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archived 7/19/08
As quoted from: Great Epochs in American History, Francis W. Halsey, c. 1912
The Celebration of the First Centenary (1876), E. Benjamin Andrews, c. 1895
"Philadelphia was naturally chosen as the seat of the Exposition. Here the nation was born, a fact of which much remained to testify. Among the ancient buildings were the Old Swedes Church, built in 1700, Christ Church, begun only twenty-seven years later, still in perfect preservation, St. Peter's, built in 1758-1761, and the sequestered Friends' Meeting-house, built in 1808. In the center of a line of antique edifices known as State-house Row, stood Independence Hall, erected 1732-1735. The name specifically applied to the large first-floor east room, in which the second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence."
"The Exposition opened on May 10th, with public exercises, a hundred thousand people being present. Wagner had composed a march for the occasion. Whittier's Centennial Hymn, a noble piece, was sung by a chorus of one thousand voices."
 | | The centuries fall like grains of sand, We meet to-day, united, free, And loyal to our land and Thee, To thank Thee for the era done, And trust Thee for the opening one." "Here, where of old, by Thy design, The fathers spake that word of Thine, Whose echo is the glad refrain Of rended bolt and fallen chain, To grace our festal time, from all The zones of earth our guests we call." |
archived 7/14/08
As quoted from: Boy's Book of Battle Lyrics, Thos. Dunn English, M.D., LL.D., c. 1885
Flag of the Rainbow, Arthur English, c. 1880
"Flag of the rainbow and banner of stars, Emblem of might and the shield of the lowly, Never to droop while our soldiers and tars Rally to guard it from outrage unholy. Never may shame or misfortune, attend it, Enmity sully, or treachery rend it While but a man is alive to defend it- Flag of the rainbow and banner of stars." Chorus "Flag of the rainbow, resplendently streaming, Banner of stars in the blue above gleaming, Ensign, whose story is record of glory - Flag of the rainbow and banner of stars." | | "Flag of a land where the people are free, Ever the breezes salute and caress it; Planted on earth, or afloat on the sea, Gallant men guard it, and fair women bless it. Fling out its folds o'er a country united, Warmed by the fires that our forefathers lighted, Refuge where down-trodden man is invited - Flag of the rainbow and banner of stars." Verse 3 "Flag that our sires gave in trust to their sons, Symbol and sign of a liberty glorious, While the grass grows, and the clear water runs, Ever invincible, ever victorious. Long may it 'waken our pride and devotion, Rippling its colors in musical motion, First on the land and supreme on the ocean - Flag of the rainbow and banner of stars." |
archived 7/04/08
As quoted from: Model Third Reader, J. Russell Webb, c. 1875
Shut the Door
No doubt you have heard the name before- Was a boy who never would shut a door." "The wind might whistle, the wind might roar, And teeth be aching and throats be sore, But still he never would shut the door." "His father would beg, his mother implore, 'Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore, We really do wish you would shut the door!'" | | And threatened to pack off Gustavus Gore, On a voyage of penance to Singapore." "But he begged for mercy, and said, 'No more! Pray do not send me to Singapore On a shutter, and then I will shut the door!'" "'You will,' said his parents; 'then keep on shore; But mind you do! for the plague is sore Of a fellow who never will shut the door, Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore!'" |
archived 6/28/08
As quoted from: The Rollo Books, Jacob Abbott, c. 1855
Rollo's Vacation
"Henry's mother was up stairs, and hearing all this noise, she came down to see what was the matter.
'Oh, boys, boys,' said she, 'what are you doing? Henry, go and shut all the doors, and then come and sit down there, till I tell you you may get up. That is the way in vacation, always getting into mischief and giving me trouble.'
So saying, she pointed to a place in the corner of the room, where Henry went and sat down."
archived 6/15/08
As quoted from: Ladies Companion, February 1841
Love and Speculation: A Tale of the Days of Discounts in New-York by Epes Sargent
"Mr. Buckwood was reclining, after a fashion peculiar to himself, in a luxurious arm-chair, a segar in his mouth, and one leg stretched upon an adjacent table, while the other rested upon the head of a plaster Shakspeare. Mr. Singleton was pacing the floor with impatient strides, and with a face, which betrayed anxiety and vexation."
