had rained much more than usual; and one night the men around were
up all night, turning the course of a stream that had swollen so
they were afraid it would carry away some of the houses. So mamma
was a little afraid to stay, and we were going home, and had
engaged our dandies (a little like a kind of chair) and men to
carry them, and were going to start the next Tuesday. It began to
rain Thursday afternoon. It was the 16th of September, I remember,
because baby was a year old that very day, and he had a new dress
and lots of toys, and was just as cunning as he could be. But it
rained hard all night, and the next day it was so dark mamma had
to sit close to the window to see to write to papa. I never saw it
rain so hard right straight along in my life, and I asked mamma if
she didn't think it must look like the flood, and she said,
Perhaps. After a while I went to bed and to sleep; but some time
in the night mamma came and woke us all up, and said the room was
filling with water. She dressed me, and nurse dressed baby; then
the other people in the house came in, and mamma was so scared she
didn't know what she was doing, and rolled up all her clothes and
shoes and stockings in the bedding. The windows and doors were
burst in, and we had to try to get somewhere, but even mamma
didn't know where to go. But one of the men carried me, and nurse
took baby; and the stones hurt poor mamma's bare feet so that two
of the jhampanis carried her, and in the pouring rain we went to
find Mr. Buck's house. We finally reached there, and had hardly
dried ourselves before it was light, and the men thought that
house would go too; so we all made another trip, this time to the
chapel, and still it rained as hard as it could pour. I told
mother I really thought it was another flood, and we'd better try
to get up higher. But she said the higher we went, the worse it
would be; if we could only get off this dreadful hill, we might be
safe. Then I said again something about the flood, for I couldn't
get it out of my head, it all looked so like the picture in the
big Bible--people going about wringing their hands, and trying to
get somewhere safe, men carrying children, half-dressed women, and
all the while the rain pouring down as if it never would stop.
Mamma stood stock-still, and took hold of me. "I tell you, child,"
she said, "God has promised--_promised_, do you hear?--never to
drown the world again." So I said no more, and really felt better;
for if everybody was not drowned, there might be a chance for us.
We stood on the chapel veranda watching Mr. Cheney and Mr. Fleming
trying to turn the course of one stream away from Mr. Cheney's
house, when a great mass of stones, sand, and water took them off
their feet quick as a flash. Mr. Cheney caught hold of the low
roof of his house, and Mr. Fleming caught him, and they were saved
from being carried over the side of the hill. We had hardly time
to catch our breath, and not time to say a word, when the trees
began to tremble, and loose rocks to shake, and in another minute
the whole hill-side rushed past us, and the hotel, assembly-rooms,
shops, and stores were carried right into Naina Tal. More than one
hundred and fifty people were carried with them--some that we
knew, and had laughed and talked with only yesterday--without time
for one word to anybody, rushed straight to death. Oh, it was
terrible! Our fence was taken, too, and we could not stop to
think, for we had to plan to go somewhere. I never cried one word.
I only opened my eyes wider, and looked at mamma. She was just as
pale as anything, and I heard her say, "I _can't_--I _can't_ die
this way!" I never thought; I only kept saying to myself, "God
won't let there be a flood. He won't let it." Then Mr. Cheney came
and said we must go. So we started down the Mall. Mamma took hold
of my hand, but finally one of the men snatched me up and carried
me; and when we came to a broad stream, I heard mamma say, "Jat
Ram" (he is one of our jhampanis that carry us about the hill),
"give me your hand." "Get on my back, Mem Sahib," he said; and
mamma was in too much of a hurry to think, and hung on to him any
way. I wanted to laugh, she looked so funny; but somehow there
wasn't any laugh in me. Finally we came to a house, and went in;
it was a Mr. Kelley's. We were dreadful tired--nothing to eat, and
up all night. The men thought we were as safe there as anywhere we
could get, so we dried ourselves. Pretty soon--about eight--we had
dinner. We were so faint we would have eaten, I think, if the rain
had carried us away the next minute.
