THE WALLS AND TEMPLES OF PEKIN
The company had hardly expected that Captain Ringgold would go to the
capital, for it was off the course to Japan, which was the next country
to be visited; but their curiosity had been greatly excited, and he was
disposed to gratify it.
"Pekin is not on navigable water, and we cannot go there in the ship,"
said he. "We go to Tien-tsin, which is the seaport of Pekin, about
eighty miles distant from it. It is a treaty port, and is said to have a
population of six hundred thousand; the number can doubtless be
considerably discounted. The next thing is to get to Pekin; though we
can go most of the way by boat to Tung-chow, thirteen miles from the
capital. Some go all the way on horseback or by cart. We will decide
that question when we get to Tien-tsin."
"How long will it take us to go there?" asked Uncle Moses.
"About two days; we are off Woo-Sung now. We have the pilot on board,
and we shall go to sea at once," replied the commander.
Nothing of especial interest occurred on the voyage; and before noon on
the second day out the two ships were off the mouth of the Pei-ho
River, and a Chinese pilot was taken. As they went up the river they saw
the Taku forts, where the Celestial soldiers won their only victory over
the English, but were badly beaten the following year. On the rising
tide the ships got up the river, and anchored off the town.
The place was like any other Chinese city, and was quite as dirty as the
dirtiest of them. Two of the guides from Shang-hai, who were couriers
for travellers, had been brought, one in each ship; and both of them
were intelligent men. The Blanchita had been put into the water as soon
as the anchors were buried in the mud; and the party went on shore in
her, to the great disgust of the boat-people.
The American consul came on board with the Chinese officials; and the
commander took him into the cabin for a conference in regard to getting
to Pekin, while the tourists were on shore with the guides. Mr. Smithers
had seen the steam-launch, and the question was whether the party could
go up Pekin River in her. The consul could see no difficulty in the way,
any more than there would be in the ships' barges. He thought he could
put them in the way of making the trip securely, and they went on shore
together in the barge.
Mr. Smithers knew a couple of high officials who were going to the
capital the next day, and the commander was introduced to them. They
were very polite, and both of them spoke English. One had been educated
at Yale College in New Haven. They were invited to go with the party to
Pekin in the Blanchita, and accepted. The arrangements were completed
for the trip. They went on board of the Guardian-Mother, and were
treated with the most distinguished consideration, shown over the ship,
and invited to lunch.
When the launch came off with the party at noon, all the ladies and
gentlemen were presented to them by the commander. The pacha, the rajah,
and the princess were clothed in their elegant robes; and they evidently
made a profound impression. The plan for the journey to the capital was
announced to the passengers, and they could not help being delighted
with it. Mr. Sage had been directed to spread himself on the lunch, and
he did so. Monsieur Odervie even prepared a few Chinese dishes, the art
of doing which he had learned from a native cook in Hong-Kong.
In the afternoon the party went on shore again, under the escort of Mr.
Psi-ning and Mr. Ying-chau, visiting the temple in which the treaties
had been signed, and several others, and then walked through the street
of "Everlasting Prosperity," as the Chinese gentlemen explained it. The
prosperity seemed to consist mainly in the sale of eel-pies with baked
potatoes, the former kept hot at a small charcoal fire. Live fish in
shallow bowls with a little water in them were common, and cook-shops
for more elaborate Chinese dishes were abundant.
Both the native gentlemen were mandarins of different orders, and they
were received with the most profound deference by the common people. The
tourists saw everything in the town that was worth seeing; and early in
the afternoon they returned to the Guardian-Mother, where the consul and
the native gentlemen were to dine. The latter were invited to sleep on
board in order to be in readiness for an early start the next day, and
they had ordered their baggage to be sent to the ship. Mr. Psi-ning said
he had telegraphed to an official at Tung-chow to have conveyances ready
for the party at that place, which was as far as the boat could go,
thirteen miles from Pekin.
Mr. Smithers was exceedingly kind, and did far more than could be
expected of a consul. The commander expressed his obligations to him in
the most earnest terms for all he had done, and especially for
introducing the distinguished Chinese gentlemen. The dinner was the most
elaborate the steward and the cook could provide, and it was one of
those hilarious affairs which have several times been described during
the voyage. In the evening there were Mrs. Belgrave's games, music, and
dancing with the assistance of the Italian band, and finally the singing
of the Gospel Hymns.
The Blanchita was prepared for her voyage as soon as she came off from
the shore, coaled for the round trip, supplied with cooked provisions,
though the galley was available, and with everything that could
possibly be needed. She was put in about the same trim as when she went
up the rivers of Borneo. Felipe was to be the engineer, Pitts the cook,
and four sailors were detailed for deck-hands. The excursion had been
arranged for five days; and the bags, valises, and other impedimenta of
the voyagers, were on deck at an early hour. Breakfast was ready at
half-past six; and at half-past seven the Blanchita got under way with a
native pilot for the river, who could speak pidgin English.
