Part 1

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THE NURSERY

No. 101. MAY, 1875. Vol. XVII

A Monthly Magazine for Youngest Readers

Boston: John L. Shorey, 36 Bromfield Street.

American News Co., 119 Nassau St., New York. New-England News Co., 41 Court St., Boston. Central News Co., Philadelphia. Western News Co., Chicago.

$1.60 a Year, in advance, Postage Included. A single copy, 15 cts.

CONTENTS OF NUMBER ONE HUNDRED AND ONE.

THE DOG WHO LOST HIS MASTER By Uncle Charles ON A HIGH HORSE By Josephine Pollard CELEBRATING GRANDMOTHER'S BIRTHDAY By Emily Carter THE LITTLE CULPRIT (From the German) THE DOLL-BABY SHOW By George Cooper THE CHICKENS THAT WERE WISER THAN LOTTIE By Ruth Kenyon A HUNT FOR BOY BLUE By A.L.T. A DRAWING-LESSON DAY AND NIGHT By Aunt Winnie VIEW FROM COOPER'S HILL By E.W. SATURDAY NIGHT By Uncle Charles THE CUCKOO By Uncle Oscar WORK AND SING! By Emily Carter ONE YEAR OLD By A.B.C. MY DOG By Willie B. Marshall MAY DOT AND THE LEMONS By G. DADDY DANDELION (Music by T. Crampton)

EDITOR'S PORTFOLIO.

We think that the present number, both in its pictorial and its literary contents, will please our host of readers, young and old. The charming little story of "The Little Culprit," in its mixture of humor and pathos, has been rarely excelled.

The drawing lessons, consisting of outlines made by Weir from Landseer's pictures, seem to be fully appreciated by our young readers, and we have received from them several copies which are very creditable.

Remember that for teaching children to read there are no more attractive volumes than "The Easy Book" and "The Beautiful Book," published at this office.

The pleasant days of spring ought to remind canvassers that now is a good time for getting subscribers, and that "The Nursery" needs but to be shown to intelligent parents to be appreciated. See terms.

The use of "The Nursery" in schools has been attended with the best results. We have much interesting testimony on this point, which we may soon communicate. It will be worthy the attention of teachers and school committees.

Subscribers who do not receive "THE NURSERY" promptly, (making due allowance for the ordinary delay of the mail), are requested to notify us IMMEDIATELY. Don't wait two or three months and then write informing us that we have "not sent" the magazine, (which in most cases is not the fact): but state simply that you have not RECEIVED it; and be sure, in the first place, that the fault is not at your own Post-office. Always mention the DATE of your remittance and subscription as nearly as possible. Remember that WE are not responsible for the short-comings of the Post-office, and that our delivery of the magazine is complete when we drop it into the Boston office properly directed.

"Every house that has children in it, needs 'The Nursery' for their profit and delight: and every childless house needs it for the sweet portraiture it gives of childhood."--Northampton Journal.

ON A HIGH HORSE.

On a velocipede Harry would ride: Quickly the splendid steed Set him astride.

Now for a jolly time! Now for some sport! Hold on!--the little chap's Legs are too short.

Harry can't touch the peg, All he can do; Though he may stretch his leg Out of his shoe!

What can we do for him? This much, of course: Let down the rider--or Let down the horse.

Many a hobby-horse Small boys must ride, Ere such a steed as this They can bestride

So, little Harry dear, Don't look so cross When you are taken down From a high horse.

JOSEPHINE POLLARD.

CELEBRATING GRANDMOTHER'S BIRTHDAY.

There were three little sisters and one little brother; and their names were Emma, Ruth, Linda, and John. And these children had a grandmother, whose seventieth birthday was near at hand.

"What shall we do to celebrate our dear grandmother's birthday?" asked Emma, the eldest.

"Get some crackers and torpedoes, and fire them off," said Johnny.

"Oh, that will never do!" cried Linda. "Let us give her a serenade."

"But we none of us sing well enough," said Ruth; "and grandmother, you know, is a very good musician. Let us do this: Let us come to her as the 'Four Seasons,' and each one salute her with a verse."

"Yes: that's a very pretty idea," cried Linda. "And I'll be Spring; for they say my eyes are blue as violets."

"Then I'll be Summer," cried Emma. "I like summer best."

"I'll be Autumn," said Johnny; "for, if there's any thing I like, it is grapes. Peaches, too, are not bad; and what fun it is to go a-nutting!"

