Various

“ It must always be remembered that their suffering arises from no fault of their own, and those to whom fortune has been more generous should never forget to help from their abundance the little ones toward whom the world has turned a cold and unkind face. Now if every reader of Young People would give some little thing, if it be only a bunch of flowers or evergreen, how many poor little faces might be made brighter on New-Year's morning! ”

“ To welcome the birth of the Happy New Year!
BEE-HUNTING. BY JIMMY BROWN.
The more I see of this world the hollower I find everybody. I don't mean that people haven't got their insides in them, but they are so dreadfully ungrateful. No matter how kind and thoughtful any one may be, they never give him any credit for it. ”

“ The trio stood in amazement, little Jamie being spell-bound by the flying wheel.
"Wonderful! wonderful!" cried Prince Charlie; "this is magic."
The Princess asked, eagerly, "May I try it?"
Jessie rose at once. The little lady daintily drew aside her satin robe, and put her small shoes on the treadle. With the help of Jessie the wheel was soon spinning briskly. The low hum and whir grew rapidly louder. "What!" cried the Prince, "a tune?" and, wondering, Allan heard the swift humming change to a lively measure. ”

“ What between her hurry after getting home, and her anxiety to conceal her dress from Debby and her little sister Margaret, Mildred found it difficult to enjoy the "first wear" of the gray silk; but certainly, she thought, as she surveyed her work in her mirror, it was a success. It fitted admirably, and she had had the good taste to make it simply as became a young girl only sixteen, though it in no way became a girl working hard for twenty dollars a month. ”

“ The only reply which the driver made to this plaintive confession was to put his hand down into the deepest recesses of one of his deep pockets, and to draw therefrom a huge doughnut, which he handed to his companion.
Toby was so much at his ease by this time that the appetite which had failed him at supper had now returned in full force, and he devoured the doughnut in a most ravenous manner.
"You're too small to eat so fast," said the man, in a warning tone, as the last morsel of the greasy sweetness disappeared, and he fished up another for the boy. ”

“ Looking about him for new marvels, he chanced on his printing-press. The fire-light was dying out, and it was too dark for type-setting, so he quickly struck a match and lighted the gas jet. When he turned, his guests stood stupefied and open-mouthed with most unroyal amazement.
The Prince gasped out, "Sister, did you see him set fire to a hole? Surely he did it, and with a dry splinter."
The Princess turned quite pale. "Are the walls full of fire?" she asked, anxiously, hugging baby Jamie closely. ”

“ The little fur-clad figure knocking for admittance is that of New Year himself, Master Eighteen Eighty-One, laden with promises and good wishes that will, we hope, insure him a warm welcome from the sleepy watchers within the cozy room to which he seeks to enter. Even Miss Dolly, whom the children have left on the cricket in the corner to watch the old year out and the new one in, and who does not look at all sleepy, will welcome the little stranger in her own way, and he will quickly be made to feel at home. ”

“ We have roses all the year, as our winter is only a succession of pleasant rains with warm sunny days between, like spring in the Eastern States.
The town is near the mouth of the broad, beautiful bay of Monterey, so that we can see out into the Pacific Ocean. We have grand times on the beach when the tide is low, searching for shells and the beautiful sea-weeds. The lady principal of a school here teaches us all about shells and algæ, or sea-plants, and we learn to name and classify them. I wish all the young people who write about aquaria could see mine. ”

“ Sometimes little girls like Jennie have parents who are not kind and good like yours, because they love liquor and spend their earnings to procure that. There are plenty of empty stockings on Christmas in homes where fathers and mothers are drunkards.
Little Jennie looks very forlorn holding her empty stocking in her hand. The picture is a shadow on the gayety of this festive time, but it is inserted in the New-Year's number of Harper's Young People, that some of the readers may be prompted to think what they can do to send pleasures to little ones whose lives are seldom gay. ”

