Primary Reader
EJ Meeker provided many of the illustrations for this school primer, published in 1910 by the Macmillan Company. Extracts from the text are shown below with the original drawings from the book.
“Rover, come to me. I have an apple. I will pare it and give you part.
Here is your share. Now bark for it. You need not pat my arm for more. I can not spare all my apple.”
“Poor little kitty! Did you burn your fur?”
“Purr, purr!” said kitty.
“Turn round kitty, and let me see. Why, it is a big burr. How it pricks! It must hurt you, little kitty.”
But still the kitty says, “Purr, purr!”
Roy and Floyd are making a playhouse. Roy’s big dog, Royal, thought the house was for him. He nearly spoiled it. Royal thinks it fun to hear the boys make so much noise.
How hard the boys work. Grandpa Hoyt has come to watch them.
He said: “I want to see which boy proves to be the best workman.”
The little girl is Joy. Her mamma is not very well to-day; and baby is cross, because her poor little tooth hurts.
Joy laid a shawl for baby to sit upon. She brought out all sorts of toys.
Then she said, “Come to sister, baby! We will make some sand pies. You shall scoop up the sand with this big spoon.
When baby put her little hands deep into the cool sand she said, “goo, goo!”
“How hard you try to talk,” said Joy.
Grace and Joyce look very funny.
Grace has on one of mamma’s skirts and a shawl. Joyce has on one of mamma’s skirts and a long coat. They call themselves “Mrs. Grace” and “Mrs. Joyce.”
“What would you like to buy this morning, madam?” says Carl. His voice sound very queer, because he tries to talk like a man.
“Have you any quinces this morning?” said “Mrs. Grace.”
“Yes, madam; but not very many. Good quinces are scarce.”
Little Clair caught some pretty pointed willow leaves as they went floating down the stream. He called them fairy boats.
While he was sailing his fairy boats, he heard a slight noise.
“Oh, mamma, look!” said Clair.
There stood a pretty sheep. She had come down to the brook to drink.
It looks like a true camp.
The boys soon had a nice fire. They cut down some spruce boughs to make a support to hang their soup kettle upon.
Things soon looked as if they were truly camping.
Out under the birch tree, what fun you will see.
The churn is there waiting for Bertha and me.
We girls at the churning will each take our turn,
and make you some butter so yellow and firm.
These boys are having such fun.
Luke has a gun and Burt has a drum. See Burt jump up on that old stump. Now he beats his drum, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub!
Here are some more boys. Listen to the music! That is Bruce playing a tune on his flute. Now Julian is blowing his bugle horn. The bugle horn seems to amuse the boys so much!
The boy on the mule is Jack Hume. He is the captain. He has his dog duke with him. Duke is such a huge dog! The boys play he is a mule, too.