
Despite the fact that I'm currently reading a whopping five books at present, I recently felt the need to find some good new fiction, since all of my current reads are non-fiction. First, I browsed the catalogs at both Persephone Books and Virago Press for inspiration (this Virago Collection Tracker spreadsheet from LibraryThing members was also enormously helpful). Then, because I primarily wanted eBooks for my Kindle and Nook, I searched the Web to find out which books were also available in the public domain.
Unfortunately, I also ended up ordering a stack of books from both Amazon (At Mrs. Lippincote's, Consequences, Gone to Earth, The Edwardians, Mariana, and Nella Last's three WWII diaries) and Amazon UK (Miss Buncle's Book, Few Eggs and No Oranges, The Carlyles at Home, Lady Rose and Mrs. Memmary)! My husband will not be pleased.
Any of the Google Books/ePub files below can be converted to Kindle-compatible .Mobi files using the quick, easy and free eBook management software from Calibre.
Persephone Books
- William, an Englishman by Cicely Hamilton (Persephone - Google Books)
- Fidelity by Susan Glaspell (Persephone - Google Books)
- Consequences by E.M. Delafield (Persephone - Google Books)
- Reuben Sachs by Amy Levy (Persephone - Google Books)
- The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett (Persephone - Google Books)
- The Winds of Heaven by Monica Dickens (Persephone - Internet Archive)
- The Shuttle by Frances Hodgson Burnett (Persephone - Google Books)
- Round about a Pound a Week by Maud Pember Reeves (Persephone - Internet Archive)
- A New System of Domestic Cookery by Mrs. Rundell (Persephone - Google Books)
- Marriage (1818) by Susan Ferrier (About - Internet Archive)
- Deerbrook (1839) by Harriet Martineau (About - Internet Archive)
- The Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner (About - Google Books)
- The Lifted Veil by George Eliot (About - Google Books)
- The Persimmon Tree and Other Stories by Marjorie Barnard (About - Internet Archive)
- The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Virago - Internet Archive - Google Books)
- South Riding: A Novel (1936) by Winifred Holtby* (About)
- The Little Ottleys (Omibus): Love's Shadow, Tenterhooks, Love at Second Sight by Ada Leverson (About)
- A Diary Without Dates (1918) by Enid Bagnold (Virago Nonfiction; About - Many Books)
- The Happy Foreigner (1920) by Enid Bagnold (About - Many Books)
- The Squire* (1938) by Enid Bagnold (About - Internet Archive)
- The Three Miss Kings by Ada Cambridge (About - Google Books)
- Joanna Godden by Sheila Kaye-Smith (About - Google Books)
- Susan Spray* by Sheila Kaye-Smith (About - Internet Archive)
- The Reef by Edith Wharton (About - Internet Archive)
- The Clever Woman of the Family by Charlotte M. Yonge (About - Google Books)
- Elizabeth and her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim (Virago - Google Books)
- The Solitary Summer by Elizabeth von Arnim (Virago - Kindle Edition)
- The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim (Virago - Kindle Edition)
- The Caravaners by Elizabeth von Arnim (About - Internet Archive)
- My Antonia by Willa Cather (About - Internet Archive)
- The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (About - Internet Archive)
- The Robber Bridegroom (1942) by Eudora Welty (About - Internet Archive)
- The Third Miss Symons (Virago - Kindle Edition)
- Mary Olivier: A Life by May Sinclair (Virago - Google Books)
- The Life and Death of Harriet Frean by May Sinclair (About - Google Books)
- The Three Sisters by May Sinclair (About - Internet Archive)
- Red Pottage (1900) by Mary Cholmondeley (About)
- Gone to Earth by Mary Webb (Virago - Google Books)
- The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West (Virago)
- The Judge by Rebecca West (About)
- Open the Door! by Catherine Carswell (About - Internet Archive)
- An Unsocial Socialist by George Bernard Shaw (About - Internet Archive)
- Ann Veronica: A Modern Love Story by H.G. Wells (About - Internet Archive)
- Diana of the Crossways by George Meredith (About - Google Books)
- My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin (About - Internet Archive)
- The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson (About - Google Books)
- Maurice Guest by Henry Handel Richardson (About - Google Books)
- The Odd Women: Vol 1, Vol 2, Vol 3 by George Gissing (About)
- Virginia by Ellen Glasgow (About - Google Books)
- The Semi-Attached Couple, and The Semi-Detached House by Emily Eden (About)
- Pilgrimage 1, Pointed Roofs by Dorothy M. Richardson (About - Google Books)
- Pilgrimage 2,Backwater by Dorothy M. Richardson (About - Google Books)
- Pilgrimage 3, Honeycomb by Dorothy M. Richardson (About - Internet Archive)
- Pilgrimage 4, The Tunnel by Dorothy M. Richardson (About - Google Books)
- The Beth Book (1897) by Sarah Grand (About - Google Books)
- Belinda (1801) by Maria Edgeworth (About)
- Evelina (1778) by Fanny Burney (About)
- Camilla (1796) by Fanny Burney (About)
- Emily Fox-Seton by Frances Hodgson Burnett (This includes The Making of a Marchioness, above, and its sequel)
- The Minor Pleasures of Life (1934) by Rose Macaulay
- False Goddesses (1923) by Rachel Ferguson
- The Glory of the Conquered (The Story of a Great Love) (1909) by Susan Glaspell
- The Visioning (1911) by Susan Glaspell
- High Rising (1951) by Angela Thirkell (About)
- Fletchers End (1962) by D.E. Stevenson*
- The Happy Highways (1920) by Storm Jameson
- In the Second Year: Radical Fictions (1936) by Storm Jameson (About)
- Christine (1917) by Elizabeth von Arnim
- Vera (1921) by Elizabeth von Arnim
- The Nightingales Are Singing (1953) by Monica Dickens
- The Rosary (1909) by Florence Barclay
- The White Ladies of Worcester: A Romance of the 12th Century (1917) by Florence Barclay
- Miss Marjoribanks (1866) by Mrs. Oliphant (About)
- The War Workers (1918) by E.M. Delafield
- Mary Olivier: A Life (1919) by May Sinclair (About)
- Tension (1920) by E.M. Delafield
- The Heel of Achilles (1920) by E.M. Delafield
- Humbug (1921) by E.M. Delafield
- Messalina of the Suburbs (1928) by E.M. Delafield
- Road Through the Woods (1961) by Pamela Frankau
- Collision (1913) by Mary Borden
- The Romantic Woman (1916) by Mary Borden
- The Tortoise (1921) by Mary Borden
- Jane - Our Stranger (1923) by Mary Borden
- The Amazing Interlude (1918) by Mary Roberts Rinehart
- The Garden Party and Other Stories (1922) by Katherine Mansfield
- Gigolo (1922): Short stories by Edna Ferber
- Lady Rose's Daughter by Mrs. Humphrey Ward: "The best-selling novel of 1903."
