Then Ham was placed "on the gridiron," and slowly broiled by Squire Pollard, the lawyer who managed my case. He was asked where he spent the evening, what time he got home, when he had sorted the mail; and before he was "done," he became considerably "mixed." But Ham's time had not come yet, and he was permitted to step down.

Captain Fishley had testified that I had no means of obtaining money honestly, and that I had run away. The captain seemed to be greatly astonished when his brother was called to the witness stand for the defence.

"Mr. Fishley, were you in Torrentville two months ago?" asked Squire Pollard.

"I was," replied the senator.

"Did you see the defendant at that time?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you give him any money?"

"Yes, sir."

"How much?"

"The young man drove me up from Riverport on the night in question. I gave him between forty and fifty dollars at that time, and enough more the next day to make a hundred dollars."

"You gave him a hundred dollars, in two payments?" repeated the lawyer, glancing round at the crowd which filled the room.

"Yes, sir, that was the amount I gave him," replied Squire Fishley; but I saw that he looked troubled.

"You gave him between forty and fifty dollars the first time?"

"Forty-six dollars, I think, was the exact amount."

"Could this have been the money which Ham Fishley saw the defendant counting in the hay-loft?"

"I have no doubt it was, as I fix the time from the testimony of the witnesses."

"Why did you pay the boy this large sum?" asked the justice.

"Because he had rendered me a very important service," answered the senator, coloring deeply.

"What was that service?" continued the magistrate.

"I had the misfortune to fall into the river, and the young man saved my life," added Squire Fishley, now very much embarrassed.

"Ah, indeed!" said the justice on the bench, nodding his head in full satisfaction.

"But the defendant refused to tell where he got the money, and the presumption was, that he stole it."

"I desired him not to mention the matter for reasons of my own."

"I submit, your honor," interposed Squire Pollard, "that this matter is foreign to the case. Squire Fishley testifies that he gave the defendant one hundred dollars, and that he desired the young man not to mention the matter. This testimony explains where the defendant obtained his money, and why he declined to tell where he got it. The material facts are all elicited."

Not only Squire Ward, but many others in the room, were very anxious to know why this silence had been imposed upon me. There was something dark about it, and the people were not satisfied. Squire Fishley was troubled, and, though my lawyer, who seemed to understand the matter,—I had told him nothing,—had influence enough to save him from any exposure, yet he was not content to leave the dark point in its present obscurity.

"There does not seem to be any good reason for this concealment," added the justice.

"All the essential facts have come out, your honor," said Squire Pollard.

"I wish to explain it fully," interposed the senator, very much to my surprise. "Since this event, I have been elected president of a total abstinence society. I took the pledge two months ago, on my return home from Torrentville."

"What has this to do with the case?" demanded the justice, impatiently.

"I will explain," resumed the senator. "I had never been in the habit of drinking more than one glass of intoxicating liquor in a day; but meeting some friends on the steamer, I exceeded my limit. In a word, I was somewhat intoxicated when I fell into the river, and this was the reason why I wished to conceal the facts. The events of that night made me a total abstinence man, and with God's help I will never taste the intoxicating cup again."

"Ah, indeed!" said the magistrate.

Squire Fishley stepped down from the stand, wiping the perspiration from his brow. After this humiliating confession, I think there was not a man present who did not respect and honor him for his manly acknowledgment.

"There appears not to be a particle of evidence against the defendant," said Squire Pollard. "I move that he be discharged."

I was discharged.

My friends gathered around me, as the court broke up, to congratulate me on the happy event. Clarence was satisfied, and how warmly Emily Goodridge pressed my trembling hand! In my heart I thanked God for this issue. Captain Fishley seemed to be stunned by the result; and Mrs. Fishley, who came in after the examination commenced, "wanted to know!" Ham was confounded; and as he was moving out of the office, the post-office agent placed a heavy hand upon his shoulder.

My junior tyrant looked ghastly pale when he was conducted back to the magistrate's table. His guilty soul was withering in his bosom. Tyrants as his father and mother had been to me, I pitied them, for they were not guilty of his crime.

"What do you mean by that?" demanded Captain Fishley, angrily, as the detective dragged his son up to the bar of justice.

"I arrest him for robbing the mail."

"Me!" exclaimed Ham, his lips as white as his face, and his knees smiting each other in his terror.

"I should like to know!" ejaculated his mother, holding up both her hands in horror and surprise.

"Do you mean to say that Ham robbed the mail!" demanded Captain Fishley.

"I am afraid he did."

"Then you are going to believe what that wretch says," gasped Mrs. Fishley, pointing to me.

The justice immediately organized his court for the examination of the new culprit, and Captain Fishley was called as the first witness.

"Does your son receive wages for his services?" asked the detective, who managed the case for the post-office.

"No, not exactly wages. I give him what money he wants."

"How much money do you give him?"

"As much as he wants," replied the witness, sourly.

"How much have you given him during the last two months?"

"I don't know."

"What do you think?"

"I don't know."

"Answer the question to the best of your knowledge and belief," interposed the justice.

"Perhaps fifteen or twenty dollars," replied the captain, determined to make the sum large enough to cover the case, though I believed that the sum he named was double the actual amount he had given Ham.

"Did it exceed twenty?"

"No, I think not."

The detective then inquired particularly into the management of the mails, as to who opened them and sorted the letters. I was then placed on the stand. I told my story, as I have related it before. I produced the fragment of the envelope I found in the fireplace on the morning after the destruction of the letter. Captain Fishley was overwhelmed, and Mrs. Fishley wrung her hands, declaring it was all "an awful lie."

