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THE WIDE AWAKE CIRCLE BOYS AND GIRLS DEPARTMENT e ——————————————————————————————————————— Rales for Young Writers. 1. Write plainly on one side of the paper omly, and number the pages. 2. Use pen and ink, not pencil 8. Short and pointed articles will be given ureference. Do net use over 250 words. & LOrisinal stories or letters onmly will 5. Write your name, age and ad- dress plainly at the bottom of the story. Address all communications tc Uncle Jed, Bulletin Office. “Whatever ycu are—Be that! ‘Whatever you say—Be truel Straightforwardly act, Be_ honest—in fact, nobody eise bui you™ POETRVY Always a way to advance, But the road that leads to Mount Suc- cess Does not pass by the way of Chance It goes throush the statiors of Work and Strive, Through the Valley of Persevere, @nd the man that succeeds while oth- ers fair ‘Must be willing to pay most dear. For there’s always a way to fall, my a way to slide, 4And the men you find at the the hill P All sought for an easy ride. Bo on and up, thoush the rough, Ana the storms come thick and fast: There is room at the top fo fellow who _tries, And victory comes i foot road be at last. —Selected. Work Rhyme. The world for iong ages lay desert and | wild, Tl God put in workers—man, woman, | and child, "o hunt and to baild. and to tame, Tl now this ol world scarcely the same. But think of the work that remains to be done: ‘There's plenty for every the sun, And work that is waliting for me and for you, and to plant can look souil under Not any one else can as perfectly do.| 8o up and to work with the dawn of the light, It you would deserve to sleep soundly _ " at night. roadways and bridges and houses to build, - And flocks to be-folded and fields to bhe tilled, The sick and the 0ld and the children 5 to tend, b A bodies and hearts that are broken to mend. . And secrets to learn of earth, water, and air: New thinzs to invent and old things to repair, music to make and great bocks 3 to be read. 4&hd wisdom to learn from the living and dead. Oh, up and to work with the dawn’ of == the light, #-you would deserve to sleep saudlly at night. = e Edith L. M. King: Crawing Pictures. “Here’s a hors said Johnnie boy, * *Here's the horse’s rider! Here’s the great big elephant! —“Here's the clown beside her!™ *det me take your slate” said I, “Surely I must see All these very splendid things You have drawn for me.” But vpon the slate 1 saw othing but a line Making some threc-cornered thing, ke a mypstic sign, y,” sald Johnnie, “don’t you see? at is just the tent: Ng one sees the show inside “ess they pays a_cent.” . —The Churchman. UNCLE JED'S TALK TO WIDE- AWAKES. Uncle Jed wishes all the young folks wiw write for this page and all who it @ HAPPY NEW YEAR! is greeting is old, and has for ages been made a kindly sentiment instead of a cheering and inspiring sreeting No one can make the year happy for us' but ourselves and we with others may make it very unhappy for our- selves and others by our conduct and cur habits. en we wish people a Happy New Year we do not do as we ought if we do/mot o all we can to make it agree- able for ourselves and others; TPhere arc ms people who think i, £ O e TN e A i of they are good who make everybody about them miserable: and they are not half as good as they think them- selves to be. To make the New Year Happy we should insist upon keeping ourselves pleasant, for do you not see that if all kept pleasant life would be some- thing to praise instead of to find fault with. We cannot be happy by finding fanit and disobedience and expecting of others very much more attention and | service than we are willing to render to them ourselves. This is all that is the matter with the worid. here are too many shirk- ers, and snarlers and meddiers and icheats, and these are wishing every- body a Happy Mew Year while they do nothing tc make the ycar a happy { one to those who live with or deal with ! them. | Tncle are Jed and the Wide-Awakes hing everyone a Happy New Year and we are going to do all we can to make the year one of pleasure o others. WINNERS OF PRIZE BOOKS. | —Two Boy Cold Miners. ps_of Versailles—The Boys of Bellwood School. 