Various

“ Being fond of the water, he always builds near a stream—usually by some quiet pond or the still, wide part of a river. He makes two doorways. One he reaches by land; the other, by diving into the water. The land door is always carefully hidden under weeds or bending plants, so that no stranger can find it. Yet, often you can see the footprints of this little worker in the wet soil.
To look at Master Duckbill, you would not think he is so active: and he is so strong that you could not hold him in your hands. He is a wonderful climber ”

“ Sometimes boys try to climb up a barn that way.
When Master Duckbill is swimming, he looks like the bunches of weeds floating in the water. But he cannot stay there too long, for he grows very tired trying to float. ”

“ Teddy played nearly all day with his new present, and for a week he cared for very little else. One day he raced up the walk, dragging his cart behind him, and dropped down on the piazza steps near where mother was sitting.
"That's a dandy cart, mother," he exclaimed. "Jack Hoyt says it's the best one on the street. It's awfully strong, and it can go just as fast as anything. I tell you grandpa got a great bargain when he got the Eastern Mail."
Teddy played nearly every day with his cart. ”

“ When dogs first see Master Duckbill, they watch him waddle along in his funny, awkward way and bark at him, but they will not touch him. When cats first see this queer creature, they scamper quickly out of sight.
Master Duckbill is a skillful burrower and makes long tunnels in the earth with his strong claws. His round body is thickly covered, first, with woolly fur and then with long hairs. A leathery hanging protects his round eyes from the earth in which he burrows. ”

“ Whenever a parent finds that a child is becoming timorous, she may be sure that the child is not enjoying perfect health. A physician should straightway be consulted. Fear thrives upon weakness; it also aggravates weakness. Many a child has been weakened mentally and physically by fright or a shock, or by witnessing frequent expressions of fear in its mother. ”

“ Miss Maggie told her to keep the rose, and when Emma came home, instead of finding a cross little sister she found Kitty very happy.
"Come see my rose," said Kitty. Emma smelled it and said, "Oh! How sweet it is!" and they forgot their unkind feelings.
What power there is in a gentle word. Kind actions, too, are opposed to anger; the good will drive out the bad.
"Do your duty as if you enjoyed it."
—Selected.
Why should soldiers be rather tired on the first of April?
Because they have just had a march of thirty-one days.
Strange Little Duckbill. ”

“ When Robbie had driven granny's cow into the yard, he ran home and told Aunt Abbie:
"It's 'most as good as just running with Rover; and getting the cow helps granny, you know. Is that the kind of work you wanted me to do?"
"Yes, dear. I am sure you have made a very good beginning. You can see if there is anything else for you to do. If one learns to keep his eyes open, he will have a chance to help a good many people." ”

“ So we may say that the best way to fight fear is carefully to avoid inducing it in children, and to be on the watch, so as to be able to nip in the bud those fears which are more or less natural to children, and which appear of their own accord. ”

“ I shut kitty in the pantry to make you think she did it. But I'm truly sorry, mamma."
Then mamma told Minnie that she had known all about it. But she had hoped that the little daughter would be brave enough to tell her all about it herself.
"But mamma," she asked, "how did you know it wasn't kitty?"
"Because kitty would never have left a spoon in the pie," replied mamma, smiling.
—Selected.
HOW ROBBIE HELPED.
Little Robbie Denham was a good boy, though very active and full of play. ”

“ Morse holds that frequent calming and explanative conversations with the child, analyzing things that appear to cause it fear, and showing that grounds for fear do not exist, suppression of fearsome emotions in the parent, and strict cultivation of the child's physical health will take from it those mental torments which afflict so many. ”

“ The rules are good for you, too, and even if they were needless, you should obey cheerfully for the sake of the younger ones. It is only fair, I am sure, that an older brother, who can help a great deal with the younger ones if he will, should gladly set them a good example, and even deny himself a little for their sakes. ”

“ The younger ones cannot understand why you should have more privileges in these ways than they have, and if I allowed you to do as you please, even if you should generally please to do right, it would make it much harder for them to obey rules laid down for them. ”

“ Rob Carter was as sure as Teddy himself, and in a little while the stove was aboard, and Teddy was carefully drawing the Eastern Mail to Mrs. Atwood's, and Rob Carter went along to steady the stove and lift it out when they got there.
"I can't thank you enough," Mrs. Atwood said when the stove was in place. "It's helped me a lot to get the stove brought over."
And as the Eastern Mail turned toward home she slipped a couple of lovely cookies into its owner's hand.
WHY MINNIE COULD NOT SLEEP.
She sat up in bed. ”

“ There may be some chances to make somebody else happy. Will you take this jelly over to old Mrs. Atwood, now? She's been sick again."
Teddy started off with the jelly, and in half an hour he came rushing back with his face beaming. ”

“ It wasn't long before all the surface of the comfortable was filled with rows of neat, white tufts and was ready to be ripped from the frame and have its edges finished with herringbone stitches.
And Ruth felt very happy, for though she was only seven years old, she had helped in the making of the pretty comfortable for the dear missionary lady away out in Dakota.
—Written for Dew Drops by Mary E.Q. Brush.
THE SANDMAN.
The Sandman comes at set of sun,
Just when the happy day is done,
And when the quiet night's begun. ”