Captain Fishley immediately called in Squire Pollard, who had done so well for me, to defend his son. The skilful lawyer subjected me to a severe cross-examination, in which I told the simple truth, with all the collateral circumstances about the party at Crofton's, the hour, the weather, the day, and twenty other things which he dragged in to confuse me. Truth is mighty always, in little as well as in great things, and she always stands by her friends.

The stable-keeper appeared with his memorandum-book, and astonished Captain Fishley by swearing that Ham had paid him over thirty dollars, within two months, for the use of his best team. The witness also testified that he had seen Ham pay four dollars for two suppers at the hotel in Tripleton, ten miles distant, and that the defendant had told him not to tell his father that he hired the team.

The evidence was sufficient to commit the prisoner for trial before the United States Court. His father and his uncle became his bail. The detective had also ascertained that he had given his "lady love" jewelry to the amount of at least thirty dollars, which she indignantly sent back as soon as the facts transpired.

People wanted to know why I had not told of Ham before. I had told his father, but he would not believe me. I was afraid that Squire Fishley would blame me for the testimony I had given; but he did not, much as he regretted his brother's misfortune.

Our party left the office together. As we were going out, Mr. Barkspear put his hand on Sim Gwynn's arm, and frightened him nearly out of his scanty wits. The poor fellow flew to the protection of Mr. Goodridge.

"That boy ran away from me," said the miserly farmer.

"He didn't give me enough to eat," howled Sim.

"He must go back and work for me till his time is out."

"No, sir; he shall not," interposed the wealthy merchant. "You starved him, and the obligation, if there ever was any, is cancelled."

"But I ought to have sunthin' for his time," whined Barkspear.

"Not a cent;" and Mr. Goodridge hurried Sim towards the hotel.

Sim was relieved; but Sim was not exactly a prize to any one. He was good for nothing except to work on a farm, or do the chores about the house. He was good-natured and willing. He had a hand in saving Emily Goodridge, and her father could not forget that. He found a place for him with a minister in Riverport, and left a thousand dollars in trust for his benefit.

My brother wished to go east, and I was held as a witness to appear in Ham's trial; but the culprit took to himself heels and ran away, probably by his father's advice, as the testimony against him continued to accumulate. His bail was paid, and nothing was heard of Ham for years, when I saw him tending bar on a Mississippi steamer. He was a miserable fellow. "Cutting a swell" had been his ruin, for his desire to be smart before "his girl" had tempted him to rob the mail.

I am glad to be able to say that Squire Fishley did not suffer by his honest confession of his own weakness, for he was true to his pledge, and true to his religion. He has held several high offices in this state, and will probably go to Congress in due time.

The Fishleys of Torrentville had no good will towards me, and I kept away from them. Our party remained together during the summer at the North, and in October returned to New Orleans. Flora and I went to live with Clarence, and I was employed in the store of his firm, first as a boy, then as a clerk; and when I was twenty-one, I had the capital to go into business as one of the concern.

Emily Goodridge's health was much improved by her journey to the North, and every year the same party repeated it. I need hardly say that during my clerkship I was a constant visitor at the house of Mr. Goodridge, and that his daughter and myself were the best of friends. Flora used to go there every afternoon; but she could not venture out, as I did, in the evening air.

Years rolled on, and brought their changes. I was a merchant in prosperous circumstances. Flora, in a measure, outgrew her bodily infirmities, but she was always an invalid. I heard from Sim Gwynn once in a great while. He took care of the minister's horse and his garden. He could not "keep a hotel," and he did not aspire to do so. He was contented with enough to eat and enough to wear.

I am still a young man; but our firm is Bradford Brothers. We are doing well, and in time hope to make a fortune. Whether I do so or not, I shall still be happy, for my wife—whom I picked up one day on the Mississippi River—is joy enough for this world, though I have another, and almost equal joy, in dear Flora, whose home is also mine. We are blessed of God, and blessed in ourselves, for we are as loving and devoted to each other as when, years ago, on the raft, we journeyed DOWN THE RIVER.

* * * * * * * *

OLIVER OPTIC'S BOOKS

All-Over-the-World Library. By OLIVER OPTIC. First Series. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25.

1. A Missing Million; OR, THE ADVENTURES OF LOUIS BELGRADE. 2. A Millionaire at Sixteen; OR, THE CRUISE OF THE "GUARDIAN MOTHER." 3. A Young Knight Errant; OR, CRUISING IN THE WEST INDIES. 4. Strange Sights Abroad; OR, ADVENTURES IN EUROPEAN WATERS.

No author has come before the public during the present generation who has achieved a larger and more deserving popularity among young people than "Oliver Optic." His stories have been very numerous, but they have been uniformly excellent in moral tone and literary quality. As indicated in the general title, it is the author's intention to conduct the readers of this entertaining series "around the world." As a means to this end, the hero of the story purchases a steamer which he names the "Guardian Mother," and with, a number of guests she proceeds on her voyage.—Christian Work, N. Y.

All-Over-the-World Library. By OLIVER OPTIC. Second Series. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25.

1. American Boys Afloat; OR, CRUISING IN THE ORIENT. 2. The Young Navigators; OR, THE FOREIGN CRUISE OF THE "MAUD." 3. Up and Down the Nile; OR, YOUNG ADVENTURERS IN AFRICA. 4. Asiatic Breezes; OR, STUDENTS ON THE WING.

