,,uncle ,,robert',s ,,visit  ,,by       
,,francis ,w4 ,,parker ,,and ,,nellie   
,,lathrop ,,helm     ,,preface ,,by     
,,the ,,editor ,,of ,,the               
,,home-,,reading ,,books4   ,the        
publishers take pleasure in offering to 
the public1 in their ,home-,reading     
,series1 some books relating to the farm
 and other aspects of country life as   
the center of interest1 written by      
,colonel ,francis ,w4 ,parker1 the      
,president of the famous ,cook ,county  
,normal ,school1 in ,chicago4 ,for many 
years the teachers of the common schools
 of the country have been benefited by  
the inventions of ,colonel ,parker in   
the way of methods of teaching in the   
schoolroom4 ,his enthusiasm has led him 
to consider the best means of arousing  
the interest of the child and of        
promoting his self-activity for         
reasonable purposes4  ,the ,pestalozzian
 movement in the history of education is
 justly famed for its effort to connect 
in a proper manner the daily experience 

of the child with the school course of  
study4 ,the branches of learning taught 
to the child by the schoolmaster are    
necessarily dry and juiceless if they   
are not thus brought into relation with 
the child's world of experience4 ,almost
 all of the school reforms that have    
been proposed in the past one hundred   
years have moved in this line4 ,the     
effort to seize upon the child's        
interest and make it the agency for     
progress has formed the essential       
feature in each4 ,in this reform        
movement ,colonel ,parker has made      
himself one of the chief influences4    
,the rural school has held a low rank   
among educational institutions on       
account of the inferior methods of      
instruction which have prevailed by     
reason of the fact that the children    
were too few and their qualifications   
too various to permit the forming of    
classes4 ,children in various degrees of
 advancement from ,,abc's to higher     
arithmetic1 and yet numbering only ten1 

twenty1 or thirty in all1 are enrolled  
under one teacher4 ,most branches of    
study could muster only one or two      
pupils in each class3 ,five to ten      
minutes a day is all that can be allowed
 in such cases for a recitation4 ,no    
thoroughness of instruction on the part 
of the teacher is possible1 nor is there
 much improvement to be expected in the 
method of instruction where classes can 
not be formed4 ,the benefactor of the   
country school therefore looks to other 
devices than class instruction1 and the 
author of this book has shown in what   
ways the teacher of one of these small  
schools may extend his influence into   
the families of his district1 encourage 
home study initiate practical           
experiments4  ,it is expected that the  
teacher1 besides his daily register in  
which he records the names and          
attendance of his own pupils1 will keep 
a list of the youth of the district who 
have been in attendance on the school   
but have left to take up the work of the

 farm1 and that he will endeavor by     
proper means to persuade them to enter  
upon well-planned courses of reading4   
,occasional meetings in the evening at  
central places1 or on some afternoons of
 the week at the schoolhouse itself1    
will furnish occasions for the          
discussion of the contents of the books 
that have been read1 and experiments    
will be suggested in the way of         
verifying the theories advanced in them4
  ,not only can the mind of the country 
youth be broadened and enlarged in the  
direction of literature and art1 and of 
science and history1 but it can be made 
more practical by focusing it upon the  
problems connected with the agriculture 
and manufactures of the district4  ,this
 indicates a career of usefulness for   
the ambitious teacher of a rural school4
 ,there is a large field for the        
discipline of the directive power open  
even for the humblest of teachers in the
 land4  ,these books of ,colonel        
,parker1 if read by the school children1

 and especially by the elder youth who  
have left school1 will suggest a great  
variety of ways in which real mental    
growth and increase of practical power  
may be obtained4 ,the ideal of education
 in the ,united ,states is that the     
child in school shall be furnished with 
a knowledge of the printed page and     
rendered able to get out of books the   
experience of his fellow-men1 and at the
 same time be taught how to verify and  
extend his book knowledge by            
investigations on his environment4 ,this
 having been achieved by the school1    
nothing except his indolence1 or1 to    
give it a better name1 want of          
enterprise1 prevents the individual     
citizen from growing intellectually and 
practically throughout his whole life4  
,w4 ,t4 ,,harris4  ,,washington1 ,d4,c41
 ,august #ab1 #ahig4     ,,author',s    
,,preface   ,fortunate are the children 
whose early years are spent in the      
country in close contact with the       
boundless riches which ,nature bestows4 

,amid these environments instinct and   
spontaneity do a marvelous work in the  
growing minds of children1 arousing and 
sustaining varied and various interests1
 enhancing mental activities1 and       
furnishing an educative outlet for      
lively energies4  ,most fortunate are   
they to whom1 at the moment when the    
unconscious teachings of ,nature need to
 be supplemented by thoughtful          
suggestion1 wise leadings1 and judicious
 instruction1 there comes one with a    
deep and loving sympathy with child     
life1 an active interest in all that    
interests them1 and a profound respect  
for all that children do well and for   
all that they know4  ,such an one is    
,uncle ,robert4 ,he comes to the        
children at just the right moment4 ,he  
directs the sweet strong streams of     
their lives onward into a channel of    
earnest inquiry and exalted labor1 which
 is ever broadening and deepening4      
,uncle ,robert's aim in education is to 
fill each day with acts which make home 

better1 the community better1 mankind   
better2 to take from ,god's bounteous   
and boundless store of truth and convert
 it into human life by using it4 ,his   
method is simple and direct1 founded    
upon the firm rock1 ,common ,sense4 ,it 
may be briefly stated as follows3  #a4  
,a strong belief in the sacredness of   
work--that work which inspires thought1 
strengthens the body as well as the     
mind1 and develops the feeling of       
usefulness4  #b4 ,the images the        
children have acquired and the          
inferences they have made are used as   
stepping stones to higher and broader   
views4  #c4 ,so far as it is possible1  
each child is to discover facts for     
himself and make original inferences4   
#d4 ,he understands the limits of       
children's power to observe and the     
demand on their part for glimpses into1 
to them1 the great unknown4 ,so he tells
 them stories of those things which lie 
beyond their horizon1 in order to excite
 their wonder1 intensify their love for 

the objects that surround them1 and make
 them more careful observers4 ,in this  
way a hunger and thirst for books is    
created4  #e4 ,he watches carefully the 
interests of each child1 adapting his   
teachings to the differences in age and 
personality4  #f4 ,some questions are   
left unanswered in order to stimulate   
that healthy curiosity which can be     
satisfied only by persistent study--the 
study that begets courage and           
confidence4  #g4 ,he makes farm work and
 farm life full of intensely interesting
 problems1 ever keeping in mind that the
 things of which the common environments
 of common lives are made up are as well
 worthy of study as are those which lie 
beyond4  ,uncle ,robert's enthusiasm has
 for its prime impulse a boundless faith
 in human progress1 brought about by a  
knowledge of childhood and its          
possibilities4  ,he believes that every 
normal child1 under wise and loving     
guidance1 may become useful to his      
fellows1 moral in character1 strong in  

intellect1 with a body which is an      
efficient instrument of the soul2 in    
other words1 truly educated4  ,those who
 read ,uncle ,robert's ,visit should    
read through the eyes of ,susie1        
,donald1 and ,frank4 ,the reading1 so   
far as possible1 should be accompanied  
by personal observation1 investigation1 
and experiment4  ,,francis ,w4 ,,parker4
  ,,chicago ,,normal ,,school1 ,august  
#ca1 #ahig4     ,,contents4   ,i4       
,,uncle ,,robert',s ,,coming  ,,ii4     
,,frank ,,draws ,a ,,map ,,of ,,the     
,,farm  ,,iii4 ,,the ,,new ,,thermometer
  ,,iv4 ,,with ,,the ,,animals  ,v4 ,,in
 ,,the ,,flower ,,garden  ,,vi4         
,,sunlight ,,and ,,shadow  ,,vii4 ,,the 
,,barometer  ,,viii4 ,a ,,walk ,,in     
,,the ,,woods  ,,ix4 ,,the ,,birds ,,and
 ,,the ,,flowers  ,x4 ,,the             
,,thundershower  ,,xi4 ,,the ,,village  
,,xii4 ,a ,,day ,,on ,,the ,,river      
,,xiii4 ,a ,,rainy ,,day  ,,xiv4 ,,the  
,,walk ,,after ,,the ,,rain  ,,xv4 ,,the
 ,,big ,,book     ,,topical ,,analysis  

,,of ,,uncle ,,robert',s ,,visit4       
,,note4--,the direct study of earth1    
air1 and water involves the study of    
plant1 animal1 and human life4 ,popular 
opinion has given the name of geography 
to these correlated subjects4           
,,chapter ,i4--,,uncle ,,robert',s      
,,coming4  ,the value of the children's 
knowledge of the farm is warmly         
recognized by ,uncle ,robert4 ,the      
children feel his sympathy for their    
work1 and through it are led to closer  
study and investigation4 ,the feeling   
that everything they may see and do is  
of importance1 exalts their daily life4 
,encourage children to describe the     
farms on which they live4 ,in such      
descriptions should come plant and      
animal life1 and the means and processes
 of farm work4 ,extend these            
descriptions to other farms and to any  
landscapes which the children have      
observed4  ,,chapter ,,ii4--,,frank     
,,draws ,a ,,map ,,of ,,the ,,farm4     
,all children love to draw1 and they    

will draw with great confidence and     
boldness unless their critical faculty  
outruns their skill4 ,modeling and      
painting may be very profitably         
introduced at an early age4 ,frank's    
efforts in drawing strengthened his     
images of the landscape4  ,arithmetic   
has a very important place in farm life4
 ,it may be used in many ways in forming
 habits of accuracy and exactness4      
,,chapter ,,iii4--,,the ,,new           
,,thermometer4  ,the children have their
 first lesson on the agent of all       
physical movement and change in organic 
and inorganic matter4 ,the simple       
experiments suggested should be         
continued and enlarged1 thus beginning a
 life study of a subject which is       
practically unlimited in its importance 
to man4  ,,chapter ,,iv4--,,with ,,the  
,,animals4  ,children look upon animals 
as their particular friends and         
acquaintances4 ,they talk to them and   
believe that the animals understand     
them4 ,a desire to know the habits and  

habitats of animals is among their      
strongest interests4 ,by a little wise  
direction1 this interest may be so      
enhanced as to form a substantial       
beginning of the study of zoology4      
,,chapter ,v4--,,in ,,the ,,flower      
,,garden4  ,children worship flowers4   
,probably there are no objects on earth 
so universally loved by little folks as 
buds and flowers4 ,children seek eagerly
 for flowers by the roadside1 in the    
pastures1 fields1 and woods4 ,this love1
 like all instincts1 should be carefully
 cultivated4  ,children may easily be   
led to study the forms1 colors1 and     
habits of plants4 ,they will always take
 the keenest interest in the mystery of 
seeds and shoots1 of roots and growing  
leaves1 if there is a teacher to direct 
them4  ,,chapter ,,vi4--,,sunlight ,,and
 ,,shadow4  ,we have heat again1 and now
 as an elementary lesson in the         
distribution of sunshine4 ,children love
 to observe continual changes4 ,the     
shadow is an object of interest4 ,it has

 an element of mystery about it which   
borders upon the supernatural4 ,children
 observe spontaneously the long shadows 
of morning and the lengthening shadows  
of the descending sun4 ,most farm boys  
can tell the moment of noon by their    
shadows4  ,these are all steps in the   
more difficult problems of lengthening  
and shortening shadows that mark the    
changing seasons1 and that lead to the  
theories of the earth's rotation and    
revolution4 ,day by day children should 
note the changes of slant upon the      
shadow stick which they can easily make 
for themselves4  ,,chapter ,,vii4--,,the
 ,,barometer4  ,our little friends have 
their first lesson concerning one of the
 three great envelopes of the earth-the 
atmosphere4 ,the knowledge that air has 
weight does not often come by unaided   
intuition4 ,the initial experiments may 
be made very interesting and profitable4
 ,the ,united ,states ,weather ,reports 
are an excellent means for the home     
study of geography4  ,,chapter          

,,viii4--,a ,,walk ,,in ,,the ,,woods4  
,there is pleasure in the pathless woods
 and ,the groves were ,god's first      
temples are lines which appeal strongly 
to those who have spent hours in the    
shadows and flickering sunlight of the  
forest4 ,trees well arranged make many  
farmhouses beautiful4 ,trees by the     
roadside add much beauty to the         
landscape and afford places of rest to  
the traveler4  ,forests mean moisture to
 the soil4 ,their leaves and roots make 
the best reservoirs for water1 to be    
given out when needed by the growing    
crops4 ,the forests are full of lessons 
for the children and the experienced    
scientist4  ,,chapter ,,ix4--,,the      
,,birds ,,and ,,the ,,flowers4  ,the    
knowledge of a farm child is quite      
extensive1 and generally neither the    
child nor the parent has any suspicion  
that such knowledge is of any           
appreciable value in education4 ,it is  
clearly within the bounds of possibility
 for every farm boy and girl to know    

every bird that lives on the farm in    
summer or winter1 and those who rest    
there in their migrating flight2 to know
 also the names1 the plumage1 the habits
 of all the birds2 and to know the nests
 and nesting places of those who make   
the farm their summer home4  ,all this  
study cultivates the child's sense of   
the beautiful4 ,there is no better color
 study in the world than that which     
springs from discriminating love of     
flowers and of the plumage of birds4    
,such study creates a kindly feeling    
toward both animals and plants on the   
part of the child4 ,it exercises a      
strong moral power over him4  ,,chapter 
,x4--,,the ,,thundershower4  ,a         
thundershower is always a phenomenon of 
interest and often of fear on the part  
of children4 ,the clouds of the cumulus 
form1 the rolling of thunder1 the       
lightning flashes1 the rushing wind1 and
 the pouring rain are full of important 
lessons4 ,fear vanishes as knowledge    
comes4 ,in the thundershower is the     

question of the distribution of moisture
 over the earth's surface1 the question 
of the nature and use of clouds1 the    
movement of the air and wind1 the       
condensation of vapor1 and the marvelous
 powers of electricity4  ,,chapter      
,,xi4--,,the ,,village4  ,geography     
should ever be in the closest touch with
 the human side4 ,nature does a         
marvelous work1 but ,nature without     
society is like a vast storehouse of    
treasure without a demand for its use4  
,the one weak point in farm life is the 
lack of opportunity for contact with    
society4  ,,chapter ,,xii4--,a ,,day    
,,on ,,the ,,river4  ,a river1 creek1   
lake--in fact1 any body of water--is a  
source of perpetual delight to children4
 ,frank1 ,donald1 and ,susie have had   
the river and creek before them all     
their lives4 ,now1 under ,uncle         
,robert's teaching1 the river will mean 
very much more to them4 ,they take their
 first lessons in the work of streams in
 carving and shaping the earth's        

surface4 ,the pebbles on the beach and  
the large1 rounded stones will soon have
 stories of the distant past to tell    
them4 ,the ,big ,book is opened to them1
 and they read the stories directly from
 its pages4  ,,chapter ,,xiii4--,a      
,,rainy ,,day4  ,the children get closer
 to the question of moisture1 its use1  
and distribution4 ,the rain gauge helps 
them to measure the rainfall4 ,then     
comes the problem of where the water    
goes after it reaches the ground4 ,how  
far down does some of it go8 ,when and  
where does it come out of the ground8   
,arithmetic is brought in in measuring  
the rainfall and its distribution4      
,,chapter ,,xiv4--,,the ,,walk ,,after  
,,the ,,rain4  ,the problems in ,chapter
 ,,xiii move toward their solution1 and 
new questions are opened4 ,the gully    
tells of the wearing of the water1 and  
foretells a river valley4 ,the spring   
helps in the question of underground    
water4 ,the flowing river quickens the  
imagination in the direction of the     

great ocean4  ,,chapter ,,xv4--,,the    
,,big ,,book4  ,this chapter should be  
read by parents to the children1 as many
 sentences need expansion and           
explanation4 ,hints are given of great  
things which lie beyond the child's     
horizon4 ,discoveries that have changed 
mankind are referred to4  ,children's   
permanent interests are the keynotes of 
instruction and the infallible guides of
 the teacher4 ,to continue and sustain  
their spontaneous observation and desire
 for investigation leads directly to the
 study of the best books1 and lays the  
basis for a thorough and profound study 
of ,god's universe4     ,,chapter ,i4   
,,uncle ,,robert',s ,,coming4   ,uncle  
,robert was coming4 ,his letter1 telling
 when they should expect him1 had been  
received a week before4 ,every day since
 had been full of talks and plans for   
his visit1 and now the day was come4    
,everything was ready4  ,frank and      
,donald had harnessed ,nell1 the old    
white horse1 to the little spring wagon1

 and had driven to the village to meet  
the train which was to bring ,uncle     
,robert from ,new ,york4  ,susie1 in her
 prettiest white apron1 ran out of the  
house every few minutes1 to be the first
 to see them when they should come along
 the road4  ,mrs4 ,leonard was putting  
finishing touches here and there4 ,she  
went into the kitchen to give ,jane a   
last direction about the supper4 ,then  
she went to the east room upstairs1     
,uncle ,robert's room1 to be sure that  
everything was just as she knew he would
 like it4  ,susie followed her mother1  
to see if the violets in the glass on   
his table were still bright and fresh4  
,she had gathered them herself in the   
woods that morning4  ,there they come6  
she cried4 ,i hear the wagon crossing   
the bridge at the creek6  ,she ran      
quickly downstairs and out upon the     
piazza4 ,a moment more1 and the wagon   
turned in at the gate4  ,mother1 mother1
 called ,susie1 they're here6  ,but     
,mrs4 ,leonard was already beside her4  

,her pleasant face glowed with a happy  
smile as ,frank drew rein before the    
door4  ,then such a time6  ,uncle       
,robert sprang from the seat beside     
,frank1 hugged ,mrs4 ,leonard1 then     
,susie1 then both together4  ,donald1   
who was seated in the back of the wagon 
on ,uncle ,robert's trunk1 turned a     
handspring1 landed on his feet somehow  
or other1 and stood grinning at ,susie4 
,mr4 ,leonard had also heard the sound  
of the wheels4 ,he hurried from the     
barn1 calling ,peter to come and help   
him carry ,uncle ,robert's trunk        
upstairs4  ,jane came to the door of the
 dining-room1 eager to see the ,uncle   
,robert of whom she had heard so much4  
,then1 with a nod of her head1 she ran  
back1 slipped the pan of biscuits into  
the oven1 and put the kettle on to boil4
  ,uncle ,robert had come6 ,everybody   
was happy4 ,no one more so than ,uncle  
,robert himself4  ,now1 this is good1 he
 said1 when at length they were seated  
around the supper table4 ,i feel at home

 already4 ,susie1 did those violets on  
my table grow in your garden8           
,illustration3 ,violets4  ,oh1 no1      
replied ,susie4 ,i found them in the    
woods by the creek4 ,and the buttercups1
 didn't you see them in the glass1 too8 
,buttercups so early 8 asked ,uncle     
,robert4 ,oh1 yes1 the low ones do come 
early4 ,you must take me down where they
 grow some day4  ,we'll go to-morrow1   
said ,susie4  ,uncle ,robert smiled at  
the eager little face1 and1 turning to  
,mr4 ,leonard1 said3  ,frank tells me   
the farm is looking well this spring4   
,yes1 it looks fairly well1 replied ,mr4
 ,leonard4 ,the seed is all in but the  
corn4 ,that is a little late4 ,the water
 on the bottom land stayed longer than  
usual this year4  ,peter thinks we can  
start the planting to-morrow1 said      
,frank4  ,yes1 replied his father1 ,i   
think so1 too4  ,when supper was over   
they all went out on the side porch4    
,the sun was setting4 ,the air was soft 
and spring-like4 ,the lilacs along the  

fence filled the air with fragrance4    
,don't you want to see ,susie's garden1 
,robert8 asked ,mrs4 ,leonard1  ,yes1   
indeed1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,susie     
wrote me some nice little letters about 
that garden4  ,as they walked along the 
narrow paths ,susie showed him where the
 seeds were already planted1 and told   
him what she thought she would have in  
the other beds4  ,this is phlox1 said   
,susie1 leading ,uncle ,robert by the   
hand2 and marigolds are here1 and sweet 
peas over there by the fence4 ,that     
place between mother's garden and mine  
is filled with rosebushes1 syringas1 and
 hollyhocks4  ,i still call the         
vegetable garden mine1 but the boys do  
most of the work1 said ,mrs4 ,leonard4  
,that big bush at the end of the row is 
an elder4  ,this is to be my pansy bed1 
said ,susie4 ,the pansies are not set   
out yet4 ,they are growing in a box in  
the kitchen window4 ,i love them best of
 all4 ,don't they look like funny little
 faces in bonnets8  ,illustration3      

,pansies4  ,that is what the ,germans   
think1 ,susie1 said ,uncle ,robert1     
laughing4 ,they call them 'little       
stepmothers4'  ,i think it will be safe 
to put them out soon1 ,susie1 said ,mrs4
 ,leonard4  ,mother1 called ,donald from
 the vegetable garden1 the lettuce and  
radishes are growing finely1 and here's 
a bean4 ,oh1 there are lots of them just
 putting their heads through6  ,they all
 went over to look at the beans1 and    
then walked down to the end of the      
garden where the currant and gooseberry 
bushes grew4  ,oh1 uncle1 exclaimed     
,susie1 ,i wish you had come in time to 
see the trees in blossom6 ,they were all
 pink and white4 ,it was just lovely6   
only the flowers stayed such a little   
while4  ,i think ,susie lived in the    
orchard those days1 said ,mrs4 ,leonard1
 smiling4 ,if ,i wanted her ,i was very 
sure to find her there4  ,i don't blame 
,susie1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,i would   
have stayed1 too4 ,there is nothing     
sweeter than apple blossoms4 ,but you   

have other fruits besides apples1       
haven't you8  ,illustration3 ,apple     
,blossoms4  ,oh1 yes1 said ,frank1 who  
had just come from the barn1 where he   
had gone after supper with his father4  
,there are pears and cherries and a few 
peach trees4 ,but peaches don't do well 
here4  ,the blossoms are lovely1 said   
,susie4  ,i believe ,susie cares more   
for the flowers than she does for the   
fruit1 said ,donald4 ,i don't4 ,i like  
the fruit1 and plenty of it4  ,how many 
kinds of apples have you8 asked ,uncle  
,robert4  ,about ten1 replied ,frank4   
,but father budded quite a number last  
year4 ,the twigs came from ,kansas4     
,they have fine apples in ,kansas some  
years1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,i wonder if
 the budding is done as it was when ,i  
was a boy on the farm in ,new ,england4 
,this is the way father did it1 said    
,frank4 ,first he cut a little piece of 
the bark off the twig with the bud on   
it4 ,he had to do it very carefully with
 a sharp knife4 ,then he cut the bark on

 the branch of the tree like the letter 
,t4 ,he laid it back1 and slipped the   
piece of bark with the bud on under it4 
,then he bound it all up with soft      
cotton1 and left it to take care of     
itself4  ,did it8 asked ,uncle ,robert4 
,yes1 answered ,donald4 ,in a few weeks 
we took the binding off1 and the bark   
had all grown together around the little
 bud4  ,illustration3 ,budding  ,there  
were ever so many of them1 said ,susie1 
and they were all alike4  ,i wish they  
would hurry up and have some apples on  
them1 said ,donald4 ,if they're better  
than some we had last year1 they'll be  
pretty good4  ,come1 children1 said     
,mrs4 ,leonard4 ,it is getting damp4 ,i 
think we'd better go in now4            
,,chapter ,,ii4  ,,frank ,,draws ,a     
,,map ,,of ,,the ,,farm4   ,after the   
lamps were lighted and they were all    
gathered in the sitting-room ,uncle     
,robert began asking the children about 
the farm4  ,what do you raise besides   
corn8 he asked4  ,wheat1 oats1 rye1 and 

potatoes1 said ,frank4 ,then we have the
 hay fields and the pasture4 ,the woods 
we drove through coming from town belong
 to us too4  ,the house faces east1     
doesn't it8 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,that  
would make the woods north4 ,where are  
all these other fields8  ,back of the   
barn and the other side of the orchard1 
said ,donald4  ,can't some one show me  
on paper how it is8 asked ,uncle        
,robert4 ,i don't mean make a picture1  
but just a plan of it4  ,well1 ,i can   
try1 said ,frank4 ,i know just how it is
 really1 but ,i don't know that ,i can  
get it right4  ,frank found paper and   
pencil and set to work1 while the rest  
gathered eagerly around and looked on4  
,this is the river1 he said4 ,there's a 
big curve in it along our farm4 ,the    
road runs along the top of the slope1   
and this is where the house is4  ,what  
lies between the house and the river8   
asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,the big         
cornfield1 said ,frank4 ,that's where we
 are going to plant to-morrow if it is a

