THE ARRIVAL.
Bright and early on the following morning Jack set out for the post
office with the letter, and Mr. Treat would have resumed the "dicker"
for the cow immediately after his arrival, but the hunchback prevented
him by saying,--
"I don't want to buy one now. Mrs. Souders gave Aunt Nancy a handsome
creature, and that is all she needs."
"Sho! You don't mean to tell me Sarah Souders gave one right out?"
"That's what she did."
"Then all I can say is, it's a case of fool an' her money soon parted.
Why shouldn't Aunt Nancy pay for things the same as anybody else?"
"She hadn't the money."
"There's where you make a mistake, for we haven't settled for the wheat
yet, an' I've quite a little sum in my hands belongin' to her."
"But that must be used in gettin' ready for the summer boarders."
"Well," Mr. Treat said with a long-drawn sigh, as if pained because he
had been prevented from performing a charitable act, "I can't help it if
the old woman wants sich a cow as Sarah Souders would buy when she can
get a good one from me by puttin' out a little money."
Then the worthy post master took the letter Jack handed him, scrutinized
it carefully, asked if Aunt Nancy was thinking of putting an
advertisement in the papers for summer boarders, and, on receiving a
non-committal answer, finally dropped it in the mail bag.
Jack had waited to see this last act performed, and when the missive
disappeared he hurried home.
It so chanced that he did not arrive there as soon as he had expected.
While passing Mr. Dean's house Bill came out and hailed him with,--
"Say, Hunchie, is the old maid waitin' for me to come 'round so she can
talk Sunday school?"
"Aunt Nancy doesn't do anything of the kind. If you knowed her as well
as I do you'd be mighty glad to be where she was."
"I ain't sayin' that isn't so, an' don't be s'prised if you see me up
there pretty soon."
"Shall I tell her so?"
"No, for it might give the old woman too much of a shock. I only thought
I'd let you know so's you wouldn't get frightened when I came inter the
yard," and with this remark Master Dean re-entered the house, probably
thinking he had paved the way in a very delicate manner for a visit to
the little woman whom he had so often held up to ridicule.
Now that the important letter had really been sent both Aunt Nancy and
Jack were in a nervously expectant frame of mind.
They were unable to decide whether the editor of the newspaper or Mrs.
Littlefield would write first, and anxiously they awaited for some
tidings.
Jack went to the post office for every mail, and the little woman
actually neglected to wipe imaginary specks of dust from the furniture
during three whole days.
At the expiration of this time both were startled at seeing Daniel Chick
drive up the lane with a strange lady in his wagon.
It was at the close of the afternoon, and the two were sitting under the
big oak while Louis nestled snugly in the little woman's arms.
There was no doubt in Aunt Nancy's mind as to who the stranger might be
when she leaped from the carriage, and, seizing the baby in her arms,
covered his face with kisses and tears.
"It's the dear little fellow's mother," Aunt Nancy whispered, as she led
Jack away, "and it is well to leave her alone for a while. She may be
hungry, and we must get supper at once. Send Daniel Chick off while I
start the fire."
It was not an easy matter to dismiss the driver of the vehicle.
He had been unable to extract any information from Mrs. Littlefield, and
wanted to know why she had come to Aunt Nancy's at least three weeks
before the summer boarders should arrive.
"It's the baby's mother, and we want to leave her alone," Jack replied.
"I ain't troublin' of her, am I?" and Mr. Chick crossed one leg over the
other as he gazed at the scene.
"No; but Aunt Nancy said you were to go away now," Jack persisted, and
then, seeing that the gentleman evinced no disposition to leave, he
joined the little woman in the house.
Supper was ready and on the table before Mrs. Littlefield could
relinquish the baby long enough to ask Jack for the particulars of his
adventures.
Then when she came to the door Aunt Nancy said, as her ringlets,
sharing the feelings of the wearer, shook with suppressed excitement,--
"I hope you will have something to eat. You must be hungry by this time,
and Louis shall sit with me while you are at the table."
As she spoke the little woman held out her hands invitingly to the baby,
and he showed every desire to go to her.
"It can be plainly seen that my darling has had a good home," Mrs.
Littlefield replied as she kissed him again and again.
"He has been loved perhaps better than in a house where there were other
children; but almost any one would have given him the same treatment."
"I am afraid not; both he and Jack have been very fortunate. Now I will
take a cup of tea, but had rather hold him myself."
Aunt Nancy beckoned for Jack to be seated although it was not more than
two hours since he had eaten supper, and when the little woman's head
was bowed in devotion she fervently thanked her Father for his wondrous
goodness and mercy in allowing the mother and child to meet again in
this world.
During the meal Mrs. Littlefield asked Jack to tell the story of his
wanderings, and he gave them in detail, not omitting an account of
Farmer Pratt's determination to send them to the poor farm.
"I shall never be able to repay you for all you have done, my boy,"
Louis' mother said feelingly when the cripple concluded. "You are to go
back with me, and I will take care that you have a good home."
Jack had nothing to say in regard to this.
It seemed only natural he should remain with Louis after all that had
happened, but the idea of leaving the farm was not a pleasant one.
He had known Mrs. Littlefield only during such time as she was on
shipboard, and while she had been kind to him it was as nothing compared
with what he experienced during his stay with Aunt Nancy.
Very much was said regarding the children's adventures. Aunt Nancy was
thanked over and over again for all her kindness, and then Louis' mother
intimated that she would like to retire.
"I wish to leave here on the first train to-morrow morning, and have
travelled so long that rest seems necessary now."
The little woman conducted her guest to another apartment, and then,
with Jack's assistance, the kitchen was made tidy once more.
Louis was nestling in his mother's arms in the lavender-scented bed
which Aunt Nancy kept especially for "company," and the little woman and
Jack were under the big oak together for what both believed would be the
last time.
"You must think sometimes, Jack dear, of the poor old maid who is
sitting out here at this same hour wondering where in the big world her
boy and baby are."
"There won't come a day or evening, Aunt Nancy, when I sha'n't think of
you, and remember you are the best friend I or any other boy ever had.
You see I can't say what is in my heart, but if I could you'd know I'd
never forget how good you've been to me."
"The little I have done, Jack dear, was only my duty, and you have paid
me a thousand fold for everything. I haven't been so contented for many
years as since you came here, and but for the wrong committed when Mr.
Pratt called I should have been perfectly happy."
"I'm glad you liked me," Jack said half to himself, "for if you hadn't I
wouldn't have known what a real home was like. It kinder seems as if I
belonged here."
"You _do_ act the same as own folks, and I wonder if Mrs. Littlefield
will take as much comfort with you as I have?"
"But I'm not goin' to stay at her house very long. When the captain
comes home I shall get work on board the 'Atlanta' again. Folks won't
keep me for an ornament, you know, an' I must earn my own livin'."
"Do you like to go to sea?"
"Well, there's some things about it that's pleasanter than stayin'
ashore. The sailors are kinder than the boys in town, an' don't call me
'Hunchie,' or names of that sort."
Aunt Nancy remained silent, as if in deep thought, several moments, and
then said abruptly,--
"You certainly ought to go to school a portion of the time, Jack dear."
"I s'pose I had, for I don't know scarcely anything, an' never had a
chance to learn."
"Can you read?"
"If the words ain't too long; but in printin' there are so few short
ones, that I don't seem to find out what the man who made it meant."
"I should have taught you instead of sitting here idle; but we couldn't
have accomplished a great deal since you came."
"You've had enough to do without botherin' about me."