2—Margaret E. Nosworthy of Hamp- ton—Bob Chester’'s Grit. 4—Rose Demuth of Baltic—The Sad- dle-Boys on the Rhine. Laurence Gauthier of Brooklyn— Moving Picture Boys on the Coast. 6--Ralph Olsen of Baltic—Fred Fen- fton on the Crew. _7—Olive Guile of Norwich—The Boy | Scouts on War Trails in Belgium, ‘sd—.h:hn Fox of Norwich—Airship Andy. = _‘Winners of prize books living in the it‘l v may call at The Bulletin business office for them at any hour after % LETTERS OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT Evans, of Plainfield—I thank much for the prize book you me_ entitled The Boy Chums on Indian River. I have read some of it and find it very interesting. Carrie Gelo, of Yantic—I received the prize book, Mistress Moppett, and T haye read it all. It was very inter- flbung. I thank yvou very much for i Vera Olin, of Mansfield Center— Thanking you-for the prize book en- titled Jack Lorimers Holldays. 1 ‘e read it and found it very inte esting. Alfred Levitsky, of Norwich—Man hearty thanks for the prize book I re- ceived. it is a very interesting book and ¥ enjoved it very much. It is the best book I have received from" you. Albert P s. rsailles-—I re- ceived the prize book vou sent me. Tt a very good book and I thank you. STORIES V‘VR'TTEN BY WIDE-{ AWAKES. Our Hallowe’en Party. I am going to tell you about our Mallowe'en party. It was coming Hallowe'en and I asked my mother if I could nave a Halowe'en party. She said she 4didn’t care if I helped her. So I told her I would. It was about a week before Hallows'en night.© On the day before Halowe'en I began to prepars for my party. 1 gathercd some tall corn to trim the room, and made pumpkin moon- shines, to set on a stand in each cor- T. T cut out witches and black cats to decorate the room and got oth- €r things to make it pretty. I help- ed my mother cook cakes and other nice things. ations to a great many of my friends and told them to dressed in some kind of costume. 1 ed fifteen boys and fifteen girls. last the eveninz ecame for the socd time. When the children came in I put a jack-o-lantern in their faces to scare them. I put a: sheet over my head so that I would look lxk"(-:hn ghest in th: dark. e room looked very nice. lighted with electric “‘;l;}‘;‘l g After the children were seated we played many games and *played some pieces on the piano. Some of the games were bobbing for apples, trving to bite a piece out of an apple, tied by the stem, and hung on a nail. We had lots of fun in these games. Wa tried to guess how many beans were in a jar. We were very anxious to =ee who got the nearest. The one who guessed the nearest we gave a prize. Then jt was time for our lunch, We had fancy cooldes, cakes, candy, fruit and other nice things. There was a big pumpkin moon-shine in the center of the table. Each one was a napkin with & witch and a black cat on it. = After we had eaten we played a few more games. As it was quite late then the children thought it was time | to go home. They bid me good-bye yand said they had a very good time. I then went to bed and slept very soundly, for I was very tired. i OLIVE GUILE, Age 14. Norwich. Are You Loyal Roy and Fred each wore a small American flag in his lapel. for they, like everyone else, wanted to show that they loved the flas. As the boys were coming out of the school yard, old Mrs. Waite, Who lives next door, ieaned from ner window to e g “Will either of you boys take this bundle of socks down to the Red Cross Feadquarters? I've just finished knit- ting them, and I hear, they are in a hurry to get them off.” “I'can’t.” said Roy. “I haven't time this noon. He added in an undertone to d: “You know we want to put in all our spare time practicing for football, and that's five blocks out of the way.” ) e But ¥red paid no attention to Roy 1’1l take them.” he called back. “And {let me know when you have some more i gled Banner. i—Leah Hayden of North Windham ! to do down. As he turned away with the bundle hemmuchod the little flag he wore and said: than five blocks’ worth.” Boys and girls, let us begin neasure our devotion to our flag. It isn’t much to wear it, to salute it, to stand at attention as_it goes by, to arise when they Wing The Star Span- These things are easy to do. Do yvou care for your flag enough to take extra steps. to use your leisure in knitting