"There's but one season left for me," said Ruth. "I must be Winter. No matter! Winter has its joys as well as the rest."

"But who'll write the verses for us?" asked Emma. "There must be a verse for every season."

"Oh, the teacher will write them for us!" cried Ruth. "No one could do it better."

And so, on the morning of grandmother's birthday, as she sat in her large armchair, with her own pussy on a stool at her side, the "Four Seasons" entered the room, one after another, and formed a semicircle in front of her. Grandmother was not a bit frightened. She smiled kindly; and then the "Seasons" spoke as follows:--

SPRING.

I am the Spring: with sunshine see me coming; Birds begin to twitter; hark! the bees are humming: Green to field and hillside, blossoms to the tree, Joy to every human heart are what I bring with me.

SUMMER.

See my wealth of flowers! I'm the golden Summer: Is there for the young or old a more welcome comer? Come and scent the new-mown grass; by the hillside stray; And confess that only June brings the perfect day.

AUTUMN.

Mark the wreath about my head,--wreath of richest flowers; I am Autumn, and I bring mildest, happiest hours; In my hand a goblet see, which the grape-juice holds; Corn and grain and precious fruits, Autumn's arm enfolds.

WINTER.

Round my head the holly-leaf; in my hand the pine: I am Winter cold and stern; these last flowers are mine. But while I am left to rule, all's not dark or sad; Christmas comes with winter-time to make the children glad.

ALL THE SEASONS.

Here our offerings glad we bring, And long life to Grandma sing.

EMILY CARTER.

THE LITTLE CULPRIT.

School had begun. The boys and girls were in their places, and the master was hearing them spell; when all at once there was a soft, low knock at the door.

"Come in!" said the master; and a little cleanly-dressed girl, about six years old, stood upon the threshold, with downcast eyes.

She held out before her, as if trying to hide behind it, a satchel, so large that it seemed hard to decide whether the child had brought it, or it had brought the child; and the drops on her cheeks showed how she had been running.

"Why, Katie!" cried the schoolmaster, "why do you come so late? Come here to me, little culprit. It is the first time you have been late. What does it mean?"

Little Katie slowly approached him, while her chubby face grew scarlet. "I--I had to pick berries," she faltered, biting her berry-stained lips.

"O Katie!" said the master, raising his forefinger, "that is very strange. You _had_ to? Who, then, told you to?"

Katie still looked down; and her face grew redder still.

"Look me in the face, my child," said the master gravely. "Are you telling the truth?"

Katie tried to raise her brown roguish eyes to his face: but, ah! the consciousness of guilt weighed down her eyelids like lead. She could not look at her teacher: she only shook her curly head.

"Katie," said the master kindly, "you were not sent to pick berries: you ran into the woods to pick them for yourself. Perhaps this is your first falsehood, as it is the first time you have been late at school. Pray God that it may be your last."

"Oh, oh!" broke forth the little culprit, "the neighbor's boy, Fritz, took me with him; and the berries tasted so good that I staid too long."

The other children laughed; but a motion of the master's hand restored silence, and, turning to Katie, he said, "Now, my child, for your tardiness you will have a black mark, and go down one in your class; but, Katie, for the falsehood you will lose your place in my heart, and I cannot love you so much. But I will forgive you, if you will go stand in the corner of your own accord. Which will you do,--lose your place in my heart, or go stand in the corner for a quarter of an hour?"

The child burst into a flood of tears, and sobbing out, "I'd rather go stand in the corner," went there instantly, and turned her dear little face to the wall.

In a few minutes the master called her, and, as she came running to him, he said: "Will you promise me, Katie, never again to say what is not true?"

"Oh, yes, I will try--I will try never, never to do it again," was the contrite answer.

Then the master took up the rosy little thing, and set her on his knee, and said: "Now, my dear child, I will love you dearly. And, if you are ever tempted to say what is not true, think how it would grieve your old teacher if he knew it, and speak the truth for his sake."

"Yes, yes!" cried the child, her little heart overflowing with repentance; and, throwing her arms around the master's neck, she hugged him, and said again, "Yes, yes!"

FROM THE GERMAN.

THE DOLL-BABY SHOW.

Our doll-baby show, it was something quite grand; You saw there the loveliest dolls in the land. Each girl brought her own, in its prettiest dress: Three pins bought a ticket, and not a pin less.

