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5. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
Cengage Learning Testing, Powered by Cognero Page 1
1. For video display, a pixel displays no light or light of a specific color and intensity.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
2. Image quality improves as dots per inch increases.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
3. Image quality improves as pixel size increases.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
4. On paper, pixel size corresponds to the smallest drop of ink that can be placed accurately on the page.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
5. Decades ago, printers adopted 1/32 of an inch as a standard pixel size.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
6. For people and computers, a printed character must exactly match a specific pixel map to be recognizable.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
7. Point size refers to characters’ width.
a. True
b. False
6. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
8. A monochrome display can display black, white, and many shades of gray in between, so it requires 8 bits per pixel.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 233
9. An IDL can represent image components as embedded fonts, vectors, curves and shapes, and embedded bitmaps.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 235
10. IDLs are a simple form of compression.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 237
11. LCD displays have less contrast than other flat panel displays because color filters reduce the total amount of light
passing through the front of the panel.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 242
12. Phosphors emit colored light in liquid crystal displays.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 242
13. Because plasma displays actively generate colored light near the display surface, they’re brighter and have a wider
viewing angle than LCDs.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
7. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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REFERENCES: 242
14. OLED displays combine many of the best features of LCD and plasma displays.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 243
15. Impact technology began with dot matrix printers.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 244
16. Color laser output uses four separate print generators.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 247
17. An advantage of optical over mechanical mice is a lack of moving parts that can be contaminated with dust and dirt.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 248
18. Bar-code readers are typically used to track large numbers of inventory items, as in grocery store inventory and
checkout, package tracking, warehouse inventory control, and zip code routing for postal mail.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 250
19. Modern bar codes encode data in three dimensions.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 251
20. Character and text recognition is most accurate when text is printed in a single font and style, with all text oriented in
8. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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the same direction on the page.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 252
21. Error rates of 1-2% are common using OCR software with mixed-font text and even higher with handwritten text.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 252
22. A digital still camera captures and stores one image at a time.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 252
23. Moving image quality improves as the number of frames per second (fps) decreases.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 253
24. Typically, digital cameras capture 14 to 20 fps.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 253
25. Most portable data capture devices combine a keyboard, mark or bar-code scanner, and wireless connection to a wired
base station, cash register, or computer system.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 253
26. For sound reproduction that sounds natural to people, frequencies between 20 Hz and 20 KHz must be sampled at
least 96,000 times per second.
a. True
9. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 253
27. Sound varies by frequency (pitch) and intensity (loudness).
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 253
28. Continuous speech is a series of nonstop interconnected phonemes.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 254
29. Phonemes sound similar when voiced repetitively by the same person.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 254
30. A significant advantage of MIDI is its compact storage format.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 257
31. Each cell in the matrix representing one part of a digital image is called a ____.
a. bubble
b. pixel
c. Dot
d. Block
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
32. The ____ of a display is the number of pixels displayed per linear measurement unit.
a. resolution
b. refinement
10. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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c. accuracy
d. pitch
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
33. In the United States, resolution is generally stated in ____.
a. lines per inch
b. pixels per line
c. dots per inch
d. dots per millimeter
ANSWER: c
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
34. Written Western languages are based on systems of symbols called ____.
a. fonts
b. characters
c. types
d. schemes
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
35. A collection of characters of similar style and appearance is called a ____.
a. type
b. scheme
c. pitch
d. font
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
36. The number of distinct colors or gray shades that can be displayed is sometimes called the ____.
a. resolution
b. palette
c. range
d. chromatic depth
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 233
37. A(n) ____ is simply a table of colors.
a. palette
b. spectrum
11. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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c. RGB system
d. color scheme
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 233
38. ____ is a process that generates color approximations by placing small dots of different colors in an interlocking
pattern.
a. Merging
b. Banding
c. Dithering
d. Retracing
ANSWER: c
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 234
39. In graphics, a ____ is a line segment with a specific angle and length in relation to a point of origin.
a. course
b. vector
c. path
d. route
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 236
40. Components of a video controller include display generator circuitry, software stored in ROM, a video processor, and
____.
a. RAM
b. font tables
c. display pixels
d. secondary storage
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 239
41. Video display panels are connected to a ____ that’s connected to a port on the system bus or a dedicated video bus.
a. video buffer
b. video manager
c. video station
d. video controller
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 239
42. The number of refresh cycles per second is normally stated in hertz and called the ____.
12. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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a. refresh rate
b. pixel depth
c. resolution
d. scan rate
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 240
43. A(n) ____ display includes one or more transistors for every display pixel.
a. cathode ray tube
b. active matrix
c. liquid crystal
d. Passive matrix
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 242
44. ____ technology etches display pixels and the transistors and traces that control/illuminate them onto a glass substrate.
a. CRT
b. Neon
c. backlight
d. TFT
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 242
45. A ____ contains a matrix of liquid crystals sandwiched between two polarizing filter panels that block all light except
light approaching from a specific angle.
a. Plasma
b. CRT
c. liquid crystal display
d. light emitting diode
ANSWER: c
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 241
46. ____ displays use excited gas and phosphors to generate colored light.
a. Plasma
b. liquid crystal
c. light emitting diode
d. thin film transmission
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 242
13. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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47. Modern ____ displays achieve high-quality color display with organic compounds.
a. LCD
b. TFT
c. CRT
d. LED
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 243
48. OLED displays combine features from both LED and plasma display, including: ____.
a. thin, bright, and high power
b. thin, bright, and low power
c. thin, backlit, and high power
d. thin, backlit, and low power
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 243
49. A(n) ____ printer moves a print head containing a matrix of pins over the paper.
a. laser
b. dot matrix
c. inkjet
d. dye sublimation
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 244
50. A modern large format printer is a _____ printer that can print on wider-than normal rolls of paper.
a. laser
b. dye sublimation
c. inkjet
d. impact
ANSWER: c
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 247
51. A(n) ____ operates with an electrical charge and the attraction of ink to this charge.
a. laser printer
b. inkjet printer
c. impact printer
d. thermal printer
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 246
14. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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52. A ____ is a printer that generates line drawings on wide sheets or rolls of paper.
a. sublimation
b. thermal
c. line printer
d. plotter
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 247
53. Pointing devices can be used to enter drawings into a computer system or control the position of a(n) ____ on a
display device.
a. pointer
b. arrow
c. cursor
d. marker
ANSWER: c
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 248
54. Touch position sensing in a touch screen is usually based on ____.
a. resistance
b. flux
c. capacitance
d. inductance
ANSWER: c
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 249
55. ____ sensors capture input from special-purpose symbols placed on paper or the flat surfaces of 3D objects.
a. Dot and image
b. Mark and image
c. Mark and pattern
d. Image capture
ANSWER: c
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 250
56. A(n) ____ detects specific patterns of bars or boxes.
a. bar-code scanner
b. image scanner
c. dimensional scanner
d. linear scanner
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 250
15. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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57. Bar-code readers use ____that sweep a narrow beam back and forth across the bar code.
a. scanning LEDs
b. high-intensity lamps
c. high resolution CCDs
d. scanning lasers
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 250
58. PDF417 bar codes can hold around ____ of data.
a. 1 KB
b. 1 MB
c. 1 GB
d. 1 TB
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 251
59. A(n) ____ generates bitmap representations of printed images.
a. bar-code scanner
b. image scanner
c. optical scanner
d. visual scanner
ANSWER: c
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 251
60. ____ devices combine optical-scanning technology with a special-purpose processor or software to interpret bitmap
content.
a. Optical image recognition
b. Optical character recognition
c. Optical character reproduction
d. Optical image resolution
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 251
61. The process of converting analog sound waves to digital representation is called ____.
a. reducing
b. interpreting
c. sampling
d. transforming
ANSWER: c
POINTS: 1
16. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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REFERENCES: 253
62. A(n) ____ accepts a continuous electrical signal representing sound (such as microphone input), samples it at regular
intervals, and outputs a stream of bits representing the samples.
a. analog-to-digital converter
b. analog-to-digital inverter
c. analog-to-digital diverter
d. analog-to-digital parser
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 254
63. A(n) ____ accepts a stream of bits representing sound samples and generating a continuous electrical signal that can
be amplified and routed to a speaker.
