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diff --git a/40369.txt b/40369.txt deleted file mode 100644 index aa94e56..0000000 --- a/40369.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11960 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Silent Readers, by -William D. Lewis and Albert Lindsay Rowland and Ethel J. Maltby Gehres - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Silent Readers - Sixth Reader - -Author: William D. Lewis - Albert Lindsay Rowland - Ethel J. Maltby Gehres - -Illustrator: Frederick Richardson - Edwin J. Prittie - -Release Date: July 29, 2012 [EBook #40369] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SILENT READERS *** - - - - -Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Douglas L. Alley, III and -the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - - - THE - - SILENT READERS - - - BY - - WILLIAM D. LEWIS, Pd.D., Litt.D. - - FORMERLY DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION - COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA - - ALBERT LINDSAY ROWLAND, A.M., Ph.D. - - DIRECTOR BUREAU OF TEACHER TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION, DEPARTMENT - OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA - - AND - - ETHEL H. MALTBY GEHRES - - CO-AUTHOR OF THE WINSTON READERS - - - ILLUSTRATED BY - FREDERICK RICHARDSON - AND - EDWIN J. PRITTIE - - - SIXTH READER - - - THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY - - CHICAGO - SAN FRANCISCO - PHILADELPHIA - DALLAS - TORONTO, CAN. - - - - - Copyright, 1920, by - THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY - - COPYRIGHT IN GREAT BRITAIN AND THE - BRITISH DOMINIONS AND POSSESSIONS - - - PRINTED IN THE U. S. A. - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -=The purpose of this series.= This series of readers is definitely -designed to provide working material for the development of efficient -"silent reading". It is not planned to compete with the many excellent -series of readers now available. The authors believe that it will -efficiently supplement the well-nigh universal school practice of -conducting all reading lessons aloud. - -=Oral reading not sufficient.= In the majority of classes the pupils -are all supplied with the same text. One pupil reads aloud while the -others are supposed to follow his reading silently. When he has -finished his portion of the text, the teacher or the pupils make -corrections of his pronunciation or phrasing, and the teacher may ask -questions or add comments or explanations. This incentive to adequate -expression by the reader is lacking because his classmates all have -the text before them; it is natural for the hearers to read on ahead -of the oral reader if the material is of interest; and it is perfectly -easy for them to gaze absently at the book while employing their minds -with matters wholly unrelated to the class exercise. Perhaps most -important of all, reading aloud is an experience of rare occurrence -outside the classroom, while silent reading is a universal daily -experience for all but the illiterate. - -The mechanics of reading are fairly well mastered in the third--some -authorities say the second--grade. Some oral reading is doubtless -desirable beyond these grades, but the relative amount should diminish -rapidly. - -Experts have recognized the importance of silent reading for many years. -Briggs and Coffman showed its value in their book, "Reading in Public -Schools," published in 1908. Studies in this field have been made by -Gray, Starch, Judd, Courtis, Monroe, Kelly, and many others. They have -made no attempt to deny that oral reading has a place in the curriculum, -but have merely pointed out that from the third grade on its place is -less and less important in comparison with silent reading. - -=Reading to get the thought quickly.= Once the mechanics of reading -are mastered, the problem becomes one of speed and accuracy in -thought-getting. Upon these two qualities depends the pupil's progress -in school and his use of the deluge of ideas that appeal only through -the printed page. If he reads and understands, if he quickly grasps -the important idea from a mass of details, if he arranges the -relations of the ideas presented, we say that he is good in geography, -history, science, or mathematics. If he comprehends only slowly or -fails to understand, he is a dullard or a defective. - -=Speed usually goes with comprehension.= At first glance it would seem -that comprehension would be inversely proportional to speed; that is, -the greater the speed the poorer the comprehension and _vice versa_. -The standard tests of Gray, Courtis, Kelly, and Monroe, however, which -have been given to thousands of children, prove exactly the reverse. -The rapid silent readers have almost invariably shown the best -understanding of the matter read. It would thus seem that concentrated -effort on either speed or comprehension would tend to improve the -other factor. It is necessary, however, to test speed results -carefully to insure conscientious reading of the text. - -=The material in these books.= In selecting the material for these books -the authors have purposely avoided the established paths of literary -reputation, and have selected from a wide variety of sources interesting -material representative of the printed matter the child will inevitably -read. Every effort has been made to avoid the necessity of explanation -by the teacher to elucidate the text. In general, the exercises have -been under- rather than over-graded, as the pupil should read for -content and should be as far as possible relieved from technical -grammatical or vocabulary difficulties. Occasionally, however, in each -book exercises somewhat more difficult or of a more or less unusual -nature have been included, because everyone, old or young, is called -upon to read a variety of material, and pupils should have some -experience with selections that require special effort. - -=Why we read.= Most of the reading which we do has one of three -purposes: we read for information; we read for instruction; we read -for appreciation or entertainment. These purposes are somewhat -determined by the nature of the material read. Rarely do we read an -encyclopedia article for appreciation. On the other hand, we lose -ourselves in the quiet humor of Rip Van Winkle merely for -entertainment through appreciation. Contrasted with this would be our -reading of a biography of Irving in order to find out who were his -American contemporaries. The boy who reads an explanation of how to -make a rabbit trap with the purpose of making one is reading for -instruction, while his father who scans the evening paper to see how -his representative in Congress or the State Legislature voted on a -bill is reading purely for information. - -=The Pedagogical Editing.= The authors have kept constantly in mind the -purposes of each selection in the directions they have given to the -pupils. They have also had clearly in mind certain fundamental things -that they wish pupils to learn and certain habits which they wish them -to form by the use of these books. A perusal of the directions given -before and after any given selection will suffice to make this purpose -clear. For example, much attention is given to the writing of headings -for certain parts of a selection or to the statement of the most -important thought in a given paragraph. With increasing emphasis in the -upper grades this type of exercise is developed into the complete -outline. The authors believe that practice of this kind will develop in -pupils the habit of looking for the important thought and of grouping -around it related subordinate ideas. This is perhaps the habit most -essential to good reading for instruction or information. On the other -hand, selections which are of a purely literary character and which -should be read for appreciation and entertainment are given without -exhaustive notes or questions, because minute discussion of this kind -of reading would detract from its value. - -=Method of handling the books.= Many teachers will prefer to keep the -books in the class room, distributing them at the time of the silent -reading lesson and collecting them again at its conclusion. In this -way the material will remain fresh, and the drill exercises will -always be under the control of the teacher. - -In many places, however, text books are not supplied by the school -authorities, but are purchased by the pupils directly. Inasmuch as -this series of books contains all the necessary instruction for the -use of each exercise, they become peculiarly helpful where the pupil -is thrown upon his own resources. He is able to test his own speed and -comprehension and his ability to analyze or outline any of the -material by the plain directions that are given for handling the -books. Although the instructions accompanying various selections are -addressed to the pupils, they contain suggestions for the teacher. It -is, therefore, important that the teacher read in advance of the -lesson such instructions or comments as appear before or after the -text or the particular exercise to be read. - -=Speed drills.= As much of the value of teaching silent reading lies -in the development of speed, a number of exercises are designated as -speed drills. For these drills it is suggested that the teacher -prepare, on the mimeograph if possible, a considerable number of slips -to be filled out arranged as follows: - - 10/4/22 5A G. P. W. - ------- ----- -------------------- - Date Grade Teacher's Initials - or Room Number. - - ------------------------------------------ - Name of Exercise Page - - Pupils Time in Minutes - ------ --------------- - Brown, Mary 5-1/2 - Carmalt, Joseph 3 - Derr, Jane 4 - Eldridge, Henry 5 - Fisher, Mary 5-1/2 - Green, Alice 6 - Hunt, Roy 8-1/2 - Knowlton, William 5 - Manly, Rose 4 - Morris, Mary 4-1/2 - Newton, George 5 - Newton, Thomas 4-1/2 - Orr, Robert 5 - Pierce, Helen 6 - Porter, Clara 5 - Roberts, John 4 - Rowe, Gertrude 6 - Smith, Fred 5 - Vaughn, Lee 6 - Wilson, Alice 3-1/2 - - 1-3, 1-3-1/2, 3-4, 2-4-1/2, 6-5, 2-5-1/2, 4-6, 1-8-1/2. - - Class median 5 Class mode 5 - -For a speed drill the teacher should have one of these slips and a -watch with a second hand. A stop watch would be valuable. Directions -should be given for all the pupils to begin reading at the same moment -and raise their hands as a signal to the teacher when they have -finished. The teacher should give the signal for them to begin as the -second hand of her watch reaches sixty. As each pupil raises his hand -indicating that he has finished, the teacher should note the time in -half minutes opposite that pupil's name on the drill sheet. Any -pupil's time should be indicated at the nearest half minute space. For -example, a pupil who finishes at two minutes ten seconds should be -marked as two minutes; one who finishes at two minutes twenty seconds, -at two and one-half. - -=Mode and Median.= In the illustration above, the sheet has been -filled with names and scores of a supposed fifth grade class of twenty -pupils. On this sheet three minutes occurs once, three and one-half -minutes once, four minutes three times, four and one-half minutes -twice, five minutes six times, five and one-half minutes twice, six -minutes four times and eight and one-half minutes once. The number -occurring the largest number of times is five. - -This number is called the "mode". - -If all the scores are arranged in order with the highest score at the -top and the lowest score at the bottom, the middle score in this -series is called the "median" and is in this case also "five". - -=Individual scores.= The class median or mode is, however, not so -significant as the individual scores. The class score is always -determined by the ease or difficulty as well as by the length of the -particular exercise read. This makes comparison with other exercises -almost valueless. The only significant comparison in this case is -between individuals of the same class, and between the score of this -class and of other classes of parallel grade who have read the same -exercise. - -Important facts for G. P. W., the class teacher, in this case are the -individual scores and their relative standing. Roy Hunt, who took -eight and one-half minutes to read this exercise, is the slowest -reader on this occasion. Is this true of other occasions? If so, Roy -needs special help and training. It is also clear that Joseph Carmalt -and Alice Wilson are rapid readers and it is important to see that -their comprehension of the exercise is also adequate. Thus, for the -class teacher the important facts are the relative scores of the -pupils both in comparison with other pupils and with the former scores -of the same pupils. - -=Scale of approximate speed.= The following scale of speeds by grades -is based roughly on the Courtis standard tests and may be somewhat -helpful to the teacher who may desire such norms. - - Grade Words per minute - - 4 140-180 - 5 160-200 - 6 180-220 - 7 190-230 - 8 200-240 - -Of course it must be recognized that no standard speeds are possible -without also standardizing the material. To be absolutely accurate, -each separate exercise should be its own speed standard. This, -although possible, would be a device so cumbersome as to defeat its -own purpose. Every bit of reading presents its peculiar difficulties, -its slow spots, its points of interest, its urge to hurry on. These in -turn vary with the apperception of the reader, with his peculiarities, -his interests, and his motives. These largely determine his speed. The -authors have thought it unwise in the vast majority of cases to -indicate with any degree of definiteness the time required for various -exercises. Their experience in trying out these exercises with -different classes showed so wide a variation that it was thought that -specific statements would tend only to mislead the teacher. - -=Testing Comprehension.= It is, however, equally important that the -teacher know that the pupils are understanding what they read. As each -pupil is reading silently, there is no guarantee of comprehension -without some form of check. This may be as simple a device as watching -the expression of the children's faces to see registered there -appreciation of the exercise read; or it may be as complex as a -dramatic reproduction of the incidents. - -Devices for checking comprehension are suggested in connection with -each exercise. The more usual and effective methods of teaching -comprehension are dramatization, reproduction, writing of headlines, -development of outlines, expression of opinion based upon facts read, -topical analysis, the naming of characters and statements of their -relationships, and appreciation of ethical or artistic appeal. - -=The test material.= The drill exercise, although modeled in some -cases upon the standard reading and intelligence tests, expressly -disclaim any attempt to displace or supersede these tests. The -function of the two is wholly different. The material in the readers -is for drill and improvement in speed and comprehension. The standard -tests are for the measurement of achievement. No devices can be used -as a measure until it has been standardized by application in -thousands of concrete cases without substantial variation. - -=Standard Tests.= This is the case with a number of standard tests now -in general use. In the field of reading the most notable are the -Courtis Standard Tests devised by S. A. Courtis, Director of -Instruction, Teacher Training and Research, and Dean of Teachers -College, Detroit, Michigan, and Walter S. Monroe, Professor of -Education and Director of the Bureau of Educational Research, -University of Illinois. The necessary instructions, record blanks and -test sheets giving these tests may be obtained as follows: - - -DIRECTIONS FOR ORDERING STANDARDIZED TESTS - - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - |How | | | | - |many |How many directions,|Used in| | - Test. |tests |record sheets, |what |Publisher. |Price. - |to |and other |grades.| | - |order.|accessories | | | - ----------+------+--------------------+-------+------------+---------- - Monroe's |One |All directions are |3 to 8 |Public |Including - Standard- |copy |printed on either | |School |complete - ized |of |the test or on the | |Publicity |directions - Silent |the |class record sheet. | |Co., |and record - Reading |test |One record sheet is | |Bloomington,|sheets, - Tests |for |furnished with each | |Illinois. |60c per - |each |25 copies of the | | |100 - |pupil.|test. Additional | | |copies; - | |copies may be | | |postage - | |ordered if desired. | | |extra, 9c - | | | | |per 100. - | | | | | - Courtis's |One |Folder B, Series R, |2 to 6 |S. A. |Test only, - Silent |copy |contains detailed | |Courtis. |$1.80 per - Reading |of |directions for | | |100; - Test No. 2|the |giving the test and | | |Folder B, - |test |for scoring by the | | |5c; Folder - |for |pupils. One copy is | | |D, 5c; - |each |needed for each | | |Class - |pupil.|person giving the | | |Record - | |test. Folder D, | | |Sheet, - | |Series R, contains | | |1-1/2c - | |detailed directions | | |each; - | |for completing the | | |Record - | |scoring, for | | |Sheet No. - | |recording the | | |3 and - | |scores, and for | | |Graph - | |calculating class | | |Sheet - | |scores. One copy is | | |1-1/2c - | |needed for each | | |each. - | |person giving the | | | - | |test. A class record| | | - | |sheet for recording | | | - | |the scores of a | | | - | |class is needed for | | | - | |each class. A school| | | - | |record and graph | | | - | |sheet for Silent | | | - | |Reading No. 2 is | | | - | |needed for each | | | - | |school. | | | - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - -These tests should be given at least once a year and if possible -semi-annually in order to determine progress in speed and -comprehension in silent reading, as well as to measure the pupils by a -well established standard. - -=Topical recitation.= Particular emphasis, especially in the later -grades, should be placed upon the complete presentation of a topic by a -pupil standing in front of the class and making the group understand -what he has to say without questions by the teacher. More and more this -is coming to be emphasized as a means of good teaching everywhere; and -pupils are being trained to stand before a group of their classmates and -give an intelligent account of anything of which they have adequate -knowledge without the painful tooth-pulling process of extracting ideas. - -=The philosophy of study.= One of the most important results of -efficient teaching of silent reading is the contribution which it makes -to the whole problem of study in the school. Briggs says that the -primary purpose of the school is to teach people to do better the -desirable things that they are likely to do anyway. One of the desirable -things that school children are not only likely but certain to have to -do is to study. A large portion of the studying that the child as well -as the adult does consists in the acquirement of information from the -printed page. It is essentially silent reading. Much of the difficulty -teachers now meet in the inability of their pupils to study will be -dispelled by effective teaching of silent reading. Probably no use of -the same amount of time would yield more definite and valuable results -than will thorough instruction in the process of thought getting from a -printed page--in other words--silent reading. - - - - -ACKNOWLEDGMENTS - - -Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following authors and -publishers for their courtesy in allowing the use of the copyrighted -material in this volume: to J. Russell Smith for "The Eskimo" and -"Otelne, the Indian of the Great North Woods"; to A. and C. Black for -five selections from the series "Peeps at Many Lands"; to Augustus R. -Keller and Company for Oscar Wilde's "The Happy Prince"; to J. Berg -Esenwein for two selections from "Stories for Children and How to Tell -Them"; to W. F. Quarrie and Company for four selections from "The -World Book"; to _The Youth's Companion_ for John Clair Minot's -"Pietro's Adventure", and "Noblesse Oblige"; to the J. B. Lippincott -Company for "The Mole Awakes" from Dr. S. C. Schmucker's "Under the -Open Sky", and "A Trip to the Moon" from Charles R. Gibson's "The -Stars and Their Mysteries"; to D. Appleton and Company for two -selections from the "Boy Scouts' Year Book"; to the Federal Reserve -Bank of Philadelphia for C. A. Sienkiewicz's "The Safest Place"; to -the Association Press for "The First Potter" and "The Fire Spirit" -from Hanford M. Burr's "Around the Fire"; to _Boys' Life, the Boy -Scouts' Magazine_, for "The Ghost of Terrible Terry"; to Longmans, -Green and Company for "The Boyhood of a Painter", from Andrew Lang's -"The Strange Story Book"; and to the _Public Ledger_ of Philadelphia -for "General Pershing's Welcome Home". Henry W. Longfellow's "The -Skeleton in Armor" is used by permission of, and under arrangement -with, Houghton Mifflin Company, authorized publishers. - -The authors of _The Silent Readers_ wish to acknowledge the careful -and efficient assistance of Miss Mabel Dodge Holmes of the William -Penn High School of Philadelphia, and of Superintendent Sidney V. -Rowland of Radnor Township, Pa. - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - SILENT READING 1 - - THE ESKIMO _J. Russell Smith_ 2 - - SCOTTISH BORDER WARFARE _Elizabeth Grierson_ 9 - - THE NEW WONDERLAND _Mabel Dodge Holmes_ 11 - - BRISTOL 16 - - ON THE FRONTIER 18 - - THE HAPPY PRINCE _Oscar Wilde_ 19 - - CAN YOU FOLLOW DIRECTIONS? 29 - - FEEDING FRENCH CHILDREN 30 - - GENEVIEVE'S LETTER 34 - - TRAVEL _Robert Louis Stevenson_ 35 - - HOW THE WISH CAME TRUE 36 - - RULES FOR USING THE EYES 37 - - ACTING FOR THE MOVIES 38 - - CLEAR THINKING 40 - - THE LAND OF EQUAL CHANCE 41 - - THE BROKEN FLOWER-POT _Bulwer-Lytton_ 46 - - SAINT GEORGE AND THE DRAGON 51 - - NONSENSE TEST 56 - - TURNING OUT THE INTRUDER 57 - - ROOSEVELT'S FAVORITE STUDY _William Draper Lewis_ 58 - - WHAT A CHIMNEY IS 61 - - IS IT TRUE? 62 - - FRANKLIN WRITES FOR THE NEWSPAPER 63 - - YES OR NO? 64 - - HOW TO MAKE A SUN-DIAL 65 - - PUTTING WORDS WHERE THEY BELONG 67 - - AN INDIAN BUFFALO HUNT 68 - - INDIAN LIFE AND CUSTOMS 76 - - CAN YOU UNDERSTAND RELATIONSHIP? 89 - - OPENING THE GREAT WEST 90 - - TURNING OUT THE INTRUDER 96 - - THE TRAINING OF A BOY KING _H. E. Marshall_ 97 - - "SOME UGLY OLD LAWYER" 103 - - ADDING THE RIGHT WORDS 104 - - THE DESERT INDIANS' "FIRE BED" 105 - - YES OR NO? 105 - - PIETRO'S ADVENTURE _John Clair Minot_ 106 - - SOME PATRIOTIC MINE WORKERS 111 - - FATHER DOMINO 112 - - THE GOOD GIANT WINS HIS FORTUNE 116 - - THE MOLE AWAKES _S. C. Schmucker_ 117 - - THE COUNT AND THE ROBBERS _Beatrix Jungman_ 119 - - WHAT THE EARLIEST MEN DID FOR US _Smith Burnham_ 124 - - TRY THIS 136 - - PUTTING WORDS WHERE THEY BELONG 137 - - MAKING MONEY EARN MONEY 138 - - HEROES OF HISTORY _Mabel Dodge Holmes_ 139 - - THE SKELETON IN ARMOR _Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_ 149 - - ACTING FOR THE MOVIES 156 - - THE SAFEST PLACE _Casimir A. Sienkiewicz_ 158 - - UNPATRIOTIC CARELESSNESS 167 - - A MEMORY TEST 169 - - CALIPH FOR ONE DAY 170 - - THE FIRST POTTER _Hanford M. Burr_ 180 - - FINDING OPPOSITES 187 - - "IT'S QUITE TRUE!" _Hans Christian Andersen_ 188 - - TANGLED SENTENCES 191 - - HOW SELLA LOST HER SLIPPERS _Mabel Dodge Holmes_ 192 - - THE GHOST OF TERRIBLE TERRY 198 - - ROAST CHICKEN 203 - - WHY THE ECHO ANSWERS _Mabel Dodge Holmes_ 204 - - THE FIGHT WITH THE SEA _Beatrix Jungman_ 207 - - AGRICULTURE 210 - - CAN YOU DO THIS ONE? 215 - - THE INCHCAPE ROCK _Robert Southey_ 216 - - SOME DEFINITIONS 218 - - THE BATTLE OF MORGARTEN _John Finnemore_ 219 - - FINDING OPPOSITES 222 - - WHAT MEKOLKA KNOWS 223 - - THE BEAR'S NIGHT 228 - - IS IT THE SAME BEAR? 231 - - THE CHINESE NEW YEAR'S DAY _Lena E. Johnston_ 232 - - ADDING THE RIGHT WORDS 235 - - THE GOOD CITIZEN--HOW HE USES MATCHES 236 - - NOBLESSE OBLIGE 242 - - THE MAGIC HORSE 243 - - THINKING 255 - - WHAT IS A BOY SCOUT? 256 - - THE SCOUT AND THE KNIGHT 258 - - THE FIRE SPIRIT _Hanford M. Burr_ 259 - - THE BOYHOOD OF A PAINTER _Andrew Lang_ 273 - - CIVIL DEATH 277 - - OTELNE, THE INDIAN OF THE GREAT NORTH WOODS _J. Russell Smith_ 278 - - WHICH IS RIGHT? 288 - - "VERDUN BELLE" 290 - - ANOTHER NONSENSE TEST 296 - - CAN YOU UNDERSTAND RELATIONSHIP? 297 - - CHARADES 298 - - GENERAL PERSHING'S WELCOME HOME 299 - - THE FAIRIES ON THE GUMP _Mabel Quiller-Couch_ 303 - - THINKING AND DOING 312 - - A TRIP TO THE MOON _Charles R. Gibson_ 313 - - - - -SILENT READING - - -The book which you are now beginning is, as its title tells you, a -_silent reader_; that is, a reader that you are to read to yourself, -silently. It is much more interesting to read silently than to read -aloud, and it is also much faster. With all the wonderful books and -valuable articles that are being printed every day, it is important -that you learn to read rapidly as well as to understand. - -The purpose of this book is to help you to read fast and to understand -clearly what you read. You will find all sorts of reading; animal -stories, poems, fairy tales, problems, descriptions of strange places, -puzzles, war stories, and lots of other things. We think you will find -it very interesting, but the important thing is to use all this material -to make yourself a rapid and at the same time a careful reader. - -Of course you are much too old to move your lips when you read. If you -have this habit you must break it at once, for you will never read -rapidly as long as you continue to pronounce words even to yourself. It -takes just as long to pronounce a word to yourself as to read it aloud. -You must learn not to do so, if you are to gain speed in reading. - -Your teacher is going to help you in every possible way and will -frequently time you when you read and then test you to see if you have -understood what you have read. But you will have to do the most -yourself if you are really to learn to read rapidly and well. - - - - -THE ESKIMO - - - You will be able to remember what you read and to tell about it - much better if you form the habit of making a brief outline as you - go along. You can learn to make this outline without writing - anything down, but in the beginning it would be a good plan to - write down the topics as you come to them. - - At the end of this selection you will find suggestions for making - an outline. - -Suppose there was no grocery where you could get bread or flour or -potatoes, no meat shop, no milk dealer. Make it worse and suppose there -was no place where you could buy clothes, shoes, coal or wood, balls or -bats, sleds or knives. Suppose you had to go without all these things -unless your father and mother or brothers and sisters helped you to make -them. You would all have to work very hard and even then be poor, and -often hungry, cold, and wet. You could not live in town because there is -not ground enough there to raise potatoes and other things to eat. You -would have to live in the country, where there is more land near each -home. Your father would have to learn how to build a house, how to make -shoes, how to make his tools, and how to do many things which the people -you know never need to think about now. Your mother would have to make -even the cloth for your clothes and to prepare all the food you had. -That is, your family would have to make everything that you had in your -home, or that you ate, or wore, or played with, or used in the garden. -They would be busy all the time. Every family would have to have more -businesses or trades than you can find in some small towns, and many of -the things you have now they could not make at all, so you would not -have them. For a long time, a very long time, that is the way people -used to live all over the world. It was a hard life. There are even yet -many places where people do not use machines and where every family -makes everything for its own use. - -The Eskimos live that way. Their country is far away to the north. It -is a very poor, cold country, where very few things will grow, so -there are not many Eskimos. Robinson Crusoe tried living all by -himself for a while, but he had a lot of tools from the ship, and his -island was rich in food and wood. He found goats there that gave milk; -he found good wild grapes and other fruits; but he said he had to work -very hard, even though he did not have any family to support. The -Eskimo country is much poorer than Crusoe's island. It is away up -north where the winter is very long and cold, and the summer is so -short that no trees grow, and there are not many other plants. The -Eskimo has no animals to give milk; he never heard of potatoes or -bread, to say nothing of cake. - -It is hard to get the things you need in such a country. For a winter -house the Eskimo often builds a little hut of snow. Many boys and girls -in the cooler parts of the United States and Canada have built a little -snow house for sport, but the Eskimo finds it the warmest house he can -get. If it has a window, you cannot see through it, for it is a piece of -fish skin that looks like dirty glass. To keep the cold out he makes the -doorway so low that people must crawl in. Then he builds a long tunnel -outside the door to keep the wind out, and puts a chunk of snow in the -outer end of the tunnel for a door. Along the sides of the house inside -is a bank of snow covered with skins. This is both chair and bed. - -If he made the room as warm as we make our houses, the roof would melt -and drip down his neck. But he does not have enough fire to warm it -much anyhow. The little fire he has for cooking is made by burning -the fat of animals in an oil lamp. - -[Illustration: THE ESKIMO BOY AND HIS FATHER FISHING] - -Not long ago a man named Rasmussen, whose father was a missionary in -Greenland and whose mother was an Eskimo, made a long journey through -Eskimo land. At one place he found a dead whale on the seashore and the -Eskimos there felt as rich as we should if a carload of coal or -fire-wood were dumped down in the yard. They were busy tearing off -strips of the fat, called blubber, that lies under the whale's skin. -Some of them were hauling it two days' journey on their sleds. Some of -the people Rasmussen saw had never even heard of white men or of any of -the things the white man makes. They themselves had to make everything -they had. - -Their boats (or kyaks) were of seal skins sewed into a water-tight sheet -and stretched over a frame-work of whale rib bones and long walrus -tusks, tied together with sinews and strips of leather. In these tiny -boats they paddle around in the sea and catch seals with spears. - -Nearly all the Eskimos live along the seashore where they can catch -fish, seals and walrus. The seal is the greatest wealth the Eskimo -has. The seal eats fish and keeps warm in the ice-cold water because -he has a coat of soft, fine, water-proof fur, and under his skin a -thick layer of fat. Seal meat is bread to the Eskimo. He cooks with -seal fat and makes clothes, boats, and tents of the sealskin. - -In winter the Eskimo wears two suits of fur, one with the fur inside -and the other with the fur outside. In summer one suit is enough. - -When spring comes and the snow house begins to melt, the Eskimo moves -into his sealskin tent or into a stone hut chinked with dirt. Some of -these stone huts are hundreds of years old. Toward the end of summer -there are some berries that get ripe on low-growing bushes, and many -bright flowers bloom in the northland. Then the Eskimos sometimes make -trips inland. They eat berries, rabbit meat, birds, and wild reindeer. -Wild ducks and many other birds are there in summer, but they fly away -to warm lands when cold weather comes, and the people go back to the -seashore to lay in their winter supply of seal meat. - -The wild animals that live here all the time do not seem to mind the -cold. They have warm fur, and the rabbit changes his color to keep -from getting caught. He is snow white in winter so that the fox cannot -see him on the snow, but in summer his coat is brown so that the fox -cannot see him on the ground. - -The Eskimo has one helper, the dog that pulls his sled. We call him -the "huskie". This dog has a thick, warm coat so that he can curl up -in the dry snow, put his four feet and his nose into a little bunch, -lay his bushy tail over them, and sleep through a blinding snow storm -that would freeze a white man to death. Sometimes the snow covers him -entirely as he sleeps and he has to dig himself out when he wakes up. - -When Admiral Peary went over the ice to the North Pole, in 1909, -Eskimo dogs pulled the sleds that carried his food and tents, and -Eskimo men helped him. He found them to be honest, brave men, trusty -helpers, and good friends. - -The Eskimos are very fond of games. They play football and several -kinds of shinny, using long bones for shinny sticks. Sometimes they -skate on new smooth ice, using bone skates tied fast to their soft -shoes. As they do not go to school and have no books, the days must -seem long in bad weather, for they have nothing to do but sit around -the little fire in the dark smoky little snow house. They have many -indoor games. The house is too small to play tag or run around, so -they have sitting down games. There are as many as fifty kinds of -string games something like our cat's cradle. - -This is the simplest kind of living to be found anywhere in the world. -Every family in the world needs a certain amount of food, clothes, -fuel, shelter, tools, and playthings. In different countries there are -different ways of getting these things, depending on the weather, on -the things that will grow, and the things that man finds in the -ground, or in the woods, or in the sea. Each Eskimo family must make -or get all these things for itself. - -The Eskimos do not need money because they do not buy nor sell. If two -Eskimos should meet and want to trade two dogs for a sled, they would -just trade as two schoolboys swap knives. The Eskimos would be much -more comfortable if they could trade some of their sealskins for -lumber to build houses and for flour and dried fruit to eat with their -never ending meat. We cannot trade with them because they are too far -away for us to build railroads to their land, and the sea is so full -of ice that ships cannot get through it Perhaps the aeroplane will let -us see more of the Eskimo. - - --_J. Russell Smith. - Courtesy of the John C. Winston Co._ - - -QUESTIONS - - Glance quickly at the first paragraph. How would this do as a title - or topic for it: "Doing things for yourself"? - - The second paragraph connects the idea that it is very hard to do - everything for yourself with the various things told about the - Eskimo in the rest of the story. So that you may understand better, - the Eskimo is compared with Robinson Crusoe, who had to do - everything for himself but had a better chance because of the - country in which he lived. A topic for the second paragraph might - be, "The Eskimo's life compared with Robinson Crusoe's". - - Beginning with the third paragraph, the author tells how the Eskimo - lives. It is not necessary to make a topic for every paragraph. We - can make a general heading under which some of his ways of living - can be grouped. Arrange the heading and the sub-headings as follows: - - How the Eskimo manages to live. - - (_a_) His house. - (_b_) His food, - (_c_) His clothing. - - Now look through the rest of the story, and you will see that it - can be included under the following headings: - - The Eskimo dog. - Eskimo games. - Why the Eskimo does not buy and sell. - - In making an outline it is not necessary to put in every single - idea in the piece you are outlining. - - Now, after going through the selection to see how the outline is - made, you can easily answer the following questions: - - 1. How does it happen that you do not have to depend on your own - family for the things you eat and wear and use? Make a list of the - people who help you to get the things necessary for every-day - life. Your list might begin with the baker, the milk-man, and the - shoemaker. - - 2. Try to draw a picture of the outside of the Eskimo's winter - house as it is described here. - - 3. Make a list of the things you think an Eskimo boy or girl about - your age would do from morning to night--his day's program, you - may call it. - - 4. Do you think the Eskimo is glad when summer comes? Why? - - 5. Tell a story that a "huskie" might tell of his experiences. - - 6. Make a list of raw materials, such as wood, that would make the - life of the Eskimo more comfortable. - - - - -SCOTTISH BORDER WARFARE - - - From your study of the way to make an outline of "The Eskimo", you - will be able to make an outline of "Scottish Border Warfare" - yourself. - - Read the selection through, and then go back and write topics that - cover the main points. - -Legends of the Scottish borders tell the exciting stories of a warfare -that went on for a hundred years, in the days before England and -Scotland were united. The "Borders" consisted of that part of the -country in the South of Scotland where the boundary was not properly -fixed. The King of England might claim a piece of land that the King of -Scotland thought was his, and the King of Scotland might do the same by -the King of England. And so, because things were never really settled in -these parts, and men thought they could do pretty much as they liked, a -constant warfare sprang up between the families who lived on the English -side of the border and those who lived on the Scottish side. These -families formed great clans, almost like the Highland clans, and every -man in the clan rose in arms at the bidding of his chief. - -The warfare which they carried on was not honest fighting so much as -something that sounds to us very much like stealing; only in these old -plundering, or "reiving" days, as they were called, people were not -very particular about other people's property, and right was often -decided by might. So when these old Border chieftains found that their -larders were getting empty, they sent messages around the countryside -to their retainers, telling them to meet them that night at some -secret trysting-place, and ride with them into England to steal some -English yeoman's flock of sheep. - -In the darkness, groups of men, mounted on rough, shaggy ponies, would -assemble at some lonely spot among the hills and ride stealthily into -Cumberland or Northumberland, and surround some Englishman's little -flock of sheep, or herd of cattle, and drive them off, setting fire, -perhaps, to his cottage and haystacks at the same time. - -The Englishman might be unable to retaliate at the moment, but no -sooner were the reivers' backs turned than he betook himself with all -haste to his chieftain, who, in his turn, gathered his men together, -and rode over into Scotland to take vengeance, and, if possible, bring -back with him a larger drove of sheep and cattle than had been stolen, -or "lifted", by the Scotch. - -And so things went merrily on, with raids and counter-raids, and -fierce little encounters, and brave men slain. You can read the -accounts of many of these raids in Sir Walter Scott's "Border -Minstrelsy"--about "Kinmont Willie," "Dick o' the Cow," "Jamie Telfer -of the Fair Dodhead," "Johnnie Armstrong," and "the Raid of the -Reidswire"--and if you ever chance to be traveling between Hawick and -Carlisle you can look out of the window, as the train carries you -swiftly down Liddesdale, and people the hillsides, in your -imagination, with companies of reivers setting out to harry their -"auld enemies", the English. - - --_From "A Peep at Scotland", - by Elizabeth Grierson._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. What were the "Borders"? - - 2. From the way they are used, tell what you think the following - words mean: "reiving," larders, retainers, clan, trysting-place, - yeoman, retaliate, "lifted," harry. - - - - -THE NEW WONDERLAND - - - You have probably, like Betty, the little girl in this story, read - "Alice in Wonderland". If you haven't, you will find out, before - you have read very far on this page, when Alice lived. Glance at - the first part of the story and see. - - Alice, in the book that Betty had been reading, had wonderful - adventures in a strange country, where rabbits and caterpillars - talked, and where certain kinds of cake made you grow taller or - shorter, and where people put pepper in tea. Anybody would think a - country like that was a Wonderland; but you will see that Alice - found our everyday, twentieth-century world is a Wonderland, too. - See if you can tell why she thought so. - -Betty laid down her book with a sigh. It had been a lovely book, and she -was sorry it was finished. "Such a humdrum old world!" she said -discontentedly. "I wish I had a chance to go to Wonderland, like Alice." - -"Why," said a voice from the doorway, "isn't this Wonderland, then?" - -Betty looked up, startled. She saw a little girl of about her own age, -with long, light, straight hair hanging to her waist, with wide, -wondering blue eyes, and dressed in the simplest, most old-fashioned -of little white frocks. - -"Who are you?" inquired Betty. - -"Why, don't you know me? I'm Alice," said the quaint little girl. - -"How did you get here? I thought you lived a long time ago, in 1850 or -so." - -"Oh, yes, I did begin to live then; but you see I've been traveling in -Wonderland so long that I've never had time to grow up." - -"Aren't you sorry to have come back to real life, and begin to do -lessons, and mind what the older people say, and all?" - -"Oh, but I haven't! Of course, I suppose the people in Wonderland don't -know they are queer, and so that's why you don't know you live there." - -"Well," said Betty scornfully, "I'm sure I don't see anything to -wonder at in this old place--" Just then a bell rang sharply, and -Betty hurried to answer the telephone. It was her father speaking. She -took his message and returned to her guest. - -"What in the world," said Alice, "made you talk into that little black -cup?" - -"Why, that's the telephone." - -"What's a telephone? We didn't have them in my time, I'm sure." - -"Oh, everybody has one now. It lets you talk to somebody 'way off, -over an electric wire." - -"Of course, we read about Franklin and his kite and all that. Let me -try it." But when the operator's voice saying "Number, please?" came -to Alice's ear, she was so frightened that she dropped the receiver. - -"I can show you lots more things we do with electricity," said Betty, -beginning to understand that things which were commonplace to her were -wonders to her visitor. "You see it's getting dark? Now watch." Going -to the push-button in the wall she snapped on the light; Alice jumped -at its suddenness. - -"Why, at home we had to find matches and light a lamp," she said in -amazement. - -"That's nothing," said Betty. "Come along." She led her new friend -into the dining room, and showed her how, by pressing a button, the -rack could be heated for toasting bread, or heat supplied for the -coffee pot. Then they went on into the kitchen, and she showed Alice -the gas stove, where a flame sprang into life at the turning of a -handle; and the washing-machine, where the pressing of another button -set the clothes to churning up and down in the suds; and the electric -iron, heated by the pressing of still another button. - -[Illustration: BETTY SHOWED HER THE VICTROLA] - -"Why, nobody needs to do any work at all," said Alice admiringly, -while Betty began to feel that after all she had a great many -remarkable things in her house, which she had never thought much about -because they had always been there. As they walked back into the hall, -they heard a click-clicking sound. - -"What's that?" said Alice. - -"Oh, it's just my big brother's wireless apparatus catching a message. -If he were here he could tell us what it says." - -"What's a wireless?" - -"Why, you don't know anything much, do you?" Betty explained as well -as she could about the wireless telegraph. - -"Goodness! That's like real magic. You must feel as if you were living -in a fairy story." - -Betty had never thought of life in that way, and was about to tell Alice -how really dull a time she had, when a sound of music interrupted them. - -"Oh, how lovely! Somebody's singing!" - -"No, you little goose, that's only the victrola," answered Betty. - -"What's a victrola?" - -Betty tried to explain that it was a machine that caught and -imprisoned somebody's voice or the music of some instrument. But Alice -couldn't understand. Even when Betty showed her the victrola, and the -record, she could hardly believe that a real singer wasn't hidden -somewhere making fun of her. - -While she was still unpersuaded, Betty heard her father's key in the -lock. She knew the car must still be before the door. - -"Father, father," she cried, "this is Alice--from Wonderland, you -know. Won't you take us for a ride?" - -"A little one," said Betty's father. Alice clapped her hands, for she -loved to go driving. But when the two little girls were safely seated -in the back seat, she began to wonder again. - -"Where are the horses?" she inquired. - -"Horses! Why, it's an automobile." - -"What's an automobile?" - -"Why, a carriage that runs of itself." The car started, and Alice -understood without further explaining. She couldn't ask any more -questions, because the rapid motion quite took away her breath. - -Betty asked Alice to spend the night with her, and promised that next -morning she would take her to town and show her some more of the -sights of the New Wonderland. She went to sleep feeling that after all -it wasn't such a humdrum world, and that she had taken for granted a -great many things that, when you came to think of it, really made life -a fairy tale, and the world Wonderland. - - --_Mabel Dodge Holmes._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. Alice was no more surprised than any little girl of 1850 would - be. What has happened in the world since that time to make it a - Wonderland? - - 2. Why was the telephone a wonder to Alice? - - 3. Make a list of the wonders Betty showed Alice. Add to this list - any similar wonders that you could show her in your house. - - 4. Can you think of some of the wonders that Betty showed Alice in - their trip to the city? - - - - -BRISTOL - - - Here is an account of the City of Bristol taken from an - encyclopedia. Without reading the whole account, find as quickly as - possible the answer to each of the following questions, in order. - - 1. Where is Bristol? - 2. Is it an attractive city? - 3. Is it an industrial city? - 4. Is it a healthy city? - 5. Are there many public buildings there? - 6. If you had children could they be well educated there? - 7. Has it had any famous citizens? - 8. Is it a seaport or an inland city? - 9. Is it a large city? - -Bristol, a cathedral city of England, situated partly in -Gloucestershire, partly in Somersetshire, but forming a county in -itself. In 1911 it had a population of 357,059. It stands at the -confluence of the rivers Avon and Frome, which unite within the city -whence the combined stream (the Avon) pursues a course of nearly seven -miles to the Bristol Channel. The Avon is a navigable river, and the -tides rise in it to a great height. The town is built partly on low -grounds, partly on eminences, and has some fine suburban districts, such -as Clifton, on the opposite side of the Avon, connected with Bristol by -a suspension bridge 703 feet long and 245 feet above high-water mark. -The public buildings are numerous and handsome, and the number of places -of worship very great. The most notable of these are the cathedral, -founded in 1142, exhibiting various styles of architecture, and recently -restored and enlarged; St. Mary Redcliff, said to have been founded in -1293, and perhaps the finest parish church in the kingdom. Among modern -buildings are the exchange, the guild-hall, the council house, the post -office, the new grammar school, the fine arts academy, the West of -England, and other banks, insurance offices, etc. The charities are -exceedingly numerous, the most important being Ashley Down Orphanage, -for the orphans of Protestant parents, founded and still managed by the -Rev. George Mueller, which may almost be described as a village of -orphans. Among the educational institutions are the University College, -the Theological Colleges of the Baptists and Independents, Clifton -College, and the Philosophical Institute. There is a school of art, and -also a public library. Bristol has glassworks, potteries, soap works, -tanneries, sugar refineries, and chemical works, shipbuilding and -machinery yards. Coal is worked extensively within the limits of the -borough. The export and import trade is large and varied, it being one -of the leading English ports in the foreign trade. Regular navigation -across the Atlantic was first established here, and the _Great Western_, -the pioneer steamship in this route, was built here. There is a harbor -in the city itself, and the construction of new docks at Avonmouth and -Portishead has given a fresh impetus to the port. The construction of -very large new docks was begun in 1902. Bristol is one of the healthiest -of the large towns of the kingdom. It has an excellent water supply -chiefly obtained from the Mendip Hills.--In old Celtic chronicles we -find the name _Caer Oder_, or "the City of the Chasm", given to a place -in this neighborhood, a name peculiarly appropriate to the situation of -Bristol, or rather of its suburb Clifton. The Saxons called it -_Bricgstow_, "bridge-place". In 1373 it was constituted a county of -itself by Edward III. It was made the seat of a bisphoric by Henry VIII -in 1542 (now united with Gloucester). Sebastian Cabot, Chatterton, and -Southey were natives of Bristol. - - - - -ON THE FRONTIER - -THE SETTING FOR AN ACT IN A PLAY - - - Your teacher will give the word when you are to begin. She will - keep track of the time and will ask you to stop reading in thirty - seconds. Then she will ask you, without looking back at the - paragraph, to write answers to the questions at the end. - -It is a blockhouse in a Kentucky clearing, at one of the outposts of -civilization to be found all along the frontier of the United States -at the close of the eighteenth century. The sun is about to rise and -objects are only dimly seen through the early morning haze. The -building itself is at the left. It is made of rough hewn logs. A -closed door of heavy planks is shown in the front wall. The windows -are narrow loop-holes through which can be seen from time to time the -blue barrels of flint-lock rifles. The second story of the blockhouse -projects over the first, so that anyone approaching the wall would be -subjected to rifle fire from the floor above. A cleared space in front -contains the stumps of several large trees, behind one of which may be -seen a crouching Indian, invisible to the blockhouse but easily seen -by the audience. Well back and at the right is a small stream. Beyond -both right and back the forest extends indefinitely. Shadowy figures -are moving among the trees. - - Write answers to the following questions. Remember, that if you - are really a good sport and play the game fairly, you will not - look back at the paragraph you have just read. - - 1. Does the scene show a time of danger or of peace? - 2. Are people within the blockhouse? - 3. What means of defense has the blockhouse? - 4. What time of day is it? - 5. On which side of the stage is the blockhouse? the stream? - - - - -THE HAPPY PRINCE - - - Here is a story of a golden statue and a little bird, both of whom - sacrificed a great deal for the sake of others. As you read, see - if you can tell which sacrificed more, and decide whether you are - sorry for them because they gave up so much. - -High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy -Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes -he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his -sword-hilt. - -One night, there flew over the city a little Swallow. His friends had -gone away to Egypt six weeks before, but he had stayed behind, for he -was in love with the most beautiful Reed. He had met her early in the -spring as he was flying down the river after a big yellow moth, and -had been so attracted by her slender waist that he had stopped to talk -to her. - -After the other swallows had gone he felt lonely, and began to tire of -his lady-love. "She has no conversation," he said, "and I am afraid -that she is a coquette, for she is always flirting with the wind." And -certainly, whenever the wind blew, the Reed made the most graceful -curtsies. "I admit that she is domestic," he continued, "but I love -traveling, and my wife, consequently, should love traveling also." - -"Will you come away with me?" he said finally to her; but the Reed -shook her head, she was so attached to her home. - -"You have been trifling with me," he cried. "I am off to the Pyramids. -Good-bye!" and he flew away. - -All day long he flew, and at night-time he arrived at the city. "Where -shall I put up?" he said. "I hope the town has made preparations." - -Then he saw the statue on the tall column. "I will put up there," he -cried; "it is a fine position, with plenty of fresh air." So he -alighted just between the feet of the Happy Prince. - -"I have a golden bedroom," he said softly to himself as he looked -round, and he prepared to go to sleep; but just as he was putting his -head under his wing a large drop of water fell on him. - -"What a curious thing!" he cried, "there is not a single cloud in the -sky, the stars are quite clear and bright, and yet it is raining. The -climate in the north of Europe is really dreadful. The Reed used to -like the rain, but that was merely her selfishness." - -Then another drop fell. - -"What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off?" he said; -"I must look for a good chimney-pot," and he determined to fly away. - -But before he had opened his wings, a third drop fell, and he looked -up, and saw--Ah! what did he see? - -The eyes of the Happy Prince were filled with tears, and tears were -running down his golden cheeks. His face was so beautiful in the -moonlight that the little Swallow was filled with pity. - -"Who are you?" he said. - -"I am the Happy Prince." - -"Why are you weeping then?" asked the swallow; "you have quite -drenched me." - -"When I was alive and had a human heart," answered the statue, "I did -not know what tears were, for I lived in the Palace of Sans-Souci -(without care), where sorrow is not allowed to enter. In the daytime I -played with my companions in the garden, and in the evening I led the -dance in the Great Hall. Round the garden ran a very lofty wall, but -I never cared to ask what lay beyond it, everything about me was so -beautiful. My courtiers called me the Happy Prince, and happy indeed I -was, if pleasure be happiness. So I lived, and so I died. And now that -I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can see all the -ugliness and all the misery of my city, and though my heart is made of -lead yet I cannot choose but weep." - -[Illustration: "LITTLE SWALLOW, WILL YOU NOT STAY WITH ME FOR ONE -NIGHT?"] - -"What, is he not of solid gold?" said the Swallow to himself. He was -too polite to make any personal remarks out loud. - -"Far away," continued the statue in a low musical voice, "far away in -a little street there is a poor house. One of the windows is open, and -through it I can see a woman seated at the table. Her face is thin and -worn, and she has coarse, red hands, all pricked by the needle, for -she is a seamstress. She is embroidering passion-flowers on a satin -gown for the loveliest of the Queen's maids-of-honor to wear at the -next Court-ball. In a bed in the corner of the room her little boy is -lying ill. He has a fever, and is asking for oranges. His mother has -nothing to give him but river water, so he is crying. Swallow, -Swallow, little Swallow, will you not bring her the ruby out of my -sword hilt? My feet are fastened to this pedestal and I cannot move." - -"I am waited for in Egypt," said the Swallow. "My friends are flying -up and down the Nile and talking to the large lotus-flowers. Soon they -will go to sleep in the tomb of the great King. The King is there -himself in his painted coffin. He is wrapped in yellow linen, and -embalmed with spices. Round his neck is a chain of pale green jade, -and his hands are like withered leaves." - -"Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "will you not -stay with me for one night, and be my messenger? The boy is so -thirsty and the mother is so sad." - -"I don't think I like boys," answered the Swallow. "Last summer, when I -was staying on the river, there were two rude boys, the miller's sons, -who were always throwing stones at me. They never hit me, of course; we -swallows fly far too well for that, and besides, I come of a family -famous for its agility; but still, it was a mark of disrespect." - -But the Happy Prince looked so sad that the little Swallow was sorry. -"It is very cold here," he said; "but I will stay with you for one -night, and be your messenger." - -"Thank you, little Swallow," said the Prince. - -So the Swallow picked out the ruby from the Prince's sword, and flew -away with it in his beak over the roofs of the town. - -He passed by the cathedral tower, where the white marble angels were -sculptured. He passed by the palace and heard the sound of dancing. A -beautiful girl came out on the balcony with her lover. "How wonderful -the stars are," he said to her, "and how wonderful is the power of -love!" "I hope my dress will be ready in time for the State-ball," she -answered; "I have ordered passion-flowers to be embroidered on it; but -the seamstresses are so lazy." - -He passed over the river, and saw the lanterns hanging to the masts of -the ships. At last he came to the poor house and looked in. The boy -was tossing feverishly on his bed, and the mother had fallen asleep, -she was so tired. In he hopped, and laid the great ruby on the table -beside the woman's thimble. Then he flew gently round the bed, fanning -the boy's forehead with his wings. "How cool I feel," said the boy, "I -must be getting better;" and he sank into a delicious slumber. - -Then the Swallow flew back to the Happy Prince, and told him what he -had done. "It is curious," he remarked, "but I feel quite warm now, -although it is so cold." - -"That is because you have done a good action," said the Prince. And -the little Swallow began to think, and then fell asleep. Thinking -always made him sleepy. - -When day broke he flew down to the river and had a bath. "To-night I go -to Egypt," he said, and he was in high spirits at the prospect. He -visited all the public monuments, and sat a long time on top of the -church steeple. Wherever he went sparrows chirruped, and said to each -other, "What a distinguished stranger!" so he enjoyed himself very much. - -When the moon rose he flew back and said to the Happy Prince: "Have -you any commissions for Egypt? I am just starting." - -"Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "will you not -stay with me one night longer? Far away across the city I see a young -man in a garret. He is leaning over a desk covered with papers, and in -a tumbler by his side there is a bunch of withered violets. His hair -is brown and crisp and his lips are red as a pomegranate, and he has -large and dreamy eyes. He is trying to finish a play for the Director -of the Theatre, but he is too cold to write any more. There is no fire -in the grate, and hunger has made him faint." - -"I will wait one night longer," said the Swallow, who had a good -heart. "Shall I take him another ruby?" - -"Alas! I have no ruby now," said the Prince; "my eyes are all that I -have left. They are made of rare sapphires which were brought out of -India a thousand years ago. Pluck out one of them and take it to him. -He will sell it to the jeweller, and buy food and firewood, and finish -his play." - -"Dear Prince," said the Swallow, "I cannot do that"; and he began to -weep. - -"Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "do as I command -you." - -So the Swallow plucked out the Prince's eye, and flew away to the -student's garret. It was easy enough to get in, as there was a hole in -the roof. Through this he darted, and came into the room. The young -man had his head buried in his hands, so he did not hear the flutter -of the bird's wings, and when he looked up he found the beautiful -sapphire lying on the withered violets. - -"I am beginning to be appreciated," he cried; "this is from some great -admirer. Now I can finish my play," and he looked quite happy. - -The next day the Swallow flew down to the harbor. He sat on the mast of -a large vessel and watched the sailors hauling big chests out of the -hold with ropes. "I am going to Egypt!" cried the Swallow, but nobody -minded, and when the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince. - -"I am come to bid you good-bye," he cried. - -"Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "will you not -stay with me one night longer?" - -"It is winter," answered the Swallow, "and the chill snow will soon be -here. In Egypt the sun is warm on the green palm-trees, and the -crocodiles lie in the mud and look lazily about them." - -"In the square below," said the Happy Prince, "there stands a little -match-girl. She has let her matches fall in the gutter, and they are -all spoiled. Her father will beat her if she does not bring home some -money, and she is crying. She has no shoes or stockings, and her -little head is bare. Pluck out my other eye, and give it to her, and -her father will not beat her." - -"I will stay with you one night longer," said the Swallow, "but I -cannot pluck out your eye. You would be quite blind then." - -"Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "do as I command -you." - -So he plucked out the Prince's other eye, and darted down with it. He -swooped past the match-girl, and slipped the jewel into the palm of -her hand. "What a lovely bit of glass," cried the little girl; and she -ran home laughing. - -Then the Swallow came back to the Prince. "You are blind now," he -said, "so I will stay with you always." - -"No, little Swallow," said the poor Prince, "you must go away to Egypt." - -"I will stay with you always," said the Swallow, and he slept at the -Prince's feet. - -Next day the Swallow flew over the great city, and saw the rich making -merry in their beautiful houses, while the beggars were sitting at the -gates. He flew into dark lanes, and saw the white faces of starving -children looking out listlessly at the black streets. Under the -archway of a bridge two little boys were lying in one another's arms -to try and keep themselves warm. - -Then he flew back and told the Prince what he had seen. - -"I am covered with fine gold," said the Prince, "you must take it off -leaf by leaf, and give it to my poor; the living always think that -gold can make them happy." - -Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the Swallow picked off, till the Happy -Prince looked quite dull and grey. Leaf after leaf of the fine gold he -brought to the poor, and the children's faces grew rosier, and they -laughed and played games in the street. "We have bread now!" they cried. - -Then the snow came, and after the snow came the frost. The streets -looked as if they were made of silver, they were so bright and -glistening; long icicles like crystal daggers hung down from the eaves -of the houses, everybody went about in furs, and the little boys wore -scarlet caps and skated on the ice. - -The poor little Swallow grew colder and colder, but he would not leave -the Prince, for he loved him too well. He picked up crumbs outside the -baker's door, and tried to keep himself warm by flapping his wings. - -But at last he knew that he was going to die. He had just enough -strength to fly up to the Prince's shoulder once more. "Good-bye, dear -Prince!" he murmured, "will you let me kiss your hand?" - -"I am glad that you are going to Egypt at last, little Swallow," said -the Prince, "you have stayed too long here; but you must kiss me on -the lips, for I love you." - -"It is not to Egypt that I am going," said the Swallow. "I am going to -the House of Death. Death is the brother of Sleep, is he not?" - -And he kissed the Happy Prince on the lips, and fell down dead at his -feet. - -At that moment a curious crack sounded inside the statue as if -something had broken. The fact is that the leaden heart had snapped -right in two. It certainly was a dreadfully hard frost. - -Early the next morning the Mayor was walking in the square below in -company with the Town Councillors. As they passed the column he looked -up at the statue: "Dear me! how shabby the Happy Prince looks!" he said. - -"How shabby indeed!" cried the Town Councillors, who always agreed -with the Mayor; and they went up to look at it. - -"The ruby has fallen out of his sword, his eyes are gone, and he is -golden no longer," said the Mayor; "in fact he is little better than a -beggar." - -"Little better than a beggar," said the Town Councillors. - -"And here is actually a dead bird at his feet!" continued the Mayor. -"We must really issue a proclamation that birds are not to be allowed -to die here." And the Town Clerk made a note of the suggestion. - -So they pulled down the statue of the Happy Prince. "As he is no -longer beautiful he is no longer useful," said the Art Professor at -the University. - -Then they melted the statue in a furnace and the Mayor held a meeting -of the Corporation to decide what was to be done with the metal. "We -must have another statue, of course," he said, "and it shall be a -statue of myself." - -"Of myself," said each of the Town Councillors, and they quarreled. -When I last heard of them they were quarreling still. - -"What a strange thing!" said the overseer at the foundry. "This broken -lead heart will not melt in the furnace. We must throw it away." So -they threw it on a dust heap where the dead swallow was also lying. - -"Bring me the two most precious things in the city," said God to one -of His Angels; and the Angel brought Him the leaden heart and the dead -bird. - -"You have rightly chosen," said God, "for in my garden of Paradise -this little bird shall sing for evermore, and in my city of gold the -Happy Prince shall praise me." - - --_Oscar Wilde. - Courtesy of Augustus R. Keller and Company._ - - It would be too bad to mar this beautiful story by asking - questions about it. This is a story to tell. Your teacher, or - perhaps the class, will decide who is to come to the front of the - room and tell the story. It would be a good Christmas story. - - - - -CAN YOU FOLLOW DIRECTIONS? - - - This exercise is given to see if you can follow directions. Follow - each direction as you read it. Do not wait for others to start, - but begin now. - - 1. Arrange your paper with your name on the first line and your - grade on the second. At the left hand side of your paper number - the next ten lines from number 1 to number 10. - - 2. The words NAME IS A JOHN BOY'S do not make a good sentence, but - if the words are arranged in order they form a good sentence: JOHN - IS A BOY'S NAME. This sentence is true. In the same way, the words - BOOKS MADE IRON OF ARE, in this order do not make a good sentence, - but arranged in the right order they form a good sentence: BOOKS - ARE MADE OF IRON. This sentence is not true. - - 3. Here are ten groups of words which can be rearranged into good - sentences. When they are rearranged in their right order, some - will be true and some will be false. Look at the first set of - words. Do not write the words in their right order, but see what - they would say if rearranged. If what they would say is true, - write the word _true_ after figure 1 on your paper; but if what - they would say is not true, write the word _false_ after figure 1. - Do this with each group of words. - - 1. shepherd the his good sheep cares for. - 2. Pigeons carry frequently used war to were messages. - 3. usually elected kings for are four years. - 4. from get caterpillar we called a silk-worm the silk. - 5. live the far-away Eskimos sandy hot in deserts the. - 6. and coal mined the cotton south are in. - 7. sail Spain three set Columbus from great steamships with. - 8. chief of England the city Philadelphia is. - 9. our days long summer and hot are. - 10. noted California trees is big its for. - - - - -FEEDING FRENCH CHILDREN - - - You should all begin reading at the same moment. Your teacher will - time you and tell you how long it takes you to read this - selection. But do not hurry, for you will be asked to tell the - class the things you remember best. - - Maybe you had a big brother or