Pieces People Ask For
Reading edition
SERIOUS, HUMOROUS, PATHETIC, PATRIOTIC, AND DRAMATIC SELECTIONS IN PROSE AND POETRY
FOR
READINGS AND RECITATIONS
EDITED BY GEORGE M. BAKER
BOSTON
WALTER H. BAKER & CO.
1909
Pieces People Ask For
Copyright, 1885, by George M. Baker (Reading Club, No. 16.)
Copyright, 1886, by George M. Baker (Reading Club, No. 17.)
Copyright, 1908, by Walter H. Baker & Co.
Contents
PART I
“Bay Billy” Frank H. Gassaway 98
Because Boston Transcript 33
The Book Canvasser 78
Casabianca (Colored) 43
A Centre-board Yacht-race George A. Stockwell 67
The Christening E. T. Corbett 37
The Coming Wave Oliver Optic 82
Counting Eggs Texas Siftings 64
Cut, Cut Behind Charles Follen Adams 45
The Deacon’s Ride Mary C. Huntington 59
The Death of D’Assas Mary E. Vandyne 24
Decoration Day Mary Bassett Hussey 54
The Driver of Ninety-three Sarah K. Bolton 8
The Engineer’s Story Eugene J. Hall 81
The Fall Thomas Hood 66
Filling His Place Maria L. Eve 40
The Flag James Jeffrey Roche 32
The Heritage James Russell Lowell 42
Hiring Help Mrs. S. E. Dawes 102
The House in the Meadow Louise Chandler Moulton 15
How the Ransom was Paid W. R. Rose 10
Jem’s Last Ride Mary A. P. Stansbury 88
The Labor Question Wendell Phillips 29
The Light from Over the Range 5
A Little Peach 17
A Lost Child Anna F. Burnham 86
Love and Philosophy Geo. Runde Jackson 30
Malaria 74
Mary’s Lamb on a New Principle 44
The Man with the Musket H. S. Taylor 27
Metamora to the Council 9
Missing 53
The Mississippi Miracle Irwin Russell 70
Mr. Pickwick’s Romantic Adventure
with a Middle-aged Lady in
Yellow Curl-Papers Dickens 18
Over the Crossin’ Springfield Republican 92
Puzzled 76
The Rajah’s Clock Theron Brown 57
Re-enlisted Lucy Larcom 11
Scene from “Ion” Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd 46
She Stood on the Stair Puck 13
The Silver Bell Mrs. Julia D. Pratt 63
Somehow or Other 94
The Story of Sir Arnulph Gerald Massey 85
Taters W. O. Eaton 96
Together on the Stairs Andrew G. Tubbs 35
A Tough Customer William L. Keese 28
“An Unknown Man, Respectably Dressed” Helen Jackson 97
The Village Choir Audre’s Journal 39
Wendell Phillips John Boyle O’Reilly 72
When Greek met Greek 56
When McGue puts the Baby to Sleep 87
PART II
After “Taps” Horace B. Sargent 78
At Arlington James R. Randall 15
At the Rising of the Moon Leo Casey 12
Aunt Parson’s Story Presbyterian Journal 48
Aunt Sophronia Tabor at the Opera 36
Biddy’s Philosophy R. H. Stoddard 102
The Bravest Boy in Town Emma H. Nason,
in Wide Awake 23
Brer Rabbit and the Butter Harris 26
Cicely and the Bears Lilliput Levee 64
The “Course of Love” Too “Smooth” 97
The Drummer’s Betrothed M. Cecile Brown,
from Victor Hugo 5
The Dutchman’s Serenade 57
Dyin’ Vords of Isaac Anonymous 99
A Fight with a Trout Charles D. Warner 40
Forcible Entry J. M. Bailey 45
Grant’s Strategy Judge Veazey 85
He Never Told a Lie 82
A Howl in Rome Bill Nye 67
Indian Names L. H. Sigourney 80
Jamie Douglas 70
John Leland’s Examination 8
A Laughing Philosopher 17
A Leak in the Dike Phœbe Cary 93
Lessons in Cookery Detroit Free Press 107
A Lesson to Lovers 83
A “Love” Game T. Malcolm Watson 86
The Loves of a Life Mazzini 29
“Magdalena” Puck 75
The Menagerie J. Honeywell 100
Nebulous Philosophy J. Edgar Jones 14
Never Too Late Earnest McGaffey 39
No! Hood 100
The Old Canteen 34
An Old Man’s Prayer George M. Baker 88
On the Shores of Tennessee E. L. Beers 103
An Order for a Picture Alice Cary 42
An Original Idea George M. Baker 110
Over the Left W. C. Dornin 56
Paddy’s Dream Anonymous 106
Pat’s Reason 109
The Prisoner 31
Raking the Meadow-Lot Ruth Revere 77
The Saddest Sight 13
Scene from “Ingomar” Maria Lovell,
from the German 59
The Seminole’s Reply 56
The September Gale O. W. Holmes 11
The Soldier’s Dream C. G. Fall 53
The Song of the Drum I. E. Diekenga 20
Story of a Bedstead San Fransisco Wasp 72
Wendell Phillips Henry W. Beecher 46