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THE
NURSERY
_A Monthly Magazine_
FOR YOUNGEST READERS.
VOLUME XXI.--No. 1.
BOSTON:
JOHN L. SHOREY, No. 36 BROMFIELD STREET,
1877.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by
JOHN L. SHOREY,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
FRANKLIN PRESS:
RAND, AVERY, AND COMPANY,
117 FRANKLIN STREET,
BOSTON.
[Illustration: Contents.]
IN PROSE.
PAGE
Work and Play 1
Billy and Tom 5
The Wise Hare and her Pursuers 6
Gentle Jessie and the Wasp 8
Friends in Need 10
The Bear that put on Airs 14
Drawing-Lesson 17
What you do, do well 20
In the Winter 23
A Letter to Minnie 26
The Hedgehog 27
The Little Scissors-Grinder 30
[Illustration]
IN VERSE.
PAGE
Bumble-Bee 4
Gretchen 9
A Noonday Lullaby 12
A Squeak 18
My Little Sister 25
Little Black Monkey 29
The Old Year and New (_with music_) 32
[Illustration]
[Illustration: WORK AND PLAY.
VOL. XXI.--NO. 1.]
WORK AND PLAY.
"[Illustration: D]O you want your sidewalk shovelled?" This was the
question asked of Mr. Prim, as he sat reading his newspaper, one New
Year's morning. The question came through a servant who had just
answered the door-bell. Mr. Prim looked out of the window. The snow was
still falling. So he sent out word, "No shovelling wanted till the
storm's over," and went on with his reading.
By and by there was another ring at the door; and in a moment the
servant-girl came in, saying, "The snow-shovellers are here again, sir,
and they want to see you."
Mr. Prim stepped out into the entry, where he found two rough-looking
boys, both of whom greeted him at once with, "Wish you a happy new year!
Please, sir, it's done snowing now."
"That means," said Mr. Prim, "that you both want the job of clearing off
the sidewalk; but which am I to give it to?"
"Oh, sir!" said the bigger boy, "we are partners. I shovel, and Mike
sweeps."
"And what are your names?"
"Mine is Tom Murphy, and his is Mike Flynn."
"Then," said Mr. Prim, "the firm is 'Murphy & Flynn.'"
"That's it," said both boys with a grin.
"Well, Murphy & Flynn, I will employ you to do my shovelling to-day, and
I will give you fifty cents for the job; but I am very particular. You
must not leave a bit of snow anywhere about the steps or sidewalk."
"All right, sir," said the boys; and they went to work, while Mr. Prim
went back to his newspaper. He had not been reading many minutes, when a
loud shout in front of the house led him to look out of the window. The
picture shows what he saw.
There were the two boys, each mounted on one of the stone lions at the
head of the steps, and shouting at the top of his lungs in the
excitement of an imaginary race.
Mr. Prim was first astonished, then angry, then amused, at this
performance. He opened the window, and called out sharply, "Look here,
boys! do you call that work, or play?"
The boys jumped down, and began to ply their broom and shovel with great
vigor. But Murphy looked up roguishly, and said, "We were just polishing
off the lions, sir."
"Yes," said Mr. Prim, "and a paroxysm of fun got the better of you.
Well, it's excusable on New Year's Day. But, if the firm of Murphy &
Flynn expect to succeed in business, they must not mix so much play with
their work." And Mr. Prim shut the window.
"I say, Mike," said Tom, "what was it the old man said had got the
better of us?"
"That's more than I can tell," said Mike. "I can't remember such hard
words. But I know what he meant, and I guess he was about right."
UNCLE SAM.
[Illustration]
BUMBLE-BEE.
[Illustration]
BUMBLE-BEE superbly dressed,
In velvet, jet, and gold,
Sailed along in eager quest,
And hummed a ballad bold.
Morning-Glory clinging tight
To friendly spires of grass,
Blushing in the early light,
Looked out to see him pass.
Nectar pure as crystal lay
In her ruby cup;
Bee was very glad to stay,
Just to drink it up.
"Fairest of the flowers," said he,
"'Twas a precious boon;
May you still a Glory be,
Morning, night, and noon!"
M. A. C.
[Illustration]
BILLY AND TOM.
WHEN I was a little boy, six or seven years old, my father had two white
horses, named Billy and Tom. Billy had one black foot, and a little dark
spot on his face; but Tom did not have a black hair on his whole body.
Billy was the old family horse, kind, gentle, and loving. Anybody could
catch him, or lead him, or drive him. He liked to be petted, and in
return seemed to take pride in being kind to all in the family.
Tom was a good horse too; but we had not owned him so long, and he did
not care much to have any one pet him.
Billy was a little lame; and though he worked everywhere on the farm,
and in drawing loads on the road, yet he was generally excused from
going with the carriage, except when it was necessary for some of us
children to drive.
One day my father went to the village with Tom, leaving Billy at home
alone, in a field near the house. He missed his old friend Tom. They had
worked together so much, that they had become great friends; and either
one was very lonesome without the other.
Billy ran about here and there, neighing loudly whenever another horse
appeared in sight upon the road, hoping that it might be his friend Tom
coming back.
At last I went out to comfort him. I patted his head and his neck, and
leading him by the mane to the fence, climbed first upon the fence, and
then upon his back.
He seemed pleased, and started in a gentle walk along the farm-road
leading down into the field, away from the house. When he had gone as
far as I wished to ride, I called out, "Whoa!"
But he was a wise old horse. Instead of stopping in the middle of the
road, where he then was, he turned out at one side, and stopped close by
the fence, for me to get off upon that; as much as to say, "A boy that
is not large enough to get upon my back without climbing a fence, is not
large enough to climb from my back to the ground."
EDITH'S PAPA.
[Illustration]
THE WISE HARE AND HER PURSUERS.
A POOR little hare was one day closely pursued by a brace of greyhounds.