sister or cousin or aunt or uncle - who, during the great war, worked under the Red Cross in France. - If you did, he or she may have written home just such letters as - this one, which a big sister wrote to her little brothers in - America. As you read, see if you do not think she must be a very - pleasant, friendly big sister, not only to her own little - brothers, but also to the little French children. - -Do you wish you had been born in France and that your names were Jean, -and Rene, and Etienne instead of Bill and George Albert and Ben? And do -you wish you wore black sateen aprons instead of woolly blue sweaters? - -The reason I began to write you this letter is that yesterday -afternoon I put on my hat and coat when I ought to have been working, -and went to visit some French schools. I went with twenty fine people -who all wore Red Cross uniforms. - -The reason I went is very interesting. For three years, while all the -men and the big boys in France have been fighting, their mothers and -sisters and all the children whom they had to leave behind them have -been getting poorer and thinner and hungrier. You see, since the men -have gone to war there haven't been enough of them left to grow the -wheat and run the machinery which makes the bread. Well, as I said, the -mothers and the little children got thinner and poorer and hungrier, but -the last thing of all that they gave up was a luncheon they served in -the afternoon in the schools to the smallest and poorest children. It -was such a little luncheon that they called it "the taste", but finally -they had to give up even that; and then when the time came to eat, the -children, who were just as brave as soldiers, had to pretend they -weren't hungry at all. They went without that luncheon for a number of -months, and then an American doctor decided that the boys and girls in -that part of Paris must have that luncheon again. So the doctor rented a -bakeshop and he got a ton of nice white American flour, and hundreds and -hundreds of cans of American condensed milk, and a very great deal of -sugar and some other things, and went to work making buns. And the -reason I went to the schools yesterday was to help give out the buns and -chocolate for the children's "taste". - -I suppose you think that one bun and one piece of chocolate wasn't -much--and we thought so too when we saw all those hungry little faces, -and their little legs that looked quite hollow--but the children -thought it was fine. They were so polite, boys! When we marched into -their classrooms they all stood up and saluted us as if they had been -soldiers. They showed us their copy books and told us what the lesson -was. In one class the master himself was quite scared because he -wanted to speak English to make us feel at home. But he made us a fine -speech, saying how thankful they all were to their American friends -for being so generous to them. He thanked us especially for thinking -of the children and for trying to help them when their fathers were -away fighting. Then he asked the boys whose fathers or brothers were -in the war to raise their hands, and, do you know, almost every boy -could raise his hand. They were proud to do it, too. Their hands went -up quickly and some of them waved--as you do when you especially want -the teacher to pay attention to you. The master asked the boys whose -fathers would never come back to raise their hands, and there were so -many of them that we could hardly bear to count them; and this time -the hands went up very slowly and their faces were very, very sober. - -In the first school we went to, the big hall was decorated with a long -string of American flags. Every one was drawn very carefully, and then -colored with crayons by the littlest children. There were paper -chains, too, made out of red, white, and blue paper; and finally, when -the buns came in, the baskets were all decorated with the American -flag because the American people had given the bread. - -The boys all marched into the hall in a long, long line, and, Bill and -Junior and Ben, I was so afraid that there wouldn't be enough buns to -go around! They marched up to the baskets, their little wooden shoes -making a terrible clatter on the stone floor; and every boy got a bun -in one hand and a bar of chocolate in the other, and every boy said -"Thank you" in French, very politely. I don't think even the smallest -forgot that, though some of them were so excited that they couldn't -march straight and some of them couldn't talk at all plainly, even in -French. There was one time when I got very much excited myself. That -was when one little boy, in a blue soldier suit just like his -father's, said "Thank you" in English. I nearly dropped all the buns I -had in my two hands, I was so surprised. - -The Mayor of the district, who probably seemed like the President of the -United States to most of the children, made a speech and told them how -sorry the Americans had been that they couldn't have their lunch in the -afternoon, and how the Americans wanted them to be strong and well and -happy and had given them the buns and the chocolate to help, and he -talked to them in such a pleasant voice and in such a loving sort of -way, that when he said he wanted them to shout, "Vive l'Amerique!" which -means, "Hurrah for the United States of America!" they shouted--really -and truly shouted--just as if they'd been little American boys. - -At the next school, we went to the building where the tiniest children -of all learned their kindergarten games. They marched for us, and sang a -little song about the good "Saint Christopher", who was kind to little -children; and a little boy who had lost his mother and father in the war -and who was really too little to understand, said a very polite speech -to us and promised us that he and his little friends would always -remember how kind the Americans had been to them. He was so tiny that he -hid his head in the teacher's apron when he had finished. - -Finally we went to the biggest school of all, and there we found a -great hall filled with classes of little girls, all dressed in black, -all looking so pale and thin and sad that we were glad to think that -perhaps the buns and chocolates we had brought would--in a month or -two--bring some color into their poor little faces, and perhaps even -put some fat on their wrists and hands that were so thin they seemed -like birds' claws. One of the older girls had made a fine big panel -picture here showing the children eating their buns and chocolates and -capering up and down just as I've seen somebody caper a bit when he -was going to have--was it ice cream for Sunday dinner? - -At the end, the nice old Mayor made another speech, in which he told -us a little bit of how brave the children had been when they were -hungry, and how glad he was that they were now going to have the -American food, and then he thanked us all over again. So, then, one of -the American doctors said that when we came over here to France with -our men, our food, and our love, we weren't making gifts, we were just -trying to pay the debt that America had owed to France since Lafayette -and his men came across the sea to help us in our war. Then the -doctor told us how the Arabs believe that people who once eat even a -tiny piece of bread together will always be friends, so the little -children and their teachers, and the nice old Mayor, and all the -Americans from the Red Cross ate some of the American buns and--that -is the end of the story! - - --"_National School Service._" - - - - -GENEVIEVE'S LETTER - - - Here is part of a letter written by a nine-year-old French girl to - girls of the William Penn High School, Philadelphia, who had - "adopted" her as their "war orphan". After you read it, tell what - kind of little girl you think she is. - -Dear Sisters: I have just received your letter. I am much touched by -your kindness to me, and for your generous hearts. I am contented to -find among you so many devoted new sisters for the poor orphan of this -unfortunate war, which has killed all our fathers. Dear Sisters, I don't -want you to see a like war with you, for it is too frightful and too -sad. I shall not speak any more about it; that gives too much trouble. - -You ask me of what I have the greatest need; indeed, that will be a -dress if that is possible for you; for mamma does not want us to abuse -your good hearts. The dress, I should like to see it dark blue, for up -to now I have always worn black and white. Mamma permits me now to -wear blue, and I think that will be becoming. - -Mamma has made little economies of money. She is going to have my -photograph taken, and I am going to send them. I think that will give -you pleasure, and I will write to you often. I do not forget you in my -morning and evening prayers. Once again, thanks, all these sisters -whom I do not know. But if I have the good fortune to grow up, I will -see you all with pleasure. - - - - -TRAVEL - - - If you have a strong imagination and have read and have liked your - geography and, perhaps, some books of travel, you will enjoy this - poem. As you read see how many different places are hinted at. - Read the poem through; close your book, and make a list of all you - can remember. - - I should like to rise and go - Where the golden apples grow;-- - Where below another sky - Parrot islands anchored lie, - And, watched by cockatoos and goats, - Lonely Crusoes building boats;-- - Where in sunshine reaching out - Eastern cities, miles about, - Are with mosque and minaret - Among sandy gardens set, - And the rich goods from near and far - Hang for sale in the bazaar;-- - Where the Great Wall round China goes, - And on one side the desert blows, - And with bell and voice and drum, - Cities on the other hum;-- - Where are forests, hot as fire, - Wide as England, tall as a spire, - Full of apes and cocoanuts - And the negro hunters' huts;-- - Where the knotty crocodile - Lies and blinks in the Nile, - And the red flamingo flies - Hunting fish before his eyes;-- - Where in jungles, near and far, - Man-devouring tigers are, - Lying close and giving ear - Lest the hunt be drawing near, - Or a comer-by be seen - Swinging in a palanquin;-- - Where among the desert sands - Some deserted city stands, - All its children, sweep and prince, - Grown to manhood ages since, - Not a foot in street or house, - Not a stir of child or mouse, - And when kindly falls the night, - In all the town no spark of light. - There I'll come when I'm a man - With a camel caravan; - Light a fire in the gloom - Of some dusky dining room; - See the pictures on the walls, - Heroes, fights, and festivals; - And in a corner find the toys - Of the old Egyptian boys. - --_Robert Louis Stevenson._ - - - - -HOW THE WISH CAME TRUE - - - Not every child who plans how some day he is going to travel has a - chance to carry out his plans. But Robert Louis Stevenson travelled - far enough to see nearly all the places he dreamed of. He did not - travel just for pleasure, however; his health was so poor that he - wandered all over the world to find a climate where he could live. - The place he found was an island in the Southern Pacific, one of a - group called Samoa, where he spent all the last years of his life. - Stevenson was a man who made friends wherever he went. In Samoa the - natives loved him dearly. Their name for him was Tusitala, "the - Teller of Tales," because he wrote such wonderful stories. - - - - -RULES FOR USING THE EYES - - - Read the following rules through once; then cover the page with a - sheet of paper, and answer the questions. - -1. When reading, writing, or doing other close work, be sure to have -good, clear light, preferably over the left shoulder if writing, and -not directly in the eyes nor reflected sharply from the paper. - -2. Do not hold your work less than 12 inches from your eyes. - -3. Do not use the eyes too long continuously--rest them a few minutes -occasionally by closing them or by looking into the distance to relax -them. One should do this at least every hour, especially if reading -fine type or doing intense, delicate work. - -4. Keep away from places where stone chips, sparks, or emery dust is -flying. If you have to work where such dangers exist, wear goggles. - -5. If strong light bothers you, wear slightly brown non-magnifying -glasses outdoors, with a broad-brimmed hat. - -6. Avoid the common towel and do not rub the eyes with dirty hands. -Contagious eye disease is spread in these two ways. - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. Give two rules about the right use of light for reading, - writing, etc. - - 2. How far from your eyes should you hold your book? - - 3. Give the rule for resting the eyes. - - 4. How can you avoid danger from sparks, emery dust and stone - chips? - - 5. What should you do if strong light bothers you? - - 6. Why should you not use a dirty towel or rub your eyes with - dirty hands? - - - - -ACTING FOR THE MOVIES - - - Would you like to go behind the screen and see a great film - produced--to see the hundreds of men and women and horses and - costumes and properties that are necessary to produce a thrilling - story? Would you like to take a part in the picture, and dress up - in one of the costumes, and ride before the clicking cameras? - - See whether you can take one of these brief scenes and, by reading - carefully all that the paragraph tells you, picture it before the - class so vividly that the class will know which scene you are - reproducing. That is what the actor must do every time a film is - produced. You may take anything in the room that will help you in - making the picture true to the story. You must remember that your - success depends upon how well you can express your thought and - feeling through your face and hands and body. - -1. He sat on the bank eagerly watching every little ripple on the -water and Jack sat beside him, not understanding the game at all nor -why his master should have become so lazy. Suddenly, Tom jumped up -and, pulling in the line with a jerk, danced wildly about, while Jack, -now as excited as his master, barked furiously at the tiny wiggles on -the end of the line. - -2. Suddenly he drew in his horse and listened anxiously--was that the -far off rumble of guns? Could the battle have begun? - -3. Lawrence counted the change in his hand carefully, wondering -whether the amount he held was just enough or just too little. Every -now and then he glanced up anxiously, just to make sure that the -price-tag in the window was still $4.50 and that the cost of the -football had not in some miraculous manner grown to $14.50. - -4. The king's wise men and learned doctors brought down great books in -which were written all the laws of the kingdom. They traced through -long pages with trembling fingers and anxious, frowning eyes. At the -end of each page they would shake their heads and mutter among -themselves, and as they closed the last ponderous volume they -approached the king with many gestures of despair. "We cannot find an -answer written in all the Books of the Kingdom, your majesty." - -5. I saw some one drawing slowly near along the road. He was plainly -blind, for he tapped before him with a stick, and wore a great green -shade over his eyes and nose; and he was hunched, as if with age or -weakness, and wore a large, old, tattered sea-cloak with a hood, that -made him appear positively deformed. I never saw a more dreadful -looking figure. He stopped a little from the inn, and raising his -voice in an odd sing-song, addressed the air in front of him. - -6. Jerry knew that his life would hang in the balance for the next few -minutes, but he hoped that by hugging close to the shadows of the -wall, and by not making a sound, he could pass by the careless group -around the fire. He crouched down in despair when one of the men -turned and apparently looked accusingly at his particular shadow on -the wall. But the man made no sign and Jerry crept on. - -7. One day on their daily rounds they found a disagreeable surprise -awaiting them at the lake. Their beaver traps were all sprung and were -all empty. There was a light snow on the ground and they stooped to -examine the signs left by the thief in his hurry. An unmistakable -trail led off down the river and they followed it eagerly until a -shift in the wind brought more snow and the tracks were covered. - - - - -CLEAR THINKING - - - The following problems are to be answered without the use of - figures. Read each problem carefully and decide whether your - answer should be _yes_ or _no_. Each question requires one or the - other of these words; no other answer will be counted correct. Put - the answer to the first question on the first line, and in the - margin of the paper, mark it number 1. Use a separate line for - each problem and be sure to number your answer to correspond. If - you are not sure of the answer, guess at it and pass on to the - next problem. When you have finished, sign your name and grade at - the bottom of the paper, and wait quietly for the others. - -1. It took George thirty-one seconds to read these directions -carefully. John read them in twenty-seven seconds. Can George read -faster than John? - -2. Mary was born in February, 1910. Her cousin, Marion, is four months -older. Was Marion born in 1910? - -3. John went with his two brothers to the park. One brother spent -twenty-five cents, the other spent thirty cents. John spent more than -these two together. In all did they spend more than one dollar? - -4. When flour sells at eight cents per pound, I can get a barrel for -twelve dollars. A barrel of flour weighs almost two hundred pounds. -Would I save more than a dollar by purchasing flour by the barrel? - -5. My father bought a talking-machine for sixty-five dollars, and a -dozen records for twenty-five dollars more. Will a hundred dollar bill -pay for both? - -6. The regulation boy-scout pace calls for a mile in twelve minutes. -Could a good scout cover four miles in an hour? - -7. Coffee grows only in tropical countries. Do you think we import -much from Alaska? - - - - -THE LAND OF EQUAL CHANCE - - - This little play gives you a chance to pretend that you are a star - actor or actress; for the central character, Young America, is you. - - In order to succeed in a land of equal chance, Young America will - need four things. Find what they are. Can you tell how each thing - will help him? - -Time: January, 19--. Place: At the edge of the land. On either side of -the stage there are two small curtained windows. At the centre of the -stage, back, are two long steps leading to a dark, closed curtain. -Enter from one side Father Time, from the other Mother Space. - -FATHER TIME.--Happy New Year, Mother Space! What do you carry so -carefully? - -MOTHER SPACE.--Shall I let you see? (_Unrolls her large map._) See, a -land of rocks and rills, of woods and templed hills. Here are the -broad prairies, here the great mountains full of treasure, and down -here the sweet, warm southern fields. - -F. T. (_Looks at the unrolled scroll._)--That seems to be a map of the -United States. - -M. S.--Most people call it that. I call it the Land-of-Equal-Chance. - -F. T.--An excellent name! - -M. S.--By all the fields, mountains, cities and prairies, what sort of -child do you think should live here? - -F. T.--Leave that to me. (_Calls._) Come, Young America. (_Calls again -and again. At last Young America dressed as a boy scout, pack on back, -enters cautiously._) - -F. T.--Come, Young America, Mother Space gives you this chart to the -Land-of-Equal-Chance. Go, the land lies beyond. It is your domain. - -YOUNG AMERICA (_bewildered_).--But what shall I do there? Must I go -alone? - -F. T.--No, my child, you cannot go alone. Do you see these four -windows? Go, draw aside the curtains. - -Y. A. (_Goes to the first window and draws aside the curtain. Above -the window is plainly printed "Action"._)--Here am I, Young America. I -must go on a journey. Will you go with me, Spirit of Action? - -SPIRIT OF ACTION (_Appears suddenly at the window._)--Go? Yes. Wait a -moment. (_Bounds to the stage._) Where are you going? - -Y. A. (_Points to the curtain at rear._)--There, Spirit of Action. -What will you do if you go with me? - -SP. OF A. (_Laughs._)--I shall make your blood dance and your heart -beat high. I shall fill your hands with glorious work. Your muscles -shall be strong with the doing. - -Y. A.--O, Spirit of Action, you make me want to start at once. I could -not do without you. But, wait. (_Goes to the second window, draws the -curtain back to see the word "Understanding"._) Come, friend -Understanding. - -SPIRIT OF UNDERSTANDING.--Here am I, Young America. - -Y. A.--I am going away, Understanding. - -SP. OF U.--So! Why do you go? - -Y. A.--I want to go. I do not know exactly why. - -SP. OF U. (_Comes on the stage._)--Then you do need me, Young America. -I will make your eye clear, and your mind aware. If I go with you, you -must think. Will you? - -Y. A.--Thinking is hard, but I promise if you show me how. Now, for my -next friend. (_Goes to the third window, draws back the curtain and -sees, "Self-Control"._) Ho, Self-Control, it is I, Young America! -Come, go with me! - -SPIRIT OF SELF-CONTROL.--Not so fast! Steady, Young America. Go with -you? - -Y. A.--Yes, on a journey. - -SP. OF S-C.--If I go with you I must have a big promise. - -Y. A.--What? - -SP. OF S-C.--You must play the game of life with fair rules--the same -rules for all. - -Y. A.--Yes. - -SP. OF S-C.--And you must help make the rules. - -Y. A.--Yes. - -SP. OF S-C.--And the hardest of all, you must obey the rules yourself. - -Y. A.--I'll try, Self-Control. (_Self-Control joins the others on the -stage. Y. A. draws aside the curtain from the fourth window, marked -"Sympathy"._) - -Y. A.--Come, friend, Young America is going on a journey. - -SPIRIT OF SYMPATHY (_Appears._)--A journey? Who goes with you? - -Y. A.--Self-Control, Understanding, and Action. - -SP. OF S.--You need more than they can give. - -Y. A.--What more do I need? - -SP. OF S.--Why, don't you see, you have no one to make you feel for -others in the game. You can't play or work alone. You must join hands -and pull together. (_Comes out from the window._) Take my hand. - -Y. A. (_wonderingly_).--Your hand is soft and warm, Spirit of -Sympathy. I should like to have you go. - -SP. OF A.--Hurry, come, we must be gone. Sit here, Young America, let -me put these sandals on your feet. There. - -Y. A.--They fit so well, Spirit. And see, wings! Ah, sandals with wings! - -SP. OF U.--Sometimes it will be dark. Keep this torch burning. (_She -lights the torch and hands it to the boy._) - -Y. A.--How bright it makes the way. - -SP. OF S-C.--There will be rugged heights to climb in that land, dark -abysses into which you might fall. Take this staff. My strength is in -it. If wild beasts attack you, defend yourself. Be steady, steady. - -Y. A.--A staff! How strong it is! - -SP. OF S. (_A long garland of flowers trails from her hands. She winds -them about Young America and the three other spirits. Then she takes -Young America's hand._)--Come, we go as one to the Land-of-Equal-Chance. -(_The group, bound by their flower chain, moves up the steps towards the -curtain._) - -SP. OF A. (_Springs ahead but holds to the chain._)--Open, open! Young -America is here! - -ALL.--Open, open for Young America! - -(_Father Time and Mother Space, who have been standing aside, take -their places at the large curtain and after a pause slowly lift it, -revealing the figure of Liberty bathed in shining light. Young America -starts back._) - -LIBERTY.--Come, Young America! - -Y. A. (_Aside to companions._)--Dare I go? - -ALL THE SPIRITS.--We will go with you. - -LIBERTY.--Come, Young America! - -(_Young America advances slowly towards the outstretched arms of -Liberty and kneels. The Spirits follow forming a group which says, -"Onward into the Land-of-Equal-Chance"._) - - --"_National School Service._" - - -QUESTIONS - - Each of Young America's companions gave him a present. What were - the presents? Was each a suitable gift to come from its giver? Of - what use will each gift be? - - Do you think Young America would be likely to succeed with only - three of these companions? If so, which one do you think he can - spare? - -[Illustration: "COME, YOUNG AMERICA!"] - - - - -THE BROKEN FLOWER-POT - - - Is this a real, live boy who tells this story? He did two things, - a bad one and a good one. You probably would not have done the bad - one. Try to think out for yourself, not to answer the question to - your teacher or class, whether or not you would have done the good - one. - - -I - -My father was seated on the lawn before the house, his straw hat over -his eyes, and his book on his lap. Suddenly a beautiful delft -blue-and-white flower-pot, which had been set on the window-sill of an -upper story, fell to the ground with a crash, and the fragments flew -up round my father's feet. But my father continued to read. - -"Dear, dear!" cried my mother, who was at work in the porch; "my poor -flower-pot, that I prized so much! I would rather the best tea-set -were broken! The poor geranium I reared myself, and the dear, dear -flower-pot which Mr. Caxton bought for me my last birthday! That -naughty child must have done this!" - -I came out of the house as bold as brass, and said rapidly, "Yes, -mother, it was I who pushed out the flower-pot." - -"Hush!" said my nurse, while gazing at my father, who had very slowly -taken off his hat, and was looking on with serious, wide-awake eyes. -"Hush! And if he did break it, ma'am, it was quite an accident. He was -standing so, and he never meant it. Did you? Speak!" this in a -whisper, "or father will be so very angry." - -"Well," said mother, "I suppose it was an accident; take care in the -future, my child. You are sorry, I see, to have grieved me. There is a -kiss; don't fret." - -"No, mother, you must not kiss me; I don't deserve it, I pushed out -the flower-pot on purpose." - -"Ah! and why?" said my father, walking up. - -"For fun!" said I, hanging my head; "just to see how you'd look, -father; and that's the truth of it." - -My father threw his book fifty feet off, stooped down, and caught me -in his arms. "Boy," he said, "you have done wrong; you shall repair it -by remembering all your life that your father blessed God for giving -him a son who spoke truth in spite of fear." - - -II - -Not long after, Mr. Squills gave me a beautiful large box of dominoes, -made of cut ivory. This domino box was my delight. I was never tired -of playing at dominoes with my old nurse, and I slept with the box -under my pillow. - -"Ah!" said my father one day when he found me arranging the ivory pieces -in the parlor, "do you like that better than all your playthings?" - -"Oh, yes, father!" - -"You would be very sorry if mother were to throw that box out of the -window and break it, for fun." I looked pleadingly at my father, and -made no answer. "But perhaps you would be very glad," he went on, "if -suddenly one of those good fairies you read of could change the domino -box into a beautiful geranium in a lovely blue-and-white flower-pot. -Then you could have the pleasure of putting it on mother's window-sill." - -"Indeed I would," said I, half crying. - -"My dear boy, I believe you; but good _wishes_ do not mend bad -actions; good _actions_ mend bad actions." So saying he shut the door -and went out. - -"My boy," said he the next day, "I am going to walk to town; will you -come? And, by the by, fetch your domino box; I should like to show it -to a person there." - -"Father," said I by the way, "there are no fairies now how then can my -domino box be changed into a geranium in a blue-and-white flower-pot?" - -"My dear," said my father, leaning his hand on my shoulder, "everybody -who is in earnest to be good, carries two fairies about with him--one -here," and he touched my forehead, "and one there," and he touched my -heart. - -"I don't understand, father." - -"I can wait until you do, my son." - -My father stopped at a nursery-gardener's, and after looking over the -flowers, paused before a large geranium. "Ah, this is finer than that -which your mother was so fond of. What is the price of this, sir?" - -"Only seven and six pence," said the gardener. My father buttoned up -his pocket. - -"I can't afford it to-day," said he gently, and we walked out. - - -III - -On entering the town we stopped again at a china warehouse. "Have you -a flower-pot like that I bought some months ago? Ah, here is one, -marked three and six pence. Yes, that is the price. Well, when -mother's birthday comes again, we must buy her another. That is some -months to wait. And we can wait, my boy. For truth, that blooms all -the year round, is better than a poor geranium; and a word that is -never broken is better than a piece of delft." - -My head, which had been drooping before, rose again; but the rush of -joy at my heart almost stifled me. "I have called to pay your bill," -said my father, entering a shop. - -"And, by the by," he added, "my boy can show you a beautiful domino -box." I produced my treasure, and the shopman praised it highly. "It -is always well, my boy, to know what a thing is worth, in case one -wishes to part with it. If my son gets tired of his plaything, what -will you give him for it?" - -[Illustration: MY FATHER STOPPED AT A NURSERY-GARDENER'S] - -"Why, sir," said the shopman; "I think we could give eighteen -shillings for it." - -"Eighteen shillings!" said my father; "you would give that? Well, my -boy, whenever you do grow tired of your box, you have my leave to sell -it." - -My father paid his bill, and went out. I lingered behind a few -moments, and joined him at the end of the street. - -"Father, father!" I cried, clapping my hands, "we can buy the -geranium; we can buy the flower-pot!" And I pulled a handful of silver -from my pocket. - -"Did I not say right?" said my father. "You have found the two fairies!" - -Ah, how proud, how overjoyed I was, when after placing vase and flower -on the window-sill, I plucked my mother by the gown, and made her -follow me to the spot. - -"It is his doing and his money!" said my father; "good actions have -mended the bad." - - --_From "The Caxtons", by Bulwer-Lytton._ - - - 1. What did the boy do when he "lingered behind a few moments"? - - 2. If you were to act out this story, you would have to imagine - yourself in several places. Make a list of them in the right order. - - 3. What do you think "seven-and-sixpence" means? How much money do - you think the boy had left when he had paid for the flower-pot? - - 4. What do you think the two fairies were? - - 5. This selection is divided into three parts, each headed with a - Roman numeral. Write a heading or topic for each part. - - - - -SAINT GEORGE AND THE DRAGON - - - Here is the story of the greatest deed of the patron, or guardian, - saint of England. As you read the story, try to remember how the - young men of England, France, and America showed themselves worthy - followers of this brave, noble knight. - -Long ago, when the knights lived in the land, there was one knight -whose name was Sir George. He was not only braver than all the rest, -but he was so noble, kind, and good that the people came to call him -Saint George. - -No robbers ever dared to trouble the people who lived near his castle, -and all the wild animals were killed or driven away, so the little -children could play even in the woods without being afraid. - -One day St. George rode throughout the country. Everywhere he saw the -men busy at their work in the fields, the women singing at work in -their homes, and the little children shouting at their play. - -"These people are all safe and happy; they need me no more," said St. -George. "But somewhere perhaps there is trouble and fear. There may be -some place where little children cannot play in safety; some woman may -have been carried away from her home; perhaps there are even dragons -left to be slain. Tomorrow I shall ride away and never stop until I -find work which only a knight can do." - -Early the next morning St. George put on his helmet and all his shining -armor, and fastened his sword at his side. Then he mounted his great -black horse and rode out from his castle gate. Down the steep, rough -road he went, sitting straight and tall, and looking brave and strong as -a knight should look. On through the little village at the foot of the -hill and out across the country he rode. Everywhere he saw rich fields -filled with waving grain; everywhere there was peace and plenty. - -He rode on and on until at last he came into a part of the country he -had never seen before. He noticed that there were no men working in -the fields. The houses which he passed stood silent and empty. The -grass along the roadside was scorched as if a fire had passed over it. -A field of wheat was all trampled and burned. - -St. George drew up his horse, and looked carefully about him. Everywhere -there was silence and desolation. "What can be the dreadful thing which -has driven all the people from their homes? I must find out, and give -them help if I can," he said. But there was no one to ask, so St. George -rode forward until at last, far in the distance, he saw the walls of a -city. "Here surely I shall find some one who can tell me the cause of -all this," he said, so he rode more swiftly toward the city. - -Just then the great gate opened and St. George saw crowds of people -standing inside the wall. Some of them were weeping; all of them -seemed afraid. As St. George watched, he saw a beautiful maiden -dressed in white, with a girdle of scarlet about her waist, pass -through the gate alone. The gate clanged shut, and the maiden walked -along the road, weeping bitterly. She did not see St. George, who was -riding quickly towards her. - -"Maiden, why do you weep?" he asked as he reached her side. - -She looked up at St. George sitting there on his horse, so straight -and tall and beautiful. "Oh, Sir Knight!" she cried, "ride quickly -from this place. You know not the danger you are in!" - -"Danger!" said St. George; "do you think a knight would flee from -danger? Besides, you, a fair, weak girl, are here alone. Think you a -knight would leave you or any woman so? Tell me your trouble that I -may help you." - -[Illustration: ST. GEORGE SAW THE HEAD OF THE DRAGON LIFTED FROM THE -POOL] - -"No! No!" she cried. "Hasten away. You would only lose your life. -There is a terrible dragon near. He may come at any moment. One breath -would destroy you if he found you here. Go! Go quickly!" - -"Tell me more of this," said St. George sternly. "Why are you here -alone to meet this dragon? Are there no men left in yon city?" - -"Oh," said the maiden, "my father, the king, is old and feeble. He has -only me to help him take care of his people. This terrible dragon has -driven them from their homes, carried away their cattle, and ruined -their crops. They have all come within the walls of the city for safety. -For weeks now the dragon has come to the very gates of the city. We have -been forced to give him two sheep each day for his breakfast. - -"Yesterday there were no sheep left to give, so he said that unless a -young maiden were given him today he would break down the walls and -destroy the city. The people cried to my father to save them, but he -could do nothing. I am going to give myself to the dragon. Perhaps if -he has me, the Princess, he may spare our people." - -"Lead the way, brave Princess. Show me where this monster may be found." - -When the Princess saw St. George's flashing eyes and great, strong arm -as he drew forth his sword, she felt afraid no more. Turning, she led -the way to a shining pool. - -"There's where he stays," she whispered. "See, the water moves. He is -waking." - -St. George saw the head of the dragon lifted from the pool. Fold on -fold he rose from the water. When he saw St. George he gave a roar of -rage and plunged toward him. The smoke and flames flew from his -nostrils, and he opened his great jaws as if to swallow both the -knight and his horse. - -St. George shouted and, waving his sword above his head, rode at the -dragon. Quick and hard came the blows from St. George's sword. It was -a terrible battle. - -At last the dragon was wounded. He roared with pain and plunged at St. -George, opening his great mouth close to the brave Knight's head. - -St. George looked carefully, then struck with all his strength straight -down through the dragon's throat, and he fell at the horse's feet--dead. - -Then St. George shouted for joy at his victory. He called to the -Princess. She came and stood beside him. - -"Give me the girdle from about your waist, O Princess," said St. George. - -The Princess gave him her girdle and St. George bound it around the -dragon's neck, and they pulled the dragon after them by that little -silken ribbon back to the city so that all of the people could see -that the dragon could never harm them again. - -When they saw St. George bringing the Princess back in safety and knew -that the dragon was slain, they threw open the gates of the city and -sent up great shouts of joy. The King heard them and came out from his -palace to see why the people were shouting. When he saw his daughter -safe he was the happiest of them all. "O brave Knight," he said, "I am -old and weak. Stay here and help me guard my people from harm." - -"I'll stay as long as ever you have need of me," St. George answered. -So he lived in the palace and helped the old King take care of his -people, and when the old King died, St. George was made King in his -stead. The people felt happy and safe so long as they had such a brave -and good man for their King. - - --_From "Stories for Children and How to Tell Them"._ - --_Courtesy of J. Berg Esenwein._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. Why did St. George feel that he ought to ride away from his - home? What do you conclude from this must have been the chief duty - of a knight? - - 2. What signs did St. George find that he had come to a place - where there was work for him to do? - - 3. For what do you admire the Princess? Which do you think was - braver, St. George or she? - - 4. What nation recently played the part of the dragon in the - world? What form of government did this nation have? - - 5. What nations played the part of St. George? In what way did the - governments of all but one of these nations differ from the - "dragon" nation? - - - - -NONSENSE TEST - - - This is just a little nonsense test but don't be too sure that you - can get everything in it exactly right. Carry out the following - directions very carefully. - -No matter whether Benjamin Franklin was the father of his country or -not, draw a circle in the center of your paper. Now if December is -the first month of the year put the largest of these four numbers -in the circle. (17-6-11-21). But if not, put any one of the smaller -numbers there. Then copy this example on your paper under the circle. -(7 + 5 = .) Write a wrong answer to it, mark it correct and sign your -name at the bottom. - - - - -TURNING OUT THE INTRUDER - - Arrange your paper with your name on the first line at the right, - and your grade below it on the second line. Skip the third line, - but on the next eight lines, in the margin, write the figures, 1 - to 8. - - Here is an exercise that will let you see not only how well you can - follow printed directions, but also how well you can arrange words - in classes or groups. Read the first group of words at the bottom of - the page. What kind of list does it seem to be? A list of several - kinds of fruit, does it not? Or at least it would be a good list of - fruit, if we could omit the word ROPE, which does not seem to belong - to the list at all. After figure 1, on your paper, write the word - ROPE. - - In each of the other groups there is also a word that should be - dropped out. You are going to write these words on your paper. Start - with the next group, and when you find the word that should be - omitted, write it after figure 2; and in the same way, finish the - remaining groups in the exercise. When you finish wait quietly for - the others to do so. - - 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. - - apple lion mountain lumbering automobile - peach tiger gulfs farming store - rope elephant hills grazing bank - grape tusks plain manufacturing station - pear horse valley jumping hotel - orange cow island fishing church - - 6. 7. 8. - - flowers cup chair - grass saucer table - fence plate room - tree pan sofa - bush pitcher bench - weeds bowl bookcase - - - - -ROOSEVELT'S FAVORITE STUDY - - - You should all begin to read this story at the same moment. - - At the end of five minutes you will be asked to close your books - and follow your teacher's directions. - -Very often the things that a boy or girl likes to do as a child are -signs of what he or she will like to do as a man or woman. This is -true in the case of Theodore Roosevelt. One of the subjects in which -he was all his life most interested was his favorite study as a boy. -It seems that he was not an unusually clever student in his early -years. In Latin and Greek and mathematics he was poor; in science and -history and geography he made better progress; but best of all he -loved natural history--the study of animals. - -His first experience in this study befell him when he was nine years -old. He was walking past one of the city markets one day, when he saw -a dead seal lying on a slab of wood. He had just been reading about -seals, and it seemed a wonderful thing to see a real one. He became -possessed with a longing to own the seal. Being unable to form any -plan for satisfying that longing, he contented himself with visiting -the market day by day to gaze upon the object which proved so -interesting to him. He took the seal's measurements carefully with a -folding pocket rule and had considerable difficulty when he came to -measuring its girth. Somehow or other he got the animal's skull, and -with it he and two of his cousins immediately founded what they called -the "Roosevelt Museum of Natural History". At the same time his -observations of the seal and the measurements which he had made of it -were carefully set down in a blank book. - -In another blank book were recorded further observations in natural -history. This work was entitled, "Natural History on Insects, by -Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.," and began in this fashion: "All these -insects are native of North America. Most of the insects are not in -other books. I will write about ants first." - -The beginning of the treatise on ants is entertaining, if not deeply -scientific. "Ants," he writes, "are di_fi_ded into three sorts for -every species. These kinds are officer, soilder [soldier?] and worker. -There are about one officer to ten soilders and one soilder to two -workers." The book then went on to describe other insects which he had -observed, all of which he assured the reader "inhabit North America". -At the end of the volume on insects were a few notes on fishes. Among -these was a description of the crayfish. "I need not describe the form -of the crayfish to you," wrote the young author; "look at the lobster -and you have its form." These observations, recorded at the age of -nine years, are worth mentioning because they show a real interest in -the creatures of which he was writing. - -When Theodore was thirteen, his father sent him to a little shop to -take lessons in taxidermy, the stuffing and mounting of animals. Then -the boy wanted to secure his own specimens; so his father gave him a -gun for that purpose. When he first tried to use this gun, he was -puzzled to find that he could not see the objects at which his -companions were shooting. One day some boys with him read aloud an -advertisement written in huge letters on a billboard some distance -away, and Theodore then realized, for the first time, that there must -be something the matter with his eyes because he could not see the -letters. His father soon got him a pair of spectacles, which, he says, -opened up a new world to him. - -When he was fourteen the family went to Europe, and, among other -expeditions, took a trip up the Nile. Before they started on this -trip. Theodore picked up in Cairo a book which contained some account -of the birds of that region. Armed with this book and with the gun -which his father had given him, he secured a number of specimens of -birds in Egypt. - -Unfortunately for the rest of the family, Theodore insisted on -carrying his natural history specimens about with him from place to -place. One day when the family was in Vienna, his brother Elliot -inquired plaintively of their father whether it would be possible that -he should now and then have a room to himself in the hotels, instead -of being obliged always to share one with Theodore. Mr. Roosevelt was -perfectly willing to comply, but inquired the reason for Elliot's -request. Elliot said, "Come and see our room, and you will -understand." When they reached the boys' room, they found bottles of -taxidermist's supplies everywhere, and in the basin the remains of -specimens which Theodore had lately captured. Theodore himself records -the fact that he was "grubby". "I suppose," he says, "that all growing -boys tend to be grubby; but the small boy with the taste for natural -history is generally the very grubbiest of all." - - --_Adapted from "The Life of Theodore Roosevelt," - by William Draper Lewis. - Courtesy of The John C. Winston Co._ - - -TOPICS - - Your teacher will call on you to come to the front of your class - and tell about one of the following topics: - - 1. Roosevelt and the seal. - - 2. Roosevelt's eyesight. - - 3. His trip up the Nile. - - 4. That Roosevelt boy as a room-mate. - - - - -WHAT A CHIMNEY IS - - - Probably you think you can tell all about a chimney, but you may - be able to learn something interesting from this selection. - - You should all begin reading at the same time. Your teacher will - give the signal when to close your books. She will then ask you to - write answers to the questions at the end. - -A hollow tree was the first chimney of our unlettered forefathers. -Accidentally set on fire, this tree illustrated the principle upon -which all chimneys have been constructed. It showed that warm air, -being lighter than cold air, tends to rise. When this warm air is -confined within an enclosure open at the top and bottom, a strong -upward current fills the space. As the warm air rises, the cold air -rushes in through the opening at the bottom of the shaft, and in this -way a draft is created which supplies the fire at the foot of the -chimney with the oxygen it needs to support combustion. - -Simple chimneys are constructed of logs and mortar, or of stones and -mortar, such as those built for log cabins; of brick, also of cement and -of iron pipes made for the purpose. Since a long column of hot air -produces a stronger current than a short one, the tallest chimneys, -other things being equal, produce the strongest draft. Tall chimneys are -larger at the base than at the top. This is to make the structure stable -and to increase the draft by contracting the flue at the top. At the -bottom the chimney is usually connected with the fire by a flue. A -fireplace, however, is practically an enlarged part of the chimney. - -The size and height of a chimney depend upon the size of the furnace. -For larger furnaces there is greater danger of making the flue too -small than too large. The stacks or chimneys of the largest steamships -like the Mauritania and the Imperator are so large that two railway -trains could run through them abreast, and they are about 175 feet in -length. The difference between a chimney and a smokestack is in name -only; chimneys constructed of tubing made from iron plates are usually -called stacks. - - --_From "The World Book". - Courtesy of W. F. Quarrie & Co._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. How does a difference between warm and cold air make chimneys - useful? - - 2. Why is a tall chimney better than a short one? - - 3. How large are the chimneys or stacks on the largest steamships? - - - - -IS IT TRUE? - - - Arrange your paper as you are accustomed to do. Number the lines - from one to ten. As you read each of the following statements, - decide for yourself if it is true or false, and write the word - _true_ or the word _false_ as the case may be, on the proper line - of your paper. - -1. Cloth is woven on looms. - -2. Strawberries grow on trees. - -3. The American Indians were always friendly to the early settlers. - -4. Russia is a happy country. - -5. The monks of the middle ages were the best educated men of their -time. - -6. The Pilgrims settled Virginia in 1620. - -7. It is not important that a voter should be intelligent. - -8. Warm clothing costs less than doctors' bills. - -9. Education is cheaper than revolution. - -10. Money earns money. - - - - -FRANKLIN WRITES FOR THE NEWSPAPER - - - Here is Benjamin Franklin's own account of his first attempt at - writing. You see, he did not have a chance to learn to write, as - you do, by practice in composition in school. - -My brother had, in 1720 or 1721, begun to print a newspaper. It was the -second that appeared in America, and was called the "New England -Courant". The only one before it was the "Boston News-Letter". I -remember his being _dissuaded_ by some of his friends from the -undertaking, as not likely to succeed, one newspaper being, in their -judgment, enough for America. At this time (1771) there are not less -than five and twenty. He went on, however, with the undertaking; and -after having worked in composing the types and printing off the sheets, -I was employed to carry the papers through the streets to the customers. - -He had some ingenious men among his friends, who amused themselves by -writing little pieces for this paper, which gained it credit and made -it more in demand; and these gentlemen often visited us. Hearing their -conversations, and their accounts of the _approbation_ their papers -were received with, I was excited to try my hand among them; but being -still a boy, and suspecting that my brother would object to printing -anything of mine in his paper if he knew it to be mine, I contrived to -_disguise_ my hand; and, writing an _anonymous_ paper, I put it in at -night under the door of the printing-house. It was found in the -morning and communicated to his writing friends when they called in as -usual. They read it, and commented on it in my hearing; and I had the -_exquisite_ pleasure of finding it met with their approbation, and -that in their different guesses at the author, none were named but men -of some _character_ among us for learning and _ingenuity_. I suppose -now that I was rather lucky in my judges and that perhaps they were -not really so very good ones as I then _esteemed_ them. - -Encouraged, however, by this, I wrote and conveyed in the same way to -the press several more papers which were equally approved; and I kept -my secret till my small fund of sense for such performances was pretty -well exhausted, and then I _discovered_ it, when I began to be -considered a little more by my brother's acquaintance, and in a manner -that did not quite please him, as he thought, probably with reason, -that it tended to make me too vain. - - --_Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. What is there in this story that suggests that Franklin was a - modest boy? - - 2. How does it seem to you, from this story, that young people in - Franklin's day were looked upon by their elders? - - 3. Was he a good writer when he began? How do you know? - - 4. Can you tell the meaning of the words in italics, from their - use in the story? Look them up in a dictionary and compare the - meaning you find with your judgment from the way they were used. - - - - -YES OR NO? - - -1. I need six dozen 1-1/4" screws. They will cost me five cents a -dozen. There are twelve dozen in a box, and a box will cost thirty-two -cents. Would it pay me to get just what I need now? - -2. All but three of the girls in our class are members of the United -States School Garden Army. Edith is not a member of the United States -School Garden Army. Is it possible that Edith is a member of our class? - - - - -HOW TO MAKE A SUN-DIAL - - -Did you ever think how hard it would be to get along without clocks? -At almost every city street corner we can look at a clock; every -railway station, every post office, every schoolhouse, has at least -one; and everybody's house contains one or more. And at that, boys and -girls are sometimes late for school. - -No, we certainly couldn't manage without these useful mechanisms; and -yet, there was a time, not so many centuries ago, either, when they -were a rare possession; and a time before that when they had not yet -been invented. What did our far-off ancestors do? - -Let us pretend that we are going for a walk in the beautiful garden of -a country mansion. Here in the midst of a rose bed stands a low stone -pillar, with an upright, triangular piece of metal attached to its top -near the center, and some figures marked in a circle around the edge. - -[Illustration] - -This is a sun-dial. The owner of the garden has it here for a pretty -ornament; but in the old times, before the days of clocks, people told -the time by means of sun-dials, judging the hour by the position of -the shadow cast by the piece of metal upon the stone. If you would -like, just for the fun of it, to have such a sun-clock in your own -little garden, there is a very easy way to make one. - -Choose a spot of ground that is perfectly flat, where the sun shines -all day long. Set up, or get your father or big brother to set up for -you, a post four or five inches thick. Make it stand perfectly firm -and straight. Now find a thin, flat piece of board--a box top or a -shingle will do--and nail it like a table top on to the top of the -post. After these preparations have been made, you must wait for a -clear, starry night when you can go out and find the North Star. The -way to do this is by looking at the "Big Dipper", the group of stars -that of course you know. - -The two stars marked A and B are called the "Pointers"; and, looking -in the direction of the arrow, the next star in line with them is the -North Star. Take a straight, thin stick, and fasten it to the center -of the top of the post, slanting it so that it will point directly at -the North Star. That is all you can do until the next day. - -[Illustration] - -At twelve o'clock, if the sun is bright, you will find your slanting -stick casting a shadow on the piece of board. Mark the line where it -falls, and put the figure 12 upon it, to show that this line belongs -to twelve o'clock. Do the same thing at one, two, and three o'clock, -and so on through the afternoon. In the same way, the next day, you -can mark the morning hours. - -If you like, you can print on your sun-dial the motto that is often -used for them: "Non horas sed serenas", which means "I mark none but -sunny hours". - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. What did our ancestors use instead of a clock? - - 2. How can you find the North Star? - - 3. Can you draw a diagram of the sun-clock? - - - - -PUTTING WORDS WHERE THEY BELONG - - - Arrange your paper with your name on the first line and your grade - on the second line. Divide the rest of your paper into four parts - with lines drawn as shown below: - - TRAVELING | BANKING | GRAZING | SEASHORE - | | | - | | | - | | | - | | | - | | | - | | | - - Below is a list of words that is not very well arranged. Some - words suggest a long railroad journey, some an errand to the bank, - some the lonely occupation of a cowboy, and others a vacation at - the shore. Write the words, TRAVELING, BANKING, GRAZING, SEASHORE - at the top of your paper on the fourth line as shown above. Now - rearrange the words below into four columns under these four - heads, putting all the words that seem to suggest TRAVELING in the - first column, and all the words that suggest BANKING in the second - column, and every word that suggests GRAZING or SEASHORE in its - proper column. When you finish wait quietly for the others. - - discount station flock cattle - train interest bridge deposit - sheep check vault account - cashier salt-lick grass ranch - sand waves life-guard balance - suitcase taxi signal curve - ocean swim fence herd - spring adding machine pass-book tree - beach fish conductor ticket - boardwalk engineer lighthouse steamer - - - - -AN INDIAN BUFFALO HUNT - - - This selection was written by a white man who ran away from home - when a boy and lived among the Indians of the plains for twelve - years about the middle of the last century. He married an Indian - maiden, Washtella, and became a chief in the tribe. He gives many - interesting descriptions of Indian life and customs, which - probably give some idea of the way our own ancestors may have - lived thousands of years ago. - - The Indians depended upon the buffalo for their chief supply of - food. Millions of these animals roamed the plains in vast herds. - The Indians cannot be blamed in the least for slaughtering these - animals for food, but the white men who drove the Indians from the - plains killed the buffaloes often for mere sport, and exterminated - them except for a few small herds now in captivity. - - Read the story as rapidly as you can without skipping or losing - the meaning, and be prepared to stand in front of the class and - give a complete discussion of any of the topics given at the end - of the selection. - -When our camp was pitched, I walked out along the banks of the -beautiful lake, to see what I could discover. Its waters were clear as -crystal and full of fish. Not a boat, and perhaps not even a canoe, -had ever rippled its bosom, and I could not but imagine, as I gazed -across the blue expanse, that one day commerce would spring up, and -towns and cities be built upon its green shores. - -Looking to the north, I was startled from my reflections by seeing a -large buffalo cow coming down to the water to drink. Hastening back to -the village, I quickly procured my Hawkins rifle and ran over the little -eminence that hid the lodges from the animal. She had approached quite -near the water, and was not more than one hundred and fifty yards -distant from me, when, hearing a noise in my rear, I looked back and -saw several Indians running toward me with their guns. The cow at the -same moment saw them, and turned to make off; but too late, for I had -drawn a bead on her heart, and at one shot dropped her dead. - -All the village came running and shouting, and the squaws gathered -around the dead buffalo, jostling and elbowing each other as they tore -off the meat. It is the Indian rule that game is common property, and -my buffalo was soon reduced to a pile of bones by the knives of the -busy squaws. I could not help laughing as I watched them struggling -for the choice morsels. First, the skin was carefully removed, and -then the muscles and gristle cut away. Then, just as a squaw was about -to take the coveted part, she would be rudely thrust aside, and some -other squaw would take it. These exploits were received with loud -shouts of laughter, and no ill-temper or quarreling was observed among -the excited crowd of women who surrounded the carcass. - -On returning to my lodge, I found Washtella in great glee over my good -luck, and she explained that it was no small matter to have killed the -first buffalo slain in the hunt. Presently I received a message from -the chief, and was informed by an old Indian that, having killed the -first buffalo, I would be entitled to lead the hunt on the first day. -Meat was brought me, and the skin or robe, which, according to the -Indian custom, is always given to the one who kills the animal. So -proud was Washtella that she did nothing all the evening but talk of -my good fortune, and I could not help being amused at the boasts of -the little maid. Nothing could possibly have happened that would have -given her more pleasure. - -The next morning, as soon as it was daylight, I was aroused, and told -that the warriors were waiting for me to lead them in the chase. -Assembling all of them before my lodge, I addressed them, saying I was -a young man, and lacked experience, but if they would allow me, I -would name one worthy to lead them in my place. This was received with -loud shouts of approval, and as soon as quiet was restored, I pointed -to a young warrior, and said: "He is a good man, go and follow him." -The warrior I had selected was my bitter enemy. As his animosity was -well known in the tribe, the honors thus thrust upon him, by one from -whom he had expected no favors, surprised and pleased them. For a -moment the brave hung his head, and then came forward, and, amid the -shouts of the warriors, gave me his hand. Feeling unwell, I did not go -upon the hunt that day, but in the evening, when the party returned, -my old enemy came to my lodge, and as a token of his friendship, -presented me with two fine robes he had taken during the day. - -On the second day I went out with the hunters, and joined in a most -exciting chase. Under the directions of a chief, we deployed at wide -distances, and then, closing in, surrounded a herd of buffaloes on -three sides; and as soon as the herd began to move, the chase began. -Our tough little ponies bore us swiftly along, and soon the herd was -hard pressed. Presently it began to scatter, and then each Indian, -selected a buffalo and followed the beast up until he had killed it. -It is astonishing how fast the great lumbering animals can run, and -although they do not seem to go over the ground very rapidly, it takes -a good horse to come up with them. Their shambling "lope" is equal in -speed to an American horse's gallop, and they can climb steep hills -and get over rough ground faster than a horse. They run with their -heads near the earth, and a hundred of them will make a mighty noise -that resembles the rumbling of distant thunder. The warriors do not -stop to touch the game after it is dead, as the skinning and packing -of the meat is the work of the squaws who follow in the wake of the -hunters. For this purpose they have pack-ponies, and two women will -skin and pack three or four buffaloes in a day. - -The meat is brought to the village, is cut in narrow slices, about an -inch thick, and three or four inches long. These slices are then hung -on poles, or stretched on small willows laid across a frame-work of -poles. The meat is frequently turned, and is allowed to remain in the -sun and air for three days. It should be covered or brought in at -night, and must not be allowed to get wet by rain while it is curing. -This is called jerking buffalo, and is a simple and easy process of -curing meat. The pure crisp air of the plains soon dries it, and then -it has a sweet, pleasant taste. I have known climates on the plains -where nearly all the year carcasses could be hung up and left without -spoiling until used. Meat, when jerked, is only about half the weight -and size it is when in a raw state. If soaked in water it will swell -greatly, and then, unless used immediately, it will spoil. - -When the buffalo flesh is dried sufficiently, it is put into -parfleshes, or wrappers, made of rawhide cut square, which will hold -about half a bushel. They are sewed up at the bottom and sides, the -laps at the top being left open until they are filled. The meat is -then laid in flat and packed tightly like plugs of tobacco. When two -or three layers of meat have been put in, hot buffalo fat is brought -and poured over it until all the interstices are filled up. Then more -layers of meat are put in and more fat poured on, until the parflesh -is full, when the laps are folded over each other and tightly sewed up -with sinews. The meat is now ready for winter use, and two parfleshes -are fastened together like a pair of saddle-bags, and slung across the -back of a pony when the Indians travel. To prevent these bags or -wrappers from hurting the ponies' backs, the under side is lined with -fur or bear skin. - -We had hunted four days from our camp on the lake, and although we had -taken the utmost precaution not unnecessarily to alarm the buffaloes -most of them had gone a long distance from the village. A council was -called, and it was determined we should go over to the lakes that lay on -the Jim River, sixty miles distant. We immediately set out, moving -around the lake to the right of the buffaloes, so as not to disturb -them. Our route lay across a beautiful level country through which -meandered little streams eight or ten miles apart. We traveled leisurely -along, however, halting on the creeks, and making about sixteen miles -per day, for many of our ponies were already heavily laden with meat. - -On the fourth day we reached the lakes, and again pitched our village. -Here we found plenty of buffaloes and a great many calves, which were -very acceptable to us, as we wanted some parfleshes of veal. - -We hunted four days, and took a great deal of meat. Each family had -from three to six parfleshes, according to its size, which was as much -as it could use during the winter, and enough for the infirm besides. -So the hunt was announced at an end, and we began to prepare for our -return. I had been exceedingly fortunate, and had taken no less than -nine parfleshes of meat and had twelve robes. - -There are several methods of killing buffaloes besides the regular -chase. One of these, as practiced by the Indians, is as follows: - -The buffaloes are watched until they graze near a precipice, when two -or three Indians put a buffalo skin on sticks, and concealing themselves -under it, approach near the herd slowly, as if grazing. This must be -done when the wind is favorable, and blowing from the buffaloes. If the -decoy is successful, other Indians make a wide circuit, surrounding the -herd on all sides, except that toward the bluff. Then they steal up as -close as possible, and when the buffaloes, discover them, they shout, -shake their blankets and poles, and close in upon the herd. The animals -are greatly alarmed, but seeing the mock buffalo (which has managed to -attract attention) set off for the bluffs, they rush madly after it. -When the baiters reach the bluff, they fling the mock buffalo over the -precipice, and betake themselves to holes in the bank or crevices among -the rocks. It is in vain the leaders of the herd halt when they see the -chasm; the mass from behind, crazed by the poles and blankets of the -Indians, who are now close upon them, rush madly on, and press those in -front over the cliff. - -It is exceedingly dangerous to bait buffalo, as the herd frequently -overtake the false buffalo and trample it beneath their feet, or the -great beasts, falling among the rock, crush the Indian baiters to -death. Many reckless young Indians, who as baiters have gone too far -inland, have, after the chase, been found dead on the plain, or their -mangled bodies lay at the foot of the precipice with the carcasses of -the animals they had so cruelly deceived. It takes a brave Indian to -be a baiter, but there are always plenty of young and foolish boys who -are anxious to engage in the dangerous sport. - -After the buffaloes have fallen and killed or maimed themselves, a -party of Indians who have been concealed near the foot of the -precipice suddenly advance and finish them with axes and rifles. - -Our hunt having ended, the chief ordered that the usual feast and -rejoicing should take place. A long pole was provided, a buffalo head -put on the top of it, and a number of tails nailed, at right angles, -to the sides. The pole was then set firmly in the ground, in the -center of an open space before the village, and buffalo heads were -piled up around it. The heads were set in a circle, and arranged to -look as hideous as possible. - -Immense quantities of buffalo meat were now brought, and the feast was -made ready. At these feasts nothing but buffalo meat is eaten, and every -one makes it a point to gorge himself to the fullest extent. Even the -dogs are stuffed, and the women and children are persuaded to eat while -they can force down a bite. The greater the quantity of meat eaten, the -greater the honor; and some starve themselves for two or three days in -advance, in order to do justice to the occasion. The meat is prepared in -every form--boiled, fried, broiled, roasted, and raw. - -When one can eat no more, he goes to the pole, and as soon as a -sufficient number have collected, the dance begins. The warriors sit -in a circle around the pole, and the squaws, gaudily dressed and -painted, form a circle around the warriors. At a signal the drums -beat, and all stand up. Then the squaws sing, and the warriors move -around to the right and the squaws to the left, each keeping time to -the drums. The dance is a slow, shuffling motion that