The interest in these stories is continuous, and there is a great variety of exciting incident woven into the solid information which the book imparts so generously and without the slightest suspicion of dryness. Manly boys will welcome this volume as cordially as they did its predecessors.—Boston Gazette.

All-Over-the-World Library. By OLIVER OPTIC. Third Series. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25.

1. Across India; OR, LIVE BOYS IN THE FAR EAST. 2. Half Round the World; OR, AMONG THE UNCIVILIZED. 3. Four Young Explorers; OR, SIGHT-SEEING IN THE TROPICS. 4. Pacific Shores; OR, ADVENTURES IN EASTERN SEAS.

Amid such new and varied surroundings it would be surprising indeed if the author, with his faculty of making even the commonplace attractive, did not tell an intensely interesting story of adventure, as well as give much information in regard to the distant countries through which our friends pass, and the strange peoples with whom they are brought in contact. This book, and indeed the whole series, is admirably adapted to reading aloud in the family circle, each volume containing matter which will interest all the members of the family.—Boston Budget.

The Blue and the Gray—Afloat. By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated. Beautiful binding in blue and gray, with emblematic dies. Cloth. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.50.

1. Taken by the Enemy. 2. Within the Enemy's Lines. 3. On the Blockade. 4. Stand by the Union. 5. Fighting for the Right. 6. A Victorious Union.

The Blue and the Gray—on Land.

1. Brother against Brother. 2. In the Saddle. 3. A Lieutenant at Eighteen. 4. On the Staff. 5. At the Front. 6. An Undivided Union.

"There never has been a more interesting writer in the field of juvenile literature than Mr. W. T. ADAMS, who, under his well-known pseudonym, is known and admired by every boy and girl in the country, and by thousands who have long since passed the boundaries of youth, yet who remember with pleasure the genial, interesting pen that did so much to interest, instruct, and entertain their younger years 'The Blue and the Gray' is a title that is sufficiently indicative of the nature and spirit of the latest series, while the name of OLIVER OPTIC is sufficient warrant of the absorbing style of narrative. This series is as bright and entertaining as any work that Mr. ADAMS has yet put forth, and will be as eagerly perused as any that has borne his name. It would not be fair to the prospective reader to deprive him of the zest which comes from the unexpected by entering into a synopsis of the story. A word, however, should be said in regard to the beauty and appropriateness of the binding, which makes it a most attractive volume."—Boston Budget.

Woodville Stories. By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

1. Rich and Humble; OR, THE MISSION OF BERTHA GRANT. 2. In School and Out; OR, THE CONQUEST OF RICHARD GRANT. 3. Watch and Wait; OR, THE YOUNG FUGITIVES. 4. Work and Win; OR, NODDY NEWMAN ON A CRUISE. 5. Hope and Have; OR, FANNY GRANT AMONG THE INDIANS. 6. Haste and Waste; OR, THE YOUNG PILOT OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN.

"Though we are not so young as we once were, we relished these stories almost as much as the boys and girls for whom they were written. They were really refreshing, even to us. There is much in them which is calculated to inspire a generous, healthy ambition, and to make distasteful all reading tending to stimulate base desires."—Fitchburg Reveille.

The Starry Flag Series. By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume $1.25.

1. The Starry Flag; OR, THE YOUNG FISHERMAN OF CAPE ANN. 2. Breaking Away; OR, THE FORTUNES OF A STUDENT. 3. Seek and Find; OR, THE ADVENTURES OF A SMART BOY. 4. Freaks of Fortune; OR, HALF ROUND THE WORLD. 5. Make or Break; OR, THE RICH MAN'S DAUGHTER. 6. Down the River; OR, BUCK BRADFORD AND THE TYRANTS.

"Mr. ADAMS, the celebrated and popular writer, familiarly known as OLIVER OPTIC, seems to have inexhaustible funds for weaving together the virtues of life; and, notwithstanding he has written scores of books, the same freshness and novelty run through them all. Some people think the sensational element predominates. Perhaps it does. But a book for young people needs this, and so long as good sentiments are inculcated such books ought to be read."

Army and Navy Stories. By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

1. The Soldier Boy; OR, TOM SOMERS IN THE ARMY. 2. The Sailor Boy; OR, JACK SOMERS IN THE NAVY. 3. The Young Lieutenant; OR, ADVENTURES OF AN ARMY OFFICER. 4. The Yankee Middy; OR, ADVENTURES OF A NAVY OFFICER. 5. Fighting Joe; OR, THE FORTUNES OF A STAFF OFFICER. 6. Brave Old Salt; OR, LIFE ON THE QUARTER DECK.

"This series of six volumes recounts the adventures of two brothers, Tom and Jack Somers, one in the army, the other in the navy, in the great Civil War. The romantic narratives of the fortunes and exploits of the brothers are thrilling in the extreme. Historical accuracy in the recital of the great events of that period is strictly followed, and the result is, not only a library of entertaining volumes, but also the best history of the Civil War for young people ever written."

Boat Builders Series. By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

1. All Adrift; OR, THE GOLDWING CLUB. 2. Snug Harbor; OR, THE CHAMPLAIN MECHANICS. 3. Square and Compasses; OR, BUILDING THE HOUSE. 4. Stem to Stern; OR, BUILDING THE BOAT. 5. All Taut; OR, RIGGING THE BOAT. 6. Ready About; OR, SAILING THE BOAT.

