Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, April 30, 1914, Page 9

THE WIDE AWAKE CIRCLE BOYS' AND GIRLS' DEPARTMENT Rules for Young Writers. 1 Wriie slainly on one side of tne paper cnly, and number the pages. 3. Use pen and ink, not pencil 8. Sbhort and pointed articles wili be given preference. Do not use oves 250 words. 9 4 Original stories or letters only will be used. 8. Write your name, age and ad- wi.ss plainly ot the bottom of ths story. = Address all communications o Un- cle Jed, Bulletin Office. petals of which are tinged with purpie which grows two feet high. The viola tricolor, popula-'y known as heartsease, was the parent of all tne beautiful pansies which you will soon see decorating private and public grounds. There is a very pretty water violet which grows in Europe :that is pmk ard has a vellow eve. There are only a few fragrant vio- lets, and the most popular have a very strong tea scent. ‘When we gather viole:s this year we shall not forget the children in many countries are finding Jelight in the same way. “Whatever you are—Be thatl Whatever you say—Be truel Straighiforwardly act, Be honest—in fact, Be nobody else but you.” POETRY. LETTERS OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Marion Royce of Norwich: Thank you very much for the nice book you sent me. I have read it through and find it very interesting. Lillian_Brehaut of East Norwich, N. Y.: I must thank you for the prize imok you sent me, 1 have raad sume of it and I think it is very interveting. I would have written before, bLut 1 did not receive my book il tonieht, as it was missent to Norwich, N. Annie Farrell, of Stonington—Re- | ceived the prize book you sent me en- titled “Brother Grimm’s Fairy Tales”. Have read it nearly through and found it very interesting. It has en- couraged me and I will try again later for another as I like to read and have read many books. Aleena G. ‘Anthony of Swansea, Mass.: 1 thank you very much for the prize book you sent me. 1 like it very much. I have read it through. I am glad my letter was good enough to win a prize. Mother's Aimanac. I teli you when it comes to dates, My Mother’s just “the boss!” She tells me all I want to kncw "Thout ever gettin’ cross. You'd think she'd get mixed up some- times— At school I know I do— Bout Washingtcn, and Plymouth Rock, And 14 But Mother say: “The with Spain Was fought in '98— ° The year vou all bad chickenpox, Exceptin’ little Kate. war That year, the Spanish. ships Were sunk in Cuba's channels; 'Twas summer, for I'd put away You children’s winter flannels. of course, “The Boer war in Africa— That was a dreadful thing! Began in '99, I know, Jack broke his arm that spring. WINNERS OF PRIZE BOOKS. 1—John O'Neil of Norvich, Young Engineers i Colorado. 2—Marie Agnes Shea of Norwich, | The Meadow-Brook Girls Under Can- | vas. 3—Janice M. Grant of Mt. Hope, Che Meadow-Brook Girls Afluat, 4—Lillian Pollock of rleyville, The Young Engincers in Nev:da. mumps, 58 ¢ > But there's no date that ever stumps| 5—Josephine Burke of Versailles, The My Mother, night or day' Automobile Girls at Washin3ton. —s The “'T'was nineteen-four, and winter, too, When Japs and Russians foueht. You almost had pneumonia then From that bad cold you caught.” e % There's six of us, and we're mixed up With hist'ry just that way. ometimes it'’s measies, croup or 6—Rebecca Wax cf Norwich, Meadow-Brook Girls Across Toe ountry. UNCLE JED'S TALK TC WIDE- 7—Miriara Griswold of . Norwich AWAKES. ! Town, Dotty Dimple's Flyaway. 8—Ethel Aberg of Taftville, The here is an old saving, “April show- ers bring forth May flowers” and S0 | 3 _.Vera Gzger Briggs of Saybraok, we have no doubt that we shall be| The Young ineers in Color.do. gathering the pretty bouquets of vio-; Winners of books living in the city lets and the Houstonia which dot the | M2y call at The Dulletin business of- fields; and we should be gathering dan- | m. on Thursday. delions, too, Were they not so common. | ‘The danlelion lends a shimmecr of gold | to the lawns and the pastures which we should sadly miss if they were not | in their places by day as the ttars are | in theirs at night. In southern Rus- sia they have a blue dandelion which we should be blad to culivat. in our | cardens as a curiosity if we could get