Produced by Annie McGuire








[Illustration: HARPER'S

YOUNG PEOPLE

AN ILLUSTRATED WEEKLY.]


       *       *       *       *       *

VOL. I.--NO. 16. PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK. PRICE FOUR
CENTS.

Tuesday, February 17, 1880. Copyright, 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS. $1.50
per Year, in Advance.

       *       *       *       *       *




[Illustration: "DON'T YOU WISH YOU COULD GET IT?"]




GENERAL PRESCOTT AND THE YANKEE BOY.

BY BENSON J. LOSSING.


General Prescott, commanding the British forces on Rhode Island in 1777,
was a petty tyrant, imperious, irascible, and cruel. He would command
citizens of Newport who met him on the streets to take off their hats in
deference to him, and if not obeyed, he would knock them off with his
cane. If he saw a group of citizens talking together, he would shake his
cane at them, and shout, "Disperse, you rebels!" For slight offenses
citizens were imprisoned and otherwise ill-treated. This unworthy
conduct made the people despise and hate him. His tyranny became
unbearable.

Prescott's summer quarters were at Mr. Overing's house, on the borders
of Narragansett Bay, a few miles from Newport. On a warm but showery
night in July, 1777, Lieutenant-Colonel Barton, with a few resolute men,
went down the bay from Providence, in a whale-boat, landed near
Prescott's quarters at about midnight, secured the sentinels, entered
the house, and ascended to the door of his bedroom in the second story.
It was locked. A stout colored man who accompanied Barton, making a
battering-ram of his head, burst open the door. The General, in
affright, sprang from his bed, but was instantly seized, and without
being allowed to dress himself, was conveyed to the boat, and taken
quickly across the bay to Warwick. Thence he was sent, under guard, to
Washington's head-quarters in New Jersey.

In the spring of 1778 Prescott was exchanged for General Charles Lee,
and returned to Rhode Island. Soon afterward the British Admiral invited
the General to dine with him and his officers on board his ship, then
lying in front of Newport. Martial law yet prevailed on the Island, and
men and boys were frequently sent by the authorities on shore to be
confined in the ship as a punishment for slight offenses. There were
several on board at that time.

After dinner the free use of wine made the company hilarious, and toasts
and songs were frequently called for. A lieutenant remarked to the
Admiral, "There is a Yankee lad confined below who can shame any of us
in singing."

"Bring him up," said the Admiral.

"Yes, bring him up," said Prescott.

The boy was brought into the cabin. He was pale and slender, and about
thirteen years of age. Abashed by the presence of great officers, with
their glittering uniforms, he timidly approached, when the Admiral,
seeing his embarrassment, spoke kindly to him, and asked him to sing a
song.

"I can't sing any but Yankee songs," said the trembling boy.

"Come, my little fellow, don't be afraid," said the Admiral. "Sing one
of your Yankee songs--any one you can recollect."

The boy still hesitated, when the brutal Prescott, who was a stranger to
the lad, roared out,

"Give us a song, you little rebel, or I'll give you a dozen lashes."

This cruel salutation was innocently met most severely by the child,
when, encouraged by kind words from the Admiral, he sang, with a sweet
voice and modest manner, the following ballad, composed by a sailor of
Newport:

  "Twas on a dark and stormy night--
    The wind and waves did roar--
  Bold Barton then, with twenty men,
    Went down upon the shore.

  "And in a whale-boat they set off
    To Rhode Island fair,
  To catch a redcoat General
    Who then resided there.

  "Through British fleets and guard-boats strong
    They held their dangerous way,
  Till they arrived unto their port,
    And then did not delay.

  "A tawny son of Afric's race
    Them through the ravine led,
  And entering then the Overing house,
    They found him in his bed.

  "But to get in they had no means
    Except poor Cuffee's head,
  Who beat the door down, then rushed in,
    And seized him in his bed.

  "Stop! let me put my clothing on!"
    The General then did pray;
  'Your clothing, massa, I will take;
    For dress we can not stay.'

  "Then through rye stubble him they led,
    With shoes and clothing none,
  And placed him in their boat quite snug,
    And from the shore were gone.

  "Soon the alarm was sounded loud:
    'The Yankees they have come,
  And stolen Prescott from his bed,
    And him have carried hum.'

  "The drums were beat, sky-rockets flew,
    The soldiers shouldered arms,
  And marched around the grounds they knew,
    Filled with most dire alarms.

  "But through the fleet with muffled oars
    They held their devious way,
  And landed him on 'Gansett shores,
    Where Britons held no sway.

  "When unto land the captors came,
    Where rescue there was none,
  'A bold push this,' the General cried;
    'Of prisoners I am one.'"

The boy was frequently interrupted by roars of laughter at Prescott's
expense, which strengthened the child's nerves and voice; and when he
had concluded his song, "I thought," wrote a gentleman who was present,
"the deck would go through with the stamping." General Prescott joined
heartily in the merriment produced by the song, and thrusting his hand
into his pocket, he pulled out a coin, and handed it to the boy, saying,

"Here, you young dog, is a guinea for you."

The boy was set at liberty the next morning, and sent ashore.




CLIMBING A MOUNTAIN THREE MILES HIGH.


The ice-bound peak of the Alps known as the Matterhorn, situated between
Switzerland and Italy, forty miles northeast of Mont Blanc, and twelve
miles west of Monte Rosa, towers skyward nearly 15,000 feet, presenting
an appearance imposing beyond description. The peak rises abruptly, by a
series of cliffs which may properly be termed precipices, a clear 5000
feet above the glaciers which surround its base. There seemed to the
superstitious natives in the surrounding valleys to be a line drawn
around it, up to which one might go, but no farther. Within that
invisible line good and evil spirits were supposed to exist. They spoke
of a ruined city on its summit wherein the spirits dwelt; and if you
laughed, they gravely shook their heads, told you to look yourself to
see the castles and the walls, and warned you against a rash approach,
lest the infuriate demons from their impregnable heights should hurl
down vengeance for your audacity.

Previous to 1865 several attempts had been made by daring tourists to
reach its summit, but no one got beyond 13,000 feet, the remaining 2000
feet being generally regarded as inaccessible. But in the year just
mentioned a little party of hardy English climbers accomplished the
ascent. The achievement was made, however, at the cost of four human
lives.

The story, as told by one of the leaders of the party, Mr. Edward
Whymper, who had already made seven unsuccessful attempts, is an
exciting one.

The ascent was made in July, in company with Lord Francis Douglas, Mr.
Hudson, Mr. Hadow, and three guides. On the first day they did not
ascend to a great height, and on the second day they resumed their
journey with daylight, as they were anxious to outstrip a party of
Italians who had set out before them by a different route. Difficulty
after difficulty was surmounted. The higher they rose, the more intense
became the excitement. What if they should be beaten at the last moment?
The slope eased off; at length they could be detached from the rope
which bound the party together; and Croz and Mr. Whymper, dashing away,
ran a neck-and-neck race, which ended in a dead-heat. At 1.40 P.M. the
world was at their feet, and the Matterhorn was conquered. Hurrah! They
had beaten the party of Italians, whom they saw on the southwest ridge,
1250 feet below, and who did not prosecute the ascent farther. For an
hour the successful climbers revelled in the scene which lay at their
feet. There were black and gloomy forests, bright and cheerful meadows;
bounding water-falls and tranquil lakes; fertile lands and savage
wastes; sunny plains and frigid _plateaux_. There were the most rugged
forms and the most graceful outlines; low perpendicular cliffs and
gentle undulating slopes; rocky mountains and snowy mountains, sombre
and solemn, or glittering and white, with walls, turrets, pinnacles,
pyramids, domes, cones, and spires. There was every combination that the
world can give, and every contrast that the heart could desire.

Alas! their naturally triumphant feeling of pleasure was but
short-lived. They had commenced their descent, again tied together with
ropes. Croz, a most accomplished guide and a brave fellow, went first;
Hadow, second; Hudson, as an experienced mountaineer, and reckoned as
good as a guide, third; Lord F. Douglas, fourth; followed by Mr. Whymper
between the two remaining guides, named Jaugwalder, father and son. They
were commencing the difficult part of the descent, and Croz was cutting
steps in the ice for the feet of Mr. Hadow, who was immediately behind
him. A few minutes later a sharp-eyed lad ran into the Monte Rosa Hotel,
saying that he had seen an avalanche fall from the summit of the
Matterhorn on to the Matterhorngletscher. The boy was reproved for
telling idle stories; he was right, nevertheless, and this was what he
saw: Michel Croz had laid aside his axe, and in order to give Mr. Hadow
greater security, was taking hold of his legs, and putting his feet one
by one into their proper positions. "At this moment," says Mr. Whymper,
"Mr. Hadow slipped, fell against him, and knocked him over. I heard one
startled exclamation from Croz, then saw him and Mr. Hadow flying
downward; in another moment Hudson was dragged from his steps, and Lord
F. Douglas immediately after him. All this was the work of a moment.
Immediately we heard Croz's exclamation, old Peter and I planted
ourselves as firmly as the rocks would permit; the rope was taut between
us, and the jerk came on us both as one man. We held; but the rope broke
midway between Jaugwalder and Lord Francis Douglas. For a few seconds we
saw our unfortunate companions sliding downward on their backs, and
spreading out their hands, endeavoring to save themselves. They passed
from our sight uninjured, disappeared one by one, and fell from
precipice to precipice on to the Matterhorngletscher below--a distance
of nearly 4000 feet in height. From the moment the rope broke, it was
impossible to help them. So perished our comrades."

The bodies of three of the men who thus miserably perished were
afterward recovered; but that of Lord Francis Douglas was never again
seen. It was a melancholy ending, and may well excite a feeling of
surprise that so many brave and useful men can thus be found year by
year hazarding their lives for what is in many cases no higher purpose
than that of pleasure or sport.




THE GOLD DIGGINGS OF IRELAND.


Although Ireland is not generally regarded as one of the gold-producing
countries of the world, gold has been found there in paying quantities,
especially in the county of Wicklow.

Tradition commonly attributes the original discovery of the Wicklow gold
mines to a poor school-master, who, while fishing in one of the small
streams which descend from the Croghan mountains, picked up a piece of
shining metal, and having ascertained that it was gold, gradually
enriched himself by the success of his researches in that and the
neighboring streams, cautiously disposing of the produce of his labor to
a goldsmith in Dublin. He is said to have preserved the secret for
upward of twenty years, but marrying a young wife, he imprudently
confided his discovery to her, and she, believing her husband to be mad,
immediately revealed the circumstance to her relations, through whose
means it was made public. This was toward the close of the year 1795,
and the effect it produced was remarkable. Thousands of people of every
age and sex hurried to the spot, and from the laborer who could wield a
spade or pickaxe to the child who scraped the rock with a rusty nail,
all eagerly engaged in the search after gold. The Irish are a people
possessed of a rich and quick fancy, and the very name of a gold mine
carried with it ideas of inexhaustible wealth.

