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[front cover]
_files/FRONT.jpe)
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[title page]
STORIES
FOR
CHILDREN, BY
COUSIN
SARAH.
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PROVIDENCE:
PUBLISHED BY
DANIEL
PERRIN,
BOOKSELLER & STATIONER,
177 WESTMINSTER ST.
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p. 2
_files/A.jpe)
The Antelope bounds o'er the grassy plain,
As light and
as free as the air;
And happy as all little children should
be,
Who have never known sorrow or care.
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p. 3
THE ANTELOPE.
When little Susie's father came home from New York he brought her a
new picture-book, with which she was, of course, delighted, and thanked
him over and over again. And then, like all other little girls and little
boys, when they get a new book, she sat down to look at the pictures. In a
few moments she ran to her aunt, who sat sewing by the window, and said,
"Look aunt Mary! what a pretty Antelope! Did you ever see one?["] "No,
Susie," said she, "they do not live here. They are found in a country
called Asia, many thousand miles away. They are very beautiful little
animals, only about as high as this table; but they are very timid, and
run so swiftly that no dog can overtake them. They are sometimes called
gazelles, and ladies have them for pets, although I suppose you would
prefer to make a pet of your little white kitten.["]
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p. 4
_files/B.jpe)
Lightly rising in the air,
See the bubbles sparkling
there;
Glistening gaily in the sun--
Tho' their beauty soon is
gone.
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p. 5
THE BUBBLES.
One day, after their tasks were over, little Charley and his sisters
went out to play on the log back of the house. Their mother had given them
a large bowl of soap suds, and grandpa some of his new pipes; so they
thought they would have fine sport blowing bubbles. Charley and Mary took
their pipes and blowed bravely, while little Lucy laughed and clapped her
hands to see the bright round bubbles rise up and glisten so prettily in
the sun. But bubbles, like the happy days of little children, although
bright and beautiful, soon pass away. So, after a while they grew tired of
playing this, and away they ran in search of some new fun. Mary said,
"Come, let's ask mother if we may go to the woods and get some berries."
This they thought would be very pleasant. Mother consented, and taking
their baskets they skipped merrily away.
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p. 6
_files/C.jpe)
Come, Brindle, your dinner you've had,
You've fed in the pasture all day,
Now give us a bowl of sweet
milk,
For a little boy tired of his play.
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p. 7
OLD BRINDLE.
Do you live in the country? If you do not, have'nt you some good old
grandpa or kind uncle who does, where you can go in the hot summer? And,
when you are there, what sport you have in the old barn, jumping on the
sweet hay, and hunting hen's nests in all the dark corners! And then the
orchard, with its peaches and apples, and at night a long walk through the
woods, to drive the cows home. And then I know you like to go out with
John or Betty when they milk the cows. And you can pat old Brindle's neck,
while she stands so still, and appears as though she was pleased to have
little children come and see her. And when you go in, grandma or aunt Jane
has got you a nice bowl of bread and milk for your supper, and in the
morning you will have some bright yellow butter on your cakes. What should
we do without the Cow to give us milk?
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p. 8
_files/D.jpe)
Now they'll have a fine ride
In the garden to-day,
With Carlo to draw them,
As happy as they.
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p. 9
THE DOG CARLO.
See! there is Miss Annie taking a morning ride, in her little yellow
wagon, with Carlo to draw her. She has her whip in her hand, but I do not
think she will be very cruel to him, for see how good and kind he looks,
and how willing he is to try to do just as Annie or master Edward bids
him. Carlo is a very good dog, and has done a great many useful things for
his master. I have seen him carrying a basket home from market as
carefully as master Edward could do. And if he were to go to walk with
Annie, he would take as much care of her as a dog could, and would not
allow anything to harm her. Little Annie must be kind to old Carlo, for if
he does sometimes do as she would not wish to have him, it is because he
does not know better, and she must try and teach him to do right. We must
never be cruel to dumb animals.
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p. 10
_files/E.jpe)
Here, Willie, is an Elephant,
Just see how large he is!
