Part 1
[Transcriber's Note: Bold text is surrounded by =equal signs= and italic text is surrounded by _underscores_.]
$1.00 a Year. JULY, 1886. 10 cts. a No.
THE PANSY
EDITED BY "PANSY" MRS. G. R. ALDEN
"PANSIES FOR THOUGHTS"
D. LOTHROP & Co., BOSTON, MASS., U.S.A.
EPPS'S (GRATEFUL--COMFORTING) COCOA.
Copyright, 1886, by D. LOTHROP & CO., and entered at the Boston P. O. as second-class matter.
GOLD MEDAL, PARIS, 1878.
BAKER'S
Vanilla Chocolate,
Like all our chocolates, is prepared with the greatest care, and consists of a superior quality of cocoa and sugar, flavored with pure vanilla bean. Served as a drink, or eaten dry as confectionery, it is a delicious article, and is highly recommended by tourists.
=Sold by Grocers everywhere.=
W. BAKER & CO., Dorchester, Mass.
GOLD MEDAL, PARIS, 1878.
BAKER'S
Breakfast Cocoa.
Warranted =_absolutely pure Cocoa_=, from which the excess of Oil has been removed. It has _three times the strength_ of Cocoa mixed with Starch, Arrowroot or Sugar, and is therefore far more economical, _costing less than one cent a cup_. It is delicious, nourishing, strengthening, easily digested, and admirably adapted for invalids as well as for persons in health.
=Sold by Grocers everywhere.=
W. BAKER & CO., Dorchester, Mass.
Briggs & Co.'s
A _warm_ iron passed over the back of these PAPERS TRANSFERS the Pattern to a Fabric. Designs in =Crewels=, =Embroidery=, =Braiding=, =and Initial Letters=.
New book bound in cloth, showing all Briggs & Co.'s latest Patterns, sent on receipt of 25 cents.
Use Briggs & Co.'s Silk Crewels and Filling Silk, specially shaded for these patterns.
104 Franklin St., New York.
Retail by the leading Zephyr Wool Stores.
GOOD NEWS TO LADIES.
Greatest inducements ever offered. Now's your time to get up orders for our celebrated =Teas= and =Coffees=, and secure a beautiful Gold Band or Moss Rose China Tea Set, or Handsome Decorated Gold Band Moss Rose Dinner Set, or Gold Band Moss Decorated Toilet Set. For full particulars address
=THE GREAT AMERICAN TEA CO.=, P. O. Box 289. 31 and 33 Vesey St., New York.
"$5 Type-Writer."
A practical machine. For information _Address_
=McClees-Millison, Type-Writer Co.=,
_Wichita, Kan. Agts. wanted._
HEADQUARTERS FOR LADIES' FANCY WORK.
SPECIAL OFFERS!
We will send you our 15-c. _Fancy Work Book_ (new 1886 edition), for 3 _two-cent stamps_. A FELT TIDY and _Imported Silk to work it_, for 20 cents. A FRINGED _linen_ TIDY and _Embroidery Cotton to work it_, for 16c., _Florence "Waste" Embroidery Silk_, 25c. per package. _Illustrated Circulars Free._ J. F. INGALLS, Lynn, Mass.
=THE SAFEST FOOD IN SUMMER=
For Young or Delicate Children.
A Sure Preventive of
=CHOLERA INFANTUM=.
It has been the positive means of saving many lives where no other food would be retained. Its basis is SUGAR OF MILK, the most important element of mothers' milk.
It contains no unchanged starch and no Cane Sugar, and therefore does not cause sour stomach, irritation, or irregular bowels.
=It is the Most Nourishing, the Most Palatable, the Most Economical, of all Prepared Foods.=
Sold by Druggists--25 cts., 50 cts., $1.00. Send for pamphlet giving important medical opinions on the nutrition of Infants and Invalids.
WELLS, RICHARDSON & CO., Burlington, Vt.
SIX COPIES FREE.
We will send six copies of "The Household Primer," "Household Receipt Book," and "Household Game Book," to every subscriber who will agree to distribute all but one of each among friends.