“ Now she always said that she loved me like her own son. She'd say to father "How I envy you that noble boy what a comfort he must be to you," and father would say "Yes he has some charming qualities" and look as if he hadn't laid onto me with his cane that very morning and told me that my conduct was such. You'll hardly believe that just because I did the very best I could and saved her precious Tommy from an apple grave, Aunt Sarah says I'm a young Cain and knows I'll come to the gallows.
She came to see us last Friday, and on Saturday I was going bee-hunting. I read all about it in a book. ”

“ Is your father a great King, and does he have such wonderful dolls made for you?" she asked.
"Oh, dear me, no, Princess," said Jessie, hastily, and wanting very much to laugh. "My father is a great doctor, though. We have no Kings in our country." ”

“ Those of you who live near together, and have your "Young People Clubs," which you write so prettily about, can have a meeting, and fill baskets with playthings you do not need. Mamma will help you buy some oranges, and perhaps a warm scarf or pair of stockings, and she will advise you, too, of the best way to dispose of them. Every one of you can do something, and in that way you will bring to yourself, as well as to others, a real Happy New Year. ”

“ Then the bundles came open, and their contents began to shine all around the chimney and over the mantel, and even on some of the chairs.
"It's too bad we haven't any of their stockings," began Aunt Sally; but she exclaimed, the next instant: "Oh, Frank! here's Maria's work-basket, all full of stockings. I know them. Those are Don's. There's a pair of Rad's. Molly's. Petish. Berry's—the dear little kitten! We've got 'em."
"Mother, let's set the table."
"That's it. You help him do it, father. Won't we give 'em a surprise!" ”

“ Why should there not be a Toy Mission too? Most of you have a dolly, or two, or three, perhaps, which you could spare, and some of you have books you have read, and playthings which you have outgrown, which would make poor children wild with joy. Some of the Sunday-schools have tried this way of keeping Christmas, and have brought their gifts to be distributed among the poor. ”

“ He revolved the matter silently for some moments, and at last he asked, "What do folks call you when they want to speak to you?"
"They always call me old Ben, an' I've got so used to the name that I don't need any other."
Toby wanted very much to ask more questions, but he wisely concluded that it would not be agreeable to his companion.
"I'll ask the old man about it," said Toby to himself, referring to the aged monkey, whom he seemed to feel acquainted with; "he most likely knows, if he'll say anything." ”

“ You take an axe and go out-doors and follow a bee, and after a while the bee takes you to a hollow tree full of honey and you cut the tree down and carry the honey home in thirty pails and sell it for ever so much. I and Sam McGinnis were going and Aunt Sarah says "O take Tommy with you the dear child would enjoy it so much." Of course no fellow that's twelve years old wants a little chap like that tagging after him but mother spoke up and said that I'd be delighted to take Tommy and so I couldn't help myself. ”

“ Deceit and ingratitude are the monster vices of the age and they are rolling over our beloved land like the flood. (I got part of that elegant language from the temperance lecturer last week, but I improved it a good deal.)
There is Aunt Sarah. The uncle that belonged to her died two years ago and she's awfully rich. She comes to see us sometimes with Tommy—that's her boy, a little fellow ten years old—and you ought to see how mother and Sue wait on her and how pleasant father is when she's in the room. ”

“ A large number Of the new holiday books for little folks combine amusement with instruction of one kind or another. A very interesting volume, prettily bound and profusely illustrated with portraits and other engravings, is The Story of the United States Navy, [2] by Mr. Lossing, who has devoted many years to the study of American history, and whose works on that subject are popular with readers of all ages. ”

“ The other players march around him in single file, clapping their hands in time to a tune which may be sung or played upon a piano in any slow measure suitable for marching. When the blinded player calls out "Spoons," all the others stop at once, and turn their faces toward him. He then finds his way to any player that he can, and must ascertain who he is by touching him with the spoons only, which he may use as he pleases. If he guesses right, the person he has caught is obliged to take his place in the centre. ”

