GEORGE COOPER.

WHAT WE FOUND IN OUR STOVE.

Something very strange happened at our house the other day. In our cold country we keep a stove in our sitting-room all summer. Sometimes we have to build a fire, even in July and August.

One afternoon I was surprised to hear a great scratching in the room.

After looking about a little, I found it came from the stove. Scratch, scratch, scratch, as if some creature was trying hard to get out. I called my boy of eight years. For a few moments all was still, and we concluded the poor thing had got out as it had come in.

But we were mistaken; soon came that same clattering noise again. We removed the top of the stove and peeped in; nothing was to be seen in the darkness. We then made bold to open the door and poke about; but with no better result. After listening, we decided that the creature was between the lining and outside.

But how were we to get at it? Annie came in from the kitchen armed with a poker. We took out the damper and poked out all the soot and ashes. We brought to the front--what do you think? Why, a little bird, a chimney swallow, chirping and fluttering, poor thing, with fright.

One wing seemed to droop a little; so we took it up and put it in a box. If we supposed it was going to stay there we were much mistaken.

Soon the bird began to recover, and with a little hop was upon the edge of the box c.o.c.king its head and looking with its big, bright eyes all about, as if on the alert for any new danger.

A tree was the best and safest place, and Hervin carried it out and set it gently down.

It rose, feebly at first, then soared away over the tops of the houses.

Wasn't that a queer place to find a birdie? You are glad it got out, for that very night we had to have a fire.

MRS. W. S. AMSDEN.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {TWO CHERUBS.}]

THE JOHN AND LINCOLN FLEET.

John and Lincoln have a fleet of ten boats. They made these boats themselves. They are made out of flat chips. They are whittled round at one end and pointed at the other. Each boat has a mast and a sail.

Sometimes they tie these boats together, and call them the _John and Lincoln_ fleet; they call each other "Captain John" and "Captain Lincoln." They have a big boat called the _Mary_; aunt Mary gave it to them. The _Mary_ is their flagship.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CAPTAIN JOHN AND THE MARY.]

One day the fleet were all out when a storm came. The wind blew, the rain fell, and the waves were big. Six of the little boats were wrecked on a rock. But the _Mary_ only plunged a little. It was great fun. What, a storm at sea great fun! Yes, because John and Lincoln made the storm themselves. They made the wind with the bellows; they poured the big raindrops from the watering-pot; and they made the high waves by dragging shingles through the water.

THE YACHT STARLIGHT.

The _Starlight_ was in Gloucester harbor for three days, and Rob and Phyllis went on board with mamma one day, to lunch with Arthur and Helen and their mamma. They had never been on a yacht before. They were surprised to find it so pretty. It was finished in beautiful mahogany with a great deal of bra.s.s-work, the latter brightly shining, too, for the housekeeping on a yacht is always first-rate.

The ceiling of the cabin was of blue satin, and so were the curtains, which hung before the funny little windows, and at the doors. On each side of the cabin was a long seat covered with blue satin cushions.

These cushions lifted up, and underneath were kept books, dishes, clothes, in fact, all sorts of things. Every bit of room on a vessel is always precious, there can be so little of it, anyway. Helen showed Phyllis her sleeping room. It was a mite of a place, about half as big as the bed Phyllis slept in at home. The walls were lined with blue satin and the bed was covered with blue satin, and it was a real blue satin nest for a little girl, instead of for a bird.

Then they went on deck to watch the sailors, who were running up and down the rigging. Arthur has been on his father's yacht so much, for his father owns the _Starlight_, that he can run up and down the ratlines almost as fast as the sailors can. The ratlines are the rope ladders you see in the picture. There was on board a big Newfoundland dog named Gil. Arthur's aunt Lou told them a story about Gil.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE YACHT STARLIGHT.]

THE STORY OF THE DOG ON THE YACHT STARLIGHT.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {THREE DOGS.}]

Now Gil once belonged to an officer in our Navy and he sometimes went to sea with his master.

Once when he went on a voyage a little kitten went too. She was everybody's pet and a very friendly kitty. She was afraid of Gil, though, and would never let him come near her, but would make such a loud spitting and growling at him, when he tried to play with her, that poor Gil had to go away and play by himself.

One day kitty fell overboard and Gil saw her and plunged into the sea to save her. Kitty thought it was bad enough to fall into the water, but to see Gil come jumping after her was too much, and she was ready to die with fright.

When he opened his great mouth to take her and hold her above water, she felt sure that her last moment had come, and she fought and scratched so, that Gil could not get hold of her.

The officers stood watching Gil and p.u.s.s.y. Poor little mistaken p.u.s.s.y was getting very tired and would soon sink if she did not let good old Gil save her.

Suddenly Gil dove down out of sight and then rose again just under kitty, so that she stood on his back. Puss was so glad to feel something solid under her little tired legs, that she clung to it with all her nails. Then Gil swam slowly to meet the boat which had been sent to pick him up.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE YOUNG ARTIST.]

THE NEW PARASOL.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {A LITTLE GIRL.}]

I've got a brand-new parasol (Of pink silk trimmed with lace), But auntie says 'twill never keep The shine out of _my_ face.

Why not, I wonder: if it's held Just in the proper place, Why won't it keep the sunshine out Of anybody's face?

She says thick clouds would hardly do (Much less pink silk and lace) To keep the merry sunshine out Of such a dimpled face.

But mamma says, "Go take your walk, And never mind aunt Grace."

I 'spect I'll have to let the sun Keep shining in my face!