a. digital-to-analog processor
b. digital-to-analog parser
c. digital-to-analog compiler
d. digital-to-analog converter
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 254
64. ____ output is only able to generate one frequency (note) at a time.
a. Stereophonic
b. Monophonic
c. Polyphonic
d. Monosyllabic
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 254
65. ____ is the process of recognizing and responding to the meaning embedded in spoken words, phrases, or sentences.
a. Text recognition
b. Pattern recognition
c. Speech recognition
d. Natural recognition
ANSWER: c
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 254
66. Human speech consists of a series of sounds called ____, roughly corresponding to the sounds of each letter of the
alphabet.
a. phonemes
b. homonyms
c. cheremes
17. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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d. visemes
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 254
67. Most current speech-recognition systems are ____, which means they must be “trained” to recognize the sounds of
human speakers.
a. speaker independent
b. speaker dependent
c. speaker neutral
d. speaker attuned
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 255
68. A(n) ____ is a microprocessor specialized for processing continuous streams of audio or graphical data.
a. analog signal processor
b. virtual signal processor
c. electronic signal processor
d. digital signal processor
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 256
69. ____ is a standard for storing and transporting control information between computers and electronic musical
instruments.
a. Musical Instrument Digital Interface
b. Musical Instrument Digital Interface
c. Musical Interface Digital Interconnection
d. Musical Interconnection Digital Interface
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 257
70. Up to ____ channels of MIDI data can be sent over the same serial transmission line
a. 4
b. 8
c. 16
d. 32
ANSWER: c
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 258
71. As ____________________ size increases image quality improves.
ANSWER: pixel
18. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
72. To an observer, the quality of a printed or displayed image increases as ____________________ size increases.
ANSWER: pixel
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
73. Font size is measured in units called ____________________.
ANSWER: points
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
74. The ____________________ colors are cyan, magenta, and yellow.
ANSWER: subtractive
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 233
75. A stored set of numbers describing the content of all pixels in an image is called a(n) ____________________.
ANSWER: bitmap
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 233
76. ____________________ dithering is usually called half-toning.
ANSWER: Grayscale
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 234
77. Postscript is a(n) ____________________ designed mainly for printed documents, although it can also be used to
generate video display outputs.
ANSWER: image description language (IDL)
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 237
78. Each transfer of a full screen of data from the display generator to the monitor is called a(n) ____________________.
ANSWER: refresh cycle
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 240
79. Direct3D and ____________________ are widely-used video controller IDLs.
ANSWER: OpenGL
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 240
80. A(n) ____________________ matrix display uses one or more transistors for every pixel.
ANSWER: active
19. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 242
81. A(n) ____________________ matrix display shares transistors among rows and columns of pixels.
ANSWER: passive
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 242
82. A(n) plasma display pixel excites gas into a(n) ____________________ plasma state to generate UV light.
ANSWER: plasma
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 242
83. Of all flat panel displays, ____________________ have the shortest operational lifetimes.
ANSWER: plasma displays
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 243
84. When keys are pressed, a keyboard controller generates output called a(n) ____________________.
ANSWER: scan code
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 248
85. A(n) mouse that can detect motion with ____________________ dimensions uses an embedded gyroscope.
ANSWER: three
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 249
86. A(n) ____________________ is an LCD or LED display with additional TFT layers that detect the position of
electrical field changes based on capacitance.
ANSWER: touchscreen
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 249
87. Digitizing tablets and tablet PCs are examples of ____________________, a general class of input devices.
ANSWER: input pads
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 260
88. ____________________ touchscreen input interprets a sequence of touch information as a single command
ANSWER: Gesture-based
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 249
89. A(n) ____________________ scans for light or dark marks at specific locations on a page.
ANSWER: mark sensor
20. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 250
90. Digital still cameras, video cameras, and Webcams use an array of ____________________ placed behind lenses to
capture reflected and focused ambient light.
ANSWER: photosensors
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 251
91. Human-assisted ____________________ procedures are required in many applications to deal with error rates of
OCR technology.
ANSWER: quality control
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 252
92. ____________________ is a series of phonemes interspersed with periods of silence.
ANSWER: Continuous speech
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 254
93. A device that generates spoken messages based on text input is called a(n) ____________________.
ANSWER: audio response unit
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 256
94. The term ____________________ describes hardware that can generate multiple sound frequencies at the same time.
ANSWER: polyphonic
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 254
95. Describe the relationship between image quality, pixel size, and resolution?
ANSWER: Resolution is the number of pixels per linear inch in a printed or displayed image. As resolution
increases, the amount of fine detail in the image also increases. People perceive images with greater
amounts of fine detail as being of higher quality.
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
96. Explain the term point size as it relates to fonts.
ANSWER: A point is 1/72 of an inch. A font’s point size is the number of points between the top of the highest
character and the bottom of the lowest character in the font.
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 231
97. Of liquid crystal, plasma, LED, and OLED displays, which is best and why?
ANSWER: If you ignore cost and operational lifetime then LOED displays have the better performance
characteristics than the other types. They’re the thinnest, are at least tied for the brightest, are at least tied
for the lowest power consumption, and have the best color accuracy. Adding cost and operational
21. Chapter 07 - Input/Output Technology
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lifetime into the comparison complicates it because OLED has shorter operational lifetimes than liquid
crystal and LED displays and because OLED displays are the most expensive of all types. Those
statements are accurate as of 2015 but they may not be a few years later because OLED technology is the
newest and the most rapidly improving.
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 241
243
98. Why do modern systems typically use 2D bar codes instead of more traditional bar codes composed of lines of varying
thickness.
ANSWER: 2D bar codes can store more data in the same amount of 2D space.
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 251
99. Describe the components of a sound card.
ANSWER: General-purpose audio hardware can be integrated on a PC motherboard or packaged as an expansion
card that connects to the system bus (commonly called a sound card). At minimum, sound cards include
an ADC, a DAC, a low-power amplifier, and connectors (jacks) for a microphone and a speaker or
headphones. More elaborate cards might include the following:
• Multichannel surround sound, such as Dolby 5.1
• A general-purpose Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) synthesizer
• MIDI input and output jacks
• A more powerful amplifier to accommodate larger speakers and generate more volume
POINTS: 1
REFERENCES: 256
27. This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at
no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the
terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are
located before using this eBook.
Title: Harper's Young People, January 25, 1881
Author: Various
Release date: January 19, 2014 [eBook #44712]
Most recently updated: October 24, 2024
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Annie R. McGuire
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, JANUARY 25, 1881 ***
28. TOBY TYLER;
A LITTLE ARAB GIRL'S MISSION.
LUCKY TOM'S SHADOW; OR, THE SEA-GULLS' WARNING.
HOW IT HAPPENED TO SNOW.
THE ADVENTURES OF A RUNAWAY KING.
THE NEW SCHOLAR.
MILDRED'S BARGAIN.
FAITHLESS SALLY BROWN.
OUR POST-OFFICE BOX.
Vol. II.—No. 65. Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. Price Four Cents.
Tuesday, January 25, 1881. Copyright, 1881, by Harper & Brothers. $1.50 per Year, in Advance.
29. THE BREAKDOWN, AND ESCAPE OF THE MONKEYS.
[Begun in No. 58 of Harper's Young People, December 7.]
30. TOBY TYLER;
OR, TEN WEEKS WITH A CIRCUS.
BY JAMES OTIS.
Chapter VII.
AN ACCIDENT AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
Toby's experience of the evening was very similar to that of the afternoon, save that he was so
fortunate as not to take any more bad money in payment for his goods. Mr. Jacobs scolded and swore
alternately, and the boy really surprised him in the way of selling goods, though he was very careful not
to say anything about it, but made Toby believe that he was doing only about half as much work as he
ought to do. Toby's private hoard of money was increased that evening by presents, ninety cents, and
he began to look upon himself as almost a rich man.
When the performance was nearly over, Mr. Jacobs called to him to help in packing up; and by the time
the last spectator had left the tent, the worldly possessions of Messrs. Lord and Jacobs were ready for
removal, and Toby allowed to do as he had a mind to, so long as he was careful to be on hand when old
Ben was ready to start.