How do you think you'd like to ride
On a seat so high as this?
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p. 11
THE ELEPHANT.
Willie Gray was told one morning that, if his lessons for the forenoon
were well learned, he should go in the afternoon to see a show of wild
animals. In high glee he rn off to school, and, as soon as he saw his
little playmates, he told them of his promised pleasure. And Johnny Lee
said, "I'm going too; and my father says we shall see a great Elephant."
Little Willie wondered what an elephant was, but he thought he could ask
his father at noon. So he waited quite patiently until school was done,
and then hurried home, and when he found his father he desired him to tell
something about an Elephant. So his father said, "Well, Willie, you will
see a very large animal, larger than any you ever saw, but you need not be
at all afraid of him, for he is very mild and gentle. In the country where
they live people use them instead of horses."
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p. 12
_files/F.jpe)
It is so warm I cannot play,
And so I'll take my book
to-day;
I'll get my Fan, and under the tree
There'll be a nice
cool place for me.
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p. 13
FANNY AND HER FAN.
One summer afternoon little Fanny hardly knew how to amuse herself. It
was so warm she did not want to play much, and puss was so sleepy she
could'nt talk to her; so she thought she would get her story book and read
a little. There was a cool place to sit under a large tree in the garden,
so Fanny got her book, and then she wanted a fan. Now she had a nice
little one of her own, that her aunt had given her, with a picture upon
it, of two sisters swinging in a pretty garden; but she thought her
mother's large fan was much better. So she ran to her mother, who was
sewing in the parlor, and asked leave to take it. Her mother was very
kind, and told her she might if she would be careful of it, and went to
get it for her. So Fanny had a fine time reading in the garden; and
learned some verses about a little robbin [sic] to say to her mother.
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p. 14
_files/G.jpe)
To see the little Goslings swim,
I'm sure would be nice fun,
So Mary get your bonnet quick
And to the pond we'll run.
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p. 15
THE GOOSE AND GOSLINGS.
One morning William and I took a basket of corn, and went to carry
some breakfast to the old white goose and her little family- -six cunning
green goslings, so soft and pretty. But when we came to the yard where
they stayed during the night, we found they were not there. And, as we
looked down the lane, we saw the old goose leading the way to the pond,
where she was going to give them their first lesson in swimming. So we
went to see how they liked it, and they all seemed as happy as though it
was no new employment-- sometimes putting their heads under the water, and
then rubbing them over their bodies--not quite so fearful of water as some
little children I have seen. William threw down some of the corn, and they
picked it up as fast as it fell, much pleased, I suppose, with their good
breakfast.
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p. 16
_files/H.jpe)
Now the horse is at the door,
Come, Nelly, are you ready?
I will put you in your seat:
Good Charley, now stand steady!
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p. 17
THE HORSE.
Nelly had many times requested her father to let her ride on
horseback. So at last, he told her she might try, if she would let her
brother go with her to see that she did not fall off. So Henry brought the
Horse to the door, where Nelly, in her pretty new riding dress, wa waiting
for him. She was carefully placed upon her high seat, and, as you see,
appears as much at ease as if sitting in her mother's parlor. Then Henry
led the horse down the hill, a little way past the cottage where grandma
lived, that she might see how Nelly looked on horseback. Grandma was much
pleased; still she thought it was dangerous, and told Nelly to be very
careful, and not fall. And then she stood at the door and watched them, as
Henry led the horse up to the house where mother stood waiting to see how
Nelly liked her ride, and found her much delighted.
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p. 18
_files/I.jpe)
I am an Indian, dressed so fine,
I'm sure you've no
blanket so pretty as mine;
No feathers so bright as these in my
hair;
No home so pleasant as my green woods are.
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p. 29
THE INDIAN.
Children, did any one ever tell you that in this place, where you now
live, there were once only large trees,--that there were no houses or
gardens, and no white people? So it was a great many years ago, and all
the people who lived here were Indians, and they had no houses, but lived
in huts. Here is a picture of an Indian standing near his hut; see how
strangely he is dressed, with his blanket wrapped around him, and those
bright feathers in his hair! But now the Indians live a great way off.