Young Engineers in Mexica. WRITTEN BY WIDE AWAKES. An Old Man’s Story. It was a cold right. The farmer's children were sitting around a nice fire. They were joking and ciattering. All at once a tapping was heard out- side. The farmer opened the .oor and STORIES 5 ‘he | 52w an aged man clothed in .ags who Ii, and instead of blooming in the |, o0g for shelter, The farmor let him ing it blooms”in the fall. in and gave him something to eat. Do you know the mulleln whick | When his hunger had been satisfied. {and he had rested himself a iittle. he told his story while the children gaih- ered around and ;istenel in silence. “At first I lived with my parents In green and soft nappy leaves. Massachusetts” he bsgan. “Iwent to When we are out gathering the baif ; SChool there until I was 15; then weni dozen varieties of violets to be found | workan ths hons Gor in a shop. 1 £rows o common in our pasiures is gry>wn ‘n FEuropean gardens as the et plant because of its peculiar worked there about 15 vears. Wnen in the pastures cf eastern Connecticut | the shop shut down I had .» go out we do not realize that there are 30!"‘(0 the “'OFdld- Sc]‘m*iil;fl? I dhmlfl'l 3 S en e & | any worlk, and soon I got into s2d c)m- kinds of violets in this country, and | SA¥ WOUG SAC RoBR ¢ £0° jato hed o me in the whole world 100 varieties, and !, have been traveling and crinking they grow in all countries and in all | ever sirce. seasons of the year. They are of ev-| “Now I have vowed not to ‘arink shade of blue and yeidow and | 3Ny more, for it has been th> caus: of these white hairs, and of all the un- happiness I have ever known. 1 don't know where to stay—I dor't know white, with various marks upon them. Canada has a pretty white violet the How the Pussy Willows Grew One night the fairy queen had all her fairies gathered around her. She was telling them how thankful they should be that they were happy and | that they had such a beautiful world to live in. Queen spoke. “I will not promise - you anything,” she said_ “but meet me tomorrow night down by the river when the p!ock strikes the last stroke of 12, and if the moon Is shining I may have something for you.” ‘And that is the reason for your | “Oh! you dear, good Queen,” cried happiness,” she explairied. “You do|&all the fairies at once, “it will be good and bring happiness to others | Something nice, we know.” and are always busy. It vou did not | “Perhaps” answered the Queen, work and had nothing to do but look | smiling. scamper away every- around for amusement you.would soon one of you, and do your work with become restless and dissatisfied and smiling faces.” long for things that others have. The next night the moon was shin- “But, of course, fairies never long [Ing and the Queen could be seen (that for things that mortals have, so all | s, if one had fairy eyes) flitting along this talk is quite needless.” When the queen finished speaking she saw one little fairy looked very grave and did not smile and dance about with the others. This fairy was calied Dewdrop, be- cause it was her duty every morning the banks of the river back and forth, back ani forth. Flying in there and out here, and as busy as two little fairies could have been on their busiest night. “There,” she exclaimed, after a % : while. “I think there will be enough just before sunrise to gather drops !for all to have one.” Then she from the river and put them on all the | stepped into her chariot and waited. flowers, and she was usually the gay- | The last tone of the last stroke of est of the fairies; so the queen called | the midnight was dylng away when to her and asked, “What makes you | the fairies appeared by the river and w sad, my Dewdrop? Is there not ed about for their Queen. plenty of water in the riverbeds for is,” said one, catching your beautiful flowers?” sight of the shining chariot under a “Oh, yes, my queen,” answered Dew- | bush, drop, “there is plenty of water for my “What is it you have for us?’ they flowers. but I .am unhappy because |all asked, running to the Queen. The of something I want and I know I)Queen led them nearer the bank of cannot have.” Te river, oW 1 e the river, and showed them slender it,” said the wise brown bushes vith tiny y queen. “Perhaps I can help you” and | 5ot anq stick