Eight Stories for Isabel

Excerpt

Here is a Steam Boat sailing on the water. How fast she moves. She is carried along by wheels. See the smoke coming from the chimney. There is a great fire in the boat, and large boilers, which hold sixty hogsheads of water; and when this water boils, the steam comes from it so swift and strong that it can be made to move the great wheels which are on the outside of the boat, and these great wheels have wide paddles to them, that are all the time beating water back.

THE CHAIR.

You all know what this picture is; a Chair. It has a back and a seat and four legs. I knew a little girl that got upon the back of a chair, when her brother was sitting in it eating his breakfast, and he rose up as soon as he had done, and the chair fell back to the floor, and his little sister’s head was so hurt that she died. You must never get upon the back of a chair, nor pull one away when any body is going to sit down, for the fall may break the person’s back.

This Ship is carried along by the wind, which blows against her white sails, which you can see all spread from the mast.

Her hull sits on the water and slides along throwing the waves on each side.

The great Whale, and the Porpoise, and the hungry Sharks, all play round the great Ship, and seem to wonder what mighty thing it is that is swimming through the sea and keeps always on the top of the water, not sinking down and coming up again as they do.

THE WELL.

This is the picture of a Well. It is pretty, and all around it are flowers growing upon its grey and mossy stones. It has a wheel, and bucket, and a rope; and water is got from it by putting down the bucket, and pulling the rope over the wheel.

Did you ever hear of the giddy Girl who fell into the well, and of naughty John Green who threw the poor puss into the well, and of good Jack Stout who took her out? You can read their story in many books.

This is the picture of a very strong Arm, holding a great hammer. It is such arms as this that do all the most useful work in the world. It must be such an arm that beats out the hard iron, that hammers the rough stone and makes it smooth, that cuts down with an axe the largest trees, and that builds all our houses. It is this arm that guides the plough and that mows the grass, and that tames the wild colt and the fiery bull, and makes them obedient, to drag our carts and chaises.

THE CAT.

Puss is seeing her pretty face in the looking-glass. Perhaps she will wash her face in the bowl that stands by her side.

Cats will always wash their faces once a day, and look clean and neat, and when they take a walk out of doors, they never step in the wet. Little girls must keep their shoes and frocks and stockings and hands and face clean, and never play in the dirt.

Cats are not fond of dogs. Her tail will puff out as big as your arm, when she sees one.

God made the Cow, the Cow gives milk, the woman makes butter and cheese from the milk, and Children eat butter, and cheese, and milk. Cows cannot read but you must read.

WHITE HORSE.

Here is a white Horse, with his black mane and long tail. He trots in the chaise, he walks with the tracks and the carts, and he canters and gallops in the saddle.