"But, Jack, you can do a great deal by yourself. Before you go away I
want to give you a little money, and with some of it you must buy a
school book. Then study a certain portion of it each day, until there is
no difficulty in reading any ordinary print. After that will be time
enough to take up other branches, and writing must come with the
reading, as I shall look very anxiously for a letter in your own hand."
"I'll do the best I can, Aunt Nancy, but I don't want you to give me any
money. You haven't much to spare, and that I know."
"I shall share it with you, Jack dear, and you mustn't make any
objection, for after you have gone I shall feel better to know you are
able to buy what little you may want."
Then Aunt Nancy drew from her pocket a small black book which she handed
to the boy as she said in a low tone,--
"This was my father's Bible, and the print is so faint that I can no
longer read it even with glasses."
"Hadn't you rather keep it? It was your father's."
"No, dear. I have one as you know, and this can be put to no better
service than teaching you the right way. For my sake, Jack, become a
good man. Shun evil company, and do unto others as you would they
should do unto you. I haven't set a very good example in that way since
you came here; but you have a better temper than I, and for that more is
expected. Don't be tempted to tell a lie, and then you'll never feel as
I have since Mr. Pratt called."
"I'll remember all you say, Aunt Nancy, and it would be a mighty
ungrateful feller who'd do anything he thought would make you feel bad."
Then ensued another long interval of silence, during which the sun
finished his work of painting the clouds, and had sunk behind the hills.
"It'll come pretty hard not to see you at night," Jack finally said
thoughtfully.
"Will it, really?" the little woman asked eagerly.
"Of course," and Jack looked up in surprise that such a question should
have been asked. "I don't s'pose I'll ever find a home as nice as this."
"And would you be willing to stay here?"
"Indeed I would if I could get work to pay my way."
"Don't you think it would be lonely when winter comes, and you would be
obliged to remain a greater portion of the time in the house?"
"Not if you was here."
"Then, Jack, I am going to say something I thought ought not to be
spoken of for fear you might do it simply to please me. Why not stay?"
"But I can't find any work 'round here, Aunt Nancy."
"You have contrived to get plenty from the first night I saw you. If
this home seems pleasant there is no reason why you should leave it, and
when the white winged messengers come to carry me to the Father, the
little I leave behind shall be yours. It isn't much, Jack dear, but
would keep you from want, and a delicate boy like you is not able to
fight the hard world. If you were strong and well the case would be
different."
Jack drew a long breath as if the pleasurable surprise was almost
overpowering, and then asked slowly,--
"Do you really want me to live here?"
"Do I want you? If you say you will stay the pain which is now in my
heart will go away in an instant, and I would be the happiest old woman
in the State."
"Then there'll be two feelin' mighty good, Aunt Nancy, for I'm only too
glad of the chance."
The little woman kissed him tenderly, which told better than words that
the invitation really came from the heart.
Not until a late hour that night did the tiny woman and the cripple
leave the bench under the old oak.
Aunt Nancy had many plans for the future, chief among which was giving
Jack an education, and he speculated upon the possibility of tilling so
much of the farm during the coming season as would give him a small
income.
All this was so interesting that for the first time in her life Aunt
Nancy came very near forgetting to search the house for supposed
burglars.
"Mercy on us, Jack! It must be near midnight, and we haven't looked into
a single room yet. I am so excited I hardly know what I'm about."
"I don't believe there would be any harm done if we didn't search the
place for a week," Jack said with a merry laugh; "but we'll go through
the motions all the same."
On the following morning there was very little opportunity for a lengthy
conversation upon the change in the plans as arranged by Aunt Nancy and
Jack.
When she made known the fact that the cripple would remain with her,
Mrs. Littlefield approved heartily of it.
"I am positive he couldn't have a better home," she said, "and will take
it upon myself to see he is not a burden. That much I owe him, if
nothing more, for all he did to make my baby happy and comfortable."
"I am not a rich woman, Mrs. Littlefield," Aunt Nancy said with
considerable dignity, "but I can care for the dear boy while I live."
This concluded the subject, for at that moment Daniel Chick arrived to
take the visitor to the station, and Aunt Nancy and Jack could think of
nothing save the parting with the little fellow they had learned to love
so dearly.
Louis crowed and laughed at the prospect of a ride, and Aunt Nancy said
sadly when he disappeared around the corner of the lane,--
"It almost seems as if he was glad to go away from us, Jack dear."
"I reckon the farm will be kinder lonesome for a day or two, but he's
with his mother, an' that's where he belongs."
"Yes, dear, we mustn't repine. The day will soon come for me when I go
away to my Father, and then you must think the same, for I shall be many
times happier in the eternal city than the baby is now. It will be a
lonely time for you, Jack dear, but only for a short while, after which
the old maid and the cripple will be in the glory and splendor of God's
own light."
Then Aunt Nancy kissed Jack affectionately as she drew him to the
favorite seat, and, under the old oak where so many happy as well as sad
hours have been spent, will we bid adieu to the hunchback and his best
earthly friend.
THE END.
A. L. BURT'S PUBLICATIONS
For Young People
BY POPULAR WRITERS.
52-58 Duarte Street, New York.
=Bonnie Prince Charlie=: A Tale of Fontenoy and Culloden. By G. A.
HENTY. With 12 full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo,
cloth, price $1.00.
The adventures of the son of a Scotch officer in French service. The
boy, brought up by a Glasgow bailie, is a arrested for aiding a
Jacobite agent, escapes, is wrecked on the French coast, reaches Paris,
and serves with the French army at Dettingen. He kills his father's foe
in a duel, and escaping to the coast, shares the adventures of Prince
Charlie, but finally settles happily in Scotland.
"Ronald, the hero, is very like the hero of 'Quentin Durward.' The
lad's journey across France, and his hairbreadth escapes, make up
as good a narrative of the kind as we have ever read. For freshness
of treatment and variety of incident Mr. Henty has surpassed
himself."--_Spectator._
=With Clive in India=; or, the Beginnings of an Empire. By G. A.
HENTY. With 12 full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo,
cloth, price $1.00.
The period between the landing of Clive as a young writer in India and
the close of his career was critical and eventful in the extreme. At its
commencement the English were traders existing on sufferance of the
native princes. At its close they were masters of Bengal and of the
greater part of Southern India. The author has given a full and accurate
account of the events of that stirring time, and battles and sieges
follow each other in rapid succession, while he combines with his
narrative a tale of daring and adventure, which gives a lifelike
interest to the volume.
"He has taken a period of Indian history of the most vital
importance, and he has embroidered on the historical facts a story
which of itself is deeply interesting. Young people assuredly will
be delighted with the volume."--_Scotsman._
=The Lion of the North=: A Tale of Gustavus Adolphus and the Wars of
Religion. By G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by JOHN
SCHÖNBERG. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
In this story Mr. Henty gives the history of the first part of the
Thirty Years' War. The issue had its importance, which has extended to
the present day, as it established religious freedom in Germany. The
army of the chivalrous king of Sweden was largely composed of Scotchmen,
and among these was the hero of the story.
"The tale is a clever and instructive piece of history, and as boys
may be trusted to read it conscientiously, they can hardly fail to
be profited."--_Times._
=The Dragon and the Raven;= or, The Days of King Alfred. By G. A.
HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND. 12mo,
cloth, price $1.00.
