Short Stories

Pleasant Play.
There are many plays in which children may amuse themselves...

Look Up.
A little boy went to sea with his father to learn to be a s...

Lettice Taking Home The Work.
Early in the morning, before it was light, and while the tw...

A Scene In London.
My young readers may have heard about the poor people in Lond...

The Glow Worm.
On a summer's evening about half an hour after bed time, as...

The Philosophy Of Relative Existences
In a certain summer, not long gone, my friend Bentley and I...

Story About A Robber.
I will tell you a true story about a robber. A gentleman wa...

The Tree That Never Fades.
"Mary," said George, "next summer I will not have a garden....

Margaret And Herbert.
In a large family there are often diversity of character an...

The Child And Flower.
The Atheist in his garden stood, At twilight's pen...

The Plum Boys.
Two boys were one day on their way from school, and as they...

Gather The Flowers.
Two little girls went into the fields to gather flowers. Bu...

Agnes And The Mouse.
One brilliant Christmas day, two little girls were walking ...

The Boy And The Dew Drops.
A little boy who had been out early in the morning playing ...

The Saint's Rest.
We've no abiding city here: This may distress the wo...

The Orphans' Voyage.
Two little orphan boys, whose parents died in a foreign lan...

Anna With A Pleasant Home.
Anna, having obtained leave of her mistress, soon found her...

The First Dollar.
I will tell you an affecting story about a young lad by the...

The Transferred Ghost
The country residence of Mr. John Hinckman was a delightful...

The Market Day.
Mrs. Ford had three little children--Lily, Hetty, and a dea...

BENNY'S FIRST DRAWING.

You have perhaps heard of Benjamin West, the celebrated artist. I will
tell you about his first effort in drawing.

One of his sisters who had been married some time, came with her babe
to spend a few days at her father's. When the child was asleep in the
cradle, Mrs. West invited her daughter to gather flowers in the
garden, and told Benjamin to take care of the little child while they
were gone; and gave him a fan to flap away the flies from his little
charge. After some time the child appeared to smile in its sleep, and
it attracted young Benney's attention, he was so pleased with the
smiling, sleeping babe, that he thought he would see what he could do
at drawing a portrait of it. He was only in his seventh year; he got
some paper, pens, and some red and black ink, and commenced his work,
and soon drew the picture of the babe.

Hearing his mother and sister coming in from the garden, he hid his
picture; but his mother seeing he was confused; asked him what he was
about, and requested him to show her the paper. He obeyed, and
entreated her not to be angry. Mrs. West, after looking some time,
with much pleasure, said to her daughter, "I declare, he has made a
likeness of _little Sally_," and kissed him with evident satisfaction.
This gave him much encouragement, and he would often draw pictures of
flowers which she held in her hand. Here the instinct of his great
genius was first awakened. This circumstance occurred in the midst of
a Pennsylvania forest, a hundred and four years ago. At the age of
eighteen he was fairly established in the city of Philadelphia as an
artist.





Next: THE GREY OLD COTTAGE.
Previous: REMEMBER THE CAKE.

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