Chapter XLII: Saint Valentine’s Day

Did it never occur to any of you to wonder who Saint Valentine was, and why we should commemorate his day by sending cards or letters containing all sorts of nonsense, like true-lovers’ knots, hearts pierced with arrows, etc.?

It is easy enough to tell you about the saint, but what he had to do with the popular observances of the day dedicated to him is a matter for conjecture.

Saint Valentine, they say, was a grave and earnest bishop, who was put to death in Rome on the fourteenth day of February, about the year 270 A.D., for his too zealous efforts in converting the heathen. When he was canonized, the day of the month on which he died was dedicated to him.

The customs of Saint Valentine’s Day are, no doubt, derived from those practised at some of the Pagan festivals, for they are of very ancient origin. In olden times, in England, it was kept as a great gala day, and all the houses were decked with evergreen in honor of it. Ben Jonson says:

“Get some fresh hay, then, to lay under foot,
Some holly and ivy to make fine the posts;
Is’t not Saint Valentine’s Day?”

The principal feature of the ceremonies was always the choice of a valentine for the ensuing year. The cavalier was expected to wait upon his lady, execute all of her commands, and act as her escort at all social gatherings.

The choice of a valentine was generally left to chance, one of the methods being that the first unmarried member of the opposite sex a person saw on Saint Valentine’s morning should be his or her valentine.

Of course you have all had some experience in sending and receiving valentines, and perhaps consider that the only way of celebrating the day; but don’t you think it would be a good idea to invite some friends to your house and have a

=Valentine-Party?=

We will give several suggestions upon what to do at a valentine-party, that you may have some idea how the affair should be conducted.

In the first place, let each guest, upon his or her arrival, deposit a valentine in a large bag placed in the hall for that purpose. The valentines must be addressed to no particular person, but the girls should write on theirs, “To my cavalier,” and the boys address the ones they send, “To my lady.” On one corner of each valentine (not the envelope) the sender’s name must be written.

When all the guests have assembled, someone disguised as Saint Valentine, in a skull-cap, long white beard, made of cotton or wool, and long cloak, should enter the parlor, carrying on his back the sack of valentines. He must stand in the centre of the room and auction off each valentine as he takes it from his pack.

All sorts of bids can be made, such as the promise of a dance, a necktie, her share of ice-cream at supper, by a girl. A compliment, the first favor asked of him, a paper of bonbons, by a boy. To make fun the bids should be as ridiculous as possible. Saint Valentine is to be at liberty to accept whatever bid he chooses. The payment of the debt must be rigidly exacted by the sender of a valentine, whose identity is revealed when the valentine is opened.

If unable to comply immediately with the demand, the debtor must give the creditor a card or slip of paper on which is written “I O U a favor,” or whatever it may be that is owed. This I O U entitles the creditor to claim payment of the debt at any time during the year.

Another feature of the party should be Cupid’s bow and arrow, which must be suspended from the chandelier or placed in some prominent position. The device is to be used for delivering such valentines as may be addressed to particular persons. The valentine must be stuck onto the point of the arrow, and no one may remove it save the person to whom it is addressed. At any time during the evening the arrow may be found to bear a missive, and we would advise the hostess to provide a valentine, to be delivered in this way, for each of her guests, that none may feel neglected. The rest of the party can, to be sure, send as many valentines as they like.

Make Cupid’s bow and arrow of heavy pasteboard, like Fig. 379. Let the bow measure about sixteen inches from tip to tip. Make the arrow twelve inches long, with a point or head three inches, and the feathers two inches, in length on the outside edge. Cut a notch in the feathered end, as shown in Fig. 380. Strengthen the arrow by gluing a thin stick of wood along it to within one inch of the point. Gild both the bow and arrow, tie a silk cord to the tips of the bow, leaving it slack, and force the head of a worsted-needle into the point of the arrow (Fig. 381). Adjust the arrow by fitting the cord in the notch and pulling it back until the cord is taut; then fasten it to the bow by taking a few stitches with yellow silk through the bow and over the arrow. Fig. 382 shows how it should appear when in place.