They were quite near her, when, seeing a gate, she ran for it. She got
through it easily; but the bars were too close together for the hounds
to get through, so they had to leap over the gate.
As they did so, the hare, seeing that they would be upon her the next
instant, turned around and ran again under the gate where she had just
before passed. The hounds, in their speed, could not turn at once.
Their headway took them on some distance; and then they had to wheel
about, and leap once more over the upper bar of the gate.
[Illustration]
Again the hare doubled, and returned by the way she had come; and thus
she went backward and forward, the dogs following till they were fairly
tired out, while the little hare, watching her chance, happily made her
escape.
Thus you see that wit and self-possession are sometimes more than a
match for superior strength and speed. If the little hare could not run
so fast as the greyhounds, she could outwit them, and they saw no way to
prevent it.
UNCLE CHARLES.
[Illustration]
GENTLE JESSIE AND THE WASP.
THERE is a little girl in our village whom we call "Gentle Jessie;" for
she is so kind and gentle, that even the dumb animals and the insects
seem to find it out, and to trust her.
On a dry pleasant day, last autumn, I saw her seated on the grass. I
went up to tell her not to sit there; for it is not safe to sit on the
ground, even in dry weather.
As I drew near to Jessie from behind, I heard her talking. To whom could
she be talking? There was no one by her side; that is to say, no human
being. But soon I found she was talking to a wasp that was coming as if
to sting her.
"Wasp, wasp, go away, and come again another day," said she. But the
wasp did not heed her. It flew quite near to her face. Instead of
striking at the bold insect, she merely drew back a little out of its
way; for she thought, "Surely the wasp will not harm me, if I do not
harm it."
And she was right. It alighted near her for a moment, but did not sting
her; and gentle Jessie did not try to harm it. Then the wasp flew to the
flowers on her hat; but, not finding the food it wanted, at last it flew
away.
"Well done, Jessie," said I, lifting her from the ground, and giving her
a kiss.
EMILY CARTER.
[Illustration]
GRETCHEN.
GRETCHEN'S old; she's neat and good:
See her coming from the wood!
She bears fagots on her back,
Lest her darlings fire may lack.
[Illustration]
Here you see her far from town,
With her darlings sitting down:
Gretchen, Emma, Fritz, and Paul,--
They are happy, happy all.
M. A. C.
FRIENDS IN NEED.
ONCE a poor crippled sparrow fell to the ground, and fluttered about in
a vain attempt to regain a place of safety. Some of its mates gathered
around it, and seemed eager to help it; but they did not know what to
do. Their chirping drew together a good many of the sparrow tribe.
One thought this thing ought to be done, and another thought that. Some
tried to lift the helpless bird by catching its wings in their beaks;
but this failed, and such a chattering and scolding as took place!
"I told you that wasn't the way to do it."--"How stupid!"--"You should
have taken my advice." Perhaps such were the speeches which were uttered
in bird-language; for all the little creature seemed much excited.
[Illustration]
Presently two of the birds flew away, but soon came back with a twig six
or seven inches long and an eighth of an inch thick. This was dropped
before the poor little cripple, and at each end was picked up by a
sparrow, and held so that the lame bird was able to catch the middle of
the twig in its beak.
Then the crippled bird, with the aid of the other two, flew off, till
they came to the wall covered with ivy, where it had its home. There it
chirped to show how glad it was. All the other sparrows followed, as if
to share in the pleasure of the rescue. This is a true story.
IDA FAY.
A NOONDAY LULLABY.
[Illustration]
"TIC, tac! Tic, tac!"
Says the clock on the wall:
"Sleep now, my darling, for 'tis time, 'tis time;
Soon I will wake you with my merry chime,--
Tic, tac! Tic, tac!"
"Purr-r-r! Purr-r-r!"
Tabby sings on the sill:
"Shut your eyes, deary, and sleep in a trice,
Then I will stay here, and scare off the mice,--
Purr-r-r! Purr-r-r!"
"Coo-oo! Coo-oo!"
Says the dove on the roof:
"Go to sleep, pet, while I strut here and coo,
As for my own pretty nestlings I do,--
Coo-oo! Coo-oo!"
[Illustration]
"Cut, cut, ca-dah-cut!"
Cackles kind biddy-hen:
"Listen, my little one: if you'll not weep,
I'll lay an egg for you while you are asleep,--
Cut, cut, ca-dah-cut!"
"Moo-oo! Moo-oo!"
Says the good moolly-cow:
"Sleep, my wee man, and I'll make it fair,
For I'll give you milk from bossy's own share,--
Moo-oo! Moo-oo!"
"Hum, hum! Buz, buz!"
Drones the bee on the wing:
"Fret not, my baby, but croon in your bed,
I'll bring you honey to eat on your bread,--
Hum, hum! Buz, buz!"
"Hush-sh-sh! Hush-sh-sh!"
Whisper leaves on the tree:
"As through our shadow soft sunlight streams,
See how the angels send smiles in his dreams!
Hush-sh-sh! Hush-sh-sh!"
M. A. C.
[Illustration]
THE BEAR THAT PUT ON AIRS.
THERE was once a bear that had been tamed and made to dance by a man who
beat him when he did not mind. This bear was called Dandy, and he had
been taught many queer tricks. He could shoulder a pole as if it were a
gun, and could balance it on his nose, or stand on his hind-legs and
hold it by his fore-paws behind his back.
He did all these things at his master's bidding because he stood in
great fear of his master's whip. His master made a show of him; and,
though Dandy did not like it, he was forced to submit.
[Illustration]
But one day, when he had been left alone, the chain, that held him by a
ring in his nose, got loose from the ring; and Dandy was soon a free
bear. Taking his pole, he made his way, as fast as he could, to a
mountain where the woods were high and thick.
