THE
NURSERY

A Monthly Magazine

For Youngest Readers.

IN PROSE.

IN VERSE.

[33]

ALMOST READY FOR LAUNCHING.
VOL. XXIX.—NO. 2.

[34]

ALMOST READY FOR LAUNCHING.

What are they doing? Well, most of them, I think, are calkers. Do you know what that means? I will tell you.

After the frame of a ship is set up, the timbers firmly bolted and braced, and the planking put on and fastened, inside and out, the next thing to be done is to make the seams water-tight.

For this purpose, slivers of oakum, rolled up in the hand, are driven into the seams between the planks. When the seams are filled, they are covered with melted pitch or rosin to preserve the oakum from decay. This process is called calking.

Most of the men seen in the picture are doing this work, but not all of them. Some are driving in the oakum with a tool called a calking-iron. Some are putting on the pitch. I will leave it for you to find out what the others are doing.

If we could look on deck and on the other side of the ship, we should see men at work there too. Hark! Don't you hear the sound of their hammers? All is bustle, but there is no confusion. Every man knows what to do, and does his work with a will.

After the calking is done, the painters will take their turn. They will put on two or three coats of paint; then the carvers and gilders will make a handsome figure-head; every thing will look as neat as a new pin; and then it will be time to be thinking of a name for the vessel, for, if I am not mistaken, the ship will be ready for launching. Let us[35] fancy that we are present at the launch. I think I see her now gliding into the deep water that awaits her.

She floats away from her cradle. She sits like a duck upon the water. She is staunch and strong and tight. So far the work has been well done. What comes next?

The riggers will now take her in hand. Masts and yards and shrouds and sails will soon be in their places. Soon we shall see her in the harbor all ready for sea; and by and by, with sails all set and streamers all afloat, she will move gracefully down the bay. May she always have fair winds and prosperous voyages!

[36]

LOUIS'S NEW PLANT.

So they planted three or four peanuts. Louis expected to raise peanuts enough for the whole neighborhood; and one lady to whom he mentioned it engaged a bushel on the spot.

In due time a little plant appeared, carrying one of the nuts on its head; but, finding that too much of a load, it left the parent nut on the surface of the ground, and sent bright green leaves up, and little threads of roots down, until, with its sisters, which had been growing in the same way, it made a group of three pretty plants.

All summer Louis took pride in showing them. Although they grew so finely, many persons prophesied that they would never bear nuts. But, in the latter part of September, Louis dug from one of his plants a nut which was perfect in form, though not yet divided into shell and meat. It was like a raw potato.

He waited patiently, and early in November he dug a saucer-full of well-ripened nuts. The plants had sent out a shoot from each joint, and these grew downward into the ground, and at the end of each shoot grew a nut. So Louis thinks it is correct to call it a ground-nut.

Louis took a sample of the nuts to "The Nursery" office, and it was pronounced to be of good quality. Although he could not supply the order for a bushel, he intends to try again next year, and hopes to raise a larger crop.

[37]

THE WOULD-BE TRAVELLERS.

ARTHUR. Oh, if I only had a pair Of Indian snow-shoes I could wear, The storms might beat, the winds might blow, Across the drifts I'd northward go, And see the Northland's splendid sights,— The red, and green, and yellow lights, That up the sky at night-time stream, The icebergs on the sea that gleam, And, peering from his hut of snow, In walrus-coat, the Esquimau; And with my loud hurrah I'd scare From out his den the grizzly bear.

BERTHA. And, if I only had a boat, I'd spread my sail, and eastward float, And see the far-off Eastern lands, The palm-trees, and the desert sands, The camels and the caravans; Tall shining towers, and curious towns, And men with turbans on, and gowns; And bring home, lovely to behold, A charming dress of cloth-of-gold.