looking, | 5 =0 ‘ufts she drew Dewdrop close to her side “But what are they?” asked th and listened to her story. peirion % 5 “One morning when the south wind | “Stroks " and gray cloud brought rain to my Ques;,',? S.rm and peen eeld the beautiful flowers,” Dewdrop began, “T ‘never bafore had her fairies wai:ted .anything a mortal possessed, but_she did not have any work to do, so I sat under a big leaf and watched the rain falling. “I was in a garden and a house gtood near. By and by a little girl came out and called ‘kitty, kitty,’ and the dearest little kitten came running | up the path meowing and swinging its tail. The little girl rolled a spool across the porch and the kitten chased it . Then it jumped through her clasp- ed hands and chased Its tail, end then it ran up the little giri’s dress to her #houlder and set there with its head nestled in her neck.” “But why should this make you so #ad. my Dewdrop,’ said the Queen. “Tell her, Dewdrop.’ sald one of the other fairies, for all of them had gath- ’Q;:d around’ while Dewdrop was - talk- “Yes; other. “You see, dear Queen” we all want 8 kitten to play with,' said Deydrop, *“and every ume one of us sees a little girl with a kitten we are unhappy.” The Queen looked very grave, for tell the Queen’ sald an- @14 not scold. After waiting few minutes the Bach little fairy touched a soft, gray tuft with her tiny finger, ‘“Me-ow, me- ow,” came softly from each tiny gray tuft, and then the grey tuft stretched out and a tiny head appeared, and a tail and four little paws could be scen. “Oh! oh! the darlings,” cried all (he fairies, “they are our kittens, our dear little pussy cats we had wished for so long.” Each little gray pussy cat sat up and looked at her mistress, and then one fairy rolled a grain of sand (of course they looked very large to a fairy kit- ten), and all the little gray pussies scampered down from the bushes and did all the tricks for the fairies that mortal kittens do for thelr little mis- trasses. When the first streak of light shews ed in the sky ali the gray pussies scrambled back te the bushes, curled up end went to sleep, and there tney sleep every night un-il the last tene ef the last stroke of the midnight hour dies away, and then if you can see with fairy eves vou wi'l see each little gray mite streteh out and sit up and me-ow for her Mttle fairy mistress to come and play with her. We call them pussy willow bushes, but the fairfes call them their little gray kittens—Brooklyn Eagle. ‘Whether my pérents are still living or not, or my brother and siste- I can just remember them,” and as the old man said this he burst .nto tecrs. The farmer, with great pity for his age, said: “You may stay here for the winter, and I will help you to find out if your people are living. Thay would ver- tainly welcome you back afier all these years.” “You are so kind,” moaned the old man. “Perhaps some day I ca2n repay. you for your kindness to a poor wan- derer.” The children wonderingly and quiet- ly drew closer and the old man was happy once morc in this peaceful household. MARY A. BURRILL, Age 11 Stafford Springs. The Secret of the Rose. Fuil in the sunlight in the midst of a garden of giotous bloom there zrew a wonderful rose. Her petals were deli cately soft and pink, ilke a baby's cheek, and her fragrance as rare as the odor of the summer winds of Araby. She held her head proudly erect, that she might never miss a ray of the suns’ wholesome light. The old man who cared for the gar- den came each day to the place of the rose. He tended her, touching her as one who lays his hand upon the head of the best loved child. Often he would lay aside his sickle, stroke his silvery beard and speak to the won- derful rose. “How beautiful you are! When I look down into your heart the years seem to pass away. There is no such thing as time, and the world is full of havpiness. While you are near nu man may be old. The other flowers in the garden were mad at the rose. So one day the other flowers said: “When we are dead she will get sad and_wither away.” When the gthers had gone the Tose held her head proudly. The next day the sun saw this great flower. “Why,” said the sun, “she rivals my treat me as a comrade rather god. I shall teach her a lesson. For seweral days the sun failed