Toby thought that he would have time to pay a visit to his friends the skeleton and the fat woman, and
to that end started toward the place where their tent had been standing; but to his sorrow he found
that it was already being taken down, and he only had time to thank Mrs. Treat and to press the
fleshless hand of her shadowy husband as they entered their wagon to drive away.
He was disappointed, for he had hoped to be able to speak with his new-made friends a few moments
before the weary night's ride commenced; but failing in that, he went hastily back to the monkeys'
cage. Old Ben was there getting things ready for a start; but the wooden sides of the cage had not
been put up, and Toby had no difficulty in calling the aged monkey up to the bars. He held one of the
fat woman's doughnuts in his hand, and he said, as he passed it through to the animal:
"I thought perhaps you might be hungry, Mr. Stubbs, and this is some of what the skeleton's wife give
me. I hain't got very much time to talk with you now; but the first chance I can get away to-morrow,
an' when there hain't anybody 'round, I want to tell you something."
The monkey had taken the doughnut in his hand-like paws, and was tearing it to pieces, eating small
portions of it very rapidly.
"Don't hurry yourself," said Toby, warningly, "for Uncle Dan'l always told me the worst thing a feller
could do was to eat fast. If you want any more, after we start, just put your hand through the little hole
up there near the seat, an' I'll give you all you want."
From the look on his face, Toby confidently believed the monkey was going to make some reply; but
just then Ben shut up the sides, separating Toby and Mr. Stubbs, and the order was given to start.
Toby clambered up on to the high seat, Ben followed him, and in another instant the team was moving
along slowly down the dusty road, preceded and followed by the many wagons with their tiny swinging
lights.
"Well," said Ben, when he had got his team well under way; and felt that he could indulge in a little
conversation, "how did you get along to-day?"
31. Toby related all of his movements, and gave the driver a faithful account of all that had happened to
him, concluding his story by saying, "That was one of Mrs. Treat's doughnuts that I just gave to Mr.
Stubbs."
"To whom?" asked Ben, in surprise.
"To Mr. Stubbs—the old fellow here in the cart, you know, that's been so good to me."
Toby heard a sort of gurgling sound, saw the driver's body sway back and forth in a trembling way, and
was just becoming thoroughly alarmed, when he thought of the previous night, and understood that
Ben was only laughing in his own peculiar way.
"How did you know his name was Stubbs?" asked Ben, after he had recovered his breath.
"Oh, I don't know that that is his real name," was the quick reply; "I only call him that because he looks
so much like a feller with that name that I knew at home. He don't seem to mind because I call him
Stubbs."
Ben looked at Toby earnestly for a moment, acting all the time as if he wanted to laugh again, but didn't
dare to for fear he might burst a blood-vessel, and then he said, as he patted him on the shoulder,
"Well, you are the queerest little fish that I ever saw in all my travels. You seem to think that that
monkey knows all you say to him."
"I'm sure he does," said Toby, positively. "He don't say anything right out to me, but he knows
everything I tell him. Do you suppose he could talk if he tried to?"
"Look here, Mr. Toby Tyler," and Ben turned half around in his seat, and looked Toby full in the face, as
to give more emphasis to his words, "are you heathen enough to think that that monkey could talk if he
wanted to?"
"I know I hain't a heathen," said Toby, thoughtfully, "for if I had been, some of the missionaries would
have found me out a good while ago; but I never saw anybody like this old Mr. Stubbs before, an' I
thought he could talk if he wanted to, just as the Living Skeleton does, or his wife. Anyhow, Mr. Stubbs
winks at me; an' how could he do that if he didn't know what I've been sayin' to him?"
"Look here, my son," said Ben, in a most fatherly fashion, "monkeys hain't anything but beasts, an' they
don't know how to talk any more than they know what you say to 'em."
"Didn't you ever hear any of them speak a word?"
"Never. I've been in a circus, man an' boy, nigh on to forty years, an' I never seen nothin' in a monkey
more'n any other beast, except their awful mischiefness."
"Well," said Toby, still unconvinced, "I believe Mr. Stubbs knew what I said to him, anyway."
"Now don't be foolish, Toby," pleaded Ben. "You can't show me one thing that a monkey ever did
because you told him to."
Just at that moment Toby felt some one pulling at the back of his coat, and looking around, he saw it
was a little brown hand, reaching through the bars of the air-hole of the cage, that was tugging away at
his coat.
"There!" he said, triumphantly, to Ben. "Look there. I told Mr. Stubbs if he wanted anything more to eat,
to tell me, an' I would give it to him. Now you can see for yourself that he's come for it," and Toby took
a doughnut from his pocket, and put it into the tiny hand, which was immediately withdrawn. "Now
what do you think of Mr. Stubbs knowing what I say to him?"
"They often stick their paws up through there," said Ben, in a matter-of-fact tone. "I've had 'em pull my
coat in the night till they made me as nervous as ever any old woman was. You see, Toby, my boy,
monkeys is monkeys; an' you mustn't go to gettin' the idea that they're anything else, for it's a mistake.
You think this old monkey in here knows what you say? Why, that's just the cuteness of the old fellow;
he watches you to see if he can't do just as you do, an' that's all there is about it."
32. Toby was more than half convinced that Ben was putting the matter in its proper light, and he would
have believed all that had been said if, just at that moment, he had not seen that brown hand reaching
through the hole to clutch him again by the coat.
The action seemed so natural, so like a hungry boy who gropes in the dark pantry for something to eat,
that it would have taken more arguments than Ben had at his disposal to persuade Toby that his Mr.
Stubbs could not understand all that was said to him. Toby put another doughnut in the outstretched
hand, and then sat silently, as if in a brown-study over some difficult problem.
For some time the ride was made in silence. Ben was going through all the motions of whistling without
uttering a sound, a favorite amusement of his, and Toby's thoughts were far away in the humble home
he had scorned, with Uncle Daniel, whose virtues had increased with every mile of distance which had
been put between them, and whose faults had decreased in a corresponding ratio.
Toby's thoughtfulness had made him sleepy, and his eyes were almost closed in slumber, when he was
startled by a crashing sound, was conscious of a sense of being hurled from his seat by some great
force, and then he lay senseless by the side of the road, while the wagon remained a perfect wreck,
from out of which a small army of monkeys were escaping. Ben's experienced ear had told him at the
first crash that his wagon was breaking down, and without having time to warn Toby of his peril, he had
leaped clear of the wreck, keeping his horses in perfect control, thus averting any more trouble. It was
the breaking of one of the axles which Toby had heard just before he was thrown from his seat, and
when the body of the wagon had come down upon the hard road, the entire structure had been
wrecked.
The monkeys, thus suddenly released from their confinement, had scampered off in every direction,
and, by a singular chance, Toby's aged friend started for the woods in such a direction as to bring him
directly upon the boy's senseless body. As the monkey came up to Toby he stopped, through the well-
known curiosity of his kind, and began to examine the body carefully, prying into each pocket he could
reach, and trying to open the half-closed eyelids in order to peep in under them.
Fortunately for Toby, he had fallen upon a mud-bank, and was only stunned for the moment, having
received no serious bruises, even though he had been thrown such a distance. The attentions bestowed
upon him by the monkey served the purpose of bringing him to his senses; and after he had looked
around him in the gray light of the coming morning, it would have taken far more of a philosopher than
ever old Ben was to have persuaded the boy that monkeys did not possess reasoning faculties.
The monkey was picking at his ears, nose, and mouth, as monkeys always do when they get an
opportunity, and the expression of his face was as grave as possible. Toby firmly believed that the
monkey's face showed sorrow at his fall, and he believed that the attentions which were being
bestowed upon him were for the purpose of learning whether he had been injured or not.
"Don't worry, Mr. Stubbs," said Toby, anxious to reassure his friend, as he sat upright and looked about
him. "I didn't get hurt any, but I would like to know how I got 'way over here."
It really seemed as if the monkey was pleased to know that his little friend was not hurt, for he seated
himself on his haunches, and his face expressed the liveliest pleasure that Toby was well again—or at
least that was the way the boy interpreted the look.
