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diff --git a/58875-0.txt b/58875-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..304540d --- /dev/null +++ b/58875-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3105 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58875 *** + + + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: HARPER'S ROUND TABLE] + +Copyright, 1896, by HARPER & BROTHERS. All Rights Reserved. + + * * * * * + +PUBLISHED WEEKLY. NEW YORK, TUESDAY, JULY 28, 1896. FIVE CENTS A COPY. + +VOL. XVII.--NO. 874. TWO DOLLARS A YEAR. + + * * * * * + + + + +[Illustration] + +A THRESHER THRASHED. + +BY DAWSON STEARNS. + + +"Talk about catching fish," remarked Walter Clay, in a phlegmatic and +yet rather sarcastic style, "it seems to me that Katie has caught one +now, if she never did before." + +The youth addressed showed that he was more hot-tempered than his +companion, as his cheeks flushed and his eyes danced angrily for an +instant when the comprehension of his friend's double meaning flashed +upon him. + +"Oh, stop punning, and look out for that line, quick!" was the sharp +reply. + +"Better mind your helm, or you'll have your boom gybe, if this lovely +fish doesn't gybe it for you, my boy," retorted Walter, as his attention +was more closely called to the line he was paying out, as he stood near +the weather-bow and watched carefully ahead. + +The boys were in a cat-boat of comfortable build, heading toward the +mouth of Long Island Sound, close-hauled on the port tack, Brentons Reef +Light-ship a mile or more off on the weather-quarter, and a breeze so +true and sternly that they felt no uneasiness about getting back to +Newport before sundown if they devoted most of the afternoon to sport. +The boat was named the _Katie_, and was owned by the young man at the +helm, Harry Main, who had chosen the name and had it painted in neat +letters on her stern with the consent of one who did not hesitate to +acknowledge the flattery of the compliment. Hence his companion's +good-natured play upon it, as well as intimation of the important aspect +of the present occasion. + +The _Katie_ was a very weatherly craft, as well as a good sailer, and +was highly prized by her young owner; in fact, she was a prize. The boat +had been built to his special order by one of the most experienced of +cat-boat constructors, after many long consultations with his _fidus +Achates_ and constant chum Walter, as well as the benefit of +professional advice, and the sanction of his father, who footed the +bills in redemption of a promise made if Harry attained a certain record +at his college examinations. The record had been made through faithful +work, the prize had been earned, and the boys were now right heartily +enjoying the fruit of their labors in the summer vacation. Little wonder +that their good fortune was envied by many, and that their popularity +was in no small degree enhanced by the nautical tone acquired through +their amateur sailorizing, while their manliness was increased, lung +power developed, brains brightened, complexions enriched, and muscles +toughened by the glow of such healthful exercise and invigorating +pastime. + +That morning the boys had started out for bluefish, their boat equipped +with outriggers to facilitate the handling of the lines, as is +customary; and with reefed sail, to prevent the gaining of too much +headway, they were making a fair catch, when a tremendous splashing in +the water ahead and rapidly nearing them attracted their attention. It +was soon seen that the commotion, whatever it might be due to, was +frightening away the fish, and indignation took the place of +satisfaction on the part of the fishermen. Watching the disturbance in +the water as it drew nearer, the boys could soon make out that it was +caused by some monster of the deep, and presently resounding slaps on +the surface of the Sound could be plainly distinguished with the +creature's tail, making a noise and splashing as though a massive plank +were dropped flat side into the water fairly from a height. This was +done not only once, but many times, the reports sometimes resembling +gun-shots, and indicating that more monsters than one were causing the +racket. + +"Whales fighting!" suggested Harry. + +"No; not big enough; they're closer than you think," said Walter, as he +stood with his hand shading his eyes, intently watching them. + +"Not sharks, eh? Horse-mackerel, I guess, or sturgeon," rapidly +conjectured Harry. + +"Great Scott! No, old man--threshers, as you're a sinner!" concluded +Walter, decisively. "And there's a whole school of 'em. Look out for +your lines!" + +But even as the truth flashed upon him his caution was too late, for one +of the threshers dashed alongside, sweeping it clear of lines and +leaving them afar off, as the school proceeded to gambol in a new +direction. + +"This is interesting, but I don't think it will pay as well as +bluefish," remarked Walter; and even as he spoke another line on the +opposite side went with a snap, as the fish scurried off with a +vindictive splash of his mighty caudal appendage. + +"Let's make it pay!" ejaculated Harry, quick to resolve. + +"Capital idea, my boy! Will you kindly elucidate your proposition?" +inquired Walter, as he ruefully gathered in some wreckage of bluefishing +gear. + +"Why," said Harry, "let's make over to Brentons Reef Light-ship, and see +if we can't get some shark hooks and bait from the crew, and capture one +of the beggars." + +"We might try it," said Walter, contemplatively. "Those piratical +splashers certainly have assumed too much audacity to suit my +equanimity, and they deserve to be punished. Well, get her around, and +we'll run over to the light-ship and see." + +It was always the quick brain of Harry that planned such expeditions, +and as the _Katie_ made good time on her course he eagerly pictured the +heroic effect of capturing a thresher and towing it to port. Walter +Clay, always willing for any sort of adventure that was not too reckless +for a fair chance of safety, and warranted not to get "rattled," but +preserve his good-nature and presence of mind under all circumstances, +carefully arranged the details of the proposed venture. The men on the +light-ship happened to have just such gear as was required for the +purpose, and willingly lent it, including a cable's-length (120 fathoms) +of stanch half-inch hemp line coiled in a tub, and a big shark-hook with +several feet of chain, as well as some chunks of salt pork for bait. +They likewise informed the boys that the threshers were probably the +same school that had been reported the day before as greatly interfering +with the fishermen off on Montauk Shoal. + +Specimens of the genuine thresher-shark indeed these creatures +were--those _Alopias vulpes_, or sea-foxes, the dorsal lobes of whose +tails are nearly as long as the rest of their bodies, and are used in +splashing the surface of the water to aid in securing their prey of +small fish. Exceedingly grotesque in appearance they seemed sometimes, +the upper lobe of the long tail curving upwards and resembling in form +the blade of a scythe. One of the men on the light-ship said he had +always heard them called "swingle-tails," and also volunteered the +information that the biggest he had ever seen was one caught at Marion, +Massachusetts, in November, 1864, which measured thirteen feet long and +weighed about 400 pounds. Some people believed that they attacked +whales, but he had seen them all up and down the North Atlantic coast, +as well as in the Mediterranean and off California, and "in all his +going to sea he had never found a whale yet that wouldn't laugh at a +thresher." The most damage they did was to fishermen's nets and lines. + +The threshing and splashing of the fish had attracted the attention of a +great flock of gulls as the boys headed the _Katie_ once more toward the +scene of activity; and in the bright sunlight, with the glinting +slippery bodies of some of the threshers almost constantly visible, the +spray flying, and the bead-eyed sea-birds fluttering and watching +overhead, the picture was rather a thrilling one. They were both +determined enough in their intentions, yet when they actually arrived +upon the scene and a thresher of apparently abnormal size rushed to meet +them with a resounding slap of his tail upon the surface of the water +that sent the foam flying skyward and seemed like a laughing defy to +their plans, even the cool-blooded Walter began to feel a little +excitement. + +This selfsame thresher lost no time in making good his challenge, but +swallowed the bait, and ran off with it away to windward so rapidly that +it seemed as if he were going to tow the boat, which was again got full +and by on the port tack. Walter was now paying out the line as slowly as +he could, with a turn under a belaying-pin, as he made the first remark +recorded in this sketch. But it soon became evident that something would +have to be done if they did not wish to be towed to sea, so Harry ported +his helm to let the boat fall off and endeavor to check the creature in +its mad career. As the wind came more abeam, however, so did the shark, +and instead of making leeway, the attraction to windward was so powerful +that the situation looked almost dangerous, and as if the only way to +counteract the shark's tow-line was to let it over the stem with a free +sheet. It was just a question, however, whether even then the boat might +not be drawn astern, and Walter was actively considering the +advisability of cutting the line, when all at once the fish took a turn +and once more made toward them. + +"Head her up again, quick!" shouted Walter. "Down your helm. He's +coming!" + +The boat had fortunately way enough to bring her quickly up into the +wind as Harry shoved his tiller hard over to starboard and hauled in his +sheet, then jumped to help his friend get in the slack of the line as +the infuriated monster dashed toward them. He was not a moment too soon. +Had the boat not changed direction and forged ahead a little the wildly +rushing thresher would have struck it a terrific blow on the +port-quarter. As it was, he passed the boys with a leap clear out of +water that sent a tremendous splash of spray in their faces, and just +missed the boom as he dived astern. It was a thrilling moment; but, +indeed, the whole affair, from the time the shark first swallowed the +bait, seemed to have happened in less time than one could tell it. + +"By jingo!" cried Walter. "What's he going to do next?" + +They had not long to wait for a reply. Circling around to seaward, the +thresher repeated exactly the same manoeuvre, this time a streak of +bloody foam following in his wake. The boys had all they could do to +handle the boat in consonance with the shark's movements. As he madly +rushed ahead, the line began to smoke from its friction with the rail at +the velocity it paid out, and Harry again had to leave his helm to bail +water and pour it upon the hempen coils, so quickly snaking out, with +the threat of possible disaster when the tub should be emptied. Walter's +hands were burned and blistered and raw in spots from contact with the +flying line, in a vain endeavor this time to grasp it and get a turn +around a pin. The fish went too fast. The boys looked at each other, too +excited to speak, as they glanced at the rapidly emptying tub and the +flying streak of blue foam ahead. Another instant and the line was all +paid out. The last coil of it swirled over the side as they both grasped +the tub with all their might to see if they could hold it. The end of +the line was made fast to the tub. It might have been a dangerous thing +to do, for if the line had parted under the strain, and hit one of them +a blow with its rebounding end, it would have been a severe one. But +fortunately this shark felt the check, and with a mighty splash he +turned again and made back towards them. + +"Haul in and coil down for all you're worth!" commanded Walter, as he +heaved a sigh of relief, and applied his bleeding hands vigorously to +getting the slack of the line inboard again. + +The shark did not come toward them so directly as before, and the boat +had not so much way on, so that they were able to finally get the line +taut and a turn taken beneath a pin again. The strain was maintained +anxiously for a few minutes, when the thresher took another sudden rush +for their port-quarter. With all the vigor acquired by his momentary +rest he leaped again clear out of water, and as the boys rapidly hauled +in the line a strange thing happened. The strain came suddenly upon the +leaping thresher, and brought such a snapping jaw upon his jaws that he +actually turned a complete somersault in the air before he sank again +beneath the surface astern, and as the line paid out once more the sweat +streamed from the faces and bodies of the daring fisher-lads. + +"We can't keep this up," said Walter, as he hugged his sore hands. + +"What can we do?" questioned Harry. + +The question was answered by the tooting of a naphtha-launch's whistle. +The crew of the light-ship had been watching the _Katie_ through +glasses, and divining their predicament, had hailed a passing yacht, +which promptly sent the launch to see the fun and assist if necessary. +The assistance was gladly welcomed, and after a spirited pull and a vast +amount of powerful splashing in his dying agonies, the thresher was +finally got alongside and the death-blow given with a boat-hook. The +boys sailed back to Newport with jubilant hearts, and their prize in +tow. He was a monster of his species, measuring nearly fourteen feet +from tip to tip. And the sea-gulls followed them home with cheering +screams! + + + + +THE SUMMER ANGEL. + + +Everybody knows what the funny man in the daily newspapers means by the +"summer girl." + +She is supposed to be a giddy and frivolous creature who wears mannish +or boyish clothes. She is not a fine young woman. If she has noble and +womanly traits, she is supposed to pack them away carefully in tar-paper +and camphor with her furs for winter use at home. + +Sometimes she is amusing. Often she is pretty and bright. She is always +stylish. + +It was such a description that happened to fall into the hands of a real +summer girl who sat leaning against a rock basking in the sun at a +mountain resort, and it set her to thinking. + +She had been coming to this same place ever since she could remember, +and the people of the little village on the mountain-side had seen her +growing, like a tall rare flower of the conservatory, taller and +handsomer each year. They had watched her pass their doors, but they had +not known her. + +It happened that she had been reading a description of the summer girl +as wearing just such a hat and gown as hers--"nobby," and "fetching," +and "chic." She had the same piquant face, and was said to pass like an +annual vision of beauty before the delighted eyes of the poor mountain +folk whom she had seen all her life and did not know. + +This was all, but it startled her. It was as if the writer had known +her--from the outside. Of course he didn't know her true heart and her +refined inward nature, else he wouldn't have made her talk slang and +paint her face. No, it was only an accidental likeness. But it set her +to thinking, and while she thought her eyes happened to fall upon the +door of a log cabin upon the mountain-side beneath her. The cabin was +unpainted, poor, and shabby. + +An old woman sat at the door sewing. A lame boy was coming up the walk +from the village of the summer cottagers. He carried two empty pails in +his hands, and he limped. He had been carrying milk to the summer +people--probably to her own home. + +She suddenly realized that she had always seen this boy here, and that +he seemed never to have grown. He looked now as he had looked certainly +for seven years. For the first time in her life this pathetic little +crippled figure stood out before her as a real living, human person; not +only a part of the summer landscape, like a gnarled and stunted tree, +but a living, breathing, suffering, human creature, who was patiently +living his poor life, carrying buckets of milk down the mountain, and +trudging slowly back, day after day, year after year. + +What was his name, his story? How came the ugly hump upon his narrow +back? Were the people in the log cabin his own kindred? Were they good +to him? + +Why had she never wondered before, and found out? So in the breast of a +real, sweet womanly summer girl awoke a new interest in the humble +people of the mountain. + +When she finally rose and started homeward she took the long foot-path +leading past the mountaineer's door. She paid the old woman, who still +sat patching, a real visit, and when she left she was asked to call +again. So began the first of a number of humble friendships. + +The "boy" with the hump she discovered to be forty years old, but he was +still a child, for the illness that had deformed his body had laid a +blight upon his mind too. Ho could carry the milk-buckets and bring the +cows, and he could sing. He could even remember from summer to summer, +and after a while he knew who it was who sent him pictures of beautiful +things and a warm coat, and had been teaching him slowly to learn to +read. Indeed, it was he who first called her the "summer angel," but he +only half knew what he was saying. She looked like his ideal of an +angel, and she came every summer. And the name, once given, clung to +her. + +So, in one instance, began to develop one of the sweetest types of the +summer girl. She is not the one the funny man likes to describe, but +there are many of her, and her number is growing. + +In many poor little country villages the coming of the sweet, healthy, +and helpful summer girl means the coming of new life and new interests +to the village folk, who know the great world only through its summer +representatives. There are more girls than boys who go to summer towns, +because many boys have duties in the city. + +If every summer-girl would resolve that to some one, at least, she would +come as a summer angel, brightening and helping, what joy would the +season bring? Her helpfulness may be of any kind whatever. It may be +lending books or papers to such people as scarcely ever have them, or +reading to some old person in a busy household. + +A dozen wide-awake clever girls who are banded together can accomplish +wonders. They can get up tableaux in the hotel parlor or farm-house +sitting-room, charging from ten to twenty-five cents