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diff --git a/59523-0.txt b/59523-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..02d9beb --- /dev/null +++ b/59523-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2103 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 59523 *** + + + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE] + + * * * * * + +VOL. III.--NO. 147. PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK. PRICE FOUR +CENTS. + +Tuesday, August 22, 1882. Copyright, 1882, by HARPER & BROTHERS. $1.50 +per Year, in Advance. + + * * * * * + + + + +[Illustration: THE LITTLE SISTERS.] + + + + +EGYPTIAN HISTORY. + +BY EUGENE LAWRENCE. + + +Egypt is the most interesting of countries, because it is probably the +oldest. We borrow from it nearly all our arts and sciences, and have +only improved upon what the Egyptians taught us. Our alphabet and the +art of writing came from the banks of the Nile. It was carried to +Phoenicia, then to Greece and Rome, and then to Europe and America. +The Egyptians invented the lever, by which all engines are moved, and +electricity and steam made useful. Egyptian glass-makers, goldsmiths, +painters, weavers, builders and stone-cutters, miners, gardeners, and +even poets and historians, have taught their arts to all the Western +nations; Moses studied in the Egyptian colleges, and Joseph and his +father looked upon its Pyramids and temples with wonder. + +The land of Egypt is a deposit of mud brought down by the floods of the +Nile from the mountains of Middle Africa. Every year the river overflows +its banks, and renews the fertility of the soil by a new deposit, and +these regular inundations have been so provided for by embankments and +canals as to be seldom dangerous. The Nile scarcely ever sweeps away the +flocks and harvests of the farmers, like the Mississippi. It would be +well if the Mississippi could be made as useful as the Nile. + +This flat land of mud rests on rocks and sand. On each side of it is a +desert, bare, hot, and stifling. A desert divides it from Asia. It is +isolated from the world, and here for several thousand years the +Egyptian Pharaohs ruled over an obedient people, and their people +invented and practiced those useful arts which they were afterward to +teach to others. The first King of Egypt is supposed to have been Menes; +he reigned about 3000 B.C. Thirty-one dynasties or families of Kings +follow Menes, and the Egyptian kingdom had lasted more than two thousand +five hundred years when it was conquered by Alexander the Great. The +Assyrians, Persians, and even the Ethiopians had conquered it before, +but had been driven out by the rising of the people. For two thousand +years the Egyptians were free and united. The oldest modern kingdom +counts scarcely eight hundred years, and our own government nearly one +hundred. + +The Egyptians were a dark-colored race, and came probably from Asia. +They lived alone upon the banks of the Nile, shut out from the world. +All Europe was then a wilderness filled with wild beasts and a few +savage men. All was waste and desolate. The savage people who surrounded +Egypt were like our American Indians, ignorant and treacherous. Had they +been able they would have broken in upon the industrious Egyptians, +sacked and burned their cities, and robbed them of all they possessed. +They would have destroyed temples and palaces, houses and gardens, ships +and factories, and left us without any of the Egyptian inventions and +improvements. But fortunately the deserts and the sea for two thousand +years at least kept the savages away. The country grew rich and +flourishing; the banks of the Nile were lined with fine farms as fertile +as those of Kansas or Dakota. The wheat was full and white. The gardens +of Egypt produced beans, onions, cabbages, and were filled with flowers. +Countless towns and cities sprang up along the Nile. Some of them were +as large, perhaps, as Chicago or New York. The rich land swarmed with +people. The families of the Egyptians lived in comfortable houses; the +children were usually taught in the temples to read and write; all were +taught to work; they were well dressed and very neat; and when Joseph +governed the land with discretion and good sense, there was no part of +the Western world that could equal the intelligence and civilization of +Egypt. Its cities, temples, palaces, farms, and gardens were the wonder +of the ancient historians. + +To-day Egypt is an impoverished country, distracted by civil war. +Alexandria, once one of the most magnificent cities of the world, lies +in ashes, and the people throughout the land are suffering all the +horrors of famine amidst their plundered and ruined homes. Long ages of +mis-rule and ignorance have brought the fruitful and prosperous land to +this terrible condition. In the days of Joseph the armies of Egypt might +have withstood the world. Now the conqueror is at her gates, disorder +rages within, and peace and prosperity can return to her borders only +under the protection of a foreign power. + + + + +A GOOD SWORD-STROKE; + +OR, HOW COLONEL DE MALET MET HIS MATCH. + +BY DAVID KER. + + +There was high frolic going on in a small town of Southern France one +fine summer morning toward the end of the last century. The great local +fair, which only came once in six months, was in full swing, and the +queer little market-place of the town, with its old-fashioned fountain +in the middle, and its tall dark houses, all round, was crowded to +overflowing. Here was a juggler eating fire, or pulling ribbons out of +his mouth by the yard, amid a ring of wondering peasants. There an +acrobat was turning head over heels, and then walking on his hands with +his feet up in the air. A little farther on a show of dancing dogs had +gathered a large crowd; and close by a sly-looking fellow in a striped +frock, leaning over the front of a wagon, was recommending a certain +cure for toothache, which, however, judging from the wry faces of those +who ventured to try it, must have been almost as bad as the complaint +itself. + +The chief attraction of the fair, however, seemed to be a tall, gaunt +man, with an unmistakably Italian face, who was standing on a low +platform beside the fountain. He had been exhibiting some wonderful +feats of swordsmanship, such as throwing an apple into the air and +cutting it in two as it fell, tossing up his sword and catching it by +the hilt, striking an egg with it so lightly as not even to break the +shell, and others equally marvellous. At length, having collected a +great throng around him, he stepped forward, and challenged any one +present to try a sword bout with him, on the condition that whichever +was first disarmed should forfeit to the other half a livre (ten cents). + +Several troopers who were swaggering about the market-place, for there +was a cavalry regiment quartered in the town, came up one after another +to try their hand upon him. But to the great delight of the crowd they +all got the worst of it; and one might have guessed from the eagerness +with which the poor Italian snatched up the money, as well as from his +pale face and hollow cheeks, that he did not often earn so much in one +day. + +Suddenly the crowd parted to right and left as a handsome young man in a +fine gold-laced coat and plumed hat, with a silver-hilted sword by his +side, forced his way through the press, and confronted the successful +swordsman. + +"You handle your blade so well, my friend," cried he, "that I should +like to try a bout with you myself, for I'm thought to be something of a +swordsman. But before we begin, take these two livres and get yourself +some food at the French Lily yonder, for you look tired and hungry, and +it's no fair match between a fasting man and a full one." + +"Now may Heaven bless you, my lord, whoever you may be!" said the man, +fervently; "for you're the first who has given me a kindly word this +many a day. I can hardly expect to be a match for you, but if you will +be pleased to wait but ten minutes, I'll gladly do my best." + +The fencer was as good as his word, and the moment he was seen to +remount the platform the lookers-on crowded eagerly around it, expecting +a well-fought bout; for they had all seen what he could do, and they now +recognized his new opponent as the young Marquis de Malet, who had the +name of being the best swordsman in the whole district. + +Their expectations were not disappointed. For the first minute or so the +watching eyes around could hardly follow the swords, which flickered to +and fro like flashes of lightning, feinting, warding, striking, +parrying, till they seemed to be everywhere at once. De Malet at first +pressed his man vigorously, but finding him more skillful than he had +expected, he began to fight more cautiously, and to aim at tiring him +out. + +This artful plan seemed likely to succeed, for the Italian at length +lowered his weapon for a moment, as if his hand was growing wearied. But +as De Malet made a rapid stroke at him, the other suddenly _changed the +sword from his right to his left hand_, and catching the Marquis's blade +in reverse, sent it flying among the crowd below. + +"Well done!" cried the young man, admiringly. "I thought I knew most +tricks of fence, but I never saw one like that before." + +"I could teach it to your lordship in a week," said the Italian. "For a +man of your skill nothing is needed but practice." + +"Say you so?" cried De Malet. "Then the sooner we begin, the better. +Come home with me, and stay till you've taught me all you know. One +doesn't meet a man like you every day." + +And so for a month to come Antonio Spalatro was the guest of Henri de +Malet; and the young Marquis learned to perform the feat which had +excited his wonder quite as dexterously as the Italian himself. + + * * * * * + +White lay the snow upon the fields outside the blazing city of Moscow. +The Russians had fired their own capital. The veteran bands of Napoleon +were fleeing from fire to perish amid ice and snow. + +"Down with the French dog!" + +"Cut him to pieces!" + +"Send a bullet through him!" + +A dozen arms were raised at once against the solitary man, who, with his +back against a wall, and one foot on the body of his horse, sternly +confronted them. Henri de Malet (now Colonel De Malet, of the French +Cuirassiers) was still the same dashing fellow as ever, though +twenty-three years had passed since he took his first lesson in fencing +from Spalatro, the Italian, of whom he had never heard a word all this +while. But if Spalatro was gone, his teaching was not, and De Malet's +sword seemed to be everywhere at once, keeping the swarming Russians at +bay, as it had done many a time already during the terrible retreat +which was now approaching its end. + +"Leave him to me," cried a deep voice from behind; "he's a man worth +fighting, this fellow!" + +"Ay, leave him to the Colonel," chorussed the Russians. "_He'll_ soon +settle his fine fencing tricks." + +A tall dark man, whose close-cropped black hair was just beginning to +turn gray, stepped forward, and crossed swords with De Malet, who, +feeling at once that he had met his match, stood warily on the +defensive. The Russian grenadiers watched eagerly as the swords flashed +and fell and rose again, while the combatants, breathing hard, and +setting their teeth, struck, parried, advanced, and retreated by turns. +At length De Malet, finding himself hard pressed, tried the blow taught +him by Spalatro; but the stranger met it with a whirling back stroke +that whisked the sword clean out of his hand. Instead of cutting him +down, however, the Russian seized him by the hand with a cry of joy. + +"There's but _one_ man in the French army who knows that stroke," cried +he, "and I'm glad to see you remember so well what I taught you. Now at +last Spalatro the officer can repay the kindness shown to Spalatro the +vagabond. When I came over here with the Russian Prince to whom you so +kindly recommended me, they soon found out that I could handle soldiers +as well as swords, and gave me a commission in the army, and here I am, +Colonel Spalatro, with the Cross of St. George, and a big estate in +Central Russia. Now if you fall into the hands of our soldiers you'll be +killed to a certainty, so you'd better come with me to head-quarters, +where I'll report you as my prisoner. You will be safe under my charge +until there's a chance of sending you home, and then you are welcome to +go as soon as you please." + +And Colonel Spalatro was as good as his word. + + + + +THE RIVER GETS INTO TROUBLE. + +BY CHARLES BARNARD. + + +A short time ago I told you something about a strange fight that took +place between a travelling beach and a river. The beach got the best of +it, and the river was obliged to turn aside, and find a way out to sea +in another direction. No doubt if there were Indians living there at the +time, they thought it a great disaster. Perhaps they were in the habit +of sailing down the river to the sea in search of fish and oysters. When +the beach closed up the mouth of the river, they thought it a strange +and terrible event. If it had happened last summer, the people who live +up the river would have called it a great calamity. The river would have +found a new outlet, and perhaps have torn up the land, swept away farms +and houses, and caused great destruction of property. There were no +farms there at the time, for it all happened a long time ago. + +There are many places in the world where the sea has cast up sand-bars +and beaches, and has changed the whole face of the country. These +travelling beaches and growing sand-bars sometimes close up the rivers, +and sometimes turn bays into lakes, and these lakes in time turn into +dry land. The great South Bay, on Long Island, is one of these places +where great changes are going on; the meadow back of Chelsea Beach, near +Boston, is another. + +When a beach makes trouble for a river, the river behaves very +strangely. At first it is quiet, and does not say much. It rests awhile, +as if to gain strength, and then some day it makes a grand rush, and +tries to break down the barrier the beach has thrown across its mouth. +If it fails, it turns aside and goes out another way; but it soon +settles down into a kind of sullen silence. It seems to be discouraged, +and instead of a swift and pleasant river, it turns into a sluggish +stream that does not seem to care for anything except to creep along in +a lazy fashion. + +Now a great and wonderful change begins. Before, it was swift and muddy. +Now, the dull water begins to grow clearer, and the mud and fine sand in +the water sink softly down to the bottom. The water spreads wider and +wider on each side, and instead of a river running into the sea, there +is a broad pool or lagoon behind the beach. Then month by month, year +after year, the river brings down the mud and sand from the country and +drops them far and wide over the broad salt-water lake. + +Perhaps the beach in cutting off the river shut in a part of the sea, so +that there are fish and oysters, sea-mosses and crabs, shut in behind +the beach. They do not seem to care. They grow all the better in the +still water, safe from those terrible waves that used to tear them from +the sand in storms. The oysters find the quiet water a good home, and +they grow there by millions on millions. As the old fellows die or are +killed by the star-fish, the young oysters build their homes on top of +the shells of their fathers. Millions of other fish, hermit-crabs, +lobsters, and clams, live and die there, and they too cover the bottom +of the lagoon with their dead shells. Thus it happens that even the +fishes begin to fill up the place by covering the bottom with their +empty houses. + +Far up the river are weeds and grasses growing along the edge of the +water. They drop their seeds in the river, and the seeds float down till +they reach the smooth water behind the beach. The sea-birds find the +warm waters of the lagoon a good feeding-place, and they gather there by +hundreds. They too bring seeds from distant places and drop them here. +Perhaps in quiet corners where the water is not quite as salt as in the +sea these seeds find a chance to grow. They spring up on the banks of +mud left here by the tide. The poor things find their new home very +different from the place where they were born, and they have a hard +struggle to live. Still they make a brave fight for existence, and even +if they die, their dead stalks and leaves serve as a bed for new seeds +to live still longer another year. + +Then comes another change. The sea plants growing under water find the +still water very different from the open sea where they grew before the +beach cut them off from their home. The river is all the time bringing +down fresh-water, and as the beach cuts off the sea, the water in the +lagoon begins to grow fresh. From year to year the water tastes less +like sea water, and more like river water. The poor plants were meant +for the sea, and the brackish water does not suit them. The beautiful +purple mosses, the long brown weeds, and the bright green sea-lettuce +fade and die. They fall down, and make a black mould on the bottom of +the lake. The poor fish feel it too. The clams and oysters miss the +salt-water. Then the terrible mud smothers and chokes them, and they and +the other fish die, and their empty shells cover the muddy bottom of the +still water. + +All this may take years and years, yet the change goes steadily on. The +grasses grow higher, and higher, and tiny spears of marsh grass stand up +out of water where once it was quite deep. The lake is filling up, and +year by year the grass spreads over the water. + +[Illustration: OFF BARNEGAT, NEW JERSEY COAST.] + +In this picture you see just such a place as this near Barnegat, on the +coast of New Jersey. The grass has already begun to form islands in the +water. The river appears to get discouraged, and wanders about as if it +did not know what to do. The grass spreads wider and wider, and the lake +begins to look like a green and level meadow. Men come in long boots +wading through the shallow water and cut the grass. When it is dried, it +is called salt hay. Cattle like to eat it, for it has a flavor of the +old, old sea that once rolled over the place. + +Every year the black wet soil grows firmer. Men dig trenches through it +to let the water drain away. Along the banks of the river they pile the +black peaty sods in long rows. This makes a dike or dam to keep the +river from spreading over the grass in floods. Now the land begins to +dry very fast. Wild cranberries, "cat-o'-nine-tails," and young bushes +spring up. Perhaps a road is laid out over the meadows, and then houses +are built, and boys and girls come to live on the smooth plain that grew +out of the sea. + +If you should visit the meadows at Chelsea, in Massachusetts, you would +see just such a lagoon shut in by a travelling beach. It is nearly dry +now, and in summer you will see the farmers cutting the salt grass. The +Great South Bay on Long Island is another place where the change is +going on. If you cross the Hackensack Meadows near Jersey City, you will +see the work nearly finished. This vast level plain was once all water. +The Passaic and the Hackensack rivers still wind through the level +fields, but the work has gone so far that the land is now nearly dry. +How it happened that all this great lake came to be filled up we can not +tell, but we can plainly see that it was once water and is now turning +to dry land. + +How do we know all this about these meadows along the coast? Some of the +places look very nearly the same to-day as two hundred years ago. The +Indians never said that the water once flowed here. There is no record +of these things. Indeed! There are plenty of records. + +In the first place, you can almost always find the beach at the outside +of the meadows. Nearly all the beaches on Long Island have meadows +behind them. There may not be a river near, but that makes no +difference, for sometimes a beach may grow across a bay between two +capes. + +If we dig a hole deep down into such a meadow we may find the whole +story. First we turn up the black sod full of stems and roots of the +grass. Under this the soil is finer, for the roots and leaves have +moulded away. What's that? The spade strikes something hard. It is flat +and rough, and covered with fine black mould. Wash it well, and we find +it is a shell--an oyster shell. Strange that it should be there. Dig +deeper, and we find more, perhaps a great quantity of them, bedded +thickly one over the other. Here's the truth of the matter. This is an +old oyster bed. These oysters did not come there by chance. They must +have lived there, and as they live under salt-water, it is plain that +where we stand was once a part of the sea. + +We may dig deeper, and find more records of the old lake. See those +black stones. How smooth and round they are! You remember the smooth +stones we saw rolling in the surf on the beach? We can not help thinking +that these stones were once tumbled about in the surf on some old beach. +This is the way the marsh tells its own story, and repeats the wonderful +tale of its birth from the sea. + + + + +[Illustration] + +A SEVERE SCHOOL-MASTER. + + + But your eyes are so big and so bright, + And your spectacles frighten me so! + And I can not remember my lesson + When you look at me that way, you know. + + Spell "mouse," did you say? M-O-U-- + Oh, you don't know how fierce you do look! + And I think I can see a great claw + Sticking out from the edge of the book. + + If you only were not quite so big, + And your nose not so pointed and queer-- + M-O-U--I don't know what comes next, + I can not remember. Oh dear! + + I am trying to think how to spell it; + My heart just goes thumpity-thump. + M-O-U. Won't you wait just a minute? + Oh, _please_ don't get down off the stump! + + + + +THE CRUISE OF THE CANOE CLUB.[1] + +[1] Begun in No. 146, HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE. + +BY W. L. ALDEN, + +AUTHOR OF "THE MORAL PIRATES," "THE CRUISE OF THE 'GHOST,'" ETC., ETC. + +CHAPTER II. + + +It was some time before the canoes were ready, and in the mean time the +young canoeists met with a new difficulty. The canoe-builders wrote to +them wishing to know how they would have the canoes rigged. It had never +occurred to the boys that there was more than one rig used on canoes, +and of course they did not know how to answer the builders' question. So +they went to the Commodore, and told him their difficulty. + +"I might do," said he, "just as I did when I told you to go and ask four +different canoeists which is the best canoe; but I won't put you to that +trouble. I rather like the Lord Ross lateen rig better than any other, +but as you are going to try different kinds of canoes, it would be a +good idea for you to try different rigs. For example, have your 'Rob +Roy' rigged with lateen sails; rig the 'Shadow' with a balance lug; the +'Rice Laker' with a sharpie leg-of-mutton, and the canvas canoe with the +standing lug. Each one of these rigs has its advocates, who will prove +to you that it is better than any other, and you can't do better than to +try them all. Only be sure to tell the builders that every canoe must +have two masts, and neither of the two sails must be too big to be +safely handled." + +"How does it happen that every canoeist is so perfectly certain that he +has the best canoe and the best rig in existence?" asked Tom. + +"That is one of the great merits of canoeing," replied the Commodore. +"It makes every man contented, and develops in him decision of +character. I've known a canoeist to have a canoe so leaky that he spent +half his time bailing her out, and rigged in such a way that she would +neither sail nor do anything in a breeze except capsize; and yet he was +never tired of boasting of the immense superiority of his canoe. There's +a great deal of suffering in canoeing," continued the Commodore, +musingly, "but its effects on the moral character are priceless. My dear +boys, you have no idea how happy and contented you will be when you are +wet through, cramped and blistered, and have to go into camp in a heavy +rain, and without any supper except dry crackers." + +While the boys were waiting for their canoes, they read all the books on +canoeing that they could find; and searched through a dozen volumes of +the London _Field_, which they found in Uncle John's library, for +articles and letters on canoeing. They thus learned a good deal, and +when their canoes arrived, they were able to discuss their respective +merits with a good degree of intelligence. + +The "Rob Roy" and the "Shadow" were built with white cedar planks and +Spanish cedar decks. They shone with varnish, and their nickel-plated +metal-work was as bright as silver. They were decidedly the prettiest of +the four canoes, and