In this story the author gives an account of the fierce struggle
between Saxon and Dane for supremacy in England, and presents a vivid
picture of the misery and ruin to which the country was reduced by the
ravages of the sea-wolves. The hero, a young Saxon thane, takes part in
all the battles fought by King Alfred. He is driven from his home, takes
to the sea and resists the Danes on their own element, and being pursued
by them up the Seine, is present at the long and desperate siege of
Paris.
"Treated in a manner most attractive to the boyish reader."--_Athenæum._
=The Young Carthaginian=: A Story of the Times of Hannibal. By G. A.
HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND, R.I. 12mo,
cloth, price $1.00.
Boys reading the history of the Punic Wars have seldom a keen
appreciation of the merits of the contest. That it was at first a
struggle for empire, and afterward for existence on the part of
Carthage, that Hannibal was a great and skillful general, that he
defeated the Romans at Trebia, Lake Trasimenus, and Cannæ, and all but
took Rome, represents pretty nearly the sum total of their knowledge. To
let them know more about this momentous struggle for the empire of the
world Mr. Henty has written this story, which not only gives in graphic
style a brilliant description of a most interesting period of history,
but is a tale of exciting adventure sure to secure the interest of the
reader.
"Well constructed and vividly told. From first to last nothing
stays the interest of the narrative. It bears us along as on a
stream whose current varies in direction, but never loses its
force."--_Saturday Review._
=In Freedom's Cause=: A Story of Wallace and Bruce. By G. A. HENTY.
With full page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price
$1.00.
In this story the author relates the stirring tale of the Scottish War
of Independence. The extraordinary valor and personal prowess of Wallace
and Bruce rival the deeds of the mythical heroes of chivalry, and indeed
at one time Wallace was ranked with these legendary personages. The
researches of modern historians have shown, however, that he was a
living, breathing man--and a valiant champion. The hero of the tale
fought under both Wallace and Bruce, and while the strictest historical
accuracy has been maintained with respect to public events, the work is
full of "hairbreadth 'scapes" and wild adventure.
"It is written in the author's best style. Full of the wildest and
most remarkable achievements, it is a tale of great interest, which
a boy, once he has begun it, will not willingly put on one
side."--_The Schoolmaster._
=With Lee in Virginia=: A Story of the American Civil War. By G. A.
HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth,
price $1.00.
The story of a young Virginian planter, who, after bravely proving his
sympathy with the slaves of brutal masters, serves with no less courage
and enthusiasm under Lee and Jackson through the most exciting events of
the struggle. He has many hairbreadth escapes, is several times wounded
and twice taken prisoner; but his courage and readiness and, in two
cases, the devotion of a black servant and of a runaway slave whom he
had assisted, bring him safely through all difficulties.
"One of the best stories for lads which Mr. Henty has yet written.
The picture is full of life and color, and the stirring and
romantic incidents are skillfully blended with the personal
interest and charm of the story."--_Standard._
=By England's Aid=; or, The Freeing of the Netherlands (1585-1604) By
G.A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE, and
Maps. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The story of two English lads who go to Holland as pages in the service
of one of "the fighting Veres." After many adventures by sea and land,
one of the lads finds himself on board a Spanish ship at the time of the
defeat of the Armada, and escapes only to fall into the hands of the
Corsairs. He is successful in getting back to Spain under the protection
of a wealthy merchant, and regains his native country after the capture
of Cadiz.
"It is an admirable book for youngsters. It overflows with stirring
incident and exciting adventure, and the color of the era and of
the scene are finely reproduced. The illustrations add to its
attractiveness."--_Boston Gazette._
=By Right of Conquest=; or, With Cortez in Mexico. By G. A. HENTY.
With full page Illustrations by W. S. STACEY, and Two Maps. 12mo,
cloth, price $1.50.
The conquest of Mexico by a small band of resolute men under the
magnificent leadership of Cortez is always rightly ranked among the most
romantic and daring exploits in history. With this as the groundwork of
his story Mr. Henty has interwoven the adventures of an English youth,
Roger Hawkshaw, the sole survivor of the good ship Swan, which had
sailed from a Devon port to challenge the mercantile supremacy of the
Spaniards in the New World. He is beset by many perils among the
natives, but is saved by his own judgment and strength, and by the
devotion of an Aztec princess. At last by a ruse he obtains the
protection of the Spaniards, and after the fall of Mexico he succeeds in
regaining his native shore, with a fortune and a charming Aztec bride.
"'By Right of Conquest' is the nearest approach to a perfectly
successful historical tale that Mr. Henty has yet published."--_Academy._
=In the Reign of Terror=: The Adventures of a Westminster Boy By G.
A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by J. SCHÖNBERG. 12mo,
cloth, price $1.00.
Harry Sandwith, a Westminster boy, becomes a resident at the chateau of
a French marquis, and after various adventures accompanies the family to
Paris at the crisis of the Revolution. Imprisonment and death reduce
their number, and the hero finds himself beset by perils with the three
young daughters of the house in his charge. After hairbreadth escapes
they reach Nantes. There the girls are condemned to death in the
coffin-ships, but are saved by the unfailing courage of their boy
protector.
"Harry Sandwith, the Westminster boy, may fairly be said to beat
Mr. Henty's record. His adventures will delight boys by the
audacity and peril they depict.... The story is one of Mr. Henty's
best."--_Saturday Review._
=With Wolfe in Canada=; or, The Winning of a Continent. By G. A.
HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth,
price $1.00.
In the present volume Mr. Henty gives an account of the struggle between
Britain and France for supremacy in the North American continent. On the
issue of this war depended not only the destinies of North America, but
to a large extent those of the mother countries themselves. The fall of
Quebec decided that the Anglo-Saxon race should predominate in the New
World; that Britain, and not France, should take the lead among the
nations of Europe; and that English and American commerce, the English
language, and English literature, should spread right round the globe.
"It is not only a lesson in history as instructively as it is
graphically told, but also a deeply interesting and often thrilling
tale of adventure and peril by flood and field."--_Illustrated
London News._
=True to the Old Flag=: A Tale of the American War of Independence.
By G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE.
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
In this story the author has gone to the accounts of officers who took
part in the conflict, and lads will find that in no war in which
American and British soldiers have been engaged did they behave with
greater courage and good conduct. The historical portion of the book
being accompanied with numerous thrilling adventures with the redskins
on the shores of Lake Huron, a story of exciting interest is interwoven
with the general narrative and carried through the book.
"Does justice to the pluck and determination of the British
soldiers during the unfortunate struggle against American
emancipation. The son of an American loyalist, who remains true to
our flag, falls among the hostile redskins in that very Huron
country which has been endeared to us by the exploits of Hawkeye
and Chingachgook."--_The Times._
=The Lion of St. Mark=: A Tale of Venice in the Fourteenth Century.
By G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE.
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
A story of Venice at a period when her strength and splendor were put to
the severest tests. The hero displays a fine sense and manliness which
carry him safely through an atmosphere of intrigue, crime, and
bloodshed. He contributes largely to the victories of the Venetians at
Porto d'Anzo and Chioggia, and finally wins the hand of the daughter of
one of the chief men of Venice.
"Every boy should read 'The Lion of St. Mark.' Mr. Henty has never
produced a story more delightful, more wholesome, or more
vivacious."--_Saturday Review._
=A Final Reckoning=: A Tale of Bush Life in Australia. By G. A.
HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by W. B. WOLLEN. 12mo,
cloth, price $1.00.
The hero, a young English lad, after rather a stormy boyhood emigrates
to Australia, and gets employment as an officer in the mounted police. A
few years of active work on the frontier, where he has many a brush with
both natives and bushrangers, gain him promotion to a captaincy, and he
eventually settles down to the peaceful life of a squatter.
