Title: A Present for Infants; or, Pictures for the Nursery
Author: Anonymous
Release date: September 5, 2013 [eBook #43645]
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Emmy, Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive)
"Turnips, cabbages, carrots, Ho! Now try, Ma'am; I dare say you and I can agree upon a price for this bunch of turnips: they were fresh gathered this morning, I assure you; and I think if you buy of me once, you will never buy of any body else.—Pray, Ma'am, try my fine, fresh codlins. They are very cheap, and as large as you can get any where."
How quiet that cow seems, which Molly the dairy-maid has just been milking. In some parts of the world there are wild cows, and buffaloes too, which will kill those who attack them, if they can; but in this happy island, there are no fierce wild beasts, to frighten us from the fields by day, or disturb our slumbers by night.
Ah, poor people, how sorry I am for you! I hope you have not far to go before you see your nice little cottage. It is dismal walking in such weather; but as you are caught in the rain, you must make the best of your way, and be thankful you have a home to shelter you.
How industriously these men are working. One is picking down the hard gravel, with a pick-axe: the other is taking it up with a shovel, and putting it into a sieve. All the small pieces go through, and the great stones remain. The sifted gravel, I suppose, will be carried in a cart to some gentleman's garden, to make walks; and the stones will be used in mending the roads.
"May I dig a little for you, father? I am sure I can dig very nicely, if you will but let me try"—"And I can pull up the weeds," said little Jane.—"You are both mistaken," replied their father: "you, John, have not strength to put the spade far enough into the hard ground; and you, Jane, would be apt to pull up flowers as well as weeds: and so you must both be satisfied to work in your own little gardens for the present, till the one is stronger, and the other wiser."
The man who is drawing up water from the well, appears to have rather hard work. Wells are very useful things: in them is collected a great quantity of water, which can be drawn up by means of a rope and bucket; and though it is some trouble to do this, we must be willing to take it, for the sake of getting such a useful, pleasant thing as water.
"Oh you pretty little duck, how I I should like to nurse you," said Amelia. "That would be a great unkindness," replied her father: "the little duck is fond of being in the water, and by the side of its mother; and therefore it would be quite unhappy in your warm hands. Little ducks and chickens run to their mother the moment they hear her call; and little boys and girls should be obedient to their kind parents, because they love them affectionately."
I am glad to see these boys are not teasing their ass, but, on the contrary, are taking pleasure in putting a bough on its head, to keep the flies off. Some boys are very cruel to poor asses. The dog in this picture seems to be rather angry at something, but I cannot think at what; for these good boys look as if they were kind to him, as well as to their donkey.
This man has in his hand a bill, and he is probably going to cut up the tree for fire-wood. The little girl seems to be catching the chips, to carry home to her mother. What a nice thing it is to see a little girl employed in helping her father; which, indeed, all little girls ought to endeavour to do, because most parents do a great deal for their children; and some have, like this man, to work very hard for them.
Oh! what a delightful sight is the harvest-field. Our great Creator has made the corn grow, to make nice food for the use of man. One of these men is cutting down the corn, and the other is binding it up into a sheaf; whilst those at a distance are carrying a waggon-full home, to put into the barn. They have got a little cask of beer, which is a necessary refreshment, after having worked hard in the hot sun.
This man is sowing seed, perhaps wheat or oats. The ground has been prepared by ploughing and harrowing. That box holds the seed. After the field is sown, a boy will be set to keep off the birds, which would otherwise come and eat up a great deal of it.
"Remark," said a fond mother to her
little girl, whilst admiring a fine flock of[18]
[19]
[20]
sheep feeding in a green meadow, "how
good our Heavenly Father is to all his creatures.
He makes the grass, to serve the
sheep for a soft couch to lie down upon
when they are tired, and to afford them a
pleasant meal when they are hungry."
Some people are rich, and have plenty of every thing they wish for; whilst others are poor, and are obliged to be contented with few things. The rich farmer gives his poor neighbours leave to pick up the ears of corn that are scattered about, to make them a few loaves in the winter. See that cottager, with a load upon her head: her eldest girl is helping her; and a chubby little boy trudges joyfully by her side.
If you have any parcels to send, good people, pray make haste and overtake this man, who is called an errand-man. He[21] makes it his business to carry parcels, for which you must pay him a small sum. His dog probably guards his parcels, when he has occasion to stop at a house and leave his cart.
Within this mill are two very large stones: one of them is kept quite quiet, whilst the other is moved round; and the corn being put between them, is ground to a powder. Afterwards, all the coarse parts of the husk are taken away by means of sifting: this coarse part is called bran; and the fine white inside is flour, of which bread is made.
"Whoa, Dobbin!" says a man to his
horse: "if you go further into the pond, I
shall have to follow you, which I shall not
like, with my shoes and stockings on." The
other horse is drinking very quietly. What
a pleasant thing to have a nice pond to go[22]
[23]
[24]
to when they are thirsty; and I hope the
men also have got a nice supper at home,
and kind wives and children to welcome
their return.
"Chick, chick, chick, here is some corn for you, and crumbs of bread and cheese, which mamma saved for you after dinner. Now mind, you little things, don't quarrel about the pieces: if you do, I won't give you any more."
Here are three very pretty animals. The first is a rabbit, of a kind, gentle disposition. The second is a goat: he is by nature wild, and jumps about from crag to crag, on his native mountains. The third is the timid hare. I am afraid she is running from the pursuit of the dog. Ah! what a cruel thing it is to set dogs to hunt this beautiful little animal.
