Oliver Optic

“ Nellie Green was not at all like her sister. She was only eight years old, but there was not a bit of envy in her. She would give a part, and often the whole, of her apples, oranges, candy, and playthings to her sister, and to her brothers. She liked to see them happy, and when Charley ate an apple, it tasted just as good to her as though she were eating it herself.
She was not selfish. She would always divide her good things with her friends. ”

“ I wish you had a wax doll, Nellie. You ought to have one, you are such a good girl, and love your sister so much, even when she is not kind to you."
"I wish I had one; it would be so nice to have one like Lady Jane. I should be so happy; but then if only one of us can have [Pg 135] one, I would rather Katy had it than have it myself."
"You are not a bit selfish, Nellie. Do you know what selfish means? I do."
"I guess I do. It means when you have an apple or any candy to refuse to give a part to your sister." ”

“ The quarrel was soon made up; for after Ben Tinker had thrashed the little boaster he was satisfied, and Tommy did not dare to be cross. By this time they had to start for home.
Tommy had not got half way to his father's house before he began to feel dizzy, and to realize a very unpleasant feeling at the stomach. But he hurried home as fast as he could, which was not very fast, for he was sick in earnest now. ”

“ When the bureau drawer was opened, what do you think they saw? There lay Lady Jane, with both of her eyes punched out!
Katy burst into tears when she saw that her doll was entirely spoiled. Then she found that she had made a mistake. In the darkness she had punched out the eyes of Lady Jane instead of Miss Dolly. This is the way that wicked people often punish themselves instead of others. ”

“ I was afraid you would scold at me, as you did for spoiling [Pg 99] the peony."
Kate felt a little better now that she had confessed her fault, and she was able to look her parents in the face.
"Why, Kate, if you had only told me, I should not have scolded you. You may have been careless, but it was all the fault of Fanny Flynn."
"No, mother; I was careless. I forgot all about the milk, I was so angry."
"And so the poor children had no supper, after all," added Mr. Lamb.
"O father! It was what you said about them that made me feel so bad. I am sure I shall never be so very wicked again. ”

“ If the man who has the keeping of a powder house should smoke a pipe in it, and twenty persons should be killed by his carelessness, do you think it would be enough for him to say he did not intend to kill them?
When we go on the water in a sailing vessel or a steamer; when we ride on a railroad, in a stage, or wagon, our lives depend on the carefulness with which the vessel, railroad, or carriage is managed. People don't excuse them, when lives are lost, because they did not mean to kill anybody. ”

“ I am sorry to say that Katy did not like Dolly at all. She could never forgive her for moving her eyes, because Lady Jane could not move hers. It is true that, after she saw how silly and wicked her envy made her appear to others, she tried very hard not to show it.
We may be just as wicked without showing our sin to others, as we can be when we let the world see just what we are. When we are wicked, the sin is more in the heart than in the actions.
Men may seem to be very good when they are really very bad, though people almost always find out such persons. ”

“ You must take it," said the doctor, in such a tone that the poor boy felt he must obey, or confess that he had told a falsehood.
"I can't take it, father," he groaned.
"Poor boy! I know it is not good; but [Pg 24] only think how sick you are! Why, you are so bad that you cannot go to school."
"I will go to school," whined Tommy.
"What! when you are sick?" asked his father. "O, no; you must not go to school when you are sick; it is a bad place for sick boys. Take the medicine, stay at home and get well."
"I will go to school," repeated Tommy, earnestly. ”

“ Flora always went to church, and to the Sunday school, and never cried to stay at home. If she had cried, it would have made no difference, for her father and mother meant to have her do right, whether she liked it or not.
But Flora gave them very little trouble about such matters. Her parents knew best what was good for her, and she was willing in all things to obey them. It was for this reason that they were so anxious to please her, even at the expense of a great deal of time and money.
The birthday of Flora came on Wednesday, and school did not keep in the afternoon. ”

