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Page 89
_From the New York "Independent."_
A sea-monster was seen by the officers of H.M.S. "Osborne," on June 2,
off the coast of Sicily, which is sketched by Lieut. Haynes and figured
in the London _Graphic_. The first sketch is merely of a long row of
fins just appearing above the water, of irregular height, and
extending, says Lieutenant Osborne, from thirty to forty feet in
length. The other sketch is of the creature as seen "end on," and shows
only the head, which was "bullet-shaped and quite six feet thick," and
a couple of flappers, one on each side. The creature was, says
Lieutenant Osborne, at least fifteen or twenty feet wide across the
back, and "from the top of the head to the part of the back where it
became immersed I should consider about fifty feet, and that seemed
about a third of its whole length." Thus it is certainly much longer
than any fish hitherto known to the zo�logists, and is, at least, as
remarkable a creature as most of the old wonder-makers ever alleged.
_From the "National Teachers' Monthly," September_.
Mr. John Kieller Webster says he has seen the sea-serpent in the
Straits of Malacca. Its body was fifty feet in length, the head twelve
feet, and the tail one hundred and fifty. It seemed to be a huge
salamander. The Chinese on board the ship were so frightened, they set
up a howl,--a circumstance very remarkable.
* * * * *
THE GAME OF FAGOT-GATHERING.
There is a jolly in-door game, for the winter, called
"Fagot-Gathering," which has been described in print before, but it
makes so much fun that many who have never heard of it will be glad if
we tell about it here.
First you take some slips of paper,--as many as there are players,--and
on one of them you write "Fagot-Gatherer;" on each of the rest you
write either "good wood" or "snapper," making three times as many "good
woods" as "snappers." Of course, anybody who knows about wood-fires
will see that this is because some sticks will burn quietly and
brightly while others will crack and snap and fly without the least
warning. You put the papers into a hat, and each player takes one,
telling nobody what is written on it. Every one then sits as near to
the wall as possible, leaving a clear space in the middle of the room,
and the player who has chosen the "Fagot-Gatherer" slip proceeds in a
serious, business-like way to bundle the fagots. He, or she, chooses
four or five girls and boys, standing them together to represent a
fagot, and then makes similar groups of the rest in other parts of the
room. This done, he begins to "bind the fagots" by walking slowly
around each group, making with his arms such motions as a real
fagot-binder would make. The "sticks" are quiet until the binder lets
his arms fall, but then comes a sudden change; the "good woods" run to
their seats, but the "snappers" chase the "binder" and try to touch him
before he can begin to bind another "fagot;" failing in this, they have
to go and mourn among the "good woods." Then the binding of the second
"fagot" goes on, like that of the first. But when a "fagot-gatherer" is
touched, the "snapper" takes the place of the "gatherer," who goes and
rests himself. The game ends when all the "fagots" have been used up in
this way, and is then begun again by another selection of papers from
the hat. The fun is in the frights and surprises of the
"fagot-gatherer," who, of course, does not know who is a "good wood"
and who a "snapper;" and all do their best to avoid betraying
themselves. If you have a good big room and lots of players you will
find this game as full of fun as you can wish.
* * * * *
Philadelphia, September 16, 1877.
Dear ST. NICHOLAS: I was looking over your September number, and
happened to read a letter addressed to the "Little Schoolma'am,"
and signed "Father of two school-girls;" it was about school
lunches, and told of a visit to the new Normal school of
Philadelphia; he said that in the lunch hall there is a long table
on which there was nothing but cakes of all sorts. Now, being a
member of the school, I was a little hurt at the injustice done to
our school. I know there is something else but cake,--fruit, milk,
soup, sandwiches, etc., being among the other things that are
spread on the lunch-table, provided by the janitor, and sold to the
girls at very low rates. So you see I had reason to be a little
indignant at the discredit done to our school, and set about
repairing it as far as possible; and you, too, can help repair the
harm done to this fine public school by kindly printing this note.
But I must close, for my letter is getting too long.
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