Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, April 29, 1915, Page 9

THE WIDE AWAKE CIRCLE BOYS AND GIRLS DEPARTMENT for Young Writers. plainly on one side ot the nly, and number the pag: pen and ink, not anciL 3. Short and polnted cles will 'be given preference. Do not use over 260 words. 4. Original stories or letters only will be used. §. Write yo.. name, age and ad- e, firess plainly at the bottom of the Address all communications to Uncle Jed, Bulletin Office. “Whatever you are—Be mu ‘Whatever you say—Be truel Straightforwardly act, - Be honest—in fact, Be nobody else but you™ MRS, GANDER’S SUMMER SCHOOL. Constance M. Lowe. Old Mrs. Gander kept a school As perfect as could be, nd all the little goslings came To this Academy. They learned the famous goose’s step Each morning at their drill, And -every copy that they wrote Was written with a quill. oung Bill was often in disgrace And on his form was stood, ‘With dunce’s cap upon his head, Because he wasn't good. d once, when told he might get down, He pulled some feathers out: “Tis thus,” he said, “that I get down,” And - ecattered it about. The other goslings cackled so ‘To see the fluffy down, That Mrs. Gander shook her head And scolded, with a frown. But lesson time was done at last, And soon the geese were seen All playing, as happy as could be, Upon the village green. INCLE JED'S TALK TO WIDE- AWAKES. Just now lots of boys and girls & “to go a greening” which means ) rove the fields and dig the dande- ons on warm and sunny slopes. The dandelion is a medical plant e the lettuce and endive and used b be grown in the herb-gardens of d countries hundreds of years ago, ind it is becaunse of its healing quali- fles that it was called taraxacum, but ho 6né can tell why it was called the fdan-de-1on, any more than they can tell why the little edible yellow prim- rose is called the cowslip. These com- mon names were given the plants so many hundred vears ago that they have lost their connectlon with their whyfores. How prettily the golden blossoms star the green grass on these bleak f8ays and because of this a poet wrote them: “To look at thee unlocks & rmer clime.” Perhiaps you have not noticed how delions suit themselves to condi- ftions. In the open Iot they make ro- plants and hold their flowers on long stems up to the sun: but on lawns where they are cut and ¢lipped by the lawn mower they do not seem to have any stem but just hug the ground to escape the revolving knife. No one knows how long ago it was that the dandelion discovered that its seeds must ‘all have a flying ma- chine, but ‘it s quite likely the wind was invited to carry the seeds to new fields and drop them in soft mold be- ore the birds knew how to fly. You know the. fluffy globe chil- fren hold and blow to pieces that it may tell them how old they be. The seeds not ripe enough to let go are eounted and these tell one's age. It is because of these fluffy globes which are swept away by the wind that thesc flowers are said to change to vanishing ghosts. And little girls take the long stems of the dandellons, split them, andwet them with their tongue when they roll nto curls, and they push them up un- Ger their hats and wear them in play. The reason the stem curls is because he inner sap tubes suck up the moisture which causes the stem to swell and lengthen on the inside, which causes it to curl on the out- side. It is the growing of one =side of a stem faster then the other which sauses all stems to twine and cling o supports. If you should see an endive plant, you would know it was first cousin o the dandelion; but you would never mistrust it was second cousin to the jettuce unless some one told you; and Ihie lettuce is first cousin to the milk. weed, the tender tops of which make meh fine greens. . In this country the dandelion fs sooked but in the 6ld countries it is saten as lettuce is, and is thought to be much better eaten raw. FHE WINNERS OF PRIZE BOOKS. 1—Ralph Wilcox, of Moosup—Tom Bwift and His Great Searchlight. 2—irene Vonasek, of West Willing- E’x‘hs Camp-Fire Girls Across the of Colchester—The of Long Island. &—May Danshy, of Norwich — Tom ¥orite ma Hin Subimarine Bost. 5—Clara All.lx of Versailles — The Motor Boat C in Florida, $—Michael J. Burns, of Fitchvilte— & Motor Boat Club of The Kenne- Motor Bont C\ug 1—_”.17 A. ut. Burrill, of Stafford Awitt and His Blectric r ‘8—Rose A. naz of Baltic—Thires Hflle ‘Wornen' e of books living in the m.‘lfl e Bulletin business of- anmm-fl.us o on Thumsday. JETTERS OF. ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ‘Hun O’Keltey, of Versailles—I re- m late in acknowledgl wvh;moh-ku:fu Htta Moarath, of EE D ville — sent me. 1 have read it and found it very intaresting. Bosrah muhhr!hpflum‘"m I have begun to read and like very much. Catherine Nelson, of Versailles—I thank you very much for the prize book you sent me, entitl “Tom Fair- fleld at Sea.” I have read it and find it very int ing. STORIES WRITTEN BY WIDE- AWAKES, How We Earn Money. My father said, “How will you and brother Will earn money for the bank.” This is*the way: Brother and I are going to join the club, each having one eighth of an acre, and plant corn, potatoes, cabbage, or some other crop that is useful. We must do all the work it needs ourselves. e crops must be watered and some we must hoe. Then when the crop is to be taken homs it out and put it in bags carry it home, and soon will be selling it. I have s hen sitting on fifteen eggs, and I have to put her out every morn- ing or night to get fresh air. .I give her clean water and corn every day and not very much. ‘When the baby chickens are hatch- ing I must get them from under the hen in_the morning or at night (be- cause I have to go to school in the day time). I must put them into a high box so they won't get out and at night cover them as much as they need. In two or three days, I must feed them. I will give them eggs, wet meal, and wet bread, very soft. The fourth day I will get the hen and let them go out and at four o’clock in the afternoon put them with their mothér in their little chicken house. ‘When they are old enough to be sold I will sell them to some butcher and take the money every Friday to school to put in the bank. I have also two flower pots in which I have a geranium and a hillo- trope. I water them every morning before I go to school. IRENE VONASEK, Age 11 ‘West Willington. ‘The Candy Pulling. One afternoon Sadie, Charlie and Hattie were going to have a candy- pulling in Mrs. Campton’s sunny kitch- en. Bridget put on the kettle, with some nice molasses in ft, and pretty soon it was boiling and foaming and bubbling. After a while Charlie dropped some of the boiling syrup into a cup of cold water. = As it grew hard at-once, the candy was ready for pulling. Now poor little Hattie didn’t know that to pull candy the hands should first be buttered, or at least dipped in cold water, to prevent sticking. So she took a large lump of warm candy without either buttering or wetting her hands. Charlie and Sadie briskly “worked” their candy, pulling it from one hand :.lo the other as it grew light and brit- e. Hattie's only stuck harder and hard- er to her hands, the poor little child laid down all the candy she could, and made some excuse for running into the garden. She did not want Charlie and Sadie to laugh at her. She hid behind a fence and began licking the candy from her hands. All at once Hattie heard a. little ~ giggle: Through an opening in the fence she saw a pair of bright eves watching her. The roguish Charlie had followed h to_find out what was the matter. Hattle felt almost like crying when she first saw those laughing eyes; but she was too merry and funloving a lit- tle girl herself for that Then Charlie and Sadie weré real!y very kind when they found what the trouble was. They _thought they should have told [Hattle about using the butter, So they all had a good laugh, and Hattie’s little mistake made all the more fun for the happy children, ‘When she went home that afternoon, Hattie had several sticks of nice mo- lasses candy she had pulled herself. Besides that she had learned a useful Httle lesson, which she never forgot. BEJ?!SF ALMA DEMUTH, Age 13. c. The Story the Old Shoe Told. Once an old shoe and a gingham apron met in a ragman’s cart. “Hello,” said the apron to the shoe. “How did you happen to come here.” “I will tell you the story of my life if you like, then you will know how I came here,” answered the shoe, and began this way: mce 1 was on the back of a cow and when the cow was killed I was dried and taken to the tannety. After being there awhile the tanner sold me to a shce factory where I was made into shoes. I was then put in the window of a large shoe store where I could see pecple passing by every day. “I shall never forget the day a lit- tle girl came into the store with her mother. She was a pretty child with long golden curls, and while the sales- man showed me to them I kept wish- ing that she would like me. I guess she did, because I saw Jjer mother give the man some green papers and then shut met up in a box. I againr saw light there was the anme lttle girl. She was going to_school and I had to 1 wore out at last ms ail shoes do. The mother threw me in an old box and one ‘day when the ragman came along I was sold and here I am,” fin- ished the old shoe, and he sighed. “Now T'll tell you my story,” said ¢ gingham apron; but just then the who was sorting out the things, threw the shoe one way - and the apron another, lo the gingham apron never had a chancé to tell the old shoe he\' awry BUR‘RH,L, Age 12. Stafford Sprlnsa The Boyhood of Franklin. Franklin’s boyhood was full of hard work. His education was very scan- ty, but he showed _a fondness for books. ‘He once said he could remember when he did not know how to read. e was placed at school in year. His tenth year he was en from sehool, to assist his fath- er whn was a tallow chandler and soap maker. The lad worked at this d!a- tasteful business until his twelfth year, when he was apprenticed to his brvth- er to learn the trade of & printer. At the age of seventeen, as the result of & quarrel with hll brother, he ran away from hom ‘nlll_y he louml himself in Phila del wllh a dollar in his pocket. He od a youn‘ gg in that city. Age 12, King Philip's