Here he found a number of fellow-bears. Instead of treating them as
equals, he put on fine airs, told them what a rare life he had led among
men, how many nice tricks he had learned, and how much wiser he was than
all the bears that had ever lived.
For a time the other bears were simple enough to take him at his word.
They thought, because he said so, that he must be a very great bear
indeed. He never was at a loss when they asked him a question, never
would confess his ignorance, and so had to say much that was not true.
Dandy boasted so of the respect which men had paid him, that he made the
other bears think he was doing them a great honor by living with them.
He made them all wait on him. But at last a young bear, that had escaped
from a trap which some men had set for him, said to Dandy, "Is that ring
in your nose for ornament or for use?"
"For ornament, of course," said Dandy. "This ring was a gift from a man
who was once my partner. He was so fond of me, and so pleased with my
dancing, that he never tired of serving me. He brought me all my food.
In fact I had him at my beck and call."
"My friends," said the young bear, "he tells a fib. That ring was put in
his nose to be fastened to a chain. He was held a slave by the man who,
he says, treated him so finely. He was made to dance through fear of
being touched up with a red-hot iron. In short, he is what men call a
'humbug.'"
"Yes, he is a humbug," cried the others, though they did not know what
the word meant. "We will have no more of his fine airs."--"I never liked
him."--"Drive him off."--"Send him back to his dancing-master!"--"Kick
him!"--"Stone him!"--"Beat him!"--"We'll have no humbug here."
And so poor Dandy was driven out from the woods, and forced to get his
living by himself; while the knowing young bear that had exposed him,
looked on and laughed at his misfortune. If Dandy had not been so
boastful; if he had spoken the truth, and been modest,--he might have
been respected by his fellow-bears to the end of his days.
ALFRED SELWYN.
[Illustration: DRAWING-LESSON BY HARRISON WEIR.
VOL. XXI.--NO. 1.]
A SQUEAK!
I'M only a little brown mouse
That lives in somebody's house,
And in that same house there's a cat;
But oh, ho! what care I for that?
She sits in the sunshine,
And licks her white paws,
With one eye on me,
And one on her claws.
How she watches the crack
Where she sees my brown back!
But she'll never catch me!
For oh, ho! don't you see
That I'm just the smartest young mouse
That lives anywhere in the house?
I'm only a little brown mouse
That lives in somebody's house,
And in that same house there is Rover:
He has chased me the whole house over.
And there, too, is fat Baby Tim;
But oh, ho! what care I for him?
When he sprawls on the carpet,
And bumps his pink nose,
I scamper around him,
And tickle his toes.
How he kicks and he crows!
For he knows, oh, he knows,
That I'm only a little brown mouse
That lives in his grandmother's house.
[Illustration]
I'm only a little brown mouse
That lives in somebody's house;
And in that same house there's a clock,
That says, "Tick-a-tock, tick-a-tock!"
And I've not forgotten yet quite,
How once, on a very still night,
I was sitting just over the clock,
When it gave such a terrible knock,
With a whirring and whizzing,
And buzzing and fizzing,
That I tumbled headlong from my perch on the shelf,
And, scampering wildly, I crowded myself
Right under the door, through such a small crack,
That I scraped all the hairs off the top of my back.
Oh, I am the merriest mouse
That lives anywhere in a house!
I love toasted cheese, and I love crusts of bread,
And bits of old paper to make a soft bed.
Oh! I tell you it's nice
To be one of the mice,
And when the night comes,
And the folks are abed,
To rattle and race
On the floor overhead.
And, say, don't you wish _you_ could run up a wall
As I do, every day, without getting a fall?
And don't you wish _you_ were a mouse,
Living in somebody's house?
FLETA F.
WHAT YOU DO, DO WELL.
"WHY do you take such pains in cutting out these little figures?" asked
Winifred of her brother Ernest.
"I will tell you why, sister," replied Ernest. "I take pains because my
teacher tells me, that, if a thing is worth doing at all, it is worth
doing well."
"Did he mean that we should try to do well even in trifles?" asked
Winifred.
"Yes," answered Ernest, "because, as a great man once said, 'Perfection
is no trifle.'"
Winifred sat looking at her brother, as, handling a pair of scissors, he
carefully cut out figures of horses, dogs, pigs, and various other
animals.
Three years afterward she remembered this conversation; for it happened
at that time, that, her father having died, her widowed mother was left
almost destitute with a family of seven children to support.
[Illustration]
What should the poor woman do? At first she thought she would take in
washing, then that she would try to keep a little shop. While she was
hesitating, Mr. Mason, a brisk old gentleman, came to the door, and
asked, "Where is the boy who cuts these figures and faces in profile?"
One of his grandchildren had brought him home from school some specimens
of Ernest's skill; and Mr. Mason saw at once that they were the work of
a gifted and painstaking artist.
"You must mean my little Ernest," said the mother. "Poor little fellow!
He little dreams what is coming. I shall soon have to take him away from
school."
"Why so?" cried Mr. Mason. "Take him away from school? You shall do no
such a thing. I'll not allow it."
"We are destitute, sir, and I have no means of support," said the mother
with a sigh.
"No means of support! Nonsense! With a boy in the house who can cut
figures like that, do you say you have no means of support?" exclaimed
Mr. Mason. "Good woman, I will insure your boy good wages every week for
the next year, if you will let him come between school-hours, and cut
pictures under my direction."
The rest of my little story may soon be told. Ernest became the staff
and stay of his family. The little talent he had cultivated so carefully
and diligently was the means of giving him not only an honest
employment, but a liberal support. He rose to distinction; and his
productions were much sought after by all good judges of art.
EMILY CARTER.
[Illustration: ST. CATHERINE'S ROCK, SOUTH WALES.]
IN THE WINTER.
[Illustration]
THERE are some nice apples in the cellar, and William is going down with
a light to get a dish full. He will pick out some that are as yellow as
gold, and some that are as red as a rose.