to shine on the rose, but the result was the rose was more beautiful (han be- fore. The sun, ashamed, gave up his fight and made the rose his faithful aily. The old man one day failed to make his morning visit. The third day a woman came to the garden 2nd said: “Poor thing! He will never see his favorite flower again.” The rose, hearing this, drooped her head and died. JOHN O'NEIL, Age 13. Norwich. An Easter Party. Last Sunday our Sunday school teacher gave the girls in our class an invitation to a little party at her house on Monday night. My sister and I called for our friends and we all walked down together. When we got to the house 1t was half past seven. We sat in the parior till we were rest- ed, then we had to hunt for nests The teacher had hidden some Baster eggs away, wrapped in Easter paper nap- kins. There were enough nests for each person. After we had found the nests we had to hunt for some little china rab- bits. When we had found these we sat in the parlor and had some root beer and cake. Some of the girls play- ed the piano while others sang. We went home gbout 9 o'clock after hav- ing a pleasant time. LILLIAN BREHAUT, Age 18. East Norwich, L. L, N. Y. The Easter Lily. I am a nice big lily. 1 am growing in my master'’s hothouse. and every morning about 6 o'clock my master ‘waters me. One morning as I was talking to my sister my master came in with a little girl and her mother. 1 heard the mother say she wanted a nice big lily for her little girl, because she was go- ing to have a birthday party. So my master looked over all my sisters and brothers and at last came to me and cut me off on a big stem. | Then he wrapped we up in a nice | plece of paper and handed me to the lady, and she brought me home and put me on a table where I saw candy, nuts, cake and fruit, and also many other things. Then just about 7 o‘clock in came a Iot of children, all dressed in white, for the party. They sat down all around the table and ate as much as they could, then they got up and thanked the Httle girl for the good time they had. Then her mother put me in another room where I could not see the chil- dren any more. A few days after the party I got withered a little and the lady threw me in the ash can, where I dfed. MARIE AGNES SHEA, Age 10. Norwich. My Easter Vacation. 1 had three days' vacation for East- er, from Thursday till Tuesday, school closing Wednesday. Thursday I went for a w: day morning I went for an a ride to Glen Cove, and the stores there were decorated for Easter. We also came home in an automobile. Saturday I visited my friends and went walking with them. On cur way home we saw a gray squirrel sear our house. I think he Is living in a tree near the barn. We also saw a little brown rabbit which ran under the | barn. Sunday I went to Sunday school and church in the morning. On Monday I went to Hicksville in beauty and brilllance and deigns to | | trying to find a way wrapped 1 ket, which he had e for himself. Soon there was no cdterpillar to be seen, nothing but this curious silken cradle. “Oh!" cried the children, “a butter- fly! A butterfly! - Did you ever see anything so beautiful?” ~ . I wonder if they knew. that the baby caterpillar had changed into a beautiful ’butterfly in his winter cradle, RERBECCA WAKX, Age 12, Norwich, Birds | Know Best. One of the pleasures which 1 enjoy every month of the year is watching the birds and learning their ways, The biry I have known ever since I was a tle girl are the robin and the Dluebird. They both come early in the spring and sing melodies which 1l the air with music unsurpasseds ‘Cheerily-cheerup, cheerily-cheerup,” and, “purity, purity, puri-tee,” greet the rising and the setting sun.” Nearly every year two robins build their nest either on the lattice work of our veranda or in a tree nearby. One year after the eggs had hatch- ed in one of these nests, both robins stood on the edge of the nest, one on east side, and looking down on their newly hatched family seemed to whis- per to each other: “Have we not the nicest babies in town 2 These little birds grew up and one ! by one fiew off to make nests of their | own_ | Although many bluebirds live around their nests. I have read that they ‘| nest in boxes and barns or in a wood- pecker’s abandoned