- The Milky Way (1914) by F. Tennyson Jesse
- The Happy Bride (1920) by F. Tennyson Jesse
- The Long Day (The Story of a New York Working Girl, As Told by Herself) (1905) by Dorothy M. Richardson (About)
- Pilgrimage 5, Interim (1920) by Dorothy M. Richardson
- Pilgrimage 6, Deadlock (1921) by Dorothy M. Richardson
Labels: Google Books, Kindle, Nook, Reading
Public Domain Books: Exploration and Discovery
0 comments Posted by Kristine at 7/31/2010 08:27:00 PMCopies of any of the following can be ordered via the print-on-demand Espresso Book Machine at Third Place Books for around $9-13./book.
History Textbooks
- The Story of Old Europe and Young America by William Harrison Mace, Edwin Platt Tanner
- From the Old World to the New. How America Was Found and Settled by Marguerite Dickson
- American Leaders and Heroes: A Preliminary Textbook in United States History by Wilbur Fisk Gordy
- A First Course in American History: Discoverers, Explorers and Colonists by Jeannette Rector Hodgdon
- The Discovery of America, Vol. 1 by John Fiske
- The Story of Geographical Discovery: How the World Became Known by Joseph Jacobs
- Discoverers and Explorers by Edward Richard Shaw
- Young Folks' Book of American Explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson (Utilizes extracts from the explorers' own narratives.)
- Stories of American Discoverers for Little Americans by Rose Lucia
- The Story of Geographical Discovery: How the World Became Known by Joseph Jacobs
- The Spanish Pioneers by Charles Lummis
- Pioneers on Land and Sea: Stories of the Eastern States and of Ocean Explorers, Book One by Charles A. McMurry
- Pioneers of the Mississippi Valley, Book Two by Charles A. McMurry
- Pioneers of the Rocky Mountains and the West, Book Three by Charles A. McMurry
- Tales of the Pathfinders by Arthur Gilman
- Stories of Discovery Told by Discoverers by Edward E. Hale
- A Book of Famous Explorers by Edwin Erle Sparks
- Stories of American Explorers: A Historical Reader by Wilbur Fisk Gordy
- Old World Hero Stories by Eva March Tappan
- American Hero Stories by Eva March Tappan
- The Romance of Discovery: A Thousand Years of Exploration and the Unveiling of Continents by William Elliot Griffis
- The Making of the Great West: 1512-1883 by Samuel Adams Drake
- The Discovery of the Old Northwest and Its Settlement by the French by James Baldwin
- Marco Polo: His Adventures and Travels by George M. Towle
- Prince Henry the Navigator by C. Raymond Beazley
- Magellan, or, The First Voyage 'Round the World by George M. Towle
- Pizarro, His Adventures and Conquests by George M. Towle
- Drake: The Sea King of Devon by George M. Towle
- The Adventures of the Chevalier de La Salle and His Companions by John Stevens Cabot Abbott
- The Story of Columbus and Magellan by Thomas Bonaventure Lawler
Labels: Explorers, Google Books, History
- Historic Girlhoods by Rupert Sargent Holland
- Heroines Every Child Should Know by Hamilton Wright Mabie, Kate Stephens
- Historic Boyhoods by Rupert Sargent Holland
- Heroes Every Child Should Know by Hamilton Wright Mabie
- A Book of Golden Deeds of All Times and All Lands by Charlotte M. Yonge
- An American Book of Golden Deeds by James Baldwin
- American Heroes and Heroism by William Augustus Mowry, Arthur May Mowry
- Hero Stories from American History by Albert Franklin Blaisdell, Francis Kingsley Ball
- Heroes of Progress: Stories of Successful Americans by Eva March Tappan
- Old World Hero Stories by Eva March Tappan
- American Hero Stories by Eva March Tappan
- European Hero Stories by Eva March Tappan
- Hero Stories of France by Eva March Tappan
- Stories of Legendary Heroes by Eva March Tappan
- The Red Book of Heroes by Mrs. Lang
- Texas Hero Stories: An Historical Reader for the Grades by Katie Daffan
- Wandering Heroes by Lillian Louise Price
- Heroes of the Nations by Herman Smith Alshouse
- Heroic Legends by Agnes Grozier Herbertson
- "Tell Me a True Story:" Tales of Bible Heroes for the Children of To-day by Mary Stewart
- The Heroes, or, Greek Fairy Tales for My Children by Charles Kingsley
- Heroes of Myth by Lillian Louise Price, Charles Benajah Gilbert
- Heroes of Myth and Legend by Charles Lamb, Charles Kingsley, Baron Thomas Babington Macaulay
- Heroes of Chivalry by Louise Maitland (Tales of Arthur and Roland)
- Heroes of Chivalry and Romance by Alfred John Church
- Heroes of the Crusades by Barbara Hutton, Paolo Priolo
- Heroes of Literature: English Poets by John Dennis
Labels: Google Books, History

Copies of most of the following can be ordered via the Espresso Book Machine at Third Place Book's Lake Forest Park location for around $9-13./book.
