“ Poor Jill screamed, leaned forward, and, in her turn, fell and rolled down the hill behind Jack. On they went, over and over down the hill, like a couple of cricket-balls, and nothing could stop them till they came to the bottom. The mere rolling down hill would not perhaps have have done them any great harm, for the ground at that part was soft and grassy; but the worst of it was that Jill’s pail—when it fell from her hand—struck Jack’s head, and it went bump! bump! all the way down-hill close to him, hitting him now and then on the ribs rather roughly. ”

“ Arthur was a witness of this dreadful state of things, and Edwin instinctively uttered his brother’s name. In a moment, [263] with his dirk-knife unsheathed in his hand, Arthur was by the side of Edwin. The soft swell of the sea gave a lurch to the ship, and, as the sail dipped deeper into the sea, the horrid creature made a movement towards the lads, turned his mouth upwards, and gave a snap—and so close was his monstrous jaw to the boys, that the rope to which they clung was cut in two, and the monster darted down with a mouthful of sail and rope in his capacious jaws. ”

“ Sometimes as long as the longest yarn ever spun by a man-o’-war’s man; sometimes as high as a purse-proud tradesman; at others its wriggle on the ocean was fearful, and its beard—like that of our New Englanders—doubly terrible, and what, with its length, and its height, its breadth, and its beard, this wonderful animal has puzzled and perplexed the learned and the unlearned. ”

“ But, quick as this was done, the watchful eye of Father M’Callagh saw it. He rose from his seat, went up to Laurence, laid his hand upon his shoulder, and, with a solemn voice and manner, said:—
“Laurence! Laurence! I pity you. I fear you have done a very wicked thing. I would lead you back to honour by the gentle means of mercy. Repent now, while there is time to do it, without public shame, or by-and-bye Justice may seize you with a rough hand. Give me, instantly, the letter that you have just concealed.” Laurence, pale and trembling, produced the letter. It was addressed to Jill M’Carthy. ”

“ When we came to this ugly-looking gateway, our guide, whom Keet called “Ferocio,” knocked with his spike-stick at the thick walls of the building, and cried out in mournful accents,—“This is the great gigantic gateway of the powerful, puissant, and portentious Castle of Baden; where men were strangled, women were pressed to death, and children were done for in a most sanguinary, blood-thirsty, and barbarous manner. ”

“ Has not every bird in the skies a voice for you? Do not the rainbows speak of love and beauty? Do not your own roses breathe sweet affection on you? And the wind, and the rain, and the stars, and the trees, have they not already been teachers of wisdom to you? My darling, you are not forgotten! ‘Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth forth knowledge’ for you and for all that are willing to learn.”
The fairy vanished. Mary bowed her head and dried up her tears. She went into the house, kissed her aunt and cousins affectionately, and went home with Johnny in the pony chaise. ”

“ There is the danger by heat, the danger by thirst, and the danger from the wild robbers, who prowl about like wolves upon its arid bosom. It was in the year 1850, that Edwin Keet, a traveller of great enterprise, who had not only mounted the Nile and Pyramids, and smoked a pipe with the famous Mehemet Ali, but, what is of far greater consequence, had spent many a happy day with Peter Parley, made the journey. ”

“ Peter Parley loves our good Queen, and delights to follow her in her various “progresses”—for wherever she appears, light and happiness beams around. The sun seems to welcome her wherever she goes, and bright and fair are the days that belong to her. ”

“ At last, one savage old Bear, more savage and more powerful than the rest, makes a grab at a Turkey; whereupon the Turkey, instead of falling a victim, like a goose, blew up his purple nose like a windy sun-rise, and puffed out his feathers, and stretched forth his wings, and came towards the old Bear like a game-cock, and called upon the British Lion and the French Eagle to back him. ”

“ Several persons had taken their ablutions and came on deck again. But Edwin lingered about in company with another middy, amusing himself with various frolics in the water, when all at once the head of an enormous shark appeared for a moment at the margin of the extended sail. The monster turned up its mouth, shewed its treble row of saw-like teeth, and descended rapidly. Both the youths gave a fearful shriek, and the one nearest to the ship’s-side laid hold of a “dangling rope,” and leaped into the vessel. Not so with Edwin. This poor youth seemed suddenly paralyzed with fear. ”

“ Wherever the mind and heart are devoted to duty and to Heaven, there hovers the Guardian of Souls, with outstretched wings. Yes! even in the din of the Strand, in a wretched garret, at a tailor’s board, God the all-beautiful is there. ”

“ The breeze sprung up, and sang through the leafy boughs of the Poplar and the Elm, and light and music mingled together, as if nature had clustered her beauties and joys for a service of thanksgiving. Far and wide, and upward, spread the various melody. It seemed as if every voice had wings, fluttering with delight, and bearing away into the blue air the silent gratitude of the flowers, [163] and the prayers of all beautiful though voiceless things. Mary sat at the window, and with cheek resting on her hand, she looked over the beautiful scene. ”

“ Such was the end of this proud and famous Cardinal; who, for a subject, had more of the pomp and glory of this world than any man who ever lived—few have been thrown down from so great a height with so few crimes. He cannot be reproached with anything mean, vile, malicious, cruel, or vindictive. ”

“ Virtuous sentiments must speak out in virtuous habits; practice must prove theory. Now, Jack, my boy! shew a brave spirit. Accept this trial. Go to America! work! be thrifty! Put by what you can reasonably spare; and in about a twelvemonth, perhaps, you will be able to send for little Jill and make her your wife.”
Jack’s countenance brightened, and so did Jill’s a little, though her tears continued falling; but it was now the widow’s turn to be sorrowful. The thought of her daughter’s going away to marry in a foreign land was hard to bear; but Father M’Callagh comforted her. ”

