THE
NURSERY
A Monthly Magazine
For Youngest Readers.
BOSTON:
THE NURSERY PUBLISHING COMPANY,
No. 36 Bromfield Street.
1881.
THE NURSERY PUBLISHING COMPANY,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
IN PROSE. | |
| PAGE | |
| “Home in Sight” | 257 |
| Nellie and Kitty | 259 |
| The Prisoner | 260 |
| Two Pets | 264 |
| The Wounded Lamb | 268 |
| Lisa | 270 |
| Drawing-Lesson | 273 |
| The Pet Fawn | 275 |
| The little Flower-Girl | 278 |
| Feeding the Ducks | 281 |
| Lonely Jack | 284 |
IN VERSE. | |
| Contentment | 261 |
| The Brook | 262 |
| Blueberrying | 265 |
| The Soldiers | 272 |
| Jenny and Benny | 274 |
| How the Sheep found Bo-peep | 277 |
| Mabel and the Bust | 280 |
| “Tit for Tat” | 283 |
| Little Busybody | 287 |
| The Morning Sail (with music) | 288 |
“HOME IN SIGHT.”
OME on deck, all hands, old and young, great and
small, sick and well! Here is a sight that will
do you good.”
So said the bluff old captain to his passengers.
Up they came, one after another, at the summons. The
lady who was so worn down with sea-sickness sat with her
head resting languidly on her husband’s shoulder. The rest
stood in groups, looking out upon the water.
The voyage had been a long one, and, though they were[258]
not all sea-sick, all were heartily sick of the sea,—all except
two little children, a girl and a boy, whose faces were
always bright and merry.
“What is there to be seen, captain?” said the children’s
mother, after trying in vain to make out any thing except
sea and sky.
“Don’t you know?” said the old man. “Let me point
it out then to this little sailor.”
So, taking little Willie in his arms while the vessel
leaned before the breeze, he pointed with his forefinger, and
said, “Do you see that dark-blue cloud right on the edge of
the water, just where it meets the sky?”
“Yes, I see it,” said the bright-eyed youngster.
“Well, do you know what it is, my lad? It isn’t a cloud
at all. That’s land. Now do you know what land it is?”
“No, sir,” said Willie.
“Then I’ll tell you. It is old Cape Cod.—We are in
sight of home, ladies and gentlemen,” said the captain addressing
his passengers. “We shall make Boston Light to-night,
if this wind holds good.”
This speech brought great applause. Then the captain
sang out,—
Cheer up, my lively lads, and we’ll go home together!”
“Hold me up,” said little Ellen, “and let me see.”
Then the captain held her up too; and when the children’s
mother, who had a fine voice, started the song,—
From a foreign shore,”
part in the chorus.
NELLIE AND KITTY.
EE little Nellie playing with her kitten. She had
waked up early; but nurse was not ready to dress her.
She was just going to cry, when the kitten jumped
up on the bed, and stood there with such a comical
look, that, instead of crying, Nellie could not help
laughing.
Then she got a string and began to play with kitty; so
that when the nurse came in she found them both quite
happy.
One day, Nellie was playing with her doll, and put it down[260]
in her lap. Kitty, who had been watching her all the time,
jumped up in Nellie’s lap, pushed the doll out, and lay down,
looking at her mistress, as if to say,—
“What did you take her up for? I am the only one that
has any right here.”
THE PRISONER.
HE old hawk has been caught at last, and has been
put in a cage, from which he cannot escape to do
any more mischief. The fowls all come from the
barnyard to see him. They dare go near him now,
for they know he cannot harm them.
The sparrow looks saucily at him, saying, “Ah, ha, Sir
Hawk! You have scared me many a time with your sharp[261]
claws and hooked beak; but now I am a match for you. It
was fine fun for you to kill little chickens. Now you see
what comes of it.”
“Yes indeed,” cries the turkey, “he killed seven dear
little chickens. How glad I am that he is caught at last!
