Various

“ In burst the noisy urchin, all aglow with excitement, his hair flying, eyes blazing, and breath so nearly spent that he could hardly speak.
"Don't you smell the smoke?" he gasped. "Something's up! Father—and a crowd of men—have gone off—into the woods—to see what's the matter. There's danger, I tell you. Come on, Scott, let's sit on the big post and watch."
"Thee'd better go down and see about it," said Mrs. Leonard to Ruth, as the two sat staring blankly into each other's faces.
"I will, mother," assented Ruth, recovering her wonted energy, as she ran down the stairs. ”

“ But instantly the landlord thrust himself between them.
"Halt there, lad—no bare blades in my house, if you please. I'll tell you a better way to settle it than that. You know our old Bavarian fashion; when two young fellows want to try each other's strength, they join hands and see which can tug the other across the line. Clear a space there, and let us see which is the best man."
The tables and benches were pushed back, a line chalked on the floor, and Hermann and the stranger, seizing each other's hands in a strong grasp, stood foot to foot, awaiting the signal. ”

“ But the best of all was the account of a bull-fight which he saw in Spain, with the Queen sitting on a throne, and giving a crown of evergreens to the chief bull-fighter. He said that bull-fighting was awfully cruel, and that he told us about it so that we might be thankful that we are so much better than those dreadful Spanish people, who will watch a bull-fight all day, and think it real fun. ”

“ Mr. Stubbs's brother was seated amid Reddy's paper and paint, holding the crowing hen by the head while he picked her wing feathers out one by one. Mrs. Simpson's cat and kittens each had one of Bob's mice in its mouth, while Reddy's cat was chasing one of the squirrels with a murderous purpose. The calf was no longer an inmate of the tent; but a large rent in the canvas showed that he had opened a door for himself when the cat scratched him; and afar in the distance he could be seen, head down and tail up, as if fleeing from everything that looked like a circus. ”

“ This wonderful tree has witnessed many strange events. It saw the downfall of Montezuma, and the end of the terrible human sacrifices; it was a silent witness while the Spaniards held rule over New Spain, as Mexico was for a time called; it stood safely through the great revolution of sixty years ago, when the Mexicans fought for liberty, and throwing off the Spanish yoke, founded a republic of their own. ”

“ Sure enough, when Sir Dyce had forced his way with two others into the open, there on the jungle's edge lay what was left of the unlucky animal. [Pg 643] "Hurrah!" cried the enthusiastic Englishman; "she can not be far away. Get together, all of you, quickly. Beat the bush on the other side of us—yonder, across the clearing."
Sir Dyce left his elephant, and joined on foot the excited natives. The open was crossed. Wild cries and shouts, the clanging of the cymbals and tam-tams, filled the morning air. The bush was thoroughly beat, every eye and ear on the alert. ”

“ Quickly the men bore the motionless forms to the creek. All the remedies which they could obtain were applied, but it seemed in vain; the loving ones could do little but watch and wait.
At last Ruth stirred, and slowly opened her eyes. The brave heart once more began to beat, though for many a long, weary day the blistered hands and arms refused to move. But Ruth was spared.
Little Scott lay there for hours, until it seemed that the family must lose their baby, when he wonderingly gazed around upon the anxious group, and inquired, "Did you try to cook me for dinner?" ”

“ Ruth Leonard made a charming picture as she stood there shading her eyes with her hand, framed in by a clustering mass of honeysuckle vines. Yet no one called her a pretty girl. Though only sixteen, she was very tall and strong for her age; every well-formed limb indicated the possession of muscular strength, and her broad shoulders seemed just fitted to bear burdens. ”

“ Now for the first time it broke upon the foresters that their champion might not have such an easy victory after all, for the supple vigor of the stranger's movements, and the firmness with which he planted his feet, showed that Hermann had his work cut out for him. Hermann himself, feeling the iron grasp of the unknown's long bony fingers, began to think so too; but could any man, much less a tailor, be a match for him? ”