it would have been very difficult to decide which +was the prettier of the two. The "Rice Laker" was built without timbers +or a keel, and was formed of two thicknesses of planking riveted +together, the grain of the inner planking crossing that of the outer +planking at right angles. She looked strong and serviceable, and before +Tom had been in possession of her half an hour he was insisting that she +was much the handiest canoe of the squadron, simply because she had no +deck. The outside planks were of butternut, but they were pierced with +so many rivets that they did not present so elegant an appearance as did +the planks of the "Shadow" and the "Rob Roy." The canvas canoe consisted +of a wooden skeleton frame, covered and decked with painted canvas. She +was very much the same in model as the "Shadow," and though she seemed +ugly in comparison with her varnished sisters, Charley claimed that he +would get more comfort out of his canoe than the other boys would out of +theirs, for the reason that scratches that would spoil the beauty of the +varnished wood could not injure the painted canvas. Thus each boy was +quite contented, and insisted that he would not change canoes with +anybody. They were equally contented with the way in which their canoes +were rigged, and they no longer wondered at the confident way in which +the canoeists to whom the Commodore had introduced them spoke of the +merits of their respective boats. + +Of course the subject of names for the canoes had been settled long +before the canoes arrived. Joe had named his "Rob Roy" the _Dawn_; +Harry's canoe was the _Sunshine_; Tom's the _Twilight_; and Charley's +the _Midnight_. The last name did not seem particularly appropriate to a +canoe, but it was in keeping with the other names, and as the canoe was +painted black, it might have been supposed to have some reference to her +color. + +The boys had intended to join the American Canoe Association, but Uncle +John suggested that they would do well to make a cruise, and to become +real canoeists before asking for admission to the association. They then +decided to form a canoe club of their own, which they did; and Harry was +elected the first Commodore of the Columbian Canoe Club, the flag of +which was a pointed burgee of blue silk with a white paddle worked upon +it. Each canoe carried its private signal in addition to the club flag, +and bore its name in gilt letters on a blue ground on each bow. + +Where to cruise was a question which was decided and reconsidered half a +dozen times. From the books which they had read the boys had learned +that there is, if anything, more fun in cruising on a narrow stream than +in sailing on broad rivers; that running rapids is a delightful sport, +and that streams should always be descended instead of ascended in a +canoe. They therefore wanted to discover a narrow stream with safe and +easy rapids, and also to cruise on some lake or wide river where they +could test the canoes under sail and under paddle in rough water. They +learned more of the geography of the Eastern States and of Canada, in +searching the map for a good cruising route, than they had ever learned +at school; and they finally selected a route which seemed to combine all +varieties of canoeing. + +The cruise was to begin at the southern end of Lake Memphremagog, in +Vermont. On this lake, which is thirty miles long, the young canoeists +expected to spend several days, and to learn to handle the canoes under +sail. From the northern end of the lake, which is in Canada, they +intended to descend its outlet, the Magog River, which is a narrow +stream emptying into the St. Francis River at Sherbrooke. From +Sherbrooke the St. Francis was to be descended to the St. Lawrence, down +which the canoes were to sail to Quebec. They wrote to the post-master +at Sherbrooke, asking him if the Magog and the St. Francis were +navigable by canoes, and when he replied that there was one or two +rapids in the Magog, which they could easily run, they were more than +ever satisfied with their route. + +The previous cruises that the boys had made had taught them what stores +and provisions were absolutely necessary, and what could be spared. Each +canoe was provided with a water-proof bag to hold a blanket and dry +clothes, and with a pair of small cushions stuffed with elastic felt, a +material lighter than cork, and incapable of retaining moisture. These +cushions were to be used as mattresses at night, and the rubber blankets +were to be placed over the canoes and used as shelter tents. Although +the mattresses would have made excellent life-preservers, Uncle John +presented each canoeist with a rubber life-belt, which could be buckled +around the waist in a few seconds in case of danger of a capsize. Harry +provided his canoe with a canvas canoe tent, made from drawings +published in the London _Field_, but the others decided not to go to the +expense of making similar tents until Harry's should have been +thoroughly tested. + +When all was ready, the blankets and stores were packed in the +_Sunshine_, the cockpit of which was provided with hatches which could +be locked up, thus making the canoe serve the purpose of a trunk. The +four canoes were then sent by rail to Newport, at the southern end of +Lake Memphremagog, and a week later the boys followed them, carrying +their paddles by hand, for the reason that if they had been sent with +the canoes, and had been lost or stolen, it would have been impossible +to start on the cruise until new paddles had been procured. + +Newport was reached, after an all-night journey, at about ten o'clock in +the morning. The canoeists went straight to the freight-house to inspect +the canoes. They were all there, resting on the heads of a long row of +barrels, and were apparently all right. The varnish of the _Dawn_ and +the _Sunshine_ was scratched in a few places, and the canvas canoe had a +very small hole punched through her deck, as if she had been too +intimate with a nail in the course of her journey. The boys were, +however, well satisfied with the appearance of the boats, and, being +very hungry, walked up to the hotel to get dinner and a supply of +sandwiches, bread, and eggs for their supper. + +Dinner was all ready, for, under the name of breakfast, it was waiting +for the passengers of the train, which made a stop of half an hour at +Newport. A band was playing on the deck of a steamer which was just +about to start down the lake, and the boys displayed such appetites, and +called for so many things, as they sat near the open window looking out +on the beautiful landscape, that they astonished the waiter. + +A good, quiet place for launching the canoes was found, which was both +shady and out of sight of the hotel. It was easy enough to carry the +three empty canoes down to the shore; but the _Sunshine_, with her heavy +cargo, proved too great a load, and about half-way between the +freight-house and the shore she had to be laid on the ground and partly +emptied. Here Joe, who tried to carry the spars and paddles of four +canoes on his shoulder, found that there is nothing more exasperating +than a load of sticks of different sizes. No matter how firmly he tried +to hold them together, they would spread apart at every imaginable +angle. + +Before he had gone three rods he looked like some new kind of porcupine +with gigantic quills sticking out all over him. Then he began to drop +things, and, stooping to pick them up, managed to trip himself and fall +with a tremendous clatter. He picked himself up, and made sixteen +journeys between the spot where he fell and the shore of the lake, +carrying only one spar at a time, and grasping that with both hands. His +companions sat down on the grass and laughed to see the deliberate way +in which he made his successive journeys, but Joe, with a perfectly +serious face, said that he was going to get the better of those spars, +no matter how much trouble it might cost him, and that he was not going +to allow them to get together and play tricks on him again. + +It was tiresome stooping over, packing the canoes, but finally they were +all in order, and the Commodore gave the order to launch them. The lake +was perfectly calm, and the little fleet started under paddle for a long +sandy point that jutted out into the lake some three miles from Newport. +The _Sunshine_ and the _Dawn_ paddled side by side, and the two other +canoes followed close behind them. + +"'Boys, isn't this perfectly elegant?" exclaimed Harry, laying down his +paddle when the fleet was about a mile from the shore, and bathing his +hot head with water from the lake. "Did you ever see anything so lovely +as the blue water?" + +"Yes," said Charley; "the water's all right outside of the canoes, but +I'd rather have a little less inside of mine." + +"What do you mean?" asked Harry. "Is she leaking?" + +[Illustration: "SHE'S HALF FULL OF WATER."] + +"She's half full of water, that's all," replied Charley, beginning to +bail vigorously with his hat. + +"Halloo!" cried Joe, suddenly. "Here's the water up to the top of my +cushions." + +"We'd better paddle on and get ashore as soon as possible," said Harry; +"my boat is leaking a little too." + +Charley bailed steadily for ten minutes, and somewhat reduced the amount +of water in his canoe. The moment he began paddling, however, the leak +increased. He paddled with his utmost strength, knowing that if he did +not soon reach land he would be swamped; but the water-logged canoe was +very heavy, and he could not drive her rapidly through the water. His +companions kept near him, and advised him to drop his paddle and bail, +but he knew that the water was coming in faster than he could bail it +out, and so he wasted no time in the effort. It soon became evident that +his canoe would never keep afloat to reach the sand-spit for which he +had been steering, so he turned aside and paddled for a little clump of +bushes, where he knew the water must be shallow. Suddenly he stopped +paddling, and almost at the same moment his canoe sank under him, and he +sprang up to swim clear of her. + +[TO BE CONTINUED.] + + + + +PHRONY JANE'S LAWN PARTY. + +BY SYDNEY DAYRE. + + +"Now, Johnny, leave your saw." + +"Ah, mamma, can't I just finish this bracket?" + +"No, dear. All your Saturday evening's work is to be done yet." + +It was hard, Johnny thought. A half-hour more would finish the beautiful +deer bracket; the scroll-saw still had the charm of novelty, and the +delicate pattern was a most attractive one. Johnny worked away harder +than ever (a way he had of delaying obedience), and was beginning to +hope he might yet complete his work, when a bright-faced little colored +girl came in. She tied on an apron, and began beating eggs into a foam, +adding a new clatter to the din made by Johnny's saw. + +"Stop. Johnny, _stop_, I say!" and Johnny began moving his darling +machine back into its corner with rather an ill grace. "Well, Phrony +Jane, have you had a pleasant time?" + +"Yes, 'm, splendid. Miss Lawton she's a-gwine to do lots o' nice things +this summer--gwine to hev a lawn party next week out to her uncle's in +the country for we uns." + +"Who's we uns?" asked Johnny, teasingly. + +"Why, her class--all o' we uns." + +"Can't _I_ go, then?" + +"No," said Phrony Jane, a little disdainfully; "Miss Lawton don't +approve o' boys, I guess. Ain't got a single one in her class." + +"Couldn't get one," retorted Johnny, going out. + +"Come back, Johnny," called his mother, "and put away your patterns, and +pick up your chips." She sat down to look over some blackberries, while +Phrony Jane, finishing her egg-beating, and relieved from the +disadvantage the noise had placed her under, resumed her talk as she set +the table for tea. + +"Must 'a ben mighty sca'ce times when der was famines 'round." She +looked admiringly at a loaf of bread she was cutting into slices. "Not a +mite o' bread 'n' butter, nor beefsteak, nor canned fruit, nor nothin'. +Miss Lawton she tole us all 'bout how 'Lijah he went to a po'r woman, +'n' says he, 'Gi' me jus' a little speck o' bread,' 'n' says she, 'Bless +yer heart, mas'r, I ain't got but jus' one handful o' co'n meal, 'n' +jus' as soon as me 'n' de little chap eats dat up we's gwine to die, +sho's you live!' But says he, 'Don't ye be skairt now, aunty; you go 'n' +make some co'n-cake fer you uns, 'n' some fer me, 'n' you see ef tings +don't hold out.' An' she did, 'n' every day dere was more co'n meal