I’ll give him a piece of my mind now, but he can’t have
any more chickens.”
“Ah!” says the hawk, “you talk very bravely; but, if I
were let out of this cage, you would not stare at me much
longer.”
The fowls walk slowly away without saying more. But
the pert young sparrow bristles up, and dares the hawk to
come out and fight him. It is very easy to be brave when
there is no danger.
CONTENTMENT.
And the daisy has lifted her shining head;
When birds are still in the brooding nest,—
Of all the seasons summer is best.
When the golden-rod’s torches shine,—
And the purple grapes drop ripe from the vine;
When the reddening maples light up the way,
There is nothing so good as an autumn day.
When the hills are white with snow,
And only the frostflowers dare to blow;
When sleigh-bells chime from far and near,—
Winter’s the best time of all the year.
When the wild brooks begin to leap,
And out of the earth the mosses creep;
When swallows twitter, and robins call,—
Spring is the very best time of all.
THE BROOK.
In a mountain,
Drops of water ran,
Trickling through the grasses
So our brook began.
Slow it started;
Soon it darted,
Cool and clear and free,
Rippling over pebbles,
Hurrying to the sea.
Came a-playing
On its pretty banks:
Glad, our little brooklet
Sparkled up its thanks.
Blossoms floating,
Mimic boating,
Fishes darting past,—
Swift and strong and happy,
Widening very fast,
Bubbling, singing,
Rushing, ringing,
Flecked with shade and sun,
Soon our pretty brooklet
To the sea has run.
TWO PETS.
Ann has a large black cat, of
which she is very fond.
See how she clasps it
in her arms! She pets
it and hugs it from
morning till night. I
think the cat loves
Ann too; for it does
not even try to scratch her.
But here is a better pet than
a cat. It is a dear little
babe in its nurse’s arms.
The nurse is taking it
out for a walk. She
loves it dearly, and see
how lovingly it clings
to her! Love wins love, you
know.
BLUEBERRYING.
‘Tis summer’s hottest weather;
But Dick and Tom start bravely forth
For blueberries together.
Their tin pails glitter in the light,
The dippers in them rattle,
As up the long green lane they go,
[266]Among the browsing cattle.
Close underneath the pasture fence
They find some scattered bushes:
“There is some better place beyond,”
Says Dick, and on he pushes,
Through tangled brake, o’er stumbling stones,
And up some steep black ledges,
Where thick the blueberry-bushes grow
Along the rocky edges.
“But these are very dry and small,”
Says Tommy: “I would rather
Look round and find some better place,
And larger berries gather.”
Down the sharp rocks, across the brook,
And through a bog, they ramble:
They find some berries, big and blue,
Outpeering from a bramble.
“These dreadful running blackberry-vines!”
Says Dick: “they are so prickly!
I will not stop; some better place
We surely shall find quickly.”
Through the long field they wandering stray,
In the hot sunshine going:
“Beneath the wood-lot trees,” says Tom,
[267]“There must be nice ones growing.”
And so they find them thick and ripe;
But, from among them darting,
A hissing adder lifts its head,
And, suddenly upstarting,
The frightened boys drop both their pails,
The berries from them spilling.
“Let’s hurry home,” says Tom. Says Dick,
“I’m sure that I am willing.”
So back they come with tattered clothes,
Scratched, sunburnt, soiled, and tired;
“To go again,” says pouting Tom,
“I never could be hired.”
“Oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, dear!” cries Dick,
A doleful little fretter,
“We’ve lost each good place we have had,
By looking for a better!”
THE WOUNDED LAMB.
ARLY one bright morning, three little girls who were
spending the summer on their uncle’s farm went out
to gather wild flowers in the woods not far from the
house. Just as they came to the edge of the wood,
they heard the faint bleating of a lamb.