" 'Be cool, man,' said Mr. Buckwood, lazily exhaling a cloud of tobacco-smoke; 'take comfort. It will be all the same a hundred years hence.' "
archived 6/07/08
As quoted from: Model Third Reader, J. Russell Webb, c. 1875
The Glass Eye
Mr. Root. My son, let me show you a curious little instrument which I brought home last night. Thomas. What is it, father, and for what is it used? Mr. R. It is a kind of eye, in fact, it is a glass eye, and it is used to see with. Thomas. I do not understand how anybody can see with a glass eye. Mr. R. No one can see with a glass eye, but by the aid of this one, we can see many things that could not be seen without it. Thomas. But how is it that we can see so much more when we look through the glass eye? Mr. R. How it is, I will not explain to you now. I will simply show you what it can do, and then I think you will say it is something very wonderful. Here is a piece of glass. Will you read the words that are on it? Thomas. Read the words? Why, father, there are no words on it. There is nothing here but a black spot, not half so large as the head of a pin. Mr. R. Can you not see words in that little black spot? Thomas. No, sir; and I do not think any one can, for there are no words there to see. Mr. R. You are mistaken, my son. In that little spot there are no less than seventy words, and these words have two hundred and sixty-eight letters. Thomas. Why, father! Mr. R. I do not wonder that you think this can not be so. But let us see what this glass eye will show. Now look, and tell me what you see. Thomas. O, how wonderful! It is the Lord's Prayer, the whole of it; and it is just as plain as can be. Mr. R. Then there are words on the glass? Thomas. Yes, sir; how were they made so small, father? Mr. R. They were photographed on the glass.
Mr. R. Here is a glass of vinegar. Do you see anything in the vinegar? Thomas. No, sir. Mr. R. If I should tell you that there were thousands of animals swimming about in it, what would you think? Thomas. I would think it very wonderful. But, father, are there animals swimming about in this tumbler of vinegar? Mr. R. I will put a drop of it on this plate of glass. Now you may look at it through this glass eye. Thomas. O, what a sight! I see many creatures in it, and some of them look like little snakes. What a wonderful instrument it is! What is it called, father? Mr. R. It is called a microscope. It unlocks many of the hidden mysteries of creation, and reveals in the little things the wisdom and power and glory of God.
archived 5/31/08
As quoted from: Model Third Reader, J. Russell Webb, c. 1875
What the Rubber Comb did . . .
"We went into the library, and put out the lights. I drew the comb briskly through John's hair, making it snap and sparkle beautifully. 'How pretty!' John cried. 'What is it?' 'Lightning,' said I. 'Lightning! in my hair?' John was almost afraid of himself when I brought more sparks from his head."
" 'You can make a little thunder-storm of yourself, easily. Just spin around the room a few times without taking your feet from the carpet.' John spun around like a water-beetle for a minute or two; then I stopped him, and told him to reach out his forefinger. When he did so I reached my forefinger to his, and as the points came together - snap! went a spark between them. 'O!' cried John, and he put his finger in his mouth. 'Did it burn you?' 'No, but it scared me.' John was not so badly scared, however, but he wanted to try it again and again."
archived 5/17/08
As quoted from: The Art of Home Making, Margaret E. Sangster, c. 1898
"The decline of neighborliness is one of the sad features of city life. One may even live in the same house with others and know nothing of sickness or death which has occurred to the other family; and it is not infrequent for us to find that some one who lived a few blocks off, and whom we occasionally have met but meet no longer, has passed away. In village life this can never happen. Each household knows every other. A smaller town or a village is decidedly the better place for a home on this very account, that it somehow is like a great family, where everybody knows something about and cares something about everybody else."
 | archived 5/10/08 As quoted from: The Rollo Books, Jacob Abbott, c. 1855 Rollo's Vacation . . . "What are you thinking about so intently, Rollo?" "Why, mother," said he, "I was thinking about my vacation. I was considering what I should do to-morrow. What would you do, mother?" "I should read or study part of the time," said his mother. "Read and study, mother!" said he, with surprise. "Why, it is my vacation." |
 | archived 5/03/08 As quoted from: The Art of Home Making, Margaret E. Sangster, c. 1898 "We do not waste time when we take outdoor exercise. This, too, some of us need to remember. When we are ordered by our medical counselors to walk or drive every day, to get the air somehow and set the blood in motion, we are ready to obey, but a more sensible way would be to anticipate the prescription and take the exercise so that we may keep well." |
archived 4/26/08
As quoted from: (Godey's) The Ladys Book, Consumption Climate of America, September 1839
". . . But an American is always 'on the alert' - his mind is in constant activity - his hopes and fears are always excited. - He hopes to make a good speculation -to invent some wonder-working machine, or, perhaps, to get into a good office; and he fears some of those untoward events which often frustrate the wisest plans laid for the good of our temporalities. We Americans are an anxious people; and anxiety of mind is often prejudicial to the health of the body."
archived 4/19/08
As quoted from: (Godey's) The Ladys Book, "Popping the Question", July 1839
"It must be admitted by every one who is practically or otherwise acquainted with the topic, that 'popping the question,' as it is familiarly called, is one of the most thrilling circumstances in the life of 'a man of real sensibility.' Imagine a youngster of two and twenty, or thereabouts, with a tallow-colored face, an agitated deportment, and a heart throbbing with various emotion
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