A Stranger At Five-points
: LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY: Good Stories For Great Holidays
(ADAPTED)
One afternoon in February, 1860, when the Sunday School of the
Five-Point House of Industry in New York was assembled, the teacher
saw a most remarkable man enter the room and take his place among the
others. This stranger was tall, his frame was gaunt and sinewy, his head
powerful, with determined features overcast by a gentle melancholy.
He listened with fixed attention to the ex
such genuine interest that the teacher, approaching him, suggested that
he might have something to say to the children.
The stranger accepted the invitation with evident pleasure. Coming
forward, he began to speak and at once fascinated every child in the
room. His language was beautiful yet simple, his tones were musical, and
he spoke with deep feeling.
The faces of the boys and girls drooped sadly as he uttered warnings,
and then brightened with joy as he spoke cheerful words of promise. Once
or twice he tried to close his remarks, but the children shouted: "Go
on! Oh! do go on!" and he was forced to continue.
At last he finished his talk and was leaving the room quietly when the
teacher begged to know his name.
"Abra'm Lincoln, of Illinois," was the modest response.
More
-
A Little Gentleman
When Mother drops things on the floor, My father asks me: "Who Should always pick them up for her?" And so I always do. He says I haven't far to reach And that a gentleman Must do things for his Mother ... A Long-bow Story
One day a bunniah,[1] or banker, was walking along a country road when he overtook a farmer going in the same direction. Now the bunniah was very grasping, like most of his class, and was lamenting that he had had no chance of making any money tha... A Lost Paradise
In the middle of a great forest there lived a long time ago a charcoal-burner and his wife. They were both young and handsome and strong, and when they got married, they thought work would never fail them. But bad times came, and they grew poo... A Message To Mother Goose
By Ellen Manly. Once on a time there lived a child--so it was told to me-- Who never heard of Mother Goose and her fine family. The man who lived up in the moon he saw her with his eyes, And told the shocking story to the ... A Miller His Son And Their Ass
A miller and his son were driving their ass to a neighboring fair to sell him. They had not gone far when they met a troop of women collected around a well. "Look," cried one, "did you ever see such fellows, to be trudging on foot when they might ... A Mock Battle
When Nimble had three-points on each of his antlers, in his fourth summer, he felt that he was at last grown up. He was now a "three-pointer." Some of the older bucks had no more points than he. Many of them were but "four-pointers." His own fathe... A Monkey-hunt
<div> <img src="/images/i196.png" alt="The Monkeys in the Tree Tops" title="The Monkeys in the Tree Tops" height="400" width="280" /> The Monkeys in the Tree Tops </div> <p>We all love to go a-hunting; every one of us in some way; and it is only the di... A Most Wonderful Sight
The most wonderful sight I ever did see Was an owl on the branch of our old oak-tree; His eyes were so large and his head was so small That he seemed all eyes and no head at all. ... A Natural Autograph Album
<p>If you live in the country, I can show you an old Woodcraft trick. Look for a hollow tree. Sometimes you can pick one out afar, by the dead top, and sometimes by noting a tree that had lost one of the biggest limbs years ago. In any case, basswood... A New Story Of The Lion And The Mouse
A long while ago, so the story goes, there was a time when the Lion, King of Beasts, had a little mouse at his mercy. The Lion was about to crush the mouse with his paw. The little mouse begged for his life, and the great King of Beasts spared him... A Pair Of Gloves
BY H. G. DURYEE The little girls who lived on Amity Street all wore mittens when they went to school in winter. Nobody's mother ever thought of anything else to keep small hands warm. Some mothers or grandmothers crocheted them, and some knit the... A Play For The Arms
Pump, pump, pump, Water, water, come; Here a rush, there a gush, Done, done, done. ... A Prisoner Of The Caucasus
I. A certain gentleman was serving as an officer in the Caucasus. His name was Zhilin. One day he received a letter from home. His old mother wrote to him: "I have grown old, and I should like to see my darling son before my death. Come to... A Queer Case