"The series includes in six successive volumes the whole artof boat building, boat rigging, boat managing, and practical hints to make the ownership of a boat pay. A great deal of useful information is given in this Boat Builders Series, and in each book a very interesting story is interwoven with the information. Every reader will be interested at once in Dory, the hero of 'All Adrift,' and one of the characters retained in the subsequent volumes of the series. His friends will not want to lose sight of him, and every boy who makes his acquaintance in 'All Adrift' will become his friend."

Riverdale Story Books. By OLIVER OPTIC. Twelve volumes. Illustrated. Illuminated covers. Price: cloth, per set, $3.60; per volume, 30 cents; paper, per set, $2.00.

1. Little Merchant. 2. Young Voyagers. 3. Christmas Gift. 4. Dolly and I. 5. Uncle Ben. 6. Birthday Party. 7. Proud and Lazy. 8. Careless Kate. 9. Robinson Crusoe, Jr. 10. The Picnic Party. 11. The Gold Thimble. 12. The Do-Somethings.

Riverdale Story Books. By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated. Fancy cloth and colors. Price per volume, 30 cents.

1. Little Merchant. 2. Proud and Lazy. 3. Young Voyagers. 4. Careless Kate. 5. Dolly and I. 6. Robinson Crusoe, Jr.

Flora Lee Library. By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated. Fancy cloth and colors. Price per volume, 30 cents.

1. The Picnic Party. 2. The Gold Thimble. 3. The Do-Somethings. 4. Christmas Gift. 5. Uncle Ben. 6. Birthday Party.

These are bright short stories for younger children who are unable to comprehend the Starry Flag Series or the Army and Navy Series. But they all display the author's talent for pleasing and interesting the little folks. They are all fresh and original, preaching no sermons, but inculcating good lessons.

The Great Western Series. By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

1. Going West; OR, THE PERILS OF A POOR BOY. 2. Out West; OR, ROUGHING IT ON THE GREAT LAKES. 3. Lake Breezes; OR, THE CRUISE OF THE SYLVANIA. 4. Going South; OR, YACHTING ON THE ATLANTIC COAST. 5. Down South; OR, YACHT ADVENTURES IN FLORIDA. 6. Up the River; OR, YACHTING ON THE MISSISSIPPI.

"This is the latest series of books issued by this popular writer, and deals with life on the Great Lakes, for which a careful study was made by the author in a summer tour of the immense water sources of America. The story, which carries the same hero through the six books of the series, is always entertaining, novel scenes and varied incidents giving a constantly changing yet always attractive aspect to the narrative. OLIVER OPTIC has written nothing better."

The Yacht Club Series. By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

1. Little Bobtail; OR, THE WRECK OF THE PENOBSCOT. 2. The Yacht Club; OR, THE YOUNG BOAT BUILDERS. 3. Money-Maker; OR, THE VICTORY OF THE BASILISK. 4. The Coming Wave; OR, THE TREASURE OF HIGH ROCK. 5. The Dorcas Club; OR, OUR GIRLS AFLOAT. 6. Ocean Born; OR, THE CRUISE OF THE CLUBS.

"The series has this peculiarity, that all of its constituent volumes are independent of one another, and therefore each story is complete in itself. OLIVER OPTIC is, perhaps, the favorite author of the boys and girls of this country, and he seems destined to enjoy an endless popularity. He deserves his success, for he makes very interesting stories, and inculcates none but the best sentiments, and the 'Yacht Club' is no exception to this rule." —New Haven Journal and Courier.

Onward and Upward Series. By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

1. Field and Forest; OR, THE FORTUNES OF A FARMER. 2. Plane and Plank; OR, THE MISHAPS OF A MECHANIC. 3. Desk and Debit; OR, THE CATASTROPHES OF A CLERK. 4. Cringle and Crosstree; OR, THE SEA SWASHES OF A SAILOR. 5. Bivouac and Battle; OR, THE STRUGGLES OF A SOLDIER. 6. Sea and Shore; OR, THE TRAMPS OF A TRAVELLER.

"Paul Farringford, the hero of these tales, is, like most of this author's heroes, a young man of high spirit, and of high aims and correct principles, appearing in the different volumes as a farmer, a captain, a bookkeeper, a soldier, a sailor, and a traveller. In all of them the hero meets with very exciting adventures, told in the graphic style for which the author is famous."

The Lake Shore Series. By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

1. Through by Daylight; OR, THE YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE LAKE SHORE RAILROAD. 2. Lightning Express; OR, THE RIVAL ACADEMIES. 3. On Time; OR, THE YOUNG CAPTAIN OF THE UCAYGA STEAMER. 4. Switch Off; OR, THE WAR OF THE STUDENTS. 5. Brake Up; OR, THE YOUNG PEACEMAKERS. 6. Bear and Forbear; OR, THE YOUNG SKIPPER OF LAKE UCAYGA.

"OLIVER OPTIC is one of the most fascinating writers for youth, and withal one of the best to be found in this or any past age. Troops of young people hang over his vivid pages; and not one of them ever learned to be mean, ignoble, cowardly, selfish, or to yield to any vice from anything they ever read from his pen." —Providence Press.

The Famous Boat Club Series. By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume $1.25.

1. The Boat Club; OR, THE BUNKERS OF RIPPLETON. 2. All Aboard; OR, LIFE ON THE LAKE. 3. Now or Never; OR, THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BRIGHT. 4. Try Again; OR, THE TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS OF HARRY WEST. 5. Poor and Proud; OR, THE FORTUNES OF KATY REDBURN. 6. Little by Little; OR, THE CRUISE OF THE FLYAWAY.