 pleasant day4 ,and right here1 in the  
corner by the woods1 is the spring4     
,the water comes right out of the       
ground1 said ,susie2 and it is as cold  
as ice4  ,here1 said ,frank1 is the     
wood4 ,you know we drove through it this
 afternoon4 ,the woods are on both sides
 of the creek4  ,see the crooked line he
 makes for the creek1 said ,donald4     
,that is where the violets and          
buttercups grow1 uncle1 said ,susie1    
pointing to the map4  ,where does the   
creek come from8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  
,there's a pond away back in the woods1 
said ,donald4 ,it comes from that2 but  
it is a swamp part of the year4  ,the   
cat-tails grow there1 said ,susie4      
,well1 said ,uncle ,robert1 the house1  
the cornfield1 and the woods--is that   
all of the farm8  ,oh1 no6 said ,frank4 
,it is low along the river1 but back of 
the cornfield it gets higher1 and that's
 where the grapes are4 ,on this side of 
the road is the orchard2 and here1      
between the orchard and the woods1 come 

in the yard and garden4  ,don't leave   
out the barnyard1 said ,donald4  ,what's
 back of the barn8 asked ,uncle ,robert4
  ,the field of timothy2 and next to it 
is the clover field4 ,that is as far as 
the farm goes that way4  ,illustration3 
,,clover ,,timothy ,,wheat ,,oats ,,rye 
,the wheat field is on the other side of
 the timothy1 ,frank1 said ,donald1 and 
the oats between that and the road1     
beside the orchard4  ,put in the        
potatoes along the road1 said ,susie4   
,now all we have left is the rye field  
over in the corner1 said ,donald4  ,that
 is the way it is this year1 said ,mr4  
,leonard1 who sat with his paper in his 
hand4 ,but the paper was unread4 ,he    
found the group around the table much   
more interesting4  ,now it is all done1 
said ,susie1 hopping about on one foot4 
,isn't it fun8 ,let's draw the garden4  
,i can do it4  ,all right1 said ,uncle  
,robert1 you shall2 but ,i think we'd   
better finish the farm first4 ,who can  
tell how many acres there are in each of

 these lots8  ,i know there are twenty  
in the timothy meadow1 said ,donald1    
because father always calls it the      
twenty-acre lot4  ,write it down on the 
map1 ,frank1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,how  
much in the clover field8  ,it seems    
about half as large as the timothy      
meadow1 said ,frank4  ,that's right1    
said ,mr4 ,leonard2 it is4  ,there are  
twenty acres in the wood lot1 aren't    
there1 father8 asked ,frank4 ,it isn't  
quite so wide1 but it is longer than the
 timothy meadow4  ,yes1 said ,mr4       
,leonard1 there are twenty acres there2 
and it is as fine woodland as any ,i    
know4  ,there are ten acres in the      
orchard1 said ,frank2 and the cornfield 
is the largest of all4  ,that must be   
thirty acres1 said ,donald4 ,i remember 
when father made the pasture smaller1 so
 that we could have more corn4  ,yes1   
said ,frank2 and that left ten in the   
pasture4 ,i remember4 ,and there are    
fifteen acres each in oats1 wheat1 and  
rye2 but ,i don't know how large the    

potato field is4 ,it is smaller than the
 others1 though--it must be about ten4  
,right again1 said ,mr4 ,leonard4       
,illustration3 7figures1 addition1      
subtraction7  ,now we have it all but   
the yard and garden1 said ,uncle        
,robert4 ,does any one know how much    
land they cover8  ,the father and mother
 looked on smiling1 but said nothing4   
,it's all the rest of the farm1 anyhow1 
said ,susie4  ,oh1 ,i know how to find  
out1 said ,frank4 ,we know the whole    
farm is one hundred and sixty acres4 ,we
 can add all these figures1 and the     
difference between that and one hundred 
and sixty will be what's in the yard and
 garden4  ,so he added all the numbers  
together and found them to be one       
hundred and fifty-five4  ,yes1 exclaimed
 ,donald2 and five more would make it   
one hundred and sixty4  ,then there must
 be five acres in the yard and garden4  
said ,susie1 ,write it down4 ,frank4    
,there1 said ,frank1 looking at his work
 with some pride4 ,it's all in4 ,now    

shall ,i draw it again and make the     
lines straighter8  ,illustration3 ,map  
of the farm4  ,oh1 no2 this tells the   
story very well1 said ,uncle ,robert4   
,the next time we will measure it off1  
and make it more carefully4  ,not so    
bad1 said ,mr4 ,leonard1 as ,frank      
showed him the drawing4  ,i think it is 
very good for a first time1 said ,mrs4  
,leonard1 with an encouraging smile4    
,with a little practice1 my boy1 ,i     
believe you would draw well4  ,mother   
always believes we can do things1 said  
,frank1 laughing4  ,tell me more about  
the river1 said ,uncle ,robert4  ,our   
side is bottom land1 said ,frank2 but   
across the river the bank is high and   
steep4 ,farther down it is just the     
other way4 ,the steep bank is on this   
side1 and the low land is opposite4     
,the river bends the other way down     
there1 said ,donald4  ,i see1 said      
,uncle ,robert4 ,how high is the bank8  
,i don't know1 answered ,frank4 ,how    
high is it1 father8  ,about twenty feet1

 said ,mr4 ,leonard4  ,do you go on the 
river much8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,oh1 
yes1 said ,donald4 ,we have an old boat1
 and we have been miles on it4  ,that   
is1 downstream1 said ,frank4 ,we have   
never taken the boat up the river beyond
 the village1 on account of the milldam4
  ,there's an island in the river1 said 
,susie1 between here and the village4   
,we have been there4  ,how large an     
island is it8 asked ,uncle              
,robert--large enough to have a picnic  
there while ,i am here8  ,oh1 yes1 said 
,susie4 ,it's just the loveliest place  
for a picnic6 ,there are trees all over 
it1 and all kinds of wild flowers4      
,can't you extend your map1 ,frank1 so  
as to put in the river to the village1  
showing the milldam and the island8     
suggested ,uncle ,robert4  ,you might   
draw it this way1 too1 said ,donald1 and
 show how the river bends the other way 
down here4  ,now ,i want to draw my     
garden1 said ,susie1 when ,frank had    
finished4  ,just then the clock on the  

kitchen shelf struck loudly4  ,it's     
bedtime now1 dear1 said ,mrs4 ,leonard4 
,can't you draw your garden to-morrow8  
,we'll plant those pansies to-morrow1   
said ,uncle ,robert1 and see what can be
 put in all the other beds4 ,then we'll 
draw it1 and tell just where everything 
is4  ,so ,susie went to bed happy1 and  
,frank and ,donald soon followed4 ,and  
all were glad that ,uncle ,robert was   
really come4     ,,chapter ,,iii4  ,,the
 ,,new ,,thermometer4   ,the next       
morning as they left the breakfast table
 ,donald said3  ,it's going to be warmer
 to-day4  ,i think not1 said ,frank4    
,when ,i went to the barn it seemed     
quite cool4  ,what do you think1 ,susie8
 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,it was cool    
under the trees when ,i went to the     
spring for a pitcher of water1 said     
,susie1 but it seemed rather warm in the
 sun4 ,i think it is a lovely morning4  
,what makes it warm8 asked ,uncle       
,robert4  ,why1 the sun1 replied        
,donald1 looking rather surprised at    

such a question4  ,but does the sun make
 it warm in the winter8 asked ,uncle    
,robert4  ,the sun is nearer the earth  
in spring and summer1 said ,frank       
confidently4  ,you are mistaken1 said   
,uncle ,robert4 ,the sun is farther from
 us in summer than it is in winter4     
,but it's almost over our heads in      
summer1 said ,frank4 ,how can it be     
farther away8  ,the story of the warmth 
that the sun gives us is not told by    
distance1 said ,uncle ,robert1 but by   
the length of the shadows at noon4  ,how
 is that8 asked ,donald4  ,when is your 
shadow the longest8 asked ,uncle        
,robert4  ,in the evening1 said ,donald4
  ,in the morning1 said ,susie4  ,when  
is your shadow the shortest8  ,at noon6 
they all shouted4  ,when is it coolest8 
,morning1 they replied together4  ,when 
is it warmest8  ,noon1 said ,susie      
quickly4  ,now you are wrong1 said      
,frank4 ,it is often warmer at one or   
two o'clock4  ,frank is right1 said     
,uncle ,robert4 ,how can we tell just   

how warm it is at any time8  ,if we had 
a thermometer1 said ,donald1 that would 
tell1 but we haven't4  ,there's one at  
the post office1 said ,frank1 but ,i    
never saw any one look at it unless it  
was very cold or very hot4  ,perhaps we 
can find one nearer than the post       
office1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,susie1    
would you know one if you saw it8       
,susie shook her head4  ,i would1 said  
,donald4  ,well1 said ,uncle ,robert1   
please go to my room1 and if you find a 
thermometer bring it to me4  ,donald    
soon returned1 and when ,susie saw what 
he had in his hand she exclaimed3  ,is  
that a thermometer8 ,i never saw        
anything like that at the post office4  
,well1 ,i should think not1 said        
,donald4 ,this isn't much like the old  
thing they have up there4  ,what does it
 say8 asked ,uncle ,robert4             
,sixty-eight degrees above zero1 said   
,frank1 taking the thermometer in his   
hand4  ,illustration3 ,thermometer4     
,that isn't cold1 is it1 uncle8 asked   

,donald4  ,that's just right for the    
house1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,how is it  
out of doors8  ,let's take it out and   
see1 said ,frank4  ,out on the porch    
they went and eagerly watched the       
thermometer4  ,it's moving--it's going  
down6 cried ,donald4  ,i'll hang it on  
this nail1 said ,frank4  ,when they     
looked again ,donald said3  ,it's       
fifty-six now4  ,how much colder is it  
than it was in the house8 asked ,uncle  
,robert4  ,twelve degrees1 said ,frank1 
counting up the column4  ,oh1 let's take
 it in by the stove1 said ,susie1 and   
see how far it will go up4  ,what makes 
you think it will go up by the stove8   
asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,well1 answered  
,susie1 if it goes down when it is cold 
,i should think it would go up when it  
is warm4  ,susie took the little        
instrument1 and1 going into the kitchen1
 held it close to the stove4  ,come1 she
 called1 it is going up already4 ,see6  
,how fast it moves6 said ,donald4 ,hold 
it close to the stove1 ,susie4 ,maybe it

 will go to the very top4  ,let us put  
it in cold water1 said ,frank4 ,it won't
 hurt the thermometer1 will it8  ,not at
 all1 was the reply4 ,try it4  ,so they 
held it in the bucket of cold spring    
water4  ,how fast it goes down now6 said
 ,susie4 ,i wonder if it will go lower  
than it did out on the porch4 ,it's down
 to forty-eight4  ,why does ,jane set   
the kettle of cold water on the stove8  
asked ,uncle ,robert1 pointing to it4   
,to boil the water1 answered ,susie4    
,what makes the water boil8  ,why1 the  
fire1 of course4  ,how long will the    
stove stay hot8  ,as long as there is   
fire in it4  ,longer than that1 said    
,donald4 ,it doesn't grow cold the      
minute the fire is out4  ,what becomes  
of all the heat8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  
,oh1 it goes all round the room4  ,let's
 put the thermometer in the hot water1  
said ,susie4  ,oh1 see it go up6 said   
,donald4 ,it is one hundred and fifteen 
already4  ,what is the difference in    
degrees between the cold and the hot    

water8 asked ,uncle ,robert4            
,sixty-seven degrees1 said ,frank4      
,what makes the difference in degrees8  
,the difference in the heat1 said       
,frank4  ,if the water was boiling and  
the thermometer large enough1 said      
,uncle ,robert1 it would go to two      
hundred and twelve4  ,that would be     
ninety-seven degrees higher1 said       
,frank4  ,wouldn't that be a big        
thermometer6 exclaimed ,susie4  ,now put
 the thermometer on the floor1 said     
,uncle ,robert4  ,it's seventy-two      
degrees now1 said ,donald in a few      
minutes4  ,let's put it on the broom1   
said ,susie1 and hold it up to the      
ceiling4  ,it's warmer up there1 said   
,frank1 looking at the little gray      
cylinder when they brought it down4 ,it 
is six degrees higher than it was on the
 floor4  ,why8 asked ,uncle ,robert4    
,the heat must go up there1 said        
,donald4  ,it goes into the next room   
when the door is open1 said ,frank4     
,does it go outdoors8 asked ,uncle      

,robert4  ,let's open the window and    
see1 said ,susie4  ,frank opened the    
window1 but1 instead of feeling the warm
 air going out1 he felt the cool air    
coming in4  ,uncle1 asked ,donald1 isn't
 the room full of air already8  ,yes1   
answered ,uncle ,robert4  ,then ,i don't
 see how any more can come in at the    
window4  ,are you sure none goes out8   
,i could feel it coming in1 said ,frank4
  ,jane1 asked ,uncle ,robert1 have you 
a candle8  ,here is one1 sir1 said      
,jane1 taking a candlestick from beside 
the clock on the shelf4  ,uncle ,robert 
lighted it and held it near the window1 
just below the sill4 ,the flame         
flickered as the air from the window    
struck it1 and then turned straight into
 the room4 ,he raised it just above the 
opening4 ,instantly the flame pointed   
toward the window1 but it did not       
flicker as it had when held below the   
sill4  ,the air must be going out up    
there1 said ,frank1 but it doesn't blow 
so strongly as the air coming in4  ,the 

air that comes in is cooler than the air
 that goes out1 said ,donald4  ,what    
makes the water boil8 asked ,uncle      
,robert1 turning to the kettle on the   
stove1 which had now begun to sing4     
,why1 the heat1 of course1 said ,donald4
  ,what raises the lid8 asked ,uncle    
,robert4  ,the kettle is too full1 said 
,frank4 ,it is going to boil over4  ,why
 didn't the water run over when it was  
cold8 asked ,uncle ,robert4 ,the kettle 
didn't seem full then4  ,somehow it     
seems to get more than full when it     
boils1 said ,donald4 ,see1 it is boiling
 over4  ,just then ,jane took a pan of  
apples out of the oven4 ,each one looked
 like a small volcano4  ,what happens to
 the apples when they bake8 asked ,uncle
 ,robert4  ,they just swell up so big   
their jackets won't hold them1 said     
,donald1 laughing4  ,it is heat that    
makes the bread rise1 isn't it8 asked   
,frank4  ,of course1 said ,susie4 ,don't
 you know sometimes if the bread doesn't
 rise1 mother says it is because it is  

too cold8  ,there is something besides  
heat that makes the bread rise1 said    
,uncle ,robert4  ,yes1 replied ,susie1  
the yeast2 but it must be warm--,i know 
it must4  ,it seems as though everything
 is bigger when it is hot than when it  
is cold1 said ,frank4 ,and now ,i       
believe ,i understand something that    
happened not long ago4  ,what was it8   
asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,peter and ,i    
were driving to town1 began ,frank1 and 
the tire of one of the wagon wheels     
slipped right off4 ,we managed to get to
 the blacksmith's shop1 and he put the  
tire in the fire until it was hot4 ,then
 he put it on the wheel1 but it was     
still loose4 ,we couldn't have gone a   
step without its coming off again4 ,he  
brought cold water and poured over it1  
and soon it was as tight as could be4 ,i
 thought the water made the wood of the 
wheel swell up--you know water does that
 to the pails and tubs when they leak2  
but now ,i believe the fire made the    
tire larger1 and then the cold water    

made it small again4 ,that is just what 
happened4  ,illustration3 ,the          
blacksmith shop4  ,but air can't grow   
bigger1 can it8 asked ,donald4  ,if you 
can find an empty bottle1 ,donald1 said 
,uncle ,robert1 perhaps we can soon find
 out about it4  ,uncle ,robert took a   
piece of thin rubber out of his pocket  
and tied it tightly over the mouth of   
the bottle4  ,by the way1 he said1 is   
there anything in this bottle8  ,no1    
said ,susie1 looking through the glass4 
,oh1 yes1 said ,donald1 there is air in 
it4  ,well1 replied ,uncle ,robert1     
please get a pan of hot water1 ,frank4  
,frank brought the water1 and as ,uncle 
,robert began to put the bottle into it 
they all exclaimed3  ,be careful2 you'll
 break the bottle6  ,what will make it  
break8 asked ,uncle ,robert1 pausing4   
,why1 the hot water1 said ,susie4  ,it  
always breaks glass if you put it in too
 quickly1 said ,donald4  ,illustration  
,well1 we'll warm it a little first1    
holding the bottle close to the water4  

,i think ,i can try it now4  ,as he     
spoke he lowered the bottle into the    
water1 and the rubber tied over the neck
 began to bulge out4  ,see6 cried       
,susie4 ,what makes it do that8  ,try   
the cold now1 said ,uncle ,robert4      
,here1 ,donald1 hold the bottle in this 
pail of cold water4  ,the rubber is     
going down1 said ,donald in a moment4   
,it is going right into the bottle4     
,does the air in the bottle pull the    
rubber in with it8 asked ,susie4  ,but1 
,uncle ,robert1 said ,donald1 what if   
wagon tires1 apples1 and air do swell up
 when they are hot8 ,i don't see what   
all that has to do with the thermometer4
  ,i think ,i see1 said ,frank4 ,why    
wouldn't this gray stuff in the         
thermometer get bigger when it's hot1 if
 everything else does8  ,what is it that
 moves up and down in the thermometer8  
asked ,susie4  ,it is mercury1 answered 
,uncle ,robert1 which is sometimes      
called quicksilver4  ,it looks like     
silver1 said ,susie1 examining it       

closely4  ,perhaps you can see this     
better1 said ,uncle ,robert1 taking a   
small bottle of mercury from his pocket 
and pouring a little into ,donald's     
hand4  ,how heavy it is6 exclaimed he1  
letting it roll about4 ,it feels just   
like lead4  ,it is almost twice as heavy
 as lead1 replied ,uncle ,robert4  ,put 
it in my hand1 ,donald1 said ,susie4    
,there1 you've spilled it on the floor6 
,just see it run around6  ,is it always 
soft like this8 asked ,frank4  ,no1 it  
becomes hard when it is very1 very cold4
  ,how cold1 uncle8 asked ,donald1      
looking at the thermometer4             
,thirty-nine or forty degrees below     
zero1 was the reply4 ,in the coldest of 
countries alcohol thermometers are used4
 ,it must be much colder than that to   
freeze alcohol4  ,why is mercury used1  
uncle8 asked ,frank4  ,because it takes 
a very great heat to make it boil4 said 
,uncle ,robert4 ,then you have seen how 
quickly it shows a change of            
temperature4 ,when it is warm we call it

 a high temperature1 and when it is cold
 it is called a low temperature4  ,that 
is because the mercury goes up when it  
is hot1 and down when it is cold1 isn't 
it8 said ,donald4 ,i wonder how it would
 feel if it was forty degrees below     
zero4 ,see1 it is away down to there6   
,do you remember that day last winter   
when ,peter froze his ears driving to   
town8 asked ,frank4 ,well1 it was twenty
 below that day at the post office4 ,i  
saw it4 ,but father is calling me2 ,i   
must go4     ,,chapter ,,iv4  ,,with    
,,the ,,animals4   ,don't forget to set 
that hen1 ,donald1 called ,mr4 ,leonard1
 as he and ,frank went away together4 ,i
 think there are enough of those        
,plymouth ,rock eggs for one more       
setting4  ,you ought to see our little  
chickens1 ,uncle ,robert1 said ,susie4  
,they are just too cunning for anything4
  ,when you go to set the hen1 ,donald1 
said ,uncle ,robert1 ,i will go with    
you4 ,then you can show me everything   
about the barn4  ,donald went to the    

storeroom and soon came back with the   
eggs4  ,there are thirteen1 he said1 as 
he joined ,uncle ,robert in the porch1  
but ,i think she can take care of them4 
,she's one of the largest hens we have4 
,then together they went to the         
henhouse1 which stood next to the barn4 
,the chickens1 seeing the basket in     
,donald's hand1 ran toward him4  ,you   
needn't think ,i am going to feed you   
again so soon1 he said4 ,you have had   
one breakfast this morning4  ,donald    
always talked to all the animals as     
though they could understand him4       
,illustration3 ,the poultry yard4  ,the 
mother hens paid no attention4 ,with    
quiet dignity they walked about1 their  
broods of fluffy little chicks looking  
like balls of gold in the sunshine4     
,with a ,cluck6 cluck6 each anxious     
mother called her children to her as her
 sharp eyes discovered some new dainty4 
,then the greedy little yellow things   
ran as fast as their short legs could   
carry them to be the first to take the  

good things from the self-sacrificing   
mother4  ,how many little chickens are  
there8 asked ,uncle ,robert as they     
stopped to watch them4  ,there are      
forty-six hatched1 said ,donald4 ,three 
hens are setting1 and this one will make
 four4  ,i see you have some fine       
turkeys1 too1 said ,uncle ,robert4  ,the
 big turkey cock spread his tail and    
strutted about before them as if he     
understood how much he was admired4     
,mother thinks a great deal of her      
turkeys1 said ,donald4 ,they are much   
harder to raise than the chickens4 ,but 
mother knows just how to do it4 ,we     
don't lose many4  ,have you ducks and   
geese1 too8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,yes1
 said ,donald1 but ,i don't see any of  
them about4 ,they must have gone to the 
creek4 ,there they are1 and ,donald     
pointed toward the pasture where a line 
of white could be seen moving slowly    
along under the trees4  ,they march     
pretty well1 don't they8 said ,uncle    
,robert4 ,do they always go that way8   