It did not stop raining till Sunday night, and the next Thursday
we started for home. Some of the bridges were gone, but we crossed
over in boats, and Saturday morning got to Lucknow.
Wasn't papa glad to see us! The Lal Bagh mission girls had been in
and trimmed the house to welcome us, and we went over to the
boarding-school to breakfast. Papa said "that it just poured
sixty-six hours--almost three days--and in that time thirty-three
inches of rain fell--almost three feet." Then he showed me on the
wall how high that would be; and you just measure yourself, and
you'll see such a lot of water washing down a mountain-side must
do something.
But I've been writing too long, so good-by.
JENNIE ANDERSON.
P.S.--Mamma says I ought to say, as nearly as they know now, forty
white people and one hundred and fifty natives were killed.
* * * * *
We would like to exchange beryl, mica crystals, and garnets from
Connecticut, or shells, coral, and sea-beans from Florida or
California, for fine specimens of minerals, particularly from Lake
Superior or Northern New York. Our collection is a good one, and
we would like good exchanges. We have also some curiosities, and
could arrange exchanges for several different things.
WILLIE R. CORSON and CHARLES E. BRAINARD,
137 Washington Street, Hartford, Conn.
* * * * *
The following exchanges are also desired by correspondents:
Sea-beach pebbles from New Jersey, or stamps, for ocean
curiosities, minerals, foreign postage stamps, or anything suitable
for a museum; or a New Zealand stamp and five kinds of English
stamps, for an Indian arrow-head.
CLARENCE R. WILLIAMS, 4811 Hancock Street,
Germantown, Philadelphia, Penn.
* * * * *
Postmarks or stamps, for birds' eggs, Indian arrow-heads, or
relics. Correspondents will please label all specimens distinctly.
ERNEST OSBORNE,
761 De Kalb Avenue, Brooklyn, L. I.
* * * * *
Stamps.
WINTHROP VAUGHAN,
P. O. Box 432, Brookline, Mass.
* * * * *
An ounce of sand or a stone from Ohio, for the same from any other
State.
J. PUJOLS,
16 New Street, Cleveland, Ohio.
* * * * *
Postmarks and stamps, for stamps. Fifteen postmarks, for one stamp.
GEORGE N. PRENTISS,
Watertown, Wisconsin.
* * * * *
Birds' eggs.
WINDSOR F. WHITE,
1581 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.
* * * * *
Postage stamps.
S. WEATHERBE,
Glass Lock Box 107, Charlottetown,
Prince Edward Island, Canada.
* * * * *
A United States copper cent of 1802, for any ocean curiosity.
FRANK P. HUESTED,
183 Madison Avenue, Albany, N. Y.
* * * * *
An opossum to exchange.
JOE BISSELL,
P. O. Box 957, Pittsburgh, Penn.
* * * * *
Postage stamps.
EDWIN S. KETCHUM,
Care of Ketchum Wagon Company,
Marshalltown, Iowa.
* * * * *
Mexican stamps and rare specimens of Mexican shells, for rare
stamps from Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Finland, Iceland, or
Philippine Islands.
HARRY L. BRIGGS,
48 Chester Park, Boston, Mass.
* * * * *
Postage stamps.
G. M. WOODCOCK,
Care of William H. Lyon & Co.,
483 and 485 Broadway, New York City.
* * * * *
Postmarks.
K. MCKENSIE,
12 Garden Street, Cambridge, Mass.
* * * * *
Cocoons of the silk-worm, for birds' eggs.
NELLIE BRAINARD,
265 Broad Street, Newark, N. J.
* * * * *
Shells, alligators' teeth, ocean curiosities, and stamps, for rare
stamps, Indian relics, or minerals.
GEORGE W. MCELHOSE,
24 Brill Street, Newark, N. J.
* * * * *
Postmarks.