admittance to raise +money to buy a horse for the old coachman, whose horse has just died. +They might even help to cure a lame horse or dog on his own account, if +they are real summer angels. They can send magazines all the year round +to special "shut-in" people whom they discover. + +They can have a very good time among themselves too. They can compare +and exchange specimens of pressed wild flowers or sea-weeds or shells. +They can write to the ROUND TABLE, and tell what they are doing, and +perhaps their letters, if they are fairly well written, and show a +serious purpose, will be printed. Then others may join the "summer +sisterhood," and form small circles in out-of-the-way places. + + RUTH MCENERY STUART. + + + + +THE CARE OF A DOG. + +BY JAMES STEELE. + + +There are dogs and dogs, of course, and while some members of the canine +family are gifted with the capacity of looking after themselves, because +they cannot help it, and to all appearances thrive well when combating +hardships, a good dog is worth all the care and trouble that his master +may choose to expend upon him. This article is not intended to tell how +to rear delicate dogs, but simply to give an idea how to make your +canine friend and companion more happy and contented, and to give him a +start in life. + +In looking to his comfort, the first thing to take up is the dog's home. +Every one is familiar with the little house to which is attached a poor, +unhappy specimen of the dog tribe, with a heavy collar about his neck +and a jangling chain that admits of a few feet of freedom and is +suggestive of confinement. Now, bear this in mind, no dog is happy when +chained up; thus we take up the kennel first. + +Dogs are liable to many ailments that afflict human beings. Rheumatism +is a common disease with them, and they suffer from cold and heat and +lack of shade and warmth quite as much as they suffer from lack of +proper food and drink. Thus a dog owner is responsible for his dog's +health, and this means a great deal, for if a human being's good spirits +depend upon the way they feel, surely a dog's do also. + +A kennel's first essential should be dryness; next, warmth and +ventilation. To secure all this, the floor of a dog-house should always +be raised off the ground. Especially is this true where the dog is young +or in the state of puppyhood. Dampness is his foe. A good idea is to +have the dog-house elevated at least six inches, and have the opening +front upon the exercising yard, where the dog can have plenty of room to +play and jump about without being hampered by a fraying, dangling chain. + +[Illustration: END VIEW OF HOUSE.] + +Although we learn from the old adage that "dogs delight to bark and +bite," this is not true. The dog is naturally gregarious, and loves +companionship of his own kind. Therefore, two dogs are happier than one. +If they are allowed to be together continually, each appears to adapt +himself to the other's disposition, and it is only those who seldom meet +their kind that love to fight. + +We will suppose that a kennel is to be built for one dog, for instance. +He should have a yard of at least fifteen feet square to run about in, +and opening on this should be a dog-house with two entrances, that could +be shut in case of cold weather. + +[Illustration: DOG-HOUSE AND YARD, WITH WIRE FOR HITCHING.] + +Fleas are the great enemies of a dog's comfort. The poor beast, whose +thoughts and actions are interrupted constantly by a desire to scratch +or nibble fruitlessly at the irritating little enemy to peace, is to be +pitied. A great deal can be done, in constructing a dog-house, to do +away with the pest. If possible, the floor and sides of the house itself +should be made of good red cedar. For some reason, dogs domiciled in +houses made or lined with this wood are almost entirely free from fleas, +and this is a good thing to keep in mind. + +It does not pay to give a dog hay or straw to sleep on, and old carpets +or blankets should not appear in any well-regulated kennel. Appended are +diagrams and drawings of a house and yard for one dog. It can be +enlarged or diminished, as may be necessary. + +There is not space in this article to go into the subject of dogs' +diseases and ailments. If a dog is ill, he needs a physician as much as +you or I. In his puppyhood he is liable to distemper and mange--the +childish diseases that carry off so many of his kind. But once safely +through them, if he is well looked after, he can count upon a happy +existence of from ten to twelve years if his master is kind and +considerate. + +Now let us suppose that the dog or dogs, whose proper care and bringing +up we are to treat of, are of that intelligent and useful class known as +sporting or hunting dogs, setters or pointers, and there are no finer +kinds to have about even if their owner does not possess a gun or lives +far from a game country. It is these dogs' first and natural instinct to +have their attention arrested by the peculiar scent that attaches itself +to game birds and animals. Most sporting dogs have to be taught to +discriminate and to learn that chickens and sparrows are things to be +left alone, however. + +Now, to bring up a dog successfully his master should study the animal's +character and individuality, and adapt himself to him the way a teacher +should try to adapt himself to a pupil's natural gifts. There are +ambitious dogs, bright dogs, lazy dogs, and dunces, and to make anything +of the last requires both time and patience. It is a good dog's natural +instinct to endeavor to please his master; he is conscious of the +encouragement of praise, and knows well when he has not done his duty. +It is firmly believed by many that dogs have a conscience, and proof is +not wanting to substantiate this theory. + +Truly, a dog has many attributes that we must admire--affection, +constant and lasting; a sense of duty and responsibility; a devotion +that triumphs over fear and pain; and a loyalty that never swerves. He +may admit of friends and acquaintances, but if he is a proper dog he +knows but one lord and master, and but one person does the well-brought +up dog serve with all his heart. + +Let us take a puppy and bring him up in the way he should go. He comes +to you a little, good-natured, roly-poly thing, with a wide grin and an +uncertain gait, and absolute unconsciousness that he may be of any use +or value, the same as a child. You can do almost anything with him if he +is a bright puppy. He can be taught to fetch and carry in a dozen +lessons. It is his instinct to chase a ball and to tear everything to +pieces with his sharp little teeth. His one idea is to have a good time +and eat more than is good for him. But now we must take care of his +health first, and then show that if he chases a ball it is not to chew +it up, but to bring it back to you; that he must not tear things to +pieces, for fear of a punishment, and that if he eats things he should +not, he is filled with a consciousness that he is doing wrong. No puppy +should ever feel hungry. With an old dog it is different; he has stopped +growing. It is better to have a dog that has attained his full growth +underfed than to give him all that he can eat. Milk and bread, or a +little corn meal and a little finely chopped meat, should be given to a +puppy, and plenty of it; but if you would have a healthy, wide-awake, +grown-up dog, feed him sparingly. One meal a day is all-sufficient; more +than that is unnecessary to his health. Prepared dog's food, made in the +way of biscuit, is easy to procure. One of these a day, broken up into +small bits, will keep a dog in excellent condition. Once a week he may +be given a small amount of cooked meat or a mess of porridge and +potatoes. Occasionally a bone for him to gnaw on should be given him as +a tidbit, but no mess of scraps or chicken bones or fat-inducing things +should be allowed him under any circumstances, unless he has been +working hard in the field and is in for a day's work on the morrow. A +dog should have all the water that he wishes to drink, and it is a good +thing to have in the bottom of the pan a small bit of sulphur as large +as the end of one's thumb. + +By every means his acquaintance should be cultivated, and it should be +impressed upon his mind that to his owner he owes everything. If +possible, feed him yourself. Give him to understand that you are the one +who lets him have his liberty, and whose whistle he must obey. + +Never be too familiar with a young dog. He must have a certain respect, +not necessarily a fear of you; but he must learn to obey. Any +intelligent puppy will learn his name in a few lessons. Once you have +given it to him, never change it. Mind you this--when he has once +recognized _you_ as being his master, his one idea is to please you and +to deserve a pat on the head and a word of praise. Never tussle with him +with a stick, and never deceive him under any pretence. More dogs have +been spoiled by their masters not playing fair with them than one could +reckon. Be honest with your dog, and he will be honest with you. + +If you possess a gun, and your dog is of that kind which has inherited +the scent for game, the first thing to teach him is to fetch and +carry--that is, to retrieve--and this without chewing or mutilating the +object which he brings. A way to break a dog of this is to take an old +glove, put a few tacks with the points extending outward, and fill it +full of cotton. He will find that by picking it up gently he can carry +it without discomfort, while if he attempts to worry it the consequences +are not agreeable. This lesson is much better for him than any amount of +whipping, and he will remember it much longer. + +[Illustration: LEARNING TO LOCATE A BIRD WITHOUT FLUSHING IT.] + +If you wish to shoot over your dog, the next thing is to make him find +the bird. To do this, the best way is to procure a live quail, which can +easily be had from any bird-fancier; put it in a small cage and show it +to the pup, warning him not to touch it. Then conceal the cage in a +copse of fern or grass, and bring him carefully in that direction. Never +let him nearer than within four or five feet of it; then speak to him +encouragingly. Under the influence of your words, he will become all +attention, and a dog thus properly broken will never "flush a covey," +unless he runs into, them by accident or when he is carried away by +excitement, under which circumstances he will show contrition. + +[Illustration: PLAN OF KENNEL.] + + + + +A VIRGINIA CAVALIER.[1] + +[1] Begun in HARPER'S ROUND TABLE No. 868. + +BY MOLLY ELLIOT SEAWELL. + +CHAPTER VII. + + +Inside, Greenway Court was not devoid of comfort, and even of luxury. +The main hall was open to the roof, and, like all the rooms in the +house, the rafters were left bare, and the walls roughcast in a sort of +brown plaster not unpleasant to the eye. In every room there was a huge +fireplace with great iron fire-dogs. In some of the guest-chambers were +the vast curtained beds of the period, but in Lord Fairfax's own room +was a small iron bedstead that he had used in his campaigns when a young +man. His library communicated with his bedroom, and was by far the most +luxurious room in the whole quaint building. It was lined with books +from the floor to the low ceiling--George had never seen so many books +in all his life before. There were also a few portraits and one or two +busts. Over the mantel two swords were crossed--one a cavalry sword, and +the other a delicate rapier, such as officers in the foot-regiments used +at that day. George's eyes fell upon them as soon as he and the Earl +entered the room. + +"The sword was the one I had the honor to use in my campaigns under +Marlborough, and the rapier"--here Lord Fairfax smiled a little--"I had +concealed about me when I entered Boucham in disguise." + +After supper was over, Lance showed George into a room with one of the +gigantic four-posters in it. The floor was covered with bear-skins, and +Billy was instructed to roll himself up in them for a bed, which he did +with much satisfaction, with Rattler on top of him, as soon as George +was in bed, which was not long in being accomplished. + +Next morning George was up and around early, looking about the place. He +had never seen the mountains before, and was deeply impressed by their +grandeur. + +The scenery was even more striking in the blaze of the morning light +than he had supposed. On every side, beyond the valley, giant peaks rose +into the blue air, covered with vegetation to the very top. He +understood then the profusion of bear-skins in the house, and thought +what fine sport might be had in tracking big game through the deep +gorges and dark forests of the region. Lance came up to him as he stood +on the broad stone steps drinking in the wild beauty of the scene, and +inhaling the keen sharp air, so unlike the softness of the lowland +atmosphere. + +"There is great sport hereabouts, Lance," cried George. + +"Yes, sir; bears and Injuns, mostly--and rattlesnakes in season. Did you +ever eat bear-meat, Mr. Washington?" + +"No," answered George; "but I have been told it is fine. And how about +the Indians?" he asked, smiling. + +"Injuns and rattlesnakes have their seasons together," answered Lance, +with a grim smile, in reply. "They and their French friends generally +keep pretty close this time of year. I don't know which I would rather +receive--the French and Injuns coming as friends or enemies. Sometimes +half a dozen of 'em turn up, usually in the summer, the French always +pretending to be traders, or something of that sort, and they bring two +or three Injun bucks with them--to carry their luggage, they say: but +who ever saw an Injun carrying anything but a firelock--if he can get +one? They always profess to belong to a peaceable tribe; but that's all +in my eye, sir. They hang about for a day or two, asking for fresh meat +or vegetables, and making out that they don't know how to get across the +mountains, and all the time the French are drawing maps in their +note-books, and the Injuns making maps in their heads; for, Mr. +Washington, your Injun is full of horse-sense about some things. He +can't look ahead, or plan, or wait--all the Injuns in North America +couldn't have taken Bouchain--but for killing people quick and sure, I +don't know of any soldiers quite so good as Injuns. The French, sir, +have a regular plan in all their expeditions here. The last party that +turned up got me talking about the way we had repulsed the redskins--for +we have stood a siege or two, sir. For answer I took the Frenchmen +inside the house. I showed them that we had water, the source of which +was hidden; I showed them a regular magazine, all bricked up in the +cellar, and an arsenal next my lord's room, and another cellar-room full +of dried provisions; and then I showed them two swivels, with a plenty +of suitable shot, and I said to them, very plain spoken: + +"'If you come to Greenway Court, you'll have to bring artillery with +you; you can't starve us out, and to take it will cost you more than it +comes to.' + +"So I think the Frenchies know better than to trouble us. But I am not +so sure of the Injuns. They have not good heads on their shoulders about +campaigns, and they don't see that it is not worth their while to +trouble us; and I would not be surprised any night to find a lot of +skulking savages around here, trying to burn us out." + +George was deeply interested in this account, but at that moment +breakfast was announced, and he went in-doors. + +The large low hall was used as a dining-room, the table being drawn +close to the fire. Lord Fairfax was already there, and breakfast was +soon despatched. + +"I hope, George," said the Earl, as they rose from the table, "that you +have the excellent habit of learning something every day. As a +beginning, you may have Lance's services every morning for two hours to +teach you fencing--not only with the rapier, but the sword exercise on +horseback and afoot. It is not only well for you, as you intend entering +a military life, to know this, but it is the finest exercise possible +for the muscles and the eye, and also in the art of keeping one's +temper. I shall expect you to become proficient in this noble art." + +"I'll try, sir," was George's modest answer. + +Lord Fairfax then led the way to the room which Lance had called the +arsenal. Here were all manner of arms; quaint old arquebuses and +matchlocks, every sort of pistol then in use, fowling-pieces, and on a +rack in a corner two dozen serviceable modern muskets, shining and +polished, and evidently ready for use; then there were rapiers and +small-swords and broadswords and claymores and strange curved Turkish +scimitars. George's eyes glittered with delight as he examined all these +curious and interesting things. Presently Lance entered, and Lord +Fairfax left the room. George soon found that this room and its contents +were the old soldier's pride. He had some interesting story to tell +about every weapon in the collection, but George cut him short with a +request to begin his fencing-lesson. Lance took down the foils and +masks, and, while examining them, said, "Mr. Washington, what do you +think is the first and greatest thing a man must have to learn to be a +good fencer?" + +"Courage," replied George. + +"Courage is necessary; but no man ever learned fencing by being +courageous." + +"Swiftness, dexterity, keeping your eyes wide open--" + +"All of them are necessary too, sir; but the great thing is good temper. +If you lose your temper and fly into a passion, your adversary has you +at his mercy. I never saw a man with an ungovernable temper that I +couldn't knock the blade out of his hand in five minutes." + +George's face fell at this. + +"I am afraid, Lance," he said, "that I have a very quick temper, and a +very high temper." + +"Do you let it run away with you, sir?" asked Lance, passing his foil +through his fingers. + +"Sometimes," answered George, dejectedly; "though I have never fallen +into a passion before my mother, or any woman, since I was a little boy, +because it is certainly not gentlemanlike to be violent where ladies +are--'tis a gross insult to them, of which I would not be guilty." + +"Well, sir," continued Lance, still critically examining his foil, "if +you can do so much out of respect for ladies, I should think you could +do a little more out of respect for yourself, and keep your temper +always." + +The red blood poured into George's face at this, and his angry eyes +seemed to emit blue sparks. Lance, who