The Nursery, July 1873, Vol. XIV. No. 1

Excerpt

LOOK OUT FOR THE ENGINE!

ALLY and Bob were making a bonfire in the woods. They had come to spend the whole day, and had brought their dinner in a basket; and Carlo, their little dog, kept watch of it while they gathered sticks and leaves.

They soon had a large pile heaped up in the middle of the road which led through the forest. "For," said Bob, "we must make the fire where it won't do any mischief."

When all was ready, Bob lighted a match, and tucked it under the leaves. Then, getting down on his knees, he puffed and blew with his mouth, until first there rose a tiny stream of smoke; then a little flame crept out; and, in a moment more, the pile was blazing merrily.

The children got some large stones, and sat down on them to warm their hands; for Sally said her nose and fingers were so cold, she was sure Jack Frost must be somewhere around. They could not make Carlo come near the fire: he was afraid of it, it crackled and sputtered so. He liked better to lie under the bushes near the dinner-basket.

"What a splendid bonfire!" said Bob.

"Yes," said Sally; "but don't you wish we had some nice apples to roast in the coals?"

Just as she said this, they heard the whistle of a locomotive away in the distance. "Look out for the engine!" shouted Bob, jumping up. "Let's run and see the cars go by."

Away they ran down the road, to the edge of the woods, and climbed up on the fence. By leaning over, they could look far up the track, and watch the train come thundering down. First only a black speck was in sight; then the great lantern in front of the locomotive glittered in the sun; and soon the train was rushing by.

Bob balanced himself on the top rail, and shouted, "Hurrah!" Sally screamed, "Good-by, good-by!" at the top of her voice; and Carlo bristled up his hair, and barked loudly, wondering all the time what this strange creature could be, which made such a racket, and ran faster than he could.

The people in the cars heard the noise, and looked out to see where it came from. They saw a boy without his jacket perched on a fence, waving his hat; a little girl by his side, laughing so hard that she showed all her teeth; and a funny little yellow dog yelping with all his might: that was all. But they thought it a pretty picture, and opened the car-windows to wave their handkerchiefs.

As the last car rushed by, a lady at one of the windows tossed out two rosy apples. Down jumped Bob and Sally to pick them up. The apples had fallen in some thick grass, and were not bruised at all. "Just what we wanted," said Sally; "but, oh, dear! I'm so tired with shouting, that I don't believe I can eat my apple." She did eat it, though, every bit of it, except the seeds.

Henry Baldwin.

The children who had "The Nursery" last year will remember the story called "Kindness is better than Blows," where the bookseller with an apple coaxed the horse to draw a heavy load up the hill. Little Willy Gay looked at that picture very carefully, and soon made practical use of it, as I will tell you....