By this time the news of the accident had been shouted ahead from one team to the other, and all
hands were hurrying to the scene for the purpose of rendering some aid. As Toby saw them coming, he
also saw a number of small forms, looking something like men, hurrying past him, and for the first time
he understood how it was that the aged monkey was at liberty, and knew that those little dusky forms
were the other occupants of the cage escaping to the woods.
"See there, Mr. Stubbs! see there!" he exclaimed, quickly, pointing toward the fugitives; "they're all
going off into the woods. What shall we do?"
The sight of the runaways seemed to excite the old monkey quite as much as it had the boy. He jumped
to his feet, chattered in the most excited way, screamed two or three times as if he was calling them
back, and then started off in vigorous pursuit.
33. "Now he's gone too," said Toby, disconsolately, believing the old fellow had run away from him; "I didn't
think Mr. Stubbs would treat me this way."
[to be continued.]
34. A LITTLE ARAB GIRL'S MISSION.
BY F. E. FRYATT.
Many of the readers of Harper's Young People will be both surprised and sorry to learn that there are
parents who are not only willing to sell their baby girls for a few pennies, but when this can not be
done, to cast them out upon the highways to perish either by the wild beasts that prowl about at night,
or by the fiercely glaring sun that heats the sand so that even a dog will not venture out at noonday for
fear of burning his paws.
"Where do these cruel people live, and who are they?" I hear a bright little girl ask.
They are the Arabs who inhabit the deserts of Kabylia and the Sahara, in and south of Algiers, the most
northern country in Africa.
"Ah, but the Arabs live in Arabia, don't they?" objects my young friend.
Yes, they do; but centuries ago the Arabians, or Saracens—desert dwellers, as they were then called,
Sara meaning desert—sent out large armies to conquer other nations. These Saracens swept
victoriously through Northern Africa up to the heart of Spain.
Algiers is now a French province, but the greater part of its people are descendants of its ancient
inhabitants, called Moors, and their conquerors, the Arabs, together with negroes from Soudan, French
colonists, and a sprinkling of Turks, Maltese, and Spaniards.
Neither the Moors nor the Arabs think much of little girls. The latter—especially the poor ones—are
sorry when one is born; but when a boy baby comes, they make him presents, and a bowl of
"mughly"—a compound of rice flavored with sugar and spices, and sprinkled with delicious nuts—is
given to each relative.
A Moorish girl of even rich parents is considered well enough educated if she can make preserves, and
dye her finger-nails with henna leaves. She is not treated as unkindly, however, as the little Arab
damsels, who are compelled when quite young to work very hard. They have to draw water from the
wells in heavy leathern buckets; to churn; to feed and water the young camels and horses: in fact, they
live more like slaves than daughters of the family.
The subject of my sketch, little Maria Immanuel, is a young Arabian girl twelve years of age, who,
accompanied by a French Missionary Sister, or nun, has been all through Europe, and is now travelling
through this country, on a curious but praiseworthy mission: she is trying to raise money to buy and
support little Arabian children who are sold or cast out on the desert.
Maria Immanuel was herself one of these unfortunates. When a mere baby, not yet two years old, she
was picked up on the highway by some good women, and taken to their mission-house, where she has
lived ever since.
I dare say my readers would like to know just how she looks, so I will describe her to the best of my
ability.
Imagine a dark-complexioned, plump young girl, with rather heavy but pleasant features; fluffy, dark,
silken hair floating around her head and overshadowing her eyes like a little cloud; red lips and milky-
white teeth; and eyes that light up her whole face, so soft are they, yet brilliant and full of mischievous
fire.
Immanuel—for so her friends call her—is very like many American girls in disposition, being intensely
lively, merry as a cricket, and a great tease when in the society of children of her own age.
35. MARIA IMMANUEL.
She has two accomplishments—she speaks French fluently,
and sings sweetly, having a fine contralto voice.
Immanuel dresses just as she did at the mission-house in the
desert of Kabylia, wearing an Arab cloak of white wool, called
a "burnoose," with a hood for stormy weather, over a white
cashmere gown, which hangs in folds to her ankles, and is
made with a yoke at the neck, and full flowing sleeves. A
double row of scarlet and white beads; a girdle, or sash, of
scarlet, blue, and yellow silk, knotted at the waist, and falling
in long fringed ends in front; and a scarlet "fez," or cap,
ornamented with a band of embroidery and a golden tassel,
complete her gay and picturesque costume. Dark or solemn
colors offend an Arab's eye, for he regards them as omens of
misfortune.
There are two sorts of Arabs among whom the missionaries
work—the farmer Arabs, who live in mud villages, and the
Bedouins, who dwell in tents, and roam the deserts a little
farther south, and keep large flocks of sheep and camels.
These shepherd Arabs despise the milder farmers, but
condescend to visit them, after harvest-time, to barter camels and goats for their barley and other
grains, for they never stoop to till the soil or do work of any kind; their girls and women—at least such
as they see fit to rear—do all their necessary work, such as cooking, sewing tent and saddle cloths,
making mats, dyeing wool, and tending the animals, with which they live almost in common, and which
are often ranked above them.
The shepherd Arabs live in tents, removing in winter to the farther south, but the farmer Arabs live in
mud houses, called "gourbis." The "gourbis," like all native dwellings, are only one story high, on
account of earthquakes; they are made of branches of trees and stones, cemented together by mud, a
thick layer of which covers the roof. Sometimes forty or more of these houses are united in a village,
and hedged in by tall cactus plants armed with sharp thorns.
The animals live under the same roof with the family; so what with this and the smoke, the smell of
cookery, and the want of ventilation, you may imagine the "gourbis" anything but a pleasant place to
visit.
The mission-houses, some of them in the neighborhood of these miserable villages, and some farther
south, are square wooden buildings, with a court-yard in the middle, on which the windows and doors
of all the rooms open. There are small doors on the outside of the building, but these are carefully
guarded, on account of robbers and wild beasts, either of which may make attacks at night.
Now I must explain about the little Arab boys who are being educated and taken care of by the
Missionary Brothers.
The Arabs, as I have said, love their boys very much indeed, but some families are so wretchedly poor
that they have to dispose of the boys as well as the girls, when there are too many of them.
The Brothers, when they pick them up or buy them, teach them to read and write, and to till the
ground, so that they may become farmers.
The Missionary Sisters teach the girls to read and write, to do plain sewing and house-work.
The work of the missions does not stop when the children have grown to be men and women; they are
then allowed to visit each other socially under proper supervision. If a young couple fall in love with
each other, and wish to marry, the consent of the Superior is asked, and given; for she knows the youth
has been well brought up, and is worthy to have her young charge for a wife.
36. In speaking of these weddings, which are quite festive occasions, little Maria Immanuel recently said to
a lady, in her lively French, which I will translate: "I do love to have weddings going on, we have such a
good time. Oh, the music! it is fine; and then there is such feasting!"
No wonder she laid such stress on feasting, for the mission people live only on the very plainest fare,
never seeing butter, meat, or any of the delicacies American children have every day.
At weddings—and they generally manage to have them double, triple, or quadruple weddings—I
suppose they have fruit and honey and other fine dishes for the great occasion.
To each newly married couple a house, an inclosed acre of land, a horse, an ass, and a pair of goats are
given; also some farming implements; six each of dishes and bowls, knives and wooden spoons; a bed;
and the few other necessaries for simple housekeeping.
They now commence life as farmers, and, what is still better, as Christian young people. Already two
Christian Arab villages have sprung up on the desert, while a third is being built.
Are the young fathers and mothers sorry when a dear little girl baby comes into the world? No, they are
glad, and love it tenderly, as you may tell by this little nursery song here translated. I wish I could give
you the wild, sweet music too. Listen—a young Arab mother sings:
"Come, Cameleer, as quick as you can,
And make us some soap from green Shenan,
To bathe our Lûlû dear;
We'll wash her and dress her,
And then we'll caress her:
She'll sleep in her little screer."[1]
37. A LIFE-SAVING STATION.
LUCKY TOM'S SHADOW; OR, THE SEA-GULLS'
WARNING.
BY FRANK H. TAYLOR.
"Be still, Meg, be still. Don't trouble me. Go and play.