soon makes one -very tired. When one of the Indians gets tired, he steps out of the -circle and another takes his place. As soon as it is dark, wood is -brought, fires are made around the pole, and the dancing is kept up -all night. The feasting frequently continues for three days, and at no -time is the pole without its set of dancers. The amount of buffalo -consumed is prodigious, when we consider that, besides the vast -quantities eaten by the Indians, each family has from six to ten days. - -When the feast was over, we began to prepare in earnest for our -return. The meat was carefully distributed, so that no pony would be -overloaded, and everything was neatly packed. It took both my ponies -and all my dogs to carry my meat and lodge, so Washtella and I had to -walk. We considered this no great hardship, however, as nearly the -whole village was on foot. We made only eight or ten miles a day; but -at last, after a most fatiguing march, reached the Missouri, and -entered our old camp near Fort Randall. - - --_From "Belden the White Chief"._ - - -OUTLINE FOR TOPICAL RECITATIONS - -Introduction--The Scene of the Camp. - - 1. My good luck. - - (_a_) Killing the first buffalo of the hunt. - (_b_) Cutting up the meat. - (_c_) Receiving appointment as leader. - - 2. Chasing the buffalo. - - 3. The winter's food supply. - - (_a_) Drying the meat. - (_b_) Packing. - (_c_) Transporting. - (_d_) Ending the hunt. - - 4. Killing buffaloes by a decoy. - - 5. Celebrating a successful hunt. - - (_a_) The place for the ceremony. - (_b_) The hearty meal. - (_c_) The dance. - - 6. The return to the winter camp. - - - - -INDIAN LIFE AND CUSTOMS - - -This selection tells of life among the Indians of our western plains -before the buffalo became almost extinct. - -As you read, write topics that will enable you to recall the various -things the author tells about. Your teacher will have two or three of -you put your list of topics on the blackboard and will ask various -members of the class to come to the front of the room and tell the -class about one topic each. While a pupil is reciting no one should -raise his hand nor interrupt. Be a good sport and give the one who is -reciting a chance to make his topic as interesting as he can. - -This selection can be divided into several large topics with details -under each. These details may be stated as sub-topics under the large -ones. Your teacher may wish you to look it over again to see if you -can find the four main topics. - -Nothing is more important in learning to remember what you read than -the habit of organizing your material in the form of an outline. A -good outline generally takes some such form as this: - - Introduction - - 1. First main topic - - (_a_) - (_b_) - (_c_) - -Sometimes there may be two, and sometimes several sub-topics. Never -use any letter if there is only one topic. When there is only one -topic under any heading, you should simply write the topic out. - - 2. Second main topic - - (_a_) - (_b_) - (_c_), etc. - -Use as many main topics as you need to tell the story or to include -the substance of what you are outlining. - -One can have no appreciative idea of an Indian village, unless he has -been permitted to come across the prairie through a hot summer's sun, -and suddenly discovers one nestled under the broad shade trees, beside -a clear running stream, in a green valley. How pleasant the grass then -looks; how refreshing the bright waters, and how cozy the tall lodges, -with their shaded verandas of thickly interwoven boughs! - -All day long we had toiled over the scorching plain, through clouds of -grasshoppers that often struck us in the face with sufficient force to -make the skin smart for several minutes. Once we had seen a mirage of -a beautiful lake, fringed with trees and surrounded by green pastures -which invited us to pursue its fleeting shadows, but we knew all about -these deceptions by sad experience, and pushed steadily on over the -burning sands. - -These mirages often deceive the weary traveler of the desert. Suddenly -the horseman sees a river or lake, apparently just ahead of him, and -he rides on and on, hoping to come up to it. For hours it lies before -his eyes, and then in a moment disappears, leaving him miles and miles -out of his way in the midst of desert sands. Men have ridden all day -striving to reach the beautiful river just before them, and then at -night have turned back to plod their weary way to where they had -started from in the morning. - -The mirage we had seen was most delightful, representing a clear lake, -with trees, meadows, and villages nestling on its shores, but it -scarcely equalled the reality of the scene when, late in the afternoon, -we ascended a rise in the prairie, and saw below us a wide stream lined -with green trees, and on its banks a large Indian encampment. - -The ponies pricked up their ears and neighed with pleasure as they -smelt the water, and our own delight was unbounded. We halted for a -moment to admire the beautiful prospect. Through the majestic trees -slanting rays of the sun shivered on the grass! Far away, winding like -a huge silver-serpent, ran the river, while near by in a shady grove -stood the village with the children at play on the green lawns not -made by hands. The white sides of the teepees shone in the setting -sunlight, and the smoke curled lazily upward from their dingy tops. -Bright ribbons and red grass, looking like streamers on a ship, -fluttered from the lodge-poles, and gaudily dressed squaws and -warriors walked about, or sat on the green sod under the trees. - -Near the village were hundreds of horses and ponies, with bright -feathers flaunting in their manes and tails as they cropped the rich -grass of the valley. - -A group of noisy children were playing at a game much resembling -ten-pins; some boys were shooting at a mark with arrows, and up the -stream several youths were returning home with rod and line, and fine -strings of speckled trout. - -Scores of men and women were swimming about in the river, now diving, -and then dousing each other amid screams of laughter from the -bystanders on the shore. Here and there a young girl darted about like -a fish, her black hair streaming behind her in the water. - -While we looked, the little children suddenly ceased from play and ran -into the lodges; mounted men surrounded the herd of horses, and the -swimmers and promenaders hastened toward the village. We had been -perceived by the villagers, and the unexpected arrival of strange -horsemen at an Indian encampment always creates great excitement. They -may be friends, but they are more often enemies, so the villagers are -always prepared for a surprise. - -Soon men were seen running to and fro with guns and bows, and in a -few minutes, some mounted warriors left the encampment and rode toward -us, going first to the top of the highest mounds to see if they could -discover other horsemen in the rear or to the right or left of us. - -No sooner did they ascertain there were but three in the party, than -they rode boldly up and asked us our business. I told them who we -were, and where we were from, upon which they cordially invited us to -the village. - -As we approached, men, women, and children poured out of the -encampment to look at the strangers, and having satisfied their -curiosity, the sports and amusements of the evening were renewed. - -I asked permission to camp of no one, for I needed none. So I marched -right down to the center of the village, and finding a vacant space, -pitched my lodge. - -A few Santee women gathered about my squaws and chatted with them, -anxious to learn the news from down the river. Seeing they were -interfering with the unpacking of the ponies and the erecting of the -lodge, I unceremoniously ordered them to be gone, and they went -quietly away. The lodge was soon up and the ponies unpacked and put -out to graze. Having seen things put in order for the night, I -sauntered out through the village to learn the news. - -I was agreeably surprised when I learned there was a white man in the -village, who had been sent out to the Indians as a missionary. All the -savages spoke of him as a kind-hearted, good man, who was a great -friend of the Great Spirit, and of the Big Father at Washington. - -I made haste to pay my respects to my white brother and found him -indeed a good Christian gentleman. He had a white wife and child, and -he and they were living comfortably and pleasantly with these wild -children of the desert. I talked more than an hour with the good man; -it was so delightful to see and speak with one of my own blood and -color. When I left him, I promised I would return the next day and -dine with him. It may sound strange to hear one talk of "dining out" -in an Indian camp, but the meal was none the less wholesome or -abundant on account of the place in which it was served. - -I found the Santees a most excellent people. The warriors were men of -great pride and bravery. The chiefs of the Santees were men of few -words, but they were dignified, courteous, and truthful in all they -said and did. After all my experiences and disappointments among the -Indians of the plains, I could not help admiring and respecting these -people, for here at last I had found a tribe such as Cooper had -represented, and Longfellow had characterized in "Hiawatha". - -The Santee lodges were tall conical-shaped tents, made of buffalo hide -tanned with the hair off, and stretched around twelve poles. These -poles are tied together at the top, and set around a circle of one -hundred and eight feet. The lodge, when finished, is thirty-six feet -in diameter at the ground. The skin or covering is cut bias, the small -end being fastened to the top of the poles and the long end wrapped -round and round the poles, and finally fastened to the ground with a -wooden pin or stone. The poles are not set in the ground, but the edge -of the lodge-cover is pinned down with short pegs made of hard wood. -An aperture is left at the top of the lodge for the smoke to escape, -and the fire is built in the center. When the door is open it draws -well, and all the smoke goes up and out at the aperture. - -These lodges, although standing on the surface of the ground and -apparently very fragile, will withstand the most violent wind and rain -storms. I have seen them outlive the strongest modern tents, and -stand up even when great trees were blown down. - -During my residence in the Santee village I saw many curious things, -and learned much of the mode of life and ceremonies of the Indians. - -Most people have seen the bows and arrows used by boys in the eastern -States, and those who have observed them know how feeble they are, not -even being capable of killing the smallest animal. Do not be surprised, -then, when I tell you that an Indian with his bow, will send an arrow -entirely through a horse, a man, or a buffalo. The shaggy-coated bear or -Rocky Mountain lion will fall beneath a few shots from the savage's -strong bow, while the fleet wild deer is not swift enough to escape the -flight of his arrow. With unerring aim the hunter sends his deadly -shaft, at eighty yards, into the heart or eye of his game, and with ease -tips birds from the tops of the highest trees. Of course, it requires -long practice to acquire such skill in the use of the bow, but the -Indian will tell you that more depends upon the manufacture of the -weapon than the skill of the marksman. With a good Indian bow and arrow -a white man can, in a few hours, learn to shoot fairly well, while with -a bow and arrow of his own manufacture he can hardly hit a tree the size -of a man's body a rod off. - -Let me teach you how to make a good bow and arrow. And first we will -begin with the arrow. The shoots, or rods, must be cut in the arrow -season; that is, when the summer's growth is ended. They must not have -any branches or limbs on them, but must be straight and smooth. The -Indians cut their arrows late in the fall, when the timber is -hardening to withstand the blasts of winter. The sticks are not quite -as thick as one's little finger, and they are sorted and tied in -bundles of twenty and twenty-five. These bundles are two and two and -one-half feet in length, and are wrapped tightly from end to end with -strips of rawhide or elk skin. The sticks are then hung up over fire -in the teepee to be smoked and dried, and the wrapping keeps them from -warping or bending. When they are seasoned, which takes several weeks, -the bundles are taken down, the covering removed, and the bark scraped -off. The wood is very tough then, and of a yellowish color. The next -process is to cut the arrow shafts exactly one length, and in this -great care must be used; for arrows of different lengths fly -differently, and, unless they are alike, the hunter's aim is -destroyed. Another reason for measuring the length of arrows is to -identify them; for no two warriors shoot arrows of precisely the same -length. Each warrior carries a measuring, or pattern stick, and it is -necessary only to compare an arrow with the stick to find out to whom -it belongs. But should the arrows by chance be of one length, there -are other means of identifying them; for every hunter has his own -private mark in the shaft, the head, or the feather. Of many thousands -I have examined, I have never found two arrows exactly alike when they -were made by different warriors. - -When the shafts have been made even, the next work is to form the -notch for the bow-string. This is done with a sharp knife, and, when -made properly, the bottom of the notch will be precisely in the center -of the shaft. The arrow is then scraped and tapered toward the notch, -leaving a round head an inch long near the notch to prevent the string -from splitting the shaft, and to make a firm hold for the thumb and -forefinger in drawing the bow. - -All the arrows are peeled, scraped, and notched, and then the warrior -creases them. To do this, he takes an arrow-head and scores the shaft -in zigzag lines from end to end. These creases, or fluted gutters, in -the shaft are to let the blood run out when an animal is struck. The -blood flows along the little gutters in the wood and runs off the end -of the arrow. The arrow-head is made of steel or stone. It is shaped -like a heart or dart and has a stem about an inch long. The sides of -the stem are nicked or filed out like saw-teeth. Nearly all the wild -Indians now use steel arrow-heads, which are a great article of trade -among the savages. Certain firms in the East manufacture many hundreds -of thousands every year and send them to the traders who sell them to -the Indians for furs. - -When the shaft is ready for the head, the warrior saws a slit with a -nicked knife in the end opposite the notch, and inserts the stem of -the arrow-head. The slit must be exactly in the center of the shaft, -and as deep as the stem is long. When properly adjusted, the teeth of -the stem show themselves on each side of the slit. Buffalo, deer, or -elk sinew is then softened in water, and the wood is wrapped firmly to -the arrowhead, taking care to fit the sinew in the teeth of the stem -to prevent the head from pulling out. - -The next process is to put on the feathers. To do this properly great -care must be taken. Turkey or eagle quills are soaked in warm water to -make them split easily and uniformly. The feather is then stripped from -the quill and put on the shaft of the arrow. Three feathers are placed -on each shaft, and they are laid equi-distant along the stem. The big -end of the feather is fastened near the notch of the shaft and laid six -or eight inches straight along the wood. The feathers are glued to the -shaft and wrapped at each end with fine sinew. The arrow is next -painted, marked, dried, and is ready for use. It takes a warrior a whole -day to make an arrow, for which the trader allows him ten cents. - -Arrow-heads are put up in packages of a dozen each. They cost the -trader half a cent, or six cents per package, and are sold to the -Indians at enormous profits. Thus, twelve arrow-heads will be -exchanged for a buffalo robe, worth $8 or $9, and three, for a beaver -skin, worth $4. Indians often buy arrow-heads at these enormous -prices, and then sell the arrow back to the trader at ten cents, in -exchange for goods, beads, or knives. - -Travelers on the prairie have often seen the Indians throwing up -signal lights at night, and have wondered how it was done. I will tell -you all about it. They take off the head of the arrow and dip the -shaft in gunpowder, mixed with glue. This they call making -fire-arrows. The gunpowder adheres to the wood, and coats it three or -four inches from its end, to the depth of one-fourth of an inch. -Chewed bark mixed with dry gunpowder is then fastened to the stick, -and the arrow is ready for use. When it is to be fired, a warrior -places it on his bow-string and draws his bow ready to let it fly; the -point of the arrow is then lowered; another warrior lights the dry -bark, and it is shot high in the air. When it has gone up a little -distance, it bursts out into flame, and burns brightly until it falls -to the ground. Various meanings are attached to these fire-arrow -signals. Thus, one arrow meant, among the Santees, "The enemy are -about"; two arrows from the same point, "Danger"; three, "Great -danger"; many, "They are too strong, or we are falling back"; two -arrows sent up at the same moment, "We will attack"; three, "Soon"; -four, "Now"; if shot diagonally, "In that direction." These signals -are constantly changed, and are always agreed upon when the party goes -out or before it separates. The Indians send their signals very -intelligently, and seldom make mistakes in telegraphing each other by -these silent monitors. The amount of information they can -communicate, by fires and burning arrows, is perfectly wonderful. -Every war party carries with it bundles of signal arrows. - -The bow--the weapon so long in use among the different Indian tribes -of this continent and so typical of Indian life--is made of various -kinds of wood, and its manufacture is a work of no little labor. Even -at this day the bow is much used, and although an Indian may have a -gun, he is seldom seen without his long bow, and his quiver well -filled with arrows. The gun may get out of order, and he can not mend -it; the ammunition may become wet, and there is an end of hunting; but -the faithful bow is always in order, and its swift arrows ready to fly -in wet as well as dry weather. Thus reasons the savage, and so he -keeps his bow to fall back upon in case of accident. - -Until the invention of breech-loaders, the bow was a far more deadly -weapon at close range than the best rifle. A warrior could discharge -his arrows with much greater rapidity and precision than the most -expert woodsman could charge and fire a muzzle-loading rifle. - -The Indian boy's first lesson in life is to shoot with a bow. He is -furnished with a small bow and "beewaks", or blunt arrows, so that he -will hurt nobody, and with these he shoots at marks. By and by, when -he has acquired some skill in handling his weapon, he is given small -arrow-points, and with these he shoots birds, squirrels, and small -beasts. As he grows older he receives the long-bow, and at last the -strong-bow. - -These strong-bows are powerful weapons, and I have seen them so stiff -that a white man could not bend them more than four inches, while an -Indian would, with apparent ease, draw them to the arrow's head. A -shaft fired from one of these bows will go through the body of a -buffalo, and arrow-heads have been found so firmly imbedded in the -thigh bones of a man that no force could extract them. - -The parents take great pride in teaching young Indians to shoot, and -the development of the muscles and strength of their arms is watched -with much interest. A stout arm, ornamented with knots of muscles is a -great honor to an Indian, and no one but those who can handle the -strong-bow are deemed fit for war. - -Of all the Indians of the West, the Sioux and Crows make the best bows. -The Sioux bow is generally four feet long, one and a half inches wide, -and an inch thick at the middle. It tapers from the center, or "grasp", -toward the ends, and is but half an inch wide and half an inch thick at -the extremities. At one end the bow-string is notched into the wood and -made permanently fast, while at the other end two notches are cut in the -wood, and the string at that end of the bow is made like a slip-knot or -loop. When the bow is to be used, the warrior sets the end to which the -string is made fast firmly on the ground, and then bends down the other -end until the loop slips into the notch. This is called "stringing" the -bow. The bow is never kept strung except when in actual use, as it would -lose its strength and elasticity by being constantly bent. When -unstrung, a good bow is perfectly straight, and, if properly made and -seasoned, will always retain its elasticity. - -The wood generally used in manufacturing bows is ash, hickory, -iron-wood, elm, and cedar. No hickory grows west of the Missouri, and -it is very difficult to get; and an Indian will always pay a high -price for a piece of this wood. - -When the bow is made of cedar, it need not be seasoned; but all other -woods require seasoning, and are not worked until perfectly dry. Every -teepee has its bow-wood hung up with the arrows in the smoke of the -fire well out of reach of the flames. A warrior with a sharp knife and -a sandstone, or file, can make a bow in three days if he works hard, -but it generally takes a week, and sometimes a month, to finish a -fancy bow. When done, it is worth three dollars in trade. - -All the bows differ in length and strength, being gauged for the arms -of those who are to use them; but a white man would, until he learned -the trick of it, find himself unable to bend even the weakest war-bow. -This has given rise to the impression that the Indians are stronger -than white men, which is an error; for, although only a slight man -myself, I learned, after some practice, to bend the strongest bow, and -could send a shaft as far or as deep as any savage. On one occasion I -shot an arrow, while running, into a buffalo so that the point came -out on the opposite side; another arrow disappeared in the buffalo, -not even the notch being visible. I have seen a bow throw an arrow -five hundred yards, and have myself often discharged one entirely -through a board one inch thick. Once I found a man's skull transfixed -to a tree by an arrow which had gone completely through the bones, and -imbedded itself so deep in the wood as to sustain the weight of the -head. He had probably been tied up to the tree and shot. - -The surface of the bow is made perfectly flat, then roughened with a -file or stone, the sinew being dipped in hot glue and laid on the -wood. The sinew is then lapped at the ends and on the middle or grasp -of the bow. The string is attached while green, twisted, and left to -dry on the bow. The whole outside of the wood and sinew is now covered -with a thick solution of glue, and the bow is done. Rough bows look -like hickory limbs with the bark on, but some of them are beautifully -painted and ornamented. I once knew a trader to glue some red velvet -on a bow, and the Indians paid him an immense price for it, thinking -it very wonderful. - -In traveling, the bow is carried in a sheath attached to the arrow -quiver, and the whole is slung to the back by a belt of elk or -buckskin, which passes diagonally across the breast, and is fastened -to the ends of the quiver. The quiver and bow-sheath is generally made -of the skin of an ox or some wild animal, and is tanned with the hair -on. The quiver is ornamented with tassels or fringe of buckskin, and -the belt across the breast is painted or worked with beads. Each -Indian has his sign or name on his belt, bow, sheath, or arrow quiver. -The celebrated Sioux chief, Spotted Tail, or "Sin-ta Gallessca", had -his bow-sheath made from the skin of a spotted ox he had killed in a -train his warriors captured, and as the tail was left dangling at the -end of the sheath, the Indians ever afterward called him Spotted Tail, -or "The man with the Spotted Tail". You may be curious to know what -this Indian's name was before he was called Spotted Tail, and I must -tell you many Indians never have a name, while others have half a -dozen. Some act of bravery, or an article of clothing, generally fixes -an Indian's name, but a new deed, or a new head-dress, may change it. - -To shoot with the bow properly, it must be held firmly in three -fingers of the right hand; the arrow is fixed on the bow-string with -the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, and the other three fingers -are used to pull the string. The shaft of the arrow lays between the -thumb and forefinger of the right hand, which rest over the grasp of -the bow. To shoot, the bow is turned slightly, so that one end is -higher than the other, and the arrow is then launched. - - --_From "Belden the White Chief"._ - - - - -CAN YOU UNDERSTAND RELATIONSHIP? - - -This drill will test your ability to recognize easily relationships -between words. Beginning on the first line, write the figures 1 to 10. - -In each group of words below, the first two words have a certain -connection in meaning. When you discover this relationship between the -first two words, you can find among the five words that follow, two -other words that bear the same relationship. For example, in group -one, the TIRE is made of RUBBER. Now if you look among the words that -follow, you will easily see that the words HOUSE and BRICKS are -related in the same way. (The HOUSE is made of BRICKS.) Write these -four words after figure 1 on your paper: - -1. TIRE RUBBER house bricks - -Look at group two. We can easily see that just as the TAILOR makes -CLOTHES so the BAKER makes BREAD. So you will write these four words -after figure 2 on your paper: - -2. TAILOR CLOTHES baker bread - -Complete the exercise by selecting the two words in each remaining group -that are related in meaning in the same way that the given words are -related in meaning. When you have finished, wait quietly for the others. - -1. TIRE, RUBBER (wagon, circle, house, brush, bricks). - -2. TAILOR, CLOTHES (baker, store, city, ship, bread). - -3. FIRE, HEAT (knife, candle, burn, light, wood). - -4. SAILOR, SEA (book, sing, soldier, fight, land). - -5. GUN, BULLET (bow, horse, shoot, arrow, fly). - -6. YOUNG, QUICK (old, fast, grow, father, slow). - -7. APPLE, TREE (oranges, south, grape, vine, sweet). - -8. CEILING, FLOOR (sky, attic, stair, earth, high). - -9. WINDOW, GLASS (silk, knife, book, steel, pencil). - -10. SQUIRREL, CHATTERS (bird, tree, sings, fly, nuts). - - - - -OPENING THE GREAT WEST - - - Here is a picture of the work of the army of the United States in - opening the great prairie country of the West. Today we get - immense quantities of our food from the states between the - Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. Seventy years ago the - most of this territory, now the richest farming country in the - United States, was inhabited chiefly by roving tribes of Indians - who lived mainly by hunting the buffalo. - - You will notice many details that show that the story was written - many years ago. For instance, the soldiers are spoken of as "blue - jackets". Make a list of these points as you read. - - Read the selection as rapidly as you can without overlooking - important details. When the majority of the class has finished, - your teacher will ask you in turn to stand before the class and - recite on the topics given at the end. You should try to make your - recitation interesting by giving details that will help your - hearers to see what the author has described. - -As soon as the traveler crosses the Missouri, and enters the -territories, he begins to find the blue jackets, and the farther west -he goes the more numerous they become. It is only just to the army to -say that it has ever been the pioneer of civilization in America. Ever -since Washington crossed the Alleghanies, and, with his brave -Virginians, pushed to the Ohio, the work has been steadily going on. -From Pittsburgh, the army led far down the Ohio to the Mississippi, -and thence along the Father of Waters to New Orleans; next west to the -Miami, and far up the lakes; then to the Missouri, and so on for -thousands of miles until the other ocean was reached through Oregon -and California. A line of forts is pushed out into the new and -uninhabited country, and presently people come in and settle near the -posts. A few years elapse, and there are hundreds of citizens in all -directions. Then the forts are sold or pulled down, and the troops -march farther west to new posts. - -The knapsacks are packed, the cavalry are mounted, and we are ready to -occupy a new line of country. "Head of column west, forward, march!" -and away we go. What an outfit! The long lines of cavalry wind over -the hills, and then follows the compact column of infantry. Then come -a few pieces of artillery and the train. What a sight! Hundreds of -wagons, filled with every conceivable article of food and implement of -labor: steam-engines, saw-mills, picks, shovels, hoes, masses of iron, -piles of lumber, tons of pork, hard bread, flour, rice, sugar, coffee, -tea, and potatoes, all drawn in huge wagons. Six mules or ten oxen are -seen tugging the monster wheeled machines along. The train is -generally preceded by a score or two of carriages, ambulances, and -light wagons, containing the families of officers, women, children, -and laundresses. Behind the wagon train are driven the herds of cattle -and sheep, and, last of all, comes a company of infantry, and, -perhaps, one of cavalry. - -Day after day the living, moving mass toils on toward the setting sun. -Bridges are built, gulleys filled, hill-sides dug down, and roads cut -along precipices. We wonder how the pioneer corps can keep out of our -way; but each day we go steadily forward, seeing only their work, -never overtaking them. A ride to the front will show us how this is -done. It is mid-day, and a company is going out to relieve the -pioneers. The knapsacks are lightened, and off we go at a quick pace. -At sundown we come upon the pioneers, and find some building a bridge, -while others cut down the hill so the wagons can pass. We relieve them -of their shovels, picks, and axes, and one-half of the company goes -into camp, and the other half goes to work. At midnight we are aroused -by the beating of the drum, and the half of the company that is in -camp goes out to relieve the working party. At daylight we are -relieved in turn; the work goes on day and night, and that is the way -the pioneers keep ahead of the train. - -Let us return to the column. It is near sunset, the bugles sound the -halt, and the columns file off into camp. The cavalry horses are sent -out to graze, the tents put up, fires lighted and the suppers put on to -cook. The white canvas gleams in the setting sun, and the camp resounds -with mirth and laughter. Water is brought from the brook, and soap and -towels are in great demand to remove the dust and stains of travel. -Folding chairs, tables, beds, mattresses, are opened out, and carpets -spread on the ground. The butchers have slaughtered a beef or two, and -the fresh meat is brought in for distribution. The commissary wagons are -opened, and sugar, coffee, rice, hominy, and canned fruits dealt out. In -an hour we sit down to a smoking hot dinner and supper of roast beef, -hot coffee, fried potatoes, fresh biscuit, and canned peaches. If the -air is cool the little peaked Sibley stoves are put up, and the evening -is spent in telling stories, playing cards, and singing songs. Here is -heard the thrumming of a guitar; there are a lot of officers playing -euchre, and yonder a group of soldiers gathered about their camp-fire -telling tales of how they campaigned in Oregon, or fought the Comanches -and Apaches in Texas and New Mexico twenty years ago. - -The bugles sound tattoo, the rolls are called, taps blow, the lights -are put out, and the busy camp sinks into stillness. Only here and -there a light is left burning, where the quartermaster in his tent is -busy over his papers, the adjutant making the orders for the morrow's -march, or a noisy trio of officers continuing to a late hour their -jests and songs. No soldier is allowed to have his light burning after -taps, but the officers can do as they please. - -Every one sleeps soundly, for each knows he is well guarded. It is -near midnight, and, if you like, we will walk about the camp a little. -Here is the officer of the day, and we will accompany him. We go out -to the edge of the camp, where a large group of men are gathered about -a blazing fire. "Who comes there?" rings out upon the still night air. -"Friends," is answered back. "Advance one and be recognized." This is -done, and then comes the cry of "Officer of day, turn out the guard". -There is a rattling of muskets, a hurrying and bustling to and fro, -and the guard falls into line and is inspected--so far as to ascertain -that all are present and every thing right. Frequently an officer, but -most generally a sergeant of experience, commands the guard, and all -the sentinels are posted according to the directions of the officer of -the day, who receives his instructions from the commanding officer. - -The wagons are drawn up in long lines or semicircles, with the tongues -inward, to which are tied the mules and oxen. Sentinels pace up and down -to see that all goes right, and rouse the teamsters to tie up the mules -that are constantly getting loose. The cry of "loose mules" will bring a -dozen teamsters out of their wagons, and at least a hundred oaths before -the animal is caught and secured. The cavalry wagons are placed twenty -to thirty feet apart, and long ropes drawn through the hind wheels, to -which are picketed the horses. Guards are everywhere, and the sentinels -are keenly on the alert. Each hill-top has its silent watcher. The herds -are kept where there is as much grass as possible, and mounted herders -constantly watch them, ready for an Indian alarm or a stampede. A cry of -"Indians, Indians," produces great life and commotion among the herders, -guards, and sentinels, but the body of the camp does not deign to move -unless the firing is very heavy, and the order given to "turn out". -This is the Regular Army on the march. - -When the troops enter the Indian country, and the attacks become -frequent, the column marches more compactly; the herds and wagons are -kept well up; the women and children are put among the infantry; -flankers thrown out, and a howitzer sent to the front to throw shells -and frighten off the savages. The boom of a cannon seems to be the -voice of advancing civilization, and greatly terrifies the Indians. - -At last the line of country that is to be occupied has been reached, -and a fort is built. This consists of a stockade, log-houses, and -shelters for the stores. Then the troops are divided, and another fort -is built fifty or a hundred miles from the first, and so on until the -whole line is "occupied". If there is danger, earthworks are thrown -up, and one or two pieces mounted. Now begins the work in earnest; -keeping open the communication between the forts; getting up supplies -from the rear, and securing the way for immigration. The country is -mapped, the land surveyed, the streams looked up and named, and -saw-mills built. Settlers come in and open farms near the forts, and -they creep up and down the valleys, and over the hills, until they -stretch away for hundreds of miles. Meanwhile, there are Indian -battles, surprises, and massacres by scores. Hundreds lose their -lives, but the settlements go on. There is a little grocery, a rum -shop, a town, and by and by a city. - -Every spring, as soon as the grass grows, the cavalry takes the field -and scours over the country for hundreds of miles. The infantry remains -in the posts, or guards trains to and fro. From April until December, -the cavalry is on the go constantly, and the officers are separated from -their families. When the snows fall they come into the forts to winter, -but are often routed out by the approach of their savage foes, and made -to march hundreds of miles when the thermometer is far below zero. It is -this that makes the troops so savage, and often causes them to slaughter -the Indians without mercy. After a long and hard summer's campaign, the -officers and men come in tired, weary, and only too glad to rejoin their -families and rest, when scarcely have they removed the saddles from -their horses' backs, when murders, robberies, and burnings announce the -approach of the fierce foe, and they are ordered out for a winter -campaign. Full of rage and chagrin, they go forth breathing vengeance on -all Indians, and after toiling a month or more, through ice and snow, -with freezing hands, feet, and ears, they overtake the savages and -punish them with terrible severity. - -In this way our great western plains are opened to civilization. Every -year millions of acres are added to our national domain. The wild -prairie with its countless buffaloes and its skulking, murderous -war-parties of red men becomes the frontier; the frontier becomes the -settled farms and villages; the iron horse and the telegraph connect -it with the great East; and still the pioneer and the army push ahead -to open up still more of the richest land in the world to the -conquering axe and plow of the Anglo-Saxon. - - --_From "Belden the White Chief"._ - - Pupils should be prepared to recite on the following topics: - - 1. Moving west, then moving west again. - 2. What an army train carried. - 3. The work of the pioneer corps. - 4. An army camp at night - (_a_) Supper. - (_b_) Changing the guard. - (_c_) How the camp was protected. - 5. Development of a fort into a settlement. - 6. Summary. - - Write answers to the following questions: - - 1. Who of your relations might have been one of these soldiers; - your older brother, your father, your grandfather, or your great - grandfather? - - 2. Name three kinds of food that we eat every day that come from - the part of the country opened as described in this selection. - - 3. Tell some of the sounds you might have heard if you had been - sleeping in one of the wagons when camped for the night. - - - - -TURNING OUT THE INTRUDER - - - Here is another exercise that will help you see how well you can - arrange words in groups. What kind of list is the first group of - words below? Do all the words under figure 1 belong in that list? - Would it be a better list without the word VELVET? Write VELVET on - the first line of your paper. - - In each group of words, there is one that does not belong there. - Find the misplaced word in each group, writing one under the - other. You have now made a new list of words of one class by - taking one word out of each group. Pick out a good heading for - this new list and write it as the top. - - 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. - corn copper satin teaching horse - velvet tin coasting surveying sheep - potatoes muslin swimming building oxen - wheat lead tennis linen dog - barley brass skating mining silk - beets gold football printing cattle - - - - -THE TRAINING OF A BOY KING - - - We think little of kings and princes nowadays. They appear chiefly - in our fairy stories when we know they are pure creations of - somebody's imagination. Possibly some of you have wished you had - been born a prince or princess. This story will give you a glimpse - of the real life of a prince who was the son of one of the most - powerful kings of England. - - Almost everybody knows something about Queen Elizabeth, the famous - queen who made England such a powerful country long ago in the - sixteenth century. And almost everybody knows something about her - older sister, Queen Mary, who caused so much sorrow to England - because of religious persecution. But not nearly so many people know - about their younger brother, King Edward the Sixth, who came to the - throne before either of his sisters, and whose short life was full - of burdens and anxieties. This story tells something about the way - in which a boy had to be educated if he was going to be a king. You - will see that he had very little chance for freedom or happiness. - - Read the story through quickly, and then glance back and make an - outline of it. Your teacher will let two or three of you tell the - story from the outline you have made. - -Almost four hundred years ago all London was rejoicing because of the -birth of a prince, the son of the wicked Henry the Eighth. To be sure, -Henry had two other children, Mary and Elizabeth; but there were -reasons, it was thought, why neither of them could inherit the throne. -So the people were glad when little Edward was born; anthems of joy -were sung in all the churches; bonfires were lit, and bells rang. - -Three days later, when the baby prince was baptized, the way from the -palace to the chapel was hung with silk and velvet and cloth of gold, -and lined with torch-bearers. Noble lords held a shining canopy over -his head, and others carried the towels and basins needed in the -ceremony. His sister Mary, a gracious lady of twenty-one, was his -godmother, the archbishop was his godfather, and little red-haired -Elizabeth, only four years old, also had a share in the ceremony. - -Ten days later joy was turned to mourning, for the Queen died, and -little Prince Edward was left motherless. The baby, however, had a -kind nurse and many servants, four of whom were called "rockers", as -it was then thought right to rock a baby in his cradle or in the arms. -All these servants were charged to watch and guard the Prince night -and day lest any harm should befall him, for, as King Henry said, he -was "the whole realm's most precious jewel". - -While Edward was a little child he lived chiefly in the country, and -was brought up till he was six years old by the women of the -household. After that he had learned men for his schoolmasters, and -they taught him languages, philosophy, and such art and science as -were known at the time. Such studies sound like very grown-up lessons -for a little boy, do they not? A large part of education in those days -consisted of Greek and Latin. Both Edward and his sister Elizabeth -were very fond of books, and many were the happy mornings that the two -children spent together over their lessons. - -Besides his sister, Edward had other school companions. In order that -he might not be alone, several boys, the sons of noblemen, were -brought up in the palace along with the Prince. One of them, it is -said, was known as Edward's "whipping boy"; that is, if the Prince -misbehaved, as he seldom did, this boy was punished for it, as it was -not thought proper to punish the Prince himself. - -By the time he was eight, the boy could both read and write Latin. He -wrote his letters in Latin, and several of them, along with three of -his exercise books, have been handed down to the present time. The -books are filled with Greek and Latin exercises. He must have been a -clever boy, and must also have studied hard and long. - -One winter morning when Edward was nine years old, gentlemen came -riding out from London with the news that his father, King Henry, was -dead, and that Edward was the new King. He wept bitterly, for to him -his father had always been loving and gentle, however cruel he was to -others. But the boy could not weep long, for he had to mount his horse -and ride to London to be welcomed by the people. The next day all the -nobles came and knelt before him to kiss his hand and swear that they -would always be loyal. But Edward was still too young to be really -king. His father had left the government in the hands of eighteen men -whom he named. These men now decided that they would put all the power -into the hands of the most important one among them, Edward's uncle, -the Duke of Somerset, who should be called Lord Protector. - -For a long time hardly a day passed without some tiresome state -ceremony to which the little King had to go. You can imagine that he -grew very tired of so much showing off. At last came the coronation. -The day before it, King Edward rode through the streets in solemn -procession, clad in a suit of white velvet and silver, adorned with -pearls and diamonds. The trappings of his horse were crimson and gold -embroidered with pearls. The progress of the procession was very slow, -lasting from noon till nightfall; for in every open space was a raised -platform hung with gay curtains, where a company of actors, acrobats, -or singing children would give some kind of exhibition which the King -must stay to watch. One thing that we must suppose he particularly -liked was a wonderful tightrope walker. But after all, he was only a -little nine-year-old boy, and you can imagine that he was very tired -when the long day was over and he went home to bed. - -Next day at nine Edward was on his way to Westminster Abbey for the -long and splendid ceremony of the coronation, at which he was formally -presented to the people and crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury. -After two more days of feasting and celebration, the young King -settled down to a quiet life again. But now it was a very lonely life -and not so happy a one. He saw little of his sisters; and though he -went on with his lessons, they were often interrupted by the business -of the state. For though he had no real power, and the Lord Protector -actually ruled England, yet the little boy had to go through the form -of approving or disapproving of what was done. - -Now the Duke of Somerset was very ambitious, and since he had so much of -the power of a king, he began to act and to talk as if he were really -king. This made some people angry and other people jealous. One of the -jealous ones was Lord Seymour, the Protector's brother. Somerset was -very stern with Edward, and kept him very short of money, so Seymour -tried to win the young King's liking by kindness and by gifts of -pocket-money, which kings like as well as other boys. But Seymour's -enemies were too strong for him; he was shut up in the tower, and -Somerset so influenced the child king that he consented to have his kind -uncle condemned to death. It seems a pity that a boy so wise and good -should have been so cold-hearted. It must have been because all the men -around him were hard and cold; if he had only not been a king he might -have been warm and loving and full of gratitude for kindness. - -Meantime Somerset went on being more and more proud and ambitious and -making more and more people hate him. Finally, after he had put down -two rebellions by very cruel means, another nobleman, the Duke of -Northumberland, formed a plot to kill Somerset and become Protector -himself. When Somerset heard this, he went to Edward's palace, and -frightened the boy into going away with him on his flight. He thought -that the people would spare his own life out of love and respect for -Edward, and like a coward he used the young King as a shield. It was -dusk when they set out, and the crowded courtyard of the palace was -alight with moving torches and glittering armor. Confused and alarmed -by the champing of the horses, the rattle of steel, and the sound of -voices, the boy cried out, "I pray, good people, be good to us and to -our uncle." - -Then Somerset made a long, angry speech to the people, telling them -that he knew of the plot to kill him and seize the King. He finished -his speech in truly cowardly fashion. "I tell you," he said, "if -anything is attempted against me, here," pointing to the King, "is he -who shall die before me." - -The King and his uncle fled away safely to Windsor. They rode almost -all night, and arrived at dawn. Nothing was ready for them; they were -not expected, and there was neither food nor fire. The October nights -were cold, and the boy, who was never strong, fell ill of cold and -weariness and fear. At Windsor he lived closely guarded, and felt as -if he were in prison, for the place was then only a fortress, not a -beautiful castle as it is now. - -He did not stay long at Windsor, however. Somerset's enemies came -after him, and presented to Edward all their charges against the -cruel, ambitious Protector. Edward seems to have listened to them very -readily, and not to have tried to save his uncle when he was taken and -shut up in the Tower of London. And later, when Somerset was beheaded, -the King cared little about his uncle's fate. It seems strange that -so lovable a boy should have said not one word of regret, even though -he had never liked his uncle. - -So, in the midst of anxiety and strife and scenes that hardened his -boyish heart, Edward grew to be fifteen years old. He was now beginning -to take great interest in the government, and to show that he had a mind -and will of his own. Yet, King though he was, he still went on with -lessons. So earnest was he that he was held up to all the boys of -England, as an example. At the same time, however, he liked to play, -though he had sadly little chance for it. He played a game something -like baseball, and tennis, and was fond of archery as a sport. - -You will be interested to read what were the things that a boy who was -to be a king had learned by the time he was fifteen. He could speak and -write Latin and French as well as English. He read Greek, Italian, and -Spanish. He had studied the geography of his own country thoroughly, and -knew all about the chief ports of England, Ireland, Scotland, and -France. He had studied fortifications, and the places where they needed -to be built or strengthened. He astonished his advisers by the -intelligence with which he could talk about affairs of state. - -It seems likely, does it not, that Edward would have made an excellent -King if ever he had taken the government into his own hands? For the -only fault that shows plainly in him is his coldness of heart. But he -had never been strong, and before he was sixteen he became very ill, -as a result of a cough that he had had for a long time. He had not -strength to fight off the disease; so, patiently and gently as he had -lived, the boy King died. He had had a chance to be neither a real boy -nor a real King. - - --_Adapted from "Boy-Kings and Girl-Queens", - by H. E. Marshall._ - - - - -"SOME UGLY OLD LAWYER" - - - One of the things that made President Lincoln great was his - kindness in small things. Here is a story, told by a man who saw - the incident take place, that gives an instance of such kindness. - - You should all begin reading this story at the same moment. At the - end of one minute your teacher will ask you to close your books - and answer the questions she asks. - -One day President Lincoln was met in the park between the White House -and the War Department by an irate, crippled soldier, who was swearing -in a high key, cursing the Government from the President down. Mr. -Lincoln paused and asked him what was the matter. - -"Matter enough," was the reply. "I want my money. I have been -discharged here, and can't get my pay." - -Mr. Lincoln asked if he had his papers, saying that he used to -practice law in a small way, and possibly could help him. The soldier -rather ungraciously said that he had the papers. - -My friend and I stepped behind some convenient shrubbery where we -could watch the result. Mr. Lincoln took the papers from the hands of -the angry soldier, and sat down with him at the foot of a convenient -tree, where he examined them carefully, and writing a line on the -back, told the soldier to take them to Mr. Potts, Chief Clerk of the -War Department, who would doubtless attend to the matter at once. - -After Mr. Lincoln had left the soldier, we stepped out and asked him -if he knew whom he had been talking with. "Some ugly old fellow who -pretends to be a lawyer," was the reply. My companion asked to see the -papers, and on their being handed to him, pointed to the indorsement -they had received. To the soldier's great surprise and confusion, this -indorsement read: - -"Mr. Potts, attend to this man's case at once and see that he gets his -pay. A. L." - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. Why was Mr. Lincoln willing to help the soldier? - - 2. Why didn't he tell the soldier who he was? - - 3. Is there a joke in this story? If so, whom was the joke on? - - - - -ADDING THE RIGHT WORDS - - - Arrange your paper with your name on the first line and your grade - on the second line. Do not write anything on the third line, but - on the next six lines, write in the margin the numbers 1 to 6. - - Below are six lists of words. All the words included in each list - are related in some way. For instance, all the words in the first - list name colors-- - - red yellow orange - - After figure 1 on your paper write two other words that might be - included in this list of colors. Any two color-words will be - correct. - - Now in the same way find out what kind of words are included in - the second list and after figure 2 write two words that could be - added to this list. Complete the exercise by adding to each of the - remaining lists in the same manner. When you finish, wait quietly - for the others. - - 1. red, yellow, orange. - - 2. wash, scrub, dust. - - 3. trolley car, bicycle, carriage. - - 4. desk, picture, bookcase. - - 5. Marion, Louise, Ruth. - - 6. harp, piano, cornet. - - - - -THE DESERT INDIANS' "FIRE BED" - - - You may have one minute in which to read this selection. - -The Indians of our "American Sahara" are compelled by circumstances to -overcome conditions not encountered by their brothers of the plains -and mountains. - -The "fire bed" is among the most useful and original methods employed -by them to "sleep warm", in the "open", as in fall and spring the -nights are very cold. - -A shallow trench is "scooped out" in the sand, about six feet in -length, three feet wide, and six or eight inches deep. The sand is -"banked up" on the sides, and a fire is then made in the "pit", -covering the entire length. This not only warms the bottom but the -banked sides as well. - -After the fire has burned long enough to warm the sand thoroughly, the -larger unburned sticks are thrown out, but all live coals are left in -the pit. The sand on the sides is now covered over the coals to a -depth of about four inches. The "sleeper" will then lie down in the -warm sand; and, if he possesses a blanket, he will throw it over him, -thus keeping in the heat, and will sleep warm. - -I have tried this out myself many times, both upon the desert and in -the mountains, and have never suffered from the cold. - - --"_Boy Scouts' Year Book." - Courtesy of D. Appleton and Company._ - - - Describe to your teacher how the Desert Indians are able to sleep - out of doors in warm beds. - - - - -YES OR NO? - - -1. All dogs have a keen sense of smell. My pet animal has a keen sense -of smell; do you know that my pet is a dog? - -2. It took George six minutes to finish his exercise correctly. John -finished in five minutes, but most of his answers were wrong. Was -George the better reader? - - - - -PIETRO'S ADVENTURE - - - You should all begin reading at the same moment. Your teacher will - announce before you begin how much time she is going to give you. - She will divide the class into three equal groups according to - speed and find out which group writes the best answers to the - questions at the end of this selection. - - -I - -Pietro Vittori was playing in the shade of an olive grove on a -mountain side that overlooked the sea near Naples. Just below him was -a white road that stretched away into the distance for many miles. Far -below the road the blue water sparkled in the sunshine. It was a -beautiful spot. Pietro, who had never been far from the olive grove -and the mountain side, supposed that all the world was like it. - -As he looked at the road, he saw a little cloud of dust in the -distance; soon a motor car moved slowly along the road until it came -to a stop. The driver and a man on the seat behind him got out and -busied themselves about the car. They looked at the long slope of the -road before them and shook their heads. - -Drawn by curiosity, Pietro moved nearer and nearer until he stood beside -the road. He could see that something was wrong, but he understood no -word that the strangers spoke. Suddenly the glance of the man fell on -the bright-eyed, barefoot lad, and he asked Pietro a question. His voice -was kindly, but Pietro could only shake his head. Then the man laughed -and patted Pietro's brown curls. He led the boy to the side of the car, -and pointed to a tank beneath the seat of the driver. - -This time Pietro understood; he knew that the tank contained the -wonderful fluid that made the car go. This car could go no farther -because the supply of the wonderful fluid was used up. It was all -plain enough, and he knew what he could do to help. His dark eyes -shone brightly as he looked up at the man. - -[Illustration: "SI, SI, SIGNORE!" HE CRIED EAGERLY] - -"Si, si, signore!" he cried, eagerly; and in an instant more he was -flying up the long slope, until at last he was out of sight round a -curve. The driver of the car started to follow him, but soon gave up -the attempt, for it was very hot. All the way to the village Pietro -ran as fast as his bare feet would carry him--two kilometres or more. - -It was nearly an hour before Pietro came hurrying back. With him was -the man from the shop in the village, and he bore a filled can in -either hand. The travelers were patiently waiting. They could do -nothing else, for their only hope lay in Pietro, unless by chance -another motor car should come along. - -When they were ready to start again, the man patted Pietro's curly head -once more, and slipped some bright silver coins into his hand--to the -great surprise of Pietro, who had never seen other coins than those made -of copper. Then the man leaped to his seat, and the whole party waved -their hands to Pietro, and called out gayly to him in their strange -language; then the car sped out of sight. Then Pietro hurried up through -the olive grove to his little home, where the bright silver coins -surprised his parents even more than they had surprised him. - -Now that was only a small adventure; but adventures were few in -Pietro's life, and so he thought of it often through the weeks and -months that followed. A year later, with his parents and his brothers -and sisters, he went over the mountains to Naples, and sailed in a -great ship across the ocean to Boston; and all that meant so many -adventures that he almost forgot his long run over the hot and dusty -road to help the strangers. - - -II - -Pietro had lived in the North End of Boston about two years, when he -had another adventure. Late one afternoon, toward the end of November, -he was walking slowly along the street on his way home from school. -His heart was heavy. At school he had just been learning the story of -Thanksgiving, and he had heard much about Thanksgiving celebrations; -but he knew that there would be no Thanksgiving dinner in the crowded -little rooms where he lived, for the family was large, and his father -had long been without work. - -As two men passed him, one said to the other, "How this part of Boston -has changed! I thought I could take you straight to the Old North -Church, but I seem to be getting lost." - -Pietro sprang to the man's side. "I know the way!" he cried. "Let me -show you! And I can tell you all about the church where Paul Revere -hung the lanterns." - -The two men looked down, and laughed. "That is the way with the little -Italian boys; they soon become real Americans," said the one who had -spoken first. "We shall be glad to have you guide us," he added to -Pietro. - -So Pietro proudly walked before them, and led the way, first to the -historic church, and then to the old cemetery on Copp's Hill, near by. -All this time the man was watching him curiously. "I think you and I -have met before," he said at length. "Do you remember me?" - -For the first time Pietro looked long and hard at the man's face. Then -he cried out, "Yes, yes! I did not see before! You were the man in the -car that stopped on the Amalfi road." He fairly danced for pleasure -that the strange man had remembered him so long. Then he hurried on: -"See! I can talk with you now! I am an American! I go to school!" - -"You see," said the man laughingly, as he turned to his friend, "I can -remember the face of a bright Italian boy better than I can the -streets of my own city." - -Then he told his friend of the help that Pietro had given when the -motor car stopped on the Italian mountain side. With a few questions, -he drew from Pietro his own story, and he watched the brown-eyed boy -closely as they talked. - -"Pietro," he said, at last, "I like you, and I want to be your friend. -Keep on in school and study. Come and see me to talk things over once -in a while. I'll be able to help you when it is time for you to go to -work. In the meantime I can find work for your father." He gave Pietro -his address, and checked the words of thanks that came pouring out. -"And this," the man went on, "will give you all a Thanksgiving dinner -as a reward for your work as guide this afternoon." - -A bill was pressed into Pietro's hand, and the men hurried on. Pietro -stood where they left him, and looked first at the bill in his hand, -and then at the two men, who turned and waved their hands as they went -round a corner. - -So it came about that the fortunes of the Vittori family took a sudden -change for the better, and there was a happy Thanksgiving dinner in -their tenement--all as a result of Pietro's cheerful readiness to be -of help three years before, when strangers were in trouble on an -Italian mountain side. - - --_John Clair Minot. - Courtesy of "The Youth's Companion"._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. Near what city did the first part of this story take place? - - 2. In what city did the second part occur? - - 3. What service did Pietro do for the travelers in the first part? - - 4. What happened to Pietro between the first and second parts of - the story? - - 5. Did Pietro do anything in the second part of the story similar - to what he did in the first? - - 6. Do you think the American gentleman had a good memory? - - 7. Pietro was very polite and obliging, wasn't he? What two good - things did he do for his family by being so? - - 8. What do you think "_Si, si, signore_" means? Why are these - three words printed in italics? - - - - -SOME PATRIOTIC MINE WORKERS - - - You should all begin reading this selection at the same moment. - - Can you read it thoroughly in thirty seconds? - - Not all the good soldiers in the American army which helped to win - the World War were in the trenches, or even in France. And they - were not all young men. See if you do not think the following - occurrence proves the truth of this statement. - -In October, 1918, shortly before the war ended, one hundred and fifty -mine workers, who had retired from service after earning enough to -support themselves in their old age, returned to the mines at -Stoneboro, Pennsylvania, when they learned of the shortage of men -during the war. They mined four thousand tons of coal while they -waited for the railway siding to be completed to the new opening where -they were to work. - - --"_Youth's Companion._" - - -QUESTIONS - - Why is it right to call these men patriotic? - - Is that kind of patriotism needed only in war time? - - - - -FATHER DOMINO - - -It was the early spring time. The snow banks were melting away, -leaving the brown earth soft enough for the flowers to push through as -soon as they felt the warmth of the sun. - -Across the high hill, which sloped down to the river, came a pair of -foxes. The splendid Silver Fox, with a black mark across the eyes like -a mask, was called Domino. The dainty little lady fox by his side, -with a red coat and an elegant ruffle of white, was Snowyruff. They -had met one day in the woods, and chosen each other for mates and -friends for life, as is the way of foxes. Now they were searching -through the woods for a place to build their home. - -Snowyruff looked about the piney glade, nosed the ground, then began -to dig. It was her way of saying, "I am satisfied. We'll set up -housekeeping here." - -She did not know that she had chosen the same sunny slope on which -Domino himself had lived as a tiny cub, but she did know that it was a -fine place for a home for a family of foxes. The hillside would be -sheltered and warm; the den door would be hidden by the pine thicket -near. - -The deep snow and deep leaves had kept the earth soft enough for her -to dig, so she worked away with a will. Domino sat on the hill and -kept guard for an hour, then he took her place and worked while -Snowyruff kept watch. So, working together, they built their home; a -cozy, well-hidden den it was, too. No eye could detect it, though -within a dozen feet; and as the warm spring sunshine set the grass -growing, it was better hidden each day. - -The pair were more and more careful not to be seen near the den. At -last one day Snowyruff said to Domino: "Keep away now!" and he kept -away from the den for days. While he was absent a wonderful thing -happened: Five little foxes were born! When Snowyruff left them to -slip down to the river for a cooling drink of water, Domino was there -on the bank watching. She said to him in plain Fox language: "You must -not come home yet," so he crouched with his head flat on the leaves, -and she hurried back to the den. - -The next day when she was hungry, she ate some of the food which they -had stored up in the dry sand of the side chamber of the den. Two days -later, she went to the door, and there was a pile of food--Domino had -stolen down and left it for her and their babies. After that, every -day, there was food at the door, or hidden in the grass near by. - -When the cubs were nine days old their eyes opened, they whimpered -less, and Snowyruff felt it safer to leave them. Domino now came in to -see his family, and a proud father he was. He guarded them with the -greatest care, and was as devoted to them as Mother Snowyruff herself. - -When they were about a month old, the little toddlers were brought out -into the sunlight in front of the den. There they romped and wrestled -and raced with each other. Sometimes they chased flies or bumble-bees, -sometimes they made a fine game of catching Mother's tail, or tussled -over a dried duck's wing. - -As the days passed and the young foxes grew stronger, Domino and -Snowyruff began teaching them to find food for themselves. Live game -was brought home each day. Sometimes a frog, or a fat field mouse, was -brought, and then turned loose for the youngsters to re-capture. Once -Domino called, "Chur-chur-chur," and when the rollicking cubs came -tumbling over one another, he dropped a live muskrat in their midst. -They pounced on it, but the muskrat was a desperate fighter. It seemed -for a time that he would win, but the father and mother only looked -on. They must let their children learn to do hard things for -themselves, so they waited until one cub was strong enough and quick -enough to lay the muskrat low. - -The happy growing days went by, and the cubs had not learned the -meaning of fear. One day Domino was returning home with food. Five -little black noses, ten little beady eyes, set in woolly heads, were -bunched at the den door. Suddenly the bay of a hound sounded near and -Domino leaped on a stump to listen. There was no mistake; the hound -was coming nearer the home place. Snowyruff warned the little ones, -and Domino loped bravely out to meet his enemy. He showed himself -boldly, and even barked defiance at the big hound, then dashed away, -leading him farther and farther from the den. - -Domino ran hard for an hour, then began trying to throw the hound off -his trail, but it was not easy. The hound was swift and keen in -following the trail, and though he doubled, crossed, and tried every -trick he knew, Domino could not throw him off. The fox ran lightly -ahead, the hound crashing heavily after him, baying loudly. At last -Domino led his enemy along a narrow ledge which ran at the edge of a -cliff overhanging the river. - -On they went. Domino was growing very tired. His steps were lagging so -that the hound was gaining upon him at every jump. Up and up they -went; Domino went slower still. The hound could see him just ahead. He -drew closer with each bound. At last Domino reached the top of the -cliff. His black coat gleamed against the sky. He could go no farther; -it was the end of the trail. The hound plunged forward, and leaped at -the fox; but Domino sprang lightly aside, and the hound plunged -headlong over the rugged cliff. He was hurled down into the icy -flood below. He swam out