in +de bar'l. Now you know, missus, dat was de Lord!" + +Mrs. Dent assented. + +"How d'you s'pose He done it?" + +Phrony Jane looked as if she would like to know very much indeed. + +"We can't tell, Phrony Jane. The Lord has His own way of doing wonders." + +"'Twould be an awful handy way o' gittin' tings down to our house, whe' +de bacon 'n' molasses is all out. But, missus"--Phrony Jane now came to +help with the berries, and it was plain there was something more weighty +on her mind than bacon and molasses--"d'you s'pose 'twould do to war a +gingham dress to a _lawn_ party?" Mrs. Dent laughed. + +"Why, Phrony Jane, a lawn party has nothing to do with a lawn dress. It +means a party in the open air--on the lawn. People who have pretty +grounds often give lawn parties." + +"You sho' o' dat, missus? I hearn dat Phylly Jackman tell how she's +gwine to w'ar her lawn dress--all ruffles 'n' a over-skirt." + +"Well, if you are anxious about it, Phrony Jane, you know I told you I'd +give you my brown lawn. Do you think you can alter it in time if I help +you?" + +"By nex' Friday? Course I can." Phrony Jane's face beamed as she thus +happily arrived at what she had been aiming for. + +[Illustration] + +All day long she was in such a state of delight that Mrs. Dent began to +fear that her little hand-maiden's wits were quite lost. Milk pails were +upset and dishes broken, and when the good lady saw Phrony Jane, in the +middle of the afternoon, sitting in the swing with the baby in her arms, +and singing + + "Nobody knows de trubble I hab" + +at the top of her voice, she actually began to tremble lest the little +thing might meet with some dreadful accident through her nurse's wild +excitement. Toward evening, when the day's labors were ended, Phrony +Jane announced confidentially to Johnny: + +"I's jus' gwine to run up 'n' tell dat Phyl Jackman _she_ ain't de on'y +one's got a lawn dress!" + +Early the next morning Phrony Jane received news which struck dismay to +her heart. Her mother, living two miles away, had broken her leg by a +fall, and wanted her. Mrs. Dent packed a basket of comforts which would +surely be needed in the shiftless family, and poor Phrony Jane departed +in grief, wishing the news had not reached her until after +Sunday-school, when she might have heard more about the lawn party. + +Johnny had appeared that morning with a suspicious hobble. He had +slightly sprained his foot the day before, and had avoided speaking of +it through fear of being forbidden to saw brackets, and he had used it +so imprudently as now to be unable to hide it any longer. So with a good +supply of Sunday reading, a lunch handy in case of need, and many +injunctions on the proper keeping of the day, Johnny's papa and mamma +left him, each having a Sunday-school class to attend to. + +Johnny meant well, but, as is the case with some other boys, needed a +little looking after in order to carry out his good intentions. When the +stories in the papers were exhausted, and a marvellous amount of +gingerbread and milk consumed, he found that Sunday-school-time was not +yet over. Church would not be over until after twelve. Coaxing a quarrel +between the dog and cat took up ten minutes more, resulting in the cat's +springing to the top of the scroll-saw, and scattering in every +direction the pieces of work piled there, covered with a towel. + +Johnny jumped to pick them up, much concerned at seeing that a slender +point of a leaf was broken off one of his pieces of fine work. He +thought it might be remedied by being rounded off with the saw. His foot +was near the treadle, and the saw almost rose and fell of itself as he +shaved the broken place. Then the other side had to be curved to make +things even. Then he happened to be just where he was when he had been +obliged to quit work the evening before. His foot did not hurt much as +still that saw seemed to cut of its own accord into the graceful leaves. +On it went, just _going to stop_ every moment, Johnny inwardly assuring +himself he never would think of doing such a wicked thing as saw on +Sunday, but still following that enticing pattern until he at last +stopped in alarm at seeing there was only one leaf more to do. It could +not make things worse to finish that. It was done, and Johnny covered +the saw feeling more guilty than ever in his life before, and hoping +mamma would not look right into his eyes when she came home. + +Phrony Jane came back on Tuesday evening, her wages being important +enough in her family to lead them to try to get along without her. She +inquired anxiously about the lawn party, but Mrs. Dent, who went to a +different Sunday-school, and had not seen Miss Lawton, knew nothing +further concerning it. Phrony Jane worked hard, every spare minute at +the lawn dress, sitting up late on Thursday night, too busy to run and +ask Phylly Jackman about the party. Still no word came from Miss +Lawton, and on Friday afternoon Phrony Jane stood astounded in the back +porch as two spring-wagons passed carrying Miss Lawton's class out for +their country frolic. + +"I never 'd 'a thought she'd 'a used me so dretful cruel." Poor Phrony +Jane went to her room and cried. + + * * * * * + +"_You_ here, Phrony Jane?" asked Miss Lawton, in surprise, as she took +her place in class next Sunday. + +"Yes, 'm. Didn't you spect me to come no more?" she asked, wondering +what could have come over her teacher. + +"Why, certainly, always when you're in the neighborhood, but I heard you +had gone home." + +"I did, 'm, but I come back a-Tuesday." + +Miss Lawton called on Phylly Jackman next morning, and after some talk, +took her with her down to Mrs. Dent's. Johnny was still kept in by his +sprain, which, much to his mother's surprise, had been worse since she +had left him at home on Sunday to keep it quiet. Many a rueful glance +had he since cast at his saw, reflecting on the amount of enjoyment he +had lost for such a poor bit of fun, and wishing he had courage to tell +mamma. + +"Now, Phyllis," said Miss Lawton, after courtesies were exchanged, "I +want you to tell Mrs. Dent exactly what you told the girls about Phrony +Jane." + +"Well, 'm, I come here Sunday mornin' was a week, right after +Sunday-school, to see why Phrony Jane wasn't dar, 'n' when I come to de +door I hearn a noise, 'n' dar was dat sinful gal a-workin' away on de +sewin'-machine on de holy Sabba' day!" Phylly's head shook virtuously. + +"Are you sure?" asked Mrs. Dent, in great surprise. "Did you come in?" + +"No, 'm, I jus' went 'n' peeked in de winder--de w'ite curting was +pulled down, but I seen de shadder ob her woolly head on it." + +"And what did you tell the girls?" + +"I tole 'em dat wicked Phrony Jane was a-workin' at her lawn dress, she +felt so stuck up about, on de Sabba' day, 'n' Mis' Dent ought to send +her home, 'n' not keep no such trash about. She did, you see!" Phylly +was triumphant. + +"That was the story which reached me," said Miss Lawton. + +"It's a very strange one," said Mrs. Dent. "Phrony Jane left here early +on Sunday morning to go to her mother, who had met with an accident, and +Johnny was here all the time. Of course no one was at the +sewing-machine, Johnny?" + +"No, ma'am," said Johnny, very positively. + +Phylly was puzzled and crest-fallen, but stuck to her statement in a +stubborn fashion, which made both ladies feel out of patience with her. +Phrony Jane being called, was not informed of the dark accusation which +had been out against her, but was so cheered by her teacher's kindly +regrets for her disappointment, growing out of a misunderstanding, as to +spend no more regrets over the pleasure she had lost. + +But Johnny, after this, became so woe-begone and peak-faced, was so +evidently drooping from his confinement to the house, that his mother +grew concerned. She cooked nice things for him, read to him, brought +boys to see him; but all to no effect. But when she staid at home from +Sunday-school with him, alone with her in the quiet of the Sabbath +morning, Johnny's reserve broke down, and in a great flood of +penitential remorse out came the burden on his conscience. Then +listening to his mother's words of sorrowful surprise, forgiveness, and +loving admonition, he formed earnest resolutions of never again +forgetting the sacredness of Sunday hours. + +Then Mrs. Dent began to wonder over this queer unravelling of the +mystery of the sewing-machine story, laughing as she remembered the +"woolly head" that figured in it. + +"No wonder Phylly was so sure poor Phrony Jane was running the machine +when she heard the roar of that saw of yours," she said, giving Johnny's +curly hair a pull. + +"And you see," said Johnny, "the worst of it is, it was me that made +Phrony Jane miss going to the lawn party, and I'd like to make it up to +her somehow." + +"Yes." They laid their heads together, and the outcome of it was that +Miss Lawton was spoken to, and she brought out her lively little colored +crowd one day, and Phrony Jane had a lawn party of her own--a _surprise_ +lawn party, for which Johnny freely spent all his savings for candy, and +strode about with a lofty sense of having "made up" for his injury to +Phrony Jane in a most magnanimous manner. + +"Why didn't you w'ar your style dress wid de ruffles 'n' over-skirt, +Phylly?" asked Phrony Jane of that young lady, observing that her attire +by no means exhibited the grandeur which might reasonably have been +expected. + +Phylly had felt guilty over the result of her meddling and gossiping +about Phrony Jane. Moreover, Mrs. Dent had just explained to her the +mistake which Johnny's Sunday sawing had led her into making, and she +felt too proud at this recognition of herself as a truthful character to +feel inclined to tell any lies just now. + +"Well, de fact ob it is, Phrony Jane," she whispered, confidentially, "I +ain't got no such a ting as a lawn dress--'n' it ain't got no ruffles, +nor yet no over-skirt." + + + + +[Illustration: THE FRESH-AIR FUND.] + +THE FRESH-AIR FUND. + +BY W. A. ROGERS. + + +We have in New York city a number of kind-hearted ladies and gentlemen, +who have arranged a plan by which the little girls and boys of our +streets are taken in great boat-loads to different parts of the country +round about, where they spend a week or two playing in the green fields, +eating good food and drinking rich milk, and enjoying themselves to +their heart's content, gaining meanwhile a stock of health and strength +that lasts them many days after their return to the warm city. + +On a hot evening in July one of these excursions left the New York pier, +bound for the beautiful country bordering on Lake Champlain. A steamer +had been chartered for the trip as far as Troy, and from there a railway +train was to take the children to the lake. + +From end to end the great boat was filled with wonder-eyed and rather +awe-stricken little girls, and somewhat subdued but mischievous-looking +boys. All of them were provided with luggage for a two weeks' stay in +the country, but there seemed to be a great difference in their ideas of +how much to bring. A little paper bag tied with a piece of string, and +an empty basket, were all one very serene-looking little fellow had +brought. Many of the girls brought their wardrobes packed in their +school satchels, and one little lass had under her arm such a box as a +gentleman's suit generally comes home in from the tailor's. + +In the wistful little faces that peered out over the rail could be read +stories too sad to be more than hinted at to our young people. Here were +little girls and boys who had never felt the green sod under their feet, +nor picked a flower, but who had spent all their lives penned up in +great towering houses, their only play-ground the burning roof, a +hundred feet above the streets. + +It did not take the little passengers long to get used to their +surroundings, and long before the darkness came the decks of the good +steamer _Minnie Cornell_ were alive with such pranks as only city +urchins ever think of. At nine o'clock, mattresses were spread upon the +cabin floors, and without any special preparation, except that some of +the boys took off their hats and stuffed them into their coat pockets, +the children lay down to sleep. + +Long before the sun came up next morning the forward deck swarmed with +little folks eager to catch the first glimpse of green fields and blue +hills. It was here that your artist saw a bright little boy holding a +very large