D. LOTHROP & CO., Boston.
=Mentholette= the true Japanese Headache Cure instantly relieves and cures Headache, Toothache, and other pains by simply rubbing. This curious remedy used in Japan for ages can now be had in Drug Stores for 10c. a box, a larger size, called MENTHOLINE, is sold at 25c.
The British Government awarded a Medal for this article October, 1885.
Dundas Dick & Co., 112 White Street, N. Y.--By Mail 10c.
BEWARE OF IMITATIONS, SOME OF WHICH ARE DANGEROUS.
Do Your Own PRINTING.
Card Press, $3.00 Circular Size, 8.00 Newspaper " 44.00
TYPE SETTING
etc. is =Easy= by our printed instructions. For =home= or =business= use old or young
Send 2 stamps for _Catalogue_ of =Presses=, Type, Cards, &c., to factory.
KELSEY PRESS CO. Meriden, Conn.
AGENTS WANTED.
SAMPLES FREE!
=Goods SELL everywhere to Everybody.= =BIG PAY!= A pocket case of =EIGHT Lovely SAMPLES=, with our terms, =FREE TO ALL=. Send your address, and 2 stamps for mailing. Address =THE HOLLEY WORKS, Meriden, Conn.=
CANDY!
Send one, two, three or five dollars for a retail box, by express, of the best Candies in the World, put up in handsome boxes. All strictly pure. Suitable for presents. Try it once.
Address C. F. GUNTHER, Confectioner, 78 Madison Street, Chicago.
_Volume 13, Number 35._ Copyright, 1886, by D. LOTHROP & CO. _July 3, 1886._
THE PANSY.
"FRAGI AGRESTES."
"LET'S have a club," said Will Post to a group of his schoolmates; "we can meet once a week in some place, and have a motto, and a password, and everything, just like the big clubs."
"Agreed!" shouted the boys. "What shall we call ourselves?"
"The Do-Nothing Club," some one suggested; "we aren't going to do anything, only have all the fun we can."
Have all the fun you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, With all the people you can, And as long as ever you can.
"We can have that for our motto," said one of the boys.
"Well, we only have a few minutes before the bell will ring: let's elect officers."
So Will tore a few pages out of his note-book, and after some officers had been nominated, each one wrote the names of those he wanted, on his slip. The results were just being announced when the school-bell rang.
"The first meeting of the Do-Nothing Club will be held in our yard to-morrow afternoon," called Will Post, who had been elected president of the new organization.
So the next afternoon, immediately after school, ten boys wended their way through the back gate of Mr. Post's yard, and seated themselves on the woodpile.
"I know where we will go," said Will, "right out in the orchard in the boughs of those two gnarly old apple-trees that just touch." Everyone thought this a splendid plan, so soon the ten boys were in different places in the two great apple-trees in the orchard.
"Has any one a suggestion to make as to the first adventure of the Do-Nothing Club?" said the president, by way of opening the meeting.
"I have," said George Shaw, the treasurer of the club. "You know Mr. Clay's pasture?"
"Yes!" they all said.
"Well, it's just chock-full of daisies and wild strawberries, and I move that next Saturday we ask him if we can get some daisies, and each take a big basket and get it most full of strawberries with a few daisies on top, to make it look all right, you know;" and George chuckled.
"I think it is a splendid plan, worthy of our honorable treasurer," said President Post. A vote was taken, which was almost unanimous in favor of George's proposition, although there were a few demurs made at first on the ground of it's not being "quite honest."
"Honest!" sneered Will, "as if it wasn't all right to refresh ourselves in a big meadow, with what's there, free as grass!" So the objections were silenced, and the meeting adjourned.
Now it so happened that Mr. Post's orchard and Mr. Clay's farm were only separated by a high board fence. Close by this fence grew quite a little coarse grass, and as Mr. Clay thought it took too much room, on this very afternoon on which the Do-Nothing Club held their first meeting, he had taken his scythe and spade, and had gone to cut and dig up the offending material. The day was very hot, and he grew so tired and warm that he determined to lie down in the shade by the fence for a few minutes. But while lying there, he fell into a little doze, and was only awakened by the laughter of the boys as they climbed up the trees, getting seated for the meeting. He lay awake for a few moments, trying to make up his mind to arise, and consequently heard the conversation in the apple-tree, in which he became not a little interested.