was really nothing but a servant, +daring to speak to him like that! He straightened himself up, and, in a +manner that showed he had not belied himself, fixed on the old soldier a +look of concentrated rage. Lance returned the look steadily. Though +nominally a servant, he was a tried and trained soldier, and not to be +awed by the wrath of this splendid stripling. As Lance continued to +gaze at him the expression in George's face slowly changed; the color +died away, leaving him paler than usual, and his eyes softened. He said +nothing, but after a pause, which meant a struggle and a victory over +himself, he held out his hand for the foil. Lance, with a respectful +bow, handed it to him, and began the lesson. + +The old soldier found his pupil just what might have been +expected--powerful, alert, with a wonderful quickness of the eye, and of +great natural grace and agility, but impetuous and passionate, and quite +unable to stand on the defensive. His temper rose, too, at the first +lunge he made, and although he controlled it perfectly as regarded his +words, never showing the slightest chagrin in his language, yet Lance +could see that his pupil was angry from the beginning. It placed him at +an immediate disadvantage. His foil flew out of his hand when he +determined to grip it the hardest, and for the first time in his life he +attempted a manly exercise and failed in it. This did not sweeten his +temper, and when the lesson--a long one--closed, he was mortified and +vexed to the last degree. Nevertheless, he thanked Lance, and, seizing +his jacket and hat, rushed out of doors, feeling that he must be alone +with his wrath and chagrin. Lance put up the foils and musks with a +queer look in his eyes. + +"He will learn something besides the use of the sword in fencing," he +said to himself. + +Outside, George pursued his way along a path up the mountain-side, his +rage cooling, and growing more and more ashamed of himself. He thought +highly of Lance, and was troubled at showing before him so much anger +over a trifle; for trifle it was he realized. An hour's brisk walking +brought his pulses down, and he presently retraced his steps down the +mountain. He was not in the mood to observe much, though he walked back +rather slowly. He reached the house at one o'clock, just as Lord Fairfax +came out of his study to dinner. The table was laid as usual in the +hall. Behind the Earl's place stood Lance, while Billy's head just +peered above George's chair. + +"And how did you get on with your fencing-lesson?" was Lord Fairfax's +first question. + +"Very poorly, sir, I am afraid," answered George, blushing a little. "I +lost my temper, and felt as if I were fighting instead of exercising, +and so I did not succeed very well." + +Lord Fairfax laughed one of his peculiar, silent laughs. + +"You are not the first young man who has done that. When I was a youth I +was a very ungovernable one, and I remember chasing a fencing-master, +who was giving me a lesson, through the streets of London until I came +to myself, and was glad to call a hackney-coach and hide. A skilful +adversary will very often test your temper in the beginning, and make +some exasperating remark, which, in effect, renders your sword-arm +powerless; for an angry man may be a fierce swordsman, but he can never +be a skilful one." + +George's eyes opened very wide indeed. He glanced at Lance, but the old +soldier wore a perfectly impenetrable front. So that was why Lance made +so free in his remarks! George reflected some moments, and came to the +private conclusion that one could learn a great deal more in fencing +than the art of attack and defence. + +In the afternoon saddle-horses were brought, and Lord Fairfax and George +started for a long ride over the mountains. Although the Earl was not, +and never had been, so familiar with the woods and fields, and the +beasts and birds, and every living thing which inhabited them, as his +young companion, he displayed stores of information which astonished and +delighted the boy. He explained to him that the French and the English +were engaged in a fierce contest for a great empire, of which the +country around them was the battle-field; that the lines of demarcation, +north and south, were very well defined; but that neither nation would +commit itself to any boundaries on the east and west, and consequently +the best part of the continent was in dispute. He gave George the +geography of the country as it was then understood, and showed him what +vast interests were involved in the planting of a single outpost of the +French. For himself, the King had granted him all the land between the +Potomac and the Rappahannock, and as far west as his Majesty's dominions +went, which, as Lord Fairfax said, with a smile, were claimed to extend +to the Pacific Ocean. Only a small part of these lands had been +surveyed. He felt anxious to have the tract across the Alleghany +Mountains surveyed, as it was of importance to guard against the advance +of the French in that direction. He asked George if he had ever studied +surveying, and on George's saying that he had given considerable time to +it, and was fond of it, the Earl told him that there were fine +opportunities for a surveyor in this new country, and it would be a good +profession for George, provided he did not succeed in his ambition to +join the army or the navy. + +"I will join either one, if I can, sir, in preference to any other +profession," was George's reply. + +They reached home at dark, and found the cheerful welcome of a roaring +fire in the great hall awaiting them. At supper Lance, with a great +flourish, handed a dish to Lord Fairfax which George thought the most +uninviting he had ever seen--huge lumps of something burned black; but +the aroma was delicious. Seeing Lord Fairfax take one of the black +lumps, George courageously followed his example, and, attacking it, +found it perfectly delicious. + +"Bears' paws generally taste better than they look," remarked Lord +Fairfax; and George remembered that Lance had told him there would be +bear meat for supper. + +The evening was spent in the library, the Earl reading and writing. He +pointed out a smaller table than his own, in a corner, saying, "That is +for you to read and write at, and to keep your books and papers on." +George found writing materials on it, and, seating himself, wrote a long +letter to little Betty, and then wrote in his journal for his mother, +describing Billy's expedition, and that the boy was safe with him. He +then took a volume of the _Spectator_, and soon became absorbed in it. +Presently Lord Fairfax, who was watching him with pleased eyes, asked, + +"What paper interests you so much, George?" + +"I will read it to you, sir, if you care to hear it," George replied. + +Lord Fairfax liked to be read to, and listened very gravely to the +reading. George laid down the book when the paper was finished, saying: +"There is no name at the end of it, sir. Most of them have Mr. Addison's +or Captain Steele's or Mr. Arbuthnot's or Mr. Pickell's or some other +name at the bottom, but this has none." + +"I wrote that paper," remarked the Earl. "I had the honor of +contributing several papers to the _Spectator_; but while appreciating +the honor, I did not seek the notoriety of an author, and so, except to +a few persons, my writings are unknown." + +George nearly dropped the book in his surprise, but he regarded Lord +Fairfax's attainments with greater respect than ever. + +[Illustration: THE DAILY LESSON IN ARMS AT GREENWAY COURT.] + +The next day and the next and the next were passed in much the same way, +only that George no more lost his temper in fencing or in any other way. +The instant he became cool and self-controlled he learned the science of +the sword with great rapidity. Every morning for two hours he and Lance +practised--sometimes in the arsenal, sometimes out-of-doors, when they +would go through the sword exercise on horseback. + +Every day George grew fonder of the old soldier. He was a man of great +natural intelligence, and could talk most sensibly upon every subject +connected with the profession of arms. One thing he said remained fixed +in George's mind, and was recalled many years afterwards at a very +critical time. They were one morning at the stables, which were directly +at the back of the house, and were resting after a bout on horseback +with swords. + +"Whenever there is a regular war against the Injuns, Mr. Washington, the +British troops will have to learn a new sort of fighting. Before this +they have never had to fight an enemy they could not see; but when it +comes to fighting Injuns in a country like this, where there is a man +with a gun behind every tree and rock, and where a thousand men can +march so that when you look at the path you would think less than a +hundred had passed over it, and when you are fighting an enemy that has +no ammunition-wagons or baggage-wagons or anything that travels on +wheels--I say, Mr. Washington, there will be a good many British +soldiers that will bite the dust before they find out how to fight these +red warriors--for warriors they are, sir. And though it is not for me, +that never was anything but a private soldier, to talk about officers, +yet I know that the English officers have got more to learn about +fighting in this country than the men have." + +The hour came when all this returned to George with terrible force. + +Within a few days after his arrival he had an opportunity to send his +letter to Betty and his journal to his mother. He was very anxious to +know how his mother would act on hearing of Billy's having taken French +leave. But it must be admitted that Billy was of small value to anybody +except George; and although Madam Washington, when she wrote, denounced +Billy's disobedience, laziness, and general naughtiness in strong terms, +she promised amnesty when he returned. George read this part of the +letter to Billy, whose only comment was very philosophic. + +"Missis ain' gwi' trouble me, but I spect mammy and daddy will gimme a +whuppin'." + +The prospect of the "whuppin'" did not affect Billy's happiness, who, +having much to eat and little to do, and the presence of Rattler and his +loved "Marse George," had all that was essential to his happiness. + +The life was so altogether new to George, and the companionship of Lord +Fairfax so unlike any he had ever known before, that the boy's mind grew +and developed more in the weeks he spent at Greenway than in all his +previous life. For the first time he was treated as a man by a man, and +all at once it made a man of him. He began to think and act like a man +instead of a boy. + +Lord Fairfax did not join him in his sports and hunting expeditions, but +he delighted to hear of them when George would return after a hard day's +tramp over the mountains in search of game. Proud was he the day he +returned after having shot his first bear--a splendid black specimen, +measuring over five feet from snout to tail. Old Lance, who had become a +skilful trapper, took the skin off, and cured it so cleverly that not an +inch of it was lost. This trophy George intended for his mother. + +Every evening he spent in the library with Lord Fairfax, reading. +Sometimes it was a book of his own choice, and sometimes he read aloud +to the Earl, whose eyes were beginning to fail. Many of the books thus +read were classical authors and scientific treatises, neither of which +George had any natural fancy for. But he had the capacity to learn +something from everything, and the most valuable lesson he got from his +varied reading was the vast number of things of which he was ignorant +compared with the small number of things he knew. This made him +perfectly modest at all times. + +As for Lord Fairfax, he felt himself daily growing more passionately +fond, in his quiet and restrained way, of the boy. He began to look +forward with apprehension to the time when he must again be alone--a +feeling he had never had before. He would gladly have kept George with +him always, and provided for his future; but he knew well enough that +Madam Washington would never give up this noble son of hers to anybody +in the world. And so the two lived together, drawing closer and closer +to each other, each of a silent, strong nature--the man of the world +wearied of courts and camps, and the boy in his white-souled youth +knowing nothing but the joy of living and the desire of living rightly, +and both were happy in their daily and hourly companionship. + +[TO BE CONTINUED.] + + + + +CROSSING THE XUACAXÉLLA. + +BY CAPTAIN CHARLES A. CURTIS, U. S. A. + +III. + + +Frank dropped flat upon the earth, and began to work his way to the +cabin, taking every advantage of the inequality of the ground to screen +himself from observation. The opposite bank of the stream being lower +than ours, there was little danger of his being seen by the Indians, +unless some of them were in the branches of the cotton-woods. I saw him +arrive safely, and received a signal from Mr. Hopkins through a back +window. An instant later Mr. Baldwin looked out of the back door and +raised his hat. I was glad to see that his college career was still a +possibility. + +Retracing my steps to the ambulance and escort, I caused the animals to +be grouped in charge of the driver and two soldiers, and with the rest +of the detail moved in the direction of the ranch buildings. + +It had become so dark that we might possibly have passed over the open +space without being seen, but, for fear of accidents, we covered it on +all-fours. The first persons I met were Baldwin and Frank, who took me +to Mr. Hopkins. The ranchman greeted me with the assurance that the +arrival of my party was a Godsend, and had probably saved their scalps. + +I learned that the men at Date Creek, including Baldwin, numbered seven; +that three were in the stable and four in the house. These buildings +stood the same distance from the stream, and forty feet apart. The bank +of the creek was perpendicular for nearly a mile either way, standing +fully twelve feet above the surface of the water; but there was a notch +with a sloping descent, midway between the buildings, down which the +live-stock was driven to water. This slope afforded the only practicable +point of attack, unless the Indians chose to move by one of the flanks +over a long level. + +Mr. Hopkins said he had crept out to a shrub on the edge of the +precipitous river-bank to the left of the slope, just before my arrival, +and had seen on the opposite shore a small party of men moving through +the willow bushes to our left. He believed it was a flanking party +intending to make a feint from that direction, and enable the main body +to charge through the notch in the bank. Believing the repelling force +to number but seven, the Indians could but count upon the certain +success of such a movement. Their flanking party must be met, and to +meet it would reduce the defenders of the slope to a number not worth +considering. + +I was convinced that Mr. Hopkins's inferences were correct; but in order +that no mistake should be made, I sent two veterans in frontier service, +Privates Clary and Hoey, to reconnoitre both flanks. They were gone half +an hour, and returned with the information that no demonstration was +being made towards our right, but that a dozen or more men had gathered +on the opposite shore at a point where they could cross and turn our +left flank. + +Preparations to meet this movement were begun at once. Sergeant Frank +was sent to the ambulance with orders for the men left in charge to +bring in the animals, two at a time, and fasten them in rear of the +stable and stack. This was easily accomplished in the darkness. The +ambulance was left in charge of Vic. + +While this was going on and I was overlooking the construction of +rifle-shelters on the flanks, Sergeant Henry approached and asked if he +could not be of some use. Something in the tone of the boy's voice +showed me he felt he had been neglected, while his brother had been +kept busy. + +"What would you like to do?" I asked. + +"Does a soldier choose his duty, sir?" was the reply, uttered with some +dignity. + +"Not usually, Sergeant, it is true. I have a very important thing for +you to do--something for which I was just intending to look you up. Go +and find Clary, and tell him to help you carry several armfuls of hay +from the stack to the right of the slope. Make a heap, so that when it +is lighted it will illuminate the approach from the creek. Ask Mr. +Hopkins if he has any kerosene or other inflammable stuff to sprinkle on +the hay and make it flash up quickly. Then throw up a shelter in which +you can lie and be ready to light the hay when signalled. + +"Yes, sir. Thank you. I'll attend to everything." + +Not more than ten minutes had elapsed when the boy sergeant returned and +reported that the bundle of hay was placed and a shelter constructed. + +"Mr. Hopkins has one gallon of axle grease," said he, "two quarts of +spirits of turpentine, and a pint of alcohol." + +"Excellent. Mix the alcohol and turpentine, and sprinkle the liquid and +grease on the hay. Then place yourself in the shelter, and when you see +a light flash from the west window of the house light your bonfire." + +"I'll do so, sir," and the boy ran away in the darkness. + +Eight men were placed in each building, three on the threatened flank +and two on the other. An hour had passed after completing our +preparations, when we became aware of a considerable force approaching +from the left. In fact, the enemy took pains to have us know of this +movement by breaking into whoops, which we recognized to be those of the +terrible Apaches. Not a sound came from the creek. I strained my eyes in +that direction, eager to catch sight of any movement through the water +toward the slope. The pool before the notch in the bank was calm, and +the reflection of the starlit sky could be seen in its surface. On the +shore beyond nothing was visible in the black darkness beneath the +pendulous branches of the willows. At last I saw the fixed reflections +of the stars in the surface of the pool diffuse themselves into myriads +of sparkling atoms. A considerable body of Indians must be in the water, +but none were in sight. Yes; they were crossing in two columns, to the +right and left of the notch, concealed by the high shore, and would +shortly unite and charge up the slope. I sent Baldwin to the stable to +tell the men there that the Apaches were coming, and to be on the alert. + +The whoops of the flanking