Chapter III: Part 3

As these boats are necessarily very light, some ballast or a keel is indispensable for their sailing well. If a ballast is used, it must be fastened in place by wires on the inside; but as a keel is most satisfactory in the end, I should strongly advise its use. As it is molded from lead, you will be obliged to construct your own mold, which can be done by digging out a piece of wood in the proper shape, or, what is easier, by nailing on a flat piece of board two narrow strips at a suitable distance from each other, and closing the form by nailing other and shorter strips across the ends of the first. A little trough, as you will see, will be the result, and if after passing into this your melted lead you place two sharp nails with their heads imbedded in the mass, at the same distance from each other, and in the same relative positions as your wooden supports, your keel will, when hard, require only a few blows with the hammer to fix it in place. Care must be taken to place the nails so that they will enter the supports after passing through the paper bottom; as the keel would not otherwise hold in place. Next cut from the cigar-box wood a deck for your craft; this is easiest done by simply laying the model upon the wood bottom upward, and marking around the edge with a sharp-pointed lead-pencil. This deck must necessarily fit in your boat if your lines are followed in the cutting. Mark upon the deck the positions of the supports, and bore holes through it and into them, for the accommodation of the masts, which should be two in number for a schooner, or three for a full-rigged ship; fasten a bowsprit in its place, and arrange your sails and stays to suit the style of your boat.

After the keel, deck, and bowsprit are in place, it would be well to give her another good coat of paint, and when that is perfectly dry, to varnish her thoroughly with the shellac spoken of before in this book.

This boat is a great improvement on the ordinary dug-out hulls most boys are in the habit of making; for aside from taking less time in making, and sailing more rapidly, it has the advantage of being duplicated; that is, of having a dozen if you wish, made just like it on the same model, while it would be almost impossible to make two alike by the old, laborious method. In forming your model be careful to make it largest at the top, so that it can be removed without trouble from its papier-maché covering.

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THE TOY STEAM-BOAT.

Among the many mechanical toys a boy of ordinary ability can make, the steam-boat is perhaps one of the most satisfactory of them all.

As a scroll-saw takes an important part in its making, some knowledge of one, or friendship with the owner of it, is desirable, if not absolutely necessary, for complete success.

This toy is composed principally of five pieces of board, of different degrees of thickness, which are first cut out as follows:

The first piece, or hull, is eighteen inches long by three and one-half inches wide, with a shape like that indicated by Fig. 1, and made of wood seven-eighths of an inch thick.

To insure making both sides of these pieces alike, it would be well to first draw, on thick brown paper, a straight line from the bow to the middle point of the stern, and carefully mark out one-half the piece on the right side of this line; then, folding the paper on the line, cut through the outline, and the pattern is ready for use on your wood. Do this with all the parts, and you will find less difficulty in putting them together.

The second piece is made of a half-inch board, and is nineteen inches long, by five and one-half inches wide opposite the slits for the wheels.

The dotted line _d e_ across this is just nine and one-half inches from the bow, and is placed there to show where the slits _a a_ are to begin. These slits are for the wheels, and are four and one-quarter inches long, five-eighths of an inch wide, and three-eighths of an inch from the edge. The sides opposite these slits must be straight, or parallel to a line drawn from bow to middle of stern. The hole in the middle is three inches long by two inches wide, with an extension two inches long by one wide on the forward end. The middle of the main hole forms a line with the middle point of the paddle-wheel slits. Remember and mark out one-half of this on paper, double, and cut both sides at once; do 3, 4, and 5 the same way.

The third piece is made of seven-eighths-inch wood, fourteen inches long, and corresponds in shape to the second board from the dotted line _b c_, Fig. 2, to just aft of the slits for the paddle-wheels. Here the edge forms a line parallel to that of the second board, but one inch from it all the distance around, as indicated by the dotted lines on Fig. 2. Its shape is given in Fig. 3, and the point _d_ is intended to fall over _e_ in Fig. 1. The rear, _f_, in the second board, indicated in Fig. 2, extends an inch beyond, and forms the base for the flag-staff to stand upon, and a hole is made at _g_ for another flag-staff to rest in (_see_ engraving). The slits and central hole are the same size as in second board, and correspond to them in shape and position. (The position which three occupies in connection with two is indicated on Fig. 2 by the dotted lines.)

Fourth piece: Cut it like Fig. 4 in shape, and out of a board one inch in thickness. Its position is indicated by the inner set of dotted lines on Fig. 3. This piece is ten inches long and two and three-quarter inches wide, with a central hole the same size and shape as in the other pieces. At three-quarters of an inch forward from the slits for paddle-wheels, cut in three-quarters of an inch and finish in a semicircular shape at each end.