To determine how the guests shall be paired off for supper, place the names of all the girls, written on slips of paper, in a bag; then let each boy in turn take out a slip, and the girl whose name it bears he shall escort to the supper-room and serve like a true cavalier.

At a valentine-party the valentines should, if possible, all be original, or at least contain appropriate quotations. The more absurd the rhyme, the more fun it will create, and when one is unable to make a rhyme a bit of prose can be made to serve. As funny as you please let the valentines be, but remember to omit anything that is in the least rude, or calculated to hurt another’s feelings.

With Saint Valentine’s Day ends our vacation-calendar and with it we also bring this book to a close, for a whole year of holidays, sports, and entertainments are now contained within its covers. If we may hope that our work has not been without profit, as well as entertainment, if we have been successful in opening any new avenues of enterprise and enjoyment for you, we are satisfied. If we have done more, and with any of our suggestions have prompted the thought of adding to the comfort and happiness of others, we have achieved a success, and the mission of the AMERICAN GIRL’S HANDY BOOK is accomplished.

INDEX.

A

Album, an, 400

All-Hallow-Eve; see Halloween

Appliqué designs, 391

April, first of, 3;
April-fool’s Day party, 5;
games, 6 et seq.

B

Back-stitching, 383

Ball, soft, 327

Balls, lawn-tennis, 69

Basket, May, 74;
birch-bark, ib.;
cardboard, ib.;
crab-net, 97

Basting, 382

Bedstead, 444

Beech-nuts, 220

Biographical nonsense, 339

Bladder telephone, 227

Blind, taught modelling, 257

Blind-man’s singing-school, 155

Blind-man’s stocking, 321

Bombs, 115

Bonbon box, 49

Bookcase, 439

Book-covers, home-made, 401

Book-mark, 324

Book-shelves, marine, 94

Booths at a fair, 413;
tables for, ib.;
flowers for, 417;
arrangement of, 420

Botany as applied to art, 139;
conventionalizing plant forms, ib.;
the peony-leaf, 140;
a bunch of turnips, 142;
decorative lines, 143;
cross-section plant designs, 144;
flower-sprays, 146;
changing color and form, 147;
burs, ib.;
water-lily conventionalized, 148;
fern-leaf, 85

Bouquets, to preserve fresh, 25

Brackets, 214

Bradford, Governor William, 302

Bran pie, 321

Brushes for oil-colors, 250;
for china painting, 270

Bubble-blowing, 335

Buckeye Portière, 204

“Bunching eggs,” 37

Burgoos, 132

Butter-Scotch, 459

Butter-nuts, 220

Button, how to sew on a, 386

Button-holes, 383

Bureau transformed into a bookcase, 441

C

Candlestick, marine, 103

Candy, home-made, 458

Canvas for painting, 251

Cards, Easter, 50

Cards, living Christmas, 342

Chair, 441;
how to reseat, 442

Chestnuts, 218

China-painting, 272;
materials, 273;
China, 278;
monochrome painting, ib.;
tinting, 273;
new method of decorating china, 279;
tracing, 280;
mottled ground, 281;
snow landscape, ib.;
head-painting, 284;
sea-weed, fish, etc., 287;
mixing colors, 289;
painting royal Worcester ware, 290

Chocolate-caramels, 461

Chocolate-creams, 459

Christmas festivities, 317;
customs, 318

Clay, for modelling, 259;
how to manage, 261;
how to preserve, 262

Clover, four-leaved, 23

Color painting, 241, 244, 246

Conventionalized plant forms, 141

Court, for lawn-tennis, 62

Cross-section plant designs, 144

Crystallizing flowers, 21

Curtain fixtures, marine, 92

D

Dancers, fairy, 330

Darning and mending, 384

Declaration of Independence, 117

Decoration, sea-side cottage, 92

Decorations, natural, 201;
of autumn wild flowers, 202;
buckeye portière, 204;
of horse-chestnuts, ib.;
of corn, 209;
ornamental gourds, 210