party redoubled, and were accompanied by a +desultory firing, which the three men opposing them answered in the same +way. Then I saw the sparkling water of the pool cut off from my sight, +and knew that a body of men stood on the slope between us and the creek. + +"Frank, show the light. Men, ready!" + +[Illustration: EVERY RIFLE IN THE HANDS OF THE WHITE MEN IN THE TWO +BUILDINGS SPOKE.] + +The lantern flashed from the window, quickly answered by a flash on the +bank, and a mass of red flame threw its luminous tresses skyward, +bathing the whole scene in light. In the notch, half-way up the slope, +stood a momentarily paralyzed group of nearly a hundred painted +warriors. Every rifle in the hands of the white men in the two buildings +spoke, and instantly the notch emptied itself pell-mell of its living +throng. Only a few prostrate bodies showed the Apaches had been there. + +With the discharge of firearms a silence immediately fell upon the scene +in marked contrast to the shrieking and yelling of a moment before. The +bonfire burned low, and went out. Once more we were in darkness. + +We believed the Indians would make no further demonstration; for the +manner of their late reception had shown them that the ranch had been +re-enforced. We waited nearly an hour, and then placing two-thirds of +our force on the crest of the river-bank, where they could command the +opposite side, I took the remaining third and forded the stream. We +scouted the bosque to some depth, and right and left for a considerable +distance. The Indians had gathered their dead and departed. Returning to +the ranch, sentinels were posted, the ambulance run in by hand, the +stock fed, and a midnight meal cooked. + +While sitting by the camp-fire, listening to the sizzling of the bacon +and sniffing the aroma of the coffee, Mr. Hopkins introduced me to his +men and guests, and I heard an explanation of the tracks and blood at +Soldiers Holes. + +Early that morning three gentlemen who had passed the night at the ranch +started for Prescott. They were a Mr. Gray, a Scotch merchant of La Paz; +Mr. Hamilton, a lawyer of the same place; and Mr. Rosenberg, a +freighter. When near the Holes, Mr. Hamilton, who was riding in advance, +was shot by Indians concealed in the sage-brush. Mr. Rosenberg's mule +was wounded, and plunged so that his rider fell to the ground. Mr. Gray, +seeing the plight of the freighter, rode to his side, seized him by the +collar, and aided him to leap to a seat behind him. + +It is probable that this act of generous daring might have ended in the +death of both men, but for a diversion caused by the sudden appearance +of the military express-man. He came up a slope from a lower level, and +taking in the situation at a glance, let fly three shots from his +breech-loading carbine that caused the Indians to lie low. The three men +rode to the ranch, and Mr. Hopkins and his three men accompanied them to +bring in the body of Mr. Hamilton. The Indians did not begin to +concentrate at the creek until after the burial. + +Supper being over, the boys and I were getting into our blankets for the +rest of the night, when Mr. Baldwin, who had been getting ready to +depart, came near to bid us good-by. + +"I seem to take frequent leave of you these times, Lieutenant," said he. + +"Yes; and your farewell ride with the Whipple mail seems to be anything +but monotonous. I think the Anabasis would be a more suitable subject +for study on this route than the Memorabilia." + +"'Hence they proceeded one day's journey, a distance of five parasangs, +and fell in with the barbarians,' might well be said daily of this +trip." + +"Hadn't you better travel with me the rest of the way?" + +"I think this is the last we shall see of the Apaches; they do not range +south and west of here. Good-by, sir." + +"Good-by, until we meet at Tysons Wells." + +The next morning, when the boys, Vic and I, were taking our seats in the +ambulance, Mr. Hopkins and his men, Mr. Gray and Mr. Rosenberg, +approached us mounted. They informed me that all were going to La Paz. + +"The Injins are gettin' a little too thick here for sleepin' well arter +a hard day's work," said the ranchman. "Think I'll stay away till Uncle +Sam thins 'em out a leetle more." + +"Can I obtain a five or ten gallon keg of you, Mr. Hopkins?" I asked. +"Ours was accidentally smashed on the road." + +"Haven't a keg to my name, Lieutenant. One way 'n' ernuther all been +smashed, gin way, or lent." + +The ride from the ranch to the edge of the desert plain was twelve +miles, a portion of it over a rugged ridge. To the point where we were +to ford the creek was two miles, and there the hired men, pack-mules, +and ranch cattle turned off on the Bill Williams Fork route to the Rio +Colorado. + +Once on the level of the Xuacaxélla our team broke into a brisk trot, +and we rolled along with a fair prospect of soon crossing the ninety +miles between the Date Creek Mountains and La Paz. Messrs. Gray, +Rosenberg, and Hopkins soon turned into a bridle-path which led into a +mine. Before taking leave of us Mr. Gray told me that my camping-place +for the night would be at the point of the third mountain spur which +jutted into the plain from the western range. + +We had not travelled long before we realized our misfortune in having +smashed our water-keg. Each individual in our party had a three-pint +army canteen, which had been filled when we forded the creek in the +early dawn. These were to last us until evening through an exceedingly +sultry day. Frank, Henry, and I did our best to overcome our desire for +water, but the younger boy could not refuse Vic a drink when she looked +up with lolling tongue to the canteens. + +The men were the greatest sufferers, unless I except their horses. Long +before mid-day their canteens were empty, and their mouths so dry that +articulation was difficult, and they rarely spoke. + +At five o'clock we arrived opposite the third spur, where we found a +wand sticking in the ground and holding a slip of paper in its cleft +end. It proved to be a note from Baldwin, saying that this was the place +to camp, and the Black Tanks were on the southern side of the spur, two +miles distant. + +We were too thirsty to spend time in examining the scenery. The boys and +I were quickly out of the vehicle, the horses and mules were relieved of +bridles, saddles, and harness, and all but two men, who were left to +guard the property and collect fuel for a fire, were on the way to +water. Closely followed by Vic, the boy sergeants and I preceded the men +and stock. We passed through a leafless and almost branchless growth of +the giant cactus, succeeded by a thick underbrush of mezquit, which put +off our view of the height until we turned sharply to the right. Then we +saw before us a long irregular range, apparently three thousand feet in +height, which had been cleft from summit to base as if by a wedge. In +this rent we found water--water deposited in a natural reservoir by the +periodical rainfalls in millions of gallons--a reservoir never known to +be dry. + +Private Tom Clary, bearing a camp-kettle and coffee-pot, had outstripped +the men driving the stock, and overtook us as we began the ascent into +the cleft. Climbing the dike which enclosed the main deposit, we +descended to the cistern, filled our cups, and swallowed the contents +without taking a breath. When we dipped up a second, Tom Clary looked +into the depths of his cup with knitted brows. + +"Whist, now, b'ys!" he exclaimed. "Look into the wather! It's aloive +with wigglers of ivery variety. They're as plinty as pays in a soup." + +"Ugh! And we are full of them too, Tom," said Henry, looking into his +dipper with narrow-eyed anxiety. + +Pausing in the act of taking a second drink, I looked into my cup, and +saw that it contained myriads of animalcula and larvæ, which shot and +zigzagged from side to side in the liveliest manner. + +"Will they hurt us, Tom?" questioned Henry. + +"I rickon they've got the worst of it, Sergeant, laddy; but I think I'd +fale a bit aisier if I was blindfolded or takin' a dhrink in the dark. I +prefer me liquid refrishmint with a little less mate, not to minshin its +being less frisky." + +We had come to the tanks with fresh towels, intending to wash off the +dust of travel. We now used one of them to strain the water, and were +astonished to see that each quart left behind it a plump teaspoonful of +animalcula. The water was sweet, but, after discovering the life in it, +we drank sparingly. + +As we pursued the narrow path to camp in single file, we noticed Vic a +considerable distance to the right, scouting and nosing about in an +earnest manner. Evidently she thought she had made an important +discovery, for she several times looked in our direction and barked. But +we were too hungry to investigate, and soon she disappeared from sight. + +When we reached the ambulance the boys put a few cakes of hard bread in +their pockets, and taking their shot-guns, went out to look for some +"cotton-tails" while supper was being prepared. Believing we were well +out of the range of hostile Indians, I did not object to their going +alone. They passed a considerable distance beyond the growth of _Cereus +giganteus_, over a level stretch covered with knee-high bunch-grass and +desert weeds, without seeing a hare. Pausing on the brink of a shoal, +dry ravine, they stood side by side, and rested the butts of their guns +upon the ground. Just then a shout of "Supper! supper!" came from the +group near the camp-fire. + +"Hate to go back without anything," said Frank. "Strange we don't see a +rabbit now, when we saw dozens on the way to the tanks." + +"That was because we didn't have a gun," said Henry. + +"You don't believe the rabbits knew we weren't armed then and know we +are now?" + +"Hunters tell bigger stories than that about 'Brer Rabbit.' Not one has +bobbed up since we got a gun." + +Suddenly, from the flat surface of the plain, not twenty yards beyond +the ravine, where nothing but bunch-grass and low shrubbery had been +seen before, sprang up sixteen Indians to full height, as startlingly as +so many jacks-in-a-box. + +[TO BE CONTINUED.] + + + + +A BATTLE ROYAL. + + + You ought to have seen the terrible row we had in my room last night, + The elephant plush and the calico cat and my new little pug had a fight, + And though an elephant's great and strong, and a cat has powerful claws, + My little pug-dog came out on top with the aid of his teeth and paws. + + The trouble arose in the simplest way; the cat was asleep on a chair. + And the elephant plush was standing about, and sniffing the cool night + air, + When Puggy rushed in, as he sometimes does, for a romp on the bed with + me, + And tripped on the trunk of the elephant bold, and over and over went + he. + + He turned two somersaults up in the air, as he tripped on the elephant's + trunk, + And then went bang 'gainst the pussy-cat's chair with a really horrible + bunk. + He bunked so hard that the chair slid back, with a bang on the side of + the door, + And the calico cat, with a hiss and a scat, came tumbling down to the + floor. + + And it happened as puss came tumbling down old Puggy lay down just + below; + He'd tumbled right flat on his poor little back, a picture of trouble + and woe-- + And the pussy kerflop came down on top of my new little live little + pup, + And then came a mighty old struggle in which the cat was just chewed + all up. + + Pug snapped and he yawled and he rolled and he kicked, but the calico + cat held fast; + And they slid o'er the floor in a mad embrace, until, pretty near the + last, + They came to the elephant made of plush, with celluloid tusks, so rare, + Who silently stood, as I said before, a-sniffing the cool night air. + + And of course when they rolled underneath his legs, the elephant came + down too-- + And oh, the row, the terrible row, I'm sure would have startled you. + Those three bold friends of my nursery days now got in a terrible + plight, + But the small live pug, with his teeth and his paws, soon had much the + best of the fight. + + And now to-day I am gathering up from all parts of the nursery floor + Small pieces of cotton and calico shreds and samples of plush galore. + There are eyes and ears and tails and trunks from my bed to the + wash-stand rug + That tell of the glorious victory that was won by my brave little pug. + + As for Puggy himself, he's still romping away, and he hasn't a scar + to show; + Nor does he remember, as far as I see, that terrible scene of woe. + And the only effect of his fight at all is he seems to be twice as + fat, + Which may come, I cannot with certainty say, from swallowing part of + the cat. + + CARLYLE SMITH. + + + + +PUBLIC-SCHOOL BOY AFLOAT. + +BY RICHARD BARRY. + + +To the passengers on the ferry-boats crossing between New York and Long +Island City, through the sweeping tide of the East River, a view is +given of a trim-looking craft lying just astern of the old battle-ship +_New Hampshire_, moored to the Twenty-eighth-street wharf. She is very +much dwarfed in appearance by the towering top sides of the +three-decker, and during the winter months the deck-house that stretches +above her bulwarks makes her look as if her days of freedom to plough +the main were past and gone. + +The vessel is the _St. Mary's_, the nautical training-ship connected +with the public-school system of New York city. From the first of +November to the middle of April she is indeed nothing but a floating +school-house, and the long shed on her deck is divided into +recitation-rooms, equipped with blackboards and chalk and benches, and +presided over by uniformed teachers. + +All this sounds dry enough, even if it is connected with a ship; but the +scholars are very different in appearance from the lads who attend the +public-schools, although they are drawn from the same sources. Every boy +is togged out in the uniform of a naval apprentice, and he is very proud +of his ship and of the name on the ribbon of his cap. + +Life on a sailing-vessel, that depends entirely upon the wind for her +motive power, is very different from the life on board a steamer or one +of the steel cruisers of Uncle Sam's new navy. No boy who has ever read +any of Marryat's stories, or those from the pen of Clarke Russell, but +has been filled with a desire to try the sea for himself, and if he is +able-bodied, and a boy with a good record and a desire to learn, he can +step back, as it were, into the time when Marryat's or Russell's heroes +lived and had their adventures. He can live on board the _St. Mary's_ +the life of the sailor-boy of the old school, and find extant all its +pleasures and excitements. Indeed, it is not all school-work and +blackboard and chalk; there are long months of cruising in blue waters, +and strange countries to be seen, and a chance also for a fine +occupation, and good paying positions awaiting him at the end of his +term of service. + +To begin at the beginning, let us see how the New York boy, who has +known nothing but the streets and the crowded houses, can accomplish all +this, and how he goes about it, and what he learns and sees. + +In the first place, it must be well understood that the _St. Mary's_ is +not offered by the government as a floating reformatory for bad or +unruly boys, or to help careless parents to get rid of them. It is +exactly the reverse, and this is now well known. + +Application for admission to the Nautical School must be made to the +chairman of the executive committee of the Board of Education, or made +in person to the Superintendent on board the _St. Mary's_ herself. + +But to state a few of the requirements before the papers are signed and +the school-boy becomes a sailor. The applicant must be between the ages +of sixteen and twenty years. He must be of average size, sound +constitution, and free from all physical defects. This means that a +rigid examination is enforced, and the boy is measured and given tests +of strength to prove that he is worthy by nature to put on the blue suit +of service. + +He must show testimonials of good character, and, of course, must have +been influenced to enter by a taste for a seafaring life, and he must +come to a decision of his own free will. The examination, outside of the +physical one, is very simple. He must be able to read and spell, to +write legibly, and to know enough of arithmetic to figure simple sums up +to and including percentage. Lastly, as the boy is not of age, his +parent or guardian must sign the necessary papers. Once enlisted, he is +maintained at the expense of the city, but has to come provided with +numerous articles necessary to a sailor. The list includes two pairs of +black leather shoes, rubber boots, one black silk hand-kerchief, one +strong jack-knife, tooth-brushes, clothes-brushes, and hair-brushes; +thread, needles, wax, tape, and buttons, and many other things to keep +him comfortable. + +The blue uniform and the canvas working suit are given to him, and only +thirty dollars are required to defray the expense of clothing and +bedding for the two years' cruise. + +[Illustration: SAIL-MAKING ON THE "ST. MARY'S."] + +The winter's school term, which begins in November, ends on April 1, +when the boys are given a vacation of ten days and bid their farewells. +Upon their return to the ship they find the temporary deck-house taken +down, and they are put to work rigging the ship and preparing for what +they have so long been looking forward to--the summer's cruise. + +About April 20 the yards are all up, and the _St. Mary's_ is +all-a-taunt-o and ready to go to sea. Now for a month, they cruise in +the waters of Long Island Sound, learning to handle ship, and then when +they have thoroughly learned their stations and the duties assigned to +them, they set sail for the far countries and foreign ports which most +of them are anxious to visit. + +The writer remembers being in the harbor of Southampton, England, upon +one occasion when the _St. Mary's_ came into port. It made his heart +beat with pride to see the beautiful vessel (just as if she had sailed +out of the past history of the good old days) come sweeping in from the +Channel. All her white sails were set when she first was sighted, and +the nimble little sailors aloft began to take them in one by one as she +drew up to her anchorage. + +The flag flying at her peak is the most beautiful thing to an American +to be seen in foreign countries, and proud indeed was the writer to turn +to an English friend and explain what the trim craft was, and to tell +that the crew were New