ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
SWINTON'S LANGUAGE PRIMER. Language Primer: Beginners' Lessons in Speaking and Writing English. By WILLIAM SWINTON, A.M. 12mo, Half Leather, 30 cents.
SWINTON'S NEW LANGUAGE LESSONS. New Language Lessons: an Elementary Grammar and Composition. By WILLIAM SWINTON, A.M. 12mo, Cloth, 40 cents.
FOWLER'S ELEMENTARY ENGLISH GRAMMAR. An Elementary English Grammar for Common Schools. By WILLIAM C. FOWLER, LL.D. 16mo, Half Leather, 53 cents.
FIRST LESSONS IN NATURAL HISTORY AND LANGUAGE. Entertaining and Instructive Lessons in Natural History and Language for Primary and Grammar Schools, 12mo, Cloth, 35 cents.
HEADING AND SPELLING.
READING WITHOUT TEARS. Reading without Tears; or, a Pleasant Mode of Learning to Read. Illustrated. Small 4to, Cloth. By Mrs. ELIZABETH MORTIMER. Two Parts. Part I., 42 cents; Part II., 53 cents; complete in One Volume, 88 cents.
WILLSON'S PRIMARY SPELLER. The Primary Speller. A Simple and Progressive Course of Lessons in Spelling, with Reading and Dictation Exercises, and the Elements of Oral and Written Composition. By MARCIUS WILLSON.
Illustrated. 18mo, Half Bound, 15 cents.
WILLSON'S SPELLER AND ANALYZER. The New Speller and Analyzer. Adapted to Thorough Elementary Instruction in the Orthography, Orthoepy, Formation, Derivation, and Uses of Words. By MARCIUS WILLSON. 12mo, Half Bound, 34 cents.
WILLSON'S PRIMER. The School and Family Primer. Introductory to the Series of School and Family Readers. By MARCIUS WILLSON. Illustrated.
12mo, Half Bound, 15 cents.
WILLSON'S FIRST READER. The First Reader of the School and Family Series. By MARCIUS WILLSON. Illustrated. 12mo, Half Bound, 26 cents.
WILLSON'S SECOND READER. The Second Reader of the School and Family Series. By MARCIUS WILLSON. Illustrated. 12mo, Half Bound, 37 cents.
WILLSON'S THIRD READER. The Third Reader of the School and Family Series. By MARCIUS WILLSON. Illustrated. 12mo, Half Bound, 60 cents.
WILLSON'S FOURTH READER. The Fourth Reader of the School and Family Series. By MARCIUS WILLSON. Illustrated. 12mo, Half Bound, 75 cents.
WILLSON'S FIFTH READER. The Fifth Reader of the School and Family Series. By MARCIUS WILLSON. Illustrated. 12mo, Half Bound, $1.05.
HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY.
SCOTT'S (HARPER'S) SMALLER SCHOOL HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. A Smaller School History of the United States. By DAVID B. SCOTT. With Maps and Illustrations. 16mo, Half Leather, 60 cents.
DICKENS'S CHILD'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. A Child's History of England. By CHARLES DICKENS. Illustrated. 2 vols, in one, l6mo, Half Leather, 80 cents.
HARPER'S INTRODUCTORY GEOGRAPHY. Harper's Introductory Geography. With Maps and Illustrations, prepared expressly for this Work by eminent American Artists. Half Leather, Small 4to, 60 cents.
BONNER'S CHILD'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. A Child's History of the United States. By JOHN BONNER. A New Edition, Revised and Enlarged, and brought down to the Close of the Rebellion and the Inauguration of President Johnson. Illustrated. 3 vols., 16mo, Cloth, $3.75.
BONNER'S CHILD'S HISTORY OF ROME. A Child's History of Rome. By JOHN BONNER. Illustrated. 2 vols., 16mo, Cloth, $2.50.
BONNER'S CHILD'S HISTORY OF GREECE. A Child's History of Greece. By JOHN BONNER. Illustrated. 2 vols., 16mo, Cloth, $2.50.
Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.
_Sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the United States, on receipt of the price._
THE MANES LIFE-BOAT.
BY FRANK BELLEW.
[Illustration: THE MANES LIFE-BOAT.]
A very ingenious invention for the preservation of life at sea has recently been patented in Washington, and approved by the United States government. It is called the Manes Life-Boat, and consists of a hollow ball of copper, with a hollow mast for ventilation, a trap-door for ingress and egress, and other contrivances for the convenience of passengers. These hollow balls are to be carried on board ocean vessels, and if a wreck occurs, passengers step inside, and are lowered into the sea, where they can float about, protected from the wind, rain, and waves till they are picked up by some passing vessel. I will not give you a long account of this queer boat, as you can probably form a pretty good idea of what it is by looking at the accompanying picture, which, as you will see, represents the inside, with its cargo of passengers.
[Illustration: Fig. 1.]
My present object is to show you how to construct a similar toy boat out of an egg-shell. To do this you require the following materials: one egg, as round as possible, half a tea-spoonful of shot, a piece of bees-wax about as big as a small hickory-nut, some black paint or varnish, some vinegar, a little stick of pine, a cork, and a sharp knife. Now with regard to the knife, let me recommend you to buy one such as is represented in Fig. 1. It is one of a kind that shoe-makers use, and can be bought at most hardware stores for ten or twelve cents.
It is a very useful knife for all kinds of fine work.
[Illustration: Fig. 2.]
[Illustration: Fig. 3]
Take your egg and paint it all over with black paint, leaving only a square white space, and a little white spot on the top, as represented in Fig. 2. When your paint is perfectly dry, which will perhaps take two days, place the egg in a vessel containing vinegar in such a way that the two white spots will be covered with the vinegar (the whole of the egg need not be covered). Let it remain in soak for a day; then change the vinegar. In about three days the white part of the shell may be cut away with the sharp point of your knife; but remember that your knife must be very sharp. Now remove all the inside of the egg, and place the shell to one side until the interior is perfectly dry. Having cut a slender stick of pine for the mast, put some little chips of bees-wax into the egg-shell; then put in about as much shot as you think your boat will require for ballast--probably the third of a tea-spoonful will be sufficient. This done, hold the shell in boiling water (end down) till the wax is melted; then put in your mast through the small hole in the top of the shell; remove the shell from the hot water, and hold it upright in cold water till the wax has perfectly hardened. By looking at Fig. 3 you will see clearly what I mean.
I must now stop one minute to tell you that there are two patterns of the Manes Life-Boat made--that of which I have given you a picture is one; another, which is thought to be an improvement, is made with a cork fender round it. This is the kind I propose you shall make.
[Illustration: Fig. 4.
THE TOY LIFE-BOAT.]
Get a large, fine cork, and from it cut with your sharp knife two parings, and whittle them neatly into a shape like the pieces forming the band A A, Fig. 4. Now take some white of egg, and stick the pieces of cork round the egg-shell, as represented in the picture of the Toy Life-Boat. You can tie the pieces of cork on, to make them more secure, with thread wrapped round and round them.
You will now cut a piece of thick, tough brown paper to make the door of your life-boat, and fasten one side of it to the shell with white of egg; attach a thread to it to hold it in position when you wish to close it, as you will see represented in the picture of the Toy Life-Boat.
Now take your black paint and paint the whole thing over, hoist your flag, "Lost," and you will have as pretty a little toy as heart could desire.
Put one or two big bugs inside, shut up the trap-door, and set your craft adrift in a tub of water or in a pond, and see how gallantly it will float.
CAPTAIN CORN.
Captain Corn, in the garden, Straight and strong and tall, No matter how high his neighbors grow, He overtops them all.
With silken plume and bright green cloak, He really cuts a dash; But when he marries Lima Bean, He'll lose his rank--I think it's mean-- And be plain Succo Tash.