The fifth piece is made of half-inch wood, in shape like Fig. 5, and fifteen inches long by two and three-quarter inches wide, with the middle opening corresponding in length to the other three, but only three-quarters of an inch wide. Its position is indicated on Fig. 3 by the outer set of dotted lines. When referring to these pieces hereafter, I will call them Numbers 1, 2, etc., as indicated by the figures.

The smoke-stack next claims our attention: this is six inches long, and seven-eighths of an inch in diameter across the top; its position is indicated at _g_ on Fig. 5.

The pilot-house is cylindrical, and cut to correspond in form to that in the illustration. It is one and one-half inches in diameter and two inches high from base line to tip of point on the top.

The walking-beam is rather less than one-quarter of an inch thick, and is two and three-quarter inches long by one and one-quarter inches wide. It should be cut in the shape represented in Fig. 6, and a small hole bored in either end.

The supports for the walking-beam are two in number, made of quarter-inch wood, cut in the shape of _d_, _e_, _f_, Fig. 6; the base line, _d f_, is one and one-half inches, and the height of the support just two inches.

The wheels are made from three-eighths-of-an-inch wood and are circular in form, with a diameter of three and three-quarter inches.

At this stage of the work it would be well to bore in each of these two holes to allow the passage of a good-sized wire; one hole through the center, and the other a quarter of an inch one side of it. This is so arranged that the wire can be brought through the center of one wheel and allowed to project a few inches. Then bend the projecting end twice, in such a manner that it may enter the second hole in the wheel when that is pushed back upon it. This arrangement is seen at _B_, Fig. 3, in which the dotted lines show the final position of the wheel.

The pieces for the paddle-boxes, four in number, are semicircular, with a base line or diameter of four and one-quarter inches. The form is seen in Fig. 8, which also is intended to assist in the decoration.

Fig. 7 represents a front view of the walking-beam and its supports; the line _a b_ is a short piece of strong wire, which passes through the hole made in the center of the walking-beam, and rests in two holes made in the sides of the supports near the top, and extending nearly, but not quite through to the outer side. This is plainly seen in the figure, the black line indicating the length of these holes. _C_ in the same figure is a small piece cut from a quarter-inch wood and intended to hold the supports in place, and to keep them a sufficient distance apart to allow free motion of the walking-beam.

The forward and aft flag-staffs are of large wire, and the two masts are of tough wood nearly as large round as a lead-pencil.

Having all the parts now cut out in the proper form and size, take each piece and bore holes for the screws which hold them together. The position of these is indicated in each figure by the heads of the screws placed at precisely the best points; these screws should be of different lengths, as those passing through No. 4 require a length of one and one-half to one and three-quarter inches, while those for No. 2 need not be more than an inch in length. In No. 3 make four small holes, indicated by _a_ in Fig. 3, for slender screws which are to hold the outer paddle-box pieces in place. In Fig. 3, the lines _b c_, _b c_, indicate grooves, cut down in the sides five-eighths of an inch deep, and reaching across in a straight line from the middle of one slit to the middle of the other; these should be large enough to admit an easy play of the wire which is to form the axle of the wheels. Holes should also be made at _a_ and _b_, in Fig. 5, for the wire forming the flag-staffs to pass up through, and for the screws at _c_ and _g_, which are to hold the pilot-house and smoke-stack in place.

Having smoothed off all these pieces and sand-papered those parts needing it, we now proceed to the painting, as it is much more convenient to paint each piece separately, and then put them together, than to leave it till the last, as is generally the custom.

No. 1 simply needs a thick coat of white paint.

No. 2 is also painted white. It seems unnecessary to add that those parts not seen when the steam-boat is put together, need no paint.

No. 3 is first painted white, then the windows are stenciled on in the same manner as given in the directions for making toy cars, in another part of this book. These should be black, while the name should be either dark red or brown.

No. 4 is also white, with windows stenciled on in black, as in No. 3, while No. 5 is painted a buff color, both on the top and under-side.

The smoke-stack is black, while the base is a deep yellow; and the pilot-house is white, with windows stenciled around its sides, while its pagoda-shaped top is a bright, light green.

In Fig. 8, the two outside pieces of the paddle-box are given; and the manner in which they are to be painted is indicated; these four pieces need be painted only on one side, with a thick coat of white; two of these may now be laid aside, but the other two, after drying, should be decorated with radiating lines of red extending from the central semicircle, to the dark-red line running around the top at a short distance from the edge. These radiating lines should be alternated with light blue ones near the circumference; and the small semicircle at the bottom is a rich dark blue, with a star cut from gilt paper pasted on to give it the desired brilliant effect.

The walking-beam, Fig. 6, should next be treated; this is first covered with a bright green, and when dry marked with black, as indicated in the cut. The supports are first painted buff, the same color as the top, and afterward striped with black, as seen in Fig. 6.

The wheels must not be forgotten, for although showing but slightly, they would give the whole boat an unfinished appearance if left unpainted. These may be dark, or Indian red, with lines of black radiating from the center to the edge.