“ They are shoemakers, also, and poor men; and the money which I shall pay them will help support their families and educate them."
"What a fool I was, father!" exclaimed Flora.
"O, no; not so bad as that; for a great many older and wiser persons than yourself have thought just what you think."
"But the supper, father,—the ice cream, the cake, and the lemonade,—won't all the [Pg 189] money spent for these things be wasted?"
"No more than the money spent for the music. The confectioner and those whom he employs depend upon their work for the means of supporting themselves and their families." ”

“ Flora was full of joy when she saw the doll, and learned whom it was for. She was [Pg 142] a great deal happier than if the doll had been bought for herself; and she wanted to run right over to Mr. Green's with the beautiful present. She longed to see the eyes of Nellie sparkle as she saw the doll, and to hear what she would say when told it was for her. But Mrs. Lee thought they had better keep the doll till Christmas, and let her find it with her stocking in the morning. ”

“ Lamb.
"Of course I could not give her any of the milk when it was for the poor widow's hungry children."
"You did right, Kate," repeated her father. "The poor children might have had to go to bed hungry if you had given up the milk to that bad girl."
"I know it, father."
"Only think what a sad thing it would have been if the poor little ones had been sent hungry and crying to bed. That Fanny Flynn must be taken care of. When little girls get to be so bold as that, it is high time something was done." ”

“ We [Pg 176] will not invite such boys as Joe Birch."
"Just as you think best, dear mother," replied Flora. "Shall I ask such boys as Tommy Woggs?"
"Tommy isn't a bad boy," said Mrs. Lee, with a smile.
"I don't know that he is; but he is a very queer fellow. You said I had better not ask those who would be likely to spoil the pleasure of others."
"Do you think, my child, Tommy Woggs will do so?"
"I am afraid he would; he is such a queer boy."
"But Tommy is a great traveler, you know," added Mrs. Lee, laughing.
"The boys and girls don't like him, he pretends to be such a big man. ”

“ The fiddler played, but he behaved so queerly that the children laughed so loud they could hardly hear the music.
"Why, that's 'Yankee Doodle,'" said Henry Vernon; and they all shouted at the idea of calling that tune "Napoleon's Grand March."
"Now I will play you the solo to the opera of 'La Sonnambula,'" said the old man. ”

“ White," promptly replied Flora.
"I think you would do right, for your [Pg 192] money would do more good in her hands. The self-denial on your part would do you good. I only wanted you to understand that, when you bought a book,—even a book which was only to amuse you,—the money is not thrown away.
"Riches are given to men for a good purpose; and they ought to use their wealth for the benefit of others, as well as for their own pleasure. ”

“ They had no virtues worth telling; they never ate soup with a fork, or gave money to the poor.
Some of my readers may not think much of this family of dollies, but I am sure Katy and Nellie had fine times with them. They used to spend hours together with them, and the dollies used to do everything that anybody could do.
Miss Fanny used to visit a great deal, in spite of her dirty, ragged clothes; so did Miss Lucy, with two holes in her head, and Miss Mary, with her broken leg, and Miss Susie, with her broken neck. ”

“ Candy is good, but don't you like to see others eat it almost as well as you do to eat it yourself?"
"Well, yes, I think I do."
"Then you know just what I mean, and I guess we'll play 'visiting' now."
"So we will; and Miss Fanny shall be the great lady, and Dinah shall be her servant."
"Yes, and this shall be her house," said Nellie, as she placed Miss Fanny in a large arm chair which they were to "make believe" [Pg 136] was her elegant mansion.
"You shall stay here, and I will bring Miss Mary to visit Miss Fanny." ”

“ It would be the most proper to select two boys."
Mr. Lee thought the choice of the leaders would amuse them; so he proposed that they should vote for them.
"How shall we vote, father?" asked Frank.
"Three of the children must retire, and [Pg 200] pick out four persons; and the two of these four who get the most votes shall be the leaders."
Mr. Lee appointed two girls and one boy to be on this committee; but while he was doing so, Tommy Woggs said he did not think this was a good play.
"I don't think they will choose the best leaders," said Tommy. ”