"Mr. Henty has never published a more readable, a more carefully
constructed, or a better written story than this."--_Spectator._
=Under Drake's Flag=: A Tale of the Spanish Main. By G. A. HENTY.
With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price
$1.00.
A story of the days when England and Spain struggled for the supremacy
of the sea. The heroes sail as lads with Drake in the Pacific
expedition, and in his great voyage of circumnavigation. The historical
portion of the story is absolutely to be relied upon, but this will
perhaps be less attractive than the great variety of exciting adventure
through which the young heroes pass in the course of their voyages.
"A book of adventure, where the hero meets with experience enough,
one would think, to turn his hair gray."--_Harper's Monthly
Magazine._
=By Sheer Pluck=: A Tale of the Ashanti War. By G. A. HENTY. With
full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The author has woven, in a tale of thrilling interest, all the details
of the Ashanti campaign, of which he was himself a witness. His hero,
after many exciting adventures in the interior, is detained a prisoner
by the king just before the outbreak of the war, but escapes, and
accompanies the English expedition on their march to Coomassie.
"Mr. Henty keeps up his reputation as a writer of boys' stories.
'By Sheer Pluck' will be eagerly read."--_Athenæum._
=By Pike and Dyke=: A Tale of the Rise of the Dutch Republic. By G.
A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by MAYNARD BROWN, and 4
Maps. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
In this story Mr. Henty traces the adventures and brave deeds of an
English boy in the household of the ablest man of his age--William the
Silent. Edward Martin, the son of an English sea-captain, enters the
service of the Prince as a volunteer, and is employed by him in many
dangerous and responsible missions, in the discharge of which he passes
through the great sieges of the time. He ultimately settles down as Sir
Edward Martin.
"Boys with a turn for historical research will be enchanted with
the book, while the rest who only care for adventure, will be
students in spite of themselves."--_St. James' Gazette._
=St. George for England=: A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers. By G. A.
HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth,
price $1.00.
No portion of English history is more crowded with great events than
that of the reign of Edward III. Cressy and Poitiers; the destruction of
the Spanish fleet; the plague of the Black Death; the Jacquerie rising;
these are treated by the author in "St. George for England." The hero of
the story, although of good family, begins life as a London apprentice,
but after countless adventures and perils becomes by valor and good
conduct the squire, and at last the trusted friend of the Black Prince.
"Mr. Henty has developed for himself a type of historical novel for
boys which bids fair to supplement, on their behalf, the historical
labors of Sir Walter Scott in the land of fiction."--_The
Standard._
=Captain's Kidd's Gold=: The True Story of an Adventurous Sailor Boy.
By JAMES FRANKLIN FITTS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
There is something fascinating to the average youth in the very idea
of buried treasure. A vision arises before his eyes of swarthy
Portuguese and Spanish rascals, with black beards and gleaming
eyes--sinister-looking fellows who once on a time haunted the Spanish
Main, sneaking out from some hidden creek in their long, low schooner,
of picaroonish rake and sheer, to attack an unsuspecting trading craft.
There were many famous sea rovers in their day, but none more celebrated
than Capt. Kidd. Perhaps the most fascinating tale of all is Mr. Fitts'
true story of an adventurous American boy, who receives from his dying
father an ancient bit of vellum, which the latter obtained in a curious
way. The document bears obscure directions purporting to locate a
certain island in the Bahama group, and a considerable treasure buried
there by two of Kidd's crew. The hero of this book, Paul Jones Garry, is
an ambitious, persevering lad, of salt-water New England ancestry, and
his efforts to reach the island and secure the money form one of the
most absorbing tales for our youth that has come from the press.
=Captain Bayley's Heir=: A Tale of the Gold Fields of California. By
G.A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by H. M. PAGET. 12mo,
cloth, price $1.00.
A frank, manly lad and his cousin are rivals in the heirship of a
considerable property. The former falls into a trap laid by the latter,
and while under a false accusation of theft foolishly leaves England for
America. He works his passage before the mast, joins a small band of
hunters, crosses a tract of country infested with Indians to the
Californian gold diggings, and is successful both as digger and trader.
"Mr. Henty is careful to mingle instruction with entertainment;
and the humorous touches, especially in the sketch of John Holl,
the Westminster dustman, Dickens himself could hardly have
excelled."--_Christian Leader._
=For Name and Fame=; or, Through Afghan Passes. By G. A. HENTY. With
full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
An interesting story of the last war in Afghanistan. The hero, after
being wrecked and going through many stirring adventures among the
Malays, finds his way to Calcutta and enlists in a regiment proceeding
to join the army at the Afghan passes. He accompanies the force under
General Roberts to the Peiwar Kotal, is wounded, taken prisoner, carried
to Cabul, whence he is transferred to Candahar, and takes part in the
final defeat of the army of Ayoub Khan.
"The best feature of the book--apart from the interest of its
scenes of adventure--is its honest effort to do justice to the
patriotism of the Afghan people."--_Daily News._
=Captured by Apes=: The Wonderful Adventures of a Young Animal
Trainer. By Harry Prentice. 12mo, cloth, $1.00.
The scene of this tale is laid on an island in the Malay Archipelago.
Philip Garland, a young animal collector and trainer, of New York, sets
sail for Eastern seas in quest of a new stock of living curiosities. The
vessel is wrecked off the coast of Borneo and young Garland, the sole
survivor of the disaster, is cast ashore on a small island, and captured
by the apes that overrun the place. The lad discovers that the ruling
spirit of the monkey tribe is a gigantic and vicious baboon, whom he
identifies as Goliah, an animal at one time in his possession and with
whose instruction he had been especially diligent. The brute recognizes
him, and with a kind of malignant satisfaction puts his former master
through the same course of training he had himself experienced with a
faithfulness of detail which shows how astonishing is monkey
recollection. Very novel indeed is the way by which the young man
escapes death. Mr. Prentice has certainly worked a new vein on juvenile
fiction, and the ability with which he handles a difficult subject
stamps him as a writer of undoubted skill.
=The Bravest of the Brave=; or, With Peterborough in Spain. By G. A.
HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by H. M. PAGET. 12mo, cloth,
price $1.00.
There are few great leaders whose lives and actions have so completely
fallen into oblivion as those of the Earl of Peterborough. This is
largely due to the fact that they were over-shadowed by the glory and
successes of Marlborough. His career as general extended over little
more than a year, and yet, in that time, he showed a genius for warfare
which has never been surpassed.
"Mr. Henty never loses sight of the moral purpose of his work--to
enforce the doctrine of courage and truth. Lads will read 'The
Bravest of the Brave' with pleasure and profit; of that we are
quite sure."--_Daily Telegraph._
=The Cat of Bubastes=: A Story of Ancient Egypt. By G. A. HENTY. With
full page Illustrations. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
A story which will give young readers an unsurpassed insight into the
customs of the Egyptian people. Amuba, a prince of the Rebu nation, is
carried with his charioteer Jethro into slavery. They become inmates of
the house of Ameres, the Egyptian high-priest, and are happy in his
service until the priest's son accidentally kills the sacred cat of
Bubastes. In an outburst of popular fury Ameres is killed, and it rests
with Jethro and Amuba to secure the escape of the high-priest's son and
daughter.
