THE FLIGHT
OF PONY BAKER

A Boy’s Town Story

W.D. HOWELLS

author of

“A BOY’S TOWN”
“CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY” ETC.

ILLUSTRATED

CHAP.		PAGE
I	Pony’s Mother, and why he had a Right to run off	3
II	The Right that Pony had to run off, from the way his Father acted	15
III	Jim Leonard’s Hair-breadth Escape	32
IV	The Scrape that Jim Leonard got the Boys into	52
V	About running away to the Indian Reservation on a Canal-boat, and how the Plan failed	77
VI	How the Indians came to the Boy’s Town and Jim Leonard acted the Coward	89
VII	How Frank Baker spent the Fourth at Pawpaw Bottom, and saw the Fourth of July Boy	105
VIII	How Pony Baker came pretty near running off with a Circus	141
IX	How Pony did not quite get off with the Circus	152
X	The Adventures that Pony’s cousin, Frank Baker, had with a Pocketful of Money	165
XI	How Jim Leonard planned for Pony Baker to run off on a Raft	192
XII	How Jim Leonard backed out, and Pony had to give it up	208

Illustrations

“ALL THE FELLOWS CAME ROUND AND ASKED HIM WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO NOW” Frontispiece

“BEING DRESSED SO WELL WAS ONE OF THE WORST THINGS THAT WAS DONE TO HIM BY HIS MOTHER”4

“‘I’LL LEARN THAT LIMB TO SLEEP IN A COW-BARN!’” 50

“REAL INDIANS, IN BLANKETS, WITH BOWS AND ARROWS” 90

“VERY SMILING-LOOKING” 124

“HE BEGAN BEING COLD AND STIFF WITH HER THE VERY NEXT MORNING” 144

“FRANK BAKER WAS ONE OF THOSE FELLOWS THAT EVERY MOTHER WOULD FEEL HER BOY WAS SAFE WITH” 166

“‘WHY, YOU AIN’T AFRAID, ARE YOU, PONY?’” 204

THE COAST OF BOHEMIA

By

W. D. Howells

Biographical Edition

1899

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter

I.	XXI.
II.	XXII.
III.	XXIII.
IV.	XXIV.
V.	XXV.
VI.	XXVI.
VII.	XXVII.
VIII.	XXVIII.
IX.	XXIX.
X.	XXX.
XI.	XXXI.
XII.	XXXII.
XIII.	XXXIII.
XIV.	XXXIV.
XV.	XXXV.
XVI.	XXXVI.
XVII.	XXXVII.
XVIII.	XXXVIII.
XIX.	XXXIX.
XX.

CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY
AND OTHER STORIES
TOLD FOR CHILDREN
By W. D. Howells

CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY	3
TURKEYS TURNING THE TABLES	25
THE PONY ENGINE AND THE PACIFIC EXPRESS	51
THE PUMPKIN-GLORY	71
BUTTERFLYFLUTTERBY AND FLUTTERBYBUTTERFLY	111

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE
“Having Bonfires in the Back Yard of the Palace”	Frontispiece
“The Old Gobbler ‘First Premium’ said They were Going to Turn the Tables Now”	35
Two Little Pumpkin Seeds	75
Took the First Premium at the County Fair	83
“‘Here's that little fool pumpkin,’ said the farmer”	85
“Caught His Trousers on a Shingle-nail, and Stuck”	93
“‘My sakes! it's comin' to life!’”	103
Tail-piece	107
“‘Fix dusters! Make ready! Aim! Dust!’”	121
“The General-in-Chief used to go behind the Church and Cry”	125
“The Young Khan and Khant entered the Kingdom with a Magnificent Retinue”	131
“She was Going to Take the Case into Her own Hands”	135
“The Imam put His Head to the Floor”	139
“They began to scream, ‘Oh, the cow! the cow!’”	143