“ It will not buy the love and respect of others. Many rich men are hated and despised by nearly all who know them.
So Tommy's father could not buy an education for his son, nor would wealth win for him the esteem of his companions. He must study like the children of poor people if he wanted to be wise ”

“ Lee, with a smile. "All that I spend upon luxury goes into the pockets of the farmer, mechanic, and laborer."
"I see that, father," replied Flora, looking as bright as sunshine again; "but all the money spent on my party will be wasted—won't it?"
"Not a cent of it, my child. If I were a [Pg 188] miser, and kept my money in an iron safe, and lived like a poor man, I should waste it then."
"But twenty dollars for the Riverdale Band is a great deal to give for a few hours' service. It don't do any good, I think."
"Yes, it does; music improves our minds and hearts. It makes us happy. ”

“ When the factory bell rings for twelve o'clock, just go home; and your folks won't know but that you have been to school."
"That's the way," added Ben Tinker. "That's what the fellers call 'hookin' jack.'"
Tommy did not exactly like the idea at first, for he could not help thinking what might happen in case he got found out. He did not ask himself whether it was right or wrong to do what the boys called "hooking jack;" but only whether he should get found out or not.
We ought always to do right, whatever may happen to us ”

“ We must not let any one see us after school [Pg 33] time, for they will know we ought to be in school."
"And, just you mind, Tom Woggs," added Ben, "if you get found out yourself, you mustn't tell of us. If you do, you will be apt to get a broken head—mind that."
Joe Birch jumped over the wall into the lot, and was followed by his companions in evil. Tommy did not feel just right; not that he felt bad because he was doing wrong, but because he was afraid of the two boys. ”

“ You are liable to lose your life every day by the carelessness of some one. The house in which you are to sleep on a cold winter's [Pg 62] night may be burned down by the neglect of those who take care of the fires. ”

“ Lee took charge of the games. Several new plays, which none of them had heard of before, were introduced. The boys and girls all liked them very well, and the time passed away most rapidly.
Just before they were going to supper, an old man, with a fiddle in his hand, tottered into the garden, and down the lawn. He was a very queer-looking old man. ”

“ Do you know what envy means? I hope you have never felt it, for it is a very wicked feeling. It is being sorry when another has any good thing. Perhaps you will know better what the word means when you have read my story; and I hope it will help you to keep the feeling away from your own heart.
Not far from Mr. Lee's house, in Riverdale, lived a man by the name of Green. He was the agent of one of the factories in the village. Mr. Green had two little girls and three sons. The boys have nothing to do with my story, and for that reason I shall [Pg 118] not say a great deal about them.
Katy, Mr. ”

“ There are some savages who paint their faces—they think it is smart; we don't think so. Some Indians wear bits of tin fastened to the ends of their noses—they think it looks pretty; we don't think so. ”

“ A feller ain't nobody if he don't smoke," replied Joe.
But the boys decided not to smoke at first; and seeing there was plenty of sticks and brush in the woods, Tommy proposed that they should build a house—just for the fun of it. ”

“ Passing round the lawn, they came together [Pg 206] again on the other side. Then they formed a great circle, a circle within a circle, and concluded the march with the "grand basket."
This was certainly a very simple play, but the children enjoyed it ever so much—I mean all but vain Master Woggs, who was so greatly displeased because he was not chosen one of the leaders, that he said there was no fun at all in the whole thing.
About half an hour was spent in marching, and then Mr. Lee proposed a second game. The children wanted to march a little longer ”

“ If they do, I will show them how things are done in New York."
"Pooh!" exclaimed Charley, as he left the vain little man.
While all the children were wondering who would be the other leader, Flora was electioneering among them for her favorite candidate; that is, she was asking her friends to vote for the one she wanted. Who do you suppose it was? Master Woggs? No. It was David White.
The hat was passed round again, and when the votes were counted, there was only one single dandelion blossom found in the [Pg 205] hat. ”