or sewing such things as boys and girls ean make, to do without luxuries, and buy things for the Red Cross? EDITH PHILLIPS, Age 13. Versailles. My Black Bass. I thought perhaps you would like to hear about the big black bass I caught last summer. Father and I got up early one morn- ing and started out fishing. When we reached the place I baited my hook and threw in. We had caught a few perch when T had an awful bite. I tried to pull in, yut it would not come. Finally the bass gave a leap and yanked me. I fell over and the bass came on land about one foot from water and it was off the hook. > Father picked it up and puk it in the pail and said: “Now we had bet- ter go home.” When we got home we weighed it. It weighed three pounds and a half. LLOYD HAYDEN, Age 9. North Windham. Something to Do. p A famous naturalist was engaged in writing a-book of habits of plants. In order to more closely study the sub- ject. he spent many hours every day in the hothouses looking at the flow- ers. The work began to tell upon his health, and his family became very anxious about him. One day his daughter mentioned to |in the least. i “I guess I care for this more: house of delight for inquisittve little the old housekeeper that her father was every day becoming weaker and asked the old servant what she would suggest to be done. The old woman at once said: "I be- lieve the master would be all right it he had only .something to occupy his mind. Sometimes he stands from morning till night, just looking at the flowers. It cannot be for him. If he had only something to do, he would be ever so much bette: JOHN FOX, Age 12. Norwich. Two Candles. Once upon a time there were two candles. It was a%nost Christmas tu¥e when one sald “I will not shine.” The other said “I will!™ When the man came to light the candle that sald “I will not shine” it filckered and went out. The other chone brightly and the man safd: “T will put it at the top of the tree,” and it shone better than all the rest. EDNA LAWTON, Age 11. Versailles. The Corn Hou You never knew why they called it “the corn-house.” It had been called that ever =ince you could remember and probably before, too. Perhapa they used to store srain_there, once upon a time, who knows? But they didn't any more. Tt was a treasure- bodies, who slipped out of the house to} when mother had gone out and when the great-aunts weren't looking. ‘Aunt Angle is probably making ookies,” you thought to yourself 1l get some from her when I come down.” Didn’'t Aunt i loveliest cookies, th gerbread! Ummm When you got up those steep, high steps which vou thought would never end, you stopped and looked around It was such a big place to you, you who were so little them and hadn’t seer. much of the world. Tt was ideal happiness to you to spend a summer with the great-aunts, who 1iwd in a big. white house in Fampton. | house had a lcvely, big, velvi and ‘a funny old-fashioned white fence with a gate that squeaked delightful 1y on its hinges. Just as Aunt Mary's gate does now. You used to’ stand outside and squeak that squeaking, protesting old fence gate, much to the annoyance of Aunt Olive, who would cold you soundly while vou frowned and looked sulky. Tlen you frowned and looked sulky. Then you would run to Aunt Angie for consolation, which she would give you in the shape of caraway-cookies or some delicious, soft gingerbread. But to turn.to our corn-house. Tt was quite Gusty up there, lighted only by two small, dustv and cobwebbed windows through which a few pale, sickly-looking beams of light ecrept Up over the windows was an old pair of bellows, almost lik> the pair Aunt Angie used to start the fire with, in the morning. only one handle was gone and it was almost hidden with dust. “Way over the other side you dis- cerned two ancient mattresses almost hiding an old trunk which was all but failing to p trunk brought to light onl: and papers which didn't interest you You weren’t so fond of THE SNOWBOUND CHRISTMAS After the death of his wife, Mr. Wal- ton and daughter Clara, a young ldy 20 years of age, shut up their house and traveled about, first west, then south, trying to overcome their grief with new scenes. Clara was glad her father could ar- range his affairs so he could be absent for an indefinite