They like to be near the woods, where they can hunt such animals as they
use for food. When the white people came here, and cut down the trees, and
built up their villages and cities, the Indians went away, and now we do
not often see them, except when they sometimes travel round from place to
place, to sell the curious things which they make.
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p. 20
_files/J.jpe)
Every one loves little Jane,
Shall I tell the reason why?
She is always good and kind,
So may you be, if you try.
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p. 21
LITTLE JANE.
Jane is a very kind girl, and tries to do all she can to make others
happy. She is kind to her brothers and sisters, and all her little
playmates, which some children seem to forget; and this makes everybody
love her. She is very good to poor people too. One day when she was going
to visit her cousin, she came to a place where a poor old blind man was
sitting down to rest himself on a rock. His little boy that led him along
was beside him, and this was all the friend he had. He looked very sad,
and Jane pitied him; she had some money that her mother had given her to
buy a pretty story book, but she thought she would rather go without the
book, and give the money to the old man, who seemed to need it so much. So
she dropped it into his hat, and when he thanked her, don't you think she
was happier than if she had kept the money herself?
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p. 22
_files/K.jpe)
What a beautiful Kite,
And how high it will fly;
It looks like a little bird
Up in the sky.
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p. 23
THE KITE.
John, like all other boys, is always trying to see what he can make.
One day his cousin Henry showed him a kite, which his uncle had given him,
and John thought to himself that he could make one as pretty as that. And
as soon as he went home he got his wood, paper and paste, and began at
once. After working awhile he thought it was too much trouble to make so
large a one as he wanted, and grew tired of it; but his mother told him it
was a bad plan for boys to commence anything and not finish it, so he
worked on, and at last the kite was finished. It was a beautiful one,
almost as large as himself, with a large red star on one side. The next
day was very pleasant, and John and his cousin went out to see the new
kite fly, and when it sailed so prettily in the air, John thought it was
as much the best way for any one to "try, try again."
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p. 24
_files/L.jpe)
Come, bring a long Ladder
To climb up the tree,
And gather some apples
For you and for me.
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p. 25
THE LADDER.
The Apples were ripe, and Mary took her little basket out under the
tree, to pick up some for her mother. There were not many large ones on
the ground, and she tried to reach the limbs, and shake off some that were
nice; but they were all too high; and while she was thinking what she
should do, she looked round and saw her uncle James coming with his large
basket on his arm, and a long ladder. She ran to meet him, and told him
her trouble. He said he would help her, and soon he was on the tree, and
when he shook the limbs, down came such a shower of bright red Apples that
Mary was glad to run away until they had done falling, then she could fill
her basket with beautiful ones; and, after she had carried them to her
mother, she went back to help her uncle fill his basket. It is fine sport
to go out under the trees and gather the ripe fruit.
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p. 26
_files/M.jpe)
Come, look at this Monument
For a great man,
And try to be like him
In all that you can.
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p. 27
A MONUMENT.
Here is a Monument; most likely it is for some great and good man.
There is a name upon it. It is Washington; and he was one of the best men
who ever lived. Everybody loves the name of Washington, because he was
such a good man, and little children ought to love it too. When you get a
little older you must read about him, and then you will see how much
happier you are than you would have been if he had not done so many good
things. He was good when he was a little boy; if he had not been, he would
not have made so good a man. And I can tell you two things about him,
which you can do just as well as he did. *He never told a lie, and always
tried to please his mother@. You would all like to be as good as he when
you are old, so you must try to do as he did when he was a little boy.
Everybody loves good children.
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p. 28
_files/N.jpe)
The Nuts are very fine, 'tis true,
But Eddie should not
take them so;
What did his good, kind mother say?
And it is wrong
to disobey.
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p. 29
THE NUTS.