W. H. CHAPMAN,
Lock Box 40, Penn Yan, N. Y.
* * * * *
Postage stamps.
FRED L. CAMP,
188 Lefferts Place, Brooklyn, L. I.
* * * * *
Flints, for birds' eggs or postage stamps.
ELIJAH G. B.,
522 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.
* * * * *
Stamps, for coins or eggs. Correspondents will please label the
eggs.
CHARLES C. KALBFLEISCH,
8 West Forty-ninth Street, New York City.
* * * * *
Five birds' eggs, for twenty-five foreign postage stamps. No
duplicates.
TRUMAN LEWIS,
P. O. Box 197, Waterbury, Conn.
* * * * *
Postage stamps, for stamps or relics.
EZRA C. HARWOOD,
68 West Broadway, New York City.
* * * * *
Revenue stamps and postmarks, for stamps and minerals.
E. H. SMITH,
Care of E. I. Smith, Corner of Woodward and
Jefferson Avenues, Detroit, Mich.
* * * * *
A stone from Illinois, for one from any other State.
CHARLIE F. HAVEN,
New Lenox, Will County, Ill.
* * * * *
California sea-weeds, acorn barnacles from the sea, some curious
egg cases of a shell-fish, two flint arrow-heads, or some
interesting objects for a microscope, for postage stamps from Asia,
Africa, South and Central America, Mexico, the West Indies, or
United States twelve, fifteen, or thirty cent, or any department
stamps.
HUMPHREY NOYES,
Community, Madison County, N. Y.
* * * * *
A three-cent Canadian stamp, for one from Cuba; or an Austrian
stamp, for one from Italy.
JAMES P. HOLDRIDGE,
69 South Hamilton Street, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
* * * * *
A collection of California sea-weeds, for specimens of wood from
different States, or for United States minor coins.
F. M. ELLIOT,
Evanston, Cook County, Ill.
* * * * *
A. P. J.--The Yellowstone River flows in a northerly direction out of
Yellowstone Lake, and after a course of about 1300 miles, during which
it descends about 7000 feet, it reaches the Missouri. The lake is one of
the most beautiful sheets of water in the world, twenty-two miles in
length, and from twelve to fifteen in breadth. Its elevation above the
level of the sea is 7788 feet, and its greatest depth is 300 feet. Only
four other lakes are known to have a greater elevation--lakes Titicaca
and Uros, in Peru and Bolivia, which are respectively 12,874 and 12,359
feet above the level of the sea, and lakes Manasarowar and Rakas-Tal, in
Tibet, which lie at the great height of 15,000 feet. The Upper and Lower
Falls of the Yellowstone are wonderfully beautiful. They are not more
than a quarter of a mile apart. Before reaching the first fall the river
flows through a grassy valley with a calm, steady current, until it
plunges over a ledge 140 feet in height. The second fall is more than
350 feet high. Over this precipice the river plunges in snow-white foam
and spray. From the foot of the falls rises a dense and heavy mist, and
no one can approach within several hundred yards without being drenched
to the skin. On the west side the wall of rock is covered to the height
of about 300 feet with a dense carpet of mosses, grasses, and other
vegetation, of the most vivid green. There is nowhere in the world a
more beautiful scene than that which is presented by this remarkable
fall, although Niagara is more impressive on account of the volume of
water which pours over the precipice.
* * * * *
MARY B.--Among the most celebrated poems of Robert Burns are "Tam o'
Shanter" (about which an article was printed in the Post-office Box in
No. 56), "The Cotter's Saturday Night," "To a Mouse," "Highland Mary,"
"John Anderson," "To a Mountain Daisy," "The Twa Dogs," "The Banks o'
Doon," "Mary Morison," "Bruce's Address," "John Barleycorn," and "For a'
That, and a' That." The best piece for speaking is "Bruce's Address,"
which can be found in almost every collection of poetry.
* * * * *
MARGARETTA B.--The fifteen decisive battles of the world to which Mr.