BOY LIFE

STORIES AND READINGS SELECTED FROM THE WORKS OF

WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS

AND ARRANGED FOR SUPPLEMENTARY
READING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS BY

PERCIVAL CHUBB

DIRECTOR OF ENGLISH IN THE
ETHICAL CULTURE SCHOOL, NEW YORK

ILLUSTRATED

	PAGE
Introduction	ix
I. Adventures in a Boy's Town
HOW PONY BAKER CAME PRETTY NEAR RUNNING OFF WITH A CIRCUS	3
THE CIRCUS MAGICIAN	13
JIM LEONARD'S HAIR-BREADTH ESCAPE	23
II. Life in a Boy's Town
THE TOWN	41
EARLIEST MEMORIES	45
HOME LIFE	47
THE RIVER	51
SWIMMING	55
SKATING	61
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS	64
GIRLS	68
MOTHERS	69
A BROTHER	73
A FRIEND	79
III. Games and Pastimes
MARBLES	89
RACES	91
A MEAN TRICK	93
TOPS	96
KITES	98
THE BUTLER GUARDS	103
PETS	108
INDIANS	124
GUNS	129
NUTTING	138
THE FIRE-ENGINES	145
IV. Glimpses of the Larger World
THE TRAVELLING CIRCUS	151
PASSING SHOWS	163
THE THEATRE COMES TO TOWN	168
THE WORLD OPENED BY BOOKS	171
V. The Last of a Boy's Town	183

ILLUSTRATIONS

	PAGE
KITE-TIME	Frontispiece
HE BEGAN BEING COLD AND STIFF WITH HER THE VERY NEXT MORNING	5
THE FIRST LOCK	43
THE BUTLER GUARDS	105
ALL AT ONCE THERE THE INDIANS WERE	127
NUTTING	141

A LIKELY STORY

Farce

BY
W. D. HOWELLS

ILLUSTRATED

Page

MR. AND MRS. WILLIS CAMPBELL 7
MR. WELLING; MR. CAMPBELL 29
MRS. CAMPBELL; MR. WELLING; MR. CAMPBELL 34
JANE; MRS. CAMPBELL; WELLING; CAMPBELL 39
MRS. CAMPBELL; WELLING; CAMPBELL 41
JANE; MRS. CAMPBELL; WELLING; CAMPBELL 43
MRS. CAMPBELL; WELLING; CAMPBELL 44
MISS RICE, MISS GREENWAY, and the OTHERS 48
MISS GREENWAY; MR. WELLING 50
MISS RICE; then MR. and MRS. CAMPBELL, and the OTHERS 53

ILLUSTRATIONS

"THE MOST EXCITING PART OF IT" Frontispiece
MR. WELLING EXPLAINS Facing page 52

A BOY'S TOWN

DESCRIBED FOR "HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE"

BY

W. D. HOWELLS

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER		PAGE
I.	Earliest Experiences	1
II.	Home and Kindred	10
III.	The River	24
IV.	The Canal and its Basin	36
V.	The Hydraulic and its Reservoirs.—Old River	45
VI.	Schools and Teachers	53
VII.	Manners and Customs	67
VIII.	Plays and Pastimes	80
IX.	Circuses and Shows	93
X.	Highdays and Holidays	110
XI.	Musters and Elections	121
XII.	Pets	133
XIII.	Guns and Gunning	148
XIV.	Foraging	161
XV.	My Boy	171
XVI.	Other Boys	183
XVII.	Fantasies and Superstitions	197
XVIII.	The Nature of Boys	205
XIX.	The Town Itself	215
XX.	Traits and Characters	228
XXI.	Last Days	237

ILLUSTRATIONS.

"ONE DAY HE CAME UP TO MY BOY WHERE HE SAT FISHING"	Frontispiece.
THE "FIRST LOCK"	Facing p.	2
"THE PASSENGER IS A ONE-LEGGED MAN"	"	8
"RUN, RUN! THE CONSTABLE WILL CATCH YOU!"	"	18
"HE TOLD THEM THAT HE HAD GOT THEM NOW"	"	44
"THAT HONOR WAS RESERVED FOR MEN OF THE KIND I HAVE MENTIONED"	"	50
"A CITIZEN'S CHARACTER FOR CLEVERNESS OR MEANNESS WAS FIXED BY HIS WALKING ROUND OR OVER THE RINGS"	"	82
KITE TIME	"	92
"THE BOYS BEGAN TO CELEBRATE IT WITH GUNS AND PISTOLS"	"	110
THE "BUTLER GUARDS"	"	122
"ALL AT ONCE THERE THE INDIANS WERE"	"	150
FORAGING	"	168
"THE BEACON OF DEATH "	"	180
"HE ALWAYS RAN BY THE PLACE AS FAST AS HE COULD"	"	198
"THE ARTIST SEEMED SATISFIED HIMSELF"	"	220
"MY BOY REMEMBERS COMING FROM CINCINNATI IN THE STAGE"	"	224