They listened, keeping very still, but could not make out
where the sound came from. Then Mary, the eldest of the
three, said, “Let us each go a different way, and hunt till
we find the poor little thing.”
They did so; and in a few minutes, Lulu the youngest
called to the others, “I’ve found it! I’ve found it! Come,
Mollie and Bessie, come quick and help me; for the dear
little lamb is hurt, and I’m afraid it will die.”
You may be sure that they all ran quickly, and it was
well that they did; for the lamb had broken its leg, and
could not have lived much longer if some one had not
taken care of it. They found Lulu trying to help the poor
creature; but she could do little except to soothe it.
Just then Bessie looked up, and saw the farmer not far
off. She called loudly to him. He came at once, took the
lamb tenderly in his arms, carried it home, laid it on a soft
bed, and gave it some warm milk.
Very soon the lamb began to revive, much to the delight
of the children; and little Lulu would hardly leave its side
all that day.
With such kind care the lamb got well fast. It soon
became a great pet with all the little girls, though their
uncle said, that, as Lulu had found it, she should give it a
name, and call it hers.
For some time she was quite puzzled to know what to call
it; but one day, when Bessie was stroking it, she said,
“Why lambie, your fleece is as fine and soft as floss!”[269]
“Oh, now I know what to call this pet,” said Lulu, “I’ll
call it Flossy,” and it went by that name all summer.
The next winter, when their uncle came to see them in
the city, the children inquired for their little pet, Flossy.
“Flossy is a big sheep now,” he said; “but I think she[270]
remembers you, for when I go among the flock, she always
comes and rubs her nose against me, and looks up, as much
as to say, ‘Where are those three girls that used to play
with me last summer?'”
LISA.
ISA was a little German girl who lived in a village
on the seacoast. Her father was a fisherman, and
sometimes he would take her with him on pleasant
days when he went in his boat.
They would start in the morning, and after sailing
about, and catching a good load of fish, would come home at
noon to the nice dinner which Lisa’s elder sister had prepared
for them.
One day Lisa was alone in the house. Her sister had
gone away to spend the day, and her father was out fishing.
A heavy storm came up. It rocked the house, and blew the
shutters to and fro; but Lisa never heeded it, for she was
thinking of her father.
After the storm had ceased, she went to the door and
looked out. An old fisherman was passing with his son.
She asked him about her father. He pointed out the place
where he had seen him before the storm, and said, “I fear
that your father’s boat has been driven upon the rocks, for
it is no longer to be seen.”
Without a moment’s delay, Lisa tied on her hat, and
hastened down to the shore. She got into a boat, and was
pushing off, when an old sailor stopped her, and asked her
where she was going.
“I am going in search of my father,” said she.[271]
“I will go with you, my good girl,” said the sailor; and
he sprang into the boat, and took the oars.
They rowed out to the rocks, for the sea had gone down.
Poor Lisa’s heart sank within her as she gazed upon that
angry coast; for the first thing that caught her eyes was a
fragment of a boat.
Yes, her father’s boat had surely been wrecked. “Oh,
my dear, dear father!” said Lisa, bursting into tears, “I
shall never see him again.”
But hark! There comes a shout, “Boat ahoy!” Lisa’s
heart beats wildly, for it is her father’s voice. Quick as
thought, the sailor pulls to the place where the sound came
from. And there Lisa found her father clinging to a rock.
What a joyful meeting there was! And how happy Lisa
felt to think that she had gone so promptly to the rescue!
There were thankful hearts in the fisherman’s cottage
that night; and Lisa never forgot the good old sailor who
had proved such a true friend in time of need.
THE SOLDIERS.
Five nimble soldiers marching to and fro.
First General Spry,
Next Colonel Try,
Then Major Tall,
And Sergeant Dapper,
And Corporal Small.
Five gallant soldiers all in fine array,
Five dashing soldiers meet them on the way.
First General Stout,
Next Colonel Look-out,
Then Major Trim,
And Sergeant Taper,
And Corporal Slim.