[Illustration]
This man is cutting a hole through the ice, so that the cows may drink.
The stream is all frozen over. When the thick ice is broken, they can
drink all they want. Walk up, old Brindle, and help yourself.
[Illustration]
Here are the fowls, and each stands on one leg. The ground is covered
with snow, and their toes are very cold. So they all hold their feet
under their feathers, to keep them warm.
[Illustration]
The old gray cat comes in the morning, and jumps up on the children's
bed. Then she creeps towards them, and rubs her soft fur on the little
boy's face, and wakes him up. She would like to say, "Good morning!" but
she only says, "Mew, mew!"
W. O. C.
[Illustration]
MY LITTLE SISTER.
GOOD folks who read "The Nursery," this is my little sister;
The picture shows you truly how I caught her up, and kissed her:
She is so sweet, so very sweet, that I am quite decided
If you could see her as she is you would do just as I did.
BROTHER CARLOS.
A LETTER TO MINNIE.
The following is an exact copy of a letter found in little Minnie's
stocking last Christmas:--
SITTING ROOM, AT MAMMA'S DESK.
MY DEAR LITTLE MINNIE.
You must excuse my calling you by your pet name;
but you see I'm so fond of all good children that
I can't _Master_ and _Miss_ them, and they're all
Tommie, and Johnnie, and Fannie, and Minnie, to
me.
Your stocking is so small that I can't put much of
any thing into it: but if that piano, with the
nice white cloth on it, isn't for presents, then
I'm mistaken.
I shall put yours there, and I hope I sha'n't
crock that tablecloth; for your mamma wouldn't
like to find my sooty marks all over it. Though I
don't see how she could expect me to be clean when
she has had a soft-coal fire burning in her grate
all the evening, and that does make the chimney so
black!
If you will look at the picture of me in your new
book (they call me St. Nicholas there), you'll see
how fat I am; and how do you suppose I get down
such a small place? I never could if I didn't love
children so much, and if I hadn't done it for so
many hundred years. But I began, you see, before I
grew so fat; and so now I know the easiest way to
do it.
I hope you'll have all you wanted this year; but
you all grow so fast, and have so many wants from
year to year, that I sometimes fear that I sha'n't
always be able to satisfy you. Still, as it's only
the good little children that I visit, I fancy
they will be pleased, whatever I bring.
I must confess, though, that it isn't _all_
guesswork. I know pretty well what my little folks
want. But if you knew the amount of listening at
doors and windows and registers, that I do to find
out all these wants, you'd be astonished.
And now, if I don't hurry off, you'll be waking
up, and catch me here; besides, I've staid a deal
longer than I ought, for I've lots to do before
daylight. But, seeing your mamma's desk and
writing-materials so handy, I really couldn't help
sitting down to write you a letter.
Tell your brother Walter, that as I brought him
presents ten years before you came, he mustn't
expect quite so many now; for he can have no idea
how many little folks I have to provide for. And
if my reindeers weren't the kindest, and
strongest, and fleetest of creatures, we never
could get through the amount of work we have to do
"the night before Christmas."
Wishing you, and your brother, and papa, and
mamma, a "Merry Christmas," I remain, with a heart
full of love, yours,
SANTA CLAUS.
[Illustration]
THE HEDGEHOG.
THE hedgehog is a queer little animal with short limbs. It feeds mostly
on insects. It has its body covered with sharp spines instead of hairs,
and can roll itself up in a ball, and thus show an array of prickles
pointing in every direction.
Slow of foot, this little creature cannot flee from danger; but in the
sharp, hard, and tough prickles of its coat, it has a safeguard better
than the teeth and claws of the wildcat, or the fleetness of the hare.
The hedgehog has powerful muscles beneath the skin of the back; and by
the aid of these, on the slightest alarm, it rolls itself up so as to
have its head and legs hidden in the middle of the ball it thus makes of
itself.
Our dog Snip saw a hedgehog, the other day, for the first time. As soon
as it saw him, the little creature seemed to change from a live thing
into a ball. Snip did not know what to make of it. His curiosity was
much excited. He went up, and looked at it.
If the two could have spoken, I think this would have been their talk:--
_Snip._--"Of all the queer things I ever saw, you are the queerest. What
_are_ you anyhow?"
_Hedgehog._--"Suppose you put out your paw, and try."
_Snip._--"I don't like the look of those prickles."
_Hedgehog._--"Don't be a coward, Snip! Put your nose down, and feel of
my nice soft back."
Whether the cunning hedgehog really cheated him by any such remarks as
these, I cannot say. But Snip at last mustered courage enough to put his
nose down to the ball. Rash Snip! Up rose the bristles, and pricked him
so that he ran back to the house, howling and yelping as if he had been
shot.
Having put Snip to flight, the hedgehog quietly unrolled itself, thrust
out its queer little head with the long snout, and crept along on its
way rejoicing. As for Snip, I am quite sure he will never put his nose
to the back of a hedgehog again, as long as he lives.
CHARLES SELWYN.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Little Black Monkey]
LITTLE black monkey sat up in a tree;
Little black monkey, he grinned at me;
He put out his paw for a cocoanut,
And he dropped it down on my occiput.
The occiput is a part, you know,
Of the head which does on my shoulders grow;
And it's very unpleasant to have it hit,
Especially when there's no hair on it.
I took up my gun, and I said, "Now why,
Little black monkey, should you not die?
I'll hit you soon in a vital part,
It may be your head, or it may be your heart."
I steadied the gun, and I aimed it true:
The trigger it snapped, and the bullet it flew;
But just where it went to, I cannot tell,
For I never _could_ see where that bullet fell.
Little black monkey still sat in the tree,
And placidly, wickedly, grinned at me:
I took up my gun, and walked away,
And postponed his death till another day.
LAURA E. RICHARDS.
THE LITTLE SCISSORS-GRINDER.
