## The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Nursery, February 1873, Vol. XIII.

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: The Nursery, February 1873, Vol. XIII.

Author: Various

Release date: January 31, 2008 [eBook #24475]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Emmy, Juliet Sutherland and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NURSERY, FEBRUARY 1873, VOL. XIII. ***

### THE

# NURSERY

## A Monthly Magazine

## For Youngest Readers.

VOLUME XIII.—No. 2
BOSTON:
JOHN L. SHOREY, No. 36 BROMFIELD STREET.
1873.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873,
By JOHN L. SHOREY,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
Boston:
Rand, Avery, & Co., Stereotypers and Printers.

IN PROSE.
| PAGE.
The Biography of a Bubble | 33
The Story of a Little Duck | 37
Our Thanksgiving Dinner | 40
The Grandpa Story | 42
Miss Jones's Picture | 45
Clear the Coast | 48
Our New Dog | 50
Bunny | 52
Dandy the Bear | 55
Little Mischief | 57
Too Many Presents | 61
The Dog and the Shadow | 63
IN VERSE.
| PAGE
Jack's Menagerie | 36
Jack Frost | 44
Sue's Seasons | 47
The Children's Party | 54
Jack and Jill (with music) | 64

[33]

THE BIOGRAPHY OF A BUBBLE

[34]

## THE BIOGRAPHY OF A BUBBLE.

HE papa who writes this biography of a bubble never wrote a biography before in all his life. This is his first printed work. Perhaps some old person will criticise it severely.

"Why use such big words as 'biography' and 'criticise'?" this old person may ask. "Are you not writing for little people? Is not your subject a poor little bubble that could not have lived longer than three or four seconds?"

To which this papa replies: "Old person, do not meddle. This papa knows what he is about. The little folks understand very well that a 'biography' is a story of a life; that to 'criticise' is to find fault; and that a 'critic' is a fault-finder."

So all critics will please get out of the way, and leave this papa alone while he writes the biography of a bubble.

This bubble was born just as the clock struck four, on the afternoon of the 13th of January, 1873. Its name was "Diamond."

"Why, how could a bubble have a name?"

Now, you just be quiet and patient, and in good time you shall learn all. Papa had promised his little daughter Grace, that one of these days he would blow some bubbles for her amusement.

Grace reminded him several times of his promise; but papa was always too busy to attend to it. At last Grace said, "When will one of these days come?"—"It shall come now," said papa.

So he got a pipe, and a bowl of soap-suds; and Grace stood at his knee while he blew bubbles. Grace was delighted.[35] "Name them," said she; for papa had named her kittens, and she thought he could name the bubbles.

The first one's name was "Sparkle." It was a very big bubble; but it did not live long. The name of the second was "Glory." I think it might have lived a second longer than it did, if Grace had not touched it with her finger.

The third bubble floated up almost to the ceiling. Its name was "Napoleon." It rose as bravely as if it had no fear of breaking. It expired of old age, after reaching the term of ten seconds and a half.

At last, just as the clock struck four, little "Diamond" appeared. She was a delicate little thing, and bright with all the colors of the rainbow. She was not proud like the other bubbles. She did not try to mount. Perhaps papa's breath made her go as she did.

Grace admired "Diamond" very much. "Why, see, papa! She is coming to kiss me," said the little girl;—"she is on my cheek."

Yes, little "Diamond" ended her life on the cheek of innocence. What better end could she have had? Was it not much better than mounting to the cold, white ceiling, and living to a dull old age, like the big bubble whose name was Napoleon?

Grace's Papa.