[38]

DICK. And, if I only had a horse, I'd westward, westward take my course; With flying feet and floating mane He'd gallop with me o'er the plain; As lightly as the wind we'd pass Across the waving prairie-grass, And strange, tall blossoms, blue and red, Would nod about my horse's head. ELSIE. And, if I had some wings to fly, I'd southward soar along the sky, And see the Southland all aglow With roses, when with us there's snow; And flutter down to rest me, where The starry myrtle scents the air, And humming-birds dart out and in The blossoms of the jessamine; Where his green mate the parrot calls, And oranges, like golden balls, Hang on the boughs, I'd spend the hours In gathering figs, and plucking flowers. LITTLE SUSIE. Oh, if you want to, and you can, I'm willing you should roam; But I'm dear mother's little girl, I'll stay with her at home. MARIAN DOUGLAS.

[39]

"ONE-OLD-CAT."

Presently up jumped one boy, and said, "Come on, fellows, let's play something."—"All right," said another boy, "One-old-cat." Then they all ran into the house.

"Dear me!" said grandma, "I thought they were good boys; but they seem to be going to tease pussy." In a few minutes the boys came back. One of them carried a large club, while another had something which grandma, who could not see very well, took to be a stone.

"Oh, what cruel boys!" thought the old lady. "It's bad enough to tie things to a cat's tail; but to beat her with a club and to throw stones at her is still worse."[40]

"I'll be pitcher," shouted one of the boys. "There!" said grandma, "he says he'll pitch her. Who would believe that boys in red stockings and blue suits could be so cruel?"

"I'll be inner," cried another boy.

"Inner!" said grandma. "What does that mean? Some new expression. I have no doubt, which I never before heard; but an old lady of eighty years can't be expected to keep up with the times. It's something dreadful, of course."

But what was the old lady's surprise when the boys threw aside their blue jackets, and two of them began to throw the "stone" back and forth, one to the other; while the third boy stood between, striking at it as it flew through the air, and sometimes hitting it and sometimes not. There they staid all the afternoon doing the same thing.

"Why," said grandma, putting on her glasses, and looking more closely. "I declare! they're only playing ball, after all. Well, I'm glad they're not so cruel as I thought them. They are such pretty little boys, and have such pretty red stockings too!"

"But," said she, after a long pause, "there is still one thing that troubles me. Where is the 'old cat'?"

WHAT IS THE HORSE DOING?

Some boys had placed in a field a snare by which they hoped to catch a rabbit. It was a sort of noose made of coarse, twisted grass. Fido, the dog, put one of his forefeet[41] in the noose, and in trying to get away his leg was doubled up by it.

He limped off howling to his friend Hero, an old horse that was grazing near by. Fido lifted up his leg, and Hero at once saw what was the matter. But Hero had no knife with which to cut the noose. What could he do?

He did not stay long in doubt. He put down his head,[42] and began to gnaw at the noose. Taking good care not to bite Fido, he nibbled at the wisp of twisted grass till it dropped off, and the good dog was free.

You should have seen Fido as he scampered round, jumped up, and barked at his old friend. "Barked at him?" Yes; but it was all in play, as much as to say, "You dear old Hero! How I thank you! I will do as much for you, should you ever get into trouble. Bow, wow, wow!"

And Hero galloped round, and threw up his heels, but took good care not to hit his friend Fido. Each seemed to be glad in the feeling that a kind act had been done.

This is a true story, and Mr. Harrison Weir has told it well in his drawing.

A QUEER KITTEN.

[43]

HOW BLUE-EYES WATCHED
FOR THE NEW YEAR.

[45]

WHY WOULDN'T THE KITE FLY?

Just before dinner they had been in bathing. Since dinner they had been over in the fields, picking up long feathery grasses to put in mamma's vases. And now, what should they do next?

At last, Jack thought it would be fine fun to make a large kite, much larger than any they had ever seen. Fred[46] said he would help; and off they ran to get sticks, tacks, paper, paste, and string, so as to have every thing ready.

When they could think of nothing else that was needed, they set to work. Jack cut and tacked the sticks together, just as the smaller ones were in his little old kite; while Fred cut the papers, and made the tail.