Just here I must stop and explain that Mr. Clay knew his meadow was very productive of wild strawberries, and had said to his son, a few days before the time at which my story begins:
"James, there will probably be a quantity of strawberries in the meadow this summer, and if you pick them, you can sell them at a good price, which will bring you considerable spending money. Do you want to try it?"
"Yes, indeed!" had been the reply, and so it was planned that in about a week James should pick his strawberries, and have the money for his "very own."
To go back now to the new club, I may say that the next Friday afternoon (after the apple-tree meeting) the ten boys appeared at Mr. Clay's door.
"Mr. Clay," said the president, "we've formed a new club lately--the Do-Nothing Club, of which I'm the president, and George is treasurer. We decided that the first thing we'd do would be to pick some daisies out of your meadow, that is, if you would let us. You don't use them for anything, do you?"
"Not at all," said the gentleman, heartily; "you are perfectly welcome to pick just as many as you want. But don't step on any more wild strawberries than you can help."
"We'll be careful," said Will, so he nodded good-morning, and the club marched away. "Indeed we won't step on them," he added, when they were out of hearing, "we want the use of them, and it won't do to destroy them."
So bright and early the next morning the club marched to Mr. Clay's meadow, each member armed with a basket, with a good-sized pail inside. They were to fill the pails with berries, and completely cover them with daisies. They worked hard all the morning. About ten o'clock James Clay said to his father, "I guess I'll go out and help. They must be having great fun."
"No, my boy," said Mr. Clay, with a twinkle in his eye, "I would rather not."
When the town clock struck one, the boys had searched the meadow so thoroughly that there was hardly a berry in it, and their pails were nearly all full! Then they went into the woods back of the meadow to rest and take their fill of the fresh fruit. Now you who have no idea of the capacity of boys' stomachs, especially for berries, would hardly believe me if I should state the exact amount that those boys devoured! So I will not give it. Suffice it to say that there were _some_ which they had to throw away, having no place to put them for safe-keeping, and not daring to share them with anyone, for in that case, as Will said, "the cat would be out of the bag." So it came to pass that the rapid river which flowed through Snyvylville could have told, if it had chosen, how one part of it was dyed as red as blood that afternoon, and how it looked as if some awful deed had been done there, until the _strawberries_ were all washed down stream.
On Saturday evening, divers little girls went about the streets of Snyvyville with pails of wild strawberries, and the mothers or fathers of every one of the members of the Do-Nothing Club, happened to buy some of them for the Sunday dinner. But in each family there was great amazement because the boy or boys thereof would eat no berries, and because each boy had the headache and stomachache all day. "I don't believe it was good for you to be out in the sun so long," said Mrs. Post to Will, as she put a fresh cloth dipped in ice-water, on his head. He made no reply, for he knew that it was not the exposure to the sun that gave him the headache, but--quarts of wild strawberries! Too much of a good thing is worse than none at all.
"James dear," said Mrs. Clay to her husband on Saturday evening, after James, Jr., had gone to bed, "I don't believe it will be wise for Jamie to pick all those berries out in the meadow. Couldn't you get somebody to pick them, at two cents a quart? That would leave him quite a good deal of money. The sun is so hot, I am afraid he would get sunstruck."
"I think that will be all right," said Mr. Clay, looking earnestly at his newspaper; "I don't suppose you would mind at all if the person we hired did get sunstruck?"
His wife laughed, but turned again to her mending, and said no more.
On Monday afternoon Mr. Clay went out to continue the work of banishing the aforesaid offensive grass from the face of the earth, but lay down again as he saw, through a crack in the fence, the Do-Nothing Club wending its way toward the apple-trees where it was to meet to talk over the success of the strawberry plan.
"Twenty quarts!" ejaculated George Shaw, "that was pretty good. I hardly thought there would be so many. Wasn't my plan splendid, though, Will--oh! I beg your pardon, Mr. President?"