- Good Stories for Great Birthdays: Arranged for Story-Telling and Reading by Frances Jenkins Olcott (Primarily patriotic)
- Our American Holidays: Washington's Birthday Ed. by Robert Haven Schauffler
- Our American Holidays: Lincoln's Birthday Ed. by Robert Haven Schauffler
- The Days We Celebrate: Celebrations for Festivals by Robert Haven Schauffler
- Good Stories for Great Holidays: Arranged for Story-Telling and Reading by Frances Jenkins Olcott
- The Red Indian Fairy Book: For the Child's Own Reading and for Story-Tellers by Frances Jenkins Olcott (Native American legends organized by month)
- The Children's Book of Patriotic Stories: The Spirit of '76 (Stories Appropriate to the Fourth of July and Washington's Birthday) Ed. by Asa Don Dickinson
- The Children's Second Book of Patriotic Stories: The Spirit of '61 (Stories Appropriate to Decoration Day and Lincoln's Birthday) Ed. by Asa Don Dickinson
- The Days We Celebrate: Celebrations for Patriotic Days by Robert Haven Schauffler
- The Topaz Story Book: Stories and Legends of Autumn, Hallowe'en, and Thanksgiving by Ada M. Skinner and Eleanor Skinner
- The Pearl Story Book: Stories & Legends of Winter, Christmas and New Year's Day by Ada M. Skinner and Eleanor Skinner
- The Emerald Story Book: Stories and Legends of Spring, Nature and Easter by Ada M. Skinner and Eleanor Skinner
- The Turquoise Story Book: Stories and Legends of Summer and Nature by Ada M. Skinner and Eleanor Skinner
- Our American Holidays: Thanksgiving Ed. by Robert Haven Schauffler
- The Children's Book of Christmas Stories Ed. by Asa Don Dickinson
- The Book of Christmas by Hamilton Wright Mabie
- Our American Holidays: Christmas Ed. by Robert Haven Schauffler
- Christmas in Legend and Story: A Book for Boys and Girls by Elva S. Smith
- Round the Year in Myth and Song by Florence Holbrook
- History Stories for Primary Grades by John Walter Wayland
- Our American Holidays: Easter Ed. by Robert Haven Schauffler
- Spring and Summer School Celebrations by Alice Maude Kellogg
- The Year's Festivals by Helen Philbrook Patten
- The Book of Holidays By J. Walker McSpadden
- Days and Deeds: A Book of Verse for Children's Reading and Speaking by Elizabeth Shepard Butler Stevenson
- Stories of our Holidays By Isabel M. Horsford (A reader for the lower grades)
Labels: Google Books, Holidays
Religion
- Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints with Reflections for Every Day of the Year Ed. by John Gilmary Shea
- Short lives of the Saints* By Eleanor Cecilia Donnelly (Lovely!)
- Stories of the Saints for Children by Mary F.Seymour
- Legends of the Saints by Mary F.Seymour
- Stories of Holy Lives by Mary F.Seymour
- Stories of Martyr Priests by Mary F.Seymour
- The Catholic Girls' Guide: Counsels and Devotions by Rev. Francis X. Lasance
- My Prayer Book; Happiness in Goodness by Rev. Francis X. Lasance
- Divine Grace: A Series of Instructions Arranged According to the Baltimore Catechism Ed. by Edmund John Wirth
- Bible History by Rev Richard Gilmour (Nicely illustrated!)
- [Illustrated] Church History of "Christ in His Church" by Rev Richard Brennan
- The Garden of the Soul, or, A Manual of Spiritual Exercises and Instructions by Bishop Richard Challoner
- The Ideal Catholic Readers, Fourth Reader
- The Ideal Catholic Readers, Fifth Reader
- The Ideal Catholic Literary Reader: Book One
- The New Century Catholic Series, First Reader
- The New Century Catholic Series, Fifth Reader
- Standard Catholic Readers, Second Reader
- Standard Catholic Readers, Fourth Reader
- The Young Catholic's Illustrated First Reader
- The Young Catholic's Illustrated Third Reader
- The Young Catholic's Illustrated Fifth Reader
- The Young Catholic's Illustrated Speller
- Young Ladies' Illustrated Reader
- Catholic National Readers: The New Third Reader
- Catholic National Readers: The New Fourth Reader
- Catholic National Readers: The New Fifth Reader
- Lessons in Literature by Sister Mary Lambertine (Excellent!)
Stories for Boys and Girls
- Golden Sands: A Collection of Little Counsels for the Sanctification and Happiness of Daily Life, Third Series Translated from the French by Miss Ella McMahon
- Stories on the Seven Virtues by Agnes Stewart
- The Gamekeeper's Little Son, And Other Stories for Children By Frances Isabelle M. Kershaw
- The Trail of the Dragon and Other Stories ~ Benzinger Brothers (1906)
- Aunt Margaret's Little Neighbors; or, Chats About the Rosary by Skelton Yorke
- Chats About the Catechism: A Book for Girls (A sequel to "Chats About the Rosary") by Skelton Yorke
- Stories for My Children: The Angels and the Sacraments
- Happy-Go-Lucky by Miriam Coles Harris
- Happy-Go-Lucky and Other Stories by Mary Catherine Crowley
- Popular Tales, or, Deeds of Genius by Mary Jane Piercy
- The Golden Ladder: Stories Illustrative of the Eight Beatitudes by Susan Bogert Warner
- Tom's Crucifix, and other Tales by M.F.S.