Ten gallant soldiers waiting our command,
Look, and you will see them,—five upon each hand.
DRAWING-LESSON.
VOL. XXX—NO. 3.
JENNY AND BENNY.
 | Was ever child so lovely! Was ever child so fair! Had ever child such bright blue eyes, Such lips, such golden hair! Say, is there any baby With this one to compare? |
Oh, yes! there is one other That’s just as good as she: It is my baby-brother, Whose picture here you see. |  |
THE PET FAWN.
NE day, Albert, who lived in a city, received a letter
from his papa, who was absent in the country, which
I think my little readers will enjoy also, and so I
have got Albert’s permission to give it to them.
This is the letter:—
My dear little Boy,—In a lonely place, just at the edge of a wood,
where I was detained, week before last, I came across a most delightful[276]
little pet. You could not guess in twenty guesses what it was, and so I
will tell you at once.
It was a fawn about eight months old. I am sure if you could have
seen him you would never have given papa a moment’s rest till you had
him as your own pet; and perhaps I shall have something to say to you
about that by and by.
Well, this charming little pet was of a light yellowish-brown color,
and over his whole body were white spots about the size of a dime.
Some boys had surprised him asleep, when he was about a week
old, and had carefully taken him home with them. There he had been
tended and made much of by the whole family, and so he had grown to
have a genuine affection for his captors.
He was allowed full freedom to go about the woods as he chose, and
never failed to return at night; and when called by name—for the boys
had named him Dick—he would come bounding up as if he dearly loved
to be petted.
It was amusing to see him eat milk. When the saucer was set before
him and he commenced to lap the milk, he would beat a tattoo with one
of his front feet. He never lapped his saucer of milk without, in this
manner, beating the floor with his hoof.
Now, my little boy, I do wish that these boys might be induced to
sell this fawn. If I could get him, don’t you think a little boy that I
could name would have a beautiful pet? But we will not expect too
much, will we?
I want to tell my little readers that Albert has a fawn
which he calls his own and pets and caresses. It has a blue
ribbon around its neck with a little bell attached, and we all
laugh to see it beat a tattoo with its little foot while it laps
milk from a saucer. Albert says, “It’s ten times more
beautiful, and a hundred times dearer than papa wrote
about.”
HOW THE SHEEP FOUND BO-PEEP.
Her eyes opened wide and wider;
For she found herself seated on the grass
[278]With an old sheep standing beside her.
“Little Bo-peep,” said the good old sheep,
“How glad I am that we’ve found you!
Here we are—rams and sheep and lambs—
All flocking up around you.”
“You blessed sheep,” said little Bo-peep,
“I’ve been worried to death about you.”
“We’ve been searching for you,” said the good old sheep:
“We wouldn’t go home without you.”
THE LITTLE FLOWER-GIRL.
ELEN GRAHAM was spending the winter with her
mother in Nice. This is a charming place in the
south of France, on the shore of the Mediterranean
Sea, and their home there was in a pretty villa.
One morning, as Helen was watering and trimming
her plants at the open window,—for the air is warm and
pleasant in Nice, even in winter,—she heard a soft voice
calling just underneath, “Mademoiselle, achetez mes fleurs,
s’il vous plait?” In English this means, “Please buy my
flowers, miss?”
Helen looked down, and there stood a little barefooted,[279]
dark-eyed girl, a good deal smaller than herself, holding up
a bunch of roses and violets. Her face was so sweet and
smiling, that Helen could not refuse her: so she said in
French, “How much are they, little girl?”
“Dix centimes seulement” (“only two cents”), she replied.
“Come round to the door, and I will buy them,” said
Helen.
The girl ran quickly to the door. When Helen learned
from her that her mother was very poor, she gave her more
than the price of her flowers; and the little girl’s face fairly
beamed with delight when she went away.
MABEL AND THE BUST.