Decorative language, 365;
how to make a design in, 371

Dolls, corn-husk, 169;
with crab-apple heads, 173;
flower, 175

Drapery of small scraps, 431

Draw, how to, 229

Drawing plant forms, 141

Drawn work, 389

Dressing-table, 444

E

Easel, 250

Easter, 33;
how celebrated in England, ib.;
in Russia, ib.;
in Ireland, 34;
in Germany, 35;
in Washington, D. C, ib.

Easter cards, 50

Easter eggs, 33;
games with, 36;
dolls made of, 39;
toys formed of, 42;
maple wax eggs, 49;
bonbon box, ib.

Enchanted girl, pantomime of, 348

Exercising, best time for, 353;
balancing weights on the head, 356;
broom-handle exercise, 357

F

Fairy dancers, 330

Fan, how to make a, 177;
butterfly fan, 178;
Mikado fan, 180;
daisy fan, 182;
card-board fan, 183

Felling, 383

Ferns for decoration, 19

Fid, 57, 161

Five minutes’ conversation, 154

Fish-painting on china, 286

Floral vocabulary, 377

Flowers, wild, 14;
transplanting, ib.;
how to keep cut, 15;
sending by mail, 16;
preserving, in sand, 16;
pressed, 18;
herbariums of, 19;
for decoration, ib.;
color of, changed, ib.;
waxed, 20;
to freshen cut, ib.;
crystallized, 21;
frosted, ib.;
perfume of, preserved, ib.;
spring flowers in winter, 23;
preserving, in alcohol, 24;
in an empty bottle, ib.;
under glass, ib.;
to keep bouquets fresh, 25;
to keep flowers or fruit fresh for a year, ib.;
painting, in water-colors, 239

Fortune-telling, by melted lead, 190;
by nutshell boats, 192;
by “three luggies,” 193;
by roasting nuts, ib.;
Kaling, 194;
by the magic mirror, ib.;
by three tin cups, by the ring cake, 195

Fortune’s wheel, 88, 426

“Fore-shortening,” 231

Fourth of July, celebration, interior decoration for, 107;
indoor illumination, 108;
out-door decoration and illumination, 109;
fireworks for girls, 111;
parachute, 112;
thunderbolts, ib.;
whirls, 113;
winged fancies, ib.;
pin-wheels, 114;
bombs, 115;
lawn party, 117;
declaration of independence, ib.;
game of toss, 118;
jackstraws, 119;
progressive mining, ib.

Frames for pictures, 295;
designs for, 296;
decorated, 297;
cork frame, 299

Furniture, old and new, 438

G

Game of headless turkey, 312

Game and fish stew, 133

Games, quiet, for hot weather, 151;
door-step party, 152;
five minutes’ conversation, 153;
blind-man’s singing-school, 155;
game of noted men, ib.;
what will you take to the picnic? 156;
assumed characters, 157;
shadow verbs, ib.;
Halloween games, 196 et seq.

Games for Christmas holidays, bubble-bowling, 335;
biographical nonsense, 339;
comic historical tableaux, 341;
living Christmas cards, 342

Gathering, 382

Glass, stained, imitated, 435

Glove pen-wiper, 323

Glove, to mend a kid, 386

Gold, mat, 276;
pure, ib.

Gourds, ornamental, 210

Grab-bags, 423

Ground glass, imitation of, 436

Gymnasium, home, 353

H

Hall seat, 447

Halloween, 187;
origin of, ib.;
party, 189;
fortune-telling on, 190 et seq.;
games, 196 et seq.