Young 'uns like you are good for naught else;" and so
saying, Meg's grandmother turned fretfully toward the
window of the cottage, and resumed her listless
watching of the sea-gulls across the inlet, as they
fluttered, dipped, and arose over the wavelets, picking
their dinner from the shoals of little fish the mackerel
had chased inshore.
"But I'm of some use, granny; you said so yesterday,
when I fetched the blueberries. An' I'll go fur some more
if you like. I know where there's lots of 'em—acres of
'em."
"Do as you please, child, but don't tease your granny,"
replied the old woman.
There was little need to tell Maggie, or "Meg," as she was generally called, to "do as she pleased," for in
all of her short life of ten years she had never done otherwise. She had roamed unmissed all the days
among the sand-hills of the beach, wading in the "mash" for lily pods, or hunting in the scrub for birds'
eggs. Such a place as school had never been named to her. The alphabet was unknown to her, but she
understood the rough talk of the fishermen, and could mend a net or 'tend a line with the best man
among them.
Meg lived with her "granny" in a little unpainted hut made from ships' planking, and set among a few
low twisted pines, within a short distance of a cove where Lucky Tom, her father, who was a pilot, kept
his boats and moored his sloop, when not sailing out on the blue sea watching for ships to give him
employment.
Meg's mother had died while she was a baby; her "granny" was almost always cross; so the child had
grown up with but a single affection. It was all for her father, and he returned it in a rough, good-
natured way. So these two were seldom apart when the pilot was ashore, and Meg came to be known
among the beach people as "Lucky Tom's Shadow."
Now just why the pilot was called "Lucky Tom" does not appear: but it was said among the folks on the
coast that fish would nibble at his hooks, and obligingly allow themselves to be caught by the dozen,
when nobody else could catch even a porgy.
Near the cottage, Lucky Tom had raised the mast of a ship once wrecked on the bar, and made a
platform at the top, with steps leading to it; and Meg was never so happy as when she sat high up in
her "bird's nest," as she called it, with her father, and listened to his surprising yarns about foreign
ports, while they scanned the horizon with a glass for incoming ships.
Meg tried hard to behave kindly toward her grandmother; but the old woman never smiled, and seldom
troubled herself about Meg's goings or comings.
"She's purty certain to git 'round at meal-times, an' that's often enough," was about all she would say
when Lucky Tom scolded about the child's "bringin' up."
38. Nearly twenty years before, Lucky Tom's father, Jack Bolden, had gone off in his schooner, the Petrel, to
catch cod, and from that day neither the Petrel nor her crew were ever seen. After months had gone by,
poor Mrs. Bolden fell into a fever, and when she was able to move about, she sat all day by the window,
looking out upon the waves, and the neighbors gazed at her sorrowfully, for they said she had lost her
reason; but in Meg's eyes, to whom she had always been the same, she was a very wise and
mysterious person, and the tales she repeated to the little girl, woven from her deranged fancy, were
full of strange sea-monsters, talking fish, and birds that whispered secrets to those who watched for
long-absent friends. All these were listened to and believed with the full confidence of childish
innocence.
Meg tied on her old and faded bonnet, picked up her basket, and walked away with a light step to the
blueberry pasture.
She soon became so busy picking the clusters of round little fruit, as they peeped from beneath the
dark and glossy leaves, that she did not see how dark the eastern sky had become, until a cool gust of
wind caught her sun-bonnet, and sent it half across the field. Then she noticed that the sun was already
hidden by the advancing clouds, and away out across the black fretted sea a long line of foam revealed
the white-caps leaping in great haste over each other, just like a flock of sheep, in their race to reach
the sands.
The only near refuge for poor Meg was the Life-saving Station—one of those lonely buildings that the
government has placed along the coast, with boats and crews, whose duty keeps them on the watch all
winter for shipwrecks. It was midsummer now, and the station was locked up tight; but Meg knew how
to get the better of locks and bars. She reached the building just in time to escape a wetting from the
thick rain that now shut out the sea and land alike, beating fiercely against the stout structure, and
running in many little rivulets down the sand, to be swallowed up, as all water is at last, by the great
ocean.
At one corner the winds had blown away the sand, so Meg found room to crawl with her basket
beneath the floor, and a loose board she had long ago discovered admitted her to the interior. What a
gloomy, close place in contrast with the wildness of the scene outside! Have you ever visited a station of
the Life-saving Service? No? Well, then, I'll try, with the aid of the picture, to explain what it is like.
INTERIOR OF THE LIFE-SAVING STATION.
First, there is the life-boat, light but very strong, and shaped so it will rise over the tops of the waves
rather than go through them. This one is handled by about six men; one, the captain, to steer, four men
to row, and one with a pike-staff and lines in the bow. You notice that the wheels of the truck holding
the boat are very wide; that allows them to roll over the sand without sinking into it. Under the boat is a
leathern bucket, a coil of rope, and a grapnel or hook, and in front an ingenious device, consisting of a
board with a row of pegs about the edge, upon which a line many hundreds of feet in length is placed,
with the end tied to a projectile in the queer-looking cannon above. This is intended to be shot over the
39. rigging of ships ashore, and used to haul out the larger rope upon the cart to the left of the picture, and
to which the canvas bags hanging from the ceiling are fastened, to bring people from the wreck. Back
of the cart you see rockets and signal torches, with a long tin trumpet, all neatly kept in a rack. There
are lanterns too, and against the partition a mortar and some balls, two axes, and many other tools.
With all of these and their uses Meg was well acquainted. Sometimes she had seen the crew run with
the boat down to the water, and go through with their drill, when the Superintendent came there; and
once the men hauled it out in the night, everybody greatly excited, and put out into the waves to pick
up the crew of a sinking steamer; but a schooner was there first, and they only brought back a woman
and little girl. How scared they did look, the poor things! and how thankful the child was for the use of
Meg's only spare frock!
There seemed no prospect of the rain ceasing, and so Meg sat down in the back room upon a bench;
and as it was not in the nature of such an active little girl to sit still long and keep awake, she very soon
fell asleep.
When she started up from a dream full of strange sea-goblins, it was to find that everything was dark.
The rain had ceased, and Meg, after rubbing her eyes, concluded to go home. When she lifted the
board she discovered, to her terror, that the rain had washed her burrow full of sand, and she was a
prisoner. The strong doors and windows resisted her puny efforts, so she sat down upon a coil of rope
to consider the situation.
Now most children would have cried; but Meg hadn't done such a thing since she was teething. No, she
only taxed her little head for some means of escape. First, she must have a light. She well knew where
the matches were kept, and in a moment she had a lantern burning brightly. Then it occurred to her to
try the roof. It was a difficult matter to lift the heavy trap leading to the little platform from which the
men usually watched during the winter days; but she soon stood out in the bleak night, the salt spray
driving against her face, and the gale rushing by, as though it would tear her hold from the railing to
which she clung.
White sea-gulls whirled about her head, attracted by the light, screaming hoarse and discordant notes
in her ears. They terrified her at first, but she soon recalled what her "granny" had said, and felt sure
the birds were trying to tell her something, and that it must be about her father, who was still out in the
terrible storm, unable to find the inlet.
From far out on the sea the wind brought a moaning sound, as though some unhappy creature called in
vain for help. It came nearer and more distinct from the northward, finally dying away in the distance
upon the other hand.
Fierce lightning flashes broke from the retreating storm-clouds, and by the weird electric glare Meg saw
a wild figure, with arms upraised, which seemed to come out of the surf, and speed along the sands. By
the same light she thought she saw the topmasts of a vessel on the sea.
The gulls wheeled and screamed now more excitedly than ever. Meg was nearly overcome with terror,
but losing not a moment, she sprang down the stairs, returning with an armful of torches. And now the
lurid flare of the life-saving signal burned up fiercely, the winds catching the flame, and bearing
thousands of dancing sparks away across the beach, while the shape of the station and the heroic little
girl upon the roof stood out boldly, just in time for Lucky Tom to put his helm down, and head his boat
away from the fatal breakers he was nearing in the darkness.
And now suppose we let good-natured Lucky Tom tell the rest of the story in his own style.