[36]

## JACK'S MENAGERIE.

"This is our grand menagerie,
Beneath the crooked cherry-tree.
The exhibition now begins:
Admittance, only thirteen pins;
And if the pins you cannot borrow,
Why, then, we'll trust you till to-morrow.
Don't be afraid to walk inside:
The animals are safely tied.
"This is the elephant on the right:
Don't meddle with him, or he'll bite.
(He's Rover, Neddie's dog, you know.
I wish he wouldn't fidget so!
He doesn't think it fun to play
Wild beast, and be chained up all day.)
We'll feed him, pretty soon, with meat;
Though grass is what he ought to eat.
"In that box are the kangaroos:
Go near and pat them if you choose;
(They're very much like Susie's rabbits,
With just a change of name and habits.)
You'll find them lively as a top:
See, when I poke them, how they hop.
They are not fierce; but, oh! take care:
We now approach the grizzly bear.
"See her long claws, and only hear
Her awful growl when I go near!
We found her lying on a rug,
And just escaped her fearful hug.
It took some time to get her caged:
She's terrible when she's enraged.
(You think, perhaps, it's Mabel's cat,
But don't you be too sure of that!)
"Here is the ostrich in her pen
(It's Ernest's little bantam-hen):
She came from Africa, of course,
And runs as fast as any horse;
And up above there is a bird
Of whom you all have often heard,—
The eagle ('That is not,' says Mary,
'A pretty name for my canary')."
Just at this point, I grieve to say,
The elephant broke quite away,
O'erthrew the grizzly bear in rage,
Upset the eagle in his cage,
Flew at the kangaroos, and then
Attacked the ostrich in her pen.
Thus ended Jack's menagerie
Beneath the crooked cherry tree!
H. B.

[37]

## THE STORY OF A LITTLE DUCK.

I was one of a family of nine brothers and sisters. We all found ourselves outside our shells one fine, sunny day in spring; but we felt chilly, and were glad to nestle under the wings of the kind old hen whom we regarded as our mother.

In a day or two, we began to look about the world. We found that it comprised a pretty lawn, on which our mansion was placed, with a brick wall at one end of it. The other end of the world was at the foot of the lawn, and consisted of a level expanse as smooth as a sheet of glass.

Our mansion was formed of wood, with a high pointed roof, and with open bars in front, through which we could look out and enjoy the prospect. We could crawl under the bars easily; but mother-hen could not.

One day a great, strong giant came and lifted up our mansion right over our heads. This giant had two legs, but no wings. Poor thing! They called him a little boy. He frightened us very much at first; but as he fed us, and called us, "Ducky, ducky!" we soon grew fond of him.

When the boy had lifted up our mansion (which he called a coop), mother-hen started at once on a journey round the world. We stopped to pick up some bits of grain, and some little worms, which we found. "Cluck, cluck!" said mother-hen, which means, "Come, come!" and we all said, "Quack, quack!" which means, "Yes, yes!"

On we went, threading our way through the forest of grass; and our ideas were much enlarged by finding that the world comprised a vast farm-yard as well as our lawn, and the distant glass-like boundary. On we went, "Cluck, cluck! quack, quack!" and at last found ourselves close to the smooth expanse, which we learned was called a pond, and composed of a beautiful liquid called "water."[38]

Into this pond my brothers and sisters dashed, and of course I followed. How delicious! The water was cool and refreshing, and so buoyant, that we moved about on it more easily than we could walk on the land; but, when we looked back to the bank, we saw mother-hen calling out in grief and dread, "Cluck, cluck! come, come! you'll drown, drown! Oh, oh!"

"All right!" said my eldest brother; "no fear: here we are as jolly as sandboys! You may as well come. It's capital. Here goes for a dive!" And, so saying, under he[39] went, and soon came up again, laughing, "Quack, quack! oh, it's so jolly!"

But poor mother-hen did not see any thing jolly about it, and was always in fear when we went to the pond, into which she would never go herself.

In time we grew up, and found that we could actually fly in the air. Oh, capital! When that horrible monster with four legs, which they called "a dog," ran after us, we opened our wings, and flew over the lawn to the pond. And there stood the stupid dog bawling out, "Bow, wow! bow, wow!"

One day our ideas were again expanded by our being driven through a gate. We then found that the world was much larger than we had thought; for beyond our wall was a broad ploughed field, as well as a vast forest, the edges of which touched the distant sky. Wonderful discovery! How grand a duck feels when gaining useful knowledge!

Every thing went on pleasantly enough, until a great awkward giant, named Bob, came and looked very hard at us. At first we did not like him; but he was really very kind, and called us "Ducky, ducky, ducky!" and threw us handfuls of barley. He then seized two or three of my fattest brothers and sisters, and frightened them so much, that they called out, "Quack, quack! don't, don't!" But they need not have made such a fuss, as he put them safely in a basket with a lid to it to keep off the rain, and took a great deal of care of them indeed.