Herbert Spencer referred are probably those which are described in a
volume bearing that title, written by Mr. E. S. Creasy, of England, and
published in this country by Harper & Brothers. They are the battle of
Marathon, the defeat of the Athenians at Syracuse (B.C. 413), the battle
of Arbela, the battle of the Metaurus, the victory of Arminius over the
Roman Legions under Varus, the battle of Châlons, the battle of Tours,
the battle of Hastings, Joan of Arc's victory over the English at
Orleans, the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the battle of Blenheim, the
battle of Pultowa, victory of the Americans over Burgoyne at Saratoga,
the battle of Valmy, and Waterloo. These are called "decisive" battles
because, in the words of the historian Hallam, "a contrary event would
have essentially varied the drama of the world in all its subsequent
scenes."
* * * * *
FREDDIE L. F.--Directions for making an Æolian harp were given in the
Post-office Box of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE No. 23, Vol. I.
* * * * *
S. S.--The rare issues of United States cents are of 1799, 1793, 1804,
1809, 1811, 1795, 1796, 1808, 1805, and 1823. The above dates are rare
in the order given.
Many others are scarce; in fact, all before 1816, if in good condition,
are worth much more than their face value. Collectors should remember
that the value of all rare coins depends upon condition. A much-rubbed
specimen of a cent of 1799 might be dear at one dollar, while an
uncirculated cent of that date would readily find a market at thirty
dollars.
* * * * *
READER OF "YOUNG PEOPLE."--The postage stamps exchanged by our young
correspondents are, as a rule, cancelled stamps cut from letters.
* * * * *
Correct answers to puzzles have been sent by Walter Atcheson, May F. B.,
Bessie Comstock, Robson D. Caldwell, R. O. Chester, Mary E. DeWitt,
Carrie Edwards, Fannie Edwards, Jesse S. Godine, William and Isabel
Harris, Bessie R. Howell, Ralph B. Larkin, Thomas Lunham, Isobel L.
Jacob, "Little Goosey," H. P. Meikleham, O. A. Mueller, Percy McDermott,
Mary B. Nesmith, Maggie Osborne, William Olfenbuttel, Augusta Low Parke,
Will H. Rogers, Will Rochester, Carrie Sinnamon, James Shriver, "Starry
Flag," Nellie S., George Schilling, E. C. T., T. P. Tregnor, Woodville
Wrenshall, Chester Maxwell White, Willie F. Woolard, Lily, Charles, and
Fred W.
* * * * *
PUZZLES FROM YOUNG CONTRIBUTORS.
No. 1.
HALF-SQUARE.
A country in Europe. To separate. Practical skill. A pronoun. A letter.
PERCY.
* * * * *
No. 2.
ENIGMA.
In little, not in grand.
In soil, not in land.
In going, not in come.
In water, not in rum.
In grain, not in hay.
The whole a beast of prey.
MARTIE.
* * * * *
No. 3.
ZIGZAGS--(TO BOLUS).
1 * * * *
* 2 * * *
* * 3 * *
* * * 4 *
* * * * 5
* * * 6 *
* * 7 * *
* 8 * * *
9 * * * *
* 10 * * *
* * 11 * *
* * * 12 *
* * * * 13
Across.--1. A bird. 2. Frolic. 3. A bird. 4. Polite. 5. To exhaust. 6.
Refuse. 7. To allude. 8. A hard stone. 9. A fertile spot. 10. A weapon.
11. Caprice. 12. Scanty. 13. Rust.
Zigzags.--Something many readers of Young People will soon find.
OWLET.
* * * * *
No. 4.
DIAMOND--(_To our Young Contributors_).
A letter. Equal value. A small surface. A universal remedy. A confused
medley. To regain. Doctrine. A fluid. A letter.
BOLUS.
* * * * *
No. 5.
Charade--(_To Zelotes_).
As long as we retain our breath
My first is with us until death;
But none amongst us--no, not one--
May keep it till to-morrow's sun.