The party were in a frolicsome mood; and they went off singing a song,
to the great astonishment of the native boat-people. Mr. Psi-ning joined
with them; for he had learned the tunes in the United States, where he
had travelled extensively. Tien-tsin is the terminus of the Grand Canal
in the north, and they passed through a small portion of it into the
river. The trip was through a low country. The road to the capital was
in sight, and they saw various vehicles moving upon it. The first that
attracted their attention was one of the barrows, with a native between
the handles, supporting them with a band over his shoulders. On one side
of the large wheel was a passenger; and behind him was a lofty sail,
like those depending from the yards of a ship, but about three times as
high in proportion to its width. It had five ribs of wood in it below
the upper yard to keep it spread out. The boys thought the craft would
be inclined to heel over with all the cargo on the starboard side.
They saw a rickshaw rigged with a sail in this manner. A man on a farm
was working with an ordinary wheelbarrow sailing in this way. There were
no end of men riding ponies, or in the two-wheeled passenger-carts
having a cover over them which extended out over the horse. Farther up
they observed a couple of coolies irrigating the land with a machine
which had four paddles for moving the water, with four more each side of
the stream, under a frame to which two men were holding on, and working
treadmill fashion, with their feet on each of the four arms. They
noticed mixed teams of horses and bullocks, such as one sees in Naples.
The most curious was a mule-litter, which was simply a sedan between two
animals.
Felipe drove the launch at a nine-knot speed, and at half-past three in
the afternoon the boat arrived at Tung-chow. Contrary to their
expectation, the passengers had greatly enjoyed the trip; but it was out
of their own hilarity rather than their surroundings. Pitts had arranged
the lunch in a very tasty manner on the tables in what the boys had
called the fore and after cabins. They found all the variety of vehicles
they had seen on the road, and in three hours they came to the great
gate of Pekin. They were conveyed to the small German hotel, which they
more than filled; and other lodgings were provided for some of the
gentlemen, though the meals were to be taken at the public-house.
The Chinese gentlemen had to leave them to attend to their own affairs,
but after dinner the professor told them something about Pekin: "The
city is in about the same latitude as New York, and the climate is about
the same. It is situated on a sandy plain, and the suburbs are
comparatively few. The town consists of two cities, the Manchu and the
Chinese, separated by a wall; and the whole is surrounded by high walls,
with towers and pagodas on them, as you have already seen. The Manchu
wall is fifty feet high, sixty feet wide at the bottom, and forty at the
top. Without the cross-walls, there are twenty-one miles of outer wall,
enclosing twenty-six square miles of ground.
"There are sixteen gates, each with a tower a hundred feet high on it.
Your first impression must have been that Pekin is the greatest city in
the world. You came in by a street two hundred feet wide, with shops on
each side; but when you have seen more of it, you will find dilapidation
and decay, and about the same filth you have observed in other Chinese
cities. But it is one of the most ancient cities in the world, for this
or another city stood here twelve hundred years before Christ. Kublâi, a
grandson of Genghis Khan, the great conqueror of the Moguls, made Pekin
the capital of all China. When the Manchus came into power the city was
all ready for them, and for a time they kept it in repair; but for more
than a hundred years it has been going to ruin.
"The Manchu, or inner city, is divided into three parts, the largest of
which is the real city. In the middle of it are two walled enclosures,
one within the other. The outer one seems to be the guardroom of the
inner, to which entrance is forbidden to all foreigners, and even to
Manchus and Chinese not connected with the court. This last is called
the Purple Forbidden City, two and a quarter miles around it, and is the
actual imperial residence. It includes the palaces of the emperor and
empress and other members of the family. It contains other palaces and
halls of reception.
"The 'Hall of Grand Harmony' is built on a terrace twenty feet high, and
is of marble, one hundred and ten feet high. Its chief apartment is two
hundred feet long by ninety wide, and contains a throne for the emperor,
who holds his receptions here on New Year's Day, his birthday, and on
other great occasions. The 'Palace of Heavenly Purity' is where the
monarch meets his cabinet at dawn for business; and you see that he must
be an early riser. Within these enclosures are temples, parks, an
artificial lake a mile long, a great temple in which the imperial family
worship their ancestors, and many other grand palaces, temples, and
statues, which I have not time to mention.
"The outer, or Chinese, city, is thinly populated, and a considerable
portion of it is under cultivation. The principal streets are over a
hundred feet wide; but those at the sides of them, like Canton and other
cities, are nothing but lanes. None of the streets are paved, and mud
and dust reign supreme. As with other Eastern cities, the population of
Pekin is exaggerated, being estimated by some as high as two millions;
but Dr. Legge thought it was less than one million.
"The charge of infanticide seems not to be applicable to Pekin or the
surrounding country, and is said to be almost unknown there. A dead-cart
passes through the streets at early morning to pick up the bodies of
children dying from ordinary causes whose parents are too poor to bury
them. There are foundling hospitals, to which the mothers prefer to take
their female children rather than sacrifice them. In fact, infanticide
is said to be known only in four or five provinces. I have nothing more
to say, and I leave you to see the rest for yourselves," said the
professor, as he resumed his seat.
The next morning Mr. Psi-ning presented himself at the hotel, before
which were gathered vehicles enough to accommodate the entire party. The
rickshaw had recently been introduced from Japan, and several of them
were included in the number; but the carts and the barrows were
generally preferred. The company selected what they pleased. Mr.