WILLIE is a three-year-old darling. This summer he visited his aunt in
the city, and was very much interested in the curious sights and sounds
which abound there.
A few days after his return home, when his mamma sat on the piazza with
some friends, Willie marched up the gravel path with his little
wheelbarrow on his back.
He stopped at the foot of the steps, set his burden down, resting it
upon the handles, so that it stood upright. Then holding it with one
hand, and rolling the wheel with the other, he kept his foot rising and
falling, just as if he were at work with a genuine treadle. He looked
very sober, and said, "Please, madam, have you any scissors to sharpen?"
The ladies handed him several pairs, which he ground in the best style,
trying the edge with his finger, and at last passing them to the owner
with the request for ten cents.
[Illustration]
Mamma gave him a bit of paper, which he put into his pocket, returning
the change in the form of two leaves.
When he had finished his task, he shouldered the wheelbarrow, and was
saying "Good-afternoon," when one of the party ran after him, calling to
him to kiss her.
"Scissors-grinders don't kiss," he said; but the fun sparkled in his
bright black eye, and he burst into a hearty laugh, which must have been
a relief to the merry boy after being sober so long.
MRS. G.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Music]
THE OLD YEAR AND THE NEW.
Words by MARIAN DOUGLAS. Music by T. CRAMPTON.
1. The north winds blow o'er drifts of snow.
Out in the cold who goes from here?
"Good-by! good-by!" loud voices cry;
"Good-by!" returns the brave Old Year.
But looking back what word leaves he?
"Oh, you must all good children be!"
2. A knock, a knock! 'tis twelve o'clock!
This time of night, pray who comes here?
Oh, now I see, 'tis he! 'tis he!
All people know the glad New Year!
What has he brought? and what says he?
"Oh, you must all good children be!"
[Illustration: THE NURSERY PREMIUM-LIST.]
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
[Illustration: T]HE publication of "The Nursery" was begun in 1867.
The work met a want which was then wholly unsupplied, and it was
at once received with a high degree of public favor. Since then
it has gone on increasing, from year to year, in circulation and in
reputation,--maintaining its supremacy over all imitators and
rivals,--and it now holds a firmly established place among first-class
American periodicals, and is admitted to be the _best magazine in the
world for the class of readers to whom it is addressed_.
Its articles, whether in prose or verse, are adapted with the greatest
care to the capacities of children, and are, with very rare exceptions,
wholly original.
Its illustrations, which are given with great profuseness, are engraved
in the highest style of art, and, in most cases, from designs made
expressly for "The Nursery," by the best American artists. Such as are
not original, are reproductions of the choicest pictures to be found in
the foreign juvenile periodicals.
A song set to music by a skilful composer, and specially adapted to
children's voices, is given in every number of the magazine.
Altogether, its pages furnish just such a variety as is best fitted to
the wants of children from infancy up to the age of twelve years. In
schools it is found to answer admirably as a first-Reader; and in remote
districts, where there are no schools, it takes the place of a teacher;
for thousands of children have been taught to read by "The Nursery"
alone.
A work which is at once so useful and so attractive, cannot fail to be
in demand in every family where there are young children. Its low price,
($1.60 a year, free of postage), places it within the reach of all
classes. We rely upon its merits alone to secure its circulation, and
send a sample copy by mail, for ten cents, to any person who wishes to
examine it. We do not _hire_ anybody to subscribe; but if any one
procures subscriptions for us, we are always ready to make a suitable
compensation.
With this view, we present the following list of Premiums. The articles
described are all of the best quality, and many of them such as are
wanted in every household. Besides offering them as premiums, we are
prepared to supply them for cash--sending them by mail or otherwise on
the most favorable terms. We therefore suggest to every person who
receives this pamphlet, that it would be well to preserve it carefully
for future reference.
EXPLANATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS.
1. Previously to this date, (Sept. 1876), our offers of Premiums have
applied to _new_ subscriptions only. Hereafter, in awarding Premiums, we
shall make no distinction between new subscriptions and renewals.
2. Premiums are offered for _procuring_ subscriptions--not for
subscribing. But the applicant's own subscription or renewal, _when he
procures one or more other names to send with it_, will, of course, be
counted.
3. The full subscription price (one dollar and sixty cents) must be paid
for each name. No premium is given for subscriptions supplied at club
rates.
4. The money must always be sent, with the names, _direct to the
Publisher_. No premium is given for subscriptions sent through agents.
No name is entered on our books until the money is received.
5. Do not wait to make up your whole list before sending. Send the first
two names, _stating that they are to be placed to your credit for a
premium_, and add more as you get them.
6. Bear in mind that we do not give a premium or open an account for
less than _two_ subscriptions (one of which, however, may be your own);
but, _after the account is opened_, you may add one subscription at a
time if you choose--never omitting to state in your letter _that it is
to go to your credit for a premium_.
7. Write the name and address of each subscriber plainly, and =always
state whether a renewal or a new name=; and when you call for your
premium, be sure to give your own name and address so plainly that it
cannot be mistaken.
8. Date your letters carefully, and state in them always the exact
amount of money sent, and the form in which it is sent--whether in
Bank-bills, Check or Postal-order. _It is a good plan to keep a copy of
your letter._
9. If you do not receive the magazine promptly in response to your
remittance, or if you do not promptly receive any premium that you may
have ordered, notify us _immediately_, stating always the _date_ of your
previous letter. Wait a sufficient time for ordinary delays of the
mail--_but no longer_.
HOW TO REMIT.
1. If you are near a Money-order Post Office, remit always by a _Postal
Money-order_. Money can be sent in this way at very small expense, and
with absolute safety.
2. The next best mode of remittance is a check on a _Boston_, _New
York_, or _Philadelphia Bank_. All other checks subject us to expense in
collecting: to cover this, add fifteen cents.