After all the parts are perfectly dry, fasten No. 2 and No. 1 in position, then having a sufficient length of wire, about the size of a large knitting-needle, fasten it in the first wheel, as indicated at _B_, Fig. 3. Then bend it into a crank, as shown by dotted lines in the middle opening of Fig. 3. This crank should be one and one-half inches wide and three-quarters of an inch deep; make the points, where it bends, as near right angles as possible; then pass the end through the other wheel, and with pliers bend it in place; next fasten the end of the wire, as in the first wheel, taking especial care meanwhile that the wheels are fixed the proper distance apart, and that the center of the crank comes in the middle of the opening.

It is a matter of some difficulty to adjust these wheels, as they should not be crowded against either side of the slit, but turn easily when the boat is drawn over the floor.

After the crank is bent in shape, wind around it the end of a piece of smaller wire about six inches long, as shown in Fig. 3. This wire is to connect the crank to the walking-beam, but it is not to be fastened to the latter until the boat is put together.

The outside of the paddle-boxes should next be attached to No. 3 by the small screws already spoken of, which are to pass up from the under-side through the holes _a a_, _a a_, Fig. 3, into their lower edge. The extremities of these boxes should form a line with the ends of the slits, and the outside of these and the edge of No. 3, which contains the name, should form a continuous flat surface.

The other two sides of these paddle-boxes are to be secured against the sides of No. 4, their bottom line forming a continuation of the bottom of the piece, and their position determined by placing the part on top of No. 3, as indicated in Fig. 3, and making their ends form a straight line with those of the outside pieces and the slits; this is also indicated by the dotted lines on the outside of Fig. 4.

Having fastened No. 3 in its position over No. 2 (see Fig. 2, dotted lines), place the wheels in their slits and let the wires rest in the _bottom_ of the grooves; they will then extend a fraction of an inch below the bottom of the boat. This arrangement is intentional, as the toy is intended to be drawn over a floor or carpet, and it is the friction these wheels encounter that moves the walking-beam, and thus gives it the natural appearance of a boat moving through the water. After these wires are pushed to the bottom of the grooves, insert wedges of wood above, deep enough to nearly touch them; make these of tough hard wood, so that there shall be no danger of the wheels riding up out of their proper places.

Place No. 4 in position, first drawing the wire attached to the crank through the opening, and screw it firmly down upon No. 3. There is now no danger of the axle of the wheels getting out of order, if the wedges were firmly fixed, and deep enough to keep the wire in place.

The smoke-stack should now be fastened with a strong and very long screw from the under-side of No. 5, at _g_. It should be very firmly attached in its place, as little children frequently use this as a handle to take the boat from the floor. Fasten on the pilot-house in the same manner at _c_, on Fig. 5. Having the walking-beam and its supports perfectly dry—and it would have been well to have given both a good coating of shellac dissolved in alcohol—take a wire or piece of knitting-needle nine-sixteenths of an inch long, and having fixed one end in the hole made near the top of the support to hold it, pass it through the central hole in the walking-beam, and insert the other end in the second support, then screw the piece marked _c_, in Fig. 7, in its place, which will of course hold the walking-beam firmly fixed. Now glue the supports inside the slit of No. 5, and in such a position that when the walking-beam is extended in a horizontal direction, the hole in the end toward the stern shall be exactly above the line of the axle of the wheels—that is, a line running across the boat from the center of one wheel to that of the other. These supports should also be caught underneath with nails, that there may be no danger of their falling through into the opening in the center.

Having fixed these in place, fasten the loose end of the wire connected with the crank through the small hole in the end of the walking-beam, so that when the crank is in a horizontal position, the walking-beam will also be in the same position. Attach a piece of wire four or five inches long to the other end of the walking-beam, and let the loose end fall through the opening in the top.

Now cover the open spaces at the top of the paddle-boxes with pieces of tin just wide enough to reach their edges, and catch it in place with tacks. Paint them with the light buff used for the deck.

Fasten the two wire flag-staffs to bow and stern, and pass a wooden one seven inches long through _a_, Fig. 5, down into a hole in No. 2, as shown in Fig. 2, at _g_. With fine wire attach a topmast five inches in length to this, allowing them to lap about an inch.

Sink a mast four inches in length into a hole bored through 5 and well into 4, so that its top will be about three inches above the deck, and fasten the stays in their positions, as seen in the cut. On a piece of blue cambric paint white stars, cut it in the shape of a flag, and attach it to the forward pole. A small “one cent flag” will do for the stern, while the name of the boat painted in red or vermilion upon a white ground, should float from the tall staff in front of the pilot-house.

Before the flags are placed, the whole surface of the boat should be washed, if she has become soiled while being put together, and after the flag-staffs and stays are painted and have dried, the whole should be covered with the shellac dissolved in alcohol. Be sure and use white shellac, as the other would stain the white to a light brown and spoil the whole effect.