Psi-ning led the way through the principal street, and through some of
the lanes; but the scenes in them were so much like what they had seen
in three other cities that the novelty of them had worn off. The
residences of the ambassadors of foreign countries were pointed out to
them, including that of the Hon. C. Denby, before which they halted;
and the Chinese gentleman conducted them all into it, where they were
presented in due form to His Excellency, who received them very
pleasantly.
They then went to the Temple of Heaven, which was quite a curious
building, somewhat in pagoda style. It began on the ground at a round
structure, with an overhanging roof. The second story was smaller, with
the same kind of a roof; and the third was the same, but with a roof
coming to a point, like a cone. It was almost a hundred feet high. The
tiles were of blue porcelain, in imitation of a clear sky.
In the afternoon the tourists were conveyed to the office of the Board
of Punishments, and Mr. Psi-ning explained the criminal processes and
sentences. The latter are very severe, including torture, which makes
one think that he is reading Foxe's "Book of Martyrs." The party
declined to witness any of the punishments. Some culprits are treated to
twenty or more blows with a bamboo. Men suspected are tortured to make
them confess. They are put in all sorts of painful positions.
Capital punishment is inflicted by placing the victim on his knees, with
his arms bound behind him, and his head is severed from his body by the
stroke of a heavy knife or sword.
The next day the mandarin conducted the tourists to the gate of the
Forbidden City; for he had obtained a permit for the admission of the
whole of them in a body. The professor had described the principal
structures within the enclosure; and it would be only a repetition to
report what the mandarin said of them, though he added considerable to
what had come from the books. The third gateway was especially noted as
one of the finest pieces of Chinese architecture the party had seen.
The "Abode of Heavenly Calmness" was the noblest, richest, and most
luxuriously furnished in the great palace; for it is the private
apartment of the emperor. The Great Union Saloon, where His Imperial
Majesty receives the high-class mandarins, was elegant enough for any
royal apartment.
The tourists walked about among the Chinese glories till they were tired
out. The two Cupids were completely "blown;" and when they found a
place, they seated themselves, and let the rest of the company finish
the survey of the Forbidden City. The palace of one prince of the
imperial house was so large that three thousand men could be quartered
in the out-buildings, and doubtless as many more could be accommodated
in the main structure. The Cupids were picked up on the return; but
there was more to be seen, and they went to the beautiful temple of Fo,
containing a gilded bronze statue of the god, sixty feet high, with one
hundred arms, and Scott remarked that he was like a big man-of-war, well
armed.
They came again to the Temple of Heaven; but the mandarin had not
obtained a permit, which was exceedingly difficult to procure in recent
years. Mr. Psi-ning told them that the interior, in its chief hall,
represented the heavens. It was a circular apartment surrounded by
twenty-two pillars, and everything was painted sky-blue. A portion of
this temple is the "Penitential Retreat" of the emperor, where he keeps
three days of fasting, meditating over his own sins and those of the
government, previous to offering up his sacrifice. Connected with the
temple was a band of five hundred musicians, who reside there; but the
commander was thankful that the party were not compelled to listen to
their performance.
The tourists were very glad to get back to the hotel in the street of
the legations, and they did not go out again that day. The question of
visiting the Great Wall then came up for discussion. Brother Avoirdupois
and Brother Adipose Tissue declared in the beginning that they would not
go; and the mandarin laughed heartily when these names were applied to
them, and still more when they were called the Cupids.
"It is forty-five miles to the loop-wall which travellers generally
visit from Pekin," said Mr. Psi-ning. "You would have to go in
mule-litters, or on horseback, or by the carts you have used; and it
would take you a day to get there, and as long to return. Then it would
be only the loop-wall, and not the Great Wall, which cannot be reached
without going over a hundred miles. I can say for myself that I have
never been to either, just as I heard a man in Boston say that he had
lived there over sixty years, and had never been to Bunker Hill
Monument."
"The wall is an old story to you, I suppose," said the princess.
"You have seen the walls of Pekin, and they are a good specimen of the
Great Wall; at any rate, they satisfied me," replied the mandarin.
But the "Big Four" and Professor Giroud decided to visit the loop-wall,
and the Chinese gentleman advised them to start immediately after lunch.
One of the guides, who had been there several times before, was to
accompany them, and was sure they could reach their destination by
sunset; and they started as soon as they had lunched. Mr. Psi procured
for them six fine horses and a mule-litter. The road was paved with
solid granite slabs, ten feet long, all the way.
The attentive mandarin kept the rest of the tourists very busy the next
two days; and they visited everything that was worth seeing in the
capital, and they dined with him one day in his palace. The party from
the wall returned before night the next day, and said they had had a
good time, though the wall did not amount to much more than that seen at
Pekin.
"I have a government mission in Tokyo next week, and I have to go to
Japan," said Mr. Psi-ning, while they were dining together at the German
Hotel. "I shall probably meet you there."
"If you are going to Japan, permit me to offer you a stateroom on board
of the Guardian-Mother," interposed the commander eagerly. "You are
practically an American after a five years' residence in the United
States, and are familiar with our way of living; though I will add that
Monsieur Odervie, our French cook, has learned to make a few Chinese
dishes, and we will endeavor to make you comfortable."
"Your living will suit me perfectly, for I am used to it; and having
dined with you on board, I know that your bill of fare is better than
any hotel in the States. But when do you sail?"
"Whenever you are ready, my dear sir."