“ Lou's great blue eyes had grown brighter and brighter while they were talking, and a pink spot glowed in each cheek as she asked, "Do you think it could get here?"
"No, I think not; the wind is decidedly westward, and the people of Liberty will probably take all possible measures for checking its progress."
Mr. Leonard sighed as he spoke, and he seemed to be looking straight through Ruth rather than at her. Perhaps he was wondering how the four bairns and the sick wife were to be fed and cared for all winter if no rain came to save his failing crops. ”

“ Montezuma, the great Aztec King, thought himself a very wise ruler. He had magnificent palaces and pleasure-gardens filled with flowers and noble trees. One of his favorite palaces was situated several miles from the city. It was built on a hill, and from its windows the King could overlook the beautiful valley in the centre of which stood the city, and watch the great volcano of Popocatepetl, which at that time often threw forth smoke and burning lava. At the foot of the hill, all around the palace, was a great park, in which grew many large cypress-trees. One was Montezuma's favorite tree. ”

“ It is thought to be one of the oldest trees in the world. On sunny afternoons little Indian boys and girls play around its enormous trunk in the shade of its broad-spreading foliage, and they will all tell you that it is Montezuma's tree under which they are playing, for it still is remembered in connection with its ancient owner. ”

“ Ghirlandajo was enthusiastic, however, and in company with the lad he at once visited Ludovico, and asked him to place Michael in his studio.
Ludovico was very angry, saying that he wished his son to become a prominent man in society and politics, not a dauber and a mason; but when he found that young Michael was determined to be an artist or nothing, he gave way, though most ungraciously. He would not say that he consented to place his son with Ghirlandajo; he would not admit that the study of art was study, or the studio of an artist anything but a shop. ”

“ When the flaming hurricane had swept onward in its mad course of destruction, and the sun, which had risen in such fierce glory, sent a last sickly glimmer through the murky air, it revealed the little village of Greenville a waste of smoking ruins. But the fire had mercifully stopped upon reaching Farmer Leonard's grassy meadow, and thus had the fugitives in the creek been saved.
The strong men set to work with a will. ”

“ It was the great Temple of the Sun, and upon its summit stood a huge hideous idol of stone, which the people worshipped, and before which they sacrificed many thousands of poor men, women, and children. ”

“ The natives shrieked, and rushed pell-mell back. Sir Dyce fired, and pierced the brute's shoulder. She now charged furiously upon him as he stood alone just forward of the edge of the jungle. His last bullet met her. She leaped into the air, rolled over and over in her death-agony, and then lay rigid and motionless. No more cattle or priests or women would Kali bear away from Sundapoor or any other village.
The natives approached the dead beast tremblingly, and offered prayers to the great goddess whose name they had given it, before they ventured to take the creature home in triumph. ”

“ I am eleven years old. I have just been reading Harper's Young People, and think the letter that Ninetta wrote is very nice. I have no pets except a darling little brother three years old, and he says he is going to write you a letter. I have just learned how to make feather-edge, and I have made half a yard to-day. I have taken Harper's Young People ever since it was published, and I think it is the nicest paper I ever read, or ever expect to read. ”

“ She has spent her time very wisely. And you, Edward and Priscy, Charles and Kate, Theodore and Isabel, Lulu and Minnie, and all the dear girls and boys who come clustering around me even in my dreams, I am glad when I think how busy and bright you are, and when I hear how you are trying every day to do right and be good. ”

“ But Cortez had not come to Mexico to live in luxury, but to gain possession of the country, and the horrible human sacrifices which he daily witnessed strengthened his resolution to break down the Aztec power at any cost, and to establish the government and religion of Spain. The task was difficult, for he was alone in a strange land, with only a handful of men at his command. His first attempt ended in disaster. He succeeded in seizing the person of Montezuma, the King, but the Mexicans rebelled against the rule of the Spanish soldiery. ”