,not always1 said ,donald1 but very     
often4 ,when that old drake wants to    
take a swim1 he starts and the rest     
follow4 ,you'd never catch him walking  
behind4  ,as the head of the family ,i  
suppose he thinks it is his place to    
lead1 said ,uncle ,robert1 smiling4     
,donald laughed4 ,wouldn't it he funny1 
he said1 if father made us follow him   
that way8  ,they found the hen to whom  
they were carrying the eggs on an empty 
nest4 ,donald drove her off that he     
might put in the eggs1 but she was very 
cross with him for disturbing her4 ,she 
walked about with her feathers ruffled  
up1 clucking angrily1 but eagerly went  
back to her nest as soon as they were   
gone4 ,she moved the eggs about with her
 feet1 placed them to suit herself1 and 
contentedly settled down4  ,donald then 
led ,uncle ,robert into the barn1 where 
old white ,nell stood in her stall4     
,besides ,nell there were three strong  
,normandies in other stalls1 and two    
stalls that were empty4  ,mr4 ,leonard  

had a very large barn4 ,there was the   
main floor1 running through from the two
 big rolling doors at either end4 ,the  
great hay mows on both sides1 reached by
 short ladders1 held some of last year's
 cutting4 ,under the mows were the      
stalls for the horses and the stanchions
 for the cattle4 ,a machine for cutting 
hay stood on the barn floor4  ,under the
 barn was a deep1 roomy cellar1 in one  
corner of which was the sheep pen1      
lighted by large windows4  ,near the    
barn was a tool house1 in which all the 
tools and machinery were housed during  
the winter4  ,it pays to have a nice    
warm barn and a good place to keep the  
tools from rusting1 said ,uncle ,robert4
 ,do you always keep the horses in the  
barn when they are not in use8  ,oh1 no1
 said ,donald4 ,sometimes they run in   
the pasture along the creek4 ,the cows  
and sheep are there now4 ,after the     
timothy and clover are cut we'll put    
them in those fields4  ,do you keep many
 cows8  ,we have six cows and two       

calves1 replied ,donald4 ,father gave   
one calf to ,frank and one to me4       
,they're beauties4 ,all our cows are    
,jerseys4 ,frank and ,i are going to    
keep ours until they're grown4 ,then if 
they give as much milk as the other cows
 do--and ,i'm sure they will--we are    
going to take it to the creamery and    
sell it4 ,there's a creamery not far    
from here4  ,does your father sell the  
milk there now8 asked ,uncle ,robert4   
,not now1 said ,donald4 ,mother likes to
 make the butter herself4  ,that's why  
it is so good1 said ,uncle ,robert4     
,has ,susie a calf too8  ,illustration3 
,the ,barn4  ,susie1 tired of waiting   
for them to return1 had come to see what
 they were doing4 ,so she answered for  
herself4  ,no1 uncle1 she said1 but ,i  
have the prettiest little lambs you ever
 saw4 ,they always run to me when they  
see me coming4 ,please come out to the  
lot and see them4  ,how many have you8  
asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,two1 replied    
,susie4 ,they're twins1 and are just    

alike4 ,their mother is dead4 ,it was   
cold when they were born4 ,there was    
snow on the ground4 ,father brought them
 into the kitchen in a basket to keep   
them warm4 ,mother and ,i taught them to
 drink milk1 so father gave them to me4 
,i'm going to keep them always4  ,father
 likes us to have our own things to take
 care of1 said ,donald4 ,i think it's   
ever so much more fun1 don't you1 uncle8
  ,yes1 indeed1 said ,uncle ,robert4    
,but you help take care of all the      
animals1 don't you8  ,oh1 yes1 replied  
,donald1 and ,i like them all2 but my   
calf seems just a little nicer than the 
rest4 ,i know it isn't any better1      
really1 but ,i like to think it is my   
very own4  ,they stopped to watch the   
pigeons circling about the pigeon house4
  ,i love to watch the pigeons1 said    
,susie4 ,see all the pretty colors in   
their feathers6  ,illustration  ,are    
they very wild8 asked ,uncle ,robert4   
,oh1 no1 said ,susie1 they're very tame4
 ,when we throw grain to them they come 

down all around us4  ,come and see my   
pigs6 shouted ,donald1 who had run ahead
 and was looking into the pen4  ,four   
white1 fat ,berkshire pigs lay in the   
straw1 lazily rolling their little eyes 
toward their friend and feeder4 ,a      
succession of grunts served for         
conversation4  ,i put in fresh straw    
every day1 said ,donald1 so my pigs can 
keep themselves clean4 ,and they have a 
patent trough to eat out of4  ,i thought
 farmers in the ,west let their pigs run
 in the woods1 said ,uncle ,robert4  ,we
 had a lot of razorbacks for a while1   
but they didn't pay1 said ,donald4 ,our 
,berkshires make nice pork4  ,how warm  
the sun is getting6 said ,uncle ,robert 
as they turned away from the pigpen4    
,the wind is from the southwest1 said   
,donald1 looking at the weather vane on 
top of the barn4 ,it always gets warmer 
when the wind is from that direction4   
,uncle1 said ,susie1 before we begin to 
plant the seeds let's go and see my     
lambs4  ,you go ahead1 and ,i'll get    

some salt for the sheep1 said ,donald4  
,they always run to me when they see me 
coming with a pan4 ,they know what that 
means4  ,donald soon joined them with   
the pan of salt4  ,mother says she can't
 work in the garden until afternoon1 he 
said1 so we needn't hurry back4  ,as    
they entered the pasture the sheep were 
quietly grazing on the slope of the     
hill1 where the grass was nibbled very  
short4 ,a few lambs were frisking       
together at the foot of the hill4  ,see 
the lambs playing1 uncle1 said ,susie4  
,the two little ones with long tails and
 black noses are mine4 ,aren't they     
cunning8 ,they'll see me in a minute4   
,then how they will run6  ,the quick    
ears of the sheep caught the sound of   
their voices4 ,they raised their heads4 
,donald held out the pan of salt1       
shaking it gently4 ,in a moment one of  
the flock started slowly toward them4   
,donald stopped under one of the large  
oak trees that grew on the top of the   
hill4 ,uncle ,robert and ,susie stood   

beside him4 ,the old sheep came nearer4 
,one by one the rest of the flock began 
to follow4 ,the lambs stopped playing4  
,susie held out her hand and called     
softly1 ,come1 ,sally6 ,come1 ,billy6   
,illustration3 ,feeding the sheep4  ,the
 two little lambs switched their tails  
and started up the hill4 ,donald        
sprinkled a little of the salt on the   
ground4 ,then the whole flock broke into
 a run1 and the sheep were soon eagerly 
licking up the salt as ,donald scattered
 it about for them4  ,susie's lambs came
 straight to her side and began to lick 
her hands and sniff about her dress4    
,they think ,i have something for them1 
she said4 ,let me have some salt1       
please1 ,donald4  ,filling each of her  
hands with salt1 she held them out1 and 
the lambs eagerly licked it from the    
little round palms4  ,the cows are down 
by the creek1 uncle1 said ,donald4      
,shall we go to see them8 ,you must see 
my calf4  ,come on1 cried ,susie1 and   
began to run as fast as she could go4   

,the little lambs1 always ready for a   
play1 skipped about her4 ,how merrily   
,susie did laugh as they ran ahead and  
then turned around with their noses to  
the ground and their tails in the air1  
waiting for her to come and catch them6 
,they always want me to play with them1 
she said1 quite out of breath1 when     
,uncle ,robert and ,donald caught up4   
,what beautiful cows6 exclaimed ,uncle  
,robert as the little ,jerseys lifted   
their shy faces from the grass to look  
at them4 ,i never saw finer ones4  ,that
 is my calf1 said ,donald1 pointing it  
out with much pride1 and that one over  
there is ,frank's4 ,the only way we can 
tell them apart is that ,frank's has    
more black on its face than mine has4   
,illustration3 ,donald's calf4          
,toot-toot-t-o-o-t6 ,the sound came from
 the house4  ,there's the horn6         
exclaimed ,susie4 ,it must be dinner    
time4  ,so soon8 said ,uncle ,robert4   
,how quickly the morning has gone6  ,i  
tell you ,i'm hungry1 said ,donald4 ,i  

didn't think of it before1 but ,i'm     
almost starving4     ,,chapter ,v4  ,,in
 ,,the ,,flower ,,garden4   ,in the     
afternoon they all went into the garden4
 ,donald and ,mrs4 ,leonard began at    
once to set out the tomato plants that  
had been started in a box4 ,susie and   
,uncle ,robert walked about1 planning   
where the flower seeds should be        
planted4  ,the verbenas are in this bed1
 said ,susie4 ,i had them last year4 ,i 
wish they would begin to come up4 ,don't
 you think1 uncle1 it will be nice to   
have the mignonette in with them8  ,yes1
 replied ,uncle ,robert1 but where are  
your nasturtiums8  ,i haven't any       
nasturtiums1 said ,susie4 ,i wish ,i    
had4 ,jennie ,wilson's mother had them  
last year4 ,they bloomed all summer4    
,we can send for some seeds and get them
 in time to plant1 said ,uncle ,robert4 
,oh1 thank you1 uncle1 exclaimed ,susie4
 ,how nice6 ,i'll save this big bed for 
nasturtiums1 and the bachelor's buttons 
can go over there4  ,illustration3      

,poppies  ,the nasturtiums would do     
better by the fence and the porch1 said 
,uncle ,robert4 ,they like to climb4    
,all right1 said ,susie2 then we can    
have this bed for something else4  ,have
 you any poppies8 asked ,uncle ,robert1 
smiling4 ,poppies are my favorite       
flowers4  ,are they1 uncle8 ,then we'll 
have poppies in this bed4  ,thank you1  
dear1 replied ,uncle ,robert1 taking out
 his notebook4 ,we'll send for the poppy
 seeds1 too4  ,i think that finishes the
 beds1 said ,susie4 ,let me see1 and1   
walking down the path1 she pointed out  
where each kind of flower was to grow4  
,you might draw it now1 said ,uncle     
,robert2 then we'll make no mistake4    
,oh1 goody6 cried ,susie4 ,that's what  
,i'll do4 ,wait until ,i get a pencil   
and paper4  ,here is a pencil1 said     
,uncle ,robert1 taking one from his     
pocket1 and perhaps this old envelope   
will do to draw it on4  ,but ,susie     
thought not4 ,it's too small1 she said4 
,i'll get a nice piece of paper in a    

minute4  ,away she ran to the house1 and
 soon came back with a large sheet of   
fresh white letter paper in one hand and
 ,frank's geography in the other4  ,i'm 
going to draw my garden1 she called to  
,donald and her mother1 holding up the  
paper for them to see4  ,i'll make the  
paths first1 she said1 laying the paper 
on the geography1 and taking the pencil 
from ,uncle ,robert4 ,then ,i can put in
 the beds afterward4  ,when the paths   
were drawn1 ,susie named the beds and   
marked them off on the paper4  ,please  
write the names for me1 ,uncle ,robert1 
she said4 ,i can't spell all the big    
words4  ,i will write them on this      
paper1 said ,uncle ,robert1 and when you
 see how they look you can write them on
 your plan4  ,oh1 yes1 said ,susie1 that
 will be the nicest way4  ,see1 mother1 
cried ,susie1 running to her1 this is my
 garden4 ,now ,i know just what is to be
 in every bed4  ,illustration3 ,susie's 
garden4  ,where are you going to get    
poppies8 asked ,donald1 looking at the  

plan on the paper4  ,uncle ,robert is   
going to send for the seed1 answered    
,susie4 ,he likes poppies best of all   
the flowers4 ,we are going to have      
nasturtiums1 too4 ,they are to grow by  
the porch and the fence4  ,that will be 
fine1 dear1 said ,mrs4 ,leonard4 ,what a
 beautiful garden we shall have6  ,i can
 hardly wait1 cried ,susie1 dancing     
along the walk4 ,come1 uncle1 let's     
plant what seeds we have now4  ,do we   
need to do anything to the ground1 asked
 ,uncle ,robert1 before the seeds are   
put in8  ,only rake over the top a      
little1 said ,susie1 taking up her rake 
and going to work4 ,it has been spaded4 
,see how light and fine it is           
underneath6 ,ugh6 ,i wish the old worms 
would keep out6  ,don't be too hard on  
the worms1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,they   
are your best helpers4  ,i don't see how
 that is1 uncle1 said ,susie1 looking up
 in surprise4  ,you just said the soil  
was light and fine1 said ,uncle ,robert4
 ,don't you know you have to thank the  

worms for keeping it so8  ,are you sure1
 uncle8 asked ,susie4 ,i thought the    
worms ate the plants4  ,the earthworms  
never eat the plants1 said ,uncle       
,robert4 ,they eat the soil1 and so keep
 it worked over4 ,it is the cutworm that
 eats the plants4  ,just then ,donald   
came over from the vegetable garden4    
,why1 you've only just begun1 he said4  
,we're all through4 ,don't those tomato 
plants look nice8  ,well1 said ,susie1  
you didn't draw your garden4 ,that took 
a long time1 didn't it1 uncle8 ,you rake
 those beds for me1 ,don1 while ,i put  
the seeds in4  ,i'd just as soon1 said  
,donald1 taking the rake4 ,what goes    
here8  ,mignonette1 said ,susie4 ,when  
any one wants to know about my garden   
now1 they can look at the drawing4      
,uncle ,robert smiled4  ,what makes you 
think you'll have mignonette there8 he  
asked1 as ,susie marked a little furrow 
with a stick in the soft1 warm soil4    
,why1 these are mignonette seeds1 she   
replied4 ,i gathered them myself4 ,don't

 you think they'll grow1 uncle8         
,certainly ,i do1 replied ,uncle        
,robert4  ,it would be a pretty dead    
seed1 said ,donald1 that wouldn't grow  
in this soil4  ,are seeds alive8 asked  
,uncle ,robert1 smiling4  ,why1 ,i--,i  
don't know1 said ,donald1 looking       
puzzled4 ,i never thought about it4 ,i  
just said that4 ,they don't look like   
it1 that's a fact1 but they surely      
wouldn't grow if they were dead1 would  
they8  ,do all seeds grow in the same   
way8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,i never    
thought about it1 said ,donald4         
,neither did ,i1 said ,susie4 ,i just   
know if ,i plant mignonette1 mignonette 
will grow2 and if ,i plant sweet peas1  
sweet peas will grow4 ,that's all ,i    
ever thought about it4  ,would you like 
to know8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,oh1    
yes1 said ,susie4  ,how can we8 asked   
,donald4 ,the seeds are in the ground1  
and we can't see them4  ,if ,susie is   
willing to dig up one of her sweet peas1
 said ,uncle ,robert1 perhaps it will   

tell us what it has been doing since she
 planted it last week4  ,oh1 yes1 said  
,susie4 ,see if you can find one1 ,don4 
,i put lots in4  ,down on their knees   
went ,susie and ,donald1 and began      
digging in the soil4  ,here is one1 said
 ,donald1 just ready to come up1 and    
another close to it4 ,the tip of it must
 have been through4 ,see1 it is green4  
,wouldn't it be green in the ground8    
asked ,susie1 looking closely at the    
tiny plant4  ,why1 no1 said ,donald4    
,things are never green when they're    
covered up4 ,it's light that makes      
things green4 ,don't you know how yellow
 the grass gets if a board lies on it1  
and what yellow stalks the potatoes have
 when they sprout in the cellar8 ,it    
must be the light that makes them green4
  ,oh1 yes1 said ,susie4 ,but see how   
big that pea is6 ,it's about twice as   
big as it was when ,i planted it4       
,illustration3 ,sprouting pea4  ,see1   
said ,donald1 the roots grow from the   
same place that the stem does4 ,i should

 think it would be better if one came   
from one side of the pea1 and one from  
the other4  ,what becomes of the rest of
 the seed8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,i    
don't know1 said ,susie4 ,is it of any  
use8  ,it is of the greatest use1       
replied ,uncle ,robert4 ,the little pea 
plant couldn't live without it4 ,it is  
its food that the mother sweet pea      
gathered last summer from the soil and  
air1 and stored away in the little round
 ball for her baby to feed on until it  
should be big enough to get its own     
food4  ,do you really mean1 uncle1 cried
 ,susie1 with shining eyes1 that the    
sweet peas ,i have planted in that bed  
are the children of those ,i had last   
year8  ,why not8 asked ,uncle ,robert1  
with a smile4  ,i never thought of it   
before1 said ,susie1 looking at the tiny
 plant in her hand2 but ,i like it4 ,it 
seems just like a family4  ,and that's  
what it is1 said ,uncle ,robert4  ,don't
 you think this baby had better go back 
to bed8 said ,susie1 making a deep hole 

in the ground4  ,wait a moment1 ,susie1 
said ,uncle ,robert4  ,suppose we take  
it for a visit to the beans1 and see if 
they grow like it4  ,so they went to the
 vegetable garden1 where they found a   
great many plants1 each with two strong1
 thick leaves sticking through the soil4
 ,some were quite green and showed a    
tiny shoot between them4 ,others were   
yellow1 with only the tips turned green4
  ,dig one up1 ,don1 said ,susie1 and   
let's see if it is like the baby pea4   
,donald pulled one up1 but no bean was  
to be seen4 ,the stem grew straight into
 the ground1 ending with a little bunch 
of roots4  ,where's the bean8 asked     
,susie4  ,these two leaves must be the  
bean1 said ,donald4 ,don't they look    
like it8 ,he took a bean from his pocket
 and held it close to the little plant4 
,well1 ,i never6 cried ,susie4 ,if those
 two leaves aren't just the bean split  
open6 ,are they any good that way1      
uncle8  ,yes1 indeed1 said ,uncle       
,robert1 smiling4  ,they feed the little

 bean just as the pea does4 ,but they do
 even more4 ,what do you think they will
 do when the sun goes down and the air  
gets cool8  ,illustration3 ,sprouting   
bean4  ,oh1 ,i know4 said ,donald4 ,i've
 seen them lots of times4 ,they just    
shut together tight4 ,and that keeps the
 little bud you see in there as warm as 
you are in your bed4  ,isn't that       
wonderful8 said ,susie4 ,why1 uncle1    
it's just as if they could think6  ,the 
leaves drop off after a while1 said     
,donald4 ,i often see them lying on the 
ground4  ,yes1 said ,uncle ,robert4     
,when the plant is strong enough to take
 care of itself1 their work is done4    
,are there any other plants that make   
leaves out of the seeds1 uncle8 asked   
,donald4  ,oh8 yes1 replied ,uncle      
,robert4 ,squashes and pumpkins do1 and 
many others4 ,some have more perfect    
leaves than these4 ,let us look at the  
morning glories by the porch4           
,illustration3 ,morning glory4  ,they   
come up every year by themselves1 said  

,susie4  ,she ran to her garden1 saying1
 ,i'm going to put this pea-baby to bed 
again4 ,do you think it will grow1      
uncle8  ,it may1 but it is not good for 
it to be out of bed too long4  ,i'll put
 a stick by it1 said ,susie1 so ,i can  
watch it4 ,good-by1 baby1 giving the    
ground a little pat2 go to sleep4  ,then
 she ran after ,uncle ,robert and       
,donald4  ,how thick the morning glories
 are6 said ,donald4 ,some of them have  
several leaves on1 but here is one with 
only two4  ,they don't look as the bean 
leaves do1 said ,susie4 ,the beans are  
so thick6 ,these have real leaves4      
,yes1 said ,uncle ,robert1 and if you   
could see them in the seed1 you would   
see these leaves all curled up in their 
hard coat4  ,this one is just putting   
its head through the ground1 said       
,susie1 and it has part of the shell on 
it yet4  ,it looks as the little        
chickens do sometimes1 laughed ,donald1 
when they come out of the nest with a   
piece of the shell sticking to their    

backs4  ,that hard shell is a great     
protection to the tender plant as it    
works its way up through the soil1 said 
,uncle ,robert4  ,if these seed leaves  
are real leaves1 uncle1 asked ,donald1  
what feeds the baby morning glories8    
,there is plenty of food in the seed    
around the leaves1 said ,uncle ,robert4 
,when the seed gets moist in the ground1
 it becomes so soft that the plant can  
use it4 ,have you ever noticed when you 
were eating corn the little hard bud    
that grows in each grain close to the   
cob8  ,yes1 uncle1 answered ,susie4     
,that is the sweetest part of the corn4 
,that is the part1 said ,uncle ,robert1 
from which the new plant grows1 and all 
the rest of the grain is the food stored
 up for it4  ,i wish we had some corn1  
said ,susie1 so we could see it4  ,i'll 
go and get some1 said ,donald4  ,oh1 do1
 ,don1 said ,susie1 and while he's gone1
 ,uncle ,robert1 ,i can plant the rest  
of my seeds4 ,i have only a few left4   
,so ,donald ran to the cornfield and    

,susie went to the garden4 ,when he came
 back she had finished1 and they joined 
,uncle ,robert on the piazza4  ,the corn
 grows out of the side of the seed1 said
 ,donald4 ,see what a big root it has   
for such a little plant6  ,illustration3
 ,sprouting corn4  ,how pretty those    
leaves are6 said ,susie4 ,they look like
 two little green feathers4 ,some one   
else had the same thought1 ,susie1 said 
,uncle ,robert4 ,did you ever hear the  
story the poet ,longfellow tells about  
how the corn came to the ,indians8 ,you 
know it is called ',indian corn4'  ,no1 
uncle1 said ,susie4 ,do tell us4  ,so as
 they sat beside him on the piazza4     
,uncle ,robert told the story of        
,hiawatha and ,mondamin4  ,hiawatha was 
a brave young ,indian chief1 began      
,uncle ,robert1 who wanted to help his  
people4 ,he knew that there were times  
when they had no food4 ,in the winter   
the birds flew away4 ,the 'big sea      
water1' as they called the great lake1  
was frozen over1 and they could catch no

 fish4 ,there were no wild berries in   
the woods4  ',master of ,life1' he      
cried1'must our lives depend on these   
things8'  ,he was very unhappy4 ,he     
could not eat4 ,he lay in his wigwam1   
fasting and praying for some good to    
come to his people4  ,one evening as he 
lay watching the setting sun he saw a   
youth coming toward him4 ,his dress was 
green and yellow1 and over his yellow   
hair he wore a bright green plume4      
',the ,master of ,life has sent me1'    
said the youth4 ',i am ,mondamin4 ,it is
 only by hard labor ,hiawatha1 that you 
can gain the answer to your prayer4     
,rise now1 and wrestle with me4'        
,hiawatha was weak from fasting1 but he 
did as ,mondamin commanded4 ,until the  
sun had set they wrestled together4     
,then ,mondamin went away as silently as
 he had come4  ,a second time he came1  
and a third4 ,then he said3 ',you have  
fought bravely1 ,hiawatha4 ,i shall come
 once more4 ,you will conquer me4 ,then 
you must take off my dress of green and 

yellow and my nodding plumes4 ,make a   
bed in the soft warm earth for me to lie
 in4 ,let nothing come to disturb me as 
,i slumber4 ,only let the sunshine and  
the rain fall upon me4 ,you must watch  
beside me1 ,hiawatha1 until my sleep is 
over4'  ,then he was gone4  ,when they  
wrestled the next night it was as       
,mondamin had said4 ,he was conquered4  
,then1 day after day1 ,hiawatha came and
 watched1    ',till at length a small   
green feather     ,from the earth shot  
slowly upward4'  ,there it is1 whispered
 ,susie4  ,sh6 said ,donald4  ,then     
another and another1 continued ,uncle   
,robert1 and before long the corn was   
waving its long1 green foliage in the   
sunshine4  ',it is ,mondamin6' cried    
,hiawatha1'the friend of man1           
,mondamin6'  ,what a lovely story6 cried
 ,susie as ,uncle ,robert finished4 ,i  
wish ,frank could have heard it4  ,we'll
 find it in your mother's book of       
,longfellow's poems and let ,frank read 
it1 said ,uncle ,robert4  ,let's tell   

him about the seeds first1 said ,donald4
 ,he'll like it better then4            
,illustration3 ,a stalk of corn4        
,,chapter ,,vi4  ,,sunlight ,,and       
,,shadow4   ,it was a busy time on the  
farm4 ,only when the day's work was over
 and they were gathered in the          
sitting-room was there time for the long
 talks with ,uncle ,robert that they all
 enjoyed so much4  ,it's wonderful1 said
 ,mr4 ,leonard one evening1 looking up  
from his paper1 how fast the corn is    
growing4 ,even the late planting is     
coming on4  ,that's because the weather 
is so warm1 said ,donald4  ,i wonder    
what makes it warm8 said ,uncle ,robert4
  ,why1 ,uncle ,robert1 exclaimed       
,susie1 it's spring6 ,that's what makes 
it warm4  ,but what makes it spring1    
little girl8 asked ,uncle ,robert4      
,why1 it is always spring in ,may1 said 
,susie4  ,i know of a country where it  
is spring in ,september1 replied ,uncle 
,robert4  ,how can it be8 asked ,susie4 
,i thought springtime always came in    