How kind of him to take the trouble to carry them in this basket on his arm, instead of leaving them to waddle along the road! In this way he has taken all my brothers and sisters away with him, except myself and my brother little Jack Drake. I dare say he will soon take us with him in his nice basket.

Certainly it is a good thing to have men to attend to us[40] so well. I am sure they must be very fond of ducks to take such care of us. And so I said to Jack Drake; but all he said in reply was, "Quack, quack! quack, quack!"

T. C.

## OUR THANKSGIVING DINNER.

We live in a little village near the city of Cincinnati. We have not lived here many years; and our grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins are so far away, that they cannot often come to see us.

This year, on Thanksgiving Day, none of our friends were with us; and mamma and papa felt very sad to have the big turkey cooked, and only our own family to eat it.

So, happening to see a ragged little boy in the street, mamma called him, and told him to go out and find eleven[41] more poor little boys, and tell them to come with him and get a Thanksgiving dinner.

He ran off in high glee; and, sure enough, when twelve o'clock came, along came the whole number of poor, hungry little boys. Their eyes sparkled with delight when they saw the nice brown turkey, and the pies and cakes. They were soon seated at the table; and papa and mamma waited on them.

It made us all glad to see how the poor fellows enjoyed their dinner. One ragged little boy was so afraid of soiling the cloth, that he quietly slipped the bones under the table. Another boy saw him, and told the rest; and then they all had a good laugh.

After they had eaten as much as they wanted, they were taken into the room where the piano is; and mamma got "The Nursery" containing the song of "Mother Hubbard," and played and sung it to them.

Papa then gave each one a paper of candy and a nice large apple, and sent them off. No sooner were they out of the door than they set up a yell like so many little Indians, and ran to their homes as fast as they could, I suppose, to tell about the good time they had had.

We all think now that we enjoyed our Thanksgiving as well as children who had their own friends to dine with them. And I do not doubt that those poor little boys will remember their unexpected dinner as long as they live.

Harrison, O. Annie Gray Pattison.

[42]

## THE GRANDPA STORY.

"Which shall it be to-night, Harry?" I said a little while ago?—"The Goblet Story, The Grandpa Story, or About the Runaway Boy?"

"Oh! The Grandpa Story," said Harry at once; "for grandpa has been here to-day, and brought me ten notched sugar-plums,—five red ones, and five white." So I began:—

One bright Monday morning, I looked out of the front-window, and said, "Why, Harry, Uncle David has come to town! He is tying his horse under the elm-tree." A minute after, Uncle David opened the door into the sitting-room, and said, "Is there any one here who would like to go out to grandpa's to-day?" And mamma spoke right up, and said, "We would all like to go. It will do my little lads good to have a nice ride."

"Get ready quick, then," said Uncle David. So mamma put a little blue cloak and a white sun-bonnet on Freddy the baby, and a linen coat, and straw hat with blue ribbons on Harry; and they all went out, and got into the carriage.[43]

Then away they rode through the pretty streets, and over a covered bridge, where the horse went trot, trot, trot. Then they crossed a railroad-track, and drove past a station, and stopped at a store; and Uncle David went in and bought a great box of sugar for Aunt Mattie, and a little bag of candy to carry home to his little boy Philly.

Then they rode up a steep hill, and came out upon Westfield Plains. And then what beautiful things they saw!—a man with a gun, a squirrel cracking a nut, a little girl with red hair, a man picking apples from a tree, and, best of all, a boy flying a kite.

By and by they drove up a hill to grandpa's house. Cousin Philly, who was out on the piazza, ran into the house to tell his mamma that Aunt Susan had come, and brought all her little boys with her.

Tiger, the great black dog, said, "Bow, wow!" to Harry, as he went up the steps. Cousin Anne sat in a great rocking-chair by the open window, and sang to her dolly, "Rock-a-by baby."

Aunt Mattie was glad enough to see them, and gave Harry a round cooky with a hole in the middle, that he thought very funny. Mamma always makes square cookies, with no holes to put your fingers through.

