Various

“ But there was a little boy there who had the heart and courage of a man, though he was only seven years old. He had what many men have not—the sense to see what ought to be done, and the will to do it quickly.
Evvie Jerome caught hold of the life-rope, and by wading and swimming reached the place where the little girl had gone under.
The spectators watching the young hero saw him dive. Up he came, dragging the child with him. Clinging to her with one hand, and to the friendly rope with the other, he brought her, half-drowned but safe, to her mother's arms. ”

“ Through the summer and autumn there are so many butterflies fluttering away their short lives in the sunshine that a description of them all would fill many pages of Young People. But catch all the different kinds you can find, and preserve them carefully; and if you have no good illustrated text-book in the country, you can obtain one next winter, and spend many long evenings in classifying your collection, and studying the habits of these pretty inhabitants of the fields and woods. ”

“ Toby had always had a wholesome dread of a gun; but his fear became greater than ever when he saw how much mischief could be done with one as near a total wreck as that was, for Uncle Daniel had seated himself on the grass, regardless of the dew, and was hugging his foot as if he feared he should lose it.
Even though her husband was wounded, Aunt Olive could not stop to offer any aid while her precious ducks were in such peril, as the breaking of the laths proved them to be ”

“ Naturally Tom was kept quite busy towing fishing parties, and he worked all the better when he had plenty to do. A vacation of two or three days would make him behave like a colt the next time he went out.
At first he would rush off at a great rate, drawing two men in a good-sized boat nearly as fast as one could row, but he would soon cool down until he hardly wanted to stir at all.
Work every day was what Tom needed to make him willing and steady, and if he had it he was a model of good behavior. ”

“ But do not be discouraged if your first attempt to mount and arrange a butterfly is unsuccessful. The first butterfly will no doubt be a forlorn-looking creature, its wings twisted and broken. Persevere, and your fingers will soon become skillful, and you will arrange the wings as neatly as an experienced naturalist could do it.
The dark butterfly in the background of the engraving is an Archippus, and the large one in front, with bands crossing its wings, and with little tails on its hind-wings, is the Papilio turnus—a brilliant yellow butterfly marked with black and blue. ”

“ Just then a fresh squall drove the boat ahead with such force that the water broke over the bow, and Tom was for the time suppressed. Fortunately the dory was stanch and seaworthy. It rode the waves lightly, and so long as Dare could keep it before the wind she had no fears of its capsizing. But every breath of wind carried them further away from home. Presently the rain began to fall; and then Mollie, that Dare might not be wet, insisted upon covering her shoulders with the jacket also.
"But I never take cold," Dare protested. ”

“ Williams cried from the bottom of the well.
"Dade, I reckon?" said Old Dick.
"No," said Mr. Williams; "for a wonder he is alive. Wind up the rope, Richard."
Old Dick slowly wound up the rope. We were leaning over the well frame, peering anxiously into its black depths, when Mr. Williams came in sight, bearing in his arms poor Job? No. What? Job's turkey. ”

“ Stubbs's brother, but all were quite sure it was; and before they had been in the oak grove ten minutes they saw the monkey himself, hanging by his tail and one paw from the branch of a tree.
Toby was so delighted at seeing his pet safe and alive that he set up a great shout; and the monkey, thus warned that boys who would chain him down to the drudgery of a circus ring were on his track, started off at full speed, scolding furiously as he went.
To catch a monkey in the woods was even a harder task than to "scrape" him from the tent, or to capture him on the roof of the hen-house ”

“ The true test of a bell is its strength of sound. How far can you hear it? is the question, not how heavy it may be. High up in the steeple and on an elevation a bell ought to be heard for miles. In old times the bells summoned the people to gatherings called folk-motes. ”

“ Dropping the shovel, but still clinging to the candle, Aunt Olive seized the gun, and dragging it along by the muzzle, she cried:
"I'll shoot you if you don't let them ducks alone, and go right straight away from here!"
The loud quacking of another duck proved that she had not alarmed the burglar; and as she was now quite near the bold robber, by holding her candle above her head she could discern in the darkness what looked like a boy, with a duck tightly clutched in each hand.
"It's only a boy," she cried to Uncle Daniel, who had given over attending to his foot, and was coming up ”