The fine Nuts in the basket looked very tempting, but Eddie's mother
had given him some, and told him not to take any more. But after she had
left the room, he ran to the table, and by standing on tiptoe, got enough
to fill his pocket, and then ran back to his play in the corner. But Eddie
knew he had done wrong, and when his mother came in, he did not like to
stay where she was, so he put up his blocks and went into the garden. But
here he felt very unhappy, for he had disobeyed his kind mother; he
wandered about for a while, feeling very uneasy, but, at last, he thought
he would do what he knew was right--go and tell his mother what he had
done, and how sorry he was. When he told her, she felt very sad to think
that eddie should do so, but was glad that he was so willing to confess
his fault. Children should obey their parents.
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p. 30
_files/O.jpe)
Now here are some Oranges,
Just from the tree;
Perhaps Mary is waiting
To give them to me.
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p. 31
THE ORANGES.
What a beautiful basket of Oranges! and I suppose all little boys and
girls would like a chance to help themselves. But when you are eating a
nice sweet orange, do you ever think where it came from? Did you ever see
oranges growing here as our apples, and pears and peaches grow? No. You
may, perhaps, have seen a small tree in some one's warm parlor, but it is
too cold here for them to grow out of doors. Although we sometimes have
very warm days in summer, they do not last long, and then the cold winter
comes, with frost and snow, and all the flowers and green leaves are gone;
and if an orange tree were to be brought here it would die. It lives in
warm countries, where there is no snow nor cold winds; and, after the
oranges are grown, they are brought here in vessels, and then we can buy
them at the candy stores.
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p. 32
_files/P.jpe)
See the poor, silly Peacock,
So proud of his dress;
Do you think you are ever
As foolish as this?
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p. 33
THE PEACOCK.
did you ever see a Peacock? He seems very proud of his beautiful
feathers. He often spreads his tail like a fan, and struts about as though
he wanted people to notice his fine dress; and dont you think that pride
looks very foolish? But I have sometimes seen little children who seemed
quite as proud as the poor, silly peacock? I have seen a little girl with
a fine new dress, and a little boy with a fine new jacket, who were so
proud of their clothes that they thought everybody was admiring them; and
they could think of nothing else. Now we all like to have good clothes,
and it is right we should; but it is'nt our clothes that makes us good. I
have seen a little girl dressed very nicely, who was very cross; and do
you think any one liked her any better because she wore a silk dress?
Everybody loves good boys and girls, whatever may be their dress.
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p. 34
_files/Q.jpe)
The good Queen sits in her chair of state,
And rules her people well;
But we have no Queen to give us
laws,
The reason--can you tell?
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p. 35
THE QUEEN.
I suppose no one of you ever saw a Queen except in a picture. In a
great many countries the people have kings and queens to govern them, and
give them laws; but we have no such rulers; and, when you are a little
older, you will learn the reasons why, and you will be glad that it is so.
Perhaps when you have heard how a queen could have so many fine things,
and do just as she pleased, and that every one around her was always ready
to obey every little word, you may have thought you would like very much
to be a queen. But they have many more troubles than you do. They
sometimes have a great many enemies, or people who are trying all the time
to injure them, and make them unhappy, while you know that your friends
are always willing to do anything they can to make you happy. What a
blessing to have kind friends.
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p. 36
_files/R.jpe)
Come, my pretty little rabbit,
Now come out to play;
We must have another frolic
In the grass to-day.
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p. 37
THE RABBIT.
Let us go into the yard and see Willie's Rabbit. His aunt brought him
a beautiful little white one, with red eyes, long silky ears, and fur as
soft as down. Willie says its name is Kate. He has made a nice house for
it, with a soft bed of hay in one corner, and a little trough for its
oats; and every morning he goes out into the field and picks some sweet
clover for its breakfast. He takes very good care of his rabbit now, and I
hope he will not forget to do so. I have heard of a little boy who teased
his mother to buy him a rabbit, and made a great many promises to take
care of it. But he soon began to think it too much trouble, and did not
visit it quite so often as at first. But the poor rabbit, shut up in its
little pen, could not live without care; and, after a while, it began to
droop, and finally died. What a cruel boy!
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p. 38
_files/S.jpe)
O'er the blue dashing billows
Forever I'll roam,
The ocean's my country,
The Ship is my home.