- The Best Foot Forward and Other Stories [for Boys] by Francis J. Finn
- Industry and Laziness by Franz Hoffman, translated from the German by James King
- The Catholic Children's Magazine ("A Journal of Instructive Amusement for Little Ones;" 1879-80)
- Wide Awake: An Illustrated Magazine, Volume 27 (1888) "A collection of delightful stories with illustrations quite as good as the stories. The happy boy or girl who has this book to read will not only be entertained but instructed also." - Catholic World
- Tom Playfair, or, Making a Start by Francis J. Finn
- Harry Dee (1892)
- My Strange Friend by Francis J. Finn (1897)
- Bobbie in Movie Land
- The Fairy of the Snows (1913)
- Facing Danger (1919)
Labels: Books, Google Books
This afternoon, while browsing The Well-Trained Mind Forums, I stumbled across a downright *thrilling* discovery. In an old thread, I found a link to this Wired Magazine article about custom-printing public domain books. Now, I'm an avid Google Books user, but *hate* reading books online (as do my kids). I also dislike printing everything out as it results in significant paper/toner usage and just isn't quite as nice as having the actual book in hand. Unfortunately, many of the public domain books that I love are either impossible to find, or prohibitively expensive.
The Espresso Book Machine will turn a digital copy into a library-quality, perfect bound book in just minutes (how magical is that?!), but unfortunately, only a handful of book stores in the U.S. own the machine. Even more distressing is the lack of a shipping option offered. Finally however, I found this: the Harvard Book Store will print and ship books! And better yet, their search system appears to tie into Google Books directly. This really is, in my mind, completely revolutionary and opens a whole new world of possibilities for homeschoolers!
After quick deliberation, I ordered copies of the following (at a mere $8/apiece):
- Handbook Of Nature Study: For Teachers And Pupils In Elementary Schools by Dietrich Lange
- Nature Study in Elementary Schools: A Manual for Teachers by Lucy Langdon Williams Wilson
- In the Child's World: Morning Talks for Kindergartens, Primary Schools and Home by Emilie Poulsson (I adore this book and refer to it often!)
- Nature in Verse: A Poetry Reader for Children by Mary Isabella Lovejoy
- The Child's Fairy Geography, Or, A Merry Trip Round Europe by Forbes Edward Winslow (absolutely delightful and quite informative!)
- Legends of the Middle Ages: Narrated with Special Reference to Literature and Art by Hélène Adeline Guerber
- Scenes and Characters of the Middle Ages by Edward Lewes Cutts (contains some good information not readily available elsewhere)
- Sharp Eyes: A Rambler's Calendar of Fifty-Two Weeks Among Insects, Birds, and Flowers by William Hamilton Gibson (referred to often by Emilie Poulsson in the above volume)
- The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook
- The Fairy Land of Flowers: A Popular Illustrated Botany for the Home and School by Mara Louise Pratt-Chadwick
- The Stories of My Four Friends by Jane Andrews (The "Four Friends" are the four seasons)
- Types of Children's Literature: A Collection of the World's Best Literature for Children by Walter Barnes (a fairly useful anthology)
- Merrie England: Travels, Tales and Historical Sketches and Bonnie Scotland: Tales of Her History, Heroes and Poets by Grace Greenwood (excellent!)
- Chaucer for Schools by Mrs. H.R. Haweis (also excellent!)
- Stories from Old English Poetry by Abby Sage Richardson
- Old Ballads in Prose by Eva March Tappan
- The Open Road: A Little Book for Wayfarers and The Friendly Town: A Little Book for the Urbane by Edward Verrall Lucas
- A Book of Golden Deeds of All Times and All Lands by Charlotte M. Yonge
- English Fairy Tales and More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs
- Ethics for Young People by Charles Carroll Everett ("A dry subject attractively treated")

Labels: Google Books, Middle Ages, Nature Study, Reading
Here is another excerpt from the book In the Child's World by Emilie Poulsson.
AUTUMN.
TO THE TEACHER—
Bring all of nature that is possible into the kindergarten—colored leaves, autumn flowers, deserted nests, chrysalides, bare twigs, etc. Ask the children to bring, during the week, whatever they can find which shows that autumn has come. To revive the memories of summer and contrast summer and autumn, is the special aim of this talk. Reach back to spring and forward to winter incidentally.
The thought of autumn as the harvest time and the time of preparing for winter should run through all the talks at this season of the year.
THE TALK
Who can remember the first day we came to kindergarten this year? What can you remember before that? Why did we not have kindergarten then? What do we call that time of year when the weather is so warm? Tell me something about the summer. If the children have been to the city parks or gardens or playgrounds, speak of the beauty and advantages of such places, not forgetting to give credit to the city for providing them. Did any of you go to the seashore? Tell us about it.
Did any of you go into the country? to a farm? What was the farmer doing? Taking care of what he had planted in the spring—cutting the grass, raking and taking in the hay, hoeing corn and potatoes, weeding the garden, etc. Tell me what some of the animals were doing in the summer. Farm horses working, cattle enjoying the pasture, squirrels, birds and insects playing merrily in the woods and fields.
(Contrast all these summer activities with the autumn doings at the farm and in the woods.) Is it summer now? Let us see how many signs we can think of which show that autumn is here. Once upon a time some little children had been talking about the signs of autumn just as we have, and they asked a friend of theirs to write some autumn verses for them. They told her just what to put into the verses. Suppose I tell you what she wrote. Listen carefully and see whether we had thought of all the signs of autumn which the verses mention. (Read or recite slowly "An Autumn Song.")