During the interval which elapsed between the public announcement of the
gold discovery and the taking possession of the mine by the
government--a period of about two months--it is supposed that upward of
two thousand five hundred ounces of gold were collected by the peasants,
principally from the mud and sand of Ballinvally stream, and disposed of
for about ten thousand pounds, a sum far exceeding the produce of the
mine during the government operations, which amounted to little more
than three thousand five hundred pounds.

The gold was found in pieces of all forms and sizes, from the smallest
perceptible particle to the extraordinary mass of twenty-two ounces,
which sold for eighty guineas. This large piece was of an irregular
form; it measured four inches in its greatest length, and three in
breadth, and in thickness it varied from half an inch to an inch; a gilt
cast of it may be seen in the museum of Trinity College, Dublin. So pure
was the gold generally found, that it was the custom of the Dublin
goldsmiths to put gold coin in the opposite scale to it, and give weight
for weight.

The government works were carried on until 1798, when all the machinery
was destroyed in the insurrection. The mining was renewed in 1801, but
not being found sufficiently productive to pay the expenses, the search
was abandoned. There prevails yet, however, a lingering belief among the
peasants that there is still gold in Kinsella, and only the "lucky man"
is wanting.




THE STORY OF THE SUMMER BOARDER, MOSES, AND THE TWO VISITORS.

BY THE FAMILY STORY-TELLER.


I warn you, said Family Story-Teller, looking round upon the family
circle the next evening, that this is a story of mistakes. It will be a
hard story to follow, and unless you pay close attention, you will
forget which is Evelyn and which is the other girl, and why it was that
Mrs. Stimpcett thought her boy Moses had broken his leg. I mean, of
course, Mrs. Stimpcett of the village of Gilead.

Mrs. Stimpcett's summer boarder, Mr. St. Clair, was forgetful. He liked
well to gaze at a brook, a pond, the clouds, the blue sky, the flowery
fields, and often he forgot to stop doing so, and kept on gazing when it
was meal time, or bed-time, or some other time.

Mrs. Stimpcett took also another summer boarder, a rich lady of the name
of Odell. Mrs. Odell was tall, and slim, and pale, and in her cap, just
above her forehead, was set in a row three pink muslin roses. Mrs. Odell
was silly enough to be proud of being rich, and stingy enough to like to
save her own money at other people's expense.

[Illustration: EVELYN.]

Mrs. Odell had a six-year-old niece named Evelyn, a pale, delicate
little girl, who lived in the city, and this Evelyn was coming to Gilead
to visit her aunt Odell. She was coming in the cars to Mill Village in
care of the conductor, and her aunt Odell was to send a carriage to the
station to fetch her to Gilead. If the carriage was not there when the
cars arrived, she was to stay with the station-man till it should
arrive. I trust my story is plain thus far.

It happened that Mr. Stimpcett was going to Mill Village that same day,
to get some corn ground, and Mrs. Odell, though it would take him very
far out of his way, asked him to go round by the station and get Evelyn.
This would save hiring a carriage.

Now Mr. St. Clair thought it would be a pleasant thing to go to mill,
and asked if he might go in the place of Mr. Stimpcett. Mr. Stimpcett
said, "Oh yes, if you will be sure to bring back the meal." So Mr. St.
Clair went to mill; and Moses Stimpcett, a boy about nine years old,
went with him, for the sake of the ride, and to see his aunt Debby, who
lived not far from the mill.

They set off soon after the hour of noon. Moses wore his Zouave cap, and
his second-best summer clothes, and Mr. St. Clair wore a black alpaca
coat, a blue neck-tie tied in a bow, a broad-brimmed straw hat, a white
vest, and white trousers. Moses drove the horse, and they reached the
mill without accident. While the miller was taking in the corn, Moses
bought a roll of lozenges at a store near by, and as he came out with
them a man passed that way, leading a small but valuable dog. Said this
man to Moses, "I wish you would hold my dog while I step into the mill;"
and Moses took the string.

Mr. St. Clair hitched his horse a little way from the mill, and then
said to Moses, "When the man takes his dog, you can go to your aunt
Debby's. I will call for you there, after I have been to the station and
got the little girl." Mr. St. Clair then walked up the bank of the
stream to see the waters flow.

[Illustration: MOSES LETS THE DOG FALL.]

Moses led the dog along to the mill, and leaned against the building
awhile; then sat down on a barrel. Soon the barrel began to move. The
reason of this was that it stood on an elevator. Moses had not noticed
that the barrel stood on an elevator. First he wondered what the matter
was, and second, he thought he would jump; but by that time the barrel
was quite a way off the ground, and, besides, he was troubled by holding
the string of the dog, and the lozenges. The barrel rose higher and
higher, and when the little dog found himself swinging in the air, he
kicked and yelped, and jerked the string so that Moses was obliged to
let it go, and also to drop the lozenges, for he had to grasp the barrel
with both hands. The dog fell, and broke one of his legs. [Please
remember that it was the _dog_, and not Moses.] Moses and the barrel
were taken in at the third story. A traveller passing through the place
heard of this elevator accident, and told of it that afternoon at a
house in Gilead. But this person understood that it was the _boy_ who
broke his leg--"a Stimpcett boy," he said, in telling the news. Mrs.
Stimpcett heard of it soon after milking-time; but this will be spoken
of farther on in the story.

Mr. St. Clair walked far up the bank of the stream, and when he came
back, the miller told him that his bag of meal had been put into his
cart. He went out, and seeing a cart with a bag of meal lying at the
bottom, he stepped in, and drove around to the station.

Now this cart which Mr. St. Clair took belonged to a man who came from
Cherry Valley. Here, you see, was a mistake. But Mr. St. Clair not only
took the wrong cart, he took the wrong little girl, as will now be told.
He drove in haste to the station, knowing he had staid too long walking
up the bank of the stream. On the platform of the station sat a
roly-poly, chubby-cheeked little girl, with a carpet-bag and a heavy
bundle. He asked her, "Are you waiting for some one to come for you?"
"Yes, sir," she answered. "All right," said Mr. St. Clair; and he helped
her into the cart. I hope you understand that this very fleshy child was
not Evelyn Odell. She was Maggie Brien. Maggie Brien lived with her
grandmother, not far from the station. Her mother did the cooking in a
family two miles away, and she had promised to send that day for Maggie
to come and make her a visit, and Maggie was sitting on the platform
waiting for the man to take her.

Mr. St. Clair took her, and drove from the station, thinking to go to
Aunt Debby's and get Moses, and set off for Gilead; but while he was
gazing up at the sky, the horse--which you will remember was not Mr.
Stimpcett's horse--turned into a road which led to his own master's
house at Cherry Valley. Mr. St. Clair had now the wrong horse and cart,
the wrong meal, the wrong girl, and the wrong road. Presently the horse
trotted up to the door of a farm-house, and stopped. Three heads of
three young maidens popped out of three chamber windows, and a
bare-armed woman, wiping her hands on her apron, rushed to the door.
"Where is my husband?" she cried. "Is he hurt? Is he killed? Tell me the
truth at once!"

"I assure you, madam," answered Mr. St. Clair, mildly, "that I have not
seen your husband."

"Why, then, have you come with his horse and cart?" she asked.

"This horse and cart, madam," said Mr. St. Clair, still mildly, "belongs
to Mr. Stimpcett, of Gilead."

"Do you think I don't know our horse and cart?" cried the woman, in an
angry tone. "Besides, here's my husband's name on the bag--I. Ellison."

"I must have taken the wrong horse and cart," said Mr. St. Clair. "I
will go back at once and find Mr. Ellison."

"The quicker the better," said the woman, as he turned the horse.

Just after Mr. St. Clair had passed from the Cherry Valley road into the
mill road, a man came out of a wood path and sprang at the horse,
crying, "Stop thief!"

"Where is the thief?" asked Mr. St. Clair, looking all around.

"You are the thief!" cried the man. "You have stolen my horse and cart."

Maggie Brien began to cry.

"Are you Mr. I. Ellison?" asked Mr. St. Clair.

"Yes, I am," said the man, angrily.

Mr. St. Clair explained his mistake, and gave up the horse and cart to
Mr. I. Ellison. He then took Maggie's carpet-bag and heavy bundle, and
walked all the way to Aunt Debby's.

By the time they reached Aunt Debby's it was nearly dark, and as for
Moses, he was already travelling home in his father's cart. It happened
in this way. Aunt Debby heard that Mr. St. Clair had been seen driving
off, and knew he must have taken the wrong horse and cart, for Mr.
Stimpcett's was still standing near the mill. Therefore, as Moses had
already waited until after supper, she let him take his father's horse
and cart and drive home behind a man with an ox team who was going by a
roundabout way to Gilead.

Now as soon as Moses had driven off, Aunt Debby locked her doors and
went to an evening meeting, so that when Mr. St. Clair came there on
foot, with Maggy Brien and her bag and bundle, to find Moses, he found
no one. He questioned some boys standing by a fence, and they told him
that Moses had gone home in his father's cart, behind an ox team. Maggy
Brien began to cry again. "Don't cry, dear," said Mr. St. Clair. "I'll
hire a buggy."

He hired from the stable a buggy, a fast horse, and a driver, and away
they started for Gilead, and reached Mr. Stimpcett's house at about half
past eight o'clock in the evening. Moses had not arrived.

Mr. St. Clair found Mrs. Stimpcett, with her bonnet and shawl on,
walking the floor, sobbing and sighing and wringing her hands. Grandma,
also crying, was wrapping a bottle of the Sudden Remedy in a piece of
newspaper.

"Oh, how _is_ Moses?" cried Mrs. Stimpcett. "_Will_ it have to be taken
off?"

"Is not Moses here?" asked Mr. St. Clair, in a mild voice.

"Here!" cried Mrs. Stimpcett. "How can he be here, when he has broken
his leg? I am going to him as soon as Mr. Stimpcett can borrow a horse."

Mr. St. Clair thought that Moses must have fallen from the cart on his
way home; but before he had time to speak, Mrs. Odell came in.

"Where is my niece?" she cried. "Where is Evelyn?"

[Illustration: "'HERE SHE IS,' SAID MR. ST. CLAIR."]