For the doll that was choicest we offered a prize: There were wee mites of dollies, and some of great size. Some came in rich purple, some lilac, some white, With ribbons and laces,--a wonderful sight!

Now, there was one dolly, so tall and so proud, She put all the others quite under a cloud; But one of us hinted, in so many words, That sometimes fine feathers do not make fine birds.

We sat in a row, with our dolls in our laps: The dolls behaved sweetly, and met no mishaps. No boys were admitted; for boys will make fun: Now which do you think was the dolly that won?

Soon all was commotion to hear who would get The prize; for the dollies' committee had met: We were the committee; and which do you think Was the doll we decided on, all in a wink?

Why, each of us said that our own was the best, The finest, the sweetest, the prettiest drest: So we _all_ got the prize--we'll invite you to go The next time we girls have our doll-baby show.

GEORGE COOPER.

THE CHICKENS THAT WERE WISER THAN LOTTIE.

Lottie is always asking, "Why?"

When mamma calls from the window, "Lottie, Lottie!" she answers, very pleasantly, "What, ma'am?" for she hopes mamma will say, "Here's a nice turnover for you;" or, "Cousin Alice has come to see you." But when the answer is "It is time to come in," the wrinkles appear on Lottie's forehead, and her voice is a very different one, as she says, "Oh, dear, I don't want to! _Why_ need I come in now?"

When papa says, "Little daughter, I want you to do an errand for me," Lottie whines, and asks, "_Why_ can't Benny do it?"

Out in the field Old Biddy Brown has four wee chickens, little soft downy balls, scarcely bigger than the eggs they came from just one week ago.

They are very spry, and run all about. When the mother Biddy finds any nice bit, she clucks; and every little chick comes running to see what is wanting.

When it grows chilly, and she fears they will take cold, she says, "Cluck, cluck, cluck!" and they all run under her warm feathers as fast as they can.

Just now Mother Biddy gave a very loud call, and every chicken was under her wings in a minute; and up in the sky I saw a hawk, who had been planning to make a good dinner of these same chickens. I could not help thinking, how well for them, that they did not stop, like Lottie, to ask, "Why?"

Down came the hawk with a fierce swoop, as if he meant to take the old hen and the chickens too; but Mother Biddy sprang up and faced him so boldly, that he did not know what to make of it.

She seemed to say, "Come on my fine fellow, if you dare. You have got to eat me before you eat my chicks; and you'll find me rather tough."

So the hawk changed his mind at the last moment. He thought he would wait till he could catch the chickens alone. The chickens were saved, though one of them was nearly dead with fright.

RUTH KENYON.

A HUNT FOR BOY BLUE.

We have a little three-year-old boy at our house, who likes to hear stories, and his mother tells him a great many. But there is one which pleases him more than all the rest, and perhaps the little readers of "The Nursery" will like it too.

You have all heard of little Boy Blue, and how he was called upon to blow his horn; but I don't think any of you know what a search his father had to find him. This is the story.

Boy Blue lived on a large farm, and took care of the sheep and cows. One day the cows got into the corn, and the sheep into the meadow; and Boy Blue was nowhere to be seen. His father called and called, "Boy Blue, Boy Blue, where are you? Why do you not look after the sheep and cows? Where are you?" But no one answered.

Then Boy Blue's father went to the pasture, and said, "Horse, horse, have you seen Boy Blue?" The old horse pricked up his cars, and looked very thoughtful, but neighed, and said, "No, no: I have not seen Boy Blue."

Next he went to the field where the oxen were ploughing, and said, "Oxen, oxen, have you seen Boy Blue?" They rolled their great eyes, and looked at him; but shook their heads, and said, "No, no: we have not seen Boy Blue."

Next, he went to the pond; and a great fat duck came out to meet him; and he said, "Duck, duck, have you seen Boy Blue?" And she said, "Quack, quack, quack! I have not seen Boy Blue." And all the other ducks said, "Quack, quack!"

Then Boy Blue's father visited the turkeys, and asked the old gobbler if he had seen Boy Blue. The old gobbler strutted up and down, saying, "Gobble, gobble, gobble! I have not seen Boy Blue."

He then asked the cockerel if he had seen Boy Blue. And the cockerel answered, "Cock-coo-doodle-doo! I haven't seen Boy Blue: cock-coo-doodle-doo!"