Hammock, how to make a, 159;
materials required, 161;
barrel hammock, 165

Hat-rack, sea-side, 98

Hazel-nuts, 220

Headless turkey, game of, 312

Hemming, 381

Heraldry, 366;
field of, 266;
the points, ib.;
divisions, 267

Herbariums, 19

Herring-bone stitch, 384

Hickory-nuts, 219

Historical tableaux, 341

Home gymnasium, 353

Home-made candy, 458

Horseshoe crab-bag, 101

“Huli Fool,” 4

I

Impression album, how to make an, 123;
tools required, 125;
printing from leaves, 126;
from flowers, 127;
landscapes, 128;
other uses for botanical impressions, 129

J

Jackstraws, Fourth of July, 119

Julklapp, 319

K

Kaling, 194

Key-rack, 412

L

Lace, 393

Lady of the Lake, 425

Landscape painting in water-colors, 241

Language, a decorative, 364

Lantern, 408

Lawn, painting on, 434

Lawn party, 117

Lawn-tennis, 55;
lawn-tennis suits, 56;
how to make a lawn-tennis net, 57;
materials for, ib.;
court, 62;
rules for the game, 63

Leap-year party, 351

Leaves and ferns for decoration, 19

Light, 252

M

Mailing parcels, directions for, 16

Mantle-cloth, 454

Mantle-piece, 451

Maple-wax Easter eggs, 49

Marsh-mallow paste, 460;
toasted, 461

Mat colors, 277

May Day, 71;
sports, 72;
May baskets, 74;
May-pole, 77;
May-pole dance, 79

Midsummer Eve, 83;
the games of, 85 et seq.

Mirror tableau, 6

Mirror, the, 404

Model, arrangement of, in water-color painting, 240

Modelling in clay and wax, 257;
value of, 259;
much can be learned without a teacher, ib.;
materials, ib.;
clay, 260;
general directions, 261

Modelling wax, 263

Modelling stand, 260

Molasses candy, 459

Monochrome painting, 278

Music-roll, a, 410

N

Nancy, Miss, 326

Nature’s types, 125

Needle, hammock, 58; 161

Needle-work, 380

Net, lawn-tennis, 57

New Year’s Day, 347;
New Year’s parties, 348

Noah’s ark peep-show, 8

Nutting parties, 218;
rules for, 221

O

Overhanding, 380

Oil-cups, 251

Oils for china-painting, 275

Overcasting, 380

P

Paint-box, 251

Painting in water-colors, 238;
materials for, ib.;
flower-painting, 239;
model, 240;
landscapes, 241;
general directions, 242;
painting from notes, 244

Painting in oil-colors, 249;
materials, ib.;
the light, 252;
setting the palette, 253

Painting on lawn, 434

Painting window-panes, 432

Paints, for china-painting, 274

Palette, 250;
setting the, 253

Palette-knife, 250;
of horn, 273

Panel decorations, 205, 209, 270

Panel of field-corn, 209

Pantomime of an enchanted girl, 348

Paper-weight, 412

Parachute, 112

Party, First of April, 5;
Fourth of July, 117;
door-step, 151;
Halloween, 189;
nutting, 218

Paste, how to make, 402

Patch, how to, 386

Peanut-candy, 458

Peanuts, 223

Perfumes, to prepare from flowers, 21

Picnics, burgoos and corn-roasts, 131;
how to make a burgoo stew, 133;
a corn-roast, 134

Picture-frames, 295

Pilgrims, landing of, tableau, 305 et seq.

Pin-wheels, 114

Plain sewing, 380;
overhanding, ib.;
overcasting, 381;
hemming, ib.;
running, 382;
basting, ib.;
gathering, ib.;
stitching, 383;
back-stitching, ib.;
felling, ib.;
button-holes, ib.;
herringbone, or cat’s-tooth stitch, 384

Plantain test, 86

Plaster casts, 268;
to harden, 270;
to color, ib.