A hole is bored horizontally through the bow three-quarters of an inch from the extreme end, of sufficient size to admit a piece of large fish-line, the ends of which after it is inserted can be tied together to give a better hold for the hand.

This boat is modeled after the ordinary bay and river excursion boats common to the northern and middle Atlantic sea-coast, but if any boy residing in the West should care to make one resembling those he is accustomed to see, he will find little difficulty in modifying these directions to suit his own particular taste in naval architecture.

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THE BOTTLE IMP.

Take one or more small bottles, such as are generally used by homeopathic physicians for their pellets; cover them with a bit of closely-woven white cloth, and fasten it with a string around the middle. With oil paint make a grotesque face upon the upper part, and draw stripes or figures to represent a clown’s dress upon the lower and loose portion of the covering of each. Varnish this with the shellac, dissolved in alcohol, and when perfectly dry they are ready for use. Have a large-mouthed, perfectly clear glass jar nearly filled with water; then, after filling the little bottles about one-third full of the liquid, place the finger over the opening and immerse them, one at a time, bottom upward, into the jar. Be sure and keep the finger over the tiny mouth till they are well under the surface of the water. Should they sink in the jar, you have too much water in them.

The quantity of water they contain should be such that they will barely float, that is, the bottom of the little inverted vials should just touch the surface. This adjusting of the equilibrium is a matter of some delicacy; a single drop will make a difference: but by half-filling the bottle, placing the finger over the mouth, and removing it an instant to allow a drop or two to escape, the proper degree of buoyancy may be attained. Three or four of these bottles, in masquerade, should be introduced into the jar, and if they are, as they doubtless will be, of slightly differing degrees of buoyancy, the amusing effect will be enhanced. Now stretch a piece of thin rubber, such as toy balloons are made of, across the mouth of the jar, and tie it down, as seen in the illustration.

To make the imps dance, one has only to press upon the rubber top, as the air, in the top of the jar, is thus forced downward, the water is driven up into the small bottles, compressing the tiny quantity of air they contain, and they, in consequence, fall lower in the jar; but when the pressure is removed, the air in them expands, and they instantly rise to their normal position again.

Quite a pleasant evening’s entertainment can be derived from this simple toy. You may first adjust your imps and make sure they are in good working order; then prepare a slight introductory speech, in which you can pretend to mesmerize the little images, not letting it be known they are bottles, and by some wonderful power you are supposed to possess, can make them obey your slightest wish. This will be very simple, as they will naturally descend when you press upon the top. This pressure should be exerted in such a manner that it is not noticed by the others in the room. You might stand with your left hand resting upon the top of the jar as if by accident, but in such a manner that you can easily press down upon the rubber with one or more fingers, and while telling of the wonderful things these little fellows can do, you can make graceful gestures with your right hand, and motion with it what you require them to do; it will thus seem that they are obeying the motions of that hand, and will serve to mystify more than ever those of your audience who are unacquainted with the secret.

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TELESCOPE WHICH A BOY CAN MAKE.

First, obtain two lenses; the larger having a long and the smaller a short focus.

A powerful telescope, having a large field of vision, requires a lens at least two inches in diameter, with a focus of from two to three feet for the larger glass; and another lens of from one-half to one inch in diameter, and with a focus of one inch, for the smaller end. Having your lenses, the next important step is to make your tubes; this is done by bending a piece of pasteboard a foot long by seven inches wide in the shape of a tube, whose diameter shall be about one-sixteenth of an inch larger than that of your lens. Glue the edges firmly together, and tie a piece of tape around to insure their keeping in place. Make two tubes of this size and one rather smaller, that its ends may fit in the other two. Lap these ends together, and paste or glue them in place (_see_ cut). Joining these sections together is simply to insure a proper length of tube. If a piece of pasteboard can be found large enough to make a tube three feet long, it will look much neater than the one described above. Take a narrow strip of pasteboard and glue it around the inside of the tube, half an inch from one end; put the large lens in its place, and press it against the edge of this band. Now take another strip, three-eighths of an inch wide, and paste around the inside between the lens and the end of the tube. By this means the glass is kept in place, it being held by the edges of the pasteboard on either side.

Another and smaller tube, five or six inches in length, and of a size just sufficient to slide easily in the other end of the long tube should now be made. Around the inside of one end paste a band of pasteboard, as in the larger section, but much nearer the edge. When this is dry, paste still another strip inside this one, making a wide edge for the lens to rest against. As this tube is of much greater diameter than the glass, inclose the latter between two disks of cardboard of the same size as the opening in the tube, and each having a round hole cut in its center for the eye to look through. Cover the inner side with paste, and press it against the edges of the strips. Finally, cover the whole thing with some dark-colored paper, pasting it carefully over the surface, and your telescope is completed.