period, for she- felt the change would not only be bene- ficial to_him but to herse]f and enable her to be strong enough on their re- turn to assume the home duties with- out her mother’s guidance. ‘With the fall came thoughts of home, but both deferred the returning from time to time. Mr. Walton wished wardly to remain away until after the holidays. At first ra coincided with him, but Thanksgiving day caused her to change her mind. The day was spent at a hotel instead of at home, which she knew would not meet her mother’'s approval, so after a talk with her father they decided to reacn home two days before Christmas and observe the day quietly but in their natural manner. Coming eastward, the air was very cold and soon they found themselves in the midst of a raging smow storm. The air was filled with snow which blinded the view from sight, the car windows rattled and the heavily load- ed train only crawled along; then just before reaching Swanlea suddenly stopped and the conducter :informed the passengers that they were stalled in_drifts of snow. For several hours the travelers re- mained,patient, but as the cold crept in and they became chilled and also hungry (for the dining car had been left behind), the men made snowshoes as best they could and started on a foraging expedition to procure drink and food, for the conductor assured them that, as the telegraph wires wete i i i crossed and tangled, help could not reach them until the storm was over. and her father donned snow- shoes and she unfastened a sash which e was wearing and fied one end around her father's arm while she tied the other around her wrist and follow- ed after him to find lodgings some- ‘where. They lost théir course and their breath and strength and were nearly spent wher they discerned a flicker of light in the distance which they fol- lowed and soon came to a cottage. Through the window on the veranda Mr. Walton perceived a bright fire burning in the stove, on a table by the window stood a lighted lantern, an easy chair stood here and theére, but what attracted his eve was a ‘willow cradle in which laid a sleeping child, and by her side sat a ‘small girl with her head resting on the cradle with llices of tears on her face, while near by a maltese kitten was playing with spools. ; As no one answered his rap, Mr. Walton called out: “Don’t be afraid, but my daughter and I have lost our ;ay in the storm. Will you please let us in where we can warm ourselves?” The child, who had trembled with fear on hearing the rap, shouted: “All right!” and as the key turned and they entered and she perceived how tired they were she soon had them seated by the fire, while she hastened to bring them some cold .food with a hot.cup of tea. After removed their wraps and Mr. Walton told the story of their experiences. Clara then asked the child. her name and why the children were alone. She replied: “I am Hilda Allen, six years old, and baby is Barbara, and " ~ Then the tears rolled and daughter togather, putting arms around her just as someone shouted: ¥ story and also Hilda's. The neighbor, Mr. Hammil, replied: “We are sorry for you, and Hilda can make you comfortable until you can return to_your home.” Then he con- tinued: “¥es, it is a sad case,” and re- told the children’s story. “Their mother died last June, and Auntie Nell came to care for them. Then their father was called in the draft. For some rea- son -he was not exempted, maybe be- cause he was such a healthy, capable looking man. The children were to go with auntie to live with grandma, but he put off their going, hoping he would not be wanted until after Christmas. He very much wanted them to spend that day in their own home, but a week ago he was notified to go to camp. The message had been missent, so he had to go in two hours after receiving the word. “Two days after auntie was sent for, because grandma had fallen and hurt berself, and my wife or some one of my family has been with the children until today. “Auntie was to return Christmas eve to see Santa and eat Christmas din- ner; then in the afternoon take them home to live with her; but this storm will prevent her coming, I am afraid, and dlso my wife and our kiddies. “Their_ father left gifts; so did Auntie Nell. Everything