as best he could, battered and bleeding, and -limped home, whining with pain. Domino turned back and ran to the den, -where five little black noses, ten little beady eyes, set in five -little woolly heads, waited for their father. - -[Illustration: LIVE GAME WAS BROUGHT HOME EACH DAY] - -The hound never came back again, and the Fox family lived in peace -until the little foxes grew large enough to leave the home den and -make homes for themselves. - - --_From "Stories for Children and How to Tell Them". - Courtesy of J. Berg Esenwein._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. What kind of home does a fox build for his family? - - 2. What kind of lessons did the Fox children have to be taught? - - 3. What did Domino do that reminds you of what a human father - would do for his family? - - 4. Make a list of the things the Fox family did that seem almost - human. - - - - -THE GOOD GIANT WINS HIS FORTUNE - - - Here is just one "movie" scene, just enough to fill up this page. - If you have forgotten how to play it, refer to the directions on - page 38. - -"Ha," said the giant as he stooped down and picked up something. "Here -is the key." Then he unbolted the door and walked into the vault where -he saw chests of gold and silver arranged along the wall. He marked -dozens of them with the chalk that he had in his pocket. When he had -finished, he put a purse full of diamonds in his pocket, swung a bag -full of money over his shoulder, and went out without another word, -locking the terrified steward in. - - - - -THE MOLE AWAKES - - - One of the facts discovered by a student of nature is that every - part of an animal's body is fitted to perform its special task, - and to help the animal live in the surroundings where it finds its - home. Notice three ways in which the mole's bodily equipment is - fitted to the life he leads. - -"Dig" is expressed in every line of the mole's body. Digging is his -life-work, and to this Nature has adapted his every organ. His eyes are -of no use in this underground life, and so they have dwindled away until -externally there is little sign of them. Objects he probably never sees -with any distinctness, though he still can tell light from darkness. But -he seems to recognize light only to avoid it. In the darkness of his -tunnels not only would his eyes be useless, but dirt would be apt to get -into them while he is digging; so they are gradually leaving him. - -The ears, too, or that part of them that projects from the head, would -be in the way. So they have been discarded. The inner and most important -part of the ear, however, still remains, and the mole hears quite well. - -His most remarkable difference from ordinary animals is in the arms. -These are very short, and the hands are broad, hard, and horny, and -have very firm claws. When I catch a good, vigorous mole, I find I -scarcely have force enough in my thumb and forefinger to hold his -front feet together. He can often separate them in spite of all my -straining. His other muscles are comparatively weak. The hands have -been altered into great shovels, and when he tries to walk over -smooth, level ground or on a floor he moves with odd, quick steps, -resting on the sides and not on the palms of his hands. He reminds one -of a wound-up toy that is held in the air and allowed to run down. -But when he gets under the sod, the heaving line that forms over him -as he digs shows that there he is in his proper element. Most animals -would get dirty leading such a life, but you never see a cleaner -animal than the mole. He comes out of the loose earth and squirms -about a little, and he is clean. His smooth gray fur, shading to a -silvery hue when it is ruffled, is very short and close and -exceedingly dry. Indeed I know no animal with a more velvety coat. He -would be a delightful pet to handle were it not for his ceaseless -wriggling. Then too he carries a strong musky odor. This latter, -indeed, is his only defence and I fear it is a poor one. Certainly it -does not usually deter a dog from snapping him up. But perhaps it is -meant for his friends rather than his foes. Friendly moles may scent -each other from afar. - -The mole is a reversible machine. He can run forward or backward at -will. Probably as a result of this habit, it is wonderful how alike are -the two ends of his body, his nose and his tail. Each is slender and -each is bare; each is very sensitive, and the tail is just about as long -as the nose. I think he uses whichever happens to precede, as a feeler, -when he is making his way through his tunnel. For once having made a -good big runway, he is very apt to keep on using it through the season. -I doubt not he is often forced to travel backwards through his burrow. -Then his tail must serve him as an effective guide. - - --_From "Under the Open Sky", by S. C. Schmucker. - Courtesy of J. B. Lippincott Co._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. Explain what the author means by saying, "The mole is a - reversible machine." - - 2. How long did it take you to read this selection? - - - - -THE COUNT AND THE ROBBERS - - - Ever since the World's War began, we have heard a great deal about - Belgium, the gallant little country which saved the world, and - Holland, her sturdy neighbor which stayed neutral. Both these small - countries were once called the Netherlands. "Nether" means "lower"; - you can see how suitable a name "lower lands" is for a country that - is much of it below sea level. Until the fifteenth century this - country had no one ruler, but was cut up into many little parts, - each governed by a duke or count. Here is the story of a kind count, - who ruled in one part of the land in the twelfth century. - -In the twelfth century there ruled in Bruges a certain Count Bordewyn, -whose fathers had reigned for many years before him. Bruges, in those -days, was one of the most important centres of the Netherlands, and -the count was a kind and good man whose only thought was to make his -people happy. In order that they might not be afraid to tell him their -needs, he went about among them dressed as a farmer and a peasant; and -they, thinking he was one of themselves, spoke out freely in his -presence. One night he left his castle, and, poorly dressed, went out -into the country to see if there was any good he could do. It was a -dark, cold night, and after walking for some time he was glad to see -the lights of a house in the distance. When he reached the building, -he knocked at the door and went in. He found himself at a -wedding-party given by a farmer whose daughter had been married that -day. The good count was very happy to be of the party, and without -letting the people know who he was, he sat down with them and sang and -feasted. It was very late when they, much against their will, let him -leave them, and he walked back through the lonely country, making -plans for his people's happiness. - -Suddenly he heard a whistle, and five men rushed out from a clump of -trees and threw themselves upon him. The Count struggled to the trees, -set his back against one and prepared to fight. The robbers were armed -with knives, but the Count had only a big stick. On they rushed at -him. He struck at the first one with all his strength, and hit him so -hard that he fell to the ground. Another one crept up to his side, and -would have cut his head open; but the Count turned quickly, and, -catching the stroke on his stick, snatched the knife from the robber's -hand, and with a blow sent him to join his comrade senseless on the -ground. This left three against one, and the Count felt his strength -giving way under their blows. Still full of courage, he swung the -stick round his head to keep the wretches at a distance, and, as -loudly as he could, he prayed to God to send him help. At this moment -he saw dimly outlined against the darkness a human figure. In its -hands it wielded a strange weapon, which soon was falling again and -again on the heads and shoulders of the three bandits until they took -to their heels and ran. At first the Count thought it was some angel -from heaven come to his help, but as the figure drew nearer he saw -that it was a farmer, and that the mysterious weapon was a flail. - -The Count and the farmer embraced each other, and for a moment did not -speak. Then said the Count, "My brave fellow! How can I thank you? You -have saved my life!" - -But the farmer would not listen to his thanks; "No, no," said he; "I -have done only what you would have done for me in the same -circumstances, and nothing more need be said. I take it that you are a -merchant earning a living for your wife and family, as I try to do for -mine." - -But the Count insisted that the farmer should ask some favor. -"Listen!" said he; "I am in the service of the Count, and perhaps can -do you some great good." - -[Illustration: THE ROBBERS WERE ARMED WITH KNIVES] - -For a time the farmer was silent, and then, hesitating very much, he -told the Count his dearest wish. "For thirty years I have worked on a -piece of land; with this flail I have beaten the corn, and I have -loved the farm as my child. Yesterday my master died, and the land -will pass into strange hands and out of my care." - -The Count had listened quietly to his story, and at last spoke: "But, -my friend, this is not such a difficult matter. How would you like the -land for your own?" - -The poor farmer wept with emotion. "Really, is it possible that you -have such influence?" said he. - -"Come to the castle to-morrow," said the Count, "and ask for the -Captain of the Guard." - -And the farmer, mystified and wondering, went slowly home. When his -wife opened the door, she was very angry with him for being so late; -but Cornelius--that was the farmer's name--explained what had -happened, and although the wife could scarcely believe that such good -fortune could be theirs, yet they went to bed full of hope. - -At daybreak Cornelius dressed in his best and set off for the castle, -followed by the prayers and blessings of his wife. When he arrived he -was so frightened that he could hardly speak to the big soldiers who -guarded the door, but at last he gave his message and asked to see the -Captain. He followed the soldier into a splendid hall richly hung with -tapestries, and soon the man whose life he had saved came into the -room. He was dressed so beautifully in silk and cloth of gold that -Cornelius hardly recognized him, and when he did he was afraid to ask -his question. But his friend told him not to fear, that the Count was -favorable to him. - -He led the trembling Cornelius through many rooms and at last stopped -outside a big door. "In this hall you will see the Count. Ask for what -you wish," he said. - -But Cornelius said he was so much afraid that he dared not ask. -"Besides, how shall I know the Count from all his followers?" he -inquired. - -And the answer was that all the people in the room would kneel, -bare-headed, except Count Bordewyn himself. So Cornelius followed his -guide into the great hall where all the Court was assembled in -grandeur, and, looking round him, he perceived that the only persons -standing were himself and the man whose life he had saved. Seeing -this, he at once knew that this man was the Count, and he flung -himself on his knees and begged forgiveness for his presumption in -speaking to him as he had done. But the Count, taking his hands, -raised him to his feet and embraced him, and telling his Court the -history of the previous night, he commanded them to treat Cornelius -with every respect. He gave him the farm and land for his own, and -stocked it with grain and cattle. - - --_From "A Peep at the Netherlands," - by Beatrix Jungman._ - - - 1. What was the Count's object in going about in disguise? - - 2. What do you think he gained by it? - - 3. What risks did he run? - - 4. Do you think the farmer deserved so great a reward? - - 5. What is a _flail_? You can find out from the story, without - using a dictionary. - - 6. Do you suppose the Count's people loved him? Why? - - 7. What difference do you see between the way the subjects of the - Count treated him in his castle and the way Americans would treat - their mayor, governor, or president? - - 8. Name the three scenes in this story. - - - - -WHAT THE EARLIEST MEN DID FOR US - - - You are now going to read a chapter of history. It will help you - to see how our ancestors learned some things that are very common - to us today, but which had to be learned before the wonderful - comforts we enjoy were possible. - - You will like to study history if you keep in mind that it does - not just tell of something that happened a long time ago, but that - it shows how our civilization with its homes and schools and - churches and government and our great railroads and steamships and - factories came into existence. The thing we call civilization has - grown and changed in thousands of years much as you have grown and - changed in the few years that you can remember. - - You will need to read this selection very carefully. Your teacher - will ask you the questions at the end and probably a good many - more. See if you can read it the first time so thoroughly that you - can answer all the questions. It will help you very much if you - will write topics as you go along. In the fourth paragraph you - will find a list of things that man has always needed. If you use - each of these things as a heading and under it make a list of the - steps of man's progress, you will probably find that you have - mastered the selection. - -History is the story of what men have done in the past. It was not -until men had learned how to write that they could keep a record of -what they did. But men lived upon the earth for many thousand years -before they knew how to write. In that early time they learned how to -do many things which we are still doing and to make many things which -we are still making and using. In these ways they did much to make -life what it is for us. - -How is it possible for us to know anything about what life was like in -those ancient times when men could not write? Did you ever find an -Indian arrow-head? Perhaps you have seen a collection of stone -arrow-heads and axes. These relics and others like them tell us many -things about the people who made them. Then there are people now -living, like the natives of Australia or some of the tribes of -American Indians, who still use, or used until very recently, these -crude stone implements, and who live very much as our own ancestors -lived many thousand years ago. - -The earliest men lived but little better than the animals in the -forest about them. They were without shelter or clothing and had only -such food as they could find from day to day. Men have either found or -made everything that we now have. Early man possessed a great -advantage over all the animals because he had a better brain and a -wonderful pair of hands with which he could make the weapons, tools, -and other things that he needed. - -Men have always needed food, shelter, clothing, and the means of -protection against the dangers around them. It took our early -ancestors many thousand years to learn how to provide themselves with -these simple necessities of life. - -At first men lived upon the roots, herbs, wild berries, and fruits in -the forest. Sometimes they found birds' nests in the trees and ate the -eggs or the young birds. Occasionally they found a dead bird or animal -and thus learned to like the taste of flesh. They hunted for shellfish -by the seashore and caught fish in the streams and lakes. Then they -began to kill the smaller animals with stones or clubs and in this way -they became meat eaters. When men had learned how to make knives, -spears, and bows and arrows, they could kill the larger animals and -get a better supply of food. - -For a long time all food was eaten raw, because the use of fire was -unknown. We do not know how man discovered fire. He may have kindled it -first from a tree set aflame by the lightning. By and by he found that a -spark could be produced by striking two stones together in the right -way or that he could make a fire by rubbing two pieces of wood together. - -The making of fire was one of the most wonderful inventions in the -world. Men could now cook their food. At first they roasted bits of -meat before the blaze or in the hot ashes. Later, when they had -learned how to make vessels that would hold water, they began to boil -all kinds of food over the fire. - -For a long time men procured their food by hunting, trapping, and -fishing. During this time they began to capture and tame the young of -some of the wild animals. Probably the dog was the first domestic -animal. The cow was also domesticated at a very early period. Man used -her meat and milk for food and her skin for clothing. He made tools and -implements out of her bones and horns. No other animal has been more -useful to him. The goat and the sheep, the hog and the ass, and later -the horse, were tamed by early men long before real history began. After -these animals had been domesticated by the hunters and trappers, some -men became shepherds and herdsmen and wandered from place to place with -their flocks and herds in search of the best pastures. - -Presently another step was taken toward civilized life. Men had long -known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good -to eat. Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang -up and brought forth many more seeds. Then it was discovered that the -seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were -broken up and made soft before the seed was sown. Because of these -discoveries some men began to be farmers. By cultivation, the wild -grasses which grew in the fields or beside the rivers were developed -into wheat, oats, barley, and rice, the great cereals of the world. - -When men began to procure their food by cultivating the soil it became -necessary for them to remain in the same place in order to gather the -harvest when it ripened. They could no longer wander from place to -place as they had done when they were only hunters or shepherds. They -now began to live in permanent villages and to cultivate the land -lying near by. In this way the beginning of farming led to a settled -life and the making of permanent homes. - -Probably the earliest men had only such shelter from the rain and -protection from wild animals as the trees gave them. After a time men -began to live in dens and caves in the earth. These people are called -the "cave dwellers". Still later men built huts by bending young trees -together, weaving branches between them, and covering the whole -structure with leaves and bark. When the hut was built of poles covered -with the skins of animals it became a tent. Many of the people who -wandered from place to place with their flocks and herds dwelt in tents. - -When men settled near the fields that they were beginning to cultivate, -they built permanent homes of stone plastered with mud or of bricks made -of clay and dried in the sun. The roofs were covered with brush or -timber. Then fire places and rude chimneys were added to these simple -houses, and in other ways man's dwelling place was gradually improved. - -The first clothing was probably made from the leaves of trees or from -grasses matted together. When man became a good hunter he wore the skins -of the animals that he killed. The ancestors of all of us were once clad -in skins. The women of those early days used to cure the skins of small -animals by drying them. They then made garments of them by sewing them -together with needles of bone and the sinews of animals for thread. - -The women scraped and worked the large skins until they were soft and -pliable. These they used for clothing, or for blankets, or for the -covering of their tents. Still later, the women learned to spin yarn -from wool sheared from the sheep and from the thread of the flax which -they were beginning to raise. The next step was to weave the yarn and -the thread into woolen and linen cloth. - -It was because early man had the mind to invent and the hands to make -the weapons, tools, and utensils which he needed that he was able to -make such progress in procuring food, shelter, and clothing. - -Man's first weapon was a club. A stone which he used to crack nuts -with probably was his earliest tool. At first he simply found stones -of the right shape for his purpose. Then he began to chip a piece of -flint until it had a rough edge. Now he had a hatchet as well as a -hammer. Because he held this hatchet in his hand it has been called a -fist-hatchet. A great many of these fist-hatchets have been found. In -the course of time man learned how to use thongs of rawhide to bind -handles to his fist-hatchets. Now he had axes and spears. - -It was a great day in the long climb toward civilized ways of living -when some unknown inventor made the first bow. With arrows tipped with -sharp bits of stone, man could now kill the larger animals. Stone knives -were used to skin the game. Flint scrapers and other implements were -very useful in scraping and softening the skins to fit them for use. - -By using pieces of flint with rough edges as saws and files, men began -to make tools of horn, bones, and shells. They now possessed daggers -and hammers of horn and awls and needles of bone. - -[Illustration: THE EVOLUTION OF THE HOUSE] - -For many thousand years, stone arrow-heads, knives, and axes were made -with rough, chipped edges. This time is sometimes called the Old Stone -Age. When men had learned to make better tools of their stone knives -and axes by grinding and polishing them to a smooth, sharp edge, they -had entered upon the New Stone Age. - -The next great forward step in human progress was taken when men -discovered metals and began to use them. Copper was the first metal -used, but it was soon found that it was too soft for making many -articles. - -Presently it was discovered that if a little tin were mixed with the -copper it made a harder metal called bronze. So many weapons, tools, -and ornaments were made of bronze that the time when it was used is -called the Bronze Age. - -Iron is the most useful of all the metals. It is much harder than -bronze and better suited in every way for making tools and implements. -It took man a long time to learn how to use it, because it is not so -easy to work as copper and bronze. When man made this "king of metals" -his servant, he traveled a long, long way on the road which leads to -civilization. - -The men invented the weapons and some of the tools of the earliest -ages. But it is probable that the women first made many useful tools -and utensils. Women wove the first baskets to use in gathering and -carrying berries, nuts, and other articles of food. They used to cover -fish with clay in order to bake them in the coals and they noticed how -the fires hardened the clay. Then by molding clay over baskets so that -they could be hung over the fire, women gradually learned how to make -earthenware pots and bowls. Afterwards they cut spoons, ladles, and -drinking cups from shells, gourds, and the horns of animals. In these -ways our foremothers made their first cooking utensils and their first -dishes for holding and serving food and drink. - -[Illustration: CLAY BOWLS AND WOVEN BASKETS] - -Women were not only the first basket-makers and potters. They were -also the first spinners and weavers. They ground the first grain into -flour with mortars and pestles of stone. Later they made simple mills -for this purpose. In fact, women who lived before the dawn of history, -began nearly all the household arts and crafts and in this way helped -all the people who have lived since then. - -Our earliest ancestors, like ourselves, found it necessary to carry -things from place to place. But they lived long before the days of the -railroad and the steamship. The first burdens were borne by the women. -They followed the men who hunted, and carried the meat and the hides -of the slain animals back to the camp. After the dog, the donkey, and -the horse had been tamed, articles to be transported were packed upon -their backs or dragged upon the ground behind them. Sleds were made in -the northern lands. Canoes and boats were built by the dwellers by the -rivers and the sea. Last of all, the wheeled cart was invented. All -these things are older than history. - -We often call our own time the age of invention. The steam engine, the -telegraph, and the many uses of electricity are all modern. They have -made wonderful changes in our ways of living. But these changes in our -lives are not as remarkable as were those made in the lives of our -earliest ancestors so long ago by such inventions as the fishhook and -the bow and arrow, and such discoveries as how to make fire, how to -make pottery, how to domesticate animals and plants, and how to smelt -and work the metals. - -Nowadays children have homes and are cared for by their parents. Among -the very earliest men there was nothing like our homes or our -families. Each person found his own food and took care of himself. Of -course, mothers cared for their babies, but nobody took care of a -child after he was large enough to find his own food. Then he had to -shift for himself. When he wanted his breakfast or his dinner he dug -roots or hunted for berries, nuts, or acorns. Sometimes he feasted -upon birds' eggs or upon a rabbit or a squirrel which he had caught. -The honey which he found in the nests of the wild bees was his only -candy and he was apt to get well stung in taking it. He lived in -constant fear of the wild animals around him and usually slept in a -tree for safety. He spent his entire life in this way. - -There are many things that people can do better by working together. -It took many years for early men to learn to help one another. When -they became cave dwellers and learned how to make fire, the first -family group began to be formed. This group was called the clan. The -clan simply means those who were kin to each other; that is, a number -of men and women who believed that they were descended from a common -ancestor. At first the common ancestor was a woman, the clan mother. -In those days, relationship was always counted on the mother's side. -When a man married he went to live with the clan of his wife. In the -course of time groups of clans came to be called tribes. - -[Illustration: THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPORTATION] - -A long time later, after the animals had been domesticated and men had -come to own flocks and herds and other things that we call property, the -father became the head of the family, as we know it today. Our kind of a -family with the father as its head existed before history began. - -Words had to be invented, just as tools were. At first men had no -language. Very slowly they gave names to the things about them and -learned to talk to each other. Mothers sang jingles and lullabies to -their babies. Around the campfire at night men told how they had -hunted the wild beasts. Women talked as they gathered and prepared -food or dressed the skins of the wild animals. Mothers wanted their -children to be brave and wise, so they told them stories about the -bravest and wisest of their clan in the olden time. Perhaps this is -why children, and older people too for that matter, have always been -fond of stories. In these ways languages grew and the simple -beginnings of literature were made. - -People have always been fond of ornaments. The earliest men wore -necklaces of teeth and claws. Later they made beads of bronze or of -gold. The women tried to make their baskets and their clothes as -beautiful as possible by coloring them with natural dyes. Some of the -men liked to draw pictures of wild animals upon pieces of bone or upon -the walls of their homes in the caves. People learned to count upon -their fingers, and to use various parts of their bodies, like the -finger, the hand, and the arm, as measures of length. For example, the -cubit of which we read in the Bible was the distance from the elbow to -the end of the middle finger. Our arts and sciences have grown from -such crude and simple beginnings. - -Our early ancestors lived in fear of many things about them. They -thought that fire, the rivers, the sea, the sun, and many other -natural objects were alive and could harm them or help them. So they -offered gifts to all these things and prayed to them for help. Early -men also believed that the souls of their ancestors lived after death, -and that these ancestors could help them or harm them. They thought -that if they offered gifts of food, and drink at the graves of their -dead, the spirits of the departed would be pleased and would protect -the living members of their families. If, on the other hand, the dead -were neglected or forgotten they would become evil spirits who might -bring great misfortune upon the living. They also thought that if the -dead were not properly buried they would become ghosts, haunting the -places they had known when they were alive. Because of these ideas -early men were very careful to worship their ancestors. The first -religions of the world grew out of these beliefs and practices of -primitive men with reference to nature and to their own ancestors. - - --_From "Our Beginnings in Europe and America", - by Smith Burnham. - Courtesy of The John C. Winston Co._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. Make a list of the things in everyday life which we take for - granted as necessities which the earliest men had to learn how to - make. - - 2. What was the earliest important discovery made by man? Do you - think this was as important as the discovery of electricity? Why? - Name any inventions that have come into common use within your own - or your parents' lifetime. - - 3. Before man discovered fire, what did he eat? Mention two steps - by which he came to have better food to eat. - - 4. Mention in order five kinds of dwellings which the early men - lived in, and three kinds of clothing which they wore. - - 5. What useful things did women do in these early days? - - 6. Why is your hand more useful than the paw of an animal? - - 7. From what source did each article of food on your dinner table - to-day come? How many people had something to do with this food - before it reached you? - - 8. Compare the clothing of people to-day with that of primitive - man. Are we more or less dependent on others for food and clothing - than primitive man? - - 9. We are still making new words. Make a list of words that have - come into use since the World War began. - - - - -TRY THIS - - - This nonsense test must be worked out carefully or it may fool - you. You will need only a small piece of paper for your answers. - -1. If your name is Geraldine, or if you are not yet past 37 years of -age, or - - "If lollypops grow on butternut trees - And godgillies ride on the galloping breeze"-- - -sign your name anywhere on your paper. Then, if you have signed your -name, never mind the second paragraph, but skip to the third. - -2. Rub out your name and write the name of the first president of the -United States in its stead. Then take the remaining paragraph. - -3. Write your name again in some other part of your paper and hand it -in. - - - - -PUTTING WORDS WHERE THEY BELONG - - -Arrange your paper with your name on the first line and your grade on -the second line. Divide the rest of your paper into four parts with -lines drawn as shown below. Let the lines be drawn up as far as the -third line of your paper. - - SHIP BUILDING | AGRICULTURE | MINING | MANUFACTURING - | | | - | | | - | | | - | | | - | | | - | | | - -Write the words, SHIP BUILDING, AGRICULTURE, MINING, MANUFACTURING, at -the top of the four spaces on the fourth line, as shown above. - -Below is a long list of words that is not very well arranged. On your -paper re-arrange the words so that every word that concerns SHIP -BUILDING is placed in the first list, and every word that concerns -AGRICULTURE is placed in the second list, and every word that concerns -MINING or MANUFACTURING is placed in its proper list. If you finish -before the others wait quietly for them to complete their work. - - ore crane mast dock - mill loom bulkheads blast - weaving cultivation drill crop - irrigation keel fertilizer carpets - launch safety-lamp silk dyes - reaping lace soil rigging - riveter pick pump cave-in - shaft spinning anchor shuttle - miner steel plates elevator sowing - harvester grain textiles tractor - - - - -MAKING MONEY EARN MONEY - - -The table given below tells how much your savings will amount to at -four per cent interest compounded semi-annually. One dollar a month is -a little less than twenty-five cents a week. From this table, answer -the following questions: - -1. If you save one dollar a month, how much will you have in three -years? Five years? Eight years? Ten years? - -2. If you save four dollars a month--less than a dollar a week--how -much will you have in six years? Ten years? - -3. If you save ten dollars a month, how much will you have in seven -years? Ten years? - -4. If you save five dollars a month for ten years, will you have more -or less than if you save ten dollars a month for five years? - -5. Can you explain to the class how to read the table? - - ------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------- - Monthly savings. | 1 year | 2 years | 3 years | 4 years | 5 years - ------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------- - $1 | $12.24 | $24.98 | $38.24 | $52.03 | $66.39 - $2 | 24.48 | 49.96 | 76.48 | 104.06 | 132.77 - $3 | 36.73 | 74.94 | 114.71 | 156.10 | 199.16 - $4 | 48.97 | 99.93 | 152.95 | 208.13 | 265.55 - $5 | 61.21 | 124.91 | 191.19 | 260.16 | 331.94 - $10 | 122.42 | 249.81 | 382.38 | 520.32 | 663.87 - ------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------- - - ------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------- - Monthly savings. | 6 years | 7 years | 8 years | 9 years |10 years - ------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------- - $1 | $81.32 | $96.87 | $113.04 | $129.83 | $147.35 - $2 | 162.65 | 193.74 | 226.09 | 259.67 | 294.70 - $3 | 243.97 | 290.61 | 339.13 | 389.50 | 442.05 - $4 | 325.30 | 387.48 | 452.18 | 519.34 | 589.39 - $5 | 406.62 | 484.35 | 565.22 | 649.17 | 736.74 - $10 | 813.25 | 968.89 |1,130.45 |1,298.35 |1,473.48 - ------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------- - - --_From "Fifteen Lessons in Thrift"._ - - - - -HEROES OF HISTORY - - -There were four children at the big second-story window that looked -out over the broad avenue where the historical pageant was to pass; -four children in very high spirits. Of course they were excited and -happy; it was a wonderful place for seeing, and it was a wonderful -parade that they were to watch--a celebration of the ending of the -great World's War. The procession was to take the form of a series of -groups of figures representing great persons from the history of the -five important nations that had been allies in the struggle. Alfred -and Betty and Francis and Dick had been talking for days about the -great event. They were sure that they would enjoy it, for though -Alfred, the oldest, was not thirteen yet, and Dick, the baby, was but -seven, they all thought they knew something about history. And if they -weren't able to recognize all the characters in the pageant, they need -only ask Aunt Eleanor, who sat with them in the group at the window. - -From far up the street came the sound of a band, and all the watchers -stood on tiptoe or craned their necks to catch the first glimpse of the -marching lines. It was a regimental band, with the colors carried -proudly. How everyone cheered for the lines of khaki soldiers who -followed next! Then noisy enthusiasm gave place to eager and interested -questions about the first historical group. And nobody in all the -watching crowd had more questions to ask than our windowful of children. - -The center of the strangely costumed company was a blonde, bearded, -kingly figure, wearing a crown of gold, a coat of mail, and a long, -flowing cloak. One hand was on the jeweled hilt of his sword; the -other clasped to his breast a parchment-bound book. Behind him were -two attendants. Aunt Eleanor, watching her charges with as much -interest as they watched the street, saw that they looked puzzled, -though Alfred was trying to pretend that he knew the name of the king. - -"You ought to feel honored, Alfred," said Aunt Eleanor. "That splendid -looking Englishman has the same name as you." - -"Of course," said the boy, pretending that he had understood all the -time. "It's Alfred the Great. He," turning loftily to the younger -children, who couldn't be expected to know so much, "was the first -really important king of England. He was a great fighter, and finally -conquered all his enemies. But once he had to run away, after a battle, -and hide in a peasant's hut in disguise. The woman there didn't know who -he was, and she went away and left him to watch some cakes that were on -the fire baking. He was so busy thinking about how to get his kingdom -back that he let them burn, and when she came back she scolded him." - -"Those queer round things that the other man is carrying on that -wooden tray must be the cakes," exclaimed Betty. - -"Yes," said their aunt. "And do you see the musician with the harp? That -is to remind us that King Alfred was fond of music, and did all he could -to help it flourish. He was more than just a fighter; he wanted his -people to learn all they could, so he started schools, and he founded -Oxford College, the oldest college in England. Don't you see the book in -his hand to show that he was fond of reading? It was very unusual in -those days, a thousand years ago, for even a king so much as to know how -to read. But right after him in the procession is another warrior king -who loved learning and music and all the arts of peace." - -And sure enough, as King Alfred of England passed out of sight, there -followed another kingly figure, very tall and clad all in iron. -Helmet, shield, gloves, boots--all were iron, and the wearer was -terrible to look at, so strong and merciless he seemed. Behind him -came a group of horsemen carrying iron spears with glittering points -and with gay banners fluttering from their shafts. - -"Well," said Betty, "he may have loved peace, but he doesn't look it. -Who is he, anyway?" - -"He represents the first great king of France, Charlemagne, a name -that means Charles the Great. He lived at about the same time with -Alfred. He was a great conqueror and overcame all his neighbors. He -even led a huge army across the Alps and conquered the northern part -of Italy. There he had himself crowned with a famous Iron Crown that -was worn by the king of that country. But when he was not fighting he -was building beautiful palaces and chapels, and encouraging all the -learned men of the country." - -"There seem to be a lot of soldiers in this parade," said -nine-year-old Francis, "Here comes another. Who's he?" - -"He must be a Crusader," said Betty, "for he has a red cross on his -white cloak, and armor underneath it." - -"He's a king, too," said little Dick. "He's got a crown on. What's a -Crusader, Auntie? And is he one?" - -"The Crusaders lived about three hundred years later than Alfred and -Charlemagne. In that time the Turks--yes, the same kind of Turks whom -you have heard about as persecuting the poor little Armenian -children--had come into possession of the Holy Land in Palestine. All -the Christian countries wanted to drive them out, so that heathen -might not be in possession of Jerusalem and the Holy Sepulcher. So -from France and Italy and Germany and England great armies went out -to fight against the Saracens, as the Turks in Palestine were then -called. And they wore red crosses on their cloaks to show that they -were going on a holy war." - -"Did they get the land back?" asked Francis. - -"Why, no, silly," cried Alfred. "Don't you remember just last year -General Allenby conquered Jerusalem, in the big war? The Turks had -been there all that time. But wasn't that Crusader," nodding toward -the rider disappearing in the distance, "somebody special?" - -"Yes, indeed. You aren't the only boy here that has a king's name. -This was a king with the same name as Dick--Richard of England, whom -his people loved to call the Lion Hearted, because he was so brave. I -could tell by the banner with the lion on it that floated above his -head. There are lots of fine stories about King Richard. One tells how -he was captured by an enemy on the way home from one of the Crusades -and kept shut up in a tower for a year; and how he was found and -rescued by a friend of his who was a sweet singer, and who went about -singing a little song that the king loved, until at last he heard the -king's voice sing in answer to him from the tower window. Then there's -a story of how he came back to England in disguise, and kept his -wicked brother John from stealing his throne. Some day you must read -Sir Walter Scott's famous novel, 'Ivanhoe,' which tells all about the -adventures of Richard in disguise." - -A convenient gap in the procession had given Aunt Eleanor time to tell -the children this much about King Richard; but now another group, a very -soberly dressed company, too, claimed their attention. The central -figure was not a king in armor this time, but a grave, determined -looking man clad in black velvet, with a deep lace collar and a wide -black hat and feather. The children at once demanded his name. - -"I must look at my program to find out who he is," said their aunt. -"Oh, yes; William of Orange. Both he and his little country, Holland, -have a wonderful story. Five hundred years ago the lands that are now -Belgium and Holland belonged to Spain. As time went on the Spanish -king, Philip, oppressed them more and more cruelly, and wouldn't let -them have any freedom at all, either in politics or religion. But they -were a liberty-loving people, and toward the end of the sixteenth -century they rose in rebellion against Spain. This stern-looking -Hollander was their greatest leader. He was called William the Silent, -because of an event early in his career. One day the French king, who -was in league with Spain, and who thought Prince William was in -sympathy with their side, betrayed to him all the details of a secret -plot. William was filled with horror and very angry, but he kept -perfectly still, and didn't even show by the movement of an eyelash -that he was anything but friendly and interested. He was called -'silent', you see, not because he didn't talk much, but because he -could keep a secret." - -"And was that when Holland and Belgium got to be independent -countries? And why aren't they all one country, then?" - -"Oh, the part that is Holland won its independence then, though poor -William was murdered before the fight was finished. It was one of the -earliest of European republics. But the part that is Belgium came to -terms with Spain after William's death, and wasn't a separate country -till long after. You see, the Holland part was made up of people of the -Protestant religion, while the Belgian part, like Spain, was Catholic." - -"I suppose that's why he's in this procession, because when he lived -he really belonged to Belgium as well as to Holland," said Alfred -thoughtfully. - -"Oh!" cried Betty, clapping her hands, "I know who that next lot are! -The lady in the ruff, with the little jeweled band in her hair, must -be Queen Elizabeth, and those are her courtiers. Now every one of us -has a namesake in the pageant, except Francis." - -"If I'm not mistaken," said her aunt, "Francis has a namesake in this -very group. Yes, surely--do you see the man with the pointed beard and -the model of a ship in his hand? That is Sir Francis Drake, the great -seaman. Over and over his little ship went in chase of the Spaniards, -who were England's greatest enemies at this time. Elizabeth ruled at -the same time when the Dutch, too, were fighting Spain. There was -nothing too daring or dangerous for Drake to attempt. He was the first -Englishman to sail around the world, a voyage which took more than two -years. Once he sailed right into a Spanish harbor and burned all the -Spanish ships there, which were being made ready for an attack on -England. And he and his friends, bold adventurers like himself, laid -the foundation of the power of England on the sea." - -"I suppose the man with the red velvet cloak is Raleigh, and that's -the cloak he spread down for Elizabeth to walk on." - -"Yes. And do you see that kind, merry-looking man in black, with the -simple white collar, carrying an actor's mask in his hand? That must -be Shakespeare, the greatest writer of plays that ever lived. And I -believe the man beside him, holding a great roll of manuscript and a -quill pen, is Spenser, the poet who wrote a wonderful book called the -'Faerie Queen' in honor of Queen Elizabeth." - -"We've had somebody from France and Belgium and England," said Betty. -"I wonder if there won't be an American pretty soon?" - -"There couldn't have been an American yet, stupid," Alfred informed -her, "because there weren't any people in our part of America in Queen -Elizabeth's time." - -"Oh, so there weren't. There comes a soldier with an Indian chief and -an Indian girl close behind him--he must be American, or the Indians -wouldn't be there." - -"Guess he's John Smith," spoke up Francis, "'cause I know he had his -life saved by Pocahontas--that's the Indian girl. But I don't know -what else he did." - -"Oh, he was the leader of the first colony to be settled by the English -in this country. What colony was it, Alfred? You can tell, surely." - -"Of course, Jamestown, in Virginia. That was why the Indians got mad -at him, because the white men were taking their lands away." - -A burst of specially enthusiastic cheering arose from the street. The -reason for it was the approach of a kindly-faced gentleman in dark -gray coat and knee-breeches, with silver shoe-buckles and -broad-brimmed Quaker hat. It was William Penn, of course, looking for -all the world like the statue on the high City Hall tower. There was -no need for Aunt Eleanor to give any information about him, for these -were Philadelphia children, who knew and loved the founder of the -"green country town" that had grown to be so large a city. Nor was -there any need to explain about the next figure to arrive, a stately -general on horseback, in white wig, cocked hat, and Revolutionary -uniform of blue and buff. Behind him, in an old-fashioned carriage, -rode Betsy Ross, holding the newly adopted Stars and Stripes, at which -the men in the crowd doffed their hats. - -But the next figure puzzled our little group of children. It was a -very short man, stockily built, yet full of dignity. He, too, wore a -cocked hat, and a plain uniform. He walked with head bent forward and -hands clasped behind him, and his piercing black eyes looked at the -ground. The children could not guess who he was, so Aunt Eleanor had -to tell them. - -"That is the great French conquerer Napoleon Bonaparte. He began life as -an ordinary citizen, and won his way to the very top by his wonderful -military genius. He won so many battles in command of the French armies, -after the French Revolution at the end of the eighteenth century, that -the people chose him to be consul, a position something like that of the -president of a republic. Then he loved power so that he got control of -the government and had himself made emperor, so that France wasn't a -republic any more. After that he set out to conquer all of Europe, and -he nearly succeeded. But one winter he went to Russia, and the cold and -snow almost entirely destroyed his army; and he never could succeed in -beating England. It was the great English general, the Duke of -Wellington, who finally crushed Napoleon at the battle of -Waterloo--you've heard of that? Well, after that the fallen Emperor was -sent away to a little island, St. Helena, that belonged to England, and -there he was kept a prisoner till the end of his life." - -"He was something like the German Kaiser in the World's War, wasn't -he?" said Alfred. "He wanted to conquer all Europe--and the United -States, too." - -"Yes, you'll learn that every once in so often history repeats itself. -But we'll hope that the Kaiser's effort to conquer the world will be -the last of such things, and that such a war may never be repeated." - -"Oh, who is that rough looking man in the red flannel shirt?" cried -Betty. - -"That very red shirt tells me who he is," said her aunt. "Have you -been wondering when we were going to have one of the heroes of Italy? -Well, this is an Italian patriot named Garibaldi. About sixty years -ago, when Italy was struggling to get free from Austria, and to be an -independent nation, Garibaldi gathered together as many brave soldiers -as he could, in the southern part of the country, and they marched to -the help of their countrymen in a time of very great need. As a part -of their uniform they wore red shirts. But one of the most interesting -things about Garibaldi is that when his country wanted to give him a -high position, he said he would rather go back to the farm he had -bought for himself, and live his life out as a plain, ordinary man." - -Little Dick had been keeping very still and listening, for all the -people in the parade had been those that he never had heard of before. -But suddenly he jumped to his feet in excitement. He, like every other -child in the crowd, knew who was that tall, awkward, homely person in -the long black frock coat and the high silk hat. There could be no -mistaking that kind, sad face, with the patient, farseeing eyes. -Behind the great president rode two soldierly figures--General Grant -in his blue uniform, and General Lee in the gray, on his beloved white -horse, Traveller. Nor could there be any mistaking of the energetic -figure in hunting dress that followed him, whose face wore a smile -that could not be spoiled by the heavy eyeglasses that were so -familiar a part of a well-known countenance. - -"Teddy," cheered the crowd, with the enthusiasm that always is stirred -by true, generous manliness. - -The afternoon was growing late. One group remained, with which the -procession was to close. On horseback rode a tall, soldierly figure, -dressed in khaki, with an officer's hat bearing royal insignia, and with -his breast covered with medals. A pair of keen blue eyes smiled out of a -clear-cut, earnest face. Behind him, in an automobile, rode a thin, worn -old man in the scarlet robe and close scarlet cap of a cardinal. - -"I need not tell you who they are," said Aunt Eleanor. "They stand to -us for the little country that in 1914 saved the world by sacrificing -herself. King Albert of Belgium led his own armies into battle; his -queen, Elizabeth, nursed the wounded in the hospitals; and Cardinal -Mercier stayed with his people to cheer and comfort them." - -"I think they are the greatest heroes of all," said Betty softly. - -"Any man is a hero, dear," said her aunt, "who spends his life for the -help and safety of his people, not thinking what it costs himself." - - --_Mabel Dodge Holmes._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. Make a list of the heroes whom you can remember in the - procession. - - 2. Was there any one of them whom you did not know about before? - - 3. Which one would you like to read more about? - - 4. Do you know any facts about any of these heroes that are not - told in this story? If so, write a title for the story you can - tell, and be ready to tell it to your classmates. - - 5. Do you know the name of any hero whom you would have added to - those in the procession? - - 6. Some of the figures are not mentioned by name. Give the names - of any of these you remember. - - - - -THE SKELETON IN ARMOR - - - In the poem that follows, the poet tells us of a strange and fearful - visitor that once came to him--the spirit of some ancient viking of - the Northland all dressed in armor and carrying sword and shield. - - In order to understand the poem, you must remember that the vikings - were bold sea-rovers and fierce warriors who set out in their long - swift boats in search after plunder and adventure. Some of them are - even said to have come over to America long before Columbus ever - dreamed of the new world. The poem was suggested to Mr. Longfellow - by the finding of a skeleton clad in broken and rusted armor and - buried in the sands of the New England shore, and by a very ancient - tower that must have been built on the coast by the Northmen many - years before 1492. These two facts are true, but of course the story - that the poet made of them is merely a good story. - - The poet's strange guest is one of these sea-robbers, who tells how - as a youth he had won the love of a blue-eyed princess of the far - North, only to find that her father forbade their marriage. In the - first stanza the poet asks a question; the rest of the poem tells - what the spirit of the viking said. - - But you will want to read the story as the poet has told it. - - "Speak! speak! thou fearful guest! - Who, with they hollow breast - Still in rude armor drest, - Comest to daunt me! - Wrapt not in Eastern balms, - But with thy fleshless palms - Stretched, as if asking alms, - Why dost thou haunt me?" - - "Then, from those cavernous eyes - Pale flashes seemed to rise, - As when the Northern skies - Gleam in December; - And, like the water's flow - Under December's snow, - Came a dull voice of woe - From the heart's chamber. - - "I was a Viking old! - My deeds, though manifold, - No Skald in song has told, - No Saga taught thee! - Take heed, that in thy verse - Thou dost the tale rehearse, - Else dread a dead man's curse; - For this I sought thee. - - "Far in the Northern Land, - By the wild Baltic's strand, - I, with my childish hand, - Tamed the gerfalcon; - And, with my skates fast-bound, - Skimmed the half-frozen Sound, - That the poor whimpering hound - Trembled to walk on. - - "Oft to his frozen lair - Tracked I the grisly bear, - While from my path the hare - Fled like a shadow; - Oft through the forest dark - Followed the were-wolf's bark, - Until the soaring lark - Sang from the meadow. - - "But when I older grew, - Joining a corsair's crew, - O'er the dark sea I flew - With the marauders. - Wild was the life we led; - Many the souls that sped, - Many the hearts that bled, - By our stern orders. - - "Once as I told in glee - Tales of the stormy sea, - Soft eyes did gaze on me, - Burning yet tender; - And as the white stars shine - On the dark Norway pine, - On that dark heart of mine - Fell their soft splendor. - - "I wooed the blue-eyed maid, - Yielding, yet half afraid, - And in the forest's shade - Our vows were plighted. - Under its loosened vest - Fluttered her little breast, - Like birds within their nest - By the hawk frighted. - - "Bright in her father's hall - Shields gleamed upon the wall, - Loud sang the minstrels all, - Chanting his glory; - When of old Hildebrand - I asked his daughter's hand, - Mute did the minstrels stand - To hear my story. - - "While the brown ale he quaffed, - Loud then the champion laughed - And as the wing-gusts waft - The sea-foam brightly, - So the loud laugh of scorn, - Out of those lips unshorn, - From the deep drinking-horn - Blew the foam lightly. - - "She was a Prince's child, - I but a Viking wild, - And though she blushed and smiled, - I was discarded! - Should not the dove so white - Follow the sea-mew's flight, - Why did they leave that night - Her nest unguarded? - - "Scarce had I put to sea, - Bearing the maid with me, - Fairest of all was she - Among the Norsemen! - When on the white sea-strand, - Waving his armed hand, - Saw we old Hildebrand, - With twenty horsemen. - - [Illustration: "I WOOED THE BLUE-EYED MAID"] - - "Then launched they to the blast, - Bent like a reed each mast, - Yet we were gaining fast, - When the wind failed us; - And with a sudden flaw - Came round the gusty Skaw, - So that our foe we saw - Laugh as he hailed us. - - "And as to catch the gale - Round veered the flapping sail, - Death! was the helmsman's hail, - Death without quarter! - Mid-ships with iron keel - Struck we her ribs of steel; - Down her black hulk did reel - Through the black water! - - "As with his wings aslant, - Sails the fierce cormorant, - Seeking some rocky haunt, - With his prey laden, - So toward the open main, - Beating the sea again, - Through the wild hurricane, - Bore I the maiden. - - "Three weeks we westward bore, - And when the storm was o'er, - Cloud-like we saw the shore - Stretching to leeward; - There for my lady's bower - Built I the lofty tower, - Which, to this very hour, - Stands looking seaward. - - "There lived we many years; - Time dried the maiden's tears; - She had forgot her fears, - She was a mother; - Death closed her mild blue eyes, - Under that tower she lies; - Ne'er shall the sun arise - On such another! - - "Still grew my bosom then, - Still as a stagnant fen! - Hateful to me were men, - The sunlight hateful! - In the vast forest here, - Clad in my warlike gear, - Fell I upon my spear, - O, death was grateful! - - "Thus, seamed with many scars, - Bursting these prison bars, - Up to its native stars - My soul ascended! - There from the flowing bowl - Deep drinks the warrior's soul, - Skoal! to the Northland! skoal!" - Thus the tale ended. - - --_Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. - Courtesy of Houghton, Mifflin Company._ - - - - -ACTING FOR THE MOVIES - - - Here is another set of "movie" scenes. If you forget how we played - the first set, look on page 38 and see just what to do. - -1. The blind man came slowly down the road, tapping restlessly with his -stick to guide him, and stopping every now and again to listen for some -fellow traveler who might lead him to the town beyond the hill. - -2. When they reached the open country, Aladdin had to gather sticks and -to build a great fire for the magician, his uncle. - -3. Aladdin's uncle stirred the fire until it blazed brightly. Then he -threw in some magical powder and as a thick cloud of smoke arose, he -made mystical signs over the fire, and muttered some strange words that -Aladdin could not understand. - -4. The Indian squatted down with legs crossed under him and waited for -the morning sun to enable him to take up the trail again. Whenever the -fire died away, he arose silently and replenished the fuel, but except -for these breaks, one might have thought him a beautifully carved image. - -5. None of the villagers knew Rip when he came back. He was old and -stiff and bent with age. He carried on his shoulder his cherished -musket, now useless and covered with rust. As the people crowded round -him he scanned each face in turn, hoping to recognize some former -familiar acquaintance. - -6. Sir Roger drew his sword, and taking advantage of a corner in the -garden wall, which might make a cowardly attack in the rear impossible, -he waited for the band to approach. He knew that he was caught like a -fox in this narrow garden, and he looked eagerly to count how many were -against him. - -7. Hardly had the Sheriff ridden off with his men, before Robin Hood -came down the road, still dressed in the long gown that old Mother -Hobbes had given him, and walking with the help of a cane, like an old -woman, bent with years. - -8. The savage raised his spear, and was about to cast it, but some -slight sound caused him to hesitate an instant with the long shaft -balancing lightly in his grasp. - -9. An aged palmer came down the road. He was evidently returning from a -long pilgrimage, for his cloak was old and tattered, his shoes were -dusty and patched, and every few steps he stopped to rest on his long -staff. - -10. The tinker, very tired from his run, sat down on a large stone by -the roadside. After looking cautiously about, he took the king's letter -from his pocket and read it. Then folding it carefully again, and -returning it to his pocket, he rose and started down the road singing -cheerily. - -11. He had tramped for three hours and had not discovered a single -familiar sign. There was no sign in the cloudy sky to serve him as -finger post. He climbed a tall tree that seemed to promise a view of the -surrounding landscape, but everything was strange. He had read somewhere -that the trees are mossy and green on the north side, but when he -looked, even the trees seemed to be as uncertain as he. In despair he -sat down on a fallen log and waited. - -12. White Eagle looked far out over the plain. Beyond the now dry river -basin and the green strip of brush and scrubby trees that bordered it, -he could trace the slow, crawling wagon-train trailing out and winding -like a lazy serpent through the dust. When he had counted for a second -time to be sure, he drew back from the edge of the bluff, built two tiny -fires, and watched the thin columns of smoke as they curled straight up -in the air. - - - - -THE SAFEST PLACE - - - Here is a story of real human interest. We are all foreigners here - in America except the American Indians. The ancestors of some of us - came before those of others; and it is the duty of those of us whose - ancestors have been here the longest to help the strange-looking, - strange-speaking people who come to us from Europe to feel at home - in our country. - - The government has tried hard to protect the immigrants from - dishonest people who have tried to cheat them out of their earnings. - One of the good things that came out of the World's War was a - knowledge on the part of almost all of our people of the safe - investments that the government offers in bonds and thrift stamps. - -"At last the way is clear!" - -Stefan spoke with much emotion as he counted the roll of notes, clean -and soiled, that lay before him on the table in his little room in the -over-crowded boarding house. - -As he fingered the bills, he saw before him each detail of the past two -years--New York harbor with Liberty flinging up her welcome torch; the -thrill of arrival in the city of his dreams; the days that followed, -days of discouragement, home-sickness, and poverty, among strangers -speaking strange tongues, with a medley of unfamiliar manners and -customs. He saw with vivid clearness the first dollar he had earned, and -he forgot the slow, painful processes of saving--the self-denial and the -sacrifice--in the picture of what those sacrifices were to bring. - -"She will come," he murmured. "On the same boat perhaps. When she gets -the ticket, she will leave that war-threatened land and she will come -to me." He smiled. Then as his face suddenly clouded he started -forward on the rickety chair with a violence that threatened its -frailness. "If anything should happen! If I should lose the money!" - -Greatly disturbed he gathered up the precious bills as though to -shield them from possible loss. He rose to place them in the old -hiding place in his trunk, but that no longer satisfied him. He -wavered, then said: - -"No, that won't do. I must see Ian about this. He knows. He is wise. I -will see Ian this very minute." - -Wrapping the money in a piece of old newspaper and carefully placing -it in an inner pocket, he set out. He went straight to the dingy -office in a side alley of the foreign section of the town, where -through the dusty window could be seen the grizzled head of Ian -Skeemersky, the real estate agent and private banker, whose sign, -written by his own hand, hung over the entrance. - -After greetings had been exchanged, he anxiously put the case before -his shrewd friend, whose eyes sparkled with eagerness as he replied -smoothly. - -"Nothing so easy and so safe in the world, my dear fellow. Put your -money in my bank. You will get good interest and can withdraw it -whenever you want it." - -Stefan hesitated for a second. So much was at stake! His slow mind -must have time to weigh the proposal. As he noted the earnestness and -assurance of Skeemersky's face, belief in this shrewd friend decided. -He drew out the pack and laid it on the desk before Skeemersky, whose -long fingers closed over it at once. - -"You have done well, Stefan Broda, your money is as safe with me as if -it was in Mt. Vavel," he declared. - -Stefan felt that he had done well. The phrase "as safe as Mt. Vavel" -lingered in his mind. It helped him be patient in the long weeks in -the factory where he worked during the winter; it consoled him during -the dull days while he waited for the open springtime when he planned -to send for Agatha. When he heard of others losing their small savings -in various ways he congratulated himself on the security of his own, -"as safe as Vavel," he would repeat. - -One sunny morning in March, just as he decided to stop on his way from -work to withdraw the three hundred dollars for Agatha's expenses, -there came to him a neighbor, in great excitement. Peter's face was -red, his eyes startling and his voice hoarse. - -"That--that robber, that scoundrel!" he stuttered. "That Skeemersky. -He has gone, gone, do you hear? He has taken it all, all the money in -his cursed bank." - -Stefan could not believe his ears. Skeemersky gone, and the money, -too! "As safe as Vavel!" he had said. He stared for a moment and then -broke out, weeping for the first time since his mother's death, -cursing the smooth trickster with hearty Polish curses. - -"May the thunder-bolt strike him!" he cried. "I will lay hands on him. -I will choke that money out of his black soul. Come, we will go!" - -They rushed out, boiling with rage, only to find a crowd of other -dupes before the shabby little office in the side-alley. The tightly -closed door and the blank windows told the story more clearly than any -words. Skeemersky had gone--the bank was no more! - -Despair took strong hold of Stefan. For two days he roamed the -streets, not eating nor drinking, sleepless. He saw no further, no -hope--all was blackness and desolation. When he came back to the -boarding house on the third day he found a letter from Agatha. He read -it with tears and intolerable anguish and he passionately kissed the -final sentence: "Every bit of me is yours and I shall never change." -This tender faith was balm to his anguish. - -He put the letter in a pocket nearest his heart, while a new look came -to his tired face. Almost unconsciously he began to build a new future -on the ruins of the old. - -He swiftly mapped out his course. The season for farmwork was at hand. -He would go back to the open skies and broad fields of God's world. He -packed a few belongings in the rusty brown-paper suitcase and boarded -the trolley for the long ride. He knew what he should do if he could -rent a suitable piece of land. - -He had spent the previous summer on a farm in the onion-growing -section of the Connecticut Valley; he knew what large profits might be -gotten with hard labor from a comparatively small plot of ground. He -figured that three or four acres would give him the needed amount in -the fall, if he had health and good weather. - -He found the man whom he sought, secured the land, and went to work. -All that season he slaved early and late, weeding on his knees in the -damp earth the interminable rows of tiny, delicate plants where the -weeds sprang like magic. He heeded neither scorching sun, nor soaking -rain. He cared nothing for the monotony of the toil. Always he saw -before him the steamer that should bring Agatha, from the hazards of -war, to him and security. - -By September he had once again the dream within his grasp. He was back -in the old room in the crowded boarding house, and in his bluish tin -trunk at the foot of the bed were hidden five hundred and fifteen -dollars in crisp, clean notes. His earliest belief in his trunk had come -back a hundredfold. He would not trust any bank, private or national, -with the fruit of his heart-breaking toil. Banking systems and -government investments were all beyond his grasp. Skeemersky had taught -him to distrust others--the little thin trunk would not run away. - -This conviction of safety obsessed him. He preached it to others, to -his fellow-boarders, especially to the friendly young man in the room -across the hall. "See," he would say, waving a hand toward the great -untrustworthy world of finance beyond his little window. "They run -away--those bankers. I have a better place." - -He did not tell the friendly young man where or how much he had hidden. -He merely smiled mysteriously. His faith in his trunk was absolute. Day -after day, when returning from work in the factory, he took out his roll -of notes and rejoiced that he had found the solution; he counted the -days when he should send for his love. It was hard for him to wait for -the lagging spring, but a winter journey in war-time from Russian Poland -to New England was not to be thought of for his Agatha. - -Blind faith often leads to the pit. Stefan, upon a night in late -winter, found his theory shattered. The friendly young man had gone, -and the crisp, clean notes had disappeared with him! - -In this second crash of his hopes he was numbed. He neither wept nor -cursed. He silently shrank into himself. He grew abstracted. He stared -at the world with unseeing eyes. In the turmoil of his distracted mind -there was but one growing determination not to be beaten by fate. - -It was not, however, until the news of the German campaign in Warsaw, -that his resolve took definite shape. Borrowing two hundred dollars, -he sent the money to Agatha in Poland, and regardless of winter or -war, urged her to come at once. - -When, after long weeks of suspense, he stood by the gate at Ellis Island -waiting for the sight of her dear, familiar face among the surging crowd -of tagged and numbered immigrants beyond the iron barrier, a great wave -of joyous hope flooded his heart. All his disasters were forgotten when -he caught the glint of her pale hair under the embroidered kerchief. -Banks and trunks went to oblivion as he took her small roughened hands -in his own. Destiny had no terrors for him. - -On the train he poured out his heart to her. He told her of his great -efforts and his greater misfortunes. He made her see his challenge to -destiny. He pictured his emotions in the last weeks. And he wound up -with an eager entreaty for immediate marriage. - -"Let us no longer delay," he urged. "Let us find the good priest." But -Agatha was not to be hurried. Her blue eyes showed her own sorrow for -the words her lips spoke. "Our love, my Stefan, will not change. But -your money is gone. We cannot live without money. I shall work, and -you shall work. Then we will marry." - -Stefan protested vigorously, but he knew that she was right. He saw -that he must yield. He proposed a compromise. "Let us work then for -this spring and summer--you in the silk mill and I in my onion patch," -he said, "and marry in the fall. I can wait no longer than that." - -Agatha could find no fault with this. It won her approval of both -heart and her reason. Slipping her hand in his, she nestled closer and -they began their hopeful planning, while the train sped on, bearing -them to the peaceful valley of their future labors. - -All the plans--sensible and practical--they made that wonderful first -day, were marvelously realized, not by mere happy chance, but through -a great steadfastness of purpose and unfaltering toil. By thrift and -frugality, by self-denial and sacrifice, they accomplished the -miracle. And they were happy in the doing of it, because they worked -together. Neither Stefan nor Agatha had ever labored so willingly. -The radiance of a united future lighted the way--always just ahead -they saw the hearth-fire gleaming. - -The spring and summer passed swiftly. Stefan and Agatha learned of -America's entry into the world war with anxious hearts. They dreaded the -quenching of that hearth-fire. But their fears were groundless. Instead -of depreciation and loss the war brought added prosperity. The wages in -the silk mill were raised. Stefan's onion sets sold at double prices. At -the end of the season they found that they had exceeded their hopes, in -spite of paying off the debt and the increased cost of living. - -At last, as Stefan had said, the way was clear. The crown of their -hopes, the wedding day, was set and their friends invited. A stone house -with a little ground had been secured. The furniture was installed. -Everything was ready for the marriage feast on the next day. - -As they left the cozy little house in the long shadows of the -September sunset, Stefan turned at the gate to look back. His dream -was realized. Destiny had not taken up his challenge so far, and he -determined to make the future sure. Unconsciously his hand stole to -the inner pocket where a modest roll of notes--the remains of their -combined savings lay warm and safe. In all their anxious discussions, -he and Agatha had not been able to find a place safe enough to satisfy -their fears. Bankers and trunks had betrayed their trust. Stefan -sighed. He had hoped to have this matter off his mind before the happy -morrow. He wished Agatha would offer some solution and he turned to -her with the old question on his lips. But he did not ask it. Another -voice took up the story. - -It was old Shelton, the farmer for whom Stefan had worked the first -summer in the valley. His small eyes were twinkling and his long chin -beard wagged importantly. "Hello, Steve, how'r ye? Settin' up in fine -style, I see. Must be gittin' rich these days." - -Stefan thought at first that the shrewd old fellow's chuckle of -delight was a tribute to his and Agatha's achievement. But he was soon -enlightened as to its real source. Old Shelton bestowed hearty praise -on the little house and neat garden, he congratulated him in advance -for the morrow, but his small eyes fairly snapped as he added, tapping -his own pocket. - -"Ye'v spent a pile of money on all this there, and I s'pose you ain't -got much left--I got somepin here that 'ud interest ye." - -It was the answer to Stefan's unuttered question. He started as old -Shelton pulled out from his pocket two yellowish, stiff folders with -much black lettering upon them, which, when opened by Shelton's -toil-worn fingers, disclosed a number of large square stamps pasted on -the printed squares. Agatha, woman-like, was quick to inquire. Old -Shelton explained with zest. - -He showed them first the Thrift card with its green twenty-five cent -stamps. "I got them at odd times, at the post office," he told them -with his exultant chuckle. "These here," showing the Savings -Certificates with blue five-dollar stamps, "I bought right out when I -saw what a sure thing it was. Safe as Uncle Sam's Capitol at -Washington. Can't never bust up, these can't. No, siree! Long as this -here country holds out, these here stamps are worth the coin! And look -at the money ye make on 'em." - -And he explained the process by which today's purchaser of a blue -stamp would be the possessor of a five-dollar note when the stamps -matured at the end of five years. "Only four-nineteen, ye see," he -pointed with a horny finger. "Only four-nineteen today, but five good -round dollars in five years. Ye can't beat that, I tell ye. Not to be -safe and sound, ye understand." - -Stefan and Agatha looked at each other. They knew old Shelton to be -the shrewdest, most cautious man in the community. In a moment they -knew what they should do with the modest roll of bills. The safe place -had been found. The United States Treasury was the only spot. - -"As safe as Vavel!" murmured Stefan as the old farmer after repeated -congratulations and chuckled approval of the young people's eager -acceptance of his gospel of thrift, disappeared down the long road. - -"As safe as Vavel," he repeated, and a great surge of joyful relief -flooded his very soul. - -He put his arm about Agatha and they turned their faces toward the -sunset glow. In the dim glory of the skies they saw the steadfast -gleam of their own dear hearth-fire. - -"The good God has shown us the way," they said. - - --_Casimir A. Sienkiewicz. - Courtesy Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia._ - - This story can be easily divided into a definite series of shorter - stories. The titles of these shorter stories will serve as an - outline. Look over the selection quickly, and write the outline. - - -QUESTIONS - - Even government bonds and thrift stamps have to be guarded so that - they will not be lost, burned, or stolen. - - Where is the safest place to keep such valuable things as liberty - bonds and thrift stamps? How much does it cost to rent a safe - place for your savings? Where can you rent one in your town? - - - - -UNPATRIOTIC CARELESSNESS - - -Are you careless? That makes you stop and think a bit, doesn't it? If -you are honest with yourself, the answer probably will be "_Yes_," for -almost everybody in this country is careless. That is the principal -reason why we have so many fires. - -Here are some figures that should open our eyes. In 1913, the year -before the outbreak of the war, the average fire-loss for each man, -woman and child in France was 49 cents; in England it was 33 cents; in -Germany, 28 cents; in Austria, 25 cents; in Italy, 25 cents; in -Switzerland, 15 cents; and in Holland, only 11 cents. In the United -States for the same year the direct loss was $2.10--and the indirect -loss was far higher. Our record was, therefore, more than four times -as bad as that of France, and nearly twenty times as bad as that of -Holland. - -Vienna and Chicago are cities of about the same size. Vienna had fire -losses for the year 1913 of $303,200; Chicago's were $5,513,237, or -more than eighteen times as great. New York City's fire losses were -about four and one-half times as large as those of London. A similar -comparison might be made with many other cities. Can we be proud of -such figures? - -Of course there are more wooden buildings in America than in Europe. -This is a condition which will take many years to change. But the most -serious cause of fires could be removed at once, if all the people -would assist; this cause is found in one word--_carelessness_. - -It must be admitted that the United States, with all its advantages, -is a nation of careless people. Carelessness is not a thing to be -proud of; it is a great national sin. It shows itself in many habits -of recklessness, wastefulness, and untidiness. It burns our towns; it -leads people to risk their lives at railroad crossings and other -places of danger; it takes chances with health; it is shown in all -dirty streets, littered back yards, and untidy homes. It has been well -described by Roy K. Moulton, a writer in the "_News_" of Grand Rapids, -Michigan, as follows: - - -_WHO AM I?