St. Nicholas Volume 23, Pt. 2

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1896 edition. Excerpt: ...have plenty of experience. Then his actual life as a fireman begins, an experience fraught with many dangers. But it is rarely that we find our firemen "losing their heads"; and although raising a scaling-ladder to rescue some one amid the confusion and smoke of an actual fire is not at all like practice in the quiet yard at Headquarters, with a great big net stretched underneath to catch them should they fall, yet they are always ready and anxious to perform such a duty. The people may well be grateful to the graduates of this excellent School for Firemen. In eighteen hundred and blankety-nine, On a summer day, when the weather was fine, There was held--to settle some old disputes--A society known as the Congress of Brutes. From the whole round earth to its uttermost ends Were gathered the delegates and their friends; When all had assembled, and order prevailed, The hedgehog arose and remarked that he failed "To perceive the relation of which to what, When the wherefore is whether it was, or was not." At this half a dozen debaters arose, And the argument deepened--from words into blows. And so they continued to argue and fight, Till the dodo got up and declared't was not right, And called on the others to make some amends By joining the order of Very Good Friends. At this all the delegates threw up their caps, And took the degree of the three mystic raps. That is--I should say--they all did but one--The kangaroo--Who started to run And with great ado Proclaimed that he never would make amends, By joining the order of Very Good Friends. A BOSTON TEA-PARTY. WHO WERE THE GUESTS? (/ Prize Puzzle.) By Mary Seymour. (for List Of Prizes Offered, See Next Page.) DIRECTIONS FOR PREPARING ANSWERS TO THE PUZZLE. Each number...