ob served', _saw; noticed_.

trans par'ent, _clear; easily seen through_.

ma te'ri al, _that of which any thing is made or to be made_.

ob tained', _taken from; received_.

gar'ments, _articles of clothing_.

verd'ure, _any green growth_.

a dorn', _dress with taste; beautify_.

par tic'ular, _of an unusual kind_.

va ri'e ty, _a number of different kinds_.

del'i cate, _gentle; tender_.

ca ressed', _treated with fondness_.

* * * * *

A QUEER PEOPLE.

One evening, as Captain Perry was sitting by the fireside at his home in
Liverpool, his children asked him to tell them a story.

[Illustration]

"What shall it be about?" said the captain.

"O," said Harry, "tell us about other countries, and the curious people
you have seen in them."

"Yes, yes!" exclaimed Mary. "We were much interested, while you were
away the last time, in reading 'Gulliver's Travels' and 'Sindbad the
Sailor.'"

"You have seen as wonderful things as they did, haven't you, father?"
said Harry.

"No, my dears," said the captain. "I never met such wonderful people as
they tell about, I assure you; nor have I seen the 'Black Loadstone
Mountain' or the 'Valley of Diamonds.'"

"But," said Mary, "you have seen a great many people, and their
different manners and ways of living."

"Yes," said the captain, "and if it will interest you, I will tell you
some of the curious things that I have observed."

"Pray, do so!" cried Harry, as both the children drew close to him.

"Well, then," began the captain, "I was once in a country where it was
very cold, and the poor people could scarcely keep themselves from
starving.

"They were clothed partly in the skins of beasts, made smooth and soft
by some particular art; but chiefly in garments made from the outer
covering of an animal cruelly stripped off its back while alive.

"They lived in houses partly sunk below the ground. These houses were
mostly built of stones or of earth hardened by fire.

"The walls of the houses had holes to let in light; but to prevent the
cold air and rain from coming in, they were covered with a sort of
transparent stone, made of melted sand.

"As wood was rather scarce, they used for fuel a certain kind of stone
which they dug out of the earth, and which, when put among burning
wood, catches fire and makes a bright flame."

"Dear me!" said Harry. "What a wonderful stone! Why didn't you
bring a piece home wi