Various

“ We were all very sorry; even Juliet was very sorry, and sat in one corner of the big cage and moped, oh! so dreadfully, for the loss of her poor mate. Which mamma told us was a moral to us little ones to be contented and happy in each other's company; for no one could tell, not even Juliet, how painful it was to miss somebody forever to whom one had been unkind, or said or done harsh things, and what a bitter memory it would leave behind! ”

“ We told papa and mamma about the unhappy lives of Romeo and Juliet, and they were very much surprised. They had always understood that love-birds were most engaging and amiable creatures; and what unhappy difference of opinion could have led Juliet to regard Romeo with such complete contempt, or to induce Romeo to despise Juliet and try to hurt her—just as Juliet availed herself of every chance to do some mortal injury to Romeo—was a mystery which even our good, wise parents could not solve.
There came a time when there was great grief to us all. Tom had left the cage door open one day ”

“ We were all anxious about the love-birds: they were something alive, and to be petted and made much of. It was discovered, however, that Tom wanted the love-birds; it was his second choice, and he had set his heart upon them. And having set his heart upon them, Tom sat down and howled when Maggie had made her selection. There was no pacifying Tom—there never is, Bella says, and so does Charlie—and Tom stamped and raved and sobbed, and would not have anything else but the love-birds "if he died for it," he said. ”

“ A minute's steady trot brought the boys to the steamboat dock where the ferry-boat lay frozen in. A number of graceful ice-yachts were gliding hither and thither over the glassy surface, while several near the wharf stood with sails flapping in the crisp, freshening breeze, as numbers of men and boys hurried about making the last preparations for the race, while shouts and halloos resounded on all sides. ”

“ Away on either side stretched a line of swiftly moving yachts, white sails flat as boards, flags fluttering, the wind humming through the rigging, while their glittering runners cut feathery flakes of glistening ice in their tracks.
"Oh, ain't it too bad!" cried Joe. "The Eagle and Icicle are both ahead of us."
"Never mind, boys; it's early in the race yet. Wait till we get on a wind," replied Haines. "Now watch the turning-point, sir; don't let the Snow Squall get inside of us; ready, about," and the three leading boats turned the stake together.
"Phew! how we fly!" cried Art. ”

“ He was very fond of the birds, and he christened them Romeo and Juliet, because they were love-birds too, and we should hear all about them when we were a little older. Well, I hoped they loved each other better than Tom's birds, for presently Tom saw, and we all saw, that considering our Romeo and Juliet were love-birds, their behavior was far from conveying that idea to any one who studied them. They were quarrelsome in the extreme, which pleased Tom, who "liked to see them fight," he said; and as they were always fighting, he got a great deal of pleasure from Uncle Benjamin's present. ”

“ Over this precipice the river plunges in snow-white foam and spray. From the foot of the falls rises a dense and heavy mist, and no one can approach within several hundred yards without being drenched to the skin. On the west side the wall of rock is covered to the height of about 300 feet with a dense carpet of mosses, grasses, and other vegetation, of the most vivid green. There is nowhere in the world a more beautiful scene than that which is presented by this remarkable fall, although Niagara is more impressive on account of the volume of water which pours over the precipice. ”

“ We took it in turns to feed the birds, Tom, who loved them very much, having quite forgotten to feed them after the first four-and-twenty hours, and sister Maggie, who was always tender-hearted, took great pains over them, and tried hard to teach them better manners, especially at meal-times. Alone, each bird was as good as gold, but it was seldom that Juliet would allow Romeo to take any food out of a spoon without seizing the advantage of his being off guard to have a savage peck at him somewhere ”

“ If he jumps after you have cried "Dead!" you can count nothing for whatever he has made by the extra jump.
The umpire keeps the score of both players, and after each has thrown ten times, the score is added up, and whoever has the highest number wins the game.
Some attention must be paid to the making of the Kangaroo. The rubber must be slightly warm, so that it will hold together just enough to make two or three springs, if possible; but it must not be too warm, or it will stick together and not jump at all. ”