War, dxénxl’hmpwuthumo!haa- Maassasoit wag an Indian chief, who lived at Mount Hope, in Rhode Island. ‘When Massasolt el not. He gald the white men came NORWICH. - BULLETIN, people were coming from church shots ‘were fired out of the bushes. This was the beginning of the great Indlan war. It lasted about a year and e half, At last Governor Church killed King Philip. This ended the wa. ALICE MAY AYER, Age 11. Norwich. The Chipmunk’s Escape, Dear Uncle Jed: I was sitting in the “woods one autumn day when I heard a small cry and a rustling the branches of a tree a few rods be- gcnd me. Looking thither, amid the ranches of the tree, I saw a ¢hip- munk fall through the air, and catch on a lmd twenty or more feet from the ground. He appeared to have dropped from near the top of .the tree, He secured his hold upon the small branch that had luckily intercepted his fall, and sat perfectly still. In a mo- ment more I saw a weasel—one of the small red variety—come down the trunk of the tree and 1 n exploring the branches on a level with the chip- munk. 1 saw in a moment what had hap- pened. ‘The weasel had driven the chipmunk from his retreat in the rocks and stones beneath and had pressed him so closely that he had taken refuge in the top of the tree.. The weasel had tracked the frightened chipmunk to the topmost branch, where he tried to seize him. Then the chipmunk had, in horror, let go his hold,. screamed, and fallen through the alr, till he struck the branch he sat upon. His bloodthirsty enemy was looking for him again, apparently relying en- tirely upon his sense of smell to guide him to the game. Round and round, up and down, he went on the branches, exploring them over and over. He seemed baffied. He knew his game was near, but he could not strike the spot. The branch upon the extreme end of which the. chip- munk sat ran out and up from the tree, seven or eight feet, and then turned a sharp elbow. The weasel would pause each time at this elbow and turn back. . It ed as if he knew that p branch held his prey, and yet crookedness each time threw him out. He would not give it up, but went over this course again and again. In the course of five or six minutes the weasel gave up the search, ran hurriedly down the tree to the ground. The chipmunk remained motionless for a long time; then he stirred a lit- tle, as if hope were reviving. Then he looked nervously about him: them he recovered himself, so far a to change his position. Presently he be- gan to move cautiously. along the branch to the hole of the tree; then, after a few minutes' delay. he pluck- ed up courage to descend to the ground where, I hope, no weasel has disturbed him since. MAY DANAHY, Norwich. Loss of the Royal George. Many years ago an English fleet lay at anchor in the roadstead at Spithead near Portsmouth. The finest ship in the fleet was the Royal George. She was the admiral's ship and carried a hundred guns. Just as everything was put on board and she was ready to go to sea the first lieutenant discovered that the water- pipes were out of order. In order to repair them it was not thought neces- sary to put the ship into the dock, but only to heel her over till that part of the hull where the: pipes were placed was brought above ‘the water. Heeling a‘ ship over is making her lean over on one side. A gang of men from the dockyard Were sent to help the ship's carpenters. The workmen reached the pipes of the Royal George and made the needed repairs. ‘But just as they had dohe so a lighter or a large open boat ladeén with coal came alongside. The port- holes on the lower side of the Royal George gwere nearly even with the wa- ter when the lighter came near, but when the men began to take in the coal the boat heeled over more and more. The'water began to rush in'the portholes. The carpenter saw the danger and ran and told the second lieutenant that the ship ought to be righted at once. But the lieutenant said: “Mind . your own business and Il mind mine.” The carpenter went a second time and got the same answer. At last the lieutenant began to see that the carpenter had been right and the danger was very great. He ordered the men to their posts. The men were scrambling down through the hatchway to put the heavy guns back in their places. It was too late. The boat was sinking rapidly. Before help or rescue could be had, numerous visitors who were on board, to the number of nearly one thousand, The gallant ship was lost, with all on board, because & young man was too proud to take advice. FRANK PARDY, Age 18 Norwich. The Eskimos. The Eskimos live in Greenland and some in Alaska. The Eskimos have coarse black hair and they are not big. The women dress the same as-the men do. It is very cold there, so their clothing is made of fur. The Eskimos live near the ocean because it is easier to get food. They take their tents with them when they do in search of food. .In winter, when the ground is frozen and covered with snow the Es- kimos ride.about on: sleds drawn by dogs. They kill seals and fish with their spears. Some of the fishermen from the United States go there, The ‘Eskimos trade with some of the peo- ple who come there. The Eskimos call their boats kayaks, Fhe boats and the sleds are made of bones, because there is little wood there. The Eskimos keep warm because they eat fat. They burn fat in their lamps because it makes them warm and because they haven't any kero- sene. They haven't any stoves, but eat :he things they catch without cook- ing. Some of the Eskimos are civilized and the other Eskimos are I from the civilized- Bskimos. Lots of people from Denmark go.to Greenland to teach them. They teach them how to bulld houses and how to live comturta ly. A BLAHUSIAKX, 1. West Vrillington. 