Various

“ One of the younger officers smiled, but he stopped in a hurry as Lord Cornwallis's eyes flashed at him.
"And Jack went to heaven," proceeded Cynthia, softly, "out of Valley Forge, where he was helping General Washington."
"Where are the other two?"
"In the army, Mr. Lord Cornwallis." Cynthia's head was erect again.
"Rank rebels."
"Yes, they are."
"Hum! And you're a bit of a rebel too, I'm thinking, if the truth were told."
Miss Cynthia nodded with emphasis.
"And yet you come here for your cow," said Lord Cornwallis. "I'll be bound she's rebel beef herself." ”

“ The skeleton's parting was not quite so demonstrative. He clasped Toby's hand with one set of his fleshless fingers, while with the other he wiped one or two suspicious-looking drops of moisture from his eyes, as he said: "I hope you'll get along all right, my boy, and I believe you will. You will get home to Uncle Daniel, and be happier than ever, for now you know what it is to be entirely without a home. Be a good boy, mind your uncle, go to school, and one of these days you'll make a good man. ”

“ The fair is held out-doors, and people come from all parts of the world, bringing curious things to sell. They have their booths in the public squares, and it is merry and noisy from morning till night. There are Spaniards and French and Swiss and Italians, and just such people as I've read you about in my Stories of all Nations, and they look exactly like the pictures I've shown you so often. The fair lasts a fortnight, and at the end of it is Carnival. Then there are bands of music everywhere, and processions march through all the streets, and oh, dear me, Clytie! ”

“ Free-'n'-equal was Cynthia's only playmate, for no children lived within six miles. As the calf grew into a cow, the more intimate and loving were the two. To Free-'n'-equal did Cynthia confide all her secrets, and chiefly did she inform her of her sentiments in regard to the war. ”

“ It's as much a home, you know, as your own cottage; and those four little blackbirds can no more live and grow if you destroy it, than your baby sisters could live and grow if they had no home and no mother. ”

“ I was a very little chap, and the twins were dots of things, and baby only a month or so old. Father worked for the master here, and loved him as all the men do now; but I didn't love him, because he wouldn't have us boys take the eggs or nests. But one day, when I was going through this very wood, and nobody was by to see me, I took a thrush's nest with five tiny throstles in it. I hid it in the basket I was bringing to mother, and went off so cheerfully, remembering we had an old wicker cage at home, and thinking how I'd put the birds in it, and watch how they'd manage to fledge ”

“ If our heroine, Cynthia Smith, walked the earth to-day, she would be a great-great-grandmother. But at the time of this story, 1780, she was only a small girl, who lived on a plantation near the Santee River, in South Carolina. She was twelve years old, four feet and two inches high, and, for so young and so small a person, she was as stanch a rebel as you could have found in all America; for the War of Independence had been raging in the United States ever since Cynthia could remember. ”

“ Cynthia and her mother worked like men, and fed on the cream.
Those were dangerous days all along the Santee River, for Lord Cornwallis's troops were roaming over the land, and laying waste the country. But Cynthia was not afraid—no, not even when Lord Cornwallis came within three miles of the plantation. She said her prayers every day, and believed firmly in the guardian angels, and a certain rusty gun behind the kitchen door. ”

“ Then they all sat around their grassy table, and Joe served them in fine style, bringing them their fish smoking hot on white napkins.
How merry they were over the good things, and how eager Graham was to cook fish for Joe, and serve the old fellow as nicely as he had done all of them! And Phil cut the very largest slice of cake for Joe.
"It is just the jolliest picnic I ever was at," said Graham, helping to wash and clear away, and re-stow spoons and forks.
"Of course it is," said Phil. "There never can be another quite so nice: it is my first one, you know." ”

“ It is right and just for a son to die when his father is disgraced; but what disgrace can be compared with the idea of gaining honor at a father's expense? I respectfully decline your Majesty's proposed distinction. ”

“ Your father is in the shed in the far meadow with the sick cow. I dare say he couldn't send a message from there, and has all the while expected he would be able to come home in a few more minutes. You may be sure he is as anxious to come as you are to see him, but he never neglects a sick animal. Dry your eyes, my lad, for the cottage is your home still, and it doesn't look at all "ruined," I think. Now build up the fire, and wait for your mother. I'll see about your father.'
"Oh, Jim, can you fancy what it was like then? I put my head into the cradle, and smothered baby with kisses ”

“ When they returned to the circus grounds, the performance was over, and Mr. Lord in the midst of the brisk trade which he usually had after the afternoon performance, and yet, so far from scolding Toby for going away, he actually smiled and bowed at him as he saw him go by with Ben.
"See there, Toby," said the old driver to the boy, as he gave him a vigorous poke in the ribs, and then went off into one of his dreadful laughing spells—"see what it is to be a performer, an' not workin' for such an old fossil as Job is. ”

“ When they were children, he and his two brothers slept under the same coverlet, with exceeding great love and harmony; and when they were grown up, their love could not bear a moment's separation. On one occasion they met with robbers, and the brothers strove for death, each one wishing to die first, with the hope of the others escaping. ”

“ Many people are still living who can remember when every night, winter and summer, the coals were carefully raked together and covered up, so that they would keep alive until morning. If by chance they died out, fire could only be obtained by means of flint, steel, and tinder, unless live coals could be borrowed from a near neighbor.
To Chrisie Burdick B.—Last Tuesday morning the mail brought to me a little gift to aid Toby Tyler in reaching his uncle. ”

