fire and smoke. The sound of the steam seemed dreadful to them.
Some of them went down-stairs in their ships for fear. Some of them
went ashore. Perhaps they thought it was a living animal that would
eat them up.

But soon there were steam-boats on all the large rivers.

WASHINGTON IRVING AS A BOY.

The Revolution was about over. Americans were very happy. Their
country was to be free.

At this time a little boy was born in New York. His family was named
Ir-ving. What should this little boy be named?

His mother said, "Washington's work is done. Let us name the baby
Washington." So he was called Washington Ir-ving.

When this baby grew to be a little boy, he was one day walking with
his nurse. The nurse was a Scotch girl. She saw General Washington go
into a shop. She led the little boy into the shop also.

The nurse said to General Washington, "Please, your Honor, here is a
bairn that is named for you."

"Bairn" is a Scotch word for child. Washington put his hand on the
little boy's head and gave him his blessing. When Irving became an
author, he wrote a life of Washington.

Little Irving was a merry, playful boy. He was full of mischief.

Sometimes he would climb out of a window to the roof of his father's
house. From this he would go to roofs of other houses. Then the little
rascal would drop a pebble down a neighbor's chimney. Then he would
hurry back and get into the window again. He would wonder what the
people thought when the pebble came rattling down their chimney. Of
course he was punished when his tricks were found out. But he was a
favorite with his teacher. With all his faults, he would not tell a
lie. The teacher called the little fellow "General."

[Illustration: Irving in Mischief.]

In those days naughty school-boys were whipped. Irving could not
bear to see another boy suffer. When a boy was to be whipped, the
girls were sent out. Irving always asked the schoolmaster to let him
go out with the girls.

Like other boys, Irving was fond of stories. He liked to read about
Sind-bad the Sailor, and Rob-in-son Cru-soe. But most of all he liked
to read about other countries. He had twenty small volumes called "The
World Dis-played." They told about the people and countries of the
world. Irving read these little books a great deal.

One day the schoolmaster caught him reading in school. The master
slipped behind him and grabbed the book. Then he told Irving to stay
after school.

Irving