“Poisson d’Avril,” 4

Pop-corn balls, 462

Portières, designs for, 391;
buckeye, 204

Postal regulations for packages, 16

Progressive mining, 119

R

Rag-balls, 427

Ribbon embroideries, 393

Ribbon curtain, 430

Rooster, a lively, 327

Rose-water, recipe for, 26

Rubbish, what to do with, 403

Running, 382

S

Sachet, 323

Saint Valentine’s Day, 464

Scrap-bag, 324

Scrap drapery, 431

Scrap-book, 395

Screen, marine, 99;
Louis Quinze, 206

Settee, 442

Shells, how to polish, 104

Shelves around chimney, 456

Siccatif Courtray, 253

“Silly mackerel,” 4

Spring flowers in winter, 23

“Squirrel, little brown,” 218, 221, 222

Stained glass, imitation of, 435

Starfish, candlestick made of, 102;
ornaments of, 103;
how to dry, 104

Stitches, fancy, 387

Stitching, 383

T

T-square, 234

Table, a bric-à-brac, 406;
at a fair, 413

Tableau, mirror, 6

Tableaux, burlesque, 304;
historical, 341

Tar paste, 275

Telephone, how to make a, 224

Tent, illuminated, 111

Thanksgiving, celebration of, 302

Thunderbolts, 112

Tiles, painted on marble mantle, 453

Tin telephone, 225

Tints in water-color painting, 242

Toss, 118

Tracing, 280

Transformation scrap-book, 398

U

Urchin, sea, vase made of, 102

V

Valentine party, 465

Vase, marine, 102

W

Walking Club, the, 27;
membership of, 30;
length of walks, ib.;
rules to be observed, 31

Walnuts, 220

Walnut creams, 459;
glacé, 460

Walnut-shell turtle, 325

Washstand, 446

Water-colors, 238

Wax-modelling, home-made, 263

Wedding decorations, wild flowers for, 202

Whirls, 113

Wild flowers, 13

Window decorations, 92

Window-panes, decoration of, 432

Window-seat, 448

Winged fancies, 113

Work-basket, crab-net, 97

Work-basket, 411

Worcester, royal, ware, 290

CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS

A NEW BOOK BY KIRK MUNROE

THE WHITE CONQUERORS OF MEXICO

By KIRK MUNROE. With 8 full-page illustrations by W. S. STACEY. 12mo, $1.25.

A powerful and fascinating historical story, the scene of which is laid in Mexico when Cortez made his famous conquests. The story possesses a peculiar interest in that it is related from the stand-point of the native races, the hero, Huetzin, being not one of the “White Conquerors,” but a native, the son of Tlahuicol, a Toltec, and a war chief of the Tlascalan race. In warring against Montezuma, King of the Aztecs, Tlahuicol is captured, and after a long imprisonment, is cruelly put to death. His son is also ordered to be killed, but effects a miraculous escape, and makes his way to the army of Cortez, which is advancing against Montezuma. Animated by a Toltec’s hatred for the Aztecs, who have murdered his father, he effects an alliance between Cortez and his own race, and the united forces march against the Aztec King. In the various engagements he distinguishes himself by his valor, several times narrowly escaping death, and is prominent in the final overthrow of the Aztecs, and in the triumph that follows. The book is full of the life and color of a most interesting and romantic period, and the narrative fairly glows with thrilling battle scenes and incidents of exciting adventure.

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NEW BOOKS BY G. A. HENTY

For the season of 1893-94 Mr. Henty adds to his list of fascinating stories of adventure three new books—THROUGH THE SIKH WAR, A TALE OF THE CONQUEST OF THE PUNJAUB; A JACOBITE EXILE, BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG ENGLISHMAN IN THE SERVICE OF CHARLES XII OF SWEDEN; and ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S EVE, A TALE OF THE HUGUENOT WARS.

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=THROUGH THE SIKH WAR.= A TALE OF THE CONQUEST OF THE PUNJAUB. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page illustrations by HAL HURST, and a map. Crown 8vo, handsomely bound, olivine edges, $1.50.