"I have to spend a day in Tien-tsin, and then I was to take a steamer to
Shang-hai, and thence a P. & O. to Yokohama."
"But that is out of the way; and we go direct to Yokohama, or we will go
there first if you honor us with your company," said the captain,
glancing at General Noury.
"By all means!" exclaimed the pacha. "Mrs. Noury and myself will be
delighted to have you with us, Mr. Psi-ning."
"Then I shall be too happy to accept your cordial invitation," replied
the mandarin. That matter was settled; and the new passenger went to his
palace to prepare for his journey, though he did not forget to send one
of his people to Tung-chow to arrange for the reception of the party the
next day.
The horses the young men rode, the mule-litters, wheelbarrows, and
jinrikishas were at the door of the hotel early in the morning; and the
mandarin, with his valet, were on time. The company reached Tung-chow
before noon; and a Chinese lunch was ready for them, ordered by the new
passenger. The Blanchita was all ready for them to step on board when
they had partaken of roast goose, duck, and chicken at the inn. The
passage down the river was a frolic all the way, and the guest told them
more about China than they had learned before in regard to matters not
generally known.
Felipe hurried the steamer, and she was alongside the Guardian-Mother
before five in the afternoon. Mr. Psi-ning had several pieces of
baggage, including despatch-bags, which were placed in the finest
stateroom on board. The commander had telegraphed for dinner at the
usual hour. Mr. Smithers came on board before it was ready, and was
invited to join the company. From him they learned that Mr. Psi-ning was
in the diplomatic service of the government, and that he would be of
great assistance to them in Japan.
The ships had to wait only one day for him; and on Wednesday, May 10, at
six in the morning, they sailed for Tokyo, though the commander's
original intention had been to go first to Nagasaki. The Blanche's party
went on board of the Guardian-Mother before she sailed, with the Italian
band. They played to the great delight of the boatmen around the ship,
as well as of those on board. The consul went to the mouth of the river,
and took a tug home. It was a frolic all day and till midnight, when the
Blanche's passengers returned to her.
It was a smooth sea all the four days of the voyage, even on the Pacific
shores; and the Guardian-Mother's people spent the next day on board of
the consort. On the third day there was a lecture on Japan in Conference
Hall, given by Mr. Psi-ning, who was as familiar with that country as
with China. But his discourse must be reported in another volume.
Those who are disposed to follow the tourists through Japan, and then on
their long voyage of two thousand miles to Australia, New Zealand, and
the Sandwich Islands, will be enabled to do so in "PACIFIC SHORES; OR,
ADVENTURES IN EASTERN SEAS."
_OLIVER OPTIC'S BOOKS_
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=2. Shamrock and Thistle=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN IRELAND AND SCOTLAND.
=3. Red Cross=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN ENGLAND AND WALES.
=4. Dikes and Ditches=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN HOLLAND AND BELGIUM.
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and loved by almost every boy of intelligence
in the land. We have seen a highly intellectual
and world-weary man, a cynic whose heart was
somewhat embittered by its large experience of
human nature, take up one of OLIVER OPTIC'S
books, and read it at a sitting, neglecting his
work in yielding to the fascination of the
pages. When a mature and exceedingly
well-informed mind, long despoiled of all its
freshness, can thus find pleasure in a book for
boys, no additional words of recommendation are
needed."--_Sunday Times._
=The Great Western Series.= By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes.
Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.
=1. Going West=; OR, THE PERILS OF A POOR BOY.
=2. Out West=; OR, ROUGHING IT ON THE GREAT LAKES.
=3. Lake Breezes=; OR, THE CRUISE OF THE SYLVANIA.
=4. Going South=; OR, YACHTING ON THE ATLANTIC COAST.
=5. Down South=; OR, YACHT ADVENTURES IN FLORIDA.
=6. Up the River=; OR, YACHTING ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
"This is the latest series of books issued by
this popular writer, and deals with life on the
Great Lakes, for which a careful study was made
by the author in a summer tour of the immense
water sources of America. The story, which
carries the same hero through the six books of
the series, is always entertaining, novel
scenes and varied incidents giving a constantly
changing yet always attractive aspect to the
narrative. OLIVER OPTIC has written nothing
better."
=The Yacht Club Series.= By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.
=1. Little Bobtail=; OR, THE WRECK OF THE PENOBSCOT.
=2. The Yacht Club=; OR, THE YOUNG BOAT BUILDERS.
=3. Money-Maker=; OR, THE VICTORY OF THE BASILISK.
=4. The Coming Wave=; OR, THE TREASURE OF HIGH ROCK.
=5. The Dorcas Club=; OR, OUR GIRLS AFLOAT.
=6. Ocean Born=; OR, THE CRUISE OF THE CLUBS.
"The series has this peculiarity, that all of
its constituent volumes are independent of one
another, and therefore each story is complete
in itself. OLIVER OPTIC is, perhaps, the
favorite author of the boys and girls of this
country, and he seems destined to enjoy an
endless popularity. He deserves his success,
for he makes very interesting stories, and
inculcates none but the best sentiments, and
the 'Yacht Club' is no exception to this
rule."--_New Haven Journal and Courier._
=Onward and Upward Series.= By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes.
Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.
=1. Field and Forest=; OR, THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.
=2. Plane and Plank=; OR, THE MISHAPS OF A MECHANIC.