Gazing, with wonder and delight,
Upon a marble bust. She cons it o’er,
With visage keen and bright,
Till cautiously upon the stone she lays
Her dimpled fingers white.
She scans the image with a rueful stare,
Then turning from it with a quivering lip,
The fickle baby wails in deep despair.
“What is it that disturbs my little pet?”
She cannot pull his hair!
FEEDING THE DUCKS.
PEAK for it if you want it,” said little Johnny,
holding out a piece of bread to the old duck.
She had just come in with her large family
from a swim in the pond.
“Quack, quack!” said the duck, waddling
up, and opening her great bill.
“Don’t let the old duck swallow your finger,
Johnny!” said Ellen.
Johnny dropped the bread. The greedy duck snatched
it, and in less than half a minute she opened her great bill
again, and quacked for more.
Meanwhile grandma had been throwing out meal to the
ducklings. But one pert little duckling was not satisfied
with that.[282]
He lifted up his head, and fluttered his little bits of wings,
and opened his mouth, and tried to quack, as much as to
say,—
“I don’t like meal and water. I want to have what ma
has. Give me some too.”
This made Ellen laugh: it was so like some children that
she had seen!
“TIT FOR TAT.”
Holds a conversation with a consequential frog.
“Little Tommy Tompkins,” says that frog, says he,
“Yesterday I saw you fling a stone at me.
“I had my new green coat on: you nearly ruined that!
Little Tommy Tompkins, I believe in ‘tit for tat.'”
“Please, I didn’t mean to,” cries Tommy in affright,
“I know—boo-hoo—’twas wrong. I know it wasn’t right.”
“Little Tommy Tompkins,” the dreadful frog replies,
“Dry your tears, and stop your noise, and from that log arise.
“The sport of being stoned you shall have a chance to see;
I hope it will be fun for you; ’twill be jolly fun for me.”
Then on a sudden Tommy goes tumbling with a splash
Down to the muddy water, while froggie makes a dash,
And, sitting on the log, oh many a stone throws he,
Hitting wretched little Tommy with considerable glee.
“Hold on!” cries Tommy, vainly. “You’re nothing but a frog!”
Comes the answer, as the stones fly faster from the log.
Was ever boy so wretched! was ever frog so glad!
I really don’t know what would have happened to the lad.
But by chance a wandering bee stung young Tommy on the nose,
And, waking from a fearful dream, up from that log he rose.
LONELY JACK.
HO do you suppose Jack was? Not a boy, nor a
dog, nor a horse, nor a parrot. He was a fat little
donkey, who lived on a large farm with thirteen
other donkeys, all fat too, and they had nothing
to do all day long but eat and be happy.
Jack thought there never before had been such fortunate
creatures as they were, and did not dream of separation
from his dear friends. But one day a man came up with a
rope, and, before the donkeys knew what he was doing,
threw it over poor little Jack’s neck, and tried to lead him
away.
But Jack hadn’t the least intention of going. Oh, dear,
no! He planted his feet firmly on the ground, while the
man pulled, and pulled, and pulled, but could not make
him stir a step. At last the man gave up and went away;
but he came back the next day with two more men.
Then, spite of Jack’s firmness, his legs were bound, and
he was laid in a wagon, and carried miles and miles away
from all his dear companions.
His new home was a small farm where there were no
friends for him at all. Jack soon grew so lonely, that he
even felt anxious to scrape acquaintance with the hens and
chickens. But they all rushed wildly away as soon he approached;
and one old hen cackled out, “Good gracious, my
children, my children! do keep out of the way of that ugly
beast.”
Jack was so grieved that he did not dare to make any
more attempts at sociability that day; and, indeed there
was no one else he could speak to, except Growler, the big
bull-dog.
“A fine day, sir,” said Jack, carelessly sauntering by the
kennel.
“Bow-wow-wow!” barked Growler, making a frantic rush
for Jack’s legs.