hole—especially in | orchards. The nest is lined with grasses to receive four or five pale bluish eges, | Both the robin and the bluebird are insectivorous birds. Insects form two- thirds of the robin's food and seven- 18 < per cent. of the bluebird's. | ~Both of these birds remain jate in | the autumn, and a few of the blue- birds all winter. When spring comes 1 again evervone is eager to be the first to see them, because they are the her- alds of spring. . Another bird which arrives early in the spring is the phoebe. When any. one mentions this bird I always think of him as sitting on a branch, joyfully telling his name. These birds, Hke the robin: build around our house. -In one of our sheds they built their nest of mud and grass lined with feathers, and for several years In succession they ralsed their family. there. In April or May three to six white eggs are laid. Phoebes nearly always catch their usually per cent. of their food consists of in- sects and spiders, and the rest, wild fruit. There is hardly a more useful receive every encouragement, The meadowlark is a feathered friend to us all the year round. a warm winter day his “Winter's hére, spring is near.” can be easily heard. One day this spring when it was raining, a meadowlark was sitting up in the top of a tree, singing as though the sun was shining brightly. A few days ago when I was hang- ing pails on a tree to catch some sap a meadowlark was calling out to me, “I_see you! I see you!" I didn’t get much sap, and so may- be after I had gone he came and help- ed himself. This little bird lays three to five white eggs in a “tussock” of grass in the meadow. The meadowlark's food consists of seventy-three per cent. an- imal food (insects) and twenty-seven per cent. grains, weeds and _other {‘hard seeds, so thfs bird is not only pretty, but useful. Although there are many other birds I know well, these four I know best. JANICE M. GRANT, Age 13. Mt. Hope. How Jane Earned Her Way Through College. Jane was an intelligent girl of four- teen, who had just finished public school. She was very poor and was by which she conld enter high school. She heard that a certain woman bought cater- piliars, moths and Indian relics for a museum. So Jane thought that she would make a collection of these, sell them to her and earn her way through high school, . Finally she collected insects and plete her two collections, which would bring, her enough money to carry her through high school, year and after that go to college. She secured a position as teacher for natural history and succeeded in this and then wenat to college, where through her brilliancy she secured a free . scholarship, which took her through her entire cours IDA WECHSLER. Norwich. A Lesson for Life. One rainy day two boys were plas- ing hide-and-seek. Their names were Harry and Fred. Once Harry hid in a big box. For a long time Fred could not find him. He was about to give up the search when he heard some- one moving in the box. He ran toward it and turnea the key. Just then his mother called him. He went on an errand. When he got back his mother asked him where Harry was. - He laughed and said that he had locked his brother in the box. His mother told him to let the lit- an automobile to do sime shopping. and on my way home I went through | Woodbury. In the evening I went to| an Easter party en by my Sunday | school teacher. The girls from our ! Sunday school class wore there aiso. We had to search for nests of Easter | eggs, rabblts and cakes. When we had | found these we were given some root | beer, and then we sat down and had our party. After a while one of the girls played the piano and we stayed ull about 9 o'clock, and tihen went home. JESSIE BREHAUT. Bast Norwic The First Sewing Machine. The first sewing machine was in- vented by Hlias Howe, Jr. This idea was suggested by him, in his twen- tieth year, after working in a ma- chine shop. In 1845 he secured a small capital from an old friend, and, shutting him- self up in a garret, he worked hard trying to invent a sewing machine. ‘After six months of incessant labor, he invented a machine by which he made himself a suit of clothes. A little later he went to Europe. He sold but two machines there. This made him very discouraged. At times he had to beg for his