"Well, sir, you see, the blow came up kind o' unexpected like, an' I knowed we couldn't make port; but I
didn't much care for that, as pilots has to take all sorts o' weather, but we reckoned we could keep the
craft off an' on about the blowin' buoy; but, bless you! the buoy got adrift, an' floated away down the
beach. We heard it groanin' ahead of us all the time, an' afore we knowed where we was, we got nigh
into the breakers. Just then I seen a twinkle on the beach, an' shortly a torch showed us the station,
with an angel o' mercy a-wavin' it from the roof; an' it wa'n't a minnit too soon, nuther.
40. "We kept away till daylight a-watchin' an' wonderin' at the torches burnin' all the time from atop o' the
station, and then we made the inlet. Mebbe it'll seem queer to you, but none of us thought of Meg
when we saw the light; but the whole thing was plain enough when one of the crew came runnin' to the
house, after we'd been ashore a bit, an' hollered:
"'Why, Lucky Tom, the angel we saw was nobody but your own Shadow, little Meg, an' she's there yit,
wavin' a flag.' So we went over an' let her out. The young'un told us all about hearin' the sound o'
complainin' on the sea, the black figure that ran along the beach, an' the warnin' the birds give her. You
see, that was a notion her granny put into her head, the one about the birds. Speakin' of the old
woman, there was another queer thing that happened on the same night. We couldn't find marm high
nor low; but when Meg spoke of the wild spirit on the beach, we knowed it must be her, and sure
enough we found the poor old body 'way up by the point, 'most dead. She had an idee, you see, that
when it blowed hard the Petrel would come ashore, though I reckon the Petrel has been at the bottom
more'n twenty years now. We took her home an' 'tended her, but she didn't last long after that."
The story of Meg's adventure came to the ears of a lady on the mainland, and she soon afterward paid
a visit to the little girl, who was now left all alone when her father went away, and it was arranged that
she should live in the lady's house, and go to school. And now the school-master says she promises to
prove as bright as she is brave.
41. HOW IT HAPPENED TO SNOW.
BY I. M.
What Jack Frost said to the trees, dear,
It never would do to tell;
He whispered the magic words, dear,
To oak and maple as well.
Some of them blushed bright red, dear,
And some of them turned to yellow,
While Jack he laughed in his sleeve, dear,
The good-for-nothing old fellow.
What Jack Frost did to the leaves, dear,
I never would dare to say;
They wrung their little brown hands, dear,
In a pitiful, helpless way.
The kind sun felt so sad, dear,
To see the leaves in pain,
That he hid his face for a week, dear,
And wept great showers of rain.
But Jack Frost's cruel breath, dear,
Grew colder day by day,
And chilled the leaves, until, dear,
They withered and dropped away.
Then the tall trees stood amazed, dear,
Lamenting, when they found
That their green and rustling robes, dear,
Lay faded on the ground.
The angels too were grieved, dear,
When the trees looked cold and bare,
So they gathered the soft white clouds, dear,
That floated in upper air,
And tossed great armfuls down, dear,
In the stillness of the night,
And were glad to see how pure, dear,
The world looked clothed in white.
What the children said next day, dear,
I think you must surely know;
But please don't say that I told, dear,
Just how it happened to snow;
For that wicked old Jack Frost, dear,
Would nip my nose in spite,
And pinch my poor ten toes, dear,
The next cold winter's night.
43. THE ADVENTURES OF A RUNAWAY KING.
BY I. D. WILDER.
A king running away from his kingdom, with all his courtiers and people in hot pursuit to catch him and
bring him back! Did you ever hear of anything more absurd?
There was a reason for it too, or at least the King thought so. The truth is, this unfortunate monarch
was embarrassed by the possession of two kingdoms at once, and it so happened that the kingdom
where he was was not the kingdom where he desired to be, so he made up his mind to run away.
Now I suppose, before I go any farther, I may as well let you into the secret of his name and country, if
you have not already guessed it. He was Henry III. of France and Poland, son of Catherine de Medicis,
one of the wickedest Queens who ever ruled over any country, and brother of Charles IX., King of
France.
Only a few months before his flight from Cracow he had been elected King of Poland. He had been
received with great magnificence by the Polish nobles, and the festivities had lasted many days. After
everything had settled down into the usual quiet, Henry found life in Poland rather dull; so when he
received a letter from Queen Catherine announcing the death of Charles IX., and saying that his
presence in France was very necessary to maintain his rights as his brother's heir, he was quite ready to
abandon his Polish kingdom, and start at once for Paris.
But it was very far from being the intention of the Polish magnates to let him off so easily. They
naturally considered the well-being of their kingdom as important—to them at least—as that of France
could possibly be. So they voted an address of condolence to the King on the death of his brother,
prayed him still to remain King of Poland, and entreated him not to leave the kingdom without giving
notice to the Senate, and first appointing some one to act as Viceroy.
Henry returned a courteous but rather vague reply, thanking the nobles for their good wishes, but
giving them little satisfaction as to his intentions.
In the mean time Henry's French attendants were urging upon him the necessity of returning at once to
France, lest he should lose the French crown. His mother, Queen Catherine, sent messenger after
messenger, urging him to hasten, and his own inclinations were entirely in favor of instant departure. So
during the night a council of the French nobles was held in Henry's apartments, and it was settled that
they should arrange matters for a secret departure. They must go secretly, if they went at all, for the
Polish Senate was determined to keep their King in the country, and the people were equally
determined not to let him go.
Then the preparations began. In the first place, the French Ambassador, as had been agreed upon,
asked permission to return immediately to France, as his mission had ended with the death of Charles
IX. Permission was granted, and he left Cracow at once. He took with him the King's jewels and
valuable papers, and made arrangements at all the principal towns on his route for horses and
provisions to be got ready for illustrious members of his suite, who, as he said, were not able to leave
as soon as he did. Next the King sent off M. Chémerault (the messenger who had brought him the news
of Charles's death), on the pretense of carrying letters to Queen Catherine, but really to wait at a short
distance from the capital until the King could join him. He was to act as guide, and conduct Henry in
safety across the border.
The next step was rather unfortunate for the King. A train of ten mules laden with coffers was observed
to leave the city, and when it was found that the baggage belonged to the Grand Master of the King's
household, the suspicions of the people were aroused, and they became wild with excitement. It was in
vain that Henry assured them that he had no intention of leaving the kingdom. They did not believe him
44. —and with very good reason—and the tumult increased, until at last the Senate ordered guards to be
placed at all the entrances to the palace, and gave instructions to arrest any one who should that night
attempt to stir out, not even excepting the King himself.
After supper the King retired, and kept all his courtiers about him for a long time, chatting merrily with
them, and appearing so easy and unconcerned that he fancied he must have entirely deceived the
Poles, and then he made a sign that he wanted to go to sleep. The Chamberlain, Count Teuczin, drew
the curtains of the King's bed, and a page put his sword and a candle on a table close by—a ceremony
which all understood as a signal to leave the room, except the Chamberlain, whose duty it was to stand
at the foot of the bed until the King was asleep. It had been agreed that the King and a few of his
nobles should meet at a ruined chapel, half a mile from the city gate, where one of Henry's equerries
was to be waiting with horses.
The nobles supped together, and then quietly left the palace. They were permitted to pass the sentinels
on their assurance that they were bound for a frolic in the town.
Henry, in the mean time, was doing his best to make the Chamberlain believe him asleep, and when he
was at length convinced of the fact, he left the room. In a moment the King's attendants had softly
entered the room and barred the door against all intruders, had hurriedly dressed the King, and made
all their preparations for departure. Fortunately, Souvré, one of the King's gentlemen, happened to
remember a small postern-door at the end of a passage leading from the kitchen, which opened at the
back of the castle on a faubourg of Cracow outside the walls. This door, which had been made for the
use of the servants of the palace, had often been found useful by the cavaliers of Henry's court when
they wished to go out and in unobserved. Souvré having found that no sentinel had been posted there,
sent Miron, the King's physician, to reconnoitre, and see if they could get out by that way. He found the
door ajar, and was joyfully returning to report, when suddenly the steward of the household, Alemanni,
appeared from the kitchen, where he was evidently on the watch, and carefully looking about him—
though without discovering Miron, who was sheltered by the staircase—gave orders for the postern to
be locked and the key to be brought to him.