“ The wagon started, and as each one talked with her neighbor, Toby felt a most dismal sense of loneliness, and almost wished that he was riding on the monkey cart with Ben, where he could have some one to talk with. ”

“ As Toby stepped inside he saw that the wagon was nearly full of women and children, and fearing lest he should take a seat that belonged to some one else, he stood in the middle of the wagon, not knowing what to do. ”

“ Taking advantage of every hummock and tuft of grass to conceal their approach, the hunters finally get within bow-shot of the make-believe buffaloes. At a signal a flight of arrows is discharged at the hairy monsters, and they in turn, apparently maddened by the pain of their wounds, charge upon the hunters, bellowing with rage, and knocking down with their heads any whom they happen to overtake. ”

“ If you really wish to enjoy yourself, seek out somebody who seems to be more a stranger than yourself, and try to do something for his or her pleasure. Forget that you are not acquainted with everybody, and remember that it is your duty to help your hostess in making her party a success. Should your greatest enemy be present, you must of course be perfectly civil and agreeable in your manner to him, for in your friend's house you are both under a flag of truce. ”

“ This is an entirely new game, invented and designed especially for Harper's Young People, and we hope our readers will enjoy playing it. The game can be played by two or more persons; and if convenient, they should have a marker, or umpire, whose decision is in all cases final.
In the first place, each player should provide himself with a small strip of India rubber of about one or two inches in length; those elastic bands which are sold at every stationery store are the thing's to use; one of these cut in two will make an excellent pair of Kangaroos. ”

“ Do not think that people are looking at you, or noticing your dress or your looks. They are doing nothing of the kind. Engage heartily in whatever amusement is provided for the occasion, but do not put yourself needlessly forward. ”

“ Brother and I take Young People. We save them all, and we think everything of them.
Georgie B. C.
Cross Village, Michigan.
I love Young People very much. We live near old Fort Mackinac, where the Indians once played a game of ball to mislead the white men, and then surprised and took the fort, killing nearly all the troops.
There are many Indians living here now. They are mostly of the Ottawa tribe. We live in an old Indian "garden." I have found an ancient tomahawk, a hoe, and a ladle.
I am seven years old, and I can read in the Fourth Reader.
E. Clair S.
Douglas City, California. ”

“ Many others are scarce; in fact, all before 1816, if in good condition, are worth much more than their face value. Collectors should remember that the value of all rare coins depends upon condition. A much-rubbed specimen of a cent of 1799 might be dear at one dollar, while an uncirculated cent of that date would readily find a market at thirty dollars.
Reader of "Young People."—The postage stamps exchanged by our young correspondents are, as a rule, cancelled stamps cut from letters. ”

“ One of the favorite games among the boys of the great Sioux nation is that of "Buffalo," a game that may be played by any number; but while as many as choose may act as hunters, only two, and they the largest and strongest, can be buffaloes. ”

“ As soon as you put your Kangaroo down, and cry "Tip!" your adversary commences marking crosses on a piece of paper or a slate—like this, X X X X X X X X—as fast as he can until you cry "Dead!" when he must stop; each of these crosses counts him 1. You, of course, watch your Kangaroo to see if he is likely to take another jump and give you a fresh count, and you only cry "Dead!" when you think he has no more life in him. ”

“ I study at home. I study language lessons, arithmetic, botany, spelling, and geography. I am eight years old. I want to take Young People always.
I will exchange minerals from the mines, for shells or any other curiosities, with any readers of the Post-office Box.
Lou R. Keep, Smiths Hill,
East Branch of Feather River, California.
I would like to exchange stamps of the United States Treasury and State Departments, postmarks, and Canadian and foreign postage stamps, for rare stamps and postmarks, or for specimens of ores, minerals, or shells. Correspondents will please label specimens. ”

“ Now if you twist one of these pieces of rubber up like a cord, and roll it into a kind of ball, and then place it on the table, it will immediately give a spring (that is to say, it will nine times out of ten) , and sometimes a second spring, and then it will begin to squirm and roll over, until finally it stops. This piece of rubber is called the Kangaroo. The players can make their Kangaroos of any length they like, so that they be of the same thickness. Indeed, they may be of any size or form the players see fit, provided they all agree on the matter. ”

