Excerpt
THE DELIGHTS OF THE SEASIDE. H merry, merry sports had we, last summer on the beach,— Lucy and Oliver and I, with Uncle Sam to teach! At times, clad in our bathing-suits, we'd join our hands, all four, And rush into the water, or run along the shore. The wet sand, how it glistened on the sunny summer day!And how the waves would chase us back, as if they were in play!And when, on the horizon blue, a sail we would espy,How "Ship ahoy!" or "Whither bound?" we all of us would cry! The white, white sand, so smooth and hard, oh what a place for fun!With no one by to check our screams, or say, "Now, pray, have done!"The sea-birds, not at all disturbed by all our mirthful noise,Would cry to us, as if they said, "Shout on, shout on, my boys!" Sometimes we'd seek for flattened stones, and skim them o'er the waves;Then go where, in the piled-up rocks, the sea had hollowed caves;Or sit and feel the cooling breeze in silent happiness;Or hunt for seaweed in the clefts, and take it home to press. And well do I remember there a little shallow creek,Where we would go and sail our ships, at least three times a week:We loaded them with cargoes rich, and sent them all to Spain;And back they came with heavy freights, by which we made much gain. Oh! pleasant pastimes on the beach, how often I recallThe ocean grand, the distant sails, the rocks, the lighthouse tall!They do not fade, these pictures bright, from memory's inner view;And age itself shall never dim their colors ever new.
MABEL AND HER FRIEND CARLO.
Mabel lives on a hill, quite near a beautiful lake, and is very fond of going with her papa to take a row on the water. Sometimes they visit the woods on the other side of the lake, and pick wild flowers, or go where the water-lilies grow, near the shore, and gather a bunch of the pretty white blossoms.
But I must tell about Mabel's friend Carlo. He is a large shaggy dog, owned by a gentleman who lives near. Although quite a young dog, he knows a great deal. He is very fond of water, and is wild with delight at the prospect of a swim.
His master owns a large sail-boat, and, as the water near the shore is not deep, he has to use a small boat to reach it. When Carlo sees him take down the oar from its place in the yard, he runs up, and takes it in his mouth, as much as to say, "Let me carry that for you, master." Then he trots down the hill with the oar, feeling very proud that he is allowed to carry it.
One day, Carlo took hold of the rope with his teeth, and drew the small boat to the shore; so that his master, who was in it, did not have to use the oar.
Mabel loves Carlo very much; and, although he is a large dog, he knows that he must play very gently with little boys and girls, and not hurt them with his great paws.
PLAYING KING. Ho! I'm a king, a king! A crown is on my head;A sword is at my side; and regal is my tread:Ho, slave! proclaim my will to all the people round,—The schools are hereby closed; henceforth must fun abound. Vacation shall not end; all slates I order smashed;The man who says "arithmetic"—he must be soundly thrashed;All grammars shall be burnt; the spellers we will tear;The boy who spells correctly—a fool's cap he shall wear. No dolls shall be allowed, for dolls are what I hate;The girls must give them up, and learn to swim and skate;Confectioners must charge only a cent a poundFor all the plums and candy that in the shops are found. That man who asks a dime for any pear or peach—I'll have him hung so high, that none his feet can reach;No baker is allowed hereafter to bake bread;He must bake only pies and cake and ginger-snaps instead. All lecturers must quit our realm without delay;The circus-men and clowns, on pain of death, must stay;All folks who frown on fun, at once must banished be:Now, fellow, that you know my will, to its fulfilment see!
A TRUE ANTELOPE STORY.
Some time ago, I told the readers of "The Nursery" about catching a buffalo-calf. I will now tell them about a young antelope which we caught, and another which we almost caught.
Tip and I were in that part of Western Kansas which is left blank on the maps. Two hunters, Thompson and Hughes, had joined us; and we were coming back from a buffalo-chase. We had been crawling lazily along, over prairie, through valley, up and down hill, since sunrise, and it was now nearly noon.
All of a sudden, from a clump of tall grass near us, up sprung an antelope and a pair of beautiful fawns....