Read Ebook: The Nursery November 1881 Vol. XXX A Monthly Magazine for Youngest Readers by Various

Font size: 10 px 15 px 20 px 25 px 30 px 35 px

Background color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Text color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Apply/Save settings

Ebook has 166 lines and 10184 words, and 4 pages

OLD JACK.

"DEAR me!" exclaimed Mrs. Smith, as she looked from the kitchen-window of her farmhouse; "there are uncle Joe, and aunt Peggy, and all the girls! They have come to tea, I'm certain, and I haven't a speck of green tea in the house. Uncle Joe can't drink any thing else, and he must have white sugar in it too.

"Here, Mike, Mike! take a basket, jump on old Jack, and go to the store just as fast as you can. Get a pound of the best green tea and three pounds of white lump sugar. Now mind you are back in half an hour."

Mike was delighted. He had come to live on the farm only the week before, and in all his life had never been on the back of a horse or donkey. He had looked every day with longing eyes at Jack grazing quietly in the pasture, and had thought how happy he should be if he were ever allowed to have a ride on him. So off he started in great glee, saying to himself, "It will be easy enough to manage this little fellow."

When about half a mile on the way, they came to a brook, and Mike thought he would let Jack have a drink. This was all very well; but, when Mike wanted to go on, Jack had changed his mind, and concluded not to go any further.

Mike pulled and pulled on the bridle, trying to turn him back into the road; but the obstinate creature planted his feet firmly, and would not budge an inch.

Just then a kind old Irishman came, on the little foot-bridge, over the brook, and Mike called to him to know what he should do. "Sure, you must have a stick, sonny," said the man. "Donkeys won't go without the stick."

So he cut a stick from a tree near by, and gave it to Mike, who used it as hard as he could, but to no purpose. Then the old man took another, and, going behind the little beast, touched him up smartly with it, at the same time giving his tail a funny little twist.

This was more than Jack could stand. He gave in and jogged on. But he would go very slowly, in spite of Mike's urging, and now and then he would amuse himself by kicking out his hind-legs, and trying to throw Mike off.

Once, too, just as they were starting back from the grocer's he suddenly lay down flat, and threw Mike over his head, scattering basket and bundles.

Poor Mike was half an hour late; but, when he told good Mrs. Smith all his troubles, she excused him. She laughed hard, too, when Mike said, like a true-born Irish boy, "Sure, marm, I never want to ride Jack again till I've learned how."

IDA FAY.

OFF FOR THE WINTER.

"O SWALLOWS! what can be the matter? And what do you mean by your chatter? You sit on the barn-roof by dozens,-- Aunts, grandmothers, uncles, and cousins; You circle and wheel, then you twitter away: Oh, what are you saying? Do tell me, I pray."

"My little one, cold winds are blowing; We swallows to South-land are going: We meet in the clear autumn weather, And plan our long journey together. When spring-time returns, with its green dancing leaves, We'll come back to our little nests under the eaves."

"Sweet wild flowers, oh, where are you hiding? In what hidden nook are you biding? I've wandered the meadows all over,-- There's no breath of wild rose or clover; No violets peeping through grass-blades I see, No daisies or buttercups nodding to me."

Then up spake a gentian, late comer, The last blue-eyed darling of summer,-- "To our long winter rest we betake us: Good-night, till May breezes awake us." Then her soft downy cap she drew over her head, And joined her sweet sisters asleep in their bed.

RUTH REVERE.

A DAY IN THE WOODS.

"AUTUMN days are going fast. Who wants to spend a day in the woods?" said uncle Tom to his nieces Jennie and Kate.

"I!" shouted Jennie; "and I!" shouted Kate; "and can aunt Jane and cousins Tom and Ann go too?" said both.

"Yes," said uncle Tom: "I will take the big wagon, and there will be room enough for all. Run and ask your mother to put up a lunch for us. We must start early in the morning."

Off they ran, and soon came back with Tom and Ann and their little brother Johnny, all eager for a frolic.

What fun they had as they rode along! The pure air of the country, flavored with an odor of the sea , seemed to put new life into them all.

When they reached the woods, they jumped out of the wagon and rambled about at will. The girls filled their baskets with wild flowers; aunt Jane twined some of them in Kate's hair; and Jennie made a lovely wreath, which she placed on Tom's head.

While they were singing, uncle Tom went after the horse. Pretty soon he drove up with the wagon and said, "Now pack in, every one of you, and we will have a jolly ride home."

They were about to take their seats in the wagon, when aunt Jane said, "Where's Johnny? We can't go home without him."

Sure enough, Johnny was missing.

"He strolled off while we were singing," said cousin Tom: "I guess he went down to the beach; for I saw him go in that direction, and he had a box under his arm, probably to put shells in."

"I'll warrant that's where he's gone," said uncle Tom. "And he is there exploring now, I dare say. But he can't be far off. We'll call him."

Then uncle Tom shouted in his deep voice, "Johnny!" Then aunt Jane and all the girls joined in the chorus of "Johnny!"

"The boy must be deaf if he does not hear that," said uncle Tom. Then they all shouted together once more. In a moment they heard Johnny's voice in reply. "I'm coming in a minute," said he.

"Hurry up," cried uncle Tom. "We are waiting for you."

It was five minutes before Johnny appeared, and then he came holding something in his hand triumphantly.

"What in the world have you there?" said aunt Jane.

"Something better than wild flowers," said Johnny.

Now what do you suppose it was? It was a live crab, which the boy had found among the rocks on the shore.

"You are not going to take it home with you, are you?" said aunt Jane.

"Of course I am," said Johnny.

"Well, jump in," said uncle Tom, "crab and all. We can't stop any longer."

So Johnny scrambled into the wagon with the rest, and off they drove.

UNCLE SAM.

BABY BOBBY.

I KNOW a house so full of noise, You'd think a regiment of boys, From early morn till close of day, Were busy with their romping play. And yet, I'm ready to declare, There is but one small youngster there,-- A little golden-headed chap, Who used to think his mother's lap The nicest place that e'er could be, Until he grew so big that he Was most a man, and learned what fun It is to shout and jump and run. This restless, noisy little elf Has learned, alas! to think himself Too old in mother's arms to sleep; Yet his blue eyes he cannot keep From hiding 'neath their lids so white; And, climbing to the sofa's height, He snuggles down, forgets his play, And into Dreamland sails away; And then it is that mamma knows Why the whole house so silent grows.

MARY D. BRINE.

MILLY AND JIP.

THIS is a little English girl. Her name is Mildred; but she is usually called Milly. She has always lived in a fine old house, with lovely grounds about it, not far from London. But now she is going, with her father and mother, to India.

She thinks it will be very nice to be travelling so far away with them; but she is sorry to leave her kind grandmother, and all her aunts and cousins. She could not help crying when she said good-by to them.

"I cannot go without my Jip," she said to her mother the day before leaving.

"Oh, no, darling!" said her mother. "I wouldn't think of leaving the little dog behind. He will be a fine play-fellow for you on board the ship."

So she has Jip cuddled close in her arms, you see. It is late in November, and the weather is cold. But Milly has plenty of warm fur wraps to protect her and her pet too.

Share on: WhatsApp @Hash Facebook Tweet