"The story, from the critical moment of the killing of the sacred
cat to the perilous exodus into Asia with which it closes, is very
skillfully constructed and full of exciting adventures. It is
admirably illustrated."--_Saturday Review._
=With Washington at Monmouth:= A Story of Three Philadelphia Boys. By
JAMES OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Three Philadelphia boys, Seth Graydon "whose mother conducted a
boarding-house which was patronized by the British officers;" Enoch
Ball, "son of that Mrs. Ball whose dancing school was situated on
Letitia Street," and little Jacob, son of "Chris, the Baker," serve as
the principal characters. The story is laid during the winter when Lord
Howe held possession of the city, and the lads aid the cause by
assisting the American spies who make regular and frequent visits from
Valley Forge. One reads here of home-life in the captive city when bread
was scarce among the people of the lower classes, and a reckless
prodigality shown by the British officers, who passed the winter in
feasting and merry-making while the members of the patriot army but a
few miles away were suffering from both cold and hunger. The story
abounds with pictures of Colonial life skillfully drawn, and the
glimpses of Washington's soldiers which are given show that the work has
not been hastily done, or without considerable study.
=For the Temple=: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem. By G. A. HENTY.
With full-page Illustrations by S. J. SOLOMON. 12mo, cloth, price
$1.00.
Mr. Henty here weaves into the record of Josephus an admirable and
attractive story. The troubles in the district of Tiberias, the march of
the legions, the sieges of Jotapata, of Gamala, and of Jerusalem, form
the impressive and carefully studied historic setting to the figure of
the lad who passes from the vineyard to the service of Josephus, becomes
the leader of a guerrilla band of patriots, fights bravely for the
Temple, and after a brief term of slavery at Alexandria, returns to his
Galilean home with the favor of Titus.
"Mr. Henty's graphic prose pictures of the hopeless Jewish
resistance to Roman sway add another leaf to his record of the
famous wars of the world."--_Graphic._
=Facing Death=; or, The Hero of the Vaughan Pit. A Tale of the Coal
Mines. By G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON
BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
"Facing Death" is a story with a purpose. It is intended to show that a
lad who makes up his mind firmly and resolutely that he will rise in
life, and who is prepared to face toil and ridicule and hardship to
carry out his determination, is sure to succeed. The hero of the story
is a typical British boy, dogged, earnest, generous, and though
"shamefaced" to a degree, is ready to face death in the discharge of
duty.
"The tale is well written and well illustrated, and there is much
reality in the characters. If any father, clergyman, or
schoolmaster is on the lookout for a good book to give as a present
to a boy who is worth his salt, this is the book we would
recommend."--_Standard._
=Tom Temple's Career.= By HORATIO ALGER. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Tom Temple, a bright, self-reliant lad, by the death of his father
becomes a boarder at the home of Nathan Middleton, a penurious insurance
agent. Though well paid for keeping the boy, Nathan and his wife
endeavor to bring Master Tom in line with their parsimonious habits. The
lad ingeniously evades their efforts and revolutionizes the household.
As Tom is heir to $40,000, he is regarded as a person of some importance
until by an unfortunate combination of circumstances his fortune shrinks
to a few hundreds. He leaves Plympton village to seek work in New York,
whence he undertakes an important mission to California, around which
center the most exciting incidents of his young career. Some of his
adventures in the far west are so startling that the reader will
scarcely close the book until the last page shall have been reached. The
tale is written in Mr. Alger's most fascinating style, and is bound to
please the very large class of boys who regard this popular author as a
prime favorite.
=Maori and Settler=: A Story of the New Zealand War. By G. A. HENTY.
With full-page Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE. 12mo, cloth, price
$1.00.
The Renshaws emigrate to New Zealand during the period of the war with
the natives. Wilfrid, a strong, self-reliant, courageous lad, is the
mainstay of the household. He has for his friend Mr. Atherton, a
botanist and naturalist of herculean strength and unfailing nerve and
humor. In the adventures among the Maoris, there are many breathless
moments in which the odds seem hopelessly against the party, but they
succeed in establishing themselves happily in one of the pleasant New
Zealand valleys.
"Brimful of adventure, of humorous and interesting conversation,
and vivid pictures of colonial life."--_Schoolmaster._
=Julian Mortimer=: A Brave Boy's Struggle for Home and Fortune. By
HARRY CASTLEMON. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Here is a story that will warm every boy's heart. There is mystery
enough to keep any lad's imagination wound up to the highest pitch. The
scene of the story lies west of the Mississippi River, in the days when
emigrants made their perilous way across the great plains to the land of
gold. One of the startling features of the book is the attack upon the
wagon train by a large party of Indians. Our hero is a lad of uncommon
nerve and pluck, a brave young American in every sense of the word. He
enlists and holds the reader's sympathy from the outset. Surrounded by
an unknown and constant peril, and assisted by the unswerving fidelity
of a stalwart trapper, a real rough diamond, our hero achieves the most
happy results. Harry Castlemon has written many entertaining stories for
boys, and it would seem almost superfluous to say anything in his
praise, for the youth of America regard him as a favorite author.
="Carrots:"= Just a Little Boy. By MRS. MOLESWORTH. With
Illustrations by WALTER CRANE. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.
"One of the cleverest and most pleasing stories it has been our
good fortune to meet with for some time. Carrots and his sister are
delightful little beings, whom to read about is at once to become
very fond of."--_Examiner._
"A genuine children's book; we've seen 'em seize it, and read it
greedily. Children are first-rate critics, and thoroughly
appreciate Walter Crane's Illustrations."--_Punch._
=Mopsa the Fairy.= By JEAN INGELOW. With Eight page Illustrations.
12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.
"Mrs. Ingelow is, to our mind, the most charming of all living
writers for children, and 'Mopsa' alone ought to give her a kind of
pre-emptive right to the love and gratitude of our young folks. It
requires genius to conceive a purely imaginary work which must of
necessity deal with the supernatural, without running into a mere
riot of fantastic absurdity; but genius Miss Ingelow has and the
story of 'Jack' is as careless and joyous, but as delicate as a
picture of childhood."--_Eclectic._
=A Jaunt Through Java=: The Story of a Journey to the Sacred
Mountain. By Edward S. Ellis. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The central interest of this story is found in the thrilling adventures
of two cousins, Hermon and Eustace Hadley, on their trip across the
island of Java, from Samarang to the Sacred Mountain. In a land where
the Royal Bengal tiger runs at large; where the rhinoceros and other
fierce beasts are to be met with at unexpected moments; it is but
natural that the heroes of this book should have a lively experience.
Hermon not only distinguishes himself by killing a full grown tiger at
short range, but meets with the most startling adventure of the journey.
There is much in this narrative to instruct as well as entertain the
reader, and so deftly has Mr. Ellis used his material that there is not
a dull page in the book. The two heroes are brave, manly young fellows,
bubbling over with boyish independence. They cope with the many
difficulties that arise during the trip in a fearless way that is bound
to win the admiration of every lad who is so fortunate as to read their
adventures.
=Wrecked on Spider Island=; or, How Ned Rogers Found the Treasure. By
JAMES OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
A "down-east" plucky lad who ships as cabin boy, not from love of
adventure, but because it is the only course remaining by which he can
gain a livelihood. While in his bunk, seasick, Ned Rogers hears the
captain and mate discussing their plans for the willful wreck of the
brig in order to gain the insurance. Once it is known he is in
possession of the secret the captain maroons him on Spider Island,
explaining to the crew that the boy is afflicted with leprosy. While
thus involuntarily playing the part of a Crusoe, Ned discovers a wreck
submerged in the sand, and overhauling the timbers for the purpose of
gathering material with which to build a hut finds a considerable amount
of treasure. Raising the wreck; a voyage to Havana under sail; shipping
there a crew and running for Savannah; the attempt of the crew to seize
the little craft after learning of the treasure on board, and, as a
matter of course, the successful ending of the journey, all serve to
make as entertaining a story of sea life as the most captious boy could
desire.