3. Money may be sent by mail, in a letter carefully sealed and directed,
and prepaid by stamps. It is advisable always to have the letter
_registered_. Letters can be registered in any Post Office.
[Illustration: Right index] If, in making change, you find any
difficulty in procuring Postal currency, bear in mind that we will
accept _Postage-stamps_ as currency.
_All remittances are at the risk of the sender._ Direct to the
publisher,
JOHN L. SHOREY.
No. 36 Bromfield Street,
_BOSTON, MASS._
* * * * *
[Illustration: OFFICE OF "THE NURSERY."]
PREMIUMS.
* * * * *
SECTION I.
FOR TWO SUBSCRIBERS.
=Two subscriptions, with three dollars and twenty cents in payment
therefor, will entitle the sender to any book or other article described
in this section. All Premiums will be sent postpaid.=
BOOKS.
=Half-Yearly Volumes of "The Nursery,"=--Two
volumes a year have been issued since the
commencement of the magazine in 1867, so there is
now a large number to choose from. They are
beautifully bound in cloth and gilt, and form, all
together, a complete juvenile library. Price, per
volume =$1.00=
=The Beautiful Book.=--This is a collection of
some of the best poems that have appeared in "The
Nursery." It is an elegant volume of 128 pages,
exquisitely illustrated. Price =.75=
=The Easy Book.=--Prepared expressly for children
just learning to read. In large Old English type,
with a profusion of pictures and delightful
object-lessons. 128 pages. Price =.75=
=Oxford's Junior Speaker.=--A collection of
exercises for declamation and recitation, with
many dialogues never before published. Adapted to
the young of both sexes. With numerous
illustrations. 216 pages. Price =.90=
=Simple Addition and Nursery Jingles.=--Contains
Simple Addition and fifty-five Nursery Jingles,
with twenty-two full-page, and four double-page
illustrations in colors. Price =1.00=
=Little Folks' Colored Picture Book.=--Contains
thirty-six stories, with sixteen full-page
illustrations in colors. Royal 8vo. Cloth.
Price =1.00=
=Uncle John's Drolleries.=--Contains THE ARK
ALPHABET, DASH'S HOLIDAY, MISS MOUSER'S TEA PARTY,
and THE TEN LITTLE NIGGERS, with four double-page,
eighteen full-page, and twelve half-page
illustrations. Royal 8vo. Price =1.00=
* * * * *
[Illustration: Right index] Besides giving the above as premiums, we
offer them for sale, postpaid, at the prices named.
LITTLE CLASSIC SERIES.
A series of exquisitely printed little volumes, in flexible binding and
red edges.
=Any volume of "The Little Classics."= Price, per volume =1.00=
This is a series of handy volumes, containing many of the choicest short
Stories, Sketches and Poems in English Literature. The following list
presents the contents of each volume, viz.:--
1.--EXILE.
Ethan Brand _Hawthorne_
The Swans of Lir _Gerald Griffin_
A Night in a Workhouse, _Jas. Greenwood_
The Outcasts of Poker Fiat, _Bret Harte_
The Man without a Country _Hale_
Flight of a Tartar Tribe _DeQuincey_
2.--INTELLECT.
The House and the Brain _Bulwer_
L'Outre Mort _Harriet Prescott Spofford_
The Fall of the House of Usher _Poe_
Chops, the Dwarf _Dickens_
Wakefield _Hawthorne_
Murder considered as one of the Fine Arts _DeQuincey_
The Captain's Story, _Rebecca Harding Davis_
3.--TRAGEDY.
The Murders in Rue Morgue _Poe_
The Lauson Tragedy _DeForest_
The Iron Shroud _Wm. Mudford_
The Bell Tower _Herman Melville_
The Kathayan Slave _Mrs. Judson_
The Story of La Roche, _Henry Mackenzie_
The Vision of Sudden Death _DeQuincey_
4.--LIFE.
Rab and his Friends _Dr. John Brown_
A Romance of Real Life _W. D. Howells_
The Luck of Roaring Camp _Bret Harte_
Jerry Jarvis's Wig _R. H. Barham_
Beauty and the Beast _Willis_
David Swan _Hawthorne_
Dreamthorp _Alexander Smith_
A Bachelor's Reverie _D. G. Mitchell_
The Grammar of Life _B. F. Taylor_
My Chateaux _G. W. Curtis_
Dream Children _Charles Lamb_
The Man in the Reservoir _C. F. Hoffman_
Westminster Abbey _Addison_
The Puritans _Macaulay_
Gettysburg _Abraham Lincoln_
5.--LAUGHTER.
A Christmas Carol _Dickens_
The Haunted Crust _Katherine Saunders_
A Dissertation upon Roast Pig _Lamb_
The Total Depravity of Inanimate Things _Mrs. E. A. Walker_
The Skeleton in the Closet _Hale_
Sandy Wood's Sepulchre _Hugh Miller_
A Visit to the Asylum for Decayed Punsters _Holmes_
Mr. Tibbot O'Leary the Curious, _Gerald Griffin_
Neal Malone _William Carleton_
6.--LOVE.
Love and Skates _Theodore Winthrop_
The Maid of Malines _Bulwer_
The Story of Ruth _From the Bible_
The Rise of Iskander _Disraeli_
7.--ROMANCE.
Iris _Holmes_
The Rosicrucian _Miss Mulock_
The South Breaker, _Harriet Prescott Spofford_
The Snow Storm _Christopher North_
The King of the Peak, _Allan Cunningham_
8.--MYSTERY.
The Ghost _W. D. O'Connor_
The Four-Fifteen Express, _Amelia B. Edwards_
The Signal Man _Dickens_
The Haunted Ship _Cunningham_
A Raft that no Man Made, _Robt. T. S. Lowell_
The Invisible Princess, _Francis O'Connor_
The Advocate's Wedding Day, _Catherine Crowe_
The Birthmark _Hawthorne_
9.--COMEDY.