York boys, and Americans every one. + +[Illustration: A LESSON IN FURLING SAIL.] + +Soon after she dropped her anchor and trimmed ship a boat was lowered +away, and it came dashing up to the pier. It was a pleasure to look at +the brown, healthy faces, and to notice the well-kept cadence of the +stroke pulled by the strong young arms. + +Leaving one of the officers on shore, the lads pulled back to the ship, +looking curiously at the town, and longing perhaps for the liberty which +would be allowed them on the morrow. + +Engaging a boatman to row us off, the author and his English friend were +soon alongside the school-ship, where the former explained that he was a +New-Yorker, and was asked to come on board. + +Although she had been at anchor only an hour or so, all the running gear +was being neatly stowed away, and the loose ends flemished (_i.e._, +coiled down flat) on the deck. But a word as to the vessel herself: + +The _St. Mary's_ was an old United States sloop-of-war, the type of a +vessel, modernized a little, that had won honor and glory for the +country. The _Wasp_ was such a one as this, and every one knows what she +did during the war of 1812. The other craft that stung the English so +badly when commanded by Lawrence, the gallant little _Hornet_, was about +this type--a sloop-of-war--also. Although the _St. Mary's_ was very +peaceful looking, because she lacked the rows of black carronades along +her sides, still it required but little stretching of the imagination to +change her into a man-of-war. + +We spoke to a little wiry youngster, who told us he lived in "West +Twenty-thoid" Street, and asked him how he liked being a sailor. The +grin that accompanied his answer--"It's bully good fun"--convinced us +that he, at least, was happy, and had rightly chosen his calling. In +fact, we did not see an unhappy face amongst the crew, and this speaks +volumes. + +The _St. Mary's_ had stopped at the Azores, on the voyage out, where the +boys had had fine times, according to account, and where the people had +been looking forward to their coming, for they generally touched there +on their cruises. Of course I had to explain to my English friend that +these boys had nothing to do with the regular navy, but were intended +for the merchant service, unless they wished, of course, to change it +for life on board one of the new cruisers. Every one of them hoped to be +an officer some day, and there is no reason, if they attend to duty, why +this hope should not be fulfilled, for a better training for positions +of command could not be had. + +[Illustration: WINTER WORK ON BOARD THE "ST. MARY'S."] + +One of the officers told us of a little adventure that had happened upon +one of the former voyages, which not only showed the spirit of the _St. +Mary's_ crew, but also proved that most of the lads had profited by New +York's being surrounded by water. One of the boys, a little fellow, had +fallen off the boat-yard into the water. The tide had swept him quite a +distance from the ship before his cries were heard. When "man +overboard!" was shouted, in half a jiffy a score or more of the crew had +plunged headlong from the railing and bowsprit after him. In fact, it +looked as if the whole ship's company was going for an impromptu swim. +Two of the rescuers laid hold of the drowning boy and kept him afloat, +while the rest paddled about like a flock of ducks. It took some time +for the boat that was hurriedly manned to pick them all up, as the tide +had carried some of them quite a distance out. But they were all taken +aboard safe and sound, and, as everybody writes when telling of a rescue +from "a watery grave," "none the worse for their wetting." + +From Southampton the _St. Mary's_ was bound to Cherbourg, France; then +to Lisbon, Portugal; Cadiz, Spain; and Gibraltar. + +I could well imagine what fun the boys were going to have at the last +named place, thy strongest fortress of the English, and the "key of the +Mediterranean," as every one says again when speaking of it. + +It is from here that the lads always write the longest letters home, for +there is much to tell about; and no matter how many times they visit the +port afterwards, when in command of their own vessels, perhaps, they +will never forget their first sight of the great frowning rock, and +their visit to the hidden guns and casemates. In the harbor they find +all sorts of strange sailing-craft of the Mediterranean, and hear the +jargon of tongues of the multitude of foreign mariners that meet here +from all quarters of the globe. + +On the return voyage they stop at the Madeira Islands, and thence, +setting sail, they make for home, arriving in Long Island Sound about, +the last of August. Now, until the middle of October, they spend the +time in practical exercises, cruising to and fro in calmer waters; and +in the middle of October the _St. Mary's_ returns to her dock in the +city. + +A leave of two weeks is granted the boys, and it is easy to imagine what +heroes they are to their younger brothers and to their old companions +who have spent the hot summer in the city. + +When they return to the ship on the first of November they find the +topmasts housed, the yards taken down, and the deck-house in position +for the winter's term of schooling, which begins at once. During the +cruise at sea the whole time has been taken up with the study of +seamanship and the practice of professional branches of knowledge. They +have learned to tie knots, to hand, reef, and steer, and may be pardoned +a slight roll in their walk and a tendency to indulge in nautical +phraseology. + +The boys whose second cruise it has been are found positions on board +the American vessels who receive a subsidy under the postal-subsidy +bill, for all such are required to be officered by Americans, and to +carry a "cadet" for each thousand tons burden. This enables the +graduates of the school to step at once into a paying situation, where +their education will be of great advantage to them. Maybe some of them +make up their minds to go into the navy, or others decide that they are +not cut out for the sea, and take up some life on shore; but no matter +what they do, they cannot but be benefited by what they have learned and +seen. + +The first-year boys and the new recruits begin to take up their studies, +which are those taught in the common schools--geography, history of the +United States, English grammar, arithmetic, algebra, and last, but not +least, theoretical navigation. Ship's routine is followed in their daily +life, but there is plenty of time for play and skylarking. + +When a boy has been graduated from this school, if he has paid attention +to his duties and his studies, he is competent to navigate a vessel, he +understands thoroughly dead reckoning, and he knows how to find the +latitude and longitude by the sun, moon, planets, or stars, and besides +this, he knows the duties of a seaman from beginning to end. There is +nothing for him to learn about the handling of a sailing-vessel, for he +has taken his trick at the wheel, he has learned the rule of the road, +and how to give proper orders. He can heave the lead like an old hand, +and has had plenty of practice in handling small boats under both oars +and sails. The American sailor has proved himself often indeed to be the +best afloat, and the lad from the _St. Mary's_ is qualified to take +first rank. + +During the war of the rebellion many of the commissioned officers were +drawn from the ranks of the merchant marine. Had the _St. Mary's_ then +been in existence, her boys would have given accounts of themselves, and +there is no question that, should at some future time a war arise, there +would be places aplenty for them to make use of the knowledge they have +gained, or to win laurels in the service of their country. Not long ago +a big sailing-ship, returning home from a long cruise, had the +misfortune to lose, by death and accident, all of her officers fit to +navigate and command her. On board at the time was one of the _St. +Mary's_ lads, only nineteen years of age, and the command and +responsibility of bringing the great ship safely to port fell upon his +shoulders. I am glad to state that he did not fear or shirk the +responsibility, and that the grown men under him knew at once that they +had a commander who was familiar with his business, and who could be +trusted in any emergency, for they encountered severe storms after the +boy Captain had assumed command. + +The officers of the school-ship are all graduates of Annapolis and +appointed by the government, and the petty officers are made up of old +men-of-war's men, a few of whom are on board as assistant instructors. +The boys, however, fill some of these positions themselves, and thus +early assume the duties which teach them how to get on with men who are +compelled to obey their orders. + +If a boy has a taste for the sea, and his parents have no objections to +his selecting it as a calling, he can find out a great deal about the +world and not a little about himself by spending two years on board the +school-ship _St. Mary's_. + + + + +THE TRANSFERRED FLAG. + +BY JAMES BUCKHAM. + + Frigate and schooner in conflict dread, + Banners throbbing at each mast-head; + England's jack in the smoke and reek, + Stars and stripes at the schooner's peak. + + Clash and roar of the awful fight; + Sabres gleaming like shafts of light; + Crack of pistols; a musket's boom; + Shouts and groans in the drifting gloom. + + Overhead, in the murk, the flags + Toss, with their edges torn to rags, + Lash at each other, and writhe and snap-- + Silken musketry, clap on clap! + + See! On the Yankee yard-arm stands + A daring middy, with outspread hands! + He bends, he leaps--and without a slip, + Catches the yard of the British ship! + + Up, up, he climbs, till, the cross-trees past, + He reaches the top of the swaying mast. + Then, with a slash of his knife, he throws + The British flag to his country's foes. + + Lo! from his bosom, like flame unfurled, + He draws the banner that rules the world, + And nails it there, with its crimson bars + And gleaming glory of unstained stars! + + Quick was the brain that conceived the thought, + And brave the deed that the sailor-boy wrought; + Bright he his name on history's roll, + And far the flash of his hero-soul! + + + + +SEED-SOWING. + +BY EMMA J. GRAY. + + +Gardening is said to come natural to Japanese boys and girls, but there +is no reason why our amateur gardeners should not rival them. + +Spring has been well named the "mother of the flowers," for then indeed +nature wakes. The previously hard soil softens, gentle showers fall, the +long sunny days follow one after the other, and serious mistake must +indeed have been made at the time of planting if the cheerless winter +garden is not readily transformed into beds and bowers of delicate +richest color, and bewilderingly beautiful flowers do not send lavish +and grateful odor. + +An important matter, however, is the preparation of the soil, and +another quite as important is to sow seeds late and not early. Then, +too, attention must be given to their size and construction. Some seeds +are round and tiny, such as the portulaca. These are scattered over the +ground and gently mixed by the hand into the soil, while others must be +planted, really embedded in the earth, such as sweet-pease. Again, other +seeds have a shell-like covering, which must be removed before sowing, +and others must be placed in the earth in a special direction. We have +all heard of the boy who wondered why his beans didn't grow. On +investigation he learned they were growing as fast as possible, only +they would have bloomed and borne in China, for he had planted them +upside down. Seeds such as the verbena must be planted lengthwise, and +there are others which must be soaked before planting at all. + +Young gardeners should commence with the easiest-raised plants, and wait +until experience and study will lend a hand with the more difficult. And +do not forget that the world is full of kind people who will gladly tell +you what you do not know. + +After sunset is the best time for seed-sowing. When they are sown, +gently water, and then cover with an old piece of carpet. This is to +keep the ground in a more equal temperature. Every evening pick up the +carpet and examine the earth. Keep it moist--not wet--and when the seeds +are sprouted replace the carpet with paper. To prevent this blowing, put +stones on its outer edges. When the tender shoots are positively strong, +hardy enough to withstand violent winds and hot suns, remove the paper. +Keep on watch for the unexpected--such as insects, for example, which +must be picked off. Weed carefully, and water when necessary. + +Beginners may be sure of success if they sow any of the following seeds: +Sweet-alyssum and candy-tuft, both of which have delicate white +blossoms, and bloom freely from June to October; asters, which are very +hardy, and whose colors are without number and exceedingly showy; +balsam--or, as usually called, lady's-slipper, both double and single, +is an old-fashioned favorite; morning-glories are beautiful, and fine to +cover an unsightly pole or unpainted fence; mignonette and pansies will +be sweet, while zinnia, portulaca, and marigold will lend brilliance. + + + + +A NATURALIST'S BOYHOOD. + +MR. WILLIAM HAMILTON GIBSON'S START. + +BY BARNET PHILLIPS. + + +I am enjoying a book, a picture, a statue, or say a piece of music. I know +these to be the finished works of the man or the woman, but I invariably +hark back to the boy or the girl. + +What I want to discover is the precise time, in the lives of certain +boys and girls, when the steel first struck the flint, the spark flew, +and out streamed that jet of fire which never afterwards was +extinguished. + +I was reading an article entitled "Professor Wriggler," written by Mr. +William Hamilton Gibson, which appeared in HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, in the +number of October 31, 1893. I need not tell you that both old and young, +at home and abroad, delight in reading what Mr. Hamilton Gibson has +written, because he was not alone the most observant of naturalists, but +a distinguished artist and a sympathetic author. + +[Illustration: THE LATE WILLIAM HAMILTON GIBSON.] + +He thus filled a peculiar position in the literary and artistic world +which is seldom given to any one man to fill. Besides being a naturalist +from his boyhood, he was able to write better than most people what he +wished to write, and to illustrate his articles in a way that was +unique. Mr. Gibson's death a few days ago, therefore, has closed the +career of a man who had the ability to interest a large number of people +not only in natural history, but in art and literature. + +The news of Mr. Gibson's death came to me suddenly, and as I was reading +it I recalled an interesting talk I had with him less than a year ago +about his work early in life and the way he got his start. I had been +reading one of his articles to a lady, who, when she heard the name of +the author, said: + +"Why, I knew Mr. Hamilton Gibson long ago. When he was a lad he painted +a lovely drop-curtain for us. He could not have been more than fifteen +or sixteen then." + +The next time I met Mr. Hamilton Gibson I asked him about this +drop-curtain. "Do you remember it?" + +"Certainly I do. We had a temperance society at Sandy Hook, Connecticut, +and we gave a grand entertainment. I made the drop-curtain. It +represented a wood. There was a rock in the foreground, and a +Virginia-creeper was climbing over it." + +"Was it an original composition?" I asked. + +"I made many studies of the rock and the Virginia-creeper from nature. +On the other side of the curtain I painted a drawing-room. There were a +marble mantelpiece, a clock, and lace curtains. I don't think I enjoyed +painting the clock as much as the Virginia-creeper." + +"To paint a drop curtain at fifteen or sixteen means that you had then a +certain facility. But that could not have been your beginning. When did +you break your shell? What chipped or cracked your egg, so that your +particular bird emerged, chirped, and finally took flight? That was what +I wanted to know." + +"Is that what you are after?" asked Mr. Hamilton Gibson. "From my baby +days I was curious about flowers and insects. The two were always united +in my mind. What could not have been more than a childish guess was +confirmed in my later days." Then Mr. Hamilton Gibson paused. I could +see he was recalling, not without emotion, some memories of the long +past. + +"I was very young, and playing in the woods. I tossed over the fallen +leaves, when I came across a chrysalis. There was nothing remarkable in +that, for I knew what it was. But, wonderful to relate, providentially I +deem it, as I held the object in my hand a butterfly slowly emerged, +then fluttered in my fingers." + +"You were pleased with its beauty," I said. + +"Oh! It was more than that. I do not know whether I was or was not a +youngster with an imagination, but suddenly the spiritual view of a new +or of another life struck me. I saw in this jewel born from an unadorned +casket some inkling of immortality. Yes, that butterfly breaking from +its chrysalis in my hand shaped my future career." + +"But some young people may feel passing impulses, but how account for +your artistic skill and literary powers?" + +"As to the art side, at least deftness of hand came early. I had the +most methodical of grandmothers. Every day I had a certain task. I made +a square of patch-work for a quilt. I learned how to sew, and I can sew +neatly to-day. I knew how to use my fingers." + +"Did you like patch-work?" I inquired. + +"I simply despised it. Sewing must have helped me, for it was +eye-training, and when I went to work with a pencil and a paint-brush I +really had no trouble. I read a great deal. I devoured Cooper's novels +and the Rollo series; but there was one special volume, _Harris on +Insects_, I never tired of. I studied that over and over again. It was +the illustrations of Marsh which fascinated me. I never found a bug, +caterpillar, or butterfly that I did not compare my specimens with the +Marsh pictures. I learned this way much which I have never forgotten." + +"Had you any particular advantages?" + +"Yes; my brother was a doctor, and he let me use his microscope, and so +I acquired a knowledge of the details of flowers and insects that escape +the naked eye. I pulled flowers to pieces, but not in the spirit of +destruction, but so that I might better understand