Percy Groves, a plucky, high spirited boy, the son of an English officer, loses his parents at an early age, and joins his uncle residing on his estate in India, situated in the very center of the troubles that developed later into the Sikh war. The hero and his uncle become involved in the dangers and intrigues that surround them, and take active part in the war, passing through many thrilling experiences and adventures during the two notable campaigns that resulted in the conquest of the Punjaub. It is one of Mr. Henty’s most interesting and powerful stories.

=ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S EVE.= A TALE OF THE HUGUENOT WARS. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page illustrations by H. J. DRAPER, and a map. Crown 8vo, handsomely bound, olivine edges, $1.50.

A story of a lad of English birth but Huguenot parentage, who visits relatives in France at the time when the feeling between the Catholics and Huguenots was bitterest, and the country was disturbed by religious strife and dissension. His relatives being leaders in the Huguenot party, the hero devotes himself heart and soul to the Protestant cause, following it faithfully through the varied and exciting scenes that preceded and led up to the terrible massacre of St. Bartholomew’s day. No boy could resist the fascination of this strong, vivid narrative. It is intense and absorbing, while presenting a true picture of the times, full of life and color.

=A JACOBITE EXILE.= Being the Adventures of a young Englishman in the service of Charles XII of Sweden. By G. A. HENTY. With 8 full-page illustrations by PAUL HARDY, and a map. Crown 8vo, handsomely bound, olivine edges, $1.50.

The events of the present story take place during the reign of William of Orange. The father of the hero is a Jacobite gentleman who, to avoid arrest, is compelled to flee to Sweden. Here the hero, Charlie Carstairs, and a young companion, engage in the service of Charles XII, taking part in the wars between Sweden and Poland. The hero, acting as a scout, falls into the hands of Polish bandits. After numerous exciting adventures and hair-breadth escapes, he finally secures his release and returns to Sweden. Then he serves for a time under Marlborough in France, and distinguishes himself signally. A final return to England, where his father is pardoned, supplies a satisfactory close to a story remarkable for its thrilling adventures, its varied scenery, and its interesting historical pictures.

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=IN GREEK WATERS:= A STORY OF THE GRECIAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (1821-1827). By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full page illustrations by W. S. STACEY, and a map. Crown 8vo, $1.50.

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=CONDEMNED AS A NIHILIST:= A STORY OF ESCAPE FROM SIBERIA . By G. A. HENTY. With 8 full-page illustrations by WALTER PAGET. Crown, 8vo, $1.50.

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=REDSKIN AND COWBOY.= A TALE OF THE WESTERN PLAINS. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE. Crown 8vo, $1.50.

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=THE DASH FOR KHARTOUM.= A TALE OF THE NILE EXPEDITION. By G. A. HENTY. With 10 full-page illustrations by JOHN SCHÖNBERG and J. NASH, and 4 plans. Crown 8vo, $1.50.

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=HELD FAST FOR ENGLAND.= A TALE OF THE SIEGE OF GIBRALTAR. By G. A. HENTY. With 8 full-page illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. Crown 8vo, $1.50.

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*** _The above are Mr. Henty’s latest books. A full descriptive list containing all of Mr. Henty’s books—now 41 in number—will be sent to any address on application. They are all attractively illustrated and handsomely bound._

RECENT STORIES

BY FRANK R. STOCKTON

=THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE= AND OTHER STORIES. By FRANK R. STOCKTON. With 24 illustrations by E. H. BLASHFIELD, W. A. ROGERS, D. C. BEARD and others. Square 8vo, $1.50.

“His books for boys and girls are classics. In this one we have seven of the most delightful tales imaginable.”—_Newark Daily Advertiser._

“Short tales in Mr. Stockton’s usual clever, distinctive style. They are all extremely entertaining.”—_The Churchman._

“Marked by that attractive originality which is the author’s peculiar possession, and in which quaint and piquant humor and simple pathos are deftly and fascinatingly mingled. It is charming reading. It is beautifully printed and illustrated.”—_Boston Saturday Evening Gazette._

=PERSONALLY CONDUCTED.= By FRANK R. STOCKTON. With 46 illustrations by JOSEPH PENNELL, ALFRED PARSONS and others. One volume, square 8vo, $2.00.

