Produced by Emmy, Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net THE NURSERY _A Monthly Magazine_ FOR YOUNGEST READERS. VOLUME XIII.--No. 2 BOSTON: JOHN L. SHOREY, No. 36 BROMFIELD STREET. 1873. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, BY JOHN L. SHOREY, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. BOSTON: RAND, AVERY, & CO., STEREOTYPERS AND PRINTERS. [Illustration: Contents] IN PROSE. PAGE. The Biography of a Bubble 33 The Story of a Little Duck 37 Our Thanksgiving Dinner 40 The Grandpa Story 42 Miss Jones's Picture 45 Clear the Coast 48 Our New Dog 50 Bunny 52 Dandy the Bear 55 Little Mischief 57 Too Many Presents 61 The Dog and the Shadow 63 IN VERSE. Jack's Menagerie 36 Jack Frost 44 Sue's Seasons 47 The Children's Party 54 Jack and Jill (_with music_) 64 [Illustration: THE BIOGRAPHY OF A BUBBLE] THE BIOGRAPHY OF A BUBBLE. [Illustration: T]HE papa who writes this biography of a bubble never wrote a biography before in all his life. This is his first printed work. Perhaps some old person will criticise it severely. "Why use such big words as 'biography' and 'criticise'?" this old person may ask. "Are you not writing for little people? Is not your subject a poor little bubble that could not have lived longer than three or four seconds?" To which this papa replies: "Old person, do not meddle. This papa knows what he is about. The little folks understand very well that a 'biography' is a story of a life; that to 'criticise' is to find fault; and that a 'critic' is a fault-finder." So all critics will please get out of the way, and leave this papa alone while he writes the biography of a bubble. This bubble was born just as the clock struck four, on the afternoon of the 13th of January, 1873. Its name was "Diamond." "Why, how could a bubble have a name?" Now, you just be quiet and patient, and in good time you shall learn all. Papa had promised his little daughter Grace, that one of these days he would blow some bubbles for her amusement.