,may4  ,what makes us know that it is   
spring8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,oh1 it  
gets warmer all the time4 ,the birds    
come1 things begin to grow1 and the     
flowers bloom4  ,but what makes all this
 happen just now8  ,it's the sun1       
answered ,donald from the floor1 where  
he was playing with his great ,st4      
,bernard dog1 ,barri4 ,you know it rises
 earlier and sets later every day now   
than it did a while ago4 ,it's hotter   
too4  ,it goes higher at noon1 said     
,frank4 ,in the middle of summer it is  
almost straight over our heads1 and in  
the winter it seems ever so much farther
 to the south4 ,i've often noticed that4
  ,so have ,i1 said ,donald4 ,and in the
 winter the shadows are longer than they
 are in summer4 ,it must be because the 
sun isn't so high up4  ,aren't shadows  
funny8 said ,susie4 ,one day when ,i was
 coming in to dinner1 just for fun ,i   
tried to walk on my shadow1 and ,i could
 step on my head4  ,i've done that lots 
of times1 said ,donald4 ,but it's a     

strange thing4 ,sometimes ,i can step   
clear over my head--,i mean in the      
shadow--and then again ,i have to step  
on it4  ,and when you jump1 said ,susie1
 it spoils it4 ,the shadow always jumps 
too4  ,what kind of weather was it when 
you had to jump to it8 asked ,uncle     
,robert4  ,i don't remember1 said       
,donald4 ,would the weather make any    
difference8  ,i remember1 said ,susie1  
because one time when ,i was jumping    
that way ,i fell down and was almost    
buried in the snow4  ,then it was       
winter1 wasn't it8 asked ,uncle ,robert4
  ,it must have been1 said ,frank4      
,illustration3 ,shadow stick4  ,and     
since you told us that the shadows at   
noon tell why it is warmer in summer    
than in winter ,i've been watching them4
 ,they get shorter all the time4 ,how   
would you like to measure the shadows   
every day1 said ,uncle ,robert1 and see 
if you can find out when they are       
shortest and when they are longest8     
,how can we8 asked ,susie4 ,shadows are 

so queer4  ,yes1 said ,uncle ,robert1   
shadows are queer1 but1 if we take one  
that doesn't jump as yours does1 don't  
you think we can measure it8  ,of course
 we can1 said ,frank4 ,we can use the   
house4 ,that always stands still4  ,the 
house might do1 said ,uncle ,robert2 but
 wouldn't it be better to have a shadow 
stick8  ,where can we get one8 asked    
,donald4  ,what is it made of8 asked    
,frank4  ,it is like this1 said ,uncle  
,robert1 taking paper and pencil from   
his pocket4 ,there is one long piece of 
board1 and one short one nailed to the  
end--so1 drawing it on the paper4  ,oh1 
that's easy enough made1 said ,donald4  
,we can do it ourselves right here in   
the tool house4  ,let's make it         
to-morrow1 ,don1 said ,frank4  ,it must 
be set up some place with the upright   
end turned toward the south1 so that    
just at noon the shadow of the short    
piece may fall straight on the board4   
,by drawing a line across the board at  
the top of the shadow and marking the   

date on it1 we can tell how the length  
of the shadow changes4  ,uncle1 asked   
,donald1 when it is winter here1 is it  
summer in some other part of the world8 
,yes1 was the reply1 and now that our   
summer is coming1 the people there are  
beginning to have winter4  ,then1 said  
,frank1 when it gets cooler here in the 
fall it is growing warmer there1 and    
that would make their spring come in    
,september1 wouldn't it8 ,do you see1   
,susie8  ,illustration3 ,eskimo scene4  
,yes1 answered ,susie1 but it seems all 
mixed up4 ,i thought it was the same as 
it is here all over the world4  ,oh1 ,i 
didn't1 said ,donald4 ,i've read about  
countries where it is summer all the    
time1 and is so hot that the people     
don't do anything but lie under the     
trees and sleep4 ,and there are other   
countries where it is winter all the    
time1 and the people dress in furs and  
make their houses of snow and ice4 ,i   
read all about it in a book once1 but it
 didn't tell why it was so4 ,i knew1 of 

course1 the sun had something to do with
 it4  ,why1 you know1 ,don1 said ,frank1
 we learned all that in our geography at
 school4  ,yes1 said ,donald1 but ,i    
never thought about that in the         
geography as meaning any real country4  
,what did you think it meant8 asked     
,uncle ,robert4  ,oh1 said ,donald1 just
 a lesson in the book4  ,well1 said     
,frank1 ,i always thought it was some   
country1 but ,i never knew where4 ,i    
didn't think much about it after ,i said
 the lesson4  ,i should think not1 said 
,uncle ,robert1 not sorry that the      
teacher had gone away and the school had
 been closed4  ,i wish when books tell  
things they'd tell why they're so1 said 
,frank4  ,perhaps if we think about     
these things1 said ,uncle ,robert1 we   
may be able to answer some of the 'whys'
 for ourselves4  ,we can tell by the    
thermometer just how warm it is every   
day1 said ,susie1 but it won't tell us  
why4  ,the shadow stick may help us     
there1 said ,uncle ,robert4  ,i am      

afraid ,i shall forget1 said ,donald4   
,i have some little notebooks in my     
trunk1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,suppose ,i 
give you each one and let you write down
 what the thermometer and the shadow    
stick say every day4  ,what fun that'll 
be6 cried ,susie4 ,when may we begin8   
,to-morrow morning1 if you like1 replied
 her uncle4 ,i will get the books for   
you now4  ,he went away to his room1 and
 soon returned with the notebooks4      
,i'll tell you1 uncle1 said ,frank as he
 thanked ,uncle ,robert for his book1   
how would it do for each of us to look  
at the thermometer at a different time  
of the day8  ,the very thing6 replied   
,uncle ,robert1 well pleased4 ,you are  
always up early1 ,frank1 so suppose you 
look at six in the morning1 ,susie at   
twelve o'clock1 and ,donald at six in   
the evening4 ,how will that do8 ,then we
 shall have the record for the whole    
day4  ,i think it will be such fun6 said
 ,susie4 ,i wonder if our books will be 
very different4  ,what makes you think  

they will be different8 asked ,uncle    
,robert4  ,it's always hotter at noon   
than it is at night or in the morning1  
said ,susie4  ,do you know1 said ,uncle 
,robert1 there are places all over the  
,united ,states where such records are  
kept8 ,they are published1 and ,i am to 
have them sent to me every week4  ,i    
wonder if ours will be like them1 said  
,donald1 turning over the pages of his  
notebook4  ,even if they should be      
different4 said ,uncle ,robert1 they may
 be just as true4  ,we'll get up early  
and start the shadow stick the first    
thing in the morning1 said ,frank1 so as
 to have it ready by noon4  ,how do you 
know when it is noon8 asked ,uncle      
,robert4  ,we look at the clock1 said   
,susie4  ,but noon by the clock is not  
always noon by the sun1 replied ,uncle  
,robert4  ,how can that be8 asked       
,donald4  ,it is noon somewhere on the  
globe every minute of the twenty-four   
hours1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,the sun is 
always setting and always rising        

somewhere4  ,the children were puzzled4 
,i don't see how that is1 said ,donald4 
,let us see if we can find out1 said    
,uncle ,robert4 ,frank1 you stand at the
 east end of the room1 ,donald at the   
west1 and ,susie in the middle4 ,now1   
we'll play that ,frank is in ,new ,york1
 ,susie here at home in ,illinois1 and  
,donald in ,denver4 ,i'll take the lamp 
and be the sun4 ,you are shadow sticks1 
you know4 ,now watch the shadows1 and   
see when they point directly north4     
,uncle ,robert took the lamp and walked 
slowly from the east side of the room4  
,my shadow points north1 said ,frank as 
,uncle ,robert passed him4  ,now mine   
does1 said ,susie4  ,and mine last of   
all1 said ,donald4  ,uncle ,robert took 
out his watch4 ,it was ten minutes past 
eight4  ,that is ,susie's time1 he said4
 ,would it be the same in ,new ,york1   
,frank8  ,i think it would be past that1
 said ,frank1 but ,i don't know how     
much4  ,it is ten minutes past nine by  
the watch in ,new ,york1 said ,uncle    

,robert4  ,when would it be that time in
 ,denver8 asked ,donald4  ,in an hour by
 the watch1 said ,uncle ,robert1 but it 
would not be the same by the sun4  ,then
 the watches don't tell the true time1  
do they8 said ,frank4  ,the sun's       
shadows give us the true time1 said     
,uncle ,robert4 ,we will study the      
shadows1 and by and by may learn how the
 watches and clocks are regulated4 ,but 
how do you think people told the time   
before they had clocks8  ,it must have  
been by the sun1 replied ,frank4  ,i can
 tell by the sun when it is noon1 said  
,donald1 but ,i don't see how any one   
can tell any other hour that way4  ,how 
do you know when it is noon8  ,why1 the 
sun is highest at noon4 said ,donald4   
and the shadows point straight toward   
the north4  ,early in the morning they  
point to the west1 said ,frank1 and in  
the evening they point to the east4     
,the people who lived in the world many 
hundred years ago observed the same     
thing1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,there was  

nothing so strange to them as the rising
 and setting of the sun4 ,they loved the
 light that came with it4 ,they feared  
the darkness that followed its going    
away4 ,they told many interesting       
stories to explain this continued       
appearance and disappearance4 ,some     
thought the sun was a king riding       
through the sky in a golden chariot4    
,others looked upon it as a god and     
worshiped it4  ,they soon learned that  
when it went away it was sure to come   
again1 and as they saw how regularly it 
moved1 they felt there must be some     
power back of it to guide it4 ,through  
this they were led to a belief in a     
,being that controlled all things4      
,they watched the shadows1 too1 and saw 
them change just as you see them every  
day4 ,they learned that the shadow is   
shortest when the day is half gone1 and 
they called that time midday4 ,so1 by   
studying the length and direction of the
 shadows1 they soon became able to judge
 the time of day4  ,then some one       

thought to set up a rod and mark the    
places where the shadow fell at sunrise1
 at sunset1 and at midday4 ,the space in
 between was divided for the hours4     
,this was called a sun dial and was the 
first instrument ever made for telling  
time4  ,when was the first one made8    
asked ,frank4  ,that is not known1      
replied ,uncle ,robert1 but we read in  
the ,bible of the sun dial of ,king     
,ahaz1 who lived about eight hundred    
years before the time of ,christ4 ,that 
is the first record we have of one4     
,how was it made8 asked ,donald4  ,i do 
not know how the one ,king ,ahaz used   
was made1 said ,uncle ,robert1 but ,i   
can show you how one looked that ,i saw 
in an old garden in ,england4 ,this1    
drawing a half circle1 is the dial on   
which the hours were marked4 ,around    
this dial there was a border1 much      
cracked1 and crumbling away1 but ,i     
could read the words1 ',the sun guides  
me1 the shadow you4' ,the rod1 or       
gnomon1 as it is sometimes called1 stood

 just halfway between the ends4 ,where  
would the noon shadow fall1 ,susie8     
,illustration  ,in the middle1 wouldn't 
it8 answered ,susie4  ,and the morning  
shadow would fall on the west and the   
evening shadow on the east side1 said   
,frank4  ,now we'll put in the shadow   
stick1 said ,uncle ,robert1 drawing a   
triangle on the paper4  ,why don't you  
make it stand up straight8 asked        
,donald4  ,the shadow does not tell the 
truth1 said ,uncle ,robert1 unless it   
points in the same way that the north   
pole does1 and that1 we know1 points to 
the north star4 ,i will explain this    
some other time4  ,couldn't we make a   
sun dial8 asked ,donald4 ,i don't       
believe it would be very hard4  ,you    
could make one easily1 answered ,uncle  
,robert4  ,but let's have the shadow    
stick first1 said ,frank4  ,susie went  
to the window and looked out at the     
clear star-lighted sky4  ,uncle1 she    
said1 the stars all look alike to me1   
only some are little and some are big4  

,how can people know them by their      
names8  ,just as anything else is known1
 dear1 replied ,uncle ,robert1 by close 
and careful study4  ,i wish we could    
study the stars1 said ,frank4  ,we will 
some time1 replied ,uncle ,robert4 ,come
 out on the piazza now1 and ,i will show
 you the north star4 ,that will be a    
good beginning4     ,,chapter ,,vii4    
,,the ,,barometer4   ,one day when it   
was ,donald's turn to go for the mail he
 found among ,uncle ,robert's letters a 
small paper4 ,on the wrapper he read    
,united ,states ,weather ,report4  ,it  
had come4 ,there was already quite a    
line of figures in each of their        
notebooks4 ,now they could see what this
 other record was like4 ,as he left the 
post office he stopped to look at the   
old thermometer beside the door4 ,then  
he mounted ,nell and rode down the      
village street and out into the pleasant
 country road4  ,uncle ,robert was      
waiting for him on the porch1 and as    
,donald rode away to the barn1 after    

giving him the mail1 he heard him say3  
,here1 ,frank1 is the ,weather ,report4 
,open it and look at it while ,i read my
 letters4  ,donald took off the saddle  
and gave the horse her supper4 ,then he 
hurried back to see what ,frank had     
found on the inside of the              
important-looking wrapper4 ,it proved to
 be a map with queer1 crooked lines all 
over it1 but it did not look at all     
interesting4  ,here it says temperature1
 said ,frank1 pointing to a list of     
figures in the corner4 ,perhaps this is 
what we want4  ,i don't see any numbers 
there like mine1 said ,donald1 taking   
his notebook from his pocket4  ,let me  
help you1 said ,uncle ,robert1 laying   
aside his letters and coming to where   
they sat on the steps4  ,they made room 
for him1 and1 as he took the map1 he    
explained3  ,this1 you see1 is a map of 
the ,united ,states4 ,these dotted lines
 tell about the temperature4 ,for       
instance1 look at this one which is     
marked fifty degrees4 ,at every place in

 the country that is touched by this    
line on the map the thermometer stood at
 fifty degrees at the time the map was  
made4  ,illustration3 ,united ,states   
weather map4  ,see1 said ,susie1 how    
crooked the line is4 ,why isn't it      
straight1 uncle8  ,because1 was the     
reply1 as ,i told you1 it goes wherever 
the temperature was fifty degrees4 ,you 
remember1 the first day we had our      
thermometer1 we found that there are    
many things which affect the            
temperature4 ,at some places along this 
line there are prairies1 at others      
forests1 at others lakes1 and here1     
pointing to the map1 there are high     
mountains4 ,all of these things affect  
the temperature1 and that1 of course1   
changes the direction of the line4  ,you
 say ,chicago is the nearest station to 
us1 uncle1 said ,frank1 looking down the
 temperature column4 ,my record for that
 day is not so very different from the  
one given here for ,chicago4  ,which    
shows that yours is probably as nearly  

correct as this is1 said ,uncle ,robert1
 with an encouraging smile4  ,but ,i    
haven't one number in my book like that1
 said ,susie1 looking disappointed4 ,i  
don't see why4  ,illustration3 ,susie's 
notebook  ,i do1 replied ,uncle ,robert4
 ,you make your record at noon1 and of  
course1 it is warmer then4 ,that is what
 your book says1 does it not8  ,yes1    
said ,susie1 every number in my book is 
more than that one4  ,that is right1 was
 the reply1 for this record was made at 
eight o'clock in the morning1 which is  
nearer ,frank's hour than it is yours4  
,so we would expect his to be nearer    
like this than yours1 wouldn't we8  ,it 
isn't like mine either1 said ,donald4   
,we may have one some time that will be 
more like yours1 said ,uncle ,robert1   
for these records are made at eight in  
the evening as well as in the morning4  
,uncle1 said ,frank1 looking closely at 
the map1 here it says ',high1' and there
 it says ',low4' ,what does that mean8  
,it means1 said ,uncle ,robert1 that    

here there is a low barometer1 and there
 the barometer is high4  ,barometer1    
said ,donald4 ,what is a barometer1     
uncle8 ,is it like a thermometer8       
,well1 not exactly1 was the reply4 ,with
 the thermometer1 you know1 we tell the 
temperature of the air1 and with the    
barometer we tell how heavy it is4  ,how
 heavy the air is6 exclaimed ,susie4    
,how funny6 ,why1 uncle1 air doesn't    
weigh anything1 does it8  ,more than you
 think1 little girl1 said ,uncle        
,robert1 smiling4 ,but perhaps we can   
prove whether it does or not4 ,frank1   
will you get a pail of water8 ,donald1  
see if you can find a cork some place2  
and ,susie1 run in and get a tumbler4   
,when all was ready ,uncle ,robert asked
 ,frank to fill the pan with water1 and 
,donald to put the cork into it4        
,illustration3 ,experiment ,no4 #a4     
,there1 said ,donald1 as the cork       
floated about on the pan of water4  ,but
 ,i want the cork on the bottom of the  
pan1 said ,uncle ,robert1 not on the top

 of the water4  ,it won't stay there1   
declared ,donald1 pushing it into the   
water again and again with his finger4  
,it is too light4 ,corks always float4  
,how can we make it go to the bottom8   
,no one could tell4 ,the children looked
 puzzled4  ,let us see what this will   
do1 and1 taking the glass from ,susie's 
hand1 ,uncle ,robert turned it over the 
cork1 pressed it down into the water as 
far as it would go1 and held it there4  
,looking through the glass1 they could  
see the cork lying on the bottom of the 
pan4  ,why1 ,uncle ,robert6 exclaimed   
,susie1 what--how--  ,it's the glass    
that does it1 declared ,donald4  ,but   
the glass doesn't touch the cork1       
objected his uncle4  ,there's air in the
 glass1 said ,frank1 who had been       
looking at it quietly as the others     
talked4 ,that is what presses it down4  
,if it's air1 said ,donald1 why didn't  
it go down before the glass was put over
 it8 ,there was just as much air about  
it then1 and more1 too4  ,let go of the 

glass1 uncle1 said ,frank1 and see what 
it will do4  ,uncle ,robert did so1 and 
the glass instantly turned over1 while a
 big bubble of air escaped through the  
water4  ,there1 said ,frank1 smiling1 ,i
 told you so6  ,then air only presses on
 things when there is something like the
 glass to hold it down4 ,is that so1    
uncle8 asked ,donald4  ,let us see1 was 
the reply4  ,illustration3 ,air         
,pressure4 ,experiment ,no4 #b4         
,filling the glass with water1 he placed
 a piece of paper over it1 and quickly  
turned it upside down4 ,not a drop of   
water fell from the glass4 ,the paper1  
now beneath the water1 stayed there as  
though glued4  ,uncle1 said ,frank1 is  
it truly the air that holds the paper on
 and keeps the water in the glass8 ,if  
it presses that way everywhere1 why     
don't we feel it8  ,it is because it    
presses equally in every direction1     
replied ,uncle ,robert4 ,put your hand  
in this pail of water4 ,do you feel it  
pressing on your hand8  ,no1 said       

,frank4  ,place it lower in the water4  
,does it feel any heavier now8  ,not at 
all1 answered ,frank4  ,but you know    
that the water is heavy4 ,lift the pail1
 ,donald4  ,it is heavy1 said ,donald1  
setting it down4 ,i don't see why ,frank
 didn't feel a little of the weight of  
it when his hand was under all the      
water4  ,it is this way1 explained      
,uncle ,robert4 ,the water pressed on   
his hand from below as much as from     
above1 and the same on both sides4 ,when
 you lifted it you felt its weight      
pressing downward only4 ,now it is just 
so with the air4 ,it presses with such  
equal pressure that we do not realize   
its weight4 ,it is only when it presses 
harder from one direction than from     
another that we feel it4  ,that's when  
the wind blows1 isn't it1 uncle8 asked  
,donald4  ,yes1 my boy1 was the reply4  
,you can see how it is out among the    
trees now4  ,but1 uncle1 said ,donald1  
how can the air be weighed if it presses
 the same in all directions8 ,it was    

only when ,i lifted the whole pail of   
water that ,i felt how heavy it was4    
,the air can't be weighed if it presses 
up just as much as it does down4  ,but  
if in some way it could be shut off so  
that it would only press in one         
direction8  ,it might be1 answered      
,donald1 but ,i don't see how4  ,uncle  
,robert told ,susie to put the glass in 
the water so that it would all be below 
the surface1 and1 without taking it from
 the water1 to turn it upside down4 ,she
 did so1 and then began to lift it      
slowly out of the water4  ,see1 cried   
,susie1 the water comes with it4 ,the   
glass is full4 ,could ,i lift it clear  
out that way8  ,try it1 said ,uncle     
,robert1 smiling4  ,but no2 when the    
edge of the glass came out of the water 
in the pail1 down went the water with a 
splash4  ,i see how it is1 said ,frank1 
who had watched it closely4 ,there      
wasn't any air in the glass to keep the 
water out1 as there was when we turned  
it over the cork1 so the water stayed in

 it4  ,but what made it come up out of  
the pail8 asked ,donald4 ,there wasn't  
any air under it to press it up4  ,would
 the air pressing on the water around   
the glass make it do so1 uncle8 asked   
,frank1 placing the glass in the water  
and raising it as ,susie had done4 ,it  
seems as if it might be that4  ,that is 
what it is1 replied his uncle4 ,the air 
pressing on the water in the pail forces
 it into the glass1 where there is      
nothing to keep it from rising4  ,if the
 glass was longer would the water stay  
in it just the same8 asked ,donald4     
,yes1 was the reply4 ,if there was no   
air in the glass it would have to be    
very many times as long as this glass is
 to hold the water that would rise if it
 had a chance4 ,but come1 let us sit    
down on the steps again1 and ,i will    
tell you about it4  ,when they were     
settled he continued3  ,over two hundred
 and fifty years ago there lived a man  
named ,galileo1 who learned a great many
 wonderful things by studying the stars 

and doing just such things as we have   
been doing4 ,it was he who made the     
first thermometer4 ,but there was one   
question that he could not answer4 ,he  
found that in a hollow glass tube1      
closed at one end1 water would rise     
thirty-four feet high1 but no higher4   
,he could not tell why4 ,a pupil of his 
thought he would try the same thing with
 the heaviest liquid known----  ,that   
was mercury1 wasn't it1 uncle8          
interrupted ,donald4  ,yes2 he used     
mercury1 and found that it rose in the  
tube just thirty inches4 ,he knew that  
the mercury was thirteen and six-tenths 
times as heavy as the water1 so he felt 
sure that it was the pressure of the air
 that made them both rise in the tube1  
for thirty-four feet is just thirteen   
and six-tenths times thirty inches4 ,but
 they wanted to see if it was really the
 air1 so they took the tube up on a high
 mountain4  ,what difference would that 
make8 asked ,susie4  ,look at the       
woodpile out there1 said her uncle4     

,where do you think the weight of the   
wood would be the greater8 ,on the      
ground or halfway to the top8  ,on the  
ground1 of course1 answered ,susie4     
,well1 they found it was the same with  
the air4 ,as they went up the mountain  
the mercury in the tube fell4  ,that    
showed that the weight on it was less1  
didn't it1 uncle8 said ,frank4 ,i think 
that was a very wonderful discovery1    
don't you8  ,it was1 indeed1 replied    
,uncle ,robert1 and that is how the     
first barometer was made4               
,illustration3 ,barometer4  ,is that    
what a barometer is8 asked ,donald4     
,yes1 was the reply1 simply a glass tube
 about thirty-three or thirty-four      
inches long1 closed at the top1 and     
filled with mercury4 ,it is then placed 
in a small open cup1 called the cistern1
 into which the mercury flows until the 
air pressing on it there will let it    
fall no farther4  ,does it always stay  
at the same height in the tube8 asked   
,donald4  ,oh1 no1 his uncle answered4  

,some days the air is heavier than      
others1 and so presses harder on the    
mercury4  ,that would make it rise1     
wouldn't it8 asked ,susie4  ,yes1 dear4 
,so1 uncle1 said ,frank1 taking up the  
,weather ,report1 where it says ',high' 
here1 it means that the air is heavier  
than where it says ',low4' ,is that it8 
,that's right1 replied ,uncle ,robert2  
and when the barometer is low we know   
there will be a storm4  ,well--and      
,donald stood up and stretched          
himself--,i wish ,i could see a         
barometer4  ,you shall1 said ,uncle     
,robert ,i will send for one4 ,you may  
carry the letter to the post office     
to-morrow when you go for the mail4     
,,chapter ,,viii4  ,a ,,walk ,,in ,,the 
,,woods4   ,it was a beautiful ,sunday  
afternoon4 ,the sun had marked its      
shortest shadows4 ,they were now        
pointing toward the northeast4  ,the    
family had returned from the little     
village church4 ,dinner was over1 and   
they had all gone into the cool1 shady  

piazza4 ,mrs4 ,leonard and ,susie had   
settled themselves cozily in one corner 
and were reading together4 ,mr4 ,leonard
 was nodding over the pages of his      
weekly newspaper4 ,frank1 stretched out 
on the settee1 was absorbed in a new    
book1 while not far away ,donald lay    
under the spreading branches of a spruce
 tree with ,barri by his side4 ,uncle   
,robert stood gazing at the green woods1
 which looked so cool and inviting4     
',the groves were ,god's first temples1'
 he said to himself1 and then1 turning  
to the others1 asked1 ,who wants to go  
for a walk8  ,i do1 said ,frank1        
springing up4 ,come on1 ,don4 ,don-ald6 
he called1 we're going for a walk4      
,you'd better come with us1 said ,uncle 
,robert to ,mrs4 ,leonard4  ,i'll get   
your hat1 mother1 cried ,susie eagerly1 
running into the house4  ,shall we go to
 the cornfield8 asked ,mr4 ,leonard1    
picking up his straw hat4  ,i think it  
would be cooler in the woods1 said ,mrs4
 ,leonard4  ,oh1 yes1 said ,donald1     

let's go up the creek to the pond4  ,the
 country was in the full glory of early 
summer4 ,just beyond the rich green of  
the great cornfield could be seen the   
peaceful river4 ,the yellowing grain on 
the upland waved gently in the breeze4  
,under the wide-spreading oak trees in  
the pasture the cows were lazily chewing
 their cuds4 ,a feeling of quiet        
pleasure filled the air4  ,i planted all
 these trees1 said ,mr4 ,leonard as they
 walked under the maples that grew on   
either side of the road4 ,it is         
wonderful how they have grown4 ,they    
were like little sticks when ,i set them
 out4  ,the one at the end of the row1  
said ,mrs4 ,leonard1 was planted the day
 ,frank was born4  ,it is the largest of
 them all1 said ,frank4  ,that's because
 it was planted first1 said ,susie4 ,i  
have a tree1 too1 uncle4  ,so have ,i1  
said ,donald4 ,it is the spruce in the  
front yard4  ,we call them our birthday 
trees1 said ,susie4 ,mine is the elm by 
the corner of the porch4  ,that is a    

very nice custom1 said ,uncle ,robert4  
,but the trees grow faster than you do4 
,they don't have anything to do but     
grow1 said ,donald4  ,when they reached 
the bridge they paused to look up and   
down the creek valley4 ,through the     
trees they caught glimpses of the       
shining river and the waving corn4 ,the 
creek1 a little stream1 flowed between  
the two gentle slopes that formed its   
valley4  ,there's a gate under this     
bridge1 uncle1 said ,donald1 to keep the
 cows from going down the creek to the  
cornfield4 ,in the fall1 after the corn 
is cut1 we open it1 and let them go to  
the river4  ,how pleasant it is in here6
 said ,uncle ,robert as they walked     
farther into the wood4  ,just see how   
damp the ground is under these dead     
leaves6 said ,susie as she pushed them  
back from a little violet that she was  
trying to pick with a long stem4 ,poor  
little flowers6 ,how do they ever get   
through all these leaves8 ,it would be  
so much easier for them if it was just  