satchel, on which was painted in eccentric letters, "Jerry +Doyle, Avenue A." Beside him a tiny little fellow sat swinging his feet +in a very contented manner. + +"Me and Tim are havin' a boss time," said Jerry. "We had a state-room on +de cabin floor, layin' crosswise on a mattress. We didn't allow any +snorin', and when any feller tried it, we hauled him round the deck by +the heels till he quit. There was a man there to see we didn't none of +us walk in our sleep. I don't believe he enjoyed hisself much." + +Here Tim interrupted the thread of his brother's narrative to inquire +what that crooked thing was on the bank, and Jerry, who had been up to +Tompkins Square once, replied that it was a tree. + +At Troy, four hundred and sixty-seven happy but very hungry youngsters +left the boat, and marched through the streets, like an invading army, +to a public hall, where tables loaded down with good things awaited +them. + +It would be impossible to tell whether their host, Mr. Shepard Tappan, +or his little guests, enjoyed the occasion most. I rather think that one +little fellow who climbed up on the platform, and drummed upon the grand +piano with his fists, while some of the boys pelted him with biscuits, +had the best time of all. + +On the way to the dépôt, after breakfast, all the early risers of Troy +were out waiting to see the children pass by. + +When the special train drew up at a little station on the shore of Lake +Champlain, a very lively gentleman, with a note-book in his hand, jumped +to the ground, followed by fifty or sixty little folks, who were no +sooner off the cars than they rushed into the field of buttercups and +daisies that skirted the track to gather bouquets. + +After shaking hands very rapidly with the foremost of a group of +kind-hearted farmers who had come down to welcome their little guests, +and handing one of them a list of the children's names, the lively +gentleman was on the cars again, and the train was out of sight in a +moment. + +My friends Jerry and Tim were among the number to get off at the +station, and a few days after, while riding by a fine old farm-house, I +was greeted by a "Hi, mister!" from Jerry himself. + +"Me and Tim is puttin' up at this hotel," said he. "You oughter see me +apartments! Mrs. Bromley is the lady what lives here. Tim calls Mr. +Bromley 'Father.' He promised to take Tim out with him to hoe corn or +'taters, or somepin this mornin'; so as soon as breakfast was over, Tim +shoulders the hoe, and says he, 'Come, father, if you want to hoe, come +with me; you must hurry up.' Didn't they smile! Of course I don't say +nothin' to them," continued Jerry, confidentially, "but I think the milk +out here is kind of thick. We all went to church Sunday. I rode on +horseback this mornin'. The horses here is more frisky than the +street-car horses, and there ain't no lumps on their knees. There ain't +any milkmen or organ-grinders like there is on Avenue A, but I like to +wade in brooks better than our gutter." + +Here a little girl came up, with a wreath of daisies around her head, +and little Tim ran round her chasing a butterfly. Jerry ran to help him, +and the happy children soon disappeared in the tall shrubbery of the +farm-yard. + + + + +WHAT THE WOLF HID. + +BY M. P. HARDY. + + +We were standing at the window watching Lion, the house-dog, burying a +bone in the dead leaves near the fence. + +"Why does he do that?" asked my little cousin. + +"Animal instinct," replied my father, to whom the question was +addressed. "He has more dinner than he cares to eat just now, and so +puts away some for the next time. Other animals do the same thing +sometimes. I once knew an old lady who when a child had a singular +adventure in connection with this same instinct." + +Of course there was an immediate demand for the story. Father teased us +for a little while, and then he told it, as follows: + +"Sixty or seventy years ago, my friend's father was a pioneer in the +region bordering on the Ohio River. He and his son were cutting wood in +the forest one day, and Polly, then a little girl of five years old or +so, was playing near them while they worked. When the time came to go +home, Polly was nowhere to be seen. + +"'That's strange,' said her father. 'She always obeys so well. I don't +see how she could have strayed off.' + +"'She wouldn't have gone home without telling us,' said her brother. +'Look! here's her sun-bonnet full of nuts. She must be somewhere +around.' + +"They looked again and again in every direction, calling, 'Polly! +Polly!' all in vain. There were no Indians living near, but wolves and +panthers were plenty, and only the winter before the father and son had +killed two bears in an attack on the cow-house. So they began to feel +seriously alarmed. + +"Presently the brother, looking anxiously about, espied an odd-looking +heap of leaves on the farther slope of the hill, where no wind could +possibly have tossed them. He went to have a closer look at it. +Carelessly throwing aside a portion of the heap, he uncovered, to his +joyful surprise, a bit of Polly's red frock. + +"'Father, come here,' he called, and in a moment more they had the child +safe and sound, but fast asleep, in their arms. + +"'That's strange,' said her father once more. 'John, take Polly home. +I'm going to stay here, and see if I can't find out what this means. She +never covered herself up this way, I'm certain. Come back as quick as +you can, and bring your rifle with you. Here, hand me mine before you +go.' + +"So saying, he piled the leaves up neatly once more, putting a small log +of wood into the place where the child had lain. He then crouched down +behind a fallen tree near by to see what would happen. + +"He did not have long to wait. John had scarcely had time to return, +almost out of breath with the haste he had made, when the soft patter of +paws was heard on the dry leaves, and they saw three gray wolves +approaching at full trot, with another slightly in advance leading the +way. + +"The wolf in front led his comrades straight to the heap of leaves, and +scratching eagerly, quickly uncovered the buried log. His dismay was +almost comical to behold. He sniffed and smelled and turned his head +this way and that in utter bewilderment. How a dainty little girl, plump +and soft, and just suited to the taste of a wolf who enjoys a good +dinner, could suddenly turn into a great uneatable log of wood was too +much for him to understand. He finally gave the problem up in despair, +and turned to his companions, cowering like a beaten hound. + +"There were some sharp barks of disappointment, followed by snarls, as +the three guests, who had evidently been bidden to a feast which was not +forth-coming, expressed their indignation at the supposed hoax. + +"The other wolf only whined dolefully, but in vain, for the three fell +upon him, and in less time than it takes to tell of it, tore him into +pieces, and began to devour him. They did not finish the meal, however, +for the two rifles behind the log cracked once and again, and all three +wolves lay dead beside the comrade whom they had punished so terribly. + +"I have every reason to believe this story literally true," continued my +father; "and the other day I told it to Mr. E. S. Ellis, the well-known +writer of stories of Western adventure. + +"'I have no doubt it happened just as you heard it,' he said. 'The +incident is uncommon, but not unknown in natural history. My grandfather +knew a lumberman who went to sleep in the woods in Northern New York, +and was awakened by a panther covering him with leaves. He lay still +till the animal got through and went off, when he jumped up and left +too. He didn't wait for the panther to come back.'" + + + + +HOMING PIGEONS. + +BY C. W. FISHER. + + +As long ago as the days of the great Roman Empire pigeons were employed +as message-bearers. Since that time both the breed and training of +carriers have so steadily improved that to-day the accounts of their +intelligence and skill are almost marvellous. + +In Belgium and Turkey, perhaps, of all the countries of Europe, the most +perfect results have been achieved, though Germany and France have +established government dépôts, educating the birds for practical use in +time of war or other necessity. + +In America the carrier is used chiefly for sporting, and pigeon-racing +has become quite common. Associations have been formed all over the +country for the purpose of perfecting the stock, and having frequent +trials of speed, and so lively and wide-spread an interest is taken in +the sport that there is a general desire to know more of the birds and +the means by which their remarkable instincts are developed. + +As the name implies, "homing" pigeons are birds which possess so strong +a love for home that their first impulse when free is to return there. +They are so keen of sense that they are able to find their way back even +from distances of several hundred miles, and in an incredibly short +time. + +The pigeon now known as the carrier was probably originally used for +homing. Its usefulness in that direction, however, has long since +departed; it is to-day simply a fancy bird, and a carrier by courtesy +only. + +The name "homing" is not given to any one variety of pigeons, several +kinds possessing the faculty. They are all large in frame, and resemble +the carrier in appearance, being undoubtedly descended from the same +stock. They are easily raised and easily taught, and the pleasure +derived from the teaching amply repays the little care required. A boy +can certainly find no more absorbing occupation for his spare hours, and +with a little patience can train a bird very successfully. + +In the first place, the "loft," as the pigeon-cote is called, should be +lofty. The birds are very keen of vision, it is true, but so great a tax +is made upon their keenness that we should aid them all we can; +therefore build your cote so high that it can be readily distinguished +among surrounding objects. + +As they are likely to return from a flight at any hour, the loft must be +so arranged as to admit the birds at all times, while egress is +permitted only at the owner's pleasure. Either or both of two very +simple devices will meet this need. One is a square opening in the roof +large enough to allow the passage within of a bird with folded wings, +but too small to permit its outward flight with wings spread. The other +is a wire drop door, which yields easily to pressure from the outside, +and falling after the pigeon has entered, keeps him a prisoner. + +Having prepared the loft, in buying be careful to select only young +birds. Old ones, if good for anything, will upon the first opportunity +return to the home from which you have taken them. Remember, in +training, that the simple secret of success lies in teaching your bird +to know its home and its vicinity thoroughly. + +To aid you in this, let your cote be provided with a broad wire-inclosed +ledge, from which the pigeons may have an uninterrupted view of the +neighborhood even while confined. Their education may begin as soon as +they are grown. Commence it by carrying them half a mile from home in a +covered basket, and loosing them by tossing well up in the air. If made +of the right stuff, they will rise high enough to command a good view, +then fly directly to the loft. Should any fail to do so, they are little +loss to the brood, and had far better show their uselessness at an early +stage of their training than later. So waste no time in regrets over any +such good-for-naughts; they are not worth it. + +Those that return should be taken out again, the day following, about +the same distance, but in a different direction, and this process +continued until they are perfectly familiar with all the landmarks +within half a mile of home. When this has been accomplished, half the +battle is won. + +The distances may then be increased, by one or two mile stages, up to +ten miles, always loosing the birds hungry. From ten miles advance by +five-mile steps to twenty-five miles, and thence by ten-mile increases +to fifty miles. Long flights must be gone over by longer or shorter +stages, depending upon the smartness of the pigeon in training. It is +almost useless to expect one to reach home over a wholly unknown route. +The probabilities are that some of the birds will fail to reach the cote +in almost every flight. This is to be expected, and the young trainer +may be reconciled to their loss by