My second, ever speeding fast,
The same in future as in past;
Forever onward still it goes,
And with it brings both joys and woes.
During my whole let's strive each day
Some worthy action to display;
And always deal with one another
As faithful friend and loving brother.
RIP VAN WINKLE.
* * * * *
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN No. 66.
No. 1.
C H E T I M A C H E S
A M S T E R D A M
C O N C H O S
T O K I O
U L M
E
I N N
T I B E R
A U G U S T A
R I O G R A N D E
R E S T I G O U C H E
No. 2.
Mouse.
No. 3.
1. Hippopotamus. 2. Earwig. 3. Field-fare. 4. Vampire.
No. 4.
O P A L E T T A
P I N E T E A R
A N N A T A K E
L E A D A R E S
No. 5.
Charity.
HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE.
SINGLE COPIES, 4 cents; ONE SUBSCRIPTION, one year, $1.50; FIVE
SUBSCRIPTIONS, one year, $7.00--_payable in advance, postage free_.
The Volumes of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE commence with the first Number in
November of each year.
Subscriptions may begin with any Number. When no time is specified, it
will be understood that the subscriber desires to commence with the
Number issued after the receipt of the order.
Remittances should be made by POST-OFFICE MONEY-ORDER OR DRAFT, to avoid
risk of loss.
HARPER & BROTHERS,
Franklin Square, N. Y.
[Illustration]
THE GAME OF KANGAROO.
BY FRANK BELLEW.
This is an entirely new game, invented and designed especially for
HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, and we hope our readers will enjoy playing it.
The game can be played by two or more persons; and if convenient, they
should have a marker, or umpire, whose decision is in all cases final.
In the first place, each player should provide himself with a small
strip of India rubber of about one or two inches in length; those
elastic bands which are sold at every stationery store are the thing's
to use; one of these cut in two will make an excellent pair of
Kangaroos. Now if you twist one of these pieces of rubber up like a
cord, and roll it into a kind of ball, and then place it on the table,
it will immediately give a spring (that is to say, it will nine times
out of ten), and sometimes a second spring, and then it will begin to
squirm and roll over, until finally it stops. This piece of rubber is
called the Kangaroo. The players can make their Kangaroos of any length
they like, so that they be of the same thickness. Indeed, they may be of
any size or form the players see fit, provided they all agree on the
matter.
The way the game is played is this. You roll up your Kangaroo, and when
you are ready, you place it on the black spot in the centre of the Pen,
and as you let go you cry "Tip!" Then your Kangaroo jumps. If he does
not jump out of the Pen, you lose 5. If he jumps into any of the spaces
marked with numbers, you score the number marked in that space. If he
hops on the line between two spaces, you count both numbers; but if he
hops on the line of the Pen and a number, you only count half the
number. If he hops or squirms into two or three numbers, you score for
each one he touches. If he gets in Grasshopper, you score 20; if into
Bullfrog, you score 30; and if into Kangaroo, 40. But if he gets into or
only touches Dumpling, you lose 50. If he jumps off the board, it counts
nothing.
As soon as you put your Kangaroo down, and cry "Tip!" your adversary
commences marking crosses on a piece of paper or a slate--like this, X X
X X X X X X--as fast as he can until you cry "Dead!" when he must stop;
each of these crosses counts him 1. You, of course, watch your Kangaroo
to see if he is likely to take another jump and give you a fresh count,
and you only cry "Dead!" when you think he has no more life in him. If
he jumps after you have cried "Dead!" you can count nothing for whatever
he has made by the extra jump.
The umpire keeps the score of both players, and after each has thrown
ten times, the score is added up, and whoever has the highest number
wins the game.
Some attention must be paid to the making of the Kangaroo. The rubber
must be slightly warm, so that it will hold together just enough to make
two or three springs, if possible; but it must not be too warm, or it
will stick together and not jump at all.