TEACHER'S READING
- November's Wildflowers, The Autumn Pipers ("Sharp Eyes") by William H. Gibson
- The Sleeping Flowers by Emily Dickinson
- The Pomegranate Seeds by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- The Huskers, A Song of Harvest by John Greenleaf Whittier
- Times go by Turns by Rev. Robert Southwell
- In Time's Swing by Lucy Larcom
- An Indian-Summer Reverie by James Russell Lowell
- To the Fringed Genetian, The Death of the Flowers by Bryant
- On the Grasshopper and Cricket by Leigh Hunt
- On the Grasshopper and Cricket by John Keats
- The Reaper and the Flowers by William Wordsworth
- Autumn ("The Seasons") by James Thomson
- The Maple Leaf and the Violet ("The Story Hour") by Nora A. Smith
- The Anxious Leaf, The Little Harvest Mouse ("Kindergarten Stories and Morning Talks") by S.E. Wiltse
The Baby-Buds' Winter Clothes
by Josephine Jarvis
The warm summer had gone and autumn had come with its cooler winds, when one day, the hickory tree said to its leaves: "My pretty yellow leaves, you need not take care of the baby- buds any more, as it is time for them to put on their winter clothes. But I think the flower seeds would like to have you help them now. Are you willing to go down to the ground in order to help them?"
"Yes," said the leaves, "we would like to help the dear little seeds to be flowers." So they dropped to the ground, and covered it, that the little seeds might not freeze in their winter home in the earth, but might live to make plants and flowers in the spring.
Then the hickory tree said : "Baby-buds, it is time for you to put on your winter clothes, so that you can keep warm all winter and open into leaves in the spring." "We are all ready," said the buds; so the tree gave them their coats. The outside coat of each bud was a gum coat to keep out the wet. "Why, that was a waterproof coat! How funny for the buds to have waterproof coats." Yes, it is strange, but if you learn how to look, you will find out a great many strange things.
After the little side-buds had been given their winter clothes, the tree said: "My little end-buds, you are so much more exposed to the cold than the other buds that you must be dressed more warmly than they are." So the little end-buds put on one coat after another, till you would have thought, to look at them, that they were at least twice as large as the side-buds, and their gum coats had to be a great deal bigger than those of the others.
I saw an end-bud of a hickory tree once that had twelve coats on it.
Then all the baby buds said: "Thank you, dear tree, for our winter clothes. Now we can keep warm until spring."
An Autumn Song
by Emilie Poulsson
The song-birds are flying
And southward are hying,
No more their glad carols we hear.
The gardens are lonely,—
Chrysanthemums only
Dare now let their beauty appear.
The insects are hiding,—
The farmer providing
The lambkins a shelter from cold.
And after October
The woods will look sober
Without all their crimson and gold.
The loud winds are calling,
The ripe nuts are falling,
The squirrel now gathers bis store.
The bears, homeward creeping,
Will soon all be sleeping
So snugly, till winter is o'er.
Jack Frost will soon cover
The little brooks over;
The snow-clouds are up in the sky
All ready for snowing;
—Dear Autumn is going!
We bid her a loving "good-bye."
The Kind Old Oak
("Little Flower Folks, Vol. I")
It was almost time for winter to come. The little birds had all gone far away, for they were afraid of the cold. There was no green grass in the fields, and there were no pretty flowers in the gardens. Many of the trees had dropped all their leaves. Cold winter, with its snow and ice, was coming. At the foot of an old oak tree some sweet little violets were still in blossom. "Dear old oak," said they, "winter is coming; we are afraid that we shall die of cold."
"Do not be afraid, little ones," said the oak, "close your yellow eyes in sleep, and trust to me. You have made me glad many a time with your sweetness. Now I will take care that the winter shall do you no harm."
So the violets closed their pretty eyes and went to sleep; they knew that they could trust the kind, old oak. And the great tree softly dropped red leaf after red leaf upon them, until they were all covered over.
The cold winter came, with its snow and ice, but it could not harm the little violets. Safe under the friendly leaves of the old oak, they slept and dreamed happy dreams until the warm rains of spring came and waked them again.
Why the Leaves Change Their Color
("Little Flower Folks, Vol. II")
The Maple tree owned that she was tired of always wearing
green,
She knew that she had grown, of late, too shabby to be
seen!
The oak and beech and chestnut then deplored their
shabbiness,
And all, except the hemlock sad, were wild to change their
dress.
"For fashion-plates, we'll take the flowers," the rustling
maple said.
"And like the tulip, I'll be clothed in splendid gold and
red!"
"The cheerful sunflower suits me best," the lightsome beech
replied;
"The marigold my choice shall be," the chestnut spoke with
pride.
The sturdy old oak took time to think, "I hate such glaring
hues
The gillyflower, so dark and rich, I for my model
choose."
So every tree in all the grove, except the hemlock sad,
According to its wish ere long in brilliant dress was
clad.
And here they stand through all the soft and bright October
days;
They wished to be like flowers, instead they look like huge
bouquets.
The Chestnut Boys
by Helen Louise Towne
In a warm little bed, in a little green house, Mother Nature had tucked three baby boys safely away for a long sleep.
The house was not like the ones we live in, for it had only one tiny room, with no windows, and the door was fastened so tightly that no one could get in or out.
For many, many bright sunny days the little boys were sleeping, and all this time they were growing a little larger and a little larger, just as you all are growing.
But by and by the days began to grow cooler. The green leaves put on their autumn dresses of red and yellow, and came rustling down from the tree to play with the wind.
Then the babies stirred in their little bed, for the Wind was busy painting brown their green house, and he whistled so loudly at his work that they heard him in their dreams. Close behind the Wind came his friend, Jack Frost, a roguish little fellow. Gently he knocked at the door of the house, and softly he whispered, "Come out, little boys; come out and play with me!"