the thought that those that have +returned have proved themselves all the more worthy of his care and +instruction. + +Their speed is almost beyond belief, thirty, sixty, and even ninety +miles an hour being recorded of them--a rate which would carry one +across the Atlantic in three days. + +Aside from the pure sport derived from their rearing, the practical uses +to which their intelligence may be put are very many. + +During the siege of Paris a daily pigeon-post was established, by means +of which persons within the beleaguered city were enabled to correspond +with friends without. + +The messages, were printed and photographed microscopically upon a very +thin film of paper, which was rolled in a quill, and fastened to the leg +or one of the tail feathers. At intervals numbers of the pigeons were +returned in balloons, so that constant communication was had. Country +doctors in England long employed carriers to convey medicines to distant +patients, and only a few days since it was announced that the Prussian +government had determined to make use of them in the coasting service to +establish communication with the light-ships lying off the coast of the +North Sea. Since 1876 experiments with them have been made with great +success. Such communication is of the utmost importance not only to the +light-ships themselves, but to incoming vessels that may be in distress. +Birds are being bred and trained especially for this service, and a +number have made the distance from light-ship to shore--thirty-five +miles--in thirty minutes, and that in the face of a heavy gale. News of +distress can be thus sent to the land with the greatest dispatch and +under circumstances when life may depend upon the loss of a moment; a +single "homer" may be the means of saving a crew. + +At this season of the year particularly very many trials of speed are +taking place, and often birds are on the way home a number of days, +returning long after they have been given up. + +Raising homing pigeons is a pursuit which all who are fond of pets must +enjoy, and one which the boys would do well to engage in. + + + + +BURIED TREASURES. + + +In an old country like Japan, which has a history of two thousand years, +there must be much treasure buried in the soil. There have been +centuries of war, when people lived in continual danger of robbers or +soldiers. + +In those times money and other valuables were often secreted in the +ground, out in the woods or meadows, or under the foundations of a +house. The death of the owner would leave the spot unknown, to lie in +obscurity forever, or to reward some accidental finder of the prize. In +almost all the old settled parts of Japan every spot of ground has been +built and burned, farmed and fought over, many times, and the discovery +of hidden treasure is a common occurrence. The Japanese government has +passed laws declaring that all such treasure belongs to the state. The +honest finder is always, however, liberally rewarded. + +[Illustration] + +While living in Japan, from 1870 to 1874, I heard of several cases of +buried treasure coming to light. Some of them were old pieces of money, +like bullets, or lumps of silver and gold of all shapes, and simply +stamped in one place. The happy finder in the picture has struck upon a +mass of the thin oval gold coins called obans, which are worth from ten +to fifty dollars each in our money. Even his dog shares his glee, while +behind him is his envious neighbor, who is vexed because he did not see +the coins first. + +There are many foolish persons in the United States who have spent great +labor and wasted much time to find the pots of gold which Captain Kidd +is said to have buried near the sea-shore. So in Japan: I met, while +there, several foolish people, whose whole mind was set on getting +suddenly rich by finding buried money. The amount of spade-work and +field-digging which they accomplished without any success would have +sufficed to have made good farmers of them. It is a surer thing in +Japan, as in America, to seek to find gold by steady work and a mind on +the lookout for opportunities than by digging for it at random. + +The Chinese way of talking about a person who is "waiting for something +to turn up" is "sitting beside a stump, on the watch for a hare." A +farmer in ancient times was ploughing a rice field, when he saw a hare +dash itself against a stump that stood in his field; and immediately +fall dead. The foolish farmer, leaving his plough, sat down upon the +stump and waited for another hare to come and do likewise, which no +other hare was foolish enough to do. + + + + +[Illustration] + + + Do you know where the laurel climbs over the mountain + In great blushing clusters so dewy and sweet? + Do you know where the buttercups laugh in the meadow, + And the daisies shine out on the edge of the wheat? + + Come wander with me in the glad sunny morning; + I'll show you where flowers by hundreds are found; + Some up on the hill-tops, some down in the valleys, + And some like stars dropped on the green mossy ground. + + Do you know a wise robin with three little children? + Could you find, safely hidden, the humming-bird's nest? + Do you think, if you saw it, you'd guess by the color + The flash of the tanager's beautiful crest? + + Come, I know the birdies; they sing for me often; + They fly in and out, and don't mind me at all; + I watch their bright eyes and their quick little motions, + And I know when in anger or trouble they call. + + I've an armful of flowers and feathery grasses-- + I'm taking them home to my mother, you see; + She'll help me to weave them in baskets and bunches + For pale Susy Rice and for lame Mattie Lee. + + I'm so strong and so well, and I never am tired, + And they are so quiet, and often in pain, + That I'm sure they'll be glad when they hear my steps coming, + And ask me to gather them flowers again. + + + + +[Illustration: OUR POST-OFFICE BOX.] + + +A real satisfaction is afforded us in the perusal of such a note as the +following from an appreciative reader. We are very glad indeed that +while our paper delights the little ones, it also receives the cordial +approbation of their parents. + + ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. + + DEAR HARPERS,--I just want to thank you for publishing HARPER'S + YOUNG PEOPLE. Though not a youngster--in fact, my oldest son is + nineteen, and wears a mustache--I doubt whether anybody gets more + solid enjoyment from the periodical than I do. I am what is called + a great reader. Even during the busiest period of my life I always + allowed myself one hour at least per day for reading. So my + enjoyment is not exactly that of a vacant mind. Gratefully yours, + + A FRIEND. + + * * * * * + + MONTROSE, SCOTLAND. + + I thought you would like to hear from a girl in Scotland who gets + your paper, and enjoys it so much. I have had it from the first + number. If you would like a bit of heather, I will send it to you + when it is in bloom. The next letter I write will be in my native + tongue--Scotch; that is to say, if you are pleased with this one. + My best love to the Postmistress. + + A. M. G. + +If by your native tongue you mean the Gaelic, I fear I will just have to +keep your next letter as a curiosity; but if the sweet Scottish dialect +which rings so tunefully through the songs of the poet Burns is what you +are thinking of, dinna forget your promise, dear bairn. And be sure you +send the bit of heather, the mere mention of which this summer day sends +my thoughts off to breezy moors and purple hills, where sheep graze and +goats scramble. + + * * * * * + + CRAWFORD, MISSISSIPPI. + + I am a little girl nine years old. I have two little sisters, + Saidie and Laura. Saidie is six years old, and Laura is four years + old. Grandma lives with us, and teaches Saidie and me. I study + geography, arithmetic, spelling, reading, writing, and music. We + have a swing and a baby doll apiece. My baby is named Nellie, + Saidie's Lily, and Laura's Annie. We have one old cat and three + little kittens. The old cat's name is Mammy; she is mine. My + kitten's name is Topsy, Saidie's Beauty, and Laura's Nannie. They + don't know any tricks, but Mammy broke my cup and saucer that papa + and mamma gave me on Christmas. I can sew very well on the machine. + I made a dress all by myself. I am making a quilt. I hope you can + find room for this in my dear, dear paper, as it is my first + letter. I don't know what I would do without my YOUNG PEOPLE. I + live in the country. + + BETTIE F. Y. + +I think it must be very pleasant for three little sisters to go to +school to a dear grandma. Mammy was quite tricksy when she broke your +cup and saucer, whether she knows any tricks or not. I am always very +much pleased when I hear that little girls are learning to sew. Do you +know that thimble used to be called thumb-bell, and that those clever +people the Dutch brought thumb-bells to England with them in 1605? +Finger-cap would be a pretty name for the tiny thimble which, no doubt, +fits Bettie's rosy finger-tip to a T. + + * * * * * + + SUCCESS, MISSOURI. + + We subscribed for you again, dear YOUNG PEOPLE, and you can not + imagine with what pleasure the first copies were received. We ran + to meet papa on Thursday, and how we shouted when we saw that our + books had come! But we made still more noise when we saw our old + friends Toby Tyler and Jimmy Brown. We saw one grand improvement in + HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, and it was the Postmistress. What a dear, + kind, patient lady she must be! We have a great many pets. Perhaps + we would not have so many if we did not make pets out of almost + everything; even the calves and pigs are pets. We have got a very + cunning little kitten. She is very playful, but will not make + friends with our dog Hunter. Do you think she could be taught to + sit up and beg as some dogs do? Kitty _can_ sit up when she wants + to, but it seems so easy for her to fall over. We have a pretty + little red calf that is a pet, and we named her Baby, because she + was smaller than any of the other calves of her age. We have a + handsome black colt that is two years old, and he is the greatest + pet of all. He is a little orphan. His mother died when he was a + very young colt, and my sister and I have raised him by hand. I + could fill a whole page telling you how cute he is, but I am afraid + you would not want to print so much. We have not any little birds, + but we have an empty cage, and could catch a great many wild birds + if we wished to; but we don't think they would love us if we took + them out of the beautiful woods and shut them in a narrow cage. + There are a great many wild birds' nests close around here, and in + the morning they make the woods echo with their sweet songs. In the + winter the snow-birds come every morning for their breakfast of + bread-crumbs; so we always have birds around us, winter or summer. + Rosalie P.'s letter was the first I ever saw in Our Post-office Box + written by any person that I knew. Now we will close, and, dear + Postmistress, we hope we have not made your head ache by such a + long chatterbox letter. + + ADDIE and LULU. + +Made my head ache? No indeed; though you did make me blush when I read +those complimentary adjectives. You are quite right not to catch and +cage the wild birds, and the pets you now have are enough in number to +occupy all your spare moments. Probably you can teach kitty to beg if +you try; but is it worth while? + + * * * * * + + Polly and Patty one summer day + To the dentist had to go, + For the little white teeth in Polly's mouth + Were not in an even row. + And Patty had one that ached and hurt, + Until she was fairly wild; + So mother said to her two sweet girls, + "You must each be brave, dear child!" + + * * * * * + + COLLEGE HILL, NEAR CINCINNATI, OHIO. + + The Post-office Box is very interesting to us little folks, and I + have long wanted to contribute to it, but my papa tells me to write + only when I have something of interest to say, so I have waited + until now. Among our many Christmas gifts this year was HARPER'S + YOUNG PEOPLE, which has given us a great deal of pleasure; indeed, + we are so anxious we read it together. "We" means my sister Fanny + and myself. My little brother, three years old, saw a circus + procession last spring, and was delighted with it. When he came + home he said he saw "great big pigs with logs tied on in front, and + strings