_ - -I am more powerful than the combined armies of the world. - -I am more deadly than bullets, and I have wrecked more homes than the -mightiest of siege guns. - -I steal in the United States alone over $300,000,000 each year. - -I spare no one, and find my victims among the rich and poor alike, the -young and old, the strong and the weak; widows and orphans know me. - -I massacre thousands upon thousands of wage-earners in a year. - -I lurk in unseen places, and do most of my work silently. You are -warned against me, but you heed not. - -I am relentless. I am everywhere; in the home, on the street, in the -factory, at railroad crossings, and on the sea. - -I bring sickness, degradation and death, and yet few seek to avoid me. - -I destroy, crush and maim; I give nothing, but take all. - -I am your worst enemy. - -I AM CARELESSNESS. - -If a foreign army should land upon our shores, it could not wreak more -destruction than this. If such an army should come and any American -were found to be giving it aid, he would be called a traitor to his -country. Every patriot would rise against such a foe. - -The spirit of carelessness in the United States is really a greater -enemy than any foreign invader, and it is found in millions of little -unconscious acts of carelessness. Whenever you, yourself, commit such -an act, therefore, you really range yourself as an enemy of your -country, but if you begin earnestly to watch your actions and to form -new habits of carefulness, you will be helping our great nation to -become safer, healthier, happier, and more useful to humanity. This is -the spirit of true patriotism. - -If, then, you are determined to try with all your might to form these -new habits of carefulness, the first great step toward preventing fire -will have been taken. - - --_National Board of Fire Underwriters._ - - -QUESTIONS - - When you have finished reading, write the answers to these - questions. If you can not answer immediately, find the answer - somewhere in the story, but do not read it all again; read only - enough to get the correct answer. - - 1. What two reasons can you find to account for the greater loss - by fire in the United States than in Europe? - - 2. Which of these two reasons can be the more quickly removed? - Which one can you help to remove? - - 3. What other bad results besides fires come from our great - national sin? - - 4. Do you think it is fair to call a careless person unpatriotic? - Why? - - - - -A MEMORY TEST - - -Can you memorize by one careful reading these five lines which tell of -the great result of a small piece of carelessness? - - For want of a nail the shoe was lost; - For want of a shoe the horse was lost; - For want of the horse the rider was lost; - For want of the rider the battle was lost; - For want of the battle a kingdom was lost. - - - - -CALIPH FOR ONE DAY - - - This story, "Caliph for One Day," is a tale from "The Arabian - Nights". If you have never read this story, you will find it very - interesting. Of course you have heard of Ali Baba, and of Aladdin - with his wonderful lamp, and of the Old Man of the Sea. - - Your teacher would like to know which of you have read any of the - "Arabian Nights" tales and which of these tales you have read. - - You ought to try to read such stories as this rapidly. To some - extent the rapidity with which you read is a habit. Every one - forms his own habits; and if you will try hard you can form habits - that will be useful to you as long as you live. One of these - habits is that of reading rapidly. - -The sun was just setting, and its last rays gilded the roofs and -towers of the City of Bagdad, on the river Tigris; and far away, also, -on the ripples of the river fell the evening light, and the numerous -boats and ships which moved about on the surface of the water seemed -to plough through melted gold. On the railing of a high bridge which -led over the Tigris leaned a young man, who now turned his face -towards the sparkling water, now towards the people passing over the -bridge. His attention, however, appeared to be given less to the -inhabitants of the city than to those who might be taken for strangers -through their appearance and behavior. The eyes of many a passer-by -were turned also upon him, and it seemed many times as if one or -another of them wished to approach him. But a stern, repelling glance -from the young man had the effect, each time of making them go on -their way after a slight hesitation, shaking the head. - -Suddenly two men drew near. The first of them seemed, judging from his -clothing, to be a rich business man from the city of Mussal; the -second, who followed him at some distance, was apparently his servant. -When the man waiting upon the bridge saw them come up to him, he -straightened up and went to meet them. Greeting respectfully the man -who was apparently a merchant, he said: "Sir, if, as I assume, you are -a stranger in this city, I beg you to come home with me and sleep in -my house." - -As the stranger seemed rather taken by surprise, he continued: "I am -called 'Queer Abu Hassan', and live in my own house. I have made it my -duty for some time to take a stranger home with me every evening as my -guest, and entertain him there as well as I can until the following -morning. You would do me a great honor if you would accept my -invitation." - -The stranger was no one else than the Caliph Harun Alrashid, who was -thus caught on one of his favorite wanderings through the city -accompanied by one of his slaves. - -After a few kindly words he agreed, called his servant to him, and both -joined Abu Hassan, who soon brought them to his house not far away. Here -he bade them lie down and make themselves at home. Soon a servant -appeared and brought their supper. It consisted of several well prepared -dishes, and seemed to please both strangers very well. All kinds of -fruit were placed upon the table for dessert, and after the meal was -finished they had a lively conversation, in which Abu Hassan's mother -took part when she came in to greet the guests. Although neither she nor -her son had any idea of the lofty position of their guest, they bustled -around him so pleasantly and kindly that Harun stretched himself out -comfortably on a divan and took his share in the talk with real -enjoyment. At last the Caliph requested Abu Hassan to tell him his -history. And so the host of the evening began as follows: - -"I am the son of a very rich merchant, who died only too young, and I -had a good education as a boy. But if my father made any mistake at -that time, it was that he gave me very little money, and so prevented -my learning how to spend more wisely, which must really be learned in -order to be done properly. So, after his death, I devoted myself to -this occupation with a number of other young fellows, and enjoyed -myself at such a rate that I soon had got rid of a great part of my -property. Fortunately I saw soon enough the abyss into which my way of -living must lead me. For this reason I drew back, but first decided to -test my friends and see whether they were true or not. I told them -that I had gone through all my money, and asked them to help me. Not -one of them gave me a reassuring answer. Furthermore, they avoided me, -and acted on the street as if they had never known me. This -contemptible behavior hurt me so deeply, that I came near to hating -the whole human race. But after I had lived a long time in melancholy -loneliness, I pulled myself together again, and decided to go out -among people once more. I promised myself, however, never again to -invite a friend, but only strangers, and never to keep one longer than -one night in my house, and if I ever saw them again to act as if I had -never seen them. So this evening, just before I saw you, I turned away -from several persons who had been my guests before, and who were about -to speak to me." - -The Caliph laughed, and said: "No one can blame you under such -circumstances, and because of your extraordinary experience." - -After Abu Hassan's mother had retired the young man brought out a bottle -of his best wine, and presented a glass of it to the Caliph, after first -politely tasting it. The Caliph drank to him, and asked Abu if he could -not do him a favor in return for his kind hospitality. But Abu answered -with a smile: "You understand, sir, that I do not count upon -recognition, and to-morrow morning will not know you any more." - -"That's so," laughed Harun; "but I had forgotten it. You can, however, -pay no further attention to me if you wish, and yet if it is -distasteful to you to ask a favor for yourself, request a helping hand -to be given to somebody else." - -"Sir," cried Abu Hassan, "my friends were not of the quality that I -would want to do anything for them, nor will I harm them, either. So I -would not know what wish I could make. But wait!" he broke out -suddenly. "There is one wish which I have often thought of and will -tell you of, although you cannot fulfil it, and perhaps will find it -extremely ridiculous. But you will at least understand why people call -me 'Queer Abu Hassan'." - -"Let's hear it," said the Caliph. - -Abu Hassan sighed, and announced: "Just for one day I would like to be -Caliph." - -"And what influences you to this wish?" asked Harun. "Would you carry -out some important law in the State? Or look out for yourself -immediately?" - -"Neither one nor the other," answered Queer Abu Hassan. "I would just -like to have some scamps among my neighbors thoroughly beaten." - -"And you would like to be caliph merely for this purpose?" laughed -Harun Alrashid. - -"Certainly, sir," replied Abu Hassan, "because I cannot get a suitable -punishment measured out to them in any other way. Since they are -rascals, they would easily get away from the judge to whom I might -denounce them." - -"Do you think so?" asked the Caliph. - -"They would the more surely avoid punishment," said Abu Hassan, -"because their ringleader is a holy Imam of respected appearance, whom -the judge would never believe capable of any wrong action, and yet -they slander all the respectable people in this quarter of the city, -and try by using every means to gain an influence over the consciences -of the Faithful, while they themselves pay but scant attention to the -laws of the Koran." - -"Well," said the Caliph, as he tried to calm Abu Hassan, who had -worked himself up to a rage, "perhaps your wish to see these -scoundrels properly punished will come true in some way, even if you -are not the Commander of the Faithful. Let us drink to the realization -of your wish." - -The Caliph seized the bottle and filled the glasses full, at the same -time dropping a pinch of white powder into Abu Hassan's glass without -his noticing it. - -Hardly had they drank it off before Abu Hassan nodded his head and -fell into a deep sleep. The Caliph immediately called his slave, and -ordered him to take the sleeping man on his shoulders and bear him to -the palace. Then he left Abu Hassan's house, pulling the door to, but -not shutting it. - -Once arrived at his palace, Harun Alrashid ordered Abu Hassan to be -clothed in a splendid night robe and laid in the Caliph's own costly -bed. Then the officers, servants, slaves, and slave women received the -strictest orders to carry out Abu Hassan's commissions faithfully next -morning, and, above all, to treat him as if he were the Commander of -the Faithful. - -You can imagine Abu Hassan's astonishment when he woke up next morning -in the splendid bed and looked around at the room so beautifully -decorated with gold and expensive wall hangings. At first he thought -he was dreaming. He kept opening and closing his eyes, trying to find -out for sure if he were asleep or awake. Still greater was his -amazement when he caught sight of a garment of woven gold near his -bed, and a caliph's cap on a silken cushion. But yet he could not -believe that these were all real things, and he had to convince -himself by feeling them that he was not in a world of dreams. - -[Illustration: "PLEASE BITE MY FINGER"] - -"Where am I, then?" he cried. "What has happened to me? Everything -looks as if I were in the Caliph's palace. Or have I become Caliph -myself over night?" - -While scolding himself for his foolish thoughts, he was trying all the -time to go to sleep again. But suddenly the lofty double doors of his -chamber opened, and a troop of wonderfully beautiful women and black -slaves stepped in. One band of women began to sing and play charming -music on different instruments. The others threw themselves down -before him, and one of the black slaves stepped to the bedside and -said: "Commander of the Faithful, it is time for early prayers. May it -please you to get up?" - -"Whether I'm Caliph or not, I will get up at least just to see how -this adventure turns out!" - -Hardly did he show his intention of raising himself when the slaves -jumped in a hurry to help him, and to dress him in the golden morning -gown. At the same time all those present shouted: "Commander of the -Faithful, God give you a blessed day!" - -Now, this was too much for poor Abu Hassan. He called one of the women -to him, and said: "Please bite my finger, so I can see if I am -dreaming or not." - -The slave that he called knew that Harun Alrashid was watching -everything from the next room, and wished to amuse the real Commander -of the Faithful. So she bit Abu Hassan's finger sharply. The -quickness with which Abu Hassan pulled back his finger made the hidden -Caliph almost split his sides with laughing, and he congratulated -himself that he had found such an enjoyable diversion by carrying his -plan through. He said to himself: "Abu Hassan could hardly be more -curious than I am to know how the story will end." - -But Abu Hassan was thinking: "I cannot understand this surprising -change, but it seems to me that the queer Hassan of yesterday has -become the real Caliph of today." So he let them put his clothes on -him without resistance, and with a certain dignified manner which the -Caliph noticed with great pleasure. Then they washed his head, face -and hands with deliciously scented water. Finally the Grand Vizier -announced, with many a bow of respect, that the great people of the -court and of the realm were assembled and expecting the appearance of -the Commander of the Faithful. So Abu Hassan drew himself up to his -full height, and, preceded by armed soldiers and a number of -chamberlains resplendent in gold, walked to the great throne room, -where he was led to the throne by the chamberlains. - -The doors of the hall opened, and the Commanders-in-Chief of the Army, -the Governors of the Provinces and the nobles of the country marched -in in a wonderful parade and greeted Abu Hassan as Caliph. They -stepped forward to the throne, dropped on their knees, and touched the -carpet before him with their foreheads. Abu Hassan took all of this as -quietly as if he had been Caliph since youth. He listened to the Grand -Vizier's address, took part in the consultations over matters of -state, and decided difficult points with such a sound understanding of -human nature that the real Caliph, who stood disguised among the -officers, was greatly pleased. Suddenly Abu Hassan made a sign to the -Grand Vizier to interrupt his address. - -"Where is the Chief of Police of our capital city?" he cried. "Let him -be brought here immediately." - -When the man called for had appeared and announced himself, "at the -command of his mighty master," Abu said: "In the mosque of the new -quarter you will find an Imam and four other old men. I wish you to -arrest them and give each one hundred stripes with the bastinado. Then -let them be mounted backwards on camels and led through the city -accompanied by a herald, who shall call out these words: 'In this way -the Commander of the Faithful punishes those who meddle in matters that -do not concern them, and who know nothing better to do than bring -trouble and pain to their neighbors.' After this sentence is completed, -however, you are then to tell them that they must leave that quarter of -the city, and not set foot in it again under penalty of death." - -While the magistrate hurried away to carry out Abu Hassan's command, -the Grand Vizier went on with his address. An hour later the Chief of -Police came back with the news that the Caliph's orders had been -conscientiously fulfilled, at which Abu Hassan felt the greatest -satisfaction, while Harun Alrashid thoroughly enjoyed seeing his -substitute arrive so quickly at the realization of his long cherished -wish. - -After the business matters were finished, there took place another -stately reception of numerous foreign ambassadors, and finally the new -Caliph betook himself with his whole court to dinner. It consisted of -a selection of the most delicate food and wine, and lasted late into -the evening, with music and all kinds of dancing. - -Abu Hassan had behaved in such a dignified manner for all this time -that now he showed every favor to the people in his neighborhood, and -even condescended to talk with the slaves. It was fairly late when one -of the most beautiful of the slave girls came up to Abu Hassan and -offered him a glass of the sweetest wine prepared especially for the -Caliph. Abu Hassan was charmed, and had not any suspicion that the -delicious mixture contained a potent sleeping powder. He drank it off, -and in a few minutes fell into a sound sleep. - -As quickly as he was brought away the day before, just so speedily now -was he transported into his own dwelling. Next morning the Caliph for -One Day woke up again as Abu Hassan, and found himself in his old -circumstances. In spite of all his calls and shouts, neither the -slaves nor the court officers of yesterday hurried to him to ask his -wishes. He was sadly perplexed at first at this new change, but he -soon got over it, and consoled himself with thinking that at least he -had had a beautiful dream. When his mother told him that he had in -fact disappeared for a whole day, and when he also learned that the -Imam and his fellows had been punished exactly as he had ordered when -Caliph, he did not know what to think of the whole adventure at all. - -Finally, he leaned to his mother's view, who explained it by saying -that some spirit had taken him away and had executed the Imam's -punishment. He was thankful indeed to be rid of his rascally -neighbors, but he could never give himself an explanation of what had -moved the spirit to help him. In the end, however, he put the whole -story out of his mind, and became again what he had been before--Queer -Abu Hassan, or the Caliph for One Day. - - --_Arabian Nights._ - - - - -THE FIRST POTTER - - -Ang was a mighty hunter and also a priest of Odin, but Oma was a -famous housewife or cave-wife, and not only Suta, the wife of Wang, -came to take lessons of her, but many other women who had heard of her -wonderful skill in cooking old food in new ways and discovering new -foods which the magic of the fire made palatable. She had learned not -merely how to cook the meat which Ang brought, but to dry it so that -it would keep for a long time. She discovered how to make a coarse -flour from nuts and acorns and to bake cakes on flat stones. At the -fire feast the cooking of Oma made as great an impression as the -wisdom and strength of Ang. - -But her greatest discovery was the art of making pottery dishes out of -clay and baking them before the fire. For a long time women had made -baskets of reeds and willow twigs in which they could carry dry foods, -but the problem was to get something in which they could carry -liquids. Sometimes they used skin bottles, but they soon leaked and -the water rotted them out. Then some clever woman smeared the inside -of a closely woven basket with resinous pitch. Another lined her -baskets with clay and baked them in the sun, but water would soon -soften the clay. Then came Oma and the fire and the art of baking -clay. This is the way it happened. Oma had been lining some baskets -with clay, and little Om tried to imitate her. Since it was cold he -sat as near to the fire as he could, and after he had finished one, he -would put it on a stone near the fire until he had a row of them. Then -the wind changed suddenly and blew the fire towards him, and he had to -move quickly, leaving his clay baskets on the rock. He called to his -mother to get them, but she had no notion of getting burned for so -small a cause and she was too busy to bother, as mothers often are. - -That night after Om had gone to sleep she sat by the fire with Ang, -and her eyes spied the little row of clay baskets. She picked one up -to show the father what a clever boy his son was getting to be. As she -touched the clay, she found it dry and hard as no clay she had ever -touched before. Some of the baskets were dry and crumbly, but two or -three in the center were hard as stone. A thought came to her. She ran -to the brook and filled the hardest with water and brought them back -to the fire. They did not soften or leak. Then she put them on a flat -stone and pushed them almost into the fire. Soon the water in them -began to bubble and steam. - -"Look!" cried Oma. "At the touch of the Red One a little Cloud Spirit -goes up to the great Cloud Spirits that fly in the blue above us." - -Then Ang knew that Odin had given a new gift. "This time the Red One -has spoken to you; what has he said?" - -Oma carefully drew the little clay pots from the fire, and after they -had cooled she examined them. Two of them were cracked, but one was -firm and solid as if it had been cut from stone. She held it up before -Ang in triumph. "This is what we have been waiting for since the -beginning of time. The Red One has worked magic on the clay, and its -old enemy, the water, cannot eat through it." - -The next day Oma made baskets lined with clay, and then, putting them -on flat stones, pushed them into the heat of the fire. Some of them -crumbled, but others baked hard and firm. As the heat burned off the -inclosing basket, the pattern was left molded on the clay. - -After many experiments Oma learned just what clay to use and how to -bake it. And she made pots of all sizes and arranged them on ledges -of her cave and filled them with nuts and seeds. Then she learned how -to use the clay pots for cooking. In the old days she had placed -scraps of meat and bone and roots in a pitch-lined basket and then -added water and hot stones from the fire. Of course the pitch softened -and gave an unpleasant taste to the stew, and often the hot water -softened it so much that the basket became like a sieve. But now Oma -could mix her stews and brews and boil them until they were soft and -delicious, and the clay dish was just as good as before. - -And Suta and other women came to look; and they wondered and tasted, -and smacked their lips, and asked how it was done, then went home to -do likewise. And the fame of Ang and Oma grew in the north land, and -men said, "They are loved by the Great One". - -But if Oma made the first pottery and the most useful, Suta, wife of -Wang, made the most beautiful. After she had learned to bake the clay -so that neither fire nor water would harm it, she amused herself by -making dishes of queer shapes. Then she discovered it was not -necessary to make the basket molds, and that if she made marks on the -clay they would be baked in. She began by making a little row of nail -prints about the rim--((((((((((. Then she made rough pictures of -animals and men with a sharpened stick. And the fame of Suta went out -also through the north land, and they came from far away to see the -wonderful things which she had done. Others tried, but no one could -make such beautiful dishes as Suta. - -Before the great fire feast an idea came to Suta like a dream in the -night, she knew not from where. She would make a great bowl for Odin and -she would mold on it pictures of his gifts, so that all who saw would -remember from whom the good things came. With great care she shaped a -bowl as high as a five-year-old child and so large that a grown man -could not circle it with his arms. On it she pictured the man who shot -the first deer with a stone-tipped arrow, the man who made the first -snare for the wild birds, the man who first crossed the deep water in a -hollowed log, Ang striking fire from the flints, Oma baking the clay -dishes. Then she hesitated. These and many things more the Great One had -given; what would He give next? What did she want most? - -[Illustration: THE FIRST POTTER] - -Now Suta was not like Ang or Wang or even like Oma. Wang had thought -sometimes that she was not so good a cook as Oma, and that she spent -too much time listening to the song of the birds and watching the play -of the light on the water and the woods and the far-off hills. She did -these things sometimes when he thought she ought to get wood for the -fire or cook something for him, and he grumbled a little. But now that -she made dishes of clay which no one else could make and all men said, -"What a fortunate man Wang is to have a woman that can make such -things!" Wang began to be very proud of her. He even went so far as to -get wood for the fire, which he did not think man's work. - -And what did Suta the dreamer want? She did not want more food or more -clothes or a bigger cave; she wanted the power to mold in clay the -things she saw and loved. So she put on the great bowl for the -All-Father a picture of a woman, with her back turned on the lookers -and a sharpened stick in her hand, just ready to work the soft clay, -but waiting for the power to draw on clay the picture in her mind. It -was the first expression of the unsatisfied yearning of the artist for -beauty and the power to express it. For Suta was the mother of those -who love the beautiful and long to give it permanent form. - -When the bowl for the Giver was finished, it was placed on a stone -foundation in front of the stone altar, which Ang and Wang had made. -At the feast it was filled with sparkling water from a spring near by, -and as the men danced about the fire they dipped their hands in it as -they passed by and sprinkled the water on the fire and on themselves -and sang: - - Singing water of the brook, - Shining laughter of the wood, - Talking picture of the clay, - Earth and fire and water, all - Are voices of the Great. - -All who saw the great bowl which Suta had made were filled with wonder, -and they wanted her to make something for them. Then the great idea came -to Wang. Now Wang was not so strong as Ang or so good a hunter, but he -wanted just as much to eat and just as warm furs to wear. He liked -better to sit talking with some crony in the shade in summer or by the -fire in winter. Talking and sitting were the two things of which he -never tired. Now when the world was young, such men went hungry and -cold, and Wang had done so often, and, more's the pity, Suta and little -Sut; but then came the idea. Every one wanted Suta's clay dishes; he -wanted deer's meat and bear's, and furs, and the choicest seeds and -nuts. He would barter the things which Suta made for the things he -wanted. Suta would do the work; others would bring food and furs and -fruits; he would sit in front of the cave and give as little of the -first for as much of the second as possible. And the idea worked. Suta -loved to mold the plastic clay and decorate it. Many wanted the things -which she had made, and Wang's wily tongue multiplied the number of -those who were willing to pay for what they wanted. - -So Wang became the father of a long line of traders, and the Wang -family had more food than they could eat and more furs than they could -wear. Wang grew thick in the belly and thin in the calf, but it suited -him, and Suta was too busy with her clay to care. And Wang the trader -became almost as great a man as Ang the priest. - -And Oma, wife of Ang, grew envious of Suta, wife of Wang. And she -grumbled to Ang: "Did not you find the Red One and bring Wang and Suta -so that they should not perish from the cold? Have you not fed them -with meat of your own hunting? Did not I learn from the Red One how to -harden and mold the clay? Did I not show Suta? Do I not work harder -than she? Am I not a better cook? Can I not make better coats of fur? -But see, little Sut has finer furs than Om and is fatter. And all who -come now pass by our cave, except at the great feasts, or when they -are sick and in trouble, and go to talk with Wang and look at Suta. Is -she so much better to look at than Oma?" - -But Ang comforted her with wisdom that had come from long broodings -under the shadow of the Keeper of Secrets. "The Giver has differing -gifts. To the fire he gives one, to the water another, to the earth -another. To Suta he gave the love of beauty; to you he gave the love -of doing and making; and the joy of doing is greater than the joy of -having. To each her gifts as the Great One wills. And I would rather -be the man of Oma than of Suta." So Oma was comforted, though she -often sighed wistfully as she saw men and women go by to the cave of -Wang or watched Suta deftly mold some new thought into the yielding -clay. - - --_From "Around the Fire", by Hanford M. Burr. - Courtesy of Association Press._ - - - - -FINDING OPPOSITES - - - This drill will not only test your ability to follow printed - directions, but also your ability to exercise a careful choice of - words. Follow the directions very closely. - - 1. Arrange your paper with your name on the first and your grade on - the second line. Beginning with the fourth line, in the margin, - write the figures 1 to 10. - - 2. Below are ten sets of words. In each case, the first word is - followed by four other words, one of which is exactly opposite in - meaning to the first word. You are going to find these opposites. - Look at group one. HIGH is the first word. Of the four words that - follow it, which do you think is the exact opposite of HIGH? Of - course it is LOW. Write this pair of opposites after figure 1 on - your paper as follows: - - 1. HIGH LOW - - 3. After figure 2, write the second pair of opposites: - - 2. GREAT SMALL - - Complete the exercise by selecting the opposites from each remaining - group, and writing them after the proper figure on your paper. When - you have finished put down your pencil and wait quietly for the - others. - - 1. HIGH (sky, low, above, deep). - 2. GREAT (less, large, small, beautiful). - 3. HILL (mountain, valley, high, river). - 4. MANY (few, more, plenty, less). - 5. GRADUAL (quick, slowly, sudden, degree). - 6. WOUND (sword, nurse, heal, bind). - 7. LIGHT (bright, sun, shadow, darkness). - 8. STRAIGHT (long, uneven, twist, crooked). - 9. LAND (plain, water, farm, river). - 10. SPRING (fall, cool, October, green). - - - - -"IT'S QUITE TRUE!" - - - This story might have been named "Gossip". When you have read it - through, tell why this would be a good name for it. - - You should all begin reading at the same moment. Your teacher will - divide you into three groups, as explained before the story on - page 106, and ask you the questions at the end of the story. - -"That is a terrible affair!" said a Hen; and she said it in a quarter -of the town where the occurrence had not happened. "That is a terrible -affair in the poultry-house. I cannot sleep alone to-night! It is -quite fortunate that there are many of us on the roost together!" And -she told a tale, at which the feathers of the other birds stood on -end, and the cock's comb fell down flat. It's quite true! - -But we will begin at the beginning; and the beginning begins in a -poultry-house in another part of the town. The sun went down, and the -fowls jumped up on their perch to roost. There was a Hen, with white -feathers and short legs, who laid her right number of eggs, and was a -respectable hen in every way; as she flew up on to the roost she -pecked herself with her beak, and a little feather fell out. - -"There it goes!" said she; "the more I peck myself the handsomer I -grow!" And she said it quite merrily, for she was a joker among the -hens, though, as I have said, she was very respectable; and then she -went to sleep. - -It was dark all around; hen sat by hen; but the one that sat next to -the merry hen did not sleep: she heard and she didn't hear, as one -should do in this world if one wishes to live in quiet; but she could -not refrain from telling it to her next neighbor. - -"Did you hear what was said here just now? I name no names; but here -is a hen who wants to peck her feathers out to look well. If I were a -cock I should despise her." Then she too went to sleep. - -And just above the hens sat the Owl, with her husband and her little -owlets; the family had sharp ears, and they all heard every word that -the neighboring Hen had spoken, and they rolled their eyes, and the -Mother-Owl clapped her wings and said: - -"Don't listen to it! But I suppose you heard what was said there? I -heard it with my own ears, and one must hear much before one's ears -fall off. There is one among the fowls who has so completely forgotten -what is becoming conduct in a hen that she pulls out all her feathers, -and then lets the cock see her." - -"Prenez garde aux enfants," said the Father-Owl. "That's not fit for -the children to hear." - -"I'll tell it to the neighbor owl; she's a very proper owl to -associate with." And she flew away. - -"Hoo! hoo! to-whoo!" they both screeched in front of the neighbor's -dovecote to the doves within. "Have you heard it? Have you heard it? -Hoo! hoo! there's a hen who has pulled out all her feathers for the -sake of the cock. She'll die with cold, if she not dead already." - -"Coo! coo! Where, where?" cried the Pigeons. - -"In the neighbor's poultry-yard. I've as good as seen it myself. It's -hardly proper to repeat the story, but it's quite true!" - -"Believe it! believe every single word of it!" cooed the Pigeons, and -they cooed down into their own poultry-yard. "There's a hen, and some -say that there are two of them that have plucked out all their -feathers, that they may not look like the rest, and that they may -attract the cock's attention. That's a bold game, for one may catch -cold and die of a fever, and they are both dead." - -"Wake up! wake up!" crowed the Cock, and he flew up on the plank; his -eyes were still very heavy with sleep, but yet he crowed. "Three hens -have died of an unfortunate attachment to a cock. They have plucked -out all their feathers. That's a terrible story. I won't keep it to -myself; let it travel farther." - -"Let it travel farther!" piped the bats; and the fowls clucked and the -cocks crowed, "Let it go farther! let it go farther!" And so the story -traveled from poultry-yard to poultry-yard, and at last came back to -the place from which it had gone forth. - -"Five fowls," it was told, "have plucked out all their feathers to show -which of them had become thinnest out of love to the cock; and then they -have pecked each other, and fallen down dead to the shame and disgrace -of their families, and to the great loss of the proprietor." - -And the hen who had lost the little loose feather, of course did not -know her own story again; and as she was a very respectable hen, she -said: - -"I despise those fowls; but there are many of that sort. One ought not -to hush up such a thing, and I shall do what I can that the story may -get into the papers, and then it will be spread over all the country, -and that will serve those fowls right, and their families too." - -It was put into the newspaper; it was printed; and it's quite -true--_that one little feather may swell till it becomes five fowls_. - - --_Hans Christian Andersen._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. Are you in the same group you were the last time the class was - divided in this way? - - 2. What was the remark out of which all the gossip grew? - - 3. How may "one little feather become five fowls"? - - - - -TANGLED SENTENCES - - - This exercise is given to see if you can follow directions. Follow - each direction as you read it. Do not wait for others to start, - but begin now. - -1. Arrange your paper with your name on the first line and your grade -on the second. At the left hand side of your paper number the next ten -lines from number 1 to number 10. - -2. The words NAME IS A JOHN BOY'S do not make a good sentence, but if -the words are arranged in order they form a good sentence: JOHN IS A -BOY'S NAME. This sentence is true. In the same way, the words BOOKS -MADE OF IRON ARE, in this order do not make a good sentence, but -arranged in the right order they form a good sentence: BOOKS ARE MADE -OF IRON. This sentence is not true. - -3. Here are ten groups of words which can be rearranged into good -sentences. When they are rearranged in their right order, some will be -true and some will be false. Look at the first set of words. Do not -write the words in their right order, but see what they would say if -rearranged. If what they would say is true, write the word _true_ after -figure 1 on your paper; but if what they would say is not true, write -the word _false_ after figure 1. Do this with each group of words. - - 1. Brazil for noted coffee is its - 2. largest Rhode Island in the state is the Union - 3. the John Hancock signed Independence Declaration of - 4. sugar products and rice of are the South - 5. Columbus the New York discovered of city - 6. important San Francisco on city Pacific coast is an the - 7. famous a William Tell American was - 8. Camel tusks the has like an and elephant a trunk - 9. return songbirds the spring time the in - 10. snow Panama land of is a ice and - - - - -HOW SELLA LOST HER SLIPPERS - - - You have heard about the early peoples who found out how to use - tools, how to build fires, how to make clothes out of skins of - animals, and how to do all the other everyday things that once had - to be done for the very first time. Science has found out for us - the facts about how all these things were done first. But in the - old days, before there was any knowledge of science, people had to - explain such matters as best they could, by means of legends, such - as that of Prometheus, who, as you have heard, stole fire from - heaven. Here is a legend that suggests how water was first tamed - and made a servant of man. - -In the days of old, when wonderful things happened, there lived in a -pleasant dwelling beside a brook in the forest a young girl named -Sella, a name which means "a shadow". Although she was very beautiful, -so that everyone admired her, she did not like to stay very much of -the time with other people. She liked better to gather flowers on the -bank of the stream, or to sit in the shade of a great rock listening -to the sweet murmur of the flowing water. It was her delight to wander -up the stream, tracing to the source in the mountains each of the -little brooks that fed the larger one. She knew every little spring -that stole forth from under a hanging rock, and every little rill that -came trickling down the bare hillside. Often she rowed her little boat -out on the lake or on the wide river into which the stream ran. - -In the days when Sella lived girls were not taught anything except the -things that it was thought belonged to woman's place, such as sewing, -the keeping of the house, and the art of making one's self charming -and agreeable. For a girl to go out into the world to make her own way -as girls do now was an unheard-of thing. Girls must stay at home and -leave adventure to the men of the family. Sella was not at all -contented with such an arrangement. She looked at her two brothers -enviously, thinking, "If I were only a boy, I could follow the river -down to the sea and see all the strange peoples and customs in other -parts of the world. I should like to see what kind of houses they -have, and how they build their stately ships, what kind of flowers -grow in their gardens, and what fruits ripen in their orchards. Here -men make their living by raising sheep, but there I hear they sprinkle -the great plains with corn, which springs up and ripens and is -harvested to give bread to all the nations. I long to see all these -things, and I would have seen them, long ago, if I were not so unlucky -as to be a girl." - -One morning in early spring Sella came to her mother in breathless -excitement. "See, mother dear," she said, "what I have found on the -bank of the stream!" And she showed a pair of white slippers, spangled -and embroidered in silver. "See, my name is worked on the edge; and -just look, mother, they fit me!" - -"To be sure, they are very dainty," said her prudent mother. "But they -do not belong to you. Perhaps some careless passer-by dropped them -there, or perhaps they were put there as a snare to lead you into -harm. I don't like the look of the letters embroidered on them; they -don't seem to me to spell your name, but rather to look like magic -signs that may work you evil. Nay, daughter, you must not wear them." - -So Sella hung the slippers in the porch, so that anyone who had lost -them could see them as she passed by. No one claimed them, however. At -last, one day in May, Sella did not appear at the noonday meal. They -looked for her in all her favorite places and shouted her name -through the woods, but all in vain. At night they went out with -torches still seeking her. All the next day they searched, climbing -high into the mountains. Towards evening of the second day, when they -had given up hope, suddenly Sella appeared at her mother's side where -she sat alone and sad. - -"Oh, mother, forgive me," she cried. "I just tried the slippers on for -a moment, and before I could take them off again I found them carrying -me along as if my feet had wings. At the bank of the stream there -waited for me a lovely creature, with flowing hair and filmy green -garments. She took my hand and led me right into the stream, and -together we went along in the midst of it. Gayly we leaped the crag -and swam the pool and glided between shady meadow banks. The stream -broadened and became a river, and still we went onward, past stately -towns, and under leaning masts of gallant ships, till at last we -reached the sea and passed below its waves. The seaweed grew on tall -stems like trees, and I could see the coral, the gleaming fish, and -the rosy shells lying on the white sand at the bottom. Herds of sea -creatures went by us, dolphins and whales and even sharks, but they -turned aside to make room for us." - -Bella's mother interrupted her. "This is just a dream, dear Sella, a -vain dream." - -"No, mother, for here is what my guide gave me to prove my story true." -And Sella showed a sea-green scarf, adding, "And she told me to keep the -slippers, and that whenever I put them on I could go down to the bottom -of the ocean again and see all the lovely things. Oh, mother, it is so -beautiful there! But after we had wandered about a long time I grew -weary, and longed for my dear mountain home. And so she brought me back; -and now I will never leave your side again." And she flung her arms -about her mother and kissed her, begging forgiveness once again. - -Sella kept her promise. But, sadly enough, she did not have to keep it -long, for in less than two years from that May day her mother died. -The little mountain home was very sad. But after her first grief -passed, Sella was very often absent from the household, and her father -and brothers and older sister knew that she was away in the world of -waters with her friends the water-nymphs. When she was at home she -often sat looking blankly into space, with her thoughts far away. Her -brothers tried to persuade her not to go away from them so often, but -she only looked at them sorrowfully, and wept, saying never a word in -answer to their pleading. - -At last there came a day of merriment and good cheer in the quiet -home. Bella's sister was to be married. The guests came from hill and -valley in all the country round. Sella welcomed them, beautiful and -calm as usual, with her clear blue eyes, fair hair, and skin as white -as the water-lily. She looked like a water nymph herself, so much of -her time had been spent in her beloved water. - -Now it happened that that very morning the older of her two brothers had -been out upon the hillside and had seen Sella come out from the stream, -and had noticed where she put her slippers in a cleft of rock behind a -tree. Now, under cover of the merriment of the wedding while all the -youths and maidens were dancing, the two brothers stole away to the spot -where the slippers lay hidden, took them out, followed the brook down a -little way to where its current flowed very rapidly, and dropped them -in. The stream seemed to lift welcoming hands to catch them, and they -slid rapidly out of sight. Then the brothers returned to the house. - -As evening came near, Sella grew tired of the feasting and dancing and -noise and longed for the quiet that she could find below the sea. So -she ran out to the brook to get her slippers. They were gone! She -searched all along the brookside, but could not find them. Frightened, -she ran wildly from place to place, and searched in the same spots -over and over. Someone had taken them; and it did not take her long to -think who the someone was. She ran to the house and charged her -brothers with the theft. They frankly told her all that they had done, -saying that it was because they loved her so. "We could not bear to -have the cold world of waters steal our sister from us. Now you can -never go away from us again." - -When Sella heard how the stream had seized and carried away her -precious slippers, she gave a broken-hearted shriek. "They are gone -forever! Oh, how cruel you have been to me!" And she left them and ran -away to her room, locked her door, and would not let anyone in to -comfort her. All night she wept and mourned, knowing that never again -could she visit the sea caves and meadows where she so loved to roam, -nor talk with the gentle sea-nymphs. All the next day she wandered -alone by the brook, envying its shining waters which danced along on -their way to the sea. But by the next day she became more used to her -loss, and began to resolve that since it was no use to mourn for what -was gone, she would begin a new life whose days should be given to -quiet tasks of good in the great world. She knew that she had learned -many things about the water that men everywhere would be glad to know. -In patient, loving service she would forget her loss. - -So the years passed. Sella still loved to haunt the springs and brooks -as in her cheerful childhood. She taught men to know the right places -in which to dig wells, so as to be sure to find water beneath the -earth. She showed them how to build aqueducts by which to bring the -water from the mountain streams to towns far away from any water. She -showed them how to tame the rushing stream and make its water drive -the millwheel. She bade them build cisterns and pools and reservoirs -to catch the rain-water in the wet season, so that in the dry months -of the year it could be carried in canals into the parched fields to -irrigate them. Everywhere Sella's name was loved and honored. - -Bryant, our first American poet, who has told this story in lovely -verses which you must read some day, speaks of Sella's age and death -in the lines which follow. - - "Still she kept, as age came on, - Her stately presence; still her eyes looked forth - From under their calm brows as brightly clear - As the transparent wells by which she sat - So oft in childhood. Still she kept her fair - Unwrinkled features, though her locks were white. - A hundred times had summer, since her birth, - Opened the water-lily on the lakes, - So old traditions tell, before she died. - A hundred cities mourned her.----By the brook - That rippling ran beside the cottage door - Where she was born, they reared her monument. - Ere long the current parted and flowed round - The marble base, forming a little isle, - And there the flowers that love the running stream, - Iris and orchid, and the cardinal flower, - Crowded and hung caressingly around - The stone engraved with Sella's honored name." - - --_Mabel Dodge Holmes._ - - - - -THE GHOST OF TERRIBLE TERRY - - - Here is a real boy story in real boy talk. - - It is a first-class story to outline. Read it through--you will be - so much interested that you can't help reading fast--then close - the book and make an outline. - -I am the ghost of Terrible Terry! I have murdered ten men in cold -blood and buried their bones, in the dark of the moon, on the crest of -Death-Rattle Hill! You will meet me there at dark on the evening of -October 30! If you fail me BEWARE. (Following which was a crudely -drawn skull and cross bones.) - -"Gosh!" - -That was all George Taylor could say as he read the letter which his -father had just brought home in the evening mail. The mere thought of -Death-Rattle Hill _after dark_ was enough to make a fellow's heart -jump into his throat, for Death-Rattle Hill had received its name from -a popular superstition that grew out of the murder there, in pioneer -days, of an old trapper. - -This trapper, "Dad" Smith, as he was known on the frontier, was -returning to his cabin in the wilderness, after selling his winter -catch of furs, when he was attacked at dusk by "Terrible Terry", a -notorious desperado of the early days. He was found the next day with -more than a score of knife-wounds in his body. - -Legend credited Terry with numerous other ghastly crimes until at last -he met his fate in a manner which remains a mystery. His body was -found in the woods not far from the spot where Smith was murdered. A -rifle ball had passed through his throat. From then on stories were -circulated concerning peculiar noises that could be heard at dusk on -the hill. These noises, so the tales agreed, resembled a choking, -gasping sound--such as a man might make in struggling for breath. So -it came about that this hill came to be known throughout all the -country as "Death-Rattle Hill." - -"Gosh!" said Taylor once more as these thoughts went racing through his -head. Then he jerked his cap from its hook in the hall and ran down the -alley to see if any other of the boys had received a similar message. - -Carrots Crawford, Pepper Perkins and several other members of the -troop were talking excitedly. - -"Hey, George," they called as the scout appeared, "did you get one, -too?" - -"Do you mean a letter from Terrible Terry?" - -"Sure thing," said Pepper; "all the fellows got them. It's just -another of Mr. James' stunts. Say, Scouts, remember that party we had -at headquarters last Hallowe'en? Didn't we have a circus! And I'll bet -this year we'll have a bigger time yet!" - -After much discussion the group broke, and only Taylor and Pepper -Perkins remained. If the departing scouts had been thinking less about -the queer noises that were supposed to be heard on Death-Rattle Hill, -they might have observed that these two leading lights of Glenwood -troop had their heads together in earnest consultation. - -It was ten days until the last of October; ten days filled with the -greatest anticipation for the members of Glenwood troop; although -every scout in the troop felt a peculiar sinking feeling at the pit of -the stomach at the thought of Death-Rattle Hill, not one of them would -have admitted it, and not one of them thought of failing to keep his -appointment with "Terrible Terry", especially after the rumor was -spread that each scout should go armed with a fork, a spoon and a tin -cup. The boys agreed among themselves that they would meet at troop -headquarters and march in a body to Death-Rattle Hill. - -Hallowe'en evening came at last. The members of Glenwood Troop -reported at their headquarters to a man, quaking inwardly if the truth -were known, but prepared to keep their rendezvous with the ghost of a -cut-throat in the most haunted spot in all the land! Great was their -relief when Mr. James appeared and said he had thought it best to -accompany the boys on such a dangerous undertaking. - -They started out, rather more boisterously than usual, laughing, -shouting and singing, but the nearer they got to Death-Rattle Hill the -quieter they became. By the time they reached the crest of the hill -they were huddled together like sheep. - -"Here we are, boys," came the Scoutmaster's cheery voice at last as -the scouts reached a little clearing between two tall Norway pines. -Not far from one of the trees a huge bonfire had been built. Mr. James -struck a match, the flames ran quickly through the dry sticks and -logs, and in almost no time the clearing was light as day. - -With the lighting of the fire, the spell that had been cast over the -boys by thoughts of Terrible Terry was partially broken, and they -entered into the games and stunts that Mr James had planned for them -with their customary spirit. - -With their hands tied behind their backs they tried to bite apples -suspended from the branches of the pine by long strings and bobbed for -apples in a big tub of water. They had boxing and wrestling bouts, dug -pennies with their teeth out of shallow pans partly filled with flour, -held a war-dance around the fire and yelled as only hungry boys can -yell when Mr. James produced a pail of steaming cocoa, a big box of -"dogs", a pan full of doughnuts, and a box of red apples. - -But in spite of all they could do to forget the stories of -Death-Rattle Hill they could not escape a vague, uneasy feeling, and -many a furtive glance was cast into the surrounding trees and bushes. - -When the last drop of cocoa had disappeared and the last red apple had -followed the "dogs" and doughnuts to their doom, the boys crawled -close to the glowing embers of the fire and, following their usual -custom, begged Mr. James for a story. - -The fire was slowly dying, and the occasional flickering flames cast -fantastic shadows on the hazel bushes and the trees. - -"We have all heard more or less about strange sights and sounds in -places where men have met with violent death," said Mr. James by way -of beginning his yarn. "For instance, I have been told that in this -very clearing there grows a peculiar red moss which traces in exact -outline the spots on the earth where the old trapper Smith's -life-blood dyed the sod. Hunters have told me that no animals ever -cross this clearing--that in the dead of winter not even a rabbit -track breaks the smooth expanse of snow which is marred only by a -ghastly crimson stain where poor old Smith's body was found. - -"But let me get on with my story. Thirteen years ago this very night an -old hunchback peddler, who had been selling his wares in the backwoods -settlements, lost his bearings in the forest and found himself at dusk -in this very clearing. Being completely exhausted from his wanderings, -he decided to make himself as comfortable as possible for the night. He -built a fire in the early evening, and, as the embers slowly settled -into ashes fell into a half sleep leaning against his pack. - -"Just how long he dozed by the fire he could not tell, nor could he -remember exactly what wakened him, yet suddenly he was startled into -consciousness, every nerve a-tingle with a sense of impending danger. -Some power he could not sense drew his attention irresistibly to a -huge pine tree--that one right there! - -"With his eyes starting from their sockets he sat incapable of -movement, waiting--waiting--when suddenly----" - -Out of the pine on which every scout was focusing his gaze came an -unmistakable choking, gasping sound. - -An instant later a faintly glowing light appeared. - -"Great goodness! Look there!" exclaimed Patrol Leader Crawford in a -husky voice. - -With a piercing shriek a horrible apparition floated out of the -branches of the pine. Its white hair was covered with ghastly clots of -red. Its arms waved wildly, moving the folds of a flowing white -garment splotched with blood. - -Transfixed with horror, the boys sat frozen in their tracks as THE -THING rushed toward them. - -Then there came a huge splash in the bobbing tub behind them and an -unmistakably human voice exclaimed, "Oh, thunder!" The voice belonged -to Pepper Perkins, and the Scoutmaster's flashlight revealed its owner -in a sitting posture in the tub of water, whence he had fallen from a -low branch of a tree directly over his head. - -Meanwhile the "ghost" that had floated out of the pine was having -troubles of its own. It stopped floating with a sudden jerk and hung -suspended in mid-air, with a pair of khaki legs dangling beneath the -flowing garment and kicking around for something solid to stand on, -while a very unghostly voice pleaded, "Gosh, sakes! Can't you help a -feller down?" - -A few turns of the flashlight revealed the whole plot. The "ghost" -had floated on a wire stretched from the huge pine to the smaller one -across the clearing. The faintly glowing light was a flashlight -enclosed in a paper sack, the horrible head-dress a piece of old fur -robe smeared with red paint, and the "shriek" a siren whistle. - -You have heard how Death-Rattle Hill came by its name. And now you -know how it came about that George Taylor of the Glenwood Scouts -acquired the name of "Terry"--a name which he bears to this day. - - --_Courtesy of "Boys' Life". - Copyrighted, 1918, by "Boys' Life", The Boy Scouts' Magazine._ - - - - -ROAST CHICKEN - - - All begin at the same moment. You may take thirty seconds to - prepare to tell this story. - -An American private spied a rooster prowling around a farm house in No -Man's Land just after the Americans had captured Very. Being hungry, -and having an appetite for roast chicken, this American private -decided to crawl up on the rooster and trap him in the building. - -The American was about to lay his hands on the astonished rooster when -a German entered the rear door of the building bent on the same -mission. Both were so surprised that they stood for a moment and -glared at each other, then the American motioned for the German to do -a right flank on the prey they were after and both closed in on him. -The rooster was captured by the American, who later returned to the -American lines with both rooster and German in tow. - -Later, at the regimental P. C., the German roasted the chicken for his -captor, who shared it with him. - - --_Association Men._ - - - - -WHY THE ECHO ANSWERS - - - Here is one of the beautiful Greek myths that everyone is supposed - to know. - - Try to read it so carefully in five minutes that you can tell it - from start to finish without being questioned or prompted. Your - teacher will let two or three of you tell the story. Perhaps some - of you can do it well enough to tell it to one of the lower - classes in the school. - -In the ancient days in Greece, people believed not only in the great -gods and goddesses, such as the god of the sea, the god of the sun, -the goddess of the moon, or the goddess of the harvest, but also in -many less important beings who took care of smaller things in the -world of nature. In every river lived a god, for whom the stream was -named. The woods were full of fair maidens called nymphs, whom mortal -eyes could not see. They had various names, according to the -particular objects which were their care. The nymphs who lived each in -her own tree were called _dryads_; those who dwelt in the springs and -brooks were _naiads_; while those whose home was in the rocks and -hills were _oreads_. - -Of all the mountain nymphs, or oreads, the most beautiful was a maiden -named Echo. She was one of the troop of maidens who followed and -attended Diana, the goddess of the woodlands. Echo was very faithful -to all her tasks, devoted to her mistress, and beloved by all her -companions. Her one fault was that, like many another girl, she was -too fond of talking. Her tongue ran all day long. It did not matter -whether or not she had anything important to talk about; talk she -must. The other nymphs were used to it, and didn't pay much attention; -indeed, they hardly listened to her, a thing which often happens to -people who never know when to stop talking. But Juno, the queen of -the gods, one day grew so tired of Echo's ceaseless chatter that she -condemned her to lose her power to speak, except to repeat the words -of someone who spoke to her. - -This was hard enough when it meant simply that the maiden could no -longer talk to her companions. If you have ever had so severe a cold -that you have lost your voice for a day or two, you know how many -things you think of that you want to say simply because you are unable -to say them. That was poor Echo's case, only it was to last forever -instead of for a few days. But far worse than this was to happen to -the unfortunate maiden. One day, not long after she had lost her -tongue, as we say, she saw for the first time the beautiful youth -Narcissus, son of one of the river gods. From that moment Echo's heart -was gone as well as her voice, for she fell in love immediately. But -alas! how could she let him know it? She could not speak at all, -except to mimic his last words whenever he spoke. And his words did -not at all express the feelings which she wanted to utter. For -instance, when Narcissus, who did not care anything about the lovesick -Echo, and who was anxious to get away, cried to her, "Let us leave one -another," she answered with all her heart, "One another," and tried to -hasten after him. But he could not or would not understand, and did -not wait for her. - -At last Narcissus, who you can readily see was not as kind as he was -beautiful, growing utterly weary of having the forlorn nymph pursue -him, said rudely to her, "I cannot bear to come near you." "Near you," -repeated Echo with all her heart, ready to fling her arms about his -neck. - -"Hands off!" he cried, starting back. "I would rather die than thou -shouldst have me." "Have me," pleaded the unhappy Echo, but all in -vain. The cruel youth would have nothing to do with her. From that -time on she withdrew herself from the company of the other nymphs, and -wandered alone in hidden caves and among the remotest cliffs of the -mountains. Gradually she faded away till there was nothing left of her -but her voice, which still repeated the last part of any sound she -heard. Sometimes when you are in the woods or mountains, if you call -aloud, you will hear your own voice seeming to come back to you like -an answer. It is not your voice, you see, but that of the unfortunate -oread; so we call the sound that rings and rolls along in answer to -our voices, by the maiden's name, Echo. - -Perhaps you would like to know what happened to the unkind Narcissus. -Echo was not the only maiden whom he scorned. He avoided all the nymphs, -for the only person whom he really loved was himself. As time went on he -loved himself more and more, especially as he saw the reflection of his -own beautiful face in the water. He spent his days stooping over the -deep, still pool that made the best mirror. He talked to his own image -in the still surface; he tried to embrace it, stooping so far over that -he almost fell in. But the mirrored face made no response to all his -pleadings. He was being well paid for his treatment of Echo. At last, in -despair because his love was not returned, he pined away and died of a -broken heart. Like other people who love themselves best, he got no -happiness from his vanity and selfishness. - -Perhaps you are wondering why the youth whom Echo loved bore the name of -our delicate white spring flower. It is because that flower first sprang -up from the ground on the spot where the beautiful Narcissus was buried. - - --_Mabel Dodge Holmes._ - - - - -THE FIGHT WITH THE SEA - - - Before you begin to read this selection, look up the word _reclaim_. - - This is a good selection for outlining. You can write four or five - topics that will cover the substance of the piece. - - Your teacher will keep track of the time it takes each of you to - read the selection and make your outline. - -There are some learned people who tell us that a great many years ago -the island which we call England, Scotland, and Wales was one with the -continent of Europe. They say that the sea gradually made its way -through a stretch of low-lying land, till at last Great Britain was -completely cut off from the continent. We all know that the Eastern -counties of England which face the little country of Holland are just -as flat and marshy as the opposite shores. The farmers and laborers in -these countries are continually endeavoring to make good pasture-land -of the unhealthy marshes and fens, as they are called, and each year -sees acres of land reclaimed and turned to good use; but also each -year a little land is stolen from these counties by the greedy sea. -The patient Dutch people on the other shore are carrying on the same -kind of work. They make wonderful dykes and drive the sea always a -little further and further back; and though much of their country is -actually beneath the level of the sea, they jealously guard the -treasure they have captured, with so much perseverance and energy that -the tyrant sea is kept in subjection. Of course, as the land lies -lower than the water, the natural result would be that the water would -flood the land unless it were kept out by an embankment; and this -wonderful little nation, so brave and daring as to defy the sea, have -surrounded their land with dykes, which are huge banks towering above -the lowlands of the country, and preventing the sea from obtaining -entrance. Of course, these dykes could be made only gradually as the -sea was turned from one spot to another by dams and locks, and these -facts will give you a far better proof than any other I could find of -the wonderful character and the great courage and perseverance of a -nation which has reclaimed its fatherland from the sea. - -You will not be surprised to be told that such a land is very damp and -misty. All the surface is cut up by innumerable canals. If you could see -the whole country from a height, it would look like an enormous puzzle. -It consists of hundreds of green patches cut up by the waterways, and -decorated with red-roofed villages and towns. Through all of these -canals flows the same water; all of them are connected with one another. -Here and there the canals are wide, and bear much traffic on their -placid surfaces. Through miles of green fields wander little baby -canals, draining the pasture-lands, and bravely carrying barges which -drift slowly in single file from one busy centre to another. - -There are plenty of railways, but the trains are generally slow, and -in many places the land perceptibly gives way as the heavy train -presses it, so most of the conveyance is done on the canals. - -It is still part of the everyday life of Holland to reclaim the -stretches of mud and marsh from the sea. When this has been done, the -land is first enclosed with a dyke to prevent any water flowing into it. -On the edge of this dyke wind-mills are erected, each of which works a -pump. You remember how every picture of a Dutch landscape shows a -country dotted with windmills with wide-spreading arms and sails. As the -mills draw up the water, it is discharged into a canal, which takes it -to the sea. Only fifty years ago, an immense piece of submerged land -called the Haarlem Lake was drained and rendered fit for cultivation, -and one of the favorite projects of certain Dutch ministers is the -draining of the Zuyder Zee, an enormous stretch of water of which you -have certainly heard, and which once must have been dry land. - -When I traveled in Holland, one of the greatest discomforts which I -experienced was the want of good drinking water. The Dutch people are -used to it, and drink a good deal of tea and coffee; but both are -taken so strong and so bitter, that, even if made with the purest -water, they would be undrinkable for you and me. Once, when I was -staying in a tiny village called Volendam, I had taken a little crying -child home to his mother, whom I knew. She wanted to wash his face -which I could hardly see through dirt and tears, and from where do you -think she drew her water? She lifted a loose board in the floor of her -room, and there, immediately underneath, was a canal which passed -under her house. The house was built on piles over the water, and the -whole family used this dirty water for everything--to wash in and to -cook with and to drink. Besides much dirt, there were two or three -tiny fish in the bucket that she took up when I was there, and when I -asked her if she filtered the water at all for drinking, she shook her -head, not understanding the reason for anything of the kind. So I told -her how much better it would be for her and her family if she boiled -the water before drinking it; but she replied that she thought this -would take away all the taste. Just imagine wanting your water to -taste of dirt and fishes! - - --_From "A Peep at the Netherlands", - by Beatrix Jungman._ - - - - -AGRICULTURE - - -Here is an article from a cyclopedia for schools. The farther you go in -school, the more frequently you will need to consult such books. In such -cases you should learn to turn quickly to the part of this article you -want without reading it all through. Sometimes the topic you are looking -up will be the same as one of the headings in the book. Often it will -not. Instead of reading the whole article, however, you will generally -be able to judge what heading is likely to cover your topic. - -If you don't find what you want, keep looking. For example, if you -wished to find more about wheat, oats, poultry or cattle you would -turn to other volumes of this cyclopedia and read the special article -on the subject you were seeking. - -Your teacher will assign different individuals or different sections -of the class one or more of the following topics covered in this -selection. Of course you will not think that you have in this brief -selection anything like a complete discussion of each of these topics. -You will, however, find something interesting about each of them. - - 1. How much time it takes to raise a bushel of corn. - - 2. How barren areas can be made productive. - - 3. Four causes of progress in agriculture. - - 4. Four different kinds of agriculture. - - 5. Where America raises her cereals. - - 6. What agriculture does for each of us. - - 7. Good roads and the farmer. - - 8. Things the farmer has to fight. - - 9. Truck farming. - - 10. Where animals thrive. - - 11. Agriculture experiment stations. - - 12. Changes in agriculture methods. - -Agriculture is the art of cultivating the soil to produce material for -feeding and clothing the human race. It is the oldest of all -occupations. "The first farmer," says Emerson, "was the first man, and -all historic nobility rests on possession and use of the land." -Agriculture is also the most widely-extended of all occupations, and -it lies at the foundation of all other industries. Daniel Webster once -said, "When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, -are the founders of civilization." Unless man were fed and clothed the -race would perish. - - -ILLUSTRATING ITS IMPORTANCE. - -Mr. and Mrs. Adams with their children, John, aged 14, and Mary, aged -12, lived in the city. Like many other city children, John and Mary -knew but little of the country, and did not seriously consider farming -or anything connected with it. Their father and mother, however, had -come from the farm, and they decided to help John and Mary to obtain -correct ideas of the country and of a life such as they lived in their -younger days. - -"John, where did this bread come from?" asked Mr. Adams, at dinner. - -"Why, mother bought it at the baker's, I suppose." - -"Very well, but where did the baker get it?" - -"Oh, I know," said Mary, "he makes it." - -"But what is it made of?" continued the father. - -"There is flour in it," said John, "and water, and--and--lots of other -things." - -"A boy never knows anything about cooking; let me tell," said Mary. -"Bread is made of flour, water and yeast and--what else do they put in -it, mother?" - -"I don't see as you know much more about it than I do," said John. - -"You children can learn how to make bread some other time," said Mr. -Adams; "I want to know where the baker got his flour." - -"He bought it of the wholesale grocer," replied John. - -"Well, where did the grocer get it?" - -"That is about as far as I can go," said John. "I have often wondered -where all the things we eat come from, but I have so many things to -study in school that I don't have time to read about anything more." - -"Well," replied the father, "suppose we make a little study of these -things at dinner. Let us begin with the bread. What you and Mary have -said is true, but we need to look into the subject a little further, -if we would know the real source from which we obtain bread and all -other articles of food. The real source of all these is the farm, and -were it not for the farmers all the people who live in the city, as we -do, should soon be without food." - -"Why, I never thought of that before; I never supposed the farmer -amounted to much, anyway," said John. Mary expressed a similar idea, -and both asked their father to tell them about those common articles -of food which we all eat without giving a thought to the source from -which they come or the labor required to prepare them for our use. - -During the next few days Mr. Adams took the children on a number of -imaginary journeys. With him they visited in fancy the great wheat -fields of the Dakotas and Canada, the corn belt in Illinois and Iowa, -the cattle ranches of Texas and Montana, the fruit orchards of the -Pacific states, the dairy farms and creameries of Wisconsin, the sugar -plantations of Louisiana, the beet farms of Michigan and Colorado, and -the poultry farms near some of our great cities. Then he took them to -far-off lands--to the coffee plantations of Brazil, the tea gardens of -Formosa, the rice plantations of China and the spice groves of India. - -Before these imaginary excursions were ended, John and Mary learned -that everything they ate, except salt, came from a farm in some part -of the world and that agriculture was carried on in every country. But -Mr. Adams did not stop here. In the same delightful way he led the -children to the study of cotton, flax, wool, and silk, so that they -were convinced that we depend upon the farm for what we wear as well -as for what we eat. In their minds the farmer at once became a very -important individual. - -PROGRESS OF AGRICULTURE.--Agriculture began when the first man -selected plants for his food. His next step was to scratch the ground -with a stick and plant seed. Then he took a forked stick and made a -plow of it. Two or more men hauled this plow while another held it in -position. But this labor was too hard, so man tamed the ox and the ass -and made them do the hauling and the carrying of his burdens, as well. -From these simple beginnings, agriculture has advanced through the -centuries until to-day traction engines haul over our great wheat -fields gang plows that turn more than fifty furrows at a time. Later -these same engines haul over the fields of ripened grain a machine -which at one operation harvests, thrashes and sacks the grain ready -for market--does everything, one humorist says, except to cash the -check for the crop. - -Such has been the progress in agriculture since the middle of the last -century that the labor of producing a bushel of wheat with the most -modern appliances has been reduced from a little over three hours to -about ten minutes. Formerly it required four and one-half hours' labor -to produce a bushel of corn; now it requires less than forty minutes. -Then, it took thirty-five and one-half hours' labor to grow a ton of -hay; now, it takes eleven hours and thirty-four minutes. But this is -not all. Production has been increased many fold; new and better -varieties of grains, vegetables, fruits and live stock are being -constantly produced; the use of agricultural machinery has enabled the -farmer to give more attention to the business side of his affairs, and -the best farms are now operated on a systematic plan which includes -both the fields and the home. - -CAUSES OF PROGRESS.--While the progress of agriculture may seem to have -been slow, it has advanced about as rapidly as other arts. The more -rapid advance of recent times is due chiefly to the following causes: - -_Transportation._--It is of no advantage to the farmer to raise crops -that he cannot market; therefore, good roads form one of the most -essential conditions to his success. Of these the country has far too -few, but railways have become so numerous that most farms are now -within a few miles of a station if not directly on the railway itself. -Increased facilities for marketing his crop have greatly increased the -farmers' production. - -_Machinery._--The machines which have done most towards the progress -of agriculture are the harvester, or reaping machine, the gang plow, -the seeder and the horse hoe. What these have accomplished in reducing -the cost of production is told in the preceding paragraph. Without -these inventions cultivation of the large farms in the Prairie states -and the Canadian provinces of the Northwest would be impossible. Many -other machines have also contributed their share. Among these are the -steam thrasher, the traction engine, the gasoline engine, and the -cream separator. Moreover, we must not forget the improvement in the -simpler farm implements such as the hoe, the spade, the rake, and the -ax, which, by being made lighter and of better material than in the -long-ago, have enabled those using them to do more work with less -expenditure of strength. - -_Chemistry._--The application of chemistry to soils, plants, and -fertilizers lies at the foundation of scientific agriculture. The farmer -can now learn from the nearest agricultural experiment station what -fertilizer is best suited to his soil and what crops he can grow with -greatest success. Agricultural chemistry is now applied to the study of -soils, of plant food and of fertilizers wherever there is an -agricultural college. - -_Education._--Not many years ago the average farmer was glad to -express his contempt for what he styled "book farming". Happily, that -day is past, and agricultural education (see subheading, below) now -occupies an important position in the educational systems of all -civilized countries. In the United States and Canada the demand for -graduates from agricultural colleges and high schools is greater than -these institutions are able to supply. Furthermore, the outlook for -supervisors and teachers of agriculture is so promising that young men -from the city constitute no inconsiderable portion of the student body -of these institutions. This is the beginning of a right sort of -movement from the city to the country, and it is increasing. - -_Scientific Agriculture._--All the foregoing movements have combined -to make agriculture a science as well as an art. The influence of the -agricultural colleges and experiment stations extends to the remotest -regions, and everywhere the trained scientist is helping the farmer to -solve his problems and to make his farm more profitable. No longer can -the old hit-or-miss methods maintain themselves in competition with -the scientific methods of the "new agriculture", which in the near -future will not only render productive vast areas still barren, but -also reclaim the so-called "worn-out farms" and repopulate with -prosperous families those which have been abandoned. - -_Prevention of Disease._--The application of scientific methods to the -study of those diseases of plants and animals which are ever robbing -the farmer of his profits constitutes one of the most important -contributions of science to agriculture, and is saving annually -millions of dollars to the farmers. While not all of these diseases -are conquered, many of them have been; the ravages of others have been -checked, and new victories are gained each year. - -_Insect Pests._--What has been said about the study of disease applies -with equal force to the study of destructive insects. These pests also -deprive the farmer of a portion of his income every season, and, now -and then, they destroy his crop altogether. Through the discoveries -made by the Department of Agriculture at Washington and in Canada by -the same department of government, and at the various experiment -stations, we are now able to deal successfully with these pests on the -American continent. - -BRANCHES.--Agriculture is so widely extended over the earth and so -varied in its industries that it is naturally divided into a number of -branches. While many farmers are interested in several of these -branches, each gives special attention to one or two. The farmer in the -corn belt, for instance, makes corn the chief product of his land, but -he must give enough attention to growing other crops and to dairying to -produce sufficient food for his family and live stock, unless he would -purchase this food at an expense considerably greater than would be -required to raise it. Likewise, the dairy husbandman must raise most of -the feed for his herd to make his business profitable. - -The following are the chief branches of agriculture in America: - -_Raising Cereals._--In some regions the soil and climate are -especially suited to raising cereals. For instance, Canada, Minnesota -and North Dakota are adapted to raising spring wheat, and this -constitutes their chief crop. On the other hand, Kansas is especially -suited to raising winter wheat. Illinois and Iowa are the great corn -states, because of the particular adaptation of the soil and climate -of the corn belt to the production of this cereal. The growing of -cereals is more widely extended than any other branch of agriculture. - -_Other Crops._--In some of the Northern states having a cool climate and -in Southern Canada, flax is extensively grown on new soil. Potatoes are -also successful in these regions. Oats is an extensive crop throughout -the northern half of the United States and in most of the Canadian -provinces. In Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, and a number of the other -Southern states, cotton constitutes the chief source of revenue. Fodder -crops, including corn for ensilage, clover, timothy and alfalfa, are -also of great importance in those localities where live stock is raised -or dairying is the chief line of agricultural industry. - -_Horticulture._--Horticulture is that branch of agriculture which -includes the raising of flowers, garden vegetables, and fruit. The -growing of vegetables and other garden produce for market is usually -called _truck farming_, and this branch of horticulture is very common -near large cities and in those localities where soil and climate admit -of raising two or more crops a year. The raising of fruit is probably -the most extensive branch of horticulture, particularly in those regions -which depend upon irrigation for their supply of water. All forms of -horticulture are intensified farming--that is, the thorough cultivation -of small tracts of land that is highly fertilized. - -_Live Stock._--Some localities are especially adapted to raising live -stock. Iowa and Illinois, for instance raise large numbers of hogs, -which are fattened on corn. Iowa also raises beef cattle. Kentucky is -noted for its fine horses; Montana, Wyoming, and several other states -contain extensive grazing lands where thousands of sheep find -pasturage, and in Texas beef cattle are raised in large numbers. - -_Dairy Husbandry._--Sections of the country having a cool climate, an -abundance of pure water, and soil adapted to growing alfalfa and other -ensilage crops are suited to dairying, and this branch of agriculture -is of great importance in those states. - -_Poultry._--The proceeds from the poultry raised in the United States -exceed those received from the wheat crop; strange as this statement -may seem, the hen is a mighty asset. Some poultry is found on nearly -every farm, but there are numerous small farms which are devoted -entirely to raising chickens, and when rightly managed, they prove a -profitable investment. - - --_From "The World Book". - Courtesy of W. F. Quarrie & Co._ - - - - -CAN YOU DO THIS ONE? - - - Here is another little nonsense test. Be sure that you do exactly - as the test directs. - -At the top of your paper copy the longest of these three words: boy, -noise, trouble--and then, if there are more than seven letters in the -word that you have just written, write the figure 7 underneath the word, -but if not, do not write anything but pass on to the next paragraph. - -If you think that Christopher Columbus used an ocean steamer to discover -America make three crosses at the bottom of your paper, but if you think -he must have used a canoe make only two crosses. Now no matter whether -there are five days in the week or not, write five days in the center of -your paper, sign your first name below it and hand in your answers. - - - - -THE INCHCAPE ROCK - - - Read the poem through as fast as you can, but not so fast as to fail - to get the full meaning. When all have finished, your teacher will - ask you to write the story the poem tells. - - It will be interesting to keep track of the exact time it takes each - of you to read the poem and to see whether those who read it more - quickly tell the story better than those who read more slowly. - - Can you take in every word without speaking, whispering, or moving - your lips? - - No stir in the air, no stir in the sea, - The ship was as still as she could be, - Her sails from heaven received no motion, - Her keel was steady in the ocean. - - Without either sign or sound of their shock - The waves flow over the Inchcape Rock; - So little they rose, so little they fell, - They did not move the Inchcape Bell. - - The good old Abbot of Aberbrothok - Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock; - On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung, - And over the waves its warning rung. - - When the Rock was hid by the surges' swell, - The mariners heard the warning bell; - And then they knew the perilous Rock, - And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok. - - The sun in heaven was shining gay, - All things were joyful on that day; - The sea-birds scream'd as they wheel'd round, - And there was joyance in their sound. - - The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen - A darker speck on the ocean green; - Sir Ralph the Rover walk'd his deck, - And he fix'd his eye on the darker speck. - - He felt the cheering power of spring, - It made him whistle, it made him sing; - His heart was mirthful to excess, - But the Rover's mirth was wickedness. - - His eye was on the Inchcape float; - Quoth he, "My men, put out the boat, - And row me to the Inchcape Rock, - And I'll plague the priest of Aberbrothok." - - The boat is lower'd, the boatmen row, - And to the Inchcape Rock they go; - Sir Ralph bent over from the boat, - And he cut the bell from the Inchcape float. - - Down sunk the bell, with a gurgling sound, - The bubbles rose and burst around; - Quoth Sir Ralph, "The next who comes to the Rock - Won't bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok." - - Sir Ralph the Rover sail'd away, - He scour'd the seas for many a day; - And now grown rich with plundered store, - He steers his course for Scotland's shore. - - So thick a haze o'erspreads the sky - They cannot see the sun on high; - The wind hath blown a gale all day, - At evening it hath died away. - - On the deck the Rover takes his stand, - So dark it is they see no land. - Quoth Sir Ralph, "It will be lighter soon, - For there is the dawn of the rising moon." - - "Can'st hear," said one, "the breakers roar? - For methinks we should be near the shore; - Now where we are I cannot tell, - But I wish I could hear the Inchcape Bell." - - They hear no sound, the swell is strong; - Though the wind hath fallen, they drift along, - Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock; - Cried they, "It is the Inchcape Rock!" - - Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair, - He curst himself in his despair; - The waves rush in on every side, - The ship is sinking beneath the tide. - - But even in his dying fear - One dreadful sound could the Rover hear, - A sound as if with the Inchcape Bell, - The fiends below were ringing his knell. - --_Robert Southey._ - - - - -SOME DEFINITIONS - - - Such a poem as this one is called a _ballad_. A ballad always tells - a story; it is never a very long poem; and it is always a poem of - the sort that could be set to music and sung. - - Each group of lines in any poem is called a _stanza_, not a verse, - as perhaps you have been used to calling it. In this poem you see - that there are stanzas of four lines each. - - Two lines that rhyme with each other are called a _couplet_. How - many couplets are there in each stanza? Can you find the two words - from which the most rhymes are made? - - - - -THE BATTLE OF MORGARTEN - - - Can you read this selection thoroughly in four minutes? Some of - you can read it in less time than that. - - One of the most really democratic countries in the world today is - Switzerland, the little republic among the Alps. It has a long and - glorious history, for it is the earliest of modern republics. Its - sections, instead of being called _states_, are called _cantons_. - Switzerland originally belonged to Austria, in the early days when - Austria was ruled not by an emperor but by a duke. The dukes of - Austria were cruel tyrants, and this story tells how the Swiss - mountaineers first began to free themselves from Austrian rule, in - the battle of Morgarten in the year 1315. - - As you read the story, notice: - - 1. The differences between Swiss and Austrians in numbers and - equipment. - - 2. What gave the Swiss an advantage over the Austrians. - -There are people who doubt the story of William Tell and Gessler, the -Swiss archer and the Austrian tyrant; but no one can doubt the great -and decisive victory won at Morgarten by the Swiss on the 15th of -November, 1315. Three cantons beside the lake--Schwyz, Uri, and -Unterwalden: the three Forest Cantons, as they were called, because of -their great woods--were resolved to be free of Austrian rule. The -Austrian Duke determined to crush them once and for all. - -He regarded it as a very easy matter. He had vast numbers of horsemen -and footmen, all splendidly armed and well trained in warfare; his -opponents were a few peasants, who clung to their native hills, and -loved freedom, and were ready to die for it. The Austrians looked upon -the affair as a mere hunting excursion. They provided themselves with -cartloads of ropes to lead back prisoners and the herds of cattle they -expected to seize. - -When the men of the forest heard that their enemies were marching upon -them, they gathered to defend their rights as freemen. They mustered -thirteen hundred fighting men, armed with the rudest of weapons, many -having nothing in their hands save heavy clubs, spiked with iron. But -before night fell those spiked clubs had been dipped in the best blood -of Austria. - -Twenty-four thousand of the Duke's finest troops, led by his brother -Leopold, advanced against these shepherds and herdsmen, and the two -armies met on the slopes of Morgarten. At this point a narrow pass -ascends the hill-side; upon one side of the pass lies the mountain, -upon the other the deep waters of the lake. At the head of the pass -stood the small band of Swiss, calmly surveying the splendid host of -steel-clad knights and men-at-arms which rode against them. The -Austrians pushed up the slope confident of victory. - -But as the latter rode up the pass an avalanche was loosed upon -them--not an avalanche of snow, but one prepared by the Swiss -themselves. Great stones, rocks, and trunks of trees had been poised -on the edge of the heights above the pass. When the Austrians were -seen below, these were thrust over the brink of the descent, and came -rolling, leaping, thundering down the mountainside, and crashing in -among the horsemen. Many were struck down, and the horses became so -terrified that the whole body of the assailants was thrown into utter -confusion. - -Here was the opportunity of the Swiss, and they did not let it slip. -Down the pass they swept upon the bewildered foe, and assailed them -furiously with their swords, their halberds (a heavy shaft of wood -fitted with axe and spear-point), and with their great iron-spiked -clubs. - -The Austrians tried to turn back and escape, but in vain. They were -caught in the narrow pass as in a net. Many sprang from their horses -and tried to get away on foot; but they slipped on the rocks, and the -nimble mountaineers, whose nailed shoes gave them good foothold on -their native slopes, and who were used to climbing over perilous -heights, caught and destroyed them easily. - -It was hardly a battle: it was a mere slaughter. Great numbers of the -Austrians were slain on the spot; many were driven into the lake and -drowned; the rest fled. Among the latter was Duke Leopold, who himself -narrowly escaped with his life. One who saw him on his flight from -this fatal field said that he looked "like death, and quite -distracted". Well might he look distracted. He had left behind him a -battleground drenched with the best blood of Austria; while of the -brave Swiss only fourteen men had fallen. - -The latter could scarce believe at first that they had won so mighty a -victory; but when they saw the Austrians flying for their lives, and -knew that the day was indeed their own, they fell on their knees upon -this forever famous field of Morgarten, and thanked God for -deliverance from the power of Austria; and to this day a service of -thanksgiving is held every year on the anniversary of that great -fight. Year by year, on the 15th of November, Swiss men and women -visit that sacred spot where the liberty of their land was won in one -of the decisive battles of the world, for after Morgarten the Forest -Cantons never lost their freedom again. - - --_From "A Peep at Switzerland", - by John Finnemore._ - - - - -FINDING OPPOSITES - - -This is another drill that asks you to make a careful choice of words. -_Do not_ write your name at the top of the paper this time, but -beginning on the first line, write the figures 1 to 12 in the margin. - -Below are ten sets of words. In each set, the first word is followed by -four other words. Among these four words there is one that is exactly -opposite in meaning to the first word in the group. Look at the first -group. SUMMER is the first word. Of the four words that follow it which -one is the opposite in meaning to SUMMER? WINTER, of course. Write this -pair of opposites after figure 1 on your paper as follows: - - 1. SUMMER WINTER - -After figure 2 write the second pair of opposites: - - 2. TIGHT LOOSE - -Complete the drill by selecting the opposites from each remaining -group, and writing them after the proper figure on your paper. When -finished, sign your name in the lower right-hand corner of your paper -and wait quietly for the others. - - 1. SUMMER (snow, winter, skating, January). - 2. TIGHT (small, larger, loose, bind). - 3. LONG (straight, heavy, short, reach). - 4. LEFT (before, right, corner, wrong). - 5. STORM (calm, rain, sun, wind). - 6. ROUND (box, cake, seat, square). - 7. BEAUTIFUL (picture, flower, girl, ugly). - 8. COLD (winter, ice, warm, weather). - 9. HELP (mother, book, lift, hinder). - 10. ROUGH (place, smooth, cotton, paper). - 11. SWEET (candy, sour, smile, lemon). - 12. POLITE (courtesy, manners, rude, clumsy). - - - - -WHAT MEKOLKA KNOWS - - - Here is a story of Mekolka, a little boy whose home is in the far - northern part of Russia. Mekolka is a Samoyad; that is, a dweller - on the northern coast of Russia or Siberia. The Tundra is a wide, - almost level plain without any trees. - - As you read, make a list of the things Mekolka can do with his - hands. - - What do you think a _disha_ must be? What is a _toor_? - - Mekolka does not know how to read print, but he can read in the - book of "all out-doors". What is the lesson he knows best? - - Mekolka's clothes have queer Russian names. See if you can tell, - from the way each is described, what is a _militza_, what is a - _soveek_, and what are _pimmies_? - - How does Mekolka keep track of the months and days? - -If you were a little Samoyad boy, it is more than likely that you would -not go to school, unless you were one of a family that went off in a -procession of sleighs at the beginning of every winter to some small -town on the Petchora, or even farther on to Mezen or Archangel on the -White Sea. Then there would be some small school for you to go to while -the days were dark, till the approach of spring brought with it a new -packing up and long sleigh drive back to the haunts of seal and walrus. -But it is just as likely that there would be no school and no lessons. -Mekolka, for instance, though he has picked up a little learning--a very -little--from the Russian traders, and from friends who have traveled -over the Tundra, knows very few of the things you know. - -But he can use his fingers with great skill, and if he cannot write -much, he can make a beautiful pattern with one knife on the horn -handle of another one. In fact, he is quite skilful in carving the -reindeer horns. He is always on the lookout for a good piece of horn, -and whenever he finds the shed antlers of a reindeer--for the deer -cast off their antlers and grow new ones every spring--he picks them -up and puts them to "season". There are regular piles of these antlers -about. It is the custom for everyone to put the ones he finds on to -one of these heaps, and to take the horn he wants to work from the -more seasoned pieces at the bottom of the heap. Mekolka always chooses -his piece with great care, cuts it down to the right shape, and as -often as not decorates it with a metal pattern. For this he has to cut -his design in a regular groove all over the horn. Having got his -grooves deep and wide enough he puts some white-looking metal on the -fire in a piece of wood scooped out like a cup. The metal soon melts, -and Mekolka pours it into the groove and prevents it from running off -by holding a piece of paper tight round the horn. The metal cools, and -the edges are cut away. Then he polishes it with sand, after which he -possesses a beautiful knife-handle. - -Sometimes Mekolka goes in for ornaments without regard to use, and -makes himself a ring. This time he makes the groove in a round piece -of wood, which he has pared down to the right size, and runs in the -same metal as before, with the piece of paper held tight, to support -the metal on the under side. Then he cuts away the wood, and brings -out knife and sand for the finishing; at the end he puts it on his -finger with a look of proud content. Some of the patterns he makes on -the knife-handles are really very beautiful, so that the Russian -traders are glad to take them away in return for snuff and tobacco. - -Mekolka can make a sleigh and mend it when required, throw the _disha_ -when he wants to catch a reindeer, and bring it round its horn at the -first throw. He can harness a team of five correctly, and drive them -like the wind. At the gullies he is splendid; he puts the deer to a -gallop when he sees the ravine ahead; then over they go, sleigh and -all, Mekolka sitting there, proud and unmoved. Sometimes the ravine -cannot be treated this way. Then Mekolka brings the team up to the -edge and holds his _toor_--the long driving pole--across them to make -them stand evenly. Then he dexterously removes the pole and shouts to -the deer; at once they leap together across the cleft and climb up the -steep snow wall on the other side by the grip of their outspread -hoofs. They are not long at the top with the sleigh before Mekolka has -slithered down and scrambled up the walls of the ravine, where they -are less steep and where the ravine is not quite so narrow. He is -quickly on to his sleigh again while the deer race forwards. - -It is cold work racing through the chill air, which is frequently -thick with an icy mist; but Mekolka is clad from head to foot in fur. -His _militza_ of reindeer-skin with fur inside often has a hood and -mittens attached to it and covers him like a smock from head to knees. -On his feet he wears _pimmies_, which reach up to the _militza_, and -are generally made of sealskin with the fur cut into strips to form an -attractive pattern. Over the _militza_ he sometimes puts a _soveek_, -the Samoyad overcoat. Here the fur is worn outside, and the garment is -big and roomy. - -After a long journey the reindeer must be unharnessed for feeding. -They find their own food, of course, and Mekolka seizes the chance to -go to sleep. He always goes to sleep in the same queer way; he sits -down on the ground, pulls his arms out of the sleeves, and then lies -flat on his back. The empty sleeves stretch out stiffly by his side, -and look, of course, as though the arms are in them, though the hands -have found a warmer spot inside on his chest. - -The air on the Tundra, and, indeed, in all the Arctic region has a -curious way of deceiving the traveler. It makes things look like -something else. Take a day when the sunshine lights up the scene and -the grey, lichen-covered mounds take wonderful colors in the distance -from the blue sky and the haze. Though lakes of water appear to grow -and fill the far-off hollows, Mekolka knows they are not lakes, but -little snowdrifts. It is the mirage that plays these little tricks. So -when he sees mighty ships sailing over the sea, he knows it is nothing -more than blocks of ice, while what looks like a great headland on the -coast is nothing but a little mound thirty or forty feet high. And if, -when alone, he sees half a dozen other Samoyads come to the river-bank -within a couple of hundred yards and then stop while one sits on a -stone, he doesn't call out or walk toward them; he knows quite well -that in a minute or two they will form themselves into a group of -bernacle geese, or a family of snow buntings; in fact, he is quite -prepared to hear one suddenly burst into song (for the snow bunting is -the gayest warbler of the Arctic), and to find a cleft in the peat -where there will be a nest, lined with dead grasses and the white -feathers of the willow-grouse, and holding half a dozen eggs. - -He knows every bird that flies overhead, and can name them, too, -though his names are very different from ours. He knows that the snow -bunting arrives about the middle of April, and he begins to watch for -its appearance as soon as the days are getting long. He has no -calendar of months and days to look at, but he makes notches on a -stick--one for each day, with an extra cut at the seventh--and he is -just as quick in glancing at his stick and telling you the date as an -American boy would be with his printed calendar. He will watch for the -purple sandpiper in May, and find its eggs in June, though they are -very hard to find for anyone with eyes less trained than Mekolka's. -The nest is always built in some hollow among the Arctic willow or -lichen, and the eggs are difficult enough to see, as is the bird -itself when sitting on them--they all look so exactly like the ground. -And the bird will let you come ever so close to her--in fact, almost -tread on her--before she will leave her cherished eggs. - -Mekolka can tell you about the behavior of the little stint when he came -upon her nest one day. It had four precious eggs in it. When the old -bird found she was really discovered, she jigged about like an acrobat, -squeaked like a mouse, and did everything she could to take off -Mekolka's attention from the nest. As that did not work, the little bird -twittered and pretended to be lame, running about as though asking to be -caught; but all she wanted was that no one should notice that deep hole -in the ground half full of dried birch-leaves where her four cherished -eggs were laid. The little stint had been into a creek in Scotland early -in June, and wanted to get back there with four chicks before the end of -July. She did not want to lose those eggs and go back all that long -journey without any little ones. Not that she is very kind to them after -they begin to grow, for on the very earliest opportunity she kicks them -out of the nest to teach them self-reliance! - - --_From "Finn and Samoyad"._ - - - Imagine that you have been for a long visit to Mekolka. Your - teacher will call on some one to come to the front of the class to - tell about each of the following experiences: - - 1. Helping Mekolka make a horn knife-handle. - - 2. A ride with Mekolka. - - 3. Being fooled by a mirage. - - 4. Some birds I saw with Mekolka. - - - - -THE BEAR'S NIGHT - - - You should all begin reading at the same moment. When you have - finished, close your book and raise your hand. Your teacher will - divide the class into three equal groups according to speed. She - will ask you to write answers to the questions given at the end of - the story and will appoint a committee of one pupil from each - group to look the answers over and report which of the three - groups has given the best answers. - - Have you seen the brown bears at the Zoo? Do you remember how - restlessly they walk up and down, or stand on their hind legs and - wave their noses in the air? You will not wonder at it, when you - read how independent a bear is at home, and how cozily he spends - the long, dark winter. - -It would seem that within or near the Arctic Circle Nature gives a big -yawn at the end of her energetic summer, and settles down to her long -winter sleep. Certainly some of her children prepare for sleep with -plenty of care, especially Bruin, the big brown bear of Finland. - -Even in the summer he goes sniffing round in the strong marshlands of -the north or in the forests to the east. "That will make a good couch -for me," he thinks, as he spies a cosy nook among some big boulders. -He makes a note of the place, and goes on to look at other possible -sites. He decides nothing then, but waits till the snow comes. Then -the house-hunting must be undertaken seriously, and he tramps through -the soft white carpet, leaving a well-marked "spoor" to tell the tale -of his journeys. He is very fat after his summer feast of berries and -roots, and his heavy body ploughs a deep furrow along the snow. - -When once he has fixed on his boulders or tree trunks, he becomes very -suspicious, and spends several days walking round and round his -lodgings, on the watch for an enemy. He wants to be quite sure that no -one can see him go to rest, and by going all round in a ring he -catches the wind whichever way it may be blowing. If he scents danger -he is off, and so fleet of foot is he that no hunter can catch him. In -short, Master Bruin is so much on the alert that it takes a very wary -hunter to catch him before he goes to rest. - -Bruin is a good weather-prophet, and can sniff the signs of a coming -snow-storm better than most; so when at last he has chosen his couch he -arranges to nestle down in it just as a heavy fall of snow is coming -which will, he knows, cover up both his trail and himself, and so -conceal all his traces from the curious. Sometimes he is a little out in -his calculations, for his furrows are so deep that nothing short of a -gale, with its heavy drifts of snow, will quite obliterate them. - -The hunter Finn, however, has been watching, and has marked Bruin in -his quest. He finds the "spoor" before it is lost, and travels along -it till it enters some wood or hiding place. Then on his skis, or -snowshoes, he starts across it and describes a big circle. If he cuts -the spoor again farther on, he knows that Bruin has not yet halted, so -another circle must be described. But if the ski-er comes back to the -first line of spoor without having crossed it again, then "honey paws" -must be within his circuit. - -The hunter keeps his secret to himself and tells no one, because he -will get the money for the skin, and also a reward from the Government -for killing the animal. - -There is no hurry, for the bear, when once settled in his snug -quarters, will doze away quite comfortably through the winter. His -ears and nose, however, seem to keep awake, even though his eyes are -shut, and a scent of danger will cause him to move quickly and -silently away to a new couch. - -As spring approaches, the Finn tells a few of his chosen friends about -the matter, and together they go off to hunt "Flatnose", as they often -call him, before he wakes up, thin and hungry, after his six months' -fast. Warily they search, till they see a mass of snow covering a heap -of rocks or a pile of fallen pine-trees. Then they whisper: - -"The bear is sleeping under that heap of snow." They fire a few guns, -the dogs bark, the men shout; altogether the bear receives a very -effective morning call. He is very easily awakened, but he is in no -haste to show himself, and waits while he thinks over matters, and -prepares for a strategic and rapid retreat, for he has met danger -before, and found his fleetness his greatest defence. In the meantime -the hunters have fired a few shots into his retreat in the hope of -stinging him into action, but they probably hit only his protective -stones. Then they gather twigs and branches together and light a -bonfire at his very door, or what they guess to be his door, trusting -that the wind will carry the smoke to his nostrils. Some of their -efforts succeed in their object; there is an upheaving of the snow; -Flatnose pushes out his head. Then follow the shoulders and front -paws, and soon the huge brown body rises as he sits upright on his -haunches. He gives a terrific growl, which shows he is not to be -trifled with; and, indeed, this is his most dangerous time, for he is -very hungry after his long foodless sleep, and ready to attack -anything--cow, reindeer, or man. - -The dogs are much too frightened to go near him. They bark at a -distance. One man fires a shot and hits. The bear shows his teeth and -hisses as he makes a rush forwards. Another shot makes him look round, -and the dogs grow bolder. A shot in the muzzle makes him quite -furious, and he springs at one of the dogs. He catches one dog by the -back and flings it howling over the snow. Then he springs at the -other, and tears his ear or paw. Wild with fury, he rushes toward his -attackers, but between them he is soon laid low, and carried off in a -sleigh. His skin alone will be worth many dollars, and the flesh more, -so that with the Government grant, the men will have a comfortable -little sum each as a result of their hunting. - -It is not without danger, this bear-hunt, neither is it certain of -success; for if the bear once dodges the early shots, he will manage -to get through the trees and disappear in a way that is almost -uncanny. So when a man has once been on a bear-hunt and brought his -prey safely home, he becomes a hero in his village. - - --_From "Finn and Samoyad"._ - - - Draw a diagram, showing: - - 1. A hollow tree. - - 2. A pile of rocks. - - 3. A fallen pine-tree. - - 4. The track made by the bear in seeking a winter bed. - - 5. The bear's stopping place. - - 6. The track made by the hunter in a circle. - - You will have to indicate the two tracks by two different kinds of - lines. - - What is a _spoor_? - - - - -IS IT THE SAME BEAR? - - -In Longfellow's "Hiawatha," the poet describes a bear asleep, as -follows: - - "He had stolen the Belt of Wampum, - From the Great Bear of the mountains, - From the terror of the nations, - As he lay asleep and cumbrous - On the summit of the mountains, - Like a rock with mosses on it, - Spotted brown and gray with mosses." - - - - -THE CHINESE NEW YEAR'S DAY - - -At New Year time Hok-a, the Chinese boy, and Gold-needle, his sister, -and their cousins always have plenty of fun. Their grandmother once told -them a story of why there was always so much feasting then. She said: - -"They tell us that the people of long ago had a saying that on the -last day of the twelfth month a great flood would drown everyone. When -the people of that time heard this, they were very sad, and thought, -'Now we are going to die, let us take the food we have and eat, and -the clothes we have and dress up gaily'. So they took rice, and fried -rice-cakes, and prepared strained rice and basins of vegetables, in -order to take leave of their ancestors. (The 'ancestors' mean the -spirits of their ancestors, who are supposed to live in wooden tablets -kept on a table placed against the wall of the chief room.) When they -had worshipped the ancestors, all the family sat together round the -table to eat their rice and put a little stove underneath because it -was winter, and they needed a fire to warm themselves. On that night -they shut the door very close and put a prop against it. They did not -dare to go to sleep, but watched anxiously for the flood to come. - -"At daybreak they opened the door, and discovered that there was no -flood. That was New Year's Day. They immediately ran out to visit -their friends and relatives, and found that none of them had been -drowned either; so they all congratulated one another, and drank tea -and wine. From that time there have always been feasting and visiting -and congratulations at New Year." - -Hok-a and Gold-needle have been looking forward to the holiday for a -long time. All the people in the house have been busy for days. The -dust and dirt of the year has been swept from the house into the -street. The men have been hurrying about collecting any money that -was owing to them, for no bills must be left over till New Year. -Mother and aunts have been sitting by the door to catch the light to -darn, and mend, and make, for everyone must have something fine to -wear on New Year's day. Such a cooking goes on the day before! and -such a frying of rice flour cakes you never saw. Pigs and ducks and -chickens and even poor little fish have a bad time of it just then. - -The great day arrives, and Hok-a and Gold-needle dress themselves in -their new clothes. Hok-a has a blue coat, with a yellow silk waistcoat -on the top of it, green silk anklets, and a green cap; while his little -sister is gay in a pink coat and blue trousers trimmed with black, and -wears some silver pins and cloth flowers in her shining black hair. - -By twelve o'clock all is ready. The men and boys, in long blue or -green gowns, are gathered in the hall, and prostrate themselves three -times begging the idols and the spirits of their ancestors to eat the -food prepared for them. A basin of rice and another of vegetables, -with a piece of meat, is carried to the bed-room for the Mother Bed -Spirit to eat, as, if they don't feed her, she will revenge herself by -tripping up the children. The Kitchen God, too, must have his share, -and the fireplace is gaily decorated with flowers. - -When they have finished worshipping, a lot of silver and paper money -is burnt, that the spirits may buy good things in the other world, and -have a nice time. Then all the family gather round for the feast of -the year. Usually the men eat alone and the women afterwards, but on -this day everyone has a place. Such fun they have, roasting cockles -and parching beans! Everyone must give a stir to the bean-pan. A -little stove is carried to the table, and wine is warmed over it, for -all to have a taste. A great supply of celery has been laid in, and -the stalks must be boiled and swallowed whole, to give long life. -When the feast is finished, the grandfather hands a piece of money to -each, so that they may have money the year through. Then a basin of -rice and a bit of meat is given to the dog, a treat he gets only once -a year. It is time to light up now. A bit of sugar-cane is stuck -behind each door, and in each room food is placed for the spirits. -There is so much noise and merriment that, for a wonder, the rats -don't dare to peep out; so they say that "the rats are marrying and -giving in marriage". Twelve bamboo lamps are lighted in the hall, and -afterwards carried out to burn. Everybody gathers round to watch which -goes out first, as each lantern stands for a month, and the first that -burns black means a month of rain. If it is the first month the -children are sad, for that is holiday-time. And it usually is the -first, as it is carried out before the others. - -Our little friend Hok-a has been saving up for weeks, so as to buy -plenty of squibs and fireworks to let off on this day, just as -American boys used to do for the 4th of July. His father has bought -hundreds of them, too, and so has everyone else in the place; the -cracking of them is heard everywhere. - -A great bonfire is kindled, and the children jump over it, singing: - - "Jump busily, jump away--the fire burns bright!" - -It is late before anyone gets to bed, for they think that the longer -the children sit up, the longer the old people will live. Some dutiful -boys and girls sit up all night long! - -Next morning there is a great deal of visiting, and, I am sorry to -say, a great deal of gambling. Nobody works, and everybody is supposed -to be in good humor. - - --_From "A Peep at China", - by Lena E. Johnston._ - - - - -ADDING THE RIGHT WORDS - - -This drill is given to see how well you can follow printed directions, -and how well you understand the way the words are grouped at the -bottom of the page. There is something for you to write in each of the -following paragraphs, and your ability to read and understand will be -judged by how exactly you follow these directions. - -1. Arrange your paper with your name on the first line to the right, -and your grade below it on the second line. - -2. Do not write anything on the third line, but on the next six lines -in the margin, write the figures from 1 to 10. - -3. The first group of words at the bottom of the page is a list of -farm-products; you can easily name other words that might be added to -this list, such as: - - beans rye oats - -Write two of these new words after figure 1 on your paper. - -4. There are nine other lists of words, and each list names not -farm-products, but some other things. After figure 2 on your paper, -write two other words that could properly be added to the second group -of words. - -5. In the same way, write two more words that could rightly belong to -each of the other eight groups of words. When you finish wait quietly -for the others. - - 1. corn, potatoes, wheat, peas. - 2. chisel, plane, file, axe. - 3. creek, ocean, gulf, sea. - 4. fireman, librarian, teacher, physician. - 5. overcoat, fur cap, overshoes, muffler. - 6. meat, horns, tallow, hair. - 7. pencil, pen, blotter, stamps. - 8. cup, saucer, plate, bowl. - 9. door, window, stairs, chimney. - 10. tennis, croquet, hockey, baseball. - - - - -THE GOOD CITIZEN--HOW HE USES MATCHES - - - There are two things you can do with every good and useful - thing--use it and abuse it. Here you are going to read about the - abuse of a very useful thing, indeed--a match. When things are a - common, everyday part of the household, people are apt to treat - them carelessly; and carelessness always means trouble. As you - read, think whether anything in this article hits _you_. - - This is a good selection to outline. Perhaps your teacher will - have some of the best outlines put on the blackboard. - -The match is one of the most valuable and one of the most dangerous -articles made by man. It has been in use for less than one hundred -years, but think of trying to get along without it! - -Suppose, for example, that you were camping far from any houses, and -discovered, when the time came to cook dinner, that you had lost your -matches. What would you do? Would you rub sticks together like the -Indian or make a "bow-drill" like the Eskimo? These were the methods -used by mankind for thousands and thousands of years, but they mean -desperately hard work, as you would soon realize. You would be -fortunate if you could find a bit of flint from which to strike sparks -with steel as your great-grandfather probably did. But even in that -case you would appreciate matches as never before. - -It was not until the year 1827 that an English druggist named John -Walker made the first practical friction-matches, known as -"Congreves". A folded piece of glass-paper went with every box, and in -order to light the match one had to draw it in one hand quickly -through the folds of the paper held tightly pressed together with the -other. Another kind of match, the "Promethean", appeared a little -later. It had at one end a thin glass globule, which it was necessary -to press in producing fire. - -Thus people went on experimenting, for everyone was interested and there -was great demand. Gradually methods of making that were better and -cheaper were discovered, until, to-day, matches are found in every home. - -It is said that more matches are sold in the United States than in all -the rest of the world. More than seven hundred million matches are -used in the United States each day. You can hardly imagine such a -figure. If a factory made just one match for every minute, night and -day, it would take nearly fourteen hundred years for it to produce as -many matches as this country uses in a single day. Or--to put it in -another way--nearly five hundred thousand flames are struck every -minute on an average. There is not one of these flames that would not -develop into a destructive fire if it had a chance. Consequently, -every match must be regarded, and must be treated, as a possible -source of great damage. - -Matches, to-day, are of two general classes: Those which may be struck -upon any rough surface, and the so-called "safety matches", made to be -struck only upon the box. But there are good matches and bad matches -in both classes. In other words, while the safety match, as a rule, is -safer than the kind first mentioned, a poorly made strike-on-the-box -match may be more dangerous than a well-made strike-anywhere match. -Therefore, we ought to know something about what a match is, as well -as how to use it. - -Here is a match. What could appear more harmless? A tiny stick of wood, -shorter than your finger, coated at one end with some substance that -forms a little bulb, or head--who would believe that it can be either a -blessing or a deadly peril, according to the way in which it is used? - -The secret of fire-production lies in the head of the match. This -contains certain chemicals which take fire easily when heated, and it -also contains particles of ground flint in order to create heat by -friction when the match is struck. If two objects are rubbed quickly -together, the resulting friction brings heat, and all the more easily -and quickly if one of the objects be rough. If you sandpaper a board, -rubbing it hard, you will soon find both paper and board becoming -warm. Thus friction from striking a match produces sufficient heat to -cause the head to burst into flame. - -Now, it must be remembered that even careful persons may meet with -accidents through the use of bad matches. Sometimes, when struck, the -blazing head will fly off, or the stick will break and fall; -sometimes, too, the match will continue to glow after the flame has -been blown out. These are signs that the match is poorly made; -probably it is of some very cheap brand, for such things never happen -with good matches. Carefulness, therefore, must begin at the time of -buying. One should always notice the brand and always order by brand. -Whenever a brand is found to have any of these faults it should be -avoided in future, no matter how low the price may be. - -The best of the strike-anywhere matches are given a special treatment -to keep the head from flying off when struck, and also to guard it -from being set on fire accidentally. Great care is also taken in the -preparation of the wood to safeguard against breaking. But as a class, -the safety matches are less dangerous. - -Matches of all kinds are carefully tested in the great Underwriters' -Laboratories, which The National Board of Fire Underwriters maintains -in Chicago, and those that are able to pass the test are labeled by -the Laboratories. It is always a protection to find one of these -labels on a box. The Laboratories have no interest in the sale of -matches, and any manufacturer who will make goods of the right grade -can secure the label. - -Let us suppose that your house is provided with good matches, those -having solid heads and tough sticks. There will be no danger if you -are always careful when using them. But are you? Here are some -questions for you to answer. - -Do you ever throw away a match which is burning or even glowing? Never -do this again. It has caused hundreds of deaths and has burned -thousands of homes. - -How do you strike a match--away from you or toward you? Probably you -have never thought about this, but think of it hereafter, and form the -habit of always striking _away_ from you. Thus, if the match breaks or -its head flies off, it will not be likely to set fire to your -clothing. In lighting matches upon a box, first _close the box_; -otherwise the flame may set fire to the whole box. If the box is set -in a box-holder, such as those used by smokers, wherein the upper part -of the box is open, place the box so that the heads are not exposed. -In striking a match upon such a holder, always strike downward away -from the open end. - -If matches are spilled, do you stop at once and pick up every one? If -you leave them strewn about for even a little while, you may forget -them until after mischief has been done. A match on the floor is -always a dangerous thing. It may be stepped on and ignited, or it may -be found by a little child, or it may be carried into the wall or -under the floor by a rat or mouse. It is not probable that mice often -start fires by gnawing match-heads, but they do like to use them in -building nests in warm, comfortable places, close to chimneys or -furnace pipes. Dangerous fires may come from this cause or from -matches rubbed against beams while being carried to the nest. - -Where do you keep your matches? Are they out of reach of little -children, as they always should be? Are they kept away from the stove, -or the stovepipe, or any other place where they may become overheated? -Are they loose in a drawer or on a shelf, or are they in a covered box -or dish of metal or earthenware? Sometimes uncovered matches are -ignited by the sun's rays shining through a lens-forming bubble in a -window-pane. - -Do you carry matches on your person? A child should never be allowed -to do this. He may be careful, but some careless child may ask him for -a match. Always be on the safe side. A grown person should never -permit himself to carry loose matches in his pocket. The State Fire -Marshal of Iowa says: - - Some men, especially smokers, are in the habit of carrying matches - around with them. It is the easiest thing in the world for matches - carried around loose in a man's pocket to drop out. Suppose the man - has work to do about a barn. A match drops out on the barn floor and - a horse steps on it. It is a parlor-match and ignites, setting fire - to hay and other inflammable material found in barns. Then the barn - burns and the cause of fire is reported something like this: - - "Unknown. Nobody had been in the barn for some time. Everything safe - when the barn was closed up." - - Six hundred and ninety-four barn fires took place in Iowa in 1914. - Hundreds of these were reported as of unknown origin, but it is safe - to say that in a great number of cases, if the cause could have been - traced, it would have been found to be a match that had dropped out - of a smoker's pocket. - -Until we find some better device for producing fire, matches will -continue to be used in immense numbers, and they will always be a -source of danger in the hands of careless people, and even careful -people may be imperiled by the actions of careless people about them. -There are no safety-rules more important than those applying