But Mother Nature only tucked her babies more snugly into bed, and answered: "No, not yet, dear little ones ; sleep a little longer!"
Then Jack Frost went away to play with the red and yellow leaves; but soon he came flying back, calling, "Come out for & frolic with me, boys ; come out for a frolic ! " And again Mother Nature answered: "Not yet! not yet, my children!"
Again came Jack Frost, and knocked very loudly at the door: "Come out! come out!" he called. And the little brothers cried, "Yes, yes, dear Mother, let us go and play with Jack Frost and the Wind!"
Then the mother smiled, a little sadly, and answered: "Yes, for you have grown to be big boys now, and it is time for you to go 1" So she unfastened the door and opened it wide, and out the three hurried. But soon they found that the big world was not at ail like their warm, soft little house. The Wind blew and whistled around them, and made them shiver; and Jack Frost was a rough playfellow, though he meant to be kind, and they soon grew weary and called to their mother: "Dear Mother Nature, we are tired; put us to sleep again!"
Then the mother spread over them, where they lay on the ground, a warm covering of "red and yellow and faded brown."
By and by she heard their sleepy voices again: "Kind Mother, we are cold!''
Then Mother Nature sent a soft, white covering of snow, and wrapped them in it so nicely, that they had hardly time to murmur "Thank you, good Mother," before they were fast asleep.
And there they will stay, till the warm sun and the gentle breezes and the soft rain wake them in the sweet springtime.
Can you guess who the little brothers were, in their snug, warm house?
They were the Chestnut boys, and the brown burr is their little house.
Labels: Autumn, Google Books, Nature Study
Here is another excerpt from the book In the Child's World by Emilie Poulsson.
THE WIND.
To The Teacher—
After the morning greetings the central subject of the morning may be introduced in many ways; perhaps by directing the children's observation to the weather, finding what they noticed about it on the way to kindergarten; or, if they have been singing "Come, little leaves," the subject of the wind may be brought uppermost easily and naturally through the song.
The Wind as an Unseen Power.
(The thought in this form is, of course, only for the teacher's mind. No more than the impression is to be given to the children; and this will be done by leading them to recall familiar manifestations of the wind's power.)
THE TALK
What does the wind do? Plays with the leaves, gets the trees ready for winter, covers the ground with them to help keep the roots and seeds warm, tells the birds that winter is coming, blows the nuts down from the tall trees in the wood, as well as the apples, pears and other fruits from the orchard trees.
(Anecdote of child in an orchard, who sees an apple but is unable to reach it and asks the wind to bring it to her.)
Going back to other than Autumn work,—the wind rocks the birds in the nests, flies kites, drives sailboats, blows the clothes dry, helps the sun dry the ground after rain, and turns the windmills, which are sometimes used instead of water-mills. Can we hear the wind? Can we feel the wind? Can we see the wind?
Can we see what the wind does?
THE WIND AT WORK.
The Wind as a Sower of Seeds.
(Recall some of the previous talks on seeds. Let the children tell what seeds need to be planted;—corn seeds, or we will have no corn; wheat seeds, or we will have no wheat; flower seeds or no flowers, etc., etc.)
What has the farmer been doing lately? Gathering seeds from farm and garden to plant in the spring. What pretty yellow flower do we find in the grass in the spring? Does the dandelion have seeds? the daisy? the oak tree? Does the farmer go everywhere to gather such seeds? But we always have dandelions and daisies. Then they must have been planted. Who does this? Some one who works and plays, though we never see him. Yes ! the wind sows such seeds,—blows them from the plant, carries them along, drops them, blows dust and leaves over them till they are covered and can take root by and by, and come up in the spring when the other seeds do.
What the Winds Bring.
Contrast gentle breezes and wild, boisterous winds. Notice how Mr. Wind sometimes knocks at one window, sometimes at another;—that is, comes from different directions. North Wind coming from the cold countries, tells us to remember "Agoonack," brings ice and snow, is a friend of "Little Jack Frost." South Wind comes from the warm countries, whispers of summer, comes from the same land as the oranges and bananas, brings warmth. East Wind comes from the ocean, brings moisture, fog or rain. "West Wind, Best Wind" brings bright, clear weather.
Weather Vane useful to tell which wind is blowing. Anecdote of child and weather vane. Child was going on a picnic; weather doubtful; but soon the weather vane turned, showing that the wind had changed, promising good weather. Child happy and grateful. Froebel's play of the Weather Vane.
A favorite verse about the wind is:—
" Whichever way the wind doth blow
Some heart is glad to have it so.
Then blow it east or blow it west,
The wind that blows, that wind is best,"
TEACHER'S READING
- The Four Winds, The White Man's Foot ("Hiawatha") by Longfellow
- The Maiden and the Weather Cock, The Windmill by Longfellow
- The Winds, To the Evening Wind by Bryant
- Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley
- Sweet and Low by Tennyson
- What the Winds Bring by E.C. Stedman
- The Wind in a Frolic by William Howitt
How West Wind Helped Dandelion
by Emilie Poulsson
There was once a Dandelion plant which grew in the grass just outside a garden fence. The leaves of the plant were thick and green, and its flower (held on rather a high stem, for it was a late blossom) was very full and round, and of the brightest yellow.
The Dandelion was usually as happy as a queen—though not because of the golden crown, oh, no! Nor is it the crown which makes the queen happy, if that is what you are thinking! But the Dandelion was happy in the beautiful world and in her loving friends, and happy in her work and her play.
