Produced by Internet Archive; University of Florida, PM Childrens
Library, Joanna Pease and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
THE
SUMMER HOLIDAYS:
A STORY FOR CHILDREN.
BY AMEREL.
NEW-YORK:
D. APPLETON & COMPANY, 200 BROADWAY
1851.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1850, by
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern
District of New York.
[Illustration: DADDY HALL'S DONKEY.]
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
Uncle Harvey's Parlor
CHAPTER II.
The Evening Walk
CHAPTER III.
A Visit to Daddy Hall
CHAPTER IV.
The Walk through the Woods
CHAPTER V.
What Uncle Harvey said about Rain
CHAPTER VI.
How Thomas killed a Hawk
CHAPTER VII.
About Bats
CHAPTER VIII.
The Walk to the Creek
CHAPTER IX.
The Hard Battle
CHAPTER X.
About Corn and the uses of Animals
CHAPTER XI
Alice Gray
CHAPTER XII.
Locusts
CHAPTER XIII.
The Return Home
THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS.
CHAPTER I.
UNCLE HARVEY'S PARLOR.
Mr. Harvey's two sons, Thomas and John, were very anxious for their
cousin, Samuel Reed, to spend the August holidays with them. His father
said that he might; and when school was closed for the season, Samuel
bade his father good bye, and was soon in the carriage, driving toward
Uncle Harvey's country seat.
The boys had not seen each other since New Year's day. It was a happy
meeting when Samuel jumped out of the carriage, by the gate leading from
the main road up to Mr. Harvey's house; for there his uncle, and two
cousins, were waiting for him. Thomas and John, each grasped a hand,
while their father led the way to the house. "We were afraid you were
not coming," said John. "How tall you have grown since Christmas,"
exclaimed Thomas. "Were you not tired of being in the hot city such
weather as this?" Samuel said that he was; and then they all entered the
house, while the driver brought in Samuel's baggage.
It was about five o'clock in the afternoon when Samuel reached his
uncle's house. He was taken into a small parlor, which opened upon a
garden where many flowers were in bloom. It was a warm day, but this
room was cool and fragrant; and on the table were several plates of
fruit, and some cakes, which his uncle caused to be placed there, so
that he might eat some as soon as he arrived, While Samuel was eating
some of them John said:
"We are so glad you have come, Samuel. Last winter you could see nothing
but snow."
"What became of the snow-man we made last winter?" asked Samuel.
"It froze very hard for more than a week after you left," replied
Thomas; "but John and I broke its head a great deal, with snow balls,
and afterwards a warm rain fell, and washed it away."
"Is it warm in the city now?" asked John.
"Yes," answered his cousin. "In the middle of the day the pavements seem
to be about on fire, and people are afraid to walk far, lest they may be
sunstruck. Yesterday two men died with the heat. There seems to be no
air stirring from morning till night. Besides, there is much sickness in
town, and many persons have left their houses, and gone into the
country.
"Father," said Thomas, "how miserable we should be if we had no water to
drink this weather, like those poor Arabs that you told us of the other
day."
"Yes," answered Mr. Harvey, "the sun must be burning hot in Arabia now."
"How can they live in such a place?" asked John.
"They are not all so miserable as the party I told you of the other
day," replied his father. "Besides, you know it is their country, and
God has taught them to love it. If an Arab were brought here, he would,
probably, think it a most dreary land, except in summer."
"But what do you do in town, Samuel," asked John, "when it is too warm
to go out?"
"It is very hot only in the middle of the day," replied his cousin, "and
then, you know, we are at school. In the afternoons, I sometimes rode
out with father, or went on the steamboat. Last week a balloon went up,
from the other side of the river. We had a fine view of it from the roof
of our house. Two men were in it, and when they had risen so high that
the balloon appeared quite small, they threw out a little machine,
called a parachute. It looked something like an umbrella, and had a dog
to it. The balloon sailed a great distance through the air, and came
down safely."
It was now six o'clock, and Mr. Harvey told the boys that they might go
to supper, which he had ordered to be ready earlier than usual.
[Illustration]