Agnes, you and John may look at this watch. Don't you think its covering is very pretty? The covering of the watch is called its case. Now we will open it, and you may look inside and see what this pretty case covers. Look at all these little whee... A Rabbit's Story Of His Life Written By Himself
<p>Yes, the Rabbit wrote it himself and about himself in the oldest writing on earth, that is the tracks of his feet.</p> <div> <img src="/images/i157.png" alt="A WOODCRAFT TRAGEDY As shown by the Tracks and Signs in the Snow" title="A WOODCRAFT TRAGED... A Real Little Boy Blue
BY CAROLINE S. ALLEN Once there were four little brothers. The oldest had black eyes. He was called Little Boy Black. But I haven't time to tell about him just now. The second little brother had brown eyes. He was called Little Boy Brown. But I c... A Riddle
A plum blossom foot, And a pudding face sweet; He's taller when he's sitting Than when standing on his feet. ... A Solomon Come To Judgment
BY CHARLES W. MOORES Lincoln's practical sense and his understanding of human nature enabled him to save the life of the son of his old Clary's Grove friend, Jack Armstrong, who was on trial for murder. Lincoln, learning of it, went to the old mo... A Sparrow Calls On A Hippopotamus
"The hippopotamus who lived in the zoo had a very strange caller the other day," said daddy. "Into the animal house flew a sparrow. The keeper called out to him: "'Where are you going, sparrow?' But the sparrow did not answer. He flew righ... A Spike Horn
Nimble didn't mind losing his spots, when he grew older. He had something else that gave him much more pleasure than they ever had. He had a new toy. Or to be exact, he had two new toys. And everywhere he went he carried them with him. He carri... A Story About A Darning-needle
There was once a Darning-needle who thought herself so fine that she believed she was an embroidery-needle. 'Take great care to hold me tight!' said the Darning-needle to the Fingers who were holding her. 'Don't let me fall! If I once fall on the... A Story For Very Little Folk To Read No Word In It Has More Than Four Letters
BY A. L. SYKES "I want to do just as I like," said Tiny Hare to his Mama one day, as he ran to the door of his home. "What do you want to do, my dear?" she said. "I do not know, but I want to do just as I like," said Tiny Hare. "You may... A Story Of Tuberculosis
PART I Mary, did you and Tom see the poor, sick woman on the cars when we were going to visit grandmother last week? Did you see how pale and thin and feeble she looked? Did you hear her coughing so often that it seemed to hurt her whole body? ... A Stranger At Five-points
(ADAPTED) One afternoon in February, 1860, when the Sunday School of the Five-Point House of Industry in New York was assembled, the teacher saw a most remarkable man enter the room and take his place among the others. This stranger was tall, his... A Tale For Halloween
Babette and Antone were the children of a very poor woodcutter. They lived in a little cottage on the side of a steep mountain, and the mountain looked upon a great forest. Now though their father toiled in this forest from dawn until dar... A Tale Of The Northland Kingdom
I Long, long ago, in a certain far-off region of the world, there was a land of ice and snow, and this land was called the Northland Kingdom. There each year the ice broke on the rivers and flowed out to the sea, and the snow melted in the vall... A Tale Of The Tontlawald
Long, long ago there stood in the midst of a country covered with lakes a vast stretch of moorland called the Tontlawald, on which no man ever dared set foot. From time to time a few bold spirits had been drawn by curiosity to its borders, and on t... A Treasure Hunt
<p>Make 24 little white sticks, each about three inches long, and as thick as a pencil. They are easy to make of willow shoots, after the bark is peeled off. While the young folk hide their eyes, the Guide walks off in the woods, ties a white rag on ... A True Story
In a little city near the great Mississippi River, lived two boys who were the very best of friends. Every day they played together and had a fine time. Life was as pleasant as a summer day to the little fellows. One of the boys was named Oliver. ... A Very Little Story Of A Very Little Girl