“ Finally the buffaloes are supposed to be killed; they roll over and lie perfectly still, while the hunters, with loud rejoicings, remove their skins, which they bear in triumph to camp. Then all, hunters and buffaloes, unite in a wild dance in imitation of their fathers when they return from a successful hunt, and the game is ended.
[Begun in No. 58 of Harper's Young People, December 7.] TOBY TYLER ”

“ We have to wear the lightest sort of fabric, so that we are not hindered in our long flights."
"Do you know flower fairies?"
"Yes; but we are of a very different race. I suppose you thought we dressed in rose leaves and rode on bumble-bees; but we do not; we are more—now for a long word—more ethereal." And again the fairy laughed.
"Ether means air," said Phil, quite proudly. "Do you know any fairy stories?" he asked.
"Yes; shall I tell you one next time I come?" ”

“ Hardaker. There isn't any use in saying much about it, but it is too bad to do it—on his birthday, too. I'm really ashamed to be so 'worked up,' but it seems as if a tree like that might be allowed to stand till it died a natural death."
"The bolt that strikes the towering cedar dead
Glides harmless o'er the hazel's lowly head.'"
quoted Grace. ”

“ Do they all mind you, Clytie, and is Leonora getting over her vain and silly ways? Don't fail to suppress upon her that "handsome is that handsome does," and of all things, don't allow her to be imperent to the others.
Give my love to George Washington and Lafayette, and tell them that of all the soldier-dolls on parade in the shops here (and there are whole regiments of them) , I haven't seen one I would change for them. Papa says, "In military bearing they are equal to any we find here," and I agree with him. It is a great compliment, too, for Germany is full of soldiers. ”

“ The old man hurried off to the other end of the tent, and almost before Toby thought he had time to go as far as the ring, he returned.
"It's all right," he said, and this time in a gruff voice, as if he were announcing some misfortune; "you're to ride in the women's wagon. Come with me."
Toby followed without a question, though he was wholly at a [Pg 261] loss to understand what the "women's wagon" was, for he had never seen anything which looked like one. ”

“ She used to live in Cambridge when she was a little girl, and was dear great-grandma's truly baby once! I never saw her before, but I love her already. Uncle Max has gray hair, and wears speckertles, and carries a cane, and so I suppose he's old, but he plays with us children, and you can't help laughing just to hear him laugh, and he sings funny songs to us, and he doesn't seem any older than Randolph. He keeps us having a good time from morning till night ”

“ FEEDING THE LOVE-BIRDS. "ROMEO AND JULIET." BY F. W. ROBINSON.
"When my good uncle Benjamin sent home his presents for the children I am afraid there was less harmony in the family—that is, amongst my brothers and sisters—than one might have expected. The presents were many, the choice was embarrassing, and tastes did not agree. Tom was the bother—Tom always has been the bother, I am sorry to add. Without Tom I think we could have got along pretty well, and arranged our differences by degrees, and with the help of mamma and the governess, and perhaps papa to be called in if wanted very much. ”

“ The stove reaches almost to the ceiling, and is made of white porcelain covered all over with the prettiest little baby figures. They are raised 'way up, you know, and their arras are as round and fat as a real doll's. Some of them are playing tag, some are in swings or wading in brooks, and all round the top of the stove is a row of little angels. Wouldn't you like to see a stove like that? In the bay-window there are lots of plants, and three cages full of canary-birds, besides another cage, 'most as big as a bureau, for the parrot. ”

“ The water was pouring from his clothes in little rivulets, and he afforded most unmistakable evidence of the damp state of the weather.
"It's a nasty night, my boy," said the old driver, in much the same cheery tone that he would have used had he been informing Toby that it was a beautiful moonlight evening.
"I guess I'll get wet," said Toby, ruefully, as he looked up at the lofty seat which he was to occupy.
"Bless me!" said Ben, as if the thought had just come to him, "it won't do for you to ride outside on a night like this. You wait here, an' I'll see what I can do for you." ”