This was a terrible blow to all their hopes. The King was in despair and was about to return to bed, but
Souvré encouraged him to persist, and rely upon him to get him out of the dilemma.
So they cautiously left the apartments of the King, and crept softly down the stairs until they came to
the passage, where another flight of steps led down to the kitchen. Here they got a great fright from
hearing the voice of the steward just at the foot of the stairs. He heard their steps, and called out,
"Who goes there?"
"It is I, monsieur," said Souvré, boldly descending a few steps, while he made a sign to the others to go
on toward the door.
"And what do you want?" asked the steward.
"The key of the postern-door," replied Souvré. "I have a private errand, now that the King my master
can dispense with my services."
"What errand?" persisted the steward.
"The truth is," replied Souvré, haughtily, "I have an appointment in the faubourg. I pray you therefore,
monsieur, give me the key of the little door without further parley."
This haughty manner impressed the steward, who knew that Souvré was high in his master's favor, and
he somewhat reluctantly gave the key, and offered to accompany Souvré to open the door for him. He,
however, only laughed at this, and bounding up the staircase long before the steward, who was old and
infirm, could reach the top, he found the King and his companions concealing themselves as much as
possible in the shadow of the walls, opened the door, through which they hurriedly passed, and locking
it behind them, they made all possible speed toward the little ruined chapel, the place of rendezvous.
The night was pleasant, though very dark, and after losing their way once or twice, they finally reached
the chapel. There they found the equerry with the horses, but Chémerault, who was to be their guide,
45. and several other gentlemen of the King's household, had not made their appearance. They waited for
them as long as they dared, but finally Souvré persuaded the King to mount, and trust to God and
fortune for safety.
They set out, therefore, but their difficulties had only just begun. In the first place, not one of them
knew the way, being all absolute strangers in Poland; and they did not even understand the dialect of
the country, so that they could inquire. The night was dark, and the roads were horrible, though that
did not matter so much, as they could not keep in them, but continually found themselves wandering
away and floundering in deep morasses, blundering about in pine forests, and getting entangled in
brambles.
So they went on, stumbling over stones, sinking into bogs, and wading through brooks, till I think they
must have wished themselves safe back in their beds in Cracow.
At length Souvré saw a faint light glimmering in the distance, and on approaching it he found it came
from the hut of a charcoal burner deep in the forest.
The poor charcoal burner was so terrified by the approach of the horsemen that he darted up into his
loft by a ladder on the outside, which he drew up after him. The cavaliers shouted and knocked, and
knocked and shouted, but all in vain. Not an inch would the charcoal burner stir; so at last they began
to batter down the door.
Finally Souvré managed to scramble up to the loft, where he found the poor man crouching in a corner
in a perfect agony of terror. He tried to calm his fears by speaking gently, but the strange language only
made him more terrified.
So there was nothing for it but to drag him down, and carry him off to the King, which they accordingly
did. Henry had learned a few words of the peasants' dialect, so he soon re-assured the poor man, and
made him comprehend that they only wanted him for a guide—an office which he readily took upon
himself.
He was swung up on a horse in front of one of the cavaliers, and guided them safely to the town of
Liszki. Soon after this they came up with Chémerault and the others, who had missed the King in the
darkness, and had arrived before him.
In the mean time you can readily imagine that there was a great uproar in the palace at Cracow when
the King's flight was discovered. The Senate and the nobles were absolutely beside themselves with
rage at having been so outwitted. The French who had been left behind in ignorance of their master's
intended flight were deeply indignant with the King for his treacherous betrayal of them. The mob
howled and yelled in the streets, and everybody scolded poor Alemanni.
Karnkowski, the Grand Referendary of Poland, was dispatched in a coach and six to bring back the King,
accompanied by a troop of Tartar cavalry armed with bows and arrows, and a howling mob, with sticks,
stones, and javelins, followed after.
They came in sight of the fugitives at the town of Osweicin, where some of the gentlemen had
dismounted to rest and refresh themselves for an hour. But when they caught sight of the Tartar troops
they did not tarry long, you may be sure, but put spurs to their horses, and fled as fast as they could.
Then there followed a royal chase, in which the King was the hunted instead of the hunter—the King
and his cavaliers urging their tired horses to their utmost speed in front; following fast behind,
Karnkowski, in his coach and six, the wild troop of Tartar bowmen, and the disorderly mob bringing up
the rear.
Henry and his gentlemen rode fast and well. They crossed the Vistula on a bridge of planks, which the
cavaliers destroyed just as their pursuers came up; and as they rode on they left their Tartar enemies
howling with rage and gnashing their teeth, as they saw the river rolling between them and the
fugitives, and knew they must go six miles around in order to come up with them.
The danger was over now. They did not overtake Henry until after he had passed the frontier town of
Plesse, and they dared not capture him on Austrian territory.
46. Count Teuczin therefore approached the King, accompanied only by five Tartars, and delivered his
message from the Senate to entreat him to return, and offering his own fealty to the King. Henry
refused to return, but he sent back fair words to the Senate, and they parted amicably, Henry to pursue
his journey to Vienna, where he arrived without further adventures, the Count to return sadly to Cracow
to announce the escape of their King to the magnates of Poland.
But in my opinion if they had had Henry to rule over them four years instead of four months, far from
grieving over his loss, they would have considered themselves well rid of him; for lazy, selfish, cowardly,
false, and cruel as he was, they might have sought the wide world over without finding a worse King
than Henry III. of Valois.
47. THE NEW SCHOLAR.
BY EMILY H. LELAND.
Elbert Collins had never been marked absent or tardy since his first going to school in September, and it
was his ambition to finish the whole year without a "mark," partly because he really liked to be prompt,
and partly because he thought it would be so nice to see his name in the paper at the end of the school
year.
December had come, and the short mornings were very lively ones in his mother's little kitchen,
because of so many things to be done before the nine-o'clock bell. There was the wood-box to fill, the
canary to feed, and generally the cradle to rock, while the mother attended to such work as could be
done best while there was some one to look after the baby.
On this particular morning, however, the mother had gone to Mrs. Brown's, around the corner, for a cup
of yeast, and had become so interested in a recipe for chocolate cake, a pattern for a boy's blouse, the
pound party at the Methodist minister's, and some new ways for trimming Christmas trees, that she
entirely forgot the time of day.
Meanwhile little Elbert, with his overshoes and scarf on, and cap in hand, rocked the cradle, and kept
his eyes on the clock. Five, ten, minutes passed away. The long hand was crawling alarmingly near last-
bell time. He tied his scarf, pulled his cap over his ears, and rocked harder than ever. Still no mother.
Then he went to the door, looked anxiously toward the corner, and sent out a lusty shout—"Mamma-a-
a, come ho-o-ome!" but no one responded except the baby. "Oh dear! dear!" he exclaimed, as he
rushed back to the cradle; and just then his expectant ears heard the first slow cling-clang of the last
bell. It would ring for five minutes; the school-house was only three streets away, and there was time
enough yet, if he could only start. One thing was certain—he would never leave his little baby sister. He
remembered a story of a poor baby who was almost burned to death because her brother, who had
promised to take care of her, left her, and ran out on the street to play.
He went to the door and shouted again. It was something like the case of Casabianca. But when two
mothers are talking about patterns and Christmas trees, who ever knew them to notice every little
outside noise? Elbert's shout ended in a big sob. A man going to lose his entire fortune couldn't feel
worse than this little fellow did, with that dreadful "tardy" mark hanging over his head.
Then a happy thought flashed into his mind. Running to the cradle, he caught up the baby, scattering
pillows and blankets right and left, bundled an old shawl over her, and snatching her half-filled milk
bottle, dashed out of the house, and ran off in the direction of that clanging bell as fast as his stout
young legs could carry him. The baby was a light little mite, only two and a half months old, and Elbert
was nearly six years, and large for his age.
He met two women whom he knew, and who commenced making weak remarks, like, "Why, Elbert!"
and "What on earth!" but he bounded past them, with no answer but his panting breath, and reached
the school-house in such good time that the bell gave its last two clangs just as he handed over his
funny burden to his astonished teacher.