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STOCKTON’S OTHER BOOKS

=The Story of Viteau.= With 16 full-page illustrations by R. B. BIRCH. 12mo, extra cloth, $1.50.

“It is as romantic and absorbing as any boy could wish for, full of adventure and daring, and yet told in excellent spirit and with a true literary instinct.”—_Christian Union._

=A Jolly Fellowship.= With 20 illustrations. 12mo, $1.50.

“We can think of no book published the present season which will more delight the wide-awake, adventure-loving boy. It is, to borrow the adjective from the title, just ‘jolly.’”—_Boston Transcript._

=The Floating Prince and Other Fairy Tales.= With illustrations. Square 8vo, $1.50.

“These tales are full of the quaintest conceits and the oddest fancies, and the strange adventures in which the different characters engage are just the kind to excite the intense interest of children.”—_Philadelphia Bulletin._

=The Ting-A-Ling Tales.= With numerous illustrations. 12mo, $1.00.

“It would be difficult to find anything more dainty, fanciful and humorous than these tales of magic, fairies, dwarfs and giants. There is a vein of satire in them, too which adult readers will enjoy.”—_N. Y. Herald._

=Roundabout Rambles in Lands of Fact and Fiction.= With 200 illustrations. Square 8vo, $1.50.

=Tales Out of School.= With nearly 200 illustrations. Square 8vo, $1.50.

“The volumes are profusely illustrated and contain the most entertaining sketches in Mr. Stockton’s most entertaining manner.”—_Christian Union._

HENRY M. STANLEY’S

NEW BOOK FOR BOYS, NOW IN PRESS

The volume consists of legends and folk-tales communicated to the explorer by his native followers during his long and perilous journeys through the great forests of the Dark Continent. They are fascinating stories of strange scenes and incidents among the tribes of Central Africa, and are narrated in the authors’ well-known, graphic, picturesque style, and attractively illustrated.

MY KALULU

PRINCE, KING AND SLAVE. A story of Central Africa. By HENRY M. STANLEY. One volume, 12mo., new edition, with many illustrations, $1.50.

“A fresh, breezy, stirring story for youths, interesting in itself and full of information regarding life in the interior of the continent in which its scenes are laid.”—_The New York Times._

HEROES OF THE OLDEN TIME

By JAMES BALDWIN. Three volumes, 12mo., each beautifully illustrated. Singly, $1.50. The set, $4.00.

=A STORY OF THE GOLDEN AGE.= Illustrated by HOWARD PYLE.

“It is redolent with the spirit of the Odyssey, that glorious primitive epic, fresh with the dew of the morning of time. It is an unalloyed pleasure to read his recital of the adventures of the wily Odysseus. Howard Pyle’s illustrations render the spirit of the Homeric age with admirable felicity.”—PROF. H. H. BOYESEN.

=THE STORY OF ROLAND.= Illustrated by REGINALD B. BIRCH.

“Mr. Baldwin has culled from a wide range of epics, French, Italian and German, and has once more proved his aptitude as a story teller for the young, while conveying information for which many of their elders will be thankful.”—_The Nation._

=THE STORY OF SIEGFRIED.= Illustrated by HOWARD PYLE.

“The story of ‘Siegfried’ is charmingly told. The author makes up the story from the various myths in a fascinating way which cannot fail to interest. It is as enjoyable as any fairy tale. The writer’s style is simple and very attractive, and the book is in every way an excellent one for young readers.”—_Hartford Courant._

TWO JUVENILES BY EDWARD EGGLESTON

=THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.= 12mo. With full-page illustrations, $1.00.

