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Read Ebook: The Nursery June 1877 Vol. XXI. No. 6 A Monthly Magazine for Youngest Readers by Various
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Ebook has 316 lines and 16851 words, and 7 pages
Now summer is near, And the boys will be here; But I fly or I run, When I look on a gun, Tho' I am the daring kingfisher, kingfisher!
EMILY CARTER.
PLAYING SOLDIER.
LITTLE Mary lives in Boston. She has no brothers or sisters to play with her, and no mother. But her papa plays with her a great deal.
There is one game she has with him that is very entertaining to others who are looking on. At least so her aunts and uncles thought on Thanksgiving evening, when it was played for their amusement. I have called the game "Playing soldier." Mary was the captain; and her papa was the soldier.
This is the way it was done: Mary went to her papa, who was standing, and placed herself in front of him, with her back against him. "Shoulder arms!" shouted the little captain; and her tall soldier immediately put her on his left shoulder, in imitation of the real soldier, who holds his musket or gun against that place.
"Forward march!" shouted our little captain again; and her soldier marched forward with a quick step.
"Halt!" cried she after he had marched back; and he stopped at once.
"Ground arms!" was the next command; and the soldier put his captain down on the floor in front of him just as she had stood before--and the play was over.
MADIE'S VISIT AT GRANDMA'S.
MADIE is a dear little girl who lives in a pretty village in the State of New York. Every summer she goes to visit her grandmother, whose home is at Bay View, near a beautiful body of water called Henderson Bay, a part of Lake Ontario.
She is very happy at Bay View; for, besides grandma, there are an uncle and two aunts, who are never too busy to swing her in the hammock, out under the maples, or play croquet with her on the lawn.
Sometimes she drives out with her uncle behind his black ponies; and, if the road is smooth and level, he lets Madie hold the reins. But she likes better to go with him on the water, in his fine sail-boat, "Ildrian," which is a Spanish name, and means "fleet as lightning."
When the weather is fine, and the water is calm, her aunts take her out rowing in their pretty row-boat, "Echo." As they row along by the shore, stopping now and then to gather water-lilies, Madie looks at the pretty cottages and white tents nestled among the green trees, where the city people are spending their summer.
They pass many boats on the way, filled with ladies and gentlemen, who give them a gay salute; and Madie waves her handkerchief in one hand, and her little flag in the other, as they go by. Sometimes they go ashore in a shady cove; and Aunt Clara fills her basket with ferns and moss, while Madie picks up shells and gay-colored stones on the beach.
But these lovely summer-days go by quickly. October comes, and with it Madie's mamma, to claim her little girl, who is so tanned and rosy, that mamma calls her, "Gypsy," and thinks papa will hardly know his little "sunbeam" now.
So Madie kisses everybody "good-by" a great many times,--even the bay-colt in the pasture, and the four smutty kittens at the barn,--and goes back to her own home. But, when the sweet June roses bloom again, she will go once more to Bay View, which she thinks is the nicest place in the world.
MERLE ARMOUR.
WHAT I OVERHEARD.
In front of the case I noticed two farmers, who were talking about my little friend in a very earnest way: so I listened to their remarks.
"Yes," said one, "I tell you he is a dreadful creature to dig. Why, he makes us a sight of trouble out our way! can't keep anything that he can dig for, away from him."
"Is that so?" said the other man.
"Dear me!" thought I, "how nice of little gopher! Ugly as he is, I quite fall in love with him." And I drew nearer, and showed, I suppose, my interest in my face; for the speaker turned around, and addressed me.
"Yes, ma'am, he steals my potatoes, and does lots of mischief. Just look at those paws of his! Doesn't he keep them busy, though!"
"Are gophers so very industrious, then?" I asked.
"It is very interesting," I said, "to know of such patience in a little animal like this."
I stopped to take a further look at "little gopher," with whom I felt pretty well acquainted by this time.
H. M. S.
BYE-LO-LAND.
BABY is going to Bye-lo-land, Going to see the sights so grand: Out of the sky the wee stars peep, Watching to see her fast asleep. Swing so, Bye-lo! Over the hills to Bye-lo-land.
Oh the bright dreams in Bye-lo-land, All by the loving angels planned! Soft little lashes downward close, Just like the petals of a rose. Swing so, Bye-lo! Prettiest eyes in Bye-lo-land!
Sweet is the way to Bye-lo-land, Guided by mother's gentle hand. Little lambs now are in the fold, Little birds nestle from the cold. Swing so, Bye-lo! Baby is safe in Bye-lo-land!
GEORGE COOPER.
THE ENCOUNTER.
JAMIE'S LETTER TO A LITTLE UNCLE.
You remember it was May-day. Mamma said, "Jamie, you are too little a boy to go out in the fields and woods Maying." That made me feel badly, because the sun was shining so brightly, and the grass looked so green, that I was sure there were plenty of flowers hidden away in the fields.
So I thought, "What can a little boy do? I am so little, I can't walk. I am so little, I can't talk much. I can creep, but when I get to a nice bit on the floor and put it into my mouth, mamma jumps, and takes it away, and says, 'No, no, baby!' What can I do? what can I do to please everybody?"
At last I thought of something. I was sitting in mamma's lap, when, all at once, she called out, "Aunt Fanny, come here and put your thimble in the baby's mouth. I'm sure that's a tooth." And, sure enough, one little tooth had just peeped out. Then everybody said, "Baby has a tooth!" I didn't tell them that I went Maying all by myself, and found that little tooth; but I tell you as a secret, little uncle.
Dear little uncle, I am growing very big. Next summer I can run on the beach with you, and dig in the sand.
Now you must kiss my grandmamma for me; give her a kiss on her right eye, her left cheek, her nose, and her lips, and whisper in her ear that I love her very much; then pull my grandpapa's whiskers, and give him two kisses; then give a kiss to all my uncles and aunts, and take one for yourself from your little nephew,
JAMIE.
THE DISAPPOINTED KITTY.
THE name of my kitten is Breezy. I gave her that name because she is never quiet. When she cannot frolic, she mews; but, as she is frolicking all the time when she is not asleep, she does not make much of an outcry, after all.
It has been the height of Breezy's ambition to catch a mouse. The other day, I was sitting in my little arm-chair, studying my spelling-lesson, when what should come forth from under the cupboard but a wee mouse not much bigger than the bowl of a teaspoon.
Breezy, for a wonder, was asleep on the rug. Mousie looked around, as if in search of some crumbs. I put down my book, and kept very still. Which did I favor in my heart,--Mousie, or Breezy?
To tell the truth, my sympathies were divided. The little bright-eyed mouse was so cunning and swift, that I thought to myself, "What a pity to kill such a bright little fellow!" But then I knew how disappointed poor Breezy would be, if she should wake, and learn somehow that a mouse had run over the floor while she was indulging in inglorious slumber.
Out came mousie quite boldly, and, finding some crumbs under the table, nibbled at them in great haste. Poor little fellow, if I had had a bit of cheese, I should have been tempted to give it to him, there and then.
But, all at once, Breezy woke, and saw what was going on. Mousie, however, had not been so stupid, while making his meal, as not to keep one eye open on his enemy. Quick as a flash he ran for the little crack that led under the cupboard, and thus made his escape.
Poor Breezy! She seemed really ashamed of herself. She had her nose at that crack a full hour after mousie had escaped. It seemed as if she could not get over her disappointment. Every day since then she has patiently watched the cupboard. Will mousie give her another chance? That remains to be seen.
FANNY EVERTON.
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