4.64. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[December, 
narrow band of black around their inner edges. 
Then varnished J, and immediately pressed upon 
the center, face downward, an engraving previously 
soaked in water, from which I carefully rubbed off 
the white back. When it became thiu enough to 
show the picture through, I allowed it to dry, after 
which it was again wet and still more of the paper 
back rubbed off, until only a very thin film of pa¬ 
per remained, which became so transparent by 
varnishing as to allow the grain of the wood to 
show through, aud seemed to have been engraved 
upon the board. Both if and J received four coats 
of varnish, which gave them a very high polish. 
The three pieces of kid were then tacked upon the 
sides and bottom of J , with gimp and white headed 
nails, the gimp and nails being carried around the 
top. Held with the back toward me, it now pre¬ 
sented the appearance of fig. 7. With carpet tacks 
I fastened o, o, upon the line q, q, (fig. 0.) in the 
manner shown by dots. When the pieces p, p, 
(fig. 7,) were brought up to r, r, (if, fig. 6,) this 
seam was left inside the holder. Gimp and white 
headed nails were used in fastening the kid to the 
lines q, r. This article was hung upon the wall by 
a large picture nail, and is for receiving newspapers. 
A Bracket. —Fig.9 shows the parts of the bracket 
shelf, 13 by 17 inches, which I papered and varnish¬ 
ed the same as foot rest; t, is one of the side pieces, 
7 by 13 inches; u, a bit of tin, cut from an old to¬ 
mato can, which 1 papered, varnished, and nailed 
over the junction of the side pieces, as a ring by 
which to hang the bracket, (fig. 10); r, (fig. 9) is 
embroidering canvas, 19 inches long, and 8 inches 
at the deepest point. There were also two other 
pieces of canvas, the same shape, but an inch 
larger each way than the side boards. In the cen¬ 
ter of each canvas, I embroidered a group of bright, 
autumn leaves, tilling in the body with crystal 
beads, a bead in each stitch. Then tacked them 
over the side pieces, and around the front of the 
bracket, as in the engraving, hiding the tacks un¬ 
der a bead heading, aud finishing off the lower edge 
of the curtain with a heavy fringe of the same. 
Fig. 10.— BRACKET. 
When finished, this was far prettier than any of the 
brackets in the store, I had so coveted for sister. 
There is great satisfaction in having thus provided 
so many acceptable presents with so small an out¬ 
lay of money. Perhaps these hints will help others 
to prepare gifts for friends at Christmas time. 
3B0YS <k 
Explanation.— The boiler, b, is heated by the little 
alcoholic lamp underneath. The steam-chest, shown sepa¬ 
rately at -s, Is held in place by the spring, a. which allows it 
to shove off and let out the steam, if too great a pressure is 
applied, so that there can be no explosion. The screw cap, 
c, opens the steam-chest, or cylinder, for putting in the 
piston, p. The little funnel,/, is for putting water in the 
boiler, and alcohol in the lamp. A single ounce of alcohol 
will run the engine rapidly for hours. The whole engine 
packs in a box 4 inches high, and 2% inches in diameter. 
59iirra.li, JlSoys! A 55eal §team-En> 
giiie for Aon I 
All active boys arc natural steam-engines, full of fire 
and pent-up steam. For forty years past, ever since men 
have been using steam-engines generally, the boys have 
always been eager to construct, beg, or buy some thing 
like a steam-engine—any kind of a thing—rude and 
rough, or otherwise, only so that it would GO—would go 
at all. How boys plan and work, aud work and plan, 
with alternate hopes and fears, to get up something that 
will move by steam-power, we know by experience. Why, 
we would have walked a dozen or fifty miles, on bauds 
and knees if necessary, if that would have made us the 
bona-fide owner of even the smallest actual steam-engine 
ever constructed or thought of! Ten to one, the best 
hat, coat, and hoots (only boys did n’t wear hoots then) 
would have gone quickly to pay for such a treasure— 
for a steam-engine that would go —that would turn. (The 
we, here used, includes all the editors, and at least half of 
the grown-up boys among the milliou-and-a-half readers 
of Hearth and Home and American Agriculturist.) 
large tumbler covers it all over, hut yet it is perfect in all 
its parts. The grown-up boy, who writes this, has taken 
it all to pieces half a dozen times, looked into aud through 
it, and there’s no getting around the fact, that it is a real, 
live engine, and a fine one, too. 
The hoys must have this for Christmas. But enough 
can not be made by that time for one boy in a hundred. 
Well, we must look out for our hoys, any way, and 
when we go to the City in the morning, we shall 
order two thousand of the first that can he made—or 
more, if we can get them—and offer them as premi¬ 
ums right off, and give a chance to those hoys who 
have the most pent-up steam—that is. the most “ go- 
ahead ” to get them—at least two thousand of them. 