By and by, when grandpa came in from the orchard, they had a nice supper. They had peaches and cream, and biscuits and honey; and, oh! how good every thing tasted!

Philly lent Harry his cup with the picture of a queen on one side, and "Remember me" on the other; and Harry drank two cups of milk, the cup was so pretty.

After supper Harry's eyes began to droop; and so mamma said, "Kiss grandpa, my little boy, and the dear little cousins, and then let's run to bed with sleepy head."

In six seconds after Harry's head touched the pillow, he was fast asleep.

The next morning he awoke fresh and bright; and, after breakfast, Philly and Harry went out into the road to play. They made little[44] sand-hills and houses of pebble-stones, and dug wells in the sand, and had a real good time.

In the afternoon, mamma put the cloaks and hats on Harry and Freddy; Uncle David drove up to the house; and they all got into the carriage, and had a nice ride home.

S. B. T.

## JACK FROST.

Jack Frost, he is with us again;
He comes every winter, you know:
But we're hardy and bold,
And we don't mind the cold,
And we welcome the ice and the snow.
Jack Frost plays a rough sort of game
With the children wherever he goes:
He pinches their cheeks;
Their noses he tweaks;
[45]And he treads on their ten little toes.
Jack Frost makes the ground rather hard:
But with thick boots we clatter about;
And we run till our breath
Puffs away like a wreath
Of white steam from the teakettle's spout.
Jack Frost lays his hand on the pond,
And turns it to glittering ice;
Then the skaters they glide,
And the sliders they slide:
Think of that, Charley; isn't it nice!
Jack Frost, he is sure to be found
Where the sleigh-bells are tinkling clear;
As the horses, so strong,
Canter gayly along,
While the lads give a shout and a cheer.
Jack Frost, then, you're welcome again;
Of pleasures you bring us a store:
But be mild as you can,
Oh, you fierce little man!
When you visit the feeble and poor.
George Bennett.

## MISS JONES'S PICTURE.

I have just been looking at Miss Jones's picture. How do you think Miss Jones looks?

She wears a shawl pinned close up to her throat, a cap tied under her chin, and a pair of spectacles over some very wise-looking eyes.

What a funny-looking picture! I call it a funny picture,[46] because the clothes are an old lady's clothes; but the face is a little girl's face, round and plump and rosy. If I could take off the cap and the shawl and the spectacles, I should see a little girl of four years, with a white dress, a pink sash, and long curls hanging down over her shoulders.

Her name is Edith May. Her mamma calls her Edie. Edie likes to fix herself up, and "play people" as she calls it. She takes many different parts.

Sometimes she is an old lady, and sometimes she is a young lady. Sometimes she plays she is mamma; and then she runs round taking care of her dollies, and says she doesn't know what she shall do now that Tilly has the measles, and Hannah has the chicken-pox, and she verily believes that the baby has the measles too.

The other day, she said she was going to be Miss Jones, and go down to the saloon and have her picture taken.[47]

So she fixed herself up with cap and spectacles and shawl, and went down to the photograph-room, and told the artist that she was Miss Jones, and she had called to have her picture taken.

Then the artist placed a chair for her, and she sat up as straight as she could. When the pictures were finished, he sent them to her mamma, who has sent one to me; and here you have it in "The Nursery."

S. F. W.

## SUE'S SEASONS.

In the spring, when the leaves all start,
The crocus thrills at its glowing heart,
The windflower opens its tinted cup,
While the sap mounts merrily up and up.
In the spring all the birds begin,
Early and late to build and sing:
Sweeter music was never heard
Then the merry note of a building bird.
In the summer the roses smile,
Painting the roadside, mile by mile;
The sweet-brier catches you as you pass,
The violets thicken among the grass;
Little nests run over with song,
Little wings grow restless and strong;
Daisies shine in the fields afar,
Odors float where the lilies are.
In the autumn the sap runs down,
And leaves are tinted with gold and brown:
In the winter when wild winds blow,
The leaves are dead in a shroud of snow.
Mary N. Prescott.

[48]

## "CLEAR THE COAST!"

I told you last month how Robert hoped that Santa Claus would bring him a sled; and how Robert woke on Christmas morning to find by his bedside a beautiful sled, painted red, with thick iron runners.