BY ALICE E. ALLEN Molly was such a little girl that she didn't seem big enough to have a party all her own with truly ice-cream in it. But she had asked for one so many times that at last Mother decided to give her one. And the party was to be a ... A Visitor From Paradise
There was once a woman, good but simple, who had been twice married. One day when her husband was in the field--of course that was her second husband, you know--a weary tramp came trudging by her door and asked for a drink of water. When she gave ... A Voyage To Lilliput
CHAPTER I My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire, and I was the third of four sons. He sent me to Cambridge at fourteen years old, and after studying there three years I was bound apprentice to Mr. Bates, a famous surgeon in London.... A Was An Archer
A was an Archer, who shot at a frog; B was a Butcher, and had a great dog. C was a Captain, all covered with lace; D was a drunkard, and had a red face. E was an Esquire, with pride on his brow; F was a Farmer, an... A Wonderful Engine
We all have seen a steam engine, have we not? There are engines that pull trains on the railroad, and there are engines that make factories, gins, and saw-mills work. Then there are engines that run great ships on the water. How many know what mus... A Wonderful Stream
I am going to tell you of a wonderful stream that flows through our bodies. We may call it the stream of life. It is made of tiny rills, and of great branches, all of which join to form this wonderful stream. This stream has a great, double forc... Abi Fressah's Feast
There was not in the whole city of Bagdad a greedier man than Abi Fressah, and you may be sure he was not popular. It was not that he was rich and refused to give heed to the needs of the poor. He was, in truth, a merchant in moderately affluent c... About Six Little Chickens
BY S. L. ELLIOTT A Mother Biddy sat on her nest, with what do you think in the nest? Six smooth white eggs! After she had sat there quite a long time till she was very tired, what do you suppose happened to one of those eggs? There was a noise... Adaptations And Imitations Of Hindoo Fables
THE SNAKE'S HEAD AND TAIL The Snake's Tail had a quarrel with the Snake's Head about who was to walk in front. The Head said: "You cannot walk in front, because you have no eyes and no ears." The Tail said: "Yes, but I have strength, I m... Adventures Of An Indian Brave
A long, long way off, right away in the west of America, there once lived an old man who had one son. The country round was covered with forests, in which dwelt all kinds of wild beasts, and the young man and his companions used to spend who... Adventures Of Ashpot
Norwegian children are just as fond of fairy stories as are any other children, and they are lucky in having a great number, for that famous story-teller, Hans Christian Andersen, was a Dane, and as the Danish language is very like the Norwegian, ... Adventures Of John Dietrich
There once lived in Rambin, a town near the Baltic Sea, an honest, industrious man named James Dietrich. He had several children, all of a good disposition, especially the youngest, whose name was John. John Dietrich was a handsome, smart boy, dil... Adventures Of Tom Thumb
A long time ago, a woodcutter lived with his wife in a small cottage not far from a great forest. They had seven children--all boys; and the youngest was the smallest little fellow ever seen. He was called Tom Thumb. But though he was so small,... Aesop's Fables
THE ANT AND THE DOVE An Ant came down to the brook: he wanted to drink. A wave washed him down and almost drowned him. A Dove was carrying a branch; she saw the Ant was drowning, so she cast the branch down to him in the brook. The Ant got up o... After Celia Thaxter
In the sunny land of France there lived many years ago a sweet little maid named Piccola. Her father had died when she was a baby, and her mother was very poor and had to work hard all day in the fields for a few sous. Little Piccola had no dol... After School
Although we like to go to school, We're rather glad to put away Our books and slates and other things, When it is over for the day. And off we go to play and romp, While teacher, who is good and kind, Is... After Tea
Very often in the evening, Shortly after tea, Father, when he's read the paper, Takes me on his knee. There I fix myself "quite comfy," In his arms so strong, While he makes up lovely stories As ...