"I couldn't leave her, and I couldn't be late," he said, as soon as he could get breath enough to speak.
"And she'll go to sleep, and be real good," he continued, as the teacher began to unwind the shawl.
And then the whole room saw a surprised, half-smothered-looking little baby, still in her night-gown,
one bare foot sticking out, and her little fists tightly clinched, as if defying anybody to send her home.
The teacher was a good-natured young lady, and she laughed so that she almost dropped the baby on
the floor, and then the whole room laughed, and finally Elbert joined in; for he was glad he had escaped
the tardy mark, and the baby certainly did look funny in school.
48. Of course there could be no order. Nearly all the scholars had babies at home, or were well acquainted
with those of their neighbors; but they acted as if they had never seen one before, and every
movement of the little pink hands and every turn of the small bald head made them scream with
laughter, until the principal of the school came into the room to see what the disturbance was, and after
trying to look severe for five seconds, he laughed too.
And while all this fun was going on, Elbert's mother was running wildly through the four rooms of her
little house, calling her boy's name, and feeling sure that the children were either killed and thrown into
the cistern, or else carried off like Charley Ross, and lost forever. The scattered pillows and upset
rocking-chair, indeed, made the kitchen appear as if there had been a struggle, and the wide-open door
and the gate creaking to and fro had a dreadful look to Elbert's mother. Just then the women whom
Elbert had met stopped at the gate, and said to the mother, who was coming hurriedly out, "Is anything
the matter, Mrs. Collins?"
"Oh, I don't know where my children are! I left them while I ran into Mrs. Brown's a minute, and the
kitchen's all upset, and I'm afraid—"
"Why, we just now met Elbert with the baby, kiting along like the wind, over there by Webster &
Green's. Leastways we supposed it was the baby, from the way he carried it. And he never—"
"Merciful man! he's taken her to school!"
About ten minutes later, a flustered little woman rapped at the door of the First Primary Room, and
inquired for a baby. It was handed to her, along with an empty milk bottle, and wrapping them both in a
red cloak which she carried, she thanked the smiling teacher, and walked quickly home.
At first she had felt very angry toward Elbert; but when she looked at the clock, and remembered his
horror of being late, she softened toward him considerably, and by the time she had got the baby
home, and found her none the worse for her little run away, she had her laugh also; and being a fair-
minded woman, she told Elbert when he came home to dinner that it was very thoughtless in her to
have staid so long at Mrs. Brown's. And Elbert gave her a hug, and said he was "glad he didn't leave the
baby, 'cause she might have been burned up, you know!"
[Begun in Young People No. 58, December 7.]
49. MILDRED'S BARGAIN.
A Story for Girls.
BY MRS. JOHN LILLIE.
Chapter VII.
How long she was unconscious, Milly never knew. She awoke to find herself in a beautiful white bed, in
a room she had never seen. All signs of the storm seemed shut out; there was a bright fire on the
hearth; the room seemed full of pleasant shadows and flickering beams of light. Milly was only half
conscious that some one spoke to her, and gave her something pleasant to drink. Then she drifted off
again, with a pleasant confusion of fancies in her mind. When she next awoke, it seemed again to be
evening, but she was conscious of a certain change in her surroundings. A little table was drawn near
her; half-used medicine bottles were upon it; Deborah was sitting over by the fire, and Miss Jenner was
standing in the window.
"Debby," she said, surprised to find her voice so weak; and then she lifted up her hand, and saw it was
very thin.
"My blessed lamb!" cried the old woman, hastening to her side, followed quickly by Alice. "So you're
better!"
Mildred found she had to keep still a long time before she could say any more. She nearly fell asleep
again.
"Debby," she said presently, "is it long since I fainted? What time is it?"
"Oh, my lovey," said the old nurse, "you've lain in that blessed bed two weeks. You've been very ill, but,
thank the Lord, you're better."
This was all Mildred knew for days. She had had a fever; and finding out the condition of things at the
cottage, Miss Jenner had taken Mrs. Lee's affairs into her own hands. She had kept Milly, as a matter of
course, had sent a good servant to care for Mrs. Lee, filled the store closet with every delicacy, and
allowed Debby to watch and care for her "child," as she always called Mildred. Sometimes, as she lay
still in her comfortable bed, Milly tried to recall the dreadful scene at Mr. Hardman's; and one evening,
when she was sitting up for the first time before the fire, and after she had finished a dainty little
supper; she ventured to ask Miss Jenner a few questions.
"Miss Jenner," she said, softly, "do you know all about it?"
"Yes," said Miss Jenner, smiling.
"And are they going to take me to court?"
"No," answered the elder lady, emphatically.
"But why not?" Milly persisted. "They said I stole that money."
"And I said you didn't," retorted Miss Jenner. "You let it all out in your fever, my dear. I think I
understand it all."
"And you know—" faltered Mildred.
Miss Jenner smiled.
"Just see if I don't know," she said. "One evening a precious old humbug calling herself Widow Robbins
came here to find you, and try and get out of you what you owed her—you did owe it, Milly—and my
50. MILDRED CONFESSES ALL TO MISS
JENNER.
boy Roger was standing behind one of the trees, and
heard the conversation; so he knew you were very badly
off for twenty-two dollars, and as soon as he could
scrape it together, what does he do but send it to you in
a private note, saying you can pay it back to him when
you like."
"Yes," said Mildred, eagerly, "I found that note one
afternoon on my return home; but in it he bound me
over not to speak of where I got the money until he
came back. I felt dreadfully about it; but as soon as
mother got well I intended telling her the whole story,
and devising some way of paying Roger right back; and
I will yet, Miss Jenner."
There was a moment's pause before Mildred said, "But
how about the store—the robbery?"
"My dear," said Miss Jenner, "I am of the opinion that
that was all arranged between Tom Hardman and Mrs.
Robbins. I've seen her, and she admits she told him the
whole story. He was angry because you seemed to snub him; and you made him feel his vulgarity, and
so he devised this trick out of revenge. If there was any robbery, he was the thief!"
"And have you seen him?" inquired Milly, tears of gratitude and thankfulness pouring down her cheeks.
"Yes," said Miss Jenner, "and he and his father say the thing 'may blow over'; but that won't do for me.
The first day you're well enough, you must drive down there in my carriage, and have them tell you
they withdraw the accusation, and apologize for having made it. Now you must not talk any more." And
Miss Jenner kissed her young friend, and moved away, taking up a book in a distant part of the room.
Mildred never forgot the two weeks that followed. With Miss Jenner she had long talks, in which she
realized not only the folly of her extravagance, but the actual sin of her running into debt. A great many
things which she had never thought of as serious now appeared to her in the light of principles, without
which, as Miss Jenner told her, she could not live a perfect or even an upright life. When the day came
on which she was declared well enough to drive with Miss Jenner to Mr. Hardman's, Mildred felt too
humbled to rejoice in being received with any honor.
The girls looked at her, as she followed Miss Jenner into Mr. Hardman's office, nudging each other, and
casting half-envious glances toward their former companion. Mary Hardman was nowhere to be seen,
but Mr. Tom was with his father, and received Miss Jenner and Mildred with a stiff sort of pompousness.
Miss Jenner had very little to say, and it was only later that Milly fully recalled the scene—Mr. Hardman's
apologies, and Mr. Tom's surly assent. When they came back to the store, Milly paused to say a few
words here and there, and as she walked away, it was some relief to hear a voice saying,
"Well, I'm glad it's all right; I never could believe it of Milly Lee."
When I knew Mildred Lee she was a woman of nearly thirty, and at the head of her own house; but the
lesson of her girlhood had done her a lasting service. No one ever had it to say of her that she bought
or used any article for which she could not at the moment pay, and her advice to young people was
invaluable. When I knew her, her home was in the Brick House. Mrs. Lee did not long survive the
serious illness of that winter, and Miss Jenner cared tenderly for the orphans her old friend's widow left.
Mildred speaks now with tears of gratitude of all the past, even of its miseries; and the gray silk dress,
worn but once, and still brown with stains, is treasured as a memorial of the bargain by which Mildred
purchased her high sense of honor.