The next day he went with Uncle Charles to the hill on Boston Common, near Park Street, to see the boys coast. Here is a picture of the scene, drawn from life; and a very correct idea it will give you of the sport that may be witnessed in Boston after every snow-storm.

Robert had his sled with him; and as he stood with Uncle Charles, looking at the coasters, the little boy longed to be of them and among them. But Uncle Charles said, "You are not quite old enough yet to coast in public: you have not had practice enough."

Then a big boy, who had been admiring Robert's sled, stepped up and said, "I should like to try that sled, sir: I can take the little fellow on the sled in front of me. I will take good care of him, sir."

Robert begged so hard to take his first lesson in coasting under the care of this big boy, that Uncle Charles at last consented; and in the picture you may see Uncle Charles waiting for the two boys to come along on the sled.

He could not see them at first: but in about five minutes down they came like the rush of a torrent; and little Robert, as he saw Uncle Charles, cried out as loud as he could, "Clear the coast, clear the coast!"

Uncle Charles clapped his hands; the ladies waved their handkerchiefs; and Robert felt quite proud, when, as he reached the bottom of the hill, some boys gathered round, and pronounced his sled "a first-rate runner."[49]

[50]

That was a proud day for Robert; for, before he left the Common, he was allowed to coast once all alone; and he did it in such good style, that the big boy told him he would make a "prime coaster."

"What did he mean by a "prime coaster"?" asked Robert. "He meant," said Uncle Charles, "that, with a little more practice, you will coast very well,—as well, perhaps, as he does himself."

Alfred Selwyn.

## OUR NEW DOG.

We have a new dog. His name is Bright. He is only two years old. His master one day took the cars near our place for California; and poor Bright was left behind.

I met him at the railroad-station. He seemed to be in great distress. I had some bread in my hand, and offered him a piece. He was too sad to eat. I patted him on the head, and said, "Poor doggie, have you lost your master?"

Bright howled as if he understood my question; and I believe he did. When I got home that day, I found that he had followed me. As I stood on the door-step, he fawned at my feet, and made a low, imploring noise, as if he would like to say, "Do be my master, and let me be your dog: I will be such a good dog!"

I understood what he wanted, and said, "Well, old fellow, you shall have your wish. I adopt you as my own dog."

Thereupon Bright wagged his tail, and barked, and put his fore-feet on my shoulders, and tried to lick my face. We understood each other now completely.

Bright seemed to understand that he must not only be good to me, but to all under my care. I had a little white kitten named Snow-drop. When she and Bright first met,[51] she was so much afraid, that she leaped up on top of the bookcase to be out of his way.

It was amusing to see how he tried to coax her down, and to make her feel that he was her friend. Snow-drop mewed, and raised her back; but Bright, by some good-natured half-barks and playful grunts, soon made her understand that he was one of the family, and bound to treat her well.

By and by Snow-drop left off mewing, and began to purr. Bright lay down on the carpet, and began flapping and brushing it in a half-circle with his tail. That meant play.

So Kitty at last came down; and, when I left the room, she and Bright were having a grand frolic together. I know you would like my dog Bright if you could see him.

Kansas. Edwin Barton.

[52]

## BUNNY.

One day, when I was in the barn, I happened to look up, and there, on a beam, I saw a red squirrel with a great bushy tail. He was looking right at me.
The next day I saw him in my yard, trying to jump from one tree to another. I thought he would fall; but he just saved himself by catching the end of a twig.
Up in one of the chambers there was an old satchel hanging on a nail. Bunny climbed in at the window, and filled the satchel with nuts and apple-seeds. There was a basket of corn in the wood-house; and Bunny carried it almost all away.

[53]

One day, as Bunny was going along in the grass, he heard a noise: so he sat up, and looked about. He saw a dog. Up went Bunny into a tree.
The dog came under the tree, and barked. The saucy squirrel ran down, and said with his eyes, "Now catch me if you can," and then ran up to the top of the tree as quick as a wink.
W. O. C.