"This is the first series of books written for the young by OLIVER OPTIC. It laid the foundation for his fame as the first of authors in which the young delight, and gained for him the title of the Prince of Story Tellers. The six books are varied in incident and plot, but all are entertaining and original."

(Other volumes in preparation.)

Young America Abroad: A LIBRARY OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE IN FOREIGN LANDS. By OLIVER OPTIC. Illustrated by NAST and others. First Series. Six volumes. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

1. Outward Bound; OR, YOUNG AMERICA AFLOAT. 2. Shamrock and Thistle; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN IRELAND AND SCOTLAND. 3. Red Cross; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN ENGLAND AND WALES. 4. Dikes and Ditches; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN HOLLAND AND BELGIUM. 5. Palace and Cottage; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN FRANCE AND SWITZERLAND. 6. Down the Rhine; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN GERMANY.

"The story from its inception, and through the twelve volumes (see Second Series), is a bewitching one, while the information imparted concerning the countries of Europe and the isles of the sea is not only correct in every particular, but is told in a captivating style. OLIVER OPTIC will continue to be the boys' friend, and his pleasant books will continue to be read by thousands of American boys. What a fine holiday present either or both series of 'Young America Abroad' would be for a young friend! It would make a little library highly prized by the recipient, and would not be an expensive one."—Providence Press.

Young America Abroad. By OLIVER OPTIC. Second Series. Six volumes. Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.

1. Up the Baltic; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN NORWAY, SWEDEN, AND DENMARK. 2. Northern Lands; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN RUSSIA AND PRUSSIA. 3. Cross and Crescent; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN TURKEY AND GREECE. 4. Sunny Shores; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN ITALY AND AUSTRIA. 5. Vine and Olive; OR, YOUNG AMERICA IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. 6. Isles of the Sea; OR, YOUNG AMERICA HOMEWARD BOUND.

"OLIVER OPTIC is a nom de plume that is known and loved by almost every boy of intelligence in the land. We have seen a highly intellectual and world-weary man, a cynic whose heart was somewhat embittered by its large experience of human nature, take up one of OLIVER OPTIC'S books, and read it at a sitting, neglecting his work in yielding to the fascination of the pages. When a mature and exceedingly well-informed mind, long despoiled of all its freshness, can thus find pleasure in a book for boys, no additional words of recommendation are needed."—Sunday Times.



LEE AND SHEPARD'S ILLUSTRATED JUVENILES

J. T. TROWBRIDGE'S BOOKS

THE START IN LIFE SERIES. 4 volumes.

A Start in Life: A STORY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.00.

In this story the author recounts the hardships of a young lad in his first endeavor to start out for himself. It is a tale that is full of enthusiasm and budding hopes. The writer shows how hard the youths of a century ago were compelled to work. This he does in an entertaining way, mingling fun and adventures with their daily labors. The hero is a striking example of the honest boy, who is not too lazy to work, nor too dull to thoroughly appreciate a joke.

Biding His Time. By J. T. Trowbridge. Illustrated. $1.00.

"It is full of spirit and adventure, and presents a plucky hero who was willing to 'bide his time,' no matter how great the expectations that he indulged in from his uncle's vast wealth, which he did not in the least covet.... He was left a poor orphan in Ohio at seventeen years of age, and soon after heard of a rich uncle, who lived near Boston. He sets off on the long journey to Boston, finds his uncle, an eccentric old man, is hospitably received by him, but seeks employment in a humble way, and proves that he is a persevering and plucky young man."—Boston Home Journal.

The Kelp Gatherers: A STORY OF THE MAINE COAST. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.00.

This book is full of interesting information upon the plant life of the seashore, and the life of marine animals; but it is also a bright and readable story, with all the hints of character and the vicissitudes of human life, in depicting which the author is an acknowledged master.

The Scarlet Tanager, AND OTHER BIPEDS. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.00.

Every new story which Mr. TROWBRIDGE begins is followed through successive chapters by thousands who have read and re-read many times his preceding tales. One of his greatest charms is his absolute truthfulness. He does not depict little saints, or incorrigible rascals, but just boys. This same fidelity to nature is seen in his latest book, "The Scarlet Tanager, and Other Bipeds." There is enough adventure in this tale to commend it to the liveliest reader, and all the lessons it teaches are wholesome.

THE TIDE-MILL STORIES. 6 volumes.

Phil and His Friends. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

The hero is the son of a man who from drink got into debt, and, after having given a paper to a creditor authorizing him to keep the son as a security for his claim, ran away, leaving poor Phil a bond slave. The story involves a great many unexpected incidents, some of which are painful, and some comic. Phil manfully works for a year, cancelling his father's debt, and then escapes. The characters are strongly drawn, and the story is absorbingly interesting.

The Tinkham Brothers' Tide-Mill. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"The Tinkham Brothers" were the devoted sons of an invalid mother. The story tells how they purchased a tide-mill, which afterwards, by the ill-will and obstinacy of neighbors, became a source of much trouble to them. It tells also how, by discretion and the exercise of a peaceable spirit, they at last overcame all difficulties.

"Mr. TROWBRIDGE'S humor, his fidelity to nature, and story-telling power lose nothing with years; and he stands at the head of those who are furnishing a literature for the young, clean and sweet in tone, and always of interest and value."—The Continent.