Having joined the four ends of the sticks with string, they covered the whole with newspaper, pasted nicely, and left the kite in the sun to dry. Then Jack thought of one thing that had been forgotten: they had not tied on the string. So they had to cut a hole in their paper, and put the string through. Then, of course, the holes had to be patched up again, and this took a good while.

The wind was blowing quite briskly, and the boys thought they could not wait any longer, although the kite was not quite dry. Fred said he would pitch the kite, if Jack would let out the string. You can imagine how Fred looked, as he ran out before the wind, with this big kite that was much taller than himself. Jack said it seemed as though the kite had legs of its own, and was walking off.

Fred pitched the kite. It went up bravely. Jack ran with it, letting out the string, little by little, when, all of a sudden, there came a heavy gust of wind. The string broke, and the kite fluttered down, flat on the ground.

But these boys had been taught to always "try again." So they went to look for a stronger string.

Jack thought of the clothes-line. Off he went, and soon came back with a good long rope. This they tied on, and now they thought the kite would surely fly. Jack pitched it this time, and what do you think happened? The string was too heavy. The kite went up, but soon came down; and, what was worse, the paper was so thin, that the wind tore it all to pieces.[47]

"Never mind!" said Jack, "we'll try again to-morrow. You see, Fred, if we have a large kite, we must have a strong cover for it and a stout string."

Then the two boys went to work, and covered the kite-frame with cloth. They got a string that was very strong but not too heavy; and the next day they had a grand time flying their kite.

Some day I will tell you more about these boys who were always ready to "try again."

THE NEW-LAID EGG.

Who laid the egg? "Cut, cut-ca-dah!" said the hen: "When the clock struck ten, I laid an egg."

Who'll take it to the house? "I," said little Dick: "I'm very quick, And I'll take it to the house."

[48]

Who knows how to cook it? "I," said good Mary Ann; "In my own frying-pan: I know how to cook it."

Who'll eat it when it's done? "I," said little Phil, "Because I am ill: "I'll eat it when it's done."

Who'll lay another? "Cluck, cluck, cluck!" said the hen; "Feed me well and then I'll lay another." C. L. K.

[49]

DRAWING-LESSON.
VOL. XXIX.—NO. 2.

[50]

BERTIE AT HIS UNCLE'S.

He has never until now been away from his papa and mamma for a day. But he thinks he shall not mind it, because uncle Frank is such a funny man. He can make you believe that there is a big bumble-bee on your hair, or flying and buzzing about the room. He can squeak just like a mouse, or mew like a cat, or chirp like a bird.

But uncle Frank cannot play with Bertie all day long. He has an office down town, where he must stay part of the time. So he tells Bertie to keep off the street, and be sure not to follow the circus, or the man with the organ and monkey.

Bertie says he will stay in the house, and visit with Poll the parrot, and Dick, the canary. "If you need any thing more to make you happy, ask Dora the housekeeper for it. She will look after your wants till I return," uncle Frank says as he takes leave of Bertie at the door.

"Good-by, uncle Frank!" says Bertie.

"Don't follow the circus! don't follow the circus!" cries Poll from her perch.

Bertie laughs, and answers back, "Don't scold! don't scold!"

This puts Poll in the very best of humor. She turns up her eyes, tries to look smart, and screams back at the top of her voice, "Thieves, thieves! Call the police; call the police!"

Then Dora comes in, and finds uncle Frank gone. She tells Bertie she has something to show him. He follows her[51] out through the kitchen, and up a long pair of stairs, to an attic. There is a large box in the attic. Dora calls it a chest. It is painted blue, and has a lid to it. The lid is made of woven wire.

Dora goes on tiptoe and looks over into the box. Then she softly raises the lid, and lifts Bertie up so that he can see into it. "Oh, what funny cats!" cries little Bertie.

"Indeed they are not cats," Dora says, smiling.

"Then they must be little puppies. But what red eyes they have! and such straight bodies! How funny they do look!" Bertie says.

"No, my little man, they are not puppies. You will have to guess once more," says the good-natured housekeeper.

"Are they rabbits?" asks Bertie.