green grass4  ,illustration3 ,the       
bridge4   ,but then there wouldn't be   
any flowers1 said ,mr4 ,leonard1 or at  
least they would be very different4     
,illustration3 ,,hickory ,,oak ,,willow 
,,butter-,,nut ,,maple ,,walnut 7leaves7
  ,it's the leaves that make the soil so
 rich1 said ,frank1 digging into the    
ground with a stick4 ,see how they are  
mixed all through it6  ,do you know the 
names of all these trees8 asked ,uncle  
,robert4  ,i do1 said ,frank4 ,i can    
tell every tree in the wood4  ,how8     
asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,by the leaves is
 the easiest way1 said ,frank1 but ,i   
know some trees by the bark4  ,i can    
tell them by the leaves1 said ,donald4  
,try me4  ,so as ,uncle ,robert pointed 
to them ,donald called them all by name4
 ,there were oaks and maples1 hickories1
 walnuts1 and butternuts1 and close to  
the creek the overhanging willows4  ,can
 you tell a tree by its shape when you  
look at it from a distance8 asked ,uncle
 ,robert4  ,i can tell the willows and  

poplars1 said ,frank1 and maples1 too4  
,the trees in the pasture have a        
different shape from those in the woods1
 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,i mean trees of  
the same kind4 ,how do you explain that8
  ,why1 the trees in the pasture have a 
chance to spread out1 said ,donald4     
,there isn't so much room in here4  ,but
 these trees are taller1 said ,frank1   
and they are straighter1 too4  ,can you 
tell the direction of the winds that    
blow the strongest and longest by the   
shape of the trees8 asked ,uncle        
,robert4  ,i never thought of that1 said
 ,frank4  ,the wind doesn't blow in the 
woods1 said ,donald4  ,when we get out  
into the pasture we'll notice the trees 
there1 said ,mr4 ,leonard4  ,isn't this 
a tiny tree8 said ,susie4 ,i wonder what
 it is4  ,that's an oak1 said ,frank4   
,the leaves tell that4  ,oaks grow from 
acorns1 said ,donald4 ,i'm going to dig 
this up and see if it grows like the    
seeds in the garden4  ,what a long root 
it has6 said ,susie as ,donald dug about

 it4 ,don't take it out1 ,don4 ,put the 
dirt back and let it grow to be a tree4 
,illustration3 ,oak sprout4  ,how long  
will it be before it gets as big as     
these trees1 uncle8 asked ,frank4  ,a   
great many years4 ,perhaps your father  
can tell about how old some of these    
trees are4  ,i have cut some1 said ,mr4 
,leonard1 that were about a hundred     
years old4  ,why1 father1 exclaimed     
,susie1 how could you tell8  ,do you    
know how the end of a log looks when it 
is sawed off straight8  ,i do1 said     
,frank4 ,there are light and dark rings 
in it4  ,well1 was the reply1 one of    
these rings grows every year4  ,so if   
you count the rings you can tell how old
 the tree is1 said ,donald4 ,isn't that 
great6  ,illustration3 ,end of a log4   
,what time of the year do the trees grow
 the most8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,in   
the spring ,i should think1 said ,frank4
 ,that's when the sap begins to run4    
,what is sap8  ,it must be the water    
that the trees take up from the ground1 

said ,frank4  ,we've tapped some maple  
trees for sap1 said ,donald4  ,and we   
could see it run right out of the tree1 
said ,susie4  ,i've told the children   
how we used to make maple sugar in ,new 
,england1 said ,mrs4 ,leonard4 ,do you  
remember1 ,robert1 what a quantity of   
sap it took to make just a little sugar8
  ,yes1 and ,i also remember how long ,i
 thought it took to boil it down into   
the wax ,i was so fond of4  ,about      
thirty gallons of sap can be taken from 
one tree each year1 said ,mr4 ,leonard4 
,but ,i should think that would hurt the
 tree1 said ,frank4  ,no1 replied ,uncle
 ,robert1 for the hole they make is only
 about an inch across4 ,if they were to 
cut all around the tree1 you see1 it    
would stop the running of the sap and   
kill the tree4  ,that is called         
girdling1 said ,mr4 ,leonard4 ,they used
 to clear off hundreds of acres of land 
in that way when this country was first 
settled4 ,instead of cutting down the   
trees1 they girdled them near the       

ground4 ,in a very short time they died1
 because they could get no food from the
 earth4 ,the dead trees lost their      
strength1 and a strong wind would blow  
them over4 ,then they were piled up and 
burned4  ,how do you know when a tree is
 dying8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,the     
leaves turn yellow1 said ,donald4  ,but 
the leaves turn yellow in the fall1 said
 ,frank1 and the trees do not die4  ,the
 leaves of my spruce don't turn yellow  
in the fall1 said ,donald4 ,they stay   
green all winter4  ,what makes the      
leaves green8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,no
 one answered4  ,what is the color of   
the potato sprouts in the cellar8       
,yellow1 said ,susie4  ,when you take up
 a board that has lain on the grass1    
what is the color of the grass8         
,yellow1 said ,donald4  ,why8 asked     
,uncle ,robert4  ,because they don't get
 any light1 said ,frank4  ,you know why 
we put our plants in the south window in
 winter8 said ,mrs4 ,leonard4  ,oh1 yes1
 said ,susie1 because the sun shines in 

at that window4  ,warmth and water and  
air help trees and plants to grow1 said 
,uncle ,robert1 but without sunlight    
their leaves would be yellow and their  
stems and branches weak4 ,the greatest  
forests on earth are where it is very   
hot and moist4 ,the sun is a wonderful  
artist1 and every leaf it paints makes  
the tree stronger4  ,but what makes the 
leaves turn yellow and red just before  
they fall off8 asked ,frank4 ,does the  
sun paint them then8  ,that is a        
question that no one has been able to   
answer1 replied his uncle4  ,but how can
 the sap flow up the tree8 said ,donald4
 ,i should think it would run down4  ,it
 would unless there was something to    
draw it up1 said ,uncle ,robert4  ,i    
suppose the sun does that1 too1 said    
,frank4  ,where does it go after it     
reaches the leaves8 asked ,uncle        
,robert4  ,why1 back again1 said ,susie4
  ,no1 it doesn't go back--not a drop1  
laughed ,uncle ,robert4  ,does it dry   
up8 asked ,donald4  ,what do you mean by

 drying up8  ,it evap-o-rates1 said     
,donald1 who liked to use large words4  
,does it all go into the air8 asked     
,frank4  ,i want you to answer these    
questions yourselves1 children4 ,what do
 you see on the corn leaves in the early
 morning8  ,drops of water2 but that is 
dew1 isn't it8 asked ,frank4  ,uncle    
,robert had a way of stopping or        
changing the subject when he had asked  
certain questions4 ,he knew that the    
children would think of them again and  
try to answer them4  ,let's sit down on 
this log1 said ,susie4 ,i want to fix my
 flowers4  ,as they sat there squirrels 
ran up the trunks of the trees and      
laughed at them from the branches4      
,that is a good shot1 said ,frank1      
pointing to a large fox squirrel4 ,but  
he knows we won't kill him1 and that's  
the reason he shows himself4  ,is it    
right to shoot the pretty squirrels1    
,uncle ,robert8 asked ,susie4  ,i       
thought so when ,i was a boy4 ,i shot a 
great many of them then4 ,it was fun for

 me1 and ,i felt very proud when ,i     
brought home half a dozen grays4  ,once 
,i went home from the city for a        
summer's rest4 ,i took my gun for a     
stroll in the oak woods where ,i had    
shot so many squirrels4 ,i put my gun   
against a tree and lay down upon the    
leaves4 ,soon ,i was fast asleep4 ,i    
dreamed of a group of merry1 laughing   
children running1 scampering1 playing4  
,illustration3 ,the squirrel  ,then my  
dream became real--not children1 but the
 gray coats1 five or six of them1 close 
to me1 were running up the trees1       
jumping from limb to limb1 scampering   
over the ground1 chasing each other1    
laughing as squirrels laugh1 and        
screaming as squirrels scream4 ,i       
watched the happy playmates1 brim full  
of fun4 ,i have never shot a squirrel   
since4     ,,chapter ,,ix4  ,,the       
,,birds ,,and ,,the ,,flowers   ,the    
little family party strolled on through 
the beautiful woods1 following the      
windings of the creek that was now a    

tiny stream4  ,illustration3 ,the creek 
in the woods  ,here and there were      
little holes hollowed out by the spring 
floods4 ,miniature falls gurgled over   
dead leaves4 ,graceful ferns fringed the
 creek's banks4 ,mosses covered the     
bowlders4  ,through the foliage danced  
the rays of the bright sun1 casting     
wavering shadows over the leaf-covered  
ground4  ,here is the pond6 cried       
,susie4  ,but the pond that formed the  
reservoir of the creek was now nearly   
drained1 and in place of water there was
 a swamp filled with reeds1 rushes1 and 
grasses4 ,a small clear pool remained in
 the center4  ,illustration3            
,blackbirds4  ,on the tall reeds swaying
 to and fro piped a family of           
blackbirds1 busily chattering to each   
other4 ,overhead in the cloudless sky   
floated a huge hawk4  ,in the spring    
this ground is all covered with water2  
it makes quite a large lake1 said ,mr4  
,leonard4  ,you thought of draining off 
the water and turning the pond into a   

cornfield1 didn't you1 father8 asked    
,mrs4 ,leonard4  ,yes1 said ,mr4        
,leonard2 by digging a ditch or making  
the channel deeper at the outlet1 this  
would become dry land the year around4  
,the soil is deep and rich-better even  
than the bottom land4  ,that would spoil
 the creek1 wouldn't it1 father8 asked  
,frank4  ,yes1 it would run in the      
spring only1 said ,mr4 ,leonard4  ,where
 would the cattle drink in the summer8  
asked ,donald4  ,that's the difficulty4 
,the swamp holds enough to keep the     
cattle in water all summer4  ,would the 
corn more than pay for the loss of the  
water8 asked ,frank4  ,yes1 ,i think so1
 answered his father4  ,but it would    
spoil my beautiful creek1 said ,susie4  
,don't do that4  ,if this swamp were in 
,new ,england1 said ,uncle ,robert1 the 
farmers would dig out this rich mud for 
their poor land4  ,oh1 cried ,susie1 the
 blue flags are almost in bloom6  ,there
 is one all blossomed out1 said ,donald4
 ,i'll get it4  ,the boys took an old   

log and threw it across the wet place1  
and ,donald1 balancing himself          
carefully1 went out and picked the      
blooming flag with its buds4  ,thank    
you1 ,donald1 said ,susie1 as he handed 
her the pretty flowers4 ,i'll put the   
buds in water and they will open4       
,illustration3 ,blue ,flag4  ,do you    
know the names of all the flowers in    
your bouquet8 asked ,uncle ,robert4     
,every one of them1 said ,susie4 ,this  
is phlox4 ,there is ever so much of it  
in the woods now4 ,and this is a        
trillium4 ,isn't it big and white8 ,here
 is another1 only it is red4  ,we used  
to call the red ones 'wake-robin' in    
,new ,england1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,i  
thought they came earlier than the white
 ones4  ,they do1 said ,susie4 ,they've 
been here a long time4  ,the violets are
 just as pretty as when ,i came1 aren't 
they8 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,do they stay
 all summer8  ,not quite1 replied       
,susie4 ,but they stay a long time in   
the woods4  ,what is this8 asked ,uncle 

,robert1 pointing to a pale-pink flower 
on a hairy stem1 surrounded by rough    
green leaves4  ,that's a wild geranium1 
said ,susie2 but do you think it        
looks-much like a geranium8 ,i don't4   
,no1 but here is a seed pod1 said ,uncle
 ,robert4 ,it looks like the seed of the
 geranium that grows in the garden4     
,perhaps that is what gave it the name4 
,illustration3 ,wild geranium4  ,i have 
a flower that you haven't1 ,susie1 said 
,mrs4 ,leonard1 holding it up for them  
to see4  ,oh1 cried ,susie1 a yellow    
lady's slipper6 ,i didn't know they were
 out yet4 ,where did you find it8  ,i   
picked it on the bank near the creek    
while you were talking about the trees1 
replied her mother4  ,i wish ,i could   
find a pink one1 said ,susie1 looking   
around4  ,isn't it too early for them8  
asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,they come about 
the same time as the yellow ones1 said  
,donald1 but we don't find very many of 
them4  ,i like the ,indian name for that
 flower1 said ,mr4 ,leonard4  ,do you   

mean moccasin flower1 father8 asked     
,frank4 ,i like that too4               
,illustration3 ,yellow lady's slipper4  
,why don't we call it that8 asked       
,donald4  ,lady's slipper is easier to  
remember1 said ,susie4  ,here are some  
bluebells1 ,susie1 said ,frank1 holding 
up a handful of the dainty1 graceful    
blossoms4 ,give some to mother1 and you 
may have the rest4  ,how many blue      
flowers we have6 said ,susie4 ,there    
aren't any red ones excepting the red   
trillium1 and that's so dark it isn't   
really red4  ,it's more purple than red1
 said ,donald4  ,this isn't the time of 
the year for red flowers1 said ,mrs4    
,leonard4 ,they come later in the summer
 and in the fall4  ,i wonder why there  
are no red ones in the spring1 said     
,susie4  ,i saw painted cups along the  
edge of the timothy meadow yesterday1   
said ,donald4  ,illustration3 ,moccasin 
flower4  ,oh1 did you1 ,don8 ,were they 
truly red1 or just yellow8  ,no1 they   
were in bloom4 ,they were red4  ,let's  

go home that way1 said ,susie1 and get  
some4  ,i wish all the people in ,new   
,york could know how restful these woods
 are1 said ,uncle ,robert1 breathing a  
long breath of the sweet1 pure air4  ,it
 always seems to me more quiet in the   
woods on ,sunday than on any other day1 
said ,mrs4 ,leonard4  ,do the birds know
 when it is ,sunday8 asked ,susie4  ,if 
they do1 said ,uncle ,robert1 those blue
 jays must have forgotten4  ,just hear  
how they scream6 said ,frank4  ,they    
must be up to their usual trick1 said   
,mr4 ,leonard1 of tormenting some other 
bird4  ,listen6 said ,donald4 ,it's a   
sparrow hawk they're after4 ,that's the 
sparrow hawk's cry1 but it's a blue jay 
that made it4 ,they always mimic them   
when they chase them4 ,i've watched them
 lots of times4  ,illustration3 ,blue   
jay4  ,i wish we could see them now6    
said ,frank4 ,the hawk will turn on them
 soon4 ,then they'll change their tune4 
,they are having a good time shouting   
and screaming to each other1 said       

,susie4 ,what a horrid noise they make6 
,they scare away the other birds1 said  
,donald4  ,how many birds do you know8  
asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,illustration3   
,robin4  ,i know all the birds that come
 around the house and the barn1 said    
,donald4 ,there are the robins1         
sparrows1 pewees1 wrens1 swallows1 and  
martins4 ,then there are the birds in   
the fields--the larks and the crows4    
,the names of some of the little birds  
in the woods ,i do not know4  ,you have 
left out the woodpeckers1 said ,frank1  
and the thrushes and catbirds4  ,and the
 cherry birds1 that look like canaries1 
said ,susie4  ,get up early in the      
morning1 just as the sun is rising1 and 
you will hear a chorus1 said ,mrs4      
,leonard4 ,it is a regular morning      
praise meeting4  ,illustration3         
,woodpecker4 ,the oriole1 or golden     
robin1 is the handsomest bird of all1   
said ,donald4  ,a great many birds come 
in the spring which stay only a few     
days1 said ,frank4  ,where do they come 

from1 and where do they go8 asked ,uncle
 ,robert4  ,they come from the south1 ,i
 suppose1 where it is warmer4 ,i wonder 
how they know when it is time to start1 
said ,frank4  ,and which way to go1     
added ,donald4  ,and how they decide    
where to stop and build their nests1    
said ,mrs4 ,leonard4  ,illustration3    
,oriole4  ,very interesting questions1  
but no one has answered them yet1 said  
,uncle ,robert4 ,migrating birds are all
 found in the south in winter1 and we   
see them in the spring4  ,what do you   
mean by mi-grat-ing birds8 asked ,susie4
  ,birds that fly from one part of the  
country to another1 said ,uncle ,robert4
  ,the bluebird is the first to come1   
said ,donald4  ,a patch of blue sky1    
said ,uncle ,robert4  ,you forget the   
geese that screech over our heads in the
 early spring1 said ,frank4 ,they fly in
 flocks shaped like an arrow4           
,illustration3 ,bluebird4  ,the         
'bobwhite' is the funniest little bird4 
,one comes right up to my garden fence4 

,it is a shame to shoot them6 said      
,susie4  ,it is a shame to kill any bird
 unless you need it for food4 ,every    
time a bird is killed the farmer loses  
one of his best helpers4 ,the birds work
 for the farmer from morning to night4  
,oh1 now you are making fun1 ,uncle     
,robert1 said ,susie4 ,the birds don't  
work at all4 ,they just fly around and  
have a good time4  ,the crows don't work
 for the farmer when they pull up his   
corn1 said ,frank4  ,nor the hawks when 
they steal his chickens1 added ,mr4     
,leonard4  ,the cherry birds steal the  
cherries1 and the sparrows eat the      
strawberries1 said ,susie4  ,you would  
soon find out how much the birds do if  
they should all fly away1 said ,uncle   
,robert4  ,illustration3 ,crow4   ,the  
cankerworms would eat the leaves of the 
apple and other trees1 and insects of   
all kinds would destroy the crops4 ,the 
crow taxes the corn in payment for all  
the good he does4 ,the hawks eat a      
thousand mice to one chicken--in fact1  

very few hawks eat chickens1 anyway4    
,the cherry birds and sparrows should be
 allowed a little toll for all the fruit
 they save4 ,i want you to read a       
charming book called ,the ,great        
,world's ,farm4 ,the author calls birds 
',nature's militia4' ,the morning song  
of the birds means ',we are going to    
help the farmer to-day4'  ,that's true1 
said ,mr4 ,leonard4 ,the farmers are    
just learning what a help the birds are 
to them4 ,we have found that they eat   
the grubs1 the worms1 and the bugs      
before they eat everything else4  ,would
 there be very many more worms than     
there are now1 asked ,susie1 if the     
birds should go away8  ,you don't       
remember1 do you1 ,susie1 said her      
mother1 how many caterpillars there were
 in the village the year they tried to  
drive the sparrows away8  ,i do1 said   
,donald4 ,wasn't it dreadful8 ,why1     
,uncle ,robert1 the leaves were all     
eaten off the trees1 and you could      
hardly take a step without squashing a  

caterpillar4  ,ugh6 said ,susie with a  
shudder4 ,i'm glad ,i was too little to 
remember it4  ,but the strange part of  
it was1 said ,frank1 that out here we   
hardly saw a caterpillar all summer4    
,and our trees were never more          
beautiful1 said ,mrs4 ,leonard4         
,perhaps the village sparrows came to   
visit you1 said ,uncle ,robert4  ,they  
must have1 said ,donald4 ,the woods were
 full of them4  ,i have read1 said      
,uncle ,robert1 that some small birds   
eat every day as much as their own      
weight in worms and insects4  ,oh1 my6  
said ,susie4 ,i wonder how many worms   
that would be4  ,the appetite of the    
small bird1 said ,mr4 ,leonard1 looking 
at ,donald with a smile1 must be        
something like that of a small boy4     
,they had now left the woods and were   
going toward the timothy meadow to get  
the painted cups4 ,donald was right4    
,one corner of the meadow was bright    
with the vivid red patches4  ,the sun   
was setting when they reached home4 ,as 

they passed the woodpile in the back    
yard ,donald said3  ,i wonder how old   
that wood is6 ,i'm going to see if ,i   
can count the rings4  ,show them to me1 
,donald1 said ,susie4 ,i never saw them4
  ,just then the clear1 rich song of a  
bird rang out from the top of a tree on 
the edge of the woods4  ,hark6 said ,mr4
 ,leonard4 ,that is the thrush4  ,they  
listened until the song was ended4      
,what a lovely walk we have had6 said   
,susie4 ,i'm not a bit tired4 ,are you1 
mother8  ,well1 a little1 said ,mrs4    
,leonard1 but we never had a more       
delightful afternoon4 ,thank you1 dear1 
as ,frank brought an easy-chair from the
 house to the porch for her4 ,now ,i    
shall be rested in a few minutes4  ,let 
me put your flowers in water with mine1 
mother1 said ,susie4  ,tell ,jane to    
bring our supper out here1 said ,mrs4   
,leonard4 ,it is too pleasant to go in  
the house4  ,and tell her to be quick   
about it1 said ,donald4 ,i'm starving6  
,as hungry as a sparrow1 said ,uncle    

,robert1 smiling4  ,while they were     
eating1 the twilight came on4  ,listen6 
whispered ,frank1 as a queer1 clucking  
sound was heard among the bushes4 ,then 
came the cry3  ,whip-poor-will6         
whip-poor-will6  ,i wish ,i could see a 
whip-poor-will1 said ,donald4 ,they     
never let me get near enough to them to 
see how they look4  ,let's try this one1
 said ,frank4 ,it's very near4  ,on     
tiptoe they slipped off the porch1 but  
the shy bird heard them and flew away4  
,soon they heard it again3              
,whip-poor-will6 whip-poor-will6  ,and  
another one answered from the edge of   
the cornfield3  ,whip-poor-will6        
whip-poor-will6  ,illustration3         
,whip-poor-will4      ,,chapter ,x4     
,,the ,,thundershower4   ,it had been   
growing warmer all day4 ,when ,susie    
looked at the thermometer at noon she   
wrote #hb degrees in her little book4   
,as they sat around the dinner table    
,uncle ,robert asked3  ,do you find it  
hot in the meadow to-day8 ,rather warm1 

replied ,mr4 ,leonard1 but it is fine   
haying weather4 ,by night we shall have 
the hay in off that twenty acres1 and it
 will be the finest crop of timothy ,i  
have had in years4  ,the haying had     
begun four days before4 ,for a week ,mr4
 ,leonard had visited the field of      
timothy daily1 and when he found the    
long heads of the graceful grass in full
 bloom he said3  ,it is ready4 ,we must 
begin to-morrow4  ,so the next morning  
the horses were hitched to the mowing   
machine1 and ,peter drove out to the    
meadow4 ,the plumy heads of the tall    
timothy swayed on their slender stalks  
as they bowed before the breeze that    
swept over the meadow1 making it look in
 the sunshine like the rippling surface 
of a quiet lake4  ,illustration3 ,mowing
 the meadow4  ,it seemed a pity to cut  
it down1 but ,peter thought only of the 
fine hay it would make1 as he drove     
around the meadow again and again1 each 
time coming nearer the center4  ,no     
sound broke the stillness but the click1

 click of the sharp knives1 at the touch
 of which the tall grass quivered a     
moment and then fell4  ,in the afternoon
 ,donald rode the rake1 to which one of 
the horses1 strong and steady1 was      
hitched4 ,the horse knew his business4  
,he needed no direction from ,donald as 
up and down the meadow he went1 with    
slow and even steps4  ,donald sat on the
 small round seat1 his hand grasping the
 lever by which he raised and lowered   
the long curved teeth of the rake that  
gathered up the hay and dropped it in   
long rows called windrows4  ,mr4        
,leonard and ,frank followed with their 
pitchforks1 and piled the windrows into 
big round cocks4 ,the sun shone hot and 
clear4 ,a strong1 dry south wind was    
blowing1 and the air was filled with the
 sweet smell of the newly mown hay4     
,the second day ,mr4 ,leonard rode the  
machine while ,peter and ,frank opened  
the hay that had been cocked the day    
before1 so that it would be nicely      
dried4 ,by noon it was all cut4  ,the   

next day they raked it up for the last  
time and began to stow it away in the   
big haymows in the barn1 where the very 
smell of it would make the horses       
hungry4  ,susie and ,i are coming out to
 help this afternoon1 said ,uncle       
,robert1 as1 after a short rest in the  
cool porch1 the haymakers1 started for  
the meadow again4  ,we'll take all the  
help we can get1 replied ,mr4 ,leonard4 
,i am afraid it is going to rain1 said  
,uncle ,robert1 as he started a little  
later with ,susie for the hayfield4 ,the
 barometer has fallen since morning4    
,but1 uncle1 said ,susie1 ,i don't see  
any clouds4  ,illustration3 ,raking and 
cocking hay4  ,watch1 and you'll see    
them before long1 returned ,uncle       
,robert4 ,what is that in the west now8 
,it looks like the beginning of a cloud1
 said ,susie4  ,mr4 ,leonard1 ,peter1   
and ,frank were loading the hay into a  
big wagon1 while ,donald raked after    
them4  ,there's a shower coming1 said   
,uncle ,robert1 pointing toward the     

