Chapter XXVII: Conclusion

"You are the fellow that stole the money Ethan sent me," squealed Miss Larrabee, as I entered the office.

"Not much," I replied.

"O, but I know you did it; Ham Fishley says so, and I reckon he knows who took it."

"I reckon he does, too," I answered, as I took a seat assigned to me by the constable.

Captain Fishley and Ham soon appeared, attended by the squire, the latter of whom, to the apparent horror of his brother, took the trouble to come to me, and cordially shake my hand.

"You ought to have told me about this trouble before," said he, in a whisper.

"I meant to keep my promise, whatever happened to me," I replied, cheered by his kindness and good will.

Ham Fishley looked very pale, and his father looked very ugly. Quite a number of witnesses were present, including the postmaster of Riverport. The examination was commenced, and I pleaded not guilty. Clarence had employed the smartest lawyer in town to manage my case, and I had had a long talk with him the night before. The missing letter was traced to the Riverport office, after which it had disappeared. Captain Fishley swore that I brought the mail up to Torrentville, and Ham that he had seen me counting what appeared to be a large sum of money, on the night when the letter should have arrived, according to the testimony of the postmaster at Riverport, who distinctly remembered the address.

Then Ham was placed "on the gridiron," and slowly broiled by Squire Pollard, the lawyer who managed my case. He was asked where he spent the evening, what time he got home, when he had sorted the mail; and before he was "done," he became considerably "mixed." But Ham's time had not come yet, and he was permitted to step down.

Captain Fishley had testified that I had no means of obtaining money honestly, and that I had run away. The captain seemed to be greatly astonished when his brother was called to the witness stand for the defence.

"Mr. Fishley, were you in Torrentville two months ago?" asked Squire Pollard.

"I was," replied the senator.

"Did you see the defendant at that time?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you give him any money?"

"Yes, sir."

"How much?"

"The young man drove me up from Riverport on the night in question. I gave him between forty and fifty dollars at that time, and enough more the next day to make a hundred dollars."

"You gave him a hundred dollars, in two payments?" repeated the lawyer, glancing round at the crowd which filled the room.

"Yes, sir, that was the amount I gave him," replied Squire Fishley; but I saw that he looked troubled.

"You gave him between forty and fifty dollars the first time?"

"Forty-six dollars, I think, was the exact amount."

"Could this have been the money which Ham Fishley saw the defendant counting in the hay-loft?"

"I have no doubt it was, as I fix the time from the testimony of the witnesses."

"Why did you pay the boy this large sum?" asked the justice.

"Because he had rendered me a very important service," answered the senator, coloring deeply.

"What was that service?" continued the magistrate.

"I had the misfortune to fall into the river, and the young man saved my life," added Squire Fishley, now very much embarrassed.

"Ah, indeed!" said the justice on the bench, nodding his head in full satisfaction.

"But the defendant refused to tell where he got the money, and the presumption was, that he stole it."

"I desired him not to mention the matter for reasons of my own."

"I submit, your honor," interposed Squire Pollard, "that this matter is foreign to the case. Squire Fishley testifies that he gave the defendant one hundred dollars, and that he desired the young man not to mention the matter. This testimony explains where the defendant obtained his money, and why he declined to tell where he got it. The material facts are all elicited."

Not only Squire Ward, but many others in the room, were very anxious to know why this silence had been imposed upon me. There was something dark about it, and the people were not satisfied. Squire Fishley was troubled, and, though my lawyer, who seemed to understand the matter,--I had told him nothing,--had influence enough to save him from any exposure, yet he was not content to leave the dark point in its present obscurity.

"There does not seem to be any good reason for this concealment," added the justice.

"All the essential facts have come out, your honor," said Squire Pollard.

"I wish to explain it fully," interposed the senator, very much to my surprise. "Since this event, I have been elected president of a total abstinence society. I took the pledge two months ago, on my return home from Torrentville."

"What has this to do with the case?" demanded the justice, impatiently.

"I will explain," resumed the senator. "I had never been in the habit of drinking more than one glass of intoxicating liquor in a day; but meeting some friends on the steamer, I exceeded my limit. In a word, I was somewhat intoxicated when I fell into the river, and this was the reason why I wished to conceal the facts. The events of that night made me a total abstinence man, and with God's help I will never taste the intoxicating cup again."

"Ah, indeed!" said the magistrate.

Squire Fishley stepped down from the stand, wiping the perspiration from his brow. After this humiliating confession, I think there was not a man present who did not respect and honor him for his manly acknowledgment.

"There appears not to be a particle of evidence against the defendant," said Squire Pollard. "I move that he be discharged."

I was discharged.

My friends gathered around me, as the court broke up, to congratulate me on the happy event. Clarence was satisfied, and how warmly Emily Goodridge pressed my trembling hand! In my heart I thanked God for this issue. Captain Fishley seemed to be stunned by the result; and Mrs. Fishley, who came in after the examination commenced, "wanted to know!" Ham was confounded; and as he was moving out of the office, the post-office agent placed a heavy hand upon his shoulder.

My junior tyrant looked ghastly pale when he was conducted back to the magistrate's table. His guilty soul was withering in his bosom. Tyrants as his father and mother had been to me, I pitied them, for they were not guilty of his crime.

"What do you mean by that?" demanded Captain Fishley, angrily, as the detective dragged his son up to the bar of justice.

"I arrest him for robbing the mail."

"Me!" exclaimed Ham, his lips as white as his face, and his knees smiting each other in his terror.

"I should like to know!" ejaculated his mother, holding up both her hands in horror and surprise.

"Do you mean to say that Ham robbed the mail!" demanded Captain Fishley.

"I am afraid he did."

"Then you are going to believe what that wretch says," gasped Mrs. Fishley, pointing to me.

The justice immediately organized his court for the examination of the new culprit, and Captain Fishley was called as the first witness.