"Here she is," said Mr. St. Clair, presenting Maggie Brien.

"What do you mean?" shrieked Mrs. Odell. "That my niece? No! no! no! Oh,
Evelyn! Evelyn! Evelyn! Dear child, where are you?"

Maggie Brien began to cry bitterly.

"Alas! what a wretch I am, to have made this mistake!" cried Mr. St.
Clair. "But I'll find your Evelyn. I'll go for a horse. I'll take this
child back. Don't cry, little girl. I won't rest till I find your
Evelyn;" and he rushed from the house, almost knocking down several
children in the passageway--the Stimpcett children; for Obadiah, Debby,
and little Cordelia had been awakened by the noise, and had come down in
their night-gowns.

But the lost Evelyn was near, and coming nearer every moment. You will
remember that Maggie's mother, Mrs. Brien, was to send for Maggie to
come and visit her. The man whom she sent went back and told her that he
could not find Maggie, and that her grandmother was afraid she had been
stolen from the station. Mrs. Brien hired a horse and wagon, and drove
to the station, and inquired of the station-master. A stable-boy who
stood near told her he saw a little girl who looked like Maggie riding
off in a buggy with a man, and that the man hired the buggy to go to
Gilead.

"The wretch!" cried Mrs. Brien; "to be stealing away my child! I will
keep on to Gilead. I will follow him up."

"I wish you would let this little girl ride with you to Gilead," said
the station-master. "She has been waiting a long time for some one to
call and take her to Mr. Stimpcett's, and Mr. Stimpcett will help you
find your Maggie." He then brought out a slender, flaxen-haired little
girl, and placed her in Mrs. Brien's wagon. This child was Evelyn Odell,
and Mrs. Brien took her to Gilead.

It happened that they reached Mr. Stimpcett's just as Moses was driving
into the yard with his father's horse and cart, and they three, Mrs.
Brien, Moses, and Evelyn, went into the house together.

Scarcely had they entered before Mr. Stimpcett, and then Mr. St. Clair,
arrived in haste, each with a horse and wagon. Mr. Stimpcett rushed in
to get his wife, and Mr. St. Clair to get Maggie. There they found Mrs.
Stimpcett with her arms around Moses, Mrs. Odell with hers around
Evelyn, and Mrs. Brien with hers around Maggie; and there were huggings
and kissings and laughings and cryings, and it was, "Oh, you dear!" and,
"Oh, you darling!" and "Oh, my child!" and, oh other things! Grandma
held the Sudden Remedy bottle, looking at Moses's legs as if not quite
sure yet that they did not need some of it rubbed on, while Obadiah, and
Deborah, and little Cordelia stood staring and sniffling and smiling,
now and then wiping their eyes with their night-gown sleeves.

"Will nobody hug me?" cried Mr. Stimpcett. Upon this little Cordelia
climbed into his arms, and they two hugged each other.

Mr. St. Clair told his part of the story, Moses his part, and Mrs. Brien
her part.

"After all," said Mr. Stimpcett, "Mr. St. Clair did not bring back the
meal!"




THE FAIRY PAINTERS.


The Fairy Queen had built herself a palace of gold and crystal. The
rooms were hung with tapestry of rose leaves, and the floors were
carpeted with moss. The great hall was the grandest part of all. The
ceiling was made of mother-of-pearl, and the walls of ivory, and the
lights which hung from the roof sparkled with diamonds. These ivory
walls were to be covered with paintings; so the Queen called the fairy
artists, and bade them all paint a picture for her by a certain day. "He
whose picture is best," she said, "shall paint my hall, to his
everlasting renown, and I will raise him, besides, to the highest fairy
honors." The youngest of the fairy painters was Tintabel. He could draw
a face so exquisite, that it was happiness only to gaze at it, or so sad
that no one could see it without tears. No fairy longed as he did for
the glory and renown of painting the Queen's palace.

He wandered out into the wood to dream his idea into loveliness before
he wrought it with his hand. "Never shall be picture like my picture,"
he said aloud; "I will steal the colors of heaven, and trace spirit
forms." But Orgolino, that wicked fairy, heard him. Now Orgolino painted
very grandly. He could draw wild and strong and terrible beings, which
thrilled the gazer with wonder and awe. Of all his rivals he feared
Tintabel only. So, when he saw him alone in the wood, he rejoiced
wickedly, and said, "Now I will rid myself of a foe;" and he flew down
upon the poor Tintabel, and being a more powerful fairy, he caught him,
and pinned his wings together with magic thorns, and fastened him down
with them among the fungus and toad-stools of the damp wood. Then he
flew away exulting, and painted day and night. It was a magnificent
picture, with stately figures, powerful and triumphant, and Orgolino's
heart swelled with pride at his work, and he said to himself, "I might
have left that poor wretch alone. The weakling could do nothing like
this."

Meanwhile Tintabel cried bitterly, because his hope was lost, his praise
would never be heard among the fairies, and the beauty he had hoped to
create he should never see. The elf that lived in the toad-stool looked
up as the tears fell upon him, and gathered them up from his fungous
coat, where they sparkled like dew.

"What sweet water!" he said.

"Alas!" sighed Tintabel--"alas for my vanished hopes! Oh! how lovely
should my picture have been, and now I am bound down here to
uselessness;" and he could not feel the pain of his bruised and bound
wings because of the pain at his heart. The elf in the toad-stool looked
up and said,

"Fairy, paint me a picture, here on the smooth surface of the
toad-stool, for I have never seen one."

Tintabel stopped his wailing to think how wretched was the elf who had
never seen a picture.

"Ah! elf," he said, "I have neither pencil nor colors. How can I paint?"

But the elf pointed to one of the thorns which fastened Tintabel's
wings. The end was long, so that the fairy could reach it.

"There is a pencil," said the elf; and the artist's longing came upon
the fairy, and he seized the thorn. Poor hurt wings! how they quivered
and pained as the point of their fastenings pressed hither and thither
over the surface of the toad-stool, and crushed and dragged and rent
them in its course! But the thorn had a magic in it, and Tintabel found
it possessed more than fairy power. The sharper his pain, the more
perfect the stroke he could make. As the delicate film of the wing was
torn, the rainbow tints dropped off, and gave him lovelier colors than
the hues of heaven; and the elf held up his tears as water for the
painting. He painted his remembrance of fairy-land and his weariness of
earth.

When the appointed day came, the Fairy Queen called her painters
together. The great hall was filled with them, but of all the pictures
none was so great as Orgolino's. He had painted "The Triumph of
Strength." Then said the Queen, "Where is Tintabel?" and no one knew.

"He has not cared to obey your Majesty's command," said Orgolino.

But the Queen looked at him steadily, and said, "Tintabel must be
found."

Then all the fairies went in search of him. Soon one returned and said,
"Tintabel is bound in the wood among the fungus and toad-stools, and
before him is a picture more beautiful than any fairy ever saw."

"Come," said the Queen; and her subjects followed her to the wood.

There, on the white toad-stool's top, was a tiny picture, lovelier and
grander at once than any fancy could dream, and it showed "The Triumph
of Pain."

Then Orgolino was turned out into the wood among the cold and creeping
things, and Tintabel was taken to great honor.




A WIDE-AWAKE RUSSIAN SENTRY.

BY DAVID KER.


Eighty or ninety years ago, when the Russians had a good many wars upon
their hands, their best general was Marshal Alexander Suvoroff, whose
name is still famous in Russia. Any old soldier you meet there will tell
you plenty of stories about him, and strange enough stories too, for he
was a very curious kind of man. In the coldest weather, when even the
hardiest soldiers were wrapping themselves up, he would go about in his
shirt sleeves just as if it were summer; and very often he would be up
before any one else in the camp was astir, and startle the first officer
whom he saw coming out of his tent by crowing like a rooster as loud as
he could, just as if to say, "You ought to have been out before." Then,
too, Count and General though he was, dining with the Empress herself
almost every week, and going about the palace as he pleased, he dressed
as plainly as any peasant, and slept on straw like a common soldier.
Once or twice the palace servants, seeing this untidy little fellow
coming up to the grand entrance, took him for a tramp, and wanted to
drive him away; but they soon found out that _that_ would not do.

Another of his queer ways was to try and puzzle any one he met by asking
him all sorts of strange questions, such as how many stars there were in
the sky, how many drops of water in the sea, and so forth. He _did_
puzzle a good many people in this way, but once or twice he got an
answer quite as smart as his questions, and that was just what he liked.

One day a soldier came to him with a dispatch, and Suvoroff, seeing that
he was quite a young, simple-looking fellow, thought it would be good
fun to try his hand upon _him_.

"How many fish are there in the sea?" he asked.

"Just exactly as many as haven't been caught yet," answered the lad at
once.

The General was rather taken aback, but he went on, nevertheless:

"If you were in a besieged town, without food, how would you supply
yourself?"

"From the enemy."

"How far is it from here to the moon?"

"Two of your Excellency's forced marches."

Suvoroff smiled and looked pleased, for he was very proud of being able
to move his men so quickly, and had won many a victory by it.

"Which of your officers do you like best?" was the next question.

"Captain Masloff."

Now this Captain Masloff happened to be a very handsome young fellow,
while Suvoroff himself was frightfully ugly, so he thought he would
catch the soldier in a trap by asking him, "What's the difference
between your captain and myself?"

"Why," said the soldier, looking slyly at him, "my captain can't make me
a corporal, but your Excellency has only to say the word."

The General burst into a loud laugh, and clapping him on the shoulder,
said, "Well, then, I _do_ say the word: you're a corporal from this day
forth, and a right good one you'll make. If I can find another man as
smart as you, I'll make him a sergeant."

Two or three months after this adventure, Suvoroff and his army were
down on the Lower Danube, keeping watch over the Turks, in the middle of
the hardest winter that had been known in that country for many a year.
But of course, being Russians, they didn't mind _that_ much, and
Suvoroff went about in the snow and the frost as if he didn't know what
cold was.

Well, one bitter night in the beginning of January, the old General was
making the round of the camp, as usual, to see that his sentinels were
all keeping good watch at the outposts, when suddenly he came upon a
sentry who seemed to have got the coldest place of all, for he was right
down upon the bank of the river, with the cold wind blowing through him
as if it would cut him in two.

"Good-evening, brother," said the General, speaking as if _he_ were only
a common soldier too.

"Good-evening," answered the sentinel, pretending not to know him,
although he had recognized the General's voice in a moment.

"Plenty of stars out to-night," went on Suvoroff, looking up at the
frosty sky. "Can you tell me how many of them there are altogether?"