This instrument will present everything in an inverted position, but if the lenses are carefully adjusted, objects at a long distance can be very plainly seen, and a boy can derive a great amount of solid comfort, not only while constructing, but from its subsequent use.

To find the focal distance of a lens, if for any reason the optician does not give it, hold it in the sun, and observe at what distance from itself it makes the smallest point of light. That, if measured, will be its focal distance. The long tube should be from two to three inches shorter than the focal distance of the larger lens.

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CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.

“What shall we make for Christmas?” is the cry that arises from the children all over this land and abroad, wherever the Christmas season is known and observed; and many a boy would be glad to contribute his share of labor toward making the others of his household happy, if he only could think of something to make. In the following pages, I purpose to give a few directions for some simple things, which boys of ordinary ability can easily execute.

THE ORNAMENTAL EGG.

Procure a large, perfectly white, hen’s egg, and after making a hole slightly larger than a pea in either end, blow the contents into a bowl placed to receive it. Paint some little thing on both sides of the shell—a bunch of forget-me-nots or pansies are very good subjects—or, if well acquainted with the brush, a small landscape, inclosed in an oval, is still prettier. After the painting is perfectly dry, varnish it with a brush filled with “retouching varnish,” and, with a long hair-pin, draw a piece of blue or pink ribbon through the holes, and get some lady friend, who can keep the secret, to tie the ends in a pretty bow. A yard of ribbon about an inch wide is required to complete this pretty ornament.

TRINKET-HOLDER.

During your summer journeyings, collect any fine large shells you may see; the large well-formed quahaug-shells (the common hard-shell clam), or those of the beautiful sea clam, with their wonderful opalescent linings. Scrape off all the outside you can possibly remove; then sketch on the inside some pleasing marine view, or, if that is beyond your powers, take any simple subject you are confident of doing well, remembering that a very unpretending thing, well painted, is much more pleasing, and indeed ornamental, than the most ornate subject imaginable, if poorly executed or badly drawn.

In painting on egg or sea shell, or, in fact, on any hard substance of a similar nature, use the paint as dry as is consistent with its flowing freely, and allow plenty of time for it to dry. After the painting seems firm and hard, give it a good coat of varnish, taking care to avoid touching all the unpainted surface of the shell. This little trinket-holder is easily made, costs nothing if one has a supply of paints at command, and makes one of the most acceptable presents you can offer to either an older sister or brother, as it is intended to stand on the dressing-table, and hold rings, collar-studs, or sleeve-buttons, when taken off for the night.

AN IDEA FOR BRACKETS.

In making a corner bracket, which, on the whole, is the most satisfactory to make, let one side be as large as the other, with the thickness of the wood in addition, and let the front of the shelf form the arc of a circle. If no curtain or fringe is to be tacked on the shelf to cover the uprights, some simple ornamentation on these is desirable. If a scroll-saw is conveniently at hand, this is easily accomplished. A design should first be drawn upon paper the exact shape and size of the bracket desired. This should then be transferred to the wood and the surplus portions carefully cut away. After the pattern is sawed out, the edges should be rubbed down with sand-paper, or if left very rough, a rasp would reduce this unevenness more readily; the sand-paper should be used in that case, to give the final finish. After the surface is as smooth as it is possible to make it, oil the whole, and when dry put the three parts together with brads and glue. Then oil the entire surface again, and when dry varnish if you like.

ANOTHER BRACKET.

If no scroll-saw is to be had, a pretty pair of uprights are made by gouging a narrow stripe around the entire form, at equal distances from the edge, and painting with gold paint a small stenciled form on the middle of each, also filling the stripe with the same material. For the stencil use a simple one of your own design, made according to directions given in another place in this book. Should you and an older sister desire to unite in making the present, she making the curtain, and you the woodwork, no fancy design would be required. A simple bracket, with well-proportioned supports nicely curving in front, and well sand-papered, oiled, and varnished, would be all required, as the curtain would hide the entire form.

THE CONE AND TWIG BRACKET.

One of the prettiest home-made brackets the writer ever saw was in an old-fashioned country house, in a thinly settled region of Massachusetts. The maker, a quiet, gentlemanly boy of fifteen, was a cripple, and being obliged to remain much of his time within-doors, had utilized these spare moments, and surrounded himself with many beautiful things, made from materials which nature with so lavish a hand bestows upon us all. This poor crippled boy loved the fields and meadows, lakes and woods, with an intensity of feeling utterly inconceivable to his more robust brothers and sisters; but his gentle, kindly manner won their hearts, and the brightest and best the farm afforded, whether fruit or flowers, minerals or young animals, found its way into “Ned’s sanctum,” as his little room was called. Even the young calves and colts, were brought around to his window, that he might admire their rather doubtful beauty, and nearly every brood of newly-hatched chickens spent several hours of their early life in a basket on the table at his side. One day, the children brought home some beautiful spruce and larch cones, and the little sufferer began, with the true artist’s sentiment, to revolve in his mind how he could put them in a form, which should always be in sight from his place by the window. At last he thought of the bracket, and immediately set to work drawing designs for the foundation. When these were quite satisfactory, he asked his brother to saw the different pieces from old cigar-box wood, and nail them together. The bracket was very simple in outline, but the arrangement of the cones, half nut-shells, and tiny twigs, was extremely artistic and pretty. They covered the two supports and the under-side of the shelf, forming little pendants, like stalactites in some hidden cave. These were glued firmly in place and afterward carefully varnished.