next meal. Arriving home two vears later he found the sewing machine an object of attentlon. In time, Mr. Howe, who once was a poor man, became one of the noted millionaires of America. This first sewing machine, which fs of great baauty, is still in existence. It can sew sbouf ten times as fast as a woman ean sew by hand. JOSEPHINE BURKE, Age 12. The Wonderful Cradle, Last summer there lived a Ilittle eaterpillar in my grapevine. He fed upen the green leaves and ate se many that I wondered if thers would be any eft, One day, after a very large dinner, the ecaterpillar began to spin. T saw 2 streng silk thread that seemed to come frem his meuth, as it was fas- tened to the grapevine, Ther a strange thing happ moved his head to and fre an tle fellow out and went he did it. When he got move, His mother ed” to see that there Harry did not b, for what have you the doctor, Run quick. hen she laid Harry on the sofa. oon Fred came back with the doe- tor. | The doctor said if he had not been | taken out.very soon he would have | died. After a while Harry was able to sit up. How glad Fred was then. He had not meant to hurt his brother. As for himself, he had learned a lesson for life. MILDRED GRANDY, Age S. Yantic, LETTERS TO UNCLE JED. She Saw a Raccoon, Dear Uncle Jed: I have two rabbits that one of my schoolmates gave me |last fall. One is white all over ex- | cept the tip of his nose, which is white. The other one is gray and white. I call the biack one Creamy | because he looks s if he had his nose jin_cream. I take them out sometimes to play with them. They are very gentle. 1 go to West Town Street school We have a team which carrles us down to school and brings us back. It makes a very pleasant ride in warm weather, but in eold weather I do not enjoy it So much. The other night when I got hoze I happened to be looking out of the win- dow when I saw something I thought was n large cat. It was in the gar- den under the wall. It seemed to be making itself a bed. T went out to get a better view of it. When it saw me it ran scross the garden and jumped over the wall inte another field. I then went into the house und got an animal book and found that it was a raccoon, A Quessing Game—Flowers. Dear Unele Jed: I'theught the Wide- Awakes would enjoy playing thi: of “Guessing Wlowers." I. would be jour house, I have never seen_ one of ! food while on_the wing: .\\nely-lhrce! | species than the phoebe and it shouldi there was only one missing to com- | Then she decided to teach for one | | | On | j, my friend. She also has a pretty doll. She dresses her doll in pink al- so. Her doll looks very pretty. My | friend’s doll has dark brown hair. ‘First you take a -on one side of the yard, then take a chair and put it in front of the bénch. Then someone will be the one to ask. | The one who asks might cut this story ‘out of ‘the paper, so they will have the names of the flowers and their meanings to ask from. The person who asks must say: % "tWhM kind of a flower do' you like est? Then another person must call the name of a flowsr. . The one who asks must tell them the meaning. }-‘fere are the flowers’ ir meanings: L _ Camelja, White—Loveliness. Carnation, White—Disdain. China Aster—Variety. Cloyer, Four Leaf—Be mine." Clover, White—Think of me. Clover, Red—Industry, % Columbine—Folly, Daisy—Innecence. Daisy, Colored—Beauty, Fern-—Fascination. Forget-Mec-Not—Forget me not. Golden Rod—Be cautious. Lily, White—Sweetness. Lily, Water—Elegance. Myrtle—Love. Pasy—Thoughts, ETHEL ABERG, Age 10. Taftville. The Work in Lillian’s School. Dear Uncle Jed: I thought I would write and tell you about our work in school. I go to school in Gurley- ville. We have twenty scholars, eight girls and twelve boys. My teacher's name is Miss Bliss. We are taking lessons in language about George Washington, Lincoln and Henry Longfellow. We then put their pictures on our language papers. The pictures show Washington crossing the Delaware, Lincoln’s youth and Henry W_ Longfellow, We are taking lessons in agricul- ture under Mr. Brundage, the super- visor of agriculture. The boys have a corn club and the girls had flower beds and canned tomatoes last sum- mer, For next vear the girls are going to take up sewing instead of agriculture. I like sewing better than agriculture. The hoys had a show Saturday, Feb- ruary 21st. They had a fine time. names and They were also given prizes for the best ten ears of corn. I hope all the boy hice and girls have times in school trying to win " LILLIAN POLLACK, Age 13. Gurleyville, My Pretty Doll. Dear Uncle Jed: T have a_preity doll. Her name is Louise. My doll has yellow hair ang it looks like gold. She has pletty blue eyes and I like her very much. I play with my doll and go out and take a walk with her. My doll looks like a real baby. She so big. One day I made my doll dress. I made it pink and ome lace on it. She looks very I wish she was a real baby.