“ We are two dolls. Our mamma is a dear little black-eyed girl almost ten years old, named Jennie. She is a good deal like Bessie Maynard, and loves us as much as Bessie loves her doll Clytie. We used to live in Nevada, but last summer we came to live in Central City, Colorado. We all like Young People, and the Post-office Box in particular.
Minnie and Joe McG. ”

“ If any reader of Young People will send me a Greek or a Danish postage stamp, or two kinds of stamps from South America, I will send in return an Indian arrow-head, or I will exchange Indian pottery for any foreign stamps except English. ”

“ A very funny new game has come to us from our German cousins, with the odd title of Spoons, which is played as follows: One person takes his stand in the centre of the room, with a handkerchief tied over his eyes, and his hands extended before him, in each of which he holds a large table-spoon. ”

“ No better reading than is contained in this book can be found for boys, as, while it is of absorbing interest, it tells the story of many noble men whose example can not fail to awaken patriotism and a desire to attain true manhood in the minds of American boys in whose hands lies the future history of the United States. ”

“ Neither can we attend to irregularities between exchanges, which arise in almost every instance from carelessness, or failure to give a proper address. We know of no remedy for those who fail to receive answers to their letters except to continue sending reminders to the delinquent correspondent. A great many boys and girls write to us that they receive so many letters, they can not answer them all promptly, as they are going to school, and very busy with studies, but that they will surely answer them in time. ”

“ They had no treadle, for the press was worked by hand; but then they had famous printers there, and plenty of them, you see, and could send out a thousand papers in a day," and he looked to Allan for admiration.
"That was doing very well," was the calm response; "but with a treadle I could work off about twice as many myself. In our country we use steam to drive every sort of machine, and to-day our Yankee presses just buzz round, and throw about eight thousand or ten thousand newspapers an hour, all cut and folded."
"Don't! don't!" cried Prince Charlie ”

“ What will those poor children do?"
"Poor Petish!" said Mr. Burnell. "We can explain it to the boys, and they can wait, and to Molly, but it'll be bad enough for any of 'em."
"But Petish'll break her little heart if she finds that Santa Claus hasn't come."
"It'll be almost as much of a disappointment to Aunt Sally and Frank. I hope they'll bring Mid with them when they come."
"Of course they will."
Now that had been a very long, white, beautiful, dark night, and a great many queer things had happened in it. They are sure to, in any "night before Christmas" ”

“ Children will always ask questions, and their natural inquisitiveness often goes beyond the knowledge of their elders. For this reason parents, as well as the youthful questioners, will extend a hearty welcome to The Young Folks' Cyclopædia of Persons and Places, [3] which contains full information of all celebrated localities, and many biographical notices of important personages of every period. ”

“ The dolls had their Christmas tree as well as children; and, mounted on a ladder, Santa Claus (a doll's Santa Claus, you know) made believe distribute beautiful Christmas gifts.
[Begun in No. 58 of Harper's Young People, December 7.] TOBY TYLER; OR, TEN WEEKS WITH A CIRCUS. BY JAMES OTIS. Chapter III. THE NIGHT RIDE.
The wagon on which Mr. Lord was to send his new-found employé was, by the most singular chance, the one containing the monkeys, and Toby accepted this as a good omen. He would be near his venerable friend all night, and there was some consolation in that. ”

“ After this the conversation ceased, until Toby again ventured to suggest, "It's a pretty long drive, hain't it?"
"You want to wait till you've been in this business a year or two," said Ben, sagely, "an' then you won't think much of it. Why, I've known the show towns to be thirty miles apart, an' them was the times when we had lively work of it: riding all night and working all day kind of wears on a fellow." ”

“ They couldn't have treated me worse if I'd let Tommy stay in the tree and starve to death. I almost wish I had done it. It does seem as if the more good a boy does the more the grown folks pitch into him. The moment Sue is married to Mr. Travers I mean to go and live with him. He never scolds, and always says that Susan's brother is as dear to him as his own, though he hasn't got any.
[Pg 136]
SING A SONG O' SIXPENCE. DRAWN BY R. CALDECOTT.
Sing a Song o' Sixpence,
A Pocketful of Rye ”