THE PEBBLE VASE.

On this bracket was a little vase, made by the same deft fingers. A broken wine-glass held the water, and the vase was formed around this, of that inexhaustible material, papier-maché, studded all over with bits of colored glass and bright pebbles gathered from the sea-shore. From earliest spring till the frost claimed the last lingering blossom, this vase was filled with the fairest flowers of the seasons, and, with the unique little bracket, seemed like a bit of the delightful out-door world transferred to the pleasant corner of the sunny little room.

THE CONE AND TWIG HANGING-BASKET.

The fall after his experiment with the bracket, Ned made a hanging-basket with the same materials, using a wooden bowl for the foundation. This was also a success, but not as uncommon as the bracket. The cocoanut-shell, cut evenly around near one end, forms a good material to build upon. In either this or the bowl, be sure to bore three holes near the top, at equal distances from each other, to attach the chains or strings to the basket. This must be done before the cones are glued in place. If a fourth hole is made near the bottom, and filled with a round-headed peg which can be removed at will, but which forms a part of the design, and receives its share of the final varnishing, the plants growing in the basket will present a much more flourishing condition, as the surplus water can be readily drawn off from their roots.

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PAPER BOXES.

Many years ago, when our mothers were little girls and ready-made playthings were not as common as at the present day, during the long winter evenings they were obliged to invent their own amusements, and it was not uncommon in a large family where there were several girls and boys, for them to take turns in providing games for certain evenings in the week. Even the little ones contributed their share to the general amusement, and it was from one of these little girls, now grown to be an old gray-haired lady, that I first learned to make these simple boxes.

Take a square of ordinary note-paper, fold it as in Fig. 1, and crease it across; now open it and bring the two corners to the central point of the crease, and making them just touch each other at that point, and crease the folds, as in Fig. 2. Next fold between these folds and between the last made, and the corners, as in Fig. 3, always remembering to crease the folds when made. Now turn the paper and crease it seven times across the other way, and you will find your paper is folded in little squares. Then take your scissors and cut the little half squares left out in Fig. 4. Then with your penknife or the sharp points of the scissors cut the little slits 1 and 2; next, cut 3 and 4, 5 and 6 to the first creases; last, 7 and 8, 9 and 10 to the dots, but no further. Now fold the joint marked 9, 10, so that it will go through the slit 2, and when you have passed it through, straighten it out and press the paper in the shape of Fig. 6. Now pass the last point through the remaining slit and your box is complete. Occasionally, we used to make “nests” of these boxes, by commencing with very tiny ones, and gradually increasing the size, making one over another until our paper gave out, or we became tired of the amusement.

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A SHAVING-CASE.

Although generally considered girls’ work, many little boys delight in working upon perforated paper, and they can put this pleasure to good account in making a shaving-case for papa. Procure a piece of silver or gold gilt perforated cardboard, of the coarsest variety, and cut it into two similar pieces, five by seven inches in size. With double zephyr, work an initial or some simple design on one of the pieces only, as the other will form the back of the case. Then get half-a-dozen sheets of different colored tissue-paper, and cut them up into pieces the exact size of the case. When all are fitted, place them between the two covers, and ask some lady in the family to sew them together at the top; fasten a ribbon of the same color as the worsted to each top corner for a handle, and cover the points of juncture with tiny bows. A little boy in the writer’s family made one of these for a dear uncle, and it lasted him a year without replenishing, forming one of the most useful presents he received.

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LEATHER WORK.

How many of my young readers have seen the beautiful shoes, boxes, and saddle-cloths, made of leather or velvet, and appliquéd with thinner leather, in graceful traceries, which are occasionally brought over to this country from Russia? These are mostly the work of the women and children of the smaller Russian villages, and in many instances their only means of support.

In those cold, desolate regions, where summer is very short, and the long dreary winter extends over a greater part of their lives, their occupations necessarily must be such as can be carried on in-doors, and are in many instances executed in their own homes. Hence the children seeing the simple processes going on around them, soon learn to help, and long before they have reached the age when American boys begin to think of working, they are earning their own living, and frequently supporting others of the family by their industry.

Although leather work to a Russian boy is anything but play, to a bright American it will be a source of considerable pleasure, and will serve the same purpose of amusement and instruction, for which most of the things in this book are intended.