=3. Desk and Debit=; OR, THE CATASTROPHES OF A CLERK.
=4. Cringle and Crosstree=; OR, THE SEA SWASHES OF A SAILOR.
=5. Bivouac and Battle=; OR, THE STRUGGLES OF A SOLDIER.
=6. Sea and Shore=; OR, THE TRAMPS OF A TRAVELLER.
"Paul Farringford, the hero of these tales, is,
like most of this author's heroes, a young man
of high spirit, and of high aims and correct
principles, appearing in the different volumes
as a farmer, a captain, a bookkeeper, a
soldier, a sailor, and a traveller. In all of
them the hero meets with very exciting
adventures, told in the graphic style for which
the author is famous."
=The Lake Shore Series.= By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.
=1. Through by Daylight=; OR, THE YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE LAKE SHORE
RAILROAD.
=2. Lightning Express=; OR, THE RIVAL ACADEMIES.
=3. On Time=; OR, THE YOUNG CAPTAIN OF THE UCAYGA STEAMER.
=4. Switch Off=; OR, THE WAR OF THE STUDENTS.
=5. Brake Up=; OR, THE YOUNG PEACEMAKERS.
=6. Bear and Forbear=; OR, THE YOUNG SKIPPER OF LAKE UCAYGA.
"OLIVER OPTIC is one of the most fascinating
writers for youth, and withal one of the best
to be found in this or any past age. Troops of
young people hang over his vivid pages; and not
one of them ever learned to be mean, ignoble,
cowardly, selfish, or to yield to any vice from
anything they ever read from his
pen."--_Providence Press._
=Army and Navy Stories.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated. Any
volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.
=1. The Soldier Boy=; OR, TOM SOMERS IN THE ARMY.
=2. The Sailor Boy=; OR, JACK SOMERS IN THE NAVY.
=3. The Young Lieutenant=; OR, ADVENTURES OF AN ARMY OFFICER.
=4. The Yankee Middy=; OR, ADVENTURES OF A NAVY OFFICER.
=5. Fighting Joe=; OR, THE FORTUNES OF A STAFF OFFICER.
=6. Brave Old Salt=; OR, LIFE ON THE QUARTER DECK.
"This series of six volumes recounts the
adventures of two brothers, Tom and Jack
Somers, one in the army, the other in the navy,
in the great Civil War. The romantic narratives
of the fortunes and exploits of the brothers
are thrilling in the extreme. Historical
accuracy in the recital of the great events of
that period is strictly followed, and the
result is, not only a library of entertaining
volumes, but also the best history of the Civil
War for young people ever written."
=Boat Builders Series.= By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.
=1. All Adrift=; OR, THE GOLDWING CLUB.
=2. Snug Harbor=; OR, THE CHAMPLAIN MECHANICS.
=3. Square and Compasses=; OR, BUILDING THE HOUSE.
=4. Stem to Stern=; OR, BUILDING THE BOAT.
=5. All Taut=; OR, RIGGING THE BOAT.
=6. Ready About=; OR, SAILING THE BOAT.
"The series includes in six successive volumes
the whole art of boat building, boat rigging,
boat managing, and practical hints to make the
ownership of a boat pay. A great deal of useful
information is given in this =Boat Builders
Series=, and in each book a very interesting
story is interwoven with the information. Every
reader will be interested at once in Dory, the
hero of 'All Adrift,' and one of the characters
retained in the subsequent volumes of the
series. His friends will not want to lose sight
of him, and every boy who makes his
acquaintance in 'All Adrift' will become his
friend."
=Riverdale Story Books.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Twelve volumes. Illustrated.
Illuminated covers. Price: cloth, per set, $3.60; per volume, 30 cents;
paper, per set, $2.00.
=1. Little Merchant.=
=2. Young Voyagers.=
=3. Christmas Gift.=
=4. Dolly and I.=
=5. Uncle Ben.=
=6. Birthday Party.=
=7. Proud and Lazy.=
=8. Careless Kate.=
=9. Robinson Crusoe, Jr.=
=10. The Picnic Party.=
=11. The Gold Thimble.=
=12. The Do-Somethings.=
=Riverdale Story Books.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated.
Fancy cloth and colors. Price per volume, 30 cents.
=1. Little Merchant.=
=2. Proud and Lazy.=
=3. Young Voyagers.=
=4. Careless Kate.=
=5. Dolly and I.=
=6. Robinson Crusoe, Jr.=
=Flora Lee Library.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated. Fancy
cloth and colors. Price per volume, 30 cents.
=1. The Picnic Party.=
=2. The Gold Thimble.=
=3. The Do-Somethings.=
=4. Christmas Gift.=
=5. Uncle Ben.=
=6. Birthday Party.=
These are bright short stories for younger
children who are unable to comprehend the
=Starry Flag Series= or the =Army and Navy
Series=. But they all display the author's
talent for pleasing and interesting the little
folks. They are all fresh and original,
preaching no sermons, but inculcating good
lessons.
=The Way of the World.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Illustrated. $1.50.