"Fine!" said the president; "all that you planned for was, anyhow, for I don't suppose you calculated for ten headaches and ten stomachaches, as well as ten pails of berries, did you? As nearly as I can find out, the other members of the club have suffered in these ways, like myself."
There was a good deal more talk; they decided what should be their password, and a great many other private matters. They would have been very much disgusted, I am certain, if they had guessed that Mr. Clay was intently listening to everything that was said. Their motto was to be "Fragi Agrestes," because, as John Clower, the only Latin student of the club, announced, that meant "wild strawberries." Of course that was to be used as the password, too. The seal was to be a leaf of that plant, while the color of the club was to be red.
When they went home, Mr. Clay got up and went to work again, but he didn't work as well as usual, for he had a plan in which he was more interested than he was in demolishing the grass. When he got home he sat down and wrote some sort of a letter which he sealed with a piece of red sealing-wax, and a button which he had found in his wife's button-box.
Thus it happened that on Tuesday morning, when George Shaw went to the post-office to get the mail, he found a big yellow envelope addressed to him. It had a red seal, on which there was stamped the outline of a strawberry leaf. He looked at it in amazement, for the writing was strange. He found the document inside to be sealed with the same seal. I will give you a copy of it:
"FRAGI AGRESTES."
BILL.
The Snyvylville Do-Nothing Club Dr, To James Clay. To---- 20 qts. wild strawberries, at .15 $3.00 Pay for picking the same, at .02 .40 ----- Balance $2.60
Rec'd Payment, _July, 1879_. , Cr.
George stopped on the street in perfect amazement! Then rushed to school, for the last bell was ringing.
At recess, he called a meeting of the club, and showed them the document he had received.
Then there were grave faces and anxious discussions. How _could_ Mr. Clay have found them out?
At last the president said:
"Well, we'll just have to pay him; there is no help for it. Every one of the club must hand over twenty-six cents for his share. Here's another thing we didn't plan for in the strawberry idea. For my part, I wish 'Fragi Agrestes' had never been invented."
The club marched that very afternoon, in a body, to Mr. Clay's house to pay their bill. No willing delegate was found to represent them. Once there, the president had to make the speech.
"We've brought you your money, Mr. Clay. We can't imagine how you found us out; but we hadn't the least notion of stealing! Somehow it never entered our heads that it could be _stealing_, to help ourselves to wild strawberries. I never thought of such a thing until I saw your bill. There it is. Will you please receipt it? And we'll promise you we won't be likely to get caught in such a scrape again."
"Thank you," said the farmer, putting the money in his pocket, and taking up a pen to receipt the bill. "Boys, I'm not so anxious for money that I had to have my pay for the berries you stole. But I thought it would teach you a lesson; so I sent the bill to the treasurer. And now I want to advise you to take a new name for your club, for you won't prosper under the present one. When you aren't planning to do anything but have fun, you'll get into mischief.
Satan finds some mischief still For idle hands to do.
Change your name to the Do-Something Club, and you'll not regret it."
"I'm agreed," said Will; "and I'll resign. I have an idea. Suppose you be our president, Mr. Clay?"
"I!" laughed the farmer.
"Good for you, Will," said the boys. "That's a first-class idea. Will you do it, Mr. Clay?"
"Well," said Mr. Clay, after a moment's consideration, "I don't know but I'll accept. It is quite an honor. President of the Snyvyville Do-_Something_ Club!" and he laughed again.
I wish I had time to tell you the story of the new club! Under Mr. Clay's presidency, they prospered; and became proud of their club. True to their name, they "did" many things which were for their good, not only, but for the good of others.
Some day I may write out their story, or a piece of it.
They grew to be very fond of their president, as well as very proud of his schemes.
The Do-Nothing Club had but one report in the note-book of their secretary:
_Resolved_, That the Snyvyville Do-Nothing Club change its name to the "Do-Something Club," as it has not prospered under the former title, but has been the cause of ten headaches, ten stomachaches, and the loss of two dollars and sixty cents, to the members thereof.
(Signed) JAMES POWELL, _Sec'y._
The Club still kept its motto, "Fragi Agrestes," for they thought that "wild strawberries" had taught them a lesson they would not soon forget.
