is father of the man. The mandarin looks like a giant child, the child a dwarf mandarin. The sobriety1 of age is combined with the plastic nature of youth, and the ămusements of the little child are shared by the fäther, the grandfather, and the great-grandfather all are kite-flyers. This may be still better understood, when it is explained that the kites of China and Japan are not the simple articles we usually know by that name, but are toys that vary greatly in sort, size, and shape, and are often high in price. 3. Let us transport the reader to the suburbs 3 of some Chinese city, where a whole group of boys are gathered together to see the wonders worked by their elders in the kite-flying art. There is a whiz, a buzz, a whîrring music in the air; all sorts of grotesque objects are floating about, rising and falling and dåncing to and fro; there are broad-winged birds, and manycolored dragons, lizards, bees, and butterflies, and painted circles and squares, and radiated 5 suns and moons and stars. 4. Most of the kites have pendent tails, and strings in their centers, the linking line which connects these aërial monsters with the earth. Up these strings you see messengers ascending, and věry pretty and clever ones they are too. The butterfly messenger, which is about the best, is so made that it flutters open-winged right up to the kite, whence it instantly and quickly descends, having been collapsed and closed, on coming in contact with the kite, by means of a little spring which forms part of its mechanism.8 5. The form of the ancient French kite was probably that of a beast, and not of a bird, as they call it a cerf-volant, a flying stag. The English kite took its name, no doubt, from the bird, light diverging or påssing out from 1 Sō'brï'e ty, the habit of soberness or temperance, as to the use of spirituous liquors; eälmness. 'Plǎstic, having power to give fashion or form to a måss of matter; capable of being molded or formed. 3 Suburbs, places near to a city or large town. 4 Grotesque (grō těsk'), like the figures found in grottoes or caves; wildly formed; droll; läughable. 5 Rā'di ā'ted, formed of rays of a center. Pěnd'ent, supported from above; suspended; hanging. 'Col lǎpsed', closed by falling or sinking together. 8 Mechanism (měk'an izm), the parts, taken together, by the action of which a machine produces its effects. 9 Ancient (an'shent), old; that happened or lived many years ago. of which its first form was a rude imitation; but the Chinese names are věry numerous: fung-tsang, the wind-guĭtär; chi-yan, paper-hawk; kwin-chi, nēither mōre nor less than the English kite, bird, and toy; and all sorts of fanciful and poëtical titles. 6. To describe all kinds of kites to be seen in China would be to undertake too much; so we will only venture to speak of a sort věry common among the Chinese, and particularly effective in appearance-namely, the bird kite. The hawk, or common kite, is the bird usually represented; and to make this they cut a piece of paper the exact shape and size of the natural bird when on the wing; this they paint the natural color and stretch on ribs of bamboo arranged very much in the shape of the old English cross-bow when strung, leaving the parts which represent the ends of the wing and tail-feathers unbound by twine, so as to shiver in the wind. 7. Thus constructed, the kite rises with great ease, and flies with wonderful grace of motion, imitating the real bird to a nicèty by now and then taking a long swoop, then soaring again, and then poising itself with a flutter before repeating the proc ess. At times, a number of these kites are flown at once by attaching them at different intervals to the string of some larger kite, and the effect is thereby much increased; for the reäl kites are in the habit of sailing in a flock together as they circle over their prey. 8. What man among ourselves but has had his eyes attracted upward, and more or less of his interest engaged, by seeing a fire-balloon sailing in mid-air, or a sky-rocket bûrsting in the sky; or, indeed, anything out of the common happening overhead'? And is the Chinese or Japanese to be läughed at, if he relishes the still stränger sight of a couple of fantastically 1dressed friends walking arm-in-arm in the clouds with an umbrella over their heads; a hideous 2 ogre3 face, roaring as it sails ǎlong; a pretty but immense butterfly flapping its wings like its living model; birds flying about so life-like that one can 4 1 Fan tǎs'tic al ly, fancifully; whimsically; wildly. Hid'e ous, frightful or offensive to the eye or the ear; dreadful to bebold. 3 Ogre (o'ger), a monster, or frightful giant of fairy tales, who lived on human beings. 