Chapter II: Preface

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A LEADING aim of this little volume is to point out to elder brothers and sisters some of the ways in which they may exert a happy influence upon the younger members of the family. It also attempts, incidentally, to set forth the idea, that the best system of government for a child is that which trains him to govern himself. But while the author hopes his pages will not be wholly unsuggestive to such parents and “children of a larger growth” as may honor them with a perusal, he trusts there will remain enough both of story and moral for his younger readers, for whom, after all, MARCUS and the other volumes of this series are especially intended.

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ADVERTISEMENT.

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“PRECEPTS MAY LEAD, BUT EXAMPLES DRAW.”

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“THE AIMWELL STORIES” are designed to portray some of the leading phases of juvenile character, and to point out their tendencies to future good and evil. This they undertake to do by describing the quiet, natural scenes and incidents of every-day life, in city and country, at home and abroad, at school and upon the play-ground, rather than by resorting to romantic adventures and startling effects. While their main object is to persuade the young to try well the foundations of their characters, to win them to the ways of virtue, and to incite them to good deeds and noble aims, the attempt is also made to mingle amusing, curious, and useful information with the moral lessons conveyed. It is hoped that the volumes will thus be made attractive and agreeable, as well as instructive, to the youthful reader.

Each volume of the “Aimwell Stories” will be complete and independent of itself, although a connecting thread will run through the whole series. The order of the volumes, so far as completed, is as follows:—

I. OSCAR; OR, THE BOY WHO HAD HIS OWN WAY.
II. CLINTON; OR, BOY-LIFE IN THE COUNTRY.
III. ELLA; ON, TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF.
IV. WHISTLER; OR, THE MANLY BOY.
V. MARCUS; OR, THE BOY-TAMER.
VI. JESSIE; OR, TRYING TO BE SOMEBODY. (_In preparation._)

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CONTENTS.

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CHAPTER I.

THE PAGES.

PAGE.

The stage coming—A sharp pair of eyes—Rover’s 19
greeting—The two passengers—Warm
greetings—Oscar—Ronald’s opinion of him—His judgment
corrected—The farm—Capt. Page’s last voyage—How the
farm was managed—The boarders—Ronald—His early
orphanage—A temporary home—Marcus’s proposal—Its
success—The little savage tamed—Oscar’s bearing—His
good purposes—Difficulties—The secret—A lesson to
learn—Oscar’s career,

CHAPTER II.

THE NEW-COMER.

The lion of the day—Oscar’s plans—A few days’ 32
leisure—The flock of sheep—Other attractions—Willing
idleness—The agreement in relation to Oscar—An
inducement to industry—Oscar’s work laid out—Fair
play enjoined—Lord of the woodshed—Volunteers—Keeping
the pile good—Cutting hay and roots—Feeding the
stock—Special pets—Taking care of the horses—Milking
the cows—Sundry jobs—Studies—Play-time—Daily lessons,

CHAPTER III.

A BOY’S INFLUENCE.

Kate and the boys—Indian ink prickings—Ear 43
boring—Smartings—Exhibiting the marks—Doing as other
boys do—The beauty of Indian ink art—A relic of
heathenism—Why the ancients marked themselves—No
moral guilt incurred by the boys—Soap and water of no
avail—What Oscar said—A doubtful star—Unsuspected
listeners—Sam Hapley—His family—The mortgage—A sad
change—Influence of large boys—Power of example—An
illustration—A good purpose,

CHAPTER IV.

UP THE MOUNTAIN.

An abandoned project—A party for Prescott’s 55
Peak—Anecdotes of Rover—Other knowing dogs—Ronald’s
story—Was it a lie?—A cast-off snake’s skin—Black
snakes—The pond—Mysterious operations—Setting the
water afire—The experiment
explained—Fire-damps—Steamboats engulfed in
flames—The Mountain—Old Gooden—His adventure with a
steel trap—How he lived—His family—The cabin—The
spruce gum trade—A foolish habit—The top of the
mountain—The view—A monument proposed—The stones—The
pole—The descent—Something left behind—A generous and
a mean spirit—Ronald’s return—Wearing veils—The
reproof—The veil restored—Difficulties of the
descent—The lost cap—“Tit for tat”—The cap
reclaimed—Arrival home,

CHAPTER V.

THE BLOTTED WRITING-BOOK.

A welcome announcement—Marcus as teacher—Favors 75
solicited—Demonstrations of joy—A sudden
change—Ronald’s explanation—The blotted
writing-book—Punishment—Resistance and escape—An
omitted particular—Assault and battery—How Marcus
proposed to settle the matter—Mrs. Page’s
misgivings—The case discussed—Nature of school
government—An interview with the teacher—Her version
of the affair—Ronald’s impudence—The writing-book
examined—A discovery—The disgrace of expulsion—The
teacher’s terms of settlement—Ronald rejects
them—Motives urged—Unhappiness—The last resort—A
motive that cannot be resisted—Going to
school—Outside annoyances—The confession—The
teacher’s response—Her confession—The unknown
offender—Ronald subdued,

CHAPTER VI.