"No, not rabbits, either," is the reply. "Guess again."

"Oh, please tell me what they are!" pleads Bertie. "I am sure that I can never, never guess all alone."

Dora laughs, and says they will go down and get Poll the parrot to help him guess. Poll is still on her perch; and Dora, holding a cream-cracker, says, "Here is a nice cracker, Poll. Now tell Bertie what is in the big chest in the attic."

"Polly wants a cracker!" cries the bird.

"What is in the attic?" asks Dora.

"Ferrets, ferrets! Run, rats! Run for your lives!" screams the parrot. "Polly wants a cracker!"

"There, my little man; now do you know what is in the chest?" asks Dora as she gives the cracker to Poll.

[52]

"Polly says they are ferrets," replies Bertie, dropping his eyes; "but I do not know what that means."

So Dora asks Bertie to sit beside her, and she will tell him about the little ferrets.

Just as she finishes a nice long story about an old ferret and a great long-tailed rat, a little girl's voice under the table calls out, "Come here, Bertie: I want to tell you something." Bertie slides down from the sofa, and runs to the table. He lifts up a corner of the table-cover and looks under.

There is nothing to be seen there, except a pair of very crooked legs, which belong to the table, of course.

"What does all that mean, I wonder!" Bertie says. And his eyes are as round as moons.

But, before Dora can reply, the same voice says, "Go to the door, Bertie: there is something there for you."

Bertie walks slowly toward the door, but stops halfway there, and asks, "Is it April-fool's Day?" And the voice under the table answers, "Go to the door and see."

So Bertie tries to look bold, and marches up, like a soldier going to battle. "Left, left! right, right!" calls out the voice under the table. But this time it is loud and strong, like that of a captain of the drill.

Bertie is a brave little boy: so he marches straight up to the door,—which stands open,—and looks out. Then he claps his chubby hands, and shouts, "Oh! it was my uncle Frank under the table. I forgot he was such a funny man. Oh, uncle Frank! How can you get in the house and out of the house, and nobody see you?"

"Look down here at me!" says a strange barking voice from the bottom of the steps. Bertie looks, and sees something that makes his eyes brighter than ever. It is a great, black, shaggy dog, hitched to such a nice little express-wagon.[53] The harness fits its wearer as nicely as can be, and has silver rings and buckles. The reins are red, white, and blue. A neat whip lies across the seat of the wagon. On the sides of the wagon, in large gilt letters, are the words, "City Express."

The dog has a bright silver collar around his neck, with a small bell hung from it. The dog's name is on this collar. It is Nero.

But when uncle Frank tells Bertie that the dog, and the wagon, and the pretty harness, and the whip, are all his own to keep, he is so glad that he jumps up and down like a young monkey.

He says, "Thank you, thank you, uncle Frank! When I am a man, I shall try and be just like you." Then his uncle lifts him into the express-wagon, gives him the reins and the whip, and away they go, down the area-walk, to the stable.

[54]

[56]

RICH AND POOR.

Here is a young girl taking a walk on a cold day. She is strong and well. Her dress is very thick. She has a fur cape, and a muff, and good stout shoes. See how fine she looks. She does not seem to mind the biting frost.

But see this poor old woman tottering along. She wraps her thin cloak around her, but it does not keep out the keen air. She is very cold.

I hope that the rich young girl will give some aid to the poor old woman.

[57]

THE SNOW-FAIRIES.

[58]

RED CORAL BEADS.

"Did I ever tell you how I lost my red coral beads, and where they were found?" I said this to my boys, Roy and Fred, one frosty night, when we were all gathered around the bright open fire.

"No!" said Fred decidedly. "That is a new story. Does it tell about the time when you were a little girl? and about the farmhouse and the sitting-room with the big fireplace, and the bellows, and the queer hour-glass, and the old-fashioned iron snuffers in a red tray?"

