Charles J. Barnes

“ Several days were thus passed, and Ali found that he liked this kind of life as well as he thought he should.
No Arabs were met with, nor even seen; but a danger of the desert, worse than a party of Arabs, came upon them.
There arose one day at noon, one of those fearful burning winds which do such mischief to the traveler and his camel. The loose sand was raised like a cloud. It filled the nostrils and blinded the eyes.
The only thing to be done, was for the men to get off the backs of the camels, and lie down with their faces to the earth. ”

“ There must therefore be some power or force which causes things to fall," said her father.
"And what is it?" asked Lucy.
"If things away from the earth can not move themselves to it," said her father, "there can be no other cause of their falling than that the earth pulls them."
"But," said Lucy, "the earth is no more animate than they are; so how can it pull?"
"That is not an ordinary question, but I will try an explanation," said her father. "Sir Isaac Newton discovered that there was a law in nature called attraction, and that all bodies exert this force upon each other. ”

“ Stoutly the two swimmers strove, knowing nothing of the danger from the shark. Their merry laughter still rang over the waters, as they were both nearing the buoy.
O, what anxiety filled the heart of the gunner! A boat had put off, but he knew it could not reach the boys in time to prevent the shark from overtaking them.
Every moment he expected to see the monster sink from sight,—then he knew all hope would be gone. At this moment a cry was heard on board the ship, that reached every heart,—the boys had discovered their enemy. ”

“ Many wild beasts came plunging into the water beside us, and others swam across to our side, and stood still. Although faint and weary, I managed to shoot a porcupine, and we all tasted its flesh.
The night passed, I cannot tell you how. Smoldering fires covered the ground, and the trees stood like pillars of fire, or fell across each other.
The stifling and sickening smoke still rushed over us, and the burnt cinders and ashes fell thick around us.
When morning came, every thing about us was calm; but a dismal smoke still filled the air, and the smell seemed worse than ever. ”

“ The old sailors shook their heads and looked grave, as if they expected an unusual storm. Suddenly the wind began to blow strongly upon the starboard quarter, stirring up a cross-sea which tossed the great ship like a toy.
Nearly all the passengers had gone below, and the few who remained on deck buttoned their water-proof coats, and held tightly on by any thing they could seize.
Jack Harmon had shut up his cat below, but poor puss escaped somehow, for all at once a shrill cry was heard, and there was Jumbo clinging to a rail, with a great mountain of a wave coming right down upon her. ”

“ So it seemed that, in the few weeks since she had been at our house, she had picked up enough of the English language to make herself understood.
"What do you mean?" asked mother, as she and I advanced to the side of the black steed upon which the little Sioux sat; "what are the Indians doing?"
"They burn buildings—have killed people—coming this way!"
Chitto spoke the truth, for the Sioux were raging like demons at that very hour at Lac Qui Parle.
"What shall we do, Chitto?" asked my mother.
"Get on horse—he carry you."
"But my husband; the horse can not carry all three of us." ”

“ Think of the immense space covered by oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers, and how useful all this water is to mankind.
Sailing ships and steam-ships traverse the oceans and lakes. Steam-boats ply along the rivers, carrying people and merchandise to and fro, going sometimes as far as three thousand miles from their starting point.
It is by water that men float their rafts of logs or lumber to distant places. Water turns the great wheels of many of our mills, and thus harnessed to mighty machines, does more work than thousands of men and horses. ”

“ People who shut in the bad air, and shut out the good air, all night long, can never expect to awake refreshed, feeling better for their sleep.
What becomes of the carbonic acid gas which the body throws off through our breath? Can any thing pick the carbon and oxygen in it apart, and make them fit for us to use again?
Yes. Every plant, every green leaf, every blade of grass, does that for us. When the sun shines on them, they pick the carbon out and send back the oxygen for us to breathe. They keep the carbon and make that fit for us and animals to eat. ”

“ Prince George and the officer wondered at seeing the merchants disappear. At last there was but one man left, and as he walked toward the Prince, he bowed low, and said—
"Excuse me, sir; are you the husband of our Queen Anne, as folks here say you are?"
"Yes, I am," was the answer; "and have come for a few hours to see the sights of the good town of Bristol."
"Sir," said the man, "I have seen with much distress that none of our great merchants have invited you to their homes. Think not, sir, that it is because they are wanting in love and loyalty. ”

“ Larkin sprung forward and seized the deserted oar.
"Lie down in the bottom of the boat," said he to the man; "and, captain, take the other oar; we must row for ourselves." I took the second man's place.
Larkin had stripped to his Guernsey shirt; as he pulled the bow I waited the signal stroke. It came gently, but firmly; and the next moment we were pulling a long, steady stroke, gradually increasing in rapidity until the wood seemed to smoke in the oar-locks.
We kept time with each other by our long, deep breathing. Such a pull! At every stroke the boat shot ahead like an arrow. ”

“ I have heard of forests in South America so thick and so large, that the monkeys might run along the tops of the trees for a hundred miles. So you see there are plenty of trees in the world to do the work.
But then, how does all the bad air leave the towns and cities where men live, and get to the forests and meadows?
The air is constantly moving about; rising and falling, sweeping this way or that way, and traveling from place to place.
Not only the little particles out of our breath, but any thing that gives the air any smell, does it some harm. ”