"Does your son receive wages for his services?" asked the detective, who managed the case for the post-office.

"No, not exactly wages. I give him what money he wants."

"How much money do you give him?"

"As much as he wants," replied the witness, sourly.

"How much have you given him during the last two months?"

"I don't know."

"What do you think?"

"I don't know."

"Answer the question to the best of your knowledge and belief," interposed the justice.

"Perhaps fifteen or twenty dollars," replied the captain, determined to make the sum large enough to cover the case, though I believed that the sum he named was double the actual amount he had given Ham.

"Did it exceed twenty?"

"No, I think not."

The detective then inquired particularly into the management of the mails, as to who opened them and sorted the letters. I was then placed on the stand. I told my story, as I have related it before. I produced the fragment of the envelope I found in the fireplace on the morning after the destruction of the letter. Captain Fishley was overwhelmed, and Mrs. Fishley wrung her hands, declaring it was all "an awful lie."

Captain Fishley immediately called in Squire Pollard, who had done so well for me, to defend his son. The skilful lawyer subjected me to a severe cross-examination, in which I told the simple truth, with all the collateral circumstances about the party at Crofton's, the hour, the weather, the day, and twenty other things which he dragged in to confuse me. Truth is mighty always, in little as well as in great things, and she always stands by her friends.

The stable-keeper appeared with his memorandum-book, and astonished Captain Fishley by swearing that Ham had paid him over thirty dollars, within two months, for the use of his best team. The witness also testified that he had seen Ham pay four dollars for two suppers at the hotel in Tripleton, ten miles distant, and that the defendant had told him not to tell his father that he hired the team.

The evidence was sufficient to commit the prisoner for trial before the United States Court. His father and his uncle became his bail. The detective had also ascertained that he had given his "lady love" jewelry to the amount of at least thirty dollars, which she indignantly sent back as soon as the facts transpired.

People wanted to know why I had not told of Ham before. I had told his father, but he would not believe me. I was afraid that Squire Fishley would blame me for the testimony I had given; but he did not, much as he regretted his brother's misfortune.

Our party left the office together. As we were going out, Mr. Barkspear put his hand on Sim Gwynn's arm, and frightened him nearly out of his scanty wits. The poor fellow flew to the protection of Mr. Goodridge.

"That boy ran away from me," said the miserly farmer.

"He didn't give me enough to eat," howled Sim.

"He must go back and work for me till his time is out."

"No, sir; he shall not," interposed the wealthy merchant. "You starved him, and the obligation, if there ever was any, is cancelled."

"But I ought to have sunthin' for his time," whined Barkspear.

"Not a cent;" and Mr. Goodridge hurried Sim towards the hotel.

Sim was relieved; but Sim was not exactly a prize to any one. He was good for nothing except to work on a farm, or do the chores about the house. He was good-natured and willing. He had a hand in saving Emily Goodridge, and her father could not forget that. He found a place for him with a minister in Riverport, and left a thousand dollars in trust for his benefit.

My brother wished to go east, and I was held as a witness to appear in Ham's trial; but the culprit took to himself heels and ran away, probably by his father's advice, as the testimony against him continued to accumulate. His bail was paid, and nothing was heard of Ham for years, when I saw him tending bar on a Mississippi steamer. He was a miserable fellow. "Cutting a swell" had been his ruin, for his desire to be smart before "his girl" had tempted him to rob the mail.

I am glad to be able to say that Squire Fishley did not suffer by his honest confession of his own weakness, for he was true to his pledge, and true to his religion. He has held several high offices in this state, and will probably go to Congress in due time.

The Fishleys of Torrentville had no good will towards me, and I kept away from them. Our party remained together during the summer at the North, and in October returned to New Orleans. Flora and I went to live with Clarence, and I was employed in the store of his firm, first as a boy, then as a clerk; and when I was twenty-one, I had the capital to go into business as one of the concern.

Emily Goodridge's health was much improved by her journey to the North, and every year the same party repeated it. I need hardly say that during my clerkship I was a constant visitor at the house of Mr. Goodridge, and that his daughter and myself were the best of friends. Flora used to go there every afternoon; but she could not venture out, as I did, in the evening air.

Years rolled on, and brought their changes. I was a merchant in prosperous circumstances. Flora, in a measure, outgrew her bodily infirmities, but she was always an invalid. I heard from Sim Gwynn once in a great while. He took care of the minister's horse and his garden. He could not "keep a hotel," and he did not aspire to do so. He was contented with enough to eat and enough to wear.

I am still a young man; but our firm is Bradford Brothers. We are doing well, and in time hope to make a fortune. Whether I do so or not, I shall still be happy, for my wife--whom I picked up one day on the Mississippi River--is joy enough for this world, though I have another, and almost equal joy, in dear Flora, whose home is also mine. We are blessed of God, and blessed in ourselves, for we are as loving and devoted to each other as when, years ago, on the raft, we journeyed DOWN THE RIVER.

* * * * * * * *

OLIVER OPTIC'S BOOKS

=All-Over-the-World Library.= By OLIVER OPTIC. First Series. Illustrated.
Price per volume, $1.25.

=1. A Missing Million=; OR, THE ADVENTURES OF LOUIS BELGRADE.
=2. A Millionaire at Sixteen=; OR, THE CRUISE OF THE "GUARDIAN
MOTHER."
=3. A Young Knight Errant=; OR, CRUISING IN THE WEST INDIES.
=4. Strange Sights Abroad=; OR, ADVENTURES IN EUROPEAN WATERS.

No author has come before the public during the present generation
who has achieved a larger and more deserving popularity among young
people than "Oliver Optic." His stories have been very numerous,
but they have been uniformly excellent in moral tone and literary
quality. As indicated in the general title, it is the author's
intention to conduct the readers of this entertaining series "around
the world." As a means to this end, the hero of the story purchases
a steamer which he names the "Guardian Mother," and with, a number
of guests she proceeds on her voyage.--_Christian Work, N. Y._

=All-Over-the-World Library.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Second Series. Illustrated.
Price per volume, $1.25.

