After School Days. By Lucy Wheelock. Price $1.00; to Pansy Society 60 cents. It is a thousand pities that the sensational fiction which constitutes the chief reading of many of our older girls could not be replaced by such simple, charming stories as this one. It is bright and healthful, and filled with good lessons, both practical and spiritual.
Swiss Stories. From the German of Madame Johanna Spyri. By Lucy Wheelock. Price $1.00. To Pansy Society 60 cents. A lovely book within and without; just the thing for a gift. It is not simply amusing; every child who reads it cannot fail of being helped by its pure, sweet lessons. We quote a few pages from “Lisa’s Christmas”:
“The next day the great question was, what the lamb’s name would be.
“Lisa proposed calling it Eulalie, for that was the name of her friend’s cat, and it seemed to her an especially fine name. But the boys did not like it. It was too long. Kurt proposed Nero, as the big dog at the mill was called. But Lisa and Karl were not pleased with this name.
“In despair they went to their mother, who suggested he should be called ‘Curlyhead,’ and Curlyhead he was from that forth.
“The little creature soon became a great pet for the children. They took him out for a frolic whenever they had a few spare moments. Sometimes they went to the pasture and Kurt and Karl would search for rich, juicy clover leaves to bring him, while Lisa sat on a bank with the little creature’s head in her lap.
“Whenever a child was sent on an errand to the mill or to the baker’s, the lamb must go, and he listened so intelligently to all the conversation his companion addressed to him that it was evident he understood every word. He grew round as a ball, and his wool was as white and pretty as if he was always in his Sunday dress.
“The beautiful sunny autumn was drawing to a close, Christmas was coming, Kurt and Karl disclosed all their cherished dreams to Curlyhead, and assured him he should have his share of holiday presents.
“Lisa had a particular friend, Marie, who lived in the great farmhouse on the way to the Zillesback. Lisa was very anxious to visit this friend, for she could talk over her prospects for Christmas more fully with her than with her brothers. She had permission to go on her first free afternoon, and when the time came she was so impatient to start, that she could hardly hold still long enough for her mother to tie on her warm scarf. Then she ran bounding off, while her mother watched her until she was half-way down the hill; then she turned and went into the house again.
“At that moment it came into Lisa’s mind that Curlyhead would enliven the way if her brothers had not already taken him. She quickly turned around, ran back to the barn and took out Curlyhead. Together they ran down the hard path where the bright autumn leaves were dancing about in the wind. They soon reached the end of their journey, where Lisa and her friend where quickly lost in deep conversation, walking up and down on the sunny plot of ground in front of the house, while Curlyhead nibbled contentedly at the hedge.