was in read- ness to celebrate Christmas as soon as the call came, but as it happened their plans could not be carried out, so my wife planned with auntie to tring our tree and dinner over here and make the evening and Christmas day as happy and merry &as possible ‘or_these little ones. “My wife is putting the finishing touches to both dinner and gifts, so T came over in her place, and if possible shall go home for my family and the fixings in the morning.” “You dear, good people!” exclaimed Clara. “Even if it is pleasant tomor- row we will stay and help you, and shall be giving ourselves 'pleasure in making these darlings merry.” Baby Barbara awoke. . On perceiving" strangers, she was about to cry, but in a moment heid out her arms and as Clara kissed her little rosebud lips the little one cried “Be 0o Tanta Caus?” ‘Soon she fell asleep and all retired for the night. 5 The sun shone the next morning and although the snow centinued to arranged Mr. Walton to the village. The ous toys which he purchased made the children happy for months, While tmlfln ones were tri Barbara were standing in the hall looking at the big clock and counting the hours before Santa would come amd hoping Aunties Nell would Ring-'Rounda reading, then, as you are now. Why, now mother calls you “a regular. little book-worm!” But those mattresses were fun to jump on, though! You raised a cloud of dust every time you jumped, but that was all the more fun A dilapidated old spinning-wheel staggered drunkenly on two legs, and was saved from falling only by a com- panionuble chest filled with patchwork quiits, the work of Aunt Clarissa. Aunt Olive and Aunt Angie combined. You wondered .if you would ever have the patience to make any patchwork quilts. You'just hate to sew, now, and hope you never have to. You havd sewed only once or twice., when you made dresses for your doll. Remem- ber the tinde you borrowed Aunt Olive’s funny, old, square-rimmed =lasses, and pretended you were an old Tady sewing for her grandchildren? What made them all laugh at you? h, you must look inside of thowve inviting bandboxes! What funny Jit- tle hats!—about the size of your doll's, with perky feathers and ribbons ga- ‘Was that smallest one, trimmed 3 ons and black feathers, and with two “bunnit- strings” hanging down in back. Aunt Clarissa’s Sunday-go-to-meetin’” hat” You hops You never have. to wear a monstrosity like that. An amiable, threes-legqed, broken stove seemed {o stare at you curiously. The oven door was half off, and i} was about as old as the hills. A rusty old sword hung about it in a precari- ous position, something iike the sword of Damocles, but it was hung on a nail instead of by a single hair. In that Mitle horse. r trunk was a funny cid fiddle. Imos* all the strings were gone and the bow was broken in two. You wondered who had ever plaved that antique instrument. The trunk also contained two or three time-worn, hoop-skirted dresses. of a long time ago, and—oh, joy!—two dolls. Sach quaint lttle dolls, with shiny china heads and cut dresses minaturea of those large ones. “Did grandmother have those for her best doll when she was little ” vou asked Yourself, thinking of Mar/e Bett vour flaxén-haired, blue-eyed, beaut: ful doll downstairs. . “It5s nearly.time I went down,” you say. and turn to go, but console your- self with the thought of another, fu- ture visits t6 the realm of the past Not many péople appreciate that old corn-house the way vou do. Eyen it vou aren’t very old, you know a good thing when u see it. Hopt I don't get scolded!” you whisper, for you never know when Aunt Olive is go- ing to scold. But you're going to get some cookies, anyway! MARGARET NOSWORTHY, Age 13. Why don't we just say “Happy Christmas,” and “Merry New Year?” asked Georgina, after they had heard the greeting ‘“Merry Christmas,” many times that day. T am afraid I can’t tell for certain,” answered her mother. It is the cus- tom and I think it more. reasonable to wish our friends a merry day than a ‘whole merry year.” “I don’t see why,” sald Georgina. “Isn’t happy about the.same as mer- vy 7 ‘No, it is quite different. We may be very happy without being merry, though we cannot be merry without being happy.” “Won’t you please explain it?” ask- ed