"One of the most interesting American novels we
have ever read."--_Philadelphia City Item._
"This story treats of a fortune of three
million dollars left a youthful heir. The
volume bears evidence in every chapter of the
fresh, original, and fascinating style which
has always enlivened Mr. ADAMS' productions. We
have the same felicitous manner of working out
the plot by conversation, the same quaint wit
and humor, and a class of characters which
stand out boldly, pen photographs of living
beings.
"The book furnishes a most romantic and withal
a most instructive illustration of the way of
the world in its false estimate of money."
=Living too Fast=; OR, THE CONFESSIONS OF A BANK OFFICER. By OLIVER
OPTIC. Illustrated. $1.50.
This story records the experience of a bank
officer in the downward career of crime. The
career ought, perhaps, to have ended in the
State's prison; but the author chose to
represent the defaulter as sharply punished in
another way. The book contains a most valuable
lesson; and shows, in another leading
character, the true life which a young business
man ought to lead.
=In Doors and Out=; OR, VIEWS FROM A CHIMNEY CORNER. By OLIVER OPTIC.
Illustrated. $1.50.
"Many who have not time and patience to wade
through a long story will find here many pithy
and sprightly tales, each sharply hitting some
social absurdity or social vice. We recommend
the book heartily after having read the three
chapters on 'Taking a Newspaper.' If all the
rest are as sensible and interesting as these,
and doubtless they are, the book is well worthy
of patronage."--_Vermont Record._
"As a writer of domestic stories, Mr. WILLIAM
T. ADAMS (OLIVER OPTIC) made his mark even
before he became so immensely popular through
his splendid books for the young. In the volume
before us are given several of these tales, and
they comprise a book which will give them a
popularity greater than they have ever before
enjoyed. They are written in a spirited style,
impart valuable practical lessons, and are of
the most lively interest."--_Boston Home
Journal._
=Our Standard Bearer.= A Life of Gen. U. S. Grant. By OLIVER OPTIC.
Illustrated by THOMAS NAST. Illuminated covers, $1.50.
It has long been out of print, but now comes
out in a new edition, with a narrative of the
civil career of the General as President for
two terms, his remarkable journey abroad, his
life in New York, and his sickness, death, and
burial. Perhaps the reader will remember that
the narrative is told by "Captain Galligasken"
after a style that is certainly not common or
tiresome, but, rather, in a direct, simple,
picturesque, and inspiring way that wins the
heart of the young reader. For the boy who
wants to read the life of General Grant, this
book is the best that has been
published,--perhaps the only one that is worth
any consideration.
=Just His Luck.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Illustrated. $1.00.
"It deals with real flesh and blood boys; with
boys who possess many noble qualities of mind;
with boys of generous impulses and large
hearts; with boys who delight in playing
pranks, and who are ever ready for any sort of
mischief; and with boys in whom human nature is
strongly engrafted. They are boys, as many of
us have been; boys in the true, unvarnished
sense of the word; boys with hopes, ideas, and
inspirations, but lacking in judgment,
self-control, and discipline. And the book
contains an appropriate moral, teaches many a
lesson, and presents many a precept worthy of
being followed. It is a capital book for boys."
LEE AND SHEPARD, BOSTON, SEND THEIR COMPLETE CATALOGUE FREE.
LEE AND SHEPARD'S ILLUSTRATED JUVENILES
J. T. TROWBRIDGE'S BOOKS
* * * * *
=THE START IN LIFE SERIES. 4 volumes.=
=A Start in Life=: A STORY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE.
Illustrated. $1.00.
In this story the author recounts the hardships
of a young lad in his first endeavor to start
out for himself. It is a tale that is full of
enthusiasm and budding hopes. The writer shows
how hard the youths of a century ago were
compelled to work. This he does in an
entertaining way, mingling fun and adventures
with their daily labors. The hero is a striking
example of the honest boy, who is not too lazy
to work, nor too dull to thoroughly appreciate
a joke.
=Biding His Time=. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.00.
"It is full of spirit and adventure, and
presents a plucky hero who was willing to 'bide
his time,' no matter how great the expectations
that he indulged in from his uncle's vast
wealth, which he did not in the least covet....
He was left a poor orphan in Ohio at seventeen
years of age, and soon after heard of a rich
uncle, who lived near Boston. He sets off on
the long journey to Boston, finds his uncle, an
eccentric old man, is hospitably received by
him, but seeks employment in a humble way, and
proves that he is a persevering and plucky
young man."--_Boston Home Journal._
=The Kelp Gatherers=: A STORY OF THE MAINE COAST. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE.
Illustrated. $1.00.
This book is full of interesting information
upon the plant life of the seashore, and the
life of marine animals; but it is also a bright
and readable story, with all the hints of
character and the vicissitudes of human life,
in depicting which the author is an
acknowledged master.
=The Scarlet Tanager=, AND OTHER BIPEDS. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE.
Illustrated. $1.00.
Every new story which Mr. TROWBRIDGE begins is
followed through successive chapters by
thousands who have read and re-read many times
his preceding tales. One of his greatest charms
is his absolute truthfulness. He does not
depict little saints, or incorrigible rascals,
but just _boys_. This same fidelity to nature
is seen in his latest book, "The Scarlet
Tanager, and Other Bipeds." There is enough
adventure in this tale to commend it to the
liveliest reader, and all the lessons it
teaches are wholesome.
=THE SILVER MEDAL STORIES. 6 volumes.=
=The Silver Medal=, AND OTHER STORIES. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated.
