Various

“ Now is the time for our friends to show their good will. We count all our subscribers as our friends; and all of them may do us a service by renewing their subscriptions immediately. A blank form for that purpose is furnished herewith, and there is plenty of room on it to add the names of a few new subscribers. We hope that every old subscriber will try to send us at least one new one.
... On the last page of our cover will be found the advertisement of "The Nursery Primer," the most charming book for children, considering its cheapness, that has yet been put upon the market. ”

“ When the baby was fussy, the girl would dance a little; and so the baby was put to sleep in this peculiar fashion.
It is a very common sight to see a boatwoman rowing the boat, with her baby strapped on her back. The child likes the motion, and is very quiet. It must be very hard for the mother; but the Chinese women have to endure more hardships than that, as I shall show you in future numbers of "The Nursery."
In cold weather, these people must suffer very much, they are so poorly clad. They put all the clothing they have on the upper part of their body ”

“ Pedro sprang up, and took his fiddle; but the gentleman stopped him as he was going out, and asked if that pile of shavings was all the bed he had. He spoke so kindly, that Pedro told him his story.
The gentleman felt so sorry for him, and was so pleased with his sweet, sad face, that he took him to his own home, and gave him a nice warm breakfast; and, being in want of an errand-boy, he concluded to let Pedro have the place.
Pedro has lived happily in his new home ever since; and, though he still likes to play on his fiddle, he has no wish to return to his old wandering mode of life. ”

“ Progress, improvement, will be our motto in the future as they have been in the past. "The Nursery," we can assure our readers, is younger and more full of life than ever, notwithstanding its nine years. ”

“ At the hotel near the seaside, where I staid last summer, there was a little fellow who was known to the guests as Captain Bob. He was from the West, where he had never seen a large sheet of water. But, at his first sight of old Ocean, he gave him his heart.
Old Ocean seemed to return the tender liking; for he was very kind to Captain Bob, who was nearly all day at the seaside, running some sort of risk. There was nobody to prevent his going in to swim as often as he chose.
Nobody had taught Captain Bob to swim. How he learned he could not explain. He was always ready to venture into a boat. ”

“ Flora now goes to school in winter; but in midsummer she pays frequent visits to "Flora's Looking-Glass," and thinks of the kind old lady who taught her so much about herbs and flowers.
Anna Livingston.
A SHOT AT AN EAGLE.
CHINESE SCENES.
I have two little girls here in China, who are constant readers of "The Nursery." They think I can tell you little readers at home of some pretty sights they see here. They have asked me so often to do so, that, now they are tucked away for the night, I will try to please them. ”

“ A little fire in a small earthen vessel is all that these strange people have to cook their food by. The poorer ones have nothing but rice to eat, and consider themselves very fortunate if they get plenty of that. Those better off have a great variety of food; and some of it looks quite tempting; but the greater part is horrible to look at, and much worse to smell.
All the men and boys have their hair braided in long cues. The women have theirs done up in various styles; each province in China having its own fashion. ”

“ Neither women nor men can dress their own hair. The poorest beggars in the street have their hair done up by a barber.
For the men there are street barbers, who shave heads on low seats by the roadside; but, for the higher classes and the women, a barber goes to their houses. The women's hair is made very stiff and shiny by a paste prepared from a wood which resembles the slippery-elm. It takes at least an hour to do up a Chinese woman's hair.
C.E.C.
Hong Kong, China.
MINOS.
I read, the other day, an account, taken from an English paper, of a wonderful little dog, called Minos. ”

“ New Subscribers for 1876, whose names and money are sent us before December next, will receive the last two numbers of 1875 FREE.
We want a special agent in every town in the United States. Persons disposed to act in that capacity, are invited to communicate with the publisher.
SPECIAL NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS.
The number of the Magazine with which your subscription expires is indicated by the number annexed to the address on the printed label. When no such number appears, it will be understood that the subscription ends with the current year. ”

“ In landing at Hong Kong, after a long voyage, it looks very odd to see the water covered with small boats, or sampans, as the Chinese call them. In each boat lives a family. It is their house and home ”

“ In Canton, there are many more boats than here; for the floating population there is the largest in the world. I have seen as many as ten children in one boat. The small ones have ropes tied around them: so, if they fall into the water, they can be picked up easily. ”

“ N.B.—To obtain the benefit of the above rates, it must be distinctly understood that a copy of "The Nursery" should be ordered with each magazine clubbed with it. Both Magazines must be subscribed for at the same time; but they need not be to the same address. We furnish our own Magazine, and agree to pay the subscription for the other. Beyond this we take no responsibility. The publisher of each Magazine is responsible for its prompt delivery ”

“ But one night the nurse was ill; and there was nobody to take care of the baby. Nellie begged so hard to be allowed to sit up and attend to it, that she was at last permitted to do so. She passed two hours, watching baby as he slept, and thinking of the nice times she would have with him when he grew up. ”

“ Send the subscriptions as you get them, stating that they are to go to your credit for a premium; and, when your list is completed, select your premium, and it will be forthcoming.
*** Take notice that our offers of premiums apply only to subscriptions paid at the full price: viz., $1.60 a year. We do not offer premiums for subscriptions supplied at club-rates. We offer no premiums for one subscription only. We offer no premiums in money.
Address
JOHN L. SHOREY,
36 Bromfield Street, Boston, Mass.
THE NURSERY. TERMS—1876. ”

“ Thus, we will give for three new subscribers, at $1.60 each, a premium worth $1.50; for four, a premium worth $2.00; for five, a premium worth $2.50; and so on.
BOOKS for premiums may be selected from any publisher's catalogue: and we can always supply them at catalogue prices. Under this offer, subscriptions to any periodical or newspaper are included.
SPECIAL OFFERS.
BOOKS.—For two new subscribers, at $1.60 each, we will give any half-yearly volume of The Nursery; for three, any yearly volume: for two, Oxford's Junior Speaker; for two, The Easy Book; for two, The Beautiful Book ”

“ The second Tantalus of our picture, the little dog, has, also, small prospects of reaching the object on which his heart is set. At some distance from him on the ground lies a bone, which he longs to get ”