"Just wait a bit, and I'll count," said the soldier, quite coolly. And
forthwith he began: "One, two, three, four, five, six," and so on, as if
he were never going to leave off.

At first Suvoroff was rather amused at his smartness; but he soon found
the game getting much too cold to be pleasant, for he was in his usual
light dress, while the sentry at least had on a good thick frieze coat.
Keener and keener blew the bitter night wind, till the poor old General
felt as if he should never be warm again. For a while he bore up
manfully, hoping the soldier would get tired and leave off; but when the
man got up to a thousand, and was still counting away as if he meant to
keep it up all night, Suvoroff could stand it no longer.

"What's your name, my fine fellow?" asked he, as well as his chattering
teeth would let him.

"Vasili [Basil] Pushkin,"[1] answered the soldier, "private in the
Seventh Foot."

"Very good," said the Marshal; "I won't forget you. Good-night."

The next morning Pushkin was sent for to the General's quarters; and
Suvoroff, turning to his staff officers, said:

"Gentlemen, here's a man whom I tried to fool last night, but I met my
match, and something more. I said I'd make any man a sergeant who was
smart enough for that, and I must keep my word."

And he did so that very day.


FOOTNOTES:

1 All purely Russian names end either in "off" or "in," the
"ski's" being all Polish, and the "ko's" all Cossack.




THE SONG OF THE WREN.

BY MRS. MARGARET EYTINGE.


[Illustration: BIRDIE AND HER LITTLE FRIENDS.]

In a certain wild but beautiful country place, far from this great
city, stood a little white cottage all by itself, there being no other
house for ten or twelve miles, over which, in summer-time, the wild
rose vines clambered until they reached the very chimney, where,
clinging to the red bricks, they flung out in merry triumph slender
flower-laden branches like pennons on the breeze. Under the cottage
eaves some swallows built their nests every spring, and to the garden
came, as soon as the yellow and white honeysuckles and blue larkspurs
and many-colored four-o'clocks bloomed, myriads of humming-birds,
looking like rubies, and diamonds, and opals, and emeralds, and topazes,
and sapphires, that had taken to themselves wings, and flown from all
parts of the world to visit the living gems in this lovely spot. In the
autumn, when the leaves, dressed in their gayest dress, were bidding
farewell to the sunshine and the wind and each other, hundreds of
robin-redbreasts--"God's birds"--hopped like little flames about the
ground, and in a hollow tree near the cottage door a pretty red-brown
wren and his mate had found shelter for a long time, and reared several
broods. As for the saucy, chattering, busy, fearless sparrows, they had
feather-lined nests wherever a sparrow's nest could be placed, and that
is almost everywhere--on the pump, behind the wood-pile, in the barn,
among the trees--and these nests they never forsook all the year round.
What wonder that the cottage was called Bird House, and the dear wee
girl whose home it was answered to the name of Birdie? No brothers or
sisters had the innocent, blue-eyed child, and, save the birds, no
little friends. But they loved her dearly, and were always near her; so
she never grew lonely, but was happy and contented from morning until
night. At early dawn, when a soft light in the eastern sky told that the
sun was coming, they tapped on her window-panes to waken her; and when
she appeared at the cottage door, they flew to meet her, lighting on her
fair head, her shoulders, her outstretched hands, with loud, sweet,
twittering welcomes. Even strange birds just passing that way would join
the merry throng, and joyfully and gratefully partake of the crumbs the
dear one scattered for her friends. And often at night, when Birdie
awoke from a pleasant dream, and found her room filled with the silver
of the moon, she would hear the sparrows and swallows say--still
dreaming they--"Birdie, sweet Birdie!"

She had learned their language when she was but a babe, and knew when
they were glad or sad; when they praised or scolded; when they gave
warning that the spirits of the storm were abroad; when they said to
their young, "Courage, little ones; it is time to try your wings"; when
they softly chirped, "To sleep, to sleep"; and when they sang songs of
love or farewell.

And so it happened that she understood every word of the song that the
wren sang to her that winter afternoon. The snow had been falling, and
the sunshine was just coming back, when she went out in the garden, in
her Little Red Riding-hood cloak, to share her bread with the sparrows
and snow-birds. Around her they flew, uttering cries of joy, when
suddenly the wren, forgetting his shyness, appeared among them; and this
is the song he sang:

  "In the time of violets,
    When the Spring came dancing
  O'er the meadow, through the wood,
    Sunbeams round her glancing--
  'Birdie's sweet, sweet, sweet,
    Sweet,' sang the swallow,
  'And where'er her footsteps roam,
    I will follow, follow.'

  "When the roses bloomed and blushed,
    And the fragrant Summer
  Kisses warm and sparkling smiles
    Gave to each new-comer--
  'Birdie's sweet, sweet, sweet,'
    Sang the blackbird clearly;
  'Sweet as daisy-buds, and I
    Love her dearly, dearly.'

  "When the autumn leaves began
    Gold and crimson turning,
  Robin-Redbreast sang--his breast
    Bright as sunset burning--
  'Birdie's sweet, sweet, sweet,
    Sweet as dewy clover,
  And her praises shall be sung
    All the wide world over.'

  "Wrens and sparrows--all the birds,
    Dear, that fly above thee,
  For thy gentle words and ways,
    For thy beauty, love thee.
  Birdie sweet, sweet, sweet--
    Happy be forever!
  While the birds can guard thee, sweet,
    Harm shall reach thee never."

"Thank you, dear wren--thank you, dear birds," said Birdie, with tears
in her beautiful blue eyes, when the song was ended; and she went away
to her own little room and said a prayer of thankfulness.

And from that time the child's heart was lighter than ever, and she sang
all day long like a tuneful mocking-bird, blending all the sweet strains
of her friends in one delightful song, until winter passed away, and the
snow melted, and the snow-drop peeped out of the ground, and said,
timidly, "I am here: spare me, O Wind!" and while the spring covered the
earth with daisies and dandelions and May buds and brave honest grass,
and flung delicate blossoms all over the orchards. Then came the summer
once more, and started millions of lovely "green things a-growing," and
filled the trees with thousands of joyous young birds.

And one glowing July day, early in the morning, Birdie wandered off to
the woods, as she had often done before, to look for wild flowers, and
gather some green food for her feathered pets. "I'll be back again in a
little while, mamma," she said, as she left the cottage. But the hours
went by, and noon came, and she had not returned.

"Where is my little maid?" called her father, cheerily, as he came in to
dinner from the field where he had been working; but no little maid
replied.

"She has gone for bird weeds and flowers," said her mother. "She will be
here in a few moments."

But the dinner was eaten, and the father went back to his work, and
still no Birdie came.

The clock struck one--struck two--struck three, and then, her heart
growing heavier and heavier at every step, the frightened mother started
out to look for her darling. North, south, east, west, half a mile each
way from the cottage, she ran, stopping every few minutes to call,
"Birdie! Birdie!" but only the echoes answered her call. At last to the
field where her husband was working she flew. "Leave the plough," she
cried, wringing her hands, "and look for the child."

North, east, south, west, a mile each way from his home, went the
father, shouting, "Birdie! Birdie, little maid!" and the echoes
repeated, "Birdie! Birdie, little maid!" but no other sound he heard
except the rustling of the leaves and the whir of insect wings. The sun
was beginning to sink in the west when, tired and heart-sick, he came
back again. "Perhaps she is there now," he thought, a ray of hope
lighting up his face as he neared the garden gate; but a glance at his
wife's tearful eyes as she came to meet him told him he had hoped in
vain. "I'll saddle the horse and ride to the village," he said, "and
every father there will join me in the search for my child. And we'll
find her, never fear."

"God grant that you may--and alive!" sobbed the poor mother. "My
darling! oh, my darling!"

At that moment a flock of birds came in sight--so large a flock that,
wheeling around the head of the sorrowing mother, it almost shut out
from her the light of day.

Round and round her the birds circled, uttering strange, eager sounds;
then flew away a short distance, to return with louder calls than ever.

"They miss her," said the father, who was just about to mount his horse.
"They have come to be fed."

"They have come to lead us to her," cried his wife, her whole face
growing glad and bright. "Look at them! They are asking us to follow."

And the birds turned as she made a few steps forward, and flew slowly
before her. To a narrow path up the nearest hill they led--so narrow
that the horse had to be left behind, and the father, who in his
impatience had ridden on in front, was obliged to dismount and follow on
foot. Over the hill and across a bridge that spanned a wide stream they
went, then up some steep rocks, and down, down into a tiny green valley,
from which another flock of birds arose with welcoming cries; and there,
in a little cave, imprisoned by a huge stone that had fallen from the
rock above across its mouth, the trees and shrubs around her black with
watching birds, sat Birdie, her little hands patiently folded in her
lap, a smile on her pale lips, and faith shining from her heaven-blue
eyes. And for once--her heart being full to overflowing with love for
her wee daughter, and gratitude to the good God and them--the mother too
understood the language of the birds as they sang,

  "Birdie, sweet, sweet, sweet,
    Happy be forever!
  While the birds can guard thee, sweet,
    Harm shall reach thee never."




WILD BOARS.


The wild boar is one of the most dangerous of beasts. Although it
belongs to the same great family as the lazy, good-natured pig that lies
in utter contentment in the farmer's pen, it is an altogether different
creature, and few animals are so difficult to hunt.

In appearance it has the same general characteristics as domestic swine,
with the difference that it is larger, covered with coarser bristles,
has fiery, glowing eyes, and is armed with two terrible tusks, sometimes
ten inches long, with which it can inflict dangerous wounds.

Formerly wild boars roamed in great numbers through the forests of Great
Britain, but for many years they have been extinct in that country. They
are still found in some parts of France and Spain, and are very numerous
in Germany and the wild jungles of India. They are also found in Poland,
Southern Russia, and Africa. Du Chaillu, the African traveller, mentions
encountering a hideous red-haired wild hog in the wondrous equatorial
forests of the "dark continent." Notwithstanding its size it was
tremendously savage, and very agile, jumping and running like a cat.

Wild hogs are gregarious, and are found in herds. They are fond of
living near water, in which they like to roll and wallow; indeed, a bath
appears almost indispensable to them, as they will sometimes travel
miles to obtain it. Their food consists of roots, nuts, and all kinds of
fruits and grains. In Egypt and India they do much injury to the vast
tracts of sugar-cane, the thick growth affording them excellent
hiding-places and shelter against attack.

It is said that wild hogs will not attack a man unless hunted or
enraged; but as they are not only daring, but also very cautious and
watchful, they suspect the least approach to be offensive, and proceed
to defend themselves.