=1. American Boys Afloat=; OR, CRUISING IN THE ORIENT.
=2. The Young Navigators=; OR, THE FOREIGN CRUISE OF THE "MAUD."
=3. Up and Down the Nile=; OR, YOUNG ADVENTURERS IN AFRICA.
=4. Asiatic Breezes=; OR, STUDENTS ON THE WING.

The interest in these stories is continuous, and there is a great
variety of exciting incident woven into the solid information
which the book imparts so generously and without the slightest
suspicion of dryness. Manly boys will welcome this volume as
cordially as they did its predecessors.--_Boston Gazette._

=All-Over-the-World Library.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Third Series. Illustrated.
Price per volume, $1.25.

=1. Across India=; OR, LIVE BOYS IN THE FAR EAST.
=2. Half Round the World=; OR, AMONG THE UNCIVILIZED.
=3. Four Young Explorers=; OR, SIGHT-SEEING IN THE TROPICS.
=4. Pacific Shores=; OR, ADVENTURES IN EASTERN SEAS.

Amid such new and varied surroundings it would be surprising indeed
if the author, with his faculty of making even the commonplace
attractive, did not tell an intensely interesting story of adventure,
as well as give much information in regard to the distant countries
through which our friends pass, and the strange peoples with whom
they are brought in contact. This book, and indeed the whole series,
is admirably adapted to reading aloud in the family circle, each
volume containing matter which will interest all the members of
the family.--_Boston Budget._

=The Blue and the Gray--Afloat.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes.
Illustrated. Beautiful binding in blue and gray, with
emblematic dies. Cloth. Any volume sold separately.
Price per volume, $1.50.

=1. Taken by the Enemy.=
=2. Within the Enemy's Lines.=
=3. On the Blockade.=
=4. Stand by the Union.=
=5. Fighting for the Right.=
=6. A Victorious Union.=

=The Blue and the Gray--on Land.=

=1. Brother against Brother.=
=2. In the Saddle.=
=3. A Lieutenant at Eighteen.=
=4. On the Staff.=
=5. At the Front.=
=6. An Undivided Union.=

"There never has been a more interesting writer in the field of
juvenile literature than Mr. W. T. ADAMS, who, under his well-known
pseudonym, is known and admired by every boy and girl in the
country, and by thousands who have long since passed the boundaries
of youth, yet who remember with pleasure the genial, interesting
pen that did so much to interest, instruct, and entertain their
younger years 'The Blue and the Gray' is a title that is sufficiently
indicative of the nature and spirit of the latest series, while the
name of OLIVER OPTIC is sufficient warrant of the absorbing style
of narrative. This series is as bright and entertaining as any work
that Mr. ADAMS has yet put forth, and will be as eagerly perused as
any that has borne his name. It would not be fair to the prospective
reader to deprive him of the zest which comes from the unexpected
by entering into a synopsis of the story. A word, however, should
be said in regard to the beauty and appropriateness of the binding,
which makes it a most attractive volume."--_Boston Budget._

=Woodville Stories.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated. Any
volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

=1. Rich and Humble=; OR, THE MISSION OF BERTHA GRANT.
=2. In School and Out=; OR, THE CONQUEST OF RICHARD GRANT.
=3. Watch and Wait=; OR, THE YOUNG FUGITIVES.
=4. Work and Win=; OR, NODDY NEWMAN ON A CRUISE.
=5. Hope and Have=; OR, FANNY GRANT AMONG THE INDIANS.
=6. Haste and Waste=; OR, THE YOUNG PILOT OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN.

"Though we are not so young as we once were, we relished these
stories almost as much as the boys and girls for whom they were
written. They were really refreshing, even to us. There is much in
them which is calculated to inspire a generous, healthy ambition,
and to make distasteful all reading tending to stimulate base
desires."--_Fitchburg Reveille._

=The Starry Flag Series.= By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume $1.25.

=1. The Starry Flag=; OR, THE YOUNG FISHERMAN OF CAPE ANN.
=2. Breaking Away=; OR, THE FORTUNES OF A STUDENT.
=3. Seek and Find=; OR, THE ADVENTURES OF A SMART BOY.
=4. Freaks of Fortune=; OR, HALF ROUND THE WORLD.
=5. Make or Break=; OR, THE RICH MAN'S DAUGHTER.
=6. Down the River=; OR, BUCK BRADFORD AND THE TYRANTS.

"Mr. ADAMS, the celebrated and popular writer, familiarly
known as OLIVER OPTIC, seems to have inexhaustible funds for
weaving together the virtues of life; and, notwithstanding he has
written scores of books, the same freshness and novelty run through
them all. Some people think the sensational element predominates.
Perhaps it does. But a book for young people needs this, and so
long as good sentiments are inculcated such books ought to be read."

=Army and Navy Stories.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

=1. The Soldier Boy=; OR, TOM SOMERS IN THE ARMY.
=2. The Sailor Boy=; OR, JACK SOMERS IN THE NAVY.
=3. The Young Lieutenant=; OR, ADVENTURES OF AN ARMY OFFICER.
=4. The Yankee Middy=; OR, ADVENTURES OF A NAVY OFFICER.
=5. Fighting Joe=; OR, THE FORTUNES OF A STAFF OFFICER.
=6. Brave Old Salt=; OR, LIFE ON THE QUARTER DECK.

"This series of six volumes recounts the adventures of two brothers,
Tom and Jack Somers, one in the army, the other in the navy, in
the great Civil War. The romantic narratives of the fortunes and
exploits of the brothers are thrilling in the extreme. Historical
accuracy in the recital of the great events of that period is
strictly followed, and the result is, not only a library of
entertaining volumes, but also the best history of the Civil War
for young people ever written."