fastened on behind" (meaning the elephants), and "great big + horses with lumps on their backs" (meaning the camels). + + DAISY D. + + * * * * * + + CAMBRIDGEBOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA. + + I will tell you about our Indian excitement in Arizona last spring. + We were living in Galeyville at the time of the Apache outbreak + (some of you will remember the letter from there in No. 128). We + were dreadfully frightened. We heard the firing one day when one of + the men was shot. He went out to look for his horses, when the + red-skins saw and killed him. We could see them (the Indians) the + same evening as they passed just below town; they had hundreds of + stolen horses along. At night the women and children slept in an + adobe house which was barricaded. All the men in the camp were + armed, and took turns at keeping guard; they expected to have a + fight some morning at daybreak. + + My papa and another gentleman talked the matter over, and decided + to send their families to Tucson. So we got ready very hastily, and + on the morning of the 26th of April we said "good-by" to the dear + old camp where we had had such good times. It was a drive of + twenty-five miles to our station on the Southern Pacific Railroad. + There were two ladies, five children, and five riflemen, besides + papa, who drove. A mile out of town we came to an encampment of + soldiers, about five hundred in number. Two companies were mounted + and moving, and the others were drawn up in line, ready to mount; + each man stood at his horse's head, and took off his hat as we + passed. We boys thought it very fine. But the scouts who + accompanied them, about eighty Yuma Indians, looked hideous in + their war-paint. They wore but little clothing, and all had red + turbans on to show that they belonged to the United States service. + + When ten miles from home we crossed a fresh trail, and a few + moments later discovered a band of Indians on either side, the one + at our right being the larger, and some two miles away. Those at + the left--there were twenty--were nearer, and as soon as they saw + us, wheeled about, and came dashing after us. Papa whipped Kate and + Jennie, and they broke into a regular runaway, which lasted for a + mile or more, the Indians, of course, gaining on us all the while, + and soon we were almost in shooting distance. Papa then stopped the + team to prepare for an attack, when the Indians halted, seeming to + hold a council, then turned and rode back as fast as they had come. + They no doubt saw we were well armed, and that they might get the + worst of it. The large band was mostly composed of stolen horses + without riders, but this we could not at first make out. I can + never tell you how frightened mamma and Mrs. S. were, and how glad + we all were to see the last of the hostiles. + + We reached the railroad without any accident, and in time for the + train. Mamma, brother, and I were in Tucson ten days, and then came + here to my grandpa's house. The folks here had heard that we were + all killed. A number of papa's friends were killed, and it was a + most dreadful time. There are now no ladies or children at + Galeyville, nor will there be for a long time. It makes us homesick + to think about it all. My papa came on a few weeks ago, and we + intend to stay here all summer. This is a very pleasant town. A + river flows through it, bordered by grand old trees and sloping + grassy banks, and spanned by a handsome suspension-bridge. We have + nice times riding black Charlie, my grandpa's horse. + + GEORGIE B. C. + +What a jubilee there must have been at grandpa's when you arrived there +safe and sound. + + * * * * * + + LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. + + I never saw a letter from this "City of the Angels," so I thought I + would write you one. I am a little girl only ten years old, but I + like to read. I am very glad when Tuesday comes, for that is the + day I get the YOUNG PEOPLE. It takes a long time for the paper to + get here, and I suppose that while I am reading this week's number + some little girls in New York are reading the next number. I expect + you would like to hear something about this city so far away. Here + the weather is so very fine--just the same the whole year round. We + do not have hot days as they do in the East, and the nights are + always cool. The winter is the prettiest part of the year, for then + everything is green. You ought to see the orange groves and + vineyards. They pick oranges every day in the year. I tell you, I + love oranges. Papa says he could catch me in a dead fall with + oranges--whatever that is. Besides oranges, they grow lemons, figs, + cherries, apricots, limes, walnuts, and oh, so many things! And oh, + the roses--I do love roses so!--bloom all the time. You must not + think that because we are so far away we do not see anything nor + have anything that other people see and have. We have everything + you have East. My favorite piece is "Toby Tyler." I like Our + Post-office Box ever so much. I have no pets; but I have a nice + doll, and a mischievous brother who is five years old. His name is + Guy. + + LOUIDA O'B. + + * * * * * + + HAMILTON, MASSACHUSETTS. + + I am a little girl ten years old. I have a little tortoise-shell + kitten. He is so cunning! I named him Twinkletum Shine, after a + star that was in YOUNG PEOPLE. Tell the Postmistress to tell Jimmy + Brown to write some more. This is my second letter, but the other + was not printed. I was so sorry! + + ELLA W. F. + + * * * * * + + TAMPA, FLORIDA. + + I am a little girl twelve years old, and have taken HARPER'S YOUNG + PEOPLE nearly a year, and I enjoy it so much! Papa has a beautiful + orange grove, ten miles from Tampa, and we do enjoy the oranges, + for they are so sweet. Tampa is beautifully situated on Tampa Bay. + We have a splendid view of the Gulf of Mexico. I have eighteen + dolls, and a cat named Baby, who eats raw cabbage and turnips, and + talks for his dinner. He will let me dress him up in my dolls' + clothes, and put him in my dolls' carriage, and take him to ride. I + had a nice dog named Spot, but some one poisoned him, and he died. + I have only one sister, and she is older than myself. We are the + only children. I have tried a great many of your candy receipts, + and they have proved to be splendid. I fear my letter will weary + you. Much love to the Postmistress. + + MINNIE W. + + * * * * * + + COLD SPRING, NEW YORK. + + I was nine years old on April 15. We have two cats named Jack and + Tabby, and a dog named Franklin. He can beg, walk, fetch things, + jump over a stick, die, and will put things down when you tell him + to. I take music lessons, and go to school. I have all the numbers + of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE from No. 1 to No. 144. I have a croquet + set. The wickets are made of wire and corks. The stakes are corks, + and for mallets and balls I have sticks and marbles. You can use it + in the house, on the table or on the floor. We did not buy the set, + but it was made at home. I have more than eleven dolls. I will + mention some: Bertha King, Mary King, Eddie King, Susan Stuart, + Nellie Stuart, Emma Stuart, Daisy Stuart, Lily King, Maud Stuart, + Cherubina Stuart, and others. I have a brother and a sister. My + brother is eleven years old, and my sister is sixteen. + + HELEN B. W. + +Perhaps some ingenious boys who read Helen's letter will try to make a +croquet set like hers for their sisters. + + * * * * * + + TEXANA, TEXAS. + + As brother Tom takes YOUNG PEOPLE, and we like it so much on + account of the good stories it contains, I thought I would write a + letter to Our Post-office Box. I am eleven years old, and have been + going to school up at Navidad to Mr. S. It is ten miles from here, + and my older brother Tom and I come home every Friday evening, and + go back Sunday evening. We board with our sister Irene. It is now + vacation, and we are at home helping our papa and mamma work. I see + so many writing about their pet cats, dogs, birds, etc. I have two + cats, one a yellow one, and the other a white and gray; but papa + does not like them much, especially when they come about the table. + My business is to hunt up the hens and guineas' nests. Sometimes I + find several dozen eggs in the same nest. I also look after the + turkeys. We have sixty-two young turkeys, some nearly half grown. + They go off every morning, after I feed them with clabber, to the + millet patch and prairie after grasshoppers, and at night come home + to roost. There are nineteen small ones that we keep in the + yard--too small to let out yet. We also have twenty-five young + guineas; they are small, and have to be kept in the yard. They have + a box to roost in to keep from getting drowned when it rains. + + We have not had much rain until yesterday for a long time. Our + garden had been parched up, but now I reckon it will revive. There + are a great many cracks in the ground here when it gets very dry, + large enough to put your foot in, and it is very dangerous then to + run a horse on the prairie. I send you two Spanish butterflies + (that is what we call them). They are the most voracious things you + ever saw. Our railroad is completed to Victoria. + + LUCIUS I. S. + +The butterflies are very handsome, and quite formidable-looking. + + * * * * * + + ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY. + + I have just got home from Europe. I was over there one year, so I + became quite accustomed to it, but I like America far better than + any other land. When we left England all you could hear was about + the Egyptian war; it was on every tongue. England may be large and + great, but I like Scotland best. It is so beautiful! Everywhere you + go it is lovely, and it has such romantic old castles! And, do you + know, I saw the place where poor Rizzio was killed. I will tell you + how we came to go to Europe. It was my birthday, and papa asked me + what I wanted for a present. I did not know, so I said that I would + like to go to Europe. All our folks laughed at me, but still papa + gave me no present. So one day our carriage stopped at the door + just as usual, and mamma, papa, and I got in, as I thought to go + riding; but we went down such dirty streets that they attracted my + attention, and I asked papa about it, and he said we were going a + new way. At last we came in sight of a large vessel. We went on + board, for papa said he wanted to show me the _Illinois_, and as we + stepped upon it all our friends and relations were there. They all + kissed me in a hurry, and said, "May you well enjoy your birthday + present!" + + GERTIE D. + +Very few girls have had a nicer birthday present than the one your papa +gave you. What a charming surprise! + + * * * * * + + KIRKWOOD, MISSOURI. + + I am eleven years old, and have taken HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE for + three years, but have never attempted to write to you before. I + have only been going to school a year, for we have always lived so + far out in the country that mamma has been afraid to send me so far + from home. It is vacation now, but mine is almost spoiled by my + having the whooping-cough, which I do not particularly enjoy. My + sister Jessie and I often take turns riding horseback down to the + depot to meet our papa, who comes home every evening on the + seven-o'clock train. We spent last winter in the city of St. Louis. + Jessie and I have each a flower bed of our own. Jessie's is in the + shape of a letter J for her name, and has a great many pretty + flowers in it, such as pansies, verbenas, phlox, heliotrope, and + other plants. Mine is round, and has a great many geraniums, and in + the centre is a plant called the hibiscus, which has a very pretty + large red flower on it. We have a great deal of fruit now. The + peach, pear, apple, and plum trees are so full that we have to prop + them up with poles. + + PERLE. + +I think if one must have the whooping-cough, it interferes less with +vacation pleasures than with school duties. + + * * * * * + + MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY. + + I am a little girl, nine years old. We have two dogs; their names + are Dan and Frisk. Dan is a pointer. He is very loving and full of + fun, and if you throw a ball, he will run and bring it back to you, + and he plays hide-and-seek as well as a little girl could. Frisk is + a little yellow dog. He is very