Now donkeys don’t often run; but Jack ran then as fast
as he could go, straight across to the other end of the field,
and right into a lot of the most delicious nettles.
But what pleasure can one find in dainty fare when one is
alone? Jack stood looking around till he happened to spy a
goat who seemed to be about as sad as himself.
“Are you homesick?” asked Jack.
“No,” said the goat mournfully.
“Some other kind of sick?” suggested Jack, glad to find
some one who would give him a civil answer.
“No,” answered the goat; “but my mouth waters to taste
those little tender twigs on that tree just out of my reach.
If I only had a box,” he added, shaking his head, “or something
to stand on, I could get them easily.”
“Jump up on my back, and eat as many as you want,”
said Jack, ever ready to do a favor.
The goat hesitated. “I am afraid I might hurt you,” he
said.
“Nothing ever hurts me,” responded Jack. “Jump up.”
So the goat took courage, made a leap, and landed safely on
the donkey’s back.
Jack stood there patiently while his new friend made a
dainty feast.
“Is it good?” he asked.
“Delicious! Oh, so nice! But”—and the goat broke
off in a frightened manner. “Don’t you see?” he began
again after a moment. “There’s the farmer looking at us.
Oh, dear me, what will he do?”
“Nothing,” said Jack. “Go on eating, and let him look
if he wants to.”
“No, no! I had better get down,” said the goat.
“Don’t be afraid,” the donkey insisted. “Stay there, and
eat as much as you want.”
The goat was not willing to be thought a coward: so, with
one eye still on the farmer, he began to eat again. His
master, after staring at the strange couple for a moment,
burst into a loud laugh, and went away.
“There, I’ve had enough,” the goat said with a sigh of
pleasure, as he jumped off Jack’s back. “Thank you very
much. Let’s be friends.”[287]
Jack was so delighted with this suggestion, that he brayed
until the hills re-echoed with the sound of his voice. And
from that day to this the donkey and goat have been
inseparable friends. We never see one without the other.
LITTLE BUSYBODY.
Never at rest: even now, as I write,
Going out shopping, or making a call,
Talking to chairs, rocking dolly so small.
Never a leaf on the sunshiny tree,
When the wind blows, is as tireless as she.
Ask for a kiss, she will quietly say,
“Haven’t got time: I’m too busy to-day.”
Or the wee lambkins when homeward they run?
Or the bright butterflies folding their wings?
Grasshoppers, crickets, and all merry things?
Then must this dear busybody of ours
Long for her rest with the close of the flowers.
Oh the sweet lips that so lovingly say,
“Good-night,—so tired,—I’ve been busy to-day!”
THE MORNING SAIL.
and a larger image
of the music sheet may be seen by clicking on the image.]
Such a pretty, pretty boat!
Just as the day was dawning;
And I took a little oar,
And push’d off from the shore.
Oh, very, very early in the morning!
Chorus.
And every little wave had its nightcap on,
Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap on;
And every little wave had its nightcap on,
So very, very early in the morning.
2 In their caves so still and deep
All the fishes were asleep,
When a ripple gave them warning.
Said the minnow to the skate,
“Don’t lie abed so late;”
Said he, “‘Tis very early in the morning.”
Cho.—For every little wave had its nightcap on,
Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap on;
For every little wave had its nightcap on,
So very, very early in the morning.
3 Said the sturgeon to the eel,
“Just imagine how I feel;
(Excuse me, my dear, for yawning;)
People ought to let us know
When sailing they would go,
So very, very early in the morning.”—Cho.
Transcriber’s Notes
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
The original text for the July issue had a table of contents that
spanned six issues. This was divided amongst those issues.
Additionally, only the July issue had a title page. This page was
copied for the remaining five issues. Each issue had the number added on
the title page after the Volume number.
Page 279, actual translation of “Dix centimes seulement” is “only ten cents” not “two” as
the original states.