The Satin-wood Box. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"Mr. TROWBRIDGE has always a purpose in his writings, and this time he has undertaken to show how very near an innocent boy can come to the guilty edge and yet be able by fortunate circumstances to rid himself of all suspicion of evil. There is something winsome about the hero; but he has a singular way of falling into bad luck, although the careful reader will never feel the least disposed to doubt his honesty.... It is the pain and perplexity which impart to the story its intense interest."—Syracuse Standard.

The Little Master. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

This is the story of a schoolmaster, his trials, disappointments, and final victory. It will recall to many a man his experience in teaching pupils, and in managing their opinionated and self-willed parents. The story has the charm which is always found in Mr. TROWBRIDGE'S works.

"Many a teacher could profit by reading of this plucky little schoolmaster."—Journal of Education.

His One Fault. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"As for the hero of this story, 'His One Fault' was absent-mindedness. He forgot to lock his uncle's stable door, and the horse was stolen. In seeking to recover the stolen horse, he unintentionally stole another. In trying to restore the wrong horse to his rightful owner, he was himself arrested. After no end of comic and dolorous adventures, he surmounted all his misfortunes by downright pluck and genuine good feeling. It is a noble contribution to juvenile literature."—Woman's Journal.

Peter Budstone. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"TROWBRIDGE'S other books have been admirable and deservedly popular, but this one, in our opinion, is the best yet. It is a story at once spirited and touching, with a certain dramatic and artistic quality that appeals to the literary sense as well as to the story-loving appetite. In it Mr. TROWBRIDGE has not lectured or moralized or remonstrated; he has simply shown boys what they are doing when they contemplate hazing. By a good artistic impulse we are not shown the hazing at all; when the story begins, the hazing is already over, and we are introduced immediately to the results. It is an artistic touch also that the boy injured is not hurt because he is a fellow of delicate nerves, but because of his very strength, and the power with which he resisted until overcome by numbers, and subjected to treatment which left him insane. His insanity takes the form of harmless delusion, and the absurdity of his ways and talk enables the author to lighten the sombreness without weakening the moral, in a way that ought to win all boys to his side."—The Critic.

THE SILVER MEDAL STORIES. 6 volumes.

The Silver Medal, AND OTHER STORIES. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

There were some schoolboys who had turned housebreakers, and among their plunder was a silver medal that had been given to one John Harrison by the Humane Society for rescuing from drowning a certain Benton Barry. Now Benton Barry was one of the wretched housebreakers. This is the summary of the opening chapter. The story is intensely interesting in its serious as well as its humorous parts.

His Own Master. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"This is a book after the typical boy's own heart. Its hero is a plucky young fellow, who, seeing no chance for himself at home, determines to make his own way in the world.... He sets out accordingly, trudges to the far West, and finds the road to fortune an unpleasantly rough one."—Philadelphia Inquirer.

"We class this as one of the best stories for boys we ever read. The tone is perfectly healthy, and the interest is kept up to the end."—Boston Home Journal.

Bound in Honor. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

This story is of a lad, who, though not guilty of any bad action, had been an eye-witness of the conduct of his comrades, and felt "Bound in Honor" not to tell.

"The glimpses we get of New England character are free from any distortion, and their humorous phases are always entertaining. Mr. TROWBRIDGE'S brilliant descriptive faculty is shown to great advantage in the opening chapter of the book by a vivid picture of a village fire, and is manifested elsewhere with equally telling effect."—Boston Courier.

The Pocket Rifle. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"A boy's story which will be read with avidity, as it ought to be, it is so brightly and frankly written, and with such evident knowledge of the temperaments and habits, the friendships and enmities of schoolboys."—New York Mail.

"This is a capital story for boys. TROWBRIDGE never tells a story poorly. It teaches honesty, integrity, and friendship, and how best they can be promoted. It shows the danger of hasty judgment and circumstantial evidence; that right-doing pays, and dishonesty never."—Chicago Inter-Ocean.

The Jolly Rover. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"This book will help to neutralize the ill effects of any poison which children may have swallowed in the way of sham-adventurous stories and wildly fictitious tales. 'The Jolly Rover' runs away from home, and meets life as it is, till he is glad enough to seek again his father's house. Mr. TROWBRIDGE has the power of making an instructive story absorbing in its interest, and of covering a moral so that it is easy to take."—Christian Intelligencer.

Young Joe, AND OTHER BOYS. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Illustrated. $1.25.

"Young Joe," who lived at Bass Cove, where he shot wild ducks, took some to town for sale, and attracted the attention of a portly gentleman fond of shooting. This gentleman went duck shooting with Joe, and their adventures were more amusing to the boy than to the amateur sportsman.

There are thirteen other short stories in the book which will be sure to please the young folks.

The Vagabonds: AN ILLUSTRATED POEM. By J. T. TROWBRIDGE. Cloth. $1.50.

"The Vagabonds" are a strolling fiddler and his dog. The fiddler has been ruined by drink, and his monologue is one of the most pathetic and effective pieces in our literature.