“ Twilight is the air’s remembrance of the sun. In the olden time, there were some who thought that in childhood we had recollections of Heaven; and, probably, this little world of ours will be a memory to us when we have left it for ever. It is a happy thing that we can drink again some of the sweetness of a by-gone joy ”

“ In ancient times, the Egyptian system, as now, was one of the most cruel tyranny. Large masses of men were ordered, at the will of a despot, to “labour, in the sweat of their brow,” to their death. The slavery of the lower orders gave birth to the Pyramids. What masses were employed, and how human life was wasted, is evinced by the manner in which Necho made his canal, connecting the Nile with the Red Sea. ”

“ The inclination to a monastic life arose with the corruptions of society, and with the dangers in which every body shared in the strifes, feuds, and wars of the dark ages. Those well-disposed persons who found it difficult to resist the corruptions of the times, sought in solitude a protection against temptation; and that fondness for contemplation, so curious in Eastern parts of the world, gave rise to the most ancient oriental philosophy, and also to that peculiar sanctity to which those who retired from the world often attained. ”

“ And then she had such a pretty face, such a neat little figure; her hair was always so clean and so nicely arranged. Many lads of the village were in love with her, and one among them was Jack Sullivan, the son of their nearest neighbour. He had known her for a great many years, without caring more about her than he did about other young maidens; but one day as he was passing the widow’s front garden, he saw Betsey leaning over the half-door of the cottage, and Jill mounted on a ladder, mending the thatch of the roof. ”

“ The building of a house upon a rock has ever been considered the proof of wisdom, whilst the erection of it on the sands has been held the proof of folly. But the advances of science prove that a house may be built even upon the sands, when proper care is taken in its construction—and the erection of lighthouses on this foundation is held to be a triumph in engineering. ”

“ Every American in the ship stepped out—we lowered—I told the boat-steerer, James Whittermore, of Vermont, to stand up, who, with calm intrepidity, laid hold of his harpoon; when I beckoned with my hand, quick as thought both his weapons were buried to the socket in the repulsive body before us; the head and tail of the monster rushed to touch the wound; the frightfulness of the head filled the crew with terror ”

“ I hope you had a comfortable night—no nightmares, groanings, fearful dreams, or kickings about in your sleep. “You be hanged!” says the old man. “Thank you, sir, for your good wishes.” I only say:—Go and draw one cork, tip the decanter, pour out the ‘rosy red,’ the ‘golden saffron,’ the ‘purple blue;’ but, when your great toe shall set you a-roaring, don’t say it is the Town Pump.“ If gentlemen love the pleasant titilation of the gout, and won’t take advice, ’tis all one to the Town Pump. Ah, ah! Old Lion, Peter Parley’s old dog, sixteen years old this very day! ”

“ Gold is now every man’s business. The earth is yielding it by the hand-full and spade-full. Already nearly fifty millions sterling have been raised by the rude exertions of a part of the population who might have been starving upon six-shillings a-week, in delving and ditching. And it is a wonderful sight to see thousands upon thousands of brisk, brawny, and sturdy men, in their shirt-sleeves washing the productive earth, and rocking the gold to rest in their own pockets—the finest of all kinds of cradling. ”

“ The fairy struck three times with her wand upon the floor, and a moment or two afterwards three or four little hands were lifted up, holding a golden bird-cage, with a beautiful canary in it.
“There, my child, cherish this little bird tenderly. Let the door of its cage be open all day, that it may wander about the garden where it will. It will not go away from you very far. Every night it will sleep in its cage.”
Mary looked on the little bird, and was greatly pleased. She put her lips to the golden wires, and the pretty little creature came and kissed them. ”

“ He hath servants that attend him at his call in an out-house, but none lieth within the church but himself. He is said, by the natives—who hold him in great veneration for his sanctity—every day to dig, or rather scrape—for he useth no other tools but his nails—a portion of his grave, being esteemed of so great holiness—as if purity and sanctity were entailed on his cell; he is certainly visited by those of the Romish religion who aim at being esteemed more devout than the ordinary amongst them. ”

“ The dress of the Chinese lady is very rich, and not ungraceful. She usually carries a pipe in one hand and a fan in the other, if the latter be not carried by a servant. The ladies have often their fans made so as not to close, whilst those of the gentlemen always close in the same manner as those of our ladies; but the most distinguishing mark of beauty among the Chinese ladies is their feet, which, to be handsome, must be especially small, and resemble in some degree that of the pettitoes of a little porker. ”

“ Well, we thought ourselves getting wiser; the boys and girls that had read “Peter Parley’s Annual” fifteen years ago, had become men and women; and education had made great strides. The drill-sergeant of the German despots was drafted into our schools; and Chelsea children were taught to read by military discipline, with a view to [56] their being made friends of humanity, and lovers of peace. The European kings and potentates were a Holy Alliance of loving brothers, and had pretended that the Christian religion should be their future guide. ”

“ The first thing done in ship-building, is, what is called “laying down the stocks.” The stocks are large masses of timber, higher at one end than at the other, forming what is called an inclined plane, which is carried out into the water some distance, to allow the vessel to be so far immersed, before she leaves their support, as nearly to float her. The ship is supported in an upright position on the stocks or ways by strong pieces of timber, called the cradle, which can be just seen in the picture of the launch, jutting out under the stern of the ship. ”