2 Villages, Towns and Guilds in the Middle Ages. In the middle ages the house of ; lord was called a manor. It stood o a hill. A litle lower under it were the huts of the serfs. The serfs led a miserable life. They id not have much time to work on eir own patch of land because ‘had to work for the lord. The huts were built very badly. The serfs did not h.ve much to eat in winter. The hams they made were usually spoiled before the end of wtp.. tér bae.lnu they did not salt enovgh. Every large town or d ed but King Philip did Massachusetts and took hig e THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 7916 that he would let them trade without his interference. Another thing that the people ald at thdt time was to form guilds. It was :l;flxght a great honor to belong to & A guild was a company of men of the same trade. They always had a leader who made their laws. For ex- ample, if they were shoemakers, they could not sell the shoes above a cer- tain price, and every shoe had to be examined before sold. If a man aid not obey the laws of the guild, he was not allowed to stay with it. The purpose of the guild was to have every man have the same chance to sell his goods. Some men who belonged to the guilds were noted citizens in their towns or citles. Some of the guild- halls yet exist. One of the guilds that still exist is the wool combers' guild. JOSEPH T. BIIRTL, Age 13. West Willington. ‘The Story of a Scanlet Cord. After the death of Moses, while the children of Israel were still encamped upon the east bank of the Jordan, God told Joshua to take BMoses’ place and rule the people and to lead them across :ix: river and conquer the land without will be with you as I was with Mose: So Joshua told his officers to tell the people to prepare food for a journey, for in three days they were to ‘pass over the river Jordan into land which the Lord had promised them. ‘This was not a very easy job, for at that time of the year, in the spring, the Jordan was much largeér than at other times. All its banks were overflowed, and it was running as a broad, deep, swift river, down to the Dead sea, a few miles to the south. Only a strong mati could swim in its powerful cur- rent, and the Israclites had no boats in whieh they could cross it. . A few ‘miles distant, on the other side of the city, the Israelites could see ‘the walls of the city of Jericho, stand- ing at the foot of the mountains. This city must be taken before the rest of the land could be won, for it stood Dbe- side the road leading up to the moun- tain country. Joshua sent two careful, brave and wise men across the river to Jericho to find out all ‘they could about the city, and told them to return in two days. They swam across the Jordan and went into the ¢ity, but were seen by the king, who sent men to take them prisoners. They came to a house which stood on the wall of the city, where a woman named Rahab lived, and she hid the men, The king sent his officers after these strange men who were seen going into the woman's house. The woman hid the men under some flax stalks on the roof and the officers did not find them, but thought' they had. left the city; :l:n Rahab went to the two men and ‘All of us in this city know that your God Is mighty, and has given you this land. We have heard how your God dried up the Red sea before you, and led you through the desert, and gave you victory over your enemles. And now all the people in this city are in fear of you, for they know that your God will glve you this city and all this lan d. “Now,” said Rahab, “promise me in the name of the Lord that you will spare my life, and the lives of my father and mother, and of my brothers and sisters, whén you take this city.” The men promised that they would. From one of her windows Rahab let down outside a rope, upon which the men could elide down to the ground. It happened that this rope was of a|p, bright scarlet colar. ‘The two spies told Rahab to have the scarfet rope hanging in the win- dow while ‘they were taking the city and to bring her father, mother and family into the house and keep them there during that time, and thus.all would be safe when the city is taken. Then the two men,-at night, slid down the rope and found their way back to Joshua and told him their story. JESSIE BREHAUT. East Norwich, N. ¥. A Faithful Servant. A certain king was in need ofa ser- vant who could be depended on to do what he was told. So in the hope of getting the right man he hired two men. These he took to a well one morn- ing and showing them a large basket bade them fill it with