to the -use of matches, and habits of carefulness should be formed by every -person. Some one has said: - - Matches do not think with their heads. When you use them, your - head has to do all the thinking. Do the thinking! Put them out! - - -SAFETY RULES FOR BUYING MATCHES - - 1. Purchase by brand, and always avoid brands which break, lose - their heads, or glow after being blown out. - - 2. Look for the label of the Underwriters' Laboratories. - - 3. Give the preference to strike-on-the-box, or safety matches, - but, in case of buying the strike-anywhere match, get one that has - a protected tip. - - -SAFETY RULES FOR USING MATCHES - - 1. Keep them in covered boxes or dishes, away from the heat of - stoves and stovepipes and out of the reach of rats and mice. - - 2. Strike matches away from you. If you are striking on a box, - first close the box. Strike downward on the box. - - --_National Board of Fire Underwriters._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. Make three more rules for using matches. - - 2. What is the meaning of the following words? - - friction experimenting - Underwriters safety-matches - inflammable peril - ignite avoid - accidentally device - - 3. Tell three ways in which matches may be dangerous. - - - - -NOBLESSE OBLIGE - - - _Noblesse oblige_ is a French expression (pronounced nobless' - obleejh') which means, "High birth or position makes one responsible - for the good of those lower than he in position". The following - story tells of a British officer during the World War who did not - forget this motto. The story was told by the writer of a book - narrating experiences at the front. As you read, think how you would - have felt if you had been one of the young colonel's men. - -A great love and sympathy always seem to exist between the British -officer and his men. One of the reasons is the justice and unselfishness -of the officer. For instance, a British officer among the walking -wounded never goes ahead of his men to have his wounds dressed. - -Outside of one dressing station sat a young colonel with a bad wound. -One of the secretaries noticed him and said, "You had better get into -the dressing station at once." - -"It is not my turn. I will not go out of turn." - -Some four hours later, the secretary, passing out food and drink, -again noticed the colonel. - -"Here! Why haven't you had your wounds dressed?" he exclaimed. - -"I am waiting for my turn." - -"But it was your turn a long time ago." - -"Are you sure?" - -"Of course I am. Come, let me help you." - -Into the dressing room he staggered. He had no idea that he had done a -heroic thing. - - --"_Youth's Companion._" - - - 1. Could the young colonel have had his wounds dressed earlier if - he had wished? - - 2. Why did he not do so? - - - - -THE MAGIC HORSE - - - Here is another Arabian fairy tale. It is much longer than the - story of the queer man who was made Caliph for a day and is also - very different from that tale. But it is a fine story of adventure - filled with surprises and with all the changes of fortune that - fairy stories so often have. Of course, all sixth grade boys and - girls know that the Indian who is spoken of is an East Indian of - Asia and not a North American Indian. - -On the Nevrouz, that is to say, the new day, which is the first of the -year, and the beginning of the spring, an ancient and solemn feast was -observed through all Persia. At the court, this feast was always -attended with the greatest splendor. All artists, natives or -strangers, were allowed at that time to produce their several -inventions before the king; who never failed to confer liberal rewards -on those whose abilities deserved them. - -Near the close of one of these feasts, an Indian presented himself -before the king with an artificial horse of the most perfect -workmanship, richly accoutred. "I flatter myself, sir," said the -Indian, addressing himself to the king, "that your majesty hath never -seen anything so wonderful as this horse, either now, or at any former -Nevrouz." The king surveyed the horse with attention. "I see nothing," -said he, "but a fine piece of sculpture, which any able artist may -equal." - -"Sir," replied the Indian, "it is not his form, but his use that I -commend so highly. On his back I can convey myself through the air to -the most distant part of the earth, in a very short time. I can even -instruct any other person to ride in the same manner. Such is the -curiosity I have the honor to present to your majesty's notice." - -The king was highly pleased with this account of the Indian's horse, -and desired to see a proof of his abilities. "There is," said the -king, pointing to a mountain about three leagues off, "on the summit -of that mountain, a palm-tree of a particular quality, which I should -know from all others; go, fetch me a branch of it." - -The Indian mounted his horse, and turning a peg which was in the neck, -away he flew with him, and they were presently out of sight. Within a -quarter of an hour he was seen returning with a palm branch in his -hand, which, as soon as he had descended and alighted, he laid at the -king's feet. - -The king was greatly pleased with this extraordinary performance, and -resolved to purchase the horse if he could prevail with the owner to -part with him. Accordingly, he asked the Indian if he was to be sold. -"Sir," replied the Indian, "I should not have produced my horse to your -majesty if it had been absolutely impossible for me to sell him. Yet the -artist from whom I received him, laid me under the most solemn -injunction that I should never part with him for money; nor on any terms -but such as I might request your pardon before I presume to name them." - -The king impatiently answered that he forgave his demand, even if it -was to reach his crown; but he reserved to himself the power of -refusal, if he thought that demand too exorbitant. The Indian then -replied that he was ready to resign his horse if his majesty would -condescend to bestow on him the princess, his daughter, in marriage. - -When the courtiers heard this extravagant request, they all burst into -loud laughter; but the prince Firouz Shah, the only son of the king, -was enraged, and the more so when he saw the king pensive, debating -with himself what answer to return. Going up to his father, he said, -"I entreat your majesty will pardon the liberty I am about to take, -but is it possible you can hesitate a moment what answer to make to -this insolent fellow? Can you bear to think of degrading our house by -an alliance with a scandalous juggler?" - -The king approved of his son's spirit, but argued that if he refused -to comply with the Indian's proposal, perhaps some other sovereign -might be less nice, and by that means become possessed of the greatest -curiosity in the world. He ended his reply by desiring his son to -examine the horse attentively, and give his opinion of him. - -Respect for his father made him receive these orders in silence. He -approached the horse, and the Indian drew near to instruct the prince -in the method of managing him; but the haughty young man was in too -great a fury to listen to him. He spurned the kneeling Indian -contemptuously, and leaping into the saddle, he turned the peg, and -the horse flew away with him. - -The Indian was exceedingly alarmed when he saw the prince depart -before he had learned how to manage the horse. He threw himself once -more at the king's feet, and besought his majesty not to blame him for -any accident which might befall the prince, since his own impetuosity -had exposed him to danger. The king had no apprehension for his son, -till he saw the Indian so terrified. He then felt all the horrors of -the prince's situation. He cursed the Indian and his fatal horse, and -ordered his officers to seize and conduct him to prison. "If my son -does not return safe," said he, "in a short time, thy paltry life, at -least, shall be sacrificed to my vengeance." - -In the meantime, Firouz Shah was carried through the air with -inconceivable swiftness, till at length he could scarcely discern the -earth at all. He then wished to return, which he expected to do by -turning the peg the contrary way; but when he found the horse continued -to rise from the earth, and proceed forward at the same time with -greater swiftness, he was alarmed and began to regret his pride and -anger. He turned the peg about every way to no purpose; in this -situation he retained, notwithstanding, a perfect presence of mind, and, -on examining the horse closely, he at last perceived another peg behind -the ear. On turning that peg he presently found that he descended in the -same oblique manner that he had mounted, but not so swiftly. - -As he drew near the earth, he lost the light by degrees, till he came -into total darkness. He did not attempt, therefore, to guide the horse, -but waited patiently, though not without apprehension, till he should -alight. - -It was midnight when the horse stopped, and Firouz dismounted, faint -with hunger and fatigue. He groped about and found he was on the roof -of some large building. At length he came to some steps, which he -descended, and rambled about in the dark for some time; at last, on -opening a door, he found a light, and saw a number of black guards -asleep on pallets, with their sabres lying by them. This convinced him -that he was in a palace, and that this chamber was the guard room of -some princess. As he knew if any of the guards should awake he would -be in great danger, he resolved to enter the next apartment, and throw -himself on the mercy of the lady who inhabited it. - -He found there asleep on a sofa a young lady, whose exquisite beauty -captivated his heart the moment he beheld her. Her women were sleeping -in little beds around her. The prince gazed on her for a long time, -forgetful of his situation; and, at length he knelt down, and gently -pulling her hand toward him, he kissed it. - -The motion awakened the princess, who was surprised to find a stranger -at her bedside. She would have cried out, but Firouz besought her -patience. He told her that he was the son of a king, and that a very -extraordinary accident, which he would relate, had brought him to the -necessity of claiming her protection. - -The lady was the daughter of the king of Bengal. Many of her -attendants were by this time awakened. She told Firouz, therefore, -that she should be glad to hear the particulars of his adventure in -the morning, but for the present besought him to withdraw. At the same -time she ordered her attendants to conduct him to a chamber, and -supply him with such refreshments as he wanted. - -The prince attended her the next day and related to her all the -particulars of the arrival of the Indian with his horse, of his -insolent demand, and its consequences. He concluded his account of his -journey by observing that however much he had been enraged at the -Indian, he now began to consider him his benefactor; "since," added -he, "he has been the cause of my being known to a lady whose chains I -shall be proud to wear as long as I live." - -The princess received this compliment in such a manner as showed it -was very acceptable to her. She invited the prince to repose a few -days in her palace to recover himself from the fatigue and alarm he -had undergone. He accepted this invitation; and being much together, -they fell more and more in love with each other. And, at last, when -filial duty obliged Firouz to think of returning to Persia, the fond -princess, fearing she should see him no more, dropped a hint that she -should not be afraid to trust herself with him on the enchanted horse; -and the prince, equally enamored, failed not to confirm her in this -rash adventure. - -Everything being agreed on between the lovers, they repaired, one -morning at daybreak, to the roof where the horse still remained; and -Firouz assisted the princess to mount him. He then placed himself -before her, and turning the peg, they were out of sight before any of -the attendants in the palace were stirring; and in two hours the -prince discovered the capital of Persia. - -He would not alight at the king's palace, but directed his course to a -small cottage in a wood, a little distance from town, that he might -inform his father who the lady was, and secure her a reception -suitable to her dignity. When they alighted, he led her into a -handsome apartment, and ordered the keeper of the house to show her -all imaginable respect. Then he hastened to the palace, where the king -received him with unspeakable joy. Firouz related to his father all -that had befallen him, and the king was so delighted with his son's -safe arrival, that he readily complied with his desire that the -wedding ceremonies between him and the princess should be immediately -celebrated. - -While the necessary preparations were being made, the king ordered the -Indian, who was to have been executed the next day, to be released -from prison, and brought before him. "My son's safe arrival," said the -king to him, "hath preserved thy life. Take thy horse, and begone from -my dominions; where, if thou art ever seen again, I will not fail to -put thee to death." The Indian being then freed from his chains, and -set at liberty, withdrew in silence. - -But he meditated a severe revenge. He had learned from those who -fetched him out of prison, that Firouz had brought home with him a -beautiful princess, to whom he was about to be married. He was told -also that she was at the house in the wood, where he was directed to -go and take away his horse. While Firouz was preparing a great retinue -to conduct the princess in state to the palace, the Indian hastened to -the house in the wood, and told the keeper he was sent by the prince -to conduct her, on the horse, to the capital; and that the whole court -and people were waiting with impatience for the wonderful sight. - -[Illustration: THE PRINCE OF PERSIA CARRIES AWAY THE PRINCESS OF -BENGAL] - -The keeper knew that the Indian had been imprisoned on account of the -prince's absence; and, seeing him now at liberty, he believed all he -said. He presented the traitor to the princess, who, not doubting but -he came from Firouz, readily agreed to go with him. The Indian, -overjoyed at his success, mounted his horse, took the princess behind -him, and turning the peg, the horse immediately ascended into the air. -The king and his whole court were on the road to the house in the -wood, to conduct the princess of Bengal from thence to the palace; -when the Indian, to brave them, and revenge the severe treatment he -had received, passed several times over their heads with his prize. -The rage and grief of the king were extreme. He loaded the villain -with a thousand execrations, in which he was joined by the courtiers -and people. The Indian, having expressed his contempt for them, and -his triumph over the king and his son, was presently out of sight. - -But who can describe the horror and despair of Firouz, when he saw his -beloved princess torn from him by a vile Indian he so thoroughly -detested, and found himself unable to afford her the least assistance. -At first he abandoned himself to despair; but, recollecting that such -a conduct would neither recover the princess nor punish the captor, he -restrained his affliction, and began to consider how he could best -effect these desirable purposes. He put on the habit of a dervish, and -left the palace the same evening, uncertain which way to go, but -determined not to return till he had found his princess again. - -In the meantime, the Indian having pursued his journey for several -hours, alighted in a wood, near the capital of Cashmere. As he was -hungry himself, and doubted not but the princess was so too, he left -her by the side of a brook and flew away on the horse to the city to -procure provisions. The princess made the best use in her power of -his absence; and though faint for want of food, she traveled on, and -had got a considerable distance from the place where he left her, when -she had the mortification to see him return and alight close by her; -for the Indian had wished to be set down wherever the princess was, -and the horse always obeyed the desire of the rider. - -The Indian produced some wine and provisions, and ate heartily, urging -her to follow his example, which she thought it best to do. When they -had done, he drew near and began to pay his addresses to the princess, -which she repulsed with indignation. Her outcries drew a company of -horsemen to her assistance. - -They proved to be the sultan of Cashmere and his attendants, returning -from a day's hunting. When the sultan asked of the Indian why he -annoyed the lady, he boldly answered that she was his wife; but the -princess, though she knew not the quality of the sultan, besought his -protection, and declared that by the basest deceit only she had been -thrown into the power of such a reptile. - -The sultan of Cashmere was very chivalrous. The disorder and distress -of the princess added to her beauty and interested the monarch. -Judging that, whether the Indian was the husband of the lady or not, -he would be best out of the way, he pretended to be much enraged -against him, and ordered his head to be stuck off immediately. He then -conducted the princess to his palace, and directed his attendants to -bring the horse after them, though he knew nothing of the use of it. - -The princess of Bengal rejoiced at her deliverance. She entertained -hopes that the sultan of Cashmere would generously restore her to the -prince of Persia; but she was much deceived; for as soon as the sultan -learned that she was daughter to the king of Bengal, he determined to -marry her, and that no untoward circumstances might happen to prevent -it, he gave orders for the necessary preparations to be completed by -the next day. - -In the morning the princess was awakened early by the sounding of -trumpets, the beating of drums, and other noisy tokens of public joy, -which echoed through the palace and city. On her asking the cause of -this rejoicing, she was told it was to celebrate her marriage with -their sultan, which was to take place presently. - -The princess' attachment to Firouz would have made any other man -disagreeable to her. But this conduct of the sultan of Cashmere in -proclaiming their nuptials, without even having asked her consent, at -once enraged and terrified her. She was entirely in his power; and the -disrespect he had paid her convinced her that she had everything to -fear from his violence, if she refused to comply with his wishes. - -Thus critically situated, she had recourse to art. She arose and dressed -herself fancifully, and in her whole behavior appeared to her women to -be unsettled in her intellect. The sultan was soon told of his -misfortune, and on his approach she put on the appearance of frenzy, and -endeavored to fly at him; and this fury she ever after affected whenever -he came in her sight. The sultan was much disturbed at this unfortunate -event, as he thought it, and offered large rewards to any physician who -could cure her, but the princess would not suffer any one to come near -her, so that all hope of her recovery began to be despaired of. - -During this interval, Firouz, disguised as a dervish, had traveled -through many provinces, full of grief, and uncertain which way to direct -his course in search of his beloved princess. At last, passing through a -town in India, he heard an account that a princess of Bengal had run -mad on the day of the celebration of her nuptials with the sultan of -Cashmere. Slender as was the hope that such a report gave him, he -resolved to travel to the capital of that kingdom; where, when he -arrived, he had the happiness to find he had not journeyed in vain. He -learned all the particulars of her having been delivered from the Indian -by their sultan, and that the very next day she was seized with madness. - -Firouz saw at once the reason of the princess' conduct, and was -delighted with this tender proof of her love and constancy to him. All -the difficulty which remained was to obtain an opportunity of speaking -to her. To gain this, he put on the clothes of a physician, and, -presenting himself to the sultan, undertook to cure the princess. - -His services being accepted, he desired first to see her, without -being seen by her. For this purpose he was conveyed into a closet, -whence he saw her unobserved. She was carelessly singing a song, in -which she deplored the unhappy fate which had forever deprived her of -the object she loved so tenderly. When he quitted the closet, he told -the sultan she was not incurable, but that it was necessary for him to -speak with her alone; and that notwithstanding her violent fits at the -sight of physicians, he knew how to make her attend to him. - -As the princess had been long thought incurable, the sultan made no -difficulty of complying with the supposed physician's request. As soon -as he entered her apartment, she began to rave at him in her usual -furious manner, on which he went up close to her, and said, in a low -voice, "I am the prince of Persia." - -The princess ceased to rave, and the attendants withdrew, rejoiced at -this proof of the physician's abilities. After mutual congratulations, -Firouz acquainted her with the plan he had formed for her deliverance. -He then returned to the sultan, who demanded eagerly what hopes he now -entertained. The pretended physician shook his head, and said, "All -depends upon a mere chance; the princess, a few hours before she was -taken ill, had touched something that was enchanted. Unless I can obtain -that something, whatever it may be, I cannot cure her." - -The sultan of Cashmere presently recollected the horse, which was -still preserved in his treasury. He showed it to the imaginary -physician, who, on seeing it, very gravely said, "I congratulate your -majesty on the certainty of my success. Let this horse be brought out -into the great square before the palace, and let the princess attend; -I will promise that in a few minutes she shall be perfectly cured." - -Accordingly, the following morning the horse was placed in the middle -of the square, and the supposed physician drew a large circle, and -placed around it chafing dishes, with a little fire in each. The -sultan, full of expectation, with all his nobles and ministers of -state, attended. The princess was brought out veiled, conducted within -the circle, and the physician placed her on the enchanted horse. He -then went round to each chafing dish, and threw in a certain drug, -which presently raised such a cloud of smoke that neither the -physician, the princess, nor the horse could be seen through it. At -that instant the prince of Persia mounted the horse; and, turning the -peg, while the horse ascended into the air, he distinctly pronounced -these words: "Sultan of Cashmere, when thou wouldst marry princesses -who implore thy protection, learn first to obtain their consent." - -The same day the prince of Persia and his beloved princess arrived -safely at his father's court, when their nuptials were immediately -celebrated with the greatest splendor. - - --_Arabian Nights._ - - - - -THINKING - - - Arrange your paper with your name on the first line, at the right, - and your grade below it on the second line. Put nothing on the next - line. Here are ten problems to be answered, not with figures, but - with the word, _yes_ or _no_. No other answer will be satisfactory. - Put the answer to the first problem on the fourth line, and in the - margin of your paper mark it number 1. Use a new line for each new - answer guess at it, and pass on to the next problem. - -1. One day last June, I picked sixty-five pounds of cherries. My -mother wanted about thirty pounds. Did I have enough to sell Mrs. -Clark thirty pounds also? - -2. Sugar-cane grows in a moist tropical region. If you were a farmer -in Kansas, would you plant most of your farm with sugar-cane? - -3. All the boys and girls of the Sixth Grade belong to the School -Library. Marie is in the Sixth Grade. Is she a member of the Library? - -4. John is older than Robert. I am younger than John. Do you know that -Robert is older than I am? - -5. I have been saving since last vacation in order to buy a bicycle. -It will cost me $19.50, but I have already saved more than half of -this. If my father gives me ten dollars for my birthday shall I be -able to get the bicycle? - -6. All the boys in the Sixth Grade have enlisted in the United States -School Garden Army. Robert is a member of the United States School -Garden Army. Does that prove that he is a member of the Sixth Grade? - -7. Hawaii has a warm moist climate. From what you read in the second -problem, would you expect to find sugar-cane growing there? - -8. John is three years younger than Robert. I am one year older than -John. Is Robert the oldest? - - - - -WHAT IS A BOY SCOUT? - - - Perhaps you are a Boy Scout already, though not a very big one. - Perhaps you intend to be one some day. In this description of the - best kind of Scout, find reasons why you would like to be one. - -A Scout enjoys a hike through the woods more than he does a walk in -the city streets. He can tell north or south or east or west by the -"signs." He can tie a knot that will hold; he can climb a tree which -seems impossible to others; he can swim a river; he can pitch a tent; -he can mend a tear in his trousers; he can tell you which fruits and -seeds are poisonous and which are not; he can sight nut-bearing trees -from a distance. If he lives near the ocean or a lake he can reef a -sail or take his trick at the wheel, and, if near any body of water at -all he can pull an oar or use paddles and sculls; in the woods he -knows the names of birds and animals; in the water he tells you the -different varieties of fish. - -A Scout walks through the woods with silent tread. No dry twigs snap -under his feet, and no loose stones turn over and throw him off his -balance. His eyes are keen and he sees many things that others do not -see. He sees tracks and signs which reveal to him the nature and -habits of the creatures that made them. He knows how to stalk birds -and animals and how to study them in their natural haunts. He sees -much, but is little seen. - -A Scout, like an old frontiersman, does not shout his wisdom from the -housetops. He possesses the quiet power that comes from knowledge. He -speaks softly and answers questions modestly. He knows a braggart but -he does not challenge him, allowing the boaster to expose his -ignorance by his own loose-wagging tongue. - -A Scout can kindle a fire in the forest on the wettest day, and he -seldom uses more than one match. When no matches can be had, he can -still have a fire, for he knows the secret of the rubbing sticks used -by the Indians, and he knows how to start a blaze with only his knife -blade and a piece of flint. He knows, also, the danger of forest -fires; so he kindles a blaze that will not spread. The fire once -started, what a meal he can prepare out there in the open! Just watch -him and compare his appetite with that of a boy who lounges at a lunch -counter in a crowded city. He knows the unwritten rules of the -campfire, and he contributes his share to the pleasures of the -council. He also knows when to sit silent before the ruddy embers and -give his mind free play. - -A Scout holds his honor to be his most precious possession, and he -would rather die than have it stained. He knows what is his duty, and -all obligations imposed by duty he fulfills of his own free will. His -sense of honor is his only task-master, and his honor he guards as -jealously as did the knights of old. In this manner a Scout wins the -confidence and respect of all people. - -A Scout practices self-control, for he knows that men who master -problems in the world must first master themselves. He keeps a close -guard on his tongue, for he knows that loud speech is often a cloak to -ignorance, that swearing is a sign of weakness, and that untruthfulness -shatters the confidence of others. He keeps a close guard on his -appetite and eats moderately of food which will make him strong; he -never uses alcoholic liquors because he does not wish to poison his -body; he desires a clear, active brain, so he avoids tobacco. - -A Scout never flinches in the face of danger; for he knows that at -such a time every faculty must be alert to preserve his safety and -that of others. He knows what to do in case of fire, or panic, or -shipwreck; he trains his mind to direct and his body to act. In all -emergencies he sets an example of resourcefulness, coolness and -courage, and considers the safety of others before that of himself. He -is especially considerate of the helpless and weak. - -A Scout can make himself known to a brother Scout wherever he may be -by a method which only Scouts can know. He has brothers in every city -in the land and in every country in the world. Wherever he goes he can -give his signs and be assured of a friendly welcome. He can talk with -a brother Scout without making a sound or he can make known his -message by imitating the click of a telegraph key. - - --_From "The Boy Scouts' Year Book", - Courtesy of D. Appleton and Company._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. Why would you like a Boy Scout as a companion if you were lost - in the woods? - - 2. What is meant by, "His sense of honor is his only task-master"? - - 3. Why would you trust a Boy Scout who lived up to the teachings - of the Boy Scouts? - - - - -THE SCOUT AND THE KNIGHT - - - Some of the pledges which the knights of King Arthur's Round Table - had to take were not unlike the code of the Boy Scouts. Find the - points of likeness in these lines from Tennyson's version of the - vows: - - "To honor his own word as if his God's; - To ride abroad redressing human wrongs; - To speak no slander, no, nor listen to it." - - - - -THE FIRE SPIRIT - - - Here is a splendid story that makes the discovery of fire real to - us because it shows us how a man might have felt. - - This is a story to read and enjoy. No questions will be asked - about it, but you may ask your teacher to explain anything you do - not understand. Perhaps you would like to tell the story to your - parents or friends or to some class below yours in the school. - -Before the years were counted or the circuit of the seasons reckoned, -man lived where it was always summer, and summer heat ruled the -Northland, now ruled by winter cold. As the scepter of the Frost King -reached farther and farther south, men slowly and reluctantly -retreated from the old homes. But some lingered through the fireless -winters for the love of the familiar places and the beauty of the -northern spring and summer. - -Among those who lingered was Ang, the mighty hunter. His home was in a -cave at the edge of the great forest. It faced the south so that it -could catch all the scant rays of the winter's sun. The mouth of the -cave was partly closed by a screen of fir boughs, while a bark slab, -torn from a big tree, formed a rude door. Inside the cave were bunks -piled high with dry moss and leaves, with the skins of animals which -Ang had slain thrown over them. - -It was not yet midwinter, but it was cold, bitter cold. As Ang sat in -front of his cave, chipping knife blades and arrow points from flint, -he moved from time to time to keep in the feeble light of the sun, but -it seemed to have little warmth, and he shivered and grumbled to -himself: "Every year the cold grows stronger. The old men tell of a -time when it came late and went soon, but that must have been long -ago. Ugh! but it is cold! It gets under my bearskin; it nips my ears -and numbs my hands. I wish I had taken the long journey to the -Southland, but it was far for the woman and the child, and I hoped -that the Ice Giant would grow old and lose his strength--and I was -born here; my father and my father's father hunted in these woods and -fished in this river, and men, like trees, take root." - -The sun sank into a cold gray cloud in the west. The bite of the wind -grew sharper. The hoarse cough of a child echoed from the cave behind -him, and the dull crooning song of the mother, as she tried to warm -the sick child at her breast, could be heard as the wind was lulled -for a moment. - -Colder and more cold it grew, but Ang would not enter the cave. He -could not bear to hear the troubled breathing of the child or see the -face of the mother. He dreaded the coming of the grim White Spirit for -this, his last child. Sometimes he fancied he could hear him rushing -through the woods above the cliff, and feel the chill of his breath on -his face. Had he no other food but children, this dread hunter? - -Colder and more cold it grew, but Ang still lingered. He piled dry moss -about his feet and tried to bring warmth to his numb hands by hammering -off flakes of flint which he would later shape into rough weapons and -tools. He struck two flints together in a kind of dumb fury. It was a -glancing blow, and one of the flints dropped into the dry moss at his -feet with a flicker of sparks. A coil of gray smoke crept out of the -moss like a serpent coming out of his hole. A bright spot at its heart -grew brighter and brighter, and then red flames lapped hungrily. - -Ang leaped to his feet in astonishment. At the smiting of the flint -the Fire Spirit had been born. Its breath was the breath of summer. He -stretched out his hands over the flames, and the cold loosened its -grip. He touched the flame, and it stung him like an angry bee. -Clearly the Spirit must not be handled. Awe and wonder filled the mind -of Ang. He fell on his knees and prayed to the Fire Spirit: "Spirit of -light and heat, Thou hast come in our hour of need--I know not whence. -Stay and keep away the terrible cold Spirit with thy red arrows. Stay! -I will deny thee nothing. If Thou art hungry, I will feed thee." - -[Illustration: THE FIRE SPIRIT] - -As Ang watched the fire, it hungrily ate up the dry moss, and lapped -the dry sticks. He brought more and fed them to the reaching flames. -The northern darkness had shut in the rest of the world, light -lingered at the door of the cave of Ang, and the warm breath of the -fire brought back the heat of summer in the midst of winter. Joy -filled the heart of Ang, and he called to the mother and the child: -"Oma, Om, come! The Great One has heard. Come, come, come quickly." - -The bark door opened, and the mother came out holding the child to her -breast. A cry of wonder broke from her as she saw the fire, but wonder -gave way to the mother instinct. The All-Father had heard. Here were -warmth and light. The gray huntsman should not have her child. She -crouched by the fire, holding the babe in her arms so that she -sheltered it from the encircling cold while the glowing fire warmed -and healed it. With gratitude and awe she watched the color come back -to the child's face, and then she looked with eager questioning at the -face of Ang, as it shone with a light brighter than that of the fire. - -Finally he spoke: "I sat at the going in of the cave. Fear gripped me; -the cold smote me. I said, Odin has forgotten. It may be that he has -gone to the Southland because the cold was stronger than he. I heard -the barking of the child. The dread of the great robber was on me. I -tried to forget. I smote the flints together. Star-flies seemed to -leap from the stone, and the fire was born in the heart of the moss." - -Then Ang stood by the mother and the child and placed his left hand on -the head of the mother and raised his right hand to the sky to which -the leaping flames pointed and said: "Great Father, now I know that -none is greater than Thou; not even the giants of the North. Thy -shining arrows have driven the huntsman back. And I know that Thine -eyes see farther than the eagle floating in the sky, for thou hast -seen us alone in the great woods, and Thine ear is quicker to hear -than that of the mother listening for the cry of her first-born, for -thou hast heard the cry that did not rise to our lips. Henceforth the -fire shall be the sign of Thee. As the flames leap up the sky, so -shall our thoughts leap to Thee, Our Father." - -All through the long cold winter Ang and Oma fed the fire, and Om grew -well and strong again. They very soon found that the fire, though it -gave so freely the life-giving light and heat, had to be treated with -great care. It was a good servant but a poor master. One day little Om -toddled too close and burned his hand on a live coal. On another day -the wind blew the sparks from the fire into the dry rushes which -screened the entrance to the cave, and in a moment the cave was filled -with flames and smoke, and Oma had to cover her head and that of Om -with skins, and dash out into the open. All the bedding of dry leaves -was burned up, and some of the skins were badly scorched. The wooden -handles of many of Ang's spears and arrows and knives were burned -also. It took many days of hard work to replace what the fire had -eaten. So they came to fear as well as to love it. - -But Ang and Oma learned one thing from the fire which burned out -their cave that was worth more than a thousand fires could destroy. -Part of a deer, which Ang had killed, hung inside of the cave. It had -been very hard to get, and it was almost the first thing which Ang -thought of after the fire had burned down. If that had been destroyed, -they might starve before he could kill another one. He dashed into the -cave to see if anything was left, the fear of hunger already gripping -his vitals. A strange new odor filled his nostrils and doubled his -hunger--the smell of roasted venison. The deer still hung from the -side of the cave. The hair had been burned off and the skin hung in -rolls, but the flesh was there, brown, hot, dripping red. - -At Ang's call Oma hurried in. It needed but one whiff of the fragrant -air to convince her that the touch of fire had made of the cold frozen -meat food more delicious than the fruits of summer. She snatched a -long stone knife from her belt and cut strips of venison steak from -the smoking mass and gave to Ang and Om. - -After they had eaten, Ang looked into the glowing embers of the fire in -front of the cave and pondered. The Fire Spirit had grown angry because -they had taken only one of the gifts of the Great Father and had burned -out the cave, but it had showed them what its magic touch would do to -the frozen meat. The wonder of it grew on him. As he looked into the -world at the heart of the coals, he saw the promise of a better one than -that in which he lived--a world in which the sons of his son's sons -should have discovered all the gifts of the Fire Spirit. - -As Ang looked into the fire, Oma looked into the face of Ang and -wondered at what she saw there. His look seemed to pierce the -blackness behind the fire a hundred days' journey. "Father of my son, -what seest thou in the fire?" "I see," said Ang, "the spirits of the -things which are to be. I see, but do not understand all that I see. -I see our son's sons talking fire, the flames leaping from their -mouths like tongues; I see them crossing the Big Water in great logs -which breathe out fire and smoke. I see--but there are no words to -tell thee all that I see." - -And Oma looked into the embers, and she too saw the flickering spirits -of the things to be. She saw countless fires--fires in the woods, -fires in caves, fires on altars--but those who tended the fires were -the daughters of her daughters. - -In a few days the damage done by the fire was repaired. It was Oma who -discovered that water stopped the hunger of the fire, and when it grew -too fierce she beat it back with boughs dipped in the stream which ran -before their cave. - -The warmth of the fire and the cooked meat made little Om grow as no -boy had ever grown in the cold season, and before the winter was over -he was running about as sturdily as a young bear. But it made trouble -for Oma. The woods were full of savage wild beasts, bears, panthers, -and wolves. Even Ang, with his strength and cunning and great stone -axe and sharp knives, was in constant danger. When he went out to -hunt, Oma always feared till he came back. What chance then would -little Om have? So she tried to keep him always in the clearing before -the cave, but the task grew harder and harder as the weather grew -warmer and Om's legs stronger and his eyes more curious. - -One evening, just as the dark was shutting in, Oma was cracking some -bones to get some choice marrow for Ang's supper after he returned -from his hunting, and for a moment her back was turned to the boy. -When she looked for him he had slipped away into the darkness. The cry -of a hyena broke on the stillness of the night, savage, -blood-curdling. Then came a terrified scream from little Om. She -leaped to her feet in terror. Where? Where? Which way? The sound -seemed to come from all directions. Not knowing what she did, she -snatched a burning brand from the fire and dashed into the darkness, -leaving a trail of flame behind her. - -She had gone only a few yards when she came upon the beast crouching -over little Om. Thoughtless of all danger to herself, Oma leaped at -the savage beast, whirling the burning brand about her head. The hyena -gave a snarl of surprise and fear, dropped Om, and sprang away into -the thicket, with leaps longer than any he had made in his life, for -the fear of the fire was on him. - -Oma snatched her baby to her breast and hurried back to the cave, -crooning over him as she went. She brought him to the fire and -stripped off his little fur coat; that was in shreds, but the child's -skin was only slightly scratched. - -As she locked him in her arms to comfort him, Ang suddenly leaped out -of the darkness, his great stone axe swinging in his hands. Terror was -in his face; sweat dropped from him like rain. "The hyena! I heard his -cry here and that of little Om!" - -Oma pointed to the baby in her arms, to the torn skin at her feet, to -the smoldering branch and to the darkness which had swallowed the -great beast. "It was only a moment, but he slipped away into the -darkness; I heard the cry, the cry of the beast and the cry of the -child. I caught up a brand from the fire and ran; the fearless one ran -at the sight of it. The child is safe, see!" And Om looked at his -father through tear-dimmed eyes. - -Then Ang knelt by the side of the child and its mother and prayed: "O -Thou who are greater than the greatest and mightier than the -mightiest, again Thou hast saved us by the red magic. By it Thou hast -made us, Thy children, masters of the beasts of the wood, for the -fear of the Red One is upon them all." - -As the strength of the winter passed and the snow began to melt, Ang had -a visit from Wang, who lived some days' journey to the east. During the -winter the men of the North saw little of each other. Each family needed -a large hunting ground, and men had not learned to live together. The -distances between the families were so great that when the snow was deep -in the woods months passed in which the isolated families saw no human -beings outside of their own circle. But when the ice broke up and the -snow melted, the men who were on fairly friendly terms paid visits to -each other and exchanged stories of the winter's experiences. - -Now Wang approached the cave of Ang with great ceremony. It was neither -good manners nor safe to approach another man's home too suddenly. One -could not be sure of a welcome, and it was always assumed that one who -came suddenly was an enemy. So Wang strolled out on an open spot by the -bank of the river which flowed by the cave of Ang, and acted as if he -did not know that there was another human being within a day's journey. -He tossed stones into the water and watched the ripples. Then he -imitated the call of the wild fowl on the river banks. - -For a time Ang ignored him, going about as if he saw no one. But Oma -and Om peered out curiously from the mouth of the cave. At last Ang -wandered down to the river's edge and looked aimlessly everywhere but -where Wang stood. He too tossed many stones into the river. Finally, -apparently satisfied that all the demands of primitive etiquette had -been met, Ang turned to Wang and put his left hand over his heart and -raised his right to the sky. Wang did the same; they were of one blood -and children of the Great Father. - -Both dropped their weapons where they stood and went to meet each -other unarmed. Ang and Wang had played together as boys, hunted -together as young men, and taken wives from the same family, but each -spring, after the winter's separation, they met with the same -elaborate ceremony, because it was the man custom. - -When the men were seated, Oma and Om came out and sat near by. "A long -winter," said Ang. "A long winter," answered Wang. "Much cold," said -Ang. "Much cold," answered Wang. "The woman and the boy?" asked Wang. -"The woman is well, and the child grows like a bear's cub," replied Ang. - -Wang turned and looked at Oma and Om and gave a grunt of surprise. "Why, -they are as fat and sleek as if it was the time of fruits and nuts -instead of the end of the great cold, when even the bear is so thin that -he casts no shadow. Has the eagle carried thee to the Southland on its -wings? Have you found food that cold does not harden? Has Odin fed you? -My woman sits all day at the going in of the cave. She looks old like -the moss-bearded oak. She notices nothing, but talks ever about the -little one whom the Black Robber took; she cares not for the child that -is left, who cries for food like a young kid whose mother the wolves -have eaten. And my strength has not come again. My traps and snares take -nothing, and my arrow is slower than the flying deer." - -At this Oma leaped to her feet and brought a piece of dried venison -from the cave and a cake made from a flour of pounded nuts and seeds -and put them before the hungry man. He ate ravenously, like a famished -wolf, in silence, but questioning with eager eye, "How? Why? What?" - -And Ang answered the unspoken question: "It was cold, so cold that the -blood in one's body ran slow and became like ice in the stream. The -meat became like stone. The supply of nuts failed. The woman grew -weak. The huntsman from the north took the child by the throat. His -breath came hard. I said, 'He will be taken as the others have been -taken, and the mother will not stay without the child, and I shall be -alone,' and I cried to the Great One, to Odin, the All-Father: 'We are -cold, give us heat; we are hungry, give us food.' I heard no answer; -there was no voice; but the prayer was heard. I sat by the going in of -the cave, making knives of flint, not thinking to use them, but hoping -to forget and cover up the hoarse crying of the child with the noise -of the flints. So I smote two stones together, and the chips fell into -the dry moss at my feet. There was a buzzing noise like that of a bee -in a flower; a little white cloud rose from the moss, then spots of -light like star-flies at night. Red tongues reached out and ate up the -moss and the dry sticks. I saw that the Red One was hungry, and I gave -him more moss and dry wood to eat. He grew big and bright, and his -breath was warm like that of summer, and Oma brought out the child, -and he drove away the barking sickness from the child's throat. Then -we knew that Odin had heard us." - -And Ang told Wang how they had learned to cook the venison; how they -had learned to feed the Red One and keep him from wandering. He told -how the fear of him was on all the beasts of the woods, so that not -even the most savage and the most hungry dared stand before him; and -the smallest child was safe within the circle of light. - -Then they took the wondering Wang and showed him the sacred fire, gift -of the Keeper of Secrets; they cooked venison over the coals so that -he might taste it. And when Wang started for home Oma gave him a -shoulder of smoked deer's meat and cakes made of acorn meal. - -And now a strange thing happened. Pity stirred the heart of Ang. Odin -had helped him in the time of his troubles; why should he not help Wang? -He turned to Oma. "The hunting is good; the stream is full of fish; the -Red One can warm more than three. I will go and bring Wang and his woman -and his child. They can live in the cave which we thought should be -Om's. It is the will of the All-Father that men should live together." - -And the men went together and brought Wang's wife and child, and they -made a screen and bark door for the new cave home. Oma taught Suta, -wife of Wang, the mysteries of the fire, and Ang and Wang became the -first neighbors, and that also was one of the gifts of the Revealer, -through the Spirit of the Fire. - -As time went on, the story of Ang, the fire-man, spread through all -the north country, and often men came as Wang had done, many day's -journey, through trackless forest, to see the wonderful fire in front -of the cave of Ang. But Ang told to no one but Wang the secret of how -to call the Fire Spirit. To men who were friendly he gave live coals -to carry away in bowls hollowed out of soapstone. Men who were the -enemies of Ang did not dare come near his cave for fear of the red -knives which guarded it. - -By and by men began to say to each other, as they went to hunt or sat -about the carefully tended fire, that Ang, the fire-man, must be loved -by Odin, and they came to Ang and said: "Tell us of the Great One," -and Ang was troubled because he had not heard his voice or seen him. -As he hunted in the stillness of the forest, he pondered: "Why had no -one ever seen the Great Spirit? Or was the sky his face and the sun -and moon his eyes? Why had no one heard his voice? Or was the thunder -his voice? If so, no one understood his language." The more he -thought, the more troubled he became. For days at a time he rarely -spoke and went about as one in a dream, and Oma said to Wang and to -others who came, "The spell of Odin is on him," and they began to look -on Ang with awe and wonder. - -One night as Ang was far from home and slept in a cave on a hill-side, -he dreamed that his shadow self left his body and journeyed to a far -country, and there he saw his father and his father's father and the -men of long ago. They all sat about a great fire and beckoned to him -to join their circle. There was a silence like that before the storm, -and each one in the circle looked steadfastly into the fire, which -burned on and on, though no one fed its flames. - -As Ang continued to look into the flames, it seemed as if something -was lifted from his eyes and he saw what no one had seen before. The -earth was the body of Odin. His life was the life of all. He had not -one voice like man, but many. He spoke in the thunder, in the voice of -the storm, but also in the song of the birds and in the words of one's -best beloved. - -Ang awoke just as the sun was driving the mists from the valley -beneath him, and these words came to his lips as if they were a -message from the dream-world which he had just left: "The wise son of -the All-Father sees him everywhere and hears his voice always." For -the first time in his life Ang saw the beauty of the world at his -feet, and the song of the birds which filled the vibrant air awoke a -new joy of melody and harmony in his soul. - -As Oma and Om came out to meet him, he looked at them with newly -opened eyes. How beautiful was the ruddy brown sheen of Oma's hair and -the light in her eyes as she welcomed him! And little Om's eyes -sparkled like dewdrops in the light of early morning, and his laughter -was like the splashing of a brook over its pebbles. - -When Ang told Oma of his dream, she answered: "The men were right. The -spell of the Keeper of Secrets was on thee. Thou art a man apart. -Henceforth thou shalt tell men the will of the One who hides himself." - -And so Ang became one of the voices of Odin. From far and near men in -trouble and men in doubt came to him, and he spoke words of comfort -and wisdom. And every year before the cold kept men apart they -gathered at the home of Ang. They built a great stone altar, and each -man threw a log upon the fire which Ang had kindled. And they brought -the choicest from their hunting and had a great feast, but they always -gave the best to Ang, and he put it in the fire, saying, "The best we -have is Thine and we are Thine." And when they had feasted and were -satisfied, Ang talked to them of the All-Father, and each year his -words were wiser and more winning. - -Before the men departed each took a brand from the fire and marched -about the altar chanting: - - Spirit red, Spirit red, - Thine hunger has been fed. - - Spirit hot, Spirit hot, - Forget us not, forget us not - - As the year grows old - Keep us from the cold! - - In the darkness of the night - Be our shining light, - Spirit white, Spirit white! - - --_From "Around the Fire", by Hanford M. Burr. - Courtesy of Association Press._ - - - - -THE BOYHOOD OF A PAINTER - - - During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries there took place, - first in Italy and afterwards in the other countries of Europe, a - great change known in history as the Renaissance. The long word - simply means "rebirth", and the name was given to this period - because then all the interest in art and literature and music and - beauty of every kind, which had seemed for centuries to be dead, - came to life again. Painters and poets and musicians began to fill - the world with their songs and their pictures. You are going to - read now the story of one of the most famous of the painters of - the fifteenth century in Italy. - -Leonardo da Vinci, the great painter, was the son of a lawyer in the -beautiful city of Florence. Even as a tiny child he began to show what -profession he was likely to follow, for as soon as he could crawl, he -would scramble away when his mother was not looking, to a place in the -garden where after a shower there was always a pile of mud. He would -sit happily on the ground pinching the mud into some sort of shape, -and the older he grew the more the shape became like that of some -object that he knew. When his mother missed him and came in search of -him, the baby would scream in disgust, and the only way to quiet him -was to play on the lute, an instrument very much like our mandolin. - -Ser Piero, Leonardo's father, was very proud of his astonishing little -son, and resolved that he must have the very best teachers that could -be found. So the boy was still very young when his lessons began. -Lessons were no trouble to him, for he quite took away the breath of -all his teachers by his amazing quickness, no matter whether the work -was arithmetic, or languages, or music. Whatever he heard once he -understood and remembered. - -Whatever lessons he might be doing, however, Leonardo spent his spare -time in drawing and in modelling figures in clay. His father decided -that this was the talent which the boy ought specially to make use of. -So he took his son to his friend the sculptor Verocchio. When they -reached the studio, Leonardo was given some clay and told to model -anything he liked. He sat down on the floor, and soon finished a tiny -statuette which was so lifelike that it might have been the work of -the sculptor himself. Verocchio was delighted, and declared that he -must have this boy as a pupil at once. - -As Leonardo grew older, he began to outstrip his master in the art of -painting, though not in that of sculpture. At one time, it is said, -Verocchio was working on a picture of the baptism of Jesus by John, in -which an angel was represented as standing at one side. He entrusted -the painting of this angel to his pupil. When the master came to look -at the finished figure, he stood gazing in astonished silence. He was -too true an artist not to feel that he and Leonardo had changed -places, and that the boy's painting of the angel was worth all the -rest of the picture. The story goes that Verocchio was so impressed by -the feeling that he could only do badly what Leonardo could do -perfectly that he never painted again. - -One of the most interesting tales of the artist's boyhood tells of his -painting of a shield. His father, Ser Piero, had gone to his country -house outside of Florence. One evening a farmer of the neighborhood was -brought to him as he sat in the garden, asking that he might speak with -Ser Piero. He knew the farmer well, for they had often gone fishing -together. "Well, what now, Francisco?" he asked, as the farmer came up -bowing and bearing in his hands a wooden shield. Francisco explained -that he had cut down a fig tree near his house, as it was too old to -bear fruit, and that he had cut out of its wood the shield he was -carrying. He had brought it to Ser Piero, hoping that the master would -have the goodness to get it painted with some design, for he wished to -hang it up in his kitchen as a remembrance of the old tree. - -So when Ser Piero next went to Florence he took the shield to his son, -not telling him to whom it belonged, but merely asking him to paint -something on it. Leonardo, examining the piece of wood, found that it -was rough and ill made, and that it would need much finishing before it -would be possible to paint on it. So he held it before the fire till the -fibres were softened and the crookedness straightened out, and then he -planed and polished it. When it was all ready, he began to think about -what the picture on it should be. A look of mischief came into his eyes. - -"I know!" he said to himself. "A shield ought to have on it some -frightful thing, so that the very sight of it may make the enemies of -its wearer tremble. The person who sees this shield shall be as -frightened as if he beheld the head of Medusa; only instead of being -turned to stone, he will most likely run away." You see, he did not -know that the shield was to adorn the home of a simple farmer. - -Smiling to himself, Leonardo went out into the fields and hunted about -until he had collected a large number of strange creatures, hedgehogs, -lizards, locusts, snakes, and many others. These he carried home and -locked up in the room he used for a workshop, where no one was allowed -to enter but himself. Using the ugly things as models, he began to -paint on the shield a monster formed out of all the creatures, with -eyes and legs everywhere. It was a long time before he succeeded in -making anything frightful enough to suit him. Again and again he -erased his work and did it over, trying to combine his creatures -differently. But at last something so terrible stared him in the face -that he almost felt frightened himself. - -"The monster is ready," he said with a laugh; "but I must find a -background fitting for him." - -So he painted as a background a black and narrow cavern, at whose mouth -stood the shapeless creature he had made, all eyes, all legs, all savage -jaws. Flames poured from it on every side, and a cloud of vapor rose -upwards from its many nostrils. After days of hard work, Leonardo at -last went to his father and told him he had finished the shield, which -he hoped would please its owner. Ser Piero came at once, and was led -into the partly darkened studio, where in just the right light the -shield stood on an easel. But no sooner was the father within the room -than he turned to fly, so terrible was the object that met his gaze. - -"It will do, I see," said Leonardo. "I wanted to make something so -dreadful that everyone would shiver with fear at the sight of it. Take -it away with you now; but I had better wrap it up, or you will -frighten people out of their wits as you go along." - -Ser Piero took the shield and went away without telling his son -anything about old Francisco. But he was quite sure that the farmer -would not like the picture, and that it was not at all suitable to -hang in a farmhouse kitchen; and more than that, he felt it was far -too wonderful a painting to fall into the hands of a peasant and never -be famous. So in order to save the old man's feelings, he went to a -shop and bought a shield of the same size as the first one, which had -on it a device of a heart pierced by an arrow; and the next time he -went to the country he sent for Francisco to come and get it. - -"Oh, your Excellency, how beautiful!" cried the old man in delight, as -he received his shield after his long waiting. - -"I thought you would be pleased," answered Ser Piero, thinking to -himself how frightened rather than pleased the farmer would have been -with Leonardo's monster. - - --_Adapted from "The Strange Story Book", by Andrew Lang._ - - -QUESTIONS - - This selection consists of three parts. Where does each part end? - Write an appropriate title for each part. - - - - -CIVIL DEATH - - - All should begin reading at the same moment. Can you after one - minute give a good account of the meaning of _civil death_? - -According to law a person may be alive and enjoying good health and -still under certain conditions be dead to all his civil rights. In -some states, as New York, this is true of one sentenced to the state -prison for life; all his civil rights are taken from him and to the -world he is as dead. In all states, absence for a specified time -without any knowledge of the whereabouts of the individual renders him -legally dead to his civil rights; this period is in most states seven -years. Supposing A, living in Wisconsin, should leave his home and -family and go to Alaska. If at the end of seven years no word had been -received from him, the law assumes him to be dead; his estate can be -settled by probate, provided the family consents, and his wife may -legally marry again. Should he afterwards return he could not compel -the court to restore his estate or family; these are legally -forfeited, beyond all redress. - - --_From "The World Book". - Courtesy of W. F. Quarrie & Co._ - - - - -OTELNE, THE INDIAN OF THE GREAT NORTH WOODS - - - In the "movies" you have surely seen pictures of the Far - North--Alaska or northern Canada, or even the northern United - States--with the brave, rough men who live about mining or lumber - camps or trading posts. In many of the pictures, you remember, - there have been Indians. Here is an account of the life of those - Indians when they are away from the trading posts. - - At the end of this story you will find an outline partly made out. - After you have read the story through, compare it with the - outline, and fill in the topics left blank under _a_, _b_, _c_, - etc. You may add more sub-topics if you think you need them. - -When white men first came to America, they thought it was a country -called India of which they had often heard. So they called the people -they found here Indians. They also called them red men, because they -were about the color of a copper cent that has been carried a while. -These red men did not have many tools and other things to make it easy -to work and to live. They had no horses, cows, pigs, sheep or -chickens, so they had to catch wild animals for food. They had no guns -nor rifles, but made spears and bows and arrows with which to kill -their game. They had no iron. Their arrow points and spear heads were -of sharpened stone, as was a heavy tool they made something like our -hatchet. It was a very dull, poor hatchet. They had no cloth to make -clothes. Instead, they used the skins of wild animals they caught or -shot with their bows and arrows. Instead of houses they had tents or -wigwams made of skins. The Indians thought the white men's things were -wonderful, and they were much pleased to trade furs and game for -blankets, guns, powder, and bullets. The Indians like bright, pretty -things, so they were very fond of trading for beads to make necklaces -and ornaments for their suits. - -After a long time, the white men took most of the Indians' country, -but there is still a large part of North America where there are more -Indians than white men. This is far to the north in Canada, in a wide -strip between the towns and farms of the white men and the cold, snow -land of the Eskimos. The soldiers who have been to the Great War tell -us much about England, France, and Germany; but the country where the -Indians still have their hunting grounds is larger than all of these -countries put together. The region is covered with evergreen forests, -a great silent land of deep snow and trees and cold. It is too cold -and rocky for the white man to make farms, so he has not cut down the -trees. There are no cities nor houses, nothing but forests where the -Indian hunts game and lives in his tent as he has always lived. - -To trade with these Indians, the white men have built stores in the -edge of the Indian country. They are called Posts--Trading Posts. When -the warm days of June come and the ice is all melted, the keeper of a -Post begins to look up the river watching for canoes to come around -the bend. At last he sees one. In front sits an Indian woman paddling, -and in the stern of the canoe sits Otelne, her husband, paddling and -also steering. They are coming to the post to trade. In the middle of -the boat are a boy, a girl, a brand new baby, and a dog. The boy's -name is Akusk (arrow); the girl's name is Wabogum (flower). The baby's -name is Wabshish (little white hare). He is tied to a board to keep -him safe and warm. The canoe contains one more thing, very precious, a -big bundle of fur skins. This is the wages of a whole year, the result -of a hard winter's work in the forest. - -The keeper of the Post shakes hands with Otelne. Otelne opens the bale -of furs, and the first afternoon he and his wife trade a few muskrat -skins for some flour, beans, bacon and canned peaches. Then the Indians -camp and have a feast. Other canoes come down the river bringing other -families until the post becomes a great picnic ground. They talk over -the happenings of the winter, of getting lost in storms, of upsetting -their canoes, of falling through the ice, of the bears they have caught, -and the wolves that have chased them. They wonder what has happened to -the Indians who do not come back. They have canoe races and the -different families, or tribes, play match games of la crosse. This game, -which the white men learned from the Indians, is now the national game -of Canada, as baseball is of the United States. - -In August the trading is over, and the Indians start back to the hunting -grounds for another year's work. The canoe is loaded full. Instead of -the bale of furs, Otelne has in his canoe a new tent, a sheet-iron -stove, some stove pipe, twenty-five steel traps, a rifle, one thousand -cartridges, fish hooks and fishing line, a wood saw, knives, axes, -buckets, blankets, and a lot of white men's clothes. He did not buy any -shoes because he would rather have the moccasins he makes himself. - -It is hard work to paddle the heavy load up the river against the -swift current. Presently they hear the roaring noise of a waterfall -where the stream jumps down over some rocks. The canoe cannot pass -this, so they all get out and carry the canoe and all its load, bit by -bit, along a little path that leads to the quiet water above the -falls. Here they load the canoe again and paddle on, but they soon -come to another carrying place, or portage as it is called, and have -to unload again. They are not afraid to leave their belongings while -they go back to the foot of the falls, for no Indian would think of -stealing anything he found in this way. - -You can see why the Indians do not use white men's boats, for no white -man's boat is as light as the birch bark canoe. You can also see why -they do not take much food from the post. They cannot carry it and all -they need for camping and hunting too. They must have the tent and -traps, so they take only food enough to last until they get far enough -from the post to find game. - -After a few days' journey they leave the main stream and go up one of -its branches. Here they come to a place where the stream widens into a -lake. The water is very still, and as the fishing is good, the Indians -camp here for a week and rest. There are so many wolves and wild cats -in the woods that Otelne puts up the tent on a little island out in -the middle of the lake. - -For many days they go on upstream. Over and over again they have to -carry their goods around rapids. The dark branches of spruce, hemlock, -and fir trees often hang over the stream. - -Trout, pickerel, and other fish dart in behind the rocks around which -the currents flow. Sometimes a muskrat, a beaver, or an otter swims -quickly into his hole in the bank. But sometimes the rifle is too -quick for him and the Indians have fresh meat for supper. Each day -they pass the mouths of little streams and the main stream gets -smaller and smaller, till at last it is hardly more than a brook. - -They are busy nearly all the time carrying their supplies around rapids. -At last they can go no farther in the canoe because the stream has grown -too small and rocky. To go still farther in their direction, the Indians -must find a stream which flows the opposite way. To find this stream -they must cross a hill, because, you see, the water will run down the -hill on the other side, gathering more and more water, and getting -larger as it goes. This water parting is called a divide, or watershed. -There is such a divide at the top of every mountain range. For instance, -all the rivers flowing east of the Alleghany Mountains run east to the -Atlantic Ocean; all those flowing west run finally into the Mississippi -River. So the Alleghany Mountains are a divide. - -Otelne knows of one place where the streams bend in such a way that he -can, in an hour, carry his canoe from canoe-water on one stream to -canoe-water on the stream over the hill. The Indians know where these -good portages are just as country boys know where they can catch -rabbits, or as city boys know where they can find a place to play. For -many days, Otelne steers his canoe down stream, camping on the bank -each night. - -In late October the first snow falls. They camp beside the lonely -river, and the fur hunting begins in earnest. Otelne fixes a round of -traps. He starts away from his tent and makes a large circle in the -forest, fixing a round of traps as he goes. When he cannot see the -sun, he keeps his direction through the forest by noticing the moss -which grows only on the shady side of a tree trunk. He can keep his -direction at night, too, if he can see the stars, for long before -white men came, Indians had noticed that one star always seemed to be -in the same place. They call it the "Great Star". We call it the -"North Star". The pointers in the Great Dipper show us where it is. -Otelne watches them every clear night. - -Twenty miles he travels, setting his traps wherever he sees in the -snow the tracks of the animals he wants. He drags sweet-smelling meat -along the snow, hoping that animals crossing this trail will follow -it to the traps. After a day or two, he goes around again, putting -fresh bait on his traps and taking out the animals he has caught. -After several rounds, he finds that game is getting scarce here, so he -and his wife put the tent and all their things on two toboggans -(sleds), tuck the baby down in the blankets, and trudge all day -through the forest. When night comes they put up the tent on the snow, -cut evergreen boughs to make a thick carpet, and build a fire in the -sheet-iron stove. All winter long they move every two or three weeks, -finding a new camp whenever a new hunting-ground is necessary. - -[Illustration: OTELNE WALKS ON SNOW SHOES.] - -Can you see Otelne as he visits his traps? He walks on snow shoes to -keep from sinking into the snow which is now three feet deep. His big -dog pulls a toboggan on which is an axe, a package of raw smoked meat -in a little box of birch bark, and a roll of blankets. Akusk, the -twelve-year-old boy, goes with his father, from whom he learns all the -Indian arts and the ways of the animals in the forest. It is all the -schooling he ever gets. How would you like to get your schooling that -way? - -The first trap is empty and the bait gone, so Otelne puts fresh bait in -it. The second trap holds a fine mink, dead and frozen stiff. His skin -is worth ten dollars. The fifth trap has in it the foot of a muskrat and -some scraps of fur lying around. Some hungry animal has raided the trap, -and the big dog, Wagush, smells the trail, whines, and jumps about so -that he upsets the sled. Otelne turns him loose, and away he goes -yelping through the forest, until at last his regular baying tells -Otelne that he has treed the animal. It is a lynx. The rifle brings him -down and he is placed on the sled along with the mink. - -At nightfall, ten miles from the tent, they come to a shelter made of -boughs. When Otelne set the traps, he built this shelter to keep off -the cold wind, for he knew he would have to sleep here on bitter cold -nights. He builds a roaring fire in front of the shelter. They eat the -mink, give the scraps and bones to Wagush, wrap up in rabbit-skin -blankets, and lie down with their heads toward the shelter, their feet -toward the fire, and the dog beside them. Two hours later Wagush wakes -them with a growl. Two wolves are prowling around in the spruce trees, -but wolves fear fire, so Otelne throws on more wood and they slink away. -At dawn the Indians are up and on their way to the rest of the traps. - -They kill a bear. This is great luck, for now they have meat enough to -last for weeks. Even with the help of Akusk and Wagush, Otelne has -hard work to drag that bear on the toboggan six miles back to the -tent. All three are so weary they have to rest all the next day. -Sulian, the mother, who skins the animals, takes care of the skins and -smokes the meat. That is her part of the work. You may be sure that -the children are glad to see their father and brother come back, for -there isn't another family within twenty miles, nor is there one white -man within a hundred miles. - -Day after day, through the long, cold winter, Otelne and his family -hunt the fur that they can trade for the white man's tools and -supplies. When the trapping season ends, Otelne is four hundred miles -from the post, and it takes many weeks of canoeing to get back there -for summer trading. They carry with them a bundle of smoked meat to -eat where game or fish cannot be found. - -Each year Indian families go out for furs and never come back. The -canoe may upset and swift water carry away all their things. Sometimes -they get lost and freeze to death in terrible blizzards. The hunting -may be bad, so they starve. The father may be drowned or break his -leg and freeze to death away out in the forest. Then the mother cannot -get enough game to keep the children alive, so they all starve and the -wolves eat them. The fur gatherer has a hard, cold life in the far -North, but it is better than it used to be before he traded with the -white man and got guns, knives, traps, and fish hooks. - -When all goes well with the fur gatherer, the boys and girls in the -little tent play many games. They are fond of checkers. To make a -checker-board, they split a piece of wood out of a log, smooth one side -of it with an axe, mark it into squares with a knife, and blacken some -of them with charcoal. For men, they saw off short pieces of a stick as -thick as your thumb. Jackstraws is another favorite game, but the straws -are tiny canoe paddles, knives, guns, snowshoes, snow shovels, and -canoes, all whittled out of wood, making a queer looking pile. They have -one campfire game in which they shake up eight disks of bone in a bowl. -This game is so hard to learn that my friend, Professor Speck, spent -three days learning it, and the rules for counting the score would fill -three pages of a book like this one. This game, so hard to learn, shows -that the Indian would be as smart as the white man if he had a chance to -learn the same things. White men who hunt with the Indians like them and -say they are good companions. - -The white men from the trading posts bring the furs down to our great -cities, where they are made into mittens and muffs and coats and -ladies' furs, and the next winter, while the Indian is back in the -forest following his traps, we can see people wearing the furs in -almost any part of the United States. - - --_J. Russell Smith. - Courtesy of The John C. Winston Co._ - - -OUTLINE - - 1. Early life of the Indians. - - 2. Their present home in the North. - - 3. A visit to the trading post. - (_a_) Who came - (_b_) - (_c_) - - 4. The Indians' return. - (_a_) - (_b_) - - 5. The life of a trapper. - (_a_) - (_b_) - (_c_) - (_d_) - - 6. Games. - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. The setting of a story tells the place of the story, when it - occurs, and who are the actors. Your teacher will ask one of you to - give the setting of "Otelne, the Indian of the Great North Woods". - - 2. If you were an Indian boy or girl, how do you think you would - feel during the winter about the summer trip to the trading post? - - 3. How does the trading post help the Indians? Make a list of things - they buy. What can you think of that the author of the story did not - mention? What else besides the cost will the Indians have to think - of when deciding whether or not to buy anything? - - 4. Tell about the trip back into the woods after visiting the post. - Why do they go so far? - - 5. Tell the story of a visit to the trap with Otelne as if you were - Akusk. Don't be afraid to put in probable incidents not told by the - author. - - - - -WHICH IS RIGHT? - - - Arrange your papers with your name and grade on the first line; - place the date and your room or teacher's name on the second line; - leave the third line blank, and, beginning with the fourth line, - number the lines from one to seven. This exercise is to help you - to read quickly and accurately. See that you understand all the - directions in each problem before you try to carry them out. On - the other hand, work as quickly as you can. - - 1. How am I to sing your praise - Happy chimney-corner days, - Sitting safe in nursery nooks - Reading picture story-books. - (_Stevenson--"Picture Books in Winter."