And here's our offer: 
As long as our supply lasts, and as long as we can 
get more, any one, sending two new subscribers to 
Hearth and Home, at $3 a year each—the regular 
price—or throe new subscribers for the American 
Agriculturist , at $1.50 a year each, shall have one of these 
new steam-engines Free. It can be got at our Office, 245 
Broad way,or we will send it anywhere in the United States 
by mail, if 36 cents are provided to pay the postage. This 
engine is sold by Messrs. Colby Brothers & Co., 508 Broad¬ 
way, New York, who arc the exclusive General Agents. 
Premiums for BSoys and. Girls !— . 
Besides the Steam-Engine on this .page, there are many 
things in the Publishers’ General Premium List, on anoth¬ 
er page, which our young readers can secure with a little 
effort. Many hundreds of quite young hoys and girls have, 
in past years, secured the Great Dictionaries, and a score 
of other articles. Agood many people will subscribe just 
to help out a young person’s premium list, and then be 
benefited themselves by taking the papers. Many a Sew¬ 
ing Machine has been secured for mother, or aunt, or a 
poor widow, by the efforts of one or more small lads. 
Canvassing teaches a boy business habits, and the art of 
persuasion. The writer of this paid part of his expenses 
at school and college by canvassing for newspaper sub¬ 
scribers. and the exercise was of great use in after life. 
Ag'niiist a ESig Word. 
When Willie, whom the writer well knows, was 
a very youngster, lie was sent to school to “ keep 
him out of mischief,” as it was said. It would 
have been very much better to try to keep the 
mischief out of him , by filling his head and hands 
with something better. The school was kept by two 
French ladies, and the talking was mostly done in that 
language. Willie who could talk and think only in Eng¬ 
lish, finding little to interest him after the novelty had 
passed, soon let out some of his mischief aud got himself 
into trouble. “ Bad boy," exclaimed one of the-teacliers; 
“ Zu sail be puneeshed ver mooch—Zu sail he vip, and 
shut up in de bargain.” Willie could understand the 
“vip,” for the teacher had gone through the motions 
while making the threat; hut he had rim against a big 
word and was puzzled and not a little frightened at the 
idea of being shut up—“ in the bargain." He thought 
rapidly that the “bargain” might ho a dark closet, or 
an awful cellar, or some terrible box where he should he 
tormented, hut presently, determined to know the worst, 
tremblingly asked “what does the ‘bargain’ mean?” 
It was too much for the teacher, who could not help 
smiling, and then Willie knew that present danger was 
past. Since that time, Willie has grown to be a man. 
lie says that from that time he was encouraged, when he 
encountered big words, or those he could not understand, 
to find out their meaning. I11 this way he says he lias 
learned that the words of blusterers and bullies, are usu¬ 
ally not so very dangerous ; they only mean that the man 
behind them is a coward and don’t want people to know 
it; that men who use “ big dictionary ” words in ordi¬ 
nary conversation, are not often learned or wise ; he says 
they always remind him of small stores with big signs, 
aud we guess he is about right. 
Well, in ample time for our second boyhood, aud just 
in the nick of time for the present hoys (and some of the 
girls, too) here comes a neat, prim, little steam-engine, 
costing only a dollar—a real steam-engine, that goes like 
a top—goes by steam—has boiler, steam-chest, piston, 
balance-wheel, etc., and a perfect safety-vulva, so that it 
can’t hurst—a genuine thing—aud it costs only a dollar. 
A man came in, with cash in hand to pay us for adver¬ 
tising such a thing in our papers, and, thinking it a hum¬ 
bug, we hid him begone. But lie would 11’t go until he 
showed the thing, and—it was the real thing. “ Seeing is 
believing,” when you have had said tiling in your own 
hands, and tried and proved it. While we write, one of 
these engines sets on our table, run by our little 11- 
year-old, who can’t be persuaded to go to bed; and it 
is buzzing and whirling away, its wheel turning five 
hundred or a thousand times a minute—so fast, that we 
can’t begin to count the revolutions. A stick, held against 
its arms or spokes, buzzes like a fly. It is so small, that a 
Tlie Story-Teller. 
BY “CARLETON.” 
I think that there is not a boy nor girl in the world that 
does not love to hear a good story. I remember the 
stories 1 heard in childhood, when I was a white haired 
boy sitting in my little chair in the chimney corner. It 
was a great chimney, and it had a big fireplace, and in 
the winter evenings there was always a bright fire blaz¬ 
ing on tlie stone hearth. It was very pleasant to sit there 
and see the shadows dancing on the walls, to see the 
flames and sparks fly up the chimney, and hear tlie wind 
roaring in the old trees on the stormy nights. It was de¬ 
lightful to hear my father tell about the old limes when 
tlie Indians were prowling through the woods, and to 
hear his stories of battles, of witches, and ghosts, of 
Sinbad tlie sailor, aud of Aladdin and his wonderful lamp, 
and of the forty thieves who secreted themselves in oil 