4 Pretty (prit'ti), pleasing by delicacy, grace, or neatness. hardly believe them to be made of paper; a huge dragon or centiped, which, with its scaly joints stretching out some sixty to a hundred feet in length, its thousand legs, and slow, undulating motion, looks marvelously like a giant specimen of that horrible creature creeping down upon one out of the clouds-and many other curious things that an American would scârcely dream of? 9. Yet sights such as these may be seen in Japanese and Chinese cities at any time during the kite-flying season; and, while they can not fail to attract the attention of the observant 2 stranger, in common with many other novelties he sees about him, lead him to conclude that the old men and adults of those countries have, at any rate, some excuse for the frivolity 4 they are accused of. 7 10. The ability to make such extraordinary 5 kites is mainly owing to the toughness, tenuity, and flexibility of the Chinese and Japanese paper, and the abundant material for ribs and frames afforded by the bamboo,—a plant which has not its equal for the lightness, strength, flexibility, and elasticity of its fibrous wood. 11. With these simple materials, and with the wonderful neatness and ingenuity 10 the Chinese and Japanese are famous for, it is astonishing how rapidly and easily they construct the odd and complicated 11 figures which they fly as kites. 1 Cĕn'ti ped, a kind of manyjointed, worm-shaped, land animal, wingless, having many feet, and powerful biting fangs. 2 Observant, taking notice; cârefully attentive; obedient. 'Flex'i bil'i ty, the quality of being flexible, or capable of being bent or twisted without breaking; pliancy. 8 E las tic'i ty, ability of a thing to return to its former shape when A dult', a person or thing grown compressed or expanded. to full size or strength. 4 Fri vŏl'i ty, fondness for vain or foolish pursuits; triflingness. 5 Extraordinary (eks trôr'di nari), out of the common course; more than common. 9 Fi'brous, containing, or consisting of, fibres, or the thread-like portions of plants or muscles. 10 In'ge nu'i ty, the quality or power of ready invention; skill. 11 Com'pli cat ed, folded or twist 6 Te nū'i ty, râreness, or thinness; ed together; containing many parts; slenderness. not simple. TH SECTION II. I. 4. THE SPRING. HE wind blows in the sweet rose-tree: 'Tis not for any one, I trōw :4 The happy cow lōwèth, The merry stream flōweth For all below. O the Spring, the bountiful Spring! 2. Whence come the sheep? From the rich man's moor. Whêre comèth sleep? To the bed that's poor. Peasants must weep, And kings endure: That is a fate that none can cure. Yet Spring doth all she can, I trōw: She brings the bright hours, She weaves the sweet flowers: She děckèth her bowers for all below. O the Spring, the bountiful Spring! 1 Fra'grant, sweet of smell. 2 Lea, sward-land or a meadow. 3 Stream'let, a small stream; a rivulet; a rill. 4 Trōw, suppose or think; believe. 5 Boun'ti ful, generous; free in giving. 6 Moor, a large waste covered with heath, and having a poor, light soil, but sometimes marshy. BRYAN WALLER PROCTER.9 'None (nun), not one. 9 Bryan Waller Procter, an English poet, better known by his assumed name of Barry Cornwall, was born at London about 1790. Although his prose is excellent, he is chiefly noted as a song writer, some of his songs being singularly well adapted to music. Died in 18 NOW II. 5. SPRING. OW the läughing, jolly Spring began sometimes to show her buxom1 face in the bright morning; but ever and anon, meeting the angry frown of Winter, lōath 2 to resign his rough sway over the wide realm of Nature, she would retire again into her southern bower. Yet, though her visits were but short, her věry look seemed to exercise a magic 1 influence. 2. The birds began slowly to expand their close winter folds; the dark and melancholy 5 woods to assume an almōst imperceptible purple tint; and here and thêre a little chirping bluebird hopped about the orchard of Elsingburgh. Strips of fresh green appeared ǎlong the brooks, now released from their icy fetters; and nests of little variegated flowers, namelèss, yet richly deserving a name, sprang up in the sheltered recesses of the leaflèss woods. 6 3. By and by, the shad, the harbinger at once of spring and plenty, came up the river before the mild southern breeze; the ruddy blossoms of the peach-tree exhibited their gorgeous9 pageantry; 10 the little lambs appeared frisking and gamboling 11 about the sedate 12 mother; young, innocent cälves began their first bleatings; the cackling hen announced her daily feat in the barn-yard with clamorous astonishmènt; every day added to the appearance of that active vegetable and animal life which nature presents in the progress 13 of the geniäl 14 spring; and 8 Exhibited (ĕgz hib'it ed), held fōrth or presented to view; presented for inspection; displayed. 9 Gorgeous, imposing through splendid or many colors; showy. 10 Pǎg'eant'ry, grand exhibition or show; something for vain, outward display or appearance. 11 Găm bol ing, leaping and skipping about in spōrt. 12 Se date, cälm; quiet; sober. 6 Vā'ri e gāt ed, marked with dif- forward; gradual advånce or growth ferent colors. "Har bin ger, one who provides lodging; a forerunner. in learning, goodness, etc. 14 Gē'ni al, joyous and awakening joy or happiness; productive. |