=Boat Builders Series.= By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

=1. All Adrift=; OR, THE GOLDWING CLUB.
=2. Snug Harbor=; OR, THE CHAMPLAIN MECHANICS.
=3. Square and Compasses=; OR, BUILDING THE HOUSE.
=4. Stem to Stern=; OR, BUILDING THE BOAT.
=5. All Taut=; OR, RIGGING THE BOAT.
=6. Ready About=; OR, SAILING THE BOAT.

"The series includes in six successive volumes the whole artof boat
building, boat rigging, boat managing, and practical hints to make
the ownership of a boat pay. A great deal of useful information is
given in this =Boat Builders Series=, and in each book a very
interesting story is interwoven with the information. Every reader
will be interested at once in Dory, the hero of 'All Adrift,' and
one of the characters retained in the subsequent volumes of the
series. His friends will not want to lose sight of him, and every
boy who makes his acquaintance in 'All Adrift' will become his
friend."

=Riverdale Story Books.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Twelve volumes. Illustrated.
Illuminated covers. Price: cloth, per set, $3.60; per volume,
30 cents; paper, per set, $2.00.

=1. Little Merchant.=
=2. Young Voyagers.=
=3. Christmas Gift.=
=4. Dolly and I.=
=5. Uncle Ben.=
=6. Birthday Party.=
=7. Proud and Lazy.=
=8. Careless Kate.=
=9. Robinson Crusoe, Jr.=
=10. The Picnic Party.=
=11. The Gold Thimble.=
=12. The Do-Somethings=.

=Riverdale Story Books.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated.
Fancy cloth and colors. Price per volume, 30 cents.

=1. Little Merchant.=
=2. Proud and Lazy.=
=3. Young Voyagers.=
=4. Careless Kate.=
=5. Dolly and I.=
=6. Robinson Crusoe, Jr.=

=Flora Lee Library.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated. Fancy
cloth and colors. Price per volume, 30 cents.

=1. The Picnic Party.=
=2. The Gold Thimble.=
=3. The Do-Somethings.=
=4. Christmas Gift.=
=5. Uncle Ben.=
=6. Birthday Party.=

These are bright short stories for younger children who are
unable to comprehend the =Starry Flag Series= or the =Army and
Navy Series=. But they all display the author's talent for pleasing
and interesting the little folks. They are all fresh and original,
preaching no sermons, but inculcating good lessons.

=The Great Western Series.= By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

=1. Going West=; OR, THE PERILS OF A POOR BOY.
=2. Out West=; OR, ROUGHING IT ON THE GREAT LAKES.
=3. Lake Breezes=; OR, THE CRUISE OF THE SYLVANIA.
=4. Going South=; OR, YACHTING ON THE ATLANTIC COAST.
=5. Down South=; OR, YACHT ADVENTURES IN FLORIDA.
=6. Up the River=; OR, YACHTING ON THE MISSISSIPPI.

"This is the latest series of books issued by this popular writer,
and deals with life on the Great Lakes, for which a careful study
was made by the author in a summer tour of the immense water
sources of America. The story, which carries the same hero through
the six books of the series, is always entertaining, novel scenes
and varied incidents giving a constantly changing yet always
attractive aspect to the narrative. OLIVER OPTIC has written
nothing better."

=The Yacht Club Series.= By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

=1. Little Bobtail=; OR, THE WRECK OF THE PENOBSCOT.
=2. The Yacht Club=; OR, THE YOUNG BOAT BUILDERS.
=3. Money-Maker=; OR, THE VICTORY OF THE BASILISK.
=4. The Coming Wave=; OR, THE TREASURE OF HIGH ROCK.
=5. The Dorcas Club=; OR, OUR GIRLS AFLOAT.
=6. Ocean Born=; OR, THE CRUISE OF THE CLUBS.

"The series has this peculiarity, that all of its constituent
volumes are independent of one another, and therefore each story
is complete in itself. OLIVER OPTIC is, perhaps, the favorite
author of the boys and girls of this country, and he seems destined
to enjoy an endless popularity. He deserves his success, for he
makes very interesting stories, and inculcates none but the best
sentiments, and the 'Yacht Club' is no exception to this rule."
--_New Haven Journal and Courier._

=Onward and Upward Series.= By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

=1. Field and Forest=; OR, THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER.
=2. Plane and Plank=; OR, THE MISHAPS OF A MECHANIC.
=3. Desk and Debit=; OR, THE CATASTROPHES OF A CLERK.
=4. Cringle and Crosstree=; OR, THE SEA SWASHES OF A SAILOR.
=5. Bivouac and Battle=; OR, THE STRUGGLES OF A SOLDIER.
=6. Sea and Shore=; OR, THE TRAMPS OF A TRAVELLER.

"Paul Farringford, the hero of these tales, is, like most of
this author's heroes, a young man of high spirit, and of high
aims and correct principles, appearing in the different volumes
as a farmer, a captain, a bookkeeper, a soldier, a sailor, and
a traveller. In all of them the hero meets with very exciting
adventures, told in the graphic style for which the author is
famous."

=The Lake Shore Series.= By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

=1. Through by Daylight=; OR, THE YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE LAKE SHORE
RAILROAD.
=2. Lightning Express=; OR, THE RIVAL ACADEMIES.
=3. On Time=; OR, THE YOUNG CAPTAIN OF THE UCAYGA STEAMER.
=4. Switch Off=; OR, THE WAR OF THE STUDENTS.
=5. Brake Up=; OR, THE YOUNG PEACEMAKERS.
=6. Bear and Forbear=; OR, THE YOUNG SKIPPER OF LAKE UCAYGA.

"OLIVER OPTIC is one of the most fascinating writers for youth,
and withal one of the best to be found in this or any past age.
Troops of young people hang over his vivid pages; and not one of
them ever learned to be mean, ignoble, cowardly, selfish, or to
yield to any vice from anything they ever read from his pen."
--_Providence Press._

=The Famous Boat Club Series.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume $1.25.