The sow guards her little ones with great care, and becomes wild with
fury if they are touched. She will run with great speed if she hears
them call, and few hunters have succeeded in capturing young specimens
without first killing the parent. A man once riding through a forest in
Germany came upon two little wild pigs which had strayed into the
pathway. Delighted with his prize, he rolled the piggies in his
horse-blanket, sprang to his saddle, and hastened on his road. But the
smothered squealing of her babies reached the ears of the mother, and
the man soon heard a loud grunting. On turning round he saw a furious
sow, with gleaming eyes, coming after him at full speed. Being unarmed,
he was compelled to fling the little pigs on the ground, and ride for
his life.

The wolf, the lynx, and even the sly fox are terrible enemies of wild
hogs, for with patience and cunning watchfulness they often succeed in
making off with very young pigs, which form a most savory repast.

Wild-boar hunting has been held for ages as a royal sport, and in former
times no banquet was considered perfect unless the table was graced by a
boar's head. Kings and emperors rode to the hunt in those days with
numerous followers and huntsmen, all armed with the cross-bow and
boar-spear, in search of this royal game. At present wild-boar hunting
is carried on to some extent in Germany; but in India it is a favorite
sport, as the boar of that country is the largest and fiercest of any in
the world, not fearing even the tiger, its savage companion of the
jungles. Stories are told of dead boars and tigers being found together,
each bearing the marks of a terrible and evenly balanced fight.

[Illustration: A WILD BOAR AT BAY.]

In India boars are hunted on horseback, the chief weapon used being a
spear with a stout two-edged blade. A horse must be thoroughly trained
to this sport, and must possess great fleetness of foot, as the boar is
a very rapid runner. The time chosen for the hunt is at daybreak, as
the boar has probably been eating sugar-cane or other food all night,
and is sleepy and heavy in the morning, and less capable of a long run.
Savage and powerful dogs are used in the chase, which often prove
serviceable in bringing the beast to bay. For dogs the boar has a most
violent hatred, and will rush at them blindly often, with its superior
strength and formidable tusks overpowering them, unless the hunter be
near to use a spear or send a bullet through its heart.

In this country the hog was unknown originally in a natural condition,
having been introduced by settlers from the Old World; and the wild boar
in our Western and Southern States, and in Canada, is merely the
domestic animal relapsed into a primitive state of wild ferocity.




TAKING--NOT STEALING.

BY HANNAH SHEPPARD.


"So that's your game, is it, my lads? Guess I can help you a bit. I'll
try, anyhow, if it's only for the love I bore your fathers before you.
And you're fine fellows too; but you've got a wrong twist somewhere, or
you'd never in the world do such a thing as that." And quickening his
step at the close of his soliloquy, "Captain Dan," as he was called,
came up behind two boys who were standing in front of the principal
fruit and candy store of the busy town of Hamilton.

A large bag of pea-nuts, with many other things, was displayed outside
under the window, and the old man's attention had been attracted by
seeing the elder of the boys carelessly pick up a nut as he chatted with
his companion, who soon followed his example. Evidently neither one had
any thought of doing wrong as they stood eating the nuts and crushing
the shells in their fingers.

They started as he laid a hand heavily upon the shoulder of each, but
answered his greeting so cordially that it was easy to see they were
warm friends. He stopped them, as, linking their arms in his, they began
to turn him around, by saying: "Going toward home, are ye? Well, I don't
mind if I do go a piece with you after a bit, if you'll go down to the
shore first, for I want to take another look at that vessel I had a
sight of a good hour ago, and see if I can find out where she hails
from. There'll be a fine sunset, too, with the clouds piled like
yon"--as he pointed seaward. "I 'most wonder you're not out in the
_Firefly_. How is it, Dick?"--turning to the lad on his right hand.

"Why, you see, Captain Dan," replied the boy, slowly, as if bringing his
thoughts back from a long distance, "Ethel wanted Maurice to row her
over to the Island, though I don't think he knows much more about a boat
than May."

"Did they take her with them?" asked the captain, eagerly.

"Yes," answered Dick; "and I'm sure mamma would not have let her go if
she'd been at home. But she was out riding with papa, and May begged so
hard that Ethel would take her in spite of all I could say."

"Oh, well, there's no great harm done that I know of," quoth Captain
Dan, "though I'm free to confess that I don't think your cousin knows as
much of boats as he does of his books. However, as you feel uneasy,
we'll wait about the landing till they come, and they can climb the
cliff with us if they like. Many's the time little 'May bird' has gone
up it on my shoulder, little pet!" Then, as he noticed how intently Dick
was watching, he added, "They'll surely be back before long, and it
won't hurt us to talk here awhile, 'specially as I've a word to say to
you, my hearties."

"That's all right," responded Dick, good-humoredly; "for you know Theo
and I like nothing better than to have you spin us a yarn--eh, Theo?"

"Yes, indeed," chimed in Theodore Murray, giving a vigorous kick to a
stone which lay in the captain's path.

By this time they had reached the shore, and after looking off toward
the Island and seeing nothing of their boat, they all sat down on a
rock, which seemed almost as though it might have been shaped for a
seat, only that it was rather roughly finished.

"You really needn't look so anxious, my boy," said Captain Dan, turning
to Dick, "for I don't think your party could possibly come to harm. Why,
the water is as smooth as glass, and we can see them the moment they
round the corner of the cove."

"If Ethel only wasn't so awfully polite," groaned Dick, "but would just
take the oars herself, I'd not mind a bit, for she can row beautifully;
but Maurice hasn't an idea how to manage a boat, though he's first rate
on land. We're all ready for your yarn, though, captain, as soon as
you've got your breath ready to begin to spin it."

Captain Dan smiled, half sadly. "It's no 'yarn' to-night, my lads. But,
Dick, what would you call a man who took what didn't belong to him?"

"Why, a thief, of course," answered the boy, promptly.

"'And what would you say if any one called your father's son a thief?"
pursued the old man.

"Tell him he lied!" exclaimed Dick, quickly, springing to his feet, and
confronting his questioner with flashing eyes. "What ever _do_ you mean,
sir, by such strange talk?"

"Sit down quietly again, and I'll tell you; for though I saw both you
and Theo helping yourselves to what didn't belong to you this afternoon,
yet I never could find it in my heart to call you thieves; for I suppose
you would say it was only 'taking,' and not 'stealing.'"

"What do you mean?" asked Theodore, who had been listening in silence,
but with a most puzzled face.

"Just this--that as I walked up the street I saw each of you take a nut
or so from the bag which stands in front of Mr. Baker's store."

"Oh," said Dick, drawing a long breath of relief, "that was all, was
it?"

"Why, that wasn't _stealing_, Captain Dan," broke in Theodore, eagerly.

"Oh, I beg your pardon," observed their friend, dryly. "I didn't know
you'd paid for the nuts, or I'd not have mentioned the matter."

"Paid for them!" exclaimed both boys at once. "Of course we'd not paid
for them; but then that's not stealing, you know, for we only each took
one or two, and we were right there in open sight. It's a totally
different thing."

"I beg leave to differ entirely from you," answered the captain, in his
slow way. "But suppose there'd been a water-melon lying there on the
step, would either of you have carried it off without paying for it, or
eaten it there, either?"

"Of course not," said Dick, indignantly; but Theodore broke in,
abruptly, as he sprang up, his cheeks glowing with shame:

"I never thought of it so before! Why, it's just dreadful, Dick; for
Captain Dan is right--we were stealing, though we never meant it. Oh,
what would my mother say?" he added, with a choke in his voice.

"I don't see it in that light at all," persisted Dick, sturdily; "it was
only a pea-nut or so, and we didn't do it 'on the sly,' as we would if
we'd been 'stealing,' as you say. Why, the very word makes me mad all
over"--doubling up his fists as he paced up and down before them, now
and then giving himself a shake like a great dog.

"Hold on a minute, my son," said the old man, gently, "and I think I can
make it clearer. Suppose a basket of apples was standing in Smith's
grocery store. On my way home I stop in to buy a pound of tea, and while
it is being weighed out I pick up an apple to eat. You drop in next to
get some crackers, and you take one while waiting. Then Theo's mother
sends him for a pound of cheese, and he also helps himself. Others
follow our example, and though no person takes more than a single one,
yet by night the basket is emptied, without a cent of profit to the
grocer, though he has paid the farmer for them. Yet you say we have not
been stealing. How is it?"

The color had been slowly mounting in Dick's frank face as he stood
before his friend with folded arms, and looking far out to sea. But the
instant he heard the question with which the speaker concluded, he
turned and said, impulsively: "You're right, Captain Dan, and I'm all
wrong. It _is_ stealing, and nothing else, just as you said; but I never
thought of it so before, and it's just dreadful. I can't bear to think
of it, even though I've hardly ever done it; still, the part I hate just
the worst kind is that I've done it at all, and never saw the harm of it
till now."

"Tell you what, Dick," exclaimed Theodore, hurriedly, "I mean to go in
and tell Mr. Baker about it on my way home to-night; will you go with
me?"

"Of course I will; and we'll pay him for everything we can possibly
remember. But I say, old fellow, what if Jack Stretch saw us, or any of
those other street chaps? They could turn the tables on us splendidly,
you know, after our asking them to go to Sunday-school with us. They'd
be likely to tell us we'd borrowed their trade, and would say we needn't
preach to them again."

Theodore looked troubled, and then brightened somewhat as a happy
thought struck him. "I mean to tell my mother the whole thing before I
go to sleep this night," he said, "and I'm sure she'll help us out."

"You're right, my boy," observed the captain, nodding his head with a
pleased air. "Your mother's a wise woman; so is yours, Dick, and I
advise you to adopt the same plan; for when boys get too old--or too
something--to talk over their troubles and their pleasures with their
mothers, you may be pretty sure they're going wrong somehow; at least
that has always been my experience."

"But, Captain Dan, there are lots of people who surely can't look at
this thing as you do, and as we do too, now that you've shown us,"
remarked Dick, thoughtfully, "for I've seen men, and women too, pick up
little things to taste in the stores, and never seem to think of paying
for them."

The old man sighed wearily. "I know it, lad," he answered; "and I can
tell you more than that. For I've heard of some cases--I hope and trust
they're rare ones, though--where boarding-house keepers in large cities,
who were poorly off, would go from one store to another, and from stand
to stand in the markets, pricing and buying in a small way, while all
the time they would be picking up a nut or so here, an apple or orange
there, or a few raisins over yonder, and in this manner get enough for a
dessert, till their tricks came to be well known, and they were watched
carefully."

"How dreadful!" cried the boys.