[54]

## THE CHILDREN'S PARTY.

Will you come to our party to-day, Carrie Wynn?
The party is all ready now to begin;
And you shall be mother, and pour out the tea,
Because you're the oldest and best of the three.
My white cups and saucers that came Christmas Day
Are all set out nicely on Hatty's gilt tray;
Real milk in the cream-jug, and real sugar too;
But only play-tea—we pretend that it's true.
We've got a whole orange, and three macaroons,
And some blue-mange—we'll eat it with Hatty's new spoons;
And we've carried our table out under the trees:
[55]So come, Carrie Wynn, to our party, do, please!
Hatty'll sit at one end, and the other you'll take;
And I'll cut the orange, and she'll help the cake:
You'll see something funny—the reason, don't ask it—
When we've eaten the cake, we can eat up the basket!
We invited the dolls; but they both have the mumps;
And yesterday mine got two terrible bumps:
So we left them in bed; and I do not much care,
For dolls never will sit up straight on a chair.
Then, nicest of all, when our party is done,
We'll wash up the dishes; and won't that be fun!
Then scrub sticky fingers and sugary thumbs;
And the sparrows and robins may clear up the crumbs.
Elizabeth Sill.

## DANDY THE BEAR.

We have a dancing bear in our village. His name is Dandy. He belongs to Mr. Werner, a German, who leads him about the streets, and makes a show of him. We children[56] all give Dandy some of our spare cents when we see him; for a bear has to be fed like you and me.

"Come, Dandy," Mr. Werner will say, "here are the young ladies and gentlemen, all with plenty of cents in their pockets to give you if you perform well. They are good judges of high art. They can admire the poetry of motion. So do your prettiest."

Mr. Werner has a monkey and a pet dog. The monkey is called Captain. He wears a hat with a feather in it. The name of the pet dog is Grip. He is fat and greedy; and, if he sees a boy with a cake, he begs for a piece of it; indeed, he wouldn't object to the whole of it. I wonder if you can spy out Grip and the Captain in the picture.

But Dandy makes more fun for us than all the rest. "Now, Dandy," Mr. Werner will say, "make your most stunning bow to the ladies, and then give us a turn on the light fantastic."

By the "light fantastic," Mr. Werner means "the light fantastic toe." He has made this joke so many times, that we know what he means by it.

Thus encouraged, Dandy will bow, raise himself on one of his hind-feet, and whirl round in a pirouette. (If you do not know what a pirouette is, you must get some one to explain and pronounce the word for you.)

You would laugh to see Dandy imitate the great dancers. Though he can hardly be called graceful, he is very amusing; and we children willingly pay for the sight a cent each when the Captain passes round the hat.

Mr. Werner thinks of taking Dandy to other towns to show off his accomplishments. If you should ever see him, I hope you will treat him well for my sake. I am the boy in the picture with a slate under his arm; and my name is

Richard Roe.

[57]

## LITTLE MISCHIEF.

### IV.

Bessie went to pass a week with her Aunt Clara and Uncle Frank. Uncle Frank was a portrait-painter. One day Bessie took her doll Cornelia, and went into his studio.

On the easel stood a portrait. Bessie looked at it, and thought it must be a likeness of her friend Col. Fraser. "But," said she, "the mustache is too faint: it wants paint."

Then she remembered hearing her uncle say that he had more work than he could attend to. "What if I do a little work for him, and so give him a surprise!" thought she.[58]

### V.

"Uncle Frank, when he is by, never lets me touch his paints," said Bessie to herself; "but that must be because he does not know how clever I am. Nothing can be easier to paint than a mustache. It is only a number of hairs."

So Bessie climbed up into her uncle's chair, and took one of his long brushes in her hand. Then she looked at the colors on the palette, and tried to mix the blue and red as she had seen Uncle Frank do.

The long brush was hard to manage. However, she remembered the rhyme, "Try, try, try again;" and she worked away until she thought she had got the tint.[59]

### VI.

At last Bessie was ready to begin her great work. So, standing on tiptoe, she applied the brush to the upper-lip. She was determined, while she was about it, to give Col. Fraser a thoroughly good mustache, long and thick.

Now and then she would step back a little way, and consider the picture from a distance, as she had seen her uncle do. She was well pleased with her work. It was certainly a great improvement: so Bessie thought.