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p. 39
THE SHIP.
Did you ever stand on the shore of the broad ocean on some bright
summer morning? Did you watch the little waves as they chased one another
to the land, and rippled at your feet? How they sparkled in the bright
sunshine! Was it not a beautiful sight? Perhaps you saw a little boat,
with its white sail spread, gliding so prettily along, and, far off in the
distance, a large Ship, or a Steamboat, bound to some port many miles
away. Then did you not think it would be pleasant to be a sailor, and be
on the blue water always? Many a little boy thinks so, and is willing to
leave his happy home, and kind friends, to be a "merry sailor lad."
Although you might think a sailor's life so pleasant, still he must meet
many dangers, and needs to be very bold and courageous; but, if it were
not for him, we should be without many things we now enjoy.
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p. 40
_files/T.jpe)
Who would be like cruel Tom,
Pleased to see the pain he gave?
I'm very sure that none of
you
Such a heart would wish to have.
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p. 41
THE TORTOISE.
A Tortoise was one day walking slowly along, having quite a journey to
make, and, on his way, was passing the shop of a blacksmith. He was a
quiet, gentle little animal, who never meant to do harm to any one, nor
thought anybody would be so cruel as to wish to injure him. But the
blacksmith had not much to do, and, like all other idle people, was ready
for any mischief. Seeing the tortoise creeping along, he thought he would
make him hurry a little. So, taking a hot iron from the fire, he ran out
and pressed it on the back of the poor creature, and then laughed, as
though he was pleased to see the pain which his cruelty had caused. Dont
you think he was a very wicked man? I am sure you would not wish to be
like him. Be always kind to every creature, then no one will ever have any
reason to call you as cruel as the blacksmith.
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p. 42
_files/U.jpe)
Here's my uncle's great Arm-Chair,
In the place he loves so well;
And here am I, already now,
To hear the stories he will tell.
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p. 43
UNCLE JAMES.
"Uncle James has come!" shouted merry little voices, and all the
children ran to the door to meet their kind uncle, who had come a long way
to visit them. Henry led him to the great Arm-Chair, Walter carried away
his hat and coat, and Mary his gloves. And they all wanted him to get
rested as soon as he could, that he might talk to them as he always did.
But they were good children, and did not tease him, but waited patiently
until he should be ready for them. So after a while he remembered them,
and taking little Frank on his lap, began to talk to them.--They asked
many questions about their little cousins, Charles and Annie, whom he left
at home with their mother, and who had told him many things to say to
them. He was much pleased when he learned how well they got along at
school, and gave each of them a story book.
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p. 44
_files/V.jpe)
Now the summer days are here,
Flowers are blooming
everywhere;
Lifting up their pretty heads
From their humble,
grassy beds.
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p. 45
THE VASE OF FLOWERS.
Emily, was this beautiful Vase of Flowers picked from your garden? I
should think you must have taken very good care of it. You seem to love
flowers better than some little girls who play so much that they have no
time to look at them, and see how pretty they are. Just look at this rose,
what a beautiful color! could you paint anything like it. See the
leaves--how many there are, and how perfectly they are all fastened on, to
make such a full rose. Ladies sometimes make roses of paper or wax; but
they can never make one exactly like this. It would not be half so
beautiful. We could not make anything so pretty as the most common little
flower you see in the fields. You must always love flowers, for they seem
so pure and innocent, and you will always find them beautifying the fields
and gardens wherever you go.
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p. 46
_files/W.jpe)
The Windmill, though it looks so odd,
Is very useful too;
For, if we could not grind our corn,
What do you think we'd do?
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p. 47
THE WIND MILL.
This odd looking building, with its long sails, is a Windmill, such as
people used many years ago, to grind their corn. It does not look much
like the mills that we have now; and it is quite different. The long sails
are turned round by the wind; and they are connected with wheels inside of
the building, which move when the sails do. But our mills are moved by
water. A large wheel is placed so that water can pass over it; and so it
is turned round; and this makes other wheels in the building move. We have
a great many things now which are very different from those that were used
when our grandfathers were little boys. And people are all the time making
something new. And most likely, when we are old, many things which will be
used will seem very different from those we now see, as every day in the
year brings us something new.