“‘The Hoosier School-Boy’ depicts some of the characteristics of boy life years ago on the Ohio. The story presents a vivid and interesting picture of the difficulties which in those days beset the path of the youth aspiring for an education. These obstacles, which the hero of the story succeeds by his manliness and force of character in surmounting, are just such as a majority of the most distinguished Americans, including Lincoln and Garfield, have had to contend with, and which they have made the stepping-stone to their future greatness.”—_Chicago Inter-Ocean._

=QUEER STORIES FOR BOYS AND GIRLS.= 12mo, $1.00.

“A very bright and attractive little volume for young readers. The stories are fresh, breezy and healthy, with a good point to them and a good sound American view of life and of the road to success. The book abounds in good feeling and good sense and is written in a style of homely art.”—_Independent._

TWO BOOKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

Mr. Beard has added sixty new drawings to his “American Boy’s Handy Book,” to illustrate the new games, sports, and mechanical contrivances which he has incorporated in this latest edition. The Misses Beard’s companion volume, “The American Girl’s Handy Book,” is reduced in price, all the features being retained. Both are profusely illustrated with hundreds of pictures and designs.

=THE AMERICAN BOY’S HANDY BOOK:= OR, WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT. By DANIEL C. BEARD. With over 360 illustrations by the Author. One volume, square 8vo, $2.00.

“The book has this great advantage over its predecessors, that most of the games, tricks, and other amusements described in it are new. It treats of sports adapted to all seasons of the year; it is practical, and it is well illustrated.”—_N. Y. Tribune._

=THE AMERICAN GIRL’S HANDY BOOK:= OR, HOW TO AMUSE YOURSELF AND OTHERS. By LENA and ADELIA B. BEARD. With over 500 illustrations by the Authors. One volume, square 8vo, $2.00.

GRACE GREENWOOD WROTE:—“It is a treasure which, once possessed, no practical girl would willingly part with. It is an invaluable aid in making a home attractive, comfortable, artistic and refined. The book preaches the gospel of cheerfulness, industry, economy and comfort.”

JULES VERNE’S GREATEST WORK

=THE EXPLORATION OF THE WORLD.= The three vols. in a set, $7.50; singly, $2.50.

“M. Verne’s scheme in this work is to tell fully how man has made acquaintance with the world in which he lives, to combine into a single work in three volumes the wonderful stories of all the great explorers, navigators and travellers who have sought out, one after another, the once uttermost parts of the earth.”—_New York Evening Post._

=Famous Travels and Travellers.= With over 100 full-page illustrations, maps, etc., 8vo, $2.50.

=The Great Navigators of the XVIIIth Century.= With 96 full-page illustrations and nineteen maps. 8vo, $2.50.

=The Great Explorers of the XIXth Century.= With over 100 full-page illustrations, fac-similies, etc. 8vo, $2.50.

“The Prince of Story Tellers.”—_London Times._

JULES VERNE’S STORIES

_Uniform Illustrated Edition._ 9 vols., 8vo, extra cloth, with over 750 full-page illustrations. Price, per set, in a box, $17.50. Sold also in separate volumes.

=Michael Strogoff; or, the Courier of the Czar.= $2.00. =A Floating City and the Blockade Runners.= $2.00. =Hector Servadac.= $2.00. =A Journey to the Centre of the Earth.= $2.00. =From the Earth to the Moon Direct in Ninety-seven Hours, Twenty Minutes; and a Journey Around it.= $2.00. =Dick Sands.= $2.00. =The Steam House.= $2.00. =The Giant Raft.= $2.00. =The Mysterious Island.= $2.50.

* * * * *

Transcriber’s Notes:

Obvious punctuation errors repaired. Text spells the more usual macramé as both Macremé and macrimé.

Page 30, repeated word “for” deleted from text (even for those who)

Page 69, “drop” changed to “drops” (by him drops outside)

Page 157, “proproses” changed to “proposes” (proposes to take salmon)

Page 338, word “the” added to text (to the same party)

Page 406, “Bric-a-brac” changed to “Bric-à-brac” on illustration caption (Bric-à-brac table)