ugly, but very funny. While I was + writing this letter Dan came in and jumped on the paper with muddy + paws, so I had to copy it over. + + LILY C. + + * * * * * + +THE FIRST SAIL. + +Little Jimmie Evereux stood on the pier looking at a white sail-boat +with two seats in it, and wondering if his papa would ever come and give +him the long-looked-forward-to first ride in it. Jimmie had on his new +blue sailor suit, and it was no wonder that passers-by looked with +interest at the "blue-eyed laddie," who had waited so patiently for half +an hour. But all things come to an end at last, and Jimmie's patience +was no exception. After a long look up and down the shore, Jimmie +crossed the street and went up the walk toward the pretty cottage where +he and his mamma and papa and auntie lived all summer. + +Mamma and auntie sat on the piazza, sewing and talking. Said mamma: + +"Mrs. Gray has been ill, I hear. I pity her so much! She doesn't seem to +enjoy life one bit." + +"Oh, I don't know," said auntie. "Perhaps she needs rest. Why not invite +her out here for a little while?" + +"I'll let her ride in the new boat," said Jimmie, anxious to be good to +Mrs. Gray. + +"You wouldn't the first time, would you?" said auntie. + +"Y--yes," said Jimmie. "Only--well, she isn't here." + +"Jimmie," said mamma, "go down to the post-office and see if there's a +letter from grandma there." + +"I'm afraid papa will come." + +"Well, what if he does? You won't be long." + +"All right, then," said Jimmie; and away he went. + +At the post-office was a letter for auntie, a paper for mamma, his own +HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, and the _Daily News_. Jimmie started home gayly; +but when he reached the gate, his joy turned to sorrow, for Mrs. Gray +sat on the piazza. Papa beckoned to Jimmie, who followed him into the +house. + +"Jimmie," said papa, "will you give up your sail-boat ride to Mrs. +Gray?" + +"Oh, papa!" Then, after thinking a minute: "Yes, I will." + +"That's my good little boy," said papa; and in a few minutes they were +gone. + +Jimmie soon forgot his disappointment in laughing over "Mr. Stubbs's +Brother," and mamma helped to console him by a little gold dollar from +grandma. + + A. R. W. + + * * * * * + +Frank R. writes about his dog Prince, who protects the chickens against +cats, and helps his master catch them when they run away. Ernest D. +tells about the quartz mines near his home in California. Richard H. has +a dog named Flora, a Newfoundland. This splendid animal weighs 100 +pounds, and, harnessed to the baby's carriage, draws that little lady +about the town. Thomas M. has a calf which is pure white except its +ears, nose, and legs above the hoof, which are red. Alice F. must write +a longer letter next time. Jimmie R. has five hives of bees, two Italian +and three hybrid, and is very successful in getting large quantities of +honey. This Jimmie sends his regards to Jimmy Brown. Winifred C. has a +good time practicing with her bow and arrows, and riding her gentle +horse Ned. Lillie C., L. C. L., Willie B., and a great many more girls +and boys are enjoying this vacation very much. The Postmistress sends +her love to all her correspondents. She often wonders what this and that +one is doing, and the little fishermen, apple-gatherers, bee-keepers, +and home-helpers have her good wishes. Write again, little fingers, and +don't be discouraged, even though Our Post-office Box does not print +your letters. + + * * * * * + +C. Y. P. R. U. + +TWO AUNTIES. + +"So that things are done," says Theo, "it does not matter how they are +done." + +The Postmistress differs with you, Theo. There are kind-hearted people +in this world who spoil the effect of their best actions by cross or +surly manners. The most beautiful gift will not please you if thrown in +your face. Gifts are valued for the love they signify, and so they need +loving looks and words to make them welcome. I have seen a family of +young people perfectly devoted to an auntie who never did anything for +them except tell them stories, show them her curiosities and treasures, +and listen to their perplexities; and they were not in the least fond of +another auntie, whose money was spent freely for them. She bought them +new dresses and bonnets, sent the boys on vacation trips, and often took +the girls to see pictures and hear fine music, yet they did not love +her. + +The aunt who did so much that was kind had a habit of constantly +snubbing her nieces and nephews. If they made a mistake, she spoke of it +publicly. If a reproof was given, it was in the severest terms. Her face +wore a frown most of the time, and she made everybody around her +uncomfortable. And so, though her poor heart was hungry for affection, +she got only a crumb of it, while the happy, merry, fun-loving auntie +had a whole feast. + +Many of you are taking piano lessons. If you are in company, and are +asked to play, consent without waiting to be coaxed. If you intend to +sing your new song, or perform your last piece, you will do so +gracefully by beginning at once without persuasion. If you must decline, +let it be because you feel that you do not play well enough to give +pleasure to the listeners. Do not, of all things, say, with a little +toss of the head and pout of the lips, "I can not play on any piano but +my own." That is very ungracious as well as ungraceful, and besides, +like most impoliteness, it hurts the feelings of others. + +When you have a friend to entertain, let nothing that you do for him or +her appear to give you trouble. Keep your difficulties out of sight, and +let only the pleasant things come to the front. Watch mamma when she has +guests, and you will observe that she never makes a fuss, nor seems to +be in a flutter, and still she takes care of them, consults their +wishes, and forgets nothing which can add to their happiness while under +her roof. + +You will learn how to do it, whatever _it_ may stand for, by imitating +your mother. Don't you think so? + + * * * * * + +We would call the attention of the C. Y. P. R. U. to the article on +"Egyptian History," and to "A River Gets Into Trouble," by Charles +Barnard. The boys will be specially interested in an article on "Homing +Pigeons," by Mr. C. W. Fisher. + + * * * * * + +PUZZLES FROM YOUNG CONTRIBUTORS. + +No. 1. + +FIVE EASY DIAMONDS. + +1.--1. A letter. 2. Part of a fish. 3. A finger. 4. A point. 5. A +letter. + +2.--1. A letter. 2. A small cushion. 3. Relating to ships. 4. A boy's +name. 5. A letter. + +3.--1. A letter. 2. A plug. 3. Savory. 4. A trap. 5. A letter. + +4.--1. A letter. 2. To caress. 3. Purport. 4. Fashion. 5. A letter. + + SUNSHADE. + +5.--1. A letter. 2. Not young. 3. Glitter. 4. Parched. 5. A letter. + + S. X. + + * * * * * + +No. 2. + +1. A monkey. 2. A pronoun. 3. To bind. 4. Cunning. 5. A month. 6. A +girl's name. 7. A color. 8. Sick. 9. To discover. 10. Timid. 11. A +falsehood. 12. A period of time. Centrals spell the name of an important +city of the United States. + + LAURA and BEZETTE. + + * * * * * + +No. 3. + +DOUBLE ACROSTIC. + +1. To kill. 2. Part of the dress of a Roman citizen. 3. Frugal. 4. To +complete. 5. To dissolve. Primals and finals compose the name of a +pleasure-boat. + + EDGAR B. + + * * * * * + +No. 4. + +ENIGMA. + +My first is one hundred. My second is nothing. My third is twice +yourself. My fourth is fifty. My whole is a monk's hood. + + W. C. L. + + * * * * * + +ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN No. 144. + +No. 1. + + H oo F + A rn O + R ea R + T oa D + +No. 2. + + S A I D + A L T O + I T E M + D O M E + + P A T O W L T U B + A I R W Y E U S E + T R Y L E T B E E + +No. 3. + + V + H O G + V O W E L + G E T + L + +No. 4. + +Toby Tyler. Tower of Babel. + + * * * * * + +Answer to Pictorial Puzzle on page 656--Skipper, Beetle, Walking-stick, +Spider, Cricket. + + * * * * * + +Correct answers to puzzles have been received from Josephine Chesley, +Charlie Schilling, "Eureka," A. B. Sinclair, Mary B. Breed, Lulie, +Howard O. Smith, John Wallis Clearman, "Sunshade," May Worthington, "I. +Scycle," "Ed. U. Cation," James Tipton, Harry Johnston, Arthur Slade, +Royal Thompson, Van Dyke Forester, E. G. F., Maggie Simmons, "Fuss and +Feathers," Isabella Niven, Richard Winn Courts, Effie R., Kate Marshall, +Lillie Clark, Carrie E. Howard, John A. Staats, Walter Brainerd, Eddie +S. Hequembourg, Philip McLaun, H. Van Horn, D. C. Wolcott, "Fidelie," +Addie and Arthur S., Maggie and Rosa B., Alice Comstock, M. F., J. +Payson, Hugh McIntosh, Ada Wheeler, Rosa R., Jack, Fred Smith, and +"Bright-Eyes." + + * * * * * + +[_For Exchanges, see 2d and 3d pages of cover._] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + Take the moon from out the sky, + And the same then so apply + That you will see what this saucy puss + Is giving to her cousin Gus. + + * * * * * + +ORIGINAL RIDDLE. + +I am older than the Pyramids, yet continually made new. In infancy I am +of a cold disposition, but in youth am heated with passion, and I then +usually acquire a permanent blush. My composition is very peculiar: I am +made up of the head of an insect and the tail of an alligator joined to +an organ, a sea, and part of a monkey. If the insect is exchanged for a +vegetable, I may hurt you; if it is replaced by a Chinese plant, I may +deceive you. I am found in the homes of the poor and humble, in the +palaces of princes, in the temples of religion, and in the low places of +the earth. I have assisted in the worship of the true God, and in the +extravagant rites of the heathen. I often support insignificant and +contemptible undertakings, yet I once took part in the most ambitions +and presumptuous enterprise of mankind. Usually peaceful in disposition, +I have caused the death of rioters, and once excited a mighty rebellion. +Though used to rough treatment at the hands of ignorant men, I am highly +esteemed and much sought for by learned scholars. By my aid rivers are +spanned, tunnels strengthened, prisoners held in captivity, and iron +industries rendered possible; without me, many would lose their +livelihood, and London would be desolate. Finally, I am most useful when +in bed. + + * * * * * + +DON. + +Don was a retriever that could never be taught to retrieve. A great romp +of a fellow, jet black, relieved by a single white star on his throat. + +Don is excessively fond of sweets and fruit, notably ripe gooseberries, +of which his master grows some fine varieties. During the season a great +quantity of ripe, yellow fruit disappeared from the bushes, but no one +could discover the thief; at the same time, however, it was noticed that +Don's nose was always covered with scratches. His master put two and two +together, and resolved to watch the dog. He did so, and saw Don go +toward a door in the garden wall, stand on his hind-legs, and press down +the latch with his fore-paw. + +The door yielded, and in went Don to feast on the yellow gooseberries. +He scratched his nose in the operation, but evidently thought the fruit +worth suffering for. + +The same dog occasionally paid visits with his master, and one lady, +knowing his liking for sweets, always gave Don a piece of cake when she +offered it, with wine, to her guest. + +It happened, however, on a single occasion that the lady's stock of cake +was almost exhausted. The piece she had was small and somewhat stale, +too shabby to offer to a gentleman; so the wine was brought out alone. + +Don's master took no notice of this, but Don, after looking expectant +for some time, marched to the lady, placed his great paws on her knee, +and cast imploring glances toward the side-board. When this failed, he +went to the door and tried to open it. + +He was only scolded for scratching it, and in despair of making himself +understood, he took advantage of the open house door, and set off home +as fast as he could go. + +After he was gone, the lady expressed her surprise at Don's unusual +conduct. The master smiled, and said the dog had not forgotten that she +usually gave him cake, and had been trying to make her understand that +when wine was brought out for the master, _his_ share of the dainties +ought also to be forth-coming. + + + + +[Illustration: "Oh, do, dear Grandma, get in behind, and let us drive +you home."] + +[Illustration: A TOO-CONFIDING GRANDMA.] + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Harper's Young People, August 22, 1882, by Various + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 59523 *** |