At last she laid down her brush. She felt quite charmed with her success, and picked up her doll off the floor, that she might see how well her little mamma could paint.[60]

### VII.

"It is beautiful! Is it not, Cornelia?" she said, as she threw herself back in the chair. "Uncle will never say again that I cannot paint. Perhaps it is more blue than Col. Fraser's mustache; but it is all the prettier for that."

Bessie remembered, too, that her mamma had once read to her a story about a man with a blue beard. "So people do have blue mustaches sometimes," thought she.

What did Uncle Frank say when he saw what she had done? I am sorry to say he did not agree with Bessie that the picture was improved. At first he was vexed; then he laughed; then he gave Bessie a kiss.

[61]

## TOO MANY PRESENTS.

Did you ever hear of the boy who had a drum and a trumpet and a rocking-horse for his Christmas presents, and cried, after all, because Santa Claus had given his sister a doll, and hadn't given him one?

I have heard of that boy; but, to tell the truth, I doubt the whole story. It is a little too tough for me. I don't[62] believe there ever was such a boy; and I won't believe in him until I see him.

But I did know a little boy who almost cried because he had no Christmas present. He was a good boy too. He would have been pleased with any thing; and it was too bad that Santa Claus forgot to bring some little gift for him.

The queerest case, though, is that of the little boy whose picture we have here. You see him just as he looked on Christmas morning, with his presents all around him; and yet you see he does not look happy. What can be the matter with the child?

Ah! the trouble is, that he has too many presents. He has so many that he doesn't know what to do with them. He doesn't know which to play with first. He is afraid all the time that some of them will get lost. And so, by trying to enjoy them all at once, he fails to enjoy them at all.

Poor boy! he is having a hard time of it, and I pity him very much. If I were going to prescribe for him, this is what I should say, "Tom, my boy" (I know by his looks that his name is Tom), "don't be cast down. I'll show you the way out of your trouble. Your case is pretty bad; but there's a remedy. What you want to do is to give away something.

"Now, there's that doll that you are hugging so closely. What does a boy like you want of a doll? That must have been meant for some little girl. It was sent to you on purpose to give away. Of course it was.

"Then there are those two wagons. You don't want both of them. You know you don't. Find the boy who hadn't any Christmas presents, and give one of the wagons to him. Let that wooden soldier go with it; for what do you want of a soldier, when you have a gun of your own?

"And what if you should give away something that you[63] do want very much; why, it wouldn't hurt you a bit: you would feel all the better for it. Just try now, Tom, and see if you wouldn't."

Perhaps the little boy would take my advice; and perhaps he wouldn't, but, if he should, I'm sure he would make a much more cheerful picture than he does now.

Uncle Sam.

## THE DOG AND THE SHADOW.

A dog, crossing a bridge with a piece of meat in his mouth, saw in the water what he took to be another dog, with a piece of meat twice the size of his own. Letting go his own, he flew at the other dog to get the larger piece from him. He thus lost both,—that which he grasped at in the water, because it was a shadow; and his own, because the stream swept it away.

[64]

[Transcriber's Note: You can play this music (MIDI file) by clicking here.]

2. Jack and Jill went round the hill To tend the geese and gander, But strolled away to sport and play, And left the geese to wander: A fox came down and pounced on one, And stole it for his dinner. While Jill and Jack came running back, But Foxy was the winner. | 3. Jack and Jill went down the hill To scare away the crows there: Jack fired his gun, and soon killed one, But blew off his own nose there. Says Jill, "Good luck, my darling Jack! I'll go and fetch your master; And don't suppose you've lost your nose, We'll stick it on with plaster."

### Transcriber's Note:

Obvious punctuation errors repaired.

This issue was part of an omnibus. The original text for this issue did not include a title page or table of contents. This was taken from the January issue with the "No." added. The original table of contents covered the entire year of 1873. The remaining text of the table of contents can be found in the rest of the year's issues.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NURSERY, FEBRUARY 1873, VOL. XIII. ***
Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.
START: FULL LICENSE

## THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

> This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”
- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.
- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.
- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™
Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.
The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.
This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.