their structure. When +I was ten I had a long illness. When I was getting better, I was +permitted to take an hour's or so turn in the garden. That hour I +devoted to collecting insects and flowers. On my return to my room, what +I had collected amused me until I could get out again next day or the +day after." + +"It was pleasure and study combined," I said. + +"I was not conscious that I was studying. Then in my sick-room I began +to draw and paint the insects. I think I was conscientious about it, and +careful--perhaps minutely so. I tried to put on paper exactly what I +saw, and nothing else. You say you like 'Professor Wriggler.' I drew him +when I was ten or eleven, and I could not make him any more accurate +to-day than I did thirty years ago." + +"Were you encouraged at your work?" I inquired. + +"Yes; once I was much pleased. I came across a curious insect. I could +not find it in the books. I made a drawing of it and sent it to a +professor of the Smithsonian, asking him to give me its scientific name. +Back came by return mail my sketch, and under it the Latin name. The +professor wrote me that if the people who were always annoying him with +pictures of impossible bugs would only send him as accurate a picture as +was mine, he never would have any more bother." + +"Did you have any setbacks?" + +"Yes; and I haven't forgotten it up to to-day. I was always collecting, +and I had brought together every insect I had found in my neighborhood. +As I took them home I pinned them in the drawers of an old-fashioned +bureau. In time the whole of the drawers, bottom and sides, were full of +pinned specimens, and there was room for no more. I had saved enough +money to buy a cabinet, and I went to New York and purchased one. When I +returned home the first thing I did was to look at my precious +collection. When I opened a drawer there was a confused mass of wings +only. One single wretch of a black ant had got in, and had passed the +word to 10,000 other black ants. They had eaten the bodies of my insects +in all the drawers. That quite broke my heart." + +"But your writing. How did that come about?" I asked. + +"I don't think that you can develop in one direction only. You must +unbosom yourself. You are forced to tell or to write about the things +you have most at heart. When I was a small boy I wrote a book for +myself, and called it 'Botany on the Half-shell.' The first thing I ever +wrote which was printed was an article for one of Messrs. Harper's +publications, and I made the pictures for it. That was my début." + +"Then your work went hand in hand?" + +[Illustration: MR. GIBSON AT WORK IN HIS STUDIO.] + +"Certainly. The one was the stimulant of the other. We all grew up +together. The days spent in my room when I was ill helped me. I think I +studied flowers then, so that their forms and colors were indelibly +impressed on my mind. When I was older I made a small bunch of flowers +in wax. Not a detail escaped me. I made moulds of all kinds of leaves. +Once I put together a rose, some sprigs of mignonette and heliotrope in +wax, and gave them to my dear old friend, Henry Ward Beecher. He was +delighted with my flowers, and put them on his study table. Presently +Mrs. Beecher came in. She ran to the flowers and broke the rose all to +pieces. + +"How could she have done that?" I asked. + +"It must have been with her nose. She wanted to smell the rose." + +Then Mr Hamilton Gibson showed me some monster drawings of +flowers--Brobdingnagian ones. The flowers opened and closed when you +pulled a string, showing their interior structure. Here were bees or +other insects, and they flew into the flowers, collected the honey, and, +above all, the pollen, and buzzed out again. He explained to me how +plant life would perish were it not for certain insects, which bring a +new existence to flowers; for without these winged helpers there would +be no longer any varieties of flowers or seeds. + +You will see, then, that in tracing the beginning of Mr. Hamilton +Gibson's career what I mean by harking backwards. + +I am certain, too, that in every boy and girl there is something good +and excellent. Like the flower visited by the bee, all it wants is +impulse. Then, as Mr. Hamilton Gibson explained it to me, will come the +blossoming, and lastly perfect fruitage. + + + + +[Illustration: INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORT] + + +The choice of officials at the National Games is another subject which +will bear discussion, and although I have reserved it until the last, it +must not be considered that this is because I have considered it of any +less importance than the various subjects connected with these games +that have been discussed within the past few weeks in this Department. +All who regularly attend interscholastic track and field games, +especially graduates of the New York schools, and those who watch their +young brothers and cousins in their indulgence in sport, were much +surprised when they looked over the programme of the National Games and +saw the list of men who had been invited to act as officials. + +There is a certain number of gentlemen in this city who have become so +thoroughly identified with school-boy sports that their names are always +to be found on the list of officials at interscholastic games. At the +National Games, however, it was different, and there are many who +resented the change. + +In the first place, school sports--and college sports, for that +matter--are supposed to be somewhat different in tone from other sports, +even from those of amateur athletic associations. We try to conduct them +on a higher plane, and we try to give to them a purer spirit of +amateurism and comradeship than can be obtained by other organizations. +And in carrying out this idea it has always been the custom to have +school or college graduates act as officials. + +At the National Games this unwritten law or custom was not carried out, +and many of the New York school-boys felt that the visiting athletes +were receiving a wrong impression of the way in which we do things down +here. Many questioned me concerning the change that they noticed on the +first page of the programme, but being no wiser than they at the time, +I was unable to enlighten them. Since then, however, I have learned that +the change was due to ignorance on the part of the managers of the day +rather than to any desire for reform. + +INTERSCHOLASTIC RECORDS OF THE UNITED STATES. + + Event. Record. Maker. + 100-yard dash 10-1/5 sec. F. H. Bigelow. + 220-yard run 22-2/5 " F. H. Bigelow. + 440-yard run 50-3/5 " T. E. Burke. + Half-mile run 2 m. 1-1/5 " R. H. Hanson. + Mile run 4 " 32-2/5 " W. T. Laing. + Mile walk 7 " 11-3/5 " J. S. Eells. + 120-yard hurdle (3 ft. 6 in.) 17 " E. C. Perkins. + 220-yard hurdle (2 ft. 6 in.) 26-1/2 " E. D. Field. + Mile bicycle 2 " 34-1/5 " I. A. Powell. + Two-mile bicycle 5 " 18-2/5 " G. F. Baker, Jun. + Running high jump 5 ft. 11 in. S. A. W. Baltazzi. + Running broad jump 21 " 7 " A. Cheek. + Pole vault 10 " 9 " B. Johnson. + Throwing 12-lb. hammer 125 " R. T. Johnson. + Throwing 16-lb. hammer 118 " 2-3/4 " F. C. Ingalls. + Putting 12-lb. shot 42 " 5-1/2 " Patterson. + Putting 16-lb. shot 39 " 3 " M. C. O'Brien. + + Event. School. + 100-yard dash Worcester H.-S. + 220-yard run Worcester H.-S. + 440-yard run Boston English H.-S. + Half-mile run Boston English H.-S. + Mile run Phillips Academy, Andover. + Mile walk Hotchkiss, Lakeville, Conn. + 120-yard hurdle (3 ft. 6 in.) Hartford H.-S. + 220-yard hurdle (2 ft. 6 in.) Hartford H.-S. + Mile bicycle Cutler, N.Y. + Two-mile bicycle Hotchkiss, Lakeville, Conn. + Running high jump Harvard, N.Y. + Running broad jump Oakland, Cal., H.-S. + Pole vault Worcester Academy. + Throwing 12-lb. hammer Brookline H.-S. + Throwing 16-lb. hammer Hartford H.-S. + Putting 12-lb. shot Evansville. + Putting 16-lb. shot Boston English H.-S. + + Event. Time and Place. + 100-yard dash N.E.I.S.A.A. games, June 9, 1894. + 220-yard run N.E.I.S.A.A. games, June 9, 1894. + 440-yard run N.E.I.S.A.A. games, June 9, 1894. + Half-mile run N.Y.I.S.A.A. games, June 5, 1896. + Mile run N.E.I.S.A.A. games, June 9, 1894. + Mile walk Conn. H.-S.A.A. games, June 6, 1896. + 120-yard hurdle (3 ft. 6 in.) Conn. H.-S.A.A. games, 1894. + 220-yard hurdle (2 ft. 6 in.) Conn. H.-S.A.A. games, June 8, 1895. + Mile bicycle N.Y.I.S.A.A. games, May 11, 1895. + Two-mile bicycle Conn. H.-S.A.A. games, June 8, 1895. + Running high jump N.Y.I.S.A.A. games, May 11, 1895. + Running broad jump A.A.L. field day, Oct. 16, 1894. + Pole vault N.E.I.S.A.A. games, June 5, 1896. + Throwing 12-lb. hammer N.E.I.S.A.A. games, June 9, 1894. + Throwing 16-lb. hammer Conn. H.-S.A.A. games, June 6, 1896. + Putting 12-lb. shot Wis. I.S.A.A. games, May 30, 1896. + Putting 16-lb. shot N.E.I.S.A.A. games, 1894. + +The Knickerbocker Athletic Club is a newcomer in athletics, and its +officials do not know yet, or did not know at the time of the National +Games, that there are, as I have stated, half a dozen gentlemen in this +city who almost always hold certain official positions on +interscholastic occasions. Of course such ignorance is pardonable, but I +do not think that the Knickerbocker managers should be so readily +pardoned for inviting certain gentlemen to act as officials without +consulting the officers of the National Association. So far as I am able +to find out, the Knickerbocker Club did not submit the names of those +whom they had chosen to act as officials to any officer of the National +Association, and the latter, so I am told, did not know who were to act +as referee and judges until shortly before they reached the Columbia +Oval on the afternoon of June 20. + +It was too late then to make any changes, of course, and all the +officers of the National Association could do was to blame themselves +for their own carelessness and thoughtlessness in not asking to see a +list of the officials a week before the games. There was no fault to be +found with the manner in which the gentlemen chosen by the Knickerbocker +Club performed their duties, yet there was an indescribable something +lacking on the field that day which we have always felt and appreciated +at other interscholastic functions. + +There was not exactly an air of professionalism about the proceedings, +and yet the officials went about their work in such a "professional" way +that the gentle, amateur, leisurely atmosphere of other times and +seasons was not there. Furthermore, there was a slight inclination +toward bossism in some quarters; and young men who are taking part in +amateur sports do not care to be bossed, and if they have reason to +suspect that they are going to be bossed, it may be put down as a +certainty that they will not again compete under similar conditions. I +haven't any doubt that next year, no matter under what conditions the +National Games are held, the officers of the Association will choose +their own officials, and there will be found among them the same +gentlemen who for years have helped to make school-boy field days the +pleasant affairs they always are. + +But it is only just to say to any organization, whether it be in New +York or in any other city, which hopes to succeed in the management of +school-boy sports, that it must carry out the school-boy idea of the +proprieties of things; and school-boys have very distinct ideas of what +they want; and if school-boys are pleased to have certain gentlemen, +school and college graduates, to act as officials at their sports, these +same gentlemen must be asked to hold these same positions, or the +organization will very soon lose favor in scholastic eyes. Nevertheless, +the schools must remember that the Knickerbocker Athletic Club is the +first that ever did anything for interscholastic sport, and for this +reason they should be willing to overlook a great deal. + +[Illustration: Bayne, c.f. Young, l.f. Grant, s.s. Hasbrouck, 2 b. +Wiley, c. + +Huntington, r.f. Pell, 1 b. Bien, Jun., p. Fleming, 3 b. + +THE BERKELEY SCHOOL BASEBALL NINE.--Champions N.Y.I.S.A.A.] + +A number of years ago it was a very common thing for college men and +other amateurs to devote a large part of their summer to the playing of +baseball. So popular did this playing on "summer nines" become that a +number of hotels offered inducements to clever amateur players to come +and spend a few weeks at their resort in order that the locality might +have a good baseball nine as a sort of summer attraction. The custom +went from bad to worse, until summer resorts actually began to bid one +against the other for the most capable players. + +Many amateurs who would not for a moment have considered any other kind +of proposition found that they had easy consciences when it was merely a +question of taking a reduction in board and lodging. They seemed to fail +to recognize the fact that by accepting such a reduction they were +practically accepting the sum of money which the hotel-keeper subtracted +from their bills at the end of their stay. In some cases, too, no bills +at all were submitted to the baseball boarders. Thus amateurs were +rapidly sliding into the path of professionalism, and the colleges found +that they must take some steps to interfere with summer baseball +playing. + +All of the colleges now, I think, with the possible exception of Brown, +have rules forbidding the playing of baseball on "summer nines," the +penalty being that any member of the college who does this becomes +ineligible to any university team. And thus summer playing for college +men has been effectively put a stop to. + +The colleges, however, cannot legislate against players who are not +members of their institutions, and they have found it difficult to +prevent sub-Freshmen or school-boy players from accepting the favors of +hotel-keepers or others in return for belonging to the hotel's nine. +Princeton, however, has seized the bull by the horns, and has issued a +decree, which was sent around to all the preparatory schools last +spring, stating that no one will be considered eligible to any of the +university teams who has at any time played for any sort of +compensation. + +[Illustration: L. Biddle bow. Goodwin, 2. N. Biddle, 3. Niedecken, 4. + +Howard, 5. Brock, 6. Shiverick; cox. Wheeler, 7. Thomas, stroke. + +THE VICTORIOUS HALCYON CREW, ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL, CONCORD.] + +This is an excellent rule, and will effectively put a stop to summer +ball-playing by young men who are preparing for Princeton, and who hope +to achieve the honor of playing on the university nine. It is to be +hoped that every other university and college in this country will adopt +similar rules. + +But aside from the penalties that are to be incurred for playing on +"summer nines," there must be a number of other reasons that will +prevent school-boys from running the risk of being looked upon as +semi-professionals. I say "semi-professionals," although there is really +no half-way house between amateurism and professionalism. If a young man +accepts reduced board at any time, or a uniform, or a pair of shoes or +stockings, or in fact anything that has any commercial value whatever, +as a reward for any kind of services rendered in athletics, he is a +professional. + +NATIONAL INTERSCHOLASTIC RECORDS. + + Event. Record. + 100-yard dash 10-1/5 sec. + 220-yard dash 22-2/5 " + Quarter-mile run 51-2/5 " + Half-mile run 1 m. 59-3/5 " + One-mile run 5 " 10-1/5 " + 120-yard hurdles (3 ft. 6 in.) 16-4/5 " + 220-yard hurdles (2 ft. 6 in.) 26-2/5 " + One-mile walk 7 " 53-2/5 " + One-mile bicycle 2 " 36 " + Running high jump 5 ft. 8 in. + Running broad jump 21 " 1 " + Pole vault 10 " 5 " + Throwing 12-lb. hammer 129 " 10 " + Putting 12-lb. shot 43 " 4 " + + Event. Holder. + 100-yard dash W. H. Jones, New England I.S.A.A. + 220-yard dash W. H. Jones, New England I.S.A.A. + Quarter-mile run H. L. Washburn, New York I.S.A.A. + Half-mile run W. S. Hipple, New York I.S.A.A. + One-mile run D. T. Sullivan, New England I.S.A.A. + 120-yard hurdles (3 ft. 6 in.) A. F. Beers, New York I.S.A.A. + 220-yard hurdles (2 ft. 6 in.) J. H. Converse, New England I.S.A.A. + One-mile walk A. L. O'Toole, New England I.S.A.A. + One-mile bicycle O. C. Roehr, Long Island I.S.A.A. + Running high jump { F. R. Sturtevant, Connecticut H.-S.A.A. + { T. Flourney, Iowa State H.-S.A.A. + Running broad jump H. Brown, Connecticut H.-S.A.A. + Pole vault R. G. Clapp, New England I.S.A.A. + Throwing 12-lb. hammer F. C. Ingalls, Connecticut H.-S.A.A. + Putting 12-lb. shot F. C. Ingalls, Connecticut H.