water. Then, after promising to return at night to see what they had done, he left them to themselves and went away. The men were very much in earnest when they began their work, but after pouring five or six bucketfuls of water into :l:ie basket one of them stopped and “What is the use.of doing this? As fast ‘as W. pour the water into the basket, it runs out. It is nothing but time lost.” “That is no business of ours,” replied his companlon. ‘“We are paid to -do this work and, whether or not it seems useful to us, we ought to do it “You may do as you please,” said the first speaker, ‘but as for me I shall not waste my time on any such foolish work,” and, throwing down his bucket, he walked off. The other man continned at the work until gbout sunset, when he had nearly emptied the well. Looking into the basket, he saw something gitter- ing. Stooping to look cleser, he found it was a ring of great value, which his bucket had scooped up from the mud at the bottom of the well. “Now I know why the king wanted the water poured into the basket,” he said to himself. “Had it been poured on the ground, the ring might have ‘Il::)ee: trampled into the mud and been at. Shortly after, the king came up with some of his officers. As soon as he saw the ring he kmew the man had obeyed his orders, though they seemed to_be foolish. Here was one to be trusted, thought the king, so he gave the man a place in the palace and, not long after, made him master of the other servants. AGNBLLA G- U, . Age 12 Baltie. How a City Was Buried. Once there was a beautiful city near where Mount Vesuvius stands. The they returned to their homes they tola of its lovely gurdens, parks and fits fountains. At the end of every street a spark- people were there, dress ayo:t dresses and attended by their “Very often tables spread parks and loaded wnh fruit and flow- ers. Many of the houses were large and costly, Everyone had a garden where r!ch !nlum lovely .trees and flow-. ers grew. The walls of rany -of the. houae- were adorned with pictures mnted by It was a volcano. lou of ashi fell on ‘the country for mflu around. Bright flashes like lightning could be seen at the mountain top. The &ea seemed to roll back from the shore. The earth shook and tall buildings fell to.the ground. Great rocks from the mountain came on the city, and the city was goon buried beneath ashes and cinders. There were very few people who esclpad from the oity. 'ATHERINE NELSON, Age 12. Vernmes A True Story About a Horse. One afternoon a lady told me a story which I thought very nice, so I will tell it to you and'the Wide-Awakes: ‘When I was a little girl we lived in the country. about a mile from a little schoolhouse. Every pleasant day we walked to school. When it was stormy my father generally carried us in the morning and we stayed at school throughout the day. Our horse, Char- ley, was very knowing and kind. He knew the way from our house to the school so well that he was often trust- ed to go alone. Often towards the close of a stormy afternoon my father would harness the good horse to the wagon, take him to the road and say: “Charley, go and get the girls.” Charley would trot down the road to the schoolhouse, would himself turn the wagon so that he was headed tow- ard home, and there wait till school was out, when we climbed into the ‘wagon and dreve him. There he was rewarded with Joving words, pats and apples. I.am glad to remember that faithful horse was always treated kindly. Fa- ther refused all offers for him and he ended his days with us. HATTIE PERKINS. <Colchester. The Manufacture of Quilts. The manufacture of quilts as a busi- ness is of recent origin. Not much was done at it until 1880. It has grown to be a large business. Before this time the Old-fasr{oned bed quilt, or comfortable, was pieced together from small bits of calicoes in some fancy designs. The sale-quilt, supplying trade to- day, differs in many ways from the ‘Wway the people made them before 1880. A bed quilt is a combination of three things—the covering, the filling and the stitching. No one sees the process of wholesale quilt making without a feeling of in- terest. First we enter a large, well lighted room called the cloth room. From here comes all the cloth that goes into the quilts, packed either in cuts in cases or on rolls containing 2,000 yards. In this form it is not wide enough for a quilt, so to a full breadth is sew< ed a strip one-eighth the width of an- other. The face and lining, corresponding to the top and the bottom of a finished quilt, are passed over spreaders and sent down through the floor to the room below,.where two different styles of qullts are made. The next thing to be done is the fastening and filling. ‘The top and bottom cloths &ie sep- arated and the filling, which is pre- pared in bats, is rolled .., after which the face and lining are brought into their places and the three are fed through rollers, heyond which a girl on either side sews the edges of the cloth together. Then the fabric passes along to the knotter. These quilts are then sold in the United States, Cuba, Mexico and JAMES O. KELLY. since orto Rico. Versailles. Forest