west4  ,all paused and looked at the    
bank of clouds just coming into sight   
along the western horizon4  ,the air was
 still and sultry4 ,great beads of      
perspiration rolled down the faces of   
the haymakers4  ,it's going to rain1    
sure1 shouted ,mr4 ,leonard1 and we must
 hurry or this fine hay will be spoiled4
 ,harness up the horses to the other    
hayrack1 ,frank and ,donald--be quick6  
,the boys did not need urging4 ,they    
felt the need1 and ran to the barn4     
,bring some extra pitchforks6 shouted   
their father after them4  ,uncle ,robert
 pulled off his coat1 and the spirit of 
his boyhood days came back4  ,susie     
seized a rake and began to gather the   
scattered hay and pile it on the cocks4 
,the fresh span of horses galloped into 
the field4 ,frank brought them to a     
stand between two long rows of haycocks4
  ,how they all worked6 ,the very horses
 seemed to understand4 ,they started    
with a jump to each new cock1 and stood 
perfectly still as one after the other  

was added to their load4  ,it is coming6
 shouted ,peter1 swinging his fork to   
spread the great bundles of hay which   
came flying up to him4  ,the clouds     
looked like mountains with snowy peaks  
as they rose rapidly in the southwest4  
,the mass moved under the sun and the   
bright silver color changed to          
blackness4 ,lightning flashes followed  
one another quickly4 ,the low rumbling  
of thunder stirred the still air4  ,it  
is coming6 cried ,donald1 as he took the
 reins to move to another cock4 ,g'long6
  ,all was hurry and excitement4 ,mrs4  
,leonard and ,jane appeared on the scene
 with rakes in hand4 ,barri bounded from
 horse to horse as if that was some     
help4  ,suddenly it grew darker4 ,the   
leaves began to quiver4 ,a curious light
 crept over the fields4  ,there is the  
wind1 shouted ,frank4 ,the rain will be 
here in a minute4  ,clouds completely   
covered the sky4 ,black forms seemed to 
dart out of their heavy masses4         
,there's a drop1 cried ,susie4  ,then   

what a wind6 ,straw hats were whirled   
away1 but there was no time to run after
 them4  ,pile up the hay6  ,the great   
loads staggered4  ,drive for the barn6  
shouted ,mr4 ,leonard4 ,some of it must 
spoil1 ,i suppose4 ,we have done our    
best4  ,the horses moved off on the run1
 ,frank's team ahead4  ,a roll and a    
crash of thunder followed a zigzag      
flash4  ,the hay was under cover1 and   
the rain poured down4  ,illustration3   
,the coming storm4  ,they reached the   
porch just as it began to fall thick and
 fast4 ,a moment more and it came down  
in floods1 while at the same time the   
darkness passed away4  ,how cool it is  
growing6 said ,mrs4 ,leonard4  ,it is   
twelve degrees cooler than it was at    
noon1 said ,donald1 looking at the      
thermometer4 ,see1 the wind has changed4
 ,it is from the northeast now4  ,frank 
went into the dining-room1 and when he  
came back he said1 ,the barometer has   
risen two-tenths of an inch since we    
looked at it last4  ,it seemed to rain  

harder than ever4 ,the water was driven 
in sheets before the strong northeast   
wind4 ,a stream began to run down the   
garden path4 ,a vivid flash of lightning
 was followed quickly by a loud crash of
 thunder4  ,that struck somewhere near1 
said ,frank4  ,i believe it was over in 
the wood1 said ,mrs4 ,leonard4  ,see1   
said ,uncle ,robert in a few moments1   
pointing to a line of light in the      
western sky1 it is clearing already4    
,the shower will soon be over4  ,the    
light in the west grew rapidly4 ,the    
lightning became less frequent4 ,the    
thunder rolled farther and farther away4
 ,the rain fell less and less heavily4  
,the weather vane that had pointed to   
the northeast began to waver1 and then  
turned toward the southwest again4 ,it  
rained steadily but more gently as the  
clouds rolled away eastward4  ,and then 
the sun1 lower now by two hours than    
when it was first hidden by the cloud1  
shone out clear and bright4 ,instantly  
everything glistened as with millions of

 diamonds4 ,even the air seemed to be   
filled with them1 as though each        
raindrop was turned into a jewel as it  
fell4  ,uncle ,robert went to the front 
of the house and looked toward the dark 
cloud that was now piled up in the      
eastern sky4  ,come and see the rainbow6
 he called4  ,as they looked at the     
bright and perfect arch that lay against
 the dark mass of clouds1 ,susie asked1 
,what makes rainbows1 uncle8  ,it is the
 sun shining on the rain1 replied ,uncle
 ,robert ,this beautiful sunlight is    
made up of many1 many rays4 ,these rays 
fly from the sun as straight as arrows  
from a bow1 unless something comes in   
their way to stop them4 ,it seems as    
though such sharp little arrows of light
 would go right through raindrops4 ,but 
they don't4 ,they glance off the little 
round balls of water and bound up again 
like rubber balls4  ,now you know if you
 throw a ball straight down at your feet
 it bounds back into your hands4 ,if you
 throw it from you1 when it strikes the 

ground it bounds farther away4 ,it is   
just so with these little arrows of     
light that we call rays4 ,if the sun is 
high1 as it is at noon1 the rays are    
thrown back to it again4 ,that is why we
 never have rainbows at noon4 ,but when 
the sun is low1 as it is now1 instead of
 going back to the place they came from1
 they bound up against that cloud1 and  
so make the wonderful rainbow4  ,but1   
uncle1 asked ,donald1 why do we see so  
many colors in the rainbow8 ,they are   
not in the sunlight4  ,oh1 yes1 they    
are1 was the answer4 ,these rays of     
light are of the same colors that we see
 in the rainbow4 ,it takes all of them  
mixed together to make the clear white  
light which we call sunlight1 and       
without which nothing could live or     
grow4  ,as the raindrops throw them up  
against that cloud1 they are separated  
again1 because some colors are more     
easily bent than others4 ,the red1 you  
see1 is the highest and the violet the  
lowest in the bow4 ,the raindrops make a

 prism4 ,you have seen a prism4 ,but    
through the prism the colors are turned 
the other way2 the red is lowest and the
 violet highest4  ,how fast the rainbow 
is fading away6 said ,susie4 ,i wish it 
would stay4  ,the rain is over1         
announced ,donald1 leaving them and     
walking out toward the garden4 ,the sky 
is quite clear4  ,it is getting warm    
again1 said ,frank1 looking at the      
thermometer1 but it does not feel hot as
 it did before the rain4  ,the barometer
 is just where it was this morning1 said
 ,susie1 coming from the dining-room4   
,it is drying off very fast1 said ,uncle
 ,robert4 ,let us walk out and see how  
the garden stood its drenching4  ,put on
 your rubbers1 ,susie1 called ,mrs4     
,leonard from the house4  ,as they      
crossed the yard they passed a pan in   
the bottom of which the water stood an  
inch or more deep4  ,that shows how much
 rain fell1 said ,uncle ,robert1        
pointing to the pan4  ,do you mean if it
 had stayed on the ground where it fell 

it would have been that deep all over8  
asked ,susie4 ,would that have been very
 much8  ,i think it would1 was the      
smiling reply4 ,you might try to find   
out how much fell on the garden alone if
 it was an inch deep all over4  ,susie  
shook her head4  ,i don't know how1 she 
said4  ,uncle1 said ,frank1 in the      
weather reports they always tell how    
much rain falls1 even if it is only a   
small part of an inch4 ,how can they    
tell when it is so little8  ,they have  
what is called a rain gauge1 by which a 
very small amount of rainfall can be    
measured4 ,by the way1 we might have a  
rain-gauge of our own4 ,it would be easy
 to make one with the help of a         
tinsmith4 ,is there a tinsmith in the   
village8  ,yes1 answered ,frank1 but ,i 
don't believe he has much to do4  ,so   
much the better for us1 laughed ,uncle  
,robert4 ,susie1 while these other      
people are busy tomorrow1 shall we drive
 to the village and see if we can get   
the tinsmith to help us make a          

rain-gauge8 ,i have a little book       
somewhere that tells just how it should 
be done4  ,susie was delighted at the   
thought of such a day with ,uncle       
,robert1 and the boys were so interested
 in the prospect of having a rain-gauge 
of their own that they could hardly wait
 for to-morrow to come4     ,,chapter   
,,xi4  ,,the ,,village4   ,the next     
morning ,frank harnessed ,nell for      
,uncle ,robert and ,susie to drive into 
the village to see the tinsmith4  ,it   
was a delightful ride through the woods 
and the fields washed clean by the rain4
 ,the birds were singing gayly4 ,the air
 was fresh and clear4 ,long shadows lay 
along the road4  ,the tinsmith was      
sitting by his open door1 tilted back in
 an old wooden chair4 ,as ,nell stopped1
 he brought his chair down on its four  
legs and said3  ,good morning4  ,uncle  
,robert lifted ,susie out of the wagon  
and hitched ,nell to a post4 ,the       
tinsmith rose to his feet1 smiling to   
,susie1 who said3  ,this is my ,uncle   

,robert1 ,mr4 ,mills4 ,we've come to    
have a rain-gauge made4  ,good morning1 
said ,uncle ,robert1 turning to ,mr4    
,mills1 who looked as if he thought rain
 gauges were not exactly in his line4   
,can you spare us a little time this    
morning8 ,susie must have her rain-gauge
 before the next shower4  ,come right   
in1 said ,mr4 ,mills1 and tell me what  
your rain-gauge looks like4 ,i never    
heard of such a thing4  ,with ,uncle    
,robert's careful direction he soon     
understood what they wanted4 ,they saw  
him well started in the work1 and then  
,uncle ,robert said3  ,come1 ,susie1    
let's go to the post office4--,how long 
before the rain-gauge will be finished8 
he asked of ,mr4 ,mills4 ,shall we have 
time to get dinner8  ,i think ,i can    
have it ready by two o'clock1 answered  
,mr4 ,mills4  ,then we'll take ,nell to 
the hotel1 said ,uncle ,robert4  ,they  
drove slowly under the big cottonwood   
trees which shaded the street4  ,isn't  
it nice that it takes such a long time  

to make a rain-gauge8 said ,susie4 ,here
 we are at the hotel now1 ,uncle        
,robert4 ,it's such a little way4  ,from
 the hotel they strolled to the store1  
the center of life and interest in the  
village4  ,illustration3 ,the village   
street4  ,one corner of the store was   
taken up by the post office4 ,back from 
that ran long lines of shelves which    
reached to the ceiling4 ,beneath them   
were bins for flour and sugar4 ,on the  
lower shelves were canisters of tea1    
coffee1 and spices1 and glass candy     
jars1 which looked very inviting to     
,susie4 ,some were filled with          
gay-striped sticks4 ,there were also    
jars of peppermint lozenges1 star--and  
heart-shaped1 with pink mottoes on their
 white faces4  ,on the upper shelves    
were rows upon rows of cans covered with
 gay pictures of fruits and vegetables4 
,opposite the groceries were long       
shelves of dry goods4 ,a glass case at  
one end of the counter was filled with  
bright-colored ribbons4  ,in the        

darkness at the back of the store stood 
the barrels of vinegar1 molasses1 and   
kerosene oil4 ,above them hung rows of  
well-cured hams and sides of bacon4     
,near the barrels stood an old rusty    
stove which bore the marks of long use4 
,uncle ,robert asked for the mail4      
,susie looked longingly at the glass    
jars upon the shelf1 trusting that      
,uncle ,robert would understand her even
 if she didn't say anything4  ,we must  
have some candy1 he said4 ,tell ,mr4    
,jenkins what you would like1 ,susie1   
while ,i look at my letters4  ,susie    
carefully picked out three sticks of    
peppermint1 three sticks of lemon1 and  
three of cinnamon4  ,if you please1 ,i'd
 like some of the mottoes1 too4  ,mr4   
,jenkins handed down the jar1 spread out
 a clean sheet of wrapping paper1 and   
turned out the candies4  ,susie selected
 a dozen hearts1 rounds1 and stars1 with
 different mottoes1 and then wondered if
 she ought to have lemon drops1 too4    
,do you think ,i have enough1 uncle8 she

 asked4  ,uncle ,robert knew pretty well
 what little girls like4  ,no1 ,susie1  
he said1 you have forgotten the lemon   
drops1 and1 let me see1 nut candy--we   
must carry home enough for mother and   
the boys4  ,just then a little girl in a
 pink sunbonnet1 carrying an oil can in 
her hand1 came through the open door4   
,how d' do1 ,susie1 she said1 with a shy
 glance at ,uncle ,robert4  ,how d' do1 
said ,susie4 ,have some of my candy1    
,jennie8 holding it out to her4 ,uncle  
,robert bought it for me4 ,there he is1 
in a loud whisper4  ,good morning1      
,jennie1 said ,uncle ,robert1 putting   
his letters in his pocket4 ,you haven't 
been out to see ,susie since ,i have    
been here4  ,it's ,jennie's mother who  
had the nasturtiums last year1 said     
,susie4 ,have you any now ,jennie8      
,yes1 but they don't grow well this     
year1 answered ,jennie4  ,perhaps you   
need new seeds1 said ,uncle ,robert4    
,they are apt to do better if they are  
raised on different soil4  ,i have some 

nasturtiums this year1 ,jennie1 said    
,susie4 ,they are just beginning to     
blossom4 ,i'll save you some seed if you
 want me to4  ,come out some day and see
 ,susie's flowers1 ,jennie1 said ,uncle 
,robert kindly1 as they left the store4 
,good-by1 ,jennie1 said ,susie4  ,time  
for dinner1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,i'm   
hungry4  ,susie's eyes danced4  ,they   
went into the dining-room and sat down  
at the long table4 ,through the window  
they could see the hotel garden from    
which the flowers on the table had been 
gathered4  ,what shall we do now8 asked 
,uncle ,robert as1 after dinner1 they   
stood upon the porch1 looking up and    
down the street4  ,no sound was heard   
but the sleepy noonday song of the      
grasshopper and the occasional rattle of
 a wagon going down to the store4       
,let's go to the mill1 said ,susie4     
,the mill wasn't running when we passed 
there this morning1 said ,uncle ,robert4
 ,suppose we wait until some time when  
the boys are with us4 ,then we can go   

all through it1 and see just how wheat  
is changed into flour4  ,oh1 yes1 said  
,susie1 that will be the nicest4  ,we   
might go to the station and see the     
train come in1 suggested ,uncle ,robert1
 looking at his watch4  ,oh1 that's fun6
 ,come on1 uncle1 cried ,susie1 running 
down the steps4 ,see1 they are all going
 down now6  ,all right1 said ,uncle     
,robert1 but don't hurry2 there's plenty
 of time4  ,as they looked down the     
track they could see the steel rails    
gleaming in the hot sunshine4 ,the two  
shining lines stretched away until they 
seemed to meet in the distance4  ,in the
 other direction a faint line of smoke  
appeared over the trees4 ,it grew more  
and more distinct1 until at last an     
engine rounded the curve and came       
puffing heavily up the track1 pulling a 
long line of cars behind it4  ,that's a 
freight train1 said ,uncle ,robert4  ,it
 stops here to let the passenger go by1 
said the station master1 who stood near4
 ,expecting some one to-day1 sir8 ,the  

train isn't due for ten minutes4  ,not  
to-day1 replied ,uncle ,robert4 ,do many
 trains stop here8  ,not many1 said the 
station master as he hurried away to the
 switch4  ,illustration3 ,a freight     
train4  ,the great engine1 drawing its  
heavy load after it1 turned into the    
side track4 ,when the small caboose at  
the end had passed the switch a man1 who
 was running upon the tops of the cars1 
waved his arms and the long line stood  
still4  ,the engine breathes hard--just 
like ,barri after a long run1 said      
,susie4 ,i wonder what is in all these  
cars1 uncle4  ,here is one marked       
',furniture1' from a large factory in   
,grand ,rapids1 said ,uncle ,robert1    
reading the white card that was tacked  
on the side4 ,it is going to a town in  
,nebraska4  ,what funny cars these open 
ones are6 said ,susie2 the ones with the
 shelves in4 ,what are they for8        
,they're empty1 too4 ,i shouldn't think 
they'd want to drag empty cars about4   
,these are the cars poultry is shipped  

in1 explained ,uncle ,robert4 ,perhaps  
they have been to ,chicago with chickens
 for the market1 and are on the way back
 to the place they came from for more4  
,how many of these big yellow cars there
 are6 said ,susie4 ,they all have       
re-frig-re-frig--  ,refrigerator1       
prompted ,uncle ,robert4  ,oh1 ,i know  
what a refrigerator is1 said ,susie4    
,it's an ice box4 ,are these cars ice   
boxes1 uncle8  ,yes2 the great packing  
houses at the stock yards in ,chicago   
ship beef all over the country in them4 
,the fruit from ,california comes in    
refrigerator cars1 too4  ,there's the   
train6 cried ,susie1 and here comes ,mr4
 ,jenkins with the mail4  ,the train    
came rushing on4 ,susie thought it was  
not going to stop4 ,but suddenly it     
slowed up4 ,the conductor leaped upon   
the platform4 ,the train stood still4   
,heads were thrust out of the windows4  
,a few passengers alighted4 ,brakemen   
ran along the platform4  ,all aboard6   
shouted the conductor1 waving his hand  

to the engineer1 who was leaning out of 
the cab window watching for the signal4 
,ding-dong1 ding-dong1 puff1 puff1 toot1
 toot1 and the train was off4  ,now     
we'll go and see if there is any mail   
for us1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,then we'll
 go to the tinsmith's4  ,illustration3  
,rain-gauge4  ,the rain-gauge was just  
finished4 ,so ,susie waited in the shop 
while ,uncle ,robert went to the stable 
for ,nell1 who pricked up her ears when 
she saw him4 ,she was beginning to think
 she had been forgotten4  ,it was late  
in the afternoon when they reached home4
 ,mrs4 ,leonard and the boys were       
looking for them when they drove in at  
the gate4  ,it took some time to choose 
just the right place for the rain-gauge1
 but at last they decided upon a little 
rise of ground that lay between the     
house and the orchard4  ,there was first
 the funnel-shaped receiver1 one and    
one-half inches deep and eight inches in
 diameter4 ,below this was a tube two   
and five-tenths inches in diameter and  

twenty inches long4 ,at the top of this 
tube1 close to the receiver1 there was a
 small hole4  ,what is that hole for8   
asked ,donald4  ,so if it rains more    
than enough to fill this tube1 explained
 ,susie1 who knew all about it1 it can  
run out of the hole4  ,then it will be  
lost1 said ,donald4  ,no1 replied ,uncle
 ,robert1 it is to be set inside of this
 cylinder1 which is twenty-three and    
one-half inches long1 but only six      
inches in diameter1 and so is smaller   
than the top of the receiver4  ,the     
water that runs from that hole falls    
into this4 ,by measuring it in the small
 tube1 and adding it to what the tube   
held before1 we can know how much there 
is in all4 ,one inch in the tube would  
be one-tenth of an inch in the receiver4
  ,then twenty inches1 or the tube full1
 would be two inches in the receiver1   
said ,frank4  ,yes1 said his uncle2 but 
how shall we make this stand up8  ,we   
might pile stones around it1 suggested  
,donald4  ,that will be a good way1 said

 ,uncle ,robert4  ,there were some      
stones in a pile near the orchard fence4
 ,frank and ,donald picked them up and  
placed them about the rain-gauge until  
it stood firm4  ,well1 these stones are 
of some use after all1 said ,frank4     
,i'm glad of it1 said ,donald4 ,it      
seemed as though we should never get    
them all picked up4 ,i believe stones   
grow4  ,these stones tell a wonderful   
story1 said ,uncle ,robert1 smiling4    
,oh1 uncle1 when are you going to tell  
it to us8 ,to-night8 asked ,susie4  ,not
 to-night1 my dear4 ,you have had       
stories enough for one day1 and ,uncle  
,robert took her by the hand and started
 for the house4  ,we have a regular     
weather bureau of our own now1 said     
,donald4 ,i hope it will rain all day   
long to-morrow4     ,,chapter ,,xii4  ,a
 ,,day ,,on ,,the ,,river4   ,father1   
can't we have a picnic on the river8    
asked ,susie4  ,please1 do let us have a
 picnic1 said ,donald4  ,i think you    
may1 said ,mr4 ,leonard4 ,you might have

 it to-morrow4 ,i won't need the boys4  
,hurrah6 cried ,donald1 and ,susie      
skipped and danced for joy4  ,we'll have
 to have a nice lunch1 said ,frank4     
,what shall it be8 asked ,mrs4 ,leonard4
  ,oh1 we can take some ham sandwiches--
  ,and some cake and jelly1 put in      
,susie4  ,and some cold chicken and     
boiled eggs1 added ,donald4  ,oh1 cried 
,susie1 let us take our eggs along all  
fresh and boil them6 ,we can take a     
little pail and--  ,i'll tell you what  
we'll do1 interrupted ,frank4 ,we'll    
take some salt pork1 and catch some     
fish1 and have a fry4  ,frank looked at 
the barometer and said it was going to  
be a nice day4 ,the sun was setting     
clear and bright4 ,the children went to 
bed happy and dreamed of the fun        
to-morrow4  ,in the morning ,susie      
rushed out to see if it was good        
weather4 ,the sun was shining brightly1 
and she turned and looked at her long   
shadow that reached clear over the barn4
 ,the direction of the shadow was       

southwest4  ,donald took a tin can and  
went out into one corner of the garden1 
where the soil was dark1 rich1 and damp1
 and with a shovel dug up great mud     
worms1 and almost filled his can4       
,frank got out two cane poles1 rigged   
the lines and hooks1 and put on the     
sinkers4  ,i want to catch a fish1 said 
,susie4  ,all right1 said ,frank2 we'll 
cut a pole for you when we get on the   
island4 ,we shall not fish till we get  
there4  ,uncle ,robert watched the      
enthusiasm of the children with a       
pleasant smile4 ,mrs4 ,leonard and      
,susie put up the lunch4  ,put in a     
paper of salt for the fish1 please1     
called ,frank4  ,don't believe you will 
catch many fish1 said ,mr4 ,leonard4    
,you know the last time you went you    
didn't catch any4  ,it is not a good day
 for fish1 said ,uncle ,robert2 it is   
too bright4  ,we'll get some sunfish1   
anyway1 said ,donald1 and perhaps we    
shall catch a perch or two and a        
catfish4  ,at last all was ready ,frank 

took the oars from the beams of the     
shed1 ,uncle ,robert carried the big    
basket1 ,donald followed with the fish  
poles and the can of worms1 while ,susie
 brought up the rear with a small tin   
bucket4  ,away they went1 down the slope
 and over the bottom land to the mouth  
of the creek1 where the boat was moored4
 ,soon they glided out from the shore   
under ,frank's steady stroke4  ,we will 
go up on this side1 where it is easier  
to row1 he said4 ,the current is on the 
other side next to the bank4  ,why do   
you suppose the current is over there8  
asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,i don't know1   
said ,frank4 ,last spring we had a big  
flood1 and the current was so strong    
that it took away a lot of earth from   
that bank4 ,the earth fell down into the
 river and was carried away4 ,mr4 ,davis
 lost a good deal of land4  ,tell me    
about the flood1 ,frank1 said ,uncle    
,robert4  ,last ,march the ice broke up 
in the river and went tearing downstream
 in great blocks1 began ,frank4 ,just   

below the dam1 between the island and   
that shore1 pointing to the woods1 it   
piled up until there was a big ice jam4 
,you could cross over to the island on  
foot4 ,then the water began to rise     
until it was nearly even with the top of
 the dam4 ,at first it went round close 
to the ridge4 ,you see the land is lower
 there4 ,the part of our cornfield next 
to the river was an island4 ,then the   
water rose higher1 and spread all over  
the bottom land4 ,it made the mouth of  
the creek close to the slope1 and the   
water came up around the trunks of the  
trees4  ,on the other side1 where the   
current is1 it didn't get over the bank1
 but it tore away lots of earth4 ,three 
big trees fell into the water and were  
carried down the river4 ,ever so many   
trees came down4 ,peter and ,i caught a 
lot and piled them up for firewood4     
,don't you remember1 ,frank1 said       
,susie1 two or three sheds came down1   
too8  ,the miller thought it would carry
 away the mill1 said ,donald4  ,the     

water looks pretty clear now4 ,how did  
it look then8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,at
 first it was clear1 said ,frank4 ,then 
it got just like coffee4  ,that was the 
dirt in the water1 said ,donald4  ,when 
the water went down1 continued ,frank1  
the bottom land was all covered with the
 stuff the river left4 ,father says the 
dirt it brought makes the land better4  
,what do you suppose made the freshet8  
asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,oh1 they said it
 was the snow melting1 away up the      
river1 answered ,donald4 ,the snow was  
gone here1 but we had lots of rain4     
,where is the deepest part of the river8
 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,it is quite    
deep on the other side1 said ,frank1 but
 it is shallow over here4 ,farther down 
it is deeper in the middle4  ,where is  
the current down there8 asked ,uncle    
,robert4  ,in the middle of the river1  
said ,frank4  ,when we go in swimming we
 can wade out here a long ways before we
 go over our heads1 said ,donald4  ,i   
wish ,i could swim1 said ,susie4  ,you  

