Central Park, New York, covers an era of more than eight hundred acres, with a zoo and several small lakes. On one of the lakes there are large boats with a huge wooden swan on each side. Richard Harding Davis located one of his stories here: See "Van Bibber and the Swan Boats," in the volume called _Van Bibber and Others_. 1. How is this story like the preceding one? What difference in the characters? What difference in their homes? 2. How does Myra Kelly make you feel sympathy for the little folks? In what ways have their lives been less fortunate than the lives of children in your town? 3. What is peculiar about the talk of these children? Do they all speak the same dialect? Many of the children of the East Side never hear English spoken at home. 4. What touches of humor are there in this story? 5. What new words do you find? Define garrulous, pedagogically, cicerone. 6. Where did Miss Kelly get her materials for this story? See the life on page 37. 7. What other stories by this author have you read? This is from _Little Citizens_; other books telling about the same characters are _Little Aliens_, and _Wards of Liberty_. 8. Other books of short stories dealing with children are: _Whilomville Stories_, by Stephen Crane; _The Golden Age_, by Kenneth Grahame; _The Madness of Philip_, by Josephine Daskam Bacon; _The King of Boyville_, by William Allen White; _New Chronicles of Rebecca_, by Kate Douglas Wiggin. Read one of these, and compare it with Myra Kelly's story. THE TENOR 1. Point out the humorous touches in this story. 2. Is the story probable? To answer this, consider two points: would Louise have undertaken such a thing as answering the advertisement? and would she have had the spirit to act as she did at the close? Note the touches of description and characterization of Louise, and show how they prepare for the events that follow. 3. One of the most effective devices in art is the use of contrast; that is, bringing together two things or persons or ideas that are very different, perhaps the exact opposite of each other. Show that the main effect of this story depends on the use of contrast. 4. Read the paragraph on page 43 beginning, "It happened to be a French tenor." Give in your own words the thought of this paragraph. Is it true? Can you give examples of it? 5. Compare the length of this story with that of others in the book. Which authors get their effects in a small compass? Could any parts of this story be omitted? 6. Other stories by H. C. Bunner that you will enjoy are "The Love Letters of Smith" and "A Sisterly Scheme" in _Short Sixes_. THE PASSING OF PRISCILLA WINTHROP 1. Does the title fit the story well? Why?