=Geoff and Jim=: A Story of School Life. By ISMAY THORN. Illustrated
by A. G. WALKER. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.
"This is a prettily told story of the life spent by two motherless
bairns at a small preparatory school. Both Geoff and Jim are very
lovable characters, only Jim is the more so; and the scrapes he
gets into and the trials he endures will, no doubt, interest a
large circle of young readers."--_Church Times._
"This is a capital children's story, the characters well portrayed,
and the book tastefully bound and well
illustrated."--_Schoolmaster._
"The story can be heartily recommended as a present for
boys."--_Standard._
=The Castaways=; or, On the Florida Reefs. By JAMES OTIS. 12mo,
cloth, price $1.00.
This tale smacks of the salt sea. It is just the kind of story that the
majority of boys yearn for. From the moment that the Sea Queen dispenses
with the services of the tug in lower New York bay till the breeze
leaves her becalmed off the coast of Florida, one can almost hear the
whistle of the wind through her rigging, the creak of her straining
cordage as she heels to the leeward, and feel her rise to the
snow-capped waves which her sharp bow cuts into twin streaks of foam.
Off Marquesas Keys she floats in a dead calm. Ben Clark, the hero of the
story, and Jake, the cook, spy a turtle asleep upon the glassy surface
of the water. They determine to capture him, and take a boat for that
purpose, and just as they succeed in catching him a thick fog cuts them
off from the vessel, and then their troubles begin. They take refuge on
board a drifting hulk, a storm arises and they are cast ashore upon a
low sandy key. Their adventures from this point cannot fail to charm the
reader. As a writer for young people Mr. Otis is a prime favorite. His
style is captivating, and never for a moment does he allow the interest
to flag. In "The Castaways" he is at his best.
=Tom Thatcher's Fortune.= By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 12mo, cloth, price
$1.00.
Like all of Mr. Alger's heroes, Tom Thatcher is a brave, ambitious,
unselfish boy. He supports his mother and sister on meager wages earned
as a shoe-pegger in John Simpson's factory. The story begins with Tom's
discharge from the factory, because Mr. Simpson felt annoyed with the
lad for interrogating him too closely about his missing father. A few
days afterward Tom learns that which induces him to start overland for
California with the view of probing the family mystery. He meets with
many adventures. Ultimately he returns to his native village, bringing
consternation to the soul of John Simpson, who only escapes the
consequences of his villainy by making full restitution to the man whose
friendship he had betrayed. The story is told in that entertaining way
which has made Mr. Alger's name a household word in so many homes.
=Birdie=: A Tale of Child Life. By H. L. CHILDE-PEMBERTON.
Illustrated by H. W. RAINEY. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.
"The story is quaint and simple, but there is a freshness about it
that makes one hear again the ringing laugh and the cheery shout of
children at play which charmed his earlier years."--_New York
Express._
=Popular Fairy Tales.= By the BROTHERS GRIMM. Profusely Illustrated,
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
"From first to last, almost without exception, these stories are
delightful."--_Athenæum._
=With Lafayette at Yorktown=: A Story of How Two Boys Joined the
Continental Army. By JAMES OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The two boys are from Portsmouth, N. H., and are introduced in August,
1781, when on the point of leaving home to enlist in Col. Scammell's
regiment, then stationed near New York City. Their method of traveling
is on horseback, and the author has given an interesting account of what
was expected from boys in the Colonial days. The lads, after no slight
amount of adventure, are sent as messengers--not soldiers--into the
south to find the troops under Lafayette. Once with that youthful
general they are given employment as spies, and enter the British camp,
bringing away valuable information. The pictures of camp-life are
carefully drawn, and the portrayal of Lafayette's character is
thoroughly well done. The story is wholesome in tone, as are all of Mr.
Otis' works. There is no lack of exciting incident which the youthful
reader craves, but it is healthful excitement brimming with facts which
every boy should be familiar with, and while the reader is following the
adventures of Ben Jaffreys and Ned Allen he is acquiring a fund of
historical lore which will remain in his memory long after that which he
has memorized from text-books has been forgotten.
=Lost in the Canon=: Sam Willett's Adventures on the Great Colorado.
By ALFRED R. CALHOUN. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
This story hinges on a fortune left to Sam Willett, the hero, and the
fact that it will pass to a disreputable relative if the lad dies before
he shall have reached his majority. The Vigilance Committee of Hurley's
Gulch arrest Sam's father and an associate for the crime of murder.
Their lives depend on the production of the receipt given for money
paid. This is in Sam's possession at the camp on the other side of the
cañon. A messenger is dispatched to get it. He reaches the lad in the
midst of a fearful storm which floods the cañon. His father's peril
urges Sam to action. A raft is built on which the boy and his friends
essay to cross the torrent. They fail to do so, and a desperate trip
down the stream ensues. How the party finally escape from the horrors of
their situation and Sam reaches Hurley's Gulch in the very nick of time,
is described in a graphic style that stamps Mr. Calhoun as a master of
his art.
=Jack=: A Topsy Turvy Story. By C. M. CRAWLEY-BOEVEY. With upward of
Thirty Illustrations by H. J. A. MILES. 12mo, cloth, price 75
cents.
"The illustrations deserve particular mention, as they add largely
to the interest of this amusing volume for children. Jack falls
asleep with his mind full of the subject of the fishpond, and is
very much surprised presently to find himself an inhabitant of
Waterworld, where he goes though wonderful and edifying adventures.
A handsome and pleasant book."--_Literary World._
=Search for the Silver City=: A Tale of Adventure in Yucatan. By
JAMES OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Two American lads, Teddy Wright and Neal Emery, embark on the steam
yacht Day Dream for a short summer cruise to the tropics. Homeward bound
the yacht is destroyed by fire. All hands take to the boats, but during
the night the boat is cast upon the coast of Yucatan. They come across a
young American named Cummings, who entertains them with the story of the
wonderful Silver City, of the Chan Santa Cruz Indians. Cummings proposes
with the aid of a faithful Indian ally to brave the perils of the swamp
and carry off a number of the golden images from the temples. Pursued
with relentless vigor for days their situation is desperate. At last
their escape is effected in an astonishing manner. Mr. Otis has built
his story on an historical foundation. It is so full of exciting
incidents that the reader is quite carried away with the novelty and
realism of the narrative.
=Frank Fowler, the Cash Boy.= By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 12mo, cloth,
price $1.00.
Thrown upon his own resources Frank Fowler, a poor boy, bravely
determines to make a living for himself and his foster-sister Grace.
Going to New York he obtains a situation as cash boy in a dry goods
store. He renders a service to a wealthy old gentleman named Wharton,
who takes a fancy to the lad. Frank, after losing his place as cash boy,
is enticed by an enemy to a lonesome part of New Jersey and held a
prisoner. This move recoils upon the plotter, for it leads to a clue
that enables the lad to establish his real identity. Mr. Alger's stories
are not only unusually interesting, but they convey a useful lesson of
pluck and manly independence.
=Budd Boyd's Triumph=; or, the Boy Firm of Fox Island. By WILLIAM P.