“ The men admired the courage with which he had saved his favorite camel. After supper Ali soon closed his weary eyes, and slept soundly by the side of Meek-eye.
In the midst of a pleasant dream, Ali was suddenly aroused by the sound of tinkling bells, and on waking up he saw that another caravan had arrived, which had come from the south.
The merchants sat down to wait until their supper was brought to them, and a party of camel-drivers drew round the fire near which Ali had been sleeping. They raked up its ashes, put on fresh fuel, and then prepared to boil their rice. ”

“ If they come to a place where there are no trees to shelter them from the sun, whose heat they can not bear, they immediately build underground tunnels, through which the whole army passes in columns to the forest beyond. These tunnels are four or five feet underground, and are used only in the heat of the day, or during a storm.
When, they grow hungry the long file spreads itself through the forest in a front line, and attacks and devours all it overtakes with a fury which is quite irresistible. The elephant and gorilla fly before this attack. The black men run for their lives. ”

“ It is only in the deserts and rocky hills of Asia and Africa that they are met with.
Those who have visited a menagerie, and have seen a lion within the limits of a narrow iron cage, can form no idea of the majesty of the brute when roaming about freely on his native soil.
The voice of the lion is loud and strong. It is likely to strike terror to the bravest heart. ”

“ Persons are born, live, and die, and even have their gardens on canal-boats. Farmhouses, with roofs like great slouched hats pulled over their eyes, stand on wooden legs, with a tucked up sort of air, as if to say, "We intend to keep dry if we can." ”

“ As the immense body of water leaps over this vast precipice, it breaks into a soft spray, which waves like a plume in the wind. At times, when the rays of the sun strike this spray, a rainbow is formed which stretches itself across the deep chasm, and produces a beautiful effect. ”

“ I have no root; I have no stem; or, if I have, they never move upward nor downward, as you say. Are you sure you are not mistaken?"
"Why, of course I'm not mistaken," cried the bean. "I feel within myself that I can grow; and I have absorbed so much moisture that I must soon begin."
Just then the bean's coat split from end to end, and for one or two minutes neither the stone nor the bean spoke. The stone was astonished, and the bean was a little frightened. However, he soon recovered his courage.
"There!" said he, showing the two packages he had been carrying; "these are my seed-leaves. ”

“ The name plant belongs in a general way to all vegetation, from the tiniest spear of grass or creeping flower one sees on the rocks by the brook-side, to the largest and tallest of forest trees.
Plants are divided into numerous groups of families, and the study of the many species belonging to each family, is very interesting.
There are thousands of kinds of grasses, shrubs, and trees, scattered over the different parts of the earth, and the larger portion of them are in some way useful to mankind. ”

“ Well, I dare say you won't be troubled. Some folks have a knack of seeing spirits, and then again some haven't.
"My wife is uncommon powerful that way, but I an't; my sight's dreadful poor for that sort."
There was such a sly look in the starboard eye of the old fellow as he spoke, that I laughed outright, and asked, sociably—
"Has she ever seen the ghosts of the cottage? I think I have rather a knack that way, and I'd like to know what to expect."
"No, her sort is the rapping kind. Down yonder, the only ghost I take much stock in is old Bezee Tucker's. ”

“ As night comes on, the grass and the leaves of flowers and plants become cool.
When the warm air touches them, it becomes chilled, and as the air can not then carry so much moisture as before, it leaves some of its moisture on the flowers and grass. ”

“ Many a time have I been awakened out of a sleep, and obliged to rush from the hut and into the water to save my life, and after all suffered intolerable agony from the bites of the advance-guard, that had got into my clothes.
When they enter a house they clear it of all living things. Cockroaches are devoured in an instant. ”

“ There, is a "black jaguar," which is thought to be of a different species. It is larger and fiercer than the other kinds, and is found only in South America.
This animal is more dreaded by the inhabitants than the other kinds and is said always to attack man wherever it may encounter him. All the other beasts fear it.
Its roar produces terror and confusion among them and causes them to flee in every direction. It is never heard by the natives without a feeling of fear, and no wonder; for a year does not pass without a number of these people falling victims to its ferocity. ”

“ Halbert was not there. Shag was alone. The old dog entered the door, and began to whine in a piteous manner.
"O Malcolm, Malcolm, my brave son has perished in the snow!" exclaimed the mother.
Malcolm stood wondering. His heart beat rapidly. A fear that the worst had happened almost overcame him. At that moment he saw a small package around the dog's neck.
Seizing it in his hands, he exclaimed, "No, wife; look! Our boy lives! Here is the medicine, tied with his handkerchief; he has fallen into one of the deep ravines, but he is safe. ”

“ To "sugar off" is to boil the syrup until it is thick enough to crystallize into sugar. This is the grand event, and is only done once in two or three days.
But the boy's desire is to "sugar off" all the time. He boils his kettle down as rapidly as possible; he is not particular about chips, scum, or ashes.
He is apt to burn his sugar; but if he can get enough to make a little wax on the snow, or to scrape from the bottom of the kettle with his wooden paddle, he is happy.
A great deal is wasted on his hands, and the outside of his face, and on his clothes, but he does not care ”

“ The old gunner sprung to his feet, and gazed off on the water, and the first thing that met his sight was the huge body of the shark floating on its back, the shot aimed by him having instantly killed it.
In a few moments the boat reached the daring swimmers, and, greatly frightened, they were brought on board. The old man clasped his boy in his arms, and then, overcome by the powerful excitement, he leaned upon a gun for support. ”