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p. 48
_files/X.jpe)
Glide swiftly on, my little boat,
The voyage soon will end,
And soon I'll see again my home,
And meet each loving friend.
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THE XEBEC.
There comes the little vessel called the Xebec! How very prettily she
glides over the sparkling water. The sailors are busily at work preparing
to land, for they will soon be home. They have been away a long time, and
have visited many beautiful places, but nothing has looked so pleasant to
them as those white houses and tall spires of the city you see far off
over the water, because that is their home, and there the friends they
love are waiting to welcome them. Home is the best place, and so every one
thinks after having been away a long time. Sometimes sailors are gone many
years, tossing over the ocean, stopping, perhaps, once in a while, at a
place where the people are very different from those who live here. Should
you not think they would be glad to see home again? You should love your
home, and pity those who have none.
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p. 50
_files/Y.jpe)
The happy Youth to school is bound,
And there he'll say his lessons well;
The boy who's good, and
loves to learn,
We all can very quickly tell.
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p. 51
THE YOUTH.
How happy James looks! He has his slate under his arm, and is going to
school. He is a good boy, and does not think it hard, and pout and cry
because his mother wishes him to go. He knows that he must learn many
things if he would make a good and useful man. Little boys love to play,
and we all like to see them enjoy themselves; but, if they were to play
all the time, when would they ever learn anything? And, if they grow up in
this way, do you think they could make useful men? They would be idle and
ignorant, and such a man you would not like at all. So you must always be
willing to go to school, and study as hard as you can while you are there.
Then, when school is done, you will enjoy your play all the better for
having kept still so long. you will enjoy yourself better to study some,
and play some.
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p. 52
_files/Z.jpe)
The Zebra lives in a distant land,
Where you have never been;
A prettier creature, in all your
life,
I'm sure you've never seen.
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p. 53
THE ZEBRA.
The Zebra is a beautiful animal, that lives in Africa, a country a
great way off. It looks, as you see in the picture, very much like a
horse, but is much smaller, and has a very different coat. He is striped
all over his body with black and white, so nicely that you would think
some one had been dressing him in ribands. he is a timid creature, and
cannot be easily caught, although sometimes people have one for a show.
But he cannot be tamed and made to obey us as willingly as the horse. We
can easily see the beauty of the Zebra and many other things, but I
suppose if you were to look at some animals, you would call them very
ugly. Do you not know that the same skillful hand made everything, whether
pretty or not? If you were to look carefully at any of them you would find
a great deal that you might say was beautiful.
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p. 54
GENERAL WASHINGTON.
When General Washington was you,
About as big as I,
he never would permit his tongue
To tell a wilful lie.
Once when he cut his father's tree,
He owned it to his face;
And then his father ardently
Clasped him in his embrace.
He told his son it pleased him more
To find him own the truth,
Than if his tree were bending o'er
With rich and golden fruit.
Then like this good and noble youth,
Whose virtues ever shone,
I'll seek the paths of love and
truth,
And all my faults will own.
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p. 55
LUCY'S LAMB.
Lucy had a little Lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow,
And everywhere that Lucy went
The lamb was sure to go.
He followed her to school one day:
That was against the rule,
It made the children laugh and play
To see a lamb at school.
And so the teacher turned him out,
But still he lingered near,
And waited patiently about,
Till Lucy did appear.
"What makes the lamb love Lucy so,"
The little children cried;
"Oh, Lucy loves the lamb, you know,"
The teacher quick replied.
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p. 56
LITTLE STAR.
Twinkle, twinkle, little Star;
How I wonder what you are!
Up
above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
When the glorious sun is set,
When the grass with dew is
wet,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the
night.
In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains
peep;
For you never shut your eye
Till the sun is in the sky.
As your bright and tiny spark
Lights the traveller in the
dark,
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
-----
[back cover]
_files/BACK.jpe)
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