Barney O'Reirdon, the Navigator _Lover_
Hadad-Ben-Ahab, the Traveller _John Galt_
Bluebeard's Ghost _Thackeray_
The Picnic Party _Horace Smith_
Father Tom and the Pope _Samuel Ferguson_
John Darbyshire _William Howitt_
The Gridiron _Lover_
The Box Tunnel _Reade_
10.--CHILDHOOD.
A Dog of Flanders _Ouida_
The King of the Golden River _Ruskin_
The Lady of Shalott _Miss Phelps_
Marjorie Fleming _John Brown_
Little Jakey _Mrs. S. H. DeKroyft_
The Lost Child _Henry Kingsley_
Goody Gracious! and the Forget-me-Not _John Neal_
A Faded Leaf of History, _Rebecca Harding Davis_
A Child's Dream of a Star _Dickens_
11.--HEROISM.
Little Briggs and I _Fitz-Hugh Ludlow_
Ray _Harriet Prescott Spofford_
Three November Days _B. F. Taylor_
The Forty-Seven Ronins _A. B. Mitford_
A Chance Child _Isabella Mayo_
A Leaf in the Storm _Ouida_
12.--FORTUNE.
The Gold Bug _Poe_
The Fairy Finder _Lover_
Murad the Unlucky _Maria Edgeworth_
The Children of the Public _Hale_
The Rival Dreamers _John Banim_
The Three-fold Destiny _Hawthorne_
13.--NARRATIVE POEMS.
The Deserted Village _Goldsmith_
The Ancient Mariner _Coleridge_
The Prisoner of Chillon _Byron_
Bingen on the Rhine _Mrs. Norton_
O'Connor's Child _Campbell_
Kilmeny _Hogg_
The Dream of Eugene Aram _Hood_
Lady Barbara _Alexander Smith_
The Sensitive Plant _Shelley_
The Eve of St. Agnes _Keats_
Paradise and the Peri _Moore_
The Raven _Poe_
The Skeleton in Armor _Longfellow_
The Haunted House _Hood_
The Writing on the Image _Morris_
Tam O'Shanter _Burns_
The Forging of the Anchor _Samuel Ferguson_
Morte D'Arthur _Tennyson_
Horatius _Macaulay_
14.--LYRICAL POEMS.
Locksley Hall _Tennyson_
My Lost Youth _Longfellow_
Intimations of Immortality _Wordsworth_
Ode to Happiness _Lowell_
L'Allegro and Il Penseroso _Milton_
Elegy in a Country Churchyard _Gray_
The Bridge of Sighs _Hood_
The Problem _Emerson_
The Passions _Collins_
The Bonnets of Bonnie Dundee _Scott_
At Port Royal _Whittier_
How they brought the Good News
from Ghent to Aix _Browning_
Ode on the Duke of Wellington _Tennyson_
Commemoration Ode _Lowell_
And many other Poems.
15.--MINOR POEMS.
The Chambered Nautilus _Holmes_
The Children's Hour _Longfellow_
The Courtin' _Lowell_
Evelyn Hope _Browning_
Highland Mary _Burns_
Kubla Khan _Coleridge_
My Child _Pierpont_
My Psalm _Whittier_
Oh? Why should the Spirit of Mortal
be Proud? (President Lincoln's
favourite Poem.)
She was a Phantom of Delight _Wordsworth_
Thanatopsis _Bryant_
The Three Fishers _Kingsley_
Toujours Amour _Stedman_
A Woman's Question _Adelaide Anne Proctor_
Bugle Song _Tennyson_
The Age of Wisdom _Thackeray_
I Remember, I Remember _Hood_
The Ivy Green _Dickens_
A Lament _Shelley_
Maid of Athens _Byron_
Night and Death _Blanco White_
The Old Man's Idyl _Richard Realf_
A Petition to Time _Barry Cornwall_
The Skylark _James Hogg_
Philip, My King _Miss Mulock_
Tom Bowling _Dibdin_
Virtue _George Herbert_
And numerous other poems.
16.--AUTHORS.
Containing Brief Biographies of all the Authors from whose writings the
fifteen preceding volumes of "Little Classics" have been taken. With
complete Index.
Sixteen volumes. 32mo. Tastefully bound. Price, per volume, $1.00
[Illustration: Holy Bible]
=A neat English Bible=, with gilt clasp, and gilt
edges. Price =$1.00=
=Book of Common Prayer=, with gilt clasps and gilt
edges. Price =1.00=
=Whittier's Poetical Works.= Complete. Fully
Illustrated. 8vo. Paper. Price =1.00=
=Tennyson's Poetical Works.= Complete. Fully
illustrated. 8vo. Paper. Price =1.00=
=Longfellow's Poems.= Complete. Fully Illustrated.
8vo. Paper =1.00=
These inexpensive editions of the most popular
living poets, are tasteful, excellently printed,
and well illustrated.
=Diamond Editions of the following Poets.= Price, per volume =1.00=
_BURNS._
_HARTE._
_LONGFELLOW._
_LOWELL._
_PROCTOR._
_SAXE._
_SCOTT._
_TENNYSON._
_WHITTIER._
_LONGFELLOW'S CHRISTUS._
_OWEN MEREDITH'S LUCILLE._
=Dickens's Works.=--Any one of the popular
Household Edition. Paper. 8vo. Price per
vol. =1.00=
* * * * *
[Illustration: Right index]Besides giving the above as premiums, we
offer them for sale, postpaid, at the prices named.
=Every Woman her own Flower Gardener.= By Daisy
EYEBRIGHT (Mrs. S. O. Johnson). A delightful
little Treatise on Out-door Gardening for
Ladies--practical, timely, charmingly written.