$1.25.
There were some schoolboys who had turned
housebreakers, and among their plunder was a
silver medal that had been given to one John
Harrison by the Humane Society for rescuing
from drowning a certain Benton Barry. Now
Benton Barry was one of the wretched
housebreakers. This is the summary of the
opening chapter. The story is intensely
interesting in its serious as well as its
humorous parts.
=His Own Master.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.
"This is a book after the typical boy's own
heart. Its hero is a plucky young fellow, who,
seeing no chance for himself at home,
determines to make his own way in the world....
He sets out accordingly, trudges to the far
West, and finds the road to fortune an
unpleasantly rough one."--_Philadelphia
Inquirer._
"We class this as one of the best stories for
boys we ever read. The tone is perfectly
healthy, and the interest is kept up to the
end."--_Boston Home Journal._
=Bound in Honor.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.
This story is of a lad, who, though not guilty
of any bad action, had been an eye-witness of
the conduct of his comrades, and felt "Bound in
Honor" not to tell.
"The glimpses we get of New England character
are free from any distortion, and their
humorous phases are always entertaining. Mr.
TROWBRIDGE'S brilliant descriptive faculty is
shown to great advantage in the opening chapter
of the book by a vivid picture of a village
fire, and is manifested elsewhere with equally
telling effect."--_Boston Courier._
=The Pocket Rifle.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.
"A boy's story which will be read with avidity,
as it ought to be, it is so brightly and
frankly written, and with such evident
knowledge of the temperaments and habits, the
friendships and enmities of schoolboys."--_New
York Mail._
"This is a capital story for boys. TROWBRIDGE
never tells a story poorly. It teaches honesty,
integrity, and friendship, and how best they
can be promoted. It shows the danger of hasty
judgment and circumstantial evidence; that
right-doing pays, and dishonesty
never."--_Chicago Inter-Ocean._
=The Jolly Rover.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.
"This book will help to neutralize the ill
effects of any poison which children may have
swallowed in the way of sham-adventurous
stories and wildly fictitious tales. 'The Jolly
Rover' runs away from home, and meets life as
it is, till he is glad enough to seek again his
father's house. Mr. TROWBRIDGE has the power of
making an instructive story absorbing in its
interest, and of covering a moral so that it is
easy to take."--_Christian Intelligencer._
=Young Joe=, AND OTHER BOYS. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.
"Young Joe," who lived at Bass Cove, where he
shot wild ducks, took some to town for sale,
and attracted the attention of a portly
gentleman fond of shooting. This gentleman went
duck shooting with Joe, and their adventures
were more amusing to the boy than to the
amateur sportsman.
There are thirteen other short stories in the
book which will be sure to please the young
folks.
* * * * *
=The Vagabonds:= AN ILLUSTRATED POEM. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Cloth. $1.50.
"The Vagabonds" are a strolling fiddler and his dog. The fiddler has
been ruined by drink, and his monologue is one of the most pathetic and
effective pieces in our literature.
=THE TIDE-MILL STORIES. 6 volumes.=
=Phil and His Friends.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.
The hero is the son of a man who from drink got
into debt, and, after having given a paper to a
creditor authorizing him to keep the son as a
security for his claim, ran away, leaving poor
Phil a bond slave. The story involves a great
many unexpected incidents, some of which are
painful, and some comic. Phil manfully works
for a year, cancelling his father's debt, and
then escapes. The characters are strongly
drawn, and the story is absorbingly
interesting.
=The Tinkham Brothers' Tide-Mill.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated.
$1.25.
"The Tinkham Brothers" were the devoted sons of
an invalid mother. The story tells how they
purchased a tide-mill, which afterwards, by the
ill-will and obstinacy of neighbors, became a
source of much trouble to them. It tells also
how, by discretion and the exercise of a
peaceable spirit, they at last overcame all
difficulties.
"Mr. TROWBRIDGE'S humor, his fidelity to
nature, and story-telling power lose nothing
with years; and he stands at the head of those
who are furnishing a literature for the young,
clean and sweet in tone, and always of interest
and value."--_The Continent._
=The Satin-wood Box.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.
"Mr. TROWBRIDGE has always a purpose in his
writings, and this time he has undertaken to
show how very near an innocent boy can come to
the guilty edge and yet be able by fortunate
circumstances to rid himself of all suspicion
of evil. There is something winsome about the
hero; but he has a singular way of falling into
bad luck, although the careful reader will
never feel the least disposed to doubt his
honesty.... It is the pain and perplexity which
impart to the story its intense
interest."--_Syracuse Standard._
=The Little Master.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.
This is the story of a schoolmaster, his
trials, disappointments, and final victory. It
will recall to many a man his experience in
teaching pupils, and in managing their
opinionated and self-willed parents. The story
has the charm which is always found in Mr.
TROWBRIDGE'S works.
"Many a teacher could profit by reading of this
plucky little schoolmaster."--_Journal of
Education._
=His One Fault.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.
"As for the hero of this story, 'His One Fault'
was absent-mindedness. He forgot to lock his
uncle's stable door, and the horse was stolen.