LETTER-WRITING.

How Oscar discharged his duties—His lessons—Unanswered 92
letters—A bad way—The day devoted to
letter-writing—“Yes” and “No”—Why Marcus spoke of the
subject—Wandering thoughts—A strange bird—A day
dream—The proud conquest—A perilous descent—The prize
secured—The dream ended—The
newspaper—Scribbling—Apologies—The eagle becomes a
hawk—Marcus astonished—Oscar’s excuses—A ride
lost—Finds himself a prisoner—A light dinner—The task
finished—A plan to encourage letter-writing—Kate’s
achievements in that line—A domestic post office—The
plan unfolded—A vote taken—Choosing a name—Rules
adopted,

CHAPTER VII.

THE RAIN POWER.

The letter-box—The first mail—The invitation—A storm 110
predicted—The water boils away—The prediction
fulfilled—Sorry mishaps—Fretfulness—Selfishness—The
rain not needless—Quantity not excessive—A few
calculations—Wonderful results—Annual fall of
rain—Rainy regions—Little and often better than much
and seldom—Object of the tropical rains—How the water
forms clouds—Evaporation—Effects of heat—Why vapor
rises—Visible vapors—Office of the winds—Why the rain
falls—Snow and hail—Snow crystals—The Sahara—South
American deserts—Poetry—Bryant’s “Rain Dream,”

CHAPTER VIII.

INSUBORDINATION.

Marcus’s theory of government—How it worked with 131
Oscar—Apprehended failure—A consultation—A forbidden
intimacy—Tobacco—The letter—Ten arguments against
tobacco, and one for it—An ineffectual
remonstrance—Mrs. Page’s decision—Oscar plainly dealt
with—His demeanor—The circus bill—The excitement
suddenly allayed—Objections to the circus—Oscar’s
opinion—A caution—Arrival of the circus—Oscar visits
the grounds—Who he met there—The donkey race—Otis—A
recognition—An unfortunate exposure—Alfred Walton—An
offer—Oscar declines—Solicitations and motives—He is
pressed into the tent—Late return home—Is called to
account—Punishment—A prisoner on parole—Inviolability
of the parole—The Turkish soldiers—Oscar’s
promise—Repentings,

CHAPTER IX.

CORRESPONDENCE.

The “Letter-writing Society”—A letter from Oscar to 151
Marcus—An explanation—A secret trouble—A good
purpose—Marcus to Oscar—The explanation examined—The
blame not wholly removed—The
secret—Self-government—The several steps—An
illustration—How Mr. Ease is snubbed—The
victory—Self-denial the law of life—Power of habit—A
proposal from Otis—A criticism by Kate—The critic
criticised—Advantage of not taking things upon
trust—Kate convicted—An apology—Something about “the
old maid”—One of her letters—The four dogs,

CHAPTER X.

A WOUNDED CONSCIENCE.

Ellen Blake—A place wanted—A suggestion—Mrs. Page 163
decides to take Ellen—The school prizes—Another
blotted writing-book—Lewis Daniels—His singular
conduct—The teacher’s suspicions—What she said to
Lewis—His reply—Guilt betrayed—His confession—A
singular reason for blotting his book—Another sin
confessed—A mystery cleared up—Stings of
conscience—Seeking peace by new sins—The teacher’s
forgiveness—A duty to Ronald—A duty to
God—Prayer—Lewis confesses his fault to Ronald—Anger
checked—The penitent forgiven—The examination—Ronald
takes two prizes,

CHAPTER XI.

INDOOR AMUSEMENTS.

A disappointment—Amusements—The new 174
play—“Conglomeration”—A queer medley of words—The
sentences read—Rare sport—The “Hay-Mow Debating
Society”—Questions discussed—A riddle—A puzzle—Turk
and Christian puzzle—A prolific word of seven
letters—Angles—Oscar’s puzzle—Half of nine—The Arabs
and their dinner—The carpenter’s dispute—Story of
Audley, the miser—A hard bargain—Results of
arithmetical progression—The figure 9—Its wonderful
properties—Multiplying by 5—Magic Squares—Other
diversions,

CHAPTER XII.

THE NEWSPAPER.

How the newspaper originated—Its name—How it was 193
managed—The first number—Disappointed
correspondents—A surprise number—How it was got up—A
transcript of the third number—Lines to Ronald—An
exercise for scholars—Nothing insignificant—I
can’t—To correspondents—News items—Small
beginnings—Vanity, a fable—Rover’s communication—The
snow—A cunning fellow—Gleanings,