Fires. Sometimes we do not know and ap- preciate some of our very best friends until it is too late. The great forest trees are certainly our friends in many ways. ¥rom a great many trees we get use- ful articles, including. nuts, medicines, lumber .and paper; -and many more valuablé things, What are we going to do_for lumber with which to build houses when all of the fine trees are destroyed? There are many countries in the old ‘world, notably China, India and Korea, where the people did not know and appreciate the full value of trees until it-was too late. In our country we have the most magnificent forests in the world and yet we are treating them little better than the people of China and India and Korea treated - their original for- ests. Ought we not to do better? ‘When we start to cut a fine tree do ‘we always consider whether it is abso- lutely necessary for us to cut it? ‘We have it in our power now to do a good service to our country by planting a tree and caring for it until }t is big enough to make its own liv- ng. Bvery year the governor of Connec- ticut appoints a day as Arbor and Bird gay. ‘On this day we always plant trees or flowers. CLARA ATLEN, Age 14. Versailles. A Day Trout Fishing. One day I asked my uncle to go flshing with me. We wers to start at 8 o'clock in the morning. ‘When my uncle came my mother had a lunch ready for us. We started for Browning’s brook. When we got there it was 10 o’clock. ‘We started to fish. After we had been fishing for an hour I got a bite and pulied out quite a large trout. [Sqon after my uncle. caught one which was not quite as large as the one I caught. When noon came we ate our lunch. Then we followed the brook until we came to the river where the brook empties. We filshed along each side of the river, getting quite a lot of fish. We ‘were getting: near home when my uncle got a_bite and pulled, but his line broke. I lowered my line, but the fish did not bite.again. ‘We got home at 4 o'clock. When we got home my mother fried some of the fish, which were good. I hope to .go fishing again soon. The trout season is good and we have plenty of brooks where we can fish. MICHABL J. BURNS, Age 13. Fitchville. Attacked by Wolves, Once upon a time a young man ‘Whose name was George Griscom, was sent. by hlfi e:nnlonr to the northern part of !ou!hurn part of Canada. As_ soon. as George had -his orders he went-to a stable and en t'o horses attached to a slei a ver, and started out in the morninx it eight o'clock. ‘The farther George went in the sleigh the lonelier it seemed. Soon it began to snow a lifMe, and thert harder and harder, until the road 'aa cov%red with snow about a foot en he came to the forest, hfi hfl!‘d the howling of wolves coming after them, so the driver made the horses go faster, but the wolves got closer and closer until they were about rod away from the sleigh. en.took. a rifle lnd aimed Bang! of the two wolveu that were shot dead. | Then the were made to go faster, and h.itar, until George, the | driver, harses and sleigh were safe and 'sound at their restination. MORRIS BERNSTEIN, Age 11. Norwich. m@uln and .the Wagoner. from the city, but thousands|load along a muddy road. Presently u:A streets, |he came to @ epot where the wheels 9 sank half way into the mire. The more the horses tried to pull them out, the deeper they sank. At last the man threw aside his whip, knelt down and loudly prayed to Hercules the Strong: “Q, Hercules, help me! help me!” he said. But Hercules answered: “Pshaw, man! Don't lle there in the mud. Get up and put your shoulder to the heel. Don't you know that the gods help them who help themselves ANNA LAROCHE, Age 11. Versallles. I pray you, The Liberty Bell Bird Club. Dear Uncle Jed: I belong to the Liberty Bell Bird club. Those who belong to the club take care of the birds. We are taught we should give them food to eat and water to drink and make houses for them. I took the pledge of the club that I would not harm the birds or kill them. I think the birds are very pretty. 1 love the robin and the bluebird best, because they sing very sweetly. I see the robin every day. There is a blue- bird’s nest near our house. AGNES GAYBESKL Colchester. LETTERS TG UNCLE JED. The Crippled Girl and the Flowers. Dear Uncle Jed: One pleasant day in June my friend and I went out walk- ing. 'We did not go very far when we heard a flutter of wings. We stop- ped and listened and soon we saw a flock of quail. We at once hurried to the spot where they rose, hoping to find their nest, but instead, we found a magnificent bed of purple and white violets. We were soon busy picking them and when we were through we had a lovely bouquet. This made us look for more flowers, and going to a lit- tle brook, we found on its banks a bed of adder tongues and anemones. We soon picked more than our hands could hold and we started for home. On our way home I thought of a little girl who was a cripple, and had to be carried on a chair around the house. She loved flowers, but could not go out to pick them. So I said to my friend: “Let us visit that little girl and we will give her these flowers.” This she agreed to do, and we de- clded