Who were her friends? Oh! the Sunbeams that came sliding down from the great sun and kept little Dandelion warm, and made her green leaves greener and her yellow flower brighter whenever they came ; and the Raindrops who tumbled their little silvery selves down upon her, as if in a great fury sometimes, but only intending a frolic and not really hurting her. They brought her all the water she had to drink and bathe in, and Dandelion missed them very much if they stayed long away. The great Winds were her friends, too. Dandelion was just the least bit afraid of them, to tell the truth, and liked them best when they were gentle and quiet, or when they sent their messengers, the little Breezes, to play with her.
Dandelion had friends of another sort, too; little creatures made of music, motion, and feathers,— (we call them birds).
Insects, too, visited her;—butterflies as yellow as her flower, grasshoppers as green as her leaves, bees going a-marketing for honey and pollen, ants running nimbly along on their six threadlike legs, and many, many others, down to the tiny, moving, black specks which seemed too small to be alive and yet were as full of life as their larger neighbors.
Besides all these friends, Dandelion had some flower friends; the clovers who lived near her on the roadside, and the garden flowers who lived on the other side of the fence. The nearest neighbors among the garden flowers were some morning-glories who had actually climbed over the fence and were as friendly as possible.
Dandelion's play was with any of these different friends. Her work was to grow and make seeds,—as many good seeds as she possibly could.
As the long, bright days passed, Dandelion worked faithfully, in a flower's quiet, unseen way of working; and at last her seeds were formed. Instead of the golden crown of a flower which she had worn, her stalk held up a beautiful ball of silvery gauze. The tiny seeds were in this ball and would be ripe very soon.
One day Dandelion saw two children, Max and Nannie, walking about in the garden in a very business-like way. When they came to the morning-glory vine, she could hear what they were saying.
"Where is the box for the morning-glory seeds, Max?" called the little girl. "I see ever so many ripe ones."
"Here it is," replied Max, who had been looking in the basket which he carried. "We must gather a great many morning- glory seeds, for you know we want to plant them all along the fence next year; and we are going to send some to Cousin Fan, too."
"Yes, and then she will have the same kind of flowers away off there that we have here," said Nannie, as she poked among the leaves and blossoms of the morning-glory vine to find the plump seed vessels. Soon she had gathered all the ripe ones, and she and Max went back up the garden walk and into the house.
The Dandelion plant pondered on what it had heard. Seeds! Why, Dandelion plants had seeds as well as morning-glory vines! Probably Max and Nannie would come for her seeds. They would soon be ready, —in a few days, surely.
The few days passed quickly. Every morning Max and Nannie came out with their basket and little boxes and went to the garden plants, gathering the ripe seeds. But alas ! for the hopes of the Dandelion plant! They never looked at her or even thought of her seeds, although they loved dandelions as well as any other children.
Poor Dandelion felt very much slighted. Why did not Max and Nannie want her seeds to plant next year or to send to Cousin Fan? Who would gather her seeds? She had tried so hard and worked so faithfully, and arranged her seeds so beautifully. Was it all for nothing?
Hark! "Cheer-up! Cheer-up!" sang a robin in the orchard; and a little whispering breeze rustled past her, breathing softly; "Wait, oh, wait!"
"Ah! but what will become of my seeds? No one will gather them and they will all be wasted."
The breeze passed on and then came a stronger puff of air.
"West Wind is coming," thought Dandelion, trembling a little; and just then she heard him calling.
"What, ho! there, Dandelion! Are you too warm? I will fan you. Are you too wet? I will help you shake the heavy drops from your leaves and flowers."
"No," said the Dandelion, "my leaves are not laden with water, nor is my heart parched with heat; but my seeds, my precious seeds are all to be wasted. No one will gather them."
"Ho, ho !" laughed West Wind, noisily, but kindly. "And what do you wish to have done with your seeds?"
"I wish they could be planted next year," said Dandelion, "some of them here, and some of them far away,—just as will be done to the seeds of the garden plants."
"Ho, ho!" laughed West Wind again, as noisily and kindly as before. "That is an easy matter to arrange. In fact it is arranged. It is one of the things I was to attend to this very morning, if your seeds were ripe."
"And have you brought a little box with you?" asked Dandelion.
"Not I!" replied West Wind. "I manage differently from the children. I sow the seeds as I gather them, and I also cover them. Then they are all ready to wake up and grow in the early spring."
"Oh! thank you, good West Wind," said Dandelion. "What a kind friend you are!"
"It is a part of our work," said West Wind. "My brothers and I have a great deal of seed-sowing to do in all the forests and fields over the whole earth. But I must not talk any longer. Now, ready! One, two, three, whew! Away they go."
Dandelion heard a merry
whistle and felt a sudden
strong puff against her.
At the same instant all
her seeds were gone. Where the
feathery white ball had been there
showed now a little bald knob.
"Why!" said Dandelion rather bewildered, "how quickly that was done!"
She looked about her. Here and there on the grass near her she saw several of her seeds; and then looking farther and yet farther away she could see others whirling and dancing through the air carried along by the friendly seed sower, West Wind.
The little silky plumes which each seed wore, and which had made Dandelion's ball of silvery gauze,made it easy for the wind to take the seeds as far as Dandelion could wish; and some were also left to grow right there on the roadside bank, where she herself had always lived.
Dandelion was very happy. The robin in the orchard sang again his hearty "Cheer-up! Cheer-up!" and a little breeze which followed after West Wind whispered softly as before: "Wait! oh, wait!"
"Yes," said Dandelion; "there was no need of my worrying. But who would have thought that the great West Wind would take care of the seeds of a plain little Dandelion!"
The Dandelion Cycle

by Emilie Poulsson
"Pretty little Goldilocks, shining in the sun,
Pray, what will become of you when the summer's done ? "
"Then I'll be old Silverhead; for, as I grow old,
All my shining hair will be white instead of gold.
"And where rests a silver hair that has blown from me,
Other little Goldilocks in the Spring you'll see!