“ Two weeks ago they changed into green chrysalides spotted with black and gold, and it is time now to look for the great Danias archippus butterflies, which will come out of the chrysalides in these hot July days. Yes, there is one now perched on the Asclepias, its large wings opening and shutting in the sun. Go softly, for it is a shy fellow. A quick throw of the net, and—off goes the butterfly sailing away across the sunny field. ”

“ Toby trembled as the man said this, for Mr. Stubbs's death was too vivid in his mind for him to think without a shudder of any one going in search of this monkey with a gun. He started for the grove at full speed, fearing that some one with more time at his disposal had seen his pet, and might even now be in pursuit of him. ”

“ And though Dare declares that she does not want any thanks, and that it is pleasure enough for her to know Mollie, it is quite likely that something will be done for her benefit. For one thing, she is going to spend next winter with Mollie, and go to school in New York—a prospect which delights Mollie not less than it does Dare. "Only I'm afraid," Mollie remarks, apprehensively, when they are discussing the arrangement, "that Tom won't be civil."
And Dare, to whom Tom has already shown several awkward attentions, answers, with a smile and a blush: "Oh, Tom is such a goose! ”

“ But in that case she ought to be coming home now. Mrs. Peters looked toward the little cove where the dory was accustomed to lie; and to her great surprise discovered a mast-head rising above the intervening rocks. The mast was not rocking, as it would be if the dory were in the water. The boat must be drawn up on the beach. But who had done that? Had Dare come home in the night? With a quick beating at her heart, Mrs. Peters ran over the rocks down toward the beach. There was the dory sure enough. ”

“ THE SHEEP AT GRANDPA'S FARM.
Of all the lovely things we do, my sister Maud and I,
In summer days, at grandpa's farm, where hills are green and high,
There's nothing that we like so well as being sent to keep,
All through the shady afternoon, a flock of milk-white sheep. ”

“ If he grew lazy, as he sometimes did, a sharp splash just behind would quicken him up. There was never any trouble about getting home after a ride. Just as soon as Tom had a chance to turn around, he would start straight for his box, and swim with all his might until he was once more snugly housed.
While Tom was being trained, he was allowed only about six feet of rope, but after Harry felt sure that he could trust his pet, he let him go twenty or thirty feet from the boat, and instead of short rides he used to stay out as long as three or four hours. ”

“ The Idalia loves grassy fields and way-side flowers, and is not difficult to capture.
The tiny butterfly with bluish-brown and copper-colored wings ornamented with black, which is found in great numbers all through the summer fluttering over the grass and white clover by the road-side, is the Lycæna americana; and the small yellow butterfly with black markings on its wings, which flies in such quantities over clover fields that a single throw of the net will often intrap a dozen, is the Colias philodice. ”

“ I am ten years old, and have no little brothers or sisters. I have two brothers. One is married; the other is older than I. He can draw nice pictures of our house and barn, and lots of other things. We have two canaries, and they go to setting as soon as they lay one egg. We have had lots of pets. One was a crow, which could do the most mischievous things, and was very funny. We have only a dog named Bran, some kittens, and a pet lamb. Bran will stand with his mouth open for Fred to milk in it, and sit before us on a horse to ride. I have a cousin Nelly coming to spend vacation with me. ”

“ I am just half-way through the school. This is a very large school; it has twenty rooms in it. There is a building in Chicago that is eleven stories high. We will have vacation in a few days, and then all the school-children will be glad. We boys go down to the lake and bathe ourselves, and have a jolly time. We are allowed to fish in Humboldt Park on Saturday; I go there almost every Saturday. It has a very clear lake; there are sunfish, trout, and bull-heads in it.
Alvin H.
Of course you are now in the full tide of vacation. ”

“ Thin pieces of cork should be glued on the bottom at intervals, according to the size of your butterflies, upon these the insects are mounted by a slender pin which runs through the body. When the case is full, it should be sealed air-tight, for if there is the finest crack, moths will get in and ruin your collection.
You can not take your case to the fields, so you must have some small paper boxes in which you can mount your specimens until the wings are dry, and they are ready to place in the case.
The best thing for a youthful naturalist to use to kill the butterfly is ether. ”