| ¥ doll's body is made of paper- wax and her arms and face are made | of pretty pink glass. I took my doll out for a walk with She has no yellow hair like mine. I feel very sorry for the poor chi dren who have ne dolis to play with; and I wish that I could go and see the poor children. I would give them some pretty dolls,. I'm sure they would be very glad to have them. BERTHA LAMBERT, Age 10. Attawaugan. A Helpful Boy. Deéar_Uncle Jed: One morning = little boy was sitting on the doorstep and was planning how he could help his mother who was poor, and needed | money. All at once a bright thought came G him. His mother was great- lv surprised when he told her what he was thinking about His plan was to have a small stand at the fair which was to be held the next week. He thousht he could sell lemonade, candy and sandwiches. Most everybody in the village knew the boy and liked him very much. The boy was at the fair grounds very early. He looked very neat and every thing on his stand was neatly fixed. Soon he was surrounded with patrons who kept him very busy. Before night | everything was sold. The boy counted his money finding he had| nearly ten dollars. With a jovful heart he ran home to his mother. “Will this help you moth- eh?’ he cried, giving her the money. “Yes. very much,’ answered mamma, “But it helps me a great deal more to know that I have a boy who so willingly helps his mother.” Many times after that ways of helping his mother. to be a good useful man. BERTHA THOMA, Age 8. Taftville. he found He grew Lincoln’s Vi to the Hospital. Dear Uncle Jed: Once during the Civil war, a young soldier lay on a cot on the third floor of a hospital. He had been wounded and carried from the field in a wagon which had no spring and he felt miserable in- deed While he was in the hospital try- ing to get well, he heard that Presi- dent Lincoln would visit the hospi- tal. Many of the patients did not belleve that the president would come. “We sre only boys” they said. “and only private soldiers in his army.” He is a very busy man and has many things to bother him. The®young soidier belleved he would come. “Yes,” he said, “his big heart feels for us. He will come.” Later. the soldlers beard that Lincoln had named he would come. The day came and a thrill of joy passed through ' ‘the building when the boys heard that the president had arrived. He had come alone and was visiting the pa- tients on the first floor. The young soldier was afraid he should not see him after all. It will be too much fir him to reach every rart of the building, he thought, and he will have to give up. ,“But no” he said, he is not that kind of a man. I have been told that he never gives up. While he ‘was thinking about this he looked toward the door, and thére in the doorway stood the tall, noble figure whose likeness we all know so well. The president stood looking at him for a moment and then went to his bedside and took his hand. = y,” he said_ “I am sorry for all have suffered. Don’t worry. Get well and strong and then remem- ber we need you at the front. “With a few more comforting words, Mr. Lincoln passed on to the next pa- tient. The soldier is still living and has lived a long and useful life. I think he has never been happier than when the great War Presldent stood at his bedside at the hospital and spoke words of cheer and comfort to him. VERA GAGER BRIGGS, Age 11. Saybrook. Mr. a day whan Red Headed Woodpecker. Dear ncle Joi Did you ever see a red headed woodpecker”? I have seen one and think it is pretty. He was quite big. The head, throat, and neck is erimsen. The tail is blackish blue and it has bluish wings and