St. Nicholas Magazine for Boys and Girls, Vol. 5, September 1878, No. 11 — John Shaqi
St. Nicholas Magazine for Boys and Girls, Vol. 5, September 1878, No. 11Various
General
St. Nicholas Magazine for Boys and Girls, Vol. 5, September 1878, No. 11
Various
Children's literature -- Periodicals; Children's periodicals, American
So I lay back on the soft pillow with a feeling of rest and content in
my heart, such as had never been there before. I cared to ask no
questions. It was enough that I was safe, with my mother beside my bed
and the early sunbeams flickering on the wall opposite. It was a long
time before I thought of even Georgie. When I asked for him, mamma's
eyes filled with tears. "Dear Allie," she said, "Georgie saved your
life. My little girl would have been taken away from me, but for him. He
caught you when you slipped, and, tired as he was, held you up till help
came. He fainted as soon as papa took him into the boat. We thought you
were both dead!" Her voice broke in a sob, and she clasped me closer in
her arms. "He is better now," she went on. "Allie, we must never forget
his courage. Thank God, he was with you!"
"Mamma, O mamma!" I cried, "he said he was trying to be like Saint
George. _Isn't_ he like him? He saved me, and he prayed there in the
dark--and, O mamma, I love him so for it!"
"Yes, Allie," answered my mother, "not one of the old knights was braver
than ours, and not one of all the saints did better service in the sight
of God than our little Saint George last night."
BORN IN PRISON.
BY JULIA P. BALLARD.
[Illustration: THE PRISONERS.]
I am only a day old! I wonder if every butterfly comes into the world to
find such queer things about him? I was born in prison. I can see right
through my walls; but I can't find any door. Right below me (for I have
climbed up the wall) lies a queer-looking, empty box. It is clear, and a
pale green. It is all in one piece, only a little slit in the top. I
wonder what came out of it. Close by it there is another green box, long
and narrow, but not empty, and no slit in the top. I wonder what is in
it. Near it is a smooth, green caterpillar, crawling on the edge of a
bit of cabbage-leaf. I'm afraid that bright light has hurt my eyes. It
was just outside of my prison wall, and bright as the sun. The first
thing I remember, even before my wings had opened wide, or I was half
through stretching my feet to see if I could use them in climbing, there
was a great eye looking at me. Something round was before it, with a
handle. I suppose it was a quizzing-glass to see what I was about. I
heard somebody say, "Oh! oh!" twice, just as if they wondered I was
here. Then they held the great bright light close to the wall till my
eyes were dazzled. I don't like this prison. It isn't worth while to fly
about. It seems as if I ought to have more room. There must be something
inside that green box. It moves! I saw it half tip over then, all of
itself. I believe that caterpillar is afraid of it. He creeps off slowly
toward the wall. How smooth and green he is! How his rings move when he
crawls! Now he is gone up the wall. He has stopped near the roof. How he
throws his head from side to side! He is growing broader! He looks just
as if he was turning into one of these green boxes! How that box shakes!
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