Contains valuable information about Pansies,
Roses, Geraniums, Climbing Plants, Annuals,
Perennials, Fuchsias, Ribbon Beds, &c. Printed in
excellent taste. Bound in cloth. Price =$1.00=
[Illustration: Right index]=We will give as a Premium for two
Subscriptions, at 1.60 each, any book the price of which does not exceed
One Dollar. It may be selected from any publisher's catalogue.=
* * * * *
MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES.
[Illustration: Building blocks]
=Alphabet and Building Blocks.=--Containing Roman
Alphabets--large and small letters--Numerals and
Animals--Painted Blocks. Price =1.00=
=Crandall's Alphabet-Blocks.=--RED, WHITE, and
BLUE. Water-proof. All children are pleased with
them. Price =1.00=
=Combination Toy-Blocks;= IRREGULAR SHAPES.--These
Blocks are made up of geometrical figures, cut
with mathematical precision from fine maple wood.
They are very instructive, and are often used in
schools for drawing exercises and geometrical
illustrations. They will make finished
architectural designs, such as churches, forts,
monuments, boats, &c.; also every letter of the
alphabet. Mode of using simple and easy. Put up in
cherry boxes with sliding covers, fine label, and
illustrated book of directions. Price =1.00=
=One Hundred Funny Fellows.=--LARGE SHOWY
CUBES.--When matched together, make a hundred
comical figures. Printed in colors. Price =1.00=
=A Checker-Board and Checkers.= Price =1.00=
=A Microscope.=--For examining insects, flowers,
etc. Price =1.00=
* * * * *
[Illustration: Right index]Besides giving the above as premiums, we
offer them for sale, postpaid, at the prices named.
=Ladies' Shawl Strap.=--With two long straps,
handle, and bar. Price =1.00=
=Child's Table Set.=--Consisting of Knife, Fork,
and Spoon. Price =1.00=
=A Pocket Compass.=--Accurate.--Watch pattern.
Price =1.00=
=Dissected Map Of the United States.=--Printed in
colors, judiciously arranged so as to bring out
prominently the different states. Price =1.00=
[Illustration: Checkered Game of Life]
This game is so simple that any child who can read
may learn to play it. It is not simply a game of
chance, but in every move there is an opportunity
for the exercise of the judgment. The accompanying
cut represents the game board. Two, three, or four
can play, and each player is represented by one
counter, or man, which is entered at infancy, and
by various means regulated by the throw of a
tetotum, or die, passes through school, college,
industry, success, perseverance, etc., to wealth
or happy old age; or through idleness,
intemperance, gambling, crime, etc., to disgrace,
poverty, ruin, suicide, or prison. Price =1.00=
=A small Rubber Pencil Case.=--Gold-tipped. Price
Price =1.00=
=A small Writing-Desk.=--Embossed cloth; made to
contain paper, envelopes, etc. Price =1.00=
[Illustration: Tool holder]
=A Patent Pocket Tool-Holder.=--It is made of hard
Maple. In it are neatly packed 20 cast steel
tools. It can be carried in the pocket, and yet
the tools it contains are so many and so varied,
and of such convenient size, as to make it almost
a necessity to any boy or to any family.
Price =1.00=
=A Pocket Knife.=--Two blades. Nice English steel.
Very neat. Price =1.00=
=A nice Morocco Portmonnaie.=--Made of the best
materials. New pattern. Price =1.00=
=A Butter Knife.=--Silver-plated. Extra quality.
Price =1.00=
=A Sugar-Shell.=--Extra quality. Silver-plated. A
handsome pattern. Price =1.00=
[Illustration: Plated pencil]
=A Gold-Plated Pencil.=--Price =1.00=
=A neat Portfolio.=--Beautifully embossed, well
made, with four pockets, and blotting-paper, lock
and key. Price =1.00=
* * * * *
[Illustration: Right index] Besides giving the above as premiums, we
offer them for sale, postpaid, at the prices named.
=The Florence Steel Skate.=--The runners are of
highly tempered steel castings. Metal sole and
heel plates. Very strong and durable.
Price =$1.00=
[Illustration: Send length of Boot when ordering.]
[Illustration: Sleeve buttons]
=Sleeve Buttons.=--Best Gold Plate. New style.
This size. Price =1.00=
[Illustration: Ladies cuff pins]
=Ladies' Cuff Pins.=--Fine Gold Plate. New
Pattern. This size. Price =1.00=
[Illustration: Forget me not]
=Illuminated Silk-woven Book Marks.=--These new
and beautiful productions of the Loom are the
wonder and admiration of all who see them. Each
design is woven in silk in beautiful colors. The
engraving here given is a careful reproduction of
one of them on a very small scale, and will give a
faint outline of its beauty.
From the large list of Mottoes and Designs, we
have made the following selections, which we
specially commend. For two subscribers select two
of Series 1, or one of Series 2.
SERIES No. 1. Price 50 Cents Each.
NO.
The Busy Bee 76
Little Red Riding Hood 85
For a Good Girl 88
Mistress Mary 94
To my Darling 96
The Lily 68
Compliments of the Season 70
God is Good 73
A Blessing 78
To my dear Brother 79
Unchanging Love 82
To my dear Sister 83
To my dear Father 84
To my dear Mother 86
To One I love 101
A Happy Christmas
SERIES No. 2. Price $1.00 Each.
NO.
Honor thy Father and Mother 161
Remember the Sabbath Day 162
The Lord's Prayer 163
Blessed are the Merciful 164
The Doxology 167
The Lord is my Shepherd 170
A Happy New Year 174
Remember Me 175
Faith, Hope and Charity 180
Hope, the Anchor of my Soul 252
Remember now Thy Creator 257
A Happy New Year 260
A Birthday Blessing 266
Many Happy Returns of the Day 269
I Love Thee 278
The Priceless Gem 288
Unchanging Love 289
True Love 293
May our Hearts be United
* * * * *
[Illustration: Right index] Besides giving the above as premiums, we
offer them for sale, postpaid, at the prices named.