should learn1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,the 
boys could easily teach you4  ,they     
rowed steadily up the river4 ,at last   
they reached the island and landed4 ,it 
was long and narrow1 covered with trees 
and green grass4 ,here and there low    
bushes grew down to the water's edge1   
while at the upper end there were many  
boulders1 stones1 pebbles1 and clean    
white sand4  ,illustration3 ,a string of
 fish4  ,they brought up the basket and 
put it in a cool place under a tree4    
,now for the fishing6 said ,frank4  ,up 
the river they could see the dam1 and on
 the left of the dam the flour mill4    
,there is a nice big pond up above the  
dam1 said ,susie4 ,we ought to go up    
there some day4  ,i think it is better  
fishing there1 said ,frank1 but we would
 have to drag the boat around the dam4  
,uncle ,robert stretched himself under  
the shade of an elm tree4 ,susie rolled 
up her sack and put it under his head4  
,the boys went off to try their luck at 
fishing4 ,they cut a pole for ,susie1   

but she soon tired of sitting still1 and
 came back to pick up sticks for the    
fire so that everything would be ready  
to fry the fish4  ,when the boys came   
back they brought three little sunfish1 
two perch1 and one funny-looking fish   
with horns1 which ,frank said was a     
catfish4  ,frank and ,uncle ,robert     
dressed the fish1 while ,donald rowed   
across the river to a place where he    
knew there was a spring1 and soon       
returned with a pail of clear1 sparkling
 water4  ,susie spread the cloth in a   
nice shady place1 and unpacked the      
basket4 ,the eggs were boiled in the tin
 bucket over the fire4 ,frank fried the 
fish1 and at last dinner was ready4     
,oh1 isn't this fun6 said ,susie4       
,grand6 said ,frank4  ,i'd like to be an
 ,indian and live in the woods all the  
time1 said ,donald4  ,we could make a   
fort1 said ,frank1 on that bank of the  
island and mount cannon1 and not allow  
any ships to come up the river4  ,oho6  
laughed ,donald4 ,ships don't come up   

this river4 ,the water isn't deep       
enough4  ,that doesn't matter1 said     
,susie2 we could play they do4  ,after  
the luncheon was over and the basket    
packed again they sat about under the   
trees4  ,what a good view of the dam    
there is from here6 said ,uncle ,robert4
  ,i know why they built the dam there1 
said ,frank4 ,just above the dam the    
water was quite swift4  ,what makes the 
water swift8 asked ,donald4  ,because   
the bed of the river slopes more there  
than down here1 said ,uncle ,robert2 and
 in places on rivers where there are    
rapids they build dams in order to use  
the water for the mills4  ,oh1 yes1 ,i  
know how they use the water1 said       
,donald4 ,they have a sluice1 and they  
lift the gate1 and the water comes      
through1 and that turns the mill wheels4
  ,in some rivers there are ponds larger
 than that pond up there1 where there   
are no dams1 said ,uncle ,robert4  ,yes1
 said ,frank1 there is a little lake    
down the river4 ,we will go there some  

day4 ,it is good fishing4 ,how much     
better our corn looks than the corn on  
that hill over there6 ,i tell you1 it   
takes bottom land like ours to raise    
good corn4  ,what makes the corn such a 
beautiful green8 asked ,susie4  ,that is
 quite a question1 said ,uncle ,robert4 
,we will try and find out some day4 ,but
 ,i want to know what makes the bottom  
land richer than the land up on the     
prairie8  ,well1 said ,frank slowly1 ,i 
suppose that the dirt brought down by   
the river and spread out over it makes  
it richer4  ,where does that dirt come  
from8  ,way up the river4  ,if ,i should
 call the bottom land a flood-plain1    
said ,uncle ,robert1 would you know why8
  ,oh1 ,i know1 said ,donald4 ,because  
the water covers it when there is a     
flood4  ,now what made that flood-plain8
  ,wasn't it always there8  ,no1 said   
,uncle ,robert4 ,the river made it4     
,how could the river make the           
flood-plain8 asked ,susie4  ,why1 you   
told me a moment ago that the river     

brought down great quantities of dirt   
and left it all along the shores1 said  
,uncle ,robert4  ,but it wouldn't bring 
down enough to make all that field1     
would it8 asked ,donald4  ,the river is 
a great worker1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,it
 is at work now1 and has been working   
for many1 many long years4 ,it has not  
only made this flood-plain1 but many    
others4 ,sometimes the river carries    
this dirt clear out into the sea1 and   
sometimes it piles it up at its mouth so
 that a delta is formed4  ,oh1 yes1 said
 ,donald1 we studied about that in      
geography when we had school1 but ,i    
didn't know a delta was made that way4  
,are there any deltas in this part of   
the river8 asked ,susie4  ,there may be1
 replied ,uncle ,robert1 wherever one   
stream flows into another4              
,illustration3 ,the mill and dam4  ,is  
there one at the mouth of our creek8    
asked ,frank4  ,we will look when we go 
back1 replied ,uncle ,robert4 ,shall we 
take a walk now8  ,when they reached the

 upper end of the island they sat down  
on some large boulders that formed part 
of the tiny beach4 ,just above them was 
the flood of water pouring over the dam4
 ,the bright sunshine made the foam look
 white and glistening1 lighted here and 
there with colors of the rainbow4  ,the 
water rumbled and roared as it rushed   
out of the mill pond4 ,to the left were 
the flour mill and the village4 ,they   
could hear the mill wheel turning4 ,they
 could see a little white church half   
hidden among the trees4  ,a kingfisher  
swept by them with a voice like a       
watchman's rattle4  ,he knows how to    
catch fish better than we do1 said      
,donald4  ,susie picked up some pebbles 
and put them in her apron4 ,she tried to
 get a number of colors4 ,some were     
nearly red1 some were blue1 and some    
were white4  ,can you find one that is  
exactly round8 asked ,uncle ,robert4    
,here's a white one that's almost round1
 and ,susie held up a quartz pebble4    
,where do you suppose this little white 

pebble came from8 asked ,uncle ,robert4 
,did it come from away up the river--a  
long way8 said ,donald4  ,i think so4   
,one day this pebble was a part of some 
rock or quarry4 ,how it was broken off1 
how it came down1 how it was made round1
 is well worth studying4  ,oh1 tell us  
about it1 please1 begged ,susie4  ,we'll
 read about it together1 said ,uncle    
,robert1 in the ,big ,book4  ,what book8
 asked ,donald4  ,the book that lies all
 around us1 which was written by the    
,creator of the world1 said ,uncle      
,robert4 ,we are reading a page of it   
now4  ,just under the current out there1
 said ,frank1 the bed of the river is   
covered with all kinds of stones4 ,some 
of them are as big as these boulders4 ,i
 suppose the river brought them down4   
,what do you think makes the pebbles    
round8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,maybe the
 river wears off the rough edges1       
suggested ,frank1 thoughtfully4  ,yes1  
said ,uncle ,robert1 the current of the 
river rolls them over and over on the   

river bed1 and they rub and grind       
against each other4  ,what becomes of   
the stuff that is worn off from them8   
asked ,frank4  ,don't you see it--there8
 said ,uncle ,robert1 pointing to the   
beach4  ,oh1 you mean the sand1 said    
,donald1 taking up a handful and        
examining it4  ,is that the way the nice
 white sand is made8 asked ,susie4      
,that's what you meant when you said the
 river worked1 said ,frank4 ,did these  
boulders come down the river too8  ,the 
story of the boulders1 said ,uncle      
,robert1 is different from the story of 
the pebbles4 ,the water helped grind the
 pebbles1 but it took ice to make the   
boulders4  ,ice6 the children all       
exclaimed4  ,yes1 ice4 ,a long1 long    
while ago this land was covered by a    
great river1 or sea of ice1 and that was
 the time these boulders were made1 said
 ,uncle ,robert4  ,can we read about    
that in the ,big ,book8 asked ,donald4  
,some of it1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,there
 are many wonderful stories in this     

beautiful world--stories more wonderful 
than any fairy tale4 ,but we must go    
home now1 children2 it's getting late4  
,the setting sun threw long shadows of  
the trees over the river as they rowed  
home1 and the happy day was done4       
,,chapter ,,xiii4  ,a ,,rainy ,,day4    
,it was raining1 but no one was         
surprised4 ,they had expected it4  ,the 
day before had been one of those warm1  
midsummer days1 beginning with a clear  
sky and a strong south wind4 ,by noon   
heavy white clouds that looked like     
heaps of down floated slowly overhead4  
,illustration3 ,the weather vane4  ,the 
weather vane1 which in the morning had  
pointed to the south1 turned from side  
to side1 as though uncertain which      
direction it liked best4 ,toward        
afternoon it seemed to settle the       
question in favor of the east4  ,the    
clouds did not rise higher and become   
thinner and more scattered1 as such     
clouds do if the weather is fair4 ,they 
kept their white1 billowy edges1 and    

rested heavily on straight bands of dull
 gray4  ,when the sun set1 the          
scroll--like edges of the clouds were   
tinged with gold and rose color1 but    
under the glittering fringe remained the
 solid banks of gray and misty purple4  
,the thermometer had been high all day1 
for it was very warm4 ,the barometer had
 slowly but surely fallen4  ,then1 too1 
the ,weather ,report1 just received1    
told of a storm that had started in the 
southwestern part of the country and was
 moving northeast4 ,uncle ,robert had   
said1 at the rate it was traveling1 it  
might reach them some time the next day4
  ,and now it was raining in a quiet1   
steady way4 ,the clouds had lost their  
billowy whiteness4 ,they were one dull1 
heavy1 unbroken mass of gray4 ,the wind 
blew steadily from the southeast4  ,a   
rainy day was before them4  ,the very   
thing we need1 said ,mr4 ,leonard4 ,the 
corn is just ready for it1 and the      
pastures are beginning to look pretty   
dry4  ,let's go fishing1 ,don1 said     

,frank4 ,i'll go and dig some worms     
while you get the lines ready4  ,say we 
do1 said ,donald1 starting off at once4 
,do you want some company1 boys8 asked  
,uncle ,robert1 smiling4  ,you bet-ter  
believe6 said ,donald1 catching himself 
just in time4  ,hurrah for the rainy    
day6 cried ,frank as he pulled on his   
rubber boots and coat and went out to   
dig the worms4  ,shall we take the boat8
 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,oh1 yes1 said  
,donald4 ,i'll get the oars4  ,we'll    
have fish for dinner to-day1 mother1    
said ,frank4  ,be sure you come back in 
time1 then1 said ,mrs4 ,leonard1        
smiling4  ,i wish ,i was a boy and could
 go fishing in the rain1 said ,susie as 
she watched them start off4  ,down the  
hill they went1 and ,susie1 watching    
them from the front porch1 saw them push
 the boat from the landing and throw out
 their lines as they drifted down the   
stream4 ,then the trees hid them from   
sight4  ,it was dinner time when they   
returned4  ,i told you we'd have fish   

to-day1 said ,frank triumphantly1       
holding up a string of bass and perch4  
,you boys will have to clean them1 said 
,mrs4 ,leonard4 ,jane is ready to cook  
them now4  ,come on1 ,don1 called       
,frank4 ,my1 won't they be good6  ,in   
the afternoon it ceased to rain4 ,it    
became lighter and the clouds looked    
higher and thinner4  ,it's going to     
clear off1 said ,susie1 going to the    
window4  ,i wonder how much rain has    
fallen1 said ,uncle ,robert4  ,i'm going
 to look at the rain-gauge1 said ,frank4
  ,i'll go too1 said ,donald4  ,when    
they came back they said there were     
fifteen inches of water in the measuring
 tube1 which1 in the receiver1 would be 
an inch and a half4  ,that would just   
fill it1 said ,donald4  ,does that mean1
 asked ,susie1 that if the rain had     
stayed on the ground it would be an inch
 and a half deep all over8  ,yes1       
answered ,uncle ,robert4  ,would that be
 very much8 she asked1 taking the rod by
 which the rain in the gauge was        

measured and finding the mark for an    
inch and a half4  ,we might find out how
 much it would be on ,susie's garden1   
said ,uncle ,robert4 ,does any one know 
how large the garden is8  ,no one knew4 
,let's get father's tapeline and measure
 it1 said ,frank4  ,oh1 do1 said ,susie1
 always interested in anything about her
 garden4  ,when they came in ,donald    
said3  ,it is muddy1 but it's beginning 
to dry off in some places already4  ,how
 big is the garden8 asked ,susie4  ,it  
is forty feet one way1 said ,frank1 and 
twenty-five feet the other4  ,take your 
paper and pencil1 ,frank1 said ,uncle   
,robert1 and draw a plan of it4 ,you    
might make one inch for every ten feet1 
and see how that will come out4  ,frank 
took the paper1 pencil1 and ruler1 and  
soon he said3  ,it makes it four inches 
long and two inches and a half wide4    
,but remember1 said ,uncle ,robert1 that
 means forty feet long and twenty-five  
feet wide4  ,i'll write it down1 said   
,frank2 then we'll remember4  ,so he    

wrote #dj on the long side and #be on   
the short one4  ,but we must find out   
how many square feet there are on the   
whole surface1 said ,uncle ,robert4     
,well1 said ,frank1 there are forty this
 way4  ,so we might think of it as a row
 across the garden of forty square feet1
 might we not8 suggested ,uncle ,robert4
  ,yes1 said ,frank2 and if we do that  
there will be twenty-five rows just like
 it1 won't there8  ,exactly1 said ,uncle
 ,robert4 ,how many does that make in   
all8  ,twenty-five forties1 said ,frank1
 pencil in hand4 ,why1 that's just one  
thousand4  ,that sounds pretty big1 said
 ,susie4  ,especially when you think of 
the weeds1 said ,uncle ,robert1 smiling1
 ,how many square inches would that be1 
,frank8  ,well1 said ,frank1 a foot is  
twelve inches long1 and if it is square 
it is twelve inches wide1 too4  ,then1  
said ,uncle ,robert1 if you call them   
rows of twelve square inches1 how many  
rows would there be8  ,why1 twelve1 said
 ,donald4  ,and so it would be--  ,one  

hundred forty-four1 said ,frank4  ,then1
 said ,uncle ,robert1 if there are one  
hundred forty-four square inches in one 
foot1 how many in one thousand feet8    
,one hundred forty-four thousand1 said  
,frank1 after a moment's thought4  ,but 
the rain-gauge says that an inch and a  
half of rain has fallen1 said ,uncle    
,robert1 and when an inch is as deep as 
it is long and broad1 it is called a    
cubic inch4 ,how much would one and     
one-half cubic inches be8  ,if this is  
one inch1 said ,frank1 looking at the   
paper1 half an inch deep would be half  
of this1 and that1 added to this1 would 
be an inch and a half4 ,isn't that      
right8  ,he went to work again1 and     
after a few minutes' silence he said3   
,it makes two hundred and sixteen       
thousand inches in all4  ,what kind of  
inches did we call them1 ,donald8       
,cubic inches1 said ,donald4  ,if you   
were to bring a pail of water from the  
spring1 said ,uncle ,robert1 would you  
say you had so many inches of water8    

,no1 said ,frank1 it would be quarts1 or
 gallons1 or something like that4  ,do  
you know how much a quart or gallon is1 
,susie8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,mother  
has a quart cup in the pantry1 said     
,susie1 that she measures the milk in   
sometimes1 but ,i don't know how much a 
gallon is4  ,my new milk pail1 said     
,mrs4 ,leonard1 who sat beside the      
window sewing1 holds just two gallons4  
,let's see how many quarts it takes to  
fill it1 said ,susie4  ,so they went    
into the kitchen1 and ,susie dipped the 
water with the quart cup into the tin   
pail4  ,eight1 she said1 when the pail  
would hold no more4  ,if the pail holds 
two gallons1 ,susie4 said ,uncle        
,robert1 how many quarts are there in   
one gallon8  ,four4 said ,susie1        
counting on her fingers4  ,illustration3
 ,two gallons4 ,one quart4  ,well1 said 
,uncle ,robert as they went back into   
the dining-room1 now we have found how  
many quarts there are in a gallon2 how  
shall we find how many gallons two      

hundred and sixteen thousand cubic      
inches will make8  ,if ,i knew how many 
cubic inches there are in one gallon1   
said ,frank1 ,i could do it4  ,how shall
 we find out8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,we
 might measure a gallon1 said ,donald1  
and then if we could empty it into a    
flat pan couldn't we measure that8  ,we 
can try1 said ,uncle ,robert1 if your   
mother has the pan4  ,you may use one of
 those tins ,i bake biscuit in1 said    
,mrs4 ,leonard4  ,i'll get it1 said     
,susie4  ,they measured it and found it 
was eleven inches long1 seven inches    
wide1 and two inches deep4 ,the gallon  
of water filled it one and one half     
time4  ,if it had been three inches     
deep1 said ,frank1 the water would have 
just filled it4  ,well1 said ,uncle     
,robert1 can you find out how many      
inches there are in all8  ,it took some 
time and several suggestions from ,uncle
 ,robert1 but at last they found it to  
be two hundred thirty-one cubic inches4 
,now1 said ,uncle ,robert1 can you find 

how many two hundred thirty-one cubic   
inches there are in two hundred and     
sixteen thousand cubic inches8  ,i know 
how1 said ,frank1 figuring rapidly4  ,in
 a short time he found that two hundred 
and sixteen thousand cubic inches would 
make over nine hundred thirty-five      
gallons4  ,if you were going to water   
the garden with the new two-gallon pail1
 said ,uncle ,robert1 how many times    
would you have to fill it8  ,if we took 
two gallons at a time1 said ,frank1 it  
would be--wait a minute--it would be    
four hundred sixty-seven and one half4  
,my1 said ,donald1 it makes my arms ache
 to think of it4  ,i'm going to find out
 how much fell on the whole farm some   
time1 said ,frank1 but ,i'm just tired  
out now4  ,where does all the rain come 
from8 asked ,susie4 ,i don't see how so 
much water can stay in the clouds4  ,it 
doesn't1 said ,donald1 laughing4 ,that's
 why it rains4  ,but where does it all  
go to8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,oh1 said 
,susie1 it just goes into the ground4   

,some of it runs off into the river1    
said ,donald4 ,that's what makes it rise
 when it rains hard4  ,i wonder if it   
has risen much to-day8 said ,frank4  ,we
 might put on our rubber boots and walk 
down and see1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,it  
is clearing off finely4  ,it is almost  
supper time now1 said ,mrs4 ,leonard4   
,if you'll wait ,i'll help ,jane get it 
ready1 and then you can go as soon as it
 is over4  ,so they waited1 and by the  
time they started the sun was shining   
brightly4 ,it would be a whole hour     
before it would set4     ,,chapter      
,,xiv4  ,,the ,,walk ,,after ,,the      
,,rain4   ,the sky was clear and bright 
as if it had been washed by the rain4   
,the trees took on a fresher green4 ,the
 corn held up its tasseled heads as if  
conscious of the strength the clouds had
 given it4 ,the birds1 too1 rejoiced as 
they flew from tree to tree1 singing    
their sweetest songs4  ,how nice it is  
to get out after being in the house all 
day1 said ,susie1 skipping along by     

,uncle ,robert's side4 ,see that lovely 
blue sky4 ,i wish ,i had a dress for my 
doll just that color4  ,and when we came
 out this morning1 said ,uncle ,robert1 
,donald thought the clouds looked as    
though they were solid and could never  
break away4  ,they're all gone now1 said
 ,donald4 ,i wonder where they went4    
,aren't the clouds lovely sometimes1    
uncle8 ,i love to watch them when they  
look like great piles of snow4  ,yes1   
replied ,uncle ,robert1 when ,i was a   
boy ,i used to lie for hours under an   
old apple tree and watch the clouds4 ,i 
fancied they had very wonderful forms1  
sometimes giants and dragons and all    
kinds of animals4  ,illustration3 ,the  
clouds4  ,you can see things in them1   
said ,donald4 ,i often do4  ,what are   
clouds made of1 uncle8 asked ,susie4 ,i 
wish ,i could get close to one and see  
what it is like4  ,when people go up in 
balloons1 said ,donald1 they go through 
clouds sometimes4  ,have you never been 
in a cloud8 asked ,uncle ,robert1       

smiling4  ,oh1 no1 said ,susie4 ,how    
could ,i8 ,i've never been up in a      
balloon4  ,i know1 was the reply1 but   
have you never seen anything near the   
ground that looked at all like a cloud8 
,i don't remember1 said ,susie1 shaking 
her head4  ,we've seen fogs along the   
river1 said ,frank4 ,they look a little 
like clouds4 ,you know we see them      
almost every morning4  ,oh1 yes1        
exclaimed ,donald4 ,don't you remember  
that fog we had early last spring8 ,why1
 uncle1 it was so thick we couldn't see 
the barn from the house4  ,and1 uncle1  
said ,susie1 ,i went out to the barn    
with father1 and in a few minutes there 
were little drops of water on my hair1  
and all over my cloak4  ,did it last all
 day8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,oh1 no1   
said ,frank1 only for a little while in 
the morning4 ,then it went away and the 
sun came out4  ,how did it go away8     
asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,why1 said       
,donald1 at first it began to get       
lighter1 and we could see things        

plainer4  ,and then1 chimed in ,susie1  
it looked as though the fog broke up    
into pieces that rolled up in the sky1  
and floated off just like clouds4       
,illustration3 ,the gully4  ,but what is
 that we see over the bottom land       
yonder8  ,it looks like fog1 said       
,frank4  ,more like steam1 ,i think1    
said ,donald4  ,if it was up there      
against that blue sky instead of on the 
ground-- said ,uncle ,robert4  ,then it 
would be a cloud1 said ,susie4 ,why1 ,i 
never thought of that4  ,they had gone  
through the gate in front of the house1 
and were following the path that led    
down the slope to the spring4  ,see how 
the water has plowed through the ground1
 said ,frank1 pointing to a gully the   
rain had made in the path4  ,it took a  
good many rains to make that gully1 said
 ,donald4  ,there was a little creek    
here for a while1 said ,frank4 ,the     
water has all run off now1 but it has   
spoiled the path4  ,will the gully get  
deeper every time it rains8 asked       

,susie4  ,of course1 said ,donald4      
,that's what makes it4  ,why does the   
water run along the path8 asked ,uncle  
,robert4  ,because it is lower than the 
ground on each side1 said ,frank4  ,how 
deep do you think the water will dig    
into the path if we do not fill it up8  
asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,oh1 way1 way    
down4 ,i suppose1 said ,donald4  ,but if
 grass grew on the path1 said ,frank1   
the water wouldn't wear the ground away4
 ,we will have to fill it up with       
stones4  ,see these pebbles1 uncle1 said
 ,susie4 ,how did they get here8 ,they  
look just like those we saw on the      
island4  ,do you remember what ,i told  
you about the bowlders on the island8   
,yes1 you said the bowlders were made by
 ice1 answered ,susie4 ,did the ice make
 these pebbles8  ,perhaps so1 and       
perhaps the river made them and left    
them here4  ,what6 that river away down 
there8 ,how could it get up here8  ,that
 river away down there once flowed right
 over this ground1 said ,uncle ,robert4 