"And perhaps," added Theodore, "they began as we did, without thinking
anything about it, and I'm ever so much obliged to you, Captain Dan, for
telling us."

"Yes, indeed!" struck in Dick, earnestly, giving himself a shake; "I see
it exactly now; and I don't mind telling mamma about it half so much as
I do thinking to myself that I ever did such a mean thing, don't you
see."

"Yes," responded his friend, as he looked up into the pure manly face,
feeling that so long as the fact of losing his own self-respect was so
much worse than to lose that of others, he would always have a
safeguard--"yes, I understand. But isn't that the _Firefly_ off yonder?"

The boys ran down to the water's edge, followed at a slower pace by the
captain.

"Dear me! why don't Ethel take the oars and show him how to row?" burst
forth Dick, impatiently, as they watched the tiny craft moving
irregularly toward them.

"Gently, laddie," said the captain; "remember we must all have a
learning; and no doubt you did as badly as that when you began, even
though you're such a crack sailor now; and you know Miss Ethel mightn't
like to give a lesson unless she was asked to do so."

The little boat gradually neared them, though in a very jerky fashion,
showing how unskilled the rower was, till, unhappily, glancing over his
shoulder, he caught sight of the group awaiting them, and raised his
oars by way of salute. But, in lowering them, one fell from his hand,
tired with the unusual exertion; he leaned over too far to reach it, and
the next moment they were all struggling in the water.

In an instant the boys' coats were off, and they dashed in to the
rescue; nor was Captain Dan much behind them, while it was truly
wonderful to see how agile he was, when swimming, for after his slow
steps on land, the water appeared like his native element. Fortunately
the boat was not far from the shore when the accident happened, and the
captain's powerful strokes soon put him ahead of his younger companions.
He reached the spot just in time to catch May--his "baby," as he always
called the five-year-old prattler--as she was sinking for the last time,
in spite of the frantic efforts made by Maurice, who, though no swimmer,
had retained his presence of mind, and had caught the edge of the
overturned boat, which he was trying to float toward Ethel, while
holding May tightly with the other arm. But the child had struck her
head against the oar as she fell, and was stunned so as to be quite
insensible.

"Keep your hold of the boat," called the captain; "I've got the baby all
safe, and the boys have reached Miss Ethel. Hullo, Dick!" he shouted,
suddenly; "let Theo help your sister, and bear a hand here, will you?"
For he saw that Maurice was fast giving out, though the gallant old man
was supporting him with one hand, while holding the child firmly with
the other; and encumbered in this way, swimming was slow work.

"Here we are!" sang out Dick, who soon reached them; and remembering
"Nan the Newsboy's" directions, with the captain's aid managed to turn
Maurice upon his back, for by this time he had quite lost consciousness,
and then struck out steadily for the land. In the course of a few more
moments the little party were anxiously gathered around Maurice and May,
who were still insensible. Theo had started off for help, which soon
came, and they were carried to the nearest house, where Maurice after a
time revived. But poor little May remained so long unconscious that they
had almost given up hope, when Dick, who had been helping to rub her,
and would give up his post to no one, exclaimed he was sure he felt her
heart beating, which, to his great delight, proved to be the case, and a
while afterward she opened her eyes, and looked around vacantly.

But the blow on her head had been a very severe one; the shock to the
little frame was so great that it was followed by a serious illness; and
though she recovered after weeks of suffering, and was her own bright
self again, yet the boys agreed that Captain Dan's kindly sermon had
been followed by enough to make that day one of the most eventful in
their lives, and never to be forgotten.

And though they could not go to the store that night, yet they went
early the next morning, told the whole story, and were most kindly
received by Mr. Baker, with whom Captain Dan had had a private
conference just before their arrival, so that he was fully prepared for
them.

In spite of their urging, he would not take their money, though he
thanked them "for coming in such a manly way to confess their fault,"
adding, as he shook hands with them, that while they had only done what
was right, yet he wished men as well as boys would have the moral
courage to confess when they had done wrong, for so often these little
beginnings of evil lead the way to greater sins.




THE FIRST VALENTINE.


[Illustration]

[Illustration]

  "Ah, Jamie, don't you understand
  The little heart that's in my hand?
  The plain white heart with rosy band;
  Can you not read the simple sign?
  It is your first sweet Valentine.

  "Come here and take it from me, dear;
  It will not hurt, you need not fear;
  You'll see, if you will come more near,
  It only bears one little line,
  'To Jamie! My first Valentine!'"

  Then Cupid, laughing, said, "Ah me!
  How calm this baby beau can be!
  But wait awhile, and we shall see
  What toys, with gold and jewels fine,
  He'll send to some sweet Valentine.

  "Just leave your heart, Miss Leonore,
  He'll take it soon, and long for more:
  The little lad is only four.
  Some day, a hero bold and fine,
  He'll send full many a Valentine."




THE KING'S BABY.

BY THE AUTHOR OF "THE CATSKILL FAIRIES."


The baby was put to bed as usual, in his wooden cradle, and his mother
had rocked him to sleep, singing some national cradle song, like the
mothers of all lands. He was a stout little fellow of five months old,
with dimples in his brown cheeks, curly dark hair as soft as silk, and
great black eyes, such as the children of Spain and Italy alone possess.
When the baby was asleep, his parents busied themselves with their
duties of the evening, and at an early hour also went to bed.

Their home was located in the province of Murcia, in Spain. The house
was built of stone, half in ruins, and was surrounded by a poor little
farm. Before going to bed the father had looked out of the door to see
that all was safe for the night. Spain is a country where little rain
falls, because armies long ago destroyed the forests covering mountain
slopes, in time of war. Now the traveller sees these hills as bare
rocks, with deserted towns on their sides, and the beds of rivers become
heaps of dry stones for the majority of the year, parched with summer
drought. In the city of Alicante two years sometimes pass without a drop
of rain falling. The season of the year (1879) was very different. In
the late summer and autumn fearful storms of thunder and lightning burst
over several provinces usually so dusty and arid; persistent rains
followed, until the channels of the rivers became filled with rushing
torrents from the heights where springs have their source. The waters of
the Guadalquivir rose five meters in a few days.

The baby's father looked out of the door on a valley flooded by one of
these swollen rivers which had overflowed its banks, and felt safe, as
his home was perched on a slope, and the village, with its church,
convent, and steep streets of old houses, was between the farm and the
stream. Then he had gone to rest, and sleep soon settled on the
household. The night was dark, and no sound was to be heard except the
drip of the rain or the rustling murmur of the distant river.

At two o'clock in the morning the church bell pealed wildly. "Quick!
Danger is at hand, good people; save yourselves!" the bell seemed to
say, and its vibrating note rang out on the awful darkness, chilling all
hearts with sudden fear.

Stupid with sleep, the baby's father rose. Water was trickling along the
floor of the chamber; outside was a deep sound of roaring waves, the
crashing of trees, and the fall of buildings, mingled with the clang of
the bell and the cries of human beings. Nothing could be more terrible.
An embankment had given way, and the river, which already had spread
over the lowlands, now deluged the village, sweeping away many houses,
and surrounding the poor little farm, where the baby slumbered
peacefully in his cradle. Already the cottage swayed and shook on its
foundations. The mother awoke, and wept. She had no time to snatch the
baby in her arms, for the father opened the door, and lifted the cradle
near it. He returned for his wife; and just then a wave entered the
door, and washed away the baby. It was not a moment too soon. There was
a snapping, grinding sound, and the house fell apart and slid into the
dark waters as if it had been a house of cards. The whole country was
like a sea, and the church bell no longer rang, because the bell-ringer
strove to save himself from being drowned.

The little waif, cast to the mercy of the wind and the flood, did not
sink. God watched over it. The wooden cradle became a tiny boat; the
baby waked up, stretched out his little hands, and cried; then, in the
midst of frightful peril, fell asleep again, rocked by the motion of the
stream.

At length the day broke, a cold gray mist seeming to blot out everything
except the sheet of water, which was of a muddy and yellow color, and
rolled along with giddy swiftness, gathering everything in its course.
In some places the trees had their roots under water, and their
branches, still dry, gave shelter to whole families. These cried out:

"Oh, look at the little baby! Who will save it?"

But the cradle sailed on, while the trees often bent beneath the wave.
The boiling eddies of the current swallowed many objects, and caught the
cradle, and spun it about in circles as if it had been a walnut shell,
until the baby cried with fear; but then a friendly wave was sure to
rescue it, and once more bear it onward.

Ah, at last! The poor baby must be drowned. A great tree had fallen into
the river, with all its tangled roots high in the air, and the stream
snapped off the smaller twigs and branches as it moved along. Every
moment it struck some floating object with its gnarled roots and forest
of branches; occasionally the shock was so great that the trunk rolled
from side to side; but the object always sank, whether broken boat or
dead animal; while the tree floated on. The baby's cradle was alone on
the waste of waters; the tree approached slowly and surely. The cradle
tossed up and down, and then--the forked branches caught and held it
firmly just above the water-line. The tree became a raft.

The young King Alfonso of Spain stood on the shore, near a town,
surrounded by officers in brilliant uniforms. Large boats full of his
guards had ventured out from shore to try to save objects swept down
from the country. They saw a tree with a cradle caught in the branches.
Was the cradle empty? No, a little black head could be distinguished
inside. Bravely the boat approached; the tree swerved about, and struck
it so rudely that it nearly upset; but at that moment the soldier in the
bow leaned over, and caught the baby by his little gown. Away whirled
the tree on the swift tide, and the cradle, detached by the shock,
drifted apart, overturned.

How the people ran about and talked! How the women cried, and caressed
the little stranger thus safely brought to shore! The King saw it all,
and approached.

"He shall be my child, and I will adopt him," he said.

"May he grow up to serve you, sire!" said one of the councillors, who
wore a glittering star on his breast.

Then the "King's Baby," saved in a little wooden cradle from the perils
of the night, crowed and smiled.




[Illustration: ME AND MY LITTLE WIFE.]




[Illustration]

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

  He was black as the ace of spades, you see,
  And scarcely as high as a tall man's knee;
  He wore a hat that was minus a brim,
  But that, of course, mattered nothing to him;
  His jacket--or what there was left of it--
  _Scorned_ his little black shoulders to fit;
  And as for stockings and shoes, dear me!
  Nothing about such things knew he.