PARANETE.
SIX O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING.
ONE THING I KNOW, THAT WHEREAS I WAS BLIND, NOW I SEE.
I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD; THE GOOD SHEPHERD GIVETH HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP.
OUR FRIEND LAZARUS SLEEPETH, BUT I GO THAT I MAY AWAKE HIM OUT OF SLEEP.
JESUS SAID UNTO HER, I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.
"THIS first verse makes me think of another of my miracles," Grandma said, with a very tender smile on her face.
"Grandma," said Marion, with almost a shade of reproach in her voice, "did you truly have miracles done for you?"
"I thought so, child, and I don't know but I thought pretty near right. They were the dear Lord's loving kindnesses and tender mercies to a naughty child; and those are miracles enough for reasonable people. I'll tell you the story, and see what you think about it.
"It was the afternoon before the Fourth, and everybody in our house was very busy. There was to be a great celebration the next day, the largest which had ever been in that part of the world. The speaker was to stop at our house, and several of the leading men were coming to take supper with him, and in the evening there was to be fireworks, great wonderful fire balls, such as we don't see now-days, and fine doings of all sorts.
"By the middle of the afternoon, mother began to look very tired. I can seem to see her face now, as she stood looking at the sideboard with its rows of shining dishes. 'That drawer ought to be cleared out,' said she, 'and fixed for the changes of knives, and forks, and spoons, but I don't know who can do it; everybody's hands are full and it is full of all sorts of things.' She wasn't speaking to anybody in particular, just talking low, to herself. I was only a little girl eight years old, and not supposed to notice all that was going on. But I heard it, and decided then and there, that as soon as my mother went out I would set to work at that drawer myself. And I did. It was a hard drawer to clear out; one of those places where in a hurried time things get put that don't belong, and you don't exactly know where they _do_ belong. I worked away at it faithfully, until my back ached with stooping, and every nerve in my body seemed to be on the jump. Over in the corner sat my grandfather, talking with an old friend of his. They did not notice me, but I heard snatches of their talk, about the grand doings which were to be on the next day, and it seemed to me I could hardly wait. My work was almost done, and I was busy with the thought of how pleased mother would be, when I took up a long delicate glass bottle filled with some liquid. The glass was so thin I tried to look through it; as I held it up against the light, my hands must have been trembling with weariness and eagerness, for somehow, I never could understand how, that bottle slipped from me and shivered to bits on the hard floor! The liquid spilled over my hands and spattered on my face and eyes, and in an instant they began to burn as though they were in a flame of fire! To make matters worse, I clapped both hands, all wet as they were, right on my eyes. This made the pain more dreadful than ever. It all happened in a moment of time: the scream, and mother running, and grandfather springing up, and me tumbling over against mother, and hearing her say with a groan: 'Oh Ruthie, Ruthie! she has put out her eyes!'
"Then for a few blessed minutes I was free from pain; I fainted dead away for the first time in my life! The faint didn't last long; the pain in my eyes was too great. Oh! it was a dreadful time. Father went hurrying after the doctor, and mother tried cold water, and milk, and bran-water, and everything else she could think of, to relieve my suffering."
"But, Grandma, what was it? What had you done?" interrupted Marion, her face pale with sympathy.
"There was some dreadful liquid in the bottle, dear, that had burned grandma's eyes, and her skin, wherever it touched, and the doctor was afraid my eyes were put out. Mother said afterwards that she knew he thought so, by the look on his face, and by his refusing to answer her questions.
"He put something on, at last, which relieved the pain a little, then my eyes were bandaged, and I was put to bed. My dear mother, when she stooped down to kiss me after everything was done, did not forget to whisper that I was a dear little girl to try to help mother, and that the drawer looked beautiful.
"I sat up to the supper table that very night, but with bandaged eyes that ached a good deal, and every one at the table wore a sober face; I could tell, by the sound of their voices. I don't know whether father just _happened_ to read those verses at family worship, that night, or whether the trouble made him think of them. However it was, he read the story of the blind man who was cured; and who, when the people questioned and _questioned_ him, could give only this answer: 'One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.'