IMAGINARY INTERVIEWS

BY

W.D. HOWELLS

1910

IMAGINARY INTERVIEWS

OTHER ESSAYS

ILLUSTRATIONS

AT THE OPERA

FIFTH AVENUE AT THIRTY-FOURTH STREET

FIFTH AVENUE FROM THE TOP OF A MOTOR-BUS

CHARLES EMBANKMENT, BELOW HARVARD BRIDGE

THE MALL, CENTRAL PARK

BROADWAY AT NIGHT

ELECTION-NIGHT CROWDS

ZOÖLOGICAL GARDENS, BRONX PARK

THE DAUGHTER OF THE STORAGE

WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS

THE DAUGHTER
OF THE STORAGE

AND OTHER THINGS
IN PROSE AND VERSE

W. D. HOWELLS

HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS

NEW YORK AND LONDON

		PAGE
I	The Daughter of the Storage	3
II	A Presentiment	45
III	Captain Dunlevy's Last Trip	67
IV	The Return to Favor	81
V	Somebody's Mother	93
VI	The Face at the Window	107
VII	An Experience	117
VIII	The Boarders	127
IX	Breakfast Is My Best Meal	141
X	The Mother-Bird	151
XI	The Amigo	161
XII	Black Cross Farm	173
XIII	The Critical Bookstore	185
XIV	A Feast of Reason	227
XV	City and Country in the Fall	243
XVI	Table Talk	253
XVII	The Escapade of a Grandfather	269
XVIII	Self-Sacrifice: A Farce-tragedy	285
XIX	The Night before Christmas	319

THE QUALITY OF MERCY

A NOVEL

BY W. D. HOWELLS

1892

PART FIRST.

I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
XV.
XVI.
XVII.
XVIII.
XIX.
XX.
XXI.
XXII.
XXIII.
XXIV.

PART SECOND.

I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
XV.
XVI.
XVII.
XVIII.
XIX.
XX.
XXI.

PART THIRD.

I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.

BY WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS.
BY CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER.
BY CONSTANCE F. WOOLSON.
BY MARY E. WILKINS.
BY LEW. WALLACE

A COUNTERFEIT
PRESENTMENT

AND

THE PARLOUR CAR

WILLIAM D. HOWELLS

		PAGE
I.	An Extraordinary Resemblance,	7
II.	Distinctions and Differences,	61
III.	Dissolving Views,	99
IV.	Not at All Like,	141

	THE PARLOUR CAR, a Farce,	191

YEARS OF MY YOUTH

BY
W. D. HOWELLS

WITH INTRODUCTION AND ILLUSTRATIONS
FROM PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN EXPRESSLY
FOR THIS BOOK BY CLIFTON JOHNSON

(In certain versions of this etext, in certain browsers, clicking on this symbol will bring up a larger version of the illustration.)
Preface by the Illustrator
Illustrations
Chapters: I, II, III, IV.

Some typographical errors have been corrected; a list follows the text. (etext transcriber's note)

ILLUSTRATIONS

The waterside at Martin's Ferry	Frontispiece
The Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia	Facing p. 10
Hamilton, Ohio, the "Boy's Town" of Mr. Howells's youth	" 16
The Miami Canal at Hamilton	" 22
The now abandoned canal at Dayton as it appears on the borders of the city	" 40
The Little Miami River at Eureka Mills, twelve miles east of Dayton	" 44
Overlooking the island which the Howells family cultivated	" 54
The vicinity where Mr. Howells lived his "Year in a Log Cabin"	" 60
One of the last log houses to survive in the vicinity of Jefferson	" 82
The four-story office erected by Mr. Howells's father	" 116
The Ohio State House at Columbus viewed from High Street	" 138
The State House yard on the State Street side	" 158
Old-time dwellings on one of the Columbus streets that Mr. Howells used to frequent	" 170
The Medical College at Columbus	" 184
The quaint doorway of the Medical College through which Mr. Howells passed daily while he roomed in the building	" 224
Looking into the State House grounds toward the broad flight of steps before the west front of the building	" 236

MRS. FARRELL

A NOVEL BY

WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS

With an Introduction by
Mildred Howells

Chapter I II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV.

MY YEAR IN A LOG CABIN

BY
W. D. HOWELLS

A BIT OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY

ILLUSTRATED

I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII.

THE RISE OF SILAS LAPHAM

by

William Dean Howells

CHAPTER I	CHAPTER II	CHAPTER III	CHAPTER IV	CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI	CHAPTER VII	CHAPTER VIII	CHAPTER IX	CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI	CHAPTER XII	CHAPTER XIII	CHAPTER XIV	CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XVI	CHAPTER XVII	CHAPTER XVIII	CHAPTER XIX	CHAPTER XX
CHAPTER XXI	CHAPTER XXII	CHAPTER XXIII	CHAPTER XXIV	CHAPTER XXV
CHAPTER XXVI	CHAPTER XXVII