=1. The Boat Club=; OR, THE BUNKERS OF RIPPLETON.
=2. All Aboard=; OR, LIFE ON THE LAKE.
=3. Now or Never=; OR, THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT.
=4. Try Again=; OR, THE TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS OF HARRY WEST.
=5. Poor and Proud=; OR, THE FORTUNES OF KATY REDBURN.
=6. Little by Little=; OR, THE CRUISE OF THE FLYAWAY.

"This is the first series of books written for the young by
OLIVER OPTIC. It laid the foundation for his fame as the first of
authors in which the young delight, and gained for him the title of
the Prince of Story Tellers. The six books are varied in incident
and plot, but all are entertaining and original."

(_Other volumes in preparation._)

=Young America Abroad=: A LIBRARY OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE IN FOREIGN
LANDS. By OLIVER OPTIC. Illustrated by NAST and others.
First Series. Six volumes. Any volume sold separately. Price
per volume, $1.25.

=1. Outward Bound=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA AFLOAT.
=2. Shamrock and Thistle=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN IRELAND AND SCOTLAND.
=3. Red Cross=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN ENGLAND AND WALES.
=4. Dikes and Ditches=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN HOLLAND AND BELGIUM.
=5. Palace and Cottage=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN FRANCE AND SWITZERLAND.
=6. Down the Rhine=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN GERMANY.

"The story from its inception, and through the twelve volumes
(see Second Series), is a bewitching one, while the information
imparted concerning the countries of Europe and the isles of the
sea is not only correct in every particular, but is told in a
captivating style. OLIVER OPTIC will continue to be the boys'
friend, and his pleasant books will continue to be read by
thousands of American boys. What a fine holiday present either or
both series of 'Young America Abroad' would be for a young friend!
It would make a little library highly prized by the recipient, and
would not be an expensive one."--_Providence Press._

=Young America Abroad.= By OLIVER OPTIC. Second Series. Six volumes.
Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume,
$1.25.

=1. Up the Baltic=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN NORWAY, SWEDEN, AND DENMARK.
=2. Northern Lands=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA.
=3. Cross and Crescent=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN TURKEY AND GREECE.
=4. Sunny Shores=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN ITALY AND AUSTRIA.
=5. Vine and Olive=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL.
=6. Isles of the Sea=; OR, YOUNG AMERICA HOMEWARD BOUND.

"OLIVER OPTIC is a _nom de plume_ that is known and loved by almost
every boy of intelligence in the land. We have seen a highly
intellectual and world-weary man, a cynic whose heart was somewhat
embittered by its large experience of human nature, take up one of
OLIVER OPTIC'S books, and read it at a sitting, neglecting his work
in yielding to the fascination of the pages. When a mature and
exceedingly well-informed mind, long despoiled of all its freshness,
can thus find pleasure in a book for boys, no additional words of
recommendation are needed."--_Sunday Times._

LEE AND SHEPARD'S ILLUSTRATED JUVENILES

J. T. TROWBRIDGE'S BOOKS

THE START IN LIFE SERIES. 4 volumes.

=A Start in Life=: A STORY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE.
Illustrated. $1.00.

In this story the author recounts the hardships of a young lad in
his first endeavor to start out for himself. It is a tale that is
full of enthusiasm and budding hopes. The writer shows how hard the
youths of a century ago were compelled to work. This he does in an
entertaining way, mingling fun and adventures with their daily
labors. The hero is a striking example of the honest boy, who is
not too lazy to work, nor too dull to thoroughly appreciate a joke.

=Biding His Time.= By =J. T. Trowbridge=. Illustrated. $1.00.

"It is full of spirit and adventure, and presents a plucky hero who
was willing to 'bide his time,' no matter how great the expectations
that he indulged in from his uncle's vast wealth, which he did not
in the least covet.... He was left a poor orphan in Ohio at
seventeen years of age, and soon after heard of a rich uncle, who
lived near Boston. He sets off on the long journey to Boston, finds
his uncle, an eccentric old man, is hospitably received by him, but
seeks employment in a humble way, and proves that he is a persevering
and plucky young man."--_Boston Home Journal._

=The Kelp Gatherers=: A STORY OF THE MAINE COAST. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE.
Illustrated. $1.00.

This book is full of interesting information upon the plant life
of the seashore, and the life of marine animals; but it is also
a bright and readable story, with all the hints of character and
the vicissitudes of human life, in depicting which the author is
an acknowledged master.

=The Scarlet Tanager=, AND OTHER BIPEDS. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE.
Illustrated. $1.00.

Every new story which Mr. TROWBRIDGE begins is followed through
successive chapters by thousands who have read and re-read many
times his preceding tales. One of his greatest charms is his
absolute truthfulness. He does not depict little saints, or
incorrigible rascals, but just _boys_. This same fidelity to
nature is seen in his latest book, "The Scarlet Tanager, and
Other Bipeds." There is enough adventure in this tale to commend
it to the liveliest reader, and all the lessons it teaches are
wholesome.

THE TIDE-MILL STORIES. 6 volumes.

=Phil and His Friends.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

The hero is the son of a man who from drink got into debt, and,
after having given a paper to a creditor authorizing him to keep
the son as a security for his claim, ran away, leaving poor Phil
a bond slave. The story involves a great many unexpected incidents,
some of which are painful, and some comic. Phil manfully works for
a year, cancelling his father's debt, and then escapes. The
characters are strongly drawn, and the story is absorbingly
interesting.

=The Tinkham Brothers' Tide-Mill.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE.
Illustrated. $1.25.

"The Tinkham Brothers" were the devoted sons of an invalid mother.
The story tells how they purchased a tide-mill, which afterwards,
by the ill-will and obstinacy of neighbors, became a source of
much trouble to them. It tells also how, by discretion and the
exercise of a peaceable spirit, they at last overcame all
difficulties.

"Mr. TROWBRIDGE'S humor, his fidelity to nature, and story-telling
power lose nothing with years; and he stands at the head of those
who are furnishing a literature for the young, clean and sweet in
tone, and always of interest and value."--_The Continent._

=The Satin-wood Box.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"Mr. TROWBRIDGE has always a purpose in his writings, and this
time he has undertaken to show how very near an innocent boy can
come to the guilty edge and yet be able by fortunate circumstances
to rid himself of all suspicion of evil. There is something winsome
about the hero; but he has a singular way of falling into bad luck,
although the careful reader will never feel the least disposed to
doubt his honesty.... It is the pain and perplexity which impart to
the story its intense interest."--_Syracuse Standard._

=The Little Master.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

This is the story of a schoolmaster, his trials, disappointments,
and final victory. It will recall to many a man his experience in
teaching pupils, and in managing their opinionated and self-willed
parents. The story has the charm which is always found in Mr.
TROWBRIDGE'S works.

"Many a teacher could profit by reading of this plucky little
schoolmaster."--_Journal of Education._

=His One Fault.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"As for the hero of this story, 'His One Fault' was
absent-mindedness. He forgot to lock his uncle's stable door, and
the horse was stolen. In seeking to recover the stolen horse, he
unintentionally stole another. In trying to restore the wrong horse
to his rightful owner, he was himself arrested. After no end of
comic and dolorous adventures, he surmounted all his misfortunes by
downright pluck and genuine good feeling. It is a noble contribution
to juvenile literature."--_Woman's Journal._

=Peter Budstone.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"TROWBRIDGE'S other books have been admirable and deservedly
popular, but this one, in our opinion, is the best yet. It is a
story at once spirited and touching, with a certain dramatic and
artistic quality that appeals to the literary sense as well as to
the story-loving appetite. In it Mr. TROWBRIDGE has not lectured
or moralized or remonstrated; he has simply shown boys what they
are doing when they contemplate hazing. By a good artistic impulse
we are not shown the hazing at all; when the story begins, the
hazing is already over, and we are introduced immediately to the
results. It is an artistic touch also that the boy injured is not
hurt because he is a fellow of delicate nerves, but because of his
very strength, and the power with which he resisted until overcome
by numbers, and subjected to treatment which left him insane. His
insanity takes the form of harmless delusion, and the absurdity of
his ways and talk enables the author to lighten the sombreness
without weakening the moral, in a way that ought to win all boys to
his side."--_The Critic._

THE SILVER MEDAL STORIES. 6 volumes.

=The Silver Medal=, AND OTHER STORIES. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated.
$1.25.

There were some schoolboys who had turned housebreakers, and
among their plunder was a silver medal that had been given to one
John Harrison by the Humane Society for rescuing from drowning a
certain Benton Barry. Now Benton Barry was one of the wretched
housebreakers. This is the summary of the opening chapter. The
story is intensely interesting in its serious as well as its
humorous parts.

=His Own Master.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"This is a book after the typical boy's own heart. Its hero is a
plucky young fellow, who, seeing no chance for himself at home,
determines to make his own way in the world.... He sets out
accordingly, trudges to the far West, and finds the road to fortune
an unpleasantly rough one."--_Philadelphia Inquirer._

"We class this as one of the best stories for boys we ever read.
The tone is perfectly healthy, and the interest is kept up to the
end."--_Boston Home Journal._

=Bound in Honor.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

This story is of a lad, who, though not guilty of any bad action,
had been an eye-witness of the conduct of his comrades, and felt
"Bound in Honor" not to tell.

"The glimpses we get of New England character are free from any
distortion, and their humorous phases are always entertaining. Mr.
TROWBRIDGE'S brilliant descriptive faculty is shown to great
advantage in the opening chapter of the book by a vivid picture of
a village fire, and is manifested elsewhere with equally telling
effect."--_Boston Courier._

=The Pocket Rifle.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"A boy's story which will be read with avidity, as it ought to
be, it is so brightly and frankly written, and with such evident
knowledge of the temperaments and habits, the friendships and
enmities of schoolboys."--_New York Mail._

"This is a capital story for boys. TROWBRIDGE never tells a story
poorly. It teaches honesty, integrity, and friendship, and how
best they can be promoted. It shows the danger of hasty judgment
and circumstantial evidence; that right-doing pays, and dishonesty
never."--_Chicago Inter-Ocean._

=The Jolly Rover.= By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"This book will help to neutralize the ill effects of any poison
which children may have swallowed in the way of sham-adventurous
stories and wildly fictitious tales. 'The Jolly Rover' runs away
from home, and meets life as it is, till he is glad enough to seek
again his father's house. Mr. TROWBRIDGE has the power of making
an instructive story absorbing in its interest, and of covering a
moral so that it is easy to take."--_Christian Intelligencer._

=Young Joe=, AND OTHER BOYS. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"Young Joe," who lived at Bass Cove, where he shot wild ducks, took
some to town for sale, and attracted the attention of a portly
gentleman fond of shooting. This gentleman went duck shooting with
Joe, and their adventures were more amusing to the boy than to the
amateur sportsman.

There are thirteen other short stories in the book which will be
sure to please the young folks.

=The Vagabonds=: AN ILLUSTRATED POEM. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Cloth. $1.50.

"The Vagabonds" are a strolling fiddler and his dog. The fiddler
has been ruined by drink, and his monologue is one of the most
pathetic and effective pieces in our literature.

BOOKS BY
EVERETT T. TOMLINSON

THE WAR OF 1812 SERIES

By EVERETT T. TOMLINSON. Cloth. Illustrated. Per volume $1.50

COMPRISING

=The Search for Andrew Field=
=The Boy Soldiers of 1812=
=The Boy Officers of 1812=
=Tecumseh's Young Braves=
=Guarding the Border=
=The Boys with Old Hickory=

Mr. Tomlinson, who knows the "ins and outs" of boy nature by heart,
is one of the most entertaining and at the same time one of the
instructive of living writers of juvenile fiction. In his younger
days a teacher by profession, he has made boys and their
idiosyncrasies the absorbing study of his life, and, with the
accumulated experience of years to aid him, has applied himself to
the task of preparing for their mental delectation a diet that
shall be at once wholesome and attractive; and that his efforts in
this laudable direction have been successful is conclusively proven
by his popularity among boy readers.

LIBRARY OF HEROIC EVENTS

STORIES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

_First Series_

By EVERETT T. TOMLINSON. Cloth. Illustrated. $1.00

STORIES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

_Second Series_

By EVERETT T. TOMLINSON. Cloth. Illustrated. $1.00

THE OLD GLORY SERIES.

By EDWARD STRATEMEYER,

_Author of "The Bound to Succeed Series,"
"The Ship and Shore Series," etc._

Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25.

=UNDER DEWEY AT MANILA Or the War Fortunes of a Castaway.=
=A YOUNG VOLUNTEER IN CUBA Or Fighting for the Single Star.=
=FIGHTING IN CUBAN WATERS Or Under Schley on the Brooklyn.=
=UNDER OTIS IN THE PHILIPPINES Or a Young Officer in the Tropics.=
(_In press._)

PRESS NOTICES.

"'Under Dewey at Manila' is a thoroughly timely book, in perfect
sympathy with the patriotism of the day. Its title is conducive to
its perusing, and its reading to anticipation. For the volume is
but the first of the Old Glory Series, and the imprint is that of
the famed firm of Lee and Shepard, whose name has been for so many
years linked with the publications of Oliver Optic. As a matter of
fact, the story is right in line with the productions of that gifted
and most fascinating of authors, and certainly there is every cause
for congratulation that the stirring events of our recent war are
not to lose their value for instruction through that valuable school
which the late William T. Adams made so individually distinctive.

"Edward Stratemeyer, who is the author of the present work, has
proved an extraordinarily apt scholar, and had the book appeared
anonymously there could hardly have failed of a unanimous opinion
that a miracle had enabled the writer of the famous Army and Navy
and other series to resume his pen for the volume in hand. Mr.
Stratemeyer has acquired in a wonderfully successful degree the
knack of writing an interesting educational story which will appeal
to the young people, and the plan of his trio of books as outlined
cannot fail to prove both interesting and valuable."--_Boston Ideas._

"Stratemeyer's style suits the boys."--JOHN TERHUNE, _Supt. of
Public Instruction, Bergen Co., New Jersey._

"'The Young Volunteer in Cuba,' the second of the Old Glory Series,
is better than the first; perhaps it traverses more familiar
ground. Ben Russell, the brother of Larry, who was 'with Dewey,'
enlists with the volunteers and goes to Cuba, where he shares in
the abundance of adventure and has a chance to show his courage and
honesty and manliness, which win their reward. A good book for boys,
giving a good deal of information in a most attractive form."
--_Universalist Leader._

THE BOUND TO SUCCEED SERIES

By EDWARD STRATEMEYER,

_Author of "Under Dewey at Manila," etc._

Three Volumes. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00.

=RICHARD DARE'S VENTURE Or Striking Out for Himself.=
=OLIVER BRIGHT'S SEARCH Or The Mystery of a Mine.=
=TO ALASKA FOR GOLD Or The Fortune Hunters of the Yukon.=

PRESS OPINIONS OF EDWARD STRATEMEYER'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

"In 'Richard Dare's Venture,' Edward Stratemeyer has fully
sustained his reputation as an entertaining, helpful, and
instructive writer for boys."--_Philadelphia Call._

"'Richard Dare's Venture,' by Edward Stratemeyer, tells the
story of a country lad who goes to New York to earn enough to
support his widowed mother and orphaned sisters. Richard's energy,
uprightness of character, and good sense carry him through some
trying experiences, and gain him friends."--_The Churchman_, New
York.

"A breezy boy's book is 'Oliver Bright's Search.' The author has
a direct, graphic style, and every healthy minded youth will enjoy
the volume."--_N. Y. Commercial Advertiser._

"'Richard Dare's Venture' is a fresh, wholesome book to put into a
boy's hands."--_St. Louis Post Dispatch._

"'Richard Dare's Venture' is a wholesome story of a practical boy
who made a way for himself when thrown upon his own resources."
--_Christian Advocate._

"It is such books as 'Richard Dare's Venture' that are calculated
to inspire young readers with a determination to succeed in life,
and to choose some honorable walk in which to find that success.
The author, Edward Stratemeyer, has shown a judgment that is
altogether too rare in the makers of books for boys, in that he
has avoided that sort of heroics in the picturing of the life of
his hero which deals in adventures of the daredevil sort. In that
respect alone the book commends itself to the favor of parents who
have a regard for the education of their sons, but the story is
sufficiently enlivening and often thrilling to satisfy the
healthful desires of the young reader."--_Kansas City Star._

"Of standard writers of boys' stories there is quite a list, but
those who have not read any by Edward Stratemeyer have missed a
very goodly thing."--_Boston Ideas._

THE SHIP AND SHORE SERIES

By EDWARD STRATEMEYER.

Three Volumes. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00.

=THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SPITFIRE Or Luke Foster's Strange Voyage.=
=REUBEN STONE'S DISCOVERY Or The Young Miller of Torrent Bend.=
=TRUE TO HIMSELF Or Roger Strong's Struggle for Place.= (_In press._)

PRESS OPINIONS OF EDWARD STRATEMEYER'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

"Mr. Edward Stratemeyer is in danger of becoming very popular
among the young people of the country."--_Burlington (Iowa)
Hawk-eye._

"'The Last Cruise of the Spitfire' is of deep interest to the
bounding heart of an enthusiastic boy. The book leaves a good
impression on a boy's mind, as it teaches the triumph of noble
deeds and true heroism."--_Kansas City_ (Mo.) _Times._

"Let us mention in passing two admirable books for boys, 'Reuben
Stone's Discovery' and 'Oliver Bright's Search,' by Edward
Stratemeyer, with whom we are all acquainted. This last bit of his
work is especially good, and the boy who gets one of these volumes
will become very popular among his fellows until the book is worn
threadbare."--_N. Y. Herald._

"A good sea-tale for boys is 'The Last Cruise of the Spitfire,'
by Edward Stratemeyer. There is plenty of adventure in it, a
shipwreck, a cruise on a raft, and other stirring perils of the
deep."--_Detroit_ (Mich.) _Journal._

"In a simple, plain, straightforward manner, Mr. Edward
Stratemeyer endeavors to show his boy readers what persistency,
honesty, and willingness to work have accomplished for his young
hero, and his moral is evident. Mr. Stratemeyer is very earnest
and sincere in his portraiture of young character beginning to
shape itself to weather against the future. A book of this sort is
calculated to interest boys, to feed their ambition with hope, and
to indicate how they must fortify themselves against the wiles of
vice."--_Boston Herald._

AMERICAN BOYS' SERIES

The books selected for this series are all thoroughly American, by
such favorite American authors of boys' books as Oliver Optic,
Elijah Kellogg, Prof. James DeMille, and others, now made for the
first time at a largely reduced price, in order to bring them within
the reach of all. Each volume complete in itself.

UNIFORM CLOTH BINDING ILLUSTRATED NEW AND ATTRACTIVE DIES
Price per volume $1.00

1. ADRIFT IN THE ICE FIELDS By Capt. Chas. W. Hall
2. ALL ABOARD or Life on the Lake By Oliver Optic
3. ARK OF ELM ISLAND By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
4. ARTHUR BROWN THE YOUNG CAPTAIN By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
5. BOAT CLUB, THE, or the Bunkers of Rippleton By Oliver Optic
6. BOY FARMERS OF ELM ISLAND, THE By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
7. BOYS OF GRAND PRE SCHOOL By Prof. James DeMille
8. "B. O. W. C.", THE By Prof. James DeMille
9. BROUGHT TO THE FRONT or the Young Defenders By Rev. Elijah
Kellogg
10. BURYING THE HATCHET or the Young Brave of the Delawares By
Rev. Elijah Kellogg
11. CAST AWAY IN THE COLD By Dr. Isaac I. Hayes
12. CHARLIE BELL THE WAIF OF ELM ISLAND By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
13. CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
14. CROSSING THE QUICKSANDS By Samuel W. Cozzens
15. CRUISE OF THE CASCO By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
16. FIRE IN THE WOODS By Prof. James DeMille
17. FISHER BOYS OF PLEASANT COVE By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
18. FOREST GLEN or the Mohawk's Friendship By Rev. Elijah
Kellogg
19. GOOD OLD TIMES By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
20. HARDSCRABBLE OF ELM ISLAND By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
21. HASTE OR WASTE or the Young Pilot of Lake Champlain By
Oliver Optic
22. HOPE AND HAVE By Oliver Optic
23. IN SCHOOL AND OUT or the Conquest of Richard Grant By
Oliver Optic
24. JOHN GODSOE'S LEGACY By Rev. Elijah Kellogg

25. JUST HIS LUCK By Oliver Optic
26. LION BEN OF ELM ISLAND By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
27. LITTLE BY LITTLE or the Cruise of the Flyaway By Oliver
Optic
28. LIVE OAK BOYS or the Adventures of Richard Constable Afloat
and Ashore By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
29. LOST IN THE FOG By Prof. James DeMille
30. MISSION OF BLACK RIFLE or On the Trail By Rev. Elijah
Kellogg
31. NOW OR NEVER or the Adventures of Bobby Bright By Oliver
Optic
32. POOR AND PROUD or the Fortunes of Kate Redburn By Oliver
Optic
33. RICH AND HUMBLE or the Mission of Bertha Grant By Oliver
Optic
34. SOPHOMORES OF RADCLIFFE or James Trafton and His Boston
Friends By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
35. SOWED BY THE WIND or the Poor Boy's Fortune By Rev. Elijah
Kellogg
36. SPARK OF GENIUS or the College Life of James Trafton By
Elijah Kellogg
37. STOUT HEART or the Student from Over the Sea By Rev. Elijah
Kellogg
38. STRONG ARM AND A MOTHER'S BLESSING By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
39. TREASURE OF THE SEA By Prof. James DeMille
40. TRY AGAIN or the Trials and Triumphs of Harry West By
Oliver Optic
41. TURNING OF THE TIDE or Radcliffe Rich and his Patients By
Rev. Elijah Kellogg
42. UNSEEN HAND or James Renfew and His Boy Helpers By Rev.
Elijah Kellogg
43. WATCH AND WAIT or the Young Fugitives By Oliver Optic
44. WHISPERING PINE or the Graduates of Radcliffe By Rev. Elijah
Kellogg
45. WINNING HIS SPURS or Henry Morton's First Trial By Rev.
Elijah Kellogg
46. WOLF RUN or the Boys of the Wilderness By Rev. Elijah
Kellogg
47. WORK AND WIN or Noddy Newman on a Cruise By Oliver Optic
48. YOUNG DELIVERERS OF PLEASANT COVE By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
49. YOUNG SHIPBUILDERS OF ELM ISLAND By Rev. Elijah Kellogg
50. YOUNG TRAIL HUNTERS By Samuel W. Cozzens

LEE AND SHEPARD, BOSTON, SEND THEIR COMPLETE CATALOGUE FREE.

_For sale by all booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price by_
LEE and SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston

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| Transcriber's Note: |
| |
| On page 209 foilage has been changed to foliage. |
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