Georgina. “When I take an hour to read you a story, or to tell you one.” answered Mrs. Pettit, “you are very quiet. You do not jump about nor laugh aloud, nor show your pleasure in any noisy way. Yet you are not sad.” *I should think I wasn’t,” said Geor- gina. “I-would almost rather be read to or have stories told than anything.” “But when you are playing tag or any other lively game you scream and laugh and have a gay time. Now when you enjoy anything without noise_and mirth you are simply hap- py. But when you are full of fun and noise about your pleasure, you are merry.” “Well, why couldn't we be merry a whole year?” “Think how tired you were the morning after the Fourth? You were dull and your head and limbs ached. Your had to. go back to bed and you ate nothing but tea and toast all day. It was becauseyou had worn yourself out - with -the before.. I am afraid if should begin a year in that way and keep it up for many days we would be so tired, if indeed there was any- thing left of us, that we could not the special merry days when they came. is one reason why I think it better to wish a happy New Year than a merry one. If it is happy it can be merry, too, at times—but if we tried to it all merry, very soon it would not even be y." . ’s s0,” Geo ), et how funmy it Is it it is so.” “Little ‘Bfile Sanborne,” said mam- ma, ristmas it, took | enjoyed a lovely day she said to her | said Dolly, ciable visit lerry Christ. e children heiped to Frepare dinner, making it all the sweeter, inner. “Once -|I know asked b ted until the reopened for they to and “] guess Mary Christinas must bé Santa Claw’'s daughter, don’t you?” “Tell that 'nother one about Claws,” ‘who was having such.a so- v ‘with her new child, "Anna Bell,” that she had not seemed to hear until now. “Oh! I have told you that lots of times,”™ said mamma. “You tell it to Georgina and me.’ “Oh! Y kind of forget how it goes. Just tell it this one ’nother time.” “Very well, ‘one 'nother time, then,” saig Mrs. Pettitt. on Christmas eve a little boy a is mother, when he mas going to bed, to please sleep with She asked him ff he felt sick. He said "No!” and would give no reason for the wish. His mother told him she would sit (by him till he was asleep, but could not leave the baby and sleep with him. 'So she sat down by him, and pretty soon he said: “Are they awful long ciaws?” and the “Santa . Claws!"” “I should fink he would be afrai , “just find of claws.” Roe teased to sit up and santa Claws came. but her ouldn’t let her said Geor- you ever want to sit up and watch when you were little?" “I am not sure whether it was ear- ly in the morning or late at night when I first woke. It was very dark, and I had slid down on the piliow un til only my head sat up in the cor- ng me a dreadfully stiff neck v clothes were all twisted and rolled about me, too, and I was a miserably uncomfortable child.” “Did you get up and undress?” ask- ed ‘Georzina. “No: everybody was asleep and I was afraid. So 1 smoothed myself and pillow out the best I could and went to sleep again. But I was not at all a merry looking cHild in the morning.” ‘Did your mother know it?* ‘I _don’t remember wanting to set up, but one Christmas eve when my mother had gone to see a sick neigh- bor, and did not g6 up to bed with me and tuck me in as usual, I got into bed with my clothes on, shoes and all. The girl who worked for us came when 1 called and took the light away. After she had gone I put up a pillow in the corner of the bed next the wall and sat up against it, 8o I could be almost up-and entirely dressed in the morning. 1 thought this would not waste any time, and after awhile I Trent. to sléep in that queer condi- little boy answered “‘Did you wake up early?” Dolly. “O, ves! Ang she took off my muss- ed garments, freshened me with a kath and advised me quite earnestly never to do so again. But I did not need advice. One such experiment was enough for me.” “That was awfully funny,” Georgina. “There doesn’t anyfing happen to anyfing else as funny happens to Christmas, does there?’ said Dolly, with her usual manner of getting a long sentence together. “I_know it,” agreed Georgina. LAWRENCE GAUTHIER, Age 12. Brooklyn. The Christmas Tree. It was Aunt Susan’s plan. always di asked safd She is g something to make some- one happy. She said to papa and mamma: “The children have never seen a Christmas tree. We must have a Christmas tree for them.” And papa and mamma both said: Oh, yes, Susan! That will be the very thing.” Then they all three put their heads together to iake us by surprise. - Aunt Susan bought the presents. [ know she did; for I remember now that she came home, one day, looking very with scme brown paper par- cels tucked away in her muff. Shé couldn’t have put all the presents in- to her muff, though; and how they got into the house, and how that tree got in,” without my knowing it, is more than I could tell. I keep my eyes open; I know pretty well what. is going on; but they go ahead of me this time. But I see now why it was that we ‘were all kept up stairs that afternoon. When I was on the point of asking Jane to go down and play battledoor with me in the sitting room. Aunt Su- san popped up and said, “Look here, 1 have some pictures to show ves! I was not wanted down stairs’ just then. Papa and mamma must have been ‘Well, I stayed and looked at the pic- it was dark, when we heard papa’s voice in the entry, calling to us to come down. The entry was dark; but when papa opened the door of the sitting room, there came a blaze of light, and there we saw the Christmas tree in all its glory. What a gorgeous sight it was! Poor little Tot didn't know at first whether to laugh or cry. Jane threw up her hands with delight. I was quite amazed; and as to the baby, she almost jumped out of Aunt Su- san's armu We stood for a moment, gazing at the tree without saying a word. Pap pulled out a rocking horse and said: “Here Tot, this is for you. i Then mamma took up a splendid doll and said: “Jane, this is marked Szess ~ ’Rosy, by Henry Roos of Sterling, Conn., 3rd prize, with Aunt the tree rattle from s something for baby.’ 4 ther picked out the rest of presents for ou es. Didn’t our tongues go then? 1should think they did Well, 1 can't tell ents that we had there never s equal to ou vou all We the Christm the pres- that Tree w a ROSE DEMUTH. Baltic. The Battle of the Tin Army. Just as Ned was about to give the order, “Forward! Charge!” to his ready armies, father called the busy general to dinner. “Papa,” begged Ned, after the meal was finished, “please come and see my soldiers fight a battle. I left them ail ready to charge.” Before father had time to answer there was a loud confusion in the nur- sery. “Bang! Boom! Clatter! Clut- ter! “Hurry! Hurry! hear the terrible hattle!” Sure enough, when the Iittle gen- eral burst onto the battlefield he found that his soldiers had really been fight- ing while he was av Many brave men lay dead. Field pieces were over- turned. The trenches were torn to pleces. Battle flags were scattered in the dust. Wounded men were strewn all about. Over to one side a Red Cross ambulance was waiting to carry its load from the bloody field. Three airships still hovered over the confused scenes of struggle. Ome had fallen in a wreck upon the ground Ned's father began to laugh. Ned iaughed, too. For crouched in a cor- ner was Buster the big yellow cat. He hag spied the tiny airships swinging back and forth and had leaped for them. No doubt he had mistaken them for little birds and had caused all the noise and confusion. But, just the same, Ned likes to tell about the time when' his tin soldiers really fought. RALPH OLSEN, Age 1. cried Ned. ‘Just Baltic. TOMMY TIDD. ‘What Tommy Tidd says: ‘This old year isn't as old as me— And nébody calls me old, you see®— Ol year, I'm five times as old as you. And everybody thinks I'm new! I am my Pape’s youngket still, And the favorite of Uncle Bill; And of Time I feel no fear! So TI'll wish you all— A HAPPY NEW YEAR! Southington—James [H. Pratt has. been appointed executor of the estates of both Henry Newell and Bmmay Yeomans Bradley Newell, wife of Hen- ry Newell. Mrs. Newell died at 4 o'clock 'Wednesday morning, Nov., 2ist, . and her husband died the following. morning at 1 o’clock. Mrs. Newell was the richést woman in town and be- cause of the deaths occurring so close together the estate has become a com- plicated one and one that is of un- ‘Oine of Undle Sam's Boys, by RRlph Austin of Wauregan, Drize Foe” oL Bhys, oy DaIoh