CHIPMAN. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The scene of this story is laid on the upper part of Narragansett Bay,
and the leading incidents have a strong salt water flavor. Owing to the
conviction of his father for forgery and theft, Budd Boyd is compelled
to leave his home and strike out for himself. Chance brings Budd in
contact with Judd Floyd. The two boys, being ambitious and clear
sighted, form a partnership to catch and sell fish. The scheme is
successfully launched, but the unexpected appearance on the scene of
Thomas Bagsley, the man whom Budd believes guilty of the crimes
attributed to his father, leads to several disagreeable complications
that nearly caused the lad's ruin. His pluck and good sense, however,
carry him through his troubles. In following the career of the boy firm
of Boyd & Floyd, the youthful reader will find a useful lesson--that
industry and perseverance are bound to lead to ultimate success.
=The Errand Boy=; or, How Phil Brent Won Success. By HORATIO ALGER,
JR. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The career of "The Errand Boy" embraces the city adventures of a smart
country lad who at an early age was abandoned by his father. Philip was
brought up by a kind-hearted innkeeper named Brent. The death of Mrs.
Brent paved the way for the hero's subsequent troubles. Accident
introduces him to the notice of a retired merchant in New York, who not
only secures him the situation of errand boy but thereafter stands as
his friend. An unexpected turn of fortune's wheel, however, brings
Philip and his father together. In "The Errand Boy" Philip Brent is
possessed of the same sterling qualities so conspicuous in all of the
previous creations of this delightful writer for our youth.
=The Slate Picker=: The Story of a Boy's Life in the Coal Mines. By
HARRY PRENTICE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
This is a story of a boy's life in the coal mines of Pennsylvania. There
are many thrilling situations, notably that of Ben Burton's leap into
the "lion's mouth"--the yawning shute in the breakers--to escape a
beating at the hands of the savage Spilkins, the overseer. Gracie Gordon
is a little angel in rags, Terence O'Dowd is a manly, sympathetic lad,
and Enoch Evans, the miner-poet, is a big-hearted, honest fellow, a true
friend to all whose burdens seem too heavy for them to bear. Ben Burton,
the hero, had a hard road to travel, but by grit and energy he advanced
step by step until he found himself called upon to fill the position of
chief engineer of the Kohinoor Coal Company.
=A Runaway Brig=; or, An Accidental Cruise. By JAMES OTIS. 12mo,
cloth, price $1.00.
"A Runaway Brig" is a sea tale, pure and simple, and that's where it
strikes a boy's fancy. The reader can look out upon the wide shimmering
sea as it flashes back the sunlight, and imagine himself afloat with
Harry Vandyne, Walter Morse, Jim Libby and that old shell-back, Bob
Brace, on the brig Bonita, which lands on one of the Bahama keys.
Finally three strangers steal the craft, leaving the rightful owners to
shift for themselves aboard a broken-down tug. The boys discover a
mysterious document which enables them to find a buried treasure, then a
storm comes on and the tug is stranded. At last a yacht comes in sight
and the party with the treasure is taken off the lonely key. The most
exacting youth is sure to be fascinated with this entertaining story.
=Fairy Tales and Stories.= By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN. Profusely
Illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
"If I were asked to select a child's library I should name these
three volumes 'English,' 'Celtic,' and 'Indian Fairy Tales,' with
Grimm and Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales."--_Independent._
=The Island Treasure=; or, Harry Darrel's Fortune. By FRANK H.
CONVERSE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Harry Darrel, an orphan, having received a nautical training on a
school-ship, is bent on going to sea with a boyish acquaintance named
Dan Plunket. A runaway horse changes his prospects. Harry saves Dr.
Gregg from drowning and the doctor presents his preserver with a bit of
property known as Gregg's Island, and makes the lad sailing-master of
his sloop yacht. A piratical hoard is supposed to be hidden somewhere on
the island. After much search and many thwarted plans, at last Dan
discovers the treasure and is the means of finding Harry's father. Mr.
Converse's stories possess a charm of their own which is appreciated by
lads who delight in good healthy tales that smack of salt water.
=The Boy Explorers=: The Adventures of Two Boys in Alaska. By HARRY
PRENTICE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Two boys, Raymond and Spencer Manning, travel from San Francisco to
Alaska to join their father in search of their uncle, who, it is
believed, was captured and detained by the inhabitants of a place called
the "Heart of Alaska." On their arrival at Sitka the boys with an Indian
guide set off across the mountains. The trip is fraught with perils that
test the lads' courage to the utmost. Reaching the Yukon River they
build a raft and float down the stream, entering the Mysterious River,
from which they barely escape with their lives, only to be captured by
natives of the Heart of Alaska. All through their exciting adventures
the lads demonstrate what can be accomplished by pluck and resolution,
and their experience makes one of the most interesting tales ever
written.
=The Treasure Finders=: A Boy's Adventures in Nicaragua. By JAMES
OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Roy and Dean Coloney, with their guide Tongla, leave their father's
indigo plantation to visit the wonderful ruins of an ancient city. The
boys eagerly explore the dismantled temples of an extinct race and
discover three golden images cunningly hidden away. They escape with the
greatest difficulty; by taking advantage of a festive gathering they
seize a canoe and fly down the river. Eventually they reach safety with
their golden prizes. Mr. Otis is the prince of story tellers, for he
handles his material with consummate skill. We doubt if he has ever
written a more entertaining story than "The Treasure Finders."
=Household Fairy Tales.= By the BROTHERS GRIMM. Profusely
Illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
"As a collection of fairy tales to delight children of all ages
this work ranks second to none."--_Daily Graphic._
=Dan the Newsboy.= By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The reader is introduced to Dan Mordaunt and his mother living in a poor
tenement, and the lad is pluckily trying to make ends meet by selling
papers in the streets of New York. A little heiress of six years is
confided to the care of the Mordaunts. At the same time the lad obtains
a position in a wholesale house. He soon demonstrates how valuable he is
to the firm by detecting the bookkeeper in a bold attempt to rob his
employers. The child is kidnaped and Dan tracks the child to the house
where she is hidden, and rescues her. The wealthy aunt of the little
heiress is so delighted with Dan's courage and many good qualities that
she adopts him as her heir, and the conclusion of the book leaves the
hero on the high road to every earthly desire.
=Tony the Hero=: A Brave Boy's Adventure with a Tramp. By HORATIO
ALGER, JR. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Tony, a sturdy bright-eyed boy of fourteen, is under the control of
Rudolph Rugg, a thorough rascal, shiftless and lazy, spending his time
tramping about the country. After much abuse Tony runs away and gets a
job as stable boy in a country hotel. Tony is heir to a large estate in
England, and certain persons find it necessary to produce proof of the
lad's death. Rudolph for a consideration hunts up Tony and throws him
down a deep well. Of course Tony escapes from the fate provided for him,
and by a brave act makes a rich friend, with whom he goes to England,
where he secures his rights and is prosperous. The fact that Mr. Alger
is the author of this entertaining book will at once recommend it to all
juvenile readers.
=A Young Hero=; or, Fighting to Win. By EDWARD S. ELLIS. 12mo, cloth,
price $1.00.
This story tells how a valuable solid silver service was stolen from the
Misses Perkinpine, two very old and simple minded ladies. Fred Sheldon,
the hero of this story and a friend of the old ladies, undertakes to
discover the thieves and have them arrested. After much time spent in
detective work, he succeeds in discovering the silver plate and winning
the reward for its restoration. During the narrative a circus comes to
town and a thrilling account of the escape of the lion from its cage,
with its recapture, is told in Mr. Ellis' most fascinating style. Every
boy will be glad to read this delightful book.
