Various

“ Nelly did it, and grandpa said, "Bravely done, little girl! Here ends your first lesson in dancing. To-morrow we will have another. Now get your new 'Nursery,' and let me hear one of the stories; for we must take care of the head, as well as the heels."
Nelly laughed; but, when she began to read, the tune she had just heard came back to her, and she could hardly keep from dancing up and down.
"One thing at a time, darling," said grandpa. "If we would do one thing well, we must not let our thoughts wander to something else. Tell me when you think you can give your thoughts to reading. ”

“ By the side of my home a river runs; and down close by the banks of it lives a good family named Allen. Mr. Allen keeps a large number of hens and ducks. One old hen had twice been put to sit on ducks' eggs, and hatched two broods of ducks.
The first brood she hatched took to the water as soon as they saw it, as all little ducks will. The old hen was almost crazy at such behavior on the part of her chicks, and flew down to the water's edge, clucking and calling at a great rate. ”

“ There are chimney-sweepers even now; but none of the old-fashioned kind. In many places it is forbidden by law to send boys up the chimneys. So the modern chimney-sweeper puts his brush on the end of a pole, which is made in joints, like a fishing-rod, and, by attaching joint after joint, thrusts it farther and farther up the chimney. ”

“ Although most of the "diamonds in the sky," commonly called stars, are real stars, or suns like our sun, a few of them are not suns, but solid globes or worlds like that which we inhabit, warmed and lighted by our sun. When the sun is shining on them, they look bright to us ”

“ In those days, before hard coal fires had come in use, chimney-sweepers were often employed. They were small boys, working under the orders of a master in the business, who was very often a hard master. ”

“ So the boys lay down flat on the mound of earth, and peered into the hole, by way of inviting its owner to come [83] out and be shot; while Dick and Gyp gave persuasive growls and yelps.
Strangely enough no woodchuck appeared; and after waiting an "age,"—five minutes long,—the brave hunters decided to dig in. "We ought to have brought spades," they said; but sticks and stones and hands did very well in the soft, wet earth.
About the time that Harry got out of breath, and Ned had dropped a stone on his foot, Dick barked furiously at something moving under a hazel-bush. "Shoot, Ned, shoot!" ”

“ His eyes are the brightest of all bright eyes; and he acts just as one might suppose from his name. He dodges here and there,—under the sofa, and behind the stove, and up in a chair, and sometimes puts his paws up on the baby's cradle. ”

“ From all this you will see that you will have to be very particular what kind of a star you look at when you say,—
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star."
M. E. R.
HOW A RAT WAS ONCE CAUGHT.
Do you know what sly and cunning creatures rats are? The picture shows how they sometimes contrive to carry off eggs. The old fox in the background seems to be watching the performance with great interest.
But, cute as they are, they sometimes get caught. I am going to tell you how a rat was once caught by a clam. It happened when I was a little child, and lived with my [75] mother. ”

“ Now, when clams are put where it is dark and cool and quiet, they open their shells. If you should go softly up, and put a straw in one of their mouths, it would clasp its shells together so tightly, that you could not get them open. ”

“ She heard Dick and Gyp, and then she saw her little boys. Oh, what a sight!—the striped stockings and blue sailor-suits all one shade of yellow brown earth!
"Did you have good sport?" asked papa, coming to the door.
"Splendid! Found lots of holes," said Ned, dumping the pumpkin. And what they did with the pumpkin, perhaps I'll tell you another time.
Miss A. H. R.
[85]
THE SCHOOLMISTRESS.
"There are many thousand words in our language," said Ellen, reading from a book, "and some words are used for one purpose, and some for another; and the same word may be used in different ways. ”

“ Nelly took a few more dancing-steps, whirled around twice, made a courtesy, then came, and read so well, that grandpa said, "You deserve a good mark for reading, my dear. Now, whether you read, or whether you dance, mind this:—
"What you do, if well you would do it,
Rule your thoughts, and give them all to it."
Ida Fay.
[71]
OLD JIM.
Jim is a fine large horse. He lives in the engine-house, and draws the hose-carriage. ”