-S.A.A. + +The word "professional" means an individual who performs in athletics +for the sake of the reward that he is to receive. It does not make any +difference whether this reward comes to him in cash, clothing, or pie. +And he cannot evade being classed among professionals if he once accepts +any kind of remuneration. Of course it seems different to those young +men who do not think seriously about the ethics of sport. They think +that they are not accepting any remuneration if they allow a +hotel-keeper or an athletic club to furnish them with a suit of +clothes--a baseball uniform--and pay their expenses. + +They argue that it is only just, if they are playing baseball, that +their expenses to and from neighboring resorts should be paid, and they +do not see why the hotel or the club, if it chooses to, should not +present uniforms to the young men who are playing ball. But it seems to +me that this very argument is strongest when looked at from the other +side. The young men who accept uniforms or expenses do so because they +feel that it is worth while for the hotel man or the club to spend that +money to have them play baseball. + +Therefore, if it is worth anything to the hotel man to pay them this +money, their services acquire a commercial value. As soon as services +are recognized to have a commercial value, and are paid for, either +directly or indirectly, the one who accepts the reward or remuneration, +either directly in cash or clothing, or indirectly in railroad fare and +hotel bills, becomes a professional, for he has made use of his ability +as an athlete to obtain railroad transportation or board at no expense +to himself beyond his skill as an athlete. + +There is a difference in playing at summer resorts for the sport of the +thing and in playing for the advantage of it. Young men who like to play +baseball, and who can get up a nine wherever they happen to be this +summer, should do so by all means, for there is nothing healthier than +sport of this kind. But they should not allow any one to let them derive +any kind of financial advantage from the fact that they know how to play +baseball, and they should not allow any of their friends or admirers to +induce them to go to any certain resort because they know how to play +baseball. + +Young men usually want to do what they consider the right thing, and +what their older brothers and their friends among older men consider the +right thing. College men have come to the conclusion that playing on +summer nines is a bad thing for amateur sport, and if there are a number +of young men, readers of this Department, not yet in college, who have +not given sufficient thought to the matter, and who very possibly cannot +see the serious side of the question just now, let them, for the +present, rest upon the judgment of the college men, and abide by their +decision, and when they get to be college men themselves they will +appreciate the situation as they cannot now, and they will be very glad +that they left playing on "summer nines" to others who were not such +thorough sportsmen as they, and who by so doing lose much that they can +never regain in after years. + +This Department prints again this week a table of the Interscholastic +records of the United States, and also a table of the National +Interscholastic records, in order that many who have not made a +distinction between these two classes of figures may see what this +difference is. As was stated last week, a National Interscholastic +record is one made at the National Games, whereas an Interscholastic +record is one made at any interscholastic field-meeting. We may feel +perfectly sure that the figures as printed in the National table are +absolutely correct, for there has been only one National Interscholastic +meeting, that of June 20 of this year. + +The Berkeley School nine, which won the Interscholastic Championship +this year, is undoubtedly one of the strongest baseball teams ever +developed at any of the New York city schools. This team earned the +championship of the Association by 167-10. The team was an unusually +hard-hitting one, and in one game alone the Berkeley players pounded out +eight home runs. The best individual work of the team was done by Wiley, +Pell, and Huntington. Wiley will undoubtedly be known in a few years as +one of the best amateur catchers, and if he goes to college he should +make a record for himself on the diamond. + +"TRACK ATHLETICS IN DETAIL."--ILLUSTRATED.--8VO, CLOTH, ORNAMENTAL, +$1.25. + + THE GRADUATE. + + + + +[Illustration: ROYAL BAKING POWDER] + + + + +[Illustration: THOMPSON'S EYE WATER] + + + + +HARPER'S NEW CATALOGUE, + +Thoroughly revised, classified, and indexed, will be sent by mail to any +address on receipt of ten cents. + + + + +[Illustration: BICYCLING] + + This Department is conducted in the interest of Bicyclers, and the + Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject. Our + maps and tours contain many valuable data kindly supplied from the + official maps and road-books of the League of American Wheelman. + Recognizing the value of the work being done by the L.A.W., the + Editor will be pleased to furnish subscribers with membership + blanks and information so far as possible. + + +[Illustration: Copyright, 1896, by Harper & Brothers.] + +This week we give a map of the city of Chicago. It will be observed that +all the streets of the city are not put down on the map, it being +impossible, on a small scale, to include them. A sufficient number of +the principal streets and avenues are given, however, to make it a +simple matter for a wheelman to place himself anywhere in the city, and +find the nearest route to asphalt, macadam, or wood-block pavement. The +roads which are suitable for wheeling are so arranged in the city, as +will be seen from the map, that it is possible to get to any part of it +without having much disagreeable riding. + +Starting from the Court-house and going north, the rider should cross +the Chicago River and run out Dearborn Street, turning into Lincoln +Park, and following the Lake Drive out through Evanston. This is not +only the most picturesque ride in the city of Chicago, but it is the +best method of getting out of the north of the city if you are on a trip +by the Lake shore. By turning to the left off the Lake Drive a little +more than half-way through Lincoln Park, crossing the park, and entering +Fullerton Avenue, you will find good wood-block pavement. Running out to +Milwaukee Avenue, and turning right into the latter, which is also block +pavement, you are on the northwest exit from the city. To leave the city +on the westward, cross the branch of the Chicago River, and run from the +Court-house out Washington Boulevard--which is partly asphalt and partly +macadam--pass through Garfield Park, and thence out of the city. + +On the south from the Court-house and post-office is one of the famous +runs in the vicinity of Chicago, or, as a matter of fact, in the middle +West. This is a fifteen-mile run to Pullman City. It is a capital road +all the way; it makes a good thirty-mile ride, and is one of the best +roads for a road race that can be had. There have been several +interesting experiments made on this route, such as military operations, +soldiers mounted on bicycles, and carrying of despatches, and there are +road races constantly being held. Leaving the Court-house, run to the +corner of Jackson Street, and Michigan Avenue Boulevard over +granite-block pavement, thence on Michigan Avenue Boulevard to the +corner of Thirty-fifth Street, where you may either turn to the left on +Thirty-fifth Street and run over to the Grand Boulevard, or keep +straight on Michigan Avenue Boulevard to Garfield Boulevard, turning +left into this and running into Washington Park. The former route is +better on account of the fact that by this route the rider has the +opportunity of passing through the entire length of Washington Park. On +reaching the Midway in Washington Park, turn to the left, cross the +park, and run eastward into Jackson Park, turning right into this, and +thence proceed to the south of Stony Island Avenue, which is block +pavement, and run by Hog Lake through South Chicago to Ninety-fifth +Street. At this point turn sharp to the right into Ninety-fifth Street, +turning soon again to the left, and running into Pullman City over a +road of good rideable gravel. This is a run of fifteen miles, and for +the entire distance the pavement and road-bed are not only good and kept +in the best of condition, but some of the road is through parks and the +rest through interesting scenery. At Pullman City you can get a good +seventy-five-cent dinner, and the ride out and back, with the rest at +Pullman, makes a capital wheelman's short tour. + +Another possible ride in Chicago is to run north from the Court-house, +through Lincoln Park, up the Lake Drive to Evanston; thence running back +by the same route, but keeping to the right after passing through half +Lincoln Park, running out Fullerton Avenue; thence turning left into +Humboldt Boulevard, following this through Humboldt Park and on to +Central Boulevard; thence turning left through Garfield Park, down West +Jackson Street to Ashland Avenue; turning right into this, proceed to +West Twelfth Street; thence by West Twelfth Street to Douglas Park, +through the park and southward by California Avenue, crossing the south +branch of the Chicago River, turning left into Thirty-first Street and +running westward to Western Avenue Boulevard, turning right again into +the latter and running to Garfield Boulevard at Tremont Ridge; thence by +Garfield Boulevard to Washington Park, and so returning by Grand Avenue +Boulevard and Michigan Avenue Boulevard to the Court-house, or running +southward to Pullman City, as already described. + + + + +[Illustration: STAMPS] + + This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin + collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question + on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondents should address + Editor Stamp Department. + + +We Americans pride ourselves on our new inventions, and economical +adaptation of systems and methods originated elsewhere. In postal +matters we still have much to learn. For instance, twenty years ago +Berlin introduced the pneumatic-tube system for the prompt delivery of +local letters. In 1879 Paris adopted the same system, and London, +Vienna, and other European cities followed suit. In London 60,000 +letters are daily sent through the tubes. + +Philadelphia has just been authorized by the P. O. Department to begin +the work of constructing such a system at once. It is proposed to have a +central pumping station at the new City Hall, from whence lines of pipes +will radiate to every part of the city. The diameter of the tubes is to +be eight inches, thus enabling packages of some size to be sent by this +method. The capacity of the tubes is to be 50,000 letters per hour. When +the system is completed Philadelphia will have the quickest local-mail +delivery in the world. Probably the New York and Brooklyn post-offices +will be connected by pneumatic tube in a few months, and the system is +bound to expand rapidly. It would not be surprising to find Boston, New +York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington connected by tubes, +enabling letters and parcels to be forwarded in as many hours as it now +takes days. The telegraph companies will be seriously affected by the +new system. + +The operation is very simple. The letters are placed in a leather tube +or carrier, which fits snugly into the pneumatic tube. Then a blast of +air from behind, or the suction of air from the front, or a combination +of the two methods, forces the carrier and its contents forward. As the +friction soon wears out the leather carriers, American genius will be +called upon to invent a metal carrier on "ball-bearings." With leather +tubes about ninety per cent. of the power applied is lost in overcoming +the friction and in waste, only ten per cent. of the total force applied +being used to propel the carrier. + +The charge for sending pneumatic letters in Paris was 15c. each in 1879, +and the territory covered was but a small part of the city. To-day every +part of Paris is reached by the tubes, and the charge is 10c. per +letter, the same as our special delivery. Nine varieties of the Paris +pneumatic letters are collected. Probably many of the readers of the +ROUND TABLE have one or more of them. They bear a map of the city on the +face of the envelope, showing the different sections served by this +post. The Berlin and Vienna pneumatic letters are simpler in design. +There are no special designs on the London envelopes. + +The latest development in Plate No. collecting is the great advance in +values of all the lower Nos. (say under No. 50) on _water-marked_ paper, +especially of the 1c. stamps. Probably not very many were printed, but +the chances are that many of the smaller post-offices still have some on +hand. One speculator in New York, who travels a great deal, makes it a +point to look over the stock of stamps on hand in every one of the +smaller post-offices whenever he gets permission. He has bought a very +large number, and the U. S. Post-Office Department is just so much +nearer a paying basis, as these stamps never get used in the way of +paying postage. + +At the last annual dinner of the London Philatelic Society, Mr. Castle +in a very humorous speech divided the purchasers of stamps into four +classes--bird, beasts, fishes, and reptiles. The birds were those who +collected stamps for the gratification of a hobby; the fishes were those +who watched the market and picked up bargains to sell them thereafter at +an advance; the beasts were, of course, the dealers who preyed on birds +and fishes to the best of their ability, and the reptiles were the +speculators who cornered everything they could find, and locked them up +while awaiting a rise of prices, and thereby prevented many collectors +completing their collections. + + C. H. OSMOND, St. Clair, Dunedin, New Zealand, wishes to exchange + stamps. + + J. O. HALL.--The 1861 pink is so scarce that I have known a dealer + to let his boy look over two million of the 1861-7 3c. stamps + without finding a single copy. The ordinary rose-color comes in a + multitude of shades. + + A. ALLEN.--"Silk threads" means a stamp printed on paper in which a + silk thread is embedded. The first stamps printed on this kind of + paper were the Great-Britain 10d. brown and 1s. green of 1847. The + paper is sometimes called "Dickinson" paper, from its maker. + Bavaria 1849-1868, Würtemberg 1857, Switzerland 1854-1862, are also + printed on this paper. Specialists in Switzerland stamps collect + the different sets on green, black, blue, yellow, white, purple, + and red threads. Other advanced collectors usually pay no attention + to the color of the thread. "Silk paper" in U. S. stamps means a + paper in which a lot of short fine filaments of silk have been + embedded when the paper was still in a pulpy condition. Usually + found on some of the U.S. Revenues. + + J. COOPER.--Yes. The Cuban stamps now offered in packages at such + low prices are genuine. It seems the Cuban government kept all + remainders for nearly twenty-five years, and have sold out the + entire lot of many millions to stamp-dealers. + + JOHN G. SAXE.--The 5-rouble gold piece is worth full face value. + Any money-broker will give you the full value, less a small charge + for exchange. + + C. B. N.--The present 5c. U.S. stamp is found in two conditions: 1. + From a new plate, very carefully printed; this shows a faint line + at the edge of the background on which the portrait is engraved; + this line is made by the engraver as a guide. 2. The ordinary + stamp, which does not show the line, or simply traces of it. This + refinement in varieties does not meet with the approval of + philatelists in general. + + YREKA.--There are many minor varieties of U. S. Revenues in colors + (shades), papers, etc. They are worth keeping if you are making up + a big collection. + + NED C.--The 1803 cent can be bought of dealers at 10c. each; the + 1820 dime for 50c. The French coin; no value. The Prussian coin has + no value in this country. + + CECIL RAWSON.--Your British Guiana stamp, from your description, is + the ordinary 1c. green, worth 5c. + + E. STEBBINS.--The U. S. 24c. 1861 is very common. All the other + U. S. 24c. are comparatively scarce. + + W. L. MCKINNON.--Your coin is a 3 skilling Norway. No value in this + country. + + G. H. CLARK.--The stamps are the so-called "Dominical" or "Sabbath" + stamps issued in Belgium two years ago. On the Continent of Europe + it is customary to deliver letters on Sunday. Some years ago a + large number of Belgic citizens petitioned the government to forbid + the delivery of letters on Sunday, or at least to make it optional + on the part of the sender. As a result all stamps were issued in + the following form: The lower part of the stamp bears the + instruction, in the French and Flemish languages, "Do not deliver + on Sunday." If the sender wishes the letter delivered on Sunday he + tears off this part of the stamp. + + [Illustration] + + G. H. C.--The word "Julia" in small letters on the bust of portrait + on some of the Spanish stamps is the name of the engraver. Funchal + is the capital of the Island of Madeira, with its special series of + Portuguese colonial stamps. "Continente" is the main land of + Portugal. New Brunswick never issued any stamped envelopes. + + PHILATUS. + + * * * * * + +LAUGHING BABIES + +are loved by everybody. Those raised on the Gail Borden Eagle Brand +Condensed Milk are comparatively free from sickness. _Infant Health_ is +a valuable pamphlet for mothers. Send your address for a copy to New +York Condensed Milk Co., N. Y.