
              Upon his feet again.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

        She found the remnants of his hat,
        And led him to the gate;
        But there the Camel's owner stood
        As large and grim as fate.

              Before they left, that greedy man
              Took all the cash they had,
              And turned their pockets inside-out
              (Which made Selina mad).

        How different their coming home
          From their gay start at morn;
        They creep along--a sorry sight--
        Bedraggled and forlorn.

              He knows he showed a want of pluck,
                Whatever she may say;
              She feels that it was all her fault
                For having a birthday.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

        But--once at home--the ruddy blaze
        Each drooping spirit cheers;
        Sam sets Selina by the fire
        And wipes away her tears.

              He draws her closer to his side;
              He tootles on a comb,
              And sings her, as her sobs subside,
              A verse of "Home, Sweet Home."