Museum of Wonders, or Curiosities of the World

A cabinet of curiosities in book form, 1890: monsters of the ancient world, wild animals, queer wanderers in the vasty deep, famous inventions and sublime scenery — assembled to astonish the young and, the preface admits, their elders too.

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Young Morgan Saves Hetty Osgood

golden hair. Mr. Sharp shouted to him. one helping him; besides, he wanted her He saw the rope and swam towards it, a few moments quite to himself. So Mr. his strong right arm beating the water Sharp drove away, and Guy went in. back with hammer strokes, his left His mother saw him coming and opened motionless, holding his white burden. "O God!" Mr. Sharp prayed fervently; keep him up, spare his strength a little longer-a little longer!" the door. "Where have you been?" she cried seeing his wet, disordered plight. "In Quassit River, mother, fishing out Hetty Osgood."

A moment more and he reached the rope, clung to it desperately, and boys and Then, while she was busying herself in teacher drew the two in over the slippery preparations for his comfort, he quietly edge out of the horrible seething waters, told his story. His mother's eyes were and took them in their arms, both silent, dim, and her heart throbbed chokingly. both motionless. Mr. Sharp spoke Guy's "Oh, if you had been drowned, my boy, name, but he did not answer. Would my darling!" she cried, hugging him either of them ever answer again? close, wet as he was, as if she would hold Teachers and scholars went to work him back from all danger for ever. "If I alike for their restoration. It was well had been there, Guy, I couldn't have let there was intelligent guidance, or their you do it." best endeavors might have failed. Guy, being the stronger, was the first to revive. "Is Hetty safe? ?" was his anxious question. "Only God knows!" Mr. Sharp answered, solemnly. "We are doing our best." "I went in after the coals of fire, mother."

Mrs. Morgan knew how to laugh with her boy, as well as how to cry over him. "I've heard of people smart enough to set the river on fire," she said, "but you are the first one I ever knew who went in there after the coals."

It was almost half an hour more before The next morning came a number of pretty Hetty opened her blue eyes. Mean- the boys, with Dick Osgood at their head. time, Dick had been utterly frantic and Every one was there who had seen the helpless. He had sobbed, and groaned, blow which Dick struck, and heard his and cried, and prayed, even, in a wild taunts afterwards. They came into the fashion of his own, which perhaps the sitting-room, and said their say to Guy pitying Father understood and answered. before his mother. Dick was spokesman. When he heard his sister's voice he was "I have come," he said, "to ask you to like one beside himself with joy, until forgive me. I struck you a mean blow, Mr. Sharp quieted him by a few low, firm Guy. You received it with noble conwords, which were audible to no one else. tempt. To provoke you into fighting I Some of the elder girls arranged one of called you a coward, meaning to bring the wagons, and, getting into it, received you down to my own level. You bore Hetty in their arms. that, too, with a greatness I was not great Mr. Sharp drove Guy Morgan home. enough to understand. I do understand When they reached his mother's gate it now. I have seen you-all we boys Guy insisted on going in alone. He have seen you-face to face with Death, thought it might alarm her to see some and seen that you weren't afraid of him. You fought with him and came off ahead; Hetty and her father and mother came and we all are come to do honor to the afterwards, and Guy found himself made bravest boy in town, and I to thank you a hero of before he knew it. But none of for a life a great deal dearer and better it all moved him as did his mother's few worth saving than my own." fond words and the pride in her joyful Dick broke down just there, for the eyes. He had kept with honor and with tears choked him. patience his pledge to her, and he had his Guy was as grand in his forgiveness as reward. The Master's way of peace had he had been in his forbearance. not misled him.

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