Then an old hen was asked if she had seen Boy Blue. She said, "Cluck, cluck, cluck! I haven't seen Boy Blue; but I will call my chicks, and you can ask them. Cluck, cluck, cluck!" And all the chicks came running, but only said, "Peep, peep, peep! We haven't seen Boy Blue. Peep, peep, peep!"

Boy Blue's father then went to the men who were making hay, and said, "Men, men, have you seen my Boy Blue?" But the men answered, "No, no: we have not seen Boy Blue." But just then they happened to look under a haycock; and there, all curled up, lay Boy Blue, and his dog Tray, fast asleep.

His father shook him by the arm, saying, "Boy Blue, wake up, wake up! The sheep are in the meadow, and the cows are in the corn." Boy Blue sprang to his feet, seized his tin horn, and ran as fast as he could to the cornfield, with his little dog running by his side.

He blew on his horn, "_Toot, toot, toot_!" and all the cows came running up, saying, "Moo, moo!" He drove them to the barn to be milked. Then he ran to the meadows, and blew once more, "_Toot, toot, toot_!" and all the sheep came running up, saying, "Baa, baa!" and he drove them to their pasture.

Then Boy Blue said to his dog, "Little dog, little dog, it's time for supper," and his little dog said "Bow, wow! Bow, wow!" So they went home to supper.

After Boy Blue had eaten a nice bowl of bread and milk, his father said: "Now Boy Blue, you had better go to bed, and have a good night's rest, so that you may be able to keep awake all day to-morrow; for I don't want to have such a hunt for you again." Then Boy Blue said, "Good night," and went to bed, and slept sweetly all night long.

A.L.T.

DAY AND NIGHT.

Blue-eyed Charley Day had a cousin near his own age, whose name was Harry Knight. When they were about eight years old, and began to go to the public school, the boys called them, "Day and Night."

Charley did not object to the puns the schoolboys made; but Harry was quite vexed by them. Having quite a dark skin, and very dark eyes and hair, he thought the boys meant to insult him by calling him, "Night."

One large boy, about twelve years old, seemed to delight in teasing Harry. He would say to him, "Come here, 'Night,' and shade my eyes, the day is so bright." Then, seeing that Harry was annoyed, he would say, "Oh, what a dark night!"

Poor Harry would get angry, and that made matters worse; for then Tom Smith would call him a "stormy night," or a "cloudy night," or the "blackest night" he ever saw.

Harry talked with his mother about it; and she told him the best way would be to join with the boys in their jokes, or else not notice them at all. She said if he never got out of temper, the boys would not call him any thing worse than a "bright starry night." And if he went through the world with as good a name as that she should be perfectly satisfied.

"Don't take offence at trifles, Harry," said Mrs. Knight. "Don't be teased by a little nonsense. All the fun that the boys can make out of your name will not hurt you a bit."

Harry was wise enough to do as his mother advised, and he found that she was right. The boys soon became tired of their jokes, when they found that no one was disturbed by them. But the little cousins were alway good-naturedly called "Day and Night."

AUNT WINNIE.

VIEW FROM COOPER'S HILL.

When grandma was a little girl, she lived in England, where she was born. She lived in the town of Windsor, twenty-three miles south-west of London, the greatest city in the world.

Grandma showed us, the other day, this picture of a view from Cooper's Hill, near Windsor, and said, "Many a time and oft, dear children, have I stood there by the old fence, and looked down on the beautiful prospect,--the winding Thames, the gardens, the fields, and Windsor Castle in the distance.

"This noble structure was originally built by William the Conqueror, as far back as the eleventh century. It has been embellished by most of the succeeding kings and queens. It is the principal residence of Queen Victoria in our day. The great park, not far distant, has a circuit of eighteen miles; and west from the park is Windsor Forest, having a circuit of fifty-six miles.

"It is many a year since I saw these places. I cannot expect to visit them again; but this picture brings them vividly before me.

"And so, dear children, should you ever go to England, don't forget to go to Cooper's Hill, and, for grandma's sake, to look round upon the charming prospect which she loved so much when a child."

E.W.

SATURDAY NIGHT.

Bring on the boots and shoes, Tommy; for this is Saturday night, and I must make things clean for Sunday.

Here is my old jacket, to begin with. Whack, whack, whack! As I beat it with my stick, how the dust flies!

The jacket looks a little the worse for wear; and that patch in the elbow is more for show than use. But it is a good warm jacket still, and mother says that next Christmas I shall have a new one.