,this slope1 pointing just above1 was   
its bank1 and the ground under our feet 
its bed4  ,that must have been a hundred
 years ago1 said ,donald4  ,yes1 a great
 many hundred years ago4 ,you see the   
work this bit of a stream has done in   
the path8 ,many rivers begin just this  
way4 ,they are cutting and changing the 
earth all the time4  ,they had now come 
to the spring nearly at the foot of the 
slope4 ,on sultry summer days it was a  
cool1 inviting spot4 ,the low-spreading 
branches of a beautiful bur oak shaded  
the little stream where it gushed from  
the outcropping limestone4  ,do you want
 a drink8 asked ,susie1 taking the tin  
dipper which always hung by the spring4 
,thank you1 dear4 ,how cool it is6 ,it  
makes me think of the old spring in the 
hayfield where ,i used to work when ,i  
was a boy4  ,the rain has not made the  
spring run any faster1 said ,donald4    
,where does this water come from8 asked 
,uncle ,robert4  ,from out of the       
ground1 said ,susie4 ,how does it get   

into the ground8  ,illustration3 ,the   
spring4  ,it's always there1 isn't it8  
said ,susie4 ,the spring runs all the   
time4 ,i fill my pail here every day in 
the summer4  ,yes1 don't you remember   
when the wells all dried up last summer1
 said ,frank1 that the spring was all   
right8  ,well1 then1 where has the water
 gone that fell to-day8 asked ,uncle    
,robert4  ,most of it has run off into  
the creek and river1 said ,donald4 ,it  
would look just like a lake if it was an
 inch and a half deep all over the      
ground4  ,some of it has soaked into the
 ground1 said ,frank4  ,how deep down   
into the ground8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  
,down to ,china1 laughed ,donald4  ,how 
deep do you have to dig to find         
water--to ,china8  ,our wells are about 
thirty feet deep1 said ,frank4 ,in a dry
 time there's no water in them4  ,how is
 it when you have a long wet spell8     
,they are more than half full then4     
,have both wells the same depth8  ,i    
think so4  ,where does the water in the 

wells come from8  ,it is the rain that  
has soaked into the ground1 said ,frank4
  ,how far down does it go8  ,it must go
 down till it finds some hard clay or   
rock that stops it1 said ,frank4  ,what 
does it do then8  ,then1 said ,frank    
slowly1 it must go along on top of the  
rock or clay4  ,when does it come out of
 the ground8  ,oh1 ,i see6 ,the rain    
goes down until it comes to that lime   
rock4 ,then it goes along the rock1 and 
comes out there1 said ,donald1 pointing 
to the spring4  ,does it always8 asked  
,frank4 ,i have read of very deep wells 
that are bored down into the ground more
 than a thousand feet1 and when the     
augur strikes water the water comes     
right up to the top of the ground4  ,you
 are talking about artesian wells1 said 
,uncle ,robert4  ,yes1 that is the name4
  ,illustration3 ,section of hillside4  
,they had left the spring and were      
walking down toward the mouth of the    
creek4 ,the rain had swollen the little 
stream1 and the water was dark with     

dirt4  ,see how muddy the water is1 said
 ,susie4  ,the creek must bring down a  
lot of earth1 said ,frank4  ,there are  
,joe and ,dick ,davis1 said ,donald1    
pointing across the river4 ,i wonder    
what they are doing8 ,i'm going to see4 
,donald ran along to the mouth of the   
creek1 which he reached as the ,davis   
boys began to scramble down the steep   
bank to the edge of the river4  ,hello  
there6 called ,donald4 ,what are you    
fellows doing8  ,sticking in the mud1   
replied ,joe ,davis1 holding up first   
one foot and then the other1 heavy with 
the stiff clay that hung to it4  ,why   
don't they go around by the path8 said  
,susie1 coming up with ,frank and ,uncle
 ,robert4  ,they'll always take the     
short cut if there is one1 laughed      
,frank4 ,come along over here6 he       
shouted4  ,all right1 sang out ,dick1   
scraping the mud from his shoes4  ,an   
eddy in the stream just above the steep 
bank made a quiet place in the current4 
,here their boat was moored4 ,as they   

pushed out from the shore they were     
swept down the stream1 but a few strong 
pulls carried them beyond the swiftest  
part of the current1 and then they      
easily rowed back to the landing at the 
mouth of the creek1 where the ,leonards 
were waiting for them4  ,i wish our bank
 was low like this1 said ,joe as he     
leaped from the boat4 ,we have to go so 
far downstream before we find a low bank
 on our side4  ,i should think you'd    
rather walk a mile1 said ,susie1 looking
 at ,joe's shoes1 than come down that   
bank when it's so muddy4  ,humph6 we    
don't mind a little mud1 said ,dick1    
wiping his feet on the grass4  ,you've  
brought some of your land over to us1 ,i
 see1 laughed ,uncle ,robert4 ,mr4      
,leonard will be obliged to you4 ,he is 
always glad when the soil is left on his
 side4  ,i don't see why it is1 said    
,joe1 that our land is being cut away   
all the time and yours is getting       
bigger4 ,it isn't fair4  ,we can't help 
it1 ,joe1 said ,susie4 ,it's the river  

that does it4 ,you ask ,uncle ,robert4  
,he'll tell you all about it4  ,i can   
tell you how it is1 said ,donald4 ,you  
know how strong the current is over on  
your side8 ,well1 that's the reason your
 land is washed away4 ,the water flows  
slower here1 so it drops all the stuff  
it brings with it on our side4 ,see8    
,my6 said ,dick1 with a mischievous     
twinkle in his eyes1 doesn't he know a  
lot6  ,well1 it's so1 declared ,donald1 
giving his head a nod4 ,you can see it  
yourself if you keep your eyes open4    
,my eyes are always open1 said ,dick1   
but that doesn't keep our land4  ,you   
ought to have a creek1 said ,frank1 if  
you want your land to grow4 ,just look1 
uncle1 what a lot of dirt has been left 
here4  ,it makes quite a delta1 doesn't 
it8 replied ,uncle ,robert4  ,sure      
enough1 said ,donald4 ,you remember the 
day of our picnic we were going to see  
if there was one here1 and we forgot it4
  ,now you see where some of the dirt or
 silt that is brought down by the creek 

goes1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,and all this
 must have been left here since the     
flood in the spring4 ,frank is right4   
,the creek is really building land all  
the time4  ,most of the dirt or--what   
did you call it--silt goes down the     
river1 doesn't it8 asked ,frank4  ,our  
land goes down the river1 said ,joe2    
,i've seen it4  ,and the river is       
building land for us1 said ,donald4     
,yes1 said ,uncle ,robert1 the river    
works all the time1 tearing down in some
 places and building up in others4 ,the 
clouds give us rain1 the rain goes down 
into the ground1 and then comes out and 
runs into the streams1 and then--  ,into
 the ocean1 said ,frank4  ,and then--   
,no one spoke4  ,and then it rises up   
from the ocean and comes back again in  
clouds4  ,did those clouds we had this  
morning come all the way from the ocean8
 asked ,joe4 ,i don't see how they could
 come so far8  ,the clouds have swift   
wings to carry them1 replied ,uncle     
,robert4 ,they travel very far without  

tiring4  ,the wind brings the clouds1   
doesn't it1 uncle8 asked ,susie4  ,yes1 
they come on the wings of the wind4     
,oh1 said ,joe1 ,i see4  ,there's father
 blowing the horn1 said ,dick4 ,we must 
go4  ,come again1 said ,uncle ,robert   
and the children together4  ,i wish we  
could hear more about the river1 said   
,joe to ,frank as he helped them push   
off the boat4  ,come over again any day1
 said ,frank4 ,uncle ,robert will tell  
you all about it4  ,i wish he was my    
uncle1 too1 said ,dick as they pulled   
out into the stream4 ,he isn't a bit    
stuck up and he knows a lot4            
,,chapter ,,xv4  ,,the ,,big ,,book4    
,please tell us another story from the  
,big ,book1 begged ,susie as the family 
were all seated on the piazza one       
beautiful summer evening4  ,the great   
full moon1 like a ball of molten iron1  
was rising in the east4 ,it plowed a    
silver path across the river4 ,fireflies
 glimmered and sparkled in the dusky    
shadows of the meadow and in and out of 

the garden shrubs4 ,the merry chirping  
of the crickets and the low hum of      
insect voices filled the air4 ,down by  
the creek the whip-poor-will told his   
one story over and over4  ,a story from 
the ,big ,book6 repeated ,uncle ,robert4
 ,there are so many and they are all so 
wonderful4 ,ever since man was created  
he has read stories in the earth1 water1
 and sky1 and in all living things4     
,everything he has found in ,nature     
helps him to live and grow wiser and    
better4 ,we could never understand      
printed books unless we studied the ,big
 ,book4 ,the more we read what ,god has 
written the more we shall want to read  
what other people have found out and put
 into printed books4 ,the true desire to
 read these books springs from our love 
and study of ,nature4  ,it was written  
for many years that the sun moved around
 the earth4 ,but ,copernicus studied the
 sun1 earth1 and stars anew1 and he     
showed that the printed books were wrong
 by proving that the earth moved around 

the sun4 ,galileo read the same story   
through the telescope that he made4     
,steam had always been a very common    
thing4 ,hot vapor had risen from heated 
water ever since fire was discovered1   
but the real story of steam had not been
 read until ,watt sat long hours by a   
boiling teakettle4 ,then came the       
locomotive1 the railroad1 and mighty    
engines driving wheels that work for    
man4  ,wasn't that a good story to read 
from the ,big ,book6 said ,frank4       
,lightning had flashed and thunder      
rolled throughout the ages4 ,men feared1
 wondered1 and worshiped that mighty    
hidden power4 ,franklin looked straight 
at the forked lightning and asked1      
',what are you8' ,the answer came in the
 telegraph that is fast making the      
nations of the earth one great family4  
,bell listened long and carefully to    
sounds1 and now ,i can talk from ,new   
,york to my friends in ,chicago4  ,are  
not these stories from the ,big ,book as
 wonderful as miracles8 ,these are only 

a few of the many stories that have been
 read4 ,countless more will be read when
 children really open their eyes to the 
'law of the ,lord that converteth the   
soul4' ,great men and great minds have  
road ,nature's revelation in the past1  
but the time is coming when you and ,i  
and all children will read every day and
 hour the hidden things that surround us
 like light and press upon us like air4 
,the ,creator is writing the ,big ,book 
all the time for us--,his children4     
,should we not read what ,he says there8
  ,the children did not understand all  
that ,uncle ,robert said1 yet they loved
 to listen4  ,we have found that our    
farm is a very interesting page of the  
,book1 said ,mrs4 ,leonard4  ,yes1 that 
is the precious thing about it all4     
,whether we look1 or whether we listen1 
,we hear life murmur or see it glisten4 
,all eyes were gazing at the moon as it 
seemed to rise above the trees4 ,the    
great face of the man in the moon became
 distinct as he looked down upon the    

rolling earth4  ,a beautiful and        
wonderful world1 continued ,uncle       
,robert1 but probably not a bit more    
wonderful than the countless worlds we  
see up there4  ,just think6 we are on a 
great round ball1 and it is moving on   
its axis from west to east toward the   
moon4 ,the moon1 you know1 does not     
really move over our heads as it seems  
to do4 ,the round earth rolls upon its  
axis1 and that makes the moon seem to   
rise higher and higher1 and then sink   
away below the western horizon4         
,to-morrow night it will come up in the 
east a little later1 said ,frank4       
,round and round we go upon our ball of 
earth4 ,the sun seems to rise and set   
just as the moon does1 but it is the    
world itself that makes the sun and moon
 seem to rise and set1 said ,uncle      
,robert4  ,what is our earth made of8   
asked ,donald4  ,just what you see      
before you1 answered ,uncle ,robert4    
,under our feet we have the ground1 the 
soil1 gravel1 sand1 and loam1 which is  

made of--  ,ground-up rock1 said ,frank4
  ,and underneath the soil there is--   
,the solid rock1 said ,frank4  ,and     
underneath that8 asked ,mr4 ,leonard4   
,we do not know1 but it is quite certain
 the solid earth is made of ground-up   
rock and rock that may be ground4 ,the  
mills are all at work1 grinding all the 
time4  ,the mills6 said ,susie4 ,where  
are the mills8  ,i know one1 said       
,donald4 ,the river is a great mill4    
,don't you remember about the pebbles8  
,and the glaciers are mills1 too1 said  
,frank4  ,illustration3 ,glaciers on the
 ,coast of ,norway  ,yes1 the rivers1   
the ice rivers or glaciers1 the wind1   
the frost1 heat and cold1 all grind     
masses of rock into bowlders1 pebbles1  
and sand4  ,the rock has been ground so 
long ,i should think there would be     
nothing left but soil1 said ,frank4     
,you saw the limestone down by the      
spring8 asked ,uncle ,robert4  ,yes1 the
 children said together4  ,that         
limestone was once soft mud spread out  

upon the bottom of the ocean in shallow 
water4  ,how do you know that is so1    
uncle8 questioned ,frank4               
,illustration3 ,fossil fish4  ,there are
 many proofs1 but the best proof is that
 in the limestone are found shells of   
animals that live in the sea1 said      
,uncle ,robert4  ,fossils1 said ,mrs4   
,leonard4  ,yes1 fossils4 ,they are the 
remains of plants and animals that lived
 a very long time ago4 ,many rocks are  
almost entirely made of fossils4 ,fish  
and shells also have been covered with  
soft clay and left their imprints4      
,great beasts have walked in the mud1   
and we now find their footprints in the 
hard stone4 ,coral--you have seen       
coral8--is often found in limestone4 ,it
 is made of the shells of little        
animals1 called the polyp1 which live in
 the sea4  ,illustration3 ,coral  ,so   
you see that the firm ground under foot 
is made of rock1 some of which has been 
ground up over and over again4 ,but     
there is something else besides rock    

that makes the world  ,water1 said      
,donald promptly as he looked down upon 
the river4  ,yes1 the water is just as  
much a part of our world as the solid   
rock and the soil4 ,there is water in   
the soil and in the solid rock1 too4 ,it
 comes out to us in----  ,springs1 said 
,donald4  ,water fills hollows in the   
earth----  ,ponds and lakes1 said       
,frank4  ,water runs down the slopes--  
,streams1 said ,frank4  ,rivers1 said   
,donald4  ,there is water in the        
air--mist1 fogs1 and clouds--and there  
is much water in the air which we can   
not see4  ,vapor8 asked ,frank4         
,sometimes water is so thin we can not  
see it1 and again it is so thick and    
hard that we may walk over it4  ,ice1   
said ,susie4  ,tiny bits of vapor come  
together until they become so heavy that
 they fall to the ground4  ,raindrops1  
said ,donald4  ,water is sometimes      
frozen in the clouds in beautiful white 
crystals1 and then they sail down to the
 earth4  ,snowflakes1 said ,susie4      

,sometimes drops start from the clouds  
and go through very cold air4 ,the cold 
air freezes them quickly1 and then they 
rattle on the roof and dash on the      
ground4 ,they cut the corn leaves and   
destroy the crops4  ,hailstones1 said   
,donald4  ,oh1 said ,susie1 ,i saw a    
hailstone once as big as an egg4  ,the  
lakes are hollows in the ground filled  
with water4 ,there are many small       
hollows1 and some big ones1 but there is
 one so great that we may call it       
immense4 ,it is the largest hollow in   
the world--so large that it occupies    
three-fourths of the earth's surface4   
,illustration3 ,ocean islands  ,the     
ocean1 said ,frank4  ,yes1 the ocean is 
only a great big hollow filled with     
water4  ,how deep is the ocean8 asked   
,frank4  ,very deep in some             
places--deeper than the height of the   
highest mountains4 ,in others it is very
 shallow4 ,in some places bits and      
masses of land rise out of the ocean4   
,islands8 asked ,donald4  ,four great   

masses of land rise above the ocean     
level4 ,these immense rock masses are   
called--  ,continents1 said ,frank4     
,yes1 said ,uncle ,robert4 ,we live on  
one of them4  ,the continent of ,north  
,america1 said ,donald4  ,our island    
rises right out of the river1 said      
,susie4  ,rock and water make only a    
part of our world4 ,we live on the firm 
earth4 ,but we live in something4       
,indeed1 we live at the bottom of a     
great1 deep ocean1 deeper than the water
 ocean1 and broader than the rock and   
water surface taken all together4  ,we  
live at the bottom of an ocean6 said    
,donald in surprise4  ,now you are      
joking1 ,uncle ,robert1 said ,susie4 ,if
 we lived on the bottom of an ocean we  
should all drown4  ,fish live in the    
ocean1 and we live in an ocean1 too--a  
very deep one1 how deep no one really   
knows4 ,it may be a hundred1 or hundreds
 of miles deep4 ,we see a part of the   
surface of the earth and of the water1  
but no one has ever seen the surface of 

the mighty ocean in which we live4      
,susie and ,donald were puzzled4        
,frank's face lighted up as he said3  ,i
 think you mean the air1 ,uncle ,robert4
  ,you are right1 ,frank4 ,the great    
ocean in which we live is the air1 or1  
as it is called1 the atmosphere4 ,the   
atmosphere is just as much a part of our
 world as the rock and the water4 ,the  
rock we may call solid1 the water fluid1
 and the air gaseous4 ,solid1 fluid1    
gas4  ,how do we know that the          
atmosphere is so deep8 asked ,frank4    
,we do not know exactly1 but there are  
ways of proving that it is very1 very   
deep4 ,when people began to study the   
atmosphere they thought it extended     
about fifty miles from the surface of   
the earth4 ,now they are sure that it is
 much deeper4 ,we know that air has     
weight1 like soil and water4 ,it presses
 on us and everything else--  ,fifteen  
pounds to the square inch1 said ,donald4
  ,we weigh the air with the---         
,barometer1 said ,susie4  ,it is heavier

 at the ocean level than it is on the   
tops of mountains4 ,we are sure that the
 higher we go up---  ,the less the air  
weighs1 said ,frank4  ,at the height of 
fifty miles it is thought to have little
 or no weight1 and so people believed   
that was as far as it extended4 ,but in 
time they discovered another way of     
measuring the atmosphere4 ,you have seen
 falling stars1 haven't you8 asked      
,uncle ,robert4  ,illustration3         
,meteors4  ,oh1 yes1 said the three     
children together4  ,i saw a star fall1 
so fast--just like a rocket4 ,then the  
light went out1 and ,i wondered where it
 went1 said ,susie4  ,falling stars are 
not stars at all1 though they look like 
them4 ,they are pieces of rock that     
break off from other worlds and whiz    
through space4  ,oh6 said ,susie4       
,outside of our atmosphere there may be 
nothing for these masses of rock to     
strike against1 but just as soon as they
 come into the air1 it tries to stop    
them4 ,the air is not strong enough to  

stop them1 but it grinds them up4       
,grinds them up6 exclaimed ,donald4     
,isn't that wonderful8 ,but1 uncle1 what
 makes them look just like fire8  ,if   
you put an axe or scythe on a dry       
grindstone and turn the crank1 what do  
you see8  ,sparks of fire1 said ,frank4 
,why do you put grease or oil upon the  
axles of your buggy8  ,to keep them from
 becoming hot and dry1 said ,frank4 ,one
 time when father and ,i were on a train
 there was a hot box1 and we had to stop
 to cool it4  ,the heat and the sparks  
of fire are caused by one body rubbing  
against another4 ,the faster they move1 
the greater the heat4 ,this rubbing is  
called friction4  ,there was a time1    
said ,mr4 ,leonard1 when fires were     
started by rubbing two pieces of wood   
together4 ,some ,indians do so now4     
,then the great pieces of rock rub      
against the air when they whiz through  
it1 and that makes the sparks8 asked    
,frank4  ,you are right4 ,we can see the
 blaze of fire caused by the friction4  

,i should think the rocks would fall on 
us and kill us1 said ,donald4  ,most of 
them are probably ground up into bits of
 dust before they reach the ground4     
,some of them1 indeed1 do strike the    
ground1 and very large ones bury        
themselves deep in the earth4 ,when we  
go to the ,field ,columbian ,museum1 in 
,chicago1 we shall see these visitors   
from other worlds4 ,they are called     
meteoric stones1 or meteorites4 ,when   
they are in the air we call them        
meteors4  ,i am going to watch the next 
one ,i see1 said ,susie4  ,they fly so  
fast that you hardly see them before    
they are gone1 said ,donald4  ,men who  
study the heavens tell of the depth of  
the atmosphere by the angle the meteor  
makes in falling1 but perhaps you can   
not understand that now4 ,so you see1   
children1 we live on the bottom of a    
great ocean of air1 and that air1 or    
atmosphere1 is a part of our world--the 
outside part4  ,how plain it all is1    
said ,mrs4 ,leonard1 when we think of it

 this way6  ,now we have the land and   
the water1 said ,uncle ,robert4  ,and   
the atmosphere1 put in ,donald4  ,and   
they are all right here close to us4    
,here is the land with its hollows1 and 
there1 pointing to the river glistening 
in the moonlight1 is the water1 and--   
,you can't see the air1 said ,donald4   
,we can feel it1 anyway1 said ,susie4   
,how large is the earth1 uncle8 asked   
,frank4  ,eight thousand miles through  
it and twenty-five thousand miles around
 it1 answered ,uncle ,robert4  ,but1    
uncle1 is it all solid rock for eight   
thousand miles8  ,no one knows4 ,the    
rocky outside of the ball is called the 
crust of the earth4 ,miners have dug    
down nearly four thousand feet1 and     
makers of artesian wells have bored     
still farther4 ,they always find rock4  
,i wonder how far four thousand feet    
would be1 said ,donald4  ,a little over 
three quarters of a mile1 said ,mr4     
,leonard4  ,the farther they go down    
into the crust of the earth1 the warmer 

they find it4 ,i have been down in a    
mine thirty-two hundred feet1 and it was
 very hot4 ,no one could have lived     
there if cool air had not been brought  
down from the surface4  ,some people    
have thought that inside the crust of   
the earth the rock is all a molten mass1
 like melted iron4 ,you have read about 
volcanoes1 and of the lava that is      
thrown out of them8  ,does that come out
 of the inside of the earth8 asked      
,donald4  ,illustration3 ,down in a     
,gold ,mine  ,it comes from somewhere in
 the earth4 ,some men give their whole  
lives to the study of these questions1  
but you know they can not see beneath   
the crust of the earth4 ,it is thought  
by some that the weight of the crust    
would keep the center of the earth a    
solid mass4 ,so you see there are still 
many questions unsettled4 ,we know that 
the crust is moving up and down all the 
time4  ,oh1 ,i hope the land won't rise 
here6 said ,susie4  ,you wouldn't know  
it1 ,susie1 if it did1 said ,uncle      

,robert1 laughing4  ,unless there was an
 earthquake1 said ,frank4  ,or a        
volcano1 said ,donald4 ,i'd like to see 
one4  ,i would like to see the ocean1   
said ,frank4 ,it must be grand to stand 
on the shore and look way off and not   
see anything but water4  ,it is a grand 
sight1 ,frank4 ,i have sat on the beach 
many a time and watched the waves roll  
in1 and thought of the wonderful work   
the ocean is doing4 ,you know it is the 
great reservoir that supplies all the   
land with water4  ,illustration3 ,view  
of the ,ocean  ,the heat of the sun     
lifts the water up1 or evaporates it4   
,the vapor that makes the clouds rises  
into the air4 ,the winds blow the vapor 
many long miles1 and some of the clouds 
come right over our heads4 ,the cold air
 draws the little bits of vapor together
 and makes the clouds heavy1 and down   
they fall upon the earth as drops of    
rain4  ,some of the rain runs directly  
into the streams4 ,some of the rain     
water sinks down into the earth2 in the 

gravel it sinks fast2 in the sand it    
sinks slower2 and in the loam1 clay1 and
 rock it sinks very slowly indeed4 ,the 
water in the ground dissolves the rock  
or the loose earth into little particles
 so fine that the tiny roots1 or root   
hairs1 drink them up1 and so the rock   
furnishes a part of the nourishment1 or 
food1 of plants4  ,without the water    
that the clouds bring no plant could    
grow4 ,it gives life and growth to      
everything that lives1 and then sinks   
deep into the earth4 ,it comes out of   
the ground again in springs1 and flows  
away in rivulets1 brooks1 creeks1 and   
rivers--away1 and away1 back to the     
ocean again4  ,on its way to the ocean  
it wears down the land1 carries silt    
from place to place1 spreads it out on  
beaches1 sand bars1 bottom lands1       
deltas1 and on the bottom of shallow    
places in the ocean4  ,isn't it strange 
how everything changes1 and how all the 
changes help us8 said ,frank            
thoughtfully4  ,yes1 ,frank1 it is      

wonderful how the ,creator of all things
 is constantly moving earth1 air1 and   
water1 and1 as you say1 making all these
 changes to help man4  ,it is the ,big  
,book that tells us of this marvelous   
world of ours and of other worlds as    
well4 ,it lies open before us for us to 
read every day4 ,god has created and is 
still creating our home1 the dwelling   
place of ,his children4 ,we must study  
,him1 my dear children1 in all ,he has  
made4 ,we must learn of ,his works in   
order to use everything to make man     
happier1 better1 and more useful4  ,mr4 
,leonard1 who had been listening very   
attentively to the story1 said1 as his  
face lighted with a happy smile3  ,i    
never thought of it all in that way     
before4 ,every day1 in all our work on  
the farm and in the house--indeed1      
wherever we may be--we should learn new 
and beautiful revelations from our      
,heavenly ,father2 how much ,he is      
constantly giving us1 and how thankful  
we should be4  ,the moon had risen to   

its full glory over the earth4 ,the     
waters of the river glistened4 ,the     
trees1 cornfields1 and meadows were     
peaceful and grand1 as though they1 too1
 felt the power of the glorious light4  
,susie put her brown arms around her    
mother's neck and kissed her good-night4
  ,oh1 how ,i love the ,big ,book6 she  
said4  ,i wish ,i could read it as all  
those great men have read it1 said      
,frank4  ,so do ,i1 said ,donald4  ',day
 unto day uttereth speech1 and night    
unto night sheweth knowledge1' mused the
 mother as her loved ones went to bed   
with sweet thoughts of a beautiful world
 and a loving ,god4