“ The oldest trees in the world are supposed to exist in the cypress forests of Mexico. These cypresses grow to an immense height, and the trunk which supports the great crown of feathery foliage is sometimes more than one hundred feet in circumference.
When in 1519 Cortez landed on the Mexican coast, at the point where the city of Vera Cruz is now situated, he found the country populated with Indians, who received him in the most friendly manner, and very soon he was visited by two messengers, who came from a certain great King called Montezuma. ”

“ After leaving the house they walked leisurely toward the barn, little dreaming what a state of confusion their property was in, until Reddy rushed out of the tent, his jacket torn, his face bleeding, and his general appearance that of a boy who had been having rather a hard time of it. ”

“ I have a goat and wagon, but Billy is so big and strong that he runs away, and dumps me in the ditch. I have two dogs, Nip and Aleck. Aleck is a shepherd dog; Nip is a little fellow, but he runs awful fast when he gets after a rabbit. I have lots of fun out here—so many peaches and apples, and lots of young ducks and chickens. ”

“ I go to New Brunswick and Martha's Vineyard every summer, and with my cousin Dolly have great fun bathing in the salt-water. Dollie is one week younger than myself. I am twelve years old; my name is Gertie. I learned to swim last summer. We always take our pets with us. Last summer I had two bantam chicks. I loved Toney best, and he grew to be a beautiful rooster, and then died. It is very hard to lose things we love. Mamma says things we prize are first to vanish. I hope my dear Young People will never leave me. ”

“ It is a very pretty country village. I like very much to ride on the hay wagon, but the hay is damp to-day, and can not be taken in. I am in the Fourth Reader at school. I would have been in the Fifth, only, when I came from Brooklyn, New York, I was put back on account of the difference in the schools. I like the West better than the East. I am getting stouter every day. I have a brother seven years old, named Sumner.
Lincoln S.
I think it is great fun to ride on top of a load of hay. ”

“ OUR BULL-FIGHT. BY JIMMY BROWN.
I'm going to stop improving my mind. It gets me into trouble all the time. Grown-up folks can improve their minds without doing any harm, for nobody ever tells them that their conduct is such, and that there isn't the least excuse in the world for them: but just as sure as a boy tries to improve his mind, especially with animals, he gets into dreadful difficulties. ”

“ Many of our youthful readers will remember the account of some historical trees of the United States given in the second volume of Young People, and the interest it awakened for collecting and exchanging leaves and twigs from these noble old landmarks, and we think they will be interested to hear about two magnificent cypress-trees near the city of Mexico. ”

“ Stubbs's brother, and the monkey scampered up the tent-pole, brandishing two or three of the poor creature's best and longest wing feathers, while he screamed with satisfaction that he had accomplished at least a portion of the work of stripping the fowl.
"The show's broke up, an' that's all there's to it," said Bob, sorrowfully, as he gazed alternately at the hole in the canvas and his rapidly vanishing calf.
"Are the squirrels all gone?" asked Joe, driving the cat from her intended prey long enough to allow Master Bushy-tail to gain a refuge under the barn.
"Every one," replied Reddy. ”

“ Once there was an Australian savage in a circus, and he got angry, and he threw his boomerang at a man who was in the third story of a hotel. The boomerang went down one street and up another, and into the hotel door, and upstairs, and knocked the man on the head, and came back the same way right into the Australian savage's hand.
I was so anxious to show father that I had listened to the lecture that I made a boomerang just like the one the lecturer had. When it was done, I went out into the back yard, and slung it at a cat on the roof of our house. ”

“ I do love you so much! How good it seems to see your dear little bright green face every week. I have an auntie in New Bedford, grown up and married, who sees you and reads you all through before you come to me. ”

“ Tom McGinnis's sister Jane, who is twelve years old, and thinks she knows everything, said she'd be the Queen of Spain, and give Tom and me evergreen wreaths. I got an old red curtain out of the dining-room, and divided it with Tom, so that we could wave it in the bull's face. When a bull runs after a bull-fighter, the other bull-fighter just waves his red rag, and the bull goes for him and lets the first bull-fighter escape. The lecturer said that there wasn't any danger so long as one fellow would always wave a red rag when the bull ran after the other fellow, and of course we believed him. ”