"Goldilocks to Silverhead, Silverhead to gold,
So the change is going on every year, I'm told."
Odysseus and the Bag of Winds
Far-famed Odysseus was on his way across the sea, to his home in rocky Ithaca, when he came to the island of Aeolia. Many had been his wanderings, by sea and land, since he had left his own fair dwelling, and most welcome was the sight of this friendly shore. Here lived the great King of the winds—Aeolus—who could send gentle zephyrs murmuring over the sea, and could call back the wild tempests when they played too roughly with the waves. Well might Odysseus and his companions rejoice at coming to the wonderful floating island of King Aeolus, for here they were kindly treated, after their toils and troubles, and when the time came for them to start once more on their way Aeolus stowed in their boat gifts and provisions of all kinds for their voyage.
One of these gifts was very strange in its appearance—a great bulging sack, as large as an ox; in fact it was made of an ox's skin—tied tightly about with a cord of shining silver. This placed carefully in the boat, and taking Odysseus aside told him that in this skin he had bound up the blustering winds, so that no storms should disturb the calm of the ocean, and drive the little boat out of her course. If, however, Odysseus should at any time be in need of a powerful blast to carry the boat swiftly away from some dangerous coast, or from some enemy, he was to open the bag with great caution and, letting out only the wind he wished, to close it again quickly, and bind it fast with the silver cord. When Aeolus had bidden farewell to Odysseus and his crew, he sent a gentle west wind after him, to bear them prosperously on their way.
Day after day they sailed peacefully over the gleaming ocean, the soft gale bearing them along, while Odysseus managed the sail, and kept watch night and day. On the tenth day Odysseus was lying asleep in the boat, resting from his labors, when the sailors began talking among themselves of the mysterious-looking bag. "It must be full of treasures," said they, "and why should not we have our share of them?"
Speaking thus foolishly, they finally decided to open the bag. They loosed the silver cord, but they need to do no more, for the boisterous winds at once burst forth, and in a twinkling had lashed the quiet waves into foam, and whirled the boat far out of her course. The helmsman could do nothing, since the boat no longer obeyed the rudder, and even Odysseus, awakened by the commotion, was powerless against these roaring, whistling winds that tossed the little boat hither and thither at their will.
At last Odysseus and his men, driven far from their native shores, saw land once again. The foolish sailors were glad enough to pull the boat up on the beach, and in safety once more to built their fire and prepare a comfortable meal.
Many days and years went by before Odysseus at last reached his home. He had many adventures after this, but when he dwelt in peace and quiet at last, in the home from which he had been absent so long, he was always fond of telling the story of the bag of winds given him by King Aeolus, and of the great disaster brought upon his sailors and himself by their foolish curiosity.
The North Wind at Play (From the German)
as told by Harriet Ryan
Once upon a time, in a house under a hill, lived Aeolus and his four sons: North Wind, South Wind, East Wind and West Wind.
One day North Wind said to his father: "May I go out to play?"
"Oh, yes!" said his father, "if you don't stay too long."
Then away ran North Wind with a merry shout and song, banging the door behind him.
As he ran along the road he saw in the orchard a beautiful tree upon which were green apples.
"Oh! come and play with me," said North Wind. "Come and play with me!"
"Oh, no!" said the tree; "I must stay quite still and help the apples to grow, else they will not be large and round and red in the autumn for the little children. Oh, no, North Wind, I cannot go."
"Puff! " said the North Wind—and down all the apples fell to the ground.
The next thing North Wind saw was a beautiful waving field of corn.
"Oh! Come and play with me! Oh! Come and play with me!" said North Wind.
"No, no!" said the corn; "I must stand quite still and grow. If you will look under this beautiful green silk you will see some little kernels lying. These must grow big and yellow to be ground into meal to make golden pudding for the children. So you see I cannot go to play."
At this the North Wind sighed—" Ah-ha-a-a! " and the corn lay down on the ground.
Running along, North Wind saw a lily growing under a window.
"Oh, you lovely lily! come and play with me," said North Wind.
"I cannot," said the lily, gently ; "I have to stay here because the farmer's little girl is not at all well, and I am her friend, and every morning she comes and smiles down at me and I smile back again. I am sure she would miss me very much if I should go; so I must stay here, dear North Wind."
North Wind touched her very gently,—but she hung her head and never again looked up.
Now the farmer went out to work, and when he saw the corn and the apple tree, he said: "Ah! Mr. North Wind has been here!" But when he went home, his little girl told him about the lily. And the farmer said: "I'll go right up to Mr. and tell him all about it!"
So away he went; and he said: "Good morning, Mr. Your boy, North Wind, has been down my way; and he has blown the apples from the trees, and the corn is lying down on the ground; but, worse than this, he has hurt my little girl's lily!"
" Ah!" said Mr. Aeolus, "I am very sorry. I will speak to North Wind when he comes in." And then the farmer went home.
By and by in came North Wind.
"My boy," said Aeolus, "the farmer has been here, and he has told me all the harm which you have done." And then the father told North Wind the story of the apples and the corn and the lily.
"Oh, well," said North Wind, "I know I did it; but I didn't mean to. I just meant to have a little fun with the apple tree; but when I said 'Puff-f-f all the apples fell down! And it was just the same with the corn; it lay down before I knew that I had hurt it. As for the lily, that was the loveliest thing you ever saw, father ; I only kissed it when I came away."
"I believe that what you tell me is true, my boy; but if you cannot help being so rough and rude when you play, you must go out only when the farmer has gathered the apples and corn, and when the flowers have been taken safely into the house. When the snow is on the ground, you and Jack Frost may have fine frolics together."
Labels: Autumn, Google Books, Nature Study


























