Harper's Young People, February 24, 1880 Part 8

The Swiss Family Robinson--Continued: being a Sequel to the Foregoing. 2 vols., 18mo, Cloth, $1.50.

Sandford and Merton.

The History of Sandford and Merton. By THOMAS DAY. 18mo, Half Bound, 75 cents.

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.

_Sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the United States, on receipt of the price._

BOOKS FOR YOUNG MEN.

Character.

Character. By SAMUEL SMILES. 12mo, Cloth, $1.00.

It is, in design and execution, more like his "Self-Help" than any of his other works. Mr. Smiles always writes pleasantly, but he writes best when he is telling anecdotes, and using them to enforce a moral that he is too wise to preach about, although he is not afraid to state it plainly. By means of it "Self-Help" at once became a standard book, and "Character" is, in its way, quite as good as "Self-Help."

It is a wonderful storehouse of anecdotes and biographical ill.u.s.trations.--_Examiner_, London.

Self-Help.

Self-Help; with Ill.u.s.trations of Character, Conduct, and Perseverance. By SAMUEL SMILES. New Edition, Revised and Enlarged.

12mo, Cloth, $1.00.

The writings of Samuel Smiles are a valuable aid in the education of boys. His style seems to have been constructed entirely for their tastes; his topics are admirably selected, and his mode of communicating excellent lessons of enterprise, truth, and self-reliance might be called insidious and ensnaring if these words did not convey an idea which is only applicable to lessons of an opposite character and tendency taught in the same attractive style. The popularity of this book, "Self-Help," abroad has made it a powerful instrument of good, and many an English boy has risen from its perusal determined that his life will be moulded after that of some of those set before him in this volume. It was written for the youth of another country, but its wealth of instruction has been recognized by its translation into more than one European language, and it is not too much to predict for it a popularity among American boys.--_N. Y. World._

Thrift.

Thrift. By SAMUEL SMILES. 12mo, Cloth, $1.00.

The mechanic, farmer, apprentice, clerk, merchant, and a large circle of readers outside of these cla.s.ses will find in the volume a wide range of counsel and advice, presented in perspicuous language, and marked throughout by vigorous good sense; and who, while deriving from it useful lessons for the guidance of their personal affairs, will also he imbibing valuable instruction in an important branch of political economy. We wish it could be placed in the hands of all our youth--especially those who expect to be merchants, artisans, or farmers.--_Christian Intelligencer_, N. Y.

In this useful and sensible work, which should be in the hands of all cla.s.ses of readers, especially of those whose means are slender, the author does for private economy what Smith and Ricardo and Bastiat have done for national economy. * * * The one step which separates civilization from savagery--which renders civilization possible--is labor done in excess of immediate necessity. * * * To inculcate this most necessary and most homely of all virtues, we have met with no better teacher than this book.--_N. Y. World._

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.

_Sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the United States, on receipt of the price._

THE FIRE-FLY GAME.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The game of fire-fly is very graceful and amusing for dull days or winter evenings in the house. Out of a piece of Bristol-board (an old playing-card will do) cut a figure in the shape of the annexed diagram.

If you have water-colors, and can paint it brightly in red and green or red and yellow stripes, all the better. Lay it flat on the cover of a book so that part of one of the wings projects over the edge; hold the book at a slight angle, pointing toward the ceiling, and then with a pencil or pen-holder give the projecting wing a smart blow, so as to send it flying upward; it will go twirling through the air toward the ceiling, and then return twirling back to the neighborhood of your feet.

The game consists in trying to catch it on the cover of the book when it comes back. If you succeed, it counts you ten points; if you fail, you allow the fly to lie where it has fallen. Your adversary now takes his turn, and if he fails to catch his fly, then you see which fly has fallen nearest to a certain line on the floor on which you have previously agreed, and the owner of the nearest fly scores five. Whoever first scores one hundred wins the game.

=A School in Morocco.=--If one, happening to be in the south of Spain some day, should run across the Straits of Gibraltar in a southwesterly direction, he would come to the ancient city of Tangier, in Morocco.

Here he would see many curious sights, but none more picturesque than the schools for children, of which there are several. A row of tiny slippers at the door and a hum of childish voices inside prompt the pa.s.ser-by to look in. He sees a room, empty of furniture, and lit only by the open door. The school-master, a veritable Moses in appearance, is squatted on his haunches in the centre, and around him squat his pupils.

Each has his slate before him, and repeats his lesson with monotonous chant, keeping his body moving backward and forward as if he were rowing hard the whole time against stream. The school-master's whip is of sufficient length to reach every boy around him, and now and then, without rising from his seat, he touches one or other up in the same manner as the driver of a mail-coach takes a fly off his leader's ear.

The imperturbable gravity of the master, and the comical looks and quaint attire of the boys, form a picture which could not be transferred to canvas.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE CHICKEN PUZZLE.

Here is an orange. With four cuts of the scissors and the p.r.i.c.k of a pin transform it into a chicken.

CHARADE.

My first belongs to an ancient race; They say his pedigree he can trace To the time of the ark, and before; But this I know, though his family tree Be spread as wide as the sounding sea, He was _not_ a companion of Noah.

My next in death plays a cruel part, And yet 'tis dear to a woman's heart, And sets her pulse beating high.

Of all sizes and shapes, it can fly or bound; When most 'tis inflated it trails on the ground; When base, then it soars in the sky.

My whole is extracted from earth and from sea; Compounded with care, from obstacles free, 'Tis dear to the Yankee, I own.

'Tis famous in song, and famous in story, And yet 'tis indebted for most of its glory To the time when 'twas taken alone.

[Ill.u.s.tration: p.u.s.s.y AT A DISADVANTAGE.--"WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO COME IN?"]