_) - - If this is a picture of play, draw a horseshoe on the first line. - If it is a picture of quiet, draw a hitching-post. - - 2. The long war with the Danes had left England without law and - order. Trade and commerce had almost ceased to exist. The - monasteries and churches were in ruins and the schools nearly all - destroyed. - - Which of the words below best states the cause of this - destruction? - - Famine - Trade - War - Disease - - Write your answer on the _second_ line. - - 3. The axle in breaking had thrown the full weight of the heavy - cart upon the body of the unconscious boy. Although there were - many willing hands ready to help, none could lift the weight. Jean - saw the crowd and hurried to the spot. Bracing himself, he placed - his massive shoulders against the side of the cart. Slowly but - surely it lifted and the child was drawn safely from beneath. - - Which of the following words best describes Jean? - - kind thoughtful strong brave good - - Write your answer on the third line. - - 4. If you think after reading this paragraph that it is easy to - land a trout, write the word _hard_ on the fourth line. If you - think it is hard, write the word _easy_ there. - - Trout fishing in mountain streams is said to be the greatest sport - in the world. When a trout has been caught on the hook, it is - usually a question of which will tire first, the fish or the - fisherman. Often the fish will get the best of it and the - fisherman be forced to go home with a broken rod and no fish for - his pains. - - 5. If in the following words _c_ is found with _h_ more often than - with _r_, write _church_ on the fifth line. But if _c_ is found - more often with _r_, write _crown_ there. - - checkers - cruller - bench - candy - crunch - - 6. On the sixth line write any words in this sentence which have - the same number of letters as the fourth word of the sentence, but - which have no letters in common. - - 7. If a soldier wears out a pair of shoes every month, how many - pairs of shoes will be needed for a regiment of 3000 men for a - year of service? - - Write the answer on the seventh line. - - - - -"VERDUN BELLE" - - - This is the story of Verdun Belle, a trench dog, who adopted a - young leatherneck, followed him to the edge of the battle around - Chateau-Thierry and was waiting for him when they carried him out. - It is a true story. - -Belle was a setter, shabby white, with great splotches of chocolate -brown in her coat. Her ears were brown and silken. She was under size -and would not have stood a chance among the haughtier breeds shown in -splendor at dog shows in Madison Square Garden. But the marines in the -regiment to which she attached herself thought there never was a dog -like her since the world began. - -No one in the regiment knew whence she came or why. When she joined -the outfit in a _sector_ near Verdun, she singled out one of the -privates as her very own and attached herself to him for the duration -of the war. The young marine would talk long and earnestly to her, and -every one declared that Belle could "_compre_" English. - -She used to curl up at his feet when he slept or follow silently to -keep him company at the _listening post_. She would sit hopefully in -front of him whenever he settled down with his laden _mess kit_, which -the cooks always heaped extra high in honor of Belle. - -Belle was as used to war as the most weather-beaten French _poilu_. The -tremble of the ground did not disturb her and the whining whir of the -shells overhead only made her twitch and wrinkle her nose in her sleep. -She was trench-broken. You could have put a plate of savory pork chops -on the _parapet_ and nothing would have induced her to go after them. - -She weathered many a gas attack. Her master contrived a protection for -her by cutting down and twisting a French gas mask. At first this sack -over her nose irritated her tremendously; but once, when she was trying -to claw it off with her forepaws, she got a whiff of the poisoned air. -Then a great light dawned on Belle; and after that, at the first alarm, -she would race for her mask. You could not have taken it from her until -her master's pat on her back told her everything was all right. - -In the middle of May, Belle presented a proud but not particularly -astonished regiment with nine confused and wriggling puppies, -black-and-white, or, like the mother, brown-and-white, and possessed -of immense appetites. Seven of these were alive and kicking when the -order came for the regiment to pull up stakes and speed across France -to help stem the German tide north of the troubled Marne. - -In the rush and hubbub of marching orders Belle and her brood were -forgotten by every one but the young marine. It never once entered his -head to leave her or her pups behind. Somewhere he found a market -basket and tumbled the litter into that. He could carry the pups, he -explained, and the mother dog would trot at his heels. - -Now the amount of hardware a marine is expected to carry on the march is -carefully calculated to the maximum strength of the average soldier, yet -this leatherneck found extra muscle somewhere for his precious basket. -If it came to the worst, he thought, he could _jettison_ his pack. It -was not very clear in his mind what he would do with his charges during -a battle, but he trusted to luck and Verdun Belle. - -For twenty-five miles he carried his burden along the parched French -highway. No one wanted to jeer him out of it, nor could have if they -would. When there followed a long advance by _camion_, he yielded his -place to the basket of wriggling pups, while he himself hung on the -tail-board. - -But there was more hiking, and the basket proved too much. It seemed -that the battle line was somewhere far off. Solemnly the young marine -killed four of the puppies, discarded the basket and slipped the other -three into his shirt. Thus he trudged on his way, carrying those -three, pouched in forest green, as a kangaroo carries its young, while -the mother dog trotted trustingly behind. - -One night he found that one of the black-and-white pups was dead. The -road by this time was black with hurrying troops, lumbering _lorries_ -jostling the line of advancing ambulances, and dust-gray columns of -soldiers moving on as far ahead and as far behind as the eye could -see. Passing silently in the other direction was the desolate -procession of refugees from the invaded countryside. Now and then a -herd of cows or a little cluster of fugitives from some desolated -village, trundling their most cherished possessions in wheelbarrows -and baby carts, would cause an eddy in the traffic. - -Somewhere in this crowding and confusion Belle was lost. In the -morning there was no sign of her, and the young marine did not know -what to do. He begged a cup of milk from an old French woman, and with -the eye dropper from his kit he tried to feed the two pups. It did not -work well. Faintly the wind brought down the valley from far ahead the -sound of cannon. Soon he would be in the thick of it, and there was no -Belle to care for the pups. - -Two ambulances of a field hospital were passing in the unending -caravan. A lieutenant who looked human was in the front seat of one of -them, a sergeant beside him. The _leatherneck_ ran up to them, blurted -out his story, gazed at them imploringly and thrust the puppies into -their hands. "Take good care of them," he said; "I don't suppose I'll -ever see them again." - -And he was gone. A little later in the day that field hospital was -pitching its tents and setting up its kitchens and tables in a deserted -farm. Amid all the hurry of preparation for the big job ahead they found -time to worry about those pups. The problem was food. _Corned willy_ was -tried and found wanting. Finally the first sergeant hunted up a -farm-bred private, and the two of them spent that evening chasing four -nervous and distrustful cows around a pasture trying vainly to capture -enough milk to provide supper for the new members of the hospital staff. - -Next morning the problem was still unsolved. But it was solved that -evening. For that evening a fresh contingent of marines trooped by the -farm and in their wake, tired, anxious, but undiscouraged, was Verdun -Belle. Six miles back two days before she had lost her master, and -until she should find him again she evidently had thought that any -marine was better than none. - -The troops did not halt at the farm, but Belle did. At the gate she -stopped dead in her tracks, drew in her lolling tongue, sniffed -inquiringly at the evening air, and, like a flash, a white streak -along the drive, she raced to the distant tree, where, on a pile of -discarded dressings in the shade, the pups were sleeping. - -All the corps men stopped work and stood around and marveled. For the -onlooker it was such a family reunion as warms the heart. For the -worried mess sergeant it was a great relief. For the pups it was a -mess call, clear and unmistakable. - -So with renewed faith in her heart and only one worry left in her -mind, Verdun Belle and her puppies settled down with this field -hospital. When the next day the reach of the artillery made it -advisable to move down the valley to the shelter of a fine hillside -chateau, you may be sure that room was made in the first ambulance -for the _three_ wanderers. - -[Illustration: TWO COTS WERE SHOVED TOGETHER UNDER A SPREADING TREE] - -In a grove of trees beside the house the tents were pitched and the cots -of the expected patients ranged side by side. The wounded came--came -hour after hour in steady streams, and the boys of the hospital worked -on them night and day. They could not possibly keep track of all the -cases, but there was one who did. Always a mistress of the art of -keeping out from under foot, very quietly Belle hung around and -investigated each ambulance that turned in from the main road and backed -up with its load of pain to the door of the receiving room. - -Then one evening they lifted out a young marine, listless in the half -stupor of shell shock. To the busy workers he was just Case No. Such -and Such, but there was no need to tell any one who saw the wild -rejoicing of the dog that Belle had found her own at last. - -The first consciousness her master had of his new surroundings was the -feel of her rough pink tongue licking the dust from his face. And -those who passed that way on the following Sunday found two cots -shoved together in the kindly shade of a spreading tree. On one the -mother dog lay, contented with her puppies. Fast asleep on the other, -his arm thrown out so that one grimy hand could touch one silken ear, -lay the young marine. Before long they would have to ship him on to -the _evacuation hospital_, on from there to the base hospital, on and -on and on. It was not very clear to anyone how another separation -could be prevented. It was a perplexing question, but they knew in -their hearts that they could safely leave the answer to some one else. -They could leave it to Verdun Belle. - - --"_Stars and Stripes._" - - - 1. _Compre_ and _poilu_ are "soldiers' French". From the way they - are used here, what do you think they mean? - - 2. The following are war terms. See if you can find out, if you do - not already know, what they mean. - - sector camion - listening post lorries - mess kit leatherneck - parapet corned willy - jettison evacuation hospital - - 3. Why do you like the young marine? - - 4. How do you suppose Belle solved the problem left to her? - - 5. Does the story make you feel amused or sad? - - - - -ANOTHER NONSENSE TEST - - - You will need only a small piece of paper in order to solve this - test. Read the directions very carefully and do nothing but what - they say. - -At the top of your paper write "east" no matter whether the sun rises -there or not. Now if Christmas comes in December put a cross in the -center of your paper, but if not, put a circle there or else a square. - -At the bottom of your paper write a wrong answer to the first of the -following questions: - -1. When did Columbus discover America? - -2. Who invented the electric light? - -Do not answer the second question unless you have skipped the first. -But if you know the answer sign your own name in the lower right hand -corner of your paper, but if you do not know, sign in the lower left -hand corner. - - - - -CAN YOU UNDERSTAND RELATIONSHIP? - - - This drill will test your ability to recognize easily the - relationships between words and between things, an ability very - necessary for both reading and thinking. - -1. Write your name on the first line of your paper, and your grade on -the second at the right. Beginning with the fourth line write the -figures 1 to 10. - -2. In each group below, the first two words have a certain connection -in meaning. When you see this relationship between the first two -words, you can find among the five words that follow two other words -that bear the same relationship. Thus, in group one, the SAW is a tool -used by the CARPENTER. Now if you look among the word that follow, you -will see that the words FARMER and PLOUGH are connected in meaning in -the same way. Write these four words after figure 1: - - 1. CARPENTER SAW farmer plough - -3. Look at group two. HEN and CHICKS are words that have a certain -relation, and similarly, of the five words that follow, CAT and -KITTENS are the only two that are connected in the same way. Write -these four words after figure 2: - - 2. HEN CHICKS cat kittens - -4. Complete the exercise by selecting the two words in each remaining -group that are related in meaning in the same way that the given words -are related in meaning. When finished, wait quietly for the others. - - 1. CARPENTER, SAW (farmer, sky, plough, trees, field). - 2. HEN, CHICKS (corn, feed, cat, milk, kittens). - 3. AUTOMOBILE, GARAGE (wheel, horse, owner, stable, door). - 4. COW, MILK (sheep, pasture, grass, fence, wool). - 5. AEROPLANE, AIR (sail, pilot, ship, sea, wind). - 6. RAIL, STEEL (locomotive, window, house, door, glass). - 7. SPOOL, THREAD (shelf, librarian, books, picture, print). - 8. POET, POEM (verse, rhyme, brush, artist, picture). - 9. WOOL, SWEATER (knit, silk, dress, seamstress, scissors). - 10. SUMMER, RAIN (winter, sled, December, snow, overcoat). - - - - -CHARADES - - - Did you ever play charades? Here is a brief statement about - charades taken from a cyclopedia. See if you can read it through - in a half-minute so as to give the substance of it. - -A charade is a popular form of riddle, the answer to which is a word -of several syllables, each of which alone is in itself a word. Each -syllable, taken as a word, is described, and finally a puzzling -definition of the whole word is given. The following is an example: -"Some one threw my first and second at me, and it hit my third. It did -not hurt me, for it was only a branch of my whole." The answer is -_Mistletoe_. A girl, sitting under a high table, would suggest the -word _misunderstand_. - -A pleasing charade requiring more thought is in the form of a rhyme, -as-- - - "My first is a circle, my second a cross; - If you meet with my whole, look out for a toss." - -The answer is _Ox_. Then, too, charades are often presented in the -form of little plays, each syllable representing a scene. They are -then called _acting_ charades. This form of amusement is much in vogue -on social occasions. It is thought the name was derived from a French -word meaning _idle talk_, which in its turn was derived from Spanish -words meaning _speech and actions of a clown_. - - --_From "The World Book". - Courtesy of W. F. Quarrie & Co._ - - - - -GENERAL PERSHING'S WELCOME HOME - - - More people, perhaps, read a newspaper every day than read any - other form of print. At the breakfast table, in the trolley car, - or in the railroad train, morning and evening you see readers - buried in their newspapers. Many people read at least two papers a - day, and many people read very little else. But unfortunately a - great many of these people read the newspapers very hastily, and - sometimes they fail to grasp the real sense of the column beneath - the catchy headlines. They need practice in the rapid and - intelligent reading of a news article. - - You may begin to have that sort of practice now, if you will read - rapidly the following newspaper account of the homecoming, in - September, 1919, of one of America's greatest soldiers, and be - able to answer the following questions. Your teacher may ask each - row of pupils to be responsible for two or three of the questions. - - 1. When and where and from what ship did General Pershing land? - - 2. Who else came home on that ship? - - 3. How often and where did General Pershing reply to addresses of - welcome? - - 4. What important person made the chief address of welcome? - - 5. What proof of the nation's gratitude was given to General - Pershing? - - 6. Where would you like best to have been among the crowd of - onlookers? - - 7. Do you think you would like General Pershing if you were one of - his officers or soldiers? Why? - - 8. What was the most important thing that General Pershing said? - - 9. On whom was the joke, General March or the sentry? - - - PERSHING TAKES - HONORS IN NAME - OF HERO DEAD - - * * * * * - - Tribute Belongs to Men Who - Fell, General Tells Cheering - Throng in New York - - * * * * * - - WELCOME ECLIPSES ANY - EVER STAGED IN CITY - - * * * * * - - Thousands Await Through the Night - to Greet America's "Jack" - on Return Home - - * * * * * - -WILSON SENDS MESSAGE - - * * * * * - -New York, Sept. 8.--General John J. Pershing, commander-in-chief of -the A. E. F., came home from France today and was welcomed in a manner -which fully conveyed to him the gratitude and pride with which the -American people estimate his services in leading the nation's greatest -army to victory in the world's greatest war. - -From early morning, when the sea monster Leviathan arrived in the -Hudson--a shadowy giant in a misty sunrise--until the middle of the -afternoon, when the general insisted upon an intermission for a -much-needed nap, he was the central figure of a demonstration which -for brilliancy and gayety has rarely been equaled in the history of -New York City. - -The presentation of his permanent commission as a full general in the -regular army, accomplished by the secretary of war ten minutes after -the general had stepped upon American soil, while perhaps the most -important tribute, was merely an auspicious beginning of what was to -follow. A river pageant on the Hudson from Hoboken to the Battery, a -triumphal march through surging crowds on Broadway and Fifth Avenue, -exercises at the City Hall, during which he was given the freedom of -the city for four days; a reception, a luncheon, and in the evening a -dinner and a theatre party in his honor--all this was part of the -crowded and colorful program. None was surprised, therefore, when the -distinguished guest good-naturedly remarked that if this continued -long he would "almost wish that the war had gone on." - - -PLEASED TO BE BACK HOME - -The general accepted it all quietly and simply. He was pleased to be -home. He could not conceal that, but neither could he conceal the fact -that he would have preferred to come home without so much fuss being -stirred up about it. He bowed, nodded, waved, or smiled acknowledgment -of the cheering. The Pershing smile, incidentally, will without doubt -take its place among the famous smiles of America. All great Americans -seem to have a characteristic smile. There was the Roosevelt smile, -and there are the Taft and Wilson smiles, and now there is the -Pershing smile, quite as striking as any of the others. The people -liked it immensely; but more than that they liked the brief responses -made by the general to the eulogies delivered by the secretary of war, -the governor of New York, and the mayor of the city. He accepted all -of them--with a reservation, that reservation being that he accepted -them not for himself but for the boys who went over and fought and -died for the flag. It was this that convinced the people that Pershing -was truly a great man. - -The Leviathan, bringing, besides General Pershing, his picked -"composite regiment" and what is left of the first division, "the -first to go over and the last to come back," tied up at Hoboken at -9:55 o'clock, with the commander-in-chief of the overseas forces on -top of its pilot house. Assembled on the pier were nearly 1000 welfare -workers, soldiers and guests. - - -GENERAL MARCH HELD UP - -The first to board the vessel as soon as the gangplank had been -lowered, with the exception of two naval officers, was a party of -newspaper correspondents and photographers. At this point there was an -amusing incident that somewhat relieved the anxiety and general -excitement. A sentry, seeing the correspondents and photographers -making ready for an immediate rush on the vessel, raised his voice in -protest. General Peyton C. March, chief of staff, stepped forward with -assurances that everything would be all right. But the sentry, -sticking to his point with surprising determination, in view of the -high rank he was addressing, would not be assured, and those who were -listening understood his audacity when he stood up straight in front -of General March and declared: - -"But, sir, I have just been talking with the secretary of war, sir, -and he says, sir, that no one can go aboard." - -General March was as surprised as any one else. Having no reply to -make to a declaration of that kind, despite his rank, he sought out -the secretary of war and soon returned saying he had "straightened -things out." Then came the laugh. - -"Very well, sir," said the sentry, saluting nervously, and by this -time in perspiration from excitement. "B-b-b-but I have only eight -more days to go and I-I-I naturally d-don't want to get into any -j-j-am with the secretary of w-war, sir." - - -MET BY SECRETARY BAKER - -As he stepped from the gangplank General Pershing was greeted by -Secretary Baker and escorted to an open space, where a small dais had -been erected in front of a group of chairs. The chairs were occupied -by the guests and other staff officers, while Secretary Baker and the -guest of honor took seats on the platform. - -"Here there is to be a momentary halt in the day's program to extend -to General Pershing a word of greeting and a message from the -President," said Mr. Baker, opening the first ceremony of the -general's official welcome. "This incident in today's events is to be -brief, and immediately after its conclusion General Pershing will -become the guest of the city of New York." - - -COMMISSION IS PRESENTED - -Then it was that the secretary presented the hero with his permanent -commission as general in the regular army, after which he delivered a -brief address, closing with a message of greeting from President Wilson. - - -PERSHING REMEMBERS DEAD - -Secretary Baker then presented General Pershing, who was received with -applause that lasted two minutes. - -"If these compliments and tributes are to continue for long," declared -the General, "I am sure that I shall wish that the war had continued. To -say that I am happy would be a waste of words. I cannot describe the -emotions that fill my heart. You have been very complimentary to me, Mr. -Secretary, more complimentary than I deserve. I can only reply by saying -that the war was won by the united effort of the nation. The army abroad -felt the inspiration that came from the effort of the people at home. -The morale of an army is dependent upon the morale of the people behind -it; and I am proud to say that the morale of the American people never -gave us cause for anything but inspiration. - -"On an occasion of this kind we must not forget the fellows who faced a -well-trained enemy with only partial training themselves. It is to them -we owe the tribute. I hope their graves may be fittingly decorated as an -eternal shrine to be visited by Americans in the future as a place where -the lesson of patriotism may always be learned anew. - -"I wish to take this occasion to thank the people, the President, and -you, Mr. Secretary, for the confidence that was placed in me. This -confidence made the complex task in France inestimably more easy." - -Then came the street procession to City Hall Park, through the -"Broadway Canyon." - -People were crowded five and six deep on both sides of the street; -from hundreds of office windows high in the air there was a veritable -snowfall of confetti and torn bits of paper; miles and miles of ticker -tape thrown promiscuously from the same windows became interlaced and -tangled in midair, giving the highway the aspect of a street in -another, more fantastic world; airplanes glided as low as possible -over the thoroughfare; while whistles and automobile horns blew and -church bells rang for an hour without intermission. - -The crowds unleashed reserves of enthusiasm that had been held in -restraint by recent strikes and other sober concerns. "Here comes -Pershing!" "Hurrah for Black Jack!" "We're glad to see you back!" - - -OFFICIALLY WELCOMED BY CITY - -At City Hall General Pershing and the members of his staff, who -accompanied him on the Leviathan, were officially welcomed by the -city. After the addresses of the mayor and the governor they were -turned over to a committee of citizens, headed by Rodman Wanamaker. -Here the general made his second address since returning from France, -and, as before, emphasized what seemed to be his central thought--that -he accepts the praise and the adulation for and in the name of those -who fought and died. - -After the City Hall exercises the procession was resumed, this time on -Fifth Avenue. - -Arriving at the Waldorf, the general retired for a nap, apologizing, -but declaring that he needed rest badly. - -A dinner tonight, followed by a theatre party at the Hippodrome, both -given by the Rodman Wanamaker committee, ended the day's celebration. - - --_Courtesy The Philadelphia - "Public Ledger."_ - - - - -THE FAIRIES ON THE GUMP - - - Long, long ago the original inhabitants of England were driven by - their enemies to take refuge in the western mountains, many being - forced to cross the water to Ireland. The descendants of these - people now live in Cornwall and in Wales and they are quite - different from the people of the rest of England. This is a very - pleasant retelling of one of their folk tales. - -Down by St. Just, not far from Cape Cornwall and the sea, is a small -hill, called "The Gump", where the Small People used to hold their -revels, and where our grandfathers and grandmothers used to be allowed -to stand and look on and listen. - -People believed in the Fairies in those days, so the Fairies in return -often helped the people, and did them all sorts of kindnesses. Indeed, -they would do so now if folks had not grown so learned and -disbelieving. It seems strange that because they have got more -knowledge of some matters, they should have grown more ignorant of -others, and declare that there never were such things as Fairies, just -because they have neither eyes nor minds to see them! - -Of course, no one could expect the sensitive little creatures to -appear when they are sneered at and scoffed at. All the same, though, -they are as much about us as ever they were, and if you or I, who do -believe in the Little People, were to go to the Gump on the right -nights at the right hour, we should see them feasting and dancing and -holding their revels just as of old. If, though, you do go, you must -be very careful to keep at a distance, and not to trespass on their -fairy ground, for that is a great offense. - -There was, once upon a time, a grasping mean old fellow who did so, -and pretty well he was punished for his daring. It is his story I am -going to tell you. - -Well, this old man used to listen to the tales the people told of the -Fairies and their riches, and their wonderful treasures, until he -could scarcely bear to hear any more, he longed so to have some of -those riches for himself; and at last his covetousness grew so great, -that he said to himself he must and would have some, or he should die -of vexation. - -So one night, when the Harvest Moon was at the full, he started off -alone, and very stealthily, to walk to the Gump, for he did not want -his neighbors to know anything at all about his plans. He was very -nervous, for it is a very desolate spot, but his greed was greater -than his fear, and he made himself go forward, though he longed all -the time to hurry home to the safe shelter of his house and his bed. - -When he was still at some distance from the enchanted spot, strains of -the most exquisite music anyone could possibly imagine reached his -ear, and as he stood listening it seemed to come nearer and nearer -until, at last, it was close about him. The most wonderful part, -though, of it all was that there was nothing to be seen, no person, no -bird, not an animal even. The empty moor stretched away on every side, -the Gump lay bare and desolate before him. The only living being on it -that night was himself. - -The music, indeed, seemed to come from under the ground, and such -strange music it was, too, so gentle, so touching, it made the old -miser weep, in spite of himself, and then, even while the tears were -still running down his cheeks, he was forced to laugh quite merrily, -and even to dance, though he certainly did not want to do either. -After that it was not surprising that he found himself marching along, -step and step, keeping time with the music as it played first slowly -and with stately tread, then fast and lively. - -All the time, though, that he was laughing and weeping, marching or -dancing, his wicked mind was full of thoughts as to how he should get -at the fairy treasure. - -At last, when he got close to the Gump, the music ceased, and -suddenly, with a loud crashing noise which nearly scared the old man -out of his senses, the whole hill seemed to open as if by magic, and -in one instant every spot was lighted up. Thousands of little lights -of all colors gleamed everywhere, silver stars twinkled and sparkled -on every furze-bush, tiny lamps hung from every blade of grass. It was -a more lovely sight than one ever sees nowadays. Then, out from the -open hill marched troops of little Spriggans. - -Spriggans, you must know, are the Small People who live in rocks and -stones, and cromlechs, the most mischievous, thievish little creatures -that ever lived, and woe betide anyone who meddles with their -dwelling-places. - -Well, first came all those Spriggans, and then a large band of musicians -followed by troops of soldiers, each troop carrying a beautiful banner, -which waved and streamed out as though a brisk breeze were blowing, -whereas in reality there was not a breath of wind stirring. - -These hosts of Little People quickly took up their places in perfect -order all about the Gump, and, though they appeared quite unconscious -of his presence, a great number formed a ring all around the old man. -He was greatly amazed, but, "Never mind," he thought, "they are such -little whipper-snappers I can easily squash them with my foot if they -try on any May-games with me." - -As soon as the musicians, the Spriggans, and the soldiers had arranged -themselves, out came a lot of servants carrying most lovely gold and -silver vessels, goblets, too, cut out of single rubies, and diamonds, -and emeralds, and every kind of precious stone. Then came others -bearing rich meats and pastry, luscious fruits and preserves, -everything, in fact, that one could think of that was dainty and -appetizing. Each servant placed his burden on the tables in its proper -place, then silently retired. - -Can you not imagine how the glorious scene dazzled the old man, and -how his eyes glistened, and his fingers itched to grab at some of the -wonderful things and carry them off? He knew that even one only of -those flashing goblets would make him rich for ever. - -He was just thinking that nowhere in the world could there be a more -beautiful sight, when, lo and behold! the illumination became twenty -times as brilliant, and out of the hill came thousands and thousands -of exquisitely dressed ladies and gentlemen, all in rows, each -gentleman leading a lady, and all marching in perfect time and order. - -They came in companies of a thousand each, and each company was -differently attired. In the first the gentlemen were all dressed in -yellow satin covered with copper-colored spangles; on their heads they -wore copper-colored helmets with waving, yellow plumes, and on their -feet yellow shoes with copper heels. The flashing of the copper in the -moonlight was almost blinding. Their companions all were dressed alike -in white satin gowns edged with large turquoises, and on their tiny -feet pale blue shoes with buckles formed of one large turquoise set in -pearls. - -The gentlemen conducted the ladies to their places on the Gump, and with -a courtly bow left them, themselves retiring to a little distance. The -next troop then came up; in this the gentlemen were all attired in black -trimmed with silver, silver helmets with black plumes, black stockings -and silver shoes. Their ladies were dressed in pink embroidered in gold, -with waving pink plumes in their hair, and golden buckles on their pink -shoes. In the next troop the men were dressed in blue and white, and -the ladies in green, with diamonds all around the hem of the gown, -flashing in their hair, and hanging in long ropes from their necks; on -their green shoes single diamonds blazed and flashed. - -So they came, troop after troop, more than I can describe, or you -could remember, only I must tell you that the last of all were the -most lovely. The ladies, all of whom had dark hair, were clad in white -velvet lined with the palest violet silk, while round the hems of the -skirts and on the bodices were bands of soft white swansdown. -Swansdown also edged the little violet cloaks which hung from their -shoulders. I cannot describe to you how beautiful they looked, with -their rosy, smiling faces, and long black curls. On their heads they -wore little silver crowns set with amethysts; amethysts, too, sparkled -on their necks and over their gowns. In their hands they carried long -trails of the lovely blossom of the wistaria. Their companions were -clad in white and green, and in their left hands they carried silver -rods with emerald stars at the top. - -It really seemed at one time as though the troops of Little People would -never cease pouring out of the hill. They did so at last, though, and as -soon as all were in their places the music suddenly changed. - -The old man by this time seemed able to see more clearly, and hear more -distinctly, and his sense of smell grew keener. Never were such flashing -gems as here, never had any flowers such scents as these that were here. - -There were now thousands of little ladies gathered on the Gump, and -these all broke out into song at the same instant. The words were in -an unknown tongue, but the song was evidently about some great -personages who were about to emerge from the amazing hill, for again -it opened, and again poured forth a crowd of Small People. - -First of all came a bevy of little girls in white gauze, scattering -flowers, which as soon as they touched the ground, sprang up into full -life and threw out leaves and more flowers, full of exquisite scents; -then came a number of boys playing on shells as though they were -harps, and making ravishing music, while after them came hundreds and -hundreds of little men clad in green and gold, followed by a perfect -forest of banners spreading and waving on the air. - -Then last, but more beautiful than all that had gone before, was -carried a raised platform covered with silk embroidered with real -gold, and edged with crystals, and on the platform were seated a -prince and princess of such surpassing loveliness that no words can be -found to describe them. They were dressed in the richest velvet, and -covered with precious stones which blazed and sparkled in the myriad -lights until the eye could scarce bear to look at them. - -Over her lovely robe the princess's hair flowed down to the floor, -where it rested in great shining, golden waves. In her hand she held a -golden sceptre, on the top of which blazed a diamond as large as a -walnut, while the prince carried one with a sapphire of equal size. -After a deal of marching backwards and forwards, the platform was -placed on the highest point of the Gump, which was now a hill of -flowers, and every fairy walked up and bowed, said something to the -prince and princess, and passed on to a seat at the tables. - -At length all were seated, whereupon the prince gave a signal, on -which a number of footmen came forward carrying a table laden with -dainty food in solid gold dishes, and wines in goblets of precious -stones which they placed on the platform before the prince and -princess. As soon as the royal pair began to eat, all the hosts around -them followed their example, and such a merry, jovial meal they had. -The viands disappeared as fast as they could go, laughter and talk -sounded on all sides, and never a sign did any of them give that they -knew that a human being was watching them. - -"Ah!" thought the old miser to himself. "I can't get all I'd like to, -but if I could reach up to the prince's table I could get enough at -one grab to set me up for life!" - -Stooping down, he slowly and stealthily dragged himself nearer and -nearer to the table. He felt quite sure that no one could see him. -What he himself did not see was that hundreds of wicked little -Spriggans had tied ropes on to him and were holding fast to the ends. -He crawled and crawled so slowly and carefully that it took him some -time to get over the ground, but he managed it at last, and got quite -close up to the lovely little pair. Once there he paused for a moment -and looked back,--perhaps to see if the way was clear for him to run -when he had done what he meant to do. He was rather startled to find -that all was as dark as dark could be, and that he could see nothing -at all behind him. However, he tried to cheer himself by thinking it -was only that his eyes were dazzled by looking at the bright lights so -long. He was even more startled, though, when he turned round to the -Gump again, to find that every eye of all those hundreds and thousands -of fairies on the hill was looking straight into his eyes. - -At first he was really frightened, but as they did nothing but look, -he told himself that they could not really be gazing at him, and grew -braver with the thought. Then slowly bringing up his hat, as a boy -does to catch a butterfly, he was just going to bring it down on the -silken platform and capture prince and princess, table, gold dishes -and all, when hark! A shrill whistle sounded, the old man's hand, with -the hat in it, was paralyzed in the air, so that he could not move it -backwards or forwards, and in an instant every light went out, and all -was pitchy darkness. - -There was a whir-r-r and a buzz, and a whir-r-r, as if a swarm of bees -were flying by him, and the old man felt himself fastened so securely -to the ground that, do what he would, he could not move an inch, and -all the time he felt himself being pinched, and pricked, and tweaked -from top to toe, so that not an inch of him was free from torment. He -was lying on his back at the foot of the Gump, though how he got there -he could never tell. His arms were stretched out and fastened down, so -that he could not do anything to drive off his tormentors, his legs -were so secured that he could not even relieve himself by kicking, and -his tongue was tied with cords, so that he could not call out. - -There he lay, no one knows how long, for to him it seemed hours, and -no one else but the fairies knew anything about it. At last he felt a -lot of little feet running over him, but whose they were he had no -idea until something perched on his nose, and by the light of the moon -he saw it was a Spriggan. His wicked old heart sank when he realized -that he had got into their clutches, for all his life he had heard -what wicked little creatures they were. - -The little imp on his nose kicked and danced and stamped about in great -delight at finding himself perched up so high. We all know how painful -it is to have one's nose knocked, even ever so little, so you may -imagine that the old miser did not enjoy himself at all. Master Spriggan -did, though. He roared with laughter, as though he were having a huge -joke, until at last, rising suddenly to his feet and standing on the -tips of his tiny toes, he shouted sharply, "Away! away! I smell the -day!" and to the old man's great relief off he flew in a great hurry, -followed by all his mischievous little companions who had been playing -games, and running races all over their victim's body. - -Left at last to himself, the mortified old man lay for some time, -thinking over all that had happened, trying to collect his senses, and -wondering how he should manage to escape from his bonds, for he might -lie there for a week without any human being coming near the place. - -Till sunrise he lay there, trying to think of some plan, and then, -what do you think he saw? Why, that he had not been tied down by ropes -at all, but only by thousands of gossamer webs! And there they were -now, all over him, with the dew on them sparkling like the diamonds -that the princess had worn the night before. And those dewdrop -diamonds were all the jewels he got for his night's work. - -When he made this discovery he turned over and groaned and wept with -rage and shame, and never, to his dying day, could he bear to look at -sparkling gold or gems. - -At last, afraid lest he should be missed, and searchers be sent out to -look for him, he got up, brushed off the dewy webs, and putting on his -battered old hat, crept slowly home. He was wet through with dew, -cold, full of rheumatism, and very much ashamed of himself. - -Very good care he took to keep that night's experiences to himself. No -one must know his shame. - -Years after, though, when he had become a changed man, and repented of -his former greediness, he let out the story bit by bit to be a lesson -to others, until his friends and neighbors, who loved to listen to -anything about fairies, had gathered it all as I have told it to you -here. And you may be quite sure it is all true, for the old man was -not clever enough to invent it. - - --_From "Strange Stories from Cornwall", - by Mabel Quiller-Couch._ - - - - -THINKING AND DOING - - - Arrange your papers with your name and grade on the first line; - place the date and your room or teacher's name on the second line; - leave the third line blank, and, beginning with the fourth line, - number the lines from 1 to 6. This exercise is to help you read - quietly and accurately. See that you understand all the directions - in each problem before you attempt to carry them out. On the other - hand, work as quickly as you can. - -1. If Christopher Columbus lived before George Washington, make a -cross on the first line, but if George Washington lived before -Columbus, write the word _old_ there. - -2. An egg which is not fresh will float in salt water. Out of a dozen -eggs seven floated and five sank. - -Were there more fresh eggs or more stale eggs in the dozen? Write your -answer on the second line. - - 3. "And what is so rare as a day in June? - Then if ever come perfect days." - -This is a quotation from a poem by James Russell Lowell. If you think -from these lines that the poet prefers June weather to October -weather, write the word _summer_ on the third line. If you think he -prefers October weather, write the word _autumn_ there. - -4. At an army camp in Georgia the flag on the flag-staff at -headquarters was blowing toward Washington, D. C. - -From what general direction was the wind? Write your answer on the -fourth line. - -5. All the education of the middle ages was to be found in the -monasteries. - -From this fact which would you expect to find the better educated, -churchmen or soldiers? - -6. If pink is lighter than red, and red is lighter than purple, which -of these colors is darker than red? - - - - -A TRIP TO THE MOON - - - You should all begin reading at the same time. - - This is a selection that you can read easily. You will have to pay - close attention, however, because you will be asked questions about - the interesting facts told here. - - Your teacher will decide when to have you close your books. Then she - will have a contest between the boys and girls or between sections - of the class to see which group can answer the questions better. - -When we were very young we had a nursery rhyme which told of an old -witch who rode away upon a broomstick to sweep the cobwebs from the -sky. Of course we understood that it was just a nonsense rhyme. But -nowadays when people can really fly up in the air, not on broomsticks -but on aeroplanes, it does not seem so nonsensical. - -Suppose we agree to take a trip, in our imagination, right away up -into the sky till we reach the moon! Of course, we can never hope -really to fly to the moon. One reason is that the air goes up only a -comparatively short distance. But you can do wonderful things in your -imagination! We shall suppose we have a machine that does not require -air in which to fly, and that we can live very comfortably in an -enclosed cabin attached to this wonderful flying machine. - -At what speed are we going to make our machine fly? Some aeroplanes have -traveled more than one hundred miles in an hour, but that speed will be -far too slow for us because we have such great distances to go. - -Flying at one hundred miles per hour, we should not reach the moon for -three months. And the moon is our nearest neighbor in space. The sun -is four hundred times as far away as the moon, so it would take us a -hundred years to reach the sun. And even this far-distant sun seems a -near neighbor when we think of the distance from us to the fixed -stars. To reach the nearest of the stars it would take us millions of -years. I am not going to ask you to imagine yourself living for -millions of years, shut up in the cabin of our flying machine. It is -quite evident that we must increase the speed of our machine. Suppose -we make it go as fast as a ray of light can travel! How fast is that? - -The speed of light is so great than any race we set for it on this -earth seems no time at all. You know that it takes us several months -to travel round this world in a steamer. Of course we could go far -faster in a flying machine. But even if we could keep flying all the -time at one hundred miles per hour, it would take us ten days. - -Suppose now that it were possible to send a ray of light on this same -journey around the world. It would have traveled right round before -you could count "one". Indeed it could travel five hundred times round -the world in one minute. That may help to give you some vague sort of -idea of the speed at which our flying machine is to travel. - -Even at this unthinkable speed, it would take us about four years to -reach the nearest star. Does it really take light several years to -travel from a star to us? It does; it takes light hundreds of years to -reach us from some of the distant stars. If one of these far-distant -stars should disappear suddenly, you and I would know nothing about -the change. When we looked up into the sky we should still see the -star shining away year after year. Our children and our grandchildren -would still believe the star to be where it had been always, for the -last rays of light, sent out by the star before it disappeared, would -take hundreds of years to reach this world. There is no hope of our -ever reaching these very distant stars in our imaginary flying -machine; it would be too big a tax on our imagination to live in the -cabin of our machine for hundreds of years. - -For the present we shall be content with a trip to the moon. But one -boy says that he cannot imagine our flying machine forcing its way -through the air at the enormous speed at which light travels. Even -when traveling by motor car, at the comparative snail-pace of, say, -forty miles per hour, we have to see that hats and veils are well -fastened on. This boy says that he has been told that a good deal of -the additional energy required to drive a train at sixty miles an hour -is used up in forcing the train through the ocean of air. - -We quite agree with this boy that it would be very difficult to imagine -our machine traveling through the air at the speed of light. We shall -get over this difficulty by making our machine not exceed one hundred -miles per hour so long as we are in the ocean of air. When we get beyond -this great blanket of air, we can increase our speed to that of light. - -I am very glad that we have come to this arrangement, for I had just -been thinking that our journey to the moon would be a very disappointing -one, as it would have taken only about one second to get there. Now our -journey will be much slower and we shall have time to look about us. - -When we emerge from the misty clouds we cannot see the instruments for -the moisture on the window. By the time it clears we are about two -miles upwards off the earth. We find that the temperature has fallen -down below freezing-point. We are rather surprised, as it looks lovely -and warm in the sunshine. The moment we shoot above the clouds we are -in the sunshine, with the sea of clouds below us. Our thermometer is -placed in the shade, so that the direct rays of the sun cannot reach -it, as we wish to know the temperature of the surrounding air. - -The reason why it is colder here than down on the surface of the earth -is that we have climbed out of the thickest part of the great blanket of -air which serves to keep you warm. The air is what you might describe as -much thicker near the earth, but, to speak more correctly, we should say -that the air is much denser at the surface of the earth. Up here it is -much flimsier. One girl says that she climbed a high mountain with her -father, on a beautiful summer day, and it was so cold on the top of the -mountain they could not stay there many minutes. - -We keep rushing upwards and in half an hour we know that we must be -about fifty miles from the earth, as we have been traveling at the -rate of one hundred miles per hour. The air at this height is so rare -that we could not possibly live in it. It is a good thing that we are -in an enclosed cabin, and have plenty of fresh air in liquid form, -which gives off ordinary air just at the rate we require it. - -We know that in about an hour and a half we should be clear of the -atmosphere altogether, and that we may travel thereafter at the speed -of light, which means about eleven million miles per minute. - -One little girl says she is feeling very sleepy, and as she was too -excited to sleep much last night, I advise her to lie down and have a -sleep now; we shall waken her when we arrive at the moon. - -Imagine then that we have arrived at the moon. It looks like our own -world, "the earth," only there is nothing growing on it; it seems to -be all bare rocks. But the mountains look very high; some of them are -really higher than the highest mountains on the earth. - -Most of the children in our cabin say that they thought the moon was -quite smooth, and had a sort of polished surface. When they were told -that the moon did not send out light, but merely reflected the light -of the sun, they pictured some sort of mirror-like surface. - -We are startled by a sudden cry of surprise behind us; the little girl -who was sleeping has wakened up, and looking out of the window behind -us, she calls: "Oh! look how huge the moon has grown! It is far, far -bigger than the sun!" - -Looking out at her window, we see what does look like a giant moon. -But our little friend is very much surprised when I tell her that that -is old Mother Earth, and that the rocky mountains close to us are part -of the moon. But how can the earth shine like the moon? In exactly the -same way as the moon shines; both merely reflect the light sent out by -the sun. - -We can scarcely believe that this "huge half-moon", standing out so -clearly against a jet-black sky, is really the earth which we left a -few hours ago in broad daylight. But the people on the part of it -which we speak of as shining like the moon are still in broad -daylight. Those people living on the half of the great globe which -appears dark to us are in darkness except for the light which is -reaching them from this moon up here where we are at present. - -One boy says that some of the astronomers on the earth may be looking -at us through their telescopes, and he starts making Boy Scout signals -with his arms. He is disappointed when I tell him that the very best -telescope on earth would not enable the astronomers to see our flying -machine even as a speck on the face of the moon. If our machine had -been as big as one of our largest buildings, it could then have been -seen as a tiny dot. - -But we cannot help staring at that great ball on which we live, and -which we left so recently. This distant view gives us a good idea of -how much bigger the earth is than the moon. Of course if you look down -at the moon at present you can get no idea of its size; you can see -only a small part of it, just as you could see only a small part of -the earth until you made this imaginary voyage skywards. But you can -remember what the moon looked like when you saw it from the earth. - -Looking back now at the far-distant earth, you would say that it was -much more than four times the size of the moon. When we are comparing -the sizes of the earth and the moon, and the other heavenly bodies, it -is usual to speak of their diameters. The word _diameter_ is made out -of two Greek words which mean _a measure through_. The diameter of the -moon or of the earth is just the distance right through the center -from one side to the other. We say that the diameter of the earth is -four times as great as the diameter of the moon, but the earth could -contain sixty-four moons. - -Suppose we take a quiet cruise about the moon in our imaginary flying -machine. One boy remarks that he is glad it is a fine day, for, although -we cannot leave the cabin of our flying machine, we can see much better -on a fine day. Another boy says he guesses that if we were to stay here -for a hundred years it would be fine every day. He is quite right. There -are no clouds around the moon, and so there cannot be any rain. - -When we looked at the moon from the earth, the moon's surface seemed to -be beautifully smooth, but now that we have traveled to it in our flying -machine we find it to be anything but smooth. It seems to be covered -entirely with high mountains, and great rings of mountains. One boy says -that those large basins formed by the rings of mountains remind him of -some mountains that he saw on the earth, and that he was told the -mountains had formed the crater of a great volcano in the long ago. - -But what is a volcano? Although a volcano is described often as a -burning mountain, it is not really burning, but it has a large chimney -in the center of it reaching far down into the earth. Great quantities -of molten rock-material are hurled up this chimney while the volcano -is active. There are a few active volcanoes on the earth today, but -there are traces of very many more that have long ceased to be active. - -One boy hopes that we may find an active volcano as we cruise around -the moon, but he will be disappointed. The moon is no longer a hot -body like the earth, and the earth used to be very much hotter than at -present, when there were a great many volcanoes at work. - -Looking at the moon, we can see that it must have been very hot at one -time also; it seems so covered with volcanic mountains that one ring -sometimes overlaps another. - -But what is this huge dark-colored part of the moon? One boy guesses -that it is a sea or a lake, and when I tell him that there is no water -on the moon he is very much surprised. He says that there must have -been water at one time, for he has seen a map of the moon, and it -contained a lot of Latin names which his tutor told him meant the Sea -of Rains, the Sea of Tranquillity, the Lake of Dreams, and so on. - -No doubt the map which the boy saw was quite a correct map of the moon, -for we speak of those dark patches as seas and lakes, although we know -now that no water exists, and probably never existed, on the moon. - -It is those great dark patches on the moon which seem to form the -man's face; this dark patch which we are coming to is the one which -forms his right eye. It is called the Sea of Rains. - -How bright the mountains look in the sunshine, and how black their -shadows are. That is because there is no air. Notice how very clearly -you can see the far-distant mountain ranges. You can scarcely believe -me when I tell you that the mountains on either side of that great -crater are more than one hundred miles apart. But do you not remember -how the mountains on the earth have appeared to us sometimes to be -very much nearer than usual? If you asked the reason for this, you -were told that it was because the atmosphere happened to be -particularly clear. Well! here on the moon we have no air at all and -that is why we can see everything so very clearly. - -One little girl says that she had been wondering why there is nothing -growing on the moon, but now she sees that not even grass, nor moss, nor -heather could grow, since there is no air and no water. Not only are the -mountains bare rock, but the whole surface of the land is the same. - - --_From "The Stars and Their Mysteries", - by Charles R. Gibson, F.R.S.E._ - - -QUESTIONS - - 1. Why can no aeroplane ever fly to the moon? - - 2. How long would it take an aeroplane flying 100 miles an hour to - reach the moon? - - 3. How much farther away is the sun than the moon? - - 4. Give some idea how far away the fixed stars are. - - 5. Why is it colder as we rise up in the air? - - 6. What does the surface of the moon look like? - - 7. How would the earth look to a person on the moon? - - 8. How much larger is the earth than the moon? - - 9. What is the weather on the moon? - - 10. What is a volcano? - - 11. Why could you see a long distance on the moon? - - 12. Why does nothing grow on the moon? - - - * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - - -Page x: There is a split hyphenated word in the table. It was done -to shorten the width of the table. - -Page 25: Added starting quote mark. (... the Swallow, "and the ...) - -Page 28: Added starting quote mark. (...the Mayor. "We must ...) - -Page 47: Added the word "to", looks like it was omitted by the -printer. (... to walk to town; will ...) - -Non-Latin characters were changed to their nearest Latin equivalent. - -Corrected obvious spelling and punctuation errors throughout. - -The "parfleches" is mispelled "parfleshes" throughout the text. The -text as has been left unchanged. - -There are several words that appear both as a hypenated word and an -un-hyphenated word in the text, such as "hill-side" and "hillside". -The text as has been left unchanged. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Silent Readers, by -William D. Lewis and Albert Lindsay Rowland and Ethel J. Maltby Gehres - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SILENT READERS *** - -***** This file should be named 40369.txt or 40369.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/3/6/40369/ - -Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Douglas L. 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