BOOKS BY EVERETT T. TOMLINSON



THE WAR OF 1812 SERIES

By EVERETT T. TOMLINSON. Cloth. Illustrated. Per volume $1.50

COMPRISING

The Search for Andrew Field The Boy Soldiers of 1812 The Boy Officers of 1812 Tecumseh's Young Braves Guarding the Border The Boys with Old Hickory

Mr. Tomlinson, who knows the "ins and outs" of boy nature by heart, is one of the most entertaining and at the same time one of the instructive of living writers of juvenile fiction. In his younger days a teacher by profession, he has made boys and their idiosyncrasies the absorbing study of his life, and, with the accumulated experience of years to aid him, has applied himself to the task of preparing for their mental delectation a diet that shall be at once wholesome and attractive; and that his efforts in this laudable direction have been successful is conclusively proven by his popularity among boy readers.

LIBRARY OF HEROIC EVENTS



STORIES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

First Series

By EVERETT T. TOMLINSON. Cloth. Illustrated. $1.00

STORIES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Second Series

By EVERETT T. TOMLINSON. Cloth. Illustrated. $1.00



THE OLD GLORY SERIES.

By EDWARD STRATEMEYER,

Author of "The Bound to Succeed Series," "The Ship and Shore Series," etc.

Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25.

UNDER DEWEY AT MANILA Or the War Fortunes of a Castaway. A YOUNG VOLUNTEER IN CUBA Or Fighting for the Single Star. FIGHTING IN CUBAN WATERS Or Under Schley on the Brooklyn. UNDER OTIS IN THE PHILIPPINES Or a Young Officer in the Tropics. (In press.)

PRESS NOTICES.

"'Under Dewey at Manila' is a thoroughly timely book, in perfect sympathy with the patriotism of the day. Its title is conducive to its perusing, and its reading to anticipation. For the volume is but the first of the Old Glory Series, and the imprint is that of the famed firm of Lee and Shepard, whose name has been for so many years linked with the publications of Oliver Optic. As a matter of fact, the story is right in line with the productions of that gifted and most fascinating of authors, and certainly there is every cause for congratulation that the stirring events of our recent war are not to lose their value for instruction through that valuable school which the late William T. Adams made so individually distinctive.

"Edward Stratemeyer, who is the author of the present work, has proved an extraordinarily apt scholar, and had the book appeared anonymously there could hardly have failed of a unanimous opinion that a miracle had enabled the writer of the famous Army and Navy and other series to resume his pen for the volume in hand. Mr. Stratemeyer has acquired in a wonderfully successful degree the knack of writing an interesting educational story which will appeal to the young people, and the plan of his trio of books as outlined cannot fail to prove both interesting and valuable."—Boston Ideas.

"Stratemeyer's style suits the boys."—JOHN TERHUNE, Supt. of Public Instruction, Bergen Co., New Jersey.

"'The Young Volunteer in Cuba,' the second of the Old Glory Series, is better than the first; perhaps it traverses more familiar ground. Ben Russell, the brother of Larry, who was 'with Dewey,' enlists with the volunteers and goes to Cuba, where he shares in the abundance of adventure and has a chance to show his courage and honesty and manliness, which win their reward. A good book for boys, giving a good deal of information in a most attractive form." —Universalist Leader.



THE BOUND TO SUCCEED SERIES

By EDWARD STRATEMEYER,

Author of "Under Dewey at Manila," etc.

Three Volumes. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00.

RICHARD DARE'S VENTURE Or Striking Out for Himself. OLIVER BRIGHT'S SEARCH Or The Mystery of a Mine. TO ALASKA FOR GOLD Or The Fortune Hunters of the Yukon.

PRESS OPINIONS OF EDWARD STRATEMEYER'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

"In 'Richard Dare's Venture,' Edward Stratemeyer has fully sustained his reputation as an entertaining, helpful, and instructive writer for boys."—Philadelphia Call.

"'Richard Dare's Venture,' by Edward Stratemeyer, tells the story of a country lad who goes to New York to earn enough to support his widowed mother and orphaned sisters. Richard's energy, uprightness of character, and good sense carry him through some trying experiences, and gain him friends."—The Churchman, New York.

"A breezy boy's book is 'Oliver Bright's Search.' The author has a direct, graphic style, and every healthy minded youth will enjoy the volume."—N. Y. Commercial Advertiser.

"'Richard Dare's Venture' is a fresh, wholesome book to put into a boy's hands."—St. Louis Post Dispatch.

"'Richard Dare's Venture' is a wholesome story of a practical boy who made a way for himself when thrown upon his own resources." —Christian Advocate.

"It is such books as 'Richard Dare's Venture' that are calculated to inspire young readers with a determination to succeed in life, and to choose some honorable walk in which to find that success. The author, Edward Stratemeyer, has shown a judgment that is altogether too rare in the makers of books for boys, in that he has avoided that sort of heroics in the picturing of the life of his hero which deals in adventures of the daredevil sort. In that respect alone the book commends itself to the favor of parents who have a regard for the education of their sons, but the story is sufficiently enlivening and often thrilling to satisfy the healthful desires of the young reader."—Kansas City Star.

"Of standard writers of boys' stories there is quite a list, but those who have not read any by Edward Stratemeyer have missed a very goodly thing."—Boston Ideas.



THE SHIP AND SHORE SERIES

By EDWARD STRATEMEYER.

Three Volumes. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00.

THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SPITFIRE Or Luke Foster's Strange Voyage. REUBEN STONE'S DISCOVERY Or The Young Miller of Torrent Bend. TRUE TO HIMSELF Or Roger Strong's Struggle for Place. (In press.)

PRESS OPINIONS OF EDWARD STRATEMEYER'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

"Mr. Edward Stratemeyer is in danger of becoming very popular among the young people of the country."—Burlington (Iowa) Hawk-eye.