=The Days of Bruce=: A Story from Scottish History. By GRACE AGUILAR.
Illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
"There is a delightful freshness, sincerity and vivacity about all
of Grace Aguilar's stories which cannot fail to win the interest
and admiration of every lover of good reading."--_Boston Beacon._
=Tom the Bootblack=; or, The Road to Success. By HORATIO ALGER, JR.
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
A bright, enterprising lad was Tom the bootblack. He was not at all
ashamed of his humble calling, though always on the lookout to better
himself. His guardian, old Jacob Morton, died, leaving him a small sum
of money and a written confession that Tom, instead of being of humble
origin, was the son and heir of a deceased Western merchant, and had
been defrauded out of his just rights by an unscrupulous uncle. The lad
started for Cincinnati to look up his heritage. But three years passed
away before he obtained his first clue. Mr. Grey, the uncle, did not
hesitate to employ a ruffian to kill the lad. The plan failed, and
Gilbert Grey, once Tom the bootblack, came into a comfortable fortune.
This is one of Mr. Alger's best stories.
=Captured by Zulus=: A story of Trapping in Africa. By HARRY
PRENTICE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
This story details the adventures of two lads, Dick Elsworth and Bob
Harvey, in the wilds of South Africa, for the purpose of obtaining a
supply of zoological curiosities. By stratagem the Zulus capture Dick
and Bob and take them to their principal kraal or village. The lads
escape death by digging their way out of the prison hut by night. They
are pursued, and after a rough experience the boys eventually rejoin the
expedition and take part in several wild animal hunts. The Zulus finally
give up pursuit and the expedition arrives at the coast without further
trouble. Mr. Prentice has a delightful method of blending fact with
fiction. He tells exactly how wild-beast collectors secure specimens on
their native stamping grounds, and these descriptions make very
entertaining reading.
=Tom the Ready=; or, Up from the Lowest. By RANDOLPH HILL. 12mo,
cloth, price $1.00.
This is a dramatic narrative of the unaided rise of a fearless,
ambitious boy from the lowest round of fortune's ladder--the gate of the
poorhouse--to wealth and the governorship of his native State. Thomas
Seacomb begins life with a purpose. While yet a schoolboy he conceives
and presents to the world the germ of the Overland Express Co. At the
very outset of his career jealousy and craft seek to blast his promising
future. Later he sets out to obtain a charter for a railroad line in
connection with the express business. Now he realizes what it is to
match himself against capital. Yet he wins and the railroad is built.
Only an uncommon nature like Tom's could successfully oppose such a
combine. How he manages to win the battle is told by Mr. Hill in a
masterful way that thrills the reader and holds his attention and
sympathy to the end.
=Roy Gilbert's Search=: A Tale of the Great Lakes. By WM. P. CHIPMAN.
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
A deep mystery hangs over the parentage of Roy Gilbert. He arranges with
two schoolmates to make a tour of the Great Lakes on a steam launch. The
three boys leave Erie on the launch and visit many points of interest on
the lakes. Soon afterward the lad is conspicuous in the rescue of an
elderly gentleman and a lady from a sinking yacht. Later on the cruise
of the launch is brought to a disastrous termination and the boys
narrowly escape with their lives. The hero is a manly, self-reliant boy,
whose adventures will be followed with interest.
=The Young Scout=; The Story of a West Point Lieutenant. By EDWARD S.
ELLIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The crafty Apache chief Geronimo but a few years ago was the most
terrible scourge of the southwest border. The author has woven, in a
tale of thrilling interest, all the incidents of Geronimo's last raid.
The hero is Lieutenant James Decker, a recent graduate of West Point.
Ambitious to distinguish himself so as to win well-deserved promotion,
the young man takes many a desperate chance against the enemy and on
more than one occasion narrowly escapes with his life. The story
naturally abounds in thrilling situations, and being historically
correct, it is reasonable to believe it will find great favor with the
boys. In our opinion Mr. Ellis is the best writer of Indian stories now
before the public.
=Adrift in the Wilds=: The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys. By
EDWARD S. ELLIS. 12mo, cloth, price, $1.00.
Elwood Brandon and Howard Lawrence, cousins and schoolmates, accompanied
by a lively Irishman called O'Rooney, are en route for San Francisco.
Off the coast of California the steamer takes fire. The two boys and
their companion reach the shore with several of the passengers. While
O'Rooney and the lads are absent inspecting the neighborhood O'Rooney
has an exciting experience and young Brandon becomes separated from his
party. He is captured by hostile Indians, but is rescued by an Indian
whom the lads had assisted. This is a very entertaining narrative of
Southern California in the days immediately preceding the construction
of the Pacific railroads. Mr. Ellis seems to be particularly happy in
this line of fiction, and the present story is fully as entertaining as
anything he has ever written.
=The Red Fairy Book.= Edited by ANDREW LANG. Profusely Illustrated,
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
"A gift-book that will charm any child, and all older folk who have
been fortunate enough to retain their taste for the old nursery
stories."--_Literary World._
=The Boy Cruisers=; or, Paddling in Florida. By ST. GEORGE RATHBORNE.
12mo, cloth, price, $1.00.
Boys who like an admixture of sport and adventure will find this book
just to their taste. We promise them that they will not go to sleep over
the rattling experiences of Andrew George and Roland Carter, who start
on a canoe trip along the Gulf coast, from Key West to Tampa, Florida.
Their first adventure is with a pair of rascals who steal their boats.
Next they run into a gale in the Gulf and have a lively experience while
it lasts. After that they have a lively time with alligators and divers
varieties of the finny tribe. Andrew gets into trouble with a band of
Seminole Indians and gets away without having his scalp raised. After
this there is no lack of fun till they reach their destination. That Mr.
Rathborne knows just how to interest the boys is apparent at a glance,
and lads who are in search of a rare treat will do well to read this
entertaining story.
=Guy Harris=: The Runaway. By HARRY CASTLEMON. 12mo, cloth, price
$1.00.
Guy Harris lived in a small city on the shore of one of the Great Lakes.
His head became filled with quixotic notions of going West to hunt
grizzlies, in fact, Indians. He is persuaded to go to sea, and gets a
glimpse of the rough side of life in a sailor's boarding house. He ships
on a vessel and for five months leads a hard life. He deserts his ship
at San Francisco and starts out to become a backwoodsman, but rough
experiences soon cure him of all desire to be a hunter. At St. Louis he
becomes a clerk and for a time he yields to the temptations of a great
city. The book will not only interest boys generally on account of its
graphic style, but will put many facts before their eyes in a new light.
This is one of Castlemon's most attractive stories.
=The Train Boy.= By Horatio Alger, Jr.
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Paul Palmer was a wide-awake boy of sixteen who supported his mother and
sister by selling books and papers on one of the trains running between
Chicago and Milwaukee. He detects a young man named Luke Denton in the
act of picking the pocket of a young lady, and also incurs the enmity of
his brother Stephen, a worthless follow. Luke and Stephen plot to ruin
Paul, but their plans are frustrated. In a railway accident many
passengers are killed, but Paul is fortunate enough to assist a Chicago
merchant, who out of gratitude takes him into his employ. Paul is sent
to manage a mine in Custer City and executes his commission with tact
and judgment and is well started on the road to business prominence.
This is one of Mr. Alger's most attractive stories and is sure to please
all readers.
Transcriber's Note:
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_ and bold text by =equal signs=.
Punctuation has been standardised.
The word assauge was changed to assuage.
Variations in spelling, including dialect, have been retained as in the
original publication.