to go the next day. Soon we were home and I put the flowers in a vase. The next day was pleasant, and in the afternoon we started for the little girl's_home. It did not take long to go there and we found her sitting near the window. She smiled at us, and when we gave her the flowers she was very glad to have them. She called for her mother and bade her get the vase that her grandma gave her for a Christmas present. It was a pretty vase, and it just matched the flowers. She set the flowers in carefully and put them on the window sill, where she could look at them. We stayed a long while, telling her stories and also told her the names of the flowers in the vase. The time sped fast, and it was time for us to go home. We sald goodbye to the little ~irl and told her we would come more often, She was sorry to have us go, and she stayed near the window and watch- ed_us until we were out of sight. My friend and I were very glad to make the little girl happy. MOLIIE PALEY, Age 12. Colchester, How Mary Kept House. Dear Uncle Jed: Mary lived with her aunt, and her aunt went out to spend the day and left Mary to keep house. The cook was down stairs, of course, but Mary was to stay upstairs, and wait on the door, and see all those who called. The small child felt quite large. At first she took up a book and be- gan to read, but was soon tired of that, Then she thought she would clean up the rooms, so she put on a long apron, tied up her curls in a sort of mob-cap, and went to work. The broom was much too big for her, but she swept away as well as she could and raised quite a dust. She did not put a thing out of the rooms, and so the fine chairs, and the vases, had a thick coat of dust on them. Tray, the dog, tried to help her all he could, but he did not help in the George lived In the|! right way. ‘When Mary shook the dust cloth Tray would jump for it and seize one end and pull at it with all his might. After she had dusted, she was quite pleased with the way the room looked, and so she thought she would sweep and dust the stairs. So she took the broom and swept all the dirt that was on the stairs, while Tray was close at her heels. ‘And when she took the dust cloth he would run up and down the stairs, barking and jumping, and giving such hard tugs at the dust cloth that Mary had hard work to keep hold of it Once he got it away from her and such a chase as the two had up and downstairs! And when Aunt Wells came home, she found Mary and Tray fast asleep on the rug, with the dust cloth between them. ETTA M'GRATH, Age 12. Bozrahville. A Ride to Pine Grove, Niantic. Dear Uncle Jed: I thought I would drop a few lines to let you know my visit to Pine-Grove, Niantic, last sum- mer. ‘We left our home in Stafford Springs early one bright sunny Monday morn- ing. We hired a double-seated auto and we started off. There was beautiful scenery going through Willington, Coventry, Willi- mantic and Norwich. If I had been acquainted with you I would have stopped and shaken hands with you and had a fine talk. ‘We passed through New London, down past the Golden Spur, and ar- rived at Pine Grove, Niantic, at 11 o’clock, This was the best ride I ever had in my life. The first thing we did was to take a swim. Then we wiped the dust off the car; then we were awful hungry, you bet, and after a delightful meal we went for a sail to see if we could get any crabs, ‘We stayed at Pine Grove one whole month and had a great time digging clams and catching crabs, and after a most delightful time Wwe returned home on the steam cars. Our friends were glad-to see us back ln our old home town. MILDRED E. WHITE, Age 13. . Stafford Springs. My Pets. Dear Uncle Jed: I want to tell you| about my pets. I have a dog and he is yellow and white. He catches rab- bits and woodchucks. i I have three kitties and their names are Rose, Lfl{ and Trixy. Two are most all white, with "gray ears and talls and the other is a little yellow and white one. Two stay in the barn all of the time to keep the rats out of the grain. EDNA M. DAWLEY, 'Age 7. Jewett City. Only Missed Three Weeks. i Dear Unole Jed: I thought I would write and tell you about my pets. have two cats and six T ‘I go to school every day. 1 am in the second grade. I have only missed tlm ‘weeks this term. MILDRED BROWN, Age 7. Margaret’s Conscience. Dear Uncle Jed: Many years ago the northern part of New York was one vast wilderness. Not far from the Saint Lawrence river there lived a Ilit- tle girl who spent one long, unhappy day because she did not obey her con- sclence, Little Margaret loved her home and she loved the great river and meadows and orchards; but better than any- thing else, she loved the clock that stood in the living room. Her father had told her if she would listen closely she would hear the clock saying: ‘“Do right, little girl! right! Do right!” It was midsummer and the father and mother were away from home and the children were left to take care of themselves. They soon grew tired of playing with their books. The two- year-old baby had fallen fast asleep, and Margaret took her. station before the old clock, but she soon got tired of watching the clock. Then