"Yes," I answered, "it is about every thing you like to hear so well." Then I told the story as follows:—

"My story begins in the long, low, pleasant farmhouse sitting-room, with its big beam running across the low ceiling. There was also a great fireplace, and a wide stone hearth. There we children cracked our nuts, and there, on winter evenings, a great basket of Rhode-Island Greenings always stood warming in the corner. Of course there was a wide mantel over the fireplace. On it stood two tall silver candlesticks, between them were the hour-glass and the snuffer-tray, and at each end of the shelf was a stiff vase, filled with peacock feathers."

[59]

"Don't forget the windows," interrupted Roy.

"Never fear," I said.

"The windows were the loveliest I ever saw,—wide, and deep, and low, and cushioned with red morseen."

"And your grandmother always sat at the south window, knitting, and reading out of the Bible or the Pilgrim's Progress," said Fred.

"And she had a bag of red-and-white sugar-plums, to give you when you were good," continued Roy.

"That is all true," I observed. "What comes next?"

"Why, the chrysanthemum-window, of course," said both boys in a chorus.

"There were yellow, red, and white ones," continued Roy.

"Yes," said I, "and I will tell you of the many other pleasant things in the room that I so dearly love to remember."

"There was a chintz lounge, a striped home-made carpet, a big arm-chair for father, and a high-backed rocking-chair for my mother.

"But the most attractive place in the whole room was the corner cupboard. It had a carved green door, and was painted inside a bright vermilion-red. On one shelf stood a silver tankard filled with solid silver spoons, and behind it, in stately shining rows, my grandmother's pewter platters.

"On the next higher shelf stood a set of pink china, a little stout green pitcher, a dozen wine-glasses, and a great blue punch-bowl, gorgeous with yellow butterflies hovering over great double pink roses.

"There were tumblers of jelly on the top shelf, and jars of preserves,[60] and covered glass dishes of honey, and a box made of colored porcupine-quills, in which mother kept her currants, raisins, citron, and candied lemon-peel.

"Now comes the story-part. One day my brothers were all out in the woods setting traps. Mother had just run into Mrs. Newman's for a little call, grandma was spending the day in town, and Alice, my sister, was out working among the flowers.

"Suddenly I thought, 'How good those raisins in the porcupine box would taste!' I did not pause long to consider, but climbed the red shelves of the closet, took down the blue-and-yellow box, and helped myself. I set it back again hastily, for I heard Alice coming in at the back-door. That very night I missed my red coral beads.

"'They are gone for good,' said my grandma, 'for I saw the child playing on the sand-bank before I went away.'—'And she has been on the hay-mow,' chimed in my brothers.—'And all over the pine-grove with me,' said Alice.—'And down to the grist and saw mill with me,' observed father.

"I mourned greatly over my loss; for my beads were precious, and I prized them more highly than any thing else I possessed. A few nights after my loss, mother, who had gone up to bed with us as usual, said very gravely, 'Susan, I have found your beads; and where do you think they were?'

"I could not tell, of course. 'They were in the porcupine-box,' continued mother; 'and now how came they there?' I told her all about it. My little sin had found me out.

"'Your necklace was a silent witness,' said my mother. I wanted to ask what a 'silent witness' was, but was too much ashamed. The[61] next day I was sent to the store for more raisins and citron. Alice went with me.

"As we left the store, I heard Mr. Dallas, the merchant, say to his clerk, 'Mrs. Chapin is a good customer. She bought two pounds of raisins and a pound of citron only last week, and to-day as much more. I guess they are expecting company. Shouldn't at all wonder if John's folks were coming.'

"My uncle John did come, and brought his pretty new wife, aunt Dorothy. Mother made lovely frosted pound-cake with plums in it, and mince-pies filled with fruit; but what I remember best of all is that she made for me a little plain cake, and left out all the raisins and currants."

"I think it was real mean for your mother to do so," said Fred, excited, and almost tearful.

"I think it was just right," I added. "It taught me a lesson I never forgot."

Since telling this story to my boys, I have observed that the lump-sugar that I keep in the blue china punch-bowl lasts much longer than it has for months before.

And this is the moral of my story, I suppose.

[62]

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS.

[64]

NURSERY SONG.