"'The Last Cruise of the Spitfire' is of deep interest to the bounding heart of an enthusiastic boy. The book leaves a good impression on a boy's mind, as it teaches the triumph of noble deeds and true heroism."—Kansas City (Mo.) Times.

"Let us mention in passing two admirable books for boys, 'Reuben Stone's Discovery' and 'Oliver Bright's Search,' by Edward Stratemeyer, with whom we are all acquainted. This last bit of his work is especially good, and the boy who gets one of these volumes will become very popular among his fellows until the book is worn threadbare."—N. Y. Herald.

"A good sea-tale for boys is 'The Last Cruise of the Spitfire,' by Edward Stratemeyer. There is plenty of adventure in it, a shipwreck, a cruise on a raft, and other stirring perils of the deep."—Detroit (Mich.) Journal.

"In a simple, plain, straightforward manner, Mr. Edward Stratemeyer endeavors to show his boy readers what persistency, honesty, and willingness to work have accomplished for his young hero, and his moral is evident. Mr. Stratemeyer is very earnest and sincere in his portraiture of young character beginning to shape itself to weather against the future. A book of this sort is calculated to interest boys, to feed their ambition with hope, and to indicate how they must fortify themselves against the wiles of vice."—Boston Herald.



AMERICAN BOYS' SERIES



The books selected for this series are all thoroughly American, by such favorite American authors of boys' books as Oliver Optic, Elijah Kellogg, Prof. James DeMille, and others, now made for the first time at a largely reduced price, in order to bring them within the reach of all. Each volume complete in itself.

UNIFORM CLOTH BINDING ILLUSTRATED NEW AND ATTRACTIVE DIES Price per volume $1.00

1. ADRIFT IN THE ICE FIELDS By Capt. Chas. W. Hall 2. ALL ABOARD or Life on the Lake By Oliver Optic 3. ARK OF ELM ISLAND By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 4. ARTHUR BROWN THE YOUNG CAPTAIN By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 5. BOAT CLUB, THE, or the Bunkers of Rippleton By Oliver Optic 6. BOY FARMERS OF ELM ISLAND, THE By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 7. BOYS OF GRAND PRE SCHOOL By Prof. James DeMille 8. "B. O. W. C.", THE By Prof. James DeMille 9. BROUGHT TO THE FRONT or the Young Defenders By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 10. BURYING THE HATCHET or the Young Brave of the Delawares By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 11. CAST AWAY IN THE COLD By Dr. Isaac I. Hayes 12. CHARLIE BELL THE WAIF OF ELM ISLAND By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 13. CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 14. CROSSING THE QUICKSANDS By Samuel W. Cozzens 15. CRUISE OF THE CASCO By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 16. FIRE IN THE WOODS By Prof. James DeMille 17. FISHER BOYS OF PLEASANT COVE By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 18. FOREST GLEN or the Mohawk's Friendship By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 19. GOOD OLD TIMES By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 20. HARDSCRABBLE OF ELM ISLAND By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 21. HASTE OR WASTE or the Young Pilot of Lake Champlain By Oliver Optic 22. HOPE AND HAVE By Oliver Optic 23. IN SCHOOL AND OUT or the Conquest of Richard Grant By Oliver Optic 24. JOHN GODSOE'S LEGACY By Rev. Elijah Kellogg

25. JUST HIS LUCK By Oliver Optic 26. LION BEN OF ELM ISLAND By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 27. LITTLE BY LITTLE or the Cruise of the Flyaway By Oliver Optic 28. LIVE OAK BOYS or the Adventures of Richard Constable Afloat and Ashore By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 29. LOST IN THE FOG By Prof. James DeMille 30. MISSION OF BLACK RIFLE or On the Trail By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 31. NOW OR NEVER or the Adventures of Bobby Bright By Oliver Optic 32. POOR AND PROUD or the Fortunes of Kate Redburn By Oliver Optic 33. RICH AND HUMBLE or the Mission of Bertha Grant By Oliver Optic 34. SOPHOMORES OF RADCLIFFE or James Trafton and His Boston Friends By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 35. SOWED BY THE WIND or the Poor Boy's Fortune By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 36. SPARK OF GENIUS or the College Life of James Trafton By Elijah Kellogg 37. STOUT HEART or the Student from Over the Sea By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 38. STRONG ARM AND A MOTHER'S BLESSING By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 39. TREASURE OF THE SEA By Prof. James DeMille 40. TRY AGAIN or the Trials and Triumphs of Harry West By Oliver Optic 41. TURNING OF THE TIDE or Radcliffe Rich and his Patients By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 42. UNSEEN HAND or James Renfew and His Boy Helpers By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 43. WATCH AND WAIT or the Young Fugitives By Oliver Optic 44. WHISPERING PINE or the Graduates of Radcliffe By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 45. WINNING HIS SPURS or Henry Morton's First Trial By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 46. WOLF RUN or the Boys of the Wilderness By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 47. WORK AND WIN or Noddy Newman on a Cruise By Oliver Optic 48. YOUNG DELIVERERS OF PLEASANT COVE By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 49. YOUNG SHIPBUILDERS OF ELM ISLAND By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 50. YOUNG TRAIL HUNTERS By Samuel W. Cozzens

LEE AND SHEPARD, BOSTON, SEND THEIR COMPLETE CATALOGUE FREE.

For sale by all booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price by LEE and SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston

Transcriber's Note: On page 209 foilage has been changed to foliage.