A Po: d { The Kind. You Have For Infants and Children, Always Bought /THE CENTAUR COMPANY, NEW YORK. e | ] "At6 months o7 woodpecker lays from eight to fen eggs and they are bright, glossy wkite. They eat insects. It looks something like' a hairy woodpecker, only its tail tail is barred with black and white. MICHAEL MICHEALICHEN, Age 11 | Colchester. They Have to Help Mother. Dear Uncle Jed: I made a play- house in my piano box. We mads| mudpie and cake. We play we have dinner. My brother plays he is an Tndian. | We go out in the woods and he makes believe that he shoots at us. We have fun. We are out of school for a week. We have to help our mother som and play out doors, too ZILLAH MARRIOTT, Age 9. Oneco. A Day’s Outing | Dear Uncle Jed: I have taken quite an_interest in the Wide- Awakes. One day I was playing with the calves and I saw some of my friends going fishing after trout. 1 hurried up and dug some bait and started. When I got to the brook I fell in and got all wet. There was a team going by and the| man saw me all dripping wet and! began to laugh at me. Then in the afternoon I went after huckleberries with my mother, | brother, and little sister. About two o'clock my cousin came, and we went flshing and that was the last of mv day's outing. " ARCHIBALD DORE, Age 11. Eagleville. My Pet Cat. Dear Uncie Jed: I thought I would write and tell you about my pet cat whose name is Buster. We have had him for quite a long time and we| wonld all feel very bad if anything| happened to him. ! One time a man threatened to shoot him because he thought Buster would | eat his litile chickens, so we had to put him on a rope until the chickens; grew big. We had_some goldfish and he ate| them: and he knew he had done wrong for he would run and hide waen | any one of us would call him. We got some catnip in the fall and| we gave him some in the evenings and | how he would roll. He is a lovely cat. | JACK R. WARWICK, Age 9. | Norwich. | I A King Washes His Subject’s Feet. | Bavaria has a new king to some| purpose. Under Ludwig's rule, the| anclent symbolical ceremony of the| washing of feet by the Bavarian sov- | ereign, after a lapse of forty-three vears, has been revived. After hear- ing mass on Maundy Thursday in_All| Saints’ Court Church, Munich, King | Ludwig, accompanied by the royal princes, passed in solemn procession | to the Hall of Hercules, which is adorned with erormous /Gobelins rep- | Tesenting the Last Supper. Here he | was awaited by the queen, the princesses, the papal nuncio and. a| numerous gathering composed of | i was_foun CAPTAIN RUSH OF FLAGSHIP FLORIDA. ] Photo by American Press Association. The Florida is the flagship of Rear Admiral Frank F. Fletcher, command- ing the First division of the Atlantic Captain William R. Rush is in command. members of the court and diplomatic society, and in addition by twelve old men of the humbler classes, each with one foot bared. These patriarchs are know as the “Apostles,” whom, of course, they symbolize. With the as- sistance of attendants, the mon- arch poured twater out of a . goken ewer on each of the naked feet, which he then wiped dry with a napkin, and which were afterwards kissed by a priest. The ceremony was closed by the king passing once more along the line of veterans and hanging round the neck of each a purse in the Bavarian colors—blue and white containing a present of money. Science Note: Among the eggs that are not fresh is one that § 800 years old. It 1 the tomb of a recently | child in Egypt, whose name was Sex- tius Rufus, at Nikopolis. wmore than eightly explored in that Already tombs have been icinlty. Among the finds are gold jewelry and elegant lamps. When the latest Zeppelin _airship cruised over Berlin it made hardly any noise. In the past the airships of this type have been conspcuous‘ for the disturbance they created. baeck. On the wings are white bands. The bill is horn oolored. It cries like a tree-toad and comes it April. Tt bullds it's nest in & hole on the tep of a tree, or a pole. The Photo by American Press Association. Second éivision, Atlantic fleet. She is a New Hampshire Carries Twenty-four Big Guns. APTAIN EDWIN A. ANDEBSOH is fn commi of the New Hampshire, line battiesbip of 16.00¢ tons, 16,500 horsepower and has twin screwa