In seeking to recover the stolen horse, he
unintentionally stole another. In trying to
restore the wrong horse to his rightful owner,
he was himself arrested. After no end of comic
and dolorous adventures, he surmounted all his
misfortunes by downright pluck and genuine good
feeling. It is a noble contribution to juvenile
literature."--_Woman's Journal._
=Peter Budstone.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.
"TROWBRIDGE'S other books have been admirable
and deservedly popular, but this one, in our
opinion, is the best yet. It is a story at once
spirited and touching, with a certain dramatic
and artistic quality that appeals to the
literary sense as well as to the story-loving
appetite. In it Mr. TROWBRIDGE has not lectured
or moralized or remonstrated; he has simply
shown boys what they are doing when they
contemplate hazing. By a good artistic impulse
we are not shown the hazing at all; when the
story begins, the hazing is already over, and
we are introduced immediately to the results.
It is an artistic touch also that the boy
injured is not hurt because he is a fellow of
delicate nerves, but because of his very
strength, and the power with which he resisted
until overcome by numbers, and subjected to
treatment which left him insane. His insanity
takes the form of harmless delusion, and the
absurdity of his ways and talk enables the
author to lighten the sombreness without
weakening the moral, in a way that ought to win
all boys to his side."--_The Critic._
=THE TOBY TRAFFORD SERIES. 3 volumes.=
=The Fortunes of Toby Trafford.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated.
$1.25.
"If to make children's stories as true to
nature as the stories which the masters of
fiction write for children of a larger growth
be an uncommon achievement, and one that is
worthy of wide recognition, that recognition
should be given to Mr. J. T. TROWBRIDGE for his
many achievements in this difficult walk of
literary art. Mr. TROWBRIDGE has a good
perception of character, which he draws with
skill; he has abundance of invention, which he
never abuses; and he has, what so many American
writers have not, an easy, graceful style,
which can be humorous, or pathetic, or
poetic."--_R. H. Stoddard in New York Mail._
=Father Brighthopes:= AN OLD CLERGYMAN'S VACATION. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE.
Illustrated. $1.25.
This book was published in the early fifties by
Phillips, Sampson & Co., of which firm Mr. Lee
(of Lee and Shepard) was then a member. It was
very favorably received, and was followed by
other stories,--a long series of them,--still
lengthening, and which, it is hoped, may be
prolonged indefinitely. Recently a new edition
has appeared, and for a preface the author has
related with touching simplicity the account of
his first experience in authorship.
It is well known that Mr. TROWBRIDGE is
primarily a poet. Some beautiful poems of his
were printed in the early numbers of the
_Atlantic Monthly_ (in company with poems by
LONGFELLOW, EMERSON, LOWELL, and HOLMES), and
were well received. "At Sea" is a gem that has
become classic. The poetic faculty has not been
without use to the story-writer. The perception
of beauty in nature and in human nature is
always evident even in his realistic prose. But
his poetic gift never leads him into
sentimentality, and his characters are true
children of men, with natural faults as well as
natural gifts and graces. His stories are
intensely _human_, with a solid basis, and with
an instinctive dramatic action. He has never
written an uninteresting book.
=Woodie Thorpe's Pilgrimage=, AND OTHER STORIES. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE.
Illustrated. $1.25.
"The scenes are full of human interest and
lifelikeness, and will please many an old
reader, as well as the younger folks for whose
delectation it is intended. As in all the books
of this author the spirit is manly, sincere,
and in the best sense moral. There is no
'goody' talk and no cant, but principles of
truthfulness, integrity, and self-reliance are
quietly inculcated by example. It is safe to
say that any boy will be the better for reading
books like this."--_St. Botolph._
* * * * *
=Neighbors' Wives.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Cloth. $1.50.
As a novelty, the following acrostic is
presented. The praise from the different
newspapers is brief, but to the point.
=N= ot in the least tiresome.--_Troy Press._
=E= xquisite touches of character.--_Salem Observer._
=I= ntroducing strong scenes with rare skill.--_Gloucester Telegraph._
=G= roups well certain phases of character.--_New Bedford Standard._
=H= appy sprightliness of style and vivacity which fascinates--_Dover Legion._
=B= y many considered the author's best.--_Journal._
=O= ne of the best of TROWBRIDGE'S stories.--_Commonwealth._
=R= eader finds it difficult to close the book.--_Hearth and Home._
=S= tory all alive with adventures and incidents striking and vivid.--_Dover Star._
=W= hich is one of TROWBRIDGE'S brightest and best.--_Boston Transcript._
=I= s destined to be enjoyed mightily.--_Salem Observer._
=V= ery pleasant reading.--_New York Leader._
=E= xcels any of the author's former books.--_Montana American._
=S= tory is in the author's best vein.--_New Haven Register._
=LEE AND SHEPARD, BOSTON, SEND THEIR COMPLETE CATALOGUE FREE.=
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Diactrical marks are denoted by [oe] for the oe ligature and ['n] for an
accent over the n.
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Page 11, "tse" changed to "tsze" (up the Yang-tsze-Chiang)
Page 114, "where" changed to "were" (were in demand)
Page 281, "monocule" changed to "monocle" (wore a monocle)
Page 331, "by" changed to "to" (to the Chinese)
Page 345, "mandarans" changed to "mandarins" (were mandarins of)
Page 348, "Kublai" changed to "Kublâi" (Kublâi, a grandson of)