The materials for leather work are very simple, consisting of the waste scraps from the neighboring book-binders or shoe-makers; these can be chosen without regard to shape or size.

To do the kind of work spoken of above, and known as “Kasan work,” select the thinner kid pieces from your leather, and with a lead-pencil mark upon the wrong side any design you may fancy. Then with a pair of sharp-pointed scissors cut out the design, carefully following the lines, and making the edges smooth and even. Lastly, wet the back with a little glue or paste, and stick it upon the cloth. Care should be taken not to move the pattern after it touches the cloth, as the glue might besmear the material in the open places of the pattern, and thus ruin the effect. After this has partially dried, get your mother or sister to stitch the edges on the machine, and you will have a nice bit of material, suitable for a shoe-bag or any other useful object you may like.

Another kind of leather work which is better adapted for boys, and a much more fascinating process than the above, is called by the French name “Cuir Bouilli”—pronounced “queer bwea”—or boiled leather. The scraps already gathered are suitable for this work, as any kind of leather can be used, although the softer kinds, such as sheep or calf skin, work much more easily. Soak this in hot alum water until it is soft, remembering that thick, tough leather requires a much longer time, as well as a hotter and stronger solution to soften, than the thinner pieces you may have. After this leather has been reduced to mere pulp, press it into any mold you may have at hand, taking care that it is pressed into all the cavities. After it is partially dried, in two or three days, remove the mold, and you have your object in firm hard leather which can be painted or varnished as you like. Many toys for your younger brothers and sisters can be made in this way, and are quite indestructible. Should you chance to have a good-sized piece of skin, much prettier things could be made from it, although a good worker in leather will use his scraps as the boy in his papier-maché uses his bits of paper, pasting them so nicely that no one would guess the number of pieces used. The best paste for this work is made of dextrine, a cheap substance, easily procured at any apothecary’s.

A PANEL OF LEATHER WORK.

As this is one of the simplest forms into which leather can be wrought, and one that probably gives the most satisfaction when completed, perhaps the description of a dining room panel, made by the writer’s little son, may afford more real assistance to the reader than any general rules which could be given for the work.

He had a sheet of calf-skin, nine by fourteen inches, which he soaked in warm alum water till it was very soft and pliable. Before this, however, he had prepared his foundation, which consisted of a thick piece of pasteboard six by twelve inches. Upon this was nailed or glued a simple design of a duck hanging by its legs, which he had drawn upon a thin slab of wood—a cigar-box cover, I think—and had cut out with a scroll-saw. Before tacking this on, he rounded off the edges of the figure on the right side with his jackknife, and using an old newspaper and a little paste, he built out the body of the bird, molding it with his fingers and an old ivory paper-cutter until he obtained the desired shape. After this had dried he covered his soaked leather with the dextrine paste, and laid it evenly on the form. Beginning at the middle of the panel, he carefully pressed the wet leather upon the figure, using the dull edge of the paper-cutter for the lines and deep places left in the foundation; always working from the center toward the edge, and taking particular care that each part was firmly attached to the wood. After the bird was done to his satisfaction, he proceeded to stamp over the whole background, using for this purpose an old office-seal which was at hand. In regard to the stamp, any ingenious boy can easily make a good substitute, by taking a piece of hard wood with a flat end, and cutting it across in parallel lines, re-cross these lines with other parallel ones, forming a surface of even diamond-work upon the wood. This, when pressed upon the wet leather, makes a very agreeable background for almost any figure you may like. A wet sponge must be constantly applied to the leather while working, to prevent its drying too rapidly. After the surface was well covered with the stamping, the leather was again rubbed with paste and pressed over the edge of the pasteboard background; tiny triangular pieces were snipped from the corners to allow of their lying quite flat on the under-side. Finally, the whole thing was firmly glued upon a black-walnut slab bought for that purpose. This panel is the natural color of the leather, but they are frequently stained black, and for that purpose the “ebony black stain” is the best material to use; but it is not necessary that they should be black; any color can be used, the beautiful bronze powders making very fine effects.

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TO TELL THE HOUR OF THE DAY BY THE LEFT HAND.

For the benefit of those boys who make frequent excursions into the woods, or away from the sight and sound of town clocks and bells, I write the following, which I found in an old book published early in the present century:

Extend the left hand in a horizontal position, so that the inside shall be turned toward the sky; then take a bit of straw or wood, and place it at right angles at the joint, between the thumb and the forefinger. It must be equal in length to the distance from that joint to the end of the forefinger, and must be held upright, as represented in the figure at _a_. Now turn the bottom of the thumb toward the sun, the hand being extended till the shadow of the muscle which is below the thumb terminates at the line of life, marked _c_. If the wrist or bottom of the hand be then turned toward the sun, the fingers being kept equally extended, the shadow of the bit of straw or stick will indicate the hour.