--[_Adv._] + + + + +ADVERTISEMENTS. + + + + +Postage Stamps, &c. + + + + +$117.50 WORTH OF STAMPS FREE + +to agents selling stamps from my 50% approval sheets. Send at once for +circular and price-list giving full information. + +C. W. Grevning, Morristown, N. J. + + + + +[Illustration: STAMPS] + +100 all dif. Venezuela, Bolivia, etc., only 10c., 200 all dif. Hayti, +Hawaii, etc., only 50c. Ag'ts w't'd at 50% com. List FREE! =C. A. +Stegmann=, 5941 Cote Brilliante Ave., St. Louis, Mo + + + + +STAMPS + +=10= stamps and large list =FREE=! + +L. DOVER & CO., 1469 Hodiamont, St. Louis, Mo. + + + + +[Illustration: THOMPSON'S EYE WATER] + + + + +JOSEPH GILLOTT'S + +STEEL PENS + +Nos. 303, 404, 170, 604 E.F., 601 E.F. + +And other styles to suit all hands. + +THE MOST PERFECT OF PENS. + + + + +Midsummer Jaunt by a Bird-lover. + + + During the last week in June I decided to take a day off and go + trout-fishing. Promptly after breakfast I mounted my bicycle, and + was soon spinning up the "river road." In five minutes I arrived at + the brook, leaned my "bike" against a neighboring barn, and + started. I was at once interested in the swallows which were + skimming around, almost touching the ground in their low sweeping + flight. Once two of them tried to go in a hole at once, and a + lively scrap resulted. + + I soon found a willow rod, to which I tied my line, and after + putting a little worm on my flies I commenced fishing. As usual, + "skeeters" were plentiful, and I turned up my coat collar for + protection. Robins were numerous in the pasture, hopping fearlessly + among the cows. After going a mile and a half through pasture and + bits of woodland, I came to the end of the brook without having + caught a fish. + + I recollected having been told of another brook about a quarter of + a mile from the one I was fishing in, and I decided to hunt it up. + I easily found the road which ran through the woods. I had not gone + far before I became aware that birds were numerous, for a little + oven-bird ran across the road into a brush-heap, where it was + joined by its mate. I could not get through the underbrush as fast + as they could, so they were soon lost to view. Further on a + blue-jay flew screaming through the woods, starting the little red + squirrels. + + The woods were alive with chickadees, an unusual occurrence, and + for some time all I heard was chickadee-dee-dee-chickadee-dee. The + brook was a small one, and the woods were thick, so I rolled on the + end of my pole all but a foot of my line. I fished the brook for + about an eighth of a mile and succeeded in catching a great number + of fingerlings, which of course I threw back, and one 6-1/4-inch + trout. As the law said 6 inches, I kept it. + + On the way back I spied a cat-bird on a maple sapling. Near the + place where I saw the oven-bird my eye caught a glimpse of gaudy + colors, and, following them up, I discovered a male Maryland + yellow-throat. He was soon joined by his mate, and both of them + hopped into a brush-heap. I was greatly elated, as yellow-throats + are a rarity about Springfield. Near the barn were two huge + chestnut-trees overhanging the brook, and as I was tired I sat down + on the ground and leaned against the smaller tree. Suddenly a + series of loud knocks and a pick-wick-wick-wick right over my head + caused me to hop to my feet. My movements started the flickers, + which flew up the brook, and, to my surprise, alighted on the + ground. + + Several kingbirds were perched on a rail fence near by, and now and + then darted off after some insect. A meadow-lark whistled far up + the pasture, and a solitary sand-piper teetered along the brook. + While crossing the Connecticut River on my way home I noted a + belted kingfisher on a dead limb. I arrived home in time for + dinner, and you may be sure I had soon eaten my trout. While writing + this a bird-note called me out-doors. There I found many + bird-loving neighbors intently watching a pair of red-breasted + grosbeaks. The male was resplendent in his fine colors, but the + poor little brown and white female looked dilapidated. + + ALBERT W. ATWATER. + SPRINGFIELD, MASS. + + * * * * * + +"Where'd I leave That?" + + To-day I paid a visit to the room in which are stored the articles + left by passengers on one of the great railways entering New York. + People leave many articles in the cars, and forget to call for all + of them. Indeed, not more than one-third of the things found in the + cars are ever claimed by owners. On the other hand, very few things + that are claimed and accurately described fail to be recovered. + Every railway keeps a store-room for lost articles, and employs are + under strict orders to send all articles to it. + + Perhaps you can guess what a lot of odd things I saw in this + store-room! Of course there were such common things as books, + umbrellas, and, rubbers. A few of each? Oh no, not a few only, but + barrel upon barrel of rubbers, a library of books, and enough + umbrellas to fill a twenty-bushel bin. But the queer things + included--what do you think? Well, half a dozen sets of false + teeth, more than one hundred night-robes, a score or more of + eye-glasses, and two razors. Any live-stock? Not in this room, for + the attendant told me such things had to be cared for, and could + not be stored here; but during the past few weeks, he said, there + had been turned in two canaries, three kittens, a lap-dog, and a + parrot! + + There are not a few pocket-books found, but these are invariably + called for. Some months ago a man left a book containing $54,000 in + one of the sleeping-cars, and books containing $100 to $1000 are + quite often found. Rather odd, too, is the fact that the people who + leave most of these things in the cars are old travellers. + Excursionists and others unfamiliar with the ways of travel look + after their possessions. It is the confident man or woman who + leaves the car and leaves his or her valise or lap-dog behind. + + If your friends are coming to New York soon, tell them that the + value of articles forgotten by passengers entering this city every + year foots up into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that + they will do well not to contribute anything to this wasteful fund. + + JOHN B. HENDERSON, R.T.K. + NEW YORK. + + * * * * * + +A Rare Bittern. + +"In our reading lesson to-day occurred a reference to a tiger-bittern. +Our natural history does not mention it. Can you tell me if there is +such a bird? Ella F. Loomis, Steubenville, O." The tiger-bittern is +found in the West Indies and in South America, but is rare. It is a +trifle smaller than the United States blue heron, and has a bill much +shorter. The coloring is most beautiful. From the top of the head to the +last row of feathers on the legs it is barred precisely like the Bengal +tiger, the stripes of bright yellow showing up in striking contrast to +the black. The bars are most regular. + +If the skin of this bittern were spread out on the floor at some +distance from you, you would assert it to be a portion of a tiger-skin. +Like many other varieties of crane, heron, and bittern, this bird is +sought for its plumes, and is becoming rarer every year. + + * * * * * + +The Law She Intended to Practise. + +In our day women enter occupations which earlier times thought belonged +exclusively to men. The wife of one of the men now before the people as +a candidate for President of the United States is a lawyer. At the time +of her admission to the bar she was the head of a household and mother +of two children. Asked her specialty in law practice, she replied, +"Home-rule." + + * * * * * + +Answers to Kinks. + +No. 8. + +1, Lark--Shakespeare. 2, Cock--Longfellow. 3, Jay--Longfellow. +4, Bluebird--Longfellow. 5, Duck--O. W. Holmes. 6, Turtle-dove--D. +Conway. 7, Cuckoo--Shakespeare. 8, Cuckoo--Shakespeare. 9, +Pheasant--William Howitt. 10, Gull--O. W. Holmes. 11, White +owl--Longfellow. 12, Eagle--Mrs. Barbauld. 13, Nightingale--Coleridge. +14, Nightingale--Coleridge. + + * * * * * + +Kinks. + +No. 9.--CENTRAL ACROSTIC. + +If the cross-words--of equal length--are correctly solved, the central +letters, reading downward, will spell the name of a Greek hero whose +life ended with the burning of a brand. + +Cross-words.--1. A weight used in sounding. 2. Cuts into two parts. 3. A +large wild-duck; the greenhead. 4. An overseer. 5. Imprisonment. 6. Long +gaiters. 7. A plant clinging by tendrils. 8. Bespangled. + + * * * * * + +No. 10.--A MATHEMATICAL MELANGE. + +From the date of the siege of Saragossa subtract that of Valentinian's +death: add the number of letters in the name of a common article; divide +by the number of Henry VIII.'s wives; multiply by a German word of +denial; divide by the number of letters in a whip used for punishing +criminals; subtract the age of the "Sage of Monticello"; add the weight +of the giant anvil at the Woolwich Arsenal, England, and that of the +Braganza diamond (in carats). The square root of the first half of this +number multiplied by 1/37 of the second half will give the number of +letters in the name of "The Blooming Grace." Who is she? + + VINCENT V. M. BEEDE. + + * * * * * + +No. 11.--A RIDDLE. + +I have no substance, and generally no intelligent relation to time or +times. Sometimes I am sensible, but oftener I am absurd. Yet I have +great influence, and not infrequently change the plans of people. +Indeed, I have helped to change the history of the world. What am I? + + * * * * * + +No. 12.--A RECEIPT. + + To decapitate a notion + Of course makes it dead, + But gives what is put + On the murderer's head. + A further beheadment + Will make what you pay + When you purchase an article + At a shop some day. + Again you behead + With a very quick motion, + And at once there's a plant + That is part of the notion. + Behead once more + And the first part you see + Of what our confection + Is going to be. + Take a measure of paper + To form the second. + Prefix one hundred + In proper shape reckoned. + Join this to the first, + And I'm sure you will say + It's a delightful treat + For a hot summer day. + + * * * * * + +No. 13.--AN ENDLESS CHAIN. + +The first syllable of every word is the second of the preceding word. +The first syllable of the first word is the second syllable of the last. +All words are dissyllables. + +An animal--the tonic--a brief communication--a longer +one--fear--relating to dew--to assign--a game--a citadel--a disease of +rye--obtained--delicate--the true skin--naval--pertaining to the +kidneys--to frighten--steel covering--human--grease--a poet--not rare. + + SIMON T. STERN. + + + + +[Illustration: THE CAMERA CLUB.] + + Any questions in regard to photograph matters will be willingly + answered by the Editor of this column, and we should be glad to + hear from any of our club who can make helpful suggestions. + +COPYING PICTURES WITH A CAMERA. + + +Copying pictures may seem to be a very simple matter, for the subject +does not even need to be posed, and will remain motionless for any +length of time; but there are several points connected with the copying +of pictures which are of importance if one wishes to make a correct +copy. For convenience the pictures to be copied might be divided into +three classes. I. Black and white pictures, such as engravings, +wood-cuts, wash-drawings, etchings, etc. II. Photographs and half-tones. +III. Oil-paintings, colored pastels, etc. + +The first thing to be considered is the arranging of the camera so that +it will be exactly perpendicular with the picture. A copying-stand is a +great convenience, but, like many other conveniences, not an actual +necessity. A vertical support, with the drawing or picture placed in +such a manner that its centre shall come on an exact line with the +centre of the lens is all that is required. A board the width of the bed +of the camera, and perhaps five feet in length, will answer every +purpose of a copying-stand. At one end of this board fasten a small +piece of board in such a way that it shall be at exactly right angles +with the long board. This small board is the support for the picture. +The camera either rests on the board, or is raised a little above it by +a small block, the adjustment depending on the size of the picture to be +copied. To find whether the centre of the lens corresponds with that of +the picture, place the camera quite near the picture, thread a piece of +silk through the centre of the lens cap, place the cap on the lens, and +carry the string to the centre of the picture. In this way one can +readily see whether the two centres correspond with each other. + +In copying a black and white picture we want no half-tones or shadows, +so that if the paper has a grain it must be placed in a strong front +light. An all-round illumination, which can be had by using the +apparatus out-of-doors, is the best lighting, as there is no possibility +of shadows. + +The most suitable plate for copying a black and white picture is the +brand called "photo-mechanical." If these plates are not easily +obtained, use a very slow plate. + +Place the picture on the support upside down, fastening it very securely +with thumb-tacks. If the paper is thin, place a piece of red or black +paper behind the picture. This should always be done if the picture is +being copied from a book, or there is any printed matter on the reverse +side of the picture. + +In copying pictures from books a thin piece of flat board should be put +back of the leaf, and the leaf held in place by two stout rubber straps. + +In copying photographs or half-tone prints, a plate of medium rapidity +should be used. If there are heavy shadows a more rapid plate is +required. A small diaphragm must be used in order to have the picture +sharp at the edges. + +In copying colored pictures the only plate to use is the orthochromatic +plate. This will render the true color values of the different tints in +the picture. Oil-paintings require more care in lighting than other +colored pictures, in order to avoid the brush marks appearing in the +photographs. + +The plates are developed in the same way as if made direct from the +object, hydroquinon and pyro giving the best results. + +If one has been unfortunate enough to break a valuable negative, but has +a good print from it, a small negative may be made from the photograph, +and from this small negative an enlargement can easily be produced. + + SIR KNIGHT CHARLES H. WOODS asks if the "Eureka" camera is a good + camera, as he wishes to buy a 4 by 5 camera and does not wish an + expensive one. The "Eureka" does very good work, but is not as + convenient a camera as one of the hand-cameras at the same price. + + + + +[Illustration: Ivory Soap] + +An experienced laundress will tell you that shirts never look as white +as when washed with Ivory Soap. + +THE PROCTER & GAMBLE CO., CIN'TI. + + + + +[Illustration] + +THE + +BALTIMOREAN PRINTING-PRESS + +has earned more money for boys than all other presses in the market. +Boys, don't idle away your time when you can buy a self-inking +printing-press, type, and complete outfit for $5.00. Write for +particulars, there is money in it for you. + +THE J. F. W. DORMAN CO., + +Baltimore, Md., U.S.A. + + + + +[Illustration] + +EARN A TRICYCLE. + +We wish to Introduce our Teas. Sell 30 lbs. and we will give you a Fairy +Tricycle: sell 25 lbs. for a solid Silver Watch and Chain; 50 lbs. for a +Gold Watch and Chain; 75 lbs. for a Bicycle; 10 lbs. for a Gold Ring. +Write for catalog and order sheet Dept. I + +W. G. BAKER, + +Springfield, Mass. + + + + +Hold their place in the front rank of the publications to which they +belong.--_Boston Journal_, Feb. 19, 1896. + +HARPER'S + +PERIODICALS + + MAGAZINE, $4.00 a Year + WEEKLY, $4.00 a Year + BAZAR, $4.00 a Year + ROUND TABLE, $2.00 a Year + + + + +[Illustration: THOMPSON'S EYE WATER] + + + + +BOOKS WORTH HAVING + + * * * * * + +FOR KING OR COUNTRY + +A Story of the American Revolution. By JAMES BARNES. Illustrated. Post +8vo, Cloth, Ornamental $1.50. + +OAKLEIGH + +By ELLEN DOUGLAS DELAND. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, +$1.25. + +LITTLE KNIGHTS AND LADIES + +Verses for Young People. By MARGARET E. SANGSTER, Author of "On the Road +Home," etc. Illustrated. 16mo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25. + +THE STORY OF BABETTE + +A Little Creole Girl. By RUTH MCENERY STUART. Illustrated. Post 8vo, +Cloth, Ornamental, $1.50. + +TOMMY TODDLES + +By ALBERT LEE. Illustrated by PETER S. NEWELL. Square 16mo, Cloth, +Ornamental, $1.25. + +AFLOAT WITH THE FLAG + +By W. J. HENDERSON, Author of "Sea Yarns for Boys," etc. Illustrated. +Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25. + +A LIFE OF CHRIST FOR YOUNG PEOPLE + +In Questions and Answers. By MARY HASTINGS FOOTE. With Map. Post 8vo, +Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25. + +BIBLE STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE + +By the Right Rev. HENRY C. POTTER, D.D., and Others. Illustrated. Post +8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.00. + + * * * * * + +Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. + + + + +[Illustration: NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION.] + + * * * * * + +AMBITIOUS. + +"Wisht I wuz a cork," said Jack. "They can swim all day and never get +drownded." + + * * * * * + +JIM'S JOKE. + +CHARLIE. "Catch any fish down at Beachville?" + +JIM. "Yes. Caught a brook-trout yesterday." + +CHARLIE. "Brook-trout? At the sea-shore? Whereabouts?" + +JIM. "At the dinner table." + + * * * * * + +A CORRECTION. + +"Look at that old sea-dog," said Uncle George, pointing out the old +sailor. + +"He ain't a sea-dog," said Bob. "He runs a cat-boat." + + * * * * * + +HOW IT IS DONE. + +HARRY (_who is not yet up in bicycular slang_). "I say, Will, how do you +do when you scorch?" + +WILL. "Pretty well, I thank you. If you wish to scorch, say in the +Park, just let your wheel go like forty. The bicycle cop will do the +arrest. That's scorching." + + * * * * * + +A FAMILY RESEMBLANCE. + +DR. BALSAM. "Your boy favors you greatly, Mr. Hillside--that is, takes +after you." + +FARMER HILLSIDE. "He'd favor me more, Doctor, ef he'd only obey me. He +don't take after me; but I tell you his mother takes after him when he +don't toe the mark she chalks for him." + + * * * * * + +A BUSINESS SESSION. + +RAYMOND. "Papa, you say Congress is in session when it is sitting, don't +you?" + +PAPA. "Certainly, my boy." + +RAYMOND. "Well, then, would it be wrong for me to say that our old +Plymouth Rock hen is now in session in the barn?" + + * * * * * + +A fat old gentleman in a light gray suit got into an elevated train at +Thirty-fourth Street, and bustled every one out of his way in order to +secure the only vacant seat left on the shady side of the car. As soon +as he had thrown himself into the seat, he buried his face in a +newspaper in order that he might not see how many women were standing in +the car. The train had hardly pulled out of the station when a poorly +dressed and undoubtedly Irish woman who sat next to him touched him on +the arm, and said, + +"I beg your pardon, sorr--" + +The old gentleman looked up and frowned, and then turned to his +newspaper again. + +"Will you be so good, sorr--" began the woman again. + +The fat man in the gray suit glared savagely, but gave no reply. Several +times the woman tried to make him speak. At last, just after the guard +had announced "Ninth Street!" the woman said again, "I really beg your +pardon, sorr, but--" + +The fat man turned upon her savagely, his face very red, and exclaimed, + +"If you don't stop talking to me, woman, I'll call the conductor and +have you put off the car!" + +"Shure, sorr," exclaimed the woman, "I'm afther gettin' off at Ninth +Street, but, conductor or no conductor, I won't get out until you get +off my butter that you've been sittin' in since you got on at +Thirty-fourth Street!" + + * * * * * + +A gentleman recently returned from travelling in England brought back +the following story, which he tells with such hearty laughter as to make +one believe that to have seen the incident were better than to read +about it: + +The engineer of a train, or rather driver, as they call him in England, +not shutting off steam soon enough, ran his train some distance past the +station. He backed down again, but either through carelessness or +defective machinery his engine ran some distance the other way. The +station-master, exceedingly wroth at the first miscalculation, was +simply spluttering with wrath at the second, and running down the track +he yelled out: + +"Hold on there! Stop where you are! We'll just shift the station up to +you, being as you can't get up to it." + + * * * * * + +Freddie was sent down stairs by his uncle to bring up a pair of tan +shoes. The youngster returned with two shoes, one of which was laced and +the other buttoned. + +"That isn't the right pair, Freddie," said his uncle. "I can't wear +those. They are not mates. Where are the others?" + +The little boy looked somewhat puzzled for a moment, and then said, "I +don't think you can wear the other pair, uncle; it isn't alike, either." + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Harper's Round Table, July 28, 1896, by Various + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58875 *** |