  He sat on the curb-stone one pleasant day,
  Placidly passing the hours away;
  His hands in the _holes_ which for pockets were meant,
  His thoughts on the clouds overhead were intent;
  When down the street suddenly, marching along,
  Came soldiers and horses, and such a great throng
  Of boys and of men, as they crowded the street,
  With a "Hip, hip, hurrah!" the lad sprang to his feet,

  And joined the procession, his face in a grin,
  For here was a good time that "_dis chile_ is in!"
  How he stretched out his legs to the beat of the drum,
  Thinking surely at last 'twas the _jubilee_ come!
  Then suddenly wondering what 'twas about--
  The soldiers, the music, and all--with a shout
  He hailed a small comrade, "Hi, Cæsar, _you_ know
  What all dis purcession's a marchin' fur so?"

  "Go 'long, you George Washington," Cæsar replied,
  "In dis yere great kentry _you_ ain't got no pride!
  Dis is Washington's Birfday; you oughter know dat,
  Wid yer head growed so big, burst de brim off yer hat."
  For a moment George Washington stood in surprise,
  While plainer to view grew the whites of his eyes;
  Then swift to the front of the ranks scampered he,
  This mite of a chap hardly high as your knee.

  The soldiers looked stern, and an officer said,
  As he rapped with his sword on the black woolly head,
  "Come, boy, clear the road; what a figure you are!"
  Came the ready reply, "_I'se George Washington_, sah!
  But I didn't know nuffin about my birfday
  'Till a feller jist tole me. Oh, golly! it's gay!"

  Just then a policeman--of course it was mean--
  Removed young George Washington far from the scene.




[Illustration: OUR POST-OFFICE BOX]


  SOUTH GROVELAND, MASSACHUSETTS.

     I have been gathering a cabinet of curiosities since I was nine
     years old (I am now fourteen), and I have stones and shells and
     pieces of wood from a great many of the States, from the arctic
     regions, from South America, Oceanica, and Europe--more than two
     hundred in all. Among the rest is a Proteus (_Menobranchus
     maculatus_) taken from the Winooski River by Thompson, once State
     Geologist of Vermont. I would like to know if any other of your
     correspondents has got a Proteus, and also if any has a cabinet.

  EDWIN A. H.

       *       *       *       *       *

  MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS, _January 25_.

     I found some willow "pussies" yesterday. I hope I have found them
     first.

  A. L. H.

Yes, you have found them first. It is very remarkable to find them at
all in January in the locality where you live, but as the buds set in
the autumn, the singularly mild weather of January has made them swell
and burst thus early in the season. Thank you for so promptly reporting
these first signs that spring is near. Now let us see when the "pussies"
will appear in other sections of the country.

       *       *       *       *       *

  DOVER, NEW JERSEY.

     I was five years old the 21st of January, and I had such a happy
     birthday. In the morning when I got up I found at the foot of my
     crib six books of natural history full of pictures for little
     folks, a piano, a box of colors, and two dancing bears, one black
     and one brown. And when I went down to the dining-room, on my tray
     was a beautiful cup and saucer, and on the cup, in gold letters, "A
     Gift." And in my chair was a box with twenty-five things in it from
     my auntie Lou; and in the afternoon I had a tea party. I wish all
     little boys and girls had such happy birthdays. To-day I am sick,
     and I tell mamma just what to say, and she is writing it for me.

  LOUIS C. VOGT.

       *       *       *       *       *

  STERLING, KANSAS.

     I have taken YOUNG PEOPLE since Christmas, and I find it very nice
     indeed. I have a nice young uncle in Washington who sends it to me,
     and told me to write to you. I have a pony named Ben, who is only
     four feet and a half high, and is very wild sometimes, but I can
     ride him without either bridle or saddle.

  NELLIE S.

       *       *       *       *       *

  CLINTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

     I have a bird. It is a bullfinch. It is real pretty, and whistles
     like a boy. It likes potatoes and corn very much, and eats them out
     of my mouth and hand. When it whistles it says "Pretty Poll" just
     as plain as a parrot, and when it bathes it spatters me all over.

  LENA E. SCHMIDT.

       *       *       *       *       *

  DES MOINES, IOWA.

     I want to tell you about a cat-bird or mocking-bird that built its
     nest in the tree near our house last summer. I have three brothers,
     and when we all go off to play, mamma could not always make us hear
     when she called. She bought a whistle, and when she blew it once,
     it was for me, and two, three, and four times for my brothers. The
     mocking-bird learned to imitate the whistle so well that we could
     not always tell whether it was mamma calling or the bird. It would
     also imitate the squeaks of the saw when the men were sawing wood.
     We hope it will come back again next spring.

  M. I. WATROUS.

       *       *       *       *       *

  TROY, NEW YORK.

     I am a little girl nine years old, and take YOUNG PEOPLE, and I
     watch for it every week. I have three pets--two cats and one
     squirrel. The cats are twins; one is named Girofle, and the other
     Girofla. They were born on Palm-Sunday, and are nearly three years
     old. They are so much alike that you can not tell them apart. My
     squirrel's name is Prince.

  GRACE MACLEOD.

       *       *       *       *       *

  WAYNE, ILLINOIS.

     I am a boy ten years old, and I have a cat older than myself. Its
     name is Noah. One day last summer it caught a rat in the yard as
     big as a half-grown kitten. The rat squealed so loud that a large
     Newfoundland dog at the store across the street heard it, and came
     running over to see what was the matter. The dog scared old Noah so
     much that it let the rat go, and ran under the shed. I think that
     dog better mind his own affairs hereafter, and let my old Noah
     catch rats.

  ALLE TRULL.

       *       *       *       *       *

  SCOTTSVILLE, NEW YORK.

     I am nine years old, and I go to school nearly every day. All the
     pet I have now is a white kitten. I did have an oriole, which was
     caught when very young. We put it in a cage and hung it in the
     cherry-tree, and its mother came and fed it every day until it was
     time for the birds to go to a warmer climate. It used to be very
     fond of bread and milk.

  MARY L. MACVEAN.

       *       *       *       *       *

Maggie M. M. has a big Newfoundland dog, just her own age, nine years,
which is her faithful friend.

       *       *       *       *       *

Belle Metzgar, Jessie Edna, C. F. Cooper, Harry B., and Charles Bentley
all send pretty accounts of domestic pets, which we would be glad to
print if there was space to spare.

       *       *       *       *       *

EVA MITCHELL.--_The Virginians in Texas_ is published in "Harper's
Library of American Fiction," and will be sent by mail, postage prepaid,
to any part of the United States on receipt of seventy-five cents.

       *       *       *       *       *

L. K.--Chapman's Drawing-Books are the best to use in beginning your
studies.

       *       *       *       *       *

  PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

     I once had three pigeons, and when I fed them they would turn round
     and round. Will you tell me how to feed guinea-pigs?

  MARK FRANCIS.

You can feed guinea-pigs on cabbage leaves, bits of bread and cake, and
all kinds of fruit. They like carrot tops better than any other food,
especially in the spring, when the green is fresh and tender. You must
give them plenty of water.

       *       *       *       *       *

N. L. COLLAMER.--Your monthly magazine is very well edited. It is
difficult to determine the correct spelling of Shakspeare's name, as
equally reliable authorities disagree.

       *       *       *       *       *

"LITTLE MARIE."--Your puzzle is very neatly done; but as "every large
city" is not so favored as the one where you live, we fear it would not
be easy to solve.

       *       *       *       *       *

ELLA W.--You may send the one entirely original, and if it is pretty and
very short, we might use it.

       *       *       *       *       *

RICHARD S. C.--Your plan for a magnetic motor is very ingenious, and the
machine would no doubt make a pretty and curious toy.

       *       *       *       *       *

WILLIE H. S.--We will endeavor to send you the solution of your puzzle.

       *       *       *       *       *

Eddie L. A., Minnesota, after expressing great pleasure in YOUNG PEOPLE,
writes: "My papa thinks I am a pretty smart boy. I am eleven years old,
and I milk the cow, and do most of the work, and go to school besides."
You are a smart boy, Eddie, if you do all that, and do it well. If you
persevere in that course, always attending to school duties and home
work besides, there is every prospect that you will grow to be a smart
man.

       *       *       *       *       *

  BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

     Will you please tell me why the land north of Behring Strait is
     called Wrangell Land?

  MAMIE E. F.

Ferdinand Wrangell, a Russian baron and traveller, who was born near the
close of the last century, and died in 1870, commanded a sledge
expedition which explored the polar sea north of East Siberia about
1822. In 1867 Captain Long, in traversing that part of the sea navigated
by Wrangell, discovered a large tract of land which the Russian explorer
had vainly endeavored to reach, and which he named Wrangell Land.

       *       *       *       *       *

HENRY W. R.--Every harpoon thrown into a whale before he dies is
entitled to a share of the oil.

       *       *       *       *       *

W. B. AITKIN.--The sun is supposed to be moving slowly through space,
carrying the earth and all the planets along with him. The great
astronomer Herschel assigned the constellation Hercules as that toward
which we are moving, and the calculations of more recent astronomers
have also pointed to that same direction.

       *       *       *       *       *

ANITA R. N.--The "good news" mentioned in the ballad is not recorded in
history, and although many inquiries have been made concerning it, no
satisfactory conclusion has yet been arrived at.

       *       *       *       *       *

G. FUNNELL.--The oldest inhabited building in the territory of the
United States is an ancient house built of adobes, or sun-dried brick,
in the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Before the annexation of New
Mexico, St. Augustine, Florida, which was settled in 1565, was the
oldest town, and contained the most ancient buildings.

       *       *       *       *       *

Welcome favors are acknowledged from Edward Haines, Lillie Hathaway,
Arthur G. Wedge, Alice Y., Marion Frisbie, Fannie G., Maggie W. C.,
H. J. Perkins, Mattie E. Church, Mabel G. Nash, Ernest F. Hill,
George and Belle Hume, J. Edwards H., Louie D. M., Eddy Lock, Belle
Mandeville, Lizzie F., Ethel M. R., Frank Griffin.

       *       *       *       *       *

Correct answers to puzzles received from Kittie A. C., Edith A. M.,
Lilian Forbes, Lillie McCrea, M. I. Watrous, E. J. Gould, Robie
Caldwell, Mary Chapel, George, Mary Bemis, Hattie L. S., Stella M.,
G. K. Richards, Mamie E. F., Frederick C., Edith E. Jones, Frank
Coggswell, Kitty E., Lulu Craft, P. S. S., Alma Hoffmann, G. W. R.,
Herbert R. H., G. S. S., Theodore E., J. S., A. H. Patterson.

We acknowledge only those answers to puzzles which are mailed previous
to date of publication of solution.

       *       *       *       *       *

PUZZLES FROM YOUNG CONTRIBUTORS.

No. 1.

NUMERICAL CHARADE.