she thought how she would like to touch the swinging pendulum. She took a step, and was startled by hearing it sa; ‘Do right! Do right! Do right!” “I haven't done anything wrong, have I?” exclaimed the child. Then she was sure she heard it say: "That's right! That's right!” When her father came home the children saw that the clock had stop- ped, so they ran and told him. He sald to Margaret, “You have done very wrong.” DORIS EASTERBROOKS, Age 3. ‘Willimantic. Going Away. 7 Dear Uncle Jed: Margaret is & girl about 14 years old. She has graduated from grammar school and is going to enter high school In a oity near her home. She lives on a farm about 15 miles from the city. She cannot come home but once a week, Margaret has never been away be- fore and her mother and sisters feel very lonely to have her go. Just as the goldenrod and asters are blowing all over the flelds and roadside, Margaret must leave the farm she loves so much and go to the city where evetything is exciing to her, but no flowers or birds Hke thoss on _the farm. When the day comes for her to ®o she packs her suitcase and gets dress- ed while her father hitches Old Gray to the carriage to drive over to the sta- tion. It seems as though her heart ‘would breax when it is time to go, but she knows it is for the best and tries to cheer her mother and the two sisters, Mabel and Edna, who think they can- not do without her. MATILDA FAYESET, Age 12. Colchester. The Early Settlers. Dear Uncle Jed: The oldest ceme- tery in our town is the Gallup ceme- tery on Pine Hill road. The oldest stone in that cemetery is dated 1735, and is that of Willlam Gallup, a sén of John, who was also buried-. there with the early settlers, The first church in our town was built on the Pine Hill road. The first pastor was Samuel Dorrance, a young man just out of college. He was from Ireland. He was greatly beloved by his_people. When Sterling was incorporated, Rev. James Burlingame, one of the most noted gospel preachers in New England, was born in- a house just east of the church, Sterlin- Hill church was built next. The next one was the line church on Ekonk hill. East of Sterling Hill church the Revolutionary soldiers en- camped on the ‘green. The level plain east of the church was used for a racing track. Oneco was named for an Indian chief and was a business city. Cotton and woolen mills were manufactured. A quarry worked by 125 men made bus- fness boom. RALPH WILCOX, Age 12. Moosup. Her Pets, Dear Uncle Jed: As I have a little time, I thought I would write a few lines to you ang tell you about my ets. pI have a baby flying. squirrel and eight puppies, The flying squirrel is not tame; yet, because I only caught him a few weeks ago. gI have elght pupples. Their colors are: One black and white, 2 brown, 1 brown and black and white and four. black. They are not a month old yet, but are very cute. The mother is black and her name is Belle. We also have a last year’s puppy whose name Is Cute, and he deserves it, because he is cute, I also have a cat named Maltese. She hunts mice. MILDRED RAY, Age 11. Norwich. ‘Alice’s Visit to Rose. It was a warm day in June and'Alice had planned to spend the day with her friend. Alice started about 7 o'clock in the morning, as she had a lons way to go on the car. Rose, the other girl, lived in the city, while Alice lived in the country. Alice arrived in the city about 9 o'clock. As she stepped off the train she was greeted by her friend, Rose. When they arrived at Rose's house the girls were greeted kindly by Rosels mother. The children played with toys -until about 5 o'clock and then they were called to supper. After supper Alice started home on the 7 o'clock car. Alice arrived home about 8 o'clock. Alice went to bed feeling happy over her day’s visit. RUBY SWAIN, Age 11 She Likes Arithmetic Best. Dear Uncle Jed: I thought I would write you a few lines. - I go to the school in the Old Hop River district. There are 15 scholars. I like arith- metic best, and I study history, geog- raphy, arithmetic, spelling and writ- ing, BLANCHE POTTER, Age 8. ‘Willimantic. — e Man Takes His Own Medicine Is an Optim He has absolute faith in his medi- cine—he knows when he takes it for certain ailments he gets relief. People who take Dr. King's New Discovery for an irritating cold are optimists— they know this cough remedy will pen- etrate the linings of the throat, kill the germs and open the way for na- ture to act. You éan’t destroy a cold by superficial treatment—you must go to the cause of the trouble. Be an optimist. Get a bottle of Dr. Klng’l New Discovery’ today. White Man with Black Liver. The liver is a blood purifier. It was thought at one ‘time it was the seat of the passions. Tie trouble with most people is that their liver becomes black because of impurities in the blood due to bad physical states, caus- ing billousness, headache, dizziness and constipation. Dr. King’s New Life pills will clean up the liver, and give you new life. 25c at your drug- gist. ‘FAMOUS FURS Ladies' Fur ‘Coats and Seta, Men's Coats of all styles. Remodeling and repairing also done LY surely. Superior styles. I BRUCKRER 81 anklm St