“ The old monkey winked both eyes violently, and then showed his teeth to such an extent that Toby thought he was laughing at the prospect, and he said, a little severely: "If you had as many friends as I have got in this circus, you wouldn't laugh when you was goin' to leave them. Of course I've got to go, an' I want to go; but it makes me feel bad to leave the skeleton, an' the fat woman, an' old Ben, an' little Ella. But I mustn't stand here. You be ready when I come for you, an' by mornin' we'll be so far off that Mr. Lord nor Mr. Castle can't catch us." ”

“ We are delighted with Young People, especially with the story of "Toby Tyler," and are impatient for the mail that brings it.
Odell H. D.
West Union, Ohio.
There is a very interesting Indian mound near this place, on the banks of Brush Creek. It is called the Serpent Mound, because it is in the form of a serpent. It is nearly one thousand feet in length, extending in graceful curves, and ending in a triple coil at the tail. Its neck is stretched out and slightly curved, and its mouth is opened wide, as if in the act of swallowing an oval figure, like a huge egg. ”

“ The old bird can make another."
"I suppose your mother could find another cottage, but would it be the same without you and the babies?"
"It's very different," grumbled Jim, but a little less defiantly now.
"Father says the mother birds often die of grief when they find their nests gone. You'll put it back, Jim?" ”

“ I would like to tell Young People what kind friends I have. I am a poor little girl, and my mamma has to go out to work. I go to the public school, but I am not very strong, and the noise and close air sometimes make me sick. ”

“ She, too, is very kind to me. I like Young People very much. I think "Mildred's Bargain," "Phil's 'Fairies," and especially poor "Toby Tyler," are splendid stories.
May H.
South Kirtland, Ohio.
I thought I would tell Young People about my pet sheep. My grandpa gave me a sheep and a lamb when I was a baby, and now I have seven. They are all very tame, and almost run over me when I feed them. I am seven years old.
I read in the Third Reader, and I study arithmetic and geography, but I have never been to school.
Frank T. C.
Berea, Ohio. ”

“ Toby did not dare to trust himself any longer where every one was so kind to him. He slipped down from the platform as quickly as possible, found the bundle—and a good-sized one it was, too—without any difficulty, and went back to the monkeys' cage. ”

“ Graham looked up with a pleased face, and nodded.
"It is just this. In the city hospitals are many sick children who have to stay in bed almost all the time. Now Phil and I want to do the little that we can for them, and it seems to me it would be nice to send fresh flowers and fruit—all that we can spare from our gardens—once or twice a week to some of these sick city children. What do you think, boys?"
"It would be lovely, Miss Schuyler," said Phil, "only I do not see how we could help; it would all come from you." ”

“ Another remarkable work by the ancient race of men is a large elephant mound, found a few miles below the mouth of the Wisconsin River. It is so perfect in its proportions that its builders must have been well acquainted with all the physical characteristics of the elephant; so that the mound-builders may have been of Asiatic origin, or lived when the great mastodon of North America roamed over the continent. ”

“ How fortunate we are! There he goes sailing away in all his glory;" and sure enough the great bird floated further and further up in the blue sky.
Still Nep kept on barking, and Graham ran down to see what was the matter. He came back with something dangling from his hand, Joe and Nep following.
"A black snake!—oh, what a dreadful creature!" exclaimed Lisa.
"Yes, indeed, ma'am," said Joe, "and if Nep hadn't barked so, the drefful cretur would have bitten me sure. That dog knows a heap; you'd better allus take him with you in the woods, Miss Rachel. ”

“ She is a magnificent creature, and I admire and suspect her; but as for loving her—there is no doll in the world to compare with you, my Clytie, when it comes to loving. You are not as handsome as Princess Carnival, but I love you a million times more, my pet, than I can ever love her, beautiful as she is.
And now good-night. Be as happy as you can, and take good care of the others, till I come back to you all.
THE MAGIC LANTERN.—Drawn by S. G. McCutcheon. DR. JOHNSON DOING PENANCE.
The picture on the next page represents one of the most remarkable incidents in the life of Dr. Samuel Johnson. ”

“ Another mound, in Licking County, Ohio, represents an alligator. It is about two hundred feet in length, twenty feet broad, and each of the paws is twenty feet long.
Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.
I live near where the celebrated David Crockett once lived. His old house is still standing on our place. The logs are full of auger-holes, where I suppose he had wooden pins to support shelves, or to hang clothes and household things on. When my grandpa was a little boy he knew David Crockett very well.
Ella B.
David Crockett was a famous hunter, who was born in Tennessee in 1786. ”

“ Buy something to eat before you start, an' go into the woods for a day or two before you take the train or steamboat. You're too big a prize for Job or Castle to let you go without a word, an' they'll try their level best to find you. Be careful, now, for if they should catch you, good-by any more chances to get away. There"—and here Ben suddenly lifted him high from the ground, and kissed him—"now get away as fast as you can."
Toby pressed the old man's hand affectionately, and then, without trusting himself to speak, walked swiftly out toward the entrance. ”

“ The mound described by our young correspondent is in Adams County, Ohio, and is one of a number called "animal mounds," because they represent the forms of animals, or birds, or men, instead of the usual type of the pyramid or circle. The Serpent Mound is described in Short's work on The North Americans of Antiquity, published by Harper & Brothers, from which we take the accompanying illustration. ”

“ Treat, an' Mrs. Treat, an' Ella, an' Ben. Some time, when I'm a man, I'll come back, an' bring you lots of nice things, an' I'll never forget you—never. When I have a chance to be good to some little boy that felt as bad as I did, I'll do it, an' tell him that it was you did it. ”

“ Nicholas always comes himself, and leaves presents at every house for the good children, and a bunch of rods for the naughty ones. He lives ever so far away, and is a kind of relation of Santa Claus—second cousins or step-fathers, maybe. ”