  My 9, 14, 5, 3, 13, 8 is a division of land.
  My 10, 2, 12, 7, 14 is a game.
  My 1, 3, 11, 6 is something good to eat.
  My 7, 9, 4 is a form of address.
  My whole is the name of a distinguished author.

  MAMIE M.

       *       *       *       *       *

No. 2.

WORD SQUARE.

First. A Salutation.--Second. A Girl's Name.--Third. Taverns.--Fourth.
Latest.

  E. S. C. M.

       *       *       *       *       *

No. 3.

ENIGMA.

  My first is in break, but not in tear.
  My second is in rabbit, also in hare.
  My third is in pay, but not in trust.
  My fourth is in earth, but not in dust.
  My fifth is in spring, but not in fall.
  My sixth is in great, but not in small.
  My whole is a poet of world-wide fame.
  Now see if you can guess his name.

  LETTIE.

       *       *       *       *       *

No. 4.

NUMERICAL CHARADE.

  I am composed of 9 letters.
  My 5, 4, 8 is to hit gently.
  My 3, 6, 1 is to snatch.
  My 7, 2, 9 is an animal.
  My whole is the name of a great general.

  ERNEST B. COOPER.

       *       *       *       *       *

No. 5.

DOUBLE ACROSTIC.

A sounding vessel of metal. A river in Spain. To come back. A metal. A
color. A woman devoted to a religions life.

Answer--two cities of Europe.

  E. ALLEN CUSHING (12 years).




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to all Chicago. Address

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Old Books for Young Readers.

       *       *       *       *       *

Arabian Nights' Entertainments.

     The Thousand and One Nights; or, The Arabian Nights'
     Entertainments. Translated and Arranged for Family Reading, with
     Explanatory Notes, by E. W. LANE. 600 Illustrations by Harvey. 2
     vols., 12mo, Cloth, $3.50.

Robinson Crusoe.

     The Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York,
     Mariner. By DANIEL DEFOE. With a Biographical Account of Defoe.
     Illustrated by Adams. Complete Edition. 12mo, Cloth, $1.50.

The Swiss Family Robinson.

     The Swiss Family Robinson; or Adventures of a Father and Mother and
     Four Sons on a Desert Island. Illustrated. 2 vols., 18mo, Cloth,
     $1.50.

     The Swiss Family Robinson--Continued: being a Sequel to the
     Foregoing. 2 vols., 18mo, Cloth, $1.50.

Sandford and Merton.

     The History of Sandford and Merton. By THOMAS DAY. 18mo, Half
     Bound, 75 cents.

       *       *       *       *       *

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.

_Sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the United Slates, on
receipt of the price._




BOOKS FOR YOUNG MEN.

       *       *       *       *       *

Character.

     Character. By SAMUEL SMILES. 12mo, Cloth, $1.00.

It is, in design and execution, more like his "Self-Help" than any
of his other works. Mr. Smiles always writes pleasantly, but he writes
best when he is telling anecdotes, and using them to enforce a moral
that he is too wise to preach about, although he is not afraid to
state it plainly. By means of it "Self-Help" at once became a standard
book, and "Character" is, in its way, quite as good as "Self-Help."
It is a wonderful storehouse of anecdotes and biographical
illustrations.--_Examiner_, London.

       *       *       *       *       *

Self-Help.

     Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character, Conduct, and
     Perseverance. By SAMUEL SMILES. New Edition, Revised and Enlarged.
     12mo, Cloth, $1.00.

The writings of Samuel Smiles are a valuable aid in the education of
boys. His style seems to have been constructed entirely for their
tastes; his topics are admirably selected, and his mode of communicating
excellent lessons of enterprise, truth, and self-reliance might be
called insidious and ensnaring if these words did not convey an idea
which is only applicable to lessons of an opposite character and
tendency taught in the same attractive style. The popularity of this
book, "Self-Help," abroad has made it a powerful instrument of good, and
many an English boy has risen from its perusal determined that his life
will be moulded after that of some of those set before him in this
volume. It was written for the youth of another country, but its wealth
of instruction has been recognized by its translation into more than one
European language, and it is not too much to predict for it a popularity
among American boys.--_N. Y. World._

       *       *       *       *       *

Thrift.

     Thrift. By SAMUEL SMILES. 12mo, Cloth, $1.00.

The mechanic, farmer, apprentice, clerk, merchant, and a large circle of
readers outside of these classes will find in the volume a wide range of
counsel and advice, presented in perspicuous language, and marked
throughout by vigorous good sense; and who, while deriving from it
useful lessons for the guidance of their personal affairs, will also be
imbibing valuable instruction in an important branch of political
economy. We wish it could be placed in the hands of all our
youth--especially those who expect to be merchants, artisans, or
farmers.--_Christian Intelligencer_, N. Y.

In this useful and sensible work, which should be in the hands of all
classes of readers, especially of those whose means are slender, the
author does for private economy what Smith and Ricardo and Bastiat have
done for national economy. * * * The one step which separates
civilization from savagery--which renders civilization possible--is
labor done in excess of immediate necessity. * * * To inculcate this
most necessary and most homely of all virtues, we have met with no
better teacher than this book.--_N. Y. World._

       *       *       *       *       *

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.

_Sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the United States, on
receipt of the price._




MRS. MORTIMER'S

BOOKS FOR THE NURSERY.

       *       *       *       *       *

Lines Left Out.

     Lines Left Out; or, Some of the Histories Left Out in "Line upon
     Line." The First Part relates Events in the Times of the Patriarchs
     and the Judges. Illustrated. By Mrs. ELIZABETH MORTIMER. 16mo,
     Cloth, 75 cents.

The volume is an attractive juvenile book, handsomely brought out,
rendering Scripture incidents into pleasant paraphrases.--_Northwestern
Christian Advocate_, Chicago.

       *       *       *       *       *

More about Jesus.

     More about Jesus. Illustrations and a Map. By Mrs. ELIZABETH
     MORTIMER. 16mo, Cloth, 75 cents.

It consists of a series of stories, embracing the whole of the events in
the life of our Blessed Lord, told in a plain, simple style, suited to
the capacities of children of seven or eight years of age. But better
still, all good children's books are good for adults; and this will be
found equally useful to put into the hands of very ignorant grown-up
people, who may from this learn the story of man's redemption in an
intelligent manner. Many of the lessons are illustrated with pictures of
the places mentioned.

       *       *       *       *       *

Streaks of Light.

     Streaks of Light; or, Fifty-two Facts from the Bible for Fifty-two
     Sundays of the Year. Illustrated. By Mrs. ELIZABETH MORTIMER. 16mo,
     Cloth, 75 cents.

"This little work," says the author, "has received the distinguished
honor of being appointed to be one of the class-books of the Samoan
Collegians, and has been made to subserve the highest of all
purposes--the preaching of the Gospel. To that purpose it is adapted
when the hearers are untaught, untrained, and unreflecting. Each lesson
can be understood by those who have no previous knowledge, and each is
calculated to be the first address to one who has never before heard of
God or his Christ."

       *       *       *       *       *

Reading without Tears.

     Reading without Tears; or, A Pleasant Mode of Learning to Read.
     Illustrated. Small 4to, Cloth. By Mrs. ELIZABETH MORTIMER. Two
     Parts. Part I., 49 cents; Part II., 62 cents; complete in One
     Volume, $1.03.

An easy, simple, and pleasant book for the tiny scholars of the
nursery-room. It contains a picture for every word of spelling capable
of pictorial explanation. The reading-lessons have been carefully
selected, being composed of the preceding spelling-lessons, by which
means, together with the picture meanings, the words are easily
impressed on the memory of a very young child.--_Athenæum_, London.

       *       *       *       *       *

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.

_Harper & Brothers will send any of the above works by mail, postage
prepaid, to any part of the United States, on receipt of the price._




[Illustration]

TOO FAT AND TOO THIN.


  A fat cat sat
  On the parlor mat,
  When through the room came whirring,
  Right up to where the cat was purring,
  A strange and ill-conditioned rat,
  As though to tempt the pussy fat.
  But, "No," said Puss, "this is too thin;
  Such shams may take Skye-terriers in.
  _I've_ had too many first-class meals
  To try to eat a rat on wheels."

       *       *       *       *       *

=The Ribbon Dance.=--Children's balls are now in great vogue in France.
The latest novelty for them is the ribbon dance. Eight ribbons of
different colors are attached to a ring in the ceiling. Four girls and
four boys hold the ends of the ribbons. The orchestra strikes up, and
the eight children dance a measure which enables them to plait the
ribbons. The orchestra then starts another measure, the children another
step, and the plait is unplaited. Each of the dancers may be dressed
according to the color of the ribbon that he or she holds, and the
mingling of the colors will be all the more brilliant. The idea might
easily be taken for a cotillion figure.




[Illustration]


A CAUSE FOR WORRIMENT.

ADA,(_on the morning of her birthday party, looking at the clock and
feeling her pulse_). "Oh dear! I wonder if I will be well enough for the
party to-night?"




[Illustration]


  Search, if you like, the wide world over,
    Barnum's the very best fellow that's known;
  Now that we young ones are left here in clover,
    Here's for a jolly good show of our own.




BROKEN RHYMES.


[Behead the word that completes the first line, and you have the word
necessary to complete the second. This in turn beheaded gives the word
that will complete the third line.]

  "Beware the ice!" I heard him ____,
  "Which is not safe unless 'tis ____:
  Take my advice, for I am ____,
    And do not venture here."
  "But, oh! we want so much to ____.
  He's like the dog," said saucy ____,
  "Who could not eat what others ____,
    Yet barked when they came near."

  "But do not go so near the ____;
  'Tis safer far within the ____;
  The water here's as dark as ____:
    To go would be a sin."
  They heeded not, and in a ____,
  Like little birds that feed on ____,
  The merry girls flew o'er the ____;
    And now, alas! they're in.

  But when he heard the dreadful ____,
  And saw the drowning maidens ____,
  He hurried with his stick of ____
    Along the slippery ground.
  And others came, and with a ____
  They crept around the dangerous ____,
  And lifted dripping o'er the ____
    The maids so nearly drowned.




[Illustration]

SHADOWS OF GREAT MEN.


Who can turn this old woman into the Duke of Wellington, and the
rough-looking man with a broken nose into Napoleon III.? You will not
need any fairy wand nor magic sentence to do it; just trace the heads
upon a piece of thick paper, and cut them out carefully with a pair of
sharp scissors; then place them so that their shadows may fall clearly
upon a sheet of paper, and the change is complete. You can make many
different surprises of the same kind by drawing other heads yourselves.