When the shadow falls on the tip of the forefinger, it denotes five in the morning, or seven in the evening; at the end of the middle finger, it denotes six in the morning or evening; at the end of the next finger, seven in the morning, or five in the evening; at the end of the little finger, eight in the morning, or four in the afternoon. At the nearest joint of the little finger, nine in the morning, or three in the afternoon; at the next joint of the little finger, ten in the morning, or two in the afternoon; at the root of the little finger, eleven in the morning, or one in the afternoon; in the last place where the shadow falls, on that line of the hand marked _d_, which is called the table line, it will indicate twelve o’clock at noon.

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STENCILS.

A dozen or more years ago I saw an advertisement from a Boston firm, of a package, to be had for the small sum of twenty-five cents, which contained several devices for entertaining children. As the advertisement seemed attractive, I sent for the article, and received by return mail a small box, which certainly contained all one could reasonably expect for the money. Many of the smaller things I have forgotten, but the idea of cutting stencils was so good, and gave the children of our family so much pleasure, that I insert a few simple designs, and give directions for cutting, hoping they may amuse the little ones of other families as agreeably as those of ours.

These designs, which require considerable care in the tracing, should be first drawn upon tracing-paper, or some stiff, thin paper, with a sharp-pointed lead-pencil; then, this being securely attached to a piece of thin bristol-board, or a common business-card, carefully cut the design, leaving the edges smooth and even. Particular care should be taken to cut all the useless bits of paper from the pattern. After a little practice, children learn to make designs for themselves, and enjoy it much more than following those given by others. It is, however, necessary that they should use those supplied at first, so as to understand just how the lines are to be cut.

After the design has been carefully cut out, take a smooth piece of white paper, fold it through the middle; now fold again, bringing the ends of the first crease together; fold once more, making the last crease to fall upon the same line as the other two, and your paper will be in shape like the letter V, Fig. 1. Be sure that _b_, in Fig. 1, forms a perfect point. Now lay the pattern on your folded paper, letting _a_, Fig. 2, fall upon _b_, Fig. 1, and taking care that the edges of the pattern fall evenly upon the folds of the paper. Cut the paper out, following the lines of the design. After the black portions have all been cut away, open your folded form, and you will have a very pretty stencil, which can be used in decorating your playthings, or for the various other purposes stencils are so extensively employed. One little friend of mine used to paste all his finest specimens on square pieces of black cloth, and after he had a good-sized collection, he had the pieces sewed together in the form of a book. On the cover he pasted the word “Stencil” and his initials, all cut from white paper; and it was a never-failing source of pleasure to him to show this little work, declaring proudly as he did so, “I did it all myself with my own little pair of scissors.” These stencils could be cut from variously colored papers and then pasted upon ordinary note; the whole being caught together with a piece of ribbon. A book would be the result, which, if not prettier, would be less cumbersome than my little friend’s, and would probably give full as much satisfaction, besides being much easier to make. If you will carefully examine the inside decorations of many of our fine public buildings, you will see that much of the work is put on with stencils; and by looking still more carefully, you can learn just how these stencils are made; and from them gain ideas for your own designs, which will aid you very materially in any decoration you may try. It is not expected that a boy has judgment or skill sufficient to decorate an important room, but if you would like to try the experiment, you may be able to persuade your parents to allow you to try your hand at something of the kind in an unused garret room. But even in this, do not begin at hap-hazard. Study all the designs you can find, and note the effect of the colors on each other and upon the color of the wall itself. Choose some simple, open pattern at first, and do not use more than two colors in putting it on the wall. The fresco paint, or kalsomine, comes in a powder, with full directions for using printed on each package. It is put on with a short, thick brush; and is patted on through the stencil. For stenciling, the paint or kalsomine must be mixed much thicker than for an ordinary wash, and it is best to have your stencil pattern, after it is perfected to your taste, cut from a piece of tin, if a tinman is near at hand. After the walls have received their share of decoration, it would be well to paint the door to match, using some appropriate oblong stencil for the panels, and applying it with oil paint. In such things it is very easy to overload the work, and by putting on too much spoil the effect; so care and judgment must be exercised to know at just what point to stop, as well as to avoid daubiness and an uneven character to your work.

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LIGHT PRODUCED BY FRICTION UNDER WATER.

If you should rub two squares of cut-loaf sugar together in a dark room, light would result from the friction; but the effect is produced in a much greater degree by two pieces of silex or quartz; and if two pieces of a fine quality of quartz be forcibly rubbed together, you may distinguish the time of night by a watch; but what is more surprising, the same effect is produced equally strong on rubbing the pieces together under water.

In